Beagle-boxer-basset wins ugly dog comp

Walle, a four-year-old mutt has won the 25th annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest in California. Source: AAP

A HUGE-HEADED, duck-footed mix of beagle, boxer and basset hound was the upset winner at the 25th annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest.

Walle, a four-year-old mutt from Chico, California who was entered at the last minute, was judged most unsightly of 30 dogs at the Northern California competition on Friday.

"This dog looked like he's been photo-shopped with pieces from various dogs and maybe a few other animals," judge Brian Sobel said.

The contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds gets worldwide attention, with media from around the world travelling to Petaluma, north of San Francisco.

Walle overcame the dominance in recent years by nearly hairless chihuahuas, Chinese cresteds, or combinations of the two.

Owner Tammie Barbee got the dog when he was three months old.

"People come up to me and say that dog is not right," Barbee said, "but I love him."

Judges said they were especially impressed by Walle's bizarre waddle of a walk.

Walle wins $US1,500 ($A1,635) and will make several network TV appearances next week, including NBC's Today show and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Organisers say the dogs are judged for their "natural ugliness in both pedigree and mutt classes."

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Female cyclist dies in Townsville crash

A truck has ploughed into four cyclists, killing one in the north Queensland city of Townsville. Source: AAP

A TRUCK has ploughed into four cyclists, killing one in the north Queensland city of Townsville.

Police say the truck crashed into the cyclists when trying to overtake them on Shaw Road on Saturday morning.

The cyclists, a 62-year-old man and three women aged 58, 59 and 60, were taken to the Townsville Hospital.

The 58-year-old woman later died while her friends have non life-threatening injuries.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Privacy search engines jump after NSA row

INTERNET users are taking a fresh look at "privacy" search engines that do not store data or track online activity, in light of the flap over US government surveillance.

While Google's market share has not seen a noticeable dent, privacy search engines like US-based DuckDuckGo and European-based Ixquick have seen jumps in traffic from users seeking to limit their online tracks.

"I think people are seeking out privacy alternatives," said Gabriel Weinberg, founder of DuckDuckGo, an engine created in 2007, which does not store IP addresses or create profiles of users.

The stored data has become a concern following revelations of a massive surveillance program run by the secretive National Security Agency, with access to data from Google, Yahoo! and other internet firms.

US officials say the information gathered is vital in the fight against global terrorism.

The same data and profiles can be used by the search engine to deliver ads and sold to outside marketers as well.

"What people type in their search engines is their most personal things," Weinberg said. "It's a little creepy that a search engine can know so much about you."

DuckDuckGo had been growing slowly in recent years, but its traffic charts showed a surge after the first news broke June 6 of the government's PRISM surveillance program. By June 20, traffic had hit nearly three million queries, double the level of a year earlier.

More than half of DuckDuckGo traffic comes from outside the United States, Weinberg says.

"This NSA story played into the trend of people's fears" about online tracking, said Weinberg.

Weinberg said another factor is that Google results are being gamed by search engine spammers and other companies trying to rank their results higher."

Dutch-based Ixquick, which also uses the name StartPage, said it too had seen a dramatic jump in usage after news of the PRISM data sharing program.

Last week, the two meta-search engines - which use the results of Google and other search sites and strip out identifying information - served as many as 3.6 million queries.

"This growth has been sustained, it shows no signs of slowing down," said spokeswoman Katherine Albrecht.

The revelations about PRISM "really have woken people up," she said.

"People had heard the message of privacy but hadn't been able to nail it down to how it relates to them."

The company proclaims it "has never turned over user data to any government entity anywhere on earth" and is "not directly subject to US jurisdiction."

Another search engine, California-based Blekko, allows users to select privacy settings and keeps no data if the user selects "do not track."

"Even if you are not a criminal, you probably make searches that you don't want your minister, boss, or spouse to know about," said Blekko's Greg Lindahl.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Severe weather to strike NSW coast

A SEVERE weather warning is in force for a large swathe of the NSW coast forecasted to suffer gail force winds and rain up to 200mm.

A trough is sitting off the coast, but widespread rains arrived on Saturday at areas from Newcastle to Ulladulla.

On Sunday, the trough will deepen, bringing widespread showers before the system intensifies, the Bureau of Meteorology predicts.

Some areas will experience between 100mm and 150mm of rain.

A low pressure system is expected to form within the trough on Sunday night.

"That will intensify the rainfall, particularly on Monday," bureau meteorologist Rob Taggart told AAP.

Widespread rains are expected from Newcastle to Batemans Bay.

Computer models have yet to pinpoint where the full force of the weather system will strike, but the coastal areas between Sydney and Newcastle are the likely target.

"Which means Sydney will get hit pretty hard (on Monday)," he said.

Localised falls expected between 150mm and 200mm in some areas will also dictate any flood warnings issued.

