Two die on Vic roads in two hours

TWO women have been killed within two hours in separate Victorian crashes.

The first died after a head-on collision at Brucknell in Victoria's southwest.

Police say the woman's car collided with a van about 45km from Warrnambool, at about 3pm (AEST) on Saturday.

She died at the scene.

Police say another woman died in the Geelong suburb of Leopold, when a utility lost control and struck her car at about 5pm.

The woman, who was the only occupant in the car, died at the scene.

The deaths take Victoria's road toll to 172, compared with 197 at the same time last year.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Roadside bombs kill five in Afghanistan

PROVINCIAL officials say two separate roadside bomb attacks have killed five Afghan civilians in the eastern and southern parts of the country.

Shafiqullah Nang, who is spokesman for the eastern province of Ghazni, said three civilians died Saturday when their minivan was struck by a roadside bomb as they were driving from Dayak district to Ghazni city.

He says that another eight people were wounded, including two women and two children.

In a second explosion, Fared Ayal, a spokesman for the police chief of southern Uruzgan province, said two men died when their car ran over a bomb on Saturday.

Roadside bombs are the number one cause of civilian deaths in Afghanistan, and casualties have risen as insurgents step up attacks as foreign troops withdraw.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two ships crash off Japan

Two cargo ships have collided off Tokyo leaving five crew members injured, and another missing. Source: AAP

TWO cargo ships have collided off Tokyo leaving five Japanese crew members critically injured, and another missing.

The five sailors rescued on Friday evening from the Japanese-flagged Eifuku Maru No 18 were found in a state of cardiorespiratory arrest, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The coast guard was searching for the sixth crew member, the Kyodo News Agency reported.

The 498-tonne ship and the 2,962-tonne Jia Hui, registered in Sierra Leone, collided at about 1.25am on Friday near Izu Oshima island, 100km south of Tokyo.

The Japanese vessel, found capsized with all its crew missing, was heading for Chiba, east of Tokyo, from Nagoya, central Japan.

The 13 Chinese and Myanmar nationals that made up the Sierra Leone freighter's crew were rescued from waters nearby, Kyodo said.

The Jia Hui was on its way to Busan, South Korea, from Kawasaki, south of Tokyo.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asylum seekers 'abandoned' at sea

The Abbott government has been criticised for its tight-lipped stance on an asylum-seeker tragedy.

SURVIVORS from an asylum-seeker boat that sank off Indonesia claim their desperate pleas to Australian authorities for help were ignored as their vessel foundered in heavy seas.

The death toll from the tragedy was on Saturday expected to surpass 50, with 30 or so people still missing.

Indonesian authorities say that at least 21 people, including seven children, drowned when the boat, which was believed to be carrying about 80 passengers, sank on Friday off the coast of Java.

A decision on whether to resume the search would be made on Sunday morning, Indonesian officials said late Saturday.

Authorities fear for up to 70 asylum seekers still missing after their boat sank off Java.

The Australian government issued a statement on Saturday evening expressing its sympathies and saying that it would provide assistance to Indonesian authorities.

Immigration and Border Protection minister Scott Morrison said Australian authorities received a call about the vessel on Friday morning that placed the stricken boat about 25 nautical miles of Indonesia.

Mr Morrison said Rescue Coordination Centre Australia maintained co-ordination of the search and notified the Indonesian rescue agency.

An all-ships broadcast was issued by Australian authorities, but a merchant ship and a border protection aircraft were both unable to find the vessel.

The dead, wrapped in yellow bodybags, some stacked on top of each other, could be seen on Saturday, exposed to the sun and heat in an open storage room of a clinic in the village of Agrabinta, near where they had washed ashore the previous day.

Many were children.

One of the survivors, Lebanese man Hussein Khodr, had reportedly lost his pregnant wife and eight children in the disaster.

But some of the survivors say that more lives could have been saved, claiming that as many as 10 calls to Australian authorities were either eventually ignored or treated as a low priority.

"We called them and we told them we're sinking, we need anybody to help us," 28-year-old Abdullah al Qisi said, according to The Australian newspaper.

"And they were telling us 'we're coming, we're coming' and they didn't come," he said.

Initial reports suggested the boat first got into trouble about 10 hours into its journey and efforts were made to return to Indonesia before it sank.

There were also claims on Saturday that the crew had abandoned ship shortly after setting off, and that the passengers had been left to fend for themselves for five days, drifting around with no engine, before calamity finally struck on Friday.

A spokesman for the Indonesian search and rescue agency, BASARNAS, said his office was not advised of an incident involving an asylum-seeker boat until 8am local time on Friday.

He said the Australian Maritime and Safety Authority had contacted BASARNAS about the boat.

However, a police official from the district of Cianjur near where the boat sank said authorities were only alerted to the incident after bodies were discovered floating in an estuary on Friday morning.

Strong waves had limited search and rescue efforts on Saturday, although three more people were found alive, taking the number of confirmed survivors to 28.

It's the first known fatal attempted asylum-seeker crossing under the coalition government, which promised that it would stop boats reaching Australia after it won this month's federal election.

