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Showing results for tags 'australia'.
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Guys. . . I am going Darwin this coming November. I am looking for car rental in Darwin. Any lobangs????
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‘Biggest bribery scandal’: US, UK, Australia launch probe into mass oil industry corruption https://www.rt.com/news/337961-unaoil-corruption-scandal-investigation/ Among the biggest names implicated are Samsung; Hyundai; US weapons corporation Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root; Texas firm National Oilwell Varco; Singapore conglomerate Keppel; Norway’s Aker Kvaerner; Turkish joint venture GATE; and Italian oil giant Eni. -
Given the recent tussle over the South China Sea, I have done some research on Christmas Island into sources such as NLB and Wiki to find out more about our own territorial history. Based on what I read, I noted that the transfer of Christmas Island was initiated by the Australian government to the United Kingdom in 1954, and the handover was completed in 1958 between the UK and Australian governments at a sum of £2.33 million (M$20 million). As Singapore only gained independence in 1965, we were never part of the negotiation. Said island has a population of 2,072. They consist of 65% Chinese, 20% Malays, 10% Europeans and 5% Indians and Eurasians. Their mother languages are Chinese, Malay and English. Size of island is 135 km2 and below is the map: Weather: Here is my point - Was the handover in 1957 legitimate? Other than the obvious similarities in population mix, language and weather, this transfer was enacted by 2 countries that have nothing to do with Singapore now. Should we challenge the claims to Christmas Island?
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didn't want to show her photo, you can find it here. https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-woman-dies-after-falling-off-cliff-in-033755949.html
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Hi, going for a road trip for 10 days from Sydney to Gold Coast. Anyone knows how to get the best savings for car rental by relocation?
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Starting a travelogue complete with pictures taken from my GC 2014 trip (raw pics as I haven't got the time to edit). Anyone with pictures to share of your trip in any parts of Aussie, feel free to add on! @blueblueman this is for you. More pictures, less words. Traveled by FlyScoot. Sea World If you're going to Sea World, I suggest you put on lots of sunblock lotion, bring extra clothes as there are water rides there, and be dressed in casual = shorts, slippers. Weather isn't gonna be easy on you, as least for the month of April which I went. Parking @ Sea World. Don't think you have to worry about parking lots as it is highly sufficient from what I saw. Must watch Dolphin Show. Always the highlight. Dinner @ Surfers Paradise. Many many food joints you don't have to worry about starving. Jap food, Korean food, American, Mediterranean, etc etc etc. This is mine @ The Coffee Club, next to Ben & Jerry. Their sandwiches were pretty damn good. Movie World One of the two best rides. Batwing Spaceshot drop and Superman Escape rollercoaster ride (accelerates 0 to 100 in 2 seconds!) Don't forget to take the Green Lantern rollercoaster too, located directly beside the entrance in full view. Crowd on a weekday, I think it was on a Monday. Pavilion. Gather around here for the Batman - Shadows of Gotham live show at 1pm. Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 live show, featuring gun shots, explosions and car chases. Right after the Batman live show ended at 1.15pm, everyone went to queue up for the 2pm Hollywood stunt show. They didn't have proper allocated queues so it's gonna be pretty messed up. Good thing is that the venue is able to accommodate a whole lot of people. Arkham Asylum (Suspended roller coaster) MUST TAKE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSFRpJO2xgE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siKw60INs0Y Kebabs widely sold in Surfers Paradise. Had to try one since it was everywhere. Remember to update GPS maps. Roadworks all around (especially at Surfers Paradise since they are doing hte railway line) and GPS navigation isn't accurate, as experienced on my friend's GPS. Surfers Paradise Beach Q1 Observation Deck Quite suaku. First time seeing such pay-to-park machine. From what I observed, it gets extremely hard to find a road side/parallel parking lot at Surfers Paradise in the nighttime. We had to park inside of those buildings quite a distance away from the main beach. 3 minutes of wow and after that I'm thinking okay what's for lunch.. It's one of those gotta do and visit places when you're in GC but it gets boring after 3 minutes, IMO haha. Lunch @ Harbourtown Shopping Center. Everyone says Fish & Chips is a must to try in Aussie and so we did. Cheap and good! Parking @ Harbourtown. To be continued.................................
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Dear fellow bros, as i'll be goin on a trip to Sydney, would like to ask if any fellow bros got any suggestions on places to go and things to do over there. would very much appreciate inputs. anyway, since Australia is on high alert, still safe to carry on? Thanks in advance
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/12/ballboy-helps-china-goalkeeper-save-penalty
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We import Messi, Suarez and Neymar ? If not, the sea games?
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http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.sg/2015/04/singaporeans-in-australia-packing-up.html?m=1 is this real ?
