Pope set to begin Middle East pilgrimage

The Vatican has billed Pope Francis' first visit to the Middle East as a "pilgrimage of prayer". Source: AAP

POPE Francis has made an urgent plea for peace in war-torn Syria as he kicked off a three-day pilgrimage to the Middle East.

And he called for religious freedom to be upheld throughout a region ravaged by war and bloodshed, where a dwindling Christian population faces daily persecution.

After arriving to a red carpet welcome at Amman airport on Saturday he was later in the day to celebrate an afternoon mass in front of thousands of people at a stadium in the city.

The Pope's three-day tour will also take him to Israel and the Palestinian territories on a landmark first visit aimed at boosting ties with Muslims and Jews.

"Lasting peace for the entire region ... requires that a peaceful solution be found to the crisis in Syria, as well as a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the Pope said at the royal palace, ahead of a meeting with Syrian refugees.

Syria's civil war, which began in 2011, is estimated to have claimed at least 162,000 lives and forced another 2.7 million people to flee to neighbouring countries, 450,000 of them Christians.

Jordan's King Abdullah II told Francis his "humanity and wisdom" could contribute to easing the crisis confronting Syrian refugees and the burden on hosts countries like Jordan.

As his white car drove through the streets towards the royal palace, well-wishers waved Jordanian and Vatican flags and held up banners welcoming him, under the watchful eye of security guards.

Later on Saturday, Francis was to head to a site on the River Jordan where many believe Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. There he will hear first-hand accounts of the suffering in Syria from some of the 600,000 refugees hosted by Jordan.

The 77-year-old pontiff also urged respect for religious freedom in a region where the Holy See called for an end to the ongoing persecution of Christians.

"Religious freedom is, in fact, a fundamental human right and I cannot fail to express my hope that it will be upheld throughout the Middle East and the entire world," he said.

Although Christians were a minority within the region, their contribution was "significant and valued," he said.

Entering Amman's main stadium on open-topped white jeep, Francis was met by raucous applause as he smiled and waved at the crowds, his white skullcap flying off in the breeze.

"This pope is special. He only wants to see the poor and the diseased. He is the protector of the helpless," said 77-year-old Sister Rachel, highlighting his dedication to the downtrodden.

Early on Sunday, the pope will make a short helicopter ride across the Jordan River to Bethlehem, where he will begin a two-day visit to the Palestinian territories and Israel.

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Suspected drug ring busted in Canberra

Police have raided 10 north Canberra properties, uncovering what they say is a major drug syndicate. Source: AAP

A MAJOR drug ring has been busted in the national capital, with a Canberra man set to face court charged with trafficking drugs.

ACT Policing raided several north Canberra properties on Friday afternoon where they seized $200,000 worth of illicit drugs, cars and cash.

They found 728 grams of cocaine, a methylamphetamine-suspected substance, tablets suspected to be ecstasy, and steroids.

Police believe the operation cracked a major drug syndicate operating in the capital.

A 28-year-old man will appear in court on Saturday charged with drug trafficking.

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Vic motorcyclist nabbed 100km/h over limit

A MOTORBIKE rider has been caught travelling at almost 100 km/h over the speed limit in the middle of Melbourne's premiere restaurant strip.

The rider reached a speed of up to 133 km/h in the 40 km/h-zone on Lygon Street, in Carlton.

He was stopped by police about 4.20pm and his motorbike was impounded for 30 days.

The 24-year-old man is facing charges including conduct endangering life, and he must appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on August 25.

Victoria Police said it was among the highest speeds ever detected on Lygon Street, which is usually busy with pedestrians and traffic and especially so on a Saturday afternoon.

"I find it abhorrent that someone would endanger other people with such stupid behaviour," Melbourne Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant Michael Ingram said in a statement.

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Girl, 13, hit crossing Sydney road

A TEENAGE girl has been placed in a coma after she was hit by a car near Dee Why, on Sydney's northern beaches.

The CareFlight helicopter, police and paramedics rushed to help the unconscious 13-year-old after she was hit while trying to cross Warringah Road at Narraweena on Saturday night.

