Nicaragua earthquake leaves one dead

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake has hit Nicaragua, injuring 14 people and damaging dozens of houses. Source: AAP

A 6.2-MAGNITUDE earthquake that struck Nicaragua has killed one person, left 33 injured, and damaged more than 800 homes.

President Daniel Ortega declared a state of emergency after Thursday's quake, centred in the Pacific coast region of the Central American nation.

He said it caused significant damage and triggered panic among the population.

The fatality was a 37-year-old woman who died of a heart attack, said officials at Carlos Roberto Huembes Hospital in Managua.

Three of the injured were in serious condition.

"There are thousands of families that lost their homes or saw them seriously damaged," he said.

The quake happened at 2327 GMT (0927 AEST Friday) and its epicentre was about 20 kilometres north of the capital at a depth of 10 kilometres, said the US Geological Survey.

The Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies put the magnitude at 6.2.

The president ordered classes suspended for Friday, and added there were more than 400 aftershocks.

People ran out of their homes in panic, he said. Managua was left without power for a few hours.

The quake was also felt in El Salvador, Honduras and the north of Costa Rica.

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Lorde fills Cobain's shoes

NEW Zealand singer Lorde has fronted Nirvana in New York as the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The 17-year-old belted out All Apologies with the remaining band members on Thursday as they performed Kurt Cobain's music for the first time since his death 20 years ago.

Lorde, who was born two years after Cobain died in 1994, tweeted after the show: "So honoured and happy i got to help celebrate nirvana's rock and roll hall of fame induction tonight. true f****** rock stars, all, forever".

Three other female artists - Joan Jet, Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth and Annie Clark from St Vincent performed with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear at Brooklyn's Barclays Centre.

Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility amid widespread speculation about whether they'd perform instrumental numbers and if not, who would step in for Cobain.

Novoselic, the band's bass player, said fans still came to him every day.

"Nirvana fans walk up to me every day and say thank you for the music," he said.

"When I hear that, I think of Kurt Cobain."

Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, hugged the two surviving band members, with whom she's had bad blood in the past.

"I just wish Kurt was here to do this," she said.

Kiss, thumbing their noses at critics who have dismissed them, them, also entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt and Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

The original four members of Kiss didn't perform because of a dispute between active original members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley and retired members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. But the original four made peace and saluted each other in heartfelt induction speeches.

The theatrical quartet put on make-up, belched blood, shot fireworks out of Frehley's guitar and sang their classic anthem Rock and Roll All Nite.

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ASIC rejects corruption allegation

AUSTRALIA'S investment watchdog has hit back at claims of corruption within its ranks.

Australian Securities and Investment Commission chairman Greg Medcraft has rejected, in a Senate hearing, suggestions staff acted inappropriately when authorising the use of online superannuation calculators in 2005.

The accusations stem from lawyer James Wheeldon, who was engaged by ASIC as part of a team tasked with granting permission to superannuation funds to offer customers the online tool to tally their super savings.

Mr Wheeldon claims ASIC failed to comply with its own standards when issuing an exemption that meant fees and charges were not necessarily included in the calculations.

Mr Wheeldon has previously told the senate hearing he reported to a senior lawyer, Grant Jones, who was on secondment to ASIC from the wealth management division of National Australia Bank, MLC.

Mr Wheeldon said Mr Jones acted as a "enthusiastic advocate within ASIC" for the benefit of MLC.

He also told the hearing that head of the team, Mark Adams, was driving an outcome which would see permission granted across the industry for the use of online calculators.

In response on Thursday, Mr Medcraft discredited Mr Wheeldon as a junior lawyer who was employed by ASIC for only nine months.

"ASIC completely rejects Mr Wheeldon's allegations," he said.

There was no special treatment for any parties and if ASIC considered the matter again, the same outcome would be achieved, Mr Medcraft said.

The Senate Economics References Committee's inquiry into the performance of ASIC is due to report back in late May.

