☕️ New U.S. Ambassador to Australia

Here is today’s trivia question: Which global company was originally called “Backrub”?

The answer is at the end of the good news section!

The quote: “The original Opal relied on technology from London’s Oyster system, which was first introduced in 2000. Like corresponding technology from the start of the century such as the Blu-ray player and the first Blackberry – it’s time for an overhaul.” NSW Transport Secretary Josh Murray on the state's $820 million upgrade to the Opal system, rolled out in the early 2010s. The upgrade will include digital concession, student, and pensioner cards.

The stat: Two. The number of years by which UK life expectancy has fallen over the past decade, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is now at its lowest level since the ONS time series began in 2011-2013.

The big question:

Yesterday’s results: 51% of you think you will be able to buy a home in the next 10 years, while 49% of you think that you won’t be able to. [1,788 votes].

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U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated former Republican congressman David Brat as the U.S. Ambassador to Australia.

The position has been vacant since November 2024, when Caroline Kennedy finished up in the role at the end of former President Joe Biden’s term.

The U.S. Senate will now need to confirm the appointment.

The role of ambassador is the highest-ranked diplomatic position, and involves the representative working with the government of their host country — in this case, Australia.

Ambassadors are generally chosen by the leaders of the countries they represent.

They maintain ties and raise concerns when countries disagree. Their actions can also carry political significance.

The previous ambassador was attorney and daughter of former President John F. Kennedy Jr., Caroline Kennedy. She served from mid-2022 to late 2024.

Brat is a former congressman from Virginia who served in the House of Representatives from 2014-2019.

Brat has been a vocal defender of Trump’s tariff regime, arguing higher import taxes were needed to counter other countries’ unfair trade practices.

He has a Master of Theology, and a PhD in Economics, working as a university professor before and after his career in politics.

Brat’s connection to Australia is unclear.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he will “work with whoever is determined to be the Ambassador,” adding that it is “a decision for the United States.”

Reporting by Emma Gillespie and Emily Donohoe.

🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, Emma explains what is happening with the proposed tax on gas exports.

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U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired.

It came after Kimmel joked that Melania had the “glow of an expectant widow” in a sketch mimicking the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The sketch aired two nights before the actual event, attended by the Trumps, where a gunman opened fire.

Trump previously tried to get Kimmel taken off air in 2025 over comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel made the joke as part of a sketch aired on Thursday night, parodying the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night.

The White House Correspondents’ Association hosts the annual dinner for members of the press and U.S. government officials, including the President. The dinner is broadcast live and usually includes a comedian roasting the current President and his team. Kimmel performed the roast in 2012.

On Saturday, a gunman rushed a checkpoint at the hotel where the dinner was being held and opened fire.

According to officials, the attack occurred roughly 20 minutes after Trump entered the premises. The suspect was tackled and arrested before reaching the ballroom.

Trump, Melania, Vice President JD Vance and cabinet officials were evacuated from the event.

31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen has since been charged with attempting to assassinate the president.

Following the attempted shooting, Melania posted to X, calling on ABC to “take a stand” on Kimmel.

The President also posted to social media, saying that Kimmel “should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC”.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “Who in their right minds would say a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband? And having experienced what I did with the First Lady on Saturday night, I can tell you that she was anything but that.”

In the opening monologue for his show on Monday night (local time), Kimmel defended the joke, clarifying that it was not a “call to assassination”.

At the time of writing, Disney and ABC have not publicly responded to the Trumps’ comments.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has pushed to get Kimmel off air.

In September 2025, Kimmel’s show was suspended after he criticised the way Trump and his political allies responded to the assassination of conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

The suspension came after federal regulators threatened action against ABC and its parent company Disney.

ABC pulled the show within hours. It returned after six days off-air.

Reporting by Elliot Lawry.

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The helmet and three golden bracelets were on loan to a Dutch museum when they were taken during a January 2025 robbery. Known as the Coțofenești helmet, the ancient treasure dates back to the Dacians – a civilisation who lived in the region thousands of years before modern Romania existed.

Authorities feared the helmet would have been melted down for its gold, but it’s now been recovered intact, thanks to a Dutch and Romanian joint investigation. It, along with two of the bracelets, are now on display at Bucharest’s National History Museum. They’re being watched over by armed security as the search for the third bracelet continues. Three suspects are currently on trial in connection with the theft.

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

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Trivia answer: Google. It was initially called Backrub because it used ‘backlinks’ to determine the importance of individual pages on the internet.