Japan 'kills whale in Australian waters'

Sea Shepherd says Japanese whalers illegally killed a large minke whale in Australian waters. Source: AAP

THE federal government says whaling by Japan is illegal wherever it happens, after a large whale was harpooned in Australian waters.

Anti-whaling activists at Sea Shepherd said Japanese whalers killed a large minke whale on Friday in Australian waters off Antarctica near the Davis Research Base.

The group has posted photos of the incident online.

Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said when the protesters tried to block the transfer of the harpooned whale's carcass from one vessel to another, the irate whalers tried to ram their boat.

Environment Minister Tony Burke said the focus should not be on which part of the ocean this happened.

"It doesn't matter what part of the ocean it is in, Australia's view is that it is just as illegal," Mr Burke told reporters.

"That's why we have taken Japan to the International Court of Justice.

"I think it would be a terrible situation if we started to go down the path of arguing that in one part of the ocean we thought whaling was okay and in others it wasn't."

Coalition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said the best way to deter whalers and minimise the risk of dangerous confrontations would be to have a customs vessel patrolling known or likely trouble spots.

"The sensible action here is to have a cop on the beat," he said.

"The mere fact of an Australian-flagged vessel says to the whalers that we are watching, and says to the protesters: you've got to abide by international maritime law.

"Anything less is just negligent."

But Mr Burke said the opposition's proposal would make the situation even worse.

"Could you imagine what a boost to Japanese whaling it would be if there was an Australian vessel just watching on and nodding," Mr Burke said.

"It's much better that we have taken the legal action that we have taken, that we are in the International Court of Justice, that we are getting closer and closer to decision day there."

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stricken US cruise passengers formed bonds

The passengers of cruise ship Triumph have finally disembarked after five numbing days stuck at sea. Source: AAP

PASSENGERS aboard the Carnival Triumph could have been selfish and looked out only for themselves and their loved ones after their cruise ship lost power. Instead, they became comrades in a long, exhausting smelly struggle to get home.

As ship conditions deteriorated after an engine fire, travellers formed Bible study groups, shared or traded precious supplies and welcomed strangers into their private cabins.

Even after they have returned to the everyday luxuries of hot showers and cold drinks, passengers will remember the crew and the personal bonds formed during a cruel week at sea.

The tired tourists finally reached land on Friday and gave a glimpse into an intensely uncomfortable journey.

Sandy Jackson was fortunate to have an upper-level room with a balcony and a breeze that kept the air in her cabin fresh. Rooms on the lower decks were too foul or stifling, so Jackson took in five people, including four strangers.

"We knew one, the others we're very good friends with now," Jackson said.

Brandi Dorsett said people were antsy and irritable at times, and there was tension. But it never got out of hand.

"People were bartering. Can I have your cereal for this? Can I have your drink for that?" she said. "We had one lady, she was begging for cigarettes and for nappies. There were no nappies on the boat. There was no formula."

The ship left Galveston, Texas, on February 7 for what was supposed to be a four-day jaunt to Cozumel, Mexico. The fire paralysed the ship on the third day, leaving it adrift in the Gulf of Mexico until tugboats towed it to Mobile.

Many of the more than 4,200 people aboard were bussed to New Orleans to catch a flight home or to the ship's home port in Galveston. And as if they hadn't suffered enough, one of the buses broke down during the two-hour ride to New Orleans. Passengers on a different bus reported losing their luggage.

But that was nothing compared to life on the crippled cruise liner. To pass the time, Joseph Alvarez said about 45 people gathered in a public room on the lower deck for Bible study.

"It was awesome," he said. "It lifted up our souls and gave us hope that we would get back."

Because many passengers were sleeping on the outside deck, Dwayne Chapman used his pocket knife to make tents out of bed sheets. At first, other passengers told him they thought he was going to get into trouble, but later, everyone wanted to borrow his knife to do the same thing.

"I really think we've made some lifelong friends going through this ordeal," Chapman's wife, Kim, said.

When it was over, many passengers were just grateful for simple pleasures. After days of warm drinks, Cheryl McIntosh and her husband were glad to see coolers full of ice.

"The first thing we did was open up those Diet Cokes and we drank some," McIntosh said.

Tugs pulled the ship away from the dock on Friday, moving it down a waterway to a shipyard where it will be repaired and cleaned.

The work ahead is. Passengers described water-logged carpets, sewage seeping through the walls, overflowing toilets and a stench so bad people choked.

But, by most accounts, the crew did as much as they could, using disinfectant and picking up plastic bags of faeces after toilets stopped working.

David Glocker praised the crew's efforts to help passengers and recognised the conditions for them were worse than for most passengers because their quarters were on the lowest part of the ship.

"They all had to wear masks," he said. "They worked their butts off trying to get us food."

Dorsett praised a calming voice over the ship's public address system that she knew as "Jen".

Connie Ede was on the cruise with her husband. During the fire, the two got their life jackets ready and put mobile phones, passports, money and credit cards in their pockets.

"All in all, I wish it hadn't happened, but it did, and we survived," she said.

Carnival promised to give refunds, offer passengers another trip and cover their transportation costs home. Travellers were also to receive $US500 ($A485) in compensation.

