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'Chopper' Read to have Melbourne funeral

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 12 Oktober 2013 | 19.51

Crime figure turned author Mark "Chopper" Read will be sent off at a funeral in Melbourne next week. Source: AAP

CRIME figure turned author Mark "Chopper" Read will be sent off at a funeral in Melbourne next week.

Read, who died aged 58 on Wednesday after a battle with liver cancer, will be farewelled at a funeral in the inner Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill next Thursday.

Read spent more than 23 years in jail for crimes including armed robbery, assault and kidnapping, including trying to abduct a Victorian County Court judge at gunpoint.

He once claimed he was involved in killing 19 people and the attempted murder of 11 others.

He was famously portrayed by Eric Bana in the 2000 film Chopper.

Read was also Australia's best selling true crime author, with copies of his first book Chopper: From the Inside selling more than 300,000 copies.


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Truck loses asbestos on NSW highway

A TRUCK has lost several tonnes of asbestos before crashing into a guardrail in Sydney's west, police say.

A Mitsubishi tipper truck was driving along the M7 at Eastern Creek on Saturday morning before the crash unfolded.

As it travelled along an off-ramp, the truck allegedly lost a load of asbestos waste, believed to be between three to five tonnes, and crashed into a cement guard rail.

Emergency services closed the off-ramp while the asbestos sheeting was hosed down and contained.

A police spokesman said whether the load of asbestos was secured or not would be part of an investigation.

Police have warned motorists about the dangers of unsecured loads leading to accidents and serious injury.


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Severe fire danger forecast in Kimberley

WEST Australian authorities are warning of severe fire danger in parts of the Kimberley on Sunday with hot, dry and windy conditions expected.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a severe fire danger rating for inland parts of the Kimberley and coastal areas of the West Kimberley.

Affected shires include Broome, Derby-West Kimberley, East Pilbara next to Derby-West Kimberley Shire, the northern part of Halls Creek and the inland part of Wyndham-East Kimberley.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) is urging people to be aware bushfires can threaten without warning and they should have a bushfire survival plan and kit ready.

Residents are warned to stay alert, keep updated with bushfire information and call triple-zero if they see flames.


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Beijing opposes closer EU-Taiwan ties

BEIJING has raised objections to a move by the European Parliament to build closer trade ties with Taiwan, saying it opposes the development of any official ties between the sides.

The European Parliament on Wednesday approved a resolution on EU-Taiwan trade relations, urging its executive body to begin bilateral talks over an agreement on investment protection and market access.

The Chinese government has long considered Taiwan a renegade province since the two sides split after a civil war in 1949, and insists that Taiwan is part of its domestic affairs and should be free from any foreign interference.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Saturday that Beijing does not object to non-governmental contact between the European Union and Taiwan, but that it opposes the development of any official ties.

"We hope that the EU side could bear in mind the overall interests of China-EU relations, earnestly honour its commitment to the one-China principle, deal with Taiwan-related issues with prudence and refrain from having any official contact of signing any official agreement with Taiwan," Hua said.

The EU is Taiwan's fourth-largest trade partner, and Taiwan is the EU's seventh-largest trade partner in Asia.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry has said that its government "welcomes" the resolution and is "grateful" to the European Parliament. Taiwan hopes an investment agreement would pave the way for a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement in the future.


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Thrown knife strikes Sydney man in face

A NEIGHBOURHOOD dispute involving knives being thrown has left one man in hospital.

Police and NSW Ambulance were called to a house in Chester Hill about 5.25pm (AEDT) on Saturday following reports of a stabbing.

NSW Police said a man was standing on the veranda of his home when he had an argument with two neighbours.

A number of knives were thrown during the confrontation with one hitting the man in the face.

He was taken to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition.

Police arrested two men at the scene.

The pair are being questioned at Parramatta police station.


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NT woman found dead near playground

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 11 Oktober 2013 | 19.51

A woman has been found dead near a playground in Darwin's northern suburbs. Source: AAP

A WOMAN has been found dead near a playground in Darwin's northern suburbs.

Police are investigating the death of a 51-year-old woman in Nightcliff after her body was found at Sunset Park at about 6am (CST) on Friday.

Detective Senior Sergeant Lee Morgan said the death may be related to a disturbance in Sunset Park at around 11pm on Thursday night.

Police are treating the death as suspicious.

Anyone who may have witnessed this incident or anyone who may have information should contact Crime Stoppers.


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Sydney city bank robbed on closing

Police are on the scene of a bank robbery at Pyrmont in inner-city Sydney and say no one was hurt. Source: AAP

A SYDNEY city bank has been robbed in broad daylight.

NSW Police say two men held up the Bendigo Bank branch on Harris St at Pyrmont around 5pm (AEDT).

One was armed with a sledgehammer and they made off with a small amount of cash, police say.

A man whose daughter was a witness told Fairfax Radio a car was driving erratically down Harris St before the men got out and went into the bank.

"Next thing they drive up onto the footpath, they back up so the car was ready to get away," he said.

"I think it was three people raced into the bank ... they were only in there for about 30 seconds and they came out and screamed off into the car and nearly knocked over a couple of pedestrians and a cyclist."

Police say a dark blue Subaru WRX was last seen heading south on Harris Street.

No one was injured during the robbery.

The hold-up comes weeks after a Porsche Cayenne ram-raided a CBD bank in the middle of the day.

Three masked men crashed the luxury 4WD into an ATM outside a Westpac bank on Kent Street just before midday on September 13, causing the outer wall to collapse.

Armed with sledgehammers, the bandits then entered the bank through the opening and took money from the tellers.

They escaped in a blue Subaru sedan that was waiting outside with a getaway driver.


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AEC will rob me of win: Palmer

Clive Palmer says the Australian Electoral Commission will "rig" the Fairfax recount. Source: AAP

CLIVE Palmer believes the Australian Electoral Commission will "rig" the Fairfax recount and deliver victory to his LNP opponent.

Mr Palmer says he's odds on to lose the contest with the LNP's Ted O'Brien, despite finishing ahead in two previous counts.

"I think in the end Ted O'Brien will win because the AEC will put him there," Mr Palmer told AAP on Friday.

"I've said that while I've been leading all along because the system is very corrupt.

"I've got great confidence in the AEC to rig the result."

Mr Palmer originally finished with 36 more votes than Mr O'Brien. His lead was whittled down to a mere seven votes after a full redistribution of preferences.

The AEC is now conducting a full recount which isn't likely to wind-up for at least another week.

While almost 55,000 of the 80,000 votes have been viewed, close to 30,000 have been challenged.

Of those, more than 15,000 have been referred to the AEC in Brisbane for a decision.

Mr Palmer said the situation was ridiculous.

"Both times I've won and now they are sending the ballots down to Brisbane to have a different AEC officer to do a different determination on them which is quite amazing," he said.

