The secrets of leadership success

Kristina Keneally: "Integrity isn't something to proclaim — it's something to live in almost every decision." Source: Supplied

LEADERSHIP can be such an amorphous concept with fuzzy words like "forward-thinking" and "visionary".

Here, three successful leaders share with news.com.au just what makes a good leader and how community work outside their corporate work makes them better at their jobs.

KRISTINA KENEALLY

Former NSW Premier, former CEO of Basketball Australia and supporter of various charitable causes

What is the biggest challenge you face/have faced as a leader in Australian business?

I'd been Minister for Planning for about six weeks when the GFC shook the world's economy to its core. Almost instantly the NSW Government had to find as many levers as possible to keep people working.

Planning quickly emerged as an area where we could use a combination of regulatory and economic policy settings to support construction in both the private and public sector. We

introduced rapidly changed approval processes, removed infrastructure levies, fast-tracked complying development, and passed legislation to implement the Nation Building and Economic Stimulus Jobs Plan.

In normal circumstances these tasks would have taken months or years. But I had to move very quickly to bring local councils, developers and construction sectors, environmental groups and our political opponents onside to do what we could to keep people working.

NSW need to move fast, and we did. NSW led the nation in the meeting the Stimulus Plan's targets and the state avoided a recession.

Kristina Keneally on an Opportunity International mission. Source: Supplied

How has your community and philanthropic work had an influence on your capacity as a leader in your field?

A desire to live a life that makes the world around me a better place is what drew me to politics, and no matter how challenging politics became, I felt a sense of moral purpose to my work.

When I left politics, I was surprised by how much I missed it. Other jobs were stimulating, but they lacked that sense that I was involved in an endeavour to 'save the world.'

Today, volunteering for charitable causes that are close to my heart — like Opportunity International's efforts to transform the lives of the world's poorest women — fills that passion. Even more, it gives me an opportunity to meet and learn from such a wide range of amazing people and be inspired by them.

In your view, what is the most important characteristic of a good leader?

Integrity. Integrity isn't something to proclaim — it's something to live in almost every decision. Integrity, or lack of it, is evident in how we speak about others when they are not listening, in the choices we make when times are difficult, and in whether we keep our word when we give

it.

If leaders have integrity, they will have the trust of the people they seek to lead. It's far more important that people trust a leader than agree with her at all times.

What is your best piece of leadership advice?

Back yourself. No one is going to back a person who doesn't first back herself. I am often struck by the confidence of the incredibly poor women I meet in the slums of India when I visit with Opportunity International Australia. These women back themselves!

But — like these women — don't be unreasonable in your self-belief: listen to constructive feedback and constantly ask what you can do better. Work hard to be your best. Invest in yourself — in terms of skills and experience. Show respect for others and maintain an honest dose of humility. But do all of these things with a quiet confidence, with self-backing. Confidence is attractive, it brings others in and creates amazing opportunities.

NAOMI SIMSON

Red Balloon founder

Simson: "There are no shortcuts in leadership." Source: Supplied

What is the biggest challenge you face/have faced as a leader in Australian business?

At Red Balloon, we work hard to ensure that our employees have a great day at work. Due to this, it can be tough to be taken seriously in Australia, because everyone doesn't share our belief that a workplace can be a happy environment. There are some people who don't yet see the value in happy employees and in turn happy customers. People need to feel appreciated, recognised and noticed for who they are and the work they're doing.

How has your community and philanthropic work had an influence on your capacity as a leader in your field?

When you're working with volunteers you have no authority; you only have influence. And you can only influence people if they see the value in your contribution and are inspired by your sense of purpose. In a way, philanthropic work is often harder than commercial enterprises in terms of your leadership skills and capabilities. Giving back to the community makes me a better leader because leadership doesn't come from your job title; it comes from the way you act.

In your view, what is the most important characteristic of a good leader?

The most important characteristic of a good leader is integrity. All leaders need to do what they say they're going to do. Integrity creates trust, which is essential in any relationship. Without this

trust and respect, there will be no followers and to be a great leader you need followers. The one

thing I have to ask myself over and over again is, "Did I do what I said I was going to do?" I can't take shortcuts — there are no shortcuts in leadership.

What is your best piece of leadership advice?

Leaders can be anywhere in our community. They unite the uniqueness of individuals for the good of the whole, and the first step of leadership is to understand what it truly means to be a leader. It's also important to remember who it is that you're influencing along the way.

MALCOLM BROOMHEAD

Chairman of Asciano; non-executive director at BHP Billiton

Malcolm Broomhead said the most important leadership quality is the ability to listen. Source: Supplied

What is the biggest challenge you face/have faced as a leader in Australian business?

Changing the culture in a long-established organisation within a short time frame. This task required the engagement of everyone in the organisation — they needed to contribute to the change in order to have a sense of ownership of the new culture.

How has your community and philanthropic work had an influence on your capacity as a leader in your field?

It has given me a heightened awareness that all people are basically the same — their motivations, moral compass and potential are similar irrespective of their circumstance. For example, I have learnt that empowering others and helping build their self-esteem is just as important to the success of a philanthropic initiative as it is in a business. I have seen first-hand how a sustainable microfinance system positively impacts people's sense of hope, purpose, and self-esteem.

In your view, what is the most important characteristic of a good leader?

The ability to listen to and respond to the views of those he or she is leading.

What is your best piece of leadership advice?

Be very clear about your goals. Keep them simple, communicate and listen to your stakeholders.

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What you should never do this time of year

Those Christmas presents look awfully nice but try not to get it on credit if you won't be able to make the repayments. Source: News Limited

Finder.com.au's Michelle Hutchison says it's important to give your plastic a once-over every now and then to ensure you're getting the best deal

YES. You're about to read a story with the word 'Christmas' in it. It is that time of the year.

If you're thinking about applying for a new credit card, get in quick. Because once it hits October, the months leading up to Christmas is a hazardous time to get a shiny new piece of plastic.

New research from Veda, a credit information company, found customers who applied for credit cards in the three months between October and December were 20 per cent more likely to default on their cards within six to nine months.

Ouch.

It makes sense that in the months leading up to the holiday season, people may need a bit of extra cash to pay for gifts, food or other celebrations. But it's also easy to fall into the trap of borrowing money you can't pay back.

Veda spokeswoman Belinda Diprose said: "Our data shows that consumers turn to credit in the lead up to the festive season to fund their spending. It can result in consumers overextending and getting into debt stress.

