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VW to make hefty Brazilian investment

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 05 Oktober 2013 | 13.23

Volkswagen has become the latest automaker to plan investment in Brazil. Source: AAP

VOLKSWAGEN is to invest 520 million reais ($A252 million) to develop a new model of its highly popular Golf compact, which will be manufactured in the southern Brazil.

Volkswagen do Brasil President Thomas Schmall made the announcement on Thursday after meeting with Brazil's head of state, Dilma Rousseff, to present the company's plans.

The new Golf model will be manufactured at the multinational's plant in Parana, and sold in Brazil from in 2016, Schmall said.

The announcement comes after Mercedes Benz and Audi unveiled big bets on Brazil's promising auto market.

Mercedes said last week it would invest some $US230 million ($A246 million) to build a second plant in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo.

The luxury automaker's factory will have a production capacity of 20,000 vehicles per year and begin operating in 2016.

Audi also has announced plans for a big push into Brazil's luxury vehicle market, saying last month it would invest $US500 million over the next two years to build a new assembly plant in Brazil.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dogs mauls child in Sydney's southwest

A four-year-old has been taken to hospital suffering facial injuries, after a bullmastiff attack. Source: AAP

A DOG has mauled a young boy in southwest Sydney and left him with extensive facial injuries.

At about 10pm on Friday a bullmastiff attacked the four year old boy at a Lavington Avenue home in Chipping Norton.

Police believe the attack unfolded when the boy walked into the living room and the dog followed.

The dog bit him on the head before the boy's grandfather intervened.

The family was minding the bullmastiff, police say.

The child was transported to Westmead Children's Hospital with extensive lacerations to the side of his head.

The bullmastiff has been taken to the pound as investigations continue.

The victim's grandfather has told the Seven Network of finding the boy and his injuries.

"His scalp had been torn back," he said.

"I thought he was going to die to tell you the truth because it looked that bad."


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic Facebook house party ends in riot

POLICE have been pelted with bottles and fireworks during a riot after a massive Facebook-organised party called "mayhem" in an unoccupied Melbourne home.

Up to 400 teenagers clashed with police after partygoers set off fireworks and gatecrashers showed up at the Glen Waverley house.

About 700 people had been invited to the party, mostly through Facebook, according to a group of youths who returned to the house on Saturday.

"They called it mayhem," one teenager said of the Facebook invite.

"It's also written inside on the walls."

The youths, who didn't provide their full names, say there may be "mayhem round two".

Neighbours said the event had been advertised on Facebook as an end of year 12 and Halloween party.

People were lining up to get into Friday's party and were being charged for entry, before gatecrashers turned up about 11pm, the youths said.

"The guy who was hosting the party ran screaming there's a gang trying to get in by the back," a neighbour, who did not want to be named, told AAP.

Police officers that were first on the scene had to wait for back up to deal with a massive crowd throwing bottles and fireworks at them.

A police spokeswoman says 70 officers had to be called in to shut the party down, but not before rampaging youths jumped on the bonnet and roof of two police cars.

The youths damaged gardens, fences and a house under construction in the street during the melee, she said.

Some cars were also damaged as riot police pushed the youths up the street to get them to leave.

The youths say the party was well organised, with only people whose names were on a list at the door allowed in.

The six teenagers say the organisers had permission to stage the party and the owner of the house was there at one stage.

No one has lived in the house for about three years and it is set to be demolished.

Party organisers even cleaned up the rundown property in preparation for the party and had the power turned back on, neighbours said.

"They knew that the house was being demolished so it didn't matter how much damage was going to be done," the woman said.

One teenage girl was taken to hospital and two men were arrested for drunkenness.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ford recalls Focus electric, C-Max cars

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 04 Oktober 2013 | 13.23

FORD is recalling about 24,000 cars because a chime won't sound if the driver's door is opened while the key is inside the car.

The recall in the US and Canada affects Ford Focus electric cars from 2012 and 2013, and the C-Max hybrid from the 2013 model year.

The cars have push-button starting mechanisms.

Ford says the cars don't comply with US regulations requiring the chime, but no crashes or injuries have been reported because of the problem.

