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Good morning!
A few months ago, we did a survey about what your favourite part of this newsletter is. Most of you said the 'Good News’ section.
That’s why we created a new weekly newsletter, purely dedicated to sharing the bright side of the news cycle. It covers everything from feel-good cultural moments to cutting edge scientific discoveries.
It goes out every Sunday – and there’s no repeat of the ones here!
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
“We don't want to open up a divisive debate in relation to this issue. We've seen how divisive debates have played out across our country… the last thing we want to do is inflict that debate on a sector of our community right now."
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on the Government’s decision not to include questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics in the 2026 Census.
Stat of the day
$100,000
How much NRL player Latrell Mitchell has been fined by his team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, after a photograph of him standing over a white substance emerged earlier this month. Mitchell will pay $20,000 of that fine immediately, with $80,000 suspended pending any further breach of his playing contract or wellbeing program.
Today in history
1992
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel officially opened.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
An inquiry into a terrorist shooting in Wieambilla, Queensland, has concluded after five-weeks. Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow were shot dead at a rural property in Queensland’s Western Downs in 2022. Alan Dare, 58, was also shot and killed when he went to check on his neighbours. Three shooters – Nathaniel, Stacey, and Gareth Train – were later killed in a confrontation with police. They have since been linked to an extremist Christian terror group. At the end of five-weeks worth of hearings, the families gave statements calling for changes in police operations, which they said were partly to blame for their officers’ deaths.
The Federal Government has issued a bird flu warning for Australians travelling to Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Several strains of Avian Influenza, or bird flu, have spread rapidly in these regions. While human infections are rare, travellers are advised to limit contact with animals, review health risks for their destinations, and ensure their influenza vaccinations are up to date.
🥇 Overnight from Paris ‘24: Australia’s Thomas Gallagher has won gold in the Men’s S10 men’s 50m freestyle final overnight, while Lakeisha Patterson won silver in the Women’s S9 400m freestyle. Australia also took home two bronze medals in the swimming, with a total of four medals that has put us in sixth spot on the medal tally after Day 1 of the Paralympics. Want the schedule for tonight’s Paralympics? Click here to sign up to our free sport newsletter! You can unsubscribe anytime.
Recommendation of the day
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I’ve got 1 minute
Qantas has reported its annual profits fell 28% to $1.25 billion
Qantas Group has reported a $1.25 billion after-tax profit for the 2023/24 financial year, down 28% from the previous year.
Qantas, which also owns Jetstar, said slower earnings were impacted by changes in airfare prices, increased spending on customer initiatives, and a decline in freight revenue.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said “Jetstar delivered its highest result” which she attributed, in part, to “increased demand from price-sensitive” passengers.
Here’s the latest.
Results
Last financial year, Qantas reported a $1.7 billion net profit – its first profit since the pandemic began.
This year, Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson said the airline's priority has been “restoring trust and pride in Qantas as the national carrier.”
According to the carrier’s average on-time performance figures, 80% of Qantas flights departed on time, compared to 74% of Jetstar flights.
Wrongdoing
Qantas was at the centre of several legal challenges and controversies during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
In September 2023, Alan Joyce resigned as CEO, a week before the High Court ruled that the airline had illegally fired over 1,700 ground handlers in 2020.
Earlier this year, Qantas agreed to pay $120 million in fines and compensation after it admitted to advertising tickets for flights that had been cancelled.
Reporting by Chloe Christie.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Almost 30,000 people chose to ban themselves from online gambling over the past year. One in two sign-ups were young people.
Almost 14,000 people aged 30 or younger signed up for the National Self-Exclusion Register in its first year of operations.
The government agency launched the gambling harm prevention scheme, BetStop, in August 2023, as part of ongoing efforts to minimise the harm caused by online gambling.
The Registry allows people to ban themselves from placing a bet with digital betting providers for a minimum of three months to a lifetime.
There have been 28,300 total signups.
Registrations
The Registry has received an average of 1,600 new sign-ups every month over the past six months.
BetStop said there has been “a high take-up among younger Australians”, with 49% of registrants aged 30 or younger.
Almost half (47%) of all sign-ups selected self-exclusion for life, while 17% chose the minimum of three months.
Registrations increased during key sporting events including the AFL and NRL finals, and the Melbourne Cup. Saturday to Monday are the most common days to register.
Registrants who have applied for lifelong self-exclusion can apply to cancel it, but only after three months and discussions with a counsellor or a GP. Around 1% of total registrants have cancelled their self-exclusion.
Response
Nerida O'Loughlin, the Chair of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), said these results show that “people are committing to long-term change” when it comes to gambling.
“Younger Australians in particular are making early decisions about the role that online gambling will play in their lives,“ O’Loughlin said.
In a statement today, the Government said it will launch a review to consider whether BetStop is fit for purpose. This will involve a public consultation process and produce a report within 18 months.
Advocates
Advocacy group Alliance for Gambling Reform (ARG) said services like BetStop are a sign people are “starting to wake up” to the strong links between gambling and family violence, mental health issues, and crime.
CEO Martin Thomas told TDA the number of young registrants is “not surprising” with sports betting becoming the fastest-growing form of gambling among 18- to 30-year-olds.
Thomas said the government is “still being too slow” and not taking “this issue seriously enough” and wants to see a total ban on gambling ads.
Gambling helpline: 1800 858 858
Reporting by Achol Arok.
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Give me some good news
Global toymaker, Lego, is experimenting with sustainable and recycled materials such as sugarcane, fishing nets, and recycled plastic bottles, in an effort to make its plastic bricks more sustainable.
The manufacturer has set new targets as part of its plan for all lego products to be made from renewable or recycled materials by 2032. Currently, 22% of Lego products are made from renewable or recycled materials, up from 18% in 2023.
Lego said its leaving “no brick unturned” in its sustainability mission.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by Chloe Christie.
TDA tidbit
‘Netflix and chill’? More like, ‘let’s play badminton’.
That’s what we’d say if we lived in Hong Kong, where a school syllabus has sparked a new bit of slang.
The syllabus, called “Adolescents and intimate relationships”, was released for 12 to 15-year-olds in secondary school.
It included a scenario of two teenagers studying home alone, and the document went through different possibilities, such as ways to avoid or divert from the situation if you’re getting physically closer with someone.
One of the suggestions to create a diversion was to “go out to play badminton together in the sports hall” if you’re becoming aroused.
The suggestion has sparked online mockery, with locals now using the term as the new ‘Netflix and chill’.
Reporting by Nandini Dhir.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
Imagine working really hard at something for most of your life and never really feeling like that many people were paying attention.
Until one day you wake up, and everyone’s cheering your name, screaming your lyrics at you, and you’re the biggest artist in the world. That’s kind of what’s happened recently to singer Chappell Roan.
In today’s deep dive, we explore if Chappell Roan is really an overnight success or if there’s more to the story.
TDA asks
