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Four charged with severing US man's penis

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 09 November 2013 | 20.47

FOUR people are accused of torturing a California marijuana dispensary owner with a blowtorch and cutting off his penis in an attempt to force him to reveal where he had buried piles of cash in the desert.

Ryan Anthony Kevorkian, 34, and his wife Naomi Josette Kevorkian, 33, were arrested on Friday in Fresno, a day after the FBI arrested 34-year-old Hossein Nayeri in Prague in the Czech Republic.

Another man, Kyle Shirakawa Handley, 34, was arrested in October 2012.

The four have been charged with kidnapping for ransom, aggravated mayhem, torture, burglary and a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury.

Prosecutors said the victim was a prosperous medical marijuana dispensary owner who took some of his pot suppliers - including Handley - to Las Vegas last year for an extravagant weekend.

Authorities allege that after the trip, Handley told some friends that the dispensary owner was extremely wealthy and they came up with a plan to kidnap and rob him.

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

CRIMINALS are making secret "blood money" settlements with victims and their families in a back-channel justice system designed to help them avoid jail.

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

A TODDLER taken to the doctor for a child's flu shot was left unable to walk or talk after being given a version of the drug banned for under fives.

Orange County authorities contend that on October 2, 2012, Handley, Nayeri and Ryan Kevorkian went to the man's Newport Beach home, stole cash, bound and beat him and kidnapped him along with his room-mate's girlfriend, then drove them out to a desert spot in a van.

Throughout the drive, they allegedly burned the dispensary owner with a blowtorch.

At the spot where the men believed the victim had hidden money, they cut off his penis, poured bleach on him in an effort to destroy any DNA evidence and dumped him and the woman on the side of the road, authorities allege.

It is alleged the three men then drove away with the penis so it couldn't be reattached.

The man survived his injuries.

Handley pleaded not guilty to the charges last month.


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Thousands flee Dreamworld after fire alert

Thousands have been evacuate from Dreamworld on the Gold Coast due to a grassfire. Source: AAP

MORE than 7000 people fled Australia's largest theme park on Saturday after a grassfire started nearby.

The fire, sending a huge plume of smoke towards the 85-hectare Dreamworld on the Gold Coast from nearby Coomera, prompted an evacuation.

Visitors described how the smoke started drifting into the park, also home to the Big Brother house, prompting rides to be closed one-by-one.

Sam Gilchrist was at the theme park with daughters Alannah, 14, Megan, 9, and Holly, 6, on the last day of a Gold Coast holiday when the smoke started to drift in.

She said Dreamworld staff started shutting down rides one at a time as the smoke started to thicken.

While some people moved to rides that were still open, the Melbourne family left just before the park was evacuated because one of the children started getting upset by the smoke.

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

CRIMINALS are making secret "blood money" settlements with victims and their families in a back-channel justice system designed to help them avoid jail.

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

A TODDLER taken to the doctor for a child's flu shot was left unable to walk or talk after being given a version of the drug banned for under fives.

"The kids were on a ride and I could see a mist of smoke and I could smell it," she told AAP.

"It started getting really black and blanketing the whole area.

"There was a little bit of ash falling, I think asthmatics would have had a bit of a difficult time."

She said she didn't know whether people would be compensated for having to leave.

The park will open as usual on Sunday.

A Dreamworld spokeswoman said the evacuation of guests and zoo animals had been a precaution.

"We evacuated for the safety of guests, staff and the animals," she said.

She said park visitors whose details staff had managed to obtain before they left the park would be contacted regarding possible compensation.

A Queensland Department of Community Safety spokesperson said the fire covered four hectares on Saturday afternoon, having broken out near Foxwell Road about 1.30pm (AEST).

The spokesperson said there was no immediate threat to homes but advised people to keep their doors and windows closed.

Firefighters had contained the blaze by 7pm (AEST) but the Department of Community Safety said crews would remain on scene "for some time", backburning and monitoring the fire.


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Aboriginal artist's work on Qantas 737

A painting by Aboriginal artist Paddy Bedford has inspired the latest aircraft for Qantas. Source: AAP

ABORIGINAL artist Paddy Bedford would often tell his daughter his work was going to end up on a plane.

"'I'm going to have a painting on a jet'," he'd tell Kathleen Watson.

She dismissed the idea at the time but is proud that the late West Australian artist's wish has come true.

Bedford's 2005 painting Mendoowoorrji - Medicine Pocket inspired the livery for Qantas's new 737-800 aircraft, the fourth in its indigenous art series.

Watson, in Seattle with Gija elders from the East Kimberley for a ceremony to bless the plane, said it was an honour to share the Aboriginal culture in this way.

"I'm proud to keep his legacy alive and sharing and promoting Aboriginal art through the world, Australia, Western Australia and the Kimberley," she said.

Medicine Pocket, which has been gifted to the National Gallery of Australia by Bedford's estate, depicts part of the artist's mother's country.

