GG visits Ord irrigation scheme

GOVERNOR-GENERAL Sir Peter Cosgrove is hoping to shine a light on economic opportunities in agriculture and progress being made on indigenous issues during a tour of northern Australia.

SIR Peter said the second phase of the Ord irrigation scheme near Kununurra was beginning to come to fruition, largely due to Chinese investment.

"It's now possible to see, not just its future potential, but its present importance," he told reporters after a tour of the Ord Stage Two Development on Sunday."I hope that all the negotiations for the Ord River project phase two can continue and we can see waving fields of sugar, sorghum and other crops in this beautifully irrigated part of Australia."He said the area around Kununurra in north Western Australia could produce life saving food for international markets.Sir Peter is half way through a five day tour of the Northern Territory and north Western Australia, taking in the towns of Katherine, Kununurra and Wyndham as well as remote areas."I shine a light. I turn up to places where there is wonderful endeavour and it may not necessarily be solely economic, it might be more on social development or amenity for younger Australians," he said."Or it might be to watch indigenous Australians who, whilst acknowledging that there is a gap to be closed, are working hard with specific programs to enhance indigenous health and to extend life expectation, to reduce infant illnesses and keep kids in school."After planting a tree with Girl Guides and chatting to volunteers on Sunday morning he said regional communities such as Kununurra had a strong volunteering spirit."What I like about rural and regional Australia, the more remote in some ways the better, is you'll see the strength and interaction of communities," he said."In towns in rural and regional Australia you see the interaction up close."Sir Peter, also visited the Kimberley squadron of the Australian army's Norforce reserve unit."I've got a special place, I always will have a special place in my heart for people who put their country's uniform on. Military, navy, army and airforce, but police, SES, anybody who provides a sense of service before self who takes on burdens that are inconvenient and stressful and sometimes hazardous to help other people."However, Sir Peter, who was commander of defence forces when Australia deployed troops to Iraq 11 years ago, declined to comment on how he felt about a fresh batch of troops being sent to Baghdad."On those sort of issues which are contemporary I would say that's a matter for the government."Defence has sent a small unit of Australian Defence Force personnel to Baghdad to bolster security at the Australian embassy.In coming days Sir Peter will visit the TFS Sandalwood plantations, indigenous groups, schools and attend a football training session at the Clontarf Foundation, of which he is patron.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Newman says ALP wrong on TAFE fee rises

QUEENSLAND'S premier has accused the opposition of playing Nostradamus over TAFE fee increases.

LITERACY and numeracy fees for disability pensioners have risen from $140 to $800 while tuition fees for a diploma in marketing have increased from $2400 to $6000, Labor says.

It predicts that fees will go up even more as previously subsidised courses incur full fees and a new Queensland Training Assets Management Authority makes TAFE campuses pay full commercial rent.But the Liberal National government insists there is no link between course costs and infrastructure arrangements.Premier Campbell Newman said hefty TAFE fee increases would be unlikely when asked about Labor's predictions."It's interesting to see they're playing Nostradamus," he told reporters on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday."I don't believe that's the case."TAFE is being re-focused so it meets the needs of employers so we create jobs."Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government had a secret agenda, after Labor uncovered leaked TAFE documents which say "costs could increase again for the start" of the first semester in 2015.They are answers to student questions and comments such as, "Are costs likely to increase next year?" and "I feel ripped off"."We've now heard of secret plans where TAFE fees are going to be skyrocketing in this state," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters.Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek insists fees aren't actually rising, with a spokeswoman explaining in a background statement to AAP that subsidies were being reduced to some courses that didn't align with skills shortage areas.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld premier coy on chief justice pick

QUEENSLAND'S premier has held his first media conference in five days, but was coy when questioned about his government's controversial selection of Tim Carmody as the state's new chief justice.

SINCE Campbell Newman last stood before reporters, Judge Carmody's controversial addition to the Supreme Court has been approved by the state's governor.

Judge Carmody's meteoric rise has divided the judiciary, with critics arguing he's too inexperienced and too close to the government.But Mr Newman has declined to offer any new comment on the appointment of Judge Carmody, even though Court of Appeal justice John Muir has joined senior legal figures in slamming the appointment process."Go back to what I've said when I announced it about a week and a half ago," Mr Newman told reporters on the Sunshine Coast."You've got my comments."Late last week, Governor Penelope Wensley issued writs for the July 19 Stafford by-election, where the ruling Liberal National Party is considered the underdog despite its seven per cent margin.Asked why the media wasn't invited to that event, Mr Newman pointed to his June 5 speech to parliament."The announcement was made in parliament, look at the record," Mr Newman said, adding media weren't usually invited for by-election declarations."I've held many press conferences since I made the announcement in parliament."Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk accused the premier of hiding from voters during the past week, with Mr Newman's last media conference on Tuesday in Mount Isa."The premier has been in hiding now for over a week, afraid to front the music, afraid to talk to people in this state," she told reporters in Brisbane.The premier was on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday holding a community cabinet in Maroochydore, which is also in Clive Palmer's federal seat of Fairfax.A cabinet meeting is being held in the same beachside suburb on Monday.It would come three days after Mr Palmer lodged a defamation writ against Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney in the Supreme Court, after he alleged on the ABC that the mining tycoon had sought special favours for his Waratah Coal interests in the Galilee Basin in 2012.Mr Palmer is also suing Mr Newman for defamation after the premier claimed that he tried to "buy" the Queensland government.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Baby gets HIV tests after given wrong milk

A THREE-WEEK-OLD baby is undergoing tests for HIV after being given breast milk from the wrong mother in a southeast Queensland hospital.

THE Metro North Hospital and Health Service says it is urgently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, which occurred at Caboolture Hospital on Thursday.

It says it has also apologised "unreservedly" to the baby's parents and the donor mother."Medical advice, provided to the families, is because of the good health of those involved there is negligible risk of health impacts to the baby as a result of this incident," a spokesman told AAP."However as a precaution, to give peace of mind and certainty to the families involved, blood and milk samples have been taken for comprehensive testing."Results are expected to be available within a week, with a routine confirmation test to occur again in 12 weeks.The mix-up has caused a nervous wait for the baby's family.The baby's grandmother, who only identified herself as Peggy, rang Brisbane talkback radio in distress on Friday morning saying her grandson was being tested for HIV, as well as Hepatitis A, B and C."My son and daughter-in-law are beside themselves," the upset grandmother told 4BC."We're on tenterhooks and to have something like that happen at a hospital, who's not doing their job?"The grandmother said a nurse gave a bottle to her daughter-in-law only to return five minutes later and say it was the wrong one.The health service spokesman said any issues identified by a formal investigation would be addressed to prevent a recurrence.Staff involved in the incident had been counselled about the importance of following all protocols in relation to expressed breast milk, he said.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Proudest mum sees top five graduate

SHE just had to be the proudest mother in the country.

FIVE of her own graduating on the same day, and they were five of the smartest, happiest and furriest graduates you will ever see.

Overjoyed mum Olwyn watched on as her top five; Rosie, Richie, Riley, Robbie and Ruby all graduated with flying colours as fully fledged Guide Dogs at the organisation's base in Glossodia in western Sydney on Friday.There wasn't a mortar board in sight, but plenty of tasty treats, sloppy licks and maybe a celebratory bark or two for some of the cleverest canines in the country.Make no mistake, after six months of extensive training, these gorgeous Labradors are the best of the best and with a bright, rewarding future ahead of them you couldn't stop mum's tail from wagging.It costs $30,000 to train up each dog and after graduation at 18 months of age, they are paired up with a suitable handler,There are 250 working guide dogs in NSW and 40 blind or vision impaired people waiting for a dog which makes Olwyn, a 'prize bitch' in any vernacular, even more valuable."Olywn has always been easy going and very calm, she is a great mother and she always keeps her pups under control," explains owner Sally Gorman."Maybe that is why the pups are so successful. We are extremely proud of her and her dogs."It is the perfect combination of having a dog and doing some good for us."Puppy Raisers, families who help prepare a puppy for its potential career as a guide dog, are almost as important as the dogs themselves."It's a good way to help out," says Rebecca Smith, 21, whose looked after Riley before his rise to a Guide Dog and whose current charge the sleepy-eyed Wayne is the eighth puppy her and her family have raised.The puppies join families at two months and stay for around a year."We had another dog and we felt like it needed some company and wanted to see how it would work out and it has obviously worked out really well."It is rewarding and a lot of fun that is why we continue to stay involved."Rebecca looks on as graduation photos are taken, and taken and taken.The bond between puppy raiser and puppy after a year obviously becomes a strong one. So how hard is it to give them back?"I remember the first one, me and mum got a bit teary, but as much as it is hard to say goodbye you know it is going to a good home, going to someone who needs it," Rebecca says.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA Police charge former hostel warden

CHILD abuse squad detectives have charged a 69-year-old West Australian man, who is currently in prison, with two additional charges relating to historic child sex offences.

POLICE allege the offences occurred between 1975 and 1988 when the offender was a warden at a regional WA hostel.

He is expected to appear in the Katanning Magistrates Court on July 15.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Afghan voters defy Taliban threat

Afghans have braved threats of violence and searing heat to vote in the presidential elections. Source: AAP

THE United States praised millions of Afghan voters who defied Taliban threats and attacks to vote in a presidential run-off election securing the country's first democratic transfer of power, with counting set to begin.

WITH turnout higher than expected after a largely peaceful day of voting, Washington hailed the polls as a "significant step" for the country's democracy, commending "the voters, electoral bodies and security forces for their commitment to the democratic process".

