Army chief wants more women in more forces

AUSTRALIA'S top soldier has encouraged militaries around the world to open up all areas of service to women as a way of changing their culture and helping end sexual violence.

ARMY Chief Lieutenant General David Morrison made the call at the closing session of a London summit focused on ending rape in war zones.

"Make all areas of military service open to women," he said in his written speech."It wipes away the barriers to achieving potential and sends a clarion call to all who serve that talent will prevail, not gender."Lt Gen Morrison encouraged militaries to appoint an independent statutory authority to review the treatment of women and members from ethnic minorities."The first step to reaching a solution is knowing you have a problem," he said."Know that once committed, there is no going back, but that the opportunities presented will make you more capable in every respect."The four-day global conference was organised by British Foreign Secretary William Hague and actor Angelina Jolie, who is a United Nations special envoy.They hope countries will back measures to help end the "culture of impunity" for wartime sex crimes.Lt Gen Morrison argued ending sexual violence couldn't happen without fundamental reforms to how all armies recruit, retain and employ women.Australia has lifted the restriction on women serving in combat roles with internal transfers opening in January 2013.Women recruits will be able to apply direct for combat units from 2016.The army chief in 2013 delivered a blunt online video message warning troops there was no place in his organisation for degrading behaviour towards women following yet another sex scandal.It became a YouTube hit with 1.5 million views.Lt Gen Morrison on Friday said the fact some militaries were changing their culture in order to become more capable was cause for hope."Armies that revel in their separateness from civil society, that value the male over the female, that use their imposed values to exclude those who don't fit the particular traits of the dominant group, who celebrate the violence that is integral to my profession rather than seeking ways to contain it - they do nothing to distinguish the soldier from the brute."

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Suspended MP Shaw apologises to Victorians

Suspended Victorian MP Geoff Shaw will be the main attraction at a comedy event on Friday night. Source: AAP

ROGUE MP Geoff Shaw has apologised to Victorians, despite saying he was "screwed by the parliament".

HEADLINING a comedy event at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre on Friday, Mr Shaw was asked if he would say sorry for misusing his parliamentary entitlements.

He was suspended on Wednesday night until September 2, ordered to apologise and repay more than $6800."To the people of Victoria, I am exceptionally sorry, and I apologise to parliament, and to you, good people of Victoria," Mr Shaw told comedian Sammy J.When asked what he thought of his suspension, he replied: "(I was) screwed by the parliament, wasn't I?"Mr Shaw said he "probably shouldn't have" done a radio interview where he said he would vote no confidence in the government.It led to an opposition push to expel him from parliament before the government suspended him."I don't know if I regret it but I didn't expect what came after," he said.Mr Shaw said Victorian premier Denis Napthine had suspended him despite "investigation after investigation" clearing him of wilfully misusing his car."Napthine didn't like that decision of the police, of the courts, he didn't like the ombudsman's report, he didn't like what the nine-member committee said."Mr Shaw also didn't back away from his pro-life position on abortion and the "sin" of homosexuality, which attracted some jeers from the crowd.He detailed his conversion to Christianity at 25 after he was healed of a knee injury at a church service.Earlier on Friday, Dr Napthine said Mr Shaw needed to have a "good look in the mirror", and should not wait until the end of his suspension to show the Victorian public he was sorry.Sammy J brought a mirror out on stage for Mr Shaw to look into - which he did before delivering his apology.He said he would look at the polls before deciding to re-contest the November state election.Mr Shaw finished the night with a surprisingly deft bagpipes performance.Earlier, Dr Napthine said he was waiting for a sign of contrition from the suspended independent MP."I have no plans to talk to the member for Frankston," Dr Napthine said."But I would say to the member for Frankston that he has been dealt the toughest penalty in the Victorian parliament's history for over 100 years - that should be a very, very serious lesson to the member for Frankston."Mr Shaw's suspension has left the Victorian government and opposition deadlocked on 43 votes apiece in the lower house, with the government requiring the Speaker's backing to pass legislation.

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Qld premier denies Facebook sacking

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has denied that a public servant was sacked for a Facebook post. Source: AAP

THE Queensland premier has denied a public servant was sacked for posting a Facebook message criticising the sacking of 14,000 government employees.

