Latest news with #RMITUniversity
The Advertiser
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Direct route for scammers as Qantas hack scale revealed
Scammers could have a direct route to devising targeted scams for millions of Qantas customers in coming months as the airline reveals exactly what personal data was exposed in a major cyber attack. Australia's largest airline on Wednesday disclosed details of the 5.7 million customer records impacted when a third-party system used by an offshore call centre was hacked. Of those, the names, email addresses and frequent flyer details of four million customers were exposed. The remaining 1.7 million customers had more data taken, including their names, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, personal or business addresses, gender and meal preferences. In total, about 10,000 meal preferences were accessed. A cybersecurity expert warned compromising such personal information was a "good starting point" for scammers to target individuals. "I see this as stage one of the continuous Qantas situation," RMIT University's Matthew Warren told AAP. Scam attempts would likely start with people impersonating Qantas staff in the weeks and months to come as criminals tried to gain financial or passport details, he said But the attempts could become more targeted from there, including business invoice scams, especially if the information was distributed widely on the dark web. Qantas maintains there is no evidence so far any stolen personal data has been released. Professor Warren said it was only a matter of time before the hackers published the data but they would likely try to hold Qantas to ransom first. "If the data is then sold on the dark net, you're then going to get other groups spending a lot more time trawling through the data and trying to identify possible ways to undertake scams," he said. Qantas has begun individually notifying almost six million customers which of their specific personal details have been exposed in the attack. The airline previously said a possible cybercriminal had contacted it about the hack, but would not confirm whether a ransom demand had been received. Australian Federal Police investigators are also probing the breach. Sydney-based customer Nick Allison received an email on Wednesday morning notifying him that his name, frequent flyer number and tier were exposed in the cyber raid. Mr Allison, who was also embroiled in the 2022 Optus and 2023 Dymocks hacks, is worried about a rise in phishing attempts as a result of his data being exposed. "Is it going to be every single email that I get sent for the rest of my life from Qantas? Is that a scam? Is that real?" he said. "How am I going to know? They've got all that data." Mr Allison said he had lost some trust in Qantas in the wake of the hack. "It makes me very hesitant to give Qantas more information in the future. Is it going to get lost?" he said. As the scam risk grows, customers are being urged to remain alert to emails, text messages or phone calls if the sender purports to be from Qantas. "Regularly review your compromised accounts and other linked accounts for unusual activity," cybersecurity technology firm McAfee's Tyler McGee said. The identity of the group responsible for the attack remains a mystery, although multiple experts believe it is the work of Scattered Spider, a cabal of young cybercriminals living in the US and the UK. Qantas said it had set up extra cybersecurity measures to protect customer data. Scammers could have a direct route to devising targeted scams for millions of Qantas customers in coming months as the airline reveals exactly what personal data was exposed in a major cyber attack. Australia's largest airline on Wednesday disclosed details of the 5.7 million customer records impacted when a third-party system used by an offshore call centre was hacked. Of those, the names, email addresses and frequent flyer details of four million customers were exposed. The remaining 1.7 million customers had more data taken, including their names, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, personal or business addresses, gender and meal preferences. In total, about 10,000 meal preferences were accessed. A cybersecurity expert warned compromising such personal information was a "good starting point" for scammers to target individuals. "I see this as stage one of the continuous Qantas situation," RMIT University's Matthew Warren told AAP. Scam attempts would likely start with people impersonating Qantas staff in the weeks and months to come as criminals tried to gain financial or passport details, he said But the attempts could become more targeted from there, including business invoice scams, especially if the information was distributed widely on the dark web. Qantas maintains there is no evidence so far any stolen personal data has been released. Professor Warren said it was only a matter of time before the hackers published the data but they would likely try to hold Qantas to ransom first. "If the data is then sold on the dark net, you're then going to get other groups spending a lot more time trawling through the data and trying to identify possible ways to undertake scams," he said. Qantas has begun individually notifying almost six million customers which of their specific personal details have been