"Queen of the Curve" ZAHA HADID Dies from heart attack

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March - April - 2016 $3.50 (INC.GST)
M a g a z i n e
Letter for the Pope
and Patriarchs P6
The 10
cheapest cities P8
father of 1,300
illegitimate kids P10
Great Barrier Reef
coral bleaching P19
"Queen of the Curve" ZAHA HADID
Dies from heart attack
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2
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
A Word From the Editor
Mike Baird Proposed Council’s Merge
By Mamdouh Sukkarieh
[email protected]
www.theworldobserver.com
Residents in NSW are concerned
about the forcing of NSW councils
to amalgamate could create “ungovernable”
communities, the greatest resistance to
amalgamation in the smaller communities is
the fear of their services and voice diminishing
at the hands of a larger community.
Also there is concern about council rates
which would be expected to increase as what
happened in Queensland when the Queensland
government certainly sold the idea that there
would be economies of scale, better provision
of services, but the exact opposite eventuated.
There was a loss of service delivery and rates
went through the roof.
The Government in NSW should learn from
mistakes made by other states, which forced
council mergers and against the wishes of
residents that had incompatible cultural and
geographical differences.
We haven’t had a clear picture about the
government process for the council’s
amalgamation, here are some important issues
related to the councils merge:
During the entire four years process, the
government has continually moved the
goalposts and changed its mind.
More than 100 councils in NSW asked their
residents whether they wanted their local
council to merge.
In many cases, that feedback has been ignored
by a Government that appears to have predetermined the outcome, yet wanted to be seen
to have ticked the community consultation
box. Millions of dollars of ratepayers’ money
has been wasted as a result.
Local Government NSW President Keith
Rhoades said,“It’s a cruel joke, and unfortunately
the joke is on the people of NSW because they
are the ones likely to lose any meaningful input
on the issues that impact on their day-to-day
lives,”
“LGNSW will continue to hold the Government
to account throughout this process, which
must be followed to the letter if the Minister
wishes to avoid legal challenges.
“As long as it has ticked all the procedural
boxes as set out in the Act, the Government can
essentially proceed to forced amalgamations
at will.” Mr Rhoades said.
The proposed 35 amalgamations are all forced
amalgamations, even those councils which
were looking to voluntary merge, have been
told they must also take on parts of other areas.
The Government has made a big deal about
what it calls “scale and Capacity”. It was one of
the criteria councils were required to meet in
order to stand alone and not merge.
Some council which failed that required, due
to an insufficient number of residents in their
areas, presently have more residents than
the combined total of number of the entities
proposed by the Government.
A number of the councils which did not meet
the government criteria are now no longer
being considered for amalgamation.
The premier is expected to receive, in May,
reports on the proposed mergers from the
delegates, tasked with hosting a public inquiry
where residents and community groups
could have their say and analyzing public
submissions.
The Premier Mike Baird is expected to proclaim
the new entities soon after.
Labor’s Local Government spokesman Peter
Primrose said in some cases speakers were
being told they would only have one minute to
make their case.
“The Government has made its mind up. It won’t
release its secret KPMG report which it says all
these proposals are based on and people are
being asked to comment in 60 seconds or less
in a couple of venues around the state just to
tick the box,” Mr. Primrose said.
Premier Mike Baird has repeatedly said
amalgamations could drive down rates.
However, Coffs Harbour councilor Keith
Rhoades disagrees.
“Since forced amalgamations in Queensland,
rates on average have increased by 27.4 per cent.
That is fact not fiction,” Councilor Rhoades said.
He described the IPART process of assessing
the financial viability of councils as a “sham”.
“They added in these extra criteria of scale
and capacity, when we asked the Government
what that meant they couldn’t even explain it,”
Councilor Rhoades said.
He accused Paul Toole of lying, saying when
the coalition was in opposition in 2010, the
now Local Government Minister said he was
opposed to forced amalgamations.
Mr. Toole has acknowledged that he
signed a petition in the past against forced
amalgamations, but said the circumstances
were different.
Also some labor politicians and councilors see
the Government’s proposed merger as political
benefits to their party.
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
3
Report
Buying A Business?
* By Radwan Hamdan
In purchasing a business, every purchaser wants to ensure that they will receive what they pay
for. All purchasers should therefore seek to obtain some comfort as to the identity and value
of the assets, goodwill and equipment they are purchasing through any one or more of the
following:
1. Vendor warranties;
2. Personal inspection or trial periods; and/or
3. Due diligence
Despite protective legislative provisions, the basic principle of “buyer beware” applies.
Due diligence is a process whereby the purchaser, or experts engaged by the purchaser,
undertake a review of the business operations, books of accounts etc, in order to ensure that
purchaser will receive what they understand they are to receive.
What should be done in a due diligence process is dependent upon the nature of the business
being purchased. However as a starting point, a prospective purchaser should consider:
1. Any marketing material which induced the purchaser to put in an offer;
2. Identifying a list of the features of the business which the purchaser regards
as important in their decision to proceed with the purchase; and
3. Details of any proposals the purchaser has in mind for the business.
The due diligence exercise then becomes a task of testing:
1. The statements and representations in the marketing material and ensuring
that they are reasonably based;
2. That the important features and assets of the business are included in the
sale and/or are adequately protected;
3. Whether there are any impediments to achieving any proposals the purchaser has in mind for the business.
During the due diligence process, the vendor will need to disclose sufficient information to the
purchaser to achieve the following outcomes:
1. Allowing the purchaser to determine whether their expectations, understanding and valuation of the business is reasonable;
2. Avoiding any breach of contract or warranty;
3. Complying with any legal disclosure requirements.
Often a vendor will hesitate in disclosing confidential information to prospective buyers as they
fear the ramifications if the transaction does not complete, for example a prospective purchaser
going into competition with the vendor.
Such fears can be alleviated by having a purchaser enter into a confidentiality or non-disclosure
agreement.
Also, with certain documentation which might be commercially sensitive, there could be limited
4
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
Report
Due diligence on acquisitions of businesses
disclosure in relation to such documentation, for example
disclosure of sales figures from each customer but not disclosing
the names of the customers.
One issue which needs to be addressed is the length of time
in which the purchaser has to conduct their due diligence and
whether this should be completed prior to or after entering into the
contract for purchase. If it is to be after the contract for purchase
has been entered into, then consideration needs to be given as
to the rights of the purchaser (for example, can the purchase
price be adjusted or does the purchaser have an entitlement to
terminate the contract) in the event that the due diligence does
not meet the purchaser’s expectations. Some common issues
which need to be addressed in a due diligence period are:
1. Reviewing leases of business premises;
2. Investigating security interests registered under
the Personal Property Securities Act against assets
and undertakings of the vendor and the business
and obtaining releases where necessary;
3. Ensuring that zoning provisions enable the business to be conducted from the business premises;
4. Considering whether an environmental audit needs
to be undertaken in relation to the business;
5. Checking the accounts and other corporate data
such as financial statements, tax returns, BAS
statements and ensuring these have been regularly
lodged on timely basis;
6. Considering the cash flows and their consistency,
growth and sources;
11.Considering any superannuation liabilities;
12.Reviewing service agreements with various providers (such as IT) and whether there are any provisions for early termination of those contracts;
13.Considering whether there is any litigation on foot
;
14.Considering whether there is any requirement for
third party consent to the transfer of the business
or key contracts;
15.Ensuring that the trading relationship with critical
suppliers is on foot and will continue;
16.Reviewing inventory/work in progress;
17.Reviewing the plant and equipment and ensuring
all plant and equipment to be included in the purchase is noted in the contract;
18.Considering how debtors are to be dealt with;
19.Ensuring that all relevant items included in the
goodwill such as intellectual property, registered
business names, trademarks are adequately protected;
20.Considering what adjustments are to be made to
the purchase price for any prepayments or unpaid
liabilities;
21.Ensuring the business complies with workplace
health and safety legislation.
