Australia information stay: Tucker Carlson and Clive Palmer to headline ‘Australian freedom conferences’; PM eulogises Bondi safety guard Faraz Tahir | Australia information

Sian Cain

Some breaking information appropriate for a Friday evening: Taylor Swift has made Australian music historical past, changing into the feminine artist with essentially the most No 1 albums in Aria historical past.

Her newest album, The Tortured Poets Division, is her thirteenth album to achieve No 1 on the Aria album chart, surpassing the file held by Madonna.

She can also be now the primary artist ever to carry all the high 10 on the singles chart, and at present holds 29 spots within the high 50 singles without delay – a feat that has by no means been achieved earlier than.

Swift stays the one artist to switch themselves at No 1 on Aria album chart, and has executed so 3 times.

Jimmy Barnescontinues to carry the general file for many No 1 albums with 15 solo albums (and one other 5 with Chilly Chisel), adopted by the Beatles with 14.

Luca Ittimani

‘His mission was to guard folks’: brother pays tribute to Faraz Tahir at funeral

Bondi stabbing sufferer Faraz Tahir has been buried by his brothers and buddies from Sydney’s Ahmadiyya Muslim group, after his funeral within the metropolis’s west.

Earlier within the day, round 700 mourners and dignitaries expressed their condolences to Tahir’s household, who arrived in Australia from abroad on Wednesday.

His brother, Mudasar Bashir, informed reporters Tahir had been “the strongest individual in our household”.

He mentioned:

He was a very good, jolly individual, all the time smiling, and all the time he supposed to assist folks … his mission was to guard folks like we have now seen him …

Each time after we spoke to him, he mentioned “I’m okay. I’m good. I’m comfortable. It is a good nation … I’ve freedom right here. I can say that I’m a Muslim and I can go to the mosque. I can pray. I can do every thing.”

He informed reporters what it was wish to see Tahir’s physique for the primary time in six years:

“I attempted to talk with him as a result of he was my brother … after I noticed him, I simply mentioned ‘it’s been six years and now I’m assembly you lastly, for the final time’.”

Luca Ittimani

‘He sacrificed his life for all Australians’: mourners commemorate Faraz Tahir’s bravery at funeral

Bondi stabbing sufferer Faraz Tahir’s bravery has been commemorated by buddies and mourners at his funeral in Sydney’s west.

Tahir’s safety guard colleague and fellow sufferer, Muhammad Taha, attended on particular go away from hospital, carrying a robe and blanket. Sitting in his wheelchair, Taha informed reporters Tahir’s final phrases earlier than confronting perpetrator Joel Cauchi:

We have been attempting to save lots of folks at the moment. and his final phrases at the moment was ‘let’s discover out what’s occurring’. So we rushed in direction of that space.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Neighborhood’s nationwide president, Imam Inamul Haq Kauser, mentioned Tahir had confirmed himself a martyr:

There’s one pledge which our youth make, that they are going to sacrifice their time, honour and life for others, for the sake of nation, and for the nation. And we’re very comfortable that he has proved it along with his actions and deeds …

Though he was a stranger on this nation … he sacrificed his life for all Australians. He was a really courageous individual from childhood. He noticed that persons are panicked, he rushed to them.”

Peter Hannam

Rental will increase could have solution to go, including to inflation ‘stickiness’

Economists are nonetheless ruminating over this week’s ABS launch of larger than anticipated inflation for the March quarter. (Even when we in all probability shouldn’t panic.)

Jonathan Kearns, a former senior RBA economist now at Challenger, is amongst these predicting the central financial institution can have no selection however to revise its personal inflation estimates subsequent month to point inflation gained’t be slowing as quick as earlier projected.

That revision may doubtlessly push again the timing of when the RBA thinks inflation (now at 3.6%, in keeping with headline CPI) can be again inside its 2%-3% vary. Its February mannequin had annual inflation at 2.8% by December 2025, and maybe that gained’t occur now till 2026.

One factor that’s wanting much less probably is a reduce in official rates of interest in 2024.