"These elections are a significant step forward on Afghanistan's democratic path, and the courage and resolve of the Afghan people to make their voices heard is a testament to the importance of these elections to securing Afghanistan's future," the White House said.Ahead of the ballot, which decides the next president of the country ahead of the withdrawal of NATO troops later this year, the Taliban had threatened to kill voters and officials, saying the election was an American plot "to impose their stooges".Polling day saw no major attacks in cities, but there were at least 150 minor attacks - including a Taliban rocket that hit a house near a polling station, killing five members of the same family.Eleven voters in the western province of Herat had their fingers - which were dipped in ink to register their ballot - cut off by insurgents, Deputy Interior Minister Ayoub Salangi said on his Twitter account.The polls result, due out next month, will confirm whether former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah or ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani will lead Afghanistan into a new era of declining international military and civilian assistance.The two candidates came top of an eight-man field in the April first-round election, triggering the run-off as neither reached the 50 per cent threshold needed for outright victory.Abdullah secured 45 per cent of the vote with Ghani on 31.6 per cent.Counting the ballot will take weeks. The preliminary result is due on July 2 and a final result on July 22.The United Nations also praised the elections, congratulating the "courageous" Afghans who set out to cast their ballots in the face of Taliban threats."With the same determination, resilience and courage the world saw in the first round of elections, the people of Afghanistan today once again decided to take their destiny in their own hands and demonstrate their desire for a peaceful, prosperous, and united Afghanistan," the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, said.While high turnout may lend legitimacy to the winner if the gap between the two candidates is clear, a close count could mean a contested outcome.Both candidates swiftly alleged fraud after the closure of the polls Saturday."We know there has been fraud, you have seen it, we have seen it," Abdullah said.Ghani called for a full investigation into vote-rigging, saying "unfortunately there were cases of security forces involved in fraud, we have the evidence".A smooth handover in Afghanistan's first democratic transfer of power would be a major achievement for the 13-year US-led effort to establish a functioning state after the depredations of the Taliban era.President Hamid Karzai, who has ruled Afghanistan since 2001 and was re-elected in a 2009 vote marred by ballot-box stuffing, is constitutionally barred from a third term in office.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nicole Kidman for top Shanghai honour

NICOLE Kidman is to be honoured with an outstanding contribution award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China.

HUGH Grant and John Woo will present the Australian actress with her latest accolade at the opening ceremony on Saturday, while artist Qin Yi will honour actor and director Jiang Wen with the Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Film Award.

Kidman will be hoping the festival will be a better experience than her visit to Cannes last month, when her new film Grace of Monaco was savaged by critics.Kirsten Dunst, John Cusack, Hayden Christensen, Jackie Chan, Tony Leung, Li Bingbing and Korean superstar Rain are expected to attend the opening gala, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The film festival will open with a restored version of 1964 movie Two Stage Sisters and close with Transformers: Age of Extinction.A jury led by actress Gong Li will decide the winner of the Golden Goblet from the 15 films in competition.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Get out of Iraq now, warns Bishop

Australia ready to help with humanitarian crisis in Iraq, but no troops envisaged says Julie Bishop. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS have been told to leave Iraq immediately by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who has described the escalating crisis as deeply disturbing.

INSURGENTS from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have taken a swathe of mostly Sunni Arab territory in northern Iraq in an offensive that has brought fighting to within 80km of Baghdad.

The worsening crisis prompted Ms Bishop to urge Australians to leave "immediately".

"The airport in Baghdad is still open. Commercial flights are still operating out of Baghdad," she told the Ten Network. 

"But if Australians must stay in Iraq, they must ensure that their personal circumstances and their security is absolutely safe." 

The Australian embassy in Baghdad would be "very constrained" in the support it could provide, she said. 

On Saturday US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered an aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf as President Barack Obama considers possible military options, after he ruled out sending troops into Iraq. 

Speaking to reporters in Houston, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he would wait to see how the US responds to the situation before developing an Australian response. 

Ms Bishop said the US would take the lead when it came to any military action. 

"I didn't envisage a circumstance where we would be sending in troops," she said. 

"But we certainly stand ready to support the humanitarian crisis should a request be made." 

She defended the 2003 military intervention in the country, which she supported as a member of the Howard Government. 

"I thought Saddam Hussein was one of the worst dictators on the planet at that time. His removal was a good thing," she said. 

Greens leader Christine Milne said following the US into Iraq was not going to "fix" the violence in the country. 

"We do not want to follow the United States blindly as John Howard did (in 2003)," Senator Milne told ABC Television. 

"Clearly it didn't work last time in Iraq and it won't work this time." 

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic teen killed after leaning out of train

A Victorian teenager is dead after he leaned out of a train and was hit by a trackside object. Source: AAP

TRAIN safety features will be examined as part of a coroner's investigation into the death of a teenager, killed while leaning out of a Melbourne train.

THE 17-year-old was struck by a trackside object about 200 metres from Malvern station on Friday.

The boy, from Beaumaris, was travelling with friends in the rear carriage when the accident happened about 9.20pm.Emergency crews treated him at the scene and he was taken to hospital but died shortly before 11pm.The boy's friends were uninjured, and police are investigating the circumstances leading up to the accident.Acting Sergeant Andrew Kiss on Saturday described the fatality as a tragedy."It's going to impact severely on all family and friends," he told the Nine Network.Safety procedures on trains will be considered as part of the coroner's investigation, he said."It'll be up to the coroner to establish whether more safety procedures need to be put in place, whether, I guess, things like the locking system on the doors need to be looked at. It'll all be up to the coroner at this stage," he told ABC radio.Metro Trains spokeswoman Leah Waymark said it was "a tragic case of one risk too many"."Unfortunately some people take risks and the train network is not a fun park for thrill seekers," she told Nine.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

More drama over Qld chief justice pick

Queensland's controversial next chief justice had a private dinner with the state attorney-general. Source: AAP

THE appointment of Queensland's next chief justice is arousing new controversy, with the state's attorney-general accused of leaking yet another confidential letter linked to the matter.

TIM Carmody's promotion from chief magistrate to Supreme Court chief justice in just nine months has sparked growing anger among legal groups.

Queensland Council for Civil Liberties vice-president Terry O'Gorman has likened the appointment to the Joh Bjelke-Petersen era selection of Terry Lewis who "leapfrogged" numerous senior officers to become police commissioner.His condemnation comes a day after Peter Davis QC quit as head of the Queensland Bar Association, citing the leaking of confidential discussions he had with one of Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie's senior staff about Mr Carmody's possible promotion."The leaking of confidential discussions the attorney-general had with Peter Davis QC ... is an extraordinary development that cannot be left unaddressed," Mr O'Gorman said on Saturday in a statement.Australian Bar Association president Mark Livesey QC is also questioning Mr Carmody's selection."The handling of this matter has seriously called into question the appointment process and judicial independence," he said.Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk, meanwhile, has accused Mr Bleijie of leaking a private letter she wrote to him, to conservative Courier-Mail newspaper columnist Des Houghton.In April, Mr Houghton wrote that Labor had nominated former Queensland solicitor-general Walter Sofronoff as the state's next chief justice.Mr Sofronoff, who quit his post in March, has since called on Mr Carmody to decline his appointment, claiming he is too close to the government."He shouldn't be chief justice. He should do the gracious thing and realise that all of this has been a horrible mistake and say that he wouldn't accept the appointment," he told ABC television.Mr Houghton's column also said Labor had nominated Court of Appeal president Margaret McMurdo as a possible chief justice.An angry Ms Palaszcuk on Saturday insisted her correspondence in relation to the appointment process, which had been "provided to the attorney-general in confidence", had been leaked, and called for Mr Bleijie to resign."On Monday, the attorney-general should not be walking through the doors of this Executive Building," she told reporters outside the government's ministerial offices in Brisbane."The only reason he should go through these doors is to hand his resignation in to the premier of Queensland."In a statement issued later on Saturday, a spokesman for Mr Bleijie said "nothing came from the attorney-general or his office".However, he said Ms Palaszczuk had herself breached a confidentiality by publicly disclosing her recommendations for chief justice during a press conference on 7 May.As chief magistrate in late 2013, Mr Carmody angered the legal profession by issuing a directive that all disputed bail applications made by alleged bikies be dealt with in one court room.That meant he would, most likely, be presiding over the controversial cases.Days after being appointed chief magistrate in September 2013, Mr Carmody and Mr Bleijie had a private dinner at the upmarket Urbane Restaurant in Brisbane, documents obtained by AAP show.A spokesman for the attorney-general described that meeting as social catch-up.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

US jazzman Jimmy Scott dies

American jazz man Jimmy Scott with an ethereal man-child voice has died at the age of 88. Source: AAP

JIMMY Scott, a jazzman with an ethereal man-child voice who found success late in life with the Grammy-nominated All the Way, has died. He was 88.

SCOTT died in his sleep on Thursday at his Las Vegas home, his wife, Jeanie Scott, said.

