☕️ Govt cracks down on big tech

Happy International Day of Parliamentarism (yep, apparently it's a thing) to everyone who's ever watched Question Time and wondered if anyone was actually going to answer the question. Don't hold your breath.

The quote: “It has become increasingly apparent that the online environment and social media platforms, in particular, are perhaps the most significant vector for the spread of antisemitism and hate in the community.” Richard Lancaster SC, one of the lawyers contributing to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, at a hearing on Monday. This block of public hearings is focusing on the role of traditional and social media in spreading antisemitism.

The stat: 1,000. The number of heatwave-related deaths recorded in France since 24 June, according to local health authorities. The country recorded 4,000 total deaths across that time, around 1,000 more than normal, amid record temperatures.

The big question:

Yesterday’s results: 71% of you agree that Channel Nine should have parted ways with Karl Stefanovic. 20% of you voted “no” and 10% of you said you “don’t know”. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [3170 votes].

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Six months after Australia’s world-first social media ban came into effect, Communications Minister Anika Wells says she is “not satisfied that tech companies are doing everything they can to keep under-16s off their platforms”.

Wells said on Saturday the Government will seek to increase the maximum penalty for platforms who fail to comply with the ban to $99 million.

eSafety released data in March showing seven in 10 under-16s still held accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.

This week, the British Medical Journal published the results of a survey of 408 Australian adolescents, which showed 85% were still accessing social media three months after the ban took effect. The survey was conducted by a team of Australian researchers, who said many under-16s are able to bypass the restrictions.

On Saturday, the Government announced it would try to strengthen the ban with new legislation.

If passed, the maximum penalty for systematic failures to uphold the ban would double from $49.5 million to $99 million.

The eSafety Commissioner (who is in charge of enforcement) would also get stronger powers to force platforms to hand over evidence of what steps they have taken to comply.

Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson said the Coalition would wait to see the bill before forming a position, but that he believed the Government “has made a complete hash of this social media ban,” which he said had “giant loopholes”.

Reporting by Elliot Lawry.

🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, journalist Elliot explains why political ads can legally lie. Listen or watch on Apple here, Spotify here, or YouTube here.

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🎟 Ever left a conversation feeling like your whole worldview just shifted? Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Australia's leading ideas festival, is back 20–30 August. Taking over 14 iconic Sydney venues for 10 days of talks, art, films and excursions tackling the big, difficult and messy questions shaping our world. Grab your multipack tickets while they're hot.

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Australian man Simon Peter Carman has been charged with the murder of 17-year-old Thanchanok Donhomla in Thailand.

The 46-year-old was arrested at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport while allegedly trying to board a flight to Perth, before the teenager’s body was found in a suitcase near railway tracks in the resort city of Pattaya.

Donhomla’s stepmother told reporters she wants the suspect to face the death penalty.

In the early hours of Thursday (local time), CCTV showed Carman and Donhomla entering an apartment building together, walking hand-in-hand into a lift to the 15th floor. There is no footage of her leaving the building.

Later that evening, CCTV captured Carman dragging a large black suitcase from the building and loading it onto a motorcycle.

On Friday 26 June, Donhomla was reported missing by a friend after she had not made contact for more than 24 hours.

Police searched Carman’s unit, where they allege they found signs of a violent struggle. Neither Carman nor Donhomla were there.

Using CCTV, police traced Carman’s movements with the suitcase. He was arrested in the early hours of Saturday 27 June at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where police allege he was trying to leave Thailand.

After his arrest and questioning, officers located Donhomla’s body inside the suitcase near railway tracks, about 4.2 kilometres from the building where she was last seen.

Local media outlet The Pattaya News reported Donhomla had physical injuries.

Police allege Carman told investigators he acted in self-defence after a dispute over payment. According to police reports, he had agreed to pay Donhomla 1,000 baht ($AU43), but later offered her 500 baht.

In a video statement, Carman addressed Donhomla’s family, saying: “I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control.”

“I know you’ll be very sad, upset. Same, same me. It shouldn’t happen. I hope you’re OK – I know you’re not – but I hope and tell other girls just to be… careful,” he said.

Donhomla’s stepmother Oradee Bussarakum said she wanted Carman to face the “full consequences”.

“I told the police I want him executed. As a mother, I don’t know what else to say ... I just want him to face the full consequences,” she said.

“We had seen cases like this in the news before, so we were afraid our daughter had been murdered... We just hoped it wouldn’t turn out the way we feared.”

In Thailand, murder carries a maximum sentence of the death penalty. Carman’s trial date has not been set.

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

The pressure to have your whole future sorted by 18 is a lot

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The gel is made from proteins in silk and a compound developed from the kudzu plant, both of which the human body is able tolerate well. Testing on human cells showed wounds closing up within three days when the gel was applied. Dr Menekse Ermis Sen at the Terasaki Institute said it had potential to “reduce the burden of invasive procedures for patients”.

Reporting by Lucy Tassell.

Have you ever lost your headphones while transiting through Sydney Airport?

Now’s your chance to try to get them back. The airport is holding its annual lost property auction, which raises money for charity, and there are simply hundreds of listings for all kinds of headphones.

Happy bidding!

Reporting by Lucy Tassell.