Killer pilot suicidal, received psychotherapy

Andreas Lubitz, the young German co-pilot who authorities say locked himself in the cockpit of a Germanwings flight and flew it into the French Alps, trained in Arizona local media. Gavino Garay reports.

Andreas Lubitz takes part in the Airport Hamburg 10-mile run on September 13, 2009 in Hamburg, northern Germany. Source: AFP

GERMAN prosecutors say the co-pilot of the Germanwings passenger plane that crashed in the French Alps had received therapy for suicidal tendencies.

Dusseldorf prosecutors say that Andreas Lubitz received psychotherapy "with a note about suicidal tendencies" for several years before becoming a pilot.

"He was being treated by a psychotherapist for what is documented as being suicidal tendencies at that time," German state prosecutor Christoph Kumpa said.

He said there had also been several visits to doctors right up until the time of the crash but these did not involve suicidal tendencies.

No suicide note "or anything like that" was found in searches of Lubitz's German residences, Kumpa said.

"There was also nothing in his personal, family or professional background to provide any hints "about his motivation".

He also said that Lubitz had not been suffering from any "medical illness".

Prosecutors' spokesman Ralf Herrenbrueck said Monday that investigators have found no indication of a motive so far as to why Lubitz crashed the plane, nor any sign of a physical illness.

"We found no indications of co-pilot's motive for crashing Germanwings plane."

All 150 people on board died in the crash.

RELATED: AUSTRALIAN PILOTS UNHAPPY ABOUT 'RULE OF TWO'

RELATED: THE VICTIMS OF GERMANWINGS AIR DISASTER

RELATED: CO-PILOT 'WANTED TO DESTROY PLANE'

A general view of the University hospital were Andreas Lubitz, the Germanwings co-pilot who flew his Airbus into a French mountainside, was treated. Picture: Patrik Stollarz Source: AFP

Lubitz taking part in the Airport Hamburg 10-mile run on September 13, 2009 in Hamburg, northern Germany. Source: AFP

Co-pilot of Germanwings flight 4U9525 Andreas Lubitz participates in the Frankfurt City Half-Marathon on March 14, 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany. Source: Getty Images

Details are emerging about Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz who 'intentionally' crashed the plane.

European investigators have been focusing on the psychological state of the 27-year-old German co-pilot who prosecutors say deliberately flew Germanwings Flight 9525 into a mountain, a French police official said.

Returning from a meeting with his counterparts in Germany, judicial police investigator Jean-Pierre Michel told The Associated Press that authorities want to find out "what could have destabilised Andreas Lubitz or driven him to such an act".

Flight 9525 last week crashed into a French Alps mountain near Le Vernet en route from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany.

"To have carried out such an act, it's clearly psychological," Michel said.

A general view of the University hospital were Andreas Lubitz had been treated. Picture: Patrik Stollarz Source: AFP

Lubitz participates in the Airport Hamburg 10-mile race on September 13, 2009 in Hamburg, Germany. Source: Getty Images

A general view of the house where in one of the flats lived Andreas Lubitz. Picture: Patrik Stollarz Source: AFP

Authorities are trying to understand what made Lubitz lock his captain out of the cockpit and ignore his pleas to open the door before manually ordering the plane to descend on what should have been a routine flight. To that end, they are speaking with people who knew and worked with Lubitz — such as co-workers, his employer, his doctors.

At the remote mountain crash site itself, French authorities were building a road to facilitate access to the site.

In the south-eastern city of Marseille, Germanwings chief operating officer Oliver Wagner was meeting with victims' relatives. A total of 325 family members have come to France, he told reporters.

Rescue workers and gendarmerie continue their search operation near the site of the Germanwings plane crash on March 29, 2015 in Seyne les Alpes, France. Picture: Thomas Lohnes Source: Getty Images

Recovery teams in the French Alps have reportedly found the DNA of plane crash co-pilot Andreas Lubitz.

Screen grab of Andreas Lubitz in 2007 training to be a pilot Source: No Source

French officials have refused to comment on a report in Germany's Bild am Sontag on an alleged transcript of the cockpit voice recorder that had the captain shouting: "For God's sake, open the door!"

Brice Robin, a state prosecutor in the south-eastern French city of Marseille, has said none of the bodies recovered so far have been identified, denying German media reports that Lubitz's body had been found.

Tests on the body of the co-pilot may provide clues about any medical treatment he was receiving. German prosecutors said Friday that Lubitz was hiding an illness and sick notes from a doctor for the day of the crash from his employer.

Wagner recalled a meeting in Haltern, Germany, last week with the parents of 16 high school students who had died in the crash, saying it was "certainly the saddest day of my life."

"They asked 'Why our children?"' he said. "We don't understand what has happened and why it has happened."

An Investigator carries a box out of a residential house Dusseldorf, western Germany, on March 26, where co-pilot Andreas Lubitz lived. Picture: Federico Gambarini Source: AFP

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. There is also an anonymous online chat service available between 8pm and 4am AEST at Lifeline.org.au, or visit Beyond Blue's website.

For crisis assistance, call 000.

Keaten reported from Paris. Adam Pemble contributed from Le Vernet, France.

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Who is replacing Jon Stewart?

Funnyman ... Trevor Noah (pictured) will replace Jon Stewart as host of the Daily Show. Source: Supplied

SOUTH African comedian Trevor Noah has been named the new host of The Daily Show.

Noah, 31, will take over when current host Jon Stewart steps down after 12 years at the helm of the US satirical news program, the New York Times reports.

"You don't believe it for the first few hours," Noah told the newspaper from Dubai, describing receiving the news.

South African comedian Trevor Noah who is visiting for Just For Laughs Source: Supplied

"You need a stiff drink, and then unfortunately you're in a place where you can't really get alcohol."

Noah is a relative newcomer on the show, having appeared in only three segments since joining in December 2014. He beat out a list of possible replacements rumoured to have included Jason Jones, Samantha Bee, Tina Fey and Jessica Williams, according to various reports.

End of an era ... Jon Stewart is leaving the show after 12 years in the chair. Source: Supplied

"I'm thrilled for the show and for Trevor," Stewart said in a statement to the Times. "He's a tremendous comic and talent that we've loved working with."

He added that he "may rejoin as a correspondent just to be a part of it!!!"

Stewart, who announced his retirement in February, will leave The Daily Show sometime between July and the end of the year, Variety reports.

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘I need to see the crash site’

Grief stricken ... Carol Friday's brother and nieces make the emotional journey to the crash site. Picture: Ella Pellegrini Source: Supplied

Recovery teams in the French Alps have reportedly found the DNA of plane crash co-pilot Andreas Lubitz.

THEY suspect it may have been a murder but for the family of two Australian victims of Germanwings Flight 9525, it's a word that for now is hard to form as they come to terms with the enormity of their loss and grief.

Carol Friday's brother Malcolm Coram and his daughters Georgie and Pippa yesterday drove into the Alps and bade an emotional farewell at a site in the shadow of the mountain that claimed the lives of their loved ones.

"I had a need to come here I really did, I probably didn't think I really would but when you are faced with that disaster in your family … I dearly would love to visit it but this is the closest I can get, " an emotional Malcolm said yesterday after he lay a wreath at a granite memorial erected in the village of Le Vernet, the closest point the families of the victims can get to the hazardous site.

They hugged, cried and comforted each other and brought private messages and poems from family back home as well as a painting Carol had produced.

Tragic ... Carol had flown to Spain to celebrate her 68th birthday. Source: Supplied

With a backdrop of an Australian flag flapping in the Alpine breeze held high by the gendarmes, he uttered "I love you forever" over and over to his sister and nephew. Malcolm said Carole's husband Dave was too grief stricken to make the journey having lost half his family but they felt stricken too for the family of the co-pilot Andrea Lubitz who stands accused of the intentional murder of the 149 people on that flight.

Ambitious ... Greig had planned to stay in Europe to become an English teacher. Source: Supplied

"It's just a shock losing your family in one go, Dave lost half his family in one second, you feel sorry for the parents of the pilot. Wow how would you feel if your child did that?"

Malcolm said there was not yet conclusive proof as to the cause of the crash and he wants it that way for the moment as it "helps us".

"Just the enormity of it right now with the added emotion was too much for us at this stage," Georgie said.

"Maybe down the track we will be able to process the anger that comes up thinking that someone did this on purpose and then it's essentially murder but that is too much for our family at this stage."

Malcolm described his sister as the linchpin of the family and her son had inherited her traits as a compassionate loving person.

'Mass murderer' ... the co-pilot of Germanwings flight 4U9525 Andreas Lubitz takes part in the Airport Hamburg 10-mile run on September 13, 2009. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

He revealed his brothers back in Australia were still in denial.

"I now know the true meaning of the words grief stricken," he said.

It has been a long drawn journey, not just physically for the family flying from their home in Victoria via Germany, but also an emotional one that no one should go through. Bad enough to lose a loved one, made worse still with the knowledge they were innocents and it was at the hand of a troubled stranger.

