Banksy's Spy Booth artwork defaced

A MURAL by street artist Banksy that sparked a local preservation campaign in England has been defaced.

SPY Booth shows three agents in trench coats and trilby hats eavesdropping on a phone booth.

It appeared in April on a wall in Cheltenham, western England, home of spy agency GCHQ.A local group was formed to save the work after the building's owner attempted to have it removed and sold.Local businessman Hekmat Kaveh had agreed to buy and preserve the mural, but on Friday it was covered in scrawled graffiti letters.Kaveh said he hoped the work, which was treated with anti-graffiti paint, could be restored.Banksy works have fetched as much as $US1.8 million ($A1.95 million) at auction, and several of his outdoor pieces have recently been stripped from walls and sold.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Back to war: Gaza ceasefire over

Smoke clouds cover the sky in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, where local residents say explosions hit tunnels connecting Gaza and Egypt. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

Young victim ... an injured Palestinian child receives medical treatment at al-Najar hospital in Rafah. Picture: Bilat Telawi / AFP PHOTO Source: AFP

A GAZA ceasefire quickly unravelled on Friday as violence erupted in and around the southern town of Rafah, with 35 Palestinians killed by Israeli shelling and the military saying one of its soldiers may have been abducted.

Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaking the ceasefire, which had been announced by the U.S. and the U.N. and took effect at 8am (0500 GMT) on Friday. The fighting broke out less than two hours later.

Sign of destruction ... smoke billows following an Israeli military strike east of Rafah. Picture: Said Khatib / AFP PHOTO Source: AFP

Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra told The Associated Press that in addition to the dead some 200 Palestinians were wounded in the "random" Israeli shelling of the Rafah area in southern Gaza.

He said the death toll could rise as rescue workers continue to search for people buried under the rubble of several apartment blocks hit by shells. He did not say whether the victims were civilians or militants.

The Israeli military meanwhile said one of its soldiers was "feared" abducted, without providing further details, and that Gaza militants had fired eight rockets and mortars at Israel since the ceasefire began, one of which was intercepted.

"Once again, Hamas and the terror organisations in Gaza have blatantly broken the ceasefire to which they committed, this time before the American Secretary of State and the UN Secretary General," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement shortly after the fighting broke out.

Residential block hit ... Palestinian rescue workers search the rubble for survivors following an Israeli military strike. Picture: Said Khatib / AFP PHOTO Source: AFP

Israel launched an aerial campaign against Gaza aimed at halting Palestinian rocket fire on July 8 and later sent in ground troops to target launch sites and tunnels used by Hamas to carry out attacks inside Israel. The war has killed nearly 1,500 Palestinians, mainly civilians, and more than 60 Israelis, nearly all soldiers.

At least four short humanitarian ceasefires have been announced since the conflict began, but each has been broken within a few hours by renewed fighting. Friday's temporary ceasefire was the longest to be announced thus far.

A televised war ... a journalist films as rescue workers remove the body of a Palestinian man from the rubble of his home. Picture: Said Khatib / AFP PHOTO Source: AFP

Under the ceasefire, Israeli troops on the ground in Gaza were to continue to destroy tunnels along the heavily guarded frontier, but only those that are behind Israeli defensive lines and lead into Israel.

Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to destroy Hamas' tunnel network "with or without a ceasefire." But military spokesman Moti Almoz told Army Radio on Friday that Israel would not be able to eliminate the tunnel threat "100 per cent."

Soon after the ceasefire went into force, Gaza's residents took advantage of the truce to return to their homes, many of which had been destroyed in the fighting. Some arrived on tuktuks — three-wheeled taxis — by car or on foot to retrieve their belongings.

Near a main road in the heavily bombarded Gaza district of Shijaiyah, less than a mile from the Israeli border, residents surveyed extensive damage.

All gone ... a Palestinian inspects a destroyed house in the heavily bombed Gaza City neighbourhood of Shijaiyah, close to the Israeli border. Picture: Dusan Vranic / AP PHOTO Source: AP

Basem Abul Qumbus returned to find his three-storey home — in which he had invested tens of thousands of dollars — uninhabitable. Tank shells had punched a hole in the ceiling of one bedroom and a wall had collapsed into the kitchen.

"The work of all those years is gone," he said, as he struggled to salvage flour from bags that had been torn apart by shrapnel. Food supplies are running short in the blockaded coastal territory in the war's fourth week.

