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Good morning!
If you’re new here, Wednesday is riddle day at TDA!
Here is today’s riddle: This is a five-letter word. With all five letters, people eat it. However, if you remove the first letter, then I become a form of energy. If you remove another letter, then I am required to live. If you mix up the final three letters, then I am a drink. What word am I?
The answer is in the tidbit.
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
"Just last week, who decided to not only attend this club, but to actually hold a fundraiser in this club? None other than the Leader of the Opposition. What a lack of character does this show, the Leader of the Opposition holding a fundraiser at this club that prohibits women’s membership."
Infrastructure & Transport Minister Catherine King has accused Peter Dutton of hosting a function at the men's only Athenaeum Club in Melbourne.
Stat of the day
13
The number of U.S. states that have filed a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing it of intentionally using addictive software to keep children on its platform. California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement: “TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits. TikTok intentionally targets children because they know kids do not yet have the defenses or capacity to create healthy boundaries around addictive content.”
Today in history
2012
Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head at age 15 for speaking out against restrictions imposed by the Taliban on girls’ and women’s education in Pakistan.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Residents in the U.S. state of Florida are on high alert, as they brace for Hurricane Milton. Authorities have described the category five storm as “extremely dangerous.” Milton is expected to make landfall in the southeastern state over the next day, bringing life-threatening storm surges and damaging winds with it. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued evacuation orders across parts of Florida, while heavy rainfall has already drenched parts of the state. Authorities are also concerned about the risk of coastal flooding along the neighbouring South Carolina and Georgia coasts. Emergency services are urging residents to “protect themselves and take care of others”. FEMA has warned its resources are stretched as it continues clean up efforts following the recent Hurricane Helene.
Qantas has been ordered to pay $100m in penalties following landmark legal action brought by the consumer watchdog in the Federal Court. The ACCC accused Qantas of misleading consumers by selling tickets on thousands of cancelled flights, and failing to inform customers. In particular cases, the ACCC found evidence of flights being offered for up to two months after Qantas has decided it would cancel the service. Earlier this year, Qantas agreed to pay around $20 million to reimburse impacted customers. It’s now been fined an additional $100 million after the Court sided with the consumer watchdog. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb called it a “substantial penalty,” which sends a message to businesses “that they will face serious consequences if they mislead their customers”.
Recommendation of the day
Transparency: This is a sponsored section of the newsletter. It's the best way we can keep this newsletter free for you
What: The fifth NAB AFLW Pride Round is here! It runs daily from now until October 13th.
What’s happening: All 18 AFLW clubs will wear dedicated Pride Round jumpers. Look for Pride flags from umpires after goals and rainbows on the Sherrin footy and the field!
Why it matters: Pride Round celebrates the LGBTQI+ community, bringing players, fans, and allies together to embrace the diversity that strengthens the AFLW.
Get involved: Tickets are $15, with free entry for kids under 18. Enjoy live action and entertainment, featuring DJs, Drag Queens, and giveaways.
I’ve got 1 minute
Hundreds have arrived in Sydney on the Govt’s repatriation flights from Lebanon
The first of several Government-assisted flights out of Lebanon have arrived in Australia.
On Monday night, 349 Australians and their immediate family arrived in Sydney from the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Other repatriation flights also landed yesterday.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said plans for further flights “will be subject to demand.”
The Government has urged Australians to leave Lebanon, where hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate.
Background
The Federal Government has repeatedly called for Australians to leave Lebanon.
The Government’s Smartraveller platform has warned that “the security situation could deteriorate rapidly throughout Lebanon with little or no notice”.
It comes as attacks between Israel and Hezbollah across the Israel-Lebanon border have intensified in recent weeks.
Repatriation
Last week, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced the Government had scheduled two flights to Australia from Lebanon.
Flights are free of charge for eligible Australians, permanent residents and approved immediate family members.
Wong added that “vulnerable passengers” would be prioritised.
Government figures show nearly 4,000 Australians and their immediate families have registered to leave Lebanon.
Australians are urged to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs, “and take the first available option to depart.”
“Government-assisted flights are subject to demand and security conditions on the ground.”
