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Author: Zaman Australia

  • Turkish court dismisses murder of military cadet during coup attempt

    A Turkish court has ruled for non-prosecution on criminal complaints concerning the murder of air force cadet Murat Tekin during a failed coup attempt in 2016, the Diken news website reported on Friday.

    The court justified its decision based on a state of emergency decree adopted after the failed coup that granted impunity to civilians who took to the streets to stop the coup.

    Tekin’s lawyer Kübra Aydın revealed that they were not notified of the decision, which was dated November 2018, only to be verbally informed of it during a visit to the prosecutor’s office.

    “We’ll object to the decision in the higher criminal courts; however, I do not expect a positive response,” Aydın said. “After that, we’ll lodge an application with the European Court of Human Rights.”

    On the day of the coup, 25-year-old Tekin was one of a group of cadets who were deployed to the Bosporus Bridge in İstanbul.

    “We are taking you to the most realistic military exercise you’ve ever seen,” commanders at the military school reportedly told them.

    His family was only able to retrieve his body 12 days after the incident. His sister claimed his throat was slit by an angry mob, backing up her allegation with an autopsy report that further stated that he was battered, stabbed and asphyxiated before he died.

  • Sydney house prices have highest discounts in a decade, new data shows

    Sydney home owners are slashing prices at a rate not seen in a decade amid ongoing gloomy predictions for the state of the housing market.

    Across the city, the average discount on initial prices is 8.2 per cent, or $87,134, for houses and 8 per cent, or $56,160, for apartments.

    House sellers have not discounted at this level since January 2009, while apartments have not had discounts like this since 2006.

    Sydney’s median house price fell 9.9 per cent last year and the average time to sell climbed to more than 70 days. Domain senior research analyst Nicola Powell said vendors were struggling to adjust price expectations quickly enough.

    But she added the discounting rate was also likely higher because those in the market now generally had to sell and were more willing to accept a lower offer.

    Sellers on the upper north shore are dropping house prices the most, recording an average discount of 9.5 per cent over the six months to December.  At the region’s median house price of $1.634 million – which fell 9.2 per cent last year — that is a $155,000 price cut.

    “We’ve got people knocking back the first offer they get and then selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars less three or six months later,” said Tim Fraser of Di Jones Real Estate North Shore.

    Despite prices being in decline for nearly two years, Mr Fraser said, many home owners still expected prices from the 2017 peak.

    In the city and east, sellers slashed prices 9.3 per cent — or more than a $200,000 price cut at the $2.2 million median. In the inner west, lower north shore and north west, prices dropped an average of 9 per cent.

    Sydney’s most affordable pockets — the west and south west — had the smallest discount, with houses selling 7.2 and 7.3 per cent below initial prices, or $50,760 and $50,288, respectively.

    “Those areas that have seen some of the highest price falls have seen the highest level of discount,” Dr Powell said, adding that higher priced areas also traditionally had greater levels of discounting. “It goes hand in hand.”

    Citywide, the level of discounting has increased 50 per cent year-on-year, with biggest jumps in the north-west, west and Canterbury-Bankstown.

    “They have seen quite a lift in supply, there’s a lot of new stuff on the market as well as exisiting stock, ” said Commonwealth Bank senior economist Gareth Aird.

    “When prices are falling there is a mismatch generally … between what the sellers want and what buyers want and can pay. If it’s a soft market buyers adjust that downward.”

    ANZ head of Australian economics David Plank said discounting would help clear the backlog of properties from the market.

    “As that stock moves and new listings continue to decline, the available stock to buy will go down,” he said. “When that starts to happen, that’s when you start to see stabilisation of prices.”

    He noted if Sydney was to have a peak to trough market fall of 20 per cent, as forecast by ANZ, the pace of price falls would need to decline.

    Mr Plank said the pullback in new listings — down 17 per cent in January according to Domain data — suggested there was “no rush to the exit” by home owners and survey indicators showed that, while still nervous, buyer interest was starting to rise as prices fell.

    Sandra and Norm Cahill have been trying to sell their four-bedroom Epping house since October to make a sea change to the Central Coast and thought they would have no problem selling within their previous agent’s suggested price range of $1.8 million to $2.1 million.

    “We said we wouldn’t drop the price below $1.8 million,” Mrs Cahill laughed. “We didn’t have one offer for the [first] three months, even after we dropped the price [to $1.65 million] … We’re now sitting at $1.53 million, that’s a big drop.”

    With a new asking price, new styling and new agent, Catherine Murphy of The Agency North, they hope to find a buyer soon.

    Ms Murphy said pricing a property right was critical in the cooling market. “If you’re out of a 3 per cent range of what the market thinks it’s worth, it simply won’t get the traffic of buyers through,” she said.

