The perfect symbol of Australian unity?
Australia defeat New Zealand by five wickets ahead of T20 Women’s World Cup
Australian Inflation Rate: RBA ‘Watching’ CPI Risks
Social Media are all in the firing line for children
Children are growing up with access to endless streams of content — posts from friends and family, mindless but harmless entertainment, as well as posts from extremist influencers, pornography, violent videos, and other material with the potential to cause great harm.
Those same spaces also expose children to possible abuse, cyberbullying and exploitation, while they offer a lifeline to children who are socially or geographically isolated, and provide communities a connection that would have been impossible before the internet age.
But the prime minister has determined the harms far outweigh the advantages and vows he will introduce a bill to ban children from the “scourge” of social media before the end of this year, a proposition that already has the in-principle support of the Coalition.
Facing unproven technologies, the might of global social media behemoths and few examples overseas to guide the government, it won’t be easy, even with political agreement.
Anthony Albanese has made a few signals however of how he sees a path to a social media ban.
The federal government had been quietly working on a ban proposal, but was forced to bring its announcement forward this week after South Australia moved to introduce a state-level ban.
Mr Albanese said on Tuesday morning he did not want it to devolve into an eight-way ban with different rules.
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FocusAU
Social Media are all in the firing line for children
Children are growing up with access to endless streams of content — posts from friends and family, mindless but harmless entertainment, as well as posts from extremist influencers, pornography, violent videos, and other material with the potential to cause great harm. Those same spaces also expose children to possible abuse, cyberbullying and exploitation, while they offer a lifeline to children who are socially or geographically isolated, and provide communities a connection that would have been impossible before the internet age. But the prime minister has determined the harms far outweigh the advantages and vows he will introduce a bill
National
A transformative step forward for Australia: Senate greenlights Net Zero Economy Authority
Australia is one step closer to establishing the Net Zero Economy Authority (The Authority) with legislation for its formation passing the Senate Thursday 22 August. The legislation is expected to get final approval when Parliament sits again in the week of 9 September. The Authority is integral to the Australian Government’s vision for A Future Made in Australia. It will ensure that the workers, regions and communities that have always powered Australia can share in the opportunities of the net zero economy transformation. Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese said: “This marks an important step forward in our nation’s successful
Politics
Albanese appoints Tony Burke to neutralise immigration issues and sends Clare O’Neil to grapple with housing crisis
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, January 24, 2024. Former News Corp chief executive Kim Williams has been announced to replace Ita Buttrose at the ABC. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING Anthony Albanese is seeking to neutralise the difficult issues in immigration and former detainees by appointing Tony Burke, a strong political performer, into the challenging Home Affairs portfolio. Burke, 54, minister for employment and workplace relations, from the right, becomes
Politic
Anthony AlbaneseA declines invitation to NATO summit
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declined an invitation to the upcoming NATO summit in Washington. The Australian government on Tuesday said Albanese will not attend the summit in Washington from July 9 to July 11 marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. Albanese was invited to the meeting along with the leaders of Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, but the government said on
Politic
Australian progress on tackling modern slavery recognised in key report
The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP, Attorney-General The Albanese Government’s efforts to tackle Modern Slavery have been recognised as among the world’s best in the US Department of State 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report. Australia is one of just 33 countries to have been ranked as Tier One in the report which finds “the Government of Australia fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.” The report highlights the passage of the Albanese Government’s legislation last month
World
Aussie housing crisis inflamed by ’world’s most generous tax breaks’
Federal MP Andrew Wallace is the unofficial GOAT of political property investing A move by federal politicians has inflamed Australia’s housing crisis, cutting out millions from owning a home. ‘The world’s most generous tax breaks’ handed to property investors by federal politicians is helping cut millions from owning a home, industry warns. A new report warns that the wealthiest Australians now hold 90 times the wealth of those with the least – fed by “the most generous tax breaks in the world” for housing investments including capital gains tax discounts and negative gearing. The Widening the Gap report, launched Tuesday morning at Parliament House in Canberra, warns “high house prices have fuelled inequality and locked many people out of housing and financial security” – and comes as Australia’s federal politicians were estimated to own over $405m worth of real estate, far removed from
trendslifestyle
An Aussie dad was left disappointed by ‘crazy’ price of ski lift pass
Michael Atkinson has been skiing all his life and was gobsmacked by how expensive ski lift passes are today compared to 34 years ago. The 47-year-old Australian dad visits Perisher ski resort in New South Wales every year and revealed how in 1990, when he was 14, a lift past cost him $46 – but today customers are charged $249. The father-of-two, who’s better known as @outback_mike online, detailed how he used to stack shelves at Woolworths for $7 an hour and was able to save money for one pass after a seven-hour shift. Now his 15-year-old son who’s earning $17 an hour would need to work twice as much to save enough money for one pass.