CareFlight director Ian Badham said helicopter operators wearing night vision goggles had to land at a nearby oval.

The Mona Vale girl was placed in an induced coma and onto a ventilator as she was flown to Royal North Shore Hospital, where she arrived in a critical condition.

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Man who helped create GI Joe dies

DONALD Levine, the American toy company executive credited with developing the world's first action figure, GI Joe, has died aged 86.

He died of cancer early on Thursday at a hospice on Rhode Island, said his wife, Nan. They were just about to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

Levine shepherded the toy through design and development as toy company Hasbro's head of research and development.

He and his team came up with an 28cm articulated figure with 21 moving parts, and since the company's employees included many military veterans, it was decided to outfit the toy in the uniforms of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force, with such accessories as guns, helmets and vehicles.

Levine, who served in the Army in Korea, said he got the idea for the moveable figure as a way to honour veterans.

GI Joe hit the shelves in time for the 1964 Christmas shopping season and soon became a big seller at $US4 apiece.

It remained popular until the late 1960s, as opposition to Vietnam intensified and parents shied away from military-related toys.

Hasbro countered in 1970 by introducing "Adventure Team" GI Joes that played down the military connection.

Into the 1970s, GI Joes featured "lifelike hair" and "kung-fu grip" and were outfitted with scuba gear to save the oceans and explorer's clothing for discovering mummies.

Over the decades, GI Joe has spawned comic books, cartoons, two movies starring Channing Tatum, and a GI Joe Collector's Club and its annual convention - GIJoeCon - held in Dallas in April.

Levine's funeral will be held on Sunday at Temple Beth-El in Providence. He is survived by his wife, three children and four grandchildren.

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No refugee ticket to first world: Morrison

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Cambodia wants refugees from Australia to rebuild the nation. Source: AAP

IMMIGRATION Minister Scott Morrison has signalled that Australia is about to cut a deal with Cambodia to resettle refugees held in Nauru.

His comments come after Nauru and Papua New Guinea determined the refugee status of some asylum seekers sent to them by Australian authorities.

Mr Morrison said the government was making good progress on an agreement with Cambodia, but didn't want to jump the gun.

"We've got a positive response (from Cambodia)," he told Sky News on Thursday.

He is adamant the resettlement of refugees cannot solely belong to a club of first-world economies, like Australia.

Federal Labor is demanding the government release details of its Cambodia plan, including what safeguards are in place to ensure refugees' safety.

The kingdom is one of the poorest nations in the region and is still recovering from civil war.

There are also concerns about internal government corruption, a worry rejected by Mr Morrison.

"If that were true we should immediately cancel the almost $80 million in aid we provide to Cambodia," he said.

Thirteen asylum seekers, assessed as refugees, have been released into the Nauru community.

Seven others had their claims rejected while 21 others are waiting for a decision to be handed down on Thursday.

It's understood the refugees will be resettled temporarily on Nauru with five-year visas.

Refugees will have access to language classes, training, health care, work rights and a living allowance at local standards.

They will get some financial assistance, but will be asked to stand on their own feet after a year.

"Many of those being resettled on Nauru have skills, capability - things that Nauruans would welcome in their community," Mr Morrison said.

In PNG, 11 refugees have received positive decisions, with 15 denied.

PNG MP Ron Knight, who represents Manus Island, said accommodation for the refugees was almost complete at the town of Lorengau, west of the detention centre.

They will temporarily be in prefabricated units with airconditioning, secured behind mesh fences with 24-hour security guards.

The first group is expected to move in within weeks.

Originally, 300 refugees were going to be sent there, but that's been cut down to 75.

Catering and laundry will be done for them and they will be free to walk about the town.

"It's like a three-star hotel," Mr Knight told AAP.

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Port Hedland strike halted for 30 days

Fortescue Metals has warned it could cut jobs if a threatened strike at Port Headland goes ahead. Source: AAP

A POTENTIALLY damaging strike that could have shut down operations at Australia's largest export port has been called off.

But the possibility of a future strike is still on the cards, with unions set to make another bid for industrial action after June 30.

Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members employed by tugboat operator Teekay at Port Hedland in Western Australia voted last week to walk out if they were unable to agree to pay and conditions with the firm.

Imminent strike action was averted late Thursday when the union agreed to halt industrial action against Teekay for 30 days.

No settlement was reached over leave and wages but the union said it took industrial action off the table to allow negotiations to proceed.

However, it wants to reserve the right to strike after the 30-day cooling off period if no settlement has been reached.

On Friday, it will put in an application to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to extend the period in which it can take protected industrial action by 30 days.

It will continue to hold informal talks with Teekay and will appear before the FWC on June 5.

The agreement between the union and the tug operator breaks an 11-month deadlock in talks over pay and leave entitlements.

The prospect of a strike had worried mining giants BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group, both of which were at threat of losing sales.

BHP, which contracts Teekay, warned a strike would cost up to $700 million and flagged using legal action to prevent the strike.

Fortescue Metals had threatened to stand down workers if they went ahead with the strike.

The fractious situation also caused the federal government to weigh in.

Government officials were sent to Port Hedland to monitor the situation in a bid to protect Australia's most valuable export industry.

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Thailand's army launches coup

THAILAND'S army chief says the army is taking control of the government to "restore order and push through political reform", Sky News reports.

The head of the Thai Army made the announcement on TV with senior military officers surrounding him, The New York Times reports.

The coup came after the introduction of martial law on Thursday.

more to come ...

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US to end to door-slot mail for millions

15 million addresses in the US will no longer get mail delivered to the door under proposed new laws Source: AAP

MILLIONS of people in the United States will no longer get mail delivered to their door but will have to go to communal or curbside boxes instead under a proposal advancing through congress.

The Republican-controlled House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on an 18-13 party-line vote, approved a bill on Wednesday to direct the US Postal Service to convert 15 million addresses over the next decade to the less costly, but also less convenient delivery method.

Democrats objected to the plan, and efforts in recent years to win its adoption have failed.

"I think it's a lousy idea," Democrat Representative Stephen Lynch said.

Other lawmakers said it wouldn't work in urban areas where there's no place on city streets to put banks of "cluster boxes" with separate compartments for each address.

People with disabilities who have difficulty leaving their homes could get waivers, and people who still want delivery to their door could pay extra for it - something Lynch derided as "a delivery tax."

The measure falls far short of a comprehensive overhaul most officials agree is needed to solve the postal service's financial problems.

The committee's chairman, Republican Darrell Issa, acknowledged that at the outset but said it "provides an interim opportunity to achieve some significant cost savings."

Converting to communal or curbside delivery would save $US2 billion ($A2.16 billion) annually, Issa said, quoting from estimates that door delivery costs $US380 annually per address compared with $US240 for curbside and $US170 for centralised methods.

He said less than one per cent of all addresses nationwide would undergo a delivery change annually and that communal boxes offer a safe, locked location for packages, doing away with the need for carriers to leave packages on porches and subject to theft and bad weather.

The Postal Service reported a $US1.9 billion loss for the first three months this year despite continued cost-cutting, a 2.3 per cent rise in operating revenue and increased employee productivity.

Package business has risen but the service struggles with inflationary cost increases and a continued decline in first-class mailing as people move to the internet for letter writing and bill paying.

Postal officials have asked repeatedly for comprehensive legislation giving them more control over personnel and benefit costs and more flexibility in pricing and products.

Though various legislative proposals have been advanced, Congress has not been able to agree on a bill with broad changes.

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Bali crash victim arrives in Australia

AN Australian man who was critically injured in a motorcycle crash in Bali has arrived safely in Melbourne and is receiving hospital treatment.

There were concerns Nicho White, who has not roused from an induced coma, would not survive his medivac flight from Indonesia.

"Nicho has arrived safely after a very long and tedious medivac flight," Ian McGill, Mr White's stepfather, told AAP from Bali late on Thursday.

"A specialist friend of ours said there was a likelihood he wouldn't survive the flight, so surviving the flight is a big step."

His plane, carrying life support equipment and a medical team, had to fly at low altitude and at low speed.

It touched down at a Melbourne airport shortly before 8pm and Mr White was then taken by ambulance to The Alfred Hospital.