The sinking comes after another group of 44 asylum seekers were rescued by an Australian navy vessel in the Sunda Strait on Thursday.

It also emerged on Saturday that a third group of 31 asylum seekers had been rescued by an Australian navy vessel, and were set to be returned to Indonesia - the second "hand-back" in as many days.

The latest tragedy in waters between Indonesia and Australia comes amid an increase in tensions between Canberra and Jakarta over the asylum-seeker issue, and days ahead of talks in Jakarta between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Mr Abbott and President Yudhoyno will meet on Monday, with asylum-seeker policy expected to be at the top of the agenda.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asylum seekers drown on way to Australia

AT least 15 asylum seekers are believed to have drowned after their boat sank off the coast of Indonesia as it made its way to Australia.

An official with the Indonesian search and rescue agency, BASARNAS, has confirmed that more than 20 survivors had been recovered.

The BASARNAS official said that 15 people had drowned after the boat they were on sank on Friday.

"Local police are saying that 25 people have been rescued," he told AAP.

But he also warned that the death toll was likely to rise.

"The casualties might add up," he said.

The official said BASARNAS was advised of a boat in distress about 3pm local time on Friday.

Indonesian authorities said the boat had started taking on water off the coast of West Java, near the Sukabumi region, earlier on Friday.

"Local police say that 25 survivors have been taken to a madrasah (boarding school) in the Cianjur area," the BASARNAS official said.

"The search is still taking place."

It's believed to be the first fatal attempted asylum-seeker crossing under the coalition government, and comes after another group of 44 asylum seekers were rescued by an Australian navy vessel in the Sunda Strait on Thursday.

The group rescued on Thursday, which included four children, were offloaded at Indah Kiat port at Banten in the western part of Java at 8am on Friday.

The two incidents come amid a ramping up in tensions between Canberra and Jakarta over the asylum seeker issue, and days ahead of talks in Jakarta between Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Coles recalls nappies across Australia

COLES supermarkets has recalled its self-branded dry fit nappies due to potential safety risks.

In a statement issued on Friday, Coles advised customers not to use Coles Dry Fit Nappies and to return the product to the nearest Coles or Bi-Lo store for a full refund.

"The product is being recalled as a precaution due to a significant bobbling of the exterior of the nappy which could pose a potential safety risk," the statement read.

"No other nappies are affected."

According to News Corp Australia, the experience of a Brisbane mother, who had to pull fluff from a nappy out of her infant's mouth, prompted to the voluntary recall.

Alexandra Mayock told News Corp fluff from a nappy clogged her daughter's throat as she slept.

"I had to stick two fingers down her throat to pull the fluff out," she said.

Ms Mayock posted a status on Facebook on Thursday warning all parents about her experience.

The status has been shared more than 42,000 times.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

BlackBerry posts loss, steep revenue drop

BLACKBERRY says it is committed to completing a series of major changes quickly after posting a nearly billion-dollar loss and a 45 per cent drop in revenue for the second quarter.

The troubled smartphone company reported a loss of $US965 million ($A1.04 billion) and revenue of $US1.6 billion, in line with what it warned when it surprised the market by preleasing dismal earnings projections last week and announcing 4500 layoffs.

The company posted revenue of $US2.9 billion in the second quarter last year.

The adjusted loss was $US248 million or $US0.47 per share this quarter.

That's far below the loss of 16 cents per share projected by Wall Street last week.

Fairfax, BlackBerry's largest shareholder, subsequently announced it plans to make an offer for Blackberry and is trying to attract other investors.

BlackBerry cancelled its conference call with analysts on Friday in light of that overture.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Would-be abductor stops traffic

A WOULD-BE abductor stopped traffic in an attempt to drag a teenager to his car in Melbourne's west on Thursday night.

A 19-year-old woman had been waiting for a bus in Sunshine at 7.30pm when a male driver pulled up on the street and dragged the teen towards his vehicle.

Police spokeswoman Kelly Yates said the offender, aged in his mid-30s, blocked east-bound traffic on Monash Street so he could approach the girl.

Ms Yates said the woman resisted and screamed, which caused the man to let go of her and drive away.

The teenager had noticed a dark-coloured hatchback drive slowly past her. It later drove past her again before stopping.

The offender, who was wearing a black suit jacket and dark-coloured pants, was of Asian appearance, about 170cm tall with short black, straight hair and a black moustache.

Police are keen to speak to the drivers of two cars that were in the area at the time of the incident.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bushfire conditions ease in NSW

NSW firefighters are on the front foot against bushfires on the state's mid-north coast, with local residents granted a reprieve by the easing winds.

Forty properties in the Taree and Great Lakes areas had been threatened when soaring temperatures and fierce gusts helped stoke fires, but Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd told ABC Radio that conditions were improving on Thursday night.

"The main thing is the winds have dropped," he said.

"Initially this afternoon, we saw wind gusts in excess of 60-70km/h, even as high as 90km/h, across some of these firegrounds and that's what caused a number of these fires to flare up and run and run quite hard."

Further south near Newcastle, four teenagers have been arrested over a bushfire that forced the evacuation of a Scout camp northwest of Newcastle.

