Crypto billionaire invests millions to build Australia's ChatGPT
Ed Craven has made his fortune, estimated by the Financial Review Rich List at $4.8 billion, through the controversial gambling platform that uses cryptocurrencies for payment and is illegal for Australian punters.

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The Australian
37 minutes ago
- The Australian
Revealed: The car type that lies most about fuel consumption
New data has exposed a startling truth about fuel consumption claims among popular vehicles in Australia. The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has released results from its Real-World Testing Program, a $14 million government-funded scheme that examines models for their fuel consumption and emissions standards. New vehicle testing by the nation's peak motoring body has shown consumers cannot rely on the fuel consumption and emissions information provided at the point of sale. Many cars use more fuel than manufacturers claim. MORE: The hybrid delivering more for less Of the latest 30 cars tested, 25 consumed more fuel than advertised. Among these vehicles, 11 cars were found to consume 10 per cent or more fuel than advertised. Interestingly, hybrids exhibited the most significant discrepancy in fuel efficiency, consuming more than laboratory results. The Hyundai Kona Hybrid showed the highest discrepancy, consuming 33 per cent more fuel on the road than its advertised laboratory figure. Hyundai Kona Hybrid. Following closely was the Kia Stonic, which recorded a fuel consumption that was 26 per cent higher than advertised, and the Hyundai i30 Hybrid, which showed a result that was 17 per cent more fuel-efficient than its lab results, indicating a discrepancy between real-world consumption and lab results. AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley says the latest findings have revealed a concerning trend that indicates a widespread issue in the industry. 'It's becoming clear that carmakers continue to optimise their vehicles' performance for lab testing, meaning new cars are too often overstating their improvements in fuel use and environmental performance,' Michael said. 'Some vehicles perform as advertised, but most do not, and our Program is seeking to reward carmakers that deliver genuine financial and environmental savings.' New data has revealed some cars in Australia consume more fuel than advertised. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett MORE: Japanese fav returns to Aus as a hybrid The Australian Automobile Association says it has now tested 114 cars, vans, and utes since August 2023 and has found that more than 77 per cent use more fuel than advertised. In addition to fuel consumption, the latest Real-World Testing results also discovered that six out of the 30 vehicles tested emitted more noxious emissions than allowed under the Australian standard. Out of the 30 cars tested, 25 consumed more fuel than advertised. Picture: Nigel Hallett MORE: The ugly truth about this new ute These vehicles included the Ford Ranger, the Toyota Hi-Ace and the Toyota Fortuner. The AAA Program plans to release its first electric vehicle results next month, which will test the distance vehicles can travel on a single charge in real-world driving conditions. 'Range anxiety continues to be a significant barrier to EV uptake, and we hope these independent results will give Australian car-buyers far greater confidence about the real-world range of new EVs on the market,' Mr Bradley said. James Chung Digital Content Creator James is a Digital Content Creator at and is part of the News Corp Australia's digital real estate team. His previous experience includes working for Sky News Australia.


