We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.
1. Ireland votes ‘yes’ in favour of gay marriage.
Ireland has voted in favour of allowing same-sex marriage in an historic referendum, making the largely Catholic country the world’s first to make the change after a popular vote.
With ballots in 40 out of 43 constituencies counted, official figures showed the “Yes” vote was ahead with 62.3 per cent, and public broadcaster RTE said the result from the ongoing count was now certain.
Hundreds of “Yes” supporters gathered in the grounds of Dublin Castle and cheered and waved rainbow flags as the results came through.
“It’s an amazing day to be Irish,” Rory O’Neill, also known as Ireland’s foremost drag queen Panti Bliss and a leading “Yes” campaigner, said as she arrived at the party wearing a figure-hugging dress and high heels.
Outside the main counting centre in Dublin, Grainne O’Grady, 44, and Pauline Tracey, 53, said the plan was to “celebrate, celebrate, celebrate”.
Read more: ‘Why Plibersek’s gay marriage pitch will fail.”
“I’m just so happy I could burst. We were voting on whether we were equal in our own country,” Ms O’Grady said, wearing a “Yes Equality” T-shirt.
Legalising gay marriage is a seismic change in Ireland, where the church remains a powerful force.
Homosexuality was illegal until 1993 and divorce until 1996, and abortion is banned except where the mother’s life is in danger.
Australian Marriage Equality national convener Rodney Croome said he was overjoyed with the referendum result in Ireland, and hoped it would have a positive impact on the marriage equality debate in Australia.
“[It showed] increasing momentum, increasing support in parliament, quashing the old myth that Catholics and other people of faith are against marriage equality,” he said.
“There’s almost majority support for marriage equality in our federal parliament and our focus will be on persuading Tony Abbott and other coalition members to allow a free vote so that Australia can move forward in the same way that Ireland has.”
Billy Cantwell, editor of Irish-Australian newspaper the Irish Echo, also believed the vote in Ireland would help Australia’s same-sex marriage campaign gain momentum.
He said it will encourage other countries to look at similar laws.
“I think it’ll put heat on all democracies that haven’t actually adopted legislation in this area to actually have another look at it; I hope it does,” he said.
“It seems to be marred in politics in Canberra, whereas if it went to a popular vote I have no doubt that it would be carried here.”
This article originally appeared on ABC Online.
2. The Australian government is refusing to boost the retirement savings for women.
A private member’s Bill introduced by Greens MP Adam Bandt – which aims to smooth the way for employers who want to pay their female staff more superannuation – has been deemed by Attorney-General George Brandis as “unnecessary.”
Adam Brandt introduced the Bill last year as a means to bridge the growing gender pay gap in Australia. On average, Australian men have $82,000 in their super accounts to women’s $44,000.
Financial consultancy firm Rice Warner is believed to be the only company in Australia that pays its female staff more super – an extra 2 per cent – than it pays its male staff, in an effort to address the savings gap.
Brandis said that the current laws in place don’t prevent employers from paying higher super contributions to women. There are already “special measures” in place to achieve gender equality.
But Bandt argues that these measures are not always known by employers and aren’t being used.
3. Samsung have recalled their washing machines after 18 fires break out in homes.
Samsung issued a recall in April 2013 after their top loader washing machine was deemed a fire hazard. However, just 42 per cent of the 144,451 faulty machines have been reported and repaired since the warning was issued to customers.
More than 18 fires have broken out in the Sydney region due to the faulty washer. Fire and Rescue NSW had to respond to one fire in Granville yesterday and another in St Marys today.
Fire investigators have now issued another alert to the public to check their models after one of the machines sparked a house fire in Corlette, north of Newcastle.
Read more: Toddler dies on birthday in house fire.
Station Officer Michael Forbes from the Fire Investigation and Research Unit (FIU) said that the incident in Corlette was worrying.
Mr Forbes said the owner of the machine in Corlette wasn’t even aware of the recall, despite buying it two years ago.
“She was quite shocked, she did a very good job of containing the fire, isolating the power and was able to prevent the fire spreading to the rest of the house,” Mr Forbes said.
