Muse delivers epic Sydney show

British rockers Muse have thrilled Sydney fans with a spectacular sound and stage show. Source: AAP

MUSE drowned out the screams of thousands of Sydney fans with an epic sound and stage show that did everything to add to their reputation for putting on memorable concerts.

The British rockers have become almost legendary for their major light and stage shows and they didn't disappoint when they took to Sydney's Allphones Arena on Friday night.

Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme opened in spectacular fashion when a five-tier projector screen in the shape of a pyramid emerged from above the stage and slowly made its way down.

After keeping the crowd waiting for almost 10 minutes with a heart-thumping build up, the band appeared beneath the screen as it rose to take its place suspended above them as they belted out their first song, Supremacy.

During the second song, Supermassive Black Hole, the crowd in the mosh pit appear to lose itself - fans jumping and thumping their fists in time with the music.

Thousands of screams were drowned out by the guitar riffs from Hysteria, which the band opened with images of matrix-style code that spread through the plethora of small screens on stage.

And when Plug in Baby came on, the entire arena began singing the chorus in unison - even those seated were jumping up and dancing like they were in the mosh pit.

Lasers, smoke machines and pyrotechnics were all timed perfectly for dramatic effect for guitar riffs and bass drops.

A shape-shifting screen suspended on stage, and encircling the band, replaced your stock-standard stadium flat screens, projecting images of the band on stage, as well as video montages and song lyrics.

Highlights included the moment where 100 phones lit up in the nosebleed section when Bellamy emerged for a solo guitar riff.

He topped it off later by joining the crowd mid-way through Undisclosed Desires, even donning a Christmas hat given to him by a crowd member.

The gig was the last stop of Muse's tour of major Australian capital cities, and their final gig of 2013.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Toyota to enter US settlement talks

Toyota is entering settlement talks on US lawsuits that allege sudden unintended acceleration. Source: AAP

AFTER a four-year legal battle, Toyota is entering settlement talks on nearly 400 US lawsuits that allege sudden unintended acceleration problems with its vehicles led to deaths and injuries.

Joint motions filed late on Thursday in US District Court in Santa Ana and Los Angeles County Superior Court indicated both sides would begin an "intensive settlement process" next month.

The Japanese automaker, which has recalled millions of cars since 2009 over the acceleration issue, agreed to the negotiations to make resolving the cases more efficient, spokeswoman Carly Schaffner told The Associated Press on Friday.

"We continue to stand behind the safety and quality of our vehicles," she said.

Cases that don't settle after a two-stage mediation process will go back to court for trial, said plaintiffs' co-lead counsel Mark Robinson Jr., but most of the 375 claims will likely get resolved.

"It's not practical to try all these cases," he said. "You've got two chances to get your case settled and if you're a plaintiff, at least you're not just sitting in some file in the courthouse."

The settlement negotiations come less than two months after an Oklahoma jury awarded a total of $US3 million ($A3.37 million) in damages to the injured driver of a 2005 Camry and to the family of a passenger who was killed.

The ruling was significant because Toyota had won all previous unintended acceleration cases that went to trial. It was also the first case where lawyers for plaintiffs argued that the car's electronics - in this case the software connected to the Camry's electronic throttle-control system - were the cause of the unintended acceleration.

At the time, legal experts said the Oklahoma verdict might cause Toyota to consider a broad settlement of the remaining cases. Until then, Toyota had been riding momentum from several trials where juries found it was not liable.

Robinson said lawyers for plaintiffs had been discussing a streamlined settlement process with Toyota before that verdict, but the Oklahoma case "couldn't have hurt" those talks.

Toyota has blamed drivers, stuck accelerators or floor mats that trapped the pedal for the acceleration claims that led to the big recalls of Camrys and other vehicles. The company has repeatedly denied its vehicles are flawed.

No recalls have been issued related to problems with onboard electronics. In the Oklahoma case, Toyota lawyers theorised that the driver mistakenly pumped the gas pedal instead of the brake when her Camry ran through an intersection and slammed into an embankment.

Sean Kane, president of Massachusetts-based Safety Research & Strategies, said the Oklahoma verdict likely moved Toyota to the negotiating table because it targeted electronics.

"Nobody did until that case and they got hammered - and they got hammered in a conservative venue," said Kane, who researches consumer safety in motor vehicles for plaintiff lawyers and has been closely following the Toyota litigation.

"The evidence that came out in that trial has attracted global attention that is remarkable," he said.

After the verdict, jurors told AP they believed the testimony of an expert who said he found flaws in the car's electronics. They also pointed to 50 metres of skid marks on the road as evidence the driver was desperately trying to brake.

"What makes the accelerator open? The computer," juror Vickie Potter said after the verdict.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Severe storm warnings cancelled

ANOTHER round of severe thunderstorms pummelled southeast Queensland tonight.

