Rob Hobson
@themelancholicskr.bsky.social
Newshound. Ink still runs in my veins 📸🗞🌏
Views are my own, reposts ≠ endorsement.
Blog: themelancholicseeker.wordpress.com
Muck Rack:
https://muckrack.com/robert-hobson-2
Views are my own, reposts ≠ endorsement.
Blog: themelancholicseeker.wordpress.com
Muck Rack:
https://muckrack.com/robert-hobson-2
Pinned
Rob Hobson
@themelancholicskr.bsky.social
· Aug 20
Pilot Plant To Prove Hydrogen Viability
By RF Hobson A Western Australian company hopes to prove the economic viability of hydrogen on an industrial scale with the official opening of its pilot plant in Kwinana, located south of Perth, o…
themelancholicseeker.wordpress.com
A Western Australian company hopes its newly opened pilot plant in Kwinana will prove the economic viability & scalability of #hydrogen by making it safe to store & transport, overcoming a significant #industry bottleneck. #news #energy #technology
themelancholicseeker.wordpress.com/2025/08/20/p...
themelancholicseeker.wordpress.com/2025/08/20/p...
Reposted by Rob Hobson
BoM asked to explain ‘what happened here’ after cost of website redesign revealed to be $96.5m
BoM asked to explain ‘what happened here’ after cost of website redesign revealed to be $96.5m
Environment minister Murray Watt ‘not happy’ with cost blowout and has shared concerns with new Bureau of Meteorology boss
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The true cost of the Bureau of Meteorology’s website redesign has been revealed to be $96.5m, with the environment minister asking the agency’s new chief executive to explain what led to the massive cost blowout.
BoM apologised last month after the new site was criticised by politicians and the public when it launched. The agency swiftly made changes to help users find functions they were used to on the old site. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:35 AM
BoM asked to explain ‘what happened here’ after cost of website redesign revealed to be $96.5m
Reposted by Rob Hobson
The Trump administration’s drone strikes against boats allegedly bringing illicit drugs to the US come amid an explosion in the amount of cocaine being produced in Colombia and Peru.
Why illegal gold mining is overtaking cocaine as the drug of choice for traffickers in Latin America | CNN
Cocaine and gold: It’s a toxic combination that is enriching criminal gangs and corrupt officials across the region, as the price of gold touches new highs on world markets.
www.cnn.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The Trump administration’s drone strikes against boats allegedly bringing illicit drugs to the US come amid an explosion in the amount of cocaine being produced in Colombia and Peru.
Reposted by Rob Hobson
"We talk about innovation, but structurally we remain what world-systems analysis would call a semi-peripheral economy: materially comfortable, but technologically dependent, exporting raw commodities and importing complex capability.” #auspol #sciencecrisis
Australia’s science crisis reveals a century of structural failure https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11/intervene-or-we-sink-australias-science-crisis-reveals-a-century-of-structural-failure #auspol
Australia’s science crisis reveals a century of structural failure
Private capital will not build Australia a world-class science system. Only the public sector can do that. And it must do so at a scale that matches the challenges ahead.
johnmenadue.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:37 AM
"We talk about innovation, but structurally we remain what world-systems analysis would call a semi-peripheral economy: materially comfortable, but technologically dependent, exporting raw commodities and importing complex capability.” #auspol #sciencecrisis
Reposted by Rob Hobson
Judges have become ‘human filters’ as AI in Australian courts reaches ‘unsustainable phase’, chief justice says
Judges have become ‘human filters’ as AI in Australian courts reaches ‘unsustainable phase’, chief justice says
Stephen Gageler warns the speed of AI’s development could be outstripping people’s ability to ‘comprehend its potential risks and rewards’
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The chief justice of the high court says judges around Australia are acting as “human filters” for legal arguments created using AI, warning the use of machine-generated content has reached unsustainable levels in the courts.
