UK AG won't challenge Harris jail sentence

British government won't challenge the sentence handed down to convicted paedophile Rolf Harris. Source: AAP

DISGRACED entertainer Rolf Harris's sentence for sex offences will not be referred to an appeals court despite numerous complaints that it was too lenient, the attorney general's office in Britain says.

THE 84-year-old Australian-born Harris, a long-time fixture on British television, was jailed earlier this month for five years and nine months for a string of sexual assaults against girls.

Attorney General Jeremy Wright, the government's chief legal adviser, received 150 complaints asking to review the sentence for being too lenient.But his office said on Wednesday that the sentence will not be referred to the Court of Appeal."After very careful consideration, the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright... has decided not to refer the five year and nine month sentence given to Rolf Harris to the Court of Appeal, as he did not think they would find it to be unduly lenient and increase it," said a spokeswoman from his office.Wright acknowledged that the ruling would cause disappointment, but said the courts were bound by the maximum sentence in force at the time of the offences.Trial judge Nigel Sweeney made some of the sentences on the 12 counts consecutive to make up the total term, of which Harris will serve around half, but also had to take into account the entertainer's age.The television star, artist and songwriter was found guilty of indecently assaulting four victims between 1969 and 1986, including the childhood best friend of his daughter Bindi."You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all," Sweeney told Harris as he handed down his sentence earlier in July."Your reputation lies in ruins, you have been stripped of your honours, but you have no one to blame but yourself."Harris was the second person to be convicted under a wide-ranging police investigation set up in the wake of revelations that the late Jimmy Savile, a fellow major BBC star, was a prolific abuser.Seven of the 12 counts against Harris related to the friend of Bindi, including one incident when she was 15 where he seriously sexually assaulted her while his daughter slept in the adjacent bed.The entertainer's conviction caused widespread revulsion in Britain, where his television programs were watched by millions of children, and his homeland of Australia.He was made a CBE in 2006 - one step below a knighthood - and even painted Queen Elizabeth II's portrait to mark her 80th birthday.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abbott seeks al-Sisi talks over Greste

Last updated: June 23, 2014

TONY Abbott is attempting to contact Egypt's new president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to lobby for the release of Australian journalist Peter Greste.

'How much are they paying you?'

CHRIS Sandow has been sin-binned for asking a referee how much he was getting paid as controversy overshadowed the Eels' heavy loss to the Storm.

New implant is a real eye-opener

READING glasses could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new eye implant that can cure long-sightedness in minutes.

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20.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

GG visits Ord irrigation scheme

Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove has toured the Ord irrigation scheme near Kununurra. Source: AAP

GOVERNOR-GENERAL Sir Peter Cosgrove is hoping to shine a light on economic opportunities in agriculture and progress being made on indigenous issues during a tour of northern Australia.

SIR Peter said the second phase of the Ord irrigation scheme near Kununurra was beginning to come to fruition, largely due to Chinese investment.

"It's now possible to see, not just its future potential, but its present importance," he told reporters after a tour of the Ord Stage Two Development on Sunday."I hope that all the negotiations for the Ord River project phase two can continue and we can see waving fields of sugar, sorghum and other crops in this beautifully irrigated part of Australia."He said the area around Kununurra in north Western Australia could produce life saving food for international markets.Sir Peter is half way through a five day tour of the Northern Territory and north Western Australia, taking in the towns of Katherine, Kununurra and Wyndham as well as remote areas."I shine a light. I turn up to places where there is wonderful endeavour and it may not necessarily be solely economic, it might be more on social development or amenity for younger Australians," he said."Or it might be to watch indigenous Australians who, whilst acknowledging that there is a gap to be closed, are working hard with specific programs to enhance indigenous health and to extend life expectation, to reduce infant illnesses and keep kids in school."After planting a tree with Girl Guides and chatting to volunteers on Sunday morning he said regional communities such as Kununurra had a strong volunteering spirit."What I like about rural and regional Australia, the more remote in some ways the better, is you'll see the strength and interaction of communities," he said."In towns in rural and regional Australia you see the interaction up close."Sir Peter, also visited the Kimberley squadron of the Australian army's Norforce reserve unit."I've got a special place, I always will have a special place in my heart for people who put their country's uniform on. Military, navy, army and airforce, but police, SES, anybody who provides a sense of service before self who takes on burdens that are inconvenient and stressful and sometimes hazardous to help other people."However, Sir Peter, who was commander of defence forces when Australia deployed troops to Iraq 11 years ago, declined to comment on how he felt about a fresh batch of troops being sent to Baghdad."On those sort of issues which are contemporary I would say that's a matter for the government."Defence has sent a small unit of Australian Defence Force personnel to Baghdad to bolster security at the Australian embassy.In coming days Sir Peter will visit the TFS Sandalwood plantations, indigenous groups, schools and attend a football training session at the Clontarf Foundation, of which he is patron.