The bureau has issued a flood watch with minor to moderate flooding predictions for the Wyong, Georges, Nepean, Cooks, Woronora and Paterson and Williams rivers.

Heavy rains combined with king tides may also cause minor flooding in coastal areas.

The bureau has also issued a warning to sheep graziers in the Illawarra, south coast, southern tablelands and central tablelands.

"There is a high risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions," the bureau website states.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has urged residents to clear gutters and downpipes on their homes, fix any roof damage and secure any loose items in yards or on balconies.

On Tuesday, Sydney will see more rain, but weakening, as the weather system moves north.

Higher rain totals are expected for the mid-north coast and Hunter on Tuesday.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

ADF personnel never off duty: Gen Hurley

DEFENCE force chief General David Hurley has warned military personnel they are never off duty.

General Hurley said the degree of public scrutiny of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) indicated Australians expected better behaviour from them.

Following disclosure of misconduct by a group of Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) cadets, he said defence personnel needed to demand more of themselves.

"An ADF member is never off duty. Leaders will be held accountable for the way in which they exercise their authority and every member of the ADF at every rank will be expected to take responsibility for their actions," he said in a statement on Friday.

Seven cadets have been suspended for what's been termed drunken stupidity around a Canberra nightspot.

Last week, Army Chief Lieutenant General David Morrison revealed a group of more senior soldiers were under investigation for producing and distributing offensive materiel on the defence computer system and internet.

General Hurley said defence had taken a strong and visible stance against unacceptable behaviour.

"This is cultural reform in action. This is the Defence Senior Leadership taking steps to set the boundaries and expectations necessary to give full force to cultural change," he said.

General Hurley said ADFA was an important training institution for future defence leaders and he was extremely disappointed some cadets had engaged in unacceptable behaviour which brought their colleagues, ADFA and the ADF into disrepute.

He said he made no apology for the decisive action to eliminate unacceptable behaviour.

"We will not accept or excuse illegal, offensive or discriminatory behaviour in the ADF. Such behaviour contradicts our Defence values and will have swift and decisive consequences," he said.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Life sentence in HK for killing Briton

A MAN who brutally murdered the British aunt of his ex-wife and hid her body under a sofa has been sentenced to life in prison by a Hong Kong court.

Ahmed Fareed "was convicted of murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment," a judiciary spokeswoman told AFP.

Fareed was sentenced at the southern Chinese city's High Court on Thursday.

He was arrested in Hong Kong in March 2011, just days after 64-year-old Briton Janet Gilson went missing.

She had been staying with her niece on Lamma Island, which lies a short ferry ride from Hong Kong's glittering downtown and is a favourite with ex-pats.

Police found the retired Salvation Army worker from Essex under a sofa at her niece's home, the South China Morning Post reported.

The court heard that she had been suffocated after being strangled with a rope and had a towel stuffed into her mouth.

She also had four of her ribs broken in what Justice Michael Stuart-Moore called an "ultimate crime".

"Words fail to describe the whole horror," Stuart-Moore said as he delivered the sentence, the Post reported.

"This was a most brutal killing of a woman... who had done no harm to the defendant," he said.

Gilson was on vacation to visit her niece Julia, who is divorced from Fareed.

According to the Post, Fareed had been barred by a court order from entering Julia's home at the time of the murder.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

BHP sells iron ore mine stake to Japanese

BHP Billiton has sold a 15 per cent stake in a WA iron ore mine to Japanese corporate giants. Source: AAP

MINING giant BHP Billiton has sold a 15 per cent stake in a West Australian iron ore mine to two Japanese conglomerates for $US1.5 billion ($A1.64 billion).

ITOCHU Corporation is investing $US800 million ($A872.51 million) while Mitsui is stumping up $US700 million ($A763.44 million) in shares and loans in BHP's Jimblebar mine in the Pilbara region.

ITOCHU will hold an eight per cent stake in the project while Mitsui will have a seven per cent interest.

BHP Billiton's iron ore president Jimmy Wilson said the deal would improve simplicity and flexibility.

"We are pleased to extend our successful, long-standing joint venture relationship with ITOCHU and Mitsui," he said in a statement.

The Foreign Investment Review Board has to approve to the transaction for the mine, rail and port infrastructure project, which is expected to be signed off during the September quarter.

The Jimblebar mine will have initial production capacity of 35 million tonnes per annum, which will take BHP's West Australian iron ore supply chain capacity to 220 million tonnes per annum once it becomes fully operational.

BHP shares fell in early trade on Friday, but closed 30 cents higher at $32.45, while the wider market closed lower.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Taliban fight on despite Qatar office

Afghan peace plans remain in limbo as the country's president opposes bilateral US-Taliban talks. Source: AAP

TALIBAN fighters are hailing the rebels' new office in Qatar as evidence of their success on the front lines but vow to battle on until all US forces leave Afghanistan.

