Environmental activists at the climate change conference in Lima wear puppet faces representing leaders from around the world including Prime Minister Tony Abbott (far left) Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, China's President Xi Jinping, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. AP Photo/Martin Mejia Source: AP

10am

That’s it for our live #RUSHHOUR news blog. You can get across the stories you need to know today below or go to news.com.au for the latest headlines.

9am

Police who raced with sirens blaring to a home invasion in Brisbane have detained a thoroughly delicious intruder.

A terrified man called police about 1.30am on Monday to say he was hiding from a burglar in his West End home.

Police sprang into action, believing the man’s life could be in danger, but found nothing more sinister than a feisty mud crab. “The informant woke to noises of what he believed to be someone inside his house,” a police spokesman told the ABC.

“He was seeking refuge in his bedroom because he was too scared to go out.

“They were able to determine quickly that the offender was actually a large mud crab that had escaped its box and was wandering around the kitchen.” The crab is facing a likely death sentence for its crime.

Scary: Mud crab sparks emergency callout. Source: Supplied

8.40am

Senior federal ministers have dismissed the gossip surrounding Tony Abbott’s chief of staff Peta Credlin, saying no one’s interested.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull told ABC radio that it was almost unprecedented for political staff to be the subject of so much public controversy and comment.

His frontbench colleague and deputy Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce said Australians “couldn’t give a toss about it”.

Mr Abbott told the Nine Network on Sunday he believed people were sick of “insider gossip” and he was going to “ignore the static” and get on with his job.

Victim of sexism? Does the public even care about gossip surrounding Peta Credlin? Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch Source: Getty Images

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said distanced herself from Mr Abbott’s comments that attacks on Ms Credlin were sexist.

“I’ve been on the record many times saying that I don’t view the world through a prism of gender, I never have and I never will,” Ms Bishop told Sky News on Sunday.

Her comments came after veteran Liberal MP Warren Entsch revealed he had lodged an official complaint with chief whip Philip Ruddock, accusing Mr Abbott of undermining cabinet ministers and keeping backbenchers in the dark about key policies.

8.30am

Commercial solariums will be banned in most parts of Australia from December 31.

According to the ABC, solariums will be banned in South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. A ban is unnecessary in the Northern Territory because there are no sunbed operators, while Western Australia and Tasmania are yet to enforce proposed bans.

About 43 Australians die each year from skin cancer linked to solarium use, according to the Cancer Council.

Solariums will be banned in most parts of Australia from December 31. Source: ThinkStock

8.10am

More leaked emails from Sony executives have revealed they thought actor Leonardo DiCaprio was “despicable” for abandoning a biopic of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

The comments were part of an email chain between co-chairman Amy Pascal and producer Mark Gordon that has been published:

Gordon: “Was this about the deal ... or did he just change his mind?”

Pascal: “The latter.”

Gordon: “Horrible behaviour.”

Pascal: “Absolutely despicable.”

Pascal has already been in the embarrassed over a separate bunch of leaked emails that labelled actor Angelina Jolie as a “minimally talented spoiled brat” and that discusses how bizarre Jaden and Willow Smith are.

Angelina Jolie and Amy Pascal looking awkward at the Power 100 Breakfast in LA after leaked emails were published. Picture: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages via AP Images. Source: AP

7.50am

Demand for McDonald’s on Christmas Day is so strong that the fast food outlet will open nearly half of its stores in Victoria. This is double the number opening five years ago.

Dietitians’ Association of Australia spokeswoman Kate Di Prima believes the trend is compounded by busy families wanting to relax on the holiday rather than slave in a hot kitchen, the cost and the decline of cooking skills.

Who needs turkey when you’ve got a chicken burger? Source: HeraldSun

7.35am

Treasurer Joe Hockey is expected to reveal today that the budget deficit will almost double to $100 billion over the next four years.

Mr Hockey will deliver his midyear economic update today, which is expected to show that revenue has taken a further hit of $6.2 billion in just over six months.

News Corp Australia says deficits over the period will almost double to $100 billion, signalling little hope of economic improvement without unpopular reforms to taxes and spending.

While foreign aid spending is expected to be slashed by $1 billion a year as Mr Hockey struggles to fill the deepening budget hole.

Treasurer Joe Hockey will deliver his midyear economic update today. Picture: Britta Campion Source: News Corp Australia

7.15am

A teenager has been charged with murder after he shattered the windscreen of a car and assaulted the 72-year-old driver.

Police allege a man was travelling on Glenella Connection Rd in West Mackay when an object was thrown at his four-wheel-drive, causing the windscreen to shatter.

The windscreen of a car was shattered by an object according to police. Source: News Corp Australia

The glass caused facial injuries and the driver immediately stopped his car, a 18-year-old man then approached the car and assaulted him. He sustained severe head and facial injuries and was transferred to hospital but died on Sunday afternoon.

The 18-year-old Slade Point man has had a previous charge of grievous bodily harm upgraded to murder. He is scheduled to appear before the Mackay Magistrates Court today.

Anyone with any information about this matter is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

7am

The demand for sex in the Top End is so high, escort agencies are having to employ fly-in, fly-out prostitutes to keep up.

One industry source said up to 95 per cent of sex workers employed by Darwin escort agencies are FIFO workers based interstate, according to the NT News.

The region’s high male-to-female ratio is thought to be part of the reason, but industry sources say long-term female residents may also be less willing to work in the sex industry in their home town.

Sex workers have to be flown to the NT to meet demand. Source: News Limited

South Australian Piper*, 28, said better pay was part of what lured her north, and so was the clientele. “The conditions are really good compared to other places,” Piper said.

“And Darwin clients are nicer. Sometimes it was just ‘thank god time’s up’. But other times it’s really good and you meet some cool people and learn some cool things. There’s no point doing it if you can’t have fun.”

6.30am

A global climate deal has been signed in Lima that adopts a format for national pledges to cut greenhouse gases.

The hard-fought agreement lays out the blueprint for what is envisioned to be the most ambitious agreement in environmental history.

UN members signed the pact on Sunday and also approved a blueprint to guide negotiations for a climate deal to be sealed in Paris in December 2015.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the conclusions of the agreement, dubbed the Lima Call for Climate Action, “pave the way for the adoption of a universal and meaningful agreement in 2015”. He encouraged countries to commit to Paris negotiations and make good on financial pledges ahead of the 2015 meeting.

Due to take effect in 2020, it would for the first time bind all the world’s nations into a single arena for curbing heat-trapping carbon gases that drive dangerous climate change.

Delegates at the UN Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru. AP Photo/Juan Karita Source: AP

6.10am

The Abbott government ends its first full year in power behind Labor, which is on a two-party preferred lead of 54 to 46 per cent.

According to the latest Newspoll in The Australian, Labor’s lead is unchanged from a fortnight ago and the prime minister’s satisfaction rating was also the same at 33 per cent.

However, dissatisfaction with his performance edged up one point to 58 per cent.

The result comes after Mr Abbott announced a number of changes to his key policies, including the GP co-payment, paid parental leave scheme and funding for a UN-backed climate fund.

Tony Abbott’s government is ending the year behind Labor according to the latest Newspoll. Source: News Corp Australia

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s satisfaction rating dropped two points to 37 per cent while his dissatisfaction rating was unchanged at 43 per cent.

The poll of 1084 voters reveals primary support for the Coalition inched up one point to 38 per cent in the past fortnight but Labor gained two points to lift its primary vote to 39 per cent.

The Greens dropped one point to 12 per cent while support for minor parties, independents and others fell two points to 11 per cent.