Egypt issued a statement early on Friday calling on the Western-backed Palestinian Authority and Israel to send negotiation teams to Cairo to discuss "all issues of concern to each party within the framework of the Egyptian initiative."

Egypt had put forth a ceasefire proposal a week after fighting began last month. Israel accepted the proposal, but Hamas, which deeply mistrusts Egypt following last summer's overthrow of an Islamist government in Cairo, rejected it.

During the ceasefire ... Palestinian children walk hand in hand as residents return to the heavily bombed Gaza City neighbourhood of Shijaiyah. Picture: Dusan Vranic / AP PHOTO Source: AP

Hamas has demanded the lifting of an Israeli and Egyptian border blockade imposed on Gaza in 2007 when the Islamic militant group seized power, as well as the release of Palestinians rounded up in the West Bank in June following the killing of three Israeli teenagers.

In recent weeks Turkey and Qatar, which have warmer ties to Hamas but are at odds with Egypt, have tried to help broker a ceasefire agreement, with no results.

It's not clear whether other nations will attend the Egypt talks, and aides to Kerry said Egypt will ultimately decide who will participate. A Hamas official in Qatar said Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials would be participating. Israel will not meet directly with members of either group because it considers them terrorist organisations.

Hours before the ceasefire was to take effect, 17 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, including 10 from the same family, according to al-Kidra, the Health Ministry official in Gaza. He said the family members were killed in an air strike on their home in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.

Israel's military said five of its soldiers were killed along the Gaza border Thursday evening by a mortar round.

At least 1,496 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed since hostilities began July 8, according to Palestinian officials. Israel says 61 of its soldiers and three civilians in Israel have been killed.

Originally published as Back to war: Gaza ceasefire over

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indonesia ready to probe gagged graft case

INDONESIA'S top anti-graft investigators are reportedly ready to look into a case subject to a suppression order in Australia but published on the WikiLeaks website.

AUSTRALIAN media cannot report on the contents of the court order, which was intended to stop damage to the country's international relations.

But the gag ordered by the Victorian Supreme Court on June 19 was published in full by anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks on Wednesday, and came to the attention of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.On Thursday, Dr Yudhoyono asked for the Australian government to give an explanation on the issue, saying that reports in Indonesia, where the suppression order does not apply, "has caused hurt".The president said Australian authorities should work with Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to investigate the matter.The KPK says it is prepared to work with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), according to Indonesian news website kompas.com."We would build communication back to the AFP and the government of Australia and then take the appropriate legal steps on the principal case," commission vice-chairman Bambang Widjojanto told the website on Friday.After SBY's statement on Thursday, the Australian embassy in Jakarta issued a statement explaining the bans had been intended to protect political figures from unwarranted innuendo, and, "the naming of such figures in the orders does not imply wrongdoing on their part".The matter is being reported widely and without restriction in Indonesia, and was the most-read story on the kompas.com website on Friday.WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says he decided to expose the worst suppression order "in living memory" because the public had the right to know about the case.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Melbourne man dead in garbage truck crash

A MAN is dead after a garbage truck collided with his car in Melbourne.

THE car driven by an 80-year-old Carrum Downs man was turning into a shopping centre entrance on Friday afternoon when it was struck on the passenger side by the truck.

The man was taken to the Alfred Hospital, where he died a short time later.The driver of the truck was not injured.Police are investigating the cause of the crash.This year's provisional Victorian road toll stands at 147, up from 136 at the same time last year.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russia releases Greenpeace ship

RUSSIA left the Arctic Sunrise "in a bad state" when it finally released the icebreaker, more than 300 days after it was seized during a protest against Arctic oil drilling, Greenpeace says.

THE environmental group's vessel was boarded in September 2013 by Russian authorities who detained 30 activists and journalists, including Australian Colin Russell, after the protest at the oil rig owned by state oil giant Gazprom.

Greenpeace says Russia finally allowed its captain and crew access to the Arctic Sunrise on June 27 and they have spent three weeks making it seaworthy."When the Captain and crew boarded the Arctic Sunrise they found it in a bad state, with no maintenance for 10 months, and the ship's navigation, communications and safety systems either removed or destroyed", Greenpeace International Arctic campaigner Faiza Oulahsen said in a statement.Ms Oulahsen says the ship is headed for Amsterdam for repairs.Russia's Investigative Committee recently told Greenpeace it had extended its investigation into the Arctic 30 case until September 24, despite the criminal case against the 30 being dropped.Greenpeace is suing Russia in the European Court of Human Rights for what it says was the illegal detention of its activists because it breached their rights to freedom of expression.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US car sales sizzle in July

BIG discounts helped keep US auto sales sizzling in July.