7. Considering how the purchaser will fund or manage the business and what working capital is required;
8. Reviewing customer lists and noting any potential
impact if a customer is lost;
9. Reviewing employment contracts and considering
whether any employees are critical for the continued success of the business and whether they are
locked into appropriate employment contracts;
10.Considering outstanding leave entitlements of
employees and potential redundancy obligations
in the event employees are required to be made
redundant after the acquisitions of the business;
Radwan Hamdan is a Chartered Accountant,
Chartered Tax Advisor and Certified Practising
Accountant in Public Practice. He holds a Bachelor
of Economics degree from the University of Sydney
with a major in Commercial Law. He worked with
Arthur Andersen and Price Waterhouse and worked
on overseas assignments in Asia and the Middle
East specialising in International Tax. Radwan
Hamdan was the President of the Australian Arab
Business Council from 2009 to 2012
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
5
Opinion
Letter for the
Pope and
Patriarchs
By Natalie Sukkarieh
I have been asked by friend are you celebrating
the Easter on this week or next month, I said
our Easter next month then they asked why?
I told them I really don’t know, the only thing
I know is we following the eastern colander,
then they tried to jock saying after one month
everything would be to late even you cannot
find Easter Eggs.
After I went home I went to Mr. Google and
search what is the big reason behind this
mastery I have found that:
By the 1700’s, though, most of Western Europe
had adopted the Gregorian Calendar. On the
Gregorian calendar (the one that we use), Easter
is the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon,
which is the first full moon on orafter March
21. Easter thus always falls between March 22
and April 25.
The Eastern Christian churches still determine
the Easter dates using the older Julian Calendar
method. The usual statement, that Easter Day is
the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs
next after the vernal equinox, is not a precise
statement of the actual ecclesiastical rules.
What I have found not important for
me and for other young and old
people,
As Christian we crucified
Jesus and Rosen
twice once in the
western colander
6
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
and the second in the Eastern Colander, so what
is the problems if the pope and the patriarchs
meet and decide a day for everyone,
My belief about the meaning of Easter is not
about when, where and how we deal with
historical issues in celebrating Easter, it's the
spirit of resurrection and continual new life, with
love and peace, teaching us the values of giving
and sacrifices for others: even Jesus said “You
have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to
you, Love your enemies.”
In conclusion I would like the religious people
to take our concern to their consideration and
set up a one date for all to celebrate the Easter
together happily for a great reason.
I wish a very merry festive season to all
people around the world, hoping
they have a wonderful and
safe Easter with family
and friends.
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‫شركة الدرة‪..‬‬
‫درة بين يدي المستهلك‬
‫اصبح اسم رشكة الد ّرة للمنتجات الغذائية رمزاً معروفاً عاملياً فعربت مبنتجاتها القارات ومنها اسرتاليا وذلك‬
‫باملستوى العايل من الجودة اضافة اىل سعر مناسب ومنافس وهذا فع ًال ما حرصت عىل تحقيقه الرشكة‪.‬‬
‫استحوذت رشكة الدرة عىل نصيب واسع من االسواق املحلية وبرزت الحاجة للبحث عن اسواق خارجية لتوزيع‬
‫االنتاج فتم تشكيل كادر تسويقي ذو امكانات وخربات عالية وتم اعتامد خرية الوكالء واملوزعني يف معظم دول‬
‫العامل ومنهم رشكة هشام كويف للمواد الغذائية املعروفة والالمعة يف اسرتاليا‪.‬‬
‫تتنوع منتجات الدرة بشكل واسع وكبري لتشمل معظم انواع املنتجات الغذائية التي اصبحت بحق فخر املائدة‬
‫العربية كام ان اهتامم الرشكة بجودة منتجاتها جعلها يف املصاف االول للرشكات العاملية الكربى‬
‫وخصوصاً انها نالت شهادات عاملية من منظامت الصحة ومن منظمة الهاسك‬
‫(‪ )HCCB‬للمواد الغذائية العاملية فعىل سبيل املثال زيت الزيتون املميز‬
‫واملعصور عىل البارد ذي مذاق وطعم تشعر برائحة شجرة‬
‫الزيتون املغروسة يف ارض بالدنا الطيبة‪.‬‬
‫‪7‬‬
‫‪The World Observer | March - April | 2016‬‬
Cities
The 10 cheapest and most expensive
cities in the world to live in
The world’s most expensive city in 2016: New York and Los Angeles have shot up the rankings, London has
pushed into the top ten, but Singapore is still the world's most
expensive city.
It's just topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2016 Worldwide
Cost of Living survey, making that the third year in a row.
The gap is closing between Singapore and the next two cities in
the rankings, however.
Zurich, Switzerland, and Hong Kong are hot on its heels in joint
second place, with Hong Kong leaping seven places up the
ranking in the last twelve months.
London, New York and Los Angeles moved up to sixth, seventh
and eight place, with New York in its highest position since 2002.
In fact, New York has gotten a lot more pricey in the past five
years -- rising a huge 42 places since 2011.
The annual report, which ranks 133 cities based on a twice-yearly
survey, notes Singapore’s high transport and utility costs.
“It is the most expensive place in the world to buy and run a car,
thanks to Singapore’s complex Certificate of Entitlement system,”
it says.
And don’t think you can escape it by hopping on public transport.
Transportation costs in Singapore are 2.7 times higher than in
New York.
However, for basic groceries, Singapore is cheaper than its Asian
neighbors Seoul (33% more expensive), Hong Kong (28%) and
Tokyo (26%).
“Value for money can be found by those who seek it,” the report
concludes.
As for the rise of U.S. cities New York and Los Angeles, the EIC
credits “currency headwinds rather than significant local price
rises.”
In fact, “With the falling cost of oil and a strong U.S. dollar pushing
down prices, local inflation has been relatively low across the U.S.”
World’s 10 most expensive cities in which to live in 2016
8
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
1. Singapore 2. Zurich, Switzerland 2. Hong Kong 4. Geneva,
Switzerland 5. Paris 6. London 7. New York 8. Copenhagen,
Denmark 8. Seoul, South Korea 8. Los Angeles
Asia has six of the cheapest cities on the 133-city survey.
Four of the cities in the bottom 10 are in India: New Delhi,
Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.
Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, is the least expensive city on the list.
In Venezuela, meanwhile, “the adoption of multiple exchange
rates has made pricing Caracas nearly impossible,” says the report.
Caracas has been pushed down to the bottom 10 despite being
in the top 10 a couple of years ago.
“If the cost of living was calculated using the official rate, Caracas
would be more than four times more expensive than New York.
Conversely, if black market rates applied then it would be almost
ten times cheaper than New York,” the EIU explained.
World’s 10 least expensive cities in which to live in 2016
124. Damascus, Syria 124. Caracas, Venezuela 126. New Delhi 127.
Almaty, Kazakhstan 127. Algiers, Algeria 127. Chennai, India 127.
Karachi, Pakistan
131. Mumbai, India 132. Bangalore, India 133. Lusaka, Zambia
The Worldwide Cost of Living survey is released twice a year by
the EIU.
It compares more than 400 individual prices across 160
products and services in 133 cities, including food, drink,
clothing, household supplies and personal-care items, home
rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and
recreational costs.
