Clinton in Australia for security talks

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Australia for talks about the joint mission in Afghanistan, broader security issues, climate change and trade. The chief US diplomat, who travelled to the southern city of Melbourne from New Zealand as she winds up a seven-country tour of Asia, was expected to meet new Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. Their meetings will pave the way for annual security consultations on Monday that will also involve US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates and his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith. Rudd welcomed Clinton, saying her visit underlined the "enduring nature" of the alliance between Australia and the United States. Australia is the last country on an Asia Pacific tour that has taken Clinton to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Cambodia, China and Vietnam.

Interpol issues alert over Yemen parcel bombs

The global police agency Interpol issued an alert to help forces in its member states spot disguised bombs of the kind Al-Qaeda sent last week from Yemen using airmail parcel couriers. The so-called "Orange Notice", which will also be made public, contains photographs and technical details of the latest bombs, which were discovered and made safe at airports in Dubai and Britain after an intelligence warning. Al-Qaeda's Yemen-based branch, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility for sending the sophisticated devices, in which the explosive PETN was packed into printer cartridges and attached to timers. US intelligence believes the parcel bombs, which were addressed to Chicago synagogues but may have been intended to explode in flight, were the work of Saudi militant Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, thought to be a senior AQAP member.

A credit card for Government employees before Christmas

The Government has planned to introduce a special credit card for Government employees. This programme will be implemented under the mediation of the Cooperatives and Internal Trade Ministry. The Ministry said that the decision to give this relief to Government employees had been taken with the objective of bringing down the cost of living. It has been planned to introduce this credit card before Christmas. The Cooperative and Internal Trade Ministry said that owners of this credit card would be given a 52-day grace period for interest-free purchases. While steps will be taken to fix a small interest ratio it will be made known in the future. A specialty of this is the possibility for the Government employee or his or spouse to use this credit card. The Government's attention has been drawn to extend this credit card facility to Government pensioners and members of recognised Government organisations as well in the future.