Massive fire in Mackay shops under control

A MASSIVE fire that gutted four shopping outlets in north Queensland has been brought under control.

Emergency services received reports of a fire in a shopping centre on Greenfield Boulevard, Mackay, at 11.45am (AEST) on Saturday.

The Department of Community Safety (DCS) says at 3pm (AEST) the main fire, which destroyed most of the Toys R Us, Clark Rubber and Autobarn stores, had been put out and firefighters were hosing down remanent flames.

No one was injured.

A public safety order is still in place because of police concerns about toxic smoke from burning chemicals in some of the shops.

A nearby shop worker, who did not want to be named, said witnesses saw four teenagers being arrested in the carpark.

"They (the teenagers) were in our shop this morning, we hunted them out. They were being horrible in here," she told AAP.

"Officers have put those young people in a paddy wagon."

Police couldn't confirm whether any arrests had been made, but the DCS confirmed a fire investigator would be brought in to work out how the blaze started.

Drivers are being warned to expect long delays on the Bruce Highway, which is next to the shopping centre.

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Victims to testify in Afghan war hearing

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Washington, Nov 10 AP - An Afghan National Army guard who reported seeing a US soldier outside a remote base the night 16 civilians were massacred in March said the man did not stop even after being asked three times to do so.

The guard, named Nematullah, testified by live video from Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Friday night during an overnight session for a hearing in the case against Staff Sergeant Robert Bales.

"I told him to stop," the guard said, through an interpreter. "He came towards me ... and then he went inside."

Bales is accused of carrying out the attacks and could face the death penalty if he is convicted in the March 11 massacre. The preliminary hearing will help determine whether he faces a court-martial.

The hearing was also expected to feature testimony from two victims and four relatives of victims about the pre-dawn attack.

The villagers will speak, by video conference and through an interpreter, to a military courtroom at Joint Base Lewis-McChord during an overnight session to accommodate the time difference.

Bales, a 39-year-old Ohio native and father of two from Lake Tapps, Washington, faces 16 counts of premeditated murder and six counts of attempted murder in the attack in southern Afghanistan.

Prosecutors say that Bales wore a T-shirt, cape and night-vision goggles - no body armour - when he slipped away from his remote post, Camp Belambay. He first attacked one village, returned to the base, and headed out again to attack another village, they say.

In between, he woke a fellow soldier, reported what he'd done, and said he was headed out to kill more, the soldier testified. But the soldier didn't believe what Bales said, and went back to sleep.

Nine children were among the victims, and 11 of the victims were from the same family.

Another Afghan National Army guard who reported seeing a soldier return to Belambay and then leave again was also scheduled to testify.

On Thursday, a US Army DNA expert testified that Bales had the blood of at least four people on his clothes and guns when he surrendered.

The blood of two males and two females was discovered on Bales' pants, shirt, gloves, rifle and other items, said Christine Trapolsi, an examiner at the Army's Criminal Investigation Laboratory.

To preserve the evidence, she said she only tested a portion of the bloodstains, and it's possible more DNA profiles could be discovered through additional testing.

Another forensic expert from the Criminal Investigation Lab, fibre specialist Larry Peterson, testified that a small piece of fabric that matched the cape Bales reportedly wore was discovered on a pillow in one of the attacked compounds.

Prosecutors referred to the cape as a blanket, but Peterson said it was more like a decorative covering for a window or doorway.

Bales has not entered a plea and was not expected to testify. His lawyers, who did not give an opening statement, have not discussed the evidence, but say Bales has post-traumatic stress disorder and suffered a concussive head injury during a prior deployment to Iraq.

A US agent who investigated the massacre has testified that local villagers were so angered it was weeks before American forces could visit the crime scenes about a kilometre from a remote base.

By that time, bodies had been buried and some bloodstains had been scraped from the walls, said Special Agent Matthew Hoffman of the Army's Criminal Investigation Command.

Other stains remained, on walls and floors. Investigators recovered shell casings consistent with the weapons Bales reportedly carried.

Hoffman also said Bales tested positive for steroids three days after the killings.

Bales leaned back in his chair at the defence table and did not react as an Army doctor, Major Travis Hawks, gave clinical descriptions of treating the wounded villagers as they arrived at a nearby forward operating base.

One girl had a large bullet wound in the top of her head, he said. She was unresponsive at first, but survived after treatment.

A woman had wounds to her chest and genitals, but she and her relatives insisted that the male doctors not treat her. Prosecutors showed photos of the victims being treated.

