Andrew Forrest bucks trend to back China

Andrew Forrest believes China will keep going strong. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow

BILLIONAIRE Andrew Forrest says commentators keen to "write off" China have got it wrong.

In the first of an exclusive three-part series in the lead up to the 10-year anniversary of Fortescue Metals Group, Mr Forrest told PerthNow suggestions the Chinese resources boom was over were premature.

``We've had China written off so many times in the 10 years of Fortescue's history and in the 20 years I've been fascinated by China,'' the FMG chairman said.

``The Chinese don't write themselves off - Western commentators do that.

"I have listened very carefully to what the Chinese leadership have said.

``They have a number of things going for them; several hundred million people they've still got to take out of poverty, huge foreign reserves and a rapidly educated people who are all ambitious. That gives them a serious weapon.''

Mr Forrest said the aspirations of the Chinese people reminded him of Australians.

``There is no ingrained social dysfunctionality or traditional set poverty like you have in other countries,'' he said. ``In many ways it's got an Australian, `Get up and have a crack mate' style culture.''

In tomorrow's The Sunday Times, Mr Forrest speaks at length about the future of WA and its economy.

The third part of the series will be published on PerthNow on Monday.
 

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Thousands of sex offenders in WA

Thousands of sex offenders are living in the WA community. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THERE are 800 child sex offenders in WA who police fear are at a high risk of reoffending.

The sex-offender management squad is monitoring 2849 reportable offenders who pose a risk to children.

Of those, 170 are considered dangerous enough to be labelled a "very high" risk of hurting children again and must report to police at least once a month.

Another 630 are considered a "high" risk and have to check in once every three months.

Another 1694 offenders are considered a "medium" or "low" risk and only report to police once or twice a year.

WA Police said the risk ratings were based on a "comprehensive risk matrix assessment" that considered whether the offender was likely to commit further crimes, the seriousness of their previous offences and operational logistics.

Police also revealed that 18 of the offenders on the database had reoffended already this year. Last year, 34 offenders on the list reoffended.

This is despite assurances when the database was created in 2005 that it would provide the most "stringent and toughest reporting requirements for convicted pedophiles and serious sex offenders in the country" and that it would act as a "deterrent" to reoffending.

The database has grown by 422 per cent since 2005.

Ellen Rowe, from the Homicide Victims Support Group, said she was alarmed by the figures and shocked by how many had reoffended this year.

"Eighteen child sex reoffending cases this year are 18 too many," Ms Rowe said. "It is of great concern that child sex abuse continues to occur in our community and the public safety net is not working as effectively as we are led to believe."

Ms Rowe said the group believed the public sex-offender register, which allowed people to access information about sex offenders living in their community, was a valuable and useful tool and believed it helped to act as a deterrent.

But Griffith University psychologist Stephen Smallbone, who has conducted a number of studies on child sex offenders, said governments should focus efforts on prevention rather than reaction.

"Dealing with sex offenders after they have offended does nothing to repair the fact that people have been hurt by the offending in the past," he said. "What you want to do is prevent kids from being abused in the first place. And prevent offenders from committing an offence in the first place."

Prof Smallbone said the incidence of "stranger" offences was low.

"The most common place for a child to be abused is within the home. Our research tells us that about in about 80 per cent of cases the child is first abused either in their home or the offender's home, and usually that's the same place," he said.

"Stranger offences are less common. They can often be more serious in the sense there can be a connection between abduction and violence but the actual incidence is low.

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Young role models lead the way

Caitlin Bassett, Binu Jayawardena and Jacinta Delhaize have been nominated for a Pride of Australia award. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: PerthNow

PASSION. Patience. Persistence. These are the driving forces behind three young West Australians who have shown that age is no barrier to success and you're never too young to be a role model.

Netballer Caitlin Bassett, scientist Jacinta Delhaize and medical student-TV producer Binu Jayawardena have all been nominated in the Young Leader category in this year's Pride of Australia awards.

To nominate someone or for more information, go to: www.prideofaustralia.com.au

Ms Bassett, 25, played her first game for WA's state team when she was 16. She said the best advice she had ever been given was from a former coach who told her, "life's not easy".

"It took a long time and a lot of years being frustrated at training for me to suddenly get the idea that you're training to become a better player," she said. "Not training and doing things because you're already perfect at it."

Jacinta Delhaize, a PhD student at the International Centre for Radioastronomy Research at the University of WA, came up with a technique of "galaxy stacking" that allows stargazers to trace back time further than ever before.

"Passion is the bottom line of everything," she said.

"It's far easier to succeed if you're passionate about something and to make a difference in the world in something that you're passionate about."

You would think taking on three degrees would keep Binu Jayawardena, 22, busy enough. But in between studying medicine, medical research and engineering, Mr Jayawardena also runs a not-for-profit media organisation called WA Student TV.

"You should never really try to hit the stars in one huge leap, it's probably a good idea visiting the moon beforehand," he said. "You need to be able to think big, but then be able to then chart out a very direct and a very well thought-out path towards achieving those goals and to make sure that you have all the resources that will enable you to achieve them before you start."

The Pride of Australia awards are an initiative of News Corp Australia, publisher of PerthNow, to recognise our unsung heroes.

To nominate someone or for more information, go to: www.prideofaustralia.com.au

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WA kids need help with health

Netball coach Courtney Gildersleeve with netball players Sabreena Duffy and Charlotte Paul. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

ONE in three WA children is bullied, a Government survey has revealed.

A Health Department report also shows nearly half of all children do not get enough exercise or eat the right foods - which has coincided with the highest obesity levels recorded since 2005.

About 900 parents were surveyed for the Health and Wellbeing of Children in WA report, which provides a snapshot of the lives of children aged up to 15 across the state in 2012.

Encouragingly, 85 per cent of WA children are in very good or excellent health, according to their parents or carers.

Asthma rates are decreasing, with 11 per cent of children affected  the lowest rate on record  at the same time as the proportion of children living in smoke-free homes hit a high of 98 per cent.

The study also revealed more than 70 per cent of toddlers, aged two to four, were spending too much time in front of TV and computer screens. Guidelines recommend that toddlers watch less than one hour of TV a day.

For older children, bullying and mental health problems were major issues.

A third of parents said their children had been bullied in the past year and a quarter of parents believed their child needed professional help for mental health problems.

Chief health officer Tarun Weeramanthri said childhood was tougher in the modern world.

"Childhood is increasingly tough for kids," he said.

"It's a busier, more complicated world and there are a lot of expectations on kids.

"Parents are often both working and this changes family dynamics. Childhood is different now to what it was and it's creating more pressure on kids."

Child health expert Donna Cross said there had been an increase in cyber-bullying, which could be more intense than traditional schoolyard teasing because of the 24/7 nature of the internet.

"More children are accessing technology for longer periods of the day and those that are bullied online are almost always bullied offline as well," Professor Cross said.

Dr Weeramanthri said the report showed some positive trends, such as more parents always protecting their child from sunburn, which had increased from 53 per cent to 63 per cent in the past decade.

But there were still problems with alcohol in the home.

"What we've done with creating smoke-free environments for children, we also need to do with modelling responsible alcohol consumption in the home," Dr Weeramanthri said.

"That means that parents shouldn't be drinking every day and when you do drink, it should be less than two standard drinks per day, as well as not providing alcohol to kids under 18."

He was concerned that half of all WA children did not get enough nutrition or physical exercise. Health guidelines recommend that children aged over five should exercise for more than one hour every day and eat at least four to seven serves of fruit and vegetables each day, depending on age bracket.

"Over half the number of children aged five to 15 years are not getting the recommended amount of physical activity per week or eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables," Dr Weeramanthri said.

The prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles was contributing to obesity levels, but parents were often oblivious to their child's weight problem because more children were overweight.

"While the report does not show a statistically significant change in the proportion of children aged five to 15 years classified as obese, the 2012 estimate of 7.3 per cent was the highest number recorded since 2005," Dr Weeramanthri said.

"People who are overweight often have a different perception of their weight, especially as obesity becomes more normal and they compare themselves to others in the population. So parents often don't realise their kids are obese because it has become more normalised."

Most primary school-aged children were getting enough fruit and vegetables but things changed dramatically once they hit high school, with more than 80 per cent not eating the recommended amount.

Dr Weeramanthri said WA Health was planning new programs to start later this year aimed at helping parents, schools and health professionals encourage older kids to lead healthier lifestyles.

"We need to do more in terms of working with secondary school students and their parents and health professionals on how to raise these issues in a sensitive and helpful way," Dr Weeramanthri said.

"The transition from primary to high school is a real risk period and parents need to put a lot of effort into talking to kids about maintaining good nutrition and getting more exercise."

Many children were also spending too much time in front of TV and computer screens, with most toddlers exposed to more than the recommended hour of TV a day.

"We are hearing that parents are using screens as babysitters," Prof Cross said. "Many parents are not aware that these devices can allow children to (interact) with strangers in online games."

Warnbro student Courtney Gildersleeve coaches a netball team of younger girls because she believes exercise is important.

"I wanted to help younger children keep fit, so I started coaching this year," Courtney said. "There is also the sportsmanship and social aspect, which makes it so enjoyable."

