Labor’s surprise decision to vote against Aged Pension changes

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison has been seeking crossbench support in the Senate.Source: News Corp Australia

The Greens have backed the federal government’s $2.4 billion pension reforms in a surprise deal that leaves Labor isolated on a policy that tightens the assets test for thousands of retirees.

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison announced the agreement late today after a growing political brawl over the changes, as Labor stunned observers by rejecting the reform.

The outcome means the budget measure is set to pass the Senate whether or not other crossbench senators agree, with the Coalition and the Greens holding 43 out of 76 seats in the upper house.

Mr Morrison said the result showed the government was “getting on with the job” of budget repair.

“As a result of these changes it is estimated more than 170,000 pensioners with low and modest levels of assets will have their pension increased by around $30 a fortnight from January 2017, when these changes take effect,” he said.

“Those who lose access to the part pension as a result of the increase in the taper rate, to the settings that were in place prior to 2007, will be guaranteed access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.”

The passage of the changes will kill off last year’s controversial plan to scale back the indexation of the pension, which set off a firestorm of complaints.

The key compromise is an agreement between the government and the Greens to hold a review of retirement incomes policy — including superannuation tax concessions — as part of the white paper on tax reform.

The government will extend the submission period for the Tax White Paper process to 24th July 2015 so that views on retirement incomes can be part of the process.

“Support for the single largest savings measure in this year’s Budget, following passage of the government’s cornerstone small business measures, demonstrates the Abbott government is successfully getting on with the job of implementing our ‘have a go’ Budget,” Mr Morrison said in a statement.

“The measure will rebalance the Pension Assets Test parameters by increasing the assets test free areas to support pensioners with low levels of assets and increase the taper rate by which a pension is reduced, once the free areas are exceeded.

“This measure replaces the government’s previous measure to limit indexation of all pension related payments to CPI that was contained in the 2014/15 Budget.

“At the same time, the government will extend the submission period for the Tax White Paper process to 24th July 2015. This will facilitate interested parties putting their views to the government on issues relating to retirement incomes,” Minister Morrison said.

“Incorporating this additional consultation in the Tax White Paper process falls within the original scope of the Tax White Paper,” Minister Morrison said.

“Details regarding the extension of the submission period for the Tax White Paper will be announced separately by the Treasurer.

“I commend the Australian Greens, and their new Leader Senator Di Natale, supported by Senator Siewert, for their constructive engagement with the government on this measure.

“I also express the government’s appreciation to Senators Xenophon and Leyonhjelm along with key stakeholders, in particular COTA and ACOSS, for their contribution during the consultative phase.

“The measure will be considered in the Senate after passing the House of Representatives at the earliest opportunity,” Minister Morrison said.

In a statement, the Greens said pension payments would be redirected to those who most needed income support.

“The Greens opposed the Howard government changes to pensions back in 2007. Now we’re restoring the system to ensure that everyone has a decent retirement,” said Greens Leader Richard Di Natale.

“All Australians deserve a system that supports them in retirement, not just the wealthy.

“When I took on the leadership of the Greens I said I was here to get positive outcomes for the community wherever I could, so I’m pleased to be able to deliver on this.

“The government has agreed to give special consideration to retirement incomes in its Tax White Paper, which means we can finally look at superannuation as part of the equation,” said Senator Di Natale.

Greens community affairs spokesman Senator Rachel Siewert said changing the assets thresholds and taper rate will make the pension system fairer.

“More Australians who don’t have the advantage of a healthy super balance will be able to access a full pension when we undo John Howard’s tampering with taper rates,” Senator Siewert said.

“The broad retirement income review we’ve secured will be delivered as part of the Tax Review process. The terms of reference are explicit about involving stakeholders at every stage, to build on the already strong appetite for further change, particularly to the super tax concessions.

“The review will have a focus on pensions, superannuation, taxation and workplace discrimination, to guide the important reforms that Australians need.

“Passage of the assets test will not be linked to the other budget measures in the Pensions Bill, which are still under consideration by the Australian Greens,” said Senator Siewert.

“We are a caring society and all older Australians deserve the best possible retirement. Today, we have ensured a pathway for a decent retirement in Australia”.

Labor blocks reforms

The federal government was forced to deal with the Greens to secure a $2.4 billion saving on the Aged Pension after Labor announced a surprise decision to vote against the reform.