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Charles talks of Harry's frontline calls

PRINCE Harry has phoned home from the front line in Afghanistan three times, the Prince of Wales has revealed.

Like any other serviceman away on operations, Harry rang his father to presumably catch up with family life and let everyone know he is doing well.

Charles had an emotional farewell with his son, an Apache co-pilot gunner, a few weeks before he flew to Camp Bastion, the UK's biggest military Afghan base, so he would have welcomed hearing Harry's voice.

The heir to the throne revealed on Friday he had spoken to Harry a number of times since his deployment in early September during a Sydney reception with the Duchess of Cornwall for Australian servicemen and women who have recently returned from operations across the world.

Charles chatted to Major Karl Reynolds, from 19th Chief Engineer Works, and a group of his military colleagues at Garden Island, home to the Royal Australian Navy's largest Pacific Ocean base.

Charles joked about the awesome firepower of the Apache, telling the men and their partners: "They're a nasty piece of work, I wouldn't like to get in their way."

Maj Reynolds, 33, who returned home to Kincumber near Sydney in July after a six-month deployment building military accommodation and airstrips in Afghanistan, said after chatting to the prince: "He was talking about the Apache and what a lethal bit of kit they are - once the Taliban see it they disappear.

"And he was also saying he had received calls from his son, he said he had phoned three times.

"It's good Harry is phoning home, it's so easy to do now with the internet; a letter is always good, but you can't beat a call home."

The Queen and Charles were both fully briefed about Harry's return to the front line and St James's Palace said when the royal flew out that the Prince was "immensely proud of his son".

Captain Harry Wales - as he is known in the Army - spent around 10 days acclimatising and training to hone his skills when he first deployed, but will now be well into operations.

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Perth taxi driver jailed over sex attack

A PERTH taxi driver who sexually assaulted a sleeping female passenger in his cab has been sentenced to three years' jail.

Sumudu Rangana Bamunu Arachchige, 28, was sentenced in Perth's District Court on Friday after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent assault and one charge of sexual penetration without consent.

Arachchige picked up the 34-year-old victim around 10.30pm (WST) on July 7 from Mt Hawthorn, in Perth's north.

She was intoxicated and fell asleep in the passenger seat during the journey but woke to find him rubbing her leg.

The woman shrunk away from him and texted a friend: "The driver felt me up."

She fell asleep again and woke to find him caressing her thigh with her skirt lifted higher.

After brushing his hand away, the woman vomited out the window and fell asleep again.

She woke again to find him digitally penetrating her and slapped his hands away.

When he dropped her home, the woman called police and Arachchige was arrested shortly after.

Arachchige's lawyer argued that his client suffered from amnesia, low self-esteem and heard a voice in his head after being sexually abused by a woman as a child.

Judge Philip McCann said Arachchige had committed a "particularly serious breach of trust".

He said general deterrence for taxi drivers was paramount.

Arachchige is Sri Lankan and had been living in Australia on a student visa for five years.

Judge McCann dismissed the voices in Arachchige's head as "internal dialogues" that most people had, but he accepted that Arachchige had been abused as a child and suffered chronic depression.

He said there was a medium-to-low risk of Arachchige reoffending.

The sentence was backdated to July 8 when Arachchige was taken into custody.

He will be eligible to be considered for parole in January 2014, and upon release will likely be deported.

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More jobs created but workforce shrinks

AUSTRALIA'S unemployment rate remained steady in October but there were fewer people looking for jobs and fewer hours being worked.

Official figures released on Thursday showed the unemployment rate remained at 5.4 per cent in October, with 10,700 extra people finding employment in the month.

However, the percentage of working age Australians either employed or looking for work declined by 0.1 to 65.1 per cent, figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed.

Commsec economist Savanth Sebastian said the figures suggested the labour market was treading water amid a period of weak consumer confidence and concerns about a possible downturn in the global economy.

"Employers aren't keen to hire unless they have to, given the global uncertainty," he said.

"But while jobs are being lost in some industries, clearly they are being created in other industries."

However, ANZ economist Justin Fabo warned the number of jobs created in October was not enough to keep up with population growth.

He said about 17,000 new jobs were needed each month to keep up with the rising population, which meant the unemployment rate would rise in the coming months if the labour market did not improve.

"Population growth is strengthening in Australia, so stronger employment outcomes are necessary to stop upward pressure on the unemployment rate," he said.

