Royal face set to begin studies at University of Sydney
The 21-year-old future queen of Norway shared her excitement about becoming a student, posting on Instagram that she is 'looking forward to starting my studies'.
Her decision to study in Australia comes during a challenging year for the Norwegian royal family, following charges of rape and sexual assault against her half-brother, Marius Borg Høiby, which he has denied.
Despite the family turmoil, the Princess appeared cheerful as she visited the university campus and shared a smiling photo on social media.
Ranked second in line to Norway's throne behind her father, Crown Prince Haakon, the Princess also appeared in a photo posing next to the Sydney Opera House.
Along with other new photos around the university grounds, the Norwegian royal family's full statement from the young royal read: 'I'm looking forward to starting my studies at the University of Sydney.
'It will be exciting to become a student, and I'm looking forward to gaining new perspectives on both European and international politics.
'I'm sure that I will learn a lot.'
The royal will undertake a Bachelor of Arts degree starting in August.
She will live at the university's campus in Camperdown, 4km southwest of the CBD.
The Gen Z royal looked chic in a classy yet casual fit, which included baggy blue jeans, a navy jumper and white sneakers.
She paired the look with a black cross-body bag, her hair down and dainty gold hoop earrings.
Born in 2004, Princess Ingrid has mostly stayed out of the spotlight, attending local schools in Oslo and finishing her upper secondary education in 2023.
She is the granddaughter of Norway's current monarch, 88-year-old King Harald V.
She made history as the first female heir to the Norwegian throne.
The Princess plans to step back from official appearances while continuing her studies in Australia.
The royal isn't the first to study down under.
Recently, Danish Count Nikolai of Monpezat attended the University of Technology, Sydney.
King Charles, at age 17, famously spent two terms at Geelong Grammar in Victoria.
Marius Borg Høiby, Princess Ingrid's older half-brother, 28, is currently facing multiple charges, including rape, sexual assault and bodily harm.
The charges came after months of investigation into a case police say involves a 'double-digit' number of alleged victims.
The charges included one case of rape involving intercourse, two cases of rape without intercourse, four cases of sexual assault, and two cases of bodily harm.
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Governor-General Sam Mostyn reflects on year of selfies, service and funky suits
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Initially a customer and now The Social Outfit's patron, Ms Mostyn says she's drawn to the organisation's ethos and the way it addresses gaps in essential services. "I'd been very aware of [Australia's] settlement services, particularly for women, particularly if they were partners of those that had come in on migrant visas," she says. "Often those women did not have their own agency or ability to earn or get their own education." And that's why The Social Outfit is so effective. "The money that is made is all ploughed back into education and TAFE programs for [employees] to have job security in the fashion industry," Ms Mostyn says. "I am very proud that I played that role as patron." While a carefully chosen suit beamed onto television screens around the country might be one way of being visible, Ms Mostyn's embrace of social media is another. She regularly films behind the scenes of her meetings and events, and provides explanations on what different awards and ceremonies mean. She sees it as an opportunity to champion Australia. "Increasingly, I'm using small films and vignettes when I meet someone to tell their story," she says. "To put that up on our social media to say, 'Look at this person. This is the best of Australia.' "And it might be in a country town, it might be in a city, it might be a remote community, it might be in Abu Dhabi, it might be in Gallipoli." This extends to celebrating acts of goodwill from the business sector. "Whether it's philanthropy or those that have been successful and support our sporting aspirations, who support those in the disability community, who support programs that wouldn't be funded otherwise, I think that part of my job is to go and find those stories," she says. From what she can tell, this approach is working. "Wherever I go, in almost every part of the world … there'll be someone who has a family member as part of a diaspora community in Australia, one of the most successful multicultural nations," she says. "People really admire the deep First Nations history that we celebrate here. "They admire the fact that we have such a successful, vibrant democracy, independent judiciary, [and] that we feel like a safe, stable place." Earlier this year, the governor-general spent time at the Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care