Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Sales numbers do not suggest speculation in HDB shops: Khaw
Sales numbers do not suggest speculation in HDB shops: Khaw
Posted: 16 October 2012 1856 hrs
SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said recent sales numbers do not suggest a speculative element in Housing and Development Board (HDB) shops, and it will not be tenable for HDB to impose new restrictions like stricter citizenship eligibility.
In a written reply to MP Ong Teng Koon, Mr Khaw said Singaporeans and Singaporean-owned companies own about 95 per cent of the sold shops, and the remaining five per cent are owned by permanent residents, foreigners and foreign-owned companies.
Resale transactions over the last five years involving HDB shops made up three to seven per cent of the total stock of 8,700 HDB shops.
From January to August this year, there were 216 such transactions, out of which 14 shops or six per cent were resold within one year of purchase.
These shops are transacted in the market on a willing buyer and willing seller basis, similar to other private commercial properties.
HDB stopped the direct sale of HDB shops in 1998.
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
Same valuation basis for all HDB flats: Khaw Boon Wan
Same valuation basis for all HDB flats: Khaw Boon Wan
Posted: 16 October 2012 1727 hrs
SINGAPAPORE: National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said home buyers are currently paying above the value assessed by professional valuers as it is "a seller's market".
Mr Khaw was replying to a parliamentary query by Member of Parliament for Tampines Group Representation Constituency, Baey Yam Keng, on the increasing cash-over-valuation figures.
Mr Khaw said the basis of valuation for all HDB flats are the same, whether they are resale flats transacted in the open market, flats affected by Selective Enbloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), or flats that are compulsorily acquired.
"Their values are assessed by a panel of professional valuers, based on established valuation principles (which comprise factors) such as location, size, storey height and the extent of renovations," said Mr Khaw.
According to Mr Khaw, HDB advises buyers to think carefully before committing to a price which is substantially above what the professional valuers have estimated.
"Resale prices are determined by willing buyers and sellers; the government cannot intervene to determine the transaction prices for buyers and sellers," Mr Khaw added. "We help players make informed decisions through timely release of pricing data via the HDB website."
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
Serum lycopene decreases the risk of stroke in men
Abstract
Objective: Intake of
fruits and vegetables and levels of serum carotenoids have been
associated with decreased risk of stroke, but the
results have been inconsistent. The aim of the
present study was to examine whether serum concentrations of major
carotenoids,
α-tocopherol and retinol, are related to any
stroke and ischemic stroke in men.
Methods: The study
population consisted of 1,031 Finnish men aged 46−65 years in the Kuopio
Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor cohort.
Serum concentrations of carotenoids retinol and
α-tocopherol were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.
The
association between the serum concentrations of
lycopene α-carotene, β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and retinol and the risk
of
strokes was studied by using Cox proportional
hazards models.
Results: A total of
67 strokes occurred, and 50 of these were ischemic strokes during a
median of 12.1 follow-up years. After adjustment
for age, examination year, BMI, systolic blood
pressure, smoking, serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, diabetes,
and
history of stroke, men in the highest quartile
of serum lycopene concentrations had 59% and 55% lower risks of ischemic
stroke
and any stroke, compared with men in the lowest
quartile (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]
0.25−0.95,
p = 0.036 for any stroke and HR = 0.41; 95% CI 0.17−0.97, p = 0.042 for ischemic stroke). α-Carotene, β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and retinol were not related to the risk of strokes.
Conclusions: This prospective study shows that high serum concentrations of lycopene, as a marker of intake of tomatoes and tomato-based
products, decrease the risk of any stroke and ischemic stroke in men.
- wong chee tat :)
One in six Australian kids living in poverty: report
One in six Australian kids living in poverty: report
Posted: 15 October 2012 1841 hrs
SYDNEY: Child poverty in Australia is increasing despite the nation's booming mining wealth, a welfare group said Monday, with new data showing one in six children are now living below the poverty line.