Man of Many
2 hours ago
- Man of Many
The Inaugural Morris Single Barrel Whisky: A Historic Moment for Australian Malts
By Rob Edwards - Sponsored Published: 4 Aug 2025 Share Copy Link 0 Readtime: 4 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. It's not unusual for makers of whisky and wine to allude to a certain level of heritage and history when it comes to the drams and drops they produce. However, few come even remotely close to the extraordinary provenance of MORRIS, which has an astounding 166 years of unmatched family craftsmanship emanating from the northeastern Victorian town of Rutherglen. In fact, it would be fair to say that every bottle MORRIS has ever produced is a small piece of Australian history. Established in 1859, MORRIS started as a vineyard producing some of Australia's finest wines before expanding its offering to include remarkably premium whiskies. Many of these have drawn much of their unique flavour from a finishing process that uses the very barrels that once held their sibling wines. In this way, producing both wines and whisky has enabled MORRIS to offer a sense of terroir that others can only dream of. Rutherglen Morris Durif Single Barrel | Image: Morris of Rutherglen Now, MORRIS is celebrating the rich legacy that has led to it becoming Australia's most-awarded wine and whisky brand via the release of its inaugural Single Barrel. The MORRIS Family Durif Single Barrel is a newly revealed Australian Single Malt Whisky – a category within which MORRIS has long been considered exceptional. This incredible new release demonstrates how MORRIS simply never stops honing the approach that has seen it become so widely renowned. At the same time, it pays tribute to Australian whisky craftsmanship and captures the structure and complexity of the Durif grape alongside the rich Rutherglen soils surrounding the distillery. Let's take a closer look at this hand-bottled marvel, limited to just 258 bottles. Rutherglen Morris Durif Single Barrel | Image: Morris of Rutherglen Rutherglen Morris Durif Single Barrel (58.5%) Sometimes, we all deserve to indulge in a touch of decadence, and we can think of no better way to do so than via the MORRIS Durif Single Barrel, a burnished gold liquid containing rich, malted layers that are sure to delight. Proceedings commence with a superb nose of malted biscuits and dark chocolate crème, followed by a palate of creamy chocolate fondant and dark cocoa. Each sip concludes decadently courtesy of a layered finish of chocolate orange, vanilla, and dried fruits. It's nothing short of a triumph worthy of MORRIS' 166-year legacy. Plus, deep and complex flavours from the iconic MORRIS Durif barrel enhance rather than overpower the spirit. This difficult-to-achieve harmony stands as a testament to both meticulous barrel preparation and exceptional craftsmanship. Rutherglen Morris Durif Single Barrel | Image: Morris of Rutherglen Where Luxury and History Meet As we've already mentioned, this extraordinary expression is hand-bottled, enveloped in premium labelling containing details about its origin, including the barrel number, bottle number, and the signature of the MORRIS Head Distiller. Further, each bottle comes packaged in a luxury gift box, making for the perfect present for someone special (or a welcome addition to your own whisky collection). Even in light of the 166 years of expertise and passion that go into every bottle produced, Australia's finest whisky and wine makers have somehow outdone themselves with this MORRIS Family Durif Single Barrel. It makes us pause and wonder about what other liquid miracles they might materialise over the coming months and years. Given the limited nature of this release, we encourage whisky collectors and enthusiasts to express their interest early – we'd hate for you to miss out. Here's to a further 166 years of tantalising drams and drops!


The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Rivers of gold pour into Kalgoorlie for mining forum
Mining has always been an industry of boom and bust. The fickle fortunes of Australia's biggest export sector were clear to see on opening day of the annual Diggers and Dealers conference on Monday. With bullion prices sitting at record highs, goldminers Evolution and Ramelius Resources could scarcely conceal their glee as they boasted to investors, analysts and rivals of the rivers of cash flowing their way. Just a few years ago, Ramelius was targeting an ore grade of two grams per tonne and making good money, chief executive Mark Zeptner said. Today, following its merger with Simon Lawson-founded Spartan Resources, it's hitting an average grade of three grams of gold per tonne of ore mined. "So it's fair to say at a three gram per tonne head grade and the current gold price, we are killing it," Mr Zeptner said, grinning. After "sparring" with Mr Lawson in the past year or so, the pair find