☕️ Japan's PM steps down

You may have seen yesterday that one in three Australian children are not meeting expectations for literacy and numeracy, according to new NAPLAN data.

This got me thinking… Could you answer a Year 9 NAPLAN numeracy question?

Let’s test:

Question: The mean age of employees at a company is 40.

The median age of employees at the same company is 35.

A new employee is hired who is 55 years old.

Which of these is possible?

a) The mean age stays the same and the median age increases.

b) The mean age stays the same and the median age decreases.

c) The mean age decreases and the median age increases.

d) The mean age increases and the median age stays the same.

Answer is in the tidbit!

“Gambling, in my opinion, is not the same as tobacco.”
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten speaking to ABC radio yesterday about concerns over the Government’s gambling ad policy.

4.88 years
How much longer Australian men can expect to live than men in the UK, U.S., New Zealand, Ireland, and Canada, according to new research published in academic journal BMJ Open.

1939
The Wizard of Oz premiered in the U.S. at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in California.

The Commonwealth Bank has reported an annual profit of $9.8 billion after tax for the 2023/24 financial year.

It marks a 2% decrease in cash profits from the previous year.

In its statement to investors, the bank noted that cost-of-living pressures were causing more customers to fall behind on their mortgage payments than in the past.

CEO Matt Comyn said that while “risks continue around... housing affordability [and] ongoing global uncertainty,” the Australian economy is “resilient”.

Reporting by Lucy Tassell.

CW: Suicide

Three in four mental ill health disorders occur by the age of 25, with 15 being the peak onset age, a new report has found.

Psychiatrists, psychologists and academics worked with young people from Australia, Europe, North America, and Asia to analyse the global state of youth mental health.

The report said the mental well-being of young people is at a “dangerous phase”. It criticised governments for failing to prioritise “a major source of preventable premature deaths”.

It comes ahead of a meeting between Australian health and mental health ministers on Friday.

The Australian-based Lancet Psychiatry Commission released its youth mental health policy paper on Wednesday.

Researchers consulted with “youth commissioners” from Australia, Zambia, Morocco, Canada, India, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil and Canada.

Youth mental health organisation Orygen called it the “first definitive guide to youth mental health globally”.

The report has called for better investment in “research, models of care and access to youth mental health care for young people everywhere.”

Researchers noted a spike in mental disorders and self-harm rates in the years between childhood and adulthood.

Mental-ill health makes up 45% of disease in 10 – 24-year-olds. However, “2% of global health budgets” are allocated to “addressing it.”

The report said this finding “highlights the gap between the prevalence and impact of mental ill-health

among young people and the insufficient policy and funding responses from governments”.

There’s been a 50% jump in mental health disorders in Australians aged 16-24 since 2007. A third of 16-24-year-old Australians experienced anxiety in 2023.

Suicide is the leading cause of death among 15-44 year olds. The report noted disproportionately high suicide rates among First Nations youth.

“Substantially higher rates of suicide than the general population” were also recorded in Indigenous youth populations in Canada, the U.S. and India.

The Commission identified “megatrends”, or larger forces, from its analysis that have contributed to declining mental health over the past two decades.

It listed the most significant factors as:

The Commission found the quality of mental health care around the world “lags well behind” physical care standards.

The report attributed this to “severe misunderstanding, prejudice, and neglect” around mental health care.

It found that “even in the richest countries,” only around half of mental health needs were being met”. According to the analysis, people with a range of mental illnesses die 15–20 years earlier than the general population.

The report detailed several ways government funding could be used to help tackle the global mental health crisis.

Its proposals centred around better awareness, increasing prevention programmes, and developing online tools.

Researchers also pointed to ‘mental health first aid training,’ with initiatives currently being trialled in the U.S. and Australia.

Similar to first aid training for physical injuries, the programs are aimed at teaching people how to respond to mental health challenges.

These findings come ahead of a mental health meeting between federal, state, and territory health ministers on Friday.

A joint statement from 80 Australian mental health organisations has called on ministers to agree to a national mental health support services funding plan.

“Government investment... is simply not matching the level of need evident in our community,” Mental Health Australia CEO Carolyn Nikoloski said.

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

Ever wondered what it takes to build a sustainable business from the ground up?

Check out this doco about Aussie brand Zorali. Revolutionising outdoor gear with a focus on sustainability and durability, Zorali was founded by Cam and Elise Greenwood. They’re dedicated to creating high-quality products that can stand up to adventure while minimising their environmental footprint.

Further Together is their new documentary that delves into the highs and lows of building a business, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create a brand that’s as good for the planet as it is for outdoor enthusiasts!

Watch the documentary on YouTube here.

Microplastics are tiny pollutants that can kill fish and marine life. Researchers at James Cook University in Queensland successfully used microwave technology to convert microplastic debris into graphene — a thick carbon material that can be used to develop solar power cells and batteries.

Professor Mohan Jacob said the discovery could help reduce “the adverse affects of microplastic pollution on our ecosystems”.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

Katy Perry is under scrutiny once again, this time after the release of her latest music video for her single ‘Lifetimes’.

The video was shot on the Spanish island of Ibiza and features a sequence where Perry dances on sand dunes in the Ses Salines Natural Park.

There’s just one problem — she didn’t get authorisation to film there.

The local government said in a press release that “in no case had the production company requested authorisation… to carry out the filming”.

Local officials are now investigating how it happened.

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

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Answer: D. The mean age increases and the median age stays the same. This question is from the 2016 test papers for Year 9.

Melbourne City Council has voted to ban hired e-scooters. At a meeting this week, Melbourne's Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece said the council would end its contracts with e-scooter companies Lime and Neuron six months early, in response to poor rider behaviour and concerns from residents.

In today's podcast, we discuss the decision, what the response has been and what it means for avid e-scooter riders.