“The dangers to easing too quickly, and so eroding inflation’s return to focus on, are vital and so it’s acceptable that the market now doesn’t count on the RBA to chop charges this yr,” Kearns mentioned in a be aware circulated on Friday.

A part of his warning comes from the rental market, the place will increase – at 7.7% within the yr to March – stay at in regards to the highest in 30 years. The change in rents captured by the CPI has solely been about 13% for the reason that pandemic, whereas marketed rents have elevated about 50%.

Lease inflation, in different phrases, will stay sturdy for a while, Kearns says.

Woolies fined $1.2m for short-changing former staff

Woolworths has been fined $1.2m after admitting it didn’t pay out greater than $1m in go away entitlements to about 1200 Victorian staff.

The grocery store big was dealing with a most penalty of greater than $10bn, however Justice of the Peace Nahrain Warda on Friday discovered the smaller high-quality to be appropriate punishment.

Woolworths self-reported its breaches to Victoria’s wage watchdog in February 2022 after it undertook a overview of its payroll methods.

It found a few of its workers weren’t paid their lengthy service go away entitlements after leaving the corporate on account of discrepancies in cost calculations.

Wage Inspectorate Victoria’s investigation discovered the underpayments occurred on 3617 events between January 2020 and July 2022. The corporate was charged for individuals who have been underpaid greater than $250, which resulted in about $1m in unpaid go away for 1227 former Victorian workers.

Woolworths pleaded responsible on 18 April in Melbourne magistrates courtroom to the greater than 1000 prices laid down by the inspectorate.

The corporate’s barrister, Saul Holt KC, mentioned Woolworths had been described as a “mannequin accused” by prosecutors because it had self-reported and self-investigated the underpayments.

The courtroom fined Woolworths $1,277,000 with out conviction, whereas its subsidiary Woolstar was handed a $36,000 penalty. Woolworths was ordered to pay the regulator’s $15,000 authorized prices.

– AAP

Caitlin Cassidy

‘Watch this area’: schooling minister flags announcement ‘shortly’ on pupil debt reform

An announcement on pupil debt reform can be made “shortly”, the schooling minister has confirmed.

Talking to reporters in Perth forward of an schooling ministers assembly on Friday, Jason Clare was requested whether or not the commonwealth would change Hecs/Assist indexation within the upcoming federal funds to alleviate the debt burden on college students.

Figures launched this week confirmed pupil money owed would improve by round 4.8% when subsequent listed on 1 June on account of excessive inflation, following a 7.1% rise final yr.

Clare mentioned:

I’ve made the purpose contained in the parliament and out of doors the parliament that we have to make Hecs fairer, and we’ve received the report of the Universities Accord workforce that units out various suggestions about how we will try this.

The prime minister and the treasurer mentioned final week that we’re taking a look at what we will do right here. We’ll have extra to say on that shortly. So watch this area.

Far-right pundit Tucker Carlson will go to Australian cities on a talking tour later this June and July, the place he’ll seem alongside billionaire mining magnate and former politician Clive Palmer.

Carlson and Palmer can be joined by by American filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza and Queensland GP Dr Melissa McCann for the “Australian Freedom Convention”.

The convention is billed as protecting “a spread of subjects, together with present and future threats to reality, democracies and private freedoms”.

Tickets value between $200 and $290.

Carlson, a former Fox Information host, now runs his personal media outlet, the Tucker Carlson Community, the place he just lately interviewed the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Palmer, spruiking the convention, mentioned “Tucker has lengthy advocated that information protection within the west could be wrongly used as a instrument of repression and management”.

Palmer added:

He believes democracy can’t perform correctly beneath these controls and the one answer to ending propaganda is fearlessly talking the reality. I’m delighted Australia has the chance to listen to from Tucker and our different audio system on this informative nationwide tour.

Exclusion zone established amid police operation at College of Sydney

Extra on the police operation beneath method on the College of Sydney.

