Woman jailed for calling police 637 times

AN unemployed French woman has been jailed for calling the police 637 times in the space of 48 hours last week, French media is reporting.

THE 24-year-old was given a six-month jail sentence, half of which was suspended, on her twelfth court appearance on Tuesday in the central town of Bourges.

She has been charged with harassing the police.The woman, who was found by psychiatrists to be suffering from depression and severe personality disorders, had been given four months probation for a similar offence in July, Le Parisien newspaper reported.She had refused hospitalisation, reports said.The public prosecutor accused her of acting like a "punching ball"."The more we punish you, the more you keep coming back," he was quoted as saying.

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US parents to keep kids off Facebook

BEHOLD the cascade of baby photos, the flood of funny kid anecdotes and the steady stream of school milestones on Facebook.

IT all makes Sonia Rao, a stay-at-home mother of a one-year-old in the US, "a little uncomfortable".

At a time when just about everyone and their mother - father, grandmother and aunt - is intent on publicising the newest generation's early years on social media sites, an increasing number of US parents like Rao are bucking the trend by consciously keeping their children's photos, names and entire identities off the internet."I just have a vague discomfort having her photograph out there for anyone to look at," says Rao."When you meet a new person and go to their account, you can look them up, look at photos, videos, know that they are travelling."Reasons for the baby blackout vary. Some parents have privacy and safety concerns. Others worry about what companies might do with their child's image and personal data. Some simply do it out of respect for their kids' autonomy before they are old enough to make decisions for themselves."I have a no tolerance policy," says Scott Steinberg, a business and technology consultant. Steinberg says he shares no photos, videos or any information about his child.As for Rao, she stays active on Facebook. She's happy posting photos of her dog, but not the many snapshots of her daughter and the pet together - no matter how cute they are. Rao does share baby pictures, via email or text, but only with close friends and family.Facebook, for its part, encourages parents to use the site's privacy setting if they want to limit who can see baby photos and other posts. It's possible, for example, to create a group of close friends and relatives to share kid updates with. But that's not enough for some users.A big reason parents are wary, even if they use social media sites themselves, is that the companies "have not been very transparent about the way they collect data about users," says Caroline Knorr, parenting editor at the nonprofit Common Sense Media, which studies children's use of technology."Facebook's terms of service and privacy (policies) - no one reads it, it's too obscure."Some parents look back to their own childhoods, when they were able to make mistakes without evidence of those blunders living on - forever - online.People have shared baby photos since the dawn of the camera, and stories about kid's shenanigans long before that. Parents who decide to keep photos of their children and other data off social media say they still want to share those things, but are bothered by the idea of online permanence.Parents who enforce strict blackout rules are still in the minority. In a 2011 poll conducted at the University of Michigan, 66 per cent of Generation X parents (people born in the 1960s and '70s) said they post photos of their children online, while more than half said they have shared news about a child's accomplishment online.Aisha Sultan, a fellow at the Michigan institute where the poll was conducted, thinks the results might be different if the same questions were posed to respondents today."Back (then) there wasn't a lot of conversation about this," says Sultan, who is a parenting advice columnist."When parents first started joining Facebook in large numbers it wasn't the primary concern. We felt like we were in control of information we were sharing with friends and family."Facebook's privacy blunders over the years, not to mention frequent updates to its confusing privacy policies, changed all that. Now, Sultan says, parents are more aware of the little control they have over their personal data online.Politicians have begun to pay attention to the issue, too. A new California law requires online services, websites or apps that collect personally identifiable information to remove content that minors have posted, if requested. The measure goes into effect next year."It's a good start, but I don't think it replaces a lot of parental conversation, regulation and oversight," Sultan says.

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Tips for parents: To post or not to post?

SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS FOR PARENTS, RELATIVES AND FRIENDS WHEN IT COMES TO CHILDREN:

- ASK FIRST, POST LATER

If you don't know how a parent feels about having photos of their kids posted on Facebook, Instagram or elsewhere, ask before uploading a photo and before you tag the parents in a photo. This goes even for close relatives. Actually, it's not a bad idea to ask everyone you post a photo of if they're cool with it, especially if the snaps were taken at a party, swimming pool or any other less buttoned-up situation. It can prevent awkward conversations later.- LIMIT AUDIENCESFacebook's privacy settings are complex, but they also offer granular settings that let you pick who can see your updates. One way to do this: Create a "secret" group and add the members you want. The problem here is that anyone in the group can add new members to the group.Another way to limit the audience of each post you share is to click on the right tab under your update, which may currently say "friends" or "public." Click on "custom" and choose which of your Facebook friends you want to share with and which ones you'd like to exclude. It's simpler on Instagram, where you can either lock your account or set it to public.- TALK TO YOUR KIDSOpinions on the age at which parents should start talking to their kids about internet and social media use vary. Some parents start as soon as their child is old enough to use a smartphone, which can be as early as two or three years. Amy Heinz, who blogs about her kids, often talks to her eight-year-old about posts she writes about him, but says her younger children, who are five and three, know about the blog but "don't have a concept" of what it means exactly. Caroline Knorr, parenting editor at the nonprofit Common Sense Media, waited until her son was 15 before posting a photo of him on Facebook - and asked his permission first.- GO THE OLD-FASHIONED ROUTESome parents opt for emailing or texting photos to one person or to a small group rather than sharing them more widely on social media. Online storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox also let you distribute photos privately, as do photo-sharing sites such as Flickr. Of course, there's always the old-fashioned snail mail method, if you can still find a place to print snapshots.- DON'T EMBARRASS THEMThat photo of your little one with pea soup all over her face, or the one that shows her first time on the potty might be funny at the time, but think about what she may think of the photo if it's still online when she's a teen. Today's generation of parents did not grow up with the reality that their private moments growing up will be documented and often posted on the internet for all eternity. Before posting a photo or anecdote, take a moment to imagine a conversation about it with your child 10 or 15 years from now.

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Apple's stock bounces back; hits new high

APPLE'S stock has touched a new high, reflecting investors' renewed faith in CEO Tim Cook's ability to outwit the competition and expand the technological hit factory.

WEDNESDAY'S milestone represents a dramatic turnaround in sentiment since Apple's shares reached its previous split-adjusted peak of $US100.72 ($A108.97) in September 2012.

After peaking at $US100.77 on Wednesday morning, shares slipped three cents to $US100.50, giving Apple a market value of $US602 billion - far more than any other publicly held company.Apple's stock had fallen to a split-adjusted $US55.01 in April 2013 to wipe out about $US300 billion in shareholder wealth amid worries that the California company had run out of ideas without the late Steve Jobs as its mastermind.The anxiety escalated as sales of iPhones and iPads slowed amid the growing popularity of less expensive smartphones and tablet computers made by Samsung Electronics and other rivals relying on Google's free Android software.Now, there are signs that Samsung's devices are losing momentum while Apple prepares to release the next version of its iPhone and investors wait for Cook to deliver on his promise to introduce a product that will open up new opportunities.The breakthrough is widely expected to be a smartwatch that will include sensors to help people monitor their health.Hewing to its secretive ways, Apple hasn't provided details about its upcoming products.Cook, though, has been raising hopes that Apple is poised to create a new product category for the first time since the iPad's release four years ago."We've got some great things that we're working on that I'm very, very proud of and very, very excited about," he told analysts in April.

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Aussie injured in another Bali bike crash

A MAN who was left fighting for his life after a Bali motorcycle crash is speaking again, as a second Australian crash victim begins his recovery from massive injuries.

DOCTORS were uncertain Nicho White, 43, would survive his medivac flight from Bali to Melbourne, funded by friends and strangers who raised more than $123,000 online.

But one month after the collision with a 4WD - in which he suffered multiple injuries - he is in rehabilitation and talking.Mr White's progress comes as Jack McCord, 46, recovers in a Darwin hospital.The Bali DJ was riding home from work in the early hours of Friday when he crashed, shattering his pelvis and bruising his lungs.His family was faced with the same predicament as Mr White's - how to raise tens of thousands of dollars for a medical flight back to Australia.They've so far raised more than $70,000 on the website youcaring.com.Coincidentally, the families are known to each other.Mr White's brother-in-law is also a Bali DJ.Mr White's stepfather Ian McGill says when he heard the news he had to donate, even though his own family's ordeal is not over."I donated because I know how much it means," he told AAP."It's going pretty good with Nicho now, but it's going to be a very long process if he's going to walk again."Originally from Sydney where he was a DJ with the global house music outfit Hed Kandi, Mr McCord has a baby son with his wife Hilda.Bali police spokesman Hery Witanto says the two incidents highlight the dangers of riding motorcycles at night, and he urged all riders to take care.

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Swiss urge hikers to look for artefacts

SWISS scientists are urging mountain climbers and hikers to keep an eye out for lost items in melting ice patches lost hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

A PROJECT run by a Swiss cultural institute in the canton of Graubuenden aims to gather artefacts trapped long ago in glaciers that are now turning up with more frequency due to a warming planet.

