Sydney northern beaches blaze downgraded

The Rural Fire Service has issued a total fire ban for NSW ahead of severe bushfire conditions. Source: AAP

THE fire burning through across the Barrenjoey Headland on NSW's northern beaches has been downgraded.

Firefighters have managed to save the iconic lighthouse on the headland at Palm Beach from the blaze.

The Rural Fire Service downgraded the alert for the fire after 4pm from emergency to watch and act.

NSWRFS spokesman Anthony Clark said a building in the lighthouse complex had sustained some damage.

"We have got 80 firefighters working to fully contain that fire being assisted by three aircraft at the moment." he said.

"It appears that one building in the lighthouse complex has sustained some damage.

"The building itself has been saved by firefighters."

Earlier in the day. the fire cut off access to the lighthouse and people in the area were advised to take shelter at the lighthouse.

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Malala gets Harvard award

The Pakistani girl who survived being shot by the Taliban has been honoured by Harvard University. Source: AAP

A PAKISTANI girl who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban has been honoured as Harvard University's humanitarian of the year.

Malala Yousafzai, an outspoken proponent for girls' education, was at Harvard on Friday to accept the 2013 Peter J Gomes Humanitarian Award. Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust said she was pleased to welcome Malala because of their shared interest in education.

Malala was shot in the head last October. Militants said she was attacked because she was critical of the Taliban, not because of her views on education.

The 16-year-old said she hopes to become a politician because politicians can have influence on a broad scale.

She spoke nostalgically about her home region, the Swat Valley, and said she hopes to return some day. She called it a "paradise" but described a dangerous area where militants blew up dozens of schools and sought to discourage girls from going to school by snatching pens from their hands. Students, she said, reacted by hiding their books under their shawls so people wouldn't know they were going to school.

"The so-called Taliban were afraid of women's power and were afraid of the power of education," she told hundreds of students, faculty members and well-wishers who packed Harvard's ornate Sanders Theater for the award ceremony.

Malala highlighted the fact that very few people spoke out against what was happening in her home region.

"Although few people spoke, but the voice for peace and education was powerful," she said.

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I didn't touch Rudd staffer: protester

A protester (pic) who stormed into Kevin Rudd's Brisbane office has denied assaulting a staffer. Source: AAP

A PROTESTER accused of shoulder barging a Kevin Rudd staffer claims she fell over on her own and he didn't even touch her.

Wayne Morris Wharton, 54, is on trial for allegedly assaulting Fleur Foster during a protest at the federal MP's Brisbane offices on February 6.

The sit-in protest, which called for indigenous sovereignty to be recognised, came a few hours after former prime minister Julia Gillard's Closing the Gap speech to parliament.

The prosecution alleges Wharton shoulder barged Ms Foster when she was struggling to shut a security door he was trying to open at the same time.

Prosecutor Gerrard Elmore played Wharton's police interview after the alleged incident in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday.

"I grabbed the handle of the door, a struggle took place," Wharton told police at the time.

"As I pulled the door back ... she fell over on the floor.

"If I had pushed (shoulder barged her) through the door she would've fallen backwards.

"I didn't assault her, I didn't touch her."

Wharton, who represented himself, began his cross-examination of Ms Foster by asking how she could have been pushed over if the security door opened outwards and he was on the outside of the door.

"Are you saying that you were no longer on the staff side of the door, you were on the public entrance side of the door?" he asked.

"Yes," Ms Forster replied.

Magistrate Noel Nunan said it was unclear where Ms Forster had been at the time of the alleged incident because her original witness statement said she was behind the security door in the staff area.

"The prosecution's case is not looking very strong at the moment," Magistrate Nunan told the court.

The trial continues.

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Perth Zoo elephant Tricia backs Dockers

MANY fans of the AFL team, the Fremantle Dockers, have come out of the woodwork recently - including Tricia the Asian elephant.

Perth Zoo's longest resident, Tricia, had her allegiance put to the test when keepers put paintings of the Dockers and Hawks logos in front of the 56-year-old.

She lumbered straight up to the purple one, clearly pointing her trunk at the canvas, a video uploaded to YouTube shows.

"She really could have picked anything, so we were really pleased," spokeswoman Debbie Read said.

The paintings were made by Tricia and her younger female herd member, Permai, as part of an enrichment program that gives the elephants physical and mental stimulation.

The keepers placed stencils of the team logos on the canvas and the elephants then sprayed them with paint.

Read said Perth Zoo's male elephant, Putra Mas, also liked painting.

"They become very excited when the keepers appear with the painting equipment," she said.

"They each paint with their own distinctive style and colour preference.

"We use vegetable-based non-toxic paint."

The elephants also paint with their feet.

