Aust will never accept boat people: Rudd

THE first group of asylum seekers to be dealt with under Labor's new hardline approach to boat arrivals could be transferred to Papua New Guinea for processing and possible settlement within weeks.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd declared the policy on Friday, saying the new regime to deny settlement in Australia to asylum seekers who paid people smugglers for unauthorised passage would begin immediately.

The surprise announcement was condemned by refugee advocates as inhumane and praised by the opposition as a "very promising development".

Mr Rudd's hardline approach means people arriving by boat and without a visa will be sent to Australia's Manus Island facility in Papua New Guinea for assessment and, if found to be refugees, they will be settled there.

The first transfers to Manus Island are expected within weeks, following the arrival on Friday of a boat carrying 80 people at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

"From now on, vessels that are intercepted will have the new rules apply to them and it will be a couple of weeks because of the health checks ... before the first transfers take place," Immigration Minister Tony Burke said.

The plan is the key plank of a new regional settlement arrangement signed on Friday by the PNG and Australian governments and better positions Labor to go the federal election with a border protection solution.

"Any asylum seeker who arrives in Australia by boat will have no chance of being settled in Australia as a refugee," Mr Rudd, who was flanked by his PNG counterpart Peter O'Neill, said in Brisbane.

"If they are found to be genuine refugees, they will be resettled in Papua New Guinea."

If they are not found to be genuine refugees, they would be repatriated or sent to a safe third country.

The Manus facility currently houses 215 people in tents and shelters and living conditions are described as harsh.

A permanent 600-bed facility is due for completion in January but further upgrades are now expected.

"This is a very hard-line decision," Mr Rudd said.

"But our responsibility as a government is to ensure that we have a robust system of border security and orderly migration."

Mr Rudd said there would be no cap on the number of people who can be transferred to PNG and the new arrangements will apply for the next 12 months and be subject to annual review.

But if the plan leads to a "significant change" in the number of people arriving by boat, the government "stands ready to progressively increasing our humanitarian intake towards 27,000".

"Our expectation ... is as this regional resettlement arrangement is implemented, and the message is sent loud and clear back up the pipeline, the number of boats will decline," Mr Rudd said.

In exchange for PNG's agreement, Australia will fund further aid initiatives, including redeveloping a major referral hospital in Lae and supply half the funding to reform PNG's university sector.

It will also support professional management teams in health, education and law and order.

Mr O'Neill said PNG had its own refugee issues, but he believed the deal would allow orderly processing.

"We believe strongly that genuine refugees can be able to be resettled in our country and within the region in the years to come," he said.

Mr Rudd acknowledged the new approach won't be smooth sailing and he expects the agreement could be challenged through the courts.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said Mr Rudd's plan was about processing.

"It is not about stopping the boats," he said.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said the resettlement plan was "ruthless and repugnant".

She accused Mr Rudd of lurching so far to the political right he had "leap frogged" Mr Abbott.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oil prices ending week higher

OIL prices have advanced, building on the week's gains triggered by positive global economic data that boosts the outlook for crude demand.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in August, rose 53 cents to $US108.57 a barrel - a fresh 16-month high point.

Brent North Sea crude for September meanwhile gained 34 cents to stand at $US109.04 a barrel in London midday trade.

WTI had jumped by $1.56 in value on Thursday to end at the highest level since March 1, 2012.

The big jump in New York crude accompanied similar gains for share prices on Wall Street after a sharper-than-expected drop in US jobless claims and an unexpected spike in regional manufacturing activity.

Markets have been supported also by this week's assurances from Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke that the bank's $85 billion-a-month bond-buying scheme would be kept in place as long as the world's biggest economy needed it.

"Better-than-expected US economic data are providing the WTI price with upward momentum and so is the sharp reduction of US crude oil stocks in past weeks," said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch.

The official crude inventories report by the US Department of Energy on Wednesday showed supplies in the United States fell by 6.9 million barrels in the week to July 12.

The drop, which comes during the summer driving season when Americans take to the roads for their holidays, beat the 2.2 million barrels estimated by analysts.

Analysts said oil prices would remain supported by signs of stronger demand in the United States, the world's top crude consumer, as well as fears of a disruption in Middle East supply caused by Egypt's political turmoil.

Oil prices have risen this week, also despite weak economic data out of China, the world's biggest consumer of energy.

China reported that economic growth slowed to a 7.5-percent pace in the April-June quarter, down from 7.7 percent in the previous three months.

The slower growth rate came in as expected, which analysts said might explain the lack of impact on the market.

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US spy claims hit German relations: Merkel

Two-thirds of Germans are unhappy with the Merkel government's handling of claims of US spying. Source: AAP

ALLEGATIONS of US spying in Germany and Europe have hit Berlin's relations with Washington, Chancellor Angela Merkel warns, as she attempts to stop the scandal from derailing her bid for re-election in September.

