New device aims to reduce stillbirths

AN experimental device that helps deliver babies during troubled labours was invented by an auto mechanic in South America.

It's being developed as part of an effort to reduce stillbirths around the world.

The instrument is named the Odon Device in honor of its inventor, car mechanic Jorge Odon of Argentina, who got the idea when friends re-created a YouTube video showing how to extract a cork from a wine bottle.

It is to be tested in Argentina and South Africa before wider distribution.

Birth is still a perilous event in the developing world.

According to the World Health Organisation, 2.6 million babies were stillborn globally in 2009, a number that has declined little since 1995, when there were 3 million stillbirths.

Moreover, about 260,000 women died in childbirth last year.

The device being developed by Becton, Dickinson and Co of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, essentially consists of a polyethylene bag and a tube.

The bag is inserted into the birth canal and inflated slightly to create a balloon that holds onto the baby's head.

That makes it easier to deliver the newborn, without the potential dangers that arise when a less-skilled practitioner uses forceps or vacuum suction.

It's also an alternative to cesarean sections, which are not readily available in poor countries.

"Developing countries just don't have access to the type of interventions that women would receive in the US or Western Europe," said Gary Cohen, executive vice president at BD, a medical technology company that is a leading manufacturer of needles and syringes.

Officials there estimate that if the tests go well, the device will be ready for use in about three years.

Odon got the idea in 2005 after seeing a plastic bag inserted into a wine bottle and inflated to get a cork out through the bottle's narrow neck.

He connected with officials at WHO, and the concept won a competition called "Saving Lives at Birth," which is sponsored by USAID, the World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other organisations.

Officials from WHO reached out to Becton Dickinson in January 2012 because of the company's experience working with governments and non-profits to tackle health issues - especially HIV/AIDS - in the developing world, according to Cohen.

The company doesn't have any background in obstetrics, but it does have expertise in global distribution, as well as plastics molding, he said.

BD is working on the device under an exclusive licensing agreement with the inventor, as well as an agreement with WHO that calls for WHO to test the device.

BD said it plans to develop and manufacture the device in Singapore and distribute it globally, starting in areas where the maternal mortality rate is highest.

BD will make a profit on the product, but plans to offer it at an affordable price in developing countries. Cohen said it's too early to estimate prices for Odon.

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Harry urged to return Down Under

PRINCE Harry proved such a hit during his recent trip to Australia he should return - and stay longer - Prime Minister Tony Abbott says.

The prince spent just 36 hours Down Under during a visit last month to celebrate the centenary of the country's navy - but caused what was dubbed "Harry mania".

Speaking during a Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka, which was opened by the Prince of Wales, Abbott said: "It would be a good idea if he did what his father did and came out for a longer time."

Charles developed a deep affection for Australia when, in 1966, he spent about six months as an exchange student at Timbertop, a remote outpost of the Geelong Church of England Grammar School in Melbourne.

Abbott made the remarks as he attended a lunch reception hosted by Charles in Colombo for new Commonwealth leaders.

Speaking to other politicians, he added: "Prince Harry came to Australia recently and he's a knockabout guy. He took Sydney by storm. He would be welcome back to Australia any time."

Harry returned from Sydney last month after attending the International Fleet Review to celebrate the Australian Navy's 100th anniversary.

He also spent a few months in the country in 2003 as a jackeroo working at a cattle station during a gap year.

Charles did not hear the comments about his son but when he chatted to Abbott the conversation turned to the quality of Australian wine compared to English.

The Australian prime minister explained to the prince that he had been handed a glass of Camel Valley sparkling wine produced in Cornwall.

Charles told the politician: "Of course the Australian ones are much better."

Abbott then replied: "I have been angling for that compliment for some time."

The prince then recalled how he flew over the Penfolds wine estate when he arrived in Australia in the sixties.

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NSW man dies after crashing into tree

A 22-YEAR-OLD man has died after crashing his car into a tree in central west NSW.

Emergency services were called to a rural road at Butlers Falls, near Dubbo, early on Friday afternoon on reports a Holden Commodore had smashed into a tree, police say.

The driver and only occupant of the car died at the scene.

A crime scene has been established and investigation is underway.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to come forward.

