DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Australia marks national day that stokes patriotism and anger
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Sydney CNN —“Australia Day is Dead!” Indigenous activist Gwenda Stanley chants into the loudspeaker, as a crowd of thousands breaks into applause. This is not a day to celebrate.”Nearby, Kevin Shaw-Taylor agrees January 26 is “absolutely not” an appropriate day for national celebrations. On the other side of the city, the Australia Day party was in full swing. A yacht sails in Sydney Harbor to mark Australia Day on January 16, 2024. Instead of guilt on Australia Day, a vast number of Australians “associate it with summer fun,” says Bongiorno, from the ANU.

Persons: Gwenda Stanley, It’s, Lynda, June Coe, Jenny Evans, ”, Grace, Elise, Kevin Shaw, Taylor, Arthur Phillip, Dan Himbrechts, EFE, Frank Bongiorno, –, Asanka Ratnayake, Chelsea Watego, “, Peter Dutton, ” Dutton, Dutton, Brad Banducci, Banducci, ” Banducci, Captain Cook, Queen Victoria, Queen, Diego Fedele, “ I’m, UQ’s, we’ve, we’re Organizations: Sydney CNN —, Indigenous, “, CNN, Australia, First Nations, Sydney, British Royal Navy, Australian National University, ANU, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders, Voters, Nations, Curumba, Sea, Indigenous Voice, Coalition, Woolworths, Sovereign Movement, Blak Locations: Sydney, “ Australia, Belmore, Sydney’s, Australia, Sydney Harbor, Melbourne, Queensland, Queen Victoria

☆ Baz Luhrmann's Australia epic back as 'Faraway Downs'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Sarah Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman react in this undated production still from a movie "Australia" by director Baz Luhrmann. Luhrmann is to present a new TV show "Faraway Downs", 6-chapter reimagining of his 2008 movie. Hulu/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Fifteen years after his sweeping adventure movie "Australia" drew mixed reviews from critics, director Baz Luhrmann has brought the story back to life in six-part television series "Faraway Downs". While she becomes romantically involved with the drover, she is also captivated by Nullah, a young bi-racial Indigenous Australian child who lives on the ranch and is in danger of being taken away by police due to a strict racial policy at the time. As for "Faraway Downs", which starts streaming from Nov. 25, Luhrmann hopes that by combining a romance with what he calls an "ugly chapter" in Australian history, he will reach a broad audience.

Persons: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Baz Luhrmann, Luhrmann, Sarah, drover, Jackman, Nullah, Sarah Mills, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, First Peoples, Australians, Aboriginal, First, Thomson Locations: Australia, Torres

[1/2] Voters walk past Vote 'Yes' and Vote 'No' signs at the Old Australian Parliament House, during The Voice referendum in Canberra, Australia, October 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Australian Indigenous leaders called on Sunday for a week of silence and reflection after a referendum to recognise the First Peoples in the constitution was decisively rejected by a majority of the population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people make up 3.8% of Australia's 26 million population and have inhabited the country for about 60,000 years. The leaders said they would lower the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flag to half-mast for the week and urged others to do the same. 'REFLECT HARD'Prime Minister Anthony Albanese staked significant political capital on the Voice referendum, but his critics say it was his biggest misstep since coming to power in May last year.

Persons: Tracey Nearmy, Lloyd Walker, Walker, Jade Ritchie, it’s, Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton, Cordelia Hsu, Jill Gralow, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: Old Australian, House, REUTERS, Rights, Peoples, Aboriginal, First Peoples, national rugby, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Canberra, Australia, Torres, Canada, New Zealand

☆ Australia's referendum failure could lead to more divisive politics, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] 'Yes' campaigners drive past voters lining up at a polling booth during The Voice referendum in Queanbeyan, Australia, October 14, 2023. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese misread the public mood, analysts said on Sunday, as he took responsibility for the referendum result, in which only the national capital voted "Yes" from among eight states and territories. Elected in 1996, Albanese saw the failure of the 1999 referendum for Australia to become a republic. Dutton may not try to win back these Teal seats at the next election, Kenny said, adding that almost all of Labor's rural and outer-suburban, working class seats voted "No". Former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who will join the board of Fox Corp next month, praised Dutton's "courageous" campaign against the referendum in an interview with Sky News.

