On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week with the smallest of gains. The benchmark index rose 5 points to 7,020.6 points.
Will the market be able to build on this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:
ASX 200 expected to fail
The Australian share market is expected to open the day lower on Tuesday following a subdued start to the week on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to open the day 13 points or 0.2% lower. On Wall Street the Dow Jones rose 0.1%, but the S&P 500 and NASDAQ both dropped 0.1%. The latter was up as much as 1.5% at one stage.
NAB Q3 update
the National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price will be on watch today when the banking giant releases its third quarter update. According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts are expecting the bank to report a quarterly cash profit of $1.8 billion. This will be a 5.9% increase on the previous corresponding period. Elsewhere, Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) and REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) are due to release their full year results this morning.
Oil prices rise
It could be a decent day for energy producers including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) after oil prices pushed higher on Monday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.8% to US$90.63 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 1.6% to US$96.746 a barrel. Positive economic data out of China and the United States boosted prices.
OZ Minerals ‘in play’
the OZ Minerals Limited (ASX: OZL) share price rocketed 35% higher yesterday after the miner received and quickly rejected a $25.00 per share takeover bid from BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP). However, the team at Bell Potter don’t believe this is the end of the story. It said: “[W]e expect a higher cash bid from BHP as the deal makes strategic sense and […] believe the scarcity of comparable assets in comparable jurisdictions makes the chances of a competing counter-offer reasonable.”
Gold price higher
gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd. (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a decent day after the gold price pushed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.75% to US$1,804.20 an ounce. The softening of bond yields and the US dollar gave the precious metal a lift.
Potato farmers in the Ballarat region are demanding a pay rise for their produce, claiming McCain Foods does not pay a fair price for the popular mealtime vegetable.
Key points:
Ballarat potato farmers want 59 cents per kilo for their produce from McCain Foods
The current rate is just 33 cents per kilo
Farmers say it costs 51 cents to produce a kilo of spuds
Last season McCain Foods paid growers an average of 33 cents per kilo of potatoes delivered to the local processing plant, a figure that farmers said was well below the rising cost of production.
A farmer, who asked to remain anonymous, said the local growers’ association had approached the processor on Monday asking for 59 cents per kilo, a 78 per cent price increase.
The requested price rise reflected the current cost of production and rising input costs, such as increased fertilizer and fuel prices, and also allowed the farmers to turn a profit.
The farmer said eleven factors such as weed and pest control, irrigation, harvest, labor and transport were considered it cost approximately 51 cents to produce a kilo of spuds leaving producers running at a loss.
In January, storms also damaged a large portion of this year’s crop, which meant some farmers lost more than a third of their yield and reduced the Ballarat region’s potato harvest by 20 per cent.
McCain Foods’s processing plant in Ballarat turns out potato chips for supermarkets and fast food chains.(Rural ABC: Jane McNaughton)
McCain Foods has previously been investigated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over allegations of unconscionable conduct towards growers.
A McCain Foods spokesperson said the company engaged in constant dialogue with growers throughout the course of the year.
“We cannot provide details on our confidential pricing discussions with them,” the spokesperson said.
“We are proud of the continued investment we have demonstrated in recent years and will continue to support our customers, our people, our growers, and the hundreds of people within our communities who depend on us for their livelihoods.”
In Tasmania, farmers have recently rejected price offers made by food manufacturers Simplot for their potato crop this season.
A year after a wildfire destroyed the western Canadian village of Lytton, residents, municipal leaders and the provincial government are grappling with the slow and costly reality of future-proofing a community against climate change.
Key points:
In 2021, 90 per cent of buildings in Lytton, British Columbia, were destroyed by a wildfire
Lytton’s council wants better building emissions standards and energy efficiency to be prioritized in the town’s reconstruction
However, residents are running out of time as temporary living allowances from insurers near their end
The remote village sits at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson rivers in the high, dry mountains of interior British Columbia, making it a bullseye for fires and landslides. In June 2021, 90 per cent of Lytton’s structures burned down, a day after the village recorded Canada’s hottest-ever temperature.
Now officials have a unique opportunity to rebuild an entire community from scratch using fire-safe materials and energy-efficient building standards.
However, long-term disaster mitigation plans and net-zero ambitions are running up against the realities of human impatience and reimbursement limits from insurers. Burnt-out residents — many still living in temporary accommodation — want to rebuild their homes and get on with their lives.
“There’s a distinct difference between what would be ideal and what’s realistic,” said Tricia Thorpe, 61, who lost her home in the fire.