exposed in the attack. The airline previously said a possible cybercriminal had contacted it about the hack, but would not confirm whether a ransom demand had been received. Australian Federal Police investigators are also probing the breach. Sydney-based customer Nick Allison received an email on Wednesday morning notifying him that his name, frequent flyer number and tier were exposed in the cyber raid. Mr Allison, who was also embroiled in the 2022 Optus and 2023 Dymocks hacks, is worried about a rise in phishing attempts as a result of his data being exposed. "Is it going to be every single email that I get sent for the rest of my life from Qantas? Is that a scam? Is that real?" he said. "How am I going to know? They've got all that data." Mr Allison said he had lost some trust in Qantas in the wake of the hack. "It makes me very hesitant to give Qantas more information in the future. Is it going to get lost?" he said. As the scam risk grows, customers are being urged to remain alert to emails, text messages or phone calls if the sender purports to be from Qantas. "Regularly review your compromised accounts and other linked accounts for unusual activity," cybersecurity technology firm McAfee's Tyler McGee said. The identity of the group responsible for the attack remains a mystery, although multiple experts believe it is the work of Scattered Spider, a cabal of young cybercriminals living in the US and the UK. Qantas said it had set up extra cybersecurity measures to protect customer data. Scammers could have a direct route to devising targeted scams for millions of Qantas customers in coming months as the airline reveals exactly what personal data was exposed in a major cyber attack. Australia's largest airline on Wednesday disclosed details of the 5.7 million customer records impacted when a third-party system used by an offshore call centre was hacked. Of those, the names, email addresses and frequent flyer details of four million customers were exposed. The remaining 1.7 million customers had more data taken, including their names, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, personal or business addresses, gender and meal preferences. In total, about 10,000 meal preferences were accessed. A cybersecurity expert warned compromising such personal information was a "good starting point" for scammers to target individuals. "I see this as stage one of the continuous Qantas situation," RMIT University's Matthew Warren told AAP. Scam attempts would likely start with people impersonating Qantas staff in the weeks and months to come as criminals tried to gain financial or passport details, he said But the attempts could become more targeted from there, including business invoice scams, especially if the information was distributed widely on the dark web. Qantas maintains there is no evidence so far any stolen personal data has been released. Professor Warren said it was only a matter of time before the hackers published the data but they would likely try to hold Qantas to ransom first. "If the data is then sold on the dark net, you're then going to get other groups spending a lot more time trawling through the data and trying to identify possible ways to undertake scams," he said. Qantas has begun individually notifying almost six million customers which of their specific personal details have been exposed in the attack. The airline previously said a possible cybercriminal had contacted it about the hack, but would not confirm whether a ransom demand had been received. Australian Federal Police investigators are also probing the breach. Sydney-based customer Nick Allison received an email on Wednesday morning notifying him that his name, frequent flyer number and tier were exposed in the cyber raid. Mr Allison, who was also embroiled in the 2022 Optus and 2023 Dymocks hacks, is worried about a rise in phishing attempts as a result of his data being exposed. "Is it going to be every single email that I get sent for the rest of my life from Qantas? Is that a scam? Is that real?" he said. "How am I going to know? They've got all that data." Mr Allison said he had lost some trust in Qantas in the wake of the hack. "It makes me very hesitant to give Qantas more information in the future. Is it going to get lost?" he said. As the scam risk grows, customers are being urged to remain alert to emails, text messages or phone calls if the sender purports to be from Qantas. "Regularly review your compromised accounts and other linked accounts for unusual activity," cybersecurity technology firm McAfee's Tyler McGee said. The identity of the group responsible for the attack remains a mystery, although multiple experts believe it is the work of Scattered Spider, a cabal of young cybercriminals living in the US and the UK. Qantas said it had set up extra cybersecurity measures to protect customer data. Scammers could have a direct route to devising targeted scams for millions of Qantas customers in coming months as the airline reveals exactly what personal data was exposed in a major cyber attack. Australia's largest airline on Wednesday disclosed details of the 5.7 million customer records impacted when a third-party system used by an offshore call centre was hacked. Of those, the names, email addresses and frequent flyer details of four million customers were exposed. The remaining 