Good morning. We lead today with the arrest of a promoter of the HyperVerse cryptocurrency investment scheme. Rodney Burton – AKA “Bitcoin Rodney” – is in custody in the US, accused of being part of a network that allegedly made “fraudulent presentations” to investors over bitcoin mining which investigators believe did not exist. It follows a Guardian Australia investigation last month that detailed the HyperVerse scheme’s links to the failed Australian company Blockchain Global that left creditors millions out of pocket.
Meanwhile, housing advocates are calling for urgent reforms as new data reveals another sharp rise in capital city rents last year, with further rises expected this year.
There’s also a worrying development on Nasa’s Peregrine 1 mission to the moon. And tributes are flowing for Germany’s World Cup-winning captain and manager Franz Beckenbauer, who has died aged 78.
Australia
Rental woes | Analysts are warning that Australia’s record shortage of rental properties will continue to drive prices up – as a new report reveals that combined capital city rents rose 13.2% year-on-year.
HyperVerse scheme | The crypto investment promoter “Bitcoin Rodney” has been arrested and charged in the US over a scheme with links to Australian company Blockchain Global, which collapsed owing creditors $58m.
Getting fair value? | Queensland farmers are calling for an inquiry into price gouging as pressure rises on big supermarket chains over the gap between checkout prices and what farmers are paid.
‘Clearly unacceptable’ | The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, has blocked plans by the Victorian government to build a plant to assemble windfarm turbines due to impacts on internationally important wetlands.
Health services | A new report has revealed that fewer than one in four Australian GPs provide bulk billing to all patients, with more than 500 clinics switching to private billing in the past year.
World
Climate crisis | The internationally agreed 1.5C threshold to prevent Earth from entering a new superheated era will be “passed for all practical purposes” in 2024, the man known as the godfather of climate science has warned.
Israel-Hamas war | Palestinians desperate to flee Gaza are paying thousands in bribes to “brokers”; meanwhile, there are further fears of an escalation amid reports Israel is carrying out strikes in Syria, and a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon has been killed in an Israeli strike.
‘Unacceptable disgrace’ | Opposition leaders have called on Italy’s rightwing government to ban neofascist groups after chilling footage emerged of hundreds of men making fascist salutes in Rome.
Space exploration | The Peregrine 1 moon lander spacecraft – due to reach the moon by the end of February – experienced a technical “anomaly” after separating from its rockets.
‘Invasive’ | The New York Times is facing a backlash over a 5,000-word opinion piece speculating about Taylor Swift’s sexuality that suggested she was sending coded queer messages in her music.
Full Story
Wendy Harmer on her Oscars letdown
When author and broadcaster Wendy Harmer was sent to cover the Academy Awards, she was thrilled. But the star-filled night was plagued with a series of mishaps. Wendy’s yarn is part of our The tale I dine out on summer series where 10 of our favourite storytellers – actors, comedians, writers and Guardian staff – recount a story that never fails to entertain.
In-depth
A door panel that blew out and left a hole “the size of a refrigerator” in the side of an Alaska Airlines jet has raised fresh concerns about design issues with Boeing’s Max generation of aircraft. The United States has since grounded almost 200 near-new Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, as investigations continue into the cause of the incident. It’s left the global aviation community on edge – and Australia’s regulator is watching closely. Meanwhile, a working iPhone found on the side of the road “likely” fell from the Alaska Airlines flight.
Not the news
Lost library books are a small part of the natural attrition of library collections – normal wear and tear is expected and some are fatally damaged. But while we’ve all misplaced a library book in our time, few Australian libraries truly know how many items are actually stolen – be it the Bible, books on the occult and witchcraft, or Bluey. We delve into the lost cause of tracking library theft.
The world of sport
Tennis | Australian tennis maverick Max Purcell has blazed his own trail, climbing up the singles rankings while staying true to his preferred serve and volley style; “late bloomer” Stefanos Tsitsipas eyes Australian Open success.
Football | German football icon Franz Beckenbauer, one of only two men to win the Football World Cup as a player and manager, has died aged 78; Sam Kerr’s ACL injury is a fresh conundrum for the Matildas ahead of the Olympics.
Golf | Nike and Tiger Woods have ended one of the most famous commercial partnerships in sport after 27 years – reported to be worth around $750m over its lifetime.
Media roundup
Thousands of travellers have had their personal information – including passport images, travel itinerary and tickets – exposed online after a cybersecurity incident involving a Melbourne travel agency, reports the Age. Consumer complaints about scams to Australia’s financial dispute resolution scheme have increased at an “unsustainable rate” in the past year, reports the ABC News. Coal companies will reap up to $1bn compensation before the federal government’s price cap winds up – but the government is yet to decide when it will pull the pin, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
What’s happening today
ABS | The latest retail trade and building approvals figures are set to be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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.