Georgie said to know it as a mass murder as prosecutors in France and Germany now believe, has made the trip all the more difficult to bear.

Recovery ... rescue workers and gendarmerie continue their search operation near the site of the Germanwings plane crash. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Carol, who had worked as a nurse for 40 years, had celebrated her 68th birthday in Spain with her mechanical engineer son Greig who had been hoping to then stay on in Europe to become a teacher of English.

Malcolm read a message from Greig's partner at the site too.

Not even the overnight heavy rain could wash away the indelible stain co-pilot Andrea Lubitz's action, accused of crashing the aircraft killing all 150 on-board, has left on the families or the local community many of whom come out each day to share, at a distance, the misery of the families who have been coming to the site for the past week.

A mixed unit of Red Cross members from France, Spain and Germany were at the Le Vernet site to assist in the humanitarian support of relatives of the victims and village locals traumatised by what's happened.

Loss ... The victim's family read letters from friends and family back in Australia at the crash site. Picture: Ella Pellegrini Source: Supplied

"I think it is important particularly in these difficult moments, I think we just have to be together with the relatives and families, to kind of enhance the social network is very important for them," said Carlos Urkia, dispatched to the scene by Spain's Red Cross.

"Again in the same sense it is important for them to realise what really happened and where and this is why authorities have organised this visit to the site, just to see that behind this mountain their relatives are there, the accident was there so they can take a little bit of comfort the crash was near to be conscious of that and it helps to cope with the situation."

ends

Support team ... Carlos Urkia from Red Cross. Picture: Ella Pellegrini Source: News Corp Australia

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wax wants Pyne’s baby in space

Christopher Pyne and Ruby Wax joke on ABC's QANDA program about what life in space could look like.

COMEDIAN Ruby Wax has joked that she wants to have Education Minister Christopher Pyne's baby on ABC TV's Q&A.

When the discussion turned to a planet like Earth being discovered and needing to be populated, Wax joked: "We're going to have a child together".

Proud 'parents' ... Ruby Wax gives Christopher Pyne a hug at the end of Q&A. Picture: ABC TV Source: Supplied

When asked what they would name their offspring, Pyne referred to Wax.

"You are the comedian, you have to come up with the name," he said.

Her suggestion? "Mr Chatterbox".

Baby talk ... Christopher Pyne and Ruby Wax on Q&A. Picture: ABC TV Source: Supplied

Meantime, the Q&A panel weighed into the issue of mental illness, the Germanwings plane crash and Jeremy Clarkson's sacking from Top Gear.

Pyne and Wax were joined by Opposition's Penny Wong, musician Michael Franti and Nobel prize-winning astrophysicist Brain Schmidt.

Discussing the French Alps plane disaster, Pyne said: "Mental illness is not a laughing matter. We shouldn't be laughing about it".

"Mental illness is not rational. It is hard to describe how people react in these kind of situations," Pyne said.

"Obviously we have to get help to them as early as possible so they don't do something terrible like what's happened recently in France and every suicide bomber, of course, is a tragedy."

While Schmidt added: "(The Germanwings crash) was just so random. It's hard to understand."

Meanwhile, the discussion also turned to drug addiction and ice, with rock star Franti saying, "There's never a point where you've lost the battle with an addict".

Drug debate ... Michael Franti on the Q&A panel. Picture: ABC TV Source: Supplied

The panel also weighed into the tertiary education fee debate, with Wong taking a swipe at Pyne and the Abbott Government's university system, saying it "doesn't have accessibility and equity at its core".

Schmidt chimed in: "We need to change (uni fees). But we need a framework we can agree on."

When the chatter turned to mental illness, Wax, who has spoken publicly about her battle with depression, said there was still a stigma around it.

"Any other disease you can see but 2015 everyone thinks (depressions) an act of imagination".

On the topic of bullying, Wax said a lot of it came down to education. "Get teachers educated to deal with (bullying)," she said.

When Jeremy Clarkson's sacking from British TV show Top Gear was raised in a question from the audience, Wax — who has had a long career in TV and stand-up comedy — described fame and celebrity as an "illness".

"It comes down to there is an illness called fame," Wax said on Q&A.

"I knew Jeremy Clarkson when he was just a nice guy, if you infantilise people ... you are padded from reality.

"I'm not backing him up but that's in the brew. Don't go into television, don't try out for X Factor, that will happen to you."

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pies stars want ‘toxic’ meat probed

AFL: Collingwood says their Magpies involved in the latest banned substances drama are as shocked as the club itself

PIES stars Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas's lawyers will probe whether steak dinners at a New Zealand restaurant caused them to test positive to a banned drug.

That unlikely scenario, which even the club privately discounts, is one of the defences that would spare the duo from bans of up to four years and the sack from Collingwood.

The club on Monday announced Keeffe and Thomas had tested positive to muscle-boosting drug clenbuterol.

CONTROVERSY WON'T DERAIL SEASON, SAY PIES

BANNED DRUG HAS BROUGHT DOWN GLOBAL SPORTS STARS

BUCKS: JOSH THOMAS AND LACHIE KEEFFE 'AT A LOSS'

MAGPIES 'SHELL-SHOCKED' BY POSITIVE DRUG TEST

WHAT IS CLENBUTEROL?

Josh Thomas is tackled by Lachie Keeffe during a Collingwood training session last July. Picture: Robert Prezioso, Getty Images

The positive tests came days after they returned from a Queenstown training camp in early February.

As theories swirled around how the drug got into the players' systems, sources close to the pair told the Herald Sun an investigation would be launched into whether contaminated steak was to blame.

But the club on Monday night conceded the pair faced an almost impossible task of justifying why they tested positive, and it was sceptical about the steak explanation.

Keeffe and Thomas face maximum four-year bans if found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs, because on January 1 the AFL adopted a stricter WADA code.

The Pies would be forced to sack the former housemates, who roomed together in New Zealand, if long suspensions are confirmed.

The Pies bombshell comes ahead of Tuesday's AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal verdict regarding 34 Essendon players accused of using banned substances in 2012.

Sources close to the players have asserted that they ate out at several establishments during the camp, including steak on Friday, February 7, before being tested in Melbourne the following Monday.

AFL: 360 discuss the latest performance enhancing drugs scandal involving two Collingwood players

Champion Australian cyclist Michael Rogers escaped a ban last year after it was accepted tainted meat from a Chinese restaurant was the likely cause of a positive test for clenbuterol.

The drug has been found in meat products in China and Mexico.

Keeffe and Thomas, both out of contract at season's end, were told on Friday they had tested positive to the drug, which strips fat and builds muscle.

Both were said to be "shell-shocked" but had been unable to provide any explanation as to how the drug may have ­entered their system.

ASADA said clenbuterol was an anabolic agent prohibited in and out of competition.

Josh Thomas during a NAB Challenge AFL match against Carlton on March 15. Picture: Quinn Rooney, Getty Images

The club said an audit by integrity officer Robert Cockerill, a former AFP officer, found its dietary and nutrition program could not have been responsible for the positive tests.

The Herald Sun understands the pair will again face ASADA investigators on April 13 to plead their case, with their B samples being tested a day later.

But insiders claimed it would be "a miracle" if the B sample came up clear, which will set in chain an eventual AFL anti-doping tribunal verdict.

Any Anti-Doping Tribunal date before late May seems unlikely given Essendon and Fremantle's Ryan Crowley both have cases to hear first.

Monday's developments came as a war broke out between the Pies and the players' union, which was frustrated at Collingwood revealing details of the pair's breaches.

But the club was determined to be transparent in the week before its Round 1 clash against Brisbane.

The club's football manager, Neil Balme, said the players were devastated and he hoped there would be a "good outcome''.

Lachie Keeffe, and fellow Pie Josh Thomas, are at the centre of the AFL's latest drugs controversy.

It is understood the players have claimed they did not take any supplements sourced from outside the club, and did not consume spiked drinks.

The developing scandal

Late January/early February: Collingwood undertakes seven-day pre-season training camp in Queenstown, New Zealand.

February 10: ASADA collects standard out-of-competition samples from Lachlan Keeffe and Joshua Thomas, back in Melbourne.

March 6: ASADA launches probe after advice from a WADA-accredited laboratory on "A" samples, which both tested positive for banned substance clenbuterol.

Friday, March 27: Close friends Keeffe and Thomas are notified by ASADA of the test results and investigation. Collingwood launches an audit into its dietary and nutrition programs.

Monday, March 30: Coach Nathan Buckley breaks news to other players. Magpies announce the pair have begun serving provisional suspensions as probe continues. Club declares after "forensic" audit that positive tests cannot be linked to its programs.

Saturday, April 4: Pies to kick off season against Brisbane Lions.

April 14: Players' "B" samples due to be tested.

jon.ralph@news.com.au

Originally published as Pies stars want 'toxic' meat probed

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Can Samsung’s GS6 win back the fans?

Makeover ... Samsung unveils their best phone yet. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THIS is not the story of a minor makeover.

Samsung is not just giving its flagship Galaxy smartphone a new hat, removing its spectacles, letting down its hair, and adding make-up.

