Your morning Briefing: Howard’s late bid to rescue Libs

Welcome to your 2-minute briefing on the day’s top stories and must-reads.

Hello readers. Here is your 2-minute digest of what’s making news today.

24/09/2018: Former Prime Minster John Howard speaking at the Sino-Australasian Entrepreneurs Summit (SAES) 2018 in Sydney on Monday. Hollie Adams/The Australian

Howard’s way

John Howard will intervene in the Wentworth by-­election campaign today in a last-ditch attempt to win over “grumpy ­Liberal voters”, warning that a ­significant protest vote could ­inflict “enormous damage” on the Morrison government. Brad Norington has the Inside Story on the Kerryn Phelps enigma, focusing on one of the great shape-shifters of Australian politics. Keep up with all the latest from parliament ahead of the crucial Wentworth by-election in our live blog, PoliticsNow.

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Nationals MP Michael McCormack, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce and Ian Macfarlane during a Division in the House of Representatives Chamber at Parliament House in Canberra.

Joyce circles

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has sounded a warning to potential rivals after Barnaby Joyce signalled he was open to being drafted back to the Nationals leadership before the next election.

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Police members are pictured through a window inside the residence of the Saudi consul to Istanbul on October 17, 2018, as they investigate into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in the city. - A team of a dozen police and prosecutors, including forensics experts in white overalls, entered the residence of Mohammed al-Otaibi, a day after he flew out of Istanbul for Riyadh. Earlier in the day, a Saudi delegation had also arrived at the building to take part in what is presented as a joint search with their Turkish counterparts. Turkish police had searched on October 15 the consulate building itself for over eight hours, taking away soil and DNA samples for further examination. Khashoggi, a former regime insider who became critical of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, wrote articles for titles including the Washington Post. He has not been seen since he stepped inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)

Beaten, dismembered

The torture of Jamal Khashoggi began with a beating and quickly escalated to his fingers being chopped off as a Saudi hit squad interrogated him. According to new reports today, the dissident journalist died within minutes of the brutal attack in the office of the Saudi consul, Mohammad al-Otaibi, in the Istanbul Consulate just after 1.15pm on October 2. According to the Wall Street Journal, the consul was present during the assassination.

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DEAL-20181019 EMBARGO FOR THE DEAL19 OCT 2018NO REUSE WITHOUT PERMISSION FEE APPLIESIllustrations by Johannes Leak exclusive for The Deal cover Oct 2018

Worst deals of the decade

Andrew White looks at who got it horribly wrong as part of The Deal’s 10th birthday issue on the art of the deal, featuring insights and revelations from Frank Lowy to James Packer to Alan Joyce, out tomorrow.

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Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters Cartoon for 18-10-2018.Version: Letters Cartoon (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.