Firemen mow lawn for bereaved wife

Thoughtful act ... A fireman is pictured mowing the woman's lawn alongside a note fire crews left at the house. Picture: City of Bayton/Facebook Source: Supplied

A CREW of Texas firefighters showed that it's the little acts of kindness that make all the difference when they returned to the home of a woman whose husband had collapsed with a heart attack while mowing the lawn to finish the job.

The fire crew in Bayton, Texas, took the victim to hospital after responding to his wife's 911 call, US ABC News reported.

Sadly the husband died but when his wife returned from the hospital she found her lawn mowed and a note from members of Bayton Fire Department's Station 4, A-Shift explaining that they felt bad that the husband had not got chance to finish cutting the grass.

They took the liberty of completing the job then locked the lawnmower safely away in the garage, they said.

"Let us know if there is anything we can do to help you out," they added.

A neighbour snapped pictures of the thoughtful gesture.

911 call ... The fire crew in Bayton, Texas, were called to the house after the man had a heart attack while mowing the lawn. Picture: Ashley Odom Chandler/Facebook Source: Supplied

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Putin calls for independence talks

President Vladimir Putin has called for statehood to be considered for the east of the former Soviet state.

War monger ... Putin gestures while speaking at a youth camp near Lake Seliger. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev/AP Source: AP

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has sharply raised the stakes in the Ukraine conflict by calling for the first time for statehood to be considered for the restive east of the former Soviet state.

Putin's defiant remarks came on Sunday just hours after the European Union gave Moscow — which the bloc accuses of direct involvement in the insurgency — a week to change course or face new sanctions.

"We need to immediately begin substantive talks ... on questions of the political organisation of society and statehood in south-eastern Ukraine," the Russian leader was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying.

Moscow has previously only called for greater rights under a decentralised federal system to be accorded to the eastern regions of Ukraine, where predominantly Russian-speakers live.

But Putin has this week sparked renewed speculation that he may be seeking to create a statelet in southeast Ukraine, after he employed a loaded Tsarist-era name "Novorossiya" to refer to the region.

Putin's tough talk also comes as rebels turned the tide on advancing Ukrainian troops, by snatching a series of towns and trapping the army in some.

Restive east ... Ukrainian soldiers instruct local residents to seek refuge as shelling comes closer to the city of Mariupol in the village of Bezimenne, eastern Ukraine. Picture: Sergei Grits/AP Source: AP

Kiev has warned that it was on the brink of "full-scale war" with Moscow that Europe fears would put all of the continent at risk of conflict.

The European Union agreed to take "further significant steps" if Moscow did not rein in its support for the rebels, with new sanctions to be drawn up within a week.

Kiev said the invigorated rebel push of the past days has included substantial numbers of Russian regular army contingents who are now concentrating forces in big towns across the region.

"Terrorists and Russian soldiers continue to concentrate personnel and equipment in regional centres," said security spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

A ragtag mix of volunteer battalions and local residents were meanwhile bracing for a desperate defence of Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Azov Sea coast.

"We can hold them off, but for how long? We don't have the strength to beat them," said Panther, a tattooed fighter with the Azov battalion, said to be one of the most radical nationalist groups fighting in the area.

Pro-Russia ... Alexander Zakharchenko, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, told Russian media on Saturday that the insurgents were "preparing a second large-scale offensive." Picture: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP Source: AFP

NATO last week accused Moscow of sending at least 1,000 troops to fight alongside the rebels, and presented satellite imagery showing artillery, tanks and armoured vehicles crossing the border.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the new sanctions would build on existing measures against Russia which mainly cover financial services, armaments and energy.

Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite, whose Baltic nation is wary of the resurgent power on its eastern border, warned that "Russia is practically in a state of war against Europe" and urged EU military assistance to Kiev.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged in Brussels to take tougher steps against Russia's "military aggression and terror" and warned that a "full-scale war" with Moscow is closer than ever.

"Today we are talking about the fate of Ukraine, tomorrow it could be for all Europe." Poroshenko said he expected the West to ramp up its arms supplies to Ukraine after discussions at a NATO summit in Wales on Thursday and Friday.

Although Russia continues to deny direct involvement in the conflict, there have been media reports of secret military funerals for those sent to fight in Ukraine.

Threat ... German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the new sanctions would build on existing measures against Russia which mainly cover financial services, armaments and energy. Picture: Tobias Schwarz/AFP Source: AFP

Moscow admitted that Russian paratroopers had been captured in Ukraine, but alleged they crossed the border by accident.

On Sunday Russian and Ukrainian officials confirmed that a prisoner swap had taken place on the north-eastern border with Ukraine.

"Nine Russian paratroopers were given to the Russian side" on Saturday evening, Lysenko said. A few hours later, 63 Ukrainian soldiers were handed over by Russia.

Rebels have pushed a lightning offensive around Ukraine's Azov Sea in the past week, prompting speculation of a possible attempt by Moscow to establish a corridor between Russia and the Crimean peninsula it annexed in March.

The rebels have advanced swiftly along the coast, capturing the town of Novoazovsk last Wednesday, just one day after Poroshenko met with Putin for talks that failed to achieve any breakthrough.

Alexander Zakharchenko, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, told Russian media on Saturday that the insurgents were "preparing a second large-scale offensive." At Mariupol, volunteers manning the barricades fear their trenches and barbed wire will be little match for the insurgents' tanks, but recognise the importance of their task.

"It is the last big town in the region under Ukrainian control, home to half a million people," commander of Ukraine's Azov battalion, Andriy Biletskiy told AFP.

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cahill scoring goals in fashion

Tim Cahill is launching a clothing line with Shoreditch. Source: Supplied

TIM Cahill has a flourishing interest in fashion as he prepares to make the biggest decision of his career.

The Socceroos captain and World Cup superstar has a new line of clothing with Shoreditch, to be released internationally next January.

He will also call the next shot of his illustrious career in the coming months, with a year remaining on his New York Red Bulls contract.

"Business wise and football wise, I couldn't be happier and I'm lucky to have built a beautiful lifestyle in New Jersey and New York,'' Cahill told Confidential.

Tim Cahill for Shoreditch. Source: Supplied

"For me the biggest decision will be after the next two years. When you've lived in London, Manchester, Sydney and New York, it's exciting. I am definitely intrigued by Asia and Italy and other cities in America. I've got another good 2-3 years maybe of playing."

Cahill said he is most invested in fashion outside of his sport, and is proud of the latest Shoreditch campaign shot in New York.

"It's not just a quick t-shirt or a jacket, this will go on for years,'' he said.

"For the last eight years I had a relationship with Armani and I like to look sharp but I prefer to under dress than over dress."

Cahill may not be in Australia for Christmas, but he will be back for the Asian Cup in January.

jackie.epstein@news.com.au

Originally published as Cahill scoring goals in fashion

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Here are 20 hilarious one-liners

Robin Williams had a number of awesome one-liners. Source: AP

COMING up with a good one-liner is not easy.

But a few of the world's best comedians have mastered the art of making people laugh with just one line.

Here are 20 classic one-liners:

Woody Allen: "Having sex is like bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand."

Steven Wright: "I think it's wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly."

Demetri Martin: "The worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades."

Groucho Marx: "I never forget a face, but in your case I'd be glad to make an exception."

Zach Galifianakis: "I have a lot of growing up to do. I realised that the other day inside my fort."

Russell Brand performs at Rod Laver Arena. Source: News Limited

Jimmy Carr: "A big girl once came up to me after a show and said, 'I think you're fatist.' I said, 'No. I think you're fattest.'"

Rodney Dangerfield: "I'm so ugly that my proctologist stuck his finger in my mouth."

Bob Newhart: "I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down'".

Joan Rivers: "The people voting for the Oscars are so old. I haven't seen one Academy Award voter with a tampon in her purse."

Jay Leno: "Remember the good old days when the only bomb you had to worry about on a plane was the Rob Schneider movie?"

Ricky Gervias wrote and starred in The Office. Source: AP

Jerry Seinfeld: "Looking at cleavage is like looking at the sun. You don't stare at it. It's too risky. You get a sense of it and then you look away."

Louis C.K.: "There are two types of people in the world: People who say they pee in the shower and dirty fu**ing liars."

Bill Bailey: "My first job was selling doors, door to door. That's a tough job isn't it? Bing Bong; 'Hello, can I interest you in a ... oh sh** you've got one already haven't you? Well never mind…'"

Zach Galifianakis has been doing comedy long before he starred in The Hangover. Source: AP

Robin Williams: "We had gay burglars the other night. They broke in and rearranged the furniture."

George Carlin: "Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster is a maniac?"

Michael McIntyre: "Who's phoning radio stations to warn of traffic jams? Who in their right mind gets stuck and thinks: 'Get me the phone — I must warn the others. It's too late for me'?"

Ricky Gervais: "Put a bet on the paralympics the other day; try telling the bookies that they're all winners."