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Think this case will become quite big worldwide. Some ethics issue. Who's wrong? Thai surrogate mother is believed to be very poor and took up the surrogate for the money. Now she is saddled with a unhealthy child. Australian couple is accused of abandoning the down syndrome child. They took the healthy one. Thai agency could also be faulted. World wide donations are coming in but how much can it help? http://www.smh.com.au/world/gammy-surrogate-mother-threatens-to-sue-australian-parents-20140804-1005fv.html Bangkok: The Thai surrogate mother of an abandoned baby boy says she will sue the Australian couple who left their son behind, challenging the child's father to appear with her on television. Pattharamon Janbua claims the biological father of the twins came to a Bangkok hospital after she gave birth six months ago and saw both children - the girl, whom he took home, and her brother, called Gammy, who has Down sydrome and is critically ill. But the West Australian parents have denied abandoning Gammy. The ABC quoted the unidentified father as saying a Thai surrogacy clinic doctor only told him and his wife about the girl.
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Australia cutting huge budgets; one story is of a top scientist made redundant but who continues to go to his office .. . . 2/12/14 http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/nobel-prize-contender-san-thang-cut-from-csiro-20141201-11xvaf.html A world-leading CSIRO chemist who was tipped to win a Nobel prize has been made redundant. In September, the same month San Thang was nominated as a frontrunner for the illustrious prize in chemistry, he also ceased working as a senior researcher for the national science organisation, which has been hemorrhaging staff since June last year following severe budget cuts and a restructure. As compensation, Dr Thang, who has worked at CSIRO for almost 30 years, was given an unpaid honorary fellowship. He continues to work at his former laboratory in Clayton, mainly supervising PhD students. Speaking to Fairfax Media, Dr Thang, 60, said he did not want to criticise the CSIRO, saying the organisation "has given me a very good career". Advertisement Dr Thang, who fled Vietnam as a refugee aged 24, is one of a team of three CSIRO organic chemists who developed new plastics and polymers, using a process known as RAFT, that have been widely adopted by industry, including multinationals L'Oreal, IBM and Dulux. "In Australia, the doors opened [for me] and I still want to be part of CSIRO and elsewhere to make use of my knowledge, I want to inspire people," said Dr Thang. "Being a scientist, that's what I love to do", he said. Dr Thang and his long-time collaborators Graeme Moad and Ezio Rizzardo were named Nobel prize contenders based on a Thomson Reuters analysis of their high number of citations - when other scientists cite the trio's research in their own. Earlier this year the trio won the esteemed ATSE Clunies Ross Award, which recognises the outstanding application of science and technology providing economic, social and/or environmental benefit to Australia. They have published more than 100 scientific papers together. Dr Thang fled Vietnam aboard a flimsy fishing boat that crossed the South China Sea to Malaysia, where he stayed in a refugee camp for several months before coming to Australia. "All my family stayed behind and I wouldn't see them again for almost 20 years. It's still difficult to think of it," Dr Thang told his former alma mater, Griffith University, for an article posted on their website in October. "It was a terrible, sometimes terrifying experience. I don't know how we made it. But when you survive something like that, it makes you stronger. That's what I took from it," he said. Last financial year CSIRO cut 513 positions in response to a Labor government-enforced efficiency drive, a recruitment freeze implemented by the Abbott government and falling external revenue. A CSIRO spokesman confirmed Dr Thang had been made redundant as part of these changes. As a direct consequence of the federal government slashing $115 million from CSIRO's funding over four years in the May budget, the organisation is expected to lose another 400 researchers and support staff by mid next year in addition to 300 positions being cut as part of an internal restructure. This month, the CSIRO staff association released new data showing the size and scale of the job cuts were larger than expected, reporting that 878 positions were to be cut by June 2015. But another CSIRO spokesman said the organisation did not expect a major variation from the number of staff reductions it announced earlier this year, around 720 positions.
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i bought this last year and wondering whether i could download australia map from https://buy.garmin.com/en-AU/AU/prod104105.html i thought GPS normally buy maps to use can already but now it seems like the stoopid salesman did not tell me this.
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Do you think NZD and AUD will rise against SGD in the coming months? Thinking of putting them in foreign currency fixed deposit. With the interests, should earn just that if the currency moves against me, will take longer to earn.