8.25pm: The worst of this evening's severe thunderstorms has passed, with the weather bureau lifting its earlier warnings.

The Bureau of Meteorology said dangerous weather systems are no longer affecting southeast Queensland.

Forecasters will continue to monitor the situation and will issue further warnings if anything is detected on radars.

GOT PICS? Share them with us on:
Facebook: facebook.com/couriermail
MMS: 0428 258 117
Email: photo@thecouriermail.com.au

Nikki Duncan said the severe thunderstorm which swept over the region earlier this evening dropped a blanket of hail over the city. Picture: Nikki Duncan

8.15pm: Christine McMillan said the hail continued to belt her Willowbank home for 15 to 20 minutes.

"I have never seen anything this intense," she said.

"I also have a picture of the storm approaching but never expected this."

"I had to move from the doorway because they were smashing on the concrete outside and chunks were flying in at me." Picture: Sharon Wheatley at Rathdowney

Ms Duncan said she was lucky to have survived the storm unscathed.

"I've never had hail like that before. It looked like a White Christmas."

"I appear to have survived without any major damage. I'm yet to check my car."
 

Christine McMillan said the hail continued to belt her Willowbank home for 15 to 20 minutes. Picture: Christine McMillan

GOT PICS? Share them with us on:
Facebook: facebook.com/couriermail
MMS: 0428 258 117
Email: photo@thecouriermail.com.au

7.55pm: The Bureau of Meteorology have updated a severe thunderstorm warning to include areas of Brisbane CBD, Ipswich, Boonah, Beaudesert, Beenleigh, Logan City, Cleveland, Strathpine, Esk, Redcliffe and Caboolture.

7.45pm: Ipswich residents must have been dreaming of a white Christmas, with the city transformed into a winter wonderland.

Nikki Duncan said the severe thunderstorm which swept over the region earlier this evening dropped a blanket of hail over the city.

"It was very sudden and loud," she said. "The severity was unexpected."

GOT PICS? Share them with us on:
Facebook: facebook.com/couriermail
MMS: 0428 258 117
Email: photo@thecouriermail.com.au

7.50pm: A severe thunderstorm south of the NSW border is expected to hit Queensland by 8pm.

The cell is predicted to reach the McPherson Range, Rathdowney, Numinbah Valley, Laravale, Kooralbyn and the area south of Canungra by 8.05 pm.

Beaudesert will be next in the firing line, with the storm expected to strike about 8.30pm.
 

7.30pm: Sharon Wheatley said the earlier storm battered her property near Rathdowney.

"I was watching the clouds from the doorway and saw that one hailstone drop into the yard, nothing else, just that one, so I stuck a bucket over my head and ran out and grabbed it," she said.

"Gradually a few more dropped. There was no rain at first, just large hail dropping from the sky.

"I had to move from the doorway because they were smashing on the concrete outside and chunks were flying in at me. Then they just came down solidly for maybe 10 minutes or so."

7.15pm: The weather bureau has warned that while one severe thunderstorm is skirting dangerously close to Brisbane's CBD, another one is brewing just over the NSW border.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Peter Otto said an earlier warning was still current for areas to the west of Brisbane, but the storm was unlikely to reach the city centre.

Further west, he said golf-sized hail stones have fallen on Mt Barney, with larger stones reported at Boonah.

"That storm is moving over the Ipswich area at the moment," he said.

"There is another cell south of the border that is likely to hit Rathdowney in the next half hour and it may head north after that. It's another very dangerous storm with large hail stones expected."

6.45pm: Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Rosewood, Marburg, Lake Manchester, Upper Brookfield and Fernvale by 7.20 pm and Enoggera Reservoir, Enoggera, Mount Nebo, Highvale, Samford and Albany Creek by 7.50 pm.

Other severe thunderstorms in northern NSW are forecast to affect Mount Barney, the McPherson Range, Rathdowney, Maroon Dam, Kooralbyn and Lamington National Park by 7:50 pm.

Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely, with hail larger than golf balls reported at Boonah earlier.

 GOT PICS? Share them with us on:
Facebook: facebook.com/couriermail
MMS: 0428 258 117
Email: photo@thecouriermail.com.au

6.20pm:  The Bureau of Meteorology has updated their thunderstorm warning, alerting residents that very dangerous thunderstorms were moving north.

The storms were detected on weather radar near Boonah, Aratula, Harrisville, Peak Crossing, Bundamba Lagoon and the area south of Amberley.

Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Ipswich, Redbank Plains, Amberley, Rosewood, Marburg and Lake Manchester by 6:50 pm and Lowood, Fernvale, Mount Nebo, Highvale, Samford and the D'Aguilar Ranges by 7:20 pm.

Other severe thunderstorms were located near Bonalbo(NSW). Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely.

Hail larger than golf balls was reported at Boonah at around 5:40pm.

5.20pm: The weather bureau issued a severe thunderstorm warning after storms were detected over the Scenic Rim region near Mount Barney, Laravale and Kooralbyn.

