Rocky start to first term over: Barnett

WESTERN Australian Premier Colin Barnett says the rocky start to his second term is behind him.

Addressing the WA Liberals' annual conference on Saturday, Mr Barnett acknowledged he had been heavily criticised - even by some in his party - for a string of controversies that has dogged the party since it secured a landslide win in March.

Not getting the Browse gas project onshore, cost blow-outs at the Muja power station, outcry over a planned cut to the solar feed-in tariff - followed by an embarrassing backdown - and the loss of the state's triple-A credit rating were listed.

"And to make it worse, the Dockers lost the grand final," he said, drawing laughs from the party faithful.

While he accepted the assessment of ratings agency Standard & Poor's that WA was racking up too much debt while GST revenue was falling as it relied too heavily on mining royalties, Mr Barnett said he wasn't going to take his foot off the pedal.

'More than 100 dead in typhoon'

A CIVIL aviation official in the Philippines says he's received a report that more than 100 bodies are lying in the streets of a central city ravaged by Haiyan.

Bushfire threat clears Dreamworld

UPDATE: A FAST-MOVING grass fire that forced thousands of patrons to be evacuated from Dreamworld has been contained.

He reiterated that some of the state's massive capital works plans would be axed, slowed or put on ice, but said he was still intent on delivering urban rail and road upgrades.

His pet project the Elizabeth Quay riverside development - deemed an unaffordable luxury by some - was pushing ahead and land sales were set to reap big money.

The Premier also flagged the state's first week of repealing redundant legislation this month, a big native title settlement deal for Perth and the southwest within the next six months, and a soon-to-be-revealed agriculture deal with the United Arab Emirates.

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Man charged after WA explosives scare

A 33-YEAR-OLD man has been charged over highly volatile explosive chemicals that were recently found south of Perth.

On October 28, a member of the public discovered about 3kg of the substance - TATP - hidden underwater near a jetty at Leschenault Estuary, Australind.

A second package was found at the same site three days later.

And on Friday, a third suspicious package was found at a disused caravan site at Peppermint Grove Beach, Capel.

All three packages were destroyed in controlled detonations, the third on Saturday morning.

That discovery - which is yet to be identified - came after a Tactical Response Group dawn raid of a Bunbury home, which led to the man being taken into custody for questioning.

On Saturday afternoon, police said they had charged the man with five counts of making or possessing explosives in suspicious circumstances.

'More than 100 dead in typhoon'

A CIVIL aviation official in the Philippines says he's received a report that more than 100 bodies are lying in the streets of a central city ravaged by Haiyan.

Bushfire threat clears Dreamworld

UPDATE: A FAST-MOVING grass fire that forced thousands of patrons to be evacuated from Dreamworld has been contained.

He has been remanded in custody and will face Bunbury Magistrates Court on Monday.

TATP, also known as "Mother of Satan", was used in the London terrorist bombings in 2005.

It is created through a chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide and acetone, is highly volatile, and particularly susceptible to heat, friction and shock.

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Emma Thompson gets Hollywood honour

British actress Emma Thompson has added her hand and shoe prints to the Hollywood Boulevard. Source: AAP

BRITISH actress Emma Thompson has cemented her place in Hollywood, by adding her hand and shoe prints to the fabled pavement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

The Oscar winner was overcome with emotion at the ceremony on Thursday, recalling a childhood visit to the tourist attraction with her father.

She said, "When I was 14 I came to Hollywood with my dad, who was directing the Norman Conquests, and he brought us here, to the Grauman's, and showed us all the people's hands and feet and the signatures and it was so other-worldly that for me to be here now feels not at all real!"

The 54-year-old was joined by her Saving Mr Banks co-star Tom Hanks at the ceremony and he used the occasion to jokingly try and convince Thompson to give up her British citizenship and become an American.

