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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaJeremy Bowen: Israel denies famine looms in Gaza, but evidence is overwhelmingPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersImage caption, Erez crossing remains closed despite Israel saying it would reopen itBy Jeremy BowenBBC international editor The first time I crossed into Gaza through the Erez checkpoint in 1991 it was not much more than a few bored Israeli soldiers in a shed, checking IDs, before they let visitors drive their cars through an opening in the barbed wire and into Gaza. In the years since then, it evolved into a gleaming terminal, with complex layers of concrete walls, defences and steel gates, all covered with dozens of CCTV cameras. Only the very trusted and privileged were allowed to drive through Erez. Journalists had to walk and drag their bags with them. Until 7 October, when Hamas fighters smashed through Erez. They attacked the nearby military base, killing Israeli soldiers and taking others hostage. Since then, it has been closed to all but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). As part of Israel’s attempt to placate President Joe Biden after seven workers from the World Central Kitchen charity were killed by the IDF, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to reopen Erez to humanitarian convoys. That matters because it is the simplest way to get aid to perhaps 300,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza. The most authoritative measure of food emergencies, known as the IPC, has warned that famine will have gripped the area in the next four weeks or so. Joe Biden’s humanitarian envoy to Gaza, David Satterfield, said on Wednesday that there was “an imminent risk of famine for the majority, if not all, the 2.2 million population of Gaza”. The famine has been caused by the siege Israel imposed just after the 7 October attacks. At the time the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said: “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. “We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.” Israel was forced by international pressure to allow in limited supplies of aid. But over six months it has not been anything like enough. Israel argued, inaccurately, that hunger in Gaza was caused by Hamas stealing and stockpiling aid and the UN’s failure to distribute what was left.Close supporters of Prime Minister Netanyahu continue to deny there is a famine. One of them, an MP called Boaz Bismuth, told me at Israel’s parliament that there was no famine in Gaza and allegations that Israel was starving civilians were based on antisemitism. The evidence of famine, however, is overwhelming.Image source, Boaz Bismuth/XImage caption, Israeli MP Boaz Bismuth said allegations that Israel was starving civilians were based on antisemitismThe Erez crossing, despite the prime minister’s promise to Joe Biden, is still closed. I managed to get close enough to look down on the Erez terminal. Nothing was moving. I couldn’t see people, let alone trucks. Reports in Israel say the government is talking about opening another crossing, less easily accessible to Israeli demonstrators who do not want any food or medical aid to enter Gaza while the hostages are still there and have been blocking some convoys. The UN and other aid providers say every day counts to try to help people caught up in the humanitarian catastrophe inside Gaza. The fact that Erez is closed looks like a delaying tactic. The Jewish ultranationalists whose backing keeps Mr Netanyahu in power also do not want to send in aid. The denial of famine fits seamlessly into the century of conflict between Arabs and Jews for possession of the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. The conflict is sustained not just by years of Israeli occupation of land in Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem that Palestinians want as a state, and the opposition of armed groups, notably Hamas, to Israel’s existence. They also have opposing, wildly different national stories about their right to be there. The bitterness and bloodshed of the last six months have deepened the dehumanising differences between the two sides. Erez and Ashdod: How will new Gaza aid routes work?Bowen: Obstacles to peace seem larger than ever I have spoken to many Palestinians and Israeli civilians in the last six months about their views of the war. It is hard to speak to Israeli soldiers, at least when they are in uniform. IDF spokespeople try hard to control the messages that reach journalists. But since much of Israel’s fighting strength depends on mobilising reservists, it is much easier to talk to them when they are back in civilian life. In an unscientific attempt to get a feel for the beliefs and perceptions of Israeli soldiers after six months of war I went to Ben Gurion University of the Negev, in the town of Beersheba in southern Israel. It is only about 25 miles from Gaza. Image caption, Students from the university were among those killed on 7 OctoberThe rector of the university, Chaim Hames, told me that more than 100 members of their community – students, staff, faculty and their families – had been killed or taken hostage on 7 October. 