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Good morning.
Yesterday was World Mental Health day, but today and every other day, we remind people to take care when consuming the news.
Billi will be back on board from tomorrow to bring you all the latest.
I've got 10 seconds
The quote
"I understand this is a very emotionally charged issue for many communities in Australia. How we deal with this is an indication… of our maturity and our values and cohesion as a nation. And that matters to everyone." - Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong speaking to reporters about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The stat
$18.7 billion
The amount two large Canadian and American companies are reported to have paid to acquire Origin Energy, under a deal newly approved by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Today in history
1984: American astronaut Kathryn Sullivan became the first woman to walk in space.
I've got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Applications to lodge a postal vote for the Indigenous Voice referendum will close tonight. Eligible reasons for a postal vote could include if you’re working or travelling this Saturday, more than eight kilometres from a polling place, or experiencing serious illness. Postal ballot papers must be completed by Saturday, when the referendum will be held.
The NSW Government has proposed legislation that would fine adults found in possession of illicit drugs, instead of charging them with a criminal offence. As part of measures to divert offenders from the court system, those caught with a personal amount of illicit drugs would be offered the choice of attending a health intervention program instead of paying a $400 fine. Anyone caught in possession three times would be ordered to appear in court.
I've got 1 minute
The death toll in Israel and Gaza has reached over 1,800 following an unprecedented attack by Hamas. The Hamas attack began on Saturday with missiles and a ground-force attack, prompting the Israeli Government to declare war.
According to Israel’s army, over 1,000 people in Israel have been killed by Hamas, with over 3,400 people injured. Only a few hours ago, up to 100 bodies were discovered at a kibbutz in the south of Israel. Local Israeli press is reporting some on the kibbutz were beheaded, including children.
The Health Ministry in Gaza says at least 900 people have been killed by Israeli forces, with 4,500 people injured. Israel says it has now regained control of the Gaza border - the area where violence first began on Saturday - and has blockaded entry and exit from the area. The World Health Organisation and UNICEF have requested a humanitarian corridor into the region.
A previous decision by the European Union to halt aid to Gaza has been reversed.
Australia
Back at home, a large protest that occurred outside the Opera House on Monday evening has continued to be condemned by politicians.
The protest was in response to the NSW Government’s decision to light the sails of the Opera House in the colours of the Israeli flag. Videos uploaded to social media show some protesters chanting antisemitic phrases.
Jewish security organisations in Australia have raised the threat level for Jewish Australians to ‘heightened’, the second-highest level.
NSW Police is now reviewing footage from the protest.
I've got 2 minutes
A Senate Committee has recommended an "immediate review" of a Government decision to block extra Qatar Airways flights into Australia.
The Government, which has faced ongoing backlash for the move, said the decision was made in the "national interest".
The Committee also suggested further measures to prevent anti-competitive behaviour in the domestic market.
Qatar Airways decision:
The Federal Government determines how overseas airlines operate in Australia.
Qatar Airways, which is owned by the Qatari government, wanted to increase flights to Australia by adding 28 weekly services to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. However, this request was rejected in July.
The Government said the decision was partly based on the impact of COVID-19 on Australian airlines. It also cited the 2020 strip search of five Australian women at a Qatar airport.
The Senate Committee:
The Opposition established a Senate Committee after significant backlash against the Government's decision.
The Opposition argued when the Government blocked Qatar's request, it contributed to the already inflated price of air travel. It says additional services may have driven airfares down.
The Government was also accused of unfairly protecting Australia's largest airline, Qantas, by limiting competition from other airlines.
The recommendations:
In addition to an urgent review of the Qatar decision, the Committee also put forward measures to strengthen future decision-making processes. This includes asking the Government to publish its reasons for decisions taken.
It also made several other recommendations for the broader aviation market.
This included measures to improve decision-making processes, such as formal consultation with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (the national consumer watchdog).
Domestic aviation:
The Committee heard nine out of every 10 domestic passengers (travelling within Australia) fly with either Qantas or Virgin.
It recommended a separate inquiry into anti-competitive conduct in the domestic market and called for new consumer protections.
It is hoped these reforms could address the delays and cancellations that have impacted domestic services in recent years.
Response:
Labor Senators disagreed with several findings, which they described as having a "clear political agenda".
They said the Government's reasons for blocking Qatar were justified.
The Greens supported the probing of anti-competitive behaviour and called for action to ensure Australians weren't being disadvantaged by Qantas' dominant market share.
The Government has six months to respond to the recommendations.
Give me some good news
Harvard Professor Claudia Goldin has won the Nobel Prize for economics.
Goldin won the prestigious award for her work investigating the reasons behind the gender pay gap and its history in the U.S. She is the first woman to win the prize outright, after two women previously shared it with colleagues.
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A TDA tidbit
Aussie gold medal chances are looking better than ever, with news that cricket could be included in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It would be the first time cricket has featured in an Olympic program for well over one hundred years.
Played at only one Olympics in 1900, the gentleman’s (and gentlewoman’s) game is being considered (likely in a T20 format) for the Games after next year’s in Paris. Women didn’t compete in cricket at the 1900 Olympics, so this would be their first chance to play on the world’s biggest stage.
The inclusion of a few other new sports for LA 2028 have also been pitched: squash, lacrosse, flag football (a lower-contact version of American football), baseball and softball.
From here, it’ll be up to the International Olympic Committee to decide which of the sports are included, after the shortlist was determined by the official ‘LA28’ Organising Committee.
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The Daily Aus acknowledges the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We acknowledge and pay respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.