Coalition support trails Labor: Newspoll

TONY Abbott's honeymoon is over as the coalition slumped to its lowest rating in three years.

Labor now leads on preferences for the first time since Julia Gillard was elected prime minister, according to a Newspoll survey taken last weekend.

After three months of an Abbott-led government, more voters are dissatisfied with the prime minister than satisfied, shows the Newspoll, which is published in The Australian on Tuesday.

Labor's two-party-preferred support has jumped five percentage points to put the ALP in front 52 per cent to 48 per cent.

The coalition's primary vote fell three percentage points to 40 per cent, while Labor's rose three points to 38 per cent.

The Australian says Labor's primary vote is back to the level it was in July, just after Kevin Rudd replaced Julia Gillard as prime minister.

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Aussie boat race pest pleads to stay in UK

BOAT race protester Trenton Oldfield has told an immigration tribunal hearing that if he is deported from the UK his British wife and five-month-old baby daughter won't move to Australia with him because it's a "racist country".

Mr Oldfield is fronting the tribunal in London after his request for a spousal visa was refused by the government on the grounds his presence in Britain is not "conducive to the public good".

The 37-year-old activist has lived in the UK for more than 10 years.

In April 2012 Mr Oldfield swam into the path of the Oxford and Cambridge rowing crews, as they raced down the Thames, in a protest against elitism and inequality. He was subsequently jailed for seven weeks.

"Australia is a particularly racist country," Mr Oldfield said on Monday when explaining that if deported he would be separated from his wife Deepa Naik, 36, and child.

Mr Oldfield said Ms Naik had never visited Australia and couldn't live there because some Indians in the community had suffered violent racist attacks.

There was also everyday "passive water-cooler racism", he said.

"Our home is here. Australia is on the other side of the world."

Mr Oldfield told immigration judge Kevin Moore that if he were allowed to stay in the UK - which he said he loved - "I give you my word we won't be here (in a tribunal) again".

The Australian said when he swam in the Thames in 2012 he'd recently returned to the UK after caring for Ms Naik's father as he was dying of cancer.

He said he was saddened to realise that wealthier people could afford better drugs and have a better quality of life when gravely ill.

"I think I was vulnerable in terms of realising how short life can be," Mr Oldfield told the hearing before breaking down in tears.

"I think I was very emotional. When you walk around London you see pockets of depravation that still exist. I think I was heartbroken."

His lawyer, Stephanie Harrison QC, said the boat protest wasn't of sufficient gravity or seriousness to justify his deportation.

"His presence is neither undesirable or contrary to the public good," she said, adding that separating him from his wife would be a "disproportionate" punishment.

Ms Harrison said the judge had "unfettered discretion" to overturn Home Secretary Theresa May's decision to kick him out of the country.

It's expected Judge Moore won't make a ruling for four to six weeks.

If the decision goes against Mr Oldfield he could still appeal to an upper tribunal or the Court of Appeal.

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First Arnhem Land girls to graduate

TWO indigenous students from an isolated area in the Northern Territory are about to become the first girls from their community to ever graduate high school.

Christella Namundja and Kirsty Garnarradj from Gunbalanya in Arnhem Land, 300 km east of Darwin, are part of 60 Aboriginal girls who completed year 12 this year with the Role Models and Leaders Australia (RMLA) Academy.

RMLA is a mentoring program aimed at increasing the school retention rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander female students.

RMLA founder and chief executive officer Ricky Grace said the program was intense and often involved leaders getting students out of bed in the morning.

"It's common for our leaders to go to the girls' homes and get them out of bed and wait for them to get ready so they can take them to school, or convince family members of the importance of an education," he said.

"That's how intense and focused this program is."

RMLA, which focuses on one-on-one mentoring, has 12 academies across NSW, Western Australia and the Northern territory.

Over the past three years the number of girls enrolled has increased from 34 year 12 students in 2010 to 60 in 2013.

More than 850 girls are enrolled in RMLA academies.

"This is such an incredible achievement as these girls have overcome challenges that you and I couldn't even imagine," Mr Grace, who competed in the Sydney 2000 Olympics for basketball, said.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda and RMLA graduates will address the media on Tuesday in Sydney.

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BBC complaints about Mandela coverage

MORE than 1000 viewers have complained about the excessive coverage of Nelson Mandela's death on BBC services, including some who grumbled about Mrs Brown's Boys being interrupted.

The BBC has defended the extent to which it featured the death of the former South African president, a major news item which led bulletins around the world.

By Monday, the BBC had received 1350 complaints about too much coverage across its news services, with some saying the emphasis had reduced the coverage of severe weather across the UK that day.

Programme chiefs broke into a repeat of BBC1 sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys to break the news.

"Nelson Mandela was a hugely significant world leader with an enormous political and cultural influence across the world," a BBC spokeswoman said.

"His death is of considerable interest to our audiences at home and across the globe."

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Vic doctors receive 10 per cent pay rise

Asylum seeker 'assaulted girls'

AN ASYLUM seeker charged for allegedly sexually assaulting seven teenage girls at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

Sensai chokes his student unconscious

MARTIAL arts experts and medical professors have slammed the actions of a taekwondo instructor who was filmed "choking" one of his students to sleep.

Priest ran 'cult' to abuse girls

A CATHOLIC priest ran a cult-like group sexually abusing young girls giving them all the surname Brown, as in Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic strip, the royal commission has been told.

Church pays $43m to victims

THE Catholic Church has paid out $43 million through its Towards Healing process to victims who were sexually abused as children, it has been revealed.

Train passenger complaints rise 7%

Dirty carriages and lack of aircon in hot weather the cause of most reported frustrations as Attorney -General calls for customer satisfaction targets.

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Aussie boat race pest can stay in UK

AUSTRALIAN boat race protester Trenton Oldfield will be allowed to stay in the United Kingdom after an immigration tribunal judge said the activist had made a positive contribution to British society.

Mr Oldfield has successfully appealed a decision of Home Secretary Theresa May to deport him on the basis his presence in Britain was "not conducive to the public good".

Immigration tribunal Judge Kevin Moore will make his official determination within 10 days but told Monday's tribunal hearing that he would be finding in favour of the 37-year-old.

"It would be my intention to allow your appeal," the judge told Mr Oldfield in London.

"There is no doubt in my view to your character and the value you are to UK society generally."

Earlier the tribunal heard that if Mr Oldfield had been deported his British wife, Deepa Naik, and their five-month-old baby daughter wouldn't have moved to Australia with him because it was a "racist country".

The UK government earlier this year rejected Mr Oldfield's request for a spousal visa. The activist, originally from Sydney, has lived in the UK for more than 10 years.

In April 2012 he swam into the path of the Cambridge and Oxford rowing crews as they raced down the Thames in a protest against elitism and inequality. He was subsequently jailed for seven weeks.

Immediately after the hearing Mr Oldfield said he was very relieved by Monday's decision.

But asked if it was good to hear the judge say he'd made a positive contribution in Britain, the Australian replied: "I don't know."

"It's such a strange thing," he told reporters.

"Who knows what's good and what's bad. We have a public profile so people know about us.

"(However) there are a lot of people that make a contribution to the public good that don't have the level of public profile we have."

Mr Oldfield said deportation was "an old idea from another time - 1000 years ago".

"We need to rethink that," he said.

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Awards celebrate human rights advocates

A NUN providing hope for domestic violence victims, an African civil war survivor-turned UN ambassador and an advocate for Aboriginal childrens' education are among the Australians in the running for national human rights awards.

A record number of nominations have been received for the 2013 Human Rights Awards, to be held in Sydney on Tuesday night.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has selected 40 finalists for 10 awards, including the human rights medal, media awards and the young human rights medal.

Among the finalists for the major gong is Pastor Graham Long from The Wayside Chapel.

The programs Mr Long has implemented through the Sydney-based chapel help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, at risk youth and Australians dealing with mental illness.

Gurruwun (Yalmay) Yunupingu is nominated for her fight to see Yolgnu children have a bilingual education.

Musician and director Richard Frankland is also a finalist for his work with the Aboriginal community and Sister Clare Condon has also been nominated for her role with the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.

Australian Human Rights Commissioner Professor Gillian Triggs said the awards celebrated individuals and groups that advanced human rights.

"These finalists have dedicated their lives to advancing and protecting human rights of children and young people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and individuals who experience mental illness, homelessness or domestic violence," she said in a statement.

The finalists for the Young People's Human Rights Medal include Yarrie Bangura, who fled Sierra Leone's civil war and became an ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and David Sherwood, founder of not-for-profit group Teach Grow Learn Inc.

