Why some Australians may never own a home

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400 men cut off their own
TESTICLES.. P26
Do you need to pay
Land Tax? P4 - 5
Can Belly Fat
Really Affect Your
Sex Life.. P22
Eva Longoria
reveals her secrets
P20
Why some Australians may
never own a home
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A Word From the Editor
Mobile, Speeding and alcohol
are the driving enemy
By Mamdouh Sukkarieh
Nobody likes to think about their own mortality, but if you don’t drive
safely on the road then there is a very real chance that you might hurt or
kill yourself or someone else.
Unfortunately, death and injuries on our roads are a heart-breaking reality.
It could happen to anyone just like you, your family or your friends. The even
bigger tragedy is road trauma can be avoided. By making good choices, not
speeding, not drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs and choose to be
not distracted from the particular task at hand.
There’s just something about the speed and simplicity, but that speed and simplicity
can be deceiving when behind the wheel.
20yr old Emy sent this text message to her boyfriend “I love you” (boyfriend) “I love
you too and I’ll try to make you happy”.
Moments later Emy was killed when her car slammed into the back of a tractor
trailer. 18 year old Taylor was also texting when her car slammed into a truck
at 80miles per an hour, her final text “driving and facebooking is not safe! Ha
ha!” When you do these things you probably think it will never happen to me,
you’re not alone. 55% of young drivers say it’s easy to text and drive. 34/ of the
same young adults feel confident that they are really good at texting behind the
wheel; the reality is they’re all delusional and so are you.
Drivers who text spend about 10% of their driving time outside of their own
driving lanes. Not only that, they also lose track of their speed and the flow with
the traffic. Imagine you are driving with your eyes closed for 5 seconds, the same
time you take for a quick look at your phone, you’d probably feel very lucky that
you didn’t crash. Drivers are placing themselves in a dangerous position every
time they take their eyes off the road, read or send a text.
Texting while driving has become the leading cause of teen driver death
surpassing even drinking & driving deaths.
What could happen to other people could happen to you, people are often
mislead by the belief that they are better drivers and therefore this couldn’t
possibly happen to them.
If it is urgent to call or message someone pull off the side of the road or into a
parking lot, anywhere that is safe to use your phone, it could take a few extra
minutes to reach your destination, but at least you will be save and the people
around as well. Same thing applies for speeding, especially on long trips, a few
extra minutes ensures you arrive safely.
There’s another growing group of young people you should be part of; ones that
pledge not to text while they drive.
Leave your cell phone alone while your driving. No text message or call is that
important that is worth your life or someone else’s, you aren’t different, you
aren’t special, your just another accident waiting to happen.
[email protected]
www.theworldobserver.com
The World Observer | July | 2015
3
Report
Do you need to pay Land Tax?
* By Radwan Hamdan
Many property owners get a nasty surprise from the Office of State Revenue at the end of the Land
Tax year (which is 31 December in New South Wales), and due to the lack of knowledge, they do not
seek help to minimise this tax obligation. They are typically confronted with a huge land tax bill which
adversely impacts their cash flow.
Land Tax is a state tax which is charged on the value of investment properties subject to limited exemption.
Initially, with the first one or two properties this may not seem to be much of a problem, but as properties
are accumulated land tax can become a prohibitive amount to pay each year.
So how can you minimize your land tax payments?
All states and territory governments in Australia (except the Northern Territory) impose a land tax. In the
Northern Territory there is no land tax at all.
Land tax is based on the cumulative value of all unimproved land that you own, other than your principal
place of residence in any particular state. In NSW, for example, the land tax is calculated on taxable
value of the land (only) after allowing a tax free threshold of $432,000. This is a one off threshold and it is
not for each investment property. The current land tax rates in NSW are
Land tax 2015
Tax Year
Threshold
Rate
2015
$432,000
$100 plus 1.6% up to the premium threshold.
Premium Threshold
$2,641,000
$35,444 for the first $2,641,000 then 2% over that
(The premium threshold kicks in where the value of the property exceeds $2,641,000)
Keeping in mind that land tax is precisely that – a tax on the land value, some investors prefer to purchase
units with comparatively little ‘land value’ which helps decrease their land tax payments.
Each state or territory government not only has its own tax rate but also has certain exceptions within
their laws in regard land tax, so it’s important that if buying interstate that the land tax laws for that state
are understood. Over the past 2 years we’ve seen vast increases in property values particularly in Sydney and Melbourne
and this has made the payment of taxes a headache for some property investors. This has resulted in a
jackpot for the NSW which reported a surplus in its last Budget of over $2.5 billion dollars mainly due to
accelerated Land Tax and Stamp Duty collections in NSW.
How to Minimize Land Tax
There are essentially four steps that can be taken to minimize land tax. You will need to evaluate your
own circumstances and assets to decide if any of these steps would be of benefit to you.
Let’s take the example of four houses with land values at: $100,000, $150,000, $180,000 and $250,000 (a
total land value of $680,000) and look at the various scenarios.
1. Invest in property in several states
a. If all four properties were owned in the one state, let’s say NSW, the land tax would be $4,068
allowing for a land tax threshold of $432,000 for the 2015 land tax year.
b. If all four properties were spread over 4 states then there would be no land tax to pay due to the
fact that in each state the property value is below the land tax threshold of each state.
c. If they were all situated in the Northern Territory there would be no land tax to pay.
2. Buy units instead of houses
A unit has a much lower land value than a house due to the relative size and value of land to the overall
value. A land tax saving can possibly be made, however there are other expenses you also need to weigh
up.
What you need to calculate in this scenario is the cost of the body corporate. If the body corporate fees
are higher than the land tax it may not be worth buying the unit as the overall cost of owning the unit (body
4
The World Observer | July | 2015
Report
corporate + land tax) have a too larger impact on the performance of
your investment.
This of course leads into a much deeper discussion on the fundamentals
of assessing the viability of any property. For now though, I am only
highlighting that some corporate fees are so excessive that they are
a greater influence when crunching the numbers on the viability of a
property than the land tax will ever be.
3. Buy properties using different buying entities
The third option is to buy the four properties in different entities. Looking
at this option, say Karim and Sarah had four properties. If Karim owned
one, Sarah owned one, they owned one jointly and the fourth was owned
under a fixed trust then again, there would be no land tax as there are
four different entities owning the properties. Although this may seem to
be ideal, owning only one property in a fixed trust can be expensive too
as there are set up costs and expenses related to the annual report of
trust activity.
low cost accommodation
residential parks, including caravan parks
non-profit organisations
retirement villages, aged care establishments and
nursing homes
Finally, after assessing these different methods of minimizing land tax,
you also need to incorporate your overall income and taxation position. Obviously it’s very important, therefore, that you have a detailed
discussion with your external accountant and tax advisor to ensure
everything you do is specific to your own individual circumstances.
•
•
•
•
4.
