Sweden sets date for Assange hearing

A SWEDISH court will consider whether an arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be repealed at a hearing on July 16, court officials say.

ASSANGE'S Swedish defence attorneys have requested that the Stockholm District Court repeal a November 2010 arrest warrant it issued after a Swedish prosecutor cited the need to question Assange about the alleged sexual assault of two women in August 2010.

The Australian denies the allegations.Assange's defence team wants the court to repeal the warrant on grounds that the prosecutor failed to act in a timely manner in the case.Earlier this week, the prosecution rejected claims it was not moving fast enough and that a proposal to interview Assange at the embassy would not be "effective" since a trial would still have to take place in Sweden if charges are brought.A court official told DPA on Friday that Assange's defence team can comment on the prosecution's response prior to the pending hearing.Assange has spent the past two years at the embassy of Ecuador. The South American country granted him asylum as he fears extradition to the US over the leaks of classified government documents.

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Billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife dies

Sydney real estate's great dividing range

Sydney real estate is known for its extremes, but not even we could have predicted the enormous divide between the city's cheapest and most expensive for sale properties.

Odds good for Jodhi to avoid jail

ACCORDING to suburb-based statistics, former model and ex-wife of billionaire James Packer Jodhi Meares stands a less than 2 per cent chance of jail if convicted of high-range drink driving.

'Take responsibility for your actions'

KING-HIT victim Thomas Kelly's brother Stuart, 16, spoke today about the need for society to shape up as his killer Kieran Loveridge had his sentence doubled on appeal.

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Muddy river could be 'crystal clear' lake

Tasmania's silted Tamar River could become a clear freshwater lake under a $320 million proposal. Source: AAP

TASMANIA'S silted Tamar River could be turned into a clear freshwater lake four-fifths the size of Sydney Harbour, a lobby group says.

THE murky Tamar is as much a part of Launceston as its favourite son, Ricky Ponting, but the group says a $320 million barrage near its mouth would produce a water-lover's playground.

"It will be virtually crystal clear," Tamar Lake Inc spokesman Robin Frith told AAP."Instead of having a visual depth of about six inches ... you'll be able to go down two or three metres."The group this week released a KPMG economic impact report that says the project would create 850 jobs during its three-year construction period and the same number in agriculture and tourism.It would generate $315 million for the state's economy in its first three years of operation, the report says.Other benefits would include stopping the effects of predicted sea-level rise of 0.8 metres lapping the streets of Launceston, Mr Frith said.The retired engineer is calling for a full feasibility study to be completed by government, which would include a submission to Infrastructure Australia.He says Singapore solved an identical problem with a similar solution."(Singapore River) used to be just a muddy bank with old junks parked on the side," he said."The lake now supplies fresh water to the city of Singapore, whereas before they had to import fresh water."Now it's an aquatic paradise."Governments have promised $125,000 for 3D modelling of the proposal to be done.The lake would be 60km long and contain 405 gigalitres of water, 80 per cent of Sydney Harbour's 500 gigalitres.It would be seven times the size of Canberra's Lake Burley Griffin.Boats would come and go from the river through two locks.The barrage would stop the incoming tide causing the silt choking the waterway, Mr Frith said, but the project would also rely on water authorities improving sewage disposal in the river.Tamar Lake Inc has raised $420,000 and has completed studies on the proposal's technical and environmental viability.It hopes the project can begin in 2019.Originally published as Muddy river could be 'crystal clear' lake

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Explosion in Vic max-security jail probed

Police are investigating the cause of a small explosion at a maximum-security Victorian prison. Source: AAP

THE cause of a small blast in a vacant Victorian prison cell is being investigated.

THE "small bang" went off at the maximum-security Barwon Prison near Geelong on Friday, sending it into lockdown an hour earlier than usual.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said prison officers were doing a routine search of an unoccupied cell when a minor explosion occurred about 1pm (AEST).The area was evacuated and bomb response unit officers were called.A Corrections Victoria spokesman said the prison was locked down while emergency authorities were on site.The small explosion went off while prison officers were conducting a routine intelligence search, and it was being treated as an isolated incident, he said."There was no physical damage and no injuries but police, fire and ambulance services have been notified and are attending," he said.Police and Corrections Victoria are investigating.Originally published as Explosion in Vic max-security jail probed

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Convicted Dr can practise after court win

A Perth-based Indian doctor convicted of sexually assaulting a patient has avoided being deported. Source: AAP

THE path is clear for a Perth-based Indian doctor convicted of sexually assaulting a patient to seek a return to practising medicine.

