Six more countries free of landmines

Another six countries are free of landmines, organisers of a conference on deadly weapons say. Source: AAP

SIX more countries have been added to the list of nations that have eliminated "the scourge of landmines", organisers of a conference on the deadly weapons say.

Congo, Denmark, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Jordan and Uganda have declared all mined areas in their territories cleared, organisers said on Friday at the end of a five-day meeting to evaluate progress since the signing of the 1997 Ottawa Convention.

Gambia was added to the list as late as Friday, after a country representative unexpectedly announced its mine-free status to the gathering, Laila Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Geneva event, told AFP.

As for perhaps the most surprising name on the list of countries not considered landmine-free until this year, Denmark in July finished clearing minefields left over from World War II, when Nazis put about 1.4 million landmines along the Jutland peninsula to ward off an allied invasion.

Following the new additions, 36 signatory countries to the Mine Ban Treaty are still clearing mines, organisers said.

"Fifteen years after the opening of the Mine Ban treaty, we still see a high level of commitment. . . aimed at ending for all time the scourge of landmines," said Stephen Goose, chair of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which oversees the implementation of the 1997 treaty.

Poland's announcement during the conference of its imminent ratification of the treaty was also grounds for celebration, ICBL said, pointing out Polish participation as the 161st signatory country will mean all EU member states will be part of the pact.

That will leave the United States as the sole NATO member yet to ratify the treaty.

A US delegation nonetheless took part in the Geneva conference and said a domestic landmine policy review launched in 2009 would "soon" be complete, which could potentially open the way for a US ratification.

The Palestinians, who attended the conference for the first time, had meanwhile told the gathering they wanted to take advantage of the upgraded UN status they gained late last month to join the Mine Ban Treaty.

Conference organisers lamented that three signatory countries - Belarus, Greece and Ukraine - were still in violation of the treaty since they had missed deadlines for destroying their stockpiles.

The ICBL says almost 4300 people were killed by landmines worldwide last year - or nearly 12 deaths a day, compared with 32 in 2001.

It says the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad was the only government in the world to lay new landmines this year.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Troubled UN climate talks spill over

UN talks seeking to slow the march of destructive global warming ran far into extra time on Saturday as host Qatar sought to broker an end to the stand-off between rich and poor nations on funding.

After a long night of haggling, conference chairman Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah of Qatar called negotiators to a meeting where he urged them to consider a set of compromise agreements.

"I believe that this is a package that we can all live with and which is also good for our planet and future generations," he told the delegates from nearly 200 countries, including dozens of cabinet ministers.

"The time has come for the final push," he said, and gave the teams 90 minutes to reconsider their positions.

Negotiators in Doha must extend the greenhouse gas-curbing Kyoto Protocol as an interim measure to rein in climate change and smooth the way to a new, global pact due to take effect in 2020.

But the issue of funding to help poor countries deal with the fallout from global warming and convert to more environmentally friendly energy sources has hamstrung discussions in Doha.

Developed countries are being pressed to show how they intend to keep a promise to raise climate funding for poorer nations to $US100 billion ($A95.8 billion) a year by 2020 - up from a total of $30 billion in 2010-12.

Developing countries say they need at least another $60 billion between now and 2015 - starting with $20 billion from next year - to deal with a climate change-induced rise in droughts, floods, rising sea levels and storms.

But the US and European Union have refused to put concrete figures on the table for 2013-2020, citing tough financial times.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Calm in Cairo after night of protest

The Egyptian government has postponed the start of early voting on a disputed draft constitution. Source: AAP

THE streets of Cairo are calm after a huge but peaceful protest overnight against President Mohamed Morsi, who has greatly expanded his powers and is pushing for disputed constitutional reform.

More than 100 demonstrators who had slept in tents or a nearby mosque were camped out in front of the presidential palace, while soldiers manned barbed wire barricades on roads to the square and tanks stood by.

Overnight, more than 10,000 people had filled the square for an hours-long demonstration calling for Morsi to step down.

The hard-core protesters who spent the night outside the palace said they were determined to oppose Morsi all the way.

"I'm ready to die. All these guys are ready to die. I don't want violence but if they try to oppress us, there has to be a stand," said Mustafa el-Tabbal, 27.

He admitted though, that "there has to be some dialogue" between Morsi and the opposition before a planned December 15 referendum on a new constitution drafted by a panel dominated by Morsi's Islamist allies.

Although the scene outside the palace was peaceful, an undercurrent of tension remained after bloody scenes on Wednesday, when pro- and anti-Morsi protesters clashed, leaving seven people dead and more tha 640 hurt.

Egypt's mainly secular opposition is against a decree Morsi issued two weeks ago giving him sweeping new powers free from judicial review.

They also oppose the draft constitution, which they see as weakening their rights and edging towards Islamic law.

Demands for the decree and referendum to be dropped have hardened into a call for Morsi to go altogether after the president gave a defiant speech on Thursday.

Analysts say that if the referendum goes ahead, the new charter will likely be approved because of the still strong support of many Egyptians for Morsi.

But the resulting political polarisation could have a serious impact on the economy which depends greatly on foreign investment and tourism.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Elderly man crashes car into Sydney shop

THREE people have been taken to hospital after a hatchback smashed through the front window of a supermarket in Arncliffe.

Police said they were called to the store on the Princess Highway after an elderly man drove his Toyota Corolla hatchback into the store about 4.20pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

They said the car entered the store from the car park, smashing through the glass frontage and winding up more than four metres inside.

A supermarket worker suffering cuts and bruises was taken to St George Hospital, while the driver and his elderly female passenger were also taken to hospital as a precaution.

A witness told AAP it was a miracle more people weren't injured.

She said shoppers screamed as the car drove into the store and that "plate glass was everywhere".

She said the impact of the car was so great that parts of the store's ceiling collapsed.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic cop clocked at over twice speed limit

A POLICE officer clocked driving at more than double the speed limit in Melbourne's southeast has been suspended with pay.

Highway patrol recorded the leading senior constable travelling at 122km/h in a 50km/h zone in Garden Road, Clayton, about 10.15pm (AEDT) on Friday.

