Salvos sorry for abuse 'greatest failure'

The Salvation Army will again give evidence at the child sex abuse royal commission in Sydney. Source: AAP

THE Salvation Army says it is profoundly sorry for the abuse suffered by children in its care, and events revealed by the royal commission into child sexual abuse represent the greatest failure in its history.

HOWEVER, the organisation maintains sexual abuse was not widespread after the commission heard evidence of more than 100 cases of children suffering horrendous abuse in homes run by the Salvation Army in Queensland and NSW in the 1960s and 1970s.

As the royal commission moved to finalise its investigation into the church on Monday, counsel for the Salvation Army, Kate Eastman, challenged a statement from counsel assisting the commission that sexual abuse was "widespread" at boys' homes it ran.In an apology to survivors, Ms Eastman read a statement from the Salvation Army saying the organisation was "profoundly sorry for failing to care for you as you deserved, for the neglect, hurt, abuse and deprivation of human rights that all children are entitled to".Ms Eastman said the church "acknowledges that this is the greatest failure in its history in Australia".She said that in the 113 years from 1883 to 1996, the Salvation Army had 17,831 children in its care across four homes in NSW and Queensland and there had been 157 claims of abuse from children in that time.She said 115 of those children were from boys' homes and of 23 perpetrators identified, 19 were Salvation Army officers."We don't for one moment seek to diminish or oversimplify or justify by historical circumstances but we do submit that the total number of claims against the total number of children reflects a relatively small number of children reporting sexual abuse during their time at the home," Ms Eastman said.Counsel assisting the commission Simeon Beckett said the number of children abused in Salvation Army homes would never be known because many had not come forward or had not been able to speak out.The commission heard evidence from survivors of extreme sexual and physical abuse meted out by Salvation Army workers at homes in Indooroopilly and Riverview in Queensland, and Bexley and Goulburn in NSW.Hearings held in January and February heard evidence that the Salvation Army failed to investigate complaints that its staff were abusing boys and did not refer matters to police.Boys who did report abuse to officials were punished and many did not report abuse for fear they would not be believed and would suffer further punishment.Ms Eastman also revealed the Salvation Army has dismissed an officer accused of abusing children in the 1970s.John McIver was suspended by the Salvation Army in February after allegations he sexually abused two boys in a NSW home in the 1960s and 1970s, and whipped a boy with a strap and dislocated his arm during a beating at a home in Queensland in 1975.On Monday the commission heard McIver had been dismissed from the organisation in June and matters had been referred to police.The commission will now prepare its report into the events that occurred at Salvation Army homes in the 1960s and 1970s, and into separate events of alleged abuse that have occurred since 1993.

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Labor, coalition in cost of living battle

Prime Minister Tony Abbott will personally reintroduce a bill to axe the carbon tax. Source: AAP

LABOR and the coalition have traded blows over cost-of-living pressures as the government reintroduced its carbon tax repeal bills.

THE government is adamant the repeal will improve the cost of living for average families by $550 a year and drive down electricity bills.

But Labor has seized on new economic modelling which shows budget changes to welfare and seniors payments will erode family budgets by thousands of dollars each year.Prime Minister Tony Abbott intends to have the carbon tax repeal bills passed through the lower house this week, in time for a special four-day sitting of the new Senate from July 7.The government is quietly confident of securing six out of eight crossbench votes, including three Palmer United Party senators, to pass its legislation.PUP leader Clive Palmer will outline at a media conference in Canberra on Wednesday night what it will take for his senators to back the bills."He will be fully transparent on Wednesday," his spokesman told AAP.Mr Palmer also has concerns about pension cuts and the Medicare co-payment which he says will cost pensioners $2500 a year.Environment Minister Greg Hunt on Monday seized on statements by energy retailers AGL, Origin and Energy Australia that prices would come down once the carbon tax was abolished."AGL today confirmed that price reductions will flow through to residential and small business customers if the carbon repeal legislation is passed by the federal parliament," the company said, adding the cuts would start from July 1 regardless of when the laws passed.Mr Hunt said all six new senators had gone to an election promising to get rid of the carbon tax."All of the signs are that they will fulfil their commitment," he said.Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in parliament referred to new modelling showing a couple on a single income of $65,000 with two children would be $1700 worse off in 2014/15 and short-changed by $6300 in 2017/18."Why should Australian families have to pay for the prime minister's dishonesty?" he asked Mr Abbott in parliament.Mr Abbott told parliament Labor's family payments were unaffordable, but the government was still providing a generous system while getting the budget back under control.Meanwhile, defeated Labor leadership contender Anthony Albanese rejected reports he has been privately critical of Mr Shorten's handling of strategy, policy, communications and internal party reform."Bill has done a good job of holding the government to account," Mr Albanese said.Mr Albanese later told parliament the media reports were "absurd, wrong, without any attribution, unprofessional and contradicted by cursory examination of the facts and recent history".

