Latest news with #Austra
Sky News AU
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Penny Wong refuses to confirm whether she discussed Canberra woman charged with Chinese foreign interference with Beijing officials
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has refused to reveal whether she raised the case of a Chinese woman charged with foreign interference by the Australian Federal Police with Beijing officials. The AFP on Monday announced a Chinese woman had been charged with foreign interference over the alleged covert collection of sensitive information. The woman, an Australian permanent resident, was arrested and charged on Saturday after a series of police raids across Canberra. It is alleged the woman was acting on behalf of a public security bureau in China to secretly compile information about the Canberra Guan Yin Citta branch, a Buddhist sect that is outlawed in China. The woman is the third person to be charged under foreign interference laws that were rolled out in 2018, sparking concerns of rising tensions with China. Ms Wong on Tuesday morning repeatedly ruled out saying whether she or any government minister had broached the foreign interference case with Beijing officials and said Australia remained 'clear eyed' on China. 'I think we all are very clear eyed about China and its interests, we've made that clear,' she told Today show host Karl Stefanovic. 'And I'd make this point, we've never said that dialogue eliminates differences. Clearly it doesn't. The Foreign Minister also declined to make comments on the case and insisted Australia had 'strong frameworks around foreign interference.' "I can't comment on this specific case that's before the courts. But good try," Ms Wong said. She did not explicitly say whether she trusted China when pressed to do so and reiterated that China would pursue its interests regardless of Australian commentary. 'I trust China to do what China thinks is in its interest, and I trust Australia to do what's in our interests,' Ms Wong said. 'I think we all are very clear eyed about China and its interests; we've made that clear. 'The question is, how do we manage that? And dialogue and engagement is part of it. It doesn't eliminate differences, but it does enable us to put our views.' The case has sparked fears of newly inflamed tensions with China. AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt on Monday alluded to the threat of espionage on Australian shores. 'At a time of permanent regional contest, offenders will attempt to spy on individuals, groups and institutions in Australia', he said in an apparent reference to Beijing. The woman's name cannot be revealed due to a temporary suppression order which was granted after her lawyer James Maher argued her safety would be put in jeopardy if her identity was not concealed. She was refused bail by Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker, who agreed with prosecutors that the woman could be a potential flight risk. The offence of reckless foreign interference carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment. ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess, whose agency provided the AFP with the information to launch their investigation, last week warned about the rising cost of espionage to the Australian economy, which he said amounted to $12.5 billion a year. He said that ASIO had foiled 24 significant espionage and interference operations in the past three years alone.
Nikkei Asia
30-07-2025
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Australia widens teen social media ban to YouTube
SYDNEY (Reuters) -- Australia said on Wednesday it will add YouTube to sites covered by its world-first ban on social media for teenagers, reversing an earlier decision to exempt the Alphabet-owned video-sharing site and potentially setting up a legal challenge. The decision came after the internet regulator urged the government last month to overturn the YouTube carve-out, citing a survey that found 37% of minors reported harmful content on the site, the worst showing for a social media platform. "I'm calling time on it," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement highlighting that Australian children were being negatively affected by online platforms, and reminding social media of their social responsibility. "I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs." The decision broadens the ban set to take effect in December. YouTube says it is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 15, and should not be classified as social media because its main activity is hosting videos. "Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens. It's not social media," a YouTube spokesperson said by email. Since the government said last year it would exempt YouTube due to its popularity with teachers, platforms covered by the ban, such as Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, have complained. They say YouTube has key similarities to their products, including letting users interact and recommending content through an algorithm based on activity. The ban outlaws YouTube accounts for those younger than 16, allowing parents and teachers to show videos on it to minors. "Teachers are always curators of any resource for appropriateness (and) will be judicious," said Angela Falkenberg, president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, which supports the ban. Artificial intelligence has supercharged the spread of misinformation on social media platforms such as YouTube, said Adam Marre, chief information security officer at cyber security firm Arctic Wolf. "The Australian government's move to regulate YouTube is an important step in pushing back against the unchecked power of big tech and protecting kids," he added in an email. The reversal sets up a fresh dispute with Alphabet, which threatened to withdraw some Google services from Australia in 2021 to avoid a law forcing it to pay news outlets for content appearing in searches. Last week, YouTube told Reuters it had written to the government urging it "to uphold the integrity of the legislative process". Australian media said YouTube threatened a court challenge, but YouTube did not confirm that. "I will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the well-being of Australian kids," Communications Minister Anika Wells told parliament on Wednesday. The law passed in November only requires "reasonable steps" by social media platforms to keep out Australians younger than 16, or face a fine of up to A$49.5 million. The government, which is due to receive a report this month on tests of age-checking products, has said those results will influence enforcement of the ban.
