Jailed Greenpeace activist clings to hope

A BRITISH environmental campaigner facing 15 years in a Russian jail for alleged piracy says she is "trying very, very hard not to lose hope".

Greenpeace activist Alexandra Harris has been denied bail following a month in prison for her part in a protest against oil company Gazprom's platform in the Arctic's Pechora Sea.

She is one of the 30 people detained when armed Russian officials boarded their vessel, the Arctic Sunrise, last month.

Those arrested include citizens of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, Finland, France, Sweden, Poland, Turkey and Ukraine and the US.

In a handwritten letter to her parents, the 27-year-old said: "I'm worried about what's going to happen.

"I have moments of feeling panicky but then I try to tell myself there's nothing I can do from in here and what will be will be so it's pointless worrying.

"But it's hard. Surely my future isn't rotting in a prison in Murmansk?! Well, I really hope it isn't."

Appearing in court for her bail hearing on Friday, Harris protested her innocence and said she was proud of Greenpeace's "non-violent, peaceful efforts" to stop oil drilling in the Arctic.

"The only thing that happened was a peaceful protest and I believe the footage and Greenpeace's long history can demonstrate this," she said.

"I'd also like to say that the protest was not directed at Russia - it was solely about Arctic oil and the threat it poses to the climate and the Arctic environment."

Greenpeace says it will not be "daunted" by the piracy charges the environmental campaigners are facing, as supporters held a candlelight vigil in London to mark their 30th day in prison.

The "Arctic 30" and their boat were taken from waters near the port of Murmansk on September 19 after two of them tried to board the rig.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Opera House gets price tag for birthday

The economic, cultural and digital value of the Sydney Opera House works out at $4.6 billion. Source: AAP

IT'S a priceless national icon, but a new report has put a figure on what the Sydney Opera House means to Australia.

The tourist magnet is worth $4.6 billion - or about $200 per citizen - to the Australian public, according to Deloitte.

Ticket sales, iconic status, digital presence and the unique design were all quantified to come up with the value.

"We all know in our bones how important it is,", Sydney Opera House chief executive Louise Herron said.

"(But) here is the number - this is what we're worth, don't take us for granted."

By putting a price tag on the venue, management can make a stronger case for government funding for upkeep, she said.

"We have this 40-year-old thing which is magnificent, but absolutely needs to be renovated," she said.

Commissioned ahead of the building's 40th anniversary, the report also found the Opera House injects roughly $775 million into the national economy annually.

Jorn Utzon's famed creation rates higher than the national identity on a marketing index of brand esteem, the report says.

"It's slightly counterintuitive that Australia would have as it's symbol a work of art, but we do," Ms Herron said.

Looking ahead, the Opera House is hoping to grow its online presence and digital audience with blogs, live-streaming and social media.

But for now the focus is on birthday festivities, including an anniversary concert on October 20 attended by Danish royals Mary and Frederik.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

US releasing $US1.6bn in Pakistan aid

THE US has quietly decided to release more than $US1.6 billion ($A1.66 billion) in military and economic aid to Pakistan that was suspended when relations between the two countries disintegrated over the covert raid that killed Osama bin Laden and deadly US airstrikes against Pakistani soldiers.

Officials and congressional aides say ties have improved enough to allow the money to flow again.

American and NATO supply routes to Afghanistan are open. Controversial US drone strikes are down. The US and Pakistan recently announced the restart of their "strategic dialogue" after a long pause. Pakistan's new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, is travelling to Washington for talks this coming week with President Barack Obama.

But in a summer dominated by foreign policy debates over the coup in Egypt and chemical weapons attacks in Syria, the US hasn't promoted its revamped aid relationship with Pakistan. Neither has Pakistan.

The silence reflects the lingering mutual suspicions between the two.

The Pakistanis do not like being seen as dependent on their heavy-handed partners. The Americans are uncomfortable highlighting the billions provided to a government that is plagued by corruption and perceived as often duplicitous in fighting terrorism.

Congress has cleared most of the money, which should start moving early next year, officials and congressional aides say.

Over three weeks in July and August, the State Department and the US Agency for International Development informed Congress that it planned to restart a wide range of assistance, mostly dedicated to helping Pakistan fight terrorism.

