Australian | Pakistan

The Australian government on Tuesday announced that visa applicants can apply through the Australian Immi App, which allows them to directly submit facial biometric and passport information through their phone. In a post on X, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Tim Kane wrote that applying for a visa from Pakistan “just got easier”, attaching a link to the Australian Department of Home Affairs website. The website states that the Immi App, available on both Android and iOS, is available for eligible applicants to provide their passport details and a facial image.​ “To provide your identity information using the Australian Immi App, you need to have a Requirement to provide personal identifiers (biometrics) letter with a Visa Lodgement Number (VLN) commencing with AUI or AUH [and a] valid passport,” the Australian home department said. It added that the applicant’s mobile device requires location access and near-field communication to be enabled, with permission for the Immi App to use the phone’s camera...

A senior BJP leader and regional minister has said that two Australian cricketers who were inappropriately touched by a man last week during the Women’s World Cup would “learn a lesson” from the incident and stay cautious in the future, according to Indian media. The incident in question took place in the central Indian city of Indore on Thursday morning when the two players left their hotel to go to a cafe, a day after Australia’s six-wicket victory over England in the group stage of the World Cup, when they were allegedly approached by a motorcyclist. The two players were not identified by Indian police or Cricket Australia, which confirmed the incident, and one man has been arrested in connection with the case. NDTV reported on Sunday that senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya had stated that the incident was “a lesson for everyone.” “Sometimes, players don’t realise their popularity. Players are very popular, so they should be careful,” Vijayvargiya said. “This incident has ha...

Indian police have arrested a man accused of stalking and inappropriately touching two Australian cricketers participating in the ICC Women’s World Cup in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Saturday. The incident happened in the central Indian city of Indore on Thursday morning when the two players left their hotel to go to a cafe, a day after Australia’s six-wicket victory over England in the group stage of the World Cup, when they were allegedly approached by a motorcyclist. “The security officers of the women’s Australian cricket team filed a complaint that two members of the team faced inappropriate behaviour,” additional deputy commissioner of police, Rajesh Dandotiya, told Indian news agency ANI. “A FIR (first information report) was registered, and the accused was identified and arrested following an intensive strategic operation.” He has been charged under sections 74 and 78 of the criminal code that deal with assault or using criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty and st...

Australian airline Qantas said on Sunday that data from 5.7 million customers stolen in a major cyberattack this year had been shared online, part of a leak affecting dozens of firms. Disney, Google, Ikea, Toyota, McDonald’s, and fellow airlines Air France and KLM are also reported to have had data stolen in a cyberattack targeting software firm Salesforce, with the information now being held to ransom. Salesforce said this month it was “aware of recent extortion attempts by threat actors”. Qantas confirmed in July that hackers had targeted one of its customer contact centres, breaching a computer system used by a third party now known to have been Salesforce. They secured access to sensitive information such as customer names, email addresses, phone numbers and birthdays, the blue-chip Australian company said. No further breaches have taken place since, and the company is cooperating with Australian security services. “Qantas is one of a number of companies globally that has had data released by cyber crimin...

An Australian government-commissioned report said selfie-based age-guessing software could enforce a teen social media ban, but noted that some groups experienced “unacceptable” levels of inaccuracy, raising concerns about the December rollout. The report, published by the government on Monday, said photo-based age estimation products were broadly accurate, fast and privacy-respecting but noted worsening results for people near the age minimum of 16. The findings foreshadow a mixed experience once the ban takes effect in December: Caucasians three years over the age cut-off can expect minimal disruption, but non-Caucasians and teenage girls face challenges. The experience may also be more complicated for social media platforms from Meta’s META.O Instagram to Alphabet’s GOOGL.O YouTube, which, under the law, must show they are taking reasonable steps to block users under 16 or face a fine of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million). The trial found high accuracy for people over 19, but those up to three years on eit...

Australia welcomes global talent through its flexible 6-month Australian work visa options. These short-term visas for international workers are great opportunities to gain experience, earn income, and explore the country’s vibrant culture. Visa Types Available in 2025 There are different visas in 6-month Australia work visa options, where Australia does not specifically mention “6-month work […]

Australia’s world-leading ban on under 16s joining social media sites cleared a big hurdle on Friday as a trial found digital age checks can work “robustly and effectively”, according to AFP. Australian lawmakers passed landmark rules to ban under 16s from social media in November 2024, approving one of the world’s toughest crackdowns on popular sites like Facebook, Instagram and X. Sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and X could face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32m) for failing to comply with the legislation. They have described the law — which is due to come into effect by the end of this year — as vague, rushed and “problematic”. There has been widespread concern over children’s use of online platforms as evidence shows that social media can have negative effects on children’s mental and physical health. Digital age verification systems — which would be critical to the ban — can work, said the interim findings of an independent Age Assurance Technology Trial, conducted for the government. “Thes...