Shock after alleged attack on MP; Australia’s banana shortage; and Boland shines in second test

Want to get this in your inbox every weekday? Morning everyone. Independent MP Helen Haines has been critically injured in an alleged attack involving a vehicle outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, in regional Victoria. We have a full report, an explainer about what we know, and a profile.
Supermarkets are running low on stocks of bananas after cooler-than-usual weather in Queensland has hindered production, a thinktank warns that employers are using AI to monitor workers, there’s proof that bears really do love honey, and is the convenience culture out of control? Banana bind | Australia is facing a shortage of bananas after some unseasonably cool weather in Queensland has led to poor growth, leaving Coles, Woolworths and Aldi with sparse displays or very green stock.
‘The very best’ | Tributes have poured in from across all sides of politics for the independent MP Helen Haines after she was critically injured in an alleged attack involving a Toyota Landcruiser in Wangaratta in regional Victoria. The prime minister described her as “loved and admired”, while fellow independent Monique Ryan said Haines is the “very best of people”. A 43-year-old local man is in custody and the incident is being investigated by police and counter-terror officers.
This is what we know so far, while Josh Butler profiles the MP first elected in 2019 who is known for championing regional...
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Sources and context
The GuardianSource headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-10-20. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.