Morning everyone. He might have copped a booing at the tennis, but Anthony Albanese will be able to take heart from our latest Essential poll showing that one in two voters support changing this year’s stage-three tax cuts to help low- and middle-income earners. We’re also reporting today about how airline competition dramatically reduces air fares, and the discovery that rare medical accidents can transmit Alzheimer’s between patients.
Australia
Flight fares | Ticket prices are halved when three airlines fly a route compared with a monopoly situation and fares fall further as more rivals are added, according to new findings designed to inform competition and merger laws.
Essential poll | Almost half of voters support revising the stage-three tax cuts to help low- and middle-income earners. Our Essential poll also reveals only 22% of people thought the Coalition’s original plan should proceed unchanged.
Reef concern | As the government prepares this week to report about progress on protecting the Great Barrier Reef, scientists are concerned that back-to-back cyclones in Queensland could have damaged parts of the world’s biggest coral reef system.
Shark attack | A woman was seriously injured in an attack by a suspected bull shark while swimming last night off a jetty at Elizabeth Bay in Sydney harbour.
Rubbish problem | More than a year after the collapse of REDcycle, Coles and Woolworths customers are still being told they can return soft plastic food packaging to a recycling system that doesn’t exist. We find out what’s going on.
World
Middle East crisis | The US has vowed to take “all necessary actions” to defend its troops after three servicemen were killed and dozens injured after a drone attack by Iran-backed militants on a US service base (pictured) on the border of Jordan and Syria. Follow developments live.
‘Future of humanity’ | A shift towards a more sustainable global food system could create up to US$10tn of benefits a year, improve human health and ease the climate crisis, according a comprehensive study.
EU ‘sabotage plan’ | Officials in Brussels have reportedly drawn up a secret plan to sabotage Hungary’s economy if Viktor Orbán decides this week to again block a €50bn support package for Ukraine.
Mining Myanmar | Australian-linked mining companies are helping to support the ruling military junta by continuing to operate in the war-torn nation, a new report alleges.
Catching Alzheimer’s? | Alzheimer’s can be spread through rare medical accidents, research suggests, although experts stress there is no evidence the disease can be passed between people through everyday activities or routine care.
Full Story
How to stop doomscrolling
Many of us spend way too much time on our phones. Prof Barbara Sahakian of Cambridge University explains why many of us are drawn to looking at bad news on our phones, and what it’s doing to us.
In-depth
The total number of rental listings in Australia hit a record low in December at 30.2% below the average for the month over the past decade. It means tenants are facing ever higher rents with the median rent on realestate.com surging 11.5% over the year to $580 a week. Emily Wind describes what it feels like to be caught up in Sydney’s rental madness where she has been hit with a $400-a-week rise.
Not the news
The protesters who threw pumpkin soup at the world’s most famous painting have made global headlines. But what is it that makes Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece so alluring? Our very own art expert, Jonathan Jones, examines why the painting is so famous, what it represents, and of course all the fuss about that enigmatic smile.
The world of sport
Asian Cup | Jordan have reached the last eight after two stoppage-time goals secured a 3-2 win over Iraq, whose striker and tournament top scorer Aymen Hussein was sent off for his goal celebrations.
Football | An angry Mikel Arteta has dismissed speculation that he could take over at Barcelona at the end of the season and insisted he has unfinished business at Arsenal.
Ice skating | The Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who tested positive for doping at the 2022 Winter Olympics, has been banned for four years by the court of arbitration for sport.
Media roundup
A growing number of Coalition MPs are pushing to accept Labor’s tax overhaul ahead of the next election, the Australian reports. The La Niña weather system that brought floods to the east coast could be set for a shock return, forecasters have told the Sydney Morning Herald. People on the Gold Coast “have gone wild” for a new public transport plan that involves high-speed trains and a link to northern New South Wales, the Bulletin reports.
What’s happening today
Education | Students return to school in NSW, Victoria and NT
Woodside Energy | Anti-fossil fuel protesters are due in court in Perth.
Western Australia | Linda Reynolds, David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins defamation mention.
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.
