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Monday, February 29, 2016

Government still hopeful Apple will comply with court order to unlock San Bernardino shooter's iPhone: Attorney General

Technology Mon Feb 29, 2016 | 3:59 PM EST Unlocking iPhone would leave millions exposed, Apple to tell Congress A man displays a protest message on his iPhone at a small rally in support of Apple's refusal to help the FBI access the cell phone of a gunman involved in the killings of 14 people in San Bernardino, in Santa Monica, California, United States, February 23, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson A man displays a protest message on his iPhone at a small rally in support of Apple's refusal to help the FBI access the cell phone of a gunman involved in Reuters/Lucy Nicholson + Pieces of an iPhone are seen on a repair store in New York, February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Pieces of an iPhone are seen on a repair store in New York, February 17, 2016. Reuters/Eduardo Munoz Tashfeen Malik and Syed Farook are pictured passing through Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in July 2014. REUTERS/US Customs and Border Protection Tashfeen Malik and Syed Farook are pictured passing through Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in July 2014. Reuters/US Customs and Border Protection A man tries to repair an iPhone in a repair store in New York, February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz A man tries to repair an iPhone in a repair store in New York, February 17, 2016. Reuters/Eduardo Munoz A man displays a protest message on his iPhone at a small rally in support of Apple's refusal to help the FBI access the cell phone of a gunman involved in the killings of 14 people in San Bernardino, in Santa Monica, California, United States, February 23, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson A man displays a protest message on his iPhone at a small rally in support of Apple's refusal to help the FBI access the cell phone of a gunman involved in th... Reuters/Lucy Nicholson + Pieces of an iPhone are seen on a repair store in New York, February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Pieces of an iPhone are seen on a repair store in New York, February 17, 2016. Reuters/Eduardo Munoz › Unlocking iPhone would leave millions exposed,WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Unlocking an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters would leave hundreds of millions of Apple Inc (AAPL.O) device owners vulnerable to cybercriminals and other hackers, the company's top lawyer is expected to tell U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday. In written testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee released on Monday, Apple General Counsel Bruce Sewell reiterated the tech giant's stance that the FBI's request to help access the phone "would set a dangerous precedent for government intrusion on the privacy and safety of its citizens." ADVERTISEMENT (Reporting by Dustin Volz and Susan Heavey; Editing by Eric Beech)

Over 70 feared dead in Baghdad blasts

HomeNews Over 70 feared killed, 100+ wounded in Baghdad blasts Published time: 28 Feb, 2016 14:03 Edited time: 28 Feb, 2016 17:39 Get short URL File Photo: Residents gather at the site suicide car attack at a market in Khan Bani Saad, northeast of Baghdad © Ahmed Saad File Photo: Residents gather at the site suicide car attack at a market in Khan Bani Saad, northeast of Baghdad © Ahmed Saad / Reuters 7616 Over 70 people were killed and 100 others wounded in Sadr City, a southern suburb of the Iraqi capital, as two bombs went off at a crowded market, according to Reuters. Islamic State militants claim the attack. Earlier, Alsumaria TV reported 28 fatalities. Security sources also told the channel there were several children among the victims. The explosions ripped through a market selling mobile phones in the mainly Shiite Muslim district. The assailants were suicide bombers riding motorcycles through the crowd, two police sources told Reuters. But according to AP's sources, there was a bomb planted in the market area. Just minutes after it went off and a crowd gathered at the site of the explosion, a suicide bomber blew himself up amid dozens of people. WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO Police sealed off the area of the incident. Those injured were taken to a near-by hospital. Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terror group has claimed responsibility for the deadly bombings in a statement circulated online. They love to Spill blood of Sunnis.....Now the blood of Rafidhis on Streets of Sadr City pic.twitter.com/XQAwIqabBJ — Dugma owl (@Merdsoppppp) February 28, 2016 Earlier on Sunday, Iraqi forces managed to repel an attack by ISIS on the Baghdad suburb of Abu Ghraib, officials told AP. According to police, suicide car bombers struck a security force barracks and several gunmen opened fire. At least 12 government members and 35 security forces were killed in the attack, medical officials said. The situation is currently "under control" and a local curfew has been imposed, said Major General Saad Harbiya, the commander of military operations in western Baghdad.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Former Tepco execs indicted over Fukushima nuclear disaster: media

World | Sun Feb 28, 2016 9:59pm EST Related: World A worker, wearing a protective suit and a mask, is seen from a bus near the No. 3 reactor building at Tokyo Electric Power Co's (TEPCO) tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan February 10, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai A worker, wearing a protective suit and a mask, is seen from a bus near the No. 3 reactor building at Tokyo Electric Power Co's (TEPCO) tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan February 10, 2016. Reuters/Toru Hanai Three former Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) executives were indicted on Monday for failing to take safety measures to prevent the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, a local media report said. In accordance with Japanese law, prosecutors indicted the three on charges they failed to strengthen the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant despite foreseeing the dangers of a nuclear crisis from tsunamis, Kyodo news agency reported. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Michael Perry)

1st hanging video of an Assassin: Hero of some religious zealots

https://video-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xpl1/v/t42.1790-2/12800435_741696795961634_917479874_n.mp4 Mumtaz Qadri executed at Adiala Jail Dawn.com — Updated 29 minutes ago RAWALPINDI: Mumtaz Qadri, a Punjab Police commando convicted of killing former Punjab governor Salman Taseer, was executed at the Adiala Jail early Monday morning. Related: Qadri confesses killing Taseer, says he acted alone Qadri was sentenced to death for assassinating Taseer on January 4, 2011, in Islamabad’s Kohsar Market. Qadri said he killed Taseer over the politician's vocal opposition to blasphemy laws of the country. The Supreme Court of Pakistan in October last year maintained the conviction of Mumtaz Qadri by an Anti Terrorism Court, overturning Islamabad High Court's (IHC) March 9 verdict, which had dismissed Qadri's appeal against his death sentence under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) but accepted his plea to void the Anti Terrorism Act's (ATA) Section 7.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Meet The Queer Woman Who Proved Einstein’s Theory About Gravitational Waves