He battled health problems stemming from a genetic hormone deficiency and had been under the care of a home nurse, she said.His 1992 album All the Way sold only 49,000 copies in the US but earned him cult-like popularity in Europe and Asia, particularly Japan, where he often sold out performances.Eventually, he performed with the likes of Elton John and Sting."I love show business," Scott told the Associated Press in 2004. "It's my life, honey, and I try to enjoy it."His signature high voice came from Kallmann's syndrome, which kept him from experiencing puberty and stunted his growth. He stood just under five feet (152 centimetres), and his voice did not change.Although that trait ultimately helped Scott stand out as a singer, he also suffered from congestive heart failure and had a lifestyle that included heavy drinking and smoking.Despite his youthful sound, Scott brought heavy emotion to his delivery, often dramatically drawing out lyrics and singing far behind the beat."Jimmy had soul way back when people weren't using the word," Ray Charles once said in a PBS documentary on the history of jazz.A record label dispute prevented Scott making an album in the 1950s produced by Charles. Scott's previous record company, Savoy Records, said it had an exclusive, lifetime contract with him, and the company blocked Scott's efforts to release new records for nearly 20 years.Savoy Records dropped the matter in the 1970s. By that time, Scott had returned to Cleveland, where he worked as a hotel clerk and nursing home aide.Scott was born in Cleveland on July 17, 1925. He had a difficult childhood in East Cleveland, losing his mother, who cultivated his passion for music, in a traffic accident at age 13.His first claim to fame came in 1949 when he recorded the vocals as "Little Jimmy Scott" for the Lionel Hampton Band's Everybody's Somebody's Fool. His name never appeared on the record, and he never received royalties from the jukebox hit.At age 67, he was rediscovered by a Warner Bros Records executive who heard him sing at a friend's funeral and the result was All the Way.He married Jeanie Scott 10 years ago."He was an earth angel," she said. "He was different from any person I ever met. He was kind, humble. Everyone he met he made them feel special. He had a hard life, but he didn't hold any resentment."Scott stopped touring two years ago but continued recording until about a month before his death, his wife said. He is expected to be buried in Cleveland.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic teen 'forced into sex work': police

A 17-YEAR-OLD girl may have been forced into sex work for three months, Victorian police say.

A 33-year-old Warrnambool North man was arrested over the claims, but was released pending further inquiries.

He was interviewed on Monday over charges of procuring and inducing a child to take part in sex work, allowing a child to take part in sex work and living on the earnings of a sex worker.

Police on Tuesday said they had reports a girl had been forced into sex work, and appealed for anyone else in the same situation to come forward.

Detectives want to speak to anyone who has information about the girl or illegal sex work in Victoria's southwest.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nexus shareholders to reject Seven's offer

NEXUS Energy shares have slumped more than 35 per cent as investors worry their shareholdings could be worthless within 48 hours.

Shareholders are expected to reject Seven Group's $26.6 million takeover offer for the struggling oil and gas company at a meeting on Thursday.

Billionaire Kerry Stokes' industrial services and media group offered two cents a share for the debt laden Nexus in late March.

But on Friday Nexus revealed more than 25 per cent of the company's shareholders had voted against the offer, meaning the deal is set to fall over.

Seven Group has told investors that if the deal is voted down it will not extend bridging finance for Nexus' continuing operations.

Debt owing under the bridging finance would then become payable and the Nexus board would need to place the company into voluntary administration.

Seven says it would then try to acquire all of Nexus' shares for "nil" through the administration process.

Nexus shares on Tuesday finished 0.6 cents, or 35.29 per cent, lower at 1.1 cents - a new low for the company.

The Australian Shareholders Association (ASA) is yet to form a position on the unusual situation, but spokesman Stephen Mayne said Nexus shareholders had received a tiny takeover valuation with a serious prospect of insolvency looming.

"Clearly there are a significant number of shareholders who feel they've been dudded," Mr Mayne said.

"It's an invidious situation."

Still, it was unclear whether some proxy holders would change their votes at Thursday's meeting given the prospect of receiving nothing for their shareholdings.

Some people were prepared to gamble that Seven Group would not wipe out equity holders in an administration process, he said.

Majority shareholder Andrew Greig, who holds 10.6 per cent of Nexus, is understood to have voted against the deal.

It comes after an independent expert's report found the two cent offer to be "fair and reasonable".

Nexus has not received competing or superior proposals and it has recommended that shareholders vote in favour of the deal.

Nexus has offshore exploration and production assets in the Gippsland Basin, off the south-east coast of Victoria, and the Browse Basin off the north-west coast of Western Australia.

In December 2007 Nexus shares were trading at $1.62, but it has since suffered revenue falls as it struggled to unlock the value of its assets.

The shareholders meeting will be held in Melbourne on Thursday.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Johnson won't be expelled: Barnett

WA's premier says rogue MP Rob Johnson is not at risk of being expelled from the Liberal party. Source: AAP

ROGUE West Australian Liberal backbencher Rob Johnson is not at risk of being expelled from the party, Premier Colin Barnett says.

Mr Johnson has been an outspoken critic of the state government since he was dropped as police minister during a cabinet reshuffle in June 2012.

Recent media reports suggested MLC Phil Edman, the government whip, was securing support to move a motion to expel Mr Johnson at a party room meeting on Tuesday.

While Mr Barnett said no motion was made during the meeting, members had discussed the need to end leaks from the Liberal party room to keep its confidentiality.

"It's courteous to let the party room or the leader know you're going to speak on some topic which is perhaps contrary to the party's position or the government's position," Mr Barnett said.

"If you want to make a comment as a Liberal you can - that's one of the freedoms within our Liberal Party. I also insist you actually put your name to it, you actually have the courage to do that.

"When members of parliament go outside and, with respect, talk to the media, or divulge what's said in the party room, that undermines confidence in (the party room) process."

Mr Barnett urged party members not to personally criticise each other and instead focus on debating policy.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Remains of NT croc attack victim found

Water police are searching a billabong in the Kakadu National Park for a man taken by a crocodile. Source: AAP

THE remains of a man taken by a crocodile in front of his family in the Northern Territory's Kakadu National Park have been recovered.

Two crocodiles were shot and killed by police officers who were searching for the 62-year-old on Sunday.

One of the crocs, which was 4.7 metres long, contained the remains of the man, a police spokesman told reporters.

The man was on a boat with his son, wife and daughter-in-law when he was attacked on a billabong near Cooinda, on Saturday afternoon.

"During daylight hours today Kakadu rangers using their expertise of crocodile management behaviour managed to locate two large saltwater crocodiles in the billabong," Sergeant Andrew Hocking said.

"Two of the crocs were shot and killed.

"One of those crocs was later examined and a quantity of human remains was recovered."

Sgt Hocking said the remains were yet to be formally identified. The reptiles were found about 1.5 kilometres from where the man was taken.

There's no indication the man was swimming when the incident happened, although investigations are continuing, Sgt Hocking said.

He also said reports the man and his family were in a closed area of the park were incorrect, as the area had recently been opened to the public.

Crocodile expert Graeme Webb said it was unusual for a croc to attack at this time of year, as the reptiles usually laid low during the cooler months.

"They tend to move around a lot more when it warms up... and that's when they're more dangerous," he told AAP.

"But crocs will still take prey during the cooler months.

"I don't know what has happened in this case but it just sounds horrific. It's just awful, you just can't begin to understand how [the man's family] must feel."

Mr Webb, chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Crocodile Specialist Group, said there have been a number of reports in the past of reptiles approaching and going aboard boats.

Police haven't released the dead man's name.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woman critical after Sydney bus hit

A WOMAN is in critical condition in hospital after being hit by a bus in central Sydney.

The woman, aged in her 30s, was crossing George Street when she was hit and has been taken to the nearby St Vincents Hospital in a with severe injuries.

"She's currently undergoing surgery," police said.

Police weren't able to say what her injuries were or whether she had crossed against the lights.

No one else was injured but one northbound lane of George Street has been closed as forensic specialists investigate.

"A city bus had a smashed windscreen and light at the front and the pavement has been cordoned off," an AAP reporter at the scene said.

Earlier on Sunday police expressed fears safety warnings aren't sinking in, after a second death on the state's roads this holiday weekend.

A 21-year-old driving through Binnaway, veered onto the wrong side of the road on Sunday before crashing and being thrown from the car.

It's believed the young man, who died at the scene wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

A teenage girl died and her four friends were injured when their four-wheel-drive car left the trail through Lowes Mount State Forest near Oberon, in NSW's central west, and rolled just after midnight on Saturday.

"Two people have now lost their lives on the state's roads this long weekend, which is two too many," Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said on Sunday.

"Today's fatality was a tragedy.

He said it was disappointing so many people were still speeding, with more than 2100 speed infringement notices handed out so far this holiday period.

He urged drivers to remaining vigilant, drive to the conditions, take rest breaks, stay away from alcohol or drugs and the distractions by mobile devices.

"These steps could easily save a life," he said.

Major roads in the CBD will be closed on Sunday night as part of Sydney's Vivid festival.

"Anyone attending (Sunday)'s event should leave the car at home and catch one of the extra 3500 trains and buses operating," the Transport Management Centre said.

"All roads are expected to be reopened by midnight."

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

GM makes more recalls: air bags, chimes

GENERAL Motors Friday issued another four recalls, this time for air bag and warning chime problems in about 89,000 models from 2012 to 2015.

It was the latest of dozens of recalls this year that covered at least 15.9 million cars worldwide, mostly for ignition switch problems linked to numerous fatal accidents. The problem cars reached back to 2001 models.

This time, GM said there were no known fatalities, and only one crash with an injury related to the problems.

The recall affects 57,512 Silverados, Sierras, Tahoes, Suburbans and Yukons from 2014-2015; 31,520 Buick Veranos and Chevrolet Camaros, Cruzes and Sonics from 2012; and a handful of Chevrolet Sparks, Buick Encores and Corvettes from 2013-2014.

In the largest of Friday's recalls, the problem was with the warning chime which failed to alert the driver to an open door or unbuckled seat belt. The other recalled cars have defects that prevent airbags deploying properly or totally disabling them.

On Thursday, GM felt the consequences after months of debacle.