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India, Pakistan agree: Google ad a hit

AN emotional advertisement for Google's search engine has become a hit in India and Pakistan by referring to a traumatic period in the history of the South Asian arch-rivals.

The "Reunion" commercial has been viewed more than 1.6 million times on YouTube.

It portrays two childhood friends, now elderly men, who haven't seen each other since the 1947 partition that created India and Pakistan from the old British empire in South Asia.

Partition created a mass exodus as millions of Muslims and Hindus fled across the new borders, fearing religious violence.

In the ad, a young Indian woman tracks down her grandfather's childhood friend in Pakistan using the search engine and arranges a surprise reunion.

The ad is drawing praise and tears on both sides of the border.

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UK singer Roy Harper on child sex charges

VETERAN folk and rock performer Roy Harper is facing charges in relation to a series of historic sex offences against an under-age girl.

The singer-songwriter, who has performed with Pink Floyd and influenced rock band Led Zeppelin, has been summonsed to appear at Hereford Magistrates' Court on Monday, West Mercia Police said.

The 72-year-old, of Rossmore, Clonakilty, County Cork, in the Republic of Ireland, is facing nine sexual offences charges in total.

A force spokesman said: "The summons relates to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14 and four counts of gross indecency with a girl under 14.

"The charges are in connection with offences alleged to have taken place in Herefordshire between 1975 and 1977 and relate to one victim."

The summons was issued to the musician on October 16, after he was voluntarily interviewed by police at Heathrow Airport on February 22.

The prolific performer has produced more than 30 albums during his career, and continues to tour.

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Pakistan praised for rogue soldier arrest

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has personally thanked Pakistan's leader Nawaz Sharif over the arrest of a rogue Afghan soldier accused of murdering three Australian soldiers.

Sergeant Hekmatullah was captured in Pakistan in February after close co-operation between Pakistan, US, British and Australian intelligence services.

He has been charged with murdering Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, Sapper James Martin and Private Robert Poate during an insider attack at Patrol Base Wahab in Afghanistan in August 2012.

Two other Australians were wounded, along with several Afghans.

Mr Abbott spoke with Mr Sharif on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo on Friday, and thanked Pakistan for its assistance.

The leaders also discussed security and economic challenges facing Pakistan, including the continuing threat from militants and recent disruptions in the supply of power across the country.

Pakistan's relationship with India, trade and the prospects for stability in Afghanistan were also on the agenda.

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Gay activists seek end to criminality

Activists are using the CHOGM meeting to press for an end to the criminalisation of homosexuality. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand are being urged to use a meeting of Commonwealth leaders to lobby for an end to the criminalisation of homosexuality.

Homosexuality is a crime in 41 out of the 53 Commonwealth nations, including CHOGM host nation Sri Lanka.

Ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka on Friday, a new report produced by the Kaleidoscope Trust details human rights abuses against gay and lesbian people.

Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Sir Shridath Ramphal, writes in the report: "It is a reminder that for most of the countries of the Commonwealth, the desecration of our fellow citizens began in the law.

"As with the abolition of slavery, the decriminalisation of homosexuality in our time must be an act of law."

The report details first-hand examples of attempted murder, beatings and harassment.

"I have lost two teeth, had my family property invaded and car damaged by two masked men," says Caleb Orozco, a gay man from Belize.

The report recommends that all countries which criminalise same-sex activity repeal the laws in line with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

It notes that while Australia had made significant progress in getting rid of gay discrimination from the statute books, there were still some flaws including the differing age of consent, adoption and civil union laws between the states and the gay panic defence in charges of assault and murder.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and NZ leader John Key will attend CHOGM on Friday.

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Constitutional recognition 'big issue'

PROMINENT indigenous rights leader Noel Pearson sees constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians as the looming "big issue" for the nation.

And he is confident Prime Minister Tony Abbott has the conservative confidence to pursue it.

Speaking at the 2013 Gough Whitlam Oration in Sydney, Mr Pearson said there were two problems with the current constitution - non-recognition of indigenous people and racial discrimination.

The Cape York Group chair said while we should do all we can to assist disadvantaged people, it should be done on the basis of individual need, not race.

