Circumcision technology is safer

Malaysian PM Najib Razak says his country's circumcision technologies make the procedure quick. Source: AAP

MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Najib Razak has urged local companies to export their modern circumcision technologies, which are safer and less painful.

HE said new circumcision technologies developed by local companies such as Flushcutter, Tara Clamp and Sunathrone reduce pain and make the process simpler, the Bernama news agency reported.

"In fact, it only takes 10 minutes for one session and is a simple process without stitching, without bandaging and without pain," he said before the start of a mass circumcision ceremony at his home town in Pekan in the state of Pahang."Children using this method of circumcision are said to be able to carry out their routine daily activities such as bathing and praying," he added."[The process] is most suitable for export abroad."He said that previously the person who performed circumcisions was often feared by children.

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Two die in separate Vic crashes

TWO people have died after their cars hit trees in separate accidents in Victoria.

POLICE say a woman died at Campbellfield at about 10am (AEDT) on Sunday after she lost control of her vehicle and struck a tree.

The woman was the only person in the vehicle and died at the scene.A 45-year-old Koonoomoo man died when his car flipped, hit a tree and caught fire at Cobram at about 6.30pm.The man was also the sole occupant of the vehicle.Victoria's road toll is currently 240, compared to 219 the same time last year.

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Seven police officers killed in Iraq

Militants have killed seven police officers north of Baghdad, security officials say. Source: AAP

SEVEN police officers have been killed after a suicide bomber blew himself up in an explosive-rigged car north of Baghdad.

SOME 26 others were injured in Sunday's attack on a checkpoint outside a police barracks, security officials said.

Bombings are common in Iraq and most often target security forces and areas populated by the majority Shi'ite community.Many are thought to be the work of the Islamic State extremist militia, which now controls much of Sunni Arab northern and western Iraq after two major offensives this summer.According to UN figures, 936 civilians and 296 security personnel were killed in November in Iraq, raising the death toll for the year to almost 12,000.

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US sends six from Guantanamo to Uruguay

Six Guantanamo Bay prisoners were transferred to Uruguay for resettlement, the US government says. Source: AAP

SIX Guantanamo Bay prisoners have been transferred to Uruguay for resettlement, the US government says.

THE six - four Syrians, a Tunisian and a Palestinian - are the first prisoners transferred to South America from the US base in Cuba, part of a flurry of recent releases amid a renewed push by US President Barack Obama to close the prison.

Uruguayan President Jose Mujica agreed to accept the men as a humanitarian gesture and said they would be given help getting established in a country with a small Muslim population.All six were detained as suspected militants with ties to al-Qaeda in 2002 but were never charged. They have been cleared for release since at least 2010 but they could not be sent home and have languished as the US struggled to find countries willing to accept them."We are very grateful to Uruguay for this important humanitarian action, and to President Mujica for his strong leadership in providing a home for individuals who cannot return to their own countries," US State Department envoy Clifford Sloan said.Mujica had agreed to take the men in January. Obama administration officials have been frustrated the transfer took so long and blame outgoing Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel for not approving the move sooner. They said the deal sat for months on Hagel's desk, awaiting his signature as required by law, but the Pentagon didn't send the notification of the transfer to Congress until July.By then, the transfer had become an issue in Uruguay's political election and Uruguayan officials decided to postpone it until after the October 26 vote.The men's release brings the total number of prisoners at Guantanamo to 136 - the lowest number since the first month the prison opened in January 2002.Obama pledged to close the prison upon taking office but was blocked by Congress, which banned sending prisoners to the US for any reason.The restrictions on sending them overseas have been eased and the US has released 19 prisoners so far this year. Officials say several more are expected by the end of the year.

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UK closes its Cairo embassy

THE British Embassy in Cairo has been closed because of security fears.

THE Foreign Office says public services were suspended on Sunday and people should not come to the embassy building in central Cairo.

It gave no details of the threat and there was no word on when the embassy would reopen.On Saturday, the Australian government said travellers should reconsider their need to travel to Egypt, citing reports "that terrorists may be planning attacks against tourist sites, government ministries and embassies in Cairo".Egypt has seen a surge in bomb attacks blamed on Islamic militants fighting the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

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US torture report 'will spur attacks'

FOREIGN governments and US intelligence agencies are predicting that the release of a Senate report examining the use of torture by the CIA will cause "violence and deaths" abroad.

HOUSE Intelligence Committee chairman Republican Mike Rogers is regularly briefed on intelligence assessments.

