Religion. Racism. Australia Talks National Survey reveals what Australians are most worried about. Analysis Updated 8 Oct 2019, 9:34amTue 8 Oct 2019, 9:34am The Australia Talks National Survey has unlocked a fascinating insight into the Australian people: we have more faith in our own ability to deal with problems than we do in our country's — or indeed the world's.
Of more than 50,000 Australians who participated in the mammoth study, most — 78 per cent — were optimistic about their own futures. But they were much less hopeful for the future of the nation at large (51 per cent optimistic), and frankly despairing about where the world's headed, with only 30 per cent hopeful for the future of the globe. In a hyperactive and increasingly tribalised world, it seems the fear of what lies outside our own sphere of control is far worse than the adversity we face personally.
So what is affecting us personally? Climate change was the leading worry; 72 per cent of respondents said it would affect their lives. The results are revealing on many levels. Federal election 2019: Here's where the major parties stand on education - Australia Votes - Federal Election 2019 - Politics. Updated about 2 hours agoMon 6 May 2019, 10:46pm Education is always a major election issue, and after years of school funding wars it will once again be at the forefront of many voters' minds.
A traditional strength area for Labor, both major parties are pitching themselves as having the best strategy for improving declining student results. Early education The Coalition is spending about $450 million to give children access to 15 hours of preschool education a week until the end of 2020. Labor has promised to commit permanent funding for preschool, replacing the current year-to-year funding arrangement, and extend it to three-year-olds from 2021. The Opposition describes the plan as a major economic and social reform, however the Coalition has criticised the price tag ($9.8 billion over 10 years) and says it is more important to improve four-year-olds' attendance rates first.
Australian Defence Force invests $5 million in 'killer robots' research. Updated about an hour agoThu 28 Feb 2019, 11:22pm The Australian Defence Force has invested more than $5 million in researching the possibilities of artificially intelligent weaponry in an effort to design ethical killing machines.
Key points: The ADF invests millions into researching how drones and other weapons could make decisions on the battlefieldDespite the challenges, the lead researcher says it could make wars more ethicalIt will be the largest ever investment in AI ethics, according to the UNSW If lethal AI weapons were used by armed forces, it would fundamentally shift the decision to kill from the hands of soldiers into the those of designers and engineers. According to UNSW Canberra, a partner in the six-year project, it was the largest ever investment in AI ethics. Lead researcher Dr Jai Galliot said it would investigate the current values of people who, in the future, could be deciding when a machine kills.
"The accountability is shifting in a pretty significant way. "
Sport issues. Population growth on agenda at Treasurers' meeting, as Federal Government tries to entice migrants to regional areas - Politics. Updated about 6 hours agoThu 7 Feb 2019, 3:23pm The Federal Government will try to get the states and territories to agree to a plan for population growth at a meeting of treasurers in Canberra today, but some states are sceptical about the Coalition's commitment to delivering on its promises.
Key points: Federal Government will want states and territories to agree to population frameworkVictoria and Queensland say they cannot be forced into such a deal when funding for services is not boostedCoalition to announce close to $20 million to attempt to boost regional skilled migration The meeting comes as the Coalition pledges $19.4 million in an attempt to entice migrants to regional areas, to address skill shortages outside the nation's capital cities.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested a cut to permanent migration levels to "ease congestion" in the nation's major cities. The deadly Spanish Flu and a dramatic border closure remembered 100 years on. Updated earlier today at 7:19amTue 5 Feb 2019, 7:19am While a proposed border wall in the United States dominates news today, historians say it has been a century since a lesser known border closure left many Australians stranded and created chaos along a state line.
At the end of January 1919 authorities made the drastic decision to suddenly close the New South Wales and Queensland border to stop the spread of the deadly Spanish Flu into the northern state. "The Spanish Flu was amazing. We just don't realise the scale — it killed 50 million people worldwide," Tweed Regional Museum curator Erika Taylor said. She said the absolute devastation of the flu led to the decision to quickly close the gate at the border, which caused immediate problems for residents in the border towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads. "They just shut it at 2pm on a day at the end of January," Ms Taylor said.
