![\"Benita](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781660649_815_Benita_Kolovos.png\")
Benita Kolovos<\/p>\nVictorian premier to seek advice on plan for US weapons stockpileBenita Kolovos<\/p>\n
Returning to Victorian premier Jacinta Allan\u2019s press conference earlier this morning. She\u2019s been asked about the US military\u2019s plan for a permanent, war-ready weapons stockpile for its Marine Corps in the state.<\/p>\n
When asked if she was aware of the plan, Allan said:<\/p>\n
double quotation markI\u2019ll need to take some advice on that.<\/p>\n
Pressed on whether the stockpile could put Victoria at risk from other countries in the region, she said:<\/p>\n
double quotation markI don\u2019t think you could necessarily extrapolate that from, if that scenario was to come about, we have already here in Victoria, and indeed in [and] around the country, we have many partnerships through the defence industry sector with other countries, companies, whether it\u2019s the US, whether it\u2019s South Korea with Hanwha down at Avalon, so these arrangements are not necessarily unusual, but we would get some advice on that.<\/p>\n
Allan said questions were best put to the federal government.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.29 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Former Star boss fined $700,000 for ignoring criminal risks<\/p>\n The former chief of Star has been fined $700,000 for ignoring criminal risks from overseas gamblers after a judge slashed the sought penalty due to a previous lenient deal, AAP reports.<\/p>\n Former Star chief executive Matthias Bekier failed to inform the company\u2019s board of suspicious conduct committed by Chinese junket operator Suncity in 2018 and 2019, the federal court found in March. Bekier and former Star general counsel Paula Martin were successfully sued<\/a> by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for breaches of their duties.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, justice Michael Lee imposed the penalty on Bekier, finding the casino boss headed an organisation that had been allowed to operate despite its inherent risks as long as it remained vigilant.<\/p>\n The casino\u2019s corporate governance failures emerged because its overseers didn\u2019t \u201cblow the trumpet\u201d when they saw \u201cthe sword coming\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n The judge also hit Martin with a fine of $400,000. Bekier was banned from managing corporations for six years while Martin was banned for seven years.<\/p>\n Lawyers for Asic originally sought a $1.3m fine against Bekier and a $1.1m fine against Martin at a hearing in May.<\/p>\n The Star casino in Sydney. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.40 EDT<\/p>\n A rat sighting in New Zealand can trigger an urgent response. Meet the \u2018ghostbusters\u2019 hunting them down<\/p>\n In many places around the world, discovering a rat in your garden would barely register a second thought.<\/p>\n But in parts of New Zealand, a single rat, possum or stoat can trigger an urgent response, as the country embarks on a world-leading project to eradicate introduced predators by 2050 to save its unique wildlife from further decimation.<\/p>\n A team member of the Predator Free Wellington Rat eradication program. Photograph: Tim Sutton\/Predator Free Wellington<\/p>\n Wellington resident Davin Hall knows first-hand. In March he noticed large tunnels cutting through the compost bin at his home. He suspected a rat and after two weeks of trying to catch the pest, he called in the cavalry: a team of pest-catchers who will try all methods possible to hunt down and kill a single rat.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like this idea of Ghostbusters,\u201d says James Willcocks, project director at Predator Free Wellington, which hunts down pests in the New Zealand capital.<\/p>\n Read more here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.26 EDT<\/p>\n Just a heads up that Pauline Hanson will speak at the National Press Club in Canberra today, starting at 12.30pm.<\/p>\n Political blogger extraordinaire Krishani Dhanji will step in and be with you for commentary on her remarks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Albanese says watching State of Origin tonight \u2018much more fulfilling\u2019 than Hanson at Press Club<\/p>\n Anthony Albanese was asked if One Nation was ready to govern amid a surge in polling and ahead of Pauline Hanson\u2019s address to the National Press Club today.<\/p>\n The prime minister had this to say:<\/p>\n double quotation markOne thing that we know is that the questions that I hope are asked at the Press Club, is why is it that One Nation is opposed to all of the cost-of-living measures that my government has put in place. \u2026<\/p>\n Well, what we\u2019ve done in difficult economic circumstances is to make sure that we continue to prioritise cost-of-living measures. That\u2019s what good government looks like.<\/p>\n When asked if he would tune in, Albanese said he had a \u201cbusy day\u201d ahead.<\/p>\n double quotation markI\u2019ll leave that to the media \u2026 I\u2019ll be watching the State of Origin tonight. And I\u2019m sure that will be much more fulfilling.<\/p>\n Prime minister Anthony Albanese. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.57 EDT<\/p>\n Albanese says deal with childcare workers will help fill \u2018massive vacancies\u2019 in early learning<\/p>\n Anthony Albanese is speaking about an agreement to extend an increase in salaries for childcare workers by 15%<\/a> for another 18 months. He said the increase would help deal with \u201cmassive vacancies in early learning\u201d.<\/p>\n The prime minister said:<\/p>\n double quotation markPeople were leaving the sector because they couldn\u2019t afford to stay in the sector. Even though they loved the work, these workers here, and every centre I\u2019ve been into right around Australia, what I do is I meet workers who are so proud. \u2026<\/p>\n Combined with minimum wage increases, a typical full-time educator will earn around $255 more a week than before these changes. That\u2019s a real difference. That makes an enormous difference to people\u2019s quality of life in the sector.