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SUV carrying rapper ScHoolboy Q fired on

A gunman has fired on an SUV carrying rapper ScHoolboy Q after a concert in Colorado. Source: AAP

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

THREE other people suffered non-life threatening injuries during the attack late on Thursday in a parking lot at Red Rocks.

Investigators speaking Friday did not release a possible motive for the shooting and said they do not know if ScHoolboy Q was targeted. No arrests have been made."We have a lot to learn," said Jacki Kelley, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.ScHoolboy Q, whose birth name is Quincy Matthew Hanley, is from Los Angeles. His most recent album, "Oxymoron," debuted at No. 1 earlier this year and reflects his life as a father and former gang member.He and Kendrick Lamar, who was nominated for seven Grammys this year, are members of Black Hippy.ScHoolboy Q said on Twitter Friday that he was OK."im str8...... dont trip," he wrote.Ray Alba, a representative for ScHoolboy Q, didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.The rapper and at least four other people were in a white SUV that was fired on at the venue in the foothills west of Denver, authorities said.They drove themselves to a Denver intersection about 24 kilometres away, apparently in search of a hospital, before being stopped by Denver police and taken for medical attention, Kelley said.ScHoolboy Q and another uninjured person were briefly handcuffed while police assessed the situation, but no one in the vehicle was arrested. Kelley said ScHoolboy Q was not a suspect in the shooting.Nas and Flying Lotus also performed at the concert that benefited three groups, including the Gang Rescue and Support Project of Denver."We want to know what's going on so we can help out in any way," said Cisco Gallardo, director of the gang rescue group."There could have been (a) prior beef, prior problems."About 4500 people attended the concert at the amphitheatre, which seats as many as 9525 people.Promoters said the gang rescue group got five per cent of the profits. Two other groups also got five per cent each: Preserve the Rocks, which helps preserve the Red Rocks venue, and Helping Our People Excel, a Denver-area charity with a food pantry and other services.

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Ukrainian church desecrated in Sydney

A UKRAINIAN church in Sydney has been desecrated with racial slurs in an attack the NSW government has labelled vicious and abhorrent.

MEMBERS of the Ukrainian community woke on Saturday morning to find the St Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lidcombe covered in spray paint.

Among the vandalism is a swastika symbol and the message "traitors fascists".Father Simon Ckuj said the church partly commemorated Ukrainians who fought against Nazism in World War Two."This act completely defiles the memory of those who died fighting fascism," the parish priest said on Saturday.Despite the offensive crime, the church says it will pray for the graffiti artists at a Sunday morning service.Peter Shmigel, of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, says the act trashed the principals of a multicultural and democratic Australia."There is no room for people like those who attacked our church to import their foreign conflicts to Australia and Sydney, where our community has made a positive contribution for 65 years," he said in a statement.The church says the graffiti, once translated to English, also reads "burn in hell for the sins of Poroshenko", referring to the President of Ukraine.Communities and Citizenship Minister Victor Dominello said the act was completely unacceptable."To use an international racial dispute to vilify a community in Sydney is abhorrent," he said."The use of swastikas as a means of denigrating and attacking any community in NSW is utterly offensive."The church says the vandalism has been reported to police.

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Two Qld cops in trouble with the law

A CENTRAL Queensland police officer has been suspended from duty on misconduct charges.

