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Monday, June 24, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Bangladesh clashes over war crimes verdicts kill 52
Fresh clashes erupted on Friday in Bangladesh, bringing the number of people killed to 52 in violence triggered by convictions for Islamist leaders over war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war.
A rickshawpuller was killed after hundreds of pro-government supporters and followers of the rival Jamaat-e-Islami party clashed with sticks at a market in the northern district of Gaibandha, local police chief Nahidul Islam said.
Security has been tightened around thousands of mosques across the Muslim-majority nation ahead of weekly prayers on Friday, with border guards deployed in major cities.
On Thursday, clashes flared across the country after Jamaat's vice president was found guilty of murder, religious persecution and rape by a war crimes tribunal hearing cases dating back to the 1971 independence conflict.
Delwar Hossain Sayedee, now a firebrand preacher, was the third person to be convicted by the court whose previous verdicts have been met with outrage from Islamists who say the process is more about settling scores than delivering justice.
At least 35 people were killed in the violence on Thursday, according to an AFP toll compiled after talking to police in the 15 districts where protests turned deadly.
A policeman was the latest to die of his wounds, raising the number of security personnel killed to five.
Twenty-three of those killed on Thursday were shot after police opened fire on thousands of rampaging Jamaat supporters who attacked law-enforcers with sticks and stones.
According to Sultana Kamal, head of rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, it was the deadliest political day of violence in the impoverished country's history since winning its independence from Pakistan in 1971.
The latest death on Friday brought the overall toll to 52 since the tribunal delivered its first verdict on January 21.
Jamaat, which rejected the verdict as politically motivated, has said 50 of its "innocent" supporters were on Thursday shot dead by police who "hunted them like birds".
But Kamal blamed Jamaat supporters for "terror" attacks on the police.
Police on Friday have banned a number of planned demonstrations at several trouble spots while authorities in the country's biggest mosque, Baitul Mokarram, have locked some of the gates in a bid to limit numbers.
Security has been stepped up at Hindu villages after homes and temples came under attack by Islamists in the southern Noakhali and Chittagong districts, killing one old Hindu man, police said.
"We've (deployed) extra policemen in all the temples and Hindu areas to prevent attack," said Robiul Islam, a senior police officer in Chittagong.
Secular protesters, who erupted in jubilation as news of Sayedee's sentence filtered through on Thursday, are set to hold a celebration rally in a central Dhaka intersection.
The war crimes tribunal has been tainted by controversies and allegations that it is targeting only the opposition with trumped-up charges. Rights groups say its legal procedures fall short of international standards.
The government rejects the accusations, saying the tribunal is independent and the trials are fair and necessary to heal the wounds of the war that it says killed three million people.
It accuses Jamaat leaders of being part of pro-Pakistani militias blamed for much of the 1971 carnage.
Independent estimates put the war toll much lower, between 300,000 and 500,000.
A rickshawpuller was killed after hundreds of pro-government supporters and followers of the rival Jamaat-e-Islami party clashed with sticks at a market in the northern district of Gaibandha, local police chief Nahidul Islam said.
Security has been tightened around thousands of mosques across the Muslim-majority nation ahead of weekly prayers on Friday, with border guards deployed in major cities.
On Thursday, clashes flared across the country after Jamaat's vice president was found guilty of murder, religious persecution and rape by a war crimes tribunal hearing cases dating back to the 1971 independence conflict.
Delwar Hossain Sayedee, now a firebrand preacher, was the third person to be convicted by the court whose previous verdicts have been met with outrage from Islamists who say the process is more about settling scores than delivering justice.
At least 35 people were killed in the violence on Thursday, according to an AFP toll compiled after talking to police in the 15 districts where protests turned deadly.
A policeman was the latest to die of his wounds, raising the number of security personnel killed to five.
Twenty-three of those killed on Thursday were shot after police opened fire on thousands of rampaging Jamaat supporters who attacked law-enforcers with sticks and stones.
According to Sultana Kamal, head of rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, it was the deadliest political day of violence in the impoverished country's history since winning its independence from Pakistan in 1971.
The latest death on Friday brought the overall toll to 52 since the tribunal delivered its first verdict on January 21.
Jamaat, which rejected the verdict as politically motivated, has said 50 of its "innocent" supporters were on Thursday shot dead by police who "hunted them like birds".
But Kamal blamed Jamaat supporters for "terror" attacks on the police.
Police on Friday have banned a number of planned demonstrations at several trouble spots while authorities in the country's biggest mosque, Baitul Mokarram, have locked some of the gates in a bid to limit numbers.
Security has been stepped up at Hindu villages after homes and temples came under attack by Islamists in the southern Noakhali and Chittagong districts, killing one old Hindu man, police said.
"We've (deployed) extra policemen in all the temples and Hindu areas to prevent attack," said Robiul Islam, a senior police officer in Chittagong.
Secular protesters, who erupted in jubilation as news of Sayedee's sentence filtered through on Thursday, are set to hold a celebration rally in a central Dhaka intersection.
The war crimes tribunal has been tainted by controversies and allegations that it is targeting only the opposition with trumped-up charges. Rights groups say its legal procedures fall short of international standards.
The government rejects the accusations, saying the tribunal is independent and the trials are fair and necessary to heal the wounds of the war that it says killed three million people.
It accuses Jamaat leaders of being part of pro-Pakistani militias blamed for much of the 1971 carnage.
Independent estimates put the war toll much lower, between 300,000 and 500,000.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
AFL investigating secret Crows business
Adelaide says it will cop any penalty handed down by
the AFL for its secret deal which could kill Kurt Tippett's bid to join
Sydney.
The Crows face fines and loss of draft picks, and star
forward Tippett could be deregistered as an AFL player, if an
investigation by the AFL finds they broke the league's rules.
Tippett's
manager Peter Blucher also faces a possible ban for his role in a murky
deal which was hidden from the AFL for three years until last Friday.
Tippett became Adelaide's highest-paid player in 2009 when agreeing to a three-year contract extension with the club.
Since
the signing, speculation has been rife of a clause which enabled
Tippett to be traded at the end of the contract to the club of his
choice, in return for a second-round draft pick - compensation well
below the key forward's market worth.
Crows management repeatedly denied the existence of the clause in the contract.
But the Crows admitted to the AFL last Friday they had a secret agreement, outside the contract, with Tippett.
Tippett's contract with the Crows has expired and he has requested a trade to the premier Swans.
The move shocked Adelaide, which believed Queensland-born Tippett would likely return home if he left the club.
And
with the AFL trade period ending on Friday at 2:00pm (AEDT), Tippett's
future hinges on the findings of the league's investigation.
Adelaide chairman Rob Chapman said the Crows board confessed to the AFL "because it was the right thing to do".
"There was no alternative here," Chapman told Adelaide radio station 5AA.
"The
thought not to disclose never entered our mind and (Crows chief
executive) Steven (Trigg) and I made that call straight away."
Chapman did not explain why Adelaide kept the deal a secret for three years.