The technology giant has thoroughly overhauled what was once the world's best-selling handset, swapping plastic for metal and glass, utility for sophistication, and upgrading some of its biggest features, including its camera, fingerprint sensor, screen, and power.

Samsung has evidently thrown everything at this phone in an attempt to keep users, win back Apple iPhone swappers, and convince others to upgrade.

The result is slick enough to work ... if you can just overlook some compromises made in the transition.

Below is an early review of the phones Samsung wants you to call upon when they launch in Australia on April 10.

NEW LOOK

There's no getting around it. Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have had serious surgery.

Toughened glass replaces plastic on the front and back of the devices, framed by curved aluminium.

Its finishes are flawless, with no sharp edge or gap.

To emphasise its new appearance, Samsung has added metallic colouring behind the glass that changes colour in the light.

Sleek ... Samsung has created a sexy new shape for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

The result is striking and far more sophisticated than past efforts. Put this handset beside a Galaxy S5 and at least five years appear to have passed between them.

The S6 and S6 Edge are clearly their own phones that stay true to Samsung styling despite the overhaul. The Edge offers a unique 5.1-inch screen that curves over both sides, and somehow makes the phone feel significantly thinner and lighter than the 6g weight difference.

Screens on both phones offer an unprecedented resolution of 577 pixels per inch that looks sharp even under the closest inspection.

Despite this, there's no mistaking the Apple influence in these phones. The bottom edge of both S6 models share more than a passing resemblance to the base of the iPhone 6. The curved metal border appears to have snuck out of the iPhone factory when heads were turned.

This will not disadvantage users, of course, but might add urgency to its purchase, lest lawsuits start flying.

SHARP SHOOTER

On paper, this phone's main camera isn't remarkably different.

It retains a 16-megapixel resolution, sits in the same location, and is accompanied by an LED flash.

Why, then, are its photos so much better?

First, its lens is new. The GS6 now has an f1.9 lens that lets more light on to its image sensor and delivers greater image depth.

Second, Samsung has added a new Quick Launch shortcut for the camera. Double-click the Home button and the camera starts in 0.7 seconds, stopping the swipe-up fumble from the previous model.

Third, it steals more features from dedicated cameras. Optical image stabilisation features in this phone camera, as does object tracking, live High Dynamic Range (HDR) previews, and more manual settings that let users choose a focal range, a white balance, an ISO rating, and more.

These three additions deliver significantly better photos, even when compared to the Galaxy Note 4 released just months ago.

Low-light photos in particular benefit from the new lens, but even photos taken in bright light appear crisper, and corporate users will appreciate that its double-tap shortcut can be used even from a locked screen.

This camera also captures 4K video which, while it might seem like overkill now, helps future-proof the device.

The camera lens does protrude from the rear of the phone's body, and it doesn't quite match the megapixel count of its HTC One M9 rival, but this phone camera is more reliable and quicker on the draw.

Crisp ... The phone offers superior quality photographs thanks to a new lens and features that resemble an actual camera. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

HIDDEN UPGRADES

If you can look past the shiny exterior and improved camera, the S6 phones offer less obvious hardware upgrades and additions that may prove just as significant.

The fingerprint scanner that asked users to drag a fingertip over the home button — often repeatedly — is suddenly smarter. Now it requires just a touch to unlock the phone. It's a pleasant change that could save frustration (and stop Facebook jacking).

Wireless charging also debuts as a feature in this phone without the addition of a separate case. Users will need to buy an accessory to use it, unfortunately, but that could take the form of an Ikea table in future.

And, of course, there's the speed of this phone. Samsung has added its own octa-core chip to the S6 and S6 Edge, plus 3GB RAM. They combine to deliver record-setting benchmark results and, in the hand, responsive actions.

In our tests, the phones only slowed when processing 4K videos, as a laptop might do.

MORE AND LESS SOFTWARE

As Samsung often does, it's added handy shortcuts to Google Android Lollipop.

You can mute a phone call by covering its screen, or call the subject of a text message you're reading by raising the phone to your ear.

The Galaxy S6 Edge can also glow one of five different colours to indicate which of your five favourite contacts are calling.

Themes have also been added to this phone for the first time that change everything from the phone's background to the appearance of its icons. It's an idea ripped from Sony's playbook but one that can give your phone a quick, basic makeover (even though more options are needed).

A cheeky but useful Smart Switch app will also let iPhone users transfer iCloud data to their new Samsung phone.

But perhaps the best software change of all is the removal of some of its famous bloatware.

Many of Samsung's homemade apps are not automatically loaded to the device but are available for users to make their own choice.

The persistent icons in the dock can also be swapped as you wish, and you no longer have to press Edit every time you redesign your homescreen.

These may sound like small improvements, but lifting the iron fist of TouchWiz will ease frustration.

Verdict ... Samsung's overhauled handset is unlikely to disappoint. It's revolutionary. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

CONTROVERSIAL COMPROMISES

You can forget about that memory card. Samsung's new phones will no longer accept them.

In changing its materials and creating a slender 6.8mm or 7mm profile, Samsung has omitted space for additional memory.

It's a contentious decision that could prove a sticking point for some potential buyers, and it will force buyers into a $300 decision upfront.

The batteries in these phones are also locked in place — something Samsung once decried in its rivals.

These phones' flashy new bodies also fail to resist water like their predecessor, and the glass front and back, while sturdy and highly scratch-resistant, are fingerprint magnets that require regular wipe-downs.

Despite inarguable appeal, the curved borders of the S6 Edge are also under-utilised and deserve a greater showcase.

GALAXY S6 VERDICT

Samsung needed to produce something special in 2015, and something genuinely different.

With a full metal and glass jacket, enviable camera, wireless charging, speed boost, and less software bloating, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge fulfil both briefs.

Improvements to fingerprint sensors, simplified icons, transfer tools, and bigger batteries also prove the company is paying attention to its users.

Both phones have shortcomings, of course. They lack the water-resistant bodies, memory card slots, and removable batteries appreciated in past models.

Priced between $999 and $1449, Samsung's top model phones are also far from cheap, albeit not a dollar more than Apple's current iPhones.

If you can see past the storage swap, and afford the premium that goes with a premium phone, Samsung's overhauled handset is unlikely to disappoint. It's more revolutionary than evolutionary, and it deserves and audience.

Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 Edge

5 / 5 stars

$999 — $1449

samsung.com/au

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Up to two dead in NSA shooting’

'Shots fired' ... Maryland State Police block a highway entrance that accesses the National Security Agency. Picture: AP Source: AP

A MAN has been killed and a second injured by gunfire after apparently trying to ram an entrance gate to the US National Security Agency outside Washington, according to reports.

Video imagery showed a crash-damaged police vehicle and a civilian vehicle outside a main gate of the super-secure Fort Meade, Maryland headquarters of the NSA, the US intelligence agency that conducts electronic surveillance worldwide.

US television reports, citing a federal law enforcement official, said a police officer fired on the vehicle when it tried to ram the gates to the complex.

CNN reported that police in Anne Arundel, Maryland said one person was killed and another injured in the incident. Other media also reported the toll.

The occupants of the vehicle were men disguised as women, NBC News reported, adding that a search of the vehicle turned up a gun and some drugs.

The FBI said the shooting is not believed to be related to terrorism, according to the Associated Press.

There was no immediate comment from the NSA or the Pentagon.

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

We want you! Look who’s getting called up

Soldiers who served in Afghanistan for more than a decade will be welcomed home in parades across Aust today

THE Australian Defence Force is searching for the next generation of soldiers on popular gaming review websites featuring military-style video games.

The ADF has bought advertising space on popular gaming review sites IGN and Neoseeker, promoting the excitement and real-world adventure of life in the armed forces.

High intensity videos boosted by heavy rock music frequently run before game reviews and trailers, with click bait on each page describing the ADF's best assets.

"Experience military training", "Make new friends", "Earn a great salary" routinely flash above each article, luring the most devoted potential virtual soldiers.

Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert said armed forces recruiting from a cross section of the population is "hugely important".

"The beauty of people involved in gaming is that they're adept, fast thinkers, very natural with technology and they're used to complexity," Mr Robert said.

Mr Robert said 6000 Australians a year are recruited for about 500 different jobs.

"More and more of them are becoming very technologically driven," he said.

Mr Robert said gaming sites were a space actively targeted by the defence force because they attracted "people with an interest in complex scenario- based computing".

"If we can find someone with the right attitude and aptitude, we can train them to do anything we need them to do," he said.

A spokesman for defence said it used a "strategic approach" to meet recruitment targets, and that digital advertising was one of the most effective mechanisms.

The ADF spokesman would not say how many new applications had been generated through gaming sites.

Defence is also recruiting with advertising on male lifestyle sites.

###

Originally published as We want you! Look who's getting called up

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘They were a burnt offering’

A fire at a Brooklyn home early Saturday left seven children dead. The city's fire commissioner said the blaze may have been caused by a hotplate that had been left on overnight. Photo: AP

Grieving ... Father Gabriel Sassoon broke down at the funeral of his seven children that perished in the house fire. Picture: Paul Martinka/Splash News Source: Supplied

HE wept as he recited the names, saying they are all "angels" now.

