☕️ What is going on in Iran?

Is it just us or is everyone over 21 talking about deleting their social media apps, and everyone under 16 (hello, my little cousins) talking about how to get on them?

The 16-21 year olds are in the sweet spot of discovering pimple popping videos for the first time. Oh, I remember the days.

“The psychological trauma suffered by the victims is severe. No family in Australia should fear being attacked simply for their faith, appearance, or identity.”
The Australian National Imams Council in a statement after a Muslim religious leader and his wife were assaulted in Melbourne on Saturday. Three people have since been arrested.

544,052
The number of accounts removed by Meta Australia that belonged to Australians younger than 16. Anyone under the age of 16 has been banned from making an account on social media platforms in Australia since 10 December. Meta said the ban “is not meeting its objectives of increasing the safety and well-being of young Australians.”

If you laid out all the blood vessels in the human cardiovascular system end to end, they would be approximately 97,000 kilometres long. That means it could wrap around the Earth twice.

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Popular weight loss medication Wegovy will become cheaper for some Australians, under a planned Government subsidy.

It comes after health officials recommended the drug be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) as a treatment for severe obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Like Ozempic, Wegovy slows down gastric emptying — making you feel fuller for longer and reducing appetite.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has not specified how much the medication will cost and when the subsidy will be introduced.

Wegovy belongs to a family of popular weightloss drugs called GLP-1s. Other GLP-1s also include Ozempic, Saxenda, and Mounjaro.

Half a million people in Australia are currently estimated to be taking GLP-1 medications. They are typically taken as a weekly injection, and can cost patients more than $400 a month.

Ozempic and Wegovy are both manufactured by Novo Nordisk. The pharmaceutical giant became Europe’s richest company in 2023.

Common side effects associated with Wegovy and other GLP-1s include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Last month, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) issued a safety alert for GLP-1s over a potential risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

The TGA urged patients taking these medications to “tell their health professional if they experience new or worsening depression, suicidal thoughts or any unusual changes in mood or behaviour.”

The Government subsidises a range of prescription medicines for Australians through the PBS.

An independent panel of experts called the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommends which drugs should be listed on the PBS.

In November, the PBAC recommended the Government add Wegovy to the PBS for patients who have “established cardiovascular disease with obesity.”

GLP-1s are already subsidised for patients with type 2 diabetes.

Health Minister Mark Butler has confirmed Wegovy will be added to the PBS, following PBAC’s advice.

The medication currently costs patients around $4,000/$5,000 annually.

It’s not yet clear how much Wegovy will cost once its on the PBS, but Butler said the Government will negotiate with Novo Nordisk, to “agree [on] a price that works for them but also works for taxpayers”.

Speaking to Sunrise, Butler suggested more GLP-1s could also be added to the PBS in the future.

Dr Michael Tam from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners said: “We know these treatments are effective for individuals, but ideally, we want to reduce the burden of obesity from occurring in the first place.”

AUSactive CEO Griffin warns rapid weight loss without structured physical activity can strip muscle and bone, increasing hospitalisations.

“If taxpayers are funding GLP-1s, exercise must be built into prescriptions,” Griffin said.

Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.

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Protests against the Iranian regime have entered their 15th day, with the death toll rising to more than 500.

Internet has been shut off since Thursday (local time), as protesters call for the end of the authoritarian regime.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the country’s military is looking at “very strong options.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said: “The Iranian people will not tolerate the hirelings of foreign powers.”

In 1978, the Iranian population staged a year-long uprising, deposing the U.S-backed Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. This is known as the Iranian Revolution.

Since 1979, the country has been an Islamic Republic with a Supreme Leader.

Ayatollah Khomeini was the Supreme Leader until his 1989 death, imposing laws based on a conservative interpretation of Islamic teachings, and opposing the ‘westernisation’ of Iran.

The current Supreme Leader is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who oversees most decision-making.

Under Khamenei is a President, though the position has limited powers.

Masoud Pezeshkian won the 2024 election, called after then-President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash.

Presidential candidates are subject to a vetting process by a council of powerful legal scholars. The BBC reported this council removed 74 candidates from the race in 2024.

Demonstrations began on 28 December, when shopkeepers in Tehran began protesting after the rial (Iran’s currency) hit an all-time low against the U.S. dollar.

A day later, the head of the Central Bank of Iran resigned.

Last week, The Guardian reported that inflation in Iran reached 52.6% in December. Australia’s inflation rate was 3.4% in the year to November.

Protests have escalated over the past two weeks, expanding to 186 cities, covering every province in Iran.

Human Rights Activists News Agency reported on Sunday that the number of protesters arrested over the 15-day period of demonstrations has surpassed 10,000.

It recorded the deaths of 483 protesters, 47 members of the military and enforcement forces, and eight children.

Protesters have been reportedly chanting “Death to Khamenei”, along with messages of support for the former monarchy (the Shah).

From exile, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, encouraged protesters.

In a statement, he said: “Take to the streets and, as one united front, shout your demands.”

Pahlavi describes himself as an “advocate for a secular [non-religious] democratic Iran”.

He directed a message to the Iranian regime that “the world and the President of the United States are closely watching you.”

In a post to X, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei accused “people bent on destruction” of property damage “in order to please the President of the U.S.”

President Pezeshkian said in a TV interview: “Protest is the right of the people and we are obliged to respond to their protests.”

“But unrest and attacks on public places, setting fire to mosques... is clearly a plan by the U.S. and Israel,” Pezeshkian added.

Protests against the Iranian regime have spread overseas, including in the U.S, UK and Sydney.

Footage has been shared online of a protester in London replacing the current Islamic Republic of Iran flag at the country’s embassy with the pre-Iranian Revolution flag.

In Los Angeles, multiple media sources reported that a truck drove through a crowd of protesters.

Police said one person sustained minor injuries.

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

In an Instagram poll with TDA, we asked you what money-related topics TDA readers wanted to know more about:

Investing and shares topped the list, followed by tax, property and super.

The results showed 31% of you want to know more about investing, 20% are curious about tax, 16% want info on property and mortgages, and 12% are keen on super and money.

You can see the full poll results at CommBank Newsroom and we’ll use these priorities to inform explainers and news that matters to you.

Byrne was named best female actor in a musical or comedy for her performance in the film ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ at this year’s ceremony in LA. She was one of five Aussies nominated on the night, but Sarah Snook, Jacob Elordi, Nick Cave, and Joel Edgerton missed out in their categories. Byrne expressed her shock at winning during her acceptance speech, telling the Golden Globes audience: “We shot this movie in 25 days for like $8.50. Thank you so much, this is a tiny film, so this is a huge thing to be up here”. The Sydney-born actor is tipped to receive an Oscar nomination this year, but we’ll have to wait until 22 January to find out.

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Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

Everyone knows the award season celebrates the top dogs of the film and television industry.

The Astra Film Awards, an independent awards ceremony, has taken that metaphor quite literally.

Eight-year-old dog Indy won the award for ‘Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller’ at the Astra Film Awards last week.

Indy starred in the movie ‘Good Boy’ which was shot from his perspective and followed him and his owner living in a haunted house.

Indy was not present at the award ceremony and instead accepted the award via a pre-recorded video with his owner, the film’s director Ben Leonberg.

Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.

Iran is experiencing its largest anti-government protests in years, with demonstrations spreading across more than 100 cities and reports suggesting hundreds have been killed in a violent crackdown by authorities. What began as economic protests has evolved into a mass movement calling for the overthrow of Iran's leadership, raising questions about regional stability and potential international intervention. In today’s podcast, we’ll explain how these protests started, what’s happened since and why they’re so significant.