6,500 students from a student body of 20,000 were mobilised. The war, Mr Hames said, was always close. “The hospital is just across the road, the helicopters constantly ferrying the wounded from Gaza. Students are sitting in the classrooms. They hear the helicopters coming in and out, and many of them have friends who are still on active duty. It impacts everything.” I spoke to three young men who had spent months fighting in Gaza. They didn’t want to use their full names. One of them, Ben, a 28-year-old postgraduate who serves in an engineering unit blowing up tunnels, had left only a few days before. He said the whole time he was in there it felt personal. “I remember 7 October. I remember all my friends and the kibbutzim from the Gaza Strip. All my friends from the music festival… some are still hostages. The whole point was to make sure that it can never happen again and to replace Hamas as the ruling government. To make sure that our people are safe again.””It’s extremely personal. From day one. I didn’t wake up on a Saturday morning and hear about this from the news. I woke up and learned about it from group chats. From my phone, from people begging for help.” Image caption, The three Israeli students said the war was necessaryOded, another 28-year-old who serves in a combat unit, agreed. “I think everybody here is related somehow to what happened. Everybody. Everybody knows someone that was kidnapped. That was killed… It’s not like a regular situation when it happens to a certain area. It’s heavy. It’s everywhere.” Ilan, a 25-year-old who serves in the reconnaissance unit of the paratroop brigade, detected sympathy and support for Hamas among civilians with whom he had come into contact.”Of course, there are civilians that have nothing to do with it, but many of them are not that innocent… Many had photos of them holding an AK 47, photos of their children holding weapons. All the books, and pictures of Israel in flames.” “I think many of them aren’t innocent and they think it will be really hard to find those that are innocent. But it doesn’t mean I think everyone should get hurt”.All three student soldiers agreed the war was necessary. “We all wish for peace,” said Oded. “For quiet. Of course, I prefer to be here in the university to study, to go and drink my coffee instead of fighting a war like. It’s not fun going to fight in a war, but sometimes it’s necessary. And in this situation, it’s necessary.”According to a poll conducted by Tel Aviv University’s Peace Index three weeks after the 7 October attacks, most Israelis said they were now against the idea, revived by Joe Biden and other Western leaders, that the only way of ending this long conflict is to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Ben said his thinking had changed because of the war. “I think that if you would have asked me this question on 6 October, then I would say definitely yes, I would just do a Palestinian state. Let them live over there, and we’ll live over here, and we’ll all coexist, and everything will be nice. But after 7 October, it seems clear to me that that they don’t want it as much as I wanted it.” Ilan agreed with him. “The idea of a state will never work until they show any acknowledgement of us having also a state of our own. I think the real cause of many of them, unfortunately, not to have two states to have one state, their own state, and us out of here. So of course, I want a good life for them also. But it starts from the education, the route. It will take a long time.” Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Islamic University in Gaza City was badly damaged in Israeli bombardments, as were the territory’s 11 other universitiesThe Palestinian view of the war is entirely different. The idea that Israel is committing genocide alongside a whole range of other crimes of war in Gaza is universally accepted among them. As for education, schools and universities have been smashed by Israel in Gaza, as part of a scorched earth policy that has done vast damage.More than 2,000 academics affiliated with universities in North America have written an open letter condemning what they call “scholasticide” in Gaza. All 12 universities in Gaza have been destroyed and damaged. The letter condemns Israel for, among other actions, destroying the Islamic University by air strikes on 11 October and blowing up al-Isra University on 17 January, after using it as a barracks and detention centre. As well as the destruction of higher education, no children are going to primary or secondary schools. Ceasefire talks are going on in Cairo, mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar. Prospects for success are poor. Both Israel and Hamas have entrenched positions and no inclination to budge. That is bad news for everyone, especially Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the surviving Israeli hostages. 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[ad_1] That matters because it is the simplest way to get aid to perhaps 300,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza. The most authoritative measure of food emergencies, known as the IPC,…
