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☆ Singapore brokered a deal with Taylor Swift, so she wouldn't take the Eras Tour to other Southeast Asian countries. Now, a Philippines lawmaker is calling it out.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThere's a feud between Singapore and neighboring government officials — and it's all down to Taylor Swift. "Some $3 million in grants were allegedly given by the Singapore government to AEG to host the concert in Singapore. AdvertisementFans of US singer Taylor Swift arrive for the first of the pop star's six sold-out Eras Tour concerts at the National Stadium in Singapore on March 2, 2024. Taylor Swift performs at the National Stadium on March 2, 2024 in Singapore. He claimed he was told the Singapore government offered $2 million to $3 million per show in exchange for exclusivity.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Joey Salceda, Swift, Salceda, Rosland Rahman, Ashok Kumar, Srettha Thavisin, Angel Zhong Organizations: Service, Business, Philippines, Department of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, AEG, The Straits Times, Getty, GMA Network, Association of South East Asian Nations, Sky News, BBC News, CNA, Finance, RMIT University, Forbes Locations: Singapore, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangkok, Thailand

☆ Spent coffee grounds could make concrete stronger
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —If your morning can’t start without coffee, you’re not alone: globally, we drink over 2 billion cups of coffee each day, leading to 60 million tons of wet, spent coffee grounds every year. There, like other organic compounds, coffee grounds decompose and release methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. Now, researchers say coffee grounds could be used as an ingredient in concrete, and they could even make it stronger, according to a recent study. When the biochar is mixed with concrete, Roychand says, its particles act like tiny water reservoirs, distributed throughout the concrete. Roychad points out that waste collection is already mainstream, and that a number of companies in Australia are focusing on recycling coffee waste.

Persons: you’re, ”, Rajeev Roychand, Mohammad Saberian, Shannon Kilmartin, Lynch, Jordan Carter, Carelle Mulawa, “, Kypros, Roychand Organizations: CNN, School of Engineering, RMIT University, University of Sheffield Locations: Melbourne, Australia

Broken Ethernet cable is seen in front of binary code and words "cyber security" in this illustration taken March 8, 2022. "We're also seeing a greater interest from state actors in Australia's critical infrastructure." In May, the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and Microsoft (MSFT.O) said a state-sponsored Chinese hacking group was spying on U.S. critical infrastructure organisations. Techniques used by the China hacking group could be used against Australia's critical infrastructure including telecommunications, energy and transportation, the report said. Marles said Australia's relationship with China, its largest trading partner, was "complex" and the government had never pretended the relationship would be easy.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, cybercrime, Richard Marles, We're, Marles, Matthew Warren, Nigel Phair, Renju Jose, Byron Kaye, Lincoln, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Australian Cyber Security, ABC Radio, Microsoft, RMIT University Centre, Cyber Security Research, Australian Securities and Investments, Australia, Monash University, DP, Optus, Thomson Locations: Britain, U.S, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, China, Sydney

☆ Australian Voice referendum: Australians vote No in referendum that promised change but couldn't deliver
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“It is as Australians together that we must take our country beyond this debate without forgetting why we had it in the first place. “This is a referendum we should never had had because it was built on a lie that Aboriginal people do not have a voice,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Yes campaigner Marilyn Trad told CNN that volunteers making calls to prospective voters had to break the news to some – this week – that there was indeed a referendum. The result means no constitutional change, but the referendum will have lasting consequences for the entire nation, according to experts. “So that power, to change, to modernize, to update the constitution has been put in the hands of the Australian people.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, ”, Warren Mundine, –, Martin Ollman, MC Hammer, John Farnham, “, Marilyn Trad, Kevin Argus, Argus, Mick Tsikas, Australia’s, Pat Dodson, ” “ We’ve, ” Maree Teesson, Teesson, Paula Gerber Organizations: Australia CNN —, Nations, Australian Electoral Commission, CNN, Sky News, SBS, Torres Straight Islanders, Torres Strait, ”, First Nations, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Constitutional, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, RMIT, House, National Press Club, Aboriginal, Matilda Center for Research, Mental Health, University of Sydney, Law, Monash University Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Canberra, Old