The project encourages people to turn over things like wood or clothing they might run across in eastern Switzerland where the Swiss National Park is located.In recent years mountaineers have found everything from goat skin leggings in the Swiss Alps to a corpse in the melting ice of South Tyrol, each about 5000 years old.

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Sales of US existing homes up 4.9 percent

SALES of previously owned US homes in May posted the best monthly gain in nearly three years, providing hope that housing is beginning to regain momentum lost over the past year.

THE National Association of Realtors said on Monday sales of existing homes increased 4.9 per cent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million homes.

The monthly gain was the fastest since August 2011 but even with the increase sales are still 5 per cent below the pace in May 2013.Sales have been dampened by last year's rise in mortgage rates from historic lows and various other factors including tight supplies and tougher lending standards.The median price of a home sold in May was $US213,400 ($A230,890), up 5.1 per cent from a year ago.

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Refugee drowns in Nauru

A REFUGEE who was resettled in Nauru after being sent to the Australian immigration detention centre there has drowned along with a Nauruan citizen who attempted a rescue.

IMMIGRATION Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement on Sunday evening he had been informed of the two deaths and extended his sympathies to the families and friends of both.

"We understand from initial reports that the first deceased person was a private resident of Nauru, on a Nauruan refugee visa, and was accidentally drowned," the minister said.He said the person was not a resident at the offshore processing centre.A spokesman for the minister confirmed to AAP that the refugee had been in the centre before being resettled in the Nauruan community.Mr Morrison said it was understood that a Nauruan citizen also died after attempting to rescue the first person.He said another Nauruan citizen was receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the attempted rescue."This is a matter for the government of Nauru as it pertains to an incident involving a resident and citizens of their own country that occurred within their jurisdiction," the minister said.He said Nauruan police were investigating the matter, which would become the subject of a coronial inquiry.

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Take climate more seriously, PM told

MORE than half of all Australians think the Abbott government should take climate change more seriously, a poll commissioned by environment group the Climate Institute has found.

BUT only 20 per cent trust Prime Minister Tony Abbott to do so.

The institute says its new climate survey shows a "rebound in desire" for action on climate change, with 61 per cent of people wanting Australia to be a world leader in solving the problem.It said 57 per cent wanted the Abbott government to take climate change more seriously, with only 22 per cent supporting its Direct Action plan to reduce emissions.The survey also found opposition to the carbon tax had decreased by 22 per cent in the past two years, with 47 per cent saying carbon pricing was better than not taking any action at all.Only 20 per cent said they trusted Mr Abbott when he said he was concerned about climate change, compared with 31 per cent for Labor leader Bill Shorten."Australians continue to be uncertain, if not cynical, about political parties and their policies on climate change," Climate Institute chief John Connor says."Yet a clear majority think the Abbott government should take climate change more seriously."

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Quebec helicopter escapees captured

POLICE say they have captured the three men who escaped from a Quebec City-area prison by helicopter earlier this month.

THEY say the trio were arrested at a Montreal residence at 1.30am on Sunday and more arrests are likely.

Police have not released further details on how they found the fugitives who escaped on June 7 when a helicopter plucked them from a courtyard of the Orsainville Detention Centre in suburban Quebec City.Their escape touched off a massive international manhunt.The three fugitives - Yves Denis, 35, Denis Lefebvre, 53, and Serge Pomerleau, 49 - were awaiting trial on charges including gangsterism and murder.They are due in court in Quebec City on Monday.

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Royals defend apartment spending

Renovations of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's apartment will cost UK taxpayers STG4 million. Source: AAP

THE British royal family has defended spending a seven-figure sum refurbishing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Kensington Palace apartment.

THE taxpayer will foot the bill for extensive work on the property, including installing a new roof, overhauling the electrics and carrying out significant plumbing works.

A royal spokesman said repairs and refurbishments - reported to cost in the region of STG4 million ($A7.30 million), though this figure was not confirmed by the royal household - would also see a "significant amount of internal building" to "return the residence to function as a living space".William and Kate's Kensington Palace apartment was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and was the home of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Margaret remained there after their divorce and lived there until her death in 2002.The living space was last refurbished in 1963."This is the Duke and Duchess's one and only official residence. It is here that they plan to stay for many, many years to come," a royal spokesman said."We also had to take into account the fact that Kensington Palace is a scheduled ancient monument, and all elements of the refurbishment had to be agreed with English Heritage. Often this meant ensuring a high standard of work in line with the historical significance of the Christopher Wren building."He said William and Kate "paid privately" for all the internal furnishings, including carpets and curtains. They were also at pains to ensure that the specification is not extravagant."As with any other part of the estate, it was the royal household (TRH) who were responsible for the refurbishment of the residence - where they could in the course of the procurement process, TRH helped to bear down on cost," he added."The household oversaw the planning, tendering and project management of the refurbishment and were responsible for the budget and spend."

