Apple app bug sends drivers onto US runway

FAULTY directions from Apple's maps app that guide drivers to the edge of a runway instead of a terminal at an Alaskan airport have been reactivated, causing worry for transportation officials.

Fairbanks International Airport officials say Apple had notified them the directions were disabled. But officials noticed the directions were reactivated on Friday and had one person intentionally follow them, which presents a dangerous situation for pilots and drivers.

Previously, officials say drivers on two different occasions had followed the directions continued on and cut across an active runway to reach the terminal.

Cupertino, California-based Apple didn't immediately comment on Friday evening.

On Friday, Alaska transportation officials sent out a warning to pilots that the faulty directions were back on.

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Philippines declares end to rebel siege

THE Philippine military declared victory after a nearly three-week siege by separatist Muslim rebels in a major southern city, officials say.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said on Saturday the rebels had been defeated in Zamboanga, but acknowledged that their field commander was still unaccounted for.

"Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin declares Zamboanga standoff over ... still searching for Commander Habier Malik," his Twitter account announced on the 20th day of the standoff.

Malik led a rebel faction of the Moro National Liberation Front in attacking the city to declare an independent Bangsamoro Republic.

The guerrillas said the government had abandoned a peace agreement signed in 1996.

Soldiers conducted clearing operations and searches for explosives Saturday as normal life resumed in the seaside city of about 800,000 inhabitants.

"We are sure there is no one left among members of Misuari faction," military spokesman Brigadier General Domingo Tutaan was quoted saying by broadcaster ANC.

Tutaan said 375 rebels had been killed, captured or surrendered.

The military reported 18 soldiers, five police and 12 civilians among the dead.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said all the hostages held by the rebels have been accounted for.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said more than 110,000 people had been displaced and more than 10,000 houses were burned or suffered damage in the clashes.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said the government faces a humanitarian refugee crisis.

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Bus crash kills 20 in India

TWENTY people have died after a bus plunged into a gorge in northern India, police say.

Police officer Gurmer Singh said Friday's accident happened on a mountainous road in Himachal Pradesh state, nearly 330 kilometres north of New Delhi.

Singh says only one person survived as the bus fell into the 195-metre deep gorge near the town of Nahan.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

India has the world's deadliest roads, with more than 110,000 people killed annually.

Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.

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Up to 70 feared trapped in Mumbai building

A FIVE-STOREY residential block has collapsed in Mumbai leaving up to 70 people feared trapped inside, in the latest building disaster to hit India's financial capital.

Crowds formed around the rubble of the completely flattened block, owned by the city's civic administrative body, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, in the east of the city.

"My son is inside. I'm waiting for them to get him out," distraught 62-year-old retiree Mithi Solakani said as rescue workers scrambled over tonnes of debris.

Several diggers were pressed into action to lift some of the larger slabs of concrete, allowing teams of rescuers to begin the task of taking out bodies and searching for survivors.

One was removed covered in dark red cloth and carried to a waiting ambulance on a stretcher. Crowds of women waiting nearby could be heard sobbing.

Local politician Bhai Jagtap said that 22 families lived in the destroyed block and seven to eight people had been brought out alive.

"The rest of the people are down below, calling people from inside. Rescuers are doing their level best to save lives," he said.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also said that 22 families were housed there.

"We think up to 70 people are trapped," Alok Avasthy from the NDMA said at the scene.

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai said the building was for employees of the local administration and their families who had been asked to leave earlier this year.

"The building was around 30 years old. We had issued a notice to them in April, to vacate the building, but they did not act," said Vijay Khabale-Patil, the corporation's spokesman

He did not explain why the families had been asked to leave.

Five other apartment blocks have collapsed in or close to Mumbai in recent months, including one in April that killed 74 people.

They have highlighted poor quality construction and violations of the building code, caused by massive demand for housing and endemic corruption.

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Job vacancies up 3.1%

Job vacancies rose 3.1%, according to the latest survey from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Source: AAP

THE number of job vacancies in Australia has risen 3.1 per cent, official statistics show.

The total number of vacancies in August 2013 was 143,300, in seasonally-adjusted terms, compared with 138,900 in May, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics quarterly survey released on Thursday.