Louis C.K. just won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the Louie. Source: Getty Images

Lee Mack: "I remember the last thing my nan said to me before she died. 'What are you doing here with that hammer?'"

Phyllis Diller: "I do dinner in three phases; serve the food, clear the table, bury the dead."

Russell Brand: "No wonder Bob Geldof is such an expert on famine. He's been dining off I Don't Like Mondays for 30 years."

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Schapelle’s boyfriend owns up to drugs

Schapelle Corby's parole is under greater scrutiny after her boyfriend was allegedly caught with marijuana.

Schapelle Corby with her boyfriend Ben Panangian who has been arrested over drug possession. Source: News Corp Australia

Schapelle Corby's boyfriend has allegedly admitted to Bali drug squad officers that he owned the marijuana which has landed him in jail.

And police say that he told them, under interrogation, that he bought the drugs in the east Java city of Surabaya.

ROSLEIGH ROSE: 'HE'S NOT SCHAPELLE'S BOYFRIEND'

SCHAPELLE'S BOYFRIEND ARRESTED IN BALI ON DRUG CHARGES

Ben Panangian, who has been romantically linked with Corby since 2006, was arrested on August 20 and is in a Denpasar city police jail.

Supplied pic of Ben Panangian, charged with possession of marijuana in Bali Source: Supplied

Pic of Ben Panangian, Schapelle Corby's boyfriend after being arrested for marijuana possession Source: News Corp Australia

He faces drug possession charges which carry a 12-year maximum sentence after police allege they found almost nine grams of marijuana in his possession.

Yesterday Denpasar drug squad chief Gede Gonefa told News Corporation that Panangian admitted the drugs.

He said Panangian has now been interrogated twice and his case will be handed to prosecutors to bring to court as soon as possible.

"He admitted that he bought the drugs from Surabaya", Mr Ganefo said.

He said Panangian had not explained he circumstances of getting the drugs.

group of drug suspects paraded by police in Denpasar, wearing orange suspect overalls and balaclavas on their heads. Source: News Corp Australia

Mr Ganefo said that police had conducted blood and urine tests on Panangian but had yet to receive the results.

He said that Corby had no relationship to the case and there was no intention to question her. Denpasar police chief, Djoko Hari Utomo also said that corby had nothing to do with the case.

As news of Panangian's arrest was revealed by News Corporation on Friday, Corby's parole officers said her supervision would be tightened.

But they have said her parole will not be revoked as she has nothing to do with Panangian's case.

Schapelle Corby visit to parole board for her monthly report as the parole condition 11Aug 14 Source: News Corp Australia

Parole Board chief Ketut Artha did say however that parole officers would monitor Corby more closely and would visit her more frequently.

Corby has made no comment about Panangian's arrest and has not been visiting him at the jail where he is locked up.

Panangian is accused of possessing two marijuana packages, one of which was allegedly found in a wardrobe in his Kuta home.

He was one of six drug suspects paraded by police this week wearing balaclavas and orange uniforms.

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Inside the secret life of truckies

Mark is an ex-pastry chef, who took up truck driving a year ago. He is currently in the Atherton Tablelands. Picture: Cory Wright Source: Supplied

EVER wondered what it's like to be a truck driver, living your life on the open road for days, weeks or months at a time?

These illuminating photographs take a look inside the cabins of the giant vehicles where men eat, sleep, work and drive: usually alone.

Photographer Cory Wright, from the Gold Coast, began the project after watching trucks speeding down the freeway and wondering about the person inside.

Dave and his daughter Paige. Their home burned down in a bushfire in Victoria, and the family have just found a house near the Hume Highway. Picture: Cory Wright Source: Supplied

He says he soon learned that truck-driving is not just a job, it's a lifestyle. And one that comes with many challenges.

These include spending extended lengths of time away from home and family, the stress from tight deadlines and breakdowns and the mounting number of rules and regulations that drivers are required to obey.

Despite this, says Mr Wright, every one of the drivers he encountered was approachable.

"We have this preconceived idea of what truck drivers are like," he said. "But they were all very obliging and willing to have a chat."

It was for this reason that when he spotted a truck with a bug deflector that read "Gentlemen in Disguise", he knew the series had its title.

John and his girlfriend Sharmaine travelling together in his truck. Picture: Cory Wright Source: Supplied

The series shows just how diverse truckies really are. Bearded, vest-wearing Mark was originally a pastry chef, and took up the profession just 12 months ago.

Malcolm had a serious accident last month that completely destroyed the truck he is pictured in.

He escaped with only a "scratch on the head and a sore neck" and was back on the road within a week.

They are all impressively resilient.

One common tale among the drivers is of the strain the job puts on relationships, and how the family dynamic is affected by having to spend so much time away from home.

A few are able to bring their family on the road with them — but not many can do so because of insurance and other issues.

Malcolm had an accident last month that destroyed this truck. Picture: Cory Wright Source: Supplied

"Life goes on" was John's reply when asked about a past relationship. He and his new partner Sharmaine had been together for about eight months when they posed for the series.

John is now travelling with his son.

Dave and his daughter Paige lost their home to bushfires near Yarram, Victoria earlier this year.

The family have since found a house near the Hume Highway, so Dave gets to be home more often.

Ted was one of several owner/operators Mr Wright interviewed who had been driving for decades. His description of the job speaks for itself.

"I'll tell you what we are: we're professional, articulated vehicle manipulators — and you'd be hard-pressed to find a harder job in this country."

To find out more, or if you are a truck driver and want to be part of Mr Wright's ongoing project, visit his website at www.coryjwright.com or find him on Twitter @corywrightphoto. He is particularly looking for female drivers or those travelling with family.

Veteran driver and owner Ted says you'd be hard-pressed to find a harder job. Picture: Cory Wright Source: Supplied

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tourists in North Korea ‘are seeing a farce’

When Singapore resident Aram Pan visited North Korea in May, he asked his four minders if they'd drive him around the capital with a GoPro video camera attached to the windshield. They said yes. Here's what he saw. (Photo: Aram Pan)

Kim Jong-Un inspecting the construction site of apartment houses for educators. Source: AFP

LONDON - Wealthy tourists are increasingly being wooed by the cash-strapped North Korean dictatorship.

Pyongyang has recently announced the country's first surf tour, which follows the opening of a ski resort earlier this year.

And their tactics are working. Although modest, overall tourist numbers are up, and there has also been a hike in visits from Westerners.

But given that the United Nations Human Rights Council found "systematic and gross human rights violations" happening on a daily basis, some have called into question the ethics of visiting North Korea.

"I don't think people should simply go to North Korea as tourists," says Lord David Alton, the chair of the UK government's committee on North Korea. "Their visit provides the regime with foreign currency and aids and abets a regime which the United Nations Commission of Inquiry report says is responsible for human rights violations 'without parallel.'"

Not everyone agrees. The presence of tourists could help end the regime, argues Andrei Lankov, associate professor at Seoul's Kookmin University, in the Asia Times. "The North Korean dictator and his elite might see [the tours] as an easy way to earn money … but in the long term, they will make breaches in the once monolith wall of the information blockade. Sooner or later, those breaches will become decisive."

Here's a summary of what to consider before deciding to visit.

Elderly North Korean men walk on a sidewalk with the 105-story pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel, which has been under construction since 1987, seen in the background in Pyongyang. Source: AP

Do tourist dollars help locals, or do they go to building nuclear weapons?

The North Korean government doesn't publish economic data so it's unclear how much, if any, tourist money goes to help ordinary citizens.

But it is true that a nascent economy provides foreign visitors with souvenirs and familiar groceries. If it wasn't for the tourist industry some people wouldn't have anything, says Stephen Price, a trustee of Pyongyang University and longtime visitor to the country. "There were street artists selling their art and people selling flowers and little souvenirs; those people are definitely getting the direct benefit of the tourist's money."

Even if the state took all the tourist cash, would it make any difference? Would it enable the regime's hard line tactics, or its nuclear ambitions? "There are less than 5,000 Western tourists who visit North Korea each year which means the amount of money the government raises is minuscule," says Dylan Harris, director of Lupine Travel, which run tours to North Korea.

The money raised might be small now, but the tourist industry is growing, says Casey Lartigue, director for international relations at the for-profit Seoul think tank Freedom Factory. "Is there a financial tipping point that advocates would think it inappropriate to visit resorts and take golfing trips as North Koreans are being tortured and executed for minor offences?"

Construction work is underway at the new Pyongyang International airport terminal. Source: AP

Do tourists help the regime's propaganda efforts?

Most tours include a trip to the Mansudae Grand Monument in Pyongyang, where a 75-foot statue of Kim Jong Il was recently erected next to his father, Kim Il Sung. Tourists are encouraged to bow to the statues and leave gifts of flowers. Footage of their bows is often shown on national TV.