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

CRIMINALS are making secret "blood money" settlements with victims and their families in a back-channel justice system designed to help them avoid jail.

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

A TODDLER taken to the doctor for a child's flu shot was left unable to walk or talk after being given a version of the drug banned for under fives.

It's taken 18 months to get the aircraft ready with Boeing painters for the first time using brush and other hand painting techniques to translate the work's shading and textural elements on to the fuselage.

The white areas feature a lot of grey shading and the iconic Qantas tail has been included in the design, albeit with its trademark red changed to match the painting's earthy tones.

National Gallery Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art senior adviser Franchesca Cubillo said the Australian designers Balarinji and Boeing's painters had managed to capture the essence of the original painting.

"The team of painters here have actually worked closely with Balarinji to ensure that lovely painterly effect, the texture, even the gradient of the colours that are in the original painting have been replicated," she said.

Mendoowoorrji will arrive in Sydney on Monday before joining the Qantas domestic network from mid-November, flying east-west and intra-WA routes.

William Mora Galleries director William Mora said Bedford would have been incredibly proud to see the spirit and story of his painting on a plane.

"I think he'd want to be the first person to leave it when it landed and stand at the top of the stairs and say 'not only am I the number one painter, I have my own plane'."

* The writer travelled to Seattle as a guest of Qantas and Boeing.


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Syrian rebels launch counteroffensive

SYRIAN rebels have launched a counteroffensive in the northern city of Aleppo, recapturing a base near its international airport hours after the army had advanced into the area, activists say.

Saturday's fighting came as the main Western-backed opposition group was to begin a two-day meeting in Istanbul to decide whether they will attend a proposed peace conference the US and Russia are trying to convene in Geneva.

The Syrian National Coalition has demanded that President Bashar Assad step down in any transitional Syrian government as a condition for its going to Geneva. Syrian officials say Assad will stay in his post at least until his terms ends in 2014 and that he may run for re-election.

In Cairo, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby told reporters upon arrival from Geneva that the UN-Arab League's top envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, will hold a new meeting in early December with concerned parties to decide on a new date and the attendees of the Geneva conference.

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

CRIMINALS are making secret "blood money" settlements with victims and their families in a back-channel justice system designed to help them avoid jail.

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

A TODDLER taken to the doctor for a child's flu shot was left unable to walk or talk after being given a version of the drug banned for under fives.

"We were saddened and depressed because of the failure of the latest meetings to decide on a date and participants for the conference," Elaraby said, referring to a meeting in Geneva earlier this week that many had hoped would call for holding the talks later this month.

The League had wanted the peace conference to lead to a ceasefire and secure means to deliver humanitarian aid to Syrians, Elaraby added.

In Aleppo, rebels were able to fully recapture the military base of "Brigade 80" after government troops seized parts of it early on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Aleppo Media Centre said.

The main job of "Brigade 80" was to protect the government-held Aleppo International Airport, which has been closed due to fighting for almost a year.

Rebels captured the base in February and now government troops are trying to get it back.

The Observatory said 40 rebels and more than 20 troops were killed in the latest fighting, which began Friday and continued early Saturday.

Syria's state-run news agency SANA said a rocket fired by opposition fighters hit near a health centre in Aleppo's Ashrafieh neighbourhood, killing six children and wounding six others.


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Strangers to pay respects to war hero

HUNDREDS of people are expected to attend the funeral of a British war veteran they never knew after it emerged he died with no close friends or relatives.

Harold Jellicoe Percival helped with the famous Dambusters raids during the Second World War.

He died last month aged 99 in a nursing home in the UK but had lived much of his life in Australia.

Poignantly for the ex-military man, his funeral service will be held at 11am on Armistice Day on Monday.

But Percival never married, had no children and has no close family members able to attend the service.

Those involved in organising the funeral say they have been contacted by veterans' groups and other military supporters keen to acknowledge Percival's career.

Funeral director Edmund Jacobs said: "We're hoping a few faces will turn up and show their support for a war hero.

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

Gangs pay blood money to avoid jail

CRIMINALS are making secret "blood money" settlements with victims and their families in a back-channel justice system designed to help them avoid jail.

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

Adult flu shot left boy brain damaged

A TODDLER taken to the doctor for a child's flu shot was left unable to walk or talk after being given a version of the drug banned for under fives.

"It doesn't sit well with me that somebody who has served their country can be forgotten about, that his service can go un-noted.

"I am sure he would have had a few stories to tell."

Mr Percival was one of four siblings but lived a "nomadic lifestyle" after leaving the RAF at the end of the war.

His nephew, David Worsell, said: "He was a private man, he worked in Australia for a number of years as a decorator and would visit England for holidays.

"He travelled around England with only his backpack.

"He didn't have a postal address, he just used to get everything sent to my mother's address and would go through it when they met up."

Percival was based in the north west of England and became part of the ground crew which helped with the Dambusters, the squadron which was initially formed to destroy dams in the Ruhr valley in Nazi Germany.