5 TIPS FOR PARENTS FROM WA'S CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER TARUN WEERAMANTHRI:

1. Do not smoke or drink just before and during pregnancy

2. Breastfeed for the first six months if possible

3. Talk to kids about healthy eating and exercise, especially as they transition from primary to high school

4. Don't let kids watch too much TV. Recommended screen-times are: No screens for kids under 2, less than one hour of screen time for kids between 2 and 5, less than two hours of screen time for kids between 5 and 15.

5. Talk to kids about how they're feeling, their friendships, whether they're enjoying school and if they've been bullied.

To contact the reporter: linda.cann@news.com.au

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Eagles grasp back victory from Crows

The West Coast Eagles managed to make an impressive comeback against the Adelaide Crows. Picture: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images Source: PerthNow

THE last time West Coast travelled to AAMI Stadium, its top-four hopes were damaged beyond repair when the Eagles coughed up a big lead against Port Adelaide in Round 5.

Entering time-on of the final quarter against Adelaide last night it looked as though West Coast's top-eight hopes would also be killed off at the same venue.

Cue a magical comeback as the Eagles pulled the game from the hottest of fires and breathed some life back into their stuttering season.

Since its mid-season bye, West Coast has been willing but ultimately outgunned in brave losses to Hawthorn and Essendon.

Honourable losses don't get you into the eight though and this time the Eagles would be celebrating on the final siren.

Down by 13 points when Jason Porplyzia looked to have put the game beyond reach with a goal at the 19-minute mark of the last quarter, West Coast conjured the final three goals to record an admirable six-point triumph.

Super sub Andrew Embley gave the Eagles run just when it as needed and coolly slotted a set shot, before Brad Dalziell levelled the scores.

Josh Kennedy has been the man the side has looked to all season and he kicked his fourth with a minute remaining to ensure West Coast's efforts would finally be rewarded with four points.

The Eagles trailed by just seven points at the major break despite being outplayed for the bulk of the first half.

Plenty of interest centred around how West Coast's midfield would fare without a lengthy list of absentees and the visitors were leading the clearances 23-17 despite being without Luke Shuey, Scott Selwood, Daniel Kerr and Sharrod Wellingham.

Chris Masten had a game-high 17 disposals in the opening half as relished the added responsibility, though Andrew Gaff's recent form revival proved short lived as he was shut out of the game by Crows skipper Nathan van Berlo.

Having been completely outplayed in the early going, the Eagles remarkably led at quarter-time after banging on four goals in time-on of the opening term.

Josh Hill celebrated his 100th game with a spectacular long-range soccer out of mid air which carried the pack and bounced through for a goal on quarter-time.

Returning from his one-match suspension, veteran Andrew Embley started as the sub for the Eagles but was injected at the start of the second term as Eagles medicos used the designated 20 minutes to perform a concussion assessment on Brad Sheppard.

Adelaide forward Shaun McKernan can expect a lengthy ban for his crude elbow to Sheppard's head in the first quarter, despite the West Coast youngster being able to return to the field late in the second term.

Having kicked the game's opening three goals before West Coast's purple patch - triggered in large part by the imposing presence of Nic Naitanui - the Crows regained the momentum in the second stanza.

The home side added three goals to one for the term, with Josh Kennedy's raking set shot from outside the 50m arc the Coasters' only major.

BEST

Crows: Dangerfield, Thompson, Sloane, Otten, Crouch, Henderson.
Eagles: Masten, Mackenzie, Kennedy, Priddis, Dalziell, McGinnity.

INJURIES

Crows: A Riley (ankle)
Eagles: J Brennan (groin)

CHANGES

Crows: Nil
Eagles: Nil

Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stephen McBurney, Shane Stewart, Jason Armstrong
Crowd: 26,426 at AAMI Stadium
 

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No service for shopper on mobile

"And then I was like 'NO! And he was like 'YES!" Picture: Thinkstock. Source: Supplied

MOBILE phones. We use them first thing in the morning, driving, on the toilet, at the dinner table, in bed. We can't get enough of them.

But now, a checkout worker has refused to serve a customer on her phone, sparking furious debate: Is it OK to use your mobile at the check-out?

The incident happened at a London supermarket, when 26-year-old Jo Clarke made a call to her brother while waiting in line at the checkout.

"I was standing at the foot of the (cash register) waiting to bag my shopping up, yet the lady on the checkout was just staring at me," Miss Clarke, who works in corporate real estate, told The Daily Mail.

"When I stopped my conversation and said 'Is everything okay?', she said: 'I will not check your shopping out until you get off your mobile phone.'

"I ended my call swiftly, and said to the lady on the checkout, 'Apologies, I didn't realise that it was Sainsbury's policy that you are unable to use your phone at the checkout', to which the checkout worker replied: 'You learn something new every day'."

Miss Clarke complained to the service desk at Sainsbury's over the incident and was told there was no such policy, as well as being reimbursed with vouchers for the store. However she swears she won't shop there anymore.

The incident has sparked plenty of debate online, with commenters divided on the issue.

"It was plain bad manners, there are self-serve checkouts for a reason. No wonder this country is in turmoil if we forget to use basic manners &reward the use of them" wrote Melissa Mackenna of Glasgow.

While others said "It's not your duty to make small talk with a checkout assistant? I was sure these comments would be pro-phones! Oh well. There's not enough time in the day for small talk. By all means don't be rude to the assistant but there's nothing wrong with being on the phone?!"

The issue also raised the hackles of Australian checkout workers. Karen Ritson, who works at Big W, said people chatting on their phone at the checkout was her pet hate.

"I think it's the height of ignorance. It really is. You're trying to engage with the customer even if it's just 'Hi how are you?' And they're chatting away and they throw the money at you and you think 'oh you pig'."

"I feel like saying 'Get off that phone before I serve you', but I'm not allowed to do that ... I wish we could, but you can't tell people get off the phone."

Ms Ritson said customers use mobiles through the checkout around two or three times per shift, and even more on the weekend.

"I just find it rude as you're doing them a service; it's not rocket science that they should appreciate that service," she said.

"Nothing is so important you can't wait five minutes."

Alayna Cole, 19, who works at Coles said mobile phones are often part of the "tearoom" discussion at her work, although there are plenty of different ways customers can be rude to workers.

"I'm trying to do a job, I'm a person. I'll say 'Hi how are you going?' And they won't say anything back. It might be because they're on the phone or it might be talking to the person next to them or they might just be staring at the wall behind me," she said.

However Ms Cole said it's not always the case, with some customers making an effort to apologise for being distracted.

"I've had a customer come in on the phone and come back five minutes later to apologise."

"If you have a good heart you find a way to make it not rude even though you are on the phone, you still say hello or you apologise," she said.

Australian Retailers Association spokesperson Russell Zimmerman said common courtesy is required from both sides of the equation.

"From a retailer's perspective, in this day and age when business is hard to get hold of, I would be reluctant to not serve a customer on that issue," he said. However he also added that if shoppers do get an urgent call, there is a right way to handle it.

"It's common courtesy to set the ground rules. You've got to judge the situation individually, the consumer has to be mindful of the sales assistant but the assistant has to be mindful that the consumer may need to take a call."

Do you use your mobile phone at the check-out? Tell us your views in the comments below.

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Is this our most expensive carpark?

The parking sign outside the new Woolworths concept store in Woolloomooloo, Sydney. Supplied Source: Supplied

FOR those annoyed at the increase in parking fees in the City of Perth that kicked in on Monday, spare a thought for the customers of a new Woolworths store in Sydney.

From July 1, the City of Perth increased its fees for its council-owned car parks.

Parking for a 10-hour day some of the City's CBD car parks have gone up by about 80 cents to $1.

However, over on the other side of the country, if you linger any longer than an hour before fetching your car at a new Woolies concept store in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, it will cost you $65, more than a dollar a minute.

Stay over two hours and it's $95, and anywhere between 3 hours and overnight will set you back $125, pretty much a weekly shopping trip.

A Woolworths spokesman said there were a limited number of parking spaces on the site, and it was close to the CBD, so they wanted to discourage commuters from parking there.

The new store doesn't even feature the Woolworths name, just the logo and the suburb, which fortunately is spelt correctly, unlike the word "surpermarket" on the parking sign.

"On this occasion, our spelling of the word supermarket was, well, less than super. We're reprinting a new, correctly spelt, sign as we speak," the spokesman said.

"The fees at the car park reflect there are actually very few spaces available and the intention is that those spaces should be available for the use of our customers - hence why the first hour is free."

The fancy 900 sqm concept store features food to eat on-the-go, a juice bar and barista-made coffee, as well as groceries, and is "dedicated to the residents of Woolloomooloo" according to its website. Most likely those who walk.

Is this Australia's most expensive short-term car park? Tell us if you've been stung for more.

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Pregnant stab victim leaves hospital

Selina Bello, 22, pregnant Como hairdresser who was stabbed in her mother's South Terrace salon. Source: PerthNow

SELINA Bello, the young pregnant woman who was stabbed at her Como hair salon last week, has been released from hospital and has thanked those who have been at her bedside.

Ms Bello, 22, and her mother Angela Ferullo, 43, were allegedly attacked at their Como hairdressing salon on Monday last week.

Ms Ferullo, a mother of four, died in hospital from her injuries. Ms Bello, who is five months pregnant with a baby boy, suffered serious injuries and spent over a week in hospital.