His car will be impounded for 30 days and he is expected to be charged on summons with driving offences, a police spokeswoman said.

The ethical standards command will investigate the incident and has suspended the officer with pay.

The officer will also face an internal disciplinary inquiry.

Road Policing Command Superintendent Neville Taylor said anyone caught driving dangerously would be held accountable.

"We expect all motorists to behave responsibly on our roads, regardless of who they are," he said in a statement.

"No one is above the law and if you do the wrong thing you will be caught and penalised."

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Terror bomb found ahead of Clinton visit

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Adelaide this year. Picture: Calum Robertson Source: News Limited

FOUR men have been arrested after a bomb was found in Northern Ireland shortly before a visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Police said the viable bomb was discovered after officers investigating dissident republican activity stopped a car in Londonderry.

Witnesses said police rammed the vehicle in Creggan at about 8.40pm on Thursday.

The army bomb disposal unit was called in after officers became suspicious about contents in the car.

A spokeswoman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: "At approximately 8.40pm, police stopped a car and subsequently arrested two males aged 47 and a male aged 40 after the discovery of what is believed to be a viable IED (improvised explosive device). A fourth male aged 41 was arrested nearby."

All four suspects were taken to the PSNI serious crime suite in Antrim for further questioning.

The discovery of the bomb comes ahead of a visit by the US secretary of state, who is due to meet Northern Ireland's First and Deputy First Ministers at Stormont on Friday morning.

Clinton's husband, former US president Bill, was a key player in the peace process during the 1990s.

It is understood the men who have been arrested are well-known dissident republicans from the Co Londonderry area.

SDLP Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey said people were angry at the disruption caused by this latest bomb alert.

He said: "Once again, the people of the Creggan are the victims of disruption, distress and anger. People are genuinely fed-up with this.

"People are first of all looking forward to Christmas with their families and then, next year, to the City of Culture. And this may have something to do with it because the dissidents have consistently said we will not have anything resembling normality during the UK City of Culture year.

"It was freezing cold last night and there were people in their 80s and 90s who were moved from their home. Some forgot medication.

"The people they tell us they represent are the people who are being disrupted. This has to stop.

"Thank God the police found the bomb and the people of this city or somewhere else are not waking up to destruction today."

Dissident republicans who were behind the murder of prison officer David Black last month have been particularly active in the Londonderry area in recent years.

They are opposed to the UK City of Culture status that has been bestowed on Londonderry for next year.

Attempts have been made to blow up the City of Culture offices on a number of occasions because it is seen as a highly symbolic target.

Tensions in Northern Ireland have been high in recent days after a controversial vote on flying the Union flag over Belfast City Hall.

Loyalists have been holding protests across the country to show their opposition to the decision to restrict the number of days the flag is flown.

Councillors from the non-sectarian Alliance Party have been intimidated and in one case the party's offices were destroyed by fire.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

New map highlights hotspots for mega-quake

SEISMOLOGISTS have unveiled a map highlighting zones most prone to unleashing the world's biggest earthquakes, including the 9.0 monster that struck northeastern Japan in March 2011.

These mega-quakes spring mostly from regions where fractures on the sea floor intersect with subduction zones or zones where one slab of Earth's crust is diving slowly under another, they say.

The evidence is statistical, coming from data from 1500 earthquakes.

Over the past century, half of the 50 largest earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.4 or more have occurred at these dangerous intersections, the scientists said.

The rate rises to 87 per cent for the 15 biggest quakes above 8.6 magnitude, including behemoths that have shaken Chile and Alaska.

Subduction zones are well known for engendering very powerful quakes.

Some regions are notorious, such as the Sunda Trench off Indonesia, which spawned the 9.1-magnitude Indian Ocean quake and tsunami of December 2004.

Others, though, are not picked up as potential threats, as they only generate powerful earthquakes every few centuries or even millennia.

Such long periods are called "supercycles" and because they last happened so long ago, they are not documented in human history.

The worrisome intersections are points where fractures, caused by the movement of ridges on the ocean floor, cross with a subduction zone at a boundary on Earth's tectonic plates.

Why these meeting points become hotspots is unclear.

One theory is that the complex fractures act as a brake, preventing the slow subduction movement. As a result, the stress accumulates over very long periods until it is released catastrophically.

"Even though we don't fully understand the physics of long earthquake cycles, any improvements that can be made using statistical data analysis should be considered, as they can help reduce earthquake damage and loss of life," said seismologist Dietmar Mueller at the University of Sydney on Wednesday.

The new map is published in the journal Solid Earth by the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA bushfire cause now believed to be human

A BUSHFIRE on a remote West Australian peninsula was likely caused by humans, not lightning as initially thought, the incident controller says.

The fast-moving bushfire on Doubtful Island Peninsula triggered an emergency alert on Friday morning and efforts were swiftly under way to evacuate eight people staying there in a fishing shack as firefighters worked on containment lines.

All eight campers who rushed to the beach for refuge were offered evacuation by boat, but by late afternoon, the fire had burnt out the peninsula and the immediate danger had passed.

Incident controller Roger Armstrong said it was a positive outcome thanks to the work of firefighters and favourable winds that pushed the blaze to where it could burn no more vegetation.

"The ignition point was in a fortunate position for us. If it had been slightly further to the west, it would have been more difficult," Mr Armstrong told AAP.

"The wind was particularly in our favour.

"Basically, it started in a narrow neck of a peninsula that bumps out into the sea and the wind was pushing it straight down the peninsula, so all we had to do was keep it on that peninsula and not let it get back onto the mainland."

The fire was initially thought to have been started by a lightning strike - considering that's what happened in nearby Bremer Bay earlier this week - but it was now clear humans had caused it, Mr Armstrong said.

The fire began close to the shack where the eight campers, who had been there for several days, were staying, he said.

"We've got a fire cause investigation going at the moment," Mr Armstrong said.

"Now that we've got a bit more intelligence, it's likely to be a human-caused fire."

Mr Armstrong said the experts who investigated fire causes could determine the point of ignition to "within metres".

It was likely the cause would be confirmed on Saturday, he said.

Mr Armstrong said he was confident remaining spot fires would remain contained.

