Putin slams Obama as he meets Poroshenko

PRESIDENT Barack Obama has met Ukraine's president-elect Petro Poroshenko, in a show of US support for Ukraine's right to chart its own future, before an encounter with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Obama sat down with Poroshenko on Wednesday in Warsaw, during a trip designed to assuage security concerns in eastern Europe following Russia's annexation of Crimea and what Washington says is an effort to destabilise Ukraine.

Obama said he had "been deeply impressed" by Poroshenko's vision for his troubled country.

"The United States is absolutely committed to standing behind the Ukrainian people not just in the coming days, weeks, but in the coming years," Obama told reporters.

The talks on day two of Obama's European tour come after the president met central and eastern European leaders in Warsaw and before he heads to a G7 summit in Belgium.

The summit takes place against a backdrop of signs that Western unity over how to handle Russia is fracturing.

Obama will come face to face with Putin during 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France on Friday, but officials in Washington and Moscow say there are no plans for a formal meeting.

In contrast, the leaders of Britain, France and Germany will hold one-on-one talks with Putin, who said Wednesday he could not understand Obama's stance.

"It is his choice, I am ready for dialogue," Putin said in an interview with French broadcasters Europe1 and TF1 conducted at his dacha in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Putin went on to accuse the US administration of hypocrisy in its "aggressive" attempts to isolate Russia over its conduct in Ukraine.

"We have almost no military forces abroad yet look: everywhere in the world there are American military bases, American troops thousands of kilometres from their borders. They interfere in the interior affairs of this or that country. So it is difficult to accuse us of abuses."

The accelerating diplomacy over Ukraine comes as a seven-week pro-Russian insurgency in Ukraine's eastern rust belt grows only more violent after Poroshenko swept to power in a May 25 presidential ballot.

Hundreds of separatist gunmen on Monday attacked a Ukrainian border guard service camp in the region of Lugansk on the border with Russia.

Obama said Tuesday that US commitment to eastern European security was absolute.

"Our commitment to Poland's security as well as the security of our allies in central and eastern Europe is a cornerstone of our own security and it is sacrosanct," Obama said after inspecting a joint unit of Polish and US F-16 pilots.

He proposed a "European Reassurance Initiative" of up to $1 billion (730 million euros) to finance extra US troop and military deployments to "new allies" in Europe.

NATO defence ministers also agreed Tuesday a series of steps to bolster protection in eastern Europe after the Ukraine crisis, but insisted they were acting within the limits of a key post-Cold War treaty with Moscow.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Economy has solid growth foundation:Hockey

A surge in economic growth in the first three months of the year has made Joe Hockey optimistic. Source: AAP

JOE Hockey is cautiously optimistic the unemployment rate will not hit the heights predicted in the budget.

The treasurer says the latest national accounts show the resilience of the economy, with growth at its strongest in about two years.

The economy expanded at 1.1 per cent in the first three months of 2014, lifting the annual rate to 3.5 per cent and above its long-term trend of 3.25 per cent.

Mr Hockey said the figures backed up the government's economic strategy.

"We have a very solid foundation for future growth," Mr Hockey told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

"But as I've said on many occasions, future growth must be earned."

Mr Hockey's budget in May forecast a jobless rate of 6.25 per cent in the coming two years, a figure he says he inherited from Labor.

"I'm cautiously optimistic that we won't get there," the treasurer said.

The unemployment rate sits at 5.8 per cent.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia senior economist Michael Workman does not expect the strong growth reading to prompt the Reserve Bank to lift the cash rate any time soon.

"In our view, there is unlikely to be a policy change until we see a clear shift to lower unemployment rates," Mr Workman said, adding that would need to coincide with higher inflation in coming quarters.

Exports were the biggest contributor to growth in the March quarter, adding 1.4 percentage points.

This coincided with the extraordinary event that Western Australia was not hit by cyclones in the March quarter.

"Our miners are exporting their socks off," Mr Hockey said.

However, Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson is sticking with his budget forecast for economic growth to return to below trend for a while yet.

"That growth (in exports) won't be sustained," Dr Parkinson told a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said the national accounts highlighted the importance of the mining industry but economic policy must also focus on supporting growth in non-mining sectors.

"The budget has clearly hit household budgets and consumer confidence," Mr Bowen told AAP.

Mr Hockey dismissed the drop in confidence as not unusual after a budget.

Treasury's executive director for the macroeconomic group, David Gruen, went further, saying confidence readings were not particularly helpful in predicting consumption.

"It is something of interest, it certainly generates headlines in newspapers," Dr Gruen told the hearing.

"I'm not going to say it is of no value, but I am going to say that it contains relatively little information once you know what else is going on in the economy."

Provided the economy continued to do reasonably well, with good jobs growth, consumer confidence was likely to bounce back, he said.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

New home for Perth's wandering peacock

A YOUNG peacock found strutting his stuff in suburban Perth has a new home after doing time in an animal shelter.

