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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by bignose@aussie.zone to c/world@lemmy.world

The French president offered support for Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and frequently speaks out against antisemitism, but he has grown increasingly frustrated about Israel's war in Gaza, especially in recent months.

"Given its historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine,'' Macron posted. ″Peace is possible.''

He also posted a letter he sent to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the decision.

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submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) by bignose@aussie.zone to c/news@aussie.zone

Klan’s report revealed a serious conflict of interest in [Segal's] role as Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia.

Several independent journalists – including this masthead – sent enquiries to Ms Segal, but none received a response; however, Ms Segal did have time to respond to The Age and Sydney Morning Herald and Sun-Herald today, Sunday, July 13, commencing her urgent ‘damage control’.

[-] bignose@aussie.zone 29 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

if they made their homes more energy efficient

Assertion misses the point: Most Australians whose homes need to be made more energy efficient, are renting and have no agency in doing anything like that to their homes.

Telling those people "you could save on your power bill by modifications to your home”, is just cruel. We know our homes are energy inefficient, we can't make the changes required.

What's needed is legislation that mandates the landlord must pay for those improvements, before they take any more money from the renter.

[-] bignose@aussie.zone 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It dates back at least to the 1980s, during the Hawke era.

A Labor party that cast unemployed workers as “bludgers”. A Labor party that concocted a Neoliberal Accord with the ACTU to suppress the rights of workers, as a means to keep wages (and worker power to negotiate better conditions) down. A Labor party that devastated social support by making unemployment benefits far more difficult to obtain.

All this was an “unleashing” of the private sector the effects of which still rage around us today.

https://jacobin.com/2020/10/australia-labor-party-neoliberalism-accord

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submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by bignose@aussie.zone to c/ausmemes@aussie.zone
[-] bignose@aussie.zone 2 points 2 months ago

A good local baker, especially one that will make a decent sourdough, is a must wherever we live.

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submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by bignose@aussie.zone to c/australia@aussie.zone

We accept reports where people consider a business is doing something they shouldn’t. We use the reports to inform our education, compliance and enforcement work.

  • When a business sells a product or service that doesn’t meet basic rights, known as consumer guarantees, it must offer the consumer a solution.
  • Businesses must not tell consumers to take the problem to the manufacturer or importer.
  • When a product has a major problem, consumers can choose between a refund or replacement.
  • When a service has a major problem, consumers have a right to alter their agreement with the service provider.
  • Businesses must fix a minor problem with a product or service by at least giving a free repair.
[-] bignose@aussie.zone 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

So their announcement seems to be saying they'll follow what the national government officially calls the feature:

In an X post on Monday, Google said its Maps service would reflect the change once it is officially updated in the US Geographic Names System. The change will be visible to Google Maps users in the US, but it will remain listed as Gulf of Mexico for those accessing the platform from Mexico. Outside of the two countries, users will see both names.

And, yeah. What is the alternative policy from Google that we're proposing? That Google should be sovereign in itself, declare they'll name it whatever seems right to Google, and not defer to the government appointed names for things? Based on what, exactly?

I want Google subject to official government policy, and not to ignore it. I want Google Maps to follow the official name when, for example, Ayer's Rock is now officially called Uluru.

This specific government policy (that the Gulf of Mexico be changed to the "Gulf of America") is stupid and jingoistic. But is the answer to that, we want corporations empowered to ignore government policy?

If the government of the day orders that Uluru is now called "Aussie Stone", and Google announces they'll update maps to follow the change of official name? My objection is not that Google follows the official name; it's that the government of the day is wrong and needs to be ousted.

bignose

joined 6 months ago