"I am just myself," says Prof. Nergis Mavalvala. "But out of that comes something positive." by Dan Avery 2/15/2016 Letter of Invitation: I would be available to answer any queries regarding best suburbs to integrate socially, just to let you know 21 suburbs of South Australia which are red-flagged by Australian banks. I am happy to provide detail answers to any questions with reference to Property Investment, Subdivision, Development, Buying/ Selling Residential, Commercial, Rural Properties and Businesses. I am available in person (Tue/Thu at 1289 South Rd, St. Marys, SA 5042 12 to 5 p.m) or on cell to answer any questions, and concerns you have to decide about your Real Estate. (Cell: 0431 138 537, Email: Saqlain@Dukesrealestate.com) Click here to invest in South Australian Residential Commercial, Rural Properties, Schools & Businesses. I sell land on this Earth for as cheap as 10 cents/ Sq.M to a price equivalent to price of 2 Aussie Mangoes/ Sq.M. I hope tomorrow I will be selling and leasing Moon's Surface. (Earth is rising over the Moon's Surface), Source: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateSA5000/photos/a.899877783394135.1073741829.899009183480995/920077631374150/?l=734b9eef72 Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime—almost a century ago. But until recently there was no way to observe them. But thanks to the work of Dr. Nergis Mavalvala and her colleagues at MIT, Einstein’s theory is now a proven phenomenon. Last week, the ultrasensitive telescope her team built detected gravitational waves for the first time, created from the collision of two black holes some 1.3 billion years ago. gravitational-waves “Theoretically a consequence of violent cosmic events—the collisions of black holes, the explosive deaths of stars, or even the big bang—gravitational waves could provide a brand new lens for studying the universe,” writes Science magazine. Women are a rarity in the sciences—LGBT Pakistani women exceedingly so. But Mavalvala, 47, told Science magazine, “I don’t mind being on the fringes of any social group.” The self-described “out queer person of color” and mom to a 8-year-old says being an outsider, “you are less constrained by the rules.” getty Getty Helping with lifting some of those constraints was the MacArthur “Genius Grant” she received in 2010, which came with a $625,000 stipend. “I am just myself,” she says modestly. “But out of that comes something positive.” In the early 1990s Mavalvala, was mentored by MIT professor Rainer Weiss, who was researching gravitational waves. The difficulty in detecting these phenomena has always been screening out minute distortions. Just about anything can move the mirrors by much larger amounts: a car speeding in the distance, a seismic tremor, a clap of thunder. Even the distortion caused by the laser beam itself would need to be accounted for after the system had been shielded against all those external disturbances. “Making the mirrors stay still is something we devote a lot of attention to,” says Mavalvala. “If there is misalignment, the beam could just walk off into the desert instead of hitting its partner.” To help, she devised an automatic alignment system that was incorporated into the the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), a joint project between MIT and CalTech. CalTech MIT Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory Mavalvala came to the U.S. from Pakistan as a teen and attended Wellesley College, where she thrived in the physics department. But she didn’t come to terms with her sexual orientation until her 20s, when she found herself in love. Her girlfriend began visiting her at the lab and became part of her social life. The process was organic. “I have never had negative experiences because of this,” she says. “My work environment was very supportive.” “Some people venture into places others consider dangerous or unsavory. They are not foolish or fearless. They read a situation and have some confidence in reading it well enough, so they go there.” In coming out, she says, she looked around and took stock of her work environment. Her sexuality, she figured, would make little difference to those around her. Her instincts proved to be right. Despite her confidence and dedication, Mavalvala insists “I am not someone who is, at all, ’in your face,’… I am quite happy to go unnoticed.” It might be too late for that—she’s become something of a rock star in the science world. Even in Pakistan—no haven for LGBT people—prime minister Nawaz Sharif praised Mavalvala as a source of inspiration for Pakistani scientists and students. ========== Thu Feb 11, 2016 | 6:53 PM EST Einstein's gravitational waves detected in landmark discovery Sounds of gravitational waves as two black holes merge Einstein's gravitational waves detected in landmar.. By Will Dunham and Scott Malone WASHINGTON/CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Reuters) - Scientists for the first time have detected gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesised by Albert Einstein a century ago, in a landmark discovery announced on Thursday that opens a new window for studying the cosmos. The researchers said they identified gravitational waves coming from two distant black holes - extraordinarily dense objects whose existence also was foreseen by Einstein - that orbited one another, spiraled inward and smashed together at high speed to form a single, larger black hole. The waves were unleashed by the collision of the black holes, one of them 29 times the mass of the sun and the other 36 times the solar mass, located 1.3 billion light years from Earth, the researchers said. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves. We did it," said California Institute of Technology physicist David Reitze, triggering applause at a packed news conference in Washington. "It's been a very long road, but this is just the beginning," Louisiana State University physicist Gabriela Gonzalez told the news conference, hailing the discovery as opening a new era in astronomy. The scientific milestone was achieved using a pair of giant laser detectors in the United States, located in Louisiana and Washington state, capping a decades-long quest to find these waves. "The colliding black holes that produced these gravitational waves created a violent storm in the fabric of space and time, a storm in which time speeded up, and slowed down, and speeded up again, a storm in which the shape of space was bent in this way and that way," Caltech physicist Kip Thorne said. The scientists first detected the waves last Sept. 14. The two instruments, working in unison, are called the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). They detected remarkably small vibrations from the gravitational waves as they passed through the Earth. The scientists converted the wave signal into audio waves and listened to the sounds of the black holes merging. At the news conference, they played an audio recording of this: a low rumbling pierced by chirps. "We're actually hearing them go thump in the night," Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist Matthew Evans said. "There's a very visceral connection to this observation." 'A NEW SENSE' "We are really witnessing the opening of a new tool for doing astronomy," MIT astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala said in an interview. "We have turned on a new sense. We have been able to see and now we will be able to hear as well." While opening a door to new ways to observe the universe, scientists said gravitational waves should help them gain knowledge about enigmatic objects like black holes and neutron stars. The waves also may provide insight into the mysterious nature of the very early universe. The scientists said that because gravitational waves are so radically different from electromagnetic waves they expect them to reveal big surprises about the universe. Roni Gross, curator of the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive, points at original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravitational waves during a news conference in Jerusalem February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Markarian 231, a binary black hole found in the center of the nearest quasar host galaxy to Earth, is seen in a NASA illustration released August 27, 2015. REUTERS/NASA/Handout Reuters/NASA/Handout Dr. Kip Thorne of Caltech makes his closing remarks during a news conference to discuss the detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago, in Washington February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron Dr. Gabriela Gonzalez, spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (L) embraces Dr. Rainer Weiss (R) of MIT at a news conference to discuss the detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago, in Washington February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron Dr. Kip Thorne of Caltech (R) listens during a news conference to discuss the detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago, in Washington February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron Dr. Kip Thorne of Caltech (R) listens during a news conference to discuss the detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by physicist Albe... Reuters/Gary Cameron + Dr. Kip Thorne of Caltech listens during a news conference to discuss the detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago, in Washington February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron Dr. Rainer Weiss, emeritus professor of physics at MIT, uses a visual aide during a news conference to discuss the detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago, in Washington February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron (L-R) Doctors Gabriela Gonzalez, Rainer Weiss and Kip Thorne applaud the announcement of the detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago, in Washington February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) research optic is shown in this undated photo released by Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory on February 8, 2016. REUTERS/Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory/Handout via Reuters Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) research optic is shown in this undated photo released by Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory on February 8, 2016. Reuters/Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory/Handout via Reuters Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) technicians work on optics in this undated photo released by Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory on February 8, 2016. REUTERS/Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory/Handout via Reuters Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) technicians work on optics in this undated photo released by Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory on February 8, 2016. Reuters/Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory/Handout via Reuters An aerial photo shows Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Livingston Laboratory detector site near Livingston, Louisiana in this undated photo released by Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory on February 8, 2016. REUTERS/Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory/Handout via Reuters An aerial photo shows Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Livingston Laboratory detector site near Livingston, Louisiana in this undated photo re... Reuters/Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory/Handout via Reuters + A Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) technician performs a Large optic inspection in this undated photo released by Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory on February 8, 2016. REUTERS/Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory/Handout via Reuters A Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) technician performs a Large optic inspection in this undated photo released by Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory ... Reuters/Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory/Handout via Reuters + Roni Gross, curator of the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive, displays original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravitational waves during a news conference in Jerusalem February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Roni Gross, curator of the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive, displays original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravitat... Reuters/Ronen Zvulun + Roni Gross, curator of the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive, displays original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravitational waves during a news conference in Jerusalem February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Roni Gross, curator of the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive, displays original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravitat... Reuters/Ronen Zvulun + An exhibit is seen at the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive during a news conference where original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravitational waves were displayed in Jerusalem February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun An exhibit is seen at the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive during a news conference where original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the e... Reuters/Ronen Zvulun + Roni Gross, curator of the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive, displays original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravitational waves during a news conference in Jerusalem February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Roni Gross, curator of the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive, displays original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravitat... Reuters/Ronen Zvulun + Roni Gross, curator of the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive, points at original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravitational waves during a news conference in Jerusalem February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Roni Gross, curator of the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archive, points at original documents related to Albert Einstein's hypothesis of the existence of gravita... Reuters/Ronen Zvulun + Markarian 231, a binary black hole found in the center of the nearest quasar host galaxy to Earth, is seen in a NASA illustration released August 27, 2015. REUTERS/NASA/Handout Markarian 231, a binary black hole found in the center of the nearest quasar host galaxy to Earth, is seen in a NASA illustration released August 27, 2015. Reuters/NASA/Handout › Everything we knew until now about the cosmos stemmed from electromagnetic waves such as radio waves, visible light, infrared light, X-rays and gamma rays. Because such waves encounter interference as they travel across the universe, they can tell only part of the story. Gravitational waves experience no such barriers, meaning they offer a wealth of additional information. Black holes, for example, do not emit light, radio waves and the like, but can be studied via gravitational waves. Einstein in 1916 proposed the existence of gravitational waves as an outgrowth of his ground-breaking general theory of relativity, which depicted gravity as a distortion of space and time triggered by the presence of matter. Until now scientists had found only indirect evidence of their existence, beginning in the 1970s. Scientists sounded positively giddy over the discovery. "This is the holy grail of science," said Rochester Institute of Technology astrophysicist Carlos Lousto. "The last time anything like this happened was in 1888 when Heinrich Hertz detected the radio waves that had been predicted by James Clerk Maxwell’s field-equations of electromagnetism in 1865," added Durham University physicist Tom McLeish. Abhay Ashtekar, director of Penn State University's Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, said heavy celestial objects bend space and time but because of the relative weakness of the gravitational force the effect is miniscule except from massive and dense bodies like black holes and neutron stars. A black hole is a region of space so packed with matter that not even photons of light can escape the force of gravity. Neutron stars are small, about the size of a city, but are extremely heavy, the compact remains of a larger star that died in a supernova explosion. The National Science Foundation, an independent agency of the U.S. government, provided about $1.1 billion in funding for the research over 40 years. (Reporting by Will Dunham in Washington, Irene Klotz in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Scott Malone in Cambridge, Mass.; Editing by Tom Brown)

