Three dead after North Sea chopper crash

Three people are dead and a fourth is missing after a helicopter went down off the Shetland Islands. Source: AAP

THREE people have been confirmed dead after a helicopter transporting employees between oil rigs in the North Sea ditched, Scottish police say, while a fourth is still missing.

"Following the incident off the coast of Shetland during Friday 23 August, Police Scotland can confirm that the bodies of three people have now been recovered and a fourth person remains unaccounted for," said a statement.

Scottish coastguard had previously reported that three of the 18 people on board - including two crew and 16 passengers - were missing.

Fourteen other people were rescued.

The Super Puma helicopter was travelling from the Borgsten Dolphin platform to Sumburgh airport on Shetland when it came down two miles (three kilometres) west of its destination at approximately 6:20 pm (1720 GMT).

Jim Nicholson, rescue coordinator with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), said there appeared "to have been a catastrophic loss of power which meant the helicopter suddenly dropped into the sea without any opportunity to make a controlled landing".

"It's fortunate there were not more casualties in a helicopter crash of this kind," he said.

No one had yet been able to search the helicopter itself, Nicholson said, adding that it was possible that a body could be recovered inside. Once the helicopter was recovered, it could be searched, he added.

Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, said: "It is still too early to know what caused this terrible tragedy, but a full investigation by the relevant authorities is already under way."

Amanda Smith, the mother of one of the rescued people, Sam Smith, told Britain's Sky News that her son described how the helicopter "seemed to lose power and there was no time to brace - they just dropped into the sea".

"He was by the window so he was able to escape that way as it rolled over," she said.

"He said he had come off better than a lot of people, were his words. It doesn't seem real."

Nine of the rescued passengers were helicoptered to Shetland's main town of Lerwick with one taken off the aircraft on a stretcher, the BBC reported.

The search and rescue operation involving RNLI, the army, police and coastguards then continued through the night to try to find the missing.

CHC, the aircraft's operator, said it was flying for oil company Total.

It is the latest in a series of incidents involving helicopters in the North Sea.

In May, all 14 people on board a Super Puma helicopter were rescued after it ditched off the coast of Aberdeen.

Another helicopter ditched in the North Sea last October, but all 19 people on board survived.

Sixteen men died when a Super Puma helicopter plunged into the sea after its gearbox failed as it was flying from BP's Miller platform to Aberdeen in April 2009.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

US firefighters battle blaze near Yosemite

A out-of-control wildfire forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes inside Yosemite National Park. Source: AAP

FIREFIGHTERS in California are struggling to contain a giant blaze that threatens thousands of homes and is sweeping into Yosemite National Park.

The so-called Rim Fire doubled in size in just one day, and the vast blaze was only five per cent contained, according to Inciweb.org, the online Incident Information System that monitors fires in the western United States.

Governor Jerry Brown late on Friday declared a state of emergency for San Francisco - which lies some 320km to the west - because the Pacific coast city gets much of its electricity from the region affected by the fire.

The fire broke out on August 17 at the Stanislaus National Park, which along with Yosemite is among the state's main natural tourist attractions.

Some 2000 firefighters battled the blaze with help from tanker planes and helicopters, which dumped flame retardant chemicals from the air. About 4500 structures are threatened by the wildfire.

Temperatures are mild, but the fire has been fed by the extremely low humidity, dry scrub brush and trees, and gusts of strong wind that pushed the flames into narrow canyons and ridges that are hard for firefighters to reach.

Officials have ordered the small towns of Tuolumne and Ponderosa Hills evacuated. Officials also closed a major interstate highway running through the region.

Earlier, Brown declared a state of emergency in Tuolumne County, allowing him to use additional resources to battle the fire.

Satellite photos show giant columns of white smoke from the fire drifting far into the neighbouring state of Nevada.

The Rim Fire "continues to exhibit very large fire growth due to extremely dry fuels and inaccessible terrain," Inciweb said.

"Due to inaccessible, steep terrain and active fire behaviour a combination of direct and indirect attack will be used on this incident. Direct line suppression efforts are impeded by difficult access and steep inaccessible terrain."

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woman cut in scuffle with armed robber

A WOMAN has a cut to her hand after trying to take a knife off a robber at a convenience store in Sydney's southwest.

