Ukraine in 'punitive' war against rebels

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin has branded Ukraine's attempt to crush a Moscow-backed separatist uprising in the east of the country a "punitive operation" and said Russia was fighting for its right to exist.

"IT is indeed a punitive operation. But it is being conducted by the current Kiev authorities," Putin told his annual end-of-the-year news conference, side-stepping a question from a Ukrainian journalist.

The reporter from Ukraine's UNIAN news agency stole the limelight at the news conference, accusing Putin of conducting a punitive operation in the east of Ukraine.The reporter also asked how many regular troops the Russian president had sent in to prop up the separatist insurgency there and what would he say to families of those sent to Ukraine.Putin conspicuously chose not to reply to the Ukrainian journalist's question on Russian regular troops, simply saying:"All people who perform their duty following the call of the heart or participate in the fighting voluntarily including in the southeast of Ukraine are not mercenaries because they are not getting any more for it."The Russian strongman also ratcheted up his anti-Western rhetoric, accusing Moscow's partners of treating other countries like their underlings."Our (Western) partners have not stopped. They decided that they are winners, they are an empire now and the rest are vassals and they have to be driven into a corner," Putin said, referring to raging tensions with the West over Ukraine.He accused the West of wanting to tame the legendary Russian bear, saying the real goal was not to punish Moscow for seizing Crimea from Ukraine in March, but to neutralise the country's independence."As soon as they have torn out its claws and teeth, then the bear won't be needed at all - they will make a stuffed dummy out of it."This is not about Crimea, the thing is that we are protecting our independence, its sovereignty and its right to exist."

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

SA tribunal to ease strain on courts: govt

THE South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) will begin operating next year to ease pressure on the court system, the state government says.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL John Rau said the first phase of legislation to move matters from the Residential Tenancies Tribunal, Guardianship Board and Housing Appeal Panel to SACAT passed parliament.

"This will streamline the process and will offer real benefits for the public and the justice system," he said."The formation of the SACAT means people will only need to deal with one tribunal on most civil and administrative matters."The tribunal is expected to begin operating by April.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teen charged with indecent assault in NSW

A TEENAGE boy has been charged with the indecent assault of a five-year-old girl on the NSW north coast.

THE 15-year-old was arrested on Thursday, almost a month after he allegedly stopped the girl and indecently assaulted her in the playground of a fast-food outlet in Coffs Harbour.

The teen has been granted conditional bail to appear before a children's court in the near future.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Goldman posts 3Q profit

GOLDMAN Sachs Group has reported third-quarter profit of $US2.24 billion ($A2.42 billion).

THE bank, based in New York, said it had earnings of $US4.57 per share.

The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by FactSet was for earnings of $US3.21 per share.The investment bank posted revenue of $US8.39 billion in the period, exceeding Street forecasts. Analysts expected $US7.75 billion, according to FactSet.Goldman shares have fallen slightly since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has increased almost one per cent.The stock has climbed nine per cent in the last 12 months.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flintoff spared ban for speeding

HSU stands for a Hot Steamy Union

KATHY Jackson dropped a bombshell on proceedings when she objected to being cross examined by a man she'd had a fling with 20 years ago.

NSW

• 1 video
  • Jackson calls to replace ex-lover barrister 2:14

The little town blocking a mining giant

A HISTORIC Hunter Valley town says it will be wiped off the map after a Chinese firm won conditional approval to build an open-cut coalmine there.

NSW

Teen at scene of stabbing says he's not violent

ONE of the teenagers involved in Friday's stabbing at Merrylands who called the injured 17-year-old a "soldier" claims he is not a violent person.

NSW

Glock, steroids seized in raid on home lab

A STEROID lab has been discovered inside a family home during a police raid that also uncovered a gun, ammunition, drugs and cash in south-west Sydney.

NSW

Cops fear bikie war as Lone Wolf refused bail

POLICE fear a new bikie war after Lone Wolf sergeant-at-arms Joshua Battah was charged over an alleged shooting incident on the central coast.

