Your morning Briefing
Welcome to your morning roundup of what’s making news and the must-reads for today.
Good morning readers. Here is your two-minute digest of what’s making news today.
PM super-sizes banks probe
Malcolm Turnbull has dragged the $2.3 trillion superannuation industry into the political fight over a banking royal commission, naming the sector as a key target after surrendering to a backbench revolt to quell a growing threat to his authority. Caving in to years of pressure to investigate the banks, the Prime Minister set up the $75 million inquiry just days after rejecting the idea, only to come under immediate attack from Labor, the Greens and rebel Nationals for taking too long to make the move. Kelly O’Dwyer, meantime, was horrified at the private member’s bill being proposed by Nat Barry O’Sullivan for a banking inquiry.
-
STC smeared me: Rush
Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush yesterday accused the nation’s largest theatre company of smearing his name after The Daily Telegraph reported an accusation he had engaged in “inappropriate behaviour” during a recent Sydney Theatre Company production. The allegation relates to Rush’s portrayal of King Lear in a high-profile, 2015-16 production for the STC. Rush, one of few actors to have garnered Academy, Emmy and Tony awards, firmly rejected the allegation, saying in a statement drafted by his lawyers that he “abhors any form of maltreatment of any person’’.
-
Victoria’s perfect storm approaches
Huge thunderstorms and dangerous flash flooding in Victoria could see lives lost and farms turned into lakes, experts have warned, as an “absolutely massive” weather event is set to batter multiple states. The Bureau of Meteorology has warned Melbourne could flood at levels not experienced for decades, with between 50-100mm of rain forecast for tomorrow and another similar burst predicted for Sunday morning. “In 1974 there were some pretty bad floods, the year of tropical Cyclone Tracey. But in recent years, probably half the inhabitants of Melbourne have never even seen something like this,” said senior BOM meteorologist Scott Williams.
“We are in uncharted territory.”
Meteorologist Scott Williams
-
NAB sheds staff as inquiry looms
As Australia’s federal politicians now brawl over the terms of reference of a royal commission into the financial system, Andrew Thorburn’s National Australia Bank is getting on with his bank’s bold new strategy: shedding its staff. NAB’s executive general manager of wealth advice, Greg Miller, is shuffling along “The Bridge” (which, you may remember, is NAB’s “best-practice career transition program”).
-
Kiwis clear Stokes to play
A New Zealand cricket club has approved Ben Stokes’s application to play despite revelations his case has been referred to British prosecutors and reminders that the man he allegedly hit has a fractured eye socket. Stokes will now pad up on Sunday, no doubt hoping the one-dayer between Canterbury and Otago will give him much-need batting practice ahead of a recall to the England team.
-
Kudelka’s view
China’s great wall of silence
China deliberately concealed information about the coronavirus, and now it is fighting an inquiry. So what is Beijing hiding?
Your noon Briefing
Your 2-minute digest of the day’s top stories.