Fifteen employees were sacked or left the company over their actions regarding a safety flaw in ignition switches.

The problem has been linked to at least 13 deaths, including many cases in which the ignition switch failure kept airbags from deploying in collisions.

The dismissals followed an internal investigation of the deadly flaw, but new chief executive Mary Barra was cleared of wrongdoing.

The switch was present in about 2.6 million smaller cars produced during the last decade, most prominently the Chevrolet Cobalts.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

One dead, one hurt in SA speed boat crash

ONE person is dead and another has been rushed to hospital after a speedboat crashed on the Murray River in South Australia.

SA Police say Saturday afternoon's accident occurred during a competitive event.

"There were two victims, one is sadly deceased," an SA police spokesman said.

"The other has got some serious burns and has been flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital."

The Adelaide Advertiser reported the victims were both male, but SA Police were unable to provide further details.

"It was a sad tragic way of ending the day's competition there," the police spokesman said.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM wants Monash to be household name

THE efforts of Australian General John Monash on the Western Front in World War I should be as widely recognised as the story of Simpson and his donkey at Gallipoli, Prime Minister Tony Abbott says.

Mr Abbott revealed on Saturday a new memorial centre to be built in France would be named in honour of the Australian military leader, who is regarded as one of the great tacticians of World War I.

After joining world leaders at D-Day commemorations in Normandy on Friday, Mr Abbott turned his attention to the First World War as he visited the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux for the first time.

While not as famous as the Gallipoli campaign, the efforts of Australian diggers to stop German forces on the Western Front were critical to the outcome of the war.

Of the 295,000 Australians who fought there between 1916 and 1918, 46,000 never made it home and the prime minister is leading a push he believes will help improve a sense of national identity.

"No place on earth has been more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than these fields in France," Mr Abbott said.

"Australians should be as familiar with the story of the Western Front as we are with Gallipoli.

"Australians should be at least as familiar with the achievements of Monash as we are with the heroism of John Simpson Kirkpatrick (in Gallipoli)."

Sir John Monash was involved in the failed Gallipoli campaign but used his experiences to lead several significant battlefield victories, including the decisive Battle of Amiens.

Mr Abbott said he brought organisation and technology to the battlefield to "break the stalemate of trench warfare".

Attendances at the annual Anzac Day dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux have grown steadily in recent years, with the crowd this year surpassing that at Gallipoli.

Some predict it will become the nation's clear focal point of Anzac Day commemorations beyond next year's centenary in Gallipoli.

"Australians should congregate here, every April 25th, no less than at Anzac Cove," Mr Abbott said.

"And on Anzac Day four years hence, the centenary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, I'm sure they will."

Mr Abbott said it was expected the new "interpretive centre", to be built behind the Australian memorial, would open in 2018 to coincide with 100th anniversary commemorations.

The "Sir John Monash" centre will help to better explain Australia's role in the final victories of World War I and the government will put up $6.9 million for the initial planning.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Alleged Sydney card skimmer charged

A man has been caught allegedly skimming money out of ATMs in Sydney's west using stolen card data. Source: AAP

A MAN has been caught allegedly skimming money out of ATMs in Sydney's west using stolen card data.

Police were contacted after the 27-year-old was seen acting suspiciously in Parramatta on Friday morning, walking from one ATM to another, allegedly making transactions with several cards.

Officers later detained and searched the man, finding 15 store cards, which are believed to have been encoded with stolen card data. He also had more than $4000 in cash on him.

The Fairfield man was charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and two other related charges.

He was granted conditional bail and is due to appear at Parramatta Local Court on July 16.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Uproar over O'Neill plan

PAPUA New Guinea's opposition has lashed out at a plan by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to restrict nominees for the top job to members of his own party in the event of a motion of no-confidence.

The government is planning to introduce legislation on June 24 restricting candidates to the office of prime minister to members of the largest parliamentary party, according to the Port Moresby-based Post Courier Newspaper.

Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil on Thursday attacked the plan, saying the move shows Mr O'Neill wants to ensure his party, the People's National Congress (PNC), can continue to protect him and his interests.

"What the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill is doing is just simply using the numerical strength that he amassed through political intimidation and (district fund) controlled support to pass yet another controversial law to protect his interests," Mr Basil said on Facebook on Thursday.

"After every general elections the Governor General calls for a political party that has the highest number of MP-elect to form the new government. That doesn't mean that this political party has the golden ticket to the Prime Minister's post."

Mr O'Neill, whose PNC is the largest party in the coalition government, is currently on his way back to Port Moresby from a bilateral visit to Japan.

Thursday's newspaper article, which appeared under the headline O'Neill-ocracy, cites a May 28 circular to MPs from the office of the clerk of PNG's national parliament.

It also quotes Mr O'Neill as saying that under the legislation if a party fails to secure the numbers to rule, Parliament can elect any MP from the floor to be PM.

He has recently come to loggerheads with the country's Ombudsman Commission over a controversial $A1.3 billion loan from Swiss investment bank UBS to buy back shares in Oil Search Limited.

After the watchdog announced it was investigating and ordered a freeze on the deal, Mr O'Neill publicly urged the ombudsman to back down on the grounds it would trigger a loan default - a move criticised on Thursday by former treasurer Don Polye.

Mr O'Neill has also been accused of authorising illegal payments to a controversial PNG law firm, Paul Paraka lawyers - a claim Mr O'Neill has strenuously, and repeatedly, denied.

The executive director of PNG's National Research Institute, Paul Barker, told AAP parliament should retain the right to remove an incompetent government with another that is more suitable.

"Although political stability is valuable, and frivolous votes of no-confidence should not be entertained, it remains a constitutional responsibility of the legislature to act as check and balance on the government of the day," he said.

He said there were two ways to look at Mr O'Neill's latest move.

On the one hand, Mr O'Neill may be trying to protect his party programs and legacy.

"More negative observers might suggest that there is much more at stake in terms of vested interests over retaining power," Mr Barker said.

"He's clearly afraid of something."

A spokesman for Mr O'Neill on Thursday night said the constitutional amendments were proposed by PNG's constitutional law reform commission and the registrar of political parties, and not by Prime Minister O'Neill or the PNC.

"The (news) story is not PO's (Peter O'Neill) or the PNC's initiative," he said.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Talking walls, robo-docs way of the future

GET ready for talking wallpaper, robo-doctors, cars that drive themselves and human body shops where organs are made to order.

These are set to become part of our lives soon, says renowned American theoretical physicist Dr Michio Kaku, who is visiting Australia to discuss how technology will revolutionise the planet.

At the centre of our lives will be the computer, although you probably won't be able to see it.

Dr Kaku, who has interviewed 300 of the world's top scientists, predicts computers will physically disappear in 15 years but says we'll be able to use them telepathically.

"You will simply think through the cloud and turn on the lights, call for your car, program your car, write a book, make articles," Dr Kaku told reporters at the Queensland University of Technology.

"Computers will be everywhere and nowhere, and this is going to revolutionise every aspect of our life."

As for the internet, Dr Kaku says we'll access it through contact lenses at the blink of an eye.

And talking to a wall won't be so pointless, with artificial intelligence embedded inside.

"You will go to the wall and say, 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, I want to talk to a doctor right now' (and), boom, robo-doc appears.

"And if you are in a car accident, you will talk to robo-lawyer."

But if you're seriously injured, you needn't worry.

"In 10 to 20 years, we will have a human body shop at which we will simply order organs on demand," Dr Kaku said.

Scientists are already growing skin, cartilage and bladders, and Dr Kaku predicts the first liver will be grown in a matter of years.

But perhaps the biggest change we'll see first is in the way we get around.

Dr Kaku says commercially available cars that drive themselves are only three years away and will be commonplace by 2020.

The jobs our cars drive us to are likely to be different, but Dr Kaku says you'll always be able to get a job as a gardener, cleaner or police officer.

Repetitive jobs, such as factory work, are on the way out and middlemen, including tellers, agents and brokers, are also in the firing line.

However, blue-collar jobs were likely to survive in the near future because robot technology was still primitive, Dr Kaku said.

But will advancements in technology make us happier?

"The answer is no because we are genetically hard-wired to ... bellyache at every single inconvenience," Dr Kaku said.

"But it will make life easier, more productive, we will be able to unleash the potential in all of us because technology will make it possible to take the human mind's creations and create industries out of these."

The TV personality and best-selling author believes science is the engine of prosperity and is touring Australia to drive his message home.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tas forest peace deal repeal's first step

TASMANIA'S new government has taken a step towards dismantling the state's forestry peace deal with legislation passing the lower house.

Will Hodgman's Liberals vowed to tear up the agreement between environmentalists and the timber industry, and moved immediately to repeal laws supporting it on taking government.

If passed by the upper house, the new legislation will remove protection from 400,000 hectares of forest in six years' time.

Resources Minister Paul Harriss said the passage of the bill heralded a new direction for the state.

"The Liberals are committed to rebuilding our forestry industry and creating jobs," he said.

"Labor still haven't learned the lesson of their election defeat."

The Tasmanian Forests Agreement took more than three years to negotiate after decades of conflict in the state.

It swapped support for the industry by environmentalists, who had previously campaigned against Tasmanian wood products in overseas markets, with the protection of contentious forests.

An ALP post-election report identified it as one of the reasons for the party's crushing election defeat in March after four years governing with the Greens.

Both parties opposed the repeal bill.

"We have legitimate questions about how this bill will create jobs when it removes market certainty and doesn't provide a single additional log to the forest industry for at least six years," Opposition Leader Brian Green said.

