China mine explosion kills 18

AN EXPLOSION at a mine in southwest China killed 18 people, state media said, the latest incident to hit the industry, which has a notoriously poor safety record.

Another five people were still trapped underground in the pit after the accident at the Xiangshui coal mine in Liupanshui city in Guizhou Province, the Xinhua state news agency said citing provincial government and company sources.

The blast at the mine, part of the Guizhou Panjiang Group, went off at 11.00 am local time and by early evening 18 people were confirmed dead while several others had been rescued.

China is the world's biggest consumer of coal, relying on the fossil fuel for 70 per cent of its growing energy needs.

But its mines are among the deadliest in the world because of lax regulation, corruption and inefficiency. Accidents are common because safety is often neglected by bosses seeking quick profits.

According to the latest official figures, 1973 people died in coal mining accidents in China in 2011, a 19 per cent fall on the previous year.

But labour rights groups say the actual death toll is likely to be much higher, partly due to under-reporting of accidents as mine bosses seek to limit their economic losses and avoid punishment.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tonnes of Xmas trees dumped in garden

AN EARLY seasonal delivery went badly wrong in Austria when a truck was involved in a crash and dumped 13 tonnes of Christmas trees in a resident's garden.

Police in Vorarlberg state, at Austria's western tip, say the accident happened Friday night as a truck with a trailer loaded with trees drove through the town of Hohenems.

The trailer hit a wall, tipped over and landed in the garden of a house. A police statement said that the fire service dispatched 30 people to recover the hundreds of fir trees.

A passenger in the truck was injured and taken to a local hospital.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Highway reopens after horror crash

THE Great Western Highway has reopened after a crash that killed four people, and left a man with critical injuries.

The highway reopened in both directions around 12.45am (AEDT) on Sunday, the Transport Management Centre said.

All lanes of the highway had been closed between Bathurst and Lithgow after the crash at Glanmire, east of Bathurst, around 1.40pm on Saturday.

"A lengthy recovery operation has been completed and all diversions have been lifted," a spokeswoman said.

It was reported that the horrific crash - involving a car, a ute and a semi trailer - occurred after one of the vehicles swerved to miss a dog that had run onto the road.

Three people in the car were killed instantly, while a passenger in the ute also died at the scene.

The ute driver was trapped for an hour and half before being airlifted to Westmead Hospital with life threatening injuries.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Anti-immigration couple loses foster kids

THREE children from ethnic minority groups have been taken away from their foster parents because the couple support the anti-immigration UK Independence Party.

The couple from Yorkshire in northern England said they had been fostering children for seven years but have been told by social workers that they were not suitable because of UKIP's calls for curbs on immigration to Britain.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said the decision was "indefensible" and opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband, whose party runs the local authority involved, called for an urgent investigation into the "very disturbing" claims.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage, a member of the European Parliament, said the situation was "appalling" and "disgraceful".

He accused the council of bigotry, insisting that decisions on foster care should be "colour-blind".

Following the outcry, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council announced it would launch an investigation into the actions of its staff.

The couple involved told the Daily Telegraph newspaper they had been "stigmatised and slandered" by the removal of the baby girl, boy and older girl they had been caring for for eight weeks.

The decision came after two officials visited to question them about their membership of UKIP, Britain's fourth-biggest party which campaigns for an end to Britain's membership of the European Union and a freeze on immigration.

The woman, a qualified nursery nurse, said the social worker told her: "We would not have placed these children with you had we known you were members of UKIP because it wouldn't have been the right cultural match".

She asked what UKIP had to do with the decision, "then one of them said, 'Well, UKIP have got racist policies'. The implication was that we were racist."

The identity of the couple, who are in their 50s, has been kept secret to protect the children.

Mr Gove condemned the council for making "the wrong decision in the wrong way for the wrong reasons" and said he would be looking into what happened.

Rotherham council's director of children's services, Joyce Thacker, told BBC radio the children had been placed with the couple as an emergency and it was never meant to be a long-term arrangement.

She added: "These children are not UK children and we were not aware of the foster parents having strong political views. There are some strong views in the UKIP party and we have to think of the future of the children."

UKIP started life on the fringes of politics but a recent ICM poll suggests it now has the support of seven per cent of voters.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iran congratulates Hamas 'victory'

IRAN'S President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has congratulated Gaza's Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya on a "great victory" over Israel, the two sides say.

Haniya in turn "thanked Iran for its support," they added, days after Tehran confirmed it had supplied military aid to Gaza.

"The Iranian president congratulated the people of Gaza and the (Palestinian) resistance facing Zionist aggression ... on their great victory," Iran's news agency ISNA reported on Saturday.

Haniya's office said Ahmadinejad called late on Friday to praise Gaza's "victory after eight days of Israeli aggression," referring to the Jewish state's Operation Pillar of Defence which ended with a Wednesday ceasefire.

"We stand beside the Palestinian people," the Iranian president added.

Parliament speaker Ali Larijani on Wednesday said Iran had supplied military aid to Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza and which fired missiles at Tel Aviv for the first time during the eight-day conflict with Israel.

"We are proud to defend the people of Palestine and Hamas ... and that our assistance to them has been both financial and military," Larijani said in remarks reported by parliament's website, ICANA.ir.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards chief General Mohammad Ali Jafari also said on Wednesday that Tehran had provided the "technology" for the Fajr 5 missiles used to target Tel Aviv, but denied supplying the actual weapons.

He said they were being "rapidly produced" in Gaza.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Wednesday thanked Iran as well as Egypt for their support during the conflict, saying Iran "had a role in arming" his Islamist movement.

The truce ended eight days of cross border attacks in which 166 Palestinians and six Israelis died.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dubai plans world's largest mall, new city

DUBAI famed for its mega-projects before it was hit by the global financial crisis, has announced a new development to open the world's biggest mall and a park larger than London's Hyde Park.

The ruler of the Gulf desert city state, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, announced the plan for a "new city within Dubai," according to an official statement on Saturday, naming it after himself.

No cost was stated for "Mohammed bin Rashid City," to be carried out by his Dubai Holding and the publicly-listed Emaar Properties, which developed many of Dubai's prestigious projects, including Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower.

The plan also features new residential areas, although the emirate continues to have a surplus of units built during a five-year bubble which burst in 2009.

The "Mall of the World" will have a capacity of 80 million visitors a year to become the "largest in the world," said the statement, while its park will be "30 per cent bigger than Hyde Park of London."

The mall will be connected to a family entertainment centre to be developed in cooperation with Universal Studios International that will be the largest in the region, aiming to attract six million visitors a year.

The emirate already has countless malls and hotels, including the Dubai Mall, touted as the world's largest shopping, leisure and entertainment destination, with 62 million visitors this year.

"The current facilities available in Dubai need to be scaled up in line with the future ambitions for the city," Sheikh Mohammed said in the statement.

Dubai's tourism is growing by 13 per cent a year, according to the statement, with hotel occupancy hitting 82 per cent in 2011 while hotel revenues grew 22 per cent last year, exceeding 16 billion dirhams ($4.26 billion).

The emirate rocked global financial markets in autumn 2009 over its debt crisis, but Dubai has restructured the mountain of debt owed by its corporations, and its economy has returned to growth after contracting in 2009.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

EU, IMF work on Greek debt compromise

THE EU and the International Monetary Fund are working on a compromise to break the deadlock on Greece's debt mountain which has held up the latest rescue loans, a Greek finance ministry source says.

The European Union and IMF, which are fronting Greece's multimillion-euro loan rescue, are 10 billion euros ($A12.5 billion) away from a solution that will satisfy debt management requirements on all sides, the ministry source told AFP.

