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Good morning!
It’s time for another riddle where we count the letters, since the last one just went so well.
Riddle: Count the number of times that the letter ‘f’ appears in the following sentence: “Finished files are the result of years of scientific study combined with the experience of years.”
Answer is in the tidbit!
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
“Don’t give me this s**t that work-from-home Friday works. I call a lot of people on Fridays, and there’s not a goddamn person you can get a hold of. I’ve had it with this kind of stuff.”
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon in a leaked recording published by financial outlet Barron’s.
Stat of the day
18
The number of people injured when a plane crash-landed upside down in Toronto, Canada.
Word of the day
Sonder
The realisation that everyone you meet has a story as complex as your own. Invented by American author John Koenig.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has lowered its cash rate for the first time since November 2020. The RBA cut interest rates from 4.35% to 4.1%. In a statement yesterday, the RBA Board said: “Inflation has fallen substantially since the peak in 2022.” Treasurer Jim Chalmers has confirmed the 0.25% interest rate cut will be passed on to borrowers of each of the Big Four banks – ANZ, CommBank, NAB, and Westpac.
Australia’s most notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale has died in prison, aged 90. The former Catholic priest was found guilty of child abuse in 1993. The offences related to 72 individuals, and took place in central and south-western Victoria over several decades. Church leaders received multiple complaints about Ridsdale’s abuse, who was moved across 16 different parishes in the 60s, 70s and 80s. During his more than 30 years behind bars, Ridsdale was sentenced eight more times for hundreds of historic child abuse charges – bringing his total sentence to 40 years. Victoria Police brought a further 62 charges against him last year. It’s understood the 90-year-old died in the medical unit of Port Phillip Prison, west of Melbourne.
Recommendation of the day
I’ve got 1 minute
Aussie students’ understanding of civics and politics is at 20-year low
Students’ levels of knowledge and understanding of Australia’s democratic processes have fallen to a 20-year low.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority tested Year 6 and Year 10 students on their civics knowledge last year.
More than 70% of high school students and 60% of primary school students did not meet proficiency standards.
Civics tests
ACARA first conducted a civics and citizenship test in 2004. The last edition was held in 2019.
The test assesses knowledge of Australia’s government, rights, legal obligations, and national values, using a sample of Year 6 and Year 10 students.
In 2024, nearly 10,000 students from more than 600 schools nationwide took the test.
Results
Students results’ were measured against ‘proficiency standards’, which ACARA defines as “a challenging but reasonable expectation of student achievement at that year level.”
Less than a third of Year 10 students met the “proficiency standards” in 2024, down from 38% in the previous test. Of Year 6 students, 43% met the standard, down 10% from 2019.
Students in major cities and non-Indigenous students generally performed better than their counter-parts. Year 6 girls performed better than boys.
Engagement
The test also recorded students’ attitudes and engagement levels, revealing “a high degree of trust in civic institutions” in both year levels.
However, they had “considerably less trust” in media or social media, despite “a large proportion” of students relying on these platforms for news.
The test also found a decline excursions to parliaments and courts since the pandemic, particularly among Year 10 students.
ACARA found students think learning about democracy is important, and are concerned about the climate, crime, and racism.
CEO Stephen Gniel emphasised the need for teachers to be supported to “deliver engaging civics and citizenship education”.
“It is vital that all young Australians get a strong grounding with civics education to feel engaged with social and political issues, so that they can make a valuable contribution as society’s future stewards,” Gniel said.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
I’ve got 2 minutes
World leaders are holding meetings to end Russia’s war in Ukraine
European leaders have gathered for an emergency meeting in Paris to reinforce support for Ukraine, as talks about how to end Russia’s war ramp up.
Meanwhile, American and Russian officials are due to hold peace talks in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, leaving Ukraine out of the high-level discussions.
The Trump administration has signalled it will not support some of Ukraine’s war-ending conditions, which include eventual NATO membership and restoring control of Crimea, a peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
War
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 22 February 2022.
It now controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Around 12,500 civilians are estimated to have been killed in Ukraine during the war, according to the latest UN data. Neither side publishes data on soldier deaths and injuries.
Over the past year, there has been little movement on the frontlines, except for a Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory on the northern border.
Trump
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump held separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
It marked the first official contact between a U.S. President and Putin since the war began.
The calls followed an announcement from newly-appointed U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, confirming the Trump administration would not support Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership.
On Friday (local time), U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with Zelenskyy at a conference in Munich, Germany.
Vance said America’s goal was to achieve a “durable, lasting peace” between the two countries.
Zelenskyy said he wanted “real security guarantees” from the U.S.
On Saturday, a U.S. official at the conference suggested European leaders wouldn’t play an active role in settling the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
European meeting
France’s President Emmanuel Macron called an emergency meeting of European leaders following the Munich conference.
The “consultation talks” were held in Paris yesterday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on social media saying the leaders had “reaffirmed that Ukraine deserves peace through strength.”
Macron said he spoke with Trump and Zelenskyy following the meeting.
The French President said all three leaders “seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
“We will work on this together with all Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians. This is the key.”
U.S. and Russia
Meanwhile, U.S. and Russian foreign affairs officials are set to meet yesterday in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
It follows a call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov earlier this week.
The pair discussed efforts towards “finding an end to the conflict in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian officials will not be in attendance in Riyadh.
Zelenskyy told Ukrainian media that he was unaware of the details of the Russia-U.S. meeting.
He reiterated Ukraine would not accept “any agreements about us without us.”
On social media, Zelenskyy restated his position on “ensuring a robust and lasting peace.”
“Any other decision without such guarantees – such as a fragile ceasefire – would only serve as another deception by Russia and a prelude to a new Russian war against Ukraine or other European nations.”
Reporting by Harry Sekulich.
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Give me some good news
Photo: Museum of London Archaeology
Archaeologists have discovered a 2,000 year old Basilica beneath a London office building.
Researchers had suspected Roman ruins may lie beneath the commercial CBD building, but it was unclear what condition they might be in. The building owners opened the site for the Museum of London to investigate, where they discovered “massive foundations and walls” over 10 metres long.
The Museum estimates the Basilica was built around 80CE, and would have served as Roman London’s “political, judicial, commercial, and social hub”. It described the find as one of London’s “ most significant discoveries… in recent years.” The team will now expand its exploration of the site to investigate the remains further.
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 tidbit
Saturday Night Live (SNL) has celebrated 50 years on air with a three-and-a-half-hour television bonanza. Since it premiered in 1975, the iconic New York sketch show has broadcast nearly 1,000 episodes… which is basically how many celebrity cameos signed on to appear in this week’s anniversary special.
Stars included Meryl Streep, Sabrina Carpenter, Kim Kardashian, Pedro Pascal, Ayo Edebiri, Nick Jonas, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cher, Pete Davidson, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Bad Bunny and many, many more — SNL alum Andy Samberg really wasn’t kidding when he said “everyone on earth [was] gonna be there”.
Seeing really is believing with this one. SNL50: The Anniversary Special dropped on Binge yesterday. You can check it out here.
Reporting by Emma Gillespie
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Answer: Six. They are: Finished, files, of, scientific, of, of.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
Yesterday afternoon, the Reserve Bank of Australia announced it is lowering the cash rate for the first time since 2020.
The cash rate was 4.35%, but it is now 4.1%.
It’s big news for Aussies, particularly those with a mortgage or who are wanting to apply for a home loan for the first time, and it’s also big news for the Labor Government - with this likely now impacting when we will go to an election.
If you’re confused about any of that, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to discuss what a cash rate actually is, and how it will affect you whether you have a mortgage or not.
TDA asks