Ford dealers will modify software starting next week in order to make the chimes sound properly.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Meth blast left young boy badly burned

A DRUG user who blew up a Perth house while attempting to manufacture a batch of methamphetamine - seriously injuring a four-year old boy in the process - has been imprisoned for five years.

Mark Joseph Dennehy, 33, was using a gas bottle to make the drugs in the bathroom of the rented house in Bertram, south of Perth, in July 2012 when an explosion lifted the roof by two metres and started a serious fire.

The boy, who was in a nearby bedroom at the time, suffered serious burns to his face, hands and feet in the blast, requiring weeks of hospital treatment.

Dennehy was also badly injured, suffering burns to his legs, arms and face.

But as he was being taken to hospital, he told emergency services the blast had been caused by a gas heater exploding.

The house was virtually destroyed, with damage estimated at about $300,000.

Perth's District Court was told the youngster had made a good recovery, but would bear the scars to his face for life, needed psychological counselling, and was alive only by "the grace of God".

Judge Kevin Sleight said Dennehy had exposed his neighbours, emergency services, and most significantly the child to serious risk.

"You must surely have been aware of the risk, but you selfishly ignored the risks and selfishly exposed others to harm," Judge Sleight said.

Dennehy becomes one of the first people in Western Australia to be jailed under new laws that mandate a minimum sentence of 12 months for anyone convicted of manufacturing a prohibited drug in circumstances that cause bodily harm to a child under 16.

He admitted to manufacturing methamphetamine, injuring a person under 16 while attempting to manufacture methamphetamine, and criminal damage.

Dennehy was made eligible for parole in three years, and ordered to pay compensation of $231,000 to the company that insured the house.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bikies tensions still rising: Vic police

TENSIONS are still rising between bikie gangs in Victoria and police say they will continue their crackdown.

Acting deputy commissioner Steve Fontana said, despite 10 arrests this week linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs, police would keep the pressure on.

"We've made some really good inroads this week, but we are still concerned," he said.

"We're concerned that tension is still there.

"We're are not scaling down our operation."

Police seized about 10 firearms as part of this week's blitz but Mr Fontana says police intelligence suggests there are a number of high-powered military-style weapons still out there in the community.

He called on gang members to reconsider any decisions of violence, saying he did not want innocent people or police officers caught up in it.

Fourteen warrants were issued on OMCG clubhouses and homes this week.

Ten people were arrested for charges including drugs, weapons and extortion.

Mr Fontana appealed to the public for any information on OMCG bikies.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fifteen charged over Aurukun riot

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 03 Oktober 2013 | 13.23

FIFTEEN people have been charged for rioting outside a police station in a far north Queensland indigenous community.

Police say the disturbance began at a shop in Aurukun then spread to the local police station on Monday after a local man was taken into custody.

It has been alleged police tasered the man during a riot at the general store.

Rocks were then allegedly hurled at the police station and vehicles, so police had to call in reinforcements from Cairns and Thursday Island.

A 33-year-old man has been charged with serious assault, assaulting police, obstructing police and causing a public nuisance.

He is expected to reappear at the Cairns Magistrates Court on Thursday.

A further twelve men and two teenage boys have been charged with a range of offences, including rioting while armed, wilful damage of police property, serious assault of police while armed, wilful damage and for entering premises and committing an indictable offence by breaking and entering.

Six men are due to appear at the Cairns Magistrates Court on Friday.

The remaining men are due to appear at the Aurukun Magistrates Court on October 14.

The two boys, both aged 15, are to be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tanker crash company hit with 100 notices

MORE than 100 notices for vehicle defects including brake failure and steering faults have been handed to the company linked to a fatal tanker crash on Sydney's northern beaches.

An investigation has been launched after a fuel tanker went out of control on Mona Vale Road on Tuesday, ploughing into a power pole and four cars before erupting in a fireball.

Two men died in the blaze and six other people were taken to hospital.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said the number of braking problems identified so far in trucks owned by Cootes Transport was unacceptable.

"As of a few minutes ago, more than half of the fleet that's based in NSW has been inspected," he told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.

"More than 100 defect notices have been issued.

"I was concerned last night to see that ... 51 of those defects related to brakes and braking systems."

The number of defect notices was alarming, assistant police commissioner Ian Hartley said.

"We could lose many more lives on the roads due to trucking companies not complying with safety regulations," he said.

