The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs has released a fresh alert saying there is a “high risk of terrorist attack” at the Delhi Common Wealth Games, which are scheduled to start from October 3. The department issued this alert after the media reported that leaked top secret police documents reveal two extremist groups are planning [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Minister Stephen Smith’
Oz issues fresh alert of “high risk of terrorist attack†during Delhi CWG
September 29th, 2010 |
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Krishna reiterates issue of Indian nationals’ safety in Australia
January 27th, 2010 |
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External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has deplored the attacks on two Indian nationals in Australia yesterday and said that the issue of racism will top his agenda during his meet with Australia’’s Foreign Minister Stephen Smith in London on Wednesday.
In an exclusive interview to Times Now, Krishna emphasised that the safety of [...]
India says attacks on Indians in Australia could hit ties
January 12th, 2010 |
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India says Australia should take immediate steps to control recent violent attacks against Indians on its soil. Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna spoke on the telephone with Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith amid a highly publicised spate of street crime against Indian students in
People smuggling kingpin among asylum seekers: Australia
October 19th, 2009 |
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A convicted people smuggler has been found among a boat-load of Sri Lankan asylum seekers holed up on a wooden vessel in Indonesia, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Monday. The revelation came after Australian authorities said a new boat carrying more suspected asylum seekers
Fugitive linked to Jakarta blasts
July 18th, 2009 |
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Police in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, are studying DNA and other evidence to try to identify those behind the deadly attacks on two hotels on Friday.
At least nine people, including two suicide bombers, died in the attacks on the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott.
At least half of the victims are said to be foreigners but they are still to be formally identified.
A top anti-terror official was quoted as saying Malaysian militant Noordin Mohammed Top was linked to the attacks.
The BBC’s Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta says the Indonesian people have been truly shocked by these attacks as they thought they had put events like this behind them.
‘Shoulder to shoulder’
Investigators on Friday recovered an unexploded bomb and other explosives material from what they said was the "control centre" for the attacks – room 1808 in the Marriott.
See map of area
The attackers paid to stay at the hotel and smuggled in the explosives before detonating them in two restaurants on Friday.
CCTV footage showed one attacker wearing a cap pulling a bag on wheels into the Marriott restaurant, followed by a flash and smoke.
"I strongly condemn the attacks that occurred… in Jakarta and extend my deepest condolences to all of the victims and their loved ones"
Barack Obama
Eyewitnesses: Jakarta attacks Attack waiting to happen Indonesia braces for tourism blow Profile: Jemaah IslamiahA senior counter-terrorism official, Ansyaad Mbai, was quoted by the state-run Antara news agency on Saturday as saying the attacks were "clearly linked" to Noordin Mohammed Top.
He is believed to lead a splinter group of Jemaah Islamiah, which was blamed for the deadly 2002 Bali bomb attacks and a number of others in Indonesia.
Friday’s bombs contained nails, ball bearings and bolts, identical to ones used by Jemaah Islamiah, police said.
Security has been tightened across Indonesia in the wake of the attacks, with 500 troops put on standby to support police in the capital.
A new Zealander, businessman Tim Mackay, has been confirmed killed.
Australia fears for three missing nationals, including diplomat Craig Senger and Perth businessman Nathan Verity.
But details of the victims are still not confirmed. One health ministry report said the identified dead included two Australians, a New Zealander, a Singaporean and an Indonesian.
At least 17 foreigners were among the wounded, including eight Americans.
Other foreign nationals wounded included visitors from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea and the UK.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono condemned the attacks as "cruel and inhuman".
US President Barack Obama said: "I strongly condemn the attacks that occurred… in Jakarta and extend my deepest condolences to all of the victims and their loved ones."
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is due to arrive in Jakarta on Saturday.
He said he wanted to stand "shoulder to shoulder with Indonesia at this terrible time".
The Manchester United football team had been booked to stay in the Ritz-Carlton next week ahead of a game in Jakarta.
The team has cancelled the Indonesian leg of their tour.
The attacks come just weeks after the peaceful presidential elections.
The country of 240 million people has been praised in recent years for maintaining a pluralist democracy while finding and punishing radical Islamists responsible for the series of bombings more than five years ago.
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This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Rio denies China bribery claims
July 17th, 2009 |
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The Anglo-Australian mining firm, Rio Tinto, has strongly denied its staff engaged in bribery as alleged by China.
Australia has also repeated its request for a quick resolution of the case, in which one Australian and three Chinese Rio Tinto staff have been detained.
China, which detained Australian Stern Hu on 5 July, has told Australia not to interfere in the legal process.
Analysts say the allegations of spying against Rio Tinto in Shanghai risk damaging Australia-China ties.
"Rio Tinto believes that the allegations in recent media reports that employees were involved in bribery of officials at Chinese steel mills are wholly without foundation," Rio Tinto’s iron ore chief executive Sam Walsh said.
"We remain fully supportive of our detained employees, and believe that they acted at all times with integrity and in accordance with Rio Tinto’s strict and publicly stated code of ethical behaviour."
Rio added that it remained "very concerned" about its employees and said it was still shipping iron ore to China, following reports it was pulling out staff and cutting back exports.
Polite talk
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he had pressed China "politely but firmly" to push through the case.
"When I had my conversation with Vice Minister He, I made the point that Australia understood that this was a matter before Chinese legal and potentially judicial processes," Mr Smith told public broadcaster ABC, after meeting China’s Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei during a multinational summit in Egypt.
Their meeting came a day after China told Australia not to interfere in its judicial process.
"We are firmly against anyone stirring up the case and interfering with the independent judicial authority of China. This is not in the interest of Australia," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Thursday.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has warned that China has big economic interests at stake in the case of a mining executive accused of spying.
The United States has also urged Beijing to ensure transparency and fair treatment for staff of foreign companies.
The Shanghai-based staff of the Anglo-Australian mining firm Rio Tinto are accused of stealing state secrets from Chinese steel mills.
China has widened its investigation into the industry’s workings by investigating executives at Chinese state-owned steel firms in recent days.
In June, Rio Tinto abandoned a $19.5bn deal with China’s state-owned Chinalco in favour of a tie-up with rival giant BHP Billiton, to the anger of some in Beijing.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Rio detainee is ‘in good health’
July 11th, 2009 |
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The Australian government has said a mining executive detained in China accused of bribery is in "good health".
Australian Stern Hu is one of four Rio Tinto staff arrested on Sunday on suspicion of bribing Chinese officials for information on iron ore talks.
Australia’s trade minister, in Shanghai on a pre-arranged trip, said he was seeking talks with Chinese officials.
Simon Crean said he had expressed "strong concern" to the Shanghai city government about the issue.
"We have no information as to what the investigation does involve. We’re going on the basis of press reports. The government here is not able to inform us any more," Mr Crean said.
Access
He said he had emphasised to Chinese officials that the arrest was an important issue in Australia.
Chinese state media says the four Rio Tinto employees are accused of bribing Chinese steel firm bosses to obtain secret information on China’s position on iron ore prices.
Mining giant Rio Tinto has expressed surprise and concern about the allegations, saying it is not aware of any evidence that would support them.
Late on Friday, Australian consular officials were given access to Mr Hu for the first time since his arrest.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said that he appeared well and raised no health or welfare issues.
The four Rio Tinto employees, three of them Chinese nationals, were arrested for allegedly stealing state secrets, an offence that carries a maximum term of life imprisonment.
The Australian government has said it will handle the allegations that an Australian national stole state secrets in China with caution.
The arrest has sparked fears of trade friction between Australia and China. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.