Australia - news, etc

[Nilgiri]

Beaver reef and muff creek.

Yes please!

 

[Anjo]

The Nipples
The Never Never
Pensioners Bush
Deep Thought
Butt of Liberty


I see potential Indie band names in that map.

 

[Cossack25A1]

I wonder, what were the people thinking when they name places like "Crackpot", "Butt of Liberty", "Titterstone", etc.

This reminds me of an old town here in the PH that, it may have a different meaning in Spanish, but for an English-speaker, it sounds "dirty".

 

[Place Of Space]

A map of Australia’s funniest place names
Sep 7, 2016
Nicole Frosttwitter
Editorial Producer

View attachment 333612
The Knob, Quality Knobs, Pinnacle Knob, Scrubby Knob or Iron Knob – take your pick, Queensland apparently has them all. Photo: Marvellousmaps.com

Locals may not raise an eyebrow living in the town of Banana, think nothing of stopping off on a road trip at Break Wind Reserve or doing a spot of exploration at the cave named Well It Wasn’t There Last Year.

But maybe we should. UK mapmakers Strumpshaw, Tincleton & Giggleswick have already produced maps of the USA and Britain’s silliest names – and now it’s Australia’s turn. Lucky us!

Humphrey Butler, the founder of the company, told the BBC that Tasmania in particular seemed to feature quite a lot, with places such as Toungers Point, Deep Thought, Crack Pot, Stinkhole, Misery Knob, Eggs and Bacon Bay, Prickly Bottom and Crocodile Rock all getting a look in.

NSW is home, apparently, to Mount Great Groaner, Flirtation Hill, Boozer Creek and The Boobs – along with Sydney locations Rooty Hill, Balls Head and Pleasure Point.

Meanwhile Queensland has Two Mile Knob, Mount Blowhard, Mount Breast, Mount Mistake and the cheerfully blunt Ugly Creek.

View attachment 333613​

Victoria’s entries seem a bit more whimsical, with Teddy Bears Gap, the Whipstick Scrub, Ding-A-Ding and Sausage Gully (pictured above–- delicious!) all featuring, as well as well-known Melbourne locations Batman and ACDC Lane.

Perth seems to excel with Astounding Way, Brilliant Rise, Excellent Drive and Hero Crescent – or you can head a bit further south to visit Nowheres, Super Tubes or the rather evocative Other Side of the Moon.

View attachment 333614
Guys Dirty Hole, Pisspot Creek and Eggs and Bacon Bay can all be found in Tasmania.
Photo: Marvellousmaps.com
​

Butler noted that “There are a lot of Knobs in Australia”, selecting his favourite as “one called Prominent Nob in South Australia, and that does make us laugh.”

The map is available through their online store.

And some additional good news: If you’re keen to live in some of these places, turns out you can because they really are totally real. Try Shrapnel Road, Cannon Hill in Queensland, or perhaps this rather adorable beach home in Eggs and Bacon Bay. Or take the opportunity to be “nestled under Stanley Nut”, also in Tasmania. Doesn’t that sound cosy?

View attachment 333615
The house nestled under the Stanley Nut. We’re dying to know who Stanley is…​

Can you guys think twice before naming a place? Bang Bang Waterhole, Dirty Dick Creek, OK, ...who the hell gave the names?
A: hey, where are we going?
B: to Bang Bang Waterhole.

 

[graphican]

@ahojunk;

Great post mate, thanks for sharing.

I did few runs between Melbourne and Canberra by road, many a times I had a feeling that road is "trolling" that you've just made an 10 miles long S turn for no good reason or you have travelled in large U shape road for the love of bushes. Looks like when British were laying its foundation, they had funny intentions and they did practical jokes with Australia and we're merely living on them.

 

[ahojunk]

Andrew has a thread on Chinese higher education.
This is an article on higher education in Australia.

---------
International education in NSW grows to $7 billion
Pallavi Singhal
SEPTEMBER 12 2016 - 10:13AM

International education has surged ahead of tourism to become NSW's highest service export industry by nearly $2 billion, and the number of overseas students at the state's universities has grown by more than 30,000 over two years.