Cootes has been ordered to get all its vehicles to a station or risk being grounded, Roads and Maritime Services customer and compliance director Peter Wells said.

The premier said Cootes trucks stationed outside NSW are also likely to be inspected.

"My advice is that this checking regime is about to go national because of the concerns identified through the checks currently being carried out by police and RMS," he said.

"I'm told that one truck in Newcastle for instance had severe issues around brakes.

"How anyone allows a truck in that condition to get on the road is beyond my imagination."

A Cootes spokesperson said the company was working closely with road services and police to undertake a rigorous inspection of its NSW fleet.

Investigators say it's still unclear what caused the truck in Tuesday's crash to go out of control, overturn, then explode into flames.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Uncontrolled fire on mid-north NSW coast

FIRE services are hoping an incoming storm front will help them contain an out-of-control blaze burning on the mid-north NSW coast.

The scrub fire is burning in the Crowdy Bay National Park, north of Harrington.

More than 80 firefighters, and six aircraft, are battling the blaze, which has torn through 1630 hectares of parkland.

Storm activity expected in the next few hours could help them gain an upper hand on the blaze, NSW Rural Fire Service inspector Ben Shepherd said.

"It won't actually put the fire out, but it'll dampen things down and allow them to look at what containment strategy they've got," he told AAP on Thursday.

Damper conditions would allow firefighters to start planning back-burning operations, he explained.

About 40 holidaymakers have also been evacuated from the Diamond Head camping area.

Inspector Shepherd said while the fire was burning close to homes, they were not under threat.

He said the area was sparsely populated and campers had been safely relocated.

The fire had been travelling south before a sudden wind change pushed the front in a northern direction.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aussie soldier killer suspect faces trial

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 02 Oktober 2013 | 13.24

AN Afghan National Army sergeant blamed for an "insider" attack and shooting deaths of three Australian soldiers, has been captured and could hang or face a firing squad if found guilty.

Sergeant Hekmatullah had been working alongside Australian Defence Force personnel in August 2012 when he allegedly turned on his allies inside a patrol base 20km north of Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan province.

He then fled, sparking an international search, and on Wednesday it was revealed he had been in custody for more than seven months after being captured in February in Pakistan.

Overnight, Hekmatullah was deported to Afghanistan, Defence Force chief General David Hurley said.

"We now expect him to stand trial for murder," the general said, adding that he may face the death penalty if found guilty under Afghan law.

While Australian authorities were informed of Hekmatullah's apprehension in February, General Hurley told reporters in Canberra it would have been "inappropriate and possibly detrimental" for Defence to have disclosed his detention.

He said events including the Pakistani elections contributed to delays in arranging Hekmatullah's deportation.

"While of course we have an interest in the case, obviously the transfer arrangements were a matter for the Pakistani and Afghan governments," General Hurley said, directing questions about the nature of Hekmatullah's capture to Pakistani authorities.

Pakistan's High Commission in Canberra were aware of the matter but declined to comment on the capture, which came as a result of Australian intelligence work.

"We used what we had available in Afghanistan at the time to provide information to the Pakistanis which they were able to act on," General Hurley said.

Agencies involved in the search operation included the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), the Defence Intelligence Organisation, the Defence Signals Directorate, and the Australian Geospatial Intelligence Organisation.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Hekmatullah's capture underlined Australia's determination to bring to justice anyone who targeted Australian soldiers.

"We will work closely with the Afghan authorities to make sure that a case is prosecuted," she told reporters in Auckland after talks with her New Zealand counterpart.

Hekmatullah is due to stand trial but General Hurley couldn't confirm whether he would face a civil or military court.

Death row prisoners in Afghanistan have been hanged for offences including murder, kidnapping, rape and terrorism. Others have been killed by firing squad.

The families of Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, Sapper James Martin and Private Robert Poate - all killed in the August 201 attack - were also informed on Wednesday of Hekmatullah's capture.

"On the one hand, there is a great sense of relief, but it will not change history," General Hurley said of the "bittersweet" news for families.

In September, a defence inquiry report into the killings found Australian personnel had questions to answer over the "relaxed" security measures in place at the time of the attack.

