US man sets himself on fire in capital

A man has set himself on fire near the US congress, a fire official says. Source: AAP

A US man has been flown to hospital after setting himself on fire on the National Mall, a fire official says.

Fire crews responded on Friday afternoon to a report of a man on fire.

A witness said she saw a man dump a red canister of petrol on his head and then set himself on fire.

Fire Department spokesman Tim Wilson said the man has life-threatening injuries.

His name and age were not immediately known.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Valentine wins big at the AWGIE Awards

Playwright Anna Valentine has won three gongs at the AWGIE Awards in Melbourne. Source: AAP

PLAYWRIGHT Alana Valentine, who likes to gives audiences a kick up the arse in a witty way, has swept the Australian Writers' Guild Awards (AWGIEs).

Valentine picked up three gongs, including script of the year, at the awards ceremony on Friday night.

The AWGIEs are judged solely by writers on the basis of the script.

Valentine scooped the Major AWGIE, for Most Outstanding Script of 2013, and took out the community and youth theatre category for her play Grounded.

Set in Newcastle, Grounded is a coming-of-age tale about teenager Farrah, who wants to be a marine pilot.

Valentine began her winning streak by picking up the inaugural $25,000 David Williamson Prize for quality new Australian works for the stage.

"I'm very proud to be part of a guild which actually encourages and celebrates writers who want to look at what's happening in our culture right now, on our watch," Valentine told the audience at Melbourne's Plaza Ballroom.

"I'm really proud of all the writers in the guild who chose to, as cleverly and wittily as they do, give our audiences a kick up the arse and rub their noses in what we think is not working about this country."

In television writing, Robert Connolly picked up the best Telemovie Adaption award for Underground: The Julian Assange Story.

The Underbelly: Badness team - Niki Aken, Peter Gawler, Felicity Packard and Jeffrey Truman - were honoured for writing the stand-out original television mini-series.

Andrew Knight won the best television series AWGIE for the Rake series 2 episode R v. Floyd. The Good News Week writers received their ninth AWGIE for the final season of the comedy/light entertainment series.

The $25,000 Foxtel Fellowship, awarded in recognition of an impressive body of television work, went to Jacquelin Perske for a career including TV dramas The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way.

In the movie arena, Kim Mordaunt won the AWGIE for best original feature film script for The Rocket.

That film, about a 10-year-old boy trying to help his family in Laos' war-torn north, is Australia's selection for the best foreign-language film at next year's Oscars.

The Rocket also took out the audience awards at both the Sydney and Melbourne film festivals.

Best short film script went to husband and wife team, Matthew Moore and Genevieve Hegney, for The Amber Amulet, based on Craig Silvey's novella.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

$A higher as rate expecations pushed back

THE Australian dollar has hit its highest level in a week as traders scale back their expectations for an interest rate cut before the end of the year.

At 1700 AEST on Friday, the local unit was trading at 94.43 US cents, up from 94.01 cents on Thursday.

RBC Capital markets currency strategist Sue Trinh said the chances of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank before the end of 2013 were weakening.

"The Australian dollar has been resilient in the face of softer stocks, rallying in Asia off its lows and to a new high for the week as expectations of RBA rate cuts get pushed back," Ms Trinh said.

On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of Australia kept the cash rate unchanged at 2.5 per cent and made little mention of the need for further interest rate cuts in its statement.

The local currency is also rising against a US dollar hit by concerns about the ongoing US budget crisis.

Most parts of the US government are still closed after Congress failed to pass the budget by the end of the American financial year, three days ago.

Agreement is needed to raise the borrowing limit for the US government by October 17.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Planned Qld coal ports in doubt

PLANS to build two central Queensland coal ports are in doubt due to a downturn in the coal market.

However, proponents of the ports, at Dudgeon Point near Mackay and Port Alma at the mouth of the Fitzroy River near Rockhampton, say the plans will go ahead if the market recovers.

Both projects are still seeking government approvals.

North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation, which is developing Dudgeon Point along with Indian coal giant Adani, says progress is continuing "but at a slower pace".

"The Environmental Impact Statement for the project is currently paused," a statement from the firm said.

