Comedian Mel Smith dies in London

Rudd to export PNG boat plan

KEVIN Rudd will seek to export the Papua New Guinea asylum seeker deal to other Pacific nations if any are willing to participate.

Meet the Julia I know and love

JULIA Gillard's communications director John McTernan gives an insight into our first female PM, in the first of his regular columns.

NRL grand final only for the rich

NRL fans have been slugged with massive price hikes for this year's grand final with some seats more than double what they cost last year.

Tragic cruise pair's pups mourning

TINY and Rosie have been pining since Kristen Schroder and Paul Rossington never made it back from their cruise.

Zoe Marshall: The fans love my Benji

THE skills of my husband, combined with his statements over the past week, make me realise this really is the end of an era.

Orphaned girl to become a boy

A 13-YEAR-OLD orphaned girl has been authorised to start hormone treatment to become a boy, despite having "no parents" to consent to the decision.

Man U put five past All Stars

CHAMPIONS, it seems, are a cut above All Stars. An A-League XI had no answer to Manchester United last night, with the visitors cruising to a 5-1 win.

LIVE: Second Ashes Test, Day 3

JOIN our live coverage from 8pm AEST as Australia tries to salvage some chance of victory in the second Ashes Test against England.

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Four militants killed in Algeria

FOUR armed Islamic extremists have been killed in a shootout with soldiers southeast of the Algerian capital, authorities say.

A security service statement on Saturday said the fighting occurred overnight in Sour El Ghozlane, 120km from Algiers.

The four were in a car heading south when soldiers stopped them and the shooting began, the statement said.

Algeria's army has been fighting extremists for two decades, but tensions recently have been concentrated much farther south, in the desert close to the Libyan border.

Al-Qaeda's North African arm, AQIM, is based in Algeria.

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$40,000 gold prize to those who enrol

ACTIVIST group GetUp! will give away $40,000 in gold in a bid to encourage people to enrol to vote in the upcoming federal election.

GetUp! National Director Sam McLean said 1.4 million people eligible to vote weren't on the electoral role, with 493,000 under 24.

"A huge number of young Australians aren't enrolled to vote and we want to give them every reason to," Mr McLean said in a statement.

"If they win, they can pay off part of their HECS debt, buy a car, go on a holiday or give it to charity - we don't mind.

"The most important thing is that people realise that once the election is called they only have seven days to get themselves enrolled to vote."

Those who enrol and register with GetUp! will go into a draw, with one winner from each state and territory getting $5,000 worth of gold.

The gold will be delivered the Sunday after the election, which has yet to be called by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

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Pioneering journalist Helen Thomas dies

HELEN Thomas, a long-time White House correspondent and a pioneer for women in journalism, has died aged 92.

A friend, Muriel Dobbin, says Thomas died at her apartment in Washington on Saturday morning. Dobbin says Thomas had been ill for a long time, had been in and out of the hospital, and had come home on Thursday.

Thomas made her name as a bulldog for United Press International (UPI) in the great wire-service rivalries of old. She used her seat in the front row of history to grill nine presidents - often to their discomfort and was not shy about sharing her opinions.

She was persistent to the point of badgering; one White House press secretary described her questioning as "torture" - and he was one of her fans.

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Comedian Mel Smith dies in London

BRITISH comedian Mel Smith, known for the TV series Alas Smith and Jones and Not the Nine O'Clock News, has died from a heart attack at his home in northwest London, his agent Michael Foster says.

In a statement to the Press Association on Saturday on behalf of Smith's wife Pam, Mr Foster said: "Mel Smith, comedian and writer, died on Friday aged 60, from a heart attack at his home in northwest London."

Tributes have been paid to the late star.

His former comedy sidekick Griff Rhys Jones said Smith was "a force for life" to everybody who met him, adding he was "a gentleman and a scholar, a gambler and a wit". Jones added: "We are all in a state of shock. We have lost a very, very dear friend."

Father Ted writer Graham Linehan said he and writing partner Arthur Mathews had been helped in their career by Smith, with their first sketches being broadcast on Alas Smith and Jones.

