Bali victims remembered 11 years on

The 88 Australians who died in the first Bali bombings 11 years ago have been remembered in Sydney. Source: AAP

LITTLE children clambered around the Bali bombing memorial in Sydney on Saturday, knocking the flowers laid by the friends and family of those killed.

One boy asked his new playmate, "Which one is yours?"

And she, a girl no older than seven, pointed to one of the names of the dead and said "He was my uncle".

They were not yet born when the bombs exploded at Paddy's Bar and the Sari Club on October 12, 2002, but they have grown up in the shadow of the attacks.

Eighty-eight Australians were among the 202 people killed in the attacks on Bali's tourist hub Kuta, and 43 of the dead were from NSW alone.

"The Bali bombing was our September 11," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a message read out to the hundreds who gathered at Coogee to mark the 11th anniversary of the blasts.

Randwick mayor Scott Nash said 20 of the dead came from Sydney's eastern suburbs, from Bondi to Malabar, and few locals had not been touched in some way by the attacks.

"The beautiful people that we lost were sons, mothers, fathers, daughters and friends," he said.

"Tough times often bring out the very best in humanity and we can see that today, as we see it each year."

Waves crashed and tourists frolicked on the beach below as mourners gathered at the Dolphins Point headland observed a moment's silence.

Among them was Kristie McKeon, who was just 12 when her mother, big sister and several family friends were killed in the bombings.

She and her father were injured but escaped with their lives.

"It was our last night in Bali," the 23-year-old recalled.

"I remember the bomb going off, being on the floor and trapped under the roof, escaping in panic through a hole and then reaching the back wall and being hoisted over as the fire grew."

The graphic designer said she had been forced to grow up without the two most important women in her life to guide her.

They will not be here to watch her marry next year.

"Family is something I lost, but something I look forward to finding again," she said.

"My only wish is that my mum and sister were here to be a part of it.

"I will never forget.

"I will always remember."

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ALP leadership contest drawing to a close

Mark Latham believes Anthony Albanese (pic) will emerge the victor of the Labor leadership contest. Source: AAP

LABOR has called it historic, democratic and energising, but in less than a day the month-long leadership contest between Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten will be just one thing - over.

Both the party caucus and rank-and-file members have cast their vote for the next parliamentary leader, with ballots now closed and counting underway before Sunday's announcement.

ALP members and supporters will be the first to know the result when party headquarters sends out an email at about 2pm.

Under reforms introduced by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, caucus and members are given a 50-50 say in determining who will lead the fight against the Abbott government from opposition.

Mr Shorten is believed to have won the caucus vote and is "quietly confident" grassroots members will back him, while Mr Albanese will be hoping his popularity among the rank-and-file gets him over the line.

After a month of friendly debates and largely similar campaigns, both potential leaders laid low on Saturday ahead of learning their fate.

But former Labor leader Mark Latham had no qualms offering his tips, saying he believed Mr Albanese would prevail.

"I voted for Bill Shorten in the ballot and I'm hopeful he might win tomorrow, but on the balance, probably Anthony Albanese will get the job," he told the Seven Network on Saturday.

"The important thing is for Labor to get behind one leader who will be there at the next election."

Sunday's victor will be the party's seventh leader in four years, but it's hoped the new leadership process will stabilise Labor and end the revolving door of leadership.

Mr Latham said the process was designed to put the "sub-factional warlords" who control Labor's caucus out of business.

Shadow parliamentary secretary Matt Thistlethwaite, who backed Mr Shorten, said the caucus vote had been genuinely open and free of factional interference.

He didn't know who would emerge the victor, but said that was the "great beauty" of the new-look process.

"What we now can say is the Labor Party has a much more democratic, transparent and accountable system for electing our leader," he told Sky News on Saturday.

"I think overall it's been a win for the Labor Party."

About 30,000 of the party's 43,000 members are believed to have voted under the new rules, which senior Labor figures credit with renewed interest in the party in the wake of their election defeat.

ALP president Jenny McAllister said the leadership contest had been "incredibly energising".

"In the process we've also had about 4500 people make inquiries about how to join," she told the Seven network.

"People like to see us talking in positive ways about what we could contribute to the Australian public rather than tearing ourselves apart."

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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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'Chopper' Read to have Melbourne funeral

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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Child abuse inquiry back in NT

THE national inquiry into child sex abuse will return to the Northern Territory to continue private hearings with people affected by child sexual abuse while they were in institutions.

The Royal Commission spent time in the territory this week meeting with members of the Stolen Generation who had suffered abuse in institutions when they were children.

Royal Commission CEO Janette Dines said: "Around 40 people attended the meetings which were an opportunity for people to speak with trained investigators in an informal setting where they could feel safe.