THE 31-year-old constable will be required to appear in the Mackay Magistrates Court for a "misconduct in relation to public office" offence.

Police have not specified any more details about the charge.It comes after a Brisbane senior constable, 29, resigned on Friday after being accused of an unspecified drug-related charge.He will have to front Brisbane Magistrates Court."This does not mean that the allegations against the officer have been substantiated," a police statement read.

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NZ consumer confidence rebounds

New Zealand consumer confidence has rebounded from a six-month low, supported by a strong economy. Source: AAP

NEW Zealand consumer confidence has rebounded from a six-month low, supported by a strong economy.

THE ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index rose to 131.9 in June, from 127.6 in May. A reading above 100 indicates optimists outnumber pessimists.

New Zealanders are feeling more buoyant on the back of a strong economy where the prospects of higher wages loom as employment increases and the cost of living is supported by low inflation, ANZ said.A report on Thursday showed the economy expanded at a 3.3 per cent annual rate in the first quarter, the fastest pace in eight years. Last week, the Reserve Bank raised interest rates for a third time and signalled more hikes ahead."Sentiment is very solid under the bonnet," ANZ Bank New Zealand chief economist Cameron Bagrie said in a note."That's an incredibly healthy sign; amidst rising interest rates there are wider influences that are supporting confidence."The current conditions index rose to 127.5 from 123 in May as households felt better off financially compared to a year ago and still considered it to be a great time to buy a major household item.The future conditions index increased to 134.9 from 130.7 as those expecting good economic conditions in New Zealand over the next 12 months rose to 37 from 30 in May."All measures - headline sentiment, current and future conditions - are well north of the 100 benchmark, something of a breakeven mark for wallets being opened," Mr Bagrie said."At these levels, wallets are not only open; the credit card is in hand."Household sentiment strengthened in four of the five regions and was topped by Wellington to reach its highest level since January 2007. Meanwhile, confidence eased marginally in Canterbury, drifting down to a five-month low.

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Picasso painting reveals hidden man

Experts have found a hidden painting beneath the surface of Pablo Picasso's, The Blue Room. Source: AAP

FOR Pablo Picasso, 1901 was a pivotal time to experiment and find his own unique style.

AT just 19 years old, he was living in Paris, painting furiously and dirt poor, so it wasn't unusual for him to take one canvas and reuse it to paint a fresh idea.

Now scientists and art experts are revealing they've found a hidden painting beneath the surface of one of Picasso's first masterpieces, The Blue Room.

Using advances in infrared imagery, they have uncovered a hidden portrait of a bow-tied man with his face resting on his hand.

Now the question that conservators at The Phillips Collection in Washington hope to answer is simply: Who is he?

It's a mystery that's fueling new research about the painting created early in Picasso's career while he was working in Paris at the start of his distinctive blue period of melancholy subjects.

Curators and conservators revealed the discovery of the portrait for the first time to The Associated Press last week.

"When he had an idea, you know, he just had to get it down and realise it," Phillips curator Susan Behrends Frank said, describing how Picasso had hurriedly painted The Blue Room over another complete picture.

"He could not afford to acquire new canvases every time he had an idea that he wanted to pursue. He worked sometimes on cardboard because canvas was so much more expensive."

Experts long suspected there might be something under the surface of The Blue Room, which has been part of The Phillips Collection since 1927.

Brushstrokes on the piece clearly don't match the composition that depicts a woman bathing in Picasso's studio.

A conservator noted the odd brushstrokes in a 1954 letter, but it wasn't until the 1990s that an X-ray of the painting first revealed a fuzzy image of something under the picture. It wasn't clear, though, that it was a portrait.

In 2008, improved infra-red imagery revealed for the first time a man's bearded face resting on his hand with three rings on his fingers.

He's dressed in a jacket and bow tie, painted in a vertical composition.

"It's really one of those moments that really makes what you do special," said Patricia Favero, the conservator at The Phillips Collection who pieced together the best infrared image yet of the man's face.

"The second reaction was, 'Well, who is it?' We're still working on answering that question."

Scholars have ruled out the possibility that it was a self-portrait.

