☕️ Zelenskyy assassination attempt foiled

Many of you wanted to see a photo of Zara’s now-infamous water bottle. (For those of you confused, yesterday I said our office has been talking about the size of Zara’s huge water bottle.)

Here it is in all its glory.

Ok so maybe not exactly 4 litres. But close!

“The Games arrive in the life of the French people. The flame is here. We can be proud."
French President Emmanuel Macron after the Olympic torch arrived in France. Swimmer Florent Manaudou and Paralympic sprinter Nantenin Keïta became the 2024 Olympics' first Torchbearers after the flame arrived in Marseille, following a 12-day boat journey from Greece. The Olympic Games opening ceremony will take place on 26 July.

112,000-123,000 years
The estimated age of the only diprotodon fossil (like a large wombat) that was uncovered in the Northern Territory.

1994
Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first Black president of South Africa, aged 77.

AFL player Wil Powell has been handed a five-game suspension for using a homophobic slur against an opponent.

The Gold Coast Suns player was heard using derogatory language during his side’s loss to the Brisbane Lions on Sunday.

It’s the third incident relating to homophobia in the AFL this year.

AFL General Counsel Stephen Meade said: “There are no excuses for this conduct in our game.”

A statement from the AFL said Powell was handed a five-game suspension for using a “highly offensive homophobic slur” against an unnamed Lions player.

It means he won’t appear in an AFL game until 23 June.

The incident comes after a Port Adelaide player was suspended for using a homophobic slur last month.

The AFL said it was “extremely” disappointed “to be dealing with a similar incident in only a matter of weeks.”

Gold Coast Suns CEO Mark Evans said Powell’s comments were “completely unacceptable” and the club would provide “guidance and education”.

Powell has accepted the ban and said he apologised to the Lions player during and after the match.

Port Adelaide player Jeremy Finlayson was handed a three-match suspension for using a homophobic slur against an Essendon player last month.

Finlayson was also ordered to attend ‘Pride in Sport’ inclusivity training.

North Melbourne coach Alistair Clarkson received a $20,000 fine following an incident at a clash against St Kilda this year, where he used homophobic language.

Security officials in Ukraine say they’ve intercepted a Russian plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Two Ukrainian law enforcement officers were arrested after they allegedly leaked confidential information to a Russian source, according to the Ukraine Security Service.

Authorities say they are aware of a Russian terrorist organisation that has been working to recruit spies on the ground in Ukraine since 2022.

Russian forces had allegedly been looking to recruit Ukrainian staffers close to Zelenskyy as part of a plot to kill the President.

Ukraine says these officials have acted as spies, sharing information with Russian forces in the lead-up to plans to take Zelenskyy hostage to kill him.

The assassination would have coincided with Vladimir Putin’s inauguration for a fifth term as Russian President earlier this week, Ukraine said. The claims could not be independently verified.

Ukraine claims Russia had also planned to launch a rocket attack to assassinate several other high-ranking officials, including the leader of its Security Service, Vasyl Maliuk.

However, the Service said it was able to intercept the plot after it launched a special operation tracking an alleged terror network.

Maliuk called the plan a “failure of the Russian special services” and said “every traitor” involved in the plot would be punished.

Two Ukrainians have been charged with treason and preparation for an act of terrorism. They are facing life in prison.

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine has lost some ground in recent months, partly due to a weapons shortage and the delayed flow of aid from its global allies.

Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a law to send Ukraine $AU93 billion in aid.

During a visit to Ukraine last month, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles announced an additional $100 million aid package for the region.

Australia has provided over $1 billion in support to Ukraine since the war began.

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Pookila are considered extinct at seven of 12 known locations throughout Victoria, with less than 3,000 of the rodents estimated to be left in the state. This week, nearly 30 Pookila were released in a small fenced-off area in Melbourne’s south-east, as part of efforts to boost population numbers.

Neil the Seal is back! …Sort of.

If you’re new here, Neil is a seal who rose to internet fame after his numerous appearances on Tasmania’s shores, knocking over traffic cones and visiting the front yards of locals. He’s a southern elephant seal pup who’s expected to grow up to five metres long and 3.5 tonnes in weight.

While Neil is a beloved visitor in Tasmania, marine conservationists worry his interaction with humans could do him more harm than good. Now, the Tasmanian Government is calling on the public to help keep Neil safe.

The Department of Environment has urged people to keep their distance if they spot Neil. Dr Kris Carlyon, a biologist with the department, said: “If Neil is to remain protected, Tasmanians also have a responsibility to act respectfully and sensitively.”

Dr Carlyon said, “we want to see his life continue to stay wild,” and that it’s “important” Neil is left alone.

“Although we understand the temptation to visit Neil, we are asking all members of the public to stay away. Wild animals are unpredictable and could be dangerous if harassed,” Carlyon added.

It comes after he had to be sedated and relocated last year after authorities said they received multiple reports of onlookers harassing Neil.

This week, a Western Sydney Council voted to remove material about same-sex parenting from its library shelves. In the days following the announcement, the NSW Government threatened to reduce its funding for libraries in the area, amid calls to reverse the ban. On today’s podcast, we’ll dive into the headlines you’ve been seeing about the book ban and explain the context and fallout of the decision.