However, the mining magnate concedes the Palmer United Party is responsible for the majority of challenges which have questioned the validly of ballot papers.

Mr Palmer is also frustrated by the AEC's decision to conduct a West Australian senate recount which has put his candidate, Zhenya "Dio" Wang, at risk of losing his spot in the upper house.

He said it was "disturbing" the Electoral Commissioner had overruled a local officer's refusal of a recount, and ordered all of WA's 1.25 million above-the-line ballots to be recounted.

The AEC's Phil Diak didn't comment on Mr Palmer's claim that the commission was rigging the Fairfax result.

However, he said the decision to send thousands of ballots to Brisbane was in accordance with Commonwealth electoral law.

Mr Diak said the number of votes referred to the Australian Electoral Commission officer in Brisbane was high due to the amount of challenges, with most coming from PUP scrutineers.

The recount of the WA senate result was also in accordance with the electoral act, he said.


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Hundreds to mark Bali bombings anniversary

Friends, families and victims will flock to Coogee to remember those who died in the Bali bombings. Source: AAP

FRIENDS, families and victims will gather in Sydney's eastern suburbs to commemorate the Bali bombings' 11th anniversary.

Eighty-eight Australians were killed when bombs detonated at two popular nightclub spots in Bali's tourist hub Kuta.

Forty-three of those who died on October 12, 2002 were from NSW and 20 from Sydney's eastern suburbs, including Coogee, Maroubra, Malabar and Matraville.

A large crowd is expected to descend on Dolphin Point at Coogee on Saturday morning for the annual Bali Memorial Commemoration Ceremony.

Randwick City Council mayor Scott Nash described the annual ceremony as a special event for the local community, particularly those affected by the bombings.

"Our community has a strong condition of uniting to support each other in times of tragedy and hardship," he said in a statement.

"On this day, as we do every year, we will come together to show our support and care for the victims of the families and survivors.

"And to remember those who we lost."

The ceremony, which will include tributes from family members, performances and a minute silence, will start at 10am.


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Friend told Higgs of Nobel triumph

NOBEL Prize-winning scientist Professor Peter Higgs has revealed he first heard he won the prestigious award when a women stopped to congratulate him in the street.

Prof Higgs says a former neighbour, the widow of a judge, got out of her car in Edinburgh as he was returning from lunch and introduced herself.

"She congratulated me on the news and I said 'oh, what news?'" he told a media conference at the University of Edinburgh.

"She told me her daughter phoned from London to alert her to the fact I had got this prize.

"I heard more about it obviously when I got home and started reading the messages."

Prof Higgs was recognised by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for his work on the theory of the particle which shares his name, the Higgs boson.

The existence of the so-called "God particle", said to give matter its substance, or mass, was proved 50 years on by a team from the European nuclear research facility (Cern) in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2012.

Giving his reaction to the prize for the first time, he said: "How do I feel? Well, obviously I'm delighted and rather relieved in a sense that it's all over. It's been a long time coming."

An old friend told him he had been nominated as far back as 1980, he explained.


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Motoring party deal extends Palmer's reach

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 10 Oktober 2013 | 19.51

Clive Palmer says his alliance with the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party will bring stability. Source: AAP

CLIVE Palmer has warned the federal government to negotiate or face "a very cold winter" after securing a powerful four-vote bloc in the Senate through an alliance with micro-party senator-elect Ricky Muir.

The mining magnate has struck an agreement with the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party senator-elect to align with the three newly-elected Palmer United Party (PUP) senators when the new upper house convenes in July.

Thursday's announcement included a warning to government senate leader Eric Abetz to work with the new alliance or face the consequences.

"Erica - is it Erica? - will have to negotiate with our team or he won't be negotiating at all," he said.

"It'll be a very, very, very, very cold winter.

"But we hope we can bring that into a nice prosperous summer for the government and the people of Australia."

While Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he would try to work constructively with the PUP, he was quick to remind Mr Palmer of the government's mandate.

"I'm confident everyone in this parliament very well understands that the new government has a clear mandate to get certain things done," he told reporters in Brunei.

The coalition will need the votes of at least six crossbenchers to get bills past the Greens and Labor.

Mr Muir, who has kept a low profile since his shock election last month, said the voting agreement with Mr Palmer was critically important to the nation's future and would bring certainty to Australian politics.

"Together, I can do so much more than I could've achieved alone," Mr Muir told reporters in Sydney.

But political opponents are asking whether secret deals are behind the move and whether the billionaire is treating federal parliament as his personal plaything, while Mr Muir's own party is looking at ways it can dump him as senator.

The AMEP's former Victorian branch chairman Scott McDonald said party members had been betrayed by Mr Muir after he aligned with Mr Palmer without consulting them.

"I feel a bit sorry for Ricky because he's kind of been a puppet stuck in the middle of something that he doesn't understand," he said.

Members plan to meet next Wednesday and could vote to remove the party leader from the senate, Mr McDonald said.

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said the public deserved to know the details of the "secret deals" that led to the deal.

"The key question here is: what backroom deal did the Motoring Enthusiast Party enter into, what are the policies they have both agreed to support?" she said.

Mr Palmer didn't reveal the terms of the agreement, saying only it would cover "certain matters" and that the two parties shared common policies.

Greens senator Scott Ludlam, who faces a recount after losing his West Australian seat by 14 votes to PUP candidate Dio Wang, was sceptical about Mr Palmer's intentions.

"Is this a plaything for a rather erratic and eccentric coal billionaire, or is it going to be serious political player?" he told ABC radio.

Mr Palmer may end up wielding significant power in Canberra without even being in parliament himself. His bid for the lower house seat in the electorate of Fairfax hinges on a recount after he beat LNP opponent Ted O'Brien by just seven votes.

Interim Labor Leader Chris Bowen labelled the deal between the PUP and Senator Muir as "unusual", and called for both men to be transparent about the arrangement.

"I think the important thing here is transparency, for Mr Palmer and Senator Muir to be very clear about what this arrangement, this deal entails, about what the process will be," Mr Bowen told ABC TV.

"Will they actually always be voting together? Will they be voting separately on some instances? Who will actually make the decisions?"


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RAAF looks to high-end electronic warfare

THE RAAF is developing advanced electronic warfare capabilities to play a vital role in future operations.

RAAF chief Air Marshall Geoff Brown told an Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) dinner in Canberra that Force Level Electronic Warfare (FLEW) would involve new Growler electronic warfare aircraft and Wedgetail surveillance and control aircraft.

It could also include proposed new P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and Triton unmanned surveillance aircraft, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and the Navy's air warfare destroyers (AWDs).

All possess significant ability to deceive, confuse or attack an enemy through electronic means.

Air Marshal Brown said these capabilities could improve current defence forces but that their real value would be to future governments.