He said on Twitter: "Very sad to hear news of Mel Smith's death has been confirmed. He and Griff gave Arthur and I our break. Was always so kind & generous to us."

Comedian and broadcaster Stephen Fry wrote on Twitter: "Terrible news about my old friend Mel Smith, dead today from a heart attack. Mel lived a full life, but was kind, funny & wonderful to know."

Author Kathy Lette wrote on the site: "R.I.P. Mel Smith. Sorry to bring sad and bad news, but apparently he died from heart attack in his sleep."

Writer Irvine Welsh took to Twitter to write: "Sad to hear about the death of Mel Smith, who gave me loads of laughs."

Not the Nine O'Clock News producer John Lloyd told Sky News that Smith was an "amazingly talented guy" but added that he had not been in good health.

He said: "We did know he was ill. He's been ill for some time.

"So although it is the most awful news - I mean, it's a tragedy, it's a great loss not just as an amazingly talented guy in all sorts of areas but also as a friend - I think he was not in good shape, so in some ways we try and put a good spin on it by saying it's a relief for him."

Smith was described as having "extraordinary natural talent" by Peter Fincham, director of television at ITV.

Fincham, who was the business partner of Smith and Griff Rhys Jones at Talkback Productions as well as their agent, said: "Life was always exciting around Mel.

"He was my friend and business partner for many years and had extraordinary natural talent with the rare gift of wearing it lightly.

"Being funny came naturally to him, so much so that he never seemed to give it a second thought. Mel and Griff were one of the great comedy acts and it's hard to imagine that one of them is no longer with us."

Not the Nine O'Clock News producer John Lloyd told Sky News that Smith was an "amazingly talented guy" but added that he had not been in good health.

He said: "We did know he was ill. He's been ill for some time.

"So although it is the most awful news - I mean, it's a tragedy, it's a great loss not just as an amazingly talented guy in all sorts of areas but also as a friend - I think he was not in good shape, so in some ways we try and put a good spin on it by saying it's a relief for him."

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G20 sets growth and jobs priorities

THE G20 has agreed to make boosting growth and jobs, rather than deficit reduction, the short-term priority for the global economy as it battles to consolidate a "fragile and uneven" recovery.

Finance chiefs from the G20 group of advanced and emerging nations, after meeting in Moscow, also on Saturday backed an action plan drawn up by the OECD to crack down on tax avoidance by multinationals to help replenish budgets diminished by the slowdown.

The finance ministers and central bank governors agreed that the Saint Petersburg summit in September of G20 heads of state -- the culmination of Russia's presidency of the group -- should produce an action plan to improve productivity and employment.

"We agreed that our near-term priority is to boost jobs and growth," said their final communique.

"The global economy remains too weak and its recovery is still fragile and uneven," the statement said.

"We are fully committed to taking decisive actions to return to a robust, job-rich growth path."

The G20 said that while the United States and Japan showed signs of strengthening activity, the recession in the euro area was continuing and growth in many emerging markets was slowing.

The statement said jobs could be boosted by reducing financial market fragmentation, rebalancing global demand, and taking measures to support growth.

All G20 governments are acutely aware of the fragility of their recoveries from the global slowdown, with some eurozone countries now battling youth unemployment of 60 per cent.

The IMF earlier this month cut its forecast for global growth to 3.1 per cent in 2013, down from its April estimate of 3.3 per cent, and warned that emerging markets like China face new risks.

The US has emerged in better shape than other key economies, and the US Federal Reserve is already considering cutting its quantitative easing program -- which injects some $US85 billion a month into the economy via bond purchases -- later this year and end the program by mid-2014.

However this has concerned several big economies, including Russia and Brazil, which fear their own fragile recoveries could be hit by any sudden about-turn in US policy.

In response to these concerns, the statement vowed that any changes to monetary stimulus packages would be "carefully calibrated and clearly communicated".

The US made clear that the fight against unemployment should be at the top of the agenda although other states, like Germany, are known for wanting to keep a strict eye on fiscal discipline.

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said: "It's clearly on the mind of everybody to restore confidence and to create the conditions for growth and for employment."