However, defence conceded tougher security may not have prevented the deaths, or the injury of two other Australian soldiers when Hekmatullah allegedly fired 10 to 15 automatic rounds at close range.

General Hurley said Hekmatullah's links to the Taliban remained "speculation".


13.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US MPs still get paid even in shutdown

In the US, the 532 members of Congress continue to be paid despite the government shutdown. Source: AAP

THERE'S at least one constant in a government shutdown: The 532 members of Congress continue to be paid - at a cost of $US10,583.85 ($A11,379.87) per hour to taxpayers.

MPs are getting their pay even as hundreds of congressional staffers are sent home, packs of tourists are turned away at the Capitol, and constituent services in many offices grind to a halt.

House members and senators can't withhold their own pay even if they want to.

Under the Constitution's 27th Amendment, MPs can only change the pay of those in a future Congress, not the one in which they serve.

MPs aren't oblivious to how it looks.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz and others are pledging to donate their salaries to charity during the shutdown.


13.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Last Post sounds for Rusty Priest

THEY called him the soldier's soldier.

But Rusty Priest was also a stirrer, a prankster, a husband and father who loved his family unreservedly.

Family, dignitaries and diggers packed into St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney on Wednesday to farewell the former NSW RSL boss at a state funeral.

Mr Priest died last week at the age of 86, after a life devoted to Australia's military legacy and nearly a decade at the helm of the NSW RSL, between 1993 and 2002.

NSW Governor Marie Bashir led the tributes, describing Mr Priest as a "soldier's soldier" and a fierce advocate for fellow veterans.

"Godfrey 'Rusty' Priest's life certainly was a life of unstinting service to his country and to the men and women who protect it," she told the ceremony.

"Once he set himself a goal, he was not one to be easily distracted or deterred."

Mr Priest's successor as RSL president, Don Rowe, Premier Barry O'Farrell and retired army chief Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie were among those came to pay tribute.

The World War II veteran was instrumental in creating the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway at Concord and getting the Glebe Island Bridge renamed the Anzac Bridge and is credited with lifting the profile of Anzac Day.

NSW MP Charlie Lynn, the state's parliamentary secretary for veterans' affairs, remembered his late friend as a larrikin who put his mates first.

He told the gathered mourners that for one brief spell during his 22-year military career, Mr Priest had been a pilot.

"It was a relatively short flying career, because as a dare to one of his mates he buzzed the brigadier's house early one morning, as the brigadier's wife was hanging out the washing," Mr Lynn said to laughs from the cathedral hall.

On another occasion, he said, Mr Priest misappropriated an oak table from his general so that men standing sentry duty for that night could get a fire going.

Curiously, when the same men were asked to find the culprit, they were unsuccessful.

Son Michael 'Tim' Priest remembered his father as a man who stuck to his guns.

"He would never take a backward step if he was right," he said.

Carol-Anne Priest described her father as a man who "delighted in the ridiculous" in life, and inspired her still in death.

Veterans' medals glinted in the midday sun as the mourners' procession travelled through the Sydney CBD to the Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park for a gun salute and the playing of the Last Post.


13.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abbott softens on boat turn-back plan

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 01 Oktober 2013 | 13.23

PM Tony Abbott (L) assured Indonesia their continuing relationship will be based on mutual trust. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says he remains committed to "stopping the boats", but appears to be wavering on key points in the asylum-seeker policy he took to the election.

Speaking in Jakarta on Tuesday, Mr Abbott said he believed a stronger bilateral framework for dealing with asylum seekers, under the regional people-smuggling dialogue known as the Bali Process, would arise from his discussions with the Indonesian president.

A day after his critical meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which came in the wake of rising tensions between Canberra and Jakarta over the people-smuggling issue, Mr Abbott said "everything was on the table" during the talks.

"I made it very clear that this is an issue of sovereignty for us and I think I can say that on the Indonesian side, there was a willingness to be as co-operative as was possible to ensure this evil scourge is ended," Mr Abbott said.

"We are 100 per cent committed to stopping the boats, we are 100 per cent committed to the policies that we took to the election and the policies that are necessary to stop the boats."

But the prime minister on Tuesday also twice refused to say whether the turn-back plan would actually be implemented, while also appearing to step back from two other controversial elements of his asylum-seeker policy.