But those gestures may not be enough. Less than 24 hours after the boat docked, the first lawsuit was filed.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Telecom NZ cancels email users' passwords

TELECOM has started cancelling the passwords of about 60,000 Yahoo! Xtra email accounts it believes have been compromised following a cyber attack.

The users will need to enter new password information when they log in to their email account.

The 60,000 customers affected by Saturday night's password cancellation are additional to the 15,000 customers that Telecom has been contacting following last weekend's cyber attack.

The move is aimed at protecting email customers and preventing information in emails being accessed. There is no evidence that this has occurred.

"We're taking this matter very seriously and urge those whose passwords have been cancelled to create new passwords," Telecom retail chief executive Chris Quin says.

"However, it's advisable for all others that have not changed their password, to do so immediately." This should be done on computers and mobile devices.

"We continue to be sorry for any distress caused or inconvenience this has caused and reinforce that in today's online world regular password changes are an important need."

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Anti-North Korea leaflets launched

NORTH Korean defectors in the South have launched 200,000 anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the tense inter-Korean border.

The defectors used gas-filled balloons to float the leaflets along with $US1 notes across the western border town of Imjingak on Saturday, the birthday of the North's late leader Kim Jong-Il.

The balloons were inscribed with slogans such as "Stop provocative acts with missiles and nuclear tests", "North Koreans rise up" and "The Kim dynasty will soon collapse".

North Korea celebrates the birthdays of its late leaders as major national holidays.

Kim Jong-Il, who died of heart attack in December 2011, was succeeded by his son Jong-Un.

Anti-Pyongyang activists suspended leaflet launches until after the South's presidential election in December as the government urged them to halt such activities for fear of provoking Pyongyang.

North Korea has in the past threatened "merciless military strike" in response to anti-regime propaganda leaflets.

The North conducted a third nuclear test on Tuesday, whose detonation power was much larger than those of two previous ones in 2006 and 2009.

Pyongyang said the test was a riposte to UN sanctions imposed after its launch of a long-range rocket in December, which it claimed was part of a space program.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA Labor denies Libs request for rail cost

WEST Australian Labor has rejected Liberal-requested Public Transport Authority (PTA) costings for its Metronet project, saying they compare apples with pears.

The Mark McGowan-led party also refuses to commit to seeking its own PTA report, which would be submitted to the Department of Treasury for validation, or even getting independent engineers to prove its $3.8 billion price tag is correct.

The Liberals insist the rail plan will cost almost $6.4 billion.

Mr McGowan said the Liberal-requested PTA assessment used different assumptions, added an extra rail line and overestimated the length of "cut and cover" tunnelling work needed for the airport section of the proposed network by around five-fold.

He also, along with opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt, provided reporters with an email that indicated Treasurer Troy Buswell had held back a document about Metronet, despite Premier Colin Barnett promising all of the paperwork would be released.

This suggested political interference, Mr McGowan alleged.

Asked repeatedly whether Labor would clear the matter up for once and for all by requesting its own costings from the PTA, he said: "It may wind up that's what happens.

"It may well be that we end up submitting to Treasury or independent engineers."

But first, he wanted to see the document he claimed Mr Buswell had withheld.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lower rates boosting housing/equities, RBA

LOWER interest rates are helping to boost the Australian housing market and have a positive effect on the equity market, the central bank says.

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Assistant Governor Christopher Kent says the most recent readings show consumers are feeling better than average on a number of indicators.

"If you look at the surveys they've been showing quite positive trends around the end of last year," Dr Kent told a business lunch in Perth on Friday.

"And at least at the margin interest rates are relatively low so I think that's helping.

"One thing it's doing is helping the housing market."

He told the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) forum that firmer asset prices were helping to buoy the equity market while inflation remained pretty well contained.

"We'd like to see inflation stay in the target."

Dr Kent said wages growth should follow from productivity, an area on which the central bank will focus its attention.

"We can get more wage growth without jeopardising inflation if there's productivity there to back it up," Dr Kent said.

In a wide ranging speech, Dr Kent also said the mining investment boom would peak sooner and at a lower level than previously expected.

While commodity prices were likely to drift lower over the next few years, Australia would continue to benefit from China's economic expansion.

Export volumes for resources are set to rise steadily as new mines come into operation.

Dr Kent said that the boom in mining investment was expected to peak this year, with the sector accounting for around eight per cent of gross domestic product at its high point.

But he warned that commodity prices were likely to fall over the next few years as more mines came on line to meet demand from China.

"This reflects the extra supply generated by the substantial amount of mining investment underway in Australia and elsewhere."

Coal and iron ore prices slumped in mid to late 2012 as growth in China slowed, causing miners to shelve or ditch a number of planned resource projects.

Still, the rebound in prices since December had not affected investment plans in the industry.

Dr Kent said Australia was still well placed to benefit from China's continued growth, with production from new mines to help boost export volumes.

Further strong growth is anticipated, particularly for liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is expected to grow much more rapidly from around 2015, he said.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Many injured in New Zealand head-on crash

MORE than 10 people have been injured in a head-on crash between two vans in New Zealand.

There were 21 people in the vans, which crashed near Taumarunui in the central North Island on Friday.

One van was a rental with tourists on board and the other had local workers, police said.

"Preliminary findings show that one van has been on the wrong side of the road around a corner and crashed head-on with the other van," Senior Sergeant Grant Alabaster of Taumarunui police said.