"With a heavy reliance on credit cards in the pre-Christmas period it's easy to let bills get out of control, so making a budget and a concerted effort to pay your bills on time is a good practice. If a credit card bill or personal loan payment goes unpaid it can have a negative impact on your credit history and might affect your chances of getting credit down the track."

Veda has a few tips for people to avoid the credit crunch at a time when the money pressure is on:

1.Do your homework – it pays to do your research on interest rates.

2.Make a list and check it – plan ahead for the festive months.

3.Keep track of your credit commitments – keep sight of everything you owe across cards, bills, loans and other debts.

4.Pay on time – consider setting up direct debts to avoid late fees.

5.Keep track of your credit record – bad credit can have long term effects, especially if you don't about it.

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Schapelle’s boyfriend owns up to drugs

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

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

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

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

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

SCHAPELLE'S BOYFRIEND ARRESTED IN BALI ON DRUG CHARGES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Tourists in North Korea ‘are seeing a farce’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do tourists help the regime's propaganda efforts?

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

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

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

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

How do tourists affect the lives of ordinary people?

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

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

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

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

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

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Five ways social media is killing dating

Has social media changed dating for the better? Source: Getty Images

MISERY loves company. All's fair in love and war. There are plenty of fish in the sea.

You've probably heard these before, because over the decades cautious words and clichéd phrases have guided our mothers, and their mothers, through romantic courtship.

Now, thanks to the introduction of social media, the wealth of indispensable wisdom has grown to accommodate our technological future with new advice. It's not official until it's "Facebook official". Snapchats can be screenshot. No-one ever likes the 'mirror pic' guy on Tinder.

When our grandparents started dating, there was no social media to blur the lines. They didn't wonder when was an appropriate time to ask a new suitor to delete their Tinder account. They didn't need to worry about the new set of digital dating rules that we face today.

Dating, when there's no social media to blur the lines. Source: Supplied

Some argue that social media has changed dating for the better. We're now connected in ways that years ago, were unimaginable. We can source potential dates while sitting on the living room couch with unwashed hair and a lap full of chip crumbs. Others argue the less attractive additions that social media has brought to the table: the 'gamification' of dating, the death of social serendipity, or the rate at which we're heading towards customs defined by superficiality and instant gratification.

When I was lucky enough to be involved in the first-ever test group for Facebook (which is what inspired me to start L&A Social Media), the extent to which social media would change the way we engage could not have been predicted. But today there is no denying that these changes are occurring rapidly and they're nothing short of drastic, as the gap between digital and physical courtship is well and truly closing.

Gina Lednyak. Source: Supplied

Here some of the ways in which dating is forever changing, for better or for worse:

1. Next level competition

Whether you like it or not, social media has created a dating pool that knows no boundaries. Literally. The dating pool has become infinite. And with more options, comes more competition.

Gone are the days when you met a guy at a party and found comfort in the fact that he probably wouldn't be attending any more parties until the next weekend. Now, in the days following your fated meeting he has potentially connected with 20 plus suitors on Tinder.

On the flip side though, the dating pool has become considerably larger for you too. And this, I think most would agree, is one of the greatest perks that social media has brought to the world of millennial dating.

2. The future of zero guesswork

According to research, we can recognise when someone isn't into us about 80 per cent of the time. No surprises, as most of us are pretty good at detecting when we're being shot down. It usually involves watching someone's eyes glaze over while they check their phone for imaginary texts before sculling an entire vodka apple-juice just so they have an excuse to exit for the bar.

When it comes to sensing when someone is flirting with us however, researchers from the University of Kansas say we're pretty hopeless. In fact, according to their study, men could only determine if someone was admiring them 36 per cent of the time, and women could only tell 18 per cent of the time.

So it's safe to say that most of us have probably missed out on more than few opportunities to close at the bar. Enter Tinder. The dating app completely eliminates any of the conjecture and speculation involved with traditional dating. In fact the pre-existing guesswork been reduced to a solitary swipe; left for no, right for yes. Thanks to apps like Tinder, we now know, instantaneously mind you, who is or isn't interested in us.

Thanks, Tinder. Source: TheAustralian

3. Background checks

No matter how much we think we like somebody, the minute we take to their online profile can quite literally be a game-changer. It only takes a single shirtless selfie, for instance, and the mission is aborted. Our attraction plunges, the next date is called off and we end up asking ourselves what in the world we were thinking. Some would argue that this is a bad thing. Does it take all of the fun out of dating? Perhaps some of us have even thrown away the person we were destined to be with, in a few short clicks?

It could be argued however, that it's a blessing in disguise. While writing someone off because of one photo shouldn't be condoned, there's no denying that social media can now help us learn a lot more about someone much quicker. And this means we can skip the 5 dates to find out we actually had absolutely nothing in common in the first place.

4. Jealousy is a dangerous thing

For some of us, the temptation to sift through the profiles of our current partners exes is one that cannot be overcome. Luckily, no matter how private someone tries to make their profile, it's usually possible to find something. And thanks to social media there is no generation more efficient when it comes to private investigation than Gen Y.

These days, you only need to log onto Facebook or Instagram and you can stalk someone's exes from the most recent relationship back to their first kiss at the Grade 8 school dance. But what if seeing them smiling and having a great coupled-up time together in photos begins to haunt you? You start wondering if they really have moved on, or if they even love you as much, and you've effectively opened the ex-floodgates forever.

Adding to this, nothing has added a layer of complexity to dating the way Likes, Comments and Pokes have. Trivial, you say? Not according to the many relationships that have been ruined by Facebook. Owing to the ease with which one can see who their partner is connecting with, or whose photos they like or comment on, Facebook-induced-paranoia is actually a thing.

That selfie could be a massive turn off ... Source: Supplied

5. Digital infidelity

Before the world of dating apps, when someone's impulse to cheat on their significant other was strong enough to act on, they'd have to go out into the real world and physically meet another party willing to participate. But things have changed. Finding someone to get it on with no longer means putting on clothes, fixing your hair and heading out to a bar; thanks to social media, a world of potential hook ups is at your finger tips. And sure, Snapchat has made sending dirty pictures much easier to get away with. And of course nobody is required to reveal their actual relationship status on a Tinder profile.

But social media also brings with it another challenge; secrecy. These days everyone has a phone and staying off social media after leaving the house has become a difficult feat. Thanks to social media, getting busted by an indiscreet photo or slip up on Instagram or Facebook has made it a lot harder to be a slimy cheater.