The 43-year-old suffered massive head and other injuries when his motorbike collided with a 4WD vehicle in Bali last week.

Mr White did not have medical insurance and a fundraising campaign has covered the massive cost of returning him to Australia.

"It goes without saying we're incredibly grateful for the generosity of everyone ... We're overwhelmed," Mr McGill said.

"We don't really know what we're up for financially, to be honest, but we have raised enough to cover the medivac which was about $90,000."

The fundraising campaign had support from high-profile friends in fashion, music and sport - including band The Cat Empire and swimmer Michael Klim.

Mr White's mother, Lyn McGill, was also flying to Melbourne on a domestic flight and will touch down late on Thursday.

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Tiffany shines in the first quarter

TIFFANY & Co's net income has spiked 50 per cent in the first quarter as worldwide sales jumped by double digits and the company boosted prices.

The jeweller raised its earnings guidance for the year, sending shares up nearly nine per cent in early trading on Wednesday.

"This is an excellent and encouraging start to the year," said CEO Michael Kowalski.

Tiffany, known for its iconic turquoise gift boxes, reported that net income rose to $US125.6 million ($A136 million), or 97 cents per share, during the three months ended April 30.

That handily beat the 78 cents per share Wall Street was looking for and is up from $US83.6 million, or 65 cents per share, last year.

Valentine's Day was a boost, Mark Aaron, Tiffany's vice president of investor relations, said in a call with analysts.

Revenue climbed 13 per cent to $US1.01 billion from $US885.5 million. Analysts expected $US953.7 million.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst David Schick said results were "impressive," and showed that the company's president, Frederic Cumenal, who joined Tiffany last fall, is helping with "new energy and ideas for the business".

Tiffany now expects a full-year net income of $US4.15 to $US4.25 per share, up from $US4.05 to $US4.15 per share previously. Analysts had been projecting $US4.19 per share. The company expects revenue to rise in the high single digit percentage range.

In a call with analysts, new chief financial officer Ralph Nicoletti said the company expects net income in the second quarter to be even with last year, due to uncertainty about when sales growth will resume in Japan and economic uncertainty in Europe. That implies net income of about 83 cents per share, lower than analysts' expectation of 92 cents per share.

Shares of Tiffany rose $US7.53, or 8.5 per cent, to $US95.76 in early trading.

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Regulation focus of Iowa global insurance

INSURANCE companies, trade groups and regulators are gathering in Iowa to discuss the industry's major issues.

As the three-day Global Insurance Symposium is set to get underway in Des Moines, plans to regulate firms like banks and impose national or even international oversight are at the fore.

The gathering includes top insurance officials from Germany, India, Japan and the United States. It was organised by Iowa Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart, who oversees a division regulating more than 200 insurance companies based in Iowa.

The financial services industry employs 4,200 workers in the state at companies that include ING Life Insurance, Metlife, Nationwide, Principal Financial Group and Prudential.

As insurance increasingly becomes a global business, one of the biggest concerns is an effort to set international standards for insurance regulation.

Most other countries have a centralised government regulatory system, unlike the United States where the insurance industry is largely regulated on a state-by-state basis.

Each state has a commissioner responsible for making sure companies retain sufficient capital to remain financially healthy and are appropriately serving consumers.

Some US and international regulators have advocated for regulations that closely resemble those imposed on banks.

"From our perspective, one-size-fits-all-bank-centric world doesn't work in insurance," Gerhart said.

"Insurance is not banking, so that's what we're working on. That will be a theme repeated over the next day and half."

The Great Recession of 2007-2009 brought new financial regulation for US banks and some of it spilled over into the insurance industry, said Leigh Ann Pusey, the CEO of American Insurance Association, a trade group representing 300 property-casualty insurers.

Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010, which forces banks to comply with strict regulations on reporting, cash reserves and investment guidelines. The law also set up a Federal Insurance Office in the US Department of Treasury.

It is seen as the first step toward federal government regulation of insurance, a worry for many in the industry who say states have safety regulated insurance for more than 140 years.

