Hiked visa fees the latest hit to foreign student numbers
Australia's higher education sector has been under increasing pressure over international students, amid a perception it has been more interested in chasing revenue from overseas pupils rather than pursuing their core mission of providing quality education.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
9 hours ago
- Perth Now
Perth AFL power couple's intense love captured in photoshoot
Andy Brayshaw and Lizzie Stock's endless love for each other has been beautifully captured in a European-inspired engagement photoshoot ahead of their wedding this year. The Fremantle Dockers co-vice captain and registered injectables nurse got engaged in Paris last year, and the couple have now confirmed they will tie the knot in November. To celebrate their love and upcoming nuptials surrounded by loved ones, the dynamic duo starred in an engagement-themed photoshoot at Lawson Flats in the Perth CBD. The intimate shoot captured the couple's love story and showcased the beauty of Peppermint Grove Jewellers' sparkling diamond pieces. Brayshaw and Stock said they are 'very excited' about their upcoming wedding and 'it will be so special to celebrate with all our nearest and dearest'. 'It will be the wedding of all weddings,' they said. 'We are very thankful and grateful for the team at PGJ to have been a part of this magical journey with us, and we can't wait to see our jewellery vision come to life on the day.' Lizzie Stock shows off her engagement ring. Credit: Supplied PGJ head jeweller McKenzie Silver travelled to Belgium earlier this year to create the European-inspired pieces Stock wore for the shoot. The couple's wedding rings have also been exclusively made by PGJ. PGJ co-owner Giuseppe Algari said each piece told 'a story of love, elegance, and timeless beauty', reflecting the 'meticulous attention to detail and passion' that define the brand. 'At PGJ, we focus heavily on investing in innovation and the latest trends and encouraged our head jeweller, McKenzie Silver, to travel to Belgium this year to attend a three-month jewellery course to help PGJ stay ahead of the trends worldwide,' he said. The creative vision behind the shoot was brought to life by a WA team, with makeup by Brittany Mason, hair styling by Renee Yates of Renee Yates Hair and photography by Bianca Tuzee. The couple are high school sweethearts. Credit: Bianca Tuzee The intimate shoot was set within the moody elegance of Lawson Flats. Credit: Supplied With an atmosphere of romance and refinement, it was only fitting to have one of Perth's best bridal designers and stores, Blanc Bridal and Mason's Juliet Studio, play a role in helping style three elegant and timeless looks. Stock is also set to showcase PGJ jewels at this year's AFL Brownlow Medal on September 22. The high school sweethearts, who both hail from Victoria, announced their engagement on social media in January last year. The special news came just days before Brayshaw's brother Angus got married to his partner Danielle Frawley at a winery on the Mornington Peninsula. The Brayshaw's, who also have brother and former West Coast Eagles player Hamish, come from a strong sporting family with their dad, Mark Brayshaw, a former North Melbourne player and uncle James Brayshaw a former state cricketer and star sports commentator.
The Age
10 hours ago
- The Age
White House love-in moved war in right direction – but potential dealbreaker looms
Washington: If the purpose of the European mission to the White House was to prevent Donald Trump tilting in favour of Russia's Vladimir Putin after their Alaskan adventure, then it may broadly be considered a success, even if the tangible outcomes are difficult to discern. The visitors were warmly welcomed, including Volodymyr Zelensky, whose last trip to the Oval Office ended catastrophically. This time, it ended with laughter and a strong handshake. The Ukrainian president called it the best of his meetings with Trump so far. Likewise, the Europeans showered Trump with gratitude for hosting them and expending his time and energy on trying to solve the war. They praised him for being the only person who could co-ordinate with Putin and get him to the negotiating table. That is now what Trump intends to do. He has signalled a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, followed by three-way talks that he would join, which, according to Zelensky, is the sequencing Russia offered. Zelensky says he's happy to do so. No date or location is set. On the central question of how to protect Ukraine from a future invasion if a deal is reached, the Europeans appeared to extract from Trump a vague commitment to US involvement – though you wouldn't want to place any bets on it. In a social media post, he was clear: Europe would lead any peacekeeping force. At best, the US would play a 'co-ordinating' role, whatever that means. The Financial Times reported the Ukrainians were essentially proposing to buy US security guarantees by promising to purchase $US100 billion ($154 billion) of American weaponry, financed by Europe, likely to include the Patriot air defence systems Zelensky wants and needs. And Trump noted: 'We're not giving [away] anything. We're selling weapons.' There was chatter about 'NATO-like' security guarantees that would bind signatories to come to Ukraine's aid if Putin – or someone else – tried it on again. This is in lieu of letting Kyiv into NATO, which remains very much off the table. The situation has echoes of the memorandum signed in Budapest in 1994, when Ukraine agreed to relinquish its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal in return for security 'assurances' from Russia, the US and the United Kingdom. However, Ukraine did not get what it initially sought – a guarantee of military intervention if its territorial sovereignty was breached. Rather, the signatories agreed to respect Ukraine's borders and refrain from using military or economic force against it – a commitment Russia violated years later.
Perth Now
12 hours ago
- Perth Now
Australian electric car sales set to keep climbing
Australia is set to join other international leaders in electric car adoption rates with sales as a share of new passenger vehicles tipped to edge above global averages by 2030. Openness to affordable Chinese models is expected to underpin domestic growth in sales as well as vehicle efficiency standards that tighten up over time. The latest update from BloombergNEF paints a mixed picture of the global EV market, with worldwide sales set for another record-breaking year while "regulatory reshuffling" in the United States and elsewhere contribute to downgraded adoption forecasts. A number of legacy car makers have also tempered electrification goals on the backdrop of "growing tension between environmental targets and other competing policy priorities". The dominance of Chinese manufacturers are also making it harder to compete in the giant Asian market. Chinese automakers produced nearly 63 per cent of all cars sold globally in 2024 and is the by far the biggest market to buy them, accounting for 65 per cent of passenger sales globally that year. Affordability has helped, with China now the only country where EVs are on average cheaper to buy than comparable combustion cars. Chinese automakers are also "going global at full speed", BloombergNEF head of electrified transport Aleksandra O'Donovan said during a briefing on Tuesday, with strong adoption in countries such as Australia, Turkey, Thailand and Brazil. By 2030, Australia's share of new passenger-vehicle sales is project to be above global averages and approaching 50 per cent, just shy of Europe but well behind China's 80 per cent. Australia has not been immune to policy shifts, however, which may already be influencing sales. BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, anticipates weaker battery electric vehicle sales in 2025 than the year prior as incentives in some states dry up. But the analysts still project overall EV market to grow this calendar year thanks to accelerating sales of plug-in hybrid models, fuelled by motorists bringing forward their purchases before the fringe benefit tax exemption lapsed for the vehicle type in April. "Aggressive pricing" by Chinese car makers for plug-in hybrids should also keep demand elevated. Longer term, BMI expects emissions standards for new vehicles that came into effect earlier in 2025 to keep improving the financial case for EVs against combustion engines. Other policy murmurings should further support EV sales growth through to 2034, they argue. A road-user charge scheme in on the table as more electric cars on the road shrink tax collected from the fuel excise, with the design and timing of such a policy considered key to the outlook for EV uptake. Some argue the fee should only apply to electric vehicles not subject to fuel excise, others - including EV advocacy groups - say a road-user charge would be more effective if applied to every vehicle.
