Pesticide ban cuts South Korea's high suicide rate - a bit

1 of 4. A man walks past a statue of a person comforting another on the Mapo Bridge, one of 25 bridges over the Han River, in central Seoul September 27, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Lee Jae-Won

By Ju-min Park

SEOUL | Mon Sep 30, 2013 3:13am EDT

SEOUL (Reuters) - Jang Chang-yoon was drunk and weepy one rainy night, troubled by debts from his divorce. On a dark impulse, the South Korean waiter bought a bottle of pesticide to end it all with a few toxic swigs.

At the last minute, he changed his mind when his young daughter grabbed his arm and begged him: "Daddy, don't die."

Unlike Jang, many people do not pull back from the brink in South Korea, which has had the highest suicide rate in the developed world for nine straight years, often drinking pesticide as their way out.

But a decade after Jang's brush with death, a ban on fatal pesticides is credited with cutting the number of suicides by 11 percent last year, the first drop in six years. The government restricted production of Gramoxone, a herbicide linked to suicides, in 2011 and outlawed its sale and storage last year.

"The number of suicides by poisoning including Gramoxone fell by 477, which accounts for about 27 percent of the total decrease in the number of people committing suicide," Lee Jae-won, an official at Statistics Korea, said last week after the government released the latest figures.

Pesticide was the method of choice for almost a quarter of the South Koreans who killed themselves between 2006 and 2010, according to a government report to parliament.

In the highly competitive society of Asia's fourth-largest economy, experts say people who end up alone battling pressure for good school grades or from financial burdens have little in the way of a safety net.

Despite the improvement in the suicide rate, more than 14,000 South Koreans killed themselves last year. Elderly people living in rural areas are a particularly high-risk group.

Since the 1950s, older generations have been fixated on South Korea becoming more competitive and productive, a side effect of rapid industrialisation that turned a war-damaged country into one of the richest in the world.

STIGMAS AND PAIN

Kim Hyun-chung, a psychiatrist at the Korean Association for Suicide Prevention, sees social stigmas as a major reason for the high suicide rate. Many South Koreans who are depressed or under heavy stress are reluctant to bring up issues like mental illness or an inability to cope, he said.

"The ban on toxic pesticides obviously led to the decline in the suicide rate because that is the easiest means of suicide for elderly people in rural towns," Kim said. "But we still have bridges and charcoal briquettes."

To help limit access to lethal chemicals, the Life Insurance Philanthropy Foundation launched a campaign to provide pesticide lockers to farming towns with high rates of depression.

The foundation, set up by private insurance firms, says no one from the villages with the lockers has committed suicide over the past three years, compared with one or two people from each village who had killed themselves in past years.

"The lockers help reduce the impulse to get hold of pesticides because they have to find keys to open them," Chung Bong-eun, an official at the foundation, told Reuters.

The 2012 figures may offer a glimmer of hope, but the latest comparisons by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed South Korea was by far the most suicidal society, followed by Hungary, Russia and Japan.

For Jang, working two jobs is still tough, but he regrets trying to kill himself and is happy to have his life to share with his two daughters. While he sees the ban on pesticides as a positive step, he feels for others who are under duress.

"Old and young people have their own pain from either quick economic development or unemployment," he said. "I hope the government will care more about people's health."

(Editing by John O'Callaghan and Ron Popeski)

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Anglo South Africa settles silicosis case with 23 gold miners

By Ed Cropley

JOHANNESBURG | Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:43am EDT

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Anglo American's South African arm has settled a compensation claim by 23 gold miners with the lung disease silicosis, bringing an industry-wide deal potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars closer, a lawyer said on Wednesday.

Details of the settlement are confidential although Richard Meeran, the London-based lawyer who first brought the suit against the global mining giant in 2004, said he and his clients were "very happy" with the deal.

Anglo American sold off its gold assets over a decade ago but this suit and similar initiatives are based on its past as a bullion producer.