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ICAC hears how Tripodi baled up Kelly

Former NSW minister Tony Kelly has admitted a cabinet minute that didn't favour AWH was rewritten. Source: AAP

FORMER minister Joe Tripodi says he took a 10-hour round trip to rural NSW to learn about hay, not straighten out a story with ex-MP Tony Kelly.

Counsel assisting the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Geoffrey Watson SC, on Thursday accused Mr Tripodi of trying to elude investigators by switching his mobile telephone off for most of the trip to Wellington.

But Mr Tripodi did not realise his sat-nav system was tracking his every turn, Mr Watson said.

"You turned off your telephone that day, deliberately," Mr Watson put to the witness.

"You didn't want anybody to have the facility to track where you were going."

The corruption watchdog has heard allegations Mr Tripodi and Mr Kelly helped create a sham cabinet minute that boosted Australian Water Holdings' (AWH) prospects of securing a lucrative public-private partnership.

The document replaced - and effectively reversed - expert advice prepared by external consultant Brian McGlynn.

The two men agreed they had a hand in altering the original minute: Mr Kelly agreed it was his decision to put up a new "positive" minute, while Mr Tripodi said he provided "working notes" that were incorporated in the paper.

But both men deny penning the final minute or working to further AWH's interests to benefit crooked ex-MP Eddie Obeid, whose family allegedly had a secret stake in the company.

It was revealed on Thursday that Mr Tripodi visited Mr Kelly's Wellington property in central western NSW early last year.

Mr Kelly said his old parliamentary colleague showed up unannounced with a hamburger in one hand and a coffee in the other and the men chatted about what fellow ex-MPs were up to.

Mr Tripodi mentioned that former planning minister Frank Sartor was writing a book "bagging out Labor" and that the notorious cabinet minute alteration would get a mention, Mr Kelly said.

"And then he finished his hamburger and said, okay, good to catch up with you and off he went," Mr Kelly said.

In a bizarre afternoon of evidence, Mr Tripodi claimed he was in the area to scout out a possible hay export scheme for a Chinese friend.

"You know lucerne costs about $12 a bale. It's not even economic to move lucerne (the 100km) from Wellington to Orange, so why would someone be exporting it back to Shanghai?" Mr Watson asked incredulously.

"Did you go down there for the sole purpose of getting stories straight about the cabinet minute?"

"Absolutely not," Mr Tripodi said.

The inquiry heard about extensive telephone contact between Mr Tripodi and former AWH chief executive Nick Di Girolamo.

"Like two young lovers," Mr Watson said. "You were at it all day."

Mr Tripodi denied he did anything wrong by putting Mr Di Girolamo in touch with then-water minister Phil Costa.

"I did that for many, many people on many, many issues," Mr Tripodi said.

"There was a dry cleaner at Wynyard that approached me when I was catching a train, raised some issues, and I went and raised it with a minister."

"We haven't got to that inquiry yet," Mr Watson quipped.

The inquiry continues on Friday with Mr Di Girolamo due to give evidence.

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Special constable attacked 'midget'

WHEN Heath Kelly was bashed by a special constable in Sydney more than a year ago, he says he was shocked someone would attack a "midget".

Fadi Chafei, 40, was found guilty on Wednesday by Magistrate Harriet Grahame of assault occasioning in actual bodily harm against Mr Kelly in November 2012 in Surry Hills.

He was also found guilty of intimidating bystander Matthew Harper who stopped Chafei from leaving the scene by making a citizen's arrest.

In handing down her decision at Downing Centre Local Court, Ms Grahame criticised Chafei's claims he was acting in self-defence.

"Mr Kelly describes himself as a midget," she told the court.

"When I observed him giving evidence, he looked younger than his 30 years and he was childlike."

Ms Grahame said she believed Mr Kelly's statement to the court that "no one expects a fully grown man to come up to a midget and smash the f*** out of him".

"I found his (Mr Kelly's) evidence lacking in guile or artifice," she said.

A special constable is not a sworn police officer but a person involved in law enforcement for a agencies such as local councils.

Chafei's defence team had argued that the special constable had punched Mr Kelly because he was one of a group of six who had been intimidating their client.