"We believe that alcohol is not a factor in the crash."

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

PepsiCo 4Q results top expectations

Drink and snack maker PepsiCo has reported earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street estimates. Source: AAP

PEPSICO'S net income rose 17 per cent in the fourth quarter on higher prices and strength in Latin America.

The US-based drink and snack maker's earnings and revenue beat analysts' estimates.

It also provided a 2013 adjusted earnings forecast in line with Wall Street expectations and raised its quarterly dividend by 5.6 per cent.

The results mark the end of what CEO Indra Nooyi said would be a "transitional year", with the company embarking on a cost-cutting program and stepping up investment in its flagship brands. PepsiCo's brands include Frito-Lay, Gatorade and Quaker.

For the period ending December 29, PepsiCo Inc earned $US1.66 billion ($A1.61 billion), or $US1.06 per share. That's compared with $US1.42 billion, or 89 cents per share, a year ago.

Excluding a pension charge and other items, earnings were $US1.09 per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $US1.05 per share.

Revenue dipped one per cent to $US20 billion from $US20.2 billion, hurt in part by the stronger dollar and an extra week in last year's quarter. Still, the performance topped Wall Street's estimate of $US19.8 billion.

For the full year, PepsiCo earned $US6.18 billion, or $US3.92 per share. In the previous year the company earned $US6.44 billion, or $US4.03 per share.

Adjusted earnings were $US4.10 per share.

Annual revenue fell two per cent to $US65.49 billion from $US66.5 billion.

Looking ahead, the company said it foresees 2013 earnings rising seven per cent from 2012's adjusted earnings of $US4.10 per share. This implies $US4.39 per share, which is what analysts had predicted for the year.

PepsiCo said the quarterly dividend increase will begin in June.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Patel surgery was unnecessary: doctor

Jayant Patel's operation to remove part of a man's colon was unnecessary, a doctor has told a court. Source: AAP

JAYANT Patel's operation to remove part of a man's colon was unnecessary and highly risky, a doctor has told a court.

Mervyn John Morris, 75, died of complications including heart and lung failure and septicaemia after surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital in 2003, the Supreme Court in Brisbane has heard.

The crown alleges the operation should not have been done because of Mr Morris's lengthy medical history, which included heart problems, prostate cancer and possible liver cancer.

Patel has pleaded not guilty to his manslaughter.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Dr Emma Igras said she believed the operation should not have been done at all.

Dr Igras, who was Patel's junior doctor during the surgery, said it was impossible to manage Mr Morris's treatment and care properly because they had never determined what was causing his rectal bleeding.

"Is there any justification for this operation at this point?" asked prosecutor David Meredith.

"No. This was an elderly patient who had a lot of other problems," Dr Igras said.

"There was an urgency to investigate the source of the bleeding."

The court heard Patel operated on Mr Morris on May 23, and he had needed corrective surgery one week later because part of his bowel was poking out through the wound.

His condition then deteriorated and he died.

The trial continues.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Young inmates 'not at risk in adult jail'

CLAIMS that juveniles detained at an adult prison in Perth are being threatened by older inmates and have had their rehabilitation programs suspended have been rubbished by the state government department responsible for their care.

More than 100 young offenders were moved out of Banksia Hill detention centre in the southern suburb of Canning Vale last month after a violent armed mob went on a rampage.

They were moved to the nearby Hakea remand facility for adults, where the WA Prison Officers Union expects them to remain for up to nine months, in two new units originally built for the adult inmates.

Deaths In Custody Watch Committee spokesman Marc Newhouse said the juveniles should be immediately released into alternative care such as close supervision, intensive care, at home or with family, for their own safety.

"We are extremely concerned about juveniles being held in Hakea," he said on Thursday.

"It is a prison already under pressure due to overcrowding and poor conditions."

Mr Newhouse said placing juveniles in an overloaded adult prison meant they did not have the appropriate facilities and programs needed for their rehabilitation.

He said the committee had received reports of young detainees being threatened and intimidated by adult prisoners.

There have also been reports of young people being detained in isolation, he said.

But the Department of Corrective Services has denied all the suggestions, claiming "all is quiet" at the prison.

A spokesman said the transition of young male offenders from Banksia Hill to the Hakea facility was now complete.

"The task was conducted over a two-day period without issue and the facility is now functioning on a standard regime and all is quiet," he said.

"Education services have recommenced and programs and visits are in place."

The department said there were now 140 young offenders at Hakea, of which 50 were on remand, while 12 females remained at Banksia Hill.

"While having detainees anywhere other than at Banksia is not ideal, the department has looked at all of the options from a number of angles and this solution is the best in the short to medium term," the spokesman said.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Macklin rejects new land council proposal

FEDERAL Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin is rejecting an application from Aboriginal groups seeking to create their own breakaway land council.

"I am not satisfied that the applicants could satisfactorily perform land council functions," Ms Macklin said in a statement on Thursday.

A group of 24 Aboriginal clans from the NT's Top End had argued that the Northern Land Council (NLC) was failing to properly look after their needs.

Land councils acquire and manage traditional Aboriginal lands and are involved in negotiating with miners and other groups who want to use those areas.