Invest in property which is exempt from Land Tax or has
concessional treatment
The Office of State Revenue exempts or grants concessions on certain
properties from Land Tax which represents a huge saving to the investor,
namely:
• principal place of residence
• primary production land
• boarding houses
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 | July | 2015
5
Opinion
By Najib Saab
Changing Eating Habits Helps Food Security
A
rabs import half of what they need in terms of basic
foodstuffs. Agricultural production in the Arab countries
faces tremendous challenges - mainly drought, limited
arable land, scarce water resources and accelerated
population growth, all amid the adverse impact of climate change.
However, Arab countries have largely failed to adequately deal
with the challenges posed by limited natural resources. The
deteriorating condition of agricultural production is attributed
mainly to inappropriate policies, meager investment in science and
technology, poor agricultural development and the absence of regional
cooperation. These are some of the conclusions reached in a report
on food security released by the Arab Forum for Environment and
Development at the organization’s annual conference in Amman.
Still, the AFED report outlines a potentially positive conclusion. Though the
situation is critical, as the Arab world largely relies on imported food and
exploits its scarce natural resources in an unsustainable manner, the report
emphasizes that Arabs can reverse this trend through a package of measures.
At the forefront of these are improved land productivity and higher irrigation
efficiency, which do not exceed half of the recognized international rates.
Alongside calling for the adoption of more effective policies and the
advancement of agricultural scientific research, the report urges regional
cooperation based on the exploitation of comparative advantages in a region
known for significant discrepancies in natural resources and income levels.
The AFED report illustrates success stories of model projects in
Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia. Productivity increased
through the successful employment of integrated management
methods for water use and crop production. However, the report
points out that some of the successes were undermined as a
result of armed conflict in the region during the few past years.
In addition to improved irrigation efficiency, water productivity
can also be enhanced through the use of alternative agricultural
commodities with similar nutritional value, but that are less waterintensive. The adoption of nonconventional methods is also
necessary, most importantly the reuse of treated wastewater.
Food and water are interrelated, especially in the driest region on earth.
The per-capita share of renewable fresh water in the Arab world is eight
times less than the global average. Thirteen out of the 22 Arab countries
suffer severe water scarcity. The AFED report placed six Arab countries
in a new “exceptional water scarcity” category, meaning they possess
renewable water resources of less than 100 cubic meters per capita.
To make matters worse, there are regions where there is a lack of arable
land alongside abundant fresh water; or arable land with a dearth
of fresh water. The challenge increases as 85 percent of the water is
used for agriculture, given low rates of irrigation efficiency and land
productivity. The average irrigation efficiency in 19 Arab countries does
not exceed 46 percent, compared to a global average of 70 percent.
If Arab countries managed to reach the global average, they could
save 50 billion cubic meters of water, an amount enough to produce
6
The World Observer | July | 2015
30 million tons of grains, half the total of the region’s imported grains.
Improving food security will require reducing food loss in transportation
and storage, whether domestically produced or imported. Losses in
imported wheat to Arab countries as a result of inefficient storage and
transportation exceed 3 million tons per year. This is equivalent to 40
percent of total local production of wheat, for a value of $4 billion per year,
equivalent to four months of wheat imports. The AFED report concludes
that by developing the transportation sector and mainstreaming
procedures for the passage of foodstuffs through border crossings, food
prices can fall by 25 percent and budget deficits slashed by 30 percent.
The report also states that Arab countries, as a group, have the
potential to become self-sufficient in seafood production, while
they consume significant amounts of red meat, mostly imported. As
a result, the report calls for promoting fish and poultry production
and consumption, to replace a large portion of the red meat
consumed - for economic, environmental and health reasons.
It is also necessary to shift to agricultural production that consumes
less water. All this necessitates a change in food consumption patterns.
This would become a necessity, not merely an option, if Egypt, for
example, were not to have enough water to grow rice. In such a
case, Egyptians would have to turn to other commodities to feed an
estimated 200 million people by 2050. Can Saudi Arabia, on the other
hand, continue to expand its milk exports and sustain its vast number
of 200,000 dairy cows by depleting groundwater to grow fodder?
The shift in consumers’ habits is a daunting challenge. When the former Saudi
trade minister Hashim Yemani asked Saudi citizens a few years ago to change
their dietary habits, starting with the replacement of rice for a few days of
the week by another product, following a spike in world food prices, he was
subjected to a fierce campaign that led to his replacement. Yemani may find
consolation in the AFED report in that it emphasizes the necessity of adjusting
dietary habits as an essential component of any sound food security plan. The
challenge in the region is not restricted to volatile and rising prices of imported
products, because the day may come when we will not find sufficient quantities
of water to produce rice in Egypt or grow fodder to feed cows in Saudi Arabia.
Some may perceive the AFED report on food security in Arab countries as
unrealistic in a region that is currently struggling with major problems.
However, in the aftermath of wars and conflict we will still need to
feed some 400 million people day daily. This is feasible by increasing
land productivity, improving irrigation efficiency and changing food
consumption patterns, in parallel with enhanced regional cooperation.
All these measures can be successful only if coupled with environment
protection, given that the preservation of natural resources remains
at the heart of promoting production and attaining food security.
When it comes to food safety, officials have to examine the whole food
chain to detect problems, not limit attention to the end product,
as we recently witnessed in Lebanon when the health minister
highlighted the lack of cleanliness of food products and
erroneously confused food safety and food security.
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Cover Story
Why some Australians
Paul Whalen seems like the perfect candidate for first-time home
ownership. He has a good job in the financial industry, has some
money saved and is ready to settle down.
But, with the average home price more than 10 times the
average wage, the dream of property ownership is slipping
away from younger Australians, particularly in Sydney, where
prices have jumped by 14% year to year, and a whopping
60% since 2009.
“Every time you look at the newspaper and you see house prices
are up and you look at your pay packet and it is not going up
by the same percentage every year,” explained Whalen, a 36-year
old Sydney resident, who has been on the lookout for a property
for his wife and newborn son for the last few months. “Like most
people in our predicament we will probably have to rely on our
parents to help us get into the property market.”
Soaring prices fuelled by record-low interest rates, demand
from investors and a chronic shortage of supply have sent
Australia’s real-estate market into a frenzy, with properties
ranking as some of the most expensive in the world, according
to the International Monetary Fund. Sydney’s median house
price hovers around A$880,000. In Melbourne, it is more than
A$600,000.
Australia’s federal government is so alarmed that younger buyers
are being left behind it has set up a special taskforce to consider
solutions with the various state authorities to increase the supply
of affordable housing.
Alex Greenwich, an independent member of the New South
Wales parliament, calls the situation out of control. “Housing
affordability has been approaching a crisis level in A A closer
look paints an even grimmer picture. From his office in the
upmarket harbourside suburb of Elizabeth Bay, estate agent
Ron Danieli, a 25-year veteran of the Sydney market, lists
8
The World Observer | July | 2015
the properties currently on his books, with the cheapest
— a parking space for A$105,000 — not even habitable.
