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Good morning!
Happy World Kangaroo Day to all who celebrate.
There are an estimated 42.7 million kangaroos in Australia, and it's a special day for all of them!
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
“I do not want Australian children and young people serving as casualties of powerful technologies thrust onto the market without guardrails and without regard for their safety and wellbeing."
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant in a statement on the growing popularity of AI chatbots in Australia. Notices were given to four companies - character.ai, Nomi, Chai, and Chub.ai - who must provide evidence of how they are complying with the Government's online safety expectations.
Stat of the day
60 million
The number of red crabs expected to migrate across Christmas Island, according to the local National Park. Roads have closed as crabs begin their move across a specially designed passage aptly named Red Crab Bridge.
Viral moment of the week
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson went viral this week for his love of AI models, including ChatGPT. His pronunciation of the software’s name has to be heard to be believed.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Thousands of Australians are being urged to update or replace their phones after Telstra detected a triple zero issue with several older Samsung mobiles. Telstra is the national operator of triple zero, regardless of which mobile network you're on. In a situation where a caller’s primary mobile network is unavailable, their phone should automatically connect to another available network to place a triple zero call. However, Telstra said it’s identified dozens of Samsung devices, “that are not correctly connecting to the Vodafone mobile network when other mobile networks are unavailable.” A statement from the telco said “this issue does not relate to the Telstra network,” but it’s “legally obligated to inform customers impacted and block devices from our network that are not fixed.” A list of 11 types of Samsung Galaxy models will need to be replaced. A further 60 devices require a software update. Impacted customers will be contacted directly.
Around 100,000 public service workers in New Zealand have walked off the job, staging one of the largest protests in the country’s history. The mega-strike brought together teachers, nurses, doctors, government staff and other public servants, who are calling on the government to increase funding for the public sector. The national Public Service Association said “services are suffering” from understaffing, recruitment delays, and poor pay and working conditions. Liam Rutherford from the national education union said: “To have teachers, principals, support staff, as well as Ministry of Education support workers and field staff all striking, tells you how widespread the feeling is that change is needed”. New Zealand’s Coalition Government called the strikes “unnecessary and politically motivated by the unions.” Opposition leader Chris Hipkins called the comments “unhelpful.”
Recommendation of the day
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I’ve got 1 minute
WA smoking rates have increased. The Opposition has blamed the state’s illegal tobacco market.
The number of smokers in Western Australia has risen since 2022.
According to the state Health Department’s annual report, 12% of the population were smokers in 2024/25, up from 10% in 2022/23.
The Opposition said it was the first increase in smokers in 30 years, saying the Government had failed to curb the sale of illegal tobacco.
The WA Cancer Council also said the Government “needs to look seriously” at the supply of tobacco in the state.
Smoking
WA Premier Roger Cook downplayed the rise in smoking rates, telling reporters on Monday the increase was due to “people coming to Western Australia from overseas, in record numbers.”
The state’s Health Department says it has cracked down on the illegal tobacco market since 2024, seizing more than 460,000 cigarettes and 190,000 vapes.
Response
WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas has called for a crackdown on the state’s “exploding” illicit tobacco market.
Cancer Council WA also called for legal reform.
“Tobacco is more available than bread and milk… the WA Government needs to look seriously at markedly reducing the oversupply of tobacco in our state,” Campaign Manager Libby Jardine said.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
I’ve got 2 minutes
The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel not to obstruct the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to cooperate with humanitarian aid agencies in Gaza.
The highest court of the UN found Israel has an obligation “under international humanitarian law” to ensure people in Gaza have “the essential supplies of daily life”.
The ICJ issued the legal opinion following a request from the UN General Assembly.
Israel has rejected the finding.
Gaza
Since Israel and Hamas agreed to a U.S-led ceasefire plan earlier this month, both sides have accused each other of breaking it.
Israel accused Hamas of failing to return the bodies of hostages taken in October 2023. Hamas said it cannot reach the bodies because of the rubble from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
Hamas has accused Israel of continued ceasefire violations, including “crimes of direct gunfire against civilians, deliberate shelling and targeting, and the arrest of a number of civilians“.
On Sunday, Israel claimed Palestinian militants killed two soldiers in an Israeli-controlled area of southeastern Rafah — labelling the incident “a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement”.
Hamas said it was “unaware of any events or clashes taking place in the Rafah area”.
Shortly after accusing Hamas of breaking the ceasefire, Israel restricted humanitarian aid and bombed Gaza, killing at least 44 people.
ICJ
The ICJ (also known as the World Court) rules on disputes between states, and hands down opinions on legal issues brought to it by the UN.
It’s currently reviewing a case brought by South Africa, accusing Israel of committing and failing to prevent genocide in Gaza.
Last year, the UN General Assembly requested a separate legal opinion on Israel’s obligations in Gaza, after it blocked the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) from working in Israel over claims some staff were involved in the 7 October attacks.
Israel controls every access point into Gaza, which meant it had effectively barred UNRWA from taking humanitarian aid there.
In August 2024, UNRWA said it had fired nine staff members who an internal investigation found “may have been involved” in the attacks.
After ten months of proceedings, the ICJ handed down its advisory opinion on Wednesday.
The court found Israel had “not substantiated its allegations that a significant part of UNRWA employees ‘are members of Hamas... or other terrorist factions’.”
Aid obligations
As an “occupying Power” in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, the court found Israel is required to ensure people in these areas have access to basic supplies.
This includes “food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies and services”.
While Israel withdrew its army from Gaza in 2005, the ICJ found in 2024 that “the degree of its effective control” over the enclave means it is still bound by the laws of occupation, including international humanitarian law.
Response
In a post to X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the country “categorically rejects” the ICJ’s opinion.
It accused the UN of not fully investigating what it called “Hamas’ infiltration” of UNRWA.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told The Associated Press the decision was “very important,” and that he hopes “Israel will abide by it.”
However, the ICJ does not have powers of enforcement.
The ceasefire specifies that the Rafah border crossing (between Gaza and Egypt) be reopened to allow the flow of international humanitarian aid.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the crossing will stay closed “until further notice,” in response to the missing hostages.
It means aid delivery into Gaza is currently reduced to two crossings along the Israeli border.
The UN’s World Food Programme said neither crossing is located in northern Gaza, where food access remains “extremely dire”.
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🍊 The Intl Olympic Committee has condemned Indonesia. Why?
🍊 Australia’s women star on the cricket pitch. How are they doing?
🍊 The Wallabies are heading on tour. What’s their first stop?
🗞️ Also in the Sport Newsletter: tennis, golf, and more…
Give me some good news
Australian cyclists have won two bronze medals at the UCI Track World Championships in Santiago, Chile.
The women’s sprint team beat Poland to repeat their 2024 result, while the men’s trio edged out France to also claim bronze. The success continues Australia’s strong record on the track, with the men’s team pursuit squad now set to race Denmark for gold on Friday after defeating Great Britain in the semifinals.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by George Finlayson.
TDA titbit
The board game Settlers of Catan is coming to your screens, following a deal with Netflix and board game publisher Asmodee.
The game will be adapted into multiple formats, including both live-action and animated films and series.
Asmodee CEO Thomas Koegler said he was “thrilled to see the game expanding to a larger audience who will discover the richness of its universe.”
TDA hears the deal involved trading three lumber for two ore.
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
Beyond Meat is one of the leading plant-based meat companies in the world. But it’s had a rough few years.
Then, this week, its share price rocketed over 1000% in four days, from 50 cents to nearly $8.
On today’s podcast, we’re going to unpack what happened, the current state of Beyond Meat, and the world of meme stocks.
TDA asks
