http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/12397106/migrant-boat-sinks-off-indonesia-200-feared-dead (19 Dec 2011)
MIGRANT BOAT SINKS OFF INDONESIA, 200 FEARED DEAD
AFP, December 19, 2011, 1:07 am
WATULIMO, Indonesia (AFP) - More than 200 people were feared dead after a heavily overloaded boat packed mostly with Afghan and Iranian asylum-seekers sank off Indonesia en route to Australia, rescuers said Sunday.
Australia's government called the sinking "a terrible tragedy", but came under pressure from campaign groups which said its tough approach to refugees was partly responsible for such disasters.
The fibreglass boat had a capacity of 100 but was carrying about 250 people when it sank on Saturday, 40 nautical miles off eastern Java, in heavy rain and high waves, Indonesian officials said.
Thirty-three survivors were plucked from the shark-infested waters, officials said, after the vessel sank along a well-worn -- and occasionally lethal -- route from Java to Australia's remote Christmas Island.
Officials said there was little hope of finding any other passengers alive, which would make the sinking Indonesia's deadliest migrant boat accident.
"We sent out five boats and three helicopters but no survivor or body was sighted. It's unlikely they were washed up on islands as the closest shore is 40 miles away," district search and rescue official Kelik Purwanto told AFP.
Purwanto said the accident was the "worst disaster involving migrant boats" to date.
"If we find no survivor, then this is by far the largest loss of life," he added.
National Search and Rescue Agency spokesman Gagah Prakoso earlier said "it's very likely they have all drowned."
"It's impossible even for a good swimmer with a life vest to swim to shore safely in such extreme conditions. When boats sink like this, the bodies usually surface on the third day," he told AFP.
Bad weather, strong winds and waves of up to five metres (16 feet) hampered rescue efforts on Sunday, with 300 rescuers including navy and police officers deployed to comb the sea for bodies.
One survivor, 17-year-old Afghan student Armaghan Haidar, said he was sleeping when a storm came up and began to rock the boat.
"I felt water touching my feet and woke up. As the boat was going down, people were panicking and shouting and trying to rush out," he told AFP ashore.
"I managed to swim out and hang on to the side of the boat with about 100 others. (There were) about 20 to 30 others with life jackets, but another 100 people were trapped inside," he said.
Survivors were floating in the sea for six hours before fishermen rescued them, survivors and officials said.
The survivors are being kept at a community hall near Prigi beach, 640 kilometres (400 miles) southeast of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, and say they had official UN documentation to prove their refugee status.
Survivors interviewed by AFP and local officials said that most of the passengers came from Afghanistan or Iran, and they had paid agents between $2,500 and $5,000 to seek asylum in Australia.
Others claimed to be Iraqi, Pakistani, Turkish or Saudi nationals, and that their papers were lost at sea.
Haidar, the Afghan student, said he flew from Dubai to Indonesia and boarded a boat in West Java.
"We want to go to Christmas Island and live a better life in Australia," he said. "There is nothing in Afghanistan. There's a lot of terrorism. We couldn't study, go to college, find jobs. There's no future for us there."
Thousands of asylum-seekers head through Southeast Asian countries on their way to Australia every year and many link up with people-smugglers in Indonesia for the dangerous sea voyage.
Christmas Island is a favoured destination for people-smugglers, lying closer to Indonesia than Australia. Nearly 50 would-be migrants are believed to have died in wild seas during a shipwreck there in December 2010.
"Our focus today is on the search and rescue effort and our thoughts today are with the people who died and with the families of those still lost at sea," Australian Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said of Saturday's sinking.
"Whenever people make a dangerous journey and risk their lives, I am concerned," he said, adding that Australia had offered an Orion surveillance aircraft to help the rescue effort.
Australia has failed in its efforts to set up a regional processing centre in neighbouring countries to reduce the flow of asylum-seekers heading to its shores.
The number of boatpeople arriving in Australia ballooned to almost 900 in November, with at least nine ships intercepted in Australian waters so far this month.
Ian Rintoul, coordinator of the Refugee Action Coalition, said any sympathy the Australian government or opposition expressed for those who died at sea would amount to "hypocrisy" until the parties adopted humane policies.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees in November said at least nine people were killed when an overloaded vessel capsized in rough seas off Java on the way to Kupang in eastern Indonesia.
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Monday, December 19, 2011
The History of Christmas Island
Source:
(Accessed on 10th January 2012)
The History of Christmas Island:
In 2001, as part of the Howard government’s Pacific Solution, 4000 islands were excised from Australia’s migration zone. This policy was directed at discouraging ‘boat people’ and allowing the Australian government to circumvent its international obligations to those claiming asylum whilst on Australian soil. As part of the Pacific Solution, asylum seekers who arrived by boat were sent to either the excised Christmas Island, or the island nation of Nauru.
In 2007, the Department of Immigration finished construction of an Immigration Reception and Processing Centre on Christmas Island. The centre, which contains approximately 800 beds, cost over $400 million to build and at least $30 million a year to run.
Christmas Island today:
Although the current government has taken steps towards changing this detention policy, most notable by closing the detention centre on Nauru in February 2008, the 4000 islands remain excised and the government has reaffirmed its commitment to using the facilities on Christmas Island to process asylum claims.
In August 2008, Amnesty International Australia's National Director, Claire Mallinson, along with representatives from UNHCR, HREOC and the Ombudsman's office, visited Christmas Island to inspect the finished detention centre and asses the facilities for detaining and processing unauthorised arrivals.
Following this visit, a joint letter to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, was signed by Amnesty International and nine other organisations expressing concern about "the high security, prison-like character” of the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre. In the letter, the organisations point out that Christmas Island is “an extremely harsh and stark environment to detain people seeking asylum".
It is unclear why the government continues to use the facilities on Christmas Island when there are a range of alternatives on the mainland that provide a much more appropriate environment to accommodate refugee applicants - particularly for children.
Christmas Island detainees are denied their rights:
Amnesty International Australia believes that asylum seekers should not be punished for their mode of arrival. Holding people who arrive by sea on Christmas Island is clearly a punitive measure, not only because of the unwelcoming environment, but also due to the distance from mainland Australia. The remote location of Christmas Island - 2,600 kilometres northwest of Perth - restricts detainees from accessing the same range of legal and health services available to detainees on mainland Australia. Since many of the people held on Christmas Island are survivors of torture and trauma, it is unacceptable that they do not have access to a full range of medical and counselling services.
Moreover, asylum seekers lodging applications from Christmas Island do not have the same rights when applying for refugee status as those on mainland Australia.
For example, on Christmas Island there is no time limit for the processing of refugee claims unlike on the mainland where processing must take place within 90 days of application. Amnesty International Australia believes that all asylum seekers claiming protection should have the same rights, regardless of whether they arrived by plane or boat.
The continuing use of Christmas Island as an offshore detention centre is not consistent with the Australian government’s stated policy of treating all asylum seekers humanely and with dignity. Amnesty International is calling on the current government to reverse the excision of the 4000 islands and close the Christmas Island Immigration Reception and Processing Centre.
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Thursday, December 1, 2011
OSHC Worldcare: PROBLEMS !!
COMMENT:
This kind of 'hospital rejection' of patients only happens in 'some parts' of Third World countries and Least Developing Countries (LDCs), such as, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Angola, and possibly also some parts in India.
But to think that it happens in AUSTRALIA, the so called 'developed country', and is label by United Nations, as among the TOP destination and place to live in! Well, think again!!
Also what's the point of buying 'health insurance' card/policy, and making the CEO wealthy, when at the end of the day, your 'health insurance card/policy' is deem WORTHLESS !!
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Source:
Overseas Sector Cries Foul Over Hospital Admission Policies
BY: JOHN ROSS From: The Australian November 30, 2011 12:00AM
THE wife of an international PhD student gave birth in her car after at least five Melbourne public hospitals refused to admit her for obstetrics services. The incident on Friday night resulted from what overseas students say are discriminatory policies that systematically deny them health services available to Australian citizens.
Rosmizi Rahman, 31, said he delivered his son Aasif in the carpark of the emergency department at Sandringham Hospital after a 22km dash across southeast Melbourne. The Monash University student said he ran red lights with his wife Sharifah Rahim in labour, bypassing three public hospitals that had previously denied services to the couple. He made it to Sandringham, which had agreed to admit Ms Rahim as a discounted private patient, but she gave birth before staff arrived. She and her son are recovering at home.
The incident follows revelations that Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital has banned obstetrics and gynaecology care for international students, including those with medical insurance.
Mr Rahman said he and his wife had initially gone to Dandenong, 5km from his Noble Park home, but were denied care because they did not have Medicare cards. "I said we have (compulsory health) cover, but the staff said we don't take this one."
Mr Rahman said when he followed up with a phone call to Southern Health, which runs Dandenong and Monash hospitals, he was told Ms Rahim would be accepted as a private patient for more than $7000.
He said it was hard to understand why they'd been given different reasons for being turned down as public patients. "When we go personally, they say, 'We are full'. Maybe because we are Asian, they just say 'full'."
Frankston said it could not accept patients from outside its catchment area. Others said they could only take people with Medicare cards.
Shamsul Nizam and his wife Azleena Mohamed, both PhD students at Monash, are expecting their fourth child in April. Mr Nizam said he understood the new admission policy was related to a July change that imposed a waiting period for maternity services for new overseas students.
He said the couple had been in Australia for two years and taken out four-year medical insurance policies. "How can things change halfway (through) the policy and we were not informed?" he said.
Southern Health would not say whether it had a specific policy on international students. It said while its primary role was to serve "eligible public patients" it could also accept privately insured people, but services "may vary depending on overall demand".
Zuzana Quinn, an advocate with Monash Postgraduate Association, said: "At no stage were they told that in the event that there was an emergency or their wives went into labour, they would not be refused service."