in Sydney's Redfern. The organisation provides home care services to elders, with the aim of keeping culture and community strong. For Ms Mostyn, the visit was about listening to the needs of staff members and elders alike. "One of the things I can do — I speak to ministers and I speak to the prime minister — I can share stories of success," she told the group. "For me, that starts with care, and the care that you show. You don't just show it to your own community, it extends to everyone you come into contact with." Indeed, care is a value that Ms Mostyn puts at the centre of her work. It's a message she leant into during her inauguration speech in July 2024. "Care has a deep and resonant place in our Australian identity," she said at the time. "Care is the gentle thought and the outstretched hand that Australians have always been ready to share when great challenges present themselves. Care is the quieter, better part of ourselves." Since that day, she's sworn in the 31st prime minister of Australia, represented the Australian people at the ANZAC commemoration ceremony at Gallipoli, and attended the funeral for Pope Francis. But when the prime minister asked her to accept the role, she hesitated before saying yes. "I did ask him about why he had approached me, why he thought I would be capable of doing the job and what it said about Australia," Ms Mostyn recalls. "He said ultimately it's time to have a modern, visible and optimistic governor-general who can effectively go out to the country and talk a lot about our constitutional underpinnings and the vibrancy of our democracy and our nation today." While the PM's endorsement no doubt helped sway her decision, Ms Mostyn actually credits her daughter with convincing her to say yes to the job. "She was watching [my husband] Simeon and I talking about what it would mean, the upheaval, the capacity … She quietly sat there and then just said, 'Will it make you happy?'" she recalls. "Thank goodness for our children, and the wisdom of younger people saying, 'You won't do the job well if it doesn't make you happy.' As only the second woman to serve as governor-general, Ms Mostyn's appointment was not without controversy. From her salary to her qualifications to her political views, she has weathered a storm of criticism since accepting the position. "A lot of people were very angry," she says. "They didn't think a woman could do this job. They didn't think someone who wasn't [an army] general could do this job. 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For the years ahead — she has a five-year term to serve, after all — Ms Mostyn hopes Australia continues to lead the way on issues of diplomacy and "the great Australian value … of respectfully disagreeing, and disagreeing well". She believes it's essential for our politicians and leaders to model this. "If we send a message out to the general public that it is OK to be violent, to be angry, to make it personal, I worry that we will lose something that is uniquely Australian," she says. "We see many conflicts around the world that come back into our diaspora communities, and I spend time in those communities. I know the leaders of those communities do not want to bring those debates and those issues here. Despite this note of caution, the governor-general remains one of Australia's biggest advocates. "It's been a year of immense privilege and honour," she says. "I have travelled almost every part of the country. I've learned more about myself and learned more about Australia and Australians. Watch The Governor-General One Year On with Geraldine Doogue on Compass tonight at 6:30pm on ABC TV and iview.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
What is Stop Killing Games? Millions back EU petition to shape future of video game industry
Across the internet in recent weeks, influencers, streamers and video game fans have been calling for laws to "stop killing games". It's part of a grassroots initiative that has been picked up around the world, including in Australia, and is now picking up speed as it makes an eleventh-hour push for signatures on a petition to the European Union. This is what to know about the Stop Killing Games movement, and why it's getting so much attention. If you bought a game for your Nintendo 64 back in 1999, you could still dust it off, plug it into your console and boot it up to this day. But the same isn't possible for many released in recent years. That's because more games than ever require an internet connection to play, usually via online servers hosted by the developer. But when those companies decide they no longer want to keep the servers operating, they can shut them down and render the game unplayable. These games are usually sold for around the same prices as titles that can be played years down the line and aren't marketed as having a life span. Essentially, it's an issue of consumer rights. The Stop Killing Games movement says the issue also has bigger implications