Defence company to shed 450 Aust jobs

ONE of Australia's largest defence companies, BAE Systems, will make more than 400 workers redundant as it reels from the loss of defence contracts.

The Australian arm of the global defence company has revealed the loss of a maintenance contract will affect about 450 staff, according to the Australian newspaper.

The Land Material Maintenance contract, which is expected to be awarded to Transfield from July 1, is for the maintenance of Defence's land-based equipment such as military vehicles.

A BAE spokeswoman said on Wednesday the maintenance services elements of their contracts employ around 450 people, and the company is working closely with those affected to "support their transition".

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Spain princess suspect in corruption case

A SPANISH judge has named King Juan Carlos's daughter Princess Cristina as a suspect in a corruption case, dealing a spectacular blow to the prestige of the royal family.

It is first time a member of the Spanish royal family has been called to appear in a court of law on suspicion of wrongdoing.

The 47-year-old princess must testify as a suspect on April 27 at the court in Palma on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, said a written ruling by the judge, Jose Castro.

"The royal household does not comment in any way on judicial decisions," a spokesman for the royal family told AFP on Wednesday.

The case, which was opened at the end of 2011, is centred on allegations of embezzlement and influence peddling against her husband, former Olympic handball player Inaki Urdangarin, and his former business partner Diego Torres.

The pair are suspected of syphoning off money paid by regional governments to stage sports and tourism events to the non-profit Noos Institute, which Urdangarin chaired from 2004 to 2006.

The princess - the seventh in line to the Spanish throne - had seemed set to avoid being snared by the case.

But the judge said evidence, including emails provided to the court by her husband's former business partner, raised doubts that she really was unaware of the business operations of Noos.

Closing the case without hearing the princess, who was a member of the Noos board, would "discredit the maxim that justice is equal for all", he said.

The princess is accused of allowing the lustre of her royal connections to be used by the Noos institute.

Urdangarin, who has not been charged with any crime and maintains his innocence, had sought to distance his wife and the rest of the royals from his business dealings.

But Torres provided the judge with emails, which were leaked to the press, appearing to show that Urdangarin regularly consulted his wife about Noos affairs.

Cristina's personal secretary, Carlos Garcia Revenga, also was questioned by the judge after Torres submitted another batch of emails that suggested he was actively involved in the Noos Institute's dealings.

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French government hit by tax fraud scandal

FRANCE'S Socialist government is reeling from an explosive tax fraud scandal as critics question how much President Francois Hollande knew about a former budget minister's secret foreign bank account.

Jerome Cahuzac - the minister responsible for cracking down on tax evasion until he resigned two weeks ago - was charged on Tuesday with "laundering the proceeds of tax fraud" after he admitted to having a foreign bank account containing some 600,000 euros ($A742,000), following weeks of denials.

Hollande appeared on national television on Wednesday to address the scandal, vowing a new law within weeks on the "publication and control" of the wealth of ministers and parliamentarians.

Hollande said he knew nothing of the foreign account and that Cahuzac "did not benefit from any protection" from the government.

"He deceived the highest authorities in the country: the head of state, the head of the government, parliament, and through them all the French people," Hollande said.

The president had been quick to condemn Cahuzac's actions, but critics have pounced on the scandal, saying top officials must have been either lying to protect the ex-minister or naive enough to believe him.

The head of the main opposition right-wing UMP party, Jean-Francois Cope, has demanded Hollande explain the scandal to the French public.

Cope said the president either "knew nothing, and that's extremely serious because it means he showed a certain amount of naivete" or "he knew and that means he lied to the French people".

"Who can believe that Francois Hollande and (Prime Minister) Jean-Marc Ayrault were aware of nothing?" Cope asked on Europe 1 radio. "They must explain themselves more deeply before the French people."

Opposition lawmakers have called for a parliamentary probe into the scandal and for the resignation of Cahuzac's former boss, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front, said the entire government should resign and new parliamentary elections held.

Cahuzac announced his resignation on March 19 after prosecutors opened a probe into the account, first revealed by the investigative Mediapart news website in December. He met with investigators on Tuesday and admitted to having had the foreign account for around 20 years.

His lawyer said the account, originally opened in Switzerland, had been transferred to Singapore and that the amount laundered was equivalent to about 30,000 euros ($A37,000).