"If
we have stuffed up in any way, and I'm not pre-empting that, we'll put
up our hand and say sorry and remedy it and move on," Chapman said.
"We will take whatever comes out of it."
Chapman declined to guarantee the position of Trigg as club chief executive.
"We will reach the right conclusions after this," he said.
"Steven
Trigg has been a veteran of this world, as has (former football
operations manager) Johnny Reid, (current football operations manager)
Phil Harper, everyone at our club.
"And they have got a history of
complying with the rules and ... I don't want to speculate beyond that
because that might prejudice the outcome of the investigation."
The Crows, by confessing the deal, were not ensuring a lighter penalty from the AFL, he said.
"We brought it to their attention ... but there is no assurances," Chapman said.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Weak July Data Dims China Outlook
China's export and import growth, as well as lending by Chinese
banks, weakened sharply in July, damping hopes for a third-quarter
rebound.
The figures released Friday, together with disappointing
industrial-output data a day earlier, indicate that expectations the
economy bottomed out in the second quarter may be misplaced, and that
growth in the third quarter may not be much better. Second-quarter
growth was the slowest since the first quarter of 2009.
"The economic recovery this time will likely be a slow and painful
process," said Deutsche Bank economist Ma Jun. "It is very uncertain
when the economy will recover."
China's July trade surplus narrowed to $25.1 billion from $31.7
billion in June, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.
That was well under the $35.2 billion median forecast of 14 economists
polled earlier.
Exports were up just 1% from a year earlier, off from June's 11.3%
and far below the 8% economists expected. Imports were up 4.7%, slowing
from June's 6.3% and missing the 7% forecast.
Also Friday, the central bank reported
that new yuan loans by Chinese financial institutions totaled 540.1
billion yuan ($85.1 billion) in July, down from 919.8 billion yuan in
June. The median forecast of 14 economists polled earlier was 665
billion yuan.
Third-quarter growth in China's gross domestic product is likely to
be near that of the second quarter, said Deutsche Bank's Mr. Ma,
contrary to widespread earlier expectations that the second quarter
would mark a bottom.
The GDP was up 7.6% in the second quarter from a year earlier, the
slowest rate of growth since the first quarter of 2009. First-quarter
growth was 8.1%.
"The set of weak macro data puts more pressure on the government to loosen policies," said Nomura economist Zhiwei Zhang.
But Beijing is unlikely to roll out massive stimulus measures or
loosen its controls on the property sector, Mr. Ma said, having learned
from the sharp increase in property prices triggered by its 2009
stimulus.
The People's Bank of China could cut its reserve requirement ratio by
0.5 percentage point as early as Friday, Liu Li-Gang, Greater China
Chief Economist at ANZ.
"The weak data suggest that PBOC policy easing so far has not been
sufficient," Mr. Liu said. "Going forward, they will have to be more
aggressive cutting the reserve requirement ratio." He added that there
should be two further 0.5-percentage point cuts in the third quarter.
The weak July data will likely push authorities to allow more credit
expansion in future months, Société Générale economist Yao Wei said.
"They may do more in the coming months—we will see more easing, but it
will be gradual and incremental."
The persistent crisis in the euro zone and still-shaky economic
growth in the U.S. were a drag on demand for Chinese goods. Exports to
the European Union in July were down 16.2% from a year earlier, while
shipments to U.S. were essentially flat, up just 0.6%.
Compared with June, China's exports in July were down 1.8%, while
imports were up 2.3%, the customs bureau said. Seasonally adjusted, it
added, both were down from June—exports by 4.2%, imports by 5.8%.
At a press briefing Friday, Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said
China would face "pressure" achieving the official target of 10% growth
in exports and imports this year.
Asian markets reacted negatively to the trade data. Hong Kong's Hang
Seng Index extended losses after the announcement and ended the day down
0.7%. The Shanghai Composite gave up a modest rise from earlier in the
day to end the session down 0.2%.
The Australian dollar dipped after the data, but then bounced back;
it was recently at $1.0522. Australia's S&P ASX 200 slipped 0.7%,
with commodity stocks lower: BHP Billiton
fell 0.3%, Rio Tinto
0.7% and Fortescue Metals Group
1.6%. High-yield stocks—such as banks and telecommunications companies—continued to pull back from their recent gains.
Other
regional currencies such as the New Zealand dollar and the South Korean
won fell against the U.S. dollar after the data were released.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Gillard urges action on eurozone crisis
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged European leaders to take decisive action to resolve the continent's debt issues, saying "these are critical days".
Addressing the Commonwealth business forum in Perth, Ms Gillard says she will be telling the G20 summit in Cannes next week that "there is no time for delay" to ensure Europe's private banks are properly capitalised.
"G20 leaders will need to strike the right balance between addressing short-term risks and pledging reforms that promote growth into the future," Ms Gillard said.
"I have written to the French president and 2011 G20 chair Nicolas Sarkozy urging decisive action in Cannes."
Her strongly worded speech was made as global pension fund adviser Towers Watson warned of the chance of a full-blown economic depression brought on by the European debt crisis.
Towers Watson head of global investment Roger Urwin says the eurozone is a fragile institution at the moment, and this is one of the factors increasing the risk of a depression.
"A series of relatively weak political responses, and what we seem to refer to all the time these days as kicking the can down the road, have led to the problems of sorting out Greece and of course the potential for this to be a contagion through to Italy and Spain," Mr Urwin said.
Ms Gillard said the G20 Action Plan will need to "outline the commitments and measures" required to achieve stronger economic growth.
She urged the cost of remittances sent home from Europe by people from the trouble and drought-ravaged Horn of Africa be lowered.
"The G20 also needs a strong development agenda, particularly in areas such as food security, infrastructure and remittances," she said.
"The crisis in the Horn of Africa reminds us of the urgency of addressing the challenge of global food security, and Australia supports a comprehensive approach.
"I will be advocating strongly for G20 leaders to commit to reducing the costs of sending remittances.
"The needs of the developing world must be central to the G20 agenda, not something peripheral or remote."
Ms Gillard urged the Commonwealth business leaders to "ensure the next phase of world growth is very different to the last".
"[There must be] greater balance and less debt; rebuilding our cities and our infrastructure; freer trade and fewer barriers."
She called for "less attention to creating exotic financial products and more to creating the goods and services that sustain real growth".
Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-25/gillard-urges-action-on-eurozone-crisis/3599598?section=wa
Addressing the Commonwealth business forum in Perth, Ms Gillard says she will be telling the G20 summit in Cannes next week that "there is no time for delay" to ensure Europe's private banks are properly capitalised.
"G20 leaders will need to strike the right balance between addressing short-term risks and pledging reforms that promote growth into the future," Ms Gillard said.
"I have written to the French president and 2011 G20 chair Nicolas Sarkozy urging decisive action in Cannes."
Her strongly worded speech was made as global pension fund adviser Towers Watson warned of the chance of a full-blown economic depression brought on by the European debt crisis.
