Spotify, the leading audio streaming service, reported that revenue in Q2 increased 23% YoY to €2.3bn ($2.67bn), better than the €2.18bn estimated by analysts. Subscriber growth also beat expectations, with a net addition of 7 million premium subscribers, bringing the total user figure to 232 million, an increase of 30% YoY. However, the company's net loss increased from €394m a year ago to €418m. Spotify also announced its acquisition of SoundBetter, a platform which connects music creators and producers with professionals for hire.
A fundraiser for the children and families affected by last week's bus crash in Melbourne, Australia, has been held at Eynesbury Football Club. The primary school bus was carrying 45 students when it was hit by a truck, leaving eight children in hospital and two requiring amputations. The club's football director, Mark Heaney, said two members of the club's junior team had been involved in the crash but have since been discharged from hospital. He added that the community response to the tragedy had been heart-warming. The club, about 15 km south of Melton, was formed only two years ago and is based in a new building. The cause of the crash is being investigated.
The Victoria Barracks on Petrie Terrace in Brisbane should be repurposed as an arts centre with boutique hotels and training centres, according to internal advice from the Australian Defence Department. The barracks date back to 1863, but have been of little use to the modern defence force and are reportedly falling into disrepair. The heritage-listed site is thought to present a significant redevelopment opportunity for the city. Several other sites, including the Herston Quarters redevelopment in Queensland and San Diego’s former Naval Training Centre, have been considered by defence officials when assessing options for the barracks.
The proposition of an Indigenous Voice referendum is not just a political issue, but also one of national inclusiveness and respect, according to a letter published in The Age. The letter responds to Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s criticism of the AFL’s decision to support the Yes vote in the referendum. The authors argue that the referendum is an invitation for everyone to inform themselves of the relevant issues and express their views, and that the No campaign should have equal representation. The letter warns that the risk to the reputation of Australia if the referendum does not pass is high, and that the fundamental question of recognising the place of Indigenous Australians must be included in the Constitution to prevent this.
Another letter in the same publication calls for the extension of voluntary assisted dying legislation to include dementia sufferers. The author shares their personal experience of caring for a loved one who had dementia and wanted the choice to end their life. The letter argues that, with the increase in dementia cases, individuals with the disease should be allowed to make their wishes clear and recorded, to prevent years of unnecessary suffering.
Finally, a letter criticises Noel Pearson for denigrating individuals who disagree with him regarding the Indigenous Voice referendum. The author argues that Pearson’s recent attacks on respected Indigenous leader Mick Gooda are unacceptable and highlight a growing intransigence within the Yes camp. The letter suggests that Pearson’s behaviour is disappointing, given his previous contributions to the cause of Aboriginal Australians.
Canadian architecture firm D'Arcy Jones has designed a four-storey apartment block named Rotunda in the James Bay area of Victoria, British Columbia. The building, which contains 12 residences, was developed by compact urban infill firm Aryze and features curved archways and black wrought iron to reference traditional Victoria design, as well as innovative touches such as a central courtyard. The Rotunda build ‘furthers the aesthetic conversation that Victoria’s architects are having’, and according to owner Luke Mari, ‘integrates density in a refreshing way.’
The May long weekend is the unofficial start of summer for Canadians, and many load up cars and head to the “cottage”. Cottages are considered a part of Canadianness that eludes even immigrants and the idea of the cottage has been inescapable. Cottage etiquette is important and may vary depending on the location of the cottage. There are tips for guests and hosts in achieving a laid-back cottage vibe, and as cottages are passed down through generations, sharing the space can become challenging.
Australia's Labor government under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has celebrated its first anniversary, with the party in a stronger position than it was when it was elected. However, Albanese is playing "a long game" amid growing opposition from left and right-leaning forces, including climate activists and independent MPs. His administration has so far focused on rebuilding trust in the political process and laying the foundations for future policy changes. The government's immediate challenges include dealing with inflated living costs that are hitting Australian citizens, as well as dealing with cost issues arising from the AUKUS submarine deal. Additionally, dealing with rising inflation and the housing crisis may lead to a shift in sentiment if Labor fails to deliver results, although the party is put off by the Greens in the Senate. Albanese has also promised to work on delivering an Indigenous Voice to parliament in an effort to unite the country but experts warn that failure to achieve the goal could have disastrous consequences for First Nations people.