<\/p>\n Jason Clare, the education minister, said one of the benefits of having more full-time staff in a centre would be stability:<\/p>\n double quotation markYou don\u2019t have people moving in and out, being at a different centre every day.<\/p>\n Child drawing at a childcare centre. Photograph: Joel Carrett\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.15 EDT<\/p>\n One Nation\u2019s health policies based on misconceptions and may cost the taxpayer, experts warn<\/p>\n Medical experts have blasted One Nation\u2019s health policies, saying they do not make sense, are based on misconceptions and could cost taxpayers more money while leaving vulnerable Australians without access to care.<\/p>\n The party has promised to withdraw Australia from the World Health Organization<\/a> and to scrap regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration, rolling its \u201cessential functions\u201d into the health department. It has also proposed adding photo ID to Medicare cards.<\/p>\n One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAP<\/p>\n The Grattan Institute health program director, said some of the policies looked like mistakes.<\/p>\n Breadon pointed out that the TGA was already part of the health department.<\/p>\n \u201cTargeting an agency that is majority funded through cost recovery [fees and charges to pharmaceuticals], not through taxpayer funding, also doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense,\u201d he said. \u201cSo that really doesn\u2019t stand up to even a very small amount of scrutiny.<\/p>\n double quotation markIt just looks to me like an error.<\/p>\n Read more here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.26 EDT<\/p>\n Victorian premier to seek advice on plan for US weapons stockpile Returning to Victorian premier Jacinta Allan\u2019s press conference earlier this morning. She\u2019s been asked about the US military\u2019s plan for a permanent, war-ready weapons stockpile for its Marine Corps in the state.<\/p>\n When asked if she was aware of the plan, Allan said:<\/p>\n double quotation markI\u2019ll need to take some advice on that.<\/p>\n Pressed on whether the stockpile could put Victoria at risk from other countries in the region, she said:<\/p>\n double quotation markI don\u2019t think you could necessarily extrapolate that from, if that scenario was to come about, we have already here in Victoria, and indeed in [and] around the country, we have many partnerships through the defence industry sector with other countries, companies, whether it\u2019s the US, whether it\u2019s South Korea with Hanwha down at Avalon, so these arrangements are not necessarily unusual, but we would get some advice on that.<\/p>\n Allan said questions were best put to the federal government.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.29 EDT<\/p>\n Dfat lowers travel advice for Middle East countries but still \u2018high threshold\u2019<\/p>\n The Australian government has lowered its travel advice<\/a> for a slate of Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from Level 4: do not travel, to Level 3: reconsider your need to travel. Some parts of Israel remain at a do not travel warning.<\/p>\n The changes come after a deal between the US and Iran to end the conflict in the region, with Australia encouraging all parties involved to \u201cpursue a durable and lasting peace\u201d.<\/p>\n Still, Dfat notes that the situation there could deteriorate with little warning, saying in a statement:<\/p>\n double quotation markLevel 3 remains a high threshold. We continue to urge Australians to postpone non-essential travel. \u2018Reconsider your need to travel\u2019 also means \u2018reconsider your need to transit\u2019. If you need to transit these locations, stay as short a time as possible and eliminate unnecessary activities.<\/p>\n Many travel insurance policies do not cover travel to regions that include a travel warning in the level 3 or level 4 range.<\/p>\n Aside from the listed countries above, Dfat continues to advise do not travel to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen, and reconsider your need to travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n An aircraft being refuelled. Photograph: Rula Rouhana\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.30 EDT<\/p>\n Victorian government introduces life sentences for \u2018evil\u2019 youth crime recruiters<\/p>\n The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, held a press conference to announce new laws will be introduced to parliament today that will impose life sentences on crime figures who use children to carry out crimes such as arson and carjackings.<\/p>\n The bill creates a new aggravated offence of recruiting a child to commit a serious crime, which carries a life sentence. The legislation also removes the requirement for the offender to know that the child was underage.<\/p>\n It comes after the government increased the maximum penalty for child recruitment from 10 to 15 years in November last year. She said:<\/p>\n double quotation markHiring kids to do their dirty work is just pure evil, and Victorians are rightly horrified by the behaviour of organised crime figures who are using kids, particularly some with intellectual disabilities, to carry out crimes, particularly in the area of arson.<\/p>\n So today we are introducing legislation into the Victorian parliament to create a new aggravated offence of recruiting children to commit serious crimes, and perpetrators of these crimes will be facing life in prison. This offence will apply whether the crime has been carried out or not.<\/p>\n Victorian premier Jacinta Allan. Photograph: Joel Carrett\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.59 EDT<\/p>\n Two more men charged with murder after death of Baghsarian<\/p>\n Two men have been charged with murder following the death of Chris Baghsarian, 85, who police say was mistakenly kidnapped from his home in February.