The southeast Queensland warning said damaging winds and large hailstones are likely.

Forecasters from the Bureau of Meteorology said the thunderstorms were moving in a northerly direction, with Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast put on alert.

The storms are predicted to hit Beaudesert about 5.30pm.

More to come.
 

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advises that people should:
* Move your car under cover or away from trees.
* Secure loose outdoor items.
* Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
* Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm.
* Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.
 

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mandela's remains transferred to air base

The South African military has handed over Nelson Mandela's flag-draped coffin to the ANC. Source: AAP

THE remains of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela have been transferred to Waterkloof air base for a farewell from the African National Congress.

The military handed over Mandela's flag-draped coffin to the African National Congress (ANC) at a solemn ceremony broadcast live on South African television.

The remains were to be returned to military control later on Saturday.

It will then be flown to the Eastern Cape in preparation for Mandela's funeral the following day.

Mandela's casket is expected to arrive on Saturday afternoon and to be greeted by a full military ceremony.

The late president died just over a week ago at age 95.

His body lay in state for three days this week, drawing huge crowds of South Africans who mourned his death and celebrated his successful struggle against apartheid.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thai protesters cut power to PM's office

Thai protesters have cut power to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's office compound in Bangkok. Source: AAP

PROTESTERS have announced they have cut off electricity to the Thai prime minister's office compound and are demanding that police abandon the premises amid a political crisis that has dragged on for weeks.

The protesters, seeking to force the replacement of caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government before a February 2 election, have threatened to force their way in if police don't leave.

Police attempts to negotiate were rebuffed, but they did not withdraw immediately.

An Associated Press photographer inside one of the buildings said electricity had been shut off to the press office. Police confirmed that power had been cut to some buildings in the compound, collectively called Government House.

Protesters also cut barbed wire placed on top of the steel fence surrounding the compound while police stationed nearby looked on.

Yingluck was not in her offices at the time and shortly afterward gave a televised address from an unidentified location in which she announced a December 15 meeting of all sections of society to try to find a solution to the crisis.

The protest leadership has demanded a meeting with senior military and police officials, a call which has so far been rejected, at least publicly. Protest leaders did meet at a hotel with business leaders in what was billed as an effort to explain their goals.

In a previous confrontation, police withdrew from the prime minister's compound to allow the demonstrators in without a fight. That withdrawal came after two days of increasingly violent standoffs. Since the latest unrest began last month that left five people dead and nearly 300 injured.

The street fighting was suspended when both sides agreed it would dishonour the occasion of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's birthday last week.

Looking for a way out of the crisis, Yingluck dissolved the lower house of Parliament on Monday and called for early elections. Her foes, however, insist she step aside to make way for an interim appointed government, an action that cannot be taken under the country's constitution.

They claim that Thai politics is hopelessly corrupt under the influence of Yingluck's billionaire brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for the country's constitutional monarch.

To carry out reforms, they want to institute a less democratic system where the concept of one-man, one vote would no longer apply because they believe the masses are not well enough educated to choose responsible leaders. They also say the poor sell their votes.

Thaksin's supporters say he is disliked because he has shifted power away from Thailand's traditional ruling class.

Thaksin and his allies have easily won every national election since 2001, relying on the support of the rural majority and urban poor, who benefited from his populist policies. The opposition Democrat Party, which has allied itself with the protests, has not won an election since 1992.

Yingluck's ruling party won the last vote two years ago in a landslide, and is likely to be victorious in any new ballot.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban this week has been declaring that his movement has more legitimacy than the government, which he claims has acted against the constitution.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Batts inquiry start date announced

THE federal royal commission into Labor's home insulation program, which cost four lives and caused extensive property damage, is set to begin before Christmas.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd launched the $2.8 billion "pink batts" scheme in 2008 to inject cash into the economy during the global financial crisis. It ran until 2010.

The commission, which is investigating whether the then-government's practices contributed to the deaths and damage, will commence with a preliminary hearing in Brisbane on the morning of December 23.

The governor-general has appointed Mr Ian Hanger AM QC to head the inquiry.

She has also asked whether laws or practices should be altered to "prevent the recurrence of any failure identified by the inquiry".

"Four young men died while undertaking installations funded by the Home Insulation Program. There are claims of homes sustaining damage and businesses suffering financial loss," Mr Hanger said.

"This Royal Commission will investigate whether the way that the Australian government established and implemented the home insulation program contributed to these consequences."

In July, a Queensland coroner found the rushed rollout of the scheme was a significant factor in the deaths of Queensland batt installers Mitchell Sweeney, Matthew Fuller and Rueben Barnes.

In New South Wales, 19-year-old Marcus Wilson, died on his first day on the job after suffering heat stroke.

The coroner cited "inadequate" training and "lax" supervision as factors in the tragedies.

