☕️ Qantas reduces former CEO's payout

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It’s all about reminding you about all the amazing people, great discoveries and exciting achievements there are in the world.

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“In my dealings with Australians it always pays to be incredibly simple and clear and use English.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon responding to questions about the removal of Maori words from an official invitation sent to Australian Arts Minister Tony Burke earlier this year.

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The number of Taylor Swift concerts that have been cancelled in Vienna, Austria, due to a suspected terror attack plot. Officials in Austria said at a news conference that two men had been arrested over the alleged plan. Police said the pair had become “radicalised on the internet”. Taylor Swift has not yet commented.

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The construction of the Tower of Pisa began. Its foundations were built on soft soil which couldn’t support its weight, hence, it became the Leaning Tower Pisa as we know it today.

The Qantas board will cut former CEO Alan Joyce’s payout by $9 million, including $8.36 million worth of shares, after reviewing “mistakes” made by management in recent years.

Joyce resigned as CEO of the national airline last September.

His resignation came after Qantas had faced a series of allegations of wrongdoings.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, Qantas faced a number of allegations of wrongdoing over its business decisions.

A week before Joyce resigned last year, the High Court found the airline had illegally fired more than 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.

The airline commissioned a review of its board’s decisions last year.

In a statement, it said the review had found “mistakes were made by the Board and management which contributed to the Group’s significant reputational and customer service issues”, although it said none of these were deliberate.

Reporting by Chloe Christie.

This year, the Coral Sea recorded its highest temperatures in 400 years, threatening the Great Barrier Reef (GBR).

Researchers found the average temperature of the sea around the GBR from January to March was nearly 0.2°C higher than the previous record for this time of year.

The study, published in the journal Nature, compared the recorded temperatures of the Coral Sea – where the GBR is located – over the January to March period from 2016 to 2024. The hottest year of this period was 2024.

During this period of increased temperatures, researchers said there’s been “a marked increase in mass coral bleaching”.

Bleaching happens when warm sea temperatures stress corals, causing them to eject the algae they need to survive and eventually turn white.

Bleached coral is more susceptible to death from lack of nutrients. Once corals die, reefs rarely recover.

Researchers described human-caused climate change, which has led to warmer sea temperatures, as an “existential threat to the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem.”

In April, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared a global coral bleaching event.

In June 2023, the Australian Government made an agreement with UNESCO to introduce measures to better protect the reef.

These included improving water quality and sustainable fishing practices.

As part of this agreement, UNESCO said it would not consider the GBR for its list of endangered world heritage sites.

However, researchers said it’s possible UNESCO might reconsider its decision.

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

Introducing: Betty’s Bowls

Betty’s Burgers is here to satisfy any and all food cravings with their latest menu addition: Betty’s Bowls!

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Head to Betty’s Burgers and try the new Betty’s Bowls or order via the Betty’s app today.

Planted in 1873, the Front Street banyan tree is the oldest of its kind in Maui and holds cultural significance for the community. Following the Maui wildfires in August last year, which damaged 25,000 trees, a local team of volunteers helped the tree’s recovery.

Maui County Arborist Committee Chair Duane Sparkman told media: “You see a lot of long, long branches with hundreds of leaves back on the tree”. Some branches are even producing fruit!

Reporting by Chloe Christie.

A school in the U.S. state of Texas has taken an interesting step to manage its students’ mental health.

Charles Middle School has banned students from wearing all black outfits.

In a letter to parents, principal Nick DeSantis said black clothes are “more associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality than with happy and healthy kids ready to learn.”

Parents aren’t thrilled, however, with one telling local news that “making students wear a different colour isn’t going to magically make them a completely different person.”

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

This week, NSW public sector employees were directed back to the office by the state’s Government, sparking a debate about the future of flexible work post-pandemic.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll discuss exactly where we’re at with working from home and its surprising economic impacts.