Asked directly whether he would turn boats back, Mr Abbott said: "Again, my object here is to stop the boats and in order to ensure the boats are stopped, I want to have the best possible relationship with Indonesia.

"I'm just not going to engage in the kind of press banter that is not going to be conducive to what is in our overall national interests, Australia's and Indonesia's, to get these boats stopped."

Two other controversial measures in the coalition's border protection regime - buying boats from Indonesian fishermen to prevent them being used by people smugglers and bounty payments to villagers who inform on smuggling operations - now appear unlikely to be implemented.

Mr Abbott said the millions of dollars set aside for the two measures would remain available, but it was up to the Indonesian government whether the funds would be used.

Both measures have been slammed in Jakarta as recently as this week, with a senior adviser to the Indonesian vice-president saying they would do nothing to halt the flow of asylum seekers.

"I doubt very much that Indonesia would approve any other country spying on Indonesia, regardless what the purpose would be," Dewi Fortuna Anwar told the ABC.

"If you buy those leaky boats, then the fisherman will have money to buy more boats," she said.

Mr Abbott had wanted the visit to be about more than "stopping the boats" and on Tuesday, addressed a gathering of business and political leaders about the need to boost trade and investment between Australia and Indonesia.

The breakfast meeting was attended by a number of high-profile Indonesian ministers, including Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan, Finance Minister Chatib Basri and Agricultural Minister Suswono.

Mr Abbott vowed to rebuild confidence between Australian and Indonesian businesses, lamenting that a "mature" economic relationship has not yet been reached.

Shock decisions such as the temporary ban on live cattle exports to Indonesia by the former Labor government were a thing of the past, even if it will take time to repair the damage, he said.

"The new Australian government is determined to put this episode behind us," he said.

Mr Abbott also expressed a desire to expand bilateral trade, noting Australia's two-way trade with New Zealand outstripped that with its northern neighbour.

He rehashed his government's new Colombo Plan, which aims to boost the number of Australian students studying in Indonesia, and said he wanted the focus of language education in schools to be on Asia.

But the bottom line was there was a new government in town and it was open for business.

"The new government's approach is very straightforward: we will take a respectful, consultative, no-surprises approach to relations with Indonesia," Mr Abbott said.

"Our aim is to rebuild confidence so that both sides respect each other and trust each other to keep commitments."


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA devils Saxon and Vandal NSW-bound

TASMANIAN Devils from a zoo south of Perth are being moved to a NSW wildlife park to add genetic variety to a breeding program.

The two devils, Saxon and Vandal, are half-brothers to Itchy, Scratchy, and Genghis - the trio that hit headlines last year when they escaped from Peel Zoo in Pinjarra and were recovered days later thanks to help from the public.

Saxon and Vandal are on their way to Featherdale Wildlife Park in Sydney, where it's hoped they will breed, adding genetic diversity to the resident colony.

Peel Zoo co-owner David Cobbold said the facility played an important role in providing the nocturnal carnivores to other organisations that lacked appropriate breeding facilities. It started with four devils and has so far bred 15.

"It's quite a big feather in our cap," Mr Cobbold told AAP.

"Their DNA could be extremely valuable to the breeding program."

He said testing of Saxon and Vandal's DNA was necessary to see if they were suitable for breeding and that was being undertaken at the University of Sydney.

Peel Zoo's original four devils were obtained from Tasmania Zoo and East Coast Natureworld, but there was no record of their lineage," Mr Cobbald said.

"There's nothing known about our devils. We don't know who their parents were."

Collecting the tissue samples from all 18 of the feisty critters had proved tricky - and it had to be done twice.

"Using a hole-punch on a devil's ear isn't the easiest job," Mr Cobbold said.

If Saxon and Vandal aren't deemed suitable for breeding, they will be sent to a zoo - possibly overseas - to display to the public and hopefully raise awareness about conserving the endangered species, which is being ravaged by a contagious facial tumour disease.

"They're quite iconic and extremely important, but not quite as cute as a panda, so they don't get as much attention," Mr Cobbold said.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Clinton movie, TV miniseries scrapped

An Oscar-winning filmmaker has dropped plans to make a documentary film about Hillary Clinton. Source: AAP

AN Oscar-winning filmmaker has dropped plans to make a documentary about Hillary Clinton, following protests by Republican rivals, and a planned TV miniseries about her has also been scrapped.