Greens leader Kim Booth hit out at the government capping debate on the bill.

"In Tasmania today, World Environment Day is a day of mourning, when the parliament is denied the opportunity to properly and fully examine critical legislation," Mr Booth said.

The legislation faces an uncertain path through the Legislative Council, which is dominated by independents.

Minister Harriss said he expected the upper house to consider the bill thoroughly, but also to respect the mandate delivered by the Hodgman landslide.

But environmental groups who were signatories to the peace deal warned of more conflict if it passes.

"Today's decision risks plunging Tasmania back into the dark days," Environment Tasmania's Phill Pullinger said.

"Timber markets won't want to buy timber products from Tassie's native forests because they'll be too controversial."

The bill passed as the state government also announced plans to abolish the Tasmanian Climate Action Council, part of a pledge to cut boards and committees.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abbott, SBY upbeat before crucial reunion

Tony Abbott says he will stress his respect for Indonesia when he meets the country's president. Source: AAP

THE leaders of Australia and Indonesia have expressed their strong wishes to reconnect on the eve of a reunion meeting that could be sealed with a code of conduct within weeks.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will meet in Batam, Indonesia, on Wednesday, for their first face-to-face exchange since November's revelations Australia had eavesdropped on the phone calls of the president's wife and others.

A meeting scheduled for last month fell through at the last minute when it was widely understood Mr Abbott cancelled as Australia was engaged in the diplomatically sensitive task of turning back an asylum-seeker boat.

But President Yudhoyono's desire to overcome both these issues are made pressing by the fact he leaves office in October.

His office says a code of conduct, a document on which Indonesia has insisted to guide the future relationship, is a high priority.

But whether the leaders discuss this on Wednesday is unclear, as Indonesia is setting a relaxed tone for the discussion and dinner.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa says the code is a one-page document with a basic commitment not to spy on Indonesia.

However, he says, the leaders will discuss whatever issues they feel most important.

"This is an informal meeting in nature and will certainly be about what both heads of state desire," he told reporters in Jakarta.

But Indonesia's ambassador to Australia, Nadjib Riphat Kesoema, acknowledged the gravity of the meeting.

Given his return just last week to his Canberra post as part of the reconciliation process, he told Indonesia's Kompas newspaper: "The Indonesia-Australia relationship is at a turning point".

Meanwhile, Mr Abbott told parliament the relationship with Indonesia was in some respects Australia's most important.

He said the code of conduct had taken some time to draft, but should be ready to finalise when the foreign ministers and defence ministers meet for "2+2" talks, within weeks.

"I am determined to do everything I can to improve the relationship," Mr Abbott said.

"I am particularly keen to ensure that the relationship improves while President Yudhoyono is in office because not only has he been a great president of his country, he has also been a very good friend to Australia."

Mr Abbott shrugged off reports an Indonesian reporter was present when he called Dr Yudhoyono last month to apologise for not going to Bali.

The reporter published parts of their conversation.

The president's office has called it a "mistake" that occurred when staff overlooked the reporter in a crowded room.

Mr Abbott was keen to downplay the matter, saying what mattered most was the content of the call.

After the visit Mr Abbott will join other world leaders for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France before heading to Canada and the United States on a trade and investment tour.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Call for radical Vic police overhaul

Victoria's police chief is considering using volunteers as he warns the force is struggling to cope. Source: AAP

VICTORIAN police officers should work alongside volunteers, use high-tech communication gear and be based at fewer but bigger stations.

These radical changes are needed within the next decade or Victoria will fall further behind other jurisdictions in fighting crime, a landmark blue paper says.

The report says officers are already being hamstrung by obsolete technology and misdirected resources, with the state's real crime level far exceeding what is registered in official statistics.

Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said planning for 2025 had to begin now.

"Victoria Police must modernise in all aspects of its operation," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"At the moment we are falling behind the pack in a number of areas - this paper actually shapes up what the future may look like."

The report says volunteers will be needed to allow sworn officers to focus on fighting crime and managing emergencies.

Mr Lay said some police roles, such as managing prisoners in custody, could be outsourced to private companies.

He admitted the idea of using volunteers could be enormously challenging for some of the workforce.

"But it is a legitimate model of policing in other parts of the world," he said.

Police Association secretary Ron Iddles said putting on volunteers could cause more problems than it would solve.

"What I'm concerned about is the diminishing of the police profession," he said.

The report says demand for urgent police responses is outpacing population growth, and serious and organised crime is growing rapidly.

It identifies an under-reporting of offences, especially of family violence, sexual assaults and organised crime.

Mr Lay said the problems were not fixed by simply recruiting more officers or building more police stations.

In fact, Mr Lay said it would be better to create super sites at which more police would be based, rather than having a greater number of small stations.

Senior Sergeant Iddles said the state was not ready for more station closures.

Mr Lay said smarter resourcing would mean no reduction in police response times, but admitted he would be loath to close stations in small towns.

He said the force was being held back by outmoded technology, especially for communication.

"Those failings have put us some way behind," Mr Lay said.

"Clearly we need to make some investment in this space."

Mr Lay said technology was already being used in other jurisdictions to give police on the beat information about crimes and suspects.

The report says police should be expected to meet fitness and health standards before promotions and progression payments are confirmed.

Mr Lay said it was reasonable to ask officers to stay in shape.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Westfield in court before restructure vote

WESTFIELD Retail Trust (WRT) shareholders are eagerly waiting for the outcome of a Supreme Court application over merger plans by the shopping centre giant.

Westfield is seeking approval to conclude an investor vote on a controversial proposed merger with the Australasian business of Westfield Group.

The planned merger hit a brick wall last week when the shareholder vote was postponed at the last minute amid heated debate about its merits.

WRT is in the Supreme Court in Sydney on Tuesday afternoon, seeking approval to send documents to securityholders ahead of a rescheduled vote.

Details of the date and venue for the conclusion of the meeting are included in the documents, which are likely to be made public soon after court approval is granted.

But a spokeswoman on Tuesday night said no date had been yet set for a fresh vote.

"I can confirm that we have not confirmed a date," the spokeswoman said. "When a date has been confirmed, we will send out a (media) release."

The spokeswoman's comments come despite a media report (eds: The Australian Financial Review) that June 20 had been set for fresh meeting and vote.

Under the restructure plan, Westfield's Australian and New Zealand businesses would merge with WRT to create a new entity, to be called Scentre.

Westfield Group's international business, which includes malls in Great Britain and at Westfield World Trade Center being built in New York, would become Westfield Corporation.

A significant number of WRT securityholders believe the proposed restructure favours Westfield Group to the detriment of WRT, and a number of proxy votes lodged last week by WRT securityholders in favour of the proposed merger fell just short of what was needed to push the restructure over the line.

Shortly before WRT investors were due to vote, Mr Lowy said Westfield Group would still seek to split its Australasian arm from its international business even if WRT securityholders did not approve the planned merger.

Proxies lodged before the original meeting will remain valid, but securityholders will be allowed to lodge new proxy votes if they have changed their view on the proposal, the company has said.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM Abbott laughs off leadership talk

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has moved to head off leadership ripples in the Liberal Party triggered by unrest over the federal budget.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a former Liberal leader, set off a fresh round of speculation after a private dinner with Senate powerbroker Clive Palmer and his comments across other portfolio areas.

The government needs the support of the three Palmer United Party senators plus three other crossbenchers to pass some of its budget measures.

Conservative commentator Andrew Bolt added fuel to the fire by suggesting to Mr Abbott in a television interview on Sunday: "It looks like he's got his eye on your job."

Mr Turnbull told reporters in Canberra on Monday that Mr Bolt's suggestion was "unhinged", attracting the response from Mr Bolt that: "If only Malcolm Turnbull spent half his charm fighting for Tony Abbott's budget."

Labor frontbencher Jason Clare used question time in parliament to jibe Mr Abbott about whom he preferred - his friend Mr Bolt or his "frenemy" Mr Turnbull.

The prime minister said he had attended a media event on Saturday with Mr Turnbull.

"In any dispute between a member of my frontbench and a member of the fourth estate, I am firmly on the side of my frontbencher," Mr Abbott said.

The first polling on the Liberal leadership is expected to be released on Tuesday.

The last Essential poll to take the temperature on the issue, published in July 2013, showed Mr Turnbull was the preferred leader with 37 per cent of voters compared with the 12 per cent who opted for Mr Abbott.

The most recent polls show the coalition trailing Labor by an average 10 points in two-party terms, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten leading as preferred prime minister.

Mr Abbott accused Mr Shorten of trying to verbal ministers as they defended the budget.

"The truth is that there is no easy way to sort out the debt and deficit disaster that members opposite left us," he said.

"This a good budget, an honest budget, it's the right budget for this time."

Labor turned its budget spotlight on Mr Abbott's election promise to index superannuation payments to veterans at the highest cost-of-living measure.

The budget papers showed that from 2017/18 the government plans to index all Centrelink pensions, including service pensions paid to more than 140,000 ex-service personnel, in line with the consumer price index only.

CPI is generally lower than other indexation rates, creating savings of $65 million from veteran's pensions, the budget papers say.

Mr Abbott said the government had honoured its specific commitment, which was to raise the rate of indexation of payments made to former defence personnel through two old defence superannuation schemes.

"No military pensioner will receive an inferior rate of indexation to a civilian one," he told parliament.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Catholic diocese to face abuse realities

A CATHOLIC diocese whose response to child sexual abuse was criticised by a special commission of inquiry will now work through "the realities" of its history, its bishop says.

