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Good morning!
How was your weekend?
Oh, you mean you didn’t break a world record for sheep shearing? Well then you mustn’t be Alexia Phillips, who on Saturday broke the world record for women for the most merino ewes, a breed of sheep, shorn in eight hours.
That certainly is more impressive than my weekend, which consisted of watching the new season of White Lotus, only to realise two episodes in that I was watching the wrong season.
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
“We believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future.”
Neighbours executive producer Jason Herbison in a statement announcing the Australian soap has been cancelled for the second time. After Network 10 cancelled the long-running show in 2022, it was picked up by Amazon, but has now been axed again.
Stat of the day
25.8-29%
The percentage of votes in Germany's national election forecast in exit polls to have been won by the centre-right Christian Democratic Union party, led by Friedrich Merz who appears to be the next Chancellor of the country. According to those polls, the hard-right AfD Party is in second place.
Today in history
2022
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sparking an ongoing war.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced $8.5 billion to expand bulk billing incentives if Labor wins the next election. Under the plan, the Government will aim to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP bulk-billed by 2030. Albanese said: “No Australian should have to check their bank balance to see if they can afford to see a doctor.” The Coalition announced on Sunday it would match the Government’s commitment, saying it “recognises the urgent need for better access to bulk billed services”. The next election must be held by 17 May.
The Vatican has confirmed Pope Francis is in a critical condition after suffering a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis", with a further statement issued this morning noting blood tests this week showed "initial, mild" kidney failure. The 88-year-old is currently being treated for double pneumonia in a Rome hospital. Pope Francis has served in his role since 2013, when he was elected following the retirement of Benedict XVI.
Russia has launched one of the most intense drone attacks across Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying 267 missiles were launched across 13 regions. Ukraine’s Air Force reported roughly half were shot down by its air defence system. Today is the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Zelenskyy stating he is willing to resign from his position as leader in exchange for the end to the war, and Ukraine's admission into NATO.
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
From a writer of Workaholics and Will & Grace
The show: Good Cop/Bad Cop, starring Leighton Meester, Luke Cook and Clancy Brown
The plot: Follow Lou and Henry, a sibling detective duo in a small Pacific Northwest town, as they navigate quirky residents, limited resources, and a complicated relationship with each other and their police chief.
The catch: Lou and Henry’s police chief also happens to be their father.
The Stan Original Series, Good Cop/Bad Cop is now streaming, only on Stan.
I’ve got 1 minute
Victorians will be able to tap on with bank cards from 2026
Victorians will be able to tap on and off public transport using a bank card, phone or smart watches from next year.
There will be no immediate changes to the current Myki system, which will continue to operate as normal.
No date has been confirmed for when the new system will come into effect.
Trial
The Victorian Government began trialling tap and go technology across four local bus routes in Wangaratta, in Victoria’s northeast, last year.
Minister for Public Transport Gabrielle Williams said: “This project crosses every mode of public transport and requires extensive testing, so we will take a careful and considered approach as we roll out tap and go technology.”
U.S-based firm Conduent, who were appointed the contractors in 2022, will install and operate the new technology.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
I’ve got 2 minutes
NSW has passed a law to protect people at places of worship
It will soon be a crime to harass, threaten, or intimidate anyone entering or leaving a religious building in NSW.
Those convicted will face penalties of up to $22,000 in fines or two years in jail.
The new crime falls under a package of laws that passed the State Parliament last week. The laws also target offensive graffiti and public displays of Nazi symbols.
New laws
Under the new laws, NSW Police will be granted greater powers to disband protests and demonstrations near or within places of worship.
The legislation follows a series of what NSW Premier Chris Minns has called “disgusting acts of antisemitism and intimidation”.
These include an arson attack at a childcare centre near a synagogue in Sydney, and the discovery of an alleged planned antisemitic attack involving a caravan filled with explosives in the city’s north-west.
In Parliament last week, Minns said each attack “rips at the fabric of our shared values and the freedoms we enjoy”.
“We are a peaceful, tolerant country that has been free of that kind of racial or religious division... we cannot bend on that principle,” Minns said.
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman joined the Premier in condemning the violence.
“We cannot become a city where antisemitism or any form of racism or hate is allowed to take root,“ Speakman said.
Hate speech
Alongside the new place of worship law, the Government also passed new hate speech legislation.
The new law makes it a crime to “intentionally and publicly incite hatred” towards anyone “on the grounds of race,” with the effect of causing a person to fear for their safety.
Individuals found guilty of the offence could face a sentence of up to two years imprisonment or a fine of up to $11,000. Companies and businesses that breach the laws face fines of up to $55,000.
LGBTQIA+
Some LGBTQIA+ advocates have said the new hate speech reforms are “prioritising the trauma and pain of one community over another.”
Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown said “there is no reason” the laws can’t be expanded to protect all marginalised communities.
“Any community that is being targeted by hate deserves to be protected under the law... the government should be stopping all hate before it escalates into acts of violence,” Brown said.
Federal law
Earlier this month, the Federal Government also passed a new hate speech law introducing mandatory prison time for certain offences.
Australians convicted of publicly displaying a terrorist symbol now face a minimum one-year jail sentence.
The law also criminalises acts that “threaten force or violence” against individuals based on “race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, disability, nationality, ethnic origin, or political opinion”.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
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Give me some good news
A decommissioned passenger ship will become the world’s largest artificial reef.
he SS United States, once the world’s largest passenger ship, will be intentionally sunk off the coast of Florida. After three decades docked in Philadelphia, the ship is now being towed to Alabama, where it will undergo “reefing preparations”.
The vessel is more than 300 metres long, and it’s hoped its underwater transformation will create an important ecosystem to support local biodiversity, drawing in divers from around the world.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA tidbit
There are shoes so beautiful you could call them art. Birkenstocks are not one of them, according to a German court.
In a lawsuit brought forward by the German company, Birkenstock argued its sandals are a work of art in an effort to gain copyright protections from its competitors.
Under German law, copyright protection would have prohibited competitors from selling similar sandals for up to 70 years.
The case was dismissed in Germany’s highest civil court, with the presiding judge saying the shoe lacked a “degree of design… that shows individuality.”
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
Today’s episode discusses extremely distressing themes including child sexual abuse and suicide. Listener discretion is advised.
Last year, the story of a French rape case and the woman at its centre, Gisèle Pélicot, captured global attention. 51 men, including her ex-husband, were found guilty of charges including rape and sexual assault. Just months after that shocking case concluded, another French case is now in the spotlight — with the country’s largest child sexual abuse trial set to begin this week. Retired French surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec is accused of sexually abusing some 300 people, mostly children, often while they were under anaesthetic in a hospital. In today's deep dive, we discuss the allegations against Le Scouarnec, and the seperate investigation that led police to uncover 25 years worth of evidence, and the names of hundreds of alleged victims.
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TDA asks