Today Ms Bello turned to Facebook to tell her friends and family that she is now out of hospital and recovering at home.

She paid tribute to the "beautiful nurses and doctors" at Royal Perth Hospital and those who had been at her bedside.

"I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been at my bedside helping me recover this past week, without your support and prayers I don't think I would have made it through," Ms Bello wrote.

"Also a huge thank you to all my beautiful nurses and doctors at Royal Perth Hospital and all the staff in the trauma unit, you guys have been absolutely amazing and I'll never forget the care I was given during my stay with you. I'm finally recovering at home and out of hospital."

The touching Facebook post has already attracted 88 "likes."

Ms Ferullo's former husband, James Bill Payet, 48, has been charged over the attack.

He faced a bedside court hearing last week and will appear in court again on July 31.

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Rudd taunts Abbott: You lack 'ticker'

New Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says opposition leader Tony Abbott should face him in a moderated debate. Courtesy: 7.30 Report, ABC

Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd will be at each other right through to the election, but will the Opposition Leader accept the PM's challenge of a moderated debate? Picture: Stefan Postles/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd suspects Tony Abbott lacks the "ticker'' to debate him on key policy areas.

Mr Abbott has been "lying'' to the Australian people about the state of the economy, his ability to turn back asylum seeker boats and the impact of carbon pricing, Mr Rudd says in his first major television interview since retaking the leadership from Julia Gillard.

"So what I would say to Mr Abbott, you've been doing this for a long time, it's time we had a properly moderated debate ... on his chosen subjects,'' Mr Rudd said on the ABC's 7.30 program.

"Mr Abbott, I think it is time you demonstrated to the country you have a bit of ticker on this.

"He's the boxing blue. I'm the glasses-wearing kid in the library.

"Come on, let's have the Australian people form a view about whether his policies actually have substance, whether they actually work, or whether they are just slogans.''

Later the PM took to Twitter to further goad his opponent into a one-on-one challenge, naming a time and a place.

His tweet reads: @KRuddMP: Hi @TonyAbbottMHR we need a debate on the national economy. National Press Club next Thursday? I'll be there. Over to you... KRudd

A spokesman for Mr Abbott said Opposition Leader would debate Mr Rudd once the PM "ends the uncertainty and names the election date".

Leaders 'clever' but 'arrogant'

New Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says opposition leader Tony Abbott should face him in a moderated debate. Courtesy: 7.30 Report, ABC

On his broken pledge never to return to the Labor leadership, Mr Rudd said Ms Gillard had vacated the spot and brought on the caucus ballot.

He said a second reason was the prospect of defeat at the 2013 election.

"The Australian Labor Party and the government was on track towards a catastrophic defeat and I wasn't about to stand idly by and see everything we worked for for the last five or six years go down the gurgler as Mr Abbott set about ripping it apart.''

It's time to go, Julia and Tim

He said he was not motivated by revenge, but taking up the fight to Mr Abbott and coming up with a positive plan for the future.

Mr Rudd said he was working through policy changes but it would be an "orderly process''.

He said he wanted to take the time to "think and take the best advice''.

Asked whether Labor would be punished for its long leadership turmoil, Mr Rudd said he had faced four Liberal leaders over a period of four years after he took on the Labor leadership.

"In political parties these things happen from time to time,'' he said.

On the issue of asylum seekers, Mr Rudd conceded he may have been slow to act in 2009 when the number of boat arrivals increased dramatically.

Mr Rudd defended his decision to dismantle the Howard government's Pacific Solution in 2008.

More than 45,000 asylum seekers have arrived by boat since those policies were scrapped.

The prime minister, in his first major interview since taking Labor leadership last week, said more people had arrived by boat in 2009 and 2010 due to wars in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

He admitted his government may have been too slow to change its policies in light of overseas conflicts.

Seven boats arrived in 2008 and 61 arrived in 2009.

"If we made a mistake, it was in perhaps not being quick enough to respond to the new change in external circumstances,'' Mr Rudd said.

Australian governments had always made changes to asylum seeker policies in response to global events, he said.

"There is nothing set in stone with immigration policy or asylum seeker policy,'' Mr Rudd said.

"I'm open to adjustments in the future.''

He backed Foreign Minister Bob Carr's comments that more economic migrants were coming by boat from Iran.

"I can understand why people want to leave Iran,'' Mr Rudd said.

"But the bottom line is, it's not all about seeking freedom from persecution.''

He dismissed Mr Abbott's plan to reinstate the Howard era policy of towing asylum seeker boats back to Indonesia as just a slogan.

"Mr Abbott, how will you turn the boats back?

"If it sinks, what will you do? Let people drown?

"If you turn the boat back to Indonesia and the Indonesian navy says no ... what do you do then?''

Earlier, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said Australia should consider expanding to other nationalities its policy of returning failed Sri Lankan refugees back to their homelands.

"The fear of death has not stopped people getting on leaky boats,'' Mr Clare told reporters in Sydney.

"The fear of going to Nauru or Manus Island has not stopped people getting on to boats.

"But I tell you what has, the fear of being flown home in a week. That's what works.''

Australia could send Iranians ``halfway'' to Malaysia instead of Iran, considering Tehran won't accept people who don't want to go back, he said.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said Mr Rudd dismantled coalition policies that worked.

He said the coalition would bring back temporary protection visas, give no benefit of the doubt to people arriving without documentation, open "genuine'' offshore processing and turn back boats where it was safe to do so.

"If Kevin Rudd is elected, the people smugglers would not just have won the battle but won the war,'' Mr Morrison told reporters in Perth.

Julia shines as 'sh-t' hits her fans

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Vampire murder arrest after 10-year manhunt

Shane Chartres-Abbott, self-confessed vampire and prostitute, outside the County Court where he was facing a rape charge. He was murdered the day after this photo was taken. Source: Herald Sun

A CAPTURED fugitive accused of ordering a vampire gigolo's murder will be quizzed over whether corrupt police were involved in the hit.

Mark Adrian Perry, who had a $1 million reward on his head, was sensationally arrested in Perth on Tuesday in the latest twist in the decade-long investigation into the execution of Shane Chartres-Abbott.

The triggerman has claimed he committed the murder with the help of a then serving police officer.

Mr Perry, who vanished six years ago, was arrested at work at a Perth factory on Tuesday night after a swoop by heavily armed tactical response police officers.

He faced Perth Magistrates' Court, charged with the murder of Chartres-Abbott at Reservoir on June 4, 2003.

Magistrate Michael Wheeler approved the 45-year-old's extradition.

He is expected to be flown back into Melbourne today, and face court on Friday.

Police will seek to formally interview him over what he knows of the murder, which he is alleged to have commissioned for $200,000.

The triggerman implicated former Victoria Police officers Peter Lalor and David Waters in the murder.

Mark Adrian Perry, has been arrested in Perth over the Melbourne murder of a self-proclaimed vampire Shane Chartres-Abbott.

He told investigators Mr Lalor gave him the victim's address and an alibi and that Mr Waters was present when the murder was discussed.

Mr Lalor said yesterday he welcomed the arrest as a chance to clear his name.

"It's a small step in getting to the truth," he told Channel Seven.

Mr Lalor and a Melbourne organised crime boss have both previously said publicly they expect to be charged.

Two other people identified by the gunman - Evangelos Goussis and another who cannot be named - were charged last year.

Acting Inspector Dale Flynn, of the Victoria Police Briars taskforce, said outside court yesterday that the arrest was a "significant milestone" and good news for Chartres-Abbott's family.

The murder was committed as Chartres-Abbott left for court to face charges over a 2002 assault on Mr Perry's ex-girlfriend.

Chartres-Abbott was accused of biting part off part of her tongue at a Melbourne hotel, in an incident that allegedly caused Perry to seek revenge on him.

Evangelos Goussis has also been charged over the murder of Shane Chartres-Abbott. Picture: HWT library

The gunman pounced as Chartres-Abbott's pregnant girlfriend and her father looked on in horror.

Mr Perry was later implicated by the hitman, who confessed his own role and also pointed the finger at Mr Waters and Mr Lalor.

There had been sightings of Mr Perry in Queensland and in Thailand since he went on the run.

Assassination claimed careers, reputations

THE execution of "vampire" gigolo Shane Chartres-Abbott set off a chain reaction that still reverberates a decade later.

Careers were ruined, a global manhunt was triggered and police were named as suspects in a crime that shocked Melbourne.

His was another brutal slaying in a city then in the grip of gangland warfare.

Former Victorian Police officer David Waters has denied accusations by the hitman of any involvement in the Chartres-Abbott murder. Picture: Aaron Francis

But Chartres-Abbott's demise was different.

About 8.45am on June 4, 2003, the male prostitute, on trial for raping a client and biting off part of her tongue, was gunned down by two men as he left his Reservoir home for court.

His horrified girlfriend watched as the killers shot the 24-year-old in the neck, then bashed her father.

Dozens of police, the dog squad and a helicopter failed to find those who carried out what was believed to be a contract killing.

A week earlier, a court heard bizarre claims that Chartres-Abbott had told a client and occasional lover he was a 200-year-old vampire who drank blood to survive.