Lifestyle
20 best school holiday activities in Sydney 2024
Sydney Opera House That sounds like a great plan! Sydney has plenty of fun activities for children during the school holidays. Here are 20 best school holiday activities in Sydney for 2024: Taronga Zoo: Take your kids to Taronga Zoo for a day of animal encounters and educational experiences. They can see a wide variety of animals and even participate in special behind-the-scenes tours. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium: Explore the underwater world at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. Your children can get up close and personal with sharks, penguins, and other marine creatures. Sydney Olympic Park: Visit Sydney Olympic Park for a range of outdoor activities. Your kids can enjoy cycling,
Finance
A $91 Billion Trade Means Mining in Australia’s Pilbara One of The World’s Hottest Places
Australia’s Pilbara is a vital supply hub for crucial commodities, and a location where temperatures above 40C are forecast to become increasingly frequent. Snaking through the russet-colored expanse of Australia’s remote Outback, vast mile-long trains ferry iron ore — the nation’s most valuable export — across a crucial mining district that’s increasingly vulnerable to volatile weather and where temperatures have matched the Southern Hemisphere’s record of 50.7C (123F). Heat waves during the country’s most recent summer set new extremes across the Pilbara region, roughly the size of Spain.
Travel
11 of the best things to do in Airlie Beach
From the back of a jet ski to the seat of a mountain bike or aboard a catamaran, there are countless ways to explore Airlie Beach It’s one of North Queensland’s most picturesque… and interesting… coastal towns – full of salty characters who live for the sea – yet Airlie Beach still manages to fly under a lot of our travel radars. But there are so many things to do in a region which epitomises all the very best elements of coastal North Queensland – from its mostly uninhabited offshore islands (the Whitsundays)
Travel
Here’s how to travel around Australian by bus, train, tram and ferry
Given that Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, covering a massive 7.7 million square kilometres, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Whether you’re hopping between states or making your debut Down Under, we’ve got you covered with a guide to mastering the public transport system. In this nifty guide, we break down the best public transport options for each major capital city, including buses, trains, trams, light rails and ferries. These options are not only more affordable but also more sustainable than simply hiring a car.
Travel
Australia Tops List For Asia-Pacific Luxury Travelers
W Sydney Australia landed at the top of the list of the hottest destinations among luxury travelers in Asia Pacific, according to a new report from Marriott International Luxury Group. The survey also put data behind other big travel trends in the region, including 91% of respondents saying safety is important for a luxury experience. Fine dining is a major travel draw, with 88% planning trips around food. And Indians emerged as significant drivers of growth in luxury travel, with 89% looking to spend more on their average of six
World Report
Global Warning issue, Australian Operation in Asia and Europe News
estatehouse
Sydney’s 10 most expensive suburbs to rent
Rents have reached record prices around Australia, with CoreLogic’s latest data showing the median rose to $627 per week in April 2024. Perhaps unsurprisingly – to residents at least – Sydney rents were at the head of the pack, averaging $770 a week. And of course, many suburbs were hundreds of dollars above that.Here are the 10 most expensive areas to rent in Australia’s most expensive city. ( Adam Vildler ) 1. Pittwater And finally, in Pittwater, Sydney’s most expensive rentals average $1335 a week,
SCienceTechnology
AI safety, innovation highlighted at Seoul meeting
Dozens of countries and companies made new commitments at an AI summit in Seoul on AI safety, innovation and inclusivity. Co-hosted by South Korea and the United Kingdom, the two-day AI Seoul Summit ended on Wednesday, with a virtual leaders’ session held on day one and an in-person ministers’ session on the second day. It was a follow-up of the inaugural AI Safety Summit hosted by the UK at Bletchley
economymoney
Where are the cheapest fuel prices in Australia
For most Australians buying petrol is a necessary but unavoidable evil that can break a family’s weekly budget in the current cost of living crisis. But when and where a motorist chooses to top up their tank will determine how much they pay and the difference can be as much as $50. This week drivers will be hit hardest in the Australian Capital Territory where petrol is on average $2 a litre while Western Australians will be filling up for $1.82 a litre, the cheapest price
natureearthquake
How common are earthquakes in Australia?
