Good afternoon. Scott Morrison is quitting parliament after 16 years serving as a Liberal MP.
The former PM announced his resignation via a Facebook post and intends to leave parliament at the end of February to pursue “new challenges in the global corporate sector”. His resignation will trigger a byelection in the seat of Cook, which he holds with a comfortable 12.4% margin.
Morrison has faced numerous controversies since losing the 2022 election to Anthony Albanese, including adverse findings of his role in the robodebt scandal and revelations he secretly swore himself into five extra ministerial portfolios while prime minister.
Top news
Australia backs new US/UK strikes in Yemen | The US has carried out its eighth round of airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen, with UK assistance. A joint statement from the two countries mentioned Australia as one of four other nations to support the strikes, adding that its targets included missile launchers, air defence systems, radars and weapons storage facilities below ground. Yemen’s official news agency said the US and UK launched raids on the capital of Sana’a and other parts of the country. It is understood Australian defence personnel supported the airstrikes in non-operational roles. Watch a video report.
Stage-three tax cuts in spotlight | Anthony Albanese has hosed down suggestions the tax cuts will be changed to pay for cost-of-living relief or to relieve inflationary pressures. Labor has reportedly not ruled out modifying stage three, a prospect that has drawn support from independents such as Monique Ryan and David Pocock and criticism from Coalition MPs who see it as a broken election promise.
Aged care residents only receiving appropriate care half the time | A world-first Australian study finds residents receive care in line with guidelines 53.2% of the time on average and just 12% of the time for depression.
Cyclone Kirrily set to cause flooding in north Queensland | The cyclone is considered “most likely” to make landfall on Thursday as a severe category-three system, causing flooding in large north Queensland cities such as Townsville and Rockhampton.
Pat Cummins supports changing the date of Australia Day | The men’s cricket captain has backed Cricket Australia’s decision not to brand this week’s second Test against West Indies as “the Australia Day match”, adding that the country could “choose a better date”.
US lawsuit alleges facial recognition led to jailing of wrong man | A 61-year-old man is suing Macy’s and the parent company of Sunglass Hut over the stores’ alleged use of a facial recognition system that misidentified him as the culprit behind an armed robbery and led to his wrongful arrest. While in jail, he was beaten and raped, according to his suit.
Powerful earthquake hits China-Kyrgyzstan border | A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the border region shortly after 2am local time. Six people are reported to have been injured and more than 120 homes have been damaged or collapsed in the freezing cold weather, according to the Associated Press news agency which is citing authorities.
UK plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda hits roadblock | Rishi Sunak’s controversial plan received its first parliamentary defeat, after the House of Lords voted for a motion to delay ratification of the Rwanda treaty until the government can show the country is safe.
In pictures
Nature Photography Contest 2023 winners and finalists
The Nature Photography Contest, which invited its first entries last year, has become an excellent meeting point where photography and love for the planet go hand in hand. The above panorama shows the beauty of Chapada dos Veadeiros, a Brazilian national park. Click here to see the gallery.
What they said …
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“Yes, bracket creep is a real issue that the government does need to address but stage three in its current form is poorly designed. I think it’s the wrong policy for the current economic environment. You can address bracket creep in other ways.” – David Pocock on the stage-three tax cuts
In numbers
Sydney is the most expensive city to rent in, setting people back $745 a week. Canberra followed in second place at $651 a week and Perth ranked third as renters forked out $630 a week. Brisbane recorded the fourth-highest weekly rental price at $627, with Darwin coming in fifth at $611 a week. Melbourne and Adelaide were tied at $565 a week, while Hobart was the cheapest capital city for renters, with a median price of $535 a week.
Before bed read
Australians buy more cheap fashion than any other wealthy nation – and we need to cut clothes shopping by 74% for the climate, according to the Berlin-based thinktank Hot or Cool Institute.
Here are three ways to get started.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: PUL. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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