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaCambodia: The ‘burning prisons’ fuelled by fast fashionPublished32 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsClimateImage source, Thomas Cristofoletti/ BBCImage caption, Researchers have documented the health impact on brick kiln workers, who toil in some of the world’s hottest conditionsBy Laura Bickerin Phnom Penh, Cambodia Chantrea drags an electric fan the size of a large door into the airless chamber where she works every day. It is her only respite from the heat inside the brick kiln that looks more like a dimly-lit tomb. “It’s like working inside a burning prison,” the 47-year-old says as she stacks the dried bricks, which will be moved to a warehouse. “I have asked the owners to provide us with more fans. But they won’t because it will cost more money.” The fan she does have slowly clunks as it starts, eventually whirring into action. It barely creates a breeze. How hot is too hot to work? It is a question researchers have found the answer to here, in Cambodia’s brick kilns, where people toil in some of the hottest working conditions in the world, fuelled in part by the scraps of fast fashion.The BBC spoke to several workers who said they sweat so much through the day that it felt like they were in a hot bath. Fainting is common too, possibly because they become dehydrated. Their names have been changed because they fear reprisals from their employers.In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have tried to document how this sustained exposure to extreme heat is affecting workers’ health. Special sensors recorded the core temperature of 30 workers at these kilns over a week and showed that they all had heat stress, or core temperatures of more than 38C. This can cause fatigue, dizziness, nausea and headaches. A healthy body temperature usually ranges from 36.1C to 37.2C. Body temperature over 38C is symptomatic of a fever. Some workers had core temperatures of 40C, which can lead to heat stroke, resulting in convulsions, eventual loss of consciousness and even death, if not treated early. Image source, Thomas Cristofoletti/BBCImage caption, Workers say the fresh bricks often burn them through their glovesOne worker told researchers that he had suffered from heart failure due to the heat. But he eventually returned to work because this was the only way he knew to earn a living. This is only made worse by a warming climate and Cambodia’s own weather – last May it hit a new high with 41.6C during the hottest year on record. As global temperatures soar, even a small increase could mean the difference between life and death for the tens of thousands of brick kiln workers across Asia.”One of the big narratives that I hear again and again is that we’re all in this [climate change] together. But that’s absolutely not true. Some of us are a lot more in it than others,” said Laurie Parsons at Royal Holloway University, who authored the study.Fire and smoke It’s a humid afternoon outside the kiln, on the outskirts of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Inside, where Chantrea is stacking bricks, it is stifling. But she is covered from head to toe in clothes that hang off her tiny frame – her only shield against the searing heat and dust. If the bricks are too hot, her skin blisters. The kilns themselves are enclosed by brick walls and sealed. Workers stay outside and feed wood though a hatch to keep the fire hot enough, usually around 1500C to set the clay bricks. Once that happens, they stop fuelling the flames and when the heat seems less unbearable, they enter the chamber.The last chance to save a mighty riverThe shadowy Chinese firms that own chunks of CambodiaThere is no data on the average temperature inside the kilns as it is hard for researchers to gain access. It’s also hard to know how many workers fall ill or worse because of the heat. Injuries from falling bricks are not uncommon, according to Chantrea. And workers told the researchers from the UK that the bricks often burn them, even through the gloves. Outside the kiln, Kosal, a father of two, scoops up a mix of fabric, plastic and rubber that he shoves into the hatch before shutting it quickly. Black smoke seeps through the cracks as children – his and other kiln workers’ – run past. Image source, Thomas Cristofoletti/ BBCImage caption, Bags bursting with clothing scraps are a cheaper source of fuel for the kilns – but they carry toxic traces”I am used to the black smoke. I don’t notice it any more,” he says. “I have to keep these fires burning for 24 hours. My wife and I split the work between us.”The children crawl over bags bulging with clothing offcuts – more fuel for the kiln from Cambodia’s $6bn garment industry.But what may initially appear a solution to the unwanted scraps of the country’s 1,300 garment factories is actually hiding its own deadly secret.According to a 2018 report – Blood Bricks – by UK academics at Royal Holloway, these scraps have traces of chlorine bleach, formaldehyde and ammonia, as well as heavy metals, PVC and resins used in the dyeing and printing processes. The report also found that brick factory workers reported regular migraines, nosebleeds and other illnesses.The country where Kissinger left a legacy of death and chaosThe record summer that scorched AsiaKosal’s three-year-old girl, her hair caked in dust, skips past a pile of Disney-labelled clothing. Most are flannel pyjamas embossed with images of Anna and Elsa from Frozen. They are made for children living in colder climates. Most Western fashion labels have strict codes of conduct to stop this from happening. A Disney spokesperson told the BBC that the company was investigating the claim and that it “did not condone the conditions alleged in this situation”.The BBC also found labels from Clarks shoes and H&M among others. Clarks called on the Cambodian ministry of environment to investigate and also invited other affected companies to join forces “in working together with the relevant authorities in Cambodia to eradicate this problem”.H&M acknowledged that traceability is still an issue in Cambodia but said they did have their own waste management guidelines to ensure that fabric waste isn’t used as a fuel source by factories, or sent to a landfill.Image caption, Scraps of Disney-labelled clothing show a sliver of Elsa, from the hit film FrozenCambodia’s brick kilns have long been accused of unsafe and unfair working conditions – and they employ some of the world’s poorest people. Now, climate change is only exacerbating those inequalities, experts say. “What we need to do is to consider how climate change impacts people through the lens of labour and inequality, and recognise that labour exploitation is a major factor in the worst impacts of climate change,” Mr Laurie said.The heat trap However toxic or difficult the job is, workers like Chantrea and Kosal can never leave. Victims of climate change, they are trapped in a cycle of heat. The majority of those who work in Cambodia’s brick kilns were farmers. Chantrea used to grow rice. But sparse rainfall in recent years has made it difficult to manage a single harvest.”We borrowed a lot of money after our crops failed. But when they kept failing, we ended up with a lot of debt,” she says. Eventually she had no choice but to migrate to Phnom Penh in the hope of finding a job to repay the loans. More than two million of Cambodia’s 10 million adults have outstanding micro-loans, according to the Cambodian Microfinance Association. On average, they each owe $3,320 (£1,955).This financial insecurity has supplied the vulnerable labour for brick kilns. Owners offer to pay off the loan but, in return, the worker is bonded to the kiln.Often whole families are bonded to the kiln. The BBC saw children helping their parents in the kiln despite efforts by the Cambodian government to prevent child labour.Image source, Thomas Cristofoletti/ BBCImage caption, Cambodia’s construction boom has come at the cost of its poorest communities”If we leave, we are afraid of being arrested and imprisoned,” Chantrea says. “So we must struggle here. If they ask us to enter the fire, we will do even that just so we can earn more money for food and to pay off our debt.”But the wages are too low for the debt to ever be repaid. Chantrea earns 10,000 Cambodian riel (£1.92; $2.45) for stacking around 500 bricks. With this she has to pay for food, electricity and water. Her home is a tin shack on the edge of the kiln and she supports a boy she found alone on the street and adopted. When they are hungry, they forage together for snails.”After several years, I have never paid the owner back,” Chantrea says. The debt, she adds, has only increased.Cambodia’s kilns have fed the capital’s construction boom. It has drawn foreign investors, including the UK, which has invested one billion pounds, according to researchers from Royal Holloway University.But as Phnom Penh reaches toward the sky, with tower after tower of air conditioned apartments, the city is leaving behind those who’ve helped to build it.Related TopicsAsiaCambodiaClimateTop StoriesNine hurt in ‘horrific’ Clapham corrosive substance attackPublished13 minutes agoLegal scammer costs vulnerable clients thousandsPublished35 minutes agoMan charged with murders of two teenage boysPublished3 hours agoFeatures’I saved £200 by doing Dry January’Sturgeon’s ‘crocodile tears’ and ‘ITV want Winkleman’Former FM returns to centre stage at Covid InquiryWho is Bushra Bibi, the mystical wife of Imran Khan?What is the new Northern Ireland trade deal?’If not Putin, then who?’ – How Russians view looming electionsN Ireland’s new dawn, led by republican first minister’I regret posting online that I was Madeleine McCann’Police officers mock bodycam video of semi-naked womanElsewhere on the BBCWar, negotiations and geopoliticsLearn about Putin’s war in Ukraine in gripping detailAttributioniPlayerIs nature better off without us?Discover the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderfulAttributionSoundsFrom blueprint to the Manhattan skylineJourney to the past and see the remarkable story behind the iconic Empire State BuildingAttributioniPlayerFrom the Fall to Fifty ShadesActor Jamie Dornan shares the soundtrack of his life with Lauren LaverneAttributionSoundsMost Read1Nine injured in Clapham ‘corrosive substance’ attack2Margot Robbie comments on best actress Oscar snub3Legal scammer costs vulnerable clients thousands4Man charged with murders of two teenage boys5Who is Bushra Bibi, the mystical wife of Imran Khan?6Sturgeon’s ‘crocodile tears’ and ‘ITV want Winkleman’7Zuckerberg apologises to families in fiery Senate hearing8’If not Putin, then who?’ – How Russians view looming elections9Israelis tell MPs of Hamas sexual violence evidence10Council financial crisis ‘out of control’, MPs warn](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/E971/production/_132516795_cambodia_brick_kilns-013.