than just the video games industry. "The practice of a seller destroying a product someone has already paid for represents a radical assault on consumer rights and even the concept of ownership itself," its organisers wrote in an FAQ on its official website. "If this practice does not stop, it may be codified into law and spread to other products of more importance over time, such as agricultural equipment, educational products, medical devices, etc. "It is important consumers maintain a basic level of rights so as to not be overrun by predatory practices." Frustration around this practice of developers shutting down games has existed for years. But when Ubisoft announced plans to shutter its online racing game The Crew in 2024 and render the game unplayable, the situation reached a boiling point. Ross Scott, who runs the YouTube channel Accursed Farms, had been reporting news updates about developers destroying games for years, but believed The Crew was the clearest case of a consumer rights violation he'd seen in the space. He told his audience at the time he intended to pursue legal proceedings against Ubisoft, with the intention of setting a legal precedent against the practice. Out of that, the Stop Killing Games initiative was born. Since April 2024, supporters of the initiative in several countries have pushed for legislation to discourage the practice of destroying games consumers have already purchased. Supporters are asking for laws that would require games to stay in a working state when developers end support. "The irony is, most video games already do this," Mr Scott said. Stop Killing Games says two of the ways this can be achieved is by: The initiative is not calling for developers to be required to run servers for their games forever. "It's unreasonable to expect a developer to support a game forever," says Seán McLoughlin, who goes by jacksepticeye online, in a video posted to his YouTube channel. "I don't think anyone would expect that. But if a developer wants to stop supporting a game … put stuff in place where you can hand it over to the consumers, where they can start supporting it themselves, and put stuff out, and we can still enjoy the game." The movement's petition to the European Union has received an eleventh-hour groundswell of support, bringing the issue into mainstream discourse. The petition, which closes on July 31, had 12 months to collect at least 1 million verified statements of support in order to bring the matter before the EU's main executive body, the European Commission. For most of that time, it appeared as though it would fall short. But when prominent video game influencers, including PewDiePie, jacksepticeye, MoistCr1TiKaL, and Minecraft creator Notch offered public statements of support, the petition saw a massive boost. In little over a fortnight, it shot from around 454,000 signatures to 1.3 million. There are a few reasons. For one, getting enough signatures would guarantee the issue goes before the European Commission, meaning there's a better chance the EU will consider legislating against developers destroying games they have sold to customers. Mr Scott is hopeful that if the EU, or even Australia, introduces new laws, they would be enough to tip the scales worldwide. "The costs of implementing 'end of life' plans are trivial when compared to the potential profits from selling in those markets," he said. "At that point, I think it will become standard practice in the industry, because that is what will become the most profitable." This flow-on effect has been seen before. In 2022, the European Union ruled all smartphones sold within the bloc must be capable of being charged with a USB-C connection. That meant Apple was forced to abandon its brand-specific Lightning cables to comply, and rather than manufacturing models just for Europe, the company implemented the change worldwide. Similarly, in 2017, gaming company Valve lost a case against Australia's consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), in the federal court for misleading customers about their rights to refunds for faulty games. Valve, which owns the gaming platform Steam and has more than 2 million Australian accounts, only offered refunds on a case-by-case basis. But the court upheld that, according to Australian Consumer Law, every business selling products in the country was required to provide refunds for faulty products. Mr Scott attributes the case for prompting Valve to offer refunds on purchases with less than 2 hours of playtime for up to 14 days. Stop Killing Games has already received some optimistic commentary from the EU, with Vice-President Nicolae Ștefănuță voicing his full support and signing the petition. Emphasis has also been placed on Stop Killing Games's European Union petition because it marks one of the last avenues the initiative can pursue to see governments take up the matter. Past actions in countries such as Canada, the US and Brazil have so far turned up dead ends. In