Air Marshal Brown said FLEW could assure theatre and national operations over air, land and sea, in peace and in conflict.

"The confluence of Growler, P-8, Wedgetail, Super Hornet and JSF, Navy's Aegis-equipped AWD and Army's special force operations presents an extraordinary development for Australia. It assures relevance in operations across time," he said.


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Tassie judo club wants Putin as patron

Russia's president has been asked to become the patron of a Tasmanian judo club. Source: AAP

A JUDO club in Tasmania has written to the Kremlin to ask Vladimir Putin to be its patron.

The Ulverstone Judo Club, in the state's north, says President Putin's prowess in the sport and no-nonsense approach make him the perfect candidate.

"I often say (at the club), look, Vladimir Putin doesn't put up with crap like this," head coach Chris Palmer told AAP.

"He's got plenty of backbone, he makes a decision and away he goes."

Mr Palmer said members of the club came up with the idea when they spotted the Russian president at the world championships in Rio last month.

They wrote to him this week and are hopeful of receiving a reply.

"We've gone to the Kremlin now," Mr Palmer said.

"If we don't do any good with getting a reply ... I'll shoot it back through the European judo.

"We might be able to get something that way."

President Putin began judo as a teenager and holds a sixth 'dan' red and white belt.

He has been the president of his boyhood club in St Petersburg and co-authored a book on the sport.

Mr Palmer, who earned his fifth 'dan' black belt last weekend, said the president's appearances practising judo on TV showed he had a sound knowledge of the sport.

"You can tell straight away that he has done a bit," he said.

"We have kids one night a week, some might do two.

"In Russia you're four nights a week or bugger off."

Mr Palmer said while he admired President Putin's lack of political correctness, he didn't agree with some of his more controversial policies.


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Dead daughter and sick father found in NSW

A WOMAN has been found dead along with her seriously ill elderly father at the NSW Hunter Valley home they shared, police say.

Officers went to the Dalwood Road address, in Branxton, around 11.30am (AEDT) on Thursday after being contacted by someone unable to reach either resident for several days.

A police spokeswoman said they found the body of the 28-year-old, and also located her seriously ill father.

The man, believed to be in his 70s, was treated for dehydration at the scene before being taken to Maitland Hospital in a serious condition.

Detectives say they hope to have a clearer idea of how the woman died once they are able to speak to him.


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Malala wins EU's human rights prize

The EU has awarded a prize for freedom of thought to Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai. Source: AAP

MALALA Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenage activist nominated for Friday's Nobel Peace Prize, was awarded the prestigious Sakharov human rights prize by the European Parliament on Thursday.

To thunderous applause announcing the prize, the parliament's president Martin Schulz said "Malala bravely stands for the right of all children to be granted a fair education. This right for girls is far too commonly neglected."

The parliament's vote for Malala amid a shortlist of three nominees "acknowledges the incredible strength of this young woman," Schulz added.

The 16-year-old has become an emblem of the fight against the most radical forms of Islamism.

She was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban on October 9 last year for speaking out against them and has gone on to become a global ambassador for the right of all children to go to school.

Her old school closed on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of her shooting.

She was taken to Britain for treatment in the wake of the attack and now goes to school in the central city of Birmingham.

Feted by world leaders and celebrities for her courage, she has addressed the UN, this week published an autobiography, and could become the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate on Friday.

In an interview with Pakistani radio station City89 FM this week she said she had not yet earned that accolade.

"There are many people who deserve the Nobel Peace Prize and I think that I still need to work a lot," she said.

There was no immediate response from Malala, currently in New York, to winning the 50,000 ($A72,134.46) Sakharov prize. It will be handed to the teenager at a ceremony in Strasbourg on November 20.

However, the Taliban said on Thursday that she has done "nothing" to earn the Nobel Prize.

"She has done nothing. The enemies of Islam are awarding her because she has left Islam and has became secular," Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

"She is getting awards because she is working against Islam. Her struggle against Islam is the main reason of getting these awards."

He repeated the TTP's threat - made numerous times in recent months - to try again to kill Malala, "even in America or the UK".

Malala first rose to prominence with a blog for the BBC Urdu service chronicling the difficulties of life under the rule of the Taliban, who controlled Swat valley from 2007 until they were kicked out by the army in 2009.

In the region in deeply conservative northwest Pakistan, women are often expected to stay at home to cook and rear children and officials say only around half of girls go to school.


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Result in Fairfax at least a week away

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 09 Oktober 2013 | 19.51

A RESULT in Fairfax won't be known for at least another week as ballot challenges drag out a full recount of the seat.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) says about half of all ballot papers have been challenged so far, with most disputes coming from the Palmer United Party.

Before the full recount, the party's leader Clive Palmer led LNP opponent Ted O'Brien by a mere seven votes.

The AEC's Phil Diak says while almost 40,000 of the 89,000 votes have been viewed, just over 20,000 have been challenged.

About 9000 of the challenged ballots have been sent down to an AEC officer in Brisbane for a decision.

"The challenge rate does influence the speed of the count," Mr Diak said in regards to how long the recount would take.

It won't be finished for at least another week if a previous recount in McEwen is anything to go by.

That recount, in 2007, took eight days. There has been four days of recounting in Fairfax and while half of ballot papers have been viewed the high challenge rate is prolonging the process.

The Sunshine Coast electorate is the only lower house seat in the country awaiting a definitive result following the September 7 election.

Mr Palmer originally finished with 36 more votes than Mr O'Brien.

A recount of the distribution of preferences found the margin was just seven votes.

Margins of less than 100 trigger a recount.


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Images show Qld dredging damage: greens

AERIAL photographs taken before and after a huge dredging project carried out near Gladstone Harbour show the devastation caused by dredging, a green group claims.

However, the Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) says the images likely illustrate turbidity caused by significant tidal changes which occur in the area.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has released two aerial images of Port Curtis off Gladstone Harbour - one taken in 2005 and the other in 2011.

In the earlier photo the water appears pristine, while in the later it is murky and brown.

Over this period about 36 million cubic metres of soil was dredged from the port as part of the Port of Gladstone Western Basin Dredging and Disposal Project.

The dredging was carried out so larger ships could access the Gladstone Harbour.

AMCS spokeswoman Felicity Wishart says the images indicate the devastation caused.

"It shows you just how much the beauty of Gladstone Harbour has been lost and the environmental consequences are still unclear," she told AAP.

"This harbour has been muddy and sludgy like this for years [because of dredging]."

However, a GPC spokeswoman says the images likely illustrate turbidity caused by significant tidal changes.

GPC has undertaken significant research looking at the overall health of the harbour and tests water quality every 15 minutes, the spokeswoman said.

They said reports such as the Curtis Coast Coastal and Marine Inventory Resource shows the cumulative impact of development in the Gladstone Harbour over the past 20 years had been minimal.