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Laws Made by Parliament

The Express Tribune > Business Pakistan Airways’ registration clouded in confusion By Shahbaz Rana Published: February 23, 2016 106 SHARES Share Tweet Email The company has been incorporated as a new entity under the Companies Ordinance of 1984. PHOTO: FILE The company has been incorporated as a new entity under the Companies Ordinance of 1984. PHOTO: FILE ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a dubious move, the government last week registered Pakistan Airways Limited (PAL) as a new company with an authorised capital of Rs100 billion and without taking all key stakeholders on board. The situation is so uncertain that three divisions of the federal government are unaware of PAL’s purpose when the Senate is discussing the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) Amendment Bill, insiders told The Express Tribune. Pakistan Airways registered as PIA subsidiary Interestingly, two of the divisions were involved in PAL’s registration while the third, which was supposed to be taken into confidence on the issue, was left out. “PIA’s premium service subsidiary was registered by the name of Pakistan Airways to improve the service standard and image of the national airline,” PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani announced Saturday night. However, Gilani was contradicted by the spokesperson for the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), who said PAL was not a subsidiary of the PIAC. The company has been incorporated as a new entity under the Companies Ordinance of 1984. The financial adviser hired for PIA’s privatisation and the ministerial Law Review Committee are also of the opinion that without amending the PIA Act of 1956, neither a subsidiary could be formed nor could the airline be privatised, said the sources. The government has moved the bill in parliament to amend the law because of this reason. The administration’s latest move has raised more questions about its intentions regarding privatisation of the national flag-carrier, a commitment for which it has made with the International Monetary Fund. The Pakistan Peoples Party submitted on Monday a calling attention notice in the National Assembly, seeking the government’s explanation regarding the new company. “Launch of the new public airline is a source of grave concern,” reads the notice, “and this move is highly condemnable as parliament and the people have deliberately been kept in complete darkness about this action.” So far it is unclear if PAL will be the new national airline or if the PIAC’s international routes will be shared with the new company, said a finance ministry official. Aviation Division spokesperson Sher Ali said PAL was a PIA subject and no comment could be offered at this stage about the new company’s status. Under the privatisation ordinance, administrative and policy decisions about an entity that is on the privatisation list have to be taken by the Privatisation Commission. However, the government completely ignored the body in PAL’s case, claimed the insiders. Three days after forming the company, they added, the finance ministry contacted the Privatisation Commission on Monday, asking it how PAL could be used for selling the PIAC’s stakes. What is PAL? PAL was established on February 19 and is owned by the government through the finance ministry, according to the SECP. Its first subscribers are Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood, Aviation Division Secretary Muhammad Irfan Ilahi and Finance Ministry’s Additional Secretary (Corporate) Noor Ahmad. The objectives of setting up the company have been stated as “to carry on business as an airline and air transport undertaking and to provide air transport services and services allied thereto and to carry out all other forms of aerial work, whether on charter terms or otherwise”. Govt will bring PIA at par with Qatar Airways, says PM Nawaz The second objective is “to carry on and operate air transport service or any flight by aircraft for transport of passengers’ goods of all kinds and cargo for commercial or other purposes and to carry out all forms of aerial work”. Thirdly, “to buy, own, maintain, run, sell, exchange aircraft for the transportation of passengers and cargo” and, lastly, to establish, manage and operate airline, air transportation or such business for any other country, state or agency. Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2016.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Donald Trump, An American version of Malik Riaz, they both are Real Estate Tycoons

Letter of Invitation: I would be available to answer any queries regarding best suburbs to integrate socially, just to let you know 21 suburbs of South Australia which are red-flagged by Australian banks. I am happy to provide detail answers to any questions with reference to Property Investment, Subdivision, Development, Buying/ Selling Residential, Commercial, Rural Properties and Businesses. I am available in person (Tue/Thu at 1289 South Rd, St. Marys, SA 5042 12 to 5 p.m) or on cell to answer any questions, and concerns you have to decide about your Real Estate. (Cell: 0431 138 537, Email: Saqlain@Dukesrealestate.com) Click here to invest in South Australian Residential Commercial, Rural Properties, Schools & Businesses. I sell land on this Earth for as cheap as 10 cents/ Sq.M to a price equivalent to price of 2 Aussie Mangoes/ Sq.M. I hope tomorrow I will be selling and leasing Moon's Surface. (Earth is rising over the Moon's Surface), Source: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateSA5000/photos/a.899877783394135.1073741829.899009183480995/920077631374150/?l=734b9eef72 Jeb Bush leaves Wall St establishment in the lurch | Considered View | Breakingviews
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Sunday, 21 February 2016

Return on Rubio

Jeb Bush leaves Wall St establishment in the lurch

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has dropped out of the Republican presidential race, putting an end to a candidacy that raised some $150 million and had the backing not just of the party establishment, but much of Wall Street. His withdrawal sends financial heavyweights recalculating whether there is a return to be had on backing a candidate to contest Donald Trump’s widening lead.

Bush ended his White House bid after a dismal fourth-place finish in the South Carolina presidential ballot. That wasn’t how the story was supposed to end. The moderate Republican launched his candidacy with the biggest war chest and strong backing from influential supporters. Even before declaring his candidacy, private-equity boss Henry Kravis hosted a fundraiser for his Right to Rise PAC at his Park Avenue apartment. More than 50 Goldman Sachs executives and staff sent hundreds of thousands of dollars into his campaign’s coffers.

But the former front-runner faltered in awkward debate performances and stilted stump speeches, while brash real-estate developer Trump rose in the polls. The surreal outcome has stunned the party establishment, which is now agonizing over where to throw its support. Florida Senator Marco Rubio is the natural heir as a former Bush mentee. But there have been three ballots so far and Rubio has yet to win one of them. His technical second-place finish in South Carolina barely edged out Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Cruz also continues to beat Rubio in national polls and won the Iowa ballot.

With 32.5 percent of the vote in South Carolina, Trump had a comfortable lead over both of them and he won by an ever wider margin in the New Hampshire race earlier this month. Those who backed Bush don’t want to throw away their support and money the next time around. But there’s no sure winner against Trump. If it looks like Trump will grab the nomination, some party members have contemplated sitting out the 2016 race. Privately, some say they might even opt to vote for Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, if she wins the Democratic nomination.

With every Trump win, the Republican establishment is coming closer to the conclusion that Bush reached: maybe it’s just not their year.

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Donald Trump won the Feb. 20 ballot in South Carolina on the road to the Republican presidential nomination, with 32.5 percent of the vote. Florida Senator Marco Rubio slightly edged out Texas Senator Ted Cruz for second place, with 22.5 percent of the vote compared to 22.3 percent, respectively.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, once the front-runner, came in fourth place with 7.8 percent of the ballot. Bush announced he would be suspending his White House campaign.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton won with 52.7 percent of the vote in the Nevada caucus, compared to 47.2 percent for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

The parties now switch states with the Republicans voting in Nevada on Feb. 23, and the Democrats in South Carolina on Feb. 27.