There were 131,500 private sector job vacancies in August, up 3.0 per cent on May's 127,700.

The number of public sector vacancies in August was 11,700, up 4.8 per cent from May.

The survey is conducted every three months.

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Abbott defends first days of govt

Tony Abbott defended his government's first days in office, saying his ministers are "hard at work". Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has defended his government's first days in office, saying his ministers are "hard at work" but not rushing decisions.

A media appearance in Melbourne on Thursday was only the second time Mr Abbott has fronted journalists since his government was sworn in on September 18.

The government has yet to set a date for the first sitting of parliament and given no firm indication when the next major economic statement - the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook - will be released.

Mr Abbott told reporters Australia was "open for business" and confidence was returning to the economy.

"We are moving swiftly to abolish the carbon tax, to get the budget back under control, to stop the boats and build the roads of the 21st century," Mr Abbott said.

"I do want to assure the people of ... Australia that the new government is hard at work for them.

"We are not rushing things, but we are getting things done."

Mr Abbott confirmed reports he had asked ministers to clear all their media appearances with his office - an arrangement which he said worked well in opposition.

"We will be a consultative and collegial government ... internally as well as externally," he said.

"It's very important that the government speaks with a united voice."

Mr Abbott said his ministers were "active in their portfolios", naming Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and Environment Minister Greg Hunt as having put their "stamp on the affairs of the nation".

A date for parliament's first sitting would be announced shortly, he said.

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ASX says US hedge fund scandal unfortunate

THE involvement of two members of the board of Australia's share market operator in a trading scandal in the US was unfortunate, their chairman says.

ASX chairman Rick Holliday-Smith has also said he knew about the directors' involvement in the matter weeks before the findings of an investigation were made public, but was given legal advice not to act.

Shane Finemore and Russell Aboud resigned from the ASX board on September 19 after their hedge fund, Manikay Partners, was fined $US2.6 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US.

Manikay agreed to pay the fine, which related to the short-selling of Citigroup shares in 2009, but made no admission of guilt.

Mr Finemore is managing partner of Manikay, while Mr Aboud is the New York hedge fund's chairman.

Mr Holliday-Smith said he was made aware of the SEC investigation after the Australian Securities Exchange issued its notice of annual general meeting on August 26.

But the SEC investigation was confidential and unresolved, and he followed legal advice on the matter.

"It was clear the matter could not be properly considered by the board until the SEC process was understood and the confidentiality issues were resolved," Mr Holliday-Smith told shareholders at ASX's annual meeting on Wednesday.

"Clearly, these events are unfortunate for all concerned."

After the SEC announced its findings, Mr Aboud and Mr Finemore consulted with Mr Holliday-Smith and advised him they would resign, for the best interests of the company.

"They did not want any reputational issues for ASX to arise as a consequence of these matters," Mr Holliday-Smith said.

As part of its normal board renewal process, ASX has a strong list of candidates that will be considered to replace Mr Finemore and Mr Aboud, he said.

Shareholders approved the appointment of former Treasury secretary Ken Henry for full term on the board of ASX on Wednesday, after he joined the company in February.

Meanwhile, chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper said market activity levels in the first two and a half months of the 2013/14 financial year had been stronger than in the same period last year.

"This level of growth is encouraging, although the activity levels do not yet match the strong performance of the second half of FY13," he told shareholders.

ASX shares dropped eight cents to $34.70.

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DJs expects retail to remain weak

Retailer David Jones has reported a full year profit of $95.2m, down six per cent from last year. Source: AAP

FACED with ongoing weakness in the retail sector, David Jones is focussed on lifting online sales and improving margins and customer service.

The department store is also thinking outside the square - investigating the development of a high rise apartment building or office block above its flagship Sydney store.

David Jones made an underlying profit of $101.6 million in the 12 months to the end of July, up slightly from $101.1 million in the previous year.

Investors welcomed the result, which was slightly better than expected, and pushed David Jones shares up 14 cents, or 4.9 per cent, to $2.99.

But total sales in the year were down 1.2 per cent to $1.85 billion, while like-for-like sales, which takes out the impact of new stores, were down 1.8 per cent.