The opening of the office in Qatar was seen as a first step towards a peace deal as the US-led NATO combat mission ends next year, but a furious Kabul accused the rebels of posing as a government-in-exile.

Talk of a meeting between US and Taliban officials has been put on hold, and the US has stressed the office must not be treated as an embassy for the hardliners who were ousted from power in 2001.

"We welcome the opening of the Taliban office in Qatar, and we are happy about it," Mullah Ehsanullah, a Taliban fighter in the Zherai district of southern province Kandahar, told AFP by telephone.

"With the establishment of this office, we want to hold talks with the international community like an independent and sovereign state.

"We are reaching our goals in defeating the US, now we want to free our country from occupation. We want to build our country on our own."

When the Qatar office opened on Tuesday, it used the title of the rebels' 1996-2001 government, the "Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan" and flew the white Taliban flag - a provocative symbol of oppression to many Afghans.

Afghanistan's envoy to the United Nations, Zahir Tanin, on Thursday described the opening as "theatrical" and said it contravened an agreement on how the occasion would be managed.

A well-informed member of the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan told AFP that peace moves would not impact the fighters' guerrilla campaign of roadside bombs, suicide attacks and ambushes.

"There is not likely to be any immediate change on the ground, with fighting ongoing despite the starting of talks," he said, warning that any Qatar deal would be hard to implement as the insurgents were decentralised.

"Taliban representatives in Doha are not very powerful and influential within the insurgency," he said, speaking from Pakistan.

"So they might not be powerful enough to impose the outcome of negotiations on the main shura (council) which has the power."

The Taliban on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the largest US-led military base in Afghanistan that killed four Americans.

On June 11 they also claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb outside the Supreme Court in Kabul that killed at least 15 civilians.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tokyo stocks close down 1.74 per cent

TOKYO stocks fell 1.74 per cent on Thursday after US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the bank could start reeling in its massive stimulus later this year, while weak Chinese manufacturing data also hit sentiment.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed down 230.64 points at 13,014.58, while the Topix index of all first-section shares was 1.33 per cent, or 14.76 points, lower at 1,091.81.

The Fed said it would keep in place its $US85-billion-a-month bond-buying program as unemployment remains high and growth in the world's top economy was being held back by government spending cuts.

But in a news conference Bernanke said the Fed's policy committee "currently anticipates that it would be appropriate to moderate the monthly pace of purchases later this year" if the economic outlook continues to improve.

The Fed also upgraded its assessment of the economic recovery, saying unemployment may fall to 6.5 per cent by the end of 2014 - one condition previously set to justify rolling back stimulus program.

Fed easing and similar moves from other central banks have been credited with helping prop up global equity markets in the face of an unsteady world economy.

"The Fed's result was not out of line with expectations," SMBC Nikko Securities general manager of equities Hiroichi Nishi told Dow Jones Newswires.

"Some transparency as to the possible end of US easing is the biggest takeaway. Players can now factor this into investment strategies. Wall Street's fall will act as a short-term negative against the larger beneficial effect of a weaker yen."

The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 1.35 per cent to 15,112.19 in New York.

On currency markets on Thursday, the US dollar was at 97.17 yen, up from 96.39 yen in New York late Wednesday.

Selling pressure grew further after HSBC said China's manufacturing activity shrank again in June, hitting a nine-month low and adding to concerns about the strength of the Asian economic giant.

In share dealing, Sony slipped 0.09 per cent to 2,013 yen as it held its annual shareholders meeting, where chief Kazuo Hirai addressed a hedge fund investor's proposal to spin off part of the firm's entertainment division.

Sharp fell 2.58 per cent to 415 yen while Panasonic lost 2.80 per cent to 728 yen.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

No wrongdoing on legionnaires news: Wesley

A MANAGER of the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane at the centre of a disease outbreak denies any wrongdoing in not revealing a 2011 legionnaires' death.

The Queensland Nurses Union is calling for an independent investigation into the Wesley Hospital management for not publicly disclosing a previous case of legionnaires' disease.

The Brisbane hospital is currently dealing with a deadly outbreak of legionnaires', which killed one patient and put another in intensive care this month.

Queensland Health is investigating the current outbreak and announced this week it will include the 2011 death in its probe.

UnitingCare Health, which operates the hospital, has previously told reporters there haven't been any past cases.

But UnitingCare director Richard Royle on Wednesday admitted he knew of the 2011 death, while a fortnight ago he denied knowing about any previous legionnaries' cases.

On Thursday he claimed he hadn't been misleading the public or trying to cover up the past.

Mr Royle says the 2011 case was a "sporadic case" and not worthy of telling the public about, even though Queensland Health had been notified at the time.

"I did not make the 2011 case public because it was not confirmed as hospital acquired," Mr Royle added.

He said the current outbreak was different because the hospital's water system was the source.

