Seven die in horror two days on Vic roads

Six people, including a mother and daughter, have lost their lives on Victorian roads. Source: AAP

A MAN in an induced coma will wake up to learn his wife and daughter have been killed and his two sons hospitalised during a horror two days on Victorian roads that claimed seven lives.

The mother and child died after two vehicles crashed head-on on the Princes Highway at Rosedale just before 2.30pm (AEDT) on Friday.

The child died at the scene while the woman in her 40s was pronounced dead after paramedics tried to revive her at the roadside.

The man, in his 40s, was put into an induced coma after suffering injuries to his chest and hip, while his 11-year-old son was critically injured and his four-year-old son hospitalised with minor injuries.

The driver of the second vehicle, a man in his 20s, was taken to hospital with leg and pelvic injuries.

Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill said it had been an incredibly difficult day, with four women, one girl and a man losing their lives in a 12-hour period on Friday.

"You can't even imagine how that particular gentleman will wake up, recovering from injuries and then dealing with the emotional scar that has been caused as a consequence of this collision," Mr Hill said.

The deaths added to the grim toll on a day in which a 70-year-old woman died in a two-car collision in Carwarp, in the state's northwest, and an 18-year-old died after her vehicle crashed into a tree in Mount Evelyn.

About 10.30pm on Friday night a man and woman, both 81, died in a collision on the Western Freeway in Melton.

Three men from the second vehicle were taken to hospital.

On Saturday, a man in his 40s died after his car hit a tree at Cope Cope on the Sunraysia Highway, between St Arnaud and Donald in northwest Victoria.

A motorist came across the car about 5pm.

Mr Hill appealed to all drivers to think about their behaviour on the road.

"These are the days that stick with you forever," he said.

"I can't begin to imagine the feeling of loss those families and their communities must be facing right now."

The state road toll is now 210 compared to 251 at this time last year.

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US wind farm guilty of killing birds

American bird conservationists say wind farms are killing hundreds of thousands of birds each year. Source: AAP

A MAJOR US power company has pleaded guilty to killing eagles and other birds at two wind farms and agreed to pay $1 million as part of the first enforcement of laws protecting birds against wind energy facilities.

Until the settlement announced on Friday with Duke Energy and its renewable energy arm, no wind energy company had been prosecuted for a death of an eagle or other protected bird.

The company pleaded guilty to killing 14 eagles and 149 other birds at its Top of the World and Campbell Hill wind farms outside Casper, Wyoming.

The deaths, which included golden eagles, hawks, blackbirds, wrens and sparrows, occurred from 2009 to 2013.

"Wind energy is not green if it is killing hundreds of thousands of birds," said George Fenwick, president of the American Bird Conservancy, which supports properly sited wind farms.

Wind farms are clusters of turbines as tall as 30-storey buildings, with spinning rotors as wide as a passenger jet's wingspan.

The blades can reach speeds up to 270km/h at the tips, creating tornado-like vortexes.

Eagles are especially vulnerable because they don't look up as they scan the ground for food, failing to notice the blades until it's too late.

"No form of energy generation, or human activity for that matter, is completely free of impacts, and wind energy is no exception," the American Wind Energy Association said in a statement.

The case against Duke Energy and Duke Energy Renewables was the first prosecuted under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act against a wind energy company.

The Obama administration has used the law against oil companies and power companies for drowning and electrocuting birds.

Once a wind farm is built, there is little a company can do to stop the deaths.

As part of the agreement, Duke will continue to use field biologists to shut down turbines when eagles get too close.

It will install radar technology similar to what is used in Afghanistan to track missiles. And it will continue to report all bird deaths to the government.

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Severe thunderstorms move east across state

SEVERE thunderstorms continue to move across Queensland's southeast, with the latest warning issued for Moreton Bay and North Stradbroke Island and parts of the Sunshine Coast, Somerset, South Burnett, Toowoomba and Redland areas.

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Over-the-limit Airbus pilot jailed in UK

AN experienced pilot who was found to be more than three times the permitted alcohol level as he was about to fly an Airbus with 156 people on board from England to Pakistan has been jailed for nine months.

The judge sentencing Irfan Faiz, 55, said it was "extraordinary" that the rules in Pakistan only stated that there should be a 12-hour gap between "bottle and throttle", no matter how much the pilot had drunk.

And Justice Coulson at Leeds Crown Court said he was "astonished" to hear that pilots regularly flying out of the UK were not aware of the rules in this country, which are based on the amount of alcohol present in the body.

