Kaleidoscope News

Join us to rally against gender-based violence! This weekend they’ll be 27 rallies happening across Australia. In April, 100,000 people rallied across the country for change; but there is still work to be done, so we are coming together again in July.

We’re just past the halfway point of 2024 and already 53 women have been killed, with majority of the perpetrators being men. Australia is experiencing a femicide crisis! Enough is enough!

Thank you for inviting me to speak at the upcoming Brisbane rally. I look forward to seeing you all there!

In an ideal world the next nominee for the Democrat party would be a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and openly condemn the genocide in Gaza. Sadly, I doubt that’s going to happen.

Artists using their platforms to support others in need - we love to see it! ❤️

In case you missed it, Tenacious D is facing immense backlash after one of their members joked about the attempted assasination of Donald Trump during a Sydney concert. The pair have since released public apologies and have cancelled the remainder of their tour down under. Unsurprisingly, Kyle Sandilands has joined the discussion and wants to add in his two cents about the drama. This week he announced he wants to ban Tenacious D from the Kyle & Jackie O show. He says “anyone that wishes someone else dead is “a piece of s**t.”

I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking this, but isn’t it ironic for Kyle to condemn a joke for being too inappropriate and offensive? This coming from a man that’s made an entire career for being unapologetically problematic? Who would’ve thought Kyle Sandilands was suddenly the morality police?

(Image description: Text that reads, “Kyle Sandilands claims the Donald Trump joke made by Tenacious D is the ‘worst thing he’s ever heard in his life.’ He says ‘that’s some serious twisted s**t.’ This is coming from a man that spews hateful rhetoric on a daily basis and gets away with it.”)

Donald Trump has chosen Ohio senator, J.D Vance, as his running mate. Despite once calling Trump “America’s Hitler,” the senator could become the Vice President of America if Trump is re-elected later this year.

Vance has a long history of problematic views and ideologies.
- He blames "the childless left" for America's woes and said non-parents have no “physical commitment to the future” of America.
- He doesn’t believe women should have access to abortions even if they’ve been r***d because “two wrongs don’t make a right.”
- He thinks parents should stay in violent marriages "for the sake of their kids."
- He is a staunch supporter of the genocide in Palestine.
- He once proposed a bill that would make gender-affirming care for minors a federal felony.
- And last year he introduced a bill that would make English the official language of the U.S.

**TW - Femicide and violence against women. If this post is triggering please contact 1800 RESPECT.**

We're 29 weeks into the year, and already 52 Aussie women have been killed. The femicide rate in Australia just continues to rise every year! This time last year the national total of women murdered in Australia was 30. And the year before it was 25.

And the bodies of these women continue to be found in such terrifying and devastating circumstances. In the past week we've seen a woman found dead in a river with a bag tied over her head, and another dumped in a recycling bin.

I can't imagine how heartbreaking it must be to not only lose a loved one to violence but to see them dehumanised in the aftermath. My heart could never grapple with that level of pain.

We asked our followers for their thoughts on this historic story. Over 5,000 people responded, and 36% of them still believe the shooting was staged. 91% say this assasination attempt just won Donald Trump the presidential election.

Why is this low-key so embarrassing 😭 I would rather accidentally like an ex’s post from 2 years ago.

I’ve never been so unsurprised by survey results in my life. Are you surprised by these results?

Being able to sleep on your own b***s is honestly a skill that’s not spoken about enough. 😂

The Amazon Original series, Deadloch, has been renewed for a second season. Fans of the show will be thrilled to know several of our favourite characters will be returning to the series including our fave detective duo, Kate Box and Madeleine Sami as Dulcie Collins and Eddie Redcliffe. Also reprising their roles are Nina Oyama as Abby Matsuda and Alicia Gardiner as Cath York, Dulcie’s wife.

Our beloved characters will be heading to Darwin in season two as they investigate the death of Eddie’s former policing partner, Bushy. However, when the bodies of two ‘Top End icons’ are discovered in a remote town, they are flung into a ‘new sweatier, stickier investigation.’

We can’t wait to see this beloved comedy back on our screens! 🐊

Five journalists have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours. Amjad Jahjouh and Rizq Abu Ashkian from Palestine Media Agency were both killed in a refugee camp in Nuseirat, as well as Wafa Abu Dabaan from the Islamic University Radio. In addition Saadi Madoukh and Ahmed Sukkar from Deep Shot Media Production Company were both killed in a home raid in Gaza City.
Amjad Jahjouh and Wafa Abu Dabaan had a child together, who was also killed in the Israeli strike. Madoukh's entire family was also killed.

Within nine months, Israeli forces have now killed more than 38,000 Palestinians - 158 of those being journalists.

**TW - This story discusses domestic violence and alleged murder. If this story is triggering please contact 1800 RESPECT.**

A 28 year old Sydney man named Dean Heasman has been arrested for allegedly killing his children. Early Sunday morning, three young children, one as young as 10 months old, were killed in a house fire in Lalor Park, western Sydney. A 29 year old woman and four other children (between the ages of 6 and 11 years old) have also been hospitalised. Authorities say Heasman tried to prevent emergency services from accessing his home when it was "engulfed by flames." He now remains in hospital in an induced coma under police guard.