About 60 children had to leave Glenrock Scout Camp on Thursday due to a blaze that prompted a police investigation into suspicious fires in the Glenrock State Conservation area.

"Officers from NSW Fire and Rescue have been fighting a number of fires in the conservation area between Dudley and Merewether Heights," a police spokesman told AAP.

"Four teenage males ... have been taken to Belmont Police Station, where they are assisting police with their inquiries."

Scouts NSW communications and development manager Rosalie Batistoni told AAP the scouts were all safe after being moved to a local bowls club.

A blaze south of Taree, near Old Bar Rd, has burnt over 100 hectares and firefighters are still working to protect homes.

The fire forced the Pacific Highway to close but it has since been reopened.

Meanwhile, fire has destroyed some sheds in Shallow Bay and burned through 70 hectares of bushland.

The RFS has now down-graded fire alerts for both blazes to "watch and act", urging residents to keep monitoring the situation and be prepared to react quickly.

Reception centres for residents unable to return home have been set up at Club Taree and Club Old Bar.

Club Old Bar manager Tony Jones said 300 locals had holed up at the establishment, some bringing their cats and dogs.

"A lot of kids are upset," he told AAP.

"The uncertainty is the worst at the moment."

The RFS is battling 50 fires across the state, 20 which are uncontained. NSW Fire and Rescue said they were dealing with more than 100 smaller bush and grass fires, mostly in western Sydney.

Damaging winds were also felt at the Sydney Airport, where a 80km/h crosswind forced a Jetstar flight from the Gold Coast to pull out of its landing just 30 metres from the runway.

"It was probably the worst flight we have been on," passenger Steve Ovani told Network Ten.

Falling trees cut off electricity to about 4000 homes in Sydney, with areas including Lane Cove, Rozelle and Chatswood affected shortly after 2pm (AEST).

The State Emergency Service received 500 jobs, mainly for fallen trees and roof damage, spokeswoman Sue Pritchard said.

In the CBD, the gusty winds blew out shop fronts and high-rise windows, Ten reported.

Elsewhere, Thredbo recorded winds of up to 111km/h, while Goulburn, the Southern Tablelands and the Hunter all experienced winds of more than 95km/h.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Francois Geffroy said conditions were expected to ease further overnight.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

John Garnaut wins Lowy Media Award

FORMER Fairfax China correspondent John Garnaut has won the inaugural Lowy Institute Media Award.

The judging panel, which included former foreign minister Alexander Downer and journalist Jana Wendt, chose Garnaut for his deep reporting, great writing and impact.

"It's an enormous privilege, in fact my whole job was an enormous privilege," Garnaut said at the awards dinner in Sydney on Thursday night.

Garnaut returned to Australia three months ago after six years based in Beijing.

He wins a cash prize, return airfares to Asia and a trophy.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Perth Zoo elephant Tricia backs Dockers

Tricia the Asian elephant at Perth Zoo has tipped the Fremantle Dockers to win the AFL grand final. Source: AAP

MANY Fremantle Dockers fans have come out of the woodwork recently - including Tricia the Asian elephant.

Perth Zoo's longest resident, Tricia had her allegiance put to the test when keepers put paintings of the Dockers and Hawks logos in front of the 56-year-old this week.

And she lumbered straight up to the purple one, clearly pointing her trunk at the canvas, a video uploaded to YouTube shows.

"She really could have picked anything, so we were really pleased," spokeswoman Debbie Read said.

The paintings were made by Tricia and her younger female herd member, Permai, as part of an enrichment program that gives the elephants physical and mental stimulation.

The keepers placed stencils of the team logos on the canvas and the elephants then sprayed them with paint.

Ms Read said Perth Zoo's male elephant, Putra Mas, also liked painting.

"They become very excited when the keepers appear with the painting equipment," she said.

"They each paint with their own distinctive style and colour preference.

"We use vegetable-based non-toxic paint."

The elephants also paint with their feet.

Ms Read said the paintings were sold, with the funds going towards wildlife conservation.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tas parliament to debate euthanasia bill

Premier Lara Giddings has introduced a voluntary euthanasia bill to the Tasmanian parliament. Source: AAP

PREMIER Lara Giddings has introduced a voluntary euthanasia bill to her state's parliament that would allow terminally ill Tasmanians to take their lives.

Ms Giddings and Greens leader Nick McKim tabled a joint private members bill on Thursday that is based on "the values of compassion, respect for human dignity, and freedom of choice".

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2013 will establish a state registrar to oversee the process of people seeking voluntary euthanasia.

It also features penalties for anyone found to pressure patients.

"Who are we to say to an independent, competent adult that they must continue to live with pain and suffering, rather than allowing them to end their life at the time of their choosing?" Ms Giddings said in a statement.

"It is a tragedy that our current laws still often force terminally ill people to suffer an agonising and often humiliating death."

She said safeguards used in overseas laws and 900 public submissions had been considered during the consultation process.

The bill will be debated during the next sitting of Tasmania's parliament in mid-October.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Council worker asked to cover up asbestos

A FORMER northwestern NSW council worker claims he was asked to cover up dumped asbestos with green waste and garbage.

