Your morning Briefing

Welcome to your morning roundup of what’s making news and the must-reads for today.

Hello readers. Here is your two-minute digest of what’s making news today.

Sri Lankan vessel intercepted by Australian Border Force officers in December. The 29 asylum seekers were returned to Sri Lanka. Supplied

Smugglers’ boost

New Zealand’s offer to resettle 150 asylum-seekers from Manus ­Island late last year is believed to have prompted an escalation in people-­smuggling operations, with intelligence officials claiming at least three boats had recently sought to test the shift in policy and use the country as a “back door” to Australia. The Australian has confirmed that asylum-seekers aboard a boat intercepted by a naval patrol just before Christmas had told immigration officials that smugglers had told them their destination was New Zealand.

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Businessman Clive Palmer is seen outside the Brisbane Supreme Court in Brisbane, Tuesday, October 17, 2017. The court is hearing an application by government appointed liquidators to freeze more than $200 million of Palmer's assets. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING

Palmer payments

Clive Palmer held two meetings with himself in November to approve, retrospectively, more than $170 million in questionable payments from Queensland Nickel to foreign women, his family, his corporate empire and himself, four years after the cash was ­siphoned from the company. The pair of brief meetings was held at Mr Palmer’s Brisbane corporate headquarters on November 21 last year, in the middle of a huge lawsuit suing the former ­tycoon over the transactions. Minutes of the secret meetings are contained in a new affidavit filed by Mr Palmer’s former financial lieutenant Daren Wolfe in the Queensland Supreme Court lawsuit late last week.

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Tesla boss Elon Musk with the new Roadster. Source: Supplied.

You’re joshing, Josh

Did you see that puff piece extolling the benefits of subsidising electric vehicles? Yes, the one written by Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg, writes Judith Sloan. It was a wonder it didn’t come with the warning: sponsored content. What was he thinking? If there ever was a country less suited to electric vehicles, it’s Australia. Where does the power come from? From the electricity grid, of course.
“You know, the one that is very close to shutting down on hot days, the one increasingly reliant on intermittent wind and solar power with reliable coal-fired plants forced to close.”

Judith Sloan

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Tom Jellett Durie Cartoon for 23-01-18Version: (Original)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.

Lost Cat

Like a pure-bred Persian cat let loose on Parramatta Road, ­Antony Catalano is no more. The charismatic Catalano’s life as a listed CEO lasted all of two months (that’s including the summer holidays). So what the hell happened to the former Domain CEO, asks Margin Call. John Durie weighs in, suggesting the grand Fairfax plan to create a growth option around its Domain real estate listing has taken a hugely embarrassing hit with its star CEO Antony Catalano quitting just two months after the float.

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Australian Open Tennis 2018 - Day 8. Novak Djokovic vs Hyeon Chung. Hyeon Chung celebrates after holding serve and taking a 6-5 lead in the 3rd set .Pic: Michael Klein

Djokovic done

There was always an experimental feel to Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open sojourn that was sensationally ended by emerging Korean star Hyeon Chung last night. Faces new but familiar in Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek populated Djokovic’s coaching box and a modified service action was deployed to protect a troublesome elbow but also generate more power.

But after a sound, if unspectacular opening week, the six-time Australian Open champion’s rustiness was exposed during a 7-6 (4) 7-5 7-6 (3) loss to the exciting Chung. It is the first time the most successful man at Melbourne Park has been beaten in straight sets at the venue since 2007. Will Swanton, meanwhile, writes that while Nick Kyrgios might have lost, he has won our respect.

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Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters page cartoon for 23-01-2018Version: (650x366)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.