"Of course we all know Twin Towns is so close, the border is so fluid. Australian Border Force accused of targeting women suspected of fleeing Saudi Arabia. Posted about 4 hours agoSun 3 Feb 2019, 8:09pm Witnesses and activists have accused Australian Border Force officers of targeting Saudi Arabian women whom they suspect will apply for asylum and blocking them from entering the country when they arrive at Australian airports.
Key points. Corruption probe into donations made by Labor-linked restaurateur, friends and family. Posted about 4 hours agoSun 3 Feb 2019, 8:12pm A corruption watchdog is asking questions about a Chinese billionaire property developer, a state Labor politician, a former head of the NSW arm of the party and $100,000 in mainly cash donations made at a 2015 Labor Party dinner, an ABC investigation can reveal.
Key points: ABC can reveal 20 donations totaling $100,000 made on the same day to NSW Labor are target of corruption probeMost of the donors are connected to a well-known Sydney restaurateur familyCorruption watchdog examining "straw donor" theory and asking questions about billionaire property developer The probe by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) burst into the public arena in December, when officers raided the NSW ALP headquarters over a fundraising dinner on March 12, 2015.
Bill Shorten, Chris Bowen and a who's who of federal and state Labor politicians attended the dinner, which was just over two weeks before the NSW election. Referees copping 'vulgar' abuse on a regular basis at Canberra football games. Updated about 9 hours agoFri 11 Jan 2019, 2:42pm On the pitch Delfina Dimoski has faced rape threats, death threats and verbal abuse — and even after finishing her day refereeing football games she has been stalked and harassed on social media for the decisions she makes.
Key points: Capital Football is moving to curb referee abuseA female referee reports receiving rape threats, being stalkedFootball in Canberra aims to attract more female referees Constant abuse, in her 11 years as a referee, has given her a thick skin, but in recent seasons violent threats have left her scared to do her job, and made her consider quitting the game she loves. Cronulla riot 'hero' Craig Campbell still paying the price 13 years on. Updated about 7 hours agoTue 11 Dec 2018, 2:03pm For many people, Craig Campbell is a hero.
It was during the Cronulla riots, 13 years ago on Tuesday, that he dispersed a crowd that was beating up two young Middle Eastern men on a carriage at the train station. "The crowd was sort of circulating around, chanting and cheering," witness and photographer Craig Greenhill told 7.30. "And then there was two guys who decided to go in there and attack them. How the same-sex marriage vote changed the lives of queer teens in country towns. Updated about an hour agoThu 15 Nov 2018, 2:53am If you are reading this you might be one of the 61 per cent of Australians who voted Yes to legalise same-sex marriage.
Maybe you voted Yes so that you could cash in on the free champagne and watch two people you love finally tie the knot. The My Health Record opt-out deadline is tomorrow night. Here's what you need to know - Science News - ABC News. The deadline to opt out of My Health Record is rapidly approaching. If you don't make a choice by Thursday night (Friday 3:00am AEDT, to be exact), you'll be among the estimated 17 million Australians for whom a record will be automatically created in the Government's online database of health information. The five-month opt-out period has been tumultuous. Since July, software analysts, unions and family violence charities have raised privacy and security concerns about the system, while health groups have talked about its clinical benefits. If you're confused, that's understandable. Some people were shocked to find they already had a record, and the opt-out deadline was pushed back one month. Kristallnacht survivor Andy Factor warns of rising antisemitism on 80th anniversary.