BHP Billiton, Fortescue Metals, Wesfarmers and Woolworths all reporting well as profit season wraps up

By finance reporter Stephen Letts Updated about 5 hours ago Related Story: Santos plunges to $2.7b loss, Sims crushed but Iluka returns to profit Related Story: Medibank profit rises but dividend falls Map: Australia Results from the big end of resources and retail dominate this week with BHP Billiton, Fortescue Metals, Wesfarmers and Woolworths all reporting and pretty well wrapping up the profit season. It has been a case of so far, not so bad, even quite good. At roughly half time, with 47 per cent of companies comprising 61 per cent of market capitalisation having posted results, Citi's Quantitative Research team has the scoreboard reading 30 per cent beating earnings forecasts, 26 per cent below and 44 per cent in line. AMP Capital's Shane Oliver has the score at 54 per cent beating expectations, with 68 per cent of companies reporting higher profits on a year ago — against the long-term average of 62 per cent — and 69 per cent raising dividends. "Company guidance has had a slight positive skew," Mr Oliver said. "The better-than-feared nature of the results to date has been reflected in 66 per cent of stocks seeing their share price outperform the market the day results were released." There is a caveat though; there is still a way to go and good results have a habit of coming out early in the reporting season. Resources: BHP Billiton (Tuesday), Fortescue (Wednesday) and South 32 (Thursday) BHP Billiton's result will not be pretty; expect net profit to be down at least 80 per cent on last year's interim profit of almost $US5 billion. The $US7 billion charge to US onshore oil and gas assets has been well ventilated, after BHP lowered its short and medium-term oil prices. BHP conducts a bi-annual review of its asset values and it begs the question whether any other nasties will pop up in the result. Morgan Stanley resources team — which recently upgraded BHP to a buy — said there was some potential for further impairment, although probably at the more modest end of the scale. That is, of course, unless BHP capitulates on its commodity price assumptions, in which case investors better put on their hard hats. The other big news will be the seeming inevitability of the shrinking Big Australian cutting its progressive dividend policy. Deutsche Bank argued in a note to clients BHP will pull both the capex and dividend levers to maintain its A credit rating. "It [BHP] can cut financial year capex to a reasonable $US5.5 to $6 billion — current guidance is $US7 billion — and cut the progressive dividend by 50 per cent or $US3 billion," Deutsche Bank said. The broker said BHP could cut even deeper into capex — by another $1.5 billion — but argued that it would just damage the business. "Cutting the dividend, in theory, does not change the fundamental value of the company, it is simply an allocation of cash," Deutsche Bank noted in maintaining its valuation of BHP at $20.27 a share. "However, we think it would improve BHP's ability to make value accretive buybacks or pursue M&A [mergers and acquisitions] in oil and copper at this low point in the cycle." Deutsche Bank is looking beyond the profit number — and dividend cut — in the results focusing instead on management's strategy to lift growth and returns. BHP's smaller Pilbara neighbour Fortescue Metals Group has been punished like all the iron-ore miners, but its recent second quarter results showed an improvement, at least in an operational sense. It cut cash costs and the capex budget, improved its mining efficiency and the quality of its product, all of which has boosted margins and moved Fortescue break even costs down to around $30 a tonne. Net profit may even rise to around $400 million, which would be a pretty good effort in the current environment. South 32 — the BHP spin-off of second tier assets — reports as well in what has so far been a short and less-than-prosperous corporate life. Nothing to get excited about here — expect more talk of ripping costs out and there is potential for impairment charges to make for a pretty grim result. Infographic: Share price response relative to market on day of results (Source: AMP Capital) Retail: Wesfarmers (Wednesday), Woolworths (Friday) and Harvey Norman (Friday) Sales growth for all the big supermarket chains is less than thrilling as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi duke it out in a bare-knuckled price fight. Morgan Stanley has been studying the checkouts and found Coles and Woolworths have cut prices by around 4.6 per cent, and Aldi by 1.2 per cent — so in relative terms, not much has changed. "Industry data indicates supermarkets are doing it tougher … supermarkets industry sales growth has slowed to just 2.5 per cent while food inflation in supermarket products has turned negative," Morgan Stanley noted. As the supermarket space race continues — floor space growing at around 4 per cent a year — the immediate outlook is certainly challenging. Wesfarmers is expected to deliver a first half profit a tad under $1.4 billion, or roughly what it produced this time last year. Food and Liquor sales should be growing by a respectable 3.5 per cent, while Bunnings will be good for another 7 per cent or so growth. Wesfarmers' coal operations — as opposed to Coles operation — will be a black spot and drag things down a bit. Woolworths set its first half profit guidance of $900 million to $1 million back in October and has stuck by it ever since. Most brokers are going for the lower end of the range which would represent a 30-per-cent drop on the previous corresponding period. Credit Suisse has forecast zero like-for-like sales growth for Woolworths in food and liquor for the second quarter, which is hardly laying them in the aisles. Credit Suisse also forecasts a considerable contraction in margins, which is unlikely to be appreciated in the investor community. As well, the home improvement business — Masters — will most likely be booked in as a discontinued operation, incurring a rather nasty impairment charge in the numbers. Harvey Norman, on the other hand, seems to be sailing along quite happily, driven by the strong tailwinds from the housing sector. Executive chairman Gerry Harvey does not provide guidance but a half-year profit of around $170 million — up from $138 million last year — on sales growth of 7 per cent is a reasonable punt. Qantas (Tuesday): Qantas is popular tip amongst brokers to produce a pleasant first-half surprise with a profit of around $920 million, at the top end of its guidance range. Whatever the number, the carrier will certainly gain altitude from last year's $200 million profit and the $235 million loss back in 2014. Sydney Airport traffic statistics certainly point to a strong results and international growth and tumbling fuel prices are doing their bit as well. QBE (Tuesday): The consensus view is the globally focused insurer QBE will roll out full-year profit of $US850 million, which would be up on last year's $US821 million. But as always with insurers, there are many complicated and messy bits that make up the bottom line. So far the domestic insurers — Suncorp and IAG — have suffered from poor investment returns as much as natural disasters. Mark-to-market downgrades on asset values could drag down the second half performance while policy renewals may be weaker than expected. Will wage growth and capex crawl off the mat? The week's economic highlights will be two of the domestic economy's lowlights: wages and private capital expenditure. While employment has remained solid, wages and capex have been missing links in non-mining business indicators pointing a broadly robust economy. Capex and the associated expectations survey, due Thursday, have been variously described in previous quarters as appalling, dismal and recessionary. The forecast this time around is for a 1-per-cent contraction, which does not sound great but means things are getting worse at a slower rate than the 9-per-cent fall in December. Wages growth while not dismal, could be described more accurately as flat to moribund at 2.3 per cent year-on-year. It probably will not get worse, but don't expect it to get better in the short-term at least. Overseas, things are quiet. US GDP growth is likely to revised down again, from the current estimate of 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent. Unofficial reading of manufacturing activity in the US, Europe and Japan will be released as well and all are expected to show expanding — if not thriving — activity. Australia Day Notes Wednesday 24/2/16 Wage price index Construction work Q4: Wage growth insipid, around 2.3 per cent year-on-year Q4: Down 4 per cent in last quarter, likely to be flat Thursday 25/2/16 Capex Q4: Has been at recessionary levels, couldn't get much worse, could it? Friday 26/2/16 Private sector credit Jan: Has been solid plus 6 per cent year-on-year Corporate Day Notes Monday 22/2/16 Bluescope Steel Brambles Int: Could be a positive surprise driven by cost-cutting Int: A solid first half profit of $US300m forecast Tuesday 23/2/16 BHP Caltex Oil Search Qantas QBE Int: The focus will be on the dividend FY: Profit should rise strongly, dividends up too? FY: PNG growth makes it one of the least bad oil plays. Profit could rise 50 per cent Int: A half-year profit above $900m expected FY: Flatish profit of around $US850m Wednesday 24/2/16 Asciano Flight Centre Fortescue Wesfarmers Worley Parsons Int: Focus will be on the takeover offer from Qube Int: Should be a solid result Int: Cost-cutting and efficiency could make it a not so bad result Int: A $1.4-billion profit will be solid, but flat. Int: Servicing the gas and mining industry means a significant drop in profit is on the cards. Thursday 25/2/16 Crown Entertainment Perpetual South 32 Int: Profit likely to be dragged down by Macau Int: Probably a flat profit of around $60m Int: Not pretty, more cost cutting Friday 26/2/16 Harvey Norman Woolworths Int: Going OK, profit of around $170m tipped Int: Going backwards, profit below $1bn Overseas Day Notes Monday 22/2/16 US, EU, JP: PMIs Feb: Markit's series on manufacturing activity, all expected to be expanding Tuesday 23/2/16 US: Home prices US: Existing home sales Dec: CaseShiller series, up around 6 per cent year-on-year Jan: Robust, up 15 per cent in December Wednesday 24/2/16 US: New home sales Jan: Up 11 per cent in December, may be lower this time Thursday 25/2/16 US: Durable goods orders EU: Inflation Jan: A measure of business investment. Dropped in December Jan: Stubbornly low, 0.4 per cent forecast Friday 26/2/16 US: Economic growth Q4: Forecast to drop from 0.7 per cent yoy. Not brilliant From other news sites:

