Man dies after climbing onto Vic train

A man who was reportedly naked has died after climbing onto the roof of a Melbourne train. Source: AAP

A NAKED man has died after climbing on the roof of a Melbourne train.

THE man was a passenger on the train and climbed onto its roof as it approached the Balaclava station platform on Friday afternoon.

There are media reports the man was naked and was electrocuted while walking on the roof.Police say they are yet to determine the exact cause of the man's death."The possibility of misadventure may form part of the investigation," a police statement said.The man is believed to be aged in his 20s but has yet to be formally identified.It took some time for emergency services to reach the man as they had to wait for the area to be deemed safe.

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'Liquid pot' probed for WA law breach

THE West Australian attorney-general has ordered the Department of Commerce to investigate whether a breath-freshener that markets itself as "liquid marijuana" has broken consumer protection laws.

LIBERAL backbencher Phil Edman gave the product to the attorney-general's office after he bought it from a Rockingham surf shop in his electorate.

It was Mr Edman's latest attempt to shine the spotlight on the availability of synthetic drugs in WA.Mr Edman said while the product did not contain any marijuana it was "morally corrupt" because it told impressionable young children it was okay to do drugs.He said the product was sold at childrens' eyeline.The packaging claimed you could get high at class and was so discreet you could "use it in front of your mum", Mr Edman said."Why would you want ... this sort of liquid marijuana being displayed in front of a cash register at a surf store?," Mr Edman told AAP."There's nothing stopping an eight-year-old boy buying this "get high" spray."It's sending a message to our children that it's okay to be high and that's not the message we want."Mr Edman said synthetic drugs were a scourge on the WA community and had been told some cannabinoids were just as bad or worse than methamphetamines."I've got parents sending me emails that their nine-year-old girls are addicted to this s***."Australian Sex Party leader Fiona Patten said Mr Edman was creating an unjustified fear in the public over the "innocent breath-freshener" in order to further his political campaign of being tough on drugs."Politicians are stooping to new lows in their war on drugs and half the claims they make about synthetic cannabinoids are simply untrue," Ms Patten said.The WA government is currently seeking to ban an additional 33 synthetic drugs."(Premier Colin) Barnett's new laws are being framed in such a way that they will actually ban novelty goods like the 'Liquid Marijuana' breath freshener that claims to get you high after doing a headstand and spinning around on the spot," Ms Patten said.

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Vic premier expects tough election fight

AFTER facing a confidence-denting opinion poll, Victorian Premier Denis Napthine predicts the state's upcoming election will be a tough, hard-fought battle.

A POLL published this week predicted a 16-seat defeat for the Liberal-National coalition, which holds a one seat majority following the suspension of rogue independent MP Geoff Shaw.

Dr Napthine told the federal Liberal council in Melbourne that he expected a difficult campaign."It will be a tough, hard-fought election," Dr Napthine said on Friday."It will be a real test of our resolve and our commitment to work together as a team."The Age/Nielsen poll shows Labor now has a commanding 59 per cent to 41 per cent lead over the coalition in two-party preferred terms based on voters' intended preference allocations.The government's primary vote has also taken a hit, falling from 41 per cent to 37 per cent, with Labor attracting 42 per cent of voters and the Greens on 14 per cent.Dr Napthine called on his party colleagues to support the re-election campaign."We would appreciate all the support of the great Liberal family across Australia," he said.Dr Napthine said the coalition had proved to be good economic managers of the state's finances.He said the Labor party's decisions on the Wonthaggi desalination plant and ending the poker machine monopoly were still costing Victorians money.

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Harbour Bridge lanes reopen, traffic heavy

ALL lanes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge have reopened, but city traffic remains heavy.

TWO northbound lanes on the bridge were briefly shut on Friday evening after a small fire broke out near train tracks on the deck of the bridge.