There are also awards in the media, community, business and law categories.

Champion swimmer and last year's human rights medal recipient Ian Thorpe will present the 2013 medal at a ceremony at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday night.

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McDonald's key sales metric rises

MCDONALD'S says a key sales figure rose 0.5 per cent in November, even as the world's biggest hamburger chain faces tough competition and basically flat traffic in the US.

Its global sales performance was the same as in October. The stock slipped in pre-market trading.

Sales at stores open at least a year is a key gauge because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.

The company says the metric fell 0.8 per cent in the US. While breakfast items, chicken options and its new expanded value menu did well, that was pressured by intense competition and flat traffic.

In Europe, it increased 1.9 per cent on strong performances in the UK, France and Russia. This was offset by weakness in Germany.

It declined 2.3 per cent in the region including Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, mostly because of softness in Japan.

The lacklustre results come as people are increasingly choosing foods they feel are fresh, healthy or higher quality, with chains such as Chipotle enjoying relatively stronger growth.

To keep pace, McDonald's has introduced options such as chicken wraps and breakfast sandwiches with egg whites. But the company remains a target for health critics, and changing public perceptions about its food won't be easy.

McDonald's is also trying to win over diners with cheaper fare.

But its focus on its Dollar Menu has been a sore point with franchisees, who are seeing their profit margins hurt as costs for ingredients climb.

As such, McDonald's recently revamped the menu as the "Dollar Menu & More" with a range of items costing up to $5.

McDonald's has more than 34,000 locations worldwide.

Shares of the Illinois company fell 30 cents to $96.50 before the market open.

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Man charged over fatal Sydney crash

Clarke faces fine on Anderson sledge

AUSTRALIA captain Michael Clarke will be charged by the ICC over his sledging of England tailender Jimmy Anderson.

The most evil police mugshot ever

IT'S the face only a mother could love - and she might have trouble. David Pate, from South California, is charged with a murder. Surprised?

'Locky's dad' dies after brave fight

HIS plight brought Georgie Gardner to tears on live TV, now the Australian father at the centre of the "Save Locky's Dad" campaign has died.

Why I had to execute Bob Hawke

IN a chillingly blunt interview, Paul Keating has told how he wrested the prime ministership from Bob Hawke two decades ago.

Crossfit mum enjoys 'dream birth'

LEA-ANN Ellison ignited a storm training while heavily pregnant but hits back at haters by revealing child No.3 was born naturally without any problems.

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Tiananmen leader denied in bid to return

THE second most wanted student leader from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests has been turned back from Hong Kong in his latest attempt to surrender to Chinese authorities and return home.

It was the fourth such attempt by Wu'er Kaixi, who said his lack of success so far was the result of the "absurd" actions by the Chinese government.

Wu'er, who has lived in exile for more than two decades, is stuck in a situation where he's both wanted for arrest and, like many other dissidents who have fled, prevented from returning to China.

Wu'er confirmed in a text message that he was being sent back home to Taiwan.

He had tried to turn himself in to authorities in Hong Kong as his flight from Taipei, Taiwan, transited through the semiautonomous Chinese city on Monday on the way to Bangkok.

He wanted officials in Hong Kong to extradite him to mainland China.

Wu'er was accompanied by Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Albert Ho, who also assisted Edward Snowden as the National Security Agency contractor tried to clarify his legal situation while hiding out in Hong Kong in June.

Wu'er said in a blog post that he wants to go back to China to see his ailing parents and other family members, whom he hasn't seen since he fled into exile 24 years ago.

His parents have also been denied permission to visit him.

"What I'm doing today is a result of the Chinese government's absurd act of ordering my arrest, while at the same time refusing to allow me to return," he wrote.

He added that he wants to be reunited with his relatives "even if the reunion would have to take place behind a glass wall".

In 2009, he was denied entry to Macau, which, like nearby Hong Kong, is a specially administered Chinese region.

Last year, he tried to turn himself into the Chinese Embassy in Washington. In 2010, he was arrested when he tried to enter the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo.

Wu'er rose to fame as a pajama-clad hunger striker haranguing then-Chinese Premier Li Peng during a televised meeting during the Tiananmen protests in Beijing.

He was named No. 2 on the Chinese government's list of 21 wanted student leaders after the military crushed the protests, killing at least hundreds.

He has lived in exile in the United States and the self-ruled island of Taiwan since fleeing China.

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Chinese company calls Palmer "obstructive"

A HONG-KONG based company locked in a bitter legal dispute with mining boss turned federal MP Clive Palmer says the case will be closely watched by other Chinese investors.

But Mr Palmer, the member for the Queensland seat of Fairfax, has told ABC's Four Corners program that Australia will continue to attract Chinese investment "because it's best for them".

Mr Palmer's mining company Mineralogy was paid $415 million by a Chinese state-owned enterprise for rights to mine iron ore in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

It's believed to be China's largest ever investment in Australia, but the project has been delayed and has cost the company CITIC Pacific billions.

Mineralogy is in a legal fight with CITIC over future royalties, with Mr Palmer claiming the Chinese firm owes him $700 million.

In a statement obtained by Four Corners, CITIC Pacific president Zhang Jijing said Mr Palmer's "obstructive legal behaviour" is unhelpful and could be delaying a resolution to the legal stoush.

Mr Zhang also said other investors with an eye on Australia would be watching.

"It's our view that Mr Palmer's behaviour and Mineralogy's litigious approach will be closely examined by the wider business community," Mr Jijing said in a statement to the ABC.

"As part of due diligence, naturally we would expect prospective Chinese investors in Mr Palmer's other interests to take a close look at our experiences."

Mr Palmer said Chinese investors weren't in Australia for a "free handout" and "we don't want to be frightened about them".

"They invest because it's best for them, they don't invest for charity," Mr Palmer told Four Corners.

"They're here because it's in their interest."

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Detained activist in "lonely" position

AN Australian activist left in a Russian jail is in a "lonely and unenviable position" with no logical reason behind his detainment, the head of Greenpeace Australia says.

Tasmanian man Colin Russell became the final Greenpeace campaigner to remain in St Petersburg detention after the 29th detainee from the Arctic 30, English man Phil Ball, was released on Monday.

The pair was among 30 activists on board a Greenpeace vessel in September protesting against oil drilling in the Arctic Sea.

Mr Russell, a radio operator, is the only crew member to have been refused bail as the group face pending charges of hooliganism.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive officer David Ritter said there was no logical reason why he should be detained while others were allowed bail.

"I know Colin's family, his friends, the other members of the Arctic 30 and their millions of supporters around the world are hoping this worrying anomaly is remedied and he can head home," Mr Ritter said in a statement.

"There is nothing Colin did that deserves this absurd charge of hooliganism, carrying a seven year jail sentence."

Mr Ritter echoed a call from Mr Russell's wife Christine for intervention from Prime Minister Tony Abbott to support the Mr Russell's release.

Fellow Greenpeace activist and Australian resident Alexandra Harris has also been granted bail but Mr Russell's detention occupies her mind.

"Alex did say to me she can't properly relax and enjoy her freedom 'until Colin joins us. But we know he's strong and will be okay," her father Cliff Harris told ABC Radio from his UK home on Monday.

Ms Harris's bail conditions prevent her from leaving Russia, where she is staying in a hotel in St Petersburg.

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Syria peace conference set for January 22

SYRIA'S government and opposition will on January 22 sit down at the negotiating table for the first time since the country's civil war erupted in 2011.

In a statement announcing the date on Monday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the warring sides would finally meet for the long-elusive Geneva II peace negotiations which repeatedly have been postponed.

"The conflict in Syria has raged for too long. It would be unforgivable not to seize this opportunity to bring an end to the suffering and destruction it has caused," he said.

Ban hailed efforts by the United States and Russia, and UN and Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi to pave the way for the conference.

"We will go to Geneva with a mission of hope. The Geneva conference is the vehicle for a peaceful transition that fulfils the legitimate aspirations of all the Syrian people for freedom and dignity, and which guarantees safety and protection to all communities in Syria," he said.

The announcement came as Brahimi held closed-door meeting in Geneva with senior US and Russian officials to pin down details for the conference.

"The purpose is to finalise all the preparations and agree on details for Geneva II," Brahimi's spokeswoman Khawla Mattar told AFP.

The international community has struggled to broker talks between the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the rebels battling him since a bloody March 2011 crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired protests.

The increasingly sectarian civil war had claimed more than 120,000 lives, driven more than two million people from the country and left millions more within Syria reliant on international aid to survive.