In total, more than 50,000 individual prices are collected in each
survey.
"The cost-of-living index uses an identical set of weights that is
internationally based and not geared toward the spending pattern
of any specific nationality," says the EIU. "Items are individually
weighted across a range of categories and a comparative index is
produced using the relative difference by weighted item."
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Jason Clare MP
The Hon Shaoquett Moselmane
MLC
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BLAXLAND
‫يتقدم‬
‫ال�سيد �شوكت م�سلماين‬
‫من أبناء الجالية والشعب االسترالي بأحر التهاني‬
‫بمناسبة حلول‬
‫عيد الف�صح املجيد‬
‫اعاده اهلل على الجميع وعلى استراليا‬
‫بالخير والبركات والسالم‬
Message From Khal Asfour
MAYOR OF BANKSTOWN
Christians around the world will stop this Easter
to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and
his message of hope.
I wish good health and happiness for all
Bankstown residents this Easter.
‫يتوقف امل�سيحيون يف جميع �أنحاء العامل‬
‫مبنا�سبة عيد الف�صح املجيد لالحتفال بقيامة‬
.‫ي�سوع امل�سيح ور�سالته للأمل‬
‫�أمتنى موفور ال�صحة وال�سعادة جلميع �سكان‬
.‫بانك�ستاون هذا الف�صح‬
Clr Khal Asfour
MAYOR OF BANKSTOWN
Ph: 9707 9523
Fax: 9707 9517
www.bankstown.nsw.gov.au
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
9
Around the World
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden:
‘Bathtubs should be banned’
Bath time may be a thing of the past
if King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has
his way. The 69-year-old monarch has
called for a ban on bathtubs to help
save water.
In an interview with Sweden's Svenska
Dagbladet newspaper, the royal said,
“All bathtubs should be banned.
Imagine!" The idea had come to the
king during his morning routine
when he was forced to take a bath
because the room he was staying in
lacked a shower. “It took a lot of fresh
water and energy,” he said. “It struck
me so clearly: it’s not wise that I have
to do this. I really felt ashamed then, I
really did.”
While Carl later admitted that the ban
is a “lighthearted” suggestion, he said,
“But there is a truth there. Those small
details have an enormous effect.
And while the ban on bathtubs isn’t
in effect now, the king is doing his
part to help the environment. “I have
a hybrid car right now, so when I
drive into town, I drive completely
electric,” he said. The Swedish king is
also attempting to cut emissions by
reducing the amount of meat he eats.
He said, “Personally I am eating less
meat.”
Perhaps the royal is just trying to
make the world a better place for his
grandchildren.
Ankara summons Berlin envoy for explanations
over clip mocking Erdogan on German TV
Outraged by a satirical clip making
fun of the Turkish President and his
recent policies that was broadcast on
German television, the Foreign Ministry
in Ankara has summoned the German
Ambassador for official explanations.
Following the broadcast of the satirical
piece titled “Erdowie, Erdowo, Erdogan”
on NDR show titled “Extra 3” on March
17, German Ambassador Martin
Erdmann was summoned up several
days later to officially explain “in length”
the reasons for the broadcaster’s
behavior, Der Speigel has learned.
The one minute and 52 second long
satire package showing footage from
recent history in Turkey criticized
Erdogan’s increased crackdown on the
freedom of the press and hostile policies
in the region, including Turkey’s alleged
support for Islamic State (IS, formerly
ISIS/ISIL) fighters in neighboring Syria.
The video also focused on the lavish
living of the Turkish president and
his multibillion euro deals with the
Europeans to keep migrants at bay.
10
The broadcast on German television
comes at a time when Germany, as part
of EU is actively seeking closer ties with
Turkey to help tackle the migrant crisis
in Europe.
Erdogan’s crackdown on journalists
and restrictions on freedom of speech
have been repeatedly criticized by the
international community, along with
Ankara’s controversial anti-terrorists
campaign against Kurdish militants
which inflicted much suffering on
Turkey’s minority population.
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
DNA tests confirm
87-year-old retired
postman is the
father of 1,300
illegitimate kids
In what seems to be a fast spreading
‘Internet viral’, a report claims that a
retired postman fathered over 1,300
illegitimate children.
According to a report, an investigation
was launched in 2001 after two
persons approached investigator Sid
Roy to find their biological father.
The probe discovered after a 15year quest that the 87-year-old man
actually fathered 1,300 children. Sid
gathered thousands of DNA samples
and testimonies to nail the truth.
The former postman said that he is
not ashamed of the fact and told that
he often impersonated as Johnny
Cash and it worked for him back
in 60s. He could not say no to a
quickie and contraception
wasn’t
popular then so this might have been
a result of that.
Meanwhile, the children of the old
man do not wish to pursue any
lawsuit against him as the truth if
unleashed could break their families.
Sid said that most of the people who
got to know the truth are glad and do
not hold any grudge against the old
man. Sid believes that there could be
many more, but he has already spent
15 years of his personal time into this
investigation and it is enough now.
However, further investigations into
the news has raised contradictory
reports, with some claiming it to
be fake. So, people need not worry
about postmen delivering anything
but mail at their homes!
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Michael Tadros
Jim Ronis
Councillor
0434 315 963
Director
List and Sell
Happy Easter
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‫يتقدم‬
‫ال�سيد مايكل تادر�س‬
‫ع�ضو جمل�س بلدية بانك�ستاون ب�أحر التهاين و�أطيب االمنيات لأبناء‬
‫اجلالية العربية عامة وامل�سيحية خا�صة يف �أو�سرتاليا مبنا�سبة حلول‬
WINNERS OF 2014
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‫�أعاده اهلل على اجلميع باخلري والربكات‬
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02 9708 6938
Happy Easter
[email protected]
Message From
Clr Sarkis
Holroyd Council
Easter is a celebration of the sacrifice Jesus made
out of love for all mankind. May we be inspired
by his compassion.
Have a safe and peaceful Easter!
‫عيد الف�صح املجيد هو االحتفال بت�ضحية ي�سوع بحياته‬
‫من �أجل الب�رشية جمعاء‬
‫ونحن قد نكون ت�أثرنا برحمته‬
‫نتمنى لكم ف�صح ًا جميد ًا‬
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
11
Local News
Boosting trade with the Arab World
is a key priority, says Minister
Impact of Budget
on Business
Minister Ciobo, Mr Coleman and the AABC Delegation
On the eve of his first overseas trip as
Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr
Steven Ciobo, today met a delegation
from the Australian Arab Business
Council (AABC) in the presence of
local MP, Mr David Coleman, Member
for Banks.
The Minister is travelling to Europe
and will be visiting four Gulf states for
trade talks and to maximise interest
in trading with Australia. He advised
the delegation that following the
finalisation of Free Trade Agreements
with China and India, his next
priority is to promote enhanced
bilateral trade relationship with
members of the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) and to also explore
trade opportunities for Australia in
the region.
Mr Hassan Moussa, AABC President,
mapped out the current state of
two-way trade between Australia
and every country in the Arab World,
which totals close to 20 billion
dollars. Current trade is mostly
limited to traditional trade areas
that include meat, wheat and motor
vehicles, said Mr Moussa. Australia
has the capacity, skills and expertise
to do more in many other areas that
are yet to be.
