Tear gas fired at teenager's funeral

CLASHES broke out overnight at the funeral of a teenager killed in demonstrations to mark the second anniversary of Bahrain's Shiite-led uprising.

The security forces blocked access to the funeral of Hussein al-Jaziri in the Shiite-populated village of Daih near the capital Manama, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse dozens of people trying to push their way through.

Jaziri died on Thursday after being shot in the stomach by security forces, according to Al-Wefaq, Bahrain's main Shiite opposition bloc, during Shiite-led protests against the kingdom's Sunni rulers, in which a policeman also died.

Earlier, the authorities said four people were arrested after an overnight attack on security forces that wounded four policemen.

The attack took place during unrest that began on Friday when protesters blocked a highway linking a string of Shiite villages with the capital.

The interior ministry said in a statement that it had "arrested four terrorists possessing weapons with which they had fired on security forces in Karzakan," a Shiite village southwest of Manama.

A police officer and three policemen were taken to hospital after being wounded "by buckshot fired by a terrorist group," police chief Tarek al-Hassan said in statement.

The security forces "had to respond to the attack to defend themselves," Mr Hassan added, without giving further details of the attack or the police response.

Bahrain has seen two years of political upheaval linked to opposition demands for a real constitutional monarchy, with the unrest claiming at least 80 lives, according to international rights groups.

Thursday's violence, in which Jazira and police officer Mohamed Atef were killed, began with demonstrations to coincide with the actual anniversary of the start of the uprising on February 14, 2011.

Clashes raged sporadically in Shiite villages through the night and into the early hours of Friday.

The latest unrest comes amid a fresh round of a national dialogue between opposition groups and the government.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

'We won't devalue currency' - G20

G20 finance ministers moved to calm fears of looming "economic warfare" on the currency markets.

The jitters - similar to previous disputes with China -- have been set off by Japan's plan of monetary easing to boost inflation and activity by reducing the value of the yen under new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"We will refrain from competitive devaluation. We will not target our exchange rates for competitive purposes," said the communique after the G20 finance meeting meeting in Moscow under Russia's presidency.

It echoed a similar recent statement by the G7 richest nations which like the G20 statement was also approved by Japan, whose monetary policy has been vehemently criticised by the West in recent weeks.

The statement made clear that forex rates should be set by markets, and not intervening governments.

It affirmed the G20's commitment to move "more rapidly toward more market-determined exchange rate systems and exchange rate flexibility to reflect underlying fundamentals."

Striving to give the impression of a united front among the world's top 20 economies, the G20 ministers vowed to "work more closely with one another so we can grow together.

British Finance Minister George Osborne had earlier warned of the dangers of slugging out "economic warfare" as countries tried to outdo eachother with successive devaluations.

"Currencies should not be used as a tool of competitive devaluation. The world should not make the mistake that it has made in the past of using currencies as the tools of economic warfare," the British chancellor of the exchequer said.

European capitals fear that devaluations of currencies like the yen would make their own exports less competitive and harm extremely fragile economic recoveries at home.

For the first time in several international meetings, the concerns over currencies have overshadowed the economic troubles of the debt-ridden euro zone which leaders hope is heading to a gentle recovery.

All the G20 states are to a greater or lesser extent faced with the same dilemma - how to boost fragile growth rates without overextending budget deficits or alienating international partners.

The final communique - as expected - stopped short of giving precise budget deficit targets which many governments would have found too tough to stomach.

But it said that "credible medium-term fiscal consolidation plans will be put in place" and implemented taking into account the economic conditions and fiscal possibilities.

Earlier, Britain, France and Germany also launched a new drive to help national budgets by making big business pay full taxes and not minimise payments through schemes such as offshore companies.

The G20 ministers agreed to take measures to combat corporate tax avoidance in coordination with the Organisation for Cooperation and Economic Development (OECD) which is preparing an action plan on measures to be taken in a coordinated move by national governments.

"We are determined to develop measures to address base erosion and profit shifting, take the necessary collective action and look forward to the comprehensive action plan the OECD will present to us in July," the final statement said.

Profit shifting is the practice of shifting profits from the company's home country to pay less tax under another jurisdiction.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Big swing against NT govt in by-election

THE Northern Territory government says it has heard the message, after a big swing against it in the by-election for the seat of Wanguri.

Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate Nicole Manison secured her place in the NT parliament after capturing 69.7 per cent of the two-party vote, late counting showed.

The result was about a six per cent swing towards the ALP from the last election, making the seat now the safest ALP electorate in the NT.

The ALP had called on voters to send a message to the Country Liberal Party (CLP) that rules the NT, and the government said it had heard it.

"This government acknowledges the message contained in the result tonight," NT Chief Minister Terry Mills said.

"We will continue to work with, and engage the community in this period of change."

Commentators had thought it would be tough for the CLP to win Wanguri, which Labor has held since 1989, particularly after recent 30 per cent electricity price hikes and government cutbacks.

The CLP had said the price rises were needed to alleviate the debt held by the public-owned Power and Water Corporation.

But Ms Manison said the result was Territorians sending Mr Mills a message he couldn't ignore.

"People are unhappy with his broken promises and unfair price hikes," she said.

The by-election was sparked by the resignation of former chief minister Paul Henderson.

Counting will continue on Sunday with about 89 per cent of the vote counted so far.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius is 'numb with shock and grief'

OSCAR Pistorius' uncle says the Olympic athlete is "numb with shock, as well as grief" over the shooting death of his girlfriend.

Arnold Pistorius spoke with The Associated Press and two South African journalists about his nephew's arrest for the killing of Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius remains held at a Pretoria police station over the slaying.

Prosecutors say they will pursue a charge of premeditated murder against him.

Arnold Pistorius said the family "strongly refutes" any murder charge against him, though he did not elaborate on what sparked the shooting on Valentine's Day.

Arnold Pistorius said: "They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his private life than he had been for a long time."

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Locks, stocks and a smoking quarrel

Jack Sim will lead tours of Boggo Road Gaol after it re-opens for tourists. PIC: Darren England Source: The Courier-Mail

A TURF war has erupted over access to Dutton Park's historic Boggo Road Gaol. In one corner is the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society , made up of historians and ex-officers.In the other is frustrated ghost tour operator Jack Sim.

The Department of Public Works last year granted Mr Sim a Deed of Licence, allowing him exclusive permission to run tours at the State Government-owned gaol.

Mr Sim was also required to provide fair access to the site by community groups for a fee.

The licence is temporary, for four months, but if a success it could be extended for a further 12 months, a department spokesman said.

The deed was not put out to public tender.

The society says the State Government has effectively locked them out of the site by awarding a commercial entity power over a public asset.

Conditions of entry include a $40-$60 per hour access fee and a time cutoff for tour requests.

BRGHS secretary Chris Dawson said other community groups attached to government-owned heritage buildings should be worried.

"It could be feasibly affordable (to hold tours) but the conditions of it are such that it is not logistically possible," he says.

"There is a real threat here that this public asset is going to be locked away for private profit. There is basically a middle-man between the money and the site itself.

"If public assets are going to be used for private profit, there should at least be a tender process first."

Mr Sim said the only way to preserve the site was to turn it into a money-making venture.

He said he had invested $50,000 so far and employed six tour guides.

"No heritage site should be left in mothballs," he says.

"I first approached the Beattie government 15 years ago and said that this important heritage site deserved to be developed into a tourist attraction.

"At (2012 major tourism talkfest) Destination Q Premier (Campbell) Newman flagged that he would be very interested in new ideas . . . and so I took the gaol before key ministers and raised our belief that the gaol deserved to be open to the public.

"And then I left it up to the Government. At the end of the day they made a decision. These people (BRGHS) have no sense of commerciality or respect for business."

The war of words began late last year in the rooms of Queensland's public service during the Deed of Licence negotiations between interested parties.

It has since intensified in blogs, websites and in the media.

Department of Environment and Heritage Protection heritage director Fiona Gardiner said there was no standard policy requiring heritage listed buildings to be used for activities that contribute to the economy.

Leighton Properties, the company redeveloping the precinct, said that no decision had yet been made about the future use of the gaol, but that they had been "investigating options for a viable management plan and suitable adaptive reuse options for the gaol that include educational, cultural and commercial purposes that are consistent with its heritage significance".

"Leighton Properties and the Department of Housing and Public Works see significant value in the gaol's architectural and social significance as an important Queensland asset, and any attempts to readapt the gaol will be sympathetic to its cultural heritage and increase public accessibility," a Leighton spokesman said.

The office of Minister for Public Works Tim Mander was contacted for comment, but did not respond.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bunk bed crackdown to hit van parks

CARAVAN parks across the state are set to bear the financial burden of re-fitting rooms with the State Government warning of a blitz on bunk beds.

The regulations will become mandatory in October and stem from the tragic death of 10-year-old Elise Neville, who fell from a bunk bed while on a family holiday at a Caloundra unit in January 2002.

Serious injuries are also common with an estimated 450 Queensland children injured in bunk-related accidents each year, with one in every 10 incidents involving a ceiling fan.

An Office of Fair Trading spokeswoman said the department had worked to inform short-term accommodation, including caravan parks and motels, of the changes since late 2011.

Those found not complying could face penalties of up to $1.1 million if part of body corporate or $220,000 if not.

Worklaw Health and Safety managing director Ian Gidlow said there was "no doubt" the caravan park industry would be affected.

"Some smaller and older parks that have relied on this type of accommodation are facing a capital increase in costs and are going to have to make some changes," Mr Gidlow said.

The safety regulations join the 2003 Australian and New Zealand standards that recommend children younger than nine should not use the top bunk.

Newmarket Caravan Park owner Robyn Wright said bunk beds were integral for affordable short-term accommodation venues.

"If you want a family accommodated, then you've got to have bunk beds or two rooms, which makes it too expensive," she said.

An Office of Fair Trading spokeswoman said the changes would come into force on October 21.

"It is difficult to estimate the total number of bunk beds that will have to be replaced by short-term accommodation providers," the spokeswoman said yesterday.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Longer-visa plan to aid rural economy

Diving instructor Ken Lio, from Taiwan, at work on Green Island off Cairns. PIC: Stewart Mclean Source: The Courier-Mail

BACKPACKERS are set to stay longer in Australia following moves from the tourism industry to extend work visas.

In what could be a billion-dollar boost to the economy, Federal Cabinet-in-confidence plans reveal moves to open up working holiday visas, lift the upper age limit and allow up to a two-year stay if visitors work in regional tourism jobs.

Chinese speakers are set to head the new wave of working holidaymakers with Hong Kong visitors and Taiwanese the fastest growing group of working-holiday visa applicants.

Tourist operators are pushing for the proposed changes with figures showing the one-year extension would boost the economy by $700 million in the coming decade alone.

It comes ahead of a global Tourism Australia campaign due to be launched by federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson next month.

Unions are unlikely to oppose the plan, despite the backlash over 457 visas in the mining sector, because jobs are temporary and often unskilled, such as hospitality, house-keeping and fruit picking.

"Ken" Liu Chao An, 24, of Taiwan, has spent four months as a dive instructor on Green Island, on the Great Barrier Reef off Cairns.

"I feel like I'm living a fairytale," said the mechanical engineering student on a year's break.

"I love my life. I love my job. No pressure. Not like the stress at home.

"But time is too short. If they extend the visa rules, I'd definitely stay an extra year."

Visitors on working holiday visas can stay for a year in Australia. They can extend this to two years if they work for 88 days in defined regional industries such as agriculture.

The Australian Tourism Export Council, the nation's peak industry body, wants tourism added to the list.

They estimate a shortfall of workers in temporary tourism jobs of up to 56,000 vacancies in the next three years.

Don Morris, of Hamilton Island, the biggest single resort in the country, said young travellers filled a desperate shortage in staff.

"They make beds, hose, sweep and do the thousand and one jobs that young Aussies don't want to do," said the former Australian Tourism Commission chairman.

"Without South Korean students to pick bananas at Tully, there'd be no fruit in the bowl at home.

"These working holidaymakers are reliable, educated and smart. They work hard, play hard, spend big money and travel all over.

"The more we can do to get them to come here, and stay longer, the better."

Britain, South Korea, Ireland, France and Germany also top the list as latest figures show a 13 per cent hike in working holiday visa applications.

Of the Irish, there was an 82 per cent increase in those coming back for a second working holiday.

Mr Ferguson's office declined to comment.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Imogen holds her swerve in car drama

Peta Barkus with her daughter Imogen, 10. Imogen saved her mum and sister by taking the wheel and driving the car when her mother blacked out. PIC: Ric Frearson Source: The Courier-Mail

WHEN 10-year-old Imogen Barkus' mother Peta blacked out at the wheel of her car on a busy Brisbane road, the quick-witted youngster sprang into action.

After Mrs Barkus, 40, suddenly slumped forward in her seat on Monday during the afternoon peak hour rush on Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo, Imogen reached over from the passenger seat and grabbed the steering wheel.

With her three-year-old sister in the back, Imogen screamed at her mum to wake up and take her foot off the accelerator, but to no avail.

Instead, the cool-headed girl was forced to dodge cars, power poles, brick walls and footpaths for two blocks before Peta's feet slipped from the pedals and the car came to a stop.

She then dialled 000 and called for an ambulance to help her mother, who was rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Imogen was modest about her starring role despite being hailed as a hero.

"I steered the car and missed a brick wall and the (power) poles and I went up on the kerb," she said.

"It was too easy to steer, and I almost crashed, but I didn't. The police called me a hero and now every teacher at school knows."

Mrs Barkus, who has no history of serious illness and who still does not know why she blacked out, said she was overwhelmed by Imogen's bravery and amazed she had the skill to drive a car, especially in such a stressful situation.

"She showed a lot of responsibility for a child her age," Mrs Barkus said.

Coorparoo Acting Senior Sergeant Craig Frazer said most 10 year olds would struggle if put in the same situation.

"I've worked in police stations across Queensland and I've never heard of anything like it," he said.

"It's something you see on TV. It's one chance in 1000."

Her proud dad, Adrian Barkus, said the incident was out of character for Imogen.

"She's (usually) such a shy and unsure type of girl (but) I told her she was a little hero and she had saved her and her mother's life," Mr Barkus said.

22.34 | 1 komentar | Read More

BMW recalls more than 30,000 SUVs

BMW is recalling more than 30,000 SUVs to fix an oil leak that can knock out the power-assisted braking.

The German automaker says the recall covers X5 SUVs in the US from the 2007 through 2010 model years. The vehicles were made between September 12, 2006, and March 18, 2010. They have eight-cylinder engines.

The company says a small amount of oil can leak from a brake hose and cause the power-assisted braking to fail. Brakes would still work, but the problem could increase stopping distances and cause a crash.

BMW says it has no reports of crashes or injuries. The problem was discovered when warranty claims increased.

The company will replace a brake vacuum line hose for free. The recall is expected to start this month.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Danish police find cocaine on N Sea coast

DANISH police say "a considerable amount" of cocaine has washed ashore along the Scandinavian country's North Sea coast.

Police spokesman Hans Roost says German police have made similar findings, adding the drugs could have been washed ashore by currents from a great distance and likely were not intended for the Danish market.

Roost said on Friday the drugs were packed in bags and boxes but would not comment on local media reports that up to 100kg washed up in Denmark alone.

Roost says the street price for one kilogram of cocaine in southwestern Denmark is up to 400,000 kroner ($A69,896), depending on purity.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

US will be out of Pacific by 2033: report

A HIGH-RANKING Chinese military officer says the US will be forced out of the western Pacific within two decades, according to a report.

Fairfax Media reported on Saturday that Colonel Liu Mingfu, at the People's Liberation Army's National Defence University, predicted that American strategic influence would be confined "east of the Pacific midline" as China's role as a power centre in east Asia grows.

His comments clash with those of university colleague General Zhu Chengdu, who told a conference in Atlanta earlier this week that China had "no intention of driving the US out of east Asia or the western Pacific".

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Swan to urge G20 to close tax loopholes

FEDERAL Treasurer Wayne Swan is urging the Group of 20 major economies to close tax loopholes that allow profitable multinational companies to exploit differences in taxation regimes to avoid tax.

The Australian government this week introduced amendments to crack down on tax avoidance by global businesses that use complex arrangements and contrived corporate structures to avoid paying their fair share of tax.

Mr Swan, who left Australia on Thursday to attend the G20 finance ministers meeting in Moscow this weekend, said he would be looking for increased co-operation among nations to close those tax loopholes.

"In doing so, these companies leave all the heavy lifting to the businesses and individuals who do the right thing," he said a statement.

"This is not only unfair, but gives those unscrupulous companies a pricing advantage in the market place."

It's a global problem that requires global co-operation, and the G20 - which is responsible for 85 per cent of the world economy - is well placed to take action.

Otherwise, Mr Swan said while there would be some cause for cautious optimism at the meeting, the global recovery was not yet self-sustaining and stronger growth was needed to address the unacceptably high unemployment in many countries.

"Despite our economic strengths, global economic forces continue to impact our economy, with revenues far from recovering from the worst bout of economic turmoil since the Great Depression," he said.

Mr Swan will speak about the issue at a meeting of finance ministers and Russian president Vladimir Putin.

He intends to have separate meetings with Indonesian finance minister Agus Martowardojo and Japanese deputy prime minister and finance minister Taro Aso.

Australia is playing an enhanced role in guiding the G20's work in the lead-up to its G20 presidency in 2014.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Newspaper sales fall in December quarter

DIGITAL sales of Australia's three big broadsheets have grown by double digit percentages, in a further sign of the shift away from printed newspapers.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) said in its latest report that Monday-to-Saturday sales of national, metropolitan and regional newspapers fell 6.9 per cent in the three months to December 3, compared with the prior corresponding period.

The December quarter result was a little worse than the 5.9 per cent decline in the three months to September 30.

However, figures from Australia's two major publishers - Fairfax Media and News Ltd - showed average daily sales of Monday to Friday digital editions of The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age rose by 13.4 per cent, compared with the previous quarter.

Moreover, sales of Saturday digital editions for the three mastheads were up 19 per cent.

It was the second consecutive quarter the two publishers have reported digital sales.

The Newspaper Works chief executive Tony Hale said the data showed consumers were willing to pay for quality journalism across publishing platforms.

"The growth of digital subscriptions is now starting to offset the decline in print circulations, as illustrated by the one per cent increase in total sales of the mastheads which are reporting their digital figures," he said in a statement.

"Given that the newspaper industry has only just begun reporting digital sales, these latest ABC numbers are very encouraging."

The Newspaper Works, a non-profit body set up to promote the industry, said reporting of print and digital sales would be compulsory for all publishers from the July to September audit period in 2013.

In a separate statement, Fairfax said there have been more than one million downloads of its SMH and Age tablet apps since they were launched 19 months ago.

The two apps had more 150,000 daily unique browsers, Fairfax said.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

16-year-old 'stole car, hit cop'

AN unlicensed teenager is accused of stealing a sedan before hitting a police officer on the NSW central coast.

Police say the 16-year-old reversed a stolen red Hyundai into an officer after he and a passenger were stopped for questioning on Cape Street, West Gosford before midnight on Tuesday.

The open driver door struck the officer and scraped along the side of his patrol car.

The Hyundai, which was allegedly stolen from Ourimbah earlier in the night, was later found abandoned on a fire trail off Donnison Street at Gosford.

The policeman was unhurt.

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy over the incident on Thursday evening.

The boy has been charged with take and drive conveyance, drive manner dangerous and never licensed driver.

He is due to appear in Woy Woy Children's Court on April 5.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Health group calls for booze law review

A PUBLIC health group says time is running out for the NSW government to get its review of alcohol laws under way.

The NSW and ACT Alcohol Policy Alliance (NAAPA), which represents 30 health, community, law enforcement, emergency services and research groups, on Friday said a five-year statutory review of the Liquor Act 2007 needed to be conducted and tabled in parliament by the end of the year.

Spokesman Michael Thorn, chief executive of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, said the review needed to start immediately or the consultation process would suffer.

"If there's going to be a proper and thorough review of the legislation then government needs to set up the processes around that now," he told AAP.

"Otherwise, there will be no time for debate."

NAAPA wants to see the liquor licensing laws revised to give communities more say in restricting the granting of new licences, and would allow them to voice fears about alcohol-related violence, antisocial behaviour or poor health outcomes.

"(Ideally) licensees would need to show that the licence that they seek won't result in any additional harms in the community," he said.

Mr Thorn said the group was likely to call for measures including "risk-based licensing", which would force prospective alcohol suppliers to pay more for their licences if, for instance, they wanted to have longer trading hours.

His comments came hours after Ralph Kelly opened up publicly for the first time about the death of his 18-year-old son while he enjoyed a night out at Sydney party spot Kings Cross.

Thomas Kelly was punched in the head during a Saturday night out with his girlfriend and friends and his family made the "agonising decision" to shut down his life support system two days later.

Mr Kelly told a group of schoolchildren on Thursday that alcohol-related violence ruined lives.

"The hole in our hearts and lives - I can't begin to explain to you," he told them.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK abattoir has deal with Grand National

THE owner of an abattoir embroiled in the horsemeat scandal has a deal to dispose of horses fatally injured in the Grand National race, the racecourse says.

Peter Boddy, whose slaughterhouse was raided by the Food Standards Agency on Tuesday, removes the carcasses of some horses that have been put down during the meeting, Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool said.

The racecourse said it was "confident" that no "unfit meat" had ever entered the food chain.

It is alleged that Boddy's plant in West Yorkshire supplied horse carcasses to a food processing plant in Wales where operations have also been suspended.

They are the first suppliers in Britain suspected of passing off horsemeat as beef.

A spokesman for Aintree said the racing industry took every possible measure to ensure that horses put down after they are injured in races cannot enter the food chain.

"Aintree Racecourse follow these guidelines to the letter and can confirm that Peter Boddy ... is contracted by Aintree to remove carcasses if required.

Aintree added: "By the time these carcasses are returned to the disposal organisation's premises they are totally unsuitable for consumption.

"They are fully signed off as unsuitable.

"Indeed it is illegal for horses humanely put down by injection on the racecourse to enter the food chain.

"We are as confident as we possibly can be that no unfit meat ever reaches the human food chain."

During last year's Grand National race, joint favourite Synchronised and According to Pete were both put down following falls, and four horses died at the meeting in 2011.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rebels shoot down two warplanes in Syria

SYRIAN rebels have shot down two military warplanes over the northwestern province of Idlib, says a monitoring group.

Both jets were hit with fire from heavy machine guns while the air force was carrying out a series of raids in the area, much of which is under the control of the rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The warplanes were shot down in separate strikes, several hours apart on Thursday, near the rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan.

An Islamist rebel group, Ahfad al-Rasul (Grandchildren of the Prophet), claimed in an amateur video posted online to have brought down one of them, a Russian Sukhoi fighter jet, using anti-aircraft weaponry.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks fall despite giant M&A deals

TWO giant M&A deals, the merger of American Airlines and US Airways, and Berkshire Hathaway's takeover of ketchup maker Heinz, have failed to lift US stocks in opening trade.

Fifteen minutes into trade on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 32.64 points, or 0.23 per cent, at 13,950.27.

The broad-based S&P 500 dropped 3.82 points, or 0.25 per cent, to 1,516.51.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite lost 9.84 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 3,187.04.

US Airways shares fell 1.9 per cent to $US14.33 after the official announcement of its long-awaited merger with American Airlines, creating the largest US carrier. American parent AMR Corp is under bankruptcy reorganisation.

Heinz shares though soared nearly 20 per cent to $US72.51 after the shock announcement that billionaire Warren Buffett's investment firm would partner with 3G Capital to buy Heinz in a deal worth $US28 billion ($A27 billion).

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Benedict will lose power of infallibility

POPE Benedict XVI will lose his infallibility - his supreme authority in Church matters - as soon he steps down on February 28, the Vatican says as it struggles to explain a virtually unprecedented situation.

"These powers go with the office, so they will pass to the next pope.... Whoever renounces no longer has the assistance of the Holy Spirit to guide the Universal Church," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said at a briefing.

The issue is complex for many Catholics who believe the election of a pope is divinely inspired and are accustomed to popes remaining in office until death.

Benedict will be the first pope to resign in more than 700 years and only the second to do so voluntarily in the Catholic Church's 2000-year history.

Though papal infallibility was only set in stone in 1870, the idea had long been part of Church history and debate, and the notion of the Bishop of Rome as a preserver of apostolic truth was first mooted in the sixth century.

The special power has been used only once by a pope - in 1950 when Pius XII established the Assumption of Mary as Church dogma - and is limited to "ex cathedra" statements of doctrine or faith that apply to the whole Church.

While Benedict will have to drop his claim to being right all the time, the Vatican said that as ex-pope he will enjoy a pension of sorts when he retires as planned to a monastery with flower beds and a vegetable garden inside the Vatican walls.

"We will ensure he can live a dignified existence," Lombardi said.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

First German horsemeat case suspected

GERMAN officials have announced the first suspected case of horsemeat mislabelled as beef having been delivered to the country amid a widening scandal in Europe.

Germany was alerted via a European quick warning system late on Tuesday of suspicions that mislabelled processed lasagne was, or could have been, brought into the country, a consumer protection ministry spokeswoman said.

It was delivered to at least one trader in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), where authorities are checking whether the product has been withdrawn from the market, she said.

"It also has to be checked whether in the products there actually is or was undeclared horsemeat," she told a regular government news conference.

Officials in NRW state said an examination of documents had indicated that products had been delivered via a distributor in Luxembourg "which are suspected of horsemeat labelling breaches".

They said in a written statement that they believed deliveries had taken place between November and January.

However as a precautionary measure, the German supermarket chain Kaiser's Tengelmann has taken its own branded frozen lasagne off the shelves.

European Union farm ministers are due to hold crisis talks in Brussels later to agree a response after France became the second EU nation following Britain to find horsemeat posing as beef in frozen food.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Societe Generale reports profits plunge

FRENCH bank Societe Generale reported on Wednesday that net profit in 2012 plunged by two thirds owing to exceptional charges but said it had met all its strategic targets.

The bank reported a net profit last year of 774 million euros ($A1.02 billion), a fall of 67.5 per cent from the figure in 2011.

The price of shares in the bank was showing a fall of 3.67 per cent in early afternoon trading. The overall market as measured by the CAC 40 index was showing a gain of 0.20 per cent.

The results had been hit by exceptional charges of 2.6 billion euros, the bank said in a statement.

But the results, excluding these charges, showed a profit of 3.4 billion euros, similar to the figure of 3.5 billion euros in 2011.

The bank said that it had achieved its strategic targets including the sale of its Greek unit Geniki and US investment business TCW.

It would now put in place the second stage of its strategic plan to 2015, focusing on three activities, including retail banking in France.

This should underpin the potential for growth and profitability, it said.

The board proposed to pay a dividend of 0.45 euros per share. Last year it did not pay a dividend for the first time since it was privatised in 1987, in an effort to strengthen shareholders' funds.

The bank stood by its target to achieve a ratio of core capital to loans made of 9.0-9.5 per cent, under rules laid down by the so-called Basel III standard which takes full effect at the end of 2018.

In the fourth quarter, the bank made a net loss of 476 million euros, which was more than twice the figure expected by analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires. They had expected a loss of about 206 million euros.

The statement said that the bank had made a provision of 300 million euros in the last quarter of the year in respect of unspecified litigation.

Net banking income, a key measure of the margin between taking money in and lending it out, fell by 9.9 per cent to 23.1 billion euros.

AFP

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks open higher after Obama speech

US stocks have headed higher in opening trade after President Barack Obama laid out economic stimulus plans in his State of the Union address to Congress.

Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2.91 points (0.02 per cent) at 14,021.61.

The S&P 500, a broad measure of the markets, rose 3.63 points (0.24 per cent) to 1523.06.

Both indexes were extending five-year highs reached on Tuesday.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite climbed 10.06 points (0.32 per cent) to 3196.55.

The positive sentiment on the market followed Tuesday's State of the Union address by Obama, Wells Fargo Advisors said in a market note.

"President Obama's annual agenda included a minimum-wage hike, a boost in infrastructure spending and calls for reducing the budget deficit through tax increases and spending cuts," it said.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Zimbabwe sets March referendum, July poll

ZIMBABWE'S prime minister has announced the country will hold a constitutional referendum in March followed by elections in July, a timetable that will decide the fate of veteran President Robert Mugabe.

"There will be a referendum in March," said Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe's rival in the power sharing government.

Douglas Mwonzora, a spokesman for Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change, told AFP the referendum will be held on March 16.

Zimbabweans will be asked to vote on a basic law that would, for the first time, set presidential term limits and abolish the head of state's immunity.

It would also set the stage for a presidential and legislative election that will be held in July, according to Tsvangirai.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

France's Total reports strong profits

FRENCH oil giant Total has reported an 8.0 per cent rise in net profit to 12.4 billion euros ($A16.30 billion) in 2012, excluding the change in value of oil in stock.

This is the measure, known as the current-cost accounting basis, which is most closely watched in the oil sector.

Net profit on an overall basis, the historic-cost method, fell by 13.0 per cent to 10.7 billion euros.

The statement said that a fall in production had been counter-balanced by high oil prices and a temporary rally of margins for refiners in Europe.

The results were in line with forecasts by analysts who had expected a net profit on a current-cost accounting basis of 12.4 billion euros.

Oil prices were high last year owing largely to tension over supplies from Iran which is the target of economic sanctions against its nuclear program.

These high prices offset a drop in Total's overall hydrocarbon output which fell 2.0 per cent in 2012 to 2.3 million barrels per day in oil equivalent.

The company said it was targeting a two to three per cent boost in output for 2013, which chief executive Christophe de Margerie said would require a special effort.

The group said it was well advanced in an asset divestment program set to unload between $US15 billion ($A14.63 billion) and $US20 billion by 2014.

Total expects to shed assets worth $9.0 billion in 2013, after ceding about $6.0 billion in 2012.

Total is Western Europe's third biggest oil producer, behind Shell and BP, and France's biggest company by market capitalisation, just ahead of former subsidiary Sanofi, the drugmaker.

Total's shares were up by 0.20 per cent in afternoon trading on Wednesday, slightly lower than a Paris market rising by 0.36 per cent.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five WA towns under bushfire threat

A BUSHFIRE that has destroyed two homes in Western Australia's southwest is threatening five towns in the Donnybrook and Bridgetown areas.

A string of bushfires sparked by lightning strikes on Tuesday have swept through the region.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said homes in Greenbushes, Hester Brook, Wandillup, Maranup and Southampton are under direct threat by fire and has warned residents to act immediately.

An emergency warning has been issued for these towns.

Bridgetown and Balingup residents have been placed on a watch and act alert, meaning they should leave or get ready to actively defend their properties as the bushfire approaches.

The bushfire started west of the Blackwood River in Southampton and crossed the river, moving in a north easterly direction.

A homestead in Southampton, 12km south of Balingup and built in 1862, has burnt down.

A home some 900 metres away has also been destroyed.

More than 200 firefighters are working to contain the fire, assisted by six water bombers and two helicopters.

About 3000 hectares have been burnt so far.

Greenbushes and Balingup primary schools will be closed on Thursday because of the fire.

A bushfire advice has also been issued for people in the Blackwood Valley between Balingup and Nannup.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Uni students still worried over fee spend

UNIVERSITY students say there are still problems in the way institutions decide how to spend amenities fees.

But there are some positive stories, with more than half of student associations surveyed reporting they received more funding than in previous years due to the new student services and amenities fee (SSAF).

The National Union of Students (NUS) says its survey of how the fee was implemented in 2012, released on Wednesday, showed a patchwork of funding arrangements and processes.

The new fee, which students can defer in a HECS-style arrangement, was introduced by Labor as a measure to reverse voluntary student unionism.

"There are some very problematic kinks in the implementation of the SSAF legislation that need to be ironed out," NUS president Jade Tyrrell said.

But the union was pleased the federal government intended to conduct its own review of guidelines associated with the fee.

Three-quarters of student organisations told the union their university's consultation with elected student representatives on how to spend the fees was either good or outstanding.

But three in five of the groups wouldn't recommend their university's consultation process as best practice.

The NUS said the uncertainty of funding was a concern, with eight out of 21 student organisations yet to sign any funding agreement with their university.

Another eight had signed interim agreements, while five had come to multi-year arrangements.

"We want to ensure students' money is going back to students and is being used to improve campus life and services at the behest of students, not the university," Ms Tyrrell said.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syntheo slows NBN build in WA, SA, NT

ONE of the construction partners for the $37.4 billion national broadband network (NBN) is significantly behind with its cable rollout in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, a parliamentary hearing has heard.

NBN Co boss Mike Quigley told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday that it has lowered the forecast for the number of premises passed in its rollout to June 2013 due to problems with construction partner Syntheo.

Syntheo is a joint-venture between Lend Lease and Service Stream.

It is the contractor to rollout the high speed broadband fibre optic cable in Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia.

"We are working closely with Syntheo to try to recover the original forecast," Mr Quigley said in Canberra on Tuesday.

Opposition backbencher Simon Birmingham asked Mr Quigley if there were any fibre connections in the rollout areas under Syntheo's control in Western Australia, South Australia and the NT.

"No, these are under all contract with Syntheo," Mr Quigley replied.

NBN Co had lowered its forecast of nearly 300,000 existing premises to be passed by optic fibre cable this June to 286,000.

There were 52,014 premises passed at the end of 2012.

Mr Quigley said 17 per cent of the June 2013 target, 48,620, was under the control of Syntheo.

The government owned enterprise could apply penalties to any contractor that failed to meet its target, Mr Quigley said.

Syntheo has contracts with NBN Co worth up to $315 million due for renewal this year, with further upgrades of up to an extra $510 million if the agreements were extended for another two years.

Those contracts were under renegotiation, Mr Quigley said.

Communication minister Stephen Conroy said the fibre rollout remained on target.

NBN Co is charged to rollout optic fibre cable to 93 per cent of homes, businesses and schools by June 2021, with the rest to be provided by fixed wireless and satellite technologies.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Super telescope costs inflate

THE estimated cost of the first construction phase of the world's largest radio telescope has jumped to 400 million euros ($A525.28 million), the project's director general says.

The increase of 50 million euros takes six years of accumulated inflation into account, and the figure could escalate further once additional costs of splitting the project between Africa and Australia are factored in.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope, with thousands of receptors spread over an area of a square kilometre.

Once completed, the project will allow astronomers to study distant galaxeies in their quest to answer some fundamental questions about our universe - how it began, why it is expanding and whether it contains life beyond our planet.

The SKA will be able to detect a radio signal from a planet 50 light years away.

"What we are undergoing over the coming months is a review of how much Phase 1 will cost," Philip Diamond told AFP by phone from the English city of Manchester, where the SKA scheme is headquartered.

"What we are working towards is... presenting to the board at their July board meeting our informed estimates of the cost of the first phase of the SKA," he said.

"The board will then look at that, decide if they like it, and this will be part of the process then of going out to raise money from governments for the construction."

The project's original cost estimate, 1.5 billion euros in total for phases one and two, was made in 2007, and "we decided we should update the numbers to 2013 euros", said Diamond.

Members of the SKA decided last May to split the project between South Africa and Australia, which had both been bidding to be the host.

The decision has additional cost implications, which Diamond declined to specify but said was "not a significant increase".

Construction of Phase 1, which has yet to be approved, should start by 2016.

So far, about 110 million euros had been allocated to the project for the design phase currently under way, said Diamond, reporting on a board meeting held at the end of January.

"The Phase 1 money will come from the (partner) governments once we submit the proposals for design."

There are 10 full members - Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden.

India is an associate member aspiring to full status.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraq to sign prisoner swap deal with UK

BAGHDAD says it has authorised the justice minister to sign a prisoner swap deal with Britain that could see a British security guard convicted of murder in Iraq head home to serve the rest of his life sentence.

Justice Minister Hassan al-Shammari and British officials have been discussing the deal, which would allow the transfer of convicts between the two countries, since at least January.

A key beneficiary would be Danny Fitzsimons, who became the first Western contractor to be convicted of a crime by an Iraqi court when he was sentenced to life in prison in February 2011 for killing a Briton and an Australian in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone in August 2009.

An Iraqi cabinet statement on Tuesday said ministers had given Shammari "the power to negotiate and sign a draft agreement for transferring convicted prisoners between Iraq and Britain".

It did not say when such an agreement would be signed, or give any details about its provisions.

Fitzsimons, a former British soldier who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, had insisted throughout his trial that he had acted in self-defence during an alcohol-fuelled brawl.

He told the court in west Baghdad that fellow Briton Paul McGuigan and Australian Darren Hoare had burst into his room and pinned him down before pointing an M4 rifle at his face, prompting him to use his pistol to kill them. He also wounded an Iraqi guard before being detained.

Foreign security contractors had not been subject to Iraqi law until the beginning of 2009, when a security agreement between the United States and Iraq lifted their immunity.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indonesia passes anti-terror funding bill

INDONESIA'S parliament has passed an anti-terrorism bill that allows authorities to freeze bank accounts and confiscate assets with suspected links to militant activity.

"This is an important key piece of legislation in (Indonesia's) efforts to combat terrorism," deputy speaker Priyo Budi Santoso said in a plenary session of the 550-seat house.

The new law will also allow the government to request foreign nations to freeze accounts showing suspicious transactions that could be linked to terrorism.

The bill will take effect after being signed by the president.

Indonesia was rocked by a series of deadly terror attacks targeted at Westerners during the last decade.

Most - including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people - were blamed on the al-Qaeda-linked group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

A crackdown on terrorism has weakened JI and key militant groups, and only low-impact attacks have been carried out in recent years by networks targeting law enforcement officers.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Zimbabwe faces Aussie crayfish invasion

SCIENTISTS in Zimbabwe say a freshwater crayfish brought from Australia is breeding out of control in the northern Lake Kariba, devouring the food sources of other fish and putting the nation's entire aquatic ecosystem at risk.

Officials at the Zimbabwe University lake shore research station say the red claw crayfish, introduced a decade ago for a fish farming project, has no natural predators in the wild - crocodiles don't like them - and they produce clusters of eggs up to half the size of a tennis ball that hatch prolifically.

Baby crocodiles still feeding on insects have been observed eating the crayfish, as have Lake Kariba's piranha-like tiger fish, but they generally thrive in deeper water than the crayfish.

Chief ecologist Crispen Phiri said the exploding, migrant crayfish population is infesting rivers, dams, ponds and tanks much farther afield where ''the scavenger eats everything -rotting vegetation, anything organic and micro-organisms" that other aquatic life and fish need.

The red claw crayfish, scientifically Cherax Quadricarinatus, is robust and hardy and cannot be poisoned without killing other natural species, Phiri said.

It survives and multiplies in virtually any fresh water supply and though its flesh is high in protein it is not popular in the diet of ordinary Zimbabweans, even those facing food shortages in the troubled economy.

Phiri said it is not clear whether the sister crayfish, or Cherax Destructor, is infesting Lake Kariba, too. As its scientific name suggests, it is a burrower which can cause structural damage to drainage and hydroelectric installations in Kariba, one of the world's largest man made lakes stretching about 300 kilometres on the Zambezi River along the northern border with neighbouring Zambia.

Like professionals in most Zimbabwean institutions, the scientists are suffering acute shortages of funding. The station's only research vessel has been docked for more than five years awaiting cash for repairs. What the ecologists do know is that the red claw migrates deep into river systems.

"We have to do a lot more work on the crayfish invasion," Phiri told The Associated Press.

''We don't know yet what will happen to the ecosystem. It is an omnivore and eats detritus, rotting vegetation, dead fish, the eggs of bream and other aquatic life as well as all the organisms that are crucial in the whole ecological chain," he said.

Nor is it known exactly how many crayfish are in Kariba lake. Phiri says they are most visible breeding unchecked close to human settlements, harbours and slipways for boats. Kariba's "kapenta" fish, a tiny tropical whitebait or sardine that has become a staple food, was also introduced into the lake but does not migrate because it only lives in deep water lake conditions.

The red claw from Australia was first "farmed" in neighbouring Zambia but has already found its way deep into that country's lake tributaries where its worrying impact is also being urgently tracked.

The solution to the crayfish crisis, said Phiri, seems to lie in commercial exploitation in traps similar to those used to catch marine lobster.

In stores in Harare, it sells for $US9 ($A8.80) a kilogram, $US12 ($A11.73) still alive in fish shop aquariums, and far more in upmarket restaurants patronised by the wealthy well-travelled elite and Zimbabwe's growing Chinese community.

Phiri said impoverished villagers capture the red claw and relocate to water closer to urban markets in central Zimbabwe.

Neighbouring South Africa has banned commercial operations and breeding of the still water crustacean in Argentina, Mexico and Australia is strictly controlled for environmental reasons.

''We don't have the resources on the ground to licence or police exploitation on the right scale at Kariba," said Phiri. "The important thing is we don't want people to introduce it elsewhere."

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

12 killed as unrest mounts in India

INDIAN troops have shot dead 10 people while two others have died in clashes as machete-wielding rioters protested against local elections in the country's restive northeast, officials say.

Official in Assam said some 100 homes were burned and 20 people, including a police official, were injured as rioters brandishing machetes went on a rampage in two districts of the oil- and tea-rich state that borders Bangladesh.

"Twelve deaths have been reported of which 10 were killed in firing by troops while two others died in clashes between rival groups," Bhupen Bora, a senior Assam home ministry official, said in Guwahati, the state's main city.

Soldiers have fanned out to try and quell the violence that erupted in Goalpara, some 120 kilometres from Guwahati, he said, adding that a security forces have also slapped a curfew on violence-hit regions.

"Army soldiers have been deployed in the troubled areas to stop the violence from spreading," Bora told AFP.

Security forces opened fire when rioters from an ethnic tribal group and a rival community opposing the elections began setting fire to villages and attacking government officials with machetes and spears, Bora said.

Television channels showed images of men and women torching houses and engaging in widespread arson.

"The situation is very critical and volatile," said Bora.

Rabha and Hasong tribal villagers are demanding local autonomy and reject government rule in the area.

The protesters said the polls for "panchayat" or village councils that were held Tuesday undermined the authority of their own Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council.

Northeast India has seen decades of friction among ethnic and separatist groups, although some rebels have recently started peace talks with the government.

More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to unrest in the the tea- and oil-rich state of Assam over the last two decades.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

$150k in pay as CMC probe goes on

Transport and Main Roads Director-General Micahel Caltabiano appears at the Estimates Committee Hearing. Picture: Philip Norrish Source: The Courier-Mail

A CRIME and Misconduct Commission investigation into key appointments at Transport and Main Roads is not even close to being finalised almost four months after it began, a senior government source has revealed.

The department's director-general Michael Caltabiano remains stood down on full pay, pocketing an estimated $10,000 a week (before tax).

Since standing aside in late October, Mr Caltabiano has earned close to $150,000 of his $480,000-a-year salary.

The former Liberal MP stepped down when he was referred to the parliamentary Ethics Committee by Minister Scott Emerson for allegedly misinforming an estimates hearing about his work history.

The committee has suspended its investigation until the CMC inquiry is complete.

The long-running investigation is looking at the appointment shortly after the Newman Government was elected last year of Benjamin Gommers, son of Arts Minister Ros Bates.

He was made a senior departmental liaison officer at the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Other appointments in the department may also be under investigation.

Mr Caltabiano's diary has been obtained by the CMC for examination.

Investigators have also been asked to look at the omission of two meetings from the diary when it was supplied to the Opposition under Right to Information laws.

Further documents released to The Courier-Mail under RTI show the extent of access Mr Caltabiano gave to clients of his friend, lobbyist Santo Santoro.

At a lunchtime meeting on May 28, 2012, Mr Caltabiano met with 21 of Mr Santoro's clients - mostly from commercial development firms.

Details of the meeting were originally left out of the diary along with another on September 13, at which Mr Caltabiano hosted 17 clients of Santo Santoro Consulting.

Mr Caltabiano was the only government representative at the meetings, also attended by Mr Santoro.

The stood-aside director-general held at least six other meetings with SSC clients.

Mr Santoro has previously defended Mr Caltabiano as a "brilliant director-general" who was scrupulously honest.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pope says will resign on Feb 28: Vatican

POPE Benedict XVI says he will resign on February 28 because his age prevents him from carrying out his duties, an unprecedented move in the modern history of the Catholic church.

The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new Pope before the end of March.

The 85-year-old Pope announced his decision in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals on Monday morning.

He emphasised that carrying out the duties of being Pope - the leader of more than a billion Catholics worldwide - requires "both strength of mind and body".

"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry," he told the cardinals.

"I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by words and deeds but no less with prayer and suffering.

"However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary - strengths which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me."

The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.

Father Brian Lucas, the general secretary of the Australian Bishops Conference, said Australian Catholics would be surprised to find the Pope is resigning, but will be supportive of his decision.

"I was in Rome with the president and vice president of the Bishops Conference three weeks ago and it was evident that the Pope was frail," Fr Lucas said.

"While he is certainly mentally very alert, the physical demands of the role and the travel and all that is required in the modern world has led him to reflect and pray and take this very courageous and serious decision."

Tim Fischer, Australia's first ambassador to the Holy See, said the resignation was not unexpected.

"In 2010, in the middle of my posting, the Pope said 'yes' he could resign and in certain circumstances it would be his duty to reign," Mr Fischer told AAP.

"Pope Benedict XVI tried to steer the huge ship of state of the Holy See to a better place and his seven-year papacy will be greatly respected in history."

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Benedict's resignation marks a historic moment, which many Australian Catholics would greet with great emotion.

"On his election, Joseph Ratzinger said he wished to be 'a simple humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord' and in his resignation that humility has been amply demonstrated," she said in a statement.

There are several papal contenders in the wings, but no obvious front-runner - the same situation when Benedict was elected pontiff in 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II.

When Benedict was elected pope at age 78 - already the oldest pope elected in nearly 300 years - he had already been planning to retire as the Vatican's chief orthodoxy watchdog to spend his final years writing in the "peace and quiet" of his native Bavaria.

Contenders to be his successor include Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the archbishop of Vienna, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Canadian head of the Vatican's office for bishops.

Longshots include Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. Although Dolan is popular and backs the Pope's conservative line, the general thinking is that the Catholic church doesn't need a pope from a "superpower."

All cardinals under age 80 are allowed to vote in the conclave, the secret meeting held in the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals cast ballots to elect a new pope. As per tradition, the ballots are burned after each voting round; black smoke that snakes out of the chimney means no pope has been chosen, while white smoke means a pope has been elected.

Popes are allowed to resign; church law specifies only that the resignation be "freely made and properly manifested".

Benedict himself raised the possibility of resigning if he were simply too old or sick to continue on in 2010, when he was interviewed for the book Light of the World.

"If a pope clearly realises that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right, and under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign," Benedict said.

The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had an intimate view as Pope John Paul II, with whom he had worked closely for nearly a quarter-century, suffered through the debilitating end of his papacy.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dell looks to calm buyout concern

DELL is trying to reassure shareholders about its proposed $US24.4 billion ($A23.8 billion) acquisition by a group led by its founder, saying it considered a number of strategic options before agreeing to the deal.

Dell Inc laid out the advantages of the transaction in a regulatory filing on Monday, three days after a major shareholder ridiculed the buyout as a rotten deal that undervalues the business.

On Friday, Southeastern Asset Management Inc sent a letter to Dell's board of directors. Southeastern CEO Mason Hawkins threatened to lead a shareholder mutiny unless Dell came up with an alternative acquisition offer.

Hawkins vowed to wield Southeastern's 8.5 per cent stake to thwart the deal that's on the table. Only Michael Dell, the computer company's founder and CEO, owns more stock with a roughly 14 per cent stake.

Round Rock, Texas-based Dell said in its filing that it determined with independent advisers that the cash bid by a group led by Michael Dell was in the best interests of stockholders.

Dell also said the deal allows time for alternate bids so that shareholders will be able to see if there are superior options available.

Southeastern and other stockholders will be paid $US13.65 per share to leave the company in the control of Michael Dell, who founded the business in his University of Texas dorm room in 1984.

Michael Dell is contributing about $US4.5 billion in stock and cash to help pay for the deal. The rest of the money would be supplied by the investment firm, Silver Lake, loans from Microsoft Corp and a litany of banks. The loans will burden Dell with debts that could leave the company with less money to invest in innovation and acquisitions.

Dell said on Monday the deal "shifts the risks facing the business to the buyer group".

The proposed $US24.4 billion purchase price is 80 per cent below Dell's top market value of more than $US150 billion at the peak of the dot-com boom 13 years ago.

The $US13.65 per share offer is 25 per cent above where Dell's stock stood last month, before word of the buyout negotiations leaked out.

