Australia politics live: Ed Husic says Coalition position on ICC arrest warrants is ‘staggering’; Plibersek in rogue microphone mishap during Sky News interview

Labor minister says Peter Dutton’s opposition ‘wants to pick what law and order it’ll follow’

Ed Husic details government’s new battery strategy

The industry and science minister, Ed Husic, has been speaking to ABC RN about the government’s newly unveiled national battery strategy. As Karen Middleton reports, the strategy is aimed at turning Australia from a “dig-and-ship” economy that sells off its critical minerals into a powerhouse manufacturer of better and safer renewable energy storage.

China is obviously the biggest producer [and] a lot of countries are recognising that their dependency on that concentrated supply chain isn’t in [their] national interest longer-term. If there are disruptions to that supply, either accidental or otherwise, we’re left vulnerable and these are in terms of the batteries themselves – they’re complex in nature. It’s also driven by software, so we need to have safe and secure batteries, energy storage systems, longer term.

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Tech tycoon Mike Lynch, accused of ‘massive’ fraud, set to testify at US trial

Lawyers for founder of software firm Autonomy, charged over $11bn Hewlett-Packard deal, suggest they may move for mistrial

The British entrepreneur Mike Lynch is expected to take the stand in a San Francisco federal courthouse on Thursday as a key witness in his own criminal fraud trial, which began in March.

US authorities have charged the former software tycoon with 16 counts of wire fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy relating to his company’s acquisition deal with Hewlett-Packard in 2011. If convicted, Lynch faces up to 25 years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty.

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Without measles immunisation ‘little spot fire’ outbreaks may become harder to control, experts warn

People urged to check they are fully immunised after NSW and Victorian health authorities alert to three separate cases of virus in May

Australians are being urged to check they are fully immunised against measles after a number of outbreaks of the highly contagious virus.

Health authorities in New South Wales and Victoria alerted the public in May to three separate cases, all in travellers returning from overseas. There have been 35 confirmed measles cases across Australia so far in 2024, more than in all of 2023.

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Almost a third of household smart meters not working properly, says Citizens Advice

Charity says tech problems and poor customer service mean millions in Great Britain missing out on promised benefits

The number of gas and electricity smart meters that are not working properly is likely to be higher than government figures suggest – possibly 20% to 30% of the total – according to research from Citizens Advice.

The charity said millions of households were missing out on the promised benefits from smart meters due to “problems with technology” and poor supplier customer service.

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General election 2024: Sunak says Labour taking victory for granted as Starmer calls on voters to ‘stop the chaos’ on 4 July – as it happened

Prime minister announces early summer election with date putting parties on campaign trail for six weeks

In an interview with Sky News this morning, Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, was asked if the UK would follow Ireland, Spain and Norway in formally recognising a Palestinian state. No, he replied. He told Sky:

We have a long-standing position on this that we will be prepared to recognise the state of Palestine at the time that it most helps the peace process, and we will continue to keep that under review.

We will continue to keep that under review. But our position is that this is not the right time to do it at the moment.

Dubbed “Sue’s shit list” by one senior Labour official, it has been drawn up by the former civil servant to identify the most immediate problems Labour would face in office if it wins the election expected this year.

Senior Labour officials said that any one of the areas on Gray’s “government risk register” could puncture a honeymoon period for a new administration led by Sir Keir Starmer.

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NSW government extends life of Australia’s biggest coal-fired power station by two years to 2027

Deal struck with Origin Energy, owner of 2.88-gigawatt Eraring plant near Lake Macquarie, to limit risk of electricity shortages as renewables come online

Australia’s biggest coal-fired power station will remain operational for at least two more years after the New South Wales government signed a deal with its owner, Origin Energy, in an attempt to limit the risk of electricity shortages until more renewables are built.

The agreement, announced on Thursday, involves NSW taxpayers underwriting the 2.88-gigawatt Eraring plant near Lake Macquarie to keep generating power beyond the scheduled closure date of August 2025 Origin set two years ago.

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Farm owners in California mass shooting to pay workers $450,000

Workplace killings in 2023 revealed hazardous working conditions of migrant farmworkers in Half Moon Bay

The owners of two mushroom farms in northern California where a disgruntled employee shot and killed seven people last year will pay a total of more than $450,000 in back wages and damages to 62 employees.

In an announcement released on Monday following an extensive investigation, the US labor department said the payment is an element of administrative settlements reached by the department’s wage and hour division with California Terra Garden and Concord Farms.

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Nikki Haley says she will vote for Donald Trump in 2024 election

U-turn by ex-president’s most enduring rival during Republican primaries provokes swift backlash

Nikki Haley, who emerged as Donald Trump’s most enduring rival and trenchant critic during the Republican primary elections, has said she intends to vote for the former US president in November.

Haley was speaking at the Hudson Institute thinktank in Washington on Wednesday, her first public appearance since dropping out of the race in March. She was asked whether Joe Biden or Trump would do a better job on national security issues.