    She noted Epping — which saw a 10 per cent drop in house prices last year — had been hard hit by the downturn and vendors were finding it difficult to keep expectations in line with the constantly moving market.

    Apartments owners in Canterbury Bankstown, the south west and the city and the eastern suburbs faced the biggest price cuts while those in the northern beaches, the south and the west had the lowest.

    Buyers’ agent Michael Ossitt, director of Strand Property Group, said with fewer sales vendors and agents had fewer comparable sales to benchmark their expectations against.

    ”So you’ve got vendors still expecting too much because they don’t have a benchmark to go off,” he said.domain.com.

  • Turkey’s AKP fears losing financial power of Istanbul municipality – experts

    Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which according to unofficial results lost mayoral races in key cities like Istanbul and Ankara on Sunday, challenges the results, as a defeat will mean losing enormous financial powers, Deutsche Welle Turkish said on Friday. 

    According to the unofficial results announced by the electoral board, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s AKP suffered defeats in five of the six most populous provinces in the country on Sunday. Turkey’s ruling party challenged the results in Istanbul, the country’s biggest city and financial hub, and in Ankara.

    For Erdoğan, whose rise to power started when he was elected as the mayor of Istanbul in 1994, the results imply a political weakening according to analysts. Yet, the AKP is also concerned that it will lose the control of what some opponents call “the metropolitan city holdings”, as municipalities in Istanbul and Ankara manage huge financial sources, according to experts.

    The 2019 budget of the Istanbul metropolitan municipality is 23.8 billion lira ($4.2 billion) and increases to 35 billion lira ($6.2 billion) when the budgets of the province’s transportation and water distribution authorities are taken into account, DW said. The Istanbul municipality also controls 28 affiliated companies whose total annual turnover is estimated as 24 billion lira ($4.2 billion).

    The Ankara metropolitan municipality, which owns 15 companies, has a budget of 14 billion lira ($2.5 billion), while the budget of the western province of Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city, is 5.9 billion lira  ($1 billion).

    According to Yalçın Karatepe, an academic at the Ankara University Department of Political Science, the municipalities in key provinces not only control enormous budgets, but are the sole decision makers over construction permits and land allocations. “The companies who win public tenders of those municipalities in time become supporters of the political movement that represents the municipality,” Karatepe said.

    Despite losing mayoral races, the AKP still has majority in local councils of Istanbul and Ankara, the legislative bodies of municipalities. Erdoğan on Wednesday called the elected opposition mayors “lame ducks”, pointing that they lacked majority in local councils.

    While Turkey awaits the results of the recounting in Istanbul and some speculate that the AKP may apply to the Supreme Electoral Board for the cancellation of votes in the province, the government has also other means to make things difficult for the opposition’s mayors, the experts say.

    In order to keep the economic power in Istanbul and Ankara, the Turkish government can hand over the authority to approve construction permits to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation, said Karatepe, adding that the government previously transferred powers over urban transformation projects to the ministry.

    “And they may make it more difficult for the metropolitan municipalities taken over by the opposition to access the resources of the Treasury. I am not saying they will, but they have that opportunity,” Karatepe said.

    According to Ersin Kalaycıoğlu, a political scientist at the Sabancı University, the AKP does not want to hand over the financial resources of the Istanbul municipality. “The government does not want the municipalities it controls to be held accountable,” he said.

    The AKP may seek ways to limit the budgets of Istanbul and Ankara municipalities in case the opposition mayors are declared as winners after official results are announced, but that does not mean that the prospective mayors of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) will lack alternatives, Kalaycıoğlu said. “The government for years have been preventing access of the CHP’s Izmir and Eskişehir municipalities to many opportunities. But they are managed quite well despite that. That means, if the right model is used, there are ways of overcoming budget cuts,” he said.

  • Blueberries can help lower blood pressure, research shows

    LONDON: A big helping of blueberries each day can improve blood pressure in healthy people, research shows.Scientists tested the effect on healthy volunteers of consuming 200 grams, or two cupfuls, of blueberries for a month.

    Over the course of the study participants’ systolic blood pressure was lowered by an average 5mmHg (millimetres of mercury).

    Systolic pressure is the pressure that builds up in blood vessels with each pump of the heart. It reduces when blood vessels relax and dilate and increases when they contract.

    The level was similar to that seen in patients taking blood pressure-reducing drugs.

    For the study, 40 volunteers aged 18 to 70 were randomly given either a drink containing 200 grams of blueberries or a similar tasting drink containing no blueberries.

    Effects on blood vessel function were seen in as little as two hours after consuming the blueberry drink.

    The “control” drink, which was varied to be neutral or to contain fibre or vitamins and minerals, had no significant effect.

