The 2009 news article below mentions “customers will soon be able to track orders on iPhones.” Wow… isn’t it normal nowadays that we can do absolutely EVERYTHING on our smart phones? As technology advances, people become more demanding and want everything FAST… consequently, people are now becoming less patience than people were 50 years ago.

Online pizza orders boost Domino’s profit
August 19, 2009 (Courier Mail)

• Domino’s Pizza profit up by 30 per cent
• Online pizza orders are driving growth

DOMINO’S Pizza expects to grow profit this year by up to 15 per cent, after posting a 29.7 per cent jump in 2008/09 profit.
NEW stores, a revamped menu and online pizza orders have helped boost profits at Domino’s Pizza, the company says.
The chain expects to grow profit this year by up to 15 per cent, after posting a 29.7 per cent jump in 2008/09 profit.
Domino’s (dmp.ASX:Quote,News) is now the number one food and beverage retailer online in Australia, with 22.5 per cent of sales being generated online.
Customers will soon be able to track their pizza orders using their iPhone, said CEO Don Meij.

The company will also add another 40 to 50 new stores to its retail chain during this year and expects another 15 per cent profit growth this year.

Net profit for the year was $15.35 million, up from $11.83 million on strong network sales growth of 14.4 per cent to $676.4 million.

Strong performances online and across the Australasian and European markets buoyed the 2008/09 result with new menus in Australia boosting same store sales growth to its highest level in six years.

Domino’s added 35 stores to its network during 2008/09, bringing the total number worldwide to 776, including 439 in Australia and 77 in New Zealand.

A strong balance sheet and cash flow mean it has cancelled its dividend reinvestment plan and won’t need to tap capital markets for fresh equity, Mr Meij said.

Online orders are now 22.5 per cent of total sales and that is likely to grow as the company prepares to spend between $15 million to $20 million capital expenditure, including IT upgrades and store refurbishments.

Customers will soon be able to place and track orders using an iphone, Mr Meij said.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/online-pizza-orders-boost-dominos-profit/story-e6frfmbi-1225763718409#ixzz1G0nTQzAd

(經濟日報)2010年10月25日 星期一
(from http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/101024/23/kw1m.html)

【經濟日報專訊】80後強調work to live（為生活才工作），最怕工作跟生活不平衡，不少中產家庭把孩子送海外留學畢業後，已不願「海歸」，原因是他們怕了香港的OT文化、薪酬低、無晉升機會……有數不盡的不回港理由，寧選擇留居外地闖一番事業。

目前大學畢業生投身本港職場，月薪普遍介乎1萬至1.2萬元，有80後投訴香港薪酬低之餘，工時亦超長，有時早上9時開工，一直到凌晨2點，但晉升機會有限，與其在港「捱騾仔」，倒不如到海外住2,000呎花園洋房，每周工作35小時，毋須太大壓力，月薪也有2萬港元，以下是3名80後選擇到他鄉工作的理由。

澳洲工作 比香港快樂
個案一︰ 許君碩（Kingsley）
年齡︰28歲
工作地點：澳洲
不回港理由︰ 澳洲工作比香港開心

Kingsley中學年代移居澳洲，04年大學畢業曾計劃回港發展，但發出求職信全無音訊，最後留在澳洲開展事業，後來才發現，原來在澳洲工作，比香港快樂。

在當地政府擔任IT工作的Kingsley，每周工作35小時。他笑言，曾有香港的中學同學向他大吐苦水，說在港工作壓力大，平均工時最少達45至48小時，難怪他說：「我們在這裏輕鬆得多！」

工時短之外，部分澳洲機構為開拓亞太區市場，願意招攬當地中國人加盟，若懂說中文，有機會獲得更高薪酬，「好像招聘前線員工，若能說中文，年薪會比澳洲人高1,000元澳幣（約7,600港元）！」