Anyone who wishes to appear before the commission as a witness must apply by 4pm (AEDT) December 18.

Further information is available at www.homeinsulationroyalcommission.gov.au

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gaddafi's son appears in Libyan court

THE son of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi has briefly appeared before a militia-backed court in western Libya, only to have the proceedings against him adjourned until the end of February.

Since the end of Libya's 2011 civil war, Seif al-Islam Gaddafi has been held by a militia in Zintan, which has refused to hand him over for a separate trial in the capital, Tripoli - a sign of the central government's weakness.

In Tripoli, he is being tried in absentia along with 39 other Gaddafi regime figures, including notorious spymaster Abdullah al-Senoussi, for alleged crimes during Libya's conflict.

Seif al-Islam is also wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.

The only Gaddafi son in custody, Seif al-Islam looked healthy during his brief appearance in the Zintan court. Wearing a blue prison uniform, he replied with a "no" when the judge asked him whether he had any requests.

The hearings were then adjourned until February 27 because the judge demanded that "other suspects" be brought in.

In the Zintan trial, Seif al-Islam faces charges of attempting to escape prison and insulting Libya's new flag. These charges are linked to a meeting he had in June 2012 with an ICC delegation that was accused of smuggling documents and a camera to him in his cell. The four-member team from The Hague was detained by Zintan rebels but released after the international tribunal apologised and pledged to investigate the incident.

The Zintan charges are separate from both those by the ICC, which indicted Seif al-Islam for the murder and persecution of protesters in the uprising that ultimately toppled his father's regime, and those by the Tripoli court.

Thursday's hearing was held amid tight security measures, with several masked policemen guarding Seif al-Islam inside the courtroom.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two die after being hit by cars in Vic

TWO people have died in hospital after being hit by cars in separate crashes in Melbourne's north.

A 29-year-old woman died in hospital on Thursday afternoon after being hit by a car on the weekend.

A passerby found her with life threatening injuries in the inner northern suburb of Thornbury about 2.50am (AEDT) on Sunday.

She was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital where she died on Thursday afternoon.

A man, 19, from Reservoir, is assisting police with their inquires.

An elderly man also died in hospital on Thursday after being hit by a car in Brunswick East last month.

Investigators believe the 82-year-old from North Fitzroy was crossing Nicholson Street near Barkly Street when he was hit by a north-bound car on the afternoon of November 8.

Victoria's road toll stands at 224 compared to 271 at this time last year.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Navy suspends three over Ballarat claims

Three sailors have been suspended over allegations of unacceptable behaviour on HMAS Ballarat. Source: AAP

THREE sailors have been suspended from duties and could face prosecution for unacceptable behaviour aboard HMAS Ballarat.

Defence force investigators boarded HMAS Ballarat in early November after a sailor made allegations of sexual assault against several members of the ship's company.

Defence issued an update on its investigations on Wednesday, saying there is a reasonable suspicion three members of HMAS Ballarat ship's company have committed serious service offences.

They have been suspended from duty.

"Similar to civilian criminal investigative processes, evidence gathered will now be referred for prosecutorial review," Defence said in its statement.

Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs said a separate administrative inquiry into "certain aspects" relating to the HMAS Ballarat allegations has commenced.

"This inquiry is being run ... to identify any broader procedural or cultural issues that may require further action by Navy," he said.

He reiterated that Navy did not tolerate unacceptable behaviour.

"It is inconsistent with its values and the behaviours," he said.

"Unacceptable behaviour by individuals damages our people and our effectiveness to conduct operations and achieve our mission," he said.

Defence said the director of military prosecutions may consider a range of actions against the three sailors, including laying charges and referral to the Registrar of Military Justice for consideration by a Service Tribunal, or referral for civilian prosecution.

Defence has not detailed the allegations.

But after the defence investigation was made public a former naval member claimed officers were "set upon, stripped off and had things essentially put in their bums".

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

UN maintains Liberia sanctions

THE United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to maintain an arms embargo on Liberia, a travel ban on named individuals, and an asset freeze against former Liberian president Charles Taylor, his key allies and associated companies.

But a resolution adopted by the council on Tuesday asks the committee monitoring sanctions to review all those subject to the asset freeze within 90 days and determine whether they should still be subject to sanctions.

It also orders a review of all sanctions in six months "with a view to modifying or lifting all or part of the measures" depending on Liberia's progress toward disarming combatants, reforming its security sector, fully implementing a peace agreement, and maintaining stability throughout the country.

Liberia was battered by back-to-back civil wars from 1989 to 2003.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Parliament keeps eye on post office talks

A PARLIAMENTARY committee will "keep a watching brief" on Australia Post's discussions with struggling Licensed Post Office (LPO) owners, with many fighting for survival.

In its interim report, the Senate inquiry noted there were "numerous issues" in Australia Post's relationship with post office owners.

