Morning everyone. Talks with Denmark and Greenland on Donald Trump’s demands to take over the latter have ended in Washington, with the Danish foreign minister saying Denmark and US perspectives “continue to differ” and that a US acquisition of Greenland “is absolutely not necessary”.
At home, Tony Burke may have made it clear that the hate speech laws could target the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, but it has no plans to disband before the bill is introduced. We also report on the agony of Australia’s Iranian diaspora amid the escalating mass anti-regime demonstrations, a call centre’s desperate attempts to boost staff morale, the joy of tennis’s One Point Slam and why a large flat white is an oxymoron.
Australia
Logging halt | A former New South Wales Labor environment minister has called on the government to halt imminent logging in a forest on the state’s south coast after citizen scientists recorded 102 trees that they say are home to endangered greater gliders.
‘Violence threshold’ | The Australian chapter of the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir has said it has no plans to disband before Labor’s hate speech legislation is brought to parliament, a day after the country’s largest neo-Nazi group claimed it would so. The Coalition is set to vote against Labor’s legislation despite the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, calling for urgent legislative action for weeks.
‘Keen to rebuild’ | In the fire-devastated Victorian town of Harcourt, Catie McLeod meets people trying to make sense of the random destruction and hears how the community is rallying to help people rebuild their homes and lives.
Detention ‘torture’ | Australia exposed an Iranian asylum seeker to torture and ill-treatment during his years in detention, a UN committee has found, amounting to a breach of international obligations.
Tough call | The company running a Centrelink call centre in Perth is using incentives such as lucky dip cash draws and sausage sizzles to boost low morale and reduce staff turnover, according to interviews with workers.
World
Greenland talks | Donald Trump earlier said it would be “unacceptable” for Greenland to be anything less than “in the hands” of the US, reiterating his demand to take over the Arctic island, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. After a meeting in Washington between JD Vance, Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland (above), the US position does not appear to have shifted. Our Scandinavia correspondent is in Greenland and has been finding out what locals think about Trump’s plan.
Cyprus conundrum | Authorities in Cyprus are investigating the “unnatural death” of a diplomat at the Russian embassy amid the disappearance of a Russian oligarch and a corruption scandal rocking the island.
Ukraine accusation | Anti-corruption investigators in Ukraine have reportedly accused Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister, of organising a scheme to bribe MPs to undermine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Post raid | The FBI has raided the home of a Washington Post reporter in what the newspaper called a “highly unusual and aggressive” move by law enforcement.
Nascent problem | For the first time since the end of the second world war, France has recorded more deaths than births, while data shows Israel’s war in Gaza has led to a 41% fall in births in the territory.
Full Story
Donald Trump’s new age of empire
Senior international correspondent Julian Borger speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether we are seeing a new ramp-up of Trump’s imperialist intentions, or if this is simply the same America we’ve always known.
In-depth
For thousands of Iranian Australians, the last week has been unbearably tense as they await news of loved ones caught up in the massive protests at home. Sydney-based Mohammad Hashemi describes how relatives told him security forces were “shooting everyone”, while another emigre says: “It’s been very difficult … you don’t know what’s happening with your family.” US officials said overnight that they may withdraw some personnel from Middle East bases after Iranian threats.
Not the news
The integrity of the famous Australian invention, the flat white, is being destroyed by size inflation, complains Tom Gill in our latest petty gripes column – so much so, in fact, that the large flat white toted by so many coffee lovers is an oxymoron.
Sport
Tennis | A 29-year-old tennis coach from Sydney won the inaugural One Point Slam at the Australian Open and its A$1m prize last night after upstaging a field which included Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff. The men’s world No 7 player, Félix Auger-Aliassime, talks about his teenage trip to Togo and how the Canadian is finding his form ahead of the Australian Open.
Diversity in sport | The popularity of the gay ice hockey drama Heated Rivalry raises interesting questions about the hyper-masculine culture that dominates sport.
Football | Sadio Mané’s strike against Mohamed Salah’s Egypt will send Senegal to the Afcon final. First, Nigeria face off against hosts Morocco. The second Carabao Cup semi-final is under way as Chelsea take on Arsenal in the first leg at Stamford Bridge. Follow the match live.
Media roundup
Per the ABC, hackers have accessed information of current and past Victorian government school students in a major data breach. The environment minister, Murray Watt, has rejected a plea by Indigenous groups to halt work on Brisbane’s Olympic stadium, the Courier Mail reports. Police in Western Australia have seized and destroyed dozens of electric bikes and scooters amid concern about their use by teenage gangs, WAtoday reports. And according to the Daily Telegraph, police are warning those planning rallies in Sydney tomorrow that they face arrest if they defy a protest ban.
What’s happening today
Economy | Commonwealth Bank household spending insights for December will be released.
Sydney | Waverley council is meeting at 6pm to discuss what to do about the Bondi beach footbridge.
Sport | The draw for the Australian Open takes place in Melbourne at 2.30pm.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