cracked road concrete close up A magnitude 3.9 earthquake occurred in the NSW Southern Highlands on Thursday morning, causing the ground to shake as far away as Orange and Canberra. So, how common are earthquakes in Australia and how did this one compare to our country’s largest recorded earthquakes? The ‘quake that shook NSW on Thursday morning had an epicentre around 30 km to the north of Goulburn.
http://Opposition%20Leader%20Peter%20Dutton's%20post-budget%20reply%20interview
Katy Perry Reveals ‘Lifetimes’ 2025 Australian Tour
It’s a party, and you’re all invited, Perry said of her June 2025 Australian tour.
Katy Perry fans watching her headline the AFL Grand Final pre-game entertainment this weekend won’t have to wait too long for her return to Australia. Today, Perry has announced that she’ll come back down under in June 2025 for an arena tour.
Perry’s Lifetimes tour – promoting her latest album, 143, begins at Sydney’s Qudos Bank.
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WeatherEnvironment
Looks like winter is back in Victoria
A wintry cold front crossed Australia’s southeast today and the anticipated cold snap was felt all across the state of Victoria, with cities across the state seeing maximum temperatures 3 to 10 degrees below their September average. Not to mention that today was the coldest September day for: Bairnsdale: only reaching 10.0 degrees at 6:00am, making
SPORTHot News
Australia qualifies for November’s Davis Cup Finals
Australia’s Davis Cup team has been able to celebrate reaching the Davis Cup finals – without even having to hit a ball on Friday. Lleyton Hewitt’s men were thrilled to reach November’s eight-team showdown on their day off, their qualification being guaranteed by Spain’s victory over France in their group B
Sport
Australian team for Oceania Challenge selected
Bowls Australia’s (BA) National Selection Panel has selected the ten-person team that will represent the country at this year’s Oceania Challenge in November. The week-long event in New Zealand will be categorised as a Gold Tier World Bowls Series event that will allow players to accrue ranking points as part of the new
Sport
Aussies set to create their own ‘slice of history’
The Australian Women’s Water Polo team is on track to win their first Olympic gold medal in 24 years after defeating the United States 14-13 in a penalty shootout in Paris. The Stingers embraced their team mantra “to be brave” as they toppled the Water Polo superpower. The USA has won
Sport
Australia defeat New Zealand by five wickets ahead of T20 Women’s World Cup
Australia’s T20 women’s world champions have completed a clean sweep of New Zealand with a tense Brisbane run-chase just hours before departing for their title defence in Dubai.
The hosts chased New Zealand’s 6-146 with five wickets and five balls to spare in the third T20I on Tuesday night at Allan Border Field, Australia seemingly cruising to the total before some late jitters.
It followed five-wicket and 29-run victories in Mackay,.