One possible figure is the Paris art dealer Ambroise Vollard, who hosted Picasso's first show in 1901.

But there's no documentation and no clues left on the canvas, so the research continues.

Over the past five years, experts from The Phillips Collection, National Gallery of Art, Cornell University and Delaware's Winterthur Museum have developed a clearer image of the mystery picture under the surface.

A technical analysis confirmed the hidden portrait is a work the Spanish artist likely painted just before The Blue Room, curators said.

Since the portrait was discovered, conservators have been using other technology to scan the painting for further insights.

Favero has been collaborating with other experts to scan the painting with multi-spectral imaging technology and X-ray fluorescence intensity mapping to try to identify and map the colours of the hidden painting.

They would like to recreate a digital image approximating the colours Picasso used.

Curators are planning the first exhibit focused on The Blue Room as a seminal work in Picasso's career for 2017.

It will examine the revelation of the man's portrait beneath the painting, as well as other Picasso works and his engagement with other artists.

For now, The Blue Room is part of a tour to South Korea through early 2015 as the research continues.

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UK nurses to debate GP co-payment

British nurses are about to debate implementing a GP co-payment similar to the Abbott Government's. Source: AAP

PETER Dutton would give his right arm for such an endorsement.

AS the federal health minister struggles to sell his $7 GP co-payment, British nurses are about to debate going down the same path.

The annual conference of the Royal College of Nursing will consider a motion that recommends a co-payment more than twice that planned by the Abbott government.The motion is a major step for the college which like UK doctors has previously opposed co-payments.Chief executive Peter Carter says nurses are "not afraid to have difficult debates" about the future of the National Health Scheme.But the Cameron government has steered away from the issue, repeatedly saying it has no desire to introduce a co-payment.In Australia, the planned co-payment has been widely criticised by doctors and nurses.It faces defeat in the Senate where the government lacks the numbers to have its legislation clear the parliament.

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Iron ore price drop has miners uneasy

THE head of BC Iron concedes the industry is apprehensive after iron ore prices fell to 2012 levels of $US89 per tonne.

"THE mood in Perth is apprehensive but pragmatic," managing director Morgan Ball told reporters after a tour of the company's Nullagine operations in the Pilbara.

"We're all in a cyclical industry so we're used to downturns."He said BC Iron was set up to ride out such a downturn."I'm pretty comfortable," Mr Ball said.The company's all-in cash costs are set to fall between $60 to $70 per tonne, depending on currency fluctuations, he said.Further iron ore price falls could trigger discussions with contractors about reducing operational services as well as cuts to exploration and business development, he said.But Mr Ball is confident there will be no job losses at the company's joint venture operations.Shares in iron ore miners have fallen heavily, including BC Iron, which dropped 10 cents to $2.97.Mr Ball predicts the iron price will return to around US$100 to US$120 per tonne."We are looking at growth opportunities but it would have to be a pretty compelling one to consider in the iron ore space at the moment," he said.A potential takeover battle for Aquila Resources between Mineral Resources and the partnership of Baosteel and Aurizon was positive for the Pilbara, and could open up projects for other junior iron ore players, Mr Ball added.The $1.4 billion bid from Baosteel and Aurizon came as a kickstart to the stalled $10 billion West Pilbara Iron Ore Project.Baosteel's inclusion showed China as "not all doom and gloom," Mr Ball said.But he conceded the west Pilbara, where a potential rail line could be built, was mostly controlled by big iron players such as BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.

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Sydney cyclist pinned under garbage truck

A SYDNEY cyclist was trapped under a garbage truck for more than half an hour as onlookers tried desperately to comfort him.

MAVERICK Asuncion was working in a cafe across the road on Foveaux Street, Surry Hills on Tuesday morning when he heard the man's screams.