The retailer has been hit by a downturn in consumer sentiment in the past three years, dragging its underlying profit down from $170.8 million in 2010.

Chief executive Paul Zahra said retail conditions would remain subdued for the next 12 months, but the company was focused on improving the business and increasing profitability.

"The thing about our business is that during the up-cycle we need to focus on driving sales hard, and during the down-cycle we need to manage on the things we can control, namely gross profit margins, costs and also our inventory," he said.

David Jones lifted its gross profit margin, or the amount of revenue retained after the cost of doing business, to 38.3 per cent during the year to July, from 37.5 per cent in the previous year.

It is looking for further gains, by cutting back on discounts and passing control of its electronics division to Dick Smith.

Online sales have also improved significantly since the launch of the new David Jones webstore in November 2012, though that still only accounts for just more than one per cent of total sales.

The retailer is also looking to improve customer service through increasing staff hours and improving the visibility of staff on the shop floor.

Meanwhile, the company is talks with developers about possibly building above its Market Street store in Sydney's CBD.

Mr Zahra said there was potential to build an office block, apartment building or hotel above the store, though the proposal was still in its infancy.

"The property cycle is just turning now as we speak so we expect those discussions to continue but there is nothing to report yet," he said.

An independent evaluation valued David Jones' four flagship Sydney and Melbourne CBD properties at $612 million.

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Abbott govt gives NBN Co new directions

The federal government has set new targets and ground rules for NBN Co. Source: AAP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr Turnbull said the government was "open-minded" about what technologies could be used to deliver the national broadband network.

"What we want to do is get the best result for taxpayers and consumers as soon as possible," he said.

Asked about his previous criticism of the NBN Co board, the minister said he had not criticised any individuals.

"They are all very capable people and for the work they've done we owe them a debt of gratitude for that," he said.

"But in terms of a board for a project like this, certainly telecommunications experience, management experience, experience in the contribution of linear infrastructure is clearly very relevant.

"Those particular backgrounds were not present among the directors of the NBN Co that the Labor Party assembled."

Mr Turnbull said the difficulty and complexity of the project had probably been underestimated from the outset.

What he wanted now was the unvarnished truth about how much it would cost and how long it would take.

A spokeswoman for Telstra said the brief for NBN Co was a matter for the government.

"Our focus will be on working constructively with NBN Co and the government to implement the government's policy," she told AAP.

Acting opposition leader Chris Bowen said Labor would continue to argue for fibre to the home so Australia had the best possible national broadband network.

"We think it is important for the future of the nation," he told Sky news.

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Support for climate council takes off

LIKE the debate around global warming itself, Professor Tim Flannery doesn't seem to be going away in a hurry.

Less than a week ago, the prominent scientist and Australian of the Year was out of a job when the independent Climate Commission he headed was abolished by the Abbott government.

But on Tuesday the commission was back, reincarnated as the Australian Climate Council by Prof Flannery and several of his old team who have vowed to carry on their work despite getting the chop.

"This isn't a time for giving up, rather it's a time for determination, for standing up for what's right," Prof Flannery told reporters in Sydney.

The commission once had $1.6 million in annual government funding at its disposal, but the new council will rely entirely on donations generated through an "Obama-style" online fundraising drive.

By mid afternoon, it had attracted more than $165,000, and its Twitter account was suspended from over-activity, prompting a cheeky quip from its organisers.

"We've overcome being suspended before. Let's do it again," the council's Facebook page stated.

Prof Flannery said he'd been "blown away" by the response so far, which kicked off with a donation of just $15.

"People from right across the political spectrum and from all walks of life have contacted us, offering their support," he said.

"They understand why it's important that we continue our work."

The council will serve the same purpose as the now-defunct commission, distilling the complex science of climate change from around the world into absorbable information for the Australian public.

Former commissioners, including climate scientists Will Steffen and Lesley Hughes and former BP Australasia president Gerry Hueston have agreed to volunteer their time to the revamped body.

