Good morning. There are warnings over the safety of online systems used by Australia’s real estate agents after a researcher found millions of lease documents with sensitive information could be easily accessed online.
We take a look at the rise of the Australian branch of the conservative Christian organisation Turning Point, and we have plenty of coverage of the latest Epstein files release.
And Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest man to complete a career grand slam after losing the first set but battling back to an Australian Open final triumph against Novak Djokovic.
Australia
‘Disregard for the law’ | Online platforms used by Australian real estate agents to upload documentation for renters and landlords are leaving people’s personal information exposed, experts warn.
Gambling ads | There is growing “frustration” in government ranks over delays to gambling advertising reforms, according to Labor MPs who want the communications and sports minister to act.
Analysis | The spotlight remains on a Coalition in chaos as parliament returns, with splits and spills looming over policy, Josh Butler writes. But senior Liberal figures have downplayed the prospect of Sussan Ley losing a potential looming leadership spill.
‘Makes no sense’ | A man convicted of two child sexual abuse offences was able to work as a referee for Touch Football NSW for more than a decade, including for junior teams, due to a “loophole”.
Catch a falling star | Cosmic dust helps shed new light on how life began on Earth by providing valuable clues about the cosmos – and now a Sydney lab is making it from scratch.
World
Epstein files | The deputy US attorney general says the review of the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case “is over”. Survivors of Epstein’s sex trafficking are calling for further accountability as UK ministers press Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to testify after a second woman came forward. Plus, we explain the key revelations of the latest Epstein files release.
ICE raids | “We’re fighting for the soul of the country”: how Minnesota residents came together to face ICE. Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father have been released from detention in Texas.
Russia-Ukraine war | A Russian drone attack on a bus carrying mine workers about 65km from the frontline in Ukraine’s central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region has killed at least 12 people.
Gaza crisis | Preparations to reopen Gaza’s main border crossing into Rafah have begun – as many of those Palestinians waiting to leave are sick and wounded people in need of medical care.
Iran protests | Calls are growing inside Iran for an independent inquiry into the numbers of people killed in recent protests after the government said it would publish the names of those killed.
Full Story
Australia’s best children’s picture book poll: Graeme Base on Animalia
The search for Australia’s best children’s picture book is on! Vote now and every day until 5 February for your favourite from 50 of the best, as chosen by Guardian readers. Sian Cain speaks with author Graeme Base about how he wrote his bestselling and beloved books Animalia and The Eleventh Hour – and why he set out to challenge curious kids.
In-depth
Emboldened by major successes in the US and UK, the conservative Christian organisation Turning Point has its sights set on Australia’s political ecosystem. Turning Point Australia says it is opening chapters across the country and hopes to sway the outcome of elections. Tory Shepherd charts the journey of one influencer aiming to breathe rightwing Christian values and Charlie Kirk’s vision into Australian politics.
Not the news
In the latest of our Kindness of strangers series, we hear from a reader who was once a teenager caught short in freezing rain while hitchhiking in Tasmania in the middle of winter. A child, sent by his mum, came out of a nearby cottage with a Thermos of tea, mugs and a container of cake and biscuits: an act of generosity never forgotten.
Sport
Tennis | Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final to complete a career grand slam. Djokovic tried his best in time-warp final but cannot stop a compelling decline, Jack Snape writes. Aryna Sabalenka’s soul-searching goes on after her Australian Open final collapse, Tumaini Carayol writes.
Winter Olympics | Australia’s youngest Winter Olympian, Indra Brown, says: “I just love the feeling of flying”.
Football | Dominic Solanke dented Manchester City’s title hopes with a stirring comeback for Spurs. Aston Villa’s Premier League title hopes were dealt a blow by a 10-man Brentford amid VAR drama. Benjamin Šeško sealed a win over Fulham to continue Manchester United’s revival.
Cricket | Woeful Australia were sent spinning by Pakistan in the T20 World Cup warm-up; Harry Brook blocked out the noise to lead England to a T20 series win in Sri Lanka.
Media roundup
Victoria police will spend five days scouring a remote section of Mount Buffalo national park as part of a renewed search for fugitive Dezi Freeman, ABC News reports. Gestational diabetes rates have skyrocketed in Melbourne’s south-east within a short timeframe, piling more pressure on Victoria’s health system, the Age reports. The “world’s largest” underground assembly of tunnelling machines is beneath Sydney for the Western Harbour Tunnel project, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
What’s happening today
Canberra | Federal parliament is sitting this week.
NSW | An inquest is being held in Lidcombe into the deaths of two residents who died choking on food in the same aged care facility.
RBA | The RBA board is meeting before an interest rates announcement.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