About 30,000 Aboriginal people live in the NLC's region, which covers 563,000 square kilometres of land.

But groups associated with the Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation had been seeking to create their own group, to be called the Katherine Regional Land Council, which would have covered about 80 per cent of that land.

Nobody from the Jawoyn Association, which has recently had key members linked to corruption allegations, could be reached for comment on Thursday.

Ms Macklin said she wanted her department and the NLC to discuss the concerns from those wanting the new land council.

"The applicants believe their expectations are not being met under the current arrangements," she said.

NLC chairman Wali Wunungmurra welcomed Ms Macklin's decision to reject the proposed land council.

Mr Wunungmurra said the move would pave the way for a major project to pipe natural gas to power an alumina refinery in Gove to go ahead.

"Minister Macklin's decision was (a) show of confidence in the NLC's capacity to perform its functions and deliver economic outcomes for all traditional owners," Mr Wunungmurra said.

NT Country Liberals senator Nigel Scullion said the Gillard government should leave it to Aboriginal people to determine if they want a new land council.

"That is the problem with the Gillard government, they just don't listen to the Aboriginal people," Mr Scullion said.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

GPT commits to another Australand bid

PROPERTY group GPT is continuing to pursue rival Australand in a bid to diversify its asset mix.

GPT made a $3 billion takeover offer for two thirds of rival Australand's businesses last December, but was rebuffed.

Unveiling GPT's full-year earnings, chief executive Michael Cameron said the company was committed to putting forward a new offer as part of a strategy to grow its logistics and business park portfolio from 12 per cent to 15 per cent of the business.

"Without Australand, we'd go about it in a more orderly way, one by one, instead of all in one go," Mr Cameron told AAP on Thursday.

"We've committed to advancing our proposal with them.

"We think we can create value for their security holders and our security holders."

Australand managing director Bob Johnston last week downplayed the prospect of a successful takeover bid, either from GPT or rival Mirvac.

GPT more than doubled its full year net profit and believes further earnings growth is on the way but at a slower pace.

Its net profit for the year to December 31 rose to $594.5 million, from $246.2 in 2011, thanks to a rise in the value of its property portfolio.

Revenue rose to $587.4 million from $573.8 million, while earnings per share (EPS) rose eight per cent.

Morningstar property analyst Tony Sherlock said GPT would be unlikely to pursue Australand at all costs, as its chief shareholder the Singapore-based Capitaland reviews its stake.

"If anything, the Australand assets are inferior to GPT," Mr Sherlock told AAP, adding GPT had Australia's best office portfolio.

This includes a premium $700 million waterfront office on Brisbane's Eagle Street, which opened in August last year.

GPT, which also owns shopping centres, forecast earnings per security growth of at least five per cent this financial year.

Mr Cameron said GPT was committed to its medium-term strategy of reducing the retail assets share of the business by value, from 56 per cent to 50 per cent, and increasing the office space proportion from 32 per cent to 35 per cent.

The 2012 result was driven by a $221.3 million increase in the value of the group's property assets, which offset a $40.4 million loss on derivatives.

GPT lifted its full year distribution to 19.3 cents per security, from 17.8 cents.

Securities in GPT closed down one cent at $3.79.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-cop gets one year jail over tip-offs

A FORMER NSW crime command detective has been sentenced to at least 12 months jail for leaking confidential police information to his mate.

Anthony Farrell, 42, was working at Coffs Harbour police station in 2011 when he accessed confidential "intel" on his friend - Andrew Macleod - who was under investigation for the alleged importation of steroids.

Phone taps revealed Farrell had told McLeod he would give him the "heads up" if he was on notice in the police database, the Downing Centre Local Court heard on Wednesday.

Farrell accessed the police database system seven times and tipped off Mcleod about police investigations, even instructing him to use a land line phone to discuss sensitive matters, the court was told.

The intercepted calls indicated Farrell was using steroids while Macleod was supplying illicit drugs.

Additionally, the court heard Farrell had been disclosing personal information about people on the police database to other friends in May and June 2011.

Acting judge Colin Phegan acknowledged the former police officer pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct in common office when he was arrested in June 2011.

"I am satisfied that the offender has shown remorse," he said.

"However, the offender appears to have acquired an irresponsible and overconfident approach to his responsibilities as a police officer."

Farrell was sentenced to two years imprisonment, with a 12-month non-parole period, meaning he could be eligible for release on February 12, 2014.

Acting judge Phegan recommended Farrell be placed in protective custody due to his previous profession.

Last year, MacLeod was found guilty of making a collusive agreement with Farrell.

His suspended jail sentence is currently the subject of an appeal.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Perth woman sexually assaulted in her home

A PERTH woman has been sexually assaulted during a burglary at her home.

Police say the offender forced open a window and entered the 22-year-old woman's Highgate home some time after 3am (WST) on Sunday.

Between 3.30am and 5.45am (WST), the woman was woken by the man covering her mouth with his hand.

He then sexually assaulted her before fleeing, police say.

The man is described as being aged 30 to 35, about 183cm tall and fair skinned.

He was wearing dark cargo pants and a dark hooded jacket.

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police said the incident was another reminder for people to be mindful of their surroundings and keep their homes secured.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man charged over Tasmanian fires

A MAN has been charged with deliberately lighting vegetation fires in Tasmania just weeks after the state's worst blazes in half a century.