The US sees that effort sees as essential as it withdraws troops from neighbouring Afghanistan next year and tries to leave a stable government behind.

Other funds focus on a range of items, including help for Pakistani law enforcement and a multibillion-dollar dam in disputed territory.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Temperatures to rise across NSW on weekend

AFTER bringing several large fires in NSW under control, firefighters face a tough weekend with temperatures across the state predicted to rise.

The fires in NSW have left one man dead and authorities warn that hundreds of homes have been lost.

More than 1500 firefighters were on the ground across the state on Friday as more than 90 fires scorched through 91,000 hectares and destroyed at least 80 homes.

The Rural Fire Service listed six fires as watch and act on Friday night, with no emergency warnings in place.

Crews worked to build and strengthen containment lines on Friday evening, ahead of the predicted warm and dry weather on the weekend.

On Friday the mercury sat in the low 20s in most of the state and while it's predicted to climb by a few degrees on Saturday, parts of the state will be in the low 30s on Sunday, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told AAP.

"On Saturday the fire danger is becoming slightly higher," the BoM spokesman said.

Fortunately the 102km/h winds that fanned flames on Thursday won't be back, with the strongest breeze expected to blow at 30km/h on the NSW south coast.

Conditions on Sunday are expected to worsen, becoming drier with temperatures in the low 30s but the winds aren't predicted to pick up.

Meteorologists believe no rain will fall over the weekend but showers could develop along the Victorian border on Monday.

From Wednesday light showers are predicted for the central and southern coasts.

Cloud is expected to form early next week, which would drop temperatures and increase the chance of rain, the BoM spokesman said.

"Cloud is good, always good," he said.

"It's favourable for firefighting."

23.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Duchess hits volleyball court in heels

THE Duchess of Cambridge has been praised for her prowess on the volleyball court - as well as her trim waistline.

Kate ran around in five-inch high heels making passes and hitting balls over the net as she visited London's former Olympic Park on Friday to see how the Olympians and Paralympians are being helped by one of her charities.

The extra inches of the black cork wedges may have given the duchess a height advantage but she made the most of it as she leapt to reach balls.

Kate's impromptu workout came as toured the copper box arena to learn about athlete workshops run by SportsAid.

As the Duchess jumped up to push the ball over the net, her striped top flew up to reveal a perfectly flat stomach.

Her son, Prince George, was born just over three months ago but she has already been able to shed the weight that most mothers put on during pregnancy.

Tim Lawler, chief executive of SportsAid, said: "I'm no volleyball expert but I thought she did great. She showed good skills and hand-eye co-ordination."

He added, joking, that his patron, who was attending her first public SportsAid event, realised she would have to change her footwear for the next visit: "She said 'I must remember to bring my trainers next time - this is great fun'."

23.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cat carries marijuana into Moldova jail

A CAT has been busted for smuggling pot into a prison in Moldova.

Guards became suspicious about the feline, which routinely entered and left the prison through a hole in a fence, when they noticed its odd collar.

On closer inspection, they found two packets of marijuana attached to it.

The Department of Penitentiary Institutions said on Friday that someone in the village of Pruncul was using the cat as a courier to supply inmates with dope at the local prison.

Whoever the human was, this wasn't a first regarding cat couriers at lockups.

In June, guards caught a cat carrying cellphones and chargers taped to its belly to inmates in Penal Colony No 1 near the city of Syktyvkar in northern Russia.

23.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

New evidence in Chris Lane US murder

ONE of the Oklahoma teenagers accused of murdering Australian baseball player Chris Lane may have accidentally downloaded evidence from his mobile phone to a prosecutor's computer.

James Edwards, 16, attended the Duncan, Oklahoma, courthouse for a scheduled appointment just 30 minutes after the Lane was shot dead while jogging on August 16.

According to new search warrants obtained by Oklahoma TV station News9, during the courthouse appointment Edwards allegedly used a USB cord attached to a prosecutor's computer to charge his phone.

Photos from the phone were allegedly backed up on the computer.

A search warrant shows a state computer containing a folder labelled "James Edwards Pics" has since been taken into evidence.

During that August 16 court appointment, Edwards spoke to a juvenile affairs representative and told him "there was a shooting" and that he was "getting text messages from people asking if he done it".

