Your noon Briefing: Nauru a ‘very pleasant island’, says Abbott

Welcome to your noon digest of what’s been making news and what to watch for.

Hello readers. Here is your noon digest of today’s top stories.

Kids off Nauru, supplied by World Vision Australia

Nauru ‘pleasant’: Abbott

Tony Abbott has urged Scott Morrison to hold the line on asylum seekers and says Nauru is a “very, very pleasant island.” The former prime minister’s comments comes as a poll in yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph showed almost 80 per cent of voters want children and their families transferred off the Pacific island’s detention centre.

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Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull liked a tweet referencing figures in the latest Newspoll.

PM shrugs off Newspoll

Scott Morrison has brushed off his descent into negative personal polling territory in today’s Newspoll after Malcolm Turnbull liked a tweet showing the Prime Minister’s numbers going down. For the first time in his nine weeks as prime minister, Mr Morrison’s dissatisfaction ratings are bigger than his satisfaction ratings at 44 per cent of voters disapproving of his performance compared to 41 per cent approving.

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Australian cricketer Ben McDermott leaves the pitch after being dismissed during the third T20 cricket match between Pakistan and Australia at The International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on October 28, 2018. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP)

Batting fails

Australia’s batsmen are failing across all three formats, with Aaron Finch admitting the woeful performance in the T20 series against Pakistan was just the latest example of a frailty that has become entrenched in the national side. The tourists slumped to a grim whitewash defeat to the world’s No.1-ranked T20 side, losing the third and final game in Dubai by 33 runs. It was a dismal ending to a tour of the UAE in which they also lost the two-match Test series 1-0.

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Early contenders to host the 2032 Games

The long read: Same Olympics, new rules

The feasibility study into a proposed Brisbane 2032 Olympic bid is still two months from completion, and while nothing can yet be revealed about its findings and recommendations, it speaks volumes that the work is proceeding without interruption. Scott Smith of the Council of Mayors, the political advocacy organisation set up to represent Brisbane and the other nine councils in southeast Queensland, has made it clear that only while the numbers stack up will work push ahead on the feasibility study.

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Comment of the day

“Perhaps ‘Probs’ should have asked his wife to call? In any event I have no problem him calling in to complain about a local public issue; should have revealed who he is though. Whether he likes it or not he is the ABC’s Political Editor 24/7.”

Andrew, in response to ‘When the ABC’s political editor called in as a listener’.