Bikie boss sent back to jail

The head of the Comanchero bikie gang has been charged for allegedly breaching parole. Source: AAP

THE head of the Comanchero bikie gang has been sent back to jail after being charged by Sydney police for allegedly breaching parole.

Officers arrested the 29-year-old at Coogee in Sydney's east on Friday.

Media reports have named the man as Mark Buddle, the Comanchero's national president.

A police spokesman was unable to confirm this, but he did say "the man is a senior member of the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle club".

After police charged Buddle by virtue of a warrant he was given to Corrective Services NSW, who took him to jail.

"If you're done for breach of parole you have to go back to jail and serve your time," the spokesman told AAP.

Police wouldn't say how Buddle had breached his parole.

Earlier this year, Buddle was granted parole after serving about five months for his part in a large pub brawl at Clovelly last September.

Three bikie clubhouses have also been shut down this week following raids across the city.

On Wednesday the Comanchero clubhouse at Turrella, in Sydney's south, was searched. Officers seized alcohol, documentation and all bikie paraphernalia.

Hells Angels' clubhouses at Annandale and Haymarket were closed by police the next day.

Evidence was uncovered of alcohol being illegally sold at each clubhouse but no arrests were made.

And despite the efforts of police, shootings are still occurring regularly in Sydney.

Teenage bikie associate Bassil Hijazi was murdered in Sydney's southwest in one of three targeted shootings in last week.

Vasko Boskovski, who was known to police, died in hospital early on Tuesday after he was shot near his Earlwood home.

Shots were also fired at an Eagle Vale home about midnight last Friday.

Detective Superintendent Mal Lanyon on Friday denied police are fighting a losing battle against Sydney's bikie gangs.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man dead in NSW north coast crash

A man has died after losing control of his car on the NSW north coast. Source: AAP

A MAN has died after losing control of his car on the NSW north coast.

The man's Honda was travelling south on the Pacific Highway at Mororo, near Iluka, when it drove into a drain and rolled a number of times about 11.40am (AEST) on Saturday, police say.

The man, aged in his 70s, died at the scene while his elderly female passenger was trapped inside the vehicle.

The highway was closed to allow a helicopter to land and fly the woman to hospital for treatment of leg and hip injuries.

Motorists were advised to avoid the Pacific Highway between Grafton and Ballina and consider using Summerland Way and the Bruxner Highway as alternate routes.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sept 7 in doubt as Rudd has things to do

Speculation is growing that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is looking to approve a September 7 election. Source: AAP

KEVIN Rudd says he has "made no determination whatsoever" on when the federal election will be held, throwing doubt on the likelihood of a September 7 election.

The prime minister also told reporters on Saturday he wanted to attend a G20 summit just days before what had been considered the favoured poll date, raising the prospect the election could be pushed out to at least September 21.

Speculation had been building that Mr Rudd was planning to visit the governor-general on Sunday or Monday to seek approval for a September 7 election.

But Mr Rudd said the government had yet to conclude negotiations with Victoria over schools funding, with Western Australia on disability care, and with NSW over new environmental assessment procedures.

"We have a few things to attend to yet," he said after signing a new asylum-seeker resettlement agreement with Nauru on Saturday.

"So therefore on your question (about September 7), I've made no determination whatsoever in terms of the date of an election."

Whether Mr Rudd would attend the upcoming G20 leaders summit had also been a source of constant speculation, as the St Petersburg meeting is being held on September 5 and 6.

Mr Rudd confirmed it was "my intention to be in St Petersburg".

"But I'm very mindful also of the challenges that lie ahead of us as well," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"I place enormous priority to the G20 and its agenda.

"At the same time I will always balance that against other considerations before us as well."

If Mr Rudd does still decide on a September 7 election, it will need to be called by Monday to cover the minimum 33-day campaign period.

With September 14 all but ruled out because it had been chosen by his predecessor Julia Gillard, a September 21 election would be the next possible date.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott declared his team ready for the campaign.

"We've been ready for a long time," Mr Abbott told reporters in Melbourne, when asked about a September 7 election.

"I think the Australian people are eager to seize the chance to control the government once more.

"This election is a choice between strength and stability under the coalition, or more chaos, division and dysfunction under the Labor party."

Speculation over the election date came a day after the government's economic update, which predicted weaker economic growth, growing unemployment and more government debt, as well as a $33.3 billion writedown in revenues.

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said he expected the prime minister to "run to the polls in the next two days".

"Because the boats keep coming, the debt is blowing out by $3 billion a week and unemployment continues to rise, heading towards 800,000," he told reporters in Sydney.

"If I were Kevin Rudd I would be going to the polls as soon as possible."

But foreshadowing how central the economy will again be during the campaign, Finance Minister Penny Wong released government analysis which, she said, uncovered a $70 billion hole in the coalition's fiscal credentials.

"The government has laid out our plans and our budget," Senator Wong told reporters in Melbourne.

"It's time Tony Abbott did, because what this document shows against what Tony Abbott has said is that he would have to make $70 billion worth of cuts."

