Marchioness victims remembered 25 years on

FAMILIES bereaved by London's Marchioness party boat tragedy will attend a memorial service on Wednesday to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster, which claimed 51 lives, including that of five Australians.

IT was on August 20, 1989, the riverboat Marchioness, packed with 131 partygoers, collided with the dredger Bowbelle and sank in the Thames in central London.

The average age of the passengers was 22. Many of them worked in the fashion industry.On Wednesday at Southwark Cathedral, close to the accident site, Linda Hunt, who lost her daughter Julie, 26, in the tragedy, will read out the names of the dead.Another bereaved mother, Judy Wellington, whose son Simon, 20, was lost on the Marchioness, will deliver a Bible reading at the Marchioness memorial stone in the cathedral, which will be adorned with 51 red roses; 51 candles will be lit to honour each of the dead.Among those who died was Francesca Dallaglio, 19, the sister of former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio and merchant banker Antonio de Vasconcellos, whose 26th birthday was being celebrated aboard the Marchioness.The Australian victims included Shirleen Manning, 28, of Brisbane. She had been a model and working in London for six months before attending the riverboat birthday party.Dianne Lim, 26, of Sydney, was among dozens trapped in the cabin as the vessel listed and sank.The friend with whom she went to the party, Sydney arts student Jonathan Davis, 22, was flung out an open hatch into the Thames. He survived, as did another model friend, Kate McGurgan. They were among the 80 people saved that night.Among those attending on Wednesday will be Margaret Lockwood Croft, 75, who lost her son Shaun, 26, in the disaster. Through the Marchioness Action group she spearheaded the campaign for improved Thames safety standards which eventually led to lifeboat services being provided on the Thames.The bereaved families had to endure a 10-year wait for the announcement of a public inquiry into the disaster following an earlier 1991 report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).That first report said the failure of both vessels to mount a proper lookout was the immediate cause of the tragedy. This was the same conclusion reached by Lord Justice Clarke when his 2001 report was published after the public inquiry, announced in 1999, was finally held.While the MAIB report said there were marine regulation faults going back 25 years, the Clarke report said it was "a catastrophe that should never have happened".In the years between the two inquiries the families had to absorb the news the Bowbelle captain, Douglas Henderson, was formally acquitted after juries at two separate trials failed to reach verdicts on a charge of his failing to keep a proper lookout.The families also had to come to terms with the decision by Westminster Coroner Dr Paul Knapman to cut off the hands of more than 20 of the Marchioness victims for identification purposes - an action criticised in the Clarke report.The Clarke report was also critical of Capt Henderson, who had drunk six pints of lager in the afternoon before the tragedy. There was also criticism of the owners of both vessels.An inquest jury into the disaster returned a verdict of "unlawful killing". In July 1996 the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to justify any further criminal proceedings.AUSTRALIANS WHO DIED IN THE MARCHIONESS:- David Ayres, Sydney- John Clarke, St Clair, NSW- Dianne Lim, Sydney- Shirleen Manning, Brisbane- Angela Plevey, Blue MountainsAUSTRALIANS WHO SURVIVED:- Jonathan Davis, NSW- Rod Lay, WA- Kate McGurgan, NSW- Miles Miller, NSW

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Famous UK doctor on voyeurism charges

A LEADING consultant held a Bible in his hand and silently whispered a prayer as he sat in a court dock accused of using hidden equipment to spy on 100 patients in hospital toilets.

WORLD-RENOWNED hearing specialist Dr Lam Hoe Yeoh allegedly secretly recorded intimate images of patients, colleagues and visitors using secret cameras he rigged up.

Men, women and children are understood to have been caught in the clips.The 61-year-old, who is also known by the first name Robin, was arrested at the privately-run St Anthony's Hospital in Surrey in April this year after an alleged victim contacted police.He faces 29 counts of voyeurism, two counts of making indecent images of a child, and two of possessing extreme pornography.The father-of-three also faces another count of voyeurism covering 70 unknown victims allegedly secretly filmed by the doctor.Yeoh appeared on Tuesday at Croydon Crown Court in south London accompanied by his wife.The greying doctor clutched a blue hardback Bible, locked his hands together against his face, closed his eyes and silently mouthed a prayer during the brief hearing.Yeoh spoke only to confirm his name to the court clerk.Judge Warwick McKinnon adjourned the case until September 16 when Yeoh is expected to enter a formal plea. Yeoh was remanded on bail.

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Physically-fit children brainier: study

PHYSICALLY-FIT children are officially brainier than their punier peers, new research has confirmed.

SCIENTISTS found that aerobically fit nine- and 10-year-olds had denser regions of "white matter" in their brains.