Stephen Gageler told the first day of the Australian Legal Convention in Canberra on Friday that inappropriate use of AI content by litigants self-representing in court proceedings, as well as trained legal practitioners, included machine-enhanced arguments, preparation of evidence and formulation of legal submissions. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Judges have become ‘human filters’ as AI in Australian courts reaches ‘unsustainable phase’, chief justice says
Reposted by Rob Hobson
Ex-UK PM Johnson oversaw 'chaotic' response to COVID which led to more deaths, inquiry finds reut.rs/4oR5XOT
Ex-UK PM Johnson oversaw 'chaotic' response to COVID which led to more deaths, inquiry finds
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson oversaw a toxic, chaotic and dithering response to the COVID pandemic, with a delay to locking the country down resulting in about 23,000 more deaths, a report by a public inquiry concluded on Thursday.
reut.rs
November 20, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Ex-UK PM Johnson oversaw 'chaotic' response to COVID which led to more deaths, inquiry finds reut.rs/4oR5XOT
Reposted by Rob Hobson
For decades, the deal for Britain’s brightest young minds was clear: study hard, go to university and high pay would be among the rewards. That contract has been steadily breaking down. Read more: bloom.bg/43F8of4
📷: Mike Kemp/In Pictures
📷: Mike Kemp/In Pictures
November 19, 2025 at 12:28 PM
For decades, the deal for Britain’s brightest young minds was clear: study hard, go to university and high pay would be among the rewards. That contract has been steadily breaking down. Read more: bloom.bg/43F8of4
📷: Mike Kemp/In Pictures
📷: Mike Kemp/In Pictures
Reposted by Rob Hobson
‘Sad day for publicly funded science’: up to 350 more jobs to go at the CSIRO
‘Sad day for publicly funded science’: up to 350 more jobs to go at the CSIRO
Australia’s national scientific agency announces more research job losses as it looks for budgetary savings
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Australia’s national scientific agency is expected to cut up to 350 more research roles from next year as it looks for savings and new sources of funding to plug budgetary shortfalls.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) held its town hall on Tuesday afternoon where the agency’s leaders outlined the troubled times ahead. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:05 AM
‘Sad day for publicly funded science’: up to 350 more jobs to go at the CSIRO
Reposted by Rob Hobson
Derek Elias blew the whistle on what he describes as “a significant probity breach” involving lucrative Home Affairs contracts in Nauru. The department’s response has left him mentally unwell and in financial turmoil. satpa.pe/tyX2iqs
Life as a Home Affairs whistleblower: ‘I’m just falling over’
Four years ago, Home Affairs assistant secretary Derek Elias attempted to report corruption in offshore contracts – the department’s response has left him mentally unwell and in financial turmoil.
satpa.pe
November 18, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Derek Elias blew the whistle on what he describes as “a significant probity breach” involving lucrative Home Affairs contracts in Nauru. The department’s response has left him mentally unwell and in financial turmoil. satpa.pe/tyX2iqs
Reposted by Rob Hobson
Indonesia to impose export tax on gold products next year
trib.al/YKdKp4Q
trib.al/YKdKp4Q
Indonesia to impose export tax on gold products next year
Nation has witnessed big moves in prices of commodity and gold-linked securities
trib.al
November 17, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Indonesia to impose export tax on gold products next year
trib.al/YKdKp4Q
trib.al/YKdKp4Q
Reposted by Rob Hobson
🥊 YouTube star Jake Paul will face former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Miami next month, Matchroom Boxing announced on Monday.
➡️ u.afp.com/SnuF
➡️ u.afp.com/SnuF
November 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
🥊 YouTube star Jake Paul will face former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Miami next month, Matchroom Boxing announced on Monday.
➡️ u.afp.com/SnuF
➡️ u.afp.com/SnuF
Reposted by Rob Hobson
Gambling ads target Indonesian Meta users despite ban
An AFP investigation found dozens of paid gambling adverts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads disguised as innocuous content to circumvent the ban on online and offline gambling in the country
u.afp.com/SnBP
An AFP investigation found dozens of paid gambling adverts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads disguised as innocuous content to circumvent the ban on online and offline gambling in the country
u.afp.com/SnBP
November 17, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Gambling ads target Indonesian Meta users despite ban
An AFP investigation found dozens of paid gambling adverts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads disguised as innocuous content to circumvent the ban on online and offline gambling in the country
u.afp.com/SnBP
An AFP investigation found dozens of paid gambling adverts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads disguised as innocuous content to circumvent the ban on online and offline gambling in the country
u.afp.com/SnBP
Reposted by Rob Hobson
The price of gold has soared almost 60% this year. That’s powering a new boom in South Africa’s illegal gold-mining sector.
