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I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “This [northern] summer’s scorching heat, raging wildfires and deadly floods are a warning of what lies ahead.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement on a new UN Environment Programme report about the harms of rising global temperatures.
The stat: 2.1%. The growth of Australia’s economy over the year to June, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which is above what economists expected.
The big question:
Thinking about the next 12 months, do you expect your own financial situation to get better, worse, or stay about the same?
Yesterday’s results: 59% of you said you’re working full-time, 17% part-time, 12% casual, and 12% said they’re unemployed. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [2,330 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
An Australian soldier has been killed in Ukraine, Shadow Minister for Defence Personnel Phillip Thompson has confirmed. Thompson said the man, identified only as “Mozzie,” served his country in Malaysia and Papua New Guinea as a “valued member” of the Townsville-based 1st Battalion’s heavy weapons platoon. It’s understood Mozzie travelled to Ukraine after leaving the Australian Army, following Russia’s invasion in 2022. He had been serving as a combat medic before he was killed in action on 27 August.
Hundreds of staff at the University of Sydney have walked off the job amid concerns over artificial intelligence. Staff launched 24 hours of strike action on Wednesday after failed negotiations between the National Tertiary Education Union and university management. The union is demanding protections for staff in cases where AI could result in job losses or significantly change their roles, as well as measures to protect against AI replicating their voice and image. It also wants protections against AI systems inappropriately using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and intellectual property.
Together with AAP.
Recommendation of the day
Sydneysiders, it’s time to fill up your cup! We’re hosting a TDA IRL event with Macquarie University.
Join us at Harry’s by Giuls from 9am-11am on Saturday, 19 September for a morning built around the habits that support better mental health, with an expert panel, coffee and brekkie. Come solo or bring your mates. Tickets are free, but limited!
Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 1 minute
Five Australians missing since floods hit the Nepal-Tibet border have now been found safe.
A Himalayan glacier collapsed last Wednesday, triggering flash floods that have killed more than 1,000 people.
At least 38 Australians are still unaccounted for.
Background
On Wednesday morning, a landslide of ice and rock is believed to have smashed into a river high in the mountains near the Nepal-Tibet border, sending water and debris downstream. Roads, bridges and entire villages were destroyed.
It’s the second major flood in this location in just over a year. The flooding hit Langtang National Park, a popular spot for international hikers.
The death toll has passed 1,000, with thousands more missing across Nepal and Tibet.
Aussies
Five Australians thought to be missing have since been found safe. It’s understood the individuals had not made contact with their families since the floods hit.
One of the five, a 26-year-old trekker named Cara Severino, made contact with her family over the weekend after travelling for days by tractor through Langtang National Park.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the news brings relief but urged people to “remain realistic about the days ahead”. DFAT hasn’t officially confirmed any Australian deaths in the region.
An Australian response team of 18 people is on the ground as search efforts continue.
Reporting by Elliot Lawry.
Good Finds
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Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Newly released body camera footage shows a NSW Police officer telling a colleague he punched a protester “in the head when he was down”.
The video comes from a Sydney protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his visit to Australia in February, following the Bondi terror attack.
NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson has referred the footage to the state’s police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC).
She says the footage “shows the attitude of the police that night” and is calling for the officers involved to be stood down.
Background
Herzog arrived in Australia in February for a four-day visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after the Bondi Beach terror attack, where two gunmen killed 15 people at a Hanukkah event in December 2025.
While the families of the victims welcomed the visit, it was also met with backlash.
Critics pointed to a UN Commission of Inquiry finding that, as President, Herzog had “incited the commission of genocide” in Gaza. Israel rejects the finding.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Sydney’s CBD near Town Hall on 9 February to protest the visit.
Videos from the night showed police pepper-sprayed, arrested, beat and shoved demonstrators. One clip showed police dragging away a group of Muslim men mid-prayer, and another showed police punching a man repeatedly in the stomach.
NSW Police said 27 people were arrested, including 10 for assaulting police. At the time, NSW Premier Chris Minns defended police, saying: “NSW Police’s proportionate response was designed to keep the public safe in incredibly difficult circumstances”.
The LECC launched an investigation into police conduct at the protest within days and has been reviewing evidence of potential misconduct. Hearings are set for next month.
More than 800 complaints have been lodged against police over the event, the most on a single matter in the commission’s history.
On Sunday, former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas and several activist groups posted body-worn camera footage from the protest showing police talking about hitting a protester.
Response
Higginson has referred the footage to the LECC, calling it “evidence of misconduct”.
She’s also written to NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and Police Minister Yasmin Catley, calling for the officers involved to be stood down.
NSW Police told TDA the force is aware of the footage but can’t comment further while the LECC investigation continues.
Reporting by Elliot Lawry.
A message from Specsavers
Laptop for work, phone for everything else - for most of us, cutting down screen time isn't realistic.
But that doesn't mean your eyes have to put up with the strain. Specsavers recommends a few simple habits that can help: including taking regular breaks to focus on something in the distance, softer lighting, and reducing glare from your screen. And if dry, blurry or tired eyes persist, an eye test will work out what's behind it.
Give me some good news
Photo: AWC
For the first time, an endangered wallaby species has been found at a remote site in the Kimberley.
The Nabarlek, a tiny rock-wallaby weighing about a kilo, hasn’t been seen across much of the Kimberley mainland since the early 1970s. However, researchers with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) have now confirmed the presence of Nabarleks at two new sites, including one where the species had never previously been detected. The AWC worked with Traditional Owners to track the species, calling the breakthrough the “ecological equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack”.
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
Photo: Queensland Police
Queensland Police are investigating the alleged theft of thousands of sheep worth almost $2 million from a rural property. Approximately 5,500 rams and ewes vanished from a farm outside the central Qld town of Blackall between February and May 2026.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Elliot said livestock theft investigations can be “complex,” often spanning large areas.
Anyone who observed suspicious stock movements in the area is urged to come forward.
Sounds like a case for the Sheep Detectives.
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA asks
