Several local NSW councils faced 'fierce opposition' for supporting the Voice - Sky News Australia

Sky News host Sharri Markson says several local councils in New South Wales faced “fierce opposition” for supporting the Voice to Parliament referendum.

“They joined corporate and sporting giants who are loudly campaigning for the yes vote,” she said.

“There’s kind of a sense that Australians don’t want to be told by corporations and by sporting clubs how they should be voting.

“That this is something that is private, and they can make up their own minds about.”

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Phil Kearns appointed to Board of Rugby World Cup Local Organising Company | Latest Rugby News | RUGBY.com.au - Rugby.com.au

Preparations for Australia’s Rugby World Cup hosting continue with the 67-cap Wallaby and dual Rugby World Cup winner Phil Kearns AM being appointed as a Director on the Board of the Local Operating Company (LOC).

The announcement follows the earlier appointment of Chris Stanley as the Managing Director of the LOC, as well as the selection of Sir Rod Eddington as the independent Chair of the Board of Directors for both the men’s event in 2027 and the women’s in 2029.

All three were instrumental in Australia’s bid to host the Rugby World Cups in 2027 and 2029.

Wallaby Number 681, Kearns played 67 Tests at Hooker for Australia, and is one of only 21 players to have won multiple Rugby World Cups – achieving the feat in 1991 and 1999.

Since his retirement as a player in 1999, Kearns has gone on to be a commentator, has devoted his time to a variety of charities, was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2017, and has built an extensive career in business that sees him in the role of Chief Executive Officer of a major residential building company.

Kearns’ appointment comes ahead of World Rugby finalising the composition of the full Board of the LOC, with an announcement to come regarding its completion.

Phil Kearns said he was thrilled and privileged to be selected to continue on the journey to delivering the Rugby World Cup in Australia.

“Obviously, I have a great affinity with the Rugby World Cup, having been to three of them as a player and winning two.

“Nothing fills you more with pride than representing your country on one of the largest sporting stages in the world – and then to have success is mind-blowing.

“Unfortunately, I did not get to play at home in Australia in 2003 – you feel a certain responsibility representing your country, especially on home soil, and it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to be able to do that again in bringing this massive event home to Australia once more.

“I was proud to be involved with a fantastic group of people, governments and stakeholders that all worked tirelessly to ensure the Rugby World Cup returned to Australian shores – and I am excited to be able to play a role in finishing the job, developing and delivering the event, and leaving a lasting legacy for Rugby in this country.”

A collaboration between World Rugby and Rugby Australia, the Rugby World Cup Australia Local Operating Company is majority owned by World Rugby’s events arm, which is responsible for the delivery of all men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups through to at least 2033 and designed to ignite global Rugby interest, fans, participation growth and value.

The Rugby World Cups will be the jewel in the crown of an exciting Rugby calendar for fans in Australia over the next decade which features the British and Irish Lions tour in 2025 and Rugby Sevens at the 2026 Commonwealth and 2032 Olympic Games. This runway presents a golden opportunity to supercharge Rugby fandom, commercial value and participation across the sport-loving nation.

Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan added: “Phil played a significant role in our bid team, and it only makes sense for him to continue on and see the job through with the LOC.

“He was a wonderful Wallaby, and he has demonstrated great passion for the Rugby World Cup, and for the game of Rugby in Australia – it is clear that he sees these as not just major events for Rugby in Australia, but as a genuine opportunity to shift the sporting landscape in this country.

“That is what we need, and along with the appointment of Sir Rod Eddington as Chair, and Chris Stanley as Managing Director, we have continuity that can build on the vision, and the foundation that has been established to deliver two incredible events that will be key moments in our golden decade of Rugby.”

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Three local atomic physicists bank $12m for their start-up - The Australian Financial Review

Updated Jul 3, 2023 – 8.24am, first published at 7.00am

A trio of atomic physicists from the Australian National University have raised $12 million for their start-up, which builds miniaturised quantum sensors for mining, underground resources exploration and navigation.

Nomad Atomics was founded by Kyle Hardman, Paul Wigley and Christian Freier, who worked at ANU on a post-doctoral research project in precision measurement, a niche subfield of atomic physics that uses atoms to make precise measurements of the world.

Christian Freier, Kyle Hardman and  Paul Wigley are the co-founders of quantum sensor start-up Nomad Atomics.  

With no interest in pursuing a career in academia, the co-founders embarked on commercialising their research in 2020, raising $2 million in seed funding and a fresh $10 million pre-series A round led by Blackbird with participation from Right Click Capital.

ANU is also a shareholder in the company.

