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.

Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/sydney-escort-having-fun-before-death-20101206-18mea.html

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

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

Man charged with tattooing genitals on friend's back

A 21-year-old Australian man was charged by a court on Monday with committing grievous bodily harm to a friend by getting the male genitalia tattooed on his back.

Matthew Francis Brady, from Ipswich near Brisbane, appeared in the Ipswich magistrates court Monday, after he allegedly had a tattoo of a 40cm-long image of male genitals and a crude slogan made on the back of a 25-year-old man, The Queensland Times reported.

The friend had actually wanted a Yin and Yang symbol with some dragons.

Brady also faces charges of assault occasioning bodily harm, drunk driving and driving an unregistered, uninsured vehicle after his licence was disqualified.

Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Man-charged-with-tattooing-genitals-on-friends-back/articleshow/6928539.cms

Australian woman sets out on 115km swim

An Australian woman is trying to swim between the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Kauai.

Penny Palfrey began her swim on Tuesday morning at Kaena Point on Oahu, hoping to complete the 116-kilometre crossing in 30 to 40 hours.

She is being escorted by a safety boat, which carries lifeguards as well as her swim adviser, Steve Munatones.

Plans call for a non-stop swim, with Palfrey treading water during food breaks.

Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/australian-woman-sets-out-on-115km-swim-20101110-17ng3.html

Two killed in motorbike accident

A motorcyclist and his passenger have been killed in an accident in Sydney's west this afternoon.

Police say the accident happened when the motorcyclist tried to overtake a car on a sweeping bend on Mulgoa Road at Wallacia.

Police say it is believed the motorbike collided head-on with another vehicle as it was overtaking.

The rider and his female passenger died at the scene.

The female driver of the car has been taken to Nepean Hospital with minor injuries.

The RTA has advised motorists to avoid the area as road closures are in place in both directions.

Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/03/3056445.htm?site=sydney

Sydney's jumbo joy: another baby elephant born

Taronga Zoo's two male elephant calves have a new sister to play with.

The 120-kilogram female calf was born at 1.12am today, four years to the day after a herd of Asians elephants arrived from Thailand.

Her birth was in stark contrast to that of "miracle" calf Pathi Harn, also known as Mr Shuffles, who made a surprise appearance in March, two days after it was thought he had died in the womb.

The female newborn had a "record breaking" arrival, and was nursing within 90 minutes of birth and standing unassisted within three hours, her keepers said.

The new calf's mother is Pak Boon and her father is the zoo's bull, Gung, which makes her a half sister to the zoo's first calf, Luk Chai, born on July 4 last year.

After a 22-month long pregnancy, Pak Boon delivered her calf outside the elephant barn, in the lower paddock of the complex.

Zoo director Cameron Kerr said the keepers used a sling to help the infant into the barn.

The team included Thomas Hildebrandt from the Berlin Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Taronga vet Larry Vogelnest, and the head elephant keeper, Gary Miller.

The other elephants also supported her.

"The Taronga herd is now quite experienced and managed the process very successfully," Mr Kerr said.

The calf is the fifth born under the Australian Conservation Management Plan for these endangered elephants, with female Mali and male Ongard, also arriving in Melbourne this year.

"This is another outstanding milestone in an exceptional conservation breeding program for Asian elephants," Mr Kerr said.

"In just four years since the self-sustaining regional breeding group was established at Taronga and Melbourne Zoos, the herd has increased in size by 50 per cent."

Pak Boon's name means morning glory flower in Thai. Born in 1992, she originally came from an elephant camp on the outskirts of Bangkok in Thailand.

She is second in the herd hierarchy and is said to have a very dominant and independent personality, although she is also eager to please and seeks attention from keepers and can sometimes be a "drama queen".

A Thai name for the female calf will be chosen in coming weeks to reflect the herd's cultural origin.

Pathi Harn's extraordinary birth made news worldwide.

He had been in an upside down position in his mother's womb, with his head hanging down trapped against her pelvis.

Unable to detect any signs of life after a difficult nine-day labour, Dr Vogelnest and Dr Hildebrandt assumed the calf had died.

But, two days later, his mother, Porntip, gave birth alone in the early hours of the morning and the calf is now doing well.

Source http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/sydneys-jumbo-joy-another-baby-elephant-born-20101102-17aya.html?autostart=1