17 years for killer boxer

A BOXER found guilty of murdering a partygoer who fell to his death at a warehouse rave has been jailed for 17 years. He will serve a non-parole period of at least 12 years.

The dead man's father told the Supreme Court that his sorrow at his son's death was never ending.

But Khalid Baker, 21, still protests his innocence.

"I didn't murder no one, I'm innocent," he told Justice Simon Whelan as he was led from the Supreme Court yesterday.

Baker took part in several unprovoked assaults on guests at the party in Brunswick on November 26, 2005.

Justice Whelan said Baker, of Hoppers Crossing, was involved in violent and aggressive fighting on a landing at the warehouse.

Albert Snowball, 22, was knocked out of a window and fell 5.4m, hitting his head on the footpath.

Mr Snowball, of Perth, was rushed to hospital with brain damage but died.

In May, a jury found Baker guilty of the murder.

Jonathon Snowball told the court of his grief for his son.

"Albert Snowball was my first-born son. I sat him on my knee. I read to him. I carried him against my chest," Mr Snowball said in a victim impact statement.

"He was a good, honourable human being. It is not an easy thing to watch your son die."

Justice Whelan said yesterday that Baker did not intend to kill Mr Snowball or for him to go through the window.

He said while Baker had been found guilty of murder it was a case where "the moral culpability involved approaches the confines of manslaughter".

Justice Whelan said reports tendered to the court suggested Baker had significant problems in his life, which he attributed to his troubles in learning to read and write and prejudice he had experienced because of his colour and religion.

Too many athletes just 'arrogant bullies'

AGGRESSIVE, uncompromising, arrogant, hypocritical, bullies, racist, sexist and violent … they are ways Australian athletes can be described, the sports commentator Tracey Holmes says.

The names of Australian greats Edwin Flack, Marjorie Jackson and Evonne Goolagong Cawley risk being besmirched by "a group of arrogant, alcohol-fuelled bad winners and losers", says Holmes, who will argue the affirmative in tonight's IQ2 debate, "For a sporting nation, we're not very sporting". On her side are the noted cricket writer Gideon Haigh and the Monash University lecturer Brett Hutchins.

Arguing the negative is retired cricket vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, the former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons and the broadcaster Adam Spencer.

Outlining her case Holmes says Australia's lack of sportsmanship is demonstrated in the way we consider our athletes clean and our sporting coaches traitors if they dare take their knowledge elsewhere.

We do not question our Beijing Olympic gold medal winners, she says, but we harbour doubts about Jamaica's 100-metre world record holder, Usain Bolt.

Our blindness may have allowed Shane Warne to try the claim that he failed a drug test because of a diet pill his mum gave him. We are happy to take the expertise of foreign coaches such as Robbie Deans, Guus Hiddink and the diving guru Wang Tong Xiang, yet we hounded Jessicah Schipper's 78-year-old coach for offering his services elsewhere.

Holmes writes that Australian sport has become synonymous with alcohol, saying that 30 per cent of 13-to-17-year-olds drink at sports clubs and footballers' drunken indiscretions no longer shock us.

She points out the national cricket team has never won the Spirit of Cricket Award.

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Alcohol-related hospital visits rise
DRUNKEN female party animals are inundating NSW hospital emergency departments in record numbers.

Brumby confronts booze culture on streets
Victorian Premier John Brumby has toured some of Melbourne's most notorious nightlife strips as his government plots its next move against rising alcoholism and street violence.

Message on a bottle for binge drinkers
BOTTLES of alcoholic drinks could soon carry graphic pictures warning of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption as part of the Federal Government's latest series of measures to cut down on under-age and binge drinking.

Alliance tackles drunken violence
THE TOLL of alcohol-related violence has reached the point where one in five Australians now say they have been directly affected or know someone who has been affected by this type of violence, a new survey shows.

Binge drinking teens: 'two deaths a week'
South Australia's Drug and Alcohol Service says there are about two deaths a week in Australia involving young people who have been binge-drinking.

Calls for binge warnings on alcohol packaging
The Public Health Association (PHA) says warnings about the dangers of binge drinking should be pasted on all forms of packaged alcoholic drinks.

