BTN Newsbreak 03/06/2025
MINIMUM WAGE
A pay rise is on the way for millions of Aussies earning the minimum wage. Yep, from July 1, millions of Aussie workers on minimum wages will get a 3.5% pay rise, bumping the national minimum wage from $24.10 per hour to $24.95. And based on a full-time, 38-hour working week, that's about $948 per week. The National Minimum Wage is the lowest hourly rate you can be paid for a job, and each year the Fair Work Commission decides whether it should go up. And because things have been getting pretty expensive lately, they reckon it's the right time to give wages a boost.
MT ETNA
One of the world's most famous and most active volcanoes has erupted in Italy! Sicily's Mount Etna sent huge clouds of ash and smoke into the sky. The country's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology says the eruption was caused when part of the volcano's southeast crater collapsed. Nobody got hurt, and experts say nearby towns are safe, but they're keeping a close eye on it!
MATILDAS
The Matilda's put on a show last night in their final match led by acting coach Tom Sermanni. In the friendly against Argentina, young-gun Amy Sayer returned to the team after recovering from an injury and it didn't take long for her to find form. Argentina leveled the scores, but Sayer wasn't done yet. The Matilda's claimed a 4-1 victory and will step into the future under new coach, Joe Montemurro.
TENNIS
Now to tennis, and Aussie Daria Kasatkina's impressive run at the French Open has come to end. It was the Russian-born player's first grand slam playing under the Australian flag after becoming a permanent resident a couple of months ago. Heading into round four, there were high hopes, but she couldn't stop teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva who hasn't dropped a set all tournament. And after the match, Kasatkina thanked her new Aussie fans.
MOTOCROSS
And finally to an almost chaotic number of motorbikes, taking on a very chaotic course. This is the Erzberg Rodeo, also known as the toughest off-road motocross event going around. Only the fastest 500 riders in the world qualified for the 35km climb through the mountains for Austria, battling all sorts of terrain, sometimes without their rider.
TOMATINA
Option number 1, take up tomato throwing. This is the Gran Tomatina food fight festival in Columbia, which is back for its 15th year after spending a few years out of action. If you're worried about food waste, just know that these tomatoes were deemed inedible, or just overripe. And throughout the 3 day festival, it's expected that 45 tonnes of tomatoes will be used.
GIANT SLIDE
Okay, if tomatoes aren't your thing, what about water slides? Down the main street of the small Columbian town of Bucarasica, locals and tourists alike barrelled their way down this giant slippery dip. It first popped up last year, to fulfil an election promise from the mayor, to quote, "amuse residents".
MODEL PLANES
And finally, meet Liu, a model aircraft maker in China, who's turned his hobby into a career, building all manner of flying objects. But mostly planes. He documents the process of building his aircrafts, and posts them to social media for his more than one-million fans to marvel at. Oh, and in his spare time he pops over to local schools to teach kids how it's done.
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