NSW

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Exchange student bashed in broad daylight

A Russian exchange student says the man who hit him from behind with a metal pole is an evil coward. Source: AAP

A RUSSIAN exchange student had to learn how to talk again after he was bashed from behind with a metal pole by "evil" attackers in broad daylight in Perth.

ALEX, 16, said he was hit from behind with the pole after he refused to give his property to a man who confronted him on the way to Stirling train station in Innaloo about 3.15pm on July 26.

He had only been in Perth for six months at the time of the attack.Alex said the first blow knocked him to the ground and doctors believe he was struck in the head another two times, leaving him with deep gashes to his scalp and a fractured skull.Police are looking for three men Alex saw before the attack believed to be responsible for the assault."I don't remember the actual hit, there was some impact obviously, I fell over and I could see him... the last thing I remember he just ran away," Alex said."I thought it wasn't that serious at first, I thought it was just cut in skin."The attack left Alex brain damaged, unable to remember his own birthday or how to speak English and Russian.After a month in hospital, Alex regained the ability to speak both languages, although with some difficulty.Alex said he was angry about the attack but would complete his high school studies in Perth and not go out at night."He was a coward," he said."I don't feel that Australia is a violent place, it's a nice country."You can find these people in every country and you never can prevent everything from happening."Police are asking anyone with information regarding the incident, or who saw Alex in the area at the time, to call Crime Stoppers.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing fisherman found in Vic's east

A FISHERMAN who went missing on his six-metre boat in Victoria's Gippsland Lakes has been found.

THE 67-year-old Johnsonville man set off for a solo fishing trip early on Tuesday and did not return as expected on Wednesday evening.

A search by air and water found the man and safe and well on his boat in the port of Sale, just before 6pm on Thursday, police said in a statement.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man charged over alleged chicken torture

A SYDNEY man is accused of cruelty against a pet chicken before setting his dog on the tortured animal.

POLICE allege the 20-year-old bought the live fowl from a produce pet store in Enfield, in Sydney's inner-west, in July.

Officers found video footage showing the man maiming the chicken.He then allegedly incited his dog to attack and kill the bird.The man was arrested at his Haberfield home on Thursday morning and charged with a string of offences, including animal cruelty and torture.The RSPCA has taken the man's dog.The man was granted bail to appear at Burwood Local Court on September 25.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

US economy grew at brisk 4.2% in Q2

AFTER a bleak start to the year, the US economy grew at a brisk annual rate of 4.2 per cent in the April-June quarter, the government said Thursday, slightly faster than it had first estimated.

THE upward revision supported expectations that the second half of 2014 will prove far stronger than the first half.

The Commerce Department's second estimate of growth for last quarter followed its initial estimate of 4 per cent.The upward revision reflected stronger business investment in new equipment and structures than first thought.The seasonally adjusted 4.2 per cent annual growth rate for the gross domestic product - the nation's total output of goods and services - came after the economy had shrunk at an annual rate of 2.1 per cent in the January-March quarter.That was the biggest economic decline since the depths of the Great Recession.The first-quarter decline had reflected mainly the effects of a harsh winter that kept consumers away from shopping malls, disrupted factory production and depressed the economy.In its second estimate of growth for the April-June quarter, the government said companies' restocking of supplies contributed less than it had first estimated.But a higher trade deficit subtracted less from growth than initially estimated.The downward revision in inventory building will likely help boost growth in the current July-September quarter because it means that businesses may need to restock their supplies to meet demand.With the wild swing between the first quarter's sharp slump and the vigorous rebound in the second quarter, annual economic growth has averaged a meagre 1.1 per cent for the first six months of this year.Still, most analysts think the economy has regained momentum as the job market has strengthened.They foresee a healthy annual growth rate of around 3 per cent in the current quarter and in the final three months of the year.Because of the rocky start, economists think growth for all of 2014 will average just 2.1 per cent, little changed from last year's 2.2 per cent increase.They're more optimistic about 2015. Many expect growth to accelerate to 3 per cent, an indication that the economy is finally gaining cruising speed after the deep 2007-2009 recession, the worst since the 1930s.The recession officially ended in June 2009 and, over the past five years, the economy has turned in subpar growth rates averaging around 2 per cent a year."I am looking for 2015 to be a better year, assuming geopolitics don't get in the way," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands.Economists worry that any of several political hotspots, from Ukraine to Israel to Iraq, could erupt in a way that would destabilise US and global growth.But Sohn said numerous factors should support growth in the second half of this year and in 2015.The principal strength is expected to come from further improvement in the job market.In July, employers added 209,000 jobs, the sixth straight month of solid 200,000-plus job growth. Those gains have averaged 244,000 a month since February, the best six-month string in eight years.Economists also foresee the unemployment rate, now a nearly normal 6.2 per cent, going even lower.An improving job market means rising household incomes, higher consumer confidence and more consumer spending. That is critical to growth because consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic growth.Besides more jobs translating into more spending power, economists think other forces, such as business investment, stronger state and local finances and rising exports, will also support growth in coming months.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jolie and Pitt wed in France