Tricia Thorpe and her husband, Don Glasgow, stand outside their new home.(Reuters: Jennifer Gauthier)
“I don’t think anybody has a problem with building fire-smart, but they’re trying to build a model village. They’re talking about solar [panel] sidewalks.”
The risk of destructive weather is rising as climate change intensifies, sharpening the focus on how communities build.
Insured damage for severe weather events across Canada hit $C2.1 billion ($2.34 billion) last year, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, including $C102 million for the Lytton fire.
Since 1983, Canadian insurers have averaged about $C934 million a year in severe weather-related losses.
The wrangling over how to restore Lytton highlights the messy reality of climate adaptation, and what costs and delays people are willing to endure to cut carbon emissions and mitigate their fire risk.
In the 300-person village, some lofty ambitions have already been shelved in favor of a faster rebuild.
Lytton’s council wanted to adopt building by-laws that require net-zero-emissions homes, but scaled that back to lower energy-efficiency standards after residents pushed back.
The village also considered burying all its power lines to reduce fire risk, a three-year process, but is now installing temporary overhead lines to get the job done in nine months.
Tricia Thorpe’s home, north of Lytton. The village sits in the high, dry mountains of interior British Columbia, making it a bullseye for fires and landslides.(Reuters: Jennifer Gauthier)
“At times, I get frustrated with the lack of knowledge and the fact that residents think we’re trying to make it impossible for them to rebuild,” Lytton Mayor Jan Polderman said.
“We could become a first-generation model for net-zero.”
Mr Polderman said the solar panel sidewalks — reinforced solar panels in place of pavements on the town’s sidewalks — and wind energy could power street lights and municipal buildings.
breaking new ground
In the 13 months since the fire, little progress has been made on restoration, with only a quarter of properties cleared of ash and debris.
The local council is still finalizing fire-safety building by-laws it says will be the most comprehensive ever developed in Canada and make Lytton the best-protected community in the country.
Those new by-laws — based on expertise from Canada’s National Research Council on developing communities in wildfire-prone regions — cover everything from building materials to landscaping and maintenance to what can be stored on properties.
The remains of homes and businesses a year after a wildfire destroyed 90 per cent of the buildings in Lytton.(Reuters: Jennifer Gauthier)
Finalizing the by-laws and community consultation has taken months.
“I’m sure if we’d just said, ‘Let’s get people back in their homes ASAP’ it would have been faster, but then we might be in the same situation in a few years’ time,” said Kelsey Winter, the chair of the BC FireSmart Committee, a provincial organization leading community engagement in Lytton.
“It’s taking longer than many people wanted, but Lytton is breaking new ground.”
Other complications have dogged the recovery. Record-breaking floods in November washed out local highways, which were also intermittently closed over the winter for avalanche control.
In addition, the village sits within the Nlaka’pamux First Nation territory and residents require archaeological surveys to check for Indigenous artifacts before rebuilding. The Lytton First Nation, part of the Nlaka’pamux, also lost dozens of homes in the 2021 fire.
The limits of insurance
Around 60 per cent of Lytton residents were uninsured or under-insured, leading to delays in debris removal as residents and insurers grappled with who should pay. In March, the province said it would provide $C18.4 million to cover debris removal, archaeological surveys and soil remediation.
Meanwhile, residents are running out of time as the temporary living allowances provided by insurers, typically for 18 to 24 months after a disaster, near their end. Adding to their challenges, insurers are reluctant to pay for the upgrades to homes that are being written into new building by-laws.
“Insurance puts back the building you had, not the building you want,” said Aaron Sutherland, the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Pacific region vice-president.
Canada’s Institute of Catastrophic Loss Reduction — which helped develop Lytton’s fire-safety by-laws — estimates implementing them would add approximately $C5,000 to each home’s rebuilding costs.
And, Mr Sutherland said, while insurers can see the benefit of fire resilience, upgrades to enhance energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions will add “tens of thousands” of dollars per home.
“When people took out insurance policies, they were based on the by-laws of the day and what insurers were expecting to pay,” he added.
Building emissions account for 13 per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas output, and slashing them is a key part of the Canadian government’s climate targets.
Canada’s federal government will help make up some of the shortfall, providing $C6 million in grants for home owners in Lytton with basic rebuild insurance who want to rebuild net-zero or fire-resistant homes.
Meanwhile, Lytton is facing yet another wildfire season. On July 14, a wildfire broke out across the river from Lytton, destroying at least six properties.
A firefighting helicopter flies over the nearby Nohomin Creek wildfire on July 25, 2022.(Reuters: Jennifer Gauthier)
Last year, 1,642 wildfires burned 869,279 hectares in British Columbia, higher than the 2010-2020 average of 1,352 fires and 348,917 burned hectares.