He also has a new name: Gerald.

The juvenile bird was seen wandering in Westminster about a month ago and was cared for at the RSPCA Animal Care Centre in Malaga while the owner was sought.

On Wednesday, an animal lover who has a 4ha property in Wanneroo adopted the colourful bird.

"We are thrilled to hear he has found a loving new family," RSPCA WA chief inspector Amanda Swift said.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM runs late for important date with SBY

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott's meeting to repair the relationship with Indonesia had already been months in the making, before a problem with his plane delayed the highly-anticipated event a little more.

Mr Abbott left Canberra for Batam, Indonesia, more than two hours late on Wednesday, another bump on the road to reconciling with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The president last year learned Australia had tapped the phones of his wife and other confidants under the previous Labor government, but is keen to move on.

Mr Abbott, too, says he wants to make progress before Dr Yudhoyono leaves office later this year.

A meeting scheduled for last month was cancelled at the last minute.

Mr Abbott blamed budget commitments, but it's understood he changed his mind to avoid embarrassment over an asylum-seeker boat being turned back to Indonesian territory.

On Wednesday, he was delayed when his RAAF jet suffered a technical problem on the tarmac, forcing him to use a back-up aircraft for his 12-day overseas mission.

Indonesia has set a relaxed tone for the event, which will include an informal discussion in a beachside resort.

But on the eve of the meeting, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa dampened expectations of a quick fix.

He told an Indonesian parliamentary committee that even if a code of conduct on spying is signed within weeks, as expected, that's just one part of a "roadmap" towards resuming co-operation on areas frozen since last year.

Then, he says, there's still the problem of the Abbott government's policy of turning asylum-seeker boats back to Indonesia.

"For us, for Indonesia, these two problems must be managed before we can see some sort of normalisation," Dr Natalegawa said.

"And it's clear ... the cause of this problem is Australia."

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek meanwhile says it's an "overstatement" to say the meeting on Indonesian soil is a show of warmth, but she hopes a resolution is close.

"It is much more likely that we will be able to restore warm relations under this president than under any new president," Ms Plibersek told ABC radio on Wednesday.

Ms Plibersek has criticised the slow progress on the code of conduct, now expected to be finalised when the foreign and defence ministers meet for "2+2" talks.

Despite the pending no-spying agreement, a Lowy Institute poll has found many Australians approve of eavesdropping on our neighbour.

Out of 1000 people surveyed, 62 per cent thought it was acceptable to spy on Indonesia.

There was also broad support for turning back asylum-seeker boats - 71 per cent agreeing it should be done, where safe.

Mr Abbott's brief stopover in Indonesia is the first part of a trip to bolster Australia's business and security links.

From Indonesia, he will travel to France, Canada and the US, for talks with President Barack Obama.

"This is an important trip," he told reporters before leaving Canberra.

"It will be another opportunity for me to demonstrate that Australia is open for business."

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Westfield in court before restructure vote

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The spokeswoman's comments come despite a media report that June 20 had been set for fresh meeting and vote.

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

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

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

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

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

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Parents seek answers to son's Yemen death

THE parents of an Australian man killed in a US drone strike in Yemen want to know how their son died and what evidence the federal government has of his possible links to terrorism.

Christopher Harvard, 27, was killed in a US drone strike in Yemen on November 19 last year.

The Townsville man's parents, Neill and Bronwyn Dowrick, say they feel abandoned by the Australian government after being given conflicting information about his death.

"Every time we ask questions, they just won't answer," Mrs Dowrick told the ABC on Tuesday.

Mr Dowrick said it took at least a month after their son was killed before they were told.

First they heard he was killed in a Yemen government strike on a mosque, then in a car, then the federal government "changed the story every week".

Mr Harvard had told his parents he was going to Yemen to teach English after someone paid for his trip.

But the federal government apparently suspects he was linked to terrorism in Yemen and to the kidnapping of three Westerners in 2012.

Mr and Mrs Dowrick say they received a call in 2012 to advise their son's passport had been cancelled.

"So then he had to stay in Yemen," Mr Dowrick said.

The ABC showed freedom of information documents from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's office that say Mr Harvard was being investigated for possible involvement in activities in Yemen linked to al-Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula, including the kidnapping of three Europeans.

Mr Dowrick says all that is hearsay and no one has ever given them any proof either way.

They want the truth.

"No lies, the straight-out truth," he said.

Mrs Dowrick said it has been a terrible ordeal.

"How do we move on? We have got no closure.

"We've got no proof of Chris's body, a death certificate or how he was actually killed," she said.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

8 cars earn top mark for collision warning

Eight cars have earned the highest safety rating in new tests of high-tech crash prevention systems. Source: AAP

THE 2014 Chevrolet Impala was the only non-luxury car to earn the highest safety rating in new tests of high-tech crash prevention systems.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested cars equipped with collision warning and automatic braking systems. It gave a "superior" rating to cars that both warned the driver of a potential collision and applied the automatic brakes to significantly slow the cars.