Read said the paintings were sold, with the funds going towards wildlife conservation.

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Police move in to Central Station

NSW Police Minister Mike Gallacher has opened a new police command in Central Station. Source: AAP

SYDNEYSIDERS can expect an increased police presence on public transport with the opening of a new command in the heart of the city.

The Police Transport Command at Central Railway Station will control transport operations in Sydney's central and northern suburbs, as well as acting as a base for 120 officers.

At the official opening on Wednesday, NSW Police Minister Mike Gallacher said the public would welcome more police on public transport.

"The winners, of course, will always be the travelling public," he told reporters.

"The losers are going to be those people who, for far too long, have embarked on criminality and thought that the public system was theirs to abuse."

NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian said she could rest easier knowing police were in charge of security throughout the entire network.

The Police Transport Command has made almost 2900 arrests since it started in May last year.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said police and government were on track to have 610 frontline officers across the entire network by the end of next year.

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Greenpeace members in 'serious' situation

Russian agents will detain the "most active" of the protesters on the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise. Source: AAP

RUSSIAN authorities have put 30 arrested activists from environmental group Greenpeace in pre-trial jails after questioning several campaigners over a protest against Arctic oil exploration, the group says.

On Tuesday, Russia opened a criminal probe into suspected piracy by four Russian and 26 foreign Greenpeace activists who could face up to 15 years in jail if the case comes to trial.

They had been on board the group's Arctic Sunrise icebreaker, which the Russian security service seized last week and towed to the far northern port city of Murmansk with all 30 activists under arrest.

However they were taken ashore Tuesday evening for questioning and then put in detention centres where suspects are held before trial, known in Russia as Investigative Isolators (SIZO).

"They have been transferred to pre-trial detention centres," Yevgenia Belyakova, a Greenpeace activist, said on Wednesday.

The 30 activists have been taken to various detention centres in and around Murmansk after being questioned until the early hours of Wednesday, she said.

A representative of the regional investigators in Murmansk confirmed to AFP that the activists had been questioned on Tuesday night.

The official requested anonymity as the high-profile case was overseen by Moscow-based colleagues.

"That means it is all very serious," she said.

Greenpeace confirmed its activists had been interrogated Tuesday night after the team was first questioned by investigators aboard the Dutch-flagged vessel.

"The Greenpeace International activists and crew came off the ship at the end of the day and were taken by two buses to the offices of the Investigative Committee in Murmansk," another Greenpeace spokesman, Aaron Gray-Block, said in emailed comments.

"Only five crew were interviewed before a halt was called for the night. No formal charges have been laid yet."

The group had been trying to highlight the dangers of Russian-led efforts to develop the Arctic as ice floes break up due to global warming.

It sent a team of inflatable boats to the Gazprom platform in the Barents Sea earlier this month from the Arctic Sunrise icebreaker and hitched two activists to the side of the rig.

The icebreaker is anchored off the coast of Murmansk after being towed from the scene of the incident by Russian border guards, in a voyage lasting several days.

Greenpeace has condemned Russia's actions and said its supporters had already sent more than 415,000 emails and letters of support for the "Arctic 30" to Moscow's embassies around the world.

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Forrest spends big on Fortescue shares

Fortescue Metals chairman Andrew Forrest has increase his majority stake in the iron ore miner. Source: AAP

ANDREW Forrest has spent close to $24 million increasing his majority stake in iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group.

The Fortescue founder and chairman bought more than 5.2 million Fortescue stocks on the share market between September 17 and 23, for a total price of $23.61 million.

That takes his ownership stake to 33 per cent, which is currently worth more than $590 million.

Meanwhile, Fortescue has taken control of ore processing at its Christmas Creek mine, where a worker died in an accident in a crushing plant last month.

Fortescue says it has exercised its step-in rights to immediately take over the management and supervision of ore processing from contractors Crushing Services International.

The company stepped in to ensure the safe and hazard free operation of the ore processing facilities, Fortescue said.

Crushing Services International's owner, Mineral Resources, said it was confident the issues would be resolved shortly.

While there has been disruption at Christmas Creek, Fortescue does not expect its full year production target range of 127 million tonnes to 133 million tonnes of ore, to be affected.

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Nine buys back Perth station

The Nine Network has finalised its purchase of WIN television in Perth. Source: AAP

THE Nine Network has bought back its Perth broadcaster from wealthy businessman and WIN Television owner Bruce Gordon.

The deal comes as its parent, Nine Entertainment, readies for a $3 billion listing on the Australian share market, potentially before the end of the year.

Nine Entertainment will buy Nine Perth, which has been owned by WIN Corporation since 2007, in a deal believed to be worth up to $200 million.