Licensed owners have complained of having business poached by Australia Post, and of the financial viability of their agreement with the government-owned body.

"Evidence was given that many LPO operators are struggling to survive to the point where some off-site employment is undertaken to fund their operation," the report tabled in the Senate on Wednesday said.

"It is evident it has now become a fight for survival and must be considered a matter of urgency.

"To do nothing would put the future of hundreds of LPOs, principally in rural and regional areas, at risk."

The committee said it was "heartened" Australia Post was attempting to address concerns of licensed owners.

Chair of the committee, the Nationals John Williams, said the committee had agreed to keep a watching brief of the discussions.

It will release its final report by the end of March next year.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fire kills 16 at fruit market in China

AT least 16 people died and five were injured after a fire broke out at a wholesale fruit market in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, reports said.

The fire started early on Wednesday and spread over about 1,000 square metres of the Rongjian market in Shenzhen's Guangming district, before firefighters extinguished it 90 minutes later, local officials said.

Police were still investigating the cause of the fire and detained the manager of the market, identified only by the surname Xu, for questioning.

Many tenants of the market lived above their stalls, state media reported.

The 16 dead were from four stalls, and the youngest victim was two years old, the official Xinhua news agency quoted Zhang Xiaowei, a spokesman for the Shenzhen fire department, as saying.

The 145 firefighters initially struggled to stop the fire spreading because of low water pressure at the market, other reports said.

The area where the fire broke out opened in 2008 in buildings converted from disused factories.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA shark policy a 'cull by another name'

Experts and conservationists have hit out at WA's tough new policies to prevent shark attacks. Source: AAP

EXPERTS and conservationists have bitten back at Western Australia's tough new policies to prevent deadly shark attacks, which include the establishment of licensed offshore "kill zones".

Following the sixth fatal attack off the WA coast in two years last month, the state government announced tougher measures aimed at preventing attacks, but denied it was a cull.

Professional shark hunters will be paid to patrol WA waters, with a licence to kill any shark bigger than three metres spotted in designated zones spanning large parts of the metropolitan and south-west coastline.

And baited hooks will also be placed along the coast to catch sharks, with a larger strike team ready to scramble into action in the event of an attack.

Premier Colin Barnett said he knew the measures were controversial but refused to acknowledge he was sanctioning a cull.

Shark academic Christopher Neff, from Sydney University, disagreed.

"This is a tool that is used to kill sharks and to reduce populations - that is by definition culling," Mr Neff said.

"It is an unfortunate policy."

Two 'Marine Monitored Areas', stretching one kilometre offshore from Quinns to Warnbro in the metro area, and Forest Beach to Cape Naturaliste and Prevelly in the state's south, will be established in coming weeks.

And drum lines - drums with a baited hook fixed to the ocean floor and designed to attract sharks - will be placed one kilometre from the shore of beaches and surf breaks, and will be monitored daily.

Federal environment minister Greg Hunt was consulted about the policies before they were revealed.

But Greens senator Rachel Siewert said she would move a motion in parliament calling on the federal government to maintain protection of the great white shark.

"The WA government's announcement opens the door to sharks being caught and killed. Measures based on the capture and killing of a threatened and protected species is not a responsible step," Ms Siewert said.

Piers Verstegen, director of the Conservation Council of WA, claimed the move could actually increase shark attack risk.

"This new cull policy amounts to indiscriminate fishing, and will not only cull potentially risky sharks, but we can expect to see dolphins, turtles, seals, nurse sharks and a range of other marine life killed off our beaches."

Treasurer Troy Buswell, who loses the fisheries portfolio on Wednesday, admitted it was likely other marine animals would be caught with the baited hooks, and it was possible tagged sharks used for research could also be caught by the new policy.

But the government insisted public safety came first.

"This does not represent a culling of sharks. It is not a fear-driven hunt, it is a targeted, localised shark mitigation strategy," Mr Buswell said.

Experts from the University of WA - who are working with the government on research into sharks - have already said a cull would be a pointless reaction, and that a surge in shark-bite incidents off WA's coast are linked to the growing population, which means more people in the water.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Surf race teen drowned but not knocked out

An autopsy on the body of surf life saving competitor Matthew Barclay shows he died from drowning. Source: AAP

AN autopsy conducted on teen surf life saving competitor Matthew Barclay shows he died from drowning, with no sign he was knocked out by his board.

Matthew died during an under-15 board race which went ahead at the 2012 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast after several other events had been abandoned because of the rough conditions.

The championships' under-15 area referee Jenny Kenny told the inquest into Matthew's death that the board race was originally going to be held on March 29.

However, Ms Kenny said event organisers decided on the morning of March 28 to hold the board race that day after postponing the swim, board rescue and tube races because of unfavourable conditions at Kurrawa Beach.

She said those events were postponed because of the size of the 1.5 metre waves and the fact they were breaking far from the shore, creating a longer course.

The board races were considered safer for the conditions on March 28, she said.