Something is rotten in the state of NSW

IN 1998 the lid was lifted on the corrupt world of NSW railways, revealing that supplying prostitutes could win you a contract, fake medical certificates signed by a dead doctor would get you a day off work, and you could claim overtime while playing golf.

Ten years later it seems little has changed in RailCorp and the stench of corruption is slowly engulfing the NSW public sector.

In past 12 months the Independent Commission Against Corruption has held inquiries into three State Government agencies - the Roads and Traffic Authority, RailCorp and the Department of Housing; the NSW Fire Brigades has joined the list this week.

The commission has begun investigating claims that the former brigade project managers Christian Sanhueza and Clive Taylor awarded $6 million in contracts between 2005 and 2007, using fake tenders to give contracts to shelf companies controlled by Mr Sanhueza.

Contracts were then sub-contracted to cheaper building firms, allegedly netting the pair almost $2.5 million.

Ken Phillips, the director of the work reform unit at the Institute of Public Affairs, said the NSW public service was "rotten to the core".

"The governments in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland are pretty clean governments but NSW has never got over the rum rebellion," Mr Phillips said.

"NSW is very tribal and you have a mates culture in NSW that does not belong in any other state, which leads to an acceptance of sanctified corruption."

The fire brigade allegations are the latest to tarnish the public service and follow ICAC uncovering $22 million in fraudulent RailCorp contracts being awarded, including $3 million in kickbacks to rail staff, in one of the biggest investigations in the commission's history.

The inquiry, the seventh corruption investigation of the NSW railways since 1992, also revealed a welding manager defrauded RailCorp of $4.28 million and a contracts officer helped herself to $650,000. They were among eight people recommended for prosecution.

RailCorp was also under the corruption spotlight last year when it was discovered that an engineer, Said Marcos, awarded air-conditioning contracts to his mates, landing himself at least $710,000. But the problems are not confined to the railways.

In January this year, the commission investigated a state housing official, Douglas Norris, who took bribes to let people jump the public housing waiting list.

He also allowed homes to be used by drug dealers. It emerged that Mr Norris operated a bribes-for-accommodation scheme with alleged drug dealers and other housing tenants who acted as middlemen. Tenants paid between $500 and $700 for a bedsit or between $1500 and $1700 for a two- or three-bedroom flat.

And last year a Roads and Traffic Authority registry manager, Paul McPherson, was investigated by the commission after he provided at least 100 motorists the answers to their L-plate licence tests and gave advance warning of the route of their driving tests. False email records were also created to allow migrant New Zealanders to obtain NSW drivers' licences as part of the scam.

At least 12 public servants or contractors are facing criminal charges for their roles in various corrupt activities, and so widespread is the problem in RailCorp that the massive bureaucracy is struggling to implement the internal reforms required to fix its problems.

In a parliamentary inquiry into ICAC last month, the commissioner, Jerrold Cripps, said RailCorp had "flooded" the commission with work yet the Government was often extremely slow or had failed to implement the recommendations handed down by the commission.

"The perception is that we keep exposing it and nothing happens," Mr Cripps told the inquiry.

Rudd to raise China Olympic censorship

China's human rights worse: Amnesty

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will raise concerns with the Chinese Government about internet censorship during the Olympics.

Chinese authorities are blocking sensitive websites used by the international media and are using spyware to monitor internet use in hotels used by journalists and other visitors to the Games.

The chairman of the International Olympic Committee's media commission, Kevan Gosper, has complained that he was not informed of the decision and says his reputation has been damaged over the issue.

Mr Rudd has said he will discuss the issue when he visits Beijing for the Games.

"I'm quite concerned by them, I saw the reports, also the comments by Kevan Gosper," he said.

"My attitude to our friends in China is very simple, they should have nothing to fear by open digital links with the rest of the world during this important international celebration of sport."

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates meanwhile agrees that the controversy has "damaged" Mr Gosper.

"He clearly at some stage has been under the impression, and you showed me the bit of paper saying there would be restrictions," he said.

"He didn't know that, he's apologised.

"Others in the IOC say there are no restrictions. So we'll see. I'm finding it a little confusing."

Related:

China's human rights worse: Amnesty
Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

Dalai Lama arrives in Sydney
The president of the NSW Tibetan Community, Tenzin Gaden said he hoped the Dalai Lama's visit would raise awareness of the plight of the Tibetan people, who are under Chinese rule.