But Ms Grahame said this was inconsistent with CCTV footage and that his evidence was "at best" exaggerated.

The court was told that Mr Harper heard Chafei say to Mr Kelly "shut your f***ing mouth" before punching him.

Mr Kelly then fell, striking his head on the pavement.

Mr Harper told the court that after the attack, Chafei had said to an unconscious Mr Kelly "you just learnt your lesson" before he turned to him and sneered, "do you want to have a go c***".

Two nearby security guards stopped the 40-year-old from getting into a taxi and helped Mr Harper make a citizen's arrest.

Ms Grahame will sentence Chafei on May 20.

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Qld's north prepares for severe cyclone

Premier ditches trade trip to meet cyclone threat

UPDATE: Premier Campbell Newman is abandoning his Asian trade mission to return to Queensland and help the State prepare for Cyclone Ita.

QLD weather news

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  • Inside a cyclone 2:00

Last thing you want under your pillow

IT'S the stuff of nightmares: climbing into bed, only to discover a snake got there first. It was a horrifying reality for one Brisbane boy this week. Check the video

QLD News

• 1 video
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'Drug kingpin' extradited to Coast

THE alleged kingpin of a massive drug operation smashed by Gold Coast police has landed in Queensland to face charges.

QLD News

Seeney: 'No case' in $5k scandal

DEPUTY Premier Jeff Seeney has defended Premier Campbell Newman, saying he has no case to answer over a $5000 donation scandal.

QLD News

Morcombe killer appeals conviction

LAWYERS for Brett Cowan, the man convicted of Daniel Morcombe's murder, have filed a notice of appeal.

QLD News

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Physicist wins tech prize for data storage

BRITISH-AMERICAN physicist Stuart Parkin has won the 1 million-euro ($A1.48 million) Millennium Technology Prize for discoveries leading to a thousand-fold increase in digital data storage on magnetic disks.

His discoveries enabled cloud services and the online distribution of social networks, music and film.

The Finnish foundation on Wednesday cited the 58-year-old director of the IBM-Stanford spintronic science centre in California as an innovator who helped make "our contemporary online world largely possible." Spintronics relies on the magnetic spin of electrons rather than their charge to store bits.

The biennial technology award was initiated in 2004 by the Finnish government and industry for "innovations that improve the quality of people's lives."

Previous winners include Japan's Shuji Nakamura for laser research and Tim Berners-Lee for inventing the world wide web.

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Evacuation at Sydney food factory

WORKERS have been evacuated from a food processing plant on Sydney's lower north shore after a grain silo threatened to explode.

Emergency services rushed to the factory in Lane Cove on Tuesday night amid reports the temperature inside the silo had risen beyond safe levels.

Staff were evacuated and firefighters pumped carbon dioxide into the silo to try and lower the temperature.

"If the temperature increases over the next few hours we could have some problems," said Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Ian Krimmer.

"If the temperature remains static or decreases we'll be a lot happier."

Emergency services are expected to remain at the site for most of the evening.

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Unions reap money from senate office rent

TWO unions and a super fund involving a union have reaped more than $430,000 in rent for three Labor senators' electorate offices.

Labor senators Kim Carr, Anne McEwen and Alex Gallacher rented premises respectively from the meat industry union's superannuation fund; United Voice, a childcare, cleaners and health workers union; and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA).

Over the past three years they paid a total of $435,460 in rent, figures from the Department of Finance show.

Senator Gallacher's lease from the SDA was terminated in July last year but the others are ongoing.

The figures were released in response to a Senate estimates hearing question from Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie about how unions had benefited from federal funds under the former Labor government.

Employment Minister Eric Abetz told AAP on Tuesday such arrangements may technically be within the rules.

"But it is clearly not a good look when Labor senators use taxpayers' money to lease offices that are owned by unions factionally aligned to their own," Senator Abetz said.

"This raises legitimate questions of whether certain deals have been done between Labor MPs and union bosses that involve the use of public money in this way."

