Latest news with #Peer
Herald Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
Melbourne's most overvalued postcodes revealed
Melbourne buyers chasing outer and prestige postcodes are being warned to tread carefully, with new research flagging suburbs where prices are at risk of flatlining. According to SuburbData's June 2025 analysis, Beaconsfield Upper, Deepdene, Warrandyte South, Pakenham South, Silvan and Portsea were named as the city's most overvalued. Analysts say desirability isn't in question for the popular areas, but the timing and price are. SuburbData director Jeremy Sheppard said buyers needed to understand the risk of paying peak prices in overheated pockets. 'It may take a while till you get any growth on your investment in an overvalued suburb,' Mr Sheppard said. 'Usually prices will then level out over a few years but buying at the peak of a fast moving market could even mean, in extreme cases, that prices soon fall.' RELATED: Experts say this suburb is better than yours 'F**king nice house' goes viral Block judge lifts lid on dud reno blowouts Whitefox chief executive and Block judge Marty Fox said emotion often drove premiums in hot suburbs, and that could sting later. 'You're paying for yesterday's growth,' Mr Fox said. 'If the market stalls, you've got little insulation, and the holding costs don't care about your paper losses.' However, the head of Gary Peer Real Estate urged buyers not to miss out due to a buzz word, noting that some big price moves were justified when fundamentals change. 'I'm not sure I entirely buy into the term 'overvalued,' Gary Peer said. 'Often, suburbs that appear overvalued have simply caught up to where they should be.' Mr Peer pointed to recent sales in Murrumbeena closing on $4m, an 'unheard of' sum until recently. 'Some might say that's overvalued, but the suburb has transformed: the skyrail removed traffic bottlenecks, new developments brought cafes and restaurants, schools improved, and the overall amenity lifted dramatically,' Mr Peer said. 'In that context, the price growth makes sense.' Melbourne's Most Overvalued Suburbs St Kilda East $1.2m – $348,000 cheaper Box Hill North $1.4m – $135,000 cheaper Doreen $788,000 – $49,000 cheaper Noble Park $794,000 – $42,000 cheaper Kings Park $682,000 – $39,000 cheaper St Albans $721,000 – $34,000 cheaper Deer Park $653,000 – $35,000 cheaper Officer $756,000 – $32,000 cheaper Westmeadows $765,000 – $6000 cheaper Mickleham $714,000 – $2000 cheaper Source: SuburbData, June 2025, suburbs ranked using a blend of demand, supply, and price gap metrics compared with neighbouring areas. MORE: Bold French move puts $15m+ price on Melb home Crazy things stars of The Block do for publicity Melbourne's most expensive shop sitting empty
The National
06-08-2025
- Business
- The National
Ian Blackford to give shock return in Kate Forbes seat 'consideration'
The former leader of the SNP at Westminster has said he has had calls from supporters urging him to stand in the constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch after its current MSP – Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes – announced she will be standing down earlier this week. The 64-year-old told The Daily Mail that standing 'is not what I had in mind''. But he added: 'One or two people have approached me and I am grateful that people are thinking about me, but I've not given any indication one way or another. In all honesty, I hadn't really thought about it, it wasn't what I was planning. READ MORE: Peer urged UK ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at request of US arms firm 'It is not what I had in my mind, it really wasn't. I obviously purposefully didn't put myself forward for the Scottish Parliament a few months ago, so I don't know.' He then went on to say he had received 'a number of phone calls' from people encouraging him to return and added that he is 'really worried about the economy' across the UK. '[I] will have to give it careful consideration,' he added. Blackford decided not to run in last year's General Election. He had served as the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber since 2015 and said at the time that he looked forward to 'playing my part' from outside frontline politics. He was ousted as Westminster leader of the SNP in late 2022. Some MPs felt his style at Prime Minister's Questions was too long-winded and many preferred Stephen Flynn's snappier approach.