Are you sure you want to Snapchat that? Source: Supplied

Gina Lednyak is the Founder and Managing Director of L&A Social Media. Follow her on twitter at @GinaLednyak

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The harsh reality for trolley workers

Trolley workers can earn as little as $8 an hour. Picture: Gary Merrin Source: News Limited

SOME shopping centre trolley collectors are being taken for a ride by employers, and the Fair Work Ombudsman isn't having a bar of it.

The workers who weave trolley conga lines through car parks and pick up the carriers from surrounding streets risk being underpaid. Some have worked for as little as $8 an hour, compared to the national minimum wage of $16.87 an hour.

The government agency is now urging supermarket and shopping centre managers to stamp out wage exploitation or face legal action.

A third of the workforce are under 20 years, 40 per cent don't have an education past year 10 and 30 per cent were born overseas.

"These workers encounter barriers to understanding and enforcing their entitlements themselves," FWO Natalie James says.

The FWO has four matters before the courts claiming 71 trolley collectors have collectively been underpaid by almost $500,000. Retailers often outsource collection to trolley services companies that compete heavily on price.

But while retailers don't directly set the terms for subcontractor employees, Ms James says they are still legally responsible.

This is because of "accessorial liability" - a Fair Work Act provision that deems someone other than the employer who is involved in unfair treatment may also be held accountable.

The FWO handed down 38 rulings on this provision last year.

"Just because a company doesn't own the contract doesn't mean it can wash its hands of it," Ms James said in a statement.

Underpayment in the cleaning and security work sectors is also on the FWO's radar.

"These are highly competitive industries ... where the profit margins, particularly on the labour component, are often low," Ms James said.

In the past six years, the FWO has recouped more than $430,000 for 528 underpaid trolley collectors in Australia.

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Russia ‘has invaded’ Ukraine

Fighting continued near Mariupol, Ukraine, on Wednesday morning, even after face-to-face talks between Russias Vladimir Putin and Ukraines Petro Poroshenko. Photo: AP

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

He has also cancelled a working trip to Turkey, and comes after the US ambassador in Kiev declared Russia was"directly involved" in fighting in the war-torn east of Ukraine.

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

Pyatt's tweets come after a NATO diplomat also comfirmed the Russian missile defence system has been detected in a rebel-held area of Ukraine, after a huge convoy of tanks and weaponry came through the nation's southeast.

The NATO diplomat also told AFP on condition of anonymity that the SA-22 air defence system, which has a range of up to 20 kilometres, was "now in the zone", adding that Russian support for the rebels had become "more open" recently.

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin was "not interested in breaking up" Ukraine, but said Russia will send more aid convoys to Ukraine "in the nearest future", despite complaints from Kiev they breach its sovereignty.

The news of the missile system comes after Ukraine appealed for NATO's help after a huge convoy of tanks and weaponry from Russia arrived.

It's the latest blatant move by an increasingly bold Russia after weeks of mounting evidence it is directly involved in Ukraine's civil war.

Unmarked Russian military hardware, the social media posts of Russian soldiers — even funerals for Russian soldiers — are just part of the growing tide of evidence of Russia's direct intervention.

Moscow was forced to admit Tuesday that a number of its troops captured by Ukrainian forces had crossed the border "by accident" but continues to deny arming the pro-Kremlin separatists who have been fighting Kiev's rule for four months in an increasingly bloody conflict.

CYCLE OF CONFLICT: Comparing 2014 with 1914

Ukraine has accused its former masters in Moscow of sending in weapons and troops after Kiev government forces made major advances against the rebels.

Under occupation ... a member of a Ukrainian volunteer battalion near the small city of Novoazovsk, Donetsk region. Picture: Alexander Khudoteply Source: AFP

Kiev's claims of the fresh invading force came just hours after the first meeting in three months between President Petro Poroshenko and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin failed to achieve any concrete breakthrough despite talk of a peace road map.

ANALYSIS: Are the uprisings in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine pushing the world towards war?

The Ukrainian military says a convoy of up to 100 tanks, armoured vehicles and rocket launchers was seen travelling towards Telmanove, a town about 80 kilometres south of the main rebel-held city of Donetsk and 20 kilometres from the Russian border.

The direction the force came offered few alternatives than a crossing of the Russian border, they say.

The United States' State Department agrees.

Advance halted ... A villager walks past an Ukrainian flat and a bilboard and despicting Russian president Vladimir Putin bearing a Hitler moustache and haircut. The mysterious new offensive follows significant gains by Ukrainian forces. Source: AFP Source: AFP

BOLD OFFENSIVE

The heavily armed Russian-backed separatist forces "came out of nowhere" to capture new territory yesterday far from their previous battles with government troops.

It's a move that has high strategic importance for Russia. The push west along Ukraine's strategic coastline appears aimed at creating a land link between Russia and the already annexed Crimea peninsula, which also would give them control over the entire Azov Sea.

After a third day of heavy shelling that sent many residents fleeing, rebel fighters with dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles entered Novoazovsk, a resort town of 40,000 on the Azov Sea, the mayor told The Associated Press.

Front line ... A Ukrainian serviceman walks past a trench near Lugansk during shelling. Source: AFP Source: AFP

Novoazovsk lies along the road linking Russia to the Ukrainian port of Mariupol and onto Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed in March.

The separatist attack appears to have caught government forces off guard, and they were scrambling Wednesday to build up defences. The offensive also adds to growing evidence that the rebels receive Russian support.

Oleg Sidorkin, the mayor of Novoazovsk, told the AP by telephone that the rebel forces had rolled into town from positions near Ukraine's southernmost border with Russia.

To travel to this spot through Ukraine from the main front line around Donetsk and Luhansk, far to the north, the rebels would have had to cross territory controlled by government troops. The more logical conclusion is that they came across the nearby Russian border.

Ground force ... A Pro-Russian rebel passes by a car which was hit by shrapnel from a shell after shelling in the town of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, yesterday. Source: AP Source: AP

RUSSIA'S GAMBIT

Ukraine and Western governments have long accused Russia of playing a direct role in the conflict, supplying troops and weaponry to the rebels. Russia consistently denies the claims, but its stance is increasingly dismissed abroad.

"Information, which in recent hours has gained another hard-facts confirmation, is that regular Russian units are operating in eastern Ukraine," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said yesterday. "This information, coming from NATO and confirmed by our intelligence, is in fact unequivocal."

The US government accused Russia last night of orchestrating a new military campaign in Ukraine that is helping rebel forces expand their fight and sending in tanks, rocket launchers and armoured vehicles.