The total value of international education to the NSW economy has jumped nearly $1.5 billion since 2013, from $5.5 billion per year to $6.96 billion in 2015, NSW Department of Industry figures based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data show.

The state is now drawing about a third of Australia's total international education earnings, estimated at $21 billion per year.

The value of the sector to the NSW economy is now significantly higher than tourism, which was worth $5.2 billion in 2015.

International student numbers in NSW have increased by 22.4 per cent since 2013, growing from 140,000 enrolments in the first half of 2013 to 171,000 in the first half of 2015.

Nearly half of the international students enrolled in NSW universities are studying management and commerce courses. Society and culture courses are the next most popular, accounting for a quarter of international students. The remainder of international students are mainly enrolled in mixed field programmes, engineering and related technologies and information technology courses, according to the NSW government.

The University of Wollongong has the highest proportion of international students in NSW, where they make up more than 40 per cent of the total student population, according to the university's data.

"Attracting international students is a crucial driver to the NSW economy and education is our State's largest services export," NSW Minister for Trade Stuart Ayres said.

Nearly half of international students enrolled in NSW universities are studying management and commerce courses. Photo: Andrew Quilty

"A growing middle class in Asia has increased the number of students looking at NSW for their studies."

International education is now one of Australia's largest service exports and a 'super growth sector' driving the transition away from resources.

Nationally, one in five university students are international students, with more than a quarter coming from China. About a tenth of international students come from Singapore, the next biggest source country.

However, concerns have been raised by the University of Sydney and the Grattan Institute about a decline in the quality of international education.

"Many academics believe that courses are being 'dumbed down', or that it is becoming easier to pass or get high grades," a 2016 Grattan Institute report on higher education in Australia said.

This is supported by data showing a significant increase in pass rates for international students compared to a slight fall in pass rates for domestic students.

"In 2010, international commencing students were for the first time more likely to pass their subjects than were domestic students," the report said.

At the same time, international students consistently report lower average marks than domestic students, according to the Grattan Institute.

University of Sydney vice-chancellor Dr Michael Spence last month said a fall in teaching quality could be partially attributed to universities' increasing reliance on full-fee-paying international students, especially in "inexpensive subjects", to make up for losses of "$20,000 per student, per year" in other areas such as medicine with strict teaching requirements.

Dr Spence was arguing for changes to the deregulated 'demand-driven' funding system introduced in 2012, under which caps on places in a number of bachelor degrees were removed.

A spokesperson for UNSW said it has not seen a decline in "graduate outcomes" due to increasing international student numbers.

"UNSW has noted the increased attractiveness of its professional postgraduate programs to international students and has seen growth in this area in recent years," the spokesperson said.

"We have seen no reduction in student satisfaction or graduate outcomes associated with this moderate increase."

 

[ahojunk]

I could have created another thread, but I think as they refer to places in Oz, I have decided to put it here.
This article was one month old, but it's still relevant.

--------
China Capital Investment Group snap up Whitsunday island for $25 million
Aug 9, 2016 Larry Schlesinger

South Molle has been snapped by China Capital Investment Group.

Daydream Island owner China Capital Investment Group has snapped up South Molle island in the Whitsundays in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef for about $25 million.

The perpetual leasehold for the tropical island was put up for sale by long-time owner and tourism identity Craig Ross in April after he received a number of unsolicited approaches from investors and developers.

Up for sale was 12 hectares of developable beachfront land, including a frontage of more than 600 metres to one of the only sheltered north-facing white sand beaches in the region and a secluded 15-hectare parcel in the middle of the island, surrounded by national park.

It also came with an existing 188-room resort and amenities.

The island offered the potential for “unparalleled large-scale development potential”, according to the information memorandum with the opportunity to develop a 1300-room resort, subject to planning approval.

The sale of South Molle island was negotiated by Peter Harper and Tate Stubbs of JLL Hotels and Hospitality who declined to comment.

The sale comes amid rising levels of investment from Chinese investors in Australian resorts and in Queensland coastal real estate, including Dalian Wanda’s Jewel project on the Gold Coast and Hong Kong billionaire Tony Fung’s recent $40 million acquisition at Surfers Paradise.

