Latest news with #JohnShipton
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
If 70 is the new 53, what does that mean for your money and retirement? ANDREW OXLADE
At 51, there are mornings when I feel closer to 70. I therefore couldn't help feeling slight amusement to read that 70 is apparently the new 53. Research cited in the IMF's World Economic Outlook, based on samples in 41 countries, suggested the average 70-year-old in 2022 had the same cognitive ability as a 53-year-old in 2000. It is a remarkable improvement for such a short period. The report, published last month, suggested such improvements mean those employed at 70 see a 30 per cent uplift in earnings. John Shipton is an extreme and inspiring example of embracing later life work. At 93, he loves his job at Waitrose in Exeter. He joined at 80 and was immediately put on the tills, a decision he thought 'a bit remarkable'. Today, customers queue for a chance to be served by him. It's an inspiring example of finding purpose beyond our usual working lives. Not everyone can do it. Our careers can end due to ill health, or we may struggle to find the right work - the best fit - to work on. But the figures suggest that despite the dramatic increase in later life acuity, there is no mass inclination to work longer. Men exit the workforce at 65.3, only a smidgen higher than 63.3 in 2000, according to the Office for National Statistics. For women it has risen from 61.2 years to 64.5. But work can give purpose and it can offer a social network. The evidence shows these are health and life-giving factors - maintaining them can help us live longer and live well. I wrote about this on This is Money last summer. I shared my 37-year plan for surviving the 100-year life, and then 'CHILL' - my 'movement' to encourage people to relax about retiring early and find a career that gives them longevity. The acronym - Career Happiness Inspires Longer Lives - prompted some angry responses from the FIRE movement (who advocate obsessive saving to get out of the rat race). The FIRE group on Reddit even invented a spicy new acronym for me, which can't be repeated here. But these trends are not going away. With '70 the new 53', it may be time for a rethink, at any age. Age 25? Start your 'optionality fund' (and thinking) In Antifragile, financial author Nassim Taleb argues that a focus on giving yourself options allows you to outperform the average in an unpredictable world. Such optionality, I argue, can also extend your working live. Your life will, after all, likely be a long life. One in five girls born today can expect to live to 100. For 25-year-olds, average life expectancy is now 85 for men or 88 for women. They may well work to 70 or later. Even for me at 51, the expectation is 84, according to the ONS calculator. Live long and prosper: People may need to accept that longer lives mean more working years Five decades of work warrants a different approach - a longevity plan. This might include a career break, perhaps to travel. That may help you maintain your appetite and stamina to work longer. Or you could plan in a break to hone your work skills or to retrain - to enable a rotation to a career you've always wanted. It could be set up as a freelancer or to become a business founder. It could even merely to spend an extended period to focus on your family - children, parents or even grandparents. Employers are more inclined to support sabbaticals than a generation ago, but not all can do this. And sabbaticals are rarely paid. An 'optionality fund' can help make these dreams a possibility. Such a fund can sit aside from retirement savings. Consider a 25-year-old who puts aside £200 a month, into an Isa (the maximum allowance is a much bigger £20,000 a year). By age 45, it would have grown to £72,216, based on 5 per cent annual returns, with a 1.2 per cent charge incorporated, our sums show. The outcomes can be quite different - at a low growth rate of 3 per cent it would grow to £52,589 and at high return of 8 per cent it would be £100,922. These are powerful amounts. A fund of £72,000 opens up choice - it buys optionality. But the optionality mindset is as important the money. And it can start at any age, but the earlier the better - a conscious focus on developing the right skills can take you to a more fulfilling career. Taleb talks about a barbell strategy, keeping a core of safe work alongside more speculative punts. He cites the example of a lecturer earning a stable income in the day job but dedicating time to speculative ventures like writing books, consulting, or small-scale investing in start-ups. One of these might take off. For longevity, all the better if these areas match your passions. Taleb urges a focus on versatile, generalist skills, such as learning coding basics rather than narrow specialisations, such as becoming expert in a single software