The firm said the settlement involved no admission of liability and was in the best interests of the plaintiffs, their families and the company.

"Technically, no legal precedent has been set but the fact of this settlement sends a signal," Meeran told a news conference in Johannesburg. "This settlement today shows that the writing is on the wall for the industry."

Of the 23 initial claimants, eight have already died of silicosis, an illness caused by the inhalation of tiny particles of silica dust from gold-bearing rocks over many years without adequate protection.

It causes shortness of breath, a persistent cough and chest pains, and makes its victims highly susceptible to tuberculosis.

Tens of thousands of black miners from South Africa and neighboring countries are believed to have contracted silicosis during the decades of apartheid rule, when their health and safety were not priorities of the white gold barons.

"We continue to work with industry, government and civil society to tackle the many challenges of primary health care in South Africa," Anglo American said in a statement.

The Meeran suit is one of several being brought on behalf of silicosis victims against South Africa's once-mighty gold industry and had been scheduled for arbitration in February before a panel of senior South African judges.

In another case, human rights lawyer Richard Spoor filed an application in December for a class action suit on behalf of 17,000 former gold miners from South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho against more than 30 gold firms, including AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Harmony.

The case, which has little precedent in South African law, would be likely to be Africa's biggest class action suit and could result in a payout running into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Spoor's suit is based on a 2011 constitutional court ruling in favor of a silicosis-afflicted miner called Thembekile Mankayi, who was seeking $342,000 in compensation for pain and suffering, loss of earnings and medical expenses.

Mankayi died shortly before the 2011 ruling was delivered.

(Editing by Ed Stoddard and Keiron Henderson)

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South Australia's first Apple Store draws line hours ahead of opening [update: photos and video]

South Australia's first Apple Store draws line hours ahead of opening [update: photos and video]Get the lowest prices anywhere on Macs and iPads with exclusive coupons: Apple Price Guide updated May 25th. (Get the lowest prices anywhere) HomeReviewsBackpagePrice GuidesNew MacsMacs with AppleCarePrevious MacsiPadsApple Wireless DevicesBid on New & Used Apple ProductsFollow UsTwitterFacebookGoogle+RSS Feeds & QriusiPhone AppTip UsSend us a tiptip us anonymouslyContact us by e-mailForumsAAPL: 445.15 ( +3.01 )Never miss an update Follow AppleInsiderFollow @AppleInsider –A+
Friday, May 24, 2013, 05:26 pm

South Australia's first Apple Store draws line hours ahead of opening [update: photos and video]By Mikey Campbell

While Apple's latest retail outlet in Australia isn't scheduled to open for another three hours, customers eager to get into the region's first Apple Store are already queuing up, some having been there for nearly 12 hours.


Rundle Place Apple Store in Adelaide. | Source: Reader Jonathan
Pictures from the scene, sent to AppleInsider by reader Jonathan, show about 30 people waiting for the grand opening of Apple's Rundle Place location, the first brick-and-mortar shop the company has set up in South Australia. The first people in line started showing up at 8:30 p.m. last night. Currently, local time in Adelaide is about 7 a.m., well ahead of the scheduled 10 a.m. door opening.


According to Apple's website, the Rundle Place Apple Store will boast a Genius Bar, in-store workshops, One to One service and business-class offerings, as well as free youth programs like Youth Workshops, Field Trips and Apple Camp.


The Adelaide Apple Store will be the first to serve South Australia, saving product owners from traveling to far away cities for repairs and browsing.


Subway offering free cookies and vouchers to those waiting in line.
A report Monday noted that Apple's brick-and-mortar outlets netted a record $58 per visitor last quarter, which amounted to an average per-store revenue of $13.1 million.

Update: The Rundle Place Apple Store is now open. Following are pictures minutes after doors opened to over 300 people.


