Category Archives: Australia news

Environment groups accuse MasterChef of greenwashing after gas sponsorship deals unveiled

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Channel Ten show’s planned use of biomethane and hydrogen in cooking challenges ‘completely out of sync’ with changing attitudes, critics say

Environmentalists have accused the hit reality TV show MasterChef Australia of greenwashing after the Network Ten program announced sponsorship deals with gas companies.

The official sponsors for MasterChef’s 16th season include the Australian Gas Network (AGN), a subsidiary of Australian Gas Infrastructure Group, which is responsible for a national fossil fuel distribution network.

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Tanya Plibersek rejects claims renewable projects are being held up by approval delays

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The environment minister says she is approving windfarms at the fastest rate in history amid industry concerns about an ‘alarming’ slowdown

Tanya Plibersek has said she is approving windfarms faster than any previous environment minister, rejecting industry claims the sector faces deteriorating investment conditions and lengthening delays.

Renewable energy firms have raised concerns that securing environmental approval is becoming more difficult, particularly for wind. Challenges are unlikely to ease soon, given the government’s recent decision to postpone conservation law reforms until after the next election, putting at risk emissions reduction goals, they say.

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Australia’s skilled mechanics shortage forcing insurers to write off electric vehicles after minor accidents

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Lack of parts and outdated laws also contributing to long repair wait times and ballooning premiums

Electric vehicles are routinely being written off after minor accidents, as a shortage of skilled mechanics and parts, as well as outdated laws, leads Australian insurers to scrap EVs prematurely instead of repairing them.

Despite the scarcity of supply that has plagued the local market in recent years, in part due to the lack of a fuel-efficiency standard, the financial reality of insuring EVs is continuing to consign them to scrap yards while inflating premiums for owners.

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Peter Dutton backs Elon Musk and contradicts Sussan Ley on ‘silly’ demand for global removal of stabbing footage

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The opposition leader says Australia ‘can’t be the internet police of the world’ amid dispute between the eSafety commissioner and X over Wakeley stabbing content removal

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has labelled the eSafety commissioner’s demands for the global removal of footage of the alleged Wakeley stabbing as “silly”, a comment that appears to put him at odds with his deputy, Sussan Ley.

In an interview on Thursday, Dutton appeared to side with Elon Musk on a key part of the government’s dispute with X over online video of the incident, saying Australia “can’t be the internet police of the world” and that federal law should not influence what content can be seen overseas.

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Activist groups not directly involved in Tiwi Island lawsuit must hand over documents to Santos, court rules

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Broad terms of subpoenas a ‘chilling’ precedent that could undermine future climate litigation, legal experts say

A federal court judge has allowed Santos to subpoena paperwork held by three activist groups who were not directly involved in a lawsuit against the oil company.

Justice Natalie Charlesworth ruled on Wednesday afternoon that Santos could pursue financial records and communications between activist groups – Sunrise, Jubilee Australia and the NT Environment Centre – and the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) in order to determine whether the company will also pursue the campaign organisations for costs for the lawsuit carried out by the EDO on behalf of Tiwi Island traditional owners.

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Sussan Ley ‘really disappointed’ with Elon Musk – as it happened

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Hundreds gather in Sydney for Anzac Day dawn service

AAP has the details on Sydney’s dawn service where hundreds of people – including veterans – gathered under a full moon and clear skies for a solemn service in the CBD.

You who have loved will remember the glow of their glad young years, as you stand today to salute them in silence, with pride and with tears.

The best thing about the ceremony this morning is to see the number of people that come early in the morning.

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Australian women alleging ‘unlawful’ treatment at Doha airport launch appeal

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Five women who say they were forced to undergo invasive examinations seek to overturn judgment finding they could not directly sue Qatar Airways

Five women who allege they were forced off a Qatar Airways plane by armed guards and intimately examined at Doha airport are attempting to overturn a legal decision that found they could not sue the airline directly.

Earlier this month, Australia’s federal court dismissed a lawsuit lodged against Qatar Airways over the October 2020 incident at Doha airport, with justice John Halley determining that the five Australian women bringing the case could instead refile their claims for damages against Matar, a Qatar Airways-owned subsidiary engaged by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) to run Doha airport.

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Twenty-six pilot whales dead after mass stranding on WA beach

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Up to 160 whales have beached themselves at Toby Inlet near Dunsborough, more than 250km south of Perth

Authorities are rushing to save more than 150 whales from a mass stranding at a beach in Western Australia’s south-west. Four pods have spread across roughly 500 metres at Toby Inlet near Dunsborough and 26 of these have died, Parks and Wildlife Service Western Australia confirmed.

“There are 20 whales in a pod about 1.5km offshore. Another pod of about 110 animals are together closer offshore,” a spokesperson said.

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Synthetic opioids: warning issued in NSW after nitazenes cause cluster of overdoses

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NSW Health investigating after powerful drugs detected in samples related to overdoses in Nepean Blue Mountains local health district

A cluster of 20 drug overdoses in New South Wales has prompted the state’s health department to issue a public warning about the danger of synthetic opioids, which are often substantially more powerful than heroin.

Called nitazenes, the drugs are often mixed into other substances such as MDMA and heroin without the user’s knowledge.