The so-called Geneva II conference is meant as a follow-up to one held in June 2012, where world powers issued a call for a Syrian transition government.

But Syria's warring sides failed to agree on whether Assad or his inner circle could play a role in the process, and amid spiralling fighting plans for Geneva II have repeatedly been put on hold.

Russia, Assad's key world-power ally, has been pressing the Syrian government to co-operate on the conference. The United States, Britain and France have been working on the fractured Syrian opposition.

The opposition Syrian National Coalition has agreed to attend a peace conference.

But its authority is threatened by Islamist and other militant groups which have warned that anyone taking part in talks will be deemed a traitor.

The coalition has also demanded that Assad stand down, while the government, in turn, has insisted that the president's future cannot be a matter for discussion.

Ban said the goal was "full implementation" of the 2012 document, "including the establishment, based on mutual consent, of a transitional governing body with full executive powers, including over military and security entities".

He said he expected all Syria players to come to Geneva with a "clear understanding" of that aim, and a "serious intention" to end the war.

Iran is also a key supporter of Assad, and Russia has sought to have Tehran involved in any peace talks, raising hackles in the West and in Saudi Arabia, a key opposition supporter.

But hopes of new headway were raised after world powers on Sunday reached a landmark deal with Iran to rein in the Islamic republic's controversial nuclear program, after almost five days of intensive talks in Geneva.

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More spy revelations could be on way

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott could be constrained in responding to Indonesia over spying claims because of concerns there could be more damaging revelations still to be revealed, it's been suggested.

Josh Frydenberg, parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, said the Guardian newspaper had stated that just one per cent of the information from US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden was in the public arena.

Similarly, the head of the United States National Security Agency, where Snowden worked, suggested as many as 200,000 files could have gone missing, he said.

"This could be a very slow burn. Today it could be Indonesia," Mr Frydenberg told the ABC's Q and A program.

"I would be astounded if, with only one per cent of that information out there, if there will not be more damaging revelations for Australia and its allies in due course. I don't know."

Mr Frydenberg said as Snowden was now in Russia, the intelligence files he took could now be in the possession of the Russians.

"This may be part of a bigger play out there," he said.

A week ago, the Guardian Australia and ABC reported that Australian intelligence had monitored the mobile phones of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and other leaders.

These revelations outraged Indonesia which suspended all co-operation with Australia in terms of strategic partnerships, including in combating people smuggling, intelligence gathering and anti-terrorism efforts and halted some joint defence activities.

Mr Frydenberg said it was a longstanding tradition of both sides of politics not to comment on on intelligence matters and Mr Abbott had adopted exactly the right approach in expressing regret but not an apology.

Former US assistant secretary of state Kurt Campbell said this was the very beginning of a whole string of revelations.

"So you just don't know what to expect so you have to be very careful how you handle this," he said.

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Report warns of fishing in NSW sanctuaries

MORE than six months after the NSW government opened up marine sanctuaries to recreational fishing, a new report is warning the pastime can have as much damage as its commercial counterparts.

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BlackBerry shake-up continues

Clarke faces fine on Anderson sledge

AUSTRALIA captain Michael Clarke will be charged by the ICC over his sledging of England tailender Jimmy Anderson.

The most evil police mugshot ever

IT'S the face only a mother could love - and she might have trouble. David Pate, from South California, is charged with a murder. Surprised?

'Locky's dad' dies after brave fight

HIS plight brought Georgie Gardner to tears on live TV, now the Australian father at the centre of the "Save Locky's Dad" campaign has died.

Why I had to execute Bob Hawke

IN a chillingly blunt interview, Paul Keating has told how he wrested the prime ministership from Bob Hawke two decades ago.

Crossfit mum enjoys 'dream birth'

LEA-ANN Ellison ignited a storm training while heavily pregnant but hits back at haters by revealing child No.3 was born naturally without any problems.

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Indon VP sidesteps rows at Perth lecture

TENSE political relations between Australia and Indonesia have been put to one side as Indonesian Vice-President Boediono outlined his vision for the future of his country in a speech in Perth.

In a lecture hosted by his former University of Western Australia, Dr Boediono steered clear of any mention of boats or spies as he addressed the gathered dignitaries and students.

Instead, he outlined the need for Indonesia to continue the battle against corruption and the funding of education as the cornerstones of the development of democracy.

Dr Boediono's visit has been overshadowed by the political and diplomatic wrangling over the Abbott government's asylum seeker policy.

Just hours earlier, Minister Scott Morrison said there was "no rhyme or reason" to why Indonesian authorities would not take stricken asylum seekers back to their shores.

It had been revealed that in recent weeks Indonesia has allowed two boatloads of asylum seekers to be returned after their boats met trouble at sea.

But in two other cases the passengers were not allowed back and had to be taken by the Australian Navy to Christmas Island for processing.

In his lecture, Dr Boediono made no direct mention of the relationship between Australia and its nearest neighbour.

But he did admit his country was still battling with corruption as the number one enemy of the people, while also battling against the "distortions and noises" of an expanding democracy.

In an echo of debate in Australia, Dr Boediono said in his view there was needed a better quality of political candidate and more vigorous rules on the funding of political parties.

Dr Boediono was giving the 52nd Shannon Memorial Lecture to students of the university from which he graduated in 1967.

Before his lecture, Dr Boediono had a private meeting with state premier Colin Barnett, with another appointment to meet Indonesian students from UWA's business school later in the day.

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Canadian gold mine set to be rejected

ROMANIA'S prime minister says a special parliamentary commission is set to reject a bill that would permit Europe's biggest open-cast gold mine.

Canada's Gabriel Resources has been waiting 14 years for approval for the controversial project, which would use cyanide to mine more than 300 tonnes of gold and 1500 tonnes of silver in the town of Rosia Montana in northwestern Romania.

The government of Prime Minister Victor Ponta originally sent a bill to Parliament to approve the project, but changed its mind after weeks of protests over environment concerns and criticism that Romania would earn too little from the deal.

"The ruling coalition intends to reject the project," Ponta said on Monday, adding that the government supported foreign investment in its natural resources.

The parliamentary commission is expected to vote Monday evening.

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Australia ranks 21st for organ donation

ORGAN donation in Australia is way behind the world leaders, according to international rankings that place the country at 21st.

Spain is the world leader, and France, the US, UK, Belgium and Norway are among the countries with higher proportions of donors than Australia.

The figures compiled by Sharelife Australia draw on international donor data published by the Council of Europe.

The data shows hundreds of Australians are missing out on life-saving transplants every year.

This is because a $151 million, four-year package announced by the federal government in 2008 has failed to achieve its goal of establishing Australia as a world leader.

There has been an improvement, says ShareLife spokesperson Sara Irvine, but Australia's progress is slower than many other countries.

Australia's rate of organ donation is half that of the leading countries, and 1000 more transplants could be performed a year if it reaches the level of the top five countries.

"We are still not in the top 20 nations and have long way to go," says ShareLife director Professor Allan Glanville, medical director of lung transplantation at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney.

"Organ donation saves lives, saves money and improves quality of life.

"You only need to talk to people who have been on kidney dialysis to see how well and productive they are after a kidney transplant.

"The Spanish model is very compassionate. It is supportive of families."

Family consent is needed, even if a person has opted in as a donor.

In Spain, skilled organ donation specialists speak to family members, which improves the chances of donation.

"They support families through what is an awful process."

Prof Glanville says there are good people doing good work in Australia.

"But we need to tweak the system so we are consistent from state to state."

He questions why South Australia and Victoria have 20 deceased organ donors per million of the population and NSW has 14.

"Australia needs to increase to 30 per million to be in line with the top four or five countries.

"Change takes time, but unless we improve we are failing in our duty of care to our patients.

"I have patients who are waiting for transplants and if they don't get a transplant they may well die."

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Japan runs wind turbine near Fukushima

A FLOATING wind turbine off Japan's east coast, near the devastated Fukushima nuclear plant, has started generating power.

The turbine, equipped with 80-metre-long blades, is placed about 20 kilometres from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. It will produce up to 2 megawatts of electricity, said a consortium of 10 Japanese companies and the University of Tokyo on Monday.

The consortium hopes the publicly-funded pilot project will help Fukushima become the centre of a renewable energy industry, and create jobs in the region hit by the country's worst nuclear accident in 2011.

The consortium plans to install two more 7-megawatt turbines by March 2015.

Before the Fukushima disaster, nuclear-generated electricity made up about 30 per cent of Japan's power output, but all of Japan's 50 nuclear reactors are currently offline.