A Brooklyn father who suffered the unthinkable loss of seven children when fire ripped through his home brought thousands of mourners to tears on Sunday during their funeral.

"They all had faces of angels. Hashem [God] knows how much I love them," said a sobbing Gabriel Sassoon.

"People forget what's important in life. My children were unbelievable. They were the best.

"But the truth is, every child is the best. Every child is the most beautiful child there is in the world. Every child is like that."

SEVEN CHILDREN PERISH IN FIRE IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

The Orthodox Jewish dad broke down as he recited the names of his dead children, ages 5 to 16.

He called them a "sacrifice to the community."

"They were a burnt offering. I lost everything in the fire. Seven pure sheep. Those are my seven children," said Mr Sassoon, who was at a religious retreat in Manhattan when flames tore through his Brooklyn home early Saturday.

After the funeral, maternal grandmother Frances Jemal sobbed while touching the seven coffins, which were draped in dark cloth with Hebrew lettering, as they were wheeled out of the synagogue.

Gabriel was supported by two fellow mourners as he walked in a daze past the 2000 people who filled the streets around the funeral home.

A procession of black cars carried the coffins to John F. Kennedy Airport for a flight to Israel, where they will be buried in Jerusalem's Har HaMenuchot Cemetery, The Yeshiva World web site reported.

Mourners ... People fill the streets near a Brooklyn chapel for a eulogy in remembrance of the seven siblings who perished in a fire. Picture: Edmund J Coppa/Splash News Source: Supplied

The bodies arrived in Israel on Monday (11:30 PM AEDT) for burial — along with their devastated dad.

Airport officials, police and members of the Chevra Kadisha, a religious group that handles the dead, set up a ring of barriers outside the El Al jetliner at Ben Gurion International Airport before passengers exited the plane.

The seven plain wooden caskets were removed from the plane and loaded into vans. The bodies the children, ages 5 to 16, were taken directly to the cemetery.

Support ... Mourners gather outside of Shomrei Hadas Chapels during the funeral service listening over a loudspeaker. Picture: AP Photo/Julio Cortez Source: AP

Mr Sassoon went to the cemetery wearing the same clothing he wore at the funeral in Brooklyn on Sunday. He was surrounded by family, as he hugged and shook hands with mourners.

The funeral is scheduled for Monday afternoon in Israel.

Authorities say the fire was ignited by a hotplate that malfunctioned while keeping food warm. It had been left on so the family could observe a religious rule against working on the Sabbath.

The children — Yaakob, 5, Sara, 6, Moshe, 8, Yeshua, 10, Rivkah, 11, David, 12, and Eliane, 16 — were either declared dead at the scene or at hospitals.

A hot plate caused the deadly inferno that started minutes after midnight. It took almost two hours and more than 100 firemen to put out the blaze.Picture: Splash Source: Supplied

Mom Gayle Sassoon, 45, and her second-eldest child, Tziporah, 15, both escaped the fire by jumping from the home's second floor.

Angels ... Four of the seven children that died in Brooklyn fire. Rivkah, 11 (L), Eliane, 16, (top middle) and only survivor Tzipara, 15 on top right. Boy in green shirt also perished in the fire but no name at this time. Picture: Supplied Source: New York Post

Witnesses heard one child crying, "Mommy! Mommy! Help me!" from inside the house, while Gayle, burned and bloodied, pleaded, "My kids are in there! Get them out! Get them out!"

Gayle and Tziporah both remained hospitalised on Sunday, with the mother listed in critical condition and fighting for her life in a hyperbaric chamber.

Sources said neither was aware of the fate that befell the rest of their family.

"I have no idea how [Tziporah] will deal with this once her body heals. This is beyond terrible," a family friend said while leaving the hospital.

Grieving ... father Gabriel Sassoon is driven away after the funeral for his seven children that died in a house fire. Mr Sassoon was away on a religious getaway over the Sabbath. Picture: Kena Betancur/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP

In a tragic twist, Gayle was going to take all eight kids to her parents in New Jersey on Friday, but stayed home to avoid the bad weather, said New York State politician Dov Hikind.

"The family had been planning to spend Shabbos [the Sabbath] in New Jersey, but had changed their minds because of the snowstorm. And then this happened," Mr Hikind said outside the fire scene.

"It's an unbelievable tragedy."

The Sassoons moved to the house about a year and a half ago from Israel, where they had lived for about 15 years.

Nomi Weinfeld, a former neighbour of the families in Jerusalem, said she was friendly with Gayle, whom she called a "wonderful person" and an "iron woman."

"I love her Brooklyn accent. She is very wholesome. She's very focused on doing the right thing and being a good mother," Ms Weinfeld said.

She added that her own kids used to play with the Sassoon children and described Tziporah as "a tad quieter" and "more serious" than her sisters.

Mayor Bill de Blasio is seen inside the house where seven children perished. Picture: Kena Betancur/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP

"The younger kids were very close. Very best friends. They spoke just last week," she said.

"They were sweet and polite but fun. Zippy, funny. Just great company. "

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, said officials were still investigating, "then we're going to decide from there in terms of public education" on preventing such fires.

Sen. Charles Schumer said "the entire city is in mourning" while attending a vigil in front of the scorched home on Sunday night.

"There's no greater loss than when a parent buries a child," Mr Schumer said. "The Sassoons have buried seven."

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK cancer boy’s ‘miracle recovery’

Cancer free ... Ashya King has made a miracle recovery from brain cancer after his parents snuck him out of the UK to the Czech Republic for proton therapy treatment. Picture: Matej Divizna/Getty Images Source: Supplied

THE parents of five-year-old Ashya King said he had made a "miracle" recovery from a brain tumour after proton therapy treatment in the Czech Republic that UK authorities had tried to block.

Ashya's family said the Prague-based centre where he was treated had declared him cancer-free, The Sun newspaper reported.

"It has justified everything we have gone through because things are working out for Ashya," his father Brett King told the newspaper.

Fighter ... Five-year-old Ashya King waves as he leaves a hospital after his last proton therapy treatment in Prague. Picture: AFP PHOTO/MICHAL CIZEK Source: Supplied

The Kings sneaked Ashya out of Britain because they were told the proton therapy, which directs beams directly at a tumour and causes less damage to other organs, was not available under Britain's National Health Service.

"If we had left Ashya with the NHS we don't think he would have survived," Brett King said.

Ashya's mother Naghmeh said: "We have saved his life. It is a miracle we thought we would never see."

The Kings' decision to take their son away from a hospital in Southampton without doctors' consent led to their arrest in Spain.

Treatment ... King's case made headlines after his parents removed him from a hospital in Britain in August 2014 against doctors' wishes, sparking an international manhunt. Picture: AFP PHOTO / MICHAL CIZEK Source: Supplied

They spent several days in police cells before their release and a High Court judge later approved their application to be allowed to take Ashya to Prague's Proton Therapy Centre for treatment.

"We were arrested for child cruelty and neglect," Brett King told The Sun. "But leaving Ashya in the NHS would have been far more cruel."

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Caught on film: Suicide bomber’s dirty tactics

Local authorities believe one of the suicide bombers who killed at least 147 people in two mosques in Sanaa governate, Friday hid a bomb beneath his robes while faking a leg injury as he carried out the attack. CCTV footage showing the man on crutches on his way to the Badr mosque in Al Safia was released Sunday. Witnesses Friday heard three blasts during midday prayers in and around the Badr and the al-Hashoosh mosques, which are used by Houthi Shia Muslims. Authorities reported at least 147 worshippers were killed, while several hundred were wounded. Footage shows crowds dispersing in panic moments after the blast at the Badr mosque The attacks came just one day after 13 people were killed in clashes between armed groups near the international airport in the southern city of Aden. The fighting erupted between militants aligned to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and supporters of his predecessor, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Mr Hadi has been located in the southern city since he was ousted by Houthi militants from Sanaa in February.

Dirty tactics: This man concealed a bomb in his leg 'cast'. Source: Supplied

THESE are the dirty tactics used by suicide bombers to inflict the ultimate price on unsuspecting victims.

CCTV footage has emerged of last Friday's suicide bomb attack on two mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, where extremists unleashed monstrous blasts that ripped through worshippers and killed 147 people in the deadliest assault yet. At least 13 children were among the dead.

According to reports, authorities believe one of the suicide bombers faked an injury in order to conceal the explosives in a fake cast on his leg.

The footage, released yesterday, shows the bomber in question on his way to the Badr mosque in Al Safia.

He can be seen hobbling on crutches before meeting a second bomber on the way.

RELATED: YEMEN PRESIDENT SLAMS ATTACK

RELATED: JIHADISTS SIEGE KEY CITY IN YEMEN

RELATED: CARNAGE AFTER QUADRUPLE SUICIDE BOMBINGS

The bomb was concealed under the man's leg cast. Source: Supplied

The man is seen hobbling on crutches. Picture: Ruptly Source: Supplied

The bomb goes off twelve minutes later. Source: Supplied

In the Badr mosque, the first bomber was caught by guards searching worshippers at the gate approximately 20 metres away, where he managed to detonate his device. In the ensuing panic, a second bomber entered the mosque and blew himself up amid the crowd, according to the official news agency SABA.