另一吸引之處，是澳洲的居住環境一流。Kingsley早前以280萬港元在悉尼購入約2,000平方呎的房子，三房兩廳連花園，但在香港，相同的金額只能買到沙田第一城一個500多平方呎單位。

港工時長 人工遠遜美
個案二︰ 陳國梁（Alfred）
年齡︰24歲
工作地點：美國
不回港理由︰ 香港人工低工時長

Alfred於08年在美國印第安那大學經濟系畢業，隨即回港在4As廣告公司工作，但半年後已決定離職返美國搵工：「香港工時太長，朝早9時半到凌晨2時，人工只1萬元，換了在美國，這樣的工時，足夠可搵到兩份工！」

現於拉斯維加斯一家銀行按揭部工作的Alfred，每日工作8小時，月入2萬港元。他說，在香港要賺錢，要選擇金融業，但在美國，修讀生物科技工程等香港較冷門行業，年薪有5、6萬美元（約39萬至46.8萬港元）。他坦言，短期內不會回港工作。

學好外語 歐美機會多
個案三︰ Erica
年齡︰25歲
工作地點：日本
不回港理由︰ 學好日語機會更多

Erica拔尖到北京大學唸書，主修英文，1年前成功獲日本一動漫公司聘用，負責活動統籌及協助開拓中國市場，她想趁著年輕，體驗不同國家文化，又相信日本工作經驗可帶來更多機遇︰「學懂了日文，又在另一國家工作過，以後往歐美工作，可能較容易。」

日本工作節奏與本港同樣緊湊，需經常加班，但她並不介意，因日本公司對新人培訓較本港好，例如每位新入職員工，會獲一位前輩指導，關心其工作及生活。

她最深印象是，其前輩日花2小時糾正其日文語法錯誤，又跟進語言學習進度，對方更主動為她爭取公司資助進修日文，目前她已能操一口流利日語，提高職場競爭力。

Taxpayers support lavish Hillsong lifestyle
Refer http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sunday-telegraph/taxpayers-support-lavish-hillsong-lifestyle/story-e6frewt0-1225896526584

THE tax office wants a special national body set up to monitor “not for profit” charities, admitting that churches – such as the multi-million-dollar phenomenon Hillsong – are literally “invisible” to it.
And the sector is expanding so rapidly that $31 billion a year is now being drawn out of the federal Budget in tax exemptions to the ever-growing list of groups claiming church and charity status.

The push to put not-for-profit groups under greater fiscal scrutiny comes amid revelations that senior pastors of the Hillsong mega-church and their families are enjoying lavish lifestyles virtually tax-free.

Critics say Hillsong – which makes millions by routinely demanding its followers hand over at least 10 per cent of their salaries for the church coffers – exploits tax exemptions designed to help small, struggling churches.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that Hillsong founder Brian Houston uses a not-for-profit company – Leadership Ministries Inc (LMI) – to fund a burgeoning, tax-free global preaching empire.

LMI and other tax-free companies in the Hillsong network are able to provide housing, cars, overseas travel, accommodation, credit cards and other perks free of fringe benefits or income tax.

And since LMI was set up in 2001, the Houston family’s relationship with the company has included:

Property deals that have earned Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie $1.4 million. The Houstons are still tenants of waterfront properties at Bondi Beach and the Hawkesbury River that they sold to LMI.

A $1 million, fringe benefits tax-free expense account each year for five people, including the Houstons.

The use of vehicles worth more than $120,000.

Fully funded overseas tours where Brian Houston can earn $US20,000 a speech in “love offerings” on the preaching circuit.

The refund of all goods and services tax paid by the Houstons in their pastoral duties back to LMI.

The creation of a network of Hillsong subsidiaries in South Africa, Britain, Sweden and Ukraine.

The Sunday Telegraph has also learnt that the Australian Taxation Office reviewed LMI’s tax-free status this year and has re-affirmed it, despite growing concerns about a lack of accountability in the not-for-profit sector.

ATO Assistant Commissioner Michael Hardy told a recent Senate inquiry he lacked the staff to monitor religious organisations.