The Advertiser
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Uber makes app changes to take more seniors for a ride
Australians will be among the first in the world to test features designed to make ride-share services easier for seniors to access. Uber announced the rollout of two features designed for riders over the age of 65 on Monday, including one that will allow family members to book, pay for and track their trips. The announcement comes one month after the features were launched in the US and after a study showed more than one in three older Australians found it difficult to arrange their own transport. The features added to the tech giant's app would include "simple mode" that had been designed for older travellers who wanted easier access to rides, Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Emma Foley said. "Many older Australians have a smartphone these days, but figuring out how to use something new for the first time can still be a challenge," Ms Foley told AAP. "Simple mode is for independent seniors who are happy to be out on their own but want to have a simpler way to book a ride." When activated, the mode will show larger text in the app, fewer icons, and allow users to save frequently visited locations for quick access. Also introduced in the update, "senior accounts" will feature more controls for family members, allowing them to track trips, contact drivers directly, as well as booking and paying for rides. "The classic use case for this might be someone who is caring for their elderly mum and can't be there to take them to a doctor's appointment but wants to book a ride for them, track that trip, call the driver directly... and make it really simple to keep an eye on their loved one," Ms Foley said. The features, tested in the US in June, will be delivered after a survey of more than 1000 Australians conducted by YouGov found 36 per cent of seniors considered organising transport to be a challenge in their daily lives. It also comes less than a year after Uber launched a Caregiver feature in Australia to book trips on behalf of others, and a Teen mode expected to be delivered to NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory shortly. Research undertaken by Roy Morgan showed Uber had become significantly more popular than taxis in Australia, with more than 7.4 million people using the app-based service in March 2025 compared to 4.2 million hailing taxis. Uber was significantly less popular with older generations, as the research found 1.05 million Baby Boomers used the service compared to 1.02 million using taxis, while the Interwar generation, born before 1946, preferred taxis to ride-share options. Australians will be among the first in the world to test features designed to make ride-share services easier for seniors to access. Uber announced the rollout of two features designed for riders over the age of 65 on Monday, including one that will allow family members to book, pay for and track their trips. The announcement comes one month after the features were launched in the US and after a study showed more than one in three older Australians found it difficult to arrange their own transport. The features added to the tech giant's app would include "simple mode" that had been designed for older travellers who wanted easier access to rides, Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Emma Foley said. "Many older Australians have a smartphone these days, but figuring out how to use something new for the first time can still be a challenge," Ms Foley told AAP. "Simple mode is for independent seniors who are happy to be out on their own but want to have a simpler way to book a ride." When activated, the mode will show larger text in the app, fewer icons, and allow users to save frequently visited locations for quick access. Also introduced in the update, "senior accounts" will feature more controls for family members, allowing them to track trips, contact drivers directly, as well as booking and paying for rides. "The classic use case for this might be someone who is caring for their elderly mum and can't be there to take them to a doctor's appointment but wants to book a ride for them, track that trip, call the driver directly... and make it really simple to keep an eye on their loved one," Ms Foley said. The features, tested in the US in June, will be delivered after a survey of more than 1000 Australians conducted by YouGov found 36 per cent of seniors considered organising transport to be a challenge in their daily lives. It also comes less than a year after Uber launched a Caregiver feature in Australia to book trips on behalf of others, and a Teen mode expected to be delivered to NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory shortly. Research undertaken by Roy Morgan showed Uber had become significantly more popular than taxis in Australia, with more than 7.4 million people using the app-based service in March 2025 compared to 4.2 million hailing taxis. Uber was significantly less popular with older generations, as the research found 1.05 million Baby Boomers used the service compared to 1.02 million using taxis, while the Interwar