WA recorded the largest seasonally adjusted increase in retail trade in August

WESTERN Australians led the nation in flocking to cafes, restaurants and takeaway food outlets in August, driving a 0.3 per cent rise in retail sales nationwide.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed a 1.5 per cent rise in sales in cafes, restaurants and at takeaway food outlets in August - the largest increase of any retail trade sector.
Western Australia recorded the largest seasonally adjusted increase in August with an increase of 1.1 per cent followed by New South Wales (0.7 per cent), the ACT (0.7 per cent), South Australia (0.1 per cent) and Tasmania (0.2 per cent).
The solid growth in retail sales in August, on the back of a 0.7 per cent rise in July, supports other signs the Australian economy is continuing to bounce back in the wake of a global downturn.
However, sales in clothing and footwear slumped 1.5 per cent in the month, as did grocery sales, which fell 0.3 per cent.
 Sales in Victoria (-0.2 per cent), Queensland (-0.1 per cent) and Northern Territory (-0.5 per cent) decreased in August.

Source: http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/news/wa-recorded-the-largest-seasonally-adjusted-increase-in-retail-trade-in-august/story-e6frg2qu-1225934337860 Read more...

Student uses own 'faeces' as art

Poo artist Georgie Mattingley from Bentleigh with one of her unique artworks from the upcoming exhibition at Kingston Arts Centre. 
 AN EXHIBITION featuring an artist’s own faeces is set to divide patrons at a Moorabbin gallery.
Student artist Georgie Mattingley’s works, some of which feature brightly coloured excrement, will go on display at the Kingston Arts Centre next month.
But art experts rejected suggestions the exhibition,  Life is Delicious, was a grab for notoriety.
The exhibition’s centrepiece is a series of resin spheres containing Mattingley’s faeces, along with flowers, leaves and crystals.

Source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/confidential/student-uses-own-faeces-as-art/story-e6fredq3-1225931624261 Read more...

Heidi Klum hangs up her halo

Victoria's Secret Angels Selita Ebanks, Marisa Miller, Heidi Klum, Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio and Miranda Kerr.
IT looks like one of the Victoria's Secret angels is finally flying away.
Heidi Klum has announced she is leaving after 13 highly successful years with the lingerie company.
As 'Head Angel', Heidi has been one of the most famous and recognisable faces (and figures!) of the brand.

Source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/heidi-klum-hangs-up-her-halo/story-e6fredpu-1225932809606 Read more...

TV learning curve for radio stars Hamish Blake and Andy Lee

Hamish Blake and Andy Lee travelled to India for a TV special. 
THE hottest TV talents in the country, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee, are no closer to signing a deal with any of the major networks for 2011.
The boys recently returned from India and completed filming their Learn India special for Channel 10 at city restaurant Gaylord on Thursday night.
The slick professional production and delivery indicated the boys could sign with any network.
"We can tell the truth - we have no major plans," Blake said.
"We're looking forward to doing the radio show once a week. The nothingness is the exciting bit. It's only scary at the moment because there is nothing in it, but hopefully by the end of next year we will be looking back at what a fun road it hopefully has been."
The boys will finish their daily national radio show for Fox FM this year.
 "We've dedicated all our time and energy to our radio show because we love it so much," Blake said.
"We want to continue to do that to the very last show and then take a big deep breath in and see what happens."
The Learn India special saw the boys travel to India and live like the locals, including taking a long crowded train ride, getting close to a rat population, taking part in some of the more bizarre rituals and, in one of the most surprising scenes, witnessing how India conducts daily mass cremations.
They loved every minute of it despite Blake having a stomach bug.
"It can be pretty heart-breaking and pretty surreal," Blake said.
"But you just pretty much learn that this is just India.

Learn India will premiere on Channel 10 at 7.30 tonight.

 Source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/tv/tv-learning-curve-for-radio-stars-hamish-blake-and-andy-lee/story-e6freeul-1225933404107 Read more...