Once tax-free status was granted, churches were “technically invisible to the tax office”, Mr Hardy said.

On the push for a special national body to oversee charities, Mr Houston told The Sunday Telegraph: “I would welcome a charities commission … to avoid continued speculation surrounding charities doing legitimate work in the community.”

Mr Houston said his total salary was “just over $300 000″.

The ATO defines salary as cash payments, excluding fringe benefits and exemptions.

Pentecostal preacher Philip Powell, a critic and former Assemblies of God national secretary, said Hillsong, which has a congregation of more than 20,000, should be stripped of its tax-exempt status.

“It should be recognised for what it is: a corporation, not a church,” Mr Powell said. “Hillsong is really just a sales and marketing operation.

“If you took out the religious aspect, a company like that would have to pay thousands of dollars in fringe-benefits tax each year.”

Lobby group Taxpayers Australia spokesman Roger Timms wants the Government to adopt Treasury secretary Ken Henry’s recommendation that tax exemptions for churches be replaced with direct grants.Under the Tax Act, there is no cap on the amount of expenses churches can pay ministers of religion before incurring fringe-benefits tax.

Mega-churches such as Hillsong have taken full advantage of this, rewarding its leaders tax-free, the pastor of a church aligned to Hillsong says.

A former Assemblies of God pastor, who declined to be named, said: “It’s what many of the AOG churches are doing. Hillsong can legally pay all of Brian Houston’s salary as fringe benefits, so he can end up paying no tax whatsoever.”

A Hillsong spokesman said: “We do not pay Brian Houston or any ministerial staff 100 per cent, or anywhere close to that amount, in fringe benefits.”

Mr Houston added: “My salary has been consistent throughout the year and includes fringe benefits. I pay personal income tax.”

Assemblies of God pastors typically take at least 75 per cent of their salaries as tax-free benefits.

This provision was meant to help small churches retain low-paid staff, not for those like Hillsong, which earns $50 million a year.

“The Government has an opportunity to make the tax system more fair by closing the loopholes that exist for churches,” Mr Timms said.

House prices post largest fall since April 2008
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/money/property/house-prices-post-first-fall-since-april-2008/story-e6frfmd0-1225899002446#ixzz0vAOWPxCv

• House price values fall 0.7pc in June quarter
• Beginning of “period of price consolidation”
• Homeowners safe from rate hike on Tuesday

AVERAGE house price values have fallen for the first time in 17 months as interest rate hikes begin to bite.

Prices across the nation’s capital cities fell 0.7 per cent, latest research from RP Data shows.

But experts say there is unlikely to be a significant downturn – as constantly predicted by a range of overseas experts – because of a national housing shortage.

In the three months to June, all capital cities experienced virtually no growth or a fall in values, with the exception of Adelaide, the RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Home Value Index has found.

Despite being the largest monthly fall since April 2008, RP Data’s Tim Lawless said the result was not surprising.

“We’ve been seeing the writing on the wall, because we’ve also seen auction clearance rates deteriorating, we’ve seen housing finance commitments falling, suggesting demand in the marketplace has been abating,” Mr Lawless said.

ANZ economist David Cannington also said the result was expected given the market had undergone so many months of continuous growth.

“While there was a fall in the month, still in annual terms, house prices are still 10.5 per cent higher than what they were a year ago,” he said.

Bubble won’t burst

The past few months have seen numerous predictions that Australia was experiencing an unprecedented and unsustainable housing bubble.

The Economist magazine earlier this month declared that Australian property had the poorest return on investment of the 20 countries it evaluated and US financial commentator Edward Chancellor estimated Australian house prices were more than 50 per cent above their fair value.

But local experts questioned these assertions, pointing to an undersupply of housing in the country.

Australian Property Monitors estimates there is a shortage of 200,000 dwellings in Australia, which has helped to put a floor under house prices.

ANZ’s Mr Cannington said predictions of a sharp fall in house prices were incorrect.