Mark Sankey said he worked at landfill sites for Gwydir Shire Council from 2008 until March this year.

On numerous occasions he alleges he was asked to cover dumped asbestos with garbage, green waste, push it into walls and sometimes burn it.

"When I was first in that job I was exposed to asbestos many, many times," he told AAP on Wednesday.

"They would ask me to just push the asbestos under the garbage so people couldn't see it."

He said only two landfills in the shire were locked, allowing dumping to occur overnight.

It was only after he began receiving training on how asbestos was to be properly disposed of that he began questioning the requests.

"When I asked questions they threatened me with my job."

In March, Mr Sankey said he was made redundant after being told his skills were no longer required.

Gwydir Shire Council was not immediately available to comment on Mr Sankey's claims, which come after the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (ADFA) accused the council of unsafe work practices and illegal dumping, which is potentially putting the residents at risk.

ADFA president Barry Robson said worried Warialda locals had reported council workers cutting asbestos cement pipes in a residential street without safety equipment or warnings.

He also said there were reports asbestos was being illegally dumped or "simply being tossed over the fence of local tips".

But Gwydir Shire Mayor John Coulton dismissed the reports as "unfair and misleading", saying safety concerns had been fully investigated.

"The council is confident that no staff member or member of the public has been endangered during the water pipe replacement program in Warialda," he said in a statement.

He also rubbished allegations workers in the small town were told to misclassify asbestos waste to minimise disposal costs.

WorkCover NSW and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) have both confirmed they were looking into the claims.

The EPA said it received a report from Gwydir Shire Council on September 19 saying the council had inadvertently deposited about 10 cubic metres of soil with bonded asbestos pipe on council-owned lands at Warialda.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Victim named in WA desert rally crash

A MAN killed in a long-distance off-road rally in Western Australia's north west has been named as Ivan Erceg.

The moto competitor had an accident at stage one of the Australasian Safari, about 50km east of Minilya near Carnarvon, on Wednesday at 9.30am (WST).

Emergency services were quick to assist the man, who was believed to be in his early 40s, but he died at the scene.

An Australasian Safari spokeswoman said the remainder of the leg had been cancelled.

The event will resume tomorrow, she said.

The event organisers extended sympathies to Mr Erceg's family, team members and friends.

"Ivan was one of life's huge characters and was loved by the entire Safari family," they said on their Facebook page.

"He was a true competitor who loved his motorbikes and the mateship of competition. He will be sorely missed."

Police have seized the bike and a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding Mr Erceg's death has commenced.

Organisers have also arranged for a pastor and counsellors to be available at the race site.

Tributes flowed on the Australasian Safari's Facebook page.

Kevin O'Bryan wrote: "One of the most respected desert racers Australia wide."

James Arnold posted: "Condolences... R.I.P. you mad man, will be missed."

Karlie Conner wrote: "A safari legend who will be missed by all."

The WA government sponsors the Australasian Safari through Eventscorp, a division of Tourism WA.

It is an annual off-road rally for four-wheel drives, side by sides, motorbikes and quad bikes.

Considered Australia's toughest motorsport challenge, the event began on September 19 and runs until September 29.

It covers 3000km including Geraldton, the Gascoyne region, the Kennedy Ranges, Carnarvon and Kalbarri.

The extreme motorsport event attracts competitors from countries including China, France, Sweden, Britain, Thailand, South Africa, Botswana, the US, Italy and Germany.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bond is back in new novel

BOND is back, exactly as we remember him but also subtly different. For one thing, he looks a bit like Daniel Day-Lewis.

William Boyd, who has written a new official James Bond novel authorised by Ian Fleming's family, says Day-Lewis would be perfect to play the 007 he's created in Solo.

Boyd says Fleming once described Bond as "looking like the American singer-songwriter Hoagy Carmichael. Daniel Day-Lewis looks like Hoagy Carmichael."

Solo is set in 1969 and takes the suave British spy - 45 years old and feeling his age - from London's plush Dorchester Hotel to a war-ravaged West African country and to Washington.

The book was launched on Wednesday with a suitably glamorous photo call involving sports cars and flight attendants, ahead of its publication in Britain on Thursday.

It will be published in the United States and Canada on October 8.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teen molested by police: report

A TEENAGER was allegedly forced to strip and molested by police when she refused to pay a bribe to lodge a rape complaint in northern India, officials say.

"The girl complained that the station house officer took her into a room and asked her to remove her clothes, so he could confirm if she had been sexually assaulted," on Sunday, the region's police chief Lalit Kumar Singh said.

The victim, 18, "alleged she was later molested by the officer, who had demanded 50,000 rupees (800 dollars) to lodge the rape complaint," he added.

The Times of India on Wednesday reported the girl's age as 14, and said the alleged assault occurred after her father, who had taken her to the station, refused to pay the bribe.

The police launched a probe against the officer, in the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh state, after the father complained to the police superintendent on Tuesday, the report said.

Singh said on Wednesday the police had charged the officer with molestation, and arrested a suspect of the original rape.

Sexual violence has been a focus of public attention in India since the fatal gang rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi in December triggered mass protests.

