Aust, Indonesia to discuss terror threat

FEDERAL Justice Minister Michael Keenan will seek to regenerate the close working relationship with Indonesia on counter-terrorism that grew out of the Bali bombings.

THE minister visits Indonesia on Wednesday as both nations confront the emerging threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) recruiting and radicalising citizens.

It comes also as both countries heal a diplomatic rift that could have diminished intelligence co-operation at this vital time.There are reports as many as 150 Australians have joined the ISIL cause, and while Indonesia estimates around 60 of its citizens are involved, it's believed the real number could be closer to 200.Mr Keenan will visit the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Co-operation (JCLEC) in Semarang, central Java, on Wednesday.He will pay tribute to the Australian and Indonesian police who responded after shared tragedies such as the MH17 crash and the terror attack at the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004.September 9 marks 10 years since that bombing, which claimed 11 Indonesian lives and injured more than 200 others.At an event to mark a decade of the JCLEC, the minister will flag the importance of co-operation on the new danger of nationals fighting in Iraq and Syria."I think both countries acknowledge that much work remains to be done - the threat we all now face is growing, both in terms of size and complexity."Australia and Indonesia established the JCLEC in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings to strengthen counter-terror co-operation. It was established in 2004.Although bilateral co-operation on security was officially frozen in November - after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono learned of Australian efforts to spy on him - the neighbours have acted on the threat of ISIL in unison.Dr Yudhoyono this month declared a ban on Indonesians supporting the group, also known as ISIS and Islamic State.A day later, Prime Minister Tony Abbott proposed beefed-up terror laws.SBY's move came after Bali bombing mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir pledged an oath to ISIS from his jail cell.A new code of conduct, sought by Indonesia to restore intelligence co-operation, has been completed and is expected to be signed before the end of the month.FACTS ON THE JAKARTA CENTRE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT CO-OPERATION:- The centre was established by the Indonesian and Australian governments in February 2004- It has trained more than 16,000 participants from more than 70 countries- JCLEC co-ordinates a range of training programs on transnational crimes, with counter-terrorism the priority- The Australian Federal Police and Indonesia National Police jointly manage the centre- The additional countries contributing to funding include Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Britain and the US.

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Tassal hooks 23 per cent profit rise

Focusing on domestic markets has delivered salmon farmer Tassal 23 per cent profit growth. Source: AAP

SALMON farmer Tassal has overcome drops in fish supplies, caused by hot weather, to lift profit 23 per cent to $41.6 million.

THE company achieved the healthy result by focusing on local markets, where it was getting stronger returns per kilo, despite the reduced fish supply.

"From an operating perspective, although Tassal sold less fish over 2014, favourable market returns were achieved, together with improved operational efficiencies that reduced the cost of bringing fish to market," chief executive Mark Ryan said.Tassal had become more efficient by using improved breeding programs, logistics, packaging and feed conversion ratios, he said."In addition, Tassal's marketing campaign has been instrumental in building brand awareness and driving sales via increased domestic consumption per capita," Mr Ryan said.Tassal's revenue dropped slightly, reflecting the fall in fish supplies due to the hot summer of 2012/13, but earnings were up 14 per cent to $78.6 million.The company is predicting more growth after investing heavily in its infrastructure.Its shares were up five cents at $3.99 at 1436 AEST.TASSAL REELS IN PROFIT GROWTH* Full year net profit of $41.1m, up 22.7 per cent from $33.5m in 2012/13* Revenue of $266.3m, down 2.4 pct from $272.8m* Final dividend of six cents a share, up from five cents

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Jackie Chan's son held in China drug bust

The son of Jackie Chan, Jaycee (pic), has been detained in Beijing on drug-related charges. Source: AAP

THE actor son of Hong Kong action superstar Jackie Chan has been detained in Beijing on drug-related charges, the latest high-profile celebrity to be ensnared in one of China's biggest anti-drug crackdowns in two decades.

