Good morning. A former senior officer at the NSW environmental watchdog has told Guardian Australia in an exclusive interview that the state’s widening asbestos contamination crisis was “destined to happen” after the regulator failed to act on problems in the waste recovery sector more than a decade ago.
“It’s one of those situations ... where you just want to grab all of the parties concerned and clunk their heads together,” Jason Scarborough says.
Elsewhere, Russian dissenters fear Vladimir Putin’s next actions after Alexei Navalny’s death, and Australia’s best-known carbon-neutral farm is no longer carbon-neutral.
Australia
Asbestos crisis | The NSW EPA abandoned much-needed reforms in 2022 for one type of recycled soil product without explanation other than saying “we’ve heard what industry had to say”, a senior compliance officer says in our exclusive report.
Saturation point | Australia’s best known carbon-neutral farm can no longer offset its emissions, reflecting a challenge for the red meat industry.
Social media | Sixty per cent of parents and caregivers surveyed say social media is their biggest concern for children, with analysts saying algorithm-based social media is damaging young people’s interpersonal skills and contributing to anxiety and depression.
Asylum seekers | More than 40 asylum seekers were taken to Nauru after they were found in a remote part of Western Australia. The writer and former Manus detainee Behrouz Boochani has spoken to Guardian Australia about his new life in Wellington, New Zealand.
Hold the beer | Traditionally university orientation weeks went hand in hand with boozing. These days they aim to be more inclusive and welcoming as students swap parties and pranks for picnics and friendship bracelets.
World
Russia | With the death of Alexei Navalny, whose family have not been allowed to see his body, Vladimir Putin inflicted a devastating blow to the country’s already suppressed opposition. Many fear what he will do next in a country reshaped by war with Ukraine, where Russia has said it has taken full control of the eastern city of Avdiivka.
Middle East | Hopes of a ceasefire for the war in Gaza are fading amid Benjamin Netanyahu’s repeated rejection of calls to hold off on a Rafah ground offensive, and a vote by his cabinet that Israel will formally oppose international efforts to recognise a Palestinian state.
US politics | The former congressman George Santos alleged in a lawsuit that the late-night host Jimmy Kimmel had deceived him into making videos on the Cameo app that were used to ridicule the disgraced New York Republican on Kimmel’s show.
Defence treaty | The former UK prime minister Theresa May’s proposal for an EU-wide defence treaty should be revisited urgently, the leader of Emmanuel Macron’s political group in Brussels said.
Italy | A ban on Islamic prayers at cultural centres and burkinis on beaches by a far-right mayor is causing anger in the Italian port town of Monfalcone.
Full Story
Is Joe Biden too old to be president?
There is just four years difference in age between the US president, Joe Biden, and his predecessor, Donald Trump – who is as well known as the president for misspeaking and making gaffes. But something has changed: a growing unease about Biden’s perceived frailty and his mental acuity. The Guardian’s Washington DC bureau chief, David Smith, talks to Michael Safi about why the same charges against Trump don’t stick and how Biden’s campaign can prove the president is fit and sharp enough for another four-year term.
Here’s more: in 2024, there’s a dilemma over Biden v Trump for America’s reporters.
In-depth
Photograph: Science History Images/Alamy
According to the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners, scabies cases are now running at three for every 100,000 of the population in England, double the five-year seasonal average. It’s is not the only Victorian disease that appears to be making a comeback in Britain: in 2022 423 patients were admitted to English hospitals with rickets and 188 people were treated for scurvy – both seen as proxies for malnutrition. Cases of measles are also rising.
“It is shameful,” says Dr Benjamin Jacobs, a rickets expert. The Observer asks to what extent poverty, inequality and public health cuts are responsible.
Not the news
Here are 30 food stories Observer writers are excited about in 2024 – including cuisines from Oman to Nepal, trends such as ordering the whole menu, and the return of retro dessert trolleys.
The world of sport
Cricket | India sealed a dominant third Test win by 434 runs over England in Rajkot, to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Could this be the end of Bazball?
Mankini on horseback | The Australian showjumper Shane Rose was stood down from competition after wearing a mankini during an equestrian event in Sydney. “If my costume/s offended anyone I am truly sorry as this was never my intention,” the three-times Olympic medallist wrote in a later-deleted Facebook post.
Premier League | Manchester United beat Luton 2-1. Brighton beat Sheffield United 5-0.
Media roundup
The Sydney Morning Herald reports on Scott Morrison’s speech at a rally to support the Jewish community in Sydney, in which the paper says he accused the UN of antisemitism and rejected the prospect of a two-state solution. NT News covers a campaign for clear biodiversity laws which would make the territory no longer the only part of Australia without them. Taylor Swift’s shows in Melbourne were a tourism fillip for the city, the Age says.
What’s happening today
Baftas | Follow our live coverage of the film awards in London this morning. Here’s a list of the winners so far.
Citizenship | The parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security will hear evidence from expert witnesses for a review of the Australian citizenship amendment (citizenship repudiation) bill 2023. The bill allows the minister to make a court application for a citizenship cessation order when someone is convicted of certain crimes.
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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.