"It wasn't an event in which we could see that there were any inherent dangers for the competitors," Ms Kenny told the inquest in Brisbane on Tuesday.

On Monday an event jet ski operator told the inquest he saw a loose board on a collision course with the unresponsive teen and assumed he must have been hit.

However, forensic pathologist Dianne Little gave evidence on Tuesday that while Matthew died from drowning, there was no sign the 14-year-old suffered head trauma.

Dr Little said there were grazes on his head and body but on examination she found they were inflicted after he died and were probably caused by his body buffeting against the sea floor.

She could find no evidence of natural disease, and toxicology and biochemistry tests showed nothing.

The pathologist said Matthew's lungs showed signs of mild chronic asthma, but ruled out the condition as a cause of death.

"There was absolutely nothing I could find at the autopsy that could explain why he drowned," she said.

The inquest was adjourned on Tuesday to a date to be fixed to allow time for a Workplace Health and Safety report on Matthew's death to be finalised.

Coroner Terry Ryan accepted a request by the Barclay family to include the report in the probe.

Outside court, Matthew's father Stephen Barclay said the delay was in the best interests of everybody and he expected the report to take a couple of months.

Over one-and-a-half days of evidence, the inquest heard the surf at Kurrawa was "challenging" on March 28, with a strong rip and waves up to two metres.

Gold Coast lifeguards expressed concerns for the safety of younger competitors but Matthew's race went ahead at 3.27pm.

Two jet ski operators saw him being tossed about by the powerful swell but were unable to rescue him due to the rough conditions.

Searchers did not find his body until the following day.

Matthew was the third teen to die while competing at Kurrawa during the Australian titles since 1996.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

QBE suffers rating downgrade

Insurer QBE has had its credit rating downgraded, and its shares have continued to plunge. Source: AAP

INSURANCE giant QBE has had its credit rating downgraded due to its forecast of a $250 million loss for the 2013 calendar year.

Moody's downgraded QBE's issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to Baa2, from Baa1.

The downgrade reflects the company's weakened profitability, internal generation of capital and measures to cover its debt servicing, Moody's said.

QBE on Monday announced a series of writedowns and provisions on the various north American businesses it has acquired since 2006, which will lead to the loss for the year.

The company's share price fell heavily again on Tuesday, losing $1.18, or 9.8 per cent, to $10.82.

Almost $5.7 billion has been wiped from QBE's market value since it announced the writedowns.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

NRMA customers stuck after power outage

ABOUT 200 people are stuck in their cars waiting for assistance after the NRMA's telephone and dispatch system was brought down in a power outage.

Long delays are expected for those needing help with their cars after power failed at the insurance company's western Sydney call centre on Tuesday afternoon, spokesman Peter Khoury told AAP.

About 200 people are stranded and less than 80 are trying to contact the company.

"We will be working through the night to get to them," he told AAP.

The dispatch system is expected to return to normal by Wednesday morning, he said.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

US approves new hepatitis C drug

The FDA has approved a new medication for Hepatitis C but treatment looks likely to cost $US84,000. Source: AAP

HEALTH officials in the United States have approved a highly anticipated hepatitis C drug that is expected to offer a faster, more palatable cure to millions of people infected with the liver-destroying virus.

The Food and Drug Administration says it has approved the medication Sovaldi from Gilead Sciences Inc in combination with older drugs to treat the main forms of hepatitis C that affect US patients.

Current treatments for hepatitis C can take up to a year of therapy and involve weekly injections of a drug that causes flu-like side effects, an approach only cures about three out of four patients.

Sovaldi is a daily pill that in clinical trials cured roughly 90 percent of patients in just 12 weeks, when combined with the older drug cocktail.

Between 3 million and 4 million Americans are estimated to carry the blood-borne virus, though most do not even know they are infected. Others have tested positive but are waiting for more effective treatments to become available. Hepatitis C symptoms may not appear until two or three decades after infection, though the virus can cause liver failure, cirrhosis and cancer if left untreated.

Dr Donald Jensen of the University of Chicago said he's optimistic that new drugs like Sovaldi will increase treatment of the disease, which is blamed for 15,000 US deaths per year.

"I'm hoping that these new, less toxic therapies will drive more people to get tested and more primary care physicians to test their patients, knowing that the therapy is going to be more effective and easier," said Jensen, who directs the university's center for liver diseases.

Gilead said it will price the drug at $US84,000 ($A92,282.34) for one 12-week supply. Patients with a less common subtype of the disease may need to take the drug for 24 weeks, raising the cost to $168,000 for one course of treatment. Drugs already on the market run between $25,000 and $50,000 for a course of treatment.

The approval comes as the US government urges all baby boomers to get tested for the disease. People born between 1945 and 1965 are five times more likely than other age groups to have hepatitis C, with many having contracted the virus by sharing needles or having sex with an infected person in their youth.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hunger Games still on top of box office

THE Hunger Games: Catching Fire is still sparking the interest of Aussie punters, remaining at the top of the Australian box office for the third week running.