Apple Geniuses sit next to customers at the Rundle Place Genius Bar.
Tags:Apple StoreJump to comments (13)Categories:General(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Tweet!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); On Topic: GeneralGoogle's Motorola issues second appeal of dismissed ITC case against AppleSouth Australia's first Apple Store draws line hours ahead of opening [update: photos and video]Rains once more cause damage at Apple's Fifth Avenue NY storeSteve Jobs's family has been giving money away anonymously for more than 2 decadesJudge says evidence will likely show Apple culpable in e-book price fixing caseToday's' HeadlinesNo news headlines yet todayRelated ArticlesBriefly: South Australia's first Apple Store to open Saturday in AdelaideApple preps new retail store in Adelaide, AustraliaNew Apple Stores opening in Hong Kong, Australia & Sweden; NJ stores renovatedPhotos from Apple's latest retail openings in US, Australia & ChinaApple's first retail store in Berlin gets May 3 grand openingPrevious Comments View Alllord amhran2013/05/24 06:08pm

Another difference between Microsoft Stores and Apple Stores. You'll never see this kind of devotion & dedication in any place other than an Apple Store

charliepotatoes2013/05/24 06:11pm

Coverse tennis shoes , dirty tee shirts, ripped jeans and scruffy bears are growing old. How about new uniforms with button down shirts, tan khakies, blue blasers and penny loafers for awhile?

taniwha2013/05/24 06:34pm

A store in some small town down under, leaking roofs ... seems that AI has NOTHING to say. Boring

tarfungo2013/05/24 06:56pm

How come this article doesn't indicate which finger poppin', hip-hopping hipster or high profile 'now' band these people are waiting in line for?? The MicroSoft store that recently opened across the mall from my local Apple Store had Kelly Clarkson to attract overnight line squatters? ? \s
?

lord amhran2013/05/24 07:43pm

Quote:Originally Posted by Taniwha?

A store in some small town down under, leaking roofs ... seems that AI has NOTHING to say. BoringNothing of the sort has been reported about this store.

rogifan2013/05/24 07:53pm

Quote:Originally Posted by Taniwha?

A store in some small town down under, leaking roofs ... seems that AI has NOTHING to say. BoringApparently AI isn't allowed or refuses to report stuff from 9to5Mac as they reported new leaked info about iOS 7. A lot more interesting than anything AI reported today.

man-lee2013/05/24 10:09pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by?Taniwha?

A store in some small town down under, leaking roofs ... seems that AI has NOTHING to say. Boring

?

I'd?barley?describe Adelaide, a State Capital City of over 1.25 mil?people?as?some??"small town". ?Regarding you other comment about "leaking roofs"?maybe?you?had got this story?from another "small town" store in NYC ;) ?Rains once more cause damage at Apple's Fifth Avenue NY store?

http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/05/24/rains-once-more-cause-damage-at-apples-fifth-avenue-ny-store

spacepower2013/05/24 10:42pm

Quote:Originally Posted by CharliePotatoes?

Coverse tennis shoes , dirty tee shirts, ripped jeans and scruffy bears are growing old. How about new uniforms with button down shirts, tan khakies, blue blasers and penny loafers for awhile?

Ssshhhhhh

Microsoft might steal your idea.

ireland2013/05/25 07:36am

God, hate those things. Wuu!!

acslater0172013/05/25 10:14am

Quote:Originally Posted by Taniwha?

A store in some small town down under, leaking roofs ... seems that AI has NOTHING to say. Boring
Maybe you should take your money elsewhere. Oh wait, this is a free website.

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Latest Apple HeadlinesEditorial: Apple's iOS 7 needs exclusive, distinctive features, not just a flat UI~21 hours agoiPad shipments could see first ever year-on-year decline in Q2, analyst says~2 days agoGoogle's Motorola issues second appeal of dismissed ITC case against Apple~2 days agoiPhone urinalysis app draws scrutiny from FDA~2 days agoSouth Australia's first Apple Store draws line hours ahead of opening [update: photos and video]~2 days agomore...