Bishop Bill Wright says the Maitland-Newcastle diocese will have feelings of disgust, anger and betrayal after reading Commissioner Margaret Cunneen's report looking at how the church handled complaints about former priests Denis McAlinden and Jim Fletcher, both now dead.

"Commissioner Cunneen's report is wholly independent and I believe it will detail a forensic investigation of the actions and failures of diocesan leadership to protect children and, in relation to McAlinden, stop a known predatory pedophile from causing further harm," he said.

"Whilst we must judge a person's actions by the standards of their time, that does not alter my feelings of deep and abiding shame for the actions and inactions of my predecessors."

He said the three volume report (the fourth volume is still confidential) will evoke feelings of anger, disgust, sadness, frustration and betrayal by members of the church.

The inquiry also made adverse findings against Father William Burston and Monsignor Allan Hart, and found senior church officials did have information relating to child sex abuse that would have assisted the police.

"We were not the only church to have had abusive priests and we were not the only institution to have failed to protect children," Bishop Wright said.

"However, none of that relieves us of the historic realities that we as a diocese are now working through to address in a just and faithful manner. I believe that Commissioner Cunneen's report is a significant step in that process."

The inquiry also found Detective Inspector Peter Fox - who alleged there had be a cover up - was not a credible witness and also said it was appropriate for police to instruct him to stop his own investigations.

The findings were welcomed on Monday by police commissioner Andrew Scipione.

"The commission found there was 'no credible evidence' of any wrongdoing by those officers undertaking their investigations or their commanders. The commission probed forensically into the role police played," he said in a statement.

"Those officers can hold their heads up high. We are proud of them. Their motivation was to seek justice for victims - they had no other motivation.

He said the officers can now get on with their lives

However, survivor advocates have challenged the findings.

Abuse survivor's advocate Carol Clarke said there were flaws in the way Mr Fox's evidence was treated and the royal commission needed to examine that.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld mayor referred to corruption watchdog

IPSWICH Mayor Paul Pisasale has been referred to Queensland's corruption watchdog over revelations he received up to $150,000 in undeclared donations.

The state government has been investigating Mr Pisasale, but on Monday a local government department spokesperson said the matter had been referred to the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).

Councillors don't need to declare donations to the Queensland Electoral Commission, but are legally required to update their register of interests.

Mr Pisasale's election campaign fund, Forward Ipswich, has reportedly received more than 30 separate donations worth $150,000 since the 2012 council poll.

None of those donations had been entered in his register.

Local Government Minister David Crisafulli last week said Mr Pisasale's register and the fund were being investigated.

Under state laws a councillor who fails to complete or update a register of interest can be fined up to $9350.

Those who intentionally fail to complete or update a register of interests can be fined up to $11,000 and be disqualified for holding office for four years.

Comment has been sought from Mr Pisasale.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

FMG calls for 'use it or lose it' policy

FORTESCUE Metals has called for the enforcement of "use it or lose it" policies to ensure oil and gas companies develop fields they are sitting on.

The world's fourth largest iron ore miner announced in January it was switching from diesel to cheaper natural gas to power its operations.

However amid nationwide fears of domestic prices soaring as more gas is exported, Fortescue chief executive Nev Power said Western Australia had abundant gas reserves that should ensure enough cheap power locally.

Mr Power was launching a Fortescue-commissioned Deloitte Access Economics report that calls for the state's gas reservation policy to be dumped.

The policy - which reserves gas for domestic use - was not having its intended effect of keeping domestic prices lower than high-priced exports, but rather discouraging the development of some leases, the report found.

Instead Deloitte found imposing retention lease "use it or lose it" policies on gas reserves more suited for domestic use was a better idea.

If oil and gas companies did not develop the fields, Fortescue might consider doing it themselves as a last resort, Mr Power told reporters on Thursday.

Deloitte's report found the strict implementation of the retention policy should reduce domestic gas prices to $3.20 a gigajoule by 2020 and $5.74 by 2025.

Deloitte economist Chris Richardson said the impact of secure long term gas on Western Australia's economy would be significant.

It would generate 2,100 extra jobs and an estimated increase in gross state product of about $2.5 billion, he said.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Search for man missing in Melbourne

POLICE are appealing for public help to find a Melbourne man missing since Friday.

Toni Rabottini, from Sandhurst, was last seen in Dandenong about 9am on May 24.

The 49-year-old suffers from a medical condition and police and family members are concerned for his welfare.

Investigators believe Mr Rabottini may be frequenting the Carrum Downs area.

He is described as Caucasian and about 165cm tall, with a solid build and short dark hair.

Anyone who sees Mr Rabottini is urged to contact triple zero immediately.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aquila takeover wins FIRB approval

CHINESE steelmaker Baosteel and Australian rail operator Aurizon have moved a step closer to sealing their $1.42 billion takeover of Aqulia Resources.

The Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approved the deal on Thursday.

The offer still needs approval from Aquila's shareholders before it can go ahead.

Aurizon boss Lance Hockridge and Baosteel's chairman Zhihao Dai welcomed the FIRB's decision.

Aquila said shareholders should take no action until the company's independent board sub-committee comes up with a formal recommendation on the offer.

The Chinese steelmaker Baosteel and Aurizon plan to kickstart the stalled $10 billion West Pilbara Iron Ore Project if they succeed in their joint takeover bid.

Aquila Resources holds a 50 per cent stake in the project.

Analysts have said the deal is attractive for Aquila shareholders, but major hurdles remain for the completion of such a large-scale mine, rail and port project.

Aquila shares closed one cent higher at $3.52 while Aurizon was flat at $4.94.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aboriginal kids in care not about race: NT

THE over-representation of Aboriginal children in foster care has nothing to do with race, the Northern Territory attorney-general says.

A senior researcher with the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at UTS, Paddy Gibson, said on Tuesday that Aboriginal families who lived a traditional lifestyle were being punished with the removal of their children in "a new stolen generation".

He said cultural practices such as long-term travel and overcrowding in homes when family visited were being construed by child protection services as neglectful and abusive of children.

However, NT Attorney-General and Minister for Children John Elferink said that assertion was "fanciful".

"It's more about strapping on a black armband than it is about the reality of child protection," he told AAP on Wednesday.

"To simply say an Aboriginal practice is something we target is misleading and inflammatory. If there is an Aboriginal practice that does constitute neglect, then, quite frankly, the human right of that child will come ahead of the cultural right."

As of June 30, 2013, there were five times more Aboriginal children (624) than non-Aboriginal children (126) in care, the NT Children's Commissioner's annual report shows, and while the number of non-Aboriginal children has plateaued, the number of Aboriginal children is rising.

Mr Elferink said it was not about race but due to the over-representation of Aboriginal people on welfare or in jail as a result of a federal reliance on welfare.

"(Welfare) says to its recipients, 'You are useless' ... That is entirely the wrong signal to send to any human being, irrespective of their cultural background."

The government was not overly intervening in cases of Aboriginal children in care, he said.

"Government does not make a good parent; institutions generally don't make good parents. They are the lesser of a number of evils," Mr Elferink said.

"We have generated in recent years this nebulous concept that somehow government can make children happy and give them normal lives, but what we are doing is protecting their fundamental human rights and we are flat-strapped doing that. We certainly don't need or desire to go out and drum up extra business."

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Confidence clouds hints of economic joy

THE steep drop in consumer confidence in recent weeks risks overshadowing positive signs emerging in the economy.

A burst of new home building activity is providing a major boost to the economy at a time when resources investment is in decline.

And the good news for potential home buyers is that housing affordability is at its lowest point in over a decade thanks to low interest rates and a slow down in house price rises.

But among a raft of new data releases on Wednesday, there also are signs of a significant loss of momentum in the overall economy.

The Westpac-Melbourne Institute May leading index, which indicates the likely pace of economic activity three to nine months into the future, showed its weakest reading since late 2011.

Back then, the Reserve Bank had just started cutting interest rates, consumer sentiment had slumped and the European sovereign debt crisis was in full swing.

Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan says there are similarities with that episode now, not least the sharp fall in consumer confidence in response to the federal budget handed down two weeks ago.

The current slowdown in the index may be temporary, while the sharp decline in consumer sentiment may reverse or dissipate over time, he said.

Other new data showed construction work completed in the first three months of the year rose by a stronger-than-expected 0.3 per cent, buoyed by a 6.8 per cent jump in residential building.

This helped to offset a 1.5 per cent decline in non-residential building and a 1.6 per cent fall in engineering work, a consequence of the fading mining investment boom.

"What is clear is that the construction boom hasn't turned to a construction bust," Commonwealth Securities chief economist Craig James said.

The "baton pass" from engineering to residential building was proceeding nicely.

The federal government's resources forecaster highlighted the extent of decline in committed investment projects in its latest quarterly report, falling from a peak of $268 billion in April 2013 to $229 billion at the end of April 2014.

In the past six months, 21 projects were completed worth a combined $266 billion, the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics report shows.

However, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane says the focus is now shifting to production and output.

That will last for decades and deliver sustained and substantial economic benefits.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dodgy travellers to be spotted in the air

SUSPECT travellers coming to Australia in the future could be identified while still airborne.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has outlined how technology will help catch criminals and identity fraudsters while cutting queue time for legitimate passengers.

The use of electronic passports, biometric data collection such as facial recognition technology and information swapping between countries is set to be ramped up.

In future, travellers coming from overseas will provide border clearance documents at the airline check-in desk.

Australian authorities will receive the information while travellers are flying and will be able to run security checks against information from other countries.

Upon arrival in Australia, passengers will pass through SmartGate, the automated passport control system, and the biometric data on their passports will be checked against the travellers.