"These incursions indicate a Russian-directed counteroffensive is likely underway in Donetsk and Luhansk," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. She also voiced concern about overnight deliveries of matériel in southeast Ukraine near Novoazovsk and said Russia was being dishonest about its actions, even to its own people.

Redeployment ... Ukrainian soldiers park their hardware on the roadside as they wait for the start of the march into the town of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine. Source: AP Source: AP

Russian forces, she said, are being sent 50 kilometres inside Ukraine, without them or their families knowing where they are going. She cited reports of burials in Russia for those who've died in Ukraine and wounded Russian soldiers being treated in a St. Petersburg hospital.

The United States navy guided missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf was last night photographed passing through the narrow Dardanelles, a narrow straight of water which links the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

Associated Press journalists on the Ukrainian border with Russia have seen the rebels with a wide range of unmarked military equipment — including tanks, Buk missile launchers and armoured personnel carriers — and have run into many Russians among the rebel fighters.

Ukraine also captured 10 soldiers from a Russian paratrooper division Monday around Amvrosiivka, a town about 20 kilometres from the Russian border.

In Moscow, Denis Pushilin, one of the leaders of the pro-Russia insurgency, told reporters he had no information about whether Russian soldiers had entered Ukraine near Novoazovsk. But he said the Ukrainian separatists have been joined by many volunteers from Russia and also Serbia.

AP reporters in eastern Ukraine have heard a variety of Russian accents from all over the country among the rebel fighters.

Shady origins ... A Pro-Russian rebel walks in a passage at a market damaged by shelling in Petrovskiy district in the town of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. Source: AP Source: AP

RUSSIANS SEIZE CITY

Yesterday AP reporters saw more than 20 shells fall around Novoazovsk in a one-hour span. Many people were leaving the town, while others were rushing back in to evacuate relatives. Later in the day, access from the west was blocked by Ukrainian soldiers and the presence of rebels in Novoazovsk could not be independently confirmed.

A spokesman for Ukraine's security council, Colonel Andriy Lysenko, said he had no information that Novoazovsk had been occupied. Earlier, he said the shelling around the town was coming from both Ukrainian and Russian territory. Ukrainian security officials said nearby villages had also come under shelling.

The artillery shells in Novoazovsk appeared to be flying between rebel and government positions.

"It hit a tree, there was a blast and the shrapnel came down here," said Alexei Podlepentsov, an electrician at the Novoazovsk hospital, which was struck by shelling Tuesday.

In Mariupol, a city of 450,000 about 30 kilometres to the west, defences were being built up. A brigade of Ukrainian forces rushed to the airport yesterday afternoon, while deep trenches were dug a day earlier on the city's edge. Other troops were blocking traffic from leaving the port heading east.

Collateral damage ... Residents look at a burned car, hit by shelling in the town of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. Source: AP Source: AP

UKRAINE'S LOSS, RUSSIA'S GAIN

Ukraine has already lost more than 750 kilometres of coastline in Crimea, along with a major naval port and significant mineral rights in the Black Sea.

If the separatists were to seize a land bridge to Crimea that would be a further loss of more than 250 kilometres of coastline. This would give Russia control over the entire Azov Sea and any offshore oil and gas reserves.

This would leave Ukraine with about 450 kilometres of coastline to the west of Crimea.

Fighting also persisted elsewhere yesterday, and Lysenko said 13 Ukrainian troops had been killed over the past day.

In Donetsk, the largest rebel-held city further north, at least three people were killed on a main road when their cars were hit by shrapnel from falling artillery shells.

On guard ... A Ukrainian soldier in the village of Bezimenne, eastern Ukraine. Source: AP Source: AP

04.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Facebook rant gets boy expelled

Wall of shame. A mother who expressed her annoyance over her son's school photo day has led to her four-year-old being expelled. Source: Supplied

YOU know those moments when you instantly doubt hitting that 'post' button?

One mother in Florida, USA, will be feeling this prickly regret after taking to the social network to vent her frustration about her son's school only to result in the four-year-old being excluded.

Ashley Habat was running late with her son Will for Sonshine Christian Academy, a private Christian preschool, and when she arrived told the school's administration she wasn't given enough notice for picture day.

HERE'S NOT WHAT TO DO ON FACEBOOK

This mum with a gripe then expressed her opinion on her Facebook profile saying:

"Why is it that every single day there is something new I dislike about Will's School? Are my standards really too high or are people working in the education field really just that ignorant?"

The post was private, however Habat tagged the school and it was seen by officials, which led to her being called into the headmaster's office and being told her son could no longer attend. In the formal letter that she received it spoke of "discord" and how Habat "utilized (sic) social media to call into question not only the integrity but the intelligence of our staff".

10 THINGS FACEBOOK NEEDS TO BE COOL AGAIN

Evidently, such action is a stipulation in the school's handbook that every parent must sign but it still came as a shock to Habat who believes the school is punishing her four-year-old for a private opinion she posted only for her friends to see.

Was this school too harsh or was this mother in the wrong? Have your say @newscomauHQ

04.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shocking truth about sex assault overseas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Middle East

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

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

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

one they recommend)

• Do not consent to toxicology screening

• Demand antiretroviral treatment immediately

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

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

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

South America

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

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

• Call the Australian Embassy immediately

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

medical treatment at a trustworthy facility as soon as practicable.

Indonesia

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

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

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

clinic

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

drugged with methanol)

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

India

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

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

witness when you are being interviewed.

Or if no-one is with you:

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

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

Africa

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

this region. If assaulted:

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

clinic to start precautionary treatment immediately.

Everywhere else:

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

Victims can end up behind bars. Source: Supplied

Warning from the Government

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

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

General travel safety tips:

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

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

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

but also validate why you are travelling together

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

news.com.au has contacted DFAT for comment.

What you need to know before going to Dubai

04.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shocking truth about sex assaults overseas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Middle East

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

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

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

one they recommend)

• Do not consent to toxicology screening

• Demand antiretroviral treatment immediately

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

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

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

South America

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

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

• Call the Australian Embassy immediately

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

medical treatment at a trustworthy facility as soon as practicable.

Indonesia

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

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

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

clinic

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

drugged with methanol)

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

India

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

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

witness when you are being interviewed.

Or if no-one is with you:

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

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

Africa

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

this region. If assaulted:

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

clinic to start precautionary treatment immediately.

Everywhere else:

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

Victims can end up behind bars. Source: Supplied

Warning from the Government

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

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

General travel safety tips:

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

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

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

but also validate why you are travelling together

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

news.com.au has contacted DFAT for comment.