Critics say the fragmented nature of the state-based regulatory system makes it more expensive and difficult for companies that sell insurance nationally to comply with 50 different regulatory schemes.

They also argue that as the industry gravitates toward a globalised insurance market an overall federal regulatory system makes more sense.

Pusey, who plans to participate in a panel discussion at the Des Moines symposium, said the Financial Stability Board, the international panel established by the G-20 working toward global financial standards, is bank-centered and moving too quickly.

"I think the industry globally, not only here in the United States, is sort of very worried about more bank-centric approach to views of capital," she said.

"There's a pace here that is both unrealistic and dangerous leading to potentially unintended consequences."

Strict bank-style requirements that insurance companies hold certain levels of restricted cash in reserve could reduce the ability of insurers to cover policy and claims obligations and might prompt some to cut back their business, reducing insurance available on the market, she said.

"I think consumers should be paying attention both to making sure they are still protected as they are today and that nothing undermines that system that the US has designed," Pusey said.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, like many governors in states with a major insurance presence, is protective of the state-based regulatory system.

"What's important is for the international people to know the tremendous benefit of the state-regulated insurance industry that we have in America compared to the disaster they have in Europe," he says.

Speakers are to include Mike McRaith, director of the Federal Insurance Office; Ben Nelson, the former Nebraska governor and US senator who is now the CEO of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Naruki Mori, assistant commissioner for international affairs of the Japan Financial Services Agency; and T.S. Vijayan, chairman of Indian Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority.

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Chile, Argentina trade barbs over mine

CHILE'S government says it will respect the environmental regulator's decision to block work on Barrick Gold's Pascua-Lama mine despite harsh criticism from neighbouring Argentina.

The $8.5 billion project straddling the Argentina-Chile border has faced problems including rising costs, falling gold prices and environmental lawsuits by indigenous communities in Chile.

The world's largest gold company announced in October that it would suspend construction of the mine.

In May 2013, Chile's environmental regulator blocked work at Pascua-Lama, citing "very serious" violations of the work permit.

Argentine Mining Minister Jorge Mayoral recently lashed out at Chile, telling it to "put on its pants" and reach a decision on the project.

Chilean Mining Minister Aurora Williams responded that Chile's government will respect environmental authorities and said the mine's future is up to the courts.

"We think Mayoral should explain his own opinions. We're dealing with senior authorities in Argentina, and from that point of view, we already have a very clear opinion from Argentine President Cristina Fernandez," Williams said.

"We're going to respect the environmental legislation," she said.

"Chile's government has a very clear idea of how to act and react to projects like these."

Members of Chile's Diaguita indigenous community who live in the foothills of the world's highest mine, say Pascua-Lama threatens their water supply and pollutes nearby glaciers.

Argentine authorities have insisted that Lama, their side of the bi-national project, will proceed with or without Chile by taking advantage of the infrastructure already in place for its Veladero mine, which is producing ore just downhill.

But most of Pascua-Lama's estimated 18 million ounces of gold and 676 million ounces of silver are in Chile.

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Settlement for US school shooting victims

THE families of three students killed in a 2012 shooting at a Ohio high school will receive settlements of about $US890,000 ($A963,000) each from a lawsuit filed against the shooter's family.

A probate judge has approved the settlement of a lawsuit.

Judge Timothy Grendell told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the amount is fair and reasonable.

Then-17-year-old TJ Lane killed the three students and wounded three others inside the Chardon High School cafeteria on February 27, 2012.

Lane pleaded guilty to aggravated murder charges last year and was sentenced to three consecutive life terms.

Lawyers who filed the lawsuit will receive 40 per cent of the settlement amounts.

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One dead, two injured in Vic car crash

A PASSENGER was killed and another man is in a life-threatening condition after a speeding car crashed into a Victorian residential garage.

Three men were out getting food when the driver lost control and hit a pole before smashing into the garage of a Dromana home on Sunday night.

Police say the back-seat passenger who was killed, a 28-year-old Somerville man, was not wearing a seatbelt.

The driver, 31 and the other passenger, 27, were airlifted to The Alfred hospital with head injuries. Ambulance Victoria spokesman Paul Bentley said the two men were trapped in the car for about an hour.