Mr Rahman said that out of the many phone calls he had made, one staff member had advised him to "just go to any hospital" in an emergency. "But we don't know what is the consequence of that. Dandenong had refused us before this so we thought it might cause problems."
Mary Pozzobon, national business implementation manager with OSHC Worldcare, said she had been asking the Victorian Health Department for months to clarify admission policies for international students. "There's no clear information on whether overseas students will be accepted and how much services will cost them," she said.
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- Australian Health Management www.ahm.com.au
- BUPA Australia www.overseasstudenthealth.com
- Medibank Private www.medibank.com.au
- OSHC Worldcare www.oshcworldcare.com.au
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Health Services Commissioner: Make A Compliant
Note: Don't expect that a 'big impact' will happen, or that they will solve all your problem. But putting your news or compliant on their report (Health Services Commissioner), will make them aware of the loophole in their health system - and maybe they will do something about it in the future!
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Source:
Health Insurance CEO Total Compensation in 2009
March 16, 2011 by Michael Ricciardelli
Insurance Co. & CEO (2009) Total CEO Compensation
Aetna, Ronald A. Williams: $18,058,162
Coventry, Allen Wise: $17,427,789 (took over from Dale Wolf)
WellPoint, Angela Braly: $13,108,198
United Health, Stephen Helmsley: $8,901,916
Cigna, David Cordoni: $6,593,921 (took over from CEO H. Edward Hanway)
Cigna, H. Edward Hanway: $18,800,000
Humana, Michael McCallister: 6,509,452
Health Net, Jay Gellert: $3,643,342
Note: Latest figures and salaries are not available, but expect to be higher than the previous year.
Friday, July 29, 2011
SBS INSIGHT: MIGRATION BOOM
Source:
http://www.sbs.com.au/insight/episode/index/id/417#overview
[Accessed on 29 July 2011]
SBS INSIGHT: SOME THOUGHTS:
CASE 1: Natalia Garcia is a qualified engineer who is working as a cleaner. She came to Australia from Colombia in 2008. She studied English before applying for permanent residency under the general skilled migration program. Natalia was granted permanent residency in 2010, but has been unable to obtain work in her field, despite engineering being one of the most sought-after skills in the current labour climate.
[ Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/insight/episode/index/id/417#overview ]
Well, first and foremost, do not blame the degree that you took as 'useless', sometimes you need some creativity in order to find good job opportunity:
1- Engineering can be a very wide field, yet it can also be a very narrow field of specialization, henceforth, IF you specialized in certain field during your study. e.g. Civil Engineering in Environmental. Then you may only find job in that area, as employer may be reluctant to offer you anything else, other than your specialization, as they fear that you may not have the knowledge in other specialization (even though the degree spell 'Civil Engineering' - noted that Civil Engineering can also be a very wide subject, as well as, a very narrow one) and/or the knowhow to do so, e.g. Civil Engineering in Civil Hydraulics, Civil Engineering in Transport Systems, Civil Engineering in Risk Analysis, and so forth.
2- What makes it worst is when you do not have 'work experiences', says for a few years at a certain engineering based company, so what make the employer sure that you can perform, when you yourself are not sure if you can perform?!
3- So the next option, is to do a Master degree, and specialized in one of the many specialization in Civil Engineering subject or field of study. Examples:
- Civil Engineering in Environmental
- (e.g. Sustainable Management, Water and Waste Water Management, etc.)
- Civil Engineering in Civil Hydraulics
- Civil Engineering in Transport Systems
- Civil Engineering in Risk Analysis,
- Civil Engineering in Earthquake Resistant Design of Buildings
4- Another possible option is to do a certificate or diploma (in teaching) to add to your degree, and possibly be a teacher, and teach maths, or science, at the primary and/or secondary school in Australia.
5- Most of my friends would also continue their study and do an MBA, says in banking, or finance, or accounting, and then enter the business community, and/or work in an Multi-National Company after graduating, or work in a bank, or company. The point here is that, once you have a higher degree (and especially if that is acquired in one of the many Australia university here), employer would be happy to take you in.
CASE 2: Ram Upadhyaya is a Nepalese civil engineer, who applied to come to Australia as a skilled migrant in 2009, via a migration agent. He is currently employed through the Regional Migration Scheme and is now living and working in Nhill in far western Victoria as a town planner.
[Note: I could not say that everyone will be as lucky as Ram Upadhaha, but the above tips/advised as discussed, will help those looking for job opportunity in Australia].
Saturday, July 9, 2011
VANCOUVER (Lewd / Pervert) Riots Kissing Couple! (Now in Australia !)
Comment:
CHEAP and dirty, how could the guy and his girl did such a thing, when the reason people 'protest' in the first place, is to get some 'right' that was ignored.
Anyhow, IF that has happened in other countries, such as, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, China, and even Singapore, or South Korea, they would be prosecuted in court for indecency - worst thing that could happened is being 'stepped' or stomped to death by the street boys, for such a lewd act!
No respect for the 'safety' of the 'girl' that he said he got so hooked up with. CHEAP!
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Vancouver (Lewd/Pervert) Riots Kissing Couple
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Comment:
Western Australia (WA) Lewd Kissing Man is Taking the Girl Home !!
Sorry I could not enlarged this picture, as it is so shameful and lewd to see !
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Western Australia (WA) riot kiss man brings his girl home
Ben Spencer, The West Australian
July 9, 2011, 8:30 am
The Perth man who captured the world's attention (for the wrong reason) with a kiss in the middle of the Vancouver riots has revealed everything "just clicked" when he met the Canadian woman with whom he shared the passionate embrace. Three weeks after the event he reluctantly admits changed his life for ever, amateur comedian Scott Jones is still in demand but says his 15 minutes of fame will inevitably come to an end. And that, it seems, is just the way he wants it.
The 29-year-old former Aquinas College student will be a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno when he arrives in Los Angeles on Monday after a three-week holiday across California. Beside him on
the popular NBC program will be Alexandra Thomas, the Canadian woman with whom he was snapped kissing during the riots after the Vancouver Canucks' loss to the Boston Bruins in an ice hockey final.
The pair are set to fly to Melbourne on Thursday, where they hope to continue the relationship that started in a Vancouver bar about seven months ago. "I was working at a cafe and my fellow employees and I had decided to meet up for drinks," Jones told The Weekend West from San Diego. "Alex was flatmates with one of my co-workers, so she came along, too. As soon as we met, we just clicked."
Jones has hired publicist Max Markson, the agent who once acted for Lara Bingle and party boy Corey Worthington, to handle the countless media requests that have come his way after what he now refers to as "the riot kiss episode". He laughed off claims the kiss had been staged, arguing video footage of the incident was proof it was a spontaneous moment.
"I had no idea the kiss would get so much attention. When we first saw it on the net, we thought it was hilarious that we had made the news but thought it was just one of many other photos of the riot. Jones said he hoped to start a pub tour in St Kilda when he arrives back in Melbourne.
[Comment: The kiss staged or not, is all for the wrong reason, all too wrong to be accepted, or morally right!]
Monday, May 16, 2011
Cabbie Brutally Bashed Grandmother (in Melbourne) !
http://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/latest/a/-/newshome/9451531/cabbie-brutally-bashed-grandmother/
(16 MAY 2011)
Cabbie Brutally Bashed Grandmother AAP May 16, 2011, 2:23 pm
A Melbourne taxi driver has admitted brutally bashing an 81-year-old woman who accepted a lift to a doctor's appointment. Zainab Sarwari was left on the roadside with her bag and walking frame scattered around her after the attack in Melbourne's southeast last year.
The taxi driver had repeatedly punched her before throwing her out of the taxi at Noble Park on August 15, 2010, Ms Sarwari said in a witness statement tendered in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court. Ms Sarwari said she crawled to the front door of a nearby house where a woman called her an ambulance.
She suffered two black eyes, swelling on her forehead and bruising on her hands and shoulders in the assault.
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Bhupinder Singh pleaded guilty to kidnapping and bashing 81-year-old Zainab Sarwari
Ms Sarwari was left bruised and battered after the attack
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Bhupinder Singh, 24, pleaded guilty on Monday to intentionally causing injury and false imprisonment.
Ms Sarwari said she accepted the lift while waiting at a bus stop, but became upset when he did not appear to be driving in the direction of her appointment.
"He was driving me around some places that were very deserted," she said in her statement.
"I was very upset and I took off my seat-belt so that I could get out of the taxi."
But Ms Sarwari said as she tried to open the door, the
driver grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, holding down her seatbelt so she couldn't move.
"He started driving faster after this and I was shouting at the driver the whole time in my own language and making body gestures to let me out," she said.
"I was saying `stop, stop', and I was very scared not knowing where he was taking me and what he was going to do to me."
When the taxi driver stopped, he punched her twice in the face, then held her down and continued throwing punches. "He kept on punching me and hit me a lot of times and it was hurting me very much," she said.
The driver then opened the door, removed her seat-belt and pushed her out.
"The next thing I remember is when I opened my eyes I was on the ground and my bag and walking frame were on the ground around me," she said.
"I think I must have become unconscious when he pushed me out of the car."
She said the incident left her too scared to live alone or go out alone, and she now suffered dizziness and headaches. Magistrate Peter Reardon bailed Singh to appear at the Victorian County Court on July 28 for a pre-sentence hearing.
(16 MAY 2011)
Cabbie Brutally Bashed Grandmother AAP May 16, 2011, 2:23 pm
A Melbourne taxi driver has admitted brutally bashing an 81-year-old woman who accepted a lift to a doctor's appointment. Zainab Sarwari was left on the roadside with her bag and walking frame scattered around her after the attack in Melbourne's southeast last year.