TROY Reeves began a six-week contract with Queensland Health on July 15 last year.

But his employment as a policy analyst at the Office of Chief Nursing was terminated two days later.Three days before starting his job, Mr Reeves had written a Facebook post criticising the government's first budget in 2012, which included mass retrenchments."There wouldn't be an unemployment problem in Brisbane if it wasn't for the fact that 14,000 sacked people are no longer spending the same amount of money in the economy," it said.The post was referred to Premier Campbell Newman's then media adviser Kylie Jacobson on Mr Reeves's second day in the job, right-to-information documents obtained by AAP show."What a f-wit," she wrote in an email to another media adviser for the premier, Kate Barwick.But a spokesman for Mr Newman said the correspondence between the two media advisers did not lead to Mr Reeves being sacked."Mr Reeves's termination is a matter for Queensland Health or the relevant department he was employed by," he told AAP."That had nothing to do with Kylie and Kate's email."Mr Reeves, a 35-year-old Masters graduate, was previously a Queensland Liberal Party member and Griffith University Liberal Club president.He has worked for Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss and Senator Ian Macdonald.

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US marshals to auction seized bitcoins

US authorities will auction off $US18 million in Bitcoins they seized from Silk Road. Source: AAP

THE US Marshals Service says it will auction about $US18 million in bitcoins seized last northern autumn from Silk Road, a website that was effectively the eBay of illegal drugs.

THE marshals said on Thursday that they will auction the virtual "coins", consisting of sets of numbers entered in an online public ledger, via the web on June 27.

Authorities say Silk Road generated more than $US1 billion ($A1.08 billion) in illicit business from January 2011 to October 2013, when alleged operator Ross William Ulbricht was arrested in a public library in San Francisco.Ulbricht has pleaded not guilty. The website took commissions in bitcoins, which are hard to track.The marshals are auctioning off 29,657 bitcoins in 10 blocks, which means buyers will need to pony up nearly $US1.8 million each.The Marshals Service is keeping another 144,342 bitcoins, worth about $US87 million at current rates, that were found on Ulbricht's computer. He's contesting their forfeiture.

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Expert questions rushing woman's syndrome

A mental health expert has dismissed a medical condition that Lisa Curry says wrecked her marriage. Source: AAP

A MENTAL health expert has dismissed the "medical condition" that Lisa Curry says played a role in her break-up with Grant Kenny.

IN an interview with A Current Affair, the former swimming star says she suffered from "rushing woman's syndrome", which created tension in her marriage by turning her into "an absolute bitch".

"I had days where I felt completely out of control," she told the Nine Network program on Thursday night."I was moody, I would cry for no reason, I wanted to kill the world."The 52-year-old said she was able to treat the condition with a "natural" hormone treatment, which she is endorsing as part of her 10-week online weight-loss program.Rushing woman's syndrome is the subject of a book by Sydney-based biochemist and "holistic nutrition specialist" Libby Weaver.Weaver says the syndrome can cause hormonal imbalances that are making women depressed, overweight and in some cases infertile.According to her website, women who want to benefit from the "Dr Libby method" can arrange a 90-minute consultation with her for $600.A search of the medical literature by AAP failed to find any published reference to the disorder.Psychologist Dr Janine Clarke of the Black Dog Institute said it was not a recognised condition and described the hormonal explanation as simplistic and undermining."There's no such diagnosis," she told AAP."There are vulnerable people who are willing to pay almost anything for an answer."But they should talk to someone close to them if they can. Or they can also see a GP, who might refer them to a mental health professional as opposed to a biochemistry expert."The syndrome was also ridiculed on Twitter."Rushing Woman's Syndrome....really? I'm sure these 'news' articles will help sell a certain book," one user tweeted.Former ironman Grant Kenny split from Curry in 2009 and is dating TV personality Fifi Box.

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Rik Mayall post-mortem inconclusive

A post-mortem examination may shed light on how British comic Rik Mayall died at the age of 56. Source: AAP

A POST-MORTEM into the death of British comic Rik Mayall has proved inconclusive, West London Coroner's Court says.

MORE tests will now be carried out in an attempt to determine how the 56-year-old star died.