Charles Ferguson, who was making his film for CNN, faced criticism from Republicans that it would promote the former US secretary of state's expected 2016 presidential run, while Democrats were reluctant to speak to him.

"When I approached people for interviews, I discovered that nobody, and I mean nobody, was interested in helping me make this film," he wrote.

"After approaching well over a hundred people, only two persons who had ever dealt with Mrs Clinton would agree to an on-camera interview, and I suspected that even they would back out."

Ferguson, who won an Oscar for Inside Job, his 2010 documentary about the financial crisis, said he began with the idea of making a film which was independent and fair on the former secretary of state, senator and first lady.

But Clinton was not co-operating and some Democrats were concerned about it as a commercial venture, Ferguson said. Republicans claimed the film would promote Clinton, who is considering a 2016 White House run.

"Neither political party wanted the film made," Ferguson said.

"It's a victory for the Clintons, and for the money machines that both political parties have now become. But I don't think that it's a victory for the media, or for the American people," added the filmmaker, who was also nominated for an Oscar for his Iraq War documentary, No End In Sight.

Earlier this year, Republicans threatened to prevent two US television networks from carrying party primary debates if they don't abandon planned documentaries on the former first lady.

A few hours after Ferguson's announcement, NBC Entertainment announced that it had scrapped a planned miniseries on Clinton.

"After reviewing and prioritising our slate of movie/miniseries development, we've decided that we will no longer continue developing the Hillary Clinton miniseries," NBC said in a statement.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cookbook author Marcella Hazan dies at 89

Written By Unknown on Senin, 30 September 2013 | 13.24

MARCELLA Hazan, the Italian-born cookbook author who taught generations of Americans how to create simple, fresh Italian food, has died at the age of 89.

Hazan, who died at her home in Florida on Sunday, was best known for her six cookbooks, which were written by her in Italian and translated into English by Victor, her husband of 57 years.

The recipes were traditional, tasty and sparse - her famous tomato sauce contained only tomatoes, onion, butter and salt - and mirrored the emphasis her home country places on fresh ingredients rather than whiz-bang recipes.

Hazan eschewed the American-style Italian food that suffocated mushy pasta in grainy meatballs and tasteless cheese.

She begged home cooks to use more salt, and in 2004 wrote that "the unbalanced use of garlic is the single greatest cause of failure in would-be Italian cooking".

Marcella Pollini was born in 1924 in Cesenatico, in Italty's Emilia-Romana region. She did not set out to be a professional cook or teacher, and graduated from the University of Ferrara with a doctorate in natural sciences and biology.

She moved to the United States when she met and married Victor Hazan, who had been born in Italy but raised in New York.

One year she went to take a Chinese cooking class in New York. When the instructor cancelled the class, the other students asked Hazan to teach them to cook Italian food.

She began offering cooking classes from her apartment. Those classes blossomed into a lifelong business of teaching and she and Victor went on to open a cooking school in Bologna, then another in Venice.

Hazan's 1973 cookbook, The Classic Italian Cookbook, drew comparisons with another larger-than-life cookbook writer: Julia Child, co-author of Mastering The Art of French Cooking.

She and Victor retired to Longboat Key, Florida in the late 1990s. In 2000, Hazan was awarded the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2004, Hazan wrote of her love of simple food that enunciated "the sincere flavour intentions of a dish". She said she wanted to produces dishes that nourish and please rather than "dazzle guests with my originality or creativity".

On Sunday, Victor Hazan wrote on Facebook: "Marcella, my incomparable companion, died this morning a few steps away from her bed. She was the truest and best, and so was her food."


13.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

SA inquest told of police errors

A MAN whose mother was murdered by his father in front of 300 people has told an Adelaide inquest of repeatedly complaining to police about his dad's behaviour before her death.

Arman Abrahimzadeh said police were told of his father assaulting his sister and mother, and of his issuing death threats and warnings that he would do something which would "make history".

He said one police officer, who was told of an interim domestic violence restraining order against his father, chuckled when told of a "second wife" and appeared to be "making light of the threat".

