Good morning. A senior police officer working at the Cairns watch house says officers “cannot meet” basic expectations to care for children in custody – including supplying regular food and toilet paper – amid severe overcrowding in the lockup in Queensland’s far north.
We also have exclusives on a Western Australian publisher that is under scrutiny over far-right texts, and on “wellbeing shots” being marketed by a tobacco industry subsidiary.
Elsewhere, the Israel-Hamas war reaches its hundredth day, Frederik X and Mary become King and Queen of Denmark, and it’s time to vote in our poll on the greatest Australian sporting moment.
Australia
Foreign policy | Australian citizens should be banned from funding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the Labor MP Julian Hill has suggested, calling on his own government to take a stronger stance against settler activity deemed illegal under international law.
Exclusive | A senior officer has called for help providing basic necessities, including food and toilet paper, to juvenile inmates at Cairns watch house, decrying “unrealistic expectations” on police to care for children.
Far right | At least one Australian-based online bookstore is reviewing works from a publisher that describes itself as the “the classics department of the dissident right”.
Duck decision | Victorian Labor MPs are being canvassed on their views on duck hunting as the government decides whether to ban the practice.
Tobacco | Australian university students were handed “wellbeing shots” made by a subsidiary of British American Tobacco – and experts fear a new front in the health wars.
World
Danish royals | Denmark’s prime minister has proclaimed Frederik X as king on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, and his Australian wife became Queen Mary, after Queen Margrethe II formally signed her abdication.
Middle East | Israel’s recent targeted assassinations of senior Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon risk a serious escalation between the two sides in their three-month border conflict, diplomats say. Meanwhile, UK foreign secretary David Cameron, discussing British and American airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi, said the “lights are absolutely flashing red” on the global dashboard.
Donald Trump | The former US president will face yet another costly legal battle in New York: a defamation case brought by the writer E Jean Carroll who, according to a jury of her peers, was sexually abused by Trump.
Icelandic volcano | Here’s video of a volcano erupting for the second time in a month near the Icelandic fishing town of Grindavík, spewing fountains of molten rock that reached the outskirts of the town and set houses alight.
Taiwan election | Global leaders have congratulated Lai Ching-te for winning Taiwan’s presidential election, praising the high turnout and democratic process – and drawing ire from Beijing, which had hoped to see Taiwan’s ruling party ousted.
Full Story
Why has Australian been hit with so much rain?
At the start of the summer holidays, many Australians were preparing for another bad bushfire season. Instead, communities on the east coast have been battling extreme rainfall. Jane Lee talks with Guardian Australia’s environment reporter Graham Readfearn about what is driving these devastating downpours and whether they could become more common in the future.
In-depth
People have been spotting unexplained objects in the sky for millennia. Astronomy writer Stuart Clark explores how the continuing lack of transparency about UFOs in the US is causing concern not only about the existence of aliens – but also about the psychological fallout if a conspiracy is uncovered.
“There is still a stigma around this topic; people are so frightened about discussing it,” says clinical psychologist Daniel Stubbings of Cardiff Metropolitan University. “But it only takes one account to be real and it changes the narrative of humanity for ever.”
Not the news
David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, says the golden age of television was a blip and is now over, opining that he has “been told to dumb it down” when pitching shows in recent years.
“We seem to be confused and audiences can’t keep their minds on things, so we can’t make anything that makes too much sense, takes our attention and requires an audience to focus,” Chase said on the 25th anniversary of his most famous show.
Also in TV, The Thick of It star Peter Capaldi tells the Guardian that 2020s politics is so bad that he won’t even make jokes about it.
The world of sport
Vote now | What makes a sporting moment great? And is there one that stands out above all the rest? We’re asking you to vote for your favourite moment in Australian sport to see if we can settle the debate once and for all.
Australian Open | Novak Djokovic hailed Dino Prizmic as a future star after a narrow 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 win against the 18-year-old Croatian to reach the second round of the Australian Open. Here’s our live blog from last night’s matches.
Premier League | Manchester United and Tottenham drew 2-2. Everton and Aston Villa drew nil all.
Media roundup
News outlets are widely reporting the ascension of Princess Mary to Danish Queen: The Mercury reports on the federal government’s gift to Tasmanian devil conservation in her honour, while the ABC calls her the Danish monarchy’s secret weapon. Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong will not visit sites of the 7 October Hamas attack in Israel, a departure in position from some of Australia’s allies, The Australian reports.
What’s happening today
Foreign affairs | Penny Wong embarks on her trip to the Middle East, where she will visit Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and UAE.
Australian Open | Coco Gauff is among those taking to the court at Rod Laver Arena.
Davos | The World Economic Forum begins its annual meeting in Davos in Switzerland tonight.
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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.
