Holiday toll rises to 21

Three more people have died on Australian roads, taking the Christmas holiday road toll to 21. Source: AAP

A HORROR NSW car crash that claimed the life of a young girl and injured five others is one of three fatal smashes that has lifted the Christmas holiday road death toll to 21.

The young girl died at the scene of the single-vehicle crash that occurred about 50 kilometres south of Cessnock on George Downes Drive, Bucketty, shortly before 1pm (AEDT) Monday.

Police said a woman in her 30s, believed to be the driver, and another young girl suffering a serious head injury were airlifted to hospital.

Three other people were treated at the scene for abrasions and minor injuries then airlifted to Westmead Hospital by a second rescue helicopter, NSW Ambulance said.

The young girl's death takes the NSW road toll to seven.

In the second fatal crash on Monday, a Melbourne motorcyclist died after he collided with a car in the city's west.

The Maribyrnong man, aged in his 30s, collided with a Ford Falcon as the sedan turned into Bunbury Street at Footscray late on Saturday night.

He died at the scene.

The Ford driver, a 36-year-old Wyndham Vale man, is assisting police with their inquiries.

The motorcyclist is the third person to die on Victorian roads during the holiday period.

In Perth, a 51-year-old woman who was hit by a car on Christmas Eve died in hospital this evening.

Astrid Hall was struck on Roe Highway in Beckenham, in Perth's south-east, on December 24 and died at Royal Perth Hospital on Sunday as a result of her injuries, police said.

Three people have now died on WA roads over the holiday period.

The national road toll period runs from midnight December 23, 2013 until midnight January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Perth gets ready for NYE parties

An extra 1000 police officers will be on the streets on New Year's Eve in Perth. Source: AAP

LIVE music, fancy-dress parties and fireworks are on offer in Perth for New Year's Eve, but police are warning revellers to act responsibly.

An extra 1000 police will be on the streets on New Year's Eve, to clamp down on rowdy or anti-social behaviour and drink-drivers.

Assistant Commissioner Gary Dreibergs said with so many people expected in Perth's entertainment precincts, people should look out for their mates and plan their trip home before they go out.

"To put it simply, respect yourself, and respect others," he said.

"All too often we see minor matters escalate into serious incidents because someone who has consumed too much alcohol isn't able to make the right decision to step away from a minor disagreement or other trivial occurrence, such as being bumped by someone else."

Police have also warned people not to hire drivers who are advertising their taxi services online illegally.

Family entertainment in Perth includes fireworks in Mandurah and Rockingham, and a party at Perth Zoo with live music.

On New Year's Day, about 35,000 people are expected to attend the Perth Cup at Ascot Racecourse.

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

NSW workers comp changes for 2014

Controversial changes to workers comp laws are among many new laws to take effect in NSW next year. Source: AAP

INJURED workers and children attending childcare will be among the winners and losers at the start of 2014, as new laws kick in across NSW.

Among the raft of new legislation to come into effect on January 1 are controversial changes to workers compensation introduced by the O'Farrell government to rein in a $4 billion budget blowout.

Up to 20,000 injured workers across the state who need ongoing medical treatment will lose out in 2014 due to the changes, the Law Society of NSW says.

"For example a worker with an amputation injury who has, up until now, been having their artificial limbs replaced by the insurer will now lose this entitlement," President John Dobson said.

Meanwhile kids will no longer be able to enrol into a childcare facility unless their parent or guardian provides an immunisation record.

Parents or guardians reluctant to vaccinate on religious or other grounds or due to medical conditions will also have to produce documentation.

"No longer will it be at the discretion of child care operators to accept or deny children who aren't immunised," Health Minister Jillian Skinner said in a statement.

"By law these operators will be unable to do so and should they do so they can be fined."

People looking to swap the city for the country air will be some of the winners in the new year with a number of grants rolling out.

From Wednesday a move to regional NSW for full-time employment will see eligible people pocket $10,000.

An existing $7000 grant to city homeowners purchasing properties in regional areas will be extended to include long-term renters in metropolitan Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong who make the country change from January 1.

"This is about attracting much-needed skills to our regions and developing sustainable and more vibrant regional communities," Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said.

Meanwhile the tax free threshold for land tax will increase from $406,000 to $412,000.

For those into combat sports, such as boxing, cage fighting and Ultimate Fighting, stronger health and safety requirements will come into effect, including that combatants comply with protective clothing or equipment.

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal will also commence in 2014.

The tribunal is billed as a one-stop shop for 22 state tribunals, which the government says "will improve their quality, consistency and transparency".

"NCAT enables these services to exist as a network, rather than in isolation, which will improve their quality, consistency and transparency," acting Justice Minister Michael Gallacher said in a statement.

