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June 20 (Reuters) – Twin car bombs exploded in a car park of a private bank in central Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least six people and wounding 42, sources in the police and the Iraqi Interior Ministry said.
The building housing the bank was heavily damaged in the blasts and two of the dead were police officers guarding a nearby Interior Ministry office that issues Iraqi ID cards, the ministry sources said. (Writing by Michael Christie; Editing by Matthew Jones)
The Nationals appear to be divided about the merits of the New South Wales Government chipping in $20 million for a makeover of the Sydney Fish Markets.
The Government and the market’s owners announced yesterday they were going halves in a $40 million facelift that would include a new waterfront park and boardwalk, a multi-storey car park, and a third more retail and wholesale space.
The redevelopment is less ambitious than an $80 million plan put forward in 2005 that included a high-rise commercial building and more parking.
The owners had long been seeking funding for a redevelopment but the ABC has been told past applications were rebuffed because the State Government said they had enough money.
Nationals MP Duncan Gay yesterday said the upgrade was long overdue and questioned whether the Government’s contribution would be enough.
But this morning, Nationals leader Andrew Stoner told ABC 702 Sydney it may not be a good deal.
“It’s long overdue that something happened but the question is, is a $20 million taxpayer investment into a highly profitable business actually a good deal for those taxpayers?” he said.
“We don’t know because once again, this NSW Labor Government has been less than forthcoming in terms of their research, in terms of whether any due diligence has been done.”
Mr Stoner said taxpayers should expect a return on their investment.
“I think it’s probably debatable that there would be benefits to the state economy and therefore to taxpayers,” he said.
“There would probably also be benefits in terms of public access to that part of the harbour but will there be a good return for a $20 million investment?
“That question is unlikely to be answered because of the politics. We’ve got a Government in its dying days desperate to be seen to be actually doing something after 15 years of inertia.”
Last financial year, the market pulled in about $1 billion in turnover and made a profit of close to $120 million.
The redevelopment is due to be complete in 2012.
Questions are being raised about safety on a popular New South Wales south coast beach after two drowning incidents in just over a year.
A 36-year-old Sydney man died at Mollymook on Monday after getting into difficulty in an unpatrolled area known as ‘the reef’.
The drowning was 250 metres south of where a man died after being caught in a rip while swimming with his children in 2008.
Mollymook Surf Club member Glenn Matthews, who was involved in both rescues, says the reef is notoriously dangerous.
“It’s in the region of the incident that happened in December 2008,” he said.
“The children were out on boogie boards, got themselves caught in a rip, [their] father went to assist and unfortunately the father passed away.
“Part of the problem is the roadway is the closest access point to the beach, so a lot of people do park their cars in the car park area and just head into the water.”
Mr Matthews says the Shoalhaven council should post more warning signs.
“I’d like to see improved signage on how to identify a rip placed on the beach and also signage to indicate that the area is unpatrolled,” he said.
“When patrols are on the beach, direction signs indicating where the closest patrolled area is, because unfortunately we did have a patrol on the beach, another kilometre to the south.”
The Bundaberg council in southern Queensland says it hopes a new airline will be operating out of the region’s airport by the end of the year.
The multi-million dollar upgrade to the Bundaberg Airport, including the extension of the runway and construction of a new terminal, will be officially opened today.
Security equipment for passenger and baggage screening is expected to arrive this month.
The council’s economic development manager, Naomi Searle, says the upgrade has increased the airport’s future prospects.
“The discussions that we’ve had with airlines so far have been fruitful,” she said.
“There have been a range of airlines and a range of different routes we have been talking about.
“I’d like to hope this year we would have additional services here. I see Bundaberg is placed quite nicely in relation to new route development.”
Ms Searle says the project has been long-awaited.
“The runway has cost $14 million and the terminal itself, including the relocation of community clubs which has been integral to the development, has been about $7.85 million,” she said.