    The scientists traced the blood pressure benefits of blueberries to anthocyanins, plant pigments responsible for the blue, red and purple colour of some fruits and vegetables.

    Drinks containing purified anthocyanins led to improvement in the function of endothelial cells that control blood vessel relaxation and contraction.

    Lead researcher Dr Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, from King’s College London, said: “Although it is best to eat the whole blueberry to get the full benefit, our study finds that the majority of the effects can be explained by anthocyanins.

    “If the changes we saw in blood vessel function after eating blueberries every day could be sustained for a person’s whole life, it could reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular disease by up to 20 per cent.”

    The research is published in the Journal of Gerontology Series A.AAP

  • Two men released over shooting of former police detective in Melbourne’s West

    Two men arrested over the shooting of an ex-detective in Point Cook have been released, pending further inquiries.

    Sid Morgan, a former NSW police officer, was shot in the face on Spraypoint Drive around 11pm Thursday night.Mr Morgan remained in the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Sunday morning in a critical condition.On Thursday, police began a manhunt for the offenders, who allegedly fled the scene.On Saturday, police arrested a 29-year-old Point Cook man in the country town of Nagambie, more than 150 kilometres north of the crime scene. They also arrested a 30-year-old man in Point Cook on Saturday morning.However, both men have since been released pending further inquiries and the investigation into the shooting continues.Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

  • Seven myths and truths about healthy skin

    Skin is our largest organ and something we may take for granted when it’s healthy.As an academic dermatologist I frequently hear misleading “facts” that seem to be stubbornly enduring.Here are some of the most commonly shared myths that can be cleared up immediately, and some truths you can rely on.

    The skin provides a dynamic barrier between your body’s internal environment and the outside world.Cells called keratinocytes in the epidermis (the outer layer of skin) are constantly dividing to produce a supply of cells that move up through this layer and are shed from its surface.Skin is a rich source of stem cells with the capacity to divide and renew themselves.A good skin-care regime starts with removing dirt from skin.

    The amount of water you drink does not directly affect your skin.

    Water is supplied to the skin by blood flowing through the dermis, the inner layer of skin; water is lost from the epidermis, especially in a dry environment. Water is needed to maintain skin hydration and when you become seriously dehydrated your skin appears dull and is less elastic.

    In a healthy person the internal organs — kidneys, heart and blood vessels — control the amount of water reaching the skin.

    There is no fixed volume of water that you need to drink, it simply depends on the amounts you are using and losing.

    There are many health issues in modern life that we blame on stress.But several skin conditions have been shown in scientific studies (see below), to be worsened by life events, possibly via stress hormones including cortisol (a steroid hormone made in the adrenal glan

    Notable examples are alopecia areata, an auto-immune condition where the body’s immunity begins to attack the hair follicles, causing hair to fall out; psoriasis, another auto-immune condition that causes skin thickening, scaling and inflammation; and eczema, itchy red skin inflammation often occurring alongside asthma, hay fever and other allergies.Unfortunately a flare up of these skin conditions is exactly what you don’t need when you are feeling stressed or under pressure.

    Acne vulgaris, the common “teenage” acne which can actually persist into your 30s and 40s, occurs as a result of the interaction between hormonal effects on grease glands in the skin, plus the skin’s immune response to blocked pores and microbes living on the skin.

    Eating a high-fat diet is unhealthy for many reasons, but it doesn’t cause acne.

    In fact some tablets prescribed for severe acne such as oral isotretinoin are better absorbed when pills are swallowed with a fatty meal — and that could include chocolate.

    Eczema is a condition where the skin is dry, itchy and red.

    It is caused by a combination of genetic factors (how your skin is made) and environmental effects, leading to inflammation.

    Soap, detergents and washing powders can irritate the skin and contribute to dryness because they remove oil from the skin (just as washing-up liquid removes grease from your dishes).

    Biological washing powders contain enzymes — proteins that break down fats and other proteins to remove stains — and these can irritate sensitive skin, so they may worsen eczema.

    It is important that any washing power is thoroughly rinsed out of clothing before it is worn, to avoid skin irritation.

    If the matrix is traumatised, bumped or bitten, an irregularity in the developing nail occurs and air can become trapped.

    This appears as a white mark as the nail grows out.

    Calcium is important for healthy nails (as well as bones and teeth), but these white marks are not a sign of deficiency.

    Many people have experienced the feel-good factor of a sunny day, but there are good and bad effects of sunlight.Light from the sun includes a mixture of different wavelengths of light: some are visible to the human eye, some are shorter than the colours we can see — these are called ultraviolet (UV) — and some are longer, the infrared. Different wavelengths have different effects on skin.

    UVB is used by skin to manufacture vitamin D, which is essential for bone health. Without sun exposure this vitamin must be obtained from the diet.