Senator Carr told AAP he had legitimately rented his Melbourne office from an industry superannuation fund for two decades.

"It's not true to say I rent it from a union. I rent it from an industry super fund which is the owner of the building," Senator Carr said.

"The fund is 50-50 run by the union and industry."

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MPs of both stripes lobbied over AWH

CROOKED ex-MP Eddie Obeid lobbied former NSW premier Nathan Rees about Australian Water Holdings (AWH) on the steps of parliament, the corruption watchdog has heard.

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Whistleblower got it wrong: Salvo bos s

s <Whistleblower got it wrong: Salvo bos
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<p><span>An inquiry has heard how a resident of a Salvation Army boys home received financial compensation.</span> <span><em>Source:</em> AAP</span></p>
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<p><strong> SALVATION Army commissioner James Condon says he already had a process in train to remove an officer with a sex abuse record before a whistleblower contacted authorities. </strong></p>
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<p>Mr Condon, the territorial commander of the Salvation Army in NSW, Queensland and ACT, told a hearing in Sydney on Monday that his absence due to a meeting in London in early 2013 had probably contributed to a delay in removing Colin Haggar as director of a crisis shelter for women and children.</p>
<p>The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard that Mr Haggar confessed to indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl in 1989, and was dismissed from the Salvos, but was re-admitted in 1993 and subsequently promoted.</p>
<p>Additional allegations were made against him in 2013.</p>
<p>Captain Michelle White said on Friday that concerns about Mr Haggar had been raised with Mr Condon in early 2013.</p>
<p>Ms White said that delays by Mr Condon in fulfilling mandatory reporting requirements prompted her to report to the NSW Ombudsman on September 4, 2013 that there was an active Salvation Army officer with a known history of child related sexual abuse.</p>
<p>But asked on Monday if it was only after Ms White's actions that he considered reporting Mr Haggar to the Ombudsman and the Office of the Children's Guardian, Mr Condon replied: "No, it wasn't."</p>
<p>He said a decision had been made to "have a fresh look at all historical cases", including those involving Haggar, in preparation for the royal commission.</p>
<p>"We were reporting to the ombudsman, reporting to the police ... we were in the process ... we were absolutely committed to doing the right thing."</p>
<p>Mr Condon said that following a meeting with Ms White, he also made phone calls, including to Mr Haggar, informing the senior Salvo that he should not have any responsibility for children at the shelter.</p>
<p>Mr Condon said he opposed the promotion of Mr Haggar to lieutenant colonel but it was army policy to promote a husband when a wife was taking an executive role. Mr Haggar's wife Kerry, also a lieutenant colonel, had been made secretary for business administration and a member of the Salvation Army executive.</p>
<p>Mr Condon told the hearing that he accompanied Mr Haggar to Parramatta police station in the early 90s to report the assault, recalling that an officer at the station told Mr Haggar that unless the victim or the family of the victim came forward, there was nothing police could do.</p>
<p>The commission was also told on Monday that the Salvation Army had no plans to use the defence of vicarious liability in historical cases of child abuse, unlike the Catholic Church which had argued in another matter that it could not be held vicariously responsible for historical abuse.</p><br />

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Terrorist Bashir 'wants to disrupt polls'

EDS: Updates with DFAT advice

JAKARTA, April 7 AAP - Indonesian police are on alert after suspected Bali bombing mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir encouraged supporters to disrupt this week's Indonesian legislative elections.

The convicted terrorist has asked supporters not to be "unproductive" and to disrupt Wednesday's nationwide ballot.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Adi Deriyan Jayamarta told Indonesia's Kompas news website police have been warned by Indonesia's anti-terror forces that a terrorist network could be planning an attack.

The police chief, based in Malang, East Java, has ordered officers to stay in communication with religious leaders and approach any suspicious object with care, especially near polling stations.

"There's expert personnel who will handle it," he said on Monday.

"Don't think that you have some kind of 'blast-free magic' and handle it yourself."

According to Lt Col Adi, Detachment 88, Indonesia's counter-terror squad, had information from a terror suspect involved with a network "that has done military training for firearm and bomb usage".