The taxi driver had repeatedly punched her before throwing her out of the taxi at Noble Park on August 15, 2010, Ms Sarwari said in a witness statement tendered in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court. Ms Sarwari said she crawled to the front door of a nearby house where a woman called her an ambulance.
She suffered two black eyes, swelling on her forehead and bruising on her hands and shoulders in the assault.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bhupinder Singh pleaded guilty to kidnapping and bashing 81-year-old Zainab Sarwari
Ms Sarwari was left bruised and battered after the attack
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bhupinder Singh, 24, pleaded guilty on Monday to intentionally causing injury and false imprisonment.
Ms Sarwari said she accepted the lift while waiting at a bus stop, but became upset when he did not appear to be driving in the direction of her appointment.
"He was driving me around some places that were very deserted," she said in her statement.
"I was very upset and I took off my seat-belt so that I could get out of the taxi."
But Ms Sarwari said as she tried to open the door, the
driver grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, holding down her seatbelt so she couldn't move."He started driving faster after this and I was shouting at the driver the whole time in my own language and making body gestures to let me out," she said.
"I was saying `stop, stop', and I was very scared not knowing where he was taking me and what he was going to do to me."
When the taxi driver stopped, he punched her twice in the face, then held her down and continued throwing punches. "He kept on punching me and hit me a lot of times and it was hurting me very much," she said.
The driver then opened the door, removed her seat-belt and pushed her out.
"The next thing I remember is when I opened my eyes I was on the ground and my bag and walking frame were on the ground around me," she said.
"I think I must have become unconscious when he pushed me out of the car."
She said the incident left her too scared to live alone or go out alone, and she now suffered dizziness and headaches. Magistrate Peter Reardon bailed Singh to appear at the Victorian County Court on July 28 for a pre-sentence hearing.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Again Student Bashed by Gang (in Melbourne) !
http://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/latest/a/-/newshome/9260812/student-bashed-by-gang/
(26 April 2011)
Student Bashed by Gang
Yahoo!7 April 26, 2011, 5:43 pm
A trainee pilot has been savagely bashed by a gang in Melbourne's CBD in broad daylight. International student Rajat Tyagi said he is now too scared to stay in Melbourne because it is no longer safe. The student pilot from New Delhi was confronted as he left his apartment in Flinders Street on Sunday morning by five men he describes as African.
They surrounded him and bashed him unconscious using knuckledusters. He told 7NEWS: "I want to go home as soon as possible because we are not safe here." "They hit me twice in the mouth, and my whole lips were hanging down. I just lost my tooth - i don't know where my tooth is, maybe in my stomach, maybe on the floor - I couldn't find it." And he said he is still in severe pain. "I cant eat anything, I cant drink anything and my room mates are feeding me milk just to survive so I can live," he explained. Rajat hopes the incident was captured on CCTV.
He said he has heard no more from police since they arrived half-an-hour after the assault, and told him he was one of several similar assaults that night. Rajat is now unable to sit his flying exams after Easter because of the bashing. He said the year-and-a-half in Australia has been wasted. He now intends to return home to see his family and never return. "I just came here for a good life," he said. "But i'm getting this."
Monday, April 25, 2011
Australia Immigration Policy
Comment:
1- Another of Australia 'SICK' (lunatic) immigration POLICY ?! Now thats what I call an 'exploitative immigration policy', telling the doctor to divorce his wife, or that, his sick wife must stay behind?! Thats cruel !
2- Also telling the doctor to ditch (divorce) his faithful sick wife, and go serve the Australia community, and thats going to make the doctor happy ?!
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/9253693/divorce-sick-wife-doctor-told/
(25 April 2011)
'Divorce Sick Wife', Doctor was Told
KIM MACDONALD, The West Australian April 25, 2011, 7:07 am
Sharon Smith/WA News ©
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A foreign doctor who moved to rural WA to help fill the skills shortage, and now wants permanent residency, has been told he cannot stay in Australia unless he divorces his dying wife.
Philippines-born Cesar Sofocado is appealing for a compassionate approach to his family's permanent residency application after the Immigration Department told him it would be rejected because of his wife's terminal illness.
Philippines-born Cesar Sofocado is appealing for a compassionate approach to his family's permanent residency application after the Immigration Department told him it would be rejected because of his wife's terminal illness.
The Catholic doctor said he was advised that the only guarantee to permanent residency would come through divorcing or legally separating from his wife, who has advanced cancer. Without any legal ties to her husband, Mary Sofocado would be forced to leave the country to die alone in the Philippines. "I married my wife for richer and poorer and in sickness and health - that is the vow I took," Dr Sofocado said.
"I want to show my daughters we are a family and we don't leave each other for any reason." Mrs Sofocado said she was only seeking palliative care and would not be a burden on the public purse. "My only wish is for my daughters to grow up in Australia," Mrs Sofocado said.
The family moved to WA in 2005 for Dr Sofocado's job at Geraldton Regional Hospital. He worked in Dampier, Karratha and Bunbury before moving to Ellenbrook Medical Centre. The family began their permanent residency application in 2008 but the department did not start considering their application until last year, a year after Mrs Sofocado developed breast cancer. Dr Sofocado said their first case officer erred by advising them to change their application from visa subclass 175 to 176 on learning of his wife's cancer.
The second visa category, 176, did not allow the right to appeal against a rejection related to health matters. "We feel our family, after our share of work and contribution in 'areas of need' in WA, is being treated unjustly," he said. Dr Sofocado said their second case officer told them divorce or separation was the ONLY solution under their subclass 176 application and the only guarantee under other categories. His medical registration is due to expire in June... The Immigration Department did not respond.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
ILLEGAL Immigrants Protest on Rooftop !
Comment:
I am an immigrant too, but I am a professional, and usually professional like myself think twice or more, before making the choice to come to Australia. Why? Because I have my families to worry (will they find the Western culture welcoming, will they find the home food and other ingredients that they needed for their cooking), I have my children future to worry (whether they will get enough religious education and good environment to grow up, one that is free from drugs influence, bullying, alcoholism, etc.), then I have myself to worry, will I be able to secure a decent job opportunity, one that has a good working environment, one that has minimal racism abuse, and so forth. And I definitely will arrive in a good workable aeroplane (not in an insecure boat ride).
Also a professional will contribute to the development and progress of Australia, in term of economic development, cultural diversity and understanding, and even science and medical development (if he possesses medical skills) - See ALL the differences (between a professional and a junky) ?!
[Note: Also see Australia Immigration Policy on Foreign Professional]
http://issues-in-australia.blogspot.com/2011/04/australia-immigration-policy.html
So, it is RIGHT that Australia refuse entry to these illegal immigrants, I am a fair man, and I speak fairly, IF these illegal immigrants create trouble (or IF anyone is a trouble maker, Australian or not), then he/she should be dealt with, in accordance to the law of the state. Just send these illegal immigrants back to where they belongs, it’s the 21st century, it’s the new millennium, and government around the world don’t just prosecute them, least they themselves are the ‘criminals’ and running away from the law (and migrate to Australia; Putting the life of their wives, children, and themselves in a little boat, on the high sea; How can that be morally good ?!).
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9248576/food-denied-to-rooftop-protesters-witnesses/ (23 April 2011)
Food Denied to Rooftop Protesters: Witnesses
ABC April 23, 2011, 8:04 am
As a protest enters its fourth day at Sydney's Villawood detention centre, police are reportedly no longer allowing food to be thrown to the four asylum seekers still on a roof at the facility. A witness at the scene also says ambulance workers have stopped supplying the men with food and water, while guards have been using loud speakers overnight to keep the men awake.
Twenty-two detainees were yesterday taken to Silverwater Prison in Sydney's west for questioning over this week's riot. Police say they have not yet made any arrests or laid charges. The Australian Federal Police says its emphasis is on the security and safety of the protesters and that no further comment is appropriate.
The men are believed to be protesting against their failed visa applications. The protest reached its peak when a small protest on Wednesday afternoon developed into a full-scale riot in which close to 100 asylum seekers burned down nine buildings at the centre. A computer room, kitchen and medical centre were destroyed by fire and a large gas cylinder also exploded. A former Villawood guard told ABC Television's Lateline program on Thursday that problems at the Sydney centre have been building for some time and he is not surprised about the riots.
In a statement, Serco, the private operator of detention centres in Australia, acknowledged an increased number of arrivals and longer periods of detention have placed significant pressures on their operations. The company said it has provided additional training to staff beyond contractual requirements and has invested $1.5 million in staff training.
Villawood is the second Australian immigration detention centre to be set on fire this year. A Federal Government-ordered review into riots at the Christmas Island centre in March, which saw tear gas and bean bag rounds being fired at asylum seekers, will now also investigate the Villawood protests.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Corby Could be FREED !
Comment:
Horray! CORBY will be freed soon… Oh yes, she is white, she is Caucasian, she has the so-called Australian people backing her back home in Australia (don’t know what people), she carried the bag (which content 4 kg of marijuana - no wait its not her bag, she carried some Asian guy bag, so nice of her, so how much is the deal for the bag ?! The court found her guilty), yet she is NOT guilty, she is Australia national heroine now. Poor white girl, but its never poor black or yellow girl… Good, very good !
Oh is it double standard? What if she is of Africa or Asian origin, will she also get the same (media and political intervention) special treatment ?? Think about it for a second, or have you already made up your mind ?!
Oh is it double standard? What if she is of Africa or Asian origin, will she also get the same (media and political intervention) special treatment ?? Think about it for a second, or have you already made up your mind ?!
(17 April 2011)
CORBY Could be FREED: Lawyer AAP April 17, 2011, 7:11 am
Schapelle Corby could be released immediately from an Indonesian prison if a recommendation by the country's Supreme Court to halve her sentence is accepted, the convicted drug smuggler's lawyer says. Corby's lawyer Iskandar Nawing told Fairfax newspapers the country's Supreme Court has recommended 10 years be cut from her sentence. "If the president signs off on it, with the time Corby has served already she will be eligible for parole. I will immediately make the arrangement based on the clemency." The recommendation was handed to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last July and its contents have been the subject of much speculation.