Father-of-two Faiz was breath-tested at Leeds Bradford Airport on September 18 as he was undergoing pre-flight checks in an Airbus 310 with 145 passengers and 11 crew on board.

He was about to pilot the PIA 776 flight to Islamabad when he was asked to leave the cockpit due to concerns raised by security staff who said he smelled of drink and was unsteady on his feet.

Faiz gave an initial reading of 41 micrograms in 100 millilitres of breath on the police officer's handheld device.

The legal limit for driving a car is 35 micrograms but for flying in the UK it just nine, the court heard.

He later gave a reading on the evidential machine of 28.

The pilot told police he had consumed three-quarters of a bottle of whisky but had stopped drinking at about 3am.

He was arrested before the flight which was due to depart at 10.10pm.

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Healthy diet cuts pregnancy risks: study

FOLLOWING a healthy lifestyle before conception and during pregnancy - including eating three pieces of fruit a day - could cut the chance of complications, research suggests.

Scientists from King's College London found that maintaining a normal weight and blood pressure and following a healthy diet could boost a woman's chances of an uncomplicated pregnancy.

More than 5600 first-time mothers from the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland were monitored for the research, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

The women, who were all having one baby, answered questions about their medical histories and diet.

They also had measurements taken, such as blood pressure, and underwent an ultrasound scan between 19 and 21 weeks. Details about the babies were also collected after birth.

Experts found that a healthy diet, including a high intake of fruit (at least three pieces a day) in the month leading up to conception, led to a higher chance the woman would have an uncomplicated pregnancy.

They also discovered that a healthy body mass index (BMI) and normal blood pressure boosted the chance there would be fewer problems.

Women who were in paid work when they were 15 weeks pregnant were also less likely to experience complications.

This could be because these women are less likely to abuse drugs and could be more likely to have an income which allows them to eat more healthily, the authors suggested.

While calling for further studies, the researchers said 24,674 more women a year could have an uncomplicated pregnancy if high blood pressure was brought under control.

Overall, 61 per cent of the women in the study had an uncomplicated pregnancy.

The most common reasons for a complicated pregnancy in the mother were high blood pressure (8 per cent) and pre-eclampsia (5 per cent).

In babies, the issues were being small for gestational age (11 per cent) and premature birth (4 per cent).

"We have always known that a mother's general health is important, but until now we did not know the specific factors that could be associated with a normal pregnancy," said Dr Lucy Chappell, lead author from the division of women's health at King's College London.

"Although this is an early study, these findings suggest that by leading a healthy lifestyle both before and during pregnancy - including eating lots of fruit and maintaining a healthy BMI - it could be possible for women to increase the likelihood of experiencing an uncomplicated pregnancy.

"More research needs to be done to explore these associations further but I hope that this research will help inform both public health policy makers and healthcare professionals giving advice to pregnant women and those thinking of having a baby."

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

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Govt supports ICAC mining recommendations

The NSW government has accepted recommendations made by ICAC on the management of coal resources. Source: AAP

THE NSW government has thrown its support behind all of the recommendations made by the corruption watchdog into how coal mining licences are managed across the state.

Following two inquiries into the allocation of mining licences which ensnared former Labor MPs Ian Macdonald and Eddie Obeid, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) handed down a report saying corruption was "easy to do" due to systemic weaknesses in the licensing process.

Premier Barry O'Farrell told parliament on Thursday that the implementation of the ICAC's recommendations was important for restoring public confidence.

"The recommendations ... go a long way to ensuring the sort of corruption in the handling of mining licences exposed by ICAC will never occur again," he said.

All 26 recommendations have either been fully backed by the government or been given "in principle" support.

Among them was the recommendation that the government uses auctions as the primary method of allotting licences.

They have also supported the move to hold an inquiry into how members disclose family member's interests, with the view to making third-party disclosures a requirement.

The premier has also said he will review the code of conduct for ministers.

The recommendations follow ICAC operations Jasper and Acacia, which made a variety of corrupt findings.

Operation Jasper found former Labor mining minister Ian Macdonald rigged a 2008 tender process and granted a coal mining exploration licence on land belonging to former Labor power broker Eddie Obeid and his family in the Bylong Valley.

The licence enabled the Obeids to net $30 million, with the prospect of making an extra $70 million.

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Police hunt for man, girl in Sydney's west

POLICE are searching for a man and a two-year-old girl who went missing from a house in Sydney's west on Thursday afternoon.

Police said the 40-year-old took the young girl from the house on Sedgman Crescent, Shalvey, about 4pm (AEDT) Thursday.

