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ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Thursday, June 27, 2013
WORLD
www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
Snowden still at Russian airport: Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin says US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden is still in a Moscow airport transit zone, and has rejected calls for his extradition to the United States. In his first intervention over the chase for Snowden that has captivated world attention, Putin described the former intelligence contractor as a “free man” whose arrival in Russia was “completely unexpected” for the Russian authorities. The dramatic announcement ended two days of guessing over the whereabouts of the fugitive Snowden who leaked revelations of US massive surveillance programs to the media and is now wanted by the US authorities.
“It is true that Mr Snowden came to Moscow,” Putin said at a news conference while on a visit to Finland. “For us, this was completely unexpected.” “He arrived as a transit passenger and he does not need a visa or other documents. He can buy a ticket and go wherever he pleases. He did not cross the state border, as a transit passenger he is still in the transit hall,” Putin added. Snowden had been expected to board a flight for Cuba on Tuesday, reportedly on his way to seek asylum in Ecuador. But he never did and Putin appeared to confirm that the fugitive was still uncertain over his onward travel plans.
“Mr Snowden is a free man, the sooner he selects his final destination point, the better for us and for himself,” said Putin. The United States had earlier urged Moscow to use all means to expel Snowden, who reportedly arrived at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on a flight from Hong Kong on Monday. However Putin insisted that Russia only extradites foreign nationals to countries with which it has a formal extradition treaty. “We have no such agreement with the United States,” he said, calling US allegations that Russia is breaking the law “nonsense and rubbish”. Speaking in Jeddah, US Secretary of State John Kerry
called for Russia to be “calm” and hand over Snowden, saying Washington DC was not looking for “confrontation”. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied earlier in the day that Moscow is in any way “involved” with the travel plans of the 30-year-old former National Security Agency (NSA) technician. Transit rules on the website of Sheremetyevo airport stipulate that “foreign citizens can remain in the airport up to 24 hours without a Russian visa” and must have a ticket to their next destination. However, no Russian officials have provided an explanation over this issue in Snowden’s case. – AFP
Turkish PM lashes out at protesters Turkish police yesterday detained at least 20 people allegedly involved in violent protests, as the country’s prime minister continued to lash out at protesters – and a BBC journalist – he claimed were part of a conspiracy to harm Turkey. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters marched to Istanbul’s central Taksim square, this time to denounce a court decision that – pending trial – freed police officer accused of killing a demonstrator during the anti-government protests that have swept the country since May 31. Police surrounded the square, blocking their access. At least three demonstrators and
a police officer were killed in the protests that began in Istanbul following a heavy-handed police clampdown on peaceful activists. They quickly turned into widespread expression of discontent with what critics have said is Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian way of governing. Erdogan, who came to power a decade ago denies the accusation, and frequently points at elections in 2011 that returned his party to power for a third successive term with 50 per cent of the vote. One of the protesters was killed by a bullet fired by police during a demonstration in Ankara on June
1. A court yesterday released the officer from custody pending trial, on the grounds that the shooting may have been accidental. But some see the release as proof that Turkish authorities are too lenient toward police. The state-run Anadolu Agency said police searched some 30 addresses in the capital, Ankara, and rounded up 20 people with alleged links to “terror” groups and suspected of “attacking police and the environment” during the protests. Erdogan holds unspecified foreign forces, bankers and media outlets responsible for the protests that had largely subsided until the court freed the police officer. – AP
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
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Some of Australian choreographer Wade Robson’s secret court filings alleging he was abused by pop star Michael Jackson will be made public later this week. However, it is likely “salacious” details and the names of two “celebrities” in the documents will remain sealed. Lawyers for Robson and Jackson’s estate had requested all of the filings be kept from the public eye, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff asked them to submit redacted versions. “It is more than what I am comfortable with,” Judge Beckloff, referring to the redacted sub-
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Christchurch residents who continue to live in “red zone” areas may have to provide their own generator, water supply, sewerage facilities and roads in the future as local authorities won’t fix services in those areas. Some 124 property owners in earthquake damaged red zone areas have declined a government offer to buy their properties, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive Roger Sutton told Parliament’s finance and expenditure select committee. Continuing to provide council services to those areas would cost an estimated $5 million a year, he said. “If services break down they won’t be replaced,” Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee told the select committee. Whether existing services should continue to be provided was a question for local authorities, the Waimakariri District Council and Christchurch City Council, he said. “The estimated cost for maintaining services into those homes is very very expensive,” Brownlee said. “I don’t think there is a ratepayer in Christchurch or Waimakariri district who would be happy for their rates to be spent at the levels that would be required to maintain those places longterm in order that people could avail themselves of what is a wider community utility. “They would have to make provision for at some point providing those services in some different way.” He declined to advise people on whether they should plan to provide
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Actress Stacy Keibler joins Colgate and 1142 consumers to break the Guinness World Record for the ‘most people using mouthwash simultaneously’ yesterday in New York’s Times Square. The event celebrates the launch of the new Colgate Total Advanced Pro-Shield Mouthwash and benefits Make-A-Wish.