"Germany is not a police state. Germany is a land of freedom," Merkel said on Friday at her annual press conference, where she faced a barrage of questions about the claims over US communications surveillance.

"A friendship is founded on trust and in this case trust has been affected," she said, warning about the threat posed to Germany's relations with the United States by the allegations.

Until now, the claims of US spying have failed to dent Merkel's commanding lead in opinion polls.

But government officials are concerned that the publication of more damaging revelations could set back the chancellor's hopes of securing a third term in the September 22 election.

A survey published Friday on by the Infratest dimap pollsters showed two-thirds of Germans are unhappy with her government's handling of the claims.

This follows disclosures, believed to be from US whistleblower Edward Snowden, detailing how the US National Security Agency (NSA) was spying on allied governments and their citizens through the so-called PRISM program.

"German law on German soil", Merkel insisted.

She indicated that the key focus of the investigation into the allegations by several authorities in Berlin would be on whether any German laws had been broken by international intelligence agencies operating in Germany.

The chancellor also said her government's investigation into US surveillance activities in Germany would take some time to finish.

"The work is not complete," she said. "It is ongoing."

Her press conference coincided with a warning from Snowden's associates that new claims could be published shortly.

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Lebanon man's penis cut off by in-laws

THE irate family of a Lebanese Druze woman who married a Sunni man attacked her new husband, cutting off his penis and pulling out his teeth, local media report.

Mass circulation An Nahar said Rabih, 39, and Roudaina, 20, met on Facebook and were married by a sheikh in July, over the wishes of the bride's family.

Marriage between members of the Druze community and non-Druze is extremely rare and officially banned by the religious group, which is present in Lebanon, Syria, Israel and the West Bank.

Roudaina's family, Druze from the Bayssour area of the Aley region, were apoplectic over her marriage, media reports said.

Her brothers, one of them a soldier, managed to lure Roudaina's new husband to Bayssour under the pretext of a reconciliation meeting.

But when the unfortunate groom arrived, they beat him up, pulled out several teeth and cut off his penis.

"He would have been killed if residents of the area hadn't intervened," An Nahar said on Wednesday, citing security sources.

Rabih was taken to hospital, but his attackers remain at large. His family has condemned the attack as "an unpardonable and hideous crime".

Even beyond the Druze community, intermarriage between Lebanon's 18 religious communities remains uncommon.

The country was ravaged by a civil war that pitted many of its religious communities against each other between 1975 and 1990.

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Mattel profit falls, Barbie sales slide

MATTEL'S second-quarter net income fell 24 per cent, pulled down by an impairment charge.

The toymaker's revenue edged up but came in below expectations.

In the April-to-June quarter, net income dropped to $US73.3 million ($A79.76 million), or 21 cents per share. That compares with $US96.2 million, or 28 cents per share, a year ago.

Analysts expected earnings of 32 cents per share and typically exclude unusual items.

Revenue for the El Segundo, California, company edged up to $US1.17 billion from $1.16 billion as international sales grew. Still, this missed Wall Street's $US1.22 billion.

Sales of Mattel's Barbie franchise declined for the fourth straight quarter.

Sales of Monster High and American Girl products rose, while Fisher-Price and Hot Wheels sales dropped.

Mattel Inc said on Wednesday that its board declared a third-quarter dividend of 36 cents per share.

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Principal not guilty on arson charge

A JURY is deliberating on whether the former principal of a remote West Australian school committed two arson attacks at campuses he ran after finding him not guilty of starting one blaze.

John Michael McHale, 50, pleaded guilty to 266 charges of theft and fraud, including using the Meekatharra School of the Air's credit card to buy groceries.

But he fought allegations he burned down the school and its replacement in Geraldton to destroy financial records that would have revealed his dishonesty.

McHale, who was suspended from his job more than three years after the frauds began in early 2006, also denied claims he stole school equipment after several items were found at his home.

Late on Wednesday, a jury found him not guilty of starting the first fire at the Meekatharra school, but is still undecided regarding a subsequent fire at the same school and a later blaze at the Geraldton school, which cost $3.7 million to build.

But it did find him guilty on three counts of stealing as a servant.

The jury will continue its deliberations on Thursday.

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Smith rejects Bishop's Indonesia boat call

DEFENCE Minister Stephen Smith has bagged coalition suggestions that Indonesia would accept a policy of towing back asylum seeker boats.

Deputy leader of the opposition Julie Bishop made the assertion on ABC TV's Q&A program on Monday night, saying Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had discussed the policy with the coalition.

