Signs of hope for homebuyers, gambling freebies for politicians, Israel launches raids into Lebanon

Lobbying game | Gambling reform campaigners have accused wagering companies of “showering” federal politicians with hospitality as the government considers advertising restrictions, with new data showing betting groups have given numerous free tickets to MPs.

Home comfort? | Australia’s housing crisis may be starting to ease with dwelling price rises tapering off and rents increasing at their slowest pace in four years, data groups say. Meanwhile the Rupert Murdoch-backed real estate company REA Group has abandoned its attempt to take over the UK website Rightmove for $12bn.

ACCC boosted | The federal government has tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission with cracking down on misleading and deceptive pricing in supermarkets, tipping an extra $30m into the competition regulator after damning allegations against Coles and Woolworths.

Australia’s lost cause | Tuvalu’s climate minister says Australia’s decision to approve three coalmine expansions calls into question its claim to be a “member of the Pacific family”, and undermines its case to co-host the 2026 UN climate summit with island nations.

Election countdown | Queenslanders will go to the polls on 26 October and we’ve assembled the five key things you need to know about the vote, plus a video explainer.

‘Next phase of war’ | Israel has threatened what could be an imminent ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon as it warned of the “next phase” of its war against the militia force. Israel’s decapitation of Hezbollah has left Iran with a problem about how it should respond. Follow developments at our live blog.

Harris in focus | A Democratic representative in a key battleground Senate race in Michigan says Kamala Harris is “underwater in our polling”. Separately, a poll for the Guardian shows that Harris’s economic policies are far more popular than Donald Trump’s. And Trump has been criticised for saying that “one really violent day” could solve America’s crime problem.

Far right on the march | Austria’s main parties will begin talks to form a government after the far right’s watershed victory in a general election in which angry voters punished centrist incumbents over migration and inflation. It is another step by extremist parties in their march across Europe.

‘I’m not giving up’ | Liz Truss has said the UK Conservatives would have done better in July’s general election if she had stayed on as prime minister, during an often freewheeling appearance at the Tory conference.

Growth spurt | Mount Everest, which now stands at 8,849 metres, has grown by an extra 15 to 50 metres over the past 89,000 years thanks to river erosion.

NRL | Nelson Asofa-Solomona will miss Melbourne’s grand final showdown with Penrith after the Storm prop failed in his bid to have a four-game NRL ban overturned. But at least they’ve got the unheralded mastery of Jahrome Hughes.

Women’s cricket | A break from cricket has recharged Australia’s explosive young batter Phoebe Litchfield as she heads into the T20 World Cup.

Football | Bournemouth host Southampton in the Premier League this morning while pressure is mounting on Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag after their pitiful defeat to Ange Postecoglu’s Spurs.

Julian Assange | WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange addresses the Council of Europe after being declared a political prisoner.

Elections | Speech by electoral commissioner Tom Rogers on disinformation.

Sydney | Victims of Chinese Communist party rally and photo exhibition.

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