Redefine News

 

One look at the newspaper and the worst is confirmed. The Dubai Government has officially stated that it will not bail out DubaiWorld from a US$60 billion debt repayment schedule. This means that the ports and shipping related authority is left on its own to figure out how to restructure the debt repayments to the satisfaction of creditors and other concerned parties.
So what’s the worst that can happen? DubaiWorld could try to sell off its assets to raise money to pay off some of the debt, and even ask the creditors for a further moratorium on the balance to be repaid. At the worst if it is not successful, the company could go bankrupt. While this is not entirely unheard of in a recession, as has happened to the banking and mortgage companies in the USA, the problem here is that it would reflect badly on the DubaiGovernment. Eyebrows will undoubtedly be raised if it is allowed to happen. The truth is that the Dubai Government has stretched itself to the limit on the path of development and is hard pressed to come up with a workable solution.

So it is left to Dubai World alone to find a way out of its present predicament. Notwithstanding that it has been backed by the Government in the past, this time the DubaiGovernment refused to come to its aid. Whatever the outcome, the management of DubaiWorld will learn some very tough lessons as they pass through this ordeal. And so they should. Financial discipline, realistic estimates and a less luxurious lifestyle are some of the lessons to which its executives need to condition themselves.

To my mind, the market has over-reacted to this recent event. Dubai World has not in effect defaulted on the loan. Maybe its own staff or a group of experts such as Deloitte can work out something that will help Dubai World tide over the present time. Staff at this ports authority will need to work hard and make some sacrifices. Some heads might roll without a doubt. But in the end the company and Dubai would be saved.

The mainstays of the Dubai economy, the Dubai Property market, the splendid Dubai Marina property and even furnished apartments Dubai all stand to gain from a resurgence of Dubai’s economy. Similar is the case with the more exclusive Dubai Properties, the Dubai Hotel Apartments and even the Dubai apartments for rent.

The diehards are convinced that if the present crisis is successfully averted, Dubai will bounce back. Employment will increase and the economy will flourish once again.

 

The news about Dubai’s financial crisis has been travelling around the world faster than the speed of light. And millions of people, both connected and unconnected with Dubai and its markets are making decisions and taking sides even faster than that. It certainly is time to find out that behind all the smoke and mirrors, what is the real truth behind the supposed financial crisis in this fair emirate? For starters, here are a few facts that nobody can deny:

1.Dubai had been experiencing an unprecedented boom in housing, construction and finance for the last six years at least.
2.The appetite for its housing, renting, retailing and a lot of other sectors invariably connected with growth and prosperity also enjoyed the fruits of this growth.
3.The present recessionary trend in the USA has undoubtedly had repercussions all across the world, even affecting the UAE since the last eighteen months or so. Thousands of expatriate workers have had to leave Dubai with the downturn in the housing and finance sectors. Invariably this has slowed down economic activity in other sectors as well.
4.Presently concerns about the ability of Dubai World, a Government entity, to pay back US$60 billion in debt have started a crisis in the emirate. This was exacerbated by the fact that the Dubai Government first appeared to be supporting but later alienating itself from the beleaguered entity.

The mismanagement, rather miscommunication of the whole issue has added to the worries of investors, and the Western media is having a field day fanning all sorts of rumors that Dubai could be the epicenter of another financial fiasco. With Dubai World losing the support of its Government, it was left to the corporate entity to respond and lift itself out of the abyss of rumor and conjecture. In fact it’s quite typical of the Arab world to have a laid back attitude and say ‘Inshallah’ rather than strive to work itself out of difficulty. To its credit, Dubai World has lost no time in doing so and called a panel of experts from Deloitte to assist. What ultimately transpired was that Dubai World will be asking for a restructuring of US$26 billion of debt largely pertaining to two of its subsidiaries-Limitless and Nakheel- at a creditors meeting scheduled for next week. The moratorium will be for six months.