JAYCEE Chan, 31, was detained last Thursday together with 23-year-old Taiwanese movie star Kai Ko, Beijing police said late on Monday on their official microblog, identifying them only by their surnames, ages and nationalities. It was unclear why the detentions were announced several days later.

Police said both actors tested positive for marijuana and admitted using the drug, and that 100 grams of it were taken from Chan's home.Jaycee Chan's management, M'Stones International, apologised to the public on his behalf for the "social impact" caused in a statement on their website. It said they would "supervise his rehabilitation and help him return to the right path".The detentions follow a declaration in June by President Xi Jinping that illegal drugs should be wiped out and that offenders would be severely punished. In Beijing alone, more than 7800 people have been caught in the crackdown, police said.A string of celebrities have been among those detained, including Gao Hu, who acted in Zhang Yimou's 2011 movie The Flowers of War.Last week, 42 Beijing performing arts associations and theatre companies signed a pledge to not hire any actors connected with drugs in an event organised by the capital's Narcotics Control Office and the Beijing Cultural Bureau.Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of a police search of the younger Chan's home in Beijing in which he is depicted, his face pixelated, showing officers where he stashed bags of marijuana. Police said they acted on a tip-off from the public.Chan is accused of accommodating drug users, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment - a far more serious charge than that of drug consumption. Two other people detained in the same case were accused of selling drugs while Ko is accused of drug consumption.China named the elder Chan an anti-drug ambassador in 2009. Ko, the Taiwanese star, was part of an anti-drug campaign two years ago, CCTV reported, showing footage of the campaign in which he joins other celebrities in a chorus declaring: "I don't use drugs."Illegal drug use has ballooned in China in recent decades, after being virtually eradicated following the 1949 communist revolution. Narcotics began to reappear with the loosening of social controls in the late 1980s.

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Famous UK doctor on voyeurism charges

Tradie 'demanded money' before alleged murder

A SYDNEY tradie accused of killing a woman in her waterfront mansion had said "I will win at the end" during a dispute over money the day before the alleged murder.

NSW

'Pettiness' caused hospital death

PETTY issues and resentment between midwives and doctors was the cause of an "avoidable death" at a NSW hospital.

NSW

Promising footballer, 20, killed by train

A POPULAR local rugby league player and university student was killed when he was hit by a train near Wollongong.

NSW

Aussies dying for a holiday in Bali

AUSTRALIA'S No.1 holiday destination is also one of the deadliest, with an average of one Aussie dying every eight days in Bali.

Travel News

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  • What Really Happens in Bali trailer 1:00

Police fear maps clue to Sydney bomb plot

EXPLOSIVES similar to those used in the London bombings and maps possibly targeting two Sydney CBD locations were uncovered in a ­suburban home.

NSW

• 1 video
  • Counter-terrorism pitch 1:56

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Transpacific grounds trucks after SA crash

THE company which owns the truck involved in a fatal crash in Adelaide has grounded its entire national fleet as it conducts an internal investigation.

THE Transpacific truck smashed into three stationary cars on Monday afternoon at traffic lights at Glen Osmond and Cross roads at the start of the South Eastern Freeway.

The 56-year-old male driver of one of the cars died, while two female drivers, aged 41 and 49, and the 28-year-old male truck driver remain in a critical condition at Royal Adelaide Hospital.Police on Tuesday said they were investigating whether brake failure had caused the crash at the "high risk location".Transpacific chief executive Robert Boucher said the company had taken the decision to ground its fleet to ensure its vehicles were roadworthy."This is not a decision we have taken lightly, however we believe it is the right thing to do given the serious nature of Monday's accident," he said in a statement."The driver had undergone thorough safety training prior to being cleared to drive our truck."Mr Boucher said Transpacific had fully co-operated with police, providing them with access to the company's trucks and maintenance records.Police have said it appeared the driver of the sewage truck was travelling at considerable speed before the crash.Meanwhile, a woman has died following a crash where two cars collided at Nuriootpa on Tuesday afternoon, taking the state's road toll to 56.Police say the crash happened on the Sturt Highway and one of the drivers, a woman from Yorke Peninsula, died at the scene.The other driver was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and remains in a serious, but non-life threatening condition.

