Obama renews call for efficient energy

US President Barack Obama has renewed his call for the development of new technologies to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and move American cars and trucks off petrol and diesel.

"The only way we're going to break this cycle of spiking gas (petrol) prices for good is to shift our cars and trucks off of oil for good," Obama said on Saturday in his weekly radio and internet address.

"That's why, in my State of the Union Address, I called on Congress to set up an Energy Security Trust to fund research into new technologies that will help us reach that goal."

On Friday, Obama visited the Argonne National Laboratory outside of Chicago, a research facility that is focusing on electric car engines and other ways of reducing US dependence on oil.

The president is proposing to take some of the oil and gas revenues from public lands and put it toward research on energy efficient engines, developing cheaper batteries and advancing biofuels and natural gas.

"Now, this idea isn't mine," Obama said. "It's actually built off a proposal put forward by a non-partisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals. So let's take their advice and free our families and our businesses from painful spikes in gas prices once and for all."

Obama last month called on Congress to do more to combat climate change and he plans to introduce further efficiency standards for cars and renew a push on the development of wind, solar and cleaner natural gas energy.

His proposed reforms face a tough ride in Congress, however, as Republicans have criticised government spending on green energy programs during Obama's first term, arguing that the outcomes did not justify the cost.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pope wants a 'poor Church for the poor'

POPE Francis says he wants "a poor Church for the poor".

He says he chose his papal name because St Francis of Assisi was "a man of poverty and a man of peace".

"How I would like a poor church for the poor," he said at a meeting with hundreds of journalists from around the world at he Vatican on Saturday.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man arrested over Vic brothers' deaths

A BENDIGO man has been arrested in connection to the shooting deaths of two brothers in country Victoria.

Douglas and John Streeter, both aged in their 60s, were found dead at their property at Natte Yallock, near Avoca, on Thursday night.

A 30-year-old man was on Saturday arrested at Avoca in connection with the deaths.

He was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital with self-inflicted injuries.

Police said the man's injuries were not life-threatening, but he is expected to remain in hospital for at least another day.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pope sets date to visit predecessor

Pope Francis has set a date to visit Benedict XVI at the papal summer residence, Castel Gandolfo. Source: AAP

THE Vatican has set the date for a historic meeting between Pope Francis and the first pope to resign in 600 years.

Pope Francis and Benedict XVI will meet privately over lunch at the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo next Saturday.

Other engagements include a session with the leader of the Argentina.

The Pope has sharply criticised President Christina Fernandez over her support for liberal measures such as gay marriage and free contraceptives.

But the most closely watched appointment will be the unprecedented meeting between a pope and a former pope in the hills south of Rome with Benedict XVI.

Benedict has promised to remain outside church affairs and dedicate himself to prayer and meditation. Pope Francis, however, has not been reluctant to invoke Benedict's legacy and memory in both an acknowledgment of the unusual dimensions of his papacy and also a message that he is comfortable and fully in charge.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia reclaims national Twitter handle

Tourism Australia has claimed the national Twitter handle @Australia. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA has finally reclaimed its national Twitter handle after a long battle with the private individual who registered the account years ago, but let it slip into dereliction.

After months of trying, Tourism Australia has adopted the much-coveted @Australia handle, in a move which should give the nation's social media profile a significant boost.

Dozens of governments around the world use their national Twitter handles - @GreatBritain or @SouthAfrica, for example - to promote their nations overseas and interact with millions of potential visitors.

But the @Australia handle was snapped up by a private individual early in Twitter's existence, and it sat dormant, with just one tweet sent from the account in its entire life.

The dormant account attracted about 6500 followers and Twitter users overseas often included @Australia in their tweets when referring to Australia - not knowing it was essentially a dud account.

It's not clear if the account was even registered to an Australian.

Tourism Australia, in the meantime, was forced to use the @SeeAustralia handle as its main consumer Twitter account.

It was popular, attracting tens of thousands of followers.

But experts agreed it had neither the reach nor marketing impact of @Australia.

"The advantages of having a country handle are pretty obvious," a Tourism Australia spokesman told AAP.

"@Sweden, @GreatBritain & @SouthAfrica are all managed by the country's tourism boards.

"We believe the added visibility will significantly help extend the reach on Tourism Australia's consumer Twitter account."

Tourism Australia had long coveted @Australia and made numerous attempts to contact the owner of the dormant account to negotiate a transfer.

The owner did not respond.

Twitter rules state any account inactive over a prolonged period will be removed - and it appears those rules have been invoked with the @Australia handle.

Twitter did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Other social media users welcomed the reclamation of @Australia.

"I see that @Australia has been reclaimed by Australia. Thanks #Twitter - nice one," one Canberra-based user wrote.

In response, another user joked: "I bet it was those pesky Kiwis who had it."

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Planned burnings set to resume in Victoria

Tanya Plibersek says relations may be improving between the Victorian and Commonwealth government. Source: AAP

MELBOURNE March 15 AAP - Victorians can expect less hazardous fires because of controlled burns, set to resume in light of improving weather conditions, the state government says.

As the recent heatwave that gripped Melbourne eases, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and Parks Victoria will resume their fuel reduction program.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Ryan Smith said the state government was stepping up its efforts to protect Victorians from wild fire hazards.

"Planned burning is an important part of our work to reduce the threat of severe bushfires," he said.

DSE chief fire officer Alan Goodwin said the decision to restart planned burns had been made subject to suitable weather conditions.

"We know that seeing smoke when the weather is still warm, especially after experiencing bushfires like we've had, can cause concern for some people," he said.

"It's vital that we carry out these planned burns whenever the weather is right."

About 215,000 hectares of land is marked for burning.