All lanes are now open, but traffic remains extremely heavy and is queued back to the Anzac Bridge.The Transport Management Centre says traffic in the Sydney CBD is also very heavy, so motorists should allow plenty of extra travel time and expect significant delays.

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ASIC says it's 'fighting greed with fear'

ASIC has defended its policing of the financial industry, saying it has limited resources. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S corporate watchdog says policing the finance industry is a battle of fear versus greed, as it responds to a critical report into its handling of dishonest activity by Commonwealth Bank financial advisers.

BUT the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has not endorsed a call for a royal commission into the bank scandal, with ASIC chairman Greg Medcraft questioning whether the money for such an inquiry could be better spent.

A senate committee report has called for a royal commission to investigate the Commonwealth Bank's financial planning arm after fraudulent activity by advisers caused thousands of investors to lose their savings.Unethical dealings by advisers between 2006 and 2010, including forging client signatures and acting without client authority, were brought to ASIC's attention by whistleblowers but the regulator took more than a year to act.The report found ASIC seemed to miss or ignore signs of corporate wrongdoing and was a "timid, hesitant regulator".The senate committee also investigated predatory lending practices by brokers and financial advisers in Australia between 2002 and 2010, and found shortcomings in ASIC's ability to warn consumers of risks.Mr Medcraft today said ASIC had made changes to its processes as a result of the committee investigation but defended his organisation, saying it did what it could with its current resources"Our job is to do the best with the resources and powers we have," he said."We have 30 staff looking to monitor over 40,000 financial planners."We need, at the end of the day, for consumers to take care when they're dealing with a financial planner and secondly we need those that are licensees to make sure that they supervise the financial planners that come under them."Mr Medcraft said he was not afraid to take on big financial institutions in cases of wrongdoing but pointed to a need for heftier penalties to frighten businesses into complying with the law."As a former investment banker unfortunately it's fear versus greed and if you're going to have an effective financial system you've got to make it very clear to those that breach the law ... that the penalties will be absolutely severe and that we will pursue them," he said."The more that you can lift the fear, suppress the greed, you end up with a stronger financial system."Mr Medcraft said current civil penalties were inadequate, with most not indexed to inflation and "20 years old".He said establishing a royal commission was a matter for the federal government but, asked if resources for a commission could be better spent augmenting ASIC, he said: "that's a very good question."We've already spent nearly a million in resources on this senate inquiry," he said.ASIC is currently facing a 12 per cent reduction in its staff and its budget as a result of cuts in the federal budget.

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Blood test could alert to breast cancer

A blood test could offer many women an early warning of breast cancer. Source: AAP

A SIMPLE blood test could offer many women an early warning of breast cancer even if they do not inherit genes linked to the disease.

SCIENTISTS have identified a molecular "switch" in blood samples that increases a woman's chances of having breast cancer.

The marker is associated with the BRCA1 breast cancer gene, but was also found in women without the mutation who went on to develop the disease.Around 10 per cent of breast cancers are caused by BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene variants inherited from parents, leaving 90 per cent of cases unexplained.A woman with the BRCA1 gene has an 85 per cent risk of developing breast cancer, leading some carriers to take the drastic step of breast removal.But until now there has been no reliable way of predicting the likelihood of non-inherited breast cancer.The "switch" discovered by scientists is part of the process by which certain molecules acting on DNA cause genes to be turned on or off.Lead researcher Professor Martin Widschwendter, from University College London, said: "We identified an epigenetic signature in women with a mutated BRCA1 gene that was linked to increased cancer risk and lower survival rates."Surprisingly, we found the same signature in large cohorts of women without the BRCA1 mutation and it was able to predict breast cancer risk several years before diagnosis."The data is encouraging since it shows the potential of a blood-based epigenetic test to identify breast cancer risk in women without known predisposing genetic mutations."Dr Matthew Lam, senior research officer at the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, described the findings as "definitely promising".He added: "This could mean that in the future a woman may be able to have a simple blood test to look for this DNA signature, and therefore know if she is at a higher risk of developing breast cancer."If she does have this signature, she could then work with her doctor to explore the options available to help her take control of her own risk."These could include lifestyle changes, tailored breast screening, risk-reducing drugs or surgery."What proportion of women at increased risk of breast cancer have the epigenetic marker is unknown.The scientists analysed blood sample DNA from 119 postmenopausal women who went on to develop breast cancer over a period of up to 12 years, and 122 who remained cancer-free.Their results appear in the online journal Genome Medicine.