Young women are now the group of Australians with the fastest-growing rate of homelessness, according to the latest data from the 2021 census. While reports have suggested that women over the age of 55 are the fastest growing group, according to the latest data it’s actually women under 20. Overall, there has been a growing national crisis of child and youth homelessness for both sexes, with the biggest increases observed among girls and young women. For those under the age of 20, the causes of youth homelessness are different from adult homelessness, and the solutions need to be too, according to Cathy Callaghan, Senior Policy Officer at Shelter NSW. Callaghan points out that many young people won’t be on the social housing list because they are very disconnected from mainstream government processes, and with an “underfunded crisis accommodation system, supported accommodation is very difficult to access as units are largely filled with people with ongoing support needs.”
Trish Connolly, chief executive for Y FOUNDATIONS, says more policy focus on children and young people who are experiencing homelessness on their own, rather than with their families, is paramount. Homelessness NSW figures suggest 13,000 unaccompanied young people across the state presented to a homelessness service last year, the highest in Australia. There is a move towards transitional housing, primarily because many young people are not yet ready to manage unaided. The government plans to commit $91.7 million over the next three years for the Reconnect program that focuses on family reunification to help young people aged 12 to 18 to access counselling, group work, mediation and specialised mental health services “to improve relationships with their family, stay at school, and participate in their local community.” Connolly says Reconnect serves a purpose, but it is not suitable for everyone as 90% of young people seeking crisis accommodation are escaping family violence. Instead, specialist refuges for young people are needed because government reports, such as the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, don’t put enough focus on the experiences of young people on their own.
Far-right activists in Melbourne are turning to "breadcrumbing," a slow and steady process of introducing extreme ideas into a debate, in a bid to shape public discourse, according to Deakin University extremism expert Dr Josh Roose. The strategy involves gradually dropping chunks of information into online debates, in an attempt to increase the number of potential recruits to the far-right. The technique is used widely among members of anti-government group MyPlace, which has spawned more than 100 offshoots across Australia, despite not all members adhering to neo-Nazi or far-right beliefs. In a confidential briefing this week, Roose and other experts helped more than 100 Australian councillors deal with the far-right and hate speech.
A referendum on the Voice to Parliament, a proposal to give Indigenous Australians a representative body, has sparked debate over how progressive middle Australia is. Despite widespread support for marriage equality and a shift towards labor governments, some are fearful that the referendum could fail to get the required double majority of voters throughout the nation and a majority of states. Private polling on the yes vote has been more favourable than a recent Resolve survey published in The Sydney Morning Herald. However, there are concerns a gap exists between middle Australia's feelings towards minorities and how they view class, and those who are viewed as external. Questions have also been raised about the level of fellow feeling among the wider community for Indigenous Australians. Despite this, three major sports – the National Rugby League, Rugby Australia and the Australian Football League – have shown support for the Yes campaign, along with the sole Liberal government in Tasmania.
The Sun Hung Kai Centre in Hong Kong continues to attract tenants and achieve energy savings due to its sustainable features and retrofitting measures. SHKP, its main owner, retrofitted the 54-storey building's chiller plants using energy-efficient features to improve its energy consumption performance. In 2022, the building achieved platinum certification from the US Green Building Council's LEED rating system for existing buildings, marking it as the oldest building in Hong Kong to receive this status. Hong Kong aims to reduce commercial building electricity consumption by 30-40% and residential buildings by 20-30% by 2050 compared to 2015 levels. The current level of retrofitted office space in Hong Kong is less than 10%, with Colliers emphasising the marketing potential to attract tenants and increase occupancy rates for environmentally certified buildings as more businesses focus on cutting their carbon footprints.
