High-speed crooks and hoodlums may have skipped a heartbeat upon hearing the news that NSW Police have just taken delivery of a Porsche – but it’s not the supercar the bad guys might have been fearing. The Porsche Panamera sedan on loan to the Harbourside Local Area Command – the region immediately north of the […]
Chinese strive to shed cheap smell of success
A visit to the factory of the Haier group in China’s north-eastern city of Qingdao is initially a daunting experience. In hall after vast hall, tens of thousands of trim young workers in neat uniforms work on assembly lines of refrigerators, airconditioners, washing machines and other gadgets. At the entrance to the dining hall is […]
Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi receives Congressional Gold Medal
US lawmakers united by their respect for the Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi have presented her with Congress’ highest civilian honor in a grandiose ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. Suu Kyi, who described Wednesday as “one of the most moving days of my life”, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2008, while […]
Insurgents kill two at Prince Harry’s Afghan base
Heavily armed insurgents have attacked a British air base in southern Afghanistan, killing two US Marines and wounding several other troops, US officials say. Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, is stationed at the base on a four-month combat tour in Afghanistan. There was no immediate word on his whereabouts at the […]
Swamped Apple pushes back some iPhone 5 orders
With a flood of orders coming for the new iPhone 5, Apple pushed back delivery times for the new device on its website Friday. Apple’s U.S. website said that for those ordering the new smartphone, shipping would be in two weeks, a week later than promised. The new iPhone may be available at Apple retail […]
Jailed whistleblower richer to the tune of $100m
A former UBS banker who went to jail after helping to uncover a tax evasion scandal at the Swiss banking giant has received a $US104 million ($100 million) whistleblower reward, his lawyer says. Bradley Birkenfeld is still under home confinement after serving 36 months of his 40-month sentence. He was released from jail on August […]
Apple in talks for free Internet radio
U.S. technology giant Apple is in talks to license music for broadcast on a custom online radio service modeled after Pandora, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said Apple’s service would work on the company’s hardware, including the iPhone, iPad and Mac computers, as well as potentially […]
Ivory for China: poaching soars
IN 30 YEARS of fighting poachers, Paul Onyango had never seen anything like this. Twenty-two dead elephants, including several very young ones, clumped together on the open savannah, many killed by a bullet to the top of the head. There were no tracks leading away, no sign that the poachers had stalked their prey from […]
1 million people commit suicide each year: WHO
One million people die by their own hand each year, accounting for more deaths than wars and murders put together, the World Health Organization said Friday, calling for urgent action to address the problem. “Data from the WHO indicate that approximately one million people worldwide die by suicide each year. This corresponds to one death […]
Coldplay, Rihanna, Jay-Z star in Paralympics finale
London on Sunday bid farewell to the Paralympics, with a spectacular celebration of the human spirit, amid claims the Games had led to a “seismic” shift in attitudes towards disability. Coldplay, Rihanna and Jay-Z headlined a three-hour festival of song and dance in front of 80,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium, with flame-throwers, fantastical vehicles, […]