He was accused of attacking and raping the woman, 30, after they arranged to meet at a South Yarra hotel.

The sex worker suffered black eyes, swelling, bruising to her neck and jaw, and teeth marks in her right thigh.

Several centimetres of her tongue were ripped out.

Former detective Peter Lalor was accused of involvement by Chartres-Abbott's killer. He has denied the claims. Picture: HWT library

She was the ex-girlfriend of Mark Adrian Perry, who allegedly paid $200,000 to have Chartres-Abbott killed.

Four years later, Mr Perry fled as police closed in.

A $1 million reward was issued for information leading to his arrest.

Considered a master of disguise, he had previously escaped police attempts to question him. He is believed to have severed ties with his daughter and five siblings.

The 45-year-old was last seen in Queensland, at a Broadbeach cafe in August 2007, days before he fled.

In March this year, a court heard the man who shot Chartres-Abbott paid a police officer $1500 for his alibi.

Prosecutor Andrew Tinney, SC, said the man, called JP for legal reasons, shot Chartres-Abbott.

He said an arrest warrant for traffic offences was served on him later that day by a friend, a then detective sergeant named Peter Lalor, and that the killer gave the officer $1500 to "have a drink" after he was bailed.

Mr Tinney said JP was not even suspected until he confessed in 2006, implicating two others in the death, and one former and one serving police officer for helping.

Evangelos Goussis, 45, and a 41-year-old who cannot be named, were charged with murder last year.
The shooter was jailed for life in 2008 after pleading guilty to the murder.

The shooter also claimed Sgt Lalor and former police officer David Waters helped him find his victim's address and that Mr Waters held on to the murder weapon briefly for safe-keeping.

Both men have strongly denied involvement.

The killer told the court he did not know why he confessed because he did not have a guilty conscience.

Defence lawyer James McQuillan suggested it was to benefit himself, perhaps by having loved ones put in protective custody or on the understanding his conviction would not add any time to the jail term he was serving.

In 2007, then assistant commissioner Noel Ashby and the then head of the Police Association, Paul Mullett, were also dragged into the affair.

Mr Ashby resigned in 2007 after the Office of Police Integrity alleged he was part of a chain of people involved in tipping off Sgt Lalor that he was a suspect in the murder.

The OPI alleged Mr Ashby told Sen-Sgt Mullett that Sgt Lalor was a target of the inquiry, that he told union president Brian Rix, and that Mr Rix told Mr Lalor.

All denied the allegations.

Mr Ashby was acquitted after OPI hearings were ruled invalid. Charges against Mr Mullett were dropped.

- with Wayne Flower

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Shell plans more FLNG after Prelude

An artist's impression of the Shell LNG plant off the coast of WA. Picture: Supplied. Source: PerthNow

OIL and gas major Shell plans to build more floating LNG plants after developing its world first Prelude project off the coast of Western Australia.

But the global leader in floating gas processing would not reveal whether it would develop more than one floating LNG vessel for Woodside's Browse joint venture project.

"I don't believe any one of the players has actually mentioned any numbers,'' Shell Australia General Manager for Production Michael Schoch told a gas technology conference in Perth.

"I'm not privy to the Browse discussions and indeed that's something for the operator to lead and the joint venture players to make a decision on.''

Woodside Petroleum recently agreed to use Shell's floating LNG technology if it proceeds with a floating option for its Browse gas project in Western Australia's Kimberley.

The agreement with Shell, Woodside's major shareholder and a participant in the project, came after Woodside chief executive Peter Coleman said floating LNG technology had the potential to commercialise the Browse gas resources quicker than any other option.

It would involve Browse Basin gas being processed on a large purpose-built vessel stationed far off the coast, which has angered Premier Colin Barnett, who believes an onshore plant will bring more benefits to the state including local jobs.

Mr Schoch expects Prelude will be the first of several floating LNG projects in WA.

"Expertise gained from the Prelude project will help develop other floating LNG opportunities, with the expertise residing here and the world will be looking at us.''

Prelude, off the north-west coast of the state, is expected to produce 3.6 million tonnes of LNG per year.

Mr Schoch said Australians would make up the majority of workers on the floating processing plant, and by 2015 Shell expects its Perth workforce in the Perth head office will have doubled to 1,000.

Prelude would deliver $45 billion in economic growth for the nation, including $12 billion in taxes.
 

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Labor 'competitive' in Hasluck, Swan

Defence Minister Stephen Smith, pictured in Parliament last week, says Labor is now sitting strong in Hasluck and Swan. Source: PerthNow

Vincent mayor Alannah MacTiernan will reveal on Thursday if she'll nominate for the seat of Perth. Source: AAP

THE new-look Labor Party has improved its competitiveness in federal seats in Western Australia, Defence Minister Stephen Smith says.

Mr Smith, who announced his resignation from politics last week after Kevin Rudd's dramatic coup, said he always believed the party could hold onto the seats of Perth, Brand and Fremantle at the forthcoming election.

Today he said Labor was now sitting strong in the seats of Hasluck and Swan, where its candidates are Maritime Union of Australia WA branch deputy secretary Adrian Evans and Victoria Park deputy mayor John Bissett, respectively.

"This is a real contest," Mr Smith told reporters in Perth.

"And given the response to Kevin Rudd's return as prime minister, I think not only will we be competitive in Perth, Fremantle and Brand ... I think we'll also now be competitive in Hasluck and in Swan."

Local and central ballots close on July 15.

And if the pre-selection process in WA proved close, Labor's federal executive could step in and choose "all half a dozen seats together", Mr Smith said.

A Labor spokesman said the sixth seat he was referring to was Cowan, where lawyer Tristran Cockman is the party's candidate.

Asked about replacements for Perth, the seat Mr Smith has held for 20 years, the minister said his favourite would be "the candidate who the party chooses", adding he had volunteered to be Labor's campaign director.

Mr Smith said he was disappointed that barrister Tim Hammond had announced he wasn't seeking to run because he had a young family, but understood those reasons entirely.

Mr Hammond would in due course become a very good member of parliament, Mr Smith said.

He said another lawyer and nominee for the seat of Perth, Matthew Keough, and former West Australian Planning Minister Alannah MacTiernan, both had his full support.

Ms MacTiernan, the Mayor of Vincent, will announce her intentions on Thursday, when nominations close.

In 2010, she ran for the seat of Canning, but lost to Liberal Don Randall.

Given local council amalgamations are on the cards in WA, with the potential for Vincent to be merged with the City of Perth, a second tilt at federal politics may well be on her mind.

But she declined to comment today.

Palmer party dumps WA candidate

Mr Smith said other people may come forth for the Perth seat.

He also said he did not yet know what he would do once his political life had ended, but joked he had been offered work in local ice cream and bottle shops.

He would leave his portfolio tidy, take a short holiday and perhaps wait until the new year to make a decision about his future.

"I'm not going to rush into anything.

"What I'll do as a public citizen, I don't know."

Mr Smith said he never had any doubt that his decision to step down was the right one.

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No demons, just angels for Robbie

Fatherhood, marriage and a new business venture - life has changed significantly for pop superstar Robbie Williams. Source: News Limited

"SORRY, I can't make it tonight," I text my friend about our plans for the evening. "I'm interviewing Robbie Williams."

Her response comes back in two seconds flat. "What?! So jealous. Tell him I love him."

She promptly tells another friend, who tells another, who all text or tweet me something similar.

We are thirtysomething women but there's something about Robbie Williams that seems to send people, no matter their age, gender or natural cynicism, into a spin.

That night, I phone London and wait for Williams to come on the line. It's surreal to hear the Northern English voice that permeated my youth (I was a squealing teenage Take That fan in the '90s, a uni student dancing to Kids, and wooed by Angels by the man who became my husband) say, "Hello darlin'. Thanks very much for waiting for me."

The 39-year-old is taking a break from rehearsals for his current European tour to talk about his clothing range, Farrell, which launched in Britain last year and will hit select David Jones stores on July 6.

Named after his grandad, Jack Farrell, aka the Giant Killer, the range is archetypally British, featuring tailored camel-wool coats, velvet-collared Chesterfields, fine-stripe shirts and a collection of leather gloves, braces and belts.

"Grandad Jack was a working-class man with Irish heritage," Williams explains. "After the Second World War, when my mother was eight, her mother (Jack's wife) died. Grandad had three girls to look after. He was from a time where no matter how much money you had or hadn't got, you dressed immaculately. It's a time long forgotten.

"I'm trying to not follow fashion," he explains. "I don't even like the word. But I do like clothes, and I like nicely cut clothes that last and that are built to be worn for the next 30 years.

"I go into a lot of shops where a jacket costs 2500 quid ($3400). And I think, well, why? You're paying two grand for the name. I want to give my friends who I grew up with at home up north, in the pub, the chance to wear the same sort of tailoring and cloth, but at affordable prices."

The line is "devised" by Williams and the head of design is former Burberry design director Ben Dickens.

"When Rob's in London we work in the design studio, or when he's in LA I'll fly over and we'll work at the house," says Dickens.

"We'll discuss first ideas and concepts - books, magazines and, of course, inspirational vintage pieces. With my experience I'll take time to make these ideas and concepts come to life. We'll then work together to edit and perfect the collection, keeping in touch by email. Much like when Rob works with songwriters and producers to create great music, we do the same with clothes - it's a collaboration."