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blanket party went bad with a rubber chicki
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http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/03/02/asbestos-found-on-china-made-trains-in-nz-australia/ Asbestos found on China-made trains in NZ & Australia March 2nd, 2014 | Author: Editorial Singapore's new Downtown Line uses trains which are made in China (Photo: LTA) The New Zealand Herald reported today (2 Mar) that asbestos found on Chinese-made trains used by KiwiRail could cost workers’ lives (‘Asbestos on Chinese-made trains could cost workers lives‘). NZ Herald reported that 40 of the NZ state-owned company’s trains were taken out of action following the discovery of the potentially deadly material in a soundproofing compound inside one of the vehicles on Friday (28 Feb). Initial tests had confirmed the asbestos was contained and not a health risk, KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy said. However, further testing will be carried out to see if the material had leaked into the air or onto surfaces of any of the trains. Many of the NZ rail workers are concerned. The NZ’s Rail and Marine Transport Union (RMTU) said the situation had left many workers fearing for their health and that of their families. Mr Wayne Butson, general secretary of RMTU, told the media: If these locos had been made in Dunedin (in NZ), or even in any other first world country, we wouldn’t be putting up with this rubbish. It’s pretty symptomatic of why most Kiwis are sceptical about anything that comes out of China. Earlier KiwiRail said the inclusion of asbestos in the trains was in breach of a contract specification which clearly stated the material should not be used. “We are clearly very disappointed with this situation and working closely with the manufacturers to understand how this could possibly have occurred. They have taken full responsibility for this and have undertaken to do whatever is necessary to rectify the situation as quickly as possible for us,” Mr Reidy said. Reporting the same news, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) revealed that the trains used by KiwiRail were made by Chinese manufacturer Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co Ltd [Link]. ABC reported that the Chinese manufacturer has since confirmed it used chrysotile, or white asbestos, in a sound-proofing compound which is either coated with paint or sealed beneath the panelling. Last November, ABC reported that 10 freight locomotives made by China Southern Rail were also pulled from service in Australia after workers were exposed to potentially deadly asbestos dust [Link]. In Singapore, the new trains plying the Downtown Line (DTL) are also made in China. A total of 73 train sets consisting of 3 cars each were purchased by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) at a cost of approximately $571 million in a public tender in 2008 (‘Made-in-China trains for Downtown Line unveiled‘). LTA had previously assured the public that the made-in-China DTL trains meet rigorous safety standards (‘LTA: Made-in-China trains meet rigorous safety standards‘). The DTL trains were manufactured in Changchun, Jilin Province of China. LTA said that the trains were assembled in China, but their components come from 8 different countries, including China (which manufactured the car body), Sweden, UK, France, Spain, the Czech Republic and Germany. The first stage of DTL or DTL1 opened in December last year, linking 6 stations from Bugis to Chinatown. It is not known if asbestos has also been used for soundproofing in the China-made DTL trains. Asbestos became increasingly popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century because of its sound absorption, average tensile strength, resistance to fire, heat, electrical and chemical damage, and, most important of all, affordability. However, prolonged inhalation of asbestos can cause serious illnesses including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. These asbestos-related diseases will not affect people immediately but usually later on in life. The trade and use of asbestos have been restricted or banned in many countries.
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First no more V8 Utes, now Toyota Australia bows out. Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/toyota-to-stop-making-cars-in-australia-follows-ford-and-holden/story-e6frg906-1226822823246
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Once considered pet food, kangaroo meat could soon be sold to China as a luxury product, to encourage Chinese consumers to do something few Australians will - eat it. With a booming middle class, China’s appetite for meat is expected to rise nearly 17 per cent over the next eight years, the World Trade Organization says. Exporters do not yet have permission to sell kangaroo meat to China but recent comments by Australian officials have put the industry in a bullish mood. “This is something that ticks a whole range of boxes,” Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “I’m going to try and look at further discussions with the Chinese because I think there is a big prospect for a market there.” Mr Wang Jun, the owner of a small restaurant in Beijing, said he would be keen to try kangaroo. “Why not? As long as it is delicious,” Mr Wang said. Beef, pork and chicken are staples in China but some diners also tuck into cat, rat, dog and more exotic animals in the belief that they have medicinal qualities. Still, not everyone may be so adventurous when it comes to kangaroo. “How could we lay our chopsticks on such cute animals?” said Ms Liu Xinxin, a 21-year-old university student from Beijing. Ms Liu’s comments echo sentiments in Australia that have kept the kangaroo meat industry in a state of suspended development. A 2008 government survey showed nearly a fifth of Australians would never eat kangaroo on ethical grounds. Others are reluctant to consume an animal that figures in the national coat of arms. Just 15.5 percent of people eat kangaroo meat more than four times a year. Australia is already a large supplier of red meat to China, with shipments worth A$616 million (S$720 million) in the 2012/13 season. The kangaroo industry hopes to jump into the action. “It would be huge if we could get access to the Chinese market and they are certainty very interested,” said Mr Ray Borda, founder and managing director of Macro Meats, Australia’s largest processor of kangaroo and wild game meat. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/19/us-australia-china-kangaroo-idUSBRE9AI07820131119