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its travel advice for Indonesia last week, noting the elections.

"Australians are advised to avoid all protests, demonstrations and political rallies, as they can turn violent with little notice," a spokesman said.

"The department keeps the travel advice for Indonesia under close review and updates it as required."

Bashir, the founder of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), is serving 15 years in Nusa Kambangan, a high-security jail off the coast of central Java dubbed the Alcatraz of Indonesia.

He was acquitted over the 2002 Bali bombings, but was jailed over his role in setting up a terror cell in Aceh.

Indonesia's counter-terrorism agency chief in 2012 told AAP Bashir was still giving orders from behind bars, albeit to a group with a different name, but the same radical ideology as JI.

The bombing of two Kuta nightclubs in 2002 killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

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Nats may help Libs secure 3rd Senate seat

THE Liberal party is likely to win a third seat in the re-run West Australian Senate election, a political analyst predicts, based on key preferences.

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Pricey lingerie stolen from Madonna shoot

THOUSANDS of dollars worth of lingerie has reportedly been stolen from a Madonna photo shoot in New York.

The undergarments were contained in a bag and included a $US2545 ($A2764) lace bra, according to DNAinfo.com.

They were stolen from the photo shoot for L'uomo Vogue, the magazine's Italian version for men, on March 20.

Police said it was a staff member who noticed the bag, which also contained a G-string worth $US345 and a pair of briefs valued at $US515, had disappeared.

The pieces were designed by New York's Deborah Marquit.

A representative for Marquit says only 13 of the 34 pieces that were loaned for the photo shoot were returned.

"The rest were either lost or stolen because we never got them back.

"Deborah would just like the samples found and returned."

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Labor: Reject Botanic Gardens plan

THE Royal Botanic Gardens Trust has unveiled the draft of its 25-year redevelopment for the Gardens and the Domain, which includes a multimillion-dollar five-star hotel.

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Gold Coast drug ring busted

Police have broken up an extensive bikie drug ring operating out of Gold Coast nightclubs. Source: AAP

GOLD Coast nightclub owner Ivan Tesic has been identified by police as the alleged mastermind behind a massive interstate drug ring involving at least six bikie gangs.

They claim Tesic, who is listed as an extreme risk by national law enforcement agencies, distributed cocaine through his Surfers Paradise establishment Club Liv.

Tesic was arrested in Sydney on Friday and was expected to be extradited to Queensland to face charges under the state's anti-bikie legislation.

Bandidos sergeant-at-arms and Cleo Bachelor of the Year entrant Josh Downey, arrested at Airlie Beach, was also among those nabbed in three days of raids.

Arrests were also made in Darwin and Newcastle.

The drug ring allegedly involved dozens of bikies including associates of the Bandidos, Finks, Mongols, Rebels, Highway 61 and Lone Wolves as well as DJs and club managers.

Police say drugs were sourced from Sydney and were driven to the Glitter Strip in cars modified to hide the stashes.

A covert operation was launched 19 months ago and officers had been picking off offenders.

The investigation climaxed over the last three days when 100 police raided homes and Surfers Paradise nightclubs, arresting the alleged bosses.

"(The operation) targeted the higher level offenders that aren't normally touched by police," Detective Superintendent David Hutchinson said.

To date, 152 people have been arrested, including 37 alleged outlaw bikies and associates.

More than 15kgs of cocaine, MDMA and methamphetamine were seized as well as six litres of methylamphetamine oil which could have been used to make $11 million in drugs.

The whole operation stopped $26 million worth of drugs hitting the streets.

Police will seek to retain four luxury homes and cars, including a Porsche, as well as $500,000 in cash and a watch, also worth $500,000.

"They're been living the high life at the expense of our youth and the rest of the community," Det Insp Hutchinson said.

"The may think that they are safe but we are always watching and they never know when we're going to pounce."

Anyone found guilty under Queensland's new anti-bikie legislation faces an extra 25 years mandatory jail on top of their sentence.

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