response to a class action lawsuit over the shutdown of The Crew, Ubisoft lawyer Steven A Marenberg argued the game's packaging made clear the game required an internet connection to be played, and that Ubisoft retained the right to revoke access at its own discretion. Having been able to play the game for years, he argued players "cannot complain now that they were deceived simply because Ubisoft did not then create an offline version of the discontinued game", he wrote in a filing obtained by Polygon. Video Games Europe, a trade association representing the continent's video game industry, has been critical of the Stop Killing Games initiative. In a statement released in early July, it said private servers were not a practical option for many online-only games. "We understand that it can be disappointing for players but, when it does happen, the industry ensures that players are given fair notice of the prospective changes in compliance with local consumer protection laws," the statement reads. "Private servers are not always a viable alternative option for players as the protections we put in place to secure players' data, remove illegal content, and combat unsafe community content would not exist and would leave rights holders liable. "In addition, many titles are designed from the ground-up to be online-only; in effect, these proposals would curtail developer choice by making these video games prohibitively expensive to create." A longer position statement argued such laws as Stop Killing Games is pursuing would erode intellectual property rights of developers and raise the costs of developing such games, creating a "chilling effect on game design". It added that forcing developers to allow privately run servers would risk reputational harm and expose players to security risks and "illegal or harmful content or conduct" in the absence of moderation. Mr Scott rejected the suggestion that requiring developers to have end-of-life plans in place would be too costly. "While it's not practical for all existing games, which we acknowledge, the costs to implement 'end of life' plans for games in the future can be utterly minimal," he said, adding that most games already allowed for continued play after support ended. He noted that the EU was an "enormous market" with a population of more than 450 million, meaning the potential profits from selling games there would outweigh the costs of implementing such plans. Other studios, including Warhammer 40,000 developer Owlcat Studios, have expressed support for the petition. Yes. Stop Killing Games petitioned the federal government last year, collecting more than 10,000 signatures. Former MP Stephen Jones, who was the assistant treasurer and financial services minister at the time, responded with a letter outlining current consumer law but did not commit to pursuing legislation. The ACCC said developers should be clear to consumers about whether they were purchasing a game as a product, or just a licence to play it. A spokesperson for the commission said "there is no requirement under the ACL that game developers need to continue to provide access to a game, or support the operation of a game, for any defined period of time". "If consumers are impacted by a game developer changing the nature of the product or service they have purchased and believe they have been misled, they should contact the business in first instance to try to resolve the issue. "They should also report the matter to the ACCC and their local state or territory consumer affairs or fair trading agency."
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Surprises and upsets as Triple J reveals Hottest 100 of Aussie songs
Australian music broadcaster Triple J yesterday revealed the results of their huge listener poll to name the 100 best Australian songs of all time – and there were a few upsets. Rock legends INXS took out the top spot with their classic ballad Never Tear Us Apart, but there were some more divisive choices elsewhere in the top 10. Coming in at second place was the Hilltop Hoods' 2003 single Nosebleed Section, a track that's now 10 x platinum here in Australia despite never actually charting in the ARIA top 50. Some in the comments section as the results were revealed on Triple J's Instagram expressed their surprise that the Aussie hip-hop act had pulled off such a high placing. Another surprise, given Triple J's indie leanings: The Veronicas' 2007 pop-dance hit Untouched has now been deemed the third-best Australian song of all time. Among those celebrating it as 'the national anthem' were those who were less enthusiastic about its placing: 'I don't get it! It's not a bad song, but seriously…. the 3rd best Australian song of all time??' asked one commenter. 