In the backdrop of all this, business activity in Dubai has slowed down but has not stopped altogether. There are still apartments for rent in Dubai at reasonable rates. In fact, many living on the edge have moved up to take advantage of better facilities at affordable rents especially when it comes to apartments in Dubai. Other investors have sought to Buy Villas in Dubai at almost throwaway prices. Indeed some of the Dubai Marina Apartments have also been selling at bargain prices. With the Dubai and Abu Dhabi markets in free fall over the last few sessions, a correction in perception is certainly awaited and necessary.

 

So! You’re about to embark in what most Pinoys dream about – buying your first home! Now, put down that checkbook because there is something every home buyer has to do before they push thru with the transaction: the ocular inspection, or simply put – what we call in the Philippines “tripping.”

Trivia: did you know 49% of homeowners experience a problem with the houses they’ve bought simply because they didn’t spend enough time researching or checking out the property?

But you won’t be part of the 49% now will you? Yes you won’t because here are some tips we encourage you to follow when making your first tripping/viewing schedule to your possible (dream) house:

Do a background research on the property – including the area surrounding it. This will save you time from viewing a property that won’t address your requirements.

Bring a camera and take photos of the houses, carefully taking a close-up shot of the house number so you can recall easier what house you visited.
Visit during the daytime, as problems will be better seen that way.

Don't be afraid to ask - about the fixtures, fittings, association due, noise level, water supply, restrictions, etc. What you don't know can and may hurt you. This is your money we're talking about.

Brokers are only human - do not expect them to show you all the houses you want in a short span of time. They are also not public servants and only earn commission. Put yourself in their shoes, and keep your expectations realistic. Also, be open with your broker if they offer free transportation or would rather meet up somewhere in between.

Remember, what you do to others will come back to either haunt you or bless you.

Bring a check book with you – especially if you’re really keen on getting the property, as most brokers or home sellers prefer that you make a deposit to reserve the property. Although this is not always the case, as most first time buyer visit a single property several times.

Be on time! Let’s get rid of the Filipino habit of tardiness. It won’t do you any good and can possible turn off a seller. Remember it’s not just a buyer’s market, it’s also a seller’s market.

Don’t ask for the owner or tenant’s contact details. This is being totally rude to your broker or agent. If the owner offers, politely accept but return it to your broker/agent. This will ensure the trust and confidence between the 2 parties.
The more information you have about the house, the better. Spend as much time as you want exploring & poking around the house (as long as you have permission to do so!). Remember, "Buy in haste, repent at leisure."

 

Browsing in the confusing and complicated world of lawyers can always sound as confusing for anyone. There are a lot of people who simply feel that these things can be frightening and the cost of hiring a lawyer can just tend to kill anyone who is not aware of the cost. You just need to try and educate yourself and then try getting some perfect advice from the professionals. You have to keep in mind that never be scared to speak to anyone or even different law firms so that you know what suits all of your needs.

Get Referrals

When ever looking for a new lawyer the best thing is that you can certainly can rely on tips from your friends whom who trust. This is always one of the best ways so that you can narrow down all your searches. Certain times there are people who exaggerate all the results that may be available to them from their attorneys. You have to keep in mind to focus on certain factors like client contact, personal contact, speed of solving problems, and contact with other contacts.

 

Internet Service
With the development of internet, so the first action would be to open the browser and find lawyer on the Google search engine. You have to keep in mind that it is important that you try being a little bit discriminating when looking for a nice lawyer. Whenever looking for lawyer keep in mind that you have to try and go through the firms and their rules. You always have to be sure that the firm does capably handle all the cases and reports when dealing for any clients.

Legal Fee

You can always be sure that it is easy to find a cheap lawyer. There are also a number of good lawyers who may expect payments in two or even three easy installments. You may have to try and pay the flat fee for your lawyer. Some of them may also ask you to pay hourly fees in case they are there only for one or two hours.

You can always pay flat fee whenever you have small legal matter that needs to be solved. You certainly can find lawyers with flat fee over the internet. You can also try to make the payment in Contingency form if the case if going to be on a long run. Under these circumstance you may never have to make any payments upfront to the lawyer. The firm may also fix an amount for your case or for making any other form of settlement.

