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Manslaughter charge after harbour death
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on February 14, 2012
AN OFF-DUTY security guard has been charged with manslaughter for his role in a brawl that ended with a young reveller drowning in Darling Harbour early yesterday.
A fight that broke out between a small group of men at the waterfront Pontoon Bar spilled onto the boardwalk, Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch said.
Two female officers were assaulted as they attempted to stop the brawl, which escalated to involve about 20 men.
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Under arrest … Darling Harbour, where the fight broke out yesterday.
When a 19-year-old fell into the harbour, one of the policewomen dived in to help him. other bystanders, including the manager of the Pontoon Bar, also leapt in but the man disappeared beneath the water.
Mr Murdoch praised the actions of those who dived into the harbour. ”They did their absolute best to try and rescue this fellow but were unsuccessful,” he said. Police divers recovered his body about 3.30am.
A Cockle Bay restaurant manager, who asked not to be named, said he was counting the night’s earnings and ”barely blinked” when the fight broke out.
Police attend the scene at Cockle Bay.
”This thing happens all the time,” he said. It took the sound of sirens and a police helicopter to draw him outside.
”And then I saw the Pontoon Bar manager walking around dripping wet,” he said.
Three men arrested at the scene were off-duty security guards who worked at another Darling Harbour bar, Mr Murdoch said.
A police diver searches for the man.
After questioning, a 22-year-old man from Berala was charged with manslaughter and affray. he was refused bail to face Central Local Court today.
A 23-year-old man from Macquarie Fields and a 24-year-old man from Birrong were each charged with affray. They were granted conditional bail to face Downing Centre Local Court at a future date.
Manslaughter charge after harbour death
Stosur shattered by Sydney loss
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on February 1, 2012
AAP
Shattered Sam Stosur has confessed to an emotional meltdown after her Australian Open preparations suffered another blow with a first-round exit from the Sydney International.
Italian tormentor Francesca Schiavone heaped more misery on Stosur, sending Australia’s great hope packing with a 6-2 6-4 defeat in 88 minutes at Sydney Olympic Park on Monday.
“You do all the work leading up and you feel okay and then today all of a sudden it’s just like a bombshell hits you,” Stosur said.
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“The whole emotional side of things really took over today. it never felt like I was able to be loose and free with the way I wanted to play.”
The painful loss followed Stosur’s second-round departure from the Brisbane International and left the world no.6 low on confidence and alarmingly short of match practice heading into the season’s first grand slam event starting on Monday.
“That’s what makes it so difficult. Melbourne is coming up and I want to start playing well,” the 27-year-old said.
“Being in Australia and playing in Australia, I want to play the best I can play and do it all here this month, right here right now.
“Then when it doesn’t happen, it’s obviously disappointing. it probably makes it more disappointing here than anywhere else.”
Stosur has now failed to venture beyond the second round in Sydney or Brisbane for the past three years and the US Open champion admitted she was finding it increasingly difficult to swallow the annual setbacks.
“I think it’s just the whole expectation I put on myself, too,” she said.
While Schiavone trails 6-4 in their career series, the crafty Italian has a nagging habit of raising her game for the big stage against Stosur.
The world no.11 famously denied Stosur for the first time in five meetings in the 2010 French Open final and then upstaged the Australian in a crucial Fed Cup rubber last February in Hobart.
“I think to play home, when you love something, is tough,” Schiavone said.
“But she has another chance and the bigger chance is Australian Open – the Australian Open will be different. she has big power and big shoulders to do it.”
Indeed, Stosur has bounced back from a first-round demise in Sydney before to make the second week in Melbourne two years ago, when she succumbed to eventual champion Serena Williams in the last 16.
While Schiavone is rated 11th in the world, Stosur was also taking some comfort in the fact she won’t run into a higher-ranked rival until at least the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
Schiavone will meet Daniela Hantuchova for a quarter-final spot after the Slovak downed Italian Roberta Vinci 7-5 6-2.
Defending champion Li Na, third seed Victoria Azarenka and eighth seed Marion Bartoli also progressed to the last 16 on Monday.
Belarusian Azarenka faces a tougher second-round clash with former world no.1 Jelena Jankovic.
Bartoli beat Polona Hercog 6-3 6-3 to set up a showdown on Tuesday with Sydney-raised crowd favourite Jelena Dokic.