Police said that at about 8pm (AEST) on Saturday a man wearing a balaclava entered the shop on King Georges Road at Wiley Park and threatened a female staff member with a knife, while demanding money.

He was given a quantity of cash from the till.

"The man was interrupted by another employee causing the female staff member to try and disarm the man. She suffered a cut to her hand as a result," police said in a statement.

The man fled the scene.

The 56-year-old woman was assessed on site by paramedics before being taken to Canterbury Hospital for treatment.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man escapes from Sydney prison

AN inmate has escaped from the Parklea Correctional Centre in Sydney's northwest.

Police say minimum-security prisoner Ryan O'Hara was last seen at about 10am (AEST) on Saturday while working in a kitchen at the centre.

During a head count at 11.30am he was noticed missing and a search was launched.

The 29-year-old was serving a sentence for fraud and driving offences, as well as breaching parole.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance with a slim build and blue eyes. When last seen, he was wearing prison greens.

Police said members of the public should not approach O'Hara if they come into contact with him but instead contact Triple Zero.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Africa to send troops to Congo

SOUTH Africa says it is contributing 1345 troops to a United Nations military mission with a mandate to fight rebel groups in eastern Congo in an effort to bring peace to the country.

The office of South African President Jacob Zuma said on Friday that the $40 million deployment started on June 13 and ends March 31, 2014.

South Africa's role in the UN's "intervention brigade" in eastern Congo had previously been announced, but Zuma's statement offered new details. The South Africans comprise about half of the troops in the new unit.

South African forces have been involved in previous peace efforts in Congo. Military spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini says the new deployment is "more robust."

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bob Jane says son reunion not on

TYRE tycoon Bob Jane says there is no chance of reconciling with his son Rodney following a bitter legal battle over his empire.

"I can say to you emphatically there is no going back," Bob Jane has told Fairfax Media's Good Weekend, of his relationship with his son.

The 83-year-old has accused Rodney Jane of robbing him of his tyre fortune and leaving him with only the roof over his head.

"My son doesn't love me," he says.

"Love is love: you don't take advantage of someone who is sick.

"I had 29 companies and trusts and a whole bunch of properties. The only property I have now is the one we are on today. Everything else is gone."

Bob's feud with his son played out in a Victorian Supreme Court civil case, where Rodney Jane claimed he saved the company from the brink of collapse at the request of his father.

The younger Jane won the battle this month when a judge ruled that Bob Jane Corporation had already paid the $2.4 million loan Bob Jane claimed he was owed and that $500,000 given by Bob to Rodney was a gift.

Rodney Jane tells the magazine his father, on his good side, is a "dear soul" but adds: "I've seen the brutality of him but, until now, never between us."

"His love is either amazing and right there with you, or it's not," he says.

"And if it's not, it's on the far side of love, it's hate. There's no grey bit in the middle.

"It's hard-wired into you. Parents are the most precious thing you've got.

"So you're torn between having to fight with a monster, but the monster is the person you love."

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bob and Blanche find graves together

FORMER prime minister Bob Hawke and wife Blanche d'Alpuget have picked out their graves side by side.

Ms d'Alpuget said the decision to make arrangements for their passing came after the well publicised fight over the grave site of former South African leader Nelson Mandela.

"I went and bought us two graves this week, side by side, at Macquarie Park," Ms d'Alpuget told Fairfax's Good Weekend magazine.

"We both want to be cremated, so we talked through which city, because his relations are in graves in other states.

"I was thinking of having my ashes thrown into Sydney Harbour, but then I thought I really want the ashes to be beside Bob and he obviously has to have a spot where people can come and look.

"Once you're dead, you have no say over what happens and I don't want the family to be left in a quandary over what to do with one or both of us."

Ms d'Alpuget said the graves will be engraved with the words she and Hawke have agreed on.

She said she understood that the Hawke children didn't invite her to Hazel Hawke's memorial service but Mr Hawke told the magazine Blanche was "a little bit hurt".

Ms d'Alpuget and the former Labor leader married in 1995 after a long love affair.

D'Alpuget said it was not she who destroyed his marriage, but his "literally hundreds of affairs".

She said she did not steal him.

"It's very simple, we fell in love."