"The coal market is down as is the current appetite for investment in infrastructure of this type."

Bulk Ports said they will continue finalising environmental studies as the firm doesn't want to be caught out if the market improves.

The port will have the capacity to export up to 180 million tonnes of coal each year.

Peter MacTaggart of Mitchell Ports, which is developing Port Alma, told News Corp Australia the project won't go ahead until demand increased.

"At the moment our customers are telling us that their priority is cutting costs rather than expanding, and we won't be going ahead until there's the demand for it."

Once completed, up to 22 million tonnes of coal per year would be exported from the port.

Environmental groups are calling on Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt to stop all mega-ports along the Queensland coast.

Of particular concern is the Port Alma project as it would be built on the pristine Fitzroy River Delta, the largest estuarine ecosystem feeding into the reef.

"We're calling on the Australian and Queensland governments to work together and rule out this totally unnecessary development once and for all," WWF spokesperson Richard Leck said.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fires lead to $1.4m fix for Perth buses

THE extensive and expensive measures taken to keep Perth bus passengers safe from potential injury in another dangerous fire have been revealed for the first time.

Late last year and early this year, three Mercedes OC500 gas buses, worth around $550,000 each, burst into flames - prompting bus drivers across the city to threaten to walk off the job unless answers were forthcoming.

The potential safety risks to drivers and passengers forced urgent action from the Public Transport Authority (PTA), although it stopped short of taking gas buses off the road because they represented about 40 per cent of the total fleet.

The authority's just-released annual report has revealed that Mercedes, local fire experts and engineers from Australia and overseas had all worked to come up with measures to stop the fires.

And the PTA has confirmed the works in its fleet of 475 Mercedes gas buses have now cost $1.4 million.

These included a significantly upgraded fire suppression system, different engine coolant, changes to coolant hoses, reworked insulation and the ability for drivers to isolate battery and gas controls.

The buses' exhaust system has been redesigned with extra heat shielding, and weekly inspections have also been ordered.

In August, the PTA confirmed it had taken legal action against the manufacturers of its gas bus fleet over the series of fires, with a writ claiming Mercedes failed to meet its design, longevity and safety requirements.

The writ has been lodged, but not yet served, with negotiations between the two ongoing.

"Mercedes Benz and the PTA are continuing to negotiate the terms on which a scope of works can be developed and implemented to carry out any further items identified as requiring rectification," the annual report said.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tanker crash firm hit with 126 notices

The company believed to be involved in a tanker crash has been issued more than 100 defect notices. Source: AAP

POLICE warn more lives could be lost if trucking companies continue to flout safety rules as inspectors find more faults with vehicles from the company linked to a fatal Sydney crash.

An investigation has been launched after a fuel tanker went out of control on Mona Vale Road on Tuesday, ploughing into a power pole and four cars before erupting in a fireball.

Two men died in the blaze and six other people were taken to hospital.

NSW Road and Maritime Services (RMS) inspectors are continuing to audit the trucking company linked to the crash.

So far, 126 defect notices have been issued - at least 92 of which include brake faults.

Inspectors found defects such as cracked exhaust pipes, engine leaks and axle failures with the Cootes Transport trucks.

Problems with suspension, wheels and fuel leaks were also reported.

The rising defect count was an "alarming result", NSW Police Assistant Commissioner John Hartley said.

"Given the horrific crash in Mona Vale on Tuesday, we could lose many more lives on the roads due to trucking companies not complying with safety regulations," he said.

Meanwhile, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said it was "beyond imagination" that defective trucks would be allowed on the road.

He said safety checks should "go national" to make sure interstate fleets do not have similar defects.

Opposition roads spokesman Ryan Park said current safety reviews weren't good enough, and the government needed to take matters into their own hands.

"We need to make sure that heavy vehicles are inspected by government officials in government-certified shops," he told AAP.

It's understood representatives for Cootes Transport met with the RMS and NSW Police on Thursday afternoon.

In a statement, the company said it takes its safety responsibilities extremely seriously and it would continue to cooperate with the audit.

Investigators are still looking into what caused the tanker to lose control, overturn and then explode.