The ABS figures also showed the total number of hours worked in the month declined 0.3 per cent and was down 1.2 per cent compared to October 2011.

There were also signs that the positive impact of the mining boom on the jobs market may be starting to wane, with resource-rich Western Australia's unemployment rate jumping 0.6 to 4.6 per cent.

Queensland, the other major mining economy, lost 1400 jobs, though its unemployment rate declined 0.1 to 6.2 per cent due to a 0.2 percentage point contraction in the size of its workforce.

National Australia Bank senior economist Spiros Papadopoulos said the figures were unlikely to persuade the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut its key interest rate in December.

"Whatever they were thinking (about the labour market) earlier this week, I don't think this would have changed their outlook," he said.

"I don't think the figures today really increase or decrease the chances of them going in December."

The RBA kept the cash rate on hold at 3.25 per cent at its November board meeting on Tuesday.

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Op shop chic wins fashions on the field

AN old bag has won fashions on the field.

The peplum in 22-year-old Amy Robson's winning dress was once a handbag purchased by her grandmother Sandra from an op shop in Perth.

The pair spent hours pulling the bag apart, then decorating it with hand-painted beads, before turning it into a key piece of the ensemble they created together.

"It's a hobby for both of us. We don't count the time," said Ms Robson, national winner of the 2012 Melbourne Cup Carnival fashions on the field competition.

Sandra Robson, dressed in cream and bronze, was at Flemington on Thursday to support her granddaughter.

"There's no time factor involved, it's just a labour of love," she told AAP.

The jersey print dress was inspired by an Alexander McQueen gown from about five years ago.

Sandra said she put her own personal twist on the iconic UK designer's idea when making the piece, which featured a high neckline and brown and orange colours.

The finishing flourish was an acid-yellow beaded ruffle - or peplum - that accentuated slender Amy Robson's hips.

"It was a brown beaded handbag," Sandra said.

On her head, Brisbane resident Amy wore a black and yellow hat, which Sandra also made.

"I carved a shape out of polystyrene," she said. "Then just sort of wrapped it around."

The ensemble was the result of many evenings spent painting brown beads acid yellow while watching fashion reality show Project Runway.

"Amy and I had quite a bit of fun painting those beads," Sandra said.

"The first thousand were the worst."

Ms Robson's prize package includes a Lexus convertible, a Myer shopping spree and a nine carat white gold pin.

Ms Robson was joined on the winners' podium by first runner-up Amanda Macor, from Cairns, and second runner-up Emma Reynolds, the West Australian finalist.

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Second bikie shot in gang war in Sydney

A Sydney shooting in which a man was gunned down may be bikie-related, police say. Source: AAP

WARRING factions in the Comanchero bikie gang may be responsible for two shootings within three days that have left one of their members dead and the other clinging to life.

Police urged calm on Tuesday, saying the community shouldn't fear "open-gang warfare" in the streets of Sydney.

The call came after a 28-year-old man known to police was shot four times in the stomach about 5am (AEDT) in a car park at Rhodes, in the city's northwest.

The wounded man, who police confirmed was a Comanchero member, left a trail of blood as he stumbled 500 metres past Rhodes train station and a childcare centre, calling for help before collapsing in front of a construction site in Rider Boulevard.

"I heard a guy calling out for help," Ashlea Nicholson from an adjacent unit block told reporters.

"Just 'help', over and over. At least 10 times."

A construction worker at the building site said blood was pouring from the man's wounds.

"There was a man on the ground and (he was) screaming," the man, who asked not be named, told AAP.

"Blood was pouring out and he was screaming."

He understood at least one bikie member lived in the unit block next to where the shooting occurred.

Police said the wounded man was alert and talking on his way to surgery at Westmead Hospital, where doctors expected him to survive.

As residents were leaving the area for work, hundreds were arriving in Rhodes to start their work day at the local business centre.

A Comanchero member also working at the construction site did not witness the shooting, but said bikie members congregated in all parts of Sydney.

"I've been a member of the Comancheros for 31 years," the man told AAP.

"They're not bikies," he said about the current members, "They're gangs."

The acting head of the Organised Crime Squad, Arthur Katsogiannis, said police didn't believe a rival club was responsible.

"We believe ... that it is a contained conflict within the Comanchero," acting Detective Chief Superintendent Katsogiannis told reporters in Sydney.

"The important thing for us is to reassure the community that we're not looking at open gang warfare."