Thousands flock to Canberra ahead of torch relay
"Among all the communities, including the Chinese and Tibetan, those who live in Australia, I personally have had to deal with them in many, many years, they are strongly supportive of peace and harmony, because we are a great multicultural nation here."

China's human rights worse: Amnesty

Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

The report says that far from improving, China's human rights record has actually worsened.

Amnesty says when it won the right to host the games, the Chinese Government promised better human rights and greater freedom for the media.

But Amnesty's China researcher Mark Allison says this has not happened.

"We want China to live up to its promise of complete media freedom and allow full access to foreign journalists who are reporting in China," he said.

"We want them to release all the journalists, Chinese journalists, who've been imprisoned in violation of their human rights and also to stop its censorship of the domestic media, particularly the internet."

There has not been a reaction to the Amnesty report from China so far.

Related:

Beijing 2008: how much will you be allowed to see?



The spectacle of the opening ceremony. The competition in the pool. The drama in the glamorous stadium. All of this and more will be broadcast around Australia and the world when the Beijing Olympics get underway in just a few weeks time.

But what about the executions still being carried out by the Chinese Government? Or the ‘Re-education through Labour’ camps where hundreds of thousands of people are detained without charge or trial? What about the torture that is frequently reported? The repression of free speech?

Ye Guozhu was tried in secret and sentenced to four years in jail for “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble”. His ‘crime’ was to apply for permission to protest after his home and restaurant were demolished to make way for the Olympics.

People like Ye Guozhu are silenced. You are not. Use your freedom to speak up for those who can’t and become a Human Rights Defender.

Human rights in China have actually deteriorated because of the Games. The authorities have locked up and forcibly removed people they think will threaten the image of stability and harmony.

This is the China the authorities do not want you to see. Please don’t let them pull the wool over your eyes. Get the full picture on China.

Help monitor China's internet censorship now!

China operates a sophisticated internet censorship regime and it is difficult to know exactly what information Chinese citizens can and can't access. The lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics has seen some previously inaccessible websites in China become wholly or partly accessible.

We have developed a method to test, monitor and report on changes in levels of censorship, to assist in pressuring the Chinese Government to not revert old ways once the Games are over. If you are travelling to China during 2008 you can register to become a Chinese Internet Censorship Index (CICI) tester. This simply involves testing access to specific websites. The sites chosen for testing are ones that a tourist or journalist might access, such as BBC news and flickr. We believe that participating in these tests presents no risk to visitors to China.

Those not travelling to China can also participate by displaying a CICI badge on their Facebook, MySpace, blog or website to help us spread the word.

Join global day of protest

To mark the 10-day countdown to the Beijing Olympics on 30 July, we will be holding a global, online day of protest against internet censorship in China. All registered websites will display a censorship simulation which will momentarily censor random words on webpages.

Join the protest by registering now

Updated 30 July 11:36am (AEST)

China to censor Internet during Games: official

China will censor the Internet used by foreign media during the Olympics, an organising committee official confirmed Wednesday, reversing a pledge to offer complete media freedom at the games.

"During the Olympic Games we will provide sufficient access to the Internet for reporters," said Sun Weide, spokesman for the organising committee.

He confirmed, however, that journalists would not be able to access information or websites connected to the Falungong spiritual movement which is banned in China.

Other sites were also unavailable to journalists, he said, without specifying which ones.

Journalists working at the main press centre for the Olympics also complained that they were unable to access Internet sites belonging to rights group Amnesty International, the BBC, Germany's Deutsche Welle, Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, and Taiwan newspaper Liberty Times.

"Our promise was that journalists would be able to use the Internet for their work during the Olympic Games," said Sun.

"So we have given them sufficient access to do that."

However, in the runup to the Games the Beijing Olympic organising committee, under pressure from the International Olympic Committee, has promised full access to the Internet for thousands of reporters expected here to cover the August 8-24 Games.

Falungong is a spiritual group banned by China as an "evil cult," and many of its members have been detained, amid claims that hundreds have died in custody due to torture, abuse and neglect.

Dalai Lama arrives in Sydney
The president of the NSW Tibetan Community, Tenzin Gaden said he hoped the Dalai Lama's visit would raise awareness of the plight of the Tibetan people, who are under Chinese rule.