GENERAL Motors, Ford, Nissan and Chrysler all reported big gains as the major carmakers reported July sales on Friday.

Industry sales were expected to rise five per cent to 1.4 million, according to J.D. Power and Associates. That would make it the best July for the industry since 2006.Generous summer discounts helped boost sales, said Jesse Toprak, the chief analyst at the car shopping site Cars.com.Toprak said the average price buyers paid fell four per cent in July, while incentives were up eight per cent - or $US216 ($A233) per vehicle - over last July.Carmakers typically use summer discounts to clear out their lots before vehicles from the new model year start arriving in the fall.According to Toprak, incentives averaged $US2,774 per vehicle, their highest level since August 2010. He said Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota and Volkswagen boosted incentives the most.Chrysler's US sales jumped 20 per cent for the month on strong demand for the Ram pickup, while Ford's were up 10 per cent on big gains for the Escape and Explorer SUVs.GM's sales rose nine per cent on strong demand for its new large SUVs.Nissan's sales rose 11 per cent. Sales of the electric Leaf increased 62 per cent to 3,019, a record July for the car. The car went on sale in 2010.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hyundai recalls 883,000 Sonatas

HYUNDAI is recalling its popular Sonata midsize sedan to fix problems with the gear shift levers.

THE recall covers 883,000 cars from the 2011 through 2014 model years.

The Korean carmaker says the automatic transmission shift cable can separate from the shift lever.If that happens, the lever may not show the correct gear, increasing the risk of a crash.The company says in documents posted Wednesday by US safety regulators that it has received 1,171 warranty claims about the problem, plus seven other reports with related symptoms.The documents don't say if there have been any crashes or injuries.Hyundai will notify owners by letter between now and the end of September.Dealers will inspect the shift cables and repair the connection if needed.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK AG won't challenge Harris jail sentence

British government won't challenge the sentence handed down to convicted paedophile Rolf Harris. Source: AAP

DISGRACED entertainer Rolf Harris's sentence for sex offences will not be referred to an appeals court despite numerous complaints that it was too lenient, the attorney general's office in Britain says.

THE 84-year-old Australian-born Harris, a long-time fixture on British television, was jailed earlier this month for five years and nine months for a string of sexual assaults against girls.

Attorney General Jeremy Wright, the government's chief legal adviser, received 150 complaints asking to review the sentence for being too lenient.But his office said on Wednesday that the sentence will not be referred to the Court of Appeal."After very careful consideration, the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright... has decided not to refer the five year and nine month sentence given to Rolf Harris to the Court of Appeal, as he did not think they would find it to be unduly lenient and increase it," said a spokeswoman from his office.Wright acknowledged that the ruling would cause disappointment, but said the courts were bound by the maximum sentence in force at the time of the offences.Trial judge Nigel Sweeney made some of the sentences on the 12 counts consecutive to make up the total term, of which Harris will serve around half, but also had to take into account the entertainer's age.The television star, artist and songwriter was found guilty of indecently assaulting four victims between 1969 and 1986, including the childhood best friend of his daughter Bindi."You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all," Sweeney told Harris as he handed down his sentence earlier in July."Your reputation lies in ruins, you have been stripped of your honours, but you have no one to blame but yourself."Harris was the second person to be convicted under a wide-ranging police investigation set up in the wake of revelations that the late Jimmy Savile, a fellow major BBC star, was a prolific abuser.Seven of the 12 counts against Harris related to the friend of Bindi, including one incident when she was 15 where he seriously sexually assaulted her while his daughter slept in the adjacent bed.The entertainer's conviction caused widespread revulsion in Britain, where his television programs were watched by millions of children, and his homeland of Australia.He was made a CBE in 2006 - one step below a knighthood - and even painted Queen Elizabeth II's portrait to mark her 80th birthday.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man dies in car crash north of Brisbane

A 45-YEAR-OLD man has died after his car crashed into a tree north of Brisbane.

THE man's car veered off Emerys Bridge Road, Gundiah about 4pm (AEST) on Wednesday.

The car hit a tree and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.There were no passengers in the car.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US companies add 218,000 jobs

A PRIVATE survey shows that businesses hired at a healthy pace in July, though the job gains slowed from the previous month.