He told CNN on Sunday that US intelligence agencies and foreign governments have said privately that the release of the report on CIA interrogations a decade ago will be used by extremists to incite violence that is likely to cost lives.The 480-page report, a summary of a still-classified 6000-page study, is expected to be made public next week.On Friday, Secretary of State John Kerry urged the senator in charge of the report to consider the timing of the release, though Obama administration officials say they still support making it public.Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has not responded to reports of the Kerry call, though she told the Los Angeles Times in a story published on Sunday: "We have to get this report out."A congressional aide noted that the White House has led negotiations to declassify the report since April, and that both the president and his director of national intelligence have endorsed its release.The report amounts to the first public accounting of the CIA's use of torture on al-Qaeda detainees held in secret facilities in Europe and Asia in the years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.US officials who have read it say it includes disturbing new details about the CIA's use of such techniques as sleep deprivation, confinement in small spaces, humiliation and the simulated drowning process known as waterboarding.

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Nicole Kidman for top Shanghai honour

Nicole Kidman is to be honoured at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China. Source: AAP

NICOLE Kidman is to be honoured with an outstanding contribution award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China.

HUGH Grant and John Woo will present the Australian actress with her latest accolade at the opening ceremony on Saturday, while artist Qin Yi will honour actor and director Jiang Wen with the Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Film Award.

Kidman will be hoping the festival will be a better experience than her visit to Cannes last month, when her new film Grace of Monaco was savaged by critics.Kirsten Dunst, John Cusack, Hayden Christensen, Jackie Chan, Tony Leung, Li Bingbing and Korean superstar Rain are expected to attend the opening gala, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The film festival will open with a restored version of 1964 movie Two Stage Sisters and close with Transformers: Age of Extinction.A jury led by actress Gong Li will decide the winner of the Golden Goblet from the 15 films in competition.

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Qld chief justice critics told to shut up

Queensland science minister has lashed out at critics of Tim Carmody's appointment to chief justice. Source: AAP

A QUEENSLAND government minister has lashed out at critics of Chief Magistrate Tim Carmody's appointment to chief justice, saying they should "shut up".

SCIENCE Minister Ian Walker, a former lawyer, says the "war of words" over Mr Carmody's promotion to chief justice of Queensland has got to stop.

"People have got to put a sock in it, they've got to shut up, and they've got to let Justice Carmody get on with the job," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday."He deserves a fair go at the job, the debate should stop and Justice Carmody should be allowed to get on with the job that he's been appointed to do."Mr Walker's comments follow calls for Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie to step down over the appointment, which has caused great unrest in legal circles.Bar Association of Queensland president Peter Davis quit on Friday saying private discussions with Mr Bleijie in which he didn't recommend Mr Carmody for the job were leaked to others, including Mr Carmody.Australian Bar Association president Mark Livesey said it was accepted practice that consultation before any appointment is kept confidential."The Attorney-General of Queensland must consider whether the breakdown in trust can be repaired," Mr Livesey told The Sunday Mail."If confidentiality in the judicial appointment process cannot be assured he must reconsider whether he can continue in his position."State Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said Mr Bleijie couldn't be trusted and wasn't fit to hold office.Mr Carmody's appointment has been criticised by senior Queensland legal figures who question his experience and say he's too close to the government.It's been revealed that days after Mr Carmody was appointed chief magistrate in September 2013, he and Mr Bleijie had a private dinner at an upmarket Brisbane restaurant.The attorney-general has described the meeting as a social catch-up.

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Firies cancer law not ruled out: Vic govt

Volunteer firefighters rally in Melbourne for access to compensation for cancer contracted at work. Source: AAP

THE Victorian government says it hasn't ruled out changing the way firefighters access cancer compensation as hundreds rallied in Melbourne to try to break down barriers to claims.

THE government says it simplified cancer claims for firefighters and encouraged both career and volunteer firefighters to lodge a claim if they believe they had contracted cancer as a result of their duties.

