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Good morning!
I’ll be knocking off work early today to tune into the live stream of the Air Guitar World Championship, live from Finland.
How do judges crown a winner? The jury evaluates the performances on technical and artistic merit, as well as their “airness”.
I’d play Stairway to Air-ven.
P.S. We’re growing our team, and want to hear from you or someone you know. We’re currently looking for a News Editor and Senior Journalist to join the team that produces this newsletter (as well as all our podcasts, social channels, other newsletters and videos). We’re flexible on “airness”, but solid on a can-do attitude and a belief in the future of Australian news media.
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
"I don’t take these things personally. I engage with people diplomatically. He has had similar things to say about other leaders."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking at a press conference in South Australia on Wednesday, in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling him a “weak leader”. The Government cancelled the visa of a far-right Israeli minister earlier this week, and recently announced plans to recognise the state of Palestine at the UN in September.
Stat of the day
500
The number of trees being cut down every day in Indonesia for the U.S. RV industry, according to an investigation by Earthsight. It revealed the harvested tropical hardwood is used to make walls, floors and ceilings, with as much as 700 square feet used in a typical vehicle.
TDA reader’s comment of the week
"I'm one of those but for humans". A comment left on our post about Chinese researchers having built the country's first robot antelope to infiltrate and study the previously endangered species up close.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
The Victorian Government has announced new childcare safety measures to address alleged abuse in the state’s early education sector. The ‘child safety overhaul’ coincides with the release of an independent Rapid Child Safety Review. It follows the recent arrest of a 26-year-old Victorian childcare worker, who’s been charged with dozens of child sexual abuse offences. The Government promised on Wednesday to implement all 22 recommendations from the safety review, as it seeks to “restore trust in the sector.” This includes new mandatory child safety training and overhauling Working with Children Checks. A new independent regulator will be established “by the end of the year” to enforce more frequent compliance checks. Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said the reforms “will ensure greater information sharing and transparency so we can take immediate action to protect children.”
Former NSW MP Daryl Maguire has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for providing false evidence to a corruption inquiry. Charges were laid against the former Wagga Wagga MP in June, after he was accused of deliberately misleading the NSW anti-corruption watchdog in 2018. Both Maguire and former Premier Gladys Berejiklian were investigated by the Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC). It found that Berejiklian engaged in corruption during a relationship with Maguire, but did not recommend criminal prosecution against her. However, ICAC did identify corruption by Maguire, warranting further criminal investigation. He appeared in a Sydney court on Wednesday, where he was sentenced to 10 months behind bars. Maguire has been granted bail, pending an appeal.
Recommendation of the day
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I’ve got 1 minute
Aussie research shows psychedelic mushrooms could reduce anxiety about death for terminally ill patients
Australian researchers have completed a clinical trial of psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms) to treat patients with motor neurone and advanced heart disease.
Researchers at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital tested the treatment on 35 people diagnosed with advanced, “life-threatening” illnesses.
They found compounds in certain mushrooms eased “debilitating death-related anxiety and depression.”
However, the report’s authors cautioned that research into psychedelics as medical treatment is still in its early stages.
Clinical trial
The trial involved two treatment sessions, held several weeks apart.
In the first session, patients were given a “randomised, controlled dose,” with about half of the group receiving a psilocybin compound and the others receiving a placebo.
In the second session, all participants were given the compound. All had worked with psychotherapists before and after taking the drug.
Participants reported “gains in mood, outlooks and wellbeing” within the first 24 hours, lasting up to six months.
Palliative care
In their study published in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry, the researchers said legal drugs have shown a “limited” ability to help terminally ill patients’ “existential distress”.
Lead clinical psychologist Dr Margaret Ross said the psilocybin trial allowed some patients to confront “the very core of their fears about death.”
“We often see people in palliative care carrying an immense emotional burden… In this trial, we saw reductions in depression and anxiety [and] broader improvements in wellbeing,” Ross said.
Disclaimer
Researchers flagged that although “the results are promising,” trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy are still in their early stages.
Psychiatrist Dr Justin Dwyer also noted the trial’s findings came from psilocybin combined with therapy.
“Patients often confront powerful emotions and memories. The safety, structure, and support of the therapeutic setting are essential to making it beneficial,” Dwyer said.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Why is Bruce Lehrmann back in a Sydney court?
Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has appeared in a Sydney court as he appeals his loss in a defamation case against Network 10 and its journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
Last year, the Federal Court ruled it was more likely than not that Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in 2019.
It accepted Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson’s truth defence, meaning he was not found to have been defamed.
Lehrmann maintains his innocence and is appealing the finding.
Defamation
Lehrmann launched defamation proceedings last year over an interview broadcast on Ten’s ‘The Project’ in 2021.
During the interview, former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins alleged Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House in March 2019.
He was not named in the interview, but he alleged his reputation was damaged because he was identifiable.
In 2022, a criminal trial was declared a mistrial due to juror misconduct and a re-trial was abandoned.
One of the ways to defend a defamation case is to prove that the claims made were truthful.
In his judgment, Justice Michael Lee ruled the claims laid out by Wilkinson and Network Ten that Lehrmann raped Higgins were true on the balance of probabilities (more likely than not), which is a lower standard of proof than a criminal case.
Lee’s ruling stated Lehrmann could not have been defamed because the allegations were truthful.
The court ordered Lehrmann to pay $2 million in legal costs.
Appeal
Lehrmann filed an appeal against Lee’s ruling and the legal costs.
He’s arguing four grounds of appeal to the judgment.
This includes contending he was denied fairness on some of the claims made against him, and that Justice Lee had “erred” in accepting the truth defence.
A full bench of the Federal Court – three judges not involved in the original case – is hearing the appeal.
Wednesday
Lehrmann’s lawyer Zali Burrows laid out some of the reasons for the appeal to the justices on Wednesday.
She described Lehrmann as “probably Australia’s most hated man,” citing abusive social media posts directed at him.
Lawyers for Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson have urged the court to dismiss the appeal.
Hearings for the appeal will continue until Friday.
Other cases
Lehrmann is also accused of two counts of sexual assault dating back to October 2021 in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. A trial is not likely to take place until next year.
In June, Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to a charge of car theft in Tasmania. He is expected in court in those proceedings next month.
Note: TDA’s editor-in-chief is Billi FitzSimons, Lisa Wilkinson’s daughter. Billi had no editorial oversight or involvement with this story or any post we’ve made about this story’s developments.
Reporting by Harry Sekulich.
A message from Hommey
Two looks, one doona
You spend a third of your life in bed – might as well make it worth it.
Hommey’s sell-out Versa Collection is finally back, and it’s basically the ultimate bedroom hack. Every quilt cover is reversible, so you get two completely different looks for the price of one.
Flip it for an instant refresh, mix and match the six colour pairings (Aster & Mulberry, Cloud & Mahogany… you get the idea) and layer them to suit your style. Made from super-soft, planet-friendly organic cotton, Versa nails comfort, style and value.
Give me some good news
Homeless World Cup in Seoul last year
The 20th annual Homeless World Cup is set to take place this weekend in Oslo, Norway.
The event sees players who have experienced homelessness or social exclusion represent their countries in soccer. Matches are short and are played on small pitches, with two teams of four players each. Across the men’s and women’s competitions, 48 countries will field teams, including Australia. The cup is being held alongside an international forum on ending homelessness, which will see players talk about their lived experiences. Australia’s team is drawn from the Community Street Soccer program, run by The Big Issue, and is nicknamed the Street Socceroos.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by Lucy Tassell.
TDA titbit
Labubu is now a billion-dollar global toy phenomenon.
Pop Mart, the maker of the viral doll, posted a nearly 400% profit surge and 204% revenue jump in the first half of 2025.
The “Monsters” franchise, featuring Labubu, brought in about ¥4.8 billion ($AU50.5 billion).
Overseas growth was the driver for the surge, with 571 stores and 2,597 vending machines worldwide.
We assume they aren’t including the knock-offs being sold on city street corners.
Reporting by Rosa Bowden.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
Adelaide Crows star Izak Rankine is set to be banned for a number of matches that could rule him out of the AFL finals. It comes after he used a homophobic slur against a Collingwood player during their match last weekend, marking the sixth homophobic slur incident in AFL since April 2024.
On today’s podcast, we’re going to dive into the incident, the wider sporting and social context dominating conversations in the sport only two weeks out from the season’s finals series, and what happens next.
TDA asks