"A person is not automatically disadvantaged because he or she is indigenous," he said on Wednesday night.

"A person should be rewarded on their merits and assisted on their means.

"Race and indigenousness should be irrelevant to matters of public welfare and government assistance.

"We need to move away from indigenous non-recognition to a recognition."

On making constitutional recognition a reality, Australia needs someone in conservative territory to gain the votes, Mr Pearson said.

"I think (Mr Abbott) can carry the confidence of rural and regional Australia and the old conservative Australia," he told AAP outside the event.

The question would be finding common ground on the constitution wording, he added.

Mr Abbott has flagged a shake up of indigenous affairs and has set up an indigenous advisory council to review relevant spending.

Mr Pearson supported the review, which he expects will find some programs are not serving the people they were meant to help.

"There is a lot of waste and a lot of need that is not being addressed so I see this as an opportunity really," he said.

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Christine Campbell quits Vic parliament

Labor MP Christine Campbell has announced she will quit Victorian parliament at the next election. Source: AAP

LABOR'S member for Pascoe Vale, Christine Campbell has announced she will quit state parliament at the next election.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Ms Campbell announced her retirement after 17 years of service.

"It remains my honour to represent the Pascoe Vale electorate in the Victorian Parliament and I have decided that on 28 November, 2014 I will conclude my time as a member of parliament," Ms Campbell said.

"Until the election, my magnificent electorate officers and I will continue to give the party and electorate our total service."

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Abbott praises political foe Rudd

Tony Abbott (pic) is convinced his former political foe Kevin Rudd will continue to serve Australia. Source: AAP

TONY Abbott is convinced that one way or another his former political foe Kevin Rudd will continue to serve Australia.

Mr Rudd stood up at the end of the 44th parliament's first full working day and announced that he was calling it a day as a politician.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott responded by saying it was a significant moment in the life of a parliament for a former prime minister to depart.

Mr Rudd had been one of the big figures in the life of this country for the best part of two decades, Mr Abbott said.

"As a political opponent, but as someone who has known the member for Griffith quite well for a long time, I salute him and I wish him and his family all the best for the future," he said.

"I express my confidence that one way or another he will continue to serve our country and his party."

Mr Abbott said it took an extraordinary person to lead such an extraordinary country.

He said Mr Rudd won an election which pitted him against John Howard, the most successful prime minister of modern Australia.

"It takes extraordinary ability, insight, guts and focus to win such a contest. He didn't just win that contest in 2007, he triumphed," he said.

"We must pay tribute to someone of such stature who was able to vanquish in fair political fight someone of at least equal stature."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Mr Rudd was a large presence across the national political stage for some time, and could leave parliament with his head held high.

Mr Shorten attributed Australia's success in winning a seat on the United Nations Security Council largely to Mr Rudd's distinction on the world stage.

He also led Labor during a difficult time, and his return to the prime ministership before the September election had improved the ALP's fortunes.

"This is a tumultuous era in Labor, and with the member for Griffith's resignation tonight, part of it comes to a close," Mr Shorten said.

"I do not believe that we will see his like again in the Australian parliament."

He also said the former prime minister shared a special relationship with the Australian people, and attained a level of "above-politics celebrity".

Mr Shorten thanked Mr Rudd's family, saying they would now get their husband and father back after years of lending him to politics.

Treasurer Joe Hockey shared the limelight on breakfast television with Mr Rudd for many years.

"I have seen the Kevin Rudd that many haven't seen, including sharing semi-nakedness with him in a river in Papua New Guinea," he said.

"I think he is in many ways the luckiest guy in Australia: he married a beautiful woman."

Mr Rudd's second deputy prime minister, Anthony Albanese, lauded his achievements - but noted the former leader wasn't perfect.

"I probably regret the fact that Kevin called me 'Albo' at that first press conference," he said.

"Now everyone calls me Albo; it used to be just my friends."

But he said Mr Rudd's leadership during the difficult time after the leadership change was extraordinary.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne praised Mr Rudd's passion and intellect, saying he could have chosen any distinguished career but had opted instead for a life of public service.

Mr Pyne thanked Mr Rudd for his friendship, especially while his wife was going through a difficult pregnancy a number of years ago.

