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It’s officially a four-day long weekend across the country. As well as consuming way too much chocolate, it also means… double demerits. But only depending on where you live.

A good reminder to drive safe! Have a lovely weekend.

"I believe in climate change and that is a reality."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton during Wednesday night’s leaders’ debate on the ABC.

250,000
The number of bees that were poisoned and died in Corowa, New South Wales. NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) tested three locations with hives and found traces of fipronil, a pesticide. The EPA is currently investigating.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance dropped the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football championship trophy. Vance was helping place the trophy onto a stand when the base came loose and toppled to the ground.

Scientists have discovered “the strongest evidence to date” of possible life beyond our solar system.

An international team used the James Webb Space Telescope to look at nearby planet K2-18b, around 120 light years away from Earth.

The scientists say they have detected evidence of specific gases on this planet which are only produced by living organisms.

K2-18, discovered in 2015, is nine times heavier and two-and-a-half times larger than Earth.

It orbits in the ‘habitable zone’, where liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface. Scientists say they have detected chemical characteristics of gases in K2-18b’s atmosphere that are only produced by biological processes on Earth.

The gases involved are generated on Earth by small living organisms, like microbial life such as algae.

The study’s lead author, astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan, told the BBC the possible presence of the gas is “the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there”.

Madhusudhan said: “We can confirm this signal within one to two years.” However, more observation is needed to confirm the findings.

Dr Joanna Barstow from The Open University told TDA: “There is a huge amount we still don’t know about [K2-18b]... we should be cautious of our interpretation”.

Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under the law.

The case was led by a Scottish campaign group, which argued that sex-based protections for women “by definition exclude those who are biologically male”.

On Wednesday, the court ruled in the group’s favour. This means the UK’s legal definition of a woman will no longer include transgender women who hold a gender recognition certificate.

Here’s what you need to know.

Since 2004, transgender people in the UK have been able to apply for a gender recognition certificate (GRC), which allows them to update their legal documents to reflect their gender.

According to the UK Government, a person must meet several requirements to apply. This includes being over 18, having lived as their “affirmed gender” for a period of time, and approval from two doctors.

An expert panel reviews the applications.

In 2018, Scotland passed a law mandating that boards of public organisations be 50% women, 50% men. The law defined trans women who had or were planning to have gender affirming surgeries as women under this law.

That year, a group called For Women Scotland (FWS) formed in opposition.

On its website, FWS says: “We believe that there are only two sexes, that a person’s sex is not a choice, nor can it be changed.”

It brought a case against the Scottish Government, arguing that defining a woman was beyond its powers, because it is ‘devolved’ from the UK.

Before we go any further, it’s important to understand the relationship between Scotland and the United Kingdom.

Scotland is a country, but it’s also part of the UK. As a result, it has two governments.

The Scottish Government’s responsibilities include law and order, education, healthcare and social services.

The UK Government’s responsibilities include immigration, energy, human rights, and employment.

Now, back to the Scottish law about board representation.

In 2020, FWS won a court challenge of that law on the grounds that allowing trans women to be included in the legal definition of a woman was beyond Scotland’s powers.

The Scottish Government then issued new guidance, stating that its law was aligned with the UK-wide Equality Act.

It said the Equality Act defined a woman as “a female of any age,” and that any person with a GRC saying they are female is counted under this definition.

Following this guidance, FWS launched a new case, arguing the act defines women by “biological sex“.

On Wednesday, a panel of UK Supreme Court judges unanimously ruled in favour of FWS.

“There is no doubt that Parliament intended the words ‘man’ and ‘woman’ to refer to biological sex” in the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act which the modern law is based on, the judges said.

It ultimately found including these sex discrimination protections to people with GRCs would lead to confusion.

Additionally, concerns were raised around ‘single-sex spaces’ which “require a biological interpretation of “sex” in order to function coherently”.

Examples included sport, the armed forces, and changing rooms.

The judges noted that trans people are still protected from discrimination under the Equality Act “on the ground of gender reassignment”, and “indirect discrimination on the basis of sex.”

“A trans woman can claim sex discrimination because she is perceived to be a woman,” the judges said.

In a post to X, FWS said they were “absolutely jubilant” about the ruling.

‘Harry Potter’ author JK Rowling, who financially supported the group, said trans people “never had the rights [they] claim [they’ve] now lost”.

The Scottish Government said they accepted the ruling and would “engage on [its] implications.”

Advocacy group TransActual said: “The intent seems clear: to exclude trans people wholesale from participating in UK society. Today, we are feeling very excluded.”

QLife: 1800 084 527

Reporting by Lucy Tassell.

Alright, who’s heading overseas this year?

For those that raised their hands, we know there’s nothing quite like the feeling of experiencing new cities, embracing new cuisines, and the satisfaction of mastering a new phrase or two.

But let’s be real - sometimes, stuff just doesn’t go to plan. That’s where the folks at Travel Insurance Direct (TID) come in. With their expertise, cover and top-notch service, they can help you stay on track on your travels. TID takes care of the important stuff, so you can focus on the fun.

Plus, if you’re a sucker for a discount code, they’re offering a 15%* discount on travel insurance to TDA readers with the promo code 15TDA (until May 31 2025). *T&Cs apply.

🍊 Sydney FC won their match, but lost their Champions League bid. How?
🍊 Everything you need to know about the Stawell Gift.
🍊 Josh Giddey’s season comes to an end.
🗞️ Also in today’s Sport Newsletter: AFL, soccer, and more…

Led by the University of Essex, the footage was recorded last month during an expedition to find new marine species in the South Atlantic. The squid was discovered on camera exactly 100 years after it was first identified and named. Experts believe that it can grow up to seven metres in length and also weigh up to 500kg. This makes them the heaviest spineless animal on earth.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.

More than 50,000 people have signed a petition calling for Nashville International Airport to be renamed in honour of Dolly Parton.

The petition, created by Tennessee residents, requests that “the airport’s name be changed to Dolly Parton International Airport to honour an icon who has given so much to our state and to the world.”

It’s hoped passengers could soon be “departin’ from Parton!”

Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.

This week, the UK Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision, finding that a woman is defined by biological sex under the law.

It means transgender women with legal documentation reflecting their transition are not entitled to the same sex discrimination protections as “biological women”.

Today, we’ll be breaking down the decision, how it came to be, and what the response to it has been.