But activists say little has changed in attitudes towards sexual assault, and attacks on women and girls continue unabated.

Campaigners have said police officers' patriarchal and misogynist mindset deters victims from reporting sexual violence.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Govt to temporarily continue NBN rollout

The federal government has set new targets and ground rules for NBN Co. Source: AAP

MORE than 600,000 homes, businesses and schools across the country still have a chance of being connected to fibre-to-the-premises broadband despite the coalition's vow to abandon the former government's plan.

Many of them will probably miss out, but another 300,000 are guaranteed the service thanks to contracts signed under Labor.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday directed NBN Co to continue rolling out fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) across the nation under existing contracts "as rapidly and cost-effectively as possible" while a strategic review of Australia's biggest infrastructure project is conducted.

The internal review will be completed by a new board of directors - following Mr Turnbull's request for the resignations of the current board - within 60 days of their appointment.

Construction is due to commence in more than 1.8 million premises within the next year, with each effectively given a categorisation of a green light, amber light or red light under the FTTP model.

Under an interim statement of expectations sent to NBN Co, the green light has been given to 300,000 premises in areas where construction contracts have been signed.

Detailed network design is under way in amber-light areas containing 645,000 premises where FTTP construction work might begin in time, however it's expected many will miss out.

The remaining 900,000 home and business owners will have to wait for the outcome of the internal review as only preliminary network design is underway in their areas.

The premises that miss out on FTTP will likely have to settle for the coalition's fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) plan, where it is expected slower copper lines will journey the final leg to the premises.

Meanwhile, Mr Turnbull said forecasts for the number of premises passed by fibre cable have again been revised down with it expected to be 729,000 by June 30, 2014, 1.74 million by June 20, 2015, and 3.115 million by June 30, 2016.

A 2010 plan forecast 5.65 million premises would be passed by mid-2016.

Mr Turnbull said while they were aiming to set more realistic targets, NBN Co's rollout process would actually be assisted by the use of a wider range of technologies to connect businesses and homes to the network.

"For example, this will allow NBN Co to trial the latest VDSL technology to deliver superfast broadband to homes and businesses in multi-dwelling units such as apartment blocks," Mr Turnbull said.

Mr Turnbull said he intended no criticism when he asked NBN Co board members to offer their resignations last week. All but one have done so.

"That request should not be regarded as any criticism of any of the directors, least of all the chairman Siobhan McKenna," he said.

Federal cabinet will decide the new board, which is expected to include former Telstra chief executive Ziggy Switkowski.

Opposition broadband and communications spokesman Anthony Albanese said the owners of the 645,000 premises who miss out on the FTTP network would be right to feel betrayed.

"This includes people living in Tasmania, who were assured before the election that the coalition would complete the full fibre rollout in that state," he said.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Assets seized in Mafia-linked case

ITALIAN authorities have seized assets worth more than 700 million euros ($A1.01 billion) belonging to a Sicilian businessman known as the "king of supermarkets," who has been convicted for his links to a fugitive senior mafia boss.

A court in Trapani approved on Tuesday the confiscation of 12 firms, 220 real estate properties and 133 plots of land, which 64-year-old Giuseppe Grigoli was said to have acquired through criminal activities, including money laundering.

Grigoli, who used to own most supermarkets in western Sicily, was arrested in 2007 and jailed for 12 years by an appeals court in July 2012. Judges established that he acted as a front man for Matteo Messina Denaro, one of the leaders of the Sicilian mafia.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shorten kicks off Labor leadership debate

Voters support Anthony Albanese (pic) over Bill Shorten as Labor leader, a new poll shows. Source: AAP

BILL Shorten has kicked off the Labor leadership debate, saying the big question is how Labor will remain relevant to the lives of Australians in the future.

He and Anthony Albanese are debating each other in Sydney as part of their nationwide campaign to sway rank and file members who will take part in an historic vote for Labor's parliamentary party leader under new Labor guidelines.

Mr Shorten said the party had to move on from the disappointing election loss and focus on its list of achievements and great history.

"It comes to a question of how will we help make Labor relevant to the lives of Australians in the future," he said.

"Not just in the next 24 hours or next week or next month. How does our Labor, as it has in the past and it should do in future, how do we make sure that our values and our ideas speak to the future lives of Australians?" he said.

In line with the pair's stated mission of keeping their campaigns civil, Mr Shorten said his rival would make a good Labor leader who would serve the party well.

Mr Shorten said Labor needed to be brave for people who needed a champion, such as victims of domestic violence.

Mr Albanese also praised his rival for the leadership before saying his objective was to lead a movement committed to a better Australia.

Mr Albanese said his vision for the party would simply be based upon what people were talking about around the kitchen table.

"They talk about simple things. How to get a better education for their kids. Is there good health care if someone in their family gets sick? Do they have adequate access to child care? Are their jobs secure with decent working conditions?" he said.

He added another priority if elected Labor leader would be sustainability.

"That is why the price on carbon is critical. Climate change didn't end when Tony Abbott became prime minister," he said.

"So that means enhancing our natural environment and it means clean energy and future jobs. It also means engagement in our cities."

