☕️ Israel's President to arrive in Australia

The Super Bowl is today – the final game of the NFL season in the U.S.

At 10:30am (AEDT), the New England Patriots will be playing the Seattle Seahawks in a game that most predict will be pretty close. The halftime show will be headlined by Bad Bunny.

If you don’t know who to go for: Michael Dickson from the Seattle Seahawks is from Australia!

You can watch on Seven or 7Plus. And if you want to be in the know, sign up to TDA’s Sport Newsletter here.

The quote: "We are absolutely devastated by the media release of SAPOL Major Crime. The family has cooperated fully with the investigation."
The grandparents of missing four-year-old boy Gus Lamont, Josie and Shannon Murray, in a statement through their lawyers. Last week, South Australia Police announced they believe someone known to Gus was involved in his disappearance.

The stat: 74%. The approximate percentage of flu hospitalisations that were among unvaccinated Queenslanders in 2025. The Queensland Government announced an expanded free flu vaccination program for 2026, including Australia's first needle-free flu vaccine.

The big question:

Friday’s results: 90% of you think voting should continue to be compulsory in Australia. [3,500 votes].

For the “I’ll start training properly… soon” era:

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A well-known American news anchor has made a public plea for the return of her mother after she was allegedly abducted about a week ago.

NBC co-host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother was last seen at her home in Tucson, in the U.S. state of Arizona, on the evening of 31 January 2026.

On Saturday, Guthrie posted a video to her Instagram saying the family is prepared to pay a ransom to her mother’s kidnappers.

At this stage, investigators have not identified a suspect or person of interest.

Journalist and former lawyer Savannah Guthrie has been a co-anchor of NBC’s Today show since 2011. The Australian-born broadcaster has built a prominent career covering major U.S. political and legal stories.

She drew global attention during the height of the #MeToo movement in 2017, when she opened Today with the announcement of the dismissal of her co-host Matt Lauer, following several sexual assault allegations by fellow staff.

A week ago, local authorities issued a missing person’s alert for Nancy Guthrie after she was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night, 31 January.

She had been dropped off at the residence at 9:49pm, after a dinner at a relative’s house. Authorities have described the 84-year-old as a “vulnerable adult” who has difficulty walking. Due to existing health conditions, she wears a heart monitor and requires daily medication.

Just after 2am, a doorbell camera at the home detected movement, however investigators later discovered the camera had been disconnected around 15 minutes earlier, leaving no footage. At 2:28am, data showed Guthrie’s heart monitor was disconnected.

The following morning, when family members went to check on her, she was nowhere to be found. An initial examination of the property found blood on the front porch, later confirmed to belong to Guthrie. Police have not specified how much blood was found.

Investigators believe this is a kidnapping case, and authorities have issued repeated pleas for Guthrie’s safe return.

On Saturday, Guthrie said in a post on Instagram: "We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay."

Reporting by Achol Arok.

🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, Lucy explains the allegations against the son of a Norwegian princess.

⛷️ In case you somehow missed it, Aussie winter athletes are on the world stage. You can sign up to TDA Sport here to find out everything you need to know this afternoon.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will arrive in Australia today. The Albanese Government arranged the visit as a show of solidarity with the Jewish community after the Bondi terror attack.

Herzog has been named in a UN investigation into alleged genocide in Gaza, prompting calls for his arrest from advocacy groups and some politicians. Nationwide rallies have been organised in protest of the visit, with thousands expected at a major Sydney demonstration, despite warnings of potential arrests under new police powers.

Herzog is Israel’s President, a largely ceremonial role separate from the Prime Minister position held by Benjamin Netanyahu. The President serves as head of state and is elected by the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) to represent national unity and core values.

Herzog was elected President in 2021. His father, Chaim Herzog, held the role from 1983 to 1993.

In the wake of the December Bondi terror attack – when 15 people were killed at a Chanukah celebration – Albanese invited Herzog to Australia to mourn with and support the Jewish community.

Peak Jewish bodies have welcomed Herzog’s visit. Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said it “will lift the spirits of a pained community”.

However, some smaller Jewish groups oppose the visit. The Jewish Council of Australia says the Government is using “Jewish grief as a political prop and backdrop.”

Australia is a party to the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute, which require states to prevent and punish genocide and other war crimes, and has put those rules into its own criminal code.

In September 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry named Herzog as one of several Israeli leaders who “incited the commission of genocide” in Gaza through public statements. Some legal and human rights groups argue this means Australia must investigate or arrest him under its obligations.

The Australian Federal Police said they sought legal advice on this and will not arrest Herzog or open a case.

Herzog was also photographed in December 2023 writing “I rely on you” on an artillery shell intended for Gaza. This week, he told Nine newspapers that the incident was a tasteless “error”.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia “always considers legal advice in relation to our obligation” but noted that “Israel will be judged by the International Court of Justice on its compliance with the Genocide Convention.”

Pro-Palestinian rallies have been organised across the country in protest of Herzog’s visit.

Separately, a 19-year-old Sydney man was charged with making a death threat online targeting Herzog. He was arrested on Thursday and was refused bail.

In Sydney, thousands are expected to march despite NSW Police warning about potential arrests under extended protest bans in the city. The restrictions, originally granted after the Bondi attack, allow police to shut down protests for an initial period of three months, with options to extend.

In addition, NSW Premier Chris Minns announced the visit would be classified as a ‘Major Event’, granting police powers usually reserved for major sporting or city-wide events. These additional police powers mean demonstrators in NSW aren’t protected from certain offences (such as obstructing traffic), which are usually waived in a permitted protest. However, protest organisers said they would challenge the powers in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday.

Palestine Action Group spokesman Josh Lees said the NSW Government “is using emergency-style powers to shield a visiting head of state from public scrutiny and accountability.”

The group will file a legal challenge this morning, arguing the powers are excessive, unjustified and unlawful. Lees accused the State Premier Chris Minns of imposing “sweeping” restrictions across Sydney, “in an attempt to shut down dissent... instead of defending human rights”.

Some members of both the federal and NSW Labor governments have expressed opposition to the visit.

Federal Labor MP Ed Husic told the ABC he was “very uncomfortable” with Herzog’s visit, and was “concerned that a figure like that doesn't necessarily enhance social cohesion”. Three NSW Labor MPs have said they would join the protests.

However, a number of state and federal Labor MPs have expressed support for the visit. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was important to listen to the requests of the Australian Jewish community “in the wake of the worst on-soil terrorist attack, an antisemitic attack, that we have seen” in Australia’s history.

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The female calf was born on Sunday to 12-year-old mother Nhi Linh, weighing in at 140 kilograms. Asian elephants are listed as endangered, with global population numbers declining by at least 50% since 1945. The newborn calf’s parents were specifically paired to strengthen genetic diversity in the North American population. Zoo director Brandie Smith said the arrival brings “profound joy” after such a long wait, and that the Smithsonian's research directly supports conservation efforts for wild Asian elephants across Southeast Asia.

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

Penny the doberman pinscher has been named Best in Show at the prestigious Westminster Dog Show in New York.

Her full name is GCHP CH Connquest Best Of Both Worlds "Penny", and she was born in June 2021.

Penny beat a field of almost 2,500 dogs to take the top prize. Co-owner Greg Chan told the Associated Press she will do “anything for food,” and her favourite snack is “everything”.

Go off, Penny!