20.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Perth Zoo orangutan has Kidman fetish

Perth Zoo's alpha male orangutan reportedly has a fetish for actress Nicole Kidman. Source: AAP

PERTH Zoo's alpha male orangutan has a fetish for redheads - and he doesn't draw the line at his own species.

HSING Hsing, who celebrated his 39th birthday on Saturday, has a harem of in-house girlfriends but his roving eye means he is always on the lookout for attractive flame-haired females among the humans who come to see him.

Not only have keepers noticed he stares at such visitors, he's also ripped out pictures of Nicole Kidman from magazines put in his enclosure.Usually, the orangutans toss the paper around but Hsing Hsing pulls out photos of the Hollywood superstar to keep.Primate supervisor Holly Thompson says it's a case of "close enough" when the 95kg diabetic ape sees redheads like Kidman, who share 97 per cent of his DNA."He's definitely interested - it's amazing," Ms Thompson told AAP."He understands that he's attracted to a lovely redhead female orangutan and then he sees a lovely redhead in a magazine and goes, 'oh yeah, close enough - Nicole Kidman, I'm going to rip that page out and put it to one side'."Hsing Hsing demonstrates other behaviours rarely seen in orangutans. He'll share his food with his best friend Utama, a 35-year-old female orangutan with whom he has a purely platonic relationship.Ms Thompson said the sharing was touching as orangutans are highly food-motivated."Because he's a diabetic, we need to know what food he's having. If he misses some, we supplement it with some more, and so Utama knows how to work him."Ms Thompson, who has travelled to Indonesia to witness the destruction of orangutan habitat for palm oil, rubber and acacia plantations, says the plight of the orangutans is probably worse than imagined.While surveys of their night nests suggest as few as 6000 remain in the wild, orangutans often build several nests each day so these numbers may be inflated, she said.

20.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hendra virus kills NSW horse

Hendra virus has killed a horse in northern NSW, causing authorities to quarantine a property. Source: AAP

HENDRA virus has killed a horse in northern NSW, causing authorities to quarantine a property as they run tests on its stablemates and the five people who handled the animal.

IT'S the first case of Hendra discovered in NSW this year.

"The 31-year-old stockhorse gelding died overnight on Thursday after being found in a dam earlier that day and receiving treatment from a private veterinarian for very low body temperature," NSW deputy chief vet Therese Wright said in a statement."Three people who handled the horse plus the veterinarian and an assistant are being assessed and monitored by NSW Health."In recent weeks no horses have moved off the property, west of Murwillumbah, and there are no dogs or cats about, Ms Wright added.The paddock where the horse was kept "has regular flying fox activity," she said.Horses are believed to contract the Hendra virus from feed contaminated by urine, saliva or birthing fluids from flying foxes."Do not place feed and water under trees and cover feed and water containers with a shelter so they cannot be contaminated from above," Ms Wright said.Hendra virus was found in four horses and a dog across four separate mid-north coast properties last year."Winter is the season when horses have been infected with Hendra in NSW in the past so now is the time to get a vaccine booster for your horse," Ms Wright said.In Queensland four people have been killed by Hendra virus since 1994.And in December councils across the state were given permission to trim trees and use smoke, lights and loud noises to drive flying fox colonies away from urban areas without needing a permit."If a horse becomes sick, owners should contact their veterinarian immediately," Ms Wright warned.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Royals defend apartment spending

Renovations of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's apartment will cost UK taxpayers STG4 million. Source: AAP

THE British royal family has defended spending a seven-figure sum refurbishing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Kensington Palace apartment.

THE taxpayer will foot the bill for extensive work on the property, including installing a new roof, overhauling the electrics and carrying out significant plumbing works.

