Man missing after canoe tips on NSW river

A MAN remains missing after his canoe tipped over on a river in southwestern NSW.

The man, aged in his late 20s, was paddling on the Murrumbidgee River when the canoe overturned about 2.30pm (AEDT) on Sunday.

He failed to resurface, police say.

Police and emergency services were called to a caravan park at Darlington Point and a search was begun.

It was suspended at nightfall and resumed at first light on Monday involving local police officers, the State Emergency Service and Volunteer Rescue Association.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

UN mission leaves East Timor

THE United Nations has ended its peacekeeping mission in East Timor, leaving the country without any direct security assistance for the first time since a spasm of political and ethnic violence in 2006 almost overwhelmed its shaky, post-independence government.

In recent weeks, the last of a force of 1,600 police and military officers from countries around the world have been leaving the country ahead of the formal end of the deployment on Monday, which is a significant milestone in the country's journey following its independence from Indonesia in 1999.

The United Nations and other foreign development organisations will remain in the country supporting its development for years to come. It has oil and gas-reserves, but these are not creating the employment opportunities needed for a country of 1.2 million, more than 60 per cent of whom are under 18. The education system is not supporting the development of people with the skills needed to change this.

"The Timorese people and its leaders have shown courage and unswerving resolve to overcome great challenges," said Finn Reske-Nielsen, the head of the mission. "As peacekeepers depart, we look forward to a new phase in this relationship focusing on social and economic development."

The United Nations organised the 1999 referendum that resulted in an overwhelming vote for independence but also violence and destruction by withdrawing Indonesian troops and their militia proxies. The world body directly administered the country until 2002, when it formally became a nation.

A UN security mission was established to help the country's barely existing state and security institutions. That mission ended in 2005. But the violence and political turmoil in 2006, which included an assassination attempt on the president by a former rebel, led to a new peacekeeping presence. Much of the UN's work has been focused on training the country's own police and army, and security conditions have now improved.

"It is an emotional moment to say goodbye to them and we are hoping that they can assemble with their families after months and years on their mission in East Timor," East Timor Police deputy commissioner Afonso de Jesus said on Saturday. "Like it or not, the East Timor national police is ready to assume our responsibility."

President Taur Matan Ruak mentioned the end of the UN mission in his New Year's Eve message to the nation, saying the country now enjoyed peace and stability.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

NDIS, education before election: Gillard

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard says her government has two major items to implement in 2013 before going to an election - introducing the National Disability Insurance Scheme and undertaking further major education reforms.

Ms Gillard took time off from her holidays to make an appearance at the Woodford Folk Festival on Sunday.

She says the government would continue to work to keep the economy strong and jobs rolling, but the other two issues were her "two big ambitions for 2013 before we get around to winning that election".

"I want to see us launch the National Disability Insurance Scheme on the first of July," she told the festival crowd.

"Then the other thing I've got a really big focus on is delivering on further education reforms.

"We had a fair old wake up call in international testing (recently). We can make sure our kids can get a world-class education."

She said the government had already made changes to a number of schools that had been struggling.

"What we've got to do now is take it and upscale and give it to every school and make a difference to every school.

"I'm absolutely determined that we're battling through on that."

A federal election is not due to until October next year, where Labor hopes to regain its majority.

Ms Gillard has led a minority government with the support of key independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott since 2010, but she said the situation had not dented her agenda.

She pointed to a number of achievements including introducing the carbon tax, putting healthcare on a sustainable footing, introducing the Queensland flood levy, education and aged care reforms. But did not mention asylum seeker policy.

"The really big decisions this government's taken would be effectively the same," she said.

"We would have done the same things as a majority government because they are the right thing to do.

She said the introduction of carbon pricing was in some ways made better by the negotiations needed in a minority government.

"It meant we could work across both houses - the house and the Senate - not just put something in the Senate and have it knocked over, which was the history of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, but actually work in a way which the proposition that went to the parliament was going to get carried."

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

NSW man charged with stealing guns

A YOUNG man has been charged with the theft of 22 firearms, some of which have not been recovered.

Some time between December 22 and 27, the guns were stolen from a farming property at Hillston, in southwestern NSW.

Following an extensive investigation, a 21-year-old man was charged on Saturday at Griffith police station with a raft of theft and firearms offences.

Police have recovered 17 of the stolen guns and continue to search for the remaining firearms.

The man has been granted strict conditional bail.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kylie gears up for a special Sydney NYE

POP princess Kylie Minogue will meet with Sydney New Year's Eve planners to put the finishing touches on plans for the big night.

As creative ambassador for the event in 2012, the UK-based singer developed the event's theme "embrace" and chose its colour scheme and soundtrack.

She arrived in Sydney early on Friday, and will meet with New Year's Eve organisers on Saturday afternoon.

Minogue told reporters on Saturday she was jet-lagged, but excited to be welcoming the new year from Sydney streets.

"It's so exciting to be seeing signage in the streets. I keep telling anyone who'll listen: 'Look! Look up there!'" she said.

"I can't wait."

She said she designed the New Year's Eve "embrace" theme to mean different things to different people - but for her, it means sharing a big hug with that special someone.

Asked who or what she would be embracing during the midnight countdown on Monday, the star did not hesitate.

"My boyfriend, firstly," she said.

"And I have some family coming up for New Year's Eve.

"I love the concept of embrace. It can mean so many different things, and I'm looking forward to embracing new possibilities for the next year."

Event producer Aneurin Coffey said Minogue had been a hands-on creative ambassador.

"She's been a lot more involved than we expected," he told reporters on Friday.

"When you actually get someone like Kylie on board, you never know quite what you're going to get, but she was absolutely ecstatic to be involved."

She will be honoured with a one-of-a-kind sparkling musical note firework.

The semiquaver will be one of 100,000 individual pyrotechnic creations this year, including brand new koala, octopus and hand images up in lights.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia won't monitor Japanese whaling

The Australian government has vowed to continue its fight against Japan's whaling. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA will take diplomatic action to encourage Japan to drop its "scientific whaling" program, amid reports the Japanese fleet has begun its journey south.

Environment Minister Tony Burke has restated the government's strong opposition to Japan's whaling expeditions and dismissed Japanese claims that the program is for scientific research.

"There is nothing scientific about going out and chasing whales, aiming a harpoon at them, so that you can pull them in and chop them up for food," Mr Burke told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

Australia would lobby Japan to respect a moratorium on whaling in the Southern Ocean, taking "all diplomatic action that a government can take", he said.

But Mr Burke said the government would not respond to coalition calls for a customs vessel to be sent to the Southern Ocean to monitor the annual whale hunt.

"The information that we have on the way Japan has alternated this each year is that in all likelihood they'll be in the New Zealand search-and-rescue zone anyway," he said.

Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Julia Gillard saying it was vital an Australian vessel be present in case of any clashes between Japanese whalers and the anti-hunt group Sea Shepherd.

"There is a real risk of conflict or collision causing injury, death or a major environmental spill in the event of a sinking," Mr Hunt said.

Greens acting leader Adam Bandt says the government should seek a court injunction to stop the whaling.

"The government says it wants to do something about it and has commenced proceedings in the court, but it hasn't done the simple thing that would actually stop the whaling, and that is go off and seek an injunction," Mr Bandt told reporters in Melbourne.

The Australian government started legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice in May 2010.

Both Australia and Japan have filed their detailed written arguments to the court and the case has been set down for oral hearing at The Hague, probably next year.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said the decision to start legal proceedings was not taken lightly.

"The Australian government considers Japan's whaling program is contrary to its international obligations and should stop," Ms Roxon said.

Citing the Fisheries Agency, Kyodo News reported on Friday three vessels had left from the far-western port of Shimonoseki, while environmental group Greenpeace said the mother ship had left another port, also in the country's west.

The fleet plans to hunt up to 935 Antarctic minke whales and up to 50 fin whales through March, the fisheries agency said earlier.

The Australian government had not yet received official confirmation that Japan's annual whaling hunt was beginning, and did not expect to.

"Last year there was no stage when the Japanese government actually confirmed its whaling fleet was heading south," Mr Burke said.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Apple must pay on copyright: Chinese court

A CHINESE court has ordered Apple Inc to pay 1.03 million yuan ($A159,740) to eight Chinese writers and two companies who say unlicensed copies of their work were distributed through Apple's online store.

The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court ruled on Thursday that Apple violated the writers' copyrights by allowing applications containing their work to be distributed through its App Store, according to an official who answered the phone at the court and said he was the judge in the case.

He refused to give his name, as is common among Chinese officials.

The award was less than the 12 million yuan ($A1.84 million) sought by the authors.

The case grouped together eight lawsuits filed by them and their publishers.

An Apple spokeswoman, Carolyn Wu, said the company's managers "take copyright infringement complaints very seriously".

She declined to say whether the company would appeal.

Unlicensed copying of books, music, software and other products is widespread in China despite repeated government promises to stamp out violations.

Apple's agreement with application developers requires them to confirm they have obtained rights to material distributed through the company's App Store.

"We're always updating our service to better assist content owners in protecting their rights," Wu said.

The Chinese writers said they saw applications containing unlicensed versions of their books last year.

In November, a court ordered Apple to pay 520,000 yuan to the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House for copyright infringement in a separate case.

Apple is appealing, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

In the latest case, the Beijing court awarded 605,000 yuan to one company and 21,500 yuan to the second, according to the court official.

The biggest individual judgment went to writer Han Ailian, who was awarded 186,000 yuan.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Leighton wins two LNG contracts

LEIGHTON Holdings has secured $1.2 billion worth of contracts linked to the $34 billion Ichthys liquefied natural gas project in Darwin.

The first contract, worth $923 million, is to build infrastructure such as roads, foundations and trenches, at Blaydin Point for Ichthys' onshore facilities.

Construction is due to start in May and be completed by July 2016, Leighton's wholly-owned subsidiary Leighton Contractors said in a statement on Friday.

It is the third project Leighton had won for Ichthys' onshore processing site.

Separately, the company said it had clinched a $280 million operations and maintenance contract for Blaydin Point's temporary facilities.

Leighton Contractors will operate and maintain services for all temporary site facilities, including power supply, water treatment plants and pest control, for more than four years during the construction phase.

The temporary facilities were currently being built by Leighton Contractors' infrastructure division.

"We see the LNG and coal seam methane markets offering significant opportunities for the Leighton Group, which has developed a high degree of competency in delivering essential infrastructure for large resources projects," Leighton chief executive Hamish Tyrwhitt said.

The Ichthys gas field lies about 200kms off the West Australian coast.

It is expected to produce 8.4 million tonnes of LNG and 1.6 million tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas a year.

Gas will be piped from the Ichthys field to Darwin, about 900km away, for processing and shipping.

Leighton shares were cents at $17.96.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tropical storm kills five in Philippines

At least Five people are dead after Tropical Storm Wukong hit the Philippines, officials say. Source: AAP

FIVE people have died and three are missing after tropical storm Wukong hit the central Philippines, following devastating Typhoon Bopha that killed hundreds earlier this month, officials say.

The toll from the latest storm was relatively low as the public, alarmed by the huge number of fatalities caused by Bopha, were quick to take precautionary measures, regional civil defence officer Maria Nogra told AFP.

"It's the awareness of the people regarding disasters. They were prepared. They had pre-emptive evacuations before the storm struck. They saw what happened (with Bopha)," she said.

Three people were killed when a tree fell on their home in the central island of Samar while most of the other dead and missing were washed away by overflowing rivers, Nogra added.

Wukong hit the central islands on Christmas Day, bringing strong winds and rains but gradually weakening as it moved across the region.

On Thursday the storm was expected to hit the tip of the westernmost island of Palawan.

While Wukong was not as strong as the typhoon, more than 6000 people were still huddling in evacuation centres and many roads and bridges were impassable, said Nogra.

Bopha, which hit on December 4, was the strongest storm to batter the disaster-prone country this year. It unleashed floods and landslides, killing more than 1000 people and hundreds more remain missing, according to officials.

Relief efforts are continuing in the southern Philippines, where entire towns have been wiped out by flash floods.

The Philippines is hit by about 20 major storms or typhoons each year that occur mainly during the rainy season between June and October.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tas Boxing Day sales fail to match nation

BIG crowds of bargain hunters may have packed the Hobart CBD on Boxing Day and spent a collective $20 million but it still won't match the rest of the nation.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) estimates Tasmanians spent about $20 million on Boxing Day alone and a total of $280 million in the post-Christmas period.

However, sales were down 5.7 per cent from last year, which makes Tasmania the only state to record a decline in 2012.

The ARA's Tasmania spokesman, Robert Parker, said the figures were still pleasing, despite the drop in sales from last year.

"It was OK, it wasn't disastrous, and probably in line with retail sales, so it wasn't bad.

"We did have big crowds, queues outside the department stores. Hobart was buzzing with tourists and families, and we also noticed younger people spending their Christmas cash."

Mr Parker said Tasmania's retail industry has been struggling.

"There are a lot of things affecting retail, from job losses in the forestry industry, to political uncertainty and a lack of consumer sentiment," he told AAP on Thursday.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Greens call for new bushfire body

THE nation's bushfire research body should be replaced with a new one because it's set to run out of government funding, Greens MP Adam Bandt says.

The Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre (BCRC) examines the social, environmental and economic impacts of bushfires.

It's funded on a project-by-project basis by the commonwealth until June 30, 2013, at which point its fate remains uncertain.

Mr Bandt says the body should be replaced with a new national fire institute which will ensure it's work continues.

"It's time to transfer to a national body ... to oversee Australia's preparedness to deal with major fires, with the growing risk of climate change meaning more frequent fires of greater severity," Mr Bandt told AAP on Wednesday.

The risk of losing the body would be not having an accurate national response to major fire emergencies, he said.

"We are potentially going to face a Black Saturday every year or two, and that's a terrifying prospect," Mr Bandt said.

The body's CEO Gary Morgan welcomed the idea, saying its work was far from finished and there was still a lot more needed to understand a range of issues, including how to manage volunteers, smoke management, creating models to prevent fire risk and better biodiversity management.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russia's Kalashnikov in intensive care

Russian rifle designer Mikhail Kalashnikov has been hospitalised after complaining of weakness. Source: AAP

RUSSIA'S legendary rifle designer Mikhail Kalashnikov has been hospitalised in intensive care after complaining of general weakness, his assistant says.

The 93-year-old father of the AK-47 has been having heart problems and feeling poorly since March, when he stopped showing up for work, his aide told the RIA Novosti news agency on Tuesday.

"When I visited him at home last week, he told me that nothing seemed to hurt, but that he simply had no strength left," his assistant Nikolai Shklyayev was quoted as saying.

"It seems that this is just his age showing," Shklyayev said.

The assistant said Kalashnikov was sent to intensive care on Thursday after complaining of swelling.

"I last got in touch with (Kalashnikov's) driver. He said that everything was fine," Shklyayev told the Interfax news agency.

Kalashnikov designed his iconic rifles - staples of armies across the world for the past half century - at the Izhmash factory in the central city of Izhevsk.

Originally formed in 1807, Izhmash remains one of the main producers of Russian weapons.

But like several other specialised industrial firms, it has been hit by dwindling post-Soviet demand and its failure to make up for this with foreign orders.

Kalashnikov and 16 colleagues raised the alarm about the situation at Izhmash in an open letter to President Vladimir Putin last month, saying production had fallen to an all-time low and the factory needed to be saved.

According to popular legend, Kalashnikov began designing weapons after having trouble with the rifles the Soviet Red Army was using during World War II.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Top Putin foe Navalny faces new charges

Prominent Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is facing his third criminal case in five months. Source: AAP

RUSSIAN investigators have opened their third criminal case in five months against an opposition leader who poses one of the main challenges to President Vladimir Putin in opinion polls.

The Investigative Committee said it had charged anti-corruption blogger and lawyer Alexei Navalny with "swindling committed by an organised group or on an especially large scale".

The charge - which relates to allegations over a case dating back five years - carries a jail sentence of up to 10 years.

Navalny spearheaded the opposition movement that emerged last year in the wake of disputed parliamentary elections that the ruling party won despite suspicions of fraud.

The 36-year-old - often ranked as the most popular opposition campaigner and an emerging politician who has not ruled out running for president - denies all the charges and views the probes against him as political.

"Lord, they have opened another criminal case against me," Navalny tweeted moments after the news was announced. "The Investigative Committee - what are you doing... Enough."

He later told Russian media that investigators were simply trying to intimidate him "by showing that they could next arrest me for crossing the street in the wrong place".

Navalny is already the focus of an embezzlement probe linked to a murky business deal conducted by a small regional timber company in which he was involved. That offence also risks a 10-year sentence.

Investigators last week also launched a money laundering investigation against Navalny and his brother related to a little-known trading firm.

The latest case concerns 100 million roubles ($A3 million at current exchange rates) allegedly stolen from a liberal political party called the Union of Rightist Forces (SPS) in 2007.

The charges say a company involving Navalny secured an SPS advertising contract that was never fulfilled.

SPS disbanded in 2008 after badly losing a series of elections and Navalny continued with other projects.

But the group's former members expressed amazement at charges that emerged five years after the alleged theft.

"If there was something dirty going on, I would have known about it," said top former party member Leonid Gozman.

An aide to current regional governor and former SPS leader Nikita Belykh also told Moscow Echo radio that no money had been stolen from the party.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Severe storm warning for NSW

THE Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for large parts of NSW, with emergency authorities urging residents to be prepared for flash flooding and damaging winds.

The warnings, issued at 2.06pm (AEDT) on Tuesday are for the central tablelands, parts of the mid-north coast, the Hunter region, northwest slopes and plains, central west slopes and plains and the lower western, upper western and northern tablelands forecast districts.

Thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and damaging winds over the next several hours, the bureau said.

Locations which may be affected include Scone, Orange, Mudgee, Bathurst, Katoomba, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Narrabri, Dubbo, Parkes, Nyngan, Wilcannia and Cobar.

The State Emergency Service (SES) is advising people to move cars under cover and away from trees, secure loose items around dwellings, keep clear of fallen power lines, creeks and storm drains, and to call triple zero if trapped by flash flooding.

People are also being urged to avoid using phones during storms, to unplug computers and appliances and to stay indoors and away from windows.

A strong wind warning has also been issued for NSW coastal waters between Yamba and Crowdy Head.

Winds are north-easterly, then tending southeast to south-westerly and increasing up to 30 knots by Wednesday morning, with combined sea and swell increasing up to three metres.

But the bureau noted that wind gusts could be 40 per cent stronger than the averages given, with maximum waves up to twice the quoted heights.

For emergency help in floods and storms in NSW and the ACT, ring the SES on 132 500.

A spokesman for the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said about 50 calls for help had been received by 3.30pm.

He told AAP many calls were for minor damage to property caused by high winds.

Calls were fairly widespread but many were from Sydney's northern suburbs and from Bathurst, in the state's west, the spokesman said.

No serious incidents or injuries had been reported.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pell apology could signal change in church

Cardinal George Pell's apology to those abused by priests has been labelled a "minimal response". Source: AAP

VICTIMS' support groups say the Catholic Church could be preparing to acknowledge its involvement in historic child sexual abuse in Australia after Cardinal George Pell apologised to those who "suffered at the hands" of priests.

In a Christmas message, the Australian church's most senior cleric said he was "deeply sorry" for the hurt that had occurred, describing it as "completely contrary" to Christ's teachings.

But he stopped short of specifically mentioning allegations of child sex abuse by members of the clergy.

"I feel too the shock and shame across the community at these revelations of wrongdoing and crimes," Cardinal Pell said.

His apology came after the federal government this year announced a royal commission to the response of institutions, including the church, to cases of child sexual abuse in Australia.

Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston said Cardinal Pell's statement represented a "cultural shift" in the church as it comes to terms with the role played by some its clergy.

Not all victims would find solace in his words, but it was an important message that needed to be said, she added.

"The silence, secrecy and the shame which the church have been leaders in, are the offenders best friend and our children's worst enemy," Ms Johnston told AAP on Monday.

"I think they're finally ready to face the demons and face the past and to hopefully put it behind them."

Catholics who had deserted the church over its handling of child abuse might also find some comfort in knowing Cardinal Pell had acknowledged the suffering, she said.

A spokesman for victims support group Broken Rites Dr Wayne Chamley said the church was beginning to "appreciate" the scale of its involvement in child abuse since the royal commission was announced.

"It's pleasing that he's opening up his heart to these people," Dr Chamley told ABC television.

"I don't think we've seen a statement in the past which was reflecting on the scale of what's gone on."

The church has been accused of covering up its involvement in child sexual abuse by silencing victims, hindering police and alerting offenders.

One senior NSW police investigator's damning testimony into how the church destroyed evidence and moved accused priests around the country prompted Prime Minister Julia Gillard to announce the royal commission in November.

In his statement, Cardinal Pell said people had "suffered at the hands" of fellow Christians, Christian officials, priests and religious teachers.

Adults Surviving Child Abuse president Dr Cathy Kezelman said the church still needed to be more transparent and forthright about its role in the systematic abuse of children over the years.

"It's an absolutely minimal response to express regret," she told AAP on Monday.

"It's very important that we also acknowledge the failure of religious organisations, including the Catholic Church, to respond appropriately to victims."

Last week, the federal government announced the terms of reference for the royal commission would not be available until January, instead of this month.

The inquiry is due to begin in 2013 and could run for years.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thatcher 'in good spirits' after op

Former British prime minster Margaret Thatcher is recovering from minor surgery in hospital. Source: AAP

FORMER British prime minister Margaret Thatcher is said to be "in good spirits" as she recovers from minor surgery but is expected to spend Christmas in hospital.

The 87-year-old was operated on two days ago to remove a growth from her bladder after suffering pain earlier in the week.

"I understand she is in good spirits," a spokesman said.

"Given her age, I don't think she will be coming out for a few days."

Thatcher's public appearances have been restricted over recent years due to continued ill health.

She was unable to join the Queen for a Diamond Jubilee lunch with former and serving prime ministers this summer and missed a birthday party thrown for her at 10 Downing Street.

In October, Thatcher was sufficiently well, however, to mark her 87th birthday with lunch at a restaurant in London's exclusive St James's district with her son Mark and his wife.

Her health was thrust into the global spotlight this year when Meryl Streep starred in a controversial Hollywood film about her.

The Iron Lady drew criticism from British Prime Minister David Cameron and others for concentrating on the dementia she suffers after a series of small strokes.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

North Korean leader calls for more rockets

NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for the development of more powerful rockets after last week's successful launch of a satellite into space.

The North's official media said on Saturday that Kim made the call at a banquet for rocket scientists on Friday in Pyongyang.

The December 12 launch of a long-range rocket put the country's first satellite in orbit. The United States, South Korea and others have condemned the launch as a test of ballistic missile technology banned under UN security council resolutions.

Kim had already called for sending more scientific satellites into space on the day of the launch. But his speech on Friday marks the first time he has explicitly called for the advancement of his country's long-range rocket program.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police seek man for NSW shooting

POLICE have identified a man they are looking for over a shooting in Sydney's southwest last week.

Officers were called to a home in Panania on reports five children and their mother were inside a house when a window was broken by a gunshot about 1.20am (AEDT) on Thursday.

No one was injured.

Police said two men, who are know to them, were arguing outside the property when a struggle ensued and a shot was fired.

They are seeking Victor Vladymtsev, 22, who is wanted over an arrest warrant for the offence of firing a firearm in manner likely to injure person.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance with an olive complexion, medium build and brown hair.

Police have warned members of the public not to approach Vladymtsev as he may be armed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Senate approves $633bn defence bill

The US Senate has approved a $A606.41 billion defence spending bill for next year. Source: AAP

THE US Senate has approved a $US633 billion ($A606.41 billion) defence spending bill for next year that tightens penalties on Iran, funds the war in Afghanistan and boosts security at US missions worldwide.

The legislation passed 81-14 on Friday despite furious opposition from Republican Senator Rand Paul, who criticised removal of an amendment that would have provided Americans with protection against indefinite military detention.

Despite a raging partisan row in Washington over how to resolve a year-end fiscal crisis, the compromise bill sailed through the House of Representatives on Thursday and now goes to President Barack Obama's desk.

In addition to covering standard national security expenses like shipbuilding, it provides a 1.7-per cent pay raise for men and women in uniform, authorises the Pentagon to pay for abortions in cases of rape and incest and lifts a ban on same-sex marriage ceremonies on military bases.

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2013 was hammered out by House and Senate conferees this month after each chamber voted to approve separate versions of the bill.

The White House last month said Obama could veto the act out of concern for the restrictions on his handling of Guantanamo detainees, but Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin said this week he did not expect a veto.

The bill extended for one year the restriction on use of US funds to transfer Guantanamo inmates to other countries, a limitation critics say marks a setback for Obama's efforts to close the detention centre.

Paul said it was a "travesty of justice" that an amendment designed to limit the president's power to indefinitely detain US citizens as terror suspects was stripped from the final bill.

"It's a shame to scrap the very rights that make us exceptional as a people," Paul said, referring to the rights to a trial for anyone held in the United States.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Sudan army 'shoots down' UN chopper

South Sudan's army has shot down a UN helicopter killing all four crew on board. Source: AAP

SOUTH Sudan's army has shot down a UN helicopter killing all four crew on board, a United Nations spokesman says.

The helicopter was hit on a reconnaissance flight over a troubled part of the world's newest country where the government has already tried to stop the UN and rights groups investigating allegations of massacres and other abuses.

Deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters in New York the South Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) had admitted to the United Nations that it had hit the MI-8 helicopter.

The helicopter was in the Likuangole district of troubled Jonglei state in the east of South Sudan, which became independent in July last year after splitting from Sudan.

"Initial reports indicated the UN helicopter crashed and burned. The mission immediately launched a search and recovery mission. It has confirmed the death of all four crew members," del Buey said.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) initially said only that the helicopter had crashed.

"In subsequent communications between the mission and the South Sudanese armed forces, the SPLA told the mission that it had shot down the helicopter," del Buey said.

No reasons for the incident were immediately given.

No South Sudanese government and military officials were immediately available for comment.

The helicopter was on a "reconnaissance flight" in Jonglei state when hit, the UN spokesman added.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Major abalone haul in WA's midwest

Three people face charges in WA after being caught with more than 700 abalone and trochus shells. Source: AAP

IN one of Western Australia's biggest hauls of poached abalone and trochus shells, fisheries officers have seized more than 700 of the valuable molluscs.

Fisheries Department compliance officer Michael Kelly said a tip-off from a member of the public led to the discovery of 488 abalone and 269 trochus shells in the possession of three people.

Of the 488 abalone, 449 were under legal size.

A 46-year-old man and two women, aged 35 and 43, will be charged with several offences and could be fined more than $20,000 each.

Abalone fishing has been banned from north of Moore River to the Northern Territory border after a heatwave in 2011 affected the abalone population.

Mr Kelly said the seizure was one of the biggest in the state.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

More doomsday sect arrests in China

CHINA has detained more than 100 further members of a Christian sect accused of predicting doomsday, taking the total held beyond 1,000 as officials denied cold weather was apocalypse-related.

More than 90 members of "Almighty God", a Christian sect which the government has accused of spreading rumours that three days of darkness would begin on Friday, were detained in the central province of Henan, the state-run China News reported.

State media also reported 17 were held in Beijing, in a wave of detentions that began last week.

The group told believers that a new era presided over by a "female Jesus" had arrived and that tsunamis and earthquakes would rock the world, the state-run Global Times daily said previously.

Temperatures are forecast to plunge in Beijing this weekend, but the National Weather Bureau dismissed rumours that cold weather was a herald of the apocalypse.

"When you get to this part of the winter it's the coldest time of the year," the state-run Guangming net quoted the bureau's head forecaster Zhang Fanghua as saying. "The weather becoming cold is not strange. There is no unusual situation."

Apocalypse predictions have been widely discussed in China, thanks in part to the success of the Hollywood film 2012, which has set box office records in the world's most populous country.

Chinese UFO enthusiasts will gather in the southern province of Hunan to perform a "Mayan ritual" to attract alien visitors today, the Global Times reported.

"If they come to China they will surely come to us," Zhang Jinping, one of the ritual performers, told the newspaper, which added he would burn crops and light a fire to attract any such creatures.

The Global Times added: "However the aliens look, they can't be stranger than some of us."

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labor walks away from surplus promise

THE federal government has conceded it's unlikely to deliver on its promised budget surplus this financial year, in the wake of a big drop in tax revenues.

Figures released on Thursday showed financial year-to-date company tax payments were much lower than expected, reflecting falling commodity prices and continued weakness in the global economy.

The Finance Department's monthly statement showed total cash receipts for 2012/13 so far totalled $111.6 billion at the end of October, down almost $4 billion on expectations.

"That's a really big hit to revenue, it's a huge whack to revenue," Treasurer Wayne Swan told reporters in Canberra.

The budget had been hit by a "sledgehammer", threatening Labor's promised $1.1 billion surplus, he said.

"Dramatically lower tax revenue now makes it unlikely that there will be a surplus in 2012/13," Mr Swan said.

Overall, the budget is so far running at a deficit of $12.3 billion, the new figures show. However, Mr Swan refused to speculate on how big it will ultimately be.

"It's too early," he said.

"We will make a thorough assessment in the new year, we'll methodically work through all the data as it emerges."

Mr Swan emphasised that the worsening in the government's budget bottom line was due to revenue falls rather than increased government spending.

He vowed to continue to exercise spending restraint, even in the face of more volatility and uncertainty in the global economy.

"I'm not loosening the purse strings," he said.

Mr Swan says about $160 billion has been ripped from the budget bottom line over the last five years, and much of that has been since 2010 when the government started talking about delivering a 2012/13 surplus.

"So through this whole period we have kept making responsible savings to fill what has been an emerging and growing revenue hole," he said.

"But things are a bit different now and that's the main point I want to make today.

"At this stage I don't think it would be responsible to cut harder or further in 2012/13 to fill a hole in the tax system if that puts jobs or growth at risk."

Mr Swan conceded the government was likely to take a big political hit over the broken promise but was unrepentant.

"If the worst thing people say is we got the economics right again but fell short on the politics, I would say, so be it," he said.

"At the end of the day I don't care about the political outcomes, I care about the economic outcomes."

Mr Swan said the resources industry was being hit by both lower prices for commodities and the high Australian dollar and the impact was "cascading throughout the economy".

The government now plans to reassess the state of the global economy in the new year "with a fresh set of eyes".

"There's a bit of a pathway through the global economy over the next couple of months," he added.

"It would be good to get some sight of that before we come back and have a much more informed and thorough analysis of the outlook."

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Palmer denies knowledge of Ashby case

Billionaire Clive Palmer (pic) denied any prior knowledge of the court case against Peter Slipper. Source: AAP

MINING magnate and coalition donor Clive Palmer has denied any prior knowledge of a politically damaging court case brought against former federal speaker Peter Slipper.

But Mr Palmer does admit that two weeks before the sexual harassment claims were taken to the Federal Court in April he discussed Mal Brough's candidacy for Mr Slipper's Queensland seat of Fisher with the former Howard government minister and shadow treasurer Joe Hockey.

His comments came after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he had not read the judgment of the case, which says Mr Brough helped Slipper staffer James Ashby with his court action.

Federal Court judge Steven Rares last week found Mr Ashby acted "in combination" with another staffer, Karen Doane, and Mr Brough to willingly act against Mr Slipper and advance Mr Brough's political interests as well as those of the Queensland Liberal National Party.

Mr Palmer is mentioned in the judgment seven times, in relation to Ms Doane's request Mr Brough help her secure a job at the billionaire's Sunshine Coast resort after the dust settled on the court action.

Mr Palmer told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday he met with Mr Brough and Mr Hockey at his resort at Easter, two weeks before Mr Ashby lodged his court documents on April 21.

But he said he only learned of the claim through the subsequent media reports.

Mr Palmer said Mr Brough had called the meeting to discuss his potential Liberal candidacy for the federal seat of Fisher, which Mr Slipper holds.

"At no time did I encourage anybody to pursue Peter Slipper for anything," Mr Palmer said.

"I made it quite clear to all members of the LNP, as far as I was concerned, Peter Slipper was innocent of any crime and should not be pursued.

"I had confidence in him as a person.

"No person of any political party should use the legal system as a political tool."

Mr Abbott said he was confident Mr Brough had "acted rightly at all times".

Asked why he hadn't yet read the judgment, the opposition leader told reporters in London: "Because I am doing very important things for the people of Australia here in this country right now."

"I look forward to having Mal as a colleague of mine again," he said.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said Mr Abbott's admission he hadn't read the court judgment was "staggering".

"I think I recall Mr Abbott even saying (Mr Brough's) done absolutely nothing wrong and there is no question here to be answered," Ms Roxon said.

"If you are going to make such sweeping comments it would be wise to read the decision of the Federal Court judge."

During his UK trip, Mr Abbott delivered a speech to his alma mater Oxford and met with a number of officials including British Foreign Secretary William Hague, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and outgoing Governor of the Bank of England Sir Mervyn King.

Labor ministers this week began campaigning in the seat of Fisher alongside candidate Bill Gissane.

But Mr Brough is still rated the best chance of winning the seat, which Mr Slipper holds with a margin of 4.1 per cent.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cairns croc management plan unveiled

SEPARATING rogue saltwater crocodiles from people is part of a snappy new croc management plan released in Cairns by the Queensland government.

The plan will take a three-tier approach similar to a plan used in the Northern Territory based on keeping crocodiles out of designated areas and removing dangerous animals.

Designed in consultation with the Cairns Regional Council, the plan is the result of calls from several local councils in Queensland's north aimed at making commonly used waterways more safe.

Under the plan's highest tier, crocodiles will be removed from designated areas and prevented from entering them.

A feasibility study will be carried out to determine if construction of barriers such as weirs, rock walls, gates and fences could be used to prevent crocodiles from entering "Zone 1" designated areas.

In the second tier, or Zone 2 areas, crocodiles that pose a threat to the community through either size or behaviour will be removed.

Zone 2 areas will include northern beaches, Lake Placid, a recreation spot on Freshwater Creek and several boat ramps around Cairns.

Zone 3 is a broad definition which will focus on the removal of any crocodiles in the region that display threatening behaviour.

The plan will be phased in over coming months as additional rangers are recruited and a training program is undertaken.

Separate crocodile management plans have also been developed for Hichinbrook, Cassowary Coast and Townsville's local government areas.

"The public should still be aware that northern and central Queensland is croc country, and there could be large and potentially dangerous saltwater crocodiles in any waterway or body of water," Environment Minister Andrew Powell said in a statement.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fed govt cuts forcing bed closures: Vic

THOUSANDS of patients will suffer, with every Victorian hospital copping the brunt of "unprecedented" federal funding cuts, the state government says.

Up to 700 Royal Melbourne Hospital patients will be forced to wait longer for elective surgery, while Health Minister David Davis has written to the state's 86 health bosses urging them to plan for the commonwealth's mid-financial-year cuts.

Mr Davis says the commonwealth's revised funding arrangement with the state, which will strip some $107 million from the state's hospitals, is unprecedented and based on false population figures.

The arrangement will cut $15 million from Victorian hospitals in December alone, Reserve Bank of Australia figures show.

In a letter to federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek, Mr Davis says bringing the cuts in halfway through the financial year makes it difficult for hospitals - which planned their annual budgets in May - to adjust.

"These cuts are unprecedented ... this is no way for the commonwealth to run healthcare in this country," he told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.

"We're obviously very angry with the commonwealth, hospitals are angry ... and the commonwealth could still reverse this very unfortunate cut."

"It will be hundreds of beds and it will indeed be thousands of patients that are impacted."

Mr Davis said the government had attempted to justify the cuts on "shonky" population figures, which claim Victoria's population fell by 11,000 last year, while Australian Bureau of Statistics in fact shows the state swelled by 75,000 people.

"Never before has this style of adjustment been made so harshly, and never before has such a spurious set of figures been used to justify what in my view is an attempt to prop up the commonwealth budget," Mr Davis said.

But Ms Plibersek says the state is trying to cover its mismanagement.

"This is a smokescreen for the Victorian government's own failures," she said.

"Before any of this was in discussion, there were record high numbers of people on Victorian elective surgery waiting lists."

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

New species old threats to Mekong wildlife

FROM a devilish-looking bat to a frog that sings like a bird, scientists have identified 126 new species in the Greater Mekong area, the WWF says in a new report detailing discoveries in 2011.

But from forest loss to the construction of major hydropower projects on the Mekong River, existing threats to the region's biodiversity mean many of the new species are already struggling to survive, the conservation group warned on Tuesday.

"The good news is new discoveries. The bad news is that it is getting harder and harder in the world of conservation and environmental sustainability," Nick Cox, manager of WWF-Greater Mekong's Species Programme, told AFP.

Some 126 species were newly recorded last year in the Greater Mekong region, which consists of Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan.

Some, such as the Beelzebub tube-nosed bat discovered in Vietnam, depend on tropical forests for survival and so are especially vulnerable to deforestation.

In just four decades, 30 percent of the Greater Mekong's forests have disappeared, the report says.

Others, such as a short-tailed python species found in Myanmar are more at risk from illegal hunting for meat, skins, and the exotic pet trade, the report said.

"Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade poses one of the greatest threats to the existence of many species across Southeast Asia," Cox said in a statement accompanying the report.

The list, dominated by plants, included 21 reptiles and five amphibians, such as a frog that sings and another that has black and white eye patterns that look like yin and yang symbols.

The WWF said that while the number of new species discovered was testament to the region's astounding biodiversity, there had been some "worrying developments" that posed a threat to their future.

WWF singled out Laos' determination to construct the Xayaburi dam on the main stream of the Mekong River as a significant threat to the river's "extraordinary biodiversity" and the livelihoods of more than 60 million people.

"The Mekong River supports levels of aquatic biodiversity second only to the Amazon River," according to Cox.

"The Xayaburi dam would prove an impassable barrier for many fish species, signalling the demise for wildlife already known and as yet undiscovered," he added.

The Mekong River supports around 850 fish species and the world's most intensive inland fishery, the report said.

Last month, Laos said it had begun work on the controversial multi-billion dollar Xayaburi dam, defying objections from environmentalists in its bid to become a regional energy hub.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kiwi runs out of optimistic puff

THE New Zealand dollar fell in local trading as investor optimism ran out of puff from the Federal Reserve's plan to print more money and the Bank of Japan looking likely to follow suit after the weekend's election.

The kiwi fell to 84.34 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 85.54 cents at 8am and 84.56 cents on Friday in New York.

The trade weighted index was little changed at 75.26 from 75.31 last week.

Investors' appetite for higher yields has dwindled at the start of this week, with stock markets flat across Asia as Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.4 per cent in afternoon trading and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index down 0.2 per cent.

New Zealand's currency rallied through the tail-end of last week after the Fed embarked on a fourth round of quantitative easing and the Liberal Democratic Party won a sweeping mandate in Japan on the promise of more market intervention.

Departing Bank of England governor "Mervyn King said 2013 could be the year of the currency wars - QE4 was probably enough to tip most of them over the edge", said Tim Kelleher, head of institutional FX sales NZ at ASB Institutional.

"The kiwi's going to struggle to get down as people are attracted by the higher yield."

The kiwi was little changed at 80.03 Australian cents from 80.04 cents last week.

But it rose as high as 71.33 yen after Japan's LDP and junior partner New Komeito won at least 320 of the 480 seats in the lower house in Sunday's election, a two-third majority.

The currency traded at 70.84 yen at 5pm in Wellington from 70.57 yen last week.

It fell to 64.13 euro cents from 64.24 cents on Friday in New York and 52.20 British pence from 52.31 pence.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA dock worker's wrist injured: company

THERE have been conflicting reports about the injury of a worker at a dock supplying Chevron's massive Gorgon LNG project in Western Australia over the weekend.

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) claimed a man was being sent by air ambulance to Perth after he was seriously injured when his arm was crushed between the dock and a barge at the Mermaid Marine Supply base in Dampier.

But a Mermaid Marine spokesman said the worker sustained an injury to his wrist and received medical treatment at Nickol Bay Hospital in Karratha.

He is currently resting at home in Karratha, the spokesman said.

"The health and safety of our employees is paramount and all steps will be taken to ensure our employee makes a full and speedy recovery," the company said.

"The incident is currently under investigation."

12.21 | 1 komentar | Read More

NSW men charged over 290 cannabis plants

POLICE have charged three men after finding almost 300 cannabis plants in the tray of a ute west of Sydney.

Police allege the 290 plants were found during a vehicle search about 10.30pm (AEDT) on Friday at Marrangaroo near Lithgow.

The search began after the 46-year-old driver couldn't produce identification for police during a routine check.

The driver and his two male passengers, 41 and 47, were charged for knowingly taking part in the cultivation of prohibited plant and possessing a prohibited plant.

Bail was refused and the men are due to appear before Katoomba Local Court on Monday.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aussies to spend $8.5 billion this Xmas

Australians are forecast to fork out $8.5 billion on presents this Christmas, a survey says. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS are expected to spend about $8.5 billion on Christmas presents this festive season, with almost a third admitting to feeling pressured to spend more than they can afford, a survey says.

A report from financial comparison company RateCity found each Australian adult planned to spend $511 on average during Christmas.

More than half - or 51 per cent of respondents - said they were going to pay for their gifts using credit cards, the report said.

RateCity spokeswoman Michelle Hutchison said those giving the plastic a workout ahead of the holiday period should be aware of the high interest rates on many credit cards.

"Australians need to be careful with using credit cards to pay for Christmas presents because if you're not prepared for how to pay back the debt, it could cost significantly more than planned," Ms Hutchison said in a statement.

"Christmas shopping can ruin your financial outcomes for the following year."

Of those using credit cards, 81 per cent of respondents said they would pay off the balance during the interest-free period.

At the other end of the scale, 11 per cent said they intended to make just the minimum repayment while six per cent said they "don't know how they will pay back their credit card debt".

Figures from RateCity showed it would take almost three years and cost about $129 in interest to pay back a credit card debt of $511 if someone made only the minimum repayment each month.

The survey found 31 per cent of people felt pressure to spend more money than they could afford on Christmas presents.

The response to this question was greatest among those aged 18-24, with 43 per cent in that age group admitting they felt they had to spend more money than they had.

The survey of 1000 Australian adults between November 28 and December 3 was conducted by Your Source on behalf of RateCity.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

NZ helps Samoa after deadly cyclone

NZ is helping Samoa with the cleanup after Cyclone Evan ripped through the Pacific nation. Source: AAP

NEW Zealand is helping Samoa with the cleanup after Cyclone Evan ripped through the Pacific nation, killing at least three.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says at the request of the local government $50,000 has been offered for the response and New Zealand will also provide a P3 Orion aeroplane to survey the area.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the people of Samoa as they begin to come to terms with the loss of life and damage caused," Mr McCully said.

Further assistance will be considered.

A state of disaster in the country of nearly 200,000 people was declared after Evan swept in from the Pacific and hit the capital Apia on the main island Upolu on Thursday.

At least two children are among three people who were reportedly drowned when the Vaisigano River, which runs through the centre of Apia, burst its banks.

Seven people who were on two boats are missing.

Apia has been the worst hit with houses damaged, flooding, and trees and power poles toppled.

There are nation-wide power outages and it is expected to take two months to restore power to some areas.

A water treatment plant has also been destroyed.

On Saturday morning up to 3000 people were being housed in emergency shelters due to flooding.

The 130 New Zealanders registered in Samoa are safe and well.

New Zealand High Commissioner to Samoa, Nick Hurley, told NZ Newswire Cyclone Evan was the worst, in terms of its impact, to hit Samoan since the 1990s.

He said trees and power poles that were swept into Vaisigano River had an "amazing destruction force".

The category four cyclone is expected to hit Fiji on Sunday and Fiji's Ministry of Social Development is warning residents to prepare for a major weather event. The cyclone, which is intensifying, is expected to hit northern parts of Tonga on Saturday.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Inaction' not option in Syria: Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron says doing nothing is not an option in Syria. Source: AAP

DOING nothing is not an option in Syria, British Prime Minister David Cameron says as his European Union counterparts pledge to look at "all options" available to support the opposition and civilians.

"Inaction and indifference are not options," Cameron, whose government has formally recognised a recently formed Syrian opposition coalition, said in Friday.

The situation in Syria, with more than 40,000 now dead, was "truly dreadful and getting worse", he said, adding that there was "no single, simple answer".

In a statement issued at the close of an EU summit, leaders said they were "appalled by the increasingly deteriorating situation in Syria" and urged their foreign ministers to "work on all options to support and help the opposition and to enable greater support for the protection of civilians".

They said President Bashar al-Assad had to go, with Cameron wanting the "speediest transition possible" to avoid more bloodshed.

Earlier, French President Francois Hollande had said Assad was losing and must be made to leave as quickly as possible.

"On the ground, the war is now turning against Assad and we should set ourselves this objective - make Assad leave as quickly as possible," he said.

The EU so far has stopped short of full recognition of the opposition, although earlier this week EU foreign ministers met the leader of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces at talks in Brussels.

Some EU member states are cautious about extending full recognition to the coalition because of doubts over how representative it is and its democratic credentials.

In their statement on Friday, EU leaders said they supported a future Syria that "is democratic and inclusive with full support for human rights and the rights of minorities.

"The European Council will continue to address the situation in Syria as a matter of priority," they said.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kiwi gains against yen before election

THE New Zealand dollar is headed for a 3.1 per cent gain against the yen this week as Japanese voters prepare to go to the polls in an election that's expected to install a new government that backs unlimited monetary easing.

The kiwi traded at 70.75 yen at 5pm in Wellington from 70.52 yen on Thursday. The currency was little changed at 84.34 US cents from 84.23 cents at 8.30am, down from 84.40 cents.

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, led by former prime minister Shinzo Abe, is expected to topple the existing regime in this weekend's general election.

Mr Abe is seen as an advocate for more central bank asset purchases in a bid to revive an economy that's sharply deteriorated since last year's earthquake and tsunami.

The kiwi's rally against the yen "looks extremely over-done and does look like it needs to pull back to around 68," said Imre Speizer, market strategist at Westpac Banking Corp in Auckland.

Mr Speizer is upbeat about the kiwi's prospects heading into the new year, though he sees it drifting lower against the greenback next week as partisan negotiations on how to avert $US600 billion of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts continue.

Risk-sensitive assets were bolstered by the HSBC and Markit Economics report on Friday indicating Chinese manufacturing expanded at a faster pace this month.

The kiwi was almost unchanged at 75.34 on the trade-weighted index from 75.33 on Thursday.

It edged up to 80.07 Australian cents from 80 cents on Thursday, and traded at 64.45 euro cents from 64.52 cents.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

NZ shares end week on mixed note

THE New Zealand share market ended the week on a mixed note.

The NZX 50 index rose 4.44 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 3979.17. Within the index, 18 stocks rose, 26 fell and six were unchanged. Turnover was $156 million.

The benchmark index is heading for a 22 per cent gain this year, though it has retreated from the five-year high charted at the start of the month, outpacing gains in Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index and America's Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

Goodman Fielder, the Australasian food manufacturer, declined 4.9 per cent to 77 cents and NZ Refining, which operates the nation's only oil refinery, fell 4.7 per cent to $2.42.

The two companies will be replaced in the benchmark index on December 24 by retirement village operators Summerset and Metlifecare.

"There's a little bit of weakness as those changes happen in a quiet market," said James Lee, head of institutional equities at First NZ Capital.

Summerset slipped 0.5 per cent to $2.23, having climbed 66 per cent this year. Metlifecare rose 1.3 per cent to $3.10, for a 34 per cent gain this year.

Chorus, the network company spun off from Telecom last year, fell 1.5 per cent to $2.70, extending its slide following last week's draft determination from the Commerce Commission to cut prices it can charge for access to its lines.

Telecom rose 0.9 per cent to $2.17.

Fletcher Building, the biggest listed company, fell 0.4 per cent to $8.26.

Ryman Healthcare rose 3.5 per cent to $4.39 and has jumped 54 per cent this year. The company was cited as a "hot stock" in 2013 by Craigs Investment Partners, according to a National Business Review survey.

Rural services company PGG Wrightson, picked in the same survey by brokerages Hamilton Hindin Greene and Forsyth Barr, rose 2.7 per cent to 38 cents.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Retailers form new lobby group

AUSTRALIAN retailers may be doing it hard, but they are fighting back with a new industry group designed to lobby governments on a range of issues affecting the struggling sector.

The Australian Traders Group (ATG) will be launched in Melbourne on Friday with the purpose of lobbying governments on issues such as the reduction of the low value imports threshold for GST, the importation of counterfeit products, penalty rates and rent agreements.

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman said the ATG was being formed after the success of the Fair Imports Alliance which ran the campaign on lowering the low value imports threshold.

Mr Zimmerman said the campaign led to the federal government asking the Productivity Commission to further investigate the matter and the ATG hopes that it will have the same influence on other matters.

"We want to raise these issues before both state and federal governments and seek to get good outcomes that will lower the costs for retailers," he said.

While an improvement in consumer confidence was essential to the revival of the sector, retailers were doing what they could to ensure the long term survival of the industry, he said.

"Retail currently employs about 10 per cent of the working population," he said.

"We are a very important part of the economy and we want to ensure the sustainability of the sector moving forward.

"What we're doing is trying to look at ways that we can reduce costs, plus to get an all-round better deal for retailers into the future."

The group, which will include members of the Australian Retail Association, the Australian Music Association, the Australian Sporting Goods Association, the Australian Booksellers Association and the Franchise Council of Australia, plans to meet every three months.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM apologises to Pike mine families

NEW Zealand Prime Minister John Key has personally apologised to the families of the 29 men killed in the Pike River mine disaster.

But they took little solace from Mr Key's words at a meeting in Greymouth on Thursday, as they continue to campaign for the bodies of their loved ones to be retrieved from the mine where they have lain since the November 2010 gas explosions.

"People were upset at the way government had handled things," said Bernie Monk, who acts as spokesman for most of the families.

The families had an opportunity to air their views and they did, he said.

"They asked a lot of questions. In fact the families gave the prime minister a fair going over.

"He apologised to each one in person."

International experts the families engaged concluded it was feasible to re-enter the mine, but this clashed with advice the government had received.

Mr Monk hoped the experts could thrash it out, and believed it would be accepted if both groups agreed there was no safe plan to enter the mine.

"Then we would walk away from it," he said.

"But we cannot move on until there has been at least an attempt to get into the mine."

Lawyer for the families, Colin Smith, said there was obvious frustration at this lack of progress.

A big positive of the meeting, however, was the government's commitment to implement all the recommendations of the royal commission into the disaster.

Mr Key told reporters that if the families or Solid Energy could come up with a safe and credible plan to go into the drift, the government would help fund it.

But he didn't think that it would ever be possible to go deep into the mine where many of the miners were believed to be working when the explosions occurred.

"I told them in plain English that all the advice I've had in my office has always been that it will not be possible to get in the mine's workings itself," he said.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Protesters remain at Brisbane tent embassy

THIS week has seen the end of Brisbane's Aboriginal tent embassy, with indigenous elders turning on each other over its unceremonious closure.

Council shut down the embassy in inner-city Musgrave Park on Tuesday, extinguishing a sacred fire under the watch of Aboriginal elders.

Hours later protesters tried to re-establish the embassy and fire but 50 police, council workers and firefighters moved in to douse the flame.

Three people were arrested.

Mayor Graham Quirk acted at the behest of 20 elders who say the embassy has lost its way amid alcohol abuse and violence.

The embassy was established in March and the fire was originally lit using an ember from the tent embassy in Canberra, in celebration of its 40 year anniversary.

A handful of supporters rekindled the fire again on Wednesday and guarded it, vowing not to move.

Mr Quirk said authorities would move in again but wouldn't say when.

"The elders, from whom I am taking advice, have given authority for any further embassies to be closed down," he said.

Des Sandy, who worked with council to close the embassy, said it had been hijacked by outsiders and some people may feel unsafe walking through the park.

"It has lost its way," he told AAP.

"I think it's an eyesore.

The activists who support the embassy claim council has listened to only hand-picked elders to push its own agenda.

One of the three arrested in the clashes, Wayne Wharton of the Kooma people, wants an investigation into the motives behind its closure.

"He (Mr Quirk) has caused irreparable damage to the Aboriginal community and their relationship with the broader community," Mr Wharton told AAP.

Judulu, who had a mattress at the embassy, said he would remain at the site until he died.

"The mob that's been going to the council, they don't sit down around the fire," he told AAP.

"They're actually nobody."

Natalie Lewis, of the Gubbi Gubbi people, regularly visits the embassy and admits there had been longstanding social issues involving young people at the park.

But she said elders had been working with them since the embassy began and change was happening.

She said the young people had nowhere else to go and drugs and alcohol were banned at the embassy, which she said was a special meeting place that offered hope to the Aboriginal community.

Ms Lewis, an adoptee, said she had found out who her parents and grandparents were while sitting around the fire.

"You learn cultural history here, you learn stories. That's how Aboriginal culture works," she told AAP.

"Everyone is connected, you will never be lost, ever.

"It brings hope and fire in the belly, that Aboriginal people can have strength together. We can live in our law."

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar dies

LEGENDARY Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, a major influence on Western musicians ranging from The Beatles to Yehudi Menuhin, has died at the age of 92.

Shankar, the father of the American singer-songwriter Norah Jones, died in a hospital in San Diego where he was preparing to undergo surgery, according to Indian television news channels, on Wednesday.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed his sadness over the death and hailed Shankar as "a national treasure and global ambassador of India's cultural heritage".

"Mourn (the) passing of a musical genius and gentle soul," Nirupama Menon Rao, the Indian ambassador to the United States, said on her Twitter feed.

Shankar, who was living in California when he died, was born into a high-caste Bengali Brahmin family in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in northern India on April 7, 1920.

He taught close friend the late Beatle George Harrison to play the sitar and collaborated with him on several projects, including the groundbreaking concert for Bangladesh in 1971. The Beatles called him The Godfather of World Music.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Powell says toxins did not fall on homes

WATERWAYS and residential areas have not been contaminated by toxic fumes from an industrial blaze north of Brisbane, the state government says.

About 50 firefighters took more than two hours to contain the blaze in the Narangba industrial estate, which broke out about 12.30am (AEST) on Tuesday outside a tannery and spread to a large factory.

Furious local residents were left gasping for breath after fumes reached their homes.

Fran Jell from the Narangba Community Action Group said some residents considered leaving their homes during what she said was the 10th fire at the Narangba industrial estate in eight years.

"It smelt awful," she told AAP.

"It caught the back of your throat and had a chemical taste."

But Queensland's Environment Minister Andrew Powell told reporters toxic smoke residue had not contaminated waterways or fallen on homes.

"Contrary to what could have occurred, it has settled on the industrial estate (and) not on residential estates," Mr Powell said.

He said firefighters contained the blaze and the spread of toxins quickly.

"(Environmental) officers have been out on the ground and have determined no contaminated material has made its way into the waterways around that industrial estate," he said.

Fire and Rescue Service Superintendent Lance Duncan said the blaze was believed to have started in two prime movers and quickly spread to the factory, which contained industrial and engine oils for export.

At the height of the fire, a toxic plume spread over the local community before a wind change about 4am (AEST), he said.

Supt Duncan said some of the water from the firefighting effort was believed to have mixed with the oil from the factory and washed down drains before crews switched to foam.

The water has been dammed and contained, and there is no more seepage.

Ms Jell wants the state government to move the estate, or at the very least develop an evacuation plan for the fast-growing area.

Mr Powell brushed off the ideas and said his department was working hard to hold the industrial estate to the highest standards.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Parole breaker on revenge mission: police

AFTER breaking his parole twice this year, armed robber Jason Robert Herbert is on the run and believed to be hunting two policemen he blames for the death of his brother.

Police fear Herbert, 40, is heading from NSW to Western Australia to seek revenge on the two officers.

In 2009, his brother Troy Matthew Herbert took a large dose of methamphetamine and was killed on his motorbike as he tried to outrun the officers in Perth.

The two are being offered protection, while Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Peter Severin has ordered an urgent inquiry into Herbert's disappearance.

He had previously been released in April but was returned to jail in July when he broke his parole conditions by failing to report to his parole officer, a corrective services spokeswoman told AAP.

Released for a second time on November 28, Herbert had served 11 years of a 15-year-sentence for grievous bodily harm and armed robbery.

He escaped from his Newcastle lodgings over the weekend and was last seen at 2am (AEDT) on Saturday near the Pacific Highway at Hexham.

He was wearing an electronic monitoring device on his leg and is understood to have simply cut it off.

His mother Ruth appeared on the Seven Network on Tuesday, tearfully appealing for him to contact her and give himself up.

"Do the right thing, don't do anything stupid, I beg you," she said.

The West Australian newspaper reported her saying her son would be coming home to pay his respects to Troy, with whom he was very close.

"I have read Jason is armed and dangerous. He would be dangerous to police. He would not be dangerous to me or his friends," she said.

Mrs Herbert said she feared for her son's safety.

"If Jason is cornered it might be shoot first, ask questions later," she said.

NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson said it was alarming someone could cut off their security bracelet, and noted there had been a number of failures of such devices.

"The O'Farrell government is failing to do the job properly and protect the community," he told ABC Radio.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said his anger was directed at the parole board for freeing Herbert.

"What I'm unhappy about today ... is why the hell this bloke was given parole," Mr O'Farrell told reporters in Sydney.

"What I want to look at first is why he was allowed to have access to this technology by a parole board whose parole he'd broken earlier this year.

"He's described today as a dangerous prisoner by the very same people who gave him parole, that's what I'm angry about."

Police say Herbert is of Caucasian appearance and between 185cm to 190cm tall, with a medium build, hazel eyes and short brown hair.

He is considered dangerous and should not be approached.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic govt overhauls disaster management

VICTORIA has unveiled a major overhaul of its emergency management after determining the response to recent floods and the 2009 bushfires was no longer adequate.

Premier Ted Baillieu released a white paper outlining the proposed changes on Monday, saying it's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform emergency management.

"The reforms outlined in this paper recognise that preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergency is a shared responsibility of all Victorians," he told reporters.

"Everybody has to be engaged and everybody has to be willing to collaborate as part of an emergency management system."

Mr Baillieu said the state has learned from the Black Saturday bushfires and recent floods that current disaster management arrangements are "no longer adequate".

"There are shortcomings and the intention of this white paper is to address those shortcomings," he said.

The plan includes a new commissioner who will oversee Victorian emergencies, from floods and bushfires to disease outbreaks, and a new oversight body put in charge during major incidents.

Emergency Services Minister Peter Ryan said the plan focuses on community, collaboration and capability.

Under the proposed changes, the state government will create Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) and appoint an emergency management commissioner.

"There will be one person who is ultimately responsible," Mr Ryan said.

"It will rid us once and for all of any uncertainty of who is actually in control."

The emergency management plan would only apply during major disasters, not smaller bushfires, floods or other incidents, he said.

Mr Ryan stressed that there would be no amalgamations of any existing emergency services, even though some pushed for such changes during consultations.

Four new government committees will replace 44 existing committees to streamline efforts.

"It will give certainty as to who actually runs the show," Mr Ryan said.

He said the whole idea was to create a structure that avoided the confusion that occurred on Black Saturday.

The February 2009 Victorian disaster saw 173 people lose their lives.

United Firefighters Union spokesman Mick Tisbury described the changes as superficial because the government had rejected a recommendation for the creation of a single state firefighting service.

"I don't know why the government has decided not to go down that track - obviously there's a lot of politics involved," he told reporters.

"Let's stop playing politics with people's lives."

Opposition emergency services spokeswoman Jacinta Allan said Labor would back the changes but said they meant little with budget cuts to the CFA and the MFB.

"No amount of changing names and changing operational systems is going to change the fact that Ted Baillieu and Peter Ryan have inflicted $66 million of budget cuts on our fire services," she said.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Elderly couple injured in SA home invasion

An elderly man is in hospital after home invaders attacked him and his wife in Adelaide. Source: AAP

AN elderly couple are in a serious condition in hospital after being assaulted in a traumatic home invasion carried out by two armed men in Adelaide.

The 76-year-old man and his 71-year-old wife were woken around 12.20am (CDT) on Monday by their dog barking and growling at two male intruders on the upstairs landing of their Burnside home.

Police believe one man had a 25cm knife, while the other possibly had a sawn-off shotgun, Inspector Tim Scammell told reporters on Monday.

The male occupant had tried to close the bedroom door on the intruders and was struck on the head, while the woman sustained a head injury when she tried to fend them off.

"This is a particularly violent and senseless act," Inspector Scammell said.

The husband and wife, who were traumatised by the "brazen" act, both suffered serious head injuries, he added.

Police said the home invasion appeared to be random.

The offenders, who wore hoodies, stole jewellery and the man's wallet.

Police say it was extremely windy in the area at the time and this may have muffled the sound of the break-in and the car leaving the area.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kidnapped US doctor rescued in Afghanistan

US soldiers killed seven Taliban insurgents in a pre-dawn raid to rescue a kidnapped American doctor in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, the NATO force in the war-torn country says.

The mission was launched when intelligence showed that Dr Dilip Joseph was in "imminent danger of injury or death", NATO's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement.

Joseph was abducted on December 5 by Taliban insurgents in the Surobi district of Kabul province.

"Today's mission exemplifies our unwavering commitment to defeating the Taliban," said General John Allen, the commander of US and ISAF forces in Afghanistan.

"I'm proud of the American and Afghan forces that planned, rehearsed and successfully conducted this operation. Thanks to them, Dr Joseph will soon be rejoining his family and loved ones."

Joseph was now "undergoing evaluations", the statement said, without giving further details.

A security source said the doctor had been involved in building clinics in Afghanistan, but details of his capture were not immediately available.

An ISAF spokesman said the rescue had been launched when multiple intelligence sources indicated that he was in immediate danger.

"We felt we had to act now," he said.

Seven of the doctor's captors were killed in the operation, which involved combined US and Afghan forces, he said.

He gave no further details of where the doctor had been held or on the rescue operation itself, saying they could be announced later in the day.

Surobi outside Kabul had been under the control of French troops until April this year, when responsibility for security was handed to Afghan forces as part of France's accelerated withdrawal from the country.

France ended its combat mission in Afghanistan last month, two years before allied nations contributing to the 100,000-strong US-led NATO force are due to depart.

Westerners are a prize target for the Taliban Islamists, who have waged an 11-year insurgency since being toppled from power in a US-led invasion in 2001.

In June, NATO special forces rescued two foreign women working for a Swiss-based charity who had been kidnapped and held in a cave in Afghanistan's remote and mountainous Badakhshan province, killing five of their captors.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

NSW severe storm warnings cancelled

SEVERE storm warnings for the Mid-North Coast, Hunter, Central Tablelands and Northern Tablelands regions of NSW have been cancelled by the Bureau of Meteorology.

Despite the downgrades, a bureau spokesman warned storms were still expected for the areas late on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the State Emergency Service received 50 calls when gale force winds swept though southern Sydney on Sunday morning.

Gusts of up to 85 km/h were recorded at Lucas Heights and the airport, the winds bringing down trees and causing minor property damage.

Before noon (AEDT), the final round of the Australian Open golf championship was suspended at the Lakes Golf Club in Sydney's south, as winds of up to 75 km/h brought down a television tower at the site.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fewer UK patients dying from cancer

Fewer UK patients are dying from cancer despite an increase in the diagnosis rate, a report shows. Source: AAP

FEWER people are dying from cancer in the UK despite an increase in the numbers being diagnosed, figures show.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 431 men in every 100,000 were diagnosed with cancer in the UK between 2008 and 2010 - a rise from 403 between 2001 and 2003.

However, the rate of cancer deaths decreased. Between 2001 and 2003, the mortality rate was 229 per 100,000 males, which decreased to 204 in 2008-10.

A similar pattern was found with women. In 2008-10 the cancer diagnosis rate stood at 375 per 100,000 women, an increase from 342 in 2001-03, while, there were 149 deaths per 100,000 - a fall from 160 in 2001-03.

The ONS data show that the highest death rates were in Scotland - around 15 per cent higher than the UK average for men and women.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Broadcasting watchdog to quiz 2Day FM

THE broadcasting regulator says it will be talking to the licensee of the radio station which broadcast the prank call to the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for acute morning sickness.

The call by Sydney 2Day FM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who pretended to be the Queen and Prince Charles, has been linked to the death of the nurse they first spoke to, Jacintha Saldanha.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Ms Saldanha's death and it's believed she took her life.

The chairman of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), Chris Chapman, issued a statement on Saturday saying the authority "does not propose to make any comments at this stage, but will be engaging with the licensee, Today FM Sydney, around the facts and issues surrounding the prank call".

Mr Chapman added: "These events are a tragedy for all involved and I pass on my heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased nurse in London."

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

ACT launch site for NDIS: Gallagher

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher says 5000 people with disabilities will benefit as a result of the territory being a launch site of the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS).

Ms Gallagher on Friday signed an agreement with Prime Minister Julia Gillard that will see the NDIS launched in Canberra from July 2014.

"The commonwealth has committed $10.6 million for enhanced services and NDIS readiness in the ACT as well as $12 million to be spent in the ACT on sector development," the chief minister said in a statement.

Enhanced disability services will be delivered from July 2013 ahead of the full roll out of the NDIS 12 months later, Ms Gallagher said.

The chief minister and Ms Gillard signed off on the deal following the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in Canberra.

Ms Gallagher said the NDIS in the territory would see additional support flow "to up to 5000 Canberrans with a range of disabilities by 2016/17".

"It will make a real and tangible difference to their everyday lives," the Labor leader said.

"The ACT is proud to be one of the five launch sites around the country. With the signing of the bilateral agreement and the introduction of the legislation we are now on our way to implementing the NDIS."

Friday's COAG communique makes clear that NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT all signed bilateral agreements with the commonwealth to "confirm the operational and funding details for the roll-out of the NDIS in each launch site".

"From this time, under the launch arrangements, people with a disability, their families and carers will start to benefit from a fairer, more sustainable and equitable approach to supporting people with disability," the communique states.

"Discussions on further launch sites are continuing."

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

States sign on to NDIS launch sites

ALL Australian states and territories have signed a broad agreement on the national disability insurance scheme.

Speaking after the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra on Friday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she also had reached individual agreements with Victoria, NSW, the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania on launch sites for the NDIS.

However, Queensland and Western Australia had only signed a broader agreement.

"This agreement means even those places not participating in launch arrangements will learn from the launch arrangements so this will be shared work," Ms Gillard said.

There was also agreement on electricity prices that would save families up to $250 a year, Ms Gillard said.

This will address the gold plating of the system and over-investment in poles and wires, while giving a voice to consumer on the systems design options and choices.

Big users will be able to moderate the power loads they put on the system during peak times and there will be an empowered regulator to deal with the new rules.

"This is a big issue for Australian families and for Australian businesses," Ms Gillard said.

"People have seen a rapid escalation in their power prices and that has put a lot of pressure on peoples' cost of living."

Ms Gillard said schools reform was discussed by state education ministers and more work would follow at the next COAG meeting in 2013.

An agreement was made to release a 10-year roadmap for mental health, an "important area of health care for the community".

The issue of royal succession was also on the agenda, a timely subject given news this week that Catherine Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is pregnant.

Ms Gillard said the states had agreed to co-operate on arrangements ensuring that men would not be given preference over women in terms of who becomes the future monarch.

Removing an embargo on royal family members marrying a Catholic or converting to that religion was also discussed, she said.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said his state's NDIS launch will be based on a children's model, from birth to age 14.

This will be phased in over three years from 2013, with the South Australian government contributing $20 million.

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher says 5000 people with disabilities would benefit from the territory being a launch site of the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS).

The leaders also discussed the royal commission into child sexual abuse and its proposed terms of reference.

Ms Gillard said the federal government would bear the cost of the inquiry but the states and territories would offer in-kind support.

"We will continue that work and issue the terms of reference before the year is out," the prime minister said.

"We do want to start what will be an important royal commission for healing for members of our community and an important royal commission to learn lessons for the future."

The premiers and chief ministers were considering issuing letters patent, a legal instrument which would create the maximum legal power and backdrop for the royal commission to undertake its work, the prime minister said.

"What that means is the powers of the federal government can be bolstered by the powers of state governments, the legal powers for the royal commission's work."

State and territory expertise from past inquiries into child sex abuse would be shared with Canberra.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mexican court backs same-sex marriage

MEXICO'S Supreme Court has ruled that a law in southern Oaxaca state that bans same-sex marriages is unconstitutional, paving the way for same-sex couples to marry in that state and possibly in the rest of Mexico.

In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the tribunal struck down a Oaxaca state law that declares that "one of the purposes of marriage is the perpetuation of the species".

The court said in its ruling that to condition marriages to the union of one man and one woman "violates the principle of equality".

Currently, same-sex marriage is only legally allowed in Mexico City, where a same-sex marriage law was enacted in 2010.

The court's ruling comes from a lawsuit filed by three gay couples against the state of Oaxaca.

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

First Aussie hybrid engine plant opens

AUSTRALIA'S car manufacturing industry has received a shot in the arm with the opening of a multimillion-dollar engine plant in Melbourne's west.

The Toyota petrol-electric hybrid engine plant is the first of its kind built outside of Japan and makes Australia one of only four countries capable of producing the AR-series four cylinder engines.

It is expected to turn out 108,000 engines a year, 15 per cent of which will be hybrid engines.

Speaking at the opening of the plant on Thursday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the new hybrid engine plant was good news for the environment and good news for industry.

"It's a great example of the opportunities for manufacturing that come from Australia's move towards a clean energy future," Ms Gillard said.

"This is a red-letter day for blue-collar workers."

The federal government contributed $63 million to the new plant from its Green Car Innovation fund.

Toyota Australia president Max Yasuda said the opening of the plant was part of the company's overall mission to transform their operations and build a more sustainable business.

"I am a true believer in local car making," Mr Yasuda said.

"Building a new engine plant in Australia is at the head of our manufacturing strategy."

Toyota's senior managing officer Seiichi Sudo warned that even with the new plant, Toyota Australia will face more difficult times.

However, the plant will make the company more sustainable, he said.

Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the plant was a vote of confidence in the Victorian industry.

Ms Gillard said it was a win for Australian jobs.

"We are one of the few countries in the world with the capabilities and skills involved in the manufacture of cars from the design stage right through to the production stage," she said.

Australian manufacturing competed on quality and innovation, as well as on price, the prime minister said.

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu said Victoria was a global leader of automotive production and exports and the new plant built on that position.

Mr Baillieu said he'd sum up the occasion with the words "Oh, what a feeling".

12.21 | 0 komentar | Read More