We would like to invite to the next
monthly dinner of the Australian
Arab Business Council (AABC) on
Wednesday 4 May 2016, 7.00 pm till
9.30 pm
Speaker: Mr Radwan Hamdan, of
Hamdan & Associates and Immediate
Past President of the AABC. Topic:
Analyse the Federal Budget and its
likely impact on
Where: Canterbury League Club/
Terr Bar - 26 Bridge Road Belmore
NSW 2192
RSVP: Ms Reem El Kudor 0414 747
316 or info@australianarabbusiness.
org.au. Cost : Members: Free of
charge, Guests: $60 per Person (inc
GST)
Booking is essential: We look forward
to seeing you at the dinner
Radwan Hamdan is a Chartered
Accountant, Chartered Tax Advisor
and Certified Practising Accountant in
Public Practice. He holds a Bachelor of
Economics degree from the University
of Sydney with a major in Commercial
Law. He worked with Arthur Andersen
and Price Waterhouse and worked on
overseas assignments in Asia and the
Middle East specialising in International
Tax. Radwan Hamdan was the President
of the Australian Arab Business Council
from 2009 to 2012
12
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
Local News
Australian Arab Business Council
Monthly Dinner
Photo By Arax
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
13
Local News
Special thank you from
Paul Scott
Mayor Khal Asfour and Paul Scott
A big thank you to everyone
who supported me in the World’s
Greatest Shave. With the help of
Domenica, who coordinated my
fundraising, I have raised $10,060 in
just four months for the Leukaemia
Foundation!
The venture started back in December
at the BBAS networking golf day and
culminated today with head now
looking like a bowling ball. But of
course, it’s all for a good cause and
you’ll just have to put up with my
‘startling good looks’ until the hair
grows back.
Mayor Asfour, Matthew Stewart,
Scott and Domenica
I must make special mention of the
following people who kicked in
significant amounts:
Allan Renno – Body Perfect Smash
Repairs - $1,500; Andrew Pike
– Australian Business Academy
- $1,500; Ed Hanna – JSN Hanna $1,000; Ahmad Trad – Accounting
and Taxation Link - $1,000; Kevin Hill
– Kevin Hill’s Top Ten Artist - $500; and
Dilber Beattie – Superior Strata - $290.
Regards
Paul Scott - Manager Communications
Business Liaison
Bankstown City Council
Message from the Maronite Ladies of the Gospel
Due to unforeseen circumstances,
the Maronite Ladies of the Gospel are
adjourning their fundraising dinner
for The North Autism Centre, Lebanon
from 13 April 2016 to a future date, to
be decided. 14
Arts centre unveils
bus stop gallery
Raffle tickets sold will be drawn at the
function, once held. Thank you for your understanding. Kind Regards,
Maronite Catholic Diocese of
Australia
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
A group of local business owners have
joined forces with the Bankstown
Arts Centre and Bankstown Youth
Development Service to unveil a
new photography exhibition at the
Bankstown Bus Interchange.
The Bus Stop Gallery, a new
exhibition space for the Arts Centre,
will feature a collection of images
created by local photographer Chris
Woe with businesses operating
around Bankstown City Plaza.
Among the participants is Samuel
Rajasuriar, owner of Uncle Sam’s Fast
Photo Service.
“We’re all responsible for our own
actions and if everyone started
following simple recycling practices,
it would become a normal way of
life and give the next generation a
cleaner future. “said Mr Rajasuriar.
Mayor of Bankstown, Khal Asfour,
said he hopes the exhibition will
make business owners and residents
more aware of their environmental
impacts.
“It’s easy to focus on dollars and cents,
and forget about the connection our
actions have on the environment,”
said Mayor Asfour.
Local News
Jason Clare today announced
$20,000 for the Muslim Women
Association
Federal Member for
Blaxland Jason Clare
today
announced
$20,000
for
the
Muslim
Women
Association
to
make much needed
improvements
to
the Felicity House
Recreational Hall in
Bass Hill.
This new funding
comes from the
Blaxland
Stronger
Communities
Programme.
Mr Clare said “The
MWA do a very
important
job
in our local community. This space will allow the
MWA to increase the number of women and young
people that can participate in their social inclusion
activities.”
Stephen KAMPER
Member of the Legislative Assembly Member for Rockdale Member of the Australian Labor Party 478 Princes Highway
ROCKDALE NSW 2216
P: 02 9597 1414
[email protected]
Easter is a time of peace love and forgiveness..
May this occasion be full of joy,
hope and happiness for you and your families.
Happy Easter
‫مبنا�سبة‬
‫عيد الف�صح املجيد‬
‫اتقدم ب�أحر التهاين من �أبناء اجلالية امل�سيحية‬
‫وكل عيد وانتم بخري‬
Words from Jihad Dib after he
became Shadow Education Minister
of NSW
Last year, I put
my hand up as a
candidate for the
NSW
Parliament
because I wanted to
make a difference.
Today
I
was
honoured to be
announced as the
Shadow Minister
for Education. I have
seen the difference
education
can
make
to
the
transformation
of lives and I am
grateful to have an
opportunity to fight for school communities on a new
level.
I am truly humbled and know that the challenge is well
ahead of me but I’m here to give it my best. Thanks for
your support.
In behalf of the World Observer Media we wish you all the
best in your new position.
Tania Mihailuk
Member for Bankstown
02 9708 3838 | 7 02 9708 3960
Suite 1 Level 3
402-410 Chapel Road
Bankstown NSW 2200
[email protected]
Wishing you and your family
the happiest Easter of all
God bless you now and always
‫مبن�سبة حلول‬
‫عيد الف�صح املجيد‬
‫�أمتنى لكم ولعائالتكم‬
‫عيدا �سعيدا ومباركا‬
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
15
Cover Story
"Queen of the Curve"
Zaha Hadid
dies from heart attack
Architect Dame Zaha Hadid, whose designs include the
London Olympic Aquatic Centre, has died aged 65.
Iraqi-born, this year she was the first woman to receive the
Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) Gold Medal in
recognition of her work.
She died following a heart attack on Thursday in a Miami
hospital, where she was being treated for bronchitis.
Her designs have been commissioned around the world,
including Hong Kong, Germany and Azerbaijan.
Collecting her Gold Medal in February, Dame Zaha said she
was proud to have been the first woman to win in her own
right.
“We now see more established female architects all the time,”
she said.
“That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Sometimes the challenges are
immense. There has been tremendous change over recent
years and we will continue this progress.”
Dame Zaha’s other creations include the Serpentine Sackler
Gallery in London, the Riverside Museum at Glasgow’s
Museum of Transport, and Guangzhou Opera House in China.
She twice won the Riba Stirling Prize, the UK’s most prestigious
architecture award. In 2010 she won for the Maxxi Museum in
Rome, winning again in 2011 for the Evelyn Grace Academy
in Brixton.
Born in Baghad, she studied maths at the American University
16
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
of Beirut - where she later designed a building on campus
which was completed in 2014 - before embarking on her career
at the Architectural Association in London.
In 1979 she set up her own company - Zaha Hadid Architects.
Her first major commission to be constructed was the Vitra Fire
Station in Weil am Rhein in Germany.
The striking London Acquatics Centre in Stratford, which
resembles a wave, features two 50-metre pools and a diving
pool. After being used for the Olympics and Paralympics it was
opened to the public in 2014.
“I love the London Aquatics Centre because it’s near where I
live,” Dame Zaha said at the time.
London Mayor Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter: “So sad to hear
of death of Zaha Hadid, she was an inspiration and her legacy
lives on in wonderful buildings in Stratford and around the
world.”
She designed one of the stadiums that will take centre stage at
the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
Last year, however, the Japanese government scrapped plans
to build the futuristic-looking stadium she designed for the
2020 Olympics in Tokyo, opting instead for a scaled-down, less
costly design.