HSU stands for a Hot Steamy Union

KATHY Jackson dropped a bombshell on proceedings when she objected to being cross examined by a man she'd had a fling with 20 years ago.

NSW

• 1 video
  • Jackson calls to replace ex-lover barrister 2:14

The little town blocking a mining giant

A HISTORIC Hunter Valley town says it will be wiped off the map after a Chinese firm won conditional approval to build an open-cut coalmine there.

NSW

Teen at scene of stabbing says he's not violent

ONE of the teenagers involved in Friday's stabbing at Merrylands who called the injured 17-year-old a "soldier" claims he is not a violent person.

NSW

Glock, steroids seized in raid on home lab

A STEROID lab has been discovered inside a family home during a police raid that also uncovered a gun, ammunition, drugs and cash in south-west Sydney.

NSW

Cops fear bikie war as Lone Wolf refused bail

POLICE fear a new bikie war after Lone Wolf sergeant-at-arms Joshua Battah was charged over an alleged shooting incident on the central coast.

NSW

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hawking backs ice bucket challenge

HSU stands for a Hot Steamy Union

KATHY Jackson dropped a bombshell on proceedings when she objected to being cross examined by a man she'd had a fling with 20 years ago.

NSW

• 1 video
  • Jackson calls to replace ex-lover barrister 2:14

The little town blocking a mining giant

A HISTORIC Hunter Valley town says it will be wiped off the map after a Chinese firm won conditional approval to build an open-cut coalmine there.

NSW

Teen at scene of stabbing says he's not violent

ONE of the teenagers involved in Friday's stabbing at Merrylands who called the injured 17-year-old a "soldier" claims he is not a violent person.

NSW

Glock, steroids seized in raid on home lab

A STEROID lab has been discovered inside a family home during a police raid that also uncovered a gun, ammunition, drugs and cash in south-west Sydney.

NSW

Cops fear bikie war as Lone Wolf refused bail

POLICE fear a new bikie war after Lone Wolf sergeant-at-arms Joshua Battah was charged over an alleged shooting incident on the central coast.

NSW

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK soccer player on trial over kill threat

ENGLISH Premier League footballer Ravel Morrison will go on trial next year over allegations he threatened to throw acid in the face of his ex-girlfriend and have her killed.

THE 21-year-old former Manchester United midfielder is also accused of threatening to blow up Reah Mansoor's house in a course of harassment against her lasting four years.

The West Ham player is also accused of assaulting the 19-year-old and her mother, Parveen Mansoor, 39, in Salford in the early hours of July 27.In a brief appearance at Manchester Crown Court today, Morrison entered not-guilty pleas to two counts of assault of beating, one of assault causing actual bodily harm and one count of harassment.He will next appear for a case management hearing on November 10, with a provisional trial date set for January 26.Morrison, originally from Manchester, was initially remanded in custody last week before being bailed.His bail conditions are that he lives at an address in east London, does not contact directly or indirectly the two women complainants, does not enter the Greater Manchester area except for a court appearance or for a West Ham game in the area and to return to London immediately after the match.Despite being touted as a bright prospect at Old Trafford, Morrison appeared only in the League Cup before former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson sold him to West Ham for STG650,000 ($A1.19 million) in January 2012.West Ham manager Sam Allardyce took him to Upton Park but he was later shipped out on loan to Birmingham and QPR.Morrison picked up the first of his four England Under-21 caps in a 4-0 win over San Marino in October.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Psychiatric drugs soar among Aussie kids

ADHD medication-use in Australia has jumped 35 per cent in a four-year period. Source: AAP

THE use of powerful psychiatric drugs is soaring among Australian children as young as 10, research shows.

THE number of prescriptions for antipsychotic drugs jumped 49 per cent among 10 to 14 year olds over a four-year period, according to a study of government subsidised prescriptions.

The number of prescriptions for antidepressants increased by more than a third in that age group, according to figures for 2009 to 2012 published in the latest issue of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.Among people of all age groups, the study shows a 26 per cent increase in ADHD medication, a 23 per cent increase in antipsychotics and a 16 per cent increase in antidepressants.There has been a 35 per cent jump in the use of the ADHD medication Ritalin.Part of the reason for this is an increase in the number of teenagers and adults using the medication.The study shows ADHD medication increased 71 per cent for 20 to 24 year olds and 37 per cent for people aged 25 and older.The rise was 26 per cent for children aged three to nine, 15 per cent for 10 to 14 year olds, 33 per cent for 15 to 19 year olds.Research leader Professor Iain McGregor called for a discussion about whether the benefits of medication outweigh the hazards, particularly in children and in those suffering mild to moderate distress."We need to have a national debate about what is driving this phenomenon."Why are we so reliant on meds for our mental wellbeing?"Clinical Psychologist Andrew Fuller described the study as "massively" concerning, but not surprising."We seem to have a growing proportion of young people showing signs of vulnerability in terms of mental health issues.Some of the prescriptions could be partly because of the agitation of the patient or their parent, or anxiety of the doctor who wants to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, he says."Often the medication is seen as the solution. ADHD medication is highly prescribed, but sadly very rarely given together with other forms of treatment."For depression, talk therapy is very powerful. So is exercise or meditation techniques."These could be used on their own or together with medication, he says. But they take longer than medication to kick in.

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labor, coalition fight for rural affection

Last Updated: June 20, 2014

IF you believe Labor, they are the party for farmers and rural Australia.

Facebook goes down worldwide

THE world's popular social networking site of Facebook went down last night across the world, leaving users unable to log in.

Airline fee crackdown fails to fly

EXCLUSIVE: Airlines, hotels and ticket agencies look set to keep slugging customers supersized surcharges, despite two court cases.

Hodkinson call buried a dynasty

DESPITE owning the try that ended eight years of Origin heartache halfback Hodkinson was not meant to receive the ball that led to his stirring solo run.

No straights here — just gays

A GATED housing community built solely for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people is being proposed for a European city.

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23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Search continues for missing Vic fisherman

A MASSIVE air and sea search covering 3500 square kilometres continues after a Victorian professional fisherman failed to return from a fishing trip.

THE 65-year-old Warrnambool man set off alone from Point Fairy wharf to go gummy fishing about 1.30pm on Wednesday.

Police say it's believed he was headed to Lady Julia Percy Island about 22km southwest of Point Fairy.He failed to return home as expected at 10pm and his family raised the alarm early on Thursday.Several volunteer vessels and two water police boats spent the day searching for the man off Victoria's southwest coast.Fourteen aircraft, including nine helicopters, have also been searching an area covering about 3500 square kilometres, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.The man's wife told police he had been fishing for most of his life, and had no known health concerns.Sergeant Mick Wolfe of Point Fairy police said the search area was extended during the day, after an early search around Lady Julia Percy Island found nothing."As time's gone by further resources have been utilised and we've actually had to spread the area because he's not where we initially thought he was," Sgt Wolfe told Fairfax Radio."At this stage we've got no idea where the boat is."Senior Sergeant Tania Barbary said police held out hope the man would be found OK."We've always got hope that there's something, that he's just drifting out there and he's unable to make contact with anybody at the moment," she told reporters at Point Fairy."We'll continue our search until we find otherwise."The search is expected to be scaled back overnight before being ramped up again on Friday morning.

