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ABC News
16-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Connection to mining brings Peruvians to Western Australia's Goldfieds
Food is the biggest thing mining student Roberto Huapaya Montes misses from home. Five months ago, the Peruvian national moved to Kalgoorlie. "I don't have the magic to make my Peruvian food," he said. "I have to adapt." Almost 600 kilometres from Perth in WA's outback, the red dirt town might seem worlds apart from his Latin American home. The similarities between Peru and Kalgoorlie are not immediately obvious, but Mr Huapaya Montes said there were lots to be found. "I also come from a mining country, so it's pretty familiar, but at the same time different," he said. Mr Huapaya Montes is one of a handful of Peruvian students studying at the Western Australian School of Mines. He was keen to explore a new culture after completing his undergraduate degree in the country's capital, Lima. It was the mining on Kalgoorlie's doorstep that made it an attractive place to study for Mr Huapaya Montes. "You go with your work uniform and you go to the street, you go to the supermarket," he said. "It's more the identity." Peru and Australia both boast positions as global leaders in mining exports. Mining accounts for around 63 per cent of Peru's total exports, led by copper, gold, zinc and iron. Peru's ambassador Vitaliano Gallardo Valencia said the South American country looked to learn a lot from Australian mining processes. Hoping to strengthen the ties with Western Australia's mining industry, the ambassador made a stop in Kalgoorlie-Boulder on a recent trip to the state. "Like the technology sector, you can have the impression you are in the centre of the industry in Silicon Valley," Mr Gallardo Valencia said. Mr Gallardo Valencia said greater connectivity with the world had made Western Australia an incentive for more Peruvians to travel to the state. "The journey to arrive in Australia was more of a tourist stop," he said. "You leave Lima by plane, you stop in Santiago, and from Santiago to Easter Island, from Easter Island to Tahiti, from Tahiti to Sydney, from Sydney to Perth. "You can't perceive how important changes in connecting our countries have been." The relationship between the two countries is also underpinned by a free trade agreement signed in 2020. In times of global trade uncertainty, Mr Gallardo Valencia said maintaining strong partnerships in the Pacific was at the forefront. "This is the moment when you see who your partners are," he said. "We need to be a reliable source of critical minerals, and we need to be open as a country with an open market economy to ensure the flow of rare earth minerals to the rest of the globe." Australian Mining Equipment Services and Technologies (METs) were set to be among the benefits of a zero-tariff agreement with Peru. In 2017, METs were Australia's top export to Peru, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, valued at close to $77 million. Mr Gallardo Valencia said modern mining required an increasingly diverse set of skills. "You sometimes think that the only point of connection is geology, metallurgy, mining engineering," he said. He said Peru was looking to Australia for innovation in areas such as AI, environmental sustainability, working with First Nations communities, and encouraging more women to enter the mining industry. Mr Huapaya Montes would like to see more sustainable mining practices in his country. He hoped to take what he had learnt from Australia back to Peru once he graduated. "Now we have to be aware we have to give the next generation what we've been given," Mr Huapaya Montes said. While he might miss Peruvian food, Mr Huapaya Montes has found a community of other Latin Americans who like to cook together on the weekends. He has enjoyed sharing his culture with other students at his university. "We danced salsa, and then an Aussie was teaching us how to dance," he said. "It's a really good community."