The Fukushima plant suffered meltdowns at three of its six reactors after a tsunami swept through the complex in March 2011.

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Aust urged to help modernise Indon defence

AUSTRALIA is being urged to support modernisation of Indonesia's military so that its capability is shaped in a way that suits our interests.

In a new Australian Strategic Policy Institute study, ASPI analyst Benjamin Schreer says that could include improving Indonesian capability to safeguard its exclusive economic zone.

Maritime surveillance could be shared with Australia providing data from its Jindalee Operational Radar Network which can cover almost all of Indonesia.

The study says Indonesia could share data from its new maritime surveillance systems and Australia could share use of the Cocos Islands for maritime surveillance and patrol operations.

Dr Schreer said a democratic, militarily more-outward-looking Indonesia was in Australia's strategic interest.

"The Australian government should seek to shape Indonesia's defence capability in a way that suits out interests," he said.

Dr Schreer said Indonesia had expressed ambitions for an expanded defence force in the past but the military, known as TNI, was far from reaching its plans.

In its 2010 Strategic Defence Plan, Indonesia unveiled plans for a navy of 274 ships and 12 submarines, a modernised air force including 10 fighter squadrons and a more agile army with tanks and attack helicopters - all by 2024.

Indonesian defence spending is increasing but remains modest - US$7.74 billion in 2012 or just 0.86 per cent of gross domestic product.

Plans to lift defence spending to 1.5 per cent of GDP by 2014 won't be realised.

Dr Schreer said bold declarations were made about procurement plans regardless of available funding, while equipment was acquired without the ability to keep it in service.

"Consequently for the forseeable future TNI will remain an imbalanced, mostly non-deployable force," he said.

Dr Schreer said Indonesia's air force plans were of particular interest, given Australia's strategic goal of maintaining RAAF superiority over regional air forces.

Over the next 20 years, Indonesia will incrementally improve capacity to patrol its airspace and provide transport within the archipelago.

"Yet, it's highly unlikely that the TNI-AU (air force) will pose any significant operational challenge for a state-of-the-art air force such as the RAAF any time soon," he said.

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Slack emails, ignored calls hurt business

ETIQUETTE queen June Dally-Watkins isn't the only one who's concerned about emails eroding that personal touch - business leaders awarding contracts feel the same way.

A failure to return phone calls, a poorly written email and not setting aside time to meet in person isn't just rude, it's also bad for business, a Galaxy Research survey commissioned by virtual office group Servcorp has found.

"Nothing says more clearly to a client or prospect that they are just another item on your to-do list than being too busy to return a voicemail or receiving a rushed typo-ridden email," Servcorp's chief operating officer Marcus Moufarrige says.

Some 78 per cent of the 457 business leaders surveyed say the failure to return calls can affect their decision on awarding a contract.

More than half (58 per cent) say poorly written emails with grammatical errors and typos may also affect their choice.

One-third of the leaders could hinge their decision on the failure to set aside time to meet in person.

Mr Moufarrige says it is worrying to see businesses prioritising their needs over those of their clients.

"Australian companies could be putting future growth prospects at risk by using technology in isolation," he said.

Ms Dally-Watkins, who is also a veteran business leader in the finishing school field, has long deplored the decline in face-to-face communication as technology compromises manners.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Parliament to open with a bang

Rain can't dampen Remembrance

REEMMBRANCE Day ceremonies across the country were held for the 102,000 Australian servicemen who never came home.

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  • Keating reflects on First World War

Love triangle turns deadly for stabbing victim

A MAN was allegedly stabbed to death in an exclusive Sydney suburb today after being caught in bed with someone else's girlfriend.

News

Sydney hydro factory smashed

POLICE from the NSW Drug Squad have raided a massive Hydro warehouse in Sydney today, seizing nearly 1000 cannabis plants worth an estimated $1.7 million.

NSW

Heat, rain, snow: welcome to NSW

STIFLING heat, torrential rain and, now, 20cm of snow. Welcome to what has been a bizarre week of weather for NSW.

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We don't all look like Kerr, hosties warn

EXCLUSIVE: QANTAS staff take to the air in their new uniforms next month - but a lot of hosties are unhappy with the look and feel.

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23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Daleks to invade Buckingham Palace

THE Daleks will descend on Buckingham Palace next week at a reception to mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who.

Doctors past and present will join the Countess of Wessex, wife of Prince Edward, for a special celebration of the BBC's long-running hit science fiction show.

The Time Lord's TARDIS will also journey to the royal residence, alongside other props such as costumes worn by the Doctors and a Dalek, the Doctor's arch enemy.

The BBC's Director General Lord Hall will join former Doctors' assistants, program writers and members of the production team at the palace next Monday.

The series celebrates its 50th birthday later this month with a TV drama about the early days of the show called An Adventure In Space And Time, followed by an anniversary episode on November 23 called The Day of the Doctor with the current Doctor, Matt Smith, as well as his predecessor David Tennant.

Smith's stint as the Time Lord ends this year when he will be replaced by Peter Capaldi, best known for his role as the spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC series The Thick of It.

The Countess will also meet young competition winners from two schools in south Wales where scenes from the 50th episode were filmed. The children will show off their winning drawings of "The Queen's TARDIS".

Doctor Who holds the Guinness World Record for the longest running science fiction series in the world. It began on 23 November 1963, starring William Hartnell as the Doctor and there have been 11 Doctors to date.

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Victorian fire trucks set for upgrades

MORE Victorian fire trucks are being upgraded to protect crews from unexpected burnovers.

Seventy-four CFA upgraded trucks will be ready for this fire season, with equipment such as fire protective curtains and panels, water-spraying systems and an improved intercom service.

Another 130 tankers will be refitted by June 2014, the government said on Tuesday. The vehicles will still be used this summer.

It will bring the number of upgraded CFA tankers to 1048.

"While we hope fire crews across Victoria are never trapped in their tanker during a burnover, we want to ensure volunteers on the front line are better equipped to safely take shelter in CFA trucks," Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells said.

The program only applies to trucks built before 2006 as later models already have crew protection systems installed.

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Aust stocks lag behind US

DESPITE the relative strength of the economy, Australia's top stocks have lagged behind their US counterparts over the past five years, research shows.

A report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) shows Australia's top 200 companies have delivered an average total shareholder return - which includes dividends and gains in the value of the stock - of 3.3 per cent in the past five years.

By contrast, the top 500 companies in the US delivered an average return of 6.9 per cent.

Australian companies have performed better in the past two years, with an average return of 7.2 per cent, but still lagged behind their US counterpart, which achieved an average return of 12 per cent.

That's despite the Australian economy performing significantly better than the US since the start of the global financial crisis.

But with economic growth expect to slow due to waning mining investment, BCG corporate development leader for Australia Nick Glenning said local companies will find it even harder to deliver solid gains to investors.

"Many companies will need to rethink their strategies and find new ways to achieve growth. Without fresh approaches to their growth dilemma, management will come under increasing pressure and demand for change from investors," he said.

But the report found a number of Australian companies had performed well ahead of the pack over the past decade.

The strongest performer was REA group - owner of websites including realestate.com.au, which has delivered an average return of 61 per cent a year.

Other strong performers included engineering firm Monadelphous and oil and gas services provider Mermaid Marine, both with an average annual return of 39 per cent, and vaccine maker CSL, with an average return of 34 per cent.

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Tellabs agrees to be sold for $US891m

COMMUNICATIONS equipment maker Tellabs has agreed to be acquired for $US891 million ($A924 million) by investment firm Marlin Equity Partners.

The deal announced on Monday calls for Marlin to buy all of Tellabs shares for $US2.45 each. The stock had closed at $US2.35 on Friday, and rose 12 cents, or 5.1 per cent, to $US2.47 in premarket trading

A tender offer is expected to begin by November 1. The deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter. It requires at least half of Tellabs' outstanding shares to be tendered.

Tellabs chairman Vince Tobkin said the board decided to sell after looking at its options and after contacting more than 30 potential buyers. Tellabs is based in Naperville, Illinois.

Marlin Equity Partners partner Nick Kaiser said plans include making "significant investments in research and development" at Tellabs.

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US marathon runner sets knitting record

A US graphic design professor has knitted his way into the record books while running the Kansas City Marathon.

The Kansas City Star reports that David Babcock, from the University of Central Missouri, finished the marathon in five hours and 48 minutes.

Knitting experts measured the scarf he created along the route at just more than four metres.

The Guinness scarf-knitting-while-running-a-marathon record was previously held by Susie Hewer, who runs to raise money for Alzheimer's disease research.