"These foreigners are bad examples of freedom," says Park Yeon Mi, a North Korean defector who also works at the Freedom Factory. "They aid the regime's propaganda by allowing themselves to be portrayed as if they too love and obey the leader."

"North Korean propagandists constantly remind their population that the Kims are admired throughout the world," explains Paul Beaudry, a Canadian lawyer who visited the country and then wrote this article about how he regrets going. "Having tourists bow before statues of the Kims contributes to that myth, and enhances the regime's legitimacy."

North Koreans paint the facade of their apartment building in Pyongyang. Source: AP

How do tourists affect the lives of ordinary people?

Tourists who visit North Korea are subject to strict controls. But for citizens the controls are worse. "I saw lots of tourists when I lived in Pyongyang," says Park, the Seoul-based defector. "Whenever [tourists] came [the regime] gave us electricity, made us paint our apartments, clean everything and wear nice clothes. They made anyone who was handicapped or in a wheelchair get off the streets. Tourists aren't seeing the real North Korea, they are seeing a farce."

Still, staying away will not improve matters, argues the pro-tourism group. "Decades of sanctions have had no effect other than make life more difficult for the general public," says Lupine Travel's Harris. "Exposure to tourists is the only window ordinary North Koreans have to the outside world. It doesn't mean you have to agree with their policies, you can be vehemently against them, but to see a friendly foreign face and well-dressed tourists helps alter their perception of the outside world."

Friendly foreign faces notwithstanding, tourists are not the only window North Koreans have on the outside world. And Yeonmi and her fellow defectors at the Freedom Factory question the true power of that contact. "The rulers of North Korea aren't stupid, if there was a chance tourists could change people's attitudes, do you think they would let them come?"

Tourists are seen through a fish tank separating the hotel lobby from a cafe. Source: AP

This article was written by Nathan A. Thompson from GlobalPost and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Who are Australia’s most popular athletes?

Surfer Sally Fitzgibbons. Source: News Corp Australia

THEY are the young guns of Australian sport - and are more popular than some of the country's great champions.

Tennis teenager Nick Kyrgios and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo are more popular than Adam Scott, Sally Pearson, Patty Mills, Lleyton Hewitt and Sonny Bill Williams.

Surprising survey results supplied by Repucom, the only international index for celebrity evaluation, details the meteoric rise of Kyrgios and Ricciardo, who have taken the sporting world by storm.

Ricciardo, who took out last weekend's Belgian F1 Grand Prix and Kyrgios, the 19-year-old who plays in the third round of the US Open this morning, represent Australia's new wave of sporting talent.

According to new figures obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, only Socceroos captain Tim Cahill and Test cricket captain Michael Clarke are considered more popular than Kyrgios and 25-year-old Ricciardo.

Daniel Ricciardo. Picture: Dean Mouhtaropoulos, Getty Images Source: Getty Images

Nick Kyrgios. Picture: Al Bello, Getty Images Source: Getty Images

The sport survey rates footballer Tim Cahill has having influence and surfer Sally Fitzgibbon as the most trusted. Source: The Sunday Telegraph

The sport survey results place golfer Adam Scott as the one sports person they aspire to be. Source: The Sunday Telegraph

Ian Thorpe is still our most overall recognisable Australian sports star. Source: The Sunday Telegraph

The rankings are based on the most prominent Australian athletes gaining a score, or Database Index (DBI), with the results generated every quarter from 500 respondents nationally.

The DBI score is drawn from eight key categories including: Awareness, Appeal, Breakthrough, Trend-setter, Influence, Trust, Endorsement and Aspiration.

Kyrgios and Ricciardo sit among the top 5 Australian athletes in almost all eight categories.

Portrait of Australian captain Michael Clarke on the eve of his 100th Test match. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: News Limited

Other results to emerge from the poll include:

* Surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, is the most popular female athlete for males between the age of 13-34.

* Ian Thorpe remains Australia's most recognisable sports person despite having retired from professional swimming in 2012.

* Controversial Tennis talent Bernard Tomic is the least trusted athlete in Australia, he's also the least marketable.

* NBA star Mills is the number one athlete Australian's would choose to endorse their product. Cahill sits second in this category.

Patty Mills of the San Antonio Spurs. Picture: Chris Covatta, Getty Images Source: Getty Images

Kyrgios has been inundated by sponsorship deals since announcing himself on the world stage earlier this year.

However, his management team have shrewdly avoided overexposing the teenager's profile, linking with only handful of sponsors, including most recently men's underwear brand, Bonds.

Repucom managing director Guy Port described the survey results as remarkable.

"When you look at their average awareness figures alone of about 65 per cent for two athletes that have really only come on the scene over the past six to 12 months, it's extraordinary,'' Port said.

"What's interesting to me when you talk about Ricciardo and Kyrgios in particular, when you start breaking up the different attributes, on appeal they're ranked number one and two.

"Even on the influence factor, they're ranked three and four.

"It promises to be a good career for those two from a commercial endorsement perspective if they continue their run on court and on the track.''

Tim Cahill at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil earlier this year. Picture: Paul Gilham, Getty Images Source: Getty Images

Sally Fitzgibbons. Source: Supplied

Currently ranked number two on the women's world tour of surfing, Fitzgibbons' promotion of the sport and her alcohol-free, healthy living lifestyle has clearly struck a chord with the Australian public who believe she is the most trustworthy athlete in the country.

With more than 106,000 followers on Twitter, Fitzgibbons is also proof that the ability of today's generation of young athlete's to interact, promote and converse with their fans is a powerful tool and marketer's dream.

"When you look at the availability of media and the coverage of sports, it allows a lot more exposure for local Australian public whether its via Fox Sports and other cable television or news which is driven by a lot of these guys' social media profile,'' Port said.

"Ten, 20 years ago Australian's plying their craft overseas didn't have the same mechanism to build their profile locally.

"People can follow these athletes around the world, in completely different time zones. It's a huge factor in what makes these guys popular.''

Originally published as Who are Australia's most popular athletes?

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

What destroying ISIS will take

Dozens of Twitter accounts. Thousands of media-savvy followers. Slick propaganda videos. The Web-based branding efforts of the extremist group the Islamic State show that they're waging a war online as well as on the ground in Iraq and Syria.

THE area now under the control of the Islamic State is so vast it has already begun to mark out and control its proposed caliphate. It runs from the southern border of Turkey to the north-eastern gates of Baghdad.

The United States — and perhaps, soon, Australia and a handful of other airborne allies — are in the invidious position of trying to bomb what is not so much a scrupulously organised force, but an idea, from existence.

The ISIS fighters, according to international observers who are mapping the changing fronts of the war on a daily basis, do not have a grounded physical presence over the entire extensive patch of desert they now dominate.

KHALED SHARROUF'S SON: School dress-up to child of war

AUSTRALIA READY: RAAF jets and SAS troops on standby

SECRET DOSSIER: Australia's info on ISIS as US recruits allies

But for those ordinary citizens who live in these places, they know who is in charge.

As Afghanistan's Taliban and the subsequent insurgency showed, creating a state of absolute fear assures absolute population loyalty, making the winning of hearts and minds — a most valuable commodity in any war — difficult to buy at any price.

ISIS fighters have full control of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the first city to fall to the terror state, and from where Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf posted images of his seven-year-old son holding a man's severed head.

Shocking picture ... a boy security agencies believe to be Australian Khaled Sharrouf's son holds the decapitated head of a soldier in the Syrian city of Raqqa. It was posted on Twitter. Source: Supplied Source: Twitter

It is from here that they appear to be running their war and building their caliphate headquarters, reportedly painting parts of it black to reflect their forbidding flag, and where their own version of total Sharia law has been instigated.

Raqqa is most likely the first port of call for foreign ISIS recruits — including up to 500 Britons, 300 Americans, a large but unknown number of Chechens, and 60 Australians and another 100 loosely described as "supporters".

ISIS: Where does the terror group gets its money?

REVEALED: Does ISIS actually get Islam?

ASIO and the federal government said during the week that 15 Australians have most likely died fighting for IS to date. The numbers are unconfirmed and the full list of names has not been released.

Taking over ... a member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham waves a flag in Raqqa, Syria. Source: Supplied

To the east of Raqqa, members of the minority Yazidi sect have mostly fled in Iraq's Mount Sinjar after being surrounded and slaughtered by ISIS; and across to the enormous Mosul Dam, the area has not been declared IS-free despite heavy US air strikes in both locations.

If anything, ISIS is gathering strength in northern Syria and has not been blunted in Iraq, where its fighters are running amok across the country. Tribal leaders are fleeing for their lives as IS issues execution orders for any who fail to swear allegiance.

Evil terrorists ... US journalist James Foley, who was abducted in Syria in 2012. Foley has now appeared on ISIS media channels, as they broadcasted his death. A black-hooded member of ISIS is seen decapitating the war reporter. Picture: Twitter Source: Twitter

On the route south to Baghdad, the Institute for the Study of War has pinpointed ISIS actions of recent days, where the terrorists have attacked the Baiji oil refinery and conducted mass executions. They adhere to no known rules of war.