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U.S. Geological Survey Williston Basin Province Assessment Team, 2011, Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Williston Basin Province of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota, 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series 69–W, 7 ch

Contested areas of South China Sea likely have few conventional oil and gas resources

April 3, 2013

Several countries have overlapping territorial claims to portions of the South China Sea, which stretches from Singapore in the southwest to Taiwan in the northeast. The Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands are two of the most contested areas (see dark blue islands on map above). However, unlike other parts of the South China Sea, these areas have not been assessed to hold large (conventional) resources of oil and natural gas. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ownership of habitable islands can extend the exclusive access of a country to surrounding energy resources.

EIA's analysis shows that most fields containing discovered oil and natural gas are clustered in uncontested parts of the South China Sea, close to shorelines of the coastal countries, and not near the contested islands. Industry sources suggest almost no oil and less than 100 billion cubic feet of natural gas in proved and probable reserves exist in fields near the Spratly Islands. The Paracel Island territory has even less natural gas and no oil.

In total, the South China Sea has about 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas rated as proved or probable reserves. These levels are similar to the amount of proved oil reserves in Mexico and about two-thirds of the proved natural gas reserves in Europe, not including Russia (see figure below).

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics, South China Sea Regional Analysis Brief.
*Note: South China Sea includes proved and probable reserves.

In addition to proved and probable reserves, the South China Sea may have additional hydrocarbons in underexplored areas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated in 2012 that about 12 billion barrels of oil and 160 trillion cubic feet of natural gas might exist as undiscovered resources in the South China Sea, excluding the Gulf of Thailand and other adjacent areas. About one fifth of these resources may be found in contested areas, particularly in the Reed Bank at the northeast end of the Spratly Islands, which is claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. These additional resources are not considered commercial reserves at this time; extracting them may not be economically feasible.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics, South China Sea Regional Analysis Brief, and U.S. Geological Survey, Estimate of Undiscovered Conventional Oil and Gas Resources of the World, 2012.

The Paracel Island area may also contain significant natural gas hydrate resources. While test drills are promising, commercial development of natural gas hydrates in the South China Sea is many years away given technological challenges and current natural gas prices.

EIA projects Southeast Asian domestic oil production to stay flat or decline as energy consumption rises in the region, and natural gas from the South China Sea may meet a significant part of future energy demand.

For more information, see the South China Sea Regional Analysis Brief.

View the original article here

Contested areas of South China Sea likely have few conventional oil and gas resources

April 3, 2013

Several countries have overlapping territorial claims to portions of the South China Sea, which stretches from Singapore in the southwest to Taiwan in the northeast. The Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands are two of the most contested areas (see dark blue islands on map above). However, unlike other parts of the South China Sea, these areas have not been assessed to hold large (conventional) resources of oil and natural gas. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ownership of habitable islands can extend the exclusive access of a country to surrounding energy resources.

EIA's analysis shows that most fields containing discovered oil and natural gas are clustered in uncontested parts of the South China Sea, close to shorelines of the coastal countries, and not near the contested islands. Industry sources suggest almost no oil and less than 100 billion cubic feet of natural gas in proved and probable reserves exist in fields near the Spratly Islands. The Paracel Island territory has even less natural gas and no oil.

In total, the South China Sea has about 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas rated as proved or probable reserves. These levels are similar to the amount of proved oil reserves in Mexico and about two-thirds of the proved natural gas reserves in Europe, not including Russia (see figure below).

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics, South China Sea Regional Analysis Brief.
*Note: South China Sea includes proved and probable reserves.

In addition to proved and probable reserves, the South China Sea may have additional hydrocarbons in underexplored areas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated in 2012 that about 12 billion barrels of oil and 160 trillion cubic feet of natural gas might exist as undiscovered resources in the South China Sea, excluding the Gulf of Thailand and other adjacent areas. About one fifth of these resources may be found in contested areas, particularly in the Reed Bank at the northeast end of the Spratly Islands, which is claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. These additional resources are not considered commercial reserves at this time; extracting them may not be economically feasible.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics, South China Sea Regional Analysis Brief, and U.S. Geological Survey, Estimate of Undiscovered Conventional Oil and Gas Resources of the World, 2012.