The National
06-08-2025
- Business
- The National
North Lanarkshire tops list for best place in Britain to buy a cottage
While the 'cottagecore' aesthetic that romanticises rural life and encourages simple living has surged in popularity due to social media trends in recent years, people have been inspired to find their own cottage home. Analysis by the property website, Zoopla, has pinpointed locations across Britain where home buyers are most likely to snap one up at a bargain price. Zoopla said that 'cottage' was the fourth most-searched for term on its website in 2024. READ MORE: Peer urged UK ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at request of US arms firm Among those aiming for a lifestyle brimming with bucolic bliss, the analysis reveals where this is translating into market demand for cottages. It is good news for Scots as North Lanarkshire topped Zoopla's affordability list, with a cottage typically priced at £83,500. Other areas in Scotland which attracted significant attention included East Renfrewshire, where a cottage has an average asking price of £100,000, Zoopla said. Daniel Copley, a consumer expert at Zoopla, said the property firm has seen a desire for a simpler life translate into market demand as some areas have become 'hotspots' for potential cottage buyers. He said: 'Our data shows a clear and sustained appetite for the cottagecore lifestyle, a trend that shows no signs of slowing down. 'While the dream of a quaint, rural cottage is often associated with high prices, our analysis highlights that affordability can still be found across the country. From the rolling hills of North Lanarkshire to the coastal charm of Sunderland, there are options for prospective buyers on a range of budgets. 'We're seeing this desire for a simpler life translate into market demand, with specific areas becoming hotspots for buyer interest. Whether you're a first-time buyer or looking for a change of pace, the cottage market offers diverse opportunities.' Zoopla analysed homes available for sale between January and May 2025, with London generally excluded. Where are the least expensive areas for cottages across Britain? Here are the areas in regions and nations of Britain where cottages are typically the least expensive, according to Zoopla. The figures show the median average asking price for a cottage: East Midlands, Amber Valley, £206,000 East of England, Fenland, £249,000 North East, Sunderland, £115,000 North West, Blackburn with Darwen, £157,500 Scotland, North Lanarkshire, £83,500 South East, Southampton, £280,000 South West, Plymouth, £248,500 Wales, Rhondda Cynon Taf, £129,500 West Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, £238,000 Yorkshire and the Humber, Bradford, £200,000 Where are the most expensive areas for cottages across Britain? Here are the areas in regions and nations of Britain where cottages are typically the most expensive, according to Zoopla. The figures show the median average asking price for a cottage: East Midlands, South Northamptonshire and Gedling, £400,000 East of England, Welwyn Hatfield, £662,500 North East, Northumberland, £300,000 North West, Cheshire West and Chester, £375,000 Scotland, East Lothian, £381,000 South East, Slough, £824,500 South West, Gloucester, £531,500 Wales, Monmouthshire, £442,500 West Midlands, North Warwickshire, £615,000 Yorkshire and the Humber, York, £400,000 Where are most people looking to buy cottages across Britain? Here are the areas in each region or nation where cottages are attracting the biggest concentrations of buyer inquiries, according to Zoopla, with the median average asking price of a cottage:
The National
05-08-2025
- Business
- The National
East Lothian Council to pay almost £50,000 to lease its own offices
East Lothian Council has agreed a 10-year lease of offices in the Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh, at an annual cost of £47, 560, to house staff from the town's Brunton Hall, which is facing demolition. Control of the community centre was handed to the Fisherrow Trust last year after the local authority agreed a 99-year lease of the whole building with the charity. Now, a report to elected members has revealed that they have signed a deal to use some of its offices for their own staff. READ MORE: Peer urged UK ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at request of US arms firm The report says the move is part of work to relocate staff working in the Brunton, which saw its main theatre close over two years ago after the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in its roof panels. The results of a public consultation on the future of the building is expected to go before councillors later this month, with demolition one of the options being considered. The report to members said the council's justice social work team currently work in the hall and need to move to alternative accommodation which meets the needs of the department in terms of size and location. It said: 'Space within the Fisherrow Centre located on South Street in Musselburgh has been identified as suitable space for the needs of justice social work. 'Fisherrow Community Centre is owned by the council and leased to Fisherrow Trust on a 99-year lease. Fisherrow Trust has agreed to relocate current tenants occupying an area of the building, and to lease it to the council, allowing the council to carry out appropriate fit out works to provide an operational office specification, which can only be accessed by justice social work via secure entry doors.' The agreement involves leasing 4014 square feet of office space for ten years with a review in five years' time.