"I fell on the ground and when I regained consciousness I found myself lying in a lake of blood," one survivor, Ahmed al-Gabri, told The Associated Press.

Two worshippers next to him were killed in the explosions and another died when one of the mosque's glass chandeliers fell on him, al-Gabri said.

Another survivor, Sadek al-Harithi, said the explosions were like "an earthquake where I felt the ground split and swallow everyone."

Yemeni armed men inspect the damage following the explosion at the Badr mosque. Picture: Mohammed Huwais Source: AFP

Bodies of people killed in a suicide attack during the noon prayer are covered in blankets in a mosque in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, March 20, 2015. Picture: Hani Mohammed Source: AP

The victim of a suicide attack during the noon prayer is covered in a blanket in a mosque in Sanaa, Yemen. Picture: Hani Mohammed Source: AP

Large groups converge at the mosques to attend sermons at that time of day.

"We have seen bombings before in Sana," Hassan Ali, a resident of the neighbourhood, told the New York Times.

"But this is the most horrible crime."

Friday's blasts left scenes of bloody devastation in the Badr and al-Hashoosh mosques, located across town from each other in Sanaa. Both mosques are controlled by the Shiite Houthis, but they are also frequented by Sunni worshippers.

Images from the scene showed a number of children among the dead.

In footage from the al-Hashoosh mosque, screaming volunteers were seen using bloodied blankets to carry away victims as a small child lay among the dead on the mosque floor.

"Blood was running like a river," said one survivor, Mohammed al-Ansi, who said he was thrown six feet by one of the blasts at the Hashoosh mosque, where the floor was strewn with body parts.

It also reported that a fifth suicide bomb attack on another mosque was foiled in the northern city of Saada.

Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, stand near a damaged car after the bomb attack. Picture: Hani Mohammed) Source: AP

The attackers targeted mosques frequented by Shiite rebels, who have controlled the capital since September. Picture: Hani Mohammed Source: AP

Picture: Hani Mohammed Source: AP

A purported affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombings, which also wounded 357 people — raising the alarming possibility the extremist group has expanded its presence to Yemen after already setting up a branch in Libya. Last week, the group claimed responsibility for a bloody attack on Western tourists in Tunisia that authorities said was carried out by militants trained in Libya.

If the claim is true — and the U.S. expressed scepticism — Friday's attacks would be the first by the Islamic State group in Yemen, adding a frightening new layer to the country's turmoil.

Houthi fighters carry a body of a man killed in the suicide attack. Picture: Hani Mohammed Source: AP

Yemenis carry a body of a man killed in the bomb attack. Picture: Hani Mohammed Source: AP

A Yemeni men, wounded in the attacks on Sanaa the day before, receives treatment at a hospital in the capital. Picture: Mohammed Huwais Source: AFP

If Friday's bombings were carried out by Islamic State group supporters, it could be intended as a dramatic signal to al-Qaeda, the group's rival — effectively a challenge over turf. That raises the possibility of intra-jihadi fighting as the two compete for recruits by showing who can unleash the worst bloodshed.

In its claim of responsibility, an alleged Islamic State affiliate calling itself "Sanaa Province" warned of an "upcoming flood" of attacks.

A Yemeni men, wounded in the attacks on Sanaa the day before, receives treatment at a hospital in the capital. Picture: Mohammed Huwais Source: AFP

A Yemeni man inspects the damage following the explosion at the Badr mosque in southern Sanaa. Picture: Mohammed Huwais Source: AFP

Houthi militants reportedly seized parts of Yemens third-largest city, Taiz, Saturday and Sunday. Footage shows unidentified armed militants in and around the vicinity of the citys international airport, Sunday. Fighters have also reportedly seized several government buildings. The government recently lost control of the capital Sanaa as Houthi fighters forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee to the port city of Aden. The Houthis set up a new government last month, replacing the ousted president with a five-man transitional presidential council. The potential seizure of Taiz would mark the continuation of violence between armed groups in Yemen, with Houthi rebels reportedly battling al-Qaeda and Islamic State militants.

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Clarkson confessed ‘difficult divorce’

Confession ... Jeremy Clarkson reportedly admitted to a "difficult divorce" while he was "at war" with his BBC bosses. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

JEREMY Clarkson's former foe Pierce Morgan has spilled the beans on the former Top Gear host's messy divorce and chaotic personal life.

Clarkson confessed that his life was in disarray when the pair got together to end their long-running feud last year, amid controversy about the car enthusiast's use of the N-word, Morgan wrote in a tell-all column on Sunday.

"'Morgan,' he sighed, 'I'm going through a difficult divorce, my first ex-wife has also came out of the woodwork to give me hell, I'm smoking too much, drinking too much, my back hurts, I'm all over the papers with this N-word scandal, I'm at war with my BBC bosses, and my mother has just died. I simply don't have the energy for you any more."

Life in chaos ... Clarkson was suspended from Top Gear for allegedly punching a producer. Picture: AP Source: AP

Clarkson separated from Frances, his wife of 21 years, in May last year.

The 54-year-old host was suspended by the BBC last month for allegedly punching producer Oisin Tymon during a row which took place after filming, and was again in hot water at the weekend for calling his bosses "f***ing bastards" in an expletive-laden rant at a charity event.

Courting controversy ... Clarkson was recently caught on video refering to his BBC bosses as "f***ing bastards." Picture: AP Source: AP

A petition to have Clarkson reinstated on Top Gear has gathered almost one million signatures and was delivered by tank to BBC headquarters in London on Friday.

His future at the BBC is likely to be decided this week when the corporation's internal investigation into his behaviour is handed over to the director-general.

He was linked on Monday to a possible new TV show about farming.

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Crying Piccolo Girl is everything

Roxanne Chalifoux has become an internet meme after footage of her crying as she played the piccolo went viral. Source: Supplied

SHE was once just a sad girl with a piccolo.

Now, she's a sad girl with a piccolo — and a few million fans.

Roxanne Chalifoux, aka Piccolo Girl, has won the internet after a fluke (or was that flute?) of bad luck thrust her in the global limelight.

When Chalifoux's university basketball team, the Villanova Wildcats, lost to North Carolina State on Sunday, CBS cameras caught something rather special: a piccolo player performing through the pain.

The Cats' loss was a big deal. They were on a 16-game winning streak and were in top form to take the title at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. But in one foul swoop, all was lost.

A "top seed to No. 1-and-done," reported ESPN.

We're hurting, too.

*News.com.au has reached out to Chalifoux for comment.

Originally published as Crying Piccolo Girl is everything

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Is this justice for Farkhunda?

A woman who was killed and burned by a mob is laid to rest. Her father says the mob had been told she had set alight a copy of the Koran. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

AFGHAN women's rights activists dressed head-to-toe in black broke with tradition to carry the coffin of a woman who was beaten to death by a mob in the capital Kabul over allegations she had burned a Koran.

The mob of men beat 27-year-old Farkhunda before throwing her body off a roof, running over it with a car, setting it on fire and throwing it into a river near a well-known mosque.

The attack was apparently sparked by allegations that Farkhunda, who like many Afghans has just one name, had set fire to a Koran. But Afghanistan's most senior detective said no evidence had been found to support those claims.

An astonishing twenty-six people have been arrested in connection with the brutal killing, Afghanistan's Interior Minister Noorul Haq Ulumi in a statement before parliament no Monday, CNN reports.

Video of the assault taken with mobile phones has circulated widely since the attack on Thursday last week. The killing has shocked many Afghans and led to renewed calls for justice and reform.

Breaking with tradition ... independent Afghan civil society activist women carry the coffin of Farkhunda, 27, who was lynched by an angry mob in central Kabul. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

"We want justice for Farkhunda, we want justice for Afghan women. All these injustices happening to Afghan women are unacceptable," said a prominent women's rights activist who goes by the name Dr. Alima.

"In which religion or faith is it acceptable to burn a person to death? Today is a day of national mourning and we will not keep quiet."

President Ashraf Ghani, now in Washington on his first state visit to the United States since taking office in September, condemned the killing as a "heinous attack" and ordered an investigation.

Following allegations that police stood by and did nothing to stop the killing, Mr Ghani told reporters before leaving for the US that the incident revealed "a fundamental issue" — that security forces are too focused on the fight against the Taliban insurgency to concentrate on community policing.

Women weep ... and lie on the grave of Afghan woman Farkhunda. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Many rights activists, however, said the killing cut to the core of how women are treated as second-class citizens in Afghan society.

Despite constitutional guarantees of equal rights and advances in access to health and education, for many women in Afghanistan little has changed since the 2001 US-led invasion ended the Taliban's harsh rule. Girls are routinely married off as children, traded as chattels and then rarely permitted to leave their homes without a male relative.