After working in Australia, he later retired to England.

He was a distant relative of former British prime minister Spencer Perceval, who was shot dead by a bankrupt broker, John Bellingham, as he entered the House of Commons, in 1812.

"My uncle would be very surprised at the attention this seems to have received and the number of people wanting to attend," Worsell said.

"What with him being a very private person, forming long-term relationships didn't seem to be part of his make-up.

"He didn't really speak about his military career but he perhaps wished he didn't leave the RAF at the end of the war.

"But he was a free spirit."


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Rickets makes a comeback in Britain

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 08 November 2013 | 20.47

RICKETS, the childhood disease that caused an epidemic of bowed legs and curved spines during the Victorian era, is making a shocking comeback in 21st-century Britain.

Rickets results from a severe deficiency of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. Rickets was historically considered a disease of poverty among children who toiled in factories during the Industrial Revolution.

Last month, Britain's chief medical officer Sally Davies proposed the country give free vitamins to all children under five.

Most people get vitamin D from the sun, oily fish, eggs or dairy products. Rickets largely disappeared from Britain in the 1950s, when the country embarked on mass programs to give children cod liver oil. But the number of reported cases of rickets in hospitalised children has increased from 183 cases in 1995 to 762 cases in 2011. With no official surveillance system, experts said the actual number is probably even higher.

"Children come in with bendy legs, swollen wrists and sometimes swollen ribs," said Dr Mitch Blair, an officer for health promotion at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Blair cited several reasons for the rise in rickets cases, including children spending more time playing indoors, the stringent use of sunscreen and religious beliefs that mean skin is covered.

In the US, doctors say there has also been a rise in rickets, though there are no solid national figures to confirm it.

"Kids with rickets are children who don't have exposure to safe places to play and (who) stop drinking milk as soon as they're weaned," said Dr Laura Tosi, an orthopedic surgeon in Washington, DC.

"If the vitamin D deficiency is ongoing for a long time, these kids come in with horrific bowing of the legs and I have to think about breaking the bones to straighten them," she said.


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Rommel, son of German field marshal, dies

MANFRED Rommel, the longtime mayor of Stuttgart and only son of Germany's most famous World War II military commander, has died aged 84.

The City of Stuttgart said Rommel, who served as mayor from 1975 to 1996, died on Thursday of unspecified causes.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Friday she considered him a "remarkable" politician and notable member of her party.

Rommel was born in 1928 to Lucie-Maria Rommel and Erwin Rommel, who eventually rose to Field Marshall rank and was widely known as the "Desert Fox" for his deft command of Nazi Germany's troops in North Africa.

Field Marshall Rommel, who was respected by both his own troops and his enemies, committed suicide when Manfred was 15 after being implicated in the plot to kill Adolf Hitler.


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Severe thunderstorms forecast for NSW

A SEVERE thunderstorm warning has been issued for large swathes on NSW's central west.

Damaging winds are forecast to hit parts of the central west slopes and plains and parts of the upper western forecast districts on Friday evening, the Bureau of Meteorology saysd.

Locations which may be affected include Dubbo, Parkes, Wellington, Condobolin, Coonamble, Nyngan, Bourke, Brewarrina and Enngonia.

The State Emergency Service (SES) is advising people to move their cars away from trees and secure loose items around homes.

People are also being urged to stay indoors and away from windows.


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Third suspect chemical haul found in WA

A THIRD suspicious package has been discovered in the same region south of Perth where highly volatile explosive chemicals were recently found.

Bomb squad technicians are at a disused caravan park at Peppermint Grove Beach in the Capel region working to render the area safe, a police spokesman said.

The spokesman said roadblocks were in place around the caravan park.

The discovery comes after a Tactical Response Group dawn raid of a Bunbury home on Friday, which led to a man being taken into custody for questioning over the chemicals.

Last Tuesday, a member of the public discovered about 3kg of the substance - TATP - hidden underwater near a jetty at Leschanault Estuary, Australind.

A second package was found at the same site 36 hours later.

Both packages were destroyed in controlled detonations.

On Friday, police resumed scouring the waterway, having previously scaled back the search for more of the chemicals.

Four jetties were cleared on Friday, Deputy Commissioner Chris Dawson said.

Road blocks have been put in place at the raided house on Moore Street and at an industrial facility in Harris Road, Picton, which is believed to be the workplace of the man in custody.

Police guards are at both locations, which are not at this stage considered unsafe and have been declared 'protected forensic areas'.

Homes in the Peppermint Grove Beach area may be evacuated while the package is detonated, police say.

"The only location that we are presently concerned about is the Peppermint Grove caravan park," Mr Dawson said.

He said the four jetties were not considered unsafe, but divers would search the entire estuary on Saturday.

"That will be an ongoing operation," Mr Dawson said.

"We have no reason to believe at this point there are any matters that will cause any immediate (risks) to the safety of the public, but we are broadening our search and that's because we need to be thorough."