Ms Bishop referred to comments she made in the media that caused a furore last month, when she suggested Indonesian officials had privately indicated they would co-operate with the Liberal-National policy of turning back asylum seeker boats to Indonesia.

"I was talking about diplomatic language generally, where you read the signs, you read the nuances," Ms Bishop said.

"But in relation to Indonesia - separately - I am confident that given the discussions we've already had, as confirmed by Minister Natalegawa today, I am confident we will be able to implement our policies.

"He confirmed that the Indonesian government is open to discussion with the coalition about our policies.

"And he's confirmed essentially what we've been saying all along: that the Indonesian government is aware of our policies, they were aware of them 10 years ago when John Howard first introduced them, and he's confirmed that they are open to discussions with us."

Mr Smith rejected her version of events, saying Mr Natalegawa had simply said he would talk with the coalition to see what its policies were.

"So let's not let Julie over-egg it," Mr Smith said.

"The coalition has made it clear that irrespective of Indonesia's view - and there's more than one Indonesian official from the highest authority down (who) have made it clear - this is not a policy approach that they would welcome or that they'd co-operate with."

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Citigroup reports jump in earnings

US banking giant Citigroup has reported a 26.2 per cent jump in quarterly earnings.

A strong performance from its securities and investment banking division helped offset the drag of lower mortgage originations.

Excluding the effects of a prior-year asset sale and some debt cost effects, Citi reported net income of $US3.9 billion ($A4.3 billion) on $US20.0 billion in revenues, up 26.7 per cent from the year-ago period.

The profits translated into $US1.25 per share, compared with analyst expectations of $US1.18.

Citi chief executive Michael Corbat pointed to a solid performance in Asia and Latin America, both of which saw year-on-year revenue and profit growth.

"Our businesses performed well during the quarter and these results are well balanced through our products and geographies, especially in the emerging markets, where growth is being challenged," Corbat said.

Like peer banks, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, Citi warned that the recent jump in interest rates would drag on North American mortgage originations.

Citi's retail banking revenues declined four per cent to $US1.6 billion, in part due to lower mortgage origination and servicing revenues.

Citi said its securities and banking division reported particularly strong growth, revenues jumping 25 per cent to $US6.8 billion.

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US shares slip after last week's big rally

US stocks have opened slightly lower after last week's strong gains as a disappointing June retail sales report kept buyers cautious.

Ten minutes into trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.58 (0.01 per cent) to 15,462.72.

The broader S&P 500 slipped 1.52 (0.09 per cent) to 1,678.67, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite lost 6.18 (0.17 per cent) at 3,593.90.

Citigroup's strong second-quarter earnings sent its share up 2.2 per cent in the first minutes, while Boeing added 2.1 per cent on eased worries over a fire in an empty 787 Dreamliner parked at London's Heathrow airport last week.

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World's media sweat it out for royal baby

THE media frenzy over the birth of Prince William and his wife Catherine's baby has reached fever pitch as the reported due date came and went with no sign of the royal heir.

A rumour that the Duchess of Cambridge had gone into labour on Thursday spread like wildfire on Twitter and reportedly caused British Prime Minister David Cameron's office to call Buckingham Palace to check on it.

It was another false alarm, but the dozens of international journalists camped outside the private London hospital where Kate is giving birth are on tenterhooks, knowing that it could happen any day now.

The palace has said the baby was due in "mid-July" and many editors have had this weekend in the diary for weeks - even though any parent knows that babies rarely arrive on time.

William's father, Prince Charles, revealed that it is not just royal observers waiting for the baby, as they attended a festival celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's coronation on Friday.

Charles, the heir to the throne who will become a grandfather for the first time, said "it won't be long now" as he surveyed a range of commemorative china to mark the new arrival.

His second wife Camilla, who is already a grandmother, added in conversation: "We are very excited. Immensely looking forward to it and waiting for the phone call."

The popularity of William and Kate, who married in a glittering wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011, has turned the birth of their first child into a global event.

Media organisations have been installed outside St Mary's Hospital in Paddington for almost two weeks now, and in the absence of news, time has been passing slowly.

For the television networks, the top priority is to hold their positions around the clock, working 12-hour shifts in baking summer heat.

That means fiercely defending their territory, never yielding an inch of space to a rival station, and woe betide anyone touching the gaffer tape marking out an organisation's patch.

The main British news broadcasters - BBC, ITN and Sky News - have got the prime spots, lined up in front of the major US networks, which have maximised their space with some mammoth pieces of broadcasting hardware.

Behind them, it is a scramble to get a decent angle to shoot the doorway where William himself first saw daylight in 1982, carried out of the Lindo Wing by his parents Prince Charles and Diana.

For the time being, the door is guarded by a police officer who is rapidly becoming the most filmed man on the planet.

20.10 | 0 komentar | Read More