Apartments on his list start at A$550,000 .
Few of Danieli’s clients are first-time homebuyers, who are
invariably outgunned by cash-rich investors looking for lucrative
returns in real estate as an alternative to the stock market. For
now, Danieli advises first-property clients to sit tight. He sees the
current situation as a bubble — and when it bursts, “you’ll see
prices drop by 1015%-,” he said. “Jump in at that stage.”
Buying just to buy
For many Australians, real estate is an obsession. “Everybody
seems to be infatuated with the house they own, the house they
want to buy and how much that is worth,” Whalen said.
That has led many young Australians to just try to buy anything
they can, even if it’s just for an investment, to see if they can gain
from the property’s appreciation. History shows, however, that
this can be risky. Rampant property speculation in the United
States helped to fuel the global financial crisis, and resulted in
foreclosures and burdened speculators with huge debt. ustralia
particularly in inner Sydney,” he said.
“What we are seeing is a trend towards more first time buyers
buying as investors rather than owner occupiers,” according
to Tim Lawless, a research director with CoreLogic RP Data,
a company that tracks Australia’s property market. “This is a
strategy to get into the housing market at a time when they
can’t really afford to buy a property they’d like to live in.”
This group, Lawless said, continues to live in rented
accommodation or with relatives while the investment property
appreciates in value hoping that eventually a profit from the sale
could help them afford a home they want to live in.
The price rise is also giving way to changing expectations,
Cover Story
may never own a home
The world’s most expensive housing markets
Top ten cities
The Prime Global Cities Index tracks the
performance of luxury residential prices. The most
recent survey (first quarter of 2015) shows London
slipping while San Francisco, Vancouver and Sydney
have climbed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
particularly among those who before had wished
to remain centrally located. “The key here is that
most first time buyers are not buying in those hotly
contested areas,” said Neville Sanders, president of the
Real Estate Institute of Australia. Added Greenwich: “I think we are going away from the idea
where the Australian dream is to have a house with a block of
land. More and more people are living in apartments.”
Moving out
For those, however, who yearn for a traditional home
with a garden, affordability lies in the suburbs and
beyond. “If you want moderately priced property you
move further out. There are still a lot of properties that
can be bought for under A$500,000 , said Sanders. Sydney’s sprawling western suburbs that reach the
foothills of the Blue Mountains are a fertile hunting
ground for first-time buyers. Merrylands is 28km from
the Harbour Bridge, where the median price for a threebedroom house is A$657,500. In nearby Rosehill, a twobedroom house goes for A$647,500. Both suburbs are on the
main railway line into the centre of the city, a journey of about
30 minutes, longer by car or bus.
Bubble vs reality
There is great speculation over whether this is a bubble or a
longer-term reality, but the organisation that represents real
estate agents across the country is optimistic that there won’t
be a hard landing.
“I can’t see [that] we have a bubble that is likely to burst because
the real driver is a shortage of supply,” said Sanders at the Real
Estate Institute. “The only way a bubble could occur if there is
a mammoth increase in supply all of a sudden or there is some
San Francisco
Bengaluru
Miami
Vancouver
Jakarta
Tel Aviv
Tokyo
Dublin
Los Angeles
Sydney
By
Phil Mercer
s i g n i fi c a n t
event in the
economy that took
confidence levels right
away. I don’t see that.”
With
demand
outweighing
supply, the clamour for property is
only likely to intensify, Sanders conjectured. One critical driver of
house price inflation has been migration. Australia’s population
continues to grow by an extra person every minute and 20
seconds, and is expected to hit 35 million people by 2030.
For Eliza, a 20-year old advertising student in Sydney, that doesn’t
bode well. “Everyone’s coming [to Sydney],” she said. “They love
the beach. They love the weather, so prices are definitely going
to go even more through the roof.”
Eventually owning a home is her fundamental goal, so she’s not
giving up.
“It’s about stability,” she said. “It’s the feeling that you have
actually achieved something.
The World Observer | July | 2015
9
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The World Observer | July | 2015
Mystery
Dress colour mystery solved?
Expert says we're ALL RIGHT and here's why
A vision expert has offered an intriguing insight on the
dress colour debate sweeping the internet, to declare:
“Colour doesn’t really exist.”
A picture of a two-tone dress went viral after it prompted a
fierce debate over whether it was white and gold - or blue
and black.
Caitlin McNeil put the picture on the website Tumblr
after she and her friends could not agree on the colour,
a dilemma shared by millions of friends, family and work
colleagues across the world.
Dr Paul Knox, a reader from the University of Liverpool’s
department of Eye and Vision Science, confirmed BOTH
answers are correct.
And he said: “Colour isn’t something that exists in the
world. Different wavelengths of light exist and can be
observed but colour is something we make up inside our
heads.
“What meets the eye is light at given wavelengths that
then stimulates several distinct pathways that process
these different wavelengths.
“That’s what the brain interprets as colour but its
complicated by things like the device you may be viewing
the photograph on, the lighting in which you’re viewing
the photograph and what’s going on inside your head;
your own expectations.
“You might not expect to see gold in the dress so that
would bias the eye towards seeing the colour.
“Different people can look at the same thing, particularly
if it’s a photograph displayed on a monitor or phone and
claim they are seeing very different things.
“In one sense they are wrong, they are looking at the same
thing with the same wave lengths entering their head, but
in another sense they are absolutely right.”
The dress was one Caitlin’s mum was planning to wear to
her daughter’s wedding.
The picture, which trended worldwide using #The Dress even prompted celebrities to weigh in, as Kim Kardashian
tweeted: “What color is that dress? I see white & gold.
Kanye sees black & blue, who is color blind?”
Taylor Swift said: “I don’t understand this odd dress debate
and I feel like it’s a trick somehow. I’m confused and scared.
PS it’s OBVIOUSLY BLUE AND BLACK.”
Actress Julianne Moore said: “What’s the matter with u
guys, it’s white and gold.”
The dress comes from the clothing website Roman
Originals - and really is blue and black.
The World Observer | July | 2015
11
Local News
Nice Dinner with a wonderful people
Adam, Nasser, Allan, Mohammad, Daniel and families
Family, relatives and friends all felt comfortable
and welcome at Mr. & Mrs. Ayash’s home after they
finished the wonderful Iftar dinner prepared by
them. It was a great pleasure to attend this dinner
and meet my friend Adam Ayash and his lovely
family.
Respect, Unity and Peace during Ramadan
Downey, Asfour, Stewart, Montague, Tadros, Hawat, Najar, Wehbe and Azzi
Downey, Robson, Asfour, Awada, Achie, Moghawash and Sukkarieh
Religious and political leaders joined to celebrate
respect, unity and peace at the third combined
Canterbury and Bankstown City Council.
