☕️Why your dog needs more time

A big shout-out to Poland’s Iga Świątek and Italy’s Jannik Sinner, who start the new week with one extra trophy in the cabinet after winning the women’s and men’s Wimbledon singles titles over the weekend.

Fun fact: there’s a tiny pineapple at the top of the men’s champion trophy, and no one is 100% sure why. One theory is that the rarity of the fruit in the UK during the late 1800s made it a status symbol, but not even Wimbledon historians are 100% sure of its meaning. How’s that for a Monday morning fun fact at work.

“I said, ‘Everybody’s looking for you, everybody’s been worried’. She didn’t know how long she had been out there. She asked the date, and then said, ‘My mum will be worried, it’s been too long.’”
Tania Henley, the woman who found German backpacker Carolina Wilga in WA’s outback after she had been missing for 12 days. Henley spoke to WA Today about the moment she found Wilga.

10 days
The number of days of negotiations it took for France to reach an agreement with its territory of New Caledonia that would grant the jurisdiction greater autonomy. The deal proposes a new "State of New Caledonia" that would remain within the French Republic. It still requires approval from both the French Parliament and the people of New Caledonia. This comes a year after violent protests erupted in the territory against French rule.

2014
The Church of England voted in favour of allowing women to be ordained and become bishops.

Under a draft code, the ACT Government has proposed introducing a legal requirement for dog-owners to spend at least three hours a day with their dog.

In 2019, the ACT became the only Australian jurisdiction that recognises animals as “sentient beings,” that have “intrinsic value and deserve to be treated with compassion”.

Here’s what you need to know.

The ACT Government has drafted a Code of Practice for dog welfare, advised by the territory’s Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC).

Codes of practice provide safety and standards information on specific tasks. This code will outline mandatory standards that individuals responsible for dogs must meet.

It’s aimed at ensuring all dogs are comfortable, secure, and physically and mentally safe.

Under the code, proposed changes would include “requiring all dogs to have a minimum three hours of human contact daily”.

The code says: “Dogs that are left alone for long periods of time without the company of humans or dogs... are likely to demonstrate undesirable behaviours such as excessive barking, destructive behaviours such as chewing and digging, and may try to escape.”

The code also plans to restrict the use of retractable leads, because it says they can cause injury.

An ACT Government spokesperson told TDA failing to comply with the code of practice may result in a financial penalty.

Under ACT law, the Government can choose to make codes mandatory when they relate to animal welfare.

There are already existing requirements that dog-owners in the ACT must meet, such as requiring dogs three months and older to be microchipped. Those who don’t comply face a maximum fine of $3,200.

The requirement to spend three hours with a dog would also be mandatory under the proposed changes.

However, it is not in effect yet. The ACT Government is currently seeking feedback to “ensure [the code] meets community expectations.”

Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.

U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated Australian social media personality and author Nick Adams as his ambassador to Malaysia.

Adams previously served as deputy mayor of Ashfield Council in Sydney’s inner-west in the 2000s.

He has since moved to the U.S, where he’s become an American citizen and Trump supporter.

The U.S. Senate, where Republicans (Trump’s party) have a majority, will need to approve Adams’ nomination.

Adams was born in Sydney and was elected as a Liberal councillor on Ashfield Council in 2004, at the age of 19.

Two years later, he became deputy mayor. Adams was later suspended from the Liberal Party after yelling at a TV reporter.

Following a move to the U.S, Adams set up an organisation called Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness (FLAG) to teach school-aged children about “American values” and the constitution. He has also become a U.S. citizen.

On social media, Adams has styled himself as an “alpha male”.

Adams also campaigns against what he calls “woke” ideas, and has written multiple books criticising political correctness and “illegal immigration”.

His most recent book ‘Alpha Kings’ (published in June 2024), is described as “unapologetically making the case for traditional masculinity”.

Trump wrote a foreword for ‘Alpha Kings’. Adams’ website claims he is the President’s “favourite author”.

Last week, Trump announced Adams as his pick to become the next U.S. ambassador to Malaysia.

He is set to replace Edgard D. Kagan, a long-term foreign official who was installed as ambassador under former President Joe Biden in December 2023.

In a social media post, Trump described Adams as an “incredible Patriot and very successful entrepreneur”.

Adams responded to news of his appointment in a social media video, confirming he was “accepting this call of duty”. He expressed gratitude to Trump and vowed to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Malaysia.

The U.S. Senate will need to confirm his nomination. It is split 53-47 between Republicans and Democrats.

While the Senate has so far approved all of Trump’s nominees, a small number of Republicans have previously defied the party position.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

Heading to work right now? Your commute just got a plot twist.

Introducing Mastercard Transit Tales - a new way to turn public transport time into story time.

It’s an AI-powered storytelling feature that reimagines classic tales to match your trip. You can choose your genre and story, and the app does the rest, automatically adjusting the story length based on where you tap on and off. 

Want Alice in Wonderland as a 26-minute mystery thriller? Or The Wizard of Oz reimagined as a six-minute superhero saga? You’ve got it.

Tap on with your Mastercard using Express Transit Mode - no tickets, no top-ups and no unlocking your phone! Just tap and go, and let the story travel with you.

Last week, Molly, Lani, and Sunny were “sworn in” to serve at courts in Parramatta, Newcastle, and the Sydney CBD. The dogs were trained by Guide Dogs Australia to help people who have been victims of crime to “feel happy, safe, calm and able to fully engage with court proceedings.

A previous survey of the program, which is already underway in Melbourne and Hobart, found 100% of respondents felt supported by having a dog there to help them in court. The Law Society of NSW, which donated to allow the court to buy the dogs, said they help keep victims and witnesses calm, which in turn helps them give better evidence.

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

Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.

Wimbledon is renowned for its strawberries and cream.

However, 2025 Champion Iga Świątek likes to add another ingredient to the mix: pasta.

In an on-court interview, the world #4 said her favourite dish is made with pasta, yoghurt, and strawberries. You could hear an audible gasp from the crowd when she shared this.

The dish is actually a nostalgic Polish meal called makaron z truskawkami.

We hope she’s had a chance to eat since the final!

Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. It comes after Pakistan's Government also nominated him in June, making it Trump's second nomination in six months.

But what actually is the noble peace prize, and how does one… get one?

Today, we're looking at what these nominations mean and why Trump has been pursuing this prize since his first term in office.