The US air strikes appear to be intensifying in areas north and west of Baghdad, perhaps reflecting the increase in ISIS activity in these areas; or confirming the already considerable extent of their reach.

Moving in ... fighters from the al-Qaida linked Islamic State group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Picture: AP Source: AP

During the Libyan conflict of 2012, President Barack Obama made it clear that the US was tired of being the free world's first strike weapon against murderously oppressive regimes and rebel uprisings.

Obama insisted others step up and share the responsibility so that the US was not always seen as the anti-Islamic intervening force. That has not occurred in the fight against IS.

The unlikely coalition of countries whom the US is reportedly seeking to initially enlist for potential air support are Britain, Australia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.

Clearly, the US hopes the Arab factor in this line-up demonstrates an anti-terror, rather than anti-Islam, resolve.

Obama has faced continued international criticism for failing to intervene in Syria, but has been constrained by China and Russia, both of who have vested interests in Syria and have refused to act as peacemakers or peacekeepers.

The air strikes are the "acceptable" face of American intervention, so long as its troops do not hit the ground.

Alleged execution ... young men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road by Islamic State militants at an undisclosed location in Syria's Raqa Province. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

The most obvious place for the US to hurt ISIS is to bomb the hotbed of Raqqa, though this creates another problem because it plays to the desires of pariah Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who also wants IS routed.

Much commentary this week has been that Obama would need to form a temporary alliance with al-Assad in order to conduct air strikes over Syria.

However, the Obama Administration — increasingly taking a tough line — ruled that out, saying any decisions would be made among genuine allies, not Syria.

"We're not going to ask for permission from the Syrian regime (for air strikes)," said Jen Psaki from the US State Department.

Australia now weighs what role it will play in the distant war. The federal government has seemed a little overanxious to help, making clear its Super Hornet strike force is ready to go the war.

On standby ... RAAF F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilots are ready to assist the US in an air strike mission in iraq and Syria. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: News Corp Australia

It has since cooled its rhetoric, and Britain is standing back, insisting it will not join air strikes without giving it considerably more thought.

But the nature of the Australian alliance with the US is real. It will not be one of the many who sit back hoping the US overinvests in Iraq and Syria and eventually gets dragged into a ground war.

Australia hopes, like the US, that ISIS can be weakened from the air, if not destroyed, before the boundaries of its caliphate become permanent lines on the map, and from there begin to strike out at the world using terror.

In the absence of a genuine worldwide response, Australia's planes may be needed.

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bex medicine was a major killer

We take them to relieve pain, but what exactly is Panadol and Nurofen and are some pain relief claims really true?

Killed more than pain ... Housewives were urged to "have a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down" to help them get through the day in the 1960s. Source: Supplied

EXCLUSIVE: It was billed as mothers little helper but "a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down" turned out to be a killer prescription and new research shows kidney cancers plunged after the pain killer was banned.

Bex, Vincents, APC and Veganin contained the addictive pain killer phenacetin. They were heavily advertised as pick me ups from the 1930s to the late seventies.

Some housewives took as many as three doses a day of the powder that could be dissolved in water or a cup of tea to help them get through the day.

When they were linked to high rates of kidney disease, the over the counter medications were banned in 1977.

In the mid-1970s kidney failure caused by the medicines was the reason 15-20 per cent of patients using dialysis needed the treatment and it also boosted the need for kidney transplants.

Now new research from Cancer Council NSW has mapped the effect the ban had on rates of a type of kidney cancer — renal pelvis cancer.

Bex ... Renal pelvis cancer deaths plummeted when the medicine was banned, says Cancer Council NSW. Source: News Limited

Cancer Council NSW, World Health Organisation research has found that incidence rates of renal pelvis cancer decreased by 52 per cent in women and 39 per cent in men between 1983-1987 and 2003-2007.

"The drastic drop in incidence of renal pelvis cancer, documented in this latest report, is another reminder of the importance of being able to monitor cancer rates after legislative changes are introduced to reduce risks among our population," Cancer Council NSW research director Professor Freddy Sitas said.

There are around 1,000 cases of this type of kidney cancer diagnosed each year and the survival rate is not good.

How to get through the day ... Bored housewives were urged to take a Bex, a cup of tea and a good lie down. Source: News Limited

Australian nephrologist Professor Priscilla Kincaid-Smith discovered the connection between the drug and kidney cancer when she noticed people presenting with neuropathological changes in the tubules around the pelvis, Professor Sitas said.

Women were most affected because the pain killers were heavily advertised in women's magazines.

"You could get it over the counter and it was quite addictive," Professor Sitas said.

The decline of renal pelvis cancer incidence in women was stronger in states where the use of products containing phenacetin was the most widespread, particularly in NSW and Queensland.

Rates for cancers in other unaffected parts of the kidney like the ureter have remained about the same over this period.

Other research has found that the proportion of patients needing renal dialysis as a result of pain killer use has fallen from 25 per cent in the seventies to just under 10 per cent in 1998.

"By documenting the direct impact of this legislation on Australian health we have brought some closure to a 40-year story," Professor Sitas said..

"Thanks to almost complete cancer registration in Australia, we have been able to track the decline of this epidemic of kidney cancers that affected Australian women and men over almost 40 years.

"Without continued funding into cancer research, studies such as this would not be possible."

Similar evidence is available following campaigns which publicised the link between lung cancer and smoking.

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia’s boozy spots revealed

A new survey has revealed the alcohol consumption habits of Australians. So what generation drinks the others under the table?

Silhouette of an alcoholic Source: ThinkStock

MORE than 700,000 Australians are binge drinking on at least 11 drinks in a sitting on a weekly basis and it's a growing middle class problem.

Today we reveal the grogged up hot spots of Australia based on the latest National Health Survey figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The information has been broken down by Medicare Local area and shows North Brisbane houses the nation's highest number of irresponsible drinkers.

More than 40,000 adults consume 11 or more standard drinks in one sitting at least once a week in this region which takes in middle class inner Brisbane suburbs.

CALL FOR: Video campaign to shame boozers

BE RESPONSIBLE: Kids born with alcohol brain damage

Binge drinking ... More than 700,000 adults consumer 11 drinks in a day once a week. Source: Supplied

Townsville — Mackay comes next with 32,200 people getting blind drunk at least once a week.

In NSW it's the wine region of the Hunter and the mainstream suburbs of the Central Coast that tie for the title of containing the largest number of the state's biggest boozers.

More than 23,000 adults are guzzling more than 11 drinks a day at least once a week in each of these areas and hot on their heels comes South Western Sydney where 21,200 adults drink at this level.

In Victoria it's the Bayside Medicare Local area which includes parts of Toorak, St Kilda and Port Phillip that boast the highest number of binge drinkers.

Nearly 19,000 adults in Tasmania are drinking more than 11 standard drinks of alcohol a day at least once a week.

And in Northern Territory there are 8200 drinking more than 11 standard drinks at least one day a week.

In South Australia it's the very middle class Central Adelaide and Hills Medicare Local that also takes in the wine growing region of Adelaide Hills that houses the largest number of problem drinkers.

More than 13,700 adults in this area binge on more than 11 drinks in a single sitting at least once a week.

Emergency physician and AMA vice president Dr Steve Parnis sees the effects of this binge drinking daily.

"There is a huge variety of ways the people affected by this present. There are road trauma victims, domestic violence victims, mental illness because drinkers get depressed or violent, even gastrointestinal bleeding," he said.

People drinking 11 drinks a day often present with delirium tremens — body tremors, hallucinations, agitation and delirium caused by alcohol withdrawal, he said.

"I've treated people who've died as a direct result of alcohol abuse, they got so drunk they vomited and aspirated it into their lungs and couldn't be revived," he said.

Less than a week ago he said he had to treat someone who badly fractured their ankle while drunk. It needed plates and screws and the person was off work for two months while they recovered.

In December last year the Australian College of Emergency Medicine surveyed Australia's hospital emergency wards at 2am on a Saturday and found one in seven beds were taken by people as a direct result of alcohol abuse, he said.

Alcohol is responsible for 81,000 hospitalisations and 3,200 deaths in Australia each year, with research putting us in the top three countries for alcohol abuse in the world.

Studies have found one in three Australian teenagers and one in seven adults who drink at risky levels admit consuming so much alcohol at least once a months they lose their memory.

The data underlines the serious nature of Australia's drinking problem and he says the AMA is so concerned its holding an alcohol summit in October to work on a new national alcohol strategy, he says.

"There is no one single answer but we need to change the culture, we can't view it as acceptable to get drunk and have a laugh, we can't tolerate alcohol abuse," he said.

"We're not advocating abstinence but for centuries Australia has had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol," he said.

Responsible drinking needed ... Alcohol is responsible for 81,000 hospitalisations and 3,200 deaths in Australia each year Source: News Corp Australia

The AMA is campaigning to end the loophole that allows alcohol advertisements to be run on television before 8.30pm during broadcasts of cricket, rugby and AFL.

Professor Paul Haber and alcohol expert from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney says people who are able to consume this much alcohol in a single sitting must have built up tolerance.

"The mere ability to do this is evidence of damage to their brain," he said.

The price and availability of alcohol was a key part of the binge drinking problem, he said.

"You can still buy a four litre cask of wine for less than $10, that's 40 standard drinks, enough to get 4-6 people drunk for less than 42 a head, it's a very cheap high," he said.

Foundation of Alcohol Research and Education chief Michael Thorn says the data is further evidence of the polarisation of Australia's drinking culture.

"Those who drink a little are drinking less and those who drink a lot are drinking more," he said.

"This is a direct consequence of the way we have normalised alcohol as a commodity in our society," he said.

"We need to look at its availability, its price and the way its marketed," he said.

Binge drinking ... Eleven alcoholic drinks consumed in a session once a week. Source: News Limited

Dr Richard Kidd the clinical lead for the Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local says doctors in the region have identified harmful use of alcohol as an issue in the region.

"More than 11 drinks a day once a week is really quite scary," he says.

There are large pockets of social disadvantage and homelessness in some parts of the Medicare Local region and 15,000 indigenous residents, he said.

Doctors have noticed problems with childrens development and behaviour linked to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (brain damage) in the region.

"The area of Caboolture and Deception Bay there is high alcohol intake in women that are pregnant," he said.

For men and women consuming more than just four drinks on a single occasion puts you at greater risk of a motor vehicle accident fighting or domestic violence, Dr Kidd said.

There was growing evidence young people who started drinking before age 20 were at risk of brain damage and too many women were unaware the guidelines for drinking during pregnancy now state there is no safe level of drinking while expecting a child.

Dealing with real alcoholics ... Dr Daniel Byrne with Dr Kerry Hancock (left) and Dr Carolyn Lawlor-Smith. Source: News Limited

Dr Daniel Byrne, the clinical adviser to Central Adelaide Hills Medicare Local, says GPs in his region are dealing with real alcoholics who are difficult to help because "they are killing themselves and developing liver failure".

"What's more surprising to me is how much alcohol the average adult is drinking, he said.

New practice guidelines now require doctors to ask patients about their alcohol consumption.

Most of his patients say they share a bottle of wine a night.

"They think that's two glasses of wine each between a couple but it's actually four standard drinks each, he says.

A standard drink of wine which contains 12-13 per cent alcohol is just 100ml and most people don't realise there are nearly eight standard drinks in a wine bottle, he said.

"My general practice is in Happy Valley, your average middle class suburb, and you've got a silent drinking problem because people are just not aware," he said.

His patients liver function tests start to go off, they gain weight and are at risk of pre-diabetes, he says.

"With screw tops you should be able to make a bottle of wine last two nights," he tells his patients.

Alcohol comes in all shapes and sizes ... Emily Webber in her parent's bottle shop, Berkeley Vale Cellars, on the NSW Central Coast. Source: News Limited

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Rude’ beauty queen stripped of title

Vanished ... beauty queen May Myat Noe has run away with a jewelled crown after being stripped of her title. Picture: AP/Khin Maung Win Source: AP

A MYANMAR beauty queen who was stripped of her title for allegedly being rude and dishonest has run off with the $100,000 jewelled crown.

Myanmar, which only recently emerged from a half-century military rule and self-imposed isolation, started sending contestants to international beauty pageants for the first time in decades in 2012.

May Myat Noe was crowned Miss Asia Pacific World in Seoul in May 2014. But, according to David Kim, director of media for the Seoul-based pageant, the 18-year-old was a disappointment from the start.

Attempts to reach May Myat Noe for comment were unsuccessful on Friday and her Myanmar phone was switched off. According to the online edition of Eleven Media, a Myanmar newspaper, she was back in the country and would address a news conference soon, although it wasn't clear when.

Following her success, the organisers said they were arranging singing and video deals for her. But they also wanted to change the 5'7″ teen's looks, Kim said.

"We thought she should be more beautiful … so as soon as she arrived we sent her to the hospital to operate on her breasts," he said.

"It's our responsibility," he said, adding that sponsors picked up the $10,000 tab, as they have for past winners. "If she has no good nose, then maybe, if she likes, we can operate on her nose. If it's breasts, then breasts."

Kim said that troubles started from there. The beauty queen brought her mother with her to Seoul for what was supposed to be a 10-day visit, but that quickly turned into three months, incurring extra cost to the organisers, he said.

She "lied" and "never had respect for the main organisation, the national director, the manager, media or fans who made her the winner," organisers said in a statement.

May Myat Noe was notified earlier this week that she would have to give up her title and the crown, Kim said. She was also given an aeroplane ticket back to Yangon, but never showed up, with Eleven Media reporting that she got on an earlier flight.

Kim said she absconded with the bejewelled Swarovski tiara — valued anywhere between $100,000 and $200,000.

"Everyone knows she is no longer the queen, but she thinks as long as she keeps this crown she's the winner," he said. "She's not."

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russian forces invade Ukraine

Ukraine says a battalion of Russian soldiers has set up a base in the southeast of the country.

UKRAINE President Petro Poroshenko has confirmed Russian regular forces have directly invaded the war-torn east part of the country and has called an emergency meeting of Ukraine's security and defence council.

The US ambassador in Kiev also declared Russia was"directly involved" in fighting in the war-torn east of Ukraine.

"An increasing number of Russian troops are intervening directly in fighting in Ukrainian territory," Geoffrey Pyatt wrote on Twitter, adding that Moscow was "directly involved in the fighting" and had sent in its "newest air defence systems including the SA-22".

A senior NATO official says that "well over a thousand" Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine.

"They support separatists, fighting with them and fighting amongst them," the official said on Thursday on condition of anonymity, adding that the supply of arms by Russia had increased in both "volume and quality".

The official, who was speaking to reporters ahead of a NATO summit next week in Britain, said the situation was made even more worrying because the key route between Donetsk and Novoazovsk, on the Sea of Azov close to the Russian border, had been cut off by pro-Kremlin forces.

"The supply line is cut" for the Ukrainian army, he said.

The official warned that the latest events in Ukraine "have made clear that the security paradigm in Europe has fundamentally changed" in the face of a "very aggressive Russia".

He said the past weeks have seen a "real upsurge in Russia's activity" in the flashpoint region, including the supply of weapons, ammunition, special forces training, intelligence and logistical support.

"All this has been systematically denied, adding confusion," he said.

The United Nations announced it would hold an emergency meeting in New York overnight to deal with the crisis.

Under attack ... Bystanders watch a fire consuming a school in downtown Donetsk after being hit by a shelling. Several civilians died when their car was completely burned after being hit by shell fragments in central Donetsk, the rebel-held city in eastern Ukraine. AFP PHOTO/ FRANCISCO LEONG Source: AFP

Ukraine's ambassador to the EU immediately called for "large-scale" military assistance from Brussels as the Russian troops were fighting in the east of the country.

Kostiantyn Yelisieiev called for EU leaders who are meeting Saturday to decide on "further resolute significant sanctions and large-scale military and technical assistance to Ukraine in order to stop the aggressor".

The European Union said it was "extremely concerned" by reports of an incursion by Russian troops into Ukraine.

"We are extremely concerned by the latest developments, including reports on what is happening on the ground," Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said at a news conference.

Ukraine's ambassador to the OSCE accused Russia of a "direct invasion".

"We registered a direct invasion by the Russian military into the eastern regions of Ukraine," Ihor Prokopchuk told journalists following a special meeting of the European security body to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine.

"The situation has significantly aggravated," he said in English, citing the capture "by regular Russian forces" of the key southeastern town of Novoazovsk and several other surrounding towns.

"Ukraine views the latest developments as active aggression against Ukraine," Prokopchuk said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded an explanation from Russia's President Vladimir Putin amid reports that Russian troops have launched an incursion into south-east Ukraine.

The BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Washington reported that the suspicion is that Moscow is opening a new front to divert Ukrainian forces from the besieged cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, where they have made significant advances against pro-Russian separatists.

Poroshenko said he called the meeting of Ukraine's security and defence council due to "the rapidly deteriorating situation in Donetsk region, in particular in Amvrosiyivka and Starobesheve, as an invasion of Russian forces has taken place".

READ POROSHENKO'S REVISED STATEMENT IN FULL

Earlier the security and defence council said the border town of Novoazovsk and other parts of Ukraine's southeast had fallen under the control of Russian forces who were staging a counteroffensive with rebels.

"A counteroffensive by Russian troops and separatist units is continuing in southeast Ukraine," the council said in a post on Twitter.

