The annual Moomba Parade has drawn record crowds to Melbourne's streets, with close to 2,000 participants including 35 cultural groups. Four new floats designed by children featured in the parade, including an 11-year-old's royal rainbow carriage for this year's monarchs. Organisers report Melbourne experienced its biggest weekend ever, with close to two million people attending events across the city.

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Two separate shootings occurred in Western Sydney within one hour, leaving two men injured. A 29-year-old was shot at Lalor Park on Northcott Road and remains in stable condition after a 46-year-old man was arrested then released following questioning. A 25-year-old male was targeted in a brazen attack at Bass Hill when occupants of another vehicle opened fire on his car, with a major manhunt now underway for the culprits.

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Former state MP Rory Amon has been cleared of eight child sex charges by a jury, but faces potential re-trial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict on two remaining counts. The charges related to alleged offences against a 13-year-old boy in 2017 when Amon was 27 and serving as a councillor for Sydney's Northern Beaches. The jury found him not guilty on counts including rape, attempted rape and indecent assault, but remained deadlocked on two counts of having sexual intercourse with a person between the ages of 10 and 14.

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Oil prices have surged from $60 to $110 US per barrel as Iran blocks a channel that typically delivers 20% of exported oil, triggering concerns about fuel security in Australia. The Energy Minister asserts Australia has five weeks of fuel in reserve and deliveries are arriving on schedule, while farmers and regional service stations report diesel shortages. The crisis is driving fears about rising food prices as agricultural producers struggle to access fuel for their operations.

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Mojtaba Khamenei has been named Iran's new Supreme Leader, nine days after his father Ali Khamenei was killed in US strikes. The 56-year-old hardliner, who has never held government office but maintained close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was chosen by the Assembly of Experts based on his father's demand that his successor be hated by the enemy. Meanwhile, Australians continue evacuating the Middle East through various routes including Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as diplomatic families are ordered to leave the UAE amid the deteriorating security situation.

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Two machete attacks have occurred in Melbourne within 48 hours, with the latest incident on Queen Street resulting in a man being slashed and taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital and a woman taken to the Alfred in serious condition. A 25-year-old has been arrested and charged with affray and intentionally causing injury. The attacks follow the brutal murder of Aiden Becker in Mernda, with the Victorian government deploying its violence reduction unit to the area in response to the escalating violence.

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Education experts warn that excessive artificial intelligence use in schools is making children lazy learners and fundamentally interfering with the brain's capacity for knowledge construction and verification. Students from high school to university are increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT to complete assignments, with concerns that this technology is rewiring young brains and preventing the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The debate also touches on whether commenting on celebrity weight loss is appropriate, and research findings that swearing during DIY projects may improve performance.

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Visitors to the Twelve Apostles on Victoria's Great Ocean Road will now be required to pay an entry fee. The Victorian state government has introduced the charge to combat overtourism and fund upgrades to tourist sites in the south-west of the state. The specific amount of the entry fee has not yet been announced, sparking frustration among those opposed to paying for access to a natural landmark.

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Visitors to the Twelve Apostles on Victoria's Great Ocean Road will now be required to pay an entry fee. The Victorian state government has introduced the charge to combat overtourism and fund upgrades to tourist sites in the south-west of the state. The specific amount of the entry fee has not yet been announced, sparking frustration among those opposed to paying for access to a natural landmark.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Visitors to the Twelve Apostles on Victoria's Great Ocean Road will now be required to pay an entry fee. The Victorian state government has introduced the charge to combat overtourism and fund upgrades to tourist sites in the south-west of the state. The specific amount of the entry fee has not yet been announced, sparking frustration among those opposed to paying for access to a natural landmark.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.