Towers Watson head of global investment Roger Urwin says the eurozone is a fragile institution at the moment, and this is one of the factors increasing the risk of a depression.
"A series of relatively weak political responses, and what we seem to refer to all the time these days as kicking the can down the road, have led to the problems of sorting out Greece and of course the potential for this to be a contagion through to Italy and Spain," Mr Urwin said.
Ms Gillard said the G20 Action Plan will need to "outline the commitments and measures" required to achieve stronger economic growth.
She urged the cost of remittances sent home from Europe by people from the trouble and drought-ravaged Horn of Africa be lowered.
"The G20 also needs a strong development agenda, particularly in areas such as food security, infrastructure and remittances," she said.
"The crisis in the Horn of Africa reminds us of the urgency of addressing the challenge of global food security, and Australia supports a comprehensive approach.
"I will be advocating strongly for G20 leaders to commit to reducing the costs of sending remittances.
"The needs of the developing world must be central to the G20 agenda, not something peripheral or remote."
Ms Gillard urged the Commonwealth business leaders to "ensure the next phase of world growth is very different to the last".
"[There must be] greater balance and less debt; rebuilding our cities and our infrastructure; freer trade and fewer barriers."
She called for "less attention to creating exotic financial products and more to creating the goods and services that sustain real growth".
Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-25/gillard-urges-action-on-eurozone-crisis/3599598?section=wa
Friday, July 29, 2011
Man who raped 85-year-old woman said he did it for a thrill
A MAN who bashed and raped an 85-year-old woman at a Melbourne train station says he did it for a "thrill".
Country Court Judge Duncan Allen said 65-year-old Allan Richard Hodson's attack on the elderly woman in January was "spine chilling".
"It's hard to imagine any rape of this type - a rape of a stranger in a public place - that is a lot worse than that," Judge Allen said during Hodson's pre-sentence hearing today.
Prosecutor Chris Ryan said Hodson "chillingly" described to police his motivation for the attack.
Hodson told police, "Here's a good opportunity, I suppose, to have a bit of a thrill," Mr Ryan told the court.
Hodson also admitted to police his victim was frail.
Mr Ryan said Hodson, of Bairnsdale, had travelled to Melbourne that day for a psychiatric visit and had drunk four bottles of beer before the attack.
The pre-sentence hearing before Judge Allen is continuing.
The ABC reported that the judge had set a minimum term of eight years to be served.
Source http://www.news.com.au/national/man-who-raped-85-year-old-woman-said-he-did-if-for-a-thrill/story-e6frfkvr-1226104300744
Country Court Judge Duncan Allen said 65-year-old Allan Richard Hodson's attack on the elderly woman in January was "spine chilling".
"It's hard to imagine any rape of this type - a rape of a stranger in a public place - that is a lot worse than that," Judge Allen said during Hodson's pre-sentence hearing today.
Prosecutor Chris Ryan said Hodson "chillingly" described to police his motivation for the attack.
Hodson told police, "Here's a good opportunity, I suppose, to have a bit of a thrill," Mr Ryan told the court.
Hodson also admitted to police his victim was frail.
Mr Ryan said Hodson, of Bairnsdale, had travelled to Melbourne that day for a psychiatric visit and had drunk four bottles of beer before the attack.
The pre-sentence hearing before Judge Allen is continuing.
The ABC reported that the judge had set a minimum term of eight years to be served.
Source http://www.news.com.au/national/man-who-raped-85-year-old-woman-said-he-did-if-for-a-thrill/story-e6frfkvr-1226104300744
Friday, May 6, 2011
Jail for Sydney black magic sex trio
A so-called holy man who cruelly manipulated two women into sex "prayer sessions" to rid themselves of black magic curses has been jailed for at least 15 years.
Noting the "extraordinary circumstances" of the case, Judge Penelope Hock on Friday told NSW District Court one victim was, in effect, brain washed and that substantial emotional harm was caused to both.
The judge set minimum terms of 15 years, 12 years and five years, respectively, for Tony Golossian, Arthur Psichogios and his wife Frances Psichogios.
The Psichogios couple hugged and kissed in the Sydney court dock before being led away by prison officers.
Golossian, 63, a Syrian-born Catholic, was regarded by some members of the Greek community as a "holy man" who could communicate with angels.
He was found guilty of 24 offences, most being sexual intercourse without consent, while his friend Arthur Psichogios, 41, was convicted of 14 similar charges.
His 38-year-old wife was found guilty of seven charges, including administering an intoxicating substance with intent to enable sexual assault.
The terrified Greek Orthodox victims were told black magic curses had been placed on them and their families involving cancer, reproductive problems and horrific fatal accidents.
They totally trusted Golossian who held "prayer sessions" in hotel rooms, where they were blindfolded and forced into sex.
Instructions were given to the women over the phone by a "demonic-sounding" voice of a man claiming to be King Rasoul and, at one stage, the voice of "Queen Snake" was heard.
Judge Hock said the first victim suffered a terrible ordeal over a four-and-a-half-year period, but even after that the men's insidious influence continued.
When she was pregnant, her husband was sent parts of a video recording of a sexual encounter she was forced to have with Psichogios.
"The sheer cruelty in disseminating images to her husband showed the lengths they were prepared to go to to destroy her life," the judge said.
"She had to endure what must have been an excruciating experience of having the video played in court during the trial."
The day after receiving the images, her husband walked out on her and has never seen the daughter she gave birth to months later.
Judge Hock said the woman had been "cruelly manipulated into bizarre behaviour because she had been, in effect, brainwashed by Golossian's threats towards her family and herself".
The second woman also was the victim of a "deliberate and calculated plan to take advantage of her vulnerable state" at the time, her cultural beliefs and the fact that her father was gravely ill.
During one so-called prayer session she had to drink an intoxicating substance but Frances Psichogios later reassured her nothing had happened when the woman revealed she believed Golossian had had sex with her.
All of the offenders maintain their innocence, meaning "their prospects for rehabilitation appear bleak at this stage", the judge said.
All three were of previous good character and the judge concluded Frances Psichogios, whose convictions related only to the second woman, was under the influence of her husband and Golossian.
She set maximum terms of 20 years, 16 years and nine years, respectively, for Golossian, Arthur Psichogios and his wife.
Throughout the sentencing, police from the Public Order and Riot Squad waited outside the court after an incident last month before the sentence hearing.
Members of Golossian's family allegedly attacked the police officer in charge of the case and his thumb was broken and his suit jacket and trousers badly ripped.
Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/jail-for-sydney-black-magic-sex-trio-20110506-1eaxh.html
Noting the "extraordinary circumstances" of the case, Judge Penelope Hock on Friday told NSW District Court one victim was, in effect, brain washed and that substantial emotional harm was caused to both.
The judge set minimum terms of 15 years, 12 years and five years, respectively, for Tony Golossian, Arthur Psichogios and his wife Frances Psichogios.
The Psichogios couple hugged and kissed in the Sydney court dock before being led away by prison officers.
Golossian, 63, a Syrian-born Catholic, was regarded by some members of the Greek community as a "holy man" who could communicate with angels.
