POLITICS & POLICY

U.N. Peacekeepers Accused of Raping 18-year-old Male in Haiti

The alleged victim, Johnny Jean, and his mother, Rose Marie Jean, told Haitian radio stations he had been raped by Uruguayan marines and provided testimony to a judge in the southern town of Port-Salut, where the incident allegedly took place on July 28.

Australia Recovers, Posts GDP Gains in June Quarter

Australia had a barrelling finish on the second quarter, thanks much on soaring economic activities fuelled by the mining sector, according to the latest report issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday.
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APRA Timetable for Basel III Seen as Vote of Confidence for Australian Banks

While the global financial sector was talking about the threat of another banking crisis across Europe, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) released on Tuesday a discussion paper that said the regulator would put in place Basel III capital requirements two years ahead of the 2015 deadline.

China Admits Gaddafi’s Forces Visited for Ammunition

The Chinese government through its Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu has validated Libyan opposition spokesman Abdel Raham Busim’s statement that earlier this year, communist China accommodated Muammar Gaddafi’s forces in hope to purchase firearms and other high-caliber guns following the Libyan rebellion, reports said.

Don Argus Claims Labour Party’s Failings in Managing the Economy

The federal government wanted it the easy way but Australians in general will have to pay the painful price for such monumental blunder, this according to banking stalwart Don Argus, who also warned on Monday that retreating local production, would in the long run hurt the economy.

Gillard’s Approval Rating Plummets to Record Low

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s popularity drops to record low in an opinion survey released on Tuesday. The same Newspoll results happen to be the sixth in a row to show Opposition Leader Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister over Gillard. The latest poll results prompted Newspoll CEO Martin O'Shannessy to say Labor would lose as many as 40 seats if an election was held today.

RBA Maintains Benchmark Rates at 4.75%

The Reserve Bank of Australia retained the 4.75 percent interest on Tuesday. The bank's Monetary Board cited the volatility which hounds the world financial markets as the reason why it kept the rates which had been unchanged since November 2010.

Is the RBA Carefully Maintaining Australia's Economic Balance?

Fears of internal inflationary pressures and redounding volatility of global markets prompted Australia's central bank to keep the country's cash rates at its current level of 4.75 percent for the ninth straight meeting on Tuesday. This is still the highest among developed nations across the globe trudging with the slow economic recovery.

PM Gillard may Tap Pacific Islands Forum for Asylum Seekers

Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop has contributed an interesting idea to the asylum seeker debate in the wake of Prime Minister Julia Gillard leaving for the Pacific Islands Forum. Ms Bishop has suggested that the PM should use this particular trip to explore the possibility of Nauru taking asylum seekers.

European Central Bank Pushes for a Fiscal Union

Europe is apparently moving closer to a fiscal union to address the lack of central coordination of the eurozone's debt and spending policies. That lack has been blamed for the inability of zone authorities to find a solution to the debt crisis even if they had been attempting to solve it the past 18 months,.

Attorney-General: Australia Has No Plans to Go After Assange

There is no immediate possibility that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will face prosecution in Australia despite his site’s recent leaks of U.S. diplomatic cables that compromised sensitive information about the country’s intelligence activities.

PM Gillard’s Plunging Poll Numbers Stir Labour Party Leadership

Economic contractions in recent months, controversial tax proposals and a rebuff from the Australian High Court on her government’s immigration policy proved damaging on the popularity of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, whose support from the public steadily dwindled according to a latest newspaper poll.

Survey Shows Australians Favor 30% Minerals Resource Rent Tax

An online survey released Monday found that 46 percent of Australians favor the government planned 30 per cent minerals resource rent tax (MMRT). The survey by Essential Research said 34 per cent are against the MMRT, reported the Herald Sun.

PM Gillard, Abbott to Collaborate on Migration Issues

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is confident that the country’s Migration Act would be far more effective through introduction of amendments that would legally allow the processing of asylum seekers by use of a well-defined partnership from a foreign country.

Orica Leak not a Health Risk, NSW Health

Newcastle residents affected by the Orica chemical (hexavelent chromium) leak have been assured by health specialists that the leak does not pose much health risks.

James Murdoch Declines US$6M Bonus

James Murdoch declined a bonus amounting to almost $US6 million ($5.63 million) because of the phone hacking scandal at the defunct UK newspaper News of the World. He was supposed to get a payout of $US17.9 million, inclusive of the $US6 million bonus and $US8.3 million in stock awards. James' bonus was set to increase his compensation package by 74 per cent. Without the bonus, his remuneration will rise 16 per cent to $US11.9 million.

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