“We’re still completing the car parks to bring the total car park bay up to about 420 parks.”
Bundaberg Chamber of Commerce president Ron Bishop says it is only a matter of time before new airlines begin business at the airport.
“It’s not a matter of if they will come, it’s a matter of when,” he said
“Right now we are going through the tail end of a recession or a downturn with the global financial crisis, and aviation is the last one to jump back on board and say we’re actually moving ahead.”
But Mr Bishop says when it does happen it will be a major boost for the region.
“I think it’s going to be great for Bundaberg in that it’s going to open up access to other areas in Australia,” he said.
“What it will do is put a little more competition on the air carriers that are in place now and it will lower costs for us, and lower costs are always good.”
Cairns (Australia), Mar 30(ANI): An audacious plan to have a landmark Captain Cook statue in Cairns, Australia, to be repainted and turned into former US President George Washington has drawn the ire of many locals.
The 10-metre high statue, originally constructed to attract guests to the Captain Cook Motel, now resides in the car park of the Tradies Bar.
Statue owner Graham Johnston said that he plans to repaint the captain’s uniform and change his allegiance as part of a promotion for his bar.
He further said the idea came after a South African tourist confused the British explorer and an Australian icon for the US President.
“So I looked into it and I found out George Washington had a keen sense of humour, liked a cold ale on a hot day, and was a good sporting man. He fits right in with all the people from Tradies,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Johnson, as saying.
“So maybe it”s time to give him a promotion, a change of uniform and turn him into a pretty flash-looking chap and maybe attract a few Yankee tourists,” he added.
Several local politicians have criticised the move, including Cairns MP Desley Boyle, who predicted that Johnson would be “hung, drawn and quartered if he tried that”.
Despite the criticism, Johnson has vowed to continue with the plan.
“My middle name is ‘no surrender’. They (detractors) need to get a sense of humour, people need to chill out a little,” he added. (ANI)
A 40-year-old Perth man has pleaded guilty to setting a police officer alight at the Warwick station.
Anthony Galea broke into the car park of the Warwick police station in February last year.
Prosecutors allege he planned to blow up two cars owned by officers who worked at the station but he was disturbed by Constable Mark Ferguson.
Constable Ferguson was doused with petrol and set alight as he tried to arrest Galea.
The District Court was told the officer was wearing a fire retardant uniform and he suffered only superficial burns to his leg.
Galea’s lawyer says his client has mental health problems and needs to be assessed by experts before he is sentenced in May.
Galea has been remanded in custody.
Sydney University has set up a specialised program to help people with Asperger’s syndrome – a form of autism spectrum disorder that affects communication skills and coordination – learn how to drive safely.
Like most young men in their early twenties, Daniel Hammond is keen for the independence that comes with a driving licence.
“I’ll be able to drive myself to my social activities, and it will help with getting a job and it’ll just give me the confidence that I can drive somewhere without mum having to drive me there,” he said.
Like many learner drivers, his first teacher was his mum. But those lessons did not go so well.
“It was a bit stressful because she knew a lot about me but I think she just didn’t know how to teach me,” he said.
“In lane changing because you’ve got to decide when to lane change and you’re moving a car at the same time and turning your head. So there’s a lot of different movements at once.”
It is a common experience for people with Asperger’s syndrome who often experience increased anxiety.
Beth Cheal, an occupation therapist and the director of the University of Sydney’s driver rehabilitation unit, says it is difficult for people with Asperger’s syndrome to coordinate their movements while driving.
“It can be difficult for someone with Asperger’s for their arms to cross the middle of their body, their midline,” she said.
“So that means, for example, steering a steering wheel can be hard and it can be really hard to coordinate that.
“So if someone with Asperger’s goes out on the road and has a lot of difficulty in those areas, they can really lose confidence and give up.”
‘Patience’ is the key
Ms Cheal is involved in a new program to help people with Asperger’s syndrome get their license.