The co-founders have kept a low profile, spending the past three years figuring out how to make quantum sensor technology small enough to leave the lab and take measurements of the outside world.

“We’ve built these sensors before – and so have many people around the world – in lab settings where they take up a whole room,” said Mr Wigley, the start-ups’s chief operating officer.

“There’s a whole room of infrastructure, and they sit there and they measure just where they are. They’re great proof of concepts of the technology, but not inherently useful to everyday industries.

“Being able to shrink it down to a size where you can take it out into the world and make measurements becomes really important and really valuable.”

Measuring gravity

Nomad Atomic’s quantum gravimeter, which measures the acceleration of gravity, is a 20cm x 20cm x 30cm box that is small enough that a single person can move it around to conduct surveys.

The company generates revenues by providing services such as conducting feasibility studies and mapping with their devices, and has already landed its first customers in underground mining, resource exploration and water utilities.

The quantum gravimeters can be used by resources companies to explore for deeper and smaller mineral deposits, or for more efficient and safe production from underground mines.

The promise of the technology is to provide more precise measurements than classical sensors, which rely on mechanical systems that can be skewed by changes to temperatures or the age of the device.

Quantum sensors can eliminate this device instability by relating all measurements to fundamentally unchanging properties of atoms.

“Quantum sensing has been around for ages … the push has always been: when will we get to the point when we can actually make these [sensors] a usable size?” said Mr Hardman, the chief executive of Nomad Atomics.

Making progress

Niki Scevak, partner at Blackbird, which has backed the company in its early days, said the start-up had made considerable progress developing its technology and applying it to making underground mining safer.

“Founders Kyle, Christian and Paul are among the best atomic physicists in the world, and the progress they have made on building a working quantum sensor has been nothing short of stunning to witness,” he said.

Nomad Atomics plans to use the fresh capital to grow the company, by building more devices and expanding its sales team, while continuing to invest in research and development of two new prototype sensors.

The start-up will also relocate from Canberra to Melbourne and plans to hire more than 20 new roles and plans to expand into the markets such as CO2 sequestration and navigation.

Tess Bennett is a technology reporter with The Australian Financial Review, based in the Brisbane newsroom. She was previously the work & careers reporter. Connect with Tess on Twitter. Email Tess at tess.bennett@afr.com

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Arms dealer swapped for Griner to contest Russian local election - Al Jazeera English

Viktor Bout will campaign for a seat in the Ulyanovsk region’s legislative assembly with the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR).

A Russian arms dealer freed in a prisoner swap for United States basketball star Brittney Griner has been chosen as the candidate of a far-right party for a seat in a Russian regional legislature, according to state news agency RIA.

Viktor Bout, once dubbed “The merchant of death”, served 10 years of a 25-year sentence in US prisons on arms dealing charges until his release last December under the exchange with Griner, an Olympic gold medallist.

RIA cited an official in the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia’s (LDPR) local organisation as saying that Bout had been nominated as a candidate for the legislative assembly of the Ulyanovsk region in central Russia.

Bout was arrested by US agents during a sting in Thailand in 2008.

The US Department of Justice described him as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers, charges Bout has always denied.

Griner was sentenced in 2022 in Russia to nine years in a penal colony for possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil – which is banned in Russia – after a judicial process Washington labelled as a sham. Griner has since resumed her sports career.

Bout publicly joined the LDPR following his return to Russia. Despite its name, the LDPR holds far-right, ultra-nationalist views and strongly supports President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The LDPR has previously provided a home to Andrei Lugovoi, who is wanted in the United Kingdom for the 2006 murder of ex-KGB officer and Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko.

Lugovoi has served as an LDPR member of Russia’s national parliament since 2007.

Litvinenko died after drinking tea poisoned with polonium-210, a radioactive isotope.

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Phil Kearns appointed to Board of Rugby World Cup Local Organising Company | Latest Rugby News | RUGBY.com.au - Rugby.com.au

Preparations for Australia’s Rugby World Cup hosting continue with the 67-cap Wallaby and dual Rugby World Cup winner Phil Kearns AM being appointed as a Director on the Board of the Local Operating Company (LOC).

The announcement follows the earlier appointment of Chris Stanley as the Managing Director of the LOC, as well as the selection of Sir Rod Eddington as the independent Chair of the Board of Directors for both the men’s event in 2027 and the women’s in 2029.

All three were instrumental in Australia’s bid to host the Rugby World Cups in 2027 and 2029.

Wallaby Number 681, Kearns played 67 Tests at Hooker for Australia, and is one of only 21 players to have won multiple Rugby World Cups – achieving the feat in 1991 and 1999.

