Pilot lucky to survive ultra-light crash - ABC Online

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Updated January 02, 2012 21:45:29

Emergency officials say the quick action of holiday-makers helped save a pilot who crashed his ultra-light plane into a lake in Victoria's north-east.

The plane crashed about 400 metres from the shore of Lake Hume near Wodonga just before 3.30pm (AEDT).

The pilot in his 60s had taken off from his hometown of Holbrook, north of Albury, earlier in the afternoon.

No-one else was on board the plane.

MICA paramedic Paul Bellman says the man suffered only minor cuts and was conscious when he was pulled from the water.

"I guess any aircraft crash where you can walk away with minor abrasions is a good landing really," he said.

"He was lucky there were police officers and civilians on site that could quickly respond to assist him and get him out of the water as quickly as they did."

Senior Sergeant Garry Corcoran says the man is lucky to be alive.

"A lot of people here are holidaying and making a day of it today," he said.

"They've gone out and assisted the pilot and he's been brought back to land and has gone to Wodonga Hospital for observation.

"Just under the circumstances I'd say being into water and the impact, there would have been some severe injuries, if not death, if it had have happened under other circumstances."

Victoria Police and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority will investigate the cause of the crash.

Topics: disasters-and-accidents, accidents, air-and-space, wodonga-3690, vic, holbrook-2644, nsw

First posted January 02, 2012 18:03:20

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No relief as south braces for more extreme heat - ABC Online

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Updated January 02, 2012 21:49:32

Emergency services are being kept busy in Victoria and South Australia as temperatures remain high through the night, putting fire crews on high alert in parts of both states.

There have been about 100 small fires across Victoria today, as residents sweltered in temperatures as high as 43 degrees in some parts, including at Warrnambool and Port Fairy.

And in South Australia it is the second day temperatures have been in the low 40s. High winds have also sparked fire threats on the state's south coast.

Paramedics have treated more than 35 people who collapsed in the Melbourne heat today; 13 people were seriously affected.

Emergency services were also forced to rescue children locked in two hot vehicles on the Mornington Peninsula.

Weather bureau spokesman James Taylor says the temperature in Melbourne is likely to stay around the mid to late 30s until as late as midnight, but relief is on the way.

"We do have a south-westerly change forecast to move through later tonight," he said.

But the mercury is expected to rise to the mid to high 30s again tomorrow.

Meanwhile, firefighters have used a water-bombing helicopter to contain a blaze south of Rosedale in Gippsland in Victoria's east.

The bushfire is about five hectares in size and moving slowly. No homes are under threat.

This afternoon crews battled two grassfires just outside of Geelong which are no longer posing a threat.

CFA spokesman Steven Warrington says crews have managed to keep on top of the fires, but grass levels are high.

"These are fast-moving, high-impact fires and we need to get on them quite quickly," he said.

In South Australia, authorities shut down power after there were winds of up to 80 kilometres per hour in parts of the south coast.

The power was cut to reduce the risk of fires starting from overheating appliances.

Nearly 3,500 residents on the south coast had to put up with soaring temperatures without air conditioning for a couple of hours, but electricity has almost been fully restored.

ETSA cut power to properties in Middleton, Port Elliot, Victor Harbor and Hindmarsh Island.

ETSA spokesman Paul Roberts says the laws were introduced in response to the Ash Wednesday bushfires.

"It's our role through that legislation really to ensure the safety of the public and property on these sort of days," he said.

Some residents in the affected areas say they were given no warning.

Tags: weather, lifestyle-and-leisure, vic, australia, melbourne-3000, adelaide-5000, sa

First posted January 02, 2012 19:12:48

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South Korea says 'new era' possible for Koreas - The Associated Press

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South Korea says 'new era' possible for KoreasBy FOSTER KLUG, Associated Press – 14 minutes ago?

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's president urged North Korea on Monday to embrace a "new era" by using its recent leadership change as an opportunity to transform Korean ties, as Seoul signaled its willingness to work with Pyongyang's new leader.

Lee Myung-bak is reaching out to the late Kim Jong Il's young son as he takes power as supreme commander of the North's military and ruling party leader after Kim's death last month. Lee, however, also warned that Seoul would respond sternly to any North Korean provocations.

