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Good morning!
And welcome to the fifth month of the year. Time to circle back to those new year’s resolutions yet?
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “This has taken 3 years and come at a personal toll, but this judgement makes NSW and my workplace a safer place for LGBTQ people.”
NSW Independent MP Alex Greenwich in an Instagram post after a court found former One Nation NSW leader Mark Latham committed homosexual vilification and workplace sexual harassment against Greenwich in online comments. Latham will pay Greenwich $100,000 in compensation.
The stat: $US25 billion ($AU36 billion). The amount of money the U.S. has spent on the war with Iran, according to Pentagon Chief Finance Official Jules W. Hurst III.
The big question:
Does your manager know what you're actually good at?
Yesterday’s results: 93% of you said you think of reading glasses as a medical device, while 7% of you said you see them as a fashion accessory. [2,305 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
First Nations people are advised the following story contains the name of a person who has died.
Northern Territory Police have found a body in the search for a five-year-old girl, who was reported missing from her bed near Alice Springs early on Sunday morning. Officers said the discovery was made by members of the search party just before midday on Thursday. Police said the body found was believed to be that of the girl, pending formal identification, after days of intensive land and air searches. According to the ABC, the girl’s family has asked that she be referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby. Last night, officers arrested Jefferson Lewis, the 47-year-old man they allege killed the girl, at a residence in Alice Springs. Lewis was taken to Alice Springs Hospital after his arrest, where crowds clashed with police officers overnight. A police vehicle was set alight outside the hospital.The Australian white supremacist who killed 51 Muslims at two Christchurch mosques in 2019 has lost an attempt to rescind his guilty pleas to terrorism, murder and attempted murder charges. The man initially pleaded not guilty in the months after the shooting, but ultimately pleaded guilty in March 2020, which meant he bypassed a trial and was sentenced to life in prison. He appealed the verdict in his case more than 500 days after the deadline had passed for an appeal to be entered, but was granted a hearing. At the hearing, the now 35-year-old argued his admissions of guilt were provoked by "irrationality" induced by poor mental health. A panel of three judges at New Zealand's Court of Appeal dismissed this claim, and another he made that harsh prison conditions prompted his admission of guilt.
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I’ve got 1 minute
Australians consumed record amounts of illicit drugs in 2025, particularly methylamphetamine (ice and speed), cocaine, MDMA, and heroin.
The findings come from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), which tracks drug use by testing sewage samples across the country.
Its latest reporting draws on wastewater data representing about 14 million Australians, collected between December 2024 and October 2025.
Here’s what ACIC found:
Record high
Use of the most commonly consumed illicit drugs in the 12 months to August 2025 increased by 21% overall – about 4,600kg more than the previous reporting period.
Here’s how much use of each drug increased:
Consumption
The estimated street value of these drugs has risen to a record $14.3 billion, up from $11.5 billion the year before.
Nationally, Australians consumed 26,884kg of meth, cocaine, MDMA, and heroin.
Here’s a breakdown:
Other drugs
Ketamine use hit record levels in Dec 2024, before steadily declining through 2025.
Cannabis was still the most used drug after nicotine and alcohol, but consumption in August 2025 decreased slightly compared to the year before.
Nicotine use rose 4% nationally, with more use in regional areas.
Alcohol consumption remained generally steady nationally, falling in capital cities but ticking up slightly in the regions.
Why?
ACIC’s report said the data points to “unambiguous evidence that several of Australia’s most significant illicit drug markets continue to expand.”
It says the trends mirror what’s happening overseas, particularly the rise in production and distribution of meth and cocaine.
It said Australia has “plentiful supplies” of meth and cocaine, driven by criminal groups that are increasingly using more sophisticated methods to evade law enforcement.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, TDA Journalist Elliot Lawry and Features Editor Emma Gillespie discuss why Rebel Wilson is being sued for defamation.
🏀 Want to watch the games but don’t have time? You can sign up to TDA Sport here to make sure the score updates are in your inbox every afternoon.
I’ve got 2 minutes
A new report from the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion says authorities believe there are no gaps in the law that, if filled, could have prevented the Bondi terror attack.
The report also says authorities believe that under Australia’s laws, they could not have taken any further actions to respond to the attack.
It has made 14 recommendations, some of which are confidential.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the Government will adopt all of the report’s recommendations.
Background
On 14 December, two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish community event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 and injuring dozens who had gathered to celebrate the start of the Jewish festival of Chanukah.
The mass shooting was declared a terrorist attack, triggering calls for a Royal Commission into antisemitism in Australia. The NSW Government set up a Commission, while the Federal Government initially rejected the calls.
Albanese then announced a Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on 8 January.
Interim report
The Royal Commission began under the direction of former High Court Justice Virginia Bell.
On Thursday, the Commission released an interim report which includes 14 recommendations.
Five of these are confidential because they contain sensitive information about Australian authorities’ operations. Other parts of the report are confidential due to the pending criminal case against one of the alleged shooters.
Here are the key recommendations:
Heighten security at “high risk” Jewish festivals and events
Prioritise setting up a Firearms Agreement that is consistent across the country
Implement the proposed National Gun Buyback Scheme
Employ a full-time national counter-terrorism coordinator
Update the Counter-Terrorism handbook promptly, then every three years
Have the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee brief leaders at least once a year
Bell said she would not suggest “that had any recommended change been in place on 14 December 2025 the Bondi attack might have been averted.”
Response
Albanese said he supports all of the recommendations, reiterating his “call for states and territories to work with the Commonwealth”.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said his Government would “implement them in full,” adding they would “do everything we can to change”.
This was echoed by NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, who said he is “committed to implementing any recommendations that impact on the agency”.
Opposition
Shadow Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Jonno Duniam said he believes the Government should have “lift[ed] its resourcing” for “counter-terror efforts” due to a “threat level” of “50% plus”.
He said they “need to work with state and territory governments” to implement the gun buyback scheme, “or else their much-vaunted reforms will all have been for nothing.”
Community
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Michele Goldman called the interim report “a very important first step.”
She noted the report “clearly focuses on the need for greater coordination between our agencies.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said the Commission needed to find out “what can be done in future to ensure... challenges are met by the police”.
Next steps
The final report is due by 14 December, the one-year anniversary of the attack.
The first block of public hearings will begin next week in Sydney.
They will be held for two weeks, focused on the definition and nature of antisemitism, as well as the experiences of Jewish Australians.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
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Give me some good news
Australia has become the 30th country worldwide to eliminate trachoma, an infectious disease that can lead to blindness.
The disease is spread through close contact with infected people and with certain flies, and can cause scarring of the eyelids and blindness. While it had been eradicated in cities, the disease had persisted as a problem in rural and remote communities, requiring targeted action. World Health Organisation director-general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus called the elimination an important achievement, saying it “reflects sustained commitment, strong partnerships, and a focus on reaching populations most affected by health inequities.”
Reporting by Lucy Tassell.
TDA titbit
A photo of a bird with grass on its head titled ‘Now where is my nest?’ has won the People’s Choice award at the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.
The competition is open to all people regardless of camera expertise and equipment, with the only requirements being capturing wildlife and making sure you snap a funny picture.
Alison Tuck took the winning photo, beating at least 40 other participants.
TDA asks