By Tina Morrison
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missions, told the lawyers representing both parties during a hearing yesterday. The judge said he needed more time to go through the redacted filings and a version he deemed suitable for public release would likely be available later in the week. Robson, 30, originally from Brisbane, requested on May 1 that the judge allow him to file a late creditor’s claim against the deceased pop star’s estate. Robson has accused Jackson of being a sexual predator who brainwashed, threatened and committed sex acts on him from the age of seven through to 14 – AAP years old.
Michael Jackson
BUSINESS
Sharemarket NZX 50
photo ap
By Kurt Bayer Strong construction activity, along with a rise in car registrations and people staying overnight in hotels show that post-quake Canterbury’s rebuild continues to gain momentum, new research shows. The ASB Cantometer, a business indicator designed to capture the progress of the rebuild, stayed on its steady rise this month.
their own generators, sewerage or pathways. Separately, the government and Christchurch City Council will today detail how they plan to share the cost
It lifted to 0.8 in June, from 0.7 previously, and up from 0.1 when it was launched last October. “The increase comes as construction activity continues to lift, with the rebuild also boosting other economic activity in the region,” its economists say. The construction index increased from 2.4 in the previous edition, to 2.7, after a 19 per cent increase in construction work in Canterbury over the quarter.
of building some infrastructure and major projects. Brownlee declined to provide further details on the arrangement ahead of the announcement. – APNZ
Car registrations lifted strongly in the past few months, a “strong indication of increased population and economic activity” in the region. Guest nights also improved, with a strong rise in international visitors arrivals in the first quarter, but still remain below pre-quake levels due to reduced accommodation capacity in the city. And as confidences returns to the market, the house sales continue to lift, data indicates. – APNZ
Dollar ‘still a bit overvalued’ By Tina Morrison The New Zealand dollar is “still a bit overvalued” but the nation has little influence as the kiwi is pushed about by expectations of monetary policy in the US, Finance Minister Bill English said. The New Zealand dollar had dropped about 4 per cent since Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said last week the US central bank will start tapering its $US85 billion a month asset purchase programme this year if the economic data continues to improve. The local currency recently bought 77.34 US cents. The kiwi is “probably still a bit overvalued”, English said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “This is the kind of adjustment we have been expecting for some time but it has probably taken longer for the US economy to get back in reasonable shape.” English declined to give his opinion on a “fair value” for the currency, saying international models suggested it was 10 to 20 per cent overvalued when it was in the low 80 US cent range. He said he was surprised by market volatility following the Fed’s comments on an end to quantitative easing because the central bank had outlined its intentions in a plausible and comprehensible way. “If the process is starting to unwind, then in the long run that is going to suit New Zealand and other commodity currency countries” because it signals the US economy is in better shape and it sparks a structural rerating of the New Zealand dollar, English said. The recent decline in the New Zealand currency “is mainly Fed driv-
en,” English said. “Our Reserve Bank has limited capacity to intervene. It was referred to as a peashooter in a war zone.” English said there were a narrow range of circumstances where Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler could intervene in the currency which appeared to have been “reasonably effective”. “Our concern is to ensure that there aren’t big risks taken with the public balance sheet,” he said. The Reserve Bank sold a net $256 million into foreign exchange markets in April, its first intervention since 2007, and governor Graeme Wheeler has said he is willing to make further attempts to weaken the currency. The bank reduced its foreign currency intervention capacity to $8.48 billion in April from $8.7 billion a month earlier, RBNZ figures show. – APNZ
BILL ENGLISH
NZ Post to cut 120 jobs New Zealand Post, the state-owned postal service, will reduce its processing centres to three from six, shedding a net 120 jobs, as it seeks to rein in costs in the face of falling mail volumes. Mail will be processed at mail centres in Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch and processing will end at its Hamilton, Wellington, Dunedin and in satellite processing sites, the Wellington-based company said in a statement. The changes will be phased in through 2014. “The number of pieces of mail being processed has fallen by nearly 200 million in the last decade,” said chief executive Brian Roche.
“We looked at all options and decided this plan will allow New Zealand Post to achieve savings on a meaningful scale while maintaining a highquality service across New Zealand.” Roche said mail volumes are falling by about 8 per cent a year. Growth in the postal service’s parcel delivery business isn’t enough to make up for the decline, he said on a conference call. Savings would amount to $20 million to $30 million “over time.” “Not to make the necessary changes now would imperil a network which is a vital component of the New Zealand economy and community,” he said. He can’t rule out further changes. – APNZ
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