Earlier this afternoon New South Wales police confirmed an operation was beneath method on the College’s legislation college in Camperdown, in Sydney’s interior west.

Police mentioned in a press release that an exclusion zone is in place and the group is urged to keep away from the realm.

The College of Sydney has mentioned the Fisher library and legislation library “are at present closed on account of an emergency till additional discover”.

ACT DPP responds to questions over alleged Lehrmann proof leak

Karen Middleton

The workplace of the ACT director of public prosecutions has lastly responded to repeated inquiries from Guardian Australia in relation to the latest findings of federal courtroom justice Michael Lee within the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial.

Guardian Australia had requested whether or not any motion was being contemplated over the leaking of the confidential contents of an proof temporary that had been ready for separate authorized proceedings.

The query arose once more this week when the Australian federal police commissioner, Reece Kershaw, advised police have been reviewing the dealing with of proof to see whether or not additional investigation was required.

The workplace of the ACT DPP has now offered the next response:

“The performing Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Anthony Williamson SC, notes the general public feedback made by AFP Commissioner Kershaw on the Nationwide Press Membership.

It isn’t the apply of the DPP to touch upon ongoing police inquiries or investigations. To take action has the capability to compromise the fitting of an individual to a good trial.

Discussions between the DPP, his or her prosecutors, and/or the police in relation to police investigations and doable prices that is likely to be introduced towards an individual are the topic of authorized skilled privilege.”

Find towards the applicant, former ministerial adviser Bruce Lehrmann, in Lehrmann’s defamation swimsuit towards Community Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, Justice Lee mentioned he was “comfortably glad” that Lehrmann had lied about having no function in leaking non-public textual content messages obtained by police from the cellphone of Brittany Higgins, the previous colleague who had accused him of raping her, to the Seven Community’s Highlight program.

The messages had been included in an proof temporary ready for Lehrmann’s 2022 felony trial on the rape cost however have been by no means tendered in courtroom. The trial collapsed on account of juror misconduct and was discontinued out of concern for Higgins’ psychological well being. Lehrmann pleaded not responsible and has all the time denied the rape allegation.

It was alleged in the course of the civil defamation trial that the leak breached a rule often called the Harman precept and specified by a excessive courtroom judgment from a 2008 case, Hearne v Road. The precept specifies that proof offered beneath compulsion by the courtroom for one set of authorized proceedings can’t be used for another objective.

Benita Kolovos

Victorian authorities broadcasts $900,000 for pelvic ache and menstrual well being schooling

The Victorian authorities will spend $900,000 to run free pelvic ache and menstrual well being schooling classes for college students in authorities colleges, the schooling minister has introduced.

Ben Carroll says the funding, allotted within the 2023-24 funds, will enable for 400 in-person schooling classes for years 5 to 10 to start from subsequent yr.

He mentioned classes will embody curriculum-aligned, age-appropriate and evidence-based details about menstrual well being and pelvic ache. College students will develop abilities and confidence to recognise when and tips on how to search assist and help.

He mentioned most half of all Australian girls expertise pelvic ache, and for the one in 9 girls with endometriosis, analysis can tackle common seven years:

No one ought to undergo in silence, so we’re educating younger folks about pelvic ache, in order that they know what to do if and when it impacts them.

Well being minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, mentioned:

We all know that schoolyard dialog round menstruation and pelvic ache has traditionally been seen as taboo – that’s why schooling to destigmatise and take away the disgrace related to durations is so necessary. We’re guaranteeing extra younger Victorian ladies perceive their our bodies and search assist earlier than their ache impacts their general well being and wellbeing.

Emily Wind

Many thanks for becoming a member of me on the weblog as we speak – and all through the week. Elias Visontay can be right here to see you thru the remainder of the afternoon. Take care, and have a beautiful weekend.

Prime minister labels Faraz Tahir a ‘nationwide hero’ at funeral service

Luca Ittimani

The prime minister has referred to as Faraz Tahir, the safety guard killed within the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing, a “nationwide hero” at his funeral service in Sydney.