Nearby developments include the five-star Qualia resort on Hamilton Island, Dent Island Golf Course and the redevelopment of Hayman Island and Lindeman Island.

Also encouraging investment has been rising Whitsunday occupancy rates – up from about 55 per cent last year to almost 70 per cent this year – and average daily room rates, up from $400 to $450 a night, according to JLL.

The buyer, Shanghai-based China Capital Investment Group, snapped up the Daydream Island (West Molle) Resort and Spa last year from Nature’s Own founder Vaughan Bullivant for about $30 million. The 4.5-star resort has 296 rooms and suites.

The company was founded by Chuanyou Zhou, the chairman and CEO. Its invests in the mining industry, real estate and infrastructure.

According to its website, the company welcomed Queensland education ministers Kate Jones and tourism minister Megan Houghton to its offices last year, where they discussed the prospects for the tourism market and “investment opportunities in Queensland”.

 

[Vassnti]

A map of Australia’s funniest place names
Sep 7, 2016
Nicole Frosttwitter
Editorial Producer

View attachment 333613​

Sorry have to call you on the map of Tassie, there is a wombat flat is NSW one in Victoria and one in South Australia none in Tas no dingoes hippos or crocs down here either looks like marvellous maps stuck every bum and nipple reference they could on a map and figured there were so few Tasmanians no one would ever see it.

 

[ahojunk]

Wechat is being used to sell property in Oz.

--------
Australian agents tap WeChat to sell property to Chinese

Agents and developers are taking to WeChat to sell properties to Chinese buyers.​

Maggie Lu Yueyang
Journalist, Sydney

Forget about baby formulas or vitamins, Australian homes could be the next hot commodity on China’s e-commerce market, particularly on WeChat, the popular Chinese chat app.

Monika Tu, founder and director of Sydney-based Black Diamondz Property, sold a $4.6 million property in Sydney’s eastern suburb of Vaucluse earlier this year days after posting it on WeChat.

“We have many and multiple stories like this, but the first that springs to mind was the sale of 23 Hopetoun Avenue, Vaucluse,” she said. “Our client saw the WeChat post on Saturday, organised the inspection on Sunday and the contract exchanged by Tuesday.”

The app, owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent, has reached 762 million monthly active users in the first quarter of 2016, according to leading internet statistics company Statista.

Although the majority of users reside in China, there are about 70 million WeChat users outside the mainland.

More agents and developers are taking to WeChat to promote properties and engage with potential buyers, which may quietly shape the future of property sales in Australia.

Ms Tu, who specialises in selling high-end properties, started with a personal account on WeChat, sharing property listing information with her friends.

After realising the platform could be very effective, she launched an official account for Black Diamondz and expanded the use of WeChat across the company.

“We have more than 35,000 followers on the platform, all with a keen eye for beautiful properties, a large percentage of which are actively qualified buyers,” said Ms Tu.

“For each WeChat post, we expect to generate more than 5000 viewers on top of local advertising media.”

Simon Platt, general manager of Kinsale Property Group, is using the WeChat app in the marketing of the $300m New Life Ultimo project for developer TWT, a company Kinsale is associated with.

The project gained 2500 followers since the campaign started two months ago, he said.

“We used it much like most of the other social pages, but we probably amplified it a bit because of the location of Chinatown,” said Mr Platt.

“We need to get in touch with those (buyers) through WeChat — that’s obviously a Chinese audience. Whether they are here or offshore, they all use WeChat.”

CBRE residential opened an official account on WeChat nine months ago, according to CBRE director of residential projects Ben Stewart.

“We do editorials when we release a (apartment) project; we put out our CGIs (computer generated images) about the project and people forward that on and pass that on to their friends,” he said. “CBRE has our own WeChat account and our individual sales people obviously use it themselves as well.”

Both Mr Stewart and Mr Platt said it would be hard to track how many sales were actually led by WeChat, but said there was no doubt the app was increasingly gaining popularity even among non-Chinese speakers.

“I am Caucasian, born and bred in Australia, (but) I use WeChat more than I do other social media,” said Mr Platt.

“It’s easy to use. You can send documents, you can talk. It’s instant, and it’s free.”

