I didn't touch Rudd staffer: protester

A PROTESTER accused of shoulder barging a Kevin Rudd staffer claims she fell over on her own and he didn't even touch her.

Wayne Morris Wharton, 54, is on trial for allegedly assaulting Fleur Foster during a protest at the federal MP's Brisbane offices on February 6.

The sit-in protest, which called for indigenous sovereignty to be recognised, came a few hours after former prime minister Julia Gillard's Closing the Gap speech to parliament.

The prosecution alleges Wharton shoulder barged Ms Foster when she was struggling to shut a security door he was trying to open at the same time.

Prosecutor Gerrard Elmore played Wharton's police interview after the alleged incident in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday.

"I grabbed the handle of the door, a struggle took place," Wharton told police at the time.

"As I pulled the door back ... she fell over on the floor.

"If I had pushed (shoulder barged her) through the door she would've fallen backwards.

"I didn't assault her, I didn't touch her."

Wharton, who represented himself, began his cross-examination of Ms Foster by asking how she could have been pushed over if the security door opened outwards and he was on the outside of the door.

"Are you saying that you were no longer on the staff side of the door, you were on the public entrance side of the door?" he asked.

"Yes," Ms Forster replied.

Magistrate Noel Nunan said it was unclear where Ms Forster had been at the time of the alleged incident because her original witness statement said she was behind the security door in the staff area.

"The prosecution's case is not looking very strong at the moment," Magistrate Nunan told the court.

The trial continues.

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Early boozing laws for dockers may change

LIQUOR licensing laws allowing Fremantle pubs to open as early as 7am may be changed after the weekend grand final revelry, Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan says.

Mr O'Callaghan also told a budget estimates hearing on Thursday that the first time he knew of the plan - which will allow football fans to down booze as breakfast - was when he saw it on the front page of a newspaper.

"We will be revisiting or visiting the trading hours in Fremantle after this matter," Mr O'Callaghan said.

WA is currently undergoing a review of the Liquor Control Act. Mr O'Callaghan is a vocal campaigner against excessive drinking and alcohol advertisements targeting young people.

He said he had not been consulted about the 7am opening hours by the minister responsible for racing, gaming and liquor, Terry Waldron, despite the move requiring substantial additional police resources in Fremantle.

But Deputy Commissioner Chris Dawson said the licensing laws that allowed such early boozing applied only to Fremantle and were a historical legacy to benefit wharfies, so pubs could simply opt to exercise their right to open.

Mr Dawson said the heavy police presence would include mounted police, dogs, air support and licence enforcement officers.

Mr O'Callaghan said police would have to mount a major operation to ensure lawfulness in the Dockers homeland, and the early pub openings meant it would take far longer.

"It's likely we'll be doing that a lot earlier in the morning than we otherwise would have planned to do," he said.

This weekend is a long one, with WA celebrating the Queen's Birthday on a different date to the rest of Australia, and also marks the start of the week-long Perth Royal Show.

Police Minister Liza Harvey said there was no excuse for excessively drinking and driving because there would be extra trains and buses, particularly in Fremantle.

"We want people to have a really good time," she told Fairfax radio on Thursday.

"But please be responsible about the way that you behave."

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Foley charge being considered by lawyers

PROSECUTORS have been given a week to consider whether to proceed with extortion allegations against disgraced whistleblower Michelle Foley.

Foley appeared in Perth Magistrates Court via video link on Thursday, where it was expected she would be committed for trial on a charge of demanding property by oral threats.

But chief magistrate Steven Heath was told the matter now "needs to be considered by certain levels within the (Director of Public Prosecutions) office".

It will return to court in seven days, when the result of the DPP deliberation will be revealed.

Foley, who is accused of attempting to extort money from her former employer, was boss of the Peel Health Campus, south of Perth.

Her damning allegations about the hospital's bosses to a WA parliamentary committee last year sparked a government inquiry and earned her praise for her bravery from MPs.

But her whistleblowing deeds were undermined dramatically when previous criminal charges in the US emerged, along with various identities.

Foley was then accused of attempting to extort $43,000 from Health Solutions WA (HSWA), which runs the Peel Health Campus, with five aliases revealed in court.

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New homebuyer laws come into effect in WA

FIRST homebuyers are now eligible for a $10,000 grant for newly-constructed homes in Western Australia.

But buyers of established homes are now only eligible for a $3000 grant.

Both kinds of purchases were previously eligible for a $7000 state government contribution.

The first home owners grant changes were flagged in the 2013/14 state budget and the legislation was amended in parliament last week.

The changes came into effect on Wednesday.

Treasurer Troy Buswell has said the changes to the scheme aimed to give people an incentive to build new homes and ease the state's housing shortage.

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Stars attend Gear smartwatch launch

CELEBRITIES have attended a rooftop party to celebrate the launch of Samsung's highly anticipated smartwatch.

