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CARICOM celebrates 10th anniversary of Girls in ICT Day

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Apr 21, CMC – The Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat says the CARICOM Girls In ICT Partnership will spearhead regional activities as it joins the international community in commemorating the 10th International Girls in ICT Day on Thursday. It said that this annual observance highlights the importance of encouraging and empowering girls and young […]

Millions of dollars in AI camera fines wiped

Thousands of West Australian drivers have successfully appealed artificial intelligence-based camera infringements, wiping $2.2 million in fines.

But as pressure mounts to press pause on the controversial cameras, the government says it's going to roll out even more.

Over the past six months more than 54,000 infringements have been issued to WA drivers for incorrectly wearing a seatbelt or not wearing one at all.

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WA AI camera fines wiped

The acts have been caught by AI cameras, with new data revealing nearly $10 million in fines have been issued since they officially launched in October.

Perth father Steven Shaw is one of those fined.

Over a two-month period, between December and January, his passenger was caught four times by AI cameras improperly wearing her seatbelt on the freeway.

"When you're driving 100[km/h] down the freeway, there's no safe way you can safely monitor a passenger's seatbelt location without potentially causing an accident," Shaw told 9News.

WA AI camera fines wiped

But, as the driver, he was hit with more than $2000 in fines and 20 demerits, starting a four-month battle and putting his livelihood at stake.

"There was two or three weeks where I didn't know if I'd lost my licence, I was in limbo and my wife driving much of the time," Shaw said.

Shaw challenged his infringements, with the Department of Transport withdrawing all but the first one, which he'll contest in court.

The father is one of 2800 drivers who've successfully appealed their infringement notices, wiping $2.2 million in fines.

"AI cameras in my opinion are not suitable for this form of infringement, they are for speeding and phones," Shaw said.

WA AI camera fines wiped

WA Premier Roger Cook said it's not the AI cameras' fault but that the driver gets clocked multiple times in a short window.

"People are often getting penalised once, twice or three times before they're even aware that a fine has been raised in their name," Cook said.

Despite the AI camera backlash, the WA government plans to roll out even more within the next six months.

The opposition says the government needs to iron out the issues before launching more.

"The government haven't gotten it right," Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said.

"It needs to be tweaked and they need to get it right before more fines are issued."

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Drew unveils relief measures in national address

By Staff Reporter Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew has outlined a sweeping national plan aimed at reshaping the economy of St. Kitts and Nevis, while providing short-term relief to citizens grappling with rising living costs, declaring that the Federation must “save itself” amid global uncertainty. Addressing the nation in a wide-ranging statement, Dr. Drew struck a tone of empathy […]

Woolies denies deception after ‘subtle magic’ discount accusation

Woolworths has denied corporate watchdog claims it tricked Australians with fake discounts, saying the regulator has misrepresented what drives prices at the shelf.

In the Federal Court on Tuesday, the supermarket giant denied temporarily hiking prices on hundreds of items before reducing them by a lesser degree to hide increases from consumers.

Price increases sometimes fell below suppliers' recommendations and occurred against a backdrop of rising inflation after the COVID-19 pandemic, Woolworths' legal team argued.

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"Woolworths was facing significant cost price increases from a large number of suppliers across their full range of products," Robert Yezerski SC said.

"To suggest … Woolworths is engaged in an activity that is involved for them manufacturing prices to then show a drop, we say, just totally misrepresents the true nature of the commercial negotiation."

Woolworths' defence argued the inflationary impacts – which hit grocery items harder than other products and services in the period in question between late-2021 and mid-2023 – were relatively uniform across competitors Coles and Aldi.

The key to determining the case would be the duration prices were temporarily elevated, Justice Michael O'Bryan said.

"One tends to think … if the price establishment period was three months, we wouldn't be here," O'Bryan said.

"If it was always one week, the case might not be fought.

"We're somewhere in the middle, and that's what makes this case rather difficult."

But the ACCC's legal team alleged Woolworths used misleading tactics in its discount campaign.

"The subtle magic of the 'prices dropped' message that draws the consumer in is to say that the new stable price is lower than the old stable price," ACCC silk Michael Hodge earlier told the court.

The ACCC launched the joint action in 2024 against Woolworths and Coles, alleging the supermarket giants broke consumer law using fake discounts to mislead customers.

The reduced prices were often the same or higher than the original shelf prices and therefore deliberately misled consumers, the competition watchdog claims.

Woolworths dropped the marketing campaign after the ACCC brought legal action against it.

Coles made its defence in February but the court's final judgment will be withheld until both supermarket juggernauts have presented their cases.

The commission alleges the conduct involved 266 products sold by Woolworths at different times across 20 months between late 2021 and mid-2023, impacting tens of millions of sales by itself and Coles.

The product list was pared down to 12 agreed items to be scrutinised in court, including a family pack of Tim Tam biscuits, Carman's classic fruit and nut muesli bars and Sakata rice crackers.

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A general view of a supermarket display of Tim Tams.

The watchdog is not suggesting Coles and Woolworths colluded or engaged in anti-competitive behaviour as part of the alleged misleading conduct.

In a statement to AAP, Woolworths said it fundamentally disagreed with the claims and at no stage misled or deceived its customers.

"Following COVID, there was a period of extraordinary inflation, and we were acutely aware that customers expected Woolworths to provide value wherever possible," a spokesman said.

"Inflation also put pressure on our suppliers' costs, and we worked with them to reduce the inflationary impact on customers through our 'prices dropped' program."

Australia's supermarket sector has come under heavy scrutiny after cost pressures borne by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to multiple inquiries.

One such probe found Australian supermarkets to be some of the world's most profitable, with margins expanding in the years after the pandemic.

The case resumes on Wednesday, for the second of a scheduled eight-session hearing.

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