The boost to formal ties could bring billions of dollars of new private investment and some public funds to Vietnam's semiconductor industry. But industry officials, analysts and investors said that the small pool of trained experts will be a crucial hurdle for the rapid development of the chip industry. There's also a risk of inadequate supply of trained chips software engineers, said Hung Nguyen, senior program manager on supply chains at RMIT University Vietnam. The White House has not specified which segments of the chips industry in Vietnam will be prioritised, but U.S. industry executives have indicated that the back-end is a key growth sector. More private investment could come, especially if a significant share of the $500 million available under the U.S. CHIPS Act for global semiconductor supply chains ends up in Vietnam.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Biden, Thanh, There's, Hung Nguyen, CHINA'S, Amkor, Janet Yellen, Hung, Francesco Guarascio, Steve Holland, Trevor Hunnicutt, Khanh Vu, Phuong, Muralikumar Organizations: U.S . Army, White, REUTERS, Companies, ASEAN Business Council, RMIT University Vietnam, Boston Consulting Group, Reuters, Intel, U.S . Treasury, Marvell, Thomson Locations: Vietnam, Washington , U.S, Hanoi, Washington, Vietnam Vietnam, HANOI, U.S, China, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, The U.S, Malaysia, India, Europe, Phuong Nguyen

☆ Your boarding pass and weight, please: Why airlines are asking passengers to step on the scales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Marylou Costa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Starting Monday, passengers flying on Korean Air may be asked to step on a scale before boarding their flight. Is it reasonable to weigh passengers? "Fuel is 20 times more than the passenger weight," he said. Where airlines weigh passengersAir New Zealand weighed passengers in June for reasons, it said, related to safety and fuel efficiency. Commercial airline seating is based on average passenger weight from the 1950s to 1970s, Hilderman said.

Persons: —, Vance Hilderman, Shem Malmquist, Hilderman, we're, Jose Silva, Finnair, Nick Gausling, Gausling, Tigress Osborn, Jodi Jacobson Organizations: Korean, Korean Air, CNBC, Gimpo, Incheon Airport, Bombardier, Embraer, Aviation, Istock, Florida Tech's College of Aeronautics, Transport & Health, RMIT University's School of Engineering, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, New Zealand, Hawaiian Air, Samoa Air, Reuters, Flyers, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, International Civil Aviation Organization, Romy Group, National Association Locations: Honolulu, American Samoa, United States, Europe

☆ Australia Women's World Cup: After Barbie, the Matildas became the new heroes in cleats
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But now, seemingly in the blink of an eye, we’re all wearing green and gold for our newest heroes, Australia’s Women’s World Cup hopefuls, the Matildas. Sam Kerr takes the ball during a FIFA World Cup 2023 round of 16 match between Australia and Denmark at Stadium Australia on August 7. “A lot of people just frankly don’t want to believe women’s sport is doing well,” Lassey told CNN. Football Australia said part of the rationale for bringing the Women’s World Cup to Australia was to use it to grow the women’s game – backed by a 357 million Australian dollar ($232 million) FIFA legacy fund. Argus says the World Cup is a turning point for women’s sport because the turnout and viewing numbers have proven that there’s an enthusiastic audience.

Persons: Barbie, Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, Australia’s, they’ve, Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso, Daniela Porcelli, “, ”, Jackie Schougaard, Alfred Hotel, “ Everyone’s, It’s, Jason Lassey, –, ” Lassey, Matildas, —, “ I’m, Hannah Mckay, Bruce McAvaney, I’m, Maddie Meyer, Kevin Argus, ” Argus, we’ve, Lassey, We’re, Robbie, Gerwig, Barbie ”, ” Gerwig Organizations: Australia CNN, Neighbours, Hollywood, Chelsea, FIFA, Stadium Australia, France, Brisbane, Caxton, Footy Industry, –, AFL, Australian Football League, CNN, Denmark, Sydney, Football Australia, team, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, RMIT, Socceroos, ”, “, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Denmark, Melbourne

SYDNEY/AUCKLAND, July 20 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand will open the ninth Women's World Cup co-hosted by the two nations on Thursday, despite a shooting near the Norwegian team hotel in New Zealand's largest city of Auckland that left three dead and six injured. Tracey Taylor, a professor of sports management at RMIT University in Melbourne, said many members of grassroots football clubs expected the tournament to have a transformative effect for participation in women’s sport in Australia. Several participating nations, including tournament heavyweights England and Spain, have been in dispute with their administrators over working conditions and pay in recent months. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many New Zealanders to experience a top-tier FIFA World Cup event,” he said. Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Additional reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney and Philip O'Connor in Stockholm; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Maren Mjelde, Sydney –, Tracey Taylor, ”, Sam Kerr, Anthony Albanese, Fatma, “, Grant Robertson, “ It’s, Alasdair Pal, Renju Jose, Philip O'Connor, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Police, New Zealand, New Zealand’s Football Ferns, Norway, Gang, Australia, RMIT University, England, rugby, Blacks, FIFA’s, Kiwis, Zealand, Wednesday, FIFA, Thomson Locations: AUCKLAND, Australia, New Zealand, Norwegian, New Zealand's, Auckland, Eden, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Sydney, England, Melbourne, Spain, France, Zealanders, Stockholm