The economic fragility appears to have also helped unite the G20 in a fight against tax avoidance -- technically legal schemes which allow multinationals to pay very low tax -- as well as illegal tax evasion.

Companies like Amazon and Starbucks have been in the spotlight in recent months over tax avoidance.

The G20 said they had "fully endorsed" the action plan delivered earlier in the two-day meeting by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to clamp down on tax avoidance.

"We encourage all interested countries to participate," it said.

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Online series 'House of Cards' makes Emmy

NETFLIX'S "House of Cards" has made Emmy history with a top drama series nomination, the first time that television's top awards have recognized a program delivered online as equal in quality to the best that TV has to offer.

The nomination, one of nine nods earned by the political thriller, is a marker in the unfolding revolution in how we get and watch video entertainment.

The most Emmy nominations, 17, went to "American Horror Story: Asylum." Close behind was "Game of Thrones" with 16 nods, while "Saturday Night Live" and the Liberace biopic "Behind the Candelabra" earned 15 nominations each, including nods for stars Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.

"House of Cards" stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright received acting bids, along with a number of other primarily big-screen actors who have migrated to TV for powerhouse projects, such as Douglas and Damon.

Another Netflix series, "Arrested Development," didn't earn a best comedy series but scored three nominations, including one for star Jason Bateman.

Joining "House of Cards" and "Game of Thrones" in the best drama series category are "Breaking Bad," ''Downton Abbey," ''Mad Men" and last year's winner, "Homeland."

The major broadcast networks were shut out of the prestigious category, a repeat of last year and a particular blow with the entry of Netflix's streamed drama.

In the comedy series category, nominees are "The Big Bang Theory," ''Girls," ''Louie," ''Modern Family," ''Veep" and "30 Rock," recognized for its final season. Another outgoing comedy, "The Office," didn't receive a best series nod.

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Second Chevron manager jailed in Indonesia

AN Indonesian anti-corruption court has jailed a second employee of the local subsidiary of US energy giant Chevron Corporation, in a case that has alarmed foreign investors.

The two Indonesian employees were each jailed for two years over a project to decontaminate 28 plots of land, which prosecutors argued was a fake project and had caused losses to the state.

On Thursday the court sentenced manager Endah Rumbiyanti for "failing to carry out her obligations", a lapse which it said unfairly benefited two contractors.

On Wednesday the same court sentenced another manager, Kukuh Kertasafari, for poor oversight of the project.

Defence lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis told AFP after the first verdict that they would appeal to a higher anti-corruption court and international arbitration was an option.

Prosecutors from the attorney-general's office argued that the two companies which were contracted to carry out the clean-up had no qualifications or permits.

They also said the land was never contaminated in any case, and the project had cost the state millions of dollars.

Chevron, the country's biggest crude oil producer, denies the accusations and said the clean-up project had been given government approval before it began.

Another lawyer for Chevron, Maqdir Ismail, said Thursday's decision "defies logic" and the trial was intended "to punish, not to find justice".

Directors of the two contractors have already been jailed and two other Chevron employees are awaiting verdicts, with one of them expected Friday.

Lubis said the clean-up project was part of a production-sharing contract (PSC) with the government, under which breaches should not be treated criminally and should be settled out of court.

It is highly unusual for the attorney general's office to intervene in such agreements.

The case has sparked concern among foreign energy companies and investors, who have battled fast-changing industry regulations and legal uncertainty in recent years.

Analysts fear it could scare off much-need investment in the oil sector after the country slipped from being a net exporter to a net importer.

The president-director of French oil company Total E&P's Indonesian operation said the court decision was worrying for foreign companies who share profits with the country under PSCs.

"Under the PSC and so on, people can be criminalised and go to jail, so this is a very big concern to the industry," Elisabeth Proust told AFP.

She said it was a misinterpretation that PSC projects could cause losses to the state, since they were funded by private investors.

"The only thing that we expect is more certainty from the government, more certainty from the legal and judicial system," Proust said.

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Queries over Indonesia's Nazi-themed cafe

AUTHORITIES in central Indonesia say they plan to ask a restaurant owner to explain his reasons for opening a Nazi-themed cafe that has sparked controversy in the world's most populous Muslim country.