Mayor Linda Downey “For hundreds of years, Islamic
peoples in nations throughout the world have used
this holy month as a time of self purification …and to
grow in humility, patience and other noble virtues and
practices such as:
Compassion and love for the underprivileged; and A
commitment to serving and respecting our families
and community.
IFTAR is the ultimate shared experience… and it is my
desire that this celebration will draw our community
even closer together to learn more about one
another…”
Mayor Brian Robson said“Having local, state and federal
politicians celebrate Iftar alongside religious leaders
is a mark of respect for our local Muslim community
and the contribution they have made, and continue to
make in our thriving City of Cultural Diversity.
12
The World Observer | July | 2015
Local News
The St George
Labor
Representatives
Dinner Iftar
The Grand Opening of the
Superior Training Centre
Cutting the cake: Ben Peters, Mike Nasser and Richard Bencic
Last Saturday the Grand opening of
STC College attended by local business
owners, community leaders, parents
and teachers.
The opening of STC was a celebration
of “the excellence in qualification
through flexible training courses
to students in the HVAC, Electro
technology and Metal Fabrication
Industry” Ben Peters said.
On the evening of July 14th, 2015
at St Joseph’s Catholic Parish Hall in
Rockdale, more than 150 dignitaries
and guests from across the St
George area came together for a
Blessed Iftar. The St George Labor
Representatives – Steve Kamper MP
(Member for Rockdale), Chris Minns
MP (Member for Kogarah), Sophie
Cotsis MLC, Courtney Houssos MLC
and Shaoquett Moselmane MLC
hosted the Iftar dinner. Rev Brendan
Quirk, Sheikh Kamal Mousselmani
and Sheikh Mikhail Al-Khatib spoke
to the gathering highlighting their
thoughts and wishes for Ramadan.
This was the first time non-Muslim
Members of Parliament in the region
had hosted an Iftar dinner. It was a
very successful Iftar dinner, with a big
thank you to all who had contributed
to making it a success.
Mike Nasser added “By enrolling in STC,
you will get a head start for when you
enter the workforce.
There is a wide range of study options
available to you at STC: Certificate
II in Split Air-Conditioning and Heat
Pump, Certificate III Air-Conditioning
and Refrigeration, Certificate III in
Electrotechnology Electrician and
Certificate III in Engineering Fabrication.
Unit 1/ 13 York Rd Ingleburn NSW
‫فقط دقائق سير ًا من محطة القطار‬
Mike Nasser: 0414 397 978 - P. 02 96186809 - Email: [email protected]
Jacob and Solomon Mannoun are in a world of their own
The World Observer | July | 2015
13
Local News
Photos by Arax
14
The World Observer | July | 2015
Local News
Managing Director
& CEO of Arab Bank
Australia Joe Rizk is
awarded “Medal of
Order of Australia”
in the Queen’s
Birthday Honours
List – 8 June 2015
On Monday 8th June 2015 Joe Rizk
Managing Director and CEO of Arab
Bank Australia was awarded the‘Medal
of Order of Australia’ in the General
Division of the Awards. The Award
has been given to Joe in recognition
of his extraordinary contribution to
the general community as a whole, in
particular to the Australian- Lebanese
Community, to Charitable Works and
with particular emphasise on his
contribution to the banking sector.
Further to this, Joe Rizk OAM was
elected Chairman of the Board of
Directors for the Westmead Medical
Research Foundation in 2014 and
more recently in 2015 has been
elected the Chairman of the Board
of Directors of the Italian Opera
Foundation Australia.
Arab Bank Australia Chairman Geoff
Wild AM, was pleased to announce
that “The Board and Management
of Arab Bank PLC, and the Board,
Management and staff of Arab Bank
Australia, are very proud of Joe and
his achievements in announcing the
award and further went on to express
Arab Bank’s congratulations to Joe,
Maureen and the Rizk family for this
wonderful achievement.
Below is the submission which
earned Joe the prestigious Medal of
Order of Australia.
Joseph Rizk arrived in Sydney on
the 18th of October 1958 with his
parents from Lebanon. He attended
Mount Carmel College & Benilde
HighSchool in Bankstown and
successfully graduated.
In 1974 Joe joined the National Bank
of Australia. Over the past 39 years
Joe has supported many initiatives in
the capacity of the Arts, Education,
Sports and Health. His passion
and dedication to all the fields are
exemplary and one can see him
taking time out of his busy schedule
to be present at major milestones in
all the fields lending his support and
admiration for the achievements.
After working for National Australia
Bank for 31 years, Joe joined Arab
Bank Australia as Chief Banking
Officer and in 2011 was appointed
Managing Director & CEO
Joe’s involvement with health and
medical research started in 2007
when he first became a director on
the Millennium Foundation Board
of directors, which was the research
arm to Westmead Hospital and
since then the name has changed
to Westmead Medical Research
Foundation to which in 2010 Joe
became the vice president of the
board and in 2014 the Chairman.
Also in 2010 he assisted in creating
a quiet room in the Palliative Care
unit of Westmead Hospital for those
suffering and grieving families,
purchased wheelchairs for use in the
hospital and provided a Buggy for the
movement and comfort of patients
through the hospital. In the same
year he began the support of the
Breast Cancer Institute (BCI) providing
free check-ups for women in need.
In 2011 Joe was appointed to the
Board of Directors of The Australian
Lebanese Chamber of Commerce
to increase the prospects and
opportunities of trade between
Australia and Lebanon. In addition
to this, Joe is an exemplary Managing
Director & CEO of Arab Bank
Australia, leading a team of around
150 employees. He is admired and
respected by all, not only for the
hard work and dedication to the
Bank, but also for the example he
sets when it comes to supporting
the communities at large
The World Observer | July | 2015
15
Science
Professor Stephen Hawking
warns
development of artificial intelligence could mean end of human race
One of the world’s pre-eminent
scientists, Professor Stephen Hawking,
says the development of full artificial
intelligence - robots that think - could
spell the end of the human race.
In a wide-ranging interview
with the BBC, Professor Hawking
discussed his fears in relation to a
revamp of the technology he uses
to communicate.
The new technology was designed by
US tech giant Intel, and was planned
for worldwide release from January.
It works by pre-empting the
professor’s thoughts and attempting
to predict the words he would use
next.
Professor Hawking indicated he was
troubled by the concept of creating
machines that think.
He said while primitive forms of
artificial intelligence had already
proved very useful, the future
consequences were very serious.
“Once humans develop artificial
16
The World Observer | July | 2015
intelligence, it would take off on its
own and re-design itself at an ever
increasing rate,” Professor Hawking
said.
“Humans, who are limited by slow
biological
evolution,
couldn’t
compete and would be superceded,”
he said.
The technology in question is being
made available online in a bid to help
millions of motor neurone disease
sufferers worldwide.