Some homeowners have had enough of delays.
Ms Thorpe, who lives just outside the village boundary, is rebuilding without building permits, and others are moving elsewhere.
“I’m not expecting I’ll be rebuilding ever, even though my intention was to do so,” said retired nurse Michele Feist, 59, whose 100-year-old bright yellow home burned down.
“The response has been inadequate at every level. I’m not a bitter person and I try to be realistic about things, but I miss my town.”
We’ve all heard about the skyrocketing price of oil at the pump, but did you know there’s another oil crisis?
At the helm of a deep fryer, Teresa Paolini is right across this issue.
A few years ago, her family-owned takeaway shop in Melbourne used to be able to buy her preferred cottonseed oil blend for less than $40 a drum.
“Now it’s up to $60,” Ms Paolini says.
The latest consumer price index (CPI) data just showed a 14 per cent rise in the price of cooking oil in the past year. The only other sector of food that’s gone up by more is fruit and vegetables.
Indirectly, analysts say, the cooking oil crunch is now likely to hit many other parts of the food chain.
That’s because it is such a fundamental staple ingredient. Edible oil is in everything from margarine through to hummus and baked goods, and there is only so much of a price hike that manufacturers through to takeaway shops can absorb.
“We’ve had to put our prices up about 50 cents on each item,” Ms Paolini says.
And it’s not just fried chips.
Teresa Paolini has bumped prices at her takeaway shop in Melbourne because cooking oil has gone up.(ABC News: Chris LePage)
In bad news for beauty, vegetable oils are a core ingredient in moisturizer and lipstick.
The latest CPI data shows personal care items already went up almost 5 per cent in a year. One company that develops and manufactures cosmetics is tipping that inflation will escalate by up to 15 per cent by 2023, due to vegetable oil prices.
As well as price hikes, the situation is also creating headaches for food labelling.
One of Australia’s biggest food manufacturers, Goodman Fielder, has just announced that it is having to replace some of the sunflower oil in its well-known mayonnaise Praise with canola oil.
That’s how far-reaching the issue has become.
What’s driving the cooking oil crunch?
Just like petroleum and gas, vegetable oil is a globally traded commodity that follows international pricing.
Most of this year’s headlines about the cooking oil crunch have centered around the war in Ukraine. Both it and Russia are some of the biggest producers of sunflower oil, and the war has seen their exports largely curtailed.
“[Edible oil] prices really escalated very quickly this year as a result of the invasion,” Rabobank’s senior commodities analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon told ABC News.
However, sunflower oil is not one of the most-consumed edible oils globally, and the price pressures go far beyond the war in Ukraine.
“Prior to that, we were already seeing prices that were double the five-year average,” Ms Kalisch Gordon said.
The three most-widely consumed oils globally are canola, palm and soybean.
Before the war, Ms Kalisch Gordon said, canola supply was already being hit by drought in key producers, including Canada.
Meanwhile, soybeans saw extra demand from China, which bought up beans to rebuild their pig herds after an outbreak of swine fever.
“On top of that, we had a disappointing harvest of soybeans out of Brazil and more broadly across South America, including Paraguay,” Ms Kalisch Gordon said.
Then there were issues during the pandemic with worker shortages in Indonesia and Malaysia, which produces much of the world’s palm oil.
“They just weren’t able to get the harvest out of the plantations,” Ms Kalisch Gordon said.
The other oil crisis, petroleum, didn’t help.
Ms Kalisch Gordon said fossil fuels were now so expensive, that markets were turning to edible oils to make biodiesel instead.
“We’ve had production increasing at a slower rate than consumption increase. We’ve got a strong biodiesel market that is growing internationally,” she said.
As this all happened, some countries — including Turkey, Indonesia and Argentina — put export bans on their edible oils to ensure their own populations had enough of these vital ingredients.
“Really, we have found ourselves with a litany of issues feeding into this that wouldn’t be expected normally,” Ms Kalisch Gordon said.
“The higher prices for soybean, palm oil and canola have led to higher prices or costs across the entire complex, including for olive oil and cottonseed.”
Peter Fitzgerald has never seen price hikes on edible oil like those he is currently dealing with at Cookers.(ABC News: Chris LePage)
Cookers is one of Australia’s biggest vegetable oil distributors.
The national company buys canola and olive oil from refineries across Australia and overseas, including recently from Ukraine until the invasion. It is subject to whatever prices its suppliers pass on.
“We’ve seen prices in the last two years virtually double,” the company’s managing director Peter Fitzgerald said.