Since his retirement as a player in 1999, Kearns has gone on to be a commentator, has devoted his time to a variety of charities, was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2017, and has built an extensive career in business that sees him in the role of Chief Executive Officer of a major residential building company.

Kearns’ appointment comes ahead of World Rugby finalising the composition of the full Board of the LOC, with an announcement to come regarding its completion.

Phil Kearns said he was thrilled and privileged to be selected to continue on the journey to delivering the Rugby World Cup in Australia.

“Obviously, I have a great affinity with the Rugby World Cup, having been to three of them as a player and winning two.

“Nothing fills you more with pride than representing your country on one of the largest sporting stages in the world – and then to have success is mind-blowing.

“Unfortunately, I did not get to play at home in Australia in 2003 – you feel a certain responsibility representing your country, especially on home soil, and it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to be able to do that again in bringing this massive event home to Australia once more.

“I was proud to be involved with a fantastic group of people, governments and stakeholders that all worked tirelessly to ensure the Rugby World Cup returned to Australian shores – and I am excited to be able to play a role in finishing the job, developing and delivering the event, and leaving a lasting legacy for Rugby in this country.”

A collaboration between World Rugby and Rugby Australia, the Rugby World Cup Australia Local Operating Company is majority owned by World Rugby’s events arm, which is responsible for the delivery of all men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups through to at least 2033 and designed to ignite global Rugby interest, fans, participation growth and value.

The Rugby World Cups will be the jewel in the crown of an exciting Rugby calendar for fans in Australia over the next decade which features the British and Irish Lions tour in 2025 and Rugby Sevens at the 2026 Commonwealth and 2032 Olympic Games. This runway presents a golden opportunity to supercharge Rugby fandom, commercial value and participation across the sport-loving nation.

Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan added: “Phil played a significant role in our bid team, and it only makes sense for him to continue on and see the job through with the LOC.

“He was a wonderful Wallaby, and he has demonstrated great passion for the Rugby World Cup, and for the game of Rugby in Australia – it is clear that he sees these as not just major events for Rugby in Australia, but as a genuine opportunity to shift the sporting landscape in this country.

“That is what we need, and along with the appointment of Sir Rod Eddington as Chair, and Chris Stanley as Managing Director, we have continuity that can build on the vision, and the foundation that has been established to deliver two incredible events that will be key moments in our golden decade of Rugby.”

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Staff in revolt as thousands of scans go unchecked at Sydney hospital - Sydney Morning Herald

The head of five inner-Sydney hospitals has stared down calls to resign after staff at one claimed they had suffered a “death from a thousand cuts”, leading to a massive backlog of unreported scans.

The Sydney Local Health District, a state government agency, defended chief executive Teresa Anderson on Friday, after a vote of no confidence in her leadership was carried at a meeting of the medical staff council at Concord Hospital.

Dr Teresa Anderson, chief executive of Sydney Local Health District.Credit: James Brickwood

More than 250 senior staff were at the meeting, with 60 per cent voting in favour of the no-confidence motion.

Staff had expressed concerns about the emergency and radiology departments in particular.

Current and former employees told the Herald successive cuts to staffing levels in the radiology department had led to a backlog of thousands of unreported scans. One current member of the radiology department said the backlog consisted of more than 30,000 scans.

“Patient care is affected because urgent scans don’t get reported by radiology, and that means someone who is not a radiologist has to make the decision,” said one radiologist formerly employed at Concord, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly.

A vote of no confidence in Anderson’s leadership was carried at a meeting of the medical staff council at Concord Hospital.Credit: James Brickwood

“Sometimes it doesn’t matter, but other times it’s a cancer that should have been treated, or something that needed immediate treatment.”

In a statement, a spokesman for Sydney LHD said the public agency was working to address delayed reporting of radiology scans at Concord Hospital, but said a state and nationwide shortage of radiology clinicians had made it difficult to recruit staff.

“Nevertheless, the hospital has been and is actively looking to replace those staff and there have been no cuts to pre-pandemic staffing levels,” the spokesman said.

Associate Professor Winston Cheung.Credit: The Georges Institute

The vote of no confidence was initiated by Associate Professor Winston Cheung, who survived a counter-motion against his leadership of the council representing the hospital’s medical staff.

In an internal email sent to staff and seen by the Herald, Cheung wrote that he did not believe Anderson’s management style was consistent with the expectations of Concord Hospital staff, patients and families.

Colleagues expressed their support for Cheung in response.

“There has been a slow death by over a thousand cuts in Concord,” one doctor wrote. “Let’s get this sorted.”

“It’s time that all departments are given a share of the RPA-centric pie,” wrote another.

