Good afternoon. A property developer has been accused of “defective workmanship” after 900 new apartments in Sydney were deemed at risk of collapse.
The Building Commission NSW found there was “serious damage and spalling of the concrete slab at the joint locations in basements and the ground floor” after inspections in August 2023. The developer Greenland has been given 14 months to fix the defects.
Overseas, the Middle East crisis continues to escalate with Pakistan the latest country to be hit by airstrikes.
Top news
Wong affirms ‘solidarity’ with Israel, pledges aid for Palestinians | The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has used her visit to Israel to say Australians have “strong concerns about the civilian death toll” in Gaza, while reiterating calls for the immediate, unconditional and safe return of all hostages held by Hamas. Wong then held talks in Jordan, where she announced $21.5m in new funding for “conflict-affected populations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories”.
ABC union meets over sacking of Antoinette Lattouf | ABC union members met at lunchtime today following revelations of a targeted letter-writing campaign from pro-Israel lobbyists prior to the firing of journalist Antoinette Lattouf. A motion passed at the meeting expressed “deep concern” at Lattouf’s sacking and urged the managing director, David Anderson, to come back from leave to explain why she was terminated.
Iran strikes Pakistan, US strikes Yemen | In another escalation of the Middle East crisis, Iran says it struck the bases of a Sunni militant group in Pakistan. Pakistan decried it as an “unprovoked violation” of its airspace, saying two children were killed. It came less than a day after Iranian missiles hit targets in Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, the US says it “destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles” in Yemen. And in the US congress, senators rejected a measure proposed by Bernie Sanders that would have made military aid to Israel conditional on whether it is violating human rights and international accords in its devastating war in Gaza.
Storm alert for east coast as BoM upgrades cyclone warning | Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra have been warned to prepare for possible storms today while Queenslanders have been advised a tropical low sitting off the east coast could intensify to become a tropical cyclone by Sunday.
Republican debate cancelled | ABC News has cancelled the next Republican presidential debate after Nikki Haley said she would not appear on stage unless Donald Trump takes part. Trump has refused to participate in any of the Republican primary debates so far, making Ron DeSantis the only candidate committed to Thursday’s event in New Hampshire.
Australian Catholic University reveals $3.6m underpayment of staff | The ACU identified the staff underpayments over a seven-year period, becoming the latest tertiary institution to be embroiled in wage theft. The National Tertiary Education Union alleges wage theft is “endemic” in higher education, estimating that more than 101,730 university staff have now allegedly been underpaid about $170m in wages nationwide.
Toxic chemicals found in Tasmanian penguin colonies | Tasmania’s little penguins have a big chemical problem. Scientists have found 14 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, in the nesting soils, abandoned eggs and blood of the seabirds. Researchers say the discovery is alarming evidence the chemicals have become widespread in the marine and coastal environments.
Video gamers risking permanent hearing loss | A new analysis suggests that the sound levels reported in studies of more than 50,000 gamers often near, or exceed, permissible safe limits. And given the popularity of video games globally, greater public health efforts are needed to raise awareness of the potential risks, researchers have urged.
In pictures
‘I feel so young, so full of life’: being 72 around the world
The global median life expectancy is 72 years old. As part of a photographic project looking at the global community of over 60s, we take a look at the lives of a diverse group of people in later life. Click here to see the photo essay.
What they said …
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“One of the things we value about our democracy is the ability for us to express our opinion and what we think should happen … if it has been peaceful and if it conforms to what we think is acceptable in a democratic country, they shouldn’t feel like their their jobs are on the line.”
– Labor MP Ed Husic speaking generally after he was asked about the ABC’s dismissal of Antoinette Lattouf
In numbers
Melbourne is the most expensive city in the nation for public education, at more than $108,000, while Canberra is the least expensive at $81,564, according to the Futurity Investment Group’s Education Index.
Before bed read
Does the tyranny of the algorithm explain why every coffee shop looks the same?
From the generic hipster cafe to the “Instagram wall”, the internet has pushed us towards a kind of global ubiquity – and this phenomenon is only going to intensify.
“To court the large demographic of customers moulded by the internet, more cafes adopted the aesthetics that already dominated on the platforms. Adapting to the norm wasn’t just following trends but making a business decision, one that the consumers rewarded. When a cafe was visually pleasing enough, customers felt encouraged to post it on their own Instagram in turn as a lifestyle brag, which provided free social media advertising and attracted new customers. Thus the cycle of aesthetic optimisation and homogenisation continued,” writes Kyle Chayka.
Read the rest – it’s a good one.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: ROC. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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