White matter consists of bundles of nerve fibres, or axons, that connect different brain regions.Previous research has linked physical fitness in children to larger brain volumes of "grey matter" - the cell bodies of neurons.US lead researcher Dr Laura Chaddock-Heyman, from the University of Illinois, said: "This study extends our previous work and suggests that white-matter structure may be one additional mechanism by which higher-fit children outperform their lower-fit peers on cognitive tasks and in the classroom."The team used a brain scanning technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine five white-matter tracts in the brains of 24 volunteer children.The system works by analysing water diffusion into tissues. For white matter, less water diffusion means the tissue is more fibrous and compact - both desirable traits.Significant fitness-related differences were seen in several key white matter regions, including the corpus callosum which joins the brain's left and right hemispheres.Two others were the superior longitudinal fasciculus, a pair of structures connecting two of the four major lobes in the brain's cerebral cortex, and the superior corona radiata which links the cerebral cortex to the brain stem."All of these tracts have been found to play a role in attention and memory," said Dr Chaddock-Heyman.The research is reported in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.Although the team did not test the children's mental performance, previous research has demonstrated a link between aerobic fitness and increasing thinking ability.

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Aust, Indonesia to discuss terror threat

FEDERAL Justice Minister Michael Keenan will seek to regenerate the close working relationship with Indonesia on counter-terrorism that grew out of the Bali bombings.

THE minister visits Indonesia on Wednesday as both nations confront the emerging threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) recruiting and radicalising citizens.

It comes also as both countries heal a diplomatic rift that could have diminished intelligence co-operation at this vital time.There are reports as many as 150 Australians have joined the ISIL cause, and while Indonesia estimates around 60 of its citizens are involved, it's believed the real number could be closer to 200.Mr Keenan will visit the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Co-operation (JCLEC) in Semarang, central Java, on Wednesday.He will pay tribute to the Australian and Indonesian police who responded after shared tragedies such as the MH17 crash and the terror attack at the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004.September 9 marks 10 years since that bombing, which claimed 11 Indonesian lives and injured more than 200 others.At an event to mark a decade of the JCLEC, the minister will flag the importance of co-operation on the new danger of nationals fighting in Iraq and Syria."I think both countries acknowledge that much work remains to be done - the threat we all now face is growing, both in terms of size and complexity."Australia and Indonesia established the JCLEC in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings to strengthen counter-terror co-operation. It was established in 2004.Although bilateral co-operation on security was officially frozen in November - after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono learned of Australian efforts to spy on him - the neighbours have acted on the threat of ISIL in unison.Dr Yudhoyono this month declared a ban on Indonesians supporting the group, also known as ISIS and Islamic State.A day later, Prime Minister Tony Abbott proposed beefed-up terror laws.SBY's move came after Bali bombing mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir pledged an oath to ISIS from his jail cell.A new code of conduct, sought by Indonesia to restore intelligence co-operation, has been completed and is expected to be signed before the end of the month.FACTS ON THE JAKARTA CENTRE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT CO-OPERATION:- The centre was established by the Indonesian and Australian governments in February 2004- It has trained more than 16,000 participants from more than 70 countries- JCLEC co-ordinates a range of training programs on transnational crimes, with counter-terrorism the priority- The Australian Federal Police and Indonesia National Police jointly manage the centre- The additional countries contributing to funding include Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Britain and the US.

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Home Depot profit climbs 14 per cent

Muslim leaders reject PM talks

TALKS on preventing radicalisation of Melbourne youths will be held between the Napthine Government and Islamic groups after some prominent leaders boycotted talks with Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Taxing time for tutu gardener

A TUTU-wearing gardener has been forced to shut up shop over $200,000 in unpaid taxes as one customer protests about not getting a plants order.

Gun lie a shot in the dark

A MOTHER and daughter concocted a bizarre tale about a mysterious Arab bursting into their home and firing a gun to explain away a shooting accident, a judge heard.

Breeders face bans over cruelty convictions

VICTORIANS with animal cruelty convictions would be banned from running breeding businesses under new laws to be introduced to Parliament.

Mine blaze briefings shemozzle

THE woman in charge of briefing Morwell locals on the mine fire conceded they were "seeing one thing and being told another", it has emerged.

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Italian military jets collide: report

ITALIAN news reports say two Italian Tornado fighter jets have collided over eastern Italy during a training mission and crashed into a wooded area that caught fire.

A CIVIL Protection official, Susanna Balducci, told Sky TG24 TV there were no civilian casualties on the ground after the crash on Tuesday afternoon in woods near the town of Ascoli, but she had no details about the fate of those aboard the aircraft.