Border protection officers will intervene if people are deemed a security risk; otherwise, passengers will walk free in less than a minute if they get the all-clear.

By 2016/17, a quarter of the 42.9 million passengers expected to pass through Australian airports will use the system.

"These systems ... both expedite the legitimate traveller and provide the best possible chance of identifying risk to Australia's security long before it reaches our border," Mr Morrison told a Biometrics Institute conference in Sydney on Wednesday.

Since the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Mr Morrison says there's increased public willingness to provide biometric data to prove identity.

Two passengers on the missing plane were travelling on stolen passports and likely to be asylum seekers.

Countries are starting to sign information-sharing agreements that include swapping travellers' biometric data, biographical information, travel and identity documents and people's criminal and immigration histories.

The information sharing is also helping to catch asylum seekers arriving by plane who have had refugee claims rejected elsewhere.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Housing prices suffer winter blues

THE weather across much of Australia is unseasonably warm, but the housing market is cooling down right on schedule.

After falling by 0.9 per cent the week before, prices in the five mainland state capitals were down by another 0.6 per cent over the week to Sunday.

According to the RP Data's analysis of the residential property market, all five capitals recorded falls last week, from 0.2 per cent in Brisbane to 1.0 per cent in Adelaide.

It was the third week in a row that prices had posted significant falls, but not necessarily an indication that the market has topped out and, at long last, begun the slump that pundits have been forecasting for years now.

There are two reason to doubt that the boom is now going bust.

One is that the market dipped at the same time last year, and to about the same degree - around two per cent or a bit more by RP Data measure.

Both times it had recovered all the lost ground by the end of June.

There is an obvious seasonal pattern.

The other is the auction clearance rates remains high.

Just over 66 per cent of properties whose auction results were tabulated by RP Data last week were sold.

The week before it was 65.4 per cent.

That was still down from the peak of over 75 per cent reached a couple of months earlier as buyers and sellers returned from summer holidays, but it remains high.

It's about level with clearance rates seen at the same time last year.

In other words, it still appears that demand is rising more rapidly than supply.

That could all change, of course.

Consumer confidence figures since the budget the week before last suggest households have had their equilibrium disturbed.

So the coming few weeks, especially the latter half of June when prices would normally be expected to recover from their winter blues as they did last year and the year before, will be a critical time for the housing market.

If the recovery does not proceed as normal, investors will be prompted to wonder whether the easy ride is over.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man, 21, burned in Sydney gas fireball

A GAS-FUELLED fireball in a busy northern Sydney shopping plaza has left a man in a stable condition with serious burns.

The 21-year-old was rushed to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital with burns to his lower body after a gas main caught alight at about 1pm (AEST) on Monday at the front of a shop in Lane Cove.

The local primary school was locked down and about 150 people were moved to safety as firefighters monitored the fire.

They decided not to put the fire out, opting instead to ask the gas company to shut the gas down - which it did an hour later.

"It's actually safer to allow the gas to burn," Superintendent Ian Krimmer told AAP.

"If you put the fire out, you create a bigger problem because the gas leak could go to other areas and cause explosions in other locations."

As the gas was being shut off, six fire crews were protecting buildings, while police kept Longueville Road closed to all traffic.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Speaker stands by fundraising event

Speaker Bronwyn Bishop must explain what took place in her suite on budget night, says Labor. Source: AAP

SPEAKER Bronwyn Bishop has refused to reveal details of how her parliamentary office was used for a Liberal Party fundraising event.

Labor says a $2500 a head budget night function in the Speaker's Parliament House office - revealed in weekend newspaper reports and not denied by Ms Bishop - is unprecedented and breaches the independence of the role.

Ms Bishop told parliament on Monday that all members of parliament were entitled to use their suites "for their own purposes, but not for illegal purposes".

The opposition asked her to reflect on her ruling, but she stood by her statement.

Now Labor has written to the privileges committee asking for an investigation.

A motion asking the House to refer the same was voted down.

"This is a motion about smear and innuendo directed at the speaker's office," Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said, noting political fundraising events were held in Parliament House all the time.

As long as the costs were covered privately or by a political party there was no breach of the rules, he said.

Opposition frontbencher Tony Burke said the speaker's suite was a special case and the fundraiser represented "improper interference" in the independence of the office.

"This is not an ordinary venue," he told parliament.

"Your job is not owned by the Liberal Party."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who is understood to have attended the fundraiser, told parliament Labor was looking for distractions from its lack of policy.

"They worry about what might be in what room at what time in this parliament," he said.

Taking aim at Labor leader Bill Shorten the prime minister said: "Really and truly, this man is no Bob Hawke - he is no leader."

Labor has been critical of Ms Bishop's appointment from an early stage, especially in her handling of question time and biased language.

She has suspended 101 opposition MPs from parliament, but none from the government.

That image was reinforced when Ms Bishop said, after Mr Burke finished his speech: "I find it a bit rough to be lectured on morality from you."

Earlier, the secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services, Carol Mills, told a Senate estimates hearing she was unaware of any rule preventing such a use of the speaker's suite.

"It is up to the speaker, president or the other holders of special suites to decide how to use them," she said.

Greens senator Lee Rhiannon asked for a list of events held in Parliament House over the past three years to ascertain how many were party fundraisers.

Two previous speakers, Anna Burke and Harry Jenkins, have said they never used the suite for political fundraising events.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australian snorkeller dies off Fiji resort

A 36-year-old Australian man has died while snorkelling off Fiji's coral coast. Source: AAP

A 36-YEAR-OLD Australian man has died while snorkelling off Fiji's coral coast.

The man was staying with a friend at a five-star resort on the west coast of the main island Viti Levu when he went snorkelling alone on Saturday.

He was reported missing by the resort, Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji, about 7.45pm when he hadn't returned his snorkelling equipment and his belongings were found on the beach.

"The person in question was snorkelling late in the evening and did not return to his accommodation," general manager Peter Hopgood said.

Resort staff and local fishermen searched until after midnight and were back out again at first light on Sunday.

The man's body was found by locals from a neighbouring village at 9.50am on Sunday, washed onto the coral reef.

His body was taken to a morgue at nearby Sigatoka.

The resort's management extended "heartfelt condolences" to the man's family and friends.

In a letter to guests, it asked them to "refrain from entering the ocean after dark".

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was in contact with the man's family.

"The department is providing consular assistance to the family of a 36-year-old man who died in Fiji," a DFAT spokesperson said.

It's the second death of an Australian in Fiji this month.

Ten days ago, Sydney father-of-three Mark Hardaker, 40, was killed in a collision between two boats while holidaying with his family.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shorten denies role in PM family attacks

Margie Abbott (pic) does not do enough charity work says former first bloke Tim Mathieson. Source: AAP

LABOR has angrily denied suggestions that Opposition Leader Bill Shorten orchestrated a series of attacks against Prime Minister Tony Abbott's family in the media.

Mr Abbott's family was thrust into the spotlight this week, with criticisms made about his wife's charity work and allegations of favouritism involving two of his daughters.

The prime minister accused some media outlets for "dirt digging", but one of his senior government ministers has now blamed federal Labor leader Bill Shorten for orchestrating the "repugnant" attacks.

Health Minister Peter Dutton accused Mr Shorten of withdrawing from the media at the same time his office "quite deliberately" launched these attacks against the Abbott family.

"I believe very strongly that this is an orchestrated attack by Bill Shorten and it needs to stop," Mr Dutton told Network Ten on Sunday.

Mr Shorten's office has rejected the allegations, calling them "wrong, hurtful and completely without foundation".

"Bill has made his position very clear that families should not be dragged into the political debate," a spokesman for Mr Shorten told AAP in a statement.

"This shows the government will stoop to any low it can to distract from its budget failure."

AAP understands the prime minister's office was contacted by Mr Shorten on Wednesday when questions started being asked about a $60,000 scholarship awarded to Mr Abbott's youngest daughter Frances.

It's understood Mr Shorten told the office Labor was not behind the story and believed families should be kept off limits.

A subsequent story carried complaints about the appointment of Mr Abbott's eldest daughter Louise to a government job in Geneva.

Yet another story published on Sunday aired criticisms from Julia Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson about Margie Abbott's commitment to charity.

A spokeswoman for the prime minister declined to comment on Mr Dutton's allegations, saying the stories about the Abbott family were of a personal nature and a distraction from the budget.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Callous' NSW thieves take surf rescue 4WD

SURF lifesavers in a small NSW town fear lives could be put at risk after "callous" thieves made off with their club's 4WD rescue vehicle.

Surf Life Saving's far south coast director Andrew Edmunds says thieves broke into the Batemans Bay Surf Life Saving club on Saturday night and took the 4WD.

Mr Edmunds told AAP the loss of the vehicle - which is used to tow rescue boats onto the beach and assist with launching them in emergencies and also to transport injured beachgoers - is a major blow to the community.

He said the thieves would have known precisely what they were doing.

"It's got 'Surf Rescue' written all over it," Mr Edmunds said on Sunday afternoon.

"I honestly have no understanding why someone would do something so callous."

He said the $20,000 replacement cost for the vehicle is a "huge" amount of money for the 12,000-strong town of Batemans Bay and could take years to raise.

Patrol season starts up again in September, but even in winter, lifesavers "can get called out any day of the week".

"It's a horrible thing to have happened to a local club and I just hope that it's not a local, and I hope lives aren't put at risk as a result of this," he said.

"It's a big blow. We'll still respond (to calls for help) and we'll still do our best but it's a major setback."

