☕️ Olympics officially end

The Olympics are officially over and Australia has had its most successful campaign to date in terms of gold medals. We finish the overall tally board in fourth place, with only the U.S, China, and Japan ahead of us.

One interesting fact: We have won one medal for every 516,000 citizens. The U.S, by comparison, has won one medal for every 2.6 million citizens.

Not sure what to watch now that it’s over? Good thing the Paralympics start on 28 August!

“The ADF should only be called upon as a last resort to respond to natural disasters when all other capabilities have been exhausted.”
A Senate committee reviewing Australia’s capacity to handle natural disasters has recommended “alternative models” be developed to assist after disasters, instead of deploying the Defence force.

$500 million
How much debt regional airline Rex has accrued, according to media reports. The airline went into voluntary administration last month.

1908
Henry Ford’s company releases the first Model T car, which was the start of mass produced cars.

News Corp could be selling the Foxtel Group — the Australian pay TV and streaming company behind Foxtel and Binge.

In a statement about the company’s 2023/24 financial results, Chief Executive Robert Thomson said an unnamed “third party” had expressed “interest in a potential transaction”.

News Corp owns 65% of the Foxtel Group. Telstra owns the rest.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Foxtel Group is one of Australia's largest media companies.

Its products include traditional pay TV provider Foxtel and streaming services like Kayo and Binge.

The group also recently launched Hubbl, a streaming service aggregator like Fetch TV and Apple TV.

The Foxtel Group’s streaming services have around 3.2 million subscribers.

News Corp – a multinational media and publishing company – is the Foxtel Group’s parent company. Founded by billionaire Rupert Murdoch, News Corp owns several other Australian media products like news.com.au.

News Corp’s profits have fluctuated in recent years. Its 2023/24 results, released today, are better than last year but still lower than previous years.

Last year’s low News Corp profits were partly attributed to the Foxtel Group making less money.

Thomson said the offer to buy Foxtel “coincided” with discussions about how the company is “maximising returns for shareholders”.

News Corp is a public company, which means it has shareholders — people who’ve bought a stake in it.

Public companies can pay shareholders part of their profits, called dividends.

Also, successful companies’ shares typically increase in value, so shareholders can sell them for a profit.

Telstra owns the remaining 35% of the Foxtel Group.

TDA reached out to the telco about the potential sale of Foxtel.

A Telstra spokesperson said: “There is no assurance regarding the timing of any action or transaction, nor that the strategic review will result in a transaction or other strategic change.”

Reporting by Achol Arok.

Health officials in the U.S. have announced new guidelines to address the pain associated with IUD insertion.

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are small devices placed through the cervix into the uterus, most commonly to prevent pregnancy.

Patients with IUDs report experiencing pain ranging from mild to severe discomfort during the insertion process.

Updated federal health advice means healthcare providers in the U.S. should inform patients about this potential pain, and offer them pain management options ahead of the procedure.

IUDs are one of the most effective forms of birth control, with a 99% efficacy rate. The device, shaped like a small "T," prevents sperm from reaching an egg.

There are two types of IUDs: Hormonal and copper. Hormonal IUDs (e.g. the Mirena and Kyleena) can last up to eight years, depending on the brand, while copper IUDs are approved for up to 10 years.

The popularity of IUDs has increased steadily over the past 30 years. According to UN figures, an estimated 17% of women (15-49 years) use an IUD for contraception, worldwide.

In recent years, there has been increased awareness and concern about the pain associated with IUD insertion — a process that typically lasts between five and 20 minutes.

Side effects can include cramping, nausea, dizziness and, in some cases, severe pain.

According to a 2019 U.S. study of adolescents and young women, 80% of IUD users “experienced moderate to severe insertional pain”.

Over-the-counter medication remains a widely recommended pain relief option.

Some patients choose to have their IUD inserted under local and general anaesthetic, but many clinicians do not offer this option.

Less than 5% of American doctors offered local anesthetic for the procedure, 2019 figures show.

Findings published in the European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care suggest doctors underestimate patients’ pain levels during the procedure.

“Patients' reported pain levels were significantly higher than those reported to have been observed by their providers,” it found.

This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) responded to concerns by advising doctors to discuss pain management options with patients before IUD insertion.

The public health regulator recommends broadening pain-relief options to include other anesthetic gels, creams and spray options.

The new guidelines acknowledged that “concerns about anticipated pain with placement” can prevent patients from accessing an IUD.

The CDC also noted patients “should be counselled on... the risks, benefits, and alternatives of different options for pain management,” before IUD placement.

Professor Kirsten Black, Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health at the University of Sydney, said that while “most people can tolerate [IUD insertion] as an awake procedure,” all patients should have access to pain relief.

“It's important definitely to warn women about the pain and ideally you advise them to take some pain relief before they come for the procedure,” she said.

Black noted that “topical anesthetic on the cervix” can also “help with some parts of the procedure, but that's not always available.”

She conceded that most women do find the experience at least somewhat uncomfortable.

However, Black told TDA “if you counsel women well before the procedure and they take some pain relief and you're able to offer some topical anaesthetic... the vast majority of women will tolerate it really well.”

Reporting by Chloe Christie.

ATTN: Coffee lovers

Let us introduce you to Breville’s latest innovation, the Oracle® Jet.

This espresso machine is a game changer, delivering fresh Cold Brew in under three minutes or a Cold Espresso topped with crema in just one. With its 5-inch touch screen and Barista Guidance, making a top notch coffee at home has never been easier.

Our favourite feature? The Auto MilQ™! Whether you’re into cow, oat, almond, or soy milk, the Auto MilQ™ feature adjusts to different milk types to give you that perfect froth every time (because an almond cap with no froth is not it).

Whether you’re a once-a-day drinker or need three coffees before noon, the Oracle® Jet brings the barista straight to your kitchen.

Using deep-sea drilling at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, researchers extracted a sample of a nearly 1.3 kilometre long green marble-like rock.

Geochemists with the record-breaking expedition said the findings “are key to how we understand the formation of tectonic plates in the oceans” and our planet’s “formation and evolution”.

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

How far would you go to win?

In an attempt to stop her opponent, a Russian chess player allegedly smeared a substance containing mercury onto a chess board.

CCTV footage shows the player, Amina Abakarova, in a room of chess boards rubbing a substance onto a board.

During the chess tournament a competitor became sick, and ended up needing medical assistance.

The Russian Chess Federation said it will temporarily suspend Abakarova from the competition.

The federation is now waiting on police and court proceedings to decide if Abakarova will be banned for life.

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are legal obligations to stay silent. Beyond gatekeeping business secrets – like the recipe for Coca-Cola – Australian workplaces are frequently using NDAs to handle sexual harassment claims.

Now, the Victorian Government wants to change how NDAs are used, with Premier Jacinta Allan concerned that they’re silencing people wanting to speak up about sexual harassment. In today’s deep dive, we’ll unpack NDAs and speak with Allan about her government's planned reforms.