BHP faces possible corruption action

Resources giant BHP is facing possible corruption action stemming from the Beijing Olympics. Source: AAP

BHP Billiton is facing possible corruption action by US regulators stemming from the Beijing Olympics and an investigation.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice have told the resources giant it is facing enforcement actions.

BHP, the world's largest miner, is the subject of bribery-related allegations through its sponsorship of the 2008 Olympics.

The claims involve hospitality and gifts given to Chinese dignitaries, including steel company representatives, to woo them during the Games.

It is understood BHP's involvement in trying to secure the rights to develop a bauxite project in Cambodia in 2006 is among some mining projects being investigated by the regulators.

The Australian Federal Police are also part of the investigation.

BHP will not confirm which of its activities, nor in what countries, are being investigated other than the Olympics.

On Friday, it said the issues relate primarily to matters in connection with previously-terminated exploration and development efforts, as well as hospitality provided as part of the company's sponsorship of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Possible charges relate to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, with the company subject to US corporate laws through its New York stock exchange listing.

BHP conducted an internal investigation in 2010 and told US regulators it had found evidence "regarding possible violations of applicable anti-corruption laws involving interactions with foreign government officials".

On Friday, it said it was co-operating fully with the relevant authorities.

"BHP Billiton is fully committed to operating with integrity and the group's policies specifically prohibit engaging in unethical conduct," it said.

"BHP Billiton has what it considers to be a world class anti-corruption compliance program."

BHP shares were down 45 cents at $36.88 at 1340 AEST on Friday.

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Grey defends NT tax costings

The PM's northern Australia plan will be carefully implemented and costed, Labor MP Gary Gray says. Source: AAP

SENIOR Labor MP Gary Gray has defended the lack of costings detail around Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's proposed tax break for Northern Territory-based businesses.

Under the policy announced on Thursday, NT companies could enjoy a corporate tax rate a third lower than the rest of the country under the creation of a special economic zone in the territory.

Mr Rudd didn't provide any costings details, which has been branded a "thought bubble" by the coalition and criticised by NT Chief Minister Adam Giles and WA Liberal Premier Colin Barnett.

Mr Gray, the federal resources minister, said the northern Australia plan was a policy initiative which fell outside the budget four year forward estimates.

"As a consequence of that, the costing of these things is done based on forward estimates, it's not done on the basis of the back of an envelope," he told reporters in Perth.

Mr Gray dismissed suggestions the tax break was too generous, saying it would be carefully thought through and implemented over the five years to 2018.

"In a way, that supports the diversification of the economy of northern Australia, and in particular, of Darwin," he said.

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Stargazers enjoy meteor 'fireworks'

THOUSANDS of stargazers cast their eyes to the heavens as they kept watch for the "natural firework display" of the Perseids meteor shower.

Across the UK people turned into amateur astronomers as they looked out for the "shooting stars", a result of the material falling from the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle.

While the Perseids meteor shower is an annual event between mid-July and mid-August, the best views this year were expected to be last night, with as many as 60 meteors an hour visible to the naked eye.

Hundreds of people posted photos and comments about their stargazing experiences from across the Northern Hemisphere on Twitter.

@VickiMcMuffin wrote: "Lost count of the amount of meteors & fireballs I've seen. It's been one of the best showers in years. Weather perfect too", while Alexandra Starr tweeted: "so far about 60 over wisbech, lovely show tonight".

Others had difficulty spotting nature's shooting stars and man-made ones. @NuttyTabatha tweeted: "Number of meteors: None. Number of planes mistaken for meteors: Three!!!!"

The Moon was in a waxing crescent, meaning its light did not significantly interfere with the view, the Royal Astronomical Society said.

The weather also helped, with clear skies over large swathes of the UK from central southern England, to Lincolnshire, the Pennines and Yorkshire, up to southern Scotland, as well as south east Wales.

Matt Dobson, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "Central and eastern England, southern Scotland and south east Wales would have had a really clear night, so I would have thought that if people had been out they would have at least caught a glimpse."

Meteors, commonly known as shooting stars, are the result of small particles entering the Earth's atmosphere at high speed.

These heat the air around them, causing the characteristic streak of light seen from the ground.

They mostly appear as fleeting flashes lasting less than a second, but the brightest ones leave behind trails of vaporised gases and glowing air molecules that may take a few seconds to fade.

Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last passed near the Earth in 1992, and will not visit again until the year 2125.

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Ford commits to new cars for Australia

Ford says the launch of a new line of cars demonstrates the company's commitment to Australia. Source: AAP

FORD says its committed to Australia after a multi-million dollar launch of its new line of cars.

The company, which recently announced it will close its Australian factories in 2016, revealed its new line up at an extravagant presentation on Tuesday at Sydney's Fox Studios.

Ford Australia and New Zealand CEO Bob Graziano said the launch was to demonstrate the company's commitment to the two countries.

"What we've tried to do is demonstrate the commitment and the level of investment that we've made in Australia over the last six years," Mr Graziano said.

Ford's decision to end its Australian manufacturing operations will mean the closure of two plants in Victoria and the loss of 1200 jobs.

But Mr Graziano said that about 1100 Ford engineers will continue to work in Australia in its product development centres in 2016 and beyond.

The company's big bosses including Ford's global president Alan Mulally made a surprise appearance at the launch to talk about the company's future.

During the presentation, which reportedly cost $4 million, Ford bosses hinted at soon-to-be launched Ford Mustang but remained vague in the details.

The company will also launch a number of new SUVs, which it says is the top growth market in Australia.

It will also accelerate its new vehicle launches and refresh its entire vehicle line-up in Australia, offering 11 models by 2017.

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Facebook pages demanded in employment row

A woman sacked by Air NZ has been forced to hand over copies of her Facebook pages. Source: AAP

AIR New Zealand has forced a sacked flight attendant to hand over copies of her Facebook pages and bank accounts to show what she was doing when she claimed sick leave.

Gina Kensington was dismissed after she took sick leave in March to look after her sister.

She took her case to the Employment Relations Authority, where Air NZ asked to see her Facebook pages and bank accounts for the two days concerned.

Ms Kensington argued she shouldn't have to hand over the details as Air NZ didn't have them when it sacked her and there was an expectation of privacy about personal and financial information.

However, the ERA agreed she should supply copies, saying the details could be relevant.

Ms Kensington was forced to hand over the information but the court has not yet made a decision on whether she was fairly sacked.

The Facebook and bank account demand is a step further than that of the case of Gisborne man Bruce Taiapa.

Mr Taiapa was sacked by his employer when he took sick leave for a week but was seen in a photo on Facebook at a school canoeing carnival in Rotorua.

The ERA ruled the sacking was justified because the employer had a reasonable suspicion he wasn't ill.

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Riot at Greek migrant detention camp

Detainees have hurled stones at officers at the Amygdaleza detention camp outside Athens. Source: AAP

POLICE have been dispatched to put down a riot at Greece's main migrant detention camp with detainees hurling stones at officers and setting fire to living quarters.

Local television footage on Saturday showed fires blazing at the Amygdaleza detention camp outside Athens, where about 1200 mainly Asian migrants are kept.

"We have 10 officers injured by stones and other objects thrown at them," a police spokesman told AFP.

"The detainees set fire to mattresses and their living quarters but riot police have been sent and the situation is calming down," he said.

Amygdaleza is one of several detention camps set up since last year to assist in the repatriation of thousands of undocumented migrants.

The police spokesman said rioting began when the detainees were told their maximum stay in the camp would be extended to 18 months from a year previously.

Rights groups charge that the migrants have been subjected to abuse in the camps and are denied proper healthcare.

Last week, leftist group KEERFA said Muslim detainees had been beaten by guards during prayers.

In July, the same group reported the death of an Afghan detainee from a pulmonary infection which his guards had allegedly ignored for months.

Greece is a major entry point into the European Union for migrants and refugees fleeing war-torn or impoverished countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.

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California wildfire doubles in size

MORE than 1600 Californian firefighters are battling a blaze east of Los Angeles that has injured six people and forced hundreds to flee their homes.

The fire is estimated to cover 7200 hectares, a figure that has nearly doubled since Thursday.

Those injured include five firefighters and a civilian, the Riverside County Fire Department says.

As of Friday the fire had destroyed 29 buildings, mostly homes, and was only 40 per cent contained.

Two of the firefighters were overwhelmed by heat, and the condition of the other three has not been made public.

The civilian victim was wounded Wednesday, the day the fire broke out, and was airlifted to a burn centre, Fire Chief John Hawkins earlier told reporters.