Fuel reduction includes the controlled burning of grassland, branches and other materials that are highly flammable in extreme heat.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qantas owes workers $50,000: union

The Transport Workers Union of NSW says about 400 workers are owed $50,000 by Qantas. Source: AAP

A UNION says $50,000 in disability allowances owed by Qantas to 400 workers will be donated to a charity if the airline pays up.

The Transport Workers Union of NSW said on Friday the money was part of a disability allowance under the terms of their Workplace Agreement for exposure to construction work.

It says about 400 workers are owed the entitlement from the airline with amounts ranging from as little as $5 up to about $200 per person.

"This money has not been paid despite an agreement months ago that the airline would cough up the entitlements," the union's Sydney sub-branch secretary, Mick Pieri, said in a statement.

"The airline quibbled over the exact amounts owed to our members and argued that some members were entitled to very little, if anything at all.

"Rather than engage in a long legal battle over a few hundred dollars per person, our members decided that it would be better to donate the agreed combined total to charity."

A Qantas spokesman said the money would be paid straight to workers, who could then make their own decisions about where it should go.

"Qantas has made it clear that we will make these payments for the agreed amounts directly to our employees," he said.

"We have been awaiting confirmation from the Transport Workers Union on this before proceeding."

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five face jail over fake UK movie

THE clue was in the title.

In some ways A Landscape of Lies was a typical indie film, with a tiny budget, a B-list cast and an award from an American film festival.

What made it special was that it was created solely to cover up a huge tax fraud.

Five people in Britain face jail sentences after being convicted this week of attempting to bilk the government of STG2.8 million ($A4.1 million) in a moviemaking scam reminiscent of Academy Award-winning hit Argo - without the heroic hostage rescue.

Prosecutors and tax authorities say the fraudsters claimed to be producing a made-in-Britain movie with unnamed A-list actors and a STG19 million budget supplied by a Jordanian firm.

In fact, officials say, the project was a sham, set up to claim almost STG1.5 million in goods and services tax for work that had not been done, as well as STG1.3 million under a government program that allows filmmakers to claim back up to 25 per cent of their expenditure as tax relief.

Britain's tax agency, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, said that the filmmakers had submitted paperwork and already received STG1.7 million when checks revealed "that the work had not been done and most of the so-called suppliers and film studios had never heard of the gang."

The self-described movie producers were arrested on suspicion of tax fraud in April 2011 - and decided their best shot at avoiding criminal charges was to hastily make a film.

Paul Knight, a true-crime writer turned low-budget filmmaker, was hired to write and direct A Landscape of Lies, described in its internet movie database entry as a crime thriller about a Gulf War veteran out for justice for a murdered comrade.

The production was announced in film industry magazines. The casting of Andrea McLean, a host of talk show Loose Women,as a troubled, bisexual therapist was reported in the tabloid Sun. The producers also recruited a former soap actor - Marc Bannerman from the BBC's EastEnders"

Neither the stars nor Knight were accused of knowing about the fraud.

A Landscape of Lies was released straight to DVD in Britain in 2011. But it did garner some fans, winning a commendation called a Silver Ace award at last year's Las Vegas Film Festival.

That wasn't enough to deter the tax authorities. Five producers from various parts of Britain - Bashar Al-Issa, Aoife Madden, Tariq Hassan, Ian Sherwood and Osama Al Baghdady - were convicted Tuesday of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue at London's Southwark Crown Court. They will be sentenced March 25.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wild cyclonic weather to hit Lord Howe

A tropical cyclone is expected to cause extreme winds and surf on Lord Howe Island. Source: AAP

A TROPICAL cyclone is expected to pass close by Lord Howe Island on Friday morning, lashing the island with damaging winds and surf, the weather bureau says.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said on Thursday night that the category two cyclone was tracking south in the northern Tasman sea, and would pass to the east of the Pacific island on Friday morning.

On its website, BoM said the island off the NSW coast could expect "damaging surf, heavy swells and abnormally high tides" through the rest of Thursday and Friday.

This included wind gusts up to 150km/h until the early hours of Friday, it said.

BoM advised that the cyclone would weaken as it passed by the island.

It also said heavy rain caused by the cyclonic conditions would probably cause flash flooding overnight.

Residents and holidaymakers on Lord Howe Island were being warned to bunker down as the cyclone approaches.

Luke Hanson, the manager of the largest guest lodge on the island, said the conditions were "scary" as the cyclonic winds headed for the island.

"This cyclone's a direct hit, this will be the first time we've been whacked by a category two," Mr Hanson told AAP by phone.

"Everyone's a bit nervous, we've been getting all the guests settled, they've all had an early dinner and gone to bed, and they're just going to ride out the night.

"They don't come to Lord Howe Island in March thinking they're going to get hit by a cyclone."

He said residents had been strapping down outside furniture and sandbagging in preparation for the weather to worsen overnight.

Meanwhile, a high seas weather warning has been issued for Tropical Cyclone Tim, which is currently about 500km east northeast of Cairns.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man's body found near Broken Hill

THE body of an elderly man has been found near Broken Hill in outback NSW.

Police said two elderly men, aged 81 and 78, went missing on Wednesday near Broken Hill after leaving the isolated mining town in a four-wheel drive.

Police told AAP on Thursday night that a search for the men was launched on Thursday, and the vehicle was located on Thursday.

One of the elderly men was found deceased near the vehicle while the other man was found alive, they said.

The 4WD may have become bogged, police said.

The ABC reports that the men were on a prospecting trip in a remote part of the region.

It also reports that the man who was found alive has been taken to hospital and is in a stable condition.

In a statement, police said the 4WD was found in remote country known as Euriowie, about 70km north of Broken Hill, about 1.45pm (AEDT) on Thursday.