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Hungarian wingsuit flyer dies during jump

A WINGSUIT flier from Hungary has died following an accident during a jump into a gorge in central China.

Chinese media said the body of Victor Kovats was recovered Wednesday from the valley floor at Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park.

The reports said Kovats apparently died from a head injury. His 700-metre jump Tuesday afternoon was part of preparations for the Second World Wingsuit Championship being held in the park from October 11 to 13.

The accident's cause wasn't immediately known. The World Wingsuit League said on its website it was reviewing events leading up to Kovats' death and would adopt appropriate changes in the future.

A wingsuit is an aerodynamic jumpsuit that allows the wearer to soar for long distances before opening a parachute.


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Japan our best Asian friend: Abbott

Prime Minister Tony Abbott (R) has invited Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe to address parliament. Source: AAP

TONY Abbott has described Japan as Australia's "best friend in Asia", while also extending an invitation for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to make a historic address to the parliament.

Stressing the importance of the strategic partnership between the two nations, Mr Abbott also expressed support for Japan's determination to make an increased contribution to international peace and security.

"As far as I'm concerned, Japan is Australia's best friend in Asia and we want to keep it a very strong friendship," Mr Abbott told Mr Abe, before the talks were closed to the media.

Mr Abbott will visit Japan in the first half of next year, in what represents a recalibration of Australia's foreign policy focus, after criticism of former prime minister Kevin Rudd for his decision to visit China instead of Japan in his first major overseas trip in 2008.

It's understood Mr Abbott also expressed support for Japan making an increased contribution to international peace and security; and that the time had come for Japan to be a "normal country" operating under the same rules that other nations operate.

Mr Abbott told Mr Abe that he hoped the Japanese prime minister would visit Australia at "an early opportunity".

It would be the first state visit to Australia by a Japanese leader in 11 years.

Mr Abe told Mr Abbott he also wanted to reinvigorate the relationship.

"I myself attach importance to the relationship with your country, a country (which) shares basic values and strategic interests with Japan," Mr Abe said.

"By working hand-in-hand with you, Prime Minister Abbott, I would like to elevate our strategic partnership ... and bring this relationship to a new phase." Mr Abe's address before a joint sitting of the parliament would be the first by a Japanese prime minister, with Mr Abbott's invitation extending one previously offered to Mr Abe by former prime minister John Howard.

Mr Abe had been set to address the parliament in September 2007, but was forced to cancel his visit amid political upheaval at home.

He resigned as prime minister on September 12, 2007, the day after the address was scheduled, but was re-elected to lead Japan in December last year.

The two leaders also discussed the regional dispute over the South China Sea, military cooperation, as well as efforts to progress negotiations on a free trade agreement, which first began in 2007 when Mr Abe was in power.

The two leaders also expressed strong support for the United States' so-called pivot to Asia.

Mr Abbott, who arrived in the tiny nation of Brunei on Wednesday following the APEC summit in Bali, was also held talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday.

Mr Abbott was also expected to have formal one-on-one meetings with Korean President Park Geun-hye, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Bilateral talks with the Philippines were cancelled due to time constraints.

US President Barack Obama cancelled his attendance at the summit because of the US government shutdown.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent his foreign minister in his place despite just visiting nearby Bali for APEC.


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Italy to receive refugee funding from EU

ITALY is set to receive 30 million euros ($A43.54 million) from the European Union to help in caring for refugees, the head of the bloc's executive announced during a visit to the southern island of Lampedusa.

"We will work together with Italian authorities to alleviate the difficulties of refugees on the ground," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Wednesday.

The funds could be used "to refurbish and raise the standard" of an overcrowded migrant reception centre on the tiny island, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta, who escorted EU officials to Lampedusa, said the hundreds of migrants who died in a shipwreck last week would be given a state funeral and apologised for Italy's "shortcomings" in facing the tragedy.


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Unions NSW dragged into Robertson fray

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 08 Oktober 2013 | 19.51

NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson has drawn his old union into the fray as he continues to swat away criticisms over his failure to report a multi-million-dollar bribe attempt.

Mr Robertson on Tuesday dismissed reports of leadership tensions brewing in the Labor party, saying he was "not even slightly concerned".

The Labor leader has been under attack since revealing he rejected a $3 million sweetener offered to him by murdered debt collector Michael McGurk to sell him a Unions NSW holiday property called Currawong, in Sydney's north, for $30 million.

At the time of the offer Mr Robertson was head of Unions NSW.

Currawong later came under scrutiny by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). It found former NSW lands minister Tony Kelly acted corruptly when he backdated a letter used to buy the property two weeks before the March 2011 election.

Although Mr Robertson said he hadn't alerted police or the ICAC about the bribe, he had "never kept it a secret".

"I have told (now-Unions NSW boss) Mark Lennon about it, I have told other people about it. In fact I have had a conversation in passing with journalists about this previously," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"As much as people might like to twist this and turn it, the fact is that I acted with the utmost integrity and have done through all my career."

A spokesman for Mr Lennon confirmed the exchange took place.

"Mr Lennon was made aware of this matter in general terms after negotiations for the sale of Currawong to Eco-villages had been finalised," he said.

"Mr Lennon believes John Robertson behaved with complete propriety throughout the sale process."

Unions NSW said its policy on reporting bribes is currently covered in its gift register guidelines which state "all officers and staff who receive or have been offered a gift of any kind from an employer or supplier of goods and services must declare such offer or gift in writing to the Secretary".

Unions NSW was not able to provide a copy of the guidelines at the time Mr Robertson was secretary.

NSW Greens MP John Kaye said Mr Robertson has failed to comprehend why it was important to report such matters.

"In the context of what has happened in the last decade in the Labor party, his failure to report the offer is actually a mark against his standing as a political leader," he told AAP.

Meanwhile Federal Labor leadership hopeful Anthony Albanese told Macquarie Radio that if he was offered a $3 million bribe he would report it to police.

Attorney-General Greg Smith says he will be writing to the ICAC about the attempted bribe.


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Three police homes raided in Vic drug bust

THREE Victorian police officers' homes have been raided and two officers charged with using performance-enhancing drugs.

A male sergeant and male senior constable from metropolitan Melbourne have been suspended with pay after being charged with possessing synthetic steroids and human growth hormone.

The two officers were charged with possessing and using a substance contrary to the Drugs Poisons and Controlled Substances Act.

"It's alleged these have been taken in personal, private circumstances," deputy commissioner Lucinda Nolan told a press conference in Melbourne.

Police took no action in relation to a third officer, a male senior constable also from metropolitan Melbourne.

The homes of the three officers were among 10 addresses raided when police executed search warrants across Melbourne on Tuesday as part of an internal police investigation.

"It's all about performance-enhancing drugs, muscle building, that type of activity," deputy commissioner Nolan said.