Riba president Jane Duncan said: “This is absolutely terrible
news. Dame Zaha Hadid was an inspirational woman, and the
kind of architect one can only dream of being.
Cover Story
“Visionary and highly experimental, her legacy despite her
young age, is formidable. She leaves behind a body of work
from buildings to furniture, footwear and cars, that delight and
astound people all around the world. The world of architecture
has lost a star today.”
Will Gompertz, arts editor said about her:
Dame Zaha Hadid was an extraordinary human being. She
was not only one of Britain’s greatest architects, but one of
the world’s great architects of the 21st Century and late 20th
Century.
She was most famous in the UK for the Aquatic Centre for the
2012 Olympic Games and for Maggie’s Centres in Scotland.
She won the Stirling Prize for architecture twice and was the
first woman to win the Pritzker Prize for architecture - Dame
Zaha was an extraordinary woman considering where she
came from and what she made of her career.
It was very much a man’s world but she was determined to
shape it and bend into the way she saw it, into Zaha Hadid’s
world.
Her architecture was modern and futuristic with very noticeable
sensuous lines, she brought a femininity to Modernism.
Dame Zaha always had a problem in Britain to be taken as
seriously as she should have been.
People tried to knock her quite a lot and she didn’t get the
commissions she thought she should. She was very frustrated
by that especially as she traded very well overseas. I don’t
know what the reason for that is but it wasn’t because she
wasn’t a great architect.
Her legacy is to prove what can be done; that you can be a
Baghdad-born British citizen who can cut through all the red
tape, all the machismo, all the macho behaviour and become
an internationally-respected architect who creates buildings
which will stand the test of time.
And Dame Zaha will be seen as a leading light for any
architect, especially female, to show that they can succeed in
this country even through all the brickbats you receive along
the way.
One of Hadid’s notable projects, the Heydar Aliyev cultural
centre in Baku, Azerbaijan. A computer-generated image of the stadium to be built in
al-Wakrah for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The London aquatics centre built for the 2012 Olympic
Games.
Two “Sculptural” Towers for Australia’s Gold Coast
Iraqi Parliament Tower in Baghdad “spiraling tower,”
Three iconic sculptural residential towers expected to get the
go ahead in Brisbane
design for an extension of the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in
London.
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
17
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The World Observer | March - April | 2016
Environment
Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching at 95 per cent
in northern section, aerial survey reveals
An aerial survey of the northern
Great Barrier Reef has shown that
95 per cent of the reefs are now
severely bleached — far worse than
previously thought.
Professor Terry Hughes, a coral
reef expert based at James Cook
University in Townsville who led the
survey team, said the situation is now
critical.
“This will change the Great Barrier
Reef forever,” Professor Hughes told
7.30.
“We’re seeing huge levels of
bleaching in the northern thousandkilometre stretch of the Great Barrier
Reef.”
Of the 520 reefs he surveyed, only four
showed no evidence of bleaching.
From Cairns to the Torres Strait, the
once colourful ribbons of reef are a
ghostly white.
“It’s too early to tell precisely how
many of the bleached coral will die,
but judging from the extreme level
even the most robust corals are snow
white, I’d expect to see about half of
those corals die in the coming month
or so,” Professor Hughes said.
Coral bleaching is caused by
abnormally high sea temperatures
that kill the tiny marine algae
essential to coral health.
This is the third global coral bleaching
since 1998, and scientists have found
no evidence of these disasters before
the late 20th century.
“We have coral cores that provide
400 years of annual growth,” explains
Dr Neal Cantin from the Australian
Institute of Marine Science.
“We don’t see the signatures of
bleaching in reduced growth
following a bleaching event until the
recent 19982000/ events.”
Environment Minister Greg Hunt
flew over the reef just eight days
ago, before Professor Hughes’
aerial survey, and announced some
additional resources for monitoring
the reef.
“There’s good and bad news — the
bottom three quarters of the reef is in
strong condition,” he said at the time.
“[But] as we head north of Lizard
Island it becomes increasingly prone
to bleaching.”
The northern part of the Great Barrier
Reef is the most pristine part of
the marine park — and that is one
possible glimmer of hope.
“On the bright side, it’s more likely
that these pristine reefs in the
northern section will be better able
to bounce back afterwards,” Professor
Hughes said.
“Nonetheless we’re looking at 10year recovery period, so this is a very
severe blow.”
‘We’re seeing climate change play
out across our reefs’
Professor Justin Marshall, a reef
scientist from the University of
Queensland, said the reason for these
bleaching events was clear.
“What we’re seeing now is
unequivocally to do with climate
change,” he told 7.30.
“The world has agreed, this is climate
change, we’re seeing climate change
play out across our reefs.”
Professor Hughes said he is frustrated
about the whole climate change
debate.
“The government has not been
listening to us for the past 20 years,”
he said.
“It has been inevitable that this
bleaching event would happen, and
now it has.
“We need to join the global
community in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions.
“For me, personally, it was devastating
to look out of the chopper window
and see reef after reef destroyed by
bleaching.
“But really the emotion is not so
much sadness as anger.
“I’m really angry that the government
isn’t listening to us, to the evidence
we’ve been providing to them since
1998.”
Mr Hunt told 7.30 that he was
confident in the advice from the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority —
that the southern and central parts
of the reef had so far escaped serious
bleaching.
He said the Government had
committed $2 billion over the next
decade to protect the reef through
initiatives such as improving water
quality and removing the crown-ofthorns starfish.
A spokesperson for the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park Authority said it
would be following up the aerial
surveys with in-water surveys over
the next two weeks to determine the
true extent of the coral bleaching.
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
19
Celebrities
Britney Spears
shows off toned abs in skinny selfie...
after THAT photoshop drama
She was accused of
photoshopping a slender
bikini photo earlier this
week.
And Britney Spears put
any doubts about her
toned body to rest as she
shared a midriff-baring
selfie on Instagram on
Thursday.
The pop star flashed her
abs in a white crop top
and tiny pink jeans.
‘Good afternoon!’ she
captioned the snap.
The 34-year-old showed
off her long legs with
beige heels, and pulled
her blonde
hair back Britney Spears showed off her
in a messy toned abs as she shared a selfie on
Instagram Thursday
updo.
‘I did it then, I can do it now’:
Kim Kardashian reveals what motivates
her to lose those post-pregnancy pounds
She returned to her slender curves
after giving birth to her first child
North West over two years ago.
And now Kim Kardashian is
looking to that weight loss success
as motivation for her latest round
with dieting. The 35-year-old, who has already
shed 42 lbs since welcoming second
child Saint in December, explained
in a new video posted to her
website www.kimkardashianwest.
com that
she
stays
encouraged by looking
The reality star showed off her
at old photos of herself
slender belly as she wore little
looking fit following her
more than a white sports bra and
first birth.
black leggings
Kim’s video featured a
series of images of herself
taken in Thailand a year after she welcomed North.
The reality star wore a pair of black leggings and a white
bra, which highlighted her flat and slender belly. 20
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
Is that any way to greet royalty? The
awkward moment Crown Princess Mary
was left waiting at a CLOSED DOOR
When Princess Mary stepped out
to continue her charity work in
Denmark, there was little fanfair.
In fact, apart from the barrage of
media that follow the Australianborn royal’s every move, there
was no one to greet the Princess
on her official visit to a shelter in
Odense.