“By making this technology freely
available, it has the potential to
greatly improve the life of disabled
people all over the world,” Professor
Hawking said.
“Without this, I would not be able to
speak to you today,” said the 72-yearold, who is almost completely
paralysed after being diagnosed at
the age of 21 with a motor neurone
disease related to amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis.
The communications system will be
made available to researchers on the
internet as “open source”, although
it would still have to be adapted for
individual users.
“Technology for the disabled is often
a proving ground for the technology
of the future,” Lama Nachman from
Intel said.
The system, developed by Intel over
three years, reduces the number of
moves needed to spell out words,
while giving Professor Hawking new
functions such as sending email
attachments.
“Hawking’s typing speed is twice
as fast and there is a tenfold
improvement in common tasks,” Intel
said in a statement.
British company SwiftKey has also
digitised all his works to help the
computer guess more quickly what
he is trying to say.
Quadriplegia and motor neurone
disease affect more than three million
people worldwide.
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Message From
Ned Mannoun
Mayor Liverpool City Council
On behalf of the Liverpool City Council
I would like to extend to all Muslims
both here in Australia and around the world
best wishes and a very happy Eid Elfiter
‫نيابة عن جمل�س بلدية ليفربول‬
‫�أود �أن �أتقدم من جميع امل�سلمني على حد �سواء‬
‫هنا يف �أ�سرتاليا وحول العامل ب�أطيب التمنيات‬
‫مبنا�سبة عيد الفطر ال�سعيد‬
Message From Linda Downey
MAYOR OF BANKSTOWN
Clr Linda Downey
MAYOR OF BANKSTOWN
Ph: 9707 9523
Fax: 9707 9517
www.bankstown.nsw.gov.au
Congratulations to Bankstown’s Muslim residents for
completing the Ramadan fast.
I offer you my best wishes and sincerest respects
on this special occasion.’
‫مربوك ل�سكان بانك�ستاون امل�سلمني لإكمال �صيام رم�ضان‬
‫�أقدم لكم �أطيب متنياتي وخال�ص احرتامي‬
‫يف هذه املنا�سبة اخلا�صة‬
The World Observer | July | 2015
17
Opinion
TEEN
AND
PARENT
By Nandy Sukkarieh
RELATIONSHIPS
The relationship between teens and
their guardians can range between
a very complicated relationship to just a
very simple one. Most relationships vary
according to the needs and wants of both
the teenager and their parents
In a teen’s life there is always a stage were
there will be arguments between the
parents and teenagers you can chose to
listen to your parents or trust your own
judgment and go with what your head tells
you.
Most parents will tend to think that there
judgment is correct and accurate but as
a teen myself, I have to disagree because
sometimes the parents lose sight of what
really is happening and tend to believe
whatever they say is correct, because of
feeling the need of having control over
their child .
Parents must have control of their child, but
one of the biggest things is fairness this is
what most parents find difficult fairness in
punishments, between siblings etc.
18
The World Observer | July | 2015
From a teens perspective, depending
on what the teenager has done wrong,
punishments can be set out, all teenagers
need privacy and some freedom, because
at this age we socialize much more and
friends become a big part of our lives,
parents have to understand that, when they
are extremely strict it puts a lot of pressure
on their child, so the child eventually will
crack or will do anything to go against
there parents rules even without notice.
A suggestion might be talking to the
teen before punishing and try and work
things out and let them be open about
his/her feelings and be open about your
feelings, too let your child understand your
perspective.
A teen and their parents who can look past
their needs and wants and respect the
viewpoint of each other and resolve any
conflicts will succeed to become better
people. There will always be conflicts but
the families who resolve these quickly are
the unique ones.
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The World Observer | July | 2015
19
Celebrities
Eva Longoria
reveals her secrets to creating
the Hollywood 'illusion'
Her beauty is undeniable, but when it comes to the red carpet Eva Longoria
wants you to know that everything is not as it seems.
The former Desperate Housewives star told Daily Mail Australia the flawless
image she presents to the cameras is the result of ‘a million tricks’, spanks
and commando underwear.
Behind the designer gowns, hair and makeup is an army of stylists Eva
said take her from rolling out of bed in the morning to red carpet glam.
But while her red-carpet look is effortlessly gorgeous,
Eva described it as an ‘illusion’.
Eva Longoria described her red
‘It’s a whole process,’ Eva said.
carpet look as an ‘illusion’ created
‘I have a million tricks: lashes, spanks, commando
by an army of stylists
underwear that doesn’t leave the panty line.
Bill Cosby
admitted he gave woman
drugs before sex
US comedian Bill Cosby admitted he obtained sedatives
with the intent of giving them to women he wanted to
have sex with, court papers from 2005 show.
The unsealed files, obtained by the Associated Press
news agency, show Mr Cosby made the admission in a
sex abuse civil case brought by a woman.
That case was settled for an undisclosed sum in 2006.
Mr Cosby, now 77, is facing a series of sexual assault
accusations dating back decades. He has denied the
claims.
Mr Cosby has never been criminally charged.
The documents came to light after the AP went to court
to compel the release of the documents. Mr Cosby’s
20
The World Observer | July | 2015
lawyers tried to stop the release of the papers, arguing
it would embarrass their client and reveal personal
information.
‘I gave her Quaaludes. Then we have sex’
In his 2005 testimony, Mr Cosby admitted that he obtained
Quaaludes in the 1970s, with the intent of giving it to
women he wanted to have sex with.
The case was brought by Andrea Constand, a former
employee of Temple University - the Philadelphia college
with which Mr Cosby was once closely associated.
Celebrities
Doctor Zhivago star
Omar Sharif dies aged 83
‘after suffering heart attack in Cairo’
Omar Sharif has died aged 83,
The Hollywood star is understood to have died of a heart
attack at a hospital in Cairo, where he was resting after
being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
In May it emerged that the Egyptian born Hollywood actor
had been suffering with the illness and was struggling to
remember anything about his hugely successful career.
In a frank interview with Spanish media, Tarek El-Sharif, the
only child of the star’s marriage to ex-wife Faten Hamama,
revealed that his father had started mixing up the names
of his best-known films - Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of
Arabia - and often forgot where they were filmed.
Known for his charismatic good looks and bridgeplaying prowess, Sharif had been resting at his home in
Egypt, according to the Los Angeles Times newspaper.
Born in 1932 the son of a lumber
merchant in Egypt’s second city
Alexandria, Sharif (far right) was
nominated for an Academy Award
in 1963 for his role as Sherif Ali in
‘Lawrence of Arabia’
Into the blue!
Kylie Jenner
shows off her bright new locks
in VERY low-cut jumpsuit as she promotes
her hair extensions range
She loves to experiment with different looks so it’s no shocker that Kylie
Jenner has coloured her locks once again.