Invaded ... Workers try to repair the gate of a bakery damaged during a shelling in the Kievski neighbourhood in northern Donetsk on August 28, 2014. AFP PHOTO/ FRANCISCO LEONG Source: AFP

It said Ukrainian government forces had withdrawn from Novoazovsk "to save their lives" and were now reinforcing troops in the port city of Mariupol.

It added that Russian forces and separatists were combining to launch attacks on Ilovaysk and

Shakhtarsk, east of Donetsk.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having "deliberately unleashed a war in Europe" and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting, a called echoed by Lithuania.

Lithuania also accused Russia of a military "invasion" of conflict-torn Ukraine and called for a United Nations Security Council meeting over the issue.

"Lithuania strongly condemns the obvious invasion of the territory of Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Lithuania urges the UN Security Council to discuss this matter immediately." The Baltic nation, which is a temporary member of the council, called on Russia "to immediately withdraw its military forces, weaponry and equipment from the sovereign territory of Ukraine".

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said that "it is aggression and undeclared war, despite denials".

"Facts and NATO intelligence information make the denials less and less convincing," he added, calling on the West to provide military support for Ukraine.

Fatal attack ... Local residents look at a burned car where three people died when hit by shelling in the town of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. AP Photo / Mstislav Chernov Source: AP

The Kremlin was forced to admit on Tuesday that a number of its troops captured by Ukrainian forces had crossed the border "by accident".

Ukraine reported on Wednesday that a huge convoy of tanks and weaponry from Russia was moving through the southeast of the country, while Poland said its intelligence service and NATO have evidence that regular units of the Russian army are operating in Ukraine.

The three Baltic nations, which spent five decades under Soviet occupation until 1991, have been following the Ukraine events closely, concerned about the impact of Moscow's actions there on their security.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics for his part took to Twitter on Thursday to condemn Moscow's actions.

"Russian invasion in Ukraine must be considered by the UN Security Council as act of aggression, UN must react accordingly, this is war," he said.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has not said the country has invaded Ukraine and Putin himself has made no statement. The reports echo official denials earlier this year that Russia had sent paramilitary forces into Crimea, and the Soviet Union's reluctance to acknowledge it was at war in Afghanistan in 1979.

However, wives and mothers of Russian soldiers were set to demonstrate Thursday after reports of secret military funerals ratcheted up pressure on Moscow to come clean about its role in the Ukraine conflict.

The women said paratroopers from a base in Kostroma, north of Moscow, were sent on military drills and then went incommunicado, only for some of their husbands and sons to return in pine boxes.

"Cargo-200 arrived in Kostroma yesterday," Valeria Sokolova, a wife of one of the paratroopers, told AFP, using the Russian military term for body bags.

She said military commanders had refused to confirm that their loved ones had been sent to fight in Ukraine.

"There would only tell us that they are not in Russia," Sokolova said.

Running for their lives ... Two women rush across the street after shelling in the town of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. AP Photo / Mstislav Chernov Source: AP

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Friends’ Central Perk cafe pops up

Hangout ... Central Perk cafe from 'Friends' will pop up in New York's Soho to mark the show's 20th anniversary. Picture: NBC Source: Supplied

THEY'LL be there for you — with free coffee.

Central Perk, the fictitious coffee shop from Friends, will come to life in New York City next month in honour of the show's 20th anniversary, reports The New York Post.

Warner Bros. and Eight O'Clock Coffee are teaming up to bring a one-month-only pop-up shop to in Soho, which will be serving free Java starting Sept. 17.

The real Central Perk will be an exact replica of the fake coffee house where the characters hung out during the show's 10-season run, and will even include the shop's signature orange couch.

A string of promotions will run throughout the month, including an appearance by James Michael Anthony, who played the socially awkward barista, Gunther, who pined for Jennifer Aniston's character, Rachel.

Visitors will also be able to buy Friends merchandise and be treated to ­in-store musical performances, akin to Phoebe's improvised songs, like Smelly Cat.

The Soho location won't be the first Central Perk to pay tribute to the made-up Java den.

England is home to two such cafes — in Liverpool and Chester — while China boasts one in a bustling ­Beijing district.

Big fans ... Chinese fans watch an episode of Friends at a cafe modelled after the "Central Perk in Beijing. Picture: AP Source: AP

Friends premiered on US network NBC on Sept. 22, 1994, and became one of the most successful sitcoms in television history.

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie marry

His and hers tuxedos for the BAFTAs red carpet put Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at the front of a recent trend for red carpet matching.

Married ... Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had the wedding ceremony in France, a spokesman for the couple said. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cinema for Peace) Source: Getty Images

ANGELINA Jolie and Brad Pitt, Hollywood's biggest partnership, have got married in France, a spokesman for the couple reveals.

Angelina Jolie, 39, and Brad Pitt, 50, were married Saturday at Château Miraval, a wine château in the village of Correns, just north of the market town of Brignoles, in Provence, in the south of France, AP reported.

Jolie and Pitt were married in a small chapel in a private ceremony attended by family and friends, the spokesman for the couple said. They have leased the château since 2008.

LOVE LETTERS: What Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt write when apart

MARRIAGE TALKS: Angelina Jolie admits it's on the cards

Hollywood's glamour couple ... Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

In advance of the non-denominational civil ceremony, Pitt and Jolie also obtained a marriage license from a local California judge.

The judge also conducted the ceremony in France.

The couple's children took part in the wedding. Jolie walked the aisle with her eldest sons Maddox and Pax. Zahara and Vivienne threw petals. Shiloh and Knox served as ring bearers, the spokesman said.

Fell in love in 2004 ... Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the premiere of In the Land of Blood and Honey on December 5, 2011 in New York City. Photo by Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images Source: Getty Images

In May this year, Jolie gave a hint of their impending nuptials.

"We don't have a date, and we're not hiding anything, but we really don't know," she told Good Morning America.

"We talk to the kids about it once in a while, and one of them suggested paintball, and we thought, 'Well, different.' So who knows? You know, I think the important thing is that whatever we do it's that the kids do have a great time, and we all take seriously the love, and the connection between all of us. But also just get silly and do something memorable."

Married in front of all their six children ... Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the Cinema For Peace fundraising gala in Berlin. AP Photo Gero Breloer Source: AP

Married in a wine chateau ... Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the Producers Guild Awards on January 21, 2012. Photo by Kevin Winter Getty Images For PGA Source: Getty Images

As well as talking wedding plans, Angelina also revealed to ELLE magazine this year how her relationship with Brad had changed over the years they'd been together.

"You get together and you're two individuals and you feel inspired by each other, you challenge each other, you complement each other, drive each other beautifully crazy. After all these years, we have history — and when you have history with somebody, you're friends in such a very real, deep way that there's such a comfort, and an ease, and a deep love that comes from having been through quite a lot together."

Married in a non-denominational civil ceremony ... Angelina Jolie and Brad Pit. Source: Supplied

They were engaged in 2012 after a nine-year relationship. Jolie confessed in October 2008 that Pitt and her fell in love on the set of the film Mr And Mrs Smith in 2004, long before Pitt's breakup with Jennifer Aniston.

The revelation came during a seemingly innocent aside that she is excited about her children being one day able to see their mother and father in the film.

Tellingly, she explained: "Not a lot of people get to see a movie where their parents fell in love."

The couple are due to begin shooting the love story By The Sea in a matter of days where they will play husband and wife. Jolie also wrote and will direct the movie.

Hollywood's perfect couple ... Angelina Jolie, right and Brad Pitt arrive at the premiere of "Salt" in Los Angeles. AP Photo / Matt Sayles Source: AP

The Hollywood power couple were last seen Friday landing their private jet at Nice Airport alongside their six children — Maddox, 13, Pax, 10, Zahara, 9, Shiloh, 8, and twins Knox & Vivienne, 6.

Jolie and Pitt's wedding caps years of rampant speculation on when the couple would officially tie the knot. Both had publicly said that they planned to.

"It's an exciting prospect, even though for us, we've gone further than that," Pitt told AP in an interview in November 2012.

"But to concretize it in that way, it actually means more to me than I thought it would. It means a lot to our kids."

Became engaged in 2012 ... Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the The Tree Of Life premiere in the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2011 in Cannes, France. Photo by Andreas Rentz Getty Images Source: Getty Images

Originally, the couple said they would not marry until gay marriage was legalised throughout the US. However, when marriage equality became legal in California in June, 2013, the couple decided that they would marry.

Originally said they would not marry until gay marriage was law throughout the US ... Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the Cinema for Peace Gala ceremony at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 2012. Photo by Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images for Cinema for Peace Source: Getty Images

This is the second marriage for Pitt, who wed Aniston in 2000. They divorced in 2005.

Jolie was previously married to British actor Jonny Lee Miller for three years in the late `90s and to Billy Bob Thornton for three years before divorcing in 2003.