The BMW 5 Series, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Buick Regal, Cadillac CTS, Cadillac XTS and 2015 Hyundai Genesis also earned "superior" ratings in the test results released Thursday.

Collision warning and automatic braking systems use cameras, radars and lasers to determine if a vehicle is getting too close to the car in front of it. Most of the systems warn the driver - audibly, with vibrations in the seat, or both - and prepare the brakes to maximise their effect when the driver presses them.

In some cases, the vehicles brake themselves. That action may not prevent a crash, the institute said, but reducing the speed before the car hits something can help make crashes - and injuries - less severe.

The Impala's rating wasn't affected by a government investigation of one driver's report that the automatic braking system went off several times without warning, eventually causing an accident.

Insurance Institute spokesman Russ Rader said the group is aware of the investigation but had no issues with the Impala in testing.

The Arlington, Virginia-based institute, which is funded by insurers, began testing and rating the systems last autumn in hopes of pressuring automakers to adopt them as standard equipment.

The institute said 40 per cent of 2014 models now offer forward collision warning as an option, while 20 per cent offer automatic braking. Acura, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo offer the systems as standard equipment on some cars.

Tests are conducted at 20 kilometres per hour and 40 kilometres per hour. In the highest-rated cars, the brakes slowed the cars to 3 or 4 kph or less.

Thirteen 2014 models earned "advanced" ratings, meaning they warned drivers but their brakes reduced the speed only moderately. Those vehicles were: the BMW 3 Series, Buick LaCrosse, Lexus IS, Audi A3, Audi A6, BMW 3 Series, Dodge Durango, Lexus GS, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Infiniti QX50 and Infiniti QX70. The BMW 5 Series and BMW X5, which won superior ratings when equipped with a radar and camera, earned "advanced" ratings when equipped with City Brake, a camera-only system.

Three models earned "basic" ratings, meaning they warned drivers of a potential collision but reduced the car's speed by less than 8 kph. They were: the BMW 3 Series (without City Brake), the Infiniti Q70 and the Toyota Avalon.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

ABS controls fail to trigger insider alert

THE Australian Bureau of Statistics has admitted it is difficult to counter the threat of a trusted insider leaking market-sensitive information.

Former ABS public servant Christopher Russell Hill, 24, of Belconnen in the ACT is facing criminal charges over his role in an alleged $7 million insider trading operation.

Police allege Hill gave market-sensitive information to his university friend, National Australia Bank associate director Lukas Kamay.

Kamay, 26, allegedly used the labour force, retail and trade figures, which had yet to be publicly released, to predict fluctuations in the Australian dollar.

The activity generated about $7 million in profits between August 2013 and May this year.

At a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday night, ABS acting statistician Jonathan Palmer defended security protocols in place, describing the breach as unprecedented in the bureau's 100-year history.

"Fortunately in this case police were clear that this person acted alone," he said.

"That gives me some level of confidence."

The bureau has recruited Belinda Gibson, former deputy chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, to conduct a review.

Staff must sign undertakings and declarations when they begin employment to show they are aware they risk jail if they leak sensitive information.

Mr Palmer said there were strict access controls on sensitive information and the bureau reviews access logs.

The hearing was told the bureau's procedures did not trigger any alerts to the alleged criminal behaviour.

Mr Palmer said Hill had been a trusted insider.

"It's a very difficult threat to counter," he said.

"If someone has a trusted need to access the number and they only have to leak an aggregate number or communicate in some obscure way that the number is contrary to market expectations, there's no requirement for them to take [numbers] out of the building."

He said staff were not allowed access to their mobile phones in lock-ups but that control measure did not extend to the office.

Labor senator Mark Bishop asked whether it was possible to have a staff lock-up between the data being finalised and then released to the market in order to restrict access to phones and computers.

He pointed to the Canberra press gallery's six hour budget lock-up as an example.

But Mr Palmer said that was not practical because sometimes data reports were completed days in advance.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sydney woman arrested after terror hoax

A WOMAN has been accused of falsely reporting a terrorism plot targeting a plane at Sydney's international airport.

The 30-year-old, from Blacktown, allegedly contacted police on March 21, claiming to have overheard a conversation at Kingsford-Smith, where three people had discussed committing an act of terrorism.

An assessment of the threat was made by several agencies and deemed to be a hoax.

Following an investigation by officers from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, the woman was located on Sunday at Wentworthville, charged with suppling false information and refused bail.

Police said she appeared at Central Local Court on Monday and would remain in custody until reappearing on Thursday.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld mayor referred to corruption watchdog

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale has been referred to Queensland's corruption watchdog. Source: AAP

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

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

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

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

None of those donations had been entered in his register.

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

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

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

Comment has been sought from Mr Pisasale.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More