Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers was warned in confidential Treasury advice released under a freedom of information request on Monday night that planned tax changes would place downward pressure on house prices, increase rents, and reduce housing supply. The documents, prepared in the lead-up to the budget, predicted that house prices would rise by about two … Read more
Government-backed mass weddings in northern Nigeria are drawing intense scrutiny after viral videos exposed ceremonies pairing vulnerable women, teenagers, and orphans with significantly older men. According to news reports, the Kano State Government hosted a ceremony on August 7 and 8 uniting 1,500 couples at a reported cost of 1.5 billion naira, or roughly $US1.1 … Read more
Retail sales growth at Harvey Norman slowed following the May federal budget and mounting cost-of-living pressures, according to a market update released by the company. Harvey Norman Sales Results and Financial Performance Harvey Norman reported a 3.1 percent rise in total sales to $9.6bn, backed by $6.6bn in franchisee revenue from Australia, according to the … Read more
Meta faces mounting political pressure to publish its social media algorithms as Liberal frontbencher Sarah Henderson backs calls for algorithmic transparency to combat online harm, according to recent Senate inquiry evidence. This push coincides with an ongoing federal battle in the United States over youth mental health impacts and strict Australian social media minimum age … Read more
Discreet, camera-enabled smart glasses like Meta’s Ray-Bans and Kmart’s Anko models may require new laws due to fears they could be used to exploit or surveil vulnerable groups, according to Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind. The proliferation of these wearables threatens to fundamentally alter interpersonal interactions in public and private spaces. Privacy Tsar Warns Smart … Read more