Morning everyone. Bill Shorten, one of the driving forces behind the creation of the national disability insurance scheme, will stand up at the press club today and admit it “is not delivering the outcomes Australians with disability need and the Australian public expects”. In short, it needs a “reboot”. We’re looking at that today along with the latest Essential poll on the voice, plus why you have to pay so much to fly to Europe this winter.
Australia
Renewables push | The renewable energy industry must double its output to meet the Albanese government’s emissions reduction goals, the Clean Energy Council says, despite work starting on more than 5,000MW of large-scale wind and solar farms last year. And with climate concerns in mind we’ve an explainer on the next El Niño, when it might come and how strong it might be.
‘Shoddy therapies’ | Bill Shorten, the government services and NDIS minister, will today announce measures to target “unethical practices” and “shoddy therapies” in the national disability insurance scheme.
Voice poll | Opposition to the Indigenous voice to parliament is hardening although the proposed constitutional change enjoys majority support with 60% in favour, the latest Guardian Essential poll finds.
Rental crisis | Councils are urging people with empty holiday homes and Airbnbs to move them on to the long-term rental markets in a bid to deal with the housing crisis.
Flu fear | People should be proactive about getting winter vaccinations amid warnings that flu infections are already on the rise, experts say, and possible peaking by June – earlier in the year than was the case pre-Covid.
World
Sudan violence | Fighting between rival government factions is intensifying across Sudan as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict begin to gather momentum. The violence pits the official Sudanese army against the RSF paramilitary force led by former warlord Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
‘Cheeky monkey’ | German photographer Boris Eldagsen is refusing the Sony world photography award he won last week after admitting that he generated the prize-winning image (pictured) using artificial intelligence.
Airline cleared | A Paris court has cleared Air France and Airbus of involuntary manslaughter over the crash of flight 447 in 2009 from Rio to Paris that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean during a thunderstorm, killing the 228 people on board.
Trump on trial | Donald Trump’s rape trial will begin next week after a federal judge rejected a request for a one-month delay, saying the former president cannot make public statements to promote pre-trial publicity and then claim it is prejudicial to him and reason to delay.
Secret police | The FBI has arrested two men in New York accused of running a covert station for China’s police force in Manhattan’s Chinatown, and using it since February 2022 as a base to track Chinese dissidents in the US.
Full Story
Blowing the whistle on Australia’s ‘broken’ university system
University teachers say cost-cutting, an increase in casual work contracts and lower academic standards have all contributed to a hollowing out of the university sector. Caitlin Cassidy talks about her reporting on the crisis.
In-depth
Australians’ pent-up thirst for travel is helping to drive air fares to Europe almost 50% higher than the same period last year, with the average return fare to popular destinations now $2,571, according to data compiled by booking site Kayak. Passengers are paying the price for two years in the pandemic when airlines made no money, with so-called “revenge” travel to make up for those lost lockdown years creating a surge of demand, although experts expect fares to start falling by 2024.
Not the news
New theatre production The Carbon Neutral Adventures of the Indefatigable Enviroteens, which follows young superheroes who must overcome obstacles to save the planet, will have its world premiere in Hobart tomorrow. It is, of course, the work of Guardian Australia’s very own cartoonist, First Dog on the Moon. He and the cast talk about making climate change fun.
The world of sport
Athletics | Defending champion Evans Chebet of Kenya won the Boston Marathon overnight in 2:05:54, with compatriot Hellen Obiri, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 5,000m, winning the women’s race to complete a clean sweep for the east Africans (pictured).
Oil stops play | “Just Stop Oil” protesters forced a stoppage in play at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, interrupting a match by jumping on the table and releasing a packet of orange powder.
Chelsea ‘embarrassment’ | Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly told the players the season was “embarrassing” in a dressing room speech after the defeat by Brighton on Saturday.
Cricket | Aunty Faith Thomas, the first Aboriginal woman to play Test cricket for Australia when she made her debut in 1958, has passed away aged 90.
Media roundup
One in 10 Australians say they are unlikely to vote in the voice referendum, according to a poll in the Sydney Morning Herald. An Australian man has died while walking the Kokoda track in Papua New Guinea, the ABC reports. South Australia premier Peter Malinauskas tells the Advertiser that millions of dollars will be ploughed into regional sporting grounds as a legacy of the AFL Gather Round.
What’s happening today
Canberra | Sentencing remarks in the case of Witness J, who was jailed in secrecy after being convicted for the disclosure of confidential information.
Economy | The RBA will release the minutes from the last monetary policy meeting.
Health | Cancer-related death rates among young people have more than halved over the past few decades, according to AIHW report today.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day’s main news. Sign up for our Afternoon Update newsletter here.
Prefer notifications? If you’re reading this in our app, just click here and tap “Get notifications” on the next screen for an instant alert when we publish every morning.
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.
