Vic union rejects sabotage claim

The CFMEU has rejected claims a fire at a Grocon building site in Melbourne was an act of sabotage. Source: AAP

THE CFMEU has rejected a claim of sabotage over a deliberately lit fire at a Grocon building site in Melbourne, saying it is a matter for police.

GROCON is claiming the fire at its Collins Street office block development on Friday is part of a string of sabotage incidents and it will refer it to police.

"This is yet another criminal act of sabotage carried out by people with no respect for the law, workplace safety or human life," Grocon spokesman Dan Blyde told News Ltd.The CFMEU released a statement on Saturday, saying any suspicious circumstances surrounding the blaze should be handled by authorities."The implication made by Grocon, as reported in the Herald Sun that this fire has been lit as some kind of industrial tool, is completely rejected by the CFMEU," union national construction secretary Dave Noonan said."It should be backed up by hard evidence or it should be withdrawn."Mr Noonan says the union condemns arson because it endangers lives and anyone behind such acts shouldn't be working in the industry."While it is no secret that the union is critical of Grocon's safety record there would never be any circumstances under which the CFMEU would sanction arson or sabotage as an industrial weapon," he said.

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Israel says Palestinians kidnapped teens

Israeli security forces are combing the West Bank in search of three missing teenagers. Source: AAP

THREE Israeli teenagers, one of them also a US citizen, have been kidnapped in the occupied West Bank, presumably by Palestinians, the army says.

THE three, all students at a Jewish seminary, went missing late on Thursday while hitchhiking between Bethlehem and Hebron.

"We believe that they have indeed been kidnapped by presumed Palestinians," a senior officer told journalists on Saturday, without giving further details.He said the search was being carried out in co-ordination with security forces from the Palestinian Authority, and that "tens of Palestinians" had been arrested in the process.He added that substantial reinforcements had been brought in, including special forces and an airborne brigade, to participate in the search around Hebron, in the southern West Bank.Asked if it was thought they had been kidnapped to hold as hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, he said the army was studying all scenarios.Military radio, quoting other officers, said without elaborating "certain progress" had been made in the search.

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Syria TV says 30 killed in blast near Iraq

A BOMB attack targeting a weapons bazaar in eastern Syria close to the Iraqi border has killed 30 "terrorists", state television reports.

"A big explosion hits a terrorist arms market in Mayadeen, killing 30 terrorists and wounding dozens of others," the television reported on Saturday.

Just 80km from the Iraqi border, the town is under the control of rebel groups, including al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate the Al-Nusra Front, that have been fighting the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.ISIL is the same cross-border group which has spearheaded an offensive in neighbouring Iraq this week that has seen militants sweep down from second city Mosul towards Baghdad.A rebel spokesman from Deir Ezzor province contested the television's report, and told AFP the blast was a car bomb planted by ISIL that killed at least 15 civilians in a street market."Light weapons are sold nearby, but the targeted area was a street market and those killed were civilians," spokesman Omar Abu Leyla said.ISIL's fighters in Syria have been under attack by rival rebels since the start of the year.They have been driven out of much of northwestern Syria, but retain control of the city of Raqa up the Euphrates Valley from Deir Ezzor.They have tried repeatedly to extend their area of control to the Iraqi border to unite their forces in the two countries.

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Snow falls in Vic alpine peaks

Snow has begun falling on Victoria's alpine peaks after a slow start to the season. Source: AAP

AFTER a slow start to the season, snow has finally begun falling on Victoria's alpine peaks.

AT Mt Hotham, 3cm of snow had fallen since Saturday morning with more of the white stuff forecast through until Tuesday.

Snow is expected in Victoria's alpine peaks on Saturday and Sunday, at 1500m above sea level."We're not expecting a huge amount," Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Terry Ryan said."The days haven't been terribly cold as yet. We need the rainfall to get snow, of course, and we're getting a bit of rainfall."News the winter wonderland had arrived had snowfield operators rejoicing, while the weather bureau conceded it appears to be a warmer than average winter."There's another front on Monday with snow coming down to 1300m so it looks a bit more promising," Mr Ryan said."There's always hope we'll get some colder air through and the season can get going properly towards the end of June and early July.

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US marshals to auction seized bitcoins

US authorities will auction off $US18 million in Bitcoins they seized from Silk Road. Source: AAP

THE US Marshals Service says it will auction about $US18 million in bitcoins seized last northern autumn from Silk Road, a website that was effectively the eBay of illegal drugs.

THE marshals said on Thursday that they will auction the virtual "coins", consisting of sets of numbers entered in an online public ledger, via the web on June 27.

Authorities say Silk Road generated more than $US1 billion ($A1.08 billion) in illicit business from January 2011 to October 2013, when alleged operator Ross William Ulbricht was arrested in a public library in San Francisco.Ulbricht has pleaded not guilty. The website took commissions in bitcoins, which are hard to track.The marshals are auctioning off 29,657 bitcoins in 10 blocks, which means buyers will need to pony up nearly $US1.8 million each.The Marshals Service is keeping another 144,342 bitcoins, worth about $US87 million at current rates, that were found on Ulbricht's computer. He's contesting their forfeiture.