The IMF has insisted for months that Greece must bring its runaway debt to 120 per cent of output by 2020.

Under the compromise now in the works, the IMF could accept a revised debt target of 124 per cent, the ministry source said.

The International Monetary Fund works to its own internal principles that it should not lend to a country if debt in the medium-term looks unsustainable. The IMF's cut-off point is medium-term debt of 120 per cent of annual output.

But with Greece's economy rapidly contracting owing to the deepening recession that has gripped the country for the past five years, this target has become progressively unrealistic.

In absolute terms, the Greek debt still exceeds 300 billion euros, a sum that will represent about 190 per cent of the country's output in 2014.

The EU-IMF disagreement over Greece's debt sustainability has held up the disbursement of loans from the country's 130-billion-euro financial rescue agreed in February.

Athens has been waiting since June for an instalment of 31.2 billion euros ($A39.03 billion) that was held up owing to reform delays and a protracted electoral campaign.

By the end of 2012, it is also due to receive two more payments, worth five billion and 8.3 billion euros.

In return, it has pledged to implement a series of draconian and unpopular austerity budget measures.

Marathon talks on unblocking the loans collapsed in Brussels this week.

But officials have voiced confidence that a deal will be reached Monday, at the next emergency meeting of the Eurogroup of finance ministers from the 17 states that use the single currency.

"We are working hard on the issue," said Germany's deputy government spokesman Georg Streiter, adding that there was "relative optimism" regarding the upcoming meeting.

"The issues are complex...but there is the desire to find a solution ... though there is still a little work to be done," added German finance ministry spokesman Martin Kotthaus.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Real estate agent 'stole for sale signs'

A CONNECTICUT real estate agent has been charged with stealing a competitor's for sale signs from the front lawns of area homes.

Police say 54-year-old Robert Toth, of Shelton, was charged with third-degree larceny and first-degree criminal trespass. Mr Toth owns American Home Realty in Trumbull, Connecticut.

Police say US Asset Realty owner Jihad Shaheer complained in September that his signs had been stolen from more than a half-dozen sites in Bridgeport and from the front of two homes in Stratford.

Police tell the Connecticut Post that they later determined that Mr Toth had been taking the signs. Mr Toth had worked for Shaheer before opening his own real estate company.

Mr Toth declined to comment.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man in naked standoff on London statue

A NAKED man has climbed atop an equestrian statue in the heart of Whitehall, London's government district.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said the man, believed to be in his 30s or 40s, has been sitting atop the statue on Friday for the better part of two hours.

"We're still talking to him. We're still trying to get him down without causing any injury to him," he said.

Photos posted to Twitter appear to show the man straddling a statue of the 19th century Duke of Cambridge, down the street from the prime minister's official residence.

The man's motives aren't clear, and, with London's late autumn temperature reaching a brisk 10C, it's not clear how long he can stay there.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indonesian militant killed in Philippines

THE Philippine military says it has killed an Indonesian Islamic militant allegedly involved in the 2005 beheading of three Christian schoolgirls.

Ustadz Sanusi was one of seven members of the extremist Jemaah Islamiyah group believed to have sought refuge in the southern Philippines, said Philippine army regional spokesman Captain Alberto Caber.

He was shot dead in the southern city of Marawi late on Thursday while fleeing a hideout that was being raided by police and military forces.

"When the troops arrived to arrest him, there was a commotion. He was chased and someone fired," Caber told AFP.

"It was Ustadz Sanusi who was hit. He was rushed to a hospital but he died."

The Indonesian embassy in Manila declined to comment on the raid.

Jemaah Islamiyah, a South East Asian extremist group, is blamed for a string of attacks including the 2002 bombings in the Indonesian resort of Bali, which killed 202 people.

Regional intelligence analysts claim that Sanusi played a major role in the beheading of three Christian schoolgirls in the restive Indonesian town of Poso in 2005.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two questioned released over bus race rant

A MAN and a woman have been questioned and released by police investigating a racist bus rant recorded earlier this month.

The 24-year-old man and 21-year-old woman, both from Hampton Park, are alleged to have been involved in the incident, which was captured on video.

The footage, captured by Melbourne comedian Mike Nayna, showed a French woman suffering a torrent of threatening, racist abuse on a Melbourne bus on Remembrance Day.

It has been viewed more than a million times on YouTube and been reported around the world.

Police are investigating the video, which shows passengers verbally abusing French tourist Fanny Desaintjores, 22 and her friends onboard a bus in the city's southern suburbs.

Victoria Police say they have identified a victim of the confrontation on the video but are still calling for public assistance.

They are particularly keen to speak with a middle aged man with dirty blonde hair they describe as Caucasian in appearance with a red face.

Mr Nayna said that after the Frenchwoman started singing in French, a female passenger chanted at her "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie", before another person shouted at her to "speak English or die".

Ms Desaintjores says she doesn't judge Australians for the isolated incident and she had never before experienced such hatred during a three-month trip through Australia.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pussy Riot member moved to solitary cell

ONE of the jailed members of the punk band, Pussy Riot, has been moved into a solitary cell following tensions with other inmates.

Federal Penitentiary Service spokesman Stanislav Volegov on Friday told Rain TV that Maria Alekhina was moved into a "safe" cell at her own request.

Other prison officials said, according to Russian news wires, that Alekhina made the request over her perception that fellow prisoners had a negative attitude to her.

Alekhina and two other band members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich, were sentenced in August to two years in prison on hooliganism charges for performing a "punk prayer" against President Vladimir Putin at Moscow's main cathedral.

Samutsevich was released on appeal, but Tolokonnikova and Alekhina are serving their sentences in prison camps.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Smartphone users: watch for online tricks

ATTENTION smartphone shoppers: watch for cyber criminals using phony apps or messages in an effort to hijack your device or steal your data.

Law enforcement and security experts say that as more people use their mobile devices in stores and on open Wi-Fi networks, the risks are increasing as well.

The FBI-backed Internet Crime Complaint Center is warning consumers to be on the lookout for fraudulent apps, messages and Wi-Fi networks which can trick users of mobile devices to divulge passwords, personal data or credit card numbers.

"Many times, e-mails, texts or phone calls will look or sound like they are coming from a well-known retailer, stating a need to 'verify' the full credit card number you used for a purchase or ask you to click a link to update personal account information," the center said.

The center said Android devices are often targeted by spyware, including one system called FinFisher, capable of taking a mobile device, or Loozfon, "an information-stealing piece of malware."

Security firm McAfee's Gary Davis said that as the popularity of apps surges, "so have the chances that you could download a malicious application designed to steal your information or even send out premium-rate text messages without your knowledge."

Davis said some fraudsters are using Twitter ads offering special discounts for popular gifts, linking to malicious software.

"Criminals are getting savvier with authentic-looking social ads and deals that take consumers to legitimate looking websites," Davis said.

"In order to take advantage of the deals or contests, they ask them for personal information that can obtain a shopper's credit card number, email address, phone number or home address."

Lookout, a security firm offering free apps for Android and iPhone, also urges prudence.

"Be careful what you do on public Wi-Fi networks especially when you're shopping. Do not expose passwords, account numbers or credit card information unless you are certain that you are on a secure connection," a company statement said.

"Use discretion when downloading apps. Even the most innocent-looking shopping app can contain software designed to steal personal data, make fraudulent charges or even hijack your phone. Only download apps from sites you trust."

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five charged with Sydney home invasions

FIVE men have been charged in relation to a number of home invasions and armed robberies across Sydney.