A man in the audience received rousing applause after asking whether both leadership contenders were prepared to lose an election on a more humane refugee policy.

Mr Shorten and Mr Albanese both defended Labor's tough-love approach and spoke about the complexity of the issue.

"We do want an orderly migration program, but we also want to treat people with compassion and with respect and as people," Mr Albanese said.

"And that's something that during the last term the former government stopped doing."

Mr Shorten supports lifting the refugee intake and is pro-refugees, but is also concerned about lives lost at sea.

On the future of aged care, Mr Shorten flagged the need to look at financial instruments including Paul Keating's idea about a sovereign wealth fund for people to draw down on in their 80s or 90s.

"It's time for big thinking in aged care," he said.

When asked about the importance of Labor's legacy setting up the national disability insurance scheme, Mr Albanese shared a personal story about his single mum who suffered rheumatoid arthritis and was on an "invalid pension".

"My mum couldn't use a knife or fork... she was pretty crippled up," he said.

Eventually a friend helped arrange a surgeon to reconstruct her hands and feet.

"What that says to me is often in society people do get left behind," Mr Albanese said.

Labor needed to be both a constructive opposition and use its time to develop the next big ideas, such as the NBN, Mr Albanese said.

He said they needed to ensure sustainability was factored into Labor's big ideas and defended issues like carbon pricing.

Mr Shorten said the process of campaigning for leadership was strengthening for the party and if he won the vote the party would stand up for injustice and work as a team.

"The era of the messiah is over. No more messiahs," he roared to widespread applause.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Improve urban life: Bloomberg

New York's mayor is offering cities in Europe millions for plans to improve urban life. Source: AAP

NEW York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is offering European cities millions to come up with plans to improve urban life, tapping his personal fortune to extend his cities-as-civic-laboratories campaign outside America, as the end of his own tenure nears.

The billionaire businessman-turned-politician invited about 600 sizeable European cities Tuesday to compete for nine million euros ($A12.98 million) from his personal foundation.

The competition could signal how Bloomberg aims to maintain and broaden his impact on government after his 12-year tenure ends in December.

"I am a big believer in the power of cities to shape the future," Bloomberg said in a statement ahead of a news conference at London City Hall. He said the contest would spotlight "bold ideas which can take root in Europe and spread around the world."

Modelled on a Bloomberg Philanthropies contest that awarded $US9 million ($A9.60 million) to five US cities this year, the European competition seeks ideas that solve problems or make government more efficient or citizen-friendly.

It's open to cities with 100,000 or more residents in 40 countries. Winners of a five million euro grand prize and four one million euro awards will be announced next northern autumn.

In the recent US version of the Mayors Challenge, the $US5 million top prize went in March to Providence, Rhode Island. Its project aims to improve poor children's vocabulary by outfitting them with recording devices if their parents agree to it, counting the words the children hear and coaching parents.

Four other cities that won $US1 million apiece - Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Santa Monica, California - also are gearing up their projects.

As mayor, Bloomberg isn't shy about encouraging others to follow New York's lead on such new initiatives as trying to ban many eateries from selling super-size, sugary drinks. Meanwhile, he's borrowed bicycle-sharing and some other ideas from elsewhere.

The organisation also supports environmental, education, health and arts projects. It gave away a total of $US370 million last year.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tributes flow for couple killed in Kenya

A YOUNG Australian architect who gave his expertise and time helping the disadvantaged people of Eastern Africa has been killed along with his pregnant partner during a militant massacre at a Kenyan shopping centre.

Tasmanian-born Ross Langdon and his wife Elif Yavuz were expecting their first child in weeks when they were gunned down by Islamist attackers at Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre on Saturday.

The director of an architectural firm with offices in both Melbourne and London, Mr Langdon spent much of his time working on projects in East Africa, including offering his pro bono services for an HIV-Aids hospital and launching a "rusty roof exchange" program aiming to improve domestic housing.

Mr Langdon, who was much-decorated in his field, was about to start work on a $35 million museum.

"Besides a personal loss for myself, this is a major global loss," Tasmanian-based friend and sculptor Peter Adams wrote on his personal website.

"This cannot be underestimated or glossed over by the political pundits who will label Ross and Elif and their unborn child as unfortunate casualties in the war on terror."

Meanwhile, tributes have flowed around the world for Mr Langdon - who held dual British citizenship - and his Dutch wife.

"They didn't want to know if the baby was a boy or a girl, so they had chose names for both sexes," wrote friend Lisa, saying she had met with them in Nairobi in the past week.

"I have no words right now."

Ms Yavuz held a PhD in public health policy at Harvard University and was a specialist on malaria, working for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Kenya.

"Both had dedicated their lives to working for a peaceful world. Both had so much to offer," Mr Adams wrote of Mr Langdon and Ms Yavuz.

The pair are believed to have been aged in their early 30s.

An Australian lawyer in the shopping mall at the time it was attacked said there was confusion about what was going on during the incident.

"It sounded like scaffolding falling at first, I wasn't that concerned," Heidi Edwards, who works in the city for the Kenya Human Rights Commission, told the ABC.