A whole lot of mourners and dignitaries joined Tahir’s household at Baitul Huda mosque in Sydney’s west to farewell the Pakistani refugee, who would have celebrated his thirty first birthday on Wednesday.

Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Tahir, talking to the gang exterior the entrance of the mosque:

No doubt, he helped save lives that day. And with out query, Faraz Tahir died a nationwide hero and he can be remembered as a hero within the historical past of this tough time …

[He] counted himself fortunate to have come to Australia. In fact, Australia was fortunate to have him.

The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, joined Albanese to pay tribute, and mentioned:

He was excited in regards to the subsequent chapter in his life, and one of many issues that we mourn as we speak is the lack of that subsequent chapter, of all the great that was coming after final Saturday. Mates, as a group, New South Wales was heartbroken as we speak, as we farewell Faraz.

Benita Kolovos

Violence towards girls not ‘unsolvable’, Victoria police assistant commissioner says

Continued from final submit:

Lauren Callaway mentioned she doesn’t consider the problem of violence towards girls is “unsolvable”. She informed a media convention:

It’s a drawback that’s going to take a very long time to shift attitudes. I’ve been within the function for 4 years however the situation of home violence began to get traction in Australia within the Nineteen Seventies. We simply had the fiftieth anniversary of the primary girls’s disaster shelter. Our understanding of what the issue was again then to what’s as we speak may be very totally different.

She mentioned police, the household violence sector, lecturers and activists have been all working collectively to attempt to perceive the underlying drivers of why – 50 years on – the problem stays so prevalent.

Within the final 4 years there’ve been a number of excessive profile murders the place the group will get very outraged by it, and rightly so … and we speak in regards to the situation and we give you concepts. Governments have invested closely in Victoria in attempting to resolve household violence. However I feel the perfect factor that we will hope for now could be to try to work out: what are the rules throughout the system that we’ve received that we will strengthen, to carry extra security to victims and extra accountability to perpetrators?

Benita Kolovos

Circling again to Victoria police’s household violence command assistant commissioner, Lauren Callaway, who gave a press convention earlier this afternoon (you’ll be able to learn our first submit right here).

Callaway mentioned she understood why girls are collaborating in 17 rallies throughout Australia this weekend and calling for larger motion on a rising epidemic of girls killed in violent assaults. She mentioned:

It’s not the primary time we’ve been at this second and sadly, I don’t assume it’ll be the final time we’re at this second. I perceive how girls are annoyed about this specific crime theme and the way devastating it’s to households and buddies. It simply looks like there’s one other horrible information story every single day.

These of us who work in household violence are equally disheartened by the statistics. And they’re not simply statistics – they’re individuals who have suffered essentially the most tragic circumstances of household violence … Some options, I feel, place an excessive amount of emphasis on girls to do the altering, and we all know that that’s not the long run answer.

Social providers minister says present charges of home and household violence ‘unacceptable’

The federal social providers minister, Amanda Rishworth, says the present charges of home and household violence are “unacceptable”.

Talking to 10 Information First earlier as we speak, she mentioned no single authorities or organisation would be capable to tackle the problem on their very own, and “all of us have to push in the identical course”.

This consists of males standing up and calling out violence. That could be a essential a part of the response. However I cannot be deterred and I’m pushing on efforts to finish household, home and sexual violence …

We do have to put money into all areas, however that is the place everybody’s accountability is available in. In the event you see disrespectful attitudes or violence, it is likely to be informal violence towards a girl, it’s everybody’s function to name it out, step up and simply be very clear. It’s unacceptable.

Does that imply we’d like public campaigns about respecting girls and altering behaviours? Rishworth flagged the federal government marketing campaign “cease it firstly” can be promoted additional within the coming months.

She additionally acknowledged that First Nations girls expertise “disproportionately excessive ranges” of home and household violence, and mentioned:

We at present have a steering group of First Nations men and women main that work to develop a standalone plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and youngsters and the way we maintain households secure. That is essential work that must be led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks.