TRANSCRIPT
- The Prime Minister seeks to assure Australians a crackdown on misogynistic content online won't impend on free speech
- Violent clashes break out between pro-Palestinian student protesters and counter-demonstrators in the United States
- Sydney Roosters' Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 300th game hopes dashed, as the veteran prop is plagued with a calf injury.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government's plans to crack down on misogynistic content online to reduce violence against women will not limit free speech.
Leaders agreed to a pilot of age verification to stop children from accessing harmful online material such as pornography, following a national cabinet meeting on gendered violence. [[MAY 1]]
An ad campaign will also be rolled out from June that will challenge misogynistic attitudes towards women on online platforms.
The Prime Minister told the ABC that online content with harmful views about women can be highly influential on young people.
"You have a debate at times about freedom of information and those issues, free speech. This isn't free speech to promote hatred and violence and misogyny. We need to have that debate as a society as well."
Labor says yesterday's announcements to address the gender-based violence crisis is only one part of tackling the issue.
Following an emergency national cabinet meeting with state and territory leaders, the government unveiled a $925 million package to provide $5000 for women fleeing violent situations.
The Leaving Violence Program will be a permanent extension of a trial, and comes into effect from July next year.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth told Channel 7 there's more to be done to address gendered violence.
"This program is a very important permanent program now. That means that women will have the financial support that they will need if they are thinking about leaving. But, of course, it's not the only program. We need to make sure that we are investing in prevention, early intervention, response and also healing and recovery. That's another important area because we don't want the cycle of this violence to continue."
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Jeremiah Manele has been elected as the next Prime Minister of Solomon Islands.
Mr Manele defeated former opposition leader Matthew Wale in a 31-18 vote.
It brings an end to Manasseh Sogavare's leadership, who announced he would withdraw from the race in a post-election press conference earlier this week.
The country's recent election has been watched closely by Australia, the United States and China after Mr Sogavare signed a controversial security pact with China in 2022.
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Violent clashes have broken out between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Student rallies have spread to dozens of schools across the U-S in recent days, with those participating expressing opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.
Footage broadcast on U-S television and posted on social media shows some protesters at U-C-L-A wielding sticks, tearing down metal barricades, while others were seen launching fireworks or throwing projectiles.
And hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators have been arrested by police in New York city.
Around 300 arrests were made, in attempts to disperse student demonstrators from a building inside Columbia University.
The White House has condemned the violence, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying Americans have the right to peacefully protest.
"Forcibly taking over a building is not peaceful. It's just not. Students have the right to feel safe. They have the right to learn. They have to right, the right to do this without disruption. And they have a right to feel safe on campus. As I just said, they have a right to attend their commencement without feeling, feeling unsafe. And what we're seeing is a small percentage of students. That's what we're seeing. They should not be able to disturb or disrupt the academic experience that students have. So, look, that's what, that's how we see things. It is important that, students and communities feel safe here. And at the same time, we are going to be really forceful here and continue to underscore how antisemitism is hateful speech. It is wrong. It is abhorrent, and we're going to continue to call that out."
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The federal government is pledging nearly $2 billion towards medical research in Australia.
As part of the Future Made in Australia policy, Health Minister Mark Butler says the government will commit $1.4 billion to a medical research future fund, focusing on research for low survival cancers, health inequities, and women's health.
An additional $500,000 will go towards clinical trials and the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Mr Butler says this investment will help develop medical research in Australia.
"Health and medical researchers in my experience in Australia are never content to rest on their laurels, they're constantly wanting to continue to push the envelope. And today's announcement of a package of around $1.9 billion in initiatives that will be contained in the budget the week after next will I think really assist health and medical researcher in Australia to do exactly that."
In Rugby league,
The Sydney Roosters have lost veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves from their clash against Brisbane with a calf complaint.
Waerea-Hagreaves was meant to play his 300th game for the Roosters on Friday night, but that has now been put on the backburner.
The Roosters are confident the injury is not serious, with the 35-year-old only expected to spend a short time on the sidelines.