She knitted a two metre scarf at the London Marathon in April.

Like Hewer, the 41-year-old Babcock hopes that people will donate to the Alzheimer's Association.

Babcock began running and knitting as separate activities about three years ago. He decided to combine them to keep things interesting.

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Man's body found under Anzac Bridge

Fighting fires and firebugs

AS NSW braces for one of the worst firestorms in memory, some of the blazes have been started by children as young as 11.

No check on YMCA abuser

The YMCA employed a childcare worker - who molested 12 boys - based on a reference from his stepfather, commission told.

Clarke to promote Crown resorts

MICHAEL Clarke has signed a six-figure deal with billionaire James Packer's Crown Resorts to act as an "education ambassador".

Redfoo turns up the drama

IT was the kind of ridiculous X Factor finish we'd expect from Redfoo - the OTT pop artist sent the penultimate decider to a voting deadlock.

Greiner splits from wife after 40 years

The former NSW Premier and Kathryn have two children and a spokesman said the couple remained good friends.

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Vic coroner wants better train warnings

A VICTORIAN coroner who investigated the deaths of 11 people in the Kerang rail crash has called for more technologically advanced road signals to warn drivers of approaching trains.

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23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Youth charged in relation to NSW bushfire

Fighting fires and firebugs

AS NSW braces for one of the worst firestorms in memory, some of the blazes have been started by children as young as 11.

No check on YMCA abuser

The YMCA employed a childcare worker - who molested 12 boys - based on a reference from his stepfather, commission told.

Clarke to promote Crown resorts

MICHAEL Clarke has signed a six-figure deal with billionaire James Packer's Crown Resorts to act as an "education ambassador".

Redfoo turns up the drama

IT was the kind of ridiculous X Factor finish we'd expect from Redfoo - the OTT pop artist sent the penultimate decider to a voting deadlock.

Greiner splits from wife after 40 years

The former NSW Premier and Kathryn have two children and a spokesman said the couple remained good friends.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dozens reported dead in South Sudan attack

DOZENS of people have been killed in an attack on South Sudanese villages by a rebel group and local tribesmen, officials say.

The attacks on Sunday left at least 50 people dead, said military spokesman Philip Aguer, while a local official in Jonglei state said the number was more than 70.

Rebel fighters from David Yau Yau's anti-government militia appear to have teamed up with ethnic Murle fighters who have been locked for years in running battles with the rival Dinka people, often launching attacks over cattle.

Aguer said the attackers were armed with automatic rifles and rocket propelled grenades.

Women and children were among the dead and injured and up to 20 children may have been kidnapped during the attacks, which saw two villages largely razed to the ground.

Thousands of cattle were taken in the raids, the latest in a long string of tit-for-tat attacks in Jonglei, an area prone to ethnic rivalries and where there is a widespread proliferation of weapons.

"The people are living in fear. They need protection," said local official Dau Akoi Jurkuch.

The UN helped to ferry the wounded to clinics, and local police units were sent to the area, in the east of South Sudan.

The government in Juba has been accused by the Murle of siding with the Dinka in Jonglei.

Yau Yau, a rebel who integrated into the army when South Sudan was becoming independent in 2011, but defected again a year later, is Murle, as are many of his fighters.

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Fossil may solve dinosaur riddle

Fifty Shades lingerie to hit Target

IN NEWS that will please fans of erotica, the lingerie line based on popular novel Fifty Shades of Grey will be stocked exclusively in Australia through Target.

Stations bid to air adult TV any time

TV stations want the right to screen adults-only shows day and night, pushing to dump the traditional ban on sex and violence before kids' bedtime.

Rolf's Queen portrait 'missing'

ROLF Harris' portrait of Queen Elizabeth is reportedly in art limbo, with no-one confirming its whereabouts.

Is One Direction's Niall in Melbourne?

FANS of boyband One Direction are in meltdown mode on Twitter tonight with news one of the fab five, Niall Horan, has touched down for a holiday visit in Melbourne.

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russia, Syria want return of UN inspectors

RUSSIAN and Syrian foreign ministers on Monday strongly pushed for the return of United Nations inspectors to Syria to continue their probe into the use of chemical weapons and again warned Washington against launching an attack.

The statement comes as President Barack Obama, who blames President Bashar al-Assad for killing hundreds of his own people in a chemical attack last month, is pressing for a limited strike against the Syrian government.

It has denied launching the attack, insisting along with its ally Russia that the attack was launched by the rebels to drag the US into war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after Monday's talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem that UN chemical weapons experts should complete their probe and present their findings to the UN Security Council.

"We have agreed to push for the soonest return of inspectors," Lavrov said.

Al-Muallem said his government was ready to host the UN team, and insisted that Syria is ready to use all channels to convince the Americans that it wasn't behind the attack.

He added that Syria was ready for "full cooperation with Russia to remove any pretext for aggression".

Neither minister, however, offered any evidence to back their claim of rebel involvement in the chemical attack.

Lavrov said Russia will continue to promote a peaceful settlement and may try to convene a gathering of all Syrian opposition figures to join in negotiations. He added that a US attack on Syria would deal a fatal blow to peace efforts.

Lavrov wouldn't say how Russia could respond to a possible US attack on Syria, saying that "we wouldn't like to proceed from a negative scenario and would primarily take efforts to prevent a military intervention".

President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would keep providing assistance to Syria in case of US attack, but he and other Russian officials have made clear that Russia has no intention to engage in hostilities.

Lavrov also denied allegations that Russia may have sponsored a deal between the US and Syria during the Group of 20 summit in St. Petersburg last week, where Putin discussed the Syrian crisis with Obama.

"There won't be and there can't be any deal behind the back of the Syrian people," Lavrov said.

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

NT govt dumps minister Anderson

Aboriginal MP Alison Anderson has been dumped from the Northern Territory ministry. Source: AAP

ABORIGINAL MP Alison Anderson has been dumped from the Northern Territory ministry just two days after a federal coalition government was elected.

The Member for Namatjira was in charge of four portfolios: Children and Families, Regional Development, Local Government and Women's Policy.

But now Attorney-General John Elferink is the Minister for Children and Families, Deputy Chief Minister Dave Tollner has taken over the Local Government and Regions portfolio and Bess Price is Minister for Women's Policy.

In a statement released on Monday night, Chief Minister Adam Giles said he was "keen to re-organise the ministry to reflect the government's priorities" after a year in power.

Last month he ruled out dumping Ms Anderson, saying it was "all fiction".

Tension has been bubbling for some time between them, when in March after a failed leadership bid for the Country Liberal government Ms Anderson accused Mr Giles of behaving like a "little boy".

She threatened to leave the party and take three bush members - Bess Price, Larissa Lee and Francis Xavier - with her if Mr Giles pursued the Chief Ministership, which he successfully did with the bush members' support a week later.

Ms Anderson was elected as a Labor MLA in 2005, and served as a minister until 2009, when she left the party after a disagreement with then-Chief Minister Paul Henderson.

She was an independent until 2011 when she joined the Country Liberals, and was re-elected in last year's Territory elections.

Her dispute with Mr Giles came as she supported Terry Mills, the chief minister he rolled in March.

Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie said Mr Giles had never gotten over the slight.

"There's no doubt (he's) clinging to power without the full support of his colleagues," she said in a statement.

More recently, Mr Giles clashed with Ms Anderson over the CEO position for the Department of Children and Families, which now has its fourth leader in less than a year.

Ms Anderson appointed Jenni Collard to the acting role in March, and last week backed her for the full-time role, despite the government leaking that it wanted to appoint former Country Liberals leader Jodeen Carney, which it now has.

Mr Giles did not give a reason why Ms Anderson had been pushed out of cabinet, but said: "I thank Alison Anderson for her work in Cabinet and wish her well. (She) has worked as a minister for several years across different portfolios and governments."

He flagged a wider shuffle of the ministry, with the creation of three new portfolios - North Australia Development, Community Services and a combined Department of Local Government and Regions.

"Now is the time for northern Australia to be recognised as the key player in the energy, food and economic security of the Asian region," Mr Giles said.

"In light of this, I will be taking on the important new portfolio of North Australia Development, which will allow the Territory to work more closely with the federal, West Australian and Queensland governments on issues affecting the north."

Ms Lawrie described the government as the most dysfunctional the NT had ever had, with two chief ministers, five cabinets and multiple departmental changes in one year.

"There is no doubt deep divisions remain in the CLP camp," she said.

The NT's new ministry will be sworn in on Tuesday in Darwin.

