Peter Dutton calls Ben Roberts

This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happened.

By Tom Williams

Thanks for joining me today. If you're catching up, here's a bit of what was covered (click the link to jump straight to the post):

You can keep up-to-date with other news on the ABC's website, by subscribing to our mobile alerts, and by watching News Channel or listening to local radio here.

By Jessica Riga

Airbnb is suing New York City over a local law the company says imposes "arbitrary restrictions" reducing the supply of short-term rentals.

The city wants owners to register with the mayor's office, disclose who lives in the property, and promise to comply with zoning, construction, and maintenance orders.

Airbnb says the restrictions are "extreme and oppressive" and a de facto ban against short-term rentals.

By Tom Williams

This evening Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will deliver perhaps his biggest foreign policy speech to date, the keynote address at the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore.

Shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham says it's a "welcome opportunity" for Australia, but maintains the PM will have to explain how his government is acting with necessary urgency on its defence strategy without increasing funding.

"I can see that they are working to deliver many of the things the coalition announced, in terms of the support for nuclear-powered submarines, in terms of the support for longer range missile and strike capability, and they are very important intiatives to get on and deliver" he tells RN.

"They have unfinished identification of where some of that money is coming from. They've indicated they've committed to more spending, but not yet found all of the savings, and haven't increased the defence budget.

"So that doesn't really add up."

By Jessica Riga

Australia's minimum wage has been increased by 5.75 per cent in Fair Work Commission decision.

The Fair Work Commission has also decided that award rates of pay will be increased by 5.75 per cent, effective from July 1.

The decision will affect about one quarter of Australian employees.

You can follow the day's financial news and insights from our specialist business reporters with our live blog below.

By Tom Williams

Smoking and vaping rates have increased among younger Australians between January 2018 and March this year.

Research prepared for the Australian Health Department by Cancer Victoria found there had been a significant rise in vapers under the age of 35.

Smoking rates among 14 to 17 year olds have also increased from just over two per cent in 2018, to nearly 13 per cent by March this year.

Earlier this week, Health Minister Mark Butler proposed health warnings on individual cigarettes and new graphic images on cigarette packets as part of the government's crackdown on the tobacco industry.

By Tom Williams

9/10 for the quiz! Which is some kind of fluke, I'm sure.

- N

I achieved a 7...

- Natty

10/10 (again) I need a life!

- Miaow Miaow I'm a Cow

If you haven't tested your knowledge yet, head here.

By Tom Williams

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is set to crown a champion in the US today, with 11 finalists gathering outside Washington to demonstrate their mastery of Merriam-Webster's Unabridged dictionary.

Today's winner will receive more than $US50,000 ($75,000) in cash and prizes.

Most of this year's finalists are Indian American, continuing a trend that has lasted for two decades. Twenty-one of the past 23 champions have had South Asian heritage.

Champions typically go on a media tour and make a series of appearances throughout the year as the face of the bee.

By Tom Williams

Chris Masters, one of the investigative journalists at the centre of the Ben Roberts-Smith case, says a judge's dismissal of the former soldier's defamation case highlights the "integrity" of many members of the Australian Defence Force.

"Obviously calling out a war hero as a war criminal is very tough for the ADF, but it should be remembered that he was actually called out by many of his colleagues and I think that reflects the integrity that so many of them demonstrate," he says.

"You know, it was just not morally wrong for civilians to be executed in Afghanistan — it was actually strategically wrong as well.

"It hurt the war effort and a lot of soldiers knew that, and I am glad that they spoke up, and indeed in doing so I think they probably saved their regiment."

Masters says he is feeling relieved, and would have been "appalled" if the ruling had gone against the media organisations which reported on Roberts-Smith.

By Tom Williams

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has denied fuelling a culture of misogyny in an interview with the BBC.

He has also defended his reputation after spending months in a Romanian jail on suspicion of organised crime and human trafficking.