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Former POW Bergdahl back in US

A defence official says US soldier Bowe Bergdahl is due to arrive at a Texas facility on Friday. Source: AAP

THE US soldier freed in a controversial swap with the Afghan Taliban has arrived back in the United States, his latest step in a return to normality after five years in captivity.

THE Pentagon said Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl arrived on Friday in the middle of the night on a flight from Germany to San Antonio, Texas where he will continue treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Bergdahl was handed over on May 31 in return for five senior Taliban detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects.The US Army sergeant had been recuperating at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, amid growing debate over the swap that secured his freedom, with some US politicians accusing President Barack Obama of capitulating to "terrorists".The Pentagon said in a one-paragraph statement on its website that in Texas the soldier will "continue the next phase of his reintegration process. There is no timeline for this process. Our focus remains on his health and well-being."US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel "is confident that the Army will continue to ensure that Sgt Bergdahl receives the care, time and space that he needs to complete his recovery and reintegration".Bergdahl is yet to speak to the news media about his ordeal and Pentagon officials have said his health has steadily improved in the days since his release.His disappearance from a base in eastern Afghanistan in 2009 has fuelled speculation the soldier deserted his post before being captured and may face prosecution by military authorities.Letters and other correspondence emerged this week suggesting Bergdahl was in a troubled state of mind before and during his deployment, and that he lacked confidence in his superiors."Leadership was lacking, if not non-existent," he wrote in a letter sent to family during his time in captivity obtained by The Daily Beast website.The letter, one of two sent to Bergdahl's family via the International Committee of the Red Cross, is marked by numerous spelling errors."The conditions were bad and looked to be getting worse for the men that where actuly the ones risking thier lives from attack," he wrote in a March 23, 2013 letter.Bergdahl also appeared to appeal for understanding over his disappearance, though he does not explicitly state that he deserted.

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Qld premier denies Facebook sacking

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has denied that a public servant was sacked for a Facebook post. Source: AAP

THE Queensland premier has denied a public servant was sacked for posting a Facebook message criticising the sacking of 14,000 government employees.

TROY Reeves began a six-week contract with Queensland Health on July 15 last year.

But his employment as a policy analyst at the Office of Chief Nursing was terminated two days later.Three days before starting his job, Mr Reeves had written a Facebook post criticising the government's first budget in 2012, which included mass retrenchments."There wouldn't be an unemployment problem in Brisbane if it wasn't for the fact that 14,000 sacked people are no longer spending the same amount of money in the economy," it said.The post was referred to Premier Campbell Newman's then media adviser Kylie Jacobson on Mr Reeves's second day in the job, right-to-information documents obtained by AAP show."What a f-wit," she wrote in an email to another media adviser for the premier, Kate Barwick.But a spokesman for Mr Newman said the correspondence between the two media advisers did not lead to Mr Reeves being sacked."Mr Reeves's termination is a matter for Queensland Health or the relevant department he was employed by," he told AAP."That had nothing to do with Kylie and Kate's email."Mr Reeves, a 35-year-old Masters graduate, was previously a Queensland Liberal Party member and Griffith University Liberal Club president.He has worked for Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss and Senator Ian Macdonald.

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Suspended MP Shaw apologises to Victorians

Suspended Victorian MP Geoff Shaw will be the main attraction at a comedy event on Friday night. Source: AAP

ROGUE MP Geoff Shaw has apologised to Victorians, despite saying he was "screwed by the parliament".

HEADLINING a comedy event at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre on Friday, Mr Shaw was asked if he would say sorry for misusing his parliamentary entitlements.

He was suspended on Wednesday night until September 2, ordered to apologise and repay more than $6800."To the people of Victoria, I am exceptionally sorry, and I apologise to parliament, and to you, good people of Victoria," Mr Shaw told comedian Sammy J.When asked what he thought of his suspension, he replied: "(I was) screwed by the parliament, wasn't I?"Mr Shaw said he "probably shouldn't have" done a radio interview where he said he would vote no confidence in the government.It led to an opposition push to expel him from parliament before the government suspended him."I don't know if I regret it but I didn't expect what came after," he said.Mr Shaw said Victorian premier Denis Napthine had suspended him despite "investigation after investigation" clearing him of wilfully misusing his car."Napthine didn't like that decision of the police, of the courts, he didn't like the ombudsman's report, he didn't like what the nine-member committee said."Mr Shaw also didn't back away from his pro-life position on abortion and the "sin" of homosexuality, which attracted some jeers from the crowd.He detailed his conversion to Christianity at 25 after he was healed of a knee injury at a church service.Earlier on Friday, Dr Napthine said Mr Shaw needed to have a "good look in the mirror", and should not wait until the end of his suspension to show the Victorian public he was sorry.Sammy J brought a mirror out on stage for Mr Shaw to look into - which he did before delivering his apology.He said he would look at the polls before deciding to re-contest the November state election.Mr Shaw finished the night with a surprisingly deft bagpipes performance.Earlier, Dr Napthine said he was waiting for a sign of contrition from the suspended independent MP."I have no plans to talk to the member for Frankston," Dr Napthine said."But I would say to the member for Frankston that he has been dealt the toughest penalty in the Victorian parliament's history for over 100 years - that should be a very, very serious lesson to the member for Frankston."Mr Shaw's suspension has left the Victorian government and opposition deadlocked on 43 votes apiece in the lower house, with the government requiring the Speaker's backing to pass legislation.