The 17-year-old showed off her newly bright blue tresses at the launch of the
Bellami Beauty Bar in West Hollywood on Thursday.
While Kylie has had turquoise strands before, this time she opted for an icy
shade, and looked very pleased with her latest ‘do as she posed on the red
carpet.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star wasn’t just turning heads with her
hair colour, however. Kylie - who has denied rumours of breast implants - was in a daring mood,
and wore an extremely low-cut white jumpsuit, which plunged almost all the
way to her belly button. The jumpsuit had a ‘70s feel to it, with flared trousers that covered her metallic
gold heels. Like a mermaid: Kylie Jenner
showed off new blue hair at
Bellami Beauty Bar in West
Hollywood
The World Observer | July | 2015
21
Health
Can Belly Fat
Really Affect Your
Sex Life
Are you going through a troubled sex life?
Is your belly bulging out and making you too tired to enjoy
those romantic activities?
Belly fat is one of the primary reasons for a disturbed sexual
life faced by many couples.
This fat is accumulated around the mid-section of your
body giving rise to a number of health issues. Sedentary
lifestyle and unhealthy food are the main causes of this fat.
You may wonder how belly fat affects your sex life.
But it is true that abdominal fat is unhealthy for both men
and women and it can stand as a barrier between you and
your partner to enjoy those very special moments of life.
Just Why Is Abdominal Fat a Problem?
Today we are going through a fast-paced lifestyle that
allows us very little time for ourselves.
Couples, now-a-days remain so busy in their professional
and personal lives that they are unable to focus on their
sexual life. After day’s hard work, they are stressed and
sleep seems to be the only recourse.
On one hand when this is the case with a maximum a
number of people, there are people who face problems in
their sexual life due to other issues like abdominal fat.
How Can Abdominal Fat Affect Your Sexual Activities?
If you have tummy fat and you are not enjoying your sex
life, it is really a matter of concern.
You need to know how visceral fat or tummy fat can impact
your bedroom activities.
This fat accumulates around your liver and other important
organs.
When your omentum releases fat, some of the fat goes
straight to the liver and then to your arteries.
This fat can seriously damage your blood vessels.
As a result of all this, clogged arteries and blood vessels
will reduce the flow of blood to your heart and other
organs of your body, including your genitals. If a man or a
woman has a low blood circulation in their genitals, they
cannot have sexual pleasure.
A man can have trouble in maintaining or getting an
erection.
Thus you cannot have a healthy sex life if you have low
22
The World Observer | July | 2015
blood
circulation,
resulting from your
belly fat.
Emotional effects:
Your abdominal fat
can make you feel
and look bad.
Many people do not
feel confident as they
indulge in sexual activities.
They suffer from dissatisfaction
and also low self-esteem. As a result
their
libido also shrink. Many women with a big belly and too
much weight report that they are not satisfied with their
bedroom activities.
There are other women who say that they feel ashamed
and uncomfortable as their lover sees them undressed.
All these thing can happen with a man too.
How Can You Get Rid Of This Belly Fat?
People with belly fat must get rid of their excess fat to
enjoy their marital life.
You must encourage your spouse to lose the fat and get
back to shape. You must not pass any negative comments
that will hurt your partner’s feelings and self-respect.
Follow these steps that will surely prove fruitful within a
short time:
Join a gym.
If possible take a annual membership that will be easily
affordable.
Go for cardio, abs exercises and strength training under
the guidance of a physical trainer.
Go for foods that are rich in lean protein and high-fiber.
Stop eating junk food and fried snacks.
Take the advice of an experienced nutritionist for a wellbalanced diet.
You must understand it is essential to lose lower belly fat
to have a healthy life.
This fat may have serious consequences like cardiovascular
diseases, unhealthy sexual life and many other
psychological effects also.
She & Her
Why Successful Women
CAN Wear The Same Thing
Every Day?
T
here are a variety of articles circulating that are based
on successful men and why they wear the same thing
every day. Specifically, the most popular article by
Mashable, “Why Zuck and other successful men wear the
same thing every day.”
In response to these articles, there’s A LOT of discussion about
whether or not women can do the same. Many say women
can not, it’s not fair, equality for women still has a long way to
go, and so on. As I read through the articles and comments, I
knew I had to share my side.
You see, I’m one of those women who wear practically the
same thing every day. I have my “signature” black outfit that
is made up of black pants and a black shirt. Depending on
the day or event, you will either find me in my signature Nike
black casual top or my “dressed” up black blouse. And if it’s a
really casual day, you will find me in my black yoga pants and
Nike black top. Quite frankly, I LOVE my “same” outfits and the
freedom of not having to think about it each day provides.
Whether you want to change your approach to fashion is
up to you but I’d like to challenge you to uncomplicate an
area in your life so that you can focus on the areas that are of
highest priority to you.
So, why can successful women wear the same thing every day?
1. They don’t worry about pleasing others: They know who
they are and have no desire to live their lives based on
the desires of others. They are comfortable in their own
skin.
2. They know their self-worth is not based on the latest
fashion trends: They know there is so much more to who
they are than the clothes they wear.
3. They don’t sweat the small stuff: They know and
understand that in life, there are bigger and better things
to focus on rather than what they are wearing!
4. They don’t try to keep up with the Joneses: They are
not trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing.
They are not living their lives based on what everyone is
wearing, thinks is fashionable or even, what other people
define a successful woman to be. They do their own thing!
5. They are ok with being different: They have no desire to
fit in. Instead, they want to stand out! They are true to
who they are!
6. They enjoy simplicity in life: They know that life brings
a variety of obstacles and challenges and quite frankly,
clothes and fashion is not something they want to stress
about. Simplicity = less stress.
7. They could care less about what’s fair or not: While
everyone else is arguing about what men can get away
with and what women can’t, successful women just do
their own thing and live life to the fullest.
A woman who wears the same thing everyday is a woman of
confidence! She’s successful because she’s not only confident,
but she’s focused on what’s really important in her life. You
may be the complete opposite when it comes to fashion, (and
that won’t make you unsuccessful) but whatever it is in your
life that is complicated or frustrating, substitute “that thing”
in this discussion and join me in the freedom that awaits on
the other, simpler side. For me, it’s more about knowing what
I’m here to do and rolling up my sleeves to get to work and
not so much about which sleeves I’m rolling up.
I’d love to hear what you think. Do you wear the same
things most days? If not, what other areas of your life will
you choose to uncomplicate so you can free yourself up for
greater success?
Dr. Jen Bennett
The World Observer | July | 2015
23
Relationships
10 reasons
why being Single is better than
a relationship
6. No need to feel guilt over what
you post on social media.
Unfortunately, the wrong post,
photo or comment can be taken out
of context and easily misconstrued
when you’re in a relationship.
Ultimately, this is the deterrent in
many relationships.