"We'll mop it up tomorrow and hand it back to local government," he said.

The sight of smoke had been worrying for Bremer Bay residents, who had only just been let back home after the much bigger bushfire near the town this week, Mr Armstrong said.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA man faces Malaysian court over drugs

THE police officer behind the arrest of a Perth man facing a possible death sentence in Malaysia has admitted to selling the drugs, which he allegedly obtained from the accused, to his informant.

Serious allegations of corruption have been levelled in court against Inspector Luther Nur jib, the undercover police officer who arrested Perth man Dominic Bird, 32, in March for allegedly supplying 167 grams of methamphetamine.

Bird faces a mandatory death penalty if convicted.

Insp Nur jib on Friday admitted he had taken RM 1200 ($A375) from an informant which he used to allegedly buy a five gram sample of methamphetamine from Bird.

He then gave the drugs to the informant.

Insp Nur jib did not report the transaction to his superiors.

Asked by Bird's lawyer, Muhammad Shafiee, if the informant had played a "key role" in the alleged drug deal, the police officer replied: "Correct."

"When you took the RM 1200, did the informer know you would give him the five grams?" Mr Shafiee asked.

Insp Nur jib replied: "Correct."

"You confirm on this day you bought the drugs and sold them to the informer?" Mr Shafiee asked.

Inspector Nur jib again replied: "Correct."

Earlier in the Kuala Lumpur High Court trial, questions were also raised about the lengths the undercover officer went to in pressuring Bird to supply the drugs.

Insp Nur jib also admitted on Friday to having faced disciplinary action in the past for having stolen a Rolex watch from a suspect in another case.

The revelations are likely to have implications for Bird's chances of winning an acquittal, with Mr Shafiee later saying Insp Nur jib's credibility had been destroyed.

"The way (the police) behave with informants is so loose," Mr Shafiee said outside the court.

"He took the money from the informer who may be a drug trafficker himself."

"So a police officer is dealing with a drug trafficker in order, according to him, to fix another drug trafficker."

Mr Shafiee said there were also now questions over the possibility of more widespread corruption in certain sectors of the police force.

"It's total abuse in the worst form in an anti-narcotic unit," he said.

The trial was adjourned until February 13.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cave art animals 'more accurate'

YOU could call it primitive art - but stone age man knew what he was doing when he daubed figures of animals on cave walls.

In fact, many modern artists could learn a lesson or two from their ancient forbears who lived up to 30,000 years ago, scientists claim.

The lifelike images found at sites such as the famous Lascaux Cave in southwest France are said to demonstrate an ability to depict animal movement superior to that seen today.

Researchers in Hungary examined prehistoric and modern artworks of paintings and statues of animals including horses, bulls and elephants.

They found the majority of depictions of animals walking or trotting had the legs wrongly positioned.

However, prehistoric paintings had the lowest error rate of 46.2 per cent.

In contrast, modern era artworks of animals in motion prior to the late 19th century were incorrect 83.5 per cent of the time.

Even Leonardo da Vinci, famous for his anatomical drawings, got it wrong when he tried to portray animal movement.

After the pioneering work of Eadweard Muybridge, who made the first detailed studies of animal gait in the 1880s, the error rate decreased to 57.9 per cent.

But even then, pictures of moving animals could not match those of the cavemen for accuracy.

The research, led by Dr Gabor Horvath from Eotvos University in Budapest, has been published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.

In their paper the scientists wrote: "Cavemen were more keenly aware of the slower motion of their prey animals and illustrated quadruped walking more precisely than later artists."

The Lauscaux Cave in the Vezere Valley of France's Dordogne region contains nearly 2000 figures of animals, human figures and abstract signs painted onto the walls with mineral pigments.

They include more than 300 pictures of horses, 90 paintings of stags, cattle, bison, cats, a bird, a bear and a rhinoceros.

Among the most famous images are four huge black bulls, or aurochs, one of which is 17ft long.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thieves 'steal Israeli F-16 plane engines'

THIEVES have made off with several US-made engines for F-16 warplanes worth millions of dollars from an airbase in central Israel, army radio reports.

Israel's Walla internet site said preliminary findings after an investigation by military police indicated there may have been collusion between the thieves and personnel, either military or civilian, at the base.

It said the military police suspect the engines may have been stolen to be sold as scrap metal.

It is not known when the thefts took place.

Army radio said a military spokesman had refused any comment on the incident, except to say that an official report on the inquiry would be sent to the military prosecutor.

Last year, the Israeli military police launched an investigation after parts for F-15 and F-16 warplanes from the Tel Nof airbase near Tel Aviv were discovered when police searched a warehouse used by scrap metal merchants.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Sudan govt critic shot dead: friends

A SOUTH Sudanese reporter often critical of the government has been shot dead at his home in the capital Juba, colleagues say, adding that he been recently threatened to stop writing.

Diing Chan Awuol, who wrote for news websites including Sudan Tribune and Gurtong under the pen-name Isaiah Abraham, was shot dead by unidentified men in his home in the early hours of Wednesday morning, police said.

"Police are investigating and they will be discovering what happened... they suspect an assassination as nothing has been stolen," said police spokesman James Monday Enoka.

One of his last articles urged Juba's government to improve relations with former civil war foes in Khartoum and stop any support for Sudanese rebel groups.

"Journalists said Chan had been threatened several times in the past and had received anonymous phone calls warning him to stop writing," the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists said, calling for a "thorough investigation".

"His real name was recently discovered and as a friend, he told me that security agents are after him," said a friend of Awuol, who asked not to be named.

"I advised him to abandon using 'Isaiah Abraham' and create a different pseudonym, but it was too late."

South Sudanese journalist Ayuen Panchuol said the killing was a way of saying "look, this is what will happen to you if don't shut up".

South Sudan, the world's newest country after it split from Sudan in July 2011 following decades of war, is struggling to rebuild basic institutions.

Awuol, who was married and with five children, fought with the South Sudanese rebels who battled Khartoum from 1983-2005, now the official army of the fledgling country.