Thousands flock to Canberra ahead of torch relay
"Among all the communities, including the Chinese and Tibetan, those who live in Australia, I personally have had to deal with them in many, many years, they are strongly supportive of peace and harmony, because we are a great multicultural nation here."

David Dench jailed for fraud

Former North Melbourne football club captain David Dench has been sentenced to 14 months in jail for his part in a million-dollar fraud scheme.

Ten months of the sentence has been suspended.

The court heard Dench took part in the scheme to defraud Victoria University by creating false invoices for maintenance work.

A Victorian County Court jury found him guilty of 11 fraud-related charges.

Judge Jim Wood sentenced Dench to serve four months in prison with the remaining 10 months of his sentence suspended for two years.

In sentencing, Judge Wood said Dench was a cog in the machine to defraud Victoria University and his financial reward was minor.

But he said Dench had shown no remorse and still denied his guilt despite strong evidence against him.

Outside court, Dench's lawyer Bernie Balmer said his client is holding up well, but is worried about his family.

"We accept the verdict and we accept the sentence," he said.

"We won't be appealing, he just wants to get the next 3-and-a-half months out of the road, settle with the university and get on with life."

Dench captained North Melbourne in the 1977 grand final and was inducted in the AFL Hall of Fame in 2000.

Australian rules player jailed for punch

A COUNTRY footballer sentenced to jail for an onfield punch says he is shocked by the verdict and believes a match suspension would have been sufficient punishment.

Trent Stanimirovitch, 28, who plays Australian rules football for Whorouly, near the Victorian town of Wangaratta, was sentenced by a magistrate on Wednesday to two months in jail.

An AFL spokesman said yesterday he was not aware of any other instance of a player being jailed for misbehaviour on the field.

Stanimirovitch punched an opponent behind play during an Ovens & King Football League match against Glenrowan last year. The victim was knocked unconscious, his teeth were driven though his lips and he suffered permanent scarring.

The magistrate, Pauline Spencer, told Stanimirovitch brutality and cowardly acts would not be tolerated.

He pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious injury, but has lodged an appeal against the severity of the sentence. He has been released on bail and both teams are supporting his appeal.

Olympic torch touches down in Canberra

The Olympic torch has landed amid tight security at the Canberra airport RAAF base.

The flame flew in from Jakarta, where it was paraded through a heavily-guarded stadium last night after police stopped about 100 pro-Tibet protesters from disrupting the Indonesian relay leg.

The international symbol of the Olympic Games will be given a red carpet welcome when it is carried off the aircraft.

Indigenous Australians will perform a welcome ceremony, before the flame is handed over to the ACT's Chief Minister Jon Stanhope.

It is the only Australian stop-off for the Olympic torch before it embarks on a massive tour of China.

Related:

Police get extra powers for torch relay
Amnesty International has published their annual death penalty count and China remains the top executioner in the world. April 16 2008

Police get extra powers for torch relay

Police in Canberra have been given extra powers to search people and seize items during the Olympic torch relay next week.

The ACT Government has made declarations under major events security laws, designed to prevent dangerous items from being brought into the torch relay area.

Police will have greater authority to search people and to seize items, including eggs, paint bombs, fire extinguishers and flares.

Meanwhile the head of the Canberra Torch Relay Committee, Ted Quinlan, says Chinese torch attendants could be arrested if they lay a hand on people during the relay.

"The Chinese authorities, from my negotiations with them ... [are] fairly clear on that," he said.

"The final question will be are the people who arrive here with the flame clear also, and we'll be making sure they are."

Yesterday the head of security for the Canberra leg of the Olympic torch relay moved to clear up confusion over the role Chinese military officials will play.

Deputy president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kevan Gosper said the Chinese will accompany the torch but will only be called on in an emergency.

But ACT deputy chief police officer Shane Connolly said Chinese authorities will not be used for security under any circumstances.

Related:

Amnesty International has published their annual death penalty count and China remains the top executioner in the world. April 16 2008

China 470+
Iran 317+
Saudi Arabia 143+
Pakistan 135+
USA 42
Iraq 33+
Vietnam 25+
Yemen 16 +
Afghanistan 15
Libya 9+
Japan 9
Syria 7+
Sudan 7+
Bangladesh 6
Somalia 5+
Equatorial Guinea 3
Singapore 2