I
mmediately after getting out of a
relationship, you may feel like you’re
destined for loneliness. Even worse
is the sickening thought of being the only
single person out there surrounded by
happy couples.
However, in reality, being single,
independent and free of the many stresses
that a relationship can bring offers several
advantages that outweigh relationships.
Here are 10 reasons why flying solo is
better than being in a relationship.
1. Time to build a better you.
With all the “free” time you have, now
is the perfect opportunity to get
down to your ideal weight, take that
class you’ve been putting off, get a
second job or start volunteering. The
worse thing someone who is recently
single can do is sit at home, feeling
bad for themselves. Get out of the
house and start building a better you.
2. Do what you want, when you
want.
Just think — no need to “check in”
with someone to let them know who
you’re with, where you’re at and what
time you’re expected to be home.
Freedom at last.
24
The World Observer | July | 2015
3. Girl’s/Guy’s night out without the
guilt.
For some odd reason, most girls/guys
feel a pang of jealousy when their
significant other has a night out with
their girls/guys. Single? Grab your
girls/guys for a night out on the town,
minus the guilt.
4. Plenty of time to start a new
hobby.
There’s always that one thing we’ve
put off for the mere reason that we
don’t have time to cram it into our
busy schedules. With extra time,
learn that second language, take
that cooking class or even Pilates like
you’ve always wanted to.
5. The freedom to date whomever
you want and go on as many dates
as possible.
Why not consider playing the field
a little? After all, there’s no reason
to feel guilt if it’s just a date. Keep it
casual and grab a drink or dinner with
that cute new girl/guy you just met or
the person that you’ve been secretly
eyeing for awhile.
7. No need to monitor someone
else’s social media activity.
Ever feel like the social media police
when you’re in a relationship,
constantly checking to see if your
significant other’s ex is ‘liking’ photos
or posts? Unfortunately, most of us
out there feel the need to monitor
and ensure this isn’t happening.
8. Less time on the phone and more
time to “do you.”
Relationships suck up a great deal of
time on the phone between talking
and texting, which can easily amount
to several hours of a day. Think about
all the time saved by cutting this out
and investing this time in you.
9. No more “forced relationships.”
When you’re in a relationship, you’re
not just in a relationship with the girl/
guy, but you’re in it with their family,
friends and even their pets. Chances
are there’s someone in their circle
you’re not going to like.
10. More money in your pocket.
Being in a relationship is expensive.
Dinners out, mini vacations and gifts
all add up to a significant amount
of cash. Save this money towards
something that betters you in the
long run.
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‫‪The World Observer | July | 2015‬‬
Odd News
400 men cut off their own TESTICLES
so they could get closer to God
Afghan central bank branch employees
raid their own bank and run
A preacher allegedly convinced 400 men to cut off their
own testicles to bring them closer to God.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is head of the sociospiritual organisation Dera Sacha Sauda, told his 50 million
followers to carry out castrations on themselves.
The procedures, which witnesses claim were conducted
at a hospital owned by Singh, took place around the year
2000, but those involved are speaking out for the first time.
Dubbed 'the guru in bling’, Singh has an estimated net
worth of 40m and has even starred in films.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, he was charged
with conspiracy involving the murder of an investigative
journalist in 2002 and several female followers claim he
sexually assaulted them but he has never been convicted.
The current case was brought by India’s Central Bureau of
Investigation, who accuse Singh of grievous bodily harm.
Staff at a branch of Afghanistan’s central bank in
southern Kandahar province may have got away
with as much as 81 million Afghanis ($1.4 million)
when they robbed their own bank and ran, an
official said.
Security cameras showed the bank’s vault had been
cleaned out, but investigators were waiting to gain access
before confirming the total missing, he said.
An international financial watchdog last year threatened
to place Afghanistan on a blacklist and has since warned it
needs to do more to enforce laws to regulate its banking
sector.
The Kandahar raid is believed to have been carried out by
a senior official at the bank, an employee of nine years,
with the help of his son and brother-in-law who were also
on staff, according to Azimi.
While Obama talks cyber security, his hotel’s computer system fails
It may not have been a hacking,
but a computer outage at the hotel
where U.S. President Barack Obama
resided this week could not have
come at a more inconvenient time.
The president flew to San Francisco
to preach the benefits of better
corporate cybersecurity practices.
The entire two days he was in
town, the computer system at his
upscale hotel, The Fairmont, was
down.
“There’s certainly no evidence
to say anything was hacked or
compromised,” said Thomas Klein,
the hotel’s general manager, noting
the irony of Obama’s attendance at
a cybersecurity summit during the
same period.
“It’ just a coincidence in timing.”
26
The World Observer | July | 2015
Odd News
Joint birthday party for NY couple
married 82 years
A husband and wife thought to be one of the oldest
married couples in New York have celebrated their
birthdays — and their combined ages will be 212.
The Journal News reports Duranord Veillard turned 108
on Saturday. His wife, Jeanne Veillard, won’t turn 105 until
May.
The couple celebrated at the Spring Valley home they
share with their daughter.
Veillard is a native of Haiti who was a judge there.
He and his wife moved to the United States in 1968, raising
five children while he worked as a hospital laboratory
technician.
Though nearly blind and hard of hearing, Veillard still
cracks jokes in Creole and does push-ups after getting up
before dawn.
The Veillards have been married 82 years.
Dude, where’s my race car?
NASCAR driver Travis Kvapil was left without a ride for this
weekend’s race after his orange stock car was stolen from
a motel parking lot early Friday, forcing him to drop out of
the event.
Kvapil and other Team Xtreme members were staying at
the Drury Inn in suburban Atlanta when they discovered
that their truck, 26-foot trailer and the most valuable
contents inside - their primary car and a backup engine had vanished from the parking lot.
The theft of the items was valued at nearly $375,000,
Morrow, Georgia, police said. Surveillance tapes show the
thieves struck at about 5:30 a.m.
Driver near Seattle blames
owl-watching for car crash
A 44-yearold man
using his
genitals as
a puppet
A 44-year-old man was arrested earlier this month after witnesses at a Federal
Way apartment complex spotted him using his genitals as a puppet.
Prosecutors have now charged Timothy Wayne Martin, of Auburn, with felony
indecent exposure.
At issue, according to court documents, was a May 13 incident during which
Martin was spotted by residents of the Arcadia Apartment Complex standing
partially nude over an air conditioner intake.
Clad only in an unbuttoned flannel shirt, Martin appeared to have attached a
string to his genitals and “was apparently manipulating it with the string like
a puppet,” according to police.
A man who crashed his car into a utility
pole near Seattle on Wednesday gave
police a unique excuse for the predawn accident: He was owl watching.
Police in Tukwila, about 10 miles south
of Seattle, said the driver told officers
he rammed into the pole by accident
because he was in hot pursuit of one of
the nocturnal birds.
