Two men glassed in separate attacks

TWO men have suffered cuts, bruising and swelling after being glassed in the face in separate attacks at bars in NSW.

A 27-year-old man allegedly attacked a 37-year-old man with a glass bottle at a local bar at Sydney's Cockle Bay Wharf about 3.25am (AEST) on Saturday.

He suffered cuts, swelling, bruising and injuries to his ribs and was taken to hospital for treatment.

The 27-year-old man was later charged with reckless wounding and granted conditional bail to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.

Earlier in Tamworth, a fight erupted at a bar hotel on Marius Street between two 19-year-olds about 10pm (AEST) on Friday.

One of them allegedly grabbed the other man's neck before hitting his face with a glass,

A hotel employee, who tried to intervene, was also punched during the melee.

The alleged glasser left the hotel but was arrested a short distance away and charged with common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and offensive language.

He has been granted conditional bail to appear at Tamworth Local Court on August 19.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drones approved for civilian use in US

FEDERAL regulators in the United States have certified two types of unmanned aircraft for civilian use, a milestone expected to lead to the first approved commercial drone operations later this year.

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday the drones are Insitu's Scan Eagle X200 and AeroVironment's PUMA.

A major energy company plans to fly the Scan Eagle off the Alaska coast starting in August to survey ice floes and migrating whales. The PUMA is expected to support emergency response crews for oil spill monitoring and wildlife surveillance over the Beaufort Sea.

Most non-military use of drones in the US. has been limited to police and other government agencies.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

9 dead, 8 missing in China landslides

NINE people have died and eight are missing after rain caused landslides in a northwestern Chinese province rocked by a strong earthquake earlier this week.

The landslides struck on Thursday just south of the city of Dingxi where Monday's earthquake left 95 dead, frive missing and more than 800 people injured.

Xinhua News Agency says the more serious landslide buried 13 people in Nanyu village and nine bodies have been recovered. It says rescue efforts are underway in the neighbouring village of Yongguang where four people are missing.

The area along the Yellow River has rolling hills of loose soil blown south from the Gobi desert. Thunderstorms have loosened the terraced hillsides that were made unstable by the quake.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eight injured as fuel tank explodes

EIGHT people have been injured after an underground fuel tank exploded, shattering the windows of nearby homes and businesses in Sydney's northwest.

An ambulance spokesman says the injured included locals and passers by, and some have possible hearing damage.

Three people were working on the disused tank on Blaxland Road, Eastwood, when it exploded about 12.20pm (AEST) on Friday, a fire spokesman told AAP.

It's understood they were attempting to remove the underground tank.

"There has been an explosion but no fire," the spokesman said.

"There have been some injuries and some damage to surrounding buildings with broken glass and windows."

Two of the workers are believed to have been taken to Royal North Shore Hospital in a stable condition, while the other one was treated at the scene.

Another five people are being treated for possible hearing damage, the ambulance spokesman said.

Three fire units are at the scene, along with the hazardous chemical crew.

"We will be there for some time as we have to check that the area is safe before we can head back," the fire spokesman said.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Press hails George's 'kingly authority'

BRITAIN'S press has given a seal of approval to Prince William and his wife Kate's decision to name their baby boy George Alexander Louis, saying it has "kingly authority".

"The baby formally known as George Alexander Louis of Cambridge", said the Sun's headline, a pun on pop star Prince's one-time name change.

The Daily Mirror ran with "Boy George" as its headline while the Guardian ran a front-page photograph of the new baby under the words "A boy called George: royal couple choose name fit for a king".

"The baby boy destined to become King George VII," said the Daily Telegraph's headline.

"It is hard to find fault with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's decision," said its editorial.

"It speaks of kingly authority, of solidity and Britishness."

It said Alexander's meaning of "protector of men" was "fitting" and that Louis, although "exotic", was an appropriate tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, Lord Mountbatten, who was killed in an Irish Republican Army bomb in 1979.

"For the partisans of Ethelred, or Rufus, or Canute, there is always the next generation," it advised.

The Daily Express went for "By George" on its front page, praising the pair for choosing "a noble name used by six previous kings".

The Times' too focused on the historical significance of the name, saying "Kate and William stick to tradition, by George" in its headline, but also lauded their embrace of modernity.

"They could have been any proud middle-class couple with their newborn baby," it said of Wednesday's public appearance.

"In the years of this Queen's reign the country has changed. The British are more emotional, less restrained, less hierarchical and consequently less deferential.

"In every way the Duke and Duchess seemed at ease in the Britain of which they will one day be King and Queen."

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld 'moving on' public housing tenants

QUEENSLANDERS living in public housing will be encouraged to see their homes as transitional and the management of housing stock will be outsourced.