Most recently he worked at the national justice commission.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tanks deployed near Egypt president palace

Tanks have been deployed outside Egypt's presidential palace following a night of deadly clashes. Source: AAP

EGYPT'S army has deployed tanks outside the presidential palace after a night of deadly clashes between opponents and supporters of President Mohamed Morsi.

Three tanks and three armoured personnel carriers were stationed metres from the front gate of the palace in northern Cairo on Thursday as hundreds of Morsi's partisans chanted slogans in support of the president.

The military pledged on Thursday not to use violence against protesters.

General Mohammed Zaki, head of the Republican Guard tasked with protecting the president, said that "the armed forces, and the Republican Guard, will not be an instrument of oppression against protesters," the official MENA news agency reported.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fatal WA car crash followed altercation

AN altercation between two drivers near Perth has led to the death of another man, whose vehicle collided head-on with one of their cars.

Police said it was believed two men in separate vehicles were involved in an incident shortly before 2pm (WST) on Thursday.

One of the vehicles then drove off and shortly after smashed into another car that was travelling in the opposition direction along South Western Highway in Byford, on Perth's southeastern fringe.

The man in the third vehicle died, while the driver in the other car was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital.

The driver who'd been involved in the earlier altercation left the area.

He is now helping police with their inquiries.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The South Western Highway has been closed in both directions, between Thomas Road and Larsen Road.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Migrant bus driver strike stuns Singapore

FOUR Chinese immigrant bus drivers accused of inciting Singapore's first labour strike in 26 years have been granted bail in a case that highlighted growing social friction caused by an influx of foreign labour.

A fifth Chinese driver has already been sentenced to six weeks in prison even though prosecutors said he was not an instigator of the strike, which was called to demand equitable pay.

Walking off the job in protest is almost unheard of in Singapore, and the swift prosecution following the November 26-27 strike was a clear sign the government of this strictly-enforced country will not brook any disobedience from its work force.

Three of the men who appeared in court on Thursday were allowed a bail of 10,000 Singapore dollars ($A7,880).

A fourth driver, He Jun Liang, who faces an additional charge of making an online post in Mandarin, was given a bail of $S20,000.

It is not clear if they will be able to raise the money to get out of detention before their case resumes on December 12.

A Chinese embassy official who was present at the hearing declined to comment on the cases.

If found guilty, all four men face up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $S2,000.

The four drivers and the fifth already in jail were among 171 Chinese bus drivers of a state transport company who went on strike in protest at being paid nearly a quarter less than their Malaysian colleagues.

The labour action disrupted about five per cent of the city-state's bus services.

Singapore requires essential service workers to give 14 days' notice of a strike.

The last strike in the country was in 1986 by shipyard workers.

The government revoked the work permits of 29 other drivers and deported them to China.

The remaining drivers in the group were issued warnings, and will be allowed to remain and work in Singapore.

Authorities say a police investigation found the strike was premeditated and the drivers were absent from work without reason.

The bus company's chief, Desmond Kuek, has said the Chinese drivers' salary was fair.

He said the Chinese were paid less than the Malaysians because the company bore their expenses for transport, accommodation and utilities.

Singapore relies on hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia and Myanmar (Burma) to work as maids, construction workers, waiters, rubbish collectors and at other jobs deemed unappealing to many locals.

But the massive influx of foreigners has created much resentment among locals who see them as undisciplined and noisy.

They also blame the foreigners for the overcrowding that has put pressure on infrastructure, and for raising housing prices because of bigger demand on limited supply.

The case has not caused any diplomatic rift between Singapore and China, a major trading partner.

But activists in Hong Kong staged a protest outside the Singapore consulate on Wednesday.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Revered Thai king marks 85th birthday

Thailand's King called for unity in the divided nation during a speech to mark his 85th birthday. Source: AAP

THAILAND'S revered king has called for unity and stability in the divided nation as huge crowds of adoring, flag-waving citizens packed Bangkok for a rare speech to mark his 85th birthday.

At least 200,000 people flooded the capital's historic district, with aerial television images showing a sea of yellow as supporters of King Bhumibol Adulyadej dressed up in the colour associated with his reign.

The king, who is seen as almost a demi-god by many in the politically turbulent nation, told the crowd that the "goodwill" Thais had shown by attending the ceremony together "gives me the confidence that your kindness is key to bringing unity to the people and the nation".

"If Thai people are virtuous, there is hope that no matter what situation the country finds itself in, it will be safe and retain its stability," said the monarch in his short public address from the balcony at the Anantasamakom Throne Hall in front of the Royal Plaza.

Chants of "long live the king" followed the royal motorcade as it made its way to and from the hospital where the king has lived for three years since suffering a respiratory illness in 2009.

Bhumibol, whose 66 years of service makes him the world's longest reigning monarch, suffered a minor brain bleed in July, but has since made several official appearances including meeting Barack Obama during the US president's visit to the country last month.

The monarch has no official political role, but is seen as a unifying figure in a country that is frequently riven by political unrest, and his birthday is marked by country-wide celebrations, a public holiday and Thai Father's Day.

Any discussion of the royal family is extremely sensitive in the kingdom, where the palace has been silent over the organisation of an eventual succession.

Thailand is in the grip of a long-running political crisis pitting royalists against supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra and the current government led by his sister Yingluck.

The bitter divisions have led to sometimes violent street rallies in recent years.

Yingluck was among the dignitaries at the ceremony, as well as most key members of the royal family with the exception of Queen Sirikit.

Doctors treating the 80-year-old queen, who was diagnosed with a slight loss of blood flow to the brain after being taken ill in July, said she was still too weak to attend the event, according to a statement from the palace on Tuesday.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

More rail pain for NSW government

The NSW government is under fire over a report revealing a record number of transport complaints. Source: AAP

THE NSW government has come under fire after a report revealed a record number of complaints against Railcorp and a drop in the overall number of on-time trains.

The Auditor-General's NSW transport report, released on Wednesday, found complaints about on-time running were up almost 18 per cent on 2011.

On the roads, the report also shows there's little joy for Sydney's road commuters, as average speeds slowed on five of the city's seven major roads.

Afternoon peak-hour speeds on the M2 Lane Cove Tunnel/Gore Hill freeway dropped from 60km/h down to 52km/h in the space of 12 months.