Police say a report will be prepared for the coroner.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK, France prepared to arm Syrian rebels

FRANCE and Britain are ready to arm rebels in Syria, even without full support from the European Union, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says.

UK government sources said on Thursday that no decision had been taken to seek the lifting of the EU arms embargo on Syria, but "all options" remain on the table.

Prime Minister David Cameron hinted earlier this week that Britain could decide to ignore the arms ban and supply weapons to rebels fighting Bashar Assad's regime, telling MPs that he hoped the EU would act together if it became necessary, but "it's not out of the question we might have to do things in our own way".

Cameron is visiting Brussels for a summit with other EU leaders, but Downing Street said Syria was not expected to feature on the agenda.

It is understood that Britain wants to see what impact is achieved by the recent move to supply "non-lethal" assistance - including armoured cars, body armour and secure communications equipment - before further decisions are taken.

Fabius on Thursday suggested London and Paris could ask for an EU meeting planned for May to be brought forward, possibly to the end of March.

Speaking to France Info radio, Fabius said Britain and France were asking the Europeans to lift the arms embargo "so that the resistance fighters have the possibility of defending themselves".

If unanimous EU support for lifting the measure is lacking, the French and British governments would decide to deliver weapons, Fabius said, adding that France "is a sovereign nation".

"We must move quickly," he said.

Responding to Fabius's remarks, a UK foreign office spokesman said: "Our objective is clear - an end to the violence and a political transition to a more democratic Syria through a political solution.

"As it stands, the political track has little chance of gathering momentum unless the regime feels compelled to come to the negotiating table. They need to feel that the balance on the ground has shifted against them.

"The foreign secretary has been clear he hasn't ruled out any options for the future."

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Govt lets down defence victims: taskforce

THE head of a taskforce investigating alleged abuses in the defence force says he's disillusioned with the federal government's failure to act on claims - and thinks victims may be too.

DLA Piper taskforce leader Gary Rumble told a Senate Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade hearing on Thursday that he was disappointed none of the matters raised in a 2012 report had been acted on.

Law firm DLA Piper was commissioned to examine abuse allegations following the Skype scandal at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in 2011 and uncovered 775 plausible abuse allegations across every decade since the 1950s. The earliest related to events in 1951.

"I am deeply concerned that the government's lack of action and decision last year may have distressed individuals who were hoping for some response to their specific issue (and) worn down the willingness of those who told their stories ... to continue to be involved," Dr Rumble said.

He said he was worried the lack of action would encourage perpetrators and potential witnesses to think they could escape punishment.

Dr Rumble said the taskforce had been directed to write a second report for the Chief of the Defence Force and Service Chiefs but only the defence minister, Stephen Smith, had seen it.

Mr Smith wrote to him saying it would not have been appropriate for anyone other than him to see the report.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Smith told parliament new complaints to the taskforce's hotline had been building steadily since it opened last November.

At March 4, there had been 1041 complaints.

Just over 780 were made by personal phone call and in voicemail messages, while 260 were sent by email.

Taskforce chairman, retired judge Len Roberts-Smith, told Mr Smith there was no realistic prospect of its work being completed within the initial 12-month term, so the government has agreed to a six-month extension, with the taskforce now due to conclude its investigations by the end of May 2014.

As well, there will be an end-of-May 2013 deadline for new allegations to be made.

The taskforce is examining individual allegations, which if sufficiently substantiated could allow victims to claim up to $50,000 in compensation.

It is also considering whether a full royal commission is needed to address outstanding allegations at ADFA in the 1990s and allegations of sexual and other abuse of naval cadets at the former navy training centre, HMAS Leeuwin, which operated from 1960-84.

The taskforce said it appeared the abuse at Leeuwin occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.

"Much of the alleged bullying and violence appears to have been unreported," Mr Smith said.

Shadow Defence Minister David Johnston slammed the federal government's "snail pace" response and the way in which Mr Smith has handled the issue as if it were an "afterthought".

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Black smoke billows from Sistine Chapel

BLACK smoke has billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, meaning Roman Catholic cardinals have not elected a pope in their second or third rounds of balloting.

Cardinals voted twice on Wednesday morning in Michelangelo's famed frescoed chapel.

The conclave was called after Pope Benedict XVI resigned last month.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Netherlands raises terror threat level

THE Dutch government has raised its terror threat level from "limited" to "substantial," saying Dutch citizens are travelling to Syria to fight and could return battle-hardened, traumatised and further radicalised.

The country's National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism said in a statement on Wednesday: "The chance of an attack in the Netherlands or against Dutch interests abroad has risen."

The warning comes just two months before hundreds of thousands of people are expected to descend on Amsterdam for the abdication of Queen Beatrix and investiture of her son, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, as king.

The government cites the threat posed by jihad fighters returning from Syria and signs of increasing radicalisation among Dutch youth at home.

Substantial is the second-highest level on the four-step scale. The next step is "critical".

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

NZ gay marriage bill passes second reading

NEW Zealand's gay marriage bill is on track to become law after passing its second reading with a strong majority.

MPs cast conscience votes and the count late on Wednesday night was 77-44.

On its first reading in August the count was 80-40.

Labour MP Louisa Wall, who drafted the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, says lobbying has been "ferocious" with MPs' inboxes clogged and some systems crashing.

She opened the second reading debate with an appeal for equality.

"We are normal, we are entitled to the same rights as every other citizen," she said.

"The issue of coming out, of being true to who you are, is difficult enough and the discussion around this bill has emphasised how real the discrimination is."

National's Tim Macindoe opposed the bill, saying it offends tens of thousands of New Zealanders.

His caucus colleague Chris Auchinvole said he was committed to supporting the bill.

"As an older person I remember when homosexuality was illegal ... now it is time to look after their interests. We must pass this bill."

NZ First leader Winston Peters repeated his call for a referendum.

"We are doing this without a mandate. Every New Zealander has the right to have their say."

National's Kanwal Bakshi, parliament's only Muslim MP, said marriage was a faithful union between a man and a woman.

"It has a unique sanctity and changing its definition has grave implications for society, we must consider the public good."

Another National MP, Tau Henare, said the bill wasn't going to have any impact on his life at all.

"This has everything to do with other people's happiness and is the sky going to fall in? I have to say it isn't."

National's Chester Borrows said he had been disgusted by some of the comments he had heard from people who opposed the bill and called themselves Christians.

The bill still has to pass its committee and third reading stages before becoming law.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gillard stands by sports doping probe

PM and AFL fan Julia Gillard says politicians shouldn't play politics with doping investigations. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard says she doesn't want to play politics with the doping crisis that has engulfed Australian sport.

Ms Gillard, who is the number one ticket holder at AFL club Western Bulldogs, says understands what it's like to care passionately about a club.

"For fans of some clubs that have been out there publicly dealing with this issue, it's been very difficult days indeed," she told parliament on Wednesday.

The opposition asked Ms Gillard if she still stood by statements from Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare that doping was widespread in sport.

She replied that there was nothing before her to suggest that the statements from the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) weren't correct.

"I actually don't think that Australians want to see us playing politics about sport in this parliament and particularly not at this time," Ms Gillard said.

The ACC in February said it uncovered a doping scandal across numerous sports, chiefly in the nation's two most popular football codes.

Police, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), the AFL and NRL have launched their own investigations amid the ACC findings.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK PM urges Argentina to respect vote

David Cameron has urged Argentina to respect the wishes of Falklands residents after referendum. Source: AAP

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron has urged Argentina to respect the wishes of residents of the Falkland Islands after they voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to remain a British territory.

Before the result on Tuesday, Buenos Aires had dismissed the vote as meaningless in international law, saying it would not affect its claims on the South Atlantic archipelago.

But Cameron said the 98.8 per cent "yes" vote, on a turnout of 92 per cent, was "the clearest possible result there could be" and Argentina should respect that.

"They should take careful note of this result. The Falkland Islanders couldn't have spoken more clearly," he said in a statement.

"They want to remain British and that view should be respected by everybody, including by Argentina."

He added that he was personally "delighted" at the outcome.

"The Falkland Islands may be thousands of miles away but they are British through and through and that is how they want to stay. People should know we will always be there to defend them," he said.

"We believe in self-determination. The Falkland Islanders have spoken so clearly about their future and now other countries right across the world, I hope, will respect and revere this very, very clear result."

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hong Kong, China stocks end lower

SHARES in Hong Kong and Shanghai have ended lower as early gains were wiped out by profit-taking and concerns over China's economy following disappointing data at the weekend.

Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index lost 0.87 per cent, or 200.22 points, on Tuesday to end at 22,890.60 on turnover of HK$69.14 billion ($A8.72 billion).

Beijing said on Saturday that inflation hit a 10-month high of 3.2 per cent in February while growth in industrial output and retail sales slowed.

Inflation is a key issue for the ruling Communist Party as it raises the chances of popular discontent over climbing prices and the threat of social unrest. Investors are also worried the government will unveil more tightening measures to temper the rising cost of living.

The results, which follow a string of unimpressive data in recent months, have dampened recent optimism for the economy, which had shown signs of a resurgence at the tailend of 2012 after spending much of it enduring slowing growth.

Concerns over China offset a fifth straight record close for the Dow Jones index on Wall Street, which was boosted by better-than-expected jobs figures on Friday.

"Confidence in China's growth recovery has taken a setback after the latest economic data," Sun Hung Kai Financial wealth-management strategist Daniel So told Dow Jones Newswires.

"There is a lot of wait and see going on. Investors are eyeing blue-chip results for trading cues; waiting for the conclusion of the National People's Congress on (March 17) for some policy clarity."

Hong Kong railway operator MTR Corp fell 2.3 per cent to HK$31.95 after reporting 2012 underlying profit declined 6.6 per cent. China Cosco, the mainland's largest shipping company by fleet size, slumped 5.3 per cent to HK$4.08.

Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit surged 33.7 per cent to HK$1.31 on its trading debut. The firm's 100 million-share offering was oversubscribed more than 1,000 times.

Chinese shares fell 1.04 per cent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 23.98 points to end at 2,286.61 on turnover of 100.6 billion yuan ($A15.84 billion).

Financial stocks led the declines. Industrial Bank dropped 2.83 per cent to 18.55 yuan while China Everbright Securities fell 1.42 per cent to 13.92 yuan.

China Life Insurance lost 1.68 per cent to 17.58 yuan, while wastewater treatment firm Beijing Capital dropped 1.85 per cent to 6.91 yuan and pollution control equipment maker Fujian Longking lost 1.70 per cent to 38.23 yuan.

Media firms were lower on profit-taking. Zhejiang Daily Media Group lost 4.45 per cent to 15.23 yuan.

China Animal Husbandry Industry lost 3.62 per cent to 14.65 yuan, while Inner Mongolia Jinyu fell 4.04 per cent to 18.76 yuan.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

At least 21 killed in Afghanistan

AT least 21 people, including seven foreign troops, have been killed in a single day in Afghanistan.

In separate incidents on Monday, five NATO soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash, a landmine and mortar round killed at least six civilians and 10 people died in a shootout at a joint Afghan-US military base.

The melee at the base in Jalrez district of Wardak province occurred when a policeman opened fire at Afghan and US troops.

Naqibullah Haidari, the district governor, said on Tuesday that at least 10 people were killed in the skirmishes.

He said the attacker, Nasir Ahmad, had been working at the district police headquarters for more than a year.

"He stood on top of a police ranger and took control of the PK machine gun attached to the vehicle," Haidari said.

Two US special forces members, three Afghan policemen and three Afghan army commandos were killed.

Haidari said helicopters flying over the base killed two civilians and injured four others.

The district police chief had also been injured, along with an officer and two Afghan interpreters for the foreign soldiers.

The incident in Wardak was the latest in a series of attacks on coalition troops by members of the Afghan forces.

Last week, three Afghan soldiers opened fire on foreign troops outside a US base in Kapisa, killing a civilian NATO contractor.

Elsewhere, five soldiers killed late on Monday in a helicopter crash in the southern province of Kandahar were believed to be US troops, provincial police chief Abdul Raziq said.

Bad weather and technical problems were likely the cause of the crash, Raziq said, noting the absence of insurgent activity in the area.

NATO also said initial reports indicated no enemy activity.

In neighbouring Helmand province, a landmine detonated late on Monday under a tractor, killing four civilians, the Interior Ministry said.

A mortar round also hit a house on Monday in Helmand, killing two civilians, it said.

The ministry blamed "enemies of Afghanistan," a term it uses for Taliban militants, and said five women were among the civilians killed.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labor plans to push through media reforms

LABOR hopes to ram through its proposed media reforms, including a public interest test and stronger industry self-regulation, within the next two sitting weeks.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy announced on Tuesday the federal government's long awaited response to the reports of two long-run independent media inquiries handed to it in early 2012.

But opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull says its reply was a "chaotic, half-baked" plan and took issue with the public interest test proposal.

Overall, the government's response avoided many of the wide-ranging recommendations that came out of the convergence review and the Finkelstein inquiry into press regulation.

Among the key reforms are changes to broadcast ownership rules, beefed-up oversight of print and online news media and cuts to television network licence fees.

"These reforms will ensure for the Australian public a media sector that is fair, diverse and able to tackle the challenges of the future," Senator Conroy told reporters in Canberra.

The minister said the government was addressing community concerns about media quality and how press complaints were handled.

A separate bill deals with a previously announced 50 per cent licence fee rebate for television stations, in return for increased local content.

The package of legislation is due to be introduced to parliament this week, with Senator Conroy warning it must go through or be dropped.

He said Labor won't be "held hostage" or barter on the content.

"The parliament either wants this bill or it does not," Senator Conroy said.

The bills require the support of crossbench MPs and the Australian Greens, and already appear to have the backing of most of the independents.

Meanwhile, a joint parliamentary committee would be set up to consider abolishing the "75 per cent reach rule" governing allowable audience share, on-air reporting of watchdog findings on broadcasting breaches and program supply agreements for news and current affairs.

If the one-day inquiry into the reach rule is resolved quickly it could be incorporated into the overall legislation.

Senator Conroy said the rule, which can stop any of the three major commercial networks from buying regional affiliates, wasn't relevant in today's media landscape.

And the public interest test, to be overseen by a public interest media advocate, would ensure diversity was not reduced by nationally significant media mergers and acquisitions.

The new advocate would also ensure the Australian Press Council and media outlets dealt properly with standards issues and complaints.

"Individual complaints are still dealt with in the same way (as now), but if there is a breakdown in the process the advocate is the judge of that," Senator Conroy said.

Mr Turnbull said a coalition government would repeal any public interest test on takeovers.

"I don't see why a bureaucrat should oversee the Australian news media," he said.

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), representing journalists, said the government's plan also raised the prospect of bureaucratic interference in the self-regulation regime.

"The government has adopted a package that threatens a heavy hand without improving the handling of complaints," MEAA federal secretary Christopher Warren said in a statement.

The government will hold the spectrum for a sixth free-to-air channel to support community television.

Seven West Media, which has interests in three TV stations, Yahoo!7, Australia's second largest magazine group Pacific Magazines, The West Australian newspaper and 21 regional titles, welcomed the move to reduce licence fees for commercial TV operators.

But it added it was "extremely disappointed" by the possible introduction of a public interest test for media company mergers.

"The government says it is in favour of media diversity, but putting these kind of arbitrary, uncertain and subjective rules in place will only make it more difficult to attract new investment," the company said in a statement.

"A public interest test works against diversity, not for it."

Seven West also said it strongly opposed further regulation of the print media.

"This is an unprecedented restriction that is wholly inconsistent with the notion of a free press," it said on Tuesday.

News Limited chief Kim Williams said the regulations were an attempt to gag the media.

"This government will go down in history as the first Australian government outside of wartime to attack freedom of speech by seeking to introduce a regime which effectively institutes government-sanctioned journalism," Mr Williams said in a statement.

"The whole approach today constitutes a travesty of public policy and parliamentary process."

Speaking later to Sky News, Senate leader Anthony Albanese said Mr Conroy would not drag the issue out if the government was unable to secure the support needed.

"We're not going to go through months of further consideration and further committees," he said.

Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce leapt on the statement.

"We've heard Anthony Albanese on the TV just then, he took about five minutes to start saying, 'well if it doesn't go through, it doesn't go through'," Mr Joyce told Sky News.

"They only announced it this morning and they're trying to back out of it by tonight."

Senator Joyce said the proposed changes would be a disaster.

"We're going to have the Labor party regulating the media because they're not getting on with the media," he said.

Mr Albanese said deciding who to appoint as the new Public Interest Media Advocate would be a bipartisan job.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Halal food label withdrawn in Sri Lanka

ISLAMIC clerics have withdrawal a halal labelling system for food in Sri Lanka "in the interests of peace" after protests from Buddhist hardliners on the Indian Ocean island.

The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), Sri Lanka's main body of Islamic clergy, said on Monday the halal certificate issued by them would be used only for products that are exported to Islamic countries.

"We are giving up what is important to us. We are making a sacrifice in the interest of peace and harmony," ACJU president Mufti Rizwe said, adding they were keen to avoid any escalation of religious tensions.

Food manufacturers in Sri Lanka have long made all their products using halal methods and labelled them with the ACJU halal certificate.

They argued it is impractical and uneconomical to have two manufacturing processes for the same product.

The halal method of killing an animal requires its throat to be slit and the blood to be drained.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said that manufacturers agreed to drop the halal logo from all food with immediate effect.

Nationalist Buddhist monks and their supporters had launched a campaign last month to boycott halal-slaughtered meat, as well as other products that carry a halal certificate.

The monks argue Buddhists should not be forced to consume food that is prepared according to Islamic rites, saying it demonstrates the undue influence of Muslims in Sri Lanka.

President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is a Buddhist, had urged monks not to incite religious hatred.

Sri Lanka is 70 per cent Buddhist, while Muslims comprise less than 10 per cent of the population of 20 million.

The island suffered a bloody ethnic war between 1972 and 2009, pitting mostly Hindu ethnic Tamils against the Sinhalese Buddhist majority in violence that claimed at least 100,000 lives.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jets bomb Homs district in Syria

SYRIAN jets have bombed Baba Amr in Homs city in a bid to repulse a rebel attack on the strategic neighbourhood, a watchdog says, as Al-Qaeda claimed the killing of 48 Syrian soldiers on Iraqi territory.

On the diplomatic front, a top Syrian opposition official met Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday in a bid to reverse Moscow's refusal to back calls on President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

Rebels launched a surprise assault on Baba Amr at dawn on Sunday, hoping to take back the neighbourhood which they lost to Assad's forces a year ago.

The regime responded by waves of shelling, launching air strikes and sending reinforcements which had "completely sealed" the city of Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that fighting flared throughout the night.

"The army will at all costs hunt down the rebels even if it destroys the neighbourhood," said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

"The regime cannot allow them to stay ... because the neighbourhood of Baba Amr is known as an (anti-regime) symbol in the international media."

The Observatory said at least 175 people were killed across Syria on Sunday - 79 regime soldiers, 50 rebels and 46 civilians.

Regime troops seized Baba Amr from rebels just over a year ago after a bloody month-long siege that left the district in ruins and claimed hundreds of lives, including those of two foreign journalists.

Iraq meanwhile was set to be dragged into the deadly Syrian conflict despite its efforts not to be become entangled in the bloodletting across its borders.

On Monday, Al-Qaeda front group in Iraq claimed an attack on a convoy in the west of Iraq that killed 48 Syrian soldiers and nine Iraqi guards, in a statement posted on jihadist forums.

The soldiers, who were wounded and received treatment in Iraq, were being transported through the western province of Anbar on their way back to Syria when the attack took place on March 4, according to the Iraqi defence ministry.

But the ministry blamed the attack on a "terrorist group that infiltrated into Iraqi territory coming from Syria."

The statement on jihadist forums said that Islamic State of Iraq fighters were able to destroy a column of "the Safavid army with its associated vehicles" carrying "members of the Nusairi army and Syrian regime 'shabiha.'"

Safavid is a word implying Shi'ites are under Iranian control, while Nusairi is a derogatory term for Alawites, the sect to which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad belongs, and shabiha is a name used for Syrian pro-regime militia forces.

Baghdad has consistently avoided joining calls for the departure of Assad, saying it opposes arming either side and urging an end to the violence that has ravaged Syria for the past two years, leaving at least 70,000 people dead.

Baghdad is caught between conflicting pressures over Syria - its powerful eastern neighbour, Shi'ite Iran, backs Assad's regime, while the United States and many Arab states want Assad to bow to opposition demands and step down.

On the diplomatic front, Haytham Manna of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change - an anti-Assad group tolerated by the regime as it opposes the armed conflict - said he thought the road to peace in Syria ran through Moscow.

"We have always said that a peaceful political solution goes through Moscow," Manna told Lavrov in opening remarks of their meeting in Moscow at the Russian foreign ministry.

"A military solution is still being enforced on the ground. But the predominant majority of Syrians are convinced that a political solution is desirable, that it will save us, and that it stands a real chance."

Russia has vetoed three UN resolutions sanctioning Assad for the violence and has said it viewed pressure on him to step down as undue foreign interference.

Lavrov gave no sign on Monday that Moscow was ready to ease its stance in regard to its traditional Arab ally two years into the conflict.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

ICAC probe to hurt federal Labor: Faulkner

A CORRUPTION inquiry involving two former NSW ministers will damage the Labor party at the federal election, senator John Faulkner believes.

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has probed claims then mines minister Ian Macdonald rigged a 2008 tender process for a coal exploration licence in the state's upper Hunter.

It has also looked into how former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid and his family stood to make up to $100 million from the deal.

Senator Faulkner told ABC's Four Corners program on Monday night Obeid at one time "was running the show" in the NSW Labor government.

"I've been a pretty senior figure really in the NSW branch of the Labor Party," Senator Faulkner told the program.

"I've never met him, never spoken to him and I've never heard him make a public speech, but regardless of all that, he ran the NSW Labor Party and ran Labor governments in NSW.

"Labor's standing in the state of NSW has been very, very significantly damaged by the revelations at ICAC," Senator Faulkner said.

"It would be very surprising if that didn't have an impact federally."

Former NSW premiers Bob Carr and Morris Iemma have also traded barbs over Obeid's influence within the party.

Senator Carr, now the foreign affairs minister, has accused Mr Iemma of a serious error by allowing Mr Obeid "special status" in his government.

"I'm sure that Morris Iemma, a very decent - decent and honest figure - would reflect that it was a cardinal mistake to allow Obeid that special status and privilege," Senator Carr told Four Corners.

But Mr Iemma says Mr Obeid had no special access under his premiership.

"He was a cabinet minister in Bob's government. He was a backbencher in my government," Mr Iemma told Fairfax Media.

Mr Iemma said, if anything, Mr Obeid's influence grew after Mr Carr removed him as minister for fisheries and mineral resources.

"I have a distinct recollection of Bob standing up in caucus and saying he wanted Obeid to focus on being a 'good caucus manager'," he said.

Senator Carr issued a statement on Sunday night saying he was "proud to have expelled Eddie Obeid from my cabinet".

"Everyone knows he had no access or influence with me or my office when I was premier," he said.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cardinals hold final talks before vote

Cardinals will hold a final set of meetings before they are locked away to choose a new pope. Source: AAP

CATHOLIC cardinals had a final day of jockeying for position before shutting themselves into the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope after Benedict XVI's shock resignation, with an Italian and a Brazilian who both head powerful archdioceses among the top contenders.

The cardinals held their last pre-conclave talks on Monday where they have been debating the challenges the next Pope will face and vetting possible candidates for the post.

Vatican insiders put Milan Archbishop Angelo Scola in the lead, but without the support of two-thirds of the 115 "cardinal electors" needed to become the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

Brazilian Odilo Scherer, the charismatic archbishop of Sao Paolo and Latin America's best hope, is also seen as in with a chance after the red-frocked cardinals begin the storied process, cloaked in secrecy, of choosing one of their peers to lead the Church.

The electors must take a solemn oath of secrecy or face excommunication - though no examples of such a fate appear in the record, and Vatican journalists have shown a wily knack for extracting insider information.

Vatican staff members who will work around the conclave from Tuesday were also due to take the same oath later on Monday.

In churches across Rome on Sunday, many of the hopefuls celebrated mass during which they prayed for the divine guidance that is traditionally sought in making their choice.

US Cardinal Sean O'Malley said in his homily that the Catholic world was "united in prayer" as the clock ticked down to the conclave starting Tuesday.

"Let us pray that the Holy Spirit enables the Church to choose a new pope who will confirm us in our faith and make more visible the love of the Good Shepherd," O'Malley told parishioners in Santa Maria della Vittoria church.

The cardinals - all 115 of whom were appointed by Benedict or his predecessor John Paul II - will again invoke God's guidance as they process solemnly into the Sistine Chapel, which will be swept for listening devices to keep would-be spies at bay.

Their task is to find a Pope - the 266th - strong enough to grapple with the challenges assailing the Catholic Church that proved too much for 85-year-old Benedict.

His resignation - the first for 700 years - has focused attention on the need to find a leader with the energy to shape the Church's approach to growing secularism in the West and the Islamic radicalism spreading to many parts of the globe.

Cardinals have expressed a desire for a more vigorous, pastoral figure to deal with the relentless scandals over sexual abuse by paedophile priests and cover-ups by superiors that have rocked the Catholic Church.

"Critics would say the most important piece of unfinished business" is cracking down on bishops who protect paedophile priests, said Vatican expert John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter.

"The Vatican now has tough policies against priests who abuse, but it does not have equally tough policies for bishops," Allen told AFP.

The cardinals also want a man who can reform the Roman Curia, the central government of the Catholic Church, which has been beset by the intrigue laid bare in documents leaked by Benedict's butler last year.

While Canadian Marc Ouellet has attracted attention as the powerful prefect of the Congregation of Bishops, Scola was greeted by a mass of photographers and cameramen when he celebrated mass in the Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles on Sunday.

Scola, 71, a hardliner cut from the same cloth as Benedict, the German-born arch-conservative Joseph Ratzinger, has the advantage of not being associated with the tarnished Vatican bureaucracy.

The conclave, named after the Latin phrase meaning "with key", comes eight centuries after the first lock-in, when cardinals who had dithered over their choice for nearly three years were given just bread and water until they finally made up their minds.

Another leading contender, according to Italian media, is American prelate Timothy Dolan - even though the cardinal told one interviewer that anyone mentioning him as a candidate must be "smoking marijuana".

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Borneo conflict toll rises to 61

Clashes between Filipino militants and security forces in Borneo have left 61 people dead. Source: AAP

CLASHES between Filipino militants and security forces in Borneo have left 61 people dead, officials say.

Police Chief Ismail Omar also announced on Malaysian state television the capture of 79 militia troops out of the 200 that invaded the Malaysian state of Sabah earlier this week.

The sultan of Jolo, the Filipino Jamalul Kiram III, declared a ceasefire on Thursday after several days of fighting between his followers and Malaysian troops.

In early February, the sultan of Jolo sent his followers to this part of Borneo after learning that his claims on the territory had been left out of the peace pact reached in October between the Filipino government and the Moro National Liberation Front, the main Filipino separatist group.

The sultanate of Jolo, established in the 15th century, ceded Sabah to the British North Borneo Company in 1878 and the territory was incorporated into a newly independent Malaysia in 1963, against the wishes of the then-sultan and the Philippines.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vatican gets set for 266th papal election

The Vatican has installed a chimney on the Sistine Chapel to signal the election of a new leader. Source: AAP

THE Vatican has installed a special chimney on the Sistine Chapel from which white smoke will signal the election of a new leader for the 1.2 billion Catholics.

The conclave of 115 cardinal electors starts voting on Tuesday in a centuries-old tradition that will result in the election of the 266th pope.

French cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, the Archbishop of Paris, told AFP in an interview there were around "half a dozen possible candidates".

Italian cardinal Angelo Scola, the Archbishop of Milan, is often cited as a favourite, along with Canada's Marc Ouellet and Brazil's Odilo Scherer.