Housing Minister Tim Mander announced on Thursday his 2020 vision for public housing, which focuses on encouraging tenants to move into the private rental market.

Mr Mander said while high-needs tenants would be protected, it's hoped within seven years that 250,000 people will either be moved out of social housing, or discouraged from initially entering the system.

They'll receive government support, education and guidance to maintain private rentals.

"Our aim is to change the mentality that some people have about social housing," Mr Mander told a budget estimates hearing.

"It is meant to be a privilege, not something which is accessed for life."

The government also wants 90 per cent of social housing managed by community housing providers by 2020.

"We are moving away from being direct provider of services, to being an enabler of services in regards to management of social housing tenancies," Mr Mander said.

Another 12,000 socially affordable housing dwellings would be built by 2020, focusing on one and two bedroom units.

An extra 820 new properties would be built in indigenous communities and at least 200 indigenous families would be assisted in moving into home ownership.

Labor's Jo-Ann Miller said singles on the dole wouldn't be able to afford private rentals, not even the cheapest accommodation in her electorate west of Brisbane.

"Your new strategy is already flawed isn't it? You haven't done the sums yourself, it's a con on all Queenslanders isn't it?" she asked during the estimates hearing

In 2011 about 31,000 households were waiting to enter public housing but that number has been reduced to about 22,000.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Atlas Iron targets production increase

Atlas managing director Ken Brinsden said the company was happy with its increased shipping volumes. Picture: Colin Murty Source: PerthNow

ATLAS Iron increased shipping volumes 16 per cent during the June quarter and expects to lift production further this financial year.

The Perth-based miner says it shipped 2.2 million tonnes of iron ore during the June quarter, up 16 per cent on the previous three months.

It says it plans to produce between 9.8 and 10.3 million tonnes this financial year, compared to the 7.4 million tonnes it shipped during 2012/13.

Atlas says it received net cash flows from operating activities of $62 million, excluding working capital adjustments, during last financial year, while capital operating costs were around $49-50 a tonne, which was within its guidance range.

The company said the average price for its iron ore fell from $US126 ($A136.33) a tonne in the March quarter to $US107 last quarter, but the price had since recovered.

Atlas managing director Ken Brinsden said production had been affected by unseasonal bad weather in Western Australia during the June quarter.

But he said the company was nonetheless happy with its performance.

"This is a strong result, with the company continuing to expand production while meeting the quarter's cost and shipping guidance," he said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday.

"This was achieved despite difficult and unseasonal weather conditions."

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Havana airport to get $US10.2m upgrade

Cuba's Havana airport will get a $US10.2m upgrade to improve operations at the overcrowded facility. Source: AAP

CUBA'S main international terminal is getting a $US10.2 million ($A11.04 million) overhaul to improve operations at the overcrowded facility, according to state-run media.

The Havana Reporter, an English-language semi-weekly newspaper, says the Terminal 3 upgrade will include eight footbridges for boarding and the expansion of a parking area outside the terminal.

Government website Cubadebate added that the project also calls for new walkways, additional check-in counters, lighting and air conditioning improvements and systems to conserve water and electricity.

Airport director Juan Carlos Quintana told Cubadebate that the eastern part of the terminal would be upgraded to accommodate larger airplanes, and nearly 17,500 square metres of new roofing has already been installed.

Terminal 3 is the most modern of the Jose Marti International Airport's terminals. It was built with Canadian assistance at a cost of $US93 million, and inaugurated in 1998 in a ceremony involving Fidel Castro and Canada's then-premier, Jean Chretien.

However, it has not kept up with increasing traffic since then, and at times seems to be straining at the seams with long waits at check-in, immigration, security and baggage claim.

Cubadebate said the terminal has as many as 1,800 to 2,000 travellers passing through at times, a number that can rise to 2,500 if people accompanying passengers to the airport are factored in.

"The current design only allows for the terminal to accommodate 1,400 passengers, a number lower than the real volume that exists in these moments, which hurts the quality of service," the website said.

Overall, 2.5 million travellers pass through Terminal 3 each year, according to Cubadebate.

The terminal handles most international traffic with the exception of charter flights to and from the United States, which go through Terminal 2.

The number of travellers to the island has increased steadily since the 1990s, when in the midst of a severe economic crisis following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Castro's Communist-run government turned to tourism for badly needed hard currency.

Some 2.7 million tourists visited the island in 2011, according to the most recent government figure available, up from 2.1 million in 2007. Authorities predict it will hit three million this year.

Canada sends more travellers to Cuba than any other country, followed by England, Italy and Spain.