The Queensland Nurses Union's acting secretary, Des Elder, said withholding information and making false statements are serious offences.

"There absolutely has been a cover-up," Mr Elder said.

"I don't think there's any question that the hospital management has tried to conceal that.

"There had in fact been a previous occurrence of legionella previous years ago when they (UnitingCare) made statements to the press, quite openly, that there had not been."

Mr Elder said had the Wesley been a public hospital, Mr Royle would be held accountable for making false statements.

"It would be a breach of the code of conduct in Queensland Health for a CEO to lie," he said.

Mr Elder said a public hospital chief executive would face disciplinary action under the same circumstances, but declined to say whether he believed Mr Royle should be sacked.

He called for an independent investigation into Mr Royle's false statement and the delay in passing relevant information to Queensland Health.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gay marriage debate reignites in parly

A LIBERAL senator who crossed the floor to vote in favour of recognising same-sex couples who wed overseas has been praised for acting "with her heart and her mind", even though the bill was overwhelmingly defeated.

Senator Sue Boyce's support wasn't enough to carry the bill to amend the Marriage Act, so that same-sex marriages in foreign countries including New Zealand were recognised under Australian law.

The private member's bill, moved by the Australian Greens, was shot down in the Senate on Thursday by 44 votes to 28.

DLP senator John Madigan again called for a federal referendum on same sex marriage after the vote.

"We're often told that a majority wants same-sex marriage, well I'm saying put it to the people," Senator Madigan said.

He vowed to push for a referendum to define the definition of marriage as just between a man and a woman.

Senator Boyce said such a referendum would fail because it was a "disgusting and immoral idea".

She said she didn't favour the "backdoor" approach the Greens were taking to build groundswell support for same-sex marriage.

But she supported gay marriage, and as this bill would bring that closer to reality, she defied the party line to support it.

"There is no reason not to allow same-sex mariage in Australia," she said.

"I believe that this bill will assist us in moving towards that, and if we are to vote on this bill I will be supporting it."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he didn't counsel Senator Boyce against voting for the bill, and defended her right to cross the floor even though the coalition does not support changes to the Marriage Act.

"People on our side of the political fence have always had the right if they feel strongly enough about something to make their own decision," Mr Abbott said.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Senator Boyce's decision to cross the floor was an important step, and congratulated her for voting with "her heart and her mind".

Finance Minister Penny Wong said Mr Abbott had ensured the legislation would fail by refusing to allow opposition MPs a conscience vote.

Senator Wong, who is in a same-sex relationship, also hit out at the "hurtful and divisive" debate on gay marriage but said she respected that some people held different views.

"What I do disagree with however is their right to impose that opinion on me and upon others in my situation," she told the upper house.

"It (marriage) is special, it is unique ... and that is why those of us who are in same-sex relationships also want to be able to demonstrate our love and commitment through marriage."

Senator Wong's home state of South Australia introduced a bill in state parliament on Thursday to allow same-sex marriage.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

$A dealt a triple blow this week

FARMERS, local tourism operators and manufacturers are getting better news everyday as the Australian dollar falls even further.

The currency has dropped 3.5 per cent so far this week, driven by the strange combination of the US economy needing less help and the Australian economy possibly getting more help.

The days of the Australian dollar being above parity, or 100 US cents, are well and truly over.

The currency's fall began back in early May when financial market players started to realise that a string of positive US economic figures could mean an end to the US Federal Reserve's $US85 billion a month bond purchase program, designed to stimulate the American economy.

In the past two years the Fed's series of stimulus programs has seen the US dollar weaken against all the major currencies and has been one of the factors why the Aussie dollar has been above parity for most of the past two years.

That came to an end on Thursday morning, after the Fed's two-day policy meeting, when chairman Ben Bernanke said if good economic growth continues he would taper the program later this year and bring it to a close by mid 2014.

Adding to the local currency's woes on Thursday was the release of another batch of weak Chinese economic data, bad news for Australia's mineral and resource exporters.

A HSBC survey showed that manufacturing activity in China fell for a second consecutive month to a nine-month low.

The Australian dollar also dropped earlier in the week, after the release of the Reserve Bank of Australia's June 4 board meeting minutes.

While the central bank kept the cash rate unchanged at a record low of 2.75 per cent in June, it flagged the possibility of one or two more cuts by the end of the year.

When the RBA cuts the cash rate it is generally a negative for the Australian dollar and the comments from the RBA minutes sent it almost one US cent lower.

Forex.com research analyst Chris Tedder while the Aussie dollar has been dealt a blow it could be good for the economy as it transitions from being an economy powered mainly by mining investment to one that is more evenly balanced.

"The question is, will a lower Australian dollar be enough to spur growth in non-mining sectors of the economy, so that the transition away from mining investment is smoother than current economic data suggests it will be?"

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More