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ARTNews
The 2024 Archibald Prize finalists have been announced
Archibald Prize 2024 finalist, Angus McDonald ‘Professor Marcia Langton AO’, oil on canvas, 154.5 x 271.5 cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter. Sitter: Marcia Langton. The finalist portraits in the biggest Australian art award of the year have been announced,
Arts
The 2024 Met Gala red carpet: all the best looks and outfits
(L-R) Bad Bunny, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Wintour, Chris Hemsworth At this year’s Met Gala, always held on the first Monday in May, Australian star Chris Hemsworth will co-chair the party alongside actors Zendaya, musicians Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, welcoming A-listers to the museum for
Arts
Exhibition of artists’ books at Clifton School of Arts draws on ‘edgy work’ made with paper
Judy Bourke is excited to be curating an exhibition of artists’ books.(ABC Illawarra: Sarah Moss) Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article As a child Judy Bourke knew she wanted to make art, but growing up in a tent on the beachfront of Woonona near Wollongong she had
Todayview
More people are seeking help as Australia’s economy slows down, RBA governor acknowledges
Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock says she is aware that more people than usual are seeking help from community organisations as Australia’s economy slows down and unemployment rises. She says lower-income borrowers are over-represented in the group of people who are “really struggling” right now. And the
Economy
Connecting Western Sydney to the world
Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) has landed its first international airline, with Singapore Airlines confirming its intention to operate from the airport and connect Western Sydney passengers to the world. This new commercial arrangement allows Singapore Airlines to begin developing its future
Economy
Iron ore price drop spells trouble for Australia’s mining economy
As iron ore prices drop, Australians could see increased taxes and cuts to services as demand for our mining resources takes a hit. The resource boom and commodity trading has seen Australia escape the worst of multiple global economic downturns, with iron ore selling $136 billion lat
PEOPLEopinion
Opinion
Graeme Smith
on
Sep 14, 2024 24 views 6 mins
Dutton’s anti-immigration stance is a symptom of a deep failure in Australian public policy
It wasn’t long after it lost the 2022 election that we started to hear how the Coalition would be focusing its attacks on immigration.
Anti-immigration is a crutch, one that political parties use to avoid facing up to Australia’s actual economic problems. Ramping up the rhetoric against migrants is not honest and courageous. It is evasive and cowardly.
By far the most galling example of this is housing. Reducing house prices is what passes as the respectable centrepiece of the Coalition’s argument for reducing immigration. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton put it this way in his May budget reply: “By getting the migration policy settings right, the Coalition can free up more houses for Australians.”
Dutton’s description of the problem is revealing. And weird. We don’t need to free up more houses, as if the policy question is how to shuffle around.
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Graeme Smith
on
Aug 29
Closing Loopholes Protections, Including Right to Disconnect, Come Into Effect 26 August
Graeme Smith
on
Aug 29
A Liberal Senator believes childcare is destroying the family unit. Is it any wonder women are leaving the party behind?
Graeme Smith
on
Aug 13
New NAPLAN targets a postive step for individual schools
Graeme Smith
on
Aug 5
Mamamia
Graeme Smith
on
Jul 30
BRENDAN O’NEILL: How an off-colour joke about women applying blusher exposed the hypocrisy of cancel culture
WORLD PROGRESS
Global Warning issue, World News, Culture and opinion
politicobserve
Australia and Indonesia finalise ‘significant’ defence pact
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meet with Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo Subianto at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on August 20 Australia and Indonesia have finalised a new defence pact, cementing closer ties between the countries as Prabowo Subianto prepares to take office as Indonesia’s next president in October. The details of the defence agreement, which has been in the works since February 2023, have not been announced. It is believed to
Politic
Australia to join US Global Entry program to cut travellers’ airport wait times
Australians will become eligible for easier passage through American airports with participation in the US Global Entry program set to begin early next year. The program allows pre-approved, low-risk travellers from selected countries to use automated kiosks to speed up their processing times upon landing in the US. They’ll also get access to faster security screening for domestic flights. American citizens can already use self-service “SmartGates” at Australian airports, but a
Politic
Albanese appoints Tony Burke to neutralise immigration issues and sends Clare O’Neil to grapple with housing crisis
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, January 24, 2024. Former News Corp chief executive Kim Williams has been announced to replace Ita Buttrose at the ABC. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING Anthony Albanese is seeking to neutralise the difficult issues in immigration and former detainees by appointing Tony Burke, a strong political performer, into the challenging Home Affairs portfolio. Burke, 54, minister for employment