type. He also recommends networking without immediate return. Attend community events, informal dinners, or industry meetups without specific objectives. They may lead to unexpected opportunities at a later stage. This is about money - and thinking - that can buy you a different sort of freedom to the conventional aim of full stop retirement. I follow a Facebook group called 'The Epic Retirement Club'. Its members celebrate the merits of retirement, often early. But many tell the other side - a need to return to the fulfilment of some work. Which will you be? Sticking with the job will get easier Mastering optionality can unlock a new career. But perhaps you've already found one you love. Fortunately, it is becoming easier to remain in work. The Default Retirement Age was removed in 2012, banning compulsory retirement. More recently, flexible working is becoming more common. Working fewer days can help delay full retirement. Incidentally, this can also move the dial on your pension sums. If you thought you needed £500,000 to retire at 65, then working one day a week would mean you'd need a fifth less - £400,000. It's a crude assumption but it makes a point. Further policies may follow to encourage later life work - the government needs to undo an alarming trend. In the 1970s, 42 per cent of our lives was spent in economic activity, according to the International Longevity Centre, where I serve as a trustee. The most recent figures show it had dwindled to 38.5 per cent, despite decades of women increasing paid employment. If people aged 50 to 64 worked in the same proportions as those aged 35 to 49, GDP would grow by more than 5 per cent. ILC research also suggests the UK could face a shortfall of 2.6 million workers by 2030. More carrots could be waved at the legions of 60 and 70-somethings to carry on working and apply that retained cognitive ability. But governments tend to combine sticks with carrots… Will the pension age have to rise by more? Raising state pension ages is unpopular but it is a lever with a win-win effect for public finances and the economy. Costs are reduced and older people are more likely to continue working. The state pension age is 66 for both men and women and will steadily rise to 68 by 2044-46, affecting those born after April 1977. However, the plans may change. The timing of the rise to 68 is due to be looked at by an independent review within the next year. It will come back with recommendations that the government accepts or rejects. The last review in 2022 recommended an increase to 68 in 2041-43 and mooted a rise to 69 in 2046-48. An earlier review suggested 68 by 2037-39. The age you can access your own work and private pensions is also rising. It will increase from 55 to 57 in 2028, affecting anyone born on or after 6 April 1973. This coincides with the state pension increase to 67 and, in theory, the private pension age will then track 10 years below the state pension. This is another stick available to policymakers. Optionality can help future-proof you from the stick of rising pension ages. And it is always good to have options, as you don't know how you will feel about life and work in the future. Our Waitrose worker John Shipton lost his wife four years ago and his job has been a help and a comfort. He sums up the CHILL approach better than I can: 'It's the pleasure of being with other people, the pleasure of working. Interactions with other people are so important in your life. It stops you going completely bananas.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Devon Waitrose worker, 94, has no plans to retire
A man who started a job at Waitrose at the age of 80 is still working there aged 94 - and said he has no plans to Shipton has been described as a "local legend" and a "national treasure" by colleagues at the Exeter branch of the said he had been asked many times about the prospect of retirement but had no plans to give up."At first I thought I would probably stop at 95, but the most important thing is that I can still climb the stairs to the canteen because that is vital," he said. Mr Shipton has had many jobs in his long working life. He served in the army before working in electronics, has been a cabinet maker, restored antique furniture, maintained swimming pools and programmed he said his job at Waitrose did not feel like work."I come here to play with my customers; the relationships with the customers are beautiful," said Mr McConnachie, deputy branch manager for Waitrose, Exeter, said Mr Shipton was brilliant with all customers: "Young and old, he will talk to anyone; he is sort of a national treasure for us in the branch."Customer Dana added: "John is an amazing man, he teaches us all what it is to be human."John said the secret to a good life was having fun and working in a job you said: "You just have to find what you are passionate about, and do that".