He said no charges had yet been laid against the man in custody.

TATP, also known as "Mother of Satan", was used in the London terrorist bombings in 2005.

It is created through the chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide and acetone, is highly volatile, and particularly susceptible to heat, friction and shock.


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Clergy inquiry to call for reporting laws

VICTORIA'S landmark inquiry into child sex abuse by clergy is expected to demand priests and religious leaders be forced into reporting abuse allegations against their colleagues or face jail themselves.

A final report from the state's parliamentary inquiry into institutional responses to child abuse is due to be released within days.

The inquiry's report will recommend the state government create a criminal offence "for ministers of religion who fail to report physical or sexual abuse of children by other clergy", News Corp Australia says.

Clergy who don't pass on abuse allegations they have heard within their organisations "should face jail", the report recommends, according to News Corp on Saturday.

Victoria's parliamentary committee heard evidence from dozens of victims, church leaders, police officers and other officials.

Mandatory reporting laws were suggested several times during a years' worth of public hearings.

The committee's final report is expected to be tabled in parliament by November 15.


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Govt urged to help NSW first home buyers

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 07 November 2013 | 20.48

IT has long been touted as the dream all Australians share.

But the NSW Real Estate Institute says unless the state government intervenes, new homebuyers will only be imagining packing their bags and moving interstate.

The institute's Young Agents Chapter Chair Eddy Piddington said the state government's move to restrict first homebuyers' incentives to new properties was simply not working.

"Most people don't really want to move to Penrith to build a new house and you can't get a brand new property for $500,000 anywhere else (in Sydney)," he told AAP.

He said those looking to enter the market for the first time were being "smashed by investors" taking advantage of low interest rates.

This was exacerbated by ever-increasing prices.

The 27-year-old Sydney agent, who is also an investor, said figures released by Bankwest last week showed the number of first homebuyers had fallen by 44 per cent.

"My tenants pay more than what the mortgage is costing me ... it makes me worry for the future," Mr Piddington said.

"Incentives for first homebuyers purchasing existing properties must be reintroduced or NSW must face the reality that they will relocate out of the state where it is more affordable."

The comments come after Treasurer Mike Baird last month announced the state had posted a $239 million surplus for 2012-13, thanks mainly to stronger-than-expected stamp duty receipts which added around $198 million to the coffers.

The government announced last year that it was dumping the $7000 first home owner grant and end stamp duty exemptions worth up to $17,990 for first homebuyers purchasing existing homes.


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Controversial health website launched

PRIVATE health fund nib has launched a controversial website that allows patients to rate the cost and service levels of health practitioners.

The searchable Whitecoat website is open to all Australians and lists 30,000 "extras" providers such as optometrists, dentists and chiropractors.

"Whitecoat represents a new way of connecting consumers and providers," says the fund's Rhod McKensey.

It is particularly useful for people who have moved to a new area or need a treatment for the first time.

The 13,000 comments featured so far have been collected from clients over the past 12 months and are 90 per cent positive, he says.

The fund says it has consulted widely to overcome issues and providers will be able to opt out of the ratings and comments.

But some health organisations are concerned the ratings system will be unfair and that the site breaks advertising guidelines.

The Australian Dental Association has advised members not to participate at all.

"We can't see the benefit," says vice president Dr Carmelo Bonanno.

Cost comparisons are difficult because treatments might appear the same but might involve different materials and different degrees of difficulty, he says.

"We also have concerns about breaching advertising guidelines for dentists."

The Dietitians Association of Australia is advising its members to opt out of the rating and comments section.

"A directory showing people what's available in their area is fantastic," says spokesperson Kate Di Prima, and accredited practising dietician.

But she is concerned the ratings system will reflect the subjective view of a single person and there are too many variables for valid price comparisons.

"A consumer-driven health profession that embraces choices is the future," says Chiropractors' Association of Australia CEO Andrew McNamara.

He is concerned, however, that the site complies with health profession guidelines.


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Govt gives $522m for research projects

RESEARCH into bushfire behaviour is among almost 1200 projects to get a government-funded boost in the latest round of grants.

Across the country, 1177 projects will share $522 million from the Australian Research Council's Future Fellowships and major grants schemes.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales will get $370,000 to help improve understanding of bushfire behaviour.

It's hoped this will lead to better advice for fire authorities about how fires flare up.

Other projects receiving funding look at children's behaviour, including how primary school students use the internet and what influences children to be physically active or sedentary.

Universities will share in $32 million, to be matched by the institutions, for building infrastructure and buying equipment.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne says a strong investment in research is needed to make sure Australian scientists and academics keep having "eureka" moments.


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Help Bougainville or risk new unrest: ASPI

AUSTRALIA must ramp up aid to Bougainville Island or risk the return of local civil unrest that could result in a more costly military response, a think tank says.

