Morning Mail: Israel exit polls show no clear winner; a ‘sobering’ poll for Labor; and Musk’s AI take on The Odyssey

Morning everyone. Exit polls from major broadcasters have projected that a majority of Israelis have voted against Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, even as his Likud party has emerged as the largest party. Arguably the most consequential election in Israel’s history has seen a huge turnout marked by large numbers of Israelis flying home to vote, many against the long-serving prime minister. Follow all the latest updates on our live blog.

At home, the febrile state of our own politics is reflected in the latest Guardian Essential poll with One Nation and Labor neck-and-neck on 28% and Anthony Albanese more unpopular than ever. The ABC is taking legal action against Pauline Hanson’s party after they used Bluey in a “shocking” cartoon promotion, Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly flees Brazil, and Australia’s cricketers fight back after a woeful start in the third Test in South Africa.

Australia

• Bluey blue | The ABC will send a cease and desist letter to the rightwing populist party One Nation for using Bluey in a “shocking and disrespectful” cartoon which sees the beloved character repeatedly ramming politicians with an SUV. A Coalition MP has called for a rethink of pre-poll voting at federal elections, including potentially shortening the amount of time booths are open, amid threats to voters and volunteers.

• Exclusive | One Nation’s primary vote is back on par with Labor in the latest Guardian Essential poll as Anthony Albanese’s public disapproval rose to its equal highest on record and more Australians than ever believe the country is on the wrong track. Writing today, Essential’s Peter Lewis says the government needs to recast itself as the champion of change rather than the defenders of a status quo so many are rejecting.

• ‘Unfair’ aged care | The Greens leader, David Shoebridge, has used a scathing report from the commonwealth ombudsman to press the government to use the last two sitting weeks of parliament to restore human override to its “unfair” aged care assessment tool.

• Golf confession | Anthony Albanese has admitted he got it wrong after telling parliament a $6m grant to a golf club in his electorate was to stop “raw sewage” going into the nearby river.

• Dementia danger | Dementia has accounted for more than 10% of all deaths for the first time, while the number of people dying from asthma is at decade-high levels, according to new figures.

World

• Israel votes | The Israeli opposition Yashar party has called Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to extend voting hours, since rejected by the country’s elections committee, the “groundwork to challenge election integrity” as exit polls suggest opposition parties leading in the majority of seats in a hugely consequential Israeli election. Here’s what you need to know about the election, and you can follow live developments here.

• Flávio flees | The far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro has reportedly fled Brazil and is on his way to the United States after losing Sunday’s presidential election to the leftwing incumbent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

• China losses | Trillions of dollars have been wiped from China’s stock markets in recent months amid increasing anxiety about the future of artificial intelligence, as Beijing races against the United States for dominance in the sector.

• Midterm ‘misinformation’ | Social media feeds are awash with a flood of AI-driven disinformation ahead of next week’s US midterm elections, according to experts. It comes as Donald Trump and Marco Rubio stump for Ken Paxton in Texas. Follow developments live here.

• Glacier gone | The final ice patch has vanished from Slovenia’s Triglav glacier, the latest Alpine casualty of Europe’s scorching summer.

Full Story

Neck and neck in the 2026 New Zealand election

Our New Zealand correspondent, Eva Corlett, speaks to Matilda Boseley about the minor parties that could hold all the power at the 7 November poll, and what it could tell us about Australia’s political direction.

In-depth

Reviewers have panned Elon Musk’s AI-generated version of The Odyssey which he produced after criticising rival to Christopher Nolan’s film as “woke” and pledging to make a version “true to the art of Homer”. In a one-star review, our own Peter Bradshaw calls it “as meaningless as a laptop screensaver”.

Not the news

With influencers lining up to condemn them as the last thing you would want to put into your body, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz asks whether seed oils are really that bad.

Sport

• Cricket | Australia fought back from a poor start in a rollercoaster start to deciding Test against South Africa. A decision to bowl first in Cape Town looked like backfiring but the hosts were finally all out for 329 after being 140-0 at lunch.

• Ballon d’Or | Harry Kane could be knighted after the English striker won football’s greatest individual prize, according to hints from 10 Downing Street.

• Football | Michael Carrick has been given the chance to save his job by turning Manchester United’s results around, with the head coach remaining in place for Saturday’s visit to Chelsea. Check out David Squires’s skewering of the Old Trafford high command.

Four in five Victorians blame the state’s property tax for pushing up the cost of buying or renting a home, according to the Herald Sun. Woodside has walked away from a project undeveloped for decades, offloading its Greater Sunrise stake to Timor-Leste’s national oil company, the NT News reports. A $2.5bn mini city at Burleigh Waters will have seven towers with room for up to 1,600 units, fresh plans have revealed, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin.

What’s happening today

• Sydney | Judgment handed down at the federal court in Austrac’s money-laundering case against The Star.

• Economy | Latest inflation figures released at 11.30am.

• Canberra | Greens leader David Shoebridge speaks at National Press Club at 12.30pm.

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.