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
I'm 93 and I still work on the tills at Waitrose - they took me on when I was 80 and it stops me going bananas
He may be 93 but that's not stopping John Shipton from doing what he loves most: chatting to customers and keeping busy on the tills at Waitrose. The sprightly nonagenarian has become something of a local legend in Exeter, Devon, where shoppers often queue just to be served by him. John, who started at the branch when it opened in 2011, was offered the job at the age of 80 - something he still finds 'a bit remarkable'. Now, 13 years on, he's still going strong. 'Probably half of my customers are regulars, I would think, maybe even more than half,' John told The Times during one of his rare mornings off. 'I do have a strange reputation in that they tend to queue up at my till.' And it's no wonder. John's warmth and wisdom have turned him into a firm favourite among locals, many of whom come in just for a natter. After a career in electronics and later working for Exeter City Council, John didn't settle into retirement quietly. At 74, he jumped back into the workforce at Sainsbury's before making the move to Waitrose six years later. He said: 'They took me on when I was 80, which I thought was a bit remarkable.' For John, the job is more than just work — it's a lifeline. '[Working] enables me to chat to people every day,' he said, 'you've got lovely regular customers who will come and see you, sometimes twice a week, and you get to know them and their family, you get to know their problems.' He's even been known to offer a comforting hug if someone's had a loss. 'It's the pleasure of being with other people, the pleasure of working. Interactions with other people are so important in your life. It stops you going completely bananas.' When his beloved wife Julia Marise passed away four years ago, John admitted he was 'at a loss'. But his life changed when he welcomed Ukrainian refugees Oksana and her teenage son Illia into his home. The trio have formed a heartwarming family unit - even going on holiday together. 'They're exceptionally good to me,' he said. 'I don't think I've cooked and washed up more than three times in the last three years. They look after me, and I look after them.' And it's not just his adopted family who value him. Waitrose clearly knows a gem when they see one. 'Waitrose actually looks after you. They're an amazing company to work for,' John said. When he broke his hip gardening, they paid him in full for the entire three months he took to recover. Even the directors stay in touch. 'They're lovely people. They're just lovely people. I write to directors, and I had a director come and visit me the other day.' Branch manager Nick Davis couldn't agree more: 'John is an incredible person, an exemplary partner, brilliant with customers, and we are very proud to have him as part of the team.'
SBS Australia
25-04-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
How this Russian disinformation network uses BRICS to advance its narratives in Australia
Reports last week that Russia had requested the use of a military base in Indonesia, a new BRICS member, caused an uproar in Australia. The suggestion that Russian military planes might be positioned just 1300 kilometres from Darwin elicited strong comments from both the Prime Minister and the leader of opposition. Two days later, a spokesperson from Indonesia's Foreign Ministry published an official statement that the country "never granted permission to any country to build or possess a military base". Politicians, commentators and experts are now grappling with how to respond to the growing influence of Russia and , an intergovernmental organisation of 10 countries with "emerging economies". But reports suggest some Russian organisations have already been using BRICS as a platform for spreading disinformation abroad, including in Australia. 'Geopolitical centre of the world shifting to the East' In September 2024, John Shipton, activist and father of Julian Assange, appeared via conference call from Australia at a panel discussion in Kazan, Russia, titled "Freedom of Speech in Digital Multipolarity: Guarantees and Risks". At the event, organised by the BRICS Journalists Association (BJA), Shipton received a "Voice of the World BRICS 2024" award. Mira Terada, chair of the panel discussion and co-director of BJA, said her organisation decided to award Shipton for his "steadfastness, dedication and honesty". The same award was also presented to another Australian, Simeon Boikov. Also known as Aussie Cossack, Boikov has reportedly been evading arrest by hiding out in the Russian consulate in Sydney for over two years. Terada said that BJA was awarding him "for courage, loyalty and assistance to the front". Speaking to the event via conference call from the Russian consulate in Sydney, Boikov said that BRICS should become a foundation for new, alternative platforms that support freedom of speech. Mira Terada (L) and John Shipton (R) present at a panel discussion in Kazan, Russia, in September 2024. Terada is co-director of the BRICS Journalists Association, and director of the Russian