Good afternoon. Optus is facing a Senate inquiry, a separate government review as well as calls for compensation after yesterday’s 14-hour outage.
The inquiry will centre around Optus’s handling of the incident, how it will compensate its customers and what the federal government can do to ensure reliable coverage.
The Victorian and South Australian governments have said they will be reviewing their contracts with Optus.
Top news
US strikes Iran-linked site in Syria | The US has attacked a weapons storage facility in eastern Syria it said was used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups. The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, said it was in response to attacks on US and coalition troops in Syria and Iraq. There have been at least 40 such attacks by Iran-backed forces since the start of October. Meanwhile, UK Labour is in turmoil over Keir Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire. And the WHO has warned of an increased risk of disease in Gaza amid Israeli airstrikes.
Melbourne council to fly Palestinian flag | Merri-bek council in Melbourne’s inner north passed a motion that will explore options for council to cancel contracts with businesses that “support Israel’s illegal occupation”. The move comes amid growing weekly protests in Australia demanding an immediate ceasefire. Read this feature on Australia’s largest anti-war rallies since the Iraq war 20 years ago, and this on Holocaust survivors calling for Australians to “denounce antisemitism and hatred”.
Australian surfer breaks women’s record | Laura Enever has officially broken the world record for the largest wave ever paddled into by a woman, after the World Surf League and the Guinness World Records verified a monster 13.3-metre wave she tamed in Hawaii in January.
Shooting on NSW’s Pacific highway | Two men have been arrested after a large-scale manhunt after shots were fired at multiple cars travelling on the NSW mid-north coast. One shot hit a police car trying to stop the ute, acting assistant police commissioner Scott Tanner said.
Western Bulldogs to pay $5.9m to child sexual abuse victim | The AFL club was found negligent by the supreme court in giving a paedophile special access to a victim (pictured) in the 1980s.
MyGov to use face or fingerprint recognition | Australians will no longer have to remember their username and password to access government services online as part of an overhaul to stop billions of dollars being lost to scammers. The new measures will be introduced next year.
Hollywood actors’ union reaches tentative deal | The Sag-Aftra union has hailed the agreement with Hollywood producers as one of “extraordinary scope … valued at over US$1bn”, bringing to a close the historic work stoppage.
Third Republican debate | Anti-abortion views, name-calling and foreign policy dominated a debate between five presidential candidates. Donald Trump was a notable absentee. Meanwhile, House Republicans have subpoenaed Hunter Biden and the president’s brother, James, in a bid to build an impeachment case against Joe Biden.
Extreme droughts in the Middle East | Extreme droughts that have wrecked the lives of millions of people in Syria, Iraq and Iran since 2020 would not have happened without human-caused global heating, a study has found. Separately, rightwing figures from around the world – including three former Australian PMs – descended on London to attend a conference about “practical solutions to defining challenges” while largely ignoring the risks of climate change.
Japan gets a new island | … to add to its already impressive collection, after an undersea volcanic eruption 1,200km south of Tokyo created a new landmass.
Full Story
Australia’s stance on a ceasefire in Gaza
Listen to this 21-minute episode on the rising pressure on the Albanese government to call for a ceasefire.
What they said …
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“The geostrategic interest in our region may be at an all time high, but it will not and it should not dictate how we advance and progress the priorities that we have determined.” – Mark Brown, the prime minister of the Cook Islands
Brown spoke in a plenary meeting at the Pacific Islands Forum, which is also being attended by Anthony Albanese.
In numbers
The banking sector has lifted profit margins through the controversial practice of increasing borrowing rates at a faster pace than deposits throughout the inflationary period.
Before bed read
Can’t miss First Dog on Optus. Read the cartoon.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: VIE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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