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Pregnant woman airlifted to hospital

A PREGNANT woman has suffered serious head injuries after a car crashed into a northwest Sydney house, also injuring a teenage girl and another woman.

THE 25-year-old, who is four months pregnant, has been airlifted to Westmead Hospital with serious head and leg injuries, police say.

The girl, 14, also suffered head and leg injuries and was taken to hospital along with a 48-year-old woman, who sustained pelvic injuries."All three remain in a stable condition," police said.They were hit while standing on the front veranda of a Windsor Downs home on Saturday afternoon.The male driver was treated by paramedics and has been taken for mandatory drug and alcohol testing.His male passenger wasn't hurt.Police have established a crime scene and are investigating.

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Another Tamil man sets himself on fire

ANOTHER Tamil man has set himself alight, the latest in a spate of self-immolation cases involving asylum seekers who fear being sent back to Sri Lanka.

THE 40-year-old man splashed himself with petrol and ignited it, but his housemates intervened and managed to put out the fire.

It happened late on Friday at a home in the Melbourne suburb of Noble Park, according to a statement from the Tamil Refugee Council.There were similar incidents in May, when Leo Seemanpillai burned to death outside his Geelong home, and also in April when a Sydney-based Tamil man also set himself alight but survived with burns to 75 per cent of his body.In the latest case, the man suffered burns to his legs and was taken by ambulance to Dandenong Hospital."We are very lucky on this occasion that the man's housemates were aware of what he was planning to do otherwise we may have had another death on our hands," council spokesperson Sri Samy said."I have had seven young men tell me in the past few weeks that they are thinking of doing this."They are fearful of being sent back to Sri Lanka and say they would prefer to die here than be sent back to torture, which is what the Australian government is doing to many Tamil asylum seekers."The man involved in this latest case came to Australia by boat in 2012, and he was on a bridging visa awaiting assessment of his asylum claim.He fled Sri Lanka, leaving his wife and daughter behind, after security police broke his legs.The council said last week he had learned his brother, held in a Sri Lankan prison for four years, had disappeared and was feared dead.The man feared the same fate if returned to Sri Lanka."The previous Labor government, and the current Coalition government, have sent back more than 1000 Tamil asylum-seekers under an enhanced screening process," Mrs Samy also said."That does not allow time for proper assessment of asylum claims."She called on Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to alleviate fear among Tamil asylum seekers by granting protection to genuine refugees.* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

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Hendra virus kills NSW horse

Hendra virus has killed a horse in northern NSW, causing authorities to quarantine a property. Source: AAP

HENDRA virus has killed a horse in northern NSW, causing authorities to quarantine a property as they run tests on its stablemates and the five people who handled the animal.

IT'S the first case of Hendra discovered in NSW this year.

"The 31-year-old stockhorse gelding died overnight on Thursday after being found in a dam earlier that day and receiving treatment from a private veterinarian for very low body temperature," NSW deputy chief vet Therese Wright said in a statement."Three people who handled the horse plus the veterinarian and an assistant are being assessed and monitored by NSW Health."In recent weeks no horses have moved off the property, west of Murwillumbah, and there are no dogs or cats about, Ms Wright added.The paddock where the horse was kept "has regular flying fox activity," she said.Horses are believed to contract the Hendra virus from feed contaminated by urine, saliva or birthing fluids from flying foxes."Do not place feed and water under trees and cover feed and water containers with a shelter so they cannot be contaminated from above," Ms Wright said.Hendra virus was found in four horses and a dog across four separate mid-north coast properties last year."Winter is the season when horses have been infected with Hendra in NSW in the past so now is the time to get a vaccine booster for your horse," Ms Wright said.In Queensland four people have been killed by Hendra virus since 1994.And in December councils across the state were given permission to trim trees and use smoke, lights and loud noises to drive flying fox colonies away from urban areas without needing a permit."If a horse becomes sick, owners should contact their veterinarian immediately," Ms Wright warned.