Hundreds of people gathered at a graveyard today in the middle-class suburb near Farkhunda's home. With the permission of her father, the women in black carried her coffin from an ambulance to an open-air prayer ground, and then to her grave, rituals that are usually attended only by men.

"She is a sister to you all, and it is your duty to bury her," Farkhunda's brother Najibullah, standing gravesite, told the crowd.

Tragic end ... female civil society activists mourn, as men prepare the burial site of Farkhunda. Picture: AP Source: AP

Several politicians, officials and senior police officers addressed the funeral, which was broadcast live. Men formed a chain around the women pallbearers to offer protection and support.

The attack appeared to have grown out of a dispute between Farkhunda, a veiled woman who had just finished a degree in religious studies and was preparing to take a teaching post, and men who sold amulets at Shah-Do Shamshera shrine, where the killing happened.

She regarded the amulet sellers as parasites and told women not to waste their money on them, friends and family said. Her father, Mohammed Nadir, said the men responded by making false accusations that she had torched a Koran.

Civil society activists ... and relatives pray during the funeral of Farkhunda. Picture: AP Source: AP

"Based on their lies, people decided Farkhunda was not a Muslim and beat her to death," he said. The Interior Ministry said it was providing extra protection for the family.

The Interior Ministry said 13 policemen had been suspended pending investigation.

Zahir said authorities were "unable to find any single iota of evidence to support claims that she had burned a Koran."

"She is completely innocent," he said.

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hockey’s big word no one gets

Public policy expert John Daley gives his view on how we should cope with the long and short term unemployment for Australia's youth. Courtesy: Q and A

Heated discussion ... Treasurer Joe Hockey, centre, on Q&A. Picture: ABC TV Source: Supplied

TREASURER Joe Hockey has taken a swipe at the Abbott Government's Budget cuts to the ABC on Q&A on Monday night.

Speaking on ABC TV, Hockey said: "I'm always conscious of taking people's money off them ... sorry, I'm excluding the ABC".

In a wideranging discussion touching on superannuation, housing, tax and even euthanasia, the Treasurer and treasurer-in-waiting Chris Bowen went head-to-head on Q&A over a string of policies and issues.

But it was his quote, "new world that is disintermediating" that left most of us scratching our heads.

"We have laws designed for yesterday that are failing to meet the challenge of a new world that is disintermediating and bringing in the consumer at a complete interface with other consumers," Mr Hockey said.

Hockey used the word in reference to modern-day financial technologies but it seems most viewers were left wondering what exactly he meant.

The word, according to Google, means "reduction in the use of intermediaries between producers and consumers, for example by investing directly in the securities market rather than through a bank".

In layman terms, bypassing government regulated middlemen, such as banks or taxi operators by putting people in direct contact with drivers or allowing direct, online payments.

On the topic of housing affordability, Hockey said abolishing negative gearing would see rents skyrocket.

Hockey also posed the question: "Do we have enough (superannuation) to actually cover a much longer life?"

Super talk ... Treasurer Joe Hockey on Q&A. Picture: ABC TV Source: Supplied

Bowen weighed in on the discussion about youth unemployment, suggesting that entry-level jobs for young Aussies are "disappearing".

"The jobs are changing. We need to be investing," Bowen said, adding that youth unemployment in Australia is at a "crisis" level.

"Investment in education is more important now than ever before," Bowen said.

"I would use the term 'crisis'," he said.

Bowen accused the Government of throwing young people "onto the scrap heap" early in their working lives.

"It's very hard for them to recover and get into the workforce and their working life is wrecked right from the beginning."

What was meant to be a fiscal face-off between Hockey and Bowen ended up being overshadowed by a considered debate between Q&A's other panellists.

Discussion ... Hockey and Bowen sitting on the Q&A panel. Picture: ABC TV Source: Supplied

Australian Chamber of Commerce and industry chief executive Kate Carnell spoke about how pensions need to be "a safety net, not a supplement".

Carnell also criticised the standard of training available to young Aussies. "A lot of the training young people get is not relevant," she said.

While Grattan Institute chief executive John Daley went hard on tax. "We've had little discussion about how tax will have to go up," Daley said.

Daley also weighed in on the standard of youth training. "Sending young people out to dig ditches and plant trees doesn't help very much. It doesn't work."

Cassandra Goldie, head of the Australian Council of Social Service, put housing affordability on the table, saying: "The fact we don't have a coherent policy of housing affordability is a serious problem".

Goldie also weighed in on the issue of youth unemployment in Australia, saying "our responsibility is to give the young people hope".

"Yes, they want jobs, but there are also fantastic ideas for young people about the businesses and the enterprise of the future.

"And that's what we'd love to see the Government really focus on rather than ... playing to this old stereotype which has never really been true that some people are just lazy."

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

What’s the big mystery, Vladimir Putin?

Russian President Vladimir Putin makes his first public appearance since March 5, after rumours about his health. Rough cut (no reporter narration).

He's back ... Russian President Vladimir Putin has resurfaced for a meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart in Saint Petersburg. Picture: AP Source: AP

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has finally resurfaced after a 10-day absence from public view, laughing off speculation about his health.

However, there was no explanation for his mysterious disappearance from the limelight earlier this month.

The 62-year-old Russian leader was last seen in public on March 5, when he hosted Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

On Monday he dismissed days of frenzied "rumours" over his health and whereabouts.

Alive and well ... Russian President Vladimir Putin smiles during his meeting with Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev in St Petersburg, Russia. Picture: AP Source: AP

"We would be bored if there were no rumours," Mr Putin said at a meeting with Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev at the sumptuous Konstantinov's Palace just outside Saint Petersburg.

Last seen in Moscow ... Putin and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi shake hands at a news conference in the Kremlin on March 5. Picture: AP Source: AP

The Kremlin had insisted that he continued holding official meetings and released photos and video of Mr Putin at meetings on national television, but Russian media suggested the images had actually been shot much earlier.

Rumours ... the Kremlin's press service attempted to address speculation about Putin's health by issuing a photo of a meeting between Putin and the regional governor of Karelia. Picture: AP Source: AP

Mr Putin's decision to abruptly postpone a trip to Kazakhstan planned for last week fuelled speculation that he was unwell — or even dead.

Last week, several news outlets reported that a woman romantically linked to Mr Putin in the past had given birth, a possible explanation for the leader's unusual absence.

However, a spokesman for Mr Putin on Saturday rejected the rumour as "not true".

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tourists are ruining this paradise

The pristine Palau islands have been inundated with Chinese tourists and not everyone is happy about it. Source: Getty Images

CHINESE tourists are flocking to the remote Palau islands as China's growing number of rich seek new frontiers abroad, but not everyone in the Micronesian paradise is happy about it.

Strapped into life-jackets and screaming with excitement, groups of boisterous Chinese thrillseekers tear around Palau's "Milky Way" lagoon on a flotilla of speedboats — a spectacle unfamiliar to locals just a few months ago.

Residents of the archipelago, part of the larger island group of Micronesia, are baffled as to why Chinese travellers represented almost 62 per cent of all visitors in February — up from 16 per cent in January 2014.

Chinese cruise ship "Xian Ni", which previously operated in China's famous Yangtze River and whose crew fled and abandoned it in Palauan waters. AFP PHOTO / SBASTIEN BLANC Source: AFP

For businessman Du Chuang from Chengdu in China's Sichuan province, it is because his increasingly wealthy countrymen are becoming more adventurous, smashing the stereotype of the herded package tour.

Du first started to travel by visiting Hainan, the Chinese island in the South China Sea currently witnessing a massive development of hotel resorts. He then ventured to Thailand before branching out to the Maldives.

"The corals here are more beautiful than Sanya (on Hainan)," the 46-year-old told AFP, scrolling through photos on his phone of a $1,400 helicopter trip over Palau's Seventy Islands that he took his family on.

Chinese tourists in Palau jumping from their speedboat into the "Milky Way" that locals claim have therapeutic properties that will make you look 10 years younger. AFP PHOTO / SBASTIEN BLANC Source: AFP

"Palau is small and magnificent," added the owner of a successful IT company. Hoteliers are catching on, with some establishments focusing on Chinese clientele booked out months in advance. At "Sea Passion Hotel" in Koror, 74 of their 75 rooms were occupied by Chinese visitors when AFP visited.

On a beach Chinese women wearing full body suits to protect themselves from the sun pose for selfies with husbands and boyfriends in sleeveless vests, which they send to their friends back home in China's grey megacities.

In these heavenly islands of Micronesia, Chinese tourists are now everywhere to be seen. AFP PHOTO / SBASTIEN BLANC Source: AFP

'It's like paradise'

Jia Yixin, a 30-year-old from Shanghai, didn't think twice about paying $1,133 (1,000 euros) for a six-day trip to Palau that she found online.

"It is like paradise here," she beamed. "In Shanghai the air is polluted but here people respect the environment," Jia added.

Ironically it is the potential environmental impact of the Chinese invasion that is at the forefront of the minds of many of the islands' 18,000 population.