The Galaxy Gear allows users to access emails, texts and even make phone calls - without touching their mobile.

It works via a Bluetooth connection with the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phone.

Presenter Jonathan Ross, former track cyclist Victoria Pendleton and model Donna Air were among the stars who attended the preview party at the Radio Rooftop Bar in central London.

Ellie Goulding performed at the event, while Daisy Lowe was the DJ.

The party was hosted by Vernon Kay, who joked that he was a fan of the smartwatch, which also features a camera, because "everyone wants to be James Bond".

Simon Stanford, vice president of Samsung UK, says they believe it's the first truly mobile wearable technology in terms of the interaction available with the device.

"Anything from making calls, receiving texts, there's your calendar, the pedometer, a stopwatch, and it's the most accurate time you'll ever get," Stanford said.

"This particular product is going to change the way the connected world is going to start moving."

Stanford said Samsung's research showed the Gear was "hugely" popular with women.

"It's a groundbreaking product," he said.

"The wearable technology piece with the Note 3 is a real innovative combination of products in the market. It's pretty unique."

The recommended retail price for the Gear is STG299 ($A513), while the Note 3 costs around STG599 ($A1,027).

Goulding, who wore a tight-fitting white sparkly dress, performed hits including Your Song and Starry Eyed.

Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, boyband Union J, socialite Peaches Geldof and JLS member Oritse Williams also attended the champagne-fuelled bash.

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Rotto 'head-in-bag' pair face Perth court

TWO men charged over the Rottnest Island "head-in-a-bag" murder may be tried separately, a Perth court has been told.

Aaron Carlino, 28, is accused of murdering racing identity Stephen Cookson, 56, on December 15.

Three weeks later, a young girl walking on the beach on Rottnest off Perth's coast discovered Mr Cookson's severed head wrapped in plastic bags.

Yovan Gonzalez, 33, is accused of interfering with Mr Cookson's corpse.

The pair appeared on Wednesday in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court, which was told a psychiatric assessment of Carlino was still being done.

Gonzalez' lawyer Paul Yovich said they were still considering whether to apply for a separate trial, which he said could cut the time needed in court considerably.

Mr Cookson's head was found on Porpoise Bay on the southeast of the island on January 6, three weeks after he was allegedly shot in the head at an East Perth apartment.

The rest of his body has never been found.

Carlino and Gonzalez will appear in court again in November.

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Abbott govt gives NBN Co new directions

THE Abbott government has set new targets for NBN Co and asked it to continue to roll out fibre-to-the-premises until a review is completed.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday released an "interim statement of expectations" for NBN Co - the company managing Australia's biggest infrastructure project, the national broadband network.

The statement will guide NBN Co pending changes to its board, a strategic review, an independent audit and work on a new corporate plan.

"The interim statement instructs NBN Co to continue to roll out the network as rapidly and cost-effectively as possible throughout this process," Mr Turnbull said.

"(This) will see the NBN Co meet its contractual obligations by continuing to roll out fibre to the premises while the company conducts the strategic review of the project."

Forecasts for the number of premises passed by fibre cable have been revised down.

The figure is expected to be 729,000 by June 30, 2014, 1.74 million by June 20, 2015, and 3.115 million by June 30, 2016.

It was originally expected in the 2010 NBN corporate plan that 5.65 million premises would be passed by mid-2016.

"It is our goal following the completion of the review and a new corporate plan to see the NBN Co set realistic rollout targets and then consistently deliver on them," Mr Turnbull said.

NBN Co will be able to use a wider range of technologies to connect businesses and homes to the network.

"For example, this will allow NBN Co to trial the latest VDSL technology to deliver superfast broadband to homes and businesses in multi-dwelling units such as apartment blocks," Mr Turnbull said.

The minister said a new work program would give certainty to contractors.

Mr Turnbull told reporters the strategic review would be completed within 60 days of a new board being put in place.

The review would be conducted internally by the company, with input from experts and advisers.

The minister confirmed media reports he had asked NBN Co board members to offer their resignations and all but one had done so.

"That request should not be regarded as any criticism of any of the directors, least of all the chairman Siobhan McKenna," he said.

Mr Turnbull said he had taken the action to "give the government complete flexibility in remaking the board in light of its new policy agenda".

The federal cabinet would soon make the decision on the makeup of the board.

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China tries ex-banker over ID fakery

STATE media say a former Chinese banking official who amassed a real estate empire using multiple fake identities is standing trial for forgery and trading in forged official documents.

Xinhua News Agency says the trial opened on Tuesday against Gong Ai'ai, a former deputy president of a rural bank in the northern province of Shaanxi.

It says four former government employees are also on trial for their role in the wrongdoing. Calls to the Jingbian County People's Court went unanswered.