Bill Shorten told his caucus colleagues this morning of the shadow cabinet decision to oppose the government budget measure, one of the biggest spending cuts in the May budget.

While the government plan is generally backed by social service and community groups, Labor will argue against the changes on the grounds they will take money away from too many older workers as they retire in years to come.

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison has been seeking crossbench support in the Senate on the assumption that Labor would fight the changes, with a Senate inquiry due to cast its verdict on the bill on Monday.

Mr Shorten declared the Liberals were “coming after” pensioners as he told caucus Labor would vote against the government’s cuts to 320,000 low-income pensioner households and plans to throw more than 90,000 pensioners off the payment entirely.

“If you’re on a pension, if you will rely on a pension in the future, the Liberals are coming after you,” the Opposition Leader said.

“We will stand by Australians who have worked hard all their lives and paid taxes all their lives and we will offer security to a new generation of Australians currently coming to the end of their working life, planning and saving for their retirement.

“These are not rich people, they are not on high incomes, and they deserve dignity and security in their old age.”

The government changes are primarily aimed at retirees with substantial savings and investments in addition to their family homes, reducing or withdrawing their part-pension by tightening the assets test.

Labor warns that the cuts would hurt about 330,000 low income pensioner households, including 90,000 pensioners who will be cut off the payments entirely.

The party is also citing analysis from Industry Super Australia to claim that half of all people leaving the workforce in the next ten years will be impacted by the pension reforms.

And it is countering the government proposal with its policy of scaling back tax concessions on superannuation for retirees who earn more than $75,000 a year from their funds, saving about $1.4bn a year.

In one case study it cites to back its case, Labor says that a single age pensioner who owns their home and has a super income of less than $25,000 would lose $8,200 of their $11,800 part pension, per year.

As well, an age pensioner couple with their own home and private income of $45,000 a year — suggesting they have $450,000 each in superannuation — would lose their combined part pension of $11,400 per year.

Additional reporting: Rosie Lewis

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Zoo animals loose in streets after flooding hits Georgian capital

TBILISI, Georgia — Escaped lions, bears and a hippopotamus from the Tbilisi Zoo were roaming the streets of the Georgian capital Sunday, after flooding killed at least 10 people.

Georgian leaders asked residents to stay inside as they sought to track down the escaped animals, which were adding a chaotic element to an already painful human situation. A zoo hippopotamus swam out of its enclosure and onto the central Heroes’ Square, eating leaves off a tree before being shot with a tranquilizer dart in front of a Swatch store.

The animals on the loose created an unpredictable backdrop for rescue efforts. Rescuers used rafts and inflatable boats to reach people trapped by flooding. At least one lion and one bear were shot and killed by police officers, and a hyena chased a security guard across part of a university campus before it, too, was shot dead.

Officials said the flooding in the Georgian capital was the worst natural disaster in recent memory.

Tbilisi Mayor David Narmania said on national television that 10 people had been confirmed dead so far and that more were missing. Many of the zoo’s animals also perished or were missing.

Georgian capital suffers floods that freed zoo animals

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A hippo was among wildlife in the streets after deadly flooding ruined zoo enclosures.

“The situation is rather difficult,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said. “We haven’t seen anything like this in Tbilisi before.”

About 1.1 million people live in the Georgian capital.

Among the dead was one zoo worker, Guliko Chitadze, who had an arm amputated two weeks ago after a tiger mauled it. She had returned to work just a few days ago. Her husband, also a zoo worker, was also killed, zoo spokeswoman Mzia Sharashidze said. The workers had spent the night on zoo premises to feed newborn animals.

Sharashidze said bears, lions, tigers, jaguars and wolves were among the animals that escaped.

“I can’t imagine this tragedy,” she said. “Almost the whole zoo is underwater.”

One hippopotamus fled to a central city street. Photos showed it reaching up to eat leaves off trees before a crowd of people cornered it and an animal control officer shot it with a tranquilizer dart.

Torrential rains late Saturday and early Sunday poured down on Tbilisi, a hilly city that is along a river valley. The Tbilisi Zoo lies along the banks of the Kura River, which overflowed and caught the animals in their pens and cages.

Helicopters were flying over Tbilisi on Sunday, and a rescue effort could be seen underway at the zoo, where debris and mud had overwhelmed many of the enclosures. Other parts of the zoo still were underwater.