PRIVATE employers added 218,000 jobs, down from 281,000 in June, payroll provider ADP said on Wednesday.

It was the fourth straight month of job gains above 200,000, a healthy pace that usually is enough to lower the unemployment rate.The figures suggest that the government's jobs report, to be released on Friday, will also show a solid increase, but the ADP numbers cover only private businesses and often diverge from the government's more comprehensive report.Economists forecast that the government's report will show that 225,000 jobs were added in July, while the unemployment rate stayed at 6.1 per cent, according to a survey by FactSet."It feels to me like the job market is humming," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, which helps compile the report.The job gains were mostly broad-based.Construction added 12,000 positions, most of which likely pay mid-level wages.Retail, shipping and utilities gained 52,000 and professional and business services, which mostly include higher-paying jobs, gained 61,000.Manufacturing, however, added just 3000 jobs, according to ADP.A separate government report on Wednesday showed the economy grew at a rapid four per cent annual pace in the April-June quarter, following a sharp 2.1 per cent contraction in the first three months of the year.But the second half of 2013 was also revised higher to show growth at a four per cent annual pace.The better growth figures should support continued strong hiring, Zandi said."This feels a lot more consistent with the jobs numbers and more supportive of the idea that the economy is gaining traction," he said.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Airways sued for pilot 'sex abuse'

A LONDON law firm representing 16 girls in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania says it is initiating legal proceedings against British Airways over allegations that one of its pilots sexually abused the girls during layovers.

THE 54-year-old British Airways pilot, Simon Wood, who is now dead, was able to abuse the girls, between the ages of eight and 20 years, because of his employment with the airline and the company's community outreach work, Leigh Day lawyer Nichola Marshall said on Wednesday.

"The schools and orphanages that our clients attended were all in receipt of charitable donations from the airline, and Wood played a key role in administering those donations, on behalf of British Airways," Marshall said in a statement.British Airways said it was shocked and horrified by the allegations, which the company said appeared to be related to activities "entirely outside the scope of his employment with British Airways".The airline extended its sympathies to the victims."It is disappointing that the conduct of one person has caused so much distress to the many thousands of decent people who engage in charitable works on a regular basis," the company said in an email to The Associated Press.Wood was struck by a train and died two weeks before he was to appear in court last August.He had faced charges of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 16 and making and possessing child pornography, the statement said.An investigation into his death began Wednesday, the law firm said.Marshall said a team will be travelling to meet with other potential victims who have recently come forward in Kenya and Uganda.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fiat 2Q profits drop by 55 per cent

Turia Pitt finally wins compensation

THE burns survivor and her boyfriend today made their first court appearance to confirm a multi-million dollar settlement made with ultra-marathon firm.

NSW

Man carjacked at lights, forced to drive 140km

POLICE are hunting for a man in a hoodie who jumped into Phillip Waltis' car at Leumeah and made the motorist, pictured, drive him to Jilliby, on the Central Coast.

NSW

Derelict Merrylands home fetches $3.2m

IT has cracks in the walls, no electricity and is covered in spiderwebs, but this western Sydney home sold for $3.2 million. What is its secret?

Parramatta

Businessman has corrupt conduct finding overturned

BUSINESSMAN John Kinghorn has won his appeal against ICAC, becoming the first person since former Premier Nick Greiner to overturn a corrupt conduct finding.

NSW

'We're looking at the positives' says fiancee Teigan Power

As her fiance Alex McKinnon faced the fight of his life, Teigan Power has been behind the scenes, a tower of strength for the young NRL player.

The Hills

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hamas agrees to 24-hour truce in Gaza

Hamas has fired more rockets into Israel from Gaza as the humanitarian truce draws to an end. Source: AAP

HAMAS has agreed to observe a 24-hour humanitarian truce after initially rejecting such an offer by Israel, as fighting resumed and the two sides wrangled over the terms of a lull the international community hopes can be expanded into a more sustainable truce.

BETWEEN the rival announcements Palestinian militants fired rockets deep into Israel, prompting it to resume an offensive aimed at destroying rocket launchers and cross-border attack tunnels used by Hamas.