Auditor-general Peter Archterstraat said only nine of the state's 16 rail networks achieved 92 per cent the on-time running target, down from 14 previously.

The East Hills, South, Western, Northern via Strathfield, South Coast, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, Hunter and Newcastle and Central Coast lines are all operating below the 92 per cent target, according to the report.

Complaints about hygiene have increased by 26 per cent, with 35 complaints lodged every week.

Opposition Transport spokeswoman Penny Sharpe said during eight peak hour periods in the past year, less than 60 per cent of the network operated on time, with train reliability at its lowest level in four years, .

Commuters were being charged up to $156 extra in fares each year, a figure that is set to increase again from January 1.

"Trains are getting later, dirtier and more crowded under Barry O'Farrell," Ms Sharpe said in a statement.

Greens MP and transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann said critical infrastructure decisions were being made according to the government's privatisation agenda, rather than in the best interests of the community.

She said NSW has been sent down a risky path by committing to a public private partnership (PPP) to build the North West Rail Link.

"We've had a series of failed transport PPPs in NSW and now the auditor-general himself has raised serious concerns - we can't afford to stuff up public transport infrastructure because of this government's ideological obsession with privatising public services," Ms Faerhmann said in a statement.

NRMA Spokesman Peter Khoury said the slowing of commutes for Sydney drivers shows that as the economic hub of Australia, Sydney should be doing better instead of stifling businesses.

"The longer it takes to deliver goods and services, the harder it is to make a buck," he said.

"It's not the way to run an economy. It's not the way to run a city."

Mr Khoury said the report showed the NSW government needed to increase spending on roads, developing the WestConnex project and completing upgrades to the M2 and M5.

"Decades of neglect has resulted in making life harder for commuters, but if we do finish projects that are on the drawing board and continue to improve public transport then we will see a substantial improvement in how Sydney moves around," he said.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

UN chief warns Syria on chemical weapons

A mortar has slammed into a ninth-grade classroom in Damascus, killing nine students and a teacher. Source: AAP

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Syria's regime against using its stockpile of chemical weapons, warning of "huge consequences" if Bashar al-Assad resorts to such weapons of mass destruction.

Ban also suggested that he would not favour an asylum deal for the Syrian leader as a way to end the country's civil war and cautioned that the United Nations doesn't allow anyone "impunity".

"I again urge in the strongest possible terms that they must not consider using this kind of deadly weapons of mass destruction," Ban told The Associated Press on Wednesday, speaking on the sidelines of a climate conference in Qatar.

"I have warned that if in any case this should be used, then there will be huge consequences. And they should be accountable," he said of the Syrian regime.

Syria is believed to have hundreds, if not thousands, of tons of chemical agents, including mustard gas, a blistering agent, and the more lethal nerve agents sarin and VX, experts say.

Assad has said he would not use such weapons on his own people even if it had them. Syria is party to the 1925 Geneva Protocol banning chemical weapons in war.

US intelligence has seen signs that Syria is moving materials inside chemical weapons facilities recently, though it is unsure what the movement means. Still, US officials said the White House and its allies are weighing military options should they decide to secure Syria's chemical and biological weapons.

In Qatar, the UN chief was asked about the potential for an asylum deal that would remove Assad from power. The Syrian president vowed in an interview with Russia Today last month that he would never be forced into exile and that he would "live and die in Syria".

"Whoever commits (a) gross violation of human rights must be held accountable and should be brought to justice. This is a fundamental principle," Ban said.

Ban's warnings came as fighting around the Syrian capital, Damascus, was closing in on Assad's seat of power.

Clashes between rebels and regime troops have intensified in the suburbs ringing the city in recent weeks. The area has been a stronghold of predominantly Sunni Muslim rebels, who are fighting to topple Assad's regime, dominated by Alawites, an offshoot Shi'ite group.

The increased pressure of the opposition fighters on the capital has raised worries that Assad or his forces will resort to desperate measures, perhaps striking neighbours Turkey or Israel, or using chemical weapons.

Syria's uprising began with peaceful protests in March 2011 and later escalated into a civil war that the opposition says has killed more than 40,000 people. So far, both sides have refused international calls for a negotiated solution.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

More than 50 bushfires as Qld temps hit 40

MORE than 50 bushfires burned across Queensland on Tuesday, as temperatures soared to 40 degrees Celsius across much of the state.

New records for December were set in the southeast, where Tewantin on the Sunshine Coast hit 39.7C - its hottest December temperature on record.

"Their previous record was set in 1901," senior weather bureau forecaster Michelle Berry told AAP.

Brisbane reached 38C - the city's hottest December day since 2001.

"Gold Coast got to 35.1C at Coolangatta, the hottest December reading since 2004," Ms Berry said.

"Charters Towers got to 40.5C, which is its hottest December day since 2002, and Rockhampton reached 39.1C, its hottest December day since 2008."

With more dry air forecast to blow across the state on Wednesday, fire danger will remain in the severe to near-extreme range in many areas.

"The highest readings are across the Darling Downs and Granite Belt, into the Lockyer Valley district," Ms Berry said.

"Some of the highest readings have been occurring around the Oakey, Dalby and Warwick areas, but we've also had severe fire danger values further west towards Birdsville, Longreach and up towards Mt Isa.

"We say anything over 50 is severe and we've been getting readings of about 85 around the Oakey area, which is near extreme."

Temperatures are forecast to ease a little on Wednesday, but the bureau says it will still be warmer than the December average.

"That, combined with the dry air and gusty southwest winds, means we will still have enhanced fire dangers through the southern, western and central parts of the state," she said.

As temperatures peaked in the mid-afternoon, 54 bushfires were burning around Queensland but a few hours later that number had fallen to 35.

A number of people voluntarily evacuated their homes in the face of a large blaze near Miles in south central Queensland as 12 fire crews and two water-bombing aircraft fought to bring it under control.

But Peter Varley from Queensland Fire and Rescue Service said the day could have been a lot worse.

"There has been nothing that's caused us any major concerns - I think we've got off pretty lightly considering the conditions," Mr Varley told AAP.