"The Victorian government is not ruling out presumptive legislation and will continue to consider new medical and scientific evidence as it becomes available," a government spokesperson said.Volunteer Fire Brigades president Bill Watson said firefighters wanted a law that lists the 12 typical "firefighter" cancers and presumes them to be work-related, providing the firefighter has enough years of service behind him or her and relevant risk exposure.Mr Watson said there is plenty of evidence firefighters are more likely to suffer certain cancers, but it can be difficult to prove which fire or chemical incident caused their illness."It's not like a broken bone where you know exactly when and where it happened," Mr Watson said."The burning car or house fire you attended today may cause a cancer that doesn't show up for decades, which makes it nearly impossible to prove it was work related."The federal government introduced presumptive legislation in 2011.Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia also have laws that recognise the link between firefighting and cancer.Mr Watson said any legislation would have to include eligibility guidelines."We're not after a free ride," he said."We just want to make sure they're looked after if they get sick."The Victorian government has been under pressure to make changes to the way compensation is accessed after a 2012 report found firefighters who trained at the CFA Fiskville site had been exposed to dangerous chemicals going as far back as the 1970s.Last year they introduced a review panel to assist both volunteer and career firefighters seeking compensation for cancer caused by their work.Opposition leader Daniel Andrews said Labor would introduce the legislation if elected in November."I have committed to the introduction of presumptive rights," Mr Andrews said.

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Get out of Iraq now, warns Bishop

Fresh claims Miss Universe was fixed

ALEXANDRA, above, says while she has no issued with the 'deserving winner', she felt the process was flawed and blamed relationships between contestants and judges.

Difficult birth of the City Circle

AFTER NSW Premier Mike Baird's announcement this week of three new Sydney CBD stations, we take a look at how the City Circle took nearly 50 years to build from conception to completion.

Murder follows violent home invasion

UPDATE: A MAN murdered at Murwillumbah had only just recovered from being stabbed in the eye during a violent home invasion just two months ago.

Daylight reveals remote plane crash site

THIS is the first look at the crash site where two men narrowly escaped instant death after their light plane made came down with engine trouble 38km south of Narrabri.

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Afghan bomb kills 11 amid vote fraud claim

Afghans have braved threats of violence and searing heat to vote in the presidential elections. Source: AAP

A ROADSIDE bomb killed 11 people including five election workers in northern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday, as a prolonged vote count began after the presidential run-off election.

ELECTION officials were sifting through fraud complaints from both candidates, and analysts said the lengthy count could be the trickiest phase in the country's first democratic transfer of power.

More than 50 people were killed on polling day Saturday by militant attacks, including the 11 whose bus was hit by a roadside bomb in Samangan province and five members of one family who died when a Taliban rocket hit a house near a polling station.Eleven voters in the western province of Herat had their fingers - which were dipped in ink to register their ballot - cut off by insurgents, Deputy Interior Minister Ayoub Salangi said.But despite the Taliban attacks, Saturday's election drew a high turnout of about seven million voters in a contest between former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani.The White House praised voters' courage and called the elections "a significant step forward on Afghanistan's democratic path".The US, along with the UN, also urged the two candidates not to trade unproven fraud allegations, but both Abdullah and Ghani raised the issue immediately after polls closed."It is win or lose now," said Kate Clark, director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network."The voting is only one phase of the election, and there is still a lot that could change. Being a good loser doesn't gain you much here."If it is close and fraud looks to have been a lot, and either candidate wants to really make a fuss, then we could be in for months of wrangling."The 2009 election, when outgoing President Hamid Karzai retained power, was marred by massive fraud that shook the US-led international effort to develop Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.A credible election and smooth handover of power would be a major achievement for Afghanistan's backers after 13 years of hugely costly military and civilian assistance.All foreign combat troops are due to withdraw by the end of this year."Allegations of fraud need to be addressed," US ambassador James Cunningham said after polls closed on Saturday."But the candidates and their supporters should refrain from premature judgments and from criticism that is not supported with clear evidence."The preliminary result is due on July 2, before the complaints period begins, and the final result is scheduled for July 22."We have urged the candidates to act as statesmen, future presidents, rather than people simply in a competition with each other," said Nicholas Haysom, the deputy chief of the UN mission.Reflecting international fears of a contested result, he said candidates must "exercise patience" as the count got underway.The Electoral Complaints Commission said it had registered about 275 complaints by Sunday morning."There were violation cases where the supporters of the presidential candidates forced voters to vote for a certain candidate," said spokesman Mohammad Nader Mohsini."Supporters were also offering money for voters to vote for a certain candidate."He said allegations had also been raised of interference by election officials and the security forces.

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Kiska inaugurated as Slovakia president

POLITICAL newcomer Andrej Kiska has been inaugurated as Slovakia's new president.

THE successful 51-year-old businessman-turned-philanthropist was elected to the largely ceremonial post in March, handing an embarrassing defeat to major rival, leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Taking the presidential oath on Sunday at an extraordinary session of parliament, Kiska became Slovakia's fourth president since the country gained independence after the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993.He succeeds Ivan Gasparovic, the only president since independence to win two five-year terms.Kiska was until recently a relative unknown in Slovakia and attracted voters fed up with corruption and politics-as-usual to beat Fico.As prime minister, Fico remains Slovakia's most powerful politician but will have to deal with a president who is more critical than Gasparovic was.

