Latest news with #COVID-19
Sydney Morning Herald
20 minutes ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why it's the toughest time to buy a home in the past 18 months
The average number of bidders making offers at auctions nationwide has reached its highest level in 18 months, providing momentum in the market weeks ahead of the traditional spring peak. Buyers are more certain of their budgets and acting decisively, experts say, following two interest rate cuts this year and a recent hold. This bullishness, along with a fear of missing out during an upcoming busy period, caused a spike in competition under the hammer in June. Ray White data shows nationally last month there was an average of 3.1 active bidders, and an average of 4.7 registered bidders, for every property that went to auction. The active bidder metrics are the highest since January 2024 and measure parties who made bids on the auction floor. At that time, active bidders also clocked in at 3.1, to 5.5 registered bidders. The national pattern is reflected in NSW and Victoria participation numbers, which have risen steadily over the course of the year. In June, Ray White found an average of 3.7 bidders registered and 2.9 bidders took part in Victorian auctions. In NSW, 4.8 bidders signed on and 2.9 joined in. The pinnacle in both states, and nationally, was September 2021, when money was cheap to borrow and the upheaval of COVID-19 stimulated feverish buying and selling. Then, 4.1 bidders were active and 8.4 registered.
The Age
20 minutes ago
- Business
- The Age
Why it's the toughest time to buy a home in the past 18 months
The average number of bidders making offers at auctions nationwide has reached its highest level in 18 months, providing momentum in the market weeks ahead of the traditional spring peak. Buyers are more certain of their budgets and acting decisively, experts say, following two interest rate cuts this year and a recent hold. This bullishness, along with a fear of missing out during an upcoming busy period, caused a spike in competition under the hammer in June. Ray White data shows nationally last month there was an average of 3.1 active bidders, and an average of 4.7 registered bidders, for every property that went to auction. The active bidder metrics are the highest since January 2024 and measure parties who made bids on the auction floor. At that time, active bidders also clocked in at 3.1, to 5.5 registered bidders. The national pattern is reflected in NSW and Victoria participation numbers, which have risen steadily over the course of the year. In June, Ray White found an average of 3.7 bidders registered and 2.9 bidders took part in Victorian auctions. In NSW, 4.8 bidders signed on and 2.9 joined in. The pinnacle in both states, and nationally, was September 2021, when money was cheap to borrow and the upheaval of COVID-19 stimulated feverish buying and selling. Then, 4.1 bidders were active and 8.4 registered.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
What is Zoom bombing? Ontario bans public attendance from virtual courtrooms citing rise in intrusions
An increase in cyber harassment and hijacking of court proceedings, known as 'Zoom bombing,' has prompted Ontario to ban the public from attending virtually. A memo was sent last Wednesday by the province's assistant deputy attorney general Katie Wood to court staff across Ontario saying the public will no longer be permitted to observe court proceedings virtually, according to a CBC report . 'If the public would like to attend, they will be required to do so in person,' the memo said, according to that reporting. This, according to the CBC report, was prompted by a spike in 'Zoom bombing incidents' that saw virtual intruders display 'offensive content and targeted behaviour' that interrupted proceedings. The province's justice landscape underwent a drastic transformation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to courts switching to remote hearings using meeting platforms like Zoom. Despite the convenience, the move to online proceedings has raised concerns about increasing incidents of Zoom bombing. The report indicates the ban is in effect for the Ontario Court of Justice. Zoom bombing is the act of disrupting online meetings that have been shared publicly. It involves internet trolls crashing Zoom meetings with displays of pornographic or hate images and threatening language, according to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In Ontario, virtual court proceedings and local government meetings have been derailed by participants who unmute themselves to make offensive comments or hijack screens to display disturbing images and words. A 2024 memo from Tribunals Ontario said disruptions during an event or proceeding 'which could include lewd or obscene behaviour such as shouting, screaming or making threats, broadcasting sexually explicit sounds, images, or videos' may lead the Tribunals Ontario adjudicators or staff to ban the intruder from rejoining and further actions if the disruption is perceived as a threat. Only the host or co-host can remove people from a meeting. To do this, the host can use the participant list within the meeting interface. Tap 'more' or the three dots next to the participant's name in the participant list to see additional actions. Then select remove, and confirm the removal when prompted. After reports of an increase in Zoom bombing from the University of Toronto community, U of T issued a list of best practices to protect against this type of disruption including: Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
India.com
an hour ago
- Politics
- India.com
Big jolt to Iran's plan to develop nuclear bomb as just before ceasefire Israel succeeded in…
Home News Big jolt to Iran's plan to develop nuclear bomb as just before ceasefire Israel succeeded in… Big jolt to Iran's plan to develop nuclear bomb as just before ceasefire Israel succeeded in… He was a key figure in Iran's nuclear weapons programme. New Delhi: Iran has admitted to serious damage to its nuclear facilities in the US attack during the war with Israel last month. But Iran suffered a huge loss in this war, which is a big blow to its dream of making a nuclear bomb. This loss happened just hours before the end of the war, when Israel killed an Iranian nuclear scientist in a missile attack, who was responsible for developing the explosive core of the nuclear weapon. Iran International has given this information in its report. When did it happen? According to the report, nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Sadighi was targeted by three missiles less than three hours before the ceasefire began. The report describes Reza Sadighi as Iran's hope of acquiring a nuclear bomb. Explosive expert Reza Sadighi involved in Iran's secret nuclear project was targeted on the first day of the war, but he survived during that time. He was killed in the town of Astaneh Ashrafiyeh in Gilan province, northwest of Tehran, on the last day before the ceasefire began. Identity was hidden from even his family The report states that Sadighi's work was kept completely hidden and he was publicly presented as a researcher who was involved in the development of an Iranian COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Ministry of Defense. In this way his role in Iran's military nuclear program was hidden. Interestingly, even his family was not aware of his real work. Was killed along with wife and children Sadighi was a key figure in Iran's nuclear weapons program and was involved in explosive research since 1990. On June 13, Israel killed 9 Iranian nuclear scientists and experts on the first day of its attack on Iran. Sadighi survived the attack. However, his 17-year-old son was killed. The Israeli army fired three missiles targeting his residence at 1:07 am on June 23, in the last few hours before the ceasefire. Sadighi along with his children, wife and 15 others including his family were killed in this attack. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest World News on
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Realities behind the global experiment of ‘remote work'
The quiet revolution of remote work, once hailed as the future of labour, has become far more complicated than anyone imagined. Millions of workers across the world dream of the freedom and the flexibility that come with working from home. However, in reality, far fewer actually enjoy it. This gap between aspiration and practice reflects a dense web of cultural expectations, managerial hesitation, infrastructural challenges, and the hidden costs of working outside the traditional office. Survey findings, gender issues The 'Global Survey of Working Arrangements', conducted by the Ifo Institute and Stanford University, covering over 16,000 college-educated workers across 40 countries between 2024 and 2025, lays bare this paradox. No matter where they live, workers express a clear wish for more remote days. How this plays out on the ground varies widely. In countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, people average 1.6 remote workdays per week. In much of Asia, the figure is only 1.1 — a little more than half of what employees there say they ideally want. Africa and Latin America fall somewhere in between. Why the lag in Asia? The reasons are unsurprising. In India, China, Japan, South Korea and elsewhere, physical presence in the office still signals loyalty, discipline and seriousness. The old culture of 'presenteeism' endures stubbornly. Compounding this are cramped living conditions, shared spaces and unreliable Internet, all of which make remote work unattractive or even unfeasible, for many urban dwellers. But geography is only part of the story. Gender casts its own long shadow. In most countries, women, particularly mothers, tend to work from home more often than men — and desire it more strongly. For them, remote work offers a partial answer to the long-standing struggle of balancing paid work with care-giving. Survey data show that mothers express the highest ideal number of remote days per week (2.66 days), closely followed by childless women (2.53). Fathers also want flexibility, but to a lesser extent. Curiously, it is only in Europe that men do report slightly more actual remote workdays than women. These numbers reopen an old, unresolved question: is women's desire for remote work truly a sign of empowerment? Or is it merely a response to the continuing burden of unpaid care? For all the talk of gender equality, the division of household labour remains deeply unequal. For many mothers, the chance to work remotely may reflect not freedom of choice but hard necessity: the only practical way to manage two full-time roles (employee and caregiver) under the same roof. The appetite for working from home points to cultural shifts among men, too. Many men without children say they prefer remote work not because of family obligations but because they value freedom: there is time for health, hobbies, creativity, or simply relief from the daily grind of office life. The COVID-19 pandemic years proved that productivity could survive, perhaps even thrive, without office cubicles. Having tasted this autonomy, many are reluctant to surrender it. Still, the most striking revelation is the widening gap between what workers want and what they get. The global average for 'ideal' remote days is now 2.6 days per week. The reality? Just 1.27 days in 2024, a drop from 1.33 days the year before, and sharply down from 1.61 days in 2022. The unease of employers, health concerns What explains this retreat? Many employers remain uneasy. They worry about falling team spirit, lost oversight, and declining innovation. Some industries lack the tools or the systems for remote success. And the ingrained habits of office life continue to exert a powerful influence. That is only half the picture. The risks of working from home, especially to health, are becoming clearer. Data from Statista Consumer Insights (2023) reveal that remote workers are more prone to physical ailments: backaches, headaches, eye strain and joint pains, more so than their factory- or office-bound counterparts. The mental toll is significant as well. Isolation, blurred boundaries and constant digital connection all exact a price. Most homes, after all, are not designed for ergonomic safety or sustained mental focus. These hidden costs may explain why some companies are quietly pulling back on remote options. However, to abandon the model completely would overlook its real advantages: greater autonomy, better work-life balance, less commuting stress, and higher job satisfaction. Possible alternatives So, where does this leave workers, employers and policymakers? In need of imagination and honesty. Hybrid work, a carefully designed mix of home and office time offers the best path for most jobs. However, hybrid models alone will not suffice. Companies must invest in making home offices safer and more productive, support healthy routines and breaks, and create clear digital boundaries to prevent burnout. Governments, too, must catch up. Remote work demands fresh protections: universal broadband access, stipends for home-office upgrades, and enforceable health standards. These are especially critical in developing economies, where infrastructure lags behind. Furthermore, beneath all this lies a deeper social reckoning. If women remain saddled with the bulk of care-giving even when working from home, can we really speak of progress toward gender equality? If men now seek remote work more for freedom than family, what does that say about changing male identities in the workplace? The global experiment in working from home is not just about technology or convenience. It is a mirror, reflecting the unresolved tensions between freedom and control, trust and suspicion, autonomy and loneliness. P. John J. Kennedy is former Professor and Dean, Christ University, Bengaluru