Persons: Tracey Nearmy, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Chris Wallace, Peter Dutton, Dutton, Mark Kenny, Kenny, " Albanese, Bridget McKenzie, Tony Abbott, Dutton's, Abbott, Simon Banks, Hawker Britton, Wallace, Kirsty Needham, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, First, Aboriginal, First Nations, University of Canberra, Liberal, Australian National University, Labor, Trump, Nationals, university's Australian Studies Institute, Victoria, Sunday, Fox Corp, Sky News, Liberal Party, Thomson Locations: Queanbeyan, Australia, Torres, U.S, New South Wales

☆ Australia rejects Indigenous referendum in setback for reconciliation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Australia on Saturday decisively rejected a proposal to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution, in a major setback to the country's efforts for reconciliation with its First Peoples. Nationwide, with 45% of the vote counted, the "No" vote led "Yes" by 57.35% to 42.65%. A successful referendum requires at least four of the six states to vote in favor, along with a national majority. Because of Australia's time zones, voting in Western Australia was still under way as it became clear the referendum was lost. Supporters of the proposal believe entrenching an Indigenous Voice into the constitution would unite Australia and usher in a new era with its Indigenous people.

Persons: Dean Parkin, South Australia —, I'm, Thomas Mayo Organizations: Wests Ashfield Leagues Club, Saturday, First Peoples . Nationwide, ABC, Aboriginal Locations: Sydney, Australia, Australian, South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Torres

☆ Australia's Referendum Failure Could Lead to More Divisive Politics, Analysts Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Kirsty NeedhamSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's decision to deny constitutional recognition to its First Peoples could herald a more divisive "Trump-style" politics at the next national election, while pushing the prime minister to pivot to cost of living issues, some analysts said. Now he is expected to pivot to addressing cost of living issues pressing on voters, which had made it harder to win the referendum, she added. Elected in 1996, Albanese saw the failure of the 1999 referendum for Australia to become a republic. Dutton may not try to win back these Teal seats at the next election, Kenny said, adding that almost all of Labor's rural and outer-suburban, working class seats voted "No". Former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who will join the board of Fox Corp next month, praised Dutton's "courageous" campaign against the referendum in an interview with Sky News.

Persons: Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Chris Wallace, Peter Dutton, Dutton, Mark Kenny, Kenny, " Albanese, Bridget McKenzie, Tony Abbott, Dutton's, Abbott, Simon Banks, Hawker Britton, Wallace, Kirsty Needham, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: First, Aboriginal, First Nations, University of Canberra, Liberal, Australian National University, Labor, Trump, Nationals, university's Australian Studies Institute, Victoria, Sunday, Fox Corp, Sky News, Liberal Party Locations: Torres, Australia, U.S, New South Wales

☆ Australia PM rallies support for Indigenous referendum as early voting starts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAGUS INDAHONO/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday he would focus on having one-on-one conversations with Australians to rally support for the Indigenous referendum, as early voting began in some parts of the country. In a landmark referendum, Australians will decide on Oct. 14 whether to approve altering the constitution to enshrine an Indigenous advisory body called the "Voice to Parliament" that can give advice on matters that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The proposal, backed by Albanese's Labor government, has been struggling to get majority support with recent opinion polls showing voters will reject it. In a bid to mobilise support, Albanese said if Australians are focused on what the question is from the referendum amid the distractions, they will vote yes, and there is nothing to fear from this campaign. Early voting on the referendum in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory will begin on Tuesday.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Joko Widodo, BAGUS, Albanese, Stella Qiu, Lincoln Organizations: Australia's, 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Rights, Australian, Torres Strait, Albanese's Labor, Aboriginal, Australian Capital, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Melbourne, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory

☆ X, formerly known as Twitter, scraps political misinformation reporting feature
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter, has scrapped a feature that lets users self-report political misinformation on the platform, a research group says, marking the latest safety-focused guardrail that X has rolled back since billionaire Elon Musk took the helm. “There now appears to be no channel to report electoral misinformation when discovered on your platform,” the letter from Reset Australia states. X users, notably, can still report content on the platform for violations in other categories — such as “Hate,” “Abuse & Harassment,” and “Violent Speech,” among other issues. The feature allowed users to report a post as “it’s misleading” when they encountered problematic political content. In January 2022, the company said it was expanding the misinformation reporting feature to more countries and users.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Donald Trump, Kanye, X, — Organizations: CNN, Australia, United, Twitter, Kanye West Locations: Australia, South Korea

☆ Musk's X disabled feature for reporting electoral misinformation - researcher
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's X, formerly called Twitter, disabled a feature that let users report misinformation about elections, a research organisation said on Wednesday, throwing fresh concern about false claims spreading just before major U.S. and Australian votes. Users could still report posts to X globally for a host of other complaints such as promoting violence or hate speech, the researcher added. In a letter to X's managing director for Australia, Angus Keene, Reset.Tech Australia said the change may leave content that violates X's own policy banning electoral misinformation online without an appropriate review process. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), which will oversee the Oct. 14 referendum, has said the spread of electoral misinformation is the worst it has seen. The commission said it was still able to report posts containing political misinformation directly to X, even after the feature was disabled.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Elon Musk's, Alice Dawkins, Angus Keene, Musk, Byron Kaye, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Twitter, European Union, Reset.Tech, Australia, Reuters, Australian Electoral Commission, AEC, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Reset.Tech Australia, Australia

☆ Record numbers of Australians enrol for referendum on Indigenous recognition
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The proposal has been struggling to get majority support with recent opinion polls showing voters are will reject it. A record 97.7% of eligible Australians have enrolled to vote in the referendum, the Australian Election Commission (AEC) said in a statement late on Thursday. More than 8.4 million people, 47% of the roll, were not enrolled when the last referendum was held in 1999, the commission added. Indigenous Australians, who account for 3.8% of the population, face disadvantages including discrimination, poor health and education outcomes and high incarceration rates. Some Indigenous Australians want stronger action, including a treaty with the government.

Persons: Rita Wright, Loren Elliott, Tom Rogers, Anthony Albanese's, Albanese, we’ll, Praveen Menon, Lincoln Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Rights, Torres Strait, Commission, Nations, Anthony Albanese's Labor, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Australia Indigenous referendum set to fail as support dips, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Yes23 volunteer holds pamphlets while speaking with commuters about the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum, in Melbourne, Australia August 30, 2023. Australians will vote in the referendum on Oct. 14, when they will be asked whether they support altering the constitution to set up an Indigenous committee to advise the federal parliament. The referendum requires a national majority of votes as well as a majority of votes in at least four of the six states in order to change the constitution. The survey, however, showed only the island state of Tasmania supported the Voice. The 'No' vote is strongest in Queensland and Western Australia with 61% set to reject the Voice.

Persons: James Ross, Anthony Albanese, Renju Jose, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Voters, Sydney Morning Herald, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, Australia's, Queensland, Western Australia, Sydney

☆ Australia's Indigenous Voice referendum faces misinformation linked to COVID influencers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Dozens of campaigners who built substantial audiences during the COVID era by opposing Australia's pandemic response have turned their focus to undermining the Oct. 14 referendum, analysis of social media posts by independent fact-checkers shows. The direct link between COVID agitators and misinformation about the Voice has not been previously reported in detail. Polls show support for the Voice has slumped from about two-thirds in April to less than 40% this month. Not one X post containing electoral misinformation was marked or taken down in the monitoring period, before or after being reported, Reset.Tech said. "Many of the accounts pushing electoral misinformation narratives turned to a style of anti-lockdown politics during the pandemic," said Reset.Tech Australia executive director Alice Dawkins.