The Danish royal was seen
walking alone to the entrance
of the shelter before one of the
assembled press photographers
opened the door to let her in. Only then did representatives
of the organisation step outside
to meet the princess, hastily
shaking hands. While Mary waited just a
Ever stylish: The mother-of-four
moment for the door to be
dressed casually for the occasion
opened, it is a far cry from
in black pants and a grey shirt tied
the royal protocol that
around the waist
traditionally
surrounds
a member of the royal
family, who are used to
arriving at events to a welcome party. But a down-to-earth Mary appeared to take the lack of
formality in her stride, sharing a laugh with the two men
before stepping inside.
Why IS William still fascinated
with his old flame Jecca?
Many a young man meets a girl he does not marry, but
whom he cannot quite get out of his system. Courtship
and romance are followed by a life-long affection, together
with nagging thoughts of what might have been.
Some will wonder if these were the emotions stirring deep
within Prince William when he abruptly announced that
he was flying to Kenya for the Easter weekend, in order to
attend the wedding of his old flame Jecca Craig.
Before Kate Middleton came into the prince’s life,
the conservationist’s daughter was frequently
described as his ‘first love’, who became so close
to him when they were teenagers that they
reportedly entered into a ‘pretend engagement’.
Five years ago, the willowy Jecca was a guest –
along with her then boyfriend – at William and
Kate’s grand royal wedding, but when tomorrow
she ties the knot with Professor Jonathan Baillie,
a Canadian-born world authority on threatened
Celebrities
Burning up! Make-up free Lana JeavonsFellows joins a hunky shirtless man for a
jog and a swim along Bondi Beach
Going back to her roots! Nicole Kidman
shows off her corkscrew curls as she takes
daughters to visit her mother in Sydney
The Bachelor series three star was
spotted on Wednesday jogging
along the picturesque Bondi
Beach alongside a shirtless hunk
She recently flaunted her toned body in a range of skimpy
swimwear for a photo-shoot taken by renowned fashion
photographer Sam Grant. And it seems Lana Jeavons-Fellows works hard to get her
body into tip-top shape.
The Bachelor series three star was spotted jogging
alongside a shirtless hunk along Bondi Beach on
Wednesday evening.
The pair seemed to be in good spirits as they joked and
laughed as they pounded the soft sand barefoot.
species for the Zoological Society, the prince will be
attending alone.
Some might say this is simply William celebrating the
nuptial bliss of an old friend. And yet, at
a time when he has faced criticism over
his apparent lack of commitment both
to royal duties and his part-time job as
an air ambulance helicopter pilot, the
visit is bound to lead to questions about
the wisdom of making the trip in the first
place.
Kate Middleton and Jecca Craig
photographed together in 2008 attending
a charity boxing night in London.
Nicole Kidman showed off her
curly hair as she visited her
mother with daughters Faith
Margaret (above) and Sunday
Rose on Friday.
She flew in to Sydney
on Thursday to spend
Easter with family. And as she took her young daughters
to visit their grandmother on Friday, Nicole Kidman went
back to her roots in more ways than one. The 48-year-old showed off her corkscrew curly hair as
she took Faith and Sunday to see her mother Janelle,
opting for a low-key look for the family occasion.
Shunning heavy make-up, the actress kept a pair of
black sunglasses on as she emerged from a car with her
daughters who are seven and five. She wore her blonde locks swept off her face in an up-do,
leaving a few ringlets to fall by the side of her face. Nicole stayed casual in a blue and white striped t-shirt,
a black blazer and some white cropped jeans, carrying a
black handbag over one arm.
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
21
8
Health
Foods for Better
Enough about oysters,
already!
If you want to put some sizzle
back into your sex life, food can
help you set the mood. There’s
nothing better than a romantic,
home-cooked dinner, featuring some
R-rated foods to help turn up the heat. “There’s
a growing body of evidence that some of the vitamins and
components in foods can enhance sexual function and sexual
experience,” says Jennifer R. Berman, MD, the director of
the Berman Women’s Wellness Center, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Here are some of the food ingredients (and my own favorite
recipes) that have been major players in aphrodisiac history and
lore, and also have modern-day science to back up their claims.
Avocados
The Aztecs referred to avocados as, ahem, testicles, because
of their physical shape. But the scientific reason why avocados
make sense as an aphrodisiac is that they are rich in unsaturated
fats and low in saturated fat, making them good for your heart
and your arteries. Anything that keeps the heart beating strong
helps keep blood flowing to all the right places; in fact, men with
underlying heart disease are twice as likely to suffer from erectile
dysfunction (ED). Almonds
Topping my list of feisty foods, almonds have long been
purported to increase passion, act as a sexual stimulant, and aid
with fertility. Like asparagus (another one of my favorite sexy
foods), almonds are nutrient-dense and rich in several trace
minerals that are important for sexual health and reproduction,
such as zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. “Zinc helps enhance libido
and sexual desire,” says Dr. Berman. “We don’t really understand
the mechanisms behind it, but we know it works.” Strawberries
The color red is known to help stoke the fire: A 2008 study found
thatmen find women sexier if they’re wearing red, as opposed
to cool colors such as blue or green. Strawberries are also an
excellent source of folic acid, a B vitamin that helps ward off birth
defects in women and, according to a University of California,
22
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
Sex
Berkley study, may be tied to high sperm
counts in men. This Valentine’s Day, try
making dark-chocolate-dipped strawberries.
And while we’re on the subject, there’s a reason
we give chocolate on Valentine’s Day: It’s full of
libido-boosting methylxanthines. Seafood
Despite their slippery and slimy texture, oysters may be the most
well-known aphrodisiac. They’re also one of the best sources of
libido-boosting zinc. But other types of seafood can also act as
aphrodisiacs. Oily fish—like wild salmon and herring—contain ,
which are essential for a healthy heart. Arugula
Arugula has been heralded as an arousal aid since the first century.
Today, research reveals that the trace minerals and antioxidants
packed into dark, leafy greens are essential for our sexual health
because they help block absorption of some of the environmental
contaminants thought to negatively impact our libido. Figs
These funny-shaped fruits have a long history of being a fertility
booster, and they make an excellent aphrodisiac because they are
packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber, which is important
for heart health. Plus, high-fiber foods help fill you up, not out, so
it’s easier to achieve that sexy bottom line—or belly. Citrus
Any member of this tropical fruit family is super-rich in
antioxidants, vitamin C, and folic acid—all of which are essential
for men’s reproductive health. Enjoy a romantic salad that
incorporates citrus, like pink grapefruit or mandarin oranges, or
use a dressing made with lemon and lime
Watermelon
This popular summer fruit is low in calories, but also
high in potentially libido-boosting phytonutrients.
In 2008, Texas A&M research suggested that the lycopene,
citrulline, and beta-carotene found in watermelon may help
relax blood vessels, and provide a natural enhancement
for revving up your sex drive. Advertisements
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The World Observer | March - April | 2016
23
Advertisement
24
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
Housing
Epping, Mosman and West Ryde
named the top suburbs eyed by Chinese buyers
REAL ESTATE in Sydney continues to lure
international buyers, with property
in the city’s north topping the
wishlists of Chinese property
hunters.
Epping is the most searched
suburb in the state by
Chinese buyers, followed
b y M o s m a n a n d We s t
Ryde, according to the
newest data from myfun.
com, a Chinese property
portal run by REA Group.
Allison Mifsud, principal
of First National Epping,
said
Epping,
which
retained its top position
from last year, was seeing “a
bit of a domino effect” with
Asian buyers who liked to be
surrounded by their own culture.
She added that previously they
preferred smaller sites with lowmaintenance.