Dual grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova upset sixth-seeded Russian compatriot Vera Zvonareva 6-1 6-2 and Dominika Cibulkova defeated Peng Shuai 6-2 4-6 6-4 to book a meeting with world no.1 Caroline Wozniacki.
Sydney FC look to build on breakthrough
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 30, 2012
AAP
Sydney FC captain Terry McFlynn believes one small step for Sydney FC could be a giant confidence booster in the run to the A-League finals.
The Sky Blues earned a badly-need victory and their first in seven matches with a come-from-behind 2-1 defeat of Gold Coast at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday night.
Goals to Karol Kisel and Bruno Cazarine ended a frustrating run of results for the Sky Blues and kept them clinging on to a spot in the top six for the time being.
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Sydney had declared the match “like a grand final” in the build-up and McFlynn wants to take a similar mentality in Thursday night’s clash with Melbourne Victory and beyond.
“Tonight was a small step forward for us and we have to approach every game with that attitude and mentality,” McFlynn said.
“We’ve been playing well in recent weeks and not getting the results and this is great for our confidence.
“We’ve been renowned this season for coming from behind and keeping on going until the 90th minute and we’ve got 9 or 10 games now to get ourselves in a position for finals and keep it going.”
Sydney marquee star Brett Emerton overcame an ankle problem to take part in the win, delivering a strong performance and coach Vitezslav Lavicka said he would be fit to face the Victory.
The Sky Blues weren’t along in coming from behind with pacesetters Central Coast scoring a thrilling 3-2 win over Adelaide at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday night to extend their competition lead to 11 points.
Left back Josh Rose netted a late winner, before declaring the Mariners were full of belief they could go one better then their runner-up finish last year.
“We’ve had the belief in the team right from the start of the season when things weren’t going well,” Rose said.
“It’s been a tough week and we were still able to pick up points … belief is very high at the moment.”
Defending champions Brisbane Roar remain in second after striker Besart Berisha overcame an eventful week and a penalty miss to score an equaliser in a 1-1 draw away to Melbourne Heart.
Wellington continued their rise up the ladder, moving into third spot with a 1-0 win away to Newcastle on Friday night.
In Sunday’s late match, Perth Glory defeated Melbourne Victory 4-1 with Shane Smeltz scoring a brace of goals for the hosts Glory.
Victory striker Danny Allsopp was given a straight red card for what the referee determined to be a dangerous challenge in the 77th minute.
Tourism Australia’s Facebook page ‘most popular on the planet’
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 20, 2012
Tourism Australia has cracked two million fans on Facebook, helped by a video of the spectacular Sydney Harbour New Year’s Eve fireworks.
Tourism Australia on Tuesday announced that its Facebook page now had more than two million fans worldwide, making the page the most popular tourism site on the planet.
It said a viral short film based around Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations had generated 85,000 fans in three days, with the film viewed by some 450,000 people.
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Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said the result shows how critical Facebook is for promoting Australia overseas.
“Through Facebook we get real stories about what people are currently thinking about Australia which influences our marketing and makes the platform a primary interaction point with our global advocates,” mr McEvoy said in the statement.
Photos of native animals like koalas and kangaroos posted on the page generate the most “likes”, comments and shares by fans, Tourism Australia said.
Tourism Australia’s Facebook page was launched in may 2008, and in 2011 generated 855,000 new fans.
AAP
Tourism Australia’s Facebook page ‘most popular on the planet’
Child rapist sentenced to 23 years
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 12, 2012
AAP
A man who abducted and raped an eight-year-old girl in western Sydney will spend at least 16 years in prison.
Jai Leslie, 22, was sentenced in the NSW District Court on Wednesday to more than 23 years imprisonment for the aggravated sexual assault and abduction of the girl in February 2010.
Leslie pleaded guilty in August to two counts of sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 10, during which he recklessly inflicted actual bodily harm.
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He also pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual intercourse.
In her judgment, Judge Helen Syme said the then eight-year-old girl was asleep with a visiting friend in the lounge room of her home at Tregear on February 18, 2010 when she woke up to find Leslie sitting beside her.
Leslie told the child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to come with him for a walk before dragging her out of the house on the pretext of looking for her mother.