A new statue has been unveiled in Triangle Park in Tallangatta, Victoria, to commemorate Australian horse Sandy, who was the only horse out of 130,000 to make it back to Australia after serving during the First World War. Thousands of people came to pay tribute to Sandy, while local plumber and horseman Ross Smith, who raised $160,000 for the statue, said he was “overwhelmed and excited” to see his dream come true. Sandy, a bay gelding, was donated by brothers Frank “Bonner” O’Donnell and Jack O’Donnell to the Army in 1914 to contribute to the war effort. In 1915, the horse was attached to an army veterinary unit in northern France before being shipped home, aged 18. For several years after the war, Sandy lived in an army paddock in Maribyrnong in Melbourne’s inner west, before being euthanised in 1923.
Extra Smart, a four-year-old mare, is set to resume at Muswellbrook on Sunday following a single win at Scone in December. Trainer John Ramsey is upbeat following a positive trial run and said if Extra Smart impresses again, a Highway in Sydney could be on the cards.
Toronto is not an uninhabitable hellhole, but rather a great place to live despite its recent problems, writes Toronto Star columnist Edward Keenan. The city is significantly safer than other major North American cities and even the Crime Severity Index shows Toronto is safer than many smaller Canadian cities. It has a strong economy and an array of fantastic community organisations, Keenan notes. A key obstacle to Torontonian well-being is the expensive rent market leading to homelessness and subsequent social crises, he adds. Indeed, homelessness will remain an issue until housing affordability is increased, which is something all mayoral candidates agree on, and it's vital everyone's attention remains focused on it, Keenan says.
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.
Corporate landlord Wentworth Capital has been accused of trying to skirt Victoria’s no-grounds evictions ban through ambiguous lease agreements. Tom French and other residents of the company's Parkville building accused the property manager of increasingly furtive methods to get them to sign fixed-term agreements rather than continue on periodic leases. Wentworth reportedly kept raising the rent until future tenants were priced out or signed an agreement, thereby avoiding the no-grounds evictions law. The property specialist bought the block from the government late last year.
The allegations coincided with a rise in demand for more build-to-rent towers, fuelled by investment incentives in the Australian Federal Budget. Critics, such as research fellow Dr Chris Martin, fear that more corporate landlords will lead to an increase in landlord bullying tactics.
Despite the state’s efforts to clamp down on the issue, this is not a new problem for Australian renters. In May, charity Anglicare published its annual Rental Affordability Survey that shed light on the struggle renters face to find affordable and appropriate homes. In 2021, Anglicare found that only 5% of rental properties being made available were affordable for a single person on a government assistance plan.
When Australian Broadcasting Corp political editor Chris Uhlmann's dog died recently, he wrote about it in light of the debate on Victoria's assisted dying legislation. He compared the issue of whether Victoria should allow assisted dying with the need to balance prolonging life with quality of life and a person's sense of purpose. The radio presenter argues people with profound experience of the issue should have a say over those who are "demagoguing", and when terminal illness calls they should have the option to "take that ride, to be with us or without us".
Victoria's independent Parliamentary Budget Office has calculated that funding will cease for 372 state programs, from road maintenance to domestic violence and disability support, on 30 June if Treasurer Tim Pallas does not extent the initiatives in Tuesday's budget. The 372 programs amount to over AUD 17.2bn ($12.4bn) and could include $58.3m for local sports, $30.7m for transporting students with disabilities and $26.3m for solar homes boost; whilst other initiatives that could face cuts include $7.5m to the Latrobe Valley Authority for regional economic transition and $25.3m for payouts for historical child abuse.
The state government of Victoria in Australia is set to detail a COVID-19 "Debt Repayment Plan" of AUD31.5bn ($22.9bn) to repay emergency funds borrowed during the pandemic. The budget is also expected to differentiate between "emergency" debt used to prepare the health system and the economy, which will be classified as short-term, and productive borrowings used to fund long-term growth. The plan will also aim to stop debt from reaching "unmanageable levels" and provide assurances to credit rating agencies, with senior officials claiming the Reserve Bank directly advised state leaders to spend to avoid increasing unemployment. The proposed plan is included in Treasurer Tim Pallas’s ninth budget.
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.