It's expected the investigation will take weeks, as police wait on blood and urine tests from the driver.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Giant marsupial fossil found on Vic beach

A FOSSILISED giant wombat-like skeleton as large as a small car has been found on a Victorian beach by a local beachgoer.

It is believed to be the Diprotodon, the largest marsupial ever to have lived, and may be as old as 200,000 years and have weighed up to 1000kg.

Museum Victoria senior paleontologist Erich Fitzgerald said it was an exciting discovery because of its potential to shed new light on the extinct species.

"What we know is that it appears to be the most complete and best preserved discovery of this species in Victoria and one of the more complete found in Australia," Dr Fitzgerald told AAP on Wednesday.

"We may be able to get a lot more information about the animal's appearance and also potentially about its lifestyle from this particular specimen, given how much of it we actually have."

The skeleton was discovered earlier this year on a beach in Mornington Peninsula National Park by a Sorrento local who noticed bones eroding out of a rock.

"It was found by completely by chance. The person did exactly the right thing and contacted Parks Victoria," Dr Fitzgerald said.

The discovery came as a surprise to paleontologists as the area had never revealed any significant fossils.

"The ones that had been found have not been very complete," Dr Fitzgerald said.

"It suggests further exploration may lead to additional discoveries."

The job of removing the specimen from the site is ongoing and it may be months before researchers know for sure how much of it is preserved and intact.

The species was widespread across Australia when the first indigenous people arrived but became extinct about 25,000 years ago.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld senate spots declared

Palmer United Party candidate Glenn Lazarus officially snared one of Queensland's six senate spots. Source: AAP

CLIVE Palmer's party is on track to hold the balance of power in the Senate with star candidate Glenn Lazarus officially snaring one of Queensland's six spots.

The former league prop will join the Palmer United Party's Tasmanian candidate Jacqui Lambie in the upper house, and possibly Zhenya Wang who is on track to win a Senate seat for the party in Western Australia.

The Australian Electoral Commission announced the six Queensland senators on Wednesday.

They include the Liberal National Party's James McGrath, who was the campaign director behind the party's mammoth win at the Queensland election in 2012.

As opposition leader, Campbell Newman was forced to reprimand Mr McGrath for his role in the Labor dirt-files affair.

During the state election campaign Mr Newman was embarrassed by revelations his own party had hired a former ALP staffer to dig dirt on Queensland Labor MPs.

The files contained salacious details about Labor MPs' sexual leanings and habits, among other things.

On Wednesday, Mr Newman praised his former campaign director.

"James did a tremendous job during last year's state election campaign, and I know he will be a terrific advocate for the people of Queensland as a member of the LNP Senate team," he said in a statement.

It wasn't the first time Mr McGrath found himself at the centre of political controversy.

He was previously an adviser to London Lord Mayor Boris Johnson but left over comments that embroiled his then boss in a race row.

The other Queensland senators are Ian MacDonald and Matthew Canavan, from the LNP, and Labor's Chris Ketter and Claire Moore.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stocks to watch at close on Tuesday

STOCKS to watch on the Australian stock exchange at close on Tuesday:

ELD - ELDERS - down 0.5 cents, 4.6 per cent, at 10.5 cents

Agribusiness Elders is investigating discrepancies surrounding the valuation of cattle designated for export.

FXJ - FAIRFAX MEDIA - up 1.0 cent, or 1.9 per cent, at 54.5 cents

Fairfax Media will cut 45 jobs through the merger of business reporting across three newspapers and the closure of high-gloss magazine inserts.

LEI - LEIGHTON HOLDINGS - up 21 cents, or 1.1 per cent, at $19.46

Construction giant Leighton has won a $370 million contract to build a new terminal and car park at Melbourne Airport.

POS - POSEIDON NICKEL - down 3.5 cents, or 24.1 per cent, at 11 cents

Billionaire miner Andrew Forrest has given Poseidon Nickel a further 12 months to repay an $8 million loan, as a close ally replaces him at the company.

TCL - TRANSURBAN - up 2.0 cents, or 0.3 per cent, at $6.82

Toll road owner Transurban is issuing its first euro-denominated debt in a move to diversify its funding sources.