Anyone with information can contact Batemans Bay police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Suspected drug ring busted in Canberra

Police have raided 10 north Canberra properties, uncovering what they say is a major drug syndicate. Source: AAP

A MAJOR drug ring has been busted in the national capital, with a Canberra man set to face court charged with trafficking drugs.

ACT Policing raided several north Canberra properties on Friday afternoon where they seized $200,000 worth of illicit drugs, cars and cash.

They found 728 grams of cocaine, a methylamphetamine-suspected substance, tablets suspected to be ecstasy, and steroids.

Police believe the operation cracked a major drug syndicate operating in the capital.

A 28-year-old man will appear in court on Saturday charged with drug trafficking.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iran billionaire executed over $2.8b fraud

A BILLIONAIRE businessman at the heart of a $US2.6 billion ($A2.8 billion) state bank scam, the largest fraud case since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, has been executed, state television reports.

Authorities put Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, also known as Amir Mansour Aria, to death at Evin prison, just north of the capital, Tehran, the station reported.

The report said the execution came after Iran's Supreme Court upheld his death sentence.

The fraud involved using forged documents to get credit at one of Iran's top financial institutions, Bank Saderat, to purchase assets including state-owned companies like major steel producer Khuzestan Steel Co.

Khosravi's business empire included more than 35 companies from mineral water production to a football club and meat imports from Brazil.

According to Iranian media reports, the bank fraud began in 2007.

A total of 39 defendants were convicted in the case. Four received death sentences, two got life sentences and the rest received sentences of up to 25 years in prison.

The trials raised questions about corruption at senior levels in Iran's tightly controlled economy during the administration of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mahmoud Reza Khavari, a former head of Bank Melli, another major Iranian bank, escaped to Canada in 2011 after he resigned over the case.

He faces charges over the case in Iran and remains on the Islamic Republic's wanted list.

Khavari previously admitted that his bank partially was involved in the fraud, but has maintained his innocence.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gunmen fire inside El Salvador bus, kill 6

Police in El Salvador say gunmen boarded a bus in a town near the capital killing six people. Source: AAP

POLICE in El Salvador say gunmen boarded a bus in a town near the capital and opened fired on passengers, killing six.

National police director Rigoberto Pleites said another five people were wounded during the Friday bus attack in the town of San Luis Talpa near San Salvador.

Pleites said witnesses told police the assailants were gang members dressed in uniforms similar to those issued to road maintenance workers.

He said investigators haven't confirmed they belonged to a gang.

Police Commissioner Mauricio Ramirez said there have been threats of increased violence in the country in the coming days, but he didn't provide any other details.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA man, 69, jailed for life over murder

A 69-YEAR-OLD Perth man has been sentenced to life in prison for repeatedly stabbing his house mate during a drunken argument.

John Henry Waterfall was found guilty of murdering Fifita Mailau, 56, at their Mount Lawley house, which they shared with two other people, in March 2013.

The West Australia Supreme Court heard on Friday that Mr Mailau was an abusive and violent person.

In sentencing, Justice Ralph Simmons said Mr Mailau had called Waterfall names that he found "deeply insulting" as they argued.

"You felt you had no alternative but to deal strongly with the deceased, if you and the others were not to be vulnerable to bad behaviour from the deceased in the future," he said.

The court heard Waterfall grabbed a knife from his bedroom and returned to the kitchen where he repeatedly stabbed Mr Mailau in the neck and abdomen.

"You were very angry. Some of the stab wounds were very deep," Justice Simmonds said.

"A number of them on their own were capable of killing him and one went into his heart."

The knife remained in Mr Mailau's chest after the final stabbing, the court heard.

Waterfall must serve at least 16 years behind bars before he will be eligible for parole.

Outside court, Detective Sergeant Paul Thornton said the men had been drinking very heavily.

"Alcohol in this situation was probably the main factor contributing to the tragic circumstance," he said.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abbott urged not to 'wink' at Indonesia

An Indonesian newspaper has warned PM Tony Abbott against winking when he visits Jakarta. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has been warned to keep his winking" out of diplomacy, with the infamous gesture now also making headlines in Indonesia.

The wink - Mr Abbott's response while listening to a 67-year-old talkback radio caller who said she was working on an adult sex line to supplement her pension and pay her healthcare bills - has been shared globally on social media.

It has been interpreted in many ways, with the prime minister himself describing it as a "mistake".

The Jakarta Post newspaper says in Indonesia, his wink could be seen as suggestive of arrogance.

In its editorial on Friday, titled 'Abbott's wink: what's the joke?', the influential English-language newspaper noted, "In the eyes of many Indonesians, the PM is not averse to being insensitive."

Relations between Indonesia and Australia quickly deteriorated after Abbott came to power, as he demonstrated he was going to be much tougher with his neighbour than the Labor Party had been.

In doing so, he is perceived by many Indonesians to be extremely arrogant.

The newspaper says Mr Abbott can expect Indonesia's next president to be less accommodating than Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Winking and smiling while listening to Indonesia's complaints will cost him diplomatically, it says.

Mr Abbott is tipped to visit Jakarta next month, his first trip since Indonesia suspended cooperation with Australia late last year over spying claims.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

China mine tycoon sentenced to death

A Chinese mining tycoon has been sentenced to death for leading a crime gang that killed rivals. Source: AAP

A FORMER Chinese mining tycoon has been sentenced to death for leading a crime gang that killed rivals, a state news agency reports, in a case that revealed ties between organised crime and politicians.

Liu Han is former chairman of energy conglomerate Sichuan Hanlong Group in the southwestern province of Sichuan, which owns stakes in Australian and US mines.

He disappeared in March 2013, temporarily disrupting deals to finance mine development in Nevada and Australia, before police announced he had been detained.

The death sentences for Liu Han and his brother Liu Wei were the first in trials of their 36-member gang by a court in the central province of Hubei, the Xinhua News Agency said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched an anti-corruption crackdown that has ensnared senior politicians and influential businessmen.

Many of the Sichuan cases are believed linked to Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Communist Party's Standing Committee, the country's ruling inner circle.

He is now believed to be a target of the wide-ranging graft investigation.

The Liu brothers and their associates have been charged with 15 crimes, including murder, assault, illegal detention, blackmail and operating casinos.

Prosecutors say their criminal activities, dating back to 1993, helped them amass 40 billion yuan ($A6.9 billion) in assets with businesses in finance, energy, real estate and mining, Xinhua has said.

The gang is accused in the deaths of nine people, five of whom were shot, according to earlier reports.

Police seized hand grenades, a half-dozen submachine guns, 20 pistols and other firearms.

Liu Han ranked No. 148 in 2012 on Forbes magazine's list of the richest Chinese businesspeople, with a fortune estimated at $US855 million.

He told The Wall Street Journal in 2010 that an investor once shot up his car after suffering losses in a deal.

The group is accused of fostering ties with politicians in Sichuan that helped Liu Han win appointment as a delegate of the provincial advisory body for three terms, according to earlier Xinhua reports.

Among the accused are three officials in city-level police and prosecutors' offices in Sichuan, Xinhua said.

It said Liu Wei's testimony showed the officials received money and gifts as well as weekly parties with illicit drugs.

15.22 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woodside weighs options for cash stash

WOODSIDE Petroleum chief executive Peter Coleman says he needs time to consider options for excess cash after the company's exit from the $US2.5 billion Leviathan project.

The announcement on Wednesday that Woodside would not buy a stake in the giant Israel-based gas project sparked speculation about a capital return to shareholders.

But Mr Coleman refused to commit to a special dividend on Thursday, saying capital could be directed to new projects.

"I think it's too early for me to give a commitment one way or the other as to what we'll do," Mr Coleman told media during an investor day briefing in Sydney.

Mr Coleman said management would take options to Woodside's board "in the not too distant future".

He did not rule out a return to Leviathan in the future, saying the Israeli field remained a world class asset.

The decision to forego the option to take a stake was driven by "surface issues" including taxation, he said.

Woodside emphasised new exploration and cost discipline in its presentation to investors, with Mr Coleman saying the company would not pursue assets that could not make a commercial return.

Investments would be in the $1 billion to $5 billion range and funded by debt, he said.

While the Western Australian Browse project is to be the key driver of growth for the company, Mr Coleman said Woodside had renewed its focus on exploration - an area that had been weak - by bringing in new expertise.

"We had developed an organisation that was technically and process-wise world class but we didn't have any oil finders," Mr Coleman said.

Australia remains the core territory for Woodside but it is now seeking to balance its assets with exploration in Africa, South America and Canada and projects in Ireland, New Zealand and Myanmar (Burma).

Media reports on Thursday suggested Woodside was considering a takeover of Papua-New Guinea-focused Oil Search.

Mr Coleman said while PNG was on Woodside's radar, companies and assets in the island nation were too expensive to add value at present.

Mr Coleman said he did not feel pressure to deliver a major project as investors were focused on earnings-per-share value rather than increased production at any cost.

Woodside chief financial officer Lawrie Tremaine said a forecast rise in free cashflow would allow the company to continue its strong dividend payout ratio - currently 80 percent of underlying net profit after tax "for the foreseeable future".

Woodside shares gained 49 cents or 1.19 percent to $41.72 on Thursday.

Morningstar resources analyst Mark Taylor said the oil and gas sector had benefited from a general rise but there was also some relief around the exit from Leviathan.

"I think that was a flawed strategy," he said.

Mr Taylor said Woodside should focus freed-up capital on new exploration around its Australian assets.

"I think they should really be pumping their existing assets for all they are worth," he said.

Mr Taylor was not supportive of a capital return to shareholders, saying the current dividend ratio was enough.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More