"Then there was some panic going on and then another one (noise) in quick succession and then some gunshots."

She recalled how she and others found an unlocked staff access and hid in a stairwell until the gunfire stopped.

"There was no sirens which, for a Westerner was quite surprising - if that happened in Australia there would be sirens everywhere," she said.

"It was just confusion more than anything else."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott condemned the attack, which killed at least 69 and injured almost 200 others.

"That an Australian was among those killed in the attack is a terrible reminder that Australia is not immune from acts of terrorism around the world and that Al Qaeda-linked groups continue to present a serious global threat," he said in a statement.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kidman supports 'China Hollywood' bid

NICOLE Kidman attended a star-studded event that has seen China's richest man announce plans to spend 50 billion yuan ($A8.79 billion) to build the country's version of Hollywood in the northeastern city of Qingdao.

Wang Jianlin's red carpet event in Qingdao on Sunday underlined his outsized ambitions for China's entertainment industry. Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Travolta and Leonardo DiCaprio rubbed elbows with Chinese stars including Zhang Ziyi, Jet Li and Tony Leung at the event in Qingdao, best known for Tsingtao Brewery founded when Germany colonised the city a century ago.

Wang's success in attracting the A-list actors to his launch, held the same day as the Emmy entertainment awards show in Los Angeles, also highlights how the centre of gravity in the global film industry is shifting to the east.

The tycoon said his company, Dalian Wanda Group, will build a state-of-the-art film studio complex in a bid to dominate China's rapidly growing movie market.

The Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis's 20 studios will include a permanent underwater studio and a 10,000 square-metre stage that Wang said would be the world's biggest. The facility will also include an Imax research and development centre, cinemas and China's biggest film and celebrity wax museums. The first phase is planned to open in June 2016 and it will be fully operational by June 2017.

A yacht marina, eight hotels and a theme park will be built to attract tourists.

The company has signed a preliminary deal with "a number of global film and television giants and talent agencies" to shoot about 30 foreign films a year. It did not name the companies.

Wang also hopes to attract more than 50 Chinese production companies to make at least 100 domestic films and TV shows a year at the studios, where sets will simulate locations from Europe, the Middle East and China's Ming and Qing dynasties.

He predicted China's film market would become the world's biggest in five years, and compared it to a big cake that foreign studios would love to share.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Former KAP candidate facing army sacking

AN Iraq War veteran and former Senate candidate is fighting attempts by the Australian Defence Force to sack him.

Bernard Gaynor is facing a "notice to show cause for termination" from Chief of the Defence Force David Hurley.

Mr Gaynor has come under fire for controversial comments on social media about Islam, women and homosexuality.

The former Katter's Australian Party Queensland Senate candidate had his preselection revoked earlier this year after saying he did not want his children taught by gay teachers.

Mr Gaynor claims he is the victim of a miscarriage of justice and breach of procedural fairness.

"If my commission is terminated, it will be because I have defended Catholic beliefs from public attack," Mr Gaynor said in a statement.

"It will be an unjust punishment that will become a badge of honour. I will proudly take it to my grave and fearlessly wear it when I face my God and Eternal King."

The Army Reserve intelligence officer and father-of-five claimed he had been cleared of wrongdoing by two military investigations but remained concerned about the fate of his career.

In a leaked minute dated August 22, General Hurley questioned Mr Gaynor's ability to uphold the values of the Australian Army.

"Your public comments demonstrate attitudes that are demeaning and demonstrate intolerance of homosexual persons, transgender persons and women and are contrary to the ... cultural change currently being undertaken within the Army," he said.

A Defence spokeswoman said General Hurley had yet to consider Mr Gaynor's response to correspondence.

"During the decision making process, Defence will not publicly discuss deliberations concerning an individual's service in the Australian Defence Force," she said in a statement.

She said Mr Gaynor would be advised of the outcomes in due course.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Delhi gang-rape convicts set to appeal

FOUR men sentenced to death in the Delhi gang-rape case are likely to appeal, their lawyers say.

A special trial court handed down the sentences on September 13 after finding them guilty in the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old student in December.

The case was referred to the Delhi High Court for confirmation of the sentence, which on Monday directed jail authorities to produce the men before it on Tuesday.

"Production warrants have been issued, now the court will inquire whether they want to challenge the sentence," said AP Singh, the lawyer representing two of the defendants.

"My clients have decided to appeal against the sentence and that is what we will inform the court. We can file the appeal within 30 days from the date of verdict," he said.

VK Anand and Vivek Sharma, lawyers for other defendants, also confirmed they would begin appeals.

"They have retained us as lawyers, barring last minute changes. The High Court will hear arguments from the prosecution and defence before deciding on the matter," Anand said.

The appeal could take up to a year, Indian media outlets reported citing legal experts.

A death sentence can be challenged in the High Court and the Supreme Court, after which the defendant can file a mercy petition with the president.

The Delhi gang rape led to protests across the country and international outrage, prompting the government to amend laws to apply stricter punishments for rape including the death penalty if the victim died or was left in a vegetative state.