"Tomorrow, and possibly on Thursday as well, there'll be milder temperatures but an increase in the wind speed and low humidity.

"Of the three factors, temperature is our least worry."

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA fire threats ease at two communities

RESIDENTS of a community in Western Australia's Great Southern region are being allowed back into their homes after the threat from a bushfire eased, while another fire in a national park in the state's southwest is generating lots of smoke.

There were fears the summer tourist destination of Bremer Bay could be threatened by a bushfire on Wednesday, while another fire in a national park near Augusta in the state's southwest is being held in check by water bombing.

But both fires were under control on Wednesday evening with threat levels decreased from watch and act to advice in both cases.

Bremer Bay residents were told they could return to their homes after improved weather conditions lowered the threat from the bushfire, which was started by lightning and has burned more than 11,000 hectares.

"Although there is no immediate danger you need to be aware and keep up to date," WA's department of environment and conservation said in a statement.

A Bremer Bay primary school, however, will remain closed for a third day.

"We are not taking any chances and must protect students and staff from fire, which is why we have closed the school," Department of Education deputy director-general of schools David Axworthy said on Wednesday.

Many of the town's residents had taken refuge after hearing earlier warnings, but winds in the area ended up being weaker than forecast.

Shire of Jerramungup president Robert Lester said some protective backburning had also been conducted in the area.

Bremer Bay has a population of around 300 residents, but the township can swell in size to 10,000 in January, he said.

The second bushfire, roughly 7km west-north-west of Augusta, in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park is generating a lot of smoke but poses no immediate danger.

Authorities plan on updating residents again on both fires by 11am (WST) on Thursday.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Builders vow to improve crane safety

WorkCover NSW will hold a safety discussion on cranes following an incident in Sydney last week. Source: AAP

THE construction industry has vowed to improve crane safety and emergency evacuation procedures in the wake of a fire outbreak at an inner Sydney building site.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) last week when a crane caught on fire and collapsed at Broadway.

Following a safety roundtable meeting on Tuesday, called in response to the crane emergency, WorkCover manager John Watson said the safety watchdog would work in partnership with industry to ensure the safety of workers.

"The purpose of today's roundtable was to bring together industry players to discuss how we can ensure the safety of workers and the public, and prevent incidents like last week's happening again," Mr Watson said in a statement.

He said attendees had agreed on the same objective, to ensure "all workers go home safely at the end of the working day".

A special industry communique has been distributed to crane operators, Mr Watson said, to remind them to undertake fire prevention and control measures, and to review their evacuation procedures and systems.

Among the other measures agreed, the Industry Plant Consultative Committee has been tasked to review existing risk control advice and industry practice.

WorkCover will also release a safety alert and will continue to monitor tower crane safety.

Meanwhile, Mr Watson said WorkCover's investigation into last week's incident was ongoing.

"WorkCover is carrying out a thorough investigation into the incident which includes the causes, systems of work, maintenance of equipment and adequacy of control measures.

"WorkCover has taken possession of a number of relevant components ... for testing and analysis in an attempt to identify the cause of the fire.

"Any action taken by WorkCover will be dependent on the findings of the investigation."

The CFMEU says across-the-board accountability is required to improve crane safety.

The union's NSW secretary, Brian Parker, said a crane safety roundtable on Tuesday was positive, with industry support for pre-erection and pre-commissioning inspection of every crane used in the state.

The emergency meeting comes after last week's crane fire and collapse, which saw hundreds of people evacuated from the University of Technology Sydney at Broadway.

"If these plans are put in place, it means cranes will be inspected every time they're used, not just once a year," Mr Parker said.

"Furthermore, it's the CFMEU view these inspections should be undertaken by an independent third party.

"Self-regulation within the industry has been encouraged, putting workers at risk."

WorkCover's investigation into last week's incident is ongoing, but Mr Parker said it was rumoured the fire ignited after leaking hydraulic oil flowed onto the crane's engine.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

AGL launches action on price ruling

AGL Energy has launched legal action to challenge a price ruling by the Essential Services Commission OF South Australia (ESCOSA).

AGL began legal proceedings in the Supreme Court of South Australia on Tuesday ahead of a final price determination on December 14.

"AGL maintains that ESCOSA has wrongly exercised its power under the legislation to review prices due to special circumstances," AGL said in a statement.

In its fiscal 2013 earnings guidance AGL said adverse regulatory pricing decisions in Queensland and South Australia would reduce underlying profit by approximately $45 million in fiscal 2013.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chocolate warnings don't work on women

WARNING women that eating chocolate can make them fat may actually drive some to eat more, research from the University of Western Australia (UWA) shows.

The joint study with the University of Strathclyde in Scotland found low restraint eaters - those not on a diet - showed a strong impulse to eat chocolate when presented with negative messaging, including warnings that chocolate could lead to obesity.

Women on a diet were also prone to rebel against attempts to scare them off chocolate, particularly by ads featuring thin models.

Researchers found dieters shown ads featuring thin models displayed an increased desire to eat chocolate coupled with greater feelings of wanting to avoid consumption, or indulged in higher consumption - and ultimately felt more guilt.

Lead author Professor Kevin Durkin said the reaction of a warning having a contrary effect was known as "reactance".

"Reactance could be more marked among the low-restraint participants because they are generally less preoccupied with regulating their food intake and thus find external attempts to intervene in freely determined behaviour more jarring," Prof Durkin said.

The study involved 80 female participants between the ages of 17 and 26, categorised into low or high restraint and scored on a specifically designed "chocolate questionnaire" developed by UWA-based psychologist Professor Werner Stritzke.

The research was published in the journal Appetite, which specialises in behavioural nutrition and the cultural, sensory, and physiological influences on intake of foods and drinks.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Big gaps as climate talks enter final day

There is no solution in sight in the latest UN climate change talks, officials say. Source: AAP

ABOUT 100 ministers and a handful of heads of state have gathered in Doha for the final, high-level stretch of UN climate talks marked by bickering over cash and commitments needed to curb greenhouse gases.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to address the gathering of more than 11,000 participants around 1200 GMT (2300 AEDT) on Tuesday.

He's expected to urge countries to put aside differences for the sake of the planet's future.