1.7 million customers had more data taken, including their names, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, personal or business addresses, gender and meal preferences. In total, about 10,000 meal preferences were accessed. A cybersecurity expert warned compromising such personal information was a "good starting point" for scammers to target individuals. "I see this as stage one of the continuous Qantas situation," RMIT University's Matthew Warren told AAP. Scam attempts would likely start with people impersonating Qantas staff in the weeks and months to come as criminals tried to gain financial or passport details, he said But the attempts could become more targeted from there, including business invoice scams, especially if the information was distributed widely on the dark web. Qantas maintains there is no evidence so far any stolen personal data has been released. Professor Warren said it was only a matter of time before the hackers published the data but they would likely try to hold Qantas to ransom first. "If the data is then sold on the dark net, you're then going to get other groups spending a lot more time trawling through the data and trying to identify possible ways to undertake scams," he said. Qantas has begun individually notifying almost six million customers which of their specific personal details have been exposed in the attack. The airline previously said a possible cybercriminal had contacted it about the hack, but would not confirm whether a ransom demand had been received. Australian Federal Police investigators are also probing the breach. Sydney-based customer Nick Allison received an email on Wednesday morning notifying him that his name, frequent flyer number and tier were exposed in the cyber raid. Mr Allison, who was also embroiled in the 2022 Optus and 2023 Dymocks hacks, is worried about a rise in phishing attempts as a result of his data being exposed. "Is it going to be every single email that I get sent for the rest of my life from Qantas? Is that a scam? Is that real?" he said. "How am I going to know? They've got all that data." Mr Allison said he had lost some trust in Qantas in the wake of the hack. "It makes me very hesitant to give Qantas more information in the future. Is it going to get lost?" he said. As the scam risk grows, customers are being urged to remain alert to emails, text messages or phone calls if the sender purports to be from Qantas. "Regularly review your compromised accounts and other linked accounts for unusual activity," cybersecurity technology firm McAfee's Tyler McGee said. The identity of the group responsible for the attack remains a mystery, although multiple experts believe it is the work of Scattered Spider, a cabal of young cybercriminals living in the US and the UK. Qantas said it had set up extra cybersecurity measures to protect customer data.
7NEWS
13-07-2025
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Does Donald Trump deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? We asked 5 experts
This article first appeared in The Conversation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He says the president is 'forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other'. Trump, who has craved the award for years, sees himself as a global peacemaker in a raft of conflicts from Israel and Iran, to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. With the conflict in Gaza still raging, we ask five experts – could Trump be rewarded with the world's most prestigious peace prize? Emma Shortis Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University. NO Nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is like entering a hyena in a dog show. Of course Trump does not deserve it. That we're being forced to take this question seriously is yet another indication – as if we needed one – of his extraordinary ability to set and reset the terms of our politics. There is no peace in Gaza. Even if Trump announced another ceasefire tomorrow, it would not last. And it would not build genuine peace and security. Trump has neither the interest nor the attention span required to build long term peace. His administration is not willing to bear any of the costs or investments that come with genuine, lasting diplomacy. And he is not anti-war. There is no peace in Iran. Trump's bombing of Iran simply exacerbates his decision in 2018 to end nuclear negotiations with Tehran. It pushes the world closer to, not further from, nuclear catastrophe. Under the Trump administration, there will be no peace in the Middle East. Both the US and Israeli governments' approach to 'security' puts the region on a perpetual war footing. This approach assumes it is possible to bomb your way to peace – a 'peace' which both Trump and Netanyahu understand as total dominance and violent oppression. The Trump administration is deliberately undermining the institutions and principles of international and domestic law. He has deployed the military against American citizens. He is threatening the United States' traditional allies with trade wars and annexation. His administration's dismantling of USAID will result, according to one study, in the deaths of 14 million people, including 4.5 million children, by 2030. Indulging Trump's embarrassing desire for trophies might appease him for a short time. It would