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Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani has died overnight, aged 91. In a statement, the company said: "With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani”. Armani was set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house later this month in Milan.
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
“I haven’t, and never will, meet Vladimir Putin. I haven’t and never will meet the leader of North Korea as well... We did not send any government representative because it would not have been appropriate.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking in Parliament in response to a question from Opposition Leader Sussan Ley about why former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews attended a military parade in China. Andrews appeared in a group photo with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who cannot travel to Australia due to an active arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
Stat of the day
5
The number of baby cots found by consumer group Choice to have serious safety failures. The brands that failed safety measures were Sweet Pea, Consol, Koko and Scar, Grotime and Luxo Baby, which sell cots ranging in price from $139 to $370.
Viral moment of the week
Actor and musician KJ Apa has gone viral on TikTok with his alter ego ‘Mr Fantasy’. Speculation about whether Apa was really playing the character, or if he was a doppelgänger, has seen Mr Fantasy’s page skyrocket in views. Mr Fantasy has now released his eponymous debut single, and I must admit, it’s kind of a tune!
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Robodebt victims will receive additional compensation after the Government agreed to settle the largest class action appeal in Australian history. Robodebt was a debt collection system used by the Government from 2015 to 2019. It resulted in over $1.7 billion of unlawful debt notices. A previous $1.8 billion compensation package was distributed to victims between 2020 and 2022. However, this settlement was appealed after the Robodebt Royal Commission uncovered conduct breaches by senior public servants. The Federal Government has now agreed to provide an additional $475 million in compensation to settle the Robodebt class action appeal. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland described the scheme as “a crude and cruel mechanism, neither fair nor legal”. “Settling this claim is the just and fair thing to do,” Rowland added. The new settlement is pending Federal Court approval.
Australia will provide $1 million in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, after a magnitude six earthquake struck the country’s east on Monday. At least 1,400 people have died while thousands more were injured in the quake, which destroyed entire villages. Rescue operations are facing major ongoing challenges, with landslides and aftershocks blocking access to remote mountainous areas. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the earthquake has “exacerbated the dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with almost half the population already in desperate need.” Support from the Federal Government will be directed through the UN's Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, to ensure aid reaches those in need “and not the Taliban regime,” Wong said. The EU, UK, India and Iran have also pledged assistance.
Recommendation of the day
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I’ve got 1 minute
Florida’s top health official wants to ban vaccine mandates for children
Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo is attempting to ban vaccine mandates for children.
Currently, children in the state must be vaccinated against several common illnesses (e.g. chicken pox and polio) to attend school.
It comes as part of an effort to ban all vaccine mandates in the state.
Background
Soon after his re-election, U.S. President Donald Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr as Secretary of the federal Health Department.
Kennedy has been a leader of the anti-vaccine movement since the 2000s.
Before he ran for president in 2024, he founded an anti-vaccine organisation called Children’s Health Defense, and has said he believes a range of conditions from food allergies to autism are tied to childhood vaccinations.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also opposes vaccinations.
In a speech this week, DeSantis said the “medical establishment” had implemented “coercive measures” and “mandates” during the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed “products on people they didn’t want.”
Proposed ban
The proposed ban would make Florida the first U.S. state to repeal mandatory school vaccinations.
DeSantis said he will work with Florida’s Health Department and the state parliament to implement the ban.
At a press conference on Wednesday (local time), Ladapo suggested the ban was religiously motivated.
“Your body is a gift from God. What you put into your body is because of your relationship with your body and your God. I don’t have that right. Government does not have that right,” Ladapo sid.
Ladapo and DeSantis are planning to ban “every last one” of the state’s vaccine mandates, including for aged care residents and university students.
Comments
Medical experts and state Democrats have opposed the ban.
The American Medical Association said it “strongly opposes” the plan, which it said will “place children and communities at increased risk for diseases… resulting in serious illness, disability, and even death.”
Senator Shevrin Jones said: “Ending vaccine mandates poses a grave public health risk and will likely lead to a resurgence of preventable diseases.”
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Will the Govt legislate a climate target for 2035?
Australia is due to announce an emissions reduction target for 2035 later this month, ahead of the UN climate conference in Brazil.
So far, the Government has not made any firm commitments to put the target into law.
It follows visits from business and sporting groups to Parliament this week to push for stronger climate action.
The Government has been looking at proposals for a 65-75% emissions reduction target.
Climate change
Burning fossil fuels for everyday energy consumption, like coal, oil, and gas, releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere.
Adding more CO₂ and greenhouse gases to the atmosphere causes hotter temperatures on Earth.
