Hong Kong's democracy is on trial; Queensland cops some rain; Israel faces unrest over hostage deaths; and who's a clever birdy...

Monday, 18 December – The Squiz is your shortcut to the news. More details and links to further reading for all of today’s news can be found in The Squiz Today email. Click here to get it in your inbox each weekday morning. Other things we do: Squiz Shortcuts - a weekly explainer on big news topics Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!