Soldier charged over death at Holsworthy

Police have charged a soldier over the death of fellow serviceman Jordan Ronald Penpraze. Source: AAP

A SOLDIER has been charged over the death of fellow serviceman Jordan Ronald Penpraze killed in a military vehicle crash at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney last year.

The 21-year-old driver of the troop carrier presented himself at The Rocks police station about 10am (AEST) on Wednesday.

He was arrested and charged with dangerous driving occasioning death and six counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

The young soldier was granted conditional bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on September 16.

Police allege the accused was driving the vehicle on an unsealed road during a routine military training activity about 8.45am (AEST) on October 8, 2012.

Two others were seated in the cabin and another 15 personnel were in the rear of the troop carrier.

The vehicle failed to negotiate a left hand bend, left the roadway and struck a small tree before overturning.

All of the rear passengers were ejected from the vehicle.

Those onboard sustained various injuries and were rushed to a number of hospitals.

Sapper Penpraze, also 21, was rushed to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition with head injuries but died three days later.

The Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recommended charges, which the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit issued against the driver.

16.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

No widespread bullying at CSIRO: report

Voss walks away proud, unbowed

Jon Ralph, Greg Davis UPDATE: MICHAEL Voss says he never lost the Brisbane players but is happy the board told him now it did not have faith in him.

Hey Girl, get more Gosling for your Google Chrome

WHEN it comes to Ryan Gosling there is no such thing as too much of a good thing, and a US web developer has created a drool-worthy plug in based entirely on that theme.

Stunning natural swim holes

8:00AM

There's nothing better than swimming au natural, as these stunning natural swim holes from around the world demonstrate.

Model 'painted by people to cover scabs'

CARA Delevingne hints she may quit fashion and do "something that doesn't make my skin erupt" after her psoriosis flared up in Paris, prompting even Kate Moss to say "This is horrible! I need to help you".

Ten money habits to quit right now

SPOILER ALERT: Getting rich isn't about selling a tech-start up or winning Lotto, it's about saving and spending wisely. Here are ten money habits to ditch right away.

16.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic woman dies after being struck by tram

AN elderly woman has died after being struck by a tram in Melbourne.

The 77-year-old woman was crossing High Street in Kew on Tuesday when she was struck by the tram about 8am (AEST).

She was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition and died on Wednesday morning.

Victoria's road toll now stands at 144 compared with 162 at the same time last year.

16.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rescuers race to help typhoon-hit towns

PHILIPPINE rescuers are using helicopters and bulldozers to reach isolated towns devastated by deadly Typhoon Utor, which left tens of thousands homeless and a trail of destruction in its wake.

News+

Oops! Please register or log in to continue. (It's quick, easy and free.) Continue

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Holden's SA workers back new pay deal

Holden workers in Adelaide have voted in favour of a new enterprise agreement. Source: AAP

UNION bosses have urged Labor and the coalition to support the beleaguered car industry after Holden workers in Adelaide accepted a new pay deal to help save the company's Australian manufacturing operations.

About 1500 workers voted decisively in favour of the new enterprise agreement on Tuesday which will save the company $15 million a year in labour costs and is a key step to ensuring Holden continues to build cars at the Elizabeth plant.

The vote puts pressure on both Labor and the coalition to continue to support the local producer, which has indicated it will close its Australian assembly facility without ongoing government assistance.

Holden will now delay a decision on its future until after the September 7 federal election when it will have further talks with the incoming government.

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union state secretary John Camillo said Holden's Adelaide workforce had voted to help save not only Holden but the wider car component sector.

"It was a tough choice, but they made the right decision," an emotional Mr Camillo told reporters.

He said the onus was now on the federal government and the opposition to declare their support for the company to ensure Holden pushes ahead with a $1 billion investment to build two new cars in Australia from 2016.

The government was recently unable to finalise a deal with Holden to provide the company with more help after pledging $275 million last year.

While the coalition has raised concerns within the auto sector over a plan to strip $500 million from assistance to the industry.

"We will do everything in our power to make sure we get commitments out of the politicians," Mr Camillo said.

"Are they going to support the automotive industry or are they going to let these workers down?"

Industry Minister Kim Carr said the vote was an example of the company, unions and workers coming together to make the automotive industry stronger.

The new enterprise agreement does not include the 10 per cent pay cut the company initially called for, though a three per cent increase scheduled for November will be cancelled.

It will cap redundancy payments for new staff and provide for new shift arrangements.

Holden workers in Victoria will also vote on the changes later this week but as they don't apply to them most are expected to follow a union recommendation to abstain.

A Holden spokesman said no comment could be made until after the vote was finalised in Victoria.

Tuesday's vote came as Holden launched a new imported sports utility vehicle which will be built in South Korea.

The company defended adding another imported model to its line-up declaring it a global strategy to develop and build cars in the best country to service the market.

It also came as Ford launched a new imported vehicle line-up after recently announcing the closure of its Australian car manufacturing operations in 2016.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Suspected chem spill in rotten smell

A CHEMICAL inside a shipping container is producing a rotten smelling gas at the Port of Brisbane.

