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Happy Friday!
It’s time for two truths and a lie. You know the drill: there are three headlines, but one is fake. Head to the tidbit for the answer!
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has said his daughter is his “best mistake”
A farm in England is begging visitors to stop posing naked with its sunflowers
Sports Minister Anika Wells says she is changing her middle name to ‘Matilda’ to celebrate the success of the Australians
Answer is in the tidbit!
I've got 10 seconds
The quote
"We are not broken, we are loved, and the law should reflect that.” - Independent MP Alex Greenwich introducing a bill to NSW Parliament yesterday that will end LGBTQIA+ conversion practices in the state.
The stat
$26 million
The amount paid by Dreamworld’s parent company to settle a class action lawsuit from its shareholders over claims it misled investors over how safe its rides were. It came after four people died when a ride malfunctioned in 2016.
Today in history
2020: The World Health Organisation announced that Africa has eradicated polio.
I've got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Today is Equal Pay Day – the 56th day after the end of the financial year, symbolising the extra days Australian women must work, on average, to earn the same salary earned by men. As of May 2023, the pay gap is 13%, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Japan has begun releasing radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The water became radioactive in 2011 after an earthquake and tsunami. It’s since been treated, and declared safe to pump into the ocean by the United Nation’s atomic safety regulator. The release has drawn criticism from Japan’s neighbouring countries, South Korea and China.
I've got 1 minute
Qantas has announced its biggest-ever before-tax profit – $2.47 billion – for the 2022-23 financial year. It's the first time the airline has recorded a profit since COVID.
Qantas, which also owns Jetstar, more than doubled its revenue from the previous financial year.
Outgoing CEO Alan Joyce said: "We safely flew almost 70 billion more seat kilometres and doubled the number of people we carried to 46 million compared to the year before."
Thank you!
We’re so excited to tell you that ‘No Silly Questions’ has become the #1 Bestseller this week 🥺.
Thank you so much to everyone who has already pre-ordered, it really means the world to us.
By pre-ordering the book before it is released, you send an indication to bookstores across the country that they should stock ‘No Silly Questions’.
Our book will officially hit bookshelves on Sept 5!
I've got 2 minutes
TW: Sexual assault
The former principal of a school in Melbourne has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.
Malka Leifer was found guilty of 18 charges relating to two sisters, both former students of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Adass Israel School. Some of the offences occurred when they were children.
The 56-year-old will serve at least 11.5 years in prison before she is eligible for parole.
Background:
Leifer left Australia for Israel in 2008, after one sister told a social worker about Leifer's abuse.
Australia lodged an extradition request in 2013 for Leifer to return to Melbourne to face charges.
In 2016, an Israeli court ruled Leifer was unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds. However, authorities later concluded she had been exaggerating mental ill-health and Leifer was extradited to Australia in 2021.
The trial:
Leifer was charged with 29 offences but was cleared of all charges relating to a third sister.
The remaining offences included multiple rape and indecent assault charges, as well as charges of penetration and indecent acts with an under-18-year-old.
In April, a jury found her guilty of 18 charges. Leifer maintained her innocence throughout the trial.
Judge’s remarks:
Judge Mark Gamble summarised impact statements from Leifer's victims, describing the "major toll" Leifer's abuse had on the sisters' lives.
"It is [Leifer] alone who should feel guilty and ashamed for what occurred," Gamble said.
Gamble said he did not consider a character reference provided for Leifer in his sentencing, as it was her standing in the community that enabled her offending.
1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
Information and support for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse, 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday AEST: 1800 272 831
Give me some good news
Australian pole vaulter Nina Kennedy has beaten her own national record to win gold in the world athletics championships.
Kennedy tied with American Katie Moon in first place, after both cleared a height of 4.90 metres. After two and a half hours of competition, the pair agreed to stop competing and both take home gold.
A message from our sponsor
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A TDA tidbit
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has said his daughter is “the best mistake he ever made”
This is true. In an interview with Annabel Crabb on ABC, Dutton explained he was not together with the mother of his daughter at the time of her birth.
“And so that was, that was a difficult period. But Rebecca is 21 now and yeah. Just turned into the most beautiful young lady. You describe it as a mistake at the time, but the best mistake I ever made. She’s just a gorgeous girl,” he said.
A farm in England is begging visitors to stop posing naked with its sunflowers
This is true. A sunflower farm southwest of London has had to put up signs reminding people to keep their clothes on when visiting.
In a Facebook post, the farm said: “We are a family area and please keep your clothes on in the sunflowers!”
Sports Minister Anika Wells has announced she will change her middle name to ‘Matilda’ to celebrate the success of the Australians
This is false.
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The Daily Aus acknowledges the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We acknowledge and pay respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.