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two boat mishaps off Malaysia, 35 missing

MALAYSIAN authorities are searching for 35 people missing at sea following two boat accidents at a time when many illegal migrant workers head home to Indonesia for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

IN the latest incident early on Thursday, nine people were missing off western Malaysia after a boat believed to be bound for the Indonesian island of Sumatra sank near the district of Sepang, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur, The Star daily reported.

Eighteen people were rescued, it said, quoting Mohamad Hambali Yaakup, an official with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).The accident came to light as authorities expanded a search for survivors of another boat - also bound for Sumatra - that sank just up the coast with 97 Indonesians aboard early on Wednesday.Nine bodies have been found after that accident, while 26 remain missing, though officials believe some of them made it to land - it sank near the Malaysian shore - and fled the area to avoid being apprehended by authorities.Authorities have not yet determined the cause of either accident, but the boat that sank on Wednesday was likely carrying three times more passengers than it could safely transport, officials said."The boat is too small to ferry 97 people. The boat must have been very cramped," said MMEA spokesman Mohamad Zuhri, adding that its capacity was likely around 30 passengers.Large numbers of Indonesians - many of them illegal migrants - return home annually from Malaysia for Ramadan, which this year begins at the end of June and will culminate in late July with Eid al-Fitr, Islam's biggest festival.On Thursday, divers were deployed, more vessels brought in and the search zone for the first sinking expanded along the coast in the hope of finding more survivors, said Mohamad Hambali."We have deployed divers and a total of 25 marine craft and a helicopter to sweep the coastal area for possible survivors," he told AFP.Mohamad Hambali said the divers would try to determine what caused the boat to sink and to view any markings that would help identify its owner and operator.The 62 survivors of the first mishap have been detained by authorities and were not available to speak with the media.

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Family heartbroken after aged home deaths

THREE and a half years ago, Marie Darragh was frail, ill and on the brink of death.

SHE was placed in the St Andrews Nursing Home in Ballina as her family desperately hoped for the best.

Within years, her health had turned around.After giving up smoking, Ms Darragh turned to sugar to get her fix and earned the affectionate nickname "sugar fairy" for her fierce sweet tooth around the nursing home.It was this new-found health and happiness that made the 82-year-old's suspected murder in May all the more shocking."It's total heartbreak," daughter Janet Parkinson told AAP on Thursday."Because when she went in there she was ready to die. She was so frail and it has taken them three and a half years to get her where she was."They built her up and she had to go this way ... that's the heartbreaking thing."Ms Darragh and fellow resident and friend Isobella Spencer, 77, were found unconscious in their beds on May 10.They died hours later.The same night, a third woman was attacked at the home and admitted to hospital but survived.St Andrews Aged Care says she is in good health and is back at the facility.The fact Ms Darragh and Ms Spencer died unexpectedly, in the same location and on the same night, sparked a homicide investigation.Detectives believe they have a good idea of how both women died and have questioned nursing home staff."Obviously we are looking at the actions of staff members that night. However, we are keeping an open mind," Detective Superintendent Mick Willing said on Wednesday.Ms Parkinson said she had her own suspicions about what happened, but could not speak highly enough of the nursing home staff."Obviously I have missed something," she said.She said Ms Darragh, a grandmother to 11 and mother of three, "loved" living at the nursing home.Police have not disclosed any further details about the women's deaths but said there was no "existing threat" at the nursing home."I want to make it absolutely clear that we believe this is an isolated incident," Det Supt Willing said.In a statement, St Andrews Aged Care chief executive officer Pip Carter had no fears for the safety of residents."We understand the pain of losing a loved one and we are doing all we can to assist police," she said.

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Carr dishes up conundrum for NSW govt

EIGHT years after ending his reign over NSW, Bob Carr is still giving the state Liberals a headache.

THIS time, he's forced Premier Mike Baird to reconvene a "slimmed-down" joint sitting of parliament.

The procedure is so the former premier and foreign minister can be excused from the Senate and return to private life.Mr Baird was left with a conundrum after Mr Carr decided to retire from federal politics despite winning his Senate seat last year.The premier received legal advice that Mr Carr's resignation wasn't constitutional and a joint sitting of the NSW parliament was needed to replace him.But the problem was parliament was on Thursday preparing to close its doors for its winter recess and not planning to sit again until August, well after the July 1 date of the new Senate term.The premier eventually decided to hold a very short joint sitting session in July, which would only last a few minutes, to sort the issue out.Once that happens, Labor's Deb O'Neill will formally replace Mr Carr in the Senate.

