☕️ Millions of Australians to get pay rise

How great has it been watching the Matildas back on the field again?

Last night, goalkeeper Lydia Williams played her final national home game after 19 years with the Matildas. And it was a great game too – with Australia beating China 2-0 in front of a sold-out crowd at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Congrats to Lydia!

“He should be careful, Mr Speaker, or Josh Frydenberg might be in his seat when he gets back.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers after the Speaker ejected a Liberal MP from Question Time yesterday. It comes after it was speculated that former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was considering a return to politics. However, Frydenberg quashed the rumours yesterday.

59%
The percentage of Australian artists, creators and journalists, surveyed by the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, who say they’re concerned Artificial Intelligence could take their job.

1824
The Hobart Town Gazette became the first newspaper printed in Australia without approval from a Government censor.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called on Israel and Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Biden announced the proposed temporary ceasefire over the weekend amid Israel's ongoing military offensive in Rafah, in southern Gaza.

In Senate Estimates yesterday, Wong said an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” is needed and that the Australian Government welcomed the proposal.

“What we have seen in Rafah underlines why Australia and the international community have been united in opposition,” she said.

Wong continued: “We reiterate to the Netanyahu Government: This cannot continue… Hamas must release hostages. Israel must allow aid to flow at scale, as directed by the [International Court of Justice].”

The Fair Work Commission has announced it will increase minimum wages by 3.75%.

Both the ‘national minimum wage’, which affects 1% of the workforce, and minimum award wages, affecting 2.6 million Australians, are covered by this increase.

It comes after unions and the Government called on Fair Work to lift wages to meet cost-of-living pressures.

Last year, minimum award wages increased by 5.75%, and the national minimum wage increased by 8.65% — the largest in at least a decade.

The Fair Work Commission is an independent Government tribunal. Once a year, it releases a decision on changes to two types of wages.

The national minimum wage sets out the minimum rate of pay for employees across all sectors.

Award minimum wages are the base rates in pay agreements that apply to workers in specific sectors.

Fair Work announced on Monday that both the minimum wage and the award rates will increase by 3.75% from 1 July.

The Commission said its decision considered primarily cost of living pressures on “the needs of the low paid” and “the need to achieve gender equality.”

The increase will impact nearly 22% of the Australian workforce, made up mostly of women and casual workers.

In its recent submission to the Fair Work Commission, the Government argued inflation disproportionately disadvantages low-paid workers.

It welcomed yesterday’s decision, calling it a “win for workers” and “a win for women”.

“We want to see strong and sustainable wages growth because we see this as part of the solution to the cost-of-living challenge, not part of the problem.”

Peak business body the Australian Commerce of Chamber and Industry (ACCI) called for a pay rise of no more than 2%.

ACCI CEO Andrew McKellar said yesterday’s decision “tests the acceptable limits for business”.

McKellar said small businesses aren’t in a position to absorb wage increases

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) called for a 5% increase and a further 4% for workers in female-dominated industries like teaching and nursing.

The ACTU said the increase is not as high as it would like, but is a step forward in the right decision.

“Any day working people get a pay increase is a good day,” ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said.

How much do you know about pigmentation?

Considering up to 50% of people experience pigmentation*, we wanted to break down exactly what it is.

Everyone has pigmentation and the amount you have determines your natural skin, hair and eye colour.

Hyperpigmentation is when an area of skin on your body is darker than your normal skin tone.

Sun exposure, genetics, hormonal changes, skin injuries and medical conditions can all lead to hyperpigmentation.

Targeted solutions, like La Roche Posay’s Mela B3 Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum, are one way to help target and prevent further hyperpigmentation.

Find out more about the breakthrough Dark Spot Serum – Mela B3, from the No.1 Dermatologist Recommended Skincare Brand Worldwide, La Roche Posay**.

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The 27-year-old claimed victory by almost six points at the event in Texas.

The win is also the seven-time Olympic medalist’s ticket to the trials for the U.S. Olympic team.

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Here’s hoping fifth time’s the charm for Rupert Murdoch.

The 93-year-old media mogul married his fifth wife, 67-year-old retired molecular biologist Elena Zhukova, over the weekend.

The wedding was held at Murdoch’s California vineyard, around three months after their engagement was first reported.

Australia’s workplace dispute tribunal, the Fair Work Commission, has delivered a ruling in the case between journalist Antoinette Lattouf and the ABC.

It ruled that Lattouf was indeed sacked by ABC, which had been disputed by the public broadcaster.

This ruling paves the way for Lattouf to pursue a Federal Court claim that her dismissal was unfair.