also strip the Nobel Peace Prize of any and all credibility, while endorsing Trump's trashing of the international rule of law. What kind of peace is that? Ali Mamouri Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University NO The nomination of Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize by a man who is facing charges of war crimes is an unprecedented and deeply dark irony that cannot be overlooked. Trump's role in brokering the Abraham Accords was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough. It led to the normalisation of relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. But this achievement came at a significant cost. The accords deliberately sidelined the Palestinian issue, long recognised as the core of regional instability, and disregarded decades of international consensus on a two-state solution. Trump's administration openly supported Israeli policies widely considered to violate international law, including the expansion of illegal settlements and the proposed annexation of Palestinian territory. His silence in the face of a growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza was equally telling. Perhaps most disturbing was the tacit or explicit endorsement of proposals to forcibly relocate Palestinians to neighbouring Arab countries, a position that evokes ethnic cleansing and fundamentally undermines principles of justice, dignity and international law. In addition, there is Trump's unconditional support for Israel's military campaigns across the region, including his authorisation of attacks on Iranian civilian, military and nuclear infrastructure. The strikes lacked any clear legal basis, contributed further to regional instability and, according to Tehran, killed more than a thousand civilians. His broader disregard for international norms shattered decades of post-second world war diplomatic order and increased the risk of sustained and expanded conflict. Against this backdrop, any serious consideration of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize seems fundamentally at odds with its stated mission: to honour efforts that reduce conflict, uphold human rights and promote lasting peace. Whatever short-term diplomatic gains emerged from Trump's tenure are eclipsed by the legal, ethical and humanitarian consequences of his actions. Ian Parmeter Research Scholar, Middle East Studies, Australian National University. NO Netanyahu's nomination of Donald Trump for one of the world's most coveted awards was clearly aimed at flattering the president. Trump is clearly angling for the laurel, which his first term predecessor, Barack Obama, won in his first year in office. Obama was awarded the prize in 2009 for promotion of nuclear non-proliferation and fostering a 'new climate' in international relations, particularly in reaching out to the Muslim world. Given neither of these ambitions have since borne fruit, what claims might Trump reasonably make at this stage of his second term? Trump has claimed credit for resolving two conflicts this year: the brief India–Pakistan clash that erupted after Pakistani militants killed 25 Indian tourists in Kashmir in May; and the long-running dispute between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi disputes Trump brokered peace. He says the issue was resolved by negotiations between the two countries' militaries. With regards to the Rwanda–DRC conflict, the countries signed a peace agreement in the Oval Office in June. But critics argue Qatar played a significant role which the Trump administration has airbrushed out. Trump can legitimately argue his pressure on Israel and Iran forced a ceasefire in their 12-day war in June. But his big test is the Gaza war. For Trump to add this to his Nobel claim, he will need more than a ceasefire. The Biden administration brokered two ceasefires that enabled the release of significant numbers of hostages, but did not end the conflict. Trump would have to use his undoubted influence with Netanyahu to achieve more than a temporary pause. He would have to end the war definitively and effect the release of all Israeli hostages. Beyond that, if Trump could persuade Netanyahu to take serious steps towards negotiating a two-state solution, that would be a genuine Nobel-worthy achievement. Trump isn't there yet. Jasmine-Kim Westendorf Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict and Co-Director of the Initiative for Peacebuilding, The University of Melbourne. NO The Nobel Peace Prize recognises outstanding contributions to peace globally. Although controversial or politicised awards are not new, awardees are generally individuals or groups who've made significant contributions to a range of peace initiatives. They include reducing armed conflict, enhancing international cooperation, and human rights efforts that contribute to peace. Inspiring examples include anti-nuclear proliferation organisations and phenomenal women peacemakers. And Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege, who won in 2011 for their work trying to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Trump has declared his 'proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier'. But he is neither. The president has fuelled escalating insecurity, violent conflict and human rights violations globally, and actively undermined international cooperation for peace. This includes the decision to sanction judges of the International Criminal Court. There has been a concerning trend towards using the Nobel Peace Prize to encourage certain political directions, rather than reward achievements. Barack Obama's 2008 Prize helped motivate his moves toward diplomacy and cooperation after the presidency of George W. Bush. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's 2018 award was for efforts to resolve the 20-year war with Eritrea. The peace prize encouraged Ahmed to fulfill his promise of democratic elections in 2020. Embarrassingly, within a year Ahmed launched a civil war that killed over 600,000 people and displaced 3 million more. This week's nomination follows efforts by global leaders to flatter Trump in order – they hope – to secure his goodwill. These motivations explain why Netanyahu has put forward Trump's name to the Nobel Committee. It comes at the very moment securing Trump's ongoing support during ceasefire negotiations is critical for Netanyahu's political survival. Trump has also been nominated by the government of Pakistan and by several Republican figures. Flattery is the currency Trump trades in. These nominations pander to a president who has bemoaned They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize […] It's too bad. I deserve it, but they will never give it to me. Prizes to genuine peacemakers amplify their work and impact. 1984 winner Desmond Tutu said: 'One day no one was listening. The next, I was an oracle.' A Nobel can be a powerful force for peace. Trump is no peacemaker, he doesn't deserve one. Shahram Akbarzadeh Director, Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), Deakin University NO Benjamin Netanyahu would have us believe Donald Trump is a peacemaker. Nothing could be further from the truth. His record is stained with blood and misery. The fact Trump believes himself to be worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize only attests to his illusions of grandeur in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The war in Gaza has gone into its 20th month because Trump did not use the levers at his control to bring the senseless war to a close. Some estimates put the true Gaza death toll at 100,000 people, and counting. They have been killed by American-made bombs Israel is dropping across the densely populated strip; from starvation because Israel has enforced a blockade of the Gaza Strip and prevented UN food delivery with the blessings of America; and from gunshots at food distribution centres, set up with US private security. All under Trump's watch. Trump could do something about this. Israel is the largest recipient of US aid, most of it military support. This has multiplied since Israel commenced its attack on Gaza in response to Hamas terrorism on October 7 2023. Trump has approved the transfer of US military hardware to Israel, knowing full well it was being used against a trapped and helpless population. This is not the act of a peacemaker. Now the Israeli government is planning to 'facilitate' population transfer of Gazans to other countries – a euphemism for ethnic cleansing. This is the textbook definition of genocide: deliberate and systematic killing or persecution of people. Trump legitimised this travesty of decency and international law by promising a Gaza Riviera. The outlandish extent of Trump's ideas would be laughable if their consequences were not so devastating. When Israel attacked Iran in the middle of nuclear talks, Trump had a momentary pause, before jumping to Netanyahu's aid and bombing Iran. He then claimed his action paved the way for peace. Trump's idea of peace is the peace of the graveyard. Disclosure statement: Emma Shortis is Director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank. Ali Mamouri and Ian Parmeter do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Jasmine-Kim Westendorf has received funding from the Australian Research Council. Stream free on
News.com.au
11-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Australians will soon have to verify age before using Google search
Australians will be required to verify their age when logged into Google or other search engines before the end of the year, as part of broader sweeping crackdowns on harmful content that include the December 10 ban on under-16s using social media. Under a raft of mandatory codes and standards currently being developed by Australia's eSafety Commissioner covering virtually every online industry, age verification of users will be a key priority. One of the draft codes approved last week covered search engines, which face fines of up to $49.5 million per breach. 'The types of checks they could do, they could ask for government-issued ID, they could do facial scanning to estimate your age, they could look at your previous history,' Lisa Given, Professor of Information Sciences at RMIT University, told 6PR on Friday. 'There are a number of different mechanisms under the code that the companies can use, but we don't know what they're going to pick.' Other age verification options available to search platforms under the code include credit card checks, digital ID and third-party verification. 'The key thing here is that the companies were involved in the creation of this code,' she said. 