A royal spokesman said repairs and refurbishments - reported to cost in the region of STG4 million ($A7.30 million), though this figure was not confirmed by the royal household - would also see a "significant amount of internal building" to "return the residence to function as a living space".William and Kate's Kensington Palace apartment was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and was the home of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Margaret remained there after their divorce and lived there until her death in 2002.The living space was last refurbished in 1963."This is the Duke and Duchess's one and only official residence. It is here that they plan to stay for many, many years to come," a royal spokesman said."We also had to take into account the fact that Kensington Palace is a scheduled ancient monument, and all elements of the refurbishment had to be agreed with English Heritage. Often this meant ensuring a high standard of work in line with the historical significance of the Christopher Wren building."He said William and Kate "paid privately" for all the internal furnishings, including carpets and curtains. They were also at pains to ensure that the specification is not extravagant."As with any other part of the estate, it was the royal household (TRH) who were responsible for the refurbishment of the residence - where they could in the course of the procurement process, TRH helped to bear down on cost," he added."The household oversaw the planning, tendering and project management of the refurbishment and were responsible for the budget and spend."

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

SUV carrying rapper ScHoolboy Q fired on

Last updated: June 22, 2014

A GUNMAN with a rifle fired on an SUV carrying rapper ScHoolboy Q after a concert at the popular Red Rocks outdoor amphitheatre near Denver but he wasn't hurt.

Baden-Clays marriage trouble

A PSYCHIATRIST has given insight into the deterioration of the Baden-Clay marriage - including Allison's conflicting fears of being separated from Gerard and being dependent on him. LIVE UPDATES

The other Cannes festival

WE ALL know about the Cannes Film Festival with the beautiful movie stars and prestigious awards. But did you know there's a whole other Cannes festival?

Scoreless for three weeks straight

CRONULLA have been held scoreless for their third straight week after a suffering 26 point loss at the hands of Manly.

South Melbourne pub ahead of its time

REVIEW: O'CONNELL'S calls itself "the original gastronomic pub". I'm not able to verify the accuracy of that, but one thing's for sure: this is a corner hotel that sets the bar very high.

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20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA Police charge former hostel warden

CHILD abuse squad detectives have charged a 69-year-old West Australian man, who is currently in prison, with two additional charges relating to historic child sex offences.

POLICE allege the offences occurred between 1975 and 1988 when the offender was a warden at a regional WA hostel.

He is expected to appear in the Katanning Magistrates Court on July 15.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thai govt to mediate in Aussie's case

Last updated: June 21, 2014

THAILAND'S foreign ministry is pressing for a mediated settlement in a bid to end a legal conflict between the Royal Thai Navy and an Australian journalist who faces a possible lengthy jail term over defamation charges.

Palmer sues Seeney for $1.1m

CLIVE Palmer has sued Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney for $1.1 million, saying he was defamed in a recent television interview and has "suffered hurt and embarrassment".

Man exposes himself to teen girl

POLICE are on the hunt for a man who exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl before grabbing her by the shoulder on the Gold Coast..

Baby in HIV test after breast milk mix-up

A THREE-week-old baby is undergoing tests for HIV after being given breast milk from the wrong mother in a southeast Queensland hospital.

Cop facing drug charges

A SENIOR constable has resigned after being charged with drug offences while a second constable was suspended over a separate incident.

Rudd hired ex-Obama staffers

FORMER Prime Minister Kevin Rudd flew in ex-Obama campaign staffers hoping they would boost his 2013 election bid.

Palmer sues Seeney for $1.1m

CLIVE Palmer has sued Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney for $1.1 million, saying he was defamed in a recent television interview and has "suffered hurt and embarrassment".

Chobani yogurt 'not Greek' — lawsuit

CHOBANI Greek yogurt is taken to court in New York with plaintiffs claiming "there is nothing Greek about the products" and that they are unhealthy.

Bulldogs too strong for struggling Raiders

ON a cold night in Canberra the Bulldogs turned up the heat on Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, running out 22-14 winners in the capital.

South Melbourne pub ahead of its time

REVIEW: O'CONNELL'S calls itself "the original gastronomic pub". I'm not able to verify the accuracy of that, but one thing's for sure: this is a corner hotel that sets the bar very high.

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20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM not concerned about ministers' safety

PM Tony Abbott says he's not concerned about the safety of his ministers during public protests. Source: AAP

THE government isn't concerned about the safety of its members, despite reports four ministers have had their security detail beefed-up, the prime minister says.

"VERY, very occasionally" some security would be required, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday, adding that people had the right to express their views and protest.