Cultureguide
The perfect symbol of Australian unity? I’ve seen it
What’s the best thing about Australia? Or at least the most emblematic thing? Here’s my vote: the free gas barbecues in local parks. They’re everywhere: outer suburbs, regional towns and beachside parks. The local council pays for the gas, even though half the people using that gas are ring-ins from other areas. “No worries, help yourself,” the local council is effectively saying, “your people can pay back our people when they get around to visiting your part of paradise”. That would be the paradise called Australia. I came across one of these happy scenes the other day: a waterside park in Abbotsford, in Sydney’s inner west, sun glinting through the trees, kids playing cricket with wheelie-bin wickets, dads cradling beer as they poked at the sausages, the mothers lolling on picnic
Culture
American Girlhood Culture Is Really Strange
In the 2000s, male artists routinely excavated the popular culture of their boyhood for imaginative repurposing in their art. Michael Chabon’s novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay traces the lives of two men who become comic-book creators. In Jonathan Lethem’s The Fortress of Solitude, two boys find a magic ring they use to take on superpowers; the title itself evokes Superman’s fictional fortress. Back then, I remember feeling that the equivalent was not possible for women artists, that the popular culture of American girlhood (horses, dolls, gymnastics) was still considered silly, juvenile—impossible to recuperate as adult art worth taking seriously. Greta Gerwig seems at last a counterexample. Her entire career as a filmmaker has, in a sense, been a campaign to make art of girlhood materials. Her 2019 film, Little Women, remakes the 19th-century
Natureenergy
‘Alien invasion’: researchers identify which exotic animals may soon hitchhike into Australia
a lizard camelion in a tree Australia is renowned for its native flora and fauna, but did you know the continent is also home to about 3,000 “alien” species of animals, plants, fungi and microbes? Alien species are those brought by humans to areas they do not naturally occur in. These intruders are Australia’s leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction. They also cost the Australian economy some A$24.5 billion a year. Invasive alien species become much harder and more expensive to manage as they establish and spread through the landscape. So preventing their arrival is vital. But which species will arrive next? Our study published today helps identify the animals Australia should be looking out for. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
Nature
UNESCO SAYS AUSTRALIA MUST DO MORE ON CLIMATE & TREE CLEARING TO PROTECT THE REEF
Coral that appears brown is dead and covered in algae. This devastation was filmed in the northern Great Barrier Reef in April 2024. The World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia today released new video which shows the world heritage status of the Great Barrier Reef is seriously threatened after this year’s mass bleaching. Severely bleached coral on a reef in Queensland’s north is dead and covered in brown algae and slime. Authorities are still assessing the scale of reef-wide coral mortality but some scientists fear it could be the worst ever recorded. High coral mortality could undermine the Reef’s “Outstanding Universal Value” – the key factor in deciding whether a site retains its world heritage status. Overnight, UNESCO
SCIENCESPACE
Endangered hammerhead sharks being chased, caught by people prompts calls for protection
Scalloped hammerhead sharks can grow to around 3.5m long All manner of anti-shark devices claim to keep the apex predator away from humans, yet several marine ecologists say some hammerheads need protection from us. Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini), named for the notches along their distinct head, are critically endangered. Despite their ongoing global decline, we don’t know much about them. But in recent years, schools of the marine creatures have been showing up more often, and in large numbers, on Queensland’s Gold Coast and on the west coast near Perth. The enigmatic species has been caught by anglers and mobbed by divers with video cameras, prompting suggestions from researchers for marine sanctuary zones and human interaction codes of conduct. Scalloped hammerhead sharks can grow to around 3.5m long.(Getty Images: by wildestanimal) Over March and April more than 100 young hammerheads, ranging from 30-centimetre-long pups to more
Science
NASA forecasts the weather on distant planet
The side of the planet facing the star gets hot enough to forge iron, and the dark side is still about 600C, scientists have calculated. Picture: NASA There will be clear skies in eastern areas but swathes of thick cloud will cover the west. Wind speeds are forecast to reach more than 8000km/h. And pack your sunscreen, as it will be hot enough in the sunshine to forge iron. NASA has used the James Webb Space Telescope to produce one of the most detailed weather maps ever created for a planet outside our solar system. For the first time, astronomers have discovered how the weather differs across the two hemispheres of a planet called Wasp-43b, a gas-giant world similar in size to Jupiter but much hotter. The planet orbits a star called Wasp-43 which lies
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