Even as the alarm was again raised about the dangerous trajectory of Earth-warming gas emissions, observers say the nearly 200 nations at the talks remain far apart on issues vital for unlocking a global deal on climate change.

Poor countries insist Western nations sign up to deeper, more urgent cuts in carbon emissions and commit to a new funding package from 2013 to help them cope with worsening drought, floods, storms and rising seas.

Resolution of both questions by the meeting's end on Friday should smooth the way to a new, universal treaty that must be signed by 2015 and enter into force in 2020 to roll back global warming.

The UN goal is to limit warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 deg Fahrenheit) at which scientists hope we can escape the worst climate change effects.

UN climate chief Christiana Figueres expressed "frustration" on Monday at the pace of progress, as some delegates began to voice fears of deadlock ahead of the ministers' arrival for the final, political push.

Five heads of state and government were scheduled to address Tuesday's plenary meeting - from Gabon, Mauritania, Samoa, Ethiopia and Swaziland.

The Doha talks are meant to finalise a second period of the Kyoto Protocol, the world's only binding pact on curbing greenhouse gas emissions, but delegates disagree on its timeframe and country targets.

The first leg of the protocol bound about 40 rich nations and the EU to curbing emissions, but excludes the two biggest polluters - the US, which refused to ratify it, and China which was left out because it is a developing country.

Another area of disagreement is money.

Developed nations are being asked to show how they intend to meet a promise to raise funding for poor nations' climate mitigation plans to $US100 billion ($A96.4 billion) per year by 2020 - up from a total $US30 billion in 2010-2012.

The developing world says it needs a total of $US60 billion from now to 2015 - but so far no commitments have been made.

A report warned on Sunday that Earth could be on track for warming above 5C by 2100 - at least double the 2C limit targeted by the UN.

And on Tuesday, an economists' report said even an impossible zero-per cent pollution target for the developed world by 2030 won't stop calamitous climate change, and poor nations too must do their part.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Finks take bikie ban laws to High Court

LAWYERS for the Queensland government have defended the use of confidential information that helped it declare a chapter of the Finks bikie club a criminal organisation, saying the public has a right to live free of crime.

Pompano Pty Ltd, a company linked to the Gold Coast chapter of the Finks, is challenging the state's Criminal Organisation Act in the High Court in Canberra.

Queensland police want the chapter and the company declared criminal organisations, on the basis that their members associate for the purposes of engaging in or conspiring to engage in serious criminal activity.

But lawyers for the Finks say hearings on the issue have been limited to a small group of people, excluded the club's legal representation and dealt with criminal intelligence which came from untested information.

They claim the Queensland legislation is unconstitutional, stripping courts of their independence and denying procedural fairness.

Police should use criminal law if they have evidence to lay charges, Finks lawyer Bret Walker SC told the court on Tuesday.

"This is another scheme enacted by a state parliament which seeks to address the suppression of crime in ways other than by criminal trial," Mr Walker said.

Walter Sofronoff, QC, representing the Queensland government, said the laws were designed to strike a balance and were in aid of a serious purpose.

"Sometimes these competing rights will come into collision," Mr Sofronoff said.

He said it was not merely about rights but the right of informants to give information without their lives being risked and the right of the public to live free of organised crime.

Others states have sought to implement laws allowing particular groups, especially motorcycle clubs, to be declared criminal organisations and are intervening in the case, as has the federal government.

If the Queensland government wins the High Court case, its laws could allow police wide-ranging powers to pursue past and current Finks members by restricting their activities and banning them from recruiting, entering clubhouses or owning weapons.

Brisbane criminal lawyer Bill Potts, who lodged the application on behalf of the Finks and Pompano Pty Ltd, says the laws are a "step too far".

If the High Court deems the anti-association laws to be proper, then other states and the commonwealth could legislate in similar ways.

The hearing was adjourned until Wednesday.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK and France 'may' recall Israel envoys

BRITAIN and France are considering recalling their ambassadors to Israel over its plans to build new settler homes in a highly controversial area of the West Bank, Haaretz newspaper reported on Monday.

Reports of a decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to build 3,000 homes in east Jerusalem and the West Bank emerged on Friday when an official source confirmed that it was in retaliation for the Palestinians winning the rank of a UN non-member state a day earlier.

The decision to build in a key area east of Jerusalem, called E1, sparked a storm of diplomatic protest from Washington and Brussels as well as from UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who on Sunday warned it would deal an "almost fatal blow" to the prospects of resolving the conflict.

And on Monday, Haaretz reported that Britain and France were considering recalling their ambassadors for consultations over the plans to build in E1, which the newspaper said they considered a "red line."

"This time it won't just be a condemnation, there will be real action taken against Israel," a senior European diplomat told the paper, which also quoted another diplomat as saying: "London is furious about the E1 decision."

Quoting diplomatic sources, the paper said Britain and France were coordinating their moves and had "discussed the extraordinary step of recalling their ambassadors from Tel Aviv for consultations" and had informed Washington accordingly.

A final decision would be taken by the countries' foreign ministers on Monday, it said.

There was no immediate confirmation of the report from either embassy.

E1 is a highly contentious area of the West Bank that runs between the easternmost edge of annexed east Jerusalem and the Maaleh Adumim settlement.

Palestinians bitterly oppose the E1 project, as it would effectively cut the occupied West Bank in two, north to south, and sever it from Jerusalem, and make the creation of a viable Palestinian state even more problematic.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Deep divide at UN climate talks

COUNTRIES entered a second week of UN climate talks in Doha deeply divided on key issues even as fresh warnings were issued that rising greenhouse gas levels are putting our planet in peril.

After six days of intense negotiations, observers on Monday said nations were far from agreement on extending the Kyoto Protocol on curbing emissions of Earth-warming gases, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from burning fossil fuels.

With evidence mounting that man-made climate change is melting polar ice caps and causing sea levels to rise more quickly than feared, poor countries insist the West makes deeper, more urgent emissions cuts under Kyoto and gives more cash to help the third world adapt and cope.

The mechanisms for both remain in dispute.

"The science is clear: further delay would mean the opportunity to avert a global calamity would be irrevocably lost," the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), a grouping of 43 countries at risk from warming-induced sea level rise, said on Monday.