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SUV carrying rapper ScHoolboy Q fired on

A gunman has fired on an SUV carrying rapper ScHoolboy Q after a concert in Colorado. Source: AAP

A GUNMAN with a rifle fired on an SUV carrying rapper ScHoolboy Q after a concert at the popular Red Rocks outdoor amphitheatre near Denver but he wasn't hurt.

THREE other people suffered non-life threatening injuries during the attack late on Thursday in a parking lot at Red Rocks.

Investigators speaking Friday did not release a possible motive for the shooting and said they do not know if ScHoolboy Q was targeted. No arrests have been made."We have a lot to learn," said Jacki Kelley, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.ScHoolboy Q, whose birth name is Quincy Matthew Hanley, is from Los Angeles. His most recent album, "Oxymoron," debuted at No. 1 earlier this year and reflects his life as a father and former gang member.He and Kendrick Lamar, who was nominated for seven Grammys this year, are members of Black Hippy.ScHoolboy Q said on Twitter Friday that he was OK."im str8...... dont trip," he wrote.Ray Alba, a representative for ScHoolboy Q, didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.The rapper and at least four other people were in a white SUV that was fired on at the venue in the foothills west of Denver, authorities said.They drove themselves to a Denver intersection about 24 kilometres away, apparently in search of a hospital, before being stopped by Denver police and taken for medical attention, Kelley said.ScHoolboy Q and another uninjured person were briefly handcuffed while police assessed the situation, but no one in the vehicle was arrested. Kelley said ScHoolboy Q was not a suspect in the shooting.Nas and Flying Lotus also performed at the concert that benefited three groups, including the Gang Rescue and Support Project of Denver."We want to know what's going on so we can help out in any way," said Cisco Gallardo, director of the gang rescue group."There could have been (a) prior beef, prior problems."About 4500 people attended the concert at the amphitheatre, which seats as many as 9525 people.Promoters said the gang rescue group got five per cent of the profits. Two other groups also got five per cent each: Preserve the Rocks, which helps preserve the Red Rocks venue, and Helping Our People Excel, a Denver-area charity with a food pantry and other services.

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Pedophile poses risk out of prison: judge

A CONVICTED paedophile who sadistically tortured and chained one of his victims in a cupboard will be paroled in a matter of weeks.

IVAN Andrew Campbell, 48, was sentenced to 14 years' jail in 2001 for multiple sexual offences in Auckland, including the sexual violation of a 14-year-old boy who he kidnapped and kept chained up in a cupboard a year earlier.

A New Zealand High Court judgment this week shows the 48-year-old will be released on parole on July 9, which prompted the Department of Corrections to apply for a 10-year extended supervision order.Justice Graham Panckhurst granted the order because he found Campbell is highly likely to reoffend."I am in no doubt that you do pose a real and ongoing risk to adolescent boys. I am also satisfied you are likely to commit relevant offences on release," Justice Panckhurst told him.In outlining his reasons, the judge noted Campbell held his 14-year-old victim captive for seven days during which he was repeatedly beaten, raped, and forcibly tattooed and subjected to body piercings."Perhaps worst of all, he was also branded using a hot instrument and this caused burns to his lower back," Justice Panckhurst said.Campbell has been in prison since 2001, and has also served time for sexually abusing the 13-year-old son of a friend in 1991, for which he was not charged until he returned to New Zealand from Australia in 2000.He was paroled in 2012 after serving 11 years of his sentence to a temporary release program at the Salisbury Street Foundation, but absconded three weeks later.Police recaptured him and he returned to prison.Since his imprisonment, Campbell has been expelled from a sex offender treatment program because of his conduct towards younger prisoners.A prison report says Campbell has admitted he is likely to reoffend."I am desperate to have an extended supervision order granted, as at the time of this assessment I do not trust myself outside prison," the prisoner told a psychologist.Extended supervision orders are requested by Corrections and imposed by a court after offenders reach the end of their sentence.They allow special conditions to be placed on them, such as where they reside, what work they can do, who they can associate with and areas that they are excluded from.

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Man charged after Sydney explosion

A MAN has been charged following an explosion that brought peak-hour traffic to a standstill in Sydney's inner-west.

EMERGENCY services raced to Wentworth Park Road in Glebe just after 5pm on Wednesday (AEST) after reports of an explosion and fire at a public housing apartment block.

Specialist police units were called and a number of gas cylinders were safely removed.A 32-year-old man was arrested on Thursday at a cafe in Redfern and has been charged with a revocation of parole warrant and possession of a prohibited drug.He remains in custody to appear at Central local Court on Friday.

