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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Chris York

Morning Mail: carbon credits under scrutiny, Cop27 gets under way, Trump rallies faithful

A new analysis has found evidence of widespread problems with forest regeneration projects.
A new analysis has found evidence of widespread problems with forest regeneration projects. Photograph: Rob Blakers

Good morning. The integrity of Australia’s carbon credit scheme is under renewed scrutiny after a new analysis found forest regeneration schemes that earned millions in credits actually resulted in fewer trees. It comes as emissions reduction is in the spotlight globally with Cop27, the United Nations climate change conference, getting under way in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. And Donald Trump, who while in office overturned the US’s emission reduction pledges and tore up climate agreements, has effectively kicked off his next run for president.

Australia

Prof Andrew Macintosh
Prof Andrew Macintosh says new analysis has found compelling evidence of widespread problems with forest regeneration projects. Photograph: Energy Transition Hub
  • Carbon credits | Projects meant to regenerate Australia’s outback forests to store carbon dioxide have been awarded millions of carbon credits – worth hundreds of millions of dollars – despite total tree and shrub cover in those areas having declined, a new analysis has found.

  • Monkeypox | The federal government has launched a new national advertising campaign to promote monkeypox vaccination to a “post-Covid and vaccine-fatigued audience”.

  • Cost of living | The cost-of-living crisis is having dire effects on school-age children, as parents struggle to afford uniforms, lunches and excursions, a report by the Smith Family has found.

  • Cop27 | Adam Morton is heading to Cop27 but can it deliver? This is the question he seeks to answer in a column examining what’s on and off the table.

  • Danushka Gunathilaka | Sri Lankan international cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Sydney’s eastern suburbs hours after the pair met for their first date.

World

Donald Trump points to the crowd at a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump at a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. ‘You must vote Republican in a giant way’ at the US midterm elections, he said. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images
  • US midterm elections 2022 | Donald Trump effectively kicked off another run for the White House at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday, striking familiar notes and swiping at potential rival “Ron DeSanctimonious”.

  • Ukraine | US officials have reportedly warned the Ukrainian government in private that it needs to signal an openness to negotiating with Russia.

  • UK politics | Boris Johnson would have forfeited earnings of at least £10m a year from speeches and sales of his memoirs if he had fought a leadership battle and lost, according to informed sources, who believe it played a part in his decision to pull out.

  • Climate crisis | The past eight years were the eight hottest ever recorded, a new UN report has found, indicating the world is now deep into the climate crisis.

  • Tanzania | At least 19 people have died after a plane plunged into Lake Victoria during bad weather shortly before it was due to land in the north-west city of Bukoba, according to the state-owned Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.

Full Story

A video grab taken from a video posted on the Twitter account of billionaire Tesla chief Elon Musk shows him carrying a sink as he enters the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco.
A video posted on the Twitter account of billionaire Tesla chief Elon Musk shows him carrying a sink as he enters the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco. Photograph: Twitter account of Elon Musk/AFP/Getty Images

Can Twitter survive Elon Musk? (And can Musk survive Twitter?)

Elon Musk marched into Twitter as its new owner last week and immediately started making changes. Alex Hern reports on what lies ahead for the social media company

In-depth

Robotic arms assembling items in a factory.
In Australia, sectors where machines and computers are able to replace labour can increasingly be farmed out overseas. Photograph: VCG/Getty Images

Politicians like to bemoan low productivity but the causes are complex and baked into the economy, writes Satyajit Das, as he outlines eight reasons Australia is stuck with low productivity rates. Machines replacing labour, expensive education and a lack of competition are just the tip of the iceberg.

Not the news

Manarola, Cinque Terre, train station in small village with coluorful houses on cliff overlooking sea.
The coast-hugging Cinque Terre Express. Photograph: Julia Lavrinenko/Alamy

Yes it’s Monday and yes, you’re likely back at work so what better way to escape for a little bit than checking out 10 of the best railway journeys in Italy.

The world of sport

Australia’s David Warner reacts after his dismissal during the ICC men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2022 cricket match between Australia and Ireland at The Gabba on 31 October
David Warner could not reproduce his 2021 batting heroics for Australia.
Photograph: Patrick Hamilton/AFP/Getty Images

Media roundup

The home affairs minister has said criminals are getting into Australia as corrupt agents, and education institutions help traffic sex slaves, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Serviced apartments in Sydney’s inner west are set to free up public hospital beds, part of a trial by the state government aimed at helping people recover or prepare for surgery while easing the strain on the system, 9News reports. The number of increasingly sophisticated online scams targeting Australians has exploded throughout 2022, the Daily Telegraph reveals.

What’s happening today

  • Parliament protest | Torres Strait Islanders will build a seawall outside Parliament House.

  • Danishka Gunathilaka | First appearance for the Sri Lankan international cricketer on four sexual assault charges.

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Bored?

And finally, the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.

  • Quick crossword

  • Cryptic crossword

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