Morning everyone. The impending Trump presidency looms large behind a shock announcement by Mark Zuckerberg that Meta will “dramatically reduce the amount of censorship” and appoint a pro-Maga wrestling boss to the board in a shake-up that is sure to have repercussions around the world.
We look at a report into why the housing market is “buckling” under pressure from the cost-of-living crisis and rising rates, an ingenious Australian plan to reduce mosquito-borne diseases, and could Donald Trump invade Greenland?
Australia
Rottnest crash | Three people are missing and three are in hospital with serious injuries after a seaplane crashed into the sea off Western Australia’s popular tourist site Rottnest Island yesterday afternoon.
‘Affordability constraints’ | Australia’s housing downturn is being driven by a widening gap between income, borrowing capacity and home values, a new report by CoreLogic has found. But the good news for owners is that the dip is likely to be short-lived.
Child concern | The number of children aged 13 or under in Queensland’s adult watch houses has increased by 50% in 12 months, according to new statistics.
Biting back | Australian researchers have pioneered a plan to genetically engineer male mosquitoes to poison females with semen in order to restrict insect population and curb the outbreak of diseases such as dengue fever.
‘Just so big’ | A record-breaking Sydney funnel-web spider measuring 9.2cm across and nicknamed “Hemsworth” by staff at the Australian Reptile Park is to be milked for venom.
World
Social media | Meta will get rid of factcheckers, “dramatically reduce the amount of censorship” and recommend more political content on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Threads, founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced. He has also appointed Trump ally and Ultimate Fighting Championship boss Dana White (pictured) to the board, with former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg leaving his role as head of global affairs. A former US official said Zuckerberg was “bending the knee” to Trump, while one tech expert argues that it is, all up, an “extinction level” event for truth on social media.
Tibet earthquake | A strong earthquake near Shigatse, one of Tibet’s holiest cities, has killed scores of people.
Greenland grab? | Donald Trump Jr landed in Greenland last night, a few hours before his father refused to say that he would not use military or economic measures to bring the island – or the Panama Canal – under US control.
Le Pen Sr dies | Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of France’s far-right National Rally party, has died aged 96. The former paratrooper was an enfant terrible of European politics who courted controversy and normalised populism.
Would you Adam and Eve it | The cockney dialect may not be as prevalent in today’s London, but it remains possibly the most influential English dialect across the world, according to academic research, reaching to Australia and New Zealand.
Full Story
Dolly Doctor on how to talk to your kids about sex and consent
For more than 20 years Dr Melissa Kang helped Australian teenagers navigate puberty with her much-loved column Dolly Doctor. She speaks to Reged Ahmad about why it’s more important than ever to have that conversation.
In-depth
Art conservators work at the junction of art and science, marrying technical expertise with an understanding of art history. As well as brushes and solvents, they use microscopes and state-of-the-art imaging equipment to figure out how to restore paintings and how to keep others from deteriorating. Donna Lu spends a day with Michael Varcoe-Cocks, the National Gallery of Victoria’s associate director of conservation, to get a glimpse of how it’s done.
Not the news
In the latest of our “66 days to change” series, Doosie Morris tries to rekindle her reading habit after finding her enthusiasm sapped by, variously, having children, social media and the pandemic. Five weeks in, she begins “to notice my mind craving the serenity of the printed word” but after week seven “I spend the week bouncing between titles”.
Sport
Tennis | The buildup to the Australian Open continues with the Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva explaining how she is still learning on the job and annoying her coach, Conchita Martínez.
Cricket | The former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd is “disturbed” by the idea of a two-tier structure for Test cricket and believes efforts should instead be focused on ensuring struggling teams play more often against the top sides.
Football | Elon Musk’s father claims his son would be interested in buying Liverpool, while Arsenal take on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at the Emirates this morning. Follow it live.
Media roundup
Palestine’s outgoing ambassador to Australia has told the Age that the government deserves praise for breaking with Israel. Australians are facing a $2.7bn debt hangover from excessive Christmas spending, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Brisbane has the worst traffic in the world, laments the Courier Mail, and is also ranked among the 10 most congested cities in the world.
What’s happening today
Economy | Inflation figures for December are released at 11.30am.
Sport | Australian road cycling championships begin at Bold Park, Western Australia.
New South Wales | Elvis Presley fans set off from Sydney’s Central station for the annual festival in Parkes.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