Sharashidze said tigers, hyenas and eight lions had disappeared, among many other animals. Six of 17 penguins were saved; the rest washed away. One crocodile was captured, and zoo workers were trying to reach another as of midafternoon Sunday.

Sharashidze said there had been a plan several years ago to move the zoo to an expanded location on the Tbilisi Sea, an artificial reservoir. But that plan was abandoned for financial reasons, she said.

Authorities here appeared ill-equipped to handle the unusual situation.

At the Tbilisi State University, which is on a hill above the zoo, a hyena was fatally shot next to a small guard house.

Guards said that the hyena had chased one guard across a park on Sunday morning. The guard locked himself in the shed and called the police.

Police killed the animal because they had no tranquilizer darts, the guards said.

The hyena was splayed on the ground, with foam coming out of its mouth. Flies buzzed on its face. Guards warned visitors to leave quickly because they feared more animals were on the loose.

The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church on Sunday blamed the disaster at zoo on Georgia’s former Communist rulers, according to the Interfax news agency.

“When Communists came to us in this country, they ordered that all crosses and bells of the churches be melted down and the money used to build the zoo,” Patriarch Ilia II said at a sermon. “The sin will not go without punishment.”

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Australian foreign investment real estate probe widens

Soaring Sydney prices have prompted the government to look at foreign investors

Australians have reported about 40 foreigners who appear to have breached residential real estate investment laws, says the government.

The rules were tightened earlier this year in the face of soaring property prices, especially in Sydney.

Treasurer Joe Hockey said the government now was investigating 195 residential real estate purchases by overseas investors.

He warned other investors they should report themselves if necessary.

"Foreign investors who think they may have broken the rules should come to us before we come to them," he said.

Bubble concerns

Foreigners must receive approval before buying established homes but can invest in new housing developments.

Under the new rules, application fees apply for residential purchases by foreigners while tougher criminal penalties apply for people who break the rules.

Mr Hockey said on Tuesday that foreigners who come forward ahead of a 30 November amnesty deadline will be forced to sell their properties but will not be prosecuted.

One of Sydney's most prestigious properties, 'Altona' was sold to a Chinese-born businessman

Of the 195 cases being investigated so far, 24 were foreign investors who had voluntarily come forward, he said.

"Another 40 cases relate to referrals from the community where members of the public suspect foreign investors may have broken the rules by using complex structures and illegal leasing arrangements to hide foreign ownership.

"We want Australia to have more housing stock and foreign investment does help in that regard but not in regard to existing housing," he said at a press conference.

However, the treasurer watered down concern that Sydney is facing a housing bubble that could soon burst, noting that demand for housing still outpaced supply.

"We are a long way from excess supply," he said.

Properties under investigation range from those in Australia's multi-million-dollar prestige property markets to more modest suburban real estate.

Last week, Fairfax Media reported that a Chinese property developer had concealed his identity behind an elderly Melbourne couple to buy one of the country's most famous homes, Altona, at Sydney's Point Piper for A$52m ($40m; £26m).

Forced sales

The Australian Taxation Office received A$37.2m over four years in new funding in last month's federal budget to handle the investigation and its data matching program has already identified one foreign investor who appears to be linked to over 10 properties ranging from a A$300,000 unit to a house worth A$1.4m, according to the government.

Authorities are also talking to a UK investor who voluntarily came forward regarding a property purchased for about A$700,000 in Western Australia.

A shortage of new houses, generous tax breaks, cheap credit and "hot" money from overseas have seen Sydney house price increases eclipse those of other Australian cities.

Chinese buyers are being blamed for driving up property prices

Sydney house values have risen by nearly 60% since 2009, according to property research group, RP Data. Other research shows the median price tag for a detached house in Australia's biggest city is now 13 times the average wage.

More broadly, Australia has the third highest house price-to-income ratio in the world, according to the IMF. Only Belgium and Canada are more expensive.

Despite a complex mix of factors driving prices higher, recently, Chinese investors have been singled out for criticism, with Chinese buyers seeming to dominate auction sales in some parts of the Sydney.

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Facebook Is Handing Out Free Beacons to Retailers

Facebook is offering up free beacons to retailers and businesses using its service as part of an update to the company’s Place Tips feature originally rolled out in January.