The machine had been on for just 10 minutes when it caught fire, but her quick thinking had helped contain the damage to the laundry.
Samsung have since released a statement.
“Samsung Electronics Australia takes the safety of its customers extremely seriously.
We are concerned to hear about an incident in Corlette, NSW. The case was brought to our attention today (Thursday 21 May) and we are investigating the matter.
Samsung initiated a voluntary recall on six models of top loader washing machines in April 2013. This recall is an ongoing process and we continue to work closely with the NSW Department of Fair Trading and our retail partners to notify impacted customers and arrange rework services, exchanges and refunds.
Samsung top loader washing machines in the following six models that are being recalled for immediate
repair:
SW75V9WIP/XSA
SW65V9WIP/XSA
SW70SPWIP/XSA
SW80SPWIP/XSA
WA85GWGIP/XSA
WA85GWWIP/XSA
We urge customers to check the model details of their Samsung washing machine to determine if their model is affected by the recall.
For further details visit www.samsung.com/au/washingmachinerecall or call our dedicated customer service line Toll-Free product safety hotline on 1800 239 655.”
4. Schools are being asked to identify “future extremists.”
Attorney-General George Brandis says the federal government is working with community organisations and other governments to create education materials and training that will help schools “identify and steer individuals away from ideologies of hate.”
“Just as parents and families have gained greater understanding of the dangers posed by online sexual predators, there also needs to be increased awareness of the threat from online terrorist propaganda,” he told News Corp.
The Council of Australian Education Ministers, which would have to sign off on any changes to the curriculum, is due to meet in Brisbane on Friday.
5. Sikh man who saved young boy is given a surprise.
Harman Singh broke a tenet of his religion by removing his turban in order to stem the bleeding of a boy who had been hit by a car. The boy miraculously survived.
Now, Singh has been given a miracle of his own.
Read more: Sikh man who saved a boys life is praised as a hero.
When a television news crew interviewed Singh later in his apartment, they noticed his empty rooms held very little furniture.
The staff at the station, spurred by comments from viewers, contacted a local furniture store owner and together they surprised Singh with a reward for his kindness. They showed up with a new bed, sofa, chair and coffee table.
Through tears, Mr. Singh, whose father died last year, said, “This the biggest surprise of my life.”
He said he knew his father would be proud of him, too.
Top Comments
Wouldn't boosting a women's super be sexist, discrimination. Pay them the same amount, also in super. If I was a man I wouldn't be happy about that.
But the current gap is due to historical sexism and oppression. Women weren't allowed to work, weren't allowed to vote, and then when they did enter the workforce the domestic and childraising duties still fell to them, meaning they didn't have the same earning capacity. This is still continues, and women are still not nearly equally represented in positions of power etc - not because they're dumber or less ambitious, but because of age of gender roles and ingrained sexism. That is why they are left with SIGNIFICANTLY less super - sexism.
In South Africa they had to take active measures to support/promote black people to even out opportunities because of the damage done by Apartheid. There was such a gap that it wasn't just going to even out over time - someone had to fix the wrong that existed because of discrimination. This is the same thing, but for gender. Any good man would want that rectified.
Pretty sure sexism and it's practical impacts (eg women not working, not voting and being the primary carers) was around wellllll before the 90s....or even the 30s!!!
The issues of being the primary carer and working part time play into traditional gender roles. Maybe if society expected men to take 12 months parental leave every time their partner birthed a baby, women would feel more supported to return to full time work and would feel totally comfortable not being the primary carer. But that happens extremely rarely, meaning that the default position is that the woman has to take on the bulk of the childcare and domestic duties - or it just doesn't get done.
So you can't "not include women who WANT to work full-time" etc, because the WHOLE issue we're trying to correct is sexism and traditional gender roles, and their practical effect.
I love it when there are some happy stories in the news! It's usually so depressing.
Congratulations Ireland - you've done the right thing, can't wait for Australia to catch up!
And Harman Singh, what an incredibly selfless thing to do!! You are a real hero and I hope more good things keep coming to you 😊