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

WikiLeaks 'not a front for the Greens'

Julian Assange has taken responsibility for the apparent disintegration of his WikiLeaks Party. Source: AAP

THE WikiLeaks Party has accused the Australian Greens of trying to divert voters away from it.

Julian Assange's party faced criticism earlier in the week for preferencing the Shooters and Fishers Party and Australia First Party ahead of the major parties and the Greens on its how to vote cards.

Greens Leader Christine Milne went as far as accusing WikiLeaks as "betraying" her party.

The party has rejected that claim, saying it had placed the Greens first among the major parties in all states where it has candidates.

"Milne's comments must be seen as ungracious and part of a hostile attempt to divert voters from the WikiLeaks Party," it said in a statement on Thursday.

The party warned that it wasn't a "front group for any other party, including the Greens".

WikiLeaks has both right-wing and left-wing policy goals, it says.

"The WikiLeaks Party is both a party of the left and the right in that we represent the struggle for both justice and freedom," the party said.

Meanwhile, WikiLeaks announced RMIT legal expert Dr Binoy Kampmark would now be Mr Assange's main running mate in the Senate election for Victoria.

He replaces ethicist Leslie Cannold who quit on Wednesday after a dispute over preferences, claiming the party was failing to live up to its democratic principles.

Her resignation was followed by other senior figures walking away from the party, including a number of people on its National Council.

Mr Assange, who is holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, said he had spent the past two months dealing with the Edward Snowden asylum situation.

"Trying to save the life of a young man," Mr Assange told ABC television.

"So I admit and I accept full responsibility for over-delegating function to the Australian party while I tried to take care of those situations."

He said the nine-hour time difference made it difficult being party leader and he hadn't been aware of the internal problems until Wednesday morning.

"Leslie didn't speak to me to address any issues or concerns," he said.

"From my perspective, if something is serious you speak to the party leader about it before you speak to the press."

National Council member Daniel Mathews announced his resignation late on Wednesday night, citing "the recent fiasco over Senate preferences".

Mr Mathews was critical of Mr Assange for only attending one of 13 National Council meetings.

"Helping Ed Snowden is surely more important than attending a council meeting," he said in a statement.

"But still, attending one out of the first 13 National Council meetings of the party (all of which he could call into) is a fairly low participation rate in one's own party."

Senior Liberal Eric Abetz said the implosion of the WikiLeaks Party highlights the essential instability of minor parties".

"This is a salutary object lesson on the dangers of voting for minor parties," Senator Abetz said in a statement.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK government wins Snowden case

A BRITISH court has ruled the UK government may look through items seized from the partner of a journalist who has written stories about documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Lawyers for David Miranda, the partner of Guardian reporter Glenn Greenwald, said the seized items contain confidential information. It asked the High Court to prevent the government from "inspecting, copying or sharing" the data.

Instead, the court will allow the government to view the items on the condition the material is being examined on "national security" grounds. The injunction runs until August 30.

It was not immediately clear whether the court or the government would be authorised to decide what is in the interests of national security.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

Strong earthquake shakes central Mexico

A MAGNITUDE-6.0 earthquake has rattled southern and central areas of Mexic, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported, but there were no initial reports of damage or injuries.

Its epicentre was located 13km northwest of San Marcos, near the Pacific Coast resort of Acapulco, at a depth of 20km.

The quake shook buildings in the capital, Mexico City, some 400km away. A magnitude-5.3 aftershock struck some 25 minutes later.

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said no damage or injuries were reported after authorities surveyed the megalopolis.

The capital can sense distant earthquake as it lies on muddy soil from drained lakes. An 8.1-magnitude earthquake in 1985 left 3700 people dead in the city, according to official figures.

Mexico is one of the world's most seismically active regions, according to the USGS, with the movement of three large tectonic plates causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

Smugglers try to overwhelm PNG boat plan

PEOPLE smugglers are trying to overwhelm Australia's hardline asylum seeker settlement deal with Papua New Guinea, Immigration Minister Tony Burke says.

"In the last few days, some of the smuggling operations have tried to put together a bit of a surge and to see if they can overwhelm the current system," Mr Burke told ABC television on Tuesday.

More than 500 asylum seekers aboard four boats have arrived since Sunday.

The latest boat to arrive in Australian waters capsized north of Christmas Island on Tuesday. Up to five people are believed to have drowned.

