☕️ MAFS expert passes away

Here is today’s trivia question: What is the hardest natural material on Earth?

Answer is in the titbit!

The quote: “We are deeply saddened ​to announce the death of Leo ​Radvinsky. Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer. His family have requested privacy at ​this difficult time.”
An OnlyFans spokesperson confirming the death of its founder at the age of 43.

The stat: 73%. The increase in price of Cadbury’s hollow Easter eggs per 100g since 2004, according to a new report by CHOICE.

The big question:

Yesterday’s results: 52% of you think AI will make your job easier. [1,250 votes].

What jet fuel has to do with rising costs

Jet fuel is one of the biggest costs for airlines – and when conflict disrupts fuel supplies, it can push those costs higher.

Right now, tensions in the Middle East are affecting flight paths and fuel use, with airlines forced to reroute and burn more fuel. That doesn’t just impact airlines – it can flow through to freight costs, delivery times and eventually prices.

So how does something like jet fuel end up affecting everyday costs?

A U.S. court has found former actor Bill Cosby guilty of a 1972 rape in a civil case, ordering him to pay the victim-survivor $US59 million ($AU85 million).

The case came after California introduced a two-year window allowing people to report historical sexual assault cases that otherwise fell outside the statute of limitations.

Cosby has been accused of rape multiple times across his career, serving three years in prison in 2018 before his conviction was overturned on a technicality.

Cosby is best known for starring in The Cosby Show, which ran from 1984 to 1992.

He first settled a civil sexual assault and drugging case in 2006.

In 2014, a joke by comedian Hannibal Buress about the allegations against Cosby went viral, shedding new light on his behaviour.

As part of the new discussion about Cosby, the Associated Press published evidence he gave during the 2005-06 civil proceedings.

Based on this resurfaced evidence, authorities in the state of Pennsylvania commenced a new criminal case led by the complainant from the 2000s.

Cosby was found guilty of sexual assault at trial and sentenced to prison time.

However, in 2021, his sentence was overturned after the court found Cosby had made a deal with a prosecutor in an earlier case that effectively granted him immunity for a future criminal case.

Over the years, nearly 60 women have made allegations against Cosby. Most of the accusations exceed the statute of limitations – a deadline for taking legal action. It means victims only have a certain amount of time to report a crime or file a lawsuit against a perpetrator, even if an offence was committed.

In late 2025, California introduced a two-year window (1 Jan 2026 - 31 Dec 2027) allowing people to launch civil cases for sexual assault allegations outside the statute of limitations.

In light of the changes, Donna Motsinger brought a civil case against Cosby, alleging he raped her in 1972.

Motsinger’s lawyers said Cosby invited her to his comedy show while she was working at a California restaurant. Cosby then gave her “alcohol and pills that rendered her incapacitated,” and raped her in this state.

The jury ruled in favour of Motsinger ‘on the balance of probabilities’, the standard used in civil cases (compared to ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ in criminal cases).

The court awarded her $US19.5 million for non-economic damages.

Motsinger was also awarded a further $US40 million in “punitive damages,” based on Cosby’s net worth. Punitive damages are payments made when conduct is considered particularly damaging or deliberate, often as a punishment to the perpetrator rather than compensation to the victim-survivor.

In total, Cosby is required to pay Motsinger more than $AU85 million. U.S. media reports Cosby’s legal team will appeal the verdict.

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732.

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, Lucy explains Germany’s deepfake scandal.

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On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. and Iran have had “productive conversations” about a “total resolution”.

Iran has denied any talks between the nations.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes in February, thousands have been killed across the region, mainly in Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up global oil prices.

So, is the conflict ending?

On 28 February, the U.S. joint strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed to the position on 9 March.

Iran returned strikes on Israel and U.S-associated infrastructure in the Middle East, such as in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have continued.

Iran-backed, Lebanon-based group Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel. Israel retaliated with strikes on Beirut.

Both Iran and Israel have struck energy infrastructure, such as oil fields.

On Saturday (U.S. time), Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if they did not “fully open, without threat” the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Two days later, Trump posted to Truth Social to say the U.S. and Iran have had “very good and productive conversations” about ending “hostilities in the Middle East”.

Trump said he had instructed the Department of War to “postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure”.

On Sunday, Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said phone calls had been held between the U.S. and regional leaders, including from Iran.

Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Badr Abdel-Aty spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

A Ministry spokesman said the discussions were about “the security and stability of the region” due to the conflict, including to trade movement, oil and supply chain issues.

Responding to Trump’s claims, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said: “No negotiations have been held with the U.S.”

Ghalibaf called the comments “fake news... used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the U.S. and Israel are trapped.”

Iran’s Fars News Agency reported a security official reiterated that “there’s no direct or indirect contact with the U.S,” similarly blaming “pressure from financial markets”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump’s update “an opportunity to leverage the tremendous achievements” the U.S. and Israel “have reached”.

He said a potential agreement “will safeguard our vital interests.”

Netanyahu added that Israel is “continuing to strike in Iran and Lebanon” to “smash... the missile program and nuclear program”.

“We continue to deal severe blows to Hezbollah,” he said.

Since the announcement, the price of oil per 158-litre barrel decreased from $US112 ($AU160) on Sunday to $US101 ($AU145) on Monday. This is still higher than pre-conflict prices ($US71 in February).

Key stock market indices have increased, including the Dow Jones, which is up 1.38%.

The ASX 200 (the 200 largest companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange) is up today, after hitting a 10-month low yesterday.

University of Melbourne Senior Lecturer in Political Science Dara Conduit said: “It seems that some back-channel discussions are beginning”.

Conduit noted that “there is also little middle ground between the warring parties.”

University of Sydney American Politics Associate Professor David Smith said Trump “switch[ing] to talking about ‘making a deal’ shows he no longer thinks a purely military solution is possible.”

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

For around one in three Australians living with epilepsy, medication alone doesn't stop the seizure.

This is known as drug-resistant epilepsy – and it's more common than many people realise. The challenge is that many patients and families don't know there are other paths forward.

This Epilepsy Awareness Month, LivaNova is helping close that knowledge gap. Because knowing your options is the first step toward better outcomes.

Visit Drug Resistant Epilepsy - Epilepsy Action Australia, to learn more about living with and beyond drug-resistant epilepsy.

The University of Tübingen in Germany and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) have been working together to recover artefacts from the ancient city of Athribis since 2005. In the last eight years alone, they’ve found more than 42,000 items and fragments. Most recently, the team has discovered tax receipts, lists, and inscriptions from as far back as the 3rd century BCE. The site’s director, Professor Christian Leitz, said the findings “show us an astonishing variety of everyday situations… [giving] us a direct insight” into the lives of the people who lived there.

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

The DOGUE days may just be over. No, that wasn’t a typo.

Last month, Condé Nast, the owner of Vogue, filed a copyright lawsuit against the “world’s first dog and fashion lifestyle magazine” DOGUE.

The pooch publication has launched a GoFundMe to help cover its legal fees, and defend “the freedom of art and the right to creative expression.”

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

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Riddle answer: Diamond – which is why they are so scratch resistant!