The 34-year-old from Ulverstone in the state's northwest has been charged with lighting several fires in the area earlier this month, police say.

"Police would like to thank the members of the public who provided valuable information and assistance in this matter and would like to speak to any additional witnesses who may have information regarding these fires," a statement said.

Bushfires hit Tasmania again last week, the worst at Molesworth in the Derwent Valley northwest of Hobart.

They came just a month after nearly 200 properties were destroyed, most near the Tasman Peninsula in the state's south.

Little damage was reported but firefighters from interstate were called in to help Tasmania's weary crews.

The Molesworth fire continues to attract an advice level warning from the Tasmania Fire Service.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Finks bikie bashed in SA clubrooms

A FINKS bikie has been bashed in the gang's Adelaide clubrooms.

Police said ambulance crews and crime gangs task force officers went to the Salisbury premises on Wednesday afternoon after reports a man had been assaulted.

The victim was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious injuries.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aldi to move into South Australia

DISCOUNT supermarket chain Aldi plans to open 40 to 50 stores in South Australia, with the state government hailing the move as a major boost to the local economy.

Aldi said on Tuesday it was committed to expand into SA, but admitted it would take a number of years for it to secure a warehouse site and sufficient store locations.

"The benefits associated with Aldi's decision to enter into the South Australian market will be substantial, with hundreds of millions in capital investment, over 900 new permanent jobs and a final rollout of 40 to 50 stores across the state," group managing director Tom Daunt said in a statement.

Premier Jay Weatherill said Aldi's decision was a vote of confidence in the strength of the South Australian economy.

But independent Senator Nick Xenophon said the entry of the German supermarket giant into SA could ultimately lead to less choice and service for consumers, with independent operators squeezed out of the market.

He said with the size and buying power of Aldi would result in a "race to the bottom" with Coles and Woolworths that could ultimately hurt consumers.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aust condemns North Korea nuclear test

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has condemned a nuclear weapons test by North Korea.

The so-called Hermit Kingdom on Tuesday claimed it has successfully tested a third underground nuclear weapon.

Australia has called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations security council, of which it is a temporary member.

"The Australian government condemns in the strongest possible terms nuclear testing by North Korea," Ms Gillard said in a statement on Tuesday.

"As a security council member, Australia will work for the strongest possible response to North Korea's continuing defiance of the will of international community."

Ms Gillard also said Australia would be making its concerns known to the North Korean government.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said it was a "disturbing escalation" of the regime's threatening behaviour.

"The North Korean regime must be condemned in the strongest possible terms for conduct that seeks to destabilise the Korean peninsula and beyond," she said.

Australian Greens nuclear spokesman Scott Ludlam urged the Australian government to promote serious efforts on global nuclear disarmament.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Operation Apollo charges 3 men over drugs

THREE men have been charged with drug supply after more than 15kg of cannabis was seized in Sydney's southwest by police investigating gun crime.

Police found the cannabis leaf and bud in a white van parked in a bus zone on Kelly Street, Punchbowl, on Monday afternoon.

A 34-year-old man in the van was taken to Bankstown Police Station and charged with possessing a prohibited drug, supplying a prohibited drug, and driving while disqualified from holding a licence.

He appeared in Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday, where he was refused bail.

He will face Burwood Local Court again on February 25.

Two other men were also arrested on Monday afternoon after police seized 200 grams of cannabis hidden in a gold-coloured sedan on Bligh Street, Fairfield.

Police subsequently seized about 450 grams of cannabis at a home in Villawood.

A 21-year-old man was charged with two counts of supplying a prohibited drug, one count of possessing a prohibited drug, and two counts of knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime.

A 22-year-old man was charged with one count each of supplying a prohibited drug, possessing a prohibited drug, and knowingly dealing with proceeds of a crime.

Both men were granted conditional bail to face Fairfield Local Court on March 4.

The targeted operations were carried out as part of Operation Apollo, which was established to target gun and organised crime.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Macdonald a 'crook' for Obeid links: ICAC

Former NSW MP Ian Macdonald stayed free of charge at the Obeids' ski lodge, the ICAC has heard. Source: AAP

FORMER NSW Labor minister Ian Macdonald has been labelled a "crook" at a corruption inquiry, for allegedly scheming with the Obeid family to create a highly lucrative coal mining tenement in the NSW Upper Hunter.

On a sensational day of evidence at the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), counsel assisting the commission, Geoffrey Watson, SC, took Mr Macdonald through 40 pieces of evidence allegedly linking him to dodgy dealing in 2008.

The ICAC is probing whether the now disgraced former minister rigged a tender process for coal exploration licences in the coal-rich Bylong Valley, 150km west of Newcastle, and how his former Labor colleague, Eddie Obeid, stood to gain.

It has been alleged the Obeid family, who owned property over the critical Mt Penny tenement, were in line to profit up to $100 million from their links to coal mining in the area.

Mr Watson put to Mr Macdonald on Tuesday that he was a "crook" for scheming "with Eddie Obeid and his family".

"You agreed with them to create the Mt Penny tenement, and you agreed to do that because they asked you to," Mr Watson suggested.

"They wanted to make a financial benefit, and you were facilitating them doing that, isn't that the truth?" he then said.