Mayall, who shot to fame playing poetry-writing anarchist Rick in The Young Ones, was found dead at his London home on Monday.Police say the death is not believed to be suspicious.Mayall's career, which also included roles such as Lord Flashheart in Blackadder and the conniving Conservative MP Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman, stretched back to the start of the alternative comedy scene.Fans of the star have launched a campaign to send his failed football song, Noble England, into the charts in his memory.The track, which he recorded for the 2010 World Cup when it failed to chart, jumped 27 places overnight according to data from the Official Charts Company and is now just outside the top 10 at number 11.Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot said: "Rik Mayall's death this week was a shock to a whole generation of comedy fans - and their reaction in pushing his 2010 single is a reflection of how much he was loved.Mayall, who leaves wife Barbara and three children, Rosie, Sidney and Bonnie, survived an almost-fatal quad bike accident in 1998 which left him in a coma for several days.

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Islamabad condemns US drone strikes

PAKISTAN has condemned the first US drone strikes on its soil this year despite suspicions the two countries coordinated over the attack in the aftermath of a Taliban siege of Karachi airport.

THE strikes took place over Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, killing at least 16 militants in the North Waziristan tribal district that lies on the Afghan border, in the first such attacks since December.

They came in the same week as the Taliban claimed responsibility for an all-night siege of Karachi airport that left 37 dead including 10 attackers, shredding a nascent peace process and placing pressure on Islamabad to react decisively.The foreign office issued a tersely worded statement condemning the strikes as "a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity"."Additionally, these strikes have a negative impact on the government's efforts to bring peace and stability in Pakistan and the region," the statement said.A foreign office spokeswoman told AFP that rumours of Pakistan requesting the attack were "speculation".But a senior retired diplomat who is familiar with tribal affairs told AFP: "The government must have consented to this attack. It could not have happened without that."Washington reportedly suspended its drone program in December to give Islamabad time to pursue a dialogue process with the TTP aimed at ending a seven year insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives.The dialogue resulted in a month-long ceasefire between March and April but later broke down, with Pakistan resuming air strikes in suspected militant hideouts in the tribal areas.Following the breakdown of the talks and the Karachi attack, observers believe both civil and military authorities are converging on the need for more concerted action.Leaked documents have shown deep cooperation over drone attacks in the past, but they remain controversial with critics charging they cause many civilian casualties.Some 2171 people have been killed in drone attacks since August 2008, according to an AFP tally.The latest US drone strikes took place within hours of each other.The first struck a vehicle and a compound in the village of Dargah Mandi in North Waziristan, where almost 60,000 residents have fled since May fearing a long-rumoured offensive.An intelligence official in Miranshah, the region's main town, said the missiles had struck a pick-up truck carrying about six militants and laden with explosives.The second strike came early Thursday at the same site as militants gathered to dig out the bodies of their fallen comrades at the site of the earlier attack, a local security official said.

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'Knock-about bloke' Qld's top judge

TIM Carmody is criticised for being inexperienced and too close to the government to be Queensland's top judge, but has stared down the naysayers.

HE was promoted from chief magistrate to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on Thursday, despite never serving in the court.

Attorney-general Jarrod Bleijie had a similar meteoric rise when appointed the state's top law officer after serving as an articled clerk and solicitor.Judge Carmody, QC, who was recruited as chief magistrate from the bar nine months ago, said he couldn't ignore the criticisms and acknowledged it was something the community would be worried about.He vowed to be a fiercely independent leader."If my views happen to coincide with the government's views that's pure coincidence," he said."There will be many times when I disagree with the government's position."In the end it (the criticism) was wrong. I can do this job, I will do this job, and I shouldn't not do this job because someone else says I shouldn't."Premier Campbell Newman described Mr Carmody as a self-made man and knock-about bloke, who once lived in housing commission in Inala, west of Brisbane."We need somebody who has a fine legal mind, who Queenslanders can relate to, who gets where they are coming from," Mr Newman said."He got to this day the hard way, through the sweat of his brow."He'll inspire Queenslanders because they will see they can do as he has done."But most of all we need a leader, to lead the entire legal system for the next decade and beyond."Several lawyers, including former Crown Solicitor Walter Sofronoff QC and former Supreme Court judge Richard Chesterman QC, have raised concerns about Judge Carmody's inexperience, lack of peer support and perceived closeness to the government, especially over anti-bikie legislation.Tony Fitzgerald said the appointment of Judge Carmody, who served as the counsel assisting his 1980s corruption inquiry, could damage public perception of the courts."People whose ambition exceeds their ability aren't all that unusual," he told AAP on Thursday."However, it's deeply troubling that the megalomaniacs currently holding power in Queensland are prepared to damage even fundamental institutions like the Supreme Court and cast doubt on fundamental principles like the independence of the judiciary."After serving on the Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption, Judge Carmody became special prosecutor of official corruption arising from the landmark inquiry.From 1998 to 2002 he was Queensland's Crime Commissioner and was appointed a Judge of the Family Court in 2003, before returning to private practice in 2008.Before his appointment as District Court Judge and Chief Magistrate in September 2013, he served as Chairman of the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry.He'll replace Supreme Court chief justice Paul de Jersey, who becomes Governor next month.

