Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Is there a cool change coming to Australian housing market?
Australia could be looking at a cool change in the housing market, according to data compiled by Core Logic. Levels of auction clearance rates in capital cities have continued to fall, with a preliminary capital city clearance rate of 71.8% achieved over the last week. If trends continue as they are, this rate could be pushed down to 70%…
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Coke Zero to be phased out and replaced with Coke No Sugar
On June 16, Coca-Cola Amatil will launch their new zero-sugar product in Australia and New Zealand. The new beverage, Coke No Sugar, is being trialled in these two countries as well as Mexico ahead of its US release. With the rise of healthy eating, the soft drink giant has released several low-calorie alternatives to its…
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Ex-intelligence chief warns about China in Australian politics
The former chief of US national intelligence, James Clapper, has given a stark warning to Australia about Chinese influence in domestic politics, likening it to the alleged Russian interference in the US. Giving a speech in Canberra, Mr Clapper was clear in his assertions that Australia needed to be “very wary” of outside influence from…
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Cyclone Debbie disruption causes trade surplus fall
The Australian trade surplus for April has fallen to just $555 million following a steep drop in coal export levels as a result of disruption caused by Cyclone Debbie. From a $3.1 billion surplus being recorded for the month of March 2017, April was expected to see a decline in surplus to around $2 billion,…
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Labor offers partnership with government on climate change
Labor has extended an offer of a co-operative partnership with the Federal Government in order to respond to a major review of energy security and climate change policy. Chief Scientist Alan Finkel’s review of energy and climate change policy in Australia will be formally presented on Friday, with the report set to encourage a low-emissions target…
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Australia reaffirms climate change commitment
Australia has today reiterated its commitment to the Paris climate change pact agreed in 2016, as concerns grow over the future of the United States in the agreement. With likelihood increasing that US President Donald Trump will pull the world’s largest carbon emitter out of the agreement that the Obama administration played a large part…
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Welfare drug tests could result in income management
The Federal Government has warned that any welfare recipients who fail drug tests will risk being forced onto a total income management scheme. The government are due to begin the mandatory testing of 5000 new Centrelink customers next year, and while it is expected that less than 10% of those subjected will test positive to…
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Careers Australia enters voluntary administration
Careers Australia has been placed into voluntary administration after being denied access to a new government-backed vocational education scheme. One of Australia’s largest vocational education facilities, the service has been majorly downsized after finding itself unable to meet payroll and operational costs, meaning that 1,000 employees have been stood down without pay as well and…
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Financial Review names record-breaking richest Australians in 2017
The Australian Financial Review has released its record-breaking Rich List for 2017, naming the nation’s most wealthy people. The combined wealth of the people featured on the Rich List is a staggering $233.1 billion, which is a marked increase on last year’s total of $197.3 billion. This year is the first time in the history of…
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MPs accused of ‘squabbling’ in face of global security crisis
A new report by a defence industry has accused Australian MPs of wasting time by “squabbling” over defence industry jobs while “the world is going to hell”. Dr Mark Thomson, an analyst for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, says that Australia is employing the wrong attitude towards defence policy in the face of a deteriorating…
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