Lee's comments in a nationally televised speech came a day after the North said in its annual New Year's message that its citizens should turn themselves into "human shields" to defend Kim Jong Il's son, Kim Jong Un, "unto death."

Lee said Kim Jong Il's death is "portending a sea change" for the Korean peninsula. "If North Korea comes forward with a sincere attitude, it will be possible for us to work together to open a new era," he added.

North Korea said last week that it would never deal with Lee, but Kim Jong Un's rise could offer a chance to improve ties that have suffered since Lee took office in 2008 and ended a no-strings-attached aid policy toward the North.

The young Kim had a brief meeting in Pyongyang late last month with a former South Korean first lady and a business leader who were leading private mourning delegations to pay respects to Kim Jong Il.

Lee said the Korean peninsula is at a turning point and "new opportunities always emerge amid such changes."

However, he also said Seoul would "maintain a watertight defense posture" to deal with the possibility of North Korean provocations. "If any aggression occurs, we will strongly respond," Lee said.

In 2010, 50 South Koreans died in attacks blamed on the North, though the Koreas have met in recent months for preliminary nuclear discussions.

North Korea, which has tested two atomic devices since 2006, has said it wants to return to long-stalled six-nation talks on halting its nuclear weapons program in return for aid. Washington and Seoul, however, have insisted that the North first show progress on past disarmament commitments.

If North Korea halts its nuclear activities, Lee said in his speech, negotiations could resume.

"We are ready to resolve security concerns on the Korean peninsula and provide assistance to revive North Korea's economy through agreements in the six-nation talks," Lee said.

Meanwhile, North Korea's propaganda efforts to build up Kim Jong Un continued Monday, with state TV showing footage of him dressed in a dark overcoat and laughing with officers as soldiers applauded during a field inspection Sunday. State TV also played a song widely associated with Kim Jong Un — "Footsteps," a reference to his carrying out his family's legacy.

North Korea's New Year's message Sunday didn't include the country's routine harsh criticism of the United States and avoided the country's nuclear ambitions, a sign the North may be willing to continue talks with Washington to win food aid.

North Korea repeated a call in the message for implementing past agreements for the Koreas to cooperate on potentially lucrative economic projects.

Although North Korea has left open the possibility of better ties with the South, it hasn't tempered its antagonism toward Lee. On Monday, it accused Lee of plotting to shake up the North by temporarily placing his troops on high alert after Kim Jong Il's death. The North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary that Lee must "kneel down and apologize" for his acts.

Analysts said Lee is willing to move past North Korea's recent strong words. Lee's speech shows South Korea "has no intention to provoke North Korea," said Cheon Seong-whun, an analyst with the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.

North Korea has regularly criticized Lee since he took office seeking to link aid to progress in North Korea's nuclear disarmament.

The six-nation nuclear talks involve the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan.

The Korean peninsula remains technically in a state of conflict because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

This year is a crucial one for North Korea as it tries to build a "great, prosperous and powerful nation" befitting the April 2012 centenary of the birth of national founder Kim Il Sung, the new leader's grandfather.

Copyright ? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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John Howard deserves rare honour - Perth Now

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AWARD: Former Prime Minister John Howard has been recognised. Source: The Courier-Mail

CONGRATULATIONS are due to John Howard for the Queen's recognition of his contribution to Australia with the award of one of her highest honours, the Order of Merit, an honour limited to just 24 members.

The New Year’s Day timing of the award came as Bob Hawke and Paul Keating publicly bickered over who had been responsible for floating the Australian dollar and introducing a series of economic reforms after the defeat of Malcolm Fraser’s government in 1983.

The contrast between the Liberal Howard, the nation’s second-longest serving prime minister, and the two former Labor prime ministers, could not be better made.

Interviewed on the ABC’s AM program this morning, Howard would not discuss his government’s achievements or attempt to guess why he had been singled out for the signal honour though the interviewer raised the obvious fact of his long support for the monarchy.

In that, Howard was representative of the majority of Australians in every State and mainland Territory except the ACT where the People’s Republic flag flies over the insular public service community.

The chattering classes around the nation, led by The Australian and the ABC, ran the anti-monarchist argument during the 1999 republic referendum and though they later claimed to have been outsmarted by Howard and those running the monarchist campaign, were entirely responsible for their own failure to convince Australians the issue was critical to the nation’s progress.