Dell's stock has plunged during the past year as PC sales have slumped amid the technological upheaval caused by the growing popularity of smartphones and tablet computers.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nine die in blast near Turkey-Syria border

NINE people have been killed and dozens wounded when a car exploded near the border between Turkey and Syria, officials say.

A Syrian-registered car is believed to have been at the centre of Monday's blast on Turkish soil, local mayor Huseyin Sanverdi told the NTV news channel.

Dozens of ambulances were dispatched to the scene at the Cilvegozu border crossing near the town of Reyhanli in the southern province of Hatay.

An official from the Turkish foreign ministry confirmed the deadly explosion, adding that the blast triggered a fire that damaged about 15 humanitarian aid vehicles.

The explosion happened barely 40 metres away from the Cilvegozu crossing, NTV reported, adding that it might have been caused by a mortar bomb fired from the Syrian side.

Another Turkish foreign ministry official said the explosion did not appear to have been caused by a mortar but that a suicide bomber might have been involved in the blast that smashed apart the gates at the crossing, opposite Syria's Bab al-Hawa post.

"It is too early to make a conclusion as the inquiry is still going on," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The car was believed to have been parked at a crowded lot filled with trucks ready to leave for war-torn Syria with humanitarian supplies, the ministry official added.

The explosion comes after a suicide bomber attacked the US embassy in Ankara on February 1, killing a Turkish security guard and wounding three others.

That attack was claimed by a radical Turkish Marxist group classified as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and the United States.

Monday's blast also came less than three weeks after NATO declared that a battery of US-made Patriot missiles had become operational on Turkey's border with Syria.

Several other batteries of the surface-to-air missiles have also been dispatched by NATO allies Germany and the Netherlands to protect Turkey from a possible spillover of the conflict in Syria.

Turkey, a one-time Syria ally which is now vehemently opposed to President Bashar al-Assad's regime, has taken in close to 200,000 of refugees from the conflict which has killed more than 60,000 Syrians in nearly two years, according to UN figures.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Anglican leader hails Benedict papacy

JUSTIN Welby, leader of the world's Anglicans, says he understands "with a heavy heart" Pope Benedict XVI's decision to step down aged 85 due to his fading strength.

The new Archbishop of Canterbury said Pope Benedict had been a messenger of hope at a time when Christian faith was called into question.

"It was with a heavy heart but complete understanding that we learned this morning of Pope Benedict's declaration," said Welby, who formally became the spiritual leader of the Church of England last Monday.

The head of the 85-million-strong worldwide Anglican communion said Pope Benedict held his office with "great dignity, insight and courage".

The 57-year-old said Anglicans would thank God for the pontiff's "priestly life utterly dedicated, in word and deed, in prayer and in costly service, to following Christ".

In 2010, Pope Benedict made a historic first state visit to Britain by a pope.

The tour was seen as a bridge-building mission between the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches and the pontiff held joint prayers with Welby's predecessor Rowan Williams.

During the visit, Pope Benedict "showed us all something of what the vocation of the See of Rome can mean in practice - a witness to the universal scope of the gospel and a messenger of hope at a time when Christian faith is being called into question", said Welby.

"In his teaching and writing he has brought a remarkable and creative theological mind to bear on the issues of the day."

The Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

US shares ease from five-year heights

US shares have pulled back in opening trade after reaching five-year peaks in light trade on Friday.

Little direction was seen in the market, with traders "waiting to be moved by something", said Patrick O'Hare of Briefing.com.

Five minutes into trade on Monday the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 31.06 points, or 0.22 per cent, at 13,961.91.

The S&P 500 index fell 2.01 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 1,515.92.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index lost 2.87 points, or 0.09 per cent, at 3,191.00.

Google shares fell 0.8 per cent to $US779.30 after the company revealed on Friday that chairman Eric Schmidt plans to sell 3.2 million of his "A" shares in the company, currently worth $US2.5 billion ($A2.4 billion), over the next year.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pope delivered nothing: abuse victims

A GROUP representing victims of child abuse in Catholic-run institutions in Ireland has welcomed the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI after "he promised a lot but delivered nothing".

"This pope had a great opportunity to finally address the decades of abuse in the church but at the end of the day he did nothing but promise everything and in the end he ultimately delivered nothing," John Kelly, of the Survivors of Child Abuse support group, told AFP.

Ireland has been stunned by a series of revealing reports in recent years that lifted the lid on decades of child abuse suffered at the hands of religious members that stretches back to the foundation of the state in 1922.

"We asked the Pope for sanctions against the religious orders who committed the abuse and the religious leaders in Ireland who allowed this to happen but to our dismay nothing has happened," Kelly added.

Kelly himself spent most of his childhood living in Catholic-run institutions and recalls being flogged with a whip and having a religious brother standing on his hands.

Groups such as Survivors of Child Abuse have repeatedly called on the Vatican to bring to justice priests found to have carried out abuse.

"The church needs to acknowledge that all of this happened. They need to acknowledge that they allowed the devil inside and had him reside there for 50 years," Kelly said.

"The church cannot move on. This pope's tenure has been plagued by scandals and that will continue unless the pope addresses the root causes and that can only start from the top."

The surprise announcement from the 85-year-old Pope that he intends to step down marked a first in the modern history of the Catholic Church.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Holy @*!, Twitter's no joke for ministers

Newman Government ministers have been advised against taking on online fights or creating controversy through social media use. PIC: Brad Hunter Source: News Limited

NEWMAN Government ministers have been warned against engaging in online fights or attracting controversy when using social media.

The guidelines for social media, obtained under a Right to Information application, advise ministers to exercise caution when using Twitter and Facebook to avoid becoming embroiled in an online scandal.

Inappropriate tweets have been responsible for landing several Australian MPs and political candidates in hot water.

Most recently, Katter's Australian Party Senate hopeful Bernard Gaynor was suspended from the party he helped build after he tweeted he would not allow his children to be taught by a gay teacher.

Federal MP Andrew Laming has repeatedly found himself attracting negative publicity over his controversial tweets.

The guide for ministers says: "With almost all social media activity happening in public, Ministers should take care when using social media and treat it as another form of Ministerial Communication."

Among the list of social media don'ts, ministers are advised not to swear or post inappropriate jokes or comments.

"Don't get involved in online fights. Ministers should not indulge in name calling," the guide warns.

Deliberately trying to be controversial is also discouraged as is spamming followers or trying to hide Twitter fumbles from the government's media unit.

Ministers are, however, allowed to let their personalities "shine through" with the guide urging them to remain upbeat and friendly as well as authentic, disclosing when their staffers are tweeting for them.

Former Police Minister David Gibson, who used Facebook to announce his resignation from the post last year,

said pitfalls could be avoided with the use of commonsense.

" It is difficult and you can't tweet in the passion of the moment," Mr Gibson said.

"I know myself when I went through resigning as a Minister there were some pretty harsh comments being made...and sometimes you want to respond to that...but you don't.

"If you want to say something, say it. If someone asks you a question, respond and if someone challenges you on something, stand up for your views but I view twitter no different to a conversation down at the bar at the local pub."

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Beach landmark less than ship-shape

DICKY Beach, touted as the only recreational beach in the world named after a shipwreck, could soon lose its iconic attraction.

After 120 years of relentless pounding from the ocean, the SS Dicky has become more of a tourist danger than drawcard, some locals say.

Retiree Paul Seto, 60, from neighbouring Moffat Beach, said the ill-fated iron steamboat, grounded in cyclonic conditions in 1893, had finally "lost its ship shape".

Mr Seto said that without intervention, the photographer's favourite would be gone by the end of the year.

"It's basically half a wreck. The Dicky is now a one-sided obstacle for the ocean, which will soon win the battle," he said.

"There are so many holes the waves no longer break along it. They smash through the gaps and this is accelerating its demise."

Council has made numerous attempts to rust-proof and strengthen the remains, but none have proved a match for the power of the sea.

Sunshine Coast councillor for the area, Tim Dwyer, said a renewed effort was needed to preserve the seaside treasure.

Cr Dwyer said he was aware of community concerns about safety and he was keen to work with council and maritime experts to look at best options.

"It would be a great loss for locals and visitors if the wreck was to disappear. It's part of Caloundra," he said.

Rosa Collins, of Portobello by the Sea Resort at Dicky Beach, said the wreck was a favourite with tourists and she was not aware of anyone being hurt by its rusting shell.

"It's not a holiday here without a photo of the wreck.

We would hate to see it go."

Dicky Beach Surf Life Saving Club stalwart Bob Flynn said the relic he had watched for 40 years was fast disappearing and he did not feel anything could be done to save it.

"Mother Nature can't be beaten and the sad day is approaching when the Dicky will be no more," he said.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Trev checks with Kev before poll tilt

Chris Trevor on the campaign trail during the 2010 election campaign. He's looking at running again, but will talk to former PM Kevin Rudd first. PIC: Darren England Source: The Courier-Mail

FORMER Labor MP Chris Trevor says he wants to seek "permission" from Kevin Rudd to recontest his old central Queensland seat because he does not want to "betray" the former prime minister.

Mr Trevor, who lost his seat of Flynn in 2010, said the way Julia Gillard rolled Mr Rudd in 2010 "substantially contributed" to his own defeat at the election that year - and would dog Labor until this year's September 14 poll.

The former MP said he would stand a better chance of winning back his seat if Mr Rudd made a comeback.

"If Julia Gillard remains prime minister there is a good chance of us winning the seat," Mr Trevor told The Courier-Mail. "But if Kevin was to return, I think obviously our chances would be better."

However, Mr Trevor said he missed representing his local area and wanted to be a candidate in Ms Gillard's team if he got the nod from the former prime minister.

"Once my decision is made about recontesting Flynn, I will give her (Ms Gillard) my full support," he said.

"But I want to speak to Kevin first . . . I don't want to betray him."

Mr Trevor, who runs a Gladstone legal practice, is considered by Labor strategists to be the party's only chance of winning back Flynn.

But his dogged support of Mr Rudd poses a challenge to Labor's election message.

Mr Trevor said he predicted at the time Mr Rudd was dumped that it would take two elections for voters to "forgive and forget" and warned the leadership turmoil would continue to haunt Labor this year.

He urged the party to heal the tension by reaching out to Mr Rudd and called on Labor powerbrokers to publicly "apologise" for Mr Rudd's dumping.

Despite his warnings, Mr Trevor said Labor could capitalise on a voter backlash against the LNP as a result of cuts to health and emergency services.

The former MP has been active in Labor organised rallies against cuts to the Moura Hospital and Eidsvold Hospital.

Mr Rudd's office said it was trying to schedule a meeting with Mr Trevor.

The former prime minister has recently increased his public activity.

He has also complained about a federal police investigation into a YouTube video of him swearing that helped spark his leadership challenge last year, and released documents about the inquiry he obtained under Freedom of Information laws.

Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop added to the intrigue around Mr Rudd yesterday, saying she would consider him for a diplomatic post if the Coalition won the election.

"He has talents and ability and experience in foreign policy that shouldn't be wasted, and I think former prime ministers usually have a contribution to make," Ms Bishop told Sky News.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Over 100 slain in South Sudan cattle raid

MORE than 100 people including women and children have been killed in a cattle raid by heavily-armed rebels in South Sudan's troubled Jonglei state, the governor says.

The people of Walgak in Akobo County were migrating north to the wetlands with cattle on Friday "and were being escorted by an army platoon when they came under attack by a huge force using automatic weapons", Jonglei governor Kuol Manyang said on Sunday.

He said 103 people were killed, including 14 soldiers from the platoon, while the rest were civilians, mostly women and children.

Deputy military spokesman Kella Kueth confirmed the incident and said some 500 people were still missing.

He was not however able to confirm the military casualties.

Manyang said the raiders were a mixture of civilians and armed rebels and were all ethnic Murle from Pibor County in Jonglei.

Six months after South Sudan declared independence from Sudan, its eastern Jonglei state was engulfed in ethnic violence when thousands of youths from the Lou Nuer tribe marched on Pibor vowing to wipe out the Murle.

The UN says more than 600 people were killed in that attack and about 300 more in smaller reprisal attacks. Local estimates were much higher, running into the thousands.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chinese 'ping pong diplomacy' figure dies

ZHUANG Zedong, a key figure in 1971's groundbreaking "ping pong diplomacy" between China and the United States, has died, China's official Xinhua News Agency reports.

Zhuang was 72 and had struggled with cancer since 2008.

A three-time world champion in table tennis, Zhuang won new fame by presenting a gift to American player Glenn Cowan, who had inadvertently boarded a bus carrying the Chinese team at the World Championships in Nagoya, Japan, in 1971.

Zhuang and Cowan were photographed together, creating an international sensation at a time when China and the US were bitter Cold War rivals.

Under orders from Chinese leader Mao Zedong, the 15-member American team was then invited to China at the end of the Nagoya championships for an ice-breaking visit.

Ten months later, President Richard Nixon made a surprise visit to China, leading to the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1979.

Zhuang became a favourite of Mao's wife, Jiang Qing, a member of the notorious Gang of Four, which held sway over China's cultural scene during the radical 1966-76 Cultural Revolution.

Jiang appointed Zhuang to a number of political posts in the sports ministry.

Zhuang came under investigation after the Gang was deposed and Jiang imprisoned following Mao's death in 1976, and subsequently spent years coaching the provincial team in the northern province of Shanxi.

He returned to Beijing in 1985 and coached young players for several years.

Zhuang was married twice and had one daughter.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Britain rules out 'panic' EU meat ban

BRITAIN'S food minister has ruled out imposing a ban on importing meat from EU countries due to the horsemeat scandal unless there is a threat to human health.

Owen Paterson dismissed the idea of slapping an immediate ban on such imports but warned he would not hesitate to do so if public health was at risk.

Eating horse is considered taboo in Britain and tests have found some frozen ready meals produced in mainland Europe and labelled as processed beef actually contained up to 100 per cent horsemeat, triggering a Europe-wide scandal.

Asked by Sky News television on Sunday about imposing a ban, he said: "Arbitrary measures like that are not actually going to help. Firstly we are bound by the rules of the European market.

"Should this move from an issue of labelling and fraud and there is evidence of material which represents a serious threat to human health, I won't hesitate to take action.

"But at the moment we do not have evidence that these materials are a threat to human health; they are a case of mislabelling.

"That is not the basis for a panic measure stopping all imports, which would be in breach of the rules of the market."

Paterson said he feared there could be a "criminal conspiracy" afoot to hoodwink consumers by passing off horsemeat as beef.

The head of the British parliament's food affairs scrutiny panel earlier called for a ban on EU meat imports.

Anne McIntosh, chair of the House of Commons' Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, urged consumers to buy British beef to reassure themselves that it is not contaminated with equine flesh.

"I believe there should be a moratorium on the movement of all meat until such time as we can trace the source of the contamination and until we can establish whether there has been fraud either of the meat or of the labelling," she said.

"None of our meat, none of our slaughter houses, are implicated and we should be buying as local as possible and we should be buying fresh meat from the butcher, farm shop and supermarket," she said.

Meanwhile Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was "very confident" that hospitals were making sure they were not providing horsemeat dressed up as beef to patients.

"All hospitals have a responsibility to make sure that the food they're serving is safe," he told BBC television.

"We don't believe at the moment that there are public safety issues," he said.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mali troops, rebels battle in Gao

A GUN battle between Malian soldiers and suspected Islamist rebels has erupted in the streets of Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, which has been rocked by suicide bombings each of the past two days.

The two groups were trading gunfire in the centre of the city, near the central police station, an AFP correspondent said.

French-led forces reclaimed Gao on January 26 from al-Qaeda-linked rebels who had seized control of northern Mali for 10 months in the wake of a military coup.

The street battle comes after a suicide bomber blew himself up late Saturday at an army checkpoint at the entrance to the city, following a similar attack on the same spot the day before.

The two suicide blasts were the first such attacks in Mali.

The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), one of the Islamist groups that had occupied the north before being pushed out by the French intervention launched on January 11, claimed the first attack, and had threatened earlier Saturday that there would be more.

"We are dedicating ourselves to carrying out more attacks against France and its allies. We ask the local population to stay far away from military zones and avoid explosions," spokesman Abou Walid Sahraoui said.

The two suicide bombers were the only fatalities in the attacks.

One soldier was slightly wounded in Friday's bombing.

No one else was wounded in Saturday's attack, a soldier at the checkpoint said.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More