Police say two of the men allegedly broke into a man's home at Haberfield, in Sydney's inner-west, at 5.30am (AEST) on Thursday.

The duo allegedly struck the man with a wooden bat before stealing the keys to his car.

They then fled the scene with a group of males outside the house.

Officers later located the stolen car at a fast food restaurant car park about 5km away at Hurlstone Park.

They arrested five men aged between 16 and 19 and later charged them with a number of other offences, including armed robbery and aggravated break, enter and steal.

It is alleged the five were involved in several other home invasion and armed robbery incidents within the Sydney metropolitan area.

All five were refused bail, with four to appear at Bidura Children's Court on Friday, and the other to appear at Central Local Court on Friday.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man takes hostages, demands Japan PM quit

A MAN armed with a knife has taken five people hostage at a Japanese bank, police say, with local media reporting he was demanding Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's cabinet resign.

About seven hours after the drama began on Thursday the man released one hostage, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Television footage showed a woman walking away from the bank as night fell, escorted by a police officer and apparently handcuffed.

She was not immediately identified and the reason for the handcuffs was unclear.

The hostage-taking happened at the Zoshi branch of the Toyokawa Shinkin Bank in the central prefecture of Aichi in the early afternoon, a police spokesman said without elaborating.

Local media said the man, wielding a survival knife, took four employees and a female customer captive and was demanding the Noda cabinet step down as well as asking to speak to journalists.

Noda last week called an election for December 16. He is expected to lose, with polls suggesting the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party will be the biggest party.

The hostage-taker was originally said to be in his 30s or 40s but later reports suggested he was in his 50s.

NHK said there was no report of injuries to the hostages and the man had made no demands for money.

However, he was asking for 10 days' worth of food and water, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper said. Broadcasters said he had also demanded cigarettes and a lighter.

Television footage showed a man who appeared to be a police officer carrying a megaphone and a plastic bag to a side door of the building. Shutters were down all over it but lights could be seen inside.

TV footage showed the area around the bank sealed off and guarded by police.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aussies living longer 'disability free'

AUSTRALIANS are living longer and the extra years are coming "disability free", new figures from the federal government show.

In the decade to 2009, life expectancy at birth jumped 3.4 years to 79.3 for men. Life expectancy for women rose 2.4 years to 83.9.

Over the same period the number of years men can expect to live without disability rose 3.7 to 61.6 years. For women the figure jumped 2.2 to 64.3 years.

"The good news is when it comes to these additional years many are disability free," Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) senior executive Brent Diverty told AAP.

The AIHW report "Changes in life expectancy and disability", released on Friday, notes that a large part of the growth in expected disability-free years occurred between 2003 and 2009.

That period saw disability rates decline for the first time in 30 years at the same time as there was a relatively slow growth in life expectancy.

The most recent life expectancy figures - for the 10 years to 2011 - were released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics earlier in November.

They show a baby boy born today can expect to live 79.7 years. A girl can expect to live until she's 84.2.

The gap between the sexes is closing over time but, as Mr Diverty says, "it's difficult to say if it will ever completely close".

Life expectancy in Australia rose markedly from the beginning of the 20th century as a result of improvements in sanitation, healthcare and nutrition. Declining smoking rates helped later on.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dolphin dies during disputed flight

A dolphin being flown from the Philippines to Singapore has died in transit. Source: Supplied

ONE of 25 dolphins being transferred to a Singapore oceanarium despite protests from activists has died during its flight to the city-state.

Wen Wen, a male dolphin aged about 10, died suddenly less than an hour before the flight from the Philippines landed, a Marine Life Park spokesperson said.

The spokesperson of the park - which opened to the public for the first time yesterday and is part of the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) casino - said the dolphin appeared fine when medically examined before the flight.

"We are deeply saddened... he will be sorely missed," the spokesperson said.

The other 24 bottlenose dolphins had arrived and were acclimatising to their new home.

"No effort or resources will be spared in ensuring the health and well-being of our dolphins and all marine animals at Marine Life Park," the statement said.

Wen Wen is the third dolphin to die out of 27 which RWS acquired from the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific between 2008 amd 2009.

Wildlife activists in the Philippines - where the dolphins were kept and trained before being exported to Singapore - filed a lawsuit last month to stop them from being flown out.

They said the dolphins' capture violated an international treaty on the trade in endangered animals and plants.

A court in the Philippines initially agreed to a temporary ban on transferring the dolphins but another court overturned it.

A Singapore-based animal rights group also opposed the inclusion of the dolphins in the marine park, saying catching them from the Solomon Islands is detrimental to the survival of the species there.

The remaining 24 dolphins are due to make their public debut at the park's twin attractions the S.E.A Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark only next year.

The aquarium is touted as the world's largest with 100,000 marine animals from over 800 species in 45 million litres of water.
 

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Girl dies in schoolies balcony fall

HUNDREDS of people have been evacuated from a high-rise hotel on the Gold Coast where a teenage girl has fallen to her death.

The girl, believed to be a schoolie, fell from the Chevron Renaissance tower in Surfers Paradise.

Police will only say a woman has died after falling off the balcony of a Gold Coast Highway high rise at 9.30pm (AEST) on Thursday.

They are speaking to members of the family and could not confirm whether she had been part of schoolies festivities.

One witness told the ABC he saw the girl fall onto the pool area of the hotel.

"A girl fell off the balcony - just watched her fall," schoolie Seb Giorgio said.

"I didn't want to watch."

Rory, a barman across the road from the Towers Of Chevron Renaissance, said hundreds of schoolies were standing outside the hotel.

"I saw 200 schoolies out the front of the building, two ambulance (crews), there were cops everywhere," he told AAP.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

China car market to grow 8% annually

GROWTH in China's auto market, the world's largest, is forecast to slow to an average eight per cent annually from now until 2020 as consumers' tastes change, consultancy McKinsey said Wednesday.

The country's auto market grew an average of 24 per cent a year between 2005 and 2011, the global management consulting firm said in a newly issued report.

Despite the slowdown - from a 24 per cent average between 2005 and 2011 - China will remain the world's top market with sales of 22 million passenger cars in 2020, due to steady economic growth, rising incomes and road building, it said.

"Chinese consumers are growing more sophisticated about cars and their tastes are evolving," the report said.

"The Chinese car market is becoming more like that of North America, Europe and Japan and perhaps even more complex, given the many regional and segment differences."

Figures from a Chinese industry group show China's passenger car sales rose 6.9 per cent annually in the January-October period to 12.57 million vehicles.

Growth so far this year shows improvement from the 5.2 per cent for all of 2011, but is far below the 33 per cent recorded in 2010, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said.

"Automakers must also factor in the uncertainties that may slow or disrupt market growth," McKinsey warned.

"The volatility, combined with chronic overcapacity, adds greatly to the challenges of doing business in the Chinese market."

Uncertainty over the global economy and policy moves by the Chinese government could have a negative impact, the consultancy also said.

Some Chinese cities have already slapped limits on car numbers due to concerns over traffic congestion and air pollution.

McKinsey said the business environment could also face "disruption" due to industry consolidation, while emerging alternatives to car ownership, such as better public transport, could also present a challenge.

Still, consumers were expected to buy bigger and more expensive vehicles, with sales of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) forecast to rise 13 per cent annually from 2011 to 2020, it said.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Smartphones killing digital cameras

THE soaring popularity of smartphones is crushing demand for point-and-shoot cameras, threatening the once-vibrant sector as firms scramble to hit back with web-friendly features and boost quality, analysts say.

A sharp drop in sales of digital compact cameras marks them as the latest casualty of smartphones as videogame consoles and portable music players also struggle against the all-in-one features offered by the likes of Apple's iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy.