Place Tips, which works by showing Facebook users posts and photos about a specific retailer or business when they open the app within the actual store, was originally tested with a small group of businesses in New York City. On Monday, Facebook announced it was expanding the feature to all businesses in the United States, and included an application for these businesses to request a free beacon for each of their physical stores. (Facebook also provided free beacons to its test partners.)

The idea is that beacons — small devices that can send a signal to a person’s smartphone when they get within a certain proximity — can be used to push information and deals to people while they’re in a prime position to make a purchase.

In Facebook’s case, retailers can’t yet advertise through Place Tips, but you can see the potential. Facebook’s pitch to advertisers has long been that it can target better than anyone else on the Internet. Adding location-specific ads and push notifications would only reinforce that position.

Facebook has designed its own beacon, which is being produced by an external manufacturer. Beacons aren’t expensive, but it’s still noteworthy that Facebook is willing to produce and distribute these beacons for free. It seems likely the company will expand on the Place Tips feature at some point down the road.

Facebook isn’t the only company interested in beacon marketing; Twitter recently made an investment in the space, too.

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Woman charged with Caboolture man's stabbing murder

A 22-year-old woman has been charged with murder following the alleged stabbing of a man in Caboolture early on Sunday, Photo: Nine News

A 22-year-old woman has been charged with the stabbing murder of a man in Caboolture early on Sunday morning.

The 26-year-old victim staggered to a service station in Lower King Street about 1.15am with a stab wound to the stomach.

It is believed he was attacked in a nearby street.

He was taken to Caboolture Hospital but died a short time later.

Two women were apprehended nearby a short time later and crime scenes were established at the service station and at two other sites in adjacent streets.

A 22-year-old Caboolture woman was charged with murder on Sunday afternoon.

She has been remanded in custody to appear in Caboolture Magistrates Court on Monday

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Peter Dutton says Gillian Triggs should consider resigning as human rights chief

Australian Human Rights Commission president Professor Gillian Triggs spoke out last week about the regional ‘consequences’ of the government’s policy of turning back asylum-seeker boats. Photograph: Alan Porritt/AAP

The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, has urged Professor Gillian Triggs to consider resigning as president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, in the latest outbreak of hostilities over asylum-seeker policies and the rule of law.

Triggs spoke out last week about the regional “consequences” of the government’s policy of turning back asylum-seeker boats and called on MPs to uphold the rule of law as they prepared to debate extraordinary new ministerial powers to revoke citizenship of suspected terrorists.

Dutton sharpened his criticism of Triggs on Sunday, two days after he accused her of drawing an inappropriate link between Australia’s immigration policy and Indonesia’s execution of two members of the Bali Nine drug smuggling group.

When asked by the conservative commentator Andrew Bolt whether he would like to see Triggs gone from her position as commission president, Dutton said: “Well, when you reduce the position to basically that of a political advocate, I think it is very difficult to continue on, and these are issues for Professor Triggs to contemplate.”

Gillian Triggs slams 'scores of laws' threatening fundamental freedoms

 

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Triggs did not resign after the government declared in February that it had lost confidence in her over her handling of an inquiry into children in immigration detention, and has previously rejected accusations of partisanship.

The Human Rights Commission president delivered a forthright speech on Friday in which she criticised the major political parties for teaming up to pass “scores of laws” over the past 15 years that threatened fundamental rights and freedoms.

The Coalition is expected to produce legislation in the next parliamentary sittings to grant the immigration minister the power to revoke the Australian citizenship of a person who was deemed to be involved in terrorism but may not have been convicted of a crime.

Triggs cited the yet-to-be-defined proposal as an example of the “overreach of executive power” and said the debate seemed to be “between the subjective suspicions of a minister versus an evidence-based determination by a judge according to established rule of law”.

Gillian Triggs has the right to criticise politicians' use of power, says Labor

 

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Dutton said the UK had granted its home secretary strong powers to strip people of citizenship and it was “not a legal backwater by any stretch of the imagination”.

The government believed it was “a decision for the minister of the day, because we are elected by the people to make these tough decisions”, he told Channel Ten’s Bolt Report.

Asked why the minister, and not a court, would make the decision, Dutton said: “Well, because we need ministerial discretion around some of the particular cases. So where the 17-year-old Australian goes across and is involved in beheadings and strapping vests on to other young kids who then go off and do suicide bombings – that person may present a very different case than the 17-year-old who went across, got cold feet at the airport and decided to come back home. If we had a black-letter operation of the law and there was no discretion, I think we would get anomalies ... We’re not trying to impose this as a criminal sanction.”