Under Indonesian law, an application for presidential clemency must be lodged first with the Supreme Court, which assesses the application before providing guidance to the president to accept or reject. Corby was arrested six and a half years ago after more than four kilograms of marijuana was found in her bodyboard bag at Bali airport. She has lost a succession of legal appeals, and a clemency request to Indonesia's president is her last chance. Neither the Supreme Court nor Dr Yudhoyono's state secretariat would comment to Fairfax on Mr Nawing's claims, nor confirm when Dr Yudhoyono would make a decision.
Schapelle Corby could be released immediately from an Indonesian prison if a recommendation by the country's Supreme Court to halve her sentence is accepted, the convicted drug smuggler's lawyer says. Corby's lawyer Iskandar Nawing told Fairfax newspapers the country's Supreme Court has recommended 10 years be cut from her sentence. "If the president signs off on it, with the time Corby has served already she will be eligible for parole. I will immediately make the arrangement based on the clemency." The recommendation was handed to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last July and its contents have been the subject of much speculation.
Under Indonesian law, an application for presidential clemency must be lodged first with the Supreme Court, which assesses the application before providing guidance to the president to accept or reject. Corby was arrested six and a half years ago after more than four kilograms of marijuana was found in her bodyboard bag at Bali airport. She has lost a succession of legal appeals, and a clemency request to Indonesia's president is her last chance. Neither the Supreme Court nor Dr Yudhoyono's state secretariat would comment to Fairfax on Mr Nawing's claims, nor confirm when Dr Yudhoyono would make a decision.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Penis Purification Plan in Adelaide !
Comment:
Nut head! to the justice system and the (Indian) wife... So the wife suffered years of hardship under the husband, so that gives her the rights to 'burn him (or his penis)’ in exchange for the years of hardship (due to her stupidity in the first place)?!
HOW would the court react IF the husband was the one that burnt the private parts of the wife or set her on fire?! … I know, the court system has a ‘double standard’ one for the woman, and the other for the man! CRAB!
Note: The woman should be smart and brave enough to voice out her discontent years back, before it accumulated and got worst… Ignorance of the law (or one's right) has never been a good defence these days! (Least you a woman ?!)
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http://au.news.yahoo.com/sa/latest/a/-/article/9187319/suspended-sentence-for-sa-husband-burner/ (13 April 2011)
SOUTH AUSTRALIA (SA) - HUSBAND Burner Gets Suspended Sentence !
By Liza Kappelle, AAP April 13, 2011, 12:59 pm
An Adelaide woman who killed her cheating husband by setting him on fire has walked from court with a suspended sentence. Rajini Narayan, 46, ONLY PLANNED to burn her husband's penis a little, to bind him to her by leaving a red mark like the one on her forehead. She was distressed and muddled after suffering more 
than two decades of physical and psychological abuse only to discover that Satish, 47, was having an affair and might leave her. She told him of her illogical penis purifying plan and showed him a cup of petrol and a candle.
than two decades of physical and psychological abuse only to discover that Satish, 47, was having an affair and might leave her. She told him of her illogical penis purifying plan and showed him a cup of petrol and a candle.BUT he turned his back on her saying: "No, you won't. You bitch." (Note: Oh yes, the husband suppose to say, 'Ok, yes, quickly burn my penis!' ... What a load of crab!) Narayan told her Supreme Court murder trial, which found her guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter, she had snapped and thrown the candle and petrol on his back. Her husband later died of the burns.
Justice John Sulan sentenced Narayan on Wednesday to six years in jail. He set a non-parole period of three years and took the unusual step of suspending the sentence, saying Narayan had suffered already and sending her to jail may punish others more. "For the first time in your life you had confronted your husband, had found the courage to be assertive to the person who had mistreated you for 20 years," he said. "His response was to treat you with disdain, dismiss you."
Her husband's family had called for the maximum punishment for the death of the man they described as talented and loving. But his children told the court that while they grieved for their abusive father, the atmosphere at home was no longer angry and hostile. "It is clear from your children's evidence that you are the linchpin of the family," Justice Sulan said.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Plane Crash in NSW
Comment:
Poor little girl, but doesn't Australian Aviation requires an age limit to fly the plane?
Plane accident or crash happens, especially when:
1- Plane is prone to bad weather (e.g. rain, lightning, mist, fog, etc.).
2- Plane is prone to bad engine problem.
3- Plane is fly at its worst, when fly by an amateur, or an unhealthy person.
4- Even a bird, or clip by a tree can result in catastrophe.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9104939/probe-starts-into-fatal-nsw-plane-crash/ (31 March 2011) Survivors Critical After NSW Plane Crash
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9104939/probe-starts-into-fatal-nsw-plane-crash/ (31 March 2011) Survivors Critical After NSW Plane Crash
AAP March 31, 2011, 7:25 am
A 13-year-old girl and her 42-year-old father are fighting for their lives in hospital after a light aircraft crash that killed FOUR other people in northern NSW. The single engine Cessna crashed about 900 metres north of Moree Airport about 8pm (AEDT) on Wednesday, police said. It had taken off from Brewarrina, in the state's north, and crashed on approach to the Moree airfield, narrowly missing a caravan park and ending up on its roof. The bodies of a 77-year-old man, his 77-year-old wife, and another woman, who is yet to be formally identified, were found in the wreckage. The body of the male pilot, who has also not yet been formally identified, was also found, police said. They did not specify if he was found in or near the wreckage. The 13-year-old girl is in critical condition in Brisbane's Mater Hospital while her father is in critical injuries in Tamworth Hospital. "It looks like it's come in on the final approach to the airport and looks like, for whatever reason, it's just fallen out of the sky," Moree resident Lex Baguley told AAP. He said there was no sign of fire on or around the aircraft. Another witness told Brisbane's Courier-Mail newspaper it looked as though the aircraft had clipped a tree. "It looks like they've clipped a tree because there's a tree broken and bent nearby," she said. .
A 13-year-old girl and her 42-year-old father are fighting for their lives in hospital after a light aircraft crash that killed FOUR other people in northern NSW. The single engine Cessna crashed about 900 metres north of Moree Airport about 8pm (AEDT) on Wednesday, police said. It had taken off from Brewarrina, in the state's north, and crashed on approach to the Moree airfield, narrowly missing a caravan park and ending up on its roof. The bodies of a 77-year-old man, his 77-year-old wife, and another woman, who is yet to be formally identified, were found in the wreckage. The body of the male pilot, who has also not yet been formally identified, was also found, police said. They did not specify if he was found in or near the wreckage. The 13-year-old girl is in critical condition in Brisbane's Mater Hospital while her father is in critical injuries in Tamworth Hospital. "It looks like it's come in on the final approach to the airport and looks like, for whatever reason, it's just fallen out of the sky," Moree resident Lex Baguley told AAP. He said there was no sign of fire on or around the aircraft. Another witness told Brisbane's Courier-Mail newspaper it looked as though the aircraft had clipped a tree. "It looks like they've clipped a tree because there's a tree broken and bent nearby," she said. .
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Race Issues and Job Opportunities ?!
Comment:
My friends, who are not Caucasians told me that UK is more open to diverse culture and races, and finding decent jobs are sightly better as compare to Australia... Australia has not really come out of the race issues, and are still racists in more ways (as compare to motherland UK). Read news online and also in printed media yourself to discover and see the 'reality'! That's also why Pauline Hanson was surprised when she 'decided to migrate' to the UK, and discovered that the UK is MORE multi-cultural and diverse as compared to Australia (and are already welcoming the new change/paradigm shift of a global village), and later change her mind, and migrate back home to Australia... Hahah old fool ! Nobody see you as 'special' or need a racist old female like Pauline Hanson.
My friends, who are not Caucasians told me that UK is more open to diverse culture and races, and finding decent jobs are sightly better as compare to Australia... Australia has not really come out of the race issues, and are still racists in more ways (as compare to motherland UK). Read news online and also in printed media yourself to discover and see the 'reality'! That's also why Pauline Hanson was surprised when she 'decided to migrate' to the UK, and discovered that the UK is MORE multi-cultural and diverse as compared to Australia (and are already welcoming the new change/paradigm shift of a global village), and later change her mind, and migrate back home to Australia... Hahah old fool ! Nobody see you as 'special' or need a racist old female like Pauline Hanson.
[Note: Also see Pauline Hanson and her racist remarks and anti-multiculturalism at, Wikipedia, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Hanson ]
Furthermore, the local MPs and ministers are very slow in overcoming races issues, look for yourself, and ask, when was the last time, good campaigns/programs on 'races unification' were conducted in the mass-media?? And what are the challenges/strategies that have been laid to overcome the racism issues? (Merely empty talk in the media about 'We are concern about the races issues, and we are commited to overcome it' ... means nothing, IF no concrete and sincere efforts are taken, such as, a concrete action-plan and/or strategic-plan.
Furthermore, the local MPs and ministers are very slow in overcoming races issues, look for yourself, and ask, when was the last time, good campaigns/programs on 'races unification' were conducted in the mass-media?? And what are the challenges/strategies that have been laid to overcome the racism issues? (Merely empty talk in the media about 'We are concern about the races issues, and we are commited to overcome it' ... means nothing, IF no concrete and sincere efforts are taken, such as, a concrete action-plan and/or strategic-plan.
Racist = Prejudiced against other races [Oxford Dictionary, 2008; Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved].
Snubbed = Treat somebody rudely: to treat somebody with deliberate coldness or contempt [Oxford Dictionary, 2008; Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved].