The Deadly Scrabble for Gold in Johannesburg’s Abandoned Mines
The soaring price of gold is fueling illegal mining that’s shredding parts of the landscape close to South Africa’s biggest city.
bloom.bg
November 16, 2025 at 10:00 AM
The price of gold has soared almost 60% this year. That’s powering a new boom in South Africa’s illegal gold-mining sector.
Reposted by Rob Hobson
Indonesia is rushing to attract international tourists by promising an “emotional journey” through gastronomy, marine tourism and wellness retreats.
trib.al/YcMcyqF
trib.al/YcMcyqF
November 16, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Indonesia is rushing to attract international tourists by promising an “emotional journey” through gastronomy, marine tourism and wellness retreats.
trib.al/YcMcyqF
trib.al/YcMcyqF
Reposted by Rob Hobson
How did radioactive shrimp and shoes end up in the US? A Bloomberg investigation traces back the chain of events to an Indonesian factory.
How the US Ended Up With Radioactive Shrimp and Sneakers From Indonesia
The first sign of trouble surfaced thousands of miles from Indonesia.
bloom.bg
November 14, 2025 at 1:56 AM
How did radioactive shrimp and shoes end up in the US? A Bloomberg investigation traces back the chain of events to an Indonesian factory.
Reposted by Rob Hobson
A Chinese-born businessman that the U.S. and China say ran one of Southeast Asia’s largest scam compounds was extradited to China to face charges of money laundering and other crimes, three years after he was arrested in Thailand.
Man Accused of Running Southeast Asia Scam Compound Is Extradited to China
China and the United States say She Zhijiang, a Chinese-born businessman, ran a major scam compound in Myanmar. He was arrested in Bangkok in 2022.
nyti.ms
November 13, 2025 at 11:28 AM
A Chinese-born businessman that the U.S. and China say ran one of Southeast Asia’s largest scam compounds was extradited to China to face charges of money laundering and other crimes, three years after he was arrested in Thailand.
Reposted by Rob Hobson
Did you know you can ask your GP for an indefinite referral – so you don’t need a new one every year? Or ask to be sent for free to a public hospital clinic? Here are ways to keep costs down
What are my rights when I need to see a specialist doctor – and what if I can’t afford the fee?
Did you know you can ask your GP for an indefinite referral – so you don’t need a new one every year? Or ask to be sent for free to a public hospital clinic? Here are ways to keep costs down
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Did you know you can ask your GP for an indefinite referral – so you don’t need a new one every year? Or ask to be sent for free to a public hospital clinic? Here are ways to keep costs down
Reposted by Rob Hobson
Microsoft’s trying a new strategy to reach Gen Z by using influencers to promote Copilot as a lifestyle tool, not just a productivity app
Microsoft Bets on Influencers Like Alix Earle to Close the Gap With ChatGPT
Microsoft Corp., eager to boost downloads of its Copilot chatbot, has recruited some of the most popular influencers in America to push a message to young consumers that might be summed up as: Our AI assistant is as cool as ChatGPT.
bloom.bg
November 11, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Microsoft’s trying a new strategy to reach Gen Z by using influencers to promote Copilot as a lifestyle tool, not just a productivity app
Reposted by Rob Hobson
On remembrance day, MEAA remembers the journalists and war correspondents that have risked, and continue to risk their lives to report on the horrors of war.
Charles Bean (pictured), was elected by the AJA (which went on to become part of MEAA) to be Australia's official WW1 war correspondent.
Charles Bean (pictured), was elected by the AJA (which went on to become part of MEAA) to be Australia's official WW1 war correspondent.
November 11, 2025 at 12:42 AM
On remembrance day, MEAA remembers the journalists and war correspondents that have risked, and continue to risk their lives to report on the horrors of war.
Charles Bean (pictured), was elected by the AJA (which went on to become part of MEAA) to be Australia's official WW1 war correspondent.
Charles Bean (pictured), was elected by the AJA (which went on to become part of MEAA) to be Australia's official WW1 war correspondent.
Reposted by Rob Hobson
The future of work must be sustainable and inclusive.
✅ Invest in skills and sustainable enterprises.
#JustTransition #COP30
✅ Invest in skills and sustainable enterprises.
#JustTransition #COP30
November 10, 2025 at 8:00 AM
The future of work must be sustainable and inclusive.