On Monday, Comanchero member Faalau Pisu, 23, was shot in the head outside a wedding reception in Canley vale, in Sydney's southwest.

He died hours later in hospital but another Comanchero and an associate of the gang who were also wounded survived the attack.

Police had attended the wedding earlier in the evening as a precaution but left before the shooting, saying the scene seemed peaceful.

In October, Brothers For Life gang member Yehya Amoud, 27 was shot dead in a street in Greenacre but his wounded associate Bassam Hijazi survived.

In August, Roy Yaghi and Jamie Grover, both known to police, were shot dead as they sat in a car at nearby South Wentworthville.

On Wednesday, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell expressed his "frustration about this violence and these shootings".

Opposition Leader John Robertson said the latest shootings brought the total in Sydney to 124 so far this year, by the opposition's count.

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Romney concedes race in phone call

MITT Romney has called Barack Obama to concede the 2012 US election, an Obama aide says.

Romney then addressed his supporters in Boston early on Wednesday.

"I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory," Romney confirmed.

The losing Republican nominee said Obama faced major challenges, adding: "I pray the president will be successful in guiding our nation."

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Network Ten to sack journalists

NETWORK Ten is expected to begin sacking journalists after failing to obtain sufficient voluntary redundancies, a union says.

The cuts are part of a plan by Ten to chop 100 journalist, camera and producer positions, or about one-third of its national news staff, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) said on Tuesday.

The MEAA said it had been in talks with Ten about the cuts but decided to withdraw a Fair Work Australia application accusing the broadcaster of being secretive about the redundancies.

In a statement on Tuesday, the MEAA said Ten had failed to provide details including the likely final number of voluntary redundancies and the redundancy procedure.

Around 40 journalists are expected to be sacked, News Ltd reports.

On Friday, Ten confirmed it had fired 10 people in its Queensland newsroom.

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ACT airport hub still possible: NSW govt

THE NSW coalition government has accused the commonwealth of "political game-playing" over its attack on a decision to build homes near Canberra Airport.

NSW on Tuesday approved the rezoning of the Tralee Housing Development to allow 2000 new homes south of Queanbeyan in a $400 million venture.

But the federal Labor government says the development under the Canberra Airport flight path will stymie its use as a second airport for Sydney.

Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese says the move shows Premier Barry O'Farrell's plans for the Canberra hub to replace the need for a second Sydney airport were "farcical and completely contradictory".

But NSW Planning Minister Brad Hazzard disagrees, instead accusing the federal minister of being the one playing games.

"The only issue he's been particularly interested in was having a political mud-slinging fight today," Mr Hazzard said, adding that the move was supported by other ALP politicians such as local federal Labor MP Mike Kelly and NSW opposition planning spokesman Steve Whan.

Mr Hazzard said the development was "logical, sensible, and merit-based", striking a balance between allowing Canberra Airport to grow while delivering much-needed housing to the area.

The original proposal has been cut in size by 20 per cent. Houses will be required to have noise insulation installed and prospective buyers must be notified about the potential for aircraft noise.

But Canberra Airport manager Stephen Byron said he was stunned by the decision, especially after seven inquiries had recommended against the development.

Mr Byron said people at Jerrabomberra in Queanbeyan had been warned they were building near flight paths 14 years ago but to no avail.

"If you build houses under flight paths ... they complain," he told ABC radio.

"That's why Tralee cops it - it never used to - because the noise has been moved from Jerrabomberra because they complained about the noise and they're a highly effective lobby group."

Canberra Airport's expansion plans were now "very much in the air", he added.

Mr Albanese also refused to rule out court action over the issue, saying he had already appealed to the state government to review the decision.

The Australian Tourism Export Council said placing houses directly under the flight path constrained growth options for the airport.

"Building housing right under a known flight path, when there are alternative options available, seems short-sighted and completely disregards the economic benefits an airport - particularly an international airport - will bring to the local area," managing director Felicia Mariani said in a statement.

Passenger traffic at Canberra Airport is forecast to grow by 36 per cent in the next decade, with an average 97 flights a day over the Tralee area.

There was no curfew at Canberra Airport so residents under the flight path would be affected by aircraft noise around the clock, he said.

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher hoped the federal government would do what it could to avoid such an outcome or the alternative of noise-sharing across established Canberra suburbs.

"But I think from the ACT government's point of view, there is very little we can do," she told reporters in Canberra.