Hahah... Caucasians always thought that they are better, just because their skin color are a bit whiter (not necessarily because they are intellectually smarter). In Australian schools, Asians and other races got better scores in their exams, and Asians go to the same universities as their white mates, but at the end of the day, its the white boys/girls that are chosen for job opportunities.
Its IRONY when the whites think that they are better than others, just because they are whiter, go to work, driving Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia or Daewoo made cars, when they got home, they use electronic appliances, microwave, washing machine, refrigerator, hot water boiler, shower, television, etc. that are Japanese or Korean brand names Sony, Samsung, Daewoo, Hitachi (or even the cheap China goods for those that could not afford to pay more). So who are smarter (in making money and creating technology)? So why the unnecessary racial 'discrimination' and/or remarks?
I wonder when these will change, soon? BUT not fast enough (or not taken seriously by the local MPs)... talking about multi-cultural Australia and fair opportunities, and equal rights, and Developed and civilized whites?? More questions!!
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/9016848/models-find-skin-colour-a-hazard/
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/9016848/models-find-skin-colour-a-hazard/
(16th March 2011)
Model Snubbed on Race
Model Snubbed on Race
LINDSAY McPHEE, The West Australian March 15, 2011, 9:01 pm
She may have graced catwalks and appeared in film and on television in Britain but back home in Perth, model and actress Kema Rajandran has found there is little work around because of her skin colour. Fashion industry figures have admitted non-Caucasian WA models get less work in Perth than their white counterparts and are often forced overseas to pursue their careers.
Australian-Indian Rajandran, 25, said she was devastated after being warned by one modelling agency that although she was "very photogenic" and they would take her on for casting, her opportunities would be "extremely limited" because she was not Caucasian.
She said while she understood the agency was being frank, she was "truly disappointed" non-Caucasian Australian women were being overlooked in WA. "Working in the UK and being around people of all ethnicities and cultures was an amazing experience," Rajandran said.
"To return to my homeland where almost 46 per cent of society are immigrants and see the majority of people in the media are still Caucasian is disappointing, but to have an agency state it as a normality is truly disheartening."
Chadwick Models manager Tanya Muia said the agency had a wide range of ethnically diverse models but was hamstrung by clients' demands. "We embrace many diverse heritages and nationalities but it comes down to how much work there is for them," she said. "We are dictated by what our clients want."
Catherine Ruze Agency director Shamiso Ruzvidzo said her Malaysian models had been sent back from photo shoots because they did not fit the "European label" and she now had just one dark-skinned model because there simply was not enough work. "It is really hard for ethnic models in Perth," she said. "It is changing but it is changing quite slowly."
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She may have graced catwalks and appeared in film and on television in Britain but back home in Perth, model and actress Kema Rajandran has found there is little work around because of her skin colour. Fashion industry figures have admitted non-Caucasian WA models get less work in Perth than their white counterparts and are often forced overseas to pursue their careers.
Australian-Indian Rajandran, 25, said she was devastated after being warned by one modelling agency that although she was "very photogenic" and they would take her on for casting, her opportunities would be "extremely limited" because she was not Caucasian.
She said while she understood the agency was being frank, she was "truly disappointed" non-Caucasian Australian women were being overlooked in WA. "Working in the UK and being around people of all ethnicities and cultures was an amazing experience," Rajandran said.
"To return to my homeland where almost 46 per cent of society are immigrants and see the majority of people in the media are still Caucasian is disappointing, but to have an agency state it as a normality is truly disheartening."
Chadwick Models manager Tanya Muia said the agency had a wide range of ethnically diverse models but was hamstrung by clients' demands. "We embrace many diverse heritages and nationalities but it comes down to how much work there is for them," she said. "We are dictated by what our clients want."
Catherine Ruze Agency director Shamiso Ruzvidzo said her Malaysian models had been sent back from photo shoots because they did not fit the "European label" and she now had just one dark-skinned model because there simply was not enough work. "It is really hard for ethnic models in Perth," she said. "It is changing but it is changing quite slowly."
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On a different tune, also see:
Girl Missing Fingers Shows off Amazing Talent
Yahoo!7 March 16, 2011, 10:07 am
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9018731/chinese-girl-plays-piano-missing-fingers
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/9018731/chinese-girl-plays-piano-missing-fingers
(16th March 2011)
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Police Roll Out Hidden Van Cameras !
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/8975282/police-roll-out-hidden-van-cameras/ (9th March 2011)
Police Roll Out Hidden Van Cameras
Police Roll Out Hidden Van Cameras
RONAN O'CONNELL, The West Australian March 9, 2011, 2:25 am
Speed cameras hidden in parked police vans are being rolled out across WA as part of an aggressive speed enforcement strategy. Insp. Colin Murray said a trial of the new tactic had been successful and police had two vans equipped with cameras on the road, with plans to introduce four more vans in the coming months.
It is the first use of covert speed cameras since the 1990s, when police used a similar set-up involving cameras in a van. The van-based cameras are the latest speed enforcement technology to be rolled out in the past year following the introduction of integrated red-light and speed camera systems at intersections and dual-lens speed cameras which photograph front and rear number plates.
Insp. Murray said the van-based devices were more efficient than the usual roadside cameras because they were constantly set up and ready for use. Older-style cameras had to be assembled and taken apart outside the vehicle. He said this made the new ones safer for operators to use because they did not have to spend time assembling them by the roadside near passing cars. By being housed inside a van, the $160,000 cameras were protected from damage.
Speed cameras hidden in parked police vans are being rolled out across WA as part of an aggressive speed enforcement strategy. Insp. Colin Murray said a trial of the new tactic had been successful and police had two vans equipped with cameras on the road, with plans to introduce four more vans in the coming months.
It is the first use of covert speed cameras since the 1990s, when police used a similar set-up involving cameras in a van. The van-based cameras are the latest speed enforcement technology to be rolled out in the past year following the introduction of integrated red-light and speed camera systems at intersections and dual-lens speed cameras which photograph front and rear number plates.
Insp. Murray said the van-based devices were more efficient than the usual roadside cameras because they were constantly set up and ready for use. Older-style cameras had to be assembled and taken apart outside the vehicle. He said this made the new ones safer for operators to use because they did not have to spend time assembling them by the roadside near passing cars. By being housed inside a van, the $160,000 cameras were protected from damage.
[Note: Its TIME consumer and road users PAID for these expensive cameras !]
Monash University researcher Max Cameron recommended the use of covert speed cameras along with fixed, overt and point-to-point cameras in a State Governmentcommissioned report released in 2008. Queensland and Victoria have used speed cameras inside vehicles for several years and NSW recently reintroduced them.
Monash University researcher Max Cameron recommended the use of covert speed cameras along with fixed, overt and point-to-point cameras in a State Governmentcommissioned report released in 2008. Queensland and Victoria have used speed cameras inside vehicles for several years and NSW recently reintroduced them.
[Note: Doesn't meant that something has been in used for several years, necessarily means that it is absolutely correct, and should not be scrapped].
Shadow police minister Margaret Quirk said police were focusing too much on covert cameras and needed to invest in point-to-point cameras, which can be placed up to 30km apart on highways and country roads and measure a vehicle's average speed between two spots.
"Individuals need to realise that when they choose to speed, they are risking not only their own life but the lives of other road users," he said. "My advice is simple - 'Don't speed and you won't be fined."
Shadow police minister Margaret Quirk said police were focusing too much on covert cameras and needed to invest in point-to-point cameras, which can be placed up to 30km apart on highways and country roads and measure a vehicle's average speed between two spots.
"Individuals need to realise that when they choose to speed, they are risking not only their own life but the lives of other road users," he said. "My advice is simple - 'Don't speed and you won't be fined."
COMMENT:
Yap... absolutely a VERY good way to make money... Just fine the poor driver (who has families to feed) for at least $200, $300, up to $700 (depending on the charges) for speed driving.
Doesn't the police or government know that a common worker only earns so little from his salaries, only to be taken away by the police, just for exceeding a few kilometers more (speed fine). And who says the cameras are always correct?!
What is the philosophy behind the Traffic Police Department? Is it to make money and more MONEY... or to educate the public?! IF education is the KEY... then keep the strategy straight and place the CAMERA and more NOTICE to help REMIND motorists to be careful of their SPEED limits (as opposed to 'hidden' speed camera!).
Note: Also the way these cameras are covertly placed, example, down a slope road, necessarily means that cars can simply increase in speed even without the driver pressing on the accelerator, or realising that their car speed has increased (due to the sloping hill road).
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Hanson Enters NSW Election Race !
Comment:
Australia racist faces and agendas, as per the news, you don't have to take my words for it, see the news and read the newspapers for yourself !
And Pauline Handson thought that by migrating to the motherland UK, she would see 'less' cultural-mixed. How wrong she was, in today's world, the first word you learnt in UNIVERSITY is the term 'cultural-mixed', 'multi-culturalism', 'cultural tolerance', 'corporate culture management', and so forth... Maybe Pauline has MISSED out in her UNI days. (BUT, she is most suitable in the long gone 'wild-wild west'... and cowboy... yehoww!... Poor cow-girl).
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/8975268/hanson-enters-nsw-election-race/1/date/asc/915242/
Also see, http://au.news.yahoo.com/news-gallery/a/-/article/6831505/image/9/pauline-hanson-moments/ (9th March 2011)
Hanson Enters NSW Election Race
ABC March 9, 2011, 1:03 am
Also see, http://au.news.yahoo.com/news-gallery/a/-/article/6831505/image/9/pauline-hanson-moments/ (9th March 2011)
Hanson Enters NSW Election Race
ABC March 9, 2011, 1:03 am
In 1999, The Australian reported that support for One Nation had fallen from 22 to 5 percent. She has accounted for her declining popularity by blaming Prime Minister John Howard for stealing her policies. In December 2006 The Age reported that Greens leader, Senator Bob Brown, had labelled Hanson a bloodsucker over her suggestion that Africans are bringing AIDS into Australia.