Seven other warrants were executed at civilian addresses, including one address at Moonee Ponds, where police seized synthetic steroids, human growth hormone, cannabis and two pill presses.

A number of people were in custody being interviewed, including four from the Moonee Ponds address, deputy commissioner Nolan said.

Police professional standards command has been conducting the investigation since May out of concern some members are involved in performance-enhancing drugs.

The ongoing investigation is looking into who is supplying the drugs, including whether outlaw bikies have played a role.

Deputy commissioner Nolan says police members who engage in drug use leave themselves open to corruption.

"Once there's slight compromise, our members are very, very vulnerable," she said.

"They do leave themselves open to corruption which obviously for us is a significant risk."

She said police command will do what they can to ensure police members are not using these substances.

"The issue with performance-enhancing drugs is it's so experimental. We're just not sure what the short-term or long-term effects are," she said.


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Hockey to make the most of US trip

FEDERAL Treasurer Joe Hockey will meet with the US central bank boss and the head of the International Monetary Fund during a trip to Washington and New York this week.

Mr Hockey is attending the Group of 20 (G20) finance ministers' and central bank governors' meeting in Washington on October 10/11, as well as the IMF and World Bank annual meetings.

"This trip will build on the relationships fostered during my time as a minister in the previous coalition government and my time as shadow treasurer," Mr Hockey said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The trip will also improve Australia's understanding of the range of risks facing the global economic recovery, including the impact of the United States government budget shutdown and the US debt ceiling debate."

He believes the G20 meeting of major developed and developing countries is of "pivotal importance" as Australia takes the presidency of the organisation from December 1.

Mr Hockey will hold a number of bilateral meetings, including with finance ministers from India, the UK, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Turkey, France and the Eurogroup.

He will also get the opportunity for meetings with US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde, and World Bank president Jim Yong Kim.

Mr Hockey will deliver a speech in New York to the American Australian Association titled "Australia: Open for Business", as well as meeting with a number of international business leaders and rating agencies.


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Abbott's fitness shouldn't cost public:ALP

Anthony Albanese believes Peter Slipper (pic) has been treated harshly over travel expense claims. Source: AAP

CHRIS Bowen admires Tony Abbott's fitness regime but the interim Labor leader says taxpayers shouldn't have to cover the cost of the Prime Minister showing off his sporting prowess.

Mr Abbott has repaid over $1700 claimed for travelling to the weddings of former colleagues Sophie Mirabella and Peter Slipper in 2006.

But he is defending the use of parliamentary entitlements to enter an ironman triathlon and the annual Pollie Pedal charity fundraiser.

"I believe that all of my claims have been within entitlement," he told reporters at the APEC leaders forum in Bali.

Mr Abbott claimed nearly $1300 in flights and allowances for a night at Port Macquarie in November 2011 when he competed in the ironman triathlon in the marginal NSW seat.

"I don't go to marginal seats simply for sporting events ... and I think you'll find there were quite a few other community events involved in those visits," he said.

Mr Bowen says it didn't appear Mr Abbott had participated in any other community events in Port Macquarie.

"It's good that Mr Abbott tries to keep fit ... but if he chooses to participate in an ironman event, that is in my view pretty clearly a personal issue, a personal expense, not something the taxpayer can fairly be asked to cover," he said.

Coalition ministers George Brandis and Barnaby Joyce have also repaid expenses they claimed for travel to former shock jock Michael Smith's 2011 wedding - and a clutch of others are also caught up in expense controversies.

But it's not just the government caught up in the furore.

Hours after calling for "some serious investigation" into the coalition's expenses claims, shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus paid back $466 he claimed for staying two nights in Canberra in August 2011 when he was actually skiing in the Snowy Mountains.

His office called it an administrative error, saying Mr Dreyfus had taken the trip on a weekend between two parliamentary sitting weeks in Canberra without his staff knowing he had left the capital.

Labor frontbencher Tony Burke said Mr Abbott shouldn't be surprised at the outcry given his "holier than thou" attitude over former speaker Peter Slipper's alleged expense rorts.

"If you're going to do the character assassination that Tony Abbott and George Brandis did on Peter Slipper, then I don't think you can be surprised when the public want to apply the same standards that these two men held up," he said.

Labor doesn't take issue with $3500 Mr Abbott claimed when taking part in the 2012 Pollie Pedal through regional Australia as it allows for engagement with community groups in towns that rarely see politicians.

Mr Abbott will take part in it again in 2014 and plans to use his allowances "to the extent that it involves being away from home".


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Delhi rapists appeal death sentences

TWO of the four men sentenced to death in the fatal Delhi gang rape have filed appeals, their lawyer has said.

A special trial court sentenced them September 13 for the attack on a 23-year-old student in December. The case was referred to the Delhi High Court for confirmation of sentence.

"I have filed a joint appeal on behalf of my clients seeking the trial court's conviction and sentencing orders be set aside," said AP Singh, lawyer for Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur on Tuesday.

He said the verdict was "bad in law as the judge did not pay heed to the facts of the case."

The appeal said that Sharma was 17 years at the time of the crime - not 20 as argued by the police - and should have been tried by a juvenile court. It also said Thakur was not present at the scene of crime, Singh said.

Lawyers representing the other two convicts, Mukesh Singh and Pawan Gupta, informed the court that they were withdrawing from the case owing to alleged interference by the clients' relatives.

The judges directed the two convicts to be produced in court Wednesday to clarify the issue.

A death sentence can be challenged in the High Court and the Supreme Court, after which the defendant may file a mercy petition with the president.

The Delhi gang rape led to protests across the country and international outrage, prompting the government to amend laws to apply stricter punishments for rape.

Police charged six suspects initially. The case against one was dropped after he was found hanged in his jail cell during the trial.

The sixth suspect was found guilty by a juvenile court and sent to a correctional home for three years.


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Concordia captain made route change: court

Written By Unknown on Senin, 07 Oktober 2013 | 19.51

THE captain of the shipwrecked Costa Concordia cruise liner personally ordered a route change which took the vessel dangerously close to the island of Giglio, an Italian court has been told.

The Concordia ran aground and capsized near Giglio on January 13, 2012, killing more than 30 people.

Captain Francesco Schettino is accused of having steered the ship close to the island to repeat a stunt - a so-called "bow" - which had been performed before.

First Deck Officer Giovanni Iaccarino told judges in Grosseto that on the night of the disaster the captain ordered the crew to sail at a distance of half a nautical mile from Giglio, rather than the normal 5 nautical miles.

He said Schettino had wanted the Concordia to carry out the stunt off Giglio during another cruise seven days earlier, "but it was not possible because the conditions were not right, the sea was too rough and the idea was abandoned."

Iaccarino, who had been summoned by the prosecution, was the first of more than 1000 witnesses due to appear in the trial, where the Costa Concordia captain is accused of manslaughter, abandoning ship and other serious crimes.