Edwards, who was 15 at the time of Lane's killing, and Chancey Luna, 16, are charged with Lane's murder.

Michael Jones, 17, was charged with accessory to first-degree murder after the fact and use of a vehicle in discharge of a weapon.

Jones allegedly told police Lane was shot because the boys were bored.

Investigators believe the suspects talked about the crime via text messages, emails and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

In the last two months, search warrants were also issued for the suspects' cell phones, a video recorder and media storage card found in the alleged getaway car.

An investigator, according to warrants, indicated video evidence could be found on the devices.

Search warrants show investigators collectively pulled more than five MB of electronic data from the twitter accounts belonging to alleged shooter Luna and Edwards.

23.47 | 0 komentar | Read More

Appeal for UK Savile cop to come forward

A FORMER UK police officer who anonymously told journalists that he caught Jimmy Savile trying to seduce an underage girl in 1965 has been urged to come forward and speak to investigators.

The ex-Leeds Pc spoke to the Daily Mirror and the BBC under the pseudonym Paul Leonard, claiming that Savile was found parked in a lay-by with a young girl in his Rolls Royce.

He told the newspaper that the disgraced DJ said he was waiting for midnight when the girl turned 16, and threatened: "If you want to keep your job I suggest you get on your bike and f-off."

Today West Yorkshire Police appealed for the man to speak to them about the incident.

The force released a statement that said: "West Yorkshire Police are appealing for a man who spoke to the media yesterday in relation to the Jimmy Savile case to get in touch.

Previous appeals have been made for witnesses with information about Savile to come forward, but the force said they do not believe that he has made contact before.

The statement went on: "To our knowledge, Mr Leonard was not one of those who made contact. Given that Paul Leonard used a pseudonym, a false name, in his media interviews his identity or the content of what he says is very difficult to verify.

"We are however keen to speak to 'Mr Leonard' in order that this can be investigated thoroughly."

The former officer told the Daily Mirror that he had been warned off pursuing the incident by a more senior officer.

He claimed that a sergeant had said: "Shut up, son, he's got friends in high places. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave it there."

The officer told the newspaper: "There wasn't a copper in Leeds who didn't know Savile was a pervert. But he was so well-connected. He was like a superstar."

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drug offers hope for pancreas cancer

A BREAST cancer drug can double two-year survival rates of patients with pancreatic cancer, trial results have shown.

Nab-paclitaxel, marketed as Abraxane, also increased the proportion of patients still alive after one year by 59 per cent.

It is already approved for women with spreading breast cancer who have run out of other options.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, killing 80 per cent of patients within a year.

The disease claimed the life of Hollywood star Patrick Swayze.

Data from the MPACT (Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Clinical Trial) study showed significant improvements when patients were treated with Abraxane in combination with standard chemotherapy.

Average survival increased from 6.7 months to 8.5 months. One year survival rates rose from 22 per cent to 35 per cent and at two years they doubled from 4 per cent to 9 per cent.

The results are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Today's news represents a major step-forward in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer," said consultant oncologist Dr Harpreet Wasan, from Hammersmith Hospital in London, who runs a pancreatic cancer research program.

"The prognosis for these patients is exceptionally poor and, unlike many other cancers, current treatment options are limited. Based on this data, nab-paclitaxel offers patients a major new advance."

Ali Stunt, founder and chief executive of the charity Pancreatic Cancer Action, said: "Pancreatic cancer is lagging behind other cancers in terms of treatments that extend survival, but nab-paclitaxel has the potential to offer hope to patients with this deadly disease."

Abraxane's manufacturer Celgene has applied to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for a licence to use the drug to treat advanced pancreatic cancer.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Conditions easing for NSW firefighters

LARGE fires continue to burn across NSW, but Friday should bring a welcome change of conditions for firefighters and residents in fire zones.

While the extent of the devastation was unclear on Thursday night, one of the worst-hit areas was Springwood, in the Blue Mountains, where up to 30 homes were known to be lost.

But authorities expect the number of destroyed or damaged properties across the state will be much worse and fear lives may be lost.

Elsewhere, thousands of firefighters are struggling against about 100 blazes across the state - on the Central Coast and further north, the Southern Highlands and the south coast.