"The Royal Commission wants to make it easy for as many people as possible to tell their story, and be heard and believed," Ms Dines said in a statement.

The commission was not due to be in the Northern Territory until next week but provided extra sessions to hear from members of the Stolen Generation after community lobbying, the ABC has reported.

Ms Dines said the Royal Commission would also hold private sessions in Darwin from October 15.

"This is a chance for any Territorian affected by child sexual abuse in an institution to tell a Royal Commissioner what happened to them.

"We've had a strong response from Territorians wanting to tell their story. People have different reasons for coming forward. Many people want the Royal Commission to know what happened to them as a child and the impact it has had on their lives," Ms Dines said.

On Wednesday, October 16 the Chair of the Royal Commission, Justice Peter McClellan, will be meeting with support services in Darwin to talk about the Royal Commission's work.

Ms Dines said the forum would focus on how community organisations can help their clients engage with the Royal Commission.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse said it would return to other parts of the Northern Territory for further private sessions in the future.

Anyone wishing to tell their story to the commission can find out more by visiting the website www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au

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Gun seized after Vic woman shot dead

A MAN who allegedly shot dead a woman at a home in Sunshine North has been charged with one count of murder.

Police charged Nelson Lai, 34, of Sunshine North, at an out-of-sessions court hearing in Melbourne.

He was remanded to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Paramedics were called to a house on Meadowbank Drive in Sunshine North about 9am (AEDT) on Friday to treat a woman for upper body wounds, but were unable to enter until police declared the scene safe.

By the time they reached her in a rear bedroom of the home, the woman had died.

Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen McIntyre said the Sunshine North man, who is known to police, is believed to have known the woman but the extent of their relationship is yet to be determined.

Det Sen Sgt McIntyre said police were in possession of a firearm.

Police have not revealed how many shots had been fired or how many wounds the woman, who is yet to be identified, sustained.

He said he was unsure how long paramedics had to wait before they were able to enter the house.

"The scene had to be made safe prior to their entry," Det Sen Sgt McIntyre said.

"Given the fact that there was a firearm involved in this incident they obviously had to wait for police to attend."

In a bizarre twist, the bodies of two women, one elderly and one middle-aged, were found in a house in the same street soon after the shooting, but their deaths are not being treated as suspicious.

Police said their deaths were unrelated to the shooting.

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German wine wins Canberra riesling award

A GERMAN wine from maker Weingut Georg Muller Stiftung has been judged the best drop in Canberra's annual International Riesling Challenge.

Ten judges tasted 487 wines from eight countries as part of the challenge, with the Schutzenhaus Trockenbeerenauslese 2011, from the Rheingau region of Germany, winning the Best Wine Award.

The top Aussie drop was the Pikes Traditionale Riesling 2013 from the Clare Valley in South Australia.

The awards were presented at a ceremony on Friday night at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra.

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Measles warning for WA's tourists to Bali

BALI holidaymakers have been warned to watch for measles symptoms after four West Australian travellers contracted the disease in the past week after returning from Indonesia.

The WA Health Department director of communicable disease control Paul Armstrong said people were also potentially exposed to infection at general practice surgeries where the infected cases were seen.

He said other risk areas were pathology collection centres and emergency departments at Royal Perth, Sir Charles Gairdner and Armadale-Kelmscott hospitals.

One case was contracted while working on Barrow Island in the state's north, he said.

Measles is highly infectious and is spread by airborne respiratory droplets.

Symptoms include fever, runny nose, inflamed eyes and a cough, followed by a red blotchy rash.

It is contagious for up to five days before the rash and for four days after it starts.

"Individuals who have returned from Bali or think they may have been exposed, and who develop symptoms of measles should stay away from others and promptly consult their doctor," Dr Armstrong said.

"A person is considered immune to measles if they have received two doses of the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine or were born before 1966."

Dr Armstrong said the incident was a reminder of the importance of adults being fully vaccinated against measles and other infectious diseases, especially before travelling overseas.

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Caucus votes on leader in Labor ballot

Labor is waiting on thousands of voting papers from rank and file members for the leadership ballot. Source: AAP

LABOR MPs have voted and the caucus ballots are under lock and key in preparation for the completion of the ALP's historic new-look leadership contest.

The MPs met in Parliament House on Thursday afternoon to cast their vote for the next parliamentary leader, with the Right's Bill Shorten tipped to get about 60 per cent of caucus support.

Rival Antony Albanese's chances now hinge on a strong showing among the vote of rank-and-file members, who have until 5pm on Friday to get their vote to returning officers.

Continuing the civil spirit of the month-long contest, the contenders walked together to the meeting.