Island dwellers will vote on independence from Papua New Guinea in a referendum expected to be held between 2015 and 2020.

But if PNG declined to ratify the result, Bougainville could descend into a conflict like the bloody unrest of 1988-97, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) warns.

Special report authors, ASPI executive director Peter Jennings and analyst Karl Claxton, say Australia has a significant interest in stability in the region to its north.

"If a new generation slides into bloodshed on Bougainville, Canberra couldn't wait a decade for a military stalemate to reappear before intervening," ASPI says.

This could cost as much as operations in East Timor ($4.3 billion) and the Solomons ($350 million).

"Australia should lead a new international assistance effort to avoid the need for another military intervention," ASPI said.

This would include additional aid funding, development and police training and defence assistance.

The new coalition federal government has pledged to cut $4.5 billion from the foreign aid budget over the next four years.

Bougainville, with a population of about 175,000, became a province of PNG on independence in 1975.

In 1988, landowner disaffection and rise of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army sparked widespread unrest that approached civil war.

Under a 1998 ceasefire, Australia led a 300-member peace monitoring group.

The 2001 Arawa Peace Agreement ended hostilities and in 2005 the first Autonomous Bougainville Government was elected, with PNG agreeing to a referendum on independence.

More than $250 million in Australian money has gone towards reconstruction on Bougainville since 1997.


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Australian bulls mistreated in Mauritius

MORE video of apparent cruelty to Australian animals has emerged, this time of bulls being mistreated in Mauritius.

After releasing footage of sheep being treated cruelly in Jordan in October, Animals Australia is claiming breaches of live export regulations have been committed in Mauritius after bringing it to the attention of the Department of Agriculture.

The animal welfare group's investigators filmed Australian bulls being dragged on and off trucks by ropes, falling onto concrete, collapsing in exhaustion and distress, and being restrained and slaughtered during the Festival of Sacrifice.

Animals Australia also said it had gathered evidence of Australian cattle being loaded on trucks and transported out of the approved feedlot for private and backyard slaughter, breaching the federal government's Exporter Supply Chain Assurance Scheme (ESCAS) brought in after the Indonesian abattoir scandal in 2011.

The department said it had started investigating the claims.

Animals Australia said the exporter involved, International Livestock Exports - under investigation for ESCAS breaches in Kuwait in January - had reported the breaches to the department, but the animal welfare group dismissed that as an attempt to mitigate penalties.

The company was being sought for comment.

Animals Australia's legal counsel Shatha Hamade said the cruelty endured by the bulls was horrendous.

"Without strong regulatory sanctions, exporters will not take their legal responsibility seriously," Ms Hamade said.

"The only way that this will not be repeated is fear of consequences ... loss of export licence by exporters or the associated loss of the supply of animals for importers."

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who described last month's Jordan revelations as sickening, said Animals Australia's latest footage was further proof that ESCAS had failed and that the live export trade should be stopped.

"The live export trade is systemically cruel, not in Australia's economic interests and contrary to the vast majority of public opinion," Mr Wilkie told AAP.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the footage from Jordan was disturbing but added the government would not make policy "on the basis of one or two media reports", while Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said halting trade to that market would only harm farmers.


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Govt to ditch backlog of tax proposals

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 05 November 2013 | 20.48

THE federal government is about to ditch a host of unlegislated tax proposals that have been stuck in the pending tray dating back to 2001.

Since the September election, Treasurer Joe Hockey and Assistant Treasurer Arthur Sinodinos have been sifting through close to 100 tax and superannuation proposals.

They believe this backlog has created massive operational uncertainty for businesses and consumers.

The government is determined to resolve all policies by December 1 for the inclusion in the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook that the treasurer has promised to hand down before Christmas.

Any legislation stemming from this review should be passed by parliament by July 1, 2014.

Of the 92 unlegislated and unresolved tax and superannuation changes outstanding, the government will proceed with just 18, while a further three initiatives will be significantly amended.

The government will "definitely not" proceed with seven initiatives including the former Labor government's $1.8 billion change to the fringe benefit tax on cars, a pledge made during the election campaign, because of the impact it will have on the car industry.

It will also definitely scrap a proposed tax on people's superannuation pension earnings above $100,000.

Senator Sinodinos will lead consultations on the remaining 64 measures with a disposition not to proceed with them.

Mr Hockey and Senator Sinodinos will announce further details of their review in Sydney on Wednesday.


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Bold and the beautiful play at the Cup

Sunset hues of red, tangerines and bright yellows ruled the fashion stakes on Melbourne Cup Day. Source: AAP

THE bold and the beautiful lit up Flemington in the fashion stakes on Melbourne Cup day, with American swimwear model Kate Upton and AFL star Lance ''Buddy'' Franklin causing a stir.

Reds, tangerines and bright yellows popped in a crowd of about 100,000 people, who enjoyed a summery Cup.

Upton and Australian beauty Jennifer Hawkins chose fiery red numbers by Antonio Berardi and Yeojin Bae, respectively.