Persons: William Bay, Hitler, Bay, Reset.Tech, Elon Musk, Alice Dawkins, Ella Woods, Joyce, Evan Ekin, Smyth, Donald Trump, Luke Howarth, Covid, David Heilpern, Graham Hood, Pauline Hanson, Tristan Van Rye, Hood, Hanson, Van Rye, Ed Coper, Rosita Diaz, Diaz, BILL Australia's, Michelle Rowland, we're, Elise Thomas, Byron Kaye, Praveen Menon, Daniel Flynn, David Crawshaw Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Facebook, COVID, Meta, Reset.Tech, U.S, Southern Cross University, Qantas, Aboriginal, Labor, Communications, Advance Australia, Institute for Strategic, Thomson Locations: Brisbane, Australia, BRISBANE, Brisbane's, Reset.Tech Australia, Northern Territory, Canada, U.S, New Zealand, Melbourne

☆ More than half of Australians oppose Indigenous panel in constitution, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A Yes23 volunteer holds pamphlets while speaking with commuters about the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum, in Melbourne, Australia August 30, 2023. AAP Image/James Ross via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Sept 4 (Reuters) - More than half of Australians would reject the inclusion of an Indigenous advisory panel in the constitution, a newspaper poll showed on Monday, as the government struggles to lift support for the landmark proposal ahead of a vote in about six weeks. The centre-left Labor government is under pressure to improve its messaging amid a steady fall in support for the referendum in opinion polls. On a two-party preferred basis, Labor still enjoys a lead of 53-47%, though that was down from 55-45% in the previous poll. Over the weekend, opposition leader Peter Dutton said he would hold a second referendum on Indigenous recognition if the Voice referendum fails but would not support a constitutionally-enshrined body, drawing criticism from the Voice support group.

Persons: James Ross, Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton, " Albanese, Renju Jose, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, The Australian, Labor, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Australia, Sydney

Two of Australia’s largest grassroots Indigenous football bodies – Indigenous Football Australia (IFA) and the Australian Indigenous Football Council (AIFC) – say there’s no funding for Indigenous football in Legacy ’23, the 357 million Australian dollar ($228 million) post-tournament fund dedicated to growing soccer in Australia. By contrast, the AIFC oversees state and territory Indigenous football councils and organizes the First Nations Indigenous Football Championships and teams who play as the Indigenous Roos and Koalas. The AIFC recently signed a “Football Treaty” with New Zealand equivalent, Māori Football Aotearoa, and Gilbert wants to create a World Indigenous Football Council and Indigenous World Cup, independently of FIFA. Pickering-Parker seems more hopeful that the World Cup will bring more funding to his small team of volunteers: “Right now. If hosting a Women’s World Cup isn’t going to do it, I don’t know what else is,” she said.

Persons: “, that’s, it’s, ”, Ros Moriarty, James Johnson, Karen Menzies, John Maynard, “ I’ll, I’m, I’ll, Maynard, –, who’ve, Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, Moriarty Football, John’s, Moriarty, ” Lawrence Gilbert, Gilbert, ” John Moriarty, John Moriarty, Johnson, We’ve, It’s, Jennifer Pickering, Tai Tokerau, “ You’re, ” Pickering, Claudia Bunge, Michaela Foster, Mathias Bergeld, Phillip Pickering, Parker, Pickering, Kyah Simon, who’s, Lydia Williams, Williams, ” Williams, Matt King, Australia’s, That’s, crowdfunding, NIAG, we’ve, Menzies, we’re, … Organizations: Sydney CNN —, Indigenous Football Australia, IFA, Australian Indigenous Football Council, Indigenous, Moriarty Foundation, Football Australia, CNN Sport, FIFA, Indigenous Advisory, CNN, Aboriginal Soccer Tribe, UNICEF Australia First Nations, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Elders, Commonwealth, First, First Nations, Reuters, Australian, soccer team, ” John Moriarty Football, New South, Nations Indigenous Football, Indigenous Roos, Treaty, Māori Football Aotearoa, Indigenous Football Council, Nations Australian, Nations, . New Zealand, ”, New Zealand Football, AFL, Australian Football League, Sydney Football Stadium Locations: Australia, New Zealand, Brisbane, New South Wales, Koalas, Tai, New, ., Norway, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Perth, “

