Morning everyone. Today we reveal how some staff at the Human Rights Commission are pushing back against what they say is the organisation’s failure to take a tougher line towards Israel. It comes as Benjamin Netanyahu said there will be no peace deal in the Gaza conflict without “absolute victory” over Hamas. Back home, a retiree is taking legal action after losing her entire savings in the HyperVerse crypto scandal. Plus: unlocking the secret of Saturn’s “Death Star”.
Australia
‘I lost all my money’ | Catherina De Solieux lost $80,000 in the HyperVerse crypto rort and is now one of several Australians taking legal action against banks who oversaw money transfers to the scheme.
Israel ‘failure’ | Staff across eight of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s teams – at least 24 of the 122 staff employed – have written to the commission’s president, Rosalind Croucher, about what they say is a “failure to fulfil its mandate” in regard to alleged Israeli war crimes.
Ou in the cold | Frontline workers have warned that the underfunding of specialised care for homeless people and the lack of emergency housing are leading to preventable deaths.
School demands | School principals have joined the teachers’ union demand for more federal funding, writing to the prime minister to call on the government to boost its offer to co-fund the gap in public school funding with state governments.
Exclusive | The federal government is “deeply concerned” about nicotine pouches being advertised and supplied in Australia, and has condemned social media marketing aimed at young people.
World
‘Lot of work’ | Benjamin Netanyahu has scotched hopes of any peace proposal to end the Middle East conflict, saying Israel must secure “absolute victory” over Hamas. It came after the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said “a lot of work” remained to be done on terms for a new ceasefire deal. There are concerns that Israel intends to focus its military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah where thousands of Palestinians are trapped.
Trump argument | The US supreme court will hear oral argument overnight whether Donald Trump is eligible to run for president because of his role in the January 6 Capitol attack. Activists explain why they think the constitution’s 14th amendment means he should be barred.
Trans-formative | The largest survey of transgender Americans ever conducted has found that 94% of people who transition have much higher satisfaction in life.
Pipeline mystery | Swedish prosecutors are ending their investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022 from Russia to Europe, dodging the question of whether they were destroyed by the western allies.
‘Death Star’ secret | A moon of Saturn that resembles the Death Star from Star Wars because of a massive impact crater on its surface has a hidden ocean buried miles beneath its battered crust, researchers say.
Full Story
A photoshop scandal and the murky ethics of AI
The altering of an image of Victorian MP Georgie Purcell by Nine News has raised questions about the use of AI technology in the media. Josh Taylor explains how this could happen and what’s at stake if AI is left unchecked.
In-depth
Back in the 1990s it was a small event attracting small numbers of new immigrants to Australia. Now the Chinese lunar new year celebrations about to kick off in Sydney will attract huge crowds to a range of events such as dragon boat races, street markets, comedy and art. Simon Chan, pictured, president of the Chinese Australian Forum, says it is like the Olympics or the World Cup and helps community cohesion. “This event is precious to us, and it’s beautiful to see it so widely celebrated.”
Not the news
Taylor Swift’s clout in the bracelet market is beyond doubt. Since the star announced her Eras tour dates in Australia last year, Paul Georgiou says his bead shop in Brisbane has sold more than 20,000 bracelets as fans (some pictured in Tokyo this week) clamour to join the craze of swapping them with friends. Emily Wind digs into what’s going on.
The world of sport
Women’s cricket | Australia’s women have lost a one-day international to South Africa for the first time with five dropped catches and a disastrous batting collapse.
American football | The Super Bowl weekend is coming up, and in case you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, here’s what you need to know about the Chiefs, the 49ers and, yes, Taylor Swift.
Boxing | Tyson Fury has scotched speculation of an impending retirement from boxing as he mapped out a five-fight plan, including a couple of showdowns against British rival Anthony Joshua.
Media roundup
Former Collingwood player Craig Stewart had the early stages of the neurological disorder CTE when he died last year, the Herald Sun reports. The Canberra Times claims the home of the old NSWRL headquarters in Bruce is the favourite to be the site for the ACT’s long-planned new stadium. A woman in her 20s has been killed after a tree trunk collapsed and fell on her in a park in Adelaide, the Advertiser reports.
What’s happening today
Canberra | Papua New Guinea prime minister James Marape is addressing federal parliament at 9.45am.
Victoria | There will be a state apology to care leavers who were abused.
Hobart | Nicolaas Bester is in court accused of harassing former Australian of the Year Grace Tame online.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day’s main news. Sign up for our Afternoon Update newsletter here.
Prefer notifications? If you’re reading this in our app, just click here and tap “Get notifications” on the next screen for an instant alert when we publish every morning.
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.