“We think the underlying fundamentals of the Australian housing market support house price growth, so we don’t think it’s going to pop and house prices are going to collapse,” he told news.com.au. “The Australian market is entering a period of flat growth or some consolidation.

“I think it’s the end of the levels of growth that we saw last year, that’s pretty clear, but I don’t expect that we’ll see entrenched falls in house prices.

“This is just part of the cycle of coming back from those high growth rates.”

Mr Cannington said the slowdown showed the recent round of interest rate increases had impacted housing affordability.

“I don’t think (the RBA) wanted to see house prices growing at the rates they were growing at,” he said.

RP Data’s Mr Lawless said basic housing market fundamentals remained “relatively healthy”.

“If we were seeing mortgage default rates escalating then that would set off some alarm bells,” he said.

Quiet market ahead

Mr Lawless said with pre-listing activity slowing down, buyers could expect fewer properties entering the market.

“We may see further declines, we may see some further increases, but it’s essentially going to be a flat market going forward,” he said.

There would be “more power” returning to buyers in coming months.

“It’s more swinging to a buyer’s market, because vendors have certainly had the power over the past 18 months or so,” he said.

He said the Reserve Bank would be pleased with the result, with homebuyers almost guaranteed to be safe from a rate rise after next Tuesday’s monthly board meeting.

“Concerns about housing affordability and inflation have certainly been top of mind for the RBA,” he said.

A weaker than expected inflation result earlier this week, combined with a housing market slowdown, would stave off an August rate rise, he said.

(from news.com.au)
Greed at the heart of the global financial crisis: Pope Benedict
Agence France-Presse
April 22, 2009 09:57pm

POPE Benedict XVI says “greed” is at the heart of the financial crisis gripping the world.
“This crisis was born out of greed,” the pontiff said during his weekly general audience.

The Pope cited eighth century religious figure Ambroise Autpert, who criticised the wealth of monasteries at the time.

Autpert “denounced greed as the root of all evils. In light of the current global economic crisis, this is still the case,” the Pope said.

Hong Kong’s Inflation Outlook
(from HKTDC 25 July, 2008 Content provided by Hang Seng Bank)
The mounting inflationary pressure has changed the economic landscape significantly recently. Inflation in Hong Kong surged to 11-year highs, spreading beyond food to other consumer goods and services. Non-food inflation jumped from around 2% at the beginning of the year to 4.5% in June. What are the main culprits?

A softening currency exposes the highly import-dependent Hong Kong economy to imported inflation. Hong Kong’s trade weighted real effective exchange rate has depreciated 13.7% since November 2005. According to a government study, a 10% appreciation of the Hong Kong dollar may help push down inflation by 0.6%. In other words, the 13.7% depreciation is likely to have lifted Hong Kong inflation by less than 1%.

Inflation seems to stem more from soaring oil prices. At today’s prices, if adjusted for inflation, oil has already surpassed the 1980-peak. Similar pace of oil price rises was also seen in previous oil crises, in 1973/74, 1979/80 and 1999/2001. What does that mean for Hong Kong? History seems to suggest that Hong Kong’s inflation is poised to jump and the real GDP growth to decelerate! What matters more may be the magnitude of the downturn.

Projecting on the trajectory of oil prices, we see three possible scenarios – namely “global stagflation”, “global slowdown” and “industrial world downturn”. At this stage, we do not see a 1970s-style global stagflation as a likely scenario, unless the outbreak of wars or other disruptions threaten oil supply, leading to a further spike in oil prices.

Likewise, the “industrial world downturn” scenario seems increasingly a scene of the past. Latest indicators show that the US weakness seems to have spread beyond the industrial world. The Asian Development Bank has just revised downward its 2008 growth forecast of developing economies in Asia to a five-year low on a more protracted US slowdown and elevated food and oil prices. The global economy seems to be on the verge of a “synchronized slowdown”.