SUHAIL Ahmad Khan Durani has been successful in his bid to overturn a ministerial decision to deport him after he served more than 18 months in jail for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman while examining her at Royal Perth Hospital in 2010.

In May last year, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal ruled the 38-year-old could keep his permanent residency despite his jail term.But former immigration minister Tony Burke overruled that decision the day before September's federal election - with the government in caretaker mode - and Dr Durani was placed in immigration detention.Dr Durani, who maintains he is innocent, appealed.On Friday, the full bench of the Federal Court of Australia delivered a unanimous verdict in his favour.He was released from the detention centre where he has spent the past 10 months and has had his permanent resident status reinstated.Asked after the judgment was handed down whether he sought to return to practising medicine, Dr Durani said: "We'll take it step by step".The Medical Board of Australia could not specifically comment on the case, but its registration standards show a serious conviction does not automatically exclude a doctor from practising in the future.Considering applications on a case-by-case basis, the board considers factors including the gravity of the offence, the time since it was committed and the likelihood of future threat to a patient.Separately, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison is reviewing Friday's judgement before deciding whether to appeal it in the High Court.Mr Morrison's predecessor said cancelling Dr Durani's visa was in the national interest because his offending was serious, undermined the integrity of the skilled migration program under which he came to Australia and also reduced public confidence in the health care system.But the three Federal Court judges disagreed."We do not accept the submission on behalf of the minister that the circumstances raised a question about whether the nation is picking the right doctors to come here," they said.Dr Durani's barrister Shahid Shakur said the case - like Mohamed Haneef's - was "a most unfortunate example of misuse of power"."Locking up people like Dr Haneef and Dr Durani, who held valid visas and were lawful non-citizens, not unlawful non-citizens, should be the exception to the rule," Mr Shakur said."It should be the courts to determine whether there is a lawful basis to imprison people, not the minister for immigration as a member of the executive government."Dr Durani was happy to be reunited with his wife and five-year-old son, both of whom are Australian citizens."I've got no words. It's been a long journey," Dr Durani said."I maintain my innocence but don't deny my conviction."Originally published as Convicted Dr can practise after court win

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Statins may help prevent breast cancer

LOWERING cholesterol with statin drugs could help prevent breast cancer, new research suggests.

A STUDY of more than 600,000 British women found that breast cancer risk was almost doubled in those with abnormally high levels of blood fats.

The research is still at an early stage and the findings do not prove that cholesterol helps trigger breast cancer.But if future work demonstrates a causal link it opens up the possibility of using cheap cholesterol-lowering statins to reduce women's risk of the disease."We found that women with high cholesterol had a significantly greater chance of developing breast cancer," University of Aston cardiologist Rahul Potluri said."This was an observational study so we can't conclude that high cholesterol causes breast cancer, but the strength of this association warrants further investigation."A prospective study that monitors the risk of breast cancer in women with and without high cholesterol is needed to confirm what we observed. If the connection between high cholesterol and breast cancer is validated, the next step would be to see if lowering cholesterol with statins can reduce the risk of developing cancer."A total of 664,159 women from across the UK whose health records were stored on a large database took part in the study.Almost 23,000 (3.4 per cent) had hyperlipidaemia, meaning their blood contained abnormally high levels of lipid fats - essentially cholesterol and triglycerides.Some 530 women with the condition were among the 9,312 who developed breast cancer.Statistical analysis showed they were 1.64 times more likely to have the disease than women without hyperlipidaemia.Previous research has shown a clear association between obesity and breast cancer in post-menopausal women.A US study last year found that a cholesterol product called 27HC fuelled human breast tumours in genetically engineered laboratory mice.Scientists also discovered higher levels of 27HC in both healthy breast tissue and tumour cells in women with breast cancer.Originally published as Statins may help prevent breast cancer

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US trade deficit drops to $US44.4 billion

THE US trade deficit fell in May as US exports hit an all-time high, helped by a jump in exports of petroleum products.

IMPORTS dipped slightly.