The Australian Greens congratulated the council on thwarting the Abbott government's attempt to shut it down, but Prof Steffen said they'd be remaining apolitical even if climate science had been drawn into a "very partisan" political atmosphere.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt, who justified the closure of the commission as a savings measure, wished them good luck and said they'd proven government funding wasn't needed to keep them afloat.

The council's first task will be dissecting a vast scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) into language accessible for the average punter.

The detailed scientific report, six years in the making, isn't released until Friday but has already faced damaging leaks and claims of false findings that have angered Australian climate scientists.

Prof Flannery said much misinformation and opinion swirled around climate science, making the fact-based work of the council even more crucial.

"Make no mistake - we're in the middle of a titanic struggle," he said.

"Indeed, I think the fight for a clean and safe environmental future is reaching its peak."

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Campion's Top of the Lake sinks at Emmys

JANE Campion's Top of the Lake ended on the bottom of the pile while Breaking Bad and Modern Family claimed the top gongs at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony.

TV's grandest awards night didn't go to script, with plenty of surprise snubs and wins.

"Holy crap," a stunned Vince Gilligan, executive producer of Breaking Bad, said when his show about a teacher who uses his chemistry skills to make crystal meth, was announced outstanding TV drama series.

"I did not see this coming.

"I thought this was going to be House of Cards or it could have been Homeland or Mad Men or Downton Abbey or Game of Thrones."

While Breaking Bad was recently dubbed the greatest series on TV, it had suffered a rocky Emmy ceremony in the lead-up to the announcement of the drama series win, with the show's odds-on favourite to win lead actor in a drama, Bryan Cranston, beaten by The Newsroom's Jeff Daniels.

Another Breaking Bad favourite, supporting actor Aaron Paul, was overlooked in favour of Boardwalk Empire's Bobby Cannavale.

Cannavale's Aussie girlfriend, actress Rose Byrne, didn't mind, jumping up and down in her seat when the New Jersey-born actor was announced the winner.

On stage in downtown LA's Nokia Theatre, Cannavale ended his acceptance speech thanking the "love of my life, Rose".

Campion and her Top of the Lake cast and crew walked into the theatre with five potential Emmy Awards, but walked out empty handed.

The Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas as the showman pianist and Matt Damon as his young lover Scott Thorson, proved to be a roadblock for the New Zealand-shot, Screen Australia partly funded Top of the Lake.

Behind the Candelabra won the outstanding mini-series or TV movie Emmy while its director, Steven Soderbergh, beat Campion for the directing prize.

Douglas won the lead actor in a mini-series or TV movie Emmy ahead of his co-star Damon.

"You deserve half of this," Douglas told Damon.

Campion was also up for a writing award, but that Emmy went to Abi Morgan for The Hour.

Top of the Lake's Peter Mullan was bypassed for the supporting actor in a mini-series or TV movie Emmy, with James Cromwell the winner for American Horror Story: Asylum.

Elisabeth Moss also missed out on the outstanding actress in a mini-series or TV movie Emmy for her performance as an Australian detective in New Zealand attempting to solve the disappearance of a pregnant girl. The Emmy went to Laura Linney for The Big C: Hereafter.

Moss was also nominated for her role in Mad Men, but Claire Danes for Homeland was named outstanding drama series lead actress.

Modern Family claimed its fourth consecutive comedy series Emmy while Julia Louis-Dreyfus won lead actress in a comedy series for Veep.

The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons was named winner of the lead actor in a comedy series.

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Police smash violent Sydney crime ring

POLICE believe they have smashed a violent Assyrian crime syndicate allegedly involved in murders, drugs and shootings in Sydney's southwest.

About 340 police officers swooped across homes and businesses on Monday, arresting 13 people and seizing drugs, cash and luxury items.

Police allege those arrested are members or associates of the criminal gang DLAST HR, which may have overseas links.

One of the men arrested appears to have been a ringleader after the 34-year-old was charged with knowingly directing activities of a criminal group and recruiting others to assist in carrying out criminal activities.

Twenty-two properties, including a real-estate and car dealership, were targeted across several suburbs, including Fairfield, Campbelltown and Rossmore.

South West Metro Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli said the raids, led by the Fairfield Local Area Command, followed two years of hard work.

He said those targeted had been involved in public shootings and murders.

