ABC News Daily

Cats are killing Australia’s wildlife at such an alarming rate that governments around the country are working on a major crackdown.

The draft management plan focuses mainly on feral felines, but domestic cats, let out of the house to roam are also recognised as a problem.

In some council areas, felines would be forced to be securely enclosed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Today, Sarah Legge, a leading researcher in the field who’s worked with the federal government on its plan, discusses the issue. 

She highlights the severe impact cats have on native wildlife, with more than 200 threatened species affected. 

Professor Legge also explains the proposed measures, including constant containment for pet cats and the creation of cat-free suburbs. 

She emphasises the importance of balancing cat ownership with wildlife conservation and suggests practical solutions for cat owners to minimise their pets’ impact on the environment.

Featured:

Sarah Legge, wildlife ecologist and professor at Charles Darwin University

Key Topics:

• Feral cats
• Pet cat management
• Wildlife conservation
• Biodiversity protection
• Environmental impact of cats

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under increasing pressure to negotiate a ceasefire in the war in Gaza as families of the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 plead for more to be done to bring them home.

So why is Netanyahu not willing to do another deal with Hamas and can he survive growing anger and protests at home? 

Today, Dr Eyal Mayroz, an expert on peace and conflict studies at Sydney University on the fate of more than one hundred hostages still unaccounted-for.

Dr. Mayroz discusses the unprecedented scale of protests in Israel, highlighting the public’s shift from hopelessness to outrage. 

He explains how Netanyahu’s political survival is influencing his decisions, particularly his reluctance to make concessions. 

Dr. Mayroz also emphasises the critical role of international pressure, especially from the United States, in potentially resolving the crisis. 

He notes the devastating impact on the families of hostages and the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

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Dr Eyal Mayroz, Senior Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney

Key Topics:

• Netanyahu ceasefire negotiations
• Hostages in Gaza
• Israeli protests
• Hamas demands
• U.S. pressure on Israel
• Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
• Netanyahu’s political survival
• International response to Gaza conflict
• Israeli public opinion

Elon Musk’s X, also known as Twitter, has been banned in Brazil and Pavel Durov, the CEO of encrypted messaging service Telegram has been arrested in France.  

So, as the world becomes more concerned about the dangers of social media - have we finally reached a turning point on big tech - or is this merely a crackdown on free speech? 

Today, Professor of Communications and Media Studies at Monash University, Mark Andrejevic on why governments are finally holding tech billionaires to account.

On any given day you are being bombarded by gambling ads on television, radio and online. 

A parliamentary committee is pushing for a full ban on advertising to protect younger generations from the dangers of gambling, but there are indications the government will stop short of that. 

Today, investigative journalist and occasional Radio National Breakfast host Steve Cannane on the arguments being made by the powerful gambling industry in its lobbying against a full ban. 

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Steve Cannane, ABC investigative journalist

Airlines may soon be forced to pay cash refunds to customers in Australia for cancelled or unreasonably delayed flights under the government's much-anticipated crackdown on the aviation sector.

It comes after widespread backlash from consumer groups and calls for more competition against Qantas and Virgin airlines, which currently dominate the domestic market.

Today, ABC investigative reporter Adele Ferguson on the new rights for travellers and if the industry shake-up goes far enough.

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Adele Ferguson, ABC Investigative reporter

As presidential election polls tighten in key US states, Donald Trump and his supporters are already laying the groundwork to challenge the legitimacy of the result if he loses.

As part of his campaign, the former president has repeatedly accused the Democrats of cheating, and begun sowing the seeds of doubt about the integrity of the election.

Today, Geoff Kabaservice from the Niskanen Centre in Washington DC on the election deniers who will refuse to accept a Trump loss. 

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Geoffrey Kabaservice, director of political studies, Niskanen Centre, Washington DC.

The government’s proposed caps on the number of international students starting at universities next year will have a financial impact on some of Australia’s biggest higher education institutions. 

With fierce competition for housing pushing up rents in our major cities, could the caps also ease key cost of living pressures? 

Today, the ABC’s chief business correspondent, Ian Verrender, on why a ‘tragedy’ for unis reliant on foreign student fees might lead to less economic pain across the board.

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Ian Verrender, ABC chief business correspondent

A giant solar farm planned in remote Northern Territory has been given environmental approval. 

Australian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes is backing the Sun Cable project that would send electricity to Darwin and beyond to Singapore, via an undersea cable. 

Today, Giles Parkinson from RenewEconomy.com.au on when it might be up and running. 

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Giles Parkinson, founder and editor of RenewEconomy.com.au

Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launched major attacks against each other on the weekend, raising tensions in the Middle East. 

Given Hezbollah’s ties to Iran, the ongoing war in Gaza and the recent assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran, the world remains braced for a much larger conflict. 

The ABC’s global affairs editor John Lyons has toured the region for the Four Corners program, getting rare access inside Iran. 

Today, he explains Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ and explores what could happen next. 

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John Lyons, ABC Global Affairs Editor

Sales of electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars are rising in Australia. 

But do we have electricity infrastructure that can cope with the demand?

Owners will often want to charge at peak times in the early evening, but that convenience could stress the power grid to breaking point and require expensive upgrades to electricity generation and distribution. 

Today, energy reporter Dan Mercer on the solutions to spread out the demand or even draw power from car batteries to stabilise the grid. 

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Dan Mercer, ABC energy reporter