☆ Fact Check-Image seemingly showing recent Julian Assange photograph in prison is AI-generated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An image purporting to show a leaked photograph of WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange in prison is generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Users shared the image seemingly showing a close-up photograph of Assange with his eyes closed and wearing a sullied off-white cloth, with some claiming that it shows a legitimate leaked image of Assange in prison. One tweet sharing the image read, “A latest picture of Julian Assange! In a comment to Reuters, the individual who created the image (@TheErrantFriend) said that he created the image “to evoke a visceral response” to Assange’s imprisonment. This image of Assange is AI-generated.

☆ Fact Check-Image purporting to show Donald Trump mugshot is AI-generated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An image purporting to show a mugshot of former U.S. President Donald Trump is AI-generated. The image seemingly shows Trump pictured in front of a mugshot wall wearing a black t-shirt. The size of the shoulders similarly does not match “the familiar size and build of the highly-photographed former president,” he added. External context can be “just as important as the details in the image itself in ascertaining the validity of an image,” Chen told Reuters. The image is AI-generated and does not show an authentic mugshot of Trump.

Europe and the U.S. are scrambling to wean themselves off rare earths from China, which account for 90% of global refined output. Australia's RMIT University estimates there are 16.2 million tonnes of unexploited rare earths in 325 mineral sands deposits worldwide, while the U.S. Idaho National Laboratory said 100,000 tonnes of rare earths each year end up in waste from producing phosphoric acid alone. That, Adamas says, is equivalent to some 8% of expected demand for the two rare earths, vital for making permanent magnets to power EV and wind turbine motors. Reuters GraphicsReuters GraphicsQUICKER THAN NEW MINESRecovering rare earths from waste is much quicker than setting up new projects from scratch. The company will extract phosphorus for fertiliser, fluorine and gypsum in addition to rare earths.

☆ Erythritol, an ingredient in stevia, linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —A sugar replacement called erythritol — used to add bulk or sweeten stevia, monkfruit and keto reduced-sugar products — has been linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death, according to a study. “If your blood level of erythritol was in the top 25% compared to the bottom 25%, there was about a two-fold higher risk for heart attack and stroke,” Hazen said. Clots can break off and travel to the heart, triggering a heart attack, or to the brain, triggering a stroke. “There appears to be a clotting risk from using erythritol,” Freeman said. In all three populations, researchers found that higher levels of erythritol were connected to a greater risk of heart attack, stroke or death within three years.

Persons: ”, Stanley Hazen, ” Hazen, “, erythritol, Andrew Freeman, ” Freeman, Robert Rankin, ” Rankin, Hazen, “ It’s, Erythritol, Hazen’s, Oliver Jones, ” Jones, You’ll, Health’s Freeman Organizations: CNN, Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, People, Nature, Jewish Health, European Association of Polyol, Cleveland Clinic’s Center, Human, RMIT University, National Health, European Food Safety Authority, Food and Drug Administration Locations: Denver, United States, Europe, erythritol, Australia

Due to the tiny size of the capsule and the huge distances involved, authorities warn the chances of finding it are slim. Department of Fire and Emergency Services/APHow rare is it to lose a radioactive device? Radiation Services WA says radioactive substances are transported throughout Western Australia on a daily basis without any issues. A conveyor belt transports iron ore at the Gudai-Darri mine operated by the Rio Tinto in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, June 21, 2022. At that rate, the capsule could be radioactive for the next 300 years, said Deb from RMIT University.

☆ Netball Australia: Gina Rinehart pulls sponsorship in dispute over father's racist comments
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —When Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart threw a financial lifeline to Netball Australia, she triggered a debate about sponsorships and the role of social and political issues in the sporting sphere. Donnell Wallam of the Firebirds is a rising star in Australian netball. On Monday, Kathryn Harby-Williams, CEO of the Australian Netball Players’ Association told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Wallam had asked for an exemption not to wear the logo and was refused. Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan told Nine News the loss of Hancock sponsorship was “disappointing” but a “strong balance” needs to be struck between social issues and funding. “When done well, sport sponsorship is brand transforming for both the sport and sponsor.”

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