Australian news live: High court expected to publish decision on Hanson’s tweets; Republicans react as Democrats ‘blue tsunami’ continues

What you need to know

By Ellie Busby

Good morning and welcome to our live rolling coverage of the latest news from around Australia and the world. It’s Thursday, November 5. I’m Ellie Busby, and I will be bringing you the news as it happens this morning.

Here are our top stories so far today:

• The fallout from the Democrats “blue tsunami” at the midterm elections is continuing, with Vice President JD Vance blaming the war against Iran for Republicans’ wipeout at the midterm elections. The Democrats, who needed only three more seats to take control of the House, are projected to gain more than 20 seats. Follow our rolling coverage here.
• The High Court is expected to publish a decision imminently on whether it will hear Hanson’s last-ditch appeal of Federal Court findings that her “piss off back to Pakistan” tweet to Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi was unlawful hate speech.
• More than one in three Australian babies thought to have a peanut allergy do not have the condition, according to a landmark study set to overhaul how food allergies are diagnosed and managed.
• Under-pressure ministers are hunting for billions in Senate-proof spending cuts to tame inflation and interest rates, dodging the increasingly hostile Coalition and Greens blocs as Barnaby Joyce tips populists will benefit from Australia’s darkening economic future.

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6.51am

Hanson reaps rewards of Australia’s immigration backlash

By Natassia Chrysanthos

More Australians than ever think immigration levels are too high while confidence in multiculturalism has dipped – a hardening of views driven by people who now say they would vote for One Nation.

Pauline Hanson’s supporters are also the people whose trust in government and politicians is plunging. Anti-establishment views are on the rise, but are more common among Australian-born voters, home owners and people without university education.

The Scanlon Foundation has been taking the temperature of Australian attitudes and social cohesion since 2007. Its latest report with the Australian National University surveyed more than 10,000 people to shed fresh insights into how Australian society has responded to last year’s Bondi attack, the war in the Middle East and worsening economic conditions.

The authors said their findings indicated long-term strains on social cohesion had been amplified by more recent discord. While Australians had been reporting weaker feelings of belonging and declining community involvement for most of this century, this has been compounded in the last three years by sharp falls in support for immigration, diversity and institutions.

Read more: Australia’s immigration backlash goes mainstream – and Hanson reaps the rewards

6.50am

Israeli election results certified in blow to Netanyahu’s claim of vote fraud

By

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday (Israel time) accepted as legally binding the certified results from last week’s parliamentary elections and said he would begin consultations with party representatives on the formation of a new government.

Herzog’s acceptance of the results as valid dealt a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s effort to discredit the vote in which his religious-nationalist bloc lost its majority in the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, while Arab-led parties made historic gains.

Netanyahu and his supporters have repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims that the Arab-led parties had “stolen” the election, possibly with foreign assistance.

The Israeli president is required now to sit down with various party leaders to determine who to name as prime minister-designate – a process that could potentially bring Netanyahu’s opponents to power.

Pinned post from 6.49am

What you need to know

By Ellie Busby

Good morning and welcome to our live rolling coverage of the latest news from around Australia and the world. It’s Thursday, November 5. I’m Ellie Busby, and I will be bringing you the news as it happens this morning.

Here are our top stories so far today:

• The fallout from the Democrats “blue tsunami” at the midterm elections is continuing, with Vice President JD Vance blaming the war against Iran for Republicans’ wipeout at the midterm elections. The Democrats, who needed only three more seats to take control of the House, are projected to gain more than 20 seats. Follow our rolling coverage here.
• The High Court is expected to publish a decision imminently on whether it will hear Hanson’s last-ditch appeal of Federal Court findings that her “piss off back to Pakistan” tweet to Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi was unlawful hate speech.
• More than one in three Australian babies thought to have a peanut allergy do not have the condition, according to a landmark study set to overhaul how food allergies are diagnosed and managed.
• Under-pressure ministers are hunting for billions in Senate-proof spending cuts to tame inflation and interest rates, dodging the increasingly hostile Coalition and Greens blocs as Barnaby Joyce tips populists will benefit from Australia’s darkening economic future.

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