Against this backdrop, Hong Kong’s inflation looks set to climb. Nevertheless, the government’s newly proposed HKD11 billion relief measures is likely to suppress headline consumer price inflation in the coming months, helping to keep the full year inflation rate at 5.0%. Elevated oil prices would mean that inflation could stay high in 2009, but probably not skyrocketing, as a global downturn would eventually dampen oil demand, putting a lid on oil prices and taming inflation. We see 2009 inflation stay high at 5.0%.

Download full report at HKTDC (PDF)

I do agree that this brings up the Freedom of Speech issue in Australia. But then, free speech is different to insulting others. Does free speech mean you are free to insult people? How about verbal harassment? Can’t really use “free speech” to justify that can you? To me, the media attention towards this controversy is an “eye-coverer”, hiding the underlying reasons for issuing this legislation in the first place. If people have respect for one another, there is no need for such a law in the first place. The law is there to re-inforce that we should all respect each other’s religious point of views.

Row over Australia’s Pope protest law
1 July 2008
(from CNN)

Story Highlights

• Australian police get powers against anyone disrupting Pope-related event
• Pope Benedict XVI to take part in Catholic evangelical festival later this month
• Anyone who causes “annoyance or inconvenience to participants” faces fines
• Lawyers, campaigners for free speech denounce the move, call it unnecessary

Australians have been warned: Don’t get caught annoying the crowds when they gather here later this month to see the pope.

Security has been heightened in Sydney for the arrival of the pope at World Youth Day later this month

New regulations give police and emergency services workers the power to order anyone to stop behavior that “causes annoyance or inconvenience to participants in a World Youth Day event,” according to a New South Wales state government gazette. Anyone who does not comply faces a $5,300 fine.

The laws will apply in dozens of areas of downtown Sydney — including the city’s landmark opera house, train stations and city parks — that are designated venues for World Youth Day, a Catholic evangelical festival at which Pope Benedict XVI will conduct mass and lead prayer meetings when he visits.

Violators can face a fine of over $5,000 under the regulations, which critics are calling a heavy-handed blow to free speech.

Nearly 200,000 pilgrims have registered to take part in the July 15-20 World Youth Day festival, and organizers say more are expected before the event starts.

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the new regulations were similar to those that police already have at sporting arenas, but were being extended to World Youth Day sites to boost security among the large crowds expected.

“These are powers to stop people taking things in… like a paint bomb,” Scipione said.

Anna Katzman, the president of the New South Wales Bar Association, which represents almost 3,000 lawyers in the state, said making someone’s inconvenience the basis of a criminal offense was “unnecessary and repugnant.”

“If I was to wear a T-shirt proclaiming that ‘World Youth Day is a waste of public money’ and refuse to remove it when an officer… asks me to, I would commit a criminal offense,” Katzman said. “How ridiculous is that?”

Lee Rhiannon, a state lawmaker with the left-leaning Greens party, said the definition of what was annoying was open to interpretation and the penalties in the new regulations were too severe.

Scipione’s deputy, Dave Owens, said officers would act reasonably when deciding what is offensive, including clothing.

“Police officers do it every day of the week,” Owens told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. “We’re not the fashion police, we’re not killjoys.”

State Premier Morris Iemma, whose government is paying part of the costs of World Youth Day, defended the regulations, saying they would not be used to put down dissent.

“People have the right to protest; they can do so … peacefully and lawfully,” Iemma said.

The pope will arrive July 12 and spend more than a week in Sydney, first taking a break and then leading a series of prayer gatherings and meetings with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and other officials at a cathedral and other venues downtown. He will also take a boat trip on Sydney Harbor.

The event will be capped by a papal mass at a racetrack in the city on July 20.

Parts of Sydney will be shut down for World Youth Day events, including a re-enactment of the 12 stations of the cross in various parts of the city, a walking pilgrimage by tens of thousands of participants across the Sydney Harbor Bridge and a papal motorcade through the city.

World Youth Day spokesman Father Mark Podesta said the church had not sought the increased powers for police during the event.