Twin bomb blasts kill 25 in Syria's Homs: monitoring group

| Sun Feb 21, 2016 3:49am EST Related: World BEIRUT At least 25 people were killed in twin car bomb blasts that hit the Syrian city of Homs on Sunday, a monitoring group said, with state media confirming the deadly attacks. At least 100 others were wounded by the explosions in the city center's Zahra district, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. State television put the death toll at 14 people with 29 wounded. Pro-Damascus channel al-Ikhbariya showed footage of damaged shop fronts, debris littering the streets, wounded people and charred or burning cars. Related Coverage › Death toll in Homs bombings reaches 46: Syrian Observatory for Human Rights A bomb attack claimed by Islamic State last month in Homs in the west of the country killed at least 24 people, the city's governor said at the time, as government forces took back some Islamic State-held villages in Aleppo province in the north. Sunday's attacks also came a day after government advances against Islamic State. There was no immediate claim from the group, however. Another bomb attack in December which killed 32 people took place following a ceasefire deal that paved the way for the government to take over the last rebel-controlled area of the city, which was a center of the 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. (Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Alison Williams)

Property hotspots: Regional areas to watch

Letter of Invitation: I would be available to answer any queries regarding best suburbs to integrate socially, just to let you know 21 suburbs of South Australia which are red-flagged by Australian banks. I am happy to provide detail answers to any questions with reference to Property Investment, Subdivision, Development, Buying/ Selling Residential, Commercial, Rural Properties and Businesses. I am available in person (Tue/Thu at 1289 South Rd, St. Marys, SA 5042 12 to 5 p.m) or on cell to answer any questions, and concerns you have to decide about your Real Estate. (Cell: 0431 138 537, Email: Saqlain@Dukesrealestate.com) Click here to invest in South Australian Residential Commercial, Rural Properties, Schools & Businesses. I sell land on this Earth for as cheap as 10 cents/ Sq.M to a price equivalent to price of 2 Aussie Mangoes/ Sq.M. I hope tomorrow I will be selling and leasing Moon's Surface. (Earth is rising over the Moon's Surface), Source: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateSA5000/photos/a.899877783394135.1073741829.899009183480995/920077631374150/?l=734b9eef72 ======= Property hotspots: Regional areas to watch Danielle Cahill by Danielle Cahill 16 Feb 2016  Buying, Investing, Market data, Regional, Regional Investment Property Property hotspots may be associated with escalating prices and auctions in capital cities, but regional areas aren’t immune to movements in the market. An analysis of data from realestate.com.au shows that there are some towns where active listings have dramatically risen in the past twelve months, in some places by over 300%. Top 10 regional towns for sellers Property data from realestate.com.au from January 2015 to January 2016 shows which parts of regional Australia are really taking off. As the list only includes towns and suburbs located at least 100kms from a capital city that had at least 20 sales, regional areas in the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory did not meet the search criteria. MilduraRegional areas are seeing high turnover rates. Best growth suburbs: Beyond 50km of the city So what does this data show us? New developments can boost activity in regional centres just as much as city areas. “ For investors as well, you can buy a home at say the $360,000 and still get good rent. In Huntly in Victoria for example, new housing development has helped attract young families to the area located outside Bendigo. Where as in Barandunda in Victoria, the recent arrival of a retirement village in the area has attracted retirees and downsizers to an area not far from Wodonga. Regional area Increase in active listings (%) Median sold price (All houses) 1. Barandunda, VIC 315% $329,000 2. Dundowran, QLD 143% $390,000 3. Huntly, VIC 138% $359,000 4. Jones Hill, QLD 131% $354,000 5. Heddon Greta, NSW 123% $400,000 6. Marbelup, WA 121% Data unavailable 7. Ashfield, QLD 104% $404,000 8. Cooma, NSW 89% $250,000 9. Dongara, WA 89% $358,000 10. Newton, QLD 80% $320,000 Family-orientated community Baranduda has seen a 315% increase in active listing in the past 12 months mainly due to the area’s proximity to town and the community lifestyle it offers, according to sales professional Lexley Sewell from First National Real Estate – Bonnici & Associates. 35 Whiteley Circuit BarandudaThis four-bedroom home in Baranduda is currently on the market with a guide price of $399,000. Market matters: Commercial investors flock to regional Australia “In ten minutes you are in town (Wodonga) and it’s still growing. It also has got bigger blocks,” she says. “It’s a nice family-orientated area that’s quiet.” “It’s (Baranduda) been quite attractive to retired people as well. Someone can come off the farm and they don’t have to be eave to eave (with neighbours).” Hot stuff: Regional offices in vogue Blocks in Baranduda are typically 1,000 sqm and the country lifestyle appeals to many buyers in the area. Investors can also get great returns. “For investors as well, you can buy a home at say the $360,000 mark and still get good rent (returns),” she says. Prices remain constant compared to big city price fluctuations and many who buy in the area end up staying. Re-drawing the map in Huntly HuntlyThis four-bedroom Huntly property was on the market with a guide price of $449,000, but is now under contract. In Huntly near Bendigo, new homes have created new streets and properties which accounts for the rise in listings in the last twelve months according to Steve Timperley sales agent with Barry Plant – Bendigo. “It’s (Huntly) an old area really, only recently it has become a new home area in Bendigo,” he says. “If you were to Google the streets in Huntly, you’d find some of them just a few years ago, didn’t exist,” he says. “ Everything is booming north of Bendigo. “It’s mostly house and land packages for first home owners. Some people can get in (to the market) for $260,000-$270,000 for 16-17 sqm houses,” he says. Timperley says the affordable housing on offer in the area will, with time, drive prices up. “Demand will stay strong and prices will rise, but it’ll always be cheaper here than in Bendigo proper,” he says. “Everything is booming north of Bendigo,” he says. State-by-state: South Australia 394 Jenkins Avenue Whyalla Jenkins This house in Whyalla Jenkins is currently on the market with a guide price of $279,000. Regional area Increase in active listings (%) Median sold price (All houses) 1. Whyalla Jenkins 50 % $283, 000 2. Whyalla Playford 43% $215, 000 3. Baudin Beach 40% Data unavailable State-by-state: Victoria 2 Curnows Way Strathfieldsaye VicThis Strathfieldsaye home is currently on the market with a guide price of $$20-450,000. Regional area Increase in active listings (%) Median sold price (All houses) 1. Barandunda 315% $329, 000 2. Huntly 138% $359, 000 3. Strathfieldsaye 58% $412, 000 State-by-state: New South Wales 8a Ashton Dr Heddon Greta NSWThis Heddon Greta property is currently on the market with a guide price of $375, 000. Regional area Increase in active listings (%) Median sold price (All houses) 1.Heddon Greta 123% $400,000 2. Cooma 89% $250,000 3. Chisholm 78% $537, 000 State-by-state: Queensland 24 Manchester Court Dundowran Qld This Dundowran home was on the market for $409,000 but is now under contract. Regional area Increase in active listings (%) Median sold price (All houses) 1. Dundowran 143% $390,000 2. Jones Hill 131% $354,000 3. Ashfield 104% $404, 000 State-by-state: Tasmania Regional area Increase in active listings (%) Median sold price (All houses) 1. Elizabeth Town 57% Data unavailable 2. Prospect Vale 50% $323,000 3. Forth 41% Data unavailable

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Lubricants Sales Executive for ENOC