Hours later Hamas said it would be willing to abide by a new 24-hour humanitarian truce ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the truce would go into effect at 2100 (AEST) on Sunday. The three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday is expected to begin Monday or Tuesday, depending on the sighting of the new moon.Israel had offered a 24-hour truce late Saturday, but Hamas - which has demanded the lifting of the Israeli and Egyptian blockade on Gaza as well as the release of Palestinian prisoners - rejected it.Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner, an Israeli army spokesman, did not say if Israel would hold its fire during the time requested by Hamas, but said troops would continue demolishing militant tunnels.The 20-day war has killed more than 1050 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel has lost 43 soldiers. Two civilians and a Thai worker in Israel were killed by rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza.The military had earlier said about a dozen rockets were fired toward Israel since midnight -without causing casualties or damage - and that as a result it would "resume its aerial, naval and ground activity in the Gaza Strip". The Israeli military released a video showing a rocket being fired from what it said was a Gaza school."Once again Hamas is cynically using the people of Gaza as a human shield," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.The 12-hour lull on Saturday - agreed by both sides following intense US and UN mediation efforts - saw Palestinians return to neighbourhoods reduced to rubble and allowed medics to collect close to 150 bodies, Palestinian health official Ashraf al-Kidra said.The Israeli military says it is doing its utmost to prevent civilian casualties, including by sending evacuation warnings to residents in targeted areas, and blames Hamas for putting civilians in harm's way.Hamas and other militants in Gaza have fired more than 2400 rockets at Israel since hostilities began on July 8, many deep into the Israeli heartland and toward most of the country's major cities.Casualties on the Israeli side have stayed relatively low thanks to Israel's sophisticated Iron Dome aerial defence system and because residents have been vigilant about seeking shelter quickly upon hearing the air raid sirens.Before the announcement of the holiday ceasefire, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri had said any truce must include a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and that tens of thousands of displaced people must be allowed to return to their homes. Israel's current terms were "not acceptable," he said in a text message to journalists.Israel's acceptance of the ceasefire extension was premised on its soldiers remaining in Gaza to destroy the more than 30 tunnels the military says it has found in the densely-populated coastal strip.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld premier quiet on Davis switch

QUEENSLAND'S premier is remaining coy about a former ministerial colleague's bid to join the Labor Party as he re-announced a 10-month old jobs growth forecast.

FORMER assistant health minister Chris Davis had wanted to run for Labor against Premier Campbell Newman in his own inner-Brisbane seat of Ashgrove.

While Labor is ruling out preselecting Dr Davis for Ashgrove, the Australian Medical Association's former Queensland president confirmed he had applied to join Labor on Saturday - a day after quitting the Liberal National Party."I have joined a party that's committed to listening to the people of Queensland and clearly got feedback last weekend in Stafford," he told the ABC.The government lost last weekend's Stafford by-election with an 18.6 per cent swing against it, following Dr Davis's resignation from parliament in protest at changes to political donation laws.The political bloodbath in the electorate adjoining the premier's own seat has resulted in several government backflips, which included restoring bipartisan support for appointments to the Crime and Corruption Commission.But Mr Newman declined on Sunday to comment on Dr Davis's switch to Labor or explain if his resignation from parliament was a factor leading to some policy reversals."I've made all the comments I'm going to make today on him," he told reporters in Brisbane.Labor's Queensland secretary Anthony Chisholm said the party would not decide Dr Davis's membership application until mid-August."I can't pre-empt the decision of the administrative committee - that's up to them," he told the ABC.The premier has tried sounding positive, following the by-election drubbing.He did this on Sunday by re-announcing a September 2013 forecast that 13,000 new disability sector jobs would be created in Queensland by the time the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is rolled out in July 2019."What's new is we're saying today that the NDIS is basically cranking up across the country," he said.Following the premier's appearance at a Cerebral Palsy League picnic, the Labor opposition accused Mr Newman of recycling an old announcement in a bid to revive his image."This is old news from a desperate premier who's trying to save his own job and save his seat in Ashgrove," opposition health spokeswoman Jo-Ann Miller told reporters.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

AFP visit to MH17 crash site stalled

A large contingent of AFP officers is in Ukraine ready to secure the MH17 crash site. Source: AAP

A DUTCH-LED investigation team including 11 Australian police officers has had to abandon a plan to visit the MH17 crash site in eastern Ukraine due to safety concerns.

RUSSIAN-BACKED separatists in control of the area around the site have agreed to allow an unarmed international police team to recover more bodies and start a forensic examination of wreckage.