Mr Burke insists the number of people arriving by boat has been falling since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd unveiled his tough regional resettlement plan on July 19.

He says Australia and PNG stand ready to build more facilities on PNG's Manus Island if needed.

Meanwhile, Mr Burke said Australia's processing centre on Nauru was almost ready to receive family groups but that it wasn't ready for unaccompanied minors.

"Family groups will be going to Nauru very soon," he said.

"Unaccompanied minors will be going when I'm confident that they will be safe, that the facilities are in place (and) the accommodation and services are in place that meet the obligations that I'd expect."

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nine charged in UK hacking probe

A SENIOR Sun journalist, a former Daily Mirror journalist, a police officer and a prison officer are among nine people to be charged as part of an ongoing probe into British media wrongdoing.

Graham Dudman, former managing editor of The Sun; John Troup, a former journalist at The Sun; Greig Box Turnbull, a former journalist at the Daily Mirror; Marc Alexander, formerly a prison officer at HMP Holloway in London; and Darren Jennings, an officer with Wiltshire Police, are to be charged under Operation Elveden.

Sun journalist Vince Soodin; Alan Ostler, who was formerly an assistant technical instructor at Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire; Grant Pizzey, a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh in south east London; and his partner Desra Reilly, will also be charged, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday.

All nine will appear before London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 5.

The CPS said it is alleged that, between September 5 and 27, 2002, Dudman requested the authorisation of payments of 3000 to one or more police officers in exchange for information relating to investigations.

It is also claimed that between June 2002 and December 2007, he authorised payments to public officials relating to the health of a patient at Broadmoor, details of an incident at a hospital and details of an incident relating to army combat.

It is further alleged that Dudman, now editorial director of Newsroom 360 at News UK, approved a payment requested by Troup for information relating to the death of a prison inmate.

The CPS said Dudman should be charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, one reflecting conspiracy with Troup, who should also be charged as a co-conspirator.

So far more than 30 people have been charged in the media wrongdoing scandal, including journalists, police officers and former newspaper executives.

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Consumer groups fight high medicine prices

THREE major organisations have joined forces against what they say are unfairly high medicine prices.

The groups are opposing a Pharmacy Guild of Australia petition against a new government policy aimed at reducing drug prices.

Under the policy drug companies will need to disclose the cost price of medicines, and the price the government pays will be adjusted every 12 months instead of the current 18 months.

Choice, Consumers Health Forum (CHF) and poverty lobby group Acoss say Australians pay much more for medicines than people in other countries.

Choice CEO Alan Kirkland says price disclosure is about making sure the price paid by government reflects the price paid by pharmacies.

University of Melbourne Health Economics Professor Philip Clarke says the new policy means prices will be adjusted every 12 months instead of every 18 months.

"However, there is scope to go much further. In England drug prices are adjusted every three months."

Grattan Institute Professor Stephen Duckett says the government pays pharmacists for dispensing medicine and they should not be keeping prices high as well.

"The pharmacy industry needs to move away from relying on inflated subsidies," says CHF chief executive Carol Bennett.

The groups say it is estimated that $1 billion a year could be saved if medicines in Australia cost the same as in New Zealand.

The savings could be used for listing new drugs.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia says members are concerned about the impact on jobs and livelihoods.

Spokesman Greg Turnbull says its position is being "completely misrepresented" and it is not opposed to price disclosure and cheaper prescription medicines.

"However, unless pharmacists are paid adequately to dispense medicines, patients will lose out through reduced services and opening hours and some pharmacies may be forced to close."

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM to announce $250m for medical research

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd is set to announce a $250 million fund to advance medical research, with a vision to eventually replace or regenerate damaged human organs.

Mr Rudd will make this announcement in Brisbane on Tuesday as an initial response to the McKeon Review of Health and Medical Research.

The centrepiece will be a $250 million investment fund, comprising $125 million of government investment with a matching sum from the private sector.

Mr Rudd believes it will deliver health benefits plus new jobs and economic benefits for Australia.

He says in the 20th century advances in immunisation and medicine were a driving force for improving human welfare.

In the 21st century, the next frontier for medicine will be biological medicine-regenerative medicine and genomics, he says.

Mr Rudd thinks Australia can play a leading role in this next frontier.

"We have some of the best scientists in the world and a track record of great medical breakthroughs," he says.