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
My urgent warning to everyone shopping at Kmart this winter: 'I know it's $15 but do not use it'
A $15 winter 'essential' from Kmart is causing major regret for some Aussie shoppers, who are learning the hard way that budget buys can come with sky-high consequences - namely, exorbitant electricity bills. A number of Aussies who are feeling the winter chill have taken to social media in recent days, urging followers to not make the same mistake as they did. They are warning shoppers not to be fooled by the low price tag of Kmart's popular portable fan heater, cautioning that it may be guzzling power at an alarming rate. One of the warnings comes from Sydney-based mum Jaz, who posted a now-viral PSA video that's been viewed more than 545,000 times. 'Quick PSA for some of you girlies that are spending your first winter out of home,' Jaz said. 'Do not use the Kmart heater. I know they're $15 - don't use it.' She goes on to explain that despite only using the compact fan heater briefly to warm her bedroom at night, the results were financially devastating. 'Winter living in Sydney I used a Kmart heater just to heat up my room every night, it wasn't even on for that long and my power bill was $1000 for a month,' she said in disbelief. 'Just get some fluffy socks, a dressing gown, an Oodie and you'll be alright. Hot chocolates are way cheaper than a Kmart heater.' Jaz's video sparked a wave of similar confessions in the comments, with young renters and students echoing the same horror stories of bill shock after plugging in the seemingly innocent white plastic fan heater, which is available in-store and online. Another Sydney woman, Harriet Burns, posted her own TikTok shortly after, confirming to FEMAIL that her friends were also left out of pocket due to the energy-sapping device. '$15 to buy, $500 to run,' Harriet captioned the video of her snuggled in a large, fluffy pink dressing gown instead of relying on her heater for warmth. While Kmart's budget heater boasts portability and instant warmth, what it lacks is energy efficiency. The appliance, like most small fan heaters, uses resistive heating, meaning it draws a lot of power in a short amount of time - often between 1800 to 2400 watts per hour. That's significantly more than other home appliances like fridges or LED lights. When left on for even a couple of hours each night, especially in poorly insulated homes or bedrooms with single-pane windows, the cost adds up rapidly. If you're charged on a time-of-use electricity plan, running it during peak hours (typically early evening) only worsens the damage to your bank account. In Australia, electricity bills are typically issued on a quarterly basis, which can make it even easier for costs to accumulate unnoticed, especially for first-time renters or those adjusting to life out of home. However, many providers now offer monthly billing options, particularly for customers with smart meters that allow regular tracking of electricity usage. For renters or families concerned about their winter costs blowing out unexpectedly, monthly bills can be a safer way to monitor and adjust usage in real-time. If you're worried about mounting bills during such a cost-of-living crunch, it might be time to look at other alternatives to surviving the winter chill at home. Layered clothing like thermals, socks, and robes, switching to an electric blanket (which cost significantly less per hour to run), reverse-cycle air conditioners that are more efficient in heating mode if used correctly, and draft stoppers and door seals to retain heat in smaller spaces. And as Jaz wisely pointed out, sometimes a hot chocolate and a pair of fuzzy socks really is the cheaper way to go. With Sydney's chillier months still lingering, it might be time to think twice before hitting add to cart before you've done your research.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Students will spend 25 years glued to their phones if current screen habits don't change, study shows
Students will spend 25 years glued to their phones if they don't change their screen habits, a study has found. The average school, college, or university student spends five and a half hours on their phone per day, which could amount to 25 years of their lives. And the four per cent who spend nine hours or more on their phone could see themselves wasting 41 years of their lives locked into a screen. The research, which was conducted by Fluid Focus over the first five months of the year, highlights rates of smartphone usage, the negative impact it has on learning and attention span, and student's desire to reduce it. Their figures are based on a waking day of 16 hours and 72 years of smartphone use from the age of 11 to 83. To get their figures, they tracked the screen times of 1,346 middle school/junior high pupils, 198 university students, and 1,296 people at further education colleges. App genres which dominated the screens were social media, messaging, and streaming. Screen time averages increased with age - from five hours and 12 minutes for middle school/junior high students to six hours and 12 minutes for university students. For many students, their phone was the first thing they check when they wake up and the last thing they look at before bed. Worryingly, 68 per cent of students believe their academic performance is impacted by their phone use. Despite this