If convicted, Cahuzac faces up to five years in prison and a potential fine of up to 375,000 euros.

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Taliban kill 44 in attack on Afghan court

TALIBAN militants have stormed an Afghan court, killing at least 44 people in a bid to free insurgents standing trial in the deadliest attack for more than a year.

It was not immediately clear whether the accused men had escaped the court complex in the western town of Farah, although a hospital doctor said one prisoner was among those being treated for injuries.

The multiple bomb and gun assault will raise further questions about the Afghans' ability to secure the country as NATO winds down its combat mission in the war-torn country by the end of next year.

"I can confirm that 34 civilians, six army and four policemen have been killed and 91 people, the majority of them civilians, have been injured," Najib Danish, interior ministry deputy spokesman, told AFP.

"Nine attackers have also been killed."

The death toll was the highest in Afghanistan from a single attack since a Shiite Muslim shrine was bombed in Kabul in December 2011, killing 80 people.

"The attack is over, but the casualties have unfortunately risen," Farah provincial governor Mohammad Akram Khpalwak told AFP, putting the final death toll as high as 46.

"In total, 34 civilians and 12 (Afghan) security forces have been killed in the attack. We have also discovered the bodies of eight attackers, more than 100 people have also been injured."

The governor added a group of Taliban had been brought for trial Wednesday, without giving further details.

Taliban militants fighting the US-backed central government claimed responsibility.

"Our fighters attacked several government buildings in Farah according to their planned tactic. They conducted the attack with small arms and grenades," the group said on its website.

"The fighting happened after information that (President Hamid) Karzai's administration wanted to try several fighters in a cruel way in this court."

Taliban fighters frequently target government compounds equipped with suicide vests, rockets and machine-guns.

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Another death in China from new bird flu

A MAN in the Chinese province of Zhejiang has died of the H7N9 strain of bird flu, state media says, bringing the total deaths attributed to the virus to three since the first human cases.

He was one of two H7N9 avian influenza infections reported in Zhejiang in eastern China, the official Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday, citing local authorities, bringing the country's total number of cases to nine.

Chinese authorities are trying to determine how exactly the new variety of bird flu infected people, but say there is no evidence yet of human-to-human transmission.

The latest fatality was a 38-year-old man who worked as a chef, media website Zhejiang Online said. The province's other case was a 67-year-old retiree who was being treated in hospital.

Two other deaths have been reported, both in China's commercial hub of Shanghai. Other cases have occurred in the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui, the government has said.

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said the number of cases of the infection looks set to climb, but a pandemic is not on the cards.

"Given the fact that we've seen seven confirmed cases, plus there are reports of other cases, it would not be surprising to see additional cases," said Gregory Hartl, spokesman of the WHO's influenza and epidemics division.

"But these would be additional cases, one by one. We have no evidence so far of human-to-human transmission, and without human-to-human transmission, the likelihood or risk of pandemic is low," he told reporters.

"We're a long way away from thinking about a pandemic," he added.

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Flooding in Argentina kills 25

AT least 25 people have died in flooding in the Argentine city of La Plata as torrential rain hit the region.

The deaths raised the number of people killed this week to 33 following record heavy rain in Argentina.

A powerful storm that earlier pummelled Buenos Aires slammed La Plata, located 63km south of the Argentine capital, overnight Tuesday to Wednesday.

"The bodies began to appear as the water subsided," said Governor Daniel Scioli, who announced the death toll.

A record 40cm of rain fell on La Plata in a two-hour period, officials said, knocking out phone lines and leaving people in the dark.

Some 2200 people fled the city because of heavy rain, and many of those who remained were forced to scramble to rooftops for safety.

The heavy rain turned many city streets into rivers. In parts of the downtown area water was reported to be 1.6m deep.

"This has never happened in La Plata," said Argentine Security Minister Sergio Berni.

"There are people on rooftops, in trees waiting for us to rescue them," he said, adding that firefighters, civil defence workers, police and soldiers have been deployed to the area to help in rescue operations.

A senior city official in La Plata, Santiago Martorelli, told local television that the flooding was a "catastrophe". He added that schools and local government were closed for Wednesday.