“It’s something we’ve never seen in our industry.
“And we don’t know where that’s going to end up”
Cookers is pushing these price hikes onto its customers, which include takeaway chains and major food manufacturers that use vegetable oil in everything from hummus to margarine.
“They’re all addressing this with the supermarkets currently,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“If you look at a lot of packaging, oil is such a large component in so many foods.
“I think that you’ll see that as this flushes through, that it’s going to continue price increases at the customer level.”
As well as food staples, vegetable oil is also a core ingredient in many of life’s little luxuries, including makeup.
The price of cosmetics is also set to rise due to the vegetable oil crisis.(Getty Images: Andreas Rentz)
Rohan Widdison runs local cosmetics developer and manufacturer New Laboratories.
He’s forecasting price hikes on everything from moisturizer to lipstick, largely in part due to the extreme increases he is seeing on oils such as almond.
“We’ve held off passing pricing on to a lot of clients. But now what we’re seeing is elements where it’s just impossible to hold off,” Mr Widdison said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t see increases [at the consumer level] that are going to range from 8 to 15 per cent in the coming year.”
Mr Widdison isn’t so sure the global price rises all come down to supply and demand, either.
“At a certain point in time, then the question really becomes: Is it the market price? Or is it really just profit-taking?” I have asked.
He said the issue was bigger than just a moisturizer.
“There’s no question that we should be looking at food security before cosmetics,” he said.
“If you use palm oil, for example, I’m fully supportive of the Indonesian government protecting that essential commodity for domestic use.”
The impact of oil prices in poorer nations is something the World Food Program and the World Bank are concerned about too.
In good news, the price spikes on soybean and palm oil do appear to have gone past their peak.
Ms Kalisch Gordon said that improvement had come as growing conditions improve in the regions hit by drought.
Most of the markets such as Indonesia — that put temporary export bans on their oils — have now lifted them.
And global markets also appear to be pricing in decreases after the resumption of Black Sea exports.
However, the situation remains volatile.
For instance, just this month, there has been fresh talk of olive oil shortages after another drought in Spain.
“We don’t expect prices to drop or reduce in their volatility substantially in the near term,” Ms Kalisch Gordon said.
“So this isn’t going to play out quickly.”
“I don’t see [prices] returning to the five year-averages of pricing across this complex that we saw prior to COVID.”
As the new normal hits, New Laboratories is looking into substituting some edible oils for synthetics in their cosmetics.
“That’s probably taking the ethical and responsible approach in this situation, rather than complaining about price,” Mr Widdison said.
Meanwhile, Peter Fitzgerald at Cookers is also calling for edible oils to be prioritized for food ahead of biodiesel.
“I think we’ve got to be careful,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“For me, there’s a moral dilemma about food versus fuel.”
And Ms Paolini is stocking up on olive oil for her takeaway shop, just in case.
“My husband and I just went and bought a few vats,” she said. “I like my olive oil.”
A woman who took issue with a range of plus-sized yoga statues being sold at Woolworths has been roasted online.
The shopper took to TikTok to share a video panning across a range of unique garden ornaments, featuring plus-sized bodies posing in different yoga positions.
The woman asked “what the f**k?” she was with the range, ending the video with a confused look.
“I need answers, I don’t get it” she titled the video.
“What are these and who would buy them?”
The $16 statues feature in the gardening section at Woolworths and show female bodies in different yoga poses.
“What the f**k is with this range at Woolworths?” she asked in the now-viral TikTok video.
“Look at that. Look at this one. What the f**k?”
The short clip has since racked up nearly 30,000 views – but the reaction was likely not what she was hoping for.
Many commented on the TikTok video asking why the woman had a “problem” with the ornaments and expressed that they actually “loved” them.
A lot of TikTok users also accused the woman of being “judgmental” about the shape of the bodies and asked if she would have an issue if the statues were smaller.
“You’re being fatphobic. Just some queens doing yoga” someone said.
“What’s the issue?”
“They are magnificent, shifting our mindset about these bodies is long overdue.”
“Body positivity. Every size and shape is beautiful,” another said
“And it’s being reflected in our day to day realities, this awesome. Love it.”
“You sound super judgmental, what’s wrong with body positivity?” asked a TikTok user.
“Love how she thought most people would agree with her lmfao.”
News.com.au understands that the items are a range of limited edition yoga statues that are on sale at selected Woolworths supermarkets, for a limited time only.
“When you’re in a room with 200 black suitcases and trying to find someone’s individual bag, a GPS tag won’t help but a tag with your name and contact information will,” they say.
