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Good morning!
We’ve never received so many emails about a riddle! For those who missed it, yesterday’s question was: Sally saw seven sharks while swimming. Now, how many S’s are in this sentence?
The answer is four, because the question is referring to how many S’s are in the second sentence of the riddle.
Here are the underlined letters: Now, how many S’s are in this sentence?
It seems many of you missed the ‘s’ in ‘this’. (As for the confusion about it being a capital S – I hear you, I’ll have to speak to the Riddle Editor about that one.)
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
“The point I was trying to get across was I felt like they were treating me differently and not believing me and treating me as a person who had done something wrong, because they were in a position of power, and I believed they were treating me differently because of the colour of my skin.”
Australian footballer Sam Kerr during her cross-examination in a London court overnight, according to ABC. She is facing one charge of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.
Stat of the day
20ºC
The temperature the North Pole rose above the average, crossing the threshold for ice to melt.
1840
The Treaty of Waitangi, intended to establish a power-sharing agreement between the Māori and the British Crown, was signed in Waitangi, New Zealand. Initially signed by 40 Māori Chiefs, the treaty eventually garnered the signatures of 500 Chiefs and representatives of the British Crown.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Queenslanders in flood-affected parts of the state’s north remain without power and water, as a Major Flood Warning continues for the Herbert River on Queensland's North Tropical Coast. Ergon Energy confirmed more than 14,000 customers are without electricity in regional Queensland, as it warned residents to prepare “for the possibility of prolonged power outages.” The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting heavy showers and “severe thunderstorms” to continue throughout northern Queensland this week, bringing an ongoing risk of “fast-moving flash flooding.” It comes after the state’s second flood related death this week. The body of an 82-year-old woman was found in a cane-paddock near Ingham, following the death of another woman on Sunday.
A free virtual women’s health clinic will be open to Victorians by the middle of the year, the State Government has announced. Specialist nurses will lead the telehealth and online clinic, which will offer services including endometriosis care, menstrual health, abortion care, cervical screening, and breast health care. The Victorian Government explained patients will receive an initial health assessment, treatment options, and referrals to relevant health practitioners. State Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the virtual clinic will “help break down” barriers to care, “especially for women living in regional or remote areas of Victoria”.
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
The story: This emotional documentary follows Gary Sokolov, son of Holocaust survivors Gita and Lali, on his first visit to Auschwitz.
Driven by his father’s regret and his own desire to uncover his family’s past, his experiences serve as a reminder of the importance of storytelling, encouraging audiences to engage with their own family histories.
Find it: Now streaming, only on Stan.
I’ve got 1 minute
A woman has been cleared of murder after she killed her husband in her sleep
A Melbourne woman has had her murder charges dropped after claiming she was asleep when she fatally stabbed her husband during a 2023 camping trip.
The 47-year-old woman pleaded guilty to charges on the basis that the murder was a symptom of a sleep disorder.
Parasomnia is a sleep disorder that causes people to experience sleep terrors and sleepwalking.
Stabbing
In September 2023, the couple were on a camping trip in Victoria’s remote Mount Disappointment with friends.
Emergency services were called to the campground after reports a man had been stabbed. The wife was charged with murder, but insisted she had no memory of the crime.
The trial for the case was due to begin in March. However, at an administrative hearing this week, the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions announced the case would be discontinued.
Prosecutors
In a statement to TDA, a spokesperson for the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions said the decision to “discontinue charges are never made lightly, particularly when they involve a death.”
“In this case, after carefully reviewing the opinions of several experts it was determined that the elements of murder could not be made out beyond reasonable doubt.”
Reporting by Achol Arok.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Trump has announced plans for the U.S. to “take over” Gaza
Donald Trump has announced the U.S. plans to “take over” Gaza and move Palestinians to other countries.
The announcement came during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, where Trump also said the U.S. has withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council.
During the press conference, Trump said: “ The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative. It's right now a demolition site… I do see a long term ownership position [for the U.S.], and I see it bringing great stability to… maybe the entire Middle East.”
Background
Hamas, which Australia lists as a terrorist organisation, launched an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing at least 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas and bombarding Gaza, causing a humanitarian crisis that displaced at least 90% of the population. Research cited by the UN last month estimated 92% of housing units in Gaza had been destroyed or damaged.
At least 47,500 Palestinians were killed over the period of the conflict, according to data cited by the UN.
In January, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal, which allowed the return of Palestinians to Gaza. It also directed the release of the remaining Israeli hostages who had not yet been released by Hamas, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Response
Netanyahu said Trump had a “willingness to think outside the box” that “will reshape the Middle East and bring peace.”
In a post to Telegram, a senior Hamas official condemned Trump’s plan, saying the President’s comments were “racist” and that Palestinians would not “accept any plan aimed at uprooting them”.
During a press conference yesterday, Albanese said he didn’t intend to make “running commentary” on Trump’s statements.
“Australia’s position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year and it was 10 years ago and it was under the Howard Government,” Albanese said.
“The Australian Government supports, on a bipartisan basis, a two-party state solution [for Israel and Palestine.]”
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🍊 Devin Booker broke an all-time points record for the Suns.
🍊 A former world number one tennis star has retired. Who?
🍊 Preview for the second Test against Sri Lanka. Read here.
🗞️ Also in today’s Sport Newsletter: NFL, soccer, and more…
Give me some good news
Medical researchers in the U.S. have developed a pill-sized nerve stimulation device to treat autoimmune diseases
Biotech company SetPoint Medical says its implant uses targeted electrical stimulation to activate pathways in the body that regulate inflammation and the immune system. It hopes the device will help people with rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases. Researchers at the University of Dallas recently used the same technology to successfully improve the physical rehabilitation of stroke patients.
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
A Melbourne man will spend up to 18 months in jail without bail before a trial over alleged graffiti.
The 21-year-old is allegedly responsible for “Pam the Bird”, which has shown up in many Melbourne locations including the Flinders Street Station clock tower, the "Cheese Stick" column on CityLink, and on public transport.
A magistrate denied the man’s bail on the grounds that he might spray Pam somewhere else before a trial.
Reporting by Rosa Bowden.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
This week, the unfair dismissal case brought by journalist Antoinette Lattouf against the ABC is being heard in court. The case centres around a claim, by Lattouf, that she was fired by the ABC halfway through a short-term contract because of a post she shared to Instagram about the war in Gaza. The ABC is fighting against the claims and says the journalist was not unfairly dismissed. In today's deep dive, we'll revisit the allegations that led to this point, and unpack what we've learnt from the courtroom this week
TDA asks