Letter of Invitation: I would be available to answer any queries regarding best suburbs to integrate socially, just to let you know 21 suburbs of South Australia which are red-flagged by Australian banks. I am happy to provide detail answers to any questions with reference to Property Investment, Subdivision, Development, Buying/ Selling Residential, Commercial, Rural Properties and Businesses. I am available in person (Tue/Thu at 1289 South Rd, St. Marys, SA 5042 12 to 5 p.m) or on cell to answer any questions, and concerns you have to decide about your Real Estate. (Cell: 0431 138 537, Email: Saqlain@Dukesrealestate.com) Click here to invest in South Australian Residential Commercial, Rural Properties, Schools & Businesses. I sell land on this Earth for as cheap as 10 cents/ Sq.M to a price equivalent to price of 2 Aussie Mangoes/ Sq.M. I hope tomorrow I will be selling and leasing Moon's Surface. (Earth is rising over the Moon's Surface), Source: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateSA5000/photos/a.899877783394135.1073741829.899009183480995/920077631374150/?l=734b9eef72 Recommend customer credit limits for approval by EL Credit Review hierarchy. Collect monthly outstanding from customers. Ensure that sales are in line with approved credit terms. Receive and verifies invoices and ensures timely delivery to customers. Collect payment, verify amount received against actual outstanding and pass payments to Procurement Analyst. Ensure that payments are within approved credit terms. Prepare sales call reports on customer visits Update Customer Visit database everyday. Maintain up to date customer files within central office filling system. Note: In addition to the foregoing, the job holder may be required to perform other tasks from time to time. Principal Accountabilities Achieve set sales levels of Lubricants marketed by EPPCO through regular / planned visits to customers and prospects. Call on existing and prospective customers to determine their needs and attempt to satisfy these needs through the profitable sale of branded lubricants. Ensure customers are satisfied with product performance and service. Maintain professional relationships Recommend selling prices. Make business proposal offers against received inquiries by offering appropriate branded lubricant products and prices. Obtain information from customers on required product / package, estimated consumption, delivery point, competitors prices Prepare project survey on proposed investments. Meet customers and discuss their requirements; inspected site, determine required loan equipment, obtain from supplier the costs involved, calculate payout period / rate of return to justify the investment and submit recommendation to ENOC/Caltex Lubricants Manager Retail - UAE. Check that the loaned equipment is being kept in good serviceable condition Job Purpose To achieve annual budgeted sales, contribution and financial targets from the sale of Lubricants brands marketed by EPPCO Lubricants. Skills Minimum Requirements General Skills and competency Professional education in mechanical or chemical engineering or relevant science, a business / marketing degree would be of benefit. Valid UAE light vehicle-driving license. Very good knowledge of spoken and written English. Knowledge of spoken and written Arabic is an advantage. PC literate - knowledge of MS Office software - Excel, Word, PowerPoint. 3-5 years' business to business selling experience - preferably in the lubricants market but not essential. Specific Skills and competency Selling skills Market and competitive research Time and territory management Account management Relationship management Negotiation skills Lubricants product knowledge Financial management Customer focus Education Chemical / Mechanical Job Details Ref.: JB3442635 Job Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Company Industry: Lubricants/Greases Blending; Oil/Gas Company Type: Employer (Public Sector) Job Role: Sales Employment Status: Full time Employment Type: Employee Monthly Salary Range: $4,000 - $5,000 Number of Vacancies: 1 Preferred Candidate Career Level: Mid Career Years of Experience: Min: 3 Residence Location: Unspecified Gender: Male Nationality: Unspecified Degree: Bachelor's degree / higher diploma Follow This Company About This Company ENOC is effectively wholly owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (“ICD”), an entity wholly owned by the Government of Dubai. The company was incorporated with limited liability in the Emirate of Dubai in April 1993 and has its headquarter in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Since its establishment in 1993, ENOC has made significant progress in meeting its overall objectives and currently predicates in an increasingly broad range of business ventures. ENOC owns directly and indirectly 31 subsidiaries and joint ventures. ENOC operates through four business segments namely: • Supply, Trading & Processing - condensate and gas processing and oil trading • Terminals - Storage for various petroleum and chemical products • Marketing - Marketing of aviation fuel, lubes, chemicals and industrials products • Retail - Retailing fuel and non-fuel services at retail stations ENOC provides the energy behind Dubai’s phenomenal growth. It touches almost every facet of the Emirate’s development and puts its name firmly on the overseas arena. Responsible, reliable, innovative and progressive, ENOC is the ‘Energy Partner of Choice’. From the shores of the Emirates to the Far East, Europe, and Africa, ENOC is now actively pursuing further global expansion. Today ENOC is poised to engage in a new and challenging period of future growth and diversification.

Will Chinese Investors Stop Buying Aussie Real Estate?