Bird agrees, recommending that people with privacy concerns can include a phone number or social media handle in lieu of a residential address.
In May, London-bound travelers were left fuming after Qantas failed to arrive in the UK and were stranded for days without clear direction from the airline. Since then, as the northern hemisphere summer began to peak, things have worsened with international airlines Delta and Icelandair chartering luggage-only flights and deploying staff to more in-demand airports. British Airways preemptively slashed more than 1,500 flights, while Qantas recently hired more than 1,000 new staff, and Heathrow Airport introduced passenger caps to manage the crisis.
“The truth is that the difficulties we are facing now are because of COVID and flu-related sickness, as well as an extremely tight labor market,” Qantas CEO of International and Domestic Andrew David said in a recent statement.
While the goal is to have your luggage waiting at the baggage carousel when you arrive, Bird says preparing for the worst is a good idea, which means finding a travel insurance policy that covers lost luggage and delays, packing with more intention than usual, and photographing your checked luggage.
“People should take a photo of what’s inside their luggage before they check it because insurers and airlines will ask for an itemized list of what was in it and an approximate value. Once I’d been on a plane for 24 hours I would struggle to remember what was in it, so a photo can be a really easy way to jog your memory,” Bird says.
The Qantas staff member also recommends taking medication on carry-on, so that if baggage is delayed or lost your health won’t be impacted.
“Often people take just a day or two’s supply with them on carry-on and put the rest in checked luggage, but I’d advise taking the full amount you need for your holiday with you on your carry-on with either a note from your doctor to confirm they are prescribed or having the prescription with you.”
When heading to Europe earlier this month, Sydney content and communications manager Rebecca Sullivan packed her carry-on luggage with the assumption her checked luggage would be either delayed or lost. When the premonition ultimately proved true, Sullivan said the blow was more manageable because of her pre-planning of her.
“I wish more people would be 100 per cent honest about the reality of what it’s actually like to travel right now. It’s amazing and wonderful and jaw-dropping, but also incredibly frustrating and stressful,” Sullivan said.
Along with skincare, sunglasses and a change of clothes and shoes, Sullivan packed bras and swimwear, explaining, “bra shopping is stressful at the best of times and I couldn’t deal with that in the middle of holidays.”
Despite the rocky start to her holiday, Sullivan says her lost luggage has “actually been strangely liberating. It shows you really do n’t need that much at all, ”and ella is now planning to spend the entirety of her holiday traveling with just her carry-on suitcase de ella.
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Sparkly soft serve gives you equally sparkly poops the next day.
As a writer who travels all over the country for work and play, our reporter Haruka Takagi gets to enjoy a lot of regional specialties, but she always makes sure to leave room in her belly for local ice creams.
Recently, on a trip to Shizuoka, Haruka came across a new local ice cream she was happy to make room for, but this one would be making more of a dent in her wallet than her stomach, as it’s reputed to be the most expensive soft serve in the country.
▼ The ice cream is the sold at the Jukkokutoge Rest House in Kannami Town, Shizuoka Prefecture.
The Jukkokutoge Rest House is located on the ridge of Minami Hakone, and it also serves as a cable car station. It’s been gaining popularity in recent years as a top spot for viewing Mt Fuji, but another reason to visit is to try the “Kinpaku Purachinahaku Konbi Soft Cream” (“Gold Leaf Platinum Leaf Combination Soft Serve”).
▼ Yes, this ice cream is served with real gold and platinum!
We’ve tried ice creams with gold leaf before, but we’ve never heard of anywhere that uses platinum leaf. Platinum is famously expensive, and this is reflected in the prices displayed on the ticket machine — there’s a gold leaf soft serve for 1,000 yen (US$7.51), but the platinum soft serve is three times thatat 3,000 yen, while the gold and platinum leaf combo is priced at 3,500 yen.
Naturally, Haruka opted for the most expensive item at the ticket machine — the 3,500-yen Gold Leaf Platinum Leaf Combination Soft Serve.
The woman behind the counter smiled when Haruka handed her the ticket, but when she saw the order that was printed on it, her expression immediately changed to one of seriousness. The clerk quietly took out a wooden box and lifted out a pile of gold leaf and a pile of platinum leafall while maintaining a look of deep concentration on her face.
There was a sense of tension in the air as the employee used careful movements to lift one platinum leaf up to the ice cream with a small set of wooden tongs.
Then she lifted the gold leaf up to the surface of the ice cream, and it felt as if she and everyone around her were holding a collective breath, like it was the final nerve-racking moment of presentation on a TV show like bake-off: theprofessionals.