He was found guilty of 24 offences, most being sexual intercourse without consent, while his friend Arthur Psichogios, 41, was convicted of 14 similar charges.
His 38-year-old wife was found guilty of seven charges, including administering an intoxicating substance with intent to enable sexual assault.
The terrified Greek Orthodox victims were told black magic curses had been placed on them and their families involving cancer, reproductive problems and horrific fatal accidents.
They totally trusted Golossian who held "prayer sessions" in hotel rooms, where they were blindfolded and forced into sex.
Instructions were given to the women over the phone by a "demonic-sounding" voice of a man claiming to be King Rasoul and, at one stage, the voice of "Queen Snake" was heard.
Judge Hock said the first victim suffered a terrible ordeal over a four-and-a-half-year period, but even after that the men's insidious influence continued.
When she was pregnant, her husband was sent parts of a video recording of a sexual encounter she was forced to have with Psichogios.
"The sheer cruelty in disseminating images to her husband showed the lengths they were prepared to go to to destroy her life," the judge said.
"She had to endure what must have been an excruciating experience of having the video played in court during the trial."
The day after receiving the images, her husband walked out on her and has never seen the daughter she gave birth to months later.
Judge Hock said the woman had been "cruelly manipulated into bizarre behaviour because she had been, in effect, brainwashed by Golossian's threats towards her family and herself".
The second woman also was the victim of a "deliberate and calculated plan to take advantage of her vulnerable state" at the time, her cultural beliefs and the fact that her father was gravely ill.
During one so-called prayer session she had to drink an intoxicating substance but Frances Psichogios later reassured her nothing had happened when the woman revealed she believed Golossian had had sex with her.
All of the offenders maintain their innocence, meaning "their prospects for rehabilitation appear bleak at this stage", the judge said.
All three were of previous good character and the judge concluded Frances Psichogios, whose convictions related only to the second woman, was under the influence of her husband and Golossian.
She set maximum terms of 20 years, 16 years and nine years, respectively, for Golossian, Arthur Psichogios and his wife.
Throughout the sentencing, police from the Public Order and Riot Squad waited outside the court after an incident last month before the sentence hearing.
Members of Golossian's family allegedly attacked the police officer in charge of the case and his thumb was broken and his suit jacket and trousers badly ripped.
Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/jail-for-sydney-black-magic-sex-trio-20110506-1eaxh.html
Monday, April 11, 2011
Engineer tells flood inquiry more training needed
A senior dam engineer has told the Queensland flood inquiry that experts need more training in managing severe floods.
Rob Ayre, from dam operator SunWater, is one of four flood operations engineers in Queensland who have the final say on when or whether dam water releases are made.
Today he told the public hearing engineers have never had a training exercise addressing a W4 situation - the scenario where water levels become so high that the main priority becomes releasing water to protect a dam from collapsing.
Mr Ayre was asked why there was a two-day delay in activating the top flood alert for Wivenhoe Dam in early January.
He told the hearing there is a high risk of moving to that top level because releases could needlessly inundate properties.
"We don't want to cause property damage, and if we can avoid it, we will," he said.
Mr Ayre also told the inquiry there was a lack of forethought into how staff at the Flood Operations Centre would be accommodated during the summer disaster.
The inquiry heard workers had to sleep on temporary beds in the office while managing the flood.
BOM boss evidence
Earlier today the inquiry heard evidence from Queensland's regional director of the Bureau of Meteorology, Jim Davidson, in a written submission.
Mr Davidson has responsibility for presenting forecasts and warnings to the Queensland Cabinet, local governments, dam operators and emergency authorities.
In his written submission he said the last wet season exceeded all previous records in many parts of the state.
He referred to a public warning he issued on October 4 to all Queenslanders.
"Prepare early not only for cyclones but also for floods, as we have already experienced record September rainfalls across the state," the warning said.
"Preparation is the key to safety and we encourage communities to factor in the possibility of a destructive cyclone or major flood into their pre-season planning."
Mr Davidson particularly defends the bureau's warnings on January 10, the day a deadly wall of water tore through Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley towns of Murphy's Creek and Grantham, killing more than 20 people.
The wall of water hit the Lockyer Valley towns between 2:30pm and 3:00pm.
Mr Davidson says the bureau put out a severe weather warning at 11:05am predicting heavy rain and localised flash flooding in the area and alerted the State Coordination Centre at 1:00pm.
Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/12/3189372.htm?section=justin
Rob Ayre, from dam operator SunWater, is one of four flood operations engineers in Queensland who have the final say on when or whether dam water releases are made.
Today he told the public hearing engineers have never had a training exercise addressing a W4 situation - the scenario where water levels become so high that the main priority becomes releasing water to protect a dam from collapsing.
Mr Ayre was asked why there was a two-day delay in activating the top flood alert for Wivenhoe Dam in early January.
He told the hearing there is a high risk of moving to that top level because releases could needlessly inundate properties.
"We don't want to cause property damage, and if we can avoid it, we will," he said.
Mr Ayre also told the inquiry there was a lack of forethought into how staff at the Flood Operations Centre would be accommodated during the summer disaster.
The inquiry heard workers had to sleep on temporary beds in the office while managing the flood.
BOM boss evidence
Earlier today the inquiry heard evidence from Queensland's regional director of the Bureau of Meteorology, Jim Davidson, in a written submission.
Mr Davidson has responsibility for presenting forecasts and warnings to the Queensland Cabinet, local governments, dam operators and emergency authorities.
In his written submission he said the last wet season exceeded all previous records in many parts of the state.
He referred to a public warning he issued on October 4 to all Queenslanders.
"Prepare early not only for cyclones but also for floods, as we have already experienced record September rainfalls across the state," the warning said.
"Preparation is the key to safety and we encourage communities to factor in the possibility of a destructive cyclone or major flood into their pre-season planning."
Mr Davidson particularly defends the bureau's warnings on January 10, the day a deadly wall of water tore through Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley towns of Murphy's Creek and Grantham, killing more than 20 people.
The wall of water hit the Lockyer Valley towns between 2:30pm and 3:00pm.
Mr Davidson says the bureau put out a severe weather warning at 11:05am predicting heavy rain and localised flash flooding in the area and alerted the State Coordination Centre at 1:00pm.
Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/12/3189372.htm?section=justin
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Le Carre cold on book prize nomination
Celebrated spy novelist John le Carre has created controversy in the literary world by asking to be withdrawn from a top international book prize.
Le Carre said he was "enormously flattered" to have been named as one of 13 finalists for the Man Booker International Prize but asked to be withdrawn because he does not "compete for literary prizes".
The announcement in Sydney on Wednesday caused confusion among the judges over whether the master of intrigue could withdraw from an award he hadn't even entered.
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Authors shortlisted for the prize were chosen by the three-member judging panel and not whittled down from submissions.