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cyclone impacting WA's north coast

Residents in and near Port Hedland have been told to take shelter as Cyclone Christine intensifies. Source: AAP

A RED alert remains in place for communities from Pardoo to Mardie in the Pilbara as tropical cyclone Christine starts to impact the region.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said the alert was current at 6.10pm (WST) for communities including Port Hedland, South Hedland, Whim Creek, Roebourne, Point Samson, Wickham, Karratha and Dampier.

"There is a threat to lives and homes." DFES said in a statement. "You are in danger and need to act immediately."

It urged residents in affected areas to "get ready to move to the strongest, safest part of your house".

"Keep your emergency kit with you. Stay away from doors and windows, and keep them closed. Stay indoors until the all-clear is given by authorities," DFES added.

It said relocation points had been set up at the JD Hardie Centre at Port Hedland, Karratha Leisureplex at Karratha, Civic Centre at Marble Bar, high school gym at Tom Price, and Ashburton Hall at Paraburdoo.

A yellow alert is current for people in or near Marble Bar, Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Pannawonica.

A blue alert has been issued for coastal areas between Wallal and Pardoo, between Mardie and Onslow, the inland area from Marble Bar to Newman, and between the Collier Ranges and Three Rivers.

In its latest update, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said the category-three cyclone was 75kms northwest of Port Hedland and 155kms northeast of Karratha.

It's moving towards the Pilbara coast at 16km/h, the bureau advised.

BoM said the "very destructive inner core" of the system "has begun to impact the coast between Port Hedland and Whim Creek".

It said Port Hedland was currently experiencing destructive wind gusts of up to 130km/h.

The bureau expected Christine to track south southwest, with the system's centre likely to cross the coast close to Whim Creek by about midnight.

BoM warns that winds of more than 200km/h are likely near the centre as the cyclone crosses the coast.

Winds of more than 130km/h are expected in the Karratha and Dampier region later Monday night and are forecast to hit Tom Price at 8am (WST) Tuesday.

BoM says gale-force winds up to 120km/h are currently occurring between Wallal and Roebourne, and should hit Karratha Monday night.

Coastal communities between Pardoo and Wickham including Port Hedland are also being warned about the potential for a for a "very dangerous storm tide tonight".

Heavy rainfall is expected near where the cyclone is tracking, and flood warnings have been issued for the Pilbara.

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Councils, kids and cattle see 2014 changes

BUSH communities across the Northern Territory will have more say as the government begins dismantling large councils in favour of more local representation.

From January 1, the Minister for Local Government will be granted far-ranging powers in terms of local government, such as being able to abolish or constitute a council, to suspend council members, and to call, cancel, defer or suspend an election.

Minister Dave Tollner has already announced the splitting of the Victoria Daly Shire Council southwest of Darwin into two separate bodies, with a new regional council to be set up in the Wadeye and Peppimenarti area by July.

The Act will reverse some of the "disastrous" decisions the previous Labor government made in relation to local government in remote communities, Attorney-General John Elferink told AAP.

"(They) allowed bureaucracy to get in the way of service delivery ... in the process they disenfranchised the people who were governed, and that cost them dearly in the bush."

Meanwhile, the NT's child protection system will also be more accountable than it has ever been, he said.

A Children's Commissioner Act was passed to enable a transparent child protection system, with an independent commissioner who can investigate service providers that fail to support vulnerable children, and monitor the government's implementation of decisions arising from inquiries into child protection.

Previously the commissioner's legislative existence was the product of the same act that governed child protection, Mr Elferink said.

Also from January 1, farmers will be able to obtain 30-year permits to diversify income streams on land held under pastoral lease tenure.

This includes producers reliant on the live export trade who face significantly reduced income.

And from the first day of the new year the Petroleum Act will be amended to the greatest extent since 1982 to attract greater exploration interest in the NT, said Minister for Mines and Energy Willem Westra van Holthe.

It will allow the controlled release of vacant land, and allow the government to accept multiple applications for exploration permits, as the NT pursues the oil and gas exploration industry.

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Suicide bomber kills 13 in Russia's south

A female suicide bomber set off a blast in a train station in Russia killing at least 13 people. Source: AAP

AT least 13 people have been killed and scores wounded by a suicide bomber at a railway station in southern Russia, officials said.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee said the explosion on Sunday at the central railway station in the city of Volgograd was set off by a suicide bomber, heightening concerns about terrorism ahead of February's Olympics in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the nation's top investigative agency, the Investigative Committee, said at least 13 people died in the blast.

Russia's Health Ministry said about 50 people were injured.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack, but it came months after Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov called for attacks against civilian targets in Russia, including the Sochi Games.

Suicide bombings and other attacks linked to Islamic rebels have rocked Russia for years.

In October, a female suicide bomber blew herself up on a city bus in Volgograd, killing six people and injuring about 30.