    Dermatologists use specific wavelengths of UVA and UVB in carefully controlled doses to reduce skin inflammation, a valuable treatment for some skin conditions.

    But when the skin is exposed to too much UV it can damage the skin cells’ DNA, leading to uncontrolled growth — the basis of cancer.

    As a simple rule, unless you have a disease or treatment that suppresses your immune system, sunshine is good for you in moderation, but always avoid getting sunburned.

    The basic principles of keeping skin healthy are mainly common sense.

    You should wash your skin regularly to remove dirt, but not so much that you remove the essential moisture and water-proofing substances.

    Use a moisturiser if your skin feels tight or dry — a greasy ointment works best unless you have acne-prone skin, in which case you should use a non-greasy water-based cream.

    Avoid stress if possible, eat a healthy diet and drink water when you feel thirsty. And finally, protect your skin from too much sun with a hat and clothing or sunscreen.

    Sara J Brown is a Professor of Molecular and Genetic Dermatology and a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow at the University of Dundee. This article originally appeared on The Conversation. With/By Sara J Brown

  • Turkey has dismissed more than 33,000 police officers since failed 2016 coup

    Celal Uzunkaya, the head of Turkey’s Security General Directorate, has said 33,372 members of the police force of various ranks have been dismissed since a 2016 failed coup, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

    Police departments have approximately 300,000 members nationwide, Uzunkaya said, adding that in the last three-and-a-half years they have recruited more than 80,000 policemen.

    The dismissed police officers were believed to be affiliated with the faith-based Gülen movement, which the government holds responsible for the abortive putsch, although the movement denies any involvement.

    During a two-year-long state of emergency that ended last July, Turkey dismissed by government decree some 140,000 public servants over Gülen links.

  • Government lawyers say reuniting thousands of migrant families will take 1-2 years

    Lawyers representing the Trump administration told the federal judge overseeing the reunification of separated migrant families that it will take one to two years to identify potentially thousands of children.

    U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw in California ordered last month that children separated before the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy went into effect should be identified.

    The order followed a report by the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General that estimated thousands of children were separated before zero tolerance, the May-June 2018 policy that systematically separated children from migrant parents who crossed the border illegally.

    After reuniting the majority of the more than 2,800 children separated during zero tolerance, the Trump administration resisted identifying and reuniting those children separated prior to the policy.

    Lawyers for the Justice Department said the task was onerous, claiming most of those children have been released from government custody to live with sponsors.

    Now, the lawyers for the administration “estimate that identifying all possible children…referred to and discharged by (Health and Human Services)…would take at least 12 months and possibly up to 24 months,” according to a filing in the Southern District of California late Friday.

  • UK removes ‘European Union’ title from British passport

    As Britain looks to extend its stay in the European Union, it seems British passports haven’t followed the same path.

    New UK passports have been issued without the words ‘European Union’ on the front cover.

    One person who received the passport said she was “truly appalled” by the removal of the EU from the passport.

    “I was just surprised – we’re still members of the EU. I was surprised they’ve made the change when we haven’t left, and it’s a tangible mark of something which I believe to be completely futile,” Susan Hindle Barone told the UK’s Press Association.

    How British passports will look like post-Brexit has been a sticking point for those who supported to remain in the EU and a rallying call for some supporters of the Leave campaign, after a decision by the UK government in 2017 to change passports from burgundy to dark blue.

    Former UKIP leader and ardent Brexit supporter Nigel Farage has previously described the change as his idea of “Brexmas”.

    The UK Home Office said that in order to use the “best value to the taxpater, passports that include the words “European Union” will continue to be issued for a short period”.

    Britain was expected to leave the EU on the 29 March.

    Prime Minister Theresa May has since requested two extensions, one granted and the latest a request by May on Friday for Article 50 to be extended up to June 30.

    The UK is currently scheduled to leave on April 12, after a first extension was already granted.

     

  • Employees say they have no idea where Anadolu gets election data

    Several employees of Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency (AA) have said they don’t know where the agency gets data for election results, Deutsche Welle reported.

    AA has come under fire for not updating its election coverage on March 31 at a critical juncture, when Turkey held local elections, for 13 hours. AA’s halting of its election coverage came at a time when opposition candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu’s votes reached those of Binali Yıldırım, the nominee of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the race for mayor of İstanbul.

    The AA employees, who spoke anonymously to Deutsche Welle, said they as well as many department managers do not have access to the system established for election coverage, adding that a small number of people are have authorized access to it.

    “Nobody knows where the election data come from. We have been asking about this among ourselves, too,” said one of the employees of the agency.

    In a statement on Tuesday Şenol Kazancı, the director general of AA, said after noticing the pause on election night he called their results subcontractor to warn them, but he refrained from revealing which company it was. “The details aren’t important,” he said.