Your noon Briefing

Hello readers. Here’s the latest on how Thursday has played out as play starts in the Ashes at The Gabba.

Hello readers. Here’s the latest on how Thursday played out so far, as an early wicket for the Aussies gets the Ashes underway at The Gabba.

Leaking like a sieve

Three ministers have this morning acknowledged that the Turnbull cabinet has a problem with leaking, with deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop reportedly calling for a formal investigation. Ms Bishop told Sky News she was not the one leaking sensitive information to damage the Prime Minister and Treasurer, saying she “absolutely rejects the suggestion”, and calling for a “formal investigation”. Details of Tuesday’s cabinet meeting were apparently revealed to the Daily Telegraph, which yesterday reported that cabinet had discussed a policy U-turn on a banking royal commission.

“If people are leaking then they don’t do anybody any good.”

Peter Dutton, Immigration Minister

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Mitchell Starc of Australia celebrates after claiming the wicket of Alastair Cook of England on Day 1 of the First Test match between Australia and England at the Gabba in Brisbane, Thursday, November 23, 2017. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY, IMAGES TO BE USED FOR NEWS REPORTING PURPOSES ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE WHATSOEVER, NO USE IN BOOKS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT FROM AAP

Cook feels Starc heat

After being savaged by Ricky Ponting as one of England’s old age pensioners, Alistair Cook is out in the third over after a nice piece of work in the slips by Peter Handscomb. Mitchell Starc has struck early for the Baggy Green. Keep up with play as the match unfolds in our live coverage of the Ashes’ first Testbetween Australia and England at The Gabba.

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The scene at Manus as the police enter. Picture: Twitter.

‘You have one hour to leave’

PNG police have entered the mothballed Manus Island detention centre and given the remaining men an hour to leave, Peter Dutton has confirmed. While 300 inmates have moved from the Manus Island regional processing centre to a reception centre at East Lorengau, the PNG Army has moved in to force the remaining 100 to leave. Mr Dutton said: “Obviously we’re very keen for people to move out of the Manus regional processing centre.”

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Yassmin Abdel-Magied on The Project.

It’s not you, Yassmin, it’s us

Yassmin Abdel-Magied has compared Australia to an abusive boyfriend in her first appearance on Australian television since moving to London after a string of controversies. The Muslim commentator appeared on The Project last night, describing how “traumatic” was the public scorn she endured for a number of inflammatory comments. “It is hard. It is dating like ... an abusive guy,” she said. Asked whether she misses Australia, she replied: “You love a lot of things about them, but they hurt you deep.

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TOPSHOT - People remove, from the wall at the International Conference centre, where parliament had their sitting, the portrait of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe after his resignation on November 21, 2017 in Harare. Robert Mugabe resigned as president of Zimbabwe on November 21, 2017 swept from power as his 37-year reign of brutality and autocratic control crumbled within days of a military takeover. The bombshell news was delivered by the parliament speaker to a special joint session of the assembly which had convened to impeach Mugabe, 93, who has dominated every aspect of Zimbabwean public life since independence in 1980. / AFP PHOTO / Jekesai NJIKIZANA

The long read: A coup while ‘The Lion’ sleeps

Robert Mugabe woke in his luxurious palace known as “Blue Roof” on ­Wednesday last week to find that his head of security wasn’t there for the usual morning briefing. Only then did the 93-year-old president, the survivor of many challenges across 37 years of ­tumultuous and widely criticised rule, realise he was under house ­arrest. No one had awakened Mugabe during the night, according to senior security officials, as Zimbabwe’s military deployed tanks and troops around the capital, seizing government buildings and strategic intersections in response to a widening purge by the president that was reaching the armed forces. The leader once hailed as “the lion of Africa”, and by then widely derided as “the old man”, was a prisoner in his own home.

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Comment of the day

“I was forced on to NBN a couple of months ago ... the following are now routine: Failures to connect, dropouts, having to watch the little wheel going round when on You Tube.”

Charles (DCC) in reply to Anthony Klan’s exclusive on the NBN paradox.