The rights of Indigenous peoples was one of the social causes FIFA chose to highlight at this year’s World Cup. He and the other members of Indigenous Football Australia, a council that supports his initiative, John Moriarty Football, have called for meaningful support of Indigenous-led grass-roots programs from soccer’s Australian and global governing bodies. John Moriarty Football says it has received less than 20,000 Australian dollars, or about $13,000, from its country’s soccer governing body, Football Australia, since Moriarty launched the program in 2012. “If it wasn’t for programs like JMF, the pathways for children in Tennant Creek to get to elite football, let alone a World Cup tournament, would be nonexistent — an impossible dream,” Moriarty wrote in an email. Courtney Fewquandie, a Butchulla and Gubbi Gubbi woman who serves as Football Australia’s general manager of First Nations, said the advisory group has agreed to a meeting with Indigenous Football Australia after the World Cup that she hopes will be “the first step to moving forward together.”

Persons: Moriarty, John Moriarty, John Moriarty Football, ” Moriarty, Kyah Simon, Courtney Fewquandie, Gubbi, ” Organizations: FIFA, Australian, Indigenous Football Australia, John Moriarty Football, soccer’s, Football Australia, ” Football Australia, Indigenous Advisory Group, Australia, Nations, Football Australia’s, First Locations: Australia, New Zealand, Tennant, New South Wales

☆ Fewer than half of Australians back Indigenous panel, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, June 13 (Reuters) - Fewer than half of Australians back the inclusion of an Indigenous advisory panel in the constitution, in a plan set to face a referendum this year, a newspaper poll showed on Tuesday, down from 53% in May. Published by the Sydney Morning Herald, the poll showed that 49% of respondents supported the change, down from 53% in May, while 51% said they were opposed to it. Indigenous Australians, who form 3.2% of a population of 26 million, fare poorly on yardsticks such as health, education and imprisonment rates. A newspoll survey published last week also found that fewer than half of all Australians supported the referendum. But another poll published on Tuesday showed support holding steady for the Indigenous "Voice to Parliament", as the panel is called.

Persons: Dean Parkin, Anthony Albanese, Praveen Menon, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: SYDNEY, Aboriginal, Sydney Morning Herald, Sky News, Guardian, Thomson Locations: Torres, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia

☆ Support dips for Indigenous recognition referendum in Australia, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

About 46% will vote yes to having the new advisory body, called the Indigenous "Voice to Parliament", while 43% would vote no, according to the Newspoll survey published in the Australian newspaper on Monday. The poll comes just days after the referendum legislation cleared its first parliamentary hurdle as it was passed in the House of Representatives. This is the first survey to poll voters on the precise question they will be asked at the ballot box when the referendum is held, expected between October and December. Another poll last month found the yes vote dipping to 53% from 58% earlier this year. While a majority of Indigenous people support the Voice, others argue it is a distraction from achieving practical and positive outcomes.

Persons: Read, Anthony Albanese, Praveen Menon, Ediring, Michael Perry Organizations: Australian, Torres Strait, Thomson Locations: Rio Tinto, Perth, Australia, SYDNEY, Australia's

☆ Australia opposition lawmaker quits shadow cabinet over Indigenous referendum stance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 11 (Reuters) - An Australian opposition lawmaker quit the shadow cabinet on Tuesday in disagreement with his Liberal party's decision to campaign against a proposal to constitutionally recognise the country's Aboriginal and Torres Island people. Explaining his decision to resign as shadow attorney general and shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, Julian Leeser said he was unable to persuade his Liberal colleagues to support the proposed constitutional changes. "I resign without rancour or bitterness and I remain a loyal Liberal," Leeser said during a media briefing, pledging his support to opposition leader Peter Dutton. Leaving the shadow cabinet will give Leeser the freedom to campaign for the recognition of Australia's Aboriginal people in the constitution and the establishment of an Indigenous advisory group, called the "Voice". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has staked significant political capital on the referendum, welcomed Leeser's decision.

Search resuls for: "Indigenous Advisory"

18 mentions found