Mr Shorten said the leadership process, which takes into account the wishes of grassroots members as well as MPs for the first time, is going a "long way towards healing" party divisions after its devastating election loss.

"Normally when you lose an election, there tends to be a bout of recriminations and a blame game," he said.

"Hopefully, in this process we've moved to absorb the lessons from the Australian public." Mr Albanese told reporters the ALP had done the right thing by "opening up to our membership, by empowering the membership".

"Three weeks after a significant election defeat, Labor is stronger, more united," he said.

Interim leader Chris Bowen said the leadership process had energised the party after its September 7 federal election defeat, with 4000 new membership applications received.

"It's an indication by Labor supporters across the country saying, 'if the Labor party is prepared to be open and inclusive, then I want to be part of the process'," Mr Bowen said.

Mr Bowen rejected claims MPs had voted along factional lines, which would make a mockery of claims the new leadership process had democratised the party.

"There were left wingers voting for Bill, right wingers voting for Anthony based on their decision about who is best placed to lead the Labor Party into the next election," he told reporters after the vote.

Labor chief whip Chris Hayes said he would keep the caucus votes under lock and key until they were tallied with the rank and file votes ahead of Sunday's announcement of the new leader.

ALP members and supporters are likely to be the first to know when party headquarters sends out an email at about 2pm.

Mr Bowen, Mr Hayes and Labor's National President Jenny McAllister will then meet the media.

Labor National Secretary George Wright said 27,000 votes had been cast so far from 43,000 members.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we get 30,000 votes to count tomorrow and Saturday," he told Sky News.

"This sort of participatory democracy, there is a big appetite for it. It will be a very good thing for our party. It's a good thing for democracy in Australia."

But senior Liberal Christopher Pyne said the ballot was another example of Labor "talking about themselves".

"They engage in this myopic discussion about Labor and who's going to be leader," he told Sky News.

"The truth is, it is just two factional warlords fighting it out, one from the left, one from the right."

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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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Motoring party deal extends Palmer's reach

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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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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Weddings scandal without scalps

An Abbott government minister says the row over taxpayer-funded travel expenses is 'absurd'. Source: AAP

LABOR reckons that unlike its political opponents it has been "fair and balanced" in responding to the growing expenses scandal as they haven't demanded scalps or called for police investigations.

As questions mount about taxpayer dollars spent on politicians' expenses, so too are calls for the entitlements scheme to be overhauled.

Currently politicians can access a range of allowances for travel and accommodation as long as they specify it is for official business, parliamentary sittings or party meetings.

Documents detailing their claims, which the Department of Finance issues, do not detail what the "official business" entails.

Interim Labor leader Chris Bowen said while his party wasn't out to say everything the Liberals had claimed was wrong, "there is a dangerous pattern of poor judgement".

"We would welcome any proposals the government wants to put forward in relation to better guidelines for members of parliament because the grey areas in my view have been exploited," he said on Wednesday.

The Australian Greens and independent senator Nick Xenophon have also called for guidelines to be tightened.

In recent weeks there have been revelations of senior coalition figures claiming travel allowances for attending weddings and Prime Minister Tony Abbott getting taxpayers to cover his flights and accommodation when he entered various sporting events.

At least $4000 has been repaid.

Labor hasn't been immune, with shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus repaying $466 claimed for two nights he spent on a skiing trip rather than in Canberra and Wayne Swan defending using the RAAF VIP jet to head to a football final when he was acting prime minister.

"We've taken a very fair and balanced approach to this," Mr Bowen said.

"We haven't done what the then-opposition did and refer people off to the Australian Federal Police or called for resignations and pursue people out of public life."

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

Junior minister Jamie Briggs believes the expenses row lacks perspective, saying it pales into insignificance beside the prime minister's important diplomatic work.

"In the end this issue is one that will get some attention for a couple of days but over time will lose its significance, compared to the significant events the prime minister is participating in overseas."

Queensland premier Campbell Newman also weighed in, saying politicians should be able to claim travel expenses as work so long as they're not visiting family or friends.

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Compo offer worthy, Bali victims say

Australian victims of terror attacks and their families are finally set to receive compensation. Source: AAP

A VICTIM of the second Bali bombings hopes compensation for victims of terrorism overseas will help the children who lose their parents.

Paul Anicich was critically injured while with a large group of families from Newcastle when the 2005 Bali bombings killed 23 people including four Australians.

He hopes retrospective compensation for terror victims announced by Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Wednesday will help children impacted by terror attacks.

From October 21, all Australian victims of terrorism overseas since the September 11, 2001 attacks will be able to apply for up to $75,000 in compensation under changes announced by the Abbott government.

