Australians don’t know and can’t control how data brokers are spreading their personal information. This is the core finding of a newly released report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Consumers wanting to rent a property, get an insurance quote or shop online are not given real choices about whether their personal data is shared for other purposes. This exposes Australians to scams, fraud, manipulation and discrimination. In fact, many don’t even know what kind of data has been collected about them and shared or sold by data firms and other third parties. Our privacy laws are due…
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A new deal between the UK and EU on agricultural quotas means 13,000 tonnes of lamb, beef and poultry coming to Northern Ireland from countries around the world will benefit from UK tariff quotas and Free Trade Agreements. This addresses a key problem with the old Protocol – businesses exporting their goods could benefit from UK Free Trade Agreements but those importing higher tariff products like meats into Northern Ireland could not benefit from the UK’s trade regime. Months of intensive engagement with businesses and with the DUP has now paid off with a legally binding deal. We know that…
The United States hosted Italy to a dialogue on the Indo-Pacific on May 21 in Washington, D.C. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General Riccardo Guariglia co-chaired the dialogue. The U.S. delegation included senior government officials from the Department of State, the National Security Council, and Department of Defense. The United States and Italy discussed joint priorities in the region to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, including maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait, urging the PRC to cease shipments of dual-use goods to Russia for use…
Strong but light, beautiful and precisely structured, feathers are the most complex skin appendage that ever evolved in vertebrates. Despite the fact humans have been playing with feathers since prehistory, there’s still a lot we don’t understand about them. Our new study found that some of the first animals with feathers also had scaly skin like reptiles. Following the debut of the first feathered dinosaur, Sinosauropteryx prima, in 1996, a surge of discoveries has painted an ever more interesting picture of feather evolution. We now know that many dinosaurs and their flying cousins, the pterosaurs, had feathers. Feathers came in…
A little bit of turbulence is a common experience for air travellers. Severe incidents are rare – but when they occur they can be deadly. The recent Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London to Singapore shows the danger. An encounter with extreme turbulence during normal flight left one person dead from a presumed heart attack and several others badly injured. The flight diverted to land in Bangkok so the severely injured passengers could receive hospital treatment. Air turbulence can happen anywhere, but is far more common on some routes than on others. Climate change is expected to boost the chances…
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsWatch live on Wednesday (22 May) as the Palestinian state is recognised by Ireland Prime Minister Simon Harris.The Irish premier said the country is joining Norway and Spain in making the historic move.Shortly before Mr Harris made the announcement outside Government Buildings in Dublin, Israel recalled its ambassador in Ireland, accusing the country of undermining its sovereignty and endangering its security.“Today Ireland, Norway and Spain are announcing that we recognise the state of Palestine,” said…
DECATUR, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a conciliation agreement with Caterpillar Inc. to resolve alleged systemic hiring discrimination against 60 Black applicants at one of the heavy equipment manufacturer’s production facilities in Decatur, Illinois.To resolve the allegations, Caterpillar Inc. will pay $800,000 in back wages and interest to affected job applicants and offer jobs to 34 eligible class members. The company also agreed to ensure its hiring policies and procedures are free from discrimination and provide training to all managers, supervisors, and other company officials who oversee hiring decisions. During a routine compliance review by the department’s…
Ireland in recent weeks has discussed the potential timing of recognizing Palestinian statehood in a series of meetings with the governments of Spain, Slovenia, Belgium, Norway and Malta, all of whom broadly share Ireland’s view that the EU as a whole ought to recognize Palestinian statehood. Anticipating Dublin’s move, the Israeli foreign ministry issued a video criticizing Ireland for allegedly playing into the hands of Hamas. “The fact that Hamas leaders are thanking you should serve as a wake-up call,” the Israeli government video chides in the message pointed at Ireland. Until now, Sweden has been the only EU member…
TikTok, the short-video company with Chinese roots, did the most American thing possible on May 7, 2024: It sued the U.S. government, in the person of Attorney General Merrick Garland, in federal court. The suit claims the federal law that took effect on April 24, 2024, banning TikTok unless it sells itself violates the U.S. Constitution. The law names TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., specifically. It also applies to other applications and websites reaching more than a million monthly users that allow people to share information and that have ownership of 20% or more from China, Russia, Iran…
More money to fund vital public services will be at the disposal of the Scottish Government after a motion passed in the House of Commons today that will see their borrowing powers increased in line with inflation. Scotland Office Minister John Lamont secured the approval of a Scotland Act Order that increases the Scottish Government’s resource borrowing limit from £1.75 billion to £1.78 billion and the capital borrowing limit from £3 billion to £3.05 billion in 2024-25, enabling them to invest further in schools, hospitals, roads and other key infrastructure that will help to grow the economy and create better paid…