The Matildas beat Denmark 2-0 last night in front of over 75,000 fans at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, which means they’re off to face either France or Morocco on Saturday night in Brisbane.

The dream continues!

The quote
"I’m not a theme. I’m a person. Kuwait has banned this film due to my identity alone." – Trans actor Zoe Terakes responding to the banning of an Australian horror film in Kuwait. 'Talk To Me' has been banned over Terakes' gender identity.

The stat
18 years old
The age of university student Anastatia Mayers, who is about to become the second-youngest person to go to space after winning a competition with her mother, Keisha Schahaff. The pair will be the first mother-daughter duo to visit space when Virgin Galactic 02 takes off on Thursday.

Today in history
1974: U.S. President Richard Nixon announced his intention to resign in light of the Watergate scandal.

Some headlines from this morning:

TW: Distressing content

Queensland Police say "further investigation" is required into a house fire that killed a father and his five sons in the state's southeast.

Emergency services were called to the Russell Island home on Sunday morning. Police were unable to locate the bodies until the blaze was extinguished in the afternoon.

A 28-year-old woman, believed to be the children's mother, and a 21-year-old woman, escaped the fire and are in a stable condition.

Further details:
Police remained on the scene yesterday with the hopes of recovering the bodies of the five boys (aged between three and 11 years old) and their 34-year-old father.

The family was known to police, who confirmed they had visited the property on previous occasions.

Three neighbouring properties were also damaged, with some residents treated at the scene.

Investigation:
A crime scene has been established, while police say they're keeping an open mind as to the cause of the blaze.

In an update yesterday, Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said "there are some elements of this incident [on Sunday] that do require closer scrutiny".

"It is our priority this morning, and our staff are very mindful that we need to take our investigation meticulously, but we need to get [the bodies out] as soon as we can," he added.

A Government plan to allow the storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) under the sea in international waters has divided politicians.

It’s billed as a way to reduce emissions.

However, the Greens and some independents say it is an idea promoted by the fossil fuel industry as an excuse to approve new gas projects.

Background:
Storing carbon dioxide under the sea is an example of a process called 'carbon capture and storage' (CCS).

As the name suggests, the idea is to capture CO₂ from industrial activities (e.g. power generation or manufacturing) before it reaches the atmosphere, then storing it somewhere secure, typically by injecting it into rocks.

There are many potentially suitable rock formations at the bottom of the ocean.

Issues:
CCS is a fairly new approach, and early attempts have struggled with both effective capture and effective storage. At sea, storage failures can harm marine ecosystems.

CCS is also controversial because environmentalists say it can be used as an excuse for genuine emissions reduction, especially when it is proposed by fossil fuel companies.

International agreements on the use of CCS usually suggest it should be used for industrial activities where emissions are hard to avoid, like cement manufacturing.

However, it has often been used by fossil fuel companies to enable further 'sustainable' expansion.

CCS in Australia:
This has been the case in Australia, where CCS is already legal in Australian waters subject to a permit.

Gas company Chevron used a CCS project as part of its pitch for expanded gas operations off the coast of WA, but has so far failed to store any carbon dioxide.

The Middle Arm precinct in NT, which has $1.5 billion in government funding, is also billed as sustainable because of a CCS project, but is also connected to a major new gas development in the Beetaloo Basin.

The Government’s bill:
The Government is now proposing to expand the permit system for CCS to projects beyond Australia’s waters.

A key reason is to facilitate a CCS project proposed by gas company Santos in waters that overlap with Timor-Leste. The proposal is to use an abandoned gas field to store 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Timor-Leste is broadly supportive.

Criticism:
Greens and Independents have accused the Government of 'greenwashing' by letting fossil fuel companies make unachievable promises about emissions storage to gain approval for new fossil fuel projects.

The Greens oppose the Bill. Independents including Dr Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall say they would only support it with amendments to improve environmental safeguards.

Dr Scamps has proposed an amendment that would stop CCS from being used for fossil fuel burning, limiting it instead to "hard-to-abate industries such as cement".

Government response:
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek says the Bill "increases protections of our precious oceans" by improving regulatory oversight and by regulating the import of carbon dioxide into our waters by other countries.

Minister Plibersek told TDA this was "currently… at risk of happening in an unregulated manner", but did not elaborate on whether any countries were currently importing carbon dioxide into Australian waters or were likely to do so.

Get all the news you need to know today in your ears on The Daily Aus podcast!

Australia’s first purpose-built cystic fibrosis ward has been opened.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that causes damaging mucus build-up in the body’s organs. The ward has opened at a Sydney hospital and is aimed at providing specialised care and treatment for adults with cystic fibrosis.

Feeling the winter social slump? You're not alone. In a recent survey of young adults (18-25), 72% struggle to socially connect in winter. However, it's important to remember that staying socially active is just as crucial as being physically active for a healthy life.

With VicHealth's Reality Check initiative, we're here to remind you (and ourselves at TDA) to prioritise face-to-face moments. Joining a local sports team or scheduling regular dinners with your friends can break up the day-to-day routine and make a real difference. It may sound simple, but you might be surprised by the impact it can have on your overall well-being!

Barbie’s Greta Gerwig has become the first female solo director to make more than $US1 billion at the global box office.

Warner Bros. said in a statement: “We’re not often rendered speechless by a film’s performance, but [this] has blown even our most optimistic predictions out of the water”.

It’s set to be the highest-grossing film of the quarter - and possibly of the entire year.

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