Hi there. It's Tuesday, October 18 and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.
Let's start with the latest on Victoria's floods
Here's what we know:
- There are 12 emergency warnings in place, including for Echuca, Charlton and the Bunbartha region
- Places like Mooroopna, Orrvale and Kialla West are being told it's too late to leave
- In Echuca, residents are preparing for a second major inundation, with the Murray River threatening up to 2,000 homes
- Kerang residents have been warned the town could be cut off for up to two weeks, with the Loddon River expected to peak tomorrow
- Horsham is also on high alert, with the Wimmera River slowly rising
- Currently 81 schools and 59 early childhood facilities are closed as a result of flooding
- More rain is expected to fall in northern Victoria by the end of the week, which will see renewed water rising and flooding, although it will potentially not exceed the peaks seen over the weekend
If you need emergency assistance, phone the SES on 132 500 and keep up to date with the latest weather warnings here.
We heard a lot about West Jerusalem
After saying there had been "no change" to Australia's decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the federal government has reversed the decision made by the previous government. Here's the lowdown:
- Back in 2018 the former prime minister Scott Morrison made the decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, after the former Trump administration moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem
- Yesterday the policy disappeared from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website, but a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said there had been no decision on the change — despite Labor vowing to reverse the move if elected
- But after a cabinet meeting today, Senator Wong declared that the federal government would no longer recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying "Australia's embassy has always been, and remains, in Tel Aviv"
- Senator Wong said the 2018 decision by the former government was "out of step with the majority of the international community" and was a ploy to win the seat of Wentworth and a by-election, which Mr Morrison denied at the time
- This afternoon Israel's foreign ministry announced it would be summoning Australia's ambassador to Israel to explain the government's reversal on recognising West Jerusalem as Israel's capital
If you want to read more about why Jerusalem's status matters, former Middle East correspondent Eric Tlozek has you covered.
News you might have missed
- Prosecutors have given their closing submissions to the jury in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann, the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in 2019
- Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty, and the defence is expected to give its closing arguments next week
- Pat Cummins will take on the captaincy of Australia's one-day international men's side after Aaron Finch stepped down from the role
- Shehan Karunatilaka has won this year's Booker Prize for his novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, set during the Sri Lankan civil war
What Australia has been searching for online
- Kevin Spacey. The actor says he regrets apologising to actor Anthony Rapp over claims the Oscar winner made an unwanted sexual advance in 1986 when Mr Rapp was 14. Mr Spacey denies the sexual abuse allegations
- Vinomofo. The Australian online wine retailer says it has become the latest company to suffer a data breach. In an email to customers, the company says the information that may have been accessed in one of its databases may include names, gender, date of birth, address, email address and phone numbers, but the company doesn't hold identity or financial data
One more thing: New Bureau, who dis?
If you've spent your whole life calling the Bureau of Meteorology the BOM, you're going to have to break the habit.
Why? The Bureau of Meteorology (whose website is bom.gov.au and weather app is literally called BOM Weather) is reportedly undergoing a rebrand.
Earlier today they issued an alert asking media outlets to refer to the organisation using its full name, the Bureau of Meteorology or "the Bureau" for short, and *not* BOM or the Weather Bureau, in line with the Meteorology Act 1955, thank you very much.
But the Bureau made the rookie error of signalling its intentions to change its Twitter handles — without reserving them first.
You're up to date
We'll be back tomorrow with more.
ABC/wires