The prime minister thinks Australia needs to back researchers with the vision and investment they need to take their ideas from the laboratory to the doctor's surgery.

Mr Rudd points to the work of leading researchers such as Professor Melissa Little of the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience.

Her team has been convincing tissue cells they are kidney stem cells, and introducing these into the patient to replace damaged cells to regenerate the organ.

"This work is an example of the kind of breakthroughs that are on the horizon and can be achieved with government support," the prime minister says.

Mr Rudd said currently the only treatment for end-stage kidney disease was dialysis or transplant, treatment which cost the federal government an estimated $12 billion in the period 2009-2020.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prince George 'is a rascal', says William

PRINCE William has described his newborn son George as a "bit of a rascal" and admitted that fatherhood has changed him already.

In his first interview since the birth on July 22, the prince says he and Catherine are enjoying their new role as parents, but admits the new arrival is keeping them on their toes.

And he said his smooth fitting of the child car seat before driving his wife and son home from the hospital was the result of careful practice.

Speaking to CNN about George's character in an interview shown on Monday, William said: "He's a little bit of a rascal, I'll put it that way.

"He either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger, I'm not sure, but he's doing very well at the moment."

William described George as a "little fighter".

"He wriggles around quite a lot," he said. "And he doesn't want to go to sleep that much, which is a little bit of a problem."

William, 31, who is second in line to the throne, says he doesn't get up in the night to tend to the baby as much as his wife and says she is doing a "fantastic job".

He says fatherhood has already changed his outlook on life.

"I think the last few weeks for me have been just a very different emotional experience," he said.

"Something I never thought I would feel myself. And I find, again it's only been a short period, but a lot of things affect me differently now. "

William said last week he and his family will leave their home on the Welsh island of Anglesey when his posting as a search and rescue helicopter pilot with the Royal Air Force finishes next month.

He also said a holiday Down Under is on the cards next year.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks open mostly lower

US stocks have opened mostly lower, continuing their downward lurch on a quiet day as far as economic news.

Five minutes into trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 16.19 (0.11 per cent) to 15,065.28.

The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 2.21 (0.13 per cent) to 1,653.62, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index added 3.05 (0.08 per cent) at 3,605.82.

Monday's trade comes on the heels of two straight losing weeks ont he back of mediocre economic data, poor earnings for the retail sector and a jump in bond yields at concern the Federal Reserve could soon begin tapering its bond-buying program.

This week's economic calendar features the release of minutes from the Fed's last policy meeting and several important housing market indicators, as well as the Fed's annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on August 22-24.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

Call for action as young adults get fatter

MORE young adults are getting fat than other age groups, according to a study that has tracked 11,000 Australians for 12 years.

But the AusDiab study shows Australians in general are failing to make the lifestyle changes necessary to beat obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

And women are putting on more centimetres than men.

Radical action similar to the anti-smoking drive is needed, says joint chief investigator Professor Jonathan Shaw of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

"The health and wellbeing of a whole generation of young Australians is being compromised by a lifestyle rich in energy-dense foods and low on physical activity," he says.

The study shows people aged 25 to 34 have gained more weight and waist circumference during the 12 years than other age groups and about 270 people aged over 25 develop type 2 diabetes every day.

"We have a big problem. If we want to be serious about it we have to recognise it is not something that can be solved only through telling individuals what they need to do," Prof Shaw says.

"It's complicated, but we need to find ways to make healthy food options the cheap options."

Possible approaches include taxation of junk food and subsidies of healthy food, he says.

The study shows that living in the most socially disadvantaged areas doubles the risk of diabetes.

"Education and income are major determinants of health," says Baker IDI Associate Professor Anna Peeters.

"The AusDiab data highlights the extent to which a person's environment makes a contribution to their wellbeing."

She says disadvantaged areas generally have higher concentrations of junk food outlets and fewer recreational opportunities.

The study shows obese people aged 60 and over are about twice as likely than their peers to have cognitive impairment and physical disability.

"One of the biggest contradictions is that people are living longer but they're being diagnosed with more disease. So their quality of life is being compromised," says Prof Shaw.

"As a community, we need to be prepared to take some tough decisions.

"It's not impossible. Look at what we've achieved with gun control, smoking and water restrictions."

