☕️ Thailand legalises same-sex marriage

It is really very cold at the moment.

Yesterday, large parts of Australia’s east had the coldest morning of the year, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. And it’s only expected to continue into the weekend.

Canberra is particularly cold at the moment, with temperatures in the negative. At least it’s a good ice-breaker. 🐻‍❄️

“Passing through charmingly lit streets of Pyongyang at night, the top leaders exchanged their pent-up inmost thoughts and opened their minds to more surely develop [North Korea]-Russia relations.”
A North Korean state media press release about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with leader Kim Jong Un, during Putin’s first visit to the country since 2000.

577
How many people have died this month due to extreme heat during the hajj, the culmination of a sacred pilgrimage Muslims make at least once in their lives, according to international news agency Agence France-Presse.

1837
Queen Victoria ascended the throne following the death of her Uncle, the former King.

Same-sex marriage will be legalised in Thailand after its Parliament voted in favour of marriage equality.

It’s the first time a South East Asian country has passed marriage equality laws.

The reforms will also give same-sex couples equal rights to adopt or have children through IVF.

The King of Thailand must approve the bill for it to become law, and it will come into effect four months later.

Thailand is considered relatively progressive when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. It has outlawed discrimination and censorship based on sexuality.

Since coming to office last year, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has expressed support for legalising same-sex marriage.

Thavisin’s Pheu Thai Party introduced marriage equality laws to parliament in December.

Thailand’s legal definition of marriage will be updated to recognise partnerships between two people, rather than a man and a woman.

LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand cannot currently adopt a child together. This ban will be lifted under the reforms.

The laws also grant the partner of a seriously ill person rights to make decisions about medical treatments on their behalf.

In March, Thailand’s lower house voted overwhelmingly in favour of marriage equality laws, 400 votes to ten. Five MPs abstained (didn’t vote).

The bill moved to the Senate, where it was approved on Tuesday, 130 votes to four. 18 senators abstained.

Taiwan and Nepal are the only jurisdictions in Asia where same-sex marriage is legal.

The Coalition will build seven nuclear power plants if it wins the next election.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has unveiled his party’s new energy policy, which includes plans to build nuclear reactors at existing coal plants in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, SA, and WA.

Nuclear power has been banned in Australia since 1998. The Coalition wants to reverse that ban.

The Labor Government has criticised the Opposition’s plan as a “combination of economic and ideological stupidity”.

Nuclear energy is produced through the process of fission, where atoms (tiny bits of matter) are heated and split into many parts.

The process is normally fuelled by uranium, which starts a chain reaction. Heat is created before a cooling agent like water is used, producing steam.

The steam then spins machines called turbines, which generate electricity.

Australia has one of the world’s biggest uranium reserves.

However, uranium is still a finite resource, meaning there is a limited supply of it around the world. That’s why nuclear power is not considered renewable.

Nuclear power doesn’t produce greenhouse gases, but it does produce radioactive waste.

Multiple disasters during the 20th century, including the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombs in World War Two, and the Chernobyl meltdown, sparked concerns about nuclear power and radioactive waste.

In the late 1990s, the Federal Government legislated an Australia-wide ban on building nuclear facilities. Some states have passed their own bans on uranium mining and nuclear reactors.

The only operational nuclear site is south of Sydney, and is used for research, not to generate energy.

Since its 2022 election loss, the Coalition has been promoting nuclear power as a viable way to boost energy supplies.

Shadow Energy and Climate Change Minister Ted O’Brien has said “next-generation” nuclear technology is needed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

On Wednesday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced plans to build seven nuclear reactors in Australia at existing coal plants. Dutton said the sites are already equipped with cooling water and transmission lines needed for nuclear reactors.

Dutton said two of the proposed sites would start producing electricity by 2035, while the remaining five would be functional by 2037. He didn’t detail how much the Opposition’s nuclear plan would cost.

The Opposition Leader pointed to overseas examples such as the Canadian province (state) of Ontario, where he said nuclear power has successfully led to cheaper electricity prices.

With the Albanese Government strongly against his proposal, Dutton said he was “very happy” for the next election to act as a “referendum” on nuclear.

The Coalition’s proposed nuclear sites:

1. Muja, WA
2. Port Augusta, SA
3. Gippsland, Victoria
4. Mount Piper, NSW
5. Hunter Valley, NSW
6. Tarong, Queensland
7. Callide, Queensland

Last month, national science agency the CSIRO found that “nuclear is currently the most expensive” type of electricity to generate.

It estimated nuclear power would cost roughly twice as much as renewable energy and take at least 15 years to come online.

Independent analysis by the Blueprint Institute found nuclear production is at least a decade away. However, modelling released by the Coalition earlier this year suggested Australia could have functional nuclear power by the mid-2030s.

Before Dutton’s announcement, Treasurer Jim Chalmers described the Coalition’s stance as “the dumbest policy ever put forward by a major party”.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said his state won’t lift its ban on nuclear reactors, calling them “very expensive”. Minns said it was “very unclear” if the Coalition’s plan is feasible.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, who leads the Liberal-National Party, said nuclear energy is “not part of our plan”. His party is tipped to win the state election in October.

Are you wearing sunscreen right now?

If you said no, there are many reasons you should make it a priority in your daily routine. Not only is suncare the most important step in protecting yourself against skin cancer but it can also prevent hyperpigmentation.

According to dermatologist, Dr. Michelle Rodrigues there are more than 45 causes of pigmentation on the face alone. By applying a broad-spectrum face sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher you’re protecting your skin against both UVA and UVB rays. Combine this with a targeted serum like Mela B3 Niacinamide Serum, and you can both treat and help prevent sun damage and pigmentation.

Add it to your skincare routine by applying the serum right after you cleanse your face, and applying sunscreen right after you moisturise (before makeup).

Prioritise protecting your skin by wearing SPF every day.

Earlier this year, 32-year-old Marlene Engelhorn announced plans to donate a $AU40 million fortune inherited from her grandmother. She set up a wealth redistribution body to help her decide where to donate the money. The group has now allocated funds towards environmental conservation, education, health, and ending poverty and homelessness.

You’ve likely heard by now that Justin Timberlake has been busted allegedly drink-driving in The Hamptons, New York. 

The singer was behind the wheel just after midnight when police caught him zooming past a stop sign. It’s widely reported that Timberlake said he’d had one martini, but the cops thought otherwise, and that he repeatedly refused to take a breathalyser test.

Per Page Six, Timberlake also had this exchange with a police officer: 

“Justin said under his breath, ‘This is going to ruin the tour.’ The cop replied, ‘What tour?’ Justin said, ‘The world tour.'”

Timberlake is due to perform in Chicago this week.

As the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas continues, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pulled the plug on his ‘war cabinet’ - a special body formed days after the October 7 attack.

It comes after two moderate politicians quit the war cabinet last week. We'll explain what this could mean for the future of the war in today's podcast.