Massive media operation for Gallipoli

Some familiar Australian media personalities will be among the thousands at Gallipoli on Anzac Day. Source: AAP

SOME familiar Australian media personalities will be among the thousands at Gallipoli this Anzac Day with the 100th anniversary of the landings set to be an enormous event.

SEVEN'S Sunrise team of David Koch and Samantha Armytage, Triple M Network breakfast identities Mick Molloy and Eddie McGuire, and Nine Network presenter Cameron Williams are some of the 200 journalists and crew who will be in Turkey.

Just as members of the Australian public vied for just 8000 tickets in a ballot to attend the tightly controlled Dawn Service at Anzac Cove, media access is tight too, with just 80 journalists allowed in to cover the ceremony at the Australian Commemorative Site.Most of Australia's major news organisation will have people in Turkey and many are broadcasting from the region in the week leading up to April 25.While planning has gone on for many months for some organisations, head of the Triple M Network, Mike Fitzpatrick, said the FM broadcaster scrambled to organise its coverage in seven weeks after an invitation from Veterans' Affairs Minister Michael Ronaldson.Triple M will have a week of special broadcasts from Dubai, Istanbul and Gallipoli by its Melbourne breakfast team - comprising McGuire, Molloy and Luke Darcy.Broadcasting from the remote Gallipoli peninsula has its challenges - Triple M had to buy a satellite transmitter for the operation - but Mr Fitzpatrick said it was an honour to be asked."It's a hugely significant moment," he said.The Macquarie Radio Network - which operates 2UE in Sydney, 3AW in Melbourne, 6PR in Perth and 4BC in Brisbane - is also sending a team to Gallipoli with 2UE's Justin Smith to broadcast back to Australia.The Dawn Service to mark the 100th anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli will start at 5.30am in Turkey, which is 12.30pm AEST - after Dawn Services have taken place across Australia.ABC is the host TV broadcaster and will be providing vision to all Australian networks.The Dawn Service will be watched not only by hundreds of thousands of viewers in Australia and New Zealand but also a huge Turkish audience, who will served by local journalists.

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Israel remembers 6m Jews killed in WWII

Israelis have observed two minutes of silent remembrance during the annual Holocaust Memorial Day. Source: AAP

ISRAELIS have observed two minutes of silence in remembrance of the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust and 70 years since the liberation of the Nazi death camps.

SIRENS marked the start of a state wreath-laying service at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Centre in Jerusalem during Israel's annual Holocaust Memorial Day, which began after sunset on Wednesday and lasts until sunset on Thursday.

Ceremonies were also held at schools, colleges and universities throughout the country.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at an opening ceremony at Yad Vashem, said the world had not learned from World War II."Has the world really learned from the incomprehensible universal and Jewish tragedy of the previous century?" he asked."Democratic governments made a momentous mistake before World War II and we, along with many of our neighbours, are convinced that a bitter mistake has also been made now."Netanyahu also compared Iran's "aggression" in the Middle East to Hitler's Germany."As the Nazis sought to stamp out civilisation and to set the master race to rule across the earth ... while wiping out the Jewish people, so does Iran seek to control the region, spread outwards and destroy the Jewish state," he said.Netanyahu misses no opportunity to slam the emerging nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers, which is to be finalised by June 30.Israel and the West suspect Iran's civilian nuclear program is a front for efforts to build a military capability, a charge Tehran denies.

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Accused Kiwi drug mule granted sick leave

A NEW Zealand man has been granted a week's leave from his Bali drug smuggling trial, after collapsing in a hearing last week.

ANTONY de Malmanche says he has a history of the heart condition angina, and wants to be thoroughly examined.

The 52-year-old could face the death penalty for smuggling 1.7kg of methamphetamine into Bali in December.Chief Judge Cening Budiana, who noticed the Kiwi was ailing last week and adjourned witness hearings, on Thursday granted him a week off.The judge asked the prosecutor to take de Malmanche for a fuller check with the prison's physician and bring the results to court next Thursday.De Malmanche's son Shaun was in court for the first time on Thursday.Lawyers for de Malmanche say their client was tricked into carrying the meth by a drug syndicate that snared him on a dating website, and made him believe he was coming to Bali to meet a woman named Jessie.

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UK man to be extradited to Aust

A MAN accused of dozens of sex offences against three women in Australia more than 30 years ago has lost an extradition appeal in the High Court in London.

COLIN Simpson Henderson is alleged to have carried out the attacks in Melbourne between 1981 and 1984 after answering advertisements for a lodger or tenant.

The 63-year-old, who left Australia in 1996, faces trial on 58 charges which relate to offences including rape and indecent assault.He was living in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, when arrested last June after after the cases were re-opened and a DNA sample matched. He has since been in custody.Henderson launched a bid to block his extradition, claiming it would be oppressive because of the passage of time that had elapsed and because of his physical condition, including a lung problem which could make it risky to fly.Lord Justice Aikens and Justice Kenneth Parker dismissed the appeal - which means Henderson will be extradited within 14 days.Lord Justice Aikens said Australian authorities were not to blame for the delay and there was ample protection for defendants in historic sex cases.The circumstances in Henderson's case fell very far short of amounting to oppression, he added."These alleged extradition offences are very serious," he said."It is very important that the UK's international obligations with regard to extradition are respected."The judge said it made sense to ensure Henderson arrived in Australia in as good a state of health as possible.