Here's a little from the BBC's Lucy Williamson, who conducted the intense interview:

"When the BBC put a range of allegations to him — including specific accusations of rape, human trafficking and exploiting women, for which he is being investigated by Romanian prosecutors — he dismissed them.

"When pushed on whether his controversial views on women harmed young people, the influencer claimed he was a 'force for good' and that he was "acting under the instruction of God to do good things".

"Mr Tate, who has repeatedly expressed his mistrust of traditional media, has a huge following online but his views have until now gone unchallenged in a direct interview like this."

Prosecutors have been investigating Tate, his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects for suspected human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

You can watch a recap of the BBC interview here:

By Tom Williams

The discovery in recent days of small footprints in a southern jungle-covered part of Colombia has rekindled hope of finding alive four children who survived a small plane crash and went missing a month ago.

Officials say searchers found footprints about 3.2 kilometres northwest of where the plane crashed with three adults and four Indigenous children aged 13, 9 and 4 and 11 months.

The searchers believe they were of the oldest child, a girl, and the new clue may indicate that the group has changed course.

More than 100 members of Colombia's special forces and more than 70 Indigenous people from the area have joined the search through the jungle in the Colombia Amazon.

General Pedro Sánchez, commander of the Joint Command of Special Operations, tells the Associated Press: "We have a 100 per cent expectation of finding them alive."

"It's not like finding a needle in a haystack, it's like finding a tiny flea in a huge rug that moves in unpredictable directions," he says.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro says finding the children is a priority, and Sánchez says no deadline has been set for wrapping up the search.

By Tom Williams

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says yesterday's court ruling against war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith was a "tough day for the country", and believes there has been a "significant culture change" at the Australian Defence Force.

A defamation case by war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith against three newspapers was dismissed, after a judge found the defence of substantial truth been established over alleged unlawful killings and bullying.

Dutton tells Nine's Today show that most Australians hold the Victoria Cross recipient's former SAS regiment in the highest regard, and he believes there has been enormous change in that regiment since Roberts-Smith's time.

"I think there has been a significant culture change over the last half a dozen years at least," he says.

"You go to visit the regiment in Perth now, there are very few people there who even served in Afghanistan or were involved in conflicts in the Middle East.

"The next generation, even one removed, now are serving in the SAS."

By Tom Williams

Have you been paying attention this week?

Hit up our weekly news quiz below, and let me know your score in the comments using the blue button above.

By Tom Williams

The 2023 NBA Finals kick off at 10:30am AEST today, with the Denver Nuggets taking on the Miami Heat in a best-of-seven series.

But behind the scenes, the league is looking into whether a referee has used a Twitter account to defend themself and other officials from online critiques.

Eric Lewis, who had been chosen to officiate the finals in each of the last four NBA seasons, was not selected as one of the 12 referees for this year's finals.

After some now-deleted tweets were revealed by a pair of Twitter users last week, the league opened an investigation into whether Lewis violated NBA rules by speaking about officiating in an unauthorised manner.

It has not been determined if Lewis was using the account, which used the name "blair cuttliff".

"Regarding Eric Lewis and the social media posts, we are continuing to review the matter and he will not be working the finals," NBA spokesman Mike Bass says.

It remains unknown what discipline from the league that Lewis could face if he broke policy by discussing officiating matters openly without approval.

By Tom Williams

The marriage of Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein, 28, and Saudi architect Rajwa Alseif, 29, has drawn a star-studded guest list including Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate, as well as US First Lady Jill Biden.

The couple have been married in a palace ceremony attended by royals and other VIPs from around the world, as massive crowds gathered across the kingdom to celebrate the region's newest power couple.

The bride, wearing an elegant white dress by Lebanese designer Elie Saab, arrived at Zahran Palace in a 1968 Rolls-Royce Phantom V custom-made for the crown prince's late great grandmother.

The crown prince arrived earlier in full ceremonial military uniform with a gold-hilted saber.