Updated about 3 hours agoThu 8 Nov 2018, 9:55pm Their only warning was a phone call. "They're smashing windows. Don't go outside. The Nazis are here. " Andy Factor can still hear the shattering sound that pierced the silence of the back room where his family was huddled on what would later become known as "kristallnacht" — the night of broken glass. It was a turning point in the Nazi's persecution of Jews as Germans openly rioted across the country on November 9, 1938, targeting Jewish homes and businesses while police watched on. Now, exactly 80 years since that night, there is another sound that fills Andy with fear: the rising and reinvigorated chorus of white nationalism and antisemitism that is spreading across parts of Europe and America.
Racism 'alive and it's kicking': Indigenous commissioner challenges new race appointee's stance. Updated yesterday at 7:03amSun 7 Oct 2018, 7:03am Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner June Oscar has declared that racism in Australia is "alive and it's kicking" in response to comments by the nation's newly appointed race discrimination commissioner that Australia is not a racist country. Key points: June Oscar travelling across Australia to hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait womenIndigenous people are often "watched and followed" in supermarketsAboriginal communities are being punished under a "racist" employment scheme "I'm hearing from women and girls across the country … that racism is one of the key emerging issues," she said.
Emergency departments in 'crisis' as mental health patients left waiting: new report - Health - ABC News. The emergency physician remembers when the "young and proud" Aboriginal man in his 20s was brought into the emergency department by his father. Key points Key points Patients with acute mental health problems wait longer to be assessed and treated in the EDMental health patients twice as likely to leave ED "at their own risk" before finishing treatmentExperts call for greater investment in community mental health services. The Catholic school funding deal is hunger relief for the well fed.
My Health Record: 900,000 Australians have opted out of database, Senate inquiry told. Posted about 4 hours agoMon 17 Sep 2018, 9:36pm The number of Australians who have opted out of My Health Record since July 16 has been revealed. Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) head Tim Kelsey told a Senate inquiry into the medical database system on Monday evening that as of September 12, the opt-out rate was about 3 per cent — roughly 900,000 people. Crime. Tech/Social Media.
Ageing. Children. Giant dams proposed for northern Australia could support year-round irrigation. Updated 12 minutes agoThu 30 Aug 2018, 4:20am Giant dams could be built in parts of north Queensland and the Northern Territory to turn those areas into major national agricultural food bowls and generate significant economic benefits, a CSIRO report says. The CSIRO's "world-leading initiative" mapped three key river systems — the Mitchell River in far north Queensland, Western Australia's Fitzroy River and the Greater Darwin area in the Northern Territory — to identify the best sites for potential irrigated agricultural development.
The CSIRO report proposed several dams in Queensland and the Northern Territory and said there were good conditions in Western Australia for irrigated agriculture through harvesting aquifers. CSIRO project leader Chris Chilcott said almost 400,000 hectares across the catchments could be suitable for irrigated agriculture.
Homelessness. Dogs and cats blow-torched alive at Indonesia 'extreme' market despite promised ban. Chart of the Day: Nike sales rise as Colin Kaepernick ad prompts some to burn their shoes. Northern Territory residents explain their reasons for leaving. The WA Government's backflips on education, shark drum lines set a troublesome precedent. Fired-up vaping advocates argue health is at centre of legalisation campaign in Canberra. 'Invisible volunteering': The online army of millennials quietly contributing in regional communities. The story of William Ah Ket, the first Chinese-Australian barrister - RN. The 'unconscionable' state of Australia's train stations. Mental health carers' work is valued at $13 billion, but it comes at a personal cost. Melbourne African community comes together after vigilante Facebook posts.
New push for voluntary euthanasia laws in WA parliament sparks mixed reaction. Why good men need to reclaim masculinity from the toxic cliche of power and aggression. Who regulates air fresheners in public toilets and taxis? Corkman pub developers plead guilty to dumping asbestos near homes and school. Afterpay's late fees make up 24pc of its income; ASIC recommends buy now, pay later law reform. Asbestos alert after truckloads of waste goes missing from Sydney development site. Muslims pray for rain for Australian farmers during religious holiday Eid al-Adha. Flights create millions of tonnes of passenger waste per year, with little recycled - RN.