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hand transplant man doing well 2 years on

IT has taken months of gruelling rehabilitation and daily doses of strong drugs, but Australia's only double hand transplant recipient is doing well after two years.

"I have full feeling," says Peter Walsh, 67, a plumber from regional Victoria.

"They did a great job. It's excellent," says the world's oldest hand-transplant recipient.

His life is a far cry from the dependency he was facing in 2006, when doctors amputated both hands and both legs after a bacterial infection.

He has artificial legs and surgeons have fashioned a semi-functional thumb on his left hand. He received the new right hand in 2011 and several months later managed to write a thank you letter to the family of his donor.

"My wife, Margaret, does not have to put me to bed anymore. I'm quite independent now. Give me time and I can do most things," says Mr Walsh, who is one of 51 hand recipients in modern medicine and the only one in the southern hemisphere.

It is early in the process, but Mr Walsh's doctors are pleased, according to a case study in the latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Not mentioning Mr Walsh by name, they say he has made impressive functional gains in dressing, eating, writing and attending to personal hygiene.

According to the journal, the transplant team led by Dr Karen Dwyer and Professor Wayne Morrison at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, stirred controversy because of Mr Walsh's age.

But in an interview with AAP, Dr Dwyer says physical and psychological health are the major factors.

"He was pretty healthy with a good heart and good lungs.

"Hand transplants are risky, but I think Peter would agree any complications that may arise are probably worth the improved quality of life."

Dr Dwyer says the patient's psychological state is a major factor.

"This is something that is very visible to you and the outside world. It is different from a heart or a kidney."

She says Mr Walsh's commitment to his medication and rehabilitation are major factors in the success so far.

"People have lost their hand because they did not take to their medication."

She says the surgery is very intricate, but the main issue is the suitability of patient.

"It is not something that is put on and works the next day."

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

CBA tops business satisfaction ratings

THE Commonwealth Bank has pulled ahead of its big bank rivals when it comes to business customer satisfaction, while ANZ continues to languish at the back of the pack.

CBA scored an average customer satisfaction rating of 7.5 out of 10 among business customers in July, the highest level ever achieved by the bank.

According to the monthly DBM Consultants' Business Financial Services Monitor (BFSM), Westpac followed CBA with an average rating of 7.4, while Nab scored 7.1 and ANZ remained in bottom place at 7.0 out of 10.

CBA ranked highest among both micro businesses and large companies, and tied with Westpac for satisfaction among on medium sized businesses.

DBM director Maria Claridad said the big four had a combined average satisfaction rating of 7.3 in July, their highest ever rating.

"I think this very high level of satisfaction with the banks is a combination of improved customer service to businesses across the board, combined with the halo effect of interest rates falling regularly towards a 53-year low," she said.

The BFSM tracks customer service ratings among the big four banks on a monthly basis through interviews with 20,000 businesses annually.

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

McCain wants Egypt aid cut after killings

US politicians are calling for military aid to be cut after Egypt's security forces killed hundreds of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi in a four-day "massacre".

US Senator John McCain, who called for suspending the $US1.3 billion ($A1.4 billion) in annual aid to the military after it overthrew Morsi in early July, said Washington risked losing credibility if it continued to turn a blind eye to the bloody crackdown.

"They have orchestrated a massacre," he said, after the four-day death toll from mass shootings and street clashes climbed to more than 750 people.

"We have no credibility. We do have influence, but when you don't use that influence, then you do not have that influence," McCain, a Republican hawk and frequent critic of Obama's foreign policy, told CNN's State of the Union.

McCain suggested Washington could pressure Egypt's generals by cutting off aid, spare parts for US-made military equipment and backing for an International Monetary Fund loan to relieve the country's devastated economy.

"For us to sit by and watch this happen is a violation of everything that we stand for," he said.

Senator Rand Paul, a rising star in the Republican Party, also called for cutting off aid, saying on Fox News Sunday: "I don't think we are buying any love of the Egyptian people when they see an American tank on the street."

Obama last week cancelled joint military exercises but has yet to suspend aid to Egypt, a key Middle East ally and one of just two Arab countries to have signed a peace treaty with Israel.

The administration has refused to call Morsi's overthrow a "coup", which would require it to cut off aid, saying it hoped to steer the country toward a democratic transition.

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More