Temperatures in the low to mid 30s, with a maximum of 37 recorded near Newcastle, combined with strong winds gusting up to 102 km/h provided terrible conditions for firefighters on Thursday.

Thousand of hectares were burnt, mainly around the state's Central Coast, and authorities expect hundreds of homes to be lost.

But the weather should ease on Friday, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told AAP.

Temperatures should drop by about 10 degrees, with the mercury expected to hit 20-25 degrees in most parts of the state.

During the night, winds will decrease and will be negligible for most of NSW on Friday, blowing below 15km/h.

The strongest breeze is predicted to swirl at 30km/h.

"We are not expecting winds to be of any significance because of a high pressure region," the BOM spokesman said.

"Apart from humidity, all the other factors will play in the favour of the firefighters."

No serious rain is expected but showers may come for the coastal parts of the state between Monday and Wednesday.

While firefighters will be flat-out, some students will be able to take the day off, with numerous schools closed on Friday.

Winmalee Primary School, Winmalee High School, Ellison Primary School and Zig Zag Primary School in the Blue Mountains and Yanderra Primary School in the Southern Highlands weren't damaged, but fires are dangerously close to the schools, a Department of Education spokesman told AAP.

St Columba's High School and St Thomas Aquinas Primary at Springwood, Bunya Child Care Centre and Rainbow Preschool at Winmalee are also closed.

Students from Winmalee High School and St Columba's can attend other schools to sit their HSC exams, or if they can't make it safely to an alternative location they can make an application to ensure they aren't adversely affected.

Parents and students are advised by the department to contact their schools on Friday morning for further updates.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Opera House gets price tag for birthday

IT'S a priceless national icon, but a new report has put a figure on what the Sydney Opera House means to Australia.

The tourist magnet is worth $4.6 billion - or about $200 per citizen - to the Australian public, according to Deloitte.

Ticket sales, iconic status, digital presence and the unique design were all quantified to come up with the value.

"We all know in our bones how important it is,", Sydney Opera House chief executive Louise Herron said.

"(But) here is the number - this is what we're worth, don't take us for granted."

By putting a price tag on the venue, management can make a stronger case for government funding for upkeep, she said.

"We have this 40-year-old thing which is magnificent, but absolutely needs to be renovated," she said.

Commissioned ahead of the building's 40th anniversary, the report also found the Opera House injects roughly $775 million into the national economy annually.

Jorn Utzon's famed creation rates higher than the national identity on a marketing index of brand esteem, the report says.

"It's slightly counterintuitive that Australia would have as it's symbol a work of art, but we do," Ms Herron said.

Looking ahead, the Opera House is hoping to grow its online presence and digital audience with blogs, live-streaming and social media.

But for now the focus is on birthday festivities, including an anniversary concert on October 20 attended by Danish royals Mary and Frederik.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Advance Auto buying General Parts for $2bn

ADVANCE Auto Parts Inc is buying General Parts International Inc for $US2.04 billion ($A2.15 billion) in cash, which the companies say will create the biggest automotive replacement parts provider in North America.

General Parts is a privately held distributor and supplier of original equipment and aftermarket replacement products for commercial markets operating under the Carquest and Worldpac brands.

Advance Auto will get 1,246 company operated stores and 1,418 independently owned Carquest locations as part of the acquisition.

The combined company will be based in Roanoke, Virginia, and continue to have a presence in Raleigh, N.C.

Both companies' boards approved the transaction, which is targeted to close by late 2013 or early 2014.

Advance Auto also said on Wednesday it expects third-quarter earnings of $US1.42 per share on revenue of $US1.52 billion. Analysts predict earnings of $US1.31 per share on revenue of $US1.55 billion.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five Aussies believed dead in Laos crash

FIVE Australians are among 44 people believed to have died in a plane crash in Laos.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra say they couldn't yet confirm the number of Australians aboard but were trying to varify the reports.

The Lao Airlines plane, carrying mostly foreigners, crashed into the Mekong River in southern Laos on Wednesday, the airline said on its Facebook page.

All 44 passengers and five crew members were presumed dead although a search is still underway for survivors in the river, the state-owned airline reported.

The ATR 72-600, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft, crashed near Pakse, the capital of Champasak province, about 4pm (2000 AEDT) after flying into a rainstorm, the airline said.