generation, born before 1946, preferred taxis to ride-share options. Australians will be among the first in the world to test features designed to make ride-share services easier for seniors to access. Uber announced the rollout of two features designed for riders over the age of 65 on Monday, including one that will allow family members to book, pay for and track their trips. The announcement comes one month after the features were launched in the US and after a study showed more than one in three older Australians found it difficult to arrange their own transport. The features added to the tech giant's app would include "simple mode" that had been designed for older travellers who wanted easier access to rides, Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Emma Foley said. "Many older Australians have a smartphone these days, but figuring out how to use something new for the first time can still be a challenge," Ms Foley told AAP. "Simple mode is for independent seniors who are happy to be out on their own but want to have a simpler way to book a ride." When activated, the mode will show larger text in the app, fewer icons, and allow users to save frequently visited locations for quick access. Also introduced in the update, "senior accounts" will feature more controls for family members, allowing them to track trips, contact drivers directly, as well as booking and paying for rides. "The classic use case for this might be someone who is caring for their elderly mum and can't be there to take them to a doctor's appointment but wants to book a ride for them, track that trip, call the driver directly... and make it really simple to keep an eye on their loved one," Ms Foley said. The features, tested in the US in June, will be delivered after a survey of more than 1000 Australians conducted by YouGov found 36 per cent of seniors considered organising transport to be a challenge in their daily lives. It also comes less than a year after Uber launched a Caregiver feature in Australia to book trips on behalf of others, and a Teen mode expected to be delivered to NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory shortly. Research undertaken by Roy Morgan showed Uber had become significantly more popular than taxis in Australia, with more than 7.4 million people using the app-based service in March 2025 compared to 4.2 million hailing taxis. Uber was significantly less popular with older generations, as the research found 1.05 million Baby Boomers used the service compared to 1.02 million using taxis, while the Interwar generation, born before 1946, preferred taxis to ride-share options. Australians will be among the first in the world to test features designed to make ride-share services easier for seniors to access. Uber announced the rollout of two features designed for riders over the age of 65 on Monday, including one that will allow family members to book, pay for and track their trips. The announcement comes one month after the features were launched in the US and after a study showed more than one in three older Australians found it difficult to arrange their own transport. The features added to the tech giant's app would include "simple mode" that had been designed for older travellers who wanted easier access to rides, Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Emma Foley said. "Many older Australians have a smartphone these days, but figuring out how to use something new for the first time can still be a challenge," Ms Foley told AAP. "Simple mode is for independent seniors who are happy to be out on their own but want to have a simpler way to book a ride." When activated, the mode will show larger text in the app, fewer icons, and allow users to save frequently visited locations for quick access. Also introduced in the update, "senior accounts" will feature more controls for family members, allowing them to track trips, contact drivers directly, as well as booking and paying for rides. "The classic use case for this might be someone who is caring for their elderly mum and can't be there to take them to a doctor's appointment but wants to book a ride for them, track that trip, call the driver directly... and make it really simple to keep an eye on their loved one," Ms Foley said. The features, tested in the US in June, will be delivered after a survey of more than 1000 Australians conducted by YouGov found 36 per cent of seniors considered organising transport to be a challenge in their daily lives. It also comes less than a year after Uber launched a Caregiver feature in Australia to book trips on behalf of others, and a Teen mode expected to be delivered to NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory shortly. Research undertaken by Roy Morgan showed Uber had become significantly more popular than taxis in Australia, with more than 7.4 million people using the app-based service in March 2025 compared to 4.2 million hailing taxis. Uber was significantly less popular with older generations, as the research found 1.05 million Baby Boomers used the service compared to 1.02 million using taxis, while the Interwar generation, born before 1946, preferred taxis to ride-share options.