Palau welcomed just shy of 141,000 visitors last year, up 34 per cent on 2013, largely on the back of the Chinese visitors. But in February this year, mainland Chinese visitors leaped more than 500 per cent year-on-year to 10,955 — more than half Palau's total population.

Tourism accounts for close to 85 per cent of Palau's gross domestic product (GDP), and while profits are up, some are worried the long-term damage may be too great.

Chinese tourists getting ready to swim in the world renowned "Jellyfish lake", a marine lake where visitors can swim with thousands of golden jellyfish on the Rock Islands in Palau. AFP PHOTO / SBASTIEN BLANC Source: AFP

"This is a very sudden influx, so we are trying to understand the situation" said Nanae Singeo, managing director of the Palau Visitors Authority, the local tourist board.

"We have never experienced this much tourism before and the magnitude is really giving us a lot of pressure. We are a very tiny country with scarce resources so this sudden increase is an unknown challenge for us," she added.

Palau has long catered for a particular type of visitor, with up to 70 per cent of tourists coming for world-famous diving in stunning blue waters with pristine corals.

Japanese were traditionally the largest contingent, followed by Taiwanese and Korean visitors. But the majority of the new wave of Chinese tourists seem more interested — for now at least — in lounging on the beach.

"We are not seeing a growth rate to match the number of visitors," said Singeo. "Tourists are up 34 per cent so technically we should see economic benefits at the rate of 30 per cent or more, but that's not the case."

Palau is famous for its world class diving. AFP PHOTO / SBASTIEN BLANC Source: AFP

'They wreck corals'

On the streets of Koror, some accused Chinese people of being noisy and disrespectful towards the environment.

"They wreck corals and throw their rubbish in the sea," chided Norman, a taxi driver.

In another recent example, a Chinese tour operator named "Yellow Skin Tour" caused outrage in Palau with leaflets including photos of grinning Chinese tourists holding up turtles they had removed from the water — in one case by its flippers.

Residents have also accused Chinese tourists of being responsible for the deaths of some jellyfish at the natural wonder "Jellyfish Lake".

Visitors are encouraged to marvel at the harmless creatures by floating on the surface, but some locals complain that many Chinese lack swimming skills and thrash around, disturbing the wildlife.

Chinese tourists have been accused of harming marine life in Palau. Source: Getty Images

The Palau government is exploring ways to try to stem the tide of Chinese tourists to the western Pacific Ocean archipelago and this week said the number of charter flights from China would be halved next month.

President Tommy Remengesau said the move was not intended to discriminate against any nationality but was to prevent tourism from becoming too reliant on one market.

"Do we want to control growth or do we want growth to control us?" he asked reporters. "It will be irresponsible for me as a leader if this trend continues. I am not only looking at the present but, as a leader, I am looking after tomorrow." But the number of hotels, restaurants and guides in Palau now catering for a Chinese market would suggest that citizens of the world's second-largest economy are likely to keep coming.

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

NRL star plays with himself on field

NRL: Jason Nightingale has been a little too eager to prove himself useful at St. George, doubling up by playing the ball and then running from dummy-half in the match against Wests Tigers.

Jason Nightingale takes things into his own hands for the Dragons. Source: Supplied

HIS team was struggling so badly St George Illawarra winger Jason Nightingale decided to do it all himself — literally.

The Dragons were suffering yet another poor performance, as the Wests Tigers strolled to an untroubled 20-4 half-time lead.

Things didn't get any better for the home side after the break, even as the Tigers took their foot off the pedal.

And it seems his team's horrible performance affected Nightingale's brain, when in the 67th minute, Nightingale played the ball after being tackled — and after the ball struck a Tigers player lying in the ruck behind him, he simply picked it up and ran, confusing his dummy half and the referees.

SHINING STAR TEDESCO PUTS DRAGONS TO SWORD

The on-field officials were so bemused by what they'd just seen they simply rubbed their eyes and let play continue.

We've heard about taking things into your own hands when you're down — but maybe this is going too far.

Originally published as NRL star plays with himself on field

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

President’s tearful breakdown

Two more Australian military planes loaded with humanitarian supplies are on their way to Vanuatu.

Heartbroken ... Vanuatu president Baldwin Lonsdale has called for immediate help in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam. Picture: ABC News Source: Supplied

VANUATU'S president has broken down while describing the devastating impact of the "monster" cyclone which left half the population homeless and killed at least six people.

Baldwin Lonsdale held back tears as he appealed for "immediate help" after Cyclone Pam tore through the small Pacific island nation on the weekend.

More than 100,000 people are homeless and 90 per cent of the buildings in the capital Port Vila destroyed or damaged following the devastating storm.

Tearful breakdown ... Vanuatu president Baldwin Lonsdale is devastated about the cyclone's impact on his country. Picture: ABC Source: Supplied

"This is a very devastating cyclone in Vanuatu. I term it as a monster, a monster," Mr Lonsdale said from Sendai in north-eastern Japan, where he had been attending a disaster conference when the cyclone struck on Saturday.

"It's a setback for the government and for the people of Vanuatu. After all the development that has taken place, all this development has been wiped out."

Decimated ... 90 per cent of homes in Vanuatu's capital, Port Vilas, have been damaged or destroyed. Picture: AP Photo/Dave Hunt, Pool Source: AP

Aftermath ... aid agencies described conditions in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu as among the most challenging they have ever faced. Picture: AFP/Fred Payet Source: AFP

Mr Lonsdale said that the latest information he has is that six people are confirmed dead and 30 injured from Cyclone Pam.

Medical workers say the risk of diseases including diarrhoea, measles, malaria and dengue fever is heightened, with expected shortages of safe drinking water and food.

Planning ... Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale, left, and Minister for Climate Change James Bule discuss the impact of Cyclone Pam. Picture: AP Photo/Koji Ueda Source: AP

Mr Lonsdale also appealed for international aid for the place he calls "paradise", a tiny state of about 250,000 people spread over 65 inhabited islands.

He added that he couldn't even contact his own family because of the break in communications.

"We do not know if our families are safe or not. As the leader of the nation, my whole heart is for the people, the nation."

Mr Lonsdale and other top Vanuatu government officials were preparing to return home later on Monday from Sendai.

Destruction ... Samuel kicks a ball through the ruins of their family home as his father, Phillip, picks through the debris in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Picture: AP Photo/Dave Hunt Source: AP

Destroyed ... residents stand inside their damaged home on the outskirts of the capital Port Vila, Vanuatu. Picture: AP Photo/UNICEF Pacific Source: AP

Officials in Vanuatu had still not made contact with outlying islands and were struggling to determine the scale of devastation from the cyclone, which tore through early on Saturday, packing winds of 270 kilometres per hour.

The airport in Port Vila has reopened, allowing some aid and relief flights to reach the country. Lonsdale said a wide range of items were needed, from tarpaulins and water containers to medical supplies and construction tools.

Extreme cyclone ... Cyclone Pam hurtled through Vanuatu on Saturday. Picture: AP Photo/UNICEF Pacific, Humans of Vanuatu Source: AP

International SOS, a medical and security services company, says it has deployed an Incident Response Team to Vanuatu to assess evacuation options for expatriates and travellers.

"There are likely to be shortages of safe drinking water and food, and the risk of diseases including diarrhoea, measles, malaria and dengue fever is heightened," Michael Gardner, Australasia regional managing director, said.

Relief effort ... privates carry aid supplies to a French Army logistic transport plane bound for Vanuatu at the French Aerial Military Base in Papeete, Tahiti. Picture: AFP/Gregory Boissy Source: AFP

Aid ... relief equipment bound for Vanuatu is collected at the French Aerial Military Base in Papeete, Tahiti. Picture: AFP/Gregory Boissy Source: AFP

Hannington Alatoa, head of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, said flyovers by New Zealand and Australian relief teams showed much of the country had been "flattened."

"No trees, no foliage, no iron structures standing on the western part of Tanna (island)," Alatoa said. "People are in great need of water."

Mr Lonsdale said climate change was contributing to disasters in Vanuatu.

"We see the level of sea rise. Change in weather patterns. This year we have heavy rain, more than every year," he said.

New Zealand radio journalist Frances Cook and her husband travelled to Vanuatu for their honeymoon two days before the cyclone struck. She said they knew a storm was coming but figured from the forecasts it wouldn't be too bad.

UNICEF estimates 70,000 children across Vanuatu have been affected by Cyclone Pam.

Instead of zip-lining through the jungle and looking at active volcanoes as planned, she has instead been reporting back home on the devastation. She said a lot of stranded tourists are desperate to leave and some are afraid for their security.

"It's a glorious place and the people are so lovely," she said. "It's quite upsetting to see this happen."

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Clarkson’s suspension cost BBC this much

Inquiry ... the BBC is investigating Jeremy Clarkson's Tope Gear 'fracas'. Picture: AFP/Ian Kington Source: AFP

BBC's Jeremy Clarkson has used his newspaper column to suggest he may be ready to walk away from Top Gear.

THE BBC's decision to cancel Top Gear while it investigates Jeremy Clarkson's hotel "fracas" has cost it four million viewers.

