| | 21/01/2025 Trump takes power promising ‘golden age’, Albanese’s poll reversal, De Minaur wins again |
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| | | Morning everyone. Donald Trump says a “golden age of America” has begun with his inauguration as 47th president of the United States. In the first hours of his term, he has already declared a national emergency on the Mexican border and foreshadowed withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. We have a full report from Washington, plus analysis, pictures and video. At home, there’s some good news for Anthony Albanese in our latest Essential poll, and Alex de Minaur will face the world No 1 in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. |
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| Australia | | Ashes to Ashes | Australia have retained the Women’s Ashes after winning the first T20 in Sydney by 57 runs, taking an unassailable 8-0 lead on points after Beth Mooney slammed 75 off 51 balls and England were bowled out for 141. | Exclusive | Australians are feeling more optimistic in 2025 about the fortunes of the economy and their families, our latest Essential poll shows, delivering Anthony Albanese a welcome boost. The prime minister’s approval was strongest among young voters, compared to only 36% of those over 55. | Campus crackdown | University of Sydney staff and students would be banned from holding banners on campus without prior permission and staff would be unable to send political emails unless recipients had expressed prior interest under a string of draft policies introduced before the academic year. | Import question | Australia’s new anti-slavery commissioner has called on the government to urgently address the “inadequacy” of its forced labour laws after revelations that it had allowed thousands of imports from Chinese companies blacklisted for their alleged links to Uyghur workers. | Habitat destruction | Almost 26,000 hectares of threatened species habitat was greenlit for destruction in 2024 – more than double the previous year – a study shows. |
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 | World | | ‘America first’ | Donald Trump vowed to “put America first” as his second term as president began in the US Capitol Rotunda overnight, striking an alternately positive and threatening tone in his inauguration address. In a string of policy pronouncements, Trump said he would declare an emergency at the Mexican border, withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, revoke the electrical vehicle mandate, set up an agency to collect tariffs on imported goods, and reclaim the Panama Canal “from China”. You can fact checks some of Trump’s claims here, and follow developments and live reaction here. The ceremony was packed with rightwing luminaries, attended by a slew of far-right leaders – and Rupert Murdoch. | Gaza return | Palestinians have begun returning to destroyed homes and searching for missing loved ones in Gaza as the ceasefire in the 15-month conflict with Israel continued to hold. | ‘Ticking timebomb’ | Axel Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls and attempting to murder 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. Rudakubana, whose actions sparked disorder across England, was described as a “ticking timebomb” and “obsessed” with genocides. | Weight-loss win | People with diabetes taking medications found in weight loss jabs have a reduced risk of 42 conditions, a comprehensive study has found, paving the way for such drugs being used to treat a host of health problems. | Bear hunt | Alaska is set to resume the aerial hunting of bears and wolves as a population control measure aimed at boosting caribou and moose herd numbers. |
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| Full Story | | Hope and fear as Gaza ceasefire begins Nour Haydar speaks to Mostafa Rachwani about how the deal has brought the refugee community in Australia some relief but why, after 15 months of war, many are fearful that the peace won’t last. | |
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| | | | | | | | | The most important news from Australia and the globe, as it breaks |
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| | Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties |
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| In-depth | | There are some striking images from Washington today that tell the story very powerfully. From the parade of political allies to former presidents, and from the new courtiers such as Elon Musk to the poignant departure of the Bidens from the White House, enjoy our picture gallery. |
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| Not the news | | Located somewhere in between the neon glamour of the US Open and the buttoned-up all-white tradition of Wimbledon, the Australian Open has always had a style of its own. From Andre Agassi’s colour coordination to Serena Williams bowing out with a long-sleeved, one-legged, hot pink, red and black colour-blocked jumpsuit, Lucianne Tonti assesses on-court fashion down the ages. |
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| Sport | | Tennis | Australian tennis fans have reason to dream after Alex de Minaur delivered a largely dominant victory over the American Alex Michelsen to reach the quarter-finals at the Australian Open where he will play world No 1 Jannik Sinner. | Australian Open | Novak Djokovic says he is ready to produce his “best” level in his quarter-final duel with Carlos Alcaraz later today as he seeks to put his spat with Channel Nine behind him. | Football | Under pressure Ange Postecoglou is set to remain in charge of Tottenham for this week’s matches against Hoffenheim in the Europa League and Leicester in the Premier League despite his team’s dire form. |
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| Media roundup | The Coalition is urging the government to crack down further on hate speech after recent antisemitic attacks, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The Herald Sun claims it has the “inside story” on the crisis talks that resolved the Tony Jones/ Novak Djokovic row. The Adelaide Advertiser says the victim of Sunday’s drowning on Kangaroo Island was a renowned South Australian surgeon. Western Australia has been baking in a heatwave but temperatures stopped short of a record high, WAtoday reports. |
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| What’s happening today | Sydney | Brief status for woman charged for allegedly displaying Hezbollah flag and first mention for woman charged over antisemitic graffiti in Woollahra. | Melbourne | Further court mention and plea for Landforce protesters. | Brisbane | Supreme court review for child killer Lloyd Fletcher, the first Queensland prisoner jailed indefinitely. |
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| Brain teaser | And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. | |
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| Contact us | If you have a story tip or technical issue viewing this newsletter, please reply to this email. If you are a Guardian supporter and need assistance with regards to contributions and/or digital subscriptions, please email customer.help@guardian.co.uk |
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A message from Lenore Taylor editor of Guardian AustraliaI hope you appreciated this newsletter. Before you move on, I wonder if you would consider contributing to our end-of-year fundraiser as we prepare for a pivotal, uncertain year ahead.
The course of world history has taken a sharp and disturbing turn in 2024. Liberalism is under threat from populist authoritarianism. Americans have voted to install a president with no respect for democratic norms, nor the facts that once formed the guardrails of public debate.
That decision means an alliance critical to Australia’s national and economic security is now a series of unpredictable transactions, with a partner no longer committed to multilateralism, nor efforts to curb global heating, the greatest threat we face. We just don’t know where this will lead.
In this uncertain time, fair, fact-based journalism is more important than ever – to record and understand events, to scrutinise the powerful, to give context, and to counter rampant misinformation and falsehoods.
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If you can, please consider supporting us with just $1, or better yet, support us every month with a little more. Thank you. | | |
| Lenore Taylor
Editor, Guardian Australia |
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