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Australian road safety researchers on Wednesday unveiled a pioneering "attention-powered car" which uses a headset to monitor brain activity and slow acceleration during periods of distraction. The car, commissioned by the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia, is about to depart on an awareness-raising road trip of Western Australia -- a sprawling west coast state accounting for about one-third of the Australian continent. Lead researcher Geoffrey Mackellar, from neuroengineering company Emotiv, said the car's accelerator could be overridden by a headset with 14 sensors measuring the type and amount of brain activity which determined whether a driver was distracted. In the testing phase, drivers were set specific challenges such as using their mobile phone, switching channels on the radio, drinking water or reading a map so that researchers could record their brain activity while doing so. They were also sent on a 15 kilometres per hour "boredom lap" to see what happened when their brains "zoned out" -- "pretty nasty but we enjoyed it", Mackellar said. Emad Tahtouh, from production company FINCH, said the car used an array of neural inputs and specially-designed software to "go when you're paying attention and slow when you're not". "We're looking at things like blink rate, blink duration, gaze rate -- how long they look at a point -- eyes moving, head tilts, and also frequency of task-switching and the level of brain activity when they flick over to those tasks, so it's a huge pool of data," he said. "If someone lost attention and they switched tasks to, say, reading their mobile phone, or even if they just zoned out, it would usually be represented by a very sharp dip and sometimes very erratic behaviour." The car worked by reducing acceleration when it detected a loss of attention, and speeding back up once full focus was back on driving. The pilot vehicle, a customised Hyundai i40, was built for the RAC as part of a research and publicity campaign to reduce the number of road deaths in the state, which currently run above the national average and are the worst in Australia. Although the system could have potential commercial applications, the RAC said their current focus was on research and public awareness. "The impact of inattention is now comparable to the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by speed and drink driving," said RAC chief Pat Walker. "Nationally, it is estimated inattention was a factor in 46 per cent of fatal crashes." The Australian government estimates that road accidents cost the economy A$27 billion (US$25 billion) every year. Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/techno...ers/825824.html -
The Australian authorities have come up with an innovative way to prevent tractor drivers from crashing their oversized vehicles into the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, which could result in fatalities and costly repairs. The Softstop system, developed by a company called Laservision back in 2011, projects an image of a bright red stop sign onto a water screen at the entrance of the tunnel. This gives an impression of driving right into a stop sign. The system only activates if the driver ignores the flashing warning signs as he approaches the tunnel. Projection of images onto a water screen is often used in the entertainment industry. A good example is the water laser show at the Marina Bay Sands Atrium (By the way, the show is free). The system could also be activated for other reasons, such as warning the drivers to stay away from the tunnel in the event of a fire or a severe accident.
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The Chevrolet Cruze, which is called the Holden Cruze in Australia, gets a new 1.6-litre turbocharged Ecotec engine 'down under' for MY 2014. The models which are equipped with the new power plant are the higher end SRi and SRi-V sports variants. The engine replaces the existing 1.4-litre turbocharged Ecotec. Although General Motors has introduced a new 1.6-litres SIDI (spark ignition direct injection) Ecotec engine, the new motor in the Cruze actually belongs to the existing range that also powers the Opel Astra 1.6 Turbo. The 1.6-litre force-fed Cruze pumps out 179bhp and 230Nm of torque. Buyers have a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. It would be great if the turbocharged Cruze is offered here as the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine struggles to move the car according to some reviews. Like Singapore, cars in Australia are right hand driven. This could be the final enhancement to the existing Cruze as the prototype of the 2015 MY has already been spotted while undergoing testing.
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--- Quote --- 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.' 'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom' 'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn the language!' 'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.' 'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.' 'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.' 'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.' --- unquote ---- A country's leader standing up for her country. I don't agree with the Muslim and Christian divide part, but agree with the part about the citizens and her stance on integration.
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[extract] When I first read the headlines to this news, my initial reaction was
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Hyundai Motor Company Australia has removed the i45 (above) from its lineup and replaced it with the European-styled i40 sedan. The i40 features Hyundai's 'fluidic sculpture' design language, and was launched in Europe initially as an estate with a saloon due later in 2011. Hyundai Australia
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Mr Edward Lee, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA), has been promoted to head of International Sales Division. He will resume the position back in South Korea. Mr Lee's promotion is well deserved. During his tenure in HMCA which began in May 2009, Hyundai's sales in Australia grew from 45,409 vehicles in 2008 to 91,536 vehicles in 2012, which is slightly more than doubled. In addition, dealerships in the country has increased from 142 to 155. "Working in Australia has been the most rewarding and enjoyable time of my professional career," said Mr Lee. "I would like to thank the fantastic team who have supported me, both our Hyundai staff around Australia and in our dealerships - we really do have world class people working for Hyundai and that is reflected in our results. I would also like to thank our associates across the country, everyone with whom I've worked in my capacity as CEO. I've made some lifelong friends here and it is very sad to be leaving this great country." For his effort in improving exports to Australia, Mr Lee has previously received a government award from the President of Korea.