He quipped, "We wish to convey the following message to Emma - Please Emma, leave England, come here, live with us, live amongst us! Los Angeles and Hollywood needs your sense and sensibility. England, they don't appreciate you like we do."

'More than 100 dead in typhoon'

A CIVIL aviation official in the Philippines says he's received a report that more than 100 bodies are lying in the streets of a central city ravaged by Haiyan.

Bushfire threat clears Dreamworld

UPDATE: A FAST-MOVING grass fire that forced thousands of patrons to be evacuated from Dreamworld has been contained.

The ceremony didn't go completely to plan - Thompson took a tumble from an elevated box just as she was about to place her hands in the wet cement, but laughed off the moment and continued chuckling as she was immortalised outside the iconic cinema on Hollywood Boulevard.

And she was more than a little upset about the fact she would have to throw away the designer black shoes she wore to the ceremony, explaining, "They were covered in cement."

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Thousands flee Dreamworld after fire alert

MORE than 7000 people fled Australia's largest theme park on Saturday after a grassfire started nearby.

The fire, sending a huge plume of smoke towards the 85-hectare Dreamworld on the Gold Coast from nearby Coomera, prompted an evacuation.

Visitors described how the smoke started drifting into the park, also home to the Big Brother house, prompting rides to be closed one-by-one.

Sam Gilchrist was at the theme park with daughters Alannah, 14, Megan, 9, and Holly, 6, on the last day of a Gold Coast holiday when the smoke started to drift in.

She said Dreamworld staff started shutting down rides one at a time as the smoke started to thicken.

While some people moved to rides that were still open, the Melbourne family left just before the park was evacuated because one of the children started getting upset by the smoke.

'More than 100 dead in typhoon'

A CIVIL aviation official in the Philippines says he's received a report that more than 100 bodies are lying in the streets of a central city ravaged by Haiyan.

Bushfire threat clears Dreamworld

UPDATE: A FAST-MOVING grass fire that forced thousands of patrons to be evacuated from Dreamworld has been contained.

"The kids were on a ride and I could see a mist of smoke and I could smell it," she told AAP.

"It started getting really black and blanketing the whole area.

"There was a little bit of ash falling, I think asthmatics would have had a bit of a difficult time."

She said she didn't know whether people would be compensated for having to leave.

The park will open as usual on Sunday.

A Dreamworld spokeswoman said the evacuation of guests and zoo animals had been a precaution.

"We evacuated for the safety of guests, staff and the animals," she said.

She said park visitors whose details staff had managed to obtain before they left the park would be contacted regarding possible compensation.

A Queensland Department of Community Safety spokesperson said the fire covered four hectares on Saturday afternoon, having broken out near Foxwell Road about 1.30pm (AEST).

The spokesperson said there was no immediate threat to homes but advised people to keep their doors and windows closed.

Firefighters had contained the blaze by 7pm (AEST) but the Department of Community Safety said crews would remain on scene "for some time", backburning and monitoring the fire.

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Student injured in Melbourne uni explosion

A MELBOURNE university student has been taken to hospital following a campus lab explosion.

The student, believed to be in his 20s, had been working in the chemical engineering research lab at the University of Melbourne when an explosion caused glass to shatter, severely cutting his hands.

Paramedics took the student to hospital while firefighters evacuated the Parkville campus building.

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said the student was in a stable condition.

Firefighters were still at the scene, monitoring air quality before they would let people back inside the building, a Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman said.

The cause of the explosion is not known.

Four dead in super typhoon Haiyan

AT least four people have been killed and more than half a million displaced as Typhoon Haiyan pummels the archipelago.

Record fine for pregnancy bias

A CHAIN of bargain stores has copped the largest ever fine for workplace discrimination after it told a pregnant employee Chinese tradition meant she couldn't work.

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Ken Levy re-appointed CMC chair

THE Queensland government has extended the contract of the head of the state's crime and corruption watchdog despite criticism he was biased.