Once it was complete, with the expensive layers of metal intact, everyone breathed a sigh of relief that nothing had torn or fallen and it was smiles all around again. However, the pressure was now on Haruka to finish the ice cream without delay, as it was beginning to melt.
The lady who made this beauty had a fine touch, as too much pressure would’ve torn the fragile metal, and too little pressure would’ve left it dangling in the wind. It’s understandable why the woman behind the counter looked so tense while she was making it, but thankfully it’s not something she has to go through every day, as they only get orders for the foil-wrapped soft serves about once a week.
▼ Haruka says that if she worked here, she would be praying that no orders for these soft serves would come in during her shift.
The ice cream glistened like expensive jewellery, and Haruka felt like a celebrity about to bite into something reserved only for the rich and famous.
It looked so unique and luxurious it seemed a shame to eat it, but that’s what she’d come here to do, so she took a bite…and was bestowed with golden lips.
Unfortunately, edible metal foil has no real taste or smell so it didn’t add much to the flavor of the ice cream. However, it made a big difference to the look and texture of the dessert. While the gold leaf was thin and barely noticeable, the platinum foil was surprisingly crispy and crunchy, with a slight chewiness to it. Haruka liked the mouthfeel to “eating a two-ply tissue that had been ripped into one ply”.
▼ This texture is due to the difference in foil thickness — you can see in the photo below that the platinum is thicker than the gold.
As this was a high-class soft serve that she’d probably never be able to afford again, Haruka took her time admiring the ice cream, snapping photos of it from lots of different angles, but after a few minutes, it began to melt. at speed, forcing Haruka to pick up the pace.
She soon forgot about the precious foil as her focus turned to stopping the creamy dessert from spilling on the floor, and before she knew it, her 3,500-yen ice cream looked rather ordinary.
Oh well. Expensive treats do n’t last forever, but at least she had those gold-and-platinum memories inside her de ella, and loads of photos to last an eternity.
Plus, the soft serve had an added surprise waiting in store for her the next day, because when she went to the toilet, she was greeted bya poop so sparkly she wanted to take a photo of it for us. We stopped short of letting her show the world of her her of her poop of her, though, so she drew this image of it instead.
▼ “I sparkled!”
Now that she knows the aftereffects of eating gold and platinum leaf at the same time, Haruka can’t help but think these foils would make a perfect addition to the poop ice cream she ate in Yamanashi last month. That ice cream was served in a toilet bowl, so customers would have the pleasure of seeing sparkles in their poop as it goes down…and afterwards. Now that’s a dessert that just keeps on giving!
Store information Jukkokutoge Rest House / 十国峠レストハウス Address: Shizuoka-ken, Tagata-gun, Kannami-cho, Kuwahara 1400-20 静岡県田方郡函南町桑原1400-20 Hours: 8:40 a.m.-5:00 p.m. website
Service stations are beginning to embrace electric cars, with the official opening of the first of 120 fast-charge sites promised for Ampol locations across Australia within 18 months.
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Petrol stations are beginning to expand their reach to electric cars, with inner Sydney the start of a 120-site roll-out of fast-charging points at service stations across Australia.
Ampol is making the move with an initial group of five stations — Alexandria and Northmead in Sydney, Altona North in Victoria, Carseldine in Queensland and Belmont in Western Australia — as the company introduces plans to sell electric-car chargers for business and home installations.
The company has not revealed the cost of its AmpCharge program, but it is partly funded by $7.5 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, with backing from the Federal Government.
The roll-out is relatively low-key, with only a single charger and two plugs at each site, but they are fast chargers capable of delivering up to 150kW.
That is more than many new electric cars under $100,000 can accept – but is down on the 250kW to 350kW maximum charge ratings of the latest Teslas, Porsches and Hyundais.
Ampol says its five pilot sites are fitted with solar panels and solar battery storage, which are being trialed for a potential roll-out across its network.
“As the energy needs of our customers evolve and more of us are choosing electric vehicles, Ampol is also transitioning to provide a range of fast and reliable electric vehicle charging solutions,” said Ampol’s managing director and CEO, Matt Halliday.
“Consumers will see AmpCharge in Ampol service stations, depots and terminals right across the country. For the first time, we’ll also be entering homes, workplaces and shopping centers.”
Ampol is already promoting the AmpCharge program through its television advertising, and claims it wants to have Australia’s leading electric vehicle (EV) charging network by 2030.
“Our vision for the Ampol EV network is to develop a best-in-class EV charging ecosystem,” said Brent Merrick, Ampol’s executive general manager for international and new business.