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iranian ministers open pages on Facebook

Iran's entire Cabinet opened Facebook pages in what may be a move toward lifting internet freedom. Source: AAP

IRAN'S entire Cabinet has opened Facebook pages in what is seen as a move toward greater government openness - even though the social media site is blocked in the Islamic Republic.

The Facebook pages of 15 ministers could be viewed in Tehran through a proxy server. Newspapers on Monday hinted the move might herald the lifting of some internet barriers.

"It seems the 'key"' - Rouhani's electoral symbol in his presidential campaign - "may turn the lock of (internet) filtering," the pro-reform Shargh daily said.

With the exception of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who joined Facebook in 2009, the Cabinet members signed up this August after the inauguration of centrist- and reformist-backed President Hasan Rouhani.

Rouhani's office has also opened a page on Facebook that was "liked" by all the ministers.

Saeed Leilaz, a Tehran-based political analyst, said it was likely the start of the lifting of internet "filters," which block specific sites. "Definitely filtering on Facebook will be lifted, and we will witness the elimination of filters (on the rest of) internet," said Leilaz.

Rouhani had promised greater openness and transparency during his presidential campaign in June. The move also suggests that his administration is looking toward social media to push its policies.

Last week, Zarif told a local news website that he sent a message on Twitter saying "Happy Rosh Hashana," the Jewish new year, in what is likely a small diplomatic step toward easing the hostilities between his nation and Israel.

Iranian hard-liners see the internet as a possible corrupting force, but many Iranians use proxies to access banned sites.

Iran imposed a ban on Facebook after disputed re-election of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009, when his opponents used social media to organise protests.

Earlier in 2012, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, issued a religious decree in which Facebook was considered permissible if it was not used for corrupting or bad purposes. A page that claims to be Khamenei's is generally believed to reflect his views. He has neither disowned nor claimed it, and many consider it his unofficial voice.

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Mass blackout across eastern Melbourne

A MAJOR power outage blacked out over 100 traffic signal lights and caused around 200,000 homes in Melbourne's east to lose power on Monday evening.

A United Energy spokesman said the power outage effected its customers from 5.30pm (AEST) in areas including Burwood, Cheltenham, Brighton, Mordialloc, and Clayton with power restored after 45 minutes.

The spokesman said the outage was caused by a fault with an SP Ausnet terminal station.

VicRoads director of road operations Dean Zabrieszach said over 100 traffic signals were without power.

"It started about 5.20pm and we had just about everything back to normal by 6pm," he said.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said she had not received any reports of accidents caused by the blackout.

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Royal prank call inquest delayed again

Fifty Shades lingerie to hit Target

IN NEWS that will please fans of erotica, the lingerie line based on popular novel Fifty Shades of Grey will be stocked exclusively in Australia through Target.

Stations bid to air adult TV any time

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Rolf's Queen portrait 'missing'

ROLF Harris' portrait of Queen Elizabeth is reportedly in art limbo, with no-one confirming its whereabouts.

Is One Direction's Niall in Melbourne?

FANS of boyband One Direction are in meltdown mode on Twitter tonight with news one of the fab five, Niall Horan, has touched down for a holiday visit in Melbourne.

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shorten should lead Labor: Marles

FORMER trade minister Richard Marles has called on Bill Shorten to put his hand up for the Labor leadership, saying it's in the interests of the party he do so.

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Family disappointed by prank inquest delay

THE family of a British nurse who took her own life after receiving a prank phone call from two Australian radio DJs is "disappointed" the inquest into her death has been delayed for a second time.

The inquest was due to be held on Thursday and Friday this week in central London.

But a spokesman for Westminster City Council, which handles media inquiries for Westminster Coroner's Court where the inquest was first opened, said it had been adjourned again because Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox was "seeking more information".

"We will announce another date in due course, hopefully within a few days," the spokesman told AAP.

The inquest was initially scheduled for May.

British MP Keith Vaz, who's been speaking on behalf of Jacinta Saldanha's family, says they were surprised to hear the inquest was delayed again just a few days before it was due to begin.

"They are rather disappointed at the decision as they have been waiting for nine months and this is the second time the inquest has been adjourned," Mr Vaz said in a statement.

"For them the inquest represents closure. We very much hope we will have a new date set soon."

Ms Saldanha committed suicide in December 2012 just days after 2DayFM's Mel Greig and Michael Christian rang London's King Edward VII hospital posing as the Queen and Prince Charles.

The 46-year-old, a mother of two, transferred the call to a duty nurse who gave out information about Prince William's pregnant wife Kate Middleton.

Radio station 2DayFM last week said it had phone records showing it attempted to gain permission to air the now infamous prank call.

The station always maintained that four follow-up calls were made despite the hospital stating it had no records of the subsequent calls being placed.

"It has been somewhat contentious for a while, but today 2DayFM has established through its phone logs and verification by the phone company that those calls were made to the hospital after the first call, which became known as the prank call," a spokesman told AAP on Tuesday.

The inquest will hear evidence in person from Greig who confirmed earlier this year, through her lawyers, that she would travel to London for the hearing.

The coroner has granted anonymity to a duty nurse who may have been one of the last people to speak with Indian-born Ms Saldanha on the night of the call.

British police have passed a file relating to the hoax call to both the Australian Federal Police and NSW Police and asked them to consider "whether any offences were committed under Australian legislation".

UK prosecutors in February announced Greig and Christian would not be charged in the UK over the prank.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

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Storm class action payout 'unfair': court

THE corporate watchdog has won an appeal against an $82 million settlement between former Storm Financial clients and Macquarie Bank Ltd.

The Federal Court on Monday ruled the May 3 settlement was unfair following an appeal by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

The settlement followed a class action brought against Macquarie Bank by Sydney law firm Levitt Robinson.

Under the terms, Macquarie Bank was to pay $82.5 million in final settlement of the claims of 1050 Storm clients who took out margin loans with the bank.

A total of 317 investors who funded the class action were to be reimbursed legal costs and also compensated for 42 per cent of their losses.

The remaining 733 Macquarie borrowers who were not involved in funding the class action were to only get back about 17.6 per cent of their losses.

The Federal Court in its written judgment found the distribution of the settlement pool among former Storm investors was unfair and unreasonable, and set aside its earlier decision to approve the deal.

ASIC is taking legal action against Storm Financial founders Emmanuel and Julie Cassimatis.

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No GST change under Abbott govt: Pyne

MANAGER of opposition business Christopher Pyne has ruled out changes to the GST under a government led by Tony Abbott.

"There will be no change to the GST in an Abbott government," Mr Pyne told told ABC's Q&A program on Monday night.

He said the GST should be included in a review of the Tax Act, but the opposition's policy position was that it should not be changed.

"Tony Abbott has said it, I've said it, Joe Hockey's said it, Julie Bishop has said it," Mr Pyne said.

"If the review says the GST should be increased, the commitment from the Tony Abbott opposition is that we will not change either the GST or the basket of goods and services upon which it applies."

He said it was "nonsense" that Labor's tax review led by Ken Henry had not addressed the GST.

"It's like North Korea with the Labor party. You can't discuss the GST under any circumstances."

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Dutch prince dies

DUTCH prince Friso, who was brain-damaged after being buried by an avalanche in Austria last year, has died in The Hague, the royal palace says.

"Prince Friso died from complications as a result of oxygen shortages during his ski accident on February 17, 2012," a palace statement on Monday said.

Prince Friso was the brother of King Willem-Alexander.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks drop on weak Japan data

US stocks have opened lower on the heels of disappointing economic data out of Japan.

Five minutes into trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 40.47 (0.26 per cent) to 15,385.04.

The broad-based S&P 500 dipped 6.67 (0.39 per cent) to 1,684.75, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gave up 12.86 (0.35 per cent) at 3,647.25.

Earlier on Monday, Japan said growth in the second-quarter came in at a 2.6 per cent annual pace, down from 3.8 per cent in the first quarter.

The Japan news disappointed investors, who have seen the world's third-biggest economy as a strong growth story in 2013 following aggressive stimulus moves.

Monday's losses followed declines in US equities last week as investors cited the need for equity markets to consolidate after recent valuation gains.

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NGOs urge asylum seeker policy rethink

SIXTY-FOUR church groups, charities and refugee advocates have called for an end to the "negative and distorted" political debate on asylum seekers.

The non-government organisations (NGOs) say the federal government's deterrent policies haven't worked. They also took a swipe at the opposition's "regressive" boat policies.

"The negative, distorted and myopic political debate on refugee and asylum seeker policy has been allowed to go on for far too long," the NGOs said in a statement on Tuesday.

