Good morning. Victoria’s flood crisis continues with evacuation orders in place and more rain predicted in the coming days. And there’s a new focus on corporate sponsorship, as a range of sports and arts organisations and individuals start to look at the companies behind the money.
A 30-tonne railway trailer on the Sydney Metro project ran uncontrolled for more than 1.5km through the half-built tunnel in July, in one of a string of serious incidents revealed by a whistleblower amid concerns safety has been compromised to meet deadlines. People on site said the only reason lives weren’t lost was because it happened during a lunch break.
Sponsorship deals between energy giants and sports and arts are in the spotlight, with cricket Test captain Pat Cummins saying he will not feature in any promotional material for Alinta Energy during the final year of its multimillion dollar sponsorship deal with Cricket Australia. But the governing body insists Cummins’s environmental concerns are not the reason for the forthcoming end to the partnership. Meanwhile, Netball Australia is standing by a new sponsorship partnership with Hancock Prospecting, but says it is an “absolute priority” to address and resolve any concerns amid backlash by players. In AFL, high profile Fremantle Dockers fans have called on the club to end its partnership with Woodside Energy. And gas giant Santos has backed out of its sponsorship of Darwin festival.
Jewish community leaders in Australia have called the Albanese government’s withdrawal of recognition of West Jerusalem as the Israeli capital a “gratuitous insult”. They said they were taken by surprise when the Guardian first revealed the reversal of the Morrison government decision on Monday. But criticism was not universal, with the New Israel Fund Australia supporting the move.
Australia
The Australian defence force will double its assistance to flood-affected residents in Victoria, as the state’s premier Daniel Andrews warns the crisis is “far from over”. Meanwhile, Echuca is facing the highest flood levels on record. About3,000 residents are on standby to leave, but have banded together to prepare the town as much as possible for the incoming waters.
The Albanese and Andrews governments will jointly fund renewable energy zones, offshore wind projects and interconnectors under the first tranche of Labor’s “rewiring the nation” commitment to plug more renewable power generation into the national grid.
Australia’s liquefied natural gas exporters will snare windfall profits of as much as $40bn this year alone in the wake of Russia’s war on Ukraine, offering the government a chance to fund key programs by taxing some of the excess earnings, the Australia Institute says.
The ABC has warned it could face corruption complaints for its journalists’ work under the national anti-corruption commission and has called for editorial work to be excluded from the commission’s purview.
A new recreational drug dubbed CanKet has been found by scientists at Australia’s first fixed pill-testing site. The drug is similar to ketamine but with unknown side effects.
The world
At least a dozen coffins have been left dangling in the air after the collapse of a four-storey building containing burial niches at the oldest cemetery in Naples.
Iran has deepened its commitment to supplying arms for Russia’s assault on Ukraine by agreeing to provide a batch of medium-range missiles and a large number of drones, according to US and Iranian security officials.
One of China’s most senior diplomats in the UK was involved in the violence against pro-democracy protesters at the Manchester consulate, a British MP has said.
An American citizen has been sentenced to 16 years in prison in Saudi Arabia for tweeting critically about the Saudi regime.
Haiti is on the verge of collapse, according to NGOs in the country, who are witnessing chaos engulfing the country as discussions continue at the UN security council on how to restore order.
Recommended reads
Many years ago, Marc Fennell began his career as a volunteer at Sydney community station FBi Radio. A couple of decades on, Fennell still loves nothing more than having a conversation and switching on the recorder. Here, he reveals why a model of the spacecraft from the Star Trek feels so significant, and the stories behind other personal belongings.
“Shiny new hospitals won’t solve Australia’s healthcare crisis. They could make it worse,” writes Ranjana Srivastava. “ Professional bodies and health experts point to the lack of skilled workers at every level to staff these facilities. Training a doctor takes 10 years. Training a judicious doctor takes 10 more.”
Long before the wizards and witches of Hogwarts were ever dreamed up, there was Miss Eglantine Price, played by the late Angela Lansbury in Disney’s 1971 classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks. While a possible German invasion looms large throughout, the film balances a sinister threat with warmth for younger viewers and witchcraft provides some unorthodox victories.
Listen
An affair between Ben Roberts-Smith and a witness known to the court as Person 17 is one of the key contested elements of this extraordinary defamation trial. In this episode of Ben Roberts-Smith v the media, host Ben Doherty takes us through both sides, detailing the breakdown of Roberts-Smith’s marriage to Emma Roberts and his affair with Person 17.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
After its dismal start to the tournament, Sri Lanka are back on track in the T20 World Cup with a 79-run win against UAE.
Pat Cummins will be asked to juggle the Test and one-day captaincy after being appointed as Aaron Finch’s successor in the 50-over format. Cricket Australia confirmed on Tuesday that Cummins would take charge of the one-day side, making him the country’s 27th men’s ODI captain.
Media roundup
The defence department has launched an urgent investigation into claims Beijing is actively headhunting Australian and British war pilots to train Chinese armed forces, reports the Australian. And the Herald Sun has a damning new report that finds African students’ racism claims are being ignored in Victorian schools.
Coming up
The latest on the flooding in Victoria.
Human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson will address the National Press Club.
An ending homelessness together report will be launched.
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