Australians would have to donate $30bn annually to match New Zealand’s level of philanthropy, which is 1.84% of its GDP, according to a submission by umbrella organisation Philanthropy Australia to the Productivity Commission. Research conducted by the group found that only 71.3% of Australians donated to charities over the past year, with less than two-thirds of those earning less than $50,000 doing so, compared to 83% of those earning more than $120,000. The charity sector in Australia wants reforms to superannuation bequests and the process of permitting Australians to pass on a portion of their tax refund to charities, estimated to be $30bn annually. One proposal would be to grant all charities deductible gift recipient status, which is available in New Zealand, the UK and the US, but currently only granted to some Australian charities. Simplification of the bequest process has also been suggested as a reform.
Moose Toys' Magic Mixies toy has become a $100m product line, backed by a Netflix series, merchandise and awards from the toy industry. The toy involves young users adding water, powders and glitter to a cauldron until a furry creature – the Magic Mixie – appears. Moose hopes the toy line will be the successor to its previous wildly successful Shopkins range of tiny collectibles, which has racked up $4.3bn in sales since 2014. Analysts predict the integration of a TV series with the range will drive sales further and help licensing deals.
With most of Australia's key attractions and cities located around its fringes, cruises (preferably topped and tailed with land-based touring) are a great way to explore numerous Down Under wonders in a single trip, writes John Lee in iNews. Although Brits tend to overlook Australia as a cruise destination, the country with the world's largest island has over 37,000 miles of coastline fronting the Southern, Pacific and Indian Oceans as well as several smaller seas. There are several types of cruises available in the country, from mega-ships with a plethora of facilities, boutique brands with a more refined air, and luxurious riverboats to expedition ships that can sail to remote places. The Kimberley, Western Australia's vast and sparsely populated wilderness region, is one such place and is best explored with Coral Expeditions, which has been cruising the area for four decades. A ten-night Darwin to Broome cruise with the company costs from £3,965 ($5,495) per person and departs between April and September each year.
British author Martin Amis has died at the age of 73, with his gift for sharp observational comedy and piercing prose being celebrated by a wide following. The son of author Sir Kingsley Amis, he overcame early success to write some 15 novels, four short story collections, seven books of non-fiction and two screenplays before his death. He was often dubbed the “Mick Jagger of fiction” and was often a focus for controversy and celebration in equal measure for his work on “disgraceful human beings”. Although his father was a successful and established writer, Martin Amis broke free of his shadow with his work, starting with his prize-winning debut novel The Rachel Papers. While he was known for his romantic exploits, which included a string of high-profile relationships, he was also a gifted writer of prose who was capable of handling complex and difficult themes in his work.
Brad Fittler’s hidden hard side will be needed for his sixth State of Origin series as coach, says NSW Rugby League chief executive Dave Trodden. Fittler’s team faces Queensland, with the Maroons stronger on paper thanks to an abundance of middle forwards, and the coaching of two-time tournament winners Wayne Bennett. Despite side issues in terms of lack of experience and issues with Tom Trbojevic’s form, Trodden believes Fittler’s hardcentre will be a strength in the series. “There’s a hard edge to him, and not many people see that. He didn’t get to where he was as a player being that person,” said former teammate and colleague Andrew Johns. Fittler said he had not given any thought to whether the 2022 series would be his last, but suggested he would always relish the intensity of the game, especially at Origin level.
Vietnam is becoming an increasingly appealing destination to Australian tourists due to the cheap living expenses and affordable flights. The number of Australians visiting Vietnam in the first quarter of 2023 increased by 14.4% compared to 2019, with 82,000 travelling there during that period. Increased flight capacities, specifically by low-cost airlines, have brought fierce competition to the Vietnam fares market. Increased competition has in turn lowered prices, with Vietnam trending high among Australians as of late. The average return economy flight from Australia to Ho Chi Minh City is currently about $886, keeping airfare costs below $1000.
Melbourne University has cleared a philosopher who fell into a two-year dispute with trans rights protesters of any disciplinary breach. After attending the Let Women Speak rally in Melbourne in October 2020 and speaking at it, trans activists posting stickers across campus accusing students of her feminism class of being “fascists and bigots”. The University reviewed her Twitter and found that she had no case to answer, and that her opinions demonstrated a personal individual matter for her outside of her work. However, the boycott campaign has continued, and now security guards will be deployed during her classes to protect her.
Rising fuel costs put many Australians in a difficult position: either go cold turkey or cop a skyrocketing winter heating bill. Melbourne-based newspaper The Age now has advice on things to do to cut costs. Although replacing insulation is costly, it can reduce energy bills by as much as 45%, while other options include checking for rebates, breaking out the bubble wrap, and changing to LED bulbs.
The King Island brown thornbill is one of the most likely Australian species to become extinct in the near future, according to a 2018 paper predicting which birds and mammals are at imminent risk of such an event. At present, just approximately 200 of the birds are thought to exist, living in scattered remnant areas of wet eucalypt forests on the island of their namesake, just south of Tasmania. The extent of any genetic diversity in the current population is unknown. Although in 2019 the Australian government pledged to prevent extinctions as part of its Threatened Species Action Plan, the rate of global extinctions is currently 1,000 times the background rate. The Australian eastern quoll was declared extinct due to climate change in 2016, and a recent study from the Australian National University suggested that scientists’ focus on very endangered birds that are difficult to observe, and which often occur in wild and rugged terrain, means that many other Australian species are on the brink of extinction.
