Afternoon Update: Albanese and Dutton trade barbs; LA fires death toll hits 24; and a plea to stop cringing at Sydney​on January 13, 2025 at 5:33 am

Want to get this in your inbox every weekday? Sign up for the Afternoon Update here, and start your day with our Morning Mail newsletter.It’s beginning to smell a lot like an election year, with Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton spending Monday sharpening their attack lines on each other.The prime minister was not much impressed by his rival’s unofficial campaign launch, calling Sunday’s rally in Melbourne a “damp squib”. The opposition leader, facing pressure to announce some new policies, reckons Albanese would not have to “throw this mud” if he’d enjoyed a more productive stint in the Lodge.LA wildfires: death toll rises to 24 as winds threaten further destructionZelenskyy offers Ukraine’s help to fight California wildfires after Trump Jr postMan accused of shooting dead 98 kangaroos on NSW army base denies all chargesCounter-terrorism police take up investigation of swastika attack at Sydney synagogueKyiv ready to swap North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian PoWs, Zelenskyy saysSweden neither at war nor at peace, says PM, as warships sent to Baltic Sea Continue reading…Want to get this in your inbox every weekday? Sign up for the Afternoon Update here, and start your day with our Morning Mail newsletter.It’s beginning to smell a lot like an election year, with Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton spending Monday sharpening their attack lines on each other.The prime minister was not much impressed by his rival’s unofficial campaign launch, calling Sunday’s rally in Melbourne a “damp squib”. The opposition leader, facing pressure to announce some new policies, reckons Albanese would not have to “throw this mud” if he’d enjoyed a more productive stint in the Lodge.LA wildfires: death toll rises to 24 as winds threaten further destructionZelenskyy offers Ukraine’s help to fight California wildfires after Trump Jr postMan accused of shooting dead 98 kangaroos on NSW army base denies all chargesCounter-terrorism police take up investigation of swastika attack at Sydney synagogueKyiv ready to swap North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian PoWs, Zelenskyy saysSweden neither at war nor at peace, says PM, as warships sent to Baltic Sea Continue reading…   

It’s beginning to smell a lot like an election year, with Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton spending Monday sharpening their attack lines on each other.

The prime minister was not much impressed by his rival’s unofficial campaign launch, calling Sunday’s rally in Melbourne a “damp squib”. The opposition leader, facing pressure to announce some new policies, reckons Albanese would not have to “throw this mud” if he’d enjoyed a more productive stint in the Lodge.

The argy-bargy came as Labor announced a $3bn equity boost for the NBN after the first federal cabinet meeting of the year.

Top news

• LA wildfires: death toll rises to 24 as winds threaten further destruction

• Zelenskyy offers Ukraine’s help to fight California wildfires after Trump Jr post

• Man accused of shooting dead 98 kangaroos on NSW army base denies all charges

• Counter-terrorism police take up investigation of swastika attack at Sydney synagogue

• Kyiv ready to swap North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian PoWs, Zelenskyy says

• Sweden neither at war nor at peace, says PM, as warships sent to Baltic Sea

In pictures

People take part in an ice-water endurance ceremony at Teppozu Inari shrine in Tokyo, as captured in the Guardian’s daily selection of photographs from around the world. Participants brave the cold to purify their souls and pray for good health in the new year.

What they said …

“Burn Hollywood Burn is a protest song … [it has] nothing to do with families losing everything they have.”

Public Enemy’s Chuck D has asked people to stop using the rap group’s 1990 protest track as a soundtrack on social media videos of the California wildfires.

In numbers

Fewer GP clinics than ever will take new bulk-billed customers and out-of-pocket charges continue to rise, healthcare directory Cleanbill’s data has found. Experts say the findings are concerning, but not surprising.

Before bed read

Attention Sydneysiders: don’t tell Bridie Jabour “this city is so boring” until you’ve been a teenager in rural Australia.

Daily word game

Today’s starter word is: OWL.You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.

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