Some 170 unarmed AFP officers have been deployed in Ukraine to help with the grim task.Eleven officers had been planning to accompany a 30-strong Dutch contingent to the crash site on Sunday guided by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).But the Netherlands' security and justice department says the situation is too unstable. There are reports of heavy shelling in rebel-held Grabove, the village next to the crash site"The team of 30 Dutch forensic experts currently has no safe passage to the crash site," the department said in a statement."Because of fighting in the region the situation is still too unstable to safely go to the crash site to work."The Dutch and Australians are remaining in the the rebel stronghold of Donetsk some 60km from the site.OSCE monitor Alexander Hug confirmed there was fighting going on and said the Dutch-led team would try again to reach the site on Monday."We can't take the risk," Mr Hug said."The security situation on the way to the site and on the site itself is unacceptable for our unarmed observer mission."Prime Minister Tony Abbott earlier on Sunday admitted the mission was risky."Our objective is to get in, get cracking and to get out," he told reporters in Canberra.Rebels have previously limited foreign access to small numbers of investigators and observers but Mr Abbott revealed that "full and frank talks" in Donetsk on Saturday had led to the universal view there should be a ceasefire at the crash site while the mission conducted its work.While not referring directly to the separatists, Mr Abbott said "local people" had guaranteed the mission's security."(But) frankly, we need to be prepared to take some risks in order to do the right thing by our dead and by their grieving families," he said.Mr Abbott noted there had been a "fair bit of goodwill" from locals in the area, especially since a UN Security Council resolution called for an independent investigation.The common feeling was that the bringing down of the Malaysia Airlines plane by a surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard, was "dreadful beyond words".The mission will not be backed up by military personnel although the Australian Defence Force is providing some enabling support including medical and surgical teams.The 170 AFP officers in Ukraine will likely be rotated through the site as needed during the next few weeks.Mr Abbott said it was clear the crash site still contained unrecovered human remains.So far 227 coffins containing an unknown number of victims have been taken from the site for identification in Hilversum, near Amsterdam.One person, a Dutch citizen, has been formally identified.The unarmed nature of the humanitarian mission to the site means it doesn't need the specific approval of the Ukrainian parliament.But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop hopes a deal can be ratified early this week that would allow Canberra to send a small contingent of armed police and soldiers to help with security.Ms Bishop stressed on Sunday the mission would be a non-threatening operation."All we want to do is secure the site so that we can inspect it thoroughly and bring back any remains," she said.The prime minister's special envoy, Angus Houston, said the mission would be a "non-aggressive, non-threatening force" so that no nobody would interfere with it.Labor leader Bill Shorten, who was briefed by Mr Abbott on Sunday, offered the government the opposition's full support for the mission."In a dangerous and volatile environment, this is the most sensible course of action," he said.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aldaheff resigns over Israel email

The NSW Community Relations Commission Chief has resigned after making pro-Israel comments. Source: AAP

SYDNEY, 27 July AAP - NSW Community Relations Commission chief Vic Alhadeff has resigned following controversial comments he made supporting Israel.

AN email sent by Mr Alhadeff defending Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which has so far killed more than 1000 Palestinians, sparked calls from Muslim and Arab groups that he be sacked.

Premier Mike Baird resisted those calls, leaving Mr Alhadeff to decide whether he should step down."It is with considerable regret that I have decided to resign from my position as Chair of the NSW Community Relations Commission," Mr Alhadeff said in a statement on Sunday."I have chosen to do so in the interests of the CRC and its important work in fostering social harmony within our society."The email, which was sent in Mr Alhadeff's capacity as CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, claimed Israel was operating with "care to avoid civilian casualties"."Israel has made it clear that it is not interested in further escalation, but will do whatever is needed to defend its citizens," Mr Alhadeff said in the email."All options are on the table."The email also included a "frequently asked questions" fact sheet from Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs about its offensive in Gaza.Mr Alhadeff now concedes the email "issued under my name inadvertently caused offence to some"."This is greatly regretted," he said."While this was unintended, and despite the backing of numerous community leaders who acknowledged my record of goodwill, the reaction from some has become a distraction to the work of the CRC and the role of the chair."Mr Baird's decision to back Mr Alhadeff angered community groups, who pledged to boycott future government events.That started with a Ramadan event hosted by Mr Baird last week, which was shunned by groups including the Lebanese Muslim Association and the Australian Arabic Council.NSW Minister for Citizenship and Communities Victor Dominello has accepted Mr Alhadeff's resignation.He thanked Mr Alhadeff for his service, including restoring trust and resolving tensions between multicultural communities."Mr Alhadeff has committed his working life to the promotion of intercultural harmony, however I understand and respect the decision he has made," Mr Dominello said in a statement."I have no doubt he will continue to be an agent for harmony and tolerance in our community."Arab Council Australia CEO Randa Kattan said the call for Mr Alhadeff's resignation were never about his works, but his divisive comments."It's more about putting a particular position out there is divisive and goes against any harmony that we know," Ms Kattan said."There was a huge uproar in the community about that."Lebanese Muslim Association director Ahmad Malas also welcomed the resignation because, he said, Mr Alhadeff's appointment was untenable."This resignation will help keep the harmony of the Community Relations Commission so it continues to service its purpose and the community," he said.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asylum seekers land on Cocos Island