New York Post
15-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Scientists crack the code on new vaccine for deadly plague bacteria
Israeli researchers have developed a new vaccine that is '100% effective' against bacteria that is deadly to humans. The announcement came from Tel Aviv University, which teamed up with the Israel Institute for Biological Research to create the mRNA-based vaccine, the first to protect against bacteria. 'In the study, we show that our mRNA vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague (a severe lung infection), which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease,' study co-lead Professor Dan Peer, director of the Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine at Tel Aviv University, told Fox News Digital. 6 Illustration of the Yersinia pestis bacteria. nobeastsofierce – 'Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is considered a highly lethal infectious bacterium, against which no approved vaccine exists.' This bacterium is so lethal, even at small doses, that it's been classified as a 'Tier 1 select agent' by the CDC and is considered a 'potential bioterror weapon,' according to Peer. 'Within a week, all unvaccinated animals died, while those vaccinated with our vaccine remained alive and well,' the team reported, noting that a single dose provided full protection after two weeks. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances. Before this study, mRNA vaccines were only shown to protect against viruses, such as COVID-19, but not bacteria, according to Tel Aviv University's Dr. Edo Kon, who co-led the study. 'Until now, scientists believed that mRNA vaccines against bacteria were biologically unattainable,' said Kon in the announcement. 'In our study, we proved that it is, in fact, possible to develop mRNA vaccines that are 100% effective against deadly bacteria.' 6 A photo of Prof. Dan Peer, Dr. Inbal Hazan-Halefy, and Shani Benarroch. Tel Aviv University While vaccines for viruses trigger human cells to produce viral proteins, which then train the immune system to protect against them, that same method hasn't been effective for bacteria. Instead, the scientists used a different method to release bacterial proteins that successfully created a 'significant immune response.' 'To enhance the bacterial protein's stability and make sure that it does not disintegrate too quickly inside the body, we buttressed it with a section of human protein,' they wrote. 'By combining the two breakthrough strategies, we obtained a full immune response.' Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, reiterated the importance of the study. 6 Yersinia pestis vaccine vial and syringe. iStock 'This is distinct from research in coronavirus, influenza and cancer, which have so far been driving mRNA vaccine applications,' Glanville, who was not part of the research team, told Fox News Digital. The study shows how mRNA technologies can be rapidly applied to 'novel threat areas,' he confirmed. 'Following blowback from the mandates and rare but admittedly problematic side effects related to initial COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA as a platform has faced additional scrutiny to make sure that the next generation of vaccines to emerge from it has learned the lessons from the initial vaccines, and improved upon them,' Glanville told Fox News Digital. 'This research demonstrates yet another large application area for the technology.' Potential limitations 6 Microscopic image of Yersinia pestis bacteria. Getty Images The primary limitation of the study, according to Peer, is that the vaccine's effectiveness was shown in mice. 'As with any pre-clinical study, it needs to be evaluated in a clinical study in order to assess its effectiveness in humans,' he told Fox News Digital. In addition, the experimental mRNA vaccine is based on the 'lipid nanoparticle (LNP) mRNA vaccine platform' that was recently approved for COVID-19 vaccines, Peer noted, which requires 'cold chain logistics' (a supply chain that uses refrigeration). 'Nevertheless, extensive studies are performed in our lab, focusing on lipid formulation stability optimization that will enable room-temperature storage,' the researcher added. Looking ahead 6 The primary limitation of the study, according to Peer, is that the vaccine's effectiveness was shown in mice. motortion – The goal is for this new technology to fast-track vaccines for bacterial diseases, according to the researchers. This could be particularly beneficial for pathogenic (disease-causing) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 'Due to excessive use of antibiotics over the last few decades, many bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics, reducing the effectiveness of these important drugs,' said Peer. 'Consequently, antibiotic-resistant bacteria already pose a real threat to human health worldwide. Developing a new type of vaccine may provide an answer to this global problem.' As Peer pointed out, the quick development of the COVID-19 vaccine was based on years of mRNA research for similar viruses. 6 The goal is for this new technology to fast-track vaccines for bacterial diseases, according to the researchers. AP 'If tomorrow we face some kind of bacterial pandemic, our study will provide a pathway for quickly developing safe and effective mRNA vaccines.' As this was a pre-clinical proof-of-concept study, Peer noted that several major milestones still need to be fulfilled before this vaccine could be considered for commercial rollout. However, he believes that in an emergency situation, the vaccine could be scaled up and prepared in a 'relatively short time.' Peer concluded, 'Beyond addressing the threat of plague outbreaks and potential bioterrorism, this study opens the door to developing mRNA vaccines against other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, offering a powerful new strategy to combat rising antimicrobial resistance and improve global pandemic preparedness.' The study was supported by the European Research Council, the Israel Institute for Biological Research and the Shmunis Family Foundation.
