If you were forwarded this email (Hi! Welcome!), you can sign up to the newsletter here.
Good morning.
You know things are escalating when the President of the United States drops the f-word on the lawns of the White House. That’s what happened late last night. Some have said it could be the first time a U.S. President has intentionally said “f**k” when speaking to reporters on live TV.
Watch the clip here first, and then read our explainer of where things stand in today’s edition.
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
“The Royal Thai Army has tightened border crossing measures along the Thailand-Cambodia Border... to maintain national sovereignty and ensure citizen safety... The Royal Thai Army affirms that Thailand has always respected agreements [with Cambodia] and cooperative approaches that have been continuously maintained.”
Tourists in Thailand have been banned from entering Cambodia, a statement from the Thai military has confirmed. The country has rolled out a heightened military presence at its border checkpoints, amid an ongoing dispute with Cambodia. It follows clashes between the country's two armies in May. One Cambodian soldier died in the conflict. Cambodian authorities have since banned imports from Thailand.
Stat of the day
145
The number of people allegedly pricked by syringes at World Music Day events across France on 21 June. Authorities have urged attendees who feel unwell to seek medical attention and get a toxicology blood test.
Word of the day
Limerence [lim-er-ence]
Definition: The state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person, without knowing how they feel about you yet. Coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Increased tensions in the Middle East have prompted several international airlines to cancel or redirect services over the region. Qantas has confirmed a flight bound for Paris was forced to return to Perth on Tuesday, while the carrier has diverted some services through Singapore due to “additional airspace closures and congestion through the Middle East”. Qantas said it is continuing to monitor the situation closely, and will update its schedule “as required.” Singapore Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines and Air France have cancelled flights to Dubai, while some services to Doha, Qatar and other parts of the UAE have also been suspended. Flights in the region were grounded for a brief period on Tuesday, but Dubai and Qatar airports have resumed operations.
Virgin Australia’s share price has jumped by more than 9% during the airline’s first day of trade in five years. Virgin delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in 2020 after COVID-19 disruptions forced the airline into voluntary administration. The carrier was then purchased by U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital for $3.5 billion. The Federal Government signed off on a deal allowing Qatar Airways to acquire a 25% stake of Virgin in February, following a period of “record profits” and boosted passenger numbers. With 30% of its shares floated on the ASX on Tuesday, the airline’s value increased 9.4% from $2.90 to $3.17 per share on its market return.
Recommendation of the day
Transparency: This is a sponsored section of the newsletter. It's the best way we can keep this newsletter free for you
Plot twist: That laptop you’ve been eyeing? Could be tax deductible.
While others are stressing about tax time, you could be upgrading everything:
Ergonomic chair? Could be deductible.
Work tablet? Could be deductible.
Sit-stand desk? Yep - could be deductible.
44% of Australians say they usually make work-related purchases in June - and Officeworks makes it easy to get it done. With digital receipts, the Officeworks app, and over 170 stores nationwide, EOFY shopping has never been simpler.
The clock’s ticking - shop before June 30 and claim everything you can.
This information is general in nature and does not constitute financial or tax advice. Please seek personalised advice before taking action.
I’ve got 1 minute
The Israel and Iran ceasefire, explained
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran, proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, now appears to be holding.
The ceasefire came into effect yesterday afternoon. However, there were initially accusations that it had been breached, causing uncertainty about its future.
Here’s what happened yesterday afternoon.
Timeline
Soon after the ceasefire was meant to come into effect, Israel alleged Iran had launched strikes in a breach of the ceasefire. Iran denied this. Israel said it would “respond forcefully” to Iran’s alleged strikes.
U.S. President Donald Trump then warned Israel to not launch more missiles. In a post to Truth Social, Trump said: “Israel. Do not drop those bombs. If you do it is a major violation.”
Speaking to reporters, Trump doubled down on his criticism of Israel and Iran following the alleged breaches of the ceasefire. He said: “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing.”
Trump suggested Iran’s missiles could have been a mistake, and said they did not land in Israel. Trump said: “I’m not happy with Israel… I’m not happy with Iran either.”
However, in the hours since these comments, it appears the ceasefire has been holding.
If it does hold, it will have bring an end to 12 days of fighting.
Background
Two weeks ago, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned Iran was not able to show evidence “its nuclear material was not being diverted for... military use”.
The following day, Israel launched strikes across Iran, including nuclear sites. Iran struck back on Israeli cities Tel Aviv and Haifa. Both sides have said they are aiming for military infrastructure; both have killed civilians.
Iranian authorities report more than 606 deaths, mostly civilians. Israeli officials report 27 civilian deaths.
Over the weekend, the U.S. hit three nuclear facilities across Iran: Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan.
Iran retaliated by firing more than a dozen missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar.
Within hours of the Iranian strike on the U.S. base, a ceasefire was announced.