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Physically-fit children brainier: study

PHYSICALLY-FIT children are officially brainier than their punier peers, new research has confirmed.

SCIENTISTS found that aerobically fit nine- and 10-year-olds had denser regions of "white matter" in their brains.

White matter consists of bundles of nerve fibres, or axons, that connect different brain regions.Previous research has linked physical fitness in children to larger brain volumes of "grey matter" - the cell bodies of neurons.US lead researcher Dr Laura Chaddock-Heyman, from the University of Illinois, said: "This study extends our previous work and suggests that white-matter structure may be one additional mechanism by which higher-fit children outperform their lower-fit peers on cognitive tasks and in the classroom."The team used a brain scanning technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine five white-matter tracts in the brains of 24 volunteer children.The system works by analysing water diffusion into tissues. For white matter, less water diffusion means the tissue is more fibrous and compact - both desirable traits.Significant fitness-related differences were seen in several key white matter regions, including the corpus callosum which joins the brain's left and right hemispheres.Two others were the superior longitudinal fasciculus, a pair of structures connecting two of the four major lobes in the brain's cerebral cortex, and the superior corona radiata which links the cerebral cortex to the brain stem."All of these tracts have been found to play a role in attention and memory," said Dr Chaddock-Heyman.The research is reported in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.Although the team did not test the children's mental performance, previous research has demonstrated a link between aerobic fitness and increasing thinking ability.

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Ukraine inspectors check Russia aid convoy

RUSSIA has let Ukrainian officials inspect an aid convoy and agreed to let the Red Cross distribute the aid around the rebel-held city of Luhansk, easing tensions and dispelling Ukrainian fears that the aid operation is a ruse to get military help to separatist rebels.

IN violation of an earlier tentative agreement, Russia had sent the convoy of roughly 200 trucks to a border crossing under the control of pro-Russia separatists, raising the prospect that it could enter Ukraine without being inspected by Ukraine and the Red Cross.

Ukraine vowed to use all means necessary to block the convoy in such a scenario, leading to fears of escalation in the conflict.Adding to the tensions, a dozen Russian armoured personnel carriers appeared early on Friday near where the trucks were parked for the night, 28 kilometres from the border.Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's security council, said some Russian military vehicles crossed into Ukraine - a charge Russia denied.Despite mutual distrust, the two sides reached an agreement on Friday morning, and 41 Ukrainian border guards and 18 customs officials began inspecting the Russian aid at the border crossing, defence officials in Kiev said in a statement.Sergei Astakhov, an assistant to the deputy head of Ukraine's border guard service, said Red Cross representatives would observe the inspections.Both sides also said that the aid deliveries themselves would be carried out exclusively by the Red Cross.Laurent Corbaz, the International Committee of the Red Cross' director of operations in Europe, described a tentative plan in which the trucks would enter Ukraine with a single Russian driver each - as opposed to the crew of several people currently in each truck - accompanied by a Red Cross worker.In line with Red Cross policy, there would be no military escort, he said.Corbaz said the plan foresees the aid being delivered to a central point in rebel-held territory, then distributed through the region.It was unclear how long the operation might last, but "it's not going to be solved in one week," he said.The details were still being negotiated by all sides, including the insurgents, Corbaz said in Kiev, and the Red Cross still had not received the security guarantees it needs to proceed.The presence of aid distribution points in Luhansk and other rebel-held areas could have the effect of dampening the force of the assault by Ukrainian government troops.The German and Russian foreign ministers discussed the possibility of declaring a truce to ensure the safety of the aid convoy, Russia said.In a telephone conversation, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Sergey Lavrov also discussed broader efforts aimed at political settlement of the conflict.Meanwhile, Ukraine proceeded with its own aid operation in the Luhansk area.Trucks sent from the eastern city of Kharkiv were unloaded on Friday morning at warehouses in the town of Starobilsk, where the goods will be sorted and transported further by the Red Cross.Starobilsk is about 100km north of Luhansk.The aid missions from both Ukraine and Russia come as the eastern rebels appear to continue to lose ground against Ukrainian forces.According to a map released by Ukraine's security council on Friday, the city of Luhansk is now surrounded by Ukrainian forces.The map shows Donetsk, the largest rebel-held city, in a pocket cut off from the larger swath of rebel territory.