What you need to know before going to Dubai

04.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Radical replacement for eBay?

The Baby Safety Gate works better with fat babies. Source: Supplied

IT SEEMS every other week a new online start-up launches with an 'X meets Y' proposition.

Well, now a team from Melbourne is trying to monetise video-obsessed Millennials with an eBay-meets-Vine trading platform.

Pitchi is an online marketplace similar to eBay, but with a catch: every listing must be accompanied by a video up to 60 seconds long.

The hope is Pitchi will attract the kind of viral attention gained by tongue-in-cheek ads such as Brad and Adam's 'Flatmate Wanted' video, or Misty King's '4x4 with Steak Knives'.

The rationale, according to founder James Curtain, goes something like this: there are around five million Millennials in Australia, about 10 per cent of whom would use sites like eBay to buy and sell goods.

Combine that with recent research showing people between the ages of 16 and 24 are watching 16 hours and 28 minutes a month of online video, and you have another one of those 'X meets Y', 'untapped market' opportunities.

In a time when people with names like 'Nash' and 'Scooter' can become famous for pouting into their phones while Facebook pours buckets of ice over everyone, it may not be so crazy to expect someone to spend 60 seconds recording a funny video to sell their second-hand TV.

The big question is whether people will look on it as anything more than a gimmick, given the ease of existing trading platforms such as eBay, Trading Post or Gumtree.

Mr Curtain concedes it's a fair point. "eBay is always going to be there, Gumtree and Trading Post are always going to be there," he said. "We've tried to make the processes on Pitchi as streamlined as possible.

One pencil, infinite possibilities. Source: Supplied

"In this day and age, everyone's got a pretty good video camera on their phones. If you look at the demographic we've geared this towards, they've all grown up with video, they all know how to shoot."

He said the ideal video wasn't highly polished or over-produced. "The best ones on the site are a bit raw, they ones that are filmed with an iPhone. It gives it that human element."

Asked why he chose to take the hard route of building a video platform from scratch, rather than piggybacking on an established audience like YouTube or Vimeo, Mr Curtain said it was about control and ease of use.

"We made the decision to build our own video service because we didn't want it to be an afterthought. Other websites we compete against [such as Gumtree] have the ability to add a YouTube link, but it's a little clunky. Also, as soon as you integrate a third-party site, you've lost the ability to keep an eye on things."

Mr Curtain is apparently referring to Pitchi's long list of prohibited items, in keeping with its wholesome target market: anyone wishing to sell animal traps, drugs, organs, body parts, adult material, stolen goods or weapons will have to look elsewhere.

The site also currently only supports single listings. It doesn't yet have the capability to accommodate wholesale merchants like on eBay, but Mr Curtain said that was the goal.

"That's where the commercialisation sits," he said. "We've identified about 3500 sellers that sit in that space who we've now started talking to."

THE TOP FIVE PITCHI PITCHES

A seller is using a video ad on pitchi.com to move his baby gate, which evidently his child is too slender for.

A seller is using a video ad on pitchi.com to get rid of a pair of aviator sunglasses, which dramatically increased his status with the ladies.

An example of a more trivial item being sold on pitchi.com; a seller is using an ad to sell a pencil for $1.

A woman is using a video ad on pitchi.com to try to sell her wedding dress.

A seller on pitchi.com gets creative with his video ad.

04.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Perfect storm’ for Ebola to spread

Doctor Peter Piot, co-discoverer of the Ebola virus. Source: News Corp Australia

PETER Piot, the Belgian scientist who co-discovered the Ebola virus in 1976, on Tuesday said a "perfect storm" in West Africa had given the disease a chance to spread unchecked.

"We have never seen an (Ebola) epidemic on this scale," Piot was quoted by the French daily paper Liberation as saying.

"In the last six months, we have been witnessing what can be described as a 'perfect storm' — everything is there for it to snowball," he said.

The epidemic "is exploding in countries where health services are not functioning, ravaged by decades of civil war."

The West Point area that has been hardest hit by the Ebola virus spreading in Monrovia, Liberia. Source: AP

"In addition, the public is deeply suspicious of the authorities. Trust must be restored. Nothing can be done in an epidemic like Ebola if there is no trust." Piot is former chief of the UN agency UNAIDS and now director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, one of the world's foremost centres of expertise on tropical disease.

In the interview, he also castigated "the extraordinary slowness" of international organisations in responding to the outbreak.

"The World Health Organization (WHO) only woke up in July," whereas the epidemic began in December last year and health experts sounded the alarm in early March, said Piot.

"There is now leadership but it is late," he said.

The epidemic has killed 1,427 people out of more than 2,600 known cases of infection, with doctors and nurses paying a particularly heavy price.

The epidemic is focused on Liberia and Sierra Leone, which were wracked by conflict in the 1990s and the early part of the last decade, and on neighbouring Guinea.

Other cases have been recorded in Nigeria, whose north is hit by unrest, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose east is in the grip of a decades-old conflict and where Ebola was first identified in 1976.

DRC Health Minister Felix Kabanga Numbi last Sunday said that the country's seventh recorded Ebola outbreak had "no link to (the epidemic) in west Africa".

04.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

Phones get green light for takeoff

From Tuesday, mobile devices can be left switched on and set to flight mode for the entire flight. Source: ThinkStock

AIRLINE passengers have been assured that aircraft safety will not be compromised by an expanded use of electronic devices taking effect in Australian domestic flights from tomorrow.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has signed off on submissions from Qantas and Virgin Australia allowing the gate to gate use of electronic devices, such as smart phones and tablets.

Both major airlines had pushed for the changes to enhance the "in-flight experience" and keep them in step with overseas air travel arrangements.

FARE WARS: $13 flights to put KL back on map

Qantas Domestic chief executive officer Lyell Strambi said Qantas had conducted rigorous testing to assess the impacts of electronic devices on the safe operation of aircraft.

"We are confident that these devices are safe to be turned on but in flight mode, for the duration of each flight," said Mr Strambi.

He said the devices could be used while boarding the aircraft or crossing the tarmac, but would need to be switched to flight-mode before takeoff.

"Whether customers choose to listen to music, read their e-books or review work documents, the introduction of gate-to-gate electronic access on Qantas flights is an exciting development to an already exceptional in-flight entertainment service," Mr Strambi said.

Virgin Australia chief customer officer Mark Hassell said the change would apply to Boeing 737, Embraer 190 and Airbus 330 aircraft.

Other aircraft in VA's fleet still required more testing and approvals prior to launching gate-to-gate access for personal handheld devices, he said.

