- Amazon Web Services (AWS) suffered a cloud outage impacting numerous US organizations, highlighting the importance of backup plans and redundancies for businesses relying on cloud services.
- The ACT government is investigating a vulnerability in Barracuda’s email security gateway that led to a breach, highlighting the importance of security measures and conducting harms assessments.
- New advancements in AI, cloud services, and security include Microsoft building an AI chat interface into Windows 11, The Beatles using AI to create a new song, and Sydney’s public transport network allowing passengers to tap off without unlocking their phones.
Sydney, Australia – In today’s critical updates from Australia, we take a look at the latest news and current events that have dominated the country’s headlines. Here are the top 5 essential updates for today:
1. Sydney Lockdown Extended Until September – The city of Sydney will remain in lockdown until at least September 30th, as the New South Wales (NSW) government attempts to curb the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. The current lockdown was originally scheduled to end on August 28th, but the continued rise in case numbers has led to the extension.
2. Pfizer Vaccine Now Available to All Australians Aged 16 and Over – The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in all Australians aged 16 and over. The decision comes after increasing pressure to speed up the vaccine rollout, as case numbers continue to rise across the country.
3. Victoria Records 24 New Cases of COVID-19 – The state of Victoria has reported 24 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily total in over a year. The majority of the cases are linked to existing outbreaks, and the state remains under lockdown restrictions as authorities attempt to contain the spread.
4. Australian Farmers Struggle with Labour Shortages – A labour shortage brought on by ongoing border closures and travel restrictions has left many Australian farmers struggling to find workers to harvest their crops. The lack of skilled workers has led to concerns about a potential food shortage in the coming months.
5. Calls for Accountability in Afghanistan War – Human rights organizations and activists have called for accountability in the wake of the Afghanistan War, which ended with the Taliban taking control of the country. The calls for accountability have focused on alleged war crimes committed by Australian soldiers during the conflict, including the killing of unarmed civilians.
These are the five essential updates from Australia for today. Stay tuned for more news and current events from Australia and around the world.