Foundation to Battle Injustice (R-FBI). Researchers at Clemson University have linked R-FBI to disinformation campaign Storm-1516, that creates and promotes pro-Russian disinformation narratives. A month later, in October 2024, the Russian city of Kazan was in the spotlight again. It hosted the 16th BRICS summit, with India's Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping in attendance. This time appearing in person, John Shipton Russian state media outlet RT, which is subject to sanctions in Australia, that "the movement of the geopolitical center of the world" was shifting towards the East. "I am enthralled with ... the Russian Federation, China and Xi Jinping and Modi in India … I'm enthralled by the emergence of their vision within the difficulties [of the] historical distribution of geopolitical power," he said. Shipton appeared at the BRICS summit alongside another Australian, Adrian McRae, member of Port Headland Council in Western Australia. with a Russian state media outlet during the summit, McRae praised BRICS for offering a "new system of cooperation and trade" as opposed to "the hegemony of the US dollar". What is BRICS? BRICS was founded in 2009 as a meeting of four countries — Brazil, Russian, India and China (BRIC) — interested in reforming global financial systems. They were joined by South Africa in 2010. Melissa Conley Tyler, executive director of the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue (AP4D) and an honorary fellow at the University of Melbourne, told SBS Examines BRICS has gone through significant change in the past two decades. "[There was] this sense of networks across the countries. That could be everything from hospital administrators to academics to think tanks and journalists. "They were saying: the BRICS countries had more in common, and they should network more with each other ... essentially sharing knowledge. "But then surprisingly, in 2024, the third stage happens and we had expansion. So we now have Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Nigeria. And most recently, just this year, after Indonesia's election, President Prabowo had Indonesia join." Today, BRICS has a network of organisations and professional forums from a range of spheres — from law to theatre — and even has its own BRICS TV, a media outlet registered in Russia. The BRICS Journalists Association (BJA) is not officially affiliated with BRICS, but actively participates in events organised by other government agencies around BRICS, and hosts its own events, sometimes with Russian government officials in attendance. BJA states on its that it is "a public formation and is outside the sphere of state policy". Among its purposes, it lists: "Ensuring a strong and coordinated media response to information attacks, which continue to be directed both at the BRICS countries and at all states supporting multipolarity. Especially from the mainstream Western media." 'Russia is not a cancelled country' While in Russia, Shipton appeared alongside BJA co-director Mira Terada for an , where she told the outlet he arrived at the invitation of BJA. "It is important to show that Russia is not a cancelled country with cancelled culture, how the West is trying to show to the rest of the world. And this is a good example," she said. Dr Robert Horvath, specialist in Russian politics at La Trobe University, told SBS Examines that Terada belongs to a group of pro-Kremlin so-called human rights activists. These activists have served prison time in countries regarded as adversaries of the Kremlin, and are presented as victims of unjust persecution. Terada served two years in US prison for money laundering. After she arrived back in Russia, she became the director of the Russian Foundation to Battle Injustice (R-FBI). "Terada's Foundation to Battle Injustice is probably the most extreme Kremlin-backed 'human rights organisation'," Dr Horvath told SBS Examines. "This is not surprising, because it was originally created by Evgeny Prigozhin as part of his media and disinformation empire". Dr Horvath said some of the activities of Terada's R-FBI include fake reports defaming leading German politicians, suggesting they support the legalisation of paedophilia. "Another [report] falsely alleged that the Ukrainian armed forces were engaged in medical experimentation. The clear aim was to suggest parallels with medical experimentation in Nazi death camps and to reinforce Kremlin propaganda about democratic Ukraine as a neo-Nazi regime." Narrative laundering campaign In October 2024, the Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University published a report linking R-FBI and a "narrative laundering campaign" known as Storm-1516. Microsoft's Threat Analysis Centre identified the Storm-1516 campaign earlier that year as an actor that "successfully laundered anti-Ukraine narratives into U.S. audiences using a consistent pattern across multiple languages". described "narrative laundering" as a process of spreading disinformation while trying to conceal its origins. It detailed how Storm-1516 and R-FBI generate fake news stories and "propagandistic reports", sometimes with the help of AI, then use