Paul Gover has been a motoring journalist for more than 40 years, working on newspapers, magazines, websites, radio and television. A qualified general news journalist and sports reporter, his passion for motoring led him to Wheels, Motor, Car Australia, Which Car and Auto Action magazines. He is a champion racing driver as well as a World Car of the Year judge.
Australian motorists are being urged to take advantage of falling petrol prices and fill up now to make the most of the “lowest levels we have seen for some time” before it is too late.
Prices across the nation last week were down almost 20 per cent from their July peak and experts say more price relief is on the horizon.
Watch more on high diesel prices in the video above
For more Personal Finance related news and videos check out Personal Finance >>
The national average pump price fell by 8.1c to $1.73 per liter last week, down from a recent peak of $2.12 in the first week of July.
National Roads and Motorists’ Association’s Peter Khoury said Australia was nearing the bottom of the price cycle, but warned it could soon jump back up.
“They’ve been falling now for several weeks in accordance with the price cycle, but they have definitely fallen to levels we haven’t seen for some time,” he told 7NEWS.
Khoury said Sydney had hit its cheapest average price since April, reaching $1.62 on Monday.
“We are almost at the bottom of the cycle,” I explained.
“But also, we know oil prices have been falling steadily since hitting those high points that we saw in June.
“The average in the middle of June for regularly unleaded in Sydney was $2.19. It’s now at $1.62. That gives you an idea of how much oil prices have failed.”
While motorists will welcome the relief at the pump, Khoury says it is not clear how long it will last.
“The falls are highly volatile,” he said, adding “we have no idea whether they’re going to be sustained long term.
“What we do know is that over the last two or three weeks it’s been pretty consistent, driven largely by concerns about the global economy.”
While it has taken about 50 days for prices to fall this low, Khoury says, it will only take a few days for them to jump back to the top.
“That’s just the unfortunate reality of price cycles nationally is that when they go down, they go down very slowly, and when they jump, they absolutely skyrocket,” he said.
“So at some point in the coming days, possibly later this week we will see that price cycle turn. And that’s why it’s really important for (motorists) to fill up today or tomorrow.
“Keep a very close eye because you’re going to see lots of service stations are below a $1.60.”
As for when motorists will see cheap prices again, Kheary says it depends on how long the next cycle is.
Man stunned after friend charges him $2.47 for fuel money.
Man stunned after friend charges him $2.47 for fuel money.
Here’s where to find the cheapest petrol in your postcode, as of Monday afternoon.
sydney
Real time fuel price tracker PetrolSpy says Sydney’s inner west boasts the cheapest petrol, with Payless Fuel in Sydenham offering $154.8.
Franks Automotive in Marrickville offers the second cheapest at $156.9.
melbourne
Metro stations in Carlton and Collingwood are offering the lowest prices, with $157.9 and $159.9 up for grabs respectively.
Brisbane
A tank of unleaded will be cheapest at Puma Wilston, Grange Auto Care or Puma Grange, which are all offering deals of $159.5.
Adelaide
Motorists can find the petrol on offer in Adelaide at X Convenience Prospect and Woolworths Ampol Nailsworth for $153.5.
Perth
Motorists will get the most bang for their buck at United Petroleum service stations in Northbridge, Mount Lawley and East Victoria Park, where prices are tied at $156.5.
The second cheapest suburb is Yokine, where Puma is offering $156.7.
Canberra
Prices in Canberra are yet to plunge quite as low as the rest of the country, with the cheapest $179.9 at Metro Petroleum Fyshwick, followed by $182.9 at BP Fyshwick.
Darwin
Drivers in Darwin face the most expensive prices, with FuelXpress Winnellie offering the cheapest deal of $189.5.
United stations at Darwin (Smith Street), Parap, Ludmilla, Winnellie Roadhouse and BP Winnellie are all offering prices of $195.5.
Hobart
BP Moonah, Coles Express Moonah, Ampol Moonah and Ampol Central Moonah are all offering petroleum for $176.9.
Man with 2 boomerangs smashes window in road rage incident.
Man with 2 boomerangs smashes window in road rage incident.
A Melbourne dentist has denied deceiving the public, after her clinic was found to be receiving glowing five-star online reviews from patients that likely do not exist.
it eats like this A Current Affair can reveal the extent that consumers are being fooled by bogus testimonials.
Whether you are hiring a plumber, booking a restaurant or looking for a doctor, chances are you have first checked out the online reviews.
In an interview with A Current Affair, Gorgeous Smiles principal dentist Dr Minoo Ghamari denied ever purchasing online reviews and claimed blackmailers may be responsible to try and discredit her business. (Nine)
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But according to analysis from the World Economic Forum, Australians splurge around $900 million per year on online products and services that are influenced by fake reviews.