He left the area with the girl in a green Holden Viva, with registration AY 49 GQ.

Police from Mount Druitt are searching for the man and child and want the public to report any sighting of the pair.

A police spokeswoman told AAP there were concerns for the man's welfare, but that the incident was not being treated as an abduction.

The man's described as being Caucasian, between 175cm and 180cm tall, thin, with brown receding hair.

The young girl is also Caucasian, with strawberry blonde hair, and was wearing blue tights and a blue t-shirt when she was taken.

Police want anyone with information to call triple zero.

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Grave-recycling laws pass NSW parliament

Laws aimed at tackling a lack of space for graves in Sydney has passed through NSW's upper house. Source: AAP

CONTROVERSIAL grave-recycling laws aimed at addressing a shortage of burial space in Sydney have passed through NSW parliament.

The government has said the laws are needed because burial space in Sydney is set to run out within 30 to 40 years.

Small Business Minister Katrina Hodgkinson said the legislation created a "sound framework for the long-term planning and management of all cemeteries and crematoria in NSW".

"Renewable tenure burial will put downward pressure on interment costs and give people the option of a traditional burial which is currently beyond the means of some," Ms Hodgkinson said in a statement.

Under the laws, rolling leases of a minimum 25 years could be renewed for up to 99 years.

If a lease is not renewed after two years, a person's remains could be dug up and the site reused - either re-buried deeper underground or moved to an ossuary house.

Ms Hodgkinson said renewable tenure was already operating in Waverley Cemetery and the Sydney Natural Burial Park.

"It's one of many choices that will be made available in a regulated manner," she added.

The laws also establish a new agency, Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW, to oversee rules for cemetery operators.

The state government said the laws were passed by the NSW upper house on Wednesday night.

Labor had opposed the laws, arguing they lacked community support.

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Indon halts people smuggling cooperation

Indonesia's president says he is suspending cooperation with Australia on people smuggling. Source: AAP

INDONESIAN President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says he is suspending cooperation with Australia on people smuggling in the wake of recent spying revelations.

The president also said on Wednesday that he would continue to demand an official explanation from Australia about revelations that Australian spies targeted his mobile phone in 2009.

"I am still waiting," Dr Yudhoyono said on Wednesday.

The president said he would send a letter of demand to the Australian government, requesting an official apology and an explanation from Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Indonesia will also suspend all military cooperation with Australia, the president said.

Australia Defence Minister David Johnston's office said there was no official confirmation yet that Indonesia had halted defence cooperation activities.

"But it is certainly on the record that it has stopped," a spokesman said.

"We are just waiting on the details of how this is going to play out."

At a press conference at his presidential palace in Jakarta, Dr Yudhoyono likened the spying claims to cold war tactics.

It's difficult for me to understand why the (wire-tapping) was conducted," Dr Yudhoyono said.

"Now is not the era of the cold war."

Dr Yudhoyono said "coordinated military cooperation" including naval patrols would cease immediately.

"I have asked for that to be halted until everything is clear," he said.

Suspending cooperation on people smuggling will deal a big blow to Mr Abbott's asylum seeker policies.

"You are well aware that we are facing a joint problem of people smuggling that has been a problem for both Australia and Indonesia," Dr Yudhoyono said.

"Indonesia and Australia is not in the position of confronting each other or in enmity."

The president said he could not understand why Australia had chosen to spy on a "friend and not the enemy", adding that he viewed the conduct of the Australian government as an illegal action.

Dr Yudhoyono said he wanted a personal explanation, insisting comments directed at "Australia's domestic community" would not suffice.

"If Australia wants to maintain a good relationship with Indonesia in the future, there must be an official explanation," he said.

Dr Yudhoyono said cooperation in the area of intelligence gathering and the sharing of information would also be halted.

"I have also asked to stop for a while joint training between Indonesian soldiers and Australians, whether army, navy or air force," he said.

Dr Yudhoyono said he wanted to make it clear that cooperation on combating people smuggling would not go ahead until he received an explanation from Mr Abbott.

"It's impossible for us to continue when we're not sure that there's no tapping of Indonesian soldiers who are performing a duty for both countries," he said.

Dr Yudhoyono said that for cooperation to resume, Indonesia would in the future need "some kind of protocol, code of conduct as well as guiding principles".

"I'm still hoping and I believe that Australia is also hoping, especially the hope of people from both countries, Indonesian people and Australian people, that we still can have a good relationship and cooperation after we overcome this problem."

"Australia, I know they respect Indonesia's sovereignty," he said.

