Category: Australia

Officials Unsure When Hydrogen Production Can Be Profitable Despite Billions in Taxpayer Funding

Despite billions being pumped into trying to kickstart Australia’s hydrogen industry, department officials concede reaching profitability may be a long way off. Jo Evans, the deputy secretary of the Department of Climate Change and Energy, said costs were still too high for hydrogen production. “There’s no way they’ll make a profit at those costs,” Evans…


Northern Territory Considers Replacing ‘Uncompetitive’ Mining Royalties Scheme

The Northern Territory (NT) is looking to replace its current mining royalty scheme with one that is more competitive following a report that found it to be a deterrent to investment. Currently, the territory is looking at changing its profits-based scheme to one that is based on the underlying value of the extracted assets. The…


Footage of Violent Arrest Confronting, Says Top Cop

Queensland’s top cop has described as “very confronting” footage of a violent arrest where a driver was repeatedly punched and then tasered. Police were responding to a three-car crash in Brisbane’s north on June 22 when the agitated man allegedly confronted an officer from inside a car. Investigators say he was under the influence at…


Australia Unveils Key Strategy Which Will Challenge China’s Critical Mineral Dominance

The Australian government has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding to challenge China’s grip on supplies of key minerals while starting a critical minerals processing industry which it says could create 262,600 new jobs by 2040. Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King released the Albanese government’s critical minerals strategy 2023-2030…


Wimbledon Tennis Tournament to Introduce AI-Generated Commentary

Tennis fans tuning into the next Wimbledon tennis tournament in July can also tune into AI-generated commentary. IBM is working with the All England Club to launch the new feature that will be accessible via the Wimbledon app and website, while fans can still choose to listen to regular commentary from the BBC. The feature…


Australian Government to Reveal Reserve Bank Governor’s Position in July

The Australian government will announce the position of the Reserve Bank governor within weeks, which may bring a fresh pair of eyes to the monetary authorities’ struggle against inflation. This comes as the incumbent governor Philip Lowe will finish his seven-year term in September. Despite helping the Australian economy navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, Lowe has…


Fear of Missing out Keeps Young People From Logging Off Social Media

Half of young Australians want to disconnect from social media, but fear of missing out keeps them logged in. Many young people realise social media does more harm than good, with almost half of respondents to a survey saying what they see online is more negative than positive. Despite that, one-third feel like they should…


New Zealand Prime Minister Disagrees With Biden’s Assessment Xi is a Dictator

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has indicated that he believes Chinese leader Xi Jinping is not a “dictator.” Ahead of his first trip to China as prime minister, Hipkins was asked if he agreed with Biden’s comments referring to Xi as a dictator. “No,” Hipkins said in reply to the question, adding that the…


Premier Seeks to Ban Livestreamed Climate Protests

New South Wales (NSW) Premier Chris Minns will seek to block climate activists from live-streaming illegal protests on social media following a week of coordinated actions targeting east coast coal ports. Mr Minns will sit down with representatives from Facebook and police to discuss the move, saying the protesters’ “business model” relied on social media….


Funding Plea to Stop ABC Losing Its Voice in Pacific

Australia’s national news broadcaster says more funding is needed to make an impact in the Pacific region after years of cuts leading to service shutdowns. The ABC’s head of international services, Claire Gorman, warned Australia could be left behind in the race for soft diplomacy against other nations, revealing the ABC allocates only $11 million…