"Today's announcement meant that our customers will be able to use their personal devices throughout their entire journey with us, maximising their work or leisure time," said Mr Hassell.

QantasLink and Jetstar are still in the final stages of preparing their submission to CASA for the extended use of personal electronic devices.

The US and New Zealand already allow gate-to-gate use of electronic devices, in flight-mode.

Under the Australian regulations, devices weighing more than 1kg, such as laptops, will still need to be stowed in overhead lockers for take off and landing for safety reasons.

CASA required airlines to get the tick-off from aircraft manufacturers, and show how they would ensure the devices would not become flying missiles during flights and introduce measures to ensure passengers listened to safety announcements.

04.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Phones get green light for takeoff

From Tuesday, mobile devices can be left switched on and set to flight mode for the entire flight. Source: ThinkStock

AIRLINE passengers have been assured that aircraft safety will not be compromised by an expanded use of electronic devices taking effect in Australian domestic flights from tomorrow.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has signed off on submissions from Qantas and Virgin Australia allowing the gate to gate use of electronic devices, such as smart phones and tablets.

HEY, AIRLINES, WHY THE BACKFLIP?

Both major airlines had pushed for the changes to enhance the "in-flight experience" and keep them in step with overseas air travel arrangements.

FARE WARS: $13 flights to put KL back on map

Qantas Domestic chief executive officer Lyell Strambi said Qantas had conducted rigorous testing to assess the impacts of electronic devices on the safe operation of aircraft.

"We are confident that these devices are safe to be turned on but in flight mode, for the duration of each flight," said Mr Strambi.

He said the devices could be used while boarding the aircraft or crossing the tarmac, but would need to be switched to flight-mode before takeoff.

"Whether customers choose to listen to music, read their e-books or review work documents, the introduction of gate-to-gate electronic access on Qantas flights is an exciting development to an already exceptional in-flight entertainment service," Mr Strambi said.

Virgin Australia chief customer officer Mark Hassell said the change would apply to Boeing 737, Embraer 190 and Airbus 330 aircraft.

Other aircraft in VA's fleet still required more testing and approvals prior to launching gate-to-gate access for personal handheld devices, he said.

"Today's announcement meant that our customers will be able to use their personal devices throughout their entire journey with us, maximising their work or leisure time," said Mr Hassell.

QantasLink and Jetstar are still in the final stages of preparing their submission to CASA for the extended use of personal electronic devices.

The US and New Zealand already allow gate-to-gate use of electronic devices, in flight-mode.

Under the Australian regulations, devices weighing more than 1kg, such as laptops, will still need to be stowed in overhead lockers for take off and landing for safety reasons.

CASA required airlines to get the tick-off from aircraft manufacturers, and show how they would ensure the devices would not become flying missiles during flights and introduce measures to ensure passengers listened to safety announcements.

04.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

Block ‘cheaters’ say prank just harmless fun

On The Block Glasshouse, the judges find a mobile phone recording their conversation as the room was revealed. Courtesy: The Block, Network Nine

Simon and Shannon are caught red handed. Source: Huffington Post

IN what has been dubbed "the biggest Block scandal ever", brothers Simon and Shannon were tonight revealed as the "cheaters" who placed a phone under the bed to record the judges' secret conversations.

Judges Shayna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Neale Whitaker, as well as host Scotty Cam were not

impressed when they discovered Simon had deliberately hidden a mobile in the room to eavesdrop on the judges feedback.

"That is not on" said Shayna. "That is really bad. Is that cheating?"

Added Darren: "I don't know if it's cheating, but it's definitely giving them something that everybody else doesn't get. Scott delivers our judgments, recording them - that's never been done on The Block before."

Darren Palmer discovers the phone under the bed during judging. Source: Huffington Post

While Scotty Cam said: "So you don't trust me? You had to record the feedback? You don't trust what I was saying?"

Simon told news.com.au it was just a harmless prank borne out of frustration at not getting enough constructive criticism from the judges.

"They spend an hour in each room and we only get to hear a two minute spill of what they think, we never even get to see them (the judges), so I wanted to know more of their feedback, but it was mainly to do something cheeky to see what they're saying and then go from there.

"I don't think when I do stuff stupid things. It wasn't to get the upper hand, I'm not that clever, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed," he laughed.

Scotty Cam was not impressed. "Don't you trust me?" he said. Source: Channel 9

The boys maintain the whole thing was a harmless prank that was blown out of proportion, refuting Nine's claim that it was the "biggest scandal" ever seen on The Block.

"It can't be," said Shannon, "the biggest (scandal) is those twins. It was just a cheeky little thing to do."

While Simon added: "No way, they're just trying to make a mountain out of an ant hill to try and get viewers, but if they want to play it like that, that's fine."

They also strongly refuted it was "cheating", saying they are honest blokes with good morals.

"I told all the other teams that I did it, so it's obviously not cheating. I don't know how that gives us the upper hand and judges thought it was just a cheeky prank too," said Simon.

Simon said when he went back to the room and discovered the phone had been found and removed he became nervous and was "packing it" at the consequences.

Darren Palmer, Shayna Blaze and Neale Whitaker discuss the "spy phone." Source: Huffington Post

He then confessed to his brother about what he'd done.

"I just called him a cheeky little d--khead, as brothers do," said Shannon of his brother's decision to hide the phone without telling him, "because that's what he is, he is a cheeky little d--khead.

"It didn't surprise me at all that he did it. No word of a lie, he came on the show just to prank people and it's probably not the best place to have fun, but that's what Simon brings to the show, likes to have fun and stir the pot a bit."

Simon said the only repercussion was a slap on the wrist from Scotty and everyone took the prank in good faith.

"I did the walk of shame out to Scotty to get the phone and he said I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed, which is way worse".

Shannon and Simon only got a slap on the wrist. Source: Supplied

But despite all the drama, Simon said he would do it again in a heartbeat.

"To be honest, I'd do it again tomorrow. Why not? I don't regret that I did it, I know my intention wasn't to cheat, it was just something in my character.

"I didn't think Darren would get on his knees looking for an electric point, but if I was doing it properly, I would have thought to have hidden it way better, I didn't think it would turn into what it did."

Scotty Cam told news.com.au that while he was disappointed with the boys dishonesty, he has decided to forgive and forget.

"This has never happened before. I'm a trustworthy bloke so whatever I say in the judges feedback is gospel. I think they got the message from me and I'm sure they'll never do it again."

Meanwhile, Maxine and Karstan won the master suite room reveal with a score of 28.