"I'm enormously flattered to be named as a finalist for (the) 2011 Man Booker International Prize. However, I do not compete for literary prizes and have therefore asked for my name to be withdrawn," le Carre said in a statement to the judges, released by his literary agents Curtis Brown just 45 minutes prior to the announcement.
Judging panel chair Dr Rick Gekoski, a writer, academic and rare book dealer, said le Carre would remain on the list.
"John le Carre's name will, of course, remain on the list. We are disappointed that he wants to withdraw from further consideration because we are great admirers of his work."
Fellow judges, novelist Justin Cartwright and Melbourne-born publisher, writer and critic Carmen Callil, were at odds over whether le Carre could withdraw from the prize.
"I don't think we can give him the prize if he doesn't want it," Cartwright said. To which Callil replied, "I do."
"(It) doesn't matter, it's irrelevant, because it's not a prize that you enter," Callil told AAP after the announcement.
"Did Francis Assisi have a say in whether he was made a saint?"
Australian author David Malouf is among the finalists, along with the UK's Philip Pullman, and American authors Anne Tyler and Philip Roth.
The remaining writers come from Spain, Lebanon, Italy, and for the first time China.
This is the fourth Man Booker International Prize, which was set up in 2005 and is awarded every two years.
The international prize is significantly different from the annual Man Booker Prize in that it highlights a writer's overall contribution to fiction on the world stage. Judges therefore consider a writer's body of work rather than a single novel.
The winner will be announced at the Sydney Writers' Festival on May 18, the first time the STG60,000 ($A93,356) prize has been awarded in Australia. It will be followed by an awards ceremony in London on June 28.
"The 2011 list of finalists ... is, we think, diverse, fresh and thought-provoking, and serves to remind us anew of the importance of fiction in defining both ourselves and the world in which we live. Each of these writers is a delight and any of them would make a worthy winner," Dr Gekoski said.
Callil, who has published many of the shortlisted authors, would not be drawn on her favourite to win.
"... I've learned that you don't get your own way with this prize. I'm not sure if it will be a compromise," she told AAP at the announcement.
"The three of us will have to agree on it, I would have thought."
Past winners of the prize have included Canadian author Alice Munro (2009), Nigeria's Chinua Achebe (2007) and Albania's Ismail Kadare (2005).
Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/le-carre-cold-on-book-prize-nomination-20110330-1cfmn.html
Le Carre said he was "enormously flattered" to have been named as one of 13 finalists for the Man Booker International Prize but asked to be withdrawn because he does not "compete for literary prizes".
The announcement in Sydney on Wednesday caused confusion among the judges over whether the master of intrigue could withdraw from an award he hadn't even entered.
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Authors shortlisted for the prize were chosen by the three-member judging panel and not whittled down from submissions.
"I'm enormously flattered to be named as a finalist for (the) 2011 Man Booker International Prize. However, I do not compete for literary prizes and have therefore asked for my name to be withdrawn," le Carre said in a statement to the judges, released by his literary agents Curtis Brown just 45 minutes prior to the announcement.
Judging panel chair Dr Rick Gekoski, a writer, academic and rare book dealer, said le Carre would remain on the list.
"John le Carre's name will, of course, remain on the list. We are disappointed that he wants to withdraw from further consideration because we are great admirers of his work."
Fellow judges, novelist Justin Cartwright and Melbourne-born publisher, writer and critic Carmen Callil, were at odds over whether le Carre could withdraw from the prize.
"I don't think we can give him the prize if he doesn't want it," Cartwright said. To which Callil replied, "I do."
"(It) doesn't matter, it's irrelevant, because it's not a prize that you enter," Callil told AAP after the announcement.
"Did Francis Assisi have a say in whether he was made a saint?"
Australian author David Malouf is among the finalists, along with the UK's Philip Pullman, and American authors Anne Tyler and Philip Roth.
The remaining writers come from Spain, Lebanon, Italy, and for the first time China.
This is the fourth Man Booker International Prize, which was set up in 2005 and is awarded every two years.
The international prize is significantly different from the annual Man Booker Prize in that it highlights a writer's overall contribution to fiction on the world stage. Judges therefore consider a writer's body of work rather than a single novel.
The winner will be announced at the Sydney Writers' Festival on May 18, the first time the STG60,000 ($A93,356) prize has been awarded in Australia. It will be followed by an awards ceremony in London on June 28.
"The 2011 list of finalists ... is, we think, diverse, fresh and thought-provoking, and serves to remind us anew of the importance of fiction in defining both ourselves and the world in which we live. Each of these writers is a delight and any of them would make a worthy winner," Dr Gekoski said.
Callil, who has published many of the shortlisted authors, would not be drawn on her favourite to win.
"... I've learned that you don't get your own way with this prize. I'm not sure if it will be a compromise," she told AAP at the announcement.
"The three of us will have to agree on it, I would have thought."
Past winners of the prize have included Canadian author Alice Munro (2009), Nigeria's Chinua Achebe (2007) and Albania's Ismail Kadare (2005).
Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/le-carre-cold-on-book-prize-nomination-20110330-1cfmn.html
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Darcey Freeman didn't scream when thrown off bridge, brother tells court
A LITTLE girl who was thrown to her death from the West Gate Bridge didn't scream as she went over, her brother told a court today.
Ben Freeman, now 9, said his father stopped their car on the bridge, took his sister Darcey from the front seat and threw her over the rail.
In a taped interview played to the Supreme Court jury Ben was asked if Darcey said anything.
"She didn't even scream on her fall,'' he said.
"I didn't hear her scream on the way when she......nothing, nothing, nothing.''
Arthur Freeman, 37, of Hawthorn, has pleaded not guilty to murdering four-year-old Darcey Freeman on January 29, 2009, by throwing her from the West Gate.
She fell 58m to the water and died from drowning. It was to be her first day of school.
Opening his case yesterday defence barrister David Brustman SC told the jury it was not disputed his client killed his daughter but they would have to decide if he was "mad or bad''.
Ben Freeman said that his father carried Darcey like he was carrying a baby and threw his he from the bridge and drove off.
"I said go back and get her. And dad keeps driving along,'' he said.
"Then I said Darcey can't swim ... and then dad would just keep on driving, didn't go back to get her.
"I kept on saying it over and over again and he never did it.''
Ben said they drove to the "weird funny place'' like an airport, which the jury has heard was the Commonwealth Law Courts building in William St.
He said he was getting bored and was asked what his father was doing.
"He was sulking. He was crying in the corner,'' he said.
Witness Barry Nelson said he was driving to work over the Westgate with his wife when he saw a white Toyota Prado 4WD pull over in the emergency lane.
Mr Nelson said he saw a man with a child in his arms and watched him tip the child over the rail.
"Her hair and limbs were flying,'' he said.
Mr Nelson stopped his car and approached the man but he saw no signs of aggression or emotion.
"He was totally neutral. He may have been posting a letter. He may have been walking back to the post box to his vehicle,'' he said.
The trial is continuing before Justice Paul Coghlan.