Dutton confirmed the powers would be able to be used against people regardless of whether they were located in Australia or were overseas.

“If they’re involved in the name of terrorism, and their activities are able to be defined within a few sections of the criminal code that we’ve said we’ll put into legislation – if they’re deemed to be a terrorist or acting in support of those terrorists, fundraising, [doing] acts preparatory to, all of those which we’ve defined in the legislation – if they fall within that category and we don’t render them stateless, whether they’re here or they’re offshore, we will strip citizenship from them under this proposal,” he said.

“I think it’s a very important [proposal] because, as I say, I think it has now dawned on all of us how significant this [terrorism] threat is and it is only going to ramp up over the coming years.”

While the government is pressing ahead with new powers in relation to dual nationals, it has deferred a decision about allowing the immigration minister to revoke citizenship from sole nationals who may be able to apply for citizenship elsewhere.

That proposal generated a significant cabinet backlash which spilled into the public arena, but remains on the table thanks to its inclusion as an option in a discussion paper that was released for public consultation.

Dutton said the Coalition backbench “overwhelmingly” supported the government’s strong stance, which he believed reflected views across the broader community.

He reiterated that the government would not leave anyone stateless and would allow people to lodge a judicial review against a ministerial decision to strip them of their citizenship.

The comment about statelessness prompted Bolt to ask: “I don’t understand what the problem is with making people stateless. I mean they joined Islamic State. Good luck to them. Why should I care if they no longer have, you know, any citizenship from here? What’s the problem?”

Dutton replied: “Well, we’ve signed a convention saying that we won’t render somebody stateless so we abide by that principle.”

The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, has offered in-principle support for the proposed changes in relation to dual nationals, but has called for the government to release the detailed legislation so it could be properly examined.

A senior Labor frontbencher, Anthony Albanese, criticised some of the government’s language in the citizenship debate. “You have this ridiculous position ... where it is almost as if some members of the government are trying to say we are more loyal to Australia than others,” Albanese told Sky News on Sunday.

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Apple buys German augmented-reality software maker Metaio

FRANKFURT: Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has acquired Metaio, a German company whose technology melds real-world imagery and computer-generated elements into moving video presentations, according to a corporate filing.

The terms were not disclosed.

Metaio's previous investors included Westcott LLC, the investment vehicle of entrepreneur Carl Westcott, the founder of floral delivery firm 1-800-Flowers (FLWS.O), and Atlantic Bridge, a Silicon Valley-based growth equity technology fund.

A document filed with a Munich court showed that Apple is now the company's sole shareholder.

Metaio's augmented-reality software is used in applications in retail, industrial and automotive markets.

Metaio technology is used to create virtual product showrooms and by retailers such as IKEA [IKEA.UL]. It has also created visual manuals for repairing complex industrial or automotive equipment.

Augmented reality is software that overlays text or graphics on real-life images and objects, typically in video. The result can be viewed on TV displays, smartphones, tablets or dedicated eye-goggles. It differs from virtual reality, which replaces real-world views with more or less completely simulated ones.

Steffen Sorrell, an analyst with technology market research firm Juniper Research, said Apple, which builds custom computer chips it uses in a range of products, could incorporate Metaio's intellectual property to differentiate its products.

This could give Apple a jump on rivals who are working to develop augmented reality semiconductors but remain at least 18 to 24 months away from delivery, the analyst said.

This technology was co-developed with ST-Ericsson, the former joint venture between mobile network equipment maker Ericsson (ERICb.ST) and chipmaker STMicroelectronics (STM.PA).

Potential applications using Metaio's low-power consumption technology could include mobile handsets and or smart-glasses, Sorrell speculated. In mobile phones, the Apple-Metaio combination could pose a challenge to current market leader Qualcomm (QCOM.O), which owns augmented reality maker Vuforia.

Metaio executives didn't respond to requests for comment and Apple issued a statement but provided no details. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not comment on our purpose or plans," the statement said.

Westcott and Atlantic Bridge were not immediately available to comment.

The roots of Munich-based Metaio go back to German carmaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), where Thomas Alt, its co-founder and chief executive, began developing augmented-reality applications in 2000.

