Latest news with #Monash University
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Ex-judge charged with possessing child abuse material allowed to travel to Europe
A former judge accused of inadvertently showing child abuse images during a lecture for law students has been given the all clear to travel to Europe. Former Fair Work Commission senior deputy president Alan Boulton, 74, fronted court for the first time after allegedly displaying the images in the last 15 minutes of a lecture at Monash University on February 5. Mr Boulton on Thursday appeared via video at Melbourne Magistrates' Court, where his lawyer Holly Baxter argued against the prosecution's attempt to impose a travel ban as a condition of his bail. The court was told Mr Boulton's lawyers had notified police on July 23 about a planned trip to Europe. 'My instructor has been upfront with the informant and police throughout the entirety of this investigation,' Ms Baxter said. 'No issue was taken with that. 'A serious amount of money has been spent on that trip.' Ms Baxter said her client had already travelled overseas in May during the investigation and returned, arguing that he wasn't a flight risk. Prosecutors said Mr Boulton hadn't been charged at the time of his previous trip. Magistrate Brett Sonnet said he was 'not persuaded' the restriction on overseas travel was necessary, refusing the application. Mr Boulton was charged on July 31 with one count of possessing child abuse material as a Commonwealth offence and two counts of possessing child abuse material. Victoria Police said in a statement last week officers seized electronic devices during a search of Mr Boulton's home about one week after the alleged classroom incident. A Victoria Police spokesperson said Mr Boulton was charged following a 'lengthy investigation'. Police said detectives travelled to Sydney and searched a second property, with the assistance of NSW Police, on February 13. 'Further electronic devices were located and the investigation into those devices remains ongoing,' police said. Following the alleged incident, Mr Boulton was immediately suspended from his role as a senior fellow at Monash University and removed from all teaching duties. He was also directed by the university not to communicate with students or staff or access the university premises. Mr Boulton is set to return to court on November 7.
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Glacier retreat on Heard Island
The video shows the difference in ice cover between 1947, 1988 and 2019. Source: Monash University/Google Earth
Daily Mail
30-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Bitter blow for diet soft drink lovers as groundbreaking Aussie research reveals what it's really doing to your body
Just one can of artificially-sweetened soft drink per day can drastically increase the chance of developing type II diabetes, a new scientific study claims. The research out of Melbourne's Monash University suggests artificial sweeteners could raise the risk of developing the disease by nearly 40 per cent. Drinks using these ingredients - which do not raise blood sugar as much as regular sucrose despite being sweeter - are often marketed as a healthier alternative to the traditional sugar-filled beverages they replace. Health agencies have been debating ways to decrease sugar intake - including a tax on the product to curb its demand - after it was linked with the obesity epidemic in the West. RMIT University teamed up with Monash University to produce the new study, led by Distinguished Professor Barbora de Courten, that followed more than 36,000 people over nearly 14 years. Professor de Courten said one of the most shocking discoveries was that even people who are a healthy weight have a significant risk of developing diabetes via sweeteners. In recent years there has been a rise of natural alterative sweeteners such as stevia and monk fruit instead of older artificial products like like the out-of-fashion aspartame and saccharin. The study did not specify between the different types of artificial sweeteners. The results of the study were adjusted based on the weight measurement of participants, which only impacted the results of the artificial sugar test group. This implied that these drinks increased the risk of illness regardless of how heavy the person was who drank them. Professor de Courten advised health professionals to be cautious about what they recommend to patients. 'Artificial sweeteners are often recommended to people at risk of diabetes as a healthier alternative, but our results suggest they may pose their own health risks,' she said. Co-author, Monash PhD student Robel Hussen Kabthymer warned, however, that the findings did not mean normal sugar drinks are suddenly any healthier. The study found regular sugary drinks increased the risk of type II diabetes by about 23 per cent and 'surprisingly' artificial sweeteners increased it by about 38 per cent. Researchers discovered adults who drank seven or more of sugar soft drinks per week had a 23 per cent higher chance of developing the disease. Those who drank the same amount of artificial sugar drinks had a 38 per cent chance of the same happening to them. Professor de Courten suggested other factors like artificial sweeteners' impact on gut bacteria might be to blame. More than 36,000 people took part in the research which was assisted by volunteers from Cancer Council Victoria. The research took place over 14 years and its final result has been published in the Diabetes & Metabolism journal. These findings follow experts having implored the Albanese government to tax sugar in order to make the country healthier. MP Michael Freelander has previously been a vocal advocate for the proposed tax which he said should come alongside a broader public education effort about the harms of excess sugar. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has specifically proposed a new tax at a rate of 50c per 100g of added sugar for each of these drinks to be paid by beverage manufacturers. The association believes this will curb Australia's dualling diabetes and obesity epidemics. If it were to be introduced it would mean a 375mL of normal Coke with 39.8g of sugar would be hit with a tax of 19.9c. The Albanese government has rejected the idea for a new tax and has instead said it will work with manufacturers to bring sugar contents down.
ABC News
19-07-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Planning for the robotic future that's already here
While city streets teeming with robots might feel like a scene from a sci-fi movie, service robots are already commonplace in the public spaces of cities like Tokyo and Singapore. But while the technology forges ahead, the regulators that plan the public policies for our cities are being left behind, leaving a potential for a gulf between what populations needs from service robots and what is delivered. Professor Michael Mintrom shares the findings from his study into what policymakers need to consider when preparing for the robots of the future. Guest: Michael Mintrom, Professor of Public Policy at Monash University