The trade deficit narrowed 5.6 per cent in May to $US44.4 billion ($A48.0 billion) after hitting a two-year high of $US47 billion in April, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday.Exports of goods and services rose one per cent to a record $US195.5 billion in May while imports fell a slight 0.3 per cent to $US239.8 billion.A lower trade deficit boosts overall economic growth when it shows US companies are earning more in their overseas sales.Economists are looking for a smaller trade deficit in the April-June quarter, which will mean less of a drag on overall growth than in the first quarter, when the economy shrank at an annual rate of 2.9 per cent.In May, the US trade deficit with China rose 5.4 per cent to $US28.8 billion.Through the first five months of this year, America's deficit with China is running 3.2 per cent ahead of last year's record pace.The rise in exports reflected record sales of US-made autos and auto parts and an 11.3 per cent jump in exports of US petroleum products.The rise in US production has helped lower the need for imported oil, which dropped by five per cent in May to $US28.3 billion, the lowest monthly import total since November 2010.Total US exports to Canada were the highest on record while imports from Canada were the highest since July 2008, leaving a trade deficit of $US2.8 billion with Canada.Originally published as US trade deficit drops to $US44.4 billion

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India building collapse toll hits 60

THE death toll in a building collapse in southern India has risen to 60, as hundreds of workers came close to clearing the massive ruins of the 11-story structure.

POLICE Inspector-General Sandeep Rai Rathore on Thursday said 27 people had been rescued since the weekend - the last one on Tuesday - from under the enormous heap of broken concrete slabs, twisted iron girders and concrete dust in one of the worst building collapses in India in decades.

The excavation was likely to be completed on Friday, he said.Police have arrested six construction company officials for alleged criminal negligence and violation of building codes.Authorities are investigating the cause of Saturday's collapse in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state.

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Agencies 'paralysed' by abuse inquiry

A lawyer says the wait for the final report of the child abuse commission could be detrimental. Source: AAP

INSTITUTIONS dealing with child abuse will be paralysed if there is a three and a half year wait for a federal inquiry's final report, a prominent Catholic lawyer says.

FATHER Frank Brennan, who is professor of law at the Australian Catholic University, says the effects of a two-year extension sought by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse have not been taken into account.

In its interim report on Monday, the commission said it would need a two-year extension until December 2017, and an extra $104 million.Fr Brennan said on Thursday the Catholic Church, as the main organisation under the commission's scrutiny, had spent years trying to develop protocols to deal with sexual abuse."(But) what we have heard from the commission so far would seem to be that the Catholic Church protocols are not worth the paper they are written on," he told AAP."Presumably we have to wait three and a half years to get an answer (on) what is the workable protocol; that terrifies me."He also said it worried him that state police and welfare departments already lacking resources to deal with abuse cases have to resource themselves to deal with the commission."This means there are less resources available to deal with current problems."He said he agreed there was no better way to uncover systemic failures than looking at institutional behaviours through the prism of historical abuse cases but was worried it would take five years."I just do not think there has been sufficient account taken of the cost of the paralysis of institutions" that are dealing with abuse and will be waiting for the commission to report.In an article published in the online journal Eureka Street Fr Brennan wrote the commission was setting up unreal expectations of compensation among victims."The commission is clearly anxious to expand the realm of vicarious liability, much in the way that the courts in the UK and Canada have done, however there is little point in asking witnesses about this, let alone asking church leaders."It is not a matter for the commission. It is a matter for the High Court."The legal issues need to be separated out from "the political and media maelstrom" which accompanies a commission of this sort, he argued."Royal commissioners may have extensive legal powers of inquiry but they have very limited capacity to influence outcomes."He said a federal commission was "an inefficient way" to deal with some of the issues like state agreements on child protection laws.The commission needed to clarify what it actually had power to change or recommend, and to focus "its activity more on looking for lessons rather than apportioning blame for the past so that procedures might be improved in future," he said.The royal commission declined to comment.Originally published as Agencies 'paralysed' by abuse inquiry

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US war hero, Olympian Zamperini dies

AN Olympic distance runner and World War II veteran who survived 47 days on a raft in the Pacific after his bomber crashed, then endured two years in Japanese prison camps, has died.

LOUIS Zamperini was 97.

Universal Pictures studio spokesman Michael Moses says Zamperini died on Wednesday.Zamperini enlisted in the Army before Pearl Harbor and was a bombardier in World War II.He and his crew were searching for a downed B-24 when their plane crashed into the Pacific, killing eight of the 11 men.Before joining the military, Zamperini was a runner at the University of Southern California.He ran in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, placing eighth in the mile.His story was told in Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand's 2010 best-seller, and is the subject of an Angelina Jolie-directed film by the same name being released in December.

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Asda to axe 1,360 management jobs

SUPERMARKET chain Asda is to cut 1,360 jobs as part of an overhaul of its store management structure.

THE move comes two months after the chain, which has 578 UK stores, warned that 4,100 roles were at risk because of a need to reduce the number of back office jobs in favour of more customer-facing roles.

