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Happy Monday!
It’s official: Tasmanian-born Mary Donaldson is now the Queen of Denmark.
It comes two weeks after 83-year-old Queen Margrethe II announced she would abdicate (give up the role of monarch), citing her age and health concerns. Next in line to the throne was Prince Fredrick – Mary’s husband – who is now King of Denmark.
The official ceremony was held on Sunday.
I've got 10 seconds
The quote
"On the road to recovery. Netflix recommendations [please].” - Matildas captain Sam Kerr in an Instagram post after rupturing her ACL last week. Kerr has been ruled out of the rest of the Women’s Super League season, as well as the Matildas’ Olympic qualifiers.
The stat
4
The number of years since tourists have been allowed into North Korea. According to Reuters, a Russian group is set to bring the first known tourist visit to the country since border lockdowns began in early 2020.
Today in history
2001: Wikipedia launched. As of January 2024, Wikipedia has more than 6.7 million articles.
I've got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Voters in Taiwan have elected Lai Ching-te as their new leader in the third successive victory for Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party – a party that supports and promotes the island’s separate identity from China. Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign state (independent from any other power), whilst China views Taiwan as one of its provinces that it will inevitably reunify with. Lai said after his win: “We didn't let external forces influence our election. That's because we decided that only we can choose our president." A spokesperson for China responded to the election in a statement saying: “Taiwan is China's Taiwan… Our position on resolving the Taiwan issue and achieving national reunification is consistent, and our will is rock-solid.”
Researchers are calling for Australia to name its heat waves, like it names cyclones, to increase public awareness of the dangers of extreme heat. Nonprofit organisation Energy Consumers Australia said Spain has been naming and ranking heatwaves since 2022. It recommended a similar framework be adopted in Australia for heatwave alerts and communications.
I've got 1 minute
Australia has supported the U.S. and UK in launching missile strikes on Houthi forces in the Middle Eastern country of Yemen.
Houthi rebel forces have been targeting ships in the Red Sea that they claim are linked to Israel.
Background
Houthi rebels are an Iran-backed group based in Yemen. They have been fighting in a civil war in Yemen since 2014. In that time, the UN estimates more than a quarter of a million people have died due to conflict and famine.
Houthi forces control parts of Yemen, a country that borders the Red Sea – a popular trade route for international commercial vessels, accounting for roughly 12% of global trade.
Houthi attacks
According to the UN, the Houthis "began targeting what they believe to be Israel-bound vessels in mid-November after first launching missile and drone attacks against Israel itself, in support of the extremist group Hamas".
Hamas launched an attack on Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people according to the UN. Israel declared war in response and nearly 24,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed since, according to the UN.
Earlier this week, the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning "in the strongest terms" the attacks by Houthi rebels. The resolution called for the Houthis to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea and to release all crew members who were taken hostage from a vessel in November.
Friday’s airstrikes
On Friday, the U.S. and the UK launched strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen.
It did this with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said Australia’s support was in the form of personnel in the operational headquarters. Marles said the "decision was not taken lightly".
Houthi response
The leader of the Houthis, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said in a televised address that "any American attack [would] not remain without a response".
He added: "We are more determined to continue to target ships linked to Israel, and we will not back down from that...
"We say to everyone in the world: there is no problem for you to traverse and pass through the Red Sea. The only targets exclusively are ships linked to Israel."
I've got 2 minutes
A leading international body has called on Australia to do more to uphold human rights standards.
The Human Rights Watch 2024 World Report found Australia's human rights status is at risk of being "tarnished" by immigration and criminal justice issues.
Human rights laws
Human rights are standards based on basic principles of dignity, equality and respect.
They are often set out in a National Human Rights Act – a comprehensive set of laws to ensure a country's human rights protections. Australia is the only Western democracy with no Human Rights Act or Constitutional Charter.
Instead, it relies on protections outlined in the Constitution, international treaties and some national laws relating to human rights, like anti-discrimination legislation.
The report
Human Rights Watch (HRW) acknowledged Australia "mostly protects" the rights of its citizens.
However, it noted concern about the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, including in offshore detention centres.
HRW also voiced concern about the disproportionate incarceration rate for First Nations people and deaths in custody.
Nauru
In its annual report, HRW flagged concern over Australia's immigration detention facility in Nauru.
In June 2023, the Government evacuated the final refugees at Nauru in what was considered a "significant step" towards ending offshore processing. However, it drew criticism when it resumed the transfer of asylum seekers to Nauru later in the year.
Refugees have alleged poor treatment in these facilities, including being withheld basic supplies like food and water.
Criminal justice
Despite making up 3% of the national population, First Nations people make up nearly one-third of Australia's adult prison population.
HRW noted previous findings of "inappropriate" conditions in prisons with large populations of First Nations people.
It also flagged new QLD laws (that contradict the state's Human Rights Act) allowing youth offenders to be held indefinitely in police watchhouses often used for adults.
Next steps
HRW has called for the Government to introduce a Human Rights Act, saying it would further protect and improve the lives of Australian citizens.
A Parliamentary Committee recommended the Federal Government establish a Human Rights Act in 2009, but this was not implemented.
Last year, the Government established an inquiry to re-examine the potential for a national Human Rights Act. It's report is due in March.
A message from our sponsor
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Give me some good news
Ruins of an ancient civilisation estimated to be at least 2,500 years old have been discovered in the Amazon Rainforest.
Researchers used laser mapping technology to reveal “previously unknown evidence” of past Amazonian cultures in an Ecuadorian valley.
It’s estimated at least 10,000 people lived in the community, which included complex road networks and structures.
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A TDA tidbit
Big ‘Friends’ fan? Well, keep reading.
Two scripts from the classic sitcom have gone up for auction.
They were found in a bin by a staff member at Fountain Studios in 1998 where the two episodes were filmed. The scripts were actually meant to be destroyed so that the ending wouldn’t be leaked, but these ones ended up in an office drawer and were recently rediscovered.
The scripts are for two episodes; part one and two of “The One With Ross’s Wedding”. To jog your memory, this includes the iconic episode where Ross says “I take thee Rachel” at the altar of his wedding to Emily (not Rachel).
Amanda Butler from Hanson Ross Auctioneers (the company selling the scripts) said she expects the scripts will sell for around $AU1,100 to $AU1,500, but the auction company said, “thanks to the show’s huge global appeal, who knows where the hammer may fall.”
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