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Election 2024 latest news: Biden to welcome Kenyan president; Trump trial on hiatus – The Washington Post

  1. Election 2024 latest news: Biden to welcome Kenyan president; Trump trial on hiatus  The Washington Post
  2. Kenyan President's State Visit: An Antidote to U.S. Troubles in Africa?  The New York Times
  3. Biden is honoring Kenya with state visit as the East African nation prepares to send police to Haiti  The Associated Press
  4. WATCH LIVE: President Biden attends engagement with Kenya’s President William Ruto  Fox News
  5. Biden welcoming Kenya's Ruto for White House state visit  CBS News
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Trump attends Houston lunch to ask oil bosses for more campaign cash

Invitation-only meeting comes on heels of controversial dinner at Mar-a-Lago where Trump reportedly offered $1bn quid pro quo

Donald Trump was continuing to ask fossil-fuel executives to fund his presidential campaign on Wednesday, despite scrutiny of his relationship with the industry.

The former president attended a fundraising luncheon at Houston’s Post Oak hotel hosted by three big oil executives.

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Nvidia reports stratospheric growth as AI boom shows no sign of stopping

Chipmaker reports strong demand and higher-than-expected revenue even as other companies spend to develop their own chips

Nvidia reported record quarterly revenue Wednesday on the back of the explosion in corporate appetite for artificial intelligence.

“The next industrial revolution has begun – companies and countries are partnering with Nvidia … to produce a new commodity: artificial intelligence,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia.

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Macron arrives in New Caledonia amid calls for France to drop voting changes

Visit by president intended to quell serious unrest over plans in Paris to expand voting eligibility to include more French nationals

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has arrived in New Caledonia in an urgent attempt to calm tensions in the French Pacific territory, after more than a week of riots, which have left six dead.

The unrest was sparked by anger among Indigenous Kanak people over constitutional changes backed by Paris that would give voting rights to tens of thousands of non-Indigenous residents. Local leaders fear the change will dilute the Kanak vote and undermine longstanding efforts to secure independence.

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CDC warns of more US bird flu cases after second human infected by cows

Centers for Disease Control notes high levels of virus in raw milk amid outbreak among cows, after Michigan dairy worker infected

A Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu – the second human case associated with an outbreak in US dairy cows, after a case emerged in Texas earlier this spring.

The new patient had mild eye symptoms and has recovered, US and Michigan health officials said in announcing the case on Wednesday afternoon. The worker had been in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and the risk to the public remains low, officials said.

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UK PM Rishi Sunak calls surprise July election as his party seeks to defy dire polls – CNN

  1. UK PM Rishi Sunak calls surprise July election as his party seeks to defy dire polls  CNN
  2. British PM calls for election as crowd plays opposition anthem  CNN
  3. Things Can Only Get Wetter for Rishi Sunak and the Tories  Bloomberg
  4. Cringing in the rain: soggy Rish! kickstarts his farewell tour  The Guardian
  5. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Announces U.K. General Elections for July 4  The New York Times
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Leads Funeral Prayers for President – The New York Times

  1. Iran's Supreme Leader Leads Funeral Prayers for President  The New York Times
  2. Secretive Son of Iran's Supreme Leader Quietly Wields Power After President's Death  The Wall Street Journal
  3. Iran leader to Haniyeh: 'Zionist entity will one day be eliminated, Palestine will rise from the river to the sea'  The Times of Israel
  4. Middle East turmoil: Spain, Norway and Ireland to recognize a Palestinian state  CNN
  5. Trump campaign video includes references to a 'unified Reich'  The Associated Press
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US ‘concerned’ by Israel’s isolation, Biden national security adviser says

Jake Sullivan appears critical of decision by Spain, Ireland and Norway to formally recognise Palestinian state next week

The US is concerned about Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation among countries that have traditionally supported it, Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Wednesday.

Sullivan’s remarks, at a White House briefing, followed the announcement by Ireland, Spain and Norway that they will next week formally recognise a Palestinian state. They also came amid efforts by the Biden administration and Congress to coordinate a response to a decision by the international criminal court (ICC) to seek an arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over Israeli actions in Gaza.

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Norway, Ireland and Spain say they will recognize a Palestinian state, deepening Israel’s isolation – The Associated Press

  1. Norway, Ireland and Spain say they will recognize a Palestinian state, deepening Israel's isolation  The Associated Press
  2. Norway, Ireland and Spain say they will recognize a Palestinian state, angering Israel. What does this mean?  Yahoo! Voices
  3. Norway, Ireland and Spain join list of countries that recognize Palestine state  Axios
  4. Mapping which countries recognise Palestine in 2024  Al Jazeera English
  5. Israel-Gaza live updates: 3 European countries to recognize Palestinian state  ABC News
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5 female Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Hamas seen in sick new video – New York Post

  1. 5 female Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Hamas seen in sick new video  New York Post
  2. Families of female Israeli hostages release graphic abduction footage to pile pressure on Netanyahu  CNN
  3. Families of Israeli hostages release video of female soldiers being captured by Hamas  Yahoo! Voices
  4. Families of 5 Israeli hostages of Hamas release graphic video to push for their release  Fox News
  5. New Video Shows Hamas Fighters Taking Israeli Soldiers Hostage  The New York Times
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