Around 5.30pm Queensland Fire and Rescue were called to investigate the smell and found a substance in a shipping container is giving off gas readings.

Wearing their highest level, fully encapsulated hazmat suits, fire fighters were preparing to open the containers and investigate what chemical is causing the gas leak.

More to come

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Settlements up tension before peace talks

The Israeli government has approved the release of 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners. Source: AAP

ISRAEL has announced it will release 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners ahead of a resumption of peace talks, but at the same time angered the Palestinians by approving new settlement construction.

A special ministerial committee announced late on Sunday it had approved the 26 prisoners to be released "following the government decision to renew peace talks with the Palestinians", according to a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The names of the prisoners - most of whom were arrested for killing Israelis and Palestinians suspected of collaboration with the Jewish state - were published early on Monday morning.

They are expected to be freed ahead of the start of talks on Wednesday in Jerusalem between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.

The decision to free prisoners has angered families of those who killed in assaults.

"This is a day of celebration for terror organisations," Meir Indor, head of Almagor - a group representing Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks - told AFP on Monday.

He said his group, which had petitioned without immediate success the High Court of Justice against the decision before the names were released, was demanding to meet with the three ministers who selected the prisoners - Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri - before deciding whether to launch a new petition.

The 26 constitute the first batch of a total of 104 long-term Palestinian and Israeli Arab prisoners to be freed in four stages, depending on progress in the talks.

Most prisoners were arrested for "murder", with five being "accomplices to murder" and one being guilty of "abduction and killing", Israel says.

Three of the prisoners were arrested and imprisoned by Israel for killing Palestinians, presumably those they had deemed to be collaborators.

All prisoners had been arrested before 1994 except one, who was arrested in 2001.

Housing Minister Uri Ariel of the far-right Jewish Home party also reacted angrily.

"Terrorists belong in prison," Ariel said in a statement on Monday.

"The terrorists who are being released murdered women and children, and it's not clear to me how releasing murderers can help peace."

Ariel's ministry had on Sunday announced tenders for the construction of 793 units in annexed east Jerusalem and 394 elsewhere in the West Bank in a move that infuriated Palestinians.

Media reports have implied that the construction announcement was meant to appease Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, who oppose the release of prisoners but fervently promote settlement construction.

"I don't know of such a deal, but look - both were announced on the same day," Indor said.

Palestinians welcomed the impending prisoner release, but slammed the settlement announcement as a move aimed at "preventing" peace talks.

"It is clear that the Israeli government is deliberately attempting to sabotage US and international efforts to resume negotiations by approving more settlement units three days before the ... Palestinian-Israeli meeting," Palestinian negotiator Mohammed Shtayeh said.

"Israel is attempting to prevent negotiations from taking place on Wednesday."

But Israel stood its ground, with a spokesman for Netanyahu saying that since the new construction was designated for blocs, it will change "nothing".

"The construction decided upon today in Jerusalem and in the settlement blocs are in areas that will remain part of Israel in any possible future peace agreement," Mark Regev said in a statement.

"This in no way changes the final map of peace. It changes nothing."

Direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians were resumed in Washington last month, ending a three-year hiatus after painstaking US mediation.

The last talks in 2010 broke down on the issue of settlement building.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wind leaves 10,000 Vic homes without power

ABOUT 10,000 homes are without power and three men were taken to hospital after wild winds lashed Melbourne.

The State Emergency Service responded to more than 1000 calls for help on Monday - the majority of them between noon and 2pm (AEST) - as a storm cell passed over the city.

Falling trees wreaked havoc, knocking out power to about 15,000 homes in the eastern suburbs and crushing trucks and cars.

SP Ausnet spokesman Jonathon Geddes said the connection had been restored to about 5000 homes by 6pm on Monday but some may be left without power overnight.

Fallen trees had not only knocked-down powerlines, they had also blocked access to damaged infrastructure, he said.

"We can't access out assets and that's delaying restoration," Mr Geddes said.

"We'll be working well into the early hours of the morning."

He reminded people not to approach fallen powerlines.

A spokesman for the SES said the worst hit areas were Northcote and Doncaster.

The majority of calls were for property damage but the wild weather did cause a few minor injuries.

A Belgrave man in his late 20s was taken to Dandenong Hospital with minor injuries after being hit by a falling tree.

Another man was taken to the Royal Melbourne hospital after being hit by a falling branch in Flagstaff gardens.

A tree also fell on a truck in Ivanhoe east.

The driver was taken to the Austen Hospital, but an Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said he was unharmed.

An SES spokesman said the storm had passed but there were more strong winds forecast for later in the week.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Morsi supporters await crackdown in Cairo

Is it all over for Jharal Yow Yeh?

Peter Badel and Todd Balym UPDATE: THE season-ending injury suffered by Justin Hodges has a postscript with Broncos winger Jharal Yow Yeh resigned to never playing in the NRL again.

Stop posting so many Facebook photos

WARNING: Posting too many Facebook photos isn't just annoying, it actually makes friends like you less, according to a new study.