themselves at the helm of one of the ASX's largest goldminers following a $2.5 billion merger. Mr Zeptner said he would handle the "boring" financial operations of the new joint entity - "that is if you find ridiculous cash flows boring" - while Mr Lawson, who has stayed on as deputy chairman, said he was content to focus on exploration. "Mark and I, after stopping sparring, agreed that it would be a great combination to bring that skill set together, that operational excellence and that exploration upside … hopefully, that sizzle," he said. Mr Lawson is a rockstar in the WA Goldfields town of Kalgoorlie, which is hosting the mining forum for a 34th time. The price of gold has almost doubled in less than three years to nearly $5200 an ounce, flooding the coffers of miners. Following the Ramelius-Spartan tie-up and Northern Star's $5 billion takeover of De Grey Mining, there is still plenty of M&A appetite in the sector. Miners attending the forum are sitting on astronomical cash and bullion reserves, with five companies - Northern Star, Ramelius, Evolution, Vault and Regis - on more than $500 million each, according to gold mining consultants Surbiton Associates. "Perhaps they could be used for further acquisitions, although prices now paid to obtain such new assets are very high," director Sandra Close said. "The concern is that the larger the cash reserves become, the more the company may become a tempting takeover target." But things were less rosy for uranium miners Paladin and Boss Energy. The short seller targets were the first miners to present on Monday and had a tough story to sell. Falling uranium prices have smashed share valuations, while Paladin and Boss have suffered output downgrades at their Langer Heinrich and Honeymoon mines, respectively. Additionally, hopes for an Australian nuclear power industry to boost demand for the radioactive ore were dashed when the Peter Dutton-led coalition, which championed the policy, was trounced at the May election. But governments globally were looking increasingly favourably at uranium to power their energy needs; a promising prospect for the industry, outgoing Boss Energy chief executive Duncan Craib said. "Australia has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to contribute in achieving net zero and capitalise on the inevitable surge of global uranium demand that will accompany it," he said. Despite his bullish comments, Mr Craib shied away from the media pack, avoiding the customary question-and-answer with journalists following his presentation. There was plenty of support for nuclear energy in the event's curtain-raiser, a panel discussion between Canadian nuclear advocate Chris Keefer, Centre for Independent Studies energy expert Aidan Morrison and the right-wing think tank's executive director Tom Switzer. Australia's best shot at reducing carbon emissions in electricity generation remained nuclear power, but even then it would not be possible to achieve net zero by 2050, Mr Morrison said. Mining has always been an industry of boom and bust. The fickle fortunes of Australia's biggest export sector were clear to see on opening day of the annual Diggers and Dealers conference on Monday. With bullion prices sitting at record highs, goldminers Evolution and Ramelius Resources could scarcely conceal their glee as they boasted to investors, analysts and rivals of the rivers of cash flowing their way. Just a few years ago, Ramelius was targeting an ore grade of two grams per tonne and making good money, chief executive Mark Zeptner said. Today, following its merger with Simon Lawson-founded Spartan Resources, it's hitting an average grade of three grams of gold per tonne of ore mined. "So it's fair to say at a three gram per tonne head grade and the current gold price, we are killing it," Mr Zeptner said, grinning. After "sparring" with Mr Lawson in the past year or so, the pair find themselves at the helm of one of the ASX's largest goldminers following a $2.5 billion merger. Mr Zeptner said he would handle the "boring" financial operations of the new joint entity - "that is if you find ridiculous cash flows boring" - while Mr Lawson, who has stayed on as deputy chairman, said he was content to focus on exploration. "Mark and I, after stopping sparring, agreed that it would be a great combination to bring that skill set together, that operational excellence and that exploration upside … hopefully, that sizzle," he said. Mr Lawson is a rockstar in the WA Goldfields town of Kalgoorlie, which is hosting the mining forum for a 34th time. The price of gold has almost doubled in less than three years to nearly $5200 an ounce, flooding the coffers of miners. Following the Ramelius-Spartan tie-up and Northern Star's $5 billion takeover of De Grey Mining, there is still plenty of M&A appetite in the sector. Miners attending the forum are sitting on astronomical cash and bullion