The Paracel Island area may also contain significant natural gas hydrate resources. While test drills are promising, commercial development of natural gas hydrates in the South China Sea is many years away given technological challenges and current natural gas prices.

EIA projects Southeast Asian domestic oil production to stay flat or decline as energy consumption rises in the region, and natural gas from the South China Sea may meet a significant part of future energy demand.

For more information, see the South China Sea Regional Analysis Brief.

View the original article here

South: Florida Gulf Coast vs. Florida: N.C.A.A. Tournament — Florida Gulf Coast Isn’t Ready to Cede Spotlight

Finally, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles gathered around Coach Andy Enfield at midcourt and then quickly reorganized into two lines facing the same basket. Five minutes later, they reminded everyone how they had become the pledges crashing this South Region party of storied basketball fraternities.

Lob passes led to tomahawk jams. Ricochets off the glass were finished off as windmill dunks. Even the Eagles’ botched attempts were spectacular, eliciting oohs and aahs. By the time that Chase Fieler tossed a bounce pass toward the hoop, grabbed the ball as he gained momentum, threaded it between his legs and threw down a jarring dunk, Florida Gulf Coast had recaptured the crowd’s imagination.

“Dunk City in the house!” someone shouted.

The Eagles still embraced the underdog role Thursday, but they looked and sounded as if they had shaken off the stardust from victories over Georgetown and San Diego State as they prepared for Friday night’s game against third-seeded Florida.

“We did make history,” guard Brett Comer said. “No 15 seed has done this. We feel like we shocked the world. We’re going to prepare for Florida the same way. We didn’t come just to play one game or two games. We’re coming out to compete and go as far as we can.”

After a week in the national spotlight, Enfield said the Eagles were refocused and taking a businesslike approach to their improbable appearance in the Round of 16, as if sharing a stage with elite programs like Kansas, Michigan and Florida were familiar turf.

“This is not fluff,” Enfield said. “They are really enjoying themselves; they enjoy being here; they enjoy themselves as teammates. We’ve become more successful, and our players have developed quicker on their skills and confidence because of that culture in the program.”

Loose and fun-loving, Florida Gulf Coast was clearly soaking in the atmosphere. Players held mock interviews with one another on the court and turned their smartphone cameras toward the crowd as practice ended, savoring the moment for their scrapbooks.

The gigantic video board at Cowboys Stadium caught their attention. The Eagles were already envisioning how they might look on replays and highlights Friday night.

“We talked about it already,” Fieler said. “Even if you make the big plays, it’s hard to get a good angle on that TV. You have to stand right on the edge. We’ll have to run more towards the sideline to see it.”

No. 1 seed Kansas faces fourth-seeded Michigan in Friday night’s first game, and win or lose, fans of those two teams are expected to jump on the Eagles’ bandwagon.

“We want to see the hype,” said LeRoy Aikens, a Michigan fan who stayed after the Wolverines practiced to watch Florida Gulf Coast. “Those guys are like rock stars. A 15 seed in the Sweet 16, that’s history.”

The Michigan fan Kevin Morris said of the matchup between Florida and Florida Gulf Coast, “It’s big brother and little brother,” before changing his mind and calling the Eagles a nephew. Still, he said he would root for Florida Gulf Coast if his team did not advance.

The Gators have been cast as spoilers, a role they have relished before. In 2006, they ended George Mason’s storybook run to the Final Four en route to winning the national championship. Last year, Florida ousted 15th-seeded Norfolk State, which had upset No. 2 seed Missouri.

“I don’t view it that way,” Florida Coach Billy Donovan said. “Florida Gulf Coast would like to advance in the tournament as much as we would. The name of the game right now is to try to survive and move on.”