Hyperloop: Faster than the speed of sound

CAPABLE of reaching speeds of over 1102km/h, the hyperloop could get you to your destination in half the time of the average plane. Could it become the 'fifth mode of transport'?

The great debate: Hand Dryers vs Paper Towels

THEY'RE meant to dry hands in ten bacteria-busting seconds, but are the new generation of hand dryers really better than paper towels? And why are they so noisy? Experts weigh in.

Girl, 11, has higher IQ than Einstein

THE smartest person in Britain isn't an Oxbridge professor or BBC boffin, it's an 11-year-old girl who plans to give the finance industry a major shake-up.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fighting in Sudan's Darfur kills 100

FIGHTING between two Arab tribes has killed 100 people in Sudan's Darfur region, where worsening unrest has left hundreds dead this year, one of the tribes says.

The battle between a group of Rezeigat and the rival Maaliya tribe happened near Adila in East Darfur state on Saturday.

"We clashed with Maaliya ... and we destroyed a compound of theirs and killed 70 of them," said a Rezeigat source, who declined to be named.

"We lost 30 of our men.

"There is still high tension and men from both sides are gathered," the source said.

A Maaliya source said: "We still expect more fighting today."

He said the Rezeigat "attacked" and burned villages.

The Maaliya source declined to say how many from his tribe had died, but said his group "killed 40" of their adversaries.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Heatwave kills four in Japan

A HEATWAVE stifled Japan on Sunday as the temperature topped 40 degrees Celsius in two cities, leaving at least four people dead over the weekend, officials and reports say.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the temperature reached 40.6 C in Kofu, 100 kilometres west of Tokyo, in mid-afternoon.

The weather agency had warned early Sunday that the temperature would soar past 35 C in 39 of the country's 47 prefectures. It warned people to drink plenty of water and use air-conditioners.

On Saturday, the mercury topped 40 C for the first time in Japan since August 2007, when it had reached an all-time high of 40.9 C in two separate cities.

An 84-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man in western Japan died from heat stroke on Saturday after they were found collapsed in fields, Kyodo news agency said.

Two more deaths from heat stroke were confirmed by officials on Sunday.

An 80-year-old woman died in hospital after she was found collapsed at her wooden home on Sunday morning in Arita, a city south of Osaka, a medical evacuation official said. The living room where she was found was not air-conditioned.

In Saitama north of Tokyo, a 60-year-old man died in hospital after he was found unconscious on a street.

The heatwave, also gripping parts of China, has been caused by a Pacific high pressure system covering most of the Japanese islands, the weather agency said.

In early July a heatwave in the country claimed at least a dozen lives, according to media reports.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Morsi loyalists call fresh Egypt protests

SUPPORTERS of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi have called more rallies to demand his reinstatement, amid last ditch efforts for reconciliation ahead of a threatened crackdown on protests.

News+

Oops! Please register or log in to continue. (It's quick, easy and free.) Continue

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fighting in Sudan's Darfur kills 100

FIGHTING between two Arab tribes has killed 100 people in Sudan's Darfur region, where worsening unrest has left hundreds dead this year, one of the tribes says.

The battle between a group of Rezeigat and the rival Maaliya tribe happened near Adila in East Darfur state on Saturday.

"We clashed with Maaliya ... and we destroyed a compound of theirs and killed 70 of them," said a Rezeigat source, who declined to be named.

"We lost 30 of our men.

"There is still high tension and men from both sides are gathered," the source said.

A Maaliya source said: "We still expect more fighting today."

He said the Rezeigat "attacked" and burned villages.

The Maaliya source declined to say how many from his tribe had died, but said his group "killed 40" of their adversaries.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Heatwave kills four in Japan

A HEATWAVE stifled Japan on Sunday as the temperature topped 40 degrees Celsius in two cities, leaving at least four people dead over the weekend, officials and reports say.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the temperature reached 40.6 C in Kofu, 100 kilometres west of Tokyo, in mid-afternoon.

The weather agency had warned early Sunday that the temperature would soar past 35 C in 39 of the country's 47 prefectures. It warned people to drink plenty of water and use air-conditioners.

On Saturday, the mercury topped 40 C for the first time in Japan since August 2007, when it had reached an all-time high of 40.9 C in two separate cities.

An 84-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man in western Japan died from heat stroke on Saturday after they were found collapsed in fields, Kyodo news agency said.

Two more deaths from heat stroke were confirmed by officials on Sunday.

An 80-year-old woman died in hospital after she was found collapsed at her wooden home on Sunday morning in Arita, a city south of Osaka, a medical evacuation official said. The living room where she was found was not air-conditioned.

In Saitama north of Tokyo, a 60-year-old man died in hospital after he was found unconscious on a street.

The heatwave, also gripping parts of China, has been caused by a Pacific high pressure system covering most of the Japanese islands, the weather agency said.

In early July a heatwave in the country claimed at least a dozen lives, according to media reports.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Morsi loyalists call fresh Egypt protests

SUPPORTERS of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi have called more rallies to demand his reinstatement, amid last ditch efforts for reconciliation ahead of a threatened crackdown on protests.

News+

Oops! Please register or log in to continue. (It's quick, easy and free.) Continue

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More