News18
10-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Sunil Gavaskar Birthday: Why Is He Called The Little Master? Career Stats And Achievements
Last Updated: Sunil Gavaskar Birthday: In a glorious 16-year career, he played 125 Test matches and scored 10,122 runs with 34 centuries, inspiring a golden generation of batters that followed. Happy Birthday, Sunil Gavaskar: One of India's greatest cricketers, Sunil Gavaskar, celebrates his birthday today. Born on July 10, 1949, Gavaskar is renowned for his technical perfection and excellent resolve as a batter. Among the grittiest openers in Test cricket, Gavaskar's contribution to Indian cricket is huge as he stood up against the world's finest fast-bowling attacks, including the then dominant West Indies side, without ever using a helmet and became the first player in the history of Tests to reach 10,000 runs. Gavaskar fought for days on the pitch to keep his Indian side competitive against the might of the Caribbean, the English, the Australians and Pakistan and changed perceptions about Indian cricket, earning the country great respect in the cricket world. In a glorious 16-year career, Gavaskar played 125 Test matches and scored 10,122 runs with 34 centuries, inspiring a golden generation of batters that followed. He also made his mark as a captain of India, winning the 1985 Benson & Hedges Championship in Australia. Why Sunil Gavaskar Is Called The Little Master? Gavaskar is widely regarded as the original 'Little Master' of Indian cricket. The iconic nickname and title got bestowed upon him by the fans and commentators for his incredible batsmanship in the 70s and 80s. Gavaskar's physical stature may be small, but he produced the tallest feats while facing great attacks in his prime. Because of his remarkable attributes, including his masterful technique and unshakable temperament, the nickname Little Master perfectly suited the legend. The maestro right-hander also represented his country in 108 One-Day Internationals with 3,092 runs at an average of 35.13 with 27 half-centuries and a solitary hundred. Gavaskar, who was considered a slow-going player not fit for the fast-paced ODIs, proved his naysayers wrong by producing a scintillating 88-ball 103 not out at the 1987 World Cup versus New Zealand. The Little Master held multiple great records during his career. Apart from becoming the first player to reach 10,000 Test runs, Gavaskar's kitty of landmark achievements features the highest (774) runs in a series by a debutant, a feat he achieved against his favourite opposition, West Indies, at the age of 21 on the historic 1971 tour and helped India win in the Caribbean for the first time. He was also the first player in Test cricket to go past Sir Donald Bradman's tally of 29 hundreds. Gavaskar's 34 centuries was a world record until 2005 when his legendary successor Sachin Tendulkar surpassed him. In the year 1980, the Indian government conferred the prestigious Padma Bhushan to Gavaskar for his service to the nation, while the BCCI honoured him with the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. In 1996, Gavaskar and his Australian counterpart Allan Border were honoured by the two countries' cricket boards with the inauguration of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 10 Lesser-Known Facts About Sunil Gavaskar Gavaskar once revealed he was swapped with a fisherman's son at his birth by the hospital staff and was only identified by his uncle because of a unique mark near his ear. He is the only Indian to score hundreds in both innings of same Test 3 times and is the fastest Indian to get to 5,000 Test runs. Sunil Gavaskar held the highest individual score for an Indian Test batter in England with his 221 at Old Trafford in 1974 until it was surpassed recently by Shubman Gill with his 269 at Edgbaston. Gavaskar was part of a whopping 58 Test century partnerships alongside 18 different players. He is the first non-wicketkeeper Indian fielder to bag over a hundred catches in Test cricket. In 1983, Gavaskar became the first Indian to carry his bat through in a Test match with his 127 not out in the Faisalabad Test against Pakistan. In 1980, Wisden named him one of their Cricketers Of The Year. Gavaskar was sworn in as Bombay Sheriff, an honorary post, for a year at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai in 1994. He became the first and till date only Indian cricketer to deliver the MCC Spirit Of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in 2003. Gavaskar was appointed the interim BCCI president in 2014. About the Author Cricketnext Staff A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses, features, live scores, results, stats and everything that's cricket from all over the globe. Follow @cricketnext First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News.com.au