Yet the Gators have been overshadowed to an extent as they make their third consecutive appearance in the Round of 16. They face the pressure of not having broken through to the Final Four in both previous trips.

The Eagles, too, have added motivation, having been overlooked as recruits by Florida.

“They’re the well-known school, the well-known players and team,” Comer said. “I feel like honestly deep down they might not be taking us seriously, just like other teams, because we weren’t the high recruited guys.”

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South Sudan Military Says 163 Killed in Clashes

South Sudan's military spokesman, Col. Philip Aguer, said government forces also captured an airstrip in the town of Okello, which he claimed the rebels have been using to import most of their military supplies. Okello is in South Sudan's southeast Pibor County, where rebel leader David Yau Yau hails from.

"This airstrip has been used by Khartoum (Sudan) intelligence to transport and supply arms and ammunition to David Yau Yau. Some of the arms that were being dropped by Antanovs were captured, AK-47s. Some are broken, some are in good condition," Aguer said.

He said 143 rebels led by Yau Yau died in the battle Tuesday, and that 20 soldiers were killed and 70 wounded.

South Sudan peacefully broke away from Sudan in 2011 but is still dealing with violence inside its own borders. Military battles and fights between tribes kill dozens of people with alarming frequency. After decades of war with Sudan, the country is flooded with assault rifles.

Death tolls are almost impossible to verify without months of investigations, given how remote the country is and the complete lack of infrastructure. In late December 2011 and early January 2012, cattle raid attacks between tribes killed at least 600 people in Jonglei. A government disarmament campaign afterward collected more than 10,000 weapons.

Aguer said South Sudan's military will continue to "deal with the militia group" and that it would be a matter of time before Yau Yau's rebels are cleared from Pibor County.

South Sudan accuses Sudan of arming the rebellion to block South Sudan's plans to build an oil pipeline eastward through Ethiopia to a port in Djibouti.

A dispute with Sudan over oil transit fees led South Sudan to shut down its oil industry last year and look for alternative ways to transport its crude. The two governments recently reached an agreement that is supposed to restart South Sudanese exports through Sudan's oil pipelines.

Sudan has repeatedly denied having any ties to the rebels. It accuses South Sudan, in turn, of supporting rebels in Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

Yau Yau first rebelled against South Sudan after he failed to win a parliamentary seat in the 2010 general elections. He accused the ruling party of rigging the vote. In 2011 he accepted an amnesty offer and was promoted to a general. But last year he fled to Sudan and started a rebellion in Pibor against South Sudan's government.

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Buyers heading south to the Tweed Coast

THE Tweed Coast is shaping up to be one of the area's most active regions, a Tweed development forum heard this week.

The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) this week held its inaugural forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the region.

The think tank, sponsored by Villa-wood, created a platform for the UDIA to take an increasingly active role on the Tweed as an independent liaison between developers, Council and other regulatory bodies.

A panel of speakers addressed the forum on a range of topics including demographics, supply, infrastructure requirements and the development approval process.

Ray Group (which developed the $1 billion Salt Village) CEO Tom Ray said the company's research had shown after the recent lift in sales volume, there were only about 350 lots remaining in the pipeline for development across the Tweed.

"That sets a very good base for future growth," he said. "People need to recognise although values have come back significantly, history does repeat itself and those that buy in today will be able to reap the rewards of the next upswing."

He drew a number of comparisons between Tweed and Gold Coast beachfront property, highlighting the cyclical nature of the property market and the importance of recognising value in the current low phase.

"In the lead up to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the relative ease of obtaining credit led to a housing bubble where prices for a 400sq m beachfront lot on the Gold Coast reached about $8 million, while at the same time we were selling larger beachfront lots at Salt Village for about $3 million," he said.

"We virtually sold out of all stock at those prices but when the GFC hit, the market stalled and those values were no longer attainable."

predominantly by end users including many young families."