Former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has launched a bid for an Upper House seat in the New South Wales state election. She has moved to Corlette, on the state's North Coast, and is running as part of a group of 16 independents in the March 26 poll. New South Wales Premier, Kristina Keneally, says Labor will not direct preferences to Ms Hanson under any circumstances.
Ms Keneally says her party condemns Ms Hanson's divisive approach.
"We completely condemn the sort of racist policies that she promotes," she said. "It's remarkable that in 2011 the Premier, a leader of this state, has to stand up and defend the values of multiculturalism, of diversity, but indeed with someone like Ms Hanson entering the political race, I make clear that that's precisely what I'll do.
"New South Wales is a wonderful place. It's a wonderful place because people from over 200 countries have come here and made this their home. "Our diversity is amongst our greatest strength and I'll stand up and defend that, very much so."
Last year, Ms Hanson said she was selling her home and moving to the United Kingdom, but she later reversed her decision. She made her name as the independent member for Oxley in Queensland between 1996 and 1998, during which time she set up One Nation. Ms Hanson launched a failed bid for a seat in the 2009 Queensland elections, where she gained 21 per cent of the vote in the seat of Beaudesert. She last tried for an Upper House seat in 2003.
[Note: Feeling LONELY in the UK, without being able to freely insult others with her 'racist remarks' ??! ]
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http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/8976194/carbon-tax-ad-campaign-possible/
(9th March 2011)
Carbon Tax ad Campaign Possible
AAP March 9, 2011, 6:47 am
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is not ruling out launching a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign to better sell her carbon tax. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he suspects it's on the cards given Labor's recent slump in the polls - an apparent backlash to the proposed tax.
Ms Gillard, currently on a week-long visit of the United States, would neither confirm nor deny the move. "Look, on government advertising, from time to time we advertise to get necessary information to people," she told ABC Television on Tuesday.
"I'm not going to rule in or rule out government advertising in the future." Ms Gillard met for talks with US president Barack Obama earlier in the day and confirmed climate change was on the agenda. She insists Australia will go ahead on a carbon price, even if the US does not, potentially reducing the international trade market for emissions permits.
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Friday, March 4, 2011
Royal Vs Common Citizen
(4th March 2011)
Diana's Niece on Assault Charge
Diana's Niece on Assault Charge
The West Australian March 4, 2011, 9:21 am
Princess Diana's 18-year-old niece has appeared in court accused of assaulting a man on crutches at a McDonalds fast food drive through. Lady Amelia, the daughter of Diana’s brother Earl Spencer, was charged with common assault after the incident in Cape Town in December.
She allegedly carried out the attack with a male companion as they waited to buy burgers, according to a report in Britain's Daily Mail newspaper. Court documents revealed that Lady Amelia was accused of "flicking a cigarette butt" into a taxi, then "swearing, smacking and kicking" the car’s passenger, Ricci Cinti.
She was accompanied by one of her sisters – either her twin Lady Eliza or former Tatler cover girl Lady Kitty Spencer, 20 – and two men, the Daily Mail reported. The teenager reportedly flew into a rage when Mr Cinti’s taxi cut in front of a Mini Cooper at a drive-through branch of the burger chain in Cape Town.
Mr Cinti, 27, who was on crutches following a football injury, claims Lady Amelia swore at him and smacked his taxi. He alleges that he was pulled out of the car and knocked to the ground. The self-employed machinist, who lives in Cape Town, said he was knocked out and suffered a swollen jaw in the assault, which led to him undergoing a brain scan.
Lady Amelia and her male companion apparently sped off but police traced the car and arrested her for assault. At the last hearing, Lady Amelia’s lawyer, William Booth, told magistrate Mary-Anne Attridge that Mr Cinti had not suffered any injuries in the alleged assault. He said he would applying to have the case thrown out.
Comment:
Princess Diana's 18-year-old niece has appeared in court accused of assaulting a man on crutches at a McDonalds fast food drive through. Lady Amelia, the daughter of Diana’s brother Earl Spencer, was charged with common assault after the incident in Cape Town in December.
She allegedly carried out the attack with a male companion as they waited to buy burgers, according to a report in Britain's Daily Mail newspaper. Court documents revealed that Lady Amelia was accused of "flicking a cigarette butt" into a taxi, then "swearing, smacking and kicking" the car’s passenger, Ricci Cinti.
She was accompanied by one of her sisters – either her twin Lady Eliza or former Tatler cover girl Lady Kitty Spencer, 20 – and two men, the Daily Mail reported. The teenager reportedly flew into a rage when Mr Cinti’s taxi cut in front of a Mini Cooper at a drive-through branch of the burger chain in Cape Town.
Mr Cinti, 27, who was on crutches following a football injury, claims Lady Amelia swore at him and smacked his taxi. He alleges that he was pulled out of the car and knocked to the ground. The self-employed machinist, who lives in Cape Town, said he was knocked out and suffered a swollen jaw in the assault, which led to him undergoing a brain scan.
Lady Amelia and her male companion apparently sped off but police traced the car and arrested her for assault. At the last hearing, Lady Amelia’s lawyer, William Booth, told magistrate Mary-Anne Attridge that Mr Cinti had not suffered any injuries in the alleged assault. He said he would applying to have the case thrown out.
Comment:
YES, have the CASE thrown out, he is just a common taxi driver, he has no rights to mix-up with the royal families and relatives, more kicks and punches and throws... thats the way it is ??!
Thats why, there is the Sudan revolution, the Egypt revolution, the Libya revolution, the Russia revolution, the French revolution, etc... to throw OUT tyrant kings, Queens, and dictators (and their close families) in the past months, decades, and centuries!
One need to be FAIR to ALL !
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Monday, February 28, 2011
Martin Bryant and Port Arthur Killings !
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/8916417/bryants-mother-defends-her-son/
(28 Feb 2011)
Martin Bryant's mother defends her son
AAP February 28, 2011, 6:02 am
Martin Bryant's mother believes that if his father had not committed suicide then the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania would not have happened. Carleen Bryant spoke about her son on Channel 9's 60 Minutes on Sunday night where she was asked what her dead husband, Maurice, would have thought of the Port Arthur murders that her son was convicted of. "Well I don't believe it would have happened," she answered.
Martin Bryant entered the Broad Arrow cafe at the historic Port Arthur site where he opened fire and killed 35 people on April 28, 1996. He is currently serving 35 life sentences in Risdon prison just outside of Hobart.
His mother, who is the only person who visits Bryant, admits that he was an "annoying" and "different" child. She said that she often found Bryant's toys broken and didn't know if it was through temper or frustration.
Bryant was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome three years ago and is overweight from medication and lack of exercise. Bryant has never spoken about the events of the massacre to Carleen, who said in the interview that she believes he is innocent.
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Martin Bryant (born 7 May 1967) is an Australian convicted murderer serving 35 life sentences in a Tasmanian prison. He was convicted of murdering 35 people and injuring 21 others in the Port Arthur massacre, a shooting spree in Port Arthur, Tasmania in 1996. He is currently serving 35 life sentences plus 1,035 years without parole in the psychiatric wing of Risdon Prison in Hobart. His rampage ranks among the deadliest of the 20th century.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bryanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur_massacre_(Australia)
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Saturday, February 19, 2011
Hospital Staff Resign Over Toilet Miscarriage!
Comment:
In Developing countries, such as, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia to name a few, hospital staff that once in a while 'ignored' patients at the Emergency Unit (at Hospital) sometimes do happened. But we are talking about the scenario in the Developing countries, and not that of the Developed nations, like Australia, or UK, or USA, which are listed as among the 'World Most Liveable Cities'.... Or is it?!
See,
.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/8869067/hospital-staff-resign-over-toilet-miscarriage/ (19 Feb 2011)
Hospital staff resign over toilet miscarriage
Hospital staff resign over toilet miscarriage
ABC February 18, 2011, 5:44 pm
Frankston Hospital in Melbourne's south has accepted the resignations of two staff members after a woman miscarried in an emergency room toilet. Tracey Lake, 41, lost her baby after waiting several hours to see a doctor earlier this month.
The two staff members had been stood down on full pay last night (FULL pay or Unpaid Leave, something to look into?!). Three other staff members are being counselled. The hospital concedes it did not provide Ms Lake with adequate care and says clinical procedures will now be changed.
The hospital has also reviewed and revised all policies for dealing with women in an early stage of pregnancy. Peninsula Health chief executive Sherene Devanesen says other cases of inappropriate care at the hospital have also come to light since Ms Lake's miscarriage and these are also being reviewed. The State Government says it is pleased with the hospital's response ('Other cases' here may means that there are some more 'overlooked' cases).
Ms Lake, who was 10 to 12 weeks pregnant, went to the hospital's emergency department after she started to bleed on February 9. She says she gave staff at the triage desk a note from her doctor, saying she had a threatened miscarriage, but the letter was never read (!!).
After waiting an hour to be seen, the bleeding increased and Ms Lake later miscarried in the hospital's toilet. Health Minister David Davis has described the incident as appalling and unacceptable (So who is going to pay for the 'damages'? Compensations?!).
Frankston Hospital in Melbourne's south has accepted the resignations of two staff members after a woman miscarried in an emergency room toilet. Tracey Lake, 41, lost her baby after waiting several hours to see a doctor earlier this month.
The two staff members had been stood down on full pay last night (FULL pay or Unpaid Leave, something to look into?!). Three other staff members are being counselled. The hospital concedes it did not provide Ms Lake with adequate care and says clinical procedures will now be changed.