The first step is a three-hour assessment in which applicants undergo tests for their eyesight, physical health and learning skills.
Then, the learner drivers have 25 one-hour lessons.
“Just drive around the car park for the first lesson because if you take someone like that out onto Parramatta Road, you’ll never get them back in a car,” she said.
Ms Cheal says many program participants start slowly and Daniel Hammond was no exception.
“When we saw Daniel he pretty much could only stay in one street and we had to focus a lot on just using the brake and accelerator and just very simple turning,” she said.
“Early on if you looked at him you would have thought ‘here’s someone who’s really going to struggle with driving, will they ever get there?’
“But with a few special techniques and a bit of patience, now he’s just a beautiful driver and just about to pass his RTA test.”
Dean McMillan is one of the programs driving instructors and has worked in rehabilitation services for 20 years.
“It’s more just being very patient, very consistent with what you’re teaching, keeping little, baby steps of teaching so you’re not being too complicated and throw in too much information,” he said.
Only about half the people taking driving tests pass the first time round.
The university’s chair of occupational therapy, Professor Anita Bundy, says this program is aiming at similar or better results.
“It’s very important for us to understand whether or not what we’re doing is effective,” she said.
“It’s stressful for everyone to get a licence and it’s more stressful for people with Asperger’s and any sort of disability.
“But on top of that, we need to be really clear about what is effective and what is not effective and is what we’re doing more effective than sending someone to just a regular driving school?”
Daniel Hammond will make his second attempt at getting a licence soon. He says driving alone will give him a great sense of achievement.
“It will take time and persistence but after a while you’ll be able to become a good confidence driver and it’ll be something you’ll be proud of,” he said.
He is hoping it will be second time lucky.
A Sydney court has heard that a sex worker killed more than 11 years ago died from multiple stab wounds after an extremely violent struggle.
Richard Dorrough, 32, was extradicted from Perth to Sydney last year and charged with the murder of 29-year-old Rachael Campbell after DNA evidence linked him to her 1998 death.
In his opening address prosecutor John Bowers told the court that the police investigation stalled for 10 years until 2008.
That was when a match was made on the national DNA database with Dorrough, who was arrested in a traffic matter seven years earlier.
The court heard that the Crown case is that Dorrough had sex with Ms Campbell and allegedly killed her during a sexual encounter.
Her body was found the next morning at a church car park in Sydney’s south.
Police in Geraldton are investigating the vandalism of a dozen cars at the Department of Agriculture and Food’s office.
The windows of 10 departmental cars and two CSIRO vehicles had their driver’s side window smashed sometime between Friday evening and Sunday morning.
The offenders are believed to have scaled a fence to gain entry to the staff car park on Gregory Street.
Nothing was stolen but the offenders rifled through the glove boxes of the vehicles.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Police say a man is to face court today accused of robbing a man in a wheelchair at a shopping centre in Sydney’s south-east.
Investigators say the 31-year-old stole a bag containing a wallet and mobile phone from a quadriplegic man in the Eastgardens car park on February 22.
Police examined security camera footage and they arrested a man at a home in Maroubra yesterday.
The also seized several items of clothing.
The man has been charged over the theft and was refused bail.
Melbourne, March 16 (ANI): Michael Clarke and his ex, Lara Bingle, have both been called to testify at a Children”s Court hearing over the alleged theft of the model’s 200,000-dollar Aston Martin, according to reports.
A 14-year-old boy had allegedly stolen the car from the car park of the Bondi apartment shared by Bingle and Clarke, reports The Age.
The Aston Martin was later recovered on Iluka Street, South Coogee, on New Year”s Eve.
The boy, who cannot be identified, appeared at Bidura Children”s Court earlier this month where a list of witnesses was confirmed for hearing.
Court papers list both Bingle and Clarke as being required for cross-examination, according to a News Ltd report. (ANI)
A man will face court next month accused of leaving his 13-month-old son in his car while he shoplifted in Sydney’s east.