reserves, with five companies - Northern Star, Ramelius, Evolution, Vault and Regis - on more than $500 million each, according to gold mining consultants Surbiton Associates. "Perhaps they could be used for further acquisitions, although prices now paid to obtain such new assets are very high," director Sandra Close said. "The concern is that the larger the cash reserves become, the more the company may become a tempting takeover target." But things were less rosy for uranium miners Paladin and Boss Energy. The short seller targets were the first miners to present on Monday and had a tough story to sell. Falling uranium prices have smashed share valuations, while Paladin and Boss have suffered output downgrades at their Langer Heinrich and Honeymoon mines, respectively. Additionally, hopes for an Australian nuclear power industry to boost demand for the radioactive ore were dashed when the Peter Dutton-led coalition, which championed the policy, was trounced at the May election. But governments globally were looking increasingly favourably at uranium to power their energy needs; a promising prospect for the industry, outgoing Boss Energy chief executive Duncan Craib said. "Australia has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to contribute in achieving net zero and capitalise on the inevitable surge of global uranium demand that will accompany it," he said. Despite his bullish comments, Mr Craib shied away from the media pack, avoiding the customary question-and-answer with journalists following his presentation. There was plenty of support for nuclear energy in the event's curtain-raiser, a panel discussion between Canadian nuclear advocate Chris Keefer, Centre for Independent Studies energy expert Aidan Morrison and the right-wing think tank's executive director Tom Switzer. Australia's best shot at reducing carbon emissions in electricity generation remained nuclear power, but even then it would not be possible to achieve net zero by 2050, Mr Morrison said. Mining has always been an industry of boom and bust. The fickle fortunes of Australia's biggest export sector were clear to see on opening day of the annual Diggers and Dealers conference on Monday. With bullion prices sitting at record highs, goldminers Evolution and Ramelius Resources could scarcely conceal their glee as they boasted to investors, analysts and rivals of the rivers of cash flowing their way. Just a few years ago, Ramelius was targeting an ore grade of two grams per tonne and making good money, chief executive Mark Zeptner said. Today, following its merger with Simon Lawson-founded Spartan Resources, it's hitting an average grade of three grams of gold per tonne of ore mined. "So it's fair to say at a three gram per tonne head grade and the current gold price, we are killing it," Mr Zeptner said, grinning. After "sparring" with Mr Lawson in the past year or so, the pair find themselves at the helm of one of the ASX's largest goldminers following a $2.5 billion merger. Mr Zeptner said he would handle the "boring" financial operations of the new joint entity - "that is if you find ridiculous cash flows boring" - while Mr Lawson, who has stayed on as deputy chairman, said he was content to focus on exploration. "Mark and I, after stopping sparring, agreed that it would be a great combination to bring that skill set together, that operational excellence and that exploration upside … hopefully, that sizzle," he said. Mr Lawson is a rockstar in the WA Goldfields town of Kalgoorlie, which is hosting the mining forum for a 34th time. The price of gold has almost doubled in less than three years to nearly $5200 an ounce, flooding the coffers of miners. Following the Ramelius-Spartan tie-up and Northern Star's $5 billion takeover of De Grey Mining, there is still plenty of M&A appetite in the sector. Miners attending the forum are sitting on astronomical cash and bullion reserves, with five companies - Northern Star, Ramelius, Evolution, Vault and Regis - on more than $500 million each, according to gold mining consultants Surbiton Associates. "Perhaps they could be used for further acquisitions, although prices now paid to obtain such new assets are very high," director Sandra Close said. "The concern is that the larger the cash reserves become, the more the company may become a tempting takeover target." But things were less rosy for uranium miners Paladin and Boss Energy. The short seller targets were the first miners to present on Monday and had a tough story to sell. Falling uranium prices have smashed share valuations, while Paladin and Boss have suffered output downgrades at their Langer Heinrich and Honeymoon mines, respectively. Additionally, hopes for an Australian nuclear power industry to boost demand for the radioactive ore were dashed when the Peter Dutton-led coalition, which championed the policy, was trounced at the May election. But