☕️ Hottest days on record

By this time tomorrow, the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics would have wrapped up, and the Games (officially) begin. If you need anything from a co-worker who is Olympics-obsessed, today is the last day to have a conversation with them where they’re not exhausted.

“Nothing is as absurd and unacceptable in the 21st century as the persistence of hunger and poverty, when we have so much abundance at our disposal.”
Brazilian President Lula da Silva announcing a new global initiative to end hunger and poverty. Lula is expected to officially launch the initiative at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in November.

63,000
The number of Instagram accounts based in Nigeria that Meta has removed, alleging they were running financial sextortion scams.

1908
The FBI was founded in the U.S. and became an investigative force under the Department of Justice.

The 21st and 22nd of July set back-to-back highs for the hottest day on record globally.

The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) shows the average surface air temperature was 17.15°C on 22 July, warmer than the previous record set the day before at 17.09°C.

C3S Director Carlo Buontempo said the world is now in “uncharted territory”.

Copernicus tracks global temperatures using satellite data. It measures the air temperature two metres above the earth’s surface —both land and ocean.

The measurement is known as “surface air temperature” and is one of the most accurate ways to detect changes in the world’s temperature.

On 22 July, the world recorded its highest-ever surface air temperature since records began in 1940 at 17.15°C.

The previous hottest day on record was set the day before, 21 July, when the global average surface air temperature was 17.09°C.

Copernicus data shows the ten highest daily temperatures over the past 50 years have all occurred since 2016.

The service said the high daily temperatures followed near-record heat recorded in the first half of July, which coincided with the northern hemisphere’s summer.

Burning fossil fuels for everyday energy consumption, like coal, oil, and gas, releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere.

Adding more CO₂ and greenhouse gases to the atmosphere causes hotter temperatures on Earth.

Climate experts have repeatedly warned a failure to reduce emissions will cause more extreme weather events, sea level rises, and food scarcity.

CEO of Australian think tank the Climate Council Amanda McKenzie told TDA the new heat records are “not surprising”.

McKenzie said climate scientists have warned for “decades” that the world will break more records unless governments take serious action to address global warming.

“This is another indicator that the world is heating very rapidly and there are huge implications for humanity in terms of worsening extremes.”

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

Yesterday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced sanctions on seven Israeli individuals for “involvement in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank”.

Sanctions can involve financial restrictions and travel bans imposed on individuals, organisations, or states.

Australia has previously ordered sanctions against people or groups in places like Russia and North Korea.

So, what are sanctions and how does Australia impose them?

Under international law, Australia only has the power to punish people who’ve done something wrong within Australia’s borders.

When people or groups commit serious wrongdoing overseas (e.g. violence, sexual assault, and corruption), Australia can’t prosecute them directly.

Instead, Australia can impose sanctions that affect any engagements – physically, financially or otherwise – that an individual/group may have with Australia now or in the future.

Australia has levelled sanctions against thousands of people and groups, according to figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Some countries’ regimes are also subject to Australian sanctions, such as Russia, Myanmar, and the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Financial: Prohibiting any business or financial dealings with a person who has been sanctioned.

Australian citizens, organisations, and companies are banned from giving any financial support to someone who has been sanctioned, either directly or indirectly.

E.g. When a financial sanction is placed on a person, any assets – like land, bank accounts, or shares – that exist in Australia will be “frozen”, meaning the sanctioned person won’t be able to access them.

Travel: Banned from stepping foot in Australia.

E.g. If a person who has been sanctioned tries to transit through Australia for a connecting flight, they could face being detained by the Australian Federal Police.

Trade: Stopping imports and exports of goods and services from a particular country. This is when Australia designates a particular regime as harmful enough to justify sanctions.

E.g. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Australia has banned trading oil, weapons, and gold with Russian companies.

Australia is obliged to follow the UN Security Council whenever it orders a sanction against a regime or organisation.

However, since 2011, Australia has also been able to order additional sanctions in instances where it believes there is “international concern”.

The Government will choose to impose sanctions as a way of preventing further harm or banning formal involvement between Australia and the sanctioned person, organisation, or regime.

Yesterday, Australia placed sanctions on seven Israeli people and one group named ‘Hilltop Youth’.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong accused them of engaging in settler violence in the West Bank, including “beatings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinians”.

She reaffirmed the Albanese Government’s position that “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace”.

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Birmingham told the ABC the Coalition has “consistently offered bipartisan support” for sanctions.

However, he criticised the Government for being “inconsistent”, asking: “Why has the government chosen to take this action in relation to Israel but has never taken any action in relation to China?”

Birmingham made reference to the Chinese Government’s alleged human rights violations against predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

Get involved in DonateLife Week 

Although 4 out of 5 Aussies support organ and tissue donation, only 1 in 10 young people aged 16-24 are registered. During this year’s DonateLife Week, from 28 July - 2 August, we’re trying to change that.

It doesn’t matter if you drink, smoke or vape – anyone over 16 can register. It only takes one minute, but you could save up to 7 lives.

How organ donation saves lives: Nick’s Story

At three months old, Brisbane-born Nick DeBonis was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a condition that required a liver transplant for him to survive.

After months of fighting for his life, his parents received a call that someone had sadly passed away, but they had generously donated their liver – and it was a match to Nick. 

Now at 18, Nick’s about to represent Australia as the youngest player in the first Transplant Football World Cup in Italy this September.

"I've been given an incredible gift of life and I'm really grateful for that,” Nick said.

When Aussies register as organ donors and their family consent, it gives people like Nick a second chance. 

It only takes one minute to register as an organ and tissue donor at donatelife.gov.au with 3 taps on your Express Plus Medicare app.

Sepsis can be a life-threatening condition where the human body’s infection-fighting processes backfire, turning on the vital organs instead of viruses. Once sepsis has set in, it can lead to a person’s death within 12 hours. Researchers from Seoul National University in South Korea have found a new method to diagnose sepsis within 13 hours, cutting down the detection window by a potentially life-saving amount of time.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

It’s been announced that Katy Perry will perform at the AFL Grand Final in September. Perry will take to the MCG stage just days after she releases her latest album 143.

The 39-year-old singer said she’s “excited to be back in Australia… to perform in front of 100,000” spectators.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young has criticised the decision, saying “On AFL Grand Final Day, an Australian performer should be taking the stage, not an American pop star.” This goes to a larger conversation that has been bubbling away for a few years now about using more local talent for big Australian sporting and cultural moments. What do you think?

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

It’s the final countdown - the 2024 Paris Olympics’s opening ceremony is this weekend. In today’s deep dive, we guide you through a traditional pre-exam cram session: What you need to know to get up to speed right now so that you deliver a gold medal performance in the hotly contested sport of watching as much of the Olympics as you can.