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Housing muscling up to fill mining vacuum

New data has revealed that house prices have continued to climb with record low interest rates. Source: AAP

THE housing sector is looking increasingly like the industry that is going to replace the vacuum left by a fading mining investment boom.

New data shows house prices have continued to climb with record low interest rates, while new homes sales have grown for four consecutive months.

In contrast, another report showed manufacturing stumbling in July, to record its 25th month in contraction.

"The housing sector is the sector most likely to take the baton from mining and drive the economy forward over the coming year," Commonwealth Securities chief economist Craig James said in a note to clients.

The federal government and the central bank are concerned the transition from the mining sector to non-resource economic activity is unlikely to be seamless.

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens said this week that a stronger trend in non-resources business investment looks like it is a while off yet.

He indicated the central bank will need to cut the cash rate again, a reduction financial markets are heavily predicting to occur at next Tuesday's monthly board meeting.

Mr James believes if the housing recovery broadens, this could very well be the last reduction.

The RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Australian Home Value index of capital city home prices rose by 1.6 per cent in July, to be 4.9 per cent higher than a year earlier.

At the same time, the Housing Industry Association (HIA) said new home sales rose 3.4 per cent in June.

Additionally, the Genworth homebuyer confidence index soared from a record low of 93.4 points in March to 100.1 at the end of July, the highest level since it was first calculated in 2007.

However, conditions in manufacturing are far less rosy.

The Australian Industry Group's performance of manufacturing index fell 7.6 points in July to 42.0, remaining firmly below the 50-mark that separates contraction from expansion.

"While the fall in the Australian dollar and the May interest rate cut have been extremely welcome, they have not yet been enough to turn around a very challenging business environment," the group's chief executive Innes Willox said.

Meanwhile, there was a mild positive for the federal government as Treasurer Chris Bowen puts together an economic statement with the nation's terms of trade stabilising in the June quarter after a general rapid decline over the past two years.

Official data showed both export and import prices eased 0.3 per cent in the June quarter.

"This is a mild near term positive for nominal GDP growth," National Australia Bank senior economist David de Garis said.

Nominal GDP provides a gauge to company profits, and in turn government tax revenue.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Taiwan hit by rabies outbreak after 50 yrs

TAIWAN has ordered tens of thousands of vaccine doses to protect people against the island's first rabies outbreak in more than 50 years.

Health officials have struggled to contain the Taiwan outbreak since July 17, when a ferret badger in the southern part of the island was confirmed as rabid.

Since then, 17 more ferret badger cases have been confirmed, and the case of a rabid Asian house shrew reported on Wednesday indicates the disease is jumping species. No humans or dogs have yet been involved in the outbreak.

Health Minister Chiu-Wen-ta says the new human vaccine doses are expected to arrive on Friday and will supplement about 3000 in stock.

Health workers have been vaccinating animals throughout Taiwan to try to control the outbreak. The island has some 40,000 animal-use dosages in stock, with an additional half million expected by August 20.

At a government animal protection facility in the Taipei suburb of Xindian, dozens of anxious dog owners lined up to have their pets inoculated. The animals ranged from well-coiffed poodles and French bulldogs to street mongrels, their mouths covered with muzzles.

Before last month, Taiwan's last reported rabies case was in 1959. A dog bit a farmer, whose wife became infected after washing the farmer's rabies-tainted clothing; the farmer himself did not contract the disease.

Now, the only jurisdictions that world health officials consider rabies-free are Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Fiji, Hawaii, and Guam.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Customs welcome Siev 358 inquest findings

AUSTRALIAN Customs chiefs say they will improve their "information sharing" after being criticised by the coroner investigating the sinking of an asylum seeker boat with the loss of 102 lives.

On Wednesday, retiring West Australian Coroner Alastair Hope handed down his findings into the sinking of the Siev 358, a rickety wooden fishing vessel overloaded with 212 passengers and crew when it flipped between Indonesia and Christmas Island on June 21 last year.

Deeming the tragedy a terrible accident, Mr Hope recommended Australian and Indonesian authorities work more closely to improve communication during search and rescue responses.

He was also critical of Customs and Border Protection for failing to hand over classified material, including its internal report into the incident, to a separate WA Police investigation.

Michael Pezzullo, Customs' chief executive, said while there had been no attempt to keep the report secret, he admitted it was "incumbent on agencies to ensure ... fluid communication".

"(Customs) has already taken steps to ensure its responsibilities and obligations in relation to such incidents are managed appropriately in future," Mr Pezzullo said.

"All agencies, federal or otherwise should recognise the importance of information sharing and providing appropriate materials when able to do so."

Mr Pezzullo said Mr Hope had found the rescue efforts on three merchant vessels and HMAS Wollongong and HMAS Larrakia, were outstanding.

"It's dangerous and difficult work, and time and time again, our personnel demonstrate a high degree of professionalism, commitment and resilience in their work," Mr Pezzullo said.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Almost 1500 bound for PNG

CLOSE to 1500 asylum seekers have arrived aboard 18 boats since the Rudd government announced its tough new border policy to resettle them in Papua New Guinea.