"The member for Griffith could not have been more supportive to me as a human being," he said.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said Mr Rudd had rallied the Labor Party to victory at the 2007 election and defeated John Howard, the most formidable conservative campaigner in Australian history.

Many believed they would not win that election, and it was no accident that they had secured victory, he added.

But he said Mr Rudd's best years were still to come.

"As a relatively young man, (he) has much to contribute to Australia and the world," he said.

"His contribution is still there to be made and for all to see."

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Labor to target Morrison at Question Time

Labor will pressure Scott Morrison to confirm reports of an asylum seeker vessel reaching Darwin. Source: AAP

THE federal opposition will pressure Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to confirm whether or not an asylum seeker vessel has landed in Darwin undetected.

The government has so far remained tight-lipped on reports a boat carrying Somali refugees reached Australia's northern coastline on Monday.

Opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles said Mr Morrison should rectify his "arrogant" treatment of the public by addressing the issue during question time in parliament on Wednesday.

"Information should be managed to the Australian people on a public interest basis. A needs-to-know basis for managing information is simply not good enough," he said.

Mr Marles said the public needed to know whether those on board were safe.

"And we need to know what the plans are for those people going forward," he said told reporters in Canberra.

"Today, in our nation's parliament, speaking to our nation, there is the opportunity to minister Morrison to answer questions fully and completely about that incident."

Mr Morrison currently limits his comments on boat arrivals to his Friday weekly briefings with the head of the government's border security operations.

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Asylum seekers safe in Indonesia

INDONESIAN authorities say a group of about 50 asylum seekers are safe, after being rescued from a boat which had run into trouble in waters south of Java as it made its way to Australia.

An official with Indonesia's national search and rescue agency Basarnas said late on Wednesday evening that all of those who had been aboard the boat, including at least five children, had been brought to shore.

"We're still gathering information about where they are all from, but all are safe," the official said.

There had been earlier reports that at least some of the asylum seekers had entered the water as a rescue operation was mounted off the coast near the district of Bayah.

It's understood the boat issued a distress call at about 11.30am local time (3.30pm AEDT) after having engine and steering problems.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison late on Wednesday confirmed the incident, but added that no Australian authorities were involved in the rescue.

"We understand the incident occurred in close proximity to the Indonesian coast and Indonesian authorities are coordinating a search and rescue response," Mr Morrison said in a statement on Wednesday evening.

"We understand there are reportedly 50 people on board the vessel and reports indicate some people have entered the water and that local fishermen are and have been assisting."

The incident on Wednesday comes less than a week after another asylum-seeker boat was the subject of a search and rescue operation, and later a stand-off between Canberra and Jakarta about where the passengers should be offloaded.

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Australia ranks 21st for organ donation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Slack emails, ignored calls hurt business

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Japan runs wind turbine near Fukushima

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Aust urged to help modernise Indon defence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Indon VP sidesteps rows at Perth lecture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Canadian gold mine set to be rejected

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

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

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

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

The parliamentary commission is expected to vote Monday evening.

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Consumers warned of fake hotel reviews

CONSUMERS should be on the lookout for fake hotel reviews this holiday season, consumer group Choice says.

"The boom in hotel review sites has given rise to the practice of 'astroturfing' or the writing of fake reviews by companies to promote their own accommodation," Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said .

"Second to friends, people place their trust in reviews before editorial content, ads, marketing, and government sponsored tourism websites.

"Yet US-based Trip Advisor, the world's biggest online travel review service, has no plans to improve its verification processes."

The warning comes after reports earlier this year that the general manager of communications for Accor hotels in the Asia-Pacific region was caught posting more than 100 positive reviews on TripAdvisor, Choice said.

Gittany murder trials reveals his jealousy

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: With her dark eyes and stunning features, it's easy to see why Simon Gittany knew his fiancee Lisa Harnum to be a head-turning beauty.

'One punch' laws could mean 10 years

EXCLUSIVE: Brawlers who kill with a king-hit punch will face up to 10 years in jail under tough new "one punch" legislation to be introduced by the state government.

In the US, the New York Attorney-General recently heavily fined 19 companies that wrote fake online reviews and created fake online profiles for businesses, Choice says.

