Morning Mail: Iraqis stranded; Abetz on abortion; Gaza ceasefire end looms
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Version 0 of 1. Good morning folks, and welcome to the Morning Mail – sign up here to get it straight to your inbox before 8am every weekday. Iraq The US is considering air strikes and humanitarian air drops to help besieged people, mostly from the Yazidi minority, who have been chased up a mountain by militants in Iraq. At least 40,000 people are stranded in the country’s north-west, facing dehydration if they stay on the mountain and slaughter if they go down. Iraq’s largest Christian city has been all but abandoned as the advance of Isis militants continues, and UN officials estimate 200,000 new refugees are seeking sanctuary in the Kurdish north. The Guardian reported earlier this month on how Iraqis living under Isis rule were starting to push back against the extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam being imposed upon them. We have a guide to Middle East politics in 2014, and an editorial on the importance of responding to pleas for help from Iraq’s embattled Kurds. Australian news and politics • Senator Eric Abetz has drawn a link between breast cancer and abortion in a television interview; the purported link has been rejected by swathes of health authorities worldwide, and the AMA has slammed Abetz’s comments. • The Coalition has called in experts to help end confusion over its data retention policy; communications minister Malcolm Turnbull said he and attorney general George Brandis were now “on a journey” to determine the policy details. • An academic has argued that Australia’s racial vilification laws weaken the country’s ability to defend against terrorism by putting radical Islam above criticism. • Child protection officers have made contact with the parents of baby Gammy and are assessing their suitability as parents. • Foreign victims of violence and human trafficking may have to wait six months for assistance under the government’s welfare changes, and exemptions to prevent vulnerable people being kicked off income support for months at a time are not being enshrined in law. • 171 defence staff have been disciplined over the “Jedi Council” sex ring. • Australia’s unemployment rate has hit its highest level in more than ten years. • Andrew Forrest writes on his “healthy welfare card” proposals. Gaza As the agreed 72-hour ceasefire comes to an end this afternoon, Hamas officials have threatened to restart hostilities if demands for the end of a blockade and the release of about 100 prisoners are not met. Some Palestinians returning home after the bombardment have discovered venomous graffiti and faeces left by Israeli troops as well as swathes of destruction from air strikes. The International Tennis Foundation has told Israel it cannot host its Davis Cup playoff against Argentina in Tel Aviv next month because of safety concerns. Antisemitism is on the rise across Europe, with attacks on synagogues in Paris and Germany. Yesterday five teenagers were arrested after allegedly boarding a bus of Jewish schoolchildren in Sydney, threatening and hurling antisemitic abuse at them. Around the world • In closing arguments at athlete Oscar Pistorius’s trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steemkamp, South African prosecutors have dismissed his testimony as mendacious and “devoid of truth”. • Ebola patients in west Africa will not get experimental drugs used in the US for several months, if at all, because such small quantities exist. • Azerbaijan’s president has threatened war with Armenia via Twitter. • Edward Snowden has been given permission to stay in Russia for three more years. • Argentina has filed legal action against the US over its debt default. • Russians will no longer be able to eat fruit, vegetables, meat, fish or dairy products from the EU and the US under retributive sanctions. • Sales of shark fin in China have dropped dramatically. • Two Khmer Rouge leaders have been found guilty of crimes against humanity and jailed for life. • The first round of the US PGA championship is under way – we have live coverage. More from around the internet • Among the most viewed on the Guardian this morning: six surprisingly well-paid jobs. • Joe Hockey has urged the Senate to back the budget in order to lift economic growth and create jobs on the back of yesterday’s unemployment figures, the Australian reports. • A four-year-old girl lost in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami has been reunited with her family ten years later, News.com.au reports. • A heavily pregnant bank worker at ANZ was threatened with disciplinary action for refusing to undergo a pelvic exam by a company-appointed gynaecologist, the Age reports. • The government’s metadata and jobseeker plans contradict its red tape targets, says the Conversation. • Thousands of residents in three SA towns have been left without water after a pipeline rupture, the Adelaide Advertiser reports. One last thing Robin Wright talks about ageing, her new film The Congress, and her unusual career: “They wanted to make me the next big ingenue, the studio bosses behind the curtain. But what happened was that I turned down a lot of movies that simply didn’t blow my dress up. Plus I was too busy being a mom at the time.” Have an excellent day – and if you spot something I’ve missed or any errors, let me know on Twitter @newsmary and I’ll update this page. Sign up Get the Morning Mail direct to your inbox before 8am every day by signing up here. |