The passenger list consisted of 17 Laotians, seven French nationals, five Australians, five Thais, three South Koreans, two Vietnamese, one Chinese, one Canadian, one Myanmar national, one person from Taiwan and one American.

Relatives of the passengers had been informed of the accident, Lao Airlines said.

Photos of the aircraft partially submerged in the Mekong near Done Kho Island were posted on a number of Facebook pages.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic police to view video of MP 'assault'

POLICE will examine parliamentary security video of an alleged assault by the man who holds the balance of power in the Victorian parliament.

Former bouncer and independent Frankston MP Geoff Shaw is captured on amateur video apparently pushing an elderly man to the ground and throwing punches, after being surrounded by taxi drivers protesting outside Parliament House.

Parliamentary Speaker Ken Smith has viewed CCTV video of the incident and handed it to police.

Taxi driver John Zammit, 79, was allegedly left with a bloodied face by the former Liberal turned independent.

He claims Mr Shaw kicked him.

The Frankston MP said he was "heckled, yelled at, spat upon and hit by a large group of protesters".

"I was forced to push a protester from me and continued my way up the stairs to the entrance of Parliament House," Mr Shaw said in a statement.

"Another protester or protesters grabbed around my ankles as I climbed the stairs."

Liberal upper house MP David Davis said the incident was "very regrettable".

"(It) is not what Victorians would want to see on the front steps of Parliament House," he told reporters.

Mr Smith warned it is a contempt of parliament to interfere with a politician as they enter the building.

The alleged assault comes just days before Mr Shaw is due to appear in court for a second time on fraud-related charges over the alleged misuse of his taxpayer-funded vehicle and parliamentary fuel card.

He will ask that the matter be heard by a magistrate rather than a judge in an apparent attempt to avoid being kicked out of parliament.

Under the Victorian constitution, MPs are ineligible for office if convicted of an indictable offence carrying a punishment of five or more years in jail.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Coca-Cola's profit up on increased sales

COCA-COLA says its profit have risen in the third-quarter as the world's biggest beverage maker managed to sell more of its drinks despite choppy economic conditions.

The maker of Sprite, Powerade and Vitaminwater said global sales volume edged up two per cent, fuelled by its performance in emerging markets such as China, India and Russia.

Although the Atlanta-based company is struggling to sell more of its namesake soda back at home, it has continued to boost sales by introducing smaller cans and bottles that better fit with people's lifestyles, as well as focusing more heavily on other drinks, such as flavoured water.

In North America, for instance, soda volume was flat for the period, following a four per cent decline in the previous quarter and flat growth a year ago. But uncarbonated drinks such as tea, juice and bottled water, rose five per cent. As a result, overall volume for the region rose two per cent.

Meanwhile, soda sales are faring much better in developing markets; the company said its namesake brand saw volume growth of 22 per cent in India. In China, soda volume rose eight per cent.

The company blamed volatile economic conditions for more disappointing results in other parts of the world. In Europe, volume fell one per cent. Coca-Cola also cited hurricanes for a two per cent volume in Mexico.

For the quarter, the company said it earned $US2.45 billion ($A2.59 billion), or 54 cents per share, up from $US2.31 billion, or 50 cents per share, a year ago.

Not including one-time items, earnings per share were 53 cents, which was in line with Wall Street expectations.

Shares of Coca-Cola Co rose 1.6 per cent at $US38.51.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Johnson & Johnson 3Q net rises slightly

HEALTH care giant Johnson & Johnson's third-quarter profit has edged up as a big jump in prescription drug sales and lower research spending made up for slumping sales of medical devices.

Its results beat Wall Street estimates and its shares rose 1.3 per cent to $US91 in premarket trading.

The maker of baby shampoo, joint replacements and drugs for immune disorders says net income was $US2.98 billion ($A3.15 billion), or $US1.04 per share, up from $US2.97 billion, or $US1.05 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding one-time charges, it earned $US1.36 per share. That was four cents per share better than analysts expected.

The company, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, says revenue totaled $US17.58 billion, up three per cent. Analysts expected $US17.43 billion.

J&J nudged up its profit forecast to $US5.44 to $US5.49 per share. Analysts expect $US5.46 per share.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cost and number of cyber attacks drops

THE average cost of a cyber attack in Australia has dropped by $100 over the past 12 months.

