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Good morning!
Things aren’t going to get any easier for football fans (old and new) who are trying to fight off World Cup-induced jetlag, as we enter the pointy end of the tournament. Yes, the Socceroos won’t be a feature of the Round of 16 - which means it’s time to pick a ‘Team B’ to jump on the bandwagon and support for the final weeks. Who have you got?
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “Unlike so many others in the world, in this country we have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equal justice under the law — although I wasn’t treated that well, but we won’t get into that.”
U.S. President Donald Trump in a speech celebrating the country’s 250th birthday.
The stat: 3.2 million
The number of TV viewers who watched the Socceroos v Egypt World Cup game at 4am on Saturday morning (Australian time). The Socceroos lost in a penalty shootout.
The big question:
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Friday’s results: 45% of you prioritise quality when buying furniture, followed by style and price. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [1,600 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
People have been urged not to panic-buy eggs as more cases of bird flu are detected across the country. The deadly H5 strain appears to have reached NSW, as concerns grow for local wildlife populations and the poultry sector. The H5N1 bird flu was detected in preliminary testing in a migratory bird on the NSW Mid-North Coast, as the state ramps up its surveillance. Further testing is expected to confirm the case, which authorities say comes as no surprise. It follows five confirmed H5 cases in seabirds in Western Australia and South Australia, along with another suspected case detected in a migratory bird in Perth. While the virus can be deadly for animals, the risk to humans is generally considered low both in terms of transmission and health impact, Chief Veterinary Officer of NSW Jo Coombe told reporters.
A statue of AFL player Nicky Winmar has been removed after he was found guilty of attacking a woman in northern Victoria. The 60-year-old St Kilda player claimed the woman lied about the incident, but a Bendigo Magistrate found her truthful and convicted him of three charges on Friday. The woman, who cannot be identified, alleged Winmar attacked her in May last year after he became unexpectedly angry, dragging her by the hair, spitting and yelling in her face, and bashing her head into a door. The woman said she managed to break free and lock herself into a room, where she called triple zero. That call was played to the court alongside body-worn police camera footage. In a statement following the removal of the statue of Winmar, WA Premier Roger Cook said: "Violence against women is never acceptable, and it is important we send a strong message to the community.”
Together with AAP.
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I’ve got 1 minute
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced plans to ban employees from taking sick leave over the phone.
The proposal would require a medical certificate from the first day of sickness.
Merz said: “The number of sick days in Germany is too high, and we are creating a set of tools that will enable all parties involved… to address this issue”.
Economy
According to Germany’s Federal Statistical office, employees reported being sick for an average of 14.8 working days in 2024.
The move comes as part of a series of changes intended to boost Europe’s largest economy.
According to the European Commission, Germany’s GDP grew by 0.2% in 2025, and is expected to grow 0.6% in 2026.
Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, multimedia journo Elliot explains the billion-dollar fight over Aussie copyright. Listen or watch on Apple here, Spotify here, or YouTube here.
⚽️ We’re down to the pointy end of the World Cup. You can sign up to TDA Sport here for a run-down every weekday afternoon.
Good finds
🎂 Moonpig found 1 in 3 Aussies have copped a regifted present, an unapproved photo dump or a cancelled celebration. Don't be that friend this year - 50% off Moonpig's personalised cards and gifts with code BDAY50, ends 31 August.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Last week, Russian strikes on Kyiv killed 30 people and injured more than 90.
Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said it was a “massive enemy attack” on the city, and declared a day of mourning.
A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters Russia will “continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv regime”.
EU leaders have since proposed more sanctions on Russia.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. UN data shows almost 16,000 civilians have been killed since then. Neither side releases data on the number of soldiers killed.
Russia also controls at least one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Last month, experts said the conflict entered a “new phase,” with Russian authorities reporting Ukraine killed 21 people at a college in Russian-occupied territory.
Russia responded with strikes on Kyiv that killed at least 22 people.
Strikes
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported Russian forces attacked Kyiv on Wednesday night (local time), killing 30 people and injuring 91.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia used 570 air attack assets, largely drones.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an ambulance station, a science research centre, and a hotel were among the sites damaged.
Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK also reported damage.
In a social media post, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said: ““It was a terrible night for Kyiv. The enemy’s most massive attack – the capital was hit with ballistics, cruise missiles, and UAVs.”
“UAV” is another word for drone.
Russia
Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told press on Thursday: “The strikes were exclusively directed at military or near military facilities”.
He said there is “no doubt that escalation from Europe is indeed happening,” saying that the EU has “embarked on a path of militarisation” and “committed itself to confrontation with the Russian Federation.”
“Russia will continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv regime in order to achieve our set goals,” Peskov said.
EU
On Thursday (local time), European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said: “Words of condemnation alone will not stop attacks on Kyiv.”
Kallas said she will propose sanctions on “entities supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex in response to the strikes.”
“The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed,” she said, adding the EU will “keep raising the cost until Russia understands it cannot win.”
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
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Give me some good news
A new study has found that abandoned farmland can be successfully transformed into a wildflower grassland habitat without the need for expensive and labour-intensive seeding. Research by University College London tracked vegetation changes between 2011 and 2022 in a two-hectare plot of abandoned farmland in Norfolk. The field, which was previously used to grow crops, became a rich wildflower meadow without any interventions, other than annual traditional hay cutting. The meadows provide critical habitat for pollinating insects and other wildlife. The study’s lead author Professor Carl Sayer said: “Natural plant recovery… ensures that local species thrive, making meadows less generic.”
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
Former U.S. Olympian David Hearn has been charged in Washington, D.C. after allegedly damaging the Reflecting Pool’s lining days after a Trump‑ordered refurbishment.
Prosecutors allege he ripped up newly applied sealant in a series of “deliberate acts”. Hearn says he only examined what he believed was loose coating during a bike ride before being detained for five hours. His lawyers deny wrongdoing, arguing the administration is treating ordinary behaviour as criminal.
He now faces a court challenge over a felony property destruction charge. Hearn competed in canoeing for the U.S. at three Olympic Games, finishing ninth at Atlanta 1996.
Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.
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