"Very, very rarely there are protests, occasionally those protests get ugly," he told reporters in Sydney.His comments come as Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was targeted by feisty protesters as she opened the C20 conference at the University of Melbourne on Friday morning."It shouldn't happen, I don't think it is a very Australian thing to do, to try prevent someone from speaking, to prevent someone from visiting some place where their duty calls them," Mr Abbott said.Protests, he said, should always be conducted in a "fair and respectful manner"."But it seems a few people did go over the top," he said, after a man was arrested for lunging at the car that Ms Bishop was travelling in.Treasurer Joe Hockey, Ms Bishop, Education Minister Christopher Pyne and Assistant Defence Minister Stuart Robert have been assigned extra protection from the Australian Federal Police, Fairfax reports.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labor, coalition fight for rural affection

IF you believe Labor, they are the party for farmers and rural Australia.

IF you believe the government, that's a complete joke.

Parliament took a country tone on Thursday when Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon brought on debate about the budget's impact on regional Australia.He was concerned about the fuel excise hike's impact on rural residents, which he says will go down as the Abbott government's "worst broken promise".Mr Fitzgibbon is behind Labor's new "country caucus" made up of regional MPs and senators who will influence party policy on rural issues.Labor has long been a champion of the bush, given it was partly born out of the shearing sheds of rural Queensland, Mr Fitzgibbon told AAP."Country Labor has been successful in NSW and it can be successful nationally," he said in a statement.But the coalition is having none of that.Liberal MP Dan Tehan derided Mr Fitzgibbon's topic for debate, given it came just after its country caucus was publicly announced."That's why we have this (debate) here today," he said."What an absolute joke."Mr Tehan said the country caucus came too late."You all should be ashamed of yourself, starting in the year 2014 a regional caucus and coming in here telling us who should stand up for regional and rural Australia."Nationals deputy leader Barnaby Joyce joined in the derision.If there was a friend for regional Australia, it was clear which side of the chamber they would find them in, he said.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ferry fraudster Smith 'had no choice'

A FORMER Sydney Ferries boss who racked up more than $200,000 on the company credit card says he felt he had no choice because he couldn't tell his emotionally fragile wife how desperate the family's financial situation had become.

FORMER naval admiral Geoffrey Smith on Thursday told his sentencing hearing he was hired to help turn the troubled transport company around in August 2006.

By early 2009, allegations of rorting had surfaced and he was brought up before the corruption watchdog.He has now pleaded guilty to one charge of cheating or defrauding the company he directed.Smith said two fatal crashes on Sydney Harbour in 2007 ushered in a five-month inquiry and intense scrutiny.On the home front, his wife - who had previously been hospitalised and subjected to electroconvulsive therapy in a battle with depression - was diagnosed with cancer."I'm deeply ashamed," Smith told the Sydney District Court."I've let down a lot of people and I've done something contrary to all the values I've lived my whole life."He said he always intended to reimburse Sydney Ferries for his personal expenses, and with a crippling monthly mortgage of $11,000 and medical bills stacking up, Smith says he knew he needed to sell his home in leafy northern Sydney.But he couldn't tell his wife.They'd been married for 26 of his navy years and moved 32 times."She never asked for anything except that when the time came for me to retire we would buy a house and settle down and have a semi-normal life," Smith said."I was intensely worried that if I spoke to her about selling the house it would have a profound impact on her."When he eventually spoke to his wife about the "parlous" state of the family books, the global financial crisis was in full swing, and the house's value had dropped from an estimated $2.2 million to $1.86m - too little to settle Smith's debts.But Crown prosecutor Sara Bowers said Smith was spending Sydney Ferries' money on extravagances including a family trip to New Zealand, jewellery, a new swimming pool and two BMWs, including one for his "bedridden" wife."Not the necessities of life, are they," she said."I didn't think I had a choice," Smith said.Smith says he still wants to pay the missing money back using earnings from his retail job at hardware chain Bunnings and his superannuation.Judge Michael Finnane has indicated he intends to sentence Smith to two years, but that this may be served in the community under an intensive correction order, rather than in jail.The hearing resumes in August.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Psychiatric drugs soar among Aussie kids

Last updated: June 20, 2014

THE use of powerful psychiatric drugs is soaring among Australian children as young as 10, research shows.

Hodkinson call buried a dynasty

DESPITE owning the try that ended eight years of Origin heartache halfback Hodkinson was not meant to receive the ball that led to his stirring solo run.

No straights here — just gays

A GATED housing community built solely for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people is being proposed for a European city.