Franklin sat next to Upton on the Emirates balcony, and the pair set tongues wagging as they chatted and laughed.

The Sports Illustrated cover girl, who showed off her figure in a plunging red dress, said it was her first Melbourne Cup.

"I have been enjoying myself. It's so great here with the fashion and the horses," Upton said.

Former Spice Girl and Australia's Got Talent judge Geri Halliwell selected a vintage cream lacy dress for her outfit.

She won about $3500 after betting $500 on Fiorente, vowing to give the money to a Melbourne charity rather than splash out on a new pair of shoes.

"The only reason why I went for this one is because the lady that I'm staying at her house is Gai Waterhouse.

"Apparently she is the girl power of horse training."

US burlesque star Dita Von Teese and Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora were also among celebrity guests to enjoy the Birdcage.

The crowd at the track was relatively well behaved, with only three arrests and 86 evictions by late afternoon.

Ciara Wallace, of Dublin, enjoyed her second Melbourne Cup with a picnic on the lawn.

"It's a brilliant day. The sun is shining and we are all having a crack," she said.

"The whole of Victoria gets into the buzz of the Melbourne Cup - that's what makes the Melbourne Cup."

Cleaner Emma Brasser, who was working a 13-hour shift, said the crowd was generally well behaved - so far.

"I haven't had any calls for throw ups yet, so I'm doing pretty well."


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Family of shot Sydney girl talk to police

The family of a teenage girl who was shot in her western Sydney home are now talking to police.

A schoolgirl has been shot at a home in Sydney's west, in what police say is a targeted attack. Source: AAP

AFTER a day of being condemned for their silence, the family of a teenage girl who was shot in her western Sydney home are talking to police.

On Tuesday morning, as the girl lay injured in hospital, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and the state's top officers vented their frustration at the family of the 13-year-old, who was shot by gunmen at her Blacktown home late on Monday night.

The men were reportedly looking to settle a score with the girl's brother, who is suspected of having links to the notorious Brothers 4 Life gang.

After having the door slammed in their faces, the men allegedly opened fire, hitting the girl in the back.

On Tuesday morning, Mr O'Farrell expressed outrage at the parents' lack of co-operation.

"What sort of parents, whose daughter's been injured in an attack like this, will not co-operate with police?" he asked.

Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas called on the family to take responsibility.

"This poor girl had nothing to do with anything, but someone in her family did," he said.

Late on Tuesday afternoon, it appeared the family's silence had been broken, with the premier issuing a statement saying family members were talking to police.

The girl's father told media on Tuesday his daughter was "settled", adding he was disappointed by the gunmen's actions.

"Everyone's disappointed in the community; they do the wrong thing," he said.

Inspector Dave Lagats said what police feared had become a reality after a string of recent shootings.

"Our greatest fears have now been reached ... an innocent person, a 13-year-old girl, has now become the victim of this type of senseless activity," he said.

Neighbours woken by the fracas thought they were hearing thunder or fireworks until the screaming began.

Father-of-three Sarn Pulefele lives two doors away on Sunnyholt Road and said he was woken by a loud bang.

"At first I thought it was thunder because I'd never heard guns before," Mr Pulefele told AAP.

"Then I got up and I could hear screaming. And then I realised someone's been shot."

A neighbour said police had been to the house before.

The latest incident comes after one man was killed and two were injured in shootings linked to Brothers 4 Life.

On Sunday, a 27-year-old man, named by media as suspected Brothers 4 Life gang member Michael Odisho, was found with multiple gunshot wounds at Winston Hills.

A man, believed to be the cousin of Brothers 4 Life boss Bassam Hamzy, was shot dead in Revesby a week ago and another man, Omar Ajaj, suffered multiple bullet wounds in the attack.

Police said it was too early to tell whether Monday's shooting was a revenge attack.

Mr Kaldas would not rule out that Hamzy might have influenced recent shootings from jail. He also refused to say whether the intended shooting target had been interviewed, or whether he was even at home during the attack.

However, Mr O'Farrell said a man had "fled out the back door" seconds before the shooting began.

The NSW opposition accused Mr O'Farrell of allowing gun crime to spiral out of control.


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Aung San Suu Kyi to visit Australia

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (R) will make her first visit to Australia this month. Source: AAP

AUNG San Suu Kyi will make her first visit to Australia in late November.

The Burmese opposition leader will attend public events in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne and meet members of the Burmese community from November 27 to December 2.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop first met Ms Suu Kyi in 1995 and said she was delighted to be able to welcome her to Australia.

"Australia has long been a staunch supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi's efforts to bring democracy to the Burmese people," she said in a statement on Tuesday.

Australia and other nations have been gradually easing their sanctions against Myanmar (Burma) as the country has allowed greater political and media freedoms in past few of years.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate accepted the invitation from former foreign minister Bob Carr back in June and remarked that she fondly remember growing up with the song Kookaburra Sat In The Old Gum Tree.