The case has suggested rampant corruption and lax supervision allowing Chinese officials to accumulate illicit wealth and evade accountability and has fuelled public calls for asset disclosure by officials.

Gong, who allegedly accumulated 45 properties worth $US160 million ($A170.64 million), is known as "Sister House" among the Chinese public.

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Lack of roads and pipes could hinder shale

AUSTRALIA has the seventh largest shale gas reserves in the world but a lack of roads and pipelines could hinder the industry's development.

An HSBC report shows that in addition to a lack of infrastructure, such as ports, roads, pipes and processing plants in some remote areas, high extraction costs would also likely slow the pace of development.

The report says US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates show that Australia has the seventh-highest technically recoverable shale gas reserves in the world but exploration and development remain in their infancy.

Smaller independent companies had made initial assessments of high potential shale basins in Australia and major international companies were now beginning to invest in the projects, it said.

But "while the Cooper Basin benefits from existing infrastructure, other key shale gas areas are remote and lack established infrastructure," the HSBC report said.

"In addition, extraction costs are expected to be high in Australia relative to other markets with Australian developments expected to be more capital intensive in comparison."

However, the HSBC report said, remote shale gas locations did have one major advantage.

"They are generally not close to populated areas which could limit opposition to future development of the resource," the report said.

The remote onshore Canning Basin, stretching from the WA coast between Port Hedland and Broome to the state's eastern border, has recently received attention from major oil and gas players.

The 530,000-square-kilometre area is estimated to hold about 229 trillion cubic feet of unconventional gas resources, or about one-and-a-half times the state's currently identified offshore gas resources.

Mitsubishi has committed about $60 million for exploration with Buru Energy while ConocoPhillips plans to spend more than $120 million on seismic testing in the basin's southeast corner.

In June, the WA government introduced a bill allowing Buru and Mitsubishi to continue exploration, develop a gas pipeline to the Pilbara and give first dibs for any gas discovered to the domestic market.

Meanwhile, Australian oil and gas player Santos began exploiting shale gas in the Cooper Basin in South Australia late last year, almost a decade after starting its unconventional gas program.

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Palmer Party in pole senate position in WA

CLIVE Palmer's political party is now in prime position to win a Senate seat in Western Australia.

Updated counting puts the Palmer United Party's candidate Zhenya Wang and Labor's Louise Pratt back in the race - and that could mean the demise of Greens senator Scott Ludlam.

Following the September 7 poll, it had looked like the Australian Sports Party and its candidate Wayne Dropulich might become an unlikely advocate for the state.

Thanks to a slew of preference deals, the former Australian gridiron representative player, who still plays for a seniors team, had been on track to take his healthy message to Canberra.

But latest predictions from the ABC election tracker has the PUP's Mr Whang in the fifth spot on the WA result, with Ms Pratt set to sneak back into parliament in sixth.

That relegates Mr Ludlam out of the Senate, with the result depending on the outcome of a separate contest between the Australian Christians and the Shooters and Fishers, and the preferences that subsequently flow.

With more than 89 per cent of ballots counted, the PUP have polled five per cent of the WA primary vote, just 907 primary votes less than the Nationals, who fielded high-profile former AFL star David Wirrpanda as their Senate candidate.

Mr Whang has worked since 2006 for Australian Resources, whose majority shareholder is Mr Palmer.

Ms Pratt has been a Labor member of the Senate since 2008, having previously served as a member of the WA Legislative Council from 2001 to 2007.

But she was controversially bumped off the top of the Labor Senate ticket in WA by former union heavyweight Joe Bullock.

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Macquarie still expects profit growth

INVESTMENT firm Macquarie Group still expects its profit to rise in the current fiscal year, so long as financial market conditions continue to improve.

In a presentation to be delivered to analysts in Hong Kong this week, Macquarie has reiterated its guidance of profit growth in its fiscal year to March 31, 2014.

The company made an $851 million profit in fiscal 2013.

"FY14 result for the group is expected to be an improvement on FY13 provided market conditions for FY14 are not worse than those experienced over the past 12 months," the company said.

Macquarie's profit in the first half of the year is likely to be similar to that posted in the previous year's second half.

But improvement is expected in the second half of this year, it said.

Improving financial market conditions and a weaker Australian dollar remain the two key reasons for Macquarie's forecast.

Healthier capital markets are expected to benefit Macquarie's markets-exposed businesses, such as its brokerage and research business Macquarie Securities.

Its fixed payment investment businesses, including Macquarie Bank, are expected to post a stable profit performance in the fiscal 2014 year.

With about 63 per cent of Macquarie's income generated overseas, a lower Australian dollar also proves beneficial for the company.

A 10 per cent movement in the Australian dollar will have a six per cent impact on earnings, all things being equal, the company has said.