Officials said the attacker came from the province of Dagestan, which has become the centre of an Islamist insurgency that has spread across the region after two separatist wars in Chechnya.

Russian state television reported that Sunday's explosion occurred at the security gate at the station's entrance.

Footage from a security camera facing the station that was broadcast by Rossiya 24 television showed the moment of explosion: a bright orange flash inside the station behind the main gate followed by plumes of smoke.

The television showed a line-up of ambulances outside the station and motionless bodies placed on the pavement.

The blast closely followed another attack on Friday in Pyatigorsk in the North Caucasus mountains, when a car rigged with explosives blew up on a street in the city, the centre of a federal administrative district intended to stabilise the North Caucasus region.

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cyclone accelerates towards WA coast

A category two cyclone off the Western Australian Kimberley coast is expected to intensify. Source: AAP

A CATEGORY two cyclone off Western Australia's Kimberley coast is picking up speed as it heads towards the Pilbara.

Tropical Cyclone Christine was 295 kilometres off Broome at 5pm (WST) on Sunday and was moving towards the Pilbara coast about 13 kilometres an hour, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said.

Earlier in the day BoM tracked the cyclone at 10km/h.

The bureau says the cyclone is expected to intensify as it moves towards the coast.

It has issued a cyclone warning for coastal areas from Cape Leveque to Mardie, including Broome, Port Hedland and Karratha, and extending inland to Marble Bar.

BoM forecasts the cyclone to bring heavy rainfall and gales of up to 100km/h south of Cape Leveque later on Sunday.

Gales are expected to extend west along the Pilbara coast to Whim Creek late on Sunday or Monday morning as the cyclone approaches.

The bureau said the cyclone could on Monday bring "very destructive" gales and heavy rainfall to Mardie and possibly as far west as Exmouth, with winds possibly reaching 165km/h.

Coastal communities between Pardoo and Mardie have been warned of the potential for a dangerous storm tide late on Monday or early on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, BoM says severe thunderstorms have hit Queensland's southeast around Gympie, Pomona and Amamoor.

The thunderstorms are moving northeast and are forecast to hit the area northwest of Noosa Heads and the region east of Gympie and Lake Cooloola.

Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely, the bureau says.

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Times Square preps for New Year's Eve bash

New York City's Times Square is getting ready for New Year's Eve celebrations on Tuesday night. Source: AAP

NEW York City's Times Square is getting ready for New Year's Eve.

The square will host millions on Tuesday night counting down the last few moments of 2013.

Starting on Saturday, six Citibikes from the city's bike share program were being installed in Times Square and connected to 12-volt deep cycle batteries.

New Yorkers and tourists will generate power by pedalling. That will help illuminate the famed ball that will descend New Year's Eve.

Each bike will generate an average of 75 watts an hour. It takes 50,000 watts to power the ball, which is lit by 30,000 LEDs.

Additionally, a giant paper shredder and a dumpster were installed in Times Square on Saturday to allow visitors to destroy bad memories of 2013.

The annual event is dubbed Good Riddance Day.

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Winds flaming north coast bushfire

AN out-of-control bushfire threatening homes on the state's north coast is being pushed north by strong winds, the Rural Fire Service (RFS) says.

At 9.26pm (AEDT), the RFS said the blaze was burning near the corner of Byron Bay Road and Bundaleer Road in the Lennox Head area.

It is covering about 100 hectares of bush and is expected to impact properties in the area.

The RFS says about 12 properties are now threatened by the fire.

Thirty firefighters are at the scene.

Earlier, the RFS had advised the fire had been burning further south near Byron Bay Road and Tobin Close.

It said the fire would be "uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast-moving".

"Embers will be blown ahead of the fire, creating spot fires that will move quickly and in different directions," the RFS said on its website.

It said spot fires could threaten homes earlier than a main fire front.

RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd told AAP the fire was burning in heathland in the area.

"It burns very quickly and very hot, and will create huge flame heights," he said.

He said the fire was being pushed quickly towards the threatened homes.

"They'll probably come under threat within the hour," he said.

He said conditions were expected to ease later on Sunday night "as the southerly (wind) starts to die".

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drive-by shooting and bomb in Iraq kill 6

A DRIVE-BY shooting and a bomb in Iraq have killed at least six people.

Police say gunmen in a speeding car opened fire on Sunday at a check point run by anti-al-Qaeda, pro-government Sunni militiamen in Baghdad's western suburb of Abu Ghraib, killing four and wounding three.

The Sunni militia, known as the Awakening Council, was formed by the US forces during the height of the insurgency. They are seen as traitors by al-Qaeda local branch and other militant groups.

The officer added that two civilians were killed and eight wounded when a bomb exploded in an outdoor market in the capital's western Jihad neighbourhood.

Medical officials have confirmed the figures.

20.47 | 0 komentar | Read More