Nobody was injured in the early morning
crash on a residential street, the police
report said. The driver, who
was not identified, was
not arrested and
did not appear
to be impaired
by drugs or
alcohol, police
said.
The World Observer | July | 2015
27
Teen
1 IN 7 TEENS
'EXPECT TO DIE YOUNG'
More than one in seven
adolescents believe they will not
live beyond 35, according to a US
study.
The study’s lead author Dr Iris
Borowsky of the University of
Minnesota, says the findings suggest
teenage fatalism, not invincibility, may
lead to drug and alcohol use and unsafe sexual
practices.
Australian mental health experts say the findings are
interesting, but are divided on the significance.
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, analysed
data from a US longitudinal study of more than 20,000
teenagers in years seven through to 12 - 10 to 18 years of
age - from 1996 to 2002.
The perception of a high likelihood of death was lowest
among seventh graders at 13 per cent and peaked in 10th
graders at 15.2 per cent.
Encouragingly, the sense of fatalism had decreased and
youth had a more optimistic outlook during the six years
of the study.
But children from ethnic or racial backgrounds had a higher
sense of fatalism with 25 per cent of Native American and
20 per cent of black and Hispanic youth anticipating they
would die young.
This compared with less than 10 per cent of white youth
having the same concern.
Dr Borowsky says the finding challenges conventional
belief that children engage in risky behaviour because
they think they are invulnerable.
Instead she says adolescents “may take risks in fact because
they overestimate their vulnerability, in particular their risk
for dying, resulting in hopelessness and the perception
that not much is at stake”.
Professor Patrick McGorry, a youth mental health
researcher at theUniversity of Melbourne and director of
Orygen Youth Health, says the findings fit in with the rising
trends of mental health issues in young people.
But he does not consider it a "landmark" study as he does
not believe it is capturing a new phenomena.
28
The World Observer | July | 2015
Fatalism is not a new thing among
adolescents, he says, and that early
death was a common belief among
the "hippy generation" of the 1960s.
RISK TAKING
He also disputes the suggestion that
fatalism leads to risk taking, particularly
among young men.
"You need to really distinguish between self-harming
behaviour and general risk taking," he said. "Particularly
young men don't think anything bad is going to happen
to them."
Professor Beverley Raphael, professor of mental health
and disasters and the University of Western Sydney, says
the study is capturing teenagers as they grow more aware
of the concept of death.
“I think it’s an important finding and it’s well researched,”
she says. “I think it tunes us into the anguish of adolescents.”
But like Professor McGorry she believes a lot of risky
behaviour in young people is about “testing out the world
and seeing what they can get away with”.
'ASK EARLY'
Associate Professor Brett McDermott, director of the Mater
Child and Youth Mental Health Service and director of the
national depression initiativebeyondblue, says the study
is challenging some “well-held beliefs”.
“It has really become a fixed belief that adolescents feel
they are invulnerable,” he said.
“This paper seriously challenges that and says the degree
of fatalism in US youth is much higher, and high early
fatalism is an indicator of risky behaviour.”
He says it suggests that mental health professionals
should be asking the question about life expectancy of
clients and “probably should ask it early”.
Professor McDermott says he would like to see the study
replicated in Australia, but is unsure whether the findings
would be similar.
“The distribution of disadvantage is much larger in the
US,” he said.
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ME Art
Is the time ripe to buy
Middle Eastern art
Even before recent political revolts in the Middle East seized
headlines, painters, printmakers, muralists and other artists were
busy capturing the volatile mood of the region. Now they’ve
captured the attention of a growing number of international
investors and art lovers, too.
In the past decade, investors and collectors have bought more
Middle Eastern art and at higher prices than at any other point in
history. These days, the auction houses of Sotheby’s in Doha, Qatar,
and Christie’s in Dubai routinely break records. Christie’s art sales in
Dubai have more than doubled to $29.6m between 2012 and 2014.
Iran held its first contemporary art auction in July 2013, with 80 sales
totalling almost $2m. In 2006, Sotheby’s in London hosted the first
standalone exhibition of Middle Eastern contemporary art, seen by
many as a turning point for international art purchases from the
region. Some see this surge in global attention as validation that
Middle Eastern art is a worthwhile investment.
“People had the idea that not much was produced in the Middle
East. Everyone was shocked. They said: Really? This is coming out
of Lebanon? Syria? Iraq? Saudi Arabia?,” said Lina Lazaar, Sotheby’s
director and international specialist of contemporary art.
Looking ahead
Prices of Middle Eastern art are rising, but some experts say many
pieces are still undervalued.
As a result, there is a chance that collectors who buy early could see
the prices of their purchases rise significantly — although for the
time being there is a very low rate of resale.
“The industry has evolved and grown so much,” said Alexandra
Kindermann, spokeswoman for Christie’s, which opened its office
in Dubai in 2005 for a then-nascent international art market in the
region. By 2010, private collectors had proliferated. Kindermann
noted that in the past 10 years around 80 art galleries have opened
in the United Arab Emirates, the Louvre is slated to open a branch
in Abu Dhabi in coming months and small-sized auction houses are
also launching. One of the most important galleries in the region
is Ayyam, which first opened its doors in Damascus in 2006, then
branched out to London and throughout the Middle East.
“I think today the prices of
Middle Eastern art… are
fair in general,” said
Ayyam Gallery owner
Khaled Samawi. “Some
great artists, while
By
seeking very high
Brooke Anderson
prices currently, are still
a bargain internationally
and once they are on the
global art collector radar, their
prices should increase significantly.”
Yet hopes for return on investment should not be the only impetus
to collect, he added. “I believe art is priceless and people should
concentrate more on the cultural and beauty of it with the
investment side coming as an added long-term advantage and not
as the main reason for collecting,” he said.
Sultan Al Qassemi, a Dubai-based avid collector and promoter of
Middle Eastern art, and founder of the Sharjah based Barjeel Art
Foundation, said, “I believe these are the formative years of the
globalisation of Arab art.”
For Middle Eastern artists, this period offers an unprecedented
opportunity for exposure and money-making. At the same time,
there are ripe opportunities for collectors and investors, who don’t
face export restrictions on the works.
Works for the most renowned Middle Eastern modern artists, such
as Mahmoud Said, Abdul Hadi El-Gazzar, Ali Omar Ermes, Parviz
Tanavoli and Shafic Abboud, have risen in price over the past years.
In October, 2013, a piece by Turkish-Jordanian artist Fahr El Nissa
Zeid sold at Christie’s auction for $2.7m, almost reaching the world
record price held for an Iranian artist, which was a 2008 piece by
Parviz Tanavoli that sold for $2.8m.
“Middle East art… only recently (has) reflected higher valuations,”
said Qassemi. “As a result, artists can produce work full-time rather
than as a part-time hobby, which gives them more time to read and
learn about other practices.”
The World Observer | July | 2015
31
Caricature
32
The World Observer | July | 2015