Climate experts have repeatedly warned failing to reduce emissions will cause more extreme weather events, sea level rises, and food scarcity.
Electricity production, transport, and agriculture are the main contributors to Australia’s emissions.
Paris Agreement
In 2015, nearly all UN member countries, including Australia, signed the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Agreement binds countries to limit their emissions to ensure global temperatures don’t rise more than 1.5°C above levels recorded during 1850-1900, after which fossil fuel emissions rapidly increased.
Countries are required to regularly update their ‘NDCs’ (nationally-determined contributions), showing how they intend to meet the goal of limiting warming by 1.5°C.
Govt targets
The Government has already legislated two climate targets.
The first is reducing emissions by 43% compared to 2005 levels by 2030.
The second is net-zero by 2050. This refers to balancing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and taken out of the atmosphere.
Since both commitments are legislated, they require the Government and its relevant agencies to meet them.
2035 targets
Countries that have signed up to the Paris Agreement are set to announce their emissions targets for 2035 at this year’s COP30 climate conference in Brazil.
Each country’s submissions are due this month, including Australia. The Government is still yet to announce its target.
TDA asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ahead of the 3 May election about his plans for a target. The PM said he was awaiting advice from the independent Climate Change Authority, which has been looking at 65-75% target.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has questioned whether it would be “feasible” to legislate a 2035 target.
Bowen told the ABC “it’s not technically necessary” to put the 2035 target into law, adding he would consult other senior ministers on whether it should be legislated after it is announced later this month.
Walking back policy commitments is easier than reversing legislation.
It would also mean Government agencies are not legally obliged to meet a 2035 goal.
Going further
The UN’s top climate official, Simon Steill, released a report last year which said existing global climate commitments “fall miles short“ of limiting warming to 1.5°C.
This week, several campaign groups have visited Parliament to urge the government to adopt a more ambitious 2035 target.
Business for 75% is a group of more than 500 companies, including Fortescue Metals and Ikea, calling to cut emissions by at least three-quarters of 2005 levels.
One of the groups to visit Parliament was FrontRunners, a group of dozens of athletes calling for bigger emissions cuts, including Matildas player Alex Chidiac, ex-Socceroo Craig Foster, and Fremantle Captain Alex Pearce.
AFLW player and FrontRunners director Nicola Barr told TDA: “ In Australia, we punch well above our weight when it comes to the world stage on sport.
“We think that we can when it comes to climate action as well.”
Activist group Parents for Climate has urged the government to bring forward net zero emissions to 2035.
Reporting by Harry Sekulich.
A message from Sustainability Victoria
The small swap that makes a huge difference
FOGO (food organics and garden organics) bins are popping up across Victoria – and here’s the deal: your food scraps and garden clippings don’t belong in landfill. Toss them in the lime green FOGO bin instead, and they’ll be turned into rich compost for local farms and gardens.
And if you don’t live in VIC… compost is for everyone and it is easier than you might think!
✅ Yes please: food scraps, veggie peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells, garden clippings and more.
❌ Nope: plastic, packaging, glass, nappies, fruit stickers and other rubbish.
Give me some good news
Some of the country’s best scientific minds have had their achievements honoured by the Australian Museum.
Breakthroughs in forensic science, genomic sequencing, and “using octopus DNA to unlock Antarctica's climate secrets,” were among the 19 Eureka Prize winners announced this week. Organisers with the Australian Museum said this year marked the first time the event has reached “parity between male and female awardees”. Museum Director Kim McKay said the Eureka Prize celebrates “the talent, creativity and collaboration that drive discovery and deliver solutions for our world”.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
Fast-fashion company Shein has taken down a listing for a white shirt, after NZ outlet Stuff noticed the model bore a striking resemblance to accused murderer Luigi Mangione.
Mangione is set to stand trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last year.
The brand said the image was provided by a “third-party vendor”, which some have speculated is AI-generated.
The BBC used an Amazon-owned tool called ‘Rekognition’, which found a 99.9% match to a real image of Mangione, though was unable to confirm if it had been generated or manipulated by AI.
Shein has begun an investigation into the incident.
Reporting by Rosa Bowden.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
Content warning: Discussion of suicide and self-harm.
If you aren’t feeling up to the themes in today's podcast, you can come back next week for another episode. If you need help at any time, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
This week, OpenAI announced safety changes to ChatGPT following a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the parents of a teen who died by suicide.
The company says it will introduce parental controls next month and admitted ChatGPT provides dangerous advice during extended conversations. In today's podcast, Sam and Lucy explore the growing use of AI for mental health support by young people around the world, and whether chatbots can safely serve as therapeutic tools.
TDA asks
