Amazon's $20 billion investment to give Australia a ‘beachhead' in global digital economy
Industry Minister Tim Ayres discusses Amazon's announcement to invest $20 billion in data centres in Australia, strengthening the country's AI capability.
'That investment on its own is very significant for Australia's digital infrastructure,' Mr Ayres told Sky News Australia.
'There is very significant scope to cease on these kinds of investments that give Australia a beachhead in the new global digital economy – this is absolutely in economic interest, this is absolutely in our security and broader geopolitical interest in a fast-moving, less secure world.'
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News.com.au
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- News.com.au
Greens candidate charged after being injured in protest
Former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas has been charged by police after she suffered graphic injuries during a pro-Palestine protest outside a Sydney business. Ms Thomas was photographed with a damaged left eye with streaks of dry blood caked onto her cheek in the wake of the protest outside SEC Plating in Belmore in Sydney's southwest on Friday. Protesters picketed the company because of reports it provides components in jets which is used by the Israeli Defence Force, the NSW Greens said in a statement. NSW Police attempted to disperse the group, stating the protest was not authorised, and issued a move-on order to 60 protesters. 'As police attempted to arrest the protesters who were not complying with the directions, a scuffle ensued between police and protesters,' NSW Police said in a statement. Police previously charged four people with a variety of offences. On Sunday Ms Thomas was issued by police with a future court attendance notice and charged with hinder/resist police and refuse/fail to comply with direction to disperse. She will appear in Bankstown Local Court on August 12. Ms Thomas challenged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the federal seat of Grayndler at the election earlier this year. A photo taken after the incident showed Ms Thomas standing next to an officer with visible swelling around her eye. Ms Thomas underwent surgery and remained in hospital on Sunday. The Greens said in a statement on Friday that NSW Police had 'violently attacked and assaulted protesters' at the 'peaceful picket … leaving one woman with serious facial injuries and arresting multiple demonstrators'. 'SEC Plating reportedly is involved in providing plating services for various parts used in F-35 jets,' the statement said. 'The State of Israel's fleet of around 40 F-35 rely on the global supply chain and supplement supply from countries like Australia to continue the genocide against the Palestinian people.' The Greens said Peter O'Brien Lawyers has been engaged to represent Ms Thomas and other protesters.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Injured Greens candidate Hannah Thomas charged with hindering or resisting police at Belmore protest
A former Greens candidate who was severely injured while being arrested at a protest in Sydney on Friday has been charged with hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of their duty and refusing or failing to comply with a direction to disperse. WARNING: This story contains images that may distress some readers. Hannah Thomas, 35, was hospitalised with a severe eye injury on Friday after being arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest in Belmore, in Sydney's south-west. Her lawyer told the ABC on Saturday she is at risk of losing sight in her right eye. Ms Thomas is the fifth person to be charged over the protest, which took place outside SEC Plating, a company the protesters say supplies components used by F-35 jets, the class of jets flown by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). SEC Plating denies supplying components to the IDF, telling the ABC in a statement that its involvement with defence manufacturing in Australia "is about defending Australia". Ms Thomas unsuccessfully ran for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's seat of Grayndler in last month's federal election, coming in second behind Mr Albanese with 25.1 per cent of the vote. She is scheduled to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday, August 12. NSW Police say the incident is still under investigation, and police are continuing to seek further information.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘The death of the shout': Aussies ditch round-buying at the pub
The Aussie pub shout – the sacred social tradition of 'buying a round' for your mates – has long been a staple of Australian night-life. But new data on how Aussies are spending their money reveals that this beloved custom is on the way out. Rising living costs mean a full round for a table can now easily top $100, while changing drinking habits and technological advances are encouraging punters to skip the shout altogether. Instead, Aussies are increasingly choosing to split the bill or simply pay for their own drinks. The latest research comes from Tyro Payments, a payments platform company, and revealed a huge generational spending divide is unfolding at the pub. Using data collected from over 1000 participants and more than 30 million food and drink orders, the report reveals that nearly half of Aussies (49 per cent) have changed their drinking habits due to cost pressures, with one in 10 cutting out alcohol altogether. The report also found that the traditional 'shout' is dying, as Aussies are now 35 per cent less likely to buy rounds for their friends than they were last year. Instead, they're opting to order via QR codes and sidestep the age-old question of 'whose turn is it?' The trend is most prominent among millennials, with 42 per cent saying they'd use a QR code to order drinks specifically to avoid a shout. Among Gen Z, 38 per cent said they use QR codes for the same reason, while 37 per cent of Gen X and 33 per cent of Baby Boomers are also embracing this tech-driven approach. The ease of sending a quick bank transfer to a mate has also made it simpler than ever to settle up the bill without the awkwardness of unpaid drinks or unclaimed rounds. Brian Sarkis, General Manager of ArtHouse Hotel in the Sydney CBD and co-owner of East Village Hotel in Darlinghurst said he's noticed this shift playing out in his bars. 'At East Village, we mainly see customers buy individual drinks when they're with a group of friends,' he told 'Even for birthdays or celebrations, they are more likely to just buy the birthday person a drink rather than shout the whole table.' Mr Sarkis says he's noticed that people are still keen to come out and enjoy a fun night, but they're definitely being more conscious about their spending. 'Buying a round for six people in today's market, that's a big hit to the wallet. The whole 'shouting' thing has pretty much disappeared,' he admits. 'The QR system has eliminated both the generosity and the guilt of round-buying. No one has to be the generous one, but no one has to be the tight one either. Buying someone a drink used to be a gesture, now it's just more efficient to order your own.' He's also noticed that people are much more strategic about their spending now. 'They'll calculate exactly what they want to spend before they even sit down,' he explains. 'The days of 'let's see how the night goes' spending are pretty much over. People have a budget and they stick to it.' This trend isn't unique to Australia. A recent article in The New York Times reported that a similar thing is happening in the US. Gen Z in the States are far less likely to open up a bar tab than they were a few years ago, preferring instead to swipe their cards after every drink, no matter how many rounds they end up having. While bar tabs are more common in American culture than in Australia, the reasons for this change in spending habits remain the same. Having to pull out your card each time you buy a drink serves as a reminder that you're spending money, which helps to curb overspending amid cost-of-living pressures. Gen Z is also favouring 'one-and-done' transactions, mainly using Apple Pay and tapping their phones for a purchase, as they would for a coffee at a cafe. So, it appears that not only is the Aussie shout coming to an end, but mindless pub spending in general.
