Australia continues to think about West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

WORKING CAPITAL

International Affairs Minister Penny Wong says Labor has not dropped its recognition of West Jerusalem because the capital of Israel, moderately than Tel Aviv, The Australian ($) stories. It follows an unique from Guardian Australia, which observed the DFAT web site deleted sentences about recognising West Jerusalem previously few days. It was a Morrison-era coverage which Labor strongly objected to on the time — certainly Wong mentioned Labor “in authorities would reverse this determination”. However she instructed the Oz ($) that there had been no determination to alter it by the federal government. So why is it so vital? Nicely, when the Coalition authorities adopted the US’ footsteps in recognising Jerusalem, it was seen as an enormous step backwards for Palestinians’ aspirations. That’s as a result of the Palestinian Authority hopes to make East Jerusalem the capital of a future Palestinian state — however Israel is staunchly advocating it stays the undivided capital, as Al Jazeera stories.

In the meantime, former Sydney Uni staffer Jay Tharappel, who as soon as wore a “loss of life to Israel” badge as SMH reported on the time, has joined the NSW Labor Occasion, in line with paperwork ready for the occasion’s state convention seen by The Australian ($). Tharappel made headlines when he visited North Korea in 2018 — he wrote a weirdly heat story about it for Honi Soit, the uni’s paper. “What I noticed was a extremely organised, egalitarian and energised society,” one line reads. Hmm. Anyway, the Oz ($) claims Tharappel has additionally been a supporter of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Iran. When it requested NSW Labor Chief Chris Minns in regards to the membership, Minns pointed it to officers, who didn’t reply by deadline.

BUYING BULL IN BULK

The official statistic that 9 out of 10 Australian sufferers are bulk-billed (and thus pay no out-of-pocket price) might be whole crap, in line with the joint investigation into Medicare from the SMH and the ABC’s 7.30. It’s extra like 4 to 6 out of 10, specialists say. Well being Minister Mark Butler has ordered a report into the bombshell declare that docs are rorting Medicare as much as a 3rd of its annual funds ($8 billion) — the paper alleges one in all our largest telehealth firms, Phenix Well being, is bulk- billing people whereas additionally charging them, “a follow that’s unlawful below the Well being Insurance coverage Act”, reporters Adele Ferguson and Chris Gillett write. Often you’re both bulk-billed (no cost from you) otherwise you pay and then you definately get the Medicare rebate. It’s truly getting more and more more durable to discover a bulk-billing physician, Crikey stories, with only a quarter of GPs doing so now. Why? At the least partly due to super-low Medicare rebates (the rebate was frozen from 2013-19). Some GPs say the monetary stress is simply too nice for docs to hold the fee.

In the meantime, Medibank turned the newest sufferer in a protracted line of huge biz cyberattacks throughout the weekend, Reuters stories, and its shares plunged almost 5% — making yesterday the personal well being insurer’s worst buying and selling day in two and a half years. Talking of safety breaches, Vinomofo, a wine offers website, additionally despatched a notice out to clients in a single day saying it too had skilled a cyberattack. “An unauthorised third occasion unlawfully accessed our database on a testing platform that’s not linked to our stay Vinomofo web site,” the notice learn as IT Wire stories. Particulars like names, gender, date of start, addresses, electronic mail addresses and cellphone numbers of shoppers have been leaked, it added.

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FEELING QUITE GASSY

Cease renting out the CSIRO model to large fossil gas firms, Science Minister Ed Husic has instructed the premier science physique. Guardian Australia stories Husic made the feedback yesterday after a “very massive gasoline firm” (most likely Santos) approached the CSIRO to lend some cred to its decarbonisation efforts. Work with smaller fish, Husic urged — however one researcher mentioned the CSIRO has chucked a Linda Evangelista and mentioned it wouldn’t get off the bed for tasks valued at lower than $500,000. It comes as Santos, Shell and ConocoPhillips’ “unfettered rights” to export liquefied pure gasoline (LNG) to markets in Asia is making it too costly to switch coal, ABC stories this morning. The Australian Employees’ Union referred to as it “loopy” that we’re one of many world’s greatest suppliers of the gas but we’ve an acute scarcity of gasoline. The Australian Petroleum Manufacturing and Exploration Affiliation whined that it’s truly exploration bans and regulatory uncertainty inflicting the gasoline scarcity. By 2030 it’ll be outmoded by batteries anyway, Inexperienced Vitality Markets mentioned, so let’s take the L and transfer on. Weirdly, the ABC story fails to level out the elephant within the room: it’s method too late amid local weather change for gasoline — as a fossil gas — to be a helpful transitionary anyway, as Guardian Australia stories.