Iaccarino said he was off duty, in his cabin, when the Concordia ran aground.

He had been "playing at the PlayStation" with cartographer Simone Canessa, he told the court.

"I figured that we either had a collision or we had got stuck."

Thirty-two of the 4229 people who were on board died.

Last month rescuers resumed the search for two missing victims, after the wreck of the Concordia was righted from the half-capsized state it had been in after hitting the rocks.

DNA testing is still ongoing to ascertain whether bones found near the wreck on September 26 could belong to Indian waiter Russel Rebello and Italian passenger Maria Grazia Trecarichi.


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Dog's mood may show owner needs aid

MONITORING the mood of a pet dog could be used as an early warning sign that an elderly owner is struggling to cope, a new report has claimed.

Researchers placed movement sensors on dogs to track their behaviour and identified 17 distinct activities, including chewing, barking, sitting and digging.

This allowed them to map the normal behaviour of a healthy, happy dog, which means any changes can be monitored and could indicate an issue with their owner.

"Humans and dogs have lived together in close proximity for thousands of years, which has led to strong emotional and social mutual bonds," said Nils Hammerla, part of the team from Newcastle University.

"A dog's physical and emotional dependence on their owner means that their well-being is likely to reflect that of their owner.

"Any changes such as the dog being walked less often, perhaps not being fed regularly, or simply demonstrating "unhappy" behaviour could be an early indicator for families that an older relative needs help.

"This is the first system of its kind which allows us to remotely monitor a dog's behaviour in its natural setting."

The team of academics, who presented their findings at the 2013 UbiComp conference in Zurich, created a hi-tech, waterproof dog collar for the study.

Dr Cas Ladha, who led the study, said: "A lot of our research is focused on developing intelligent systems that can help older people to live independently for longer.

"But developing a system that reassures family and carers that an older relative is well without intruding on that individual's privacy is difficult.

"This is just the first step but the idea behind this research is that it would allow us to discretely support people without the need for cameras."

A range of dogs was used for the study, as the team needed to map distinct behaviours that correlated between different breeds.


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Muscle advice for elite swimmers

ELITE swimmers could perform better in the pool by training the muscles used for breathing, according to new research.

Scientists at the University of Portsmouth have examined how muscle fatigue in the inspiratory muscles can affect overall performance.

They believe that by incorporating specific training of these muscles into their regime, swimmers could significantly improve their speed.

Swimmers are especially susceptible to inspiratory muscle fatigue (IMF) which causes the body to divert blood, oxygen and nutrients to the muscles responsible for breathing thus affecting their overall performance.

The research, carried out by Dr Mitch Loman and published in the International Journal of Swimming Kinetics, shows attempts by scientists to identify the speed associated with the development of IMF.

Dr Lomax examined how speed affected the extent of inspiratory muscle fatigue in swimmers.

"In swimming, most of the propulsion comes from the upper body but some of the muscles used for this are also required for breathing," she said.

"When swimmers reach a certain speed there is a point at which the body steals blood flow from the working muscles and diverts it to the breathing muscles. This conflict can worsen performance and can have negative effects on swimming stroke.

"By training at a level below this speed, swimmers can focus on improving their technique. And by specifically training the inspiratory muscles it is possible to make them more resistant to fatigue and to improve breathing when swimming at speed as in a competition environment. It's all about getting the balance right."

Inspiratory muscle training is already recognised as beneficial in many sports and athletes use a breathing device to make breathing more difficult, forcing the inspiratory muscles to work harder and become stronger.

Dr Lomax found there is a threshold speed above which most swimmers experience inspiratory muscle fatigue which could affect their stroke.

"By understanding what happens to the breathing at certain speeds, swimmers can tailor their training program to improve both technique and speed to achieve maximum performance in competition," she said.

The research could also be applied to sports as diverse as rowing and shooting, where the upper body needs strength and resilience against fatigue.

Dr Lomax is now examining how to optimise training by looking at how frequently swimmers should train the inspiratory muscles and for how long, to achieve their best performance. She is also currently helping the English pistol shooting squad prepare for the Commonwealth Games with dedicated breathing training.


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'Much to do' in Madeleine probe

IT is too early to speculate on where the latest Crimewatch appeal into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will lead, Scotland Yard says, saying there is "much ground to cover".

Scotland Yard assistant commissioner Mark Rowley said it is hoped the appeal next week will produce new witnesses but a conclusion to the case is not imminent.

A reconstruction of the "latest, most detailed understanding" of the events around the time Madeleine went missing will be shown on BBC Crimewatch next Monday.

It comes after the Metropolitan Police revealed a vast log of mobile phone traffic could be the key to finding out what happened to the-then three-year-old.

Scotland Yard detectives, who have interviewed 442 people as part of their review-turned-investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, hope to track down as many people present in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on or around May 3 2007 as possible.

Madeleine's parents have said they are "greatly encouraged" by new information about their daughter's disappearance.

Assistant commissioner Mr Rowley said on Monday it was vital that the public focused on new facts rather than speculation.

"Just to be clear, we are focused on the appeal on Crimewatch next week which we hope will produce new witnesses," he said.

"It is clearly too early to speculate about where this will lead.

"It remains vital for us and the success of the appeal, that the public are focused on new facts that can be released by the investigative team rather than speculation.

"I am impressed by what Detective Chief Inspector Redwood and his team have achieved but a conclusion is not imminent. There is much ground to cover and we still need assistance - hence the appeal next week."

Announcing the appeal, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said police now have the "most complete picture to date" of the events events surrounding Madeleine's disappearance.

A three-year-old actress is to play the youngster in the Crimewatch reconstruction, as a small production team from the program spent a week filming abroad for the new appeal.

Crimewatch presenter Kirsty Young speaks to the McCanns in the new program, while presenter Matthew Amroliwala has been to Praia da Luz to explore the new focus of the police investigation.

The McCanns and Mr Redwood will also be speaking to Kirsty live in the studio.

Madeleine's parents previously said: "We are greatly encouraged by new information coming to light with pieces of the jigsaw now fitting together.

"We are really hopeful that the forthcoming appeal on Crimewatch will bring further new evidence which will take us a step closer to finding Madeleine and to bringing those responsible for her abduction to justice."

Scotland Yard has revealed that since launching its own investigation, 41 people of interest have been identified, including 15 UK nationals, up from 38 people of interest including 12 UK nationals established in July.

Detectives have issued 31 international letters of request (ILOR) to mostly European countries in relation to some of the persons of interest as well as accessing phone records.

A large but manageable list of phone numbers identified as being present in Praia da Luz - though not necessarily used to make phone calls - has been drawn up by detectives with a significant number unattributed to any named person.

And significantly, police officers are now able to create a log showing calls being made at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

The latest appeal will also be broadcast in Holland and Germany.

