Appeal setback for disgraced Rolf Harris

DISGRACED entertainer Rolf Harris has lost the first round of his bid to appeal against his convictions for a string of indecent assaults.

A SPOKESMAN for Britain's Judicial Office confirmed on Friday that a judge had refused his application for permission to appeal.

But it is still open to the 84-year-old to renew the application before three judges at the Court of Appeal.The artist and musician was convicted of 12 indecent assaults at London's Southwark Crown Court on June 30 - one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two on girls in their early teens, and a catalogue of abuse against his daughter's friend over 16 years.The appeal move was refused by a single judge considering the application on the case papers.Harris, a family favourite for decades, was finally unmasked during his trial as a predator who was fixated with under-age girls.Jurors were told that his 16-year campaign of sex abuse against his daughter's friend "haunted" her and made her abandon her dreams as he continued to be adored by millions of fans worldwide.His fall from grace was underlined as he was stripped of a Bafta fellowship and accolades in his native Australia were removed.Harris was jailed for five years and nine months for the sex abuse, meaning he is due to serve just under three years for the crimes, which took place between 1968 and 1986.

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US consumer spending down 0.2%

US consumer spending fell in September, the first decline since January, as shoppers took a breather after a big spending spree in August. Income growth posted the slowest gain this year.

THE Commerce Department said on Friday that consumer spending dropped 0.2 per cent in September. Income edged up 0.2 per cent for the month, the smallest monthly gain since a flat reading last December.

The spending decline followed a big 0.5 per cent increase in August. In September demand fell for durable goods such as cars and for non-durable goods, a drop that partially reflected falling prices for fuel.Spending is closely watched because it accounts for 70 per cent of economic activity. Economists believe September will be a temporary pause as continued hiring gains pushing up spending and the overall economy in coming months.

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Full moons linked to animal abuse

The RSPCA in Britain says full moons are linked to a rise in animal abuse. Source: AAP

FULL moons have long been associated with werewolves, vampires and witchcraft, but now the RSPCA in Britain says they may also be linked to a rise in animal abuse.

THE charity has released statistics showing a correlation between an increase in reports of abuse in the UK and the lunar cycle.

The RSPCA has found an average increase in calls so far this year of around 12 per cent, or 169 reports, when there has been a full moon.The highest number of calls during a full moon happened in April, when it received 339 more calls - a spike of more than 28 per cent than the day before."We can't explain why this phenomenon occurs, although there are anecdotal reports from emergency services that they also see an increase," RSPCA staff officer Dermot Murphy said."It could be the fact there is increased light during the full moon so people out and about are more likely to spot an animal in distress, or the legend is true and it really does bring out the darker side of human nature."The link between full moons and extremes in human behaviour has been identified in past scientific studies.Professor Michal Zimecki, of the Polish Academy of Sciences, analysed dozens of studies that take lunar activity into account, and argued that a full moon could affect criminal activity and health.One such piece of research, a three-month psychological study of 1200 inmates at Armley jail, Leeds, in the 1990s, found a marked increase in violent incidents during the first and last quarter of each lunar month.Full moons have also been linked to the timing of baby births, with some suggesting that the moon's gravitational pull affects the amniotic fluid in the same way it affects the water in the sea and rivers.

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Fire causes evacuation of French radio HQ

A FIRE at the Paris headquarters of French state radio is sending columns of thick black smoke out of more than a dozen windows.

PHOTOS of the scene on Friday afternoon show smoke pouring from the upper stories of the massive Maison de la Radio in the capital's 16th arrondissement. It was undergoing renovations when the fire began.

The building was safely evacuated around 1pm according to Radio France journalist Corinne Audoin, interviewed on television i-tele.The building, nicknamed "The Round House" for its circular design, was built in 1963 and houses studios for some of France's most popular radio stations. Renovations have been ongoing for years, notably to modernise its anti-fire protections.

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Aussie teachers a potential terror target

JIHADISTS are encouraging attacks on Australian teachers working abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has advised expatriates.

DFAT on Friday night updated its terror threat advice in light of an online forum post, which urged attacks against teachers at international schools around the world.

