Afternoon Update: climate crisis hits as temperatures soar above 50C; Australian rescued after two months in Pacific; and a Women’s World Cup guide
Want to get this in your inbox every weekday? Sign up for the Afternoon Update here , and start your day with our Morning Mail newsletter . Good afternoon. The climate emergency is being felt across the planet, with hundreds of millions of people from Europe to the US to Asia hit by extreme heat . Japan has issued heatstroke alerts, China has recorded its highest temperature ever (52.2C), thousands have been evacuated in Spain due to wildfires, a firefighter has died fighting wildfires in Canada and Californias Death Valley is sizzling at 53.33C. So what is the world doing about it? China and the US the worlds biggest polluters began climate talks in Beijing today , which the US envoy, John Kerry, hopes will send a signal to the world about the serious purpose of China and the United States to address a common risk, threat, challenge to all of humanity created by humans themselves. Call to break up consultancies | Allan Fels, the former chair of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, told a parliamentary inquiry that in the wake of the PwC tax scandal the big four consultancy firms must be broken up to ensure they focus solely on auditing. Raw footage subpoenaed in Lehrmann defamation case | Lawyers for Network Ten are examining raw footage of Channel Sevens recent interview with Bruce Lehrmann as part of their defence. The interview, broadcast last month, also featured CCTV footage from Parliament House on the night in question and leaked audio recordings from a pre-interview meeting between Wilkinson, her producer, Higgins and Higgins partner, David Sharaz. The broadcast prompted an angry response from Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinsons lawyers, who said it may have amounted to contempt of court in the ACT. Mystery object on WA beach not from missing aircraft | A giant metal cylinder has washed up on a beach in Western Australia, with police dismissing the idea it had come from the vanished flight MH370, which disappeared on its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014. Its unusual shape, colour and the state of its wear and tear have led many on social media to speculate that it could be from the third stage of Indias polar satellite launch vehicle rocket, but that is yet to be confirmed by officials. Woman hospitalised after Kgari dingo attack | A pack of dingoes attacked a woman while she was jogging this morning near the Orchid Beach area in the islands north-east. The woman ran into the ocean to escape. She was flown to Hervey Bay hospital in a stable condition with wounds to her limbs and torso. Australian man rescued after two months stranded in the Pacific | Tim Shaddock, 51, and his dog Bella had set off from La Paz in Mexico in April in the hope of reaching French Polynesia. Instead, they were hit by a storm, causing damage to Shaddocks catamarans electronics and communication system. He survived on a diet of raw fish and rainwater until a helicopter conducting surveillance for a Mexican fishing trawler found them on 12 July. Emergency situation on Crimean Bridge | Explosions have reportedly hit the Kerch Bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula to Russia, a heavily guarded road and rail link and a vital logistical link for the Russian military. Moscow has declared it an emergency situation and is reporting two people were killed. Fifa criticised for rainbow armbands ban | Football Australias chief executive, James Johnson, has expressed disappointment at Fifas refusal to allow players to wear rainbow armbands during the 2023 Womens World Cup. Fifa recently confirmed players wearing a rainbow armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights would face on-field sanctions, such as yellow cards, as was the case at last years mens World Cup in Qatar. Bodies pulled from flooded tunnel | Rescuers in South Korea have recovered a total of 13 bodies from a flooded road tunnel in a central city, as the death toll from flash floods and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain rose to at least 40 today. South Koreas president has urged action on the climate crisis. Irans morality police resume patrols | Iranian authorities have announced a new campaign to force women to wear the Islamic headscarf as morality police returned to the streets 10 months after the death of a woman in their custody sparked nationwide protests. PwC and the problem with political donations As part of the consulting firms attempts to rebuild its reputation, PwC has announced it will cease donations to political parties but some parliamentarians say this doesnt go far enough, calling on the government to impose a blanket ban on the big four consultancy firms. Listen to this 21-minute episode . Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $https://audio.guim.co.uk/2023/07/17-06941-FS_PWC_ch_170723_1150.mp3 Are you really worth seven times the salary of the prime minister? Labor senator Deborah ONeill to Deloittes chief executive, Adam Powick Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you whats happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Powick faced a Senate grilling today , with the huge salaries of senior partners in the spotlight. Consultancy firms like Deloitte have profited from the outsourcing of work once done by the public service. That money has gone to the wrong place, says Trevor Cobbold , an economist and the national convener of Save Our Schools. It has gone to those least in need. Whos playing, when and where bookmark this guide to the Womens World Cup , which kicks off this Thursday 5pm AEST with New Zealand hosting Norway. The Matildas first game against Ireland is shortly after at 8pm in Sydney. Todays starter word is: ROUP. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply . If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here . And start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know. Sign up for our Morning Mail newsletter here.