ANGELINA JOLIE MEGA PICTORIAL

BRAD PITT IN AUSTRALIA GALLERY

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Star Trek stars reunite for super selfie

Star-studded selfie ... Sir Patrick Stewart (second from left) and William Shatner (top right) came together for a Star Trek super selfie. Picture: MobyPicture Source: Supplied

LEVAR Burton has boldly gone where no twitterer has gone before, sharing a multi-generational Star Trek selfie.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation star shared the photo from the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, where Sir Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn and William Shatner had gathered for a special panel.

"About to take the stage in Chicago with the Next Gen cast & [The] Shat!!!" wrote Burton, who played Geordi La Forge in the second iteration of the cult TV show, referring to Shatner, who portrayed Captain Kirk in the original series.

As Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Stewart headed the Next Generation Starship Enterprise, with Burton, Spiner (Lieutenant Commander Data), Frakes (Commander William T. Riker), McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Sirtis (Deanna Tro) and Dorn (Lieutenant J.G. Worf).

The series lasted seven seasons, from 1987-1994.

Reunion ... actors Patrick Stewart, left, and William Shatner attend the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" panel at the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con. Source: AP

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shocking truth about sex assaults overseas

Brave Laura is speaking out for the first time about what happened to her on Malaysia Airlines flight MH20 because she feels let down by the actions of the airline. In this international investigation, Sunday Nights chief investigations reporter Ross Coulthart goes in search of answers. Courtesy Channel Seven.

Be careful when reporting sexual assault overseas, especially if drugs or alcohol were involved. Source: ThinkStock

IT'S a truly horrifying thought that a traveller sexually assaulted overseas could end up being the one who lands behind bars instead of their attacker. But unfortunately it's a scenario that rings true in some of Australians' favourite holiday spots, a travel insurance company has warned.

Sure, you may think it will never happen to you, but it does happen. There are on average 30 cases of sexual assault involving Australians overseas filed to Travel Insurance Direct (TID) every year, with the majority being 18-30-year-old women in a range of locations, the company's Head of Emergency Assistance Lisa Fryar revealed.

And it's not just women who are affected; on average 5 per cent of the victims are men, most of whom were travelling in South East Asia and had their drinks spiked. These figures are just the tip of the iceberg, with many cases going unreported.

"When you're on holiday your guard's down a bit, you're more vulnerable," Ms Fryar told news.com.au of sex assault overseas. "You just don't expect these kind of things to happen."

Fryer says that unsuspecting and traumatised victims may find themselves in trouble after reporting the crime to local authorities, due to surprising laws. They may also be forced to undergo invasive physical tests and toxicology screenings that could have implications if drugs or alcohol are detected in their system.

These kind of nightmare situations even play out in major tourist hubs frequented by Australians such as Dubai and Bali.

"The Middle East is quite a different place for a female to report sexual assault, they're at risk of being incarcerated for adultery," Fryar said. "And if they've had anything to drink, which is also illegal over there, they could end up being jailed for that."

Fryer said she hasn't heard of a single case of a tourist successfully reporting a sexual assault in the Middle East without ending up behind bars themselves. But that certainly does not mean you should not report the crime. Actually the opposite. Just be aware of the steps you should take.

"Sadly, we see so many of these cases (sex assault). Rather than saying not to report it, always call the Australian embassy or travel insurance company to find out the best way to handle the situation."

If toxicology tests are pushed on you when reporting rape overseas, Fryar says to resist if possible.

"There are certain countries where we wouldn't advise you to consent to toxicology tests if you've had drugs or alcohol or been drugged. If the authorities find any trace of forbidden drugs you could be jailed. Especially in Indonesia, you could get a death sentence."

She said that in many countries, you could be forced to undergo a toxicology test if you report the crime to local police before contacting the Australian embassy. But if you report the incident when back home in Australia, you could take the tests over here instead.

Victims of sex assault also need to be cautious when dealing with local authorities in India and South America due to corruption.

"There could be further assault (by the authorities), they could take advantage of you financially (bribes), and the other thing is in a lot of countries they don't have appropriate trauma counselling or medical assessment," she said.

"And in Africa if you report rape and then have a medical assessment they won't necessarily start you on antiviral treatment straight away, so you're at a greater risk of contracting a disease such as HIV."

It's a timely alert that comes days after Australian tourist Laura Bushney went public about her fight in a French court against a man who allegedly molested her on a Malaysia Airlines flight.

Laura Bushney, 26, claims that she was assaulted by the chief steward on flight MH20 from Kuala Lumpur to Paris. She underwent invasive physical tests in France and was forced to confront her attacker in court where her claims were read out and she was asked if she wanted to retract them. It has been a gruelling process.

Laura Bushney claims she was sexually assaulted on a Malaysia Airlines plane. Source: Channel 7

And Ms Bushney is far from the only traveller who has had to deal with the aftermath of sexual assault overseas.

In a shocking case last year, Norwegian traveller Marte Deborah Dalelv was sentenced to 16 months in jail for reporting her rape in Dubai. She said she'd never expected that telling the police would end up being a bad decision.

"I called the police," Ms Dalelv said. "That is what you do. We are trained on that from when we are very young."

But she claims she became nervous when the officers asked her some uncomfortable questions such as: "Are you sure you called the police because you didn't like it?"

Ms Dalelv's passport was confiscated, her money taken and she was charged with having extramarital sex, drinking alcohol and perjury. She was later pardoned after an outcry.

But not everyone has been set free in such a scenario. Australian Alicia Gali was jailed for adultery for eight months in 2008 after she complained to police that her co-workers at a resort in nearby Fujairah drugged and raped her.

Alicia Gali 29 was raped after her drink was spiked at a hotel. Picture: Jamie Hanson Source: News Limited

Here's a guide of what to do (and not to do) if sexually assaulted overseas:

Middle East

Regardless of blame, be warned that a woman may be incarcerated for adultery (and for

drinking alcohol — if that has happened) if she is raped. So we suggest this course of action:

• Call the Australian Embassy immediately and ask to be taken to the Embassy clinic (or

one they recommend)

• Do not consent to toxicology screening

• Demand antiretroviral treatment immediately

• Call your travel insurance provider's emergency assistance team as soon as practicable.

(Generally insurers will arrange flights to get you to the nearest reliable medical facility or

back home so the issue can be dealt with properly.)

South America

You may be dealt with fairly, however high levels of corruption among local police, have led

to complaints in dealings of the situation. A suggested course of action is:

• Call the Australian Embassy immediately

• Call your travel insurance emergency assistance team. For example, TID will arrange

medical treatment at a trustworthy facility as soon as practicable.

Indonesia

• Do not consent to toxicology if you suspect you have been drugged (screening is very

limited and not comprehensive, it is better to get it done properly and thoroughly in Australia)

• Call the Australian Embassy immediately and ask to be taken to an embassy-preferred

clinic

• Demand being moved to Australia for medical treatment (particularly if you have been

drugged with methanol)

• Call the your insurance company's emergency assistance team.

India

If you're in a large city in India, the below course of action is suggested:

• Call the police on 100 and report the incident. Have someone with you to act as a

witness when you are being interviewed.

Or if no-one is with you:

• Call the Australian Embassy and ask them to conference the call with the local police

• Call your travel insurance emergency assistance team to arrange treatment.

Africa

There are potentially very serious health risks from unprotected sexual contact throughout

this region. If assaulted:

• Call the your insurance company, to arrange a referral to an international

clinic to start precautionary treatment immediately.

Everywhere else:

• When in doubt call the insurance emergency assistance team and report the incident immediately. They are equipped to deal with this immediately and sensitively and get you to safety as soon as possible.

Victims can end up behind bars. Source: Supplied

Warning from the Government

The Government's Smartraveller website also advises caution when reporting sex assault overseas: "You should be aware that in some countries sex outside of marriage is illegal. It is possible that victims of sexual assault may face criminal prosecution rather than being considered the victim of a crime.

"There have been cases where sexual assault victims have been imprisoned after reporting an incident to local police or upon seeking medical assistance. If you have any doubts about possible legal repercussions, we strongly advise that you contact the nearest Australian embassy, high commission or consulate or DFAT's 24 hour Consular Emergency Centre as quickly as possible to obtain relevant information on these issues and guidance on what support services may be available."

General travel safety tips:

• If travelling solo and you're nervous about it, wear a wedding band

• If travelling with your male partner/travelling companion in Middle East/Nepal/India —

suggest you are "married" or long term partners. This will ward off unwanted attention

but also validate why you are travelling together

• If travelling solo, talk about a special man in your life, even if there is not one

• If you wake up in a location and with someone that you cannot remember going to bed

in, the chances are you could have been drugged and raped.

• Travelling with a sarong/shawl is a good idea, especially when considering visiting

temples. A sarong or shawl can be used to cover shoulders/or legs. By not covering

your shoulders, you could be sending a message that you are "available".