 

[ahojunk]

Australia is lucky to attract such a talent!
She is intelligent and beautiful.
Australia should give her citizenship asap.

---------
The 25-year-old Malaysian Chinese who may have just solved the superbug problem

Vivian Lin, SCMP
PUBLISHED : Friday, 16 September, 2016, 5:33pm
UPDATED : Friday, 16 September, 2016, 10:41pm

Shu Lam

She is all of 25 and may have already made one of the most significant discoveries of our time.

Scientists in Australia this week took a quantum leap in the war on superbugs, developing a chain of star-shaped polymer molecules that can destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria without hurting healthy cells. And the star of the show is 25-year-old Shu Lam, a Malaysian-Chinese PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, who has developed the polymer chain in the course of her thesis research in antimicrobials and superbugs.

A polymer is a large molecule composed of several similar subunits bonded together. Polymers can be used to attack superbugs physically, unlike antibiotics that attempt to kill these bugs chemically and killing nearby healthy cells in the process.

“I’ve spent the past three and a half years researching polymers and looking at how they can be used to kill antibiotic resistant bacteria,” or superbugs, she told This Week in Asia, adding the star-shaped polymers work by tearing into the surface membrane of the bacteria, triggering the cell to kill itself.

'Superbugs' could cost US$100 trillion and millions of lives globally by 2050

Using the polymer, bacteria doesn’t exhibit the same resistance as it does to antibiotics and can still be killed after multiple generations of mutations, Lam’s PhD supervisor Professor Greg Qiao said.

“The components of the polymer can also be tweaked differently depending on the application,” said Qiao, who also leads the Polymer Science Group and is a professor of macromolecular chemistry and engineering at the university’s School of Engineering.

The World Health Organisation lists superbugs as a key threat to human health, having adapted to become resistant to all forms of antibiotics. The UN General Assembly has called a meeting this month to address the superbug explosion.

“We think superbugs will cause around 10 million deaths per year by 2050,” Lam said.

Lam’s breakthrough with Qiao on polymers has been published in the research journal Nature Microbiology.

However, Lam’s research is still in early stages, according to Qiao, and much more work needs to be done to verify the best formula and structure, as well as to reduce the dosage and further test toxicity before the substance is completely safe for the human cell.

“Even with all the money in the world, it would take at least five years to go to the first human test, because many resources and work are needed for its commercialisation,” he said.

Lam is to submit her PhD thesis in two months and says she hopes to continue to work in research, rather than opt for medical training like her father, who is a paediatrician.

Doctors alarmed as nightmare superbug, resistant to every antibiotic, is found in first US patient

“I think my career will be mainly focused on research in the medical field,” said Lam, who has already begun pursuing her passion in polymer research during her four-year undergraduate degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering.

“As an undergraduate, she would come to our group for summer work when she had time,” Qiao recalled of Lam.

These days when Lam finds the rare downtime between researching polymers, she likes to watch TV and explore the city. “Being in Melbourne, I have developed an interest in food and really like exploring new cafes and brunch places, so I spend a lot of time trying new food and walking around when I’m not working,” Lam said.

Lam moved to Australia for her foundation studies after finishing primary and secondary school in Malaysia, and is likely stay on in Australia after graduating at the end of the year.

“My main preference would be to continue to stay in research, but I am also looking at career fields outside of polymer research,” she said. “This research is going in different directions,” said Qiao. “One is killing the bug, the other is treating cancer.”

That sinking feeling: ‘superbugs’ may be multiplying in China’s tap water due to world-low hygiene standards, scientists say

Her group is also examining the use of polymers as a drug carrier for cancer patients as well as the treatment of other diseases.

A key project at the moment is the synthetic transplant of cornea in the eye, which involves the use of polymers grown from the patient’s own cells in the lab to replace the damaged cornea.

The operation has already been tested multiple times successfully on sheep, and Qiao hopes to begin the first human trials in Melbourne within two years, working with the Melbourne Eye and Ear Hospital.

 

[ahojunk]

More info on the same issue.
This is from a blog, I think.

--------
Asia Might Have Cracked The Superbug Problem
Ryan Pickrell

Antibiotic-resistant superbugs may have met their match, thanks to new research published in Nature Microbiology earlier this week.