Eight helicopters were being in use to fight the fire, which on Thursday forced the evacuation of 1,800 people in several towns near Banning, 90 miles (150 kilometres) east of Los Angeles. Some of those residents were allowed to return home on Friday.

Authorities have not determined what set off the fire.

The effort to douse the flames is being complicated by high temperatures, very low humidity and wind gusts, weather forecasters said.

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Deputy PM says airport curfew claims false

DEPUTY Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hit back at claims flights were allowed to land after curfew at Sydney airport because politicians were on board.

Max Moore-Wilson, the boss of Sydney airport, claimed that Virgin Australia was on Tuesday night given preferential treatment and allowed to land 10 planes after the strict 11pm (AEST) curfew, News Corp Australia reports.

"I suspect there were a few politicians on those planes," he told an aviation conference in Sydney on Friday.

But Mr Albanese has refuted the statement, saying up to four flights were allowed to land between 11pm and 11.30 pm because of a "breakdown in (Virgin Australia's) communication system."

No flights landed after curfew on Tuesday night, News Corp reports.

Mr Albanese accused Mr Moore-Wilton of making "personal attacks" and "an extraordinary assertion" motivated by a desire to stop a second airport being built for Sydney.

"Max Moore-Wilton believes that this should continue to be a monopoly airport, the only airport for Sydney," Mr Albanese told reporters on Saturday.

And in order to downplay its problems "he tries to find some other reason why there are constraints and issues at this airport," the Deputy Prime Minister added.

Mr Albanese said jobs, economic growth and "Sydney's future as a global city" would be jeopardised if a second airport isn't constructed.

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RBA forecasts consistent with govt: Bowen

FEDERAL Treasurer Chris Bowen says the latest central bank forecasts are totally consistent with the government's own outlook.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released its quarterly statement on monetary policy on Friday and trimmed its growth forecast, in line with the government's latest economic update.

"This shows just how weak the opposition's approach is," Mr Bowen told reporters in Sydney.

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey has said the government's figures can't be relied upon.

"Yet today we have the Reserve Bank coming out and releasing their statement showing figures that are entirely consistent with the government's economic statement," Mr Bowen said.

Like the government, the RBA is forecasting economic growth of 2.5 per cent in the 2013/14.

Mr Bowen said there was also "confusion and chaos" in the Liberal party over their election costings.

He said earlier this week, Mr Hockey had said he would not respect the figures in the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook (PEFO), to be released on Tuesday, and they would not be used to base their costings on.

But on Friday, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had said the best estimate going would be PEFO and they'd be working off those figures.

"The leader of the opposition has shown he does not have confidence in the shadow treasurer's approach on how their funding will be accounted for," Mr Bowen said.

"This is yet another position on their costings."

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NZ dollar heads for 2.1% weekly gain

THE New Zealand dollar is heading for a 2.1 per cent weekly gain against the greenback as investor concerns about Fonterra's food scare dissipate and as Chinese figures reinvigorate optimism about Australasia's biggest trading partner.

The kiwi eased to 79.93 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 80.17 cents at 8am, though up from 79.60 cents on Thursday.

It started the week at 78.31 cents, slumping to a month-low 76.99 cents at the height of the Fonterra scare.

The trade-weighted index advanced to 75.01 at 5pm from 74.90 on Thursday, and is heading for a 0.2 per cent decline, starting the week at 75.14.

Investors shrugged off concerns about New Zealand's dairy exports as trading partners refrained from imposing blanket import bans and as Fonterra managed to get the potential food taint under control within days.

The NZ dollar got a further boost as improving trade figures in China fuelled demand for the Australian dollar, with the trans-Tasman currencies typically moving in unison.

"Fonterra recovered pretty quickly - the action was all on Monday," said Alex Hill, head of dealing at HiFX in Auckland.

"The kiwi's at the top of the range really - it still looks like a relief rally to some degree."

Mr Hill said the kiwi dollar was also being helped by its Australian counterpart, which has rebounded after the Reserve Bank of Australia cut rates as expected on Tuesday, without keeping the door open for more reductions.

"The Aussie is the most oversold of the currencies out there - the whole market was short and it (the RBA) didn't surprise," he said.

The NZ currency was unchanged at 87.68 Australian cents at 5pm on Friday from the same time Thursday, and inched up to 77.06 yen from 76.92 yen. It was little changed at 59.72 euro cents from 59.66 cents.

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