The popular motoring show regularly draws an audience of more than five million.

But its replacement on Sunday night, Red Arrows: Inside the Bubble, attracted just 1.3 million eyeballs, The Telegraph in the UK reports.

The program was pulled from the TV schedule after Clarkson was accused of punching a producer during a dispute over a cold dinner.

Amid the ratings disaster, the BBC announced it had launched an investigation into the alleged "fracas", trying to establish the facts of the incident before deciding its next move.

The investigation will be led by BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie, with Clarkson and producer Oisin Tymon set to give him their versions of the "fracas".

Out of action ... Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended by the BBC. Picture: AP Photo/PA Source: AP

Meanwhile, 106 viewers have complained to Ofcom, the UK's media regulator, over the BBC's decision to postpone two episodes of the show, the Guardian reports.

The BBC has not said how many direct complaints it received, but its complaints department reportedly told viewers that it "received a wide range of feedback about this and some people have expressed their disappointment or have asked for more information".

Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon was involved in the 'fracas'. Picture: Supplied Source: No Source

Jeremy Clarkson allegedly punched a Top Gear producer. Picture: AP Photo/Matt Dunham Source: AP

A Change.org petition calling for Clarkson to be reinstated has been signed by more than 931,000 people.

In a column in The Sun newspaper on the weekend, Clarkson launched a thinly-veiled attack on the BBC.

"Nature made a mistake when it invented the dinosaur. It was too big, too violent ...," he wrote.

"All the dinosaurs died and now, years later, no one mourns their passing. These big, imposing creatures have no place in a world which has moved on."

'Time for this old dinosaur to move on?' ... Jeremy Clarkson's revealing column for The Sun. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Clarkson has often found himself in trouble for remarks and behaviour deemed offensive.

Last year, Argentina's ambassador to Britain demanded an apology from the BBC after the Top Gear crew allegedly referenced the country's 1982 war with Britain over the Falkland Islands. The crew was forced to leave the country.

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

What’s left of Saddam’s tomb

The tomb of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been flattened during fighting between Islamic State and Iraqi security forces in the village of Ouja, South of Tikrit.

Decimated ... an Iraqi soldier inspects the demolished tomb of former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, in Tikrit. Picture: AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed Source: AP

THE lavish tomb of Iraq's executed dictator Saddam Hussein has been virtually levelled in heavy clashes between militants from the jihadist IS group and Iraqi forces in a fight for control of the city of Tikrit.

Fighting intensified to the north and south of Saddam Hussein's hometown on Sunday as Iraqi security forces vowed to reach the centre of Tikrit within 48 hours.

Demolished ... an Iraqi soldier takes photos of the demolished tomb of former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, in Tikrit, 130 kilometres north of Baghdad. Picture: AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed Source: AP

Damaged ... the demolished tomb of former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, in Tikrit, is seen behind a barbed wire fence. Picture: AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed Source: AP

Associated Press video from the village of Ouja, just south of Tikrit, shows all that remains of Hussein's once-lavish tomb are the support columns that held up the roof.

Poster-sized pictures of Saddam, which once covered the mausoleum, are now nowhere to be seen amid the mountains of concrete rubble.

Blown apart ... former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's once-lavish tomb has been turned into rubble. Picture: AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed Source: AP

Rubble ... Iraqi soldiers inspect the tombs of Uday and Qusay Hussein, sons of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, in Tikrit. Picture: AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed Source: AP

Instead, Shiite militia flags and photos of militia leaders mark the predominantly Sunni village.

The extremist IS group has controlled Tikrit since June, when it waged its lightning offensive that saw Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, come under its control.

IS claimed in August that Saddam's tomb had been destroyed, but local officials said it was just ransacked and burned, but had only minor damage.

Fighters ... Iraqi fighters of the government-controlled Popular Mobilisation units take part in a military operation to take control of Tikrit. Picture: AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye Source: AFP

Blasts ... volunteer Shiite fighters, known as the Popular Mobilisation units, fire a Howitzer artillery canon in the village of Awaynat near the city of Tikrit. Picture: AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye Source: AFP

Saddam was captured by US forces in 2003 and was executed by hanging in December 2006 after an Iraqi special tribunal found him guilty of crimes against humanity for the mass killing of Shiites and Kurds.

Iraqi media reported last year that Saddam's body was removed by loyalists amid fears that it would be disturbed in the fighting. The body's location is not known.

Killed ... Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006. Picture: AP Photo/Jacob Silberberg Source: AP

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘We’re sh*t at turning a warrior back into a human’

Lee Sarich suffers from PTSD since returning home. Source: ABC

LEE Sarich was a Lance-Corporal in Afghanistan when a bullet fired by an insurgent grazed him. He survived. But he's still suffering.

Sarich was just one former soldier who opened up on ABC's Four Corners about the post traumatic stress disorder he suffers since returning home — and the lack of support some soldiers receive when transitioning back into regular life.

Former Afghanistan Liutenant and PTSD sufferer Geoff Evans said a lack of support is too common.

"I felt like a stranger in a strange land ... drinking every night," he said.

"I was so emotionally detached ...

"Good young people who were fine before they went to war are dying, because they're not being supported when they return."

Geoff Evans says soldiers aren't being supported when they return home. Source: ABC

At present, there are no official figures detailing how many veterans have taken their lives as a result of PTSD.

When asked about reports of suicide tolls being three times that of Australia's combat losses in Afgahanistan, Rear Admiral Robyn Walker said on the program:

"We've heard those anecdotal reports as well — we haven't been able to confirm that data. But my understanding is the Department of Veterans Affairs is presently trying to actually get ... evidence for what that might be. So anecdotally we haven't been able to confirm those figures."

Dealing with his own trauma, Lee Sarich turned to intense therapy sessions that force him to relive his memories in detail.

"The most traumatic incident would have been I was in a light-armoured vehicle that hit an IED (improvised explosion device). The ... the driver was killed," he said.

"My first thought was that, you know, like, someone's been hit.

"You could hear people screaming at the driver and I turned and it seemed obvious to me that the driver was dead.

"After the explosion the guys are yelling at me, yelling out to me 'cause they thought I was dead."

Lee Sarich uses intense therapy sessions to help overcome PTSD. Source: ABC

After a second tour he had to be medically evacuated back to Australia — and his mate who took his position was killed.

Following medical discharge, he was broke, couldn't work, was living in his car, and separated from his children.

That's when Lee began to decline.

"At its worst, I start thinking about killing myself. That's, that's pretty much the worst."

Dr Andrew Khoo said that the training soldiers receive is hard to undo.

"The problem is: we are really shit at taking a warrior and turning them back into a human," he said.

Jamie Tanner suffers from PTSD and says he received no help from the Department of Defence when he returned home.

"If I have an episode, I won't speak to anyone for days. I won't leave the bedroom," he said.

"I just thought I was down and out — I didn't realise I had PTSD".

After returning home to a troubled marriage, he took a low-paying job as an apprentice electrician.

Jamie Tanner says he remembers the day he almost snapped. Source: ABC

Remembering the day he "almost snapped" he said he was in a cherrypicker and started to feel the strong urge to throw his tools at people.

He says he wouldn't return to the army.

"No, knowing the way they treated me when I discharged, knowing the way they treat mental illness ... there's no way I could go back to the army".

When asked if she agreed that suicides from combat related PTSD are a serious problem, Rear Admiral Robyn Walker said:

"There are a myriad of causes why people take their own lives — and the loss of any life is tragic."

"We know that PTSD is associated with other mental health conditions — it's associated with depression, it's associated with the abuse of alcohol.

"And there are times when people with PTSD have taken their own lives — so it is tragic when anyone does that."

Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health: www.acpmh.unimelb.edu.au/

MensLine Australia 1300 789 978

Lifeline 13 11 14

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aussies hungry for Apple Watch

Watching you ... Aussies love the Apple Watch. Picture: AP Source: AP

The Apple Watch and a new Macbook Air are expected to be launched at the latest Apple event in the US.

AUSSIES have already fallen in love with the Apple Watch, with a new survey showing 800,000 Australians plan to buy Apple's must have gadget.

On the morning of a much hyped Apple event in San Francisco at which Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to release details of the launch of the Watch, the Pureprofile survey found more than one in 25 Australians planned to buy the watch this year.

Nearly 20 per cent more Australians are also considering buying the Watch, which will be Apple's first all-new product since the launch of the iPad.

Demand ... a survey shows about 20 per cent of Aussies want to buy the Apple Watch. Picture: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez Source: AP

Pureprofile CEO Paul Chan described the amount of people thinking to buy the smartwatch as "an insanely high number".

The survey showed that Apple still has a lot of work to do to get the word out beyond its normal fan base, with nearly a third of Australian women never having heard of the Apple Watch.

However, understanding technology is not key to its success.

The survey found a surprising 14 per cent of people will buy or are considering buying an Apple Watch despite not being sure why they even want it.

Rod Chester travelled to San Francisco as a guest of Apple.

23.18 | 0 komentar | Read More