Just as digital cameras all but destroyed the market for photographic film, the rapid shift to picture-taking smartphones has torn into a camera sector dominated by Japanese firms including Canon, Olympus, Sony and Nikon.

"We may be seeing the beginning of the collapse of the compact camera market," said Nobuo Kurahashi, analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities.

Figures from Japan's Camera and Imaging Products Association echo the analyst's grim prediction.

Global shipments of digital cameras among Japanese firms tumbled about 42 per cent in September from a year ago to 7.58 million units, with compact offerings falling 48 per cent, according to the Association.

Higher-end cameras with detachable lenses fell a more modest 7.4 per cent in that time, it said.

Part of the decline was due to weakness in debt-hit Europe and a Tokyo-Beijing territorial spat that has sparked a consumer boycott of Japan-brand products in the China market.

But smartphones have proved a mighty rival to point-and-shoot cameras, analysts say, offering an all-in-one phone, computer and camera with comparatively high quality pictures and Internet photo downloading.

Those features have also dug into videogame makers such as Nintendo, which has just released its new Wii U game console, as smartphone owners increasingly download free online games or store music on the devices instead of using standalone MP3 players.

"The market for compact digital cameras shrank at a faster speed and scale than we had imagined as smartphones with camera functions spread around the world," Olympus president Hiroyuki Sasa told a news briefing this month.

Olympus said its camera business lost money in its fiscal first-half due to the growing popularity of camera-equipped smartphones, and a strong yen which makes Japanese exports less competitive overseas.

Digital camera firms have scaled back their sales targets for the fiscal year to March in a "collapsing" market, said Tetsuya Wadaki, an analyst at Nomura Securities.

"Order volumes at parts suppliers currently appear to be down more than 30 per cent year-on-year," Wadaki said.

Firms are scrambling to keep improving picture quality, offer features such as water-proofing and expand their Internet features, like allowing users to share pictures through social media networks.

Camera makers say growth areas include emerging economies - where many own neither a camera nor a smartphone - along with replacement demand among compact-camera owners.

And the fall-off in demand has not been as stark for the pricier detachable lens cameras favoured by avid photographers and growing ranks of camera-buff retirees, particularly in rapidly ageing Japan, they say.

Another emerging battleground is for mirror-less cameras which can be made nearly as small as compact cameras but with picture quality that rivals their bulkier counterparts.

Canon insists the market has not been abandoned to smartphones.

"Demand for quality snapshots is there, like taking pictures of your friends' weddings, an overseas vacation, or your children," a Canon spokesman said.

"We believe there are many people who need compact cameras," he added.

Mizuho analyst Kurahashi acknowledged that compact cameras "will not disappear".

"But we see the current trend continuing as image quality in smartphone cameras steadily improves," he said.

"The compact camera market is going to keep shrinking and it's difficult to forecast any immediate comeback, or have any optimism."

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kabul executes six 'criminals, terrorists'

AFGHANISTAN has executed six "criminals and terrorists", an official says, a day after eight other death row prisoners were hanged.

The Taliban, which is leading an insurgency against the Western-backed government, has warned there would be reprisals if any of their militants were executed.

President Hamid Karzai approved the executions of the six who were sentenced to death "on charges of terror, conducting attacks, explosions and organising suicide attacks", a government spokesman said in a statement.

The Taliban, who are fighting Karzai's government and 100,000 NATO troops, said if what they called "prisoners of war" were executed there would be "heavy repercussions" for government officials.

It urged the United Nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Red Cross and international rights groups to prevent the executions.

The Taliban, ousted from power by a US-led invasion in 2001, were notorious for executing people in public for "crimes" including adultery. The executions were often carried out at half-time during games in the main football stadium in Kabul.

The European Union and international rights groups condemned Afghanistan's execution of the first eight prisoners and urged Kabul to drop plans to hang any more.

"The Afghan government should end its sudden surge of executions and institute a moratorium on further executions," Human Rights Watch said.

"The weakness of the Afghan legal system and the routine failure of courts to meet international fair trial standards make Afghanistan's use of the death penalty especially troubling," it said.

Amnesty International said "the sheer number of people who could be killed by the state is a particularly shocking use of what is the ultimate cruel and inhuman form of punishment".

The EU mission in Afghanistan called on the government to commute all death sentences and to reintroduce a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolishing capital punishment.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Assistance for storm-hit NSW communities

STORM-HIT northern NSW communities will be able to apply for disaster assistance to help them get back on their feet.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon and NSW Police Minister Michael Gallacher made the announcement on Wednesday, saying it would help families in the Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina council areas hit by the weekend storms.

Severe thunderstorms struck a number of communities in northern New South Wales over the weekend, with reports of strong winds of up to 100km/h, heavy rain and small hail.

Fourteen buildings in Woodburn were damaged and other affected areas included Coraki, Evans Head, Broadwater, Wardell, Lismore, Casino and Ballina.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) received over 170 calls for help during the storms and in the days following.

Assistance will be provided through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australian school wins global green award

A SUBURBAN Melbourne secondary school has overcome competition from Canada, the US and United Arab Emirates to win an International Green Award.

Bentleigh Secondary College was named Most Sustainable Educational Institution during a ceremony in London on Tuesday.

When deciding a winner, judges considered the government college's adoption of sustainable practices including the installation of a windmill and solar panels.

The 850-student school has slashed its water usage from 14 million litres a year to one million litres and captures rainfall to irrigate the campus football pitch.

Teacher Bill Thomas, along with two of his colleagues, attended Tuesday's gala awards dinner to hear that Bentleigh had won, edging out Toronto's York University, Seattle's Washington University, and Abu Dhabi Indian School.

"Everyone has been really enthusiastic since finding out the result and all the students are asking 'where do we go to next' with our endeavours," a thrilled Mr Thomas told AAP.

"It is really our biodiversity and water and energy initiatives (which) are the three areas we are most recognised for."

Mr Thomas has himself been recognised for his environmental efforts, and received a public service award in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2011.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Blast on Tel Aviv bus as Gaza truce remain

A BLAST has ripped through a bus in Tel Aviv, injuring 17 people in what Israel says was a terrorist attack, further vexing international efforts to end relentless violence in and around Gaza.

The attack came as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN chief Ban Ki-moon shuttled between Jerusalem and Ramallah trying to secure a halt to the week-long conflict in which 147 Palestinians and five Israelis have died.

Soon after the bus blast, Israel launched fresh air strikes on Gaza City, killing six Palestinians in attacks which raised the day's toll to 10, medics said.

One of the strikes hit the building housing AFP's Gaza City offices for the second time in 24 hours, killing a toddler in the block next door, a health ministry spokesman said.

No AFP journalists were in the building at the time.

The strike came shortly after the Tel Aviv blast, which occurred very close to the Israeli defence ministry, the Kiriya.

"A bomb exploded on a bus in central Tel Aviv. This was a terrorist attack," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman Ofir Gendelman said on his official Twitter account.

Of the 17 wounded, one was in moderate to serious condition while another three sustained moderate injuries, Israel's emergency services said.

Television images showed the bus with its windows blown out and its metal frame contorted from the force of the blast, in images reminiscent of scenes from the second Palestinian intifada, from 2000 to 2005.

Condemnation poured in from around the world, with Washington branding it a "terrorist attack," and Moscow denouncing it as a "criminal terrorist act."

France and Germany meanwhile both called for an urgent and lasting ceasefire to end the bloodshed.