Kay Dean, a former United States federal investigator turned online detective, linkend online reviews to the “wild west” where there was “no Sheriff.”
After her own experience with a dodgy medical practice, Dean set up the Fake Review Watch YouTube channel, where she calls out the unscrupulous practice.
To illustrate how it works, Dean found a dental clinic in Melbourne’s CBD with a five-star Google review based on more than 1300 reviews.
One apparent patient of Gorgeous Smiles Dental, “Joan Milstead”, uses a photo of a man on her Google account.
Publicly-available information on the Google profile reveals around the same time “Joan” also left a review for a door shop in Los Angeles.
A week later the same account reviewed an Indian restaurant in Canada, and then a convenience store in Paris.
A reviewed spreadsheet compiled by Dean revealed out of 32 recent Gorgeous Smiles reviewers, 21 of those, including “Joan”, also the same car yard in the US state of Illinois.
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Eight reviewed the same construction business in Pakistan, while seven apparently dined at the same restaurant in London.
“It’s very, very suspicious,” Dean said.
In an interview with A Current AffairGorgeous Smiles principal dentist Dr Minoo Ghamari denied ever purchasing online reviews and claimed blackmailers may be responsible, to try and discredit her business.
Kay Dean, a former United States federal investigator turned online detective, linkend online reviews to the “wild west” where there was “no Sheriff.” (Nine)
Following a five-start review from a supposed patient who claimed to have broken a tooth on the weekend, the clinic replied online: “We’re so glad that you had (sic) been satisfied with our service.”
When asked about this, Dr Ghamari said it was one of her patients she “squeezed” in herself.
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But when pressed about why the account, using a photo of Scottish actor Gerard Butler, was also reviewing businesses on the other side of the world, Dr Ghamari said she didn’t “remember him by name because he wasn’t my patient”.
Since Dean exposed the clinic’s issues and following further questions from A Current Affair, hundreds of reviews have disappeared from the Gorgeous Smiles Google page.
Social media giants not doing enough
“I’m a single investigator using no automation and the amount of fraud I’m finding is just shocking,” Dean said.
The former US investigator took aim at the social media giants for not doing enough to self-police their platforms.
google told A Current Affair it last year removed more than 95 million policy-violating reviews.
“Our automated systems and trained operators work around the clock to monitor for suspicious behavior,” it said.
A quick search on Facebook revealed a number of groups selling, buying and trading fraudulent reviews.
Facebook ignored multiple requests for comment.
Right now, if Google takes down phoney reviews from a business’ page, consumers would have no idea.
That’s something Dean wants to change, urging the social media giant to place a disclaimer on accounts that have had reviews removed.
Consumer watchdog cracking down on fakes
In a statement to A Current Affair, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it was illegal for businesses to mislead consumers.
“Manipulative or deceptive advertising and marketing practices in the digital economy” was a “key priority” for the watchdog over the coming year, it said.
In a statement to A Current Affair, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it was illegal for businesses to mislead consumers. (Nine)
The regulator said it would focus its compliance efforts on businesses that manipulated online reviews to convey a false impression about them or their competitors, third parties such as marketing companies engaged in the misconduct as well as looking at the role of online platforms and review sites in preventing and removing fake reviews.
The ACCC pointed to court action it had previously taken against businesses, including online marketplace HealthEngine.
It was ordered to pay $2.9 million for misleading patient reviews and patient referrals.
when A Current Affair notified medical regulator AHPRA of the Melbourne’s dentist’s fake reviews, a spokesperson said laws prohibited it from commenting about specific cases but illegitimate health reviews could “cause harm to the public if it results in poorly informed healthcare choices”.
“This conduct may be grounds for disciplinary action in relation to a practitioner’s registration such as placing conditions on their registration to prohibit all advertising,” the spokesperson said.
According to analysis from the World Economic Forum, Australians splurge around $900 million per year on online products and services that are influenced by fake reviews. (Nine)
How to spot a fake review
According to experts and consumer authorities A Current Affair you have spoken to, consumers should be wary of reviews that:
Criticize a product or business while promoting another
Feature the same testimonial multiple times or under different names
Are posted by “professional reviewers”, including those who review many businesses from different parts of the world
Sound like advertising or use words consumers would not usually use
Use celebrity or stock images
Are extremely positive or extremely negative
Are posted in quick succession
Dean said until consumer protection authorities took the issue seriously, it was buyer beware.
“My advice to consumers is actually to disregard online reviews all together,” Dean said.
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