<\/p>\n NSW police said they executed a search warrant in the Sydney suburb of Shalvey on Tuesday morning, where they arrested a 19-year-old man. A short time later, they arrested another man, 21, in Silverwater.<\/p>\n Both have since been charged with murder and taking or detaining in company with the intent to ransom, occasioning actual bodily harm. They were refused bail and will appear before local court today.<\/p>\n Four other people have previously been charged in connection with Baghsarian\u2019s death. They remain before the courts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.18 EDT<\/p>\n Childcare workers avoid major pay cut as government funds $3.6bn retention payment extension The government will spend another $3.6bn to extend funding for a critical pay rise for 60,000 childcare educators, due to expire later this year, avoiding a major pay cut for the industry, following sustained pressure from the sector.<\/p>\n Labor said the funding for a 15% increase in childcare salaries will be tied to providers limiting their fee increases.<\/p>\n The decision comes weeks before a union coordinated walk off of up to 20,000 childcare workers across the country. The united workers union had warned staff were facing a pay cut of between 4% and 15% cut if the government did not extend the payment.<\/p>\n Labor promised educators a 15% pay rise over two years in 2024 also at the cost of $3.6bn, which it hoped would align with a staged pay rise for the sector under the Fair Work Commission\u2019s gender undervaluation decision. But the commission rejected a push to front-load the increases meaning the government has had to fund the gap.<\/p>\n The prime minister, Anthony Albanese says:<\/p>\n double quotation mark[Early educators] do incredibly important work and they deserve to be fairly paid for it.<\/p>\n Only childcare centres who agree to limit their fees for parents will be eligible to receive funding for this wage increase for workers.<\/p>\n Prime minister Anthony Albanese. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.21 EDT<\/p>\n Shadow treasurer says most Australians won\u2019t see RBA decision as \u2018good news\u2019<\/p>\n Tim Wilson, the shadow treasurer, said the RBA decision yesterday to leave interest rates on hold would not be seen as \u201cgood news\u201d by many Australian households still struggling with the high cost of living.<\/p>\n Wilson spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying the government needed to \u201ctake pressure out of the economy\u201d and stop inflation so interest rates can be cut once more. He went on:<\/p>\n double quotation markMy much bigger concern on the current trajectory is that the Treasury is trying to crash the economy, which is only going to lead to higher unemployment. And of course, it doesn\u2019t even mean that interest rates will go down \u2026<\/p>\n If you want to build out the future of the economy, encourage [and] incentivise growth, and most importantly, get a pathway so all Australians look to the future with hope and confidence.<\/p>\n Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAP<\/p>\n Wilson said everyone was waiting to see how the temporary Iran deal will play out when it comes to the global economy, and if the cut to the fuel excise in Australia should continue, but \u201cwe\u2019re all cautious for a reason\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markWhat we don\u2019t want is the government to give money back to Australians with one hand, then just take it in inflation with another, which will mean not just inflation, less in your red basket at the supermarket, less at the trolley, but also, of course, higher interest rates as well.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.23 EDT<\/p>\n Kyle Sandilands to start his own show and share revenue with ARN ARN Media told the ASX this morning it had entered a binding settlement with Kyle Sandilands, which terminated all claims and counter claims in the federal court.<\/p>\n The agreement includes $1.5m in advertising for Sandilands\u2019 new independent broadcast in return for the radio host sharing 19.9% of any revenue for three years with ARN Media.<\/p>\n The financial agreement means Sandilands has severed all ties with ARN, and will not be able to appear on any radio stations which compete with Kiis FM for nine months, the company told the ASX.<\/p>\n Sandilands and his co-host on Kiis FM\u2019s Breakfast Show, Jackie \u201cO\u201d Henderson, took separate legal action against ARN after the company terminated their 10-year contracts a year in.<\/p>\n Sandilands and Henderson were seeking $85m and $82m respectively, and a date had been set down for a lengthy and costly trial.<\/p>\n While the Sandilands matter has been settled the company announced the Henderson proceedings remain ongoing.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe settlement agreement provides for the full and final resolution of all claims and counterclaims between the parties, including those relating to the previously announced Federal Court proceedings.<\/p>\n ARN said it had agreed to pay Sandilands a cash settlement sum of $12.09m with $3m payable in July 2026 and the balance payable monthly until June 2029.<\/p>\n double quotation markMr Sandilands has advised ARN that he intends to pursue independent media opportunities. As part of the settlement, ARN will provide Mr Sandilands with advertising services on ARN\u2019s partner platforms of $1,500,000 over the next three years.<\/p>\n![\"Eva](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Eva_Corlett.png\")
Eva Corlett<\/p>\n![\"Krishani](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781660650_35_Krishani_Dhanji.png\")
Krishani Dhanji<\/p>\nBenita Kolovos<\/p>\nBenita Kolovos<\/p>\nKrishani Dhanji<\/p>\n![\"Amanda](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781660651_276_Amanda_Meade.png\")
Amanda Meade<\/p>\n