The opposition wanted Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) Chair Dr Ken Levy to resign after he penned an opinion piece that said the new bikie laws reflected the will of Queenslanders.

His contract has been extended to May 22, 2014.

Dr Levy has written to the head of the parliamentary committee which overseas the CMC, in a letter tabled on Friday, to insist he wasn't pressured to write the article.

When asked last week whether he'd consulted anyone about the article, he said: "No, it's my composition".

But Dr Levy's revealed the head of the government's media unit, Lee Anderson, called the CMC media unit a week before the article was published to ask if the CMC was going to do any media interviews on the legislation.

Four dead in super typhoon Haiyan

AT least four people have been killed and more than half a million displaced as Typhoon Haiyan pummels the archipelago.

Record fine for pregnancy bias

A CHAIN of bargain stores has copped the largest ever fine for workplace discrimination after it told a pregnant employee Chinese tradition meant she couldn't work.

At the time, Dr Levy told his staff "we would not be spooked" by the call as they were already discussing doing broader media on the issue.

"I certainly have never had any pressure from the Premier or the Attorney General, or anyone else from government for that matter, trying to pressure me about any issue," Dr Levy wrote.

In his letter to parliamentary crime and misconduct committee chair Liz Cunningham, Dr Levy expresses regret and apologises for not remembering the contact the CMC had with Mr Anderson when he was grilled last Friday.

"In the embarrassment on Friday afternoon, I indicated to you that perhaps I should consider standing down, particularly in light of the call by the leader of the opposition," he wrote.

But Dr Levy says Mr Anderson's call only referred to the broad area of the CMC's powers to deal with the outlaw bikie gangs and there was no pressure to write the opinion piece.

Instead, Dr Levy was inspired by imbalanced press, which was pitting judges and lawyers against politicians and ignoring the community.

"My article was not politically motivated," he wrote.

"As I said to the Committee last Friday, Criminal motorcycle gangs are really criminal cartels. The Government was being responsible in legislating."

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie says he is supportive of the CMC being more open with the public, but any decisions regarding media is clearly a matter for them.

"The Newman government respects the independence of Queensland's judiciary and statutory bodies," Mr Bleijie said.

The acting role is effective up to and including May 22, 2014 and a permanent appointment is expected next year.

In a statement released on Friday evening, Dr Levy said the letter tabled in parliament on Friday outlined previous contact made to the CMC by staff in the government's media unit.

"This contact occurred a week before I sent my comments to the Courier-Mail and did not influence me in any way to write the opinion piece," he said.

"I did not consult with the part-time commissioners, senior management or the CMC's media unit before sending my comments to the Courier-Mail."

Dr Levy says both he and the CMC remain independent.

"I look forward to continuing to lead the CMC through a period of change," he said.

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Police charge 21 Rebel bikies in blitz

POLICE have arrested 21 members of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang in a week-long blitz.

As part of the Attero National Task Force, state and federal police worked together to disrupt, disable and dismantle the criminal activities of the Rebels.

They charged 21 Rebels on 35 offences, including drugs, burglary, and assault.

Police said none of those arrested were high-ranking members and none had been charged under the state's new bikie laws.

Most of the arrests took place along the Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane.

Detective Superintendent Mick Niland said police would continue to target the Rebels, which he described as a "high risk threat".

He said the Rebels were the largest criminal bikie gang in Australia with 1600 members or associates across the country.

Four dead in super typhoon Haiyan

AT least four people have been killed and more than half a million displaced as Typhoon Haiyan pummels the archipelago.

Record fine for pregnancy bias

A CHAIN of bargain stores has copped the largest ever fine for workplace discrimination after it told a pregnant employee Chinese tradition meant she couldn't work.

Deputy Commissioner Brett Pointing says arrests over the past week offer a snapshot into the level of criminality carried out by the Rebels.

"They started in Brisbane 44 years ago and they're a sophisticated criminal network," he told media on Friday.