networks of influencers to share and promote them online. According to the report, stories are published in multiple languages, with content critical of the US, and "with particular focus on the relationship between the West and the Zelensky government". Professor Patrick Warren, co-director of the Media Forensics Hub and one of the authors of the report, told SBS Examines there are several narratives "pushed" by R-FBI. "By far the most common is a narrative about corruption in the Zelensky government in Ukraine. They're pushing this idea that any aid given to Ukraine will just be wasted or stolen, that the regime is both financially and morally corrupt. "These include lots of examples of Zelensky buying fancy things, Olena Zelenska buying jewellery or yachts." These narratives have been created from whole cloth, where they've actually created fake eyewitnesses and fake documents. Patrick Warren, Clemson University Another type of narrative, Prof Warren said, targets global leaders and countries supporting Ukraine, with fake news and disinformation shared about Emmanuel Macron, Joe Biden and the British government. "The main goal here is to make it less attractive to support Ukraine." 'Oddball unusual journalists' Clemson University's report suggested that the BRICS Journalists Association (BJA) is used by R-FBI as a network to promote this content. "[R-FBI] has really set itself up as the leading Russian organisation that pulls in what they call independent journalists, sort of outsider journalists from many countries around the world; especially BRICS countries, but other countries too," Prof Warren said. "It uses that network of kind of aligned voices to distribute narratives that make the Russian government look attractive, and maybe even more common than that — make competitors to the Russian government look unattractive. "So that's the role that the organisation plays: bringing together these disparate voices that might be led to sing the same song, a song that the Russians like." The Clemson report lists some individuals who have been especially active in promoting false narratives. Originating from a range of countries, from the US to the Netherlands, they have either fled for Russia after charges were pressed against them back home, or have moved to the territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia. Many of them are also affiliated with RT, Russia's English-language state media sanctioned by a number of countries, including Australia. Analysis by SBS Examines found many of these individuals regularly appear virtually or in-person at the BJA's panel discussions, including the event where Shipton was presented with the "Voice of the World BRICS 2024" award. So although it's called the BRICS Journalists Association, I think you should think about it more broadly than that. Patrick Warren, Clemson University "I'm gonna call them kind of oddball, unusual journalists, " Prof Warren said. Prof Warren added that in a few cases, some of the individuals have affiliations with relatively mainstream media outlets. "In the cases of more Western-oriented journalists, these tend to be journalists who don't have any sort of mainstream media credentials at all." SBS Examines sent a request for comment to Mira Terada, but she did not respond by the time of publication. 'I have a knack and a talent for it' In Australia, Simeon Boikov, also known as Aussie Cossack, "has been tightly linked to the R-FBI for quite a long time," Prof Warren told SBS Examines, adding that Boikov was often the first person to share misinformation narratives linked to R-RBI and Storm-1516. Prof Warren said that "rather than just being one amongst many, [Boikov] was the guy that was breaking this story every time. "Then we find out the whole history about him fleeing to the embassy and hiding out. Of course, that made us a little more suspicious." Boikov has repeatedly claimed he is being persecuted for exercising free speech and sharing his political views. Sentenced to 10 months in prison for breaching a suppression order and naming an alleged paedophile at an anti-lockdown rally in May 2022, Boikov told SBS Examines his sentence was "extreme government persecution ... payback for my opinions, for my outspoken position". Boikov successfully appealed the sentence and was released early. In December 2022, while on parole, he was charged with assaulting a 76-year-old man at a pro-Ukraine rally in Sydney. He was granted conditional bail ahead of the trial, and reportedly fled to the Russian consulate, where he still resides over two years later. Boikov claims the alleged assault was "self-defense ... not a serious crime", and said he had no faith in the Australian legal system to prosecute the case fairly. In July 2024, French security officials alleged that Russian actors could be behind fake videos warning of imminent violent attacks by Palestinian militants during the Paris Olympic Games. France24 reported allegations some of the videos were published on X by Boikov's since-suspended account, '@aussiecossack'. In April 2024, ABC's Investigations team alleged that Boikov was "one of the key figures" spreading misinformation about