Defence Ministry officials say they're awaiting an official report from the field before making any statement.Balducci said a firefighting helicopter was trying to extinguish the blaze.Witnesses quoted in Italian news reports said they saw two military planes flying low near Ascoli, then heard a crash and saw flames.

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Gammy's mum may face Thai charges

Terror poses threat on home soil

AUSTRALIA has traditionally been thought of as the home of sun, surf, Foster's beer and kangaroos but we are increasingly becoming known for an uglier type of cultural export — angry young men.

Abbott unveils anti-Jihadist laws

NEW laws making it easier to arrest suspected terrorists, detain them without charge and revoke their passports are to go before Parliament in an overhaul of Australia's anti-terror laws.

Docs want docket booze ads banned

ALCOHOL ads on receipts should be banned and it is time for archaic communications between hospitals and GPs to be overhauled, say doctors.

Baby Gammy's dad's 'indecent' past

THE Australian husband in the Thailand surrogacy row involving baby Gammy has served a sentence in jail for indecently dealing with a child under 13, it has been claimed.

Ricky Muir sacks adviser over sick day

FURTHER turmoil has gripped the office of Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party Senator Ricky Muir, with a second adviser sacked and escorted from Parliament House by security guards.

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Hearing rescheduled in Justin Bieber case

A MIAMI-DADE County judge has postponed a hearing to determine whether Justin Bieber will be tried on charges of driving under the influence and resisting arrest.

THE judge on Tuesday postponed the hearing August 13 at the request of prosecutors and Bieber's attorney.

Bieber was arrested January 23 in Miami Beach after what police described as an illegal street race between Bieber and a friend.Alcohol breath tests found Bieber's level below the 0.02 limit for underage drivers, but urine tests showed the presence of marijuana and an anti-anxiety drug.Bieber also was charged with driving on an expired license.It's unknown whether Bieber will attend next week's hearing.

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Family payments under scrutiny in report

THE government must fix existing family payments instead of focusing on its expensive paid parental scheme if it wants to improve female workplace participation, a conservative think tank warns.

THE current system is complex, difficult for families to navigate and discourages parents to work, the Centre for Independent Studies says in a report to be released on Wednesday.

The report examined 10 different family payments - including family tax benefits A and B, the school kids bonus and single parent payments - and calls for an overhaul.It says the payments overlap, have different goals and create disincentives for people to work due to payment withdrawal as a result of earnings.And that's not helping the government reach its goal of improving workforce participation, particularly among women, it argues.But report author Trisha Jha says throwing money at the complex system, in the form of childcare subsidies or the government's proposed paid parental leave scheme, will not fix the problems.Instead, the government must reform family tax benefits to reduce the impact of high effective marginal tax rates, simplify the income test for family tax benefit A and frame child care as a workforce participation measure."Not only is child care in itself a massive impost on families but the combined effect is a system that sometimes pays for people not to work at capacity," she said.A recently released interim report on welfare reform proposes cutting payment categories from 20 to four: a tiered working-age payment, a disability support pension, an age pension and a child payment.The new child payment would replace Family Tax Benefit Part A, Youth Allowance, Abstudy and other payments.But Ms Jha says the interim report failed to recognise the problems of payment withdrawal when a parent starts working and the consequences for work incentives.The government has faced criticism over its proposed paid parental scheme which would pay up to $50,000 to mothers of newborn babies.The scheme is due to start in July next year.

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Target lowers forecast

TARGET has lowered its second-quarter forecast citing the promotional discounts it had to use to attract shoppers.

THE Minneapolis-based retailer also said on Tuesday it expects gross expenses tied to a massive data breach this past winter to come to $US148 million ($A160 million) in the period, which will be offset by $US38 million in insurance.

It also paid $US1 billion to retire $US725 million in debt.Target Corp has been reeling since it announced in December that hackers stole millions of customers' credit and debit-card records.The theft hurt the chain's reputation and profits and spawned dozens of legal actions.Target is facing troubles on a number of other fronts as well, including the perceptions that its prices are higher than those at Wal-Mart Stores Inc.The company's expansion into Canada, its first foray outside the US, has also been a disappointment, with analysts saying Target botched its expansion by moving too aggressively.For its second quarter, Target said it expects sales to be flat at established locations in the US, as "guests continue to spend cautiously and focus on value" and that promotional discounts are expected to hurt profit margins.Sales are expected to be "somewhat softer" at its stores in Canada as well.The company now expects to earn about 78 cents per share for the quarter, excluding one-time items, down from the 85 cents to $US1 per share it previously forecast.When factoring in the costs related to the data breach and the debt repayment, reported earnings per share are expected to be about 41 cent lower than that adjusted figure.

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