Penny Wong to visit Israel, meet with victims of violence

HOME AND AWAY

Overseas Affairs Minister Penny Wong will fly out at this time sure for Israel and the West Financial institution, in addition to Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, to satisfy with authorities officers and the households of victims of each Israeli and Hamas violence. The Australian ($) experiences Wong received’t be visiting the websites of the October 7 bloodbath, nonetheless, due to time constraints (the kibbutzim is 90 minutes from Jerusalem). However she ought to, former Rudd-era minister and Labor Buddies of Israel co-founder Mike Kelly reckons, to be uncovered to the “brutal, sadistic savagery and genocidal regional Islamist agenda of Hamas”. In the meantime, Labor MP Julian Hill says we must always ban Australians from funding internationally unlawful Israeli settlements within the West Financial institution, Guardian Australia says, after a briefing paper revealed the “fast growth” together with shootings and burning houses. The UN confirmed 300 Palestinians — together with 79 youngsters — had been killed within the area since October 7.

Staying abroad a second and Denmark formally has an Australian head of state earlier than we do. ABC experiences Tassie’s Princess Mary and Prince Frederik X grew to become queen and king of Denmark in a single day after former Queen Margrethe II, 83, abdicated. She’d beforehand sworn she’d by no means step down and is the primary Danish monarch to take action in 900 years. So why’d she do it? Possibly her again surgical procedure, or perhaps it was to squash rumours of an alleged affair. Frederik was snapped with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova in November, information.com.au experiences, although they may simply be associates. Right here’s a bizarre reality: all seven royal households in Europe date again to this king generally known as Gorm the Previous, circa 936, because the SMH delves into.

GAME, SET, TAX

The Andrews authorities bailed Tennis Australia out with as much as $63 million in taxpayer dosh, The Age experiences, months earlier than the sporting physique’s $62 million surplus. The state authorities additionally forgave a $40 million mortgage in February 2021 — collectively it lined Tennis Australia’s “complete pandemic-related losses from 2021 and 2022,” the paper notes. The bail-out got here 4 months earlier than the record-smashing 2023 Australian Open — Tennis Australia wanted to pay its payments after the tournaments through the pandemic had left it skint, in line with paperwork obtained by way of a freedom of knowledge request. Talking of tennis, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic survived a scare towards Croatia’s Dino Prizmic, 18, final evening of their nailbiting four-hour opening spherical match of the Australian Open, The Australian ($) experiences, in a narrative that mentions the up-and-comer’s “tight shorts”. Umm, OK? Information.com.au has a fairly extra demure roundup of day one.

Staying in Victoria and federal Opposition Chief Peter Dutton says preselected Liberal candidate for Dunkley, Frankston Mayor Nathan Conroy, is a “champion,” Sky Information Australia experiences. Conroy will face Labor’s Jodie Belyea after the dying of Labor’s Peta Murphy prompted a by-election. Dutton went arduous on the price of dwelling, saying PM Anthony Albanese promised the price of electrical energy would fall $275 some 97 occasions, however that it was up 23%. No point out of Dutton and the Coalition voting towards December’s power worth reduction laws that guarantees worth caps which might be set to slash payments by $230, as Guardian Australia reported. In the meantime, the talk continues to swirl about July 1’s stage three tax cuts — though they’re legislated and the Albanese authorities has repeatedly confirmed them. Labor is aware of they’re unhealthy, economist Greg Jericho says, with 70% of its personal voters and 66% of Coalition voters opposing them of their present type. But it surely’s unlikely Albanese will break that election promise, he provides.

KEEPING UP WITH JONES

The Division of the Prime Minister and Cupboard, the Reserve Financial institution of Australia and Australia Publish are amongst an enormous record of businesses that had delicate information accessed by a Russian-linked ransomware group in April final yr, The Australian ($) experiences. And never simply them: the record continues with the ABC, the ACMA, the ACCC, the AEC and the AFP, in addition to the departments of Schooling, Employment, Finance, Overseas Affairs and Commerce, Dwelling Affairs and Treasury. The record was revealed 4 days earlier than Christmas after the federal government lastly caved to a slew of freedom of knowledge requests. BlackCat/ALPHV allegedly broke into the servers of Australia’s largest business legislation agency HWL Ebsworth, downloading some 2.5 million paperwork that included authorized recommendation, medical info, and “points regarding nationwide safety and legislation enforcement”.