"The police came in very quickly, they were trying to talk to him to reassure him that the ambulance was coming," he said.Mr Asuncion said witnesses were crying because it was so traumatic."(The cyclist) was just mumbling, we were trying to get his name but we couldn't understand what he was saying."He said the police assured the injured man that help was on the way, saying "don't try to move, an ambulance is coming".The man in his 30s was pulled from underneath the truck after half an hour with lower body fractures. He was taken to St Vincent's Hospital where he was in a serious but stable condition.Painter Daniel Banffi was working on a nearby building and heard a loud crack when the bicycle and the truck collided."And when I look up there he was already under the wheel," he said."He was just screaming loud for a while."There was a lady trying to help but she couldn't do anything."After a while everyone just stood back because he was just stuck."His mangled bike lay strewn on the footpath alongside tea towels employees from a nearby pub had brought out to aid the injured cyclist.It has been a horror few months on Sydney roads for cyclists.In April Anthony Platts-Baggs was trapped under a Australia Post truck in St Peters and suffered life-threatening injuries.Last month a cyclist was killed after being hit by a bus in Neutral Bay on Sydney's north shore.Six cyclists were also injured in March after they were hit by a car on a Sunday morning ride at Eastlakes.

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Drillsearch ups bid for Ambassador

DRILLSEARCH has taken a controlling stake in energy junior Ambassador Oil and Gas after topping up its share swap offer with cash.

DRILLSEARCH moved to combat a rival offer from Magnum Hunter Resources in the US by adding five cents per share to its bid of one Drillsearch share for every 5.4 Ambassador shares.

Ambassador said the bid was superior to Magnum Hunter's, due to various conditions placed on the US proposal, and recommended it in the absence of a superior deal.But Ambassador chief executive Guistino Guglielmo told AAP the process was not over, and Magnum may well increase its offer.Drillsearch's bid is valued at $48 million, a similar value to Magnum Hunter's bid, depending on share prices.Ambassador later revealed that nearly 33 per cent of its shareholders had accepted Drillsearch's new offer.That included Ambassador chairman David Shaw and chief executive Guistino Guglielmo, who together hold a 6.34 per cent stake.Drillsearch already owned 19.9 per cent of Ambassador.Ambassador's exploration assets are in South Australia's Cooper and Eramonga onshore oil and gas basins, alongside the larger Drillsearch's assets in the same region.Drillsearch chairman Jim McKerlie said the offer would allow shareholders to own shares in an Australian entity rather than New York-listed Magnum."Drillsearch, through its sole focus on the Cooper Basin, provides Ambassador's shareholders with a broader exposure to this major Australian region, whereas Magnum Hunter is focused primarily on US shale gas," he said.Market analysts predict a ramp-up in takeover activity in the energy space due to gas demand, with Origin Energy agreeing earlier in June to pay up to $US800 million ($A865.57 million) for Karoon Gas's interest in the Poseidon discovery in WA's Browse Basin.Ambassador shares gained half a cent to 33 cents, and Drillsearch shares fell 4.5 cents, or 2.9 per cent, to $1.51.

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Aquila Resources receives fresh interest

MINING contractor Mineral Resources looks set to make another move on iron ore explorer Aquila Resources.

AQUILA is the target of $1.4 billion takeover bid from Chinese steelmaker Baosteel and rail operator Aurizon, as they look to kickstart the stalled $10 billion West Pilbara Iron Ore Project in Western Australia.

But last week Mineral Resources bought a near $200 million, 13 per cent stake in Aquila Resources, in a bid to deal itself into the large-scale iron ore project.Another purchase of shares looks likely, with shares in Mineral Resources and Aquila halted from trade on Monday ahead of an announcement from each company regarding "a potential corporate transaction".Baosteel and Aurizon said late last week they would not be increasing their offer for Aquila as a result of Mineral Resources' acquisition.

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Nicole Kidman for top Shanghai honour

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

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

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

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Get out of Iraq now, warns Bishop

Australia ready to help with humanitarian crisis in Iraq, but no troops envisaged says Julie Bishop. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS have been told to leave Iraq immediately by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who has described the escalating crisis as deeply disturbing.

INSURGENTS from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have taken a swathe of mostly Sunni Arab territory in northern Iraq in an offensive that has brought fighting to within 80km of Baghdad.

The worsening crisis prompted Ms Bishop to urge Australians to leave "immediately".

"The airport in Baghdad is still open. Commercial flights are still operating out of Baghdad," she told the Ten Network. 