self-awareness, around 40 per cent admitted to constantly checking their phone while studying. Checking your phone seems like a harmless habit, but another study found it can take 20 minutes to regain focus afterwards. Dr Paul Redmond, who studies generational change, called the findings 'quite stark'. He was director of student experience and enhancement at Liverpool University in England, one of 18 institutions involved in the research. He said: 'I think what's powerful is how students feel that it's damaging their academic performance. That awareness that "I could do so much better if I manage this".' Nearly half of students (47 per cent) said their sleep is disturbed because of late-night phone usage, a figure that rose to 66 per cent for those at university. Dr Redmond said it was helpful to talk with young people about strategies to manage screen time. He explained how one new technique they tried out was to put elastic bands around their phones so when they took them out to go on them 'they were made to stop and think about why'. Lisa Humphries is associate principal at Chichester College Group in England, where some of the 11,000 students across its seven constituent colleges participated. She said: 'By the time we see them in college, they've had five, six, seven years of living inside their phone. The levels of social anxiety are crippling in the young people we're seeing, and it comes from that whole thing. 'Everyone's living in their bedroom on their phone, and they're not outside, and they're not socializing, communicating. They're not developing those skills to build relationships.' The report's authors urge schools, colleges, and universities to make digital well-being part of their curriculum and strategic plans. They even encouraged them to reward students who display healthy digital behaviors. Another suggestion was to cut university lectures from 60 or 90 minutes to blocks of 30 minutes in order to cater to the new generations short attention spans. They added the single biggest change a student can make is leaving their phone outside the bedroom up to 45 minutes before they want to go to sleep. The authors also called for ministers to treat technology overuse as a public health problem and want their to be a public health campaign targeted at Gen Z. Glenn Stephenson, co-founder of Fluid Focus, said: 'This research is a mirror. It forces us, as a society, to confront an uncomfortable truth: we unknowingly handed powerful, addictive technologies to children during their most formative years - without fully understanding the risks in doing so. 'However, what was great to see, and what should give us all hope, is that students aren't oblivious to the impact - far from it. They're aware, reflective, and increasingly motivated to change. 'Many are already trying. They just need to be met with the right education, the right tools and the belief that change is possible.' Another study found three quarters of Gen Zs admitted struggling to maintain concentration while interacting with someone and 39 per cent feel a strong urge to look at their device. Social events (28 per cent), speaking with friends (18 per cent) and parents (17 per cent) are some of the scenarios where the younger generation stop paying attention. And 28 per cent said they are even switching off at work, affecting their productivity. The study of 2,000 18 to 28-year-olds found that Gen Z will reach for their phone after just two minutes and 15 seconds of talking to someone. The biggest temptations when chatting face-to-face with someone include checking messages (48 per cent), scrolling social media (44 per cent) and even opening YouTube (18 per cent). Calls (32 per cent), text messages (23 per cent), and social media mentions (14 per cent) are deemed hardest to ignore. The research, commissioned by AXA UK as part of the annual Mind Health Report, found 63 per cent admit they struggle with real-life interaction - and 77 per cent use their phone as a form of escape.
Daily Mail
22-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Students will spend 25 YEARS on their phones if screen habits don't change, study finds
Students will spend 25 years glued to their phones if they don't change their screen habits, a study has found. The average school, college or university student spends five and a half hours on their phone per day, which could amount to 25 years of their lives. And the four per cent who spend nine hours or more on their phone could see themselves wasting 41 years of their lives locked into a screen. The research, which was conducted by Fluid Focus over the first five months of the year, highlights rates of smartphone usage, the negative impact it has on learning and attention span, and student's desire to reduce it. Their figures are based on a waking day of 16 hours and 72 years of smartphone use from the age of 11 to 83. To get their figures, they tracked the screen times of 1,346 secondary school pupils, 198 university students and 1,296 people at further education colleges. App genres which dominated the screens were social media, messaging and streaming. Screen time averages increased with age - from five hours and 12 minutes for secondary school students to six hours and 12 minutes for university students. For many students, their phone was the first thing they check when they wake up and the last thing they look at before bed. Worryingly, 68 per cent of students believe