Mastercard will soon allow its banks to provide cryptocurrency services. The financial institution has partnered with cryptocurrency exchange firm Bakkt to expand crypto options across the thousands of merchants and banks under its vast payment network. Mastercard made the announcement this week at the Money20/20 fintech conference. The company’s partnership with Bakkt will enable Crypto-as-a-Service,…
Over 60 per cent of Australians are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 but another shot may be in store for those hoping to maintain their immunity. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine for adults six months after their second dose. It is currently unknown how long vaccinations against COVID-19…
Telstra has announced this week it will partner with the Australian Government to acquire and manage mobile network company Digicel Pacific. Digicel Pacific is currently the leading telecommunications operator in the South Pacific. Over the past 15 years Digicel Pacific has earned a place as the foremost telecommunications provider for South Pacific nations Papua New…
Growing tensions within the joint civilian-military government of Sudan erupted on Monday when the nation’s military seized control. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and his wife were detained and numerous other government officials have been arrested. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan made a public announcement on Monday, stating the power-sharing government had been dissolved and Sudan had…
Yesterday the Morrison Government released the exposure draft of a potentially game-changing new online privacy bill. The Online Privacy Bill would target social media platforms’ use of their users’ private information. According to the explanatory paper, the Bill was drafted in response to the 2018 Facebook/Cambridge Analytica data mining scandal. The scandal revealed that Facebook…
The National Party has committed to supporting a target of net zero emissions by 2050 ahead of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s upcoming appearance at the COP26 climate summit. COP26 will take place between 31 October and 12 November. The 26th United Nations summit will bring world leaders together to work toward the goals of both…
Twitter has learned its algorithm amplifies right-leaning political content, the social media company revealed in a recent blog. In a study conducted this year, Twitter sought to identify how machine learning (ML) may impact the promotion of political content on the site. The algorithm in question pertains to Twitter’s Home timeline, which displays Tweets from…
This week ICAC continues its unfolding investigations of former premier Gladys Berejiklian and former MP Daryl Maguire during their secret five-year relationship. Much attention has been given to a memo penned by political strategist Nigel Blunden. The 2016 memo addressed to former premier Mike Baird advised that he should oppose the now-controversial $5.5 million grant…
A cinematographer was killed in an accident involving Alec Baldwin and a prop gun on set for the film Rust, said New Mexico authorities. The director of the film was also injured in the incident. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon at 2pm MT. Alec Baldwin, the 68-year-old actor also known for his starring role…
Documents leaked to Greenpeace’s Unearthed investigations report suggest Australia may have attempted to water down findings of the upcoming report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It is typical of governments to provide feedback on IPCC reports prior to their publication. However, the recent leak to Unearthed indicates an Australian government official objected…