Robbie Williams credits his wife Ayda Field (on right) with helping him overcome his dark side. Source: News Limited

Of course, Williams' 'personal Robbie- ness' is entirely evident throughout the range; from the specialised chip fork to the 'stash pocket' in every jacket. "So you can stash anything you might want to," he says. "Maybe you have to keep something secret from the law." I can almost hear him raise one eyebrow. "Who knows?"

He admits his style hasn't always hit the mark. "I've had to make friends with an awful lot of bad fashion choices. But I've been to rehab twice and for a few months out of those years, my mind was not my own. That's my excuse!"

Williams has just embarked on a two- month stadium tour with the same name as his ninth album, Take the Crown, released last November. After three years away from the limelight I wonder if this name is somehow a statement of intent. Does he still feel pressure to be at the top of his game?

"I'm constantly doing new stuff and I want it to be received really well," he says. "Who knows what's ego, what's business, what's artistic. It all shifts on a day-to-day basis. But I want new hits to be added to my set list. So from a professional standpoint - business, ego, everything - it's really important to me. I'm human and I want to be loved just like everyone else does."

He writes regularly on his blog, often defending decisions behind certain tracks and commenting on forum threads. ("There are some people in the forums who are really bad for my confidence. It will be a battle to counteract some of the things I've read. I'll carry some of those words with me onstage.")

Perhaps unusually for someone who's been in the industry for more than 20 years, it appears he still takes people's comments and critiques very personally. "I think most people in my situation are quite good at biting their tongues and not saying anything or retaliating (to unkind comments), but then sometimes..." he breaks off.

"The 'I don't like (this song)' comments are kind of fine, but the vitriolic, rip-you- apart, being disgusting, upsets me," he says. "It's the f--king horrible vile sh-t, the 'You need to die and never make music again.' Things like that - ow." He sighs. "So have I grown a thicker skin? Maybe, but it's still balloon-thin."

Robbie Williams, second from right, strikes a pose with his Take That bandmates on the set of their first video for the single in 1991. Picture: Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Source: Supplied

His blog is surprisingly candid, and refreshingly un-PR'd. ("Any quarter-decent three-chord knobheads could and did get a deal in the '90s... More hearts will genuinely race at a new 1D album than they ever have or will at any Suede album," he wrote recently on robbiewilliams.com.)

"A lot of stuff actually doesn't make it on," he smiles. "This week I was angry about something and it had me up all night. I wrote a stinging, horrendous attack to someone who had attacked me. My email heading (to my assistant) was, 'I expect this to be on my blog the minute I wake up.' Then the first thing I thought of when I woke up was, 'Sh-t - I hope that didn't go up!' And fortunately it didn't. I don't own the password. It would be interesting, but I'd cause so much trouble for myself."

Williams won't get to Australia this year, although there are plans for him to come Down Under in 2014. "I have a lot of memories of being there that I probably would be arrested if I mentioned. Or I wouldn't be allowed in the country."

He limits his schedule because he knows only too well what happens when he burns out. "I can't do this job like I did when I was in Take That or early in my solo career. It's unpleasant. You end up running in circles and ending up in rehab, burning yourself out, hating the world and hating yourself."

Things have changed significantly for Williams in the past seven years. In 2007, on his 33rd birthday, he was admitted to rehab once more for prescription-drug abuse. "The majority of the world can drink and do a little bit of drugs, and don't end up in rehab, f--king their careers and f--king their lives. Which I have a tendency to do," he says archly.

When he came out of rehab, he decided he'd retire. He'd sold 60 million records, was the best-selling British solo artist of all time and quite frankly, he'd had enough. He began to live a quiet life in LA, founded LA Vale football team and kept his head down.

"A lot of definites have changed in my life. I'd definitely retired, and now I definitely f*cking haven't," he laughs. "I definitely definitely didn't want to do pop music, and I definitely definitely do now. I definitely definitely wanted to derail everything and be more unpopular... I managed that. And I definitely definitely don't now! Time changes definites."

He married Turkish-American actress Ayda Field in 2006, and they became parents to Theodora, known as Teddy, last September. He credits the responsibility of becoming a husband and father with helping him keep his demons at bay.

"It makes me calmer," he says. "I indulged the fear before. I don't any more. It's scary to think there's a hundred-foot stage you have to fill and you have to project yourself to however many thousand people and give them their money's worth.

"It's a responsibility that's weighed heavily on me in the past. This time though, I'm loved up, I'm married, I've got a kid, the kid really needs me and loves me, and I really need and love the kid and the missus, too. I'm finding different ways to siphon the panic away."

Being father to baby Theodora has increased his motivation for staying sober, says Robbie Williams. Source: AP

He breaks off suddenly. "Talking of my beautiful wife, she's just this second come through the door." I can hear him grinning. "She looks so fit." He talks to her, "I love your hat, babe. Sit right there." Back to me, "Right, she's staying."

His chattiness cranks up a notch. "Teddy is absolutely rocking," he tells me. "She crawls now. I've been playing her my new songs and she bounces up and down. If I need an opinion (on a song) that isn't tarnished by the world, I'll play it to Teddy and see what her arms and legs do. She loves music."

Being a dad has increased his motivation for staying sober. "It has (changed my attitude)," he says. "I stopped smoking. For a while I was smoking three packs a day. That's gone. I'm more focused. There's a reason to do everything. Before there was just a reason to stay in bed and watch telly. Now there's a reason to be healthy and look after myself. We've got this most amazing life and I'd like us to have that for the rest of our lives."

Field also helps keep him on track. "Well, my lovely wife has ultimate say on 'no'..." he says. I can hear her chuckling in the background. "I can persuade, and lay down what I think is a law, then that law goes to the parliament of Ayda. She deals with the bureaucracy and quite often the law I'm passing comes back and it isn't a law any more. It's been overturned."

Robbie Williams performs at the ARIA Awards at Homebush in Sydney. Source: News Limited

He doesn't seem too bothered by this. In fact, being accountable to someone who doesn't let him get away with whatever he likes seems to be working for him. However, he's unsure whether his own experiences with addiction mean he'll be extra-vigilant about Teddy's actions as she grows up.

"I dunno - I think the jury's out on whether addiction is nature or nurture," he says. "I doubt she'll be like me. Touch wood, and follow that with a lot of love and a lot of luck, she won't go there or she won't have to go there. But, if unfortunately that does happen, I'll know what to do." He pauses: "Which is make sure she's got the best drugs possible and take them with her."

As a journalist, it's the first time I've heard a celebrity joke about drugs without backtracking furiously, worried about how it might be taken. I can hear Ayda laughing, too. Whether he's being flippant or is just confident enough to know it'll be taken in the manner it's suggested (I suspect a bit of both), it's refreshing to speak to someone who doesn't self-censor.

Williams' lyrics have always been honest, too. Often very revealing about his state of mind, maybe now he's a family man we should expect some more mellow musings on the swing album he'll release later this year. "Kind of," he says, in a tone that means 'not really'.

"I refuse to totally grow up. I've always been someone who says and does things that push politically correct boundaries. And I've written a few songs for Teddy that perhaps shouldn't be said..."

Such as? "Well," he gears up, clearly delighted to be able to launch into a show. "It goes: 'Sit down, close the door, I think it's time you knew the score, why you feel weird/ One day you'll be told about, how Daddy let his demons out, yeah he makes them scream and shout/So what better when you're old enough, and you're out on your own and stuff, if you start losing hold of love it's because/Your uncle sells drugs, your cousin is a cutter, your grandma is a fluffer, your grandad's in the gutter, your mother is a nutter, you're a mad mother-f---er...'"

Robbie Williams greets fans during his 2009 visit to Sydney. Picture: Charles Brewer / news.com.au Source: News Limited

He trails off, cackling to himself. "Imagine my surprise when I heard that!" Ayda pipes up, laughing.

He collaborates with Michael Buble on the album but says rumours that Adele, who is good friends with Field, will appear on it aren't true. "I didn't ask Adele because we're friends with her," he says. "I don't want her to say no!"

Williams will turn 40 next February - quite a milestone for a pop singer. "I didn't start celebrating birthdays until Ayda came into my life. She loves an occasion. But 40 is probably the last birthday I'll celebrate. I think 40 will be like, yep, I made it. It's a serious amount of time on the planet.

"I know there's kind of a cut-off at some point in a pop star's career," he continues. "Pop stars don't go past being 40; they start being old people who sing. It's a young man's game. Madonna had her Ray of Light moment in her late thirties, then she went on to do Music. But she also works out like a demon and tries to remain youthful. I don't know if I could do that.

"But I don't want to have to deal with not being mega-successful. I'm competitive by nature. I obviously have an ego. I'd like to carry on being successful for as long as I can. It's putting off the inevitable of course, but I'd like to put off the inevitable. I'm still here, I'm still kicking, I'm healthy-ish and ready for the next 40."

Farrell will launch exclusively in select David Jones stores from July 6.

Follow Katherine on Twitter: @katchatfield

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Fire tragedy survivor was moving truck

Father of four Andrew Ashcraft was one of the 19 who died. Source: Supplied

THE 20th member of the elite firefighting unit that was wiped out in an Arizona wildfire escaped the blaze by chance as he was moving the fire truck when the flames overcame his comrades.