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Indian students charged over PM in mag

Fresh claims Miss Universe was fixed

ALEXANDRA, above, says while she has no issued with the 'deserving winner', she felt the process was flawed and blamed relationships between contestants and judges.

Difficult birth of the City Circle

AFTER NSW Premier Mike Baird's announcement this week of three new Sydney CBD stations, we take a look at how the City Circle took nearly 50 years to build from conception to completion.

Murder follows violent home invasion

UPDATE: A MAN murdered at Murwillumbah had only just recovered from being stabbed in the eye during a violent home invasion just two months ago.

Daylight reveals remote plane crash site

THIS is the first look at the crash site where two men narrowly escaped instant death after their light plane made came down with engine trouble 38km south of Narrabri.

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Top 40 radio broadcaster Casey Kasem dies

CASEY Kasem, the smooth-voiced radio broadcaster who became the king of the top 40 countdown, has died at age 82.

DANNY Deraney, the publicist for Kasem's daughter Kerri, said Kasem died on Sunday morning.

Kasem's American Top 40 began on July 4, 1970, in Los Angeles, with the number one song on his list then being Mama Told Me Not to Come by Three Dog Night.The show continued in varying forms - and for varying syndicators - until his retirement in 2009.In his sign-off, he would tell viewers: "And don't forget: keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

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Bahrain 'man dead after police shooting'

Shining spotlight on Salvos abuse

THE cover-up by the Salvation Army of the abuse of children at its boys' homes and orphanages will be investigated by royal commission.

Emotions high at fatal shooting

"COME ON, I'll take you all on," screamed a man at the police cordon as he arrived at Sydney's latest fatal shooting yesterday.

The Great Australian Dream intact

SYDNEYSIDERS refuse to let go of the great Aussie home ownership dream, with the desire for a house and backyard stronger than ever.

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Uni students want more say on services

STUDENTS still aren't getting enough say in how their money is spent on university services but their union is hopeful that will improve.

A National Union of Students (NUS) report finds the funding situation at three-quarters of student organisations has improved since the introduction of the student services and amenities fee (SSAF) two years ago.

But less than one in four organisations said they'd recommend their university's method of consulting on how to spend the money in 2013.

This was a big drop from the previous year.

As well, only four out of the 31 student organisations surveyed said they got more than half the SSAF money their university collected.

NUS president Deanna Taylor said the guidelines around student consultation on how to spend the money were not clear.

Many universities were putting together committees to decide on spending SSAF funds that were stacked with university representatives at the expense of students.

Other concerns were the lack of transparency and clear timetables for consultation.

"We need students to be having a very loud and clear voice in how their money is spent so that we make sure it goes to what they want it spent on and they get the most out of the fee," she told AAP.

"We just need to keep reminding universities to engage in meaningful consultation and to respect the wishes of student representatives."

But she was hopeful new guidelines starting in 2014 would improve the situation.

The $273 annual services and amenities fee was instituted in 2012.

It can only be spent on certain campus services, not including political causes, and can be added to a student's HECS-HELP debt.

The NUS found the most common student-run services funded were student newspapers, advocacy services, sporting and non-sporting clubs, concerts, and university diaries.

The most common services jointly run by students and universities were orientation activities, international student support, welfare, and bookshops.

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Political unrest unsettles Aus sharemarket

Shining spotlight on Salvos abuse

THE cover-up by the Salvation Army of the abuse of children at its boys' homes and orphanages will be investigated by royal commission.

Emotions high at fatal shooting

"COME ON, I'll take you all on," screamed a man at the police cordon as he arrived at Sydney's latest fatal shooting yesterday.

The Great Australian Dream intact

SYDNEYSIDERS refuse to let go of the great Aussie home ownership dream, with the desire for a house and backyard stronger than ever.

23.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Luminaries speak and Sydney sky lights up

MARIE Bashir has given her final Australia Day address as governor of NSW in a ceremony marking the end of official Sydney festivities for the national holiday.

Tens of thousands of spectators packed Darling Harbour on Sunday night to watch the day's celebrations peak with a dazzling fireworks display.

Professor Bashir, who is set to retire in September, sailed into Cockle Bay aboard the Admiral's Barge before taking a lap of honour in front of cheering children waving Australian flags.

