Morning everyone. The good news for Anthony Albanese is that Labor’s super tax reforms are popular with voters – 50% approve, according to this month’s Essential poll, and just 19% are opposed. The bad news is that the prime minister’s approval rating has dropped six points to 40%.
Today, too, we reveal the inside story of what happens when major universities outsource online degrees, deliver an exclusive about the world’s “super-emitters” of methane, get the scoop on Fifa on the brink of ditching its Saudi sponsorship of this year’s world cup and ... reflect on the nature of sheep.
Australia
Fifa | There is cautious optimism at Football Australia that Fifa will do a U-turn on plans to make the Saudi tourist board a key sponsor of the Women’s World Cup which starts in Australia and New Zealand in July.
‘No teaching’ | Students are paying thousands of dollars for online courses they believe are run by prestigious universities but have actually been outsourced to for-profit companies that sometimes have “no actual teaching”, use aggressive recruitment tactics and refer to students as “customers”.
Exclusive | Half of voters are in favour of Labor’s tightening of tax concessions on superannuation balances – even those with large amounts in their funds, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll. But it also shows Anthony Anthony Albanese’s job approval slipping six points to 40%.
Rental squeeze | The share of properties listed for rent under $400 a week has more than halved to 15% across most Australian capital cities over the past year, accounting for just 7.8% of Sydney listings in February.
Greens’ red line | The Greens have used a parliamentary report to make clear that Labor’s plan to revamp the safeguard mechanism will fail unless the Albanese government agrees to ban new coal and gas projects.
World
Exclusive | More than 1,000 “super-emitter” sites gushed methane into the atmosphere in 2022, mostly from oil and gas facilities. The worst single leak spewed the pollution at a rate equivalent to 67m running cars.
Wagner wobble? | Ukrainian forces have continued to defend the besieged city of Bakhmut as the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force said the position of his troops could be in peril because of their lack of ammunition.
‘Woke mind virus’ | Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, has attacked “woke ideology” in a speech in California that is part of a national roadshow as he lays the ground for an expected White House bid.
‘Unforgivable’ | Iran’s supreme leader has called the suspected poisoning of schoolgirls an “unforgivable” crime amid signs that hundreds of schoolgirls have been treated in hospital, many more than the regime had previously admitted.
Johnson anger | Boris Johnson has been accused of having “discredited the honours system” after it was reported that his long-delayed resignation list includes a knighthood nomination for his father, Stanley Johnson.
Full Story
Crikey, Fox News and Rupert Murdoch’s shocking testimony
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch (above right) has admitted under oath that several Fox News hosts endorsed false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump and he did nothing to stop it. This testimony – revealed in a landmark defamation case in the United States – could affect another defamation suit brought by Lachlan Murdoch (above left) against independent news outlet Crikey.
Laura Murphy-Oates talks to Guardian Australia’s media correspondent, Amanda Meade, and the defamation law expert Dr Michael Douglas about the two lawsuits, what they could mean for the future of Fox news and press freedom in Australia.
In-depth
With the Evacuation to Safety Bill being debated in parliament this week, moving submissions have been heard from refugees held in offshore processing for more than a decade pleading to be freed. One of them, Rajah, a Tamil refugee held on Nauru (pictured) said “every day is a struggle and suffering.” Another, Mohamad from Afghanistan, said: “My hopes are to stand on my own feet, feel independent and feel like a human.”
Not the news
Out of Bounds, an exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne, promises to explore “the limits of videogames”. The show is a “tremendously significant milestone”, argues Brendan Keogh, but although the Albanese government recognises the financial importance of the sector – with federal funding for the sector soon to be revived – it must also treat developers as artists who are allowed to experiment and fail.
The world of sport
Cricket | Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, will remain in Sydney to be around his seriously ill mother, ruling himself out of the fourth and final Test against India in Ahmedabad which starts on Thursday.
Football | Luke Shaw apologised for a “completely unacceptable”, “embarrassing” and “disgraceful” 7-0 loss at Liverpool that he says cannot be allowed to derail Manchester United’s season.
Formula One | Lewis Hamilton has doubled down on Mercedes’ verdict that their car is uncompetitive after one race of the season in which he finished well behind the world champion, Max Verstappen.
Media roundup
The Age leads with an exclusive claiming that young offenders are locked in solitary confinement for up to 22 hours a day amid a crisis in Victoria’s youth justice system. The Australian has a Newspoll claiming that support for the voice to parliament has stalled with backing among younger voters and Labor supporters falling. The Daily Telegraph reports that a tribunal has heard that Westpac has blocked any more funding for Sydney property magnate Jean Nassif’s five-tower Skyview project.
What’s happening today
Economy | The RBA board meeting and interest rate announcement is set for 2.30pm.
Robodebt | Today’s scheduled witness at the royal commission is the former social services deputy secretary Kathryn Campbell.
Melbourne | The federal court is to rule in the dispute between the independent MP Monique Ryan and her former staffer Sally Rugg.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are 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.