La Plata, population 895,000, is the administrative centre of the province where Buenos Aires is located.

Eight people were killed on Tuesday when the same powerful storm system battered the Argentine capital and its suburbs, knocking out power lines and downing trees.

More than 15cm of rain fell between midnight Monday and early Tuesday, the Buenos Aires weather service said, setting an April record.

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European stocks drop on downbeat US data

EUROPE'S main stock markets has slumped, with London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies giving up 1.08 per cent to 6,420.28 points.

In Frankfurt, the DAX 30 fell by 0.87 per cent to 7,874.75 points on Wednesday, while in Paris the CAC 40 lost 1.32 per cent to 3,754.96 points.

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US top court tackles law on gay marriage

THE US Supreme Court is tackling same-sex unions for a second day, hearing arguments for and against the 1996 US law defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

After the nine justices mulled arguments on a California law outlawing gay marriage on Tuesday, they took up a challenge to the constitutionality of the federal Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA).

The 1996 law prevents couples who have tied the knot in nine states - where same-sex marriage is legal - from enjoying the same federal rights as heterosexual couples.

The plaintiff is Edie Windsor, 83, who was ordered to pay federal inheritance taxes of $US363,000 ($A347,750) following the 2009 death of Thea Spyer, her partner of more than 40 years. The couple had married in Canada in 2007.

The surviving half of a heterosexual couple would not have faced the same tax demand. Windsor is challenging Section 3 of DOMA on the grounds it is discriminatory because it defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Up to 800 people gathered outside the court on Wednesday, with a majority shouting slogans and carrying placards in support of marriage equality. On the opposing side, a poster read: "God hates gay marriage."

President Barack Obama's administration had opposed Windsor's bid to repeal Section 3 as it progressed through the lower courts, where the legislation was twice ruled as unconstitutional.

But the White House has since switched sides. Now it is calling for the law to be overturned, leaving DOMA to be defended by a group of Republican mPs, along with a coalition of religious and conservative groups.

"The case is pretty simple. It's about discrimination," said James Esseks, one of Windsor's lawyers.

"It doesn't make sense in America for a federal government to treat two different people, married under the same state law, different ways. That is unfair, it is un-American and it should be unconstitutional."

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Flat year for US music industry: survey

US music industry sales held nearly steady in 2012 as gains from digital subscription services offset further declines in physical disc sales, an industry survey showed on Wednesday.

Overall recorded music sales revenues for 2012 were $US7.1 billion ($A6.80 billion), down 0.9 per cent, after a slight increase in 2011, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America.

The RIAA report showed revenues from digital formats rose 14 per cent to $4 billion, making up 59 per cent of sales. Digital sales crossed the 50 per cent threshold for the first time in 2011.

Most of the digital growth was from "access models," where users listen from large libraries of music rather than purchasing individual songs or albums.

These include services such as Rhapsody and paid versions of Spotify, as well as online radio services like Pandora.

Digital download revenues, including albums, single tracks, videos, and kiosk sales rose 8.6 per cent to $2.9 billion in 2012, RIAA said.

Physical sales of compact discs and other formats meanwhile slumped 16.5 per cent to $2.8 billion in 2012, with shipment volumes down 11.7 per cent.

The report was less upbeat than a survey released last month by the London-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which showed overall music sales up 0.3 per cent at $16.5 billion, the first increase since 1999.

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Jeep Cherokee takes a radical new turn

THE Jeep Cherokee is back, with a surprising design that could win some new buyers but lose some old fans.

The 2014 Cherokee midsize SUV makes its debut on Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show. The remake is so radical that observers might not realise it's a Jeep.

The new Cherokee ditches Jeep's traditional boxy look for a more aerodynamic style. It replaces the brand's signature round headlights with sharply angled slits. The interior is plush and full of luxury options like automatic parallel parking. Even Jeep's seven-slat grille didn't go untouched - it's much smaller and creased in the middle to fold over the Cherokee's nose.

It's a look more reminiscent of a Honda CR-V than the model it replaces - the Liberty - and past Cherokees that helped establish Jeep as a symbol of toughness and off-road adventure.