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ferry fraudster Smith 'had no choice'

Last Updated: June 20, 2014

A FORMER Sydney Ferries boss who racked up more than $200,000 on the company credit card says he felt he had no choice because he couldn't tell his emotionally fragile wife how desperate the family's financial situation had become.

Facebook goes down worldwide

THE world's popular social networking site of Facebook went down last night across the world, leaving users unable to log in.

Airline fee crackdown fails to fly

EXCLUSIVE: Airlines, hotels and ticket agencies look set to keep slugging customers supersized surcharges, despite two court cases.

Hodkinson call buried a dynasty

DESPITE owning the try that ended eight years of Origin heartache halfback Hodkinson was not meant to receive the ball that led to his stirring solo run.

No straights here — just gays

A GATED housing community built solely for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people is being proposed for a European city.

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23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

BlackBerry results top expectations

Last Updated: June 20, 2014

BLACKBERRY has surprised Wall Street by posting results that beat analyst's expectations.

Facebook goes down worldwide

THE world's popular social networking site of Facebook went down last night across the world, leaving users unable to log in.

Airline fee crackdown fails to fly

EXCLUSIVE: Airlines, hotels and ticket agencies look set to keep slugging customers supersized surcharges, despite two court cases.

Hodkinson call buried a dynasty

DESPITE owning the try that ended eight years of Origin heartache halfback Hodkinson was not meant to receive the ball that led to his stirring solo run.

No straights here — just gays

A GATED housing community built solely for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people is being proposed for a European city.

', gcseBox = '

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23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-US defence chief warns on UK army cuts

A SMALLER British armed forces would mean the UK could no longer be a full military partner to the United States, former US defence secretary Robert Gates says.

Gates told the BBC that cuts in the number of military staff would limit the UK's global position.

The British government is planning major cuts to the Armed Forces.

The army is being cut from 102,000 to 82,000 over a number of years, with the 20,000 posts expected to be gone by 2020.

Navy numbers are expected to fall by 6000, while the RAF will lose 5000 staff.

Gates, who served under presidents Barack Obama and George Bush, told BBC Radio 4's Today program that naval cuts were particularly damaging, noting that for the first time since World War I, Britain does not have an operational aircraft carrier.

He said: "With the fairly substantial reductions in defence spending in Great Britain, what we're finding is that it won't have full spectrum capabilities and the ability to be a full partner as they have been in the past."

This referred to the ability to fight on land, sea or in the air.

His concerns echoed those of senior military staff in the UK.

Last month General Sir Nicholas Houghton, the Chief of the Defence Staff, warned that manpower was increasingly seen as an "overhead", and that Britain was in danger of being left with hollowed out armed forces, with "exquisite" equipment but without the soldiers, sailors and airmen needed to man it.

He told the Royal United Services Institute military think-tank that the Royal Navy was "perilously close" to its "critical mass" in terms of manpower.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

More explosives at Czech Palestine mission

CZECH investigators have discovered explosives at the Palestinian embassy complex in Prague where a possibly booby-trapped safe killed the ambassador on January 1, police say.

Police discovered 12 illegal weapons following the explosion at the embassy that killed Ambassador Jamal al-Jamal, but this is the first time that authorities said explosives were also found in the new complex that includes the embassy and the ambassador's residence.

It remains unclear what caused the safe to explode but the ambassador's death is being investigated as a case of negligence.

Al-Jamal had only started his posting in October.

Police spokesman Tomas Hulan said they have sent the explosives for testing at Prague's Institute of Criminology.

The Palestinians have officially apologised after the Czech Foreign Ministry demanded an explanation, accusing the Palestinians of breaching international obligations.

The ministry said on Thursday it would not immediately comment on the explosive.

Police said on Thursday they received a letter from the Palestinian authorities saying the weapons were given to them as gifts by the officials of the former communist Czechoslovakia.

Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet bloc that had warm ties with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.

According to police, the Palestinians said the weapons were never used and always kept in a safe.

Police said experts are trying to determine whether the weapons were used in any criminal activity in the past.

The ballistic testing might take weeks, police said.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spending on the rise, survey

SPENDING has risen across the Australian economy for 16 consecutive months and a lower Australian dollar, along with improving consumer sentiment, should provide a further boost this year.

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limit of 5^* FREE ARTICLES.

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23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Father and daughter still missing in NSW

POLICE want residents in the NSW towns of Katoomba and Mullumbimby to watch out for a missing father and daughter who may be in either area.

A new image of Greg Hutchings, 35, has also been released in a bid to locate him and his four-year-old daughter Eeva.

The search continued on Thursday for the pair who have not been seen since leaving the home of Mr Hutchings' mother at Pottsville in northern NSW on Saturday.

Mr Hutchings had arranged to meet his former partner and Eeva's mother in Pottsville at midday but he never appeared.

There have been no confirmed sightings of father and daughter, police say.

But inquiries have led investigators to two possible areas the pair might be - at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains and Mullumbimby near Byron Bay.

Police are appealing for members of these communities to keep a look-out for the pair and to contact Crime Stoppers if they are sighted.

A new image of Mr Hutchings was released on Thursday.

He is of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall, with short brown curly hair and of a thin build.

Police say he was last seen wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, grey trousers and carrying a black backpack.

Eeva is also of Caucasian appearance, with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

She was last seen wearing an oversized blue and white-coloured shirt and multi-coloured board shorts.

Police are urging anyone with information about this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thousands of WA sheep die during export

REVELATIONS that thousands of sheep died while being exported from Western Australia to the Middle East has been described by activists as the worst live export disaster in recent history.

About 4000 sheep were exported by Livestock Shipping Services (LLS) on the Bader III five months ago, but details about their deaths from severe heat stress are only now being publicly revealed.

Federal authorities are already investigating LLS for breaches of live export regulations in Jordan and Gaza, and is now also investigating the August incident.

It is understood the same ship was back in Fremantle last weekend loading more animals in 44-degree heat.

The revelations have again prompted calls for an overhaul of the live animal export trade.

Animals Australia labelled the incident "the worst live export shipboard disaster in recent history".

"The suffering of these animals is too horrific even to imagine," Animals Australia campaign director Lyn White said.

"In these temperatures, the ship would have turned into an oven, with these thousands of individual sheep literally baking alive."

Animals Australia said the risks of lengthy sea voyages for animals were well known, with almost 20,000 sheep dying onboard every year.

Greens spokeswoman Lynn MacLaren said Australia's live export trade had repeatedly proven to be ineffective in delivering all sheep and cattle to a humane death once they left Australia.

"Not only is the system not working, but live export stakeholders are scrambling to keep the system's failings under wraps," she said.

"The Australian public should be outraged that this horrific incident was hidden in the weeks leading up to the federal election."

The Department of Agriculture is expected to release details of the incident later on Thursday.

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Cate Blanchett scores Oscar nomination

IT is shaping up as a golden year at the Oscars for Australia, with Cate Blanchett, Catherine Martin and a posse of other Australians nominated for Oscars.

Martin received a double Oscar nomination - costume design and production design - for The Great Gatsby, a similar feat she achieved for Moulin Rouge! more than a decade ago.

Martin's Aussie collaborator Beverley Dunn joins her on the production design nomination, but Baz Luhrmann was snubbed for a directing nomination for the film.

Battling Martin for the costume design Oscar is Sydney's Michael Wilkinson who was nominated for American Hustle.

Australian visual effects wizard Dave Clayton has been nominated for his work on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Clayton was also nominated last year for the first Hobbit film.

The film about Australian Mary Poppins author PL Travers, Saving Mr Banks, received a cold shoulder from the Academy.

It received just one nomination, original score.

It was hoped Saving Mr Banks' Australian producer Ian Collie would get a best picture nod and screenwriter Sue Smith for original screenplay, but they were bypassed.