Howard told The Australian the Queen was “absolutely proper” during the referendum. “It was realised both by the palace and by my office and me that this was an important event in the history of the relations between the two countries.

“Her position was the very correct one - that as a totally independent country, it was entirely a matter for Australia and Australians - but she would have, I’m sure, been disappointed if the referendum had gone the other way.”

Howard’s office had collaborated with Buckingham Palace over what would be said, depending upon the outcome and two different statements were prepared for release by Buckingham Palace.

Just eight other Australians have been appointed to the order since it was founded by King Edward VII in 1902, including the only other living Australian on the list, the internationally renowned scientist Robert May.

The order recognises distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature or the promotion of culture.

Current members include former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, playwright Tom Stoppard, wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, former Canadian prime minister Jean Cretien and the inventor of the internet, Tim Berner-Lee. Former South African president Nelson Mandela is an honorary member.

Past recipients include Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill, actor Laurence Olivier, writers Henry James, Thomas Hardy, Graham Greene and Ted Hughes and Australians Howard Florey, Sidney Nolan and Joan Sutherland.

The award is a personal gift of the Queen and does not form part of the imperial honours system, abolished in Australia by the Hawke government in 1986.

Menzies, Howard’s political hero, also received personal honours from the Queen, being appointed to the Order of the Thistle and to the ceremonial office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

“He was a staunch supporter of the monarchy in a different period and different style,” Howard said. “But that is the remarkable thing about the Queen - she will have been on the throne 60 years on February 6 this year and Menzies was prime minister when she came to the throne.”

Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours lists - Howard said he would not “presume to speculate” about the reasons for the award.

But he noted that since meeting the Queen when he was opposition leader, at the opening of the new Parliament House in Canberra in 1988, “we have got to know each other very well”.He had made it a practice to visit the Queen whenever he was in London, and there had been many meetings on Commonwealth matters.

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Online cancer star Kristian Anderson dies - ABC Online

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Updated January 02, 2012 21:32:25

Sydney cancer patient Kristian Anderson, made famous by posting an online video tribute to his wife featuring Hugh Jackman and New Zealand's prime minister, has died.

His wife Rachel confirmed Mr Anderson died this morning at Manly Hospital.

"My darling husband went to meet Jesus this morning. It was peaceful and beautiful. Funeral details to come soon," she tweeted on his account.

The 36-year-old from Curl Curl had been having chemotherapy since he was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in October 2009.

His touching video clip, which made its way around the internet, was made as a birthday present for his wife and as a thank you for her support.

It featured an introduction by New Zealand prime minster John Key because Rachel is a Kiwi.

Movie star Hugh Jackman also appeared in the video after Mr Anderson asked Triple M presenter Gus Worland for assistance.

The clip had Mr Anderson holding up placards with words of love and support for his wife against the Train song Marry Me.

The clip has been viewed almost 400,000 times and even US talk show queen Oprah Winfrey became a fan.

Winfrey gave the couple $250,000 for medical expenses when she hosted an episode of her show at the Sydney Opera House in January last year.

Thank you for journeying with me this far. I pray you find the same peace I have.

In his last interview Mr Anderson told the Daily Telegraph of his love for his wife and their sons Cody, 5, and Jakob, 3.

"I'm not afraid of dying but I am afraid of leaving them behind," he said early last month.

In his last entry on his blog How The Light Gets In, posted by his wife after his death, Mr Anderson reflected on his battle with cancer.

"The truth being we're all broken, we're all cracked and what so many people see as a fault or a malfunction really is something to be considered useful," he wrote.

"I'm not sure how much longer I have left, but it appears that the physical and medical signs are all pointing to my end.

"Thank you for journeying with me this far. I pray you find the same peace I have."

Bowel Cancer Australia spokesman associate professor Graham Newstead says Mr Anderson's battle with bowel cancer has touched tens of thousands of people.

"Like many people who in some way shared this young man's journey, those involved with Bowel Cancer Australia are saddened by the death of Kristian Anderson," he said in a statement.

"We are however also very grateful to him for his brave and valuable work in raising awareness about bowel cancer."

The disease kills about 4,000 Australians each year.

AAP

Topics: bowel-and-rectal-cancer, health, diseases-and-disorders, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted January 02, 2012 15:36:30

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