David McBride, Gina Rinehart, News Corp and more.
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Saturday Jan 13
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As we all recover from weeks of pavlova and prosecco, the news cycle is slowly waking up. This week at Crikey we brought you a suite of exclusive stories to kick the year off.

We took you inside a News Corp beat-up, brought you everyone's side of the story in the brouhaha over a critical review of military whistleblower David McBride's memoirs, and revealed a disturbing trend in which pictures of Australian women images are being mined to produce explicit AI-generated images without their consent.

We exclusively revealed what Schwartz Media is doing with its popular political column, explained what Australia's incoming Digital ID system might look like, and unpacked South Africa's genocide case against Israel.

All that and more in the Crikey Weekender.

We hope you're having a relaxing weekend.
Gina Rushton Gina Rushton,
Editor
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Gina Rinehart tried to censor Crikey articles using ‘ridiculous’ trademark request to tech companies
CAM WILSON

A Hancock spokesperson denied that the company had tried to censor Crikey’s reporting, instead blaming a third party who “inadvertently” filed takedown requests on their behalf.

Gina Rinehart (Image: AAP/Darren England)
 
Make-or-break moment for Dutton as Liberals select Dunkley challenger
ANTON NILSSON

Peter Dutton risks making history in all the wrong ways as another by-election in Victoria looms.

Labor's candidate for Dunkley Jodie Belyea (Image: AAP/Diego Fedele)
 
Here’s what the Albanese government will be prioritising (and dodging) in 2024
ANTON NILSSON

Expect a potentially divisive debate over religious discrimination this year. But forget any notions of more ballots.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Image: AAP/Diego Fedele)
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Whistleblower David McBride’s claims after critical book review ‘bizarre and false’, says writer
ANTON NILSSON

A book reviewer faced a social media storm after criticising David McBride's memoirs. McBride claims the writer 'started it', and the whistleblower and his followers are just 'returning fire'.

Whistleblower David McBride (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
 
On statelessness: What does it actually mean to be a citizen?
CHARLIE LEWIS

Statelessness is already a difficult concept to determine — and Australia's way of defining it only muddies the waters further.

The 5,300-year-old mummy known as Ötzi at the Archeology Museum in Bolzano, Italy (Image: AP/HO)
 
People are training AI on photos of Australian women to make explicit images without their consent
CAM WILSON

There are thriving online communities dedicated to creating image-based abuse material of private individuals. Victims have little recourse.

The most saved artificial intelligence-generated images on CivitAI's website are explicit pictures of women (Image: Supplied, blurring by Crikey)
 
Forget the Australia Card, Australia looks set to get a Digital ID system in 2024
CAM WILSON

While an unpopular idea in the past, Australians come to the idea of a digital identity scheme with a much different context this year.

Minister for the Public Service Katy Gallagher (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
 
Renewable projects, not fossil fuels, are being vetoed under Australia’s crap environmental laws
EMMA ELSWORTHY

The Albanese government's decision to block Victoria's wind farm plant wasn't a bad one. But it's not a consistent one either.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
 
No byline, no right of reply: Inside News Corp’s Bluey genocide beat-up
DAANYAL SAEED

Omar Sakr's poem 'Bluey in the genocide' sparked predictably insidious coverage from the right-wing outrage machine.

(Image: Supplied)
 
Why is South Africa pursuing Israel at the International Court of Justice? A lawyer explains
MICHAEL BRADLEY

South Africa alleges Israel is violating the Genocide Convention. But will the case have any impact or is it purely performative?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Image: AAP/ EPA/Ronen Zvukun)
 
Journalists need to keep talking about genocide
CHRISTOPHER WARREN

Genocide is far from rare but it's a term journalists seemingly struggle to apply to world events. It must be said out loud, again and again.

Smoke rises from the southern Gaza Strip (Image: AAP/EPA/Mohammed Saber)
 
October 7 wasn’t Israel’s 9/11. But as Gaza’s destruction continues, it will come
GUY RUNDLE

The pro-Palestine movement is peaceful. But the horrors Israel is committing will result in full retribution from others.

Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza Strip (Image: AAP/EPA/Mohammed Saber)
 
10 stories I enjoyed publishing at Crikey in 2023
GINA RUSHTON

As we ease into 2024, here is a selection of some great stuff we published last year, just in case you missed it.

Gina Rinehart and Gladys Berejiklian (Images: AAP)
 
Pokies giant Endeavour Group sacrifices chair, negotiates a Mathieson-free board 
STEPHEN MAYNE

The family that built an Australian pokies empire is being sidelined from the business as the company edges towards more responsible practices.

Bruce Mathieson (Image: AAP/Tracey Nearmy)