Shu Lam, 24, a Malaysian-Chinese Ph.D student at the University of Melbourne, developed a star-shaped polymer that can tear through the walls of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and eradicate them, reports The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). Lam’s star-shaped polymerized peptide may be the solution to the superbug problem. “It kills bacteria in multiple ways. We designed it to break the cell wall apart but we also found it can trigger the cell to kill itself,” Lam explained to the SMH. Lam’s superbug-killing polymer is called SNAPPS, an acronym which stands for structurally nanoengineered antimicrobial peptide polymers.

By 2050, superbugs could kill 10 million people a year and cost the global economy $100 trillion, revealed a Review on Antimicrobial Resistance report released in May. The report indicated that superbugs could kill one person every three seconds.

“Even today, 700,000 people die of resistant infections every year. Antibiotics are a special category of antimicrobial drugs that underpin modern medicine as we know it,” Jim O’ Neill, who chaired the review, told South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is pulling antibacterial soaps off the market because they are concerned they contribute to the resistant superbug problem.

Scientists have experimented with peptides — short amino acid chains — before. Previous designs were able to eliminate bacteria, but they were also extremely toxic to the host. Lam’s design is unique because it is larger, and the large size seems to prevent it from harming healthy cells, Lam’s supervisor, Greg Qiao, told the SMH.

Lam’s research has a lot of potential, but it is still in the early stages of development. “Even with all the money in the world, it would take at least five years to go to the first human test,” Qiao explained to SCMP reporters.

The polymer research being carried out by Lam and her team in Australia could potentially also be applied to cancer, Qiao mentioned.


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/09/16/asia-might-have-cracked-the-superbug-problem/#ixzz4KTsbFDaW

 

[ahojunk]

This news is widely reported in our local papers and TV.
Sorry Malaysia, we are going to claim her as our own.

--------
SEPTEMBER 13 2016
Beyond antibiotics: star-shaped protein kills feared superbugs
Marcus Strom
The Sydney Morning Herald

It's a promising step into a post-antibiotic world.

A PhD student at Melbourne University has developed a star-shaped protein that can rip apart the walls of resistant superbugs – and kill them.

Shu Lam, 24, has had her research published today in the prestigious Nature Microbiology journal.

Bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics, evolving into feared "superbugs" that threaten to kill millions of people a year.

In the US, the Food Drug Administration is pulling anti-bacterial soaps off the market for fear that they are exacerbating antibiotic resistance in some bacteria.

"Our project is to build better alternatives to antibiotics," Ms Lam told Fairfax Media.

Ms Lam and her team from the Melbourne University School of Engineering designed a star-shaped polymerised peptide – which is a large repeated chain of proteins.

"It kills bacteria in multiple ways," Ms Lam said. "We designed it to break the cell wall apart but we also found it can trigger the cell to kill itself."

Ms Lam and the team have given their polymers the perhaps not-so-snappy acronym SNAPPs: structurally nanoengineered antimicrobial peptide polymers.

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. Scientists have experimented previously with antimicrobial peptides but have found that while they kill bacteria, they are also hugely toxic to the hosts.

The star-shaped peptide polymers - chains of amino acids - have been designed with 16 or 32 arms.
Photo: University of Melbourne​

Ms Lam has designed her protein chains in star shapes with 16 or 32 arms that are about 10 nanometres in diameter, much larger than other antimicrobial peptides.

Professor Greg Qiao is Ms Lam's supervisor. He said that what is novel in her design is that their relatively large size means it doesn't seem to affect the healthy cells around the bacteria.

A bacterium cell before (left) and after being treated by the star-shaped polymers.
Photo: University of Melbourne​

"With this polymerised peptide we are talking the difference in scale between a mouse and an elephant," he said. "The large peptide molecules can't enter the [healthy] cells."

Ms Lam and her team tested six different superbugs in vitro, meaning outside a living body. They found that the star-shaped peptide polymer killed the bacteria and did not damage red-blood cells in the in vitro environment.

