Morning, everyone. Labor has a real fight on to hold to the federal seat of Dunkley in the byelection three weeks tomorrow, as a new poll has it just ahead of the Coalition amid a barrage of cost of living-related attack ads. We’ve got the latest on the bare-knuckled fight for the seat, plus Penny Wong’s admission that she wasn’t in “full possession” of the facts about the controversial UNRWA allegations. Overseas, Ukraine’s president has sacked his top general as the armed forces come under more pressure from Russia.
Australia
Wong admission | Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has said she did not have all the evidence about serious allegations regarding a key United Nations agency delivering aid to Gaza before she decided to halt funding. The Labor MP Josh Wilson has broken ranks with the government, condemning Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as “unconscionable”.
Dunkley scrap | According to a uComms poll for the Australia Institute published today, Labor has its nose in front in the Victorian byelection seat of Dunkley – 52% to 48%. Attack ads paid for by the rightwing lobby group Advance Australia are targeting rising prices and the release of “paedophiles” from detention as being “on Albo … it’s us versus them”.
Supermarket plan | Woolworths, Coles and Aldi will roll out soft plastics collection bins in 12 Melbourne stores, giving customers a place to recycle their scrunchable food packaging for the first time since the demise of REDcycle.
Insurance fix | The Albanese government has announced a $97m fund to support thousands of mostly low-income Aboriginal families who were left with nothing after the 2022 collapse of the predatory insurance provider ACBF-Youpla.
‘Kith and kin’ | The artist Archie Moore will turn Australia’s national pavilion at the Venice Biennale in April into an examination of the impact of colonisation and incarceration on the country’s First Peoples.
World
Supreme judgment | The US chief justice said there could “daunting circumstances” if a “handful of states” could decide an election by omitting Donald Trump from the ballot paper. The supreme court heard arguments over whether the former president is eligible to run again because of his involvement in the January 6 insurrection. Follow it live.
Ukraine shake-up | Volodymyr Zelenskiy has fired his top army commander, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and replaced him with Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s land forces, in a long-awaited shake-up. Amid warnings from Kyiv that cutting of funding will have real consequences on the battlefield, the US Senate has advanced a wartime aid package for Ukraine and Israel, reviving an effort that had stalled amid Republican opposition.
Fusion hope | The prospect of a green energy source based on the power of the stars has received a boost after scientists in the UK set a world record for the amount of energy created by fusing atoms together.
China deflation | China’s consumer prices fell at their fastest pace in 15 years last month as the world’s second-largest economy sank deeper into deflation amid weakening demand. What will Beijing do to fix the problem?
‘He’s a chronic liar’ | Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin could provide a first test for the EU’s new regulations on tech companies if clips are posted on platforms such as X that are deemed to be misinformation.
Full Story
The murder of Brianna Ghey
A year on from the murder of the trans teenager Brianna Ghey in the UK, her killers have been sentenced and her mother is leading an extraordinary campaign of compassion. Helen Pidd reports.
In-depth
Labor’s industrial relations reforms to help workers convert their jobs into permanent roles have been hailed as a “huge win” for Australia’s 2.5 million casuals who account for almost a quarter of the workforce. It has been a long-term goal of trade unions and one expert says it will end the oxymoron of the “permanent casual”. But employers say they’ll just hire fewer people. Jordyn Beazley puts in a shift to find out what the changes will mean in the workplace.
Not the news
The Stables theatre in Sydney’s Kings Cross, which is closing for an $11m renovation, has helped launch the careers of actors and playwrights including Cate Blanchett, Sarah Snook, David Wenham and Suzie Miller. Some of the famous names tell Steve Dow about their memories of tiny, creaky old place and what it means to the arts in Australia.
The world of sport
American football | Las Vegas will host its first Super Bowl this weekend, finally sealing its place as the US sporting capital.
Formula One | Christian Horner’s future in Formula One hangs in the balance as the Red Bull team principal prepares for a crunch meeting where he must defend himself against allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
Paris Olympics | Podium finishers at the Paris Olympics will be rewarded with a piece of the Eiffel Tower, with medals set with hexagon-shaped tokens forged out of scrap metal from the monument.
Media roundup
A water park in Kiama is investigating what happened when some members of a “men’s club” who booked out the facility acted disrespectfully towards staff, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Brisbane’s mayor has joined calls to scrap the plan to redevelop the Gabba for the 2032 Olympics, the Courier-Mail reports. A catering company used by Fortescue for its fly-in, fly-out workers has been dropped after complaints about “disgusting” food, the West Australian says.
What’s happening today
Canberra | The national regional housing summit will run from 8.15am to 5.30pm at Old Parliament House.
Economy | The RBA governor, Michele Bullock, will appear before parliamentary committee.
Sydney | The “inner west rapist” found through DNA links to relatives is to be sentenced.
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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.