Mr Abbott, who was holidaying in Bali in 2005 and helped arrange for Mr Anicich to be airlifted to Singapore for treatment, has long pushed for this compensation and had called for the Gillard government's victims of overseas terrorism compensation scheme to be retrospective.

The retrospective scheme will cover Australians affected by the 2001 attacks on New York and subsequent terrorism in Bali, Jakarta, London, Egypt, Mumbai and most recently Nairobi.

Mr Anicich hopes it helps the children left behind.

"I immediately thought of the then young children who had been left without parents, who were with us in that bombing, and the prospect that there would be some money that could help them along in their lives without parents," he told AAP.

"Even though it is seven years later it will certainly help them."

Mr Abbott fulfilled his pre-election pledge to backdate compensation when he announced the scheme after laying a wreath at the site of the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

Standing alongside Peter Hughes, who was injured in that first Bali blast, Mr Abbott acknowledged the compensation could not change the past but said they amounted to a "measure of justice" for the victims.

"This is a modest enough acknowledgment of those who have suffered by virtue of the fact that they were Australian," he told reporters in Kuta.

He said the victims were singled out as targets "because they were westerners and their way of life was an abomination to those who wished us harm".

The scheme is expected to benefit about 300 individuals and their families and cost around $30 million, and won't replace existing benefits available to victims.

Ray Mavroudis, whose cousin David Mavroudis died in Bali in 2002, said nothing could restore their ruined lives, but Australians affected by terrorism now at least have the consolation of compensation.

"You never bring the victim back, unfortunately, but it's some sort of consolation to help their families get through it," he said.

Mr Mavroudis said more information should be given to families about counselling services available.

"Money doesn't go that far when it comes to psychological things," he said.

"Their family's lives are wrecked for the rest of their life because they've lost a loved one."

Albert Talarico, the president of the Coogee Dolphins rugby league club when six of their young players were killed in Bali in 2002, said he wasn't sure whether any of their parents would access the payments.

"But ... at least they know it's there, and that's the main thing," Mr Talarico told AAP.

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Chopper's life a "torrid" journey

Crime figure Mark "Chopper" Read has died following a battle with liver cancer, his manager says. Source: AAP

THE life of Mark "Chopper" Read was a torrid and violent journey which ended on a quiet note, those close to the once-feared criminal say.

The best-selling crime author who spent almost half his life in jail died on Wednesday after a battle with liver cancer, aged 58.

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

He also claimed involvement in killing 19 people and the attempted murder of 11 others.

But in the end he died a man who lived a quiet family life and paid his taxes, his manager Andrew Parisi said.

"He worked as a writer, painter and public speaker, paid his taxes and took care of his family," he said.

Mr Parisi asked people to reflect on how Read overcame his past to find a way to re-enter society.

He said Read wished to be remembered as someone who spun a great yarn and made people laugh.

"Despite his failing health, he delighted the audience with his skills as a raconteur and storyteller," he said.

He announced he had terminal liver cancer in April 2012 and made his last public appearance a fortnight ago in front of a sold-out audience at Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre.

Read was last freed from prison in 1998, after serving six years for inflicting grievous bodily harm on a bikie by shooting him in the chest.

Former prison chaplain Peter Norden said Read was a complex character and a loner inside jail.

"He came through the school where you had to fight to survive," Mr Norden said.

"He didn't move with a gang, much.

"He was unpredictable."

Read claimed to have been stabbed seven times, shot once, run over by a car, and gouged to the head with a claw hammer.

He had a fellow inmate cut his ears off while in prison, which he said was part of a plan to avoid an ambush at Pentridge's H division.

Mr Norden said Read would often ask to see him while in H division where he worked in the laundry yard.

"Essentially he really just wanted some stimulating conversation," he said.

Mr Norden said he was more intelligent than most people realised and knew about topics like the suppression of Jesuits throughout the world.

Read's books, beginning in 1991 with Chopper: From the Inside - which sold more than 300,000 copies alone - made him Australia's best selling true crime author.

He was also immortalised in the movie Chopper.

But he was no hero and not much chop as a crook either, having been jailed for most of his serious crimes, Mr Norden said.

The best thing that happened to him was meeting his second wife Margaret Cassar who helped him forge a reasonable life.

"In the end he lived a simple life, but he carried scars," Mr Norden said.

The fact he began reflecting on his life through writing showed he would have had regrets, he added.

But he never showed weakness because he needed to maintain a tough exterior to survive.

"He did have some happiness in his life at the end of it but it was a pretty torrid journey along the way."

Read leaves behind his wife Margaret, their son Roy and another son Charlie he had with first wife Mary-Ann Hodge who he married while in Tasmania's Risdon Prison.

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Swimmer drowns in NSW

A MAN has died after being winched from the water by surf life savers on the NSW far south coast.

Officials say he was one of five swimmers who initially got into trouble near the Bega River Mouth at Tathra around 4.30pm (AEDT) on Wednesday.

Surf Life Saving (SLS) Far South Coast duty officer Andrew Edmunds said three of the group managed to make their way to shore while two others went missing.

One aged 19 was found clinging to a log, Mr Edmunds said.

"A land, sea and air search continued for the other swimmer and he was eventually spotted by police and lifesavers.

"He was winched into the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter and flown to a nearby oval at the Tathra Country Club."

Emergency services carried out CPR for over an hour but the man, believed to be 19, could not be revived.

Mr Edmunds said the men were swimming at an unpatrolled location.

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NSW Labour Day road toll doubles

NINE people died on NSW roads this Labour Day long weekend, more than double the road toll for the corresponding holiday period last year.

NSW Police say speeding infringements recorded during Operation Slow Down, which ran from midnight Friday until 11.59pm (AEDT) on Monday, were also up on last year's figures.

But only 269 drink-driving charges were laid, a drop of 37 per cent on 2012, even though more breath tests were carried out.

The deaths bring the state's road toll for 2013 to 258, which is down 28 on the corresponding period last year.

"Our goal in every operation of this kind is zero fatalities, so we are disappointed and saddened that nine people have lost their lives in traffic incidents since Friday," NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander John Hartley said.

"Our thoughts are with their families."

Assistant Commissioner Hartley said speed played a role in the 410 major crashes reported over Operation Slow Down 2013.

"While police are still investigating the cause of many crashes that occurred over the weekend, I can guarantee speed was a contributing factor in a high number of them," he said.

In one case, about 10.30pm on Monday, a 23-year-old foreign student was allegedly clocked driving 140km/h in an 80km/h zone.

He has had his visitor driving licence suspended for six months.

In another incident, an unlicensed Nowra man was allegedly caught drink-driving a stolen, unregistered and uninsured van.

The 19-year-old was due to face Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, accused of blowing a 0.130 reading during a breath analysis test.

He's also been charged with taking and driving a conveyance without the consent of the owner, driving without having a licence, using an unregistered registrable car on a road and using an uninsured motor vehicle.

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WA diver stable after shark attack

AN abalone diver is in a stable condition after a shark attack off a remote part of Western Australia's southern coast while the Department of Fisheries is trying to catch and kill the animal.

Greg Pickering, 55, was collecting the delicacy off Poison Creek at Cape Arid National Park, about 180km east of Esperance, when he was attacked by a white pointer shark at about 10.30am (WST) on Tuesday.

He was rushed to Esperance Hospital for treatment for bite wounds, mainly to his torso, and is being transferred to Royal Perth Hospital.

Mr Pickering also has minor injuries to his face.

His employer, Marcus Tromp of Southern Wild Abalone, said he was pleased Mr Pickering was in a stable condition after being rushed to shore from a very remote part of the ocean by his shocked colleagues.

"To be conscious and talking is very promising," Mr Tromp told AAP.

"It was colleagues helping colleagues. In diving or farming or mining, people working in the same field and close working colleagues would do the same thing."

Meanwhile, the Department of Fisheries has sent officers to the attack site and set traps after its Director General gave orders for the animal to be killed.

Mr Tromp said Mr Pickering's family was calm despite the drama.

He is believed to have been an abalone diver for over 40 years and was in 2004 reportedly bitten by a 1.5 metre bronze whaler while in waters near Cervantes, north of Perth, as he was trying to help a friend.

He reportedly put himself between his friend and the shark when it began attacking and was bitten on the leg.

The experienced spear fisherman had another close call in 2009, when the boat he was diving under in Ceduna in South Australia was capsized.

He and another deckhand were found by rescue crews in a life raft after about three hours.

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No alcohol restrictions after Darwin death

The NT's chief minister says there are no current plans to change alcohol regulations. Source: AAP

THE Northern Territory chief minister says he is not planning to impose any service or licensing restrictions to curb alcohol-fuelled violence in Darwin despite the fatal stabbing of a young man at the weekend.

Josh Spicer, 27, from Palmerston, was killed at about 8pm on Friday night after getting into a fight in the Darwin CBD.

Brian Paul Kelly, 46, turned himself in to police and will face a murder charge in court on Wednesday.

But Chief Minister Adam Giles said the city would not rush to follow those in NSW in imposing restrictions on alcohol.

"We don't want to have any knee-jerk responses," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"It's in everybody's interest that there's a safe environment. If people behave themselves, things will continue the way they are, but if we continue to have ... misbehaviour, government will have to act and get tough on the regulations."