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US unemployment benefit numbers rise

THE number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose for the second straight week yet remained at a low level that is consistent with more hiring.

APPLICATIONS increased 12,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 294,000, the Labor Department said.

Despite the increase, other data on Thursday suggests the number of laid-off workers applying for benefits is still quite low.The four-week average, a less volatile measure, ticked up 250 to 282,750, just barely above the previous week's level, which was the lowest in nearly 15 years.With fewer Americans seeking aid, the number of people collecting benefits fell to 2.27 million, the lowest in more than 14 years. The benefit rolls have dropped because some unemployed have found jobs, while many others have used up all the benefits available.The US economy is stumbling through a period of slower growth, but when applications are below 300,000, that suggests employers haven't been spooked enough to cut many jobs.Hiring was sluggish last month. Employers added just 126,000 jobs in March, the fewest in 15 months and snapping a year-long streak of monthly gains above 200,000. The unemployment rate remained 5.5 per cent.

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Charges dropped for cop who kicked teen

Assault charges have been dropped against a NSW police officer who kicked a teen during an arrest. Source: AAP

A NSW police officer who forcefully kicked a teenage boy in the face during an arrest in Sydney's west will walk free from court after charges against him were dismissed.

SENIOR Constable Chad Owen Halliday, 37, was hugged by his jubilant family as Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge, herself a former NSW police officer, said the crown has failed to prove the assault occasioning actual bodily harm charge, in a hearing on Wednesday.

During an earlier hearing, Halliday told the court the kick to the face of Aaron Borthwick last May was a standard police tactic he used out of concern for his safety.Borthwick had been a passenger in a stolen Audi, and after police were led on a long chase he bailed from the car, hopped over three fences and tried to hide in a small hole under the patio of an Emu Plains home in early morning darkness.Borthwick, who was 17 at the time, and the others in the stolen car were determined to avoid arrest at all cost, Ms Milledge said.Several police officers present during the arrest gave varying versions of events with discrepancies in the locations of officers, how many torches were on and the state of Borthwick.Borthwick, Ms Milledge found, was hiding in the hole, which measured about one metre by one metre, for about five minutes before he heard voices.Halliday, a dog handler, told Borthwick to leave the hole and threatened to set his animal on the teen if he didn't comply.But as Borthwick was getting out of the hole he hesitated and Halliday saw him going for what he thought could be a weapon in his pants.He kicked the teen's face in what he said was a reasonable use of force."What Halliday did in the circumstances was understandable," Ms Milledge said.Halliday pleaded not guilty to the assault last August.After the charges were dismissed, Halliday indicated he would pursue the state for costs.

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Minister apologises to dad for FSH death

The WA health minister has apologised to the father of a man who died at Perth's new hospital. Source: AAP

HEALTH minister Kim Hames has apologised to the father of a man who died at Perth's new Fiona Stanley Hospital after he was given the wrong drug.

JARED Olsen, 41, went to the hospital with stomach pains that were suspected to be caused by Crohn's disease.

Mr Olsen was prescribed mercaptopurine - a strong drug usually used to treat leukaemia and sometimes Crohn's.He was also tested to see if he had the enzyme TPMT, which is needed to prevent the potentially life-threatening side effects of the drug.But Mr Olsen's father Phillip said the results of the test were never followed up and he found his son weeks later collapsed in the shower in a pool of his own blood and faeces.Mr Olsen was rushed to hospital but died on March 5 from suspected organ failure.It was revealed earlier this month that in a letter written in November, staff warned of "significant clinical and financial consequences" from cutbacks to the inflammatory bowel disease service, which used to be housed at Fremantle Hospital.The health minister had initially said the specialist service had been transferred completely across to FSH but later conceded that the advice he had received was wrong.Mr Olsen told Fairfax radio on Wednesday that Dr Hames had called him and his daughter to offer a personal apology for the treatment that caused his son's death."I have no reason to believe that he wasn't genuine about that apology," Mr Olsen said."He was fairly critical of those people advising him."One wonders if those advisers are still working for the minister."Mr Olsen said Dr Hames told him the service would be brought back to its original standard and that he had asked for a coronial inquest to be held into his son's death.

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Rock-throwing NT kids threatened with care

IF the parents of children responsible for attacking authorities and damaging property in Alice Springs can't control them they'll be taken into care, the NT chief minister has warned.

ADAM Giles says he won't tolerate a situation, which early on Tuesday escalated to a group of more than 50 youths throwing rocks at police, starting several fires and damaging property in the central Australian town.