Mr Macdonald replied, "That's an absolute lie and just said for the benefit of the Fairfax press".

Earlier, Mr Macdonald admitted phoning Moses Obeid on July 8 2008 and reading him a list of 12 coal companies likely to be invited to bid on the controversial coal tender process.

He conceded that he convened an "urgent" departmental meeting to get the list on July 7, but said there was "no way" it had been done at the request of Moses Obeid.

The inquiry heard that less than a week after giving Moses the list, Mr Macdonald stayed and ate for free at the Obeids' ski lodge at Perisher.

"On Sunday, 13 July, 2008, did you go down and take the hospitality of the Obeid family at their place at The Stables?" Mr Watson asked him.

"Yes," Mr Macdonald replied.

The inquiry was told Mr Macdonald had restaurant bills in Perisher of $166.50 and $638.50, which were paid by the Obeids.

It heard that it usually cost $700 per night for the public to stay at the ski lodge.

Mr Macdonald said he didn't pay the money back to the Obeids because it was "hospitality".

In his second day on the witness stand, the ex-MP also denied instructing senior staff to create the Mt Penny tenement over land owned by the Obeid family.

He said he knew the Obeids owned land in the Bylong Valley, and he was upset when he found out it was on the Mt Penny tenement.

Mr Macdonald also told the ICAC he could not explain how a confidential government map ended up in the Obeids' office at Birkenhead in Sydney.

He admitted requesting the map from the department and receiving it in June 2008.

Mr Macdonald has previously told the ICAC it was just "by chance" the Mt Penny mining tenement was created over the Obeids' land.

Mr Macdonald's evidence is due to continue on Wednesday before Commissioner David Ipp.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

NT govt backs plan to save Gove refinery

THE Northern Territory Cabinet has voted to back a gas plan it hopes will be enough to keep an alumina refinery open and save the outback town of Nhulunbuy.

After returning to Darwin on Saturday following a trip to Canberra and Europe, NT Chief Minister Terry Mills took a proposal to his cabinet on Monday that may secure the future of the Gove alumina refinery.

"The Northern Territory government has agreed to release enough gas to keep the Gove aluminium refinery open for the next 10 years," the government said after the meeting.

"Today's decision is subject to a commitment from Rio Tinto assuring the ongoing operation of the Gove alumina refinery, and from Eni confirming details of their guarantee to supply gas to Power and Water Corporation until 2026," it said.

The refinery, run by Rio Tinto Ltd subsidiary Pacific Aluminium, has been making a loss of about $US30 million ($A29.2 million) per month, and an internal review recommended mothballing it.

Such a move could economically devastate the satellite town of Nhulunbuy that services the refinery and bauxite mine, and force many of its 3800 residents to leave.

"I would be wanting a statement from Rio as to what their intent is regarding the operation of the refinery," Mr Mills told reporters.

Pacific Aluminium has said that if the plant was converted to gas from diesel and the NT unconditionally guaranteed 10 years' supply, it would keep the refinery open.

But allocating enough gas to run the refinery could eventually spell shortages for the rest of the Territory, and until now the government has been unwilling to promise Rio Tinto the gas it wants.

Under the new plan the government has dropped earlier demands that any deal to supply the gas to Gove first must involve securing replacement supplies of gas.

Mr Mills reaffirmed his desire to have the NT's gas infrastructure built to link with the eastern seaboard's gas grid.

"Once you have a gas pipeline in place you then have access from others who are exploring in the region to butt into that pipeline," Mr Mills said.

He said the new deal involved challenges and opportunities for the NT.

"There are probably lots of reasons why you wouldn't make such a decision that we have taken today," he said.

"We will make available the gas that is required to keep the Pacific Aluminium operation going," he said.

Mr Mills said the government's decision to go ahead with the plan was good for the people of Nhulunbuy.

"It should provide them with the assurance and certainty they have been seeking," he said.

Chairman of the East Arnhem Futures Alliance, Klaus Helms, said the announcement was great news.

"I am elated with the work the chief minister of the Northern Territory has done," Mr Helms said.

"Word is spreading very rapidly around town to the people, so it is tremendous," he said.

Mr Helms said he doubted Rio Tinto would turn down the proposal.

"They could have stopped this any way along the line if they weren't going to make a deal," he said.

Dave Suter from the Nhulunbuy Chamber of Commerce and Industry also praised the outcome.

"We are really keen for Rio Tinto to agree to the conditions, which is what we want to have happen now," he said.

Mr Suter said the next big question would be what would happen during the two years or so before the gas arrives in the town.

"We are not out of the woods completely," Mr Suter said.

Pacific Aluminium later said Rio Tinto would consider the NT government's proposal.

"Converting the refinery to competitively priced gas is essential to secure its long-term viability," the company said.

Pacific Aluminium chief executive Sandeep Biswas said his company had been working with the Northern Territory government, the federal government and gas suppliers for more than 12 months to try to get gas to Gove.

"Rio Tinto will give full consideration to the Northern Territory government's important gas supply proposal," Mr Biswas said.

In a statement NT Opposition leader Delia Lawrie and the Labor MP for Nhulunbuy Lynne Walker said Mr Mills had backflipped by agreeing to provide gas to Gove.