To a fairly completely different allegation now and broadcaster Alan Jones has cancelled his flight residence from London and has no plans to return to Australia, the SMH experiences. Jones travelled to the UK earlier than Christmas following allegations he assaulted a number of younger males throughout his profession, which the conservative shock-jock denies. Jones was speculated to return to his gig on the oft-described “outrage community” Australian Digital Holdings TV, Kate McClymont writes, however is as an alternative being supported by its cofounder Jake Thrupp, 26. Staying on conservative Australia a minute and books from “the classics division of the dissident proper” Imperium Press have both been eliminated or reviewed by Booktopia, Guardian Australia experiences, together with essay collections edited by an Australian white nationalist. The writer advised the paper its books provide a “historic default” worldview.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

Eyebrows might have been raised when 75-year-old Rodney Holbrook swore to family and friends that somebody was breaking into his shed and cleansing it up each evening. The retiree knew it sounded a bit of bit fanciful, however the details have been the gosh darn details: each morning, the objects the US man had expressly left on his workbench the day earlier than had been fastidiously packed away into a close-by field, as The New York Occasions tells it. At first, it was simply hen meals and nuts, however then it was garments, pegs, cups and cable ties that have been being organised. The thriller consumed Holbrook day and evening. Nothing was being stolen, in any case — simply, nicely, decluttered. He needed to resolve it.

So the wildlife photographer arrange an evening imaginative and prescient digital camera. It could seize the offender, he figured, and maybe even shed some mild on the odd motives of such a courteous cleaner. Barely catching a wink, Holbrook leapt from mattress to retrieve his digital camera at daybreak, settling in to look at the footage. All was nonetheless, after which a tiny mouse crept into the body. It scurried over to a cork, picked it up and dashed over to the field. Plonk. Maybe uttering an exasperated sigh, perhaps even a small squeak resembling “I’ve to do every part round right here”, the mouse grabbed a wood peg to repeat the transfer. Holbrook couldn’t imagine it. It’s potential the mouse is simply hiding some nuts within the field, after all. However Holbrook prefers to consider him as a mousy assistant.

Of us, it’s nice to be again with you after the foolish season. Hoping you assist somebody out in some small method at this time too.

SAY WHAT?

So that you’re getting this livid race to destroy the planet. The primary one in earlier than the planet dies goes to take advantage of cash.

Andrew Forrest

The now renewable-focussed mining billionaire flew a helicopter over WA’s coast to slam Woodside’s $18 billion Scarborough fuel export venture as a “carbon dioxide bomb”.

CRIKEY RECAP

Gina Rinehart tried to censor Crikey articles utilizing ‘ridiculous’ trademark request to tech firms

Gina Rinehart (Picture: AAP/Darren England)

“A mining firm run by billionaire Gina Rinehart says that trademark complaints filed towards Crikey which led to the non permanent censorship of this outlet’s vital protection of Australia’s richest lady have been erroneously filed by a 3rd occasion on its behalf as a part of its efforts to stamp out fraudulent ads.

“Non-public Media, the writer of Crikey, The Mandarin and SmartCompany, has been the topic of repeated mental property complaints on behalf of 150 Investments Pty Ltd, an organization that’s administrators embrace the mining billionaire. These complaints led to not less than one article between briefly taken offline by Amazon …”

Make-or-break second for Dutton as Liberals choose Dunkley challenger

“By Sunday afternoon we’ll know who the Liberal Celebration will nominate as its challenger for the Victorian seat. Three candidates are up for preselection that day, Crikey understands: Frankston Mayor Nathan Conroy, former native state MP Donna Hope, and former native state parliamentary candidate Bec Buchanan.

“A fourth candidate, David Burgess, is known to have dropped out of the race. A Victorian Liberal supply advised Crikey Conroy, a three-term mayor, and Hope are seen as most probably to win the nomination [Ed note: Conroy did win]. Dutton, the opposition chief, just isn’t anticipated to weigh into the method.”