In the meantime, Cricket Australia and vitality firm Alinta’s $40 million deal is lifeless, the SMH stories. The pair initially signed on for 4 seasons. Take a look at captain Pat Cummins fronted Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley with “moral objections” to Alinta’s contract, the paper says. Alinta’s mother or father firm, Pioneer Sail Holdings, is one in all our highest carbon emitters. So why did they signal within the first place? In 2018, the lads’s crew was battling a reputational hit from the Newlands scandal and the departure of economic companies agency Magellan. Alinta was one in all solely a handful of sponsors. Our netball crew, the Diamonds, are additionally taking a stand over the crew’s new $15 million sponsor, mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s firm Hancock Prospecting, which is splashed throughout their uniforms, Fox Sports activities stories. The Commonwealth Video games gold medallist crew says the iron ore miner thinks local weather change will not be brought on by people, and likewise take offence that Gina’s dad, Lang Hancock, mentioned in 1984 that Indigenous folks ought to be sterilised to “breed themselves out”. Abhorrent.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

An American man named Arthur Lee Cofield sat down at some point and positioned a name with a graceful brokerage, banking and monetary firm named Charles Schwab, as The New York Instances stories. On the decision, Cofield primly requested the creation of a chequing account, offering a photograph of a driver’s licence and a invoice. Actually sir, the consultant mentioned. All was so as, and Cofield instructed the consultant to please switch US$11 million to a treasured metals vendor. Immediately, the consultant responded, and it was performed. Upon the cash’s supply, Cofield organised to buy no fewer than 6106 American eagle gold cash. After all, the dear metals vendor responded cordially. Cofield organised a non-public safety firm to switch the cash on a chartered aircraft, and upon their arrival in Atlanta, used the cash to supply the prosperous proprietor of a regal six-bedroom house on a sprawling property a cool US$4.4million. Why, certain, the proprietor responded, and Cofield transferred the total steadiness. Simply one other day for almost all concerned.

The one downside? Cofield was an inmate behind bars in a most safety Georgia jail, utilizing a contraband cellphone to impersonate somebody your complete time. And never simply anybody: Hollywood heavyweight Sidney Kimmel, a 94-year-old vogue mogul who has bankrolled box-office hits like Moneyball, United 93 and Loopy Wealthy Asians. Cofield, 31, was initially performed for armed theft, however who says we will’t diversify our skillset? He was described as “a shrewd, clever particular person who might con you out of hundreds of thousands”, by the jail’s warden, however he didn’t fairly get away with it this time: he was charged with a slew of economic crimes for the con (he’s pleading not responsible). There’s only one downside, federal prosecutors say: what the heck will we do with the property he efficiently fleeced? A spokesperson for Charles Schwab mentioned the shopper had been totally reimbursed, and moreover, Kimmel hardly observed. His lawyer mentioned he was “unaffected by no matter occurred” and had “no data of [how it] occurred”. However now authorities consider Cofield has performed this earlier than to different billionaires — maybe a number of instances. That’s one solution to stick it to the wealthy, I suppose…

Wishing you the breezy nonchalance of a conned billionaire right this moment.

SAY WHAT?

[Former] prime minister Scott Morrison has been a revered chief in Australia, all through the APAC area and around the globe. Recognized for offering measured geopolitical management and aggressively working towards a web zero world emissions economic system, Prime Minister Morrison’s experiences and insights shall be essential for enterprise leaders on six continents.

Dan Sims

The previous PM has signed on to the Worldwide Audio system Group and the principal gushed at Morrison’s credentials as “the true definition of a frontrunner with a 360-degree world view”. Que? The Morrison authorities obliterated our relationship with France and China, and in 2021 Australia was ranked final for local weather motion out of almost 200 nations.

Why is Rupert Murdoch considering of placing the band again collectively?

“Rupert’s eldest son Lachlan Murdoch is CEO of Fox Corp and co-executive chairman of the corporate together with his father, whereas at Information Corp he’s the co-chairman however serving in a non-executive capability whereas each his father and chief govt Robert Thompson draw multimillion-dollar govt salaries.

“The opposite son, James Murdoch, utterly left the Fox enterprise after the Disney sale after which stop the Information Corp board in 2020 over editorial variations associated to local weather change, leaving Lachlan unchallenged to share energy together with his father. Today, James is conspicuously internet hosting Biden fundraisers at his New York pad, confirming his political variations with the Fox Information line.”

One yr on, is ICAC’s Berejiklian report lastly able to drop?

“November 1 will mark one yr since former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian final took the stand throughout the NSW corruption watchdog’s inquiry into her actions as state chief. With two weeks to go till that anniversary, the Unbiased Fee In opposition to Corruption (ICAC) has neither delivered a report into the matter nor given any clear indication of when the investigation, generally known as Operation Keppel, will wrap up.

“However there are potential indicators the fee might report its findings quickly. Assistant commissioner Ruth McColl, who’s overseeing ICAC’s probe, is approaching the top of a six-month extension of her tenure. A spokesperson for the notoriously secretive anti-corruption physique revealed in July it might maintain McColl on till the top of October 2022.”

