BTN Newsbreak 16/07/2025
It's becoming increasingly difficult to know whether the music we're listening to is real or AI, and now, there are fresh calls for music streaming services to help us out. Velvet Sundown's folk rock songs went viral on Spotify recently, amassing more than one million streams in just a few weeks. But when people couldn't contact the band members, or find literally any info about who they were, people got a little suspicious. After a lotta chat online, the band eventually posted this to insta, pretty much confirming the AI rumours. Saying they created the fake band to challenge the future of music in the age of AI. Now it's not the first time something like this has happened, we've seen AI K-pop stars, and just last week, a new AI band launched in India called Trilok. And as AI programs continue to get better at creating music, more and more people are calling for more and more transparency. And reckon streaming services like Spotify, should have to tell us whether the music we're listening to is in fact AI.
CHINA AUSTRALIA
Our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is in China for a six day visit to chat with their president Xi Jinping. They spoke about wanting to work together to strengthen trade, and economic ties between the two countries. Another thing they brought up was China's live military exercises in the Tasman sea, which is the body of water between Australia and New Zealand. And today, Mr Albanese visited the great wall of China making him the first Aussie PM to do so since the 1970s.
WREXHAM
More than 40,000 fans turned up last night to watch the Welsh team owned by Hollywood heavyweights Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac play its second game on Aussie soil. And we've already seen some pretty interesting things on this tour. In a shocking twist, the Sky Blues produced an upset 2-1 win thanks to some magic in the 74th minute from 18-year-old midfielder Joe Lacey.
OPALS
Speakin' of big wins for Aussies, the Opals are headed to the FIBA Women's Asia Cup semi-finals after clawing their way to a 79-67 win over Japan. While things weren't looking so good at half time, the team managed to turn things around with some back-to-back buckets from Sara Blicavs sealing the deal.
SLACKLINER
Okay, here's a sport you can try as a co-curricular activity! Just kidding. No school would offer this. That's Estonian athlete Jaan Roose doing a world first slackline between a flying parasail and a moving boat!
SYCAMORE GAP TREE
First up, to the very old Sycamore Gap tree in the UK which was cut down by vandals a couple of years ago, sparking public outrage. Well, now, those guys have just been sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in prison. The tree, thought to be around 200 years old, had become an iconic landmark.
DOLPHIN STUDY
Now to a study on dolphins in WA, which has found they use sea sponges as tools to help them catch fish. Researchers hope this new study can help us better understand how these intelligence animals learn, and use tools.
MUSIC MEMORY
And finally to China where a new study has found playing musical instruments might slow cognitive decline in older people. Researchers looked at people who played music and compared them to people who didn't, and found the ones that did performed better at certain tasks. But the sample size was pretty small, only about 70 people, so more research is needed before they know for sure.
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West Australian
11 minutes ago
- West Australian
MITCHELL JOHNSON: Sam Konstas needs to play domestic cricket to learn the grind of Test arena
By any measure, Australia's 3–0 whitewash of the West Indies in the Test series was ruthless. But beyond the scoreboard, the series revealed two sharply contrasting narratives: one of a nation still anchored by world-class fast bowling, and the other still searching desperately for batters to support what is, at times, a promising bowling unit. Let's start with the obvious. Mitchell Starc's 100th Test was pure theatre — 6 for 9 in a 14-over innings where the West Indies were dismantled for just 27 runs, the second-lowest total in Test history. It was pace, swing, control and menace, all at once. Five wickets in 15 deliveries? That's not just dominance — that's legacy-building. But even amid the demolition, questions linger — especially for Australia. This series didn't solve their concerns; it only made them clearer. The pace bowling attack — Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland — remains world-class, delivering vintage spells almost on command. But the top order continues to look brittle. Usman Khawaja's form is inconsistent. Cam Green is still a work in progress. He's shown grit and determination, but No. 3 may not be his spot. Nathan McSweeney is pushing the door down with runs and reliability at State level and in Australia A matches. He's doing exactly what selectors ask: scoring runs and being consistent. Then there's 19-year-old Sam Konstas. Thrust into a high-pressure opener's role, he looked overawed. Averaging just 8.33 for the series, and dropping multiple catches, he has potential but also showed how far he has to go. The talent may be there, but the readiness isn't. Konstas needs time in the domestic grind to sharpen his game and gain clarity around his technique and temperament. Let's be honest — Australia didn't just win because of their bowling brilliance. They also benefited from a West Indies side that underperformed badly, both with the bat and in the field. Dropped catches, missed chances, and soft dismissals undid whatever good their bowlers had worked hard to build. It was a lean series with the bat for both teams, and pitch conditions certainly played a role. But the third Test, under lights with the pink ball swinging under the evening sky, exposed more than conditions ever could. The West Indies' shot selection crumbled, their defensive technique fell apart, and the mental resilience simply wasn't there. The series average of 14.95 runs