It comes after Nine's purchase of WIN Adelaide for $140 million earlier this year, and means it now owns the Nine Network in five capital cities.

"Following detailed discussions with WIN proprietor Bruce Gordon and the completion of due diligence requirements, we are now in a position to finalise the contracts on this pivotal deal for the Nine Network," Nine Entertainment chief executive David Gyngell said in a statement.

David Mott, the former head of programming at Network Ten, has been appointed Nine Perth's managing director.

"He's coming home to help us build this market and really make an impact," Mr Gyngell said.

Meanwhile, Nine Entertainment's owners, US hedge funds Apollo Global Management and Oaktree Capital Management, are reportedly eyeing early December as the most logical time for a $3.3 billion float of Nine.

In January this year, Nine and its shareholders agreed to a $3.4 billion recapitalisation plan, which ended private equity group CVC Asia Pacific's stewardship of Nine.

While the timing and value of a public listing of Nine is yet to be confirmed, the proceeds would be used to repay shareholders and reduce the company's debt.

Nine Entertainment also owns NBN Television and Ticketek.

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NZ stocks dip ahead of Meridian listing

NEW Zealand shares have fallen as investors prepare for the Meridian Energy sale and mull the potential end of US monetary stimulus.

On Monday, the NZX 50 fell 29.003 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 4701.374. Within the index, 39 stocks fell, seven rose and four were unchanged. Turnover was $117 million.

The government is expected to raise between $1.9 billion and up to $2.3b from the sale of 49 per cent of Meridian next month in what will be the nation's largest ever initial public offering.

Sky TV fell 0.2 per cent to $5.56 and was the most heavily traded stock by value, with about $39m in shares changing hands. Contact Energy declined 1.3 per cent to $5.27.

"Share prices will come back as people move money to prepare for Meridian," said James Lee, head of institutional equities at First NZ Capital.

The New Zealand market got a reasonably negative offshore lead and more volatility is expected until it is clear when the Federal Reserve will begin tapering its stimulus programme.

"The market is very sensitive currently to changes in macro policy," Mr Lee said.

Fonterra units fell 1.2 per cent to $7.18 ahead of its full-year results on Wednesday. In July it said earnings would miss last year's prospectus forecast.

Michael Hill International fell 3.3 per cent to $1.49, leading a decline among consumer related companies. Warehouse Group dropped 2.1 per cent to $3.76 and Trade Me declined 1.5 per cent to $4.62.

Kathmandu fell 1 per cent to $2.85. Hallenstein Glasson Holdings fell 1 per cent to $5 while Pumpkin Patch gained about 1 per cent to $1.03.

Rural services company PGG Wrightson fell 2.6 per cent to 38 cents after announcing that John Anderson will retire as chairman at the annual meeting next month.

OceanaGold, the operator of the Macraes gold field, fell 6.7 per cent to $1.95 and Steel & Tube Holdings dropped 2 per cent to $2.88.

Fletcher Building slipped 0.7 per cent to $9.51, Auckland International Airport fell 0.8 per cent to $3.315 and Telecom gained 0.4 per cent to $2.28.

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NT men unite against domestic violence

IN the face of shocking domestic abuse statistics in the Northern Territory, indigenous men from the Tiwi Islands to Alice Springs have signed a memorandum of understanding to say enough is enough.

In front of Parliament House in Darwin on Monday, they declared their intention to fight family violence by entreating other men to tackle the problem.

"Aboriginal men have been disenfranchised since colonisation," said Deputy CEO of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Des Rogers.

He pointed to statistics showing the NT homicide rate is five times the national average, and Aboriginal women are 80 times more likely to be hospitalised due to assault.

The group, drawn from five regions, has been galvanised by NT Chief Minister Adam Giles' announcement last month that he wants to be an ambassador for the effort.

"I believe some Aboriginal men need a greater supportive framework in place to help them break away from welfare, stay out of the justice system and avoid alcohol abuse," he said in a statement.

Indigenous men's campaigner Charlie King said the commitment had buoyed the group.

"You try to get men to fix men's problems and they can do it; you try to fix it from outside, it doesn't get fixed," he told AAP.

"We want to change the attitude of men to say, 'this is unacceptable behaviour, this is not what men do'."

Mr Rogers said indigenous men were often left out of community programs, which necessarily tend to focus on women and children.

"In order to stop it we need to empower men to do more about it, we can't leave them out of the picture," Mr King said.

The group have declared their intention to bring men together to reduce family violence, and engage with educational, medical and social support providers.

"We think the Territory can lead the way here, we want to surf in front of the wave if we can," Mr King said.

He will convene a forum of men's groups representatives in Darwin in October.

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