She told the crowd Australia Day was an opportunity to rejoice and give thanks but also to commit to helping those who were doing it tough.

"We should not slip into complacency, for there is still much to do to address the challenges of those who need our additional support: the marginalised, those who are coping with poverty," Prof Bashir said.

"As we have done in the past, we should meet those challenges with joy and with success."

Indigenous footballer Adam Goodes, who on Saturday was named 2014 Australian of the Year for his leadership in the fight against racism, delivered a video address.

The 34-year-old spoke about the hard work, discipline and sacrifice it took for him to go from country kid to AFL superstar and said he hoped others could follow in his footsteps.

"I was shy growing up. I've learnt over time, and a large part of that learning is about standing up for things I believe in," Goodes said.

"I really hope people are inspired and find the courage to stand up for themselves in the way that I was able to do."

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NT police search for boy taken by croc

A crocodile is believed to have taken a 12-year-old boy missing from a Northern Territory billabong. Source: AAP

A CROCODILE is believed to have taken a 12-year-old boy missing from a Northern Territory billabong.

Another boy, also 12, swimming in the billabong was bitten by a crocodile, police say.

Police and Park Rangers are conducting a search and rescue mission by land and boat after being alerted to the incident at Kakadu National Park on Sunday afternoon.

Acting Commander Michael White said police believed the missing boy was taken by a crocodile as he and a number of other young boys were swimming in the billabong.

"One other boy, also aged 12, was bitten on the arm by the crocodile and has received medical treatment from attending St John Ambulance members," Mr White said.

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Richie, Cyrus perform at Clive Davis gala

JOHN Fogerty performed with the Foo Fighters and Jennifer Hudson. R. Kelly debuted a tribal song in tribute to Nelson Mandela. And Miley Cyrus basically called the audience old.

Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy gala drew stars who are set to shine at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in the US and featured performances from musical dynamos including Lionel Richie and newcomers such as Lorde and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

Neil Diamond, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Metallica, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Rod Stewart were among the A-listers who attended the Beverly Hilton for the four-hour event.

Cyrus opened her set with the upbeat Get It Right, which didn't earn a rousing applause.

"I hope y'all feel better than y'all look," said Cyrus, sporting a mini-dress under her fluffy coat.

"Maybe this song is better for this crowd," she said before performing Dolly Parton's Jolene, which earned the 21-year-old a louder applause.

Robin Thicke had the night's funniest moment when he sang Blurred Lines with Pharrell Williams and T.I., who danced happily onstage. Even Jane Fonda danced along.

Most of the performers impressed: Thicke and wife Paula Patton stood up the entire time Fogerty killed on the guitar; Richie got the crowd up during Easy and All Night Long (All Night); and R. Kelly was backed up by African dancers, a drummer and a choir.

Celebrities mixed and mingled: Swift's table included R&B singer Tyrese; Gloria Estefan sat with Cyndi Lauper and the Osbournes; and Alicia Key hung out with Jamie Foxx.

The crowd sang happy birthday to Keys, who celebrated her 34th birthday on Saturday.

Davis, 81, closed the night with videos of performances of Whitney Houston.

"We all know that Whitney was the greatest contemporary singer in the world," said Davis, who discovered Houston and launched her career at his annual pre-Grammy gala.

"I don't want the world to forget that, and I don't know anyone in this room to forget that."

Houston died the night before the 2012 Grammy Awards.

The 56th annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center on Fox8 with the red carpet arrivals at 10am.

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Vic woman dies in festival accident

POLICE are investigating the death of a woman in a tent at a festival campground in Victoria's north.

Police say a man is helping with their inquires after the Major Collision Investigation Unit were called to the scene to investigate whether the death of the 35-year-old woman from Yarraville.

MCIU Detective Inspector Bernie Rankin says a large number of people had attended the festival on the private property near Rochester, 180 kilometres north of Melbourne, and most had camped for the night.

Det Insp Rankin said the woman had suffered a fair degree of trauma.

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Salvo homes subject to inquiry

Shining spotlight on Salvos abuse

THE cover-up by the Salvation Army of the abuse of children at its boys' homes and orphanages will be investigated by royal commission.

Emotions high at fatal shooting

"COME ON, I'll take you all on," screamed a man at the police cordon as he arrived at Sydney's latest fatal shooting yesterday.

The Great Australian Dream intact

SYDNEYSIDERS refuse to let go of the great Aussie home ownership dream, with the desire for a house and backyard stronger than ever.

23.41 | 0 komentar | Read More