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Liberian police seal newspaper office

DOZENS of riot police have sealed the offices of a newspaper critical of the Liberian government while officers attempted to detain its publisher.

POLICE spokesman Sam Collins said the paper's criticisms could "plunge the country into confusion" when the government is struggling to contain an Ebola outbreak.

Philibert Brown's National Chronicle has often accused President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's government of corruption and on Wednesday it called for the government to step down.Brown has been ordered to report for questioning on Friday.Sirleaf's government has come under stiff criticism for its record on press freedoms.Sirleaf has signed the Declaration of Table Mountain, which calls for the Africa-wide repeal of defamation and "insult" laws, but multiple libel convictions have been handed down since she came to power in 2006.

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Mauboy and Sultan win Indigenous awards

DAN Sultan and Jessica Mauboy have landed some major gongs at the National Indigenous Music Awards.

FOR the second year running Mauboy was awarded the NIMA for National Artist of the Year at the ceremony in Darwin on Friday night.

The singer, who recently made a name for herself on the international stage performing at both the Eurovision song contest and the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, accepted the award from Los Angeles where she is recording her album.Sultan meanwhile took out three awards - for National Album, Song and Cover Art of the Year.He also performed at the live show with his full band while actor Aaron Pederson was the MC for the night.Sultan's fellow Victorian, Briggs, won the New Talent Award as he prepares to release his debut album, Sheplife, on August 22.Munkimuk aka Mark Munk Ross was inducted into the NIMA Hall of Fame for his contribution to the music industry.The event is growing in popularity having sold its most tickets to date for Friday night, according to Mark Smith, executive director MusicNT.* 2014 National Indigenous Music Award WinnersNational Artist of the Year - Jessica MauboyNational Album of the Year - Blackbird, Dan SultanNational Song of the Year - The Same Man, Dan SultanNational New Talent of the Year - BRIGGSNational Cover Art of the Year - Blackbird, Dan Sultan - Artist, Ken TaylorNational Film Clip of the Year - Bright Lights Big City - East JourneyCommunity Clip of the Year - Artists - Desert Sevenz, Song - Fly Back Home, CommunityNT School Band of the Year - Rockstar Band from Gapuwiyak, NTNT Traditional Music Award of the Year - Jaydron Nundhirribala, Roland Nundhirribala and Grant Nundhirribala and Lindsay Gameraidj for his song NangaleNIMA Hall of Fame - Munkimuk aka Mark Munk Ross

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Game Of Thrones inspires baby names

BRAN, Sandor and Khaleesi may not be commonly heard in the classroom yet, but they are all names of characters from hit TV series Game of Thrones given to babies last year.

FIGURES released today show that while Oliver and Amelia were the overall most common names given to babies born in England and Wales in 2013, parents are increasingly taking inspiration from fantasy films such as Twilight and Thor.

According to the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 187 baby girls named Arya last year - the same number as called Josephine, while there were 50 Khaleesis - the same that were named Peggy.There were also seven boys called Bran - as were named Brad, while there were three Sandors - the same amount of boys that were given the name Malcolm last year.While the Royal Family appears to have influenced parents with sons, with William, Harry and George all in the top 10 most popular names, it does not seem to have made such an impact on those with daughters, with 147 girls named Kate and just four named Eugenie - fewer than some of the Games of Thrones characters.Mia, the name given to Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall's baby, is the 10th most popular name although as she was only born at the beginning of this year she will not have had any effect on last year's figures.The ONS also said the full impact of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge naming the future king George might not be seen yet as he was only born midway through 2013.

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