Source http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/darcey-freeman-didnt-scream-when-throw-noff-bridge-brother-tells-court/story-e6frf7kx-1226018408354
Ben Freeman, now 9, said his father stopped their car on the bridge, took his sister Darcey from the front seat and threw her over the rail.
In a taped interview played to the Supreme Court jury Ben was asked if Darcey said anything.
"She didn't even scream on her fall,'' he said.
"I didn't hear her scream on the way when she......nothing, nothing, nothing.''
Arthur Freeman, 37, of Hawthorn, has pleaded not guilty to murdering four-year-old Darcey Freeman on January 29, 2009, by throwing her from the West Gate.
She fell 58m to the water and died from drowning. It was to be her first day of school.
Opening his case yesterday defence barrister David Brustman SC told the jury it was not disputed his client killed his daughter but they would have to decide if he was "mad or bad''.
Ben Freeman said that his father carried Darcey like he was carrying a baby and threw his he from the bridge and drove off.
"I said go back and get her. And dad keeps driving along,'' he said.
"Then I said Darcey can't swim ... and then dad would just keep on driving, didn't go back to get her.
"I kept on saying it over and over again and he never did it.''
Ben said they drove to the "weird funny place'' like an airport, which the jury has heard was the Commonwealth Law Courts building in William St.
He said he was getting bored and was asked what his father was doing.
"He was sulking. He was crying in the corner,'' he said.
Witness Barry Nelson said he was driving to work over the Westgate with his wife when he saw a white Toyota Prado 4WD pull over in the emergency lane.
Mr Nelson said he saw a man with a child in his arms and watched him tip the child over the rail.
"Her hair and limbs were flying,'' he said.
Mr Nelson stopped his car and approached the man but he saw no signs of aggression or emotion.
"He was totally neutral. He may have been posting a letter. He may have been walking back to the post box to his vehicle,'' he said.
The trial is continuing before Justice Paul Coghlan.
Source http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/darcey-freeman-didnt-scream-when-throw-noff-bridge-brother-tells-court/story-e6frf7kx-1226018408354
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Australia urges Europe to copy multiculture model
Australia has told European countries its model of multiculturalism is "the best in the world", weighing in on a fiery debate in Britain, France and Germany where leaders have called the project a failure.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said Australia's assimilation of different cultures was "genius" because it encourages immigrants to integrate as citizens rather than behave simply as "guest workers".
"To me, multiculturalism is a bit like a marriage. It has its stresses and strains," Bowen told the conservative Sydney Institute think-tank late on Wednesday.
"We have to remind each other occasionally that we are better off with each other. It takes nurturing; it takes care.
"It is in that spirit tonight that I quite proudly proclaim that Australian multiculturalism has worked.
"That not only has Australia benefited from the immigration of those who come from diverse backgrounds, but we have also benefited from the cultures they have brought and sustained in this, their new homeland."
Bowen's strident defence comes after British Prime Minister David Cameron called for a "muscular liberalism" to force the country's diverse population to coexist more closely as a society.
Chancellor Angela Merkel last year declared that German multiculturalism has "utterly failed", while French President Nicolas Sarkozy also called his country's policies a "failure".
The debate in Europe has heated up in recent years with the onset of homegrown Islamic extremism, but Bowen said some countries had deeper-rooted problems.
"Germany has regarded immigration as an economic necessity. A requirement for guest workers has driven an economic immigration policy," he said.
"Never has a German government proposed a policy of respect for existing cultures where they do not clash with basic German values."
He added: "France's resistance to a formal policy of multiculturalism has not encouraged greater integration of immigrant societies but, on the contrary, it has bred resentment, separatism and violence."
Australia has absorbed generational waves of immigrants, from Chinese during the 1800s Gold Rush to Vietnamese, Italians, Greeks, Eastern Europeans and finally large numbers of Indian students in the past few years.
But immigration remains a political flashpoint with intense debate over the steady arrival of rickety boats carrying asylum-seekers from poor countries.
On Thursday, conservative opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison faced calls to resign after he reportedly urged the shadow cabinet to play on fears over Muslim migrants in its attacks on the government.
Australia has an uneasy relationship with its Islamic community. Sydney's Cronulla Beach saw riots in 2005 when mobs of whites attacked Lebanese Australians in a bid to "reclaim the beach".
Dozens of Muslim men have been jailed in Australia under strict anti-terrorism laws which also saw the wrongful imprisonment of an Indian-born doctor following failed attacks in London and Glasgow in 2007.
Bowen said it was "inevitable" that Muslim migration would be questioned "in the age of concern about terrorism inspired by extremist Islam" and condemned "values such as Sharia law or religious intolerance or violence".
"It is right for Australians to be concerned about extremism, whether Islamic or otherwise," he said.
Australia was also engulfed in controversy in 2009, when a spate of attacks and robberies targeting Indian students drew street protests in Sydney and Melbourne and accusations of racism in Indian media.
But its patchwork society remains generally harmonious, despite occasional flare-ups. Last week, TV personality Eddie McGuire was condemned for calling diverse western Sydney the "land of the falafel".
Source http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5im47KhsOECK7JmICAGFvVY_0tcaw?docId=CNG.388227f38b6410738cac53ad93706e50.601
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said Australia's assimilation of different cultures was "genius" because it encourages immigrants to integrate as citizens rather than behave simply as "guest workers".
"To me, multiculturalism is a bit like a marriage. It has its stresses and strains," Bowen told the conservative Sydney Institute think-tank late on Wednesday.
"We have to remind each other occasionally that we are better off with each other. It takes nurturing; it takes care.
"It is in that spirit tonight that I quite proudly proclaim that Australian multiculturalism has worked.
"That not only has Australia benefited from the immigration of those who come from diverse backgrounds, but we have also benefited from the cultures they have brought and sustained in this, their new homeland."
Bowen's strident defence comes after British Prime Minister David Cameron called for a "muscular liberalism" to force the country's diverse population to coexist more closely as a society.
Chancellor Angela Merkel last year declared that German multiculturalism has "utterly failed", while French President Nicolas Sarkozy also called his country's policies a "failure".
The debate in Europe has heated up in recent years with the onset of homegrown Islamic extremism, but Bowen said some countries had deeper-rooted problems.
"Germany has regarded immigration as an economic necessity. A requirement for guest workers has driven an economic immigration policy," he said.
"Never has a German government proposed a policy of respect for existing cultures where they do not clash with basic German values."
He added: "France's resistance to a formal policy of multiculturalism has not encouraged greater integration of immigrant societies but, on the contrary, it has bred resentment, separatism and violence."
Australia has absorbed generational waves of immigrants, from Chinese during the 1800s Gold Rush to Vietnamese, Italians, Greeks, Eastern Europeans and finally large numbers of Indian students in the past few years.
But immigration remains a political flashpoint with intense debate over the steady arrival of rickety boats carrying asylum-seekers from poor countries.
On Thursday, conservative opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison faced calls to resign after he reportedly urged the shadow cabinet to play on fears over Muslim migrants in its attacks on the government.