Letter of Invitation: I would be available to answer any queries regarding best suburbs to integrate socially, just to let you know 21 suburbs of South Australia which are red-flagged by Australian banks. I am happy to provide detail answers to any questions with reference to Property Investment, Subdivision, Development, Buying/ Selling Residential, Commercial, Rural Properties and Businesses. I am available in person (Tue/Thu at 1289 South Rd, St. Marys, SA 5042 12 to 5 p.m) or on cell to answer any questions, and concerns you have to decide about your Real Estate. (Cell: 0431 138 537, Email: Saqlain@Dukesrealestate.com) Click here to invest in South Australian Residential Commercial, Rural Properties, Schools & Businesses. I sell land on this Earth for as cheap as 10 cents/ Sq.M to a price equivalent to price of 2 Aussie Mangoes/ Sq.M. I hope tomorrow I will be selling and leasing Moon's Surface. (Earth is rising over the Moon's Surface), Source: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateSA5000/photos/a.899877783394135.1073741829.899009183480995/920077631374150/?l=734b9eef72 ====================== By Harje Ronngard 21/01/2016 Housing Market One of the biggest investors into Australian assets is China. It’s not just infant formula that China is demanding. Newly rich Chinese are eager to increase their wealth by means of Australia property. The Chinese government has been encouraging citizens to invest in stocks, bonds and real estate overseas. Why would they want citizens to invest overseas? It could be seen as an indirect way to control spending. Let me explain, too much spending is bad, as it creates inflation. One way a country can reduce inflation is for the central bank to increase interest rates. Now China doesn’t want to do this because it could reduce the growth of their economy. China wants to keep inflation high, but manageable. Therefore the Chinese government have come up with an easier way to reduce inflation. They told Chinese citizens to invest overseas. This was the government’s view early last year. My guess is that there were no drastic signs of the Chinese economy slowing, so no reason to encourage spending. There were concerns of an inflated housing market in China. Yet things seemed manageable, as China told citizens to focus stock market to create their fortunes. China also seemed to be handling the economic transition from an industrial one to a consumerist one. Yet now China is forcing citizens to spend less abroad. The government has decided to limit capital leaving the country. And Chinese banks have responded, starting to block some foreign transactions. Why has China done this? Because of economic turmoil. The situation in China isn’t as bad as some think. But economic growth is declining. The Shanghai Composite [SHA:000001] is dropping daily. Signs could be interpreted at unstable. Well unstable if you want to maintain 6%-7% GDP growth. Will this affect our property market? Australian property prices are higher than ever. The graph below shows the increase in property prices over 20 years. Aus property Market Finch Source: Finch rating Its obvious Australian real state is increasing faster than the rest. This could be just one reason why Chinese investors like Australian real estate. They don’t have to wait a number of years to make reasonable returns. But wont Aussie property underperform if Chinese investment is expected to decrease? Developers can’t pass up a good investment Chinese residential developer, Aqualand, will shortly begin a $1billion apartment pipeline. The company has already submitted plans for a residential complex, consist of nearly 12,000 units. And these are just the new projects. Aqualand is already building 46 luxury units with Sydney waterfront views. And they aren’t the only ones. Some of China’s richest government backed corporations are all in on Australian property.
Nerida Conisbee leads the research team at the international realtors Colliers. She believes ‘China now dominates in terms of investment into real estate.’ She also referred to Australian property returns being too good to pass up. ‘I think it just comes down to their investment metrics and perhaps the comparison of returns elsewhere’ she said.
And Australia real estate has had a major boost form Chinese investors in a relatively short period of time. China only committed $2.3 billion into Australia real estate as of 2010. But today, Chinese invests as much as $12.4 billion into Australia’s property sector. That is more than double the amount invested into mining. Why would developers look anywhere else than Australia. We have clean air and good schools. Chinese developers can’t pass up on such a good investment. If you’re interested in investing in property it’s worth checking out Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) first. REITs are companies that own income-producing real estate. The property held by these companies ranges from office apartments to residential homes. The advantage to REITs is you can buy into their property investments by buying their shares. And because they are shares, they usually have liquidity. This is a huge advantage over physical property which doesn’t have immediate buyers and sellers. But not only are they liquid, REITs can also provide good returns. Last year S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT [ASX:XPJ] increased 5.32% (blue line). In the same time the S&P/ASX 200 [ASX:XPJ] dropped 1.83% (red line). If we compare both, REITs is the clear winner. By holding REITs investors can exposed themselves to property risk. With this added exposure, an investor’s portfolio can be well diversified. And being diversified means offsetting risk, that which resides in the equity market. Keeping this in mind could help your portfolio returns in the long run. PS: REITs can let investors enjoy the returns of the Australian property market without having to own property. REITs might be one thing that could boost your wealth for retirement. But you can’t rely on just one. According to Money Morning’s Publisher Kris Sayce, there are 5 things you can do to boost your retirement pot. ASX XJO Google finance Source: Google finance Härje Ronngard, Junior Analyst, Money Morning Kris has close to 20 years’ experience in analysing stocks. His experience ranges from brokerage houses to leading wealth management firm. But Kris has found his home at Port Philip Publishing. Kris understands that investing your money isn’t easy, especially in a declining market. In Kris’s report he will tell you the most important determining factor relating to the size of your retirement pot. Kris will also show you how to ensure financial security in just five ways. To get your free copy today, click here. ============================================================ • Financial instruments such as BG,SBLC,POF available for lease - 1 Update Financial instruments such as BG,SBLC,POF available for lease ryanjamesontechnical10@gmail.com: Feb 19 06:09PM -0800 Hello Everyone, We have in place a client friendly offer for delivery of bank instrument to our clients. We charge low fees and provider delivers MT799 Pre-advice without upfront fees. All options are left open in discussion to assist in successful completion of transaction. Please get in touch with me if interested in our offer for further discussions. Our delivery terms are clearly stated below. BANK INSTRUMENT PARTICULARS Instruments: Fully Cash Backed/Bank Guarantee (Standard ICC format) Age: Fresh Cut Interest Rate: ZeroCoupon Term: One (1) years and One (1) day Currency: USD Bank Menu: Top WEB Amount: As Advised by Beneficiary Initial Deposit: Applies with Value of Instrument Needed Invoice Price: Four (4%) Percent of the Face Value less the Initial Deposit Paid Intermediary Fees: One Percent (1%) of Face Value payable by Beneficiary Tranches:As per agreed tranches schedule Delivery: Isuing Bank sends pre-advice via SWIFT MT-799, instrument is then sent via SWIFT MT-760. Hard copy of Instrument will be delivered to Beneficiary's Bank via Bank Bonded courier within 7 banking days after receipt and authentication of payment. Payment: Within 21banking days after receipt and authentication of SWIFT MT-760, Beneficiaries Bank will release payment to Providers Bank via SWIFT MT-103 in accordance with terms and conditions in this agreement. ==================================== May 23 2016 at 12:43 PM Updated May 23 2016 at 6:25 PM Save article Print Reprints & permissions Property developers risk $100,000 loss per apartment as default risk builds Share via Email Share on Google Plus Post on facebook wall Share on twitter Post to Linkedin Share on Reddit The Secret Agent's Paul Osborne said developers who have settlements due in the next 18 months are worried. The Secret Agent's Paul Osborne said developers who have settlements due in the next 18 months are worried. Jesse Marlow Share on twitter Share on Google Plus by Larry Schlesinger As market conditions get tougher and tougher for high-rise developers, a new report warns they could lose more than $100,000 per apartment if a buyer defaults on their purchase. The report, by buyer advocates Secret Agent, comes as Macquarie Bank tightened lending to high-rise apartment buyers across 120 post codes and follows the major banks' pullback from lending to foreign buyers amid concerns of an over-supply of apartments in places such as the Melbourne CBD and Docklands. Default rates remain relatively low, typically between 1 and 5 per cent per project, but could rise as a record number of new apartments settle over the next two years. Using the hypothetical example of a Chinese buyer who defaults on their $714,000 off-the-plan purchase of a typical two-bedroom Melbourne CBD apartment, Secret Agent calculated the loss at over $100,000, once professional fees and commissions had been paid and after the 10 per cent deposit had been recouped. Impact of a default on a typical CBD apartment Impact of a default on a typical CBD apartment The main reason for this loss is the lower price the developer would get in the secondary market where the apartment would have to be re-sold. Secret Agent calculated that apartment values were 19 per cent lower in this market based on average sale over the past three months. Increased anxiety "The development space in inner Melbourne and Sydney is set to be severely challenged," Secret Agent director Paul Osborne said. "Conversations between Secret Agent and various developers over the past month have revealed their increasing anxiety about potential settlement issues. "These developers, who have settlements due in the next 18 months, are worried that many of their apartments may not be able to settle due to the restrictions placed on foreign buyers by local banks. This is likely to have substantial implications." Darkening the scenario further will be the new 7 per cent stamp duty levy imposed in Victoria on foreign buyers from July 1, adding tens of thousands of dollars to purchase prices. But Andrew Leoncelli, head of residential projects at CBRE, called the modelling "doomsday at best". "We have had practically no defaults from international buyers over the past 10 years. The international purchasers we deal with are very savvy and are targeting opportunities here for three key reasons: migration, capital preservation and education," Mr Leoncelli said. "We would estimate that 90 per cent of the offshore buyers we deal with are well above middle-class and have significant means at their disposal." Jamie Kay, a director at Melbourne-based project marketers Oliver Hume, said the industry needed to find ways to "reduce risk and reduce the scale of the peaks and troughs that we experience in a cyclical market". "There should be the capacity to move deposits up and down in a wider band [above 10 per cent], as is already the case in Queensland," Mr Kay said. Figures from market researchers CoreLogic show the number of new apartments due to settle over the next two years have hit record highs in Australia's capitals, raising the risk that some buyers will not make good on their purchases. Read more: http://www.afr.com/real-estate/property-developers-risk-100000-loss-per-apartment-as-default-risk-builds-20160520-gozpaw#ixzz49XlzYgpv Follow us: @FinancialReview on Twitter | financialreview on Facebook ================================================================= Building a new home the cheaper option in Sydney, Melbourne: analysis 30 Shares Post Author May 16, 2016 Jennifer Duke House prices drop in most capital cities Domain Group quarterly data points to softening property markets across the country. •First-home buyers dreams dashed as Sydney land prices jump $100,000 in a year: UDIA Homebuyers balking at the cost of a median priced house in Sydney and Melbourne could consider building a new home to save themselves thousands of dollars, an analysis of property costs shows. Taking into account median prices, stamp duty, grants available and build costs analysis found the cost of building close to $360,000 cheaper in Sydney and about $200,000 cheaper in Melbourne, Finder.com.au money expert Bessie Hassan said. Building a new home from scratch might be a way to save thousands of dollars on your first home. Building a new home from scratch might be a way to save thousands of dollars on your first home. Photo: Louie Douvis “Construction costs appear to be higher in Brisbane and Perth,” Ms Hassan said. But buying new in Sydney and Melbourne may also offer a long-term financial incentive. “Buying a property also means you will pay less in maintenance expenses which may outweigh the ‘premium’ price tag that you may pay initially,” she said. There’s just one significant obstacle. While on paper the strategy appears to be cheaper, Wakelin