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In some breaking news this morning, prominent U.S. right-wing activist and podcaster Charlie Kirk has been killed while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University.
31-year-old Kirk was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in conservative politics and a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
“This is an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens.”
A post on X from the Polish army, announcing it had shot down Russian drones in its airspace. Poland is part of the international military bloc NATO, whose members are bound to go to war on each other's behalf if one is attacked.
Stat of the day
5
The number of people who have served as Prime Minister of France since January 2024. President Emmanuel Macron named 39-year-old Sébastien Lecournu to the role after the previous PM, Francois Bayrou, lost a no-confidence vote this week.
TDA reader’s comment of the week
"IM THE ELDEST BOY!"
A comment referencing HBO series ‘Succession’, on our post about media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s eldest son Lachlan being named the sole successor of his father's media empire after a court challenge from his siblings. The twist of that line from Succession is that it was said by Kendall Roy, who was not his father’s oldest son.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
The Federal Government has launched a new online safety hub for young Aussie travellers, following an increase in methanol poisoning overseas. Smartraveller’s ‘Partying Safely Hub’ includes support resources for parents, educators and young people, “about how to party safely… and what to do if something goes wrong.” This includes information on alcohol safety, methanol poisoning, drink spiking, drug safety and travel insurance. The initiative comes after Melbourne teenagers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones died from drink poisoning in Laos last November. Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the deaths “a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers young people face when travelling abroad.” Wong said the Partying Safely Hub is aimed at supporting young Australians “to explore the world with confidence…knowledge and resources to come home safely.”
NSW childcare providers fined for doing the wrong thing could face penalty increases of up to 900% under a new State Government proposal. In response to growing scrutiny of the sector, NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced new legislation, which he’s described as “a suite of urgent reforms”. The plan would see harsher penalties for breaches by providers, and give increased powers to the state’s child care regulatory authority. Labor said the reforms will prioritise child safety, “and restore parents’ trust in early childhood education and care.” The proposed legislation also includes boosted whistleblower protections, and more transparent sharing of information, including current investigations. Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said: “Parents and carers will have access to a service provider’s history so they can make an informed choice about the care of their children.”
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I’ve got 1 minute
The PM visited Vanuatu to sign a $500m security agreement, but left with no deal. What happened?
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled to Vanuatu with the intention of securing a multimillion-dollar security deal.
However, he left the Pacific Island nation without signing an agreement.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat flagged concerns that the contract could interfere with the nation’s relationship with other countries, including China.
The deal is one of several agreements Australia hopes to sign with Pacific nations this month, as part of efforts to counter China’s influence in the region.
Deal
Earlier this year, Australia and Vanuatu announced they had reached an in-principle agreement on a $500 million infrastructure, climate, and security deal.
The agreement is designed to help the island nation “drive sustainable progress, uphold sovereignty and enhance regional stability.”
At the time of the announcement, Vanuatu indicated it would formally sign the agreement during the Prime Minister’s trip this week. However, the country has since walked back its commitment to finalise the deal.
Delays
In a press conference this week, Napat said the delays stemmed from concerns raised by parties in his coalition.
He said MPs had raised issues around the agreement potentially stifling “critical infrastructure” funding from other countries.
China and Australia have both sought to boost relationships with Pacific Island nations in recent years.
Former Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare once accused Australia of having a “coercive” approach to Pacific nations’ relationship with China.
Albanese said the delay was a matter of wording and emphasised the importance of both countries being confident in the deal.
“We don’t want to either do, or be seen [to do], anything that undermines the sovereignty of Vanuatu,” he said.
The Prime Minister added he remains confident an agreement will be reached, saying he was “reassured by the discussion” with his counterpart.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
I’ve got 2 minutes
What we know about Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar
For the first time, Israel has struck Qatar.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike on the capital, Doha, was targeting Hamas leadership.
Hamas said the attack killed six people, five of whom were associated with the group, but that its ceasefire negotiating team and leaders survived.
Qatar’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Majed Al Ansari said the strike was “a blatant violation of all international laws and norms”.
Background
Hamas, which Australia lists as a terrorist organisation, governs Gaza. Its political arm has had an office in Qatar since 2012. Qatari officials say it was set up for indirect talks with support from the U.S, Qatar’s ally.
Many of Hamas’ senior leaders remain in Qatar. Its government has given more than $US1 billion to Gaza since 2012, much of which has gone to the Hamas-run government in the enclave.
Multiple international media outlets report Israel approved of and facilitated this funding until the current war.
Qatar has hosted negotiations between Israel and Hamas since October 2023.
Strike
Israel struck a building in Doha on Tuesday afternoon (local time).
Hamas said the strike targeted members of its ceasefire negotiations team, but that they survived.
The group said Israel had killed six people, including the son of its chief negotiator.
Netanyahu posted to X soon after, saying Israel took “full responsibility” for the strike.
Overnight, Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting attack in Jerusalem earlier this week.
Two gunmen opened fire at a bus stop, killing six, and were reportedly shot dead by Israeli security forces at the scene. A third suspect was later arrested.
The shooting took place at Ramot Junction, a major intersection in an area that the International Court of Justice has ruled Israel is illegally occupying.
Netanyahu said this shooting, as well as the 7 October 2023 attacks, “fully justified” Israel’s strike on Qatar.
U.S. and Qatar
In a post to his social media site Truth Social, Trump said the strike “does not advance Israel or America’s goals.”
He said Israel had warned U.S. authorities before the strike, and that the U.S. attempted to warn Qatar, but did not alert it in time “to stop the attack”.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry denies the U.S. warned them.
The office of Qatari head of state Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said he had spoken to Trump following the attack, and that both condemned it.
Reaction
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told the ABC on Wednesday morning that the Government “believes this was the wrong thing to do.”
“This is a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, it imperils that work on the ceasefire, and it risks escalation,” Wong said.
The leaders of the UK, France, Türkiye, and the UAE, among others, have all publicly expressed disapproval.
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🍊 Ange returns to the English Premier League. More details here.
🍊 Josh Giddey signs a monster NBA deal. Read more here.
🍊 Heat is set to impact the athletics world champs. Here’s what Seb Coe said.
🗞️ Also in today’s Sport Newsletter: cycling, NFL, and more…
Give me some good news
The world’s first chlamydia vaccine for koalas has been approved.
Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast have spent more a decade developing the vaccine to protect koalas from the infectious, life-threatening disease that accounts for up to half of deaths in the wild. The vaccine is single-dose, meaning koalas will only need to be given it once for effectiveness. Clinical data, including “the largest and longest ever study of wild koalas,” confirmed the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.
TDA titbit
Photo: Cathie Coward and The Hamilton Spectator
Have you ever lost track of something for so long that you’ve assumed you’ll never see it again? Let this story give you hope.
A man in Canada has been reunited with a wallet he lost as a teenager, more than 50 years ago.
Workers at Orchard Park Secondary School in the province of Ontario were remodelling a bathroom when they found the wallet behind a wall.
They were able to track down its owner, 67-year-old Tom Schopf, and give him back his old wallet and IDs.
Reporting by Lucy Tassell.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
For the first time, Israel has struck Qatar. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike on the capital city, Doha, was targeting Hamas leadership. Hamas has said none of its leaders or ceasefire negotiating team were killed, but six others were. In today’s episode, we’ll explain the significance of the strike and Qatar’s relationships in the region.
TDA asks