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAntoinette Lattouf: ABC presenter sacked over Gaza post ignites row in AustraliaPublished19 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Antoinette LattoufImage caption, Antoinette Lattouf inside the ABC Sydney studioBy Tiffanie TurnbullBBC News, SydneyOn 20 December Antoinette Lattouf signed off from the Sydney radio show she was hosting with a promise she’d be back the next day.”Can’t wait,” she told listeners.But the veteran journalist and presenter did not return to the airwaves. Later that afternoon she was sacked, with her boss saying the order had come from “above”.She was only three days into a week-long stint filling in as host of the local Mornings show on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Just hours earlier she insists she was told it was going well.But behind the scenes, her appointment to the coveted role had attracted ardent lobbying from pro-Israel groups who accused her of antisemitism and bias.Lattouf – who is of Lebanese heritage – says she fears the ABC buckled under external pressure, sacking her based on political opinion and race. She has launched a wrongful termination case.The broadcaster vehemently denies this and says Lattouf was let go because she broke its directions on social media by re-sharing a Human Rights Watch (HRW) post about the Israel Gaza war. Her dismissal has triggered a wave of public outrage and created turmoil at the public broadcaster – raising questions over its independence and reviving concerns over how it supports staff, particularly those who are culturally diverse, when they come under attack.Criticism over activismLattouf is believed to be the first Arab-Australian woman to be a reporter on commercial television, and today is a regular staple on Australian airwaves or in its local newspapers.But the 40-year-old has also made a name for herself as an activist on issues like racism, discrimination in media and mental health.Before she was hired by the ABC, Lattouf attracted criticism for social media posts on the Israel Gaza war which decried the impact on Palestinian civilians.In some posts she accused Israel of targeting and killing journalists in Gaza, something echoed by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists but which Israel denies.She also drew ire for an article she co-authored in which online verification experts questioned video which purported to show pro-Palestinian protesters chanting “gas the Jews” at a march in Sydney. The ABC has stressed the critical importance of impartiality and also has strict social media requirements. It bans posts which could damage its reputation.Lattouf has long been a regular contributor to the ABC, and agreed to curtail her social media use when she started her presenting stint.But she says she was told sharing information from “reputable” sources like human rights groups was fine, and so on 19 December shared a post from HRW which said Israel was using starvation as a tool of war. Israel denies the accusation.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Palestinians queuing for food in RafahLattouf’s post came hours after the ABC itself had covered the HRW report, and Lattouf claims other ABC employees had also shared the post. She also alleges other staff have written “far more inflammatory” social media posts in the past but remain employed.”The difference between them is they are white and I have an Arab background,” she told the BBC.She wants a public apology from the ABC, compensation, and a similar role back on air.But in its reply to Ms Lattouf’s legal action, the ABC said her case was “entirely misconceived”, and she was taken off-air “because she failed or refused to comply with directions that she not post on social media about matters of controversy”.She was paid for all five shifts, it added.Swift backlashThe case sparked an immediate uproar in Australia.HRW wrote to the ABC Chair, Ita Buttrose, saying it was “troubling” that its “factual” material had been deemed “controversial'”, something it said could have a “chilling effect” on Australian journalism.The media union also called the decision to remove Lattouf “incredibly disturbing”, while Minister for Industry Ed Husic said people expressing a “peaceful” view “shouldn’t feel like their jobs are on the line”.Protestors have graffitied ABC offices in Perth and Melbourne, and crowdfunding for Lattouf’s legal fees has already raised over A$90,000 (£40,100; $62,500).Others, defending the broadcaster’s decision to sack her, argued she shouldn’t have been hired for the role in the first place – given her history on the issue. But a series of leaked WhatsApp chats have in recent days have dramatically intensified the storm.Dozens of messages from two groups seen by the BBC show a concerted letter-writing campaign against Lattouf in the days before she was fired.The hundreds of members in both groups – one called Lawyers for Israel and another called J.E.W.I.S.H Australian creatives and academics – were encouraged to write directly to ABC boss David Anderson, the ABC board and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, ABC board chair Ita Buttrose has been embroiled in the controversy”It is important ABC hears not just from individuals in the community but specifically lawyers so they feel there is an actual legal threat,” wrote one member of Lawyers for Israel, Nicky Stein, something she later admitted “a bit cheeky”.Some letter-writers claimed they had received direct responses from board chair Ita Buttrose and when news of Lattouf’s exit spread, many congratulated themselves.”Good riddance to bad rubbish,” one person said.”No doubt the PP [pro-Palestinians] will start whinging now about censorship and the Jewish lobby controlling the media,” another wrote.And when she launched her legal case in the Fair Work Commission (FWC) one person called her lawyer, who is Jewish, a “traiter”.Several