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Abbott to press Obama for TPP

AUSTRALIA will seek American support to wrap up talks on an Asia-Pacific free trade zone when Prime Minister Tony Abbott meets with US President Barack Obama.

MR Abbott was due to meet with Mr Obama at the White House at noon on Thursday (0200 AEST), on the second-last leg of his North American visit.

Australian trade officials are quietly confident the Trans-Pacific Partnership - a 12-nation agreement to boost trade in the region - can be concluded by the end of 2015, given that 80 per cent of it has been agreed.In the meeting, in which Mr Abbott will present the president with a hand-made surfboard bearing the presidential seal, he will emphasise Australia's commitment to the alliance as well as boosting trade and investment.The US is Australia's number one source of investment, number one destination for investment abroad and its third largest two-way trading partnerCountries involved in the TPP represent a trading area of almost 800 million people with GDP worth over $27 trillion.A White House spokesman said the TPP would be on the agenda, as well as Australia's leadership of the G20, Afghanistan, and the rotation of US Marines through Darwin.Security and stability of the Asia-Pacific, Syria, Russia's actions in Ukraine and North Korea would also be discussed.Mr Abbott spent his first day in Washington DC in a round of meetings made more hectic by chaos in the Republican Party.The party was dealing with the fallout from Eric Cantor's loss of preselection in Virginia and his stepping down as House majority leader - the second most powerful position in his party.Mr Abbott held four meetings, the first of which was with House Speaker John Boehner who said Republicans broadly supported the TPP.The second meeting involved senior Democratic Party leadership.Foreign relations committee members were keen to pursue how Australia reached its free trade agreement with Japan.A fourth meeting involved about 10 senators from both parties who were interested in China and Australia's intelligence services.Some of the senators expressed regret about the scandal caused by the Edward Snowden security document leaks.It is understood he told the senators - as well as senior national security chiefs he met with later - that countries involved in the so-called "five eyes" intelligence partnership should never apologise for doing what is needed to protect allies and the national interest.Mr Abbott also met with International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde.The prime minister will tell a business breakfast in Washington that Australia has managed to be a good friend to China while also a strong ally of the US.

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US-China relations vital for world: Abbott

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says the US-China relationship is the most vital for the world's future.

MR Abbott told a US Chamber of Commerce breakfast in Washington DC on Thursday that Australia had balanced being a good friend to China while also being the strongest possible ally of the US.

He said Australian prime ministers and ministers had been able to manage relations with China while at the same time doing such things as meeting with the Dalai Lama, visiting Taiwan, and protesting against China's unilateral declaration of an air defence identification zone over territory that Japan administers.Mr Abbott encouraged Americans to admire the success of China in its economic expansion which had delivered the "greatest and the quickest advance in human welfare of all time"."The relationship between America and China is worth all the effort that both countries are putting into it because no relationship is more vital for the world's future," Mr Abbott said.He said the rise of China was "not without its deep complications for regional stability"."But, so far, it has undeniably and indisputably been good for the world."Mr Abbott has been asked in a series of meetings with US congressional leadership how Australia achieved its recent Japan and Korea free trade agreements."I suspect regional 'mateship' was at least a subliminal factor in reaching our FTA with Japan and Korea," he said.Mr Abbott will later meet with US President Barack Obama at the White House.

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