Hi, it's Monday, May 2. Here's what you need to get caught up on today's news.
One thing to know: It's RBA-decision eve
Scott Morrison is trying to manage expectations ahead of tomorrow's interest rate decision, insisting the outcome has nothing to do with politics. Here's what you should know on RBA-decision eve:
- Economists are predicting the RBA will lift the official cash rate on Tuesday, which would mark the first rate rise since 2010
- Cost-of-living pressures have been the focus of the election campaign
- Mr Morrison insists the Coalition are better economic managers, but says tomorrow's announcement isn't a reflection of the party's work:
"So tomorrow it's not about me, it's not about Mr Albanese, it's not about the Treasurer or the Shadow Treasurer, it's about Australians themselves and the decisions they are making and understanding the pressures on the economy — and who they think is going to be better able to manage those pressures into the future."
(And if you want to know what he said about chicken, keep scrolling...)
We heard a lot about: Qantas going (super) long haul
Get those neck cushions and eye masks out — Qantas has announced two new routes from Sydney will be the longest passenger flights in the world.
The airline will fly direct from Sydney to London and New York, but you'll have to wait until 2025.
The airline has bought 12 Airbus A350-1000s to operate the routes, and cabins will be fitted with "wellness zones" for exercise.
A test flight on the New York route took 19 hours and 16 minutes.
The news Australia is searching for
- Scott Morrison curry: That's this shot (below) of the PM's dinner that set social media alight, questioning if the chicken was raw. But the PM *has* responded on Facebook:
"I can reassure you, the chicken was cooked."
- Met Gala 2022: Some keen beans have been searching for this — it's *the* excuse for celebrities to go crazy with fashion and it's coming tomorrow morning from 8am AEST (and check out our guide on *how* to watch, plus some of the best moments, including this one from Kim Kardashian last year)
News you might have missed
- The ex-wife of the man who pleaded guilty to Scott Johnson's infamous 1988 Sydney murder has told a court he "bragged about bashing gays". She said her ex-husband told her "it's not my fault the dumb c*** ran off the cliff" when asked about a newspaper article referring to the murder
- All Victorian households will be eligible for $250 to help pay electricity bills. From July, Victorians who use the energy compare website to compare their energy deals can get the payment (and the state's budget will be delivered tomorrow)
- Netflix has axed Meghan Markle's animated series Pearl in a series of cutbacks after the service reported a loss of 200,000 subscribers
One more thing: Got some electricity 'vampires'? Here's how to tame them
Plenty of our appliances do this but most of us don't give it a second thought — until electricity prices start rising.
If an appliance has a remote control, LED light, touch-on button or similar function, then it uses stand-by electricity — and that's "sucking" up your power, hence the vampire tag.
And according to Canstar Blue's estimates, appliances on stand-by could cost you up to 10 per cent of your electricity bill: That's more than $100 annually.
Canstar Blue says the worst culprits are:
- gaming consoles
- washing machines
- dishwashers
So you can either turn these things off at the wall or, if you have to leave them on:
- Check for energy-efficient models (use those star ratings in shops)
- Adjust those stand-by settings (stop them running background functions like scanning for wi-fi)
- Check if you've got a smart board (some electricity boards can detect when an appliance has entered stand-by mode and switch it back on when you need to use it)
That's it for now
We'll be back tomorrow with more.
ABC/wires