Shu Lam has developed a star-shaped protein that can rip apart the
walls of resistant superbugs – and kill them. Photo: Supplied​

They also tested the efficacy of the polymer in vivo, inside mice, against one type of superbug bacteria. That bacteria,Acinetobacter baumannii, was killed and the researchers "did not observe any resistance acquisition by A. baumannii".

Associate Professor Cyrille Boyer, at the University of NSW, said it was very promising research but warned its use was still a long way from clinical application.

"The main advantage seems to be they can kill bacteria more effectively and selectively" than other peptides, said Associate Professor Boyer, who is not associated with the research.

Professor Qiao said one of the next steps is to look at how different shapes, such as rings, will work against the superbugs. He also said there will need to be a lot more in vivo research to explore the limits of their toxicity.

However, first signs are promising. The tests undertaken on red blood cells in vitro showed a low toxicity threat.

 

[ahojunk]

Turnbull Talks Up Australia's Immigration Policies At UN Leaders Summit in New York

Malcolm and Lucy paid their respects at the 9/11 memorial museum.

Sarah Lansdown
Associate Editor, HuffPost Australia
18/09/2016 7:24 AM AEST |

"Our policy on border protection is the best in the world," the Prime Minister said.​

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull claims Australia has the "right response" to the biggest immigration crisis the world has seen since the end of World War II.

The PM has kicked off a week-long visit to the United States where we will attend the United Nations Leaders' Summit to discuss free trade, immigration and counter terrorism.

Visiting the 9/11 memorial museum on Saturday, Turnbull brushed off criticism from the United Nations human rights migration envoy that Australia's offshore processing scheme is in breach of international human rights law.

"We have one of the most generous humanitarian programs. Over 13,000 coming in through the humanitarian channel at the moment. Rising every year, substantially increased, up to over 18,000, plus 12,000 from the Syrian conflict zone," he said.

"We have a very strong record.

"But you cannot do that and, frankly, public opinion will not accept a generous humanitarian program, a substantial migration program unless the Government is seen to be in command of its borders.

"You have seen around the world the way in which uncontrolled migration flows start to destabilise countries and undermine support for migration, undermine support for multiculturalism, undermine the mutual respect which is the foundation of a successful multicultural society like ours."

The Prime Minister will also press an agenda of free trade and counter terrorism at the talks this week.

He spoke of the evolving nature of terrorism while at the 9/11 memorial.

"The 9/11 attack was an elaborately-planned attack many months in the making. We have to ward ourselves against attacks like that in the future as well.

"We also face the threat of these lone actors, rapid radicalisation, often preying on people with mental illness or other vulnerabilities as we have seen around the world and, of course, in Australia too.

"That's why we have to be relentless in our defence of our freedom and our citizens' security and safety, and we are."

Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy also rode the subway in New York after visiting the 9/11 museum.

 

[ahojunk]

This is an example of political correctness gone mad!

--------
Queensland restaurant British Colonial Co accused of ‘gross racism’
SEPTEMBER 19, 20166:47PM
Rebecca Sullivan | news.com.au

A BRISBANE restaurant has been accused of “gross racism” on social media for promoting itself as celebrating the British Empire’s “push into the developing cultures of the world”.

British Colonial Co, located in Hawthorne, opened in late June but attracted criticism today over a description on its website, which read: “Inspired by the stylish days of the empirical push into the developing cultures of the world, with the promise of adventure and modern refinement in a safari setting”.

As of Monday afternoon, that tagline had been changed to: “A refined and modern dining experience with the adventure of east meets west in a plantation style, club setting”.

The restaurant serves dishes such as hickory smoked quail with tarragon polenta and African-influenced eggplant spinach sauce, and a lamb burger with goats curd, grilled eggplant, hummus, baby spinach and carrot jam.

In a July Facebook post, the restaurant explained some of the inspiration behind its interior design styling.

“‘The sun never sets on the British Empire’ is the oft-repeated quotation used when trying to explain British colonial style,” the post read.

“In a nutshell, the style is a result of English citizens travelling the world during the empire’s heyday, bringing with them typically heavy wooden furnishings and adapting to hot local climates with lighter local fare.