"Every supermarket must adapt to the intense changes in UK retailing or they will get left behind," Asda chief executive Andy Clarke said.The new store structure will create 1,662 section managers and 4,000 section leaders but the redundancies will come from staff who do not meet the selection criteria or choose to leave.Asda said the new structure places a greater emphasis on e-commerce, puts more staff on the shop floor and removes back office administration tasks.Clarke said the restructuring was one of the most difficult decisions he has had to make as chief executive."Whilst I genuinely believe that it is the right decision for the future of Asda, knowing that it will result in valued colleagues leaving us is not easy."Rival UK supermarket Morrisons made a similar announcement last month when it said it would axe 2,600 jobs in order to remove layers of management.Originally published as Asda to axe 1,360 management jobs

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Subaru recalls 660,000 vehicles

Last Updated: July 04, 2014

SUBARU is recalling more than 660,000 cars and SUVs in the US because the brake lines can rust and leak fluid, the second recall for the same problem for about half the vehicles.

The two faces of a lost star

I'VE only known one Todd Carney. A tremendous bloke who I like immensely - friendly, polite, respectful and always smiling, writes Matty Johns.

Bride with cancer weds at relay

A WOMAN who survived cervical cancer, only to be diagnosed with advanced colon cancer, never thought she would live to see her wedding day.

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Two survive NSW light plane crash

A MAN has been left in a critical condition after a light plane crash in Coffs Harbour on Sunday.

THE 46-year-old pilot was left with a fractured skull and ankle when his plane crashed in bushland, leaving him briefly trapped.

A 22-year-old passenger on the plane also sustained minor injured in the crash soon after 11.30am.Police believed the pilot was conducting aerobatic manoeuvres when he lost control of the aircraft and crashed soon after.Police have also notified the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and are continuing their inquiries to establish the exact circumstances of the crash.Originally published as Two survive NSW light plane crash

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Vic govt to recruit 750 new prison workers

THE largest ever expansion of Victoria's jail system will see 750 new prison and community corrections officers hired in the next 12 months.

AN advertising campaign starts on Sunday night to recruit the new prison officers with a behind the scenes look at the state's correction system, Victorian Corrections Minster Edward O'Donohue says.

He said more than 300 prison officers have already completed pre-service training and graduated in the first half of this year."Corrections Victoria staff come from a variety of working backgrounds, with farmers, teachers, police officers and even a former flight attendant among the recruits," Mr O'Donohue said.The recruitment drive comes amid changes to the state's parole system and expansions of its prison capacity.This includes a new 1000-bed medium security prison at Ravenhall in Melbourne's west and 200 new beds at the Metropolitan Remand Centre.The union covering the state's corrections workforce has warned potential new prison workers to fully understand the types of jobs they were applying for.A Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) spokesperson said it has received reports of new prison officers only being offered casual and irregular hours following the end of their training.Originally published as Vic govt to recruit 750 new prison workers

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Greens query sick boat people whereabouts

Labor says staff on Christmas Island are on standby for the arrival of a boatload of asylum seekers. Source: AAP

THE government is being urged to explain what is happening to sick, young children believed to be detained on border patrol boats.

THE federal government has refused to confirm reports that a boat carrying 153 Tamil asylum seekers, including 30 children, is in high seas off Christmas Island.

Nor has it confirmed reports that a second boat, from Indonesia with 50 people aboard, has been intercepted by Australian Customs vessel Triton near the island.But the Australian Greens say Christmas Islanders have said local boats are transporting supplies to Australian vessels Ocean Protector and Triton.Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young is concerned about asylum seekers who may be on board Australian ships."The reports we had [were that] on board one of the boats yesterday there were children very sick after spending two weeks out on the seas," she said in Canberra on Sunday.Immigration Minister Scott Morrison must explain how they are treating the people who have already spent over two weeks at sea, she said."It seems as though it is more like `operation prison ships' than it is Operation Sovereign Borders."There is speculation the federal government may find it difficult to turn back either boat as Indonesia heads for an election.Meanwhile, Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan says she saw an "enormous amount" of maritime activity on her visit to Christmas island on Friday.She was later informed two boats were offshore."They had gone out and intercepted people and they had loaded up people on the navy or border protection vessels, and brought [them] back onto Christmas Island waters," Ms MacTiernan told AAP on Sunday.Detention centre staff were preparing for arrivals as they waited for official notification."They hadn't had final instructions that the people would be coming to Christmas Island," Ms MacTiernan said.Any landing would be the first in six months.Mr Morrison said on Saturday there were no significant incidents to report.But Labor immigration spokesman Richard Marles accused Mr Morrison of going into hiding on the matter."Day after day he proclaimed his political scoreboard by beating his chest on the good days," Mr Marles told Sky News on Sunday."Now he goes out and trumpets secrecy. It simply isn't good enough."Mr Morrison's office told AAP the minister had nothing to add to comments he gave in a press conference on Saturday, during which he refused to say if there were any boats.Originally published as Greens query sick boat people whereabouts

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Perth council's South Park plan popular

WESTERN Australia is likely to have a local government called South Park with the merger of the South Perth and Victoria Park councils.

