Your noon Briefing

Hello readers. Here’s the latest on how the day is playing out plus a long read for lunchtime.

Hello readers. In your noon digest, Labor scrapes home in Queensland’s election at last, meet the ‘Mosul Eye’ and try some champagne on ice.

Qld Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls leaves his Hendra home late this afternoon Picture AAP/David Clark

Labor gets across line

Queensland Labor has won the state election, after Liberal National Leader Tim Nicholls rang Annastacia Palaszczuk to concede defeat. Mr Nicholls made the announcement on Twitter this morning, and confirmed he would call an LNP party room meeting for next week but would not continue as Opposition leader.

This morning I rang @AnnastaciaMP to concede & wish her the best. I am proud of the positive campaign @LNPQLD ran. I take full responsibility for it. At the party room on Tuesday I will not seek to continue as LNP leader. It is time for a new generation of LNP leaders.

— Tim Nicholls MP (@TimNichollsMP) December 8, 2017

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak during a press conference at The Future Transit Summit, Eveleigh, today.Picture: Justin Lloyd

iPhone X: ‘It’s not what I would want’

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has revealed he is no fan of the iPhone X, the company’s latest smartphone, which is expected to be its highest seller ever. “It works fine, but it’s not what I would want,” he told The Australian in an exclusive interview at the Talent Unleashed awards in Melbourne.

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Westpac Chairman Lindsay Maxsted speaks during the Competitive Advantage Forum in Sydney, Thursday, November 23, 2017. (AAP Image/Daniel Munoz) NO ARCHIVING

We failed customers: bank boss

Westpac chairman Lindsay Maxsted says some criticism of the Australian banking sector is “warranted” and hopes a royal commission into alleged misconduct will restore trust and confidence. Mr Maxsted told the lender’s annual general meeting in Sydney that the board was “disappointed” in the deterioration in the banking sector’s reputation, but agreed there had been times when the industry had failed to meet customer expectations.

“It is clear that some of the criticism of the Australian banks is warranted.”

Lindsay Maxsted

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Senator Sam Dastyari in the Senate Chamber, at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

‘Game is up’ for Dasher

Attorney-General George Brandis has accused Labor of a “corrupt culture” as he ups the pressure on Labor senator Sam Dastyari to quit parliament. Senator Brandis, who last night referred Senator Dastyari to the Senate privileges committee, said the NSW Labor powerbroker should realise the “game is up” and leave parliament.

“The fact that he has allowed himself to be suborned or compromised by China is now a manifest public fact, he really should go.”

George Brandis

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50 Years of Victory at the North Pole. Supplied by Expedition Cruise Specialists

The long read: Champagne on ice

For anyone who’s dreamt of standing on top of the world, you could do worse than getting there on a nuclear icebreaker. 50 Years of Victory is powered by two nuclear reactors and can smash through ice 3m thick. Plus other travel temptations, spa recommendations and lazy vacations from our travel team.

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He led a secret double life as the blogger Mosul Eye, documenting Islamic State’s atrocities for the world. Now in Europe on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, Omar Mohammed no longer wants to remain anonymous. (AP Photo)

Spies like IS

His mother didn’t know that “her Omar” had been working as an undercover historian, documenting atrocities committed by the Islamic State group inside Mosul. But she wasn’t totally surprised when her son told her his secret. Amid tears, she said, “I knew there was something going on with you.” Omar Mohammed, 31, disclosed in an Associated Press story Thursday that he is the man behind the legendary and widely read Mosul Eye.

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Comment of the day

“If we were not taxed so high we wouldn’t have to resort to paying cash to save some money.”

Daniel, in response to ‘Tradie cash rips billions: ATO’