The Samuel Goldwyn Theatre inside the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences headquarters already had an Australian flavour before Blanchett and the other Aussie names were announced, with former Home & Away star-turned Thor superhero Chris Hemsworth on stage helping reveal the nominations.

Blanchett was nominated for her role as a New York socialite on the decline in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine.

The 44-year-old has been nominated five previous times - Elizabeth in 1999, The Aviator (2005), Notes on a Scandal (2007), I'm Not There (2008) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2008).

The Aviator, as supporting actress, was her only win.

Blanchett is the red hot favourite to win the best actress Oscar for Blue Jasmine after claiming the Golden Globe on Sunday.

The Oscar ceremony will be held on March 2.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asylum seekers say navy gave them a boat

A GROUP of asylum seekers say they were given a boat by Australian authorities in which they were forced to return to Indonesia under their own steam after their own vessel's engine failed.

The development appears to be confirmation that Australian border-protection authorities have begun using lifeboats to return asylum-seekers to Indonesia, after the commander of Operation Sovereign Borders confirmed on Wednesday that a number of such vessels had been acquired.

One asylum seeker has told AAP he was with about 50 others from Bangladesh and Pakistan when they were intercepted close to Christmas Island about 10 days ago, after their boat's engine stopped working.

The man, from Bangladesh, who spoke through a translator, said they were then transferred to an Australian navy vessel, where they remained for several days, before being escorted back towards Indonesia.

They were then given a smaller boat that they used to make their own way to Pelabuuhan Ratu in West Java, which they say took about three hours.

The smaller boat was crewed by by the same Indonesian men that had attempted to take the asylum seekers to Christmas Island.

The group arrived at Pelabuuhan Ratu, about 12 hours drive from Jakarta, at about 11am on Wednesday morning.

It's believed they could be from a group of about 54 asylum seekers from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma) who had reportedly set out for Christmas Island on about January 5 or 6.

The development comes after Immigration Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday refused to comment on whether Operation Sovereign Borders had involved towing back or turning back boats into Indonesian waters.

However, Operation Sovereign Borders commander Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, speaking at the same media conference, confirmed that Customs had bought a number of lifeboats for its operations.

He would not say how they would be used.

The incident, if confirmed, is likely to prompt an angry response from the Indonesian government after Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa warned against the measure earlier this week.

"Developments of the type that has been reported in the media, namely the facilitation by way of boats, this is the kind of slippery slope that we have identified in the past," Dr Natalegawa said in response to the government's admission that lifeboats have been bought.

The asylum seekers involved in the incident were not in custody on Thursday night, with many having already made their way back to Bogor, near Jakarta.

Some of group said they were also on another boat which was turned back to Indonesia by Australia in December.

At least three other asylum-seeker boats are believed to have been towed back to Indonesia by Australian authorities since December 13.

A spokesman for Indonesia's Co-ordinating Minister for Politics, Security and Law Djoko Suyanto said his office was aware that two asylum-seeker boats had been turned back by Australia, in December and January 6.

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Granville disaster 37th anniversary

THE twisted debris and the distressing screams may be 37-years gone but for many impacted by Australia's worst train disaster, the memories remain vivid.

Eighty-three people were killed when a city-bound commuter train derailed in Granville in Sydney's west on January 18, 1977.

The train took out the base of the Bold Street overpass causing the massive structure to crush two passenger carriages.

Emergency service workers who helped pull the injured and lifeless out of the wreckage, along with survivors and families will gather in Granville on Saturday for the disaster's 37th anniversary.

Gerard Buchtmann responded to the "bloody mess" as captain of the Nepean rescue squad.

"It was absolutely horrific the scene that confronted us when we pulled up," he told AAP.

"When you get out of the truck to a scene like that, the first thing you do is say a little prayer."

Mr Buchtmann, who now works with the Granville Memorial Trust, said the anniversaries provided a forum for those impacted by the disaster to talk.

"A lot of the families that have lost people just like to have a talk to us and that helps them and us as well," he said.

The "day of the roses" ceremony will see 83 roses handed out in memory of the victims.

Members of parliament and local councillors are also expected to attend.

The ceremony will start at 11am (AEDT) at Granville Memorial Gardens on Carlton St.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More