'So they certainly know this is coming, I expect that they are definitely going to comply. The question is which of these kinds of age-assurance mechanisms are they going to decide to choose.' Prof Given said many people 'are going to be very worried about their privacy'. 'We're used to being able to go online and look for information anonymously,' she said. 'Many of us do log into search engine accounts, we have a Google account we use that so we can keep track of bookmarks and things. But once people start having to prove their age … we know there are some flaws with things like age-assurance technologies, this is going to make people extremely nervous.' She noted that there were still a lot of unanswered questions about 'how this is going to work functionally'. 'Am I going to have to prove my age every time I log in?' she said. 'Is it going to be a one-off? Who is going to have the information about me? Some of the provisions allow for companies to rely on third-party digital ID, so if I have a driver's licence with the Victorian Government can I use that? That might make me feel more secure because it's government-owned and regulated.' If a user verifies their age and they are under 18, search engines will be forced to censor harmful content like pornography. But age verification will not be required if the user remains logged out. 'Many people will still be able to search for this content if they haven't logged in,' Prof Given said. 'The only requirement there at a minimum is that the companies have to for example blur images [of online pornography]. Otherwise your search experience is going to be the same.' John Pane, chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA), told the ABC the new rules did not do enough to keep children safer online given the potential privacy impact for millions of Australians. He said the results of the separate age-assurance technology trial had been 'pretty disheartening'. In addition to simply not logging in, Mr Pane added the rules could be circumvented using virtual private networks (VPNs). 'If the ambition of the government is to prevent children from accessing pornography, they're forgetting straight away the skills of these young people,' he said. Last week, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant announced that three of the nine codes submitted by online industries had been registered, covering search engine services, enterprise hosting services and internet carriage services such as telcos. She said the codes create safeguards to protect children from exposure to pornography, violent content, and themes of suicide, self-harm and disordered eating. 'These three codes needed to create a high level of protections, especially for kids, to be registered,' Ms Inman Grant said in a statement. 'In particular, the fact the search engine code has achieved this is incredibly important as search engines are often the windows to the internet for all of us.' Ms Inman Grant said she had sought additional safety commitments from industry on the remaining codes, including those dealing with app stores, device manufacturers, social media services and messaging and the broader categories of relevant electronic services and designated internet services. 'It's critical to ensure the layered safety approach which also places responsibility and accountability at critical chokepoints in the tech stack including the app stores and at the device level, the physical gateways to the internet where kids sign-up and first declare their ages,' she said. The eSafety Commissioner has asked industry to make further changes across some of the codes, including to strengthen protections around AI companions and chatbots to ensure these provide vital and robust protections. 'We are already receiving anecdotal reports from school nurses, that kids as young as 10 are spending up to five hours a day with AI chatbots, at times engaging in sexualised conversations and being directed by the chatbots to engage in harmful sexual acts or behaviours,' she said. 'We need industry to be building in guardrails that prevent their chatbots engaging in this type of behaviour with children. Industry indicated last week they would seek to make some of these changes shortly. I will consider these changes, and I aim to make my final determination by the end of next month. If I am not satisfied these industry codes meet appropriate community safeguards, I will move to developing mandatory standards.' The eSafety Commissioner tasked the online industry last year to begin drafting codes that would protect children from exposure to a range of age-inappropriate content across the online ecosystem. The codes were originally due to be submitted for registration assessment in December, but several extensions were granted before a final May deadline. Communications Minister Anika Wells is ultimately responsible for enforcing the codes. 'The government welcomes the eSafety Commissioner's registration of three new industry codes to protect children from pornography and other age-inappropriate content,' a spokesman for Ms Wells said in a statement. 'These codes were developed by industry and settled with eSafety. Our government has made no secret of its strong commitment to online safety for all Australians, while recognising the need to balance this imperative with protecting the privacy of users.'