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Abbott to press Obama for TPP

AUSTRALIA will seek American support to wrap up talks on an Asia-Pacific free trade zone when Prime Minister Tony Abbott meets with US President Barack Obama.

MR Abbott was due to meet with Mr Obama at the White House at noon on Thursday (0200 AEST), on the second-last leg of his North American visit.

Australian trade officials are quietly confident the Trans-Pacific Partnership - a 12-nation agreement to boost trade in the region - can be concluded by the end of 2015, given that 80 per cent of it has been agreed.In the meeting, in which Mr Abbott will present the president with a hand-made surfboard bearing the presidential seal, he will emphasise Australia's commitment to the alliance as well as boosting trade and investment.The US is Australia's number one source of investment, number one destination for investment abroad and its third largest two-way trading partnerCountries involved in the TPP represent a trading area of almost 800 million people with GDP worth over $27 trillion.A White House spokesman said the TPP would be on the agenda, as well as Australia's leadership of the G20, Afghanistan, and the rotation of US Marines through Darwin.Security and stability of the Asia-Pacific, Syria, Russia's actions in Ukraine and North Korea would also be discussed.Mr Abbott spent his first day in Washington DC in a round of meetings made more hectic by chaos in the Republican Party.The party was dealing with the fallout from Eric Cantor's loss of preselection in Virginia and his stepping down as House majority leader - the second most powerful position in his party.Mr Abbott held four meetings, the first of which was with House Speaker John Boehner who said Republicans broadly supported the TPP.The second meeting involved senior Democratic Party leadership.Foreign relations committee members were keen to pursue how Australia reached its free trade agreement with Japan.A fourth meeting involved about 10 senators from both parties who were interested in China and Australia's intelligence services.Some of the senators expressed regret about the scandal caused by the Edward Snowden security document leaks.It is understood he told the senators - as well as senior national security chiefs he met with later - that countries involved in the so-called "five eyes" intelligence partnership should never apologise for doing what is needed to protect allies and the national interest.Mr Abbott also met with International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde.The prime minister will tell a business breakfast in Washington that Australia has managed to be a good friend to China while also a strong ally of the US.

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'Knock-about bloke' Qld's top judge

TIM Carmody is criticised for being inexperienced and too close to the government to be Queensland's top judge, but has stared down the naysayers.

HE was promoted from chief magistrate to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on Thursday, despite never serving in the court.

Attorney-general Jarrod Bleijie had a similar meteoric rise when appointed the state's top law officer after serving as an articled clerk and solicitor.Judge Carmody, QC, who was recruited as chief magistrate from the bar nine months ago, said he couldn't ignore the criticisms and acknowledged it was something the community would be worried about.He vowed to be a fiercely independent leader."If my views happen to coincide with the government's views that's pure coincidence," he said."There will be many times when I disagree with the government's position."In the end it (the criticism) was wrong. I can do this job, I will do this job, and I shouldn't not do this job because someone else says I shouldn't."Premier Campbell Newman described Mr Carmody as a self-made man and knock-about bloke, who once lived in housing commission in Inala, west of Brisbane."We need somebody who has a fine legal mind, who Queenslanders can relate to, who gets where they are coming from," Mr Newman said."He got to this day the hard way, through the sweat of his brow."He'll inspire Queenslanders because they will see they can do as he has done."But most of all we need a leader, to lead the entire legal system for the next decade and beyond."Several lawyers, including former Crown Solicitor Walter Sofronoff QC and former Supreme Court judge Richard Chesterman QC, have raised concerns about Judge Carmody's inexperience, lack of peer support and perceived closeness to the government, especially over anti-bikie legislation.Tony Fitzgerald said the appointment of Judge Carmody, who served as the counsel assisting his 1980s corruption inquiry, could damage public perception of the courts."People whose ambition exceeds their ability aren't all that unusual," he told AAP on Thursday."However, it's deeply troubling that the megalomaniacs currently holding power in Queensland are prepared to damage even fundamental institutions like the Supreme Court and cast doubt on fundamental principles like the independence of the judiciary."After serving on the Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption, Judge Carmody became special prosecutor of official corruption arising from the landmark inquiry.From 1998 to 2002 he was Queensland's Crime Commissioner and was appointed a Judge of the Family Court in 2003, before returning to private practice in 2008.Before his appointment as District Court Judge and Chief Magistrate in September 2013, he served as Chairman of the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry.He'll replace Supreme Court chief justice Paul de Jersey, who becomes Governor next month.

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