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20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indian students charged over PM in mag

Last updated: June 17, 2014

NINE students at a southern Indian college have been arrested for using "objectionable and unsavoury language" about Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a crossword puzzle in their college magazine, according to news reports.

Who's the hottie with Warnie?

IT seems everyone has seen the pictures of Shane Warne stepping out with a mystery brunette in London, including his rumoured flame Emily Scott.

Carmody the 'right man for job': Ministers

NEWMAN Government ministers have pledged support for Queensland's new Chief Justice and Attorney-General as legal fraternity continues to call for their heads.

Wrong country! World Cup travel fail

A YOUNG couple who saved money to attend the World Cup in Brazil have been left devastated after a travel agent flew them to the wrong country.

Pockets of luxury in leisurely Logan

LOGAN is well known for cheap and cheerful properties but the city also has its share of millionaires' enclaves.

Miner ignored standards

A COMPANY with a history of environmental breaches is expected to receive approval within days for an $8 billion mine in central Queensland.

Gallen reveals ASADA baby anguish

THE ASADA scandal prevented Paul Gallen and his wife from having another child, he has unveiled in his most revealing interview yet.

Don't ever microwave these things

THE microwave has been around for quite some time, but it is still a mystery to many of us. Here are 11 things that should never go into one.

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20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

More care for lost phone than lost super

A survey has found Australians care more about a lost phone than tracking their missing super. Source: AAP

LOST superannuation? Whatever.

A Westpac survey shows 48 per cent of working-age Australians would do "everything they could" to find their lost mobile phone but just a third would be as vigilant about tracking down $2,500 of their missing super.Westpac retail banking general manager Gai McGrath said the figures reveal widespread apathy about superannuation."For someone in their twenties, $2,500 in super today could amount to more than $22,000 by the time they retire," she said."When you put it in these terms, you start to realise how much of an impact this money can have on your financial future."Ms McGrath said superannuation funds are usually lost as a result of moving to a different fund when a person changes jobs.The report showed more evidence of super apathy with 31 per cent of people saying they would prefer to find $200 in cash than $2,000 in lost superannuation.Nine out of 10 of those surveyed do not know whether they have any superannuation.Tracking down lost super is as easy as going to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) superseeker website and entering your name and tax file number."With $18.2 billion in six million lost and ATO-held super accounts across the country, we have heard amazing stories of people finding tens of thousands of dollars," Ms McGrath said."If the average mobile phone costs around $600 and the average lost super account is more than $2,000, you can see that it makes sense to put as much effort into finding your lost super as you would a lost phone."

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Anger in UK over Blair comments on Iraq

FORMER prime minister Tony Blair has faced derision across the British political spectrum after he said the 2003 invasion of Iraq was not linked to the current unrest in the country.

BLAIR, now a Middle East peace envoy, had "finally gone mad," Boris Johnson, the Conservative mayor of London, wrote in his regular Daily Telegraph column.

An essay on the Iraq crisis published at the weekend by Blair was "unhinged in its refusal to face facts" and made up of a "chain of bonkers assertions," Johnson said on Monday.Blair, a Labour politician, led Britain into the Iraq war alongside former US president George W Bush, justifying it with the mistaken assertion that the late dictator Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction."The Iraq war was a tragic mistake, and by refusing to accept this, Blair is now undermining the very cause he advocates - the possibility of serious and effective intervention," Johnson wrote.Lord Prescott, who was Blair's deputy prime minister, also attacked his former boss, telling Sky News that intervention in Iraq took the West "back to the Crusades" of the medieval period."I don't agree with Tony as I didn't then," he said, adding that Blair's essay confirmed that the 2003 invasion had always been about "regime change".Christopher Meyer, Britain's ambassador to Washington from 1997 to 2003, also criticised Blair, writing in the Mail on Sunday that the decision to invade Iraq was "perhaps the most significant" cause of the current violence.In an essay published on his website Saturday, Blair argued that Britain was not responsible for the current unrest in Iraq: "We have to liberate ourselves from the notion that 'we' have caused this. We haven't." It was "bizarre" to argue that "but for the removal of Saddam, we would not have a crisis," he said."The fundamental cause of the crisis lies within the region not outside it," he wrote."The problems of the Middle East are the product of bad systems of politics mixed with a bad abuse of religion going back over a long time."Blair also repeated his arguments during television interviews and urged the West to intervene, saying that otherwise, it faced future terrorist attacks from extremist Muslim groups."Every time we put off action, the action we will be forced to take will ultimately be greater," he wrote.