Just before the explosion, the UN chief had called for an immediate halt to militant rocket attacks on Israel after talks with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

"I reiterate my call for an immediate cessation of indiscriminate rocket attacks by Palestinian militants targeting Israeli populated centres. This is unacceptable," Ban told a news conference.

"Now is the time for diplomacy and stopping the violence," he said after a week of deadly Israeli air strikes on Gaza which have killed more than 145, as militants fired more than 1300 rockets over the border, killing five Israelis.

Abbas had earlier held talks with Clinton, with a senior official saying he had expressed hope that a truce would be announced by the end of Wednesday, while the US diplomat was still in the region.

"The secretary of state assured president Abbas that the United States has done everything possible to reach a ceasefire," said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat.

Before leaving for Egypt, Clinton returned to Jerusalem for more talks with Netanyahu in their second meeting since her arrival late on Tuesday.

On landing in Cairo, Clinton went straight into talks with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who is playing a key role in mediating a ceasefire deal between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Speaking ahead of the bus blast, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told AFP that the Jewish state still hoped for a diplomatic solution.

"The diplomatic ball is still in play. We have not given up on the hope of having a long-term solution achieved through diplomacy, I hope it's still possible," he said.

Israel launched its offensive on November 14 with the targeted killing of a Hamas military chief. Since then, 147 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

DR Congo rebels claim control of Goma

REBELS in the Democratic Republic of Congo have claimed control of the main town of Goma and its airport, in the mineral-rich east, as President Joseph Kabila urges people to defend the country's sovereignty.

A column of rebel fighters entered the city from the main airport road, sweeping past government troops, according to an AFP reporter on the scene.

M23 rebel spokesman Colonel Vianney Kazarama said they were in control of Goma and the airport and were "pursuing the enemy" which he claimed was fleeing.

Kabila, in an address to the nation, meanwhile spoke of a "war" situation and urged the population to fight the rebels.

"DR Congo is today confronted with a difficult situation," Kabila said on national television. "When a war is imposed, one has an obligation to resist. I ask that the entire population defend our sovereignty."

Kabila was on Tuesday in the Ugandan capital Kampala for talks on the crisis.

The rebels took control of the border posts between the Goma and Gisenyi, the town on the Rwandan side of the border, another AFP journalist said.

On the Rwandan side of the border no more gunfire was heard coming from Goma, the journalist said.

The advance marked an escalation in the fighting, which erupted last week after a four-month lull and which has raised fears of a wider conflict engulfing the volatile region.

On Monday, loud explosions shook the area and there were reports of looting in Goma, the regional capital of 300,000 right on the border with Rwanda that is also sheltering tens of thousands of refugees who have fled the clashes.

The international community has raised alarm about the fighting, which erupted last Thursday with advances by the M23 rebels, former soldiers who mutinied in April.

The UN accuses neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda of backing the rebels, charges both countries deny.

Washington has warned the fighting was "an extremely dangerous and worrying situation" and the EU, Britain and France have also raised alarm.

The latest round of fighting erupted last week after the US and the UN slapped sanctions on the leader of the M23, Sultani Makenga.

Makenga is accused of atrocities including masterminding killings, rapes, abductions and recruiting child soldiers.

The rebels have said they plan to fight the DR Congo government "until it falls".

Meanwhile, hundreds of Congolese students staged demonstrations in the northeastern town of Kisangi and in Kinshasa.

In Kisangi the students ransacked the offices of the country's ruling party and shouted anti-Kabila slogans while in Kinshasa they put up banners reading "no to war".

The UN has some 1500 "quick reaction" peacekeepers in Goma, part of some 6700 troops in North Kivu province, backing government forces against the rebels.

Aid agencies have evacuated staff from the city and the UN had planned to remove non-essential personnel on Tuesday.

On Monday Kinshasa rejected the rebels' ultimatum for direct talks within 24 hours, calling it "irrational rantings."

"We prefer to negotiate with Rwanda, the real aggressor," government spokesman Lambert Mende told AFP.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nissan upgrades Leaf electric car

THE upgraded Nissan Motor Co. Leaf electric car can travel further without recharging, comes in a cheaper model and tells drivers how much battery life is left.

The changes in the revamped model, shown Tuesday at a Tokyo hotel, were based on feedback from owners whose chief worry was running out of electric juice while driving, Nissan officials said.

Electric cars emit no pollution, but they need to be recharged. Owners have charging equipment installed at home. But the scarcity of recharging stations on the roads has limited electric vehicles use to short commutes and kept zero-emission cars confined to a market niche.

The new model can travel 228 kilometres (142 miles) on a single charge, up from 200 kilometres (124 miles) as long as you don't use air conditioning, because of improvements such as streamlining the battery system and the vehicle's lighter weight, according to Nissan.

It sells for less than 2.5 million yen ($31,000) in Japan when stripped of fancy options and adding government green subsidies - more affordable than the cheapest previous model at just below 3 million yen ($37,000).

Nissan did not detail overseas sales plans but said similar upgrades were in the works.

The Leaf is the world's most popular electric vehicle, comprising more than half of all electric car sales. Leaf global sales since late 2010 total 43,000 vehicles, about half of them in Japan.

More than 17,000 Leaf cars have been sold in the U.S. and monthly sales are recently at about 1,500 vehicles, according to Nissan.

Senior Vice President Masaaki Nishizawa told reporters the Leaf does away with the hassles of going to gas stations and allows drivers a cleaner conscience.

"People who try out the Leaf are moved," he said. "But they are worried about cruise range."

When the Leaf first went on sale, recharging facilities were at 200 Nissan dealerships in Japan. That will grow to 700 Nissan dealers later this year, or 1,200 locations, when including other spots such as convenience stores.

Among other changes to the Leaf:

- Roomier luggage space after the recharging mechanism became smaller and was moved to the front.

- A dashboard display that tells how much battery charge is left.

- A navigation system that calculates the best energy-saving route to your destination.

- A smaller lighter recharging nozzle.

- Reduction of rare-earth use by 40 per cent for the electric motor.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Do not track' privacy effort at crossroad

A MOVEMENT by privacy activists to curb tracking of Internet users' browsing habits scored a major victory last month when Microsoft launched its new browser with "do not track" as the default, or automatic setting.

But some advertisers are in revolt against the move, certain websites are skirting the Microsoft effort and the debate over online privacy and tracking is heating up.

The controversy stems from practices used by websites and marketing partners to track browsing activity to be able to deliver ads targeted to individuals.

The ad industry argues that tracking is done anonymously without violating privacy, but some say it is easy to connect the person's anonymous IP address or mobile device to a real person.

"It is trivial to make those connections," says Jim Brock, a former Yahoo! executive who now heads a venture called PrivacyFix which offers browser plug-ins for privacy and other services to consumers and businesses.

Websites and mobile device use a variety of software to determine a user's browsing habits. Marketers can then use that data for "behavioural ads" designed with people's habits in mind.

In some cases, these electronic tags can predict if a consumer is price-sensitive, allowing sellers to charge more or less for a product or service.

Privacy activists say a simple Web search can make consumers a target for marketers, and that viewing certain websites may identify them as homosexuals, AIDS patients or suffering from another disease.

"That is one of the scariest things, and it shakes people's faith in the marketing industry," Brock said. "There is very little protection for targeting based on health conditions. This is information that can get in the hands of insurance companies and employers who might not use it in a way we would expect."

Most Web browsers allow users to activate a "do not track" privacy feature, and Microsoft designed its Internet Explorer 10 with the feature as the default setting.

"We believe consumers should have more control over how data about their online behavior is tracked, shared, and used," Microsoft chief privacy officer Brendon Lynch said in announcing the move.

