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Hello, I’m Imogen Dewey bringing you the main stories and must-see readings on Friday 20th November.
Main stories
A report detailing alleged war crimes committed by special forces in Afghanistan shocked Australia. The Brereton report, released yesterday, outlines 21 cases in which there is “credible information” that Australian soldiers killed non-combatants. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has called for the perpetrators of the incidents that allegedly occurred between 2005 and 2016 – and anyone who tried to hide them – to be “brought to justice”. The investigation raised pressing moral questions: about leadership and systemic failures in the defense forces, why it took so long for action to be taken, and “the folly of performing on contemporary and current combat operations” at the War Memorial as their true story is still coming to light.
Disadvantaged and strongly religious people are less likely to get the Covid vaccine, found the first nationally representative survey of attitudes towards a viral vaccine. The ANU study, taken from a survey of 3,061 adults, also found that women were slightly less likely than men to be vaccinated, and those aged 55 and over were less likely to hesitate. The data was gathered before good news emerged from several vaccine studies, and one thing the study didn’t test was how to deal with vaccine hesitation and achieve greater uptake. “With Covid-19, we have consistently seen that it is people with lower education and low health literacy who are slightly less willing to receive the vaccine, suggesting that there may also be some ideological issues at play,” one expert said.
As coronavirus deaths in the United States surpass 250,000, Donald Trump continues to rail against his electoral defeat. He staged an all-out assault on Michigan in an apparent attempt to derail Joe Biden’s 150,000-vote victory certification in the state. In Georgia, a mild-mannered Republican election official is dismissing the president’s baseless claims of election fraud. And not everyone is happy with the president-elect, who asked a former DuPont consultant to join the Environmental Protection Agency’s transition committee, with Erin Brockovich bluntly asking, “Are you kidding me? “
Australia
Single parents are poorer but older Australians have seen wealth rise, a study found. Hilda’s latest poll shows who was most vulnerable before the pandemic and who will be most affected by the Covid recession.
The Morrison government is laying the groundwork to eliminate the already legislated increase in the pension guarantee. Set up a political battle with Labor, which has repeatedly advocated the guarantee as crucial to giving Australians a better pension.
A troubling audit found that the Australian Bureau of Statistics has not yet fully implemented the necessary improvements after the 2016 census debacle.
The opening of Sydney’s Crown Casino has been delayed and its fate hangs in the balance. One survey showcased the culture of one of Australia’s top companies – and it wasn’t flattering. But how did this come about?
The world
In November 2017, nearly 400 of Saudi Arabia’s most powerful people were arrested and detained in the Ritz-Carlton hotel: the largest and most controversial purge in the history of the modern kingdom. Three years later, in a Guardian exclusive, some of the Saudi detainees revealed that what they say happened.
At least 19 people were killed in Uganda in two days such as Security forces try to crack down on protests sparked by the arrest of presidential candidate Bobi Wine, in the country’s worst turmoil in a decade.
One person dies of coronavirus every 17 seconds in Europe as the pandemic continues to threaten to overwhelm national health systems across the continent.
Ethiopia, led by a Nobel Peace Prize winner, looks at the barrel of civil war, writes Yohannes Woldemariam. As the government struggles with former coalition members, the humanitarian tragedy is already extending beyond borders.
Bobby Brown Jr was found dead Wednesday in a Los Angeles home. Brown, 28, was the son of Bobby Brown and Kim Ward.
Recommended reading
“Fashion is very tangible, recognizable and accessible. I like to call it a soft entrance into the reconciliation and healing of our people – not just our mafia, but also Australians who want to learn and feel more connected to our country. “ Grace Lilian Lee, co-founder of First Nations Fashion and Design, is tired of people expecting indigenous fashion to resemble indigenous art. “It is an act of preservation of our cultural knowledge; an act of pride in who we are and where we come from, “she says.” The reason First Nations work can be so powerful is because we are connected to our country. “This Guardian Australia fashion shoot showcases the creations of 28 First Nations designers and artists.
“I had a comfortable life in the middle class, then I was jailed for fraud.” Juanita Schaffa de Mauri came from a stable family, had a good education and worked in corporate roles for many years. Then she found herself going to prison for fraudulent activity she had committed under the influence of the ice. “My time in prison has opened my eyes,” she writes, recalling hard-won lessons, difficult conversations and scenes that made her jump. “I quickly learned that the system doesn’t favor anyone.”
Turbulence swings beneath the serenity of the Southern Grampians in the latest novel by Miles Franklin award winner Sofie Laguna, Thuy Hon writes. “His books deal in various ways with the themes of relationship and individual dysfunction, family ties; love between brothers and rivalry; the impact of education and the environment. They are all exercises of restraint and violence, and Infinite Splendours offers the same dialectical balance … He seems to have a supernatural talent for channeling a child’s worldview plagued by misfortune and circumstances. “
Listen
In this episode of Full Story, Guardian Australia reporter Christopher Knaus talks about the aftermath of the Brereton report and how it all came to light.
The complete story
Hold Australia accountable for war crimes allegations
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Rugby Australia president Hamish McLennan encouraged Australian Super Rugby teams to recruit Argentines after the historic victory of the Pumas against the All Blacks. The idea has a lot of merit, writes Bret Harris, but any further relaxation of Australian rules on foreign players should be handled wisely.
Research on women’s football being released by the FFA reveals an alarming lack of team depth in the Matilda – and some of the most compelling evidence to date that Australian football needs to be redesigned to fill the gaps created by decades of underinvestment.
Media collection
China again blames the Morrison government for the diplomatic squabble with Canberra, the ABC reports – to which the Age adds that Beijing now intends to target Australia’s human rights record. And the Sydney Morning Herald reported that a “liberal powerbroker” is on trial for a meeting with a developer.
Arriving
The federal government is expected to publish the retirement income review as pension industry data appears ahead of a hearing on the industry’s response to the pandemic.
AW government agencies will face Juukan Gorge investigation.
And if you’ve read this far …
I remember a thought for those on Instagram who have to explain why the Pope’s official account liked a photo of a Brazilian model dressed in a skimpy way, after the Vatican said it would seek “explanations”.
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