All this isn't sitting well with some Jeep fans, who say the 72-year-old brand is straying too far from its rugged, utilitarian roots. They bemoan the new styling and softer ride, saying it's more suited for a trip to the mall than the Rubicon trail.

"It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen on the road and to put a Jeep badge on it, let alone call it a Cherokee, is an insult to the name and heritage that Jeep has always delivered," says Micah Myers, a longtime Jeep fan who drives a 13-year-old Cherokee.

Chrysler Group, Jeep's parent, acknowledges that the design is polarising. But Jeep needs to win back the suburbanites who have spent the last decade defecting to a newer batch of car-like, fuel-efficient competitors like the Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota RAV4. The new Cherokee goes on sale this fall.

In 2002, after Jeep replaced the aging Cherokee with the cheaper, smaller Liberty, a record 171,212 were sold in the US, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. Last year that fell to 75,482. The CR-V outsold the Liberty by more than three to one.

"They need to do something different, and that kind of vehicle is something different altogether," says Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst at the car-buying site Edmunds.com. "They have to stretch that brand."

Jeep - and other carmakers - are also under pressure to meet increasing US fuel economy requirements. That explains the aerodynamic style and the new nine-speed transmission under the hood.

Finally, Jeep needs the SUV to appeal to customers around the world, not just adventurous types. The Cherokee will be built in Toledo, Ohio, but exported to more than 150 countries, including China.

"We wanted a design that is fluid and efficient yet still rugged and looks at home on the trail or at the Theater," said Mark Allen, Jeep's design chief.

The Cherokee first went on sale in 1974, when Jeep was still owned by American Motors Corp. In 1984, American Motors released a new Cherokee that was smaller, narrower and lighter than the original, essentially inventing the sport utility vehicle. Sales soared. More than 100,000 Cherokees were sold each year between 1986 and 2001. Off-roaders were big fans because of the Cherokee's capability.

In 2001, Jeep's new owner, Chrysler, revamped the SUV again. It changed the name to Liberty, which tested better in focus groups and helped attract new buyers. The Liberty initially sold well, but then struggled as the midsize SUV market got more crowded and Chrysler - which went through bankruptcy in 2009 - invested little money in it.

Krebs says bringing back the Cherokee name makes sense, since it fits neatly under its larger sibling, the Grand Cherokee SUV. It will also save Chrysler money, since the vehicle has always kept the Cherokee name in international markets.

But purists complain that the plush new model is nothing like Cherokees of old. For one thing, it shares a car underbody with Chrysler's Italian partner, Fiat SpA, instead of a platform designed for off-roading. Nearly 900 fans have already "liked" a Facebook petition asking Chrysler not to call the new SUV a Cherokee.

David Silecchia, who has owned three Cherokee XJs from 1988, 1998 and 2000, thinks the 2014 Cherokee will sell, but not to rock-climbing adventurers like him.

"Jeep now seems to want to appeal to the people who go to the mall, throw a bunch of shopping bags in the back, drive home and read a book," said Silecchia, a student and information technology worker in Georgia. "The 2014 Cherokee is a nice vehicle, don't get me wrong, but not a suitable "rebirth" of the Cherokee name."

Chrysler insists that the new Cherokee can capably tackle rough terrain. It has more low-gear power for towing and climbing steep grades than the 2001 Cherokee. At 184 horsepower, the base, four-cylinder engine is slightly less powerful than the 2001 Cherokee's base V6, but it's much more efficient. The new Cherokee also offers a 271-horsepower V6. The new Cherokee can tow up to 2041 kilograms, which is more than any other vehicle its size but about 226 kilograms less than the 2001 version.

A Trailhawk edition of the new Cherokee carries Jeep's "trail rated" badge, which means it can handle a series of challenging off-road conditions, including fording water.

Dave Sullivan, an analyst with the consulting firm AutoPacific, says the higher-priced, fully-loaded versions of the Cherokee should be very capable. But he thinks the drastic redesign will cost Jeep some loyalists.

Jeep, like Toyota, has been successful partly because its design changes are usually subtle, Sullivan says. The two-door Jeep Wrangler, for instance, has changed little since it went on sale in 1987, but it's by far the best-selling small SUV in the US.

"This is not an edgy brand. It should not be about spending money on outrageous design," he said. "It's all about the off-road design and capability."

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