per wicket says it all — not just poor, but historically so. And that's the heartbreak. This is the same region that gave cricket the brilliance of Holding, Ambrose, Richards, and Lara. This series, the Windies rarely went much beyond day three. There were glimpses of fight — particularly from Shamar and Alzarri Joseph — but the edge, the belief, the unity that earned them that remarkable win in Australia just 18 months ago was nowhere to be found with the bat. For Australia, this tour was meant to be a tune-up before the Ashes and a chance to test new talent. But what did they truly learn? That their bowlers can steamroll fragile line-ups? Yes. That their top three still lacks cohesion and certainty? Definitely. England will be a far sterner challenge. So yes, the Frank Worrell Trophy is back in the cabinet, and Starc has crossed 400 Test wickets — a remarkable achievement. But the series didn't feel like a contest. It felt like a mismatch. For the selectors, the job isn't done. The top order still needs reshaping. Green, Travis Head, Alex Carey and Beau Webster all chipped in this series but no one truly imposed themselves with the bat. If not for Starc's record-breaking spell in Kingston along with Boland's impressive hat-trick, we'd likely be talking about narrow wins built on bowling rescue missions. If Test cricket is to have a future in the Caribbean, it needs more than memories of the past. It needs investment, structure, and belief. In the end, Australia delivered what was expected, a series win but mostly thanks to the bowlers.
ABC News
11 minutes ago
- ABC News
Pedro Pascal and The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast are a family on and off screen
On a cold winter night in Sydney, at a fan event to promote Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Pedro Pascal (The Last Of Us) tells the origin story of the film's cast. From his perspective, it had been years in the making. Pascal had previously worked with Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) — who plays Johnny Storm in the film — on the set of Gladiator II. And for years, he and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) — who portrays Ben Grimm in the film — "were in casting rooms together in New York City". "He was getting all the jobs," Pascal says of Moss-Bachrach. And while he had never previously met Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) — who plays his on-screen wife, Sue Storm — Pascal notes that they move in similar circles and he credits her for convincing the producers to bring him onboard after the other three had already been cast. "And so then, when we were finally together," he explains, "it felt like family." Often referred to as Marvel's First Family, The Fantastic Four is a comic book superhero team created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Debuting in 1961, in the midst of the Space Race, the team consists of brilliant scientist Reed Richards, his wife Sue, her brother Johnny and Reed's best friend Ben. During a mission to outer space, the four are exposed to cosmic rays that imbue them with superpowers. Reed becomes Mr Fantastic, who can bend and stretch to superhuman proportions. Sue, AKA the Invisible Woman can, true to her moniker, turn invisible and produce powerful force fields. Johnny, the Human Torch, can generate flames on his body and is able to fly. And Ben has superhuman strength and durability, due to his rock-like skin. Despite their impressive powers, it's being a family that has always separated The Fantastic Four from other Marvel teams, such as The Avengers. "[There's] something about the domestic thing that every person can identify with in every way," says Kirby, "And the idea of making it work with each other against the external things. "And that's something that's so universal and that makes it really, really special." In person, on stage, the cast certainly looks the part of a family, displaying a genuine level of comfort and affection for one another. Pascal and Kirby are the parents, the headliners and the leaders of the group (Pascal further-cementing his 'Internet's Daddy' status). Quinn is the younger brother — his own star ascending (most recently in a head-turning performance in Alex Garland's Warfare). And Moss-Bachrach is more than happy to play the uncle role — equal parts comedian and curmudgeon — making an audience-splitting joke to open the Q+A session, which I won't repeat here. They also reveal that they have an active and vibrant group chat, called ABBA — after another famous foursome. But most startlingly, Kirby, whose character, Sue was pregnant, and then a mother, is now expecting her first child in real life. "It's definitely been surreal," says the English actor, "But I feel like I have been so emotional and mov[ed] because, you know, Sue's Marvel's mother. I was wearing a fake pregnancy bump for half the film. We have a little baby in the film." Having played a superhero mum has provided Kirby with a template for her own impending motherhood. "I think the main thing is that she's a working mother. She doesn't stop for a second. Not only does she have to defend the world, but she also has to be a new mother with a newborn and keep going. "And thank God, you know, the woman is not sidelined just because she's a mother. And so she told me that that's possible." To complete the vision of the film, director Matt Shakman placed the family in a retro-futuristic re-imagining of 1960s America. He previously brought a similar aesthetic to the beloved Marvel series, WandaVision (2021). "He came in with a very distinct vision, and he had the tenacity to make it, and to lean into practical filmmaking whenever he could," explains Quinn. "So, there were these incredible sets that took months to build, and he wanted the world to feel authentic and tangible. And so that was a very exciting thing." And being set in an alternate version of the 60s gave Shakman and the cast a level of creative license. "It was interesting for us because the retro future thing meant that we