Friends of Dean Heasman have since spoken to the media and shared their thoughts on Heasman, including a man named Douglas King. This is how he described his "friend" to the Daily Mail.
"He was a good person - calm and collected, he talked nice, asked me if I was fine. It's upsetting. Devastating. I met the kids because they went to the school where my sister went. He was always with his kids. He was good to the kids - nice, calm and collected. He was telling me he has a newborn on its way. As soon as he told me I got down on the ground because it hurts. It's bulls**t. He has morals, was a respectful person. I hope the kids fight through it. Three gone, however how many is left. I hope they survive. I feel bad for her."

While the Daily Mail should of course be called out for platforming such careless comments, I also take issue with the things actually said by Heasman's friend, Douglas King. How can someone say such positive things about their friend after finding out they're an alleged murderer? How can they still speak so highly of them? If men can't even call out their mates after they've allegedly murdered their children, when can we ever trust them to ever call out their 'mates?'

**TW - This story discusses domestic violence and alleged murder. If this story is triggering please contact 1800 RESPECT.**

Two young boys, aged two and four years old, and a 10 month old baby girl, have been killed in a house fire in Lalor Park, Sydney. A 29 year old woman and four other children (between the ages of 6 and 11 years old) have been hospitalised.

A man has been arrested and remains in hospital in an induced coma. Homicide Squad Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty says the 28 year old man tried to stop police and other emergency services from rescuing the family from the burning home. 

“Those actions were intentional of keeping police and other responders and neighbours out of the property while it was on fire and to, with the intention of keeping the kids inside the premises while the fire was happening,” says Detective Doherty.

“Unlike my colleagues, I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of injustice,” says Senator Fatima Payman, “my family did not flee from a war-torn country to come here as refugees for me to remain silent when I see atrocities inflicted on innocent people.”

American runner Nikki Hiltz is heading to the Paris Olympics, after winning the 1500m race at the US Olympic Trials. They won with a record breaking time at 3:55.33.
“I literally can’t believe it, I mean, this is bigger than me,” says Hiltz, “I wanted to run this one for my community, and yeah, all the LGBTQ folks."

Hiltz is the second trans nonbinary athlete to compete at the Olympics, after Canadian football player Quinn who competed at the Tokyo Olympics.

(Image description: Photo of Nikki Hiltz running across the finish line. Below is text that reads, "Nikki Hiltz Makes History As the Second Trans Nonbinary Athlete To Compete At The Olympics.")

Interesting how in Australia its two women of colour that've been publicly punished for standing up for Palestine and calling out genocide. It seems like our country not only condones the monstrosities in Palestine but also racism. Yet are we really surprised?

**Trigger Warning - this post discusses violence against women. If this post is triggering please contact 1800 RESPECT.**

Within the past week:
- A woman was allegedly murdered by her male partner in Casino, New South Wales. According to reports it took police nearly an hour to respond to the triple-0 call. This is the third fatal case of domestic violence in the Northern Rivers community in 2024.
- A woman was stabbed and killed in Mighell, North Queensland. Her former boyfriend has been charged.
- A woman was allegedly killed by her male housemate in Russell Lea, New South Wales. Police say the man only moved into the house three weeks prior. The other three housemates were present during the attack.
- A woman was attacked while hiking in Mt Coot-tha, Brisbane. In just over five weeks, four women have reportedly been attacked or harassed on the popular hiking trail. Two of them were even knocked down and pinned to the ground by the unknown man.

Men's violence against women is a national crisis.
It's an epidemic.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

WA senator Fatima Payman has been suspended "indefinitely" from the Labor Party caucus after vowing to cross the floor again in support of Palestine. Earlier this week, Payman crossed the floor of the Senate in support of the Greens and their motion to recognise Palestine as a state. She is the first Labor Party member to vote against her party in almost two decades. Under Labor party rules, members cannot vote against the caucus position.
"If the recognition on the state of Palestine was to be brought forward tomorrow, I would cross the floor," says Payman, "we're talking about 40,000 Palestinians being massacred here and so that's why I will use what is within my power as a backbench senator to continue advocating for a just and lasting solution."

A government spokesperson says Payman can return once she shows she will "respect the caucus and her Labor colleagues."
"Until then Senator Payman is suspended from the right to participate in federal parliamentary Labor Party caucus meetings and processes," as stated by the spokesman.

(Image description: Photo of Fatima Payman wearing a grey hijab, grey blazer and checked shirt while speaking into two microphones. Below is text that reads, "Labor Senator Fatima Payman ‘Indefinitely Suspended’ From Labor Party For Standing Up For Palestine.")

This is going to ruin the tour 😂😂

Fave tweets from the week x

**Trigger Warning - This post discusses sexual assault**

A convicted ra**st from the Netherlands is set to compete at the Olympics.
Back in 2016, professional volleyball player Steven Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison for ra**ng a 12 year old girl. His lawyer described the sentencing as a "career end." The judge for the case even said Van de Velde had a "dark side" and his chances of ever representing the Netherlands at the Olympics was a “shattered dream."