There are lawyers who also charge for an hourly basis or in some cases even for the portion of an hour. But whenever you fix such lawyer you have to be sure that you always ask what ever is included in hourly basis. It is always advisable to enquire about the hourly basis. Cost and out of the pocket expenses are always billed aside. So regardless of any payment mode it is always possible for you to try and find an affordable lawyer.

 

Drug trafficking in US is at highest rate. Each year the drug law enforcement agencies face the challenge of protecting borders from such drug traffickers. Drug Trafficking means cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of illegal drugs like cocaine, and MDMA. Drug Trafficking laws penalize all those who import drugs in US. Drug trafficking laws can implicate a single individual or a group of members involved. Drug Trafficking may include either those persons who do the business of drugs that is sale the drugs at higher level, some one possessing drugs either in home, himself or anywhere in his or her private property or those who cultivate drugs for any means. These drug traffickers are punished accordingly and the punishment vary depend on many factors like type of drug, amount of drug, geographic area of distribution.

Between all these possession is considered as small offense. If the people possess a small amount of drug then it is a small offense. The problem occur at that time when a person possess high amount of drugs as at that time he or she would be charged with more serious crime. Manufacturing or cultivation is generally considered as extremely serious offense. In Manufacturer or cultivation, the penalties depend on the manufacturer reputation. If a drug plant produces drug then may be it is to be punished with small fine and on the other hand if a small factory produces high amount then they have to face jail and court. There are various cut-offs prescribed but they depend on the drugs. The maximum penalty for trafficking drug at large amount may be 15 years imprisonment and if at commercial level then it may extends up to 25 years.

If the drug traffickers import the drugs for the purpose of sale, then it is the extremely serious offense and the person may punish strictly and face jail sentence for long time. For example if the drug involved is cocaine, LSD and cocaine base and amount is more than 500 gms then he or she may be punished for minimum 5 years and if it cause any serious injury or death then he or she may be punished for more than 20 years or more than life. And in second offense, there may be chance that these drug traffickers got punishment of not less than 10 years. If because of taking drug there cause any death or injury then person may be punished for life imprisonment. If the drug Trafficker is an individual then he or she may be fined $2million and if a group is involved then $5 million. If the amount found is more than 5 kgs, then a person may be punished for more than 10 years and if could happen anything serious then for more than 20 years. They also got life imprisonment punishment if someone dies by taking drugs. In this case if the drug Trafficker is an individual then he or she is fined $8 million and if whole group then $20 million.

 

A wrongful death lawsuit is an action filed in court when the wrongful conduct of a person, a company, or some other entity results in the death of another person. Such lawsuits are generally based on state statute, and may allow the close relatives of a person who died as a result of such a wrongful act to recover monetary damages for lost financial and emotional support. Usually, the victim’s surviving spouse, children, beneficiaries or dependents bring such a lawsuit. The wrongful act may be based on a negligent act, a reckless act, or even a deliberate act, such as murder. Prosecution of the alleged wrongdoer in criminal court does not preclude a private, wrongful death suit.

Some lawyers advance all costs of suit in their wrongful death cases and they charge no attorney fees unless they obtain a recovery on your behalf.

In Chicago, Medical Malpractice is a leading cause of wrongful death and is a serious issue in our hospitals. Hundreds of thousands of people die from medical malpractice related injuries in a single year. There are many different ways that a wrongful death may occur as a result of medical malpractice, for example:

* Surgical Malpractice
* Diagnosis Error
* Bacterial Infection
* Birth Injury
* Medication Error
* Auto accident
* Nursing home negligence

But there are countless other circumstances under which a wrongful death may also occur. Basically, if someone's wrongful actions caused injuries that resulted in your loved one's death, then that is a wrongful death. Do not hesitate to enlist the help of a medical malpractice attorney. If the circumstances surrounding your relative’s death are considered a wrongful death, then Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyers are always there to help.