Advertisers see the issue differently, arguing that Microsoft should not make the decision for consumers.

The Digital Advertising Alliance, a consortium of the largest US media and marketing associations, told its members they can ignore or override the default settings in Microsoft or other browsers.

"The trade associations that lead the DAA do not believe that Microsoft's IE10 browser settings are an appropriate standard for providing consumer choice," said the alliance, which includes the Better Business Bureau.

"Machine-driven do not track does not represent user choice; it represents browser-manufacturer choice."

Yahoo! has also broken ranks with Microsoft, saying it "will not recognise" the "do not track" settings by default.

A Yahoo! blog post said Microsoft acted "unilaterally" and that "this degrades the experience for the majority of users and makes it hard to deliver on our value proposition to them."

Representatives Edward Markey and Joe Barton, who head the House privacy caucus, expressed disappointment over the actions by advertisers and Yahoo!, saying they highlight the need for better privacy laws.

"If consumers want to be tracked online, they should have to opt-in, not the other way around," the two lawmakers said in a statement.

Some analysts argue that wiping out all online tracking would undermine the economic model of the Internet.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington think tank, recently modified its website to warn visitors with "do not track" enabled with a pop-up message which asks them to enable tracking.

ITIF analyst Daniel Castro said most consumers do not object to online tracking if they understand that ads support the websites they visit.

"You can't say you don't want targeted advertising but you do want free access to websites," Castro said.

"People like free content and they are willing to make some tradeoffs."

Richard Frankel, president of the ad technology firm Rocket Fuel, said that even though "everyone claims to hate online advertising" there would be very little content on the Internet without it.

Frankel said that imposing tracking restrictions would cut revenues and thereby "would stifle investigative reporting, dissuade open discussion and commentary, and muffle free speech."

Brock acknowledges that revenue will be lost if without behavioural ads, but that the industry has failed to persuade consumers of their value.

"There will be less data to monetise," said Brock, who describes himself as "a former tracker."

"But what the industry has not done is to explain why we benefit from targeted advertising."

Brock argues that with industries unable to reach agreement on privacy standards, consumers may face confusion and it may be time for the government to step in with legislation.

"I believe in ad-supported media, but the industry is giving us no choice," he said. "They need a kick in the butt from the government."

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

GE buys 2,000 Ford plug-in hybrids

GE is buying 2,000 plug-in hybrid cars from Ford for its corporate fleet.

Ford and GE announced the purchase on Tuesday.

GE has set a goal of converting half its fleet to alternative energy vehicles. With the Ford purchase, GE now has 5,000 alternative-fuel vehicles, or about 10 percent of its fleet.

Ford will promote GE's electric vehicle charging stations as part of the agreement.

The two companies also plan to work with researchers from Georgia Tech University to study employees' driving and charging habits. The results of those studies will be shared with other companies that want to add electric cars to their fleets.

The C-Max Energi went on sale this month. It can go around 30 kilometres in all-electric mode before a gas engine kicks in.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Blast hits Jerusalem as Egypt talks truce

A ROCKET fired from Gaza has struck near Jerusalem as Egypt, which has been leading efforts to broker an end to nearly a week of cross-border violence, said the Israeli "aggression" would end on Tuesday.

A loud boom was heard in Jerusalem shortly after air raid sirens wailed, with the Israeli police and army saying a rocket had crashed into an open area near Gush Etzion without causing any casualties.

The attack was claimed by Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which said it had fired "an M75 rocket at the occupied city of Jerusalem".

The second such attack in five days, it came with Hamas engaged in Egyptian-led talks with Israel for a ceasefire on the seventh day of the Jewish state's bombing campaign against rocket-firing militants in the enclave.

In Cairo, Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi struck an upbeat note, saying Israel's "aggression" against Gaza would end on Tuesday and Egyptian-mediated efforts would produce "positive results" within hours.

"The farce of the Israeli aggression will end today, Tuesday, and the efforts to reach a ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israelis will produce positive results within a few hours," the official MENA news agency quoted him as saying.

A Hamas official said chief Khaled Meshaal and his negotiators were currently in a meeting with the intelligence chief. "But it's no secret we're on the verge of an agreement," he said.

Earlier, in a rare statement aired on Hamas television, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades commander Mohammed Deif said that "the enemy will pay a heavy price if it thinks of entering Gaza."

The warning came after Israel halted a threatened ground offensive to give talks a chance to end the conflict that flared on Wednesday when an Israeli strike killed Deif's deputy, Ahmed Jaabari, before launching its bombing campaign.

After the first night of the conflict without Palestinian deaths, the toll rose to 116 on Tuesday when another six people were killed, including a 15-year-old boy who was trying to catch birds, medics said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his key ministers took the decision to put off plans for a ground assault at a meeting overnight, a senior official told AFP.

"A decision was taken that for the time being, there is a temporary hold on a ground incursion to give diplomacy a chance to succeed," he said.

The move came as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in Cairo for Egyptian-led talks on a truce, travelled to Jerusalem and urged both sides to stop their fire "immediately".

The flurry of diplomatic activity will also see US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cutting short a tour of Asia to head to Jerusalem, Ramallah and Cairo, and Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi leading a delegation of 12 ministers on a solidarity visit to Gaza.

Israel is looking for a 24 to 48-hour truce as a buffer to work out a more permanent arrangement, with Tuesday's talks "expected to be decisive," Haaretz newspaper said.

But it is pressing on with its troop buildup along the Gaza border regardless, said the official.

"If we see that diplomacy does not bear fruit - and the time we've given to diplomacy is limited - all the preparations are being undertaken so that if and when the order is given the ground incursion can happen expeditiously," he said.

Hamas is understood to be seeking guarantees Israel will stop its targeted killings, and end its six-year blockade on the coastal territory home to 1.6 million people.

Analysts say a ground war could draw in other regional powers, including Israel's arch foe, Iran.

Inside Gaza, where 116 people have been killed and more than 920 injured in the Israeli bombardment, many families have fled their homes in northern Gaza, which has taken the brunt of the air strikes, to seek safe haven in the south.

Since the violence erupted on November 14, Gaza militants have fired more than 1000 rockets at the Jewish state, killing three people and injuring dozens.

Of those, 715 have crashed into southern Israel and another 359 were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system.

The violence comes as Israel heads towards a general election in January, raising the spectre of a broader Israeli military campaign along the lines of its devastating 22-day Operation Cast Lead launched at the end of December 2008.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

UBS rogue trader guilty of 2 fraud counts

A ROGUE trader who lost $US2.2 billion ($A2.12 billion) in bad deals at Swiss bank UBS has been convicted of two counts of fraud.

Ghanaian-born Kweku Adoboli, 32, exceeded his trading limits and failed to cover his losses, allegedly faking records to hide his tracks at the bank's London office. At one point, Adoboli risked running losses of up to $12 billion.

A conviction for fraud carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.

The 10-person jury at Southwark Crown Court in London found Adoboli innocent of four other false accounting charges.

The trader ran into trouble dealing in exchange traded funds, complex financial products that track stocks, bonds and commodities. Adoboli admitted the losses, but said he was pressured by staff to take risks.

He also testified last month that he had been trying to help UBS survive after it amassed losses of $52 billion during the 2007-2008 global financial crisis.

"There were times we thought there was no way the organisation would survive," said Adoboli, who joined UBS as a trainee in 2003 and rose quickly to become a senior trader. "I grew up with UBS. I felt very loyal to UBS."

Detective Chief Inspector Perry Stokes of City of London Police, who led the investigation of Adoboli, had a different view, believing the trader's motive was "to increase his bonus, his status, his job prospects and his ego."

