The politics of Peter Dutton's position on Israel

The war in the Middle East is dominating Australian politics. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton claims Prime Minister Anthony Albanese disrespected the Jewish community when he included calls for de-escalation and a ceasefire in a condolence motion to mark the one year anniversary of October 7. But there are signs that Dutton’s attacks aren’t landing, as he becomes overly focused on the Middle East at the expense of pressing issues closer to home.

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the indirect ways the Middle East conflict could shape life here in Australia, and the outcome of the election.

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The almond room killings

A five-minute drive from the cliff where Ben Roberts-Smith allegedly kicked Afghan farmer Ali Jan to his death, there is a small mud-brick room used for storing almonds. It was in this room, locals say, that a separate group of Australian soldiers killed two Afghan men in a shocking and brutal way.

Despite the intense publicity around the killing of Ali Jan, almost nothing has been heard about what happened in the almond room, and nobody has been held accountable.

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Drone warfare and poison pies: The frontline in the Russia-Ukraine war

For two-and-a-half years, Ukraine has been fighting Russia with the goal of “total victory” – to not only beat President Vladimir Putin’s forces back to the border, but to reclaim all territory annexed by Russia since 1991.

But as both President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin’s popularity and resources fade, and as another winter approaches, it’s possible that a more pragmatic end to the war could be in sight.

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Why Plibersek’s "nature positive" plans won’t fix the environment

Protecting Australia’s environment is a matter of urgency – or at least that's the message the Albanese government campaigned on two and a half years ago.

But now, with environmental legislation stalling in the Senate and a series of announcements lacking detail, there’s a sense that the government’s priorities have shifted.

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How Israel will strike back against Iran

One year on from the October 7 attacks against Israel, the region is bracing for more war.

It seems almost certain Israel will launch a retaliatory attack against Iran, after it fired ballistic missiles at Israel last week.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, Israel continued its airstrikes on Lebanon, with multiple explosions reported in the suburbs of the capital Beirut.

Today, Israel correspondent for The Economist Anshel Pfeffer on where the Middle East is headed, and how, or if, the fighting can end.

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Exclusive: States abandon federal terrorism ‘clusterf--k’

With Australia’s terror threat level at “probable”, the need for all states and territories to be working with the federal government is greater than ever. But that’s not what’s happening.

The states and territories have taken the unprecedented step of abandoning the Albanese government’s planned counter-terrorism strategy, in favour of figuring it out themselves.

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Midwest and masculinity: The Vance-Walz debate

As much as they would hate to admit it, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris fit the definition of “coastal elite”. That’s why they’re both hoping their vice-presidential candidates and running mates will speak to a specific group of voters – the blue collar, working class area of the Midwest.

Today, ABC journalist and host of the Global Roaming podcast Geraldine Doogue, on how the two candidates are using their roots to appeal to voters in very different ways.

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Inside the Coles and Woolworths 'fake' discounts case

There are hundreds of angry posts on social media from citizen journalists who had been archiving Coles and Woolworths' published prices, claiming that the supermarket giants have misled their customers with their “Down Down” and “Prices Dropped” promotions. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has now launched legal action saying what the big two presented as a discounted price was actually the same or higher than the ordinary price that had been charged for months before the increase.

Today, economist and contributor to The Saturday Paper Peter Martin, on the “illusory” discounts and how a Cadbury Caramello Koala helped fuel the outrage.

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