Category: World

I first wrote here in 2013 that state and federal politicians should be required to undertake a week of genuine paid work experience in a small business in their electorate every year. I have shared this here and elsewhere several times since. I believe it today more than ever. This next federal election will likely go as many before it when it comes to small business. we will be told how important we are, that they will cut red tape and that they support us. No matter who forms government, it’s likely that little will change when it comes to small ... Read more

A man has been arrested in Sydney’s eastern suburbs after allegedly rolling a stolen Coles truck on Saturday evening. The 32-year-old allegedly kicked a police officer and tested positive to drugs and alcohol following the crash on Day Ave in Kensington about 6.40pm. The incident caused residents in the area to pour out onto the street. According to a NSW Police spokesman, officers were called to the scene following reports an allegedly stolen truck had struck a parked car. “He was subjected to a roadside breath test and drug test, which allegedly returned positive results for both,” he said. “He ... Read more

Anthony Albanese is set to announce a new free, nationwide 24/7 health advice line and after hours GP telehealth service called 1800 MEDICARE as his last big political gamble of the election. As the Liberal leader Peter Dutton prepares to launch a nationwide blitz of marginal seats in the final week of the campaign, Labor is returning to the issue that has seen the Prime Minister’s stocks rise in the polls. Betting his prime ministership on Medicare remaining the key to his political resurrection, the Prime Minister will pledge that the new service will allow Australians to order prescriptions and ... Read more

Sick Australians who require urgent medical attention will be able to access a free telehealth appointment with a GP on weekends and weeknights between 6pm to 8am, in a major election pitch Anthony Albanese is set to unveil on Sunday. A re-elected Labor government will rebrand current national Healthdirect services, known as Nurse-on-Call in Victoria into the aptly-named 1800MEDICARE hotline, with a slated start date of January 1, 2026. The announcement also comes with a $204.5m funding boost to increase the Medicare-backed telehealth capabilities of the health system. A caller will be able to access medical advice via a registered ... Read more

A loved family dog in Melbourne has been reunited with her owners after she was stolen by a group of youths in a early morning incident. Morticia, a five-year-old white Staffordshire Bull terrier cross, was stolen from an elderly man while on a walk in Mount Waverley about 2.30am on Saturday. According to Victoria Police, officers were told a group of youths inside a black Holden Commodore pulled over and made demands for the dog along Huntingdale Rd. The man fled, but was chased by one youth and Morticia was stolen near Waverley Rd in Chadstone. He was uninjured in ... Read more

I and some colleagues from newsXpress are back from another buying trip to Bali. Thanks to a new local agent relationship we have sources an even better range oif suppliers to visit with and consider. This trip was unlike any other in that we got to meet with local makers and manufacturers who supply specialty retail businesses in the US and Europe. We were able to benefit from the work put in by these other retailers in honing in on quality makers. By switching to a better established and full time local agent we have significantly expanded the range of ... Read more

From my perspective, the convenience retail sector, especially when it comes to tobacco and associated products, is a competitive and challenging landscape for Australian newsagencies. This market is dominated by large, national and multinational businesses, possessing substantial financial resources, advantageous supplier relationships, and the competitive edge of streamlined, centralised decision-making. For an independently owned, local newsagency attempting to compete in the convenience space, particularly with tobacco as a key driver, the challenge is significant. It’s not insurmountable, but it certainly presents a formidable undertaking. The regulatory environment surrounding tobacco is constantly evolving, adding further layers of complexity and cost. Add ... Read more

The amount of energy generated by rooftop solar has surged by one-fifth this summer, now reaching 16 per cent of Australia’s total electricity mix. According to new data released by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the spike is driven by new installations and favorable weather conditions. The total output produced across the country from the start of December last year through to the end of February was 10,592GWh, compared to 8,852GWh last summer period and 8,102GWh in 2022/2023. Across the country, New South Wales led the charge with rooftop solar energy output up by 25.4 ... Read more

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died aged 41. Ms Giuffre’s family confirmed the 41-year-old died by suicide in Neergabby, in Western Australia. “It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” her family said in a statement to NBC News. “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.” “Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted ... Read more

Tens of thousands of Aussies have made their opinion clear on Welcome to Country ceremonies, with two thirds saying they want them to stop altogether. As controversy continues to swirl around the booing of Bunurong elder Uncle Mark Brown during Friday’s Anzac Day Dawn Service at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance, both sides of politics have condemned the actions of neo-Nazis who led the heckling. But the Liberal Party has previously vowed to scale back the ceremonies, with frontbencher Jacinta Nampijinpa Price warning people are “sick if it”. A news.com.au poll on Saturday with nearly 50,000 responses found readers overwhelmingly agree. ... Read more