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Staff warned that language in the national broadcaster’s coverage ‘favoured the Israeli narrative over objective reporting’.

Staff at Australia’s national broadcaster warned that its coverage of the war in Gaza relied too much on Israeli sources and used language that “favoured the Israeli narrative over objective reporting”, internal communications reveal, shedding new light on bias claims that convulsed the outlet.

In a summary of a meeting on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)’s coverage of the war, staff detailed concerns that coverage displayed pro-Israel bias, such as by accepting “Israeli facts and figures with no ifs or buts” while questioning Palestinian viewpoints and avoiding the word “Palestine” itself.

The three-page summary, which Al Jazeera obtained via a freedom of information request with the ABC, is undated, but its contents correspond with a meeting of 200 staff that was held in November to address concerns about the broadcaster’s coverage.

While the broad thrust of concerns aired at the meeting was reported by Australian media in November, the document contains extensive detail about staff’s complaints and previously unpublicised examples of alleged pro-Israeli bias.

...

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A tourist visa is the only way in for hundreds of Palestinians seeking refuge, leaving them forced to rely on overwhelmed community organisations

Sanmati Verma, the managing lawyer at Human Rights Law Centre, says the Albanese government has “failed to open humanitarian pathways from Gaza” by establishing a specific visa – and, at the same time, Palestinians have not received help with settlement or legal support after arriving in Australia.

“This is in marked distinction to the support that is rightly extended to the survivors of war and devastation in other parts of the [world], including Ukraine,” Verma says.

In the first five months of Russia’s war on Ukraine, 11,500 Ukrainian arrivals to Australia had access to a three-year humanitarian visa granting Medicare, work and study rights. On 31 July 2022 the Albanese government closed the scheme.

Afghan evacuees and Ukrainian arrivals were also eligible for the humanitarian support program, funded by the Department of Home Affairs, to help them integrate into Australian life. This gave access to orientation services, English language lessons, temporary housing assistance and legal services.

Nina Field, the manager of humanitarian services at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, says a special visa category should be opened for Palestinians as soon as possible – “just as has been the situation with any other significant conflict”. In the meantime, Roumeliotis hopes an emergency support package will be announced.

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submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by zero_gravitas@aussie.zone to c/news@aussie.zone
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In short: NSW parliament voted to pass the bill criminalising gay conversion after a marathon debate overnight.

The legislation passed unamended.

What's next? The legislation will take 12 months to take effect.

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  • In short: Vacuum cleaner retailer Godfreys will close for good after administrators were unable to find a buyer for the struggling business.
  • The closure will affect 141 stores in Australia and New Zealand, and result in 600 job losses.
  • What's next? Godfreys stores will gradually close by May 31, with stores run by franchisees having until March 31 to sell any remaining stock.
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Alternative title: NSW cops murder a kid because he ran home when 4 people in plain clothes pile out of a car and accost him. For wearing a hoodie.

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  • In short: Australia will resume its funding to the primary aid agency operating inside Gaza, UNRWA.
  • Funding was paused by several nations after Israel claimed several workers had links to the October 7 terror attack by Hamas.
  • What's next? The government has committed additional support to Gaza, including assistance in delivering aid drops.
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  • In short: Several Palestinians who have left Gaza have suddenly had their Australian visas cancelled while waiting in transit countries.
  • The Australian government has granted 2,273 temporary visas for Palestinians, and 2,415 for Israelis between October and February.
  • The ABC is aware of several Palestinians who have had their visas cancelled while preparing to leave for Australia.
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As a casual tutor my partner had to apply for assistance this past holiday break and still hasn't received any notification or payments. They applied a month and a half ago and have been unable to reach anyone by phone since.

Last year they were in surgery around this time of year with a six week recovery period but luckily assistance was provided on time.

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Telstra staff were forced to email emergency referrals to triple-0 operators after services went down around the country.

A national triple-0 outage early today has been described by a union official as "complete chaos".

The outage, which was confirmed by Victoria Police, lasted for more than an hour, during which time Telstra operators could answer calls but could not redirect them to the appropriate triple-0 call centre.

The phone service was malfunctioning between 3.30am and 4:30am, forcing Telstra operators to email referrals, some of which were not received by Triple Zero Victoria operators until after 7am.

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An unnamed former Australian politician, who was successfully cultivated by an international spy ring, once suggested bringing a prime minister's family member into contact with their foreign handlers.

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If you would like to have a go at being a moderator of this community please reply to this thread.

Don't feel pressured to volunteer if you don't want to, this post is not the result of strain on moderation resources.

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PM flags amendments to privacy laws and strengthening of hate speech laws after publication of details of a WhatsApp group of Jewish Australians

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Did the ABC bow to pressure from an Israel lobby group by taking freelance journalist Antoinette Lattouf off air?

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  • Godfreys has entered voluntary administration while looking for a potential buyer for the vacuum cleaner retailer.

  • The business has struggled with maintaining its profitability due to reduced customer demand and higher operational costs.

  • Administrators expect 54 Godfreys stores will close within the fortnight, affecting 193 jobs in Australia and New Zealand.

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oh dear. i thought it was a belt, not the addition of a mid rift top...

why would that happen anyway? seems stupid to me. why ~~mid rift~~ midriff!?!

edit: turns out i was a bit too literal... it is a rift in the middle of her clothes...

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What gets me is the New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says he has the option to publicly name the members.... Fucking paedophiles are protected to the hilt though there's no naming them in the majority of circumstances until they're convicted and even then they're often not named. Just goes to show who the courts and politicians are protecting.

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Key points:

  • Anthony Albanese said Australia was not a party to the ICJ process
  • The Australian Centre for International Justice said Mr Albanese's response was an attempt to hide from obligations under international law
  • The Executive Council of Australian Jewry said the ICJ ruling did not impede Israel's campaign to rescue hostages and destroy Hamas
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