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare detailed the latest boat arrival on Wednesday.

HMAS Maryborough helped 102 passengers and two crew members aboard a suspected asylum seeker boat north of Christmas Island on Tuesday.

They have been transferred to Christmas Island for health checks.

The federal government announced on July 19 plans to process asylum seekers and resettle refugees in Papua New Guinea.

A spokesman for Mr Clare confirmed that so far 1452 asylum seekers would be subject to the new arrangements.

The first group of asylum seekers was expected to arrive on Manus Island on Wednesday but that was delayed because of bad weather.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Immigration refused to provide further details on when the trip would be rescheduled.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Body of fourth South Korean climber found

JAPANESE police say they have retrieved the body of a fourth South Korean climber who died along with three compatriots after the group disappeared on a mountain range in central Japan.

The male victim's body was found by a creek near the 2728-metre Mount Hinokio in Nagano prefecture, a local police spokesman said.

Police found the bodies of three other South Koreans in the same area on Tuesday.

The four are believed to have died of hypothermia, Japanese media said, although police have yet to officially determine their cause of death.

They were part of a 20-member group of South Korean climbers, nine of whom went missing in bad weather. Five returned unharmed.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Find a safe haven,' father tells Snowden

THE father of US fugitive Edward Snowden has reached out to his son on Russia's national television, telling him he does not mind if the intelligence leaker stays in Russia as long as he is safe.

"Edward, I hope you are watching this. Your family is well. We love you. We hope you are healthy, we hope you are well, I hope to see you soon, but most of all I want you to be safe. I want you to find a safe haven," Lon Snowden said in an interview broadcast on Rossiya24 channel on Wednesday.

Edward Snowden has been holed up in Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow since June 23, when he flew in from Hong Kong after leaking information about US surveillance programmes. He is currently awaiting a response to his request for temporary asylum in Russia.

The United States is pressing Russia to hand over the former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, whom Washington wants to put on trial.

In the interview dubbed into Russian, Lon Snowden said he hoped his son would return home one day.

But he said that events over the past few weeks suggested that there were no guarantees of a fair trial in the United States, and that he therefore agreed with his son's decision to remain in Russia.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thousands rally against PNG plan: Greens

THOUSANDS of people have gathered in Sydney to demand the Australian government scrap its Papua New Guinea plan about processing and resettling asylum seekers, the Greens say.

Up to 3,000 people congregated at Sydney Town Hall before marching along George Street on Sunday to protest the government's handling of asylum seekers, Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon said.

"The purpose of today ... was to send a clear message that what they (the government) is doing is wrong," she told AAP after the rally.

"It's also to enable people to come together. There is a lot of stress in the community about how our country is treating people."

Ms Rhiannon said one of the topics raised during the protest was concerns over the use of the security firm G4S to run the Manus Island facility.

Describing the company as an "unaccountable multi-national", she said there were concerns among the community that the frontline staff aren't trained to deal with the problems already experienced at the centre.

She pointed to G4S's failure to provide all of the 10,400 contracted guards for the 2012 Games, which forced the British government to step in with military personnel.

The rally comes as a Galaxy poll published by News Corp Australia on Sunday found people rated Prime Minister Kevin Rudd better than Opposition Leader Tony Abbott at handling the asylum seeker issue, 40 to 38 per cent.

Under the federal government's deal with PNG, people arriving by boat will be denied resettlement in Australia, taken to Manus Island for processing and and may be settled there if found to be genuine refugees.

The Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) will be holding another rally in Sydney's inner west next month.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bad ecstasy blamed for SA hospitalisations

A BAD batch of ecstasy has been blamed for several people in Adelaide being hospitalised.

A number of people were admitted to Royal Adelaide Hospital with overdose symptoms on Saturday night and another was taken to Lyell McEwin Hospital.

Almost all of the patients have been discharged.

Police have arrested a 21-year-old man from North Adelaide.

They will allege he was in possession of 33 ecstasy tablets and $900 cash at the time of his arrest.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Toxic liquor kills 18 at Pakistan parties

AT least 18 people died and about two dozen others suffered serious health issues after partygoers at two separate events consumed toxic drinks, officials say.

Victims were rushed to hospitals in the central Pakistani city of Faisalabad when they fell unconscious after drinking the alcohol at a birthday party and another gathering. Both of the events were held in private homes.

"The death toll from the two parties has reached 18. Around two dozen others are heavily affected by the toxic liquor and battling for consciousness," Javed Ahmed Khan, a senior police official, told AFP on Sunday.

"The incidents took place in Batala Colony. Five people were killed at a birthday party on Thursday and 13 others died in another get together in the same area on Friday," he said.

The public sale of alcohol is banned in conservative Islamic Pakistan and many people prepare cheap liquor at home.

Another police official said that most of the victims had died after they returned home.

"Most of the people have died at homes, while a few expired in hospitals," said Abid Zafar, head of the local police station.

15.21 | 0 komentar | Read More