the Bondi Junction stabbing attack, falsely claiming the offender was a Jewish man and stoking antisemitism. In October that year, allegations that Boikov had paid US-based bloggers to post fake videos of Kamala Harris ahead of the US presidential election. In late December 2024, Boikov volunteered to be swapped for Oscar Jenkins, an Australian man captured by the Russian forces while fighting in Ukraine. At the time of publication, Boikov remains in the Russian consulate in Sydney. In a phone call with SBS Examines, Simeon Boikov said he has never been contracted by Mira Terada or R-FBI. "I get plenty of different contracts on and off. But if they're formal state media affiliated contracts, I declare them and I put them on the transparency register. "If it's just some type of private thing, then I'm not obliged to declare that. And that's my legal advice from my lawyers also," Boikov said. He went on to add that apart from contract work, he does "a lot of independent work" and considers himself an independent journalist. "Because even the money that they would pay me, the Russian state media, it's peanuts to me. "It's like a symbolic thing. It's not a high-paying thing. You don't go there for the money." Collaborating with Russian state media is more of a patriotic thing. I'm a dual citizen, a Russian citizen. I've got a homeland in Australia, I've got a homeland in Russia. Simeon Boikov, also known as Aussie Cossack Boikov told SBS Examines that "no one regulates ever" what he does. "I'm never told what to write or what to say or what to publish or what to say in my broadcast. I have a knack and a talent for it myself, I have to admit." He said he has a team of people working for him from a range of countries, "networks and circles of employees who work as admins, editors, producers, tech guys, and influencers". "I never say no. When people send me anonymous things all the time through our feedback bot, through Telegram, tips, stories, leads, my team publishes. "Sometimes I wake up in the morning, I check my channels and there's 70 posts while I was asleep. I've got employees in India, in Pakistan, in Britain, in the Philippines, in the United States, in Canada, in Russia, in Belarus, where else? We've got people all over the place." Boikov confirmed to SBS Examines he has paid for "exclusive" content shared on his channels. "Sometimes people pay me, sometimes I pay people. I pay lots of people. I pay people through subscriptions, through all sorts of support buttons, 'buy me a coffee'. "That's normal in our business, in the social media world, because it's good to have good networks." He added that he has also sold clips to Sputnik, a Russian state media company, "many times in the past". "That's our industry. You know that as a journalist. I'm very open to everyone. You could say I'm not shy, I'm not averse, I pay first, ask questions later." When asked about the fake narratives he allegedly broke first, Boikov responded that the volume of content he posts is "a lot," and he and his team are not obliged "to go and investigate everything". "The news cycle is so fast and so instant, and often Telegram channels, such as my own, actually are first to report, even before the mainstream media news. Especially when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine war there. "Now, being in front of the news cycle means if we're unsure, we can say this is unverified. 'This is unconfirmed, breaking'. Or we can say — 'can anyone confirm this?'" He added that he believes if mainstream media hasn't debunked his posts, it means they are correct. When asked what his relationship is with Mira Terada, he said he had never met her in-person and called her "a very talented journalist". SBS News 20/02/2024 10:39 'Fascistic' elites in Australia A few days before the 16th BRICS summit, Mira Terada appeared titled "The decline of freedom of speech in the West: State censorship as a tool for suppressing pluralism". The discussion was organised jointly with Rossiya Segodnya, a Russian state media organisation whose director Dmitriy Kiselyov is subject to sanctions in Australia. All three invited guests appearing in person alongside Terada were Australian: John Shipton, Adrian McRae, and legal expert Augusto Zimmermann from Western Australia. The moderator of the panel said they had been brought to Russia by Terada and the BJA. During the discussion, Shipton expressed sympathy towards Europeans, whose civilisation he said is in decline. As an example, Shipton mentioned the "spread of perversities where it is believed that a man can have a baby, from a back hole not a front hole". Councillor Adrian McRae said that government censorship in Australia is so severe he had "to travel to Russia to actually say things that, if I dared say back in my own country, in Australia, [I] would risk serious persecution and in many cases even potential arrest and jail time". McRae had already made headlines in Australia earlier the same year, when he travelled to Russia for the presidential elections, which he praised in an interview with local press as "democratic and transparent". He concluded his presentation to the BRICS panel