What we learned: Wednesday, 6 August
With that, we will wrap the blog for the day. Thanks for staying with us. Nick Visser will be back tomorrow morning to take you through Thursday’s breaking news. Until then, here were the biggest headlines:
Anthony Albanese spoke to France’s Emmanuel Macron about Gaza, climate and trade on the phone overnight.
Ed Husic called for the prime minister to work with Donald Trump as Australia weighs recognising a Palestinian state.
Faith and community groups called on Albanese to sanction Israel and recognise Palestine.
YouTube and Apple are not tracking the number of users reporting child sexual abuse on their platforms, the eSafety commissioner said. Meanwhile, Google said almost all child abuse content on YouTube was detected and removed.
Power prices could become more volatile due to the unpredictability of some renewable energy sources, a draft energy market review warned.
Victoria has recorded an 82% spike in e-bike collisions, with the blame laid on lingering “confusion” about how powerful the bikes can be.
NSW has moved to crack down on illegal tobacco vendors, with penalties of up to $1.5m in fines and seven years’ imprisonment.
Corporate regulator Asic said it was in the final stages of approving a rival for the ASX, after an application from CBOE Australia.
And Col Joye, the first Australian rock’n’roll musician to land a No 1 on the national music charts, has died at 89.
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$305,000 awarded to international student in ‘landmark’ sexual harassment case
The federal court has awarded an international student $305,000, after it found she was sexually harassed and further victimised by threats of a defamation case.
The damages ruling included $160,000 in general damages, which the Redfern Legal Centre said was the highest award ever recorded in an Australian sexual harassment claim.
The centre brought the case on behalf of the woman, then 22, who was working at a fast-food franchise. It was successful in claims of sexual harassment, victimisation and aggravated damages.
The woman has been unable to work for two and a half years since leaving the workplace where the harassment occurred, the centre said.
Seri Feldman-Gubbay, a senior solicitor at Redfern Legal Centre, said:
No matter your income, race, disability, or visa status, if you are working in Australia, you have the right to a safe workplace, free from discrimination and harassment.
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