Australia has an uneasy relationship with its Islamic community. Sydney's Cronulla Beach saw riots in 2005 when mobs of whites attacked Lebanese Australians in a bid to "reclaim the beach".
Dozens of Muslim men have been jailed in Australia under strict anti-terrorism laws which also saw the wrongful imprisonment of an Indian-born doctor following failed attacks in London and Glasgow in 2007.
Bowen said it was "inevitable" that Muslim migration would be questioned "in the age of concern about terrorism inspired by extremist Islam" and condemned "values such as Sharia law or religious intolerance or violence".
"It is right for Australians to be concerned about extremism, whether Islamic or otherwise," he said.
Australia was also engulfed in controversy in 2009, when a spate of attacks and robberies targeting Indian students drew street protests in Sydney and Melbourne and accusations of racism in Indian media.
But its patchwork society remains generally harmonious, despite occasional flare-ups. Last week, TV personality Eddie McGuire was condemned for calling diverse western Sydney the "land of the falafel".
Source http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5im47KhsOECK7JmICAGFvVY_0tcaw?docId=CNG.388227f38b6410738cac53ad93706e50.601
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Fallen soldier's body returns home
The body of an Australian soldier who was killed in Afghanistan has been returned to his family. Tasmanian-born Corporal Richard Atkinson, 22, was killed while on patrol in Uruzgan province last week.
Soldiers from the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment formed a guard of honour along with the Chief of Defence and the Chief of Army at a ramp ceremony at Darwin's RAAF base.
A bag-piper and drummer led the pallbearers carrying the coffin down the ramp and on to Australian soil.
Corporal Atkinson's family was at the base for the ceremony. They had requested his body be brought first to Darwin, the home of his fiance.
Two of the corporal's closest friends travelled with the body from Afghanistan.
A funeral service will be held in Tasmania.
He has been remembered as a dedicated soldier, committed to his job, friends and family.
Another Australian soldier, Sapper Robert Rose, was wounded in last week's incident.
Defence says an inquiry will be held into the incident and its findings will be made public.
Twenty-two Australian soldiers have been killed since troops were sent to Afghanistan in 2001.
Corporal Atkinson leaves behind a fiance, parents in Tasmania and a brother in Western Australia.
Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/10/3135596.htm?section=justin
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Gillard warns of cutbacks and flood levy
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned that the economic impact from the flooding in Queensland could result in both spending cutbacks and a flood levy.
"This is going to require some difficult decisions, spending cutbacks and there may even a levy," Ms Gillard said on ABC's 7.30 Report.
"We are obviously working on those decisions now as we work with our Queensland colleagues to clarify the bill for infrastructure rebuilding.
"At the same time we're seeing floodwaters in Victoria. They're right in the midst of battling those floodwaters and there may well be infrastructure rebuilding that needs to be done after those floodwaters recede."
The prime minister also said there was a significant difference between the impact of the current Queensland floods and those of 1974.
"What we've got to remember is that in 1974 Queensland was a far smaller part of our national economy than it is now - around 14 per cent then, around 19 per cent now," she said.
"And Queensland contributes about 25 per cent of our exports, so a flood crisis in Queensland has major economic impacts around the nation."
Ms Gillard said the damage bill for rebuilding infrastructure would not be known until the floodwaters subside and the full impact was revealed.
She also defended the decision for a planned budget surplus in 2012-13, saying the economy would be "running hot" then and it's the right time to save for the future.
"We've got to remember our economy is strong with a large pipeline of investment coming though," Ms Gillard said.
"It's the right way to have our budget position given where our economy will be at that time.
"Let's remember, we came out of the global financial crisis strong - an economy that was running or tending to run close to full capacity - that the right thing to be doing in those circumstances is to have a budget surplus. That's why we had determined to bring the budget to surplus in 2012-13."
The prime minister also defended her decision not to scrap the national broadband network, explaining that it would be "an investment which will end up earning interest money for the taxpayers".
Ms Gillard also said that she, Treasurer Wayne Swan and Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten had been meeting with representatives from the insurance industry, asking them to show the same "spirit of generosity" in this flood crisis that they had seen from the Australian people.
"Our economy is strong and we will get through this by pulling together, the same way we got through the global financial crisis - by pulling together," she said.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
2010: Queensland's wettest year on record
It's official: 2010 was Queensland's wettest year on record, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
In its Annual Climate Summary released today, the Bureau of Meteorology said "exceptional" weather saw the state's average rainfall nearly double that of a normal year.
Queensland also had its wettest spring on record, as well as wettest September and December, while every month from August to December ranked in their respective top 10s.
Climate services manager Jeff Fabburg said if the state had not had such a wet spring it might have been saved from the devastating floods of the past month.
"Having all that rain early, then going into the summer period – and the highest rainfall is traditionally January and February – that's topped up everything to the point where a lot of it is going into run off," he said.
The average annual rainfall across the state was 1109.73 millimetres in 2010, exceeding the previous record of 1103.77 millimetres in 1950. Records began in 1900.
The long term average, taken from 1961-1990, is 623.34 millimetres.
Australia-wide, it was the third wettest year on record, with the mean rainfall total of 690 millimetres well above the long-term average of 465 millimetres.
Some 77 recording stations around the state had record rainfall in 2010.
Some areas of the tropical east coast, between Cooktown and Yeppoon and along the southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast, recorded more than 1200 millimetres of rain above the long-term average.
The wettest place overall in Queensland last year was Bellenden Ker Top Station with more than 12 metres of rain - 12,438.4 millimetres - followed by Babinda Post Office with 6893.6 millimetres.
Temperatures for the year were unusually cool during the day, but unusually warm at night.
The Bureau said extensive cloud cover associated with the high rainfall had a marked effect on moderating temperatures.
The coldest night was at Oakey with -6 degrees on June 28, and the three hottest days were recorded at Birdsville Airport, with the peak at 45.4 degrees on January 24.
Overall, it was Australia's coolest year since 2001, but the mean temperature was still above average at 22 degrees, 0.19 degrees above the 1961 - 1990 average.
It was the eighth-warmest year on record for minimum temperatures.
Mr Fabburg said the La Nina ocean system, the main cause of widespread flooding and heavy rain in 2010, was expected to continue for at least the first quarter of 2011.
But hot, dry weather may return later in the year if an El Nino system takes over.
"What happens after the La Nina ends is the real question," he said.
"Probability wise there is a 40 per cent chance of this La Nina going into an El Nino and a 50 per cent chance of this La Nina going into another La Nina."
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Police call for help over woman's bashing
POLICE have taken the unusual step of appealing for public help over an alleged domestic incident that left a Melbourne woman severely beaten and with a broken nose.
The woman was allegedly held captive by her boyfriend Omar Aboueid, 37, for up to 10 hours.
The incident on December 6 started at the 35-year-old woman's house in the northern suburb of Coburg and is believed to have been over missing property belonging to Aboueid.
Senior Constable Dennis Cunha from the Broadmeadows Embona Armed Robbery Taskforce said the woman was repeatedly punched in the head and then dragged into a blue hatchback and driven around Coburg and Reservoir, where the attacks continued.