The Coalition is hoodwinking Australia about nuclear power

“It’s now dearer than renewables, Australia has a decades-long ban on it, and its key worldwide instance touted by the Coalition was scrapped, however that hasn’t stopped rising cries from conservatives about nuclear energy coming into the power combine on the nation’s path to web zero by 2050 …

“In November, nonetheless, conservative SMR [small modular reactors] goals have been dashed right here and overseas when a US developer binned a venture broadly touted as kicking off the brand new nuclear period. NuScale Energy mentioned it had failed to draw sufficient utility prospects for the controversial energy supply to proceed — nevertheless it had additionally almost doubled in value (from US$8 billion to US$14 billion), suffered a five-year time delay, and its energy technology capability had been slashed by a 3rd.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

The darkish underbelly of Pakistan’s male physique picture revolution (Al Jazeera)

Namibia criticises German help for Israel over ICJ genocide case (BBC)

Scores of hostages launched from gang-controlled prisons, Ecuador authorities claims (The Guardian)

Can electrical autos deal with northern B.C.’s -30 C temperatures? (CBC)

Taiwan’s new president faces robust time with China stress, no majority (Reuters)

Frederik X proclaimed new king of Denmark after his mom Queen Margrethe II abdicates (euronews)

THE COMMENTARIAT

I ask you to contemplate what it’s that we’re celebrating on Australia Day — Jenna Woods (The West) ($): “In spite of everything, January 26 was not marked as a nationwide vacation till pretty just lately, having been established in 1994. The true marker of progress just isn’t the date of Australia Day, however the content material of it. I discover myself questioning what is definitely being celebrated? What’s it to be Australian? Is it solely our colonial previous that’s to be honoured? Who’s included in that and who just isn’t? For me, these questions take us past questioning the date to questioning the very core of our nationwide identification. To grasp what it’s that we’re celebrating, we should first really perceive who we’re as a nation. With out doing so, Australia Day manifests as a fairly superficial nationwide occasion, characterised by alcohol, barbecues and fireworks.

“… It’s easy human nature to need to spotlight the great and conceal the unhealthy. It’s far simpler to consider the pressured elimination of Aboriginal youngsters from their mother and father as a distant occasion. It’s way more snug to consider the 1905 Aborigines Act, which eliminated Aboriginal peoples’ autonomy over their very own employment, property possession, freedom of motion and affiliation, funds and even marriage, as a well-intentioned however poorly carried out thought of some long-dead early settler. Many discover it each confronting and distressing to know this isn’t the case. The 1905 Act was solely dismantled within the mid-Nineteen Sixties. Lots of the missions the place Stolen Technology youngsters have been taken remained operational for greater than a decade after this.”

How I learnt to like Novak Djokovic, the best of all time — Nick Kyrgios (The SMH): “Novak is the very best participant to ever wield a tennis racquet – one thing I didn’t imagine a couple of years in the past. When you got here to me and requested who, of their prime, I’d need taking part in a set for my life, it’s Novak. There’s simply now not a GOAT dialog available. The query that continues to be, in my thoughts, is who would you favor to look at play? That’s a completely completely different debate. When you’re asking me who the prettiest participant to look at and essentially the most naturally gifted, I feel most individuals will inform you the reply is Roger Federer. However that’s what makes what Novak has achieved and nonetheless engaging in so loopy. He’s had his struggles, particularly early in his profession.

“However bodily and mentally he has made modifications to his recreation and changes to his life which have been unbelievable and brought him on this journey to be the very best we’ve ever seen. He’s needed to work for every part. He has been in a position to get out of himself what Roger was born with, and located a technique to do it higher. You don’t have to love him, however how do you not respect the quantity of labor he has completed and the dedication he has proven to be the very best? I used to be a type of who didn’t like him. I wasn’t a fan of the best way he generally carried himself on the courtroom. When he wasn’t as strong-minded or bodily succesful early in his profession — taking these bathroom breaks or calling for the coach … it didn’t sit nicely with me and I used to be fairly trustworthy about my emotions in the direction of him for a very long time in my profession.”