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Good morning!
In her handover to me before she headed off to Texas, Billi left me this comprehensive note:
So… Which famous landmark was originally intended to stand for just 20 years? (Answer is in the titbit!)
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “Is the prime minister waiting for something like what happened to Dr Helen Haines to occur to my office, to me, for him to take our request seriously?”
Independent Senator Fatima Payman asking the Prime Minister’s department about her request for more senior advisers, to provide extra protection and reduce burnout. Independents get less funding for staffers than the Government. Last week, fellow Independent MP Haines lost both legs in an alleged attack.
The stat: 19,019. The number of people who died due to dementia in 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The big question:
Yesterday’s results: 65% of you have heard of K-Pop but couldn’t tell us much about it, 20% of you don’t know anything about it, 13% of you know the popular groups and listen to some of their songs, and 2% of you are big fans who follow lots of groups. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [2,031 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
The Government is trialling giving people the ability to text Triple Zero. If effective, the change would allow people to contact emergency dispatchers in times when a voice call might not be practical. The move could help domestic violence survivors and those with limited phone services. IT service Accenture Australia has been tasked with creating simulated environments to see how a text system fares during emergency situations. Communications Minister Anika Wells said about 85% of Triple Zero calls are made from mobile phones, but that “much of the regulatory framework for the service was designed for a fixed-line world.”
Conservative Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro says police have asked him to turn in his passports, days after the country’s election saw his opponent Lula da Silva return to office. Bolsonaro has refused to accept the result of the poll, questioning a decision to extend voting by two hours. Bolsonaro’s father Jair, a former President of Brazil, is serving jail time for trying to overthrow the results of the last election, which saw Lula re-elected after his own stint in jail on corruption charges.
Together with AAP.
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I’ve got 1 minute
Popular Australian fashion label Shona Joy is shutting down, with founder Shona Thatcher informing staff of the decision on Monday.
Thatcher said she wanted to prioritise spending time with her young family, meaning she would step back from the business.
“I’ve done extremely well, and I’m proud of what we’ve built over the past 26 years. The business has grown so much, and I can’t manage being a mum as well,” she told the AFR.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
Shona Joy is a premium Australian womenswear label founded by designer Shona Joy Thatcher. The brand launched in 2000, with Thatcher selling her designs at the Bondi Beach and Paddington markets.
Over the past 26 years, the label has expanded from market stalls to international retailers, including David Jones, Harrods and Bloomingdale’s.
Closure
On Monday, Thatcher told staff that the brand would be closing down.
She told the AFR the decision was driven by her desire to prioritise her family, rather than financial difficulties at the business.
Thatcher said commuting between Byron Bay, where she lives, and Sydney, where the business is headquartered, had taken too much time away from her and her children.
She also said she had been considering closing the brand for the past four years.
What’s next
Shona Joy’s online store will continue selling stock until January 2027, as the business winds down.
The closure will affect 33 employees, who will receive their entitlements, including redundancy and long service leave.
Thatcher said she considered selling the business but couldn’t find a suitable buyer, and will retain the brand’s intellectual property.
Reporting by Adam Wan.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, multimedia journo Elliot explains the new report about Australia’s least ethical fashion brands. Listen or watch on Apple here, Spotify here, or YouTube here.
🎾 Sport is for everyone. Sign up to TDA Sport here for all the headlines you need in your inbox at 4.30pm.
Good Finds
🏠 Rent is rarely the thing that blows a moving out budget. Episode 2 of Money Moments with CommBank breaks down the rest, from bond to toilet paper. Watch it on IG.
Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 2 minutes
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) wants stricter testing requirements for sunscreen brands.
Last year, testing showed some products did not deliver the sun protection promised on their labels.
Under proposed changes, companies would have to submit SPF testing results to the TGA before their products go on sale, with further testing potentially required throughout their shelf life.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
Sun protection factor (SPF) is the rating given to products that provide a level of protection against ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun.
Broad-spectrum sunscreens block UVA and UVB rays, which can damage skin cells and cause skin cancer. Australia has the highest rates of melanoma in the world, with one person diagnosed every 30 minutes.
In 2025, consumer group Choice found several Australian sunscreens marked as SPF 50 didn’t offer that level of protection.
Several products were recalled after the study, including Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen, which tested at SPF 4.
New rules
Following Choice’s investigation, the TGA proposed recommendations to improve sunscreen regulation, including more reliable testing, clearer labelling and stronger lab monitoring.
This week, the TGA announced it would develop reforms to address these key concerns.
The suggested changes include testing the SPF protection of a final product, rather than its base formula, and retesting SPF claims over time.
Testing
Currently, sunscreen strength is tested by human volunteers, who expose patches of their skin to UV light, with and without sunscreen.
The effectiveness of a product is determined by the redness of skin after UV exposure.
Scientists also assess how long a person could be out in the sun while wearing the product before burning.
Effectiveness
Under the proposed reforms, products could be tested on artificial surfaces as well as, or instead of, on human skin.
The TGA has flagged variability issues in current human testing, and suggested artificial testing methods are more efficient, ethical, consistent, and cost-effective.
The regulator has also proposed an accreditation process to ensure more reliable results.
What’s next?
The TGA said the proposed reforms for sunscreen products will “take time to develop”.
Some will also require parliamentary consideration, including the artificial testing changes.
Choice Director of Consumer Impact Andy Kelly welcomed the announcement, but noted that “the TGA is not proposing to routinely monitor and evaluate test results”.
He added that the results should not be confidential, but rather “made available to everyone.”
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
A message from Frank Green
A coffee made at 7am shouldn't be lukewarm by 9am.
It's lucky, then, that frank green's new Edition II collection uses four-wall insulation, so hot drinks stay hot and cold ones stay cold for longer.
It's the result of more than three years of design work from the brand leading the category for over a decade.
Give me some good news
Four runners have broken the world record for the fastest crossing of Australia’s east coast on foot, raising over $300,000 to help end child trafficking in the process.
Runner Griffin Hughes told TDA “every kilometre” of the 5,000km journey was for “the children this money will help rescue”. The team set off from far north Queensland’s Cape York in August. They crossed the finish line at Victoria’s Wilsons Promontory, the southernmost point of the Australian mainland, 12 weeks later. The funds will be donated to Destiny Rescue, an Australian charity that works to prevent child trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.
TDA titbit
There’s something fishy going on in Adelaide.
More than a dozen suspected koi carp have appeared in local rivers despite the South Australian Government banning people from keeping the fish without a permit. It is also illegal to dump the species and other non-native fish. Anyone found in breach of the rules risks a $120,000 fine.
Urban environmental organisation Green Adelaide told TDA koi are a “noxious pest species that can do considerable damage to the river ecosystem and compete with native species”.
Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.
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Trivia answer: The Eiffel Tower!
TDA asks