11-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Should be worried': Mark Bouris' superannuation warning to young Aussies
Millionaire businessman Mark Bouris has warned 'every young person' in Australia 'should be worried' as debate rages over Labor's superannuation tax changes. From July, 12 per cent of most workers' wages will be paid into their superannuation fund (a 0.5 per cent increase from the current amount). Treasurer Jim Chalmers' proposed changes, known as Division 296, would double the rate of tax levied by the government from 15 per cent to 30 per cent for superannuation balances over $3 million. Only around 80,000 Australians, or 0.5 per cent of the population, currently have super balances above $3 million, but industry groups have warned that if the threshold is not indexed to inflation it could eventually capture the majority of Gen Zs entering the workforce today. Mr Bouris joined the chorus in the latest episode of his Mentored+ podcast, arguing Labor's super tax on unreleased gains will put more – not less – pressure on young people. 'Every young person in the country should be worried about this, and I'll tell you why: because every old person in the country has experienced building their superannuation up with only 15 per cent tax rate from day 1, for the last 30, 40 years, since (then-Prime Minister Paul) Keating introduced it in the early '90s,' he said. Compulsory employer contributions to superannuation were introduced by Mr Keating in 1992, at the time requiring them to kick in 4 per cent. According to a recent study by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), some $4.2 trillion of superannuation is held by Australian workers, while household savings have been boosted by more than $500 billion since compulsory super's inception. 'We've had this, all of us had this fantastic low-tax situation with the money we earn in our super fund,' Mr Bouris said. 'Now, young people who accumulate more than $3 million worth of assets – and they will – will not have the same benefits that everyone else has had since Keating introduced this legislation.' Mr Bouris suggested the former leader 'must be just feeling completely demoralised and probably, to some extent, betrayed' by the expected changes, which he described as 'the envy of the rest of the world … put there to take the strain off government'. Last August, Mr Keating warned the 'unconscionable' doubling of tax on retirement savings could turn superannuation into a low- and middle-income pension scheme and damage community confidence in the system he had created. 'All (Labor's changes) is going to do is put more strain on government when people retire, because people are not going to retire with enough money because they are going to be paying too much tax – and the people who are going to be affected by that most is anyone starting work today, any new young person,' Mr Bouris continued. 'So if you're a young person and you're saying, 'Oh, this is great', because you're gonna get rich people to transfer the wealth across to the younger people – uh-uh. 'You will be transferring it to your kids – and it's going to keep going like that forever, and this $3 million at some period of time will be worth, like, $100k, like a hundred grand's-worth today, because the time value of money just keeps creeping and creeping and creeping.' Labor first announced the crackdown on tax concessions for very large super balances in 2023, but the legislation was blocked by the previous Senate. The changes – expected to initially claw back $2.7 billion a year and nearly $40 billion over a decade – now look likely to become law as a deal with the Greens looms. 'What we need to do is make sure that our superannuation system is fair,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last week. 'That is what we are setting out to do.' Division 296 will also be applied to defined benefit pensions — an older style of superannuation scheme that was common in public sector and local government workplaces until the 1990s. A defined benefit pension guarantees the amount you will receive in retirement. The move to include it in the new tax changes are to ensure 'commensurate treatment' as high-balance super funds — although unlike super account holders, those eligible will be able to defer the payments until they retire. Interest will be charged annually on the deferred tax liability at the 10-year bond rate, currently at around 4.5 per cent. Treasury estimates that 10,000 members with defined benefit interests will be impacted by the new tax in 2025-26, 'representing approximately 1 per cent of the total population with DB interests'.