'God this song sounds like a Raspberry Cruiser,' wrote another (which could be a diss or a compliment, frankly). The placing made The Veronicas the highest-charted females in a male-heavy top 100 – but they were joined in the top five by Missy Higgins, who scored a number four placing for her 2004 number one hit Scar. Rounding out the top five was another controversial entry: The classic Crowded House ballad Don't Dream It's Over. A brilliant song, sure, but as many asked in the comment section: Can we really claim it as our own when half the band (among them the man who actually wrote the song, Neil Finn) are from New Zealand? Powderfinger, Paul Kelly, Gotye and back-to-back entries from Cold Chisel rounded out the top 10. Some other surprises and notable entries, further down the list: • A couple of massive Aussie anthems made the list: John Farnham's You're The Voice at #15 and Daryl Braithwaite's The Horses at #30. • She might be our biggest pop export, but Kylie Minogue had to settle for a top 30 placing for her sole entry – Can't Get You Out Of My Head made it to number 27. • It pretty much hasn't left the charts since it was released over a decade ago, but Vance Joy's 16 x platinum monster Riptide only just snuck into the top 50 at #48. • Those who missed out: Not a single entry in the top 100 for beloved Aussie acts like Sia, Something For Kate, Troye Sivan, Madison Avenue, Tina Arena, Pete Murray, The Vines or The Easybeats. Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs – the top 100: 100. The Screaming Jets – Better 99. Midnight Oil — Blue Sky Mine 98. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — Red Right Hand 97. Savage Garden – I Want You 96. Stevie Wright – Evie (Parts 1, 2, 3) 95. Spiderbait – Calypso 94. Flight Facilities – Claire de Lune (feat. Christine Hoberg) 93. The Avalanches – Since I Left You 92. ICEHOUSE – Electric Blue 91. The Whitlams – No Aphrodisiac 90. Spiderbait- Black Betty 89. Amyl And The Sniffers – Hertz 88. Angus & Julia Stone – Chateau 87. Gang Of Youths – The Deepest Sighs, The Frankest Shadows 86. Gotye – Hearts A Mess 85. DMA'S – Delete 84. The Go-Betweens – Streets Of Your Town 83. Ben Lee – Cigarettes Will Kill You 82. Peking Duk – High (feat. Nicole Millar) 81. You Am I – Berlin Chair 80. Empire Of The Sun – We Are The People 79. The Cat Empire – Hell0 78. Eskimo Joe – Black Fingernails, Red Wine 77. Killing Heidi – Weir 76. The Veronicas – 4ever 75. The Church – The Unguarded Moment 74. The Waifs – London Still 73. Hilltop Hoods – 1955 (feat. Montaigne, Tom Thum) 72. Silverchair – Freak 71. Drapht – Jimmy Recard 70. Powderfinger – (Baby I've Got You) On My Mind 69. Crowded House – Weather With You 68. Grinspoon – Chemical Heart 67. Regurgitator – ! (The Song Formerly Known As) 66. Midnight Oil – Power And The Passion 65. Ocean Alley – Confidence 64. Hilltop Hoods – Cosby Sweater 63. Redgum – I Was Only 19 (A Walk In The Light Green) 62. Sticky Fingers – Australia Street 61. Chet Faker – Talk Is Cheap 60. Gang Of Youths – Let Me Down Easy 59. INXS – Need You Tonight 58. The Avalanches – Frontier Psychiatrist 57. Bernard Fanning – Wish You Well 56. Jimmy Barnes – Working Class Man 55. The Presets – My People 54. Divinyls – I Touch Myself 53. Thelma Plum – Better In Blak 52. Missy Higgins – The Special Two 51. Matt Corby – Brother 50. Hunters & Collectors – Holy Grail 49. Ball Park Music – It's Nice To Be Alive 48. Vance Joy – Riptide 47. Goanna – Solid Rock 46. Bag Raiders – Shooting Stars 45. Daddy Cool – Eagle Rock 44. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Into My Arms 43. Wolfmother – Joker And The Thief 42. Gang Of Youths – Magnolia 41. The Living End – Prisoner Of Society 40. Violent Soho – Covered In Chrome 39. Australian Crawl – Reckless (Don't Be So …) 38. Crowded House – Better Be Home Soon 37. AC/DC – Back In Black 36. Yothu Yindi – Treaty 35. ICEHOUSE – Great Southern Land 34. Spacey Jane – Booster Seat 33. Augie March – One Crowded Hour 32. Natalie Imbruglia – Torn 31. AC/DC – Highway To Hell 30. Daryl Braithwaite – The Horses 29. The Church – Under The Milky Way 28. Silverchair – Straight Lines 27. Kylie Minogue – Can't Get You Out Of My Head 26. Flume – Never Be Like You (feat. kai) 25. Hunters & Collectors – Throw Your Arms Around Me 24. Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream 23. Jet – Are You Gonna Be My Girl 22. Paul Kelly & The Messengers – To Her Door 21. Men At Work – Down Under 20. Angus & Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane 19. Tame Impala – The Less I Know The Better 18. Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning 17. Silverchair – Tomorrow 16. RÜFÜS DU SOL – Innerbloom 15. John Farnham – You're the Voice 14. Powderfinger – These Days 13. AC/DC – Thunderstruck 12. The Angels – Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again 11. The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition 10. Gotye (feat. Kimbra) – Somebody That I Used to Know 9. Paul Kelly – How to Make Gravy 8. Cold Chisel – Khe Sanh 7. Cold Chisel – Flame Trees 6. Powderfinger – My Happiness 5. Crowded House – Don't Dream It's Over 4. Missy Higgins – Scar 3. The Veronicas – Untouched 2. Hilltop Hoods – The Nosebleed Section 1. INXS – Never Tear Us Apart