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) said that children, particularly in single parent families, were among the groups in society most at risk of poverty.
About 17.3 percent of all children in Australia were estimated to be living below the internationally accepted poverty line used to measure financial hardship in wealthy countries, according to ACOSS -- up from 12 percent in 2005.
That compares with 23.1 percent in the United States, 14.9 percent in Japan and 12.1 percent in Britain, according to United Nations data published in May, which had estimated Australia's child poverty rate at 10.9 percent.
Drawing the poverty line at incomes of 50 percent or less than the median income in the country, the ACOSS report found that as at 2010, one in eight people were surviving at that level of income or below.
"For a single person that works out to be about A$18,000 (US$18,390) a year to cover all of your costs, including housing," ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie said.
"And most disturbingly we've got one in six children who are living in that circumstance."
About 12.8 percent of the population of Australia, which dodged recession during the global financial crisis and boasts economic growth of 3.7 percent and low unemployment, is affected by poverty, the report found.
Goldie said those particularly at risk of sinking into poverty were those on unemployment and other benefits which have not kept pace with the cost of living.
"Whilst the overall community levels of income have been improving over time, people on those low fixed incomes have been seriously left behind," she said.
- AFP/al
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 15 October 2012 1841 hrs
SYDNEY: Child poverty in Australia is increasing despite the nation's booming mining wealth, a welfare group said Monday, with new data showing one in six children are now living below the poverty line.
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) said that children, particularly in single parent families, were among the groups in society most at risk of poverty.
About 17.3 percent of all children in Australia were estimated to be living below the internationally accepted poverty line used to measure financial hardship in wealthy countries, according to ACOSS -- up from 12 percent in 2005.
That compares with 23.1 percent in the United States, 14.9 percent in Japan and 12.1 percent in Britain, according to United Nations data published in May, which had estimated Australia's child poverty rate at 10.9 percent.
Drawing the poverty line at incomes of 50 percent or less than the median income in the country, the ACOSS report found that as at 2010, one in eight people were surviving at that level of income or below.
"For a single person that works out to be about A$18,000 (US$18,390) a year to cover all of your costs, including housing," ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie said.
"And most disturbingly we've got one in six children who are living in that circumstance."
About 12.8 percent of the population of Australia, which dodged recession during the global financial crisis and boasts economic growth of 3.7 percent and low unemployment, is affected by poverty, the report found.
Goldie said those particularly at risk of sinking into poverty were those on unemployment and other benefits which have not kept pace with the cost of living.
"Whilst the overall community levels of income have been improving over time, people on those low fixed incomes have been seriously left behind," she said.
- AFP/al
- wong chee tat :)
A New Day Has Come - Celine Dion
A new day, oh..oh..
A new day, oh..oh..
I was waiting for so long
For a miracle to come
Everyone told me to be strong
Hold on and don't shed a tear
Through the darkness and good times
I knew I'd make it through
And the world thought I had it all
But I was waiting for you
Hush, now
I see a light in the sky
Oh, it's almost blinding me
I can't believe
I've been touched by an angel with love
Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new sun
A new day has... come
Oh...
Where it was dark now there's light
Where there was pain now there's joy
Where there was weakness, I found my strength
All in the eyes of a boy
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/celine+dion/a+new+day+has+come_10058996.html ]
Hush, now
I see a light in the sky
Oh, it's almost blinding me
I can't believe
I've been touched by an angel with love
Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new sun
A new day has...
Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new sun
A new day has... come
Ohhh
Hush, now
I see a light in your eyes
All in the eyes of the boy
I can't believe
I've been touched by an angel with love
I can't believe
I've been touched by an angel with love
Hush, now
(Ahh..ahh...
A new day...
Ahh..Ahh..)
Hush, now
(Ahh..Ahh..
A new day...)
A new day has come! Let us embrace it!
- wong chee tat :)
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