Good finds
☁️ Bonny, Australia’s favourite fluffy doona brand, is having a rare EOFY sale - so if you’ve been thinking about upgrading, now’s the time. Bonny’s traceable, responsibly sourced doonas are $50 off until July 30, no code needed.
Transparency: This is a sponsored section of the newsletter. It's the best way we can keep this newsletter free for you
I’ve got 2 minutes
Australia’s online safety advisor wants to ban under-16s from making YouTube accounts
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has urged the Federal Government to stop under-16s from creating a YouTube account as part of the social media ban.
The Government’s ban on children accessing apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok comes into effect in December.
YouTube is currently exempt from the rules that apply to the other social media platforms.
Social media ban
The Government’s ban on children under 16 using social media passed Parliament late last year with the Coalition’s support, following a public campaign to protect young people’s mental health.
Social media companies, including Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Snap Inc (Snapchat) could face fines of $50 million if under-16s create an account on their platforms.
YouTube
YouTube was initially listed as a platform exempt from the ban because the government said it’s predominantly used for learning purposes.
Currently, children under 13 aren’t able to set up a YouTube account.
Other social media companies criticised YouTube’s exemption. TikTok’s public policy director in Australia and New Zealand Ella Woods-Joyce likened it to “banning the sale of soft drinks to minors but exempting Coca-Cola.”
eSafety
Inman Grant has advised the Federal Government to expand the ban to include blocking under-16s from YouTube.
Addressing the National Press Club, Inman Grant said recent eSafety research had shown four in 10 children reported being exposed to harmful content on YouTube, the highest of any platform.
“Our recommendation was that no specific platform be exempted,” Inman Grant said.
Response
In a statement, a spokesperson for Wells told TDA the Minister is “carefully considering” eSafety’s advice.
YouTube’s public policy senior manager Rachel Lord criticised eSafety’s advice, saying the video-sharing platform is used widely in classroom teaching.
In a statement, Lord said banning YouTube would ignore “evidence from teachers and parents that YouTube is suitable for younger users”.
Reporting by Harry Sekulich.
A message from AirAsia
Your favourite three hours of the week? 6-9pm AEST tonight.
AirAsia’s dropping Taipei flight prices like they're hot (up to 30% off from Melbourne, Sydney, Perth) to celebrate being awarded the Skytrax low-cost airline of the year for the 16th year running.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: swap your Wednesday night wine for a future filled with night market feasts, hot spring soaks, and enough bubble tea to float a small boat. That little detour through Kuala Lumpur? Consider it your appetiser before the main event of dumpling devouring and temple adventures.
So what's it gonna be - another Netflix binge or booking the adventure that'll make all your friends stupidly envious? The clock's ticking, go go go!
Book tonight between 6-9pm AEST.
🍊 The potential deal which could shift sports streaming in Australia. Details here.
🍊 Ex-AFL star pleads not guilty to abuse charges. Read more here.
🍊 Maya Joint takes down former Wimbledon finalist at Eastbourne. Who?
🗞️ Also in today’s Sport Newsletter: cricket, soccer, and more…
Give me some good news
A major U.S-backed science facility in Chile has captured images of space with a level of detail never seen before by astronomers.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s new 8.4 metre telescope has “the largest digital camera ever built,” allowing it to capture galaxies, stars and asteroids with unprecedented speed and clarity. For example, it took the telescope “about ten hours” to capture “2,104 never-before-seen asteroids in our Solar System, including seven near-Earth asteroids (which pose no danger).” For context, it takes all other ground and space-based observatories a year to capture a combined total of around 20,000 asteroids. A single image released by the observatory contains 678 separate photos, revealing “otherwise faint or invisible” features. Officials say it’s a “small preview” of Rubin’s 10-year mission to explore “some of the Universe's biggest mysteries.”
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
Venice residents have launched protests against billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' wedding to journalist and helicopter pilot Lauren Sánchez, scheduled for this week.
The "No Space for Bezos" movement argues the three-day celebration is a representation of inequality and over-tourism in Venice.
Protesters have displayed anti-Bezos banners throughout the city, such as activists from groups Greenpeace and Everyone Hates Elon unfurling a large banner at St Mark's Square demanding he "pay more taxes."
Locals say high-profile events like this show the city is increasingly catering to wealthy visitors rather than the people who live there.
However, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has defended the wedding, calling protests "shameful" and highlighting the economic benefits for tourism-dependent businesses.
Reporting by Rosa Bowden.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
For nearly two weeks now, Iran and Israel have been engaged in a war that has kept the world anxiously waiting to see what happens next.
As we have covered this week, the U.S. effectively entered the war by bombing three nuclear sites in Iran, which Iran responded to by launching missile strikes on U.S. military bases in Qatar. Since then, there’s been a ceasefire.
Today, we're answering all the questions you have.
TDA asks
