🚀Health insurance premiums increased by 3% today, impacting millions of Australians with increased costs.
Good Evening .
It’s April fool’s day
But this news is not as Millions of Australians hit with price hike as health insurance premiums jump by 3 per cent on average after government approval
Happy Easter
- Miko Santos, Editor
Up 0.99%, the S&P/ASX 200 closed 77.3 points higher.
A positive lead from the US on the last trading day of the week usually ends with a whimper in the Aussie market.
Highest ever. Even better, it was very broad-based (about 5 to 1 winners versus losers) and we closed near the session high.
Broad-based moves that close at or near the session high usually indicate unquenched excess demand that should be catered to in future sessions.
💡Evening’s Headlines
Authoritarian leaders are increasingly stifling independent media and imprisoning reporters; hundreds of journalists are currently incarcerated worldwide, from Iran's theocrats to Vladimir Putin in Russia.
Gippsland plumber wins Australian astronomy medal for decades of 400,000 star measurements.
Due to “milking the system” by some visitors to Australia, Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite says the government needs emergency deportation powers it failed to pass last week.
🗳️ AUS POLITICS
As Coalition gains young support in WA, Labour support drops, Matt Thistlethwaite defends emergency deportation.
As young Western Australians support the Coalition, Labour is losing support.
A Monday Australian newspaper Newspoll shows the Coalition gaining support in key areas but Labour still leading 52-48 on a two-party-preferred basis nationally.
This is unchanged from Q4 2023.
The Coalition rose five points to 27% among 18-34-year-olds, while Labour fell five points to 33%.
According to the analysis, the Coalition leads the Greens in primary votes.
Young men favour Labour and the Coalition equally, swinging three points against the government on two-party-preferred terms.
The parties are 50-50 among the demographic, but Labor's primary vote fell six points to 31%.
Labour led 53-47 on a two-party-preferred basis for women.
Labour has gained ground among 35-49-year-olds by emphasising cost-of-living relief and tax cuts for “middle Australia”.
The new analysis shows Labour trailing the Coalition in WA on a two-party preferred basis, while NSW was tied. [ Continue ]
📈 INVESTMENT
New laws to improve the financial system and increase funding for more affordable, cleaner energy
The Albanese Government intends to propose laws that will fortify Australia's financial system and optimise the economic prospects of more affordable, cleaner energy.
These new regulations will bring our financial system up to date, give investors more information and clarity, and encourage investment in the nett zero transformation.
Two significant reforms will be implemented by the Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and Other Measures) Bill, which will be introduced today. The first is a new regime to protect our financial market infrastructure in the event of a crisis, and the other is new mandatory climate reporting requirements for large companies.
[ Continue Reading ]
📠 BUSINESS
Health insurance premiums increased by 3% today, impacting millions of Australians with increased costs.
Health Minister Mark Butler announced last month that premium rate increases would take effect on April 1. This information has been communicated by health insurance companies.
Around 14.7 million Australians, or more than half of the country's total population, have health insurance, and they will soon face their largest bill increase in five years.
Nonetheless, insurers paid out $23.5 billion in health and medical benefits in 2023.
The industry average would increase by 3.03 percent on Monday, according to a statement released by the Department of Health on March 5. The department insisted that the increase was "well below" the yearly increase in wages and inflation.
According to the statement, wages increased more quickly than health insurance premiums for the second year in a row.
Customers at the nation’s largest private health fund, Medibank Private, will be paying 3.3 per cent more, while Bupa’s prices will jump by 3.6 per cent.
While, A 5.8% increase will hit CBHS Corporate Health members.
NIB premiums will rise 4.1% and HSF premiums will rise 4%. Tasmania-based Health Care Insurance had the lowest average premium increase, 0.3%.
🖥️ Technology
AI-human collaborative album release, “Theta vs PI”
The musical hip-opera "Theta vs. Pi" was released today, showcasing a bold blend of technical artistry and human creativity. Based on Taylor Swift ("Theta") and Kanye West ("Pi"), the bold concept album imagines a potent creative dialogue between the two well-known but antagonistic musical figures.
"Theta vs. Pi" asks listeners to distinguish between human emotions and machine-generated beats by fusing advanced Tool AI with the steady hand of a human producer.
The 8-track album poignantly explores themes of rivalry, redemption, and the unifying power of music itself. From hard-hitting rock anthems like “Retaliation” to the stripped-back intimacy of “Full Apology",” the album re-imagines the complicated dynamics between its two central characters and the glaring spotlight of fame’s firestorm. [ Continue ]
🌎 World Tonight
Following a deadly motorcycle accident on Saturday, British actor Chance Perdomo passed away at the age of 27. In a statement to Hollywood trade magazine Variety, Perdomo's publicist confirmed the British-American actor's passing.
Four unarmed peacekeepers were hurt in an explosion near Rmeish while they were walking along the Blue Line, which separates Israel from Lebanon and the disputed Golan Heights. The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, or UNIFIL, has stated that it is looking into the incident.
Pope Francis delivers his Easter message and blessing, "To the City and the World," after Easter Sunday Mass. He specifically prays for the Holy Land, Africa, Syria, Lebanon, Ukraine, Myanmar, and human trafficking victims. He also offers prayers for unborn children and everyone going through a difficult time.
Eight Chinese migrants were discovered dead on the southern Mexican coast, according to authorities, after their boat overturned while travelling a well-traveled but dangerous route to enter the country illegally.
A large crowd of Israeli protesters demanded the release of Gaza hostages and Netanyahu's removal from parliament Sunday. Saturday saw massive anti-government protests.
Following his cancer diagnosis last month, King Charles III has made his biggest public appearance to date by going to the customary Easter Mattins church service in Windsor on Sunday.
🏅 Fact Check
Is AI pushing boundaries or killing creativity?
By Shahirah Hamid, 360info
AI's integration in the arts and creative industries sparks debates on ethics and innovation, challenging traditional artistic boundaries.
When the fifth and final instalment of the Indiana Jones movie, Dial of Destiny, was released in 2023, it sparked a humorous exchange between generations.
A millennial expressed interest in seeing the latest instalment but was met by a father's bemused response: "Which Indiana Jones movie are you going to watch?", emphasising the film franchise's long history.
This bewilderment was warranted. In the opening scenes of the 2023 movie, audiences meet a noticeably younger version of Harrison Ford, reminiscent of his appearance in the 1980s films.
This de-aging effect was made possible by visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).
The creators claimed they didn't rely solely on Artificial Intelligence (AI) or machine learning but instead used a comprehensive VFX tool called "ILM FaceSwap" alongside the expertise of more than 100 visual effects artists, yet questions remain about the growing use of AI in filmmaking.
It's possible that the latest advances in AI technology could mean those visual effects artists may be redundant in the not-too distant future.
ChatGPT creator OpenAI has unveiled the first short films created using its new video AI tool Sora, with filmmakers describing the creations as “totally surreal”.
[Continue ]
📰 Good News, Inspiring, Positive Stories
Florey researchers unlock how to use mRNA to target Alzheimer's disease
Scientists at The Florey have developed an mRNA technology approach to target the toxic protein tau, which builds up in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
To date, mRNA has been predominantly used for vaccines, including those used to fight COVID-19.
New research published today in Brain Communications establishes The Florey as a key player in the mRNA field, with Dr Rebecca Nisbet taking the technology in a new direction.
“This is the first time mRNA has been explored for use in Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr Nisbet said. “Our work in cell models demonstrates that this technology can serve purposes other than vaccine development.”
She likened mRNA to an instruction manual for cells. [ Continue ]