Latest News from Kassioun
RNZ News
4 minutes ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Fonterra boss blames soaring butter prices on global demand
Fonterra says the international market is pushing up butter prices the company has to reflect that in its returns to its farmer owners. Photo: Margaret Jaszowska for Unsplash The head of Fonterra says he understands consumers' frustration about the price of butter, but the co-op has to deliver for farmers. In its third-quarter update, Fonterra's profit for the nine months ended April rose 11 percent to $1.08 billion (or $1.16b excluding one-offs), driven by strong demand. But the same demand has meant soaring prices for household staples like butter . Recent Stats NZ data showed food prices rising at their fastest rate in more than a year, with butter prices up 65 percent. Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell said prices were driven by global demand. "We're a collection of 8500 small farmers and our job is to deliver for each of them," Hurrell said. "The international market is pushing these prices very high at the moment and our job is to reflect that in the returns that we give back to our farmer owners." Hurrell said he understood consumers' frustrations. "We hear that, we understand the situation that consumers here in New Zealand - and not just in New Zealand [but] globally are experiencing specifically around butter, but also starting to see that in other areas as well," he said. "But ultimately, our job is to understand what the international market is doing and put our prices and products out there accordingly." Fonterra's latest update indicated farmers could be in line for another bumper season, with the milk price forecast for the 2025/26 season at $10 per kilogram of milk solids, the same level as the current season. However, Fonterra warned of global uncertainty, and kept the forecast range wide at $8 to $11 per kg.
West Australian
4 minutes ago
- Business
- West Australian
Thermomix cops massive ACCC fine after ‘misleading' NDIS approval claims
A massive kitchenware company allegedly falsely claimed its products were 'NDIS approved' to drive sales but has copped a massive fine instead. Vorwerk Australia, trading as Thermomix in Australia, has been fined nearly $80,000 for allegedly falsely suggesting two of its household appliances were endorsed by the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Thermomix falsely promoted the Thermomix TM6 cooking product and Kobold cordless vacuum and mop as being endorsed through the NDIS or registered by an entity administering the NDIS, the ACCC alleges. The Thermomix website in November last year and March this year allegedly described the two products as 'NDIS approved', 'NDIS-registered product', 'NDIS-consumables', 'NDIS assistive technology' and 'NDIS equipment'. However, the NDIS does not approve goods, according to ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb. 'The NDIS does not provide specific approval for any particular goods or services. Each NDIS participant has unique needs, and what's funded under their plan is determined individually, not through a list of approved products,' she said. 'There are no categories of goods or services which are automatically NDIS approved or funded for all NDIS participants. 'Misleading consumers experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage is of concern to us, and we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.' The ACCC put businesses on notice of problematic advertising targeting NDIS participants in November 2023. Just last week, bedding retailer Bedshed was fined nearly $40,000 for allegedly making similar false statements that some of its products were 'NDIS approved'.
Sky News AU
5 minutes ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Trans rights radicals surround mother holding baby at Christian group rally outside Seattle City Hall
Raving trans rights radicals surrounded a mother with three young children at a rally held by a Christian group outside Seattle City Hall Tuesday, video circulating on social media shows. The 'Rattle in Seattle' protest was organized by MayDay USA, which describes itself as a pro-life grassroots movement that defends traditional family values and units. The demonstrators descended on City Hall on Tuesday to rally against Seattle's woke mayor, Bruce Harrell, who blamed the conservative group for a weekend protest that turned violent. MayDay USA had held a demonstration on Saturday at the city's Cal Anderson Park that descended into chaos when left-wing counterdemonstrators stormed the event, resulting in 23 arrests. Harrell blamed the melee in the heart of the city's historically LGBTQ neighborhood on 'far-right' demonstrators and 'anarchists' who he said were 'promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city's values.' The weekend event was one leg of MayDay USA's five-city 'Don't Mess With Our Kids' tour, aimed at taking a stand against what the group sees as widespread indoctrination of America's children by the National Education Association 'in the ways of LGBTQ, social justice, and beyond,' the tour's website states. Tuesday's protest then also quickly descended into chaos when dueling demonstrations of trans activists and MayDay USA members faced off on the 4th Avenue steps of City Hall. One frightening video captured a woman carrying a baby, flanked by two young boys, surrounded by counterdemonstrators. A man, presumably the children's father, held the hands of boys, one of whom was clearly terrified by the melee and could be seen crying hysterically. Some members of the counterdemonstration urged the woman to get her kids out of harm's way before Seattle cops barged in and started separating the crowd from the family. What exactly happened before filming started and after the clip shared online ended could not be immediately ascertained. Meanwhile, MayDay USA blasted Harrell for pointing the finger at them for fomenting the violence at Saturday's rally. 'Following the MayDay USA worship event at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, Mayor Harrell had the audacity to issue a press release blaming Christians for the premediated violence of Antifa which resulted in the hospitalization of Seattle Police Department personnel and the arrest of 23 Antifa agitators,' the organizers said in a statement. 'Under Mayor Harrell's leadership, the city of Seattle has continued its spiral into lawlessness and dysfunction while the First Amendment rights of citizens to peacefully assemble has been disregarded.' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced Tuesday he had requested an investigation into allegations of 'targeted violence' against religious groups after the rally, during which eight people were arrested for assault, according to Seattle Police. No injuries were reported. Originally published as Trans rights radicals surround mother holding baby at Christian group rally outside Seattle City Hall
Sky News AU
5 minutes ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Donald Trump says he told Netanyahu not to bomb Iran with new nuke deal ‘very close': ‘Don't think it's appropriate right now'