The firefighter is said to be struggling with survivor's guilt after the lives of his friends were claimed by the blaze.

Prescott fire chief Dan Fraijo told London's Telegraph that the unnamed surviving firefighter was "well".

"He had been assigned to do a function, and he wasn't with them when they had deployed to shelter.

Juliann Ashcraft, wife of fallen firefighter Andrew Ashcraft, with her father-in-law Tom Ashcraft, outside of the Granite Mountain Hotshot fire station in Prescott, Arizona.

"He feels terribly, and we all feel terribly, and we have very few words that express that sort of sorry. When you take a person in your arms and hug 'em, you know, you don't have to say too much."

The deaths of the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a unit based at Prescott, men marked the nation's biggest loss of firefighters in a wildfire in 80 years.

The US has 110 Hotshot crews, according to the US Forest Service website. They typically have about 20 members each and go through specialised training.

Scott Norris was one of the 19 elite firefighters who perished in the horrific blaze.

Many of those killed were graduates of Prescott High, including 28-year-old Clayton Whitted, who as a firefighter would work out on the same campus where he played football for the Prescott Badgers from 2000 to 2004.

The school's football coach, Lou Beneitone, said he and Whitted had talked a few months ago about how this year's fire season could be a "rough one.''

"He wasn't a big kid, and many times in the game, he was overpowered by big men, and he still got after it. He knew, 'This man in front of me is a lot bigger and stronger than me,' but he'd try it and he'd smile trying it,'' Beneitone said.

Date/Time: 2013:07:02 10:07:28

"I shook his hand, gave him a hug, and said, 'Be safe out there,''' Beneitone recalled. "He said, 'I will, Coach.'''

GALLERY: ARIZONA'S BUSHFIRE CATASTROPHE

The victims also included Scott Norris, 28, who worked part-time at Bucky O'Neill Guns store in Prescott, and Andrew Ashcraft, 29, a Mormon father of four.

Local reports say at least 18 firefighters have died fighting a wildfire in Yarnell Hill, Arizona. Courtesy: Matt Oss

The deaths plunged the towns of Prescott and Yarnell - still under threat - into mourning.

Arizona's governor called it "as dark a day as I can remember'' and ordered flags flown at half-staff. In a heartbreaking sight, a long line of white vans carried the bodies to Phoenix for autopsies.

"I know that it is unbearable for many of you, but it also is unbearable for me. I know the pain that everyone is trying to overcome and deal with today,'' said Gov. Jan Brewer, her voice catching several times as she addressed reporters and residents at Prescott High School in the town of 40,000.

The Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshot crew of Prescott, Arizona. 19 hotshot firefighters were killed battling a fast-moving wildfire in Arizona, in one of the worst incidents of its kind in US history.

The lightning-sparked fire destroyed about 50 homes and threatened 250 others in and around Yarnell, a town of 700 people in the mountains northwest of Phoenix, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Department said.

About 200 more firefighters joined the battle Monday, bringing the total to 400. Among them were several other Hotshot teams, elite groups of firefighters sent in from around the country to battle the nation's fiercest wildfires.

Residents huddled in shelters and restaurants, watching their homes burn on TV as flames lit up the night sky in the forest above the town.

It was unclear exactly how the firefighters became trapped, and state officials were investigating.

Brewer said the blaze "exploded into a firestorm'' that overran the crew.

Prescott City Councilman Len Scamardo said the wind changed directions and brought gusts that caused the firefighters to become trapped.

David Turbyfill, father of firefighter Travis Turbyfill, who was killed fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire, is comforted by his wife, Shari Turbyfill in front of Prescott Fire Station.

The blaze grew from 200 acres to about 2,000 in a matter of hours.

Southwest incident team leader Clay Templin said the crew and its commanders were following safety protocols, and it appears the fire's erratic nature simply overwhelmed them.

The Hotshot team had spent recent weeks fighting fires in New Mexico and Prescott before being called to Yarnell, entering the smoky wilderness over the weekend with backpacks, chainsaws and other heavy gear to remove brush and trees as a heat wave across the Southwest sent temperatures into the triple digits.

Phillip Maldonado, a squad leader with the Granite Mountain Hotshots, helping crew members learn the finer points of setting up emergency fire shelters in Arizona in April 2012. Picture: Cronkite News Service/Connor Radnovich/AFP

Fire Chief Dan Freijo said he feared the worst when he received a call Sunday afternoon from someone assigned to the fire.

"All he said was 'We might have bad news. The entire Hotshot crew deployed their shelters,''' Fraijo said. ``When we talk about deploying the shelters, that's an automatic fear, absolutely. That's a last-ditch effort to save yourself when you deploy your shelter.''

Arizona Forestry Division spokesman Mike Reichling said all 19 victims had deployed their emergency shelters as they were trained to do.
When there is no way out, firefighters are supposed to step into them, lie face down on the ground and pull the fire-resistant fabric completely over themselves.

Dean Smith watches as the Yarnell Hill Fire encroaches on his home in Glenn Ilah, near Yarnell, Arizona. AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, David Kadlubowski)

The shelter is designed to reflect heat and trap cool breathable air inside for a few minutes while a wildfire burns over a person.

But its success depends on firefighters being in a cleared area away from fuels and not in the direct path of a raging inferno of heat and hot gases.peThe glue holding the layers of the shelter together begins to come apart at about 500 degrees, well above the 300 degrees that would almost immediately kill a person.

Amazing video spans 10 years of fire, mapped by NASA and animated for this unique view. Images: NASA; Edit: Nicole Manktelow

"It'll protect you, but only for a short amount of time. If the fire quickly burns over you, you'll probably survive that,'' said Prescott Fire Capt. Jeff Knotek. But "if it burns intensely for any amount of time while you're in that thing, there's nothing that's going to save you from that.''

Autopsies were scheduled to determine exactly how the firefighters died.
President Barack Obama offered his administration's help in investigating the tragedy and predicted it will force government leaders to answer broader questions about how they handle increasingly destructive and deadly wildfires.

"We are heartbroken about what happened,'' he said while on a visit to Africa.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the Yarnell area. In addition to the flames, downed power lines and exploding propane tanks continued to threaten what was left of the town, said fire information officer Steve Skurja.

Arizona is in the midst of a historic drought that has left large parts of the state highly flammable.

"Until we get a significant showing of the monsoons, it's showtime, and it's dangerous, really dangerous,'' incident commander Roy Hall said.

The Yarnell Hill Fire burns through the town of Yarnell, Arizona.

The National Fire Protection Association website lists the last wildfire to kill more firefighters as the 1933 Griffith Park blaze in Los Angeles, which killed 29. The biggest loss of firefighters in U.S. history was 343, killed in the 9/11 attack on New York.

In 1994, the Storm King Fire near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, killed 14 firefighters who were overtaken by an explosion of flames.

A makeshift memorial of flower bouquets and American flags formed at the Prescott fire station where the crew was based.

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Labor to 'make gay marriage happen'

(@alboMP) told @triplejHack's Tom Tilley that Labor "will make gay marriage happen". Source: News Limited

LABOR has given a strong indication same-sex marriage will be legalised, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's righthand man declaring the party will make it happen.

Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the declaration while being interviewed on a youth radio station.

But Mr Albanese later sought to clarify his comment, saying the issue was still a matter for a conscience vote and that history showed the Labor side of politics had always been the one to reform gay and lesbian rights.

His comments came after Mr Rudd last week declared he would hold a plebiscite or a national referendum on the issue if Opposition Leader Tony Abbott did not allow a conscience vote for Coalition MPs.

Asked on Triple J's Hack show if Labor would make gay marriage happen, Mr Albanese, restricted to one-word answers, said: "Yes".

Mr Albanese later told News Limited: "While marriage equality is a matter for a conscience vote, history has shown that the removal of discrimination in Australia has been led by Labor.

"After the election the Liberal and National parties should also allow its members the right of a conscience vote on this important issue."

Listen to all the questions Triple J listeners had for Mr Albanese: http://bit.ly/1b4iULI

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Jail for mining camp assault on woman

A man has been jailed for at least seven months for an assault on a woman at a mining accommodation camp near Newman. Source: Herald Sun

A man has been jailed for at least seven months for an assault on a female co-worker at a mining accommodation camp that only ended when three security guards intervened.

Hata Sydney David Huria was sentenced in Perth Magistrates Court today after being found guilty of unlawful assault with circumstances of aggravation and making threats to harm property following an altercation at BHP Billiton's Kurra Village, Newman last year.

The court heard Huria started an intimate relationship with the woman after meeting her at the mine site but things quickly turned sour. On February 26, 2012, Huria shoved the woman and pushed her to the ground during an argument in his donga, then punched her hard several times.

When it became apparent to him that others had heard the ruckus, he made threats to the woman.

The assault continued until he was pulled away by three security guards, the court heard.

Huria claimed he had told her to go away from his donga, but she came back.

The magistrate accepted there was a pre-existing dispute, and that the victim had downplayed her irrational behaviour - swearing and shouting, and making inappropriate comments - but there was no justification for Huria's attack.

The magistrate said it was a serious example of family violence and Huria had shown no remorse.