AFTER weeks at sea, a group of 18 asylum seekers have arrived at Curtin Immigration Detention Centre.

THE group, who were part of the 157 asylum seekers detained at sea for weeks on a Customs ship, arrived at the detention centre about 7pm (AEST), a Curtin spokesman said.

More asylum seekers are expected to arrive at Curtin on Monday after the group of 157 landed at Cocos Island on Sunday.The Refugee Action Coalition says the asylum seekers were seen disembarking at 2pm (AEST) on Sunday.They were headed to the island's airport from where they were due to be flown to Curtin detention centre in Western Australia."There's no schedule, but given the lack of facilities on Cocos Island, they will probably try and get them on a plane soon - not everybody by today, but most," spokesman Ian Rintoul told AAP.The federal government did not confirm the movements.The group of 157, including children, were being detained at sea since their boat was intercepted 27km from Christmas Island on July 7.After arriving at Curtin, they will undergo identity checks by Indian consular officials.India has agreed to take back its citizens and will consider taking Sri Lankan nationals who are Indian residents.Australian Greens say the group has a legal right to apply for asylum in Australia.Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is travelling to Curtin in the next few days to inquire on the children's welfare and to brief the asylum seekers of their rights."Just because (Prime Minister) Tony Abbott wants to trade in their lives, doesn't make it legal," she told reporters in Adelaide on Sunday.Mr Abbott has said the handling of the asylum seekers is not illegal and in accordance with Australia's international obligations.But he stressed they could never call Australia home because they did not come the "right way".The decision to bring the group to land pre-empts a High Court challenge against their detention at sea.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

French to examine Algerian jet black boxes

Last Updated: July 28, 2014

THE black boxes from an Air Algerie plane that crashed in northern Mali killing 118 people will be transferred to France for analysis.

Door closed to asylum seekers

THE Federal Government has struck a new asylum seeker deal which could see up to two thirds of the 157 people stranded at sea for three weeks aboard an Australian customs boat returned to India.

Abbott sends in troops to crash hot zone

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has ­confirmed troops will be deployed to eastern Ukraine to protect Australian Federal Police officers working on the crash site investigation.

Meet Sydney's smiling superhero

BEING a super hero isn't all it is cracked up to be. You just can't jump on a suburban train during peak hour and not expect to raise eyebrows — or triple-0 calls.

No plans for Big Apple crumble

THE anonymous quote reads simple enough: "There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs".

Man critically injured in horror train fall

COMMUTERS were left in shock when a man was found with critical injuries in a horrific accident at Newtown overnight.

Farah confronts Tallis over 'false' claims

ROBBIE Farah has angrily denied telling Gorden Tallis that Tigers mentor Mick Potter "can't coach" after Tallis made public the explosive claim.

Workers high on drugs on the job

ALMOST one in 10 Australian workers has been to work still feeling the effects of drug use, according to a new poll - and it's taking a heavy toll on productivity.

', gcseBox = '

'; if (drawLightForm) { gcseBox = '

'; } if (isResultPage) { $(resultsContainer).append(gcseResults); } if (pre) { $(container).prepend(gcseBox).length; } else { $(container).append(gcseBox).length; } // Always load on results page of or light form option it toggled off if (cx && ! drawLightForm || isResultPage) { gcse = document.createElement('script'); gcse.type = 'text/javascript'; gcse.async = true; gcse.src = (document.location.protocol == 'https:' ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//www.google.com/cse/cse.js?cx=' + cx; s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(gcse, s); } }); })(ndm.jQuery || window.jQuery, ndm.gcse || false); //]]>

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More