Jupiter estimates that augmented-reality technology used in enterprises will increase tenfold to $2.4 billion from $247 million last year. Other companies in the emerging field include France's Total Immersion and UK-based Blippar, which last year bought Layar from the Netherlands. - Reuters

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Anti-Islam protesters and anti-racism activists clash in Melbourne

Anti-Islam protesters and anti-racism activists have clashed in Melbourne despite police attempts to keep the opposing groups apart.

Reclaim Australia splinter group United Patriots Front (UPF) planned to rally in front of the Richmond Town Hall this afternoon.

However, more than 100 protesters from a counter-rally by Campaign Against Racism and Fascism stationed themselves near the Town Hall before they got there.

A huge police presence, including mounted police, were at today’s rally and kept the two crowds apart.

The two groups traded verbal insults and some punches were thrown when they confronted each other near the town hall. Police scuffled with some protesters as they tried to keep them apart. The rally started with about 50 UPF members marching to the town hall chanting “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” and “I am Australian”, and holding the Australian flag.

Anti-fascist protesters outside Richmond Town Hall try to push past police to confront a rally held by United Patriots Front.

But it was not long before the much larger crowd from Campaign Against Racism and Fascism drowned out their chants with slogans such as: “f*** off Nazis” and “Muslims are welcome, racists are not”.

The rally started about 1.30pm and stopped traffic around the town hall for more than 30 minutes.

UPF said the gathering was a response to the left-wing violence members of its group had experienced during clashes at Federation Square in April.

UPF rally organiser Shermon Burgess told supporters that they were protesting against radical Islam and denied he was racist. “I cannot even have my point of view without being labelled a bigot or a racist,” he said.

Anti-fascist protesters are separated by police from United Patriots Front protesters outside Richmond Town Hall.

Police had to separate angry crowds on April 4 after tensions flared and scuffles broke out over issues of extremism and violence.

Victoria Police said they were at the rallies to maintain public safety.

“Victoria Police respects the right of the community to express their views peacefully and lawfully, but will not tolerate those who break the law,” a statement said.

A police spokeswoman later said while there were no arrests at the protest, a man will be charged on summons after he was allegedly carrying a knife.

As Sunday’s protest ends, another is being planned.

Uniting Against Islamophobia spokesman Stephen Jolly said the group will show their support at a rally on July 18 — the same day and location as Sunday’s event staged by Reclaim Australia.

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S'pore police shoot dead man near Asia security summit venue

INGAPORE: A high-profile Asia-Pacific security summit being attended by top leaders and officials from the region was briefly put on lockdown on Sunday after police shot dead a man near the venue as he tried to flee a checkpoint in a car which was later found to contain drugs. 

The three-day Shangri-La Dialogue, attended by Minister of state for defence Rao Inderjit Singh and US defense secretary Ashton Carter along with counterparts from around the world, ended at midday on Sunday. 

In the pre-dawn incident, near the Shangri-La Hotel, the venue of the conference, a man was shot dead and two others were detained. 

The trio was earlier stopped at a police vehicular checkpoint set up along Ardmore Park, the entrance to the hotel, where international dignitaries including defence ministers and armed forces chiefs were attending the annual conference. 

Police said all three men were Singaporeans. No explosives, arms or weapons were found in the car involved in the incident. Police and officers from Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Explosives Defence Group (CBRE DG) searched the vehicle. 

A bag containing white powdery substances believed to contain controlled drugs was recovered from the car. 

The driver of the Singapore-registered red car was a 34-year-old man who was pronounced dead at scene after police fired shots when the vehicle did not stopped for the mandatory security check.

Two men - aged 26 and 31 - who were passengers in the vehicle, were arrested. 

The 31-year-old man sustained injuries during the incident and was moved to a hospital. 

The driver and one of the passengers were wanted by the authorities for various offences. 

Preliminary investigations indicated that it was an isolated incident. 

After the shooting incident the hotel was on complete lockdown, with no entry allowed. 

Roads and pathways leading up to the hotel, located in Singapore's diplomatic area, were shut off with barricade tape. 

But access to the venue was later allowed and the conference resumed at 9:00am (local time). 

Singapore Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen closed the conference after lunch. 

Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Armed Forces from Asia, Europe and the United States, addressed the Shangri-La Dialogue. Minister of State for Defence Singh also addresed the meeting on Saturday.

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