"But if Australians must stay in Iraq, they must ensure that their personal circumstances and their security is absolutely safe." 

The Australian embassy in Baghdad would be "very constrained" in the support it could provide, she said. 

On Saturday US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered an aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf as President Barack Obama considers possible military options, after he ruled out sending troops into Iraq. 

Speaking to reporters in Houston, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he would wait to see how the US responds to the situation before developing an Australian response. 

Ms Bishop said the US would take the lead when it came to any military action. 

"I didn't envisage a circumstance where we would be sending in troops," she said. 

"But we certainly stand ready to support the humanitarian crisis should a request be made." 

She defended the 2003 military intervention in the country, which she supported as a member of the Howard Government. 

"I thought Saddam Hussein was one of the worst dictators on the planet at that time. His removal was a good thing," she said. 

Greens leader Christine Milne said following the US into Iraq was not going to "fix" the violence in the country. 

"We do not want to follow the United States blindly as John Howard did (in 2003)," Senator Milne told ABC Television. 

"Clearly it didn't work last time in Iraq and it won't work this time." 

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Rally calls for Tas forest protection

5000 protesters have rallied in Hobart to oppose the delisting of Tasmania's World Heritage forests. Source: AAP

OPPONENTS of the Abbott government's bid to wind back Tasmania's World Heritage wilderness have rallied outside state parliament.

THE protest aims to pressure the government ahead of a World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha, Qatar, from Sunday.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised to wind the World Heritage Area (WHA) back during last year's election campaign and Environment Minister Greg Hunt applied to UNESCO in February.But green groups say 90 per cent of the area is intact and its listing ensures the integrity of the 1.6 million hectare World Heritage Area's border.The rally called on the World Heritage Committee to follow the recommendations of its expert advisors and reject the government's application when it meets in Doha next week."(The federal government's) primary argument is that it is so degraded by logging that it detracts from the rest of the property," Wilderness Society Tasmania campaign director, Vica Bayley, told AAP."But they have been hideously exposed over the last few months by expert advice, and some of their own internal advice, that says around 90 per cent of the area of the land they are proposing to excise is intact forest or other natural vegetation."Two advisory bodies to the committee say excising this forest from the WHA, as sought by the government, should not proceed, he said.A decision on the Tasmania application is expected on Friday or Saturday next week.Mr Bayley, part of a delegation of conservationists heading to Doha, said it was not too late for the government to withdraw its submission.The area slated for delisting is part of 172,000 hectares added last year as a result of a historic peace deal.The deal swapped forest reserves for green groups' support for the ailing logging industry.Federal government forestry spokesman and Tasmanian senator Richard Colbeck accused green groups of trying to dupe the community about the wilderness values of the forest by claiming it is "pristine, untouched old growth forest, when clearly it is not".

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Israel combs West Bank for missing teens

Israeli security forces are combing the West Bank in search of three missing teenagers. Source: AAP

ISRAELI security forces are searching for three teenagers who went missing near a West Bank settlement, the army says, amid media speculation they may have been kidnapped by Palestinians.

THE three, all students at a Jewish seminary, went missing late Thursday as they were hitchhiking between Bethlehem and Hebron.

"Search activity, both operational and in terms of intelligence, is continuing," a spokeswoman said on Saturday, refusing to confirm speculation about a possible kidnapping."For us, these three youths are missing," was all she would say.An AFP journalist said the army had set up roadblocks in the southern West Bank and was searching vehicles.Troops also closed the main crossings into the Gaza Strip to prevent the three, one of whom also holds US citizenship, from being smuggled out of Israel.A rocket was fired from the territory into Israel early Saturday without causing any casualties or damage, the army said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US Secretary of State John Kerry Friday, and said he holds Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas responsible for the teenagers' safety.Kerry also telephoned Abbas, a Palestinian source said.A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority's security services, General Adnan al-Damiri, called Netanyahu's suggestions "mad."Damiri said that the PA had no authority over the sprawling Gush Etzion settlement bloc, which is under full Israeli control."Even if there was an earthquake, Netanyahu would blame the Palestinian Authority," he told AFP.Another Palestinian official said the authority's security services were "cooperating" with Israeli agencies to gather information on the teenagers' disappearance.