members of the Lawyers for Israel chat have denied the group – which included Jewish community leaders – was controlled by any bodies or intended for organised lobbying.Ms Stein told the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) it was simply “a group of lawyers concerned about Israel and rising antisemitism”. Staff revoltThe WhatsApp messages sparked a livid meeting of the ABC staff union, attended by about 200 people.One of the broadcaster’s most senior journalists, global affairs editor John Lyons, reportedly said the release of the messages marked “one of [the ABC’s] darkest days”.”When I read those WhatsApp messages, for the first time ever… I felt embarrassed to work for the ABC,” he said, according to the SMH.”I was embarrassed that a group of 156 lawyers could laugh at how easy it was to manipulate the ABC.”The meeting culminated in a rare vote of no confidence in the ABC boss David Anderson.Union members made a list of demands, giving the editorial leadership team until Monday to respond. They have previously threatened a walkout if their concerns aren’t addressed.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The ABC board has called the criticism of David Anderson “abhorrent”The ABC board responded by calling its own emergency meeting and passing a unanimous vote of confidence in Anderson.”Any suggestion I would not defend our position when external pressure is applied – regardless of where that pressure is coming from – is offensive and incorrect,” he said in a statement.He agreed to meet staff – but “in the coming weeks”.The case has reopened old wounds for the ABC.It has revived concerns about how it treats diverse staff, after an ugly saga last year in which pioneering Aboriginal journalist Stan Grant quit over what he called a failure to protect him from racist attacks.And it’s also fed uneasiness about the broadcaster’s independence. Advocates worry that politicised appointments to the ABC board, its government-dictated funding model, and increased – often frenzied – scrutiny is jeopardising its work. Racism furore reignites scrutiny of Australian mediaPolitical influence row hits Australia ABCThe saga also comes as the broader Australian media grapples with tension over the impartiality of its coverage of the Israel Gaza war.Most notably, ABC political reporter Nour Haydar left the public broadcaster this month over its coverage of the war, as well as its treatment of culturally diverse staff. The ABC has defended its impartiality and said it is “continuing to progress” on diversity matters despite having its “most representative” workforce ever. Lattouf says its these broader themes that make her case so important.”It is not just about me. It’s about free speech, it’s about racism… and crucially, it’s also about a fair, independent and robust ABC,” she told reporters last week.After a failed mediation meeting, the ABC is now attempting to have Lattouf’s case thrown out, arguing it didn’t actually sack her.The matter is back at the FWC in March, and Lattouf says she’s in it for the long haul.”I’m willing and prepared to fight for as long as it takes,” she said.Related TopicsJournalismAustraliaMore on this storyIsrael Gaza war: History of the conflict explainedPublished15 November 2023Racism furore reignites scrutiny of Australian mediaPublished23 May 2023Who’s behind Israel-Gaza disinformation and hate online?Published15 October 2023Gaza Strip in maps: How life has changed in three monthsPublished15 JanuaryTop StoriesTrump must pay $83.3m for defaming E Jean CarrollPublished11 hours agoShip linked to Britain on fire after Houthi attackPublished45 minutes agoWWE boss Vince McMahon quits after sex abuse claimPublished8 hours agoFeaturesWhy defamation defeat is a double-edged sword for TrumpBali bomb families face accused at Guantanamo BaySumo, Surfing and Sabalenka: Photos of the weekThe Papers: ‘The King’s fine’ and ‘Klopp shock’Golden age or dying days for British theatre?Israel reined in by ICJ ruling – but will it obey?Fierce row after sacking of ABC presenter over Gaza postWoodpeckers and sparrowhawks: Your Birdwatch 2024 pictures’It’s my calling to stop knife-crime killers’Elsewhere on the BBCA Scottish wild swimming road-trip!Julie Wilson Nimmo and Greg Hemphill take the plunge at Scotland’s breath-taking wild swimming spotsAttributioniPlayerScientists uncover alcohol’s hidden dangersInvestigating what alcohol is and why so many people love to drink itAttributioniPlayerCould this Italian dream turn into a real nightmare?Amanda Holden and Alan Carr don their boiler suits to renovate a dilapidated house in TuscanyAttributioniPlayerBritish television’s greatest double actEric and Ernie share their remarkable journey through TV appearances, rare radio material and BBC archivesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Ship linked to Britain on fire after Houthi attack2Trump must pay $83.3m for defaming E Jean Carroll3‘I thought mum left me, she’d been sent to prison’4Warning over children using viral skincare products5WWE boss Vince McMahon quits after sex abuse claim6’Alfie’s killer threatened to torture me to death’7Who won The Traitors: TV final reveals all to fans8’What terminal cancer has taught me about life’9The Papers: ‘The King’s fine’ and ‘Klopp shock’10Defamation defeat a double-edged sword for Trump](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/4AD2/production/_132445191_whatsappimage2024-01-25at4.10.30pm.jpg)