"Terry Mills has finally grasped what everyone has been telling him for months," Ms Lawrie said.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fresh blast in Mali city after battles

Malian soldiers and Islamic extremists have engaged in combat in a surprise attack in Gao. Source: AAP

AN explosion shook the largest city in northern Mali, hours after Islamist gunmen battled French and Malian troops following two straight days of suicide bombings.

Malian troops said the blast appeared to have been in the north of Gao, possibly near the checkpoint at its northern entrance which was the target of suicide attacks Friday and Saturday.

The latest incident early on Monday came a month into the French campaign to chase Islamist fighters out of the north of the country where they had imposed a brutal form of Sharia law for 10 months.

Sunday's attack by Islamist gunmen on territory reclaimed by French-led forces was the first large-scale urban guerrilla assault of the conflict.

It started early in the afternoon when Malian soldiers clashed with Islamists in the city centre, near an empty police station which the rebels had used as their base until being driven from the city last month.

Residents ran for cover as Kalashnikov bullets and 14.5-millimetre rounds pierced the air.

One witness said that after a fierce gunbattle, French troops had intervened. He reported seeing one body, which he thought was probably a civilian caught in the crossfire.

Rocket-propelled grenade explosions and fire from heavy machine guns and light weapons resounded late into the afternoon before dying down in the evening, when a power cut plunged the city into darkness.

French and Malian forces conducted joint patrols, warning residents that snipers could be hidden in the city, as a French Tiger attack helicopter circled overhead.

Colonel Mamadou Sanake of the Malian army said the rebels had infiltrated the city by motorcycle and via the Niger river, which passes near the governor's offices where some of the fighting took place.

One security source said several dozen insurgents had been involved in Sunday's fighting and Sanake said many of them had been killed.

MUJAO, one of the Al-Qaeda-linked groups that seized control of northern Mali for 10 months in the wake of a military coup in March 2012, claimed the attack and a suicide bombing on Saturday, its second in two days.

"The combat will continue until victory, thanks to God's protection," said spokesman Abou Walid Sahraoui. "The mujahideen are in the city of Gao and will remain there."

A French-led force on the ground, backed by French air power, has over the past month driven the Islamists from the cities that were once their strongholds into the desert wilderness.

But MUJAO has vowed to continue fighting French and government troops, using suicide attacks, land mines and raids such as the one on Sunday.

The latest violence underlined the threat of a drawn-out insurgency as France tries to map a strategy to exit its former colony.

France is anxious to hand over its military operation to UN peacekeepers, and last week announced it would begin bringing its troops home in March.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told France on Sunday that it was reaping in Mali what it had sown in Libya by arming rebels who were fighting then-dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Mali imploded after last year's coup.

The soldiers who revolted blamed the government for the army's humiliation at the hands of north African Tuareg fighters, who have long complained of being marginalised by Bamako.

Many of those Tuareg rebels had fought alongside Gadhafi's forces in Libya and brought back weapons from that conflict.

With the capital in disarray after the coup, Al-Qaeda-linked fighters hijacked the Tuareg rebellion and took control of the north.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cruelty to Australian sheep being assessed

THE federal government says it is assessing claims Australian sheep are being mistreated and brutally slaughtered at a livestock market in Kuwait.

Animals Australia says the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has taken too long to respond to the allegations.

The animal welfare group, which was instrumental in exposing cruelty towards Australian cattle in Indonesia in 2011, first reported serious breaches of the federal government's Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) at Kuwait's Al Rai market in August, and followed up with a second formal complaint last week.

On Monday, DAFF said it was assessing information provided by Animals Australia.

"Should DAFF determine there is a basis to the allegations, it will proceed with a full investigation," the department said.

DAFF said it was investigating a similar complaint received in August 2012.

"As with any investigation, it will take as long as needed to ensure all information is thoroughly examined and a regulatory response is made proportionate to the findings.

"Findings will be made public once this investigation is complete."

Animals Australia campaign director Lyn White said that since August, thousands of merinos had been sent to the Al Rai market, where they were not only being slaughtered without being stunned, but were also being handled and transported inhumanely.

Many of the sheep were being kept in outdoor pens with no access to shade, food or water, while those indoors were in complete darkness.

"We were shocked to see that the number of merchants selling Australian sheep at this cruel market has only increased," Ms White said.

"The only notable change since the previous complaint in 2012 is that Australian sheep are now having their ear tags ripped out in what we can only assume is a deliberate attempt to rort the system."

Separately on Monday, the WA Farmers Federation said it wanted the state government's assistance to streamline the ESCAS process and make its implementation cheaper for farmers.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Katter renews bid to halt CSG drilling

Crossbench MP Bob Katter has renewed calls for a two-year pause on drilling for coal seam gas. Source: AAP

BOB Katter wants federal parliament to put a two-year pause on drilling for coal seam gas and impose $200,000 fines for those who break the ban.

The crossbench MP introduced legislation to parliament on Monday to put a moratorium on aquifer drilling for coal seam gas.

It's his second attempt to stop the practice, after his previous bid was voted down by the major parties last year.

His bill would make it an offence to search for or extract coal seam gas if it results in drilling through or into an aquifer.

Mr Katter warned there were potentially catastrophic consequences for the cattle and sheep industries if drilling contaminated underground water sources.