Mr Pointing says leaders of criminal bikie gangs are harder to prosecute because they are protected by associates and members.

"(We're) just as interested in associates as we are in the leadership, because it's the lower level associates that sustain the leaders," he said.

Mr Pointing also says criminal bikie gangs may be consulting with public relations experts to shape public perceptions about the gangs.

"It's in the interests of these organisations to try and convince the public that they're in fact not criminal gangs," he said.

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Severe thunderstorms forecast for NSW

A SEVERE thunderstorm warning has been issued for large swathes on NSW's central west.

Damaging winds are forecast to hit parts of the central west slopes and plains and parts of the upper western forecast districts on Friday evening, the Bureau of Meteorology saysd.

Locations which may be affected include Dubbo, Parkes, Wellington, Condobolin, Coonamble, Nyngan, Bourke, Brewarrina and Enngonia.

The State Emergency Service (SES) is advising people to move their cars away from trees and secure loose items around homes.

People are also being urged to stay indoors and away from windows.

Four dead in super typhoon Haiyan

AT least four people have been killed and more than half a million displaced as Typhoon Haiyan pummels the archipelago.

Record fine for pregnancy bias

A CHAIN of bargain stores has copped the largest ever fine for workplace discrimination after it told a pregnant employee Chinese tradition meant she couldn't work.

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

ADF investigates behaviour of sailors

THE Australian Defence Force (ADF) is investigating allegations of so-called "inappropriate behaviour" by some members of the navy.

Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs said the allegations against some members of an unnamed ship's company had been made by one sailor, and "the matter was quickly reported through the chain of command for further investigation".

The ADF's Investigative Service began formal investigations on Tuesday, he said.

"I applaud any member of the navy who has the courage to raise concerns like these and I encourage anyone who is aware of, or who experiences, unacceptable behaviour to do the same," Vice Admiral Briggs said in the statement on Wednesday.

"The alleged behaviours are simply not consistent with navy values. Navy does not tolerate inappropriate behaviour and will act accordingly if any of the allegations are substantiated."

No further details about the investigation would be provided, the ADF statement said.

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Search for missing Bondi swimmer continues

The search for a man missing off Bondi Beach has resumed, 12 hours after he was hit by a big wave. Source: AAP

THE search for a man feared drowned off Sydney's Bondi Beach will continue into a third day after authorities failed to uncover any sign of him.

The 22-year-old man was one of two Japanese nationals who got into trouble after going for a swim in rough conditions about 5.30pm (AEDT) on Monday.

Lifeguards pulled one of the men to safety, but the second man failed to resurface after being hit by a large wave.

A water and air search for the man continued on Tuesday but strong swells made it too dangerous for divers to become involved, a police spokesman told AAP.

The search was again wound down on Tuesday evening due to fading light.

It is set to continue again on Wednesday at first light.

Police would not comment as to whether the search and rescue operation would move to a recovery effort.

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Former police chief starts WA poll probe

Former federal police chief Mike Keelty has begun a probe into the 1375 missing WA Senate votes. Source: AAP

FORMER federal police chief Mick Keelty has begun his investigation into 1375 missing votes from the West Australian Senate ballot.

Mr Keelty was in Canberra on Tuesday ahead of travelling to Perth to gather evidence and interview witnesses.

The investigation is expected to take two weeks.

An AEC spokesman said all evidence would be given to Mr Keelty and his independent advice would be an "important input" into whether the commission petitions the Court of Disputed Returns in the next 40 days.

The court could decide on a fresh election of WA senators.

A number of parties, including Labor, the Palmer United Party and Wikileaks, are also considering taking the matter to court.

The 1255 above-the-line ballots and 120 informal votes disappeared during a recount by the Australian Electoral Commission after the September 7 federal election.

The formal recount began at the central senate scrutiny centre in the Perth suburb of Northbridge on October 17.

The recount took a fresh look at informal ballot papers plus about 1.2 million ballot papers where voters marked the ballot paper above the line.