Police say they are concerned they are being targeted.Over the past two weeks there have been other rock-throwing incidents, one resulting in a damaged ambulance being taken off the road.The government says many of the young people responsible are from outlying, predominantly indigenous communities.Over Easter, Alice Springs hosted a metal concert, a national bike race and the AFL's Lightning Cup Carnival, with many attendees staying on for the school holidays.But there have been numerous reports of property damage since."I'm giving the parents of the children responsible for this spate of violence a very clear message: get your kids off the streets, get them back to communities and back into school," Mr Giles said in a statement late on Wednesday."Otherwise, these children will be regarded as requiring protection and we will take immediate action. Parents should not doubt our resolve to do this."Any school-age child found on the streets during school hours will now be issued with a $298 fine by school attendance officers.Minister for Children and Families John Elferink said he had directed the department "to take strong action" and put children into care where legally possible."Normally the department would see this as a last resort and be willing to work with parents but these are not normal circumstances," he said."If parents don't want to see their children in care then they need to get off the grog and head back to their home community."The government will organise bus transport for families to get them home.Mr Giles said in light of the violence the government is reconsidering supporting the Lightning Cup Carnival next year."If the organisers want taxpayers support, they best think long and hard about how they conduct their event and how to reduce the impact it has created on the town in the subsequent days," he warned.

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Nokia to buy Alcatel-Lucent for $A21b

Finland's Nokia has confirmed it is acquiring French telecom company Alcatel-Lucent for $A21.64bn. Source: AAP

NOKIA has struck a 15.6 billion euro ($A21.64 billion) deal to buy its rival Alcatel-Lucent to create the world's biggest supplier of mobile phone network equipment.

THE Finnish telecom giant on Wednesday agreed to give shareholders in its Franco-American rival 0.55 shares in the new merged company for every one of their own.

The new group "will be uniquely positioned to create the foundation of seamless connectivity for people and things wherever they are," Nokia's statement said.It will go by the name Nokia, be based in Finland, and be run by Nokia's current management team, it said.The group is targeting savings of 900 million euros in costs by the end of 2019 without further job cuts following the restructuring, both companies said, adding the merger should save an additional 200 million euros in financial charges.Alcatel-Lucent boss Michel Combes, told French TV channel BFM Business the new group was committed to "increasing R&D activities in France by 25 per cent" by hiring 500 additional researchers, bringing the total research and development workforce in the country to 2,500."The new group's innovation and research capabilities on a global scale will be spearheaded in France," he said.The French government said on Tuesday it was concerned about jobs disappearing in France if the merger were to go through.Rumours have swirled since December of a possible deal between the two firms, with France's Les Echos reporting on Monday that executives had been in negotiations since January.Nokia was the world's biggest mobile phone maker for more than a decade until it was overtaken by South Korea's Samsung in 2012.Then in 2014, Nokia sold its mobile phone and tablet division to US software giant Microsoft, and the company now develops mobile and internet network infrastructures for operators.Nokia is now set for a significant boost in market share.The deal will also help Nokia bolster its mobile infrastructure business against Swedish arch-rival Ericsson and China's Huawei, profiting from Alcatel's position as a leading supplier of 4G and LTE mobile networks and related services.

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Ellis trial hears of Bali kitchen killing

THE violent details of an Australian businessman's murder in his own Bali villa have been aired in the trial of his wife, who is accused of ordering the hit.

NOOR Ellis faces charges of pre-meditated murder over the death of her husband of 25-years, Robert Ellis, whose body was found in a rice field last October.

Also known as Julaikah Noor Aini, Ellis could face the death penalty.In her defence she claims she only asked her maid's boyfriend to take care of her problems with her husband, not kill him.But the trial has already heard from the maid, and a second maid, that the order was given to kill Mr Ellis.On Wednesday, the man who cut Mr Ellis' throat, 23-year-old Urbanus Yohanes Ghoghi, told the court in graphic detail of the roles he and four other men played in the killing.Ellis had given one of the men, Martin, a towel and pillow, and the men first tried to suffocate him, Urbanus said.When their victim fought back, Martin handed him the kitchen knife he used to slash his throat.Afterwards, Ellis handed Martin the plastic to wrap her husband's body in, Urbanus' co-accused, Yohanes Sairokudu, said."That night, Mrs Noor gave Rp 50 million ($5000) to Martin. It was then split, Rp 10 million each," he said."Martin also said to us that tomorrow, there will be more."Yohanes was also asked about a meeting Ellis called prior to the murder, where other witnesses say she gave the order to kill her husband."Mrs Noor said that when killing Mr Bob, don't use a sharp weapon," he said."Close his nose and mouth with a pillow only."To be neat, basically."Ellis later took the stand as a witness in the trials of the two men, who are also charged with premeditated murder.Asked by Judge Beslin Sihombing where Mr Ellis was now, she replied: "In heaven".Asked who gave the order to have him murdered she said: "probably me".The judge replied: "Probably? Or did you order them?"She replied: "Because of the order from me. I asked Martin's help to teach a lesson".Judge Hadi Masruri asked Ellis why she gave the order."For a long time he hadn't given me sufficient (money), (he) even took the money for my kids' schooling," she replied."Because his attitude didn't change, I couldn't stand it anymore."Once I asked for divorce but he didn't want to."He said we should just go on, in our own way."The trial continues next week with Ellis' defence.

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