Central Coast Mariners coach Nick Montgomery believes his team can beat reigning A-League champions Melbourne City in the upcoming final, despite their opponents' significantly more impressive recent record. The Mariners will be competing in their first title decider in a decade, while City have won the championship three years in a row. However, Montgomery is confident in his team's abilities, saying that they are "looking forward to it" and "can beat anybody". The final will take place on June 3 in western Sydney.
Devin Haney defends his undisputed lightweight titles against Vasiliy Lomachenko in a blockbuster bout in Las Vegas. The American (29-0, 15 knockouts) who is unbeaten, achieved undisputed status with a points win over George Kambosos Jr in June and repeated the feat in October to retain the belts. The Ukrainian Lomachenko (17-0, 11 KOs) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a former multiple-weight world champion but at 35 is making his last stand.
Devin Haney has narrowly beaten Vasiliy Lomachenko 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 on the judges’ scorecards to retain his lightweight titles in Las Vegas. Haney, 24, is now undefeated in 30 professional bouts, while the Ukrainian veteran has lost three times. The fight was highly competitive and Lomachenko, 35, had appeared to secure the clearest rounds, but Haney clinched a narrow victory with his right hook to the body proving effective. For Lomachenko, deemed among the greatest fighters of recent times, being undisputed has always eluded him.
The Victorian branch of the Australian Liberal Party has been criticised for its disunity by the party’s state president, Greg Mirabella. He suggested that the party has a “cultural cancer” which has led to a poor brand reputation for young voters, an aging demographic, and an inability to unite behind a single strategy for defeating the Labor Party in the state. Mirabella described the divisions in the party as a “cancer” that is preventing the party from winning at the state level.
The president of the Victorian Liberal Party, Greg Mirabella, has said that the party is facing a demographic time bomb and can only tackle the issue if it overcomes its “cultural cancer” of disunity and scrutinises why it is so unattractive to young voters. Mirabella urged the party to remain united and focus on defeating Labor at the next election. He pinpointed three main issues: “Brand Liberal,” organisational structures, and an ageing voter and membership demographic. After last year’s general election defeat, Mirabella calculated that the Liberals would have won five more seats if 200 people had switched their vote.
In May 1973, the Australian protest boat the Warana set sail from Melbourne to try to halt French nuclear testing. The yacht was carrying a crew of five men and a woman, planning to rendezvous with other protests at the Mururoa Atoll test site. The yacht returned battered by a series of storms and was held up in New Zealand for repairs, with three crew members leaving due to injury and sickness. The Warana had been at sea for over a month when it arrived in Suva in July, requiring hull repairs and equipment installation to wash the decks clean of nuclear fallout.
Swinburne University in Melbourne is facing calls to reconsider the closure of its horticulture program, which has been operating for 35 years and has over 500 students. A request by the Office of TAFE Co-ordination and Delivery urged the university to keep the program, but it said the decision was made “after assessing the courses delivered against Swinburne’s strategic priorities, the demand for skills and commercial viability”. Horticulture courses are among those available free to students under the Australian state of Victoria's free TAFE policy, but funding cuts have led to fears about the future of vocational education and training.
Smooth FM evening announcer, podcast host and founder of My MensTeam charity, Cameron Daddo, revealed in an interview that he got his big break by saying yes to opportunities and his daily news media habits include reading online newspapers and tuning in to hourly radio headlines. He admires Barack Obama and wishes he could give up self-sabotaging. His recommended podcast is Separate Bathrooms, followed by SmartLess. The Dire Straits’ Romeo and Juliet is always on high rotation and his top sporting bucket list is a round of golf at Augusta National.
Hawthorn beat West Coast by 116 points in their match at the University of Tasmania Stadium, with Mitch Lewis scoring six goals. Hawthorn dominated in all areas, aided by strong performances by Jai Newcombe, Will Day, Conor Nash, and James Worpel. Despite a good performance by midfielder Dom Sheed, West Coast struggled to make an impact and was unable to match Hawthorn's influence. West Coast's Jamaine Jones was substituted off with a leg injury. Hawthorn has three tough matches against St Kilda, Port Adelaide and Brisbane Lions.
Lilla Harvey, who graduated from ballet school during the COVID-19 pandemic, has won this year’s AU$25,000 ($18,100) rising star award at the Australian Ballet’s Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards, while soloist Isobelle Dashwood took home the AU$15,000 people’s choice award. The two dancers’ advice to budding ballet performers is to emphasise self-acceptance and to eschew comparisons and trying to be something they are not. “Just trusting yourself and knowing you are enough is key,” Dashwood said. “If you have a dream, don’t let anyone else define how you get there.”
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has accused the Russian authorities of blocking its investigations into cyber criminals and “providing a haven” for hackers, including groups believed to have stolen sensitive personal data from health insurer Medibank Private. In an interview with newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald and television programme 60 Minutes, AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw stated that his agency had shared “very detailed specific intelligence” with Russia-based international policing agency Interpol but had received no assistance in response from his Russian counterparts. Russia’s failure to respond to the briefing provided legitimate cause for concern over the country’s membership of Interpol, the Five Eyes law enforcement group has stated. Five Eyes has accused Russia of continuing support for ransomware hackers and of turning to organised criminals to undertake cyber espionage.