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Royals touch down in Longreach

THE Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have started the Australian leg of their 13-day Pacific tour after arriving in Longreach.

Prince Charles and Camilla touched down in the outback Queensland town on Monday afternoon.

At 4pm (AEST), the royal jet's doors were opened and the couple was greeted by dignitaries including Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley and Queensland Premier Campbell Newman.

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Gillard warns Burma on human rights

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has warned that Burma must make more effort to improve its record on human rights, adding to criticism which threatens to overshadow political reform in the once-isolated so-called pariah state.

Despite acknowledgment of political reforms, the release of political prisoners and the election to parliament of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, major concerns remain about human rights abuses in Burma.

Ethnic violence has broken out, with dozens of people killed and more than 100,000 displaced in clashes between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims.

Ms Gillard said she welcomed changes in Burma which had seen it take steps towards democracy.

A nominally civilian government led by President Thein Sein, who served as a general and then prime minister under the junta, was installed in March 2011.

"We have seen changes happen, and as change has happened, every step of the way we have welcomed that change and we have shifted Australia's foreign policy settings to recognise that change," Ms Gillard told reporters in Vientiane.

The comments came ahead of talks between Ms Gillard and President Sein in Vientiane on Monday, the first such meeting between an Australian prime minister and a leader of Burma since 1984.

"This meeting is another recognition of that change," Ms Gillard said.

But the prime minister said there was "still more to do", and insisted that she would raise her concerns with the Burmese president.

"I will certainly be saying as I have said here that we have continuing concern about human rights questions for ethnic minority groups," she said.

Australia has already lifted targeted travel and financial sanctions on 126 individuals in Burma, but there is still an arms embargo in place.

The unrest and accusations of ethnic cleansing have prompted Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa to warn that Burma was a problem for the entire bloc of South-East Asian nations.

"Of course the matter to do with the Rohingya, the Rakhine state is an issue of concern for ASEAN countries, for individual ASEAN countries," Mr Natalegawa said.

"We [Indonesia] wish very much for (Burma) to be able to address this problem in a positive way in the same way that it has on the overall democratic process," he told AFP ahead of an Asia-Europe meeting in Laos.

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New poll shows Obama-Romney race tied

JUST 48 hours before election day, the race for the White House is tied, with both President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney receiving 48 per cent support among likely votes, a new poll has found.

The latest ABC News/Washington Post survey also showed on Sunday that even independents, whose decision can push one of the candidates over the top, are now evenly divided: 46 per cent favour Obama and 46 per cent Romney.

Even the candidates' likability ratings, where the president used to lead by a wide margin, have practically evened out. Fifty-four per cent of likely voters now express a favourable opinion of Obama while 53 per cent do the same about Romney.

But the candidates, according to the poll, fare differently among various social and ethnic groups.

Obama, for example, leads among women by a margin of six per cent while Romney leads among men by seven per cent.

Whites favour Romney by a margin of 20 per cent, but Obama leads by a 59 per cent margin among non-whites.

As in the 2008 election, young adults favour Obama by a 25 per cent margin while seniors prefer Romney by 12 per cent.

And Romney practically owns evangelical white Protestants, leading by a 70 per cent among this group.

The survey had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

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Show goes on for injured Goodrem

SINGER Delta Goodrem has assured fans she will be fit enough to perform at her scheduled Melbourne concerts next week, despite suffering nasty burns to her legs in a bizarre accident last Friday.

Ms Goodrem was forced to abandon a concert at Sydney's State Theatre on Friday night, after succumbing to the injuries suffered when she spilt boiling water from a humidifier onto herself.

"Unfortunately the pain and effects from treating the burns got greater and greater as the night progressed and ultimately there came a point that I could not continue performing," Ms Goodrem said in a statement.

"I want everyone to know that I am recovering well and will be in fine form for my forthcoming Melbourne shows next week. Thank you again for your support and understanding."

Promoter Paul Dainty said patrons at the Sydney concert would be entitled to a 50 per cent refund.

"Delta showed incredible courage and dedication to her fans by soldiering on through the pain and dizziness to perform a brilliant first hour of her show to a full house at the Sydney State Theatre," Mr Dainty said.

"We are all just so proud of her trying to do the best for her fans and at least deliver half of her show under such difficult circumstances."

Ticketmaster will contact all patrons regarding the refund procedure.

Ms Goodrem is due to play at the Hamer Hall at the Melbourne Arts Centre on Wednesday, November 7 and Thursday, November 8.

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