He was sentenced to 14 months in jail for both charges, to be served concurrently, with a minimum non-parole period of seven months.

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Toddler dies after swallowing battery

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl has died after swallowing a lithium battery on the Sunshine Coast yesterday.

The girl, from Tewantin, was taken in a critical condition to Noosa Hospital about 8.15am Sunday suffering stomach bleeding.

The toddler was flown by a medical helicopter to the Royal Brisbane Hospital in a critical condition on Sunday afternoon, but died from her injuries.

Susan Teerds from Kidsafe Queensland told ABC radio the button-shaped batteries are found in many common household items.

"When a child swallows a battery it often gets caught in the oesophagus, around the voice box. Once it's been lodged, within an hour, it will start to burn a hole,'' she said.

"The saliva actually starts a chemical reaction and burns a hole through the oesophagus and can keep burning a hole into the aorta, through to the spine and whatever else is there.''

The ACCC website warns that ingesting this kind of battery could lead to perforation of the oesophagus as it lodges in the throat and burns a hole.

Acid could then leak from the battery and cause tissue damage and fatal internal bleeding.

Lithium batteries are common in toys, remotes and thermometers.

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More suspended over Army sex emails

The Chief of Army, Lt. Gen. David Morrison tells reporters in Canberra three Army personnel have been stood down over a series of inappropriate emails that denigrate women.

ANOTHER five soldiers have been suspended from the Australian Army over their alleged involvement in the so-called "Jedi Council'' sex email ring.

This brings to eight the number of troops who have been suspended pending inquiries by defence and civilian police investigators into the distribution of videos of women having sex and dossiers on at least a dozen victims.

Three soldiers already suspended remain under investigation by the defence force and are the subject of a NSW Police brief to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

"The offences relate to allegations that a group of Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers of the Australian Army produced and distributed highly inappropriate material demeaning women, across both Defence computer systems and the public internet,'' the Army said in a statement.

It is understood that the latest group includes a Major and several members of the elite 2 Commando Regiment based at Holsworthy near Sydney.

Defence cadet probe hits brick wall

A further 90 soldiers remain under investigation by the Australian Defence Force Investigative Service in relation to the email scandal where women were filmed having sex with ringleaders who distributed the images and a dossier on the women to other members of the defence force.

The Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin at last week's media conference about the ADFA scandal involving young cadets. Source: News Limited

Investigators have found hundreds of emails sent to more than 100 troops around the country dating back several years. They describe sexual encounters with women picked up in nightclubs around Sydney's Kings Cross.

Find the rats in the ranks

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'Humiliating' email in Defence row

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The emails included explicit descriptions of the women and instructions regarding where to meet them and how to woo them for sex.

The sexual imagery was distributed on the Defence Restricted Network and the internet and investigators have been examining the case since 2010.

Up to 200 soldiers were involved and many were in the frame for not reporting the offensive material to authorities.

A furious army chief Lieutenant General David Morrison last week revealed the existence of the "Jedi Council''and vowed to eliminate such demeaning behaviour from within the ranks.

Defence said it would not release any further details.

"Questions relating to any criminal offences or charges should be referred to the NSW Police Force,'' it said.

Meanwhile investigators probing the drunken antics of Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) cadets have hit a brick wall over allegations of forced urine drinking, genital fondling and the hiring of a prostitute.

Lieutenant General David Morrison has vowed to eliminate demeaning behaviour from within the ranks. Source: News Limited

Numerous allegations of bizarre "hazing'' or initiation rituals have been made by cadets caught up in a Canberra "pub crawl'' by about 20 members of the academy's rugby and AFL clubs.

Seven ringleaders have been suspended while the investigation by the Australian Defence Force Investigative Service (ADFIS) is underway.

According to well-placed sources, investigators cannot substantiate many of the allegations with wildly differing accounts of timings and locations from the alleged perpetrators and whistleblowers.

According to one source, the most serious allegations include cadets being forced to drink urine, fondle other cadets' genitals, have sex with a prostitute for a bet and remove their pants when a particular song was played.

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Pursuit crash revives terrible memories

A police officer has been injured during a car chase across several Perth suburbs this morning

A police officer has been injured after a crash during a high speed pursuit. Picture: Nine News Source: PerthNow

Senior Constable Andrew Ward, who was injured in the crash following a high speed pursuit. Picture: Nine News Source: PerthNow

A HIGH speed police pursuit that ended with a crash with an innocent driver today has revived memories of last year's fatal tragedy in Dianella.

Senior Constable Andrew Ward, who was driving the unmarked police car involved in a crash during a high speed pursuit, suffered an injury to his right shoulder in the crash this morning.

The crash occurred at about 10.30am at the intersection of Karrinyup Road and Marmion Avenue, as the police car, a Ford XR6, pursued a green Mitsubishi Magna.

He was taken to Joondalup Health Campus by St John Ambulance to have his injuries treated.

The driver of the other car was unhurt but the crash revived terrible memories for Snr Const Ward of another pursuit crash in Dianella last year.

Snr Const Ward was one of the first responding officers to the crash in Dianella that claimed the life of Sharon D'Ercole and injured her daughter Lashay.

Ella Bennett, 23, was the driver of the other car and she told Nine News she had been shaken but not injured when the car hit her Toyota Yaris.

"I was coming through an amber light, I heard some sirens and I spun out fairly quickly, it was all a bit fast," she told Nine News.

"My sunglasses flew off my face and my drink spilled around a little, I'm a bit shaky but honestly just feeling very lucky."

The chase began in Mirrabooka after the Magna had failed to stop and continued along Reid Highway, though Westminster and Carine.

A man and a woman who were being pursued are known to police and are still being sought.

Police say in the moments before the crash, the green Magna crossed to the wrong side of Marmion Av before making a sharp left turn onto Karrinyup Rd.

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Women injured in supermarket stoush

Two women are in hospital after a shoplifting incident turned violent and a supermarket worker was hit by a car.

Two women are in hospital after a shoplifting incident turned violent and a supermarket worker was hit by a car. Picture: Nine News Source: PerthNow

TWO women are in hospital after a shoplifting incident turned violent and a supermarket worker was hit by a car.

Police said a woman was being questioned by two security guards at Coles in Butler about 2.20pm today when an argument broke out. The woman walked to the car park with the supermarket workers following her.

Police believe a further altercation occurred before the woman got into a Holden Barina parked in the car park.

The female staff member, believe to be in her mid-20s, was hit by the car.

She was taken to Joondalup Health Campus and the extent of her injuries are unknown.

The driver, believed to be in her mid-30s, was also taken to Joondalup Health Campus with injuries.

The other staff member, a man, was not injured in the incident.

Clarkson Detectives are investigating.

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Govt 'aware' of overcrowded trains

Perth trains are overcrowding to breaking point. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: PerthNow

TRANSPORT Minister Troy Buswell has defended the government's investment in public transport despite as a new survey finds commuters are becoming more frustrated by crowded trains.

Mr Buswell said the survey by the RAC, revealed today in The Sunday Times, told everyone what they already knew.

"At peak periods the trains are particularly busy, that's why we've got another 66 carriages on order," he said.

"The first of those sets arrive in Perth in the next six months."

The Minister stood by the Liberal Government's investment in public transport, saying it would cater with demand until the end of 2016.

Mr Buswell also today launched a new Green CAT bus service today that will run between Leederville and Perth.

Train passengers sick of overcrowding

The survey showed overcrowding on Perth trains was one of the biggest public transport problems, with four in five West Australians citing it as their No.1 headache.

The Joondalup and Mandurah rail lines are the worst, with up to 90 per cent of passengers rating overcrowding as the biggest failing of Perth trains.

Armadale and Thornlie have been deemed the most dangerous routes, with two-thirds of passengers fearing for their personal safety.

Overall, one in three bus, train and ferry users rate public transport as "poor" or "very poor", a landmark survey by the RAC shows.

Only one in five rate Perth's public transport as "excellent" or "very good"  a massive slide from 50 per cent who said it was excellent or very good five years ago.

The RAC did its last Public Transport Report in 2009 and the results, based on online surveys of more than 1400 public transport users  will be released today.

It found 84 per cent of respondents thought Perth's public transport had not improved in 18 months, while more than 80 per cent said overcrowding on trains was their No.1 public transport concern  a jump of almost 50 per cent on the last RAC survey.

Bus passengers rated the frequency of services and poor bus-train connections as their biggest public transport headache, while almost two-thirds of ferry passengers said services were too infrequent.

Train pain for Perth commuters

RAC head of advocacy Matt Brown said public transport users were angry and it was time the State Government listened. "Clearly more people are choosing public transport, which is putting a significant strain on existing infrastructure," he said.

Perth trains moved more than 63 million passengers last year, an 11 per cent increase since 2009. PTA figures show annual public transport patronage is on track to top 150 million journeys  equal to an extra 15,000 bus, train and ferry journeys every day compared with 12 months ago.

Mr Brown said WA needed more train carriages, a bus priority plan, more bus lanes and a smartphone app so commuters could track buses in real-time using existing on-board GPS data.

Transport Minister Troy Buswell said the RAC's opt-in survey produced "skewed results because it attracts predominantly respondents who want to air a concern" and, while it "highlighted some important matters", the State Government was already working to address them.