The boys say they would never cheat. Source: Supplied

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Rap mogul shot at during party

Shot at ... Marion "Suge" Knight was injured in a shooting at a nightclub. Source: AP

DEATH Row Records founder Suge Knight is undergoing surgery after being shot twice during a nightclub party in West Hollywood.

Knight walked out of the club following the shooting, police told TMZ. He was then put in an ambulance and taken to hospital.

The 49-year-old rap mogul was one of three victims taken to LA's Cedars Sinai Hospital after the incident at the 1OAK nightclub, TMZ reports.

One of the shooting victims is reportedly in a critical condition.

Unscathed ... Singer Chris Brown, pictured at the basketball in New York last week, was hosting the nightclub party. Picutre: AP Source: AP

Knight was attending a party hosted by controversial singer Chris Brown, who was reportedly caught up in the shooting but not hurt.

A divisive figure in hip-hop, Knight was accused by his former friend Snoop Dogg of being involved in the 1996 murder of troubled rapper Tupac Shakur.

He was also implicated in the shooting murder of rap legend Christopher "Biggie" Smalls, which was said to be a revenge killing for Shakur's death.

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The five best Emmy Awards moments ever

Emmys host Neil Patrick Harris is heckled by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey during his opening monologue.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler heckled Neil Patrick Harris. Source: News Limited

NEIL Patrick Harris getting heckled, Ricky Gervais having a go at Steve Carrell and Michael Douglas making inappropriate jokes about Matt Damon ... these are just some of the best moments from TV's night of nights.

Next Tuesday morning (Australian time) the stars will once again gather for the Primetime Emmy Awards which this year are being hosted by former SNL actor turned talk show host Seth Meyers.

Over the years there have been many memorable moments, but these are our favourites:

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler heckle Neil Patrick Harris:

Last year the two funny ladies stole the show when they heckled host Neil Patrick Harris from their seats in the front row.

Ricky Gervais wants his Emmy back:

In 2007 Ricky Gervais won an Emmy for The Office, but the British comedian wasn't at the ceremony to accept his award so Steve Carrell (who stars in the US version of The Office) accepted it on his behalf. Gervais got up on stage at the 2008 Emmy Awards and in a hilariously awkward sketch, demanded that Carrell hand over the Emmy.

Jimmy Fallon was Born to Run:

In 2010, talk show host Jimmy Fallon got the show off to a roaring start when he collaborated with the cast of Glee, Jon Hamm and Tina Fey in an epic performance of Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run. The sketch even featured a cameo from Betty White ... what more could you want?

Stephen Colbert fires up:

Some quick background info: In 2006 Colbert was nominated for an Emmy for Best Individual Performance in a Variety, Comedy, or Music Program, but he lost out to singer Barry Manilow for his TV special, Barry Manilow: Music and Passion. In 2007 Colbert joined Jon Stewart on stage to present the award for Best Reality/Competition show but he was still reeling from last year's loss.

Michael Douglas' awkward jokes:

Some people were offended, some people were amused and some people probably didn't understand what he was talking about. But when Michael Douglas accepted his Emmy last year for Behind the Candelabra he had the majority of the celebs in crowd laughing when he made a few gay-themed jokes directed at Matt Damon, who co-starred as his lover in the movie.

We'll have full coverage of the Emmys red carpet and awards next Tuesday morning.

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All Blacks run riot to retain Bledisloe

The All Blacks have put on a show against the Wallabies in game two of the Bledisloe Cup, winning 51-20 at Eden Park.

Richie McCaw grabbed a double after he had earlier been sin-binned. Source: Getty Images

MASSACRE. The fierce Blacklash was without mercy in Auckland on Saturday night as the Wallabies were hammered into their Eden Park grave with such contempt that it may be another 28 years before they win there.

Bye-bye Bledisloe for another year was the funeral march that should send shivers down the spines of the Wallabies because they are as far away as ever from winning back the precious silverware they have not held since 2002.

"Tonight was a great opportunity for us and we showed some character towards the end but we didn't get into the game," Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said.

"We kicked off and got three points but it was one-way traffic after that."

The 51-20 pummelling delivered by the All Blacks shouted a message over every fallen Wallaby body trying to make a tackle or caught out by wave after wave of All Black raiders.

It was biggest ever All blacks score against Australia eclipsing 50-21 on Sydney in 2003.

"Fading are we?" Crunch. "Losing our mojo?" Cop another try. The Wallabies were smashed and 33-year-old titan Richie McCaw could leer more than anyone. He scored back-to-back tries midway through the second half in bulldozing pack drives to turn it into a rout after his sinbinning of the first half.

No win at Eden Park since Kylie Minogue was first getting steamy on Neighbours in 1986 has turned visits to Auckland into Australia's longest running soap opera.

The agony of another squandered Bledisloe campaign was the 14-0 rupture in the first half when the Wallabies were reduced to 14 men by the sinbinning of lock Rob Simmons.

The All Blacks dismantled a seven-man Wallabies scrum for a penalty try and then danced away on an 80m counter-attack try for winger Julian Savea when the wasteful Aussies coughed up the ball when on full attack.

McCaw more than made up for his yellow card. Source: Getty Images

Instead of turning a scintillating counter-attack run over 50m from Israel Folau into a try, lock Sam Carter coughed up the ball out wide, the All Blacks pounced and Savea was gone. So was the Bledisloe Cup.

It was clinical. It was the same old script. It was the All Blacks at their primal Eden Park best as giants above the mortals as they knocked the wind from another Wallabies challenge. It is is 15 straight losses at Eden Park and 10,213 days and counting since the Wallabies last win there over the Kiwis.

McCaw paid tribute to his fellow All Black forwards.

"They set the platform for everyone to play with the ball and rugby is a lot easier if you get some go forward at winning the contact and that's pretty much the difference for the majority of the game," he said.

All the expectation of a golden glory night dissipated as a tight 9-6 contest blew out to 23-6. It was 44-6 before the All Blacks declared with 20 minutes to play, job done.

Most tellingly, the All Blacks did what the Wallabies could not against 14 men.

The side in gold could generate nothing on the scoreboard when All Blacks skipper McCaw was binned in the 12th minute for a professional foul for interfering with Michael Hooper's clearance of the ball from a ruck.

Kurtley Beale's pot for the penalty goal and 6-all was all the Wallabies could squeeze from their 10 minutes of advantage while flyhalf Aaron Cruden kicked one of his own so the All Blacks actually came out ahead 9-6.