Reporting by Harry Sekulich.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Two biologists have won a Nobel Prize for their pioneering genetic research
American scientists Dr Victor Ambros and Dr Gary Ruvkun have been named winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
The scientific duo has been recognised for discovering microRNA cells — tiny molecules that can regulate how our genes function.
It’s hoped their research will lead to new treatments for cancer and other diseases.
Here’s what they discovered.
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes were established after the 1896 death of Swedish inventor, Alfred Nobel.
The wealthy entrepreneur left his fortune to be awarded to those who “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”
The annual prizes are awarded in five categories recognising “outstanding efforts” in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace.
2024 Nobel Prize winners will receive a cash prize worth around $AU1.6 million.
Ambros & Ruvkun
Dr Victor Ambros is a Professor of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Dr Gary Ruvkun is a Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.
Ambros and Ruvkun began their research together in the 1980s. The pair were interested in studying how genes are regulated in the human body.
Like an instruction manual for your body, genes tell your cells (the basic building blocks of life) how to function.
They are inherited from your parents.
Genes
Genes are made up of long strands of DNA. They form the building blocks to help your body do things like digest food and fight infections.
Some genes determine traits like the colour of your eyes and hair, blood type, and height.
Along with inherited traits, your genetic function can also be influenced by your lifestyle and environment.
MicroRNA
Some people might be more susceptible to certain illnesses because of their genetic makeup. For example, you might be at a higher risk of heart disease if it “runs” in your family.
Ambros and Ruvkun became the first scientists to discover microRNA — tiny pieces of genetic material that alter how genes work at the cellular level.
Their research on a species of roundworm, “revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential” for all living organisms.
How do they work?
Genes are a blueprint/instruction manual for body development and function.
RNAs act as messengers that carry genetic information to your cells, for protein production.
MicroRNAs are controllers that can stop these instructions from getting delivered. They do this by attaching to RNAs to act as a roadblock.
“Abnormal regulation by microRNA can contribute to cancer, and mutations in gene coding for microRNAs have been [linked to] congenital hearing loss, eye and skeletal disorders,” according to Ambros and Ruvkun’s research.
Winners
The Nobel committee that selected the winners said, “microRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function.”
They called the discovery “unexpected”, and said it would have major implications for the future of medicine.
It’s hoped that Ruvkun and Ambros’ discovery will help researchers develop new treatments and cures for genetic disorders. For example, microRNAs could be used to block harmful genes that might cause tumour growth.
This week, Ambros and Ruvkun accepted their Nobel Prize at the University of Massachusetts — a place they both said had helped their win become a reality.
“You can have all kinds of attributes as a human being, and all kinds of shortcomings as a scientist, and it’s still okay, you can contribute,” Ambros said.
“Ambros and Ruvkun’s seminal discovery... revealed a new dimension to gene regulation, essential for all complex life forms,” the Nobel Assembly said.
Reporting by Achol Arok and Emma Gillespie.
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Give me some good news
99-year-old veteran Glen Dobie has been honoured at a ceremony in South Australia, where he received his World War II Service Medal.
Dobie was shot during service on the Solomon Islands as a 19-year-old at the end of WWII. The overdue medal was presented to the veteran in front of his son and a crowd of veterans in Adelaide last week.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by Achol Arok.
TDA tidbit
For some families, watching a movie scene where the actors kiss is awkward enough. But what about being forced to watch an R-rated movie next to strangers on a plane?
Well, Qantas has had to apologise for exactly this, after a sexually explicit film was played on every seat’s screen during a flight from Sydney to Japan. The movie was Daddio (2023), starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn. It included scenes of graphic nudity, sexual material, and sexting.
A Qantas spokesperson said in a statement: “The movie was clearly not suitable to play for the whole flight and we sincerely apologise to customers for this experience.
“All screens were changed to a family-friendly movie for the rest of the flight, which is our standard practice for the rare cases where individual movie selection isn’t possible.”
Reporting by Nandini Dhir.
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Riddle answer: Wheat.
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A new digital player is helping to shape public discourse online. How an audience feels about a brand, a narrative, a personality or a scandal is being moulded by the rise of… bots. PR bots, to be exact.
These bots can be programmed to target your social media algorithms and the content you do or don’t get served. In today’s podcast, we’ll explore how these digital armies can be mobilised to influence public opinion and even elections.
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