Australia

I hope this inspires a massive migration off CBA and a rollback of the policy. Because if it doesn't, the other banks will be sure to follow.

In short:

The Eureka Rebellion was a battle fought between gold miners and government soldiers at Ballarat in 1854.

While the miners were defeated quickly, they won favour with the public and eventually earned more rights, including the right to vote.

What's next?

The 170th anniversary will take place [on the 3rd of December] and Ballarat locals are watching to see if it is again misappropriated by far-right groups.

Without a subsidy, patients could pay $750 a year to treat the condition which has no cure and can last decades

Just this month, two workers were killed at Vestas Wind Farm. One died at Golden Plans in Victoria and the other at Wambo in Queensland. Vestas, the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world, regularly confronts the CFMEU over safety on the job.

Zach Smith, CFMEU national secretary, said Vestas routinely ignores CFMEU Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) concerns and denies union access to sites.

This is despite WorkSafe Victoria issuing 22 compliance notices to Vestas since March last year.

Tim Gooden, spokesperson for Victorian Defend the Unions – Defend the CFMEU, said on November 24 that Vestas’ response to the tragic death of CFMEU member Jess Patience at Golden Plains on November 11 was an outrage.

Patience’s body was left in full view, while police conducted interviews from a car boot and workers were drug and alcohol tested. Gooden thought this might be “so the company could try to blame other workers rather than its own procedures” for the tragedy.

“It was only once the CFMEU was allowed on site that surviving workers were led from the scene and offered counselling to limit PTSD reactions,” Gooden said.

What the fuck.

"Indicating to pass" is insane and needs to stop

Former NT police constable Zachary Rolfe allegedly held "overtly racist attitudes" and was "undisciplined", "dishonest", "ego-driven" and "contemptuous of authority" prior to the shooting of Aboriginal man Kumanjayi Walker, the Northern Territory coroner has hear

Annabel Crabb's analysis of parliamentary goings on this week.

Queensland Health communicable diseases branch executive director Heidi Carroll said the disease could be life threatening in babies.

"They cough so much that they can't catch their breath. They then can't get enough oxygen into their systems," Dr Carroll said.

Well, that sucks :(

Whike this is for Finland I often wonder why Australia doesn't do such a thing? (That's not an argument for or against doing it but a genuine question)

If the LNP/ALP are so concered about an invasion by China that they'll bankrupt the nation to buy a few token nuclear submarines.it seems beyond bizzare to me that the sort of preparedness in the article is not prioritised as well? Or is it becase the submarine thing is all dick waving and posturing for votes and has little to do with actual national defence ?

The Australian government’s proposed social media ban for under-16s has sparked widespread debate, affecting millions of young Australians, their families and educators. But will it actually work?

While the aim behind this ban is to protect children from online harm, it appears to be more of a kneejerk reaction to win votes.

In a world where technological advancement is accelerating and online communication is part of our everyday lives, teaching children about safe online use, rather than imposing bans, is a more effective way to protect them from harm while still allowing them to be technologically savvy.

[...]

The Finnish approach

Finland’s approach to digital literacy education is comprehensive and integrated. It aims to equip citizens of all ages with the skills to navigate the digital world effectively.

Finland’s education system embeds digital literacy as a fundamental component of its curriculum, integrating technology across all grade levels to prepare students for the digital age.

From preschool education, students are introduced to digital tools, safety and technology to learn responsible online behaviour. As Finnish academics Sirkku Lähdesmäki and Minna Maunula highlight:

creating a secure and empowering connection with media is a shared educational responsibility that necessitates the active participation of both schools and families.

Integrating digital literacy into the education system ensures skills are not taught in isolation, but embedded across the system.

Digital literacy in Finland extends beyond formal schooling. Public libraries and community centres offer programs to improve skills among adults, ensuring that digital literacy is a lifelong pursuit. As they say, digital competencies are civic skills.

[...]

In addition, the education system was reformed to emphasise critical thinking. This taught students to identify bots, understand image and video manipulations, and recognise half-truths and false profiles. The approach has been practical, with Finland ranking first out of 35 countries in a digital media literacy index measuring resilience six times in a row.

It's worth making whatever kind of submission you can manage for this. The page even specifically notes: "Due to the short timeframe of this inquiry, the committee would appreciate submissions being limited to 1-2 pages."

This bill will affect all users of social media in Australia, and may have a particularly negative effect on Fediverse platforms (like Lemmy and Mastodon) which are operated by individuals or small organisations that may not have the resources to implement age verification.

Guardian Economist Greg Jericho shows - with interactive graphs - how the RBA's interest rate policies have missed the mark and depressed Australian living standards in an unprecedented way.