Soldatenkaffee includes a wall of Nazi-related memorabilia, including a large flag with the swastika and a giant picture of Adolf Hitler.

The cafe, located in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung, opened in 2011.

But a recent article in a local newspaper has prompted angry responses from some foreigners and Indonesians.

Bandung's deputy mayor, Ayi Vivananda, says a letter was sent on Thursday summoning cafe owner Henry Mulyana to meet with officials to discuss his motives for opening the cafe and whether his objective was to incite racial hatred.

Mulyana says he only wanted to attract customers.

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Campion's Top of the Lake gets Emmys nod

THE ABC wasn't keen on American actress Elisabeth Moss playing an Aussie in Jane Campion's TV mini-series Top of the Lake, but Emmy voters don't care.

Moss was nominated on Thursday for two Emmys - her role in the New Zealand-shot Top of the Lake and for her lead performance in feted US series Mad Men.

Campion also came out big from the Emmy Awards nomination ceremony held in North Hollywood, scoring nominations for directing and writing Top of the Lake.

The news was not so good for Australia's other cast members in the mini-series, with David Wenham and Thomas M. Wright snubbed for nominations.

Top of the Lake's Scottish-born Peter Mullan pipped Wenham and Wright for supporting actor in a TV movie or mini-series nominations.

The critically-acclaimed mini-series, shot in Queenstown, New Zealand, and following Moss' character, an Australian detective, investigating the disappearance of a pregnant girl, was supposed to be partly funded by Australia's national broadcaster.

However, when it was announced Californian-born Moss would star as an Aussie, the ABC pulled $A600,000 in funding for the seven episode mini-series.

The 65th Primetime Emmy ceremony will be held on September 22.

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Dell postpones vote on go-private plan

DELL has postponed a shareholder vote on its $US24.4 billion ($A26.5 billion) go-private plan led by founder Michael Dell, amid reports that several major investors opposed the deal.

A Dell statement said the shareholder meeting on the plan, which opened briefly in Texas, was delayed until July 24.

"Today's special meeting of stockholders was convened and adjourned to provide additional time to solicit proxies from Dell stockholders," the statement said. "No vote was taken on the proposed transaction prior to the adjournment."

The plan announced in February aimed to give Michael Dell a chance to revive the fortunes of the former number one computer maker without the pressures of a publicly traded firm.

But opponents, galvanised by corporate raider Carl Icahn, have claimed the buyout at $US13.65 a share undervalues the company.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that holders of at least 30 per cent of Dell were set to vote against the buyout. The plan required a majority of the shares excluding an estimated 16 per cent held by Michael Dell and his affiliates.

Icahn proposed an alternate plan that would pay $US14 per share for up to 71 per cent of Dell stock, and recently sweetened the deal by adding one warrant for every four Dell shares, entitling the holder to one share of Dell at $US20.

But Dell's board and others contend Icahn lacks financing for such a plan and that it would do little to help foster a turnaround.

Icahn is backed by the investment firm Southeastern Asset Management. And another financial firm, T. Rowe Price, has also indicated it would oppose the buyout.

Dell's board contends the company needs to make radical changes to keep up with a shift to mobile computing.

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Britain to review cyber-security agreement

THE British government is looking again at how it safeguards its telecommunications networks from feared security risks posed Chinese giant Huawei.

Britain, the US and Australia have all raised concerns that Huawei's alleged ties to the Chinese state could see telecoms equipment supplied by the company used for spying and cyber-attacks.

Parliament's intelligence and security committee warned last month that the British government must take more action against risks posed by a decade-old deal between Huawei and BT, the company which manages much of Britain's networks.

Huawei agreed in 2010 to invest in a Cyber Security Evaluation Centre, known as the Cell, to test updates to hardware and software for vulnerabilities before they are deployed.

But the committee expressed concern that this Cell was funded by Huawei and staffed by company employees.

The government has now agreed to the committee's request to review the effectiveness of the Cell as a matter of urgency.

Huawei denies it has any direct links to the Chinese state, but the US Congress last year called for its exclusion from US government contracts, while Australia has barred it from involvement in the country's new broadband network.

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