It's Friday! Here are this week's big stories and some that you might have missed
The big headlines
- Donald Trump reportedly hit pause on the conflict in the Middle East after it looked set to flare up with increased military strikes between Iran and the US. This conflict began after an alleged attack on a US Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, which drew a series of US retaliatory strikes.
- Former Australian of the Year Richard Scolyer passed away on Saturday, aged 59, after a long battle with brain cancer. Scolyer was one of the world’s top melanoma pathologists, known for volunteering to take part in a revolutionary cancer treatment after his glioblastoma diagnosis. He will be remembered for his bravery and contributions to cancer research.
- A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Philippines has left at least 37 dead. The earthquake off the coast of Sarangani province in Southern Philippines on Monday morning collapsed buildings and sounded tsunami alerts. More than 479 people were also injured across the region. The search continues for dozens of missing and displaced civilians.
What else happened this week?
Politicians clap back at misogynistic billboards
The Melbourne brothel, Gotham City, has been criticised for funding the campaign that echos the 2011 campaign against Gilliard.
Wikimedia Commons
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former PM Julia Gilliard have joined Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan to condemn a sexist billboard in Melbourne’s CBD. The sign featured a picture of Ms Allan, captioned with the slogan "ditch the witch." The PM said the promotion was "totally unacceptable".
Youth movement rocks India’s politics
The party takes their name from the comments of the chief justice of India, who claimed India’s unemployed young people were 'cockroaches'.
Wikimedia Commons
Thousands of youth protestors from the Cockroach Janta Party stormed the streets of Delhi last weekend, challenging the right-wing Modi government. The once satirical movement, led by founder Abhijeet Dipke, is protesting unemployment and India’s toxic exam culture.
OpenAI announces plans to enter stock market
The Open AI float will join Elon Musk’s SpaceX amidst a growing trend of tech IPOs.
Shutterstock
The company behind ChatGPT has announced that it will sell shares to the public after filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The announcement was made one week after fellow AI company Anthropic unveiled its plan to go public.
NRL’s Kane Evans comes out as gay
Evans is only the second rugby league professional in Australian history to publicly come out.
Wikimedia Commons
The retired footy star reflected on his struggle with his sexuality, as well as his battle with mental health and substance abuse, in an interview with Nine’s 100% Footy on Monday.
World Cup referee denied entry to US
US Customs and Border Protection said Artan was inadmissible due to 'vetting concerns'.
Wikimedia Commons
US officials denied Somali football referee Omar Artan entry just days out from the World Cup. FIFA confirmed that Artan is not permitted to officiate any World Cup games.
UN reveals record sea level rise in 10 years
The report included research from nearly 600 scientists across 86 different countries.
Pexels
The UN’s third World Ocean Assessment warned of "severe and accelerating" pressure on oceans due to human activities as sea-levels have risen to double that of a decade ago. Pollution, industrial fishing and the climate crisis have been identified as key stressors.
Antonelli wins F1 Monaco Grand Prix
Seven drivers failed to observe the chequered flag in the race.
Wikimedia Commons
Kimi Antonelli, who drives for Mercedes, claimed his fifth consecutive Grand Prix victory on Sunday. It was a chaotic event with two crashes at the final corner causing the race to be red-flagged with several laps to go.
Queensland’s govt accused of silencing Indigenous voices
The Queensland state government has been accused of minimising the voice of First Nations people in office
Wikimedia Commons
Indigenous barrister Joshua Creamer has accused the LNP state government of pursuing a strategy to minimise the influence of First Nations public servants in office. Creamer argues the government has removed Indigenous voices from state policy-making boards, including himself.
First vaccine developed by artificial intelligence
The antigen has been trialled in humans with ‘modest’ but promising results.
Shutterstock
The new vaccine, produced by University of Cambridge researchers, is said to protect against all coronaviruses, including Covid and other potential pandemic-causing viruses. It is the first time a vaccine’s key element has been designed solely by AI.
Chinese President pledges cooperation with North Korea
Xi believes the two nations should strengthen their connection 'in diplomacy, law enforcement, and the military'.
Wikimedia Commons
Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first trip to Pyongyang in seven years. The president’s rare visit came after he hosted US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladmir Putin, among other world leaders, last month.
And now for some good news
Heated Rivalry breaks award record at Canadian Screen Awards
Heated Rivalry has been a critical and commercial success.
Crave / Warner Bros
Heated Rivalry has taken the world by storm, winning a record-breaking 16 awards from its 18 nominations, including Best Drama Series, Best Directing, Best Writing in a Drama Series and Best Lead Performer for Canadian actor Hudson Williams. The awards came after the program was ruled as ineligible to compete at the Emmy Awards due to its lack of U.S. ownership. Despite this, Heated Rivalry continues to dominate headlines as fans eagerly anticipate the second season next April.