"Adoboli was a sophisticated fraudster," Stokes said. "He was one of the most accomplished fraudsters that I've seen in my time investigating serious fraud."

After questions were raised about his trading, Adoboli walked off the job and sent an -mail to colleagues saying what he had done.

"I take full responsibility for my actions and the s--- storm that will now ensue. I am deeply sorry to have left this mess for everyone and to have put my bank and my colleagues at risk," he wrote.

The conviction on the second fraud count came on a 9-1 vote after Judge Brian Keith said he would accept a majority verdict.

The trading loss at UBS was one of the largest in UK banking history. US-based JPMorgan Chase lost at least $5.8 billion through bad trades at its London office, the bank's CEO Jamie Dimon said in July.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria opposition to be based in Egypt

A NEWLY formed Syrian opposition bloc that has received Arab and international backing is to be based in Egypt, its head Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib has told the official MENA news agency.

"It has been decided that the Syrian National Coalition will have its headquarters in Egypt," Khatib was quoted as saying after talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr.

Amr said Egypt was willing to "offer any assistance to the coalition in the coming phase".

The National Coalition was formed last week after extensive talks in Doha, Qatar, one of the six Gulf states that have officially recognised it as the representative of the Syrian people, along with France and Turkey.

The Arab League has recognised the alliance as "the legitimate representative of the Syrian opposition".

The coalition aims to present a united front to the international community and is lobbying for weapons and cash to help it topple the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

But the main Islamist rebel groups in Aleppo, a key frontline in Syria's civil war, have rejected the bloc and instead called for an Islamic state.

Khatib said the coalition - which brings together 14 groups including the powerful Syrian National Council - would work to include all the holdouts.

He said the National Coalition would be holding a meeting in Cairo "within 10 days" and "we will listen to our brothers who have not joined this coalition".

"Many positive steps have been taken ... we will communicate with our brothers who have reservations for further co-operation for the sake of the Syrian people," Khatib said.

The conflict in Syria has claimed upwards of 39,000 lives since it broke out more than 20 months ago, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Berlusconi accountant held hostage

SILVIO Berlusconi's accountant was taken hostage in his home last month by armed intruders who demanded a 35 million euro ($A43 million) ransom from the former Italian prime minister, police say.

The police have arrested three Italians and three Albanian citizens accused of taking Giuseppe Spinelli, one of Berlusconi's closest allies, and his wife Anna hostage for a night in October.

Three attackers forced their way into Spinelli's apartment on October 15, and in the early hours of the following morning forced him to call Berlusconi, demanding the ransom for the couple's release.

In exchange for the ransom, they also offered to hand over documents they claimed would overturn a guilty verdict for graft against one of the ex-prime minister's companies, according to media reports.

"Spinelli was suffering from shock. He could not say he had been taken hostage because he feared for his wife's life" during the telephone call to Berlusconi, said Niccolo Ghedini, one of the media magnate's lawyers.

"He was terrified, he was still being threatened with weapons," he said.

The three intruders, who had been tracking Spinelli's movements since June, left a few hours later, taking with them the building's video surveillance tapes.

Police said there was no evidence the ransom had been paid.

Spinelli, 71, is one of Berlusconi's closest friends. The media magnate, who is currently on trial for paying a 17-year-old call girl for sex, entrusted his accountant with giving cash presents to young girls invited to his parties.

The ex-prime minister's lawyers did not alert police to the hostage situation and extortion attempt until 30 hours later, according to media reports.

The intruders claimed the documents they had in hand would overturn a court ruling in 2011 that ordered one of Berlusconi's family companies to pay 560 million euros to a rival group as compensation for corrupt activities in a takeover battle.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

S African gunman guilty of Dewani murder

A JUDGE has found a South African man guilty of killing Swedish newlywed Anni Dewani while she was on her honeymoon in Cape Town two years ago, amid claims her husband organised the hit.

"I'm satisfied that the accused has committed the crime of murder," Judge Robert Henney told the High Court on Monday, delivering the verdict against Xolile Mngeni.

Dewani, a Swede of Indian origin, had been married for just two weeks when she was killed in November 2010, in what prosecutors said was a faked hijacking.

Henney told the High Court that Mngeni, a suspected small-time drug dealer, had plotted with two co-accused to carry out the premeditated murder for 15,000 rand (now $A1650).

Henney convicted the 25-year-old of firing the shot that killed Dewani, robbery with aggravating circumstances and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Dewani's husband Shrien Dewani is accused of orchestrating the hit, but has protested his innocence and is fighting extradition to South Africa.

The judge did not rule on Shrien's alleged culpability, focusing on the role of Mngeni.

Dewani was killed by a single gunshot while travelling in the back of the car with her British husband.

"During this incident, the deceased was shot once through the neck by the accused as a result of which, she died," said Henney, who said the co-accused had planned the murder to appear a car hijacking.

Two local men already jailed over the killing have fingered Shrien as their paymaster.

Mngeni, who has undergone surgery for a brain tumour and needed a walking frame to move to and from the dock, appeared unmoved as the verdict was handed down.

He had pleaded not guilty to killing the bride, but admitted that his palm print was on the car in which Dewani's lifeless body was found in a poor Cape Town township and had also pointed out key scenes to police.

The judge dismissed Mngeni's version of the night's events as "riddled with improbabilities, inconsistencies and untruths" and his testimony as "dishonest".

Shrien Dewani is being treated at a secure mental hospital in the English city of Bristol ahead of a court decision on his extradition.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

No need for abuse comment apology: Barnett

WEST Australian Premier Colin Barnett says the state opposition's response to his comments about the royal commission into child sex abuse was wrong and inappropriate.

Opposition child protection spokeswoman Sue Ellery called on the premier to apologise to victims of child abuse after he told ABC radio that the far-reaching national inquiry announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard last week could destroy institutions around the country.

Mr Barnett said he held grave concerns about the legacy the massive inquiry may leave on the organisations investigated and the victims involved.

The premier said he hoped the royal commission would achieve positive outcomes, "but I also fear for the negativity that could come out of it".

"I think you will see many people's lives destroyed. I think you will see many of Australia's institutions - which may have been at fault - also destroyed, and great divisions in the community," he told ABC radio.

But Ms Ellery said the premier's reservations made light of the abuse suffered by many people over many years, saying his comments showed "an appalling lack of sensitivity", and that the royal commission would be an important part of the healing process for victims.

"Most Western Australians would be appalled that the premier appears more concerned about protecting the perpetrators than providing a platform to investigate abuse claims," she said.

However, Mr Barnett said Ms Ellery's comments were wrong and inappropriate.

Mr Barnett said the WA government's concern for the victims of child sexual abuse had been illustrated by its efforts with the St Andrew's Hostel inquiry earlier this year, conducted by former Supreme Court Justice Peter Blaxell.

The inquiry initially focused on events in the 1970s and 1980s at the St Andrew's Hostel in Katanning, run by notorious pedophile brothers Dennis and Neil McKenna, and was later expanded to St Christopher's Hostel in Northam, Hardie House in South Hedland and St Michael's House in Merredin.

"The WA Government also made ex-gratia payments to more than 5000 survivors of child abuse in a scheme that closed last year," Mr Barnett said later on Monday.

"This scheme allowed victims of child abuse an opportunity to tell their story and for the first time for many to be believed.

"As I said in this (ABC radio) interview and on many other occasions, Western Australia will fully co-operate with the royal commission announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard."

AAP rlm/apm

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Speedster Clunes loses insurance gig

A STRING of speeding fines has cost British TV star Martin Clunes more than his driver's licence.

The Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly star, 50, has lost his job as the promotional face of UK insurance firm Churchill, after admitting to the company that a culmination of infringements meant he no longer had the legal right to get behind the wheel.

A statement from the insurer said advertisements featuring Clunes, in which the star was sometimes shown riding a motorcycle, have been cancelled.

"Churchill Insurance currently has no adverts with Martin Clunes on air and will be moving forward with new advertising in the New Year," the statement read.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks jump on 'fiscal cliff' hopes

US stocks have scored solid opening gains on hopes that political leaders will find a way to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts in January.

After five minutes of trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 108.12 points, or 0.86 per cent, at 12,696.43.

The S&P 500-stock index advanced 16.34 points, or 1.20 per cent, to 1,376.22.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite leaped 33.96 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 2,887.09.

"Markets are looking to extend Friday's gains on hopes that progress will be made surrounding the fiscal cliff," said Wells Fargo Advisors analysts.

"Investors are encouraged after President Obama said on his trip to South-East Asia that he believes a budget deal will be reached."

On Friday, stocks rebounded slightly following a rough week as the White House opened talks with congressional leaders on the cliff and the deficit, with politicians on both sides signalling readiness to compromise.

The Dow rose 0.37 per cent and the S&P 500 added 0.48 per cent.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teens arrested after rail robbery

THREE teenagers have been charged after two boys were robbed while travelling on a train in Sydney's west.

About 12.15pm (AEDT) on Sunday two 16-year-old boys were travelling on a train between Mt Druitt and St Marys when they were approached by two females and a male.

The trio, all aged 17, allegedly assaulted the boys and stole a small amount of money.

The boys got off the train at Werrington and raised the alarm, with the alleged offenders stopped by police at Kingswood station.

They were arrested and taken to Penrith Police Station where they were all charged with robbery in company.

The two girls were refused bail and will appear before Parramatta Children's Court on Monday.

The boy was granted conditional bail and will appear on December 10.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Christie makes cameo on 'SNL'

NEW Jersey Governor Chris Christie can't get enough of Saturday Night Live.

One day after ducking questions about Twinkies-maker Hostess shutting down to avoid giving comedians fodder and saying he's on SNL enough, Mr Christie made a cameo appearance on Weekend Update.

The tough-talking governor poked fun at his notoriously short temper and the familiar blue fleece jacket that he has worn while touring the state following Superstorm Sandy.

Mr Christie thanked the Red Cross and first responders. He also thanked his wife, who he said has put up with "a husband who has smelled like a wet fleece for the last three weeks".

He took a swipe at New Jersey officials who failed to follow his orders before Sandy, refusing to thank "any of the stupid mayors" who ignored his evacuation orders, calling them "idiots".

Mr Christie closed by quoting from the Bruce Springsteen song Atlantic City.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australians back royal commission: poll

THE decision by Prime Minister Julia Gillard to establish a royal commission into child sexual abuse has the backing of almost every Australian, according to a Fairfax/Nielsen poll.

The poll shows 95 per cent of voters support the royal commission, while only three per cent are against it.

Nielsen poll director John Stirton told Fairfax he could not recall a poll issue ever receiving such universal support.

The royal commission, which will inquire into all institutions, not only churches, has the support of all political parties, state and federal.

The poll, which involved 1400 voters, also found that most Australians think the carbon tax is making no difference to them but they still want it repealed.

It found 56 per cent, two per cent more since September, believed they were unaffected by the tax that started on July 1.

The same proportion believed the tax should be repealed, something the coalition has promised to do.

The poll also showed that while support for processing of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island has dipped it still remains high.

Sixty-three per cent of those questioned support the Pacific solution - a four-point drop since announced in August - while 30 per cent are against it, which is a rise of three points.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Expert doubts value of work drug tests

THERE is little evidence that random drug testing in the workplace is effective and it could be contributing to an increase in the use of synthetic substances, according to an expert.

The deputy director of the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA) at Flinders University, Ken Pidd, says drug-testing in the workplace is just an easy "tick-a-box" response to the problem.

Dr Pidd is to present his finding on Monday at the 2012 Conference of the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) in Melbourne.

"Certainly there is very little rigorous research on the effectiveness of workplace drug testing and within that not much support for testing," Dr Pidd said.

"As a stand-alone strategy, workplace drug testing is an easy tick-a-box response and an ill-informed reaction to the problem of drug-impaired workers putting themselves and their colleagues at risk of accidents and injuries."

Dr Pidd said employees who take drugs could simply change their patterns of consumption and the types of substances they consumed.

He believes workplace testing may be contributing to the increase in synthetic drug use such as Jack3d and Kronic, and pharmaceutical drug misuse.

Western Australia, where many mining-related companies had adopted urine testing, had the highest national rate of amphetamine use.

Dr Pidd said some employers wrongly believed that drug testing was required to meet their workplace health and safety obligations.

"What they do need are high-quality education and training programs which help develop a workplace culture conducive to health and safety," he said.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

NSW boy detained, indecently assaulted

A MAN has been charged after allegedly detaining and indecently assaulting a nine-year-old boy on the NSW central coast.

It is alleged the boy was skateboarding with friends on Denning Street at The Entrance about 3.35pm (AEDT) on Saturday when he was approached by a man, who convinced the boy to go to his home.

Police will allege the boy went to the home and, when inside, the man locked the doors, refused to let the child leave and, during the night, indecently assaulted him.

When the child failed to return home by 9.30pm his mother raised the alarm, with police searching through the night.

The boy was located about 7.45am on Sunday when he was spotted by his family after leaving the man's home.

A 37-year-old man was taken to The Entrance Police Station where he was arrested by detectives from the Child Abuse Squad.

He was charged with detaining a person with intent to obtain advantage and indecently assaulting a person under the age of 16.

The man was refused bail and will appear before Wyong Local Court on Monday.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama hopes for no 'ramping up' in Gaza

US President Barack Obama says it is "preferable" for the Gaza crisis to be ended without a "ramping up" of Israeli military action, as fears mount of a new invasion of the Hamas-run territory.

"Israel has every right to expect that it does not have missiles fired into its territory," Obama said, adding, "if that can be accomplished without a ramping up of military activity in Gaza, that is preferable".

"That is not just preferable for the people of Gaza, it is also preferable for Israelis because if Israeli troops are in Gaza, they are much more at risk of incurring fatalities or being wounded," he said.

Obama spoke in Thailand on Sunday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was ready to "significantly expand" its operation against militants in the Gaza Strip, sparking fears of a new invasion.

The US president said the "precipitating event" of the Gaza crisis was a string of extremist rocket attacks on Israeli territory, which he said no nation in the world would tolerate.

He also backed the Jewish state's right to self-defence on a day in which the crisis deepened, with two rockets shot down over Tel Aviv and the Palestinian death toll from retaliatory strikes reaching 56.

Obama, who visited Israeli border areas around the town of Sderot when he was a candidate for president in 2008, said it was clear what had caused the latest crisis over Gaza.

"Let's understand what the precipitating event here was ... that was an ever-escalating number of missiles that were landing not just in Israeli territory but in areas that are populated.

"There is no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders."

Obama has spoken to Netanyahu, with whom he has had a tense relationship, several times since the start of the crisis, most recently on Friday.

Netanyahu has expressed deep appreciation for US investment in the Iron Dome rocket and mortar defence system, which he said has stopped hundreds of incoming rockets from Gaza.

In the latest retaliatory strikes by Israel on Sunday, three people were killed, including two women, in Gaza City.

Netanyahu said Israel was ready to "significantly expand" its operation against militants in the Gaza Strip.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More