There were reports that one of those men had also died, but police said on Monday that he was in a life-threatening condition.

Police were unable to confirm the identity of this man.

Detective Inspector Bernie Rankin said the car was well above the speed limit in the lead up to the accident.

"The driver for some inexplicable reason is exceeding the speed limit and the consequences have been rather dire," Det Insp Rankin said.

"It is a situation that is totally avoidable."

Drugs and alcohol are not thought to have been a factor but have not yet been ruled out.

No one was inside the house at the time of the crash.

In a separate accident, a driver died after a two-car collision at Pimpinio, near Horsham, on Monday afternoon.

A 42-year-old man died at the scene and the other driver, in his late 60s, suffered minor injuries.

Both drivers were the only occupants of their cars.

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George Harrison's guitar brings $657K

GEORGE Harrison's 1962 Rickenbacker guitar has sold for $US657,000 ($A710,850) at auction.

Harrison purchased the guitar in 1963 at Fenton's Music store in Mount Vernon, Illinois, while visiting his sister.

The Julien's Auctions sale of rock 'n' roll memorabilia was held on Saturday at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York.

Harrison had the guitar refinished from a Fireglo red to black to match John Lennon's Rickenbacker.

Other items in the sale included Lady Gaga's 1990 Red Rolls-Royce Corniche III. It sold for $US125,000.

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Guard distressed after shooting bandit

A SECURITY guard who shot dead an armed bandit outside a Gold Coast tavern appears to have acted instinctively, police say.

Police have interviewed the 47-year-old guard but haven't laid charges against him after the fatal incident on Monday morning.

A 46-year-old Upper Coomera man was shot dead after ambushing the security guard about 7.40am on Monday morning.

The guard was delivering cash to the Highland Park Tavern when he was tackled by a man wearing a motorcycle helmet and carrying a 9mm pistol.

Police say the two men struggled and the security guard fired several shots.

The bandit suffered a number of gunshot wounds and was dead by the time officers arrived just before 8am.

The shooting forced the closure of nearby streets, and sent a child-care centre into lockdown.

The security guard suffered minor facial injuries during the struggle. He was the one who asked a passer-by to call the police.

Regional Crime Co-ordinator Detective Superintendent David Hutchinson said it appeared the licensed security guard had reacted instinctively when he was attacked.

"We all must understand that under that sort of situation he would have been acting instinctively and he may not recall exactly himself how things went down," he told reporters on Monday.

"It's certainly a traumatic situation for anyone and he's traumatised by it."

Police haven't said whether the victim fired any shots.

He is yet to be formally identified but police believe they know who he is.

Officers seized a vehicle found in a nearby street and are examining it.

Police are also appealing to witnesses to the shooting to come forward.

The death is expected to be investigated by Queensland's coroner.

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Colombia arrests bus driver after crash

COLOMBIAN authorities have arrested the driver of a bus that crashed and killed 31 children.

The youngsters burned to death on Sunday after the bus caught fire and exploded in the north of the South American country as they returned from church services.

Another 25 people including one adult were seriously burned in the blaze in Fundacion, a town in the department of Magdalena, according to the Red Cross.

"The driver has been arrested, he turned himself in to authorities and we expect him to explain himself at a hearing this morning," a local police spokesman said.

The driver had initially fled the scene, and angry locals went to his home and threw rocks at his windows.

Investigators are looking into a number of potential causes of the crash, which prompted President Manuel Santos to travel to the scene and offer his condolences.

Among the possibilities being explored is that the driver used contraband petrol to refuel the bus and that this may have led to the explosion.

Red Cross official Cesar Uruena said on Sunday the injured - taken to area hospitals - suffered second and third-degree burns, and many were in critical condition.

The children aboard the bus were between the ages of one and eight and returning home after a religious service, Fundacion Mayor Luz Stella Duran told reporters.

Magdalena police said the blast happened around noon and the fire was so intense they had problems determining the number of casualties.

Duran said survivors reported the bus driver had been handling a container with petrol aboard the vehicle. Police initially blamed the fire on a mechanical problem.