weren't making a period piece, you know, like Mad Men," says Kirby, who knows a thing or two about period pieces, having made a name for herself portraying Princess Margaret on The Crown. "So [it's] futuristic and it wasn't, and it was quite hard finding that balance because you didn't want to have the etiquette or the gender politics of certain times in history. It was more like the freedom to create." Despite being an ensemble, make no mistake, Pedro Pascal is the film's main drawcard. On this night, the Chilean-American actor deftly works the crowd — signing autographs and taking selfies with fans. Right now, Pedro Fever is as strong as it's ever been, with a hit series (The Last Of Us) and three movies (Eddington, Materialists, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) to his name in 2025. But success didn't come easily for him. And it certainly didn't come early. Pascal was famously a jobbing actor, playing small roles for years in shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Law and Order, before his breakthrough, at the age of 39, when he was cast as Oberyn Martell in HBO's Game of Thrones. And he's quick to remind us that he is still more actor than star. "We all are theatre animals that really kind of cut our teeth on stage," he says about himself and his cast mates — his family. Beneath the $US200 million budget, costumes, elaborate sets and CGI spectacle, Pascal sees their role as making "human beings out of people who have superpowers". Or, as Moss-Bachrach puts it: "Our job is really to take care of the hearts of the characters and the relationships and trust that a great team will do the rest of that stuff." Reflecting on his career, Pascal thinks it was never about choosing to continue being an actor, even when times were tough. "It becomes the thing that you know how to do. And if you keep doing it long enough, you don't know how to do much else. So, I think that's one part of it," he says. "And another thing is that you can't really choose love. You know, it kind of chooses you. "And so, if you're in love with something, recognition isn't the point. Survival is vital, you know, but the love of it is really the thing that'll keep you in it." The Fantastic Four: First Steps is in cinemas from July 24.
SBS Australia
27 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
Fears new breed of influencers could worsen a $25 billion Australian problem
In a quiet Brisbane club at about 10am on a Tuesday morning, Stuart is sitting in front of a poker machine filming his latest video for his YouTube channel, commentating as the machine flashes and beeps. "Oh my goodness — wow," he says to his viewers, as a $500 win flashes on the screen. But this was a rare win, he told The Feed. "The reality is, you put a hundred in, more than likely you're walking away with nothing. You have to be extremely lucky to walk away with a win," Stuart said. He's part of a growing number of gambling content creators who are gaining traction across social media and gambling platforms. Stuart gambles small amounts of money, records his wins and losses, and uploads the footage for his viewers, many of whom, he says, are people who "just want a little taste" of gambling without the risk of playing themselves. Stuart uploads videos to YouTube of him playing the pokies in Brisbane. Source: Supplied But it's a growing type of content that has some experts concerned about Australia's gambling rates. Australians lose about $25 billion a year to gambling — the most per capita of anywhere in the world — while we host around 18 per cent of the world's poker machines, according to the Australia Institute. Online gambling influencers making it big Meanwhile, on gaming streaming platforms such as Twitch and the newer Australian site Kick (which is backed by Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, co-founders of online gambling site Stake), gambling influencers rack up millions of views streaming themselves playing online pokies (also known by the US term slots). Unlike Stuart's YouTube channel, these streamers often have thousands of eyes on them, largely made up of gamers as well as young people drawn in by the spectacle and personality. Some streamers have up to a million followers. But online slots and casino-style games such as blackjack are illegal in Australia — and so is streaming playing them. However due to loose regulations, the content is being watched in Australia. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) told The Feed in a statement that gambling influencers who promote illegal online services may put Australians at risk as illegal platforms often don't allow users to withdraw winnings and may even take money without permission. "Unfortunately, you are unlikely to see your money again in these situations," a spokesperson said. They also warned influencers they could face fines of up to $59,400 for promoting or advertising illegal online gambling services. And some experts fear that the popularity of gambling influencers could lure in young people to gambling harms. "Young Australians who are active online can be more vulnerable and gambling influencers may be putting people that follow them at real risk of harm," the ACMA said. In some cases, viewers can 'donate' money for the streamer to gamble with and watch the outcome play out. Some streamers encourage viewers to donate money as one-off payments or regular contributions, or promote 'referral links' or sponsorships, to make money, thanking viewers while streaming for their contributions. The donors don't get a share of any winnings. Gambling has found a new home on Kick and Twitch, where influencers live-stream content for the masses. Source: Getty / John Lamb The appeal of these streams is that they allow viewers to vicariously gamble and engage with these influencers. Users can chat to the streamer who responds live. For some, it's a social and intimate experience. Dr Mark Johnson, a senior lecturer in digital cultures at the University of Sydney, has conducted research into the intersection