Mr Godfrey said both the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and NSW Fair Trading were looking at similar practices here.

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Queen leads Remembrance events

THE Queen has honoured members of Britain's Armed Forces killed in conflict as Remembrance Sunday services took place around the UK.

The monarch laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph on Whitehall to commemorate all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the decades since the First World War, bowing her head after paying her respects.

Senior royals, including Second World War veteran the Duke of Edinburgh, Afghanistan soldier Prince Harry and the Duke of Cambridge - with wife Kate watching from a nearby balcony - joined the monarch and politicians, military leaders, veterans and serving personnel in laying wreaths of poppies at the monument.

Prince Harry was laying the wreath on behalf of his father Prince Charles, who is currently abroad on an official tour of India with the Duchess of Cornwall, and was marking the occasion there.

Gittany murder trials reveals his jealousy

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: With her dark eyes and stunning features, it's easy to see why Simon Gittany knew his fiancee Lisa Harnum to be a head-turning beauty.

'One punch' laws could mean 10 years

EXCLUSIVE: Brawlers who kill with a king-hit punch will face up to 10 years in jail under tough new "one punch" legislation to be introduced by the state government.

Troops in Afghanistan were joined by Prince Andrew, who laid a wreath during a service held at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province to mark Remembrance Sunday. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond also flew to Afghanistan last night to join servicemen and women.

Millions across the UK fell silent in tribute to those lost in war, joining the crowds gathered in central London who stood in a moment of quiet contemplation as Big Ben struck 11am.

During the two-minute silence, only the distant sounds of traffic and the rustling of leaves could be heard, despite the fact that police said Whitehall was at capacity.

The beginning and end of the silence was marked with the firing of a round by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, using a 13-pounder First World War gun.

In cold but bright weather, the royals and dignitaries then laid their wreaths at the Cenotaph.

Prime Minister David Cameron was first after the royals to do so, followed by Labour leader Ed Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Former prime ministers Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and London Mayor Boris Johnson also took part in the ceremony.

The Duchess of Cambridge was accompanied on the Foreign Office balcony by the Countess of Wessex and Vice Admiral Tim Laurence.

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New trial sought for executed US 14yo

GEORGE Stinney has been dead since 1944, when as a 14-year-old black boy he became the youngest person executed in the United States in the past century, for killing two white girls. Now his supporters are taking the unheard-of step of asking for a new trial.

Stinney's case brings together two of the longest-running disputes in the American legal system - the death penalty and race.

Stinney was convicted on a shaky confession in a segregated society that wanted revenge for the beating deaths of two girls, aged 11 and 7, according to a lawsuit filed last month on Stinney's behalf in South Carolina.

He was electrocuted just 84 days after the girls were killed. Newspaper stories reported that witnesses said the straps to keep him in the electric chair didn't fit around his small frame.

The request for a new trial is largely symbolic, but Stinney's supporters say they would prefer exoneration to a pardon - which they've asked for as well.

Gittany murder trials reveals his jealousy

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: With her dark eyes and stunning features, it's easy to see why Simon Gittany knew his fiancee Lisa Harnum to be a head-turning beauty.

'One punch' laws could mean 10 years

EXCLUSIVE: Brawlers who kill with a king-hit punch will face up to 10 years in jail under tough new "one punch" legislation to be introduced by the state government.

The judge may refuse to hear the request for a new trial, since the punishment has already been carried out.

The two girls were last seen looking for wildflowers in the racially divided mill town of Alcolu. Stinney's sister, who was 7 at the time, says in her new affidavit for the lawsuit that she and her brother were letting their cow graze when the girls asked them where they could find flowers called maypops. The sister, Amie Ruffner, said her brother told them he didn't know, and the girls left.

"It was strange to see them in our area, because white people stayed on their side of Alcolu and we knew our place," Ruffner wrote.

The girls never came home. They were found the next morning in a water-filled ditch, their heads beaten with a hard object, likely a railroad spike.

The request for a new trial includes sworn statements from two of Stinney's siblings who say he was with them the entire day the girls were killed.

Notes from Stinney's confession and most other information used to convict him in a one-day trial have disappeared, along with any transcript of the proceedings. Only a few pages of cryptic, hand-written notes remain, according to the motion.