"We are specifically targeting the head of this group, their activity," he said.

"Some of the information relates to cannabis but what we are talking about is an enterprise, a criminal group that have made thousands upon thousands of dollars through their criminal activities."

The NSW Crime Commission has also been involved in the Strike Force Evesson investigation targeting DLAST HR.

Items seized included eight kilograms of cannabis, almost $25,000 in cash, four jet skis, a boat and a Lotus sports car.

Fairfield Local Area Commander Superintendent Peter Lennon did not rule out links with a wider crime network outside Australia.

"They are domestic although we are aware of some other links that they have got," he said.

"I wouldn't call it international but ... it's a little bit more than just domestic."

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said police would not rest until every criminal was behind bars.

"It's one that we will be continuing to pay particular attention to and certainly from my perspective you can be assured the NSW police will do all we can to break up this and other similar groups," he said.

The Assyrian community in Sydney is 20,000 strong and a majority migrated from Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria, according to the Assyrian Australian Association.

The Fairfield area is home to a large Assyrian population and supported by community organisations including churches and sports clubs.

Police say Assyrian-member group DLAST HR have been a criminal syndicate in southwest Sydney since 2003-2004.

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Govt to control boat arrival information

The federal government is expected to cut-back on briefing media about asylum seeker boat arrivals. Source: AAP

THE Abbott government says it won't constantly update the public on boat arrivals because it wants to starve people smugglers of information.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and deputy chief of army Angus Campbell will give weekly media briefings about Operation Sovereign Borders, the coalition's asylum seeker and border protection exercise.

The first of these will be held on Monday.

"Taking control of how that information is released denies people smugglers the opportunity to exploit such information," Mr Morrison told AAP in a statement on Sunday.

"Labor was impotent in response to arrivals, all they could do was announce them and run a water taxi service."

Briefings will be weekly initially but this could change "based on operational considerations".

Extra briefings would be given when necessary about specific events. This could include instances of boats sinking.

The new protocol for releasing information was agreed to on Thursday after the minister's first meeting with Lt Gen Campbell.

The government will also provide monthly updates on detention and bridging visa statistics for asylum seekers who arrive by boat.

His cabinet colleague Greg Hunt says there will be "regular, continuous, full disclosure" about boat arrivals, but it will be in line with military operational procedure.

Labor leadership hopeful Bill Shorten said it was a disgrace if the government planned to not disclose details of drownings.

"I can't imagine who dreamed that up, not telling anyone about deaths at sea," he told Network 10.

"If a boat sinks ... and people drown, I don't think the government has a right to not tell people that this tragedy has occurred."

Mr Morrison later added that "significant events" such as drownings would be subject to further briefings.

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Biotech experts call for tax reforms

AUSTRALIA'S medical manufacturing industry is leading a call for tax reform to encourage companies to patent ideas and make products locally.

Director of medical devices maker Cook Medical Barry Thomas says tax rewards rather than grants will boost Australian manufacturing.

He says the current system of grants - including those awarded to the car industry - is not the best method.

Mr Thomas says a company should be able to claim back company tax allowances on sales if it takes an idea, licenses or patents it and manufactures it in Australia.

"We're calling for a hand-up rather than a handout," he told AAP on Sunday.

"So instead of grants, we're suggesting two per cent from product sales is deducted from your tax.

"It's really a reward for performance rather than a tax break."

He said the numbers have been crunched and a two per cent tax reduction from the bottom line would result in significant savings.

His proposal has the support of national medical manufacturing industry group AusBiotech.

AusBiotech acting CEO Glenn Cross and Mr Thomas met with senior bureaucrats of the new Abbott government last week to discuss the reforms.

Mr Cross told AAP the government was very receptive to their suggestions, including reducing regulations to help get products on the market more quickly.

"We want to transform the Australian economy and transform it into high value manufacturing," he said.

"It's not just about the biotech industry, it's all manufacturing."

Mr Thomas will take part in a panel discussion about manufacturing trends at the annual AusBiotech Conference in Brisbane.

More than 1000 stakeholders from across the Asia Pacific region, the USA and Europe will take part in the two-day conference from October 31.

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