of gambling and influencers. He says the dynamic of fans bankrolling a streamer's real-money play is a brand-new phenomenon that can pose risks. "It's a very modern and very novel relationship between the person who's gambling and the resources that they have to gamble." "[And] it's very hard to regulate this." Not just a game Johnson's study surveyed 350 international viewers and observed 25 gambling influencers on Twitch and Kick, finding that nearly half of the viewers felt more inclined to gamble after watching gambling streams. For some, it was the content itself. For others, it was the live chat rooms that the platforms provide, spaces that often reinforce misplaced ideas about gambling strategy and odds. "You might see a streamer playing a certain online slot game and they've lost a bunch in a row — and then they change to another slot game on the same site and they win a few times and they go: 'See, I knew it,'" Johnson said. Australians lose $25 billion each year to gambling. Source: SBS "A lot of these kind of disordered ideas aren't challenged by anybody and are reinforced." About 30 per cent of people surveyed said they were less likely to gamble due to getting their fix by watching streamers. Despite their influence, few online gambling personalities have accepted interviews with media or researchers. Building new audiences Johnson said that while traditional gambling ads on TV are regulated and banned from children's programs, streamed gambling content largely escapes scrutiny or regulation. Plus, age restrictions on these platforms can be easily bypassed. "[Gambling influencer content is] definitely reaching young people. I think to an extent that traditional forms of gambling advertising probably don't reach because these are sites with lots of kids," Johnson said. "Successful influencers and content creators can often have big [young] followings." And young people are prone to the influence of gambling. An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report from 2023 shared analysis of 10,000 Australians aged 16-17 that found that one-in-six gambled before they were legally allowed — and by 18-19, the number had almost doubled. Stuart thinks gambling sites should introduce digital ID age checks to ensure children can't access content. An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report from 2023 found that one-in-six people aged 17-18 gambled before they were legally allowed — and by 18-19, the number had almost doubled. Source: SBS "Most platforms all you've got to do is just click a button and say, 'yes, I'm over 18', and away you go," he said. "So they're relying on honesty, and we all know what humans are like." Between influence and advertising Gambling influencers exist in a new grey area: neither traditional advertisers nor neutral entertainers. Stuart, who on several occasions stopped gambling to try to curb his addiction, said honesty is important in gambling content, and believes he's not promoting it. "I mention where I'm playing just to be nice because they've allowed me to film there, so I mention where I am, so people know. But I really don't feel that it's advertising." He says his videos include both big wins and big losses while some streamers only share the highs. "You don't want to trick people into thinking anybody can go down and put a hundred dollars in a machine and pull out a thousand — because that's not the reality." "I've had a lot of comments saying, 'you've put me off gambling by showing me exactly what happened,'" Stuart said. While some of his fans do send small donations, he doesn't rely on the income. "Out of $3 I might be left with $1.40 [after fees from streaming platforms] — so it's not a great deal. I don't feel that I have to use that for gambling." A spokesperson from the Alliance for Gambling Reform, a national advocacy group, told The Feed in a statement that an advertising ban across all forms of media would help prevent young people from viewing or engaging in gambling. "[It] would prevent anyone — underage or not — from being exposed to people intending to influence gambling behaviour using tactics designed to mislead or glamorise gambling," they said. A gap in regulation Despite the growing popularity of gambling streams, there's little regulation. While US-based Twitch (a subsidiary of Amazon) has tightened its rules, such as banning the streaming of unlicensed gambling sites in 2022, Johnson says many streamers simply don't obey the rules. "Let's say a player who's playing on a British site, they are streaming it on Twitch, which is a US site, and they're being viewed by an Aussie viewer. So how do you manage that?" Kick told The Feed in a statement that gambling streamers are not allowed to bet with other users' money. "Failure to comply with local laws and regulations is a breach of our terms of service and may result in being temporarily suspended or permanently banned from Kick," it said. Gambling has found a new home on gaming platforms Twitch and Kick. Source: Getty / Jakub Porzycki Johnson believes this new era of gambling is here to stay and sees an urgent need for more research, platform responsibility, and public awareness. "The big thing is to start taking seriously the idea that viewing gambling matters. That it is not just play which matters," he says. "We live in the first time in history where massive amounts of people can watch celebrities playing games of pure luck — and waging money on those games for massive amounts of money." In the meantime, viewers will keep tuning into their favourite streamers. Some for entertainment. Some for community. Some for the thrill. And for others, a fix they're no longer willing — or able — to chase themselves. If this story raises issues for you, phone Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14. Readers seeking support for gambling concerns can contact the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 for free, professional and confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. More information is available at