Irate students may not go home, lawyer David Bitel warns

TENS of thousands of foreign students may try to stay in Australia illegally now that stricter rules have dashed their hopes of permanent residency.
"In two to three years' time, what the government will find is there will be tens of thousands of illegals out there," said Sydney immigration lawyer David Bitel.
"People are not just going to go (home). They had an expectation (of permanent residence). They're furious. They came here, they paid thousands of dollars."
He believed at least 100,000 students who had enrolled when the rules gave good reason to expect permanent residency could fail to qualify for a visa under the new regime.
Mr Bitel, from the firm Parish Patience and ex-president of the Refugee Council of Australia, said there were already signs of desperate students looking to refugee claims as a fallback.

Read More : http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/irate-students-may-not-go-home-lawyer-david-bitel-warns/story-fn59niix-1225928627942 Read more...

Labor to bring back compulsory university amenities fees

THE Gillard government will introduce legislation today to restore compulsory student amenities fees at Australian universities.
Minister for Tertiary Education Minister, Senator Chris Evans, appealed today to the new parliament to support the bill, saying he wanted it to be passed by Christmas to ensure it will take effect next year.

Senator Evans said it was important to restore a range of depleted services at universities, particularly in regional Australia, and cited sporting, health and counselling services as key areas.

The legislation would allow students to be charged a fee of up to $250 a year for the provision of student services with Senator Evans claiming it was supported by both universities and students.

He also took a swipe at the Howard government’s voluntary student unionism legislation which had abolished services and amenities fees for students.

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“Under the arrangements left by the Coalition government, close to $170 million has been ripped out of university funding. This has led to the decline, and in some instances, the complete closure, of vital student services,” he said.

The Higher Education Legislation Amendment was defeated in August last year in the Senate, but Senator Evans said the bill had now been changed to make it more attractive and allow the $250 fee to be paid over time.

“The main measure… is that we’ve allowed fees to be treated as part of the HECS debt so there’s not the upfront requirement,” he explained.

“This legislation makes it very clear that those fees, which will be in the order of $150 a year... can be added to the HECS debt.”

Senator Evans encouraged the Coalition to review its opposition to the bill and said the legislation would be supported by the independents in the lower house.

“We agreed with them that we would reintroduce the legislation and I’m hopeful of Getting Mr Crook from Western Australia to support the legislation,” he said.

Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/labor-to-bring-back-compulsory-university-amenities-fees/story-fn59niix-1225931672226 Read more...

Monash University's battle of the ages

THE academic union is launching a campaign against what it says is age discrimination at Monash University.
It  claims academics with professorships face having to retire once they hit 65.
Monash denies that its statutes are discriminatory, noting that professors only have to "consider" retirement, but has agreed to review them before the end of the year. "The statute, which has been in place for many years, does require professors of the university to consider retirement at age 65, (but) this doesn't preclude employment as a professor beyond age 65," a Monash spokeswoman told The Australian.
But the National Tertiary Education Union claims Monash's reading of the statute means professors lose the right to ongoing employment at the end of the year they turn 65, reducing any bargaining power they may have in negotiating to continue working, such as on reduced hours.
"They go in (to negotiations) pretty powerless," said Monash NTEU branch president, Associate Professor Phil Andrews.
He said decisions on whether ageing professors continue working should be based on performance, just as it is for all staff. The statute only applies to full professors.

Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/monash-universitys-battle-of-the-ages/story-e6frgcjx-1225932547619 Read more...

Desperate students may seek refugee visas

THE number of international students attempting to claim refugee status is likely to multiply by the middle of next year.
That is when the first batch of 18-month bridging visas runs out, according to an expert on migration and international students.
And the scenes witnessed at Villawood Detention Centre, which included five international students taking to the roofs, were "utterly predictable".
"What happened at Villawood was absolutely predictable and absolutely related to changes in how the government decided to deal with permanent residency," said Shanthi Robertson, a lecturer in the sociology of migration at RMIT University.
"But this is only the beginning. The real crunch will be in the middle of next year when those 18-month bridging visas that were granted actually finish."
The government's decision last year to delay until the end of next year the processing of permanent residency applications for international students whose occupations were not on the critical skills list left thousands in limbo.

Read More: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/desperate-students-may-seek-refugee-visas/story-e6frgcjx-1225931064344 Read more...