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Sales of US existing homes up 4.9 percent

SALES of previously owned US homes in May posted the best monthly gain in nearly three years, providing hope that housing is beginning to regain momentum lost over the past year.

THE National Association of Realtors said on Monday sales of existing homes increased 4.9 per cent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million homes.

The monthly gain was the fastest since August 2011 but even with the increase sales are still 5 per cent below the pace in May 2013.Sales have been dampened by last year's rise in mortgage rates from historic lows and various other factors including tight supplies and tougher lending standards.The median price of a home sold in May was $US213,400 ($A230,890), up 5.1 per cent from a year ago.

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Vic 'palm reader' jailed for assaults

A VICTORIAN man who used an offer to read women's palms as a ruse to sexually assault them while travelling on a train has been jailed for at least 10 months.

AJAY Chopra, 41, had pleaded guilty to all five charges relating to the assaults on five women over a three month period in 2011.

The Bendigo man targeted young women who were travelling alone on the Melbourne to Bendigo V/Line train, with each crime starting with an offer to tell their fortune."All of this was a ruse and what you were attempting to do was either to put their hand in your crotch area, or put your hand in their crotch area," Victorian County Court Judge Gerard Mullaly said.Jailing Chopra for 21 months, Judge Mullaly said his actions were shameful and dishonourable."The fact they were conducted on public transport adds to the unfortunate sense of fear that women have that public transport is not safe," he said."This fear is corrosive and impacts on women's rights to go about their lives freely."Prosecutor Neil Hutton said once Chopra had hold of a woman's hands he would resist any efforts by them to pull away.In one case, he held his hand under a woman's dress. In another, he held his victim's hand against his penis."She could feel the man's erect penis on the back of her hand," Mr Hutton said."This activity happened for most of the trip to Bendigo, where he got off the train."He turned and said `have a nice life` as he did so."Another incident was cut short - with Chopra moving to a different carriage - after the woman managed to make a mobile phone call.Defence lawyer Mark Hird tendered to the court character references which he said showed Chopra was a gentle person and the incidents were completely out of character.He said his client had entered an early plea of guilty to all charges - three counts of indecent assault, and two counts of attempted indecent assault."They are clearly quite serious offences ... and it is conceded they were carried out in circumstances of coercion," Mr Hird said.Chopra, who was supported in the court by his wife, was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

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Salvos sorry for abuse 'greatest failure'

The Salvation Army will again give evidence at the child sex abuse royal commission in Sydney. Source: AAP

THE Salvation Army says it is profoundly sorry for the abuse suffered by children in its care, and events revealed by the royal commission into child sexual abuse represent the greatest failure in its history.

HOWEVER, the organisation maintains sexual abuse was not widespread after the commission heard evidence of more than 100 cases of children suffering horrendous abuse in homes run by the Salvation Army in Queensland and NSW in the 1960s and 1970s.