The writing was written on the wall in a bizarre game of musical chairs. The sin bin chair was still warm as the desolate Simmons (dangerous play in a maul) trotted to it and McCaw ran back on.

The Aussies were brave when Nic White was mopping up a dangerous kick and Slipper was chopping down a winger with a key tackle or when Folau figured but they were outclassed.

The ferocity of the tackling in the early exchanges showed how much the night meant because the full house winced just as James Slipper did when crunched by Richie McCaw or when Matt Toomua wrapped up Aaron Cruden.

There was a ball-running intent to the All Blacks from the whistle that was never there in the wet of Sydney. It only emphasised the greatest foreboding out of that 12-all draw...the Wallabies blew their best chance and the All Blacks don't give you a second.

Relive all the action from our live blog below and check out Match Centre for live stats and video!

Originally published as All Blacks run riot to retain Bledisloe

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Whitney reveals how he lost 25kg

Sydney Weekender takes us back to where it all began for the show with hosts such as Mike Whitney, Michael Slater and Tony 'Plugger' Lockett.

Shed 25 kilos ... Sydney Weekender host Mike Whitney at Channel 7's Redfern offices. Picture: Adam Taylor Source: News Corp Australia

HE was always one of the fittest men in the Australian Test cricket locker room in the late eighties and early nineties.

But 20 years of wining and dining his way around NSW as host of Channel 7's lifestyle series, Sydney Weekender, could be measured by Mike Whitney's bulging waistline.

A reunion with his former first grade cricketing mates three years ago, where he was shamed about his growing girth — which tipped the scales at 120 kilograms — was enough to inspire a new attack from the one-time Australian test fast bowler.

Now balancing his diet with the optimum 80 per cent alkaline and 20 per cent acidic foods, Whitney has shed 25 kgs and returned to his playing weight of 95 kgs, visibly fitter and brighter for it.

BODY+SOUL: The acid-alkaline diet

ALKALINE DIET: Why celebrities love it

Not an inch of fat ... Michael Whitney's famous innings in the 1987 Boxing Day Test against New Zealand at the MCG. Source: News Corp Australia

Enjoying the fruits of his job too much ... Mike Whitney at White Ribbon Day in November 2011. Source: News Limited

"I adjusted my diet and the weight has fallen off with very little extra exercise. This is how our bodies are meant to be, but what we tend to eat now is 80 per acidic and 20 per cent alkaline," Whitney said.

Adding fresh fruits and vegetables, like watermelon, leafy greens and avoiding processed foods and refined sugars, were key to his weight loss.

The old remedy of squeezing lemon into a glass of water to start the day was also essential, Whitney said.

Back to his test cricket playing weight ... Sydney Weekender host Mike Whitney. Source: Supplied

Healthy chef Teresa Cutter praised Whitney for his lifestyle change, which shows what a simple shift to eating fresh fruit and vegetables can do to improve overall health.

"The lemon in water every morning is a great idea, I do it too and it helps support and cleanse your liver and eliminate toxins," she said.

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Ukraine accuses Russia of ‘direct invasion’

About 60 trucks forming part of a Russian aid convoy parked in a field about 7 kilometres from a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin Source: AP

UKRAINE'S security chief has accused Russia of a "direct invasion" after Moscow sent a disputed aid convoy into the war-torn east of the country.

"We are saying that this is a direct invasion. Under the cynical guise of the Red Cross these are military vehicles," Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, the head of Ukraine's SBU security agency, was quoted as saying by Interfax Ukraine news agency on Friday.

Another security official said that Moscow was "exclusively responsible" for the security of the convoy as it crosses rebel-held territory.

Russia has pushed the first trucks of a massive aid convoy into war-torn eastern Ukraine on Friday after saying it was tired of reassuring Kiev that it was not being used to smuggle in weapons to pro-Kremlin insurgents.

"We can no longer stand this outrage, these open-faced lies and (Kiev's) refusal to reach an agreement. Russia has decided to act," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Direct invasion? A driver sets straight the flag of the Moscow region on one of the trucks of the aid convoy on Wednesday. AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin Source: AP

"Our humanitarian aid column is starting to move in the direction of Lugansk," it said in reference to the devastated eastern Ukrainian city that has suffered some of the most severe recent fighting, and has been cut off from water and power supplies for nearly three weeks.

The decision appeared to have also been taken without the authorisation of an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) team that is overseeing the diplomatically-charged mission.

The Red Cross said on Friday its representatives were not escorting a Russian aid convoy that entered war-torn eastern Ukraine as they had not received "sufficient security guarantees". "We are not a part of the convoy in any way," Victoria Zotikova, a spokeswoman for the ICRC in Moscow said.

A paramedic carries boxes containing Russian humanitarian aid at the emergency centre in the city of Makeyevka, in the Donetsk region, on August 21, 2014. AFP PHOTO / MAX VETROV Source: AFP

Ms Zotikova added that the organisation had not been given "sufficient security guarantees by the fighting parties" after a small team of ICRC officials reported heavy shelling overnight in the rebel-held bastion of Lugansk where the Russian trucks are heading.

An AFP photographer at the border said the first 10 Russian trucks had crossed the frontier and reached the Izvaryne customs point inside Ukraine.

It was not immediately clear when or if the vehicles would be allowed to move any further. An unconfirmed report by Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency said a few of the trucks had already left the Ukrainian checkpoint and started to drive towards Lugansk.

Trucks of the Russian aid convoy are searched at a Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin Source: AP

Several of the nearly 300 vehicles had been cleared by both countries' customs authorities on Thursday and were waiting for the green light to enter Ukraine from the ICRC.

Ukraine has expressed repeated fears that Russian may be using the vehicles to smuggle in weapons to separatist rebels who have been battling government forces for more than four months.

A local resident holds a Russian national flag as lorries, part of a Russian humanitarian convoy cross the Ukrainian border at the Izvarino custom control checkpoint on Friday. AFP PHOTO / SERGEY VENYAVSKY Source: AFP

The ICRC meanwhile said it would not launch the aid delivery mission until it receives firm security assurances from both Kiev and the insurgents that the convoy will not be attacked.

The Russian foreign ministry appeared to suggest that Moscow has decided to act even without the Red Cross's permission.

"We of course are ready to have (the convoy) accompanied by the ICRC, and for its involvement in aid distribution," it said. It charged that Kiev was presenting a growing number of "new and artificial demands and pretexts, which is turning into a mockery". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin was aware of the convoy's movements but could not confirm if the Russian president himself had issued the order for the trucks to cross into Ukraine.

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