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Percentage of Australians born overseas at highest level since 1893

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The Indian-born population grew the most, rising by more than 90,000 people to take the diaspora to almost 846,000 in total at June 2023

The share of Australians born overseas has surpassed 30% for the first time since 1893, after record migration in the year to June 2023 pushed the figure out of its Covid-induced plateau.

Australia drew in an additional 500,000 foreign-born residents, taking the total to 8.2 million out of the 26.6 million in the country in June, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics latest data, released on Wednesday.

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Woodside Energy’s climate plan rejected by shareholders in ‘globally unprecedented’ rebuke

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Investors lodge 58% protest vote against emissions report but defiant chair Richard Goyder maintains company is part of solution to climate change

Woodside Energy has suffered an embarrassing rebuke of its climate credentials after its emissions plan was overwhelmingly rejected by shareholders at its annual general meeting on Wednesday.

Investors lodged a 58% vote against Woodside’s climate report, representing the strongest protest recorded against any of the dozens of listed companies around the world that regularly put climate-related resolutions to shareholders.

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Seven juveniles with alleged ‘violent extremist ideology’ arrested in Sydney counter-terror raids

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NSW police deputy commissioner says more than 400 police were involved in the raids

Seven juveniles have been arrested as part of extensive counter-terrorism raids across south-western Sydney, with police alleging they adhere to a “religiously motivated violent extremist ideology”.

New South Wales police said 13 search warrants were executed on Wednesday, leading to the arrest of seven “juveniles” including 15, 16 and 17-year-olds. Five others are assisting police with their inquiries.

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Queensland’s state library launched an AI war veteran chatbot. Pranksters immediately tried to break it

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Less than 24 hours after the bot was launched, internet users were already attempting to ‘jailbreak’ the program

Charlie, the AI war veteran chatbot, was programmed to educate people about the first world war, mateship and life in the trenches in time for Anzac Day.

But less than 24 hours after the bot was launched, internet users were already attempting to “jailbreak” it.

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Lost luggage leaves New Zealand’s band without instruments for Anzac Day at Gallipoli

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Bags went missing in Dubai floods, with embassy staff only able to retrieve one instrument and a handful of dress uniforms for defence force musicians

Australia’s and New Zealand’s defence forces are once again coming together at Gallipoli – this time to ensure New Zealand’s military band can play on.

The band’s luggage was among thousands of bags lost during last week’s Dubai floods, with embassy staff only able to retrieve one instrument and a handful of dress uniforms ahead of the 25 April dawn service in Turkey.

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Sydney counter-terror raids – as it happened

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Inspired by similar protests in the United States, students from Sydney University established a protest on the quad in support of Palestine last night, stating they will remain until the uni cuts ties “with Israeli universities and weapons manufacturers”.

In the US, dozens of students have been arrested at pro-Palestine demonstrations at Yale University and New York University amid similar protests:

For six months now, we have watched bombs rain down on Gaza. These bombs hit their civilian targets because of the research carried out by universities like Sydney University... Students have a responsibility to stand up and refuse to be complicit in genocide.

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Molly Ticehurst: review ordered into court decisions made before Forbes woman’s alleged murder

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Chris Minns to announce details of review after court hears the man charged with her murder was on bail for other offences

The New South Wales government has ordered a review of the decisions a court made to bail a man facing charges of raping and stalking Molly Ticehurst, and who has subsequently been charged with her murder.

The premier, Chris Minns, said he would announce the details of the review on Wednesday after Daniel Billings was charged with the domestic violence murder of his 28-year-old ex-girlfriend.

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Australia’s inflation rate slows less than expected to 3.6%, dimming hopes of interest rate relief

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Economists had tipped CPI growth for the March quarter of 0.8%, and an annual inflation rate of 3.5%

Australia’s inflation rate slowed less than expected in the March quarter, dimming hopes the cost of living crunch was easing and chances of a 2024 cut in official interest rates.

The consumer price index for the first three months of 2024 was 3.6%, slowing from the 4.1% annual pace in the December quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. Economists had tipped CPI would drop to 3.5%.

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Cobram death: man charged after woman’s body found in Victoria

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A 39-year-old man has been charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury over the death of a 49-year-old woman

A man has been charged by police investigating the death of a woman whose body was discovered in Victoria’s north.

A 39-year-old man from Cobram was charged on Wednesday evening with intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury, common law assault, aggravated assault of a female and unlawful assault.

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One in five Australians wrongly believe dementia is ‘normal part of the ageing process’, survey shows

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Few Australians know dementia risk can be avoided despite prevalence of condition, first-of-its-kind survey shows

Dementia is the leading cause of premature death in older Australians, but fewer than one in three people are confident they know how to reduce their risk of it, a first-of-its-kind survey has shown.

The Dementia Awareness Survey released Wednesday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is the largest nationally representative survey of its kind measuring knowledge of dementia risk factors and common misconceptions.

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Secret report warns Australian Border Force’s marine unit is ‘not safe for women’

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Exclusive: Human rights commission calls for immediate intervention in the division and says sexism and bullying are rife

Australian Border Force’s marine unit is rife with “inappropriate workplace behaviours including sexual harassment and bullying”, meaning female officers are not safe, according to the human rights watchdog.

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), in a secret report for the ABF, revealed that in the marine unit 100% of women who responded to a survey “witnessed sex discrimination, sexual … and/or sex-based harassment” and 78% had personally experienced that behaviour.

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