Santos travelled to Fundacion after a final re-election campaign rally Sunday in Bogota ahead of the May 25 presidential vote.

"The entire country is in mourning for the death of these children," he said upon arriving in Fundacion, accompanied by his wife.

Santos said the government would pay for all hospital and funeral expenses relating to the accident.

The bus, which was being used by an evangelical church group, caught fire one block away from the church where the children had earlier attended services.

The Red Cross said it was sending four psychologists and two volunteer specialists to help the wounded and the relatives of those killed.

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UK child abuse probe goes to Australia

THE UK's largest ever public inquiry into institutional child abuse is to travel to Australia to interview alleged victims transferred from Northern Ireland.

More than 100 children were removed from church-run residential homes in Northern Ireland, most to Western Australia after the war. An investigation chaired by retired judge Sir Anthony Hart is examining whether they were physically, sexually or emotionally harmed during their journey.

Lawyers and support staff are expected to pay their second visit to the antipodes next month ahead of public hearings in September, Sir Anthony said.

He added: "The inquiry will examine the operation of the child migrant scheme in the context of children from Northern Ireland institutions who were sent to Australia.

"Before that module can start, we have to complete our preparatory work for it and a major part of that involves a second team from the inquiry going from Northern Ireland to Australia to speak to those applicants who were not seen during last year's trip."

The treatment of children, orphaned or taken away from their unmarried mothers, in residential homes run by religious orders of nuns or brothers is a key concern of the investigation being held in Banbridge, Co Down. It is considering cases between 1922, the foundation of Northern Ireland, and 1995.

A panel chaired by Sir Anthony and established by Stormont's power-sharing devolved government has to decide whether children might have been physically or sexually abused or emotionally harmed through humiliation. It may also include simple neglect, not feeding or clothing people properly.

The Nazareth House Children's Home and St Joseph's Home, Termonbacca, were run by the Catholic Sisters of Nazareth nuns in Derry. Those allegedly abused there have been giving evidence since the start of the year. The religious order has already issued a public apology and a senior member is due to give evidence this afternoon.

Sir Anthony said he expected public hearings relating to those institutions to be concluded by early next month.

The inquiry has heard from 70 witnesses and more than 18,000 documents have been placed before it relating to this stage of its work alone. Inquiry staff had to consider a great many more documents than that to decide which were relevant.

A separate Acknowledgement Forum is running for those who do not want to give evidence in public and representatives from that body are also travelling to Australia.

Open oral testimony is due to finish in June 2015, with the inquiry team to report to the Executive by the start of 2016.

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Swiss vote against raising minimum wage

SWISS voters have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have introduced the world's highest minimum wage, early results from a referendum indicate.

About 77 per cent of voters cast ballots on Sunday against the measure that would have set an hourly minimum wage of 22 francs ($A27), Swiss broadcaster SRF projected.

The referendum was launched by left-wing parties and trade unions, which argued that such a salary was necessary for making a decent living in Switzerland, where the cost of living is among the highest in the world.

The government and employers associations had campaigned against the plan, warning that companies would shift operations to neighbouring countries and Switzerland's important tourism sector would suffer.

"This is a great success," said Hans-Ulrich Bigler, director of the Swiss trade association, told SRF.

"This is a clear endorsement by the people for the economy and the system to negotiate the wages between employer and employee."

Voters previously backed employers when they opted against extending annual paid holidays in 2012 and against capping manager salaries in 2013.

However, in another referendum last year, Swiss citizens supported a set of policies to stop what were perceived as excessive executive salaries.

In a separate referendum decision on Sunday, 54 per cent of voters narrowly rejected a government plan to modernise the air force by buying 22 Swedish Gripen jets.

Left-wing parties and groups had launched the referendum to stop the 3.1-billion-franc deal, arguing that the money would be better spent on education.

The gap between supporters and opponents of the Gripen deal narrowed in recent months, after a highjacking incident in February exposed the fact that existing Swiss fighter jets are only operational during office hours.

Conservative politicians had also pointed to the Ukraine crisis to make the point that Switzerland needed to be able to defend itself.

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