The police charged six people initially. The case against one of the accused was dropped after he was found hanged in his cell in jail during the trial. The sixth accused, a juvenile, was found guilty by a juvenile court and sent to a correctional home for three years.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Voters cast ballots on fate of Swiss Army

FOR the third time in almost a quarter-century, neutral Switzerland is voting on a proposal to abolish mandatory service in its army.

Voters were heading to the polls on Sunday on a referendum by pacifists and left-wing parties that would do away with military conscription, despite similar proposals that were defeated in 1989 and 2001.

Surveys indicate it is likely to be defeated again, with more than two-thirds of the country still favouring mandatory service for most men between the ages of 18 to 34. Women can serve voluntarily.

The Swiss government has urged voters to retain the service - counter to what most Western European nations have done since the Cold War.

About 20,000 soldiers a year attend basic training for 18 to 21 weeks.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic woman survives Kenyan mall massacre

No Australians are believed to have been injured in the deadly mall shooting in Kenya. Source: AAP

A MELBOURNE woman has reportedly survived the Nairobi mall terrorist attack by huddling in a phone store for six hours.

At least 59 people were killed when Somali militants stormed an upmarket shopping centre in the Kenyan capital, according to the country's government.

Eltham woman Sarah Williamson was in the mall with her father, who works for the UN, when she heard the first explosions, Fairfax Radio Network reports.

"She heard the first grenade go off and said, 'What was that, dad?'," mum Linda has told the network.

"Then he heard the guns firing and he knew exactly what it was and he said, 'We're under attack, everybody to the back of the room.'"

The 23-year-old spent six hours trapped in the store before she could run to safety.

Between 10 and 15 gunmen are believed to be holed up in the building with an unknown number of hostages, 24 hours after the carnage began.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott was briefed on the ongoing crisis earlier on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has condemned the terrorist attack and expressed her sympathy to Kenyans and President Uhuru Kenyatta who has lost family members in the incident.

"The thoughts of all Australians are with the victims and their families," she said in a statement.

People with concerns about family or friends in Kenya should try to contact them directly or if unsuccessful phone the DFAT consular emergency centre on (02) 6261 3305.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

More than 60 killed at Pakistan church

Two suicide bombers have killed at least 53 people attending a church service in Pakistan. Source: AAP

A DOUBLE suicide bombing has killed more than 60 people at a church service in northwest Pakistan, officials said, believed to be the deadliest attack on Christians in the troubled country.

Pakistan's small and largely impoverished Christian community suffers discrimination in overwhelmingly Muslim-majority Pakistan but bombings against them are extremely rare.

The two bombers struck at the end of a service at All Saints Church in Peshawar, the main town of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has borne the brunt of a bloody Islamist insurgency in recent years.

Doctor Mohammad Iqbal of Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital said 61 people had been killed and 120 wounded.

Sahibzada Anees, one of Peshawar's most senior officials, told reporters the bombers struck when the service had just ended.

"Most of the wounded are in critical condition," Anees said.

"We are in an area which is a target of terrorism and within that area there was a special security arrangement for the church. We are in a rescue phase and once it is over we will investigate what went wrong."

Former minister for inter-faith harmony Paul Bhatti and provincial lawmaker Fredrich Azeem Ghauri both said the attack was the deadliest ever targeting Christians in Pakistan.

School teacher Nazir Khan, 50, said the service had just ended and at least 400 worshippers were greeting each other when there was a big explosion.

"A huge blast threw me on the floor and as soon as I regained my senses. A second blast took place and I saw wounded people everywhere," Khan said

Grieving relatives blocked the main Grand Trunk road highway with bodies of the victims to protest against the killings.

Sectarian violence between majority Sunni and minority Shi'ite Muslims is on the rise in Pakistan and Sunday's attack will fuel fears the already beleaguered Christian community could be increasingly targeted.

Islamist militants have carried out hundreds of bombings targeting security forces and minority Muslim groups they regard as heretical, but attacks on Christians have previously largely been confined to grenade attacks and occasional riots.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a deeply conservative province bordering the tribal districts along the Afghan frontier, which are home to Taliban and al-Qaeda militants.

Provincial lawmaker Ghauri said there were about 200,000 Christians in the province, of whom 70,000 lived in Peshawar.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bombings.

Only around two per cent of Pakistan's population of 180 million are Christian. The community is largely poor and complains of growing discrimination.

Christians have a precarious existence in Pakistan, often living in slum-like "colonies" cheek-by-jowl with Muslims and fearful of allegations of blasphemy, a sensitive subject that can provoke sudden outbursts of public violence.

In the town of Gojra, in Punjab province, in 2009, a mob burned 77 houses and killed seven people after rumours that a copy of the Islamic holy book the Koran had been desecrated during a Christian marriage ceremony.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dutch royal Beatrix breaks cheekbone

PRINCESS Beatrix, the former Dutch queen, has undergone surgery after falling and breaking a cheekbone.

Beatrix, 75, was operated on Sunday morning after the fall and will remain hospitalised for a few days.

After 33 years on the throne, Beatrix was replaced as Dutch monarch on April 30 this year by her eldest son Willem-Alexander.

Following her abdication, she was named Princess Beatrix and continues to perform public duties.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More