Over the weekend, the sequel, which stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Aussie Liam Hemsworth, raked in another $3.501 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia, bringing its total since its release to $28.311 million.

In second place was another sequel, the new animation Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, while two more films making their debut - Vince Vaughn's comedy Delivery Man and the science fiction Ender's Game - came in third and fourth.

They pushed Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa down from No. 2 to the No. 5 spot. It had a domino effect on Chris Hemsworth's Thor: The Dark World, biopic One Chance, the Carrie remake and Tom Hanks' Captain Phillips, which all fell three places.

Clinging onto the final rung is Sandra Bullock's sci-fi survivalist thriller Gravity, which leapfrogged Enough Said to round out the Top Ten.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

CCTV plan for Sydney gets go-ahead

The City of Sydney Council has endorsed the placing of extra CCTV cameras in Sydney's nightspots. Source: AAP

A PROPOSAL for extra CCTV cameras in Sydney's busiest nightspots is set to become a reality after the City of Sydney Council endorsed the plan.

At a council meeting on Monday night, council unanimously carried the proposal to install the 10 new cameras in Surry Hills, the CBD and Kings Cross.

The push for extra security follows the one-punch death of teenager Thomas Kelly.

Mr Kelly died after he was king hit in Kings Cross in July 2012.

After the CCTV plan gained the rubber stamp, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said in a statement the new cameras would bring the total number in council's city network to 97.

"Our entire CCTV network is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we work closely with the NSW Police Force, regularly providing video footage and intelligence," she said.

Recently Ms Moore took a swipe at the state government, which she claimed was responsible for law and order.

She said council had stepped in to fund CCTV because no one else had.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said on Sunday co-operation between the state and city council had seen a reduction in violence in Kings Cross following Mr Kelly's death.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Church's 'sorry' too late, inquiry hears

An inquiry into how the Catholic Church managed victims of child sex abuse is under the microscope. Source: AAP

TWELVE years after being silenced by the Catholic Church, Joan Isaacs can now tell the world about the sexual and emotional abuse inflicted upon her as a schoolgirl.

Ms Isaacs was applauded as she left the witness stand at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on Monday after finally talking publicly about the abuse dealt her by Father Francis Derriman more than 40 years ago.

The church last week lifted the legally binding agreement she made in 2001 in return for a $30,000 payment, in a gesture she said was "too little, too late."

Ms Isaacs, 60, received a letter from Brisbane Archbishop, the Most Reverend Mark Coleridge, saying she was no longer required to observe the conditions of the settlement agreed to under the church's Towards Healing process.

A confidentiality clause required her not to speak to anyone, except for medical reasons, about her abuse and demanded that she not make "disparaging comments" about the process and the archdiocese.

She said one of the reasons she came to the Royal Commission was because she "needed to be free of these chains before I died".

In an emotional first day of the commission's hearings into Towards Healing - the Church's internal procedures for dealing with sex abuse allegations - several observers walked out as church lawyer Peter Gray SC quoted St Mark, others protested outside and commission chairman rebuked Mr Gray.

Like many other victims, Ms Isaacs said the Towards Healing process re-traumatised her and she had been silenced.

In last week's letter, Rev Coleridge said: "I can only hope that this belated gesture will assist you to move further on the path to peace and healing."

She said she was "waiting and waiting (for an apology) and I heard the opening address from the Church this morning and how sorry they were for everything that happened and I went back to my letter and I couldn't find sorry anywhere".

Ms Isaacs had been sexually and emotionally abused by Father Derriman when she was 14 and 15 years of age.

Derriman, who served eight months in jail, has left the church and is now married and living in Victoria.

Ms Isaacs said at the time Father Derriman had lied about being terminally ill and said he would kill himself if she did not have sex with him.

A visibly upset Ms Isaacs told how he would put his finger in her mouth during Holy Communion.

As she left the stand, people in the crowded hearing room spontaneously clapped.

Earlier, some had walked out when Mr Gray, representing the Catholic Church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council quoted the Gospel of Mark.

Mr Gray said the church was deeply sorry and referred to the hearing as a "day of reckoning for the Catholic Church".

"It apologises to all those who have been harmed and betrayed. It humbly asks for forgiveness," he said.

When he quoted chapter 10 verse 14 from the gospel according to Mark with the phrase "Let the little children come to me ....", people walked out with cries of "goodness me" and "what an insult". Some cried outside the hearing.

Mr Gray was twice interrupted by commission chair Justice Peter McClellan.

Justice McClellan said Mr Gray was expressing conclusions in some of what he said, and advised him this was the commission's job.

