As the war between Israel and Hamas enters its third week, streets around the world were filled with large protests from both the pro-Palestinian movement and supporters of Israel over the weekend. The largest of these was in London, where over 100,000 people participated in a pro-Palestinian protest. Meanwhile, authorities in the U.S. city of Detroit are trying to ascertain whether the murder of 40-year-old Samantha Woll, the President of a prominent synagogue in the city, is connected to the growing conflict.

The quote
"At a time of global uncertainty, working with Australia’s partners is absolutely vital and this will be an important visit.” – PM Anthony Albanese, speaking to media in Perth yesterday ahead of his departure for a State Visit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House. Albanese will be in Washington until Thursday.

The stat
$150 million
The amount George Clooney and other Hollywood stars have offered to pay the actors’ union in fees as a way to end the ongoing strike, according to Variety. The A-list actors said paying extra union dues could work as a way to cover the costs that studios say they’d incur under the actors’ proposed deal.

Today in history
2001: Apple introduced the first iPod.

Some headlines from this morning:

A fall in electricity demand has been tied to this year's mild winter temperatures, according to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).

Demand fell to its lowest-ever level in the July to September period, with average electricity prices falling in "all regions" from the previous quarter.

A rooftop solar panel boom is also easing pressure on the grid.

What’s the background?
Every Australian jurisdiction except WA and the NT gets power from the National Electricity Market, a wholesale generator.

That system connects power producers (coal, gas, and renewable) to users (households and businesses), often with an energy retailer in between.

Last winter, the energy system struggled and electricity bills rose, due to a combination of global gas shortages, failing coal plants, and insufficient renewable capacity.

What were the findings?
According to the AER, power demand typically spikes in the winter months "due to increased demand for heating".

However, it found less power was used in July to September than the same time last year.

During this time, average demand for gas and electricity was "much lower" across the grid, with NSW, Vic and SA reporting record low demand.

AER said lower demand was "largely due to warmer than average temperatures" for the quarter.

The national mean temperature for winter was around 1.5°C above the 1961–1990 average, making it "Australia's warmest winter since 1996," according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

However, energy supply is projected to face increased pressure this summer, with many predicted to turn to air-conditioning to keep cool in hot El Niño temperatures.

Increased electricity usage could lead to blackouts in parts of the country.

What about solar?
Solar power also contributed to the reduced demand on the grid, with record high output from rooftop solar panels.

Rooftop solar power increased by 41% from September 2022 to September 2023.

AER warned despite this new capacity, "more is needed" to support the transition to renewable energy.

TW: DISTRESSING CONTENT

A 16-year-old First Nations boy died at a Perth hospital last Thursday after being found unresponsive in his cell at a youth detention centre the previous week.

The boy, who has family from regional Western Australia, was given emergency first aid upon being discovered in his cell, before being taken to hospital by paramedics.

He was reportedly hospitalised due to a self-harm incident. TDA has not been able to independently verify these reports.

Further details
The boy died in hospital, surrounded by family, at 10pm on Thursday night.

The Justice Department released a statement on Friday expressing its "deepest sympathies" to the boy's family, friends and community for their "tragic loss".

The death will face a mandatory inquest, in addition to a pre-existing investigation into the circumstances around the boy becoming unresponsive last week.

Youth detention facility
The boy was being held at the Unit 18 youth detention facility. This is part of Casuarina Prison, the main maximum-security prison for adult male prisoners in WA.

Unit 18 was made a youth detention centre in July 2022 after cells and facilities were repeatedly destroyed at the Banksia Hill Detention Centre, a maximum-security juvenile facility in an outer Perth suburb.

Unit 18 was put forward as a method to temporarily house "disruptive" boys detained at Banksia Hill.

Unit 18 Report
A report from an official inspection of Unit 18 and Banksia Hill published this year said the state's youth custody system was in crisis and conditions were worsening.

The report attributed high self-harm, suicide rates, staff assaults and rioting to the extended time detained children spend in their cells. It described "a self-perpetuating cycle" where "young people's isolation increases their anxieties, anger and frustration".

Mental health workers were said to be managing 30 at-risk children on any given day.

The future of Unit 18
Unit 18 was initially meant to be closed by the first half of this year. It's now expected to remain open indefinitely.

Last week, WA Premier Roger Cook conceded that Unit 18 wasn't meeting safety and care standards, but described it as a "necessary evil" while future youth detention plans are developed.

Detainees and staff at Unit 18 and Banksia Hill will be provided counselling and support services following the boy's death.

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Scientists have discovered a breakthrough that could lead to more efficient recycling of lithium-ion batteries found in electric vehicles.

Swedish researchers at Chalmers University developed a method that allows almost all of the aluminium and lithium found in EV batteries to be recycled, without the need to use any harmful chemicals.

If the process is scaled up, it would mean these recycled metals could be used in future battery production.

Picture this: a home-cooked dinner at a local cave home in Cappadocia, Turkey. Or, zipping around Vietnam, taking in the sights from the back of a motorbike with a local. How about learning to make loukoumi from a family in Greece?

As the end of the year approaches, there’s no better time to plan your next trip. If you're thinking of an adventure, but don't have a crew ready to jump in with, it could be time to think about a guided small group tour.

With more than 1,000 trips worldwide, Intrepid is all about immersive experiences with small groups that take you beyond where any Google search can take you. They plan your travel with local leaders who have deep connections to the destinations and people around you. Intrepid also ensures you’re travelling safely, securely, and with like-minded travellers (who might just become lifelong friends).

Book your next trip with Intrepid today!

They found love in a hopeless place: the Associated Press (AP) reports a couple got engaged while stuck at the top of the Eiffel Tower during an active police operation.

Paris truly was the City of Love for Amir Khan and Kat Warren, who took advantage of being stranded at the scenic location to say ‘oui’ to each other.

Coincidentally, an AP journalist was also trapped atop la Tour Eiffel with the happy couple, and wrote up their story.

The iconic tower was shut down at the time because a man was attempting to climb it, according to AP. The climber was rescued and arrested - safe to say Kat and Amir had a better day than he did.

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