"It is time for a new approach which focuses on protection rather than punishment, on facts rather than fear-mongering, and on long-term solutions rather than short-term political gain."

They called for an end to offshore processing, prompt access to permanent protection and opportunities for refugees to reunite with family.

The NGOs issued their statement on the first anniversary since the Houston expert panel on asylum seekers handed down their recommendations to former prime minister Julia Gillard.

The NGOs acknowledged federal Labor had done some good work on asylum seekers, such as lifting Australia's humanitarian intake to 20,000 but criticised the government for focusing on punitive deterrence-based measures such as offshore processing.

Signatories include the NSW Teachers Federation, the Australian Council of Social Service and the St Vincent de Paul Society.

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Troubled BlackBerry eyes sale

STRUGGLING smartphone maker BlackBerry is examining "strategic alternatives", including the possibility of selling off the firm.

The Canadian firm on Monday said it had formed a committee to consider "possible joint ventures, strategic partnerships or alliances, a sale of the company or other possible transactions".

The announcement comes with BlackBerry marginalised in a smartphone market dominated by makers using the Google Android operating system and by Apple's iPhone.

A statement issued by BlackBerry said the board's committee would seek ways "to enhance value and increase scale" to help deploy its products based on the new BlackBerry 10 platform.

"We continue to see compelling long-term opportunities for BlackBerry 10, we have exceptional technology that customers are embracing, we have a strong balance sheet and we are pleased with the progress that has been made in our transition," chief executive Thorsten Heins said.

A survey by research firm IDC found BlackBerry's global market share had slipped to 3.7 per cent in the second quarter, the lowest since tracking began, while Android accounted for nearly 80 per cent.

While BlackBerry helped create a culture of mobile users who were glued to the company's smartphones, many of those customers have since moved to Apple or other smartphone makers such as Samsung, mainly using Android.

In a turnaround bid, the company unveiled its new platform on January 30, as it dropped the corporate name Research in Motion to rebrand as BlackBerry, but staggered sales launches across regions.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Govt sitting on NBN report: Turnbull

Catfight at Next Top Model

THE much hyped catfight between two ANTM contestants model hopefuls Taylah Roberts and Ashley Pogmore airs tomorrow night.

It's forever, Big Ears ...

IT'S the lobe-stretching tribal trend loved by teens - but surgeons reveal the true legacy of gauging will be anything but music to their ears.

PM turns cabbie in campaign stunt

NORWEGIAN Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg went undercover as a taxi driver for an afternoon, in a bid to find out voters' real concerns.

23.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt judiciary extends Morsi detention

EGYPT'S judiciary says it is extending ousted president Mohamed Morsi's detention for a further 15 days pending an investigation into his collaboration with Hamas.

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Business confident about Dec qtr

BUSINESS confidence looks to be getting better, helped by a falling exchange rate and the expectation of another Reserve Bank of Australia rate cut.

The latest Dun and Bradstreet Business Expectations Survey showed that 24 per cent of businesses expect increased earnings in the fourth quarter of the year.

Dun and Bradstreet chief executive Gareth Jones said businesses were looking to the end of the year for better conditions.

"It's fair to say that business owners have had a tough time of it through the first part of this year; battling against high operating costs, poor cash flow and consumers that have generally spurned spending for savings," he said.

"Our first look at December quarter expectations, however, hints that operating conditions are stabilising along with a lower Aussie dollar and with expectations of a further interest rate cut to stimulate spending.

"As we await a period of sustained economic stability, it may be that the conclusion of the election is the event that kicks these initial findings on sentiment from stable to optimistic, he added.

The D&B survey shows that 38 per cent of businesses are likely to delay significant decisions and investment until after the September 7 federal election.

Dun and Bradstreet economic adviser Stephen Koukoulas said business expectations were still below those of a year ago.

"While the economy is not yet strong, the tentative signs of a bottoming or a moderate upturn in most components of the Business Expectations Survey is encouraging," Mr Koukoulas said.

"With a further interest rate cut and the lower Australian dollar still to show up in economic activity, there is a strong chance that we could see a turning point that could signal a stronger year for the economy in 2014."

The RBA board meets on Tuesday and is widely expected to cut the cash rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a new record low of 2.50 per cent.

The Australian dollar has lost more than 12 US cents since early May and is now trading below 90 US cents.

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Mandela threatened over utilities bill

AUTHORITIES admit they mistakenly delivered a utilities bill to Nelson Mandela's upmarket home and threatened to cut the icon's water and electricity supply.

Johannesburg city council apologised on Monday for the "unfortunate incident" after the 6,500-rand ($A744) bill arrived at the global peace hero's house in the suburb of Houghton over the weekend.

"The address and account number stated on the notice belong to another customer and property in a neighbouring suburb, not to the Mandela residence," said city spokesman Kgamanyane Maphologela.

The notice threatened "discontinuation or restriction of services" and legal action if the 30-day arrears were not paid, local media Eyewitness News reported.

With Mandela receiving treatment in a Pretoria hospital since June 8, the slip left the city council red-faced.

But it is not the first time an errant bill has embarrassed the city.

Last month a bill for over 3.5 million rand was erroneously sent to the African National Congress party headquarters.

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Japan needs 'credible' economic plan: IMF

THE IMF says Japan's "three arrows" economic stimulus program is boosting growth but is still pushing the country to follow through with fiscal and structural reforms.

It urged Tokyo to adopt a "credible" medium-term program that includes raising consumption taxes and deregulating farming and the service industry.

In its annual review of Japan's economy, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday the aggressive stimulus efforts of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had given a strong boost to growth.

The lender forecast that the economy would hold to a two percent pace this year and inflation would pick up gradually.

But it warned that, in addition to monetary and fiscal stimulus efforts, the government must follow through with the "third arrow" - economic reform.

"All three arrows need to be launched for the policies to succeed. Uncertainty about the ambition of fiscal and structural reforms is adding to underlying risks," the Fund said.

"Failure to follow through on fiscal and structural reforms could, however, lead to overreliance on monetary policy with negative consequences for Japan and the global economy."

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35 drown as heatwave grips Poland

THIRTY-FIVE people have drowned in Poland since the beginning of August, according to police, as Poles attempt to combat a heatwave by flocking to the beach.

Last weekend alone, 25 Poles drowned as the scorching weather that has gripped the country pushed the mercury to 36 degrees Celsius in some regions.

More than 300 people have drowned in Poland since May, as a heavy drinking culture and a lack of supervision on beaches contribute to a high level of accidental deaths in water.

In France, 91 people have drowned since the beginning of July, 37 of them while swimming in the sea. Most were men 40 and above who ignored red flag warnings on beaches, according to local government statistics.

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The Simpsons to get a Lego series

WANT to build a new home for Homer or try out a new hairstyle for Marge?

Danish toy company Lego on Monday confirmed it will launch a special series themed on The Simpsons family globally in 2014.

Lego spokesman Roar Rude Trangbaek wouldn't give any details about what characters would be included, but said the company hopes the series will "appeal to fans of The Simpsons family."

Lego, a privately held Danish company, has seen its sales soar in recent years after it started making series based on popular movies such as Star Wars and Ninjago.

The Simpsons has been on the air for 22 years, becoming the longest-running American sitcom, the longest-running American animated program and a cultural phenomenon with colleges devoting courses to studying it.

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European stocks close mixed

EUROPEAN stocks ended Monday's session in mixed mode as markets digested positive eurozone data amid a drop in retail sales and weaker-than-expected profits at global banking giant HSBC, dealers said.

London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares fell 0.43 per cent to end at 6,619.58 points and Frankfurt's DAX 30 slipped 0.10 per cent to 8,398.38 points.

The CAC 40 in Paris finished 0.11 per cent higher, meanwhile, at 4,049.97 points.

In Monday's foreign exchange trading, the euro slipped to $1.3257 from $1.3279 late in New York on Friday. The dollar dropped to 98.60 yen from 98.89 yen.

On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold fell back to $1,304.75 an ounce from $1,309.25 on Friday.

The eurozone recession seems to be fading out at last, with key growth indicators giving a surprisingly strong showing, economics experts said on Monday.

A key leading indicator of activity, the Markit Eurozone Composite Purchasing Managers Index for July switched to give a growth reading for the first time for 18 months.

But eurozone retail sales, a key indicator of demand in the economy, slipped by 0.5 per cent in June from the previous month, official data showed Monday.

On the corporate front, shares in HSBC finished 4.37 per cent lower to close at 721.7 pence after half-year net profits at Europe's biggest bank came in below expectations.