“These travellers also brought back exotic pieces from the Caribbean, India, the Far East and Africa as a way to show off how far they’d travelled. They tried to travel relatively light; campaign furniture (light, foldable and portable) also became a part of the look.

“The results can mean a wild mix of light bamboo or cane furniture, heavier pieces, plaids mixed with animal prints, dark floors next to white walls and paisleys mixed with chintzes.”

British Colonial Co in Hawthorne. Picture: Chris McCormackSource:News Corp Australia

The British Empire colonised many developing countries including Australia, India, large parts of Africa and Asia, often pushing out and killing local indigenous communities.

This controversy comes after Queensland Vietnamese restaurant Uncle Ho, named after communist North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, closed in July after receiving protests and death threats.

British Colonial Co said in a statement: “We are very proud of our brand, dining experience and the loyal clientele we have established since opening in July this year.

“British Colonial Co was founded on the principles of providing Brisbane foodies with relaxed, casual dining. We believe that our décor and menu has great synergy with Brisbane’s climate and the expansive palette of our clientele, who are looking for a melting pot of food and beverages to enjoy in a relaxed atmosphere.

“We are therefore upset and saddened by today’s media reports that our brand is causing offence and distress to some members of the community. This certainly was not our intention.As a small local business, we strive to be the best we can, and we are committed to improving our service wherever possible.”

 

[ahojunk]

We, Aussies are also increasingly paying by mobile....

---------
Nearly three quarters of Australians pay bills on the smartphone, PayPal study finds
SEPTEMBER 20, 20161:06PM

Australia has one of the highest levels of smartphone penetration, with 80 per cent of over-18s owning a mobile device. Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Frank Chung | news.com.au

NEARLY three quarters of Australians now use their mobile device to make payments, with the average shopper spending $330 a month, according to new research from PayPal.

The eBay-owned payments platform has released its first mCommerce Index, which tracks the shopping behaviours of Australian consumers.

According to the study, just one fifth of Australians spend more than $500 per month using their mobile, and one in 10 spend more than $1000 per month.

Bill payments were by far the most popular category, with just under three quarters of Australians having made phone, utility, insurance or other bill payments on their mobile device in the last six months.

Other key categories of for mobile purchases were tickets (53 per cent), clothing and accessories (43 per cent), travel (38 per cent) and food and drink (37 per cent).

The big reason? Security. “These top performing categories represent consumer transactions with major, mainstream businesses with well-established online commerce platforms,” the report said. “Regular and familiar use, plus lessened concerns for security by consumers, are believed to be factors in promoting mCommerce within these categories.”

More than one third of Australians make a mobile payment ever week, with that figure jumping to just under half for under 35s.

Mobile payments are estimated to account for around $5 billion of Australia’s $20 billion online retail commerce market, but the report found only 49 per cent of online businesses were optimised for mobile.

While PayPal doesn’t disclose its local figures, PayPal Australia managing director Libby Roy said one in three transactions on the platform in Australia are made on a mobile device.

“When we looked at what consumers found difficult and annoying, the big thing was when there were too many forms, too many fields, or the site just doesn’t actually work,” Ms Roy said.

“When you look at the different demographics, it’s the millennials that get the most annoyed when websites don’t work on their mobile. Fifty-nine per cent of them said they found it annoying, whereas the only 28 per cent of the over-50s said it annoyed them.”

Ms Roy said the other big theme was the growth of social commerce — purchasing directly via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. According to the study, 11 per cent of Australians have already made a purchase via a social platform.

However, only 7 per cent of businesses accept payments via social media sites and apps, 89 per cent said they had no plans to do so within the next six months. “Social commerce is really with us and people are engaging with it quite quickly,” Ms Roy said.

Australia leads the world in mobile use, with 80 per cent of the population aged over 18 owning a smartphone. “If we look at the history of commerce in Australia we know that the incidence of internet purchases, over a three-month period, back in 1999 was approximately 5 per cent,” said Roy Morgan research analyst David McLeod.

“In 15 years it’s certainly possible that purchasing via social media by smartphone users will be as ubiquitous as online payments are now.”

The mCommerce Index, commissioned by PayPal and conducted by Roy Morgan Research, was based on a survey of nearly 1000 consumers and more than 100 businesses.