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Good morning!
Did you know that from today, smoking health warnings printed on the filters of individual cigarettes are now mandatory in Australia. That’s right, each individual cigarette is now going to include phrases like “causes 16 cancers” or “damages your lungs”, as well as warnings on the outside of the packet.
We’re only the second country in the world to do this (behind Canada), with the Cancer Council describing Australia as “world leaders in tobacco control”.
Super interesting!
P.S. No, this isn’t April Fool’s. Yes, reporting serious news on this day is the bane of my existence.
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
"There are methods... I like working, I'm not joking.”
U.S. President Donald Trump speaking to NBC News about the possibility of a third term in office. The U.S. enshrined a two-term limit in the Constitution in the 1950s; changing the Constitution requires the agreement of three-quarters of the states.
Stat of the day
500+
The number of days it took an unnamed superannuation fund to make a death benefit payment to a widow, according to a new report from ASIC.
Random fact of the week
Snails have teeth – between 1,000 and 12,000 teeth, to be precise. The tiny 'teeth' are all over their file-like tongues.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Floodwaters are continuing to rise in parts of outback Queensland, where farming communities remain cut off following intense rainfall in the state’s west. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued dozens of severe weather warnings, including five major flood warnings around the south-west Queensland towns of Thargomindah, Eulo and Windorah. More than 650mm of rain has fallen on parts of the state in the last week, prompting around 100 evacuations and 40 rescues. While rain has mostly eased, Qld Premier David Crisafulli has warned many river catchments across the state were “yet to see the worst of the flooding event.” He warned the impacts to agricultural communities will be “significant” with fears that up to two million sheep and cattle could be lost in the floods.
Recovery efforts are continuing after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand on Friday. The death toll in Myanmar has reached 2,000, while thousands are injured. Severe aftershocks have continued, as rescue crews and volunteers work to find survivors and bodies buried beneath rubble in 40 degree heat. Meanwhile a disaster zone has been declared in Bangkok, more than 1,000km from the earthquake’s epicentre. At least 18 people have been confirmed dead in the Thai capital, after the earthquake destroyed a high rise city building. The U.S, China, Russia and India have pledged international aid to support the recovery in Myanmar.
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
For cheaper groceries: Save up to 30% on your weekly grocery shop with Farmers Pick!
Saving the perfectly imperfect fruits and veggies that are too big, too small or too wonky for the supermarkets, Farmers Pick delivers seasonal produce boxes straight to your door.
I’ve got 1 minute
Spinach and salad products have been recalled from major Aussie supermarkets
The Australian food safety authority has issued recalls for a range of packaged spinach and mixed leaf products, due to contamination with E. coli.
E. coli are bacteria (germs) that can help with digestion and vitamin production. However, some types of E. coli can cause severe illness.
The recall includes Community Co branded baby spinach, rocket and salad mixes sold at IGAs and independent retailers everywhere except Western Australia.
Recall
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has issued a range of recalls of spinach and salad products with use-by dates up to and including 9 April 2025.
The recalls affect Woolworths and Aldi salad products sold in northern NSW and Qld, and IGA and Coles salads sold everywhere except WA.
A full list of products can be found at foodstandards.gov.au. Anyone with one of the listed products is advised not to eat it.
So far, no illnesses have been reported.
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Who’s going to win the election? Here’s what the polls say so far
The first round of polls released during the federal election campaign shows the Coalition’s lead over Labor narrowing slightly.
On Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the federal election would be held on 3 May.
Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have begun their respective campaigns in Queensland.
Over the next four and a half weeks, both leaders are expected to focus on the cost of living, energy, and health.
Polling
In Australia, media companies commission polling firms to conduct research about people’s voting intentions and top concerns.
For example, News Corp has its Newspoll, conducted by Pyxis Polling & Insights, while Nine newspapers use Resolve Strategic.
Australia has a preferential voting system. As such, polling companies gather data about voters’ top choice (primary vote) and then calculate the most likely winner after the flow of preferences to the major parties, called the two-party-preferred basis (2PP).
Primary votes
Average polling results from January to March
Two-party preferred
Party | Labor | Coalition |
2022 election result (%) | 52.1 | 47.9 |
2025 polls (% avg.) | 49.3 | 50.1 |
2025 trends
Earlier this year, the Coalition appeared set to win more seats than Labor.
The trends indicated some anti-Government sentiment, predominantly due to growing cost of living pressures.
In mid-February, TDA analysis showed the Coalition leading in the polls by an average of 51% to Labor’s 48.4%.
The Coalition’s lead has slipped slightly to 50.1%, compared to Labor’s 49.3% more recently.
Campaign
The election campaign is now officially underway.
Both leaders began their campaigns in Brisbane, where Labor is hoping to pick up seats from the Greens and Coalition at the 3 May poll.
Most polls show it’s likely the election will result in a minority government, where neither Labor nor the Coalition can govern on its own.
In that situation, Albanese and Dutton will be required to negotiate with independents and minor parties to form a majority.
Reporting by Harry Sekulich.
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🍊 Min Woo Lee picked up his first PGA title.
🍊 Aussies scored big on the Swiss slopes.
🍊 Sabalenka secured her first Miami Open win.
🗞️ Also in today’s Sport Newsletter: AFL, NRL, and more…
Give me some good news
Scientists in the U.S. have launched the world’s largest feline genetics study, aimed at shedding light on the mysteries of cats.
A team of researchers from MIT, Harvard, and the University of Massachusetts have already collected the DNA of 5,000 cats for the “Darwin’s Cats” community-science initiative, and are calling on more pet owners to participate. Unlike traditional DNA collection, which involves taking saliva or blood samples, they’re using breakthrough sequencing to analyse cat fur. By decoding “feline DNA” this way, the Darwin’s Cats team is hoping to learn more about the ancestry, behaviour and health of “one of the least-studied companion animals in genomics”.
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
Helen Mirren has spoken out against the possibility of a female James Bond, citing the franchise's “profound sexism.”
In an interview, Mirren told the Standard: “The whole series of James Bond, it was not my thing. It really wasn’t. I never liked James Bond. I never liked the way women were in James Bond.”
“Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service, they always have been… So I would tell real stories about extraordinary women who’ve worked in that world.”
Is that a hint about a new Mirren franchise?!
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
Australia’s most listened to radio show has breached decency standards, the media watchdog has found. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) launched a formal investigation into the Kyle and Jackie O show after receiving a listener complaint in June. It has now found segments of the show – hosted by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson – “would be considered offensive to any reasonable person listening to the broadcast”. Today, we’ll explain everything you need to know about this investigation, where it came from, what it found, and what it means for the popular breakfast radio duo.
TDA asks