Senior counsel advising the commission, Gail Furness, in her opening statement said data supplied by the church was incomplete and not up to date.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld 30-year vision sets the bar high

Expanding children's literacy and numeracy levels is a primary target in a bold plan for Queensland. Source: AAP

AN ambitious 30-year plan for Queensland aims to have half of the state's population living outside the southeast and to narrow the gap between the wealthy and poor.

Ensuring all Queensland children have basic literacy and numeracy when they finish primary school is another key target in The Queensland Plan, released for review on Sunday.

Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection Andrew Powell says the bar has been set high.

"The working draft is based on a compilation of what Queenslanders have told us they want in 30 years' time," he said in a statement.

"We don't expect everyone will agree with these preliminary targets, but we now have a great opportunity as a community to realise the future we want."

Mr Powell is urging all Queenslanders to have a look at the draft to ensure the 30-year vision reflects the aspirations of the Sunshine State.

"Test us. These targets are bold, they are different and some have never been measured in Australia before," he said.

Ensuring Queenslanders have the lowest incidence of preventable diseases in Australia and increasing the life expectancy of the state's indigenous peoples are also among the 16 primary targets outlined in the draft plan.

The final Queensland Plan is expected to be released by mid-2014.

The working draft is online and will be available for review until March 7 2014.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Free transport urged for fire recovery

The NSW Opposition wants free weekend transport to and from the Blue Mountains to boost business. Source: AAP

THE NSW government should provide free bus and train rides to and from the Blue Mountains these holidays to help businesses recover from the October bushfires, the state opposition says.

The government needs to encourage visitors back with the message that the Blue Mountains is open for business, Opposition Leader John Robertson says.

Analysis by Blue Mountains Lithgow & Oberon Tourism and Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise estimates 200 jobs and more than $47 million in tourism revenue have been lost in the six weeks following the bushfires.

Domestic day trips alone are estimated to be down by more than 144,000.

Mr Robertson says there are dozens of bus and train services to the Blue Mountains every weekend.

"These public transport services should be free and promoted across the Sydney Trains network to encourage families and tourists to plan a trip to the mountains."

Opposition transport spokeswoman Penny Sharpe says she's written to Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian asking that Labor's proposal be implemented immediately, effective until the Australia Day long weekend.

"For a family of two adults and two children it would cost $34.80 on a Saturday to travel from Central to Springwood by train ... that's $34 better spent in a Blue Mountains small business."

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill says many visitors had been scared away by the bushfires.

"We have hundreds of thousands of hectares of world heritage listed National Park with breathtaking scenery, pristine waterways and amazing walking tracks," he said.

"We welcome any proposal that encourages visitors and their wallets to our region."

Ms Berejiklian said in a statement that the NSW government had announced funding for a campaign to encourage tourists to visit the Blue Mountains and continued to work with the community to help those impacted.

"An auction of Sydney Trains lost property items held on Saturday raised thousands of dollars that will be donated to victims of the Blue Mountains bushfire," she said.

The minister also said the government had announced residents would not be charged for water used to defend their homes during the bushfires.

Fees to replace documents such as birth certificates and driver licences had also been waived along with fees for taking bushfire waste to the tip, Ms Berejiklian said.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic minister slams hospital delay claim

OPPOSITION claims that sick Victorian kids are being forced to wait due to delays in building a children's hospital are wrong and hypocrisy in the extreme, the health minister says.

Baulderstone Pty Ltd will build the 230-bed Monash Children's Hospital, with construction to begin mid-next year, it was announced on Sunday.

But opposition health spokesman Gavin Jennings says the hospital should be being finished now, not being started, with the government promising to deliver it in its first term.

"Families who have been waiting for better care for their children, continue to wait," he told reporters.

"Families are waiting longer than they should have."

Health Minister David Davis said the government had promised to start building the hospital in its first term.

He said Labor's delay claims were wrong and "hypocrisy in the extreme" because they failed to build the hospital in 11 years in government.

"(Now Opposition Leader) Daniel Andrews was parliamentary secretary for health first and health minister later and he allocated not one cent to build the Monash Children's Hospital," Mr Davis told AAP.

He said the need for a dedicated children's hospital in Melbourne's southeast was first identified a decade ago.

"This is an important hospital for Melbourne's southeast, a hospital that we look forward to seeing in operation," Mr Davis said.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drug arrests, seizures at Vic music fest

MORE than 100 people have been arrested for drug offences at a Melbourne music festival.

Police seized drugs including ecstasy, amphetamine, cocaine, GHB and MDMA during a sniffer dog operation at the Stereosonic festival at Melbourne Showgrounds over the weekend.

They arrested 139 people, with the majority receiving drug diversions or cautions.

Ten people were charged.

Police Senior Sergeant Mark Pilkington said it was disappointing that so many people were risking their lives by taking illicit substances.

"Believe it or not, you are taking a serious risk with your health and life every time you take an illicit substance," he said.

"We will continue to work closely with event organisers to try and limit these substances at events."

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More