He said the WA Government was spending $243 million on 66 new rail cars, $241 million on extending the Joondalup line to Butler, and putting in new stations, extra parking bays, light rail and more buses.

Mr Buswell said the PTA's owning polling  based on face-to-face interviews with about 4500 regular public transport users  showed "the great majority of respondents were happy with public transport in Perth".

FULL SURVEY RESULTS

Overall rating of public transport:

	2009	2013
Excellent	9%	3%
Very good	40%	17%
Good	32%	44%
Poor	12%	26%
Very poor	5%	10%

Public transport now compared to 18 months ago:

	2009	2013
Better	29%	9%
The same	46%	53%
Worse	14%	31%

Main train headaches:

Overcrowding	82% (55% in 2009)
Personal safety	43% (39% in 2009)
Service not frequent enough	39% (23% in 2009)
Poor train-bus connection	39% (28% in 2009)

Main bus headaches:

Service not frequent enough	74% (66% in 2009)
Poor train-bus connection	53% (47% in 2009)
Service not reliable	35% (20% in 2009)
Overcrowding	34% (25% in 2009)

Main ferry headaches:

Service not frequent enough	69%
Poor connection with train-bus routes	47%

 with Amy Wilson-Chapman

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Heroic gran tells of stabbing chaos

Peggy Kew acted bravely when two women were attacked in a hair salon. Picture: Ross Swanborough Source: PerthNow

FOR Peggy Kew it was meant to be just another Monday morning trip to the local hair salon. But within minutes the grandmother of 10 became an unlikely hero in the middle of chaos.

The Sunday Times can today reveal that Ms Kew was the 67-year-old grandmother at Plush Hair salon in Como on Monday who, in her own words, "tried desperately" to help Angela Ferullo and her daughter, Selina Bello.

Police will allege a man entered the salon that morning intending to kill Ms Ferullo and her daughter.

Armed with a knife, the man allegedly attacked Ms Bello first before turning on her mother.

Customers sat frozen in fear, until Ms Kew stood up, threw a chair at the man and demanded he leave.

"All I could think of was picking up the chair and hitting him on the head - and that's what I did," Ms Kew told The Sunday Times.

Police will allege the man then turned the knife on Ms Kew and stabbed her in the chest and shoulder.

Ms Ferullo, a 43-year-old mother of four, died in hospital later that day from her injuries, while Ms Bello, who is five months pregnant with a baby boy, suffered serious injuries and has spent the week in hospital.

In an emotional interview this week, Ms Kew said she didn't see herself as a hero.

"A lady has died and I've got my friend Selina in hospital," she said. "I was trying desperately to save both of them."

She said Ms Ferullo was in a back room of the salon, but quickly emerged into the main parlour when the man came in.

Ms Kew said "all I could think of" was trying to help.

"But I don't feel like a hero at all," she said. "If you were to ask me who is the real hero, it's Angela, Selina's mother."

Ms Kew's stab wounds were treated at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. She was discharged on Tuesday afternoon. "I didn't even know I had been injured," she said. "It's still very raw and it's such a terrible thing what has happened.

"I am trying to put it in the back of my mind."

Ms Kew revealed also that she had spoken to Ms Bello in hospital on Thursday night and had a "good chat" with the expectant mother. She described the 22-year-old as a "beautiful girl".

Ms Kew's son, Mark, praised the emergency service personnel and hospital staff who helped his mother.

"They have all been exceptional and really good to her," he said.

Ms Ferullo's former husband, James Bill Payet, 48, has been charged.

He faces one count each of murder, attempted murder and aggravated wounding.

He faced a bedside court hearing this week and will appear in court again on July 31.

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Legal row 'sparked Nigella strangling'

Nigella Lawson has been pictured near her rented Mayfair flat without her wedding ring. Picture: Andrew Styczynski/The Sun Source: Supplied

CHARLES Saatchi and Nigella Lawson are said to be in a bitter dispute over two former personal assistants accused of misappropriating $282,000.

The case has caused tensions in Mr Saatchi and Ms Lawson's marriage and friends say it was a factor behind their row at celebrity restaurant Scott's earlier this month, when the art collector was pictured 'strangling' his wife, Britain's Mail on Sunday has revealed.

Saatchi, 70, is taking the women to the High Court after they allegedly spent tens of thousands on designer goods, taxi journeys and a flight to New York.

Friends say he last week asked Ms Lawson, 53, to move her belongings out of their Chelsea mansion after making it clear he would not apologise for grabbing her by the throat.

The Mail on Sunday reports that after Saatchi accepted a police caution for the strangling incident Nigella told the police he had never hit her before.

Italian sisters, Francesca, 34, and Elisabetta 'Lisa' Grillo, 32, are claimed to have "misappropriated" the money to splurge on luxuries such as a $6000 Virgin Atlantic flight to New York and designer goods from Prada, Miu Miu and Chanel.

They were first employed by Ms Lawson when she was married to her first husband John Diamond, who died of cancer aged 47 in 2001.

The legal case involving Nigella Lawson's former personal assistants led to tension between the TV chef and her husband, Charles Saatchi, the Mail on Sunday reports. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

When she married Saatchi in September 2003, both took roles working for Ms Lawson and her new husband. Francesca Grillo was paid $47,000 a year while Elisabetta was paid $44,000. Their jobs ranged from looking after Nigella's children from her first marriage - Bruno, now 17, and daughter Cosima, now 19 - and Saatchi's daughter Phoebe, 18, by second wife Kay Hartenstein. They also carried out activities directly related to Saatchi's business activities.

They were sacked last year over the allegations and Saatchi started High Court proceedings against them. They also face criminal charges and are due to appear at Isleworth Crown Court later this year.

Nigella treated them as trusted confidantes, paying tribute to their work in her 2011 cookery book Recipes From The Heart Of The Home by writing: "I give heartfelt thanks to ... my kitchen confidantes: Lisa and Francesca Grillo."

As a result, the impending cases, according to a source, have created a deep rift between the celebrity chef and her husband.

"The Grillo girls had been very close to Nigella for a long time,' the source says.

"She brought them into the marriage and she has naturally been very defensive about all this. I don't think she particularly wanted them to be sued. That's one of the things they were rowing about over the now infamous lunch.

"Charles was criticising her for allowing the assistants free rein and things clearly got a bit heated. One of them was allegedly spending money on Chanel handbags and other designer stuff. He thinks Nigella has been too easy on them."

Nigella Lawson has moved out of her marital home and is said to very upset about the legal dispute with her former employees. Source: AP

According to court documents lodged at the High Court of Justice, the sisters' responsibilities included acquiring goods and services for Saatchi, Nigella and their children.

They were given access to two credit cards but only for business purposes. They were also permitted to use a taxi fare account with ComCab, but only "for journeys undertaken in the course of carrying out their duties".

But in July 2012, Rahul Gajjar, finance director of the Saatchi Gallery group, claimed that unauthorised purchases may have been made using the credit cards, including a $6000 Virgin Atlantic flight to New York. Francesca is accused in the High Court document of "misappropriating" some $280,000 and Elisabetta $9000.

The pair, were said to be "in flagrant breach of their contractual and/or fiduciary duties as employees".

The writ says Saatchi is expecting to recover more than $45,000.

Another source connected to Saatchi says: "The sisters were often asked to fly to, say Munich, to collect a picture and Saatchi issued the pair a credit card to cover expenses.

"The pair are devout Catholics with previous good conduct with not a blemish on their record.

"It was Lisa who first started working for Nigella as a personal assistant. The story, as I understand it, is that she actually worked for Nigella when her first husband John Diamond was alive - so for longer than ten years."

Nigella is said to have been very upset about the way things ended with the sisters, who have strongly denied the allegations. When approached last week, a visibly upset Lisa said: "I don't want to talk about it."

Meanwhile, Lawson is still living in a Mayfair bolthole after being forced to remove her belongings from the family home. Saatchi is said to be convinced that Nigella's friends have been briefing against him and worried that "lots of dirty linen", could be aired in public in the criminal case against the sisters.

But friends say Lawson is - despite everything - still in love with her husband and after he accepted a police caution for the strangling incident she told the police he had never hit her before.

She is said to be distraught that Saatchi has made no attempt to get in contact with her and friends are worried about her mental state.

"She's been desperate to repair the relationship and desperate to talk to Charles," says one confidante.

"Her plans for the future are to throw herself into her career and America. But she would still consider rebuilding if he would make a gesture.

"She is doing anything she can to get some sort of reaction from him. It is Charles, by his lack of action, who is ending the marriage.

"He is still controlling Nigella, who now feels that she will be dumped without even a sorry or conversation. He has effectively dumped her by stonewalling her and asked her to move her stuff out of the family house."

Another friend says: "Nigella has been devastated by Charles's complete radio silence and the fact that he has just ignored her.

"She has desperately been waiting for a sign or even a sorry and an indication that they can work this out. But he hasn't. Instead he privately blames her for ruining his life and feels that if they reconcile that he will forever be seen as the wife beater.

"He is very worried about his legacy and so has been quietly licking his wounds."

Yesterday, Richard Cannon of Janes Solicitors, who is acting for the Grillo sisters, issued the following statement. "'Our clients will continue to vigorously defend themselves both in the civil proceedings before the High Court and the criminal proceedings before the Crown Court."

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