discussion by thanking Russia. "I hope and pray that Russia and the BRICS nations do continue to hold onto the reverence of the ideals of free speech. Because certainly we see it rapidly deteriorating across the West. And if it disappears here as well, then God help what happens to the rest of the world," he said. Augusto Zimmermann was the last to present. He called himself "a warrior for free speech" and said that "things have gotten completely out of control" in regards to freedom of speech in Australia. I can tell you that the behaviour of the elites in Australia is absolutely fascistic. They are suppressing diverse opinions…and those who dare to disagree will face severe punishments, severe persecution. Augusto Zimmermann "They are already establishing laws that will indeed not only destroy a person's life, removing him from his professional activities. But potentially even sending people to jail for the crime of opinion. Which is very typical of totalitarian regimes." SBS Examines approached Adrien McRae and Augusto Zimmermann to request further comment regarding their claims during the panel discussion about the deterioration of free speech and the risk of persecution in Australia. Neither McRae nor Zimmermann responded to these requests. SBS Examines also sent requests to John Shipton, Adrien McRae and Augusto Zimmermann asking whether they were paid for their trips to Russia, and whether they received legal advice before the trips. They did not respond to the requests in time for publication. Australians Augusto Zimmermann, John Shipton and Adrian McRae appear alongside head of R-FBI, Mira Terada, at a panel discussion in Moscow ahead of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia Credit: @voiceofrightness/Mira Terada, Telegram The Australian Government continues to advise against travel to Russia due to the dangerous security situation, the impacts of the military conflict with Ukraine and the risk of arbitrary detention or arrest. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) does not comment on specific matters, but in a statement to SBS Examines, a spokesperson for DFAT said: "The Australian Government has joined international partners in expressing serious concerns about Russia's continued use of disinformation globally, including efforts to justify its illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. "The Australian Government has clearly and consistently advised Australians not to travel to Russia since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022." Senate committee urging action In October 2024, a Senate inquiry into Australia's aid to Ukraine published a report urging action against Russian propaganda. The Senate committee referred to submissions discussing the presence of Telegram channels, run by supporters of Russia and based in Australia, spreading Russian propaganda. According to the committee, reporting of these channels to authorities was "falling on deaf ears". When questioned by the committee, a representative of the Department of Home Affairs said it was aware of "a range of different misinformation campaigns", and that it was coordinating across all national intelligence agencies to counter those activities. "It is clear that Russia is not being held to account for its dissemination of propaganda," the report concluded. The committee is of the view that the Australian government must take concrete steps to curtail the effects of disinformation on public debate on the conflict. Senate inquiry report into Australian support for Ukraine The committee recommended that the Australian Government should "ensure relevant agencies are appropriately resourced to identify and address foreign interference and disinformation activities in Australia, including from Russian actors, and to respond to community and diaspora concerns regarding these activities". to the Senate committee report, the Australian government agreed to the recommendation, saying that "Australia has robust and tested frameworks and safeguards in place to protect its democratic institutions at the federal, state and territory, and local level". It listed several steps it takes in this regard, including the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce, AFP Community Liaison Teams and the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce. It added that the Australian government, through the Department of Home Affairs, has established the Community Interference Cross Agency Engagement Program, that coordinates engagement with eleven identified at risk communities. "The Department of Home Affairs has engaged with the Ukrainian community at their request, under this program," the response read. SBS Examines asked ASIO whether it was aware of foreign organisations paying local actors to spread Russian disinformation in Australia, and what steps the agency was taking to combat Russian disinformation in Australia. The agency's spokesperson referred SBS Examines to Home Affairs. A Home Affairs spokesperson did not provide a statement, noting that the Australian Government is currently in a caretaker period until a new government is sworn in, following the upcoming federal election.