“Now they are wanting bigger blocks of land because
they are more accustomed to our lifestyle; they want
bigger yards for the kids and better appreciation of
[property] values.”
Despite seeing less enquiries than last year, Ms Mifsud
said sales in the northern district are “still ticking along”.
“It’s remained steady, I’m not finding as much of a drop
in prices as other areas.”
West Ryde was also attracting overseas buyers, jumping
from fourth place in the last quarter to the third most
popular in the state.
Danny Yap from Tracy Yap Realty
attributed the surge in popularity
in West Ryde to its relative
affordability.
“A lot are buying for their
kids studying at Macquarie
University,” he said.
Bo Zhang, a Chinesespeaking agent from Belle
Property Mosman, said
he had seen an increase
of enquiries from Chinese
buyers since the end of
January.
“We have had the best 30
days in the last 10 years,” he
said, adding that his clients’
budgets usually range from $3
million to $13 million.
“And then there are the really
expensive houses selling in the low to
mid $2 million range, which is pretty high
for this area.”
With half of his clients being foreign Chinese buyers, he
said a lot of them held a Significant Investor visa, which
is a way to gain permanent residency for individuals
putting $5 million into local investments for at least
four years.
Temporary visa holders are allowed to buy one existing
property, which they must use as their main residence,
after they gain approval from the Foreign Investment
Review Board.
Sold for
$12 Million
From daily telegraph
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
25
Odd News
Google search for
‘How to Move to Canada’
spikes following The results
Canada’s got weed. They’ve had same sex marriage for
longer. And they’re the people responsible for the godlikefigures that are Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling.
But for many Americans the greatest draw is that they
don’t have to worry about their country potentially being
run by Donald Trump.
Following the results of the US presidential primary
elections this week, several Americans who were
disheartened by the results contemplated leaving the
country.
Specifically to Canada.
According to Google Trends, searches for “How to move
to Canada” increased dramatically following the results.
Midwestern state, Utah, tops the charts, closely followed
by the southern state of Virginia.
Canadian college accidentally
emails 1,400 students’ test results
A college in Canada issued an apology after accidentally
releasing the test results of more than 1,400 health
students via email.
Algonquin College in Ottawa sent the results of 1,411
prospective students’ AC-HPAT entry exams to 40 other
students.
The results were sent in a spreadsheet including other
information such as names, email addresses, student
numbers and program choices, but could not be used to
impersonate the students included.
They added that affected students were contacted along
with the 40 recipients, who were instructed to delete the
email. The unopened emails were recalled within an hour.
“We’re very sorry this happened. Obviously, not our intent
to do this. We are going to make it right by ensuring
it doesn’t happen again and getting to the bottom of
why it happened,” Algonquin College spokesperson Phil
Gaudreau
Germany catches woman smuggling cocaine in breast implants
A 24-year-old Colombian woman was
arrested at Frankfurt airport after she was
found to be carrying 1 kg (2.2 pounds)
of cocaine inside her breasts, German
customs officials said .
Airport officials became suspicious after
they found fresh operation scars below the
woman’s breasts during a search on Feb. 24
and she complained of severe pain.
The woman admitted to carrying drugs,
which had been inserted into her body
during a hastily arranged operation.
She was sent to a local hospital where
doctors removed two 500-gram lumps of
cocaine wrapped in plastic from each of
her breasts.
The drugs have a market value of ($220,000)
and were destined for Spain, a customs
spokesman said.
26
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
Odd News
Louisiana men go fishing on
flooded interstate
A trio of Louisiana men made the best of the state’s severe
flooding by climbing into a small boat and going fishing
on the highway.
A video posted to YouTube by NZP Storm Chasers shows
three locals near Stonewall, La., boating down Interstate
49 March 10 in the search of some fish on the flooded road.
Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Thursday up to 750
Louisiana National Guard members have been authorized
to help residents in flooded areas of the state.
“We’re moving resources as fast as possible,” Edwards said.
Cat flees rodent of unusual size
in Chinese city
A cat on the streets of a Chinese city
clearly knew it was outmatched when
it encountered an unusually large rat
and decided to flee.
The video, filmed last year in
Panzhihua, Sichuan Province shows
the cat initially appearing as if it
planned to confront the rodent of
unusual size.
The feline appears to quickly change its mind when the
large rat runs toward it and it starts to back away.
The rat, apparently not satisfied that the cat is no longer a
threat, chases after its would-be predator until the feline
flees.
Rampant roosters rounded up
in Australian city
Man admits robbing bank with
sex toy that looked like bomb
A western Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to robbing
a bank with a fake bomb made out of phone wires, duct
tape and a sex toy.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (http://bit.
ly/1TTvRzY ) that Aaron Stein pleaded guilty on Thursday
to charges including robbery, aggravated assault and
making bomb threats in the June crime.
An attorney for the 36-year-old Pittsburgh man says
he discovered that $9,000 he’d invested to cover his
approaching honeymoon was gone. The attorney says
desperation drove him to don an Iron Man mask and take
a fake bomb to threaten tellers and rob a bank in Crafton
bank, just west of Pittsburgh.
Stein’s bond was revoked until his May 31 sentencing.
Roosters running rampant in an Australian city were
rounded up on Saturday in a campaign to curb the crowing
cocks.
The Tasmanian state capital of Hobart, and its southern
fringe in particular, has been plagued by feral fowls for the
past five or six years, according to resident and Southern
Tasmanian Bantam Club secretary Steven Baldock.
“They’re crowing and carrying on,” Baldock told Reuters by
telephone.
People who keep chickens for their eggs often abandoned
roosters, which do not produce eggs, he said.
“We’ve got people dumping them on the side of the road,”
Baldock said.
“They’re particularly a traffic hazard. It’s also an animal
welfare issue, because they’re suffering predation by dogs
and cats and not being fed properly.”
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
27
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‫‪The World Observer | March - April | 2016‬‬
‫‪28‬‬
Report
Why are Australian children more anxious than ever before?
Childhood is supposed to be the happiest time of your life, but with reports showing anxiety disorders in
Australian children are on the rise, what are parents and children to do? Tiger Webb finds out
Jennifer Hudson wants you to know is that
anxiety in children is normal, to an
extent.
‘All children have some amount
of fears,’ says Hudson, deputy
director of the Centre for
Emotional Health at Macquarie
University.
The trouble, Hudson says, is
working out when that fear
turns into something parents
should be concerned about.
It’s a tension more and
more Australian paerents are
dealing with—a recent federal
government
report shows
anxiety disorders are second only
to ADHD when it comes to prevalence
in Australian children.
'We don't want to pathologise normal
anxiety—it really is a normal emotion. We wouldn't
be human if we didn't have it,' Hudson says.
But when a child is unable to attend the birthday parties
of other children or make new friends without anxiety,
Hudson would urge caution.
What are the signs of childhood anxiety?
Early awareness of symptoms is important. Hudson says
anxiety disorders have been observed in children as young
as four and five.
'If you ask adults with anxiety when it first started, they'll
say, "I've been this way all my life,"' she says.
One of the signs Hudson says to look out for is separation
anxiety.
Most children react strongly to parting with their primary
caregiver on the first day of school. Tears or a tantrum at
that stage of their life isn't unusual. But other signs can
emerge: 'When the child begins to stress on Sunday nights
before school starts, that's when you know it's abnormal,'
says Hudson.
Another sign is something parents might be more familiar
with in adults: obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Hudson notes that OCD manifests in children the same
way it does in adults, through repetitive activities such as
washing hands many times a day or a fixation on checking
things in a certain way.