Madeleine went missing from a holiday apartment as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

The Portuguese investigation officially closed but authorities there are backing the Scotland Yard inquiry and officers from both countries will work together in pursuing new leads.

The Metropolitan Police now has a team of six Portuguese detectives based in Faro, who are carrying out inquiries on its behalf.

The McCanns are suing former police chief Goncalo Amaral for libel over claims in the book The Truth Of The Lie.


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If there's doubt pay up, Abbott tells MPs

Former Liberal leader John Hewson has warned coalition MPs to be careful with travel expense claims. Source: AAP

IF any federal politician has doubts about entitlements they've claimed from Australian taxpayers they should pay them back, Prime Minister Tony Abbott says.

Mr Abbott himself has in the last couple of days paid back more than $1700 he claimed seven years ago for attending the weddings of two Liberal Party colleagues.

He's repaid the $1094 claimed for a trip to rural Victoria to see former frontbencher Sophie Mirabella get married and $609 for attending then MP Peter Slipper's wedding, both in 2006.

"When the controversy arose after the Michael Smith wedding I remembered that some seven years ago I had been to a couple of weddings," he told reporters in Bali on Monday.

Mr Abbott checked his records, sought advice and was told it was unclear whether or not he was entitled to bill taxpayers for the trips.

"In order to avoid doubt, I paid the relevant money back," he said.

The refund comes a week after Attorney-General George Brandis and Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce repaid a total of almost $2300 for their travel costs to attend the 2011 wedding of former radio presenter Michael Smith.

Mr Joyce again faced questions for attending the wedding of billionaire Gina Rinehart's business partner's granddaughter.

Ms Rinehart flew Mr Joyce, fellow minister Julie Bishop and Liberal MP Teresa Gambaro from Perth to India in a private jet for the event in June 2011.

The three MPs then billed taxpayers for more than $12,000 for their trips home, which they said incorporated study trips.

Mr Joyce said critics are just trying to "level the score against the coalition" by bringing up the claims from several years ago.

"We never did anything illegal. You did everything that you were basically entitled to do," he said on Monday.

He defended his decision to combine the wedding with a study tour to Malaysia, saying it was actually made cheaper for taxpayers since Ms Rinehart paid for half the trip.

But Mr Joyce has now repaid this money.

Mr Abbott said politicians must ensure they act within their entitlements.

"They should err on the side of caution and if there's any doubt they should act immediately to clear the matter up," he said.

Mr Joyce suggested MPs' expense entitlements needed more clarity and reform to address grey areas.

The Australian Greens are proposing new legislation to set up a National Integrity Commission and the appointment of an independent parliamentary officer to give advice on entitlements.

Former Howard government minister Peter Reith defended the right of MPs to attending weddings and bill taxpayers for their travel costs.

"Getting to know someone on a personal, intimate basis can be a very important part of what you do as a politician," he told ABC television on Monday.

Mr Reith said in government he attended the wedding of a senior Melbourne business figure.

But former federal coalition leader John Hewson says if the government wants the public to believe it can control expenditure, MPs shouldn't waste taxpayers' money on their personal lives.

In opposition, the coalition pursued Mr Slipper when he was house speaker over the alleged misuse of Cabcharge dockets to pay for $900 worth of travel to Canberra region wineries.

Mr Slipper has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Liberal frontbencher Greg Hunt said if politicians made mistakes with expenses they should "just deal with it, apologise, repay and move on".

"There are probably about 30,000 claims a year, because when you look at well over 220 MPs and senators, when you look at all the trips, people make mistakes," he told ABC's Q&A program on Monday.

"Clarify it, move on, and if there is a systemic pattern, that's when there is a real problem."

Labor MP Kate Ellis acknowledged genuine mistakes will be made, which should be repaid.

"But in this case it is really not that hard," she told Q&A.

"Weddings are not work. It's not that hard. And I don't think the taxpayer should have to pay for them."


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US raids terror leaders in Somalia, Libya

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 06 Oktober 2013 | 19.51

A Libyan militant leader, wanted by the US, has reportedly been kidnapped. Source: AAP

US forces have struck two militant targets in Africa, snatching a top Al-Qaeda suspect from the streets of Tripoli and launching a pre-dawn raid against an al-Shebab leader's home in Somalia.

In Libya, US forces seized a militant known as Abu Anas al-Libi, a long-sought Al-Qaeda operative indicted in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

A separate raid in the southern Somali port of Barawe failed to capture the senior militant and it was unclear whether he had been killed, but a US official said several Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shebab members had been slain.

It was reportedly "prompted" by the deadly militant siege on a Nairobi shopping mall last month.

The operation in Libya however appeared to be a success.

"As the result of a US counterterrorism operation, Abu Anas al-Libi is currently lawfully detained by the US military in a secure location outside of Libya," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement.

A source close to Libi told AFP he was snatched by armed men in Tripoli.

Libi, who was on the FBI's most wanted list with a $US5 million ($A5.34 million) reward, was indicted in US federal court in New York for allegedly playing a key role in the east Africa bombings.

The attacks left more than 200 people dead.

His capture ended a 15-year manhunt for a key Al-Qaeda operative, who was born under the name Nazih Abdul Hamed Al-Raghie.

It also paved the way for Libi, 49, to be brought to the United States to face trial.

"We hope that this makes clear that the United States of America will never stop in its effort to hold those accountable who conduct acts of terror," said Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday, speaking from the Indonesian island of Bali.

The action should also make clear that "those members of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations literally can run, but they can't hide," said Kerry, speaking during a break from meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

The US raid took place in broad daylight with the knowledge of the Libyan government, a US official told CNN.

Libyan security services denied the claim, saying they were unaware of any kidnapping or arrest of the man.

According to the indictment, Libi and other Al-Qaeda members discussed attacking the US Embassy in Nairobi as early as 1993, and even took pictures of the mission.

In 1994 Libi allegedly drew up plans to attack the mission as well as a building that housed the United States Agency for International Development, as well as British, French and Israeli targets.

A US official said the operation in Somalia sought to capture a "high-value" al-Shebab leader, and that no US personnel were injured or killed.

The operation marked the most significant US assault in Somalia since commandos killed key Al-Qaeda operative Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan in the same area four years ago.

It followed an attack by al-Shebab gunmen last month on the upscale Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi that left 67 people dead during a four-day siege.

"US personnel took all necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties in this operation and disengaged after inflicting some Shebab casualties," the official said.

Declining to identify the people who died, the official said that "even in these extreme operational circumstances, the US military is very cautious to minimise civilian casualties."

Leaders of the Shebab in Barawe, one of the few ports left in the hands of the insurgents, said commandos rappelled from a helicopter but failed in their attempt to storm a house belonging to a senior commander.

The SEAL team approached and fired on the unidentified target's seaside villa by sea, according to The New York Times.