Repairs on the terminal began earlier in July and are expected to last six months, during which time access will be restricted to passengers only, Cubadebate said.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

AFIC profits up 10%

AUSTRALIA'S largest listed investment company has recorded a 10 per cent rise in profit but says caution is needed in the local stock market.

Australian Foundation Investment Company (AFIC) made a net profit of $242.8 million in the 2012/13 financial year, up more than 10 per cent from the previous year.

It said the Australian market benefited from a string of interest rate cuts during the year.

"The Australian market enjoyed strong returns for the year driven largely by the falling interest rate environment and the rising US market," the company said in a statement on Monday.

But, it said, both global and domestic markets had weakened recently and caution was needed.

"Whilst the present environment causes us to approach the upcoming year with some caution, we believe AFIC's portfolio is well-positioned, including having a strong level of cash to continue the process of investing in sound businesses with good long-term prospects when value is on offer," the company said.

It added that the return on its portfolio of holdings was 24.4 per cent during the financial year, above the 22.8 per cent recorded by the S&P/ASX 200 index.

The portfolio's performance was driven by major bank holdings and other high yielding stocks such as Telstra and Wesfarmers, it said.

The company will pay shareholders a final dividend of 14 cents a share, meaning investors would have received a total divided of 22 cents a share, fully franked, for the year.

AFIC shares were trading two cents higher at $5.58 following the release of the results.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

World Bank ducks human rights: HRW

WORLD Bank-financed development programs in some countries have failed to protect the human rights of vulnerable people it was seeking to help due to inadequate checks against abuses, Human Rights Watch says.

The New York-based rights group cited cases in Vietnam and Ethiopia.

The 59-page report, "Abuse-free development: How the World Bank should safeguard against human rights violations", says the bank funded programs in Vietnam's drug detention centres, where arbitrary detention, forced labour, torture and other forms of ill-treatment have been documented.

The Ethiopian government received a $US2 billion ($A2.19 billion) loan to support education, health and development projects. But a project in the western Gambella region, which involves relocating the 1.5 million indigenous and marginalised population, has been marred by violence involving soldiers responsible for moving people out of their villages.

"The World Bank pays tens of billions of dollars every year to support development efforts around the world," said Jessica Evans on Monday, a senior advocate on international financial institutions at the rights group.

"But it needs to stop undermining its efforts by making sure it isn't contributing to human rights abuses."

Human Rights Watch called for the World Bank to amend safeguard policies to ensure that human rights are respected in its projects.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Reviving talks in Israeli strategic intere

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says resuming negotiations with Palestine are "vital". Source: AAP

RENEWING negotiations with the Palestinians is a "vital" Israeli interest, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, a day after an agreement was announced for the basis to resume talks.

"The resumption of the peace process is a vital strategic interest of the state of Israel," the Israeli premier said in a statement on Saturday.

"It is important on its own to try to bring an end to the conflict between us and the Palestinians, and is important because of the challenges facing us, especially from Iran and Syria," he said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet in Washington in the near future after an agreement on the basis to resume peace talks.

Talks have stuttered and started for decades in the elusive bid to reach a final peace deal between the Arab world and Israel.

But they collapsed completely in September 2010 when Israel refused to keep up a freeze on settlement building in Palestinian territories.

Netanyahu also stated the two central goals he perceived for the talks: "Preventing a bi-national state... that would endanger the future of the Jewish state, and preventing the establishment of another Iranian-sponsored terrorist state within our borders."

He did not provide further details on what the sides had agreed upon ahead of the initial rounds of talks.

Earlier on Saturday, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said Israel would release a "limited" number of Palestinian prisoners as a "gesture".

"I will insist on Israel's security demands and its vital interests," Netanyahu's statement said.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

GetUp stunt highlights real issue

INDEPENDENT Senator Nick Xenophon says GetUp's $40,000 gold giveaway to encourage people to enrol for the election is a stunt but one which highlights a genuine issue.

Senator Xenophon said it was the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) should be encouraging people to enrol not an activist group.

"Good on GetUp for highlighting a flaw in the system. As much of a stunt as it is, it's a stunt that makes the point that the system isn't working," he told AAP.

Launching their scheme on Saturday, GetUp! National Director Sam McLean said 1.4 million people eligible to vote weren't on the electoral role and 493,000 were under 24.

Those who enrol and register with GetUp! will go into a draw, with one winner from each state and territory receiving $5,000 worth of gold.

The gold will be delivered the Sunday after the election, which has yet to be called by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Senator Xenophon said the AEC should be encouraging people to enrol and if they lacked the resources for the task, they should ask.

He said it was debasing Australia's democratic system that so many weren't able to vote.

"If the government can find $40-$50 million to spruik the NBN, surely it can find the resources to get people to enrol to vote," he said.

11.51 | 0 komentar | Read More