The former political prisoner won a parliamentary seat in April 2012 and she became opposition leader of the National League for Democracy.


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COAG report says reform pace is slowing

THE pace of reform to federal-state relations has slowed and needs new momentum to improve the economy and vital public services, a report says.

COAG Reform Council (CRC) chairman John Brumby on Wednesday released a report charting the progress of co-operation between federal, state and territory leaders from 2008 to 2013.

The CRC was set up to monitor the Council of Australian Government's reform agenda, especially the 2008 Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations (IGA).

In its broad findings, the five-year report card concluded: "The pace of reform under the IGA has slowed over time."

"COAG was successful in developing and agreeing an ambitious reform agenda.

"However, not enough focus was given to ... establishing the processes, responsibilities and accountabilities needed to successfully implement reforms."

The report recommended COAG should routinely meet at least twice a year, agree on a medium-term agenda and put in place meaningful indicators to track progress on agreements.

Federal, state and territory leaders should come to a new agreement on their "roles, responsibilities and accountabilities".

Lessons learned by governments in rolling out innovative policies and programs should be shared.

Examining specific policy areas, such as education, the national economy, health and indigenous disadvantage, the report found mixed progress over five years.

In education, there had been an improvement in reading in primary years and an increase in Year 12 attainment.

But the proportion of young people engaging in work or study after high school has dropped.

Indigenous employment and labour force participation has fallen over the past five years, while more indigenous children are attaining a Year 12 qualification.

The homelessness rate has risen from 45.2 per 10,000 to 48.9 per 10,000.

In terms of economic policy, productivity has fallen, while real income per capita has risen.

While there have been strong inroads in cutting the rate of cigarette smoking, the rate of adult obesity has risen.

The report found that in the education bureaucracy, as more agreements and partnerships were added over the past five years it had become "less clear which level of government was responsible for outcomes".

The health system was "fragmented with a complex division of funding responsibilities and performance accountabilities between different levels of government".

Only half of the targets set by the ambitious Closing the Gap indigenous strategy appeared likely to be met.

CRC chairman John Brumby will talk about the report in a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.


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Search scaled back for swimmer at Bondi

Written By Unknown on Senin, 04 November 2013 | 20.48

The search for a man feared drowned off Sydney's Bondi Beach has been suspended due to fading light. Source: AAP

THE search for a man feared drowned off Sydney's Bondi Beach has been suspended.

A man, believed to be in his 20s, went missing off Bondi Beach sometime after 5pm (AEDT) on Monday.

His disappearance sparked a search and rescue operation that included surf lifesavers, an ambulance helicopter and police.

But a police spokeswoman told AAP that the operation was suspended just before 8pm due to dangerous sea conditions and fading light.

There has been no sign of the man, she said.

Police will continue to patrol the beach on foot overnight, with the full search to resume at first light on Tuesday.

The man is believed to have gone swimming with another person when the pair found themselves in difficulty.

One of the swimmers was rescued but the man hasn't been seen since.


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'Illusion' distorts dentists' work: study

A new study has found dentists are drilling bigger holes than necessary when performing root canals. Source: AAP

AN optical illusion that can make the area of tooth decay appear larger tricks dentists into drilling bigger holes than necessary, a study has found.

An Australian visual perception expert teamed up with New Zealand dentistry researchers to determine whether visual illusions affect dental treatment.

The study, published in the journal Plos One, involved eight New Zealand dentists preparing 21 teeth for root canals by drilling cavities in each.

Professor Robert O'Shea, a psychology expert in visual perception from Southern Cross University, says all of the dentists drilled larger holes than necessary.

He said this was due to an optical illusion which makes a small enclosed area (the decay) appear larger when surrounded by a larger area (the tooth).

"We do not know if dentists are aware of this," Prof O'Shea said.

"The critical aspect for the illusion is the ratio between the size of the tooth and the size of the small area.

"We think that dentists think, either consciously or unconsciously, after they have made a hole of a particular size: 'That looks rather small - I need to make that hole bigger'."

Dental researcher Nicholas Chandler, an associate professor at New Zealand's University of Otago, says removing more of the tooth than required can lead to the tooth splitting or cracking.

Prof O'Shea says in light of the new research dentists should consider measuring the area that needs to be drilled, rather than relying on their eyes to determine how big the hole needs to be.

The study could be helpful to other healthcare providers, such as doctors, to ensure as much healthy tissue is saved as possible when carrying out treatment, he says.

"It is important for them to know that their eyes can deceive them into removing more healthy tissue than necessary," he said.


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Skype sex victim lashes out at Defence

The female army cadet at the centre of the Skype sex scandal is suing the Department of Defence. Source: AAP

A FEMALE army cadet secretly filmed having sex with a colleague claims Defence degraded her following the incident and hopes suing the department will force it to change its attitude towards women.