Q&A: John Marsden says he would not have written the Tomorrow series today. Sydney's Wayside Chapel sees a changing of the guard with a new 'angel' in charge. 'I've got to save my mum': Boy recognised for bravery in domestic dispute. Baby boomers move in with adult kids as housing market displays intergenerational role reversal. Thunder versus Sea Shepherd: The true story of the world's longest ship chase - RN.
A memorial honours the many people who died because of Wittenoom's asbestos history. 'Zero-waste' household hoping to dispose of kerbside bin collection fee. WA convoy delivers much-needed hay to drought-stricken NSW farmers. Racial discrimination widespread in the private rental market, advocates warn. Culture may affect the way your brain processes everything. Here's why that's important - Science News - ABC News. 12yo refugee on hunger strike on Nauru suffering from resignation syndrome, doctors say. Wrinkle-free, non-iron cotton shirts a dream becoming a reality for CSIRO researchers - ABC Rural - ABC News. E-waste exports highlight need for tighter controls on 'unethical and irresponsible' trade - Science News - ABC News. New Zealand bans foreigners from buying property in effort to clamp down on house price growth.
Oil drilling bid for Great Australian Bight prompts debate as industries raise oil spill concerns. Spike Lee wants new film, BlacKkKlansman, to be 'wake-up call' to the world - Hack - triple j. Living with mould: The 'tightrope walk' between landlords and tenants - RN. Cycling groups in Brisbane believe road safety at 'crisis point' and call for major changes. The reality of cheap airfares: Jetstar under fire over foreign crews' pay and work on domestic sectors. Cycling groups in Brisbane believe road safety at 'crisis point' and call for major changes.
Teens racking up thousands in debt while parents unaware, study shows. Dad builds giant skate ramp for X Games competitor son and draws skateboarders from around the world. African migrants more likely to go to uni than non-migrants, research shows - Hack - triple j. Recycling thieves threaten Down Syndrome NT's trash to employment scheme for the disabled. Harold Holt, the poet and 'the bastard from Bingil Bay': How reef conservation began - Science News - ABC News. From cop to op shop: how Ursula Tunks started a Facebook group that became much more. Rent hike for public housing tenants while quarter of NT households suffer rental stress.
Millions of Australians suffering from combined physical, mental ill health, new report finds. Cheap and deadly: how off-the-shelf drones become weapons. Buying reusable bags every time you shop is worse than just using plastic. 'People don't trust us': what it's like raising Sudanese teenagers in Melbourne. How environmentally friendly are 'eco' bath and cleaning products? - Science News - ABC News.
Challenging the public perception of drought: not all farmers are 'busted cockies with starving animals' - ABC Rural - ABC News. How a humble Australian bee could help the world's plastic problem. DIY recycling machine brings backyard waste management one step closer. Domestic violence impact on women's homelessness revealed. How planting trees and grasses can help stabilise farmland in a changing climate. Young Greens resign 'in disgust' over handling of sexual misconduct allegations. Proposed nuclear waste facility has South Australian towns divided as locals prepare for ballot. Queensland hospitals to ban junk food and sugary drinks.
How a family can reduce their waste to just one bag a week. Woman, 86, with dementia is signed up to energy account and issued $2,500 power bill. How do we stop women getting slapped in the street? Make it a hate crime. Nigerian farmers are under attack, so why don't we hear about it? Dresses for the drought: Sisters start movement to donate formal dresses to affected teenagers. Drought relief: The dos and don'ts of helping Australian farmers and rural communities with donations - ABC Rural - ABC News.
The rise of 3D-printed guns in America could have dark implications for Australia. PFAS levels up to 20 times higher in aviation firefighters, documents reveal. Pitch Black: Fuel tank ejected from plane over Darwin during international air force exercise. Flour attack on woman with disabilities prompts fears of vigilantism. VicForests says experiment 'very likely' to kill threatened glider, continues research.