☕️ Iranian President missing after helicopter crash

Right now, I’m on my way to chilly Canberra to interview Katy Gallagher, who is the Minister for both Women and Finance.

We’ll be interviewing her about the rising rates of men’s violence against women, the rising rate of homeless women, and the gender pay gap (amongst other issues).

You can still send in question suggestions if you’d like! Just hit reply to this email.

“Despite having miniature and seemingly simple brains, bees have shown a vast array of complex behaviours....[and] intelligence in the form of face recognition, basic arithmetic, rudimentary tool use, problem-solving, rule-learning, and more. We continue to be amazed by the cognitive feats of different bee species from studies around the world.”
Dr Scarlett Howard from Monash University, speaking about the importance of bees for World Bee Day today.

100kg
That’s how much methamphetamine one man imported into Australia, hidden in the soles of leather sandals. He has since been arrested and charged by police.

2002
Timor-Leste gained its independence. It came after a 1999 referendum that was sponsored by the UN.

Deaths on Australian roads have reached the highest level on record since 2012.

Government data shows 1,310 people died on roads across the country in the year to 30 April — an 11% increase in deaths compared to the previous year.

Peak motoring body, the Australian Automobile Association, has called on state and territory governments to publish more data on road accidents, including causes of death.

Road fatalities over the last year surged to their highest rate since 2012, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE).

Deaths increased in most parts of the country. NSW saw the biggest annual rise, with 31% more fatalities.

Victoria reported a 12.4% increase in road fatalities for the year to May, while SA recorded a nearly 10% increase.

However, road deaths were lower in WA, Tas and the ACT compared to the previous year.

The number of deaths on Australian roads has been trending higher over recent years, according to BITRE data.

The rising death toll comes despite the Federal Government’s campaign to end road deaths by 2050, including drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

The cause of road deaths, such as speeding or alcohol, isn’t known because states and territories don’t publish data on “road trauma”.

Eligible Australians who’ve paid off their HECS debt since June 2023 will receive a cash refund from the Australian Tax Office.

It comes after the Government announced changes to indexation, set to wipe $3 billion in student debt.

Indexation is the annual increase in student debt to reflect inflation (rising prices). Subject to legislation being passed, the Government said it will backdate the changes to reduce last year’s historic 7.1% indexation figure.

So, how will it work, and what if you’ve paid off your HECS in the last year?

The last indexation rate ATO announced student loans would increase by 7.1% in June 2023, the highest increase since 1990. This was because inflation was very high.

In a recent pre-budget announcement, the Government said it introduce a bill to overhaul indexation, to ensure it couldn’t be as high as it was last year.

If the bill passes, indexation will be based on the lower of either the consumer price index (the rate of inflation) or the wage price index (the figure measuring rising wages).

The Government’s plan to index HECS at the lower rate of these two figures will be backdated, meaning the 7.1% increase will be erased, and replaced with a 3.2% increase based on the WPI instead.

The difference between the original and new figures is 3.9%. The Government estimates that a $25,000 HECS debt would be reduced by over $1,000 due to its proposed changes.

The reforms mean the Government will essentially owe people a 3.9% refund on the HECS indexation they were charged in June 2023.

For Australians still paying off their HECS, this will be taken off their balance automatically.

However, those who’ve paid off their HECS since June 2023 will have the 3.9% difference credited to them.

For example, if you had a $10,000 HECS debt on May 31 2023, this would have increased to around $10,710 the following day.

However, if you’d been indexed at the corrected 3.2%, your debt would’ve risen to $10,320.

That means you were over-indexed by around $380.

If you still have a HECS balance, it will be reduced by $380. If you paid that debt in full since then, the Government will owe you $380.

The cash refund will only apply to those who paid their HECS debt in full after May 2023, when the 7.1% indexation rate was initially applied.

It won’t apply to those who paid their debts entirely ahead of the 7.1% increase kicking in.

A spokesperson for Education Minister Jason Clare told TDA that Australians who’ve paid off their HECS since June 2023 will receive a cash refund.

The refund will be automatically credited to whichever bank account users have linked to their MyGov.

However, anyone who owes the Government unpaid tax may have their refund directed back to the ATO to settle their outstanding payments.

This week is officially Australian Made Week!

From the Great Barrier Reef, to Kylie Minogue – it should come as no surprise that Australia has produced some pretty iconic things. But it doesn't stop there. This Australian Made Week, you can get behind Aussie makers and growers by shopping locally made products.

Whether it’s fashion, skincare, furniture, or toys – you can find whether an item is genuinely and authentically Australian made by looking for the green triangle and gold kangaroo logo.

Make an impact when you shop by helping us celebrate Australian Made Week.

About 25,500 people were in attendance for the clash, which is nearly double the attendance of last year's series opener.

It was also the the most-watched Women's State of Origin match on record, with a total TV national audience of more than 940,000.

Sometimes the best food is the most simple food, and that is absolutely the case for this new Michelin starred-eatery.

A cash-only Mexican taco stand has recently been given a prestigious Michelin star, putting it in the ranks of the world’s best fine dining restaurants. It’s also the first taco stand to be on the famous food guide.

Taquería El Califa de León, located in Mexico City, serves corn tortillas with a slice of freshly cooked beef, seasoned with a generous wedge of lime and a sprinkle of salt.

Chef Rivera Martínez told The Associated Press: “The secret is the simplicity of our taco… and the quality of the meat.”

Three A-League players were arrested in Sydney on Friday morning over an alleged corrupt betting scheme.

A-League is the highest level of professional men's soccer in Australia - and this has the potential to be one of the biggest scandals to hit Australian football in decades.

In today’s podcast, we’re going to go through what we know about what has allegedly happened, what happens next, and Australia’s history of corrupt betting in sport.