THE West Australian government is pushing ahead with forced council amalgamations - despite promises to the contrary before the 2013 election.

The City of South Perth has joined legal action against the amalgamations, while the Town of Victoria Park is angry that the City of Perth has annexed James Packer's Crown Casino from within its council borders.But there's an air of resignation, with South Perth councillors last week resolving to name the merged entity City of South Park.They said a substantial number of locals preferred that over South Bank, favoured by the Town of Victoria Park.More than 4000 readers of News Ltd's Apportion responded to a poll on Sunday, with 52 per cent backing South Park.Victoria Park Mayor was cited as saying: "If it weren't for that funny cartoon it would actually be a pretty good name."Originally published as Perth council's South Park plan popular

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Iraq teen could have been stopped: lawyer

AUSTRALIAN authorities could have stopped a Sydney teenager who left home suddenly and believed to be en route to join the fighting in conflict-torn Iraq, a lawyer for the boy's family says.

BUT the Attorney-General's Department says it was unaware the teenager, from Sydney's Western Suburbs, was planning on travelling.

Abdullah Elmir, 17, went missing from his home at Bankstown in Sydney more than a week ago and called his mother to say he was in Turkey about to "cross the border".The lawyer representing the family, Zali Burrows, said his mother understood that to mean Abdullah was heading to Iraq.She wants to know how the teenager and another 16-year-old boy he was travelling with were not stopped on their way."The family went to the media today as a plea to the government to bring their boy back," Ms Burrows told AAP."We know they have the intelligence to pinpoint him."The concern is that he's being used as a tracking device to gather further intelligence, to see where he's actually going to go."The family was expected to hold a press conference in Bankstown on Sunday, but cancelled soon before it was due to start.Abdullah told his family he was going fishing on Friday June 20, but instead is understood to have left the country with a 16-year-old companion.Ms Burrows said the family have never met the other boy."Abdullah said he'd gone fishing, but then his mother received the phone call. As you can imagine that'd floor anyone," Ms Burrows said.The pair are believed to have taken an indirect route, travelling from Sydney to Perth and then Malaysia and Thailand before finally reaching Turkey.The Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) said last week it is monitoring 150 citizens in Australia and overseas who have suspected links to "violent extremist groups"."Young Australians are going overseas and getting themselves killed in foreign conflicts," director-general David Irvine told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.In a statement to AAP, the Attorney-General's Department said no government agency, including the Australian Federal Police, was aware of Abdullah's travel plans.The department said it was of particular concern that youths were putting themselves at risk of kidnapping, serious injury or death, and of potentially taking part in the conflicts in taking place in places such as Syria and Iraq."However, individuals make, and are responsible for, their own travel decisions," the statement said."The government only seeks to prevent a person from travelling overseas if they are believed to be seeking to engage in activities prejudicial to national security."Parents and the broader community share the responsibility to partner with the government in educating their children about the risks associated with travelling to Syria and the region and ensuring they do not put themselves or others in danger."Under Australian law it is not illegal to travel to Syria or Iraq.However it is illegal to take part in or provide material support for either side of the armed conflict in Syria.Originally published as Iraq teen could have been stopped: lawyer

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Designing Women star Meshach Taylor dies

MESHACH Taylor's agent says the actor who appeared in the hit sitcoms Designing Women and Dave's World has died. He was 67.

AGENT Dede Binder says Taylor died of cancer on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles.

Taylor got an Emmy nod for his portrayal of a lovable ex-convict surrounded by boisterous Southern belles on Designing Women from 1986 to 1993.Then he co-starred for four seasons on Dave's World.Other series included Buffalo Bill and Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.His movie roles included a flamboyant window dresser in the 1987 comedy-romance Mannequin.He also appeared in Damien: The Omen Part II.Taylor guested on TV series including Criminal Minds, Hannah Montana and The Drew Carey Show.Born in Boston, he began his career as a member of Chicago's Goodman Theatre.

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