TV audiences betray The Traitors (by not watching it)

“Ten premiered a much-hyped program referred to as The Traitors — the viewers betrayed the community with solely 343,000 viewers tuning in from 7.30 to 9pm. The place’s Kim Philby or Donald Maclean whenever you want an excellent turncoat? It’s again up tonight (or is meant to be) and tomorrow night time. Ten’s not having an excellent time — The Actual Love Boat sank simply after it left port and The Traitors listed and nearly turned turtle.

“With a lead-in as weak as The Traitors, the producers of Have You Been Paying Consideration?, Ten’s best-performing program, can sit up for comparatively weak viewers figures in tonight’s rankings. Not an excellent look from Ten to be butchering the rankings in your finest program. The Wonderful Race Australia did it on Mondays for the previous month.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Imran Khan calls for recent polls after byelection wins, threatens march (Al Jazeera)

Protester is dragged right into a Chinese language consulate in England and overwhelmed (The New York Instances)

Nigeria rushes to help flood victims, as loss of life toll tops 600 (CBC)

[GOP’s Herschel] Walker acknowledges sending $700 cheque to girl who alleges he paid for abortion however denies it was for that objective (CNN)

New UK finance minister drops nearly all of tax-cut plan (The New York Instances)

Ulf Kristersson: Swedish Parliament elects new PM backed by far proper (BBC)

Fighter jet crashes into Russian constructing in Yeysk metropolis (Al Jazeera)

Venezuela disaster: 7.1m depart nation since 2015 [amid economic and political crisis] (BBC)

Kanye West agrees to purchase social media app Parler (Reuters)

THE COMMENTARIAT

Authorities should go the stage three check of integrity — Kylea Tink (The AFR): “So let me be clear: as North Sydney’s consultant, I stay of the place that stage three tax cuts ought to go forward in 2024 as deliberate. For the tax cuts to be realised, the federal government should determine and unlock different income streams and alternatives to keep away from pointless spending. One of many greatest challenges we’ve as a nation is how we generate income. Fairly regularly we fall again right into a debate about private earnings tax, however to me that’s like attempting to drive an car with only one wheel and leaving the opposite three utterly off the car.

“Past taxing our employees, there are various different necessary alternatives to generate income for Australia together with acceptable taxing of multinational firms, and windfall taxes to assist make sure that income from the vitality disaster are extra pretty shared. As former Australian Competitors and Client Fee chairman Rod Sims has mentioned, it’s ‘actually unhealthy for society’ to have Australia’s oil and gasoline exporters posting document income from excessive vitality costs throughout the Ukraine warfare whereas our households’ vitality prices skyrocket. We additionally should not overlook alternatives to cut back spending in wasteful areas together with offshore processing of asylum seekers, and undesirable and pointless infrastructure just like the $600 million Kurri Kurri energy plant.”

Who’s the strongman — Xi Jinping or this lone protester who dared to defy him? — Peter Hartcher (The SMH): “He was alone. Dressed as a building employee in yellow exhausting hat and orange overalls, the lone protester selected a well-known bridge in Beijing to make his declaration on two daring banners. He knew he’d have little or no time, a couple of minutes at most, below the all-seeing eye of the world’s most superior techno-surveillance state. So his protest chant, broadcast by a loud-hailer, appears to have been pre-recorded. And he lit a fireplace spewing black smoke to ensure he was seen.

“He wasn’t well-known or highly effective. He’s a physicist. He knew he’d have one likelihood earlier than disappearing into the black maw of the regime’s secret prisons. Not that fame or energy are any safety. A well-connected billionaire property tycoon, Ren Zhiqiang, was jailed for 18 years for calling President Xi Jinping a “clown” over COVID coverage. ‘College students strike, employees strike, take away the dictator and state thief Xi Jinping’ declared one of many red-lettered banners strung throughout the Sitong Bridge in Beijing’s Haidian district on Thursday … This single act by a lone protester shook Beijing.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

On-line

• Minister for Social Providers Amanda Rishworth, Anti-Poverty Week govt director Toni Wren, Australian Human Rights Fee’s Anne Hollonds and CEDA’S Melinda Cilento will talk about how we will eradicate poverty in a webinar for CEDA.

• Guardian Australia’s Katharine Murphy and Important Media’s Peter Lewis will unpack the fortnight’s political information in a webinar for the Australia Institute.

Yuggera Nation (often known as Brisbane)

• Former Brisbane lord mayor Tim Quinn and Dr Invoice Metcalf will chat in regards to the latter’s new e-book, Brisbane: Utopian Desires and Dystopian Nightmares, at Avid Reader bookshop. It’s also possible to catch this one on-line.

Ngunnawal Nation (often known as Canberra)

• Minister for Expertise and Coaching Brendan O’Connor will focus on the federal government’s plans about expert migration, pensions, TAFE, and parental depart in a chat hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce.

• Opposition immigration and citizenship spokesman Dan Tehan will give an handle to the Nationwide Press Membership titled “A greater Australia not merely a much bigger Australia”.

Originally published at Irvine News HQ