Other names mentioned have been Hungary's Peter Erdo, Mexico's Jose Francisco Robles Ortega, Austria's Christoph Schoenborn and Sri Lanka's Albert Malcolm Ranjith.

Luis Antonio Tagle, the Archbishop of Manila, is also a possible.

The cardinals will on Tuesday move into a Vatican residence, St Martha's House, where they will live for the duration of the conclave.

Cardinals will swear a solemn oath not to reveal the secrets of their deliberations on pain of excommunication.

Windows at St Martha's House will be locked and telephones are for internal use only.

Ballots will usually be burnt daily at 1100 GMT (2200 AEDT) and 1800 GMT (0500 AEDT). Smoke will be black if no two-thirds majority has been found or white to signal that a papal election has taken place.

The conclave could last up to a few days.

Vatican workers have put the final touches on preparations for the Sistine Chapel, blacking out windows to prevent spying on the conclave and installing scrambling devices to prevent communication with the outside world.

No one except the "cardinal electors" - cardinals below the age of 80 - can be present during the two daily rounds of voting.

Once the new pope accepts his nomination, he emerges onto a balcony overlooking St Peter's Square to a cheering crowd and the Latin cry of "Habemus Papam"! ("We Have a Pope!")

A

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Falkland Islanders to vote in referendum

FALKLAND Islanders are holding a referendum on Sunday and Monday to send a message to the world that they want to stay British, although Argentina has already dismissed the vote as illegal.

Residents of the windswept archipelago in the South Atlantic have hoisted British and Falklands flags ahead of the vote.

In a move instigated by residents themselves, 1672 eligible voters are being asked whether they want the Falklands to remain an internally self-governing British overseas territory.

Argentina and Britain fought a brief but bloody war over the islands in 1982, and diplomatic tensions have escalated in recent years with the discovery of oil near the Falklands.

Britain has held the barren islands since 1833 but Buenos Aires claims what it calls "Las Malvinas" are occupied Argentinian territory.

"We would be deluding ourselves if we thought that Argentina would change overnight, but we hope it'll be a strong message to them and to others," legislative assembly member Jan Cheek, a sixth generation Falkland Islander, said.

Falklanders hope the outcome - and ideally a big turnout - will provide a slap in the face to an increasingly bellicose Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner.

They also hope the referendum result will arm them with an unambiguous message to take to other capitals when pressing their case for acceptance on the international stage.

In the Falklands capital Stanley, television footage showed islanders busy on the eve of the vote hanging bunting with the British Union Jack and the Falklands flag, which is deep blue with the Union Jack in one corner and a crest with a sheep in the middle.

At least 30 Land Rovers were lined up to spell "YES" on a patch of land opposite Stanley that has historically been used by Royal Navy vessels to commemorate their vessels.

The Penguin News, the local newspaper named after the flightless birds that are native to the Falklands, urged residents to take part in "grass roots" events for the vote.

"When you pass journalists open your window, smile, wave or give the thumbs up," it wrote.

"Face painting, especially with children, is encouraged. Please bring your flags."

Argentina, 400 kilometres away, has branded the referendum "illegal" because, it claims, the islanders are "implanted" and thus do not have the right to self-determination.

The Argentinian foreign ministry said on Friday that the vote was "a British attempt to manipulate" the status of the archipelago.

The "attempt will not alter the essence of the Falklands or put an end to the sovereignty dispute", it insisted.

London says it will not discuss sovereignty issues with Buenos Aires unless the islanders expressly wish it.

Opinion polls commissioned for British media organisations showed that attitudes in both Britain and Argentina were hardening.

A YouGov poll for Sky News published on Saturday found that 24 per cent of Argentinians surveyed said the Falkands was the most important foreign policy issue, against just one per cent of Britons.

But a ComRes poll for ITV news on Saturday showed that 77 per cent of Britons thought the Falklanders should decide the future of the islands, while 60 per cent said London should keep military options open against any threat to the Falklands.

On April 2, 1982, Argentina's then-ruling junta invaded the Falklands, sparking a 74-day war with Britain which cost the lives of 649 Argentine and 255 British troops.

"The only people who can really decide what is in their best interests are the Falkland Islanders," said Dick Sawle, one of the islands' eight elected legislative assembly members.

Four-fifths of the rugged islands' 2563 residents live in the capital Stanley, with its pubs and red telephone boxes.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Falklands vote is irrelevant: Argentina

A referendum in the Falklands Islands will not affect the islands legal status, a diplomat says. Source: AAP

SUNDAY and Monday's referendum in the Falklands Islands over whether to keep the archipelago under British rule will not affect the legal status of the disputed islands, a senior diplomat said.

In a move instigated by residents of the island chain, the 1672 eligible voters are being asked whether they want the Falklands to retain their status as an internally self-governing British overseas territory.

"From the international law perspective, it is utterly meaningless," Argentine's Ambassador to Britain Alicia Castro said.

An overwhelming "yes" vote is widely expected, an outcome the islanders hope will provide a slap in the face to an increasingly bellicose Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, who has been ramping up diplomatic tension with London over Buenos Aires's long-held sovereignty claims.

"A referendum among British residents of the islands in no way changes the essence of the (Falklands) Malvinas issue," Castro told Infobae news from London.

"And its predictable outcome neither ends the dispute nor affects Argentina's unquestionable rights.

"The referendum is irrelevant. It has no legal basis ... And the issue should be handled by the UN Decolonization Committee," she argued. That panel has urged Britain to decolonise to no avail.

But Argentina says the vote is "a British attempt to manipulate" the status of the archipelago.

Britain has held the windswept South Atlantic Ocean islands since 1833, but Buenos Aires claims they are occupied Argentinian territory. The two countries fought a brief but bloody war over the islands in 1982.

18.59 | 0 komentar | Read More