However, only 12 months later Van de Velde was released early from prison and has since been allowed to rehabilitate his sporting career; this week even qualifying for the Olympics alongside his teammate in volleyball.

The Dutch Olympic committee has yet to comment on Van de Velde’s controversial qualification for the Paris Olympics.

(Image description: Photo of athlete Steven Van de Velde. Below is text that reads, "A Dutch Volleyball Player Who Was Recently Jailed For Sexual Assault Is Competing In The Olympics.")

**Trigger Warning - This post discusses sexual assault and torture.**

The IDF have been accused of using an injured Palestinian man as a human shield. Footage of 24-year-old Mujahid Raed Abbadi tied down to the bonnet of a military jeep has gone viral on social media, leading to immense outrage. Israel say they're investigating the incident, and claim Abbadi has been taken to the Palestinian Red Crescent for treatment.

A Texas woman has been charged with attempted murder after she tried to drown a three year old Palestinian girl. According to reports, 42 year old Elizabeth Wolf made racist remarks to the child's family while at an apartment complex pool. She allegedly tried to drag the girl and her six year old brother to the deep end of the pool. The woman was able to immerse the girl's head underwater but thankfully the girl survived the attack. Although the incident occurred in late May, only now is the attack being identified as a hate crime.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims the “intense phase” of the attacks on Gaza “is about to end.” However, he says that doesn’t mean “the war is about to end.” He believes the IDF should continue to have a presence in Gaza even after they "eliminate" Hamas.

Palestinian journalist, Mohammed Saber Arab, has bravely shared his experience of being detained at an Israeli detention camp. His lawyer, Khaled Mahajneh, is the first Palestinian lawyer to be granted access to the "interrogation facility" since October 7. Arab worked as a correspondent for Al Araby TV, and was detained at Al-Shifa Hospital back in March. He was taken to the Israeli Sde Teiman detention camp where he was kept blindfolded and handcuffed 24 hours a day. For the first 50 days he was not allowed to change his clothes, and was forced to use his shoes as a pillow. He says he and other detainees have been subjected to r**e, torture and abuse. It's unknown how long he will remain in the detention camp.

Happy 20th anniversary to one of the most quotable, ridiculous movies of the 2000s - White Chicks. 😂

What's your favourite quotable moment from this cult classic?

The beloved Aussie Netflix series, Boy Swallows Universe, has been nominated for a whopping TEN Logie awards. Both Felix Cameron and Lee Tiger Halley have been nominated for Most Popular New Talent. In fact many of the leading cast members have been nominated for Logies including Phoebe Tonkin, Simon Baker, Sophie Wilde, Travis Kimmel and Bryan Brown.

The seven-part series is an adaptation of Trent Dalton’s debut novel. The story follows a young boy growing up in Brisbane in the 1980s surrounded by poverty, drugs and crime. In the first two weeks of being released, the show brought in 7.6 million viewers worldwide.

There’s great concern the famous Seine river in Paris could turn sh*tty this weekend thanks to a 'sh*t flashmob' known as ⁠ (which translates to ‘I s**t in the Seine on June 23.') According to reports, the protest is in response to the government's inability to address the nation's inadequate labour laws, the Free Palestine movement and various other social issues. Locals are also frustrated with President Emmanuel Macron and his $1.4 billion plan to clean up the Seine ahead of the Olympics. Both the President and Mayor of Paris have sworn to take the first dip in the river when it's finally clean, however, thousands of Parisians are threatening to p**p in the Seine because they believe the money should be spent on more important causes. A website has even been created so people can calculate the best time to defecate in the river so the p**p flows into Paris around the same time. ⁠
⁠
Neither the President or the Mayor have commented on the protest, and no floating river turds have yet to be uncovered in the supposed 'city of love.'

If you think I have issues, wait until you see my father.

📸:

Inside Out 2 is not only leaving everyone in tears but it’s also breaking box office records. Over the weekend, the film made over $295 million worldwide - making it the biggest animated film opening of all time worldwide

Who would’ve thought kids, teens and adults would enjoy a film about emotions and the effects of anxiety - it’s almost like everyone can relate to experiencing anxiety somehow.

A Black Star Pastry store at Chadstone shopping centre, Melbourne, has been accused of sacking two employees for wearing keffiyehs at work. Two young women by the names of Ella and Lucy chose to wear the scarves in support of the people of Palestine. According to Ella, HR contacted the store and asked the women to remove the keffiyehs - which they did so immediately. However, the following day, both Ella and Lucy were fired.

As reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, the store's termination letter states the keffiyeh is “divisive and inflammatory” and wearing one to work goes against the store's “vision to create a place of inclusivity.” The letter also claims the two women caused "serious and imminent risk to the reputation and viability" of the store.

Black Star Pastry is now facing a discrimination case that alleges the company breached Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act. The matter is scheduled for a mediation later this month.

(Image description: Photo of a keffiyeh and a photo of the cakes display at Black Star Pastry. Below is text that reads, "Two Bakery Workers In Melbourne Were Allegedly Fired For Wearing A Keffiyeh While At Work.")