"I hope we can finish this, we solve this and then we review, we make new sets of rules, new agreements and then we can take steps ahead to continue the good cooperation and relationship between the two countries."

Dr Yudhoyono said that for cooperation to resume, Indonesia would in the future need "some kind of protocol, code of conduct as well as guiding principles".

"I'm still hoping and I believe that Australia is also hoping, especially the hope of people from both countries, Indonesian people and Australian people, that we still can have a good relationship and cooperation after we overcome this problem."

"Australia, I know they respect Indonesia's sovereignty," he said.

"I hope we can finish this, we solve this and then we review, we make new sets of rules, new agreements and then we can take steps ahead to continue the good cooperation and relationship between the two countries."

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Telstra copper network 'robust': NBN chief

New NBN chairman Ziggy Switkowski says Telstra's copper network continues to "perform robustly". Source: AAP

TELSTRA'S decades-old copper network continues to "perform robustly", new NBN chairman Ziggy Switkowski says.

Dr Switkowski, who was Telstra chief executive for five years from 1999, says the copper network - the oldest part of which is 50 years old - is still working well.

"Here I default back to my own history ... It's constantly being maintained, remediated, upgraded," he told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday.

However, he said he was relying on anecdotal information as he hadn't received any official information from Telstra recently.

"My feeling is that in 2013, the copper network fault rate may be higher than it was in the time I was at Telstra, but perhaps not materially higher," he said.

"As best as I can tell, the copper network continues to perform robustly."

Dr Switkowski said the percentage of copper in Telstra's network that would not be suitable for fibre to the node (FTTN) remained "a question in front of us" that would be looked at in the current strategic reviews.

"It may well reveal whether there are unanticipated issues with the network," he said.

He said Telstra had millions of broadband customers using ADSL on copper, delivering speeds of up to 10 megabits a second.

"That suggests to me that the network is robust still and the concerns that are expressed that the network may not be the basis for the next generation of broadband platform, I think, are misinformed," he said.

Senator Kate Lundy said Mr Switkowski's comments mirrored those of Telstra in recent days.

"They're talking up their copper network like never before, given that they are currently in negotiations with NBN Co about accessing it," she said.

"I guess we would expect that from Telstra. I must say, I didn't expect it from you."

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Indon-Aust diplomatic tensions set to grow

Indonesia has described Tony Abbott's refusal to apologise for spying revelations as "regrettable". Source: AAP

INDONESIA says it still expects an explanation from Australia over spying revelations, describing Prime Minister Tony Abbott's response and continued refusal to apologise over the drama as "regrettable".

As the diplomatic crisis appeared certain to escalate on Tuesday, Mr Abbott again rejected calls to apologise to Indonesia after reports Australian spies had monitored President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's telephone activity.

Indonesia responded on Tuesday afternoon, with a spokesman for the president insisting that Australia's response to the allegations to date had been inadequate.

"Of course this is regrettable, the president regretted the Australian prime minister's response," presidential spokesman Julian Pasha told reporters.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa later warned Australia should not underestimate the effect the spying controversy had caused, and would continue to cause, in terms of the relationship.

"Australia still needs to develop their attitude and response, because this is something that can't trivialised or underestimated (in terms of) its impact," Dr Natalegawa said at the presidential palace.

"We will evaluate day by day its development. It's not us who brought this problem, it's Australia. And so Australia is the one who must find the best solution for this."

Indonesia recalled its ambassador to Canberra following claims - stemming from the latest leak by fugitive US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden - Australian spies targeted the mobile phones of Dr Yudhoyono, his wife Ani and some of his closest confidants under Kevin Rudd's government in 2009.

Dr Yudhoyono warned his government would now review bilateral cooperation with Australia.

"I also regret the statement of Australian Prime Minister that belittled this tapping matter on Indonesia, without any remorse," Dr Yudhoyono said, referring to Mr Abbott's comments about the issue on Monday.

Mr Abbott has been under mounting pressure to apologise to Dr Yudhoyono to prevent a further escalation in the diplomatic crisis.

But the prime minister told parliament on Tuesday he would not do so.

"Australia should not be expected to apologise for the steps we take to protect our country now or in the past, any more than other governments should be expected to apologise for the similar steps that they have taken," he said.

Australia also shouldn't be expected to detail what its intelligence agencies do to protect its citizens, he said.

"Others should ask of us no more than they are prepared to do themselves."

Mr Abbott went on to say he respected Indonesia and Dr Yudhoyono.