He then took her to nearby bushland and threatened to kill her before sexually assaulting her.
Afterwards, Leslie took the child home and warned her not to tell her mother, before leaving.
The child told her mother about the assault the next morning and she was taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment.
Leslie was arrested the following day after he jumped a fence and was found hiding in a neighbouring house.
He initially denied having any memory of the event, saying he had been under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
However, DNA evidence linked him to the assault and he eventually pleaded guilty.
Judge Syme found the guilty plea was not evidence of Leslie’s remorse, saying “the offender’s self-reflection and feelings of guilt are at this stage self-focused but do not amount to an acknowledgement of the harm and trauma he has caused to the complainant or the sheer depravity of his actions”.
She said the offence was one “of a confronting and terrible sexual nature”.
“A separate and further consequence of the offence is the heightened fear within the community, which rightly expects their children to be safe inside their homes, especially at night,” she said.
Judge Syme sentenced Leslie to 23 years and six months in prison with a non-parole period of 16 years and two months.
He will first become eligible for parole on may 7, 2027.
Sydney’s New Year crowds ‘well behaved’
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 7, 2012
AAP
The crowds at Sydney’s new Year’s Eve fireworks were better behaved than revellers on most Saturday nights, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore says.
More than a million people gathered around the harbour foreshore to usher in 2012 but only 57 arrests were made.
With alcohol restrictions at many venues, Ms Moore said it had been a very safe night.
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“Police say it was quieter than most Saturday nights,” Ms Moore told reporters in Sydney.
“You think about what’s it’s like sometimes in Kings Cross or George Street on your average Saturday night, that was amazing.”
Ms Moore said giving young people somewhere to go meant there was a safer environment for partying.
She defended the $6.3 million cost of the firework display, saying it equated to $4 for every person who watched the event around the harbour, and the fireworks generated $156 million for the local economy.
Ms Moore, who is also a state MP, downplayed suggestions this could be her last new Year’s Eve as mayor. the state government has flagged its intention to introduce laws stopping MPs also serving in local government.
“We live in a democratic system and the people decide these matters,” she said.
“It’s up to the people to make these decisions, not vested political interests or some media outlet.”
Australia consider Harris for Sydney Test
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 31, 2011
AAP
Australia will consider recalling Ryan Harris for next week’s Sydney Test as part of a four-pronged pace attack after the home side scored a crushing 122-win run over India in the first Test.
Michael Clarke’s men relied heavily on the pace trio of James Pattinson (match figures of 6-108), Peter Siddle (6-105) and Ben Hilfenhaus (7-114) who claimed 19 wickets between them at the MCG.
Spinner Nathan Lyon contributed match figures of 1-91, admittedly on a wicket that was spongy and offered assistance to the seamers.
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Harris, who has battled injuries in 2011 but is arguably Australia’s best quick, could struggle to force his way back into the side with Pattinson claiming his second man-of-the-match award and leading an in-form attack.
But Clarke says the Sydney pitch could favour the pace bowlers.
“The SCG of late has had a fair bit of grass on it,” Clarke said on Thursday after Australia had bowled India out for 169 chasing 292 to win on day four.
“It’s great news for us if Ryan Harris is fully fit.
“From what I’ve seen in the nets he looks ready to go.
“If it has got grass on it like it did last year then there is a chance we can play four fast bowlers.”
Clarke’s men clinched victory at 4.41pm and two-and-a-half hours later they walked back onto the MCG to sing their team song.
Veteran batsman Mike Hussey stood on an esky on the members’ wing to belt out the last line “Australia you f* beauty!”
Australia will name a squad on Friday for the Sydney Test which starts on January 3.
The home side had resumed on day four at 8-179 and were dismissed for 240.
Hussey was out for 89, adding just 10 to his overnight score.
But the 10th-wicket pairing of Pattinson and (37 not out) Hilfenhaus (14) stood firm to put on 43 runs in the second-highest partnership of the innings.
India reached 1-24 at lunch before losing 5-93 in the middle session.
Siddle raised his arms in triumph after taking the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar (32) caught at gully by Hussey at 6-81.
Siddle’s Victoria team-mate Pattinson, 21, described winning a Test at the MCG as something beyond his wildest dreams.
