Latest news with #Adelaide-based
AU Financial Review
a day ago
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Cosette terminates Mayne Pharma deal as legal challenge looms
US pharmaceutical giant Cosette has terminated its $672 million takeover bid for Adelaide-based drug company Mayne Pharma, but the target company says it will challenge the move in the courts. Mayne Pharma shares fell as much as 7 per cent on Wednesday after it told investors it had received notice from private equity-backed Cosette that it would terminate the $7.40 per share offer, setting the stage for a potential legal battle.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Crypto ATM provider Harro's Empires boss lost life savings, separated from partner over distress from AUSTRAC crackdown
An Australian owner of cryptocurrency ATMs whose business was shut down this week had lost his life savings and separated from his partner amid constant pressure from the nation's financial crimes agency. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) on Tuesday refused to renew the registration of Adelaide-based Harro's Empires, which owned and provided crypto ATMs, and forced limits on other providers over mounting concerns of scam, frauds and illegal activity. Aussies have reported losing $3 million on scams involving crypto ATMS over the past 12 months, with AUSTRAC raising concerns that older Australians were disproportionately targetted. After AUSTRAC cancelled Harro's Empires registration, the company's director Michael Harrison said the decision was 'devastating' after he had spent two years working with the agency to counteract fraud. 'I complied with every request, spent tens of thousands of dollars upgrading our systems, and enhanced our already existing anti-money laundering/counter terrorism financing controls (AML/CTF),' Mr Harrison said in a statement. 'We always had strict ID verification, reporting thresholds, and monitoring in place — but we made them even stronger at AUSTRAC's direction. "Every audit, every amendment, every compliance review — we met it head-on.' He claimed the company was 'never formally told' its machines were linked to criminal use or given a chance to address crimes concerns before being shut down. 'This wasn't just a business. It was built from the ground up with everything I had. I poured my life into it — financially and emotionally,' Mr Harrison said. 'The constant pressure and scrutiny from AUSTRAC took a serious toll. I've lost my life savings, my future plans, and I separated from my partner — largely due to the stress this fight placed on our family.' Harro's Empires is reviewing legal options and Mr Harrison said the company will 'ensure an orderly wind-down' after AUSTRAC de-registered it. The financial crimes agency said Harro's Empires crypto ATMS were at risk of being exploited and took severe action in a move likely to raise concerns for other crypto ATM providers. 'This action draws a clear line in the sand and serves as a warning to other digital currency exchange providers that aren't meeting their responsibilities under the AML/CTF Act,' AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said. He also noted the high amount of Australians aged 60-70 using the crypto ATMs raised alarm bells as a disproportionate number of people in this demographic are victims of scam activity. AUSTRAC Cryptocurrency Taskforce said it obtained data from nine ATMs showing the majority of users were over 50 and account for almost 72 per cent of transactions by value. It also noted 60-70 year olds accounted for 29 per cent of all transactions by value. AUSTRAC has enforced a $5000 limit on cash deposits and withdrawals, implemented mandatory scam warnings and enhanced customer protection obligations. 'The conditions are designed to help protect individuals from scams by deterring criminals from directing them to a crypto ATM, as well as to protect businesses from criminal exploitation,' Mr Thomas said. The CEO of Australia crypto trader Swyftx, which does not accept cash, said crypto ATMs were not offering consumers as much protection as exchanges. 'Most banks and large Australian crypto exchanges have advanced security systems in place to protect customers and that's left scammers scrambling around for alternatives,' Swyftx CEO Jason Titman told Sky News Australia. 'At the moment Crypto ATM's don't offer enough protection and it means Australians who use them are vulnerable to scammers.' Once cash is converted to a digital wallet, it is incredibly difficult to retrieve. AFP assistant commissioner for cyber command Richard Chin told ABC News he was aware of an elderly man who had been scammed $1.4m. He was reportedly instructed to make bank withdrawals and deposit the funds into a crypto ATM.
Perth Now
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Former Home and Away star takes aim at Abbie Chatfield over bullying claims
Former Home and Away star Sam Frost has accused Abbie Chatfield of 'relentlessly bullying' her in the past, after she shared a video encouraging 'empathy' and 'understanding' amid the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Earlier this month, Adelaide-based academic Clementine Ford – in her 'Dear Clementine' Substack blog – called out Aussie influencers such as Chatfield, who profit from being politically engaged but then criticise people who challenge them. In response, Chatfield claimed that the accusations were tantamount to 'bullying', with footage showing the social media star breaking down in tears while begging Ford to stop. Chatfield took aim at Frost after the TV star made a clip in 2021, saying she was 'unvaccinated' and pleaded for 'compassion' and 'understanding' for people's individual choice. Former Home and Away star Sam Frost wished Abbie Chatfield 'the best and hope she heals'. Credit: Instagram She continued: 'There are a lot of different reasons people aren't getting vaccinated – and it might be because of their medical history, their concerns they might have, they might have family history, it might be religious reasons, whatever. 'I want to tell those people that feel like they're getting separated from society – well, I'm not vaccinated, and there's a reason why I'm not, I've spoken to my doctor and my psychologist about it, and I'm going to keep it private.' However, Chatfield repeatedly took aim at Frost. Chatfield said on her podcast: 'Why are they acting like she, I don't know, stood up for a feminist issue that was seen extreme at the time but now everyone's like, 'Yes she was right?' Frost weighed in on the feud. Credit: Instagram 'The more time that goes on, the more proof there is that she was wrong. So why are we now giving her a Stellar cover?' 'Her publicist must be working overtime, like, how did she get that?' Commenting on the Chatfield-Ford feud, Frost said: 'I don't wish this kind of pain or sadness on anyone. I truly wish her the best and hope she heals. I certainly don't support anyone trolling or bullying others.' She continued: 'However, perhaps in this moment, she can reflect on the time when the shoe was on the other foot. When she was the one relentlessly bullying me when I shared a video saying my mental health was suffering. 'And she encouraged all of her followers to also bully and hate on me attacking me for months and months and months.' Chatfield broke down in tears over the feud. Credit: Instagram Following Ford's comments, Chatfield said the fight had become too much and shared a clip of herself weeping. 'I get it enough from people on the right and trolls and men that hate me and want to threaten me and want me dead. Please stop dehumanising me,' Chatfield said. 'Please, you can criticise my content you can criticise my work just I'm begging you to stop lying about my intentions.' 'Stop saying that I have a personality disorder. You don't know me. 'This is so f****ing triggering I just want her to stop.' Chatfield asked Ford to stop discouraging her from posting about the war in Gaza. She went on to label Ford's actions as 'trolling', saying it was affecting her mental health. 'I'm scared of her ... I am begging you to stop' Chatfield said. 'You don't know me at all, you're a stranger. I deal with so much, every single day. I deal with insults every single day, I do not need it from you because you know that when you say it you validate it for people on the left. 'You are f**ing my mental health. Please f***ing stop.'