President Trump confirmed Wednesday that he asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week not to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities to allow additional time for talks between Washington and Tehran. 'I'd like to be honest. Yes, I did,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'I said I don't think it's appropriate. We're talking, we're having very good discussions with them. And I said I don't think it's appropriate right now… if we can settle it with a very strong document,' the president added. 'I told [Netanyahu] this would be inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution. Now, that could change at any moment. It could change with a phone call, but right now, I think they want to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, it could save a lot of lives.' Trump spoke with Netanyahu Thursday and said Sunday that there had been promising talks with Iranian leaders over the weekend, suggesting that a potential deal that would restrict Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon could be announced within days. On Wednesday, the president clarified Wednesday it could happen in 'the next couple weeks.' Trump also sent Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to speak to Netanyahu in Israel over the weekend, where she urged him to follow America's plan in a 'candid' conversation. '[T]he Secretary reiterated [Trump's] desire to bring peace to the region and for Iran to never have a nuclear weapon,' a readout of their meeting read. Trump pulled the US out of former President Barack Obama's Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Since retaking power in January, he has ordered the strict enforcement of US sanctions, including against oil exports, which was largely unenforced during the Biden administration. Trump said a potential deal would be 'very strong' compared to Obama's 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the US entered alongside China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom. 'I don't trust anybody, so no trust. I want it very strong where we can go in with inspectors,' he said. 'We can take whatever we want, we can blow up whatever we want, but nobody getting killed. We can blow up a lab, but nobody's going to be in the lab, as opposed to everybody being in the lab and blowing it up.' Vice President JD Vance has suggested that a deal could be negotiated to allow Tehran to have a civil nuclear program be part of the 'global economy' again — but they would have to give up their plans for an atomic weapon. 'That would be really good for the Iranian people, but would result in the complete cessation of any chance that they can get a nuclear weapon. That's what we're negotiating towards,' Vance told the Munich Leaders Conference earlier this month. 'As the President has said, that's Option A and Option B — if Option A is very good for the Iranian people and even, you know, some of the folks, the leadership in Iran — option B is very bad. "It's very bad for everybody, and it's not what we want, but it's better than option C, which is Iran getting a nuclear weapon. That is what is completely off the table for the American administration. No ifs, ands, or buts.' Originally published as Donald Trump says he told Netanyahu not to bomb Iran with new nuke deal 'very close': 'Don't think it's appropriate right now'
Techday NZ
7 minutes ago
- Techday NZ
Fake AI social media ads spread malware to millions globally
Mandiant Threat Defense has released research identifying a Vietnam-linked cyber campaign that exploits public interest in artificial intelligence tools by distributing malware via social media advertisements. The research traces the campaign to a group known as UNC6032, which uses paid advertisements on platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn to draw victims toward counterfeit websites masquerading as well-known AI brands including Luma AI, Canva Dream Lab, and Kling AI. These fake advertisements redirect users to domains designed to closely resemble legitimate AI service platforms. However, instead of offering genuine AI-generated content, these fraudulent websites deliver malware. The malicious software is designed to extract sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card data, cookies, and other personal details from victims' systems. "Our research shows this campaign has already reached millions of users globally. The threat actors have cleverly leveraged the explosive interest in AI tools, combining realistic branding with paid ads on trusted platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. A well-crafted spoofed website can pose a significant risk to anyone—from consumers to enterprise users," Yash Gupta, Senior Manager at Mandiant Threat Defense, commented. Mandiant reports that the campaign was first detected in late 2024 and has since been monitored across a large number of deceptive advertisements. Mandiant analysts employed transparency resources such as Meta's Ad Library and LinkedIn's Ad Transparency Center to uncover the scale of the activity, which involved more than 30 unique fake domains promoted through thousands of social media ads. Among the findings was a sample of over 120 malicious Facebook ads whose estimated reach exceeded 2.3 million users within the European Union. The attackers ran these campaigns using both fraudulent pages that they created and compromised legitimate accounts, often limiting the lifespan of each campaign to avoid being detected and removed by the platforms' security measures. On LinkedIn, Mandiant detected approximately 10 malicious ads, including content directing users to recently registered domains such as klingxai[.]com, which first appeared in late 2024. Once directed to the spoofed websites, users download a Python-based malware referred to by Mandiant as STARKVEIL. This type of malware enables attackers to deploy multiple information stealers and backdoors on the victims' devices. The malware extracts sensitive data and communicates with operators via channels such as Telegram, facilitating exfiltration of the stolen information to attacker-controlled infrastructure. Mandiant's M-Trends 2025 report notes that compromised credentials are the second most common initial access point for cybercriminals, highlighting the broader risk posed by this type of activity to individuals and organisations alike. "A significant portion of Meta's detection and removal activity began independently in 2024, ahead of our alerts. But with new malicious ads appearing daily, ongoing cross-industry collaboration remains essential to defend users at scale," Gupta said, highlighting the efforts of social media platforms in tackling such threats ahead of external alerts. Mandiant additionally cautions that similar malicious operations are likely to be active on a range of other platforms, as cybercriminal groups continue to adapt their methods in response to detection and removal efforts. The company advises users to exercise caution by avoiding AI tool ads from unverified sources, inspecting URLs prior to downloading software, keeping antivirus and endpoint protection updated, and reporting suspicious advertisements directly to platform providers.
