If you’ve spoken out against the Israeli genocide, you’ve probably been called an antisemite. Welcome to the industry.
I’ll start off by saying that I’m sure there has been a rise in antisemitism in Australia since Israel’s retaliation for the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
A genocide will always result in negative sentiment for those carrying it out, and those seen as aligned with it, either by defending it, or seeking to avert attention from it.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has left rates on hold, following its Board meeting over the past two days.
The cash rate remains at 4.35%. The rate was last changed in November 2023.
This is the statement issued by the Reserve Bank:
Selective school tutoring services are specialized programs designed to prepare students for entrance exams of selective schools, enhancing their academic skills and boosting competitiveness through tailored learning strategies based on individual capabilities.
Jim Chalmers, the Federal Treasurer, has warned that global circumstances mean that the May Budget will lack the revenue growth of last year’s budget.
Listen to Chalmers’ press conference (25m):
Watch Chalmers’ press conference (25m):
Richard Marles, the Defence Minister, has launched a new National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program.
Marles spoke today at the National Press Club. A full transcript of his speech appears below.
Watch Richard Marles at the National Press Club (72m):
The terrorism incident in Sydney last night saw the government, Federal Police and ASIO speaking out today in an attempt to calm Australians already unsettled by the Bondi shopping centre murders on Saturday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has today become Australia’s 22nd longest-serving prime minister, overtaking Harold Holt’s term of 1 year, 10 months and 23 days.
Harold Holt was prime minister in 1966-1967. He disappeared on December 17, 1967 at Cheviot Beach, Portsea, whilst swimming. His body was never found.
Albanese became the 31st prime minister on May 23, 2022, following the ALP’s victory in the election of May 21.
On May 20, 2024, Albanese will overtake Tony Abbott’s term of 1 year, 11 months and 28 days.
A knife attack at the Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre in Sydney has resulted in the deaths of seven people, including the killer.
The dead include four women and one male who died at the shopping centre. The mother of a nine-month old baby subsequently died in hospital. The baby was also stabbed in the attack.
The killer, a lone 40-year-old male, known to police, was shot dead by a NSW Police Inspector who was the first police officer to arrive on the scene.
Samantha Mostyn, a lawyer,business-woman and gender equality campaigner, has been appointed the 28th Governor-General of Australia.
The appointment was announced this morning by the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. The vice-regal appointment is made by King Charles III on the advice of the prime minister.
Mostyn will take up the 5-year appointment on July 1, 2024.
Watch the Albanese-Mostyn press conference (26m):
This is Senator Dave Sharma’s maiden speech to the Senate.
Sharma, a Liberal, assumed his NSW Senate position on November 30, 2023. He filled a casual vacancy created by the departure of Senator Marise Payne. At her retirement, Payne was the longest-serving female senator, having held her seat for 26 years, 5 months and 21 days since 1997.
The Reserve Bank has left the cash rate unchanged at 4.35%, in a decision announced today.
The cash rate has now been held at 4.35% for the past four months.
In a statement released today, the RBA board says that inflation has moderated but is still high. It says the “outlook is highly uncertain”.
Watch RBA Governor Michele Bullock’s press conference (39m):
The commercial future of AI will soon be bigger than the actions of any firm, individual, research team, or open-source community. In the near term, a massive tailwind of potential use cases and nearly completed projects will determine the rate of progress in creating value for users and suppliers. Still, the source of the next frontier commercial breakthrough and the distribution of profits look undetermined and, for reasons to be explained, underdetermined.
Large language models (LLMs) have overrun commercial markets, more like a tsunami than a normal technical wave of interest. The topic is everywhere –news stories, blogs, podcasts, startup investments, analyst reports, hackathons, and government announcements. A virtual frenzy surrounds it.
The Defence Minister, Richard Marles, has announced an upgrade and expansion of the Australian Navy to give it an “enhanced lethality surface combatant fleet”.
Flanked by the Pat Conroy, the Minister for Defence Industry, Marles announced an additional $11 billion over the next decade. The money will be used to expand the Navy’s fleet of warships to 26 vessels, an increase of 15 craft.
Commitments to the construction of naval vessels in South Australia and Western Australia were reiterated, with ship workers being promised work for deacdes.