The Australian embassy's Consular Emergency Centre 24 hour phone service can be reached on 1300 555 135 within Australia (local call cost) or +61 2 6261 3305 from outside Australia.More advice on dealing with sexual assault abroad can be found on their Smartraveller website.

news.com.au has contacted DFAT for comment.

What you need to know before going to Dubai

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

A car that can avoid a kangaroo

Kangaroo crash test dummies ... Holden has tested its cars in kangaroo crash tests dummies for decades, but Volvo will go one giant leap further. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Volvo introduces autonomous driving so you never have to park your car again. Courtesy: Volvo

SWEDISH car maker Volvo says it is a step closer to coming up with technology that can spot a kangaroo and slam on the brakes to avoid impact — and has already started testing in Australia.

The latest Volvo cars can already brake automatically to avoid rear-ending the vehicle in front, and can spot pedestrians and cyclists day or night, but it has now turned its attention to animals.

Volvo safety engineers say they are starting with big, slow moving animals first, such as cows and sheep, but they say trying to detect and then avoid a jumping kangaroo is "not impossible".

VOLVO XC90: World's safest soccer mum car

PEDESTRIAN AIRBAG: Volvo offers a world first

Common site on Australia's roads ... A kangaroo warning road sign in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. Source: ThinkStock

Volvo has sent two engineers to Australia over the past 12 months to study the roadside behaviour of kangaroos, and filmed hours of footage to take back to Sweden when developing the software.

"As we have discovered, kangaroos are really unpredictable and difficult to avoid, but we don't think (avoiding them) is impossible," said Volvo safety expert Martin Magnusson.

"Kangaroos are smaller than the other animals we are trying to detect and their behaviour is more erratic, but we are working on it very intensively."

Mr Magnusson said the technology that can avoid kangaroos and other animals is still a few years away, but he is confident of finding a solution.

"We are sure we have the technology to detect a kangaroo, either standing or on the move, the next thing we need to understand is what action to take with the car, when should it brake, and so on," he said at the launch of the new Volvo XC90 in Sweden overnight, which the company claims is the world's safest SUV.

There are about 20,000 collisions with kangaroos in Australia each year, according to insurance industry data.

"We are starting with the large animals first, the ones that pose the greatest risk to drivers, such as a moose, a horse, or a cow, then we are working on ways to detect other animals, including kangaroos," Magnusson said.

Unfortunately man's best friends — dogs and cats — are not on the list of those to save. "Driver safety is not an issue when it comes to a collision with those animals. Of course it's a pity, and I happen to like cats, but there are no plans to [detect dogs or cats]," Magnusson said.

Volvo is yet to create a kangaroo crash test dummy similar to the one used by Holden in the 1990s.

Road Kill ... Hitting a kangaroo in a vehicle cannot only be deadly for the animal. Source: News Limited

But Volvo says it hopes to return to Australia in the next year or so to test the system on real kangaroos, during development.

"Eventually, we will have to test it in an environment with real kangaroos," said Mr Magnusson.

The system will not swerve the car to avoid a kangaroo (which safety experts strongly advise against) it will instead apply the brakes at full force to reduce the impact speed from, say, 110km/h to 70km/h.

A radar sensor in the grille scans the road 100 metres ahead to detect cars, cyclists and pedestrians. A camera in the windscreen works in parallel with the radar to detect which way the object is moving and help the computer decide what action to take, if any.

The system processes 15 images every second and can react to an emergency in half the time of a human, Volvo claims.

Magnusson says it takes 1.2 seconds for an attentive driver to detect danger and then apply the brakes, compared to about 0.5 second for the computer system.

"This truly is state of the art technology, because the brakes can be primed in milliseconds, much faster than a human," Magnusson said. "And we are only at the beginning of what is possible."

Volvo says it is not designed to take responsibility away from drivers. "It is a back-up in case they are distracted," Magnusson said.

The Volvo system will join a long line of gadgets designed to avoid crashes with kangaroos. Australian inventions mounted to the front of cars include plastic "whistles" and electronic sound transmitters that apparently only kangaroos can hear.

However, a 2006 study by the CSIRO found electronic sound emitters were not effective at deterring kangaroos. It tested one such device by switching it on in a paddock full of kangaroos and they didn't budge.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Plane diverted over seat row

Flight fight ... A United Airlines flight had to be diverted after two passengers ended in a fight over a knee defender. Source: TheAustralian

A FLIGHT had to be diverted after two passengers ended up in an argument when one clipped a knee defender on to the seat of the woman in front of him so she couldn't recline her chair.

The man had bought the gadget, which retail for about $22, and decided he would use it on his United Airlines flight from New Jersey to Colorado, The Independent reported.

A number of airlines, including United, have banned the devices, saying they cause too many arguments.

He failed to tell the woman in front of him and clipped the knee defender onto her seat so he could keep working on his laptop.

After she was unable to move her seat back she complained to a flight attendant who asked the man to remove the device.

How it works ... An image of a knee defender which can be bought for about $22. Source: Supplied

He refused and that's when the woman threw a glass of water in his face.

The pilot decided to divert the plane to Chicago after the row got even more heated and neither passenger was permitted back on the flight.

While we all know leg room can be a bit tight at times, both passengers were in the Economy Plus section, meaning they had an extra four inches of leg room more than those in regular economy.

Chicago Police decided not to make any arrests, saying it was a "customer service issue."

The Knee Defender was invented by Ira Goldman, who at 6ft 4in had always had a problem with leg room.

He told USA Today that passengers should be "courteous" and follow the flight crew's instructions.

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Full House remake ‘being considered’

Playing house ... The Olsen twins started out sharing the role of Michelle Tanner on Full House. Source: Supplied

UNCLE Jesse, Danny, Joey, DJ, Stephanie and Michelle might return to our TV screens with TV Guide reporting that Full House might be revived

The hit sitcom, which aired from 1987 to 1995, is going through a bit of a resurgence (via TV repeats in the US), a fact which has reportedly caused Warner Brothers to consider a new take on the show featuring some of the original cast.

Reunion ... The cast of Full House, Source: Supplied

John Stamos, who has an ownership stake in the show, is reportedly champing at the bit to get the series up and running. Original executive producer Bob Boyett and creator Jeff Franklin are also said to be involved.

Three men and a baby ... Dave Coulier, Bob Saget and John Stamos with Mary Kate Olsen. Source: Supplied

Of the original cast, TV Guide is reporting that Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Andrea Barber, Bob Saget and Dave Coulier are all said to be involved. There's been no word on whether the Olsen twins will have any involvement (but somehow we think it's highly unlikely).

Just last month, Stamos, Bure, Barber, Saget, and Franklin attended Coulier's wedding to Melissa Bring.

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More

Government giveaway you’ll want to know about

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop chats about her memories of her first overseas trip at the launch of the New Colombo Plan for Australian undergraduates.

Federal Government is offering young people the chance to visit places like China. Source: Supplied

TENS of thousands of young Australians will have the choice of living, studying and working in dozens of countries under a massive upgrade of the Government's New Colombo Plan.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop today said a pilot scheme limited to four countries would next year be expanded to a full program offering visits to 35 nations.

Ms Bishop said the scheme's participants would gain experiences that would add to "the productivity and prosperity of our country".

"But so much more importantly, they will be part of generations of young Australians interacting with young people in countries in our region," she said.

"And that kind of connection is gold."

The program, to cost more than $100 million over four years, is actually a reverse Colombo plan.

Young people will be able to travel to places like Japan. AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko Source: AP

From 1951 to the 1980s the original Colombo Plan saw thousands of young men and women from our regional neighbours educated in Australia. Many now are senior figures in government and business in their homelands.

The New Colombo Plan will do the same for young Australians, providing them with study and business experiences overseas.

It has become a flagship program in regional contacts following the $7.6 billion in cuts to foreign aid from the Budget in May – the largest single spending reduction.

"Of all the policies, and of all the rhetoric that engagement in the region, it's investing in our young people, it's investing in our future, that will ensure Australia is a strong and prosperous in a safe and secure region," Ms Bishop said.

She said at a recent Association of South East Asian Nations conference "about a dozen of the foreign minister present there raised the New Colombo Plan in their set speech as an example of the kind of activity, engagement, that our region was seeking to embrace".

"So Australia's new Colombo Plan , like the original historic Colombo Plan of the 1950s, is all about building people-to-people links and networks of friendships and engagement that will last a lifetime," she said.

Scholarship program is available for those aged 18 to 28 years old and there are 35 countries you can visit. Source: News Limited

Julie Bishop and senior tertiary education figures developed an outline for the program in Opposition and had to convince Prime Minister Tony Abbott it would work.

It is open to undergraduates aged 18 to 28 at Australian universities and provides internships and mentorships in the region. Arrangements are made between home universities and host institutions.

Next year the New Colombo Plan will provide around 60 scholarships and $8 million in assistance known as "mobility grants".

Nations taking part in the scheme are:

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, East Timor, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam.

22.54 | 0 komentar | Read More