☕️ Why your HECS just went up

Did anyone notice the moon last night? It was what's called a blue micromoon. That's because it was the farthest, smallest and dimmest full moon of the year.

Astronomy, but make it subtle!

The quote: “We apologise unreservedly to the whistleblower. We commit to learning from this process to ensure we create an environment where it is safe and easy to surface concerns that will be acted upon. KPMG apologises to the clients whose information was not handled with the care and respect they expect from us.” KPMG chairman Martin Sheppard in a statement announcing the company mishandled allegations raised by a whistleblower that staff were sharing client documents “inappropriately”. The company said an external review suggested the whistleblower’s complaints could be substantiated.

The stat: 3.5 million (and counting). The number of followers New Zealand footballer Tim Payne has on Instagram at the time of reporting. Last Wednesday, Payne was the least-followed player going into the World Cup (he had 4,715 followers at the time). Payne’s newfound fame came after Argentinian influencer Valen Scarsini called on his followers to make the player the “main character” of the upcoming tournament.

The big question:

Friday’s results: 39% of you said that you have done a social media detox “many times” while 25% of you “want to”. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [1426 votes].

Together with AAP.

Bond markets are getting a lot of attention this month. But what are they and what do they mean for your money?

Bonds can sound complicated, but they play a bigger role in the economy than many people realise.

They help shape interest rates, government borrowing and market expectations for inflation. That means when bond prices move, it can flow through to things like mortgages, super, business costs and the broader economy.

So how do bonds work and why are people watching them right now?

Read the full explainer at CommBank Newsroom.

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HECS debts will increase by 2.8% today. That’s because student loans are indexed each year to keep them in line with the changing value of money.

This year’s rate is the lowest since 2021.

When you begin a university course, you can either pay upfront or apply for a Higher Education Contribution Scheme loan (HECS) under the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). Most students apply for this loan.

The system, rolled out in 1989, requires students to make payments on their loan depending on their income. From 1974 to 1989, degrees were free.

The repayment threshold is currently $67,000, meaning if you earn above that amount on a yearly basis, you will start paying off your debt.

Student loans increase every year through ‘indexation’, reflecting changes in the value of money over time.

In 2024, the Government passed a law which means it calculates HECS indexation based on either the rate of inflation or of wage growth – whichever is lower.

This year, HECS debts will increase by 2.8%.

This means a $30,000 HECS debt, for example, will increase to $30,840.

Reporting by Lucy Tassell.

🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, editor-in-chief Billi and multimedia journalist Elliot discuss the Federal Government’s largest ever court case, over “forever chemicals”.

🎾 Want to stay up to date with the French Open without losing any sleep? George and Pav have you covered. Sign up to TDA Sport here and it will land in your inbox at 4:30pm today.

💻 Log income and expenses in real time, not at tax time. It's the single habit that separates a smooth lodgement from a stressful one. Odoo's accounting tools keep your books current year-round, so the numbers are ready when your accountant is.

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🎭 International aid meets Tinder in a sharp, satirical new comedy that feels like Utopia meets The White Lotus. Comedian and improviser Happy Feraren’s debut play – based on real-life events – pulls back the curtain on the world of community aid schemes with a very funny edge, already a five-star hit with critics and audiences at Griffin Theatre Company.

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An Austrian court has convicted a 21-year-old man of plotting a terror attack on Taylor Swift’s 2024 Eras Tour concerts in Vienna.

The plot was stopped before it could be carried out, but Austrian authorities cancelled all three of Swift’s sold-out Vienna shows over safety concerns.

The man, referred to as “Beran A”, pleaded guilty to the main charges, including planning the attack and being a member of an IS-linked terrorist organisation.

Here’s what you need to know.

Swift was scheduled to play three sold-out shows at Vienna’s Ernst-Happel-Stadion in August 2024, in what would have been her first-ever concerts in Austria.

The day before the first show, Austrian intelligence arrested a man after a tip-off from the CIA. Authorities cancelled all three concerts, citing public safety concerns.

Swift later said the cancellations were “devastating” and that the reason for them filled her with “a new sense of fear”.

Beran, who was 19 at the time, was charged with obtaining online instructions to build a shrapnel bomb, and attempting to illegally buy a machine gun and a hand grenade.

From May 2023 until his arrest, he communicated with IS members in chat groups, shared videos on Snapchat inciting violence against non-believers, and sent propaganda across multiple messaging services.

Australia lists IS as a terrorist group. It is not affiliated with any mainstream Islamic organisation.

Prosecutors alleged Beran had been plotting with two school friends, known as Arda K. and Hasan E., though neither was charged in connection with the concert attack.

In March 2024, the three planned simultaneous attacks in Mecca, Dubai and Istanbul.

Beran and Arda K. both pulled out of their attacks. Hasan E. stabbed a security official at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, injuring four others, and was arrested in Saudi Arabia.

Because of this, Beran was also charged with contributing to attempted murder, on top of the charges related to the concert plot.

At the opening of the trial last month, Beran pleaded guilty to charges relating to the concert plot.

In his final words to the court before it considered a verdict, he said: “I would just like to say that I am sorry.”

He also apologised directly to Swifties in court, saying they were “wonderful kind-hearted women”.

In Austria, a guilty plea doesn’t automatically result in a conviction. The court still hears the case and delivers its own verdict.

On Thursday, the court found Beran guilty on multiple charges, including planning a terrorist attack, membership of a terrorist organisation, and contributing to attempted murder.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, out of a maximum of 20 years.

Swift hasn’t responded to the conviction, but previously said she was “so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives”.

Beran’s lawyer said they would discuss whether to accept the verdict.

Reporting by Elliot Lawry.

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Eighth-grader Shrey Parikh correctly spelt 32 words in 90 seconds to claim the title and a $US50,000 cash prize ($AU70,000). The teenager survived 18 rounds without misspelling a word to make it to Thursday night’s live televised final. Shrey’s winning word, from a long list of obscure selections, was “bromocriptine”, which is an organic compound that “mimics the activity of dopamine”.

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

America is about to turn 250 and to celebrate, the U.S. Treasury is preparing a possible $250 banknote with President Donald Trump’s face on it.

In order to make that happen, Congress needs to pass a law, because it’s currently illegal for a U.S. banknote to feature a living person.

If the Treasury moves ahead, it would mark the first time a living person has appeared on a U.S. banknote since 1866.

Watch this space.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.