"That's why I sincerely regret any embarrassment that recent media reports have caused him," he said.

"But it is in everyone's interests - Indonesia's no less than Australia's - that cool heads prevail and that our relationship grows closer, not more distant."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor would not seek to politicise the issue but he wanted to see the relationship repaired as soon as possible.

"We should not allow these matters to fester," he said.

Indonesia's ambassador to Australia, Nadjib Kesoema, flew out of Canberra on Tuesday on the orders of his government, telling reporters before he boarded his flight that Mr Abbott owed his country a good explanation.

In Jakarta, the country's newspapers were dominated by calls for an even tougher response to the phone tapping scandal.

One of the largest selling Indonesian language newspapers, Media Indonesia, carried an editorial calling for a "harsh response to the Kangaroo Country, which has betrayed the good relationship".

"It's time to remind the world that Indonesia is not a nation to be treated (in this way)," the editorial read.

Another nationalist leaning newspaper, Republika, led its front page with the headline: "Tapping Destroys Diplomacy".

University of Indonesia international relations expert Hikmahanto Juwana said the latest spying scandal had awoken nationalist fervour in Indonesia, adding that expelling a number of officials would probably have a calming effect.

He warned the Indonesia government had to be careful not to let public anger over the issue spiral out of control.

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Singer in UK court on child sex charges

VETERAN folk and rock performer Roy Harper has appeared in a UK court charged with committing a series of child sex offences in the 1970s.

The singer-songwriter, who has performed with Pink Floyd and influenced rock band Led Zeppelin, was not required to enter a plea to any of the charges during a four-minute appearance at Hereford Magistrates' Court.

Harper, of Rossmore, near Clonakilty, County Cork, in the Republic of Ireland, is accused of two counts of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13.

The singer also faces three charges of indecent assault and four of gross indecency relating to the same alleged victim.

West Mercia Police announced last week that Harper had been charged with the offences, which are alleged to have occurred between 1975 and 1977 in the Herefordshire area.

Harper, dressed casually in a checked shirt and blue jeans, spoke only to give the clerk of the court his name and full address during today's hearing.

The 72-year-old declined to comment to reporters after his appearance before three magistrates, who granted unconditional bail and ordered him to appear before a judge at Worcester Crown Court on December 2.

The prolific performer has produced more than 30 albums during his career, and continues to tour.

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Malta to ID buyers of its citizenship

THE Maltese government has rolled back one element of its controversial law to sell its citizenship for 650,000 ($A942,644), saying it will publish the names of people buying their way into European Union passports.

The government had argued that keeping the names secret would have brought in more money - the key goal of the initiative - because more people would have been attracted to buying a Maltese passport anonymously.

But the government withdraw the secrecy clause "after listening to the people," according to a statement late Sunday.

Opposition politicians and ordinary Maltese had argued that keeping the names secret could have exposed Malta to ill-intentioned citizenship-seekers, including possible terrorists.

Citizens of EU-member Malta can freely enter and reside in any of the other 27 EU member states.

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Alicia Keys to perform at ARIA Awards

Music superstar Alicia Keys will perform at the upcoming ARIA Awards in Sydney. Source: AAP

GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter Alicia Keys will perform at the upcoming ARIA Awards in Sydney.

She will perform a medley of her hit song Girl on Fire and her new single, Brand New Me, at the 27th Annual ARIA Awards on Sunday, December 1, it was announced on Sunday.

It will mark her first Australian televised performance before she embarks on her national tour, supported by Grammy-winner John Legend.

Keys says she is excited to be the headline act at this year's ARIAs.

"It's been a little while since I've been in Australia and I'm ecstatic to be back. Being on tour is an incredible journey and I'm so honoured that I get to share it with my family all over the world," Keys said in a statement.

"No better way to set off the last leg of my worldwide tour in Australia than on the ARIA Awards stage."

Other artists to perform at the awards ceremony, to be held at The Star Event Centre, include Jessica Mauboy, electronic superstar Flume, last year's X Factor winner Samantha Jade, indie band Sheppard and rock group Tame Impala.

ARIA Week festivities kick off on November 26 and run through to December 4.

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Man dies, five hurt in multi-vehicle crash

A man has died and five people have been taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle crash in Sydney. Source: AAP

A MAN has died and five people have been taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle crash in Sydney's southwest.

Emergency services were called to the Hume Highway at Greenacre on Sunday evening after four vehicles collided, police said.

A man travelling in one of the cars died at the scene.

Five others were taken to hospital with injuries.

The highway has been closed and specialist police are investigating.

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