Profit after tax jumped to $US10.28 billion ($A11.59 billion) in the six months to the end of June compared with the first half of 2012 on lower costs and bad-debt charges, the British lender said in an earnings statement.

The result came in slightly below analysts' consensus forecast of profit after tax totalling $US10.52 billion, according to a survey by Dow Jones Newswires.

Meanwhile in France, utilities group Veolia Environnement reported a six-month profits slump to just 4.0 million euros owing to provisions and warned that its activities in China were slowing.

However shares in the group which provides water and waste management services in many countries rose by 3.41 per cent to 10.62 euros as the company held to its targets to cut costs and debt this year.

In midday trading on Wall Street, US stocks were lower as investors adjusted to a lighter economic calendar following the busy pace of recent weeks that pushed the Dow and S&P 500 to record highs.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.13 per cent to 15,607,67 points.

The broad-based S&P 500 shed 0.14 per cent to 1,707.32, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index dipped 0.03 per cent to 3,688.53.

Asian stock markets closed mostly lower on Monday after lower-than-expected US jobs growth sounded a warning about the recovery of the world's biggest economy, traders said.

The release at the weekend of a slightly improved Chinese non-manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI), compiled by HSBC bank, also failed to give Asian stocks a boost on Monday.

Last week, Wall Street closed at record highs despite the job figures indicating that growth remains sluggish.

Official data on Friday showed that the US unemployment rate fell to a better-than-expected 7.4 per cent in July from 7.6 per cent in June, but jobs growth disappointed.

The Labor Department reported that the United States added 162,000 jobs last month, well below the 175,000 expected on average by analysts.

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Norway closes Saudi, Jordan embassies

NORWAY has closed its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Jordan to the public due to threats of attacks by Al-Qaeda, the foreign ministry says.

The Scandinavian country has also raised the security level at other diplomatic missions in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as sensitive locations such as Nairobi, the ministry said.

"We have limited public access by closing down, for example, the consular sections (in Riyadh and Amman)," ministry spokesman Frode Andersen said on Monday.

"The embassies are not closed down. We keep working, and communicate by telephone and mail."

The United States has closed down 19 diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Africa until August 10. France, Britain and Germany have also temporarily closed their embassies in Yemen.

This came after the United States issued a worldwide alert late last week warning of plans by al-Qaeda to launch an attack in the Middle East or Africa in August.

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Clashes in north Nigeria kill 35

CLASHES between Nigeria's military and Islamist extremist group Boko Haram in two northeastern towns have left at least 35 people dead, most of them insurgents, the army says.

A clash in the town of Bama sparked by an attack on a police base "led to the death of one policeman and 17 Boko Haram terrorists", a military statement said on Monday.

Fighting in the town of Malam Fatori after an attack on troops "led to the death of two soldiers and 15 Boko Haram terrorists", it said. Both incidents occurred on Sunday.

According to the military, the insurgents were armed with "sophisticated weapons" and explosives during the attacks.

Both Bama and Malam Fatori are located in Nigeria's Borno state, Boko Haram's home base.

Borno, badly hit by insurgent attacks as well as heavy-handed military raids, is one of three states currently under a state of emergency while security forces pursue an offensive aimed at ending Boko Haram's four-year insurgency.

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Prince Andrew launches Twitter account

THE Duke of York has become the first member of the Royal Family to join Twitter under their own name.

Andrew's Twitter membership was launched today with the simple tweet "Welcome to my Twitter account - AY".

Tweets signed AY, for Andrew York, are personally written by the Duke while others will be posted by his office.

But already his account - @TheDukeOfYork - has attracted unfavourable comments.

One person tweeted "yo how's Jeffrey Epstein?", referring to the Duke's relationship with an American billionaire who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Another posed the question "Has your account been hacked by Ali G?", but Andrew also received messages of welcome from the online community.

The Queen and members of her family are represented on Twitter by the account @BritishMonarchy, while @ClarenceHouse covers the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

A spokesman for Andrew said: "The Duke has long been an early and enthusiastic adopter of new technology.

"He was in fact the first member of the British Royal Family to tweet on the British Monarchy (account) when he visited Tech City. The logical next step was to tweet individually."

Asked about the derogatory tweets Andrew has received, the spokesman added: "The Duke is a champion of free speech, for him it's about telling people what he's doing."

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US stocks up on jobs data, Europe outlook

US stocks have continued their upward trajectory following a strong US jobs report and improving sentiment over Europe's prospects.

Five minutes into trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 70.65 (0.47 per cent) to 15,206.49.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 7.62 (0.47 per cent) to 1,639.51, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index increased 13.94 (0.40 per cent) to 3,493.32.

Monday's gains came on the heels of Friday's surge in US equity markets after the Labor Department reported that the US added 195,000 jobs in June, well above the 166,000 forecast.

Wall Street was also cheered by Monday's gains in European markets such as France's CAC 40 (up. 1.9 per cent), Germany's DAX (up 2.3 per cent) and Britain's FTSE 100 (up 0.5 per cent).

Greece's bailout lenders the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund announced on Monday that an audit showed that Greece's reform efforts were "broadly in line" with expectations.

European investors were also relieved that some high-level resignations in Portugal appear to have passed without bringing down the governing coalition.

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Labor, coalition tied at 50%: Newspoll

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has widened his lead over Tony Abbott as the country's preferred leader, according to a new poll.

The latest Newspoll, published in The Australian on Tuesday, shows the ALP and the coalition tied at 50 per cent each on a two-party preferred basis.

Labor's primary vote is up nine percentage points since Mr Rudd was restored as prime minister two weeks ago, giving the ALP 38 per cent, equal to its level at the August 2010 election.

The coalition's primary vote stands at 42 per cent, down six points since the change in Labor leadership.

The poll says voter satisfaction with Mr Rudd is up seven points to 43 per cent from 36 per cent the previous weekend.

A four-point rise as preferred prime minister to 53 per cent gives him a 22-point lead over Mr Abbott, who fell four points to 31 points.

The poll, taken over the weekend, shows 24 per cent of voters want an election before September 14, 25 per cent want it on the nominated date and only nine per cent want it later, with 41 per cent not expressing a preference.

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Rudd can debate himself, Turnbull says

IF Opposition Leader Tony Abbott doesn't turn up to debate Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Thursday, Mr Rudd could always use the occasion to debate himself, Malcolm Turnbull says.

Mr Turnbull said Mr Abbott wasn't refusing to have a debate.

He said there was a place to hold a debate and that was on the floor of the House of Representatives and Mr Rudd should recall parliament.

"If on the other hand Mr Rudd wants to have an early election and we certainly agree that's a very good idea... then of course Mr Abbott will debate him in the National Press Club or anywhere else," he told the ABC Q and A program.

Mr Rudd has booked the National press Club on Thursday for a debate with Mr Abbott who hasn't said he'll turn up, insisting the government either recall parliament or call the election.

Mr Turnbull said Mr Abbott really didn't need to turn up.

"Kevin can debate himself," he said.

"Take immigration - Kevin 07 can say 'stop the boats' and then he can duck around to the other side of the platform and Kevin 13 can say 'you can't stop the boats, you can't tow the boats back'," he said.

Mr Turnbull said Mr Rudd had so many positions on economics, he could form the whole panel.

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Indonesia 'could do more' to stop boats

INDONESIA could do much more to stem the flow of asylum seeker through their territory and could easily shut down people smuggling operations, a former senior army officer says.

Retired Major General Jim Molan, who served as Australian defence adviser in Jakarta, said Indonesian domestic law was sufficient to disrupt the people smugglers and there was a raft of new laws on the way.

"You could in my view in a very short period of time close down the people smugglers," he told ABC television.

But the problem was that Indonesia didn't see this as a big problem.

"We have got to impress on the Indonesians that this is a real problem for us and as friends they should assist us," he said.

"We have assisted them as friends quite often over many many years."

Mr Molan said Indonesia's lack of concern was demonstrated by the fact that not a single one of their navy's 150 ships, including patrol boats donated by Australia, was stationed in their southern search and rescue zone.

Mr Molan said the joint communique signed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week rejected unilateral action of the sort proposed by the coalition with their boat turnback policy.

"Indonesia has for years been taking unilateral action in allowing people to pass through, particularly Java, breaking their domestic laws as they pass through, corrupting their officials. Indonesia has been allowing them to get onto unsafe fishing boats," he said.

Mr Molan said asylum seeker boats could be turned back but the actual techniques for doing that should not be publicly revealed.

"Because those techniques telegraph what they can do and what they can't do, I'm not prepared to talk about it," he said.

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