Your afternoon Briefing

Good afternoon, readers. Here’s how Monday played out, including Pamela Anderson’s letter to Peter Dutton and a wet pitch fiasco at the WACA.

Pamela Anderson’s letter to Peter Dutton

Well here are two people we never thought we’d be writing about in the same story: Pamela Anderson and Peter Dutton.

The former Baywatch star has written a letter to the Immigration Minister asking for an investigation into alleged animal cruelty on Manus Island, claiming a dog “was thrown from a moving bus” by a guard as detainees were moved from the island’s main detention facility to alternative accommodation last month.

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WACA groundstaff dry out the pitch.

Ashes wet pitch fiasco

It’s been a dramatic day at the WACA with rain delaying play on the final day of the third Ashes Test for hours due to a wet pitch.

After 20mm of rain overnight, and more showers in the two hours before the scheduled start this morning, water seeped under the covers, with ground staff forced to give the pitch a blow-dry.

Don’t want to miss a thing? We’re live blogging here.

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Honey Sherman and Barry Sherman. Canadian billionaire couple found dead in mansion. Picture: CBC.ca

Pharma chief, wife ‘strangled’

Homicide police are now investigating the deaths of Canadian pharmaceuticals billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife, who died from “ligature neck compression”, a type of strangulation.

In a statement, police formally identified Mr Sherman, 75, and Ms Sherman, 70, as the deceased found on Friday night at a home in a wealthy enclave in north Toronto.

The Sherman family called on the police to conduct a “thorough” criminal investigation.

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The chateau was originally built for the Khashoggi family. Picture: Reuters.

Saudi prince’s $390 million chateau

In his home country he is leading an austerity drive, but abroad he has been identified in the past year as the buyer of a US$500 million yacht and a Leonardo da Vinci painting for US$450 million.

The high-roller spending habits of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia are now said to have spread to France.

Apparently he is the ultimate owner - through a series of shell companies - of the world’s most expensive house, a AU$390m Louis XIV-style palace near Versailles.