Good morning, this is Helen Sullivan bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 3 February.

Top stories

Australians stranded in the Chinese city of Wuhan were expected to fly out of the city on Monday morning as they make their way towards Christmas Island. It is understood the flight was due to depart from Wuhan at 2am local time (5am AEDT) and would head straight to mainland Australia, where those on board will then be transported to Christmas Island for a 14-day quarantine period. Footage of government officials in Wuhan appearing to take face masks intended for health workers battling the highly infectious coronavirus has fuelled a growing wave of anger over how Chinese authorities have handled the outbreak. It comes as the Philippines has reported the first death from the coronavirus outside China, adding to fears about the spread of the virus as more countries imposed travel restrictions. China’s central bank has pledged to pump 1.2tn yuan (A$256bn) into its financial system in an attempt to protect its economy from the coronavirus epidemic.

Bridget McKenzie has resigned from Scott Morrison’s ministry in an effort to stem the rolling controversy and political damage over sports grants before the opening of the 2020 parliamentary session this week. The prime minister confirmed the departure of the besieged deputy leader of the Nationals late on Sunday after receiving advice from his departmental head and former chief of staff, Phil Gaetjens, and after a meeting with the governance committee of cabinet. Morrison declined to release the Gaetjens adjudication. “Morrison wants this whole mess to be over with McKenzie’s departure,” writes Katherine Murphy. “Quick prediction. This isn’t over.”

A man has been shot dead by armed police in south London following a terrorist-related incident in which a number of people are believed to have been stabbed. The Metropolitan police confirmed the man, who was shot at about 2pm in Streatham, had been pronounced dead and added: “We believe there are two injured victims. We await updates on their conditions.” They said the scene had been “fully contained”. The man shot dead by police was wearing a “fake suicide vest” made of objects designed to look like an improvised explosive device.

Australia

A group of 200 scientists are urging parliament to reduce Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and work diplomatically to achieve coordinated global climate action after a catastrophic summer of bushfires.

Government should abandon plans to increase employer contributions towards superannuation because new research shows about 80% of the extra money would be taken out of pay packets in the form of lower wage increases, the Grattan Institute says.

The father of three of four children killed after a car crashed into them in Sydney has spoken of his devastating loss. Danny Abdallah told reporters on Sunday he was heartbroken. “My name is Daniel Abdallah, I have a wife, Leila, and six beautiful children I’ve been blessed with. Yesterday, I lost three of my children,” he said.

The world

A Moshi resident in Kilimanjaro region, north Tanzania, is consoled at Mawenzi hospital in Arusha, after the death of her granddaughter. Photograph: Filbert Rweyemamu/AFP via Getty Images

At least 20 people have been killed in a crush during a church service at a stadium in northern Tanzania. Hundreds of people packed a stadium on Saturday evening in Moshi town, near the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, and were crushed as they rushed to get anointed with “blessed oil”.

The looming Senate acquittal of Trump threatens to overshadow Iowa. As a growing number of Republican senators confirmed they will vote to acquit Donald Trump at the conclusion of his impeachment trial on Wednesday, the saga threatened to overshadow the first contest of the Democratic primary season in Iowa on Monday.

The release of one of the most influential polls of the Democratic primary was cancelled on Saturday night, after candidate Pete Buttigieg reportedly complained that his name had been left off at least one survey.

Enthusiasm would be widespread in the European Union if Scotland applied to rejoin after independence, Donald Tusk has said. The former president of the European council told the BBC he had great sympathy with the desire of many Scots to rejoin the EU after Brexit.

Recommended reads

Have claims of a sex recession been exaggerated? Data shows Australian millennials and Gen Xers were actually having slightly less sex in their teenage years than Gen Z is today. Illustration: Guardian Design

In 2019 the idea of a millennial and Gen Z “sex recession” became fact. “Or it became the 2019 version of a fact: something we all (myself included) absorb after reading viral headlines on Facebook,” writes Meg Watson. “Last year ABC’s national survey Australia Talks found that 40% of people aged 18 to 24 report ‘never’ having sex. Since then, young people have been lightly mocked on ABC TV, and in the Daily Telegraph. They’ve even been made the subject of an ‘intervention’-based ad campaign for a condom company. But as clicky as that story sounds, it’s not the whole truth. Instead of scolding young people for not having sex which they are in fact having, maybe we could look to them to understand the many ways that modern sex is changing.”

“Q&A succeeded because it created an opportunity that hadn’t existed for ordinary Australians to challenge our politicians directly and measure their responses,” writes Peter McEvoy, the program’s former executive producer as part of Guardian Australia’ Unforgettable Australian TV series. “We brought together Australian citizens from diverse political and cultural backgrounds to discuss the direction of the nation … After 12 years at Q&A my faith in the power of reasoned discussion to change minds and build a consensus has taken a battering, but I can’t identify any pathway forward that isn’t built on bringing together people with divergent views to listen, debate and discuss.”

Listen/Watch

On today’s Full Story podcast, Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor explores Australia’s long track record of stalling on climate change action. This summer, Scott Morrison has faced international criticism over his climate change policies. But this government is just the latest in a long line that have either failed on meaningful climate policy at home or blocked stronger climate action on the world stage.

Sport

Novak Djokovic celebrates during the men’s singles final against Dominic Thiem on day 14 of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Sunday. Photograph: Scott Barbour/AAP

Novak Djokovic has outlasted Dominic Thiem to win his eighth Australian Open crown, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Kevin Mitchell writes: “Novak Djokovic strolled out of Rod Laver Arena a little after midnight, the cheers – and a few jeers – behind him drifting into the cool night through the opened roof. As he headed for the refuge of the locker room, he cuddled the heavy silver Norman Brookes trophy as if it were a baby, a prize he ought to own in perpetuity.”

The San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV on Monday. Will Jimmy Garoppolo lead the 49ers to the team’s sixth Super Bowl title or will Patrick Mahomes lift the Chiefs to their first since 1970? Our writers hash it out.

Media roundup

Barnaby Joyce is preparing to challenge Michael McCormack for Nationals leader, the Australian reports. Focus groups run by Ipsos for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age have shown that “voters have turned on prime minister Scott Morrison over his response to the summer bushfires”, which was deemed “pathetic” and “disorganised”. The Australian Financial Review warns the ASX is set to have its weakest day of 2020 as fears over economic damage caused by the coronavirus escalate.

Coming up

Australians trapped in the Chinese city of Wuhan due to the coronavirus will be evacuated to Christmas Island.

A memorial service will be held in Sydney for John Morrison, the father of the prime minister, Scott Morrison.

Follow all the Superbowl LIV action from Miami in our dedicated liveblog from 10am.

And if you’ve read this far …

Why are Supreme fans filming themselves burning their clothing? YouTubers and Instagrammers are raking in views by burning or cutting up garments: ‘It triggers people’