As the royal commission moved to finalise its investigation into the church on Monday, counsel for the Salvation Army, Kate Eastman, challenged a statement from counsel assisting the commission that sexual abuse was "widespread" at boys' homes it ran.In an apology to survivors, Ms Eastman read a statement from the Salvation Army saying the organisation was "profoundly sorry for failing to care for you as you deserved, for the neglect, hurt, abuse and deprivation of human rights that all children are entitled to".Ms Eastman said the church "acknowledges that this is the greatest failure in its history in Australia".She said that in the 113 years from 1883 to 1996, the Salvation Army had 17,831 children in its care across four homes in NSW and Queensland and there had been 157 claims of abuse from children in that time.She said 115 of those children were from boys' homes and of 23 perpetrators identified, 19 were Salvation Army officers."We don't for one moment seek to diminish or oversimplify or justify by historical circumstances but we do submit that the total number of claims against the total number of children reflects a relatively small number of children reporting sexual abuse during their time at the home," Ms Eastman said.Counsel assisting the commission Simeon Beckett said the number of children abused in Salvation Army homes would never be known because many had not come forward or had not been able to speak out.The commission heard evidence from survivors of extreme sexual and physical abuse meted out by Salvation Army workers at homes in Indooroopilly and Riverview in Queensland, and Bexley and Goulburn in NSW.Hearings held in January and February heard evidence that the Salvation Army failed to investigate complaints that its staff were abusing boys and did not refer matters to police.Boys who did report abuse to officials were punished and many did not report abuse for fear they would not be believed and would suffer further punishment.Ms Eastman also revealed the Salvation Army has dismissed an officer accused of abusing children in the 1970s.John McIver was suspended by the Salvation Army in February after allegations he sexually abused two boys in a NSW home in the 1960s and 1970s, and whipped a boy with a strap and dislocated his arm during a beating at a home in Queensland in 1975.On Monday the commission heard McIver had been dismissed from the organisation in June and matters had been referred to police.The commission will now prepare its report into the events that occurred at Salvation Army homes in the 1960s and 1970s, and into separate events of alleged abuse that have occurred since 1993.

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Labor, coalition in cost of living battle

Prime Minister Tony Abbott will personally reintroduce a bill to axe the carbon tax. Source: AAP

LABOR and the coalition have traded blows over cost-of-living pressures as the government reintroduced its carbon tax repeal bills.

THE government is adamant the repeal will improve the cost of living for average families by $550 a year and drive down electricity bills.

But Labor has seized on new economic modelling which shows budget changes to welfare and seniors payments will erode family budgets by thousands of dollars each year.Prime Minister Tony Abbott intends to have the carbon tax repeal bills passed through the lower house this week, in time for a special four-day sitting of the new Senate from July 7.The government is quietly confident of securing six out of eight crossbench votes, including three Palmer United Party senators, to pass its legislation.PUP leader Clive Palmer will outline at a media conference in Canberra on Wednesday night what it will take for his senators to back the bills."He will be fully transparent on Wednesday," his spokesman told AAP.Mr Palmer also has concerns about pension cuts and the Medicare co-payment which he says will cost pensioners $2500 a year.Environment Minister Greg Hunt on Monday seized on statements by energy retailers AGL, Origin and Energy Australia that prices would come down once the carbon tax was abolished."AGL today confirmed that price reductions will flow through to residential and small business customers if the carbon repeal legislation is passed by the federal parliament," the company said, adding the cuts would start from July 1 regardless of when the laws passed.Mr Hunt said all six new senators had gone to an election promising to get rid of the carbon tax."All of the signs are that they will fulfil their commitment," he said.Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in parliament referred to new modelling showing a couple on a single income of $65,000 with two children would be $1700 worse off in 2014/15 and short-changed by $6300 in 2017/18."Why should Australian families have to pay for the prime minister's dishonesty?" he asked Mr Abbott in parliament.Mr Abbott told parliament Labor's family payments were unaffordable, but the government was still providing a generous system while getting the budget back under control.Meanwhile, defeated Labor leadership contender Anthony Albanese rejected reports he has been privately critical of Mr Shorten's handling of strategy, policy, communications and internal party reform."Bill has done a good job of holding the government to account," Mr Albanese said.Mr Albanese later told parliament the media reports were "absurd, wrong, without any attribution, unprofessional and contradicted by cursory examination of the facts and recent history".

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