The woman was eventually returned home, suffering a broken nose and severe swelling and bruising to her face and body.
She reported the incident to police two days later.
"The actual assault was quite vicious, there's some brutal injuries on the victim in relation to the swelling on the face," Sen Const Cunha said.
A warrant has been issued for Aboueid's arrest but police have been unable to find him after two weeks of searching.
They are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Sen Const Cunha said Aboueid had access to firearms and was considered dangerous and should not be approached.
He appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
"Police have been actively looking for this male over the past two weeks. The male is aware that police wish to speak to him in relation to this allegation and the male is actively avoiding police apprehension."
Monday, December 13, 2010
107 students show excellence in HSC awards
One hundred and seven NSW students have shown HSC excellence, some of them topping courses before they even begin Year 12 and tackling university subjects while still at high school.
Andrew Ting Li, 16, from the Hills, northwest Sydney, won the award for agriculture despite being in Year 11.
"It's something that's very strong in our school, we're an agriculture High School," the James Ruse Agricultural High School student told AAP on Tuesday.
Andrew said that as he studied agriculture it "became a part of his life" - "There's a lot of everything in agriculture".
Isolde Daniell, 17, from Lismore won her First in Course award for Italian Extension.
The Trinity Catholic College student said her mum found it hard to keep the secret for four days.
"Mum told the house painter, the postman," she said.
Isolde's father is an opera singer - Rhys Daniell.
"He used to sing in the Opera House," she said, adding that she now uses her Italian to help him translate his music.
Maddy Greer, 18, won her award for Philosophy Distinction, which is almost at university level.
But the teen from Dubbo admitted she wouldn't continue to study it all the time as she would "never make any money or get a job".
She said that she uses the principles of the subject in her everyday life - something which might have been useful when she had to deal with flooding in her town.
"I came back from schoolies and the roads were closed around half the city and it was pretty weird going from somewhere where it had barely rained all year and coming back and half the roads were shut from the flooded river," she said.
"Traffic jams have been crazy for Dubbo. For someone who is used to taking ten minutes to get across town, taking half an hour tests my patience," she added.
Girls outperformed boys in the awards with 70 girls achieving first place in at least one subject, compared to 37 boys.
"You should all take extra pride and enjoyment knowing that out of the record 70,000 plus HSC students this year just 107 will receive a certificate of excellence for obtaining first place and the high standard in an HSC course," NSW Education Minister Verity Firth said at the awards ceremony on Tuesday in Sydney.
Seven students managed to take first place achievements in two courses.
Meanwhile, the rest of the state's HSC students are still waiting nervously for their results, which will be released on Wednesday.
Students will be able to access their results from 6am (AEDT) via internet, telephone and text message.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sydney escort 'having fun' before death
In the hours before her death, Sydney prostitute Victoria McIntyre told supervisors she was "having fun" and was happy to keep working, a court has been told.
Using the working name "Lisa", 23-year-old Ms McIntyre was one of up to four escorts allegedly hired by Sydney neurosurgeon Suresh Surendranath Nair on February 14, 2009.
Nair, 41, is charged with her manslaughter and the November 2009 murder of Suellen Domingues-Zaupa, 22, another prostitute.
He allegedly supplied both women with cocaine at his luxury Elizabeth Bay apartment.
At a committal hearing at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court, the director of HM Escorts, Anna Monaghan, on Monday testified as to what she knew of the hours leading up to Ms McIntyre's death.
Ms Monaghan said it was practice to make a "safety call" to staff - whom she referred to as "consultants" - and that an employee named Angela Bishop had made contact with Ms McIntyre.
"Lisa told her that she was having fun and, earlier, Lisa indicated that she had to be done by 11 o'clock because she had to go to an engagement party," Ms Monaghan said.
"But in this call she said she was having fun and was happy to keep working."
The court heard that another escort hired by Nair told Ms Monaghan she was sent away "to get a script filled" and that when she returned there was an ambulance outside his apartment.
The same prostitute, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told Ms Monaghan the girls had been taking drugs at Nair's property.
"She just said they were taking a lot of drugs and they were putting it in their orifices," Ms Monaghan told the court.
Under questioning from Nair's barrister, Peter Hamill SC, Ms Monaghan said she became aware that an ambulance was involved.
"Were you not concerned that one of your escorts may be in difficulty?" Mr Hamill asked.
"When we spoke to her she was fine and having fun," Ms Monaghan replied.
"Yes, but when you spoke to one of the other girls she said she had got back and there was an ambulance there," Mr Hamill said.
Ms Monaghan said she then "tried ringing her".
Several women who worked for the Sydney-based agency - which charges between $500 and $700 per hour per escort - are expected to give evidence in the committal hearing.
The hearing, before Magistrate Carolyn Barkell, continues on Tuesday.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Australia remains unsafe for Indian students
An Indian cookery student in Melbourne, who was stabbed by two anonymous men recalled the frightening night and talks about the harrowing experience.
The victim who is been in Australia for 2 years, working in South Yarra bar (in Melbourne).
After winding up work for the day, the victim on the way to railway station on Nov 5, 2008, he was knifed by two men.
He said, "the two men approached me and asked for money when I said I had none, they stabbed me in the stomach, scolded me using foul words."
"I collected some courage to ran away," he added.
The victim was admitted to hospital and doctors performed a emergency surgery on his punctured bowel after the attack. He bares 26 stitches on is stomach after that assault.
He was in hospital for 10 days and only then did he let his parents in India know what had happened.
A police official told, "It appears to be a random racial attack."
Source http://news.oneindia.in/2010/11/29/australia-remains-unsafe-for-indian-students.html
The victim who is been in Australia for 2 years, working in South Yarra bar (in Melbourne).
After winding up work for the day, the victim on the way to railway station on Nov 5, 2008, he was knifed by two men.
He said, "the two men approached me and asked for money when I said I had none, they stabbed me in the stomach, scolded me using foul words."
"I collected some courage to ran away," he added.
The victim was admitted to hospital and doctors performed a emergency surgery on his punctured bowel after the attack. He bares 26 stitches on is stomach after that assault.
He was in hospital for 10 days and only then did he let his parents in India know what had happened.
A police official told, "It appears to be a random racial attack."
Source http://news.oneindia.in/2010/11/29/australia-remains-unsafe-for-indian-students.html
Monday, November 22, 2010
Australia Network put up for tender
Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd has announced the Federal Government is putting a 10-year contract for Australia Network, the country's international television broadcasting service, up for tender.
The network is currently provided by the ABC under a five-year contract with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"The Government has decided that the next Australia Network contract will be put to a competitive open tender process to ensure the best possible service in return for its investment," Mr Rudd said in a statement.
The contract period has been extended to 10 years to provide "greater certainty to the service provider".
Australia Network has been running since 1993.
The tender process is expected to open before the end of the year.
Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/23/3074314.htm?section=justin
Sunday, November 14, 2010
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