Welcome to our second edition of Newslist! Gamamari’s weekly recap of national and international news. Just like our first issue, this will be a brief summary of the week’s breaking news. Whilst Newslist provides a general overview of these events, as always, you are encouraged to read further with the hyperlinks attached.
This article contains mentions of child abuse.
Flex Week couldn’t have come at a better time, with how busy the news cycle has been. The week began with an update on Green’s candidate Hannah Thomas, who has undergone surgery after sustaining major facial injuries during her arrest at a pro-Palestine protest last week. NSW Police have declared her injury as a ‘critical incident’ in their ongoing investigation.
On Tuesday, Sydneysiders prepared for the worst with the arrival of a ‘bomb cyclone’ hitting the east coast of the country. Many on the south coast of NSW were left trapped in their homes and surrounded by floodwater, and more than a dozen flights cancelled between Sydney and Brisbane. Currently, all severe weather warnings have been downgraded to advice level. In lighter news, watch out trinket fans – NSW Fair Trading has warned Labubu fans to take caution when purchasing the collectible from third parties, as instances of counterfeit ‘Lafufus’ have increased.
Victoria has begun a six-week review of its childcare system following the arrest of Joshua Brown, who has been charged with 70 child abuse offences relating to eight victims at a childcare centre in Melbourne. As a response, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced that childcare centres in the state must ban personal devices in the workplace by 26 September. A similar ban is also being worked on nationally.
On Wednesday, Qantas released a statement confirming that a cyber attack had compromised the data of 6 million customers. The airline confirmed that no credit cards, personal finance or passport details were breached, with no compensation confirmed for any affected customers.
A landmark “truth-telling” inquiry in Victoria has rewritten history, finding that British settlers committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Indigenous Australians. The Yoorrook Justice Commission’s report also included 100 recommendations which were tabled in Victorian Parliament.
A new financial year is now upon us, with a variety of changes coming into effect overnight. These include the increase of employer superannuation contributions and minimum wage, and a big one – university students studying nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work will now be paid for their mandatory placements.
In some entertainment news, the seven week trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs has now come to an end, with the jury finding him guilty of transportation for prostitution, but not guilty for his heavier charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Liverpool FC and Portugal national football star Diogo Jota was killed in a car crash on Thursday, alongside his brother. Their car reportedly veered off a stretch of highway, discovered in flames. And Kanye West, also known as Ye, has had his visa cancelled by the federal government following the release of his song Heil Hitler. Immigration Minister Tony Burke confirmed the decision on Thursday, citing Ye’s “offensive comments.”
Finally, we couldn’t end the week without some more Trump activity. Whilst we avoided World War III (for now), citizens of the US, particularly low income earners, are set to lose considerable benefits with the passing of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. The bill promises to increase defense funding and border patrol, prioritise fossil fuels, and slash Medicaid – a government program that provides low-income citizens with health insurance and food stamps. We’ll have to wait and see if this is what finally makes America ‘great’.
We’ll be back here next week to unfold the chaos that is bound to occur here and around the world. In the meantime, take this Flex Week to unplug, relax, and avoid checking your inbox – you’ve earned it.