By Tom Williams

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government says it will not hand over internal WhatsApp messages requested by a public inquiry into its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and instead is seeking a legal challenge against the demand.

The inquiry, ordered by the government itself in 2021 and chaired by a former judge, had given the government a deadline to hand over documents.

But the cabinet office says the COVID-19 inquiry is going beyond its remit and the WhatsApp messages and other records it was requesting are"unambiguously irrelevant".

Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson had ordered the inquiry to look into the preparedness of the country, as well as the public health and economic response after Britain recorded one of the world's highest total number of deaths from COVID.

With a national election expected next year, the detailed examination of decision-making could create political headaches for Sunak, who was finance minister during the pandemic.

By Tom Williams

Police are investigating the shooting deaths of a man and a teenage boy in the northern rivers region of NSW.

The 58-year-old man and the 15-year-old boy were found yesterday afternoon inside a home at Yamba.

Police say the man was a licensed gun owner and they are examining his licensing history.

Officers were called to a home on Kookaburra Court at 1:10pm after reports two bodies had been found inside the property.

Both the man and the boy had suffered gunshot wounds.

Police don't believe any third party was involved.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

By Tom Williams

US President Joe Biden has tripped and fallen after handing out diplomas at a graduation ceremony for the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

The 80-year-old got up quickly and walked back to his seat, and the White House says he's "totally fine".

After Biden was helped up, he pointed behind him, seeming to indicate what he tripped over.

He mingled with other officials afterward, smiling and giving a "thumbs up" sign.

The whole moment was caught on video:

White House communications director Ben LaBolt says on Twitter that Biden is fine.

"There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands," he says.

Former president Donald Trump, was asked about Biden's fall soon after and said, "He actually fell down? Well I hope he wasn't hurt."

Trump, who is running for president again in 2024, added "you gotta be careful about that", even if you have to "tip-toe down a ramp".

By Tom Williams

Millions of Australians on award and minimum wages are set to find out how much more they will be paid later this morning.

The Fair Work Commission will broadcast the result of its latest wage review at 10am AEST, which will determine the new award and minimum wage rates which will come into effect from July 1.

It's expected to impact 2.67 million of the lowest-paid Australians, including 184,000 people on the minimum wage.

The federal government is advocating for a rise that ensures the nation's lowest-paid workers are not going backwards.

With inflation at 6.8 per cent in the year to April, this would require a wage rise of at least 6.9 per cent.

But business groups want to see a more modest increase, to help contain inflation and ward off the threat of a recession.

Some economists also warn a too-generous rise could add to pressure on the Reserve Bank to push up interest rates next week.

By Tom Williams

The Australian's hopes of venturing further than ever before at the French Open have been ruthlessly dismantled by big-hitting Argentine Tomás Martín Etcheverry.

On the warmest morning of the championships in Paris, Etcheverry ousted the Sydneysider 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.

Not for the first time in his battling career, de Minaur found himself faced with an adversary who had too much firepower, as his ambition to reach the third round for the first time in seven attempts fell short.

By Tom Williams

Here's something you don't see everyday.

Piles of potatoes have been dumped on a couple of roads in Denmark, and it's not exactly clear why.

Police say a 57-year-old truck driver has been held on suspicion of causing reckless endangerment to life, after loads of potatoes were found spilled on a key bridge linking two Danish islands, leaving the road slippery.

A spill was reported on the westbound side of the Storebaelt bridge, which connects the island where the capital, Copenhagen, is located to the rest of Denmark.

A similar incident happened on the eastbound side a short time later.

"It looks weird," police spokesman Kenneth Taanquist says.

"We are working on two hypotheses: it is either an accident or it is something that has been done deliberately."

A third incident of potatoes was reported near the town of Kolding on the Jutland peninsula, not far from the Storebaelt bridge.

Danish public broadcaster DR noted that the potato spills occurred on the same day as the Danish parliament passed a law to tax diesel trucks transporting heavy loads.

The new measure has drawn protests from truck drivers.