Your noon Briefing: Morrison hits back after climate lecture

Your 2-minute digest of today’s top stories and a long read for lunch time.

Hello readers. Scott Morrison defends his government’s clean energy record after a scolding from his Fijian counterpart, and the aged care royal commission begins.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends a Traditional Ceremony of Welcome with the Prime Minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama, in Suva, Fiji, Thursday, January 17, 2019. Scott Morrison is in Fiji to announce significant economic and security partnership with the island nation.(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING

ScoMo comes clean

Scott Morrison has defended the government’s clean energy position after his Fiji counterpart lectured him on the issue.

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Aged persons hands held by young hands. Pic is Istock image. One time use only.

Aged cares

One commissioner said there’s a “rising torrent of concern” that aged care is faltering, as the Royal Commission begins.

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The leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer addresses the media during a two-day CDU leadership meeting in Potsdam, eastern Germany, on January 14, 2019. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)

‘Please stay’

The frontrunner to become Germany’s next chancellor has issued an eleventh-hour plea for Britain to change its mind and stay in the European Union. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the new head of Angela Merkel’s party, is the most senior German politician yet to openly appeal to the UK to abandon Brexit. She is among more than two dozen leading figures from German politics, industry and the arts to announce an “unprecedented” cross-party campaign to persuade Britain “from the bottom of our hearts” to remain.

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Spain's Garbine Muguruza throws her towel into the crowd as she celebrates after defeating Britain's Johanna Konta in their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Late starter

Garbine Muguruza was in a playful mood after beating Johanna Konta in a match that started well after midnight. But rain has put a dampener on the morning’s tennis in Melbourne. Keep up with all the latest in our live Australian Open blog.

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The long read: How vexed a man can get

The early response to Gillette’s extraordinary take on “toxic masculinity” in the #MeToo age shows it may backfire at the checkout, writes Mark Ritson.