What's behind the uptick in anxiety disorders in children?
There's one compelling reason for this new prevalence—
anxiety disorders were excluded in previous government
reports.
'Historically, [it's] thought of as something that's not a big
problem,' says Hudson. 'Now, we realise that, yes, this is
really important.'
There's also a genetic component to anxiety
disorders. By Hudson's yardstick,
some 30 to 40 per cent of anxiety is
heritable, with the rest related to
environmental factors.
It might be tempting to blame
increased screen time and
access to information via the
internet that didn't exist in
previous generations—but
Hudson doesn't totally agree
with that hypothesis.
'The presence of screens is
not necessarily something
that's going to create anxiety.
Social media, unfortunately, is a
huge factor. Particularly in primary
school.'
What can parents do?
It's important parents be on the lookout for
signs of anxiety, Hudson says, because it can have
adverse effects later in life.
'We just don't grow out of it. A majority of children, if
they have anxiety disorders as a child, are much more
likely to have that continue throughout adolescence into
adulthood, and then have a range of other mental health
problems.'
If a child is worried about going on a school camp, for
example, it can be tempting for parents to accommodate
their wishes. Hudson cautions against this.
'What keeps anxiety going is avoidance,' she says. 'If you
stay away from situations you're nervous about, the child
will never learn that she can handle it, and that actually
camp can be fun.
Hudson recommends an approach known as 'stepladders',
where the child is encouraged to work out what it is
specifically about a situation that they find difficult to
handle, and to surmount that challenge by building up
confidence slowly.
'Work out what [they're] ready for and what they can
handle,' she says. To take the school camp example, that
could mean encouraging the child to spend more time
away from parents in a trusted environment in the leadup.
Hudson has a few other general tips: 'Breathing strategies
are good as well, and practicing those outside the situation.'
She also advocates a technique known as 'detective
thinking', where children are encouraged to examine the
source of their own emotions in order to confront them.
'It's to help kids be more like scientists or detectives—for
their thoughts. Use it to keep something in perspective.'
From ABC
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
29
Climate Change
China's carbon emissions may have already peaked, report shows
Carbon emissions in China may have
peaked in 2014, years earlier than the
country’s leaders pledged, according
to a new study.
China promised to bring greenhouse
gas emissions to a peak by “around
2030” at last year’s global climate
change conference in Paris.
Evidence the country has peaked
much sooner could lead to concerns
that its existing targets are too easy.
The study, by the Grantham Research
Institute on Climate Change and the
London School of Economics, said
the 2030 peak was a conservative
estimate.
“It is quite possible that emissions will
fall modestly from now on, implying
that 2014 was the peak,” said the
report, noting that recent data already
showed China’s emissions had fallen
in 2015.
Chinese carbon experts said any fall
in emissions in 2015 would be mainly
due to a slowdown in China’s economy,
and it was unlikely emissions had
peaked so early.
China’s senior climate change envoy,
Xie Zhenhua, told a press conference
the country’s emissions had not
peaked in 2014 and were still growing.
US climate change envoy Todd Stern
said in Beijing last week that China
could come under pressure to draw
up tougher targets if it became clear
the existing goals were too easy.
“It will be up to the Chinese
Government whether they increase
their target but there will obviously be
a lot of international opinion looking
forward to additional measures —
whether it is China or anyone else,” he
told reporters.
The Chinese Government said on
Saturday that it would cap total energy
consumption at five billion tonnes of
standard coal by 2020, amounting to
an increase of 16.3 per cent from 2015.
It also said it would cut carbon intensity
— or the amount of CO2 emissions
per unit of economic growth — by 18
per cent between 2016 and 2020.
Reuters
A
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wide. Being the first lebanese pastry store to
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established and most successful Lebanese sweet shop in
Australia, Established by the late Abdul salam saker and
still run by the same proud family until this day.
at Alafrah Pastry you will be introduced to an extensive
range of only high Quality sweets from cashew and
pistachio filled baklawa, date and walnut filled
assortments, petit fours, clotted milk filled sweets,
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are well recognised in Australia and internationally as
the finest produces of Lebanese sweets.
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751 Punchbowl Road, Punchbowl NSW 2196
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www.alafrahsweets.com.au
30
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
We cater for all those special occasions, birthdays,
engagements, weddings and religious celebrations that
mean the world to you and your family, offering endless
ideas in our large selection of exotic mixed sweet platters
to suit your individual taste.
Interview
SADEK MOTOR GROUP
Mr Sarkis Sadek, Sukkarieh and Sam Sadek
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Impressive range of quality vehicles,
competitive prices and friendly
expert service
The General Manegar and Editor of The World Observer
Newspaper have visited the Sadek Motor Group to do an intrveiw
with the owner Mr Sam Sadek, which will be published in the
World Observer Magazine,
“We specalise in the best quality vehicles to suit customs needs,
we have over 500 cars in stock, with a wide range of quality
vehicles available including sedan, wagons, light commercial
vehicles and much more, we provide finance for customers with
the best rates and repayments” Mr Sadek said
“We have basic car warranty coverage, also known as bumper to
bumper coverage, covers everything on your car except normal
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tires. Basic coverage often goes hand in hand with all our used
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To View Sadek Motor Group go to their website for more
information or to simply book in an obligation free test drive, be
sure to contact us and we will be happy to arrange this for you.
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
31
Zoo
Meerkat Pups Come Out to
Play at Taronga These School Holidays
A playful pair of Meerkat pups have joined Taronga’s active
young Francois’ Leaf-monkey, Nangua, and new female
Fishing Cat, Maew, on display in time for these school
holidays.
The three-month-old pups are developing fast and can
often be seen playing and practicing for sentry duty in
Taronga’s new African-themed Meerkat exhibit.
The first Meerkats born at Taronga in nearly seven years,
the pups have been named ‘Lwazi’ and ‘Serati’ to reflect
their African heritage.
“The pups are growing quickly and showing signs of their
own little personalities. Lwazi is the bigger of the two
and he’s more adventurous and inquisitive, while Serati
is quieter and prefers to stay closer to her parents,” said
Keeper, Courtney Mahony.
The best time to see the Meerkat family in their new home
is during the daily Meerkat Keeper talk at 11.15am.
As part of the Zoo’s Centenary celebrations, Taronga is
using the month of April to highlight its commitment to
Asian Elephant conservation.
Deforestation for palm oil plantations and logging, as
well as illegal wildlife trade and human-elephant conflict
32
The World Observer | March - April | 2016
are contributing to rapidly declining numbers of Asian
Elephants in Sumatra and across Asia.
Visitors can meet Taronga’s Asian Elephants at the daily
Elephant Keeper Talk at 1.30pm and grab a Kids Map to
explore the Rainforest Trail whilst learning about Taronga’s
work to protect wild elephants.
It’s also a great time to explore the Zoo’s the Australian
Nightlife nocturnal exhibit where there are new Ghost
Bats pups and a gaggle of new Feathertail Gilders.
There are also 30 free keeper talks and presentations
to enjoy.
Visitors can also visit the Zoo on their birthday for $1
as part of Taronga’s Centenary celebrations, thanks
to supporting partner, ANZ. People can register on
Taronga’s website to receive a $1 voucher to use on
their birthday, along with a special Taronga 100 birthday
badge to wear and keep as a great Centenary memento.
There are also now admissions discounts of up to 20%
for families who buy their tickets from the Zoo’s website
ahead of their visit.
Taronga Zoo is open every day of the school holidays. For
more information visit: taronga.org.au/100-years