It's Friday! Here are this week's big stories and some that you might have missed
The big headlines
- The US President and First Lady were evacuated from the White House correspondent’s dinner last Saturday after shots rang out. Police identified the gunman as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, who has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president. One Secret Service agent was struck with a bullet that hit a ballistic vest, but nobody else was harmed.
- Police have found the body of a child believed to be the 5-year-old girl who went missing from her home in Alice Springs on Saturday night. Jefferson Lewis, who is alleged to have murdered the girl, was arrested late last night. Violence erupted outside the Alice Springs hospital, where it is believed Lewis was taken after his arrest, with police deploying tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
- ANZAC dawn services in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth were interrupted by booing over the weekend. The heckling during the Welcome to Country, drew condemnation from Indigenous elders, political leaders and military veterans who called the disruption "disgraceful". One man was charged with an "act of nuisance" at the Sydney service while Western Australia police issued move-on notices to ten people who allegedly tried to disrupt proceedings.
What else happened this week?
Deadlock between US and Iran continues
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has questioned whether the US is "serious about diplomacy". (Wikimedia Commons)
Donald Trump cancelled a US envoy to Pakistan last Saturday after Tehran announced it would not attend talks while the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remained intact.
King Charles gives rare speech to US Congress
The king and queen are on a four day state visit to the US, which coincides with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (Shutterstock)
King Charles spoke at a joint meeting of the US Senate and House of Representatives during his US trip, touching on NATO, climate change, and the war in Ukraine. It was the first royal address to Congress in 35 years since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
Inflation reaches highest level since 2023
Australians are being hit hard by rising prices thanks to inflation. (Shutterstock)
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed inflation rising from 3.7 per cent to 4.6 per cent in March, the highest level since 2023. The cost of fuel was identified as the main reason for the rise.
New US ambassador to Australia named
Brat has mainly spoken about economics and Christianity throughout his career, and has no formal foreign affairs background. (Wikimedia Commons)
Former Republican congressperson David Brat has been named the new US ambassador to Australia by the White House, pending approval from the US senate.
Indigenous evacuees in remote NT housed in ‘prison camp’
Residents described invasive behaviour from guards and bag searches at the compound. (Pexels)
Remote Indigenous communities, evacuated from their homes due to flooding in the Northern Territory, are housed in a compound "like a prison camp".
Musk and Altman take feud to court
The two men have a long history of disagreements since Musk’s 2018 exit from OpenAI. (Wikimedia Commons)
Tesla founder Elon Musk has accused fellow tech titan Sam Altman, with whom he founded OpenAI in 2015, of breaking the company’s founding agreement by converting it to a for-profit enterprise.
Proposed laws could force tech giants to pay for content
The ABC, News Corp , Nine and SBS have supported the proposal. (Shutterstock)
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has put forward draft laws that would force social media companies like Meta, Google and YouTube to pay for Australian journalism.
Opal system to be overhauled
The Opal system was introduced 13 years ago. (Shutterstock)
The redevelopment of NSW’s public transport fare system Opal will introduce digital cards, new card readers and weekly fare caps. Described as the "biggest overhaul" of the Opal system since its introduction, it will cost $820 million and is slated for completion in 2028.
PNG Chiefs land first player
Luai will remain at the Tigers throughout 2027. (Wikimedia Commons)
Wests Tigers co-captain Jarome Luai has signed a two-year deal with NRL club the PNG Chiefs, and will join them for their inaugural season in 2028. Luai spent the weekend in PNG and met with prime minister James Marape before making the decision.
And now for some good news
Dee Why dog rescued from high-rise ledge
NSW Fire & Rescue called in specialist teams to rescue the dog. (Shutterstock)
Two-year-old canine Ellbie, who had been missing since last Friday, was spotted stuck on the ledge of a high-rise building in Dee Why by a drone user on Monday afternoon. Fire and Rescue personnel were on scene soon after to rescue the precariously placed pooch, who was returned to those looking after her.
