☕️ Victoria's "historic moment"

Oasis mania has arrived in Australia with iconic UK rock siblings Liam and Noel Gallagher taking the stage in Melbourne for the first two shows of their five-leg Australian run over the weekend. Music critics have been overwhelmingly impressed by the performances so far, and a quick browse of social media videos posted by the 50,000 fans attending each show suggests that they feel the same.

The Manchester rockers play one more show in Melbourne tomorrow night, before heading to Sydney for two shows on Friday and Saturday. Will they play Wonderwall? I’m heading to this Friday’s show, and 🎶 I say maybe… 🎶

"For more than 20 years, there has been a chronic underestimation of intrusion and theft risks.”
France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati speaking on French broadcaster TF1, after an initial report into security arrangements at The Louvre recommended urgent upgrades to prevent similar incidents to last month’s daylight theft of $156m worth of jewellery. Authorities have now arrested four suspects, while the stolen jewels remain missing.

$11.5 billion
The amount of money Australian teachers are estimated to be collectively losing in unpaid work each year, according to a Parliamentary Library analysis commissioned by The Greens. The analysis found that the median number of hours worked by a teacher was 50 hours per week, whilst their salary accounted for only 38 hours per week.

1985
The first Australian Formula One Grand Prix took place on the streets of Adelaide.

Victoria has become the first Australian jurisdiction to legislate a treaty with First Nations people.

On Friday, the Treaty Bill passed the state’s upper house. It also establishes the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria as a permanent body in Parliament.

Assembly Co-Chair Ngarra Murray, a Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung and Dhudhuroa woman, called the move a “historic moment” that “marks the beginning of a new era”.

The agreement will be signed and come into effect after a “ceremonial exchange” in December.

The bill will make the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria a permanent body that the Government must consult when “making laws, rules, or policies” about First Nations people in the state.

It will also continue the truth-telling process begun by the Yoorrook Justice Commission, and establish a new Outcomes and Justice Commission to provide independent oversight of the Government.

Additionally, truth-telling will be included in the Victorian school curriculum.

Following the bill’s passage, Treaty and First Peoples Minister Natalie Hutchins called the move “a major step forward in building a future that empowers and respects First Nations Victorians.”

Assembly Co-Chair and Gunditjmara man Rueben Berg said the treaty will grant First Nations people in the state “the ability to use our expertise to come up with and deliver practical solutions for our local communities”.

Reporting by Achol Arok.

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced restrictions on refugee admissions.

The new restriction is back-dated to 1 October. In the year following that, a maximum of 7,500 refugees will be allowed to enter the U.S.

In 2024, the country admitted 100,060 refugees.

Trump said the 7,500 places will “primarily be allocated” to a group of white South Africans called Afrikaners.

Afrikaners are a South African community of mostly Dutch origin.

Members of the group led the party that established the 1948 Apartheid system, which enforced racial segregation.

Under Apartheid, land ownership was heavily concentrated among white South Africans.

Though apartheid ended in 1994, land ownership disparities remain. Black South Africans comprise more than 80% of the population but own approximately 4% of the land.

In January 2025, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a bill into law allowing the Government to redistribute land deemed to be in the public interest.

The law allows redistribution without compensation in some cases, such as when land is abandoned.

In response, Trump accused South Africa of “confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY”. He signed an executive order to allow Afrikaners to apply for refugee status.

In May, 59 Afrikaner refugees arrived in the U.S.

Last week, restrictions on the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. were released to the public.

The 7,500 limit is the lowest since the U.S. established its modern refugee program in 1980.

On average, around 73,000 refugees have been admitted annually.

Trump has limited the 7,500 places to prioritise Afrikaners “who are victims of unjust racial discrimination”. He said the restrictions are “justified by humanitarian concerns” and are “in the national interest.”

In 2024, the countries with the highest number of refugees were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Syria.

In order for a country to appear in annual U.S. refugee intake records, a minimum of 10 of its citizens must seek refugee status in a given year.

South Africa has not met this threshold for at least 10 years.

Amnesty International labelled the restrictions “racist”.

“[It] will turn the U.S.’s back on tens of thousands of people... fleeing persecution, violence, and human rights abuses,” Director for Refugee and Migrant Rights Amy Fischer said.

Global Refuge President and CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said refugees need a pathway to safety that is “consistent, principled, and grounded in the promise that every life matters equally — not just the few who fit a favoured profile.”

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

Are you the political person in your group chat? 

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Titled Sing the 50 United States!, it was discovered earlier this year in the University of California, San Diego Geisel Library archives. The library is named in honour of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel — better known as Dr Seuss. Random House Children’s Books announced the discovery, which includes an original, never-before-seen manuscript and cover sketch.

Illustrator Tom Brannon will bring the pages to life with the iconic Cat in the Hat and two Little Cat helpers, guiding readers in learning the 50 U.S. states in signature Dr Seuss style. Deputy Publisher Judith Haut said the findings are “something we dream of”.

They are set for release in time for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July, 2026, which Haut called a “notable cultural and printing moment”.

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Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

The Government’s upcoming social media ban has sparked heated debate. Now, it has resulted in the entire relocation of one family.

Australian YouTubers, the ‘EMPIRE Family’, are moving to the UK. The family, with mums Beck and Bec, and their children Prezley (17) and Charlotte (14), has a combined 5 million subscribers on YouTube.

In their announcement video, the family mentioned that the timing was because Prezley was finishing school while Charlotte would be learning online, as well as the ban.

Mum Bec (or Beck?) said, although she understands the “need to protect young people” and isn’t “against the ban,” she believes they “use the internet for good.”

The dual-citizens said their move to the UK would mean “we can still use our social media.”

Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.

Last week, late-term abortions came up as a point of contention in Australia’s Parliament. It’s all because of a new proposed bill that would make it illegal for companies to cancel paid parental leave if a baby dies or is born stillborn.

So what’s the connection between that and late-term abortions? And how common actually are late-term abortions? We’ll tell you what you need to know in today’s podcast.