The government was not currently looking at changing alcohol regulations, he said, but was reviewing the criteria for opening hours of licensed venues.

"We don't want to see situations where someone's not coming home at night because they've gotten into a violent brawl," Mr Giles said.

Reduced trading hours, lockouts and restrictions on high alcohol content drinks in the port city of Newcastle in NSW saw a drop in alcohol-related assaults by over a third, while hospital emergency department admissions dropped by a quarter.

According to the NT's most recent crime statistics, alcohol is a factor in almost two out of three assaults.

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Debate heats up on British EU membership

A BRITISH exit from the European Union would be "economic suicide," Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was to tell business leaders on Tuesday, as he warned that pro-Europeans were "being too slow to wake up to the danger ahead."

Prime Minister David Cameron has promised a referendum on British membership of the bloc by 2017 if he wins re-election. Anti-EU members of his Conservative party are pushing for the date to be brought forward.

"The day I dread - the day I hope never comes - is a time when it is all too late: Britain has stumbled out of the EU, and we look back to these days and say we should have done more," Clegg was to say in a speech at the London headquarters of Swiss technology firm Buhler Group, according to an advance draft of his speech.

The leader of the pro-EU Liberal Democrats has written to around 100 business leaders, charities and trade groups, appealing to them "to be part of a coalition for the national interest - standing up for Britain remaining in Europe."

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Abbott, Harper differ on Sri Lanka

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he won't be boycotting next month's CHOGM summit in Sri Lanka. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says he has no intention of following Canada's leader in boycotting next month's Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka because of human rights concerns.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement on Monday, shortly before he met with Mr Abbott in Bali, confirming his boycott of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Mr Harper and Mr Abbott are on the Indonesian holiday island for the annual APEC leaders summit.

The two countries have a lot in common but they certainly don't see eye to eye on the CHOGM, due to start in Colombo on November 10.

Mr Harper said he'd hoped Sri Lanka would seize the opportunity presented by its selection as host to improve human rights conditions and move toward reconciliation and accountability after the country's long-running and bloody civil war against Tamil separatists, which ended in 2009.

"Unfortunately, this has not been the case," Mr Harper said.

"Canada is deeply concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. The absence of accountability for the serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian standards during and after the civil war is unacceptable."

Mr Harper says he remains concerned about reports of intimidation and incarceration of political leaders and journalists, the harassment of minorities, disappearances, and even allegations of extrajudicial killings.

"Canada believes that if the Commonwealth is to remain relevant it must stand in defence of the basic principles of freedom, democracy, and respect for human dignity, which are the very foundation upon which the Commonwealth was built," he said.

"It is clear that the Sri Lankan government has failed to uphold the Commonwealth's core values, which are cherished by Canadians."

Mr Abbott said Mr Harper's decision was a matter for him.

"But certainly I intend to attend CHOGM and will do my best to make a constructive contribution to the deliberations there," he told reporters.

The prime minister said the Commonwealth is an important forum and amongst Australia's oldest international associations.

"You do not make new friends by rubbishing your old friends or abandoning your old friends," he said.

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Fuel deliveries may run low

PETROL companies say nationwide fuel deliveries will be affected by an ongoing audit into the trucking company linked to a horrific smash in Sydney.

Cootes Transport has had 70 vehicles grounded because of safety failings uncovered by investigators since last week's fatal tanker crash, with 62 taken off the roads in Victoria and eight in New South Wales.

BP spokesman Jamie Jardin said supply would be disrupted during the inspections.

"We will be unable to provide customers with our normal fuel delivery service," Mr Jardin said.

"We regret that supplies will be temporarily disrupted until more trucks are returned to service."

He says BP is sourcing additional trucking capacity and redeploying resources but that spare tankers are extremely limited.

Shell Australia spokesman Paul Zennaro said in a statement his company expected fuel deliveries to improve over the course of the week as trucks return to service, adding that Shell would "prioritise deliveries of fuel to sites where it is most needed".

A 7-Eleven spokeswoman said supply was likely to affect its stores in New South Wales and Queensland but that stores in Victoria would not be affected.

A Cootes Transport fuel tanker ploughed into a power pole in Sydney on Tuesday, causing a blaze that killed two people.

VicRoads will review the company's heavy trucking licence this week once the vehicle inspections are completed.

A VicRoads spokeswoman said in a statement on Monday that vehicles would be returned to service once issues identified had been addressed.

Vicroads has inspected 170 vehicles in Victoria, while 211 vehicles have been inspected in NSW by Roads and Maritime Services and NSW Police.