Mr Abrahimzadeh was giving evidence at the inquest into the death of Zahra Abrahimzadeh, 44, who was repeatedly stabbed by her estranged husband at a Persian function at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Zialloh Abrahimzadeh is serving a minimum 26-year jail term for the March 2010 murder.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Naomi Kereru, said the murder was precipitated by a "cascade" of police inaction and omissions.

Police never charged Abrahimzadeh with assault or even spoke to him about the complaints about him during the 13 months after the first complaint up until the time of the murder.

The family encountered failures and omissions "at almost every point of contact with the police", Ms Kereru said.

A domestic violence worker also reported that Ms Abrahimzadeh was "petrified of being killed" after her brother-in-law was seen in a car across the road from the safe house where she and her children were living.

Mr Abrahimzadeh told the inquest that he, his two sisters and their mother all suffered domestic violence at the hands of his father, who also used a belt, a whip or any other object close by.

His mother, who was once thrown through a window by his father, would be crying curled up in a corner or would hide after such events.

The family finally fled the house in February 2009 when his father attacked his mother and older sister and tried to arm himself with knives from the kitchen.

"He said he will burn the house down with all of us inside it," Mr Abrahimzadeh said.

Two months later his father was served with the interim restraining order, but he regularly made threats saying he "would take his revenge" and "we should not blame him if he loses his patience".

Mr Abrahimzadeh said he told police of these threats which he believed breached the order.

The inquest is continuing.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stuntwoman gives cruising a new edge

CRUISING has traditionally been viewed as a fairly sedate holiday option but on Monday P&O launched a bid to change that image - with the help of a stuntwoman.

Janene Carleton, who has performed stunts for the likes of Angelina Jolie and Jessica Biel, sped upside-down on a zip line across the Pacific Jewel's Level 14 deck as the ship stood at Sydney's White Bay terminal.

Carleton not only hooked herself to the zip line, she also posed for a Titanic moment, arms spread out at the bow of the ship, in imitation of the famous scene in James Cameron's 1997 film.

It was all to publicise the cruise company's new P&O Edge program, which gives thrill-seeking passengers on the Pacific Jewel the chance to climb, swing, race and jump.

The ship offers 20 activities including a funnel climb, flying-fox lines, high rope swings, laser tag, slack lines and Segway obstacle courses.

"We're proud to offer passengers the most comprehensive range of onboard adventure activities ever seen in the cruising world," said Ann Sherry, head of P&O Cruises.

"Whilst other cruise lines offer passengers a limited selection of activities, P&O Edge is the first to roll out a fully integrated program - something we're confident our passengers will love."

The program of activities caters for all ages, said John Sharpe of Pacific Adventures, who devised the P&O Edge program to incorporate many of the ship's existing features.

At the moment the program is available on Pacific Jewel cruises but P&O has plans to roll it out in 2014 across its fleets.


13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shot Qld police happy to be alive

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 29 September 2013 | 13.24

A Gold Coast police officer shot in the face says he is just happy to be alive. Source: AAP

A GOLD Coast police officer shot in the face by an armed robbery suspect says he is just happy to be alive.

Dog squad officer Sergeant Gary Hamrey walked out of hospital on Sunday morning, two days after he was shot tracking two armed robbery suspects.

With his cheek bandaged, the policeman said he had a clear memory of what had happened.

"I think those memories will stay with me for quite some time," he told reporters.

"I think there's a certain amount of shock, that goes with it," he said.

"It happened quickly, hurt a lot and there was a lot of blood."

Sgt Hamrey said he was eternally grateful to those who came to his aid.

He'd realised he was lucky the bullet had missed other parts of his head.

"I'm pretty happy that I'm still here," he said.

The sergeant said he felt "pretty good" and plans to return to work in about six weeks, although he may need further surgery.

Sgt Hamrey was shot when he tracked down two men armed with a gun and a machete as they hid beside a garden shed after allegedly holding up the Arundel Tavern at Parkwood early on Friday morning.

Despite his injuries, he and a colleague returned fire, striking the alleged bandits in the legs and feet.

The two alleged robbers sustained gunshot wounds to their legs and feet but their injuries weren't life-threatening.

The pair were charged late on Friday with one count each of attempted murder, three of armed robbery and 14 counts of deprivation of liberty.