✅ Invest in skills and sustainable enterprises.
#JustTransition #COP30
✅ Invest in skills and sustainable enterprises.
#JustTransition #COP30
Reposted by Rob Hobson
Indonesia set to grant national hero status to late strongman President Suharto reut.rs/4p5fW32
Indonesia set to grant national hero status to late strongman President Suharto
Indonesia is set to award the title of national hero on Monday to late President Suharto, who was forced out of office in 1998 by violent protests that ended a three-decade rule marred by accusations of mass human rights violations, corruption and nepotism.
reut.rs
November 10, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Indonesia set to grant national hero status to late strongman President Suharto reut.rs/4p5fW32
Reposted by Rob Hobson
"*warns* of intense competition"
Your regular reminder that those who cheer capitalism actually hate a free market, and want a rigged one.
Your regular reminder that those who cheer capitalism actually hate a free market, and want a rigged one.
November 9, 2025 at 9:54 PM
"*warns* of intense competition"
Your regular reminder that those who cheer capitalism actually hate a free market, and want a rigged one.
Your regular reminder that those who cheer capitalism actually hate a free market, and want a rigged one.
"HA acting assistant secretary Dr Derek Elias alleges that Aus taxpayers paid millions of $ for nonexistent/unnecessary offshore asylum seeker services as part of a system that 'enabled' corruption by Nauruan politicians & Aus companies."
#news #auspol #corruption
www.theage.com.au/national/pou...
#news #auspol #corruption
www.theage.com.au/national/pou...
‘Pouring money into a trough’: Senior public servant blows whistle on allegedly ‘corrupt’ millions
The Home Affairs assistant secretary claims money was spent on overinflated contracts or for services that were never provided.
www.theage.com.au
November 10, 2025 at 12:13 AM
"HA acting assistant secretary Dr Derek Elias alleges that Aus taxpayers paid millions of $ for nonexistent/unnecessary offshore asylum seeker services as part of a system that 'enabled' corruption by Nauruan politicians & Aus companies."
#news #auspol #corruption
www.theage.com.au/national/pou...
#news #auspol #corruption
www.theage.com.au/national/pou...
"The agreements show how reliant the gov's revenue collection agency is on for-profit contractors, which have become its de facto public-facing arm. Advocates have raised concerns over how the outsourced model affects vulnerable taxpayers amid complaints over #debt collection."
#news #auspol #tax
#news #auspol #tax
‘Set up to fail’: ATO outsourcing to private call centres focused on boosting profit not helping Australians
‘Set up to fail’: ATO outsourcing to private call centres focused on boosting profit not helping Australians
Consumer advocates raise significant concerns as union says contractors use lower-paid staff to boost profit
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The Australian Taxation Office has outsourced thousands of call centre roles to private operators that pay workers significantly less than public servants and use call targets that can leave vulnerable taxpayers exposed, Guardian Australia can reveal.
The call centre contracts are shared between US private equity-owned Probe Operations, the Nasdaq-listed Concentrix Services and British multinational Serco and are collectively worth $316.5m, according to analysis of government tenders. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:54 PM
#Jobseeker Horror Stories 😱👻
Was told by my now ex-labour hire stooge that my CV isn't up to scratch despite getting a #job & multiple interviews with it. I raised the discrepancy but then got 9 pars of self-congratulatory #corporate wank & a refusal to assist.
Good thing I keep records. #HR
Was told by my now ex-labour hire stooge that my CV isn't up to scratch despite getting a #job & multiple interviews with it. I raised the discrepancy but then got 9 pars of self-congratulatory #corporate wank & a refusal to assist.
Good thing I keep records. #HR
November 9, 2025 at 3:04 AM
#Jobseeker Horror Stories 😱👻
Was told by my now ex-labour hire stooge that my CV isn't up to scratch despite getting a #job & multiple interviews with it. I raised the discrepancy but then got 9 pars of self-congratulatory #corporate wank & a refusal to assist.
Good thing I keep records. #HR
Was told by my now ex-labour hire stooge that my CV isn't up to scratch despite getting a #job & multiple interviews with it. I raised the discrepancy but then got 9 pars of self-congratulatory #corporate wank & a refusal to assist.
Good thing I keep records. #HR
Reposted by Rob Hobson