governments globally were looking increasingly favourably at uranium to power their energy needs; a promising prospect for the industry, outgoing Boss Energy chief executive Duncan Craib said. "Australia has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to contribute in achieving net zero and capitalise on the inevitable surge of global uranium demand that will accompany it," he said. Despite his bullish comments, Mr Craib shied away from the media pack, avoiding the customary question-and-answer with journalists following his presentation. There was plenty of support for nuclear energy in the event's curtain-raiser, a panel discussion between Canadian nuclear advocate Chris Keefer, Centre for Independent Studies energy expert Aidan Morrison and the right-wing think tank's executive director Tom Switzer. Australia's best shot at reducing carbon emissions in electricity generation remained nuclear power, but even then it would not be possible to achieve net zero by 2050, Mr Morrison said. Mining has always been an industry of boom and bust. The fickle fortunes of Australia's biggest export sector were clear to see on opening day of the annual Diggers and Dealers conference on Monday. With bullion prices sitting at record highs, goldminers Evolution and Ramelius Resources could scarcely conceal their glee as they boasted to investors, analysts and rivals of the rivers of cash flowing their way. Just a few years ago, Ramelius was targeting an ore grade of two grams per tonne and making good money, chief executive Mark Zeptner said. Today, following its merger with Simon Lawson-founded Spartan Resources, it's hitting an average grade of three grams of gold per tonne of ore mined. "So it's fair to say at a three gram per tonne head grade and the current gold price, we are killing it," Mr Zeptner said, grinning. After "sparring" with Mr Lawson in the past year or so, the pair find themselves at the helm of one of the ASX's largest goldminers following a $2.5 billion merger. Mr Zeptner said he would handle the "boring" financial operations of the new joint entity - "that is if you find ridiculous cash flows boring" - while Mr Lawson, who has stayed on as deputy chairman, said he was content to focus on exploration. "Mark and I, after stopping sparring, agreed that it would be a great combination to bring that skill set together, that operational excellence and that exploration upside … hopefully, that sizzle," he said. Mr Lawson is a rockstar in the WA Goldfields town of Kalgoorlie, which is hosting the mining forum for a 34th time. The price of gold has almost doubled in less than three years to nearly $5200 an ounce, flooding the coffers of miners. Following the Ramelius-Spartan tie-up and Northern Star's $5 billion takeover of De Grey Mining, there is still plenty of M&A appetite in the sector. Miners attending the forum are sitting on astronomical cash and bullion reserves, with five companies - Northern Star, Ramelius, Evolution, Vault and Regis - on more than $500 million each, according to gold mining consultants Surbiton Associates. "Perhaps they could be used for further acquisitions, although prices now paid to obtain such new assets are very high," director Sandra Close said. "The concern is that the larger the cash reserves become, the more the company may become a tempting takeover target." But things were less rosy for uranium miners Paladin and Boss Energy. The short seller targets were the first miners to present on Monday and had a tough story to sell. Falling uranium prices have smashed share valuations, while Paladin and Boss have suffered output downgrades at their Langer Heinrich and Honeymoon mines, respectively. Additionally, hopes for an Australian nuclear power industry to boost demand for the radioactive ore were dashed when the Peter Dutton-led coalition, which championed the policy, was trounced at the May election. But governments globally were looking increasingly favourably at uranium to power their energy needs; a promising prospect for the industry, outgoing Boss Energy chief executive Duncan Craib said. "Australia has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to contribute in achieving net zero and capitalise on the inevitable surge of global uranium demand that will accompany it," he said. Despite his bullish comments, Mr Craib shied away from the media pack, avoiding the customary question-and-answer with journalists following his presentation. There was plenty of support for nuclear energy in the event's curtain-raiser, a panel discussion between Canadian nuclear advocate Chris Keefer, Centre for Independent Studies energy expert Aidan Morrison and the right-wing think tank's executive director Tom Switzer. Australia's best shot at reducing carbon emissions in electricity generation remained nuclear power, but even then it would not be possible to achieve net zero by 2050, Mr Morrison said.