A total of 189,347 people attended the game, setting a new record for a Test match against India after beating the 181,053 who attended Steve Waugh’s final game at the SCG in January 2004.
Clarke said Australia’s tailenders had played key roles in both innings, especially in the second dig when the home side had been 4-27.
But the skipper leapt to the defence of his side who have also been bowled out for 47 in South Africa and 136 against New Zealand in Hobart in recent matches.
“We copped a bit of criticism for being four for not many again in the second innings,” he said.
“There’s reasons for Cape Town. There’s reasons for Hobart.
“They’ve been bowling-friendly conditions.”
Clarke also said he had confidence in Lyon, although he admitted the offspinner’s position would be discussed with his fellow selectors.
“He’s bowling really well. He’s learning a lot,” Clarke said.
Sailing to Hobart is the easy part for Melbourne yacht
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 25, 2011
From left: Tony Warren, Ian Law and Ian Lindsay. Photo: Jacky Ghossein
THEY say you can’t win the Sydney to Hobart inside Sydney Harbour — but you can lose it.
Get too close to another boat or make a tiny mistake in navigation and you could be out of the race barely after setting sail.
No crew will know that better than those on Melbourne yacht Kiss Goodbye To MS when it fights for position at the start today.
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It was just the sort of boat-to-boat chaos that makes the Sydney to Hobart start so compelling, that almost cost the Melburnians a chance to enter the famous event.
Two weeks before its Sydney to Hobart qualifying race, the crew from Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron collided with another vessel during an inter-club race in Melbourne.
The crash left two big holes in the bottom of Kiss Goodbye To MS, forcing the crew to withdraw and reset course to the nearest port — without their lifelines, which had also been ripped off in the accident.
As they fought frantically to stay afloat, the 10 members of the crew could have been forgiven for thinking their Sydney to Hobart dream was over.
“Some of the crew had their hands over the holes trying to stop the water coming in, other guys were trying to pump it out,” skipper Tony Warren said. “I shouldn’t laugh, but it was pretty funny looking back.”
But the team had gone through too much in the previous three years to let their hopes go down with a damaged boat.
Mr Warren, who owns the yacht, put his job as an airconditioner mechanic on hold and worked around the clock to patch up the boat in time for the qualifier. “I think we did it in one weekend, somehow. One very long weekend,” he said.
The all-male Melbourne crew not only made it to the qualifier, they won it.
It was one of many challenges this crew has overcome to make it to Sydney. One of its members, Melbourne psychologist Ian Law, has multiple sclerosis, although
, the 50-year-old said his symptoms were at the “easy end of the scale”.
But when the primary goal is to sail a yacht in strong ocean swirls for 630 nautical miles (1170 kilometres) the symptoms of MS sound prohibitive no matter how “easy” they may be.
“I describe it as having more bricks in your backpack,” Dr Law said. “you carry on, but it’s just that little bit harder.
“my symptoms are things like chronic fatigue, chronic nerve and muscle pain, sensory loss, loss of vision and loss of muscle ability — that last one is where it can get bad.
“I’ve never had symptoms so bad that I’ve had to use a wheelchair. Hopefully I never will.”
When Dr Law arrives in Hobart, he will be one of few MS sufferers to have completed the historic voyage, which
has inspired the 10 men from Royal Melbourne to change the name of their yacht from beyond Outrageous to Kiss Goodbye To MS — the name of a wider campaign raising money for MS research.
The crew has already raised $12,000 for Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia and hopes that will grow to $50,000 by the time they reach the finish line.
For his part, Dr Law performs his role admirably and asks for no special treatment because of his condition — almost.
“He picks the best bunk in the boat because he says he needs his sleep and needs space to move. so he makes sure he sorts that out,” crew member Ian Lindsay said.
Dr Law said the crew hoped to raise awareness for all MS sufferers, not just those with the more obvious and devastating symptoms.
Then there’s Mr Warren — an accomplished yachtsman who has been sailing since he was 19 and has completed the Sydney to Hobart three times. The 48-year-old has also conquered the Melbourne to Osaka journey three times — a remarkable effort for anyone, let alone someone with dyslexia.
“I muck up my ports and starboards quite often,” said Mr Warren, who has coped with the condition all his life.