Police say the 33-year-old went shopping in Pagewood yesterday afternoon, leaving the boy in his car with the windows up.
Inspector Christopher Schilt says he was arrested for allegedly stealing shades for his windscreen.
“During the arrest process he divulged that his son was still in a vehicle that was parked out in the car park of the shopping centre,” he said.
“Police went with him to the car and freed a 13-month-old boy.”
The child has been returned to his mother.
The man will face court next month charged with child neglect, larceny and resisting arrest.
Melbourne Victory striker Archie Thompson has slammed the Docklands pitch as “a cow paddock” and warned something must be done quickly to improve it ahead of the A-League grand final on Saturday week.
The Victory were beaten 2-0 in their Asian Champions League match against Korean side Seongnam Ilhwa at the venue on Tuesday night.
Even by recent standards, the pitch was in poor condition – uneven, bumpy and with grass threadbare in large patches.
“It was basically a cow paddock,” Thompson said.
“We could harp on about it … but they had to play on it also and they managed to get two goals, and we didn’t.
“But for a grand final you can’t have a pitch like that. I’d rather play it at (local Melbourne club) Green Gully’s pitch than play on something like that – it was terrible.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do for the grand final.
“I’ll even go out and cut people’s lawn out of their yards if I see some patches that are better than that.
“The pitch was … probably the worst I’ve ever seen it.”
The Docklands surface has been the source of consternation all season for the Victory – coach Ernie Merrick describing it earlier this season as like “a car park”.
Merrick was more diplomatic on Tuesday night, though he admitted it still remained a problem and Seongnam coach Tae Yong Shin was also critical of the surface.
“I’ll agree with him (about the pitch) but our players to their credit didn’t resort to playing long balls,” Merrick said.
- AAP
Melbourne, Sep.16 (ANI): Victoria Police has denied they had a plan to limit publicity about the bashing of four Indian men outside a Melbourne pub on Saturday night.
Four men were arrested in relation to assault and affray, but they were released pending further investigations.
Police believe a fifth man may also have been involved in the bashing outside a pub at Epping in Melbourne’s east.
Details of the incident only emerged publicly today, prompting an outraged Indian media to claim Victoria Police had been involved in a cover-up.
Police said the Indian media were made aware of the incident via “other channels”.
Acting Senior Sergeant Glenn Parker said there was no cover-up, although he did admit the police media department would have known about the incident in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“Unfortunately, this type of incident occurs regularly. This is really treated no differently to any other event of this type. There has been no deliberate attempt to suppress it. It’s just part of normal procedure. It’s attracted more media attention than anticipated,” news.com.au quoted him, as saying.
According to the police, the four men were playing pool on Saturday night at a bar in High St, Epping, when a female hurled a racist remark at them.
The men left not long after but were followed into a car park by up to four males who were part of a larger group celebrating a birthday in the bar’s function room.
It has been alleged the Indian men were set upon and seriously assaulted by the group of males.
Police were called and arrested four males, who were interviewed in relation to assault and affray. ll four were released pending further investigations.
While only four men were arrested, one of the alleged victims told ABC Radio today that more than 70 people could have been involved.
He said the attackers didn’t use weapons, but racism was behind the incident.
“Definitely racism,” he said.
Police say that when the arrests were made, a group of about 15 men and women, who had been celebrating a birthday, directed racist abuse at the Indian men.
As the victims were escorted away by police, officers allege the larger group continued its “threatening behaviour and racist remarks”. (ANI)
London, Sep 3 (ANI): England’s star footballer Jermain Defoe has relived the horrifying moment when he learned that his half-brother was dying after a brutal street attack.
The Spurs striker was at the team’s training ground when his mother broke the news that Jade Defoe, 26, was in intensive care.
