Hannah Barry

Western Australia

Journalist at ABC News (Australia)

National ABC reporter. Views/tweets are my own. [email protected]

Articles

Vatican deploying high-tech measures during papal vote to ensure secrecy

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Hannah Barry

There is a high price to pay for anyone who breaks an oath to protect the "absolute and perpetual secrecy" of the upcoming papal vote. Anyone — from priests, cooks, cleaners, drivers, guards and tradesmen — who leaks what they may see or hear at the conclave meeting faces automatic excommunication from the Catholic Church.
Fight for justice continues one year after Perth brothers killed in Mexico

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Hannah Barry

It's all too easy to disappear along Mexico's rugged west coast. The coastline in Baja California stretches for hundreds of kilometres, with resort villages, fishing towns and farms scattered in between. Its breaks, ramshackle shacks and camp spots are ripped from the cover of a surfing magazine, and each year it attracts thousands of visitors seeking both solace and adventure.
Experts review the influencer exercise and diet advice you followed in the 2010s

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Hannah Barry

Nine years ago on the banks of the East River in New York City, hundreds of women in activewear were milling outside an exclusive gym. Located under the Williamsburg Bridge, the queue snaked for blocks around Pier 36 as women clutched yoga mats under their arms, braided each other's hair and excitedly talked about the fitness icon they'd come to see.
'Exciting' new study shows anti-smoking pill Varenicline could work for vape addicts

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Hannah Barry

A new study exploring the use of a popular anti-smoking pill to help young people quit vaping is being hailed as "exciting" by Australian researchers. The study, conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States and published by peer-reviewed journal JAMA, recruited more than 200 young people to test out the effectiveness of anti-smoking drug Varenicline on those who frequently vape.
Who was hit the hardest? Billionaires lose out as stock market crashes

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Hannah Barry

Wealthy tech bros, former Playboy bunnies and Australian miners are turning on Donald Trump as the fallout continues from new tariffs he imposed on America’s trading partners late last week. Business leaders who previously donated to Trump’s campaign or showed support for the US president during his re-election bid have criticised the widespread tariffs, which have plunged the global stock market into chaos.
Mind-wandering could actually be helpful when it comes to learning something new

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Hannah Barry

Good news for people with short attention spans: it could actually be helpful to let your mind wander when trying to learn a new task. New research, released by ELTE Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, found people who paid less attention when learning and performing a new task were no more likely to perform better than those who gave it their full attention. Researchers had 37 people come to their laboratory in Hungary, and fitted them with 64-channel scalp electrodes to monitor brain activity.
What we know so far about the Australian superannuation fund cyber attacks

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Annika Burgess |Hannah Barry

Multiple large superannuation funds have been targeted in suspected cyber attacks that led to some members losing several thousand dollars in retirements savings. Hostplus, Rest, AustralianSuper and Australian Retirement Trust are among the providers targeted. The attacks were discovered over the weekend, and follow rising reports of online security threats in Australia with a cyber crime reported every 6 minutes.
What Donald Trump's tariffs could mean for Australian exports - ABC News

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Annika Burgess |Zena Chamas |Hannah Barry

It's Liberation Day in the US — a term coined by Donald Trump to signal the day the country gets its "money and respect back" by imposing tariffs on a number of international trade partners.
DeepSeek AI has been banned on government devices. Does that go far enough?

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Hannah Barry

Cyber security experts say the federal government should consider banning a controversial AI chatbot with Chinese origins on all Australian devices, warning it poses a "unique risk" to national security. DeepSeek AI was banned from all government devices last month, after a directive from Australian National Security and intelligence agencies found the chatbot put the federal "technology estate" at risk.
Eight graphs show how Australians have changed over the last 20 years

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Hannah Barry

A study that surveyed the same Australian households every year for the last two decades has found economic inequality is at a 20-year-high. The HILDA survey, released by the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Institute on Thursday, has been running since 2001 and surveys about 20,000 residents across more than 9,000 households.