However, DFAT says it's not aware of any specific information to suggest an attack is being planned."A recent posting on a jihadist forum website encouraged attacks against teachers, including Australian teachers, at international schools around the world," the advice said."The post does not represent planning for an attack, nor are we aware of any specific information to suggest an attack is being planned."We encourage Australians involved with international schools, who may have concerns, to engage with the school to ensure it is aware of the threat and that appropriate security arrangements are in place."The jihadist post notes the presence of international schools in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Sudan, Tunisia, Nigeria, Morocco, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia.It makes specific mention of two schools - in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the suburb of Ma'adi, in Cairo, Egypt - where numbers of teachers at international schools reside, DFAT says.The new advice follows the federal government last month raising the domestic terror alert level to high.DFAT reminded Australians that even where attacks may not specifically target Australian interests, Australians could be harmed."In the past decade, Australians have been killed and injured in terrorist attacks in Nairobi, Mumbai, Jakarta, London and Bali."Travel advisories for Australians are available on the smartraveller.gov.au website and are reviewed and reissued regularly.Jakarta International School, which has Australian teachers and students, says its parents and employees have been informed of the DFAT advice.The school, which was founded by the Australian, US, and British embassies, says it will now review its plans for security upgrades."JIS has a robust security posture that is evaluated on a systematic basis and in light of developments such as those referenced in the DFAT bulletin," it said in a statement."We will be reviewing the timing and scope of planned security upgrades."

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Fiat Chrysler returns to Q3 profit

FIAT Chrysler Automobiles returned to a profit in the third quarter thanks to a good performance by its luxury brands and gains in North America and Asia.

FIAT Chrysler Automobiles on Wednesday reported a net profit of 174 million euros ($A261 million) for the three months ending September 30. That compares with a loss of 15 million euros in the same period last year.

The carmaker completed a five-year merger process between Fiat, based in Turin, and Chrysler, based in Detroit, with a listing on the New York Stock Exchange earlier this month.Revenues rose 14 per cent to 23.5 billion euros. Luxury brand sales increased 35 per cent, North America saw a 20 per cent gain and Asia was up 30 per cent. Latin American revenues dropped 12 per cent in a weak market.

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Jihadists shoot 30 Sunnis dead: official

MILITANTS from the Islamic State group lined up 30 Sunni men in a town west of Baghdad and shot them dead, an Iraqi official says.

THE slayings took place on a main street in the town of Hit on Wednesday.

Anbar provincial council chairman, Sabah Karhout, says the Sunnis killed were tribal fighters allied with the government and members of the security forces captured when the IS group overran the town, about 140km west of the Iraqi capital.Hit fell to the Islamic State group in early October after fierce clashes with government forces backed by the Sunni fighters from the Albu Nimir tribe.The IS militants have seized large swathes of land in western and northern Iraq in the country's worst crisis since the 2011 US troop withdrawal.

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Fiat Chrysler to spin off Ferrari

FIAT Chrysler Automobiles has announced plans to spin off sports car maker Ferrari into a separate company.

THE company said in a statement on Wednesday that spinning off Ferrari was part of a plan to raise capital to support the new merged carmakers' future growth.

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said it was "proper that we pursue separate paths for FCA and Ferrari" following the completion of the merger of Chrysler and Fiat with a listing on the New York Stock Exchange earlier this month.

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Mining port capacity getting tight

AUSTRALIA'S mining exports are growing to record levels but the capacity of ports to ship them appears to be running out.

A DELOITTE report said the surge in export volumes is putting a strain on the current port and railway facilities.

"The looming increase still begs the question of whether Australia's stock of export infrastructure will be sufficient to support very large increases in mineral and energy exports," the report said.Deloitte said that additional coal and iron ore projects already underway are expected to add 140 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) in production capacity but that won't be matched by the capacity of ports to ship higher volumes.Coal and iron ore port capacity is expected to only increase by 110 Mtpa."That suggests that a number of projects in the planning phase will need to go ahead to prevent bottlenecks occurring," Deloitte said.Deloitte also said the continue growth of Australia's mining export boom will depend on Chinese demand for coal and iron ore."Australian iron ore exports to China have grown sharply over the last decade," the report said."In value terms, total exports of iron ore and concentrates to China over 2013/14 was around $57 billion, equivalent to over 76 per cent of total Australian iron ore exports and 20 per cent of total merchandise exports for the year."

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Goodyear's 3Q profit falls

GOODYEAR Tyre's third-quarter net income fell 3 per cent as tyre sales fell around the world, but its adjusted earnings easily beat Wall Street expectations.

SHARES of the tyre maker rose 10 per cent in premarket trading on Wednesday.

Goodyear reported net income of $US161 million ($A174.2 million), or 58 cents per share, in the quarter ending September 30, compared with $US166 million, or 62 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago.Adjusted to remove certain one-time items, the company earned 87 cents per share. Analysts expected 70 cents, according to FactSet.Revenue fell 6.9 per cent to $US4.7 billion from $US5 billion, and missed Wall Street forecasts. Analysts expected revenue of $US4.9 billion.The company said sales were hurt by unfavorable foreign currency exchanges.Sales in North America fell 6 per cent to $US2.06 billion. They fell 8 per cent to $US1.62 billion from $US1.75 billion in Europe, Middle East and Africa and fell 14 per cent to $US451 million in Latin America.Shares of The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Co., based in Akron, Ohio, rose to $US24.12 in premarket trading.

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