"We want every landholder to ask their local federal politicians why they did not vote for a moratorium last year," he said.

Debate on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Moratorium on Aquifer Drilling Connected with Coal Seam Gas Extraction) Bill 2013 was adjourned.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

McGowan flip-flops on carbon tax: Barnett

DESPITE West Australian Labor leader Mark McGowan finally admitting he does not support the carbon tax, the premier says he continues to "flip-flop" on all his opinions.

Premier Colin Barnett had long been calling on Mr McGowan to state whether he supported the tax or not but the opposition leader had refused to comment because it was a federal issue.

Mr McGowan finally revealed on Saturday that he did not support the tax.

The premier told reporters on Sunday that Mr McGowan had given him the impression that his silence meant he did support the tax and was now changing his mind.

"He's like that on all issues," Mr Barnett said.

"He sits on the fence and he changes his mind, flip-flop all the time."

Mr Barnett said the Labor leader had been sitting on the fence for more than two years.

"Now in an election campaign suddenly he doesn't support the carbon tax?" he said.

"I mean it's just not credible ... it's too late."

However, a spokesman for Mr McGowan said there was no backflip on his opinion about the carbon tax - he simply had not stated his opinion until now.

"It is an inconvenient truth for the premier but the fact is that Mark McGowan doesn't support the carbon tax," he said.

Political analyst Peter Kennedy said Mark McGowan had timed his announcement well.

"I think it'll enhance his position with the WA public because Mr Barnett's tried to say that WA Labor would dance to Federal Labor's tune and this is an indication from Mr McGowan that that's not the case," he told the ABC.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aussie kids online about two hours a day

HOW long do your children spend in front of a computer every day?

According to research from Telstra, Aussie kids aged between 10 and 17 are online for an average two hours a day - among the highest internet usage rates in the world.

Telstra's general manager of digital inclusion, Jill Riseley, says with so many children now online it is important for parents to teach them how to be good "digital citizens".

Ms Riseley says the latest research shows the major concerns for parents of children using the internet are protecting personal information, exposure to inappropriate content and cyber-bullying.

"We found that three quarters of parents have rules for their children's internet use with access to certain websites, use of certain apps or games and limits on the amount of online time spent each day all being regulated in some way," Ms Riseley said.

"While these rules will help protect children from inappropriate content and create a balance between participating online and being active during the day, these days online safety is more than just using security software and passwords, it involves the actual ethics of being online and respect for others."

Ms Riseley says the best way for parents to teach their children respect for others and protect them against cyber-bullying is to find out what they do on social media sites and be involved in their online world.

It is also important to remind children that saying things online is the same as saying things in real life.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two Qld councils to vote on reform

RESIDENTS of two former council areas in far north Queensland will vote to secede from their current councils next month.

The Queensland Electoral Commission announced on Sunday that residents of the former Douglas and Mareeba council areas will vote on March 6 to reform those councils.

If successful, residents of the former Douglas Council will leave the Cairns Regional Council and residents of the former Mareeba Council will leave the Tablelands Regional Council.

The Labor government forced 157 councils to amalgamate into 73 in 2008 to save money.

Queensland Local Government Minister David Crisafulli said in December last year the boundaries commissioner recommended that four councils wishing to scrap the mergers should each go to a referendum.

He said locals of the former Noosa, Livingstone, Mareeba and Douglas would need to weigh up whether it would be worth the costs.

Costs would include the wages of new mayors, councillors, and staff, IT equipment and conducting the referendum.

Mr Crisafulli rated the likelihood of Mareeba Council reforming and achieving a sustainable future as unlikely and Douglas Council as highly unlikely.

Residents of the former Noosa and Livingstone councils will vote at a later date.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Four wounded in New Orleans shooting

FOUR people have been shot on a crowded street in New Orleans as revellers partied amid the countdown to Mardi Gras, sending people running.

Two males and two females were wounded on Bourbon Street just before 9.30pm local time, New Orleans police spokesman Frank Robertson told The Associated Press.

He said one male was in a critical condition and was undergoing surgery, while the other three were in stable conditions. He did not release their ages.

Robertson says detectives are trying to identify a suspect and determine a motive for Saturday night's attack.

"They're just piecing together what happened," he added.

The streets were crawling with bar-hopping patrons taking in the last weekend before Fat Tuesday, the enormous party that sweeps New Orleans each year with parades, gaudy floats and costumed merrymakers.

The iconic French Quarter street is home to strip clubs, watering holes and second-floor balconies lined by people who throw beads to revellers below each Mardi Gras season. The street often gets so jam-packed that officers have to control the crowds on horseback.

Patrick Clay, 21, an LSU student, told The Times-Picayune he was standing on the corner of Bourbon Street when suddenly he saw a crowd running and people screaming that there was a shooting.

"Everyone immediately started running and the cops immediately started running towards where people were running from," Clay said.

"I was with a group of about seven people and at that point we all just kind of grasped hands and made our way through the crowd as soon as possible."

Parades rolled all day on Saturday but none on Bourbon Street because the streets are too narrow. One of the biggest Mardi Gras parades, the Krewe of Endymion, rolled down Canal Street and just skirted Bourbon Street a few hours before the shooting. Typically, once the parades end, partygoers head to the French Quarter.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More