Politics
Australian PM Tony Abbott has vowed to "sweat blood" to secure constitutional recognition for indigenous people, saying he wants a referendum in 2017. The BBC writes:
But Mr Abbott said he would not rush with the date until he was confident the referendum would succeed.
To be passed, the change must be backed by a majority of people in a majority of Australia's six states. The constitution currently does not recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the nation's first people.
Unlike in other nations settled by Europeans, such as Canada and New Zealand, Australia's constitution does not mention indigenous people. In the past few years, there have been discussions about recognising them in a preamble to the constitution, and about changing the main part of the constitution to include a section that outlaws racial discrimination.
Aboriginal Australians represent about 2.5% of Australia's 24 million people. Generations of discrimination and disadvantage have left them with poor health and low levels of education and employment.
Ukraine's president has begun a two-day visit to Australia, with the shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 dominating the agenda. The BBC reports:
Petro Poroshenko met Australian PM Tony Abbott, and the two leaders were set to attend a prayer vigil for the victims. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of supplying the missile to bring down the plane over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July. Russia denies the claim. All 298 people on board the plane - including 38 Australians - died.
At a joint news conference on Thursday, Mr Abbott described the shooting down of MH17 as "mass murder", saying he wanted an inquiry "to be concluded as quickly as possible". On the eve of President Poroshenko's two-day visit, Mr Abbott said the two leaders would "discuss our shared commitment to a thorough and robust investigation and to bringing those responsible to justice".
The prime minister also reaffirmed Australia's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity in "the face of continuing threats". He was referring to Russia's annexation of Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula in March and accusations that Moscow was arming separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine and sending its regular troops there.
Russia has repeatedly stated that any Russian nationals fighting alongside the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk region are "volunteers".
Mr Poroshenko thanked Mr Abbott and the Australian people for their support, saying the "whole world is together with Ukraine".
Australia could export coal and uranium to Ukraine to help ease Kiev's over reliance on Russian energy exports, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday. Reuters reports:
Russia has this year annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and given support to separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, driving relations between Moscow and the West to the lowest point since the Cold War. Last month Russia suspended coal supplies to Ukraine, a blow to domestic energy suppliers who are struggling with a severe lack of raw fuel for power plants due to the conflict in the industrial east.
Abbott, who has been among the most vocal critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in Ukraine following the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in July, proposed Australian commodities as a secure alternative.
"Australia is an energy super power and energy security is very important to Ukraine, particularly given its current vulnerability to supply," Abbott said. Poroshenko, who is on the second day of a three-day state visit to Australia, signaled Ukraine's interest in importing both coal and uranium. "We discussed today the possibility of co-operation in the sphere of nuclear energy," he told reporters. "
There is the possibility for Ukraine to buy Australian uranium for our nuclear power stations."