But despite the charity side of the voyage
Kiss Goodbye To MS is a contender and the crew believes it can claim a victory on handicap, as long as it gets the right weather conditions.
Festival boss will divide and conquer
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 19, 2011
Film buff … Sydney Film Festival’s Nashen Moodley.
He has only visited our shores once – for a brief, two-day trip earlier this year – and admits his knowledge of Australian cinema is far from complete. yet Nashen Moodley, the new face of the Sydney Film Festival, intends to shake things up when he touches down early in the new year.
Moodley, 33, plans to juggle two major festivals – on opposite sides of the globe – when he starts his new job on January 9. He’s also got a passion project in his sights: to market African cinema in Australia. “I think African cinema deserves its place at the world’s festivals,” he said last week at the Dubai International Film Festival, his ”other job” since 2005. “They’re not seen widely enough, and they deserve to be. I think they can stand up next to films from other countries.”
The Indian-African, who was barely a teenager when apartheid came to an end in his native South Africa, was speaking for the first time since his appointment last month to replace the outgoing director Clare Stewart, who is now in London. It is the first time the festival has actively recruited overseas for the role.
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Moodley is highly regarded for his international expertise, having boosted the profile of South Africa’s largest film festival in his native Durban over the past 10 years.
In an unprecedented move, he has cut a deal with festival chiefs to allow him to divide his time between Sydney and the Middle East. “In terms of the timing, it’s absolutely fine,” he said. “Sydney happens in June, Dubai in December. Both are pretty cosmopolitan cities. It works.”
A senior colleague, Sheila Whitaker, thinks it is also good news for Australia. “With Nashen in Sydney, we’ll be able to get a far greater feel for what’s happening in Australia,” the Dubai programmer said. “That’s good news for Australian filmmakers – and for audiences in the Gulf.”
Australian filmmakers have for some time been trying to tap into the fast-emerging lucrative Middle East market. Despite the acclaimed director Peter Weir flying to Dubai to judge this year’s festival, few Australian films have screened there.
Dubai – the final major film festival for the year – has been enjoying a renewed focus, thanks to films marking this year’s Arab Spring and the presence of Tom Cruise, who launched this year’s event.
The eight-day extravaganza wrapped in the early hours of Thursday morning, Sydney time, following a gala awards presentation.
Sydney beat Jets 2-1 at Newcastle
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 19, 2011
AAP
Sydney FC skipper Terry McFlynn feels his team have proven their strength of character in a 2-1 come-from-behind A-League win over the Jets at Newcastle on Saturday.
Jets striker Jeremy Brockie put the hosts in front with a spectacular volley – an early contender for goal of the season – but Brazilian Bruno Cazarine and Finnish import Juho Makela ensured Sydney took home the three points.
The Sky Blues, who posted their worst ever result last season, finishing in ninth place, look to have well and truly turned things around to now sit on 18 points just two behind pace-setters Brisbane and Central Coast.
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“The character from this team since the pre-season has been immense,” McFlynn said.
“The courage everyone showed tonight – to be a goal down at halftime, there were a few home truths said at half-time and everyone took it on the chin and we play for each other.
“You saw that in the second half. We’ll keep going til the 94th or 95th minute for each other and I can’t be prouder of the boys tonight.”
A lacklustre Sydney quickly found their spark in the second stanza, nullifying Brockie’s amazing right-footed volley in the opening half with Cazarine’s 59th-minute goal.
A couple of inspired second-half substitutions by coach Vitezslav Lavicka, with Makela and teen Mitchell Mallia going on, added extra strike force.
Makela didn’t take long to make his mark, netting the winner in the 83rd minute with marquee man Nicky Carle close to adding another a few times in the match.
Ex-Arsenal and Everton star Francis Jeffers was dangerous for the Jets was but unable to capitalise on a couple of chances in front of goal.
The win is sure to take some pressure off coach Lavicka.
“If the results come, everyone will be happy. If not, there is always trouble for the coach,” Lavicka said.
“But I’m a positive-thinking person and try to do my best to get the results.
“I think we’ve shown our spirit this season, several times.
“Today for us was another challenge and we got three important points and in the second half we showed that we can play good quality football as well.”
Sydney star Brett Emerton was substituted off after the first half with hamstring complaint but Lavicka is confident he’ll be ready for next week’s clash with Adelaide.