Property Advisory associate director Jarrod McCabe warned home buyers and investors from becoming “too excited by this strategy”. “The main reason to be wary of this approach is availability. It is very hard to find vacant land in established suburbs and you will most likely find yourself travelling towards our cities’ fringes in order to find any,” he said. “Once you come closer to the city, land values are generally too high to make the economics work unless you’re an experienced builder [or] developer.” Established properties are often located in areas with amenity, which is why they are more desirable and thus attract a premium, while new houses are typically not, he said. Sydneysiders in particular will need to look much further from the CBD for vacant land options, WBP Property Group executive chairman Greville Pabst said. Blocks of land in Sydney’s Box Hill, 45 kilometres from the CBD, are priced from $390,000 for 300 square metres. “A buyer that is looking at a new development is likely to be pushed to the outer suburbs and they should ask themselves whether this aligns with their lifestyle,” Mr Pabst said. And while comparatively it appears more affordable to buy a block of land and build, land also soared in value during the property boom. Land blocks jumped $100,000 in the past 12 months in Sydney, the Urban Development Industry Australia’s (UDIA) 2016 State of the Land report found. In Melbourne, land prices increased by less than $10,000 over the same period. “The biggest contributor to the lack of affordable housing in Australia is the tax on new housing and apartments, which necessitates a high selling price,” UDIA national president Michael Corcoran said. “The most taxed product in Australia [other than cigarettes] is a new home or apartment, more than 40 per cent of the cost of a new dwelling is tax,” he said. Pros and cons of building versus buying Buying pros – Renovation potential: You can customise the layout and aesthetics of the property to suit your lifestyle and personal tastes. – Capital growth: The ability to build and upgrade an existing property can help you achieve capital growth through price appreciation over time. – Negotiating power: Assuming that you purchase an existing property to renovate, this can give you better negotiating power when determining the sales price or settlement terms. Buying cons – Time and emotional investment: You shouldn’t underestimate the time and emotional investment required to finish a renovation project. Additionally, people often don’t account for the disruption factor. Building pros – Low maintenance: If you purchase a new property, you won’t need to fork out for ongoing repairs and maintenance costs. – Government incentives: There are stamp duty concessions and grants available for first home owner grants when buying off the plan which could significantly reduce your upfront and ongoing costs. Building cons – Limited value-adding potential: There is little opportunity to add value to the property once you’ve purchased it so it may take longer to achieve capital growth. – Greater market risk: New properties are generally the first to see price declines when the market softens, while established properties will either maintain their price value or experience a minimal adjustment. Source: Bessie Hassan, Finder.com.au Domain Home Price Guide Find out what your property's worth Find out now! WE RECOMMEND The humble suburbs named hotspots 79pc dump property if negative gearing ditched First-home buying woes: The debt holding Gen Y back $100,000 Two wills, two wives: bitter fight over Mike Smith's $2m estate Sydney Morning Herald Executive rents tumble: Tamarama leads nation with 40pc annual fall AFR Recommended by Explore a suburb  We recommend Melbourne's fastest selling suburbs for houses and units Investors surge back into property market as election looms What does $20 million buy in the shire? House of the Week: Deserves a medal Eight tips to tackle a budget apartment renovation How celebrity designers are drawing the buyers ========================================================= May 27 2016 at 11:45 PM Updated May 27 2016 at 11:45 PM Save article Print Reprints & permissions Risk and fear rise as failed apartment deals reach $5b Share via Email Share on Google Plus Post on facebook wall Share on twitter Post to Linkedin Share on Reddit The $3 billion Perth City Link project occupies a massive 13.5 hectare site. The $3 billion Perth City Link project occupies a massive 13.5 hectare site. Supplied Share on twitter Share on Google Plus by Matthew Cranston Almost $5 billion worth of failed residential development deals this week and a growing number of apartments being sold at a loss is raising the levels of risk and fear in the property industry. Apartments in Melbourne are selling for as much as 24 per cent less than their owners paid for them. And some of the country's biggest builders and residential developers are turning their backs on billions worth of contracts because the numbers no longer add up. AFR Weekend can report that in Brisbane, where there are jitters about an apartment oversupply next quarter, the offshore backed PDS Australia's proposed $1 billion apartment project at 545 Queen Street is on tenterhooks. Knight Frank have been appointed to on-sell the property that PDS bought for $82 million last year from GPT's wholesale office fund. Price reductions on Melbourne city apartments Price reductions on Melbourne city apartments This comes after developer Mirvac and Western Australia's Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority terminated an agreement on Tuesday for the $3 billion Perth City Link precinct, where there were expected to be 1200 dwellings built. In Sydney on Monday, media-shy construction giant Brookfield Multiplex ditched its contract to build Sydney's tallest residential tower – the Greenland City Centre – being developed by China's largest state-backed real estate group, Greenland. The $700 million, 235-metre tower had seen almost all its apartments sold off the plan. Industry sources said Brookfield had been through 97 iterations of how to make the project work before giving up. One of the country's leading property planning experts Urbis's regional director Peter Hyland says the risk is starting to become more apparent. "I think a lot of people are more cautious now and sensibly so," Mr Hyland said. "People are closely looking at who is carrying the risk. People are looking at how the market is slowing and they have to be prudent." An artist's impression of Greenland City Centre. On Monday, construction giant Brookfield Multiplex ditched its contract ... An artist's impression of Greenland City Centre. On Monday, construction giant Brookfield Multiplex ditched its contract with Greenland, China's largest state-backed real estate group. And his view on major developers and construction companies pulling out of major residential projects? "Brookfield clearly doesn't have to take on work if it doesn't need it." Making construction projects profitable will be even harder after construction workers won a 5 per cent a year pay hike in this week in Victoria, well beyond the rate of inflation. While there are varying analyses of the apartment supply and demand in each capital city, most point to an oversupply within the next two years. BIS Shrapnel said in March that Melbourne's oversupply would be significant, and in Brisbane it would be worse. An artist's impression of the Jewel project at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast to be built by Brookfield Multiplex and ... An artist's impression of the Jewel project at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast to be built by Brookfield Multiplex and developed by China's Dalian Wanda. "It is an accident waiting to happen," BIS said. In Sydney, respected valuers Opteon Property Group said parts of Sydney's booming apartment market face a price correction next year as they tip into oversupply. As all this plays out you have weekly, if not daily, reports of lenders clamping down on the borrowing practices for apartments for both foreigners and domestic investors. Lender Firstmac announced on Friday that it was restricting lending for apartments and its chief executive Kim Cannon said: "It is quite obvious there is going to be a problem in the future." That Mr Cannon is speaking like this is significant, because Firstmac is one of the more aggressive lenders in the market and has made a lot of money lending to people investing in apartments. It follows Westpac ceasing to lend to all foreigners for apartment purchases and both ANZ Banking Group and Westpac discovering they had each approved "hundreds" of home loans backed by fraudulent Chinese income documents. Even AMP Bank placed apartments in more than 140 suburbs on a confidential black list because of growing concerns about oversupply. The tighter lending, although offering a business opportunity to those lenders outside the big banks, could spook property developers, some of whom have already suffered 20 per cent losses as Perth's boom market went bust. In December, Thai developer Minor International abandoned its plans to build two towers – a hotel plus apartments – on a portion of the site next to Perth Arena. A key test over the next six months will be the Gold Coast. There Dalian Wanda Group, owned by China's richest man Wang Jianlin, and its joint venture partner Ridong chose Brookfield Multiplex to build their first Australian project, the $1 billion Jewel resort on the Gold Coast. Reports of apartment sales there are steady with strong Chinese distribution channels relied upon to sell the apartments. But Australia's big banks have largely stayed away from the Gold Coast this cycle and there could be a good reason why. Read more: http://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential/5b-of-failed-residential-property-deals-mean-risk-is-rising-20160526-gp51bi#ixzz49vwUFEKe Follow us: @FinancialReview on Twitter | financialreview on Facebook =========================================== Mirvac Group will no longer develop one of Perth's biggest mixed-use projects within the Perth City Link precinct, after failing to reach agreement with the state government's Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. The MRA said it had terminated the sales process for a master developer for eight lots at the $5.2 billion precinct, which encompasses 13.5 hectares of reclaimed land at the northern edge of Perth's central business district. "Despite the best efforts of both parties, we were unable to reach a satisfactory agreement that is consistent with our initial expression of interest and delivering value for Western Australian taxpayers," said MRA chairman Richard Muirhead. Mirvac became the sole preferred developer of the $3 billion project in January after losing joint-venture partner Leighton Properties. The two property giants were chosen as preferred developers in December 2013. The huge site, created by the sinking of train and bus lines and demolition of the old Perth Entertainment Centre, is expected to accommodate around 1200 apartments surrounded by offices, shops and outdoor pedestrian areas. "Mirvac worked collaboratively with the MRA over the past three years. However, changing market conditions and circumstances meant we could not agree on a path forward that met the requirements and objectives of both parties," said Mirvac's head of residential, John Carfi. Weaker market The decision not to proceed with the project may be chalked up as a win by Mirvac, which will no longer have to allocate capital to the weaker Perth market. Mirvac described conditions in the Perth office market as "challenging" in its most recent quarterly update. Related Quotes MGR MIRVAC GRP STAPLED (MGR) $1.970.031.29% volume 12625078value 24756810.0 5 years 1 Day May14GMT+1000 (AUS Eastern Standard Time)May11May161.521.0882.072 Last updated: Sat May 28 2016 - ‎1‎:‎07‎:‎50‎ ‎PM View full quote Company Profile Real estate investment, development and investment management. http://www.mirvac.com Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) (404020) ASIC 003280699 ASX Announcements 9/5/16 Mirvac acquires Toombul Shopping Centre, Brisbane 9/5/16 VCX: $841.4 million portfolio sale 5/5/16 Change in substantial holding from AMP 3/5/16 MGR 3Q16 Management Update 3/5/16 MGR 3Q16 Operational Update View all announcements In December, Thai developer Minor International abandoned plans to build two towers – a hotel plus apartments – on a portion of the site next to Perth Arena. The MRA said it would seek expressions of interest "in the coming weeks" to temporarily activate the vacant site around the new Perth Busport, while an alternate sales strategy was developed. MRA CEO Kieran Kinsella anticipated the initial land release to go to market before the end of 2016. "We are committed to ensuring that the Perth City Link project returns the highest of benefits to the community and will consider interim activation opportunities for the thousands of bus passengers, city workers and visitors to enjoy," Mr Kinsella said. In February, construction commenced on Yagan Square, a new public space incorporating a fresh-food market and native gardens at the eastern end of the City Link site, next to Perth Railway Station. Another part of City Link, Kings Square, is being developed by Leighton Properties with three office towers completed and a fourth under construction. DEXUS Property Group and its wholesale property fund owns three of the seven towers planned for the site. Read more: http://www.afr.com/real-estate/commercial/development/mirvac-quits-3b-perth-city-link-development-project-20160524-gp2ebg#ixzz49w5lo1PM Follow us: @FinancialReview on Twitter | financialreview on Facebook