Cheung declined to comment publicly.

The vote, which staff say was the first in three decades, comes after Anderson was embroiled in a separate controversy regarding a cardiothoracic surgeon at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Two initial expert investigations found serious deficiencies in the practice of cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Michael Byrom, who was the subject of whistleblower complaints by other hospital staff.

The first review, commissioned in 2016, recommended a suite of interventions before Byrom returned to full clinical privileges.

After the second review, the investigators did not recommend another period of remediation and urged the Sydney Local Health District to consider their findings when deciding whether to renew Byrom’s contract.

Anderson commissioned a third expert investigation, which reversed the findings of the earlier reviews, and sent staff a memo exonerating Byrom.

Whistleblowing staff complained to the Health Care Complaints Commission, which did not find evidence of significant clinical departures warranting cancelling Byrom’s registration, but referred him to the NSW Medical Council for a performance assessment.

In 2020, the Australian reported the NSW Medical Council had restricted Byrom from performing major heart and lung surgery and placed him on a stringent program of supervision and retraining. It is understood those extensive conditions have since been lifted.

Anderson, a speech pathologist by training, oversees 12,000 staff across five hospitals including Concord, RPA, Canterbury, Balmain and the Sydney Dental Hospital. She has held the role since 2011.

Anderson and the Sydney LHD did not comment on the Byrom matter.

“We greatly value the vital role of clinician feedback and engagement and will continue to listen to and work with the clinicians and all staff at Concord Hospital to ensure we continue to achieve the best health outcomes for our patients,” the LHD spokesman said in a statement.

Health Minister Ryan Park said he was concerned to learn of the issues raised at Concord Hospital but would not say whether Anderson should resign.

“I encourage all staff members to report any concerns, and those who do are supported to report their concerns through appropriate channels,” he said.

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Google to scrap local news links in Canada over Online News Act - BBC

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By Madeline Halpert

BBC News

Google says it will block Canadian news in the country in response to a new law that aims to make tech giants pay Canadian media for news.

Canada's parliament passed the Online News Act last week, requiring platforms like Google and Meta's Facebook to negotiate deals with news providers.

Google's move comes after Meta announced it would also restrict news content for its Canadian users.

The bill is set to take effect in six months.

A similar law in Australia was tweaked. That legislation passed two years ago, but Australian lawmakers made changes after Meta briefly blocked users in the country from sharing or viewing news on its platforms.

The blackout ended when the amendments were made, and Google and Meta have since negotiated more than 30 deals with Australian media companies.

Google had previously called the Canadian law "unworkable" in its current form and proposed amendments. Both Google and Meta have held talks with the government about the legislation.

But in response, the Canadian government has said the legislation will help provide fair compensation to struggling news outlets and has argued it is necessary "to enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news market".

Speaking to CTV News on Thursday afternoon, the minister responsible for the file, Pablo Rodriguez, said he was surprised by Google's move, noting they had had "conversations as recent as this morning".

The Canadian parliament's independent budget watchdog found news organisations could receive as much as C$329m ($248m; £196m) per year from digital platforms.

But many of the same media associations and outlets that championed the bill may now face a threat to their businesses, as Google fuels a significant portion of web traffic to Canadian news outlets.

At the Globe and Mail, for instance, Google accounts for 30% of the traffic, publisher Phillip Crawley told parliament last month. For Le Devoir, a prominent French language publication, Google drives 40% of its traffic, with nearly 30% coming from social media.

Google did not specify how long its ban on local news links would last, or whether Canadian users would be shown links to stories about Canada from publishers not based in the country.

"We have now informed the government that when the law takes effect, we unfortunately will have to remove links to Canadian news from our Search, News and Discover products in Canada," Google said in a blog post.

"We don't take this decision or its impacts lightly and believe it's important to be transparent with Canadian publishers and our users as early as possible," it said.

In a statement to the BBC, Google Canada's policy team said the government had "not given us reason to believe that the regulatory process will be able to resolve structural issues with the legislation".

But in its post on Thursday, the company said it planned "to participate in the regulatory process" and to "continue to be transparent with Canadians and publishers as we move forward".

News Media Canada, which represents hundreds of news organisations across the country and had lobbied in favour of the law, said it still believed there was a "viable path forward"."Rather than demonstrating their extraordinary market power by withholding access to timely, accurate news for Canadians, this is a time for all stakeholders to act in good faith, as responsible corporate citizens, and engage actively in the regulatory process to ensure that regulation is balanced, predictable and fair," it said.

With additional reporting from Natalie Sherman.

Related Topics

• Google
• Meta
• Facebook
• Canada

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