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BlackBerry results top expectations

BLACKBERRY has surprised Wall Street by posting results that beat analyst's expectations.

SHARES rose almost 12 per cent in pre-market trading as CEO John Chen cut expenses quicker than expected.

The embattled smartphone company reported net income of $US23 million ($A24.9 million), or 4 cents per share, for the three months ended May 31.It had reported a loss of $US84 million, or 16 cents per share, a year ago.Excluding unusual items, its adjusted loss was 11 cents per share in the latest period. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected a loss of 35 cents per share.Revenue fell to $966 million compared with $3.07 billion a year ago. Analysts expected $961.7 million.Shares rose 99 cents, or 11.9 per cent, to $9.29 in pre-market trading an hour before US markets open."We are getting very close to making money, or at least break even on hardware. Not quite there yet, but close," Chen said on a conference call with analysts.It is the third quarterly results under Chen, who is de-emphasising the hardware business after last year's launch of the BlackBerry 10 failed to spark a turnaround.The BlackBerry has been hammered by competition from the iPhone as well as Android-based rival."He's doing exactly what John Chen should be doing. He's right sizing the business to fit demand. He is focused in the areas where he is still relevant. He's cut partnerships to shore up weaknesses," said Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Partners."If they can get this business where they are selling a million phones a month they'll be a nice little niche. It will be a nice little profitable business."BlackBerry sold 2.6 million phones in the quarter and reported cash and investments of $3.1 billion.

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FedEx Q4 profit rises to $US730m

FEDEX says its quarterly profit rose as growth in online shopping gave its ground-shipping business a lift.

THE earnings of $US2.46 per share beat Wall Street's forecast by a dime. Revenue also topped expectations.

Its shares rose 4 per cent in premarket dealings before the opening bell.The package-delivery company said on Wednesday that it earned $US730 million ($A789.83 million) in its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended May 31, compared with $US303 million a year ago, when write-downs weighed on the results.Revenue rose 3.5 per cent to $US11.84 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $US11.66 billion.Revenue in the ground-shipping business grew 8 per cent, helped by gains in e-commerce. That helped offset slower growth in FedEx Express, which accounts for more than half the company's revenue.The Memphis-based company said that it would earn between $US8.50 and $US9 per share in the new fiscal year, which ends in May 2015. That is in line with analysts' average expectation of $US8.74.Last month, FedEx announced that it will start charging more for large but light packages that take up space in its delivery trucks and add to costs. That includes bulky products that consumers buy online instead of in stores. Rival United Parcel Service said on Tuesday that it would do the same by considering a bulky package's dimensions and not just its weight in setting prices for ground shipments.The results marked an improvement over FedEx's third quarter, when the company was slowed by winter storms that raised costs and cut into shipping volumes. They also indicated that that while e-commerce continues to boost the ground-shipping business, express-delivery remains virtually flat as customers shift to slower, cheaper services for international shipments.

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UK 'cancels' Assange working group

THE UK Government has cancelled a working group set up with Ecuador to find a way of resolving the future of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder has claimed.

FOREIGN Secretary William Hague agreed to the group after meeting Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patino last year to discuss Assange, who has been living in refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London for the past two years.

On the eve of the second anniversary of Assange's dramatic arrival at the embassy, he revealed that the working group was not meeting.In a conference call from the embassy, the WikiLeaks publisher said a six-member team had been established during Patino's visit to London with the intention of studying legal and diplomatic issues.Assange said that following the granting of asylum last year by Russia to US whistleblower Edward Snowden, the UK Government had "unilaterally" cancelled the working group.Assange has been granted political asylum by Ecuador as he fights to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces sex allegations by two women.He fears that if he goes to Sweden he will be taken to the United States, where a long-running investigation is continuing into WikiLeaks and its involvement with former soldier Chelsea Manning, who has been jailed for 35 years over the leaking of secret intelligence.Assange has offered to be interviewed by Swedish investigators inside the London embassy, but they have declined to travel to the UK to question him about the allegations.Jennifer Robinson, a legal adviser to WikiLeaks, said a fresh challenge will be made next week to the Swedish authorities after "new information" was received.Robinson added that a letter from more than 30 free speech organisations will be sent to the US lawyer general Eric Holder next week calling for him to "close down" the investigation into WikiLeaks.Assange said Holder should drop the four-year long investigation or resign, accusing the official of using "weasel words" when asked about the case.Asked how he was coping with living inside the embassy, housed in a small building close to Harrods in Knightsbridge, Assange said other people were in far more difficult positions, including Chelsea Manning

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