Hackers sentenced for Jackson music theft

A BRITISH court has sentenced two hackers to 100 hours of community service for stealing a treasure trove of unreleased music - including Michael Jackson tracks - from the US servers of Sony Music Entertainment.

Officials said music aficionados James Marks, 27, and James McCormick, 26, used their home computers to access Sony's servers and scour them for Jackson-related material.

The pair downloaded nearly 8,000 files, including completed or partial tracks, artwork, and videos relating to Jackson and other unspecified Sony artists.

The precise nature of the unreleased material hasn't been made clear - Sony refused to comment on the case.

A statement from Britain's Serious and Organised Crime Agency identified some of the material as stems, which are audio tracks that can be used in mixes and overdubs.

Marks and McCormick, who met online, were arrested in May 2011 after Sony alerted UK law enforcement to the breach.

Chat logs recovered from their computers showed that they planned to sell or trade some of the files.

The theft could have been damaging for Sony had the music been released to the web. The company has a seven-year deal, worth up to $US250 million ($A237 million), to sell unreleased recordings by Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50.

Marks and McCormick initially pleaded their innocence in public, releasing a statement saying that they "would never do anything to harm the legacy that is Michael Jackson's music".

The pair later pleaded guilty to two counts of "unauthorised access to computer material".

Their community service order was handed down at central England's Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

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Woman dies in car smash with truck in Qld

A woman has been killed when the car she was driving collided with a semi-trailer in Qld. Source: AAP

A WOMAN has been killed when the car she was driving collided with a semi-trailer in southwest Queensland.

Police said they were called the scene of the crash which occurred on the Warrego Highway near Jondaryan about 7pm AEST on Friday night.

They said a male passenger in the car was seriously injured while the driver of the truck was not injured.

The highway has been closed while the forensic crash unit investigates.

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Twitter 'move' will help curb online abuse

Twitter is set to open an office in Sydney as part of plans to help combat cyber bullying. Source: AAP

TWITTER'S first corporate presence in Australia will help curb the nation's growing online bullying problem, mental health organisation beyondblue says.

The US-based social media giant is expected to imminently confirm plans to establish a new, full-time presence in Sydney as part of a move to ease tensions with state and federal authorities.

Twitter has not had a full-time presence in Australia since launching in 2006 - a source of major frustration for politicians and police who've been inundated with complaints about online bullying.

Speaking after a visit to Twitter's US headquarters on Friday, deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop said the move was "imminent".

"That's what they told us today - they'd be opening an office in Sydney," she told AAP.

"Facebook has a presence in Australia and it's clear Twitter is about to establish one."

Twitter did not immediately confirm the plans, but the move Down Under has been expected for some time.

Any new corporate presence is likely to have a strong commercial motive for Twitter as it attempts to expand worldwide.

But it's also likely to streamline cooperation with authorities, who've previously asked social networking companies to help unmask anonymous online "trolls".

Beyondblue chief executive Kate Carnell said Twitter's move should help fight Australia's online bullying problem.

"Cyber bullying is going to be a major issue for beyondblue over the next 12 months because we're just getting so many more reports," she told AAP.

"Having a contact point in Australia will help at least with Twitter."

There were several high-profile cases of online bullying in 2012, including rugby league star Robbie Farah who suffered vile abuse about his late mother.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy branded Twitter "arrogant" in September after he unsuccessfully tried to contact the company to discuss the Farah case and ways to combat online bullying.

"They just believe they don't have to take any notice of the Australian public, any notice of the Australian laws, and they think they can behave this arrogantly," he told Nine Network last year.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Senator Conroy had been liaising with social media companies for a long time about cyber bullying, trolls and some of the ugly, "very hurtful" comments on those sites.

Ms Gillard said she'd like social media companies to adopt policies that prevent "some of the extremes we have seen that have caused real harm".

Facebook increased its presence in Australia in 2011, hiring Mia Garlick, a former assistant secretary at the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to oversee its local operations.

Google also has corporate offices in Sydney.

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Film director shocked at NSW schools ban

RENOWNED Australian film director Ray Lawrence says he's shocked the NSW Education Department barred him from schools to film ads promoting the value of public school teachers.

Mr Lawrence, director of the films Lantana, Jindabyne and Bliss, directed the ads for the NSW Teachers Federation.

The $1 million two-week television and cinema ads written by public education advocate Jane Caro will run from Sunday, featuring storylines about a new teacher and a retiring teacher.

At the launch of the "Teachers Make A Difference" campaign in Sydney on Friday, Mr Lawrence said he wanted to shoot in schools but the department's immediate reaction was to send an email to every school banning filming.

"The Education Department went out of their way to sabotage doing it ... it was just ridiculous, it was a shock."

Mr Lawrence said that even when he offered the scripts to show they were non-political, the department declined to view them.

He said the filming ban was a big stumbling block, but the University of NSW assisted with shooting locations.

Teachers Federation President Maurie Mulheron said no teachers would be shocked at the department's ban on filming as its officials always acted to "protect their political masters".

He said the ads were made without any overt political