The votes counted including not only those cast at WA polling places but other voting centres around Australia, overseas and by post.

Up to 120 AEC staff were involved in the count, which used a computerised system called EasyCount Senate.

When it was discovered some ballots were missing, the AEC conducted what it described as a "very thorough" search before publicly admitting the error.

On Monday, the AEC declared the WA Senate result as three Liberal, one Labor, one Green and one Australian Sports Party.

The AEC plans to run a "model" of the missing votes to see if they would have changed the result.

The writ for the WA Senate election will be returned on Wednesday.

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Woman 'disappeared' over Sydney balcony

A Sydney man accused of throwing his girlfriend off a balcony has told a court he didn't do it. Source: AAP

IN the seconds before her death, Lisa Cecilia Harnum looked straight at her accused murderer, Simon Gittany.

She then disappeared over the edge of a balcony, as Gittany screamed out her name "in shock and despair", he told his murder trial.

Two weeks into a Supreme Court murder trial which has heard allegations of Gittany's controlling nature over Ms Harnum, he took the stand to tell his version of events.

The crown alleges he threw the 30-year-old Canadian off their balcony at the Hyde building in Sydney's CBD in a fit of rage on July 30, 2011.

Gittany, 40, has pleaded not guilty.

Giving evidence on Tuesday, he painted a picture of a tumultuous relationship, in which he said Ms Harnum frequently got annoyed over small incidents and occasionally jumped out of moving cars.

He emphatically denied he forced Ms Harnum to submit to him, discouraged her from making friends, or ordered her not to leave the apartment except to buy groceries.

But he admitted he was very jealous and installed a computer program that allowed him to covertly monitor her text messages.

He said he did so because Ms Harnum had a secret and wouldn't tell him what it was.

"I was confused, upset, frustrated because my partner was hiding something from me and she was ashamed to tell me what it was," he said.

The court has previously heard Ms Harnum suffered from bulimia, something Gittany was unaware of.

Two days before her death, the pair had an argument during which Gittany revealed he had been monitoring Ms Harnum's texts.

The rows continued over the next day, although the pair watched a film - Romeo and Juliet - at home together "arm in arm" the night before her death, Gittany said.

But when he discovered Ms Harnum had changed the password on his text monitoring program, he said he told her to pack her bags and leave the following day.

The row escalated the next morning, with Ms Harnum eventually running for the front door.

The trial has seen CCTV footage of Gittany dragging Ms Harnum back into the apartment and covering her mouth as she screamed out of embarrassment of what the neighbours would think.

During the next minute, Gittany asked her to tell him her secret.

"It would all be easy if you'd just tell me," Gittany said he told her.

Then he said he saw Ms Harnum running for the balcony but, by the time he reached it, he said she was almost entirely over the other side.

He said she "released herself" onto an awning below as he reached out both his hands and tried to grab any part of her.

Ms Harnum lay across the awning and looked at him as he screamed at least twice, he said.

"After I couldn't reach her it was like she disappeared or let go," he said, adding she then went into freefall.

"I pushed myself out as far as I could to keep my eyes on her, which was all I could do.

"I kept my eyes on her until she hit the ground."

Gittany said he felt like the entire incident was a dream.

"The first person I witnessed die was my fiancee in a tragic circumstance that I just did not know how to process," he said.

The trial continues.

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Man charged with shooting murder in Sydney

A MAN has been charged with murdering a man who was shot in the back in western Sydney.

Raymond Pasnin, 27, was shot a number of times as he walked to his car at a unit block in Pendle Hill last Wednesday.

He later died in hospital.

Following an investigation, a 26-year-old man was arrested at Parramatta on Tuesday and has since been charged with the murder of Mr Pasnin.

He has been refused bail to appear at Fairfield Local Court on Wednesday.

Police have previously said the shooting was believed to be linked to a domestic dispute involving Mr Pasnin's girlfriend.

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