"We begin the final week of negotiations in Doha with the sober recognition that time is running out to prevent the loss of entire nations and other calamities in our membership and around the world."

A new study warned Sunday that Earth could be on track for warming above five degrees Celsius (nine degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100 - at least double the two degree Celsius limit being targeted for what scientists hope will be manageable climate change.

Other studies in the past week showed that polar ice cap melt had raised sea levels by nearly half an inch (11 millimetres) over the last two decades, and that Arctic ice had diminished at an unprecedented rate in 2012.

Yet observers say the Doha talks have become stuck, partly over a disagreement within the European Union on whether individual nations should be allowed to hold on to unused emissions quotas - so-called "hot air" - rather than scrapping them.

These left-over unused emission allowances, estimated to amount to some 13 billion tonnes for all countries put together, were allotted under the first leg of the Kyoto Protocol that runs out on December 31.

EU member Poland and some other countries now insist on carrying the "hot air" over into a follow up period - a move vehemently opposed by the developing world and countries most at risk of climate change-induced warming.

The surplus allowances can be sold on the carbon market.

"What were billed as mainly procedural talks are showing more controversy than expected," Greenpeace said of the talks.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jubilant Abbas home as Israel retaliates

Palestine's president returned home to a hero's welcome after winning upgraded UN status. Source: AAP

PALESTINIAN president Mahmud Abbas has returned home to a hero's welcome after winning upgraded UN status.

"Now we have a state," Abbas told cheering crowds at his headquarters in the Israeli-occupied West Bank."

"Palestine has accomplished a historic achievement at the UN," he added, three days after the United Nations General Assembly granted the Palestinians non-member state observer status in a 138-9 vote.

"The world said in a loud voice ... yes to the state of Palestine, yes to Palestine's freedom, yes to Palestine's independence, no to aggression, no to settlements, no to occupation," Abbas told the ecstatic audience.

But the Palestinian UN success has not been without repercussions.

Washington has warned it could withhold funds from the already cash-strapped Palestinian Authority and Israel said on Sunday it would not transfer millions of dollars in tax duties it levies from the Palestinians.

On Friday, Israel revealed plans to build 3000 settler homes in the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, and to revive a dormant project in a highly contentious area known as E1, a corridor that runs east from the far edge of the holy city into the heart of the West Bank.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon warned on Sunday that any Israeli move to revive that project would deal an "almost fatal blow" to any prospects for peace.

"Settlements are illegal under international law and, should the E1 settlement be constructed, it would represent an almost fatal blow to remaining chances of securing a two-state solution," Ban's office said in a statement.

In Ramallah, Abbas pledged that after the victory at the United Nations, his "first and most important" task would be working to achieve Palestinian unity and reconciliation between his Fatah faction and the Hamas rulers of Gaza.

"We will study over the course of the coming days the steps necessary to achieve reconciliation," he said, as the crowd chanted: "The people want the end of the division."

In Gaza, Hamas official Salah Bardawil said the Islamist group was calling "for urgent meetings to achieve reconciliation".

The return was a moment of triumph for Abbas, who last year tried and failed to win the Palestinians full state membership at the United Nations.

That bid stalled in the Security Council, where the veto-wielding United States has vehemently opposed it.

The new UN upgrade gives the Palestinians access to a range of international institutions, including potentially the International Criminal Court, and raises their international profile after years of stalled peace talks with Israel.

Abbas was received with a full honour guard, walking along a red carpet at the Ramallah presidential headquarters known as the Muqataa, where he shook hands with waiting dignitaries.

He laid a wreath and said a brief prayer at the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who is buried inside the presidential complex. He later dedicated the UN victory to the former president's memory.

"Our people everywhere, raise your heads up high because you are Palestinians," he said. "You are stronger than the occupation ... because you are Palestinians.

Abbas's return drew supporters from across the West Bank.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Crews clean up after Tamworth storm

CONDITIONS have eased around the NSW town of Tamworth, which was hit with hailstones the size of cricket balls as severe storms lashed the state's northern tablelands.

A spokesman from the Bureau of Meteorology said severe storms passed through the area about 3.10pm (AEDT) on Monday, bringing large hail and 98km/h wind gusts.

Essential Energy crews are still working to restore power to about 1500 homes.

Storms were forecast for Grafton, Scone, Armidale, Tenterfield, Glenn Innes, Inverell, Casino, Tabulam, Maclean, Dorrigo and Glenreagh but conditions eased into the evening.

The State Emergency Service received about 150 calls for help in the Tamworth area, mainly for broken skylights, windows and roof tiles.

There was also reports of fallen trees and branches. No one was injured.

The BOM has warned of possible storms hitting the state's north-east on Tuesday.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cuts proposed for Vic legal aid

THOUSANDS of Victorians will be disadvantaged by proposed cuts to the legal aid service, the Law Institute of Victoria says.

Victoria Legal Aid has advised the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) it will consider cuts to legal representation when its board meets next week to deal with budget blowouts.

The LIV held a meeting on Monday evening where barristers and solicitors condemned the proposed cuts and voted to campaign against them.

LIV president Michael Holcroft said lawyers want the organisation to take up its concerns with the heads of all courts, attorneys-general and police and prosecutors.

"Lawyers were angry that proposed cuts would disadvantage thousands of Victorians as well as having a devastating effect on the justice system as a whole," Mr Holcroft said in a statement.

"The proposals will lead to increased court delays and increase the risk of people sentenced to jail who ought not be."

Victoria Legal Aid reported a $3.1 million deficit for 2011-2012 after two years of surplus and suffered a budget blowout in the first quarter of 2012-13.

It receives federal and state funding but the proportion of federal funding has fallen from 50 per cent to about 33 per cent since 1997.

Mr Holcroft said funding for legal aid has remained static while demand for services has grown following the Victorian government's law and order agenda, including increased numbers of police, PSOs and child protection workers.

"It cannot boost funding to Victoria Police and child protection officers without also funding the other side of the justice equation," Mr Holcroft said.

Lawyers are planning a protest at the County Court forecourt on December 11.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More