The woman known as Kate is taking legal action over the incident, in which a fellow army cadet filmed himself having sex with her on a webcam and streamed it live to friends in a nearby room.

Kate alleges Defence not only failed to support her but actively tried to discredit her name, including most seriously by leaking her personal medical records to the press.

"It was just yet another invasion of my privacy," she told ABC's 7:30 program on Monday.

"The only place that it could come from is the defence force."

Defence has vehemently denied the claims, with a spokesperson telling AAP the department never provided her medical information to the media.

"Defence has only provided records to official investigators, in accordance with the Privacy Act," Defence said in a statement.

"Defence has provided extensive support including logistics, medical, administrative and legal support to assist the member and will continue to do so."

The department said complaints from Officer Cadet Kate had been investigated with the highest priority and it had not yet received a legal claim.

But Kate is expected to take her complaint to the Human Rights Commission within days in a bid to seek compensation over the March 2011 incident.

Kate had entered a "friends with benefits" arrangement with fellow cadet Daniel McDonald, with rules including that no one should know about their sexual relationship.

She stipulated in advance the sex would remain secret but later learned another cadet Dylan Deblaquiere had streamed the act via Skype to a room of friends.

She said her privacy was invaded but Defence started degrading her further, with colleagues labelling her "that Skype slut" at every base she went to.

"It follows you everywhere you go," she said.

McDonald and Deblaquiere, both 21, were found guilty over the incident in an ACT Supreme Court and last month received 12-month good behaviour bonds.

Kate lashed out at the sentencing and urged the Department of Public Prosecution to appeal, saying it set a "scary example" and would deter other victims of sexual assault from coming forward.

She didn't regret speaking out about the incident, but was at "ground zero" after losing her career, health and livelihood.

Kate said she was about to be discharged from the army on medical grounds but hoped her legal case would spark cultural reform within the Australian Defence Force.

"It's about bringing about cultural change within the defence force and it's also about getting me the resources I need to start my life again," she said.

"When are we going to see victims better protected and supported?"


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Brooks 'told PA to move notebooks'

FORMER News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks instructed her personal assistant to remove seven boxes of notebooks from the company's archive that have "never been seen again", a UK jury has heard.

Brooks, 45, is accused of conspiring with Cheryl Carter to pervert the course of justice by taking the documents while the police were investigating allegations of phone hacking and payments to public officials.

Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC told jurors at the Old Bailey that the material, said to be Brooks' notebooks from 1995 to 2007, has never been recovered.

He told the nine women and three men: "Nothing like that has ever been recovered in the course of this inquiry."

Earlier the court was told that in 2011 the situation for News International became "more fevered" as the firm came under investigation by police after it handed over three emails linked to phone hacking and payment claims, and amid renewed media interest in the allegations.

"This was a huge business for News International and for her (Brooks)," Edis said.

"There were inquiries ongoing. At all times she was of course aware that there was a police inquiry, Operation Weeting, which had in fact started when News International handed over these three emails.

"So there was always a course of justice in existence that could be perverted by hiding evidence.

"Hiding evidence was not acceptable at any time that year.

"The atmosphere, we would suggest, became even more fevered as time went on."

He added: "You can imagine the extremely anxious, if not panic-stricken approach to what was going on."


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Gen Y have the best saving habits: survey

GENERATION Y have come out on top when it comes to saving money, with better saving habits than generation X and baby boomers.

When it comes to saving a regular amount every month, Gen Y are the best at it, with 29 per cent saving regularly compared with 19 per cent of baby boomers, according to the RaboDirect annual Savings and Debt Barometer.

Among those who save nothing at all - or even spend more than they earn - 24 per cent were baby boomers, compared with 11 per cent of Gen Ys.

"People often give Gen Y a bad rap when it comes to finances but we've been running this survey since 2009 and Gen Y tend to be a lot more savvy than people give them credit for," RaboDirect Australia executive general manager Greg McAweeney said.

"A deposit for a house is something they would be aspiring towards. It's still the great Australian dream to have your own property.

"Boomers have a different attitude - they're probably more focused on retirement strategies."

Internet savvy Gen Y are generally better at researching savings strategies and looking for a better deal than the boomers, who are less likely to switch banks for higher interest rates but are the best at budgeting and would be putting money toward superannuation rather than savings, Mr McAweeney said.

But there's a large gap between the superannuation many boomers have and the amount they need for retirement, he said.

"There's quite a large proportion of boomers - 29 per cent - who have not yet retired and think they will retire with a mortgage, which is an awful lot, nearly a third, which is a bit scary," Mr McAweeney said.

"Often they'll say: 'I'm going to use some of my superannuation to pay it off', which is the worst thing you can do."

Overall, Australians have become better at saving since the global financial crisis and have felt more optimistic about their finances this year than they did last year, Mr McAweeney said.

And those with healthy finances led healthier, happier lives.

"We do see a link between savings and happiness. Your financial health equates to your physical and mental wellbeing," he said.


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