The hospital has also reviewed and revised all policies for dealing with women in an early stage of pregnancy. Peninsula Health chief executive Sherene Devanesen says other cases of inappropriate care at the hospital have also come to light since Ms Lake's miscarriage and these are also being reviewed. The State Government says it is pleased with the hospital's response ('Other cases' here may means that there are some more 'overlooked' cases).
Ms Lake, who was 10 to 12 weeks pregnant, went to the hospital's emergency department after she started to bleed on February 9. She says she gave staff at the triage desk a note from her doctor, saying she had a threatened miscarriage, but the letter was never read (!!).
After waiting an hour to be seen, the bleeding increased and Ms Lake later miscarried in the hospital's toilet. Health Minister David Davis has described the incident as appalling and unacceptable (So who is going to pay for the 'damages'? Compensations?!).
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Saturday, February 5, 2011
Floods, Cyclone and Heatwave in Australia !
Comment:
Worst floods ever that hit Queensland, then came the Cyclone Yasi, I reckon too much water in Queensland, BUT in Sydney, NSW, the weather is pretty hot, so much so that it was claimed the hottest weather (heatwave) ever that hit Sydney in 150 years and set a new record ! What an extreme weather mate !!
Pretty not the place I want to live, work and play! So you see, its not all heaven for everyone?!
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/8780691/sydney-heatwave-breaks-150-year-old-record/ (5 Feb 2011)
Sydney heatwave breaks 150-year-old record
By Vincent Morello, AAP February 5, 2011, 7:46 pm
Sydney's heatwave has shattered a 150-year-old record, but the big sweat isn't over yet. In dozens of suburbs on Saturday the temperature soared into the mid to high 30s for the sixth day running and over much of NSW.
As thousands flocked to beaches and the harbour foreshores to cool off, the mercury climbed above the 38-degree mark while Observatory Hill recorded a peak of 41.5 degrees. Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) senior forecaster Neale Fraser said that Saturday was officially the sixth successive day that the Sydney area had sweltered in 30-plus temperatures.
Since records were first kept in 1858, Sydney had never experienced such consistently high temperatures. "We've had runs of hot weather for three or four days but you get a southerly change that keeps it below 30 then it warms up again," Mr Fraser told AAP.
The previous record was five straight days. Richmond, in Sydney's northwest, broke its own record with seven days straight of 35-plus degree heat. "And chances are they'll break that again tomorrow (Sunday)," he said.
Mr Fraser said the greater Sydney area might also break the record again on Sunday. "There's a southerly buster coming tomorrow morning but before that arrives we'll probably hit 30 again," he said. Temperatures also hit the high 30s and low 40s in suburbs stretching from the Hunter Valley to Illawarra.
The heat led to another spate of bushfires and more health warnings. The Rural Fire Service (RFS) began battling a blaze at Megalong Valley, in the NSW Blue Mountains, about midday (AEDT). Emergency services were also fighting a small fire at Morisset on the NSW central coast. The RFS had already attended more than 100 bush and grass fires this week.
The west/northwest winds also brought high humidity courtesy of Cyclone Yasi that hammered north Queensland, reducing the fire risk. "The saving grace was the amount of moisture in the air," Mr Fraser said.
Total fire bans were in place on Saturday across the Central Ranges, Greater Sydney Region and Greater Hunter districts. The Ambulance Service of NSW urged beachgoers to take extra care, saying there has been a 10 per cent increase in drownings and near-drowning incidents this summer. There were 162 such incidents in January compared with 75 in the same month of 2010. NSW Health said 62 people had been treated in emergency departments for heat-related illness in the past six days.
Sydney's heatwave has shattered a 150-year-old record, but the big sweat isn't over yet. In dozens of suburbs on Saturday the temperature soared into the mid to high 30s for the sixth day running and over much of NSW.
As thousands flocked to beaches and the harbour foreshores to cool off, the mercury climbed above the 38-degree mark while Observatory Hill recorded a peak of 41.5 degrees. Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) senior forecaster Neale Fraser said that Saturday was officially the sixth successive day that the Sydney area had sweltered in 30-plus temperatures.
Since records were first kept in 1858, Sydney had never experienced such consistently high temperatures. "We've had runs of hot weather for three or four days but you get a southerly change that keeps it below 30 then it warms up again," Mr Fraser told AAP.
The previous record was five straight days. Richmond, in Sydney's northwest, broke its own record with seven days straight of 35-plus degree heat. "And chances are they'll break that again tomorrow (Sunday)," he said.
Mr Fraser said the greater Sydney area might also break the record again on Sunday. "There's a southerly buster coming tomorrow morning but before that arrives we'll probably hit 30 again," he said. Temperatures also hit the high 30s and low 40s in suburbs stretching from the Hunter Valley to Illawarra.
The heat led to another spate of bushfires and more health warnings. The Rural Fire Service (RFS) began battling a blaze at Megalong Valley, in the NSW Blue Mountains, about midday (AEDT). Emergency services were also fighting a small fire at Morisset on the NSW central coast. The RFS had already attended more than 100 bush and grass fires this week.
The west/northwest winds also brought high humidity courtesy of Cyclone Yasi that hammered north Queensland, reducing the fire risk. "The saving grace was the amount of moisture in the air," Mr Fraser said.
Total fire bans were in place on Saturday across the Central Ranges, Greater Sydney Region and Greater Hunter districts. The Ambulance Service of NSW urged beachgoers to take extra care, saying there has been a 10 per cent increase in drownings and near-drowning incidents this summer. There were 162 such incidents in January compared with 75 in the same month of 2010. NSW Health said 62 people had been treated in emergency departments for heat-related illness in the past six days.
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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/more-storms-floods-tipped-for-queensland/story-e6frf7jx-1226000342640 (5 Feb 2011)
More storms, floods tipped for Queensland
By Stephen Johnson From: AAP February 04, 2011 5:12PM
QUEENSLANDERS should brace for more ferocious storms and floods in the wake of Cyclone Yasi, climate researchers say. Warmer temperatures are expected to produce more intense torrential downpours, particularly in the state's tropical north.
"For Queensland, this is likely to spell storms and floods of increasing ferocity over a greater part of the state," The Climate Institute says in a fact sheet released today.
The think tank's chief executive John Connor is calling for urgent measures to arrest global warming as north Queensland recovers from the category five cyclone. "Sadly, Australia must prepare for more of these types of catastrophic events and even greater extremes as climate change drives more frequent and more intense wild weather," he said
The January floods in Queensland and the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria have been linked with warmer conditions brought on by carbon emissions.
Record hot spells in central Australia are also symptomatic of global warming, the institute says. A fortnight of temperatures above 40 degrees at Yulara, near Uluru, during January has been cited as an example of extreme weather.
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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/more-storms-floods-tipped-for-queensland/story-e6frf7jx-1226000342640 (5 Feb 2011)
More storms, floods tipped for Queensland
By Stephen Johnson From: AAP February 04, 2011 5:12PM
QUEENSLANDERS should brace for more ferocious storms and floods in the wake of Cyclone Yasi, climate researchers say. Warmer temperatures are expected to produce more intense torrential downpours, particularly in the state's tropical north.
"For Queensland, this is likely to spell storms and floods of increasing ferocity over a greater part of the state," The Climate Institute says in a fact sheet released today.
The think tank's chief executive John Connor is calling for urgent measures to arrest global warming as north Queensland recovers from the category five cyclone. "Sadly, Australia must prepare for more of these types of catastrophic events and even greater extremes as climate change drives more frequent and more intense wild weather," he said
The January floods in Queensland and the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria have been linked with warmer conditions brought on by carbon emissions.
Record hot spells in central Australia are also symptomatic of global warming, the institute says. A fortnight of temperatures above 40 degrees at Yulara, near Uluru, during January has been cited as an example of extreme weather.
.
Australia Threathens by Inflation
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=0205&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Luar_Negara&pg=lu_04.htm
(5 Feb 2011)
Australia diancam inflasi
SYDNEY 4 Feb. - Australia diancam inflasi dan kehilangan hasil eksport selepas mengalami kerugian pertanian berjumlah A$800 juta (RM2.48 bilion) berikutan Taufan Yasi, demikian menurut penganalisis. Kerosakan dua komoditi utama pertanian di Queensland iaitu tebu dan pisang membawa kepada kerugian berjumlah A$1.4 bilion (RM4.34) sejak bencana alam melanda negara ini enam minggu lalu.
Queensland masih mengalami kesan akibat banjir terburuk yang memusnahkan tanaman dianggar bernilai A$600 juta (RM1.86 bilion) dan juga mengurangkan eksport arang batu kepada A$2.5 bilion (RM7.75 bilion).
Kira-kira 20 peratus tanaman tebu di wilayah itu musnah akibat Taufan Yasi, kerugian kira-kira A$500 juta (RM1.55 bilion) yang memerlukan beberapa tahun untuk pulih, kata kumpulan industri, Canegrowers. Australia merupakan pengeksport gula ketiga terbesar di dunia dengan 85 peratus produknya dieksport ke Asia termasuk ke Jepun, China dan Korea dengan nilai tahunan berjumlah A$2 bilion (RM6.2 bilion).
Harga gula yang ketika ini tinggi ekoran kekurangan bekalan kerana bencana alam, terus meningkat apabila Taufan Yasi melanda kelmarin. Penganalisis Bank Commonwealth, Luke Mathews berkata, harga pada tahap tertentu akan mengimbangi pengeluaran rendah tetapi beliau memberi amaran pendapatan daripada eksport gula akan hilang sebanyak A$500 juta (RM1.55 bilion).
Ketua Persekutan Petani, Dan Galligan berkata, sehingga 85 peratus tanaman pisang musnah akibat taufan berkenaan. ''Mereka masih mengira kerosakan yang berlaku, namun kami menganggar hampir semua musnah dan kerugian bernilai kira-kira A$300 juta (RM930 juta),'' katanya.