VAH - VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS - down 0.5 cents, or 1.2 per cent, at 42.5 cents

Tigerair Australia has hired British defence and aerospace giant BAE Systems to provide maintenance services for its fleet of A320 aircraft.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Commodity prices fall in September

AUSTRALIA'S export commodity prices fell in September to be 24 per cent below their July 2011 peak.

The Reserve Bank of Australia's index of commodity prices fell by 0.5 per cent in the month, in foreign currency terms.

The RBA said the largest contributor to the monthly fall was iron ore, but the prices of base metals also fell.

These falls were largely offset by increased prices for coking coal and a number of rural commodities.

Over the year to September, commodity prices were down by 3.1 per cent in foreign currency terms.

"Much of this fall has been due to declines in the prices of coking coal, gold and thermal coal, although the price of iron ore has risen," the RBA said.

Despite the falls from their 2001 recent peak, commodity prices remain elevated.

Prices in September were 177 per cent above the level recorded a decade earlier before the commodity price boom got going, a point acknowledged by the RBA earlier on Tuesday when it announced interest rats would not be changed this month.

"Commodity prices have declined from their peaks, but generally remain at high levels by historical standards," the RBA said in the interest rate announcement.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Westpac Rescue Helicopter marks 40 years

The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter has celebrated 40 years of saving Australian lives. Source: AAP

IT began with a band of daring surfies rescuing swimmers off Sydney's beaches.

Now the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter celebrates its 40th birthday as a full rescue service that has helped people caught in some of the nation's worst disasters.

Two helicopters flew in formation over Sydney Harbour on Sunday to mark the occasion, four decades after a group of surf lifesavers founded the service in 1973 with a MASH-style single-engine light helicopter, the Bell C47.

Then it was known as the Wales Bank SLSA Helicopter Surf Rescue Service.

Today it has a fleet of 15 helicopters across twelve bases around the country, and has helped rescue Australians involved in the Waterfall train crash, the Milperra bikie massacre and the Thredbo landslide, where the service helicopter was on hand to fly sole survivor Stuart Diver to Canberra Hospital after he was trapped in rubble for almost three days.

But the more things have changed, the more they've stayed the same, according to CEO Stephen Leahy.

"The reason we go out hasn't changed in those 40 years, we were set up to help the people of Sydney and NSW and we're still doing that today," he told AAP.

"The only things that have really changed are the helicopters themselves - what we use now are bigger, better and faster."

Even the bank that helped launch the fledgling service in 1973 with a $25,000 cheque remains the same, despite a name change.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld grandmother in carjack ordeal

A BRISBANE grandmother has described the terrifying moment she was carjacked while her baby granddaughter was in the back seat.

The 54-year-old was in a dark car park of an inner city unit complex waiting to pick up her son about 9.30pm (AEST) on Saturday night when the thief struck.

He tapped on the window with what she believes was a pistol.

The woman, who did not want her name published, said she opened the car window thinking it was her son.

"He said, 'get out of the car. This is true, it's a hold-up. Just do as I say and you're going to be OK'," the shaken woman told AAP.

"All I could think of was our little grand-daughter.

"I said, 'please, whatever you do don't take off, I've got my grand-daughter in the back'."

The man in his 20s let her take the seven-month-old from the car and even helped her unclip the baby seat.

He warned her to keep quiet and said the police were after him.

"He said, 'keep it quiet and you'll be fine but if you mutter a word you're going to be in trouble'," the woman said, adding that she'd felt sick with fright.

"He definitely had something which I thought was a little gun, a pistol...I thought oh my god, he's holding me up, I've got to do what he says."

The woman said the man, who was wearing a black beanie and dark clothes, drove off as soon as she had the baby out of the car.

She alerted passersby who came to their aid.

The woman, from Brisbane's east, said the horrible ordeal had made her paranoid about being held up again.

She hopes police find the thief and her son's car, a silver 2002 Nissan Patrol station wagon with registration 168 GWV.

It was last seen on Main Street at Kangaroo Point, in Brisbane's inner south.

Police are investigating and urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.

00.51 | 0 komentar | Read More