Oliver Hume Real Estate Queensland joint managing director Marcus Buskey said with 350 developable lots remaining on the Tweed Coast, there was about two years' supply based on current sales rates.

"It's important to recognise this is all that remains for those who want to live within walking distance of the beach," he said. "There will be another 10,000 lots released by Leda over the coming years to help cater to demand but this new stock will be positioned west of the highway, so it will attract a different market."

He was positive about the future of the region with buyers showing more confidence and the area attracting a wider demographic.

"With the upgrades to the highway and Sexton Hill, we now have more buyers moving down from the Gold Coast and Brisbane, and choosing to commute to school and work each day," Mr Buskey said.

"While there hasn't been a lot of price growth there has been a definite growth in sales volume, and with financiers starting to be a bit less stringent in terms of lending, the wheels are starting to turn again."

Richard Duce, of Leda Developments (the developer of Cobaki and Kings Forest), said the population of the Tweed was about 85,000 but an estimated additional 38,000 people were expected to move to the region over the next 18 to 20 years.

"It's no secret there are significant land constraints along the coastal corridor, and that's why we expect our two projects to absorb about 70 per cent of future land take up."

Consolidated Properties (which developed the $1.5 billion Casuarina Beach) CEO Don O'Rorke said "the demand for both residential product and a new retail centre at the heart of Casuarina was "very strong", and the proposed 20ha retail and residential community, Casuarina Village, would set the region in good stead in terms of population growth over the coming years.

UDIA Gold Coast Logan Branch president Stephen Harrison said the Tweed Coast was shaping up as an active one.

"The UDIA can assist by ensuring clear lines of communication exist between peak industry bodies and by taking a proactive approach to identifying and training new talent in the development industry," he said.

Tweed Shire Council Planning and Regulation director Vince Connell said the council was reviewing a number of its internal planning processes in line with new State Government reforms.

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Study: Younger buyers leaving Japanese for South Korean, American brands

Young Car Buyers Shift Preferences from Japanese to U.S. and Korean Brands, Reports Edmunds.com

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - March 20, 2013 - American auto brands are gaining strength with younger buyers in the U.S., while their Japanese rivals have taken a big step back, reports Edmunds.com, the premier resource for car shopping and automotive information. According to an analysis of new car retail registrations from R. L. Polk & Co., American brands accounted for 36.8 percent of cars bought by Americans age 25 to 34 in 2012, up from a share of 35.4 percent in 2008. Meanwhile the share of Japanese brands for the same age group plummeted from 50.6 percent to 42.9 percent during that period

But even with the incremental success of American brands, Edmunds.com found that the exodus from Japanese cars by young buyers is turning mostly toward South Korean brands. About 10 percent of new cars purchased by 25-to-34 year olds in 2012 carried South Korean nameplates, more than doubling the rate for this age group since 2008.

"U.S. automakers have burst onto the scene in recent years with small, fuel-efficient and affordable cars that really appeal to a young set of buyers," says Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell. "But while Detroit might be chiseling away at the Japanese grip on Gen X and Gen Y, South Korean brands are taking big hacks. Not only are the Koreans making better cars for young people, but they've also worked to make credit available to young buyers who still don't have solid credit history."

The South Koreans' progress with young buyers reflects their overall growth in the U.S. market. Korean brands represented 9.5 percent of all new retail registrations in the U.S. in 2012, almost twice as much as their share of 5.0 percent in 2008.

European car labels are flexing their own muscles in the U.S. market as well, accounting for 9.9 percent of new car registrations in the U.S. last year, up from 8.5 percent in 2008. Like the South Koreans, European carmakers have delivered consistent growth among all age groups since 2008, with the biggest successes among older car buyers, thanks to Baby Boomers choosing European luxury cars post-retirement.

Edmunds.com offers a wealth of insights into car shopping behavior and habits through its Industry Center at http://www.edmunds.com/industry-center/.

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Computer Networks in South Korea Are Paralyzed in Cyberattack (NYT)

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