7NEWS
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Former Home and Away star Sam Frost takes aim at Abbie Chatfield over bullying claims, amid star's feud with Clementine Ford
Former Home and Away star Sam Frost has accused Abbie Chatfield of 'relentlessly bullying' her in the past, after she shared a video encouraging 'empathy' and 'understanding' amid the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Earlier this month, Adelaide-based academic Clementine Ford – in her 'Dear Clementine' Substack blog – called out Aussie influencers such as Chatfield, who profit from being politically engaged but then criticise people who challenge them. In response, Chatfield claimed that the accusations were tantamount to 'bullying', with footage showing the social media star breaking down in tears while begging Ford to stop. Chatfield took aim at Frost after the TV star made a clip in 2021, saying she was 'unvaccinated' and pleaded for 'compassion' and 'understanding' for people's individual choice. She continued: 'There are a lot of different reasons people aren't getting vaccinated – and it might be because of their medical history, their concerns they might have, they might have family history, it might be religious reasons, whatever. 'I want to tell those people that feel like they're getting separated from society – well, I'm not vaccinated, and there's a reason why I'm not, I've spoken to my doctor and my psychologist about it, and I'm going to keep it private.' However, Chatfield repeatedly took aim at Frost. Chatfield said on her podcast: 'Why are they acting like she, I don't know, stood up for a feminist issue that was seen extreme at the time but now everyone's like, 'Yes she was right?' 'The more time that goes on, the more proof there is that she was wrong. So why are we now giving her a Stellar cover?' 'Her publicist must be working overtime, like, how did she get that?' Commenting on the Chatfield-Ford feud, Frost said: 'I don't wish this kind of pain or sadness on anyone. I truly wish her the best and hope she heals. I certainly don't support anyone trolling or bullying others.' She continued: 'However, perhaps in this moment, she can reflect on the time when the shoe was on the other foot. When she was the one relentlessly bullying me when I shared a video saying my mental health was suffering. 'And she encouraged all of her followers to also bully and hate on me attacking me for months and months and months.' Following Ford's comments, Chatfield said the fight had become too much and shared a clip of herself weeping. 'I get it enough from people on the right and trolls and men that hate me and want to threaten me and want me dead. Please stop dehumanising me,' Chatfield said. 'Please, you can criticise my content you can criticise my work just I'm begging you to stop lying about my intentions.' 'Stop saying that I have a personality disorder. You don't know me. 'This is so f****ing triggering I just want her to stop.' Chatfield asked Ford to stop discouraging her from posting about the war in Gaza. She went on to label Ford's actions as 'trolling', saying it was affecting her mental health. 'I'm scared of her ... I am begging you to stop' Chatfield said. 'You don't know me at all, you're a stranger. I deal with so much, every single day. I deal with insults every single day, I do not need it from you because you know that when you say it you validate it for people on the left. 'You are f**ing my mental health. Please f***ing stop.'
The Age
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Gas exporters on notice to lock in more supplies for Australians
Oil and gas executives have been put on notice that the re-elected Albanese government will make them do more to avert local energy shortfalls, as Resources Minister Madeleine King warns Australians are 'tired of seeing our vast gas resources exported overseas' while paying high prices at home. While some of the nation's top gas producers make billions of dollars shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) overseas from Queensland, authorities warn consumers in the south-east, including Victoria and NSW, are at risk of gas shortages in as little as three years unless more supplies are urgently made available. 'Australians recognise this to be unfair,' King told industry leaders gathered at the Australian Energy Producers conference in Brisbane. 'The Australian gas industry should pay careful attention to public concern of rising gas prices and supply gaps.' However, Kevin Gallagher, the head of Adelaide-based gas giant Santos, has pushed back against the threat of another wave of heavy-handed regulatory scrutiny, warning that ad-hoc government interventions to fix supply and prices have all 'backfired' so far. 'They've had the opposite impact that was intended,' he said. Loading The threat of domestic gas shortfalls comes as the 50-year-old Gippsland Basin gas fields in Bass Strait, which have traditionally provided the bulk of eastern Australia's domestic gas, have begun rapidly depleting, with scant new supply projects to replace them, sending prices higher. Some Australian LNG producers were 'doing the right thing' in ensuring the market had enough gas, added King, who pointed to agreements struck this year to divert an extra nine petajoules of gas to stave off a quarterly supply deficit. 'I thank them for that,' she said. 'But there remains a lot of work to do to ensure the domestic market remains well supplied.'