"Why was George Stinney electrocuted? The state can't produce any paperwork to justify why he was," said George Frierson, a local school board member who grew up in Stinney's hometown hearing stories about the case and decided six years ago to start studying it and pushing for exoneration.

The request for a new trial points out that at just 43 kilograms it's unlikely Stinney could have killed the girls and dragged them to the ditch.

The motion also hints at community rumours of a deathbed confession from a white man several years ago and the possibility Stinney confessed because his family was threatened.

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Aussie cleared by Dubai court on fraud

AN Australian businessman's five-year legal nightmare in the Middle East appears over, with a Dubai court upholding his acquittal.

Marcus Lee, 44, was cleared on fraud-related charges in Dubai in May but the Dubai Public Prosecutor appealed his acquittal, dashing his and his wife Julie's hopes of returning home soon after.

But on Sunday, after more than 50 court hearings over almost five years, the Dubai Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

After the verdict, Mr Lee and Mrs Lee said the outcome was all they could ever have hoped for.

"This is the correct result and we thank the Dubai Appeal Court judges for their verdict," they said in a statement.

"We simply hope that we will now be allowed to return to our families in Australia and resume our lives after almost five years of constant anxiety, stress and hardship.

Gittany murder trials reveals his jealousy

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: With her dark eyes and stunning features, it's easy to see why Simon Gittany knew his fiancee Lisa Harnum to be a head-turning beauty.

'One punch' laws could mean 10 years

EXCLUSIVE: Brawlers who kill with a king-hit punch will face up to 10 years in jail under tough new "one punch" legislation to be introduced by the state government.

"Julie and I desperately want to be able to see our families again."

The Lees feared that the lodging of the appeal meant they were likely to be trapped in the UAE for another year.

Mr Lee said he hopes Australian officials will now lobby on his behalf to ensure no further appeals are lodged.

Mr Lee and fellow Australian businessman Matthew Joyce were arrested in January 2009 over fraud allegations brought by Gold Coast property developer Sunland, after a land deal collapsed during the global financial crisis.

They spent nine months in prison, followed by more than three-and-a-half years under effective house arrest.

The court in May this year sentenced Mr Joyce to ten years in prison and a $25 million fine. It also convicted Melbourne businessman Angus Reed in absentia.

They were found guilty of duping Sunland into giving them $12 million, but both maintain their innocence.

But the court cleared Mr Lee of wrongdoing, and even Sunland itself believed Mr Lee did nothing wrong.

Mr Lee's Brisbane-based lawyer, John Sneddon, said any further appeals would be devastating and urged Dubai authorities to allow the Lees to come home.

"They are sick, they are tired and they have lost everything they ever owned," he said.

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Dutch King pelted with tomatoes in Moscow

ACTIVISTS from a Russian opposition group have thrown tomatoes at Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his wife, Queen Maxima, as they arrived for a concert in Moscow.

Eduard Limonov, the leader of the banned National Bolshevik party, says two of its activists hurled tomatoes at the royals on Saturday.

Russia's state security agency said they missed their target.

Limonov said on Sunday it was intended to attract public attention to what he called the Netherlands' failure to properly investigate the death of the group's member, Alexander Dolmatov, who took his own life in January at a Dutch deportation centre.

The royal visit was aimed to celebrate the two nations' historical ties, but it came amid tensions caused by Russia's seizure of a Dutch-flagged Greenpeace ship and other disputes.

Gittany murder trials reveals his jealousy

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: With her dark eyes and stunning features, it's easy to see why Simon Gittany knew his fiancee Lisa Harnum to be a head-turning beauty.

'One punch' laws could mean 10 years

EXCLUSIVE: Brawlers who kill with a king-hit punch will face up to 10 years in jail under tough new "one punch" legislation to be introduced by the state government.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woman dies in Menai car crash

A 65-YEAR-OLD woman has died after her car veered into a rock face in Sydney's south.

Police say her car ran off Heathcote Road and crashed into the rock face at an area known as White Rock Quarry at Sandy Point, near Menai, on Sunday night.

Other motorists and paramedics tried to revive the woman, but she died at the scene.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

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