Afternoon. The economy has ground to a halt, with GDP growth falling to just 0.1% in the March quarter.
On an annual basis, the economy grew 1.1%, which is lower than the 1.2% economists had predicted.
The main drag on the economy has come from the 13 interest rate rises by the Reserve Bank since May 2022, with the 4.25 percentage point increase the most since the early 1990s.
Top news
eSafety commissioner drops X case | Elon Musk’s X has declared that free speech has prevailed after the commissioner decided to drop the federal court case over the company’s failure to remove tweets of the video of the Wakeley church stabbing attack. X only made the tweets unavailable to Australian users after the commissioner ordered the platform to remove the tweets in April. The commissioner then sought a federal court injunction to delete the tweets entirely, only to drop the case before a hearing this month. The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said she would focus on a separate case in the administrative appeals tribunal.
Police officer who made homophobic remarks has dismissal overturned | A Victorian police officer who allegedly made comments about being sick of those “faggots” or “poofters” has had his dismissal from the force overturned. The Victorian Police Registration and Services Board instead ordered the unnamed officer to pay $10,000 to a gay colleague and $2,000 to the Victorian Pride Centre as compensation for the “disgraceful” comments, arguing the dismissal was harsh.
NT government puts Jabiluka uranium site on hold | The order issued will prevent mining and exploration for two years at the site, which is surrounded by Kakadu national park. The move is a preliminary win for the local traditional owners, the Mirrar people.
Stable sperm counts in Denmark cast doubt on ‘spermageddon’ fears | Contrary to other recent research, a new study finds no evidence of decline – but its conclusions are disputed by other fertility experts.
US House passes ICC sanctions bill over Netanyahu arrest warrant | The 247-155 vote amounts to Congress’s first legislative rebuke of the war-crimes court since prosecutor Karim Khan’s decision last month to seek arrest warrants for the leaders of Israel and Hamas. While the House bill was expected to pass, it was not likely to attract significant Democratic support, dulling its chances in the Senate. The White House opposes the legislation, calling it overreach.
Russia warns against French advisors in Ukraine | Any French military instructors in Ukraine would be a “legitimate target” for Russian armed forces, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said. Ukraine’s top commander said last week he had signed paperwork allowing French military instructors to access Ukrainian training centres soon. But France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, said last week he would not comment on “rumours or decisions that could be made”.
Hey Hey It’s Saturday’s John Blackman dies age 76 | The radio and voiceover veteran was diagnosed with aggressive skin cancer in 2019. Blackman was married twice and is survived by his wife, Cecile, and their daughter.
Australia to release special series of Bluey coins | Themed $1 coins have been unveiled by the Royal Australian Mint and a limited number will be available from Thursday 6 June.
In pictures
The American bedroom
From campervans and parks to bedsits crammed with family members, photographer Barbara Peacock finds her subjects at their most vulnerable. Click here to view the gallery.
What they said …
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“We’re not obsessed.” – Michael Miller, News Corp executive chairman
Appearing at the National Press Club, Miller responded to the ABC managing director David Anderson’s claim that News Corp is “obsessed” with the public broadcaster. Miller also gave a speech calling for the regulation of tech giants.
In numbers
Meanwhile, public schools will receive just $224.9m to 2024, as part of a temporary schools upgrade fund introduced by Labor. There is nothing for public schools beyond 2024.
Before bed read
Younger Australians feel like the game is rigged. And with the spending gap widening, who can blame them?
Older Australians are spending above the inflation rate, counteracting efforts to cool the economy and further disadvantaging younger generations, Intifar Chowdhury writes.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: ODES. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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