I hope you like maths. Today’s riddle is…

A book costs $1 plus half its price. How much does it cost?

The answer is in the tidbit!

Speaking of books (what a coincidence) we have news. More specifically, we have a book!

TDA’s co-founders Sam Koslowski and Zara Seidler have written a book called ‘No Silly Questions’ and you can pre-order it now!

What is it? Great (not-silly) question. It’s your starter guide to reading the news. It tackles the questions you think you should know the answers to, but actually don’t. Like, what actually is net zero? And, why can’t pigs physically look up at the sky? (This will not be answered in the book. But I’m working on it being in the next one.)

As always, thanks for your support!

The quote
"The unacceptable, unexplained and repeated delays delivering this report may have been forgiven if they didn’t come after a public political lynching that effectively ended Ms Berejiklian’s premiership." – NSW Liberal Matt Kean on the corruption report into former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. The report is expected to be handed down on Thursday.

The stat
9%
The percentage of AFL players who said they had experienced a concussion in 2022, according to a new report.

Today in history
1880: Australian bushranger Ned Kelly was captured after a siege at the Glenrowan Inn.

Some headlines from this morning:

The Queensland Government plans to ban five dog breeds and impose prison terms for the owners of dangerous dogs under new laws being considered by the state.

It comes after a spate of recent dog attacks in the state.

First, why’s it an issue?
About 100,000 dog bites occur in Australia every year, leaving around 3% of victims hospitalised.

In Queensland, three children were significantly injured in three separate dog attacks during one week in April.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called on a taskforce to consider strengthening dog laws in the wake of those attacks.

Dog breed ban:
The Queensland Government is proposing a ban on five dog breeds:

Currently, owning these dogs is allowed with an approved council permit. Under the new proposal, only owners with existing permits would be allowed to have one of these types of dogs.

Prison sentences:
Under the proposed new penalties, owners could face prison sentences if their dog causes severe harm or death during an attack.

These laws would bring Queensland in line with the other Australian states, which each carry prison sentences for serious dog attacks.

Further details:
Owners would also be formally expected to physically control and supervise their dogs in public areas, with on-the-spot council fines for those who fail to do so.

RSPCA Queensland said they "welcome" the suggested changes to the law, and would be submitting their own feedback on the proposals.

Public feedback closes in August.

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More Australians and New Zealanders used cocaine and ecstasy in 2021 than anywhere else in the world, according to a new United Nations report.

The report found worldwide drug use has risen by 23% over the past decade, with almost 300 million people consuming drugs in 2021.

The findings are from an annual drug report from the UN's Drugs and Crime Office, which compiled global drug data up to 2021.

Australia and New Zealand:

Cocaine use was "highest worldwide" in Australia and New Zealand. However, data suggests "most users... are occasional users".

Ecstasy use was also "by far the highest worldwide" in Australia and New Zealand.

Cannabis use was "significantly higher than the global average", with a "relatively high" use among high school students.

It comes as the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission said last month that cocaine traffickers are "likely" shipping as much, or more, cocaine to Australia than ever before.

Federal Government comments:
A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Health acknowledged the results of the global report, saying that ecstasy use in Australia and New Zealand hadn't risen in recent years.

They said multiple programs to curb substance abuse are currently underway in Australia.

The most-used drugs across the world in 2021:

Global trends:
The UN report found that synthetic drugs – which are artificially developed and cheaper and quicker to make – had "transformed" illicit drug markets across the world.

This included the sale of illegally-made fentanyl, an addictive synthetic drug, which has "drastically altered" the opioid market in North America. In 2021, most opioid-related deaths in North America involved illegally-made fentanyl.

Worldwide, young people were found to be most vulnerable to substance abuse.

Get all the news you need to know today in your ears on The Daily Aus podcast!

A 13-year-old from the Gold Coast has become the first female skateboarder to land a 720 in a competition.

Arisa Trew landed two mid-air rotations in the U.S. on the weekend. She hopes to represent Australia at next year’s Paris Olympics.

University is a huge chapter in our lives - and it's our job to point you in the right direction. That's why we're so proud to partner with Charles Sturt University, the right place to be if you're looking for a great career after your degree.

There's a real understanding of how important it is to land a full-time gig after your degree, and the stats from the Good Universities Guide don't lie. Take the Bachelor of Nursing*, for example - Charles Sturt Uni is ranked #1 in NSW for graduate employment, with 90% of students finding full-time work in the four months after graduation*.

It doesn't stop there - with top-class degrees on offer in Education, Computer Science, Civil Engineering, Accounting, and much more. Oh, and when you need a break from lectures, you can hang out with the kangaroos on campus! With plenty of scholarships on the table, now is the time to learn more.

*Good Universities Guide 2022/23 & *010599C (Wagga / Bathurst / Albury / Dubbo), 0101019 (Port Macquarie)

Move over Lance Armstrong.

There is a new Olympics-style competition for athletes who take performance-enhancing drugs. It’s called Enhanced Games, its tagline is “sports, without drug testing” and its President is Australian man Aaron D’Souza.

“We believe that science makes humanity – and sports – better and fairer,” the website says.

“Each Olympiad, another cohort of brave athletes sets new world records, only to have their medals revoked, their careers suspended, and their names dragged through the mud. It is time to end this oppressive cycle.”

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Answer: $2. (If you’re still confused, I suggest getting out a pen and paper. That’s what helped me understand it 😁)