The Australian dollar fell by 12.5 per cent between the start of Macquarie's fiscal 2014 year - April 1 - and the end of its first quarter on June 30.

But recent gains by the Australian dollar have slightly narrowed that fall.

Macquarie shares have risen by almost 35 per cent since April 1, but were down $1.06, or 2.1 per cent, at $48.94 at 1323 AEST.

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Thai man extradited over Vic killing

ONE of two accused killers who fled to Thailand after the death of a good Samaritan in Melbourne has been extradited to Australia to face court.

Thatiya Terdputham, a dual Thai-Australian citizen, fled to Thailand with co-accused Surad Seehaverachart, 31, following the 2009 death of Luke Mitchell.

But Terdputham, 38, surrendered to police in Bangkok on Sunday and was flown back to Melbourne, police say.

He appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday, charged with one count of murder.

The court heard Terdputham will voluntarily provide a DNA sample that will be crosschecked with exhibits already partially tested.

He was remanded in custody and will be back in court on January 13, 2014.

Mr Mitchell, a chef, died after being bashed and stabbed as he attempted to help a man being assaulted outside a nightclub in Melbourne's north.

In November 2011, the Bangkok Criminal Court determined that Terdputham could be extradited to Australia, but he appealed the decision.

He later dropped the appeal.

The Bangkok court determined his co-accused Seehaverachart could also be extradited, a decision he appealed.

Both men, who were students in Australia at the time of the murder, pleaded not guilty before court in Thailand, saying they had acted in self-defence.

They claimed a third man, who is still at large, was responsible for the killing.

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At least 58 killed in Iraq car bombings

Three car bombs have killed at least 58 and injured dozens in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Source: AAP

AT least 58 people have been killed and dozens injured in three car bombings in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, medical and security officials say.

Two back-to-back car bombs, targeting a funeral in the mainly Shi'ite al-Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, left 50 people dead and 100 wounded, independent broadcaster al-Sumaria News reported, citing police.

Eight other civilians were killed and at least 12 injured when a parked car bomb exploded in the district of Ur in eastern Baghdad.

There has been a sharp rise in attacks in Iraq in recent months, raising fears of a return to the sectarian violence that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007.

The United Nations said that 1057 people were killed in July, the deadliest month in more than five years in Iraq, while at least 916 civilians were killed in August.

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Community vote for NSW Labor candidates

LABOR will hold community preselections in five NSW seats, in a bid to open up the party.

NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson says members of the community will be able to join with local branch members to vote for their Labor candidate for at least five seats before the 2015 state election.

The community preselections will be held for the seats of Balmain, Newtown, Campbelltown, Londonderry and Strathfield.

"This is an exciting moment for the Labor party and shows we are serious about opening our party up to new people and new ways of thinking," he said in a statement on Sunday.

In addition to the five seats, community preselections would also be held in other seats where locals were eager to embrace the new process, he said.

"I want this process to begin as soon as possible and for all community preselections to be completed by March next year."

The announcement comes as Labor's Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten campaign for the federal Labor leadership.

The pair are travelling the country in a bid to win over grassroots ALP members who will for the first time get a 50 per cent say in a ballot to elect the federal parliamentary leader.

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Keith Urban has No.1 album in Australia

KATY Perry has reclaimed No.1 on the ARIA singles chart with her track Roar.

Having been superseded by Redfoo last week, Perry returns to the top for a fourth week.

Redfoo's Let's Get Ridiculous has dropped to No.3, behind Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball.

At No.4 this week is Jason DeRulo with Talk Dirty, featuring rapper 2 Chainz.

Lana Del Rey's Summertime Sadness remix is steady at No.5.

Climbing to a new peak of No.6 is Something I Need for OneRepublic.

Avicii is back up one spot to No.7 with Wake Me Up, while Love Me Again by John Newman drops back two spots to No.8.

Drake's Hold on, We're Going Home has shot up five places to No.9 ahead of Eminem's Berzerk at No.10.

The top three albums in the country are all new entries this week, with Australian country music star Keith Urban taking out the top spot with his ninth studio album Fuse.

This becomes his second No.1 album in Australia after 2012's The Story So Far.

The debut album for Tom Bergling, better known as Avicii, enters at No.2.

Jack Johnson, who is heading to Australia for a national tour in December, has debuted at No.3 with his sixth studio album From Here to Now to You.

With three big new entries, it pushes last week's top four albums down three places each, with AM for The Arctic Monkeys down to No.4, If You Wait by London Grammar at No.5, The Truth About Love for Pink at No.6 and Fleetwood Mac's 25 Years - The Chain at No.7.

Passenger is back up one place to No.8 with All the Little Lights, followed by Loud Like Love from Placebo at No.9

Bruno Mars returns to the Top 10 at No.10 with Unorthodox Jukebox following the release of his new single Gorilla.

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