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Jail term cut for WA teen's murder attempt

A WEST Australian teenager who changed his mind about killing an acquaintance after repeatedly stabbing him and attacking him with a brick has had his sentence reduced.

THE young man was aged 17 and drunk when he and two acquaintances went to a shed at the rear of an abandoned house in the southern Perth suburb of Hilton in the early hours of October 20, 2012 after a party.

While the victim slept on a couch, the offender told the other acquaintance of his murderous plans.He was adamant and resisted attempts to talk him out of it.The offender, who cannot be named, plunged a 8cm fold-out knife into the victim's chest at least four times.He then threw a brick at the victim's head but missed."There's been a change of plans. (The victim) is still alive and I'm going to let him live," the teen told the other acquaintance, who was standing outside the shed.He then got the victim to call an ambulance, instructing him to tell police that a homeless man had caused the injuries.Before leaving, the offender stole the victim's pants, backpack and laptop computer.He then ditched the knife at a quarry in nearby Beaconsfield.The third youth told police what had happened two days later.On Friday in the West Australian Court of Appeal, it was argued the teenager's sentence of seven years and six months in jail was excessive.Justice Robert Anthony Mazza said the sentence was "erroneously long"."The length of the sentence imposed upon the appellant was of a severity one would have expected to have been imposed upon an adult," he said."The sentence was more than was required to provide protection of the public, proper punishment and denunciation and did not sufficiently reflect the appellant's youth and his prospects of rehabilitation."The offender was re-sentenced to six years' imprisonment, backdated to October 23, 2012.He will be eligible for parole.

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Millions for homeless but refuges in doubt

WOMEN'S refuges fear they are days away from closing their doors, despite the NSW government's new promise to pump money into homeless support and restore funding for inner-city shelters.

THE government had foreshadowed cuts to inner-city areas through its Going Home, Staying Home reforms, which aimed to end homelessness where it starts with a focus on early intervention.

The plan sparked outcry from advocates who were concerned women who'd survived physical or sexual abuse or had complex needs would be forced into one-size-fits-all shelters.Community Services Minister Gabrielle Upton argued that the previous approach of pouring money into crisis services in the city was not working - but after reconsidering, she has agreed to wind back mooted cuts.Two months after taking on the portfolio, Ms Upton said on Friday she would restore $8.6 million in annual funding that had been on the chopping block, including $2 million a year for inner-city women's services."Let me be clear: the government was never planning to do away with women's specialist services, nor were there plans to have men and women sharing crisis accommodation," she said."However, I have listened to the legitimate concerns of many inner-city providers and the right decision was to restore funding."Kate Timmins from SOS Women's Services said the new minister was "trying to listen", however, some organisations were scrambling to avoid turning women away from June 30.The government has also promised a new fund so that NGOs who missed out during the tender process can apply for 18 months of extra funding. But Ms Timmins says defunded services are already losing vital accommodation facilities."We've been involved in the tender process since November last year. So to hear today that the government is still not making a commitment to maintain the network of specialist services, and that they'll be eligible to reapply without any guarantee of success, throws the sector into a state of chaos," she said."It's not about services losing tenders, it's about vulnerable women losing services."Ms Upton said next week's budget would include a record $148 million for NGOs delivering specialist homelessness services, up from $135 million.Communities in the Hunter-New England district and on the mid-north coast, Illawarra and Sydney's northern beaches will receive some of the biggest boosts."These reforms are about providing early-intervention services so that there won't be the crisis that we currently have, represented by people coming to the city in search of a safe and secure home," Ms Upton said.Deputy Labor leader Linda Burney says the funding reprieve for inner Sydney comes too late for some organisations."Many of them have already lost their buildings, lost their computers and lost their infrastructure," she said.

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Jobless rate steady for third month

Unemployment is tipped to have risen in May, amid job losses linked to the wind down in mining. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S jobless rate is steady, but only because people are dropping out of the race for a job.