Cootes has had a total 332 defect notices issued across Victoria and NSW for brake failures, steering and suspension defects.

Cootes Transport says it has withdrawn its fleet from the maintenance management scheme under the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) but will submit its vehicles to ongoing independent inspections.

NSW investigators say their probe into what caused the accident is expected to take weeks.

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Rolf Harris likely to face trial in April

AUSTRALIAN entertainer Rolf Harris is likely to face trial in late April 2014 on 13 child sex offences, a London court has heard.

Harris, 83, was excused from attending a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on Monday morning.

The court heard there would be a case-management and plea hearing in mid-January before a trial, likely to start on April 30.

The artist and singer is facing six counts of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 1980 and 1981 and three charges of indecent assault on a girl aged 14 in 1986.

He is also charged with four counts of making indecent images of a child in the first half of 2012.

The court heard on Monday that the prosecution would present expert evidence in relation to computers and that the defence would also rely on expert witnesses.

A fortnight ago at his first court appearance Harris indicated through his lawyer that he would be pleading not guilty to all the charges.

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Aust retirement system among world's best

AUSTRALIAN retirees have got it pretty good, according to a report ranking the lucky country as having the third-best pension system in the world.

Compulsory superannuation combined with a generous Age Pension helped Australia maintain third place in this year's Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index.

Denmark took first place with the Netherlands coming in second.

The UK was ranked ninth while the US came in at 11, not far ahead of Brazil and Mexico in 14th and 15th place, respectively.

Superannuation reforms helped Australia to better its overall score this year but there was still room to improve, research author and Mercer senior partner David Knox said.

Dr Knox suggested that to improve the system the pension age should be raised as life expectancy increased and that older people be encouraged back into the workforce.

He also suggested restrictions be placed on how people accessed their superannuation, with a requirement that part of the funds be used as an income stream instead of being accessed as a lump sum.

"What's put us in third place is our compulsory system that means virtually every employee is covered and has got superannuation, so we're all saving money for our future," Dr Knox said.

"But the fact that we have no requirement as to what you do with the money, we believe, is a short-coming."

Dr Knox said the ageing population meant Australians needed to change their attitudes toward retirement and that businesses needed to develop more flexible workplaces to take advantage of the skills older workers have to offer.

"We're not suggesting you work until you drop and you also have to recognise that blue collar workers may well be burnt out, but the community needs to recognise that we need to be a bit more flexible about how we retire people," Dr Knox said.

"We've got a lot of people who are going to retire in the next 10 years and the economy can't withstand the sudden reduction of that workforce, so we have to find ways to ensure they gradually retire.

"It's all about people recognising the issue of the ageing population, recognising that we all need to do something about it and with a little bit of imaginative thinking, it's possible for people to work in a part-time capacity."

The Index ranks 20 countries and covers 55 per cent of the world's population.

RESULTS OF THE GLOBAL PENSION INDEX

1. Denmark - 80.2

2. Netherlands - 78.3

3. Australia - 77.8

4. Switzerland - 73.9

5. Sweden - 72.6

6. Canada - 67.9

7. Singapore - 66.5

8. Chile - 66.4

9. UK - 65.4

10. Germany - 58.5

11. USA - 58.2

12. Poland - 57.9

13. France - 53.5

14. Brazil - 52.8

15. Mexico - 50.1

16. China - 47.1

17. Japan - 44.4

18. South Korea - 43.8

19. India - 43.3

20. Indonesia - 42.0

Average - 60.0

Source: Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

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Vic man stabbed by a mate

A MAN has walked into a police station after being stabbed in the torso by an acquaintance in Melbourne's east.

The Chirnside Park man told police he was stabbed after he got into an altercation with another man on the corner of Mena Avenue and Anzac Street in Croydon before 1.30pm (AEDT) on Sunday.

The man, who had a single stab wound, walked to the nearby Croydon police station where an ambulance was called and he was taken to Maroondah Hospital in a stable condition.

Police said the victim was not communicating with them on the matter. He reportedly knew the offender.

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Sydney Water rejects beach pollution claim

Some of Sydney's prime swimming spots have had their water quality ratings downgraded. Source: AAP

POLLUTION on Sydney's beaches is not due to job cuts or untreated waste water being pumped into the ocean, Sydney Water says.

The latest State of the Beaches report released on Sunday found that the water quality at formerly top-ranking beaches has dropped over the past year.

While 81 per cent of swimming locations reviewed across the state achieved very good or good gradings, only eight Sydney beaches are rated as very good - down from 15 last year.

The NSW opposition blamed the drop in water quality on job and budget cuts at Sydney Water.

It also pointed to a record number of bypasses at waste-water treatment plants.