The 23-year-old and 47-year-old, both from the Gold Coast, appeared before a hospital bedside hearing and have been remanded in custody until November 11.


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Morrison rejects claims of boat delay

The Greens want an inquiry into the government's delayed response to the latest asylum seeker boat. Source: AAP

IMMIGRATION Minister Scott Morrison has defended Australia's response to an asylum seeker boat that sank off Indonesia as survivors claim the tragedy could have been prevented.

With Prime Minister Tony Abbott flying to Indonesia on Monday for his first overseas visit, his government is under fire for its handling of the disaster, which left up to 50 people dead or missing.

Indonesian authorities say there is little hope of finding more survivors from the boat that sank off Java on Friday, with searchers being hampered by rough seas on Sunday.

Twenty-one people, including seven children, have so far been confirmed dead while more than 30 remain missing.

One survivor told ABC TV that a GPS location was sent to Australian authorities when multiple distress calls were made on Thursday.

"We called the Australian government for 24 hours. They were telling us 'we're coming, we're coming, we're coming', and they didn't come," he said.

"This is because of the Australian government. I want them to know that," he said of the tragedy.

But a spokesman for Mr Morrison said suggestions Australian authorities were slow to act were "absolutely and totally wrong".

"The government completely rejects allegations of a 26-hour delay in response to this tragic incident by Australian agencies," Mr Morrison's office said in a statement issued on Sunday.

"Australian agencies acted on the information provided on this tragic incident."

Mr Morrison said initial searches failed to find the boat, which was reported to be about 25 nautical miles off the Indonesian coast.

"The Australians who work for our rescue and border protection agencies respond to all such events with great professionalism and a keenly felt sense of duty, as they did on this occasion," the statement said.

"This is a tragic event. The Australian government's thoughts and sympathies are with those affected by this tragedy. The government will continue to provide any assistance required by the Indonesian government."

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne called for an immediate inquiry into the government's involvement in the "heartbreaking" tragedy.

"I would expect that to happen before the next parliament sits," Senator Milne told Sky Agenda on Sunday.

Labor leadership candidate Bill Shorten criticised the Abbott government's approach to asylum seekers, saying "sooner or later they're going to work out that three-word slogans don't solve issues, and don't solve refugees or immigration".

People smuggling is expected to be high on the agenda when Mr Abbott meets with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta.

Indonesia's foreign minister Marty Natalegawa last week warned any violation of his country's borders could damage neighbourly relations, in a pointed criticism of the coalition's policy to turn back the boats.

Mr Shorten accused the coalition of "bagging" Indonesia in the stand-off over asylum seeker policy.

"One of the key platforms or planks to making sure we've got a safe and sustainable policy is to have a good relationship with Indonesia," he told ABC television.

"I'm not sure that getting out and bagging the Indonesians is really helpful.

"If they can't work out that Indonesia and working co-operatively with Indonesia's important to handling the challenging issues of asylum seekers and refugees, then that's a worry."


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Westpac Rescue Helicopter marks 40 years

The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter has celebrated 40 years of saving Australian lives. Source: AAP

IT began with a band of daring surfies rescuing swimmers off Sydney's beaches.

Now the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter celebrates its 40th birthday as a full rescue service that has helped people caught in some of the nation's worst disasters.

Two helicopters flew in formation over Sydney Harbour on Sunday to mark the occasion, four decades after a group of surf lifesavers founded the service in 1973 with a MASH-style single-engine light helicopter, the Bell C47.

Then it was known as the Wales Bank SLSA Helicopter Surf Rescue Service.

Today it has a fleet of 15 helicopters across twelve bases around the country, and has helped rescue Australians involved in the Waterfall train crash, the Milperra bikie massacre and the Thredbo landslide, where the service helicopter was on hand to fly sole survivor Stuart Diver to Canberra Hospital after he was trapped in rubble for almost three days.

But the more things have changed, the more they've stayed the same, according to CEO Stephen Leahy.

"The reason we go out hasn't changed in those 40 years, we were set up to help the people of Sydney and NSW and we're still doing that today," he told AAP.

"The only things that have really changed are the helicopters themselves - what we use now are bigger, better and faster."

Even the bank that helped launch the fledgling service in 1973 with a $25,000 cheque remains the same, despite a name change.


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