UNEMPLOYMENT remained unchanged at 5.8 per cent in May, beating economists' expectations of a rise to 5.9 per cent.

The static result came despite the economy having shed almost 5,000 jobs last month, the first fall in five months.AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver says while the jobless rate has held for three months, it "significantly understates" the current weakness in the job market.That's because the participation rate - which includes those in work, looking for work and ready to start work - continues to fall.It dropped to 64.6 per cent in May."If the participation rate had remained at its 2011 average level the unemployment rate would now be seven per cent," Dr Oliver said.Australia's participation rate has been trending lower since the global financial crisis."We've got the ageing population, people are retiring, leaving the labour force," JP Morgan economist Tom Kennedy said."There could also be disgruntled workers leaving the labour force, and we are also seeing young people staying in education for longer, going to university and TAFE instead of actively seeking work."Today's data fits with the theme that the labour market is still a little bit soft, still losing jobs, and unemployment is likely to move higher as we progress through 2014."Dr Oliver said a dip in jobs growth was to be expected following a strong start to the year, with more than 100,000 positions created in the first four months of 2014.While some economists believe the jobless rate has peaked, Dr Oliver believes unemployment could return to six per cent before the labour market picks up later in the year."While the hit to confidence from the federal budget has increased the level of uncertainty, forward looking indicators for the labour market, including the ANZ job ads survey and employment intentions in the monthly NAB business survey point to stronger jobs growth ahead," he said.Thursday's figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed full-time employment rose 22,200 in May while part-time employment fell 27,000.That shows the jobs market is playing out nicely and running pretty much to plan, CommSec chief economist Craig James said."We seem to have gone through the first stage of recovery with more part time jobs coming on and now we are starting to see more full time workers coming through and part time workers being converted to full time staff," Mr James said."The solid lift in full-time job creation in 2014 should provide a boost to consumer sentiment... more full-time jobs lead to higher consumer spending.The figures should allow the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates on hold, unless the federal budget and warm autumn weather robs momentum from the economy, Mr James said.

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Govt providing certainty for jobs: Hockey

A FURTHER rise in full-time employment comes at an opportune time for Joe Hockey as he continues to peddle his poorly received budget.

THE jobless rate also remained at 5.8 per cent for a third straight month in May when economists had expected it to tick up to 5.9 per cent.

The treasurer dismissed suggestions that more than 100,000 full-time jobs were created since the turn of the year due to Labor leaving the economy in good nick, noting the former government left office with a forecast of a 6.25 per cent unemployment rate."It quite clearly appears that we have turned around the trajectory," Mr Hockey told reporters in Darwin on Thursday.New data showed the number of people in full-time employment grew 22,200 in May.However, overall employment eased 4800 because of a 27,000 drop in part-time workers.Mr Hockey took aim at Bill Shorten, saying the opposition leader had been proved "dead wrong" by claiming high-profile job cuts at Ford, Holden, Toyota, SPC Ardmona and Qantas would be the "end of all time"."Our decisions to provide stability, certainty and predictability have been proven right," he said.Labor's employment spokesman Brendan O'Connor said the steady jobless rate was more to do with people giving up on finding a job.At 64.6 per cent the participation rate of those in work or actively seeking employment was lower than during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis."People have given up looking for work because of the ... lack of confidence in the economy and in this government to provide opportunities for work," Mr O'Connor told reporters in Melbourne.Earlier Mr Hockey told ABC radio the drop in consumer sentiment in response to the budget was entirely predictable."You will see over time that we will deliver on a stronger economy ... things are going to get better".In a speech on Wednesday, he lashed out at claims his budget is unfair saying the government must reward the lifters and discourage the leaners.Too many Australians rely on government payments, he told the Sydney Institute."It should not be taboo to question whether everyone is entitled to these payments," he said.Mr Shorten accused the treasurer of cynically dividing Australians with a budget that puts big business ahead of individuals.He also told the ACOSS annual conference in Brisbane the government's lax approach to tax evasion was especially galling at a time when it is making cruel and unfair cuts to pensions, schools and hospitals.Union "Bust the Budget" protest marches were held in Sydney on Melbourne on Thursday.

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