"We are returning to the bad old days when it was unsafe to swim on the beaches due to overflows," opposition water spokesman Walt Secord said in a statement.

"The O'Farrell government cannot blame rain as NSW has experienced its warmest January to September period on record. NSW has had its mildest winter in more than 150 years."

But Sydney Water rejected the comments, saying they were untrue.

"The Beachwatch 2013 Report released today shows that 37 out of 38 ocean beaches in Sydney were graded as good or very good, despite a wet summer in 2012/13, which is an outstanding result," Sydney Water said in a statement.

According to the report, among the best swimming spots in Sydney are Palm Beach, Whale Beach and Avalon on the Northern Beaches.

But neighbouring beaches Dee Why, South Curl Curl and Mona Vale have all been downgraded from the very good rating they secured last year to good.

The report states while Dee Why is suitable for swimming most of the time the water is susceptible to pollution from several sources of faecal contamination, including stormwater.

South Curl Curl and Mona Vale are also susceptible to pollution following rainfall.

Boat Harbour near Cronulla was rated poor this year for the first time.

The report linked major rainfall events over the last couple of years as a major driver of pollution to recreational waters.

Six ocean beaches impacted by contamination - including discharge from lagoons and estuaries - were graded as poor including Killick Beach at Crescent Head and Terrigal Beach on the Central Coast.

NSW Services Minister Andrew Constance said any suggestion that raw sewage was being pumped onto Sydney beaches was "an outrageous lie".

He described the city's beaches as some of the cleanest in the world.

"During rain events wastewater undergoes wet weather treatment, in which 90 per cent of the treatment processes are completed," Mr Constance said in a statement.

He rejected Labor's job cut claims, but did say Sydney Water's ageing workforce meant staff numbers were decreasing significantly through natural attrition.

NSW Services Minister Andrew Constance said any suggestion that raw sewage was being pumped onto Sydney beaches was "an outrageous lie".

He described the city's beaches as some of the cleanest in the world.

"During rain events wastewater undergoes wet weather treatment, in which 90 per cent of the treatment processes are completed," Mr Constance said in a statement.

He rejected Labor's job cut claims, but did say Sydney Water's ageing workforce meant staff numbers were decreasing significantly through natural attrition.

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Prince Harry honours fallen SAS soldiers

Prince Harry has waved goodbye to Sydney following his visit for the International Fleet Review. Source: AAP

PRINCE Harry has honoured fallen SAS soldiers, and comforted their families, as he completed his whirlwind tour of Australia with a brief stopover in Western Australia.

After the fleet and fireworks in Sydney on Saturday, the 29-year-old Prince made his first visit to WA accompanied by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, with his day taken up mostly with a visit to the home of the SAS at the Campbell Barracks in the coastal suburb of Swanbourne.

A quick wardrobe change saw him ditch the dark-blue navy suit he arrived in to don combat fatigues for his meeting with the SAS troops, who have been based in Swanbourne since 1957.

Once there, he met past and present members of the unit, toured the base and joined families of fallen SAS members killed in the line of duty to lay wreaths in their memory.

The commanding officer of the SASR, who is known only as Lieutenant Colonel G to protect his identity, said the prince's visit was an honour and a privilege.

"Prince Harry knows what it means to serve his nation on operations and most importantly what it means to the families of those serving," Lieutenant Colonel G said.

"Families play a critical role for those serving in the SASR and indeed the whole of the ADF, and we are thankful that the families of some of our serving, former and fallen members were able to be here today."

As well as special forces, surfing spots were on Prince Harry's mind during an earlier meeting with WA premier Colin Barnett and his wife Lyn, both avowed royalists.

And landing from Sydney, the premier and the prince spent 30 minutes discussing the state and it's attractions - with the best surfing spot high on the prince's agenda.

"He said it was a short visit because he had to be back to work on Thursday - a delightful young man, full of energy and enthusiastic," Mr Barnett said.

"His query was where is the best surfing spot ... I should have said Cottesloe (where Mr Barnett lives) but I told him Margaret River. He showed close interest in the state and I am sure he would like to have a closer look around in the future."

Despite no official public functions for the prince in WA, a small crowd of well-wishers did gather at the airport to greet the royal, along with a troop of photographers and a helicopter from a local TV network.

Before his departure from Sydney, Prince Harry told reporters Australia already felt like a second home and he was very sad to be leaving.

"I just can't get the time off work these days," he said.

The prince will leave Perth later on Sunday evening en route to Dubai, where he is scheduled to attend the Sentebale 'Forget Me Not' ball on Monday.

Prince Harry was a co-founder of Sentebale - a charity set up to help vulnerable children.

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US raids terror leaders in Somalia, Libya

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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