Although the al-Shebab leader was believed to have been killed during the assault, the SEALs had to withdraw before they could confirm the kill, a senior US official told the newspaper.

"The Barawe raid was planned a week and a half ago," a US security official told the Times.

"It was prompted by the Westgate attack."

A senior Somali government official told the newspaper that "the attack was carried out by the American forces and the Somali government was pre-informed about the attack."

Al-Shebab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab told AFP that commandos had stormed the beach by boat, but blamed Britain and Turkey.

"The bungled operation was carried out by white people, who came with two small boats from a larger ship out at sea... one Shebab guard was killed, but reinforcements soon came and the foreigners fled," he said.

"Where the foreigners had been, afterwards we saw lots of blood, so maybe we wounded some."


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Keysar Trad tries hand at love poetry

One of Australia's best known Muslim figures has launched a book of love poetry. Source: AAP

HE shot to prominence defending controversial former mufti Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, took on broadcast giant Alan Jones and penned spirited newspaper op-eds in defence of polygamy.

Now Keysar Trad is trying out a new gig as an agony uncle.

The outspoken Islamic Friendship Association founder launched his first book of love poetry on Sunday, with the help of chief government whip Philip Ruddock.

Publisher John Stapleton described Mr Trad's Forays of the Heart as "paeans of unrequited love directed at women other than his wife".

He told the launch event in inner Sydney that Mr Trad's wife was "bemused" - and his nine children were a bit embarrassed.

Mr Trad said he saw the kids' point, but he hoped his writing would offer some comfort to lovelorn readers.

"When I wrote these poems I felt, yes, they are embarrassing," he said.

"But I wrote them and I felt that this was something that would help other people if I shared them ... I felt this was something I could offer to people who might have a heartache."

Mr Ruddock said he'd had a good read through the book before agreeing to launch it, after media reports described it as an endorsement of polygamy.

But he'd come to a different conclusion.

"People have lots of loves in their life," he said.

"I love all my constituents, it may surprise you - even those who don't vote for me."

It could be just the sort of unrequited love Mr Trad is hoping his poems will help soothe.


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Abbott to meet China's president

Tony Abbott is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Bali. Source: AAP

TONY Abbott has arrived in Bali for his first major international summit as prime minister, with trade liberalisation at the top of his agenda.

His first order of business at the annual APEC leaders' summit will be a meeting with one of the world's most powerful men: Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Arriving at his hotel on Sunday, Mr Abbott called APEC a very important conference for its 21 member countries.

"Australia was there at the beginning of APEC," he told reporters.

"APEC has been a very strong force for liberalisation of trade and the growth of the economies. I'm looking forward to continuing that momentum."

The prime minister is also expected to meet with the leaders of Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada and Mexico on the summit's sidelines in the coming days.

But a planned meeting with Barack Obama was cancelled after the US president decided to stay in Washington to deal with the ongoing government shutdown.

Mr Abbott is expected to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry instead.

He will also be in a position to hold further talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is hosting APEC. The pair met earlier this month when Mr Abbott travelled to Jakarta.

Trade is top of Mr Abbott's to do list, particularly the ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, which seek to establish a grand free trade area that would include Australia and 11 other Asia-Pacific nations.

But there are doubts about whether the TPP talks will be able to make much progress without Mr Obama.

APEC wraps up on Tuesday, and Mr Abbott will head to the tiny sultanate of Brunei for what's known as the East Asia Summit on Wednesday.

It brings together the leaders of the 10 ASEAN Southeast Asian nations, plus Australia, New Zealand, the US, Russia, China, India, Japan and South Korea.

The EAS will be focused more in regional and global security issues, such as North Korea and tensions in the South China Sea.

Mr Abbott returns to Australia on Thursday.


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Vic learner nabbed with girl on car floor

AN unaccompanied learner driver allegedly had a young child sitting on the floor of his car when he was pulled over in Melbourne for drink driving.

The 24-year-old Craigieburn driver was caught by police on Queensberry Street in Carlton before 6pm (AEDT) on Sunday.

Police allegedly found a young girl without a seatbelt sitting on the floor behind the passenger seat.

The man was travelling in a silver Holden Commodore and a preliminary breath test returned a positive reading of 0.133.

He is expected to be charged on summons with drink driving, learner unaccompanied, fail to display plates and unregistered vehicle.

His permit was also immediately suspended for 12 months.


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Twitter's Evan Williams may be worth $1B

THE personal fortune of Twitter co-founder Evan Williams probably will take up 10 characters once the online communications company goes public.

Williams, who was Twitter's CEO for two years until Dick Costolo took over in 2010, owns a 12 per cent stake that makes him the company's largest shareholder.

If Twitter turns out to be worth at least $US17.60 ($A18.79) per share, the initial public offering will make Williams a billionaire at 41 years old.

Williams, a Nebraska native who now lives in San Francisco, is likely to join the billion-dollar club because an outside appraisal of Twitter completed in August valued the company at $US20.62 per share, according to IPO documents unsealed on Thursday.

At that price, Williams' 56.9 million shares would be worth nearly $US1.2 billion.

San Francisco-based Twitter Inc. hopes to raise $US1 billion an offer that's expected to be completed by Thanksgiving.

Williams owns such a large stake because Twitter was hatched within another startup called Odeo that he launched in 2005 after leaving a job at Google Inc.

He had gone to work for Google after selling his first hit product, Blogger, to Google for an undisclosed amount in 2003.

Odeo, which specialised in podcasting, never caught on and Twitter was eventually spun into Obvious Corp., another company run by Williams.

Although Williams is no longer Twitter's chief executive, he remains on the company's board of directors.

Another board member, Peter Fenton, and his venture capital firm, Benchmark Capital, own a 6.7 per cent stake in the company.

Next in line with a 4.9 per cent stake is Jack Dorsey, who came up for the idea for Twitter with Noah Glass and Biz Stone.

The stakes of Glass and Stone aren't listed in the IPO documents, meaning they don't own enough stock to trigger legal disclosures.

Glass came up with the original name "Twttr" in a reference to chirping birds.

Despite his early involvement in Twitter, Glass was never promoted as one of the company's founders along with Dorsey, Stone and Williams.

Other investors who own at least a 5 per cent stake in Twitter include private investment firm Rizvi Traverse, which backed Hugh Hefner's successful bid to take Playboy private two years ago, as well as Spark Capital, Benchmark Capital Partners and Union Square Ventures.

DST Global, a London-based investment firm founded by Russian investor Yuri Milner, is another stakeholder.

DST, which focuses its investments on internet companies, was pre-IPO investor in Facebook.

Twitter's current CEO, former improvisational comedian Dick Costolo, owns a 1.6 per cent stake in the company.

Many of Twitter's 2000 employees could become rich, too. They won't be allowed to sell their stock until February 15, at the earliest.


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