 

You will be aware that regulations taking effect from the 1st July 2007 will mean that virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces in England will become smoke-free. Understandably, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on ensuring that premises will be compliant. Less coverage however, has centred on vehicles. The Drivers Defence unit has therefore prepared the following briefing note to assist companies and those in charge of fleet vehicles.'

The law
An enclosed vehicle and any enclosed part of a vehicle must be smoke-free if it is used:
1. by members of the public or a section of the public (whether or not for reward or hire)
2. in the course of paid or voluntary work by more than one person (even if those persons use the vehicle at different times, or only intermittently).
What this means is that most enclosed vehicles used by the public or for work purposes must be smoke free.
Convertibles
A vehicle with a detachable or stow-away roof is exempt provided that in its stowed away/detached form, it does not cover part of the vehicle. Therefore, a convertible vehicle will not have to be smoke free when the roof is fully retracted/removed.
Vehicles used by the public
The smoke-free regulations will apply to taxis, buses, trains. In some limited cases, this will apply to ships or hovercraft. Aircraft are already subject to legislative control. It would also appear that if a vehicle is used to give a client/customer a lift, then it would have to be smoke-free.
Vehicles used for work purposes
The regulations apply to an enclosed vehicle if it is used in the course of paid or voluntary work by more than one person (even if those persons use the vehicle at different times, or only intermittently). Two points to note here:
1. note that the determining factor is ‘use’, not ‘ownership’ – a privately owned vehicle used for work purposes would be required to be smoke free (subject to the exemption below)
2. also note that this applies to voluntary workers – ‘paid or unpaid’
The smoke-free regulations will therefore apply to pool cars, delivery lorries where there could be more than one driver or a driver’s mate, or a vehicle which has one primary driver but is occasionally used by others.
Exemption
A vehicle is not classed as being used in the course of paid/voluntary work where it is used primarily for the private purposes of the owner/person who has an unrestricted right to use it.
␣ Where the primary (unrestricted) use of the vehicle is for private purposes, it would be exempt. No definition of ‘primary’ – eg private v business mileage is a natural method of distinguishing.
␣ What is less clear is what happens when a vehicle is handed over to another employee for them to use permanently.
Compliance
Obligations are placed on the driver, a person with management responsibilities for the vehicle and any person on a vehicle who is responsible for order or safety on it, to ensure that the vehicle is smoke free.
The international smoke-free sign (70mm in diameter) must be displayed in every compartment of the vehicle.
Managers prosecuted for failing to prevent smoking in a smoke-free vehicle can avail themselves of a due diligence defence. As it is a legal requirement to display a no-smoking sticker, it is unlikely that a due diligence defence will succeed if based simply on a manager placing a sticker in a vehicle. Managers should consider updating fleet policies and sending to all drivers.
Care will also need to be taken in identifying those vehicles that must be smoke free. All ‘pool’ vehicles will need to be smoke free as it is anticipated that they are used primarily for work purposes. In cases of company cars where there is a primary user, but where other persons have access to the vehicle on occasions, consideration will have to be given to the overall use of the vehicle by reference to, for example, ‘business’ versus ‘private’ mileage. In light of the need to keep vehicles smoke-free if giving lifts to clients/customers, or where use by more than one person cannot be ruled out, managers may wish to consider adopting a ‘no smoking’ policy in relation to all vehicles used whilst on company business.
Penalties
␣ Failure to display a no smoking sign carries a maximum penalty of £1,000 on conviction or £200 fixed penalty (£150 if paid within 15 days).
␣ Smoking in a smoke free place carries a maximum penalty of £200 on conviction or £50 fixed penalty (£30 if paid within 15 days).
␣ Persons controlling or being concerned in the management of smoke vehicles and failing to stop a person smoking there carries a maximum penalty of £2,500 on conviction with no option of a fixed penalty.
Also note that
␣ Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 it is already an offence if smokers litter the public highway (smoking materials and smoking waste) and they can be subject to a Fixed Penalty or risk prosecution. The Fixed Penalty will be £75 unless the Local Authority specifies a different amount.