Speaking for the first time about April’s attack, he said: “The manager said, ‘Your mum’s in the car park’. I knew when I saw her face it was bad news. She basically said to me I think he’s got two hours to live. So I had to get myself straight to the hospital and just be there for Jade.”
Jermain, 26, was at Jade’s bedside when the urban musician also known as DJ Esco Bars died of head injuries after the beating in Leytonstone, East London, The Sun reported.
He said: “It was crazy. All his family and friends were in intensive care. It was a harrowing time and I think it changed me as a person. I was really close to Jade and his death hit the family hard.”
Jermain said he and Jade used to play football together when they were younger.
“It was difficult for us to see each other a lot because I was always travelling for my football. But we were very close as a family. It was so hard for us to accept him going at such a young age.
“When people die after a long illness it’s easier because you have time to prepare. But when it’s a phone call out of the blue it’s difficult to come to terms with,” he said. (ANI)
Jerusalem, August 18 (ANI): An Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) excavation in the City of David, Israel, has revealed a large third century CE building, which is apparently a large mansion.
The spacious edifice from the Roman period (third century CE) – apparently a mansion that belonged to a wealthy individual, was uncovered in excavations carried out in the ‘Givati Car Park’ at the City of David, in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park.
According to Dr. Doron Ben-Ami, the excavation director on behalf of the IAA, together with Yana Tchekhanovets, “Although we do not have the complete dimensions of the structure, we can cautiously estimate that the building covered an area of approximately 1,000 square meters. In the center of it was a large open courtyard surrounded by columns.”
“Galleries were spread out between the rows of columns and the rooms that flanked the courtyard. The wings of the building rose to a height of two stories and were covered with tile roofs,” he said.
A large quantity of fresco fragments was discovered in the collapsed ruins from which the excavators deduced that some of the walls of the rooms were treated with plaster and decorated with colorful paintings.
The painted designs that adorned the plastered walls consisted mostly of geometric and floral motifs.
Its architectural richness, plan and particularly the artifacts that were discovered among its ruins bear witness to the unequivocal Roman character of the building.
The most outstanding of these finds are a marble figurine in the image of a boxer and a gold earring inlaid with precious stones.
The building, which was constructed during the third century CE, was shaken by a tremor in the fourth century, the results of which are clearly apparently in the excavation area: the walls of the rooms caved-in and their stone collapse, which was piled high, covered the walls of the bottom floor, some of which still stand to a considerable height.
Architectural elements such as columns and capitals, as well as mosaics and the large amount of fresco fragments that were used in the rooms of the second story were discovered inside the collapsed ruins.
The coins that were discovered among the collapse and on the floors indicated the building’s ruins should be dated to circa 360 CE.
According to Dr. Ben-Ami, “Edifices such as these are ‘urban mansions’ from the Roman period that were discovered in Antioch, Apamea and Palmyra. If this parallel is correct, then in spite of its size and opulence, it seems that this building was used originally as a private residence.” (ANI)
London, Jun 25 (ANI): A retired florist, who planted a flower garden on a neglected patch of land in a car park, has been threatened with criminal prosecution by a council.
Jayne Bailey, 60, had wanted to give the concrete island on her housing estate a makeover as the cobblestones had come loose and which she thought were dangerous.
But after she removed the loose cobbles and planted flowers in a display that has been supported by some of her neighbours, Cornwall County Council ordered her to remove them and to replace the cobbles, or pay for remedial work.
“In a letter I have been told I have 28 days to replace it or they will come out and do the work and send me a bill,” the Telegraph quoted the elderly lady from Bodmin, Cornwall, as saying.
“They also threatened that they would go to the police and report me for criminal damage. This is bureaucratic madness. There are people out there spraying graffiti and I get into trouble for actually making the place nicer,” she said.
Bailey said the island had been a crumbling mess, covered in weeds and rubbish for about 30 years.
“Some of the local children had taken to removing the cobble-stones to play with because it was in such a dilapidated condition,” she said.