20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kiska inaugurated as Slovakia president

Last updated: June 16, 2014

POLITICAL newcomer Andrej Kiska has been inaugurated as Slovakia's new president.

Gallop defends Cahill's cheat claims

FFA CEO David Gallop insists Tim Cahill had every right to make allegations of cheating by Chilean players during Australia's 3-1 loss.

Did Lena Headey spoil GoT finale?

THE season finale of Game of Thrones draws near and rumours swirl about "the finest hour" of TV. But is Lena Headey responsible for the biggest spoiler yet?

The Hunt is on as Blues target Ben

NSW PLAYERS are salivating at the prospect of Queensland gambling on Ben Hunt at halfback in a desperate bid to save the Origin series.

Strewth! Aussie lingo is dying off

THIS will make you as mad as a cut snake. Experts say as Australia becomes more global, successful and cosmopolitan, our unique expressions are dying off.

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20.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Afghan bomb kills 11 amid vote fraud claim

Afghans have braved threats of violence and searing heat to vote in the presidential elections. Source: AAP

A ROADSIDE bomb killed 11 people including five election workers in northern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday, as a prolonged vote count began after the presidential run-off election.

ELECTION officials were sifting through fraud complaints from both candidates, and analysts said the lengthy count could be the trickiest phase in the country's first democratic transfer of power.

More than 50 people were killed on polling day Saturday by militant attacks, including the 11 whose bus was hit by a roadside bomb in Samangan province and five members of one family who died when a Taliban rocket hit a house near a polling station.Eleven voters in the western province of Herat had their fingers - which were dipped in ink to register their ballot - cut off by insurgents, Deputy Interior Minister Ayoub Salangi said.But despite the Taliban attacks, Saturday's election drew a high turnout of about seven million voters in a contest between former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani.The White House praised voters' courage and called the elections "a significant step forward on Afghanistan's democratic path".The US, along with the UN, also urged the two candidates not to trade unproven fraud allegations, but both Abdullah and Ghani raised the issue immediately after polls closed."It is win or lose now," said Kate Clark, director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network."The voting is only one phase of the election, and there is still a lot that could change. Being a good loser doesn't gain you much here."If it is close and fraud looks to have been a lot, and either candidate wants to really make a fuss, then we could be in for months of wrangling."The 2009 election, when outgoing President Hamid Karzai retained power, was marred by massive fraud that shook the US-led international effort to develop Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.A credible election and smooth handover of power would be a major achievement for Afghanistan's backers after 13 years of hugely costly military and civilian assistance.All foreign combat troops are due to withdraw by the end of this year."Allegations of fraud need to be addressed," US ambassador James Cunningham said after polls closed on Saturday."But the candidates and their supporters should refrain from premature judgments and from criticism that is not supported with clear evidence."The preliminary result is due on July 2, before the complaints period begins, and the final result is scheduled for July 22."We have urged the candidates to act as statesmen, future presidents, rather than people simply in a competition with each other," said Nicholas Haysom, the deputy chief of the UN mission.Reflecting international fears of a contested result, he said candidates must "exercise patience" as the count got underway.The Electoral Complaints Commission said it had registered about 275 complaints by Sunday morning."There were violation cases where the supporters of the presidential candidates forced voters to vote for a certain candidate," said spokesman Mohammad Nader Mohsini."Supporters were also offering money for voters to vote for a certain candidate."He said allegations had also been raised of interference by election officials and the security forces.

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Nicole Kidman for top Shanghai honour

Nicole Kidman is to be honoured at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China. Source: AAP

NICOLE Kidman is to be honoured with an outstanding contribution award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China.

HUGH Grant and John Woo will present the Australian actress with her latest accolade at the opening ceremony on Saturday, while artist Qin Yi will honour actor and director Jiang Wen with the Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Film Award.

Kidman will be hoping the festival will be a better experience than her visit to Cannes last month, when her new film Grace of Monaco was savaged by critics.Kirsten Dunst, John Cusack, Hayden Christensen, Jackie Chan, Tony Leung, Li Bingbing and Korean superstar Rain are expected to attend the opening gala, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The film festival will open with a restored version of 1964 movie Two Stage Sisters and close with Transformers: Age of Extinction.A jury led by actress Gong Li will decide the winner of the Golden Goblet from the 15 films in competition.

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