their academic performance is impacted by their phone use. Despite this self-awareness, around 40 per cent admitted to constantly checking their phone while studying. Checking your phone seems like a harmless habit, but another study found it can take 20 minutes to regain focus afterwards. Dr Paul Redmond, who studies generational change, called the findings 'quite stark'. He was director of student experience and enhancement at Liverpool University, one of 18 institutions involved in the research. He added: 'I think what's powerful is how students feel that it's damaging their academic performance. That awareness that "I could do so much better if I manage this".' Nearly half of students (47 per cent) said their sleep is disturbed because of late-night phone usage, a figure that rose to 66 per cent for those at university. Dr Redmond said it was helpful to talk with young people about strategies to manage screen time. He explained how one new technique they tried out was to put elastic bands around their phones so when they took them out to go on them 'they were made to stop and think about why'. Lisa Humphries is associate principal at Chichester College Group where some of the 11,000 students across its seven constituent colleges participated. She said: 'By the time we see them in college, they've had five, six, seven years of living inside their phone. The levels of social anxiety are crippling in the young people we're seeing, and it comes from that whole thing. 'Everyone's living in their bedroom on their phone, and they're not outside, and they're not socialising, communicating. They're not developing those skills to build relationships.' The report's authors urge schools, colleges and universities to make digital wellbeing part of their curriculum and strategic plans. They even encouraged them to reward students who display healthy digital behaviours. Another suggestion was to cut university lectures from 60 or 90 minutes to blocks of 30 minutes in order to cater to the new generations short attention spans. They added the single biggest change a student can make is leaving their phone outside the bedroom up to 45 minutes before they want to go to sleep. The authors also called for ministers to treat technology overuse as a public health problem and want their to be a public health campaign targeted at Gen Z. Glenn Stephenson, co-founder of Fluid Focus, said: 'This research is a mirror. It forces us, as a society, to confront an uncomfortable truth: we unknowingly handed powerful, addictive technologies to children during their most formative years — without fully understanding the risks in doing so. 'However, what was great to see, and what should give us all hope, is that students aren't oblivious to the impact — far from it. They're aware, reflective, and increasingly motivated to change. 'Many are already trying. They just need to be met with the right education, the right tools and the belief that change is possible.' Another study found three quarters of Gen Zs admitted struggling to maintain concentration while interacting with someone and 39 per cent feel a strong urge to look at their device. Social events (28 per cent), speaking with friends (18 per cent) and parents (17 per cent) are some of the scenarios where the younger generation stop paying attention. And 28 per cent said they are even switching off at work, affecting their productivity. The study of 2,000 18 to 28-year-olds found that Gen Z will reach for their phone after just two minutes and 15 seconds of talking to someone. The biggest temptations when chatting face-to-face with someone include checking messages (48 per cent), scrolling social media (44 per cent) and even opening YouTube (18 per cent). Calls (32 per cent), WhatsApp messages (23 per cent) and social media mentions (14 per cent) are deemed hardest to ignore. The research, commissioned by AXA UK as part of the annual Mind Health Report, found 63 per cent admit they struggle with real-life interaction – and 77 per cent use their phone as a form of escape.
Forbes
12-06-2025
- General
- Forbes
Eight Expectations For Selecting A College
The college selection season is in full bloom and many students have accepted or are considering their college of choice. It's also not too late to change one's mind. Determining a good college fit is often left to what colleges tell us about themselves. Some colleges like to rely on national rankings that include factors that have little to do with the practice of learning and teaching (e.g., number of doctoral candidates). Others rely on the records and reputation of sports teams to determine academic prowess, again a dubious metric. Most often, students choose colleges based on two factors: cost and convenience. There are, however, other things to consider and expect when making a college decision, the top eight expectations of which are as follows: The bottom line is the student must be more savvy than ever when selecting a college. With the cost of tuition continuing to rise, students (also known as consumers) should demand they are getting the most out of their expenditures. The best way to discern which college is best for each student is by asking about the above-mentioned expectations. Ask the admissions staff, faculty, and administrators, do the research on what matters most, and then make your decision accordingly. Discernment now is the best path to a happier and secure future.