“It now hosts an assortment of sun loving plants suited to that area which are all thriving. The centre piece is a eucalyptus with other plants such as jasmine, buddleia and fuchsias, which were all planted on a budget and designed to fill that space over the coming years with minimal maintenance,” she explained.
Naomi Luke, a neighbour, said: “It looks a lot nicer. It was disgusting before. Now it is somewhere everyone can enjoy and looks pretty.”
A spokesman for the council said: “In this particular case no agreement was sought to carry out the works. Several complaints from residents have been received concerning the planting.”
He indicated, however, that there could be a compromise.
“A council horticulturist has been asked to look at the suitability of the planting,” he added. (ANI)
London, May 30 (ANI): A grieved paparazzo is suing Britney Spears for rolling over his foot with her Mercedes convertible in 2007.
The accident which apparently happened two hours after Spears learned she had lost custody of her children was caught on video by US site TMZ.
The incident occurred in Beverly Hills when Britney was pulling out of a car park, reports The Sun.
As she tried to navigate her way out of the parking lot, Britney’s car went over Rick Mendoza’s foot.
In the lawsuit, Mendoza said Britney’s people: “should have known…Britney was not in the mental, emotional and/or physical condition to operate the subject motor vehicle in a safe and reasonable manner.” (ANI)
London, May 15 (ANI): Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has expressed his anger on promoters who book huge car parking areas as location for their gigs.
Noel, who recently performed in Argentina, Chile and Peru, revealed that he would like to perform in huge stadiums instead of car parks.
He further emphasized that his fans are forced to come to remote areas to see their gigs, which are organized in huge car parking areas.
“Why not just do 2 big, f**k off gigs in Rio and Sao Paolo? If everyone in Argentina is willing to travel to Buenos Aires to be part of one of the greatest nights of all time (I’m not kidding, you should’ve been there!), then I don’t see what the difference is in Brazil,” the Daily Star quoted him as saying.
“It’s the kids who lose out, if you ask me. Someone throwing up a make-shift stage in some car park can never compare with the noise and colour of a stadium. Still, the gigs themselves are great. Could be better though,” he added. (ANI)
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High rise building plans opposed
Residents in South Perth are angry about plans to approve high rise buildings along the Canning River.
The South Perth and Melville Councils want to redevelop the area around the Canning Bridge and have released a draft plan for public comment.
Under the plan, there would be limited approval for buildings up to 10 stories and fewer restrictions on those which are three to five stories high.
Resident Maryclaire Andrews says locals understand the area needs to be revamped but says there is no need for a 10 storey development.
“We’re not against plans, we’re not against development.
“It’s the scale that they’re proposing and the fact that we haven’t been consulted and they haven’t taken into account the fragility of that whole foreshore area.”
South Perth Mayor, James Best, says he understands the community’s concern but he says the draft plan is a long-term vision of the area.
He says development is needed to cater for the rapidly increasing population.
“The issue is, that Perth is growing incredibly rapidly. Do we say that people aren’t welcome? That we don’t want new people to come and live here to be able to work on the oil and gas and mining and the rest of the economy that’s booming.
“I think Perth did particularly well out of the global economic downturn and we did that because we’re busy.”
Mr Best also says development is needed to keep up with the demand for housing and better transport needs.
“South Perth’s grown at 12% in the last 10 years.
“If we don’t do anything, basically we’ll have carpark jams in the morning, traffic’s not going anywhere. Canning Hwy in the morning’s a car park, Manning Road is a carpark in the morning and afternoon.
“We’re getting pressure from everyone in the city to do something about these infrastructure issues.”
Ms Andrews says locals are angry about a lack of consultation.
“I agree that there needs to be development, it’s the scale of the development. It’s the scale and the way they’ve planned it.
“10 stories on the foreshore makes no sense at all, nor does a bus depot coming across from Applecross into Como into a beautiful parkland.”
The public submission period has been extended until the 1st of April.