If you’re looking for something to watch this week, the TV adaption of Trent Dalton’s best-selling book ‘Boy Swallows Universe’ premieres on Netflix today.

The semi-autobiographical novel is about a young boy growing up in Brisbane in the 1980s. His life is complex and often dangerous – his mother is a recovering addict, his step-father is a heroin dealer, and his babysitter is an infamous criminal.

It’s an incredible Australian story - I absolutely loved it when it came out in 2018. And I wasn’t alone – more than one million copies of the book have been sold (for context, that’s huge for books). I can’t wait to watch!

The quote
"If it were up to me, I would revise the requirement that priests have to be celibate. Experience has shown me that this is something we need to seriously think about." — Senior Vatican offical Charles Scicluna in an interview with the Times of Malta, saying he wants the Catholic Church to reconsider its celibacy rules for priests.

The stat
20 years
That's how long Donna Faragher will have served in WA Parliament when she retires in 2025. At age 29, she became the youngest female Liberal Party member elected in WA. Faragher announced yesterday she won’t be seeking re-election next year, and will leave politics as the longest-serving woman to have represented WA's Liberal Party.

Today in history
1964: A U.S. surgeon by the name of Luther L. Terry delivered a landmark government report that announced cigarette smoking is linked to lung cancer. Terry chose a Saturday to make the announcement partly to minimise the impact on the stock market.

Some headlines from this morning:

Prices (inflation) rose by 4.3% in the 12 months to November, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

This is slightly lower than the 4.9% inflation rate recorded in October. It is also the lowest inflation rate Australia has recorded since January 2022.

This doesn't mean prices are falling – it means prices are increasing at a slower rate than they did previously.

November inflation
Housing and rental costs were still significant contributors to rising prices. For example, rental prices rose 7.1% in the 12 months to November.

Electricity prices are also still high – with a 10.7% increase in the 12 months to November.

The ABS also releases an inflation rate that excludes items with high price volatility (prone to fluctuation), such as petrol prices. This figure showed a 4.8% price rise, which is lower than the 5.1% in October.

South Korea's Parliament has banned the production of dog meat from 2027.

While very few South Koreans still consume dog meat, farms where dogs are bred and killed for meat still exist in the country.

Animal welfare advocates said they're "overjoyed" with the decision to outlaw dog farms.

Here's what you need to know.

Background
Eating dog meat has become increasingly unpopular in South Korea over recent years.

However, among some older generations of Koreans, a soup containing dog meat called "bosintang" (which translates to "rejuvenating broth") is considered a delicacy.

Some Korean and Chinese cultures believe eating dog meat has therapeutic benefits like reducing heat stress, particularly during summer months.

Changing attitudes
South Korea has repeatedly drawn international criticism for the practice of eating dog meat.

However, according to a 2023 survey, 93% of South Koreans have no intention of eating it in the future.

When asked if they'd consumed dog meat in the past year, almost 95% of respondents said they had not.

New laws
This week, 208 South Korean MPs voted in favour of a bill to "end the breeding, slaughter, and distribution of dogs" for meat. Two MPs abstained (didn’t vote).

While the act of eating dog meat won't be illegal, the law outlines plans to "end the consumption of dog meat" in South Korea.

The reform also means it will become illegal to sell or trade dogs for human consumption.

Next steps
President Yoon Suk Yeol – a vocal supporter of the ban – will now need to approve the laws, which will come into effect after six months.

Dog breeding farmers and restaurants serving dog meat will then have three years (until 2027) to phase out the practice.

Anyone found in breach of the laws faces fines of up to $AU34,000 or three years imprisonment.

Reaction
Humane Society International has welcomed the decision to outlaw the "cruel" practice.

The group's executive director JungAh Chae said "Most Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books".

Some farmers have told media outlets they will rally against the change and mount a legal challenge in the Constitutional Court of Korea.

Wrap your head around this: only one unranked teenage player has beaten a top ten player in men’s or women’s tennis since 1997. That player? Australian rising star Olivia Gadecki.

Since defeating world No.4 Sofia Kenin at a tournament in 2021, Gadecki has been working her way up the ranks and is gearing up for a huge performance at Australian Open 2024. Last year, she got through to the second round of the AO - and this year, she’s aiming to go much further. We’re predicting big things for the 21-year-old, and will be there in the stands to cheer her on.

If you want to watch our chat with Olivia Gadecki and get to know her ahead of a big summer of tennis, watch here, and buy your tickets to see her on court here.

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

Australia has made it onto New York Times’ top 52 travel destinations list for 2024 with two entries.

Brisbane made the cut, with the list shouting out its dining experiences and Olympics preparation.

Tasmania was also included for food, drink and nature.

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Scott Morrison has announced new details about his upcoming memoir, which will be released on 21 May.

It is called “Plans for Your Good” and the blurb says it is “less political memoir and more pastoral encouragement”. In each section he asks “Who am I?”, “How should I live?” and “What should I hope for?”

But even more interesting? 

The book includes a foreword by Mike Pence, the former U.S. Vice President to Donald Trump. 

What a coincidence! That’s exactly who The Daily Aus reaches. Get in touch with us to see how we can work together.