Perth Now
08-07-2025
- Perth Now
'Shakespearean' mushroom murders spark mass obsession
An enduring obsession with female killers, the podcast boom and "Shakespearean" elements of the mushroom murder trial are feeding the ongoing fascination with the case. And there is little sign of it slowing down. A media frenzy surrounded the near 11-week trial, including a week of jury deliberations before Erin Patterson was found guilty on three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Her estranged husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, all died after Patterson served them beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms in July 2023. Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson was the sole survivor. The 50-year-old mother of two's defence team had unsuccessfully argued her lack of motive was a reason the jury should find her not guilty. "I don't know what her motive is, I think the only person (who) does is her and she's maintaining her innocence, so we may never know what drove this," criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro told AAP. Patterson faces the possibility of life behind bars and her legal team will have 28 days to file an appeal after she is sentenced later in 2025. Mr Watson-Munro pointed to Patterson's age, gender, lack of prior convictions, seemingly quiet country life and the fact one person survived the lunch as key areas of intrigue for people fascinated with true crime. "All of that, without being flippant, is a bit Shakespearean," he said. It became the biggest true crime story in Australia and interest in the case was driven by a boom in podcasts covering the trial, RMIT University journalism professor Alex Wake said. "It has every single element of intrigue and drama that people love," she said. "It's got betrayal, it's got murder, it's got family dynamics." Traditional news outlets have invested heavily in podcasts because they bring in new audiences, Professor Wake said. "The people who are most avoidant of news tend to be young women, and young women seem to really like podcasts," she said. Renowned author Helen Garner was spotted at court while several television series are in development, including a documentary from streamer Stan and ABC drama Toxic, told from Patterson's perspective. Other offerings include a Nine documentary, Murder By Mushroom and Seven's "deep dive" Spotlight special, with both ready for release days after the verdict. The trial was a "pop culture moment" driven by the absence of an obvious motive and by the method of killing, University of Melbourne associate professor Lauren Rosewarne said. "There was a genuine mystery at the heart of this story," she said. "She did it using the method that women (use to) kill people in crime novels: poison." Much attention was paid to Patterson's appearance and lack of emotion in court, with Dr Rosewarne drawing parallels to Lindy Chamberlain who was eventually exonerated over the death of her daughter Azaria. It came at a time of booming interest in Australian true crime stories exported overseas, including Netflix documentary series Last Stop Larrimah and ABC drama Bay of Fires. "Crime narratives, filmed in isolated locales with quirky characters, that's something that Australia kind of does pretty well," Dr Rosewarne said. "It's saying something about how Australians are perceived overseas, that small town quirky, weird character thing."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Discovered This Amazing Practical Use For Leftover Coffee Grounds
We could be producing concrete that's 30 percent stronger by processing and adding charred coffee grounds to the mix, researchers in Australia found. Their clever recipe could solve multiple problems at the same time. Each year the world produces a staggering 10 billion kilograms (22 billion pounds) of coffee waste globally. Most ends up in landfills. "The disposal of organic waste poses an environmental challenge as it emits large amounts of greenhouse gases including methane and carbon dioxide, which contribute to climate change," explained RMIT University engineer Rajeev Roychand when the research was published in 2023. Related: With a booming construction market globally, there's also an ever increasing demand for resource intensive concrete causing another set of environmental challenges too. "The ongoing extraction of natural sand around the world – typically taken from river beds and banks – to meet the rapidly growing demands of the construction industry has a big impact on the environment," said RMIT engineer Jie Li. "There are critical and long-lasting challenges in maintaining a sustainable supply of sand due to the finite nature of resources and the environmental impacts of sand mining. With a circular-economy approach, we could keep organic waste out of landfill and also better preserve our natural resources like sand." Organic products like coffee grounds can't be added directly to concrete because they leak chemicals that weaken the building material's strength. So using low energy levels the team heated coffee waste to over 350 °C (around 660 °F) while depriving it of oxygen. This process is called pyrolyzing. It breaks down the organic molecules, resulting in a porous, carbon-rich charcoal called biochar, that can form bonds with and thereby incorporate itself into the cement matrix. Roychand and colleagues also tried pyrolyzing the coffee grounds at 500 °C but the resulting biochar particles were not as strong. The researchers cautioned that they still need to assess the long term durability of their cement product. They're now working on testing how the hybrid coffee-cement performs under freeze/thaw cycles, water absorption, abrasions and many more stressors. The team is also working on creating biochars from other organic waste sources, including wood, food waste and agricultural waste. "Our research is in the early stages, but these exciting findings offer an innovative way to greatly reduce the amount of organic waste that goes to landfill," said RMIT engineer Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch. "Inspiration for my research, from an Indigenous perspective, involves Caring for Country, ensuring there's a sustainable life cycle for all materials and avoiding things going into landfill to minimize the impact on the environment." Their research was published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. An earlier version of this article was published in September 2023. Antarctica's Ocean Is Mysteriously Getting Saltier, Spelling End to Sea Ice Earth's Energy Imbalance Has Doubled in 2 Decades, Study Warns First Signal of Climate Change Became Detectable 130 Years Ago