Mathews berkata, bencana alam itu menyebabkan kadar inflasi meningkat kira-kira 0.5 peratus lagi. Setiausaha Perbendaharan, Wayne Swan memberi amaran inflasi akan meningkat pada bulan-bulan akan datang sekiranya kekurangan bekalan makanan akibat banjir meningkatkan harga barangan, manakala Canberra terpaksa berbelanja sebanyak A$5.6 bilion (RM17,36 bilion) untuk membersihkan kerosakan akibat bencana alam. - AFP
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http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/inflation%e2%80%99s-first-phase/2011/02/04/
(4 Feb 2011)
Inflation’s First Phase
By Chris Mayer • February 4th, 2011 •
About the Author:
Chris Mayer is a veteran of the banking industry, specifically in the area of corporate lending. A financial writer since 1998, Mr. Mayer's essays have appeared in a wide variety of publications, from the Mises.org Daily Article series to here in The Daily Reckoning. He is the editor of Mayer's Special Situations and Capital and Crisis - formerly the Fleet Street Letter.
The year 2011 is the year when inflation will play the role of wrecking ball. It seems to threaten everything from emerging markets to the pretty earnings narrative of the market as a whole.
I use the term "inflation" here as the man on the street does. It is when prices for most everything go up. It is not the best definition, because it obscures the reason why prices for most everything go up in the first place. The reason is that governments everywhere can't help but print lots of money. But let us not wander off course. It is what it is.
Instead, let's think about the big emerging markets for a moment. They have been so important to the investment story of the last decade, for sure. Yet rising food and energy prices pose a big risk to them.
In India, food prices are at their highest levels in more than a year, rising 18%. The dabbawalla, when he is done delivering lunchboxes, trots off to the market and finds that the price of onions has doubled in only a few months. Even the basics, like potatoes, have become expensive to the average Indian.
One 54-year-old cloth trader in Mumbai complained: "It seems everything is going up in price, from vegetable and meat to diesel and household cooking gas. We are always worried as to what is next." Food prices are again becoming a serious issue, as they did in 2008 when the last food crisis brought riots in 30 countries all over the world. The UN tracks an index of 55 food commodities. It rose for the sixth straight month and is, in fact, above the previous high in June 2008.
In China, the typical Chinese also faces rising prices for nearly everything. The official inflation rate recently hit a 28-month high. But it's the surging price of coal that may prove to be China's Achilles' heel, at least in the short term. Coal is what powers the great boom in China. And coal is at two-year highs.
The basics like food and energy are like brakes on these economies. I think it would be surprising if, say, China could continue to grow 8% a year in a world of $100 oil - at least initially. (Solutions are found, in time.) Of course, the US and the more mature economies are not immune to rising food and energy prices, either.
.
(5 Feb 2011)
Australia diancam inflasi
SYDNEY 4 Feb. - Australia diancam inflasi dan kehilangan hasil eksport selepas mengalami kerugian pertanian berjumlah A$800 juta (RM2.48 bilion) berikutan Taufan Yasi, demikian menurut penganalisis. Kerosakan dua komoditi utama pertanian di Queensland iaitu tebu dan pisang membawa kepada kerugian berjumlah A$1.4 bilion (RM4.34) sejak bencana alam melanda negara ini enam minggu lalu.
Queensland masih mengalami kesan akibat banjir terburuk yang memusnahkan tanaman dianggar bernilai A$600 juta (RM1.86 bilion) dan juga mengurangkan eksport arang batu kepada A$2.5 bilion (RM7.75 bilion).
Kira-kira 20 peratus tanaman tebu di wilayah itu musnah akibat Taufan Yasi, kerugian kira-kira A$500 juta (RM1.55 bilion) yang memerlukan beberapa tahun untuk pulih, kata kumpulan industri, Canegrowers. Australia merupakan pengeksport gula ketiga terbesar di dunia dengan 85 peratus produknya dieksport ke Asia termasuk ke Jepun, China dan Korea dengan nilai tahunan berjumlah A$2 bilion (RM6.2 bilion).
Harga gula yang ketika ini tinggi ekoran kekurangan bekalan kerana bencana alam, terus meningkat apabila Taufan Yasi melanda kelmarin. Penganalisis Bank Commonwealth, Luke Mathews berkata, harga pada tahap tertentu akan mengimbangi pengeluaran rendah tetapi beliau memberi amaran pendapatan daripada eksport gula akan hilang sebanyak A$500 juta (RM1.55 bilion).
Ketua Persekutan Petani, Dan Galligan berkata, sehingga 85 peratus tanaman pisang musnah akibat taufan berkenaan. ''Mereka masih mengira kerosakan yang berlaku, namun kami menganggar hampir semua musnah dan kerugian bernilai kira-kira A$300 juta (RM930 juta),'' katanya.
Mathews berkata, bencana alam itu menyebabkan kadar inflasi meningkat kira-kira 0.5 peratus lagi. Setiausaha Perbendaharan, Wayne Swan memberi amaran inflasi akan meningkat pada bulan-bulan akan datang sekiranya kekurangan bekalan makanan akibat banjir meningkatkan harga barangan, manakala Canberra terpaksa berbelanja sebanyak A$5.6 bilion (RM17,36 bilion) untuk membersihkan kerosakan akibat bencana alam. - AFP
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http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/inflation%e2%80%99s-first-phase/2011/02/04/
(4 Feb 2011)
Inflation’s First Phase
By Chris Mayer • February 4th, 2011 •
About the Author:
Chris Mayer is a veteran of the banking industry, specifically in the area of corporate lending. A financial writer since 1998, Mr. Mayer's essays have appeared in a wide variety of publications, from the Mises.org Daily Article series to here in The Daily Reckoning. He is the editor of Mayer's Special Situations and Capital and Crisis - formerly the Fleet Street Letter.
The year 2011 is the year when inflation will play the role of wrecking ball. It seems to threaten everything from emerging markets to the pretty earnings narrative of the market as a whole.
I use the term "inflation" here as the man on the street does. It is when prices for most everything go up. It is not the best definition, because it obscures the reason why prices for most everything go up in the first place. The reason is that governments everywhere can't help but print lots of money. But let us not wander off course. It is what it is.
Instead, let's think about the big emerging markets for a moment. They have been so important to the investment story of the last decade, for sure. Yet rising food and energy prices pose a big risk to them.
In India, food prices are at their highest levels in more than a year, rising 18%. The dabbawalla, when he is done delivering lunchboxes, trots off to the market and finds that the price of onions has doubled in only a few months. Even the basics, like potatoes, have become expensive to the average Indian.
One 54-year-old cloth trader in Mumbai complained: "It seems everything is going up in price, from vegetable and meat to diesel and household cooking gas. We are always worried as to what is next." Food prices are again becoming a serious issue, as they did in 2008 when the last food crisis brought riots in 30 countries all over the world. The UN tracks an index of 55 food commodities. It rose for the sixth straight month and is, in fact, above the previous high in June 2008.
In China, the typical Chinese also faces rising prices for nearly everything. The official inflation rate recently hit a 28-month high. But it's the surging price of coal that may prove to be China's Achilles' heel, at least in the short term. Coal is what powers the great boom in China. And coal is at two-year highs.
The basics like food and energy are like brakes on these economies. I think it would be surprising if, say, China could continue to grow 8% a year in a world of $100 oil - at least initially. (Solutions are found, in time.) Of course, the US and the more mature economies are not immune to rising food and energy prices, either.
.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Darwin (Australia) has Most Expensive Rent !
Comment:
The economic theorists would tell you that the high rental price in Australia is fuel by the market 'supply and demand', but realists would tell you that it is also fuel predominantly by 'greed.' As more houses' owners protest the government good plans from building cheaper flats and condominiums in and near their areas - and government predominantly must obey the locals in order to secure 'votes' in the coming election.
So who will stand to lose? The people who rent the house of course, and the lower income group and Australians in general... as people will see Australia as a 'very expensive place' to live in. Hence professionals (with great skills) will head to US or UK, which have a higher earnings/salaries and cheaper rents!
(28th January 2011)
Darwin has most expensive rent
Darwin has most expensive rent
ABC January 27, 2011, 4:36 pm
A new property survey has found Darwin remains the most expensive city to rent a home or unit in Australia. The RP Data Rental Review shows on average it costs $520 a week to rent a house, and $430 to rent a unit.
It shows Canberra and Sydney are the second and third most expensive cities to rent a house in, costing an average $470 a week. The report shows rents in Australian capital cities increased by 4.2 percent last year.
RP Data senior researcher said while rent in Darwin did not increase over the December quarter or the last year, the city is still the priciest capital for tenants. "Quite expensive A either to buy property in Darwin, or B to rent. So it shows there's a bit of a shortage of supply (???) and strong demand to get into properties in Darwin at the moment," Mr Kusher said.
However the review also shows that over the December quarter, rental prices were steady. Mr Kusher said this showed there were many rent rises to come. "We are not yet seeing a strong surge in rental growth, but we certainly do expect during 2011 there will be some reasonably strong growth in the rental market," he said. Despite being the priciest capital city, rent in Darwin has not increased in the last 12 months.
"When we look at the combined capital cities we're forecasting around 7 percent rental growth for the next 12 months but I would not be surprised if Darwin came in a quite a bit lower that that," Mr Kusher said. "We're seeing that the housing market is cooling off and we're seeing that people are paying $520 a week for rent for a house.
"It's still probably fairly close in some of those Darwin suburbs - the difference between paying rent and paying mortgage." The review has also found rental prices in mining towns the most expensive in the country. Mr Kusher said tight supply was driving rental costs in mining regions.
"Outside of the capital cities if you head up to the Pilbara region you will be paying $1650 a week to rent a house up there so it is showing in that mining area it is quite expensive to secure rental accomodation," he said
.
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