☕️ Plan for cheaper electric cars

Yes. The day is here. The day to vote on our new Wednesday tradition.

(Recap for anyone who missed it: We’re trying to find a new tradition for our Wednesday intros. It was once riddles, but we stopped that after we did every riddle in the history of the world. Over the last month I’ve been trialling new options. Now is the time to vote.)

And, yes. I am highly aware that I might just be the only person who cares about this. But hey, someone’s got to do the overthinking around here.

The quote: “The former President and former Secretary of State will be there.”
The deputy chief of staff to Bill and Hillary Clinton confirming the pair will testify in person at a U.S. congressional investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The stat: 150. The number of GPs in Victoria who will be able to diagnose ADHD and prescribe ADHD medication under a new state government program. Currently, only psychiatrists and paediatricians can diagnose ADHD and prescribe ADHD medication in Victoria.

The big question:

Yesterday’s results: 45% of you always pack lunch to work [2,650 votes].

Why the RBA raised rates and what could happen next

If you’re looking to understand what sat behind the Reserve Bank's decision to lift rates - and what they might do next - CommBank economists have unpacked the key factors at play.

The analysis looks at what the RBA is watching in the economy right now, and how today’s move fits into the broader outlook.

You can read the full breakdown at CommBank Newsroom.

The son of Norway’s Crown Princess has been arrested on a fresh set of criminal charges.

Marius Borg Høiby is the son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the stepson of Norway’s future king, Crown Prince Haakon.

Norwegian police confirmed Høiby had been detained over new allegations including assault and making threats with a knife following an incident on Sunday.

Høiby was already set to face trial this week after he was charged with 38 offences, including rape, abuse and violent behaviour, last year.

Høiby was born before his mother married the Crown Prince and became Crown Princess, meaning he does not hold a royal title or serve in a public role.

His half-sister, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is second in line of succession for the Norwegian throne, after her father.

In August 2025, Norwegian State Attorney Sturla Henriksbo confirmed Høiby had been charged with 32 offences, including four counts of rape. The number of charges was later increased to 38. Until this week, he had remained free pending trial.

Høiby’s defence lawyer Petar Sekulic told The Associated Press his client had been arrested on Sunday following what Sekulic described as an “incident”. The 29-year-old is accused of assault, making threats with a knife, and violating a restraining order.

On Monday (local time), a Norwegian court granted a police request to keep Høiby in custody for up to four weeks due to a risk of reoffending.

Høiby’s legal team said they would appeal his detention as soon as he can provide statements to police. This is not expected to occur until after the first week of trial proceedings.

Following his initial arrest last year, the Royal Family told Norwegian media outlet NRK: “It is up to the courts to hear this case and reach a decision. We have nothing to add beyond this.”

The new charges come days after Mette-Marit’s email correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was made public.

Reporting by Elliot Lawry.

🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, we unpack what we know about the Australians named in the Epstein files.

💵 Not sure why the RBA raised the cash rate? You can sign up to TDA Finance here to make sure a full explainer is in your inbox on Wednesday morning.

The Federal Government has announced that some customers buying some new, fully electric vehicles (EVs) with a loan will be eligible for a discount on their interest rate.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the scheme, which will apply to certain Hyundais and Kias, will help make EV ownership “more accessible.”

Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan questioned the investment of “taxpayer cash” for EV targets.

EV uptake in Australia has grown significantly since the 2010s.

In 2016, Australians bought 1,369 EVs. Last year, this number was 157,000, accounting for around 13% of all new car sales, according to the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC).

There are more than 454,000 EVs in Australia.

Last year, the EVC said that if the Government wants to reduce emissions by 62-70% on 2005 levels by 2035, there will need to be 20 times more EVs in circulation.

In July 2022, the Government introduced a fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption for EVs.

FBT is a tax paid by employers on some benefits, such as cars or gym memberships, given to their employees or their associates.

To be eligible, a vehicle must be zero or low emissions, never had luxury car tax (LCT) paid, is used by an employee or their associates, and has been in their possession on or after 1 July 2022.

Since January 2025, a New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) has also been in place to gradually lower CO₂ emissions targets for SUVs and utes.

This week, Bowen announced that a Government body, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), will spend $60 million on a partnership with Hyundai Capital Australia.

Under the partnership, customers buying new, fully electric vehicles costing less than the LCT threshold of $91,387 can access a discount of 0.5-1% on their finance (or interest) rate.

For example, the Government says 1% discount over five years on a $70,000 loan could save around $1,900 in interest.

Most of the EV models sold by Kia and Hyundai are priced under the LCT, with the average Kia EV at $81,661* and Hyundai at $76,229*.

Bowen said the scheme “will help lower the cost barrier for households and small businesses”.

“Transport is one of our biggest sources of emissions, and electric vehicles are a key way we cut pollution while saving people money,” he added.

*Average of all driveaway model prices in NSW

Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan said the scheme “mean[s] more taxpayer dollars will be pumped into encouraging people to buy EVs.”

Tehan also questioned why only Kia and Hyundai vehicles were eligible.

Motor Trades Association of Australia Interim Executive Director Peter Jones said “lower-interest finance can help... some buyers” but that it is “not a silver bullet for electric vehicle uptake.”

Jones also said that EV industry skills and education incentives should be supported to match supply.

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

Interest rates, explained

Keen to know more about interest rates after the Reserve Bank’s decision to raise them yesterday?

CommBank Newsroom’s short explainer covers what rates are, why they change, and how they show up in everyday life. It’s a quick read that will help the decision make sense.

Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic returned to the World Tennis Association’s (WTA) Top 10 in mid-January after stepping away from the court to give birth in September 2023. This week, the number 9 seed was joined by Elina Svitolina. The Ukrainian’s ranking increased to number 10, thanks to her semifinal run at the Australian Open. Svitolina called it a dream to return to the WTA Top 10, and said “doing it as a mother means so much to me. I’m proud of my fight and resilience, and I can't thank the fans enough for their incredible support.”

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

You're looking at 4,000 tonnes of potatoes in a German warehouse. A farm in the country's east harvested the potatoes for a retailer who paid for them but never picked them up due to a surplus in the market. Locals are calling the surplus the Kartoffel-Flut (potato flood). The farm has given away as many of the potatoes as they can to food banks, schools, churches, and community centres around Berlin.

Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.