The average victim now loses $200, down from an average of $300 just 12 months ago, according to the annual cyber crime report from security firm Norton.

The report shows the number of victims has also dropped from an estimated 5.4 million in 2011-2012 to five million in the past year.

The combined cost to Australians has dropped from $1.65 billion to $1.06 billion, the report estimates.

Sean Kopelke, Norton's head of technology for the Pacific region, says the drop in crime could be the result of better security awareness.

"(Australians) are getting a little bit more sensible around understanding the security risks," Kopelke said - especially with emails and social networking.

Meanwhile, cyber attacks are "focusing more on select individuals".

He said attackers were trying to secure lower cash sums - in the tens rather than hundreds of dollars - in order to "slip under the radar".

"(Criminals) aim for this 20 or 30 dollar figure instead of several hundred dollars because people will be more prone to pay it," he said.

So-called "ransomware" attacks, where criminals lock computers down and demand a payment to unlock them, are increasingly common, he said.

Fraud and identity theft are also common.

Australia compared well with the rest of the world, where the average cost per victim remained at more than $300.

The global cost was estimated to stand at $US113 billion ($A119.36 billion), up slightly from $US110 billion in the last report.

Kopelke said the number of victims in developed countries was down across the board, but this was more than offset by an increase in victims from developing countries.

The report surveys 500 people in each of 24 countries each year, but overall estimates include data from Norton's global intelligence network.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Armed man 'wanted to see the Queen'

A MAN with a history of mental illness was hoping to see Queen Elizabeth II when he tried to rush through a Buckingham Palace gate armed with a 15-centimetre knife, a court has been told.

David Belmar, 44, has pleaded guilty to trespassing and possession of a bladed article for the incident a day earlier, when he was tackled after jumping over a vehicle barrier outside Buckingham Palace.

The Queen was not at Buckingham Palace at the time.

Prosecutor Edward Aydin told Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday that Belmar told police he wanted to see the Queen and was "not happy" about his welfare benefits.

Aydin says that Belmar is taking medication for mental health issues and has a fixation on the Queen.

In 1989, he said, Bellmar received a police warning for lighting fireworks and throwing them onto the palace grounds.

"He is a danger to the public, carrying a knife in central London, and he is a danger to the Queen," Aydin said.

Belmar's lawyer Robert Katz denied that Belmar has a fixation with the Queen and said that Belmar did not brandish the knife.

Officers found it wrapped in a plastic bag in Belmar's jacket.

Judge Quentin Purdy order Belmar kept in custody unit he is sentenced.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sea cucumber overfishing could hurt reef

OVERFISHING is putting sea cucumbers in a pickle on the Great Barrier Reef, marine biologists say.

Sydney University's Professor Maria Byrne and Dr Hampus Eriksson, a post-doctoral researcher at Stockholm University, say more than 24 sea cucumber fisheries have closed in recent years.

Over 70 per cent of tropical sea cucumber fisheries are now considered depleted, fully exploited or over-exploited.

After analysing catches in the Great Barrier Reef over the last 20 years, the researchers say sea cucumber fishing is now showing worrying signs of being unsustainable.

"Sea cucumbers play a vital role in reef health and our previous research indicates that they may help reduce the harmful impact of ocean acidification on coral growth," Prof Byrne said in a statement.

"The crown-of-thorns starfish is often singled out as responsible for the decline in the barrier reef.

"This work suggests that overfishing of ecologically important species such as sea cucumbers, may have also contributed to this decline."

Dr Eriksson said that with declining catches of high value sea cucumber species, Australian fishers had turned to other, lower value species, which were also being overfished.

"Pursuing profits by targeting abundant species which sell for less while continuing to fish scarce high-value species is a pathway to their extinction," Dr Eriksson said.

Prof Byrne said further studies were needed to understand the impact of declining sea cucumber numbers on the reef.

"We recommend introducing precautionary reductions in sea cucumber fishing," she said.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Questions over Labor's factional control

FALLOUT from the deals done over Labor's shadow ministry is likely to continue ahead of portfolios being assigned later this week.

Former Speaker Anna Burke unsuccessfully challenged for the position of chief opposition whip at Monday's caucus meeting and afterwards lashed out at the "faceless men" regaining control of the party.

New leader Bill Shorten has returned to the pre-Rudd era process of having caucus elect the frontbench before he appoints portfolios.

But Ms Burke says this results in "a couple of blokes sitting round a room carving up the spoils and then telling everybody else what the outcome's going to be".

Stephen Conroy, who won the deputy Senate leader spot, says people were always going to be disappointed when positions were contested.

"Anna entered into a number of ballots over the last few days ... and there's always going to be some disappointed people," he told the ABC.

Ms Burke has also criticised the Right faction for not promoting women. It had just three female nominees among 16.

Senator Conroy said there had been a series of ballots, within factions and in the full caucus, over the past few days to select nominees from "a strong and talented pool".

Mr Shorten will reveal who gets which portfolios on Friday and the shadow cabinet will meet on Monday.

Their mettle will be tested on November 12 when parliament will be recalled, AAP understands.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Union to protest Telstra job cuts at AGM

THE public sector union will use Telstra's annual general meeting on Tuesday to demand the company stop sending jobs overseas.

The union will demonstrate outside Telstra's AGM against "massive" job cuts made by the company.

It claims there are at least 10,250 people working offshore on Telstra business "on any one shift".

The union also points to Telstra's decision to cut 3157 workers since January.

"Telstra likes to boast that it is 'creating' new jobs but what it doesn't like to mention is that for the most part these jobs are overseas and were once fulfilled by an Australian worker," CPSU lead organiser for Telstra Teresa Davison said in a statement.

"Telstra is actively helping overseas companies build their capacity to take Telstra's Australian jobs."

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Knifeman nabbed at Buckingham Palace gates

A MAN has been arrested after trying to get into Buckingham Palace with a knife, Scotland Yard says.

The 44-year-old was held around 11.30am on Monday (2130 AEDT Monday) when he attempted to get through the north centre gate and was stopped by police.

Officers searched him and he was found to have a knife.

He was arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon and is in custody.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen was not in the building when the man tried to get in, but would make no further comment.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Forrest donates $65m to WA universities

MINING billionaire Andrew Forrest has gifted a staggering $65 million - believed to be the nation's largest single philanthropic donation - to attract the world's best minds to Western Australia's universities.

About $50 million from the chairman of Fortescue Metals Group will be used to establish the Forrest Foundation, to fund scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships across all five of WA's universities.

And another $15 million will build Forrest Hall, at St George's College at the University of Western Australia (UWA), a living space for researchers that is hoped will rival the best residential colleges in the world.

The gift will be the centrepiece of the UWA's new fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $400 million and we will be launched on Tuesday with a gala dinner attended by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Mr Forrest, who graduated from UWA in 1983, said he wanted to use his money to invest in the country and its young people.

"Only education can be the final key to eliminate poverty in the world and raise the universal standard of living, ultimately to increase the nobility of the human cause," he said.

"Having visited so many of them, I believe the University of Western Australia is an excellent example of what our universities can grow to."

The donation is part of a previous pledge by Mr Forrest and his wife Nicola to give away half of his estimated US$5.3 billion fortune, as part of the "Giving Pledge" movement founded by American billionaires Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.

It follows other big donations from the couple including $3 million to the Art Gallery of WA, $3.7 million that was shared between the WA Symphony Orchestra, WA Opera and the Black Swan State Theatre Centre, and $1.3 million to Murdoch University's Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases.

Dr Michael Chaney, UWA Chancellor, said the gift would transform the college.

"It's going to help us create the future by enabling us to gear up our research effort as we move into our second century," Dr Chaney said.

The university's fundraising campaign aims to fund future student scholarships, new research and a new indigenous cultures museum.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vatican beatifies 522 killed in Spain

THE Vatican has beatified 522 people - mostly priests and nuns - killed in the turmoil that led to Spain's civil war.

The beatification, the last step the Roman Catholic church takes before sainthood, was conducted on Sunday by Cardinal Angelo Amato in an outdoor ceremony attended by thousands in Spain's northeastern Tarragona region.

Among the congregation were almost 4000 relatives of those being beatified.

In the 1930s, Spain was engulfed in instability that saw the head of state, King Alfonso XIII, abandon the country and anti-clerical mobs attack clergy and burn churches.

The mayhem culminated in a 1936-1939 war, won by forces allied to Nazi Germany and fascist Italy and led by General Francisco Franco.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Attacks across Iraq kill at least 31

A STRING of bombings in mostly Shi'ite-majority cities across Iraq has killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but car bombs are frequently used by al-Qaeda's Iraq branch.

The Sunni militant group and other Sunni extremists often target Shi'ite civilians in an effort to undermine the country's Shi'ite-led government.

The deadliest Sunday's attacks, which targeted mainly commercial areas and bus stations, was in the southern city of Hillah, 95 kilometres south of Baghdad.

Back-to-back car bombings hit an outdoor market, killing eight people and wounding 22, a police officer said.

Two parked car bombs ripped through a commercial area of Suwayrah, 40 kilometres south of Baghdad, killing five people and wounding 14.

Two other car bombs that exploded simultaneously in Kut, 160 kilometres southeast of Baghdad, killed four and wounded 16.

In nearby Samawah, four other people were killed and 13 wounded when two car bombs exploded.

Two other car bombs killed three and wounded 13 in Diwaniyah, 130 kilometres south of the capital.

In northern Samarra, two people were killed and 15 were wounded when a bomb targeted a gathering of mourners for some of the 17 people who were killed in a car bombing there on Saturday.

Five other people were killed and 34 were wounded in other attacks in the southern city of Basra and the central towns of Mahmoudiyah and Madain.

More than 5000 people have been killed in Iraq since attacks began accelerating in April following a deadly crackdown against a Sunni protest camp in the northern town of Hawija.

More than 258 people have been so far killed in October.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iran to send another monkey into space

IRAN is reportedly planning to send another monkey into space.

Conservative daily Jomhuri Eslami quoted on Sunday the deputy head of Iran's space agency, Hamid Fazeli, as saying the planned launch, within a month, is part of the country's plans to send a human to space in 2018.

Earlier this year, Iran claimed it launched a monkey out of the earth's atmosphere and successfully had it return.

Fazeli was quoted in the article as saying animals with a similar weight as monkeys are under consideration as future space test subjects.

In September, Iran suggested it may start launching Persian cats into space.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel finds tunnel under Gaza border

THE Israeli military has discovered an underground tunnel dug out from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip into Israel.

It says it believes militants intended to use the passageway to attack or kidnap Israelis.

In response, officials have frozen the transfer of all construction materials to the Palestinian territory.

A Hamas military spokesman in Gaza, Abu Obeida, was defiant over the discovery, saying on his official Twitter account "thousands" more tunnels would be dug out.

Hamas has dug tunnels into Israel in the past.

In 2006, Hamas-allied militants sneaked into Israel through one, kidnapped a soldier, Gilad Schalit, and held him hostage in Gaza for five years.

According to the Israeli military, the latest tunnel is 2.5 kilometres long and appears to have been recently excavated and in use until its discovery last week.

A tunnel opening was found near a kibbutz along the Israel-Gaza border, and the military speculated that Hamas may have been planning an attack on a kindergarten there.

The military said it waited a week to publicise the discovery because a search for explosives was underway.

The army said an elite engineering corps was sent into the tunnel but would not say whether explosives were found.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the discovery and said Israel's resolute policy toward the Gaza Strip, including last year's military offensive, has led to the "quietest year in more than a decade" along the Israel-Gaza border.

Army spokesman Major Guy Inbar said the halt on all construction material to Gaza, announced on Sunday, was enacted due to security considerations and was not meant as a punishing measure.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boat capsizes on Amazon, 12 dead

A BOAT carrying Catholic pilgrims has capsized on Brazil's Amazon river, leaving at least 12 dead and six missing.

Authorities said on Sunday they didn't know what caused the tragedy, though they were investigating whether or not the boat was loaded beyond its 40-person limit.

State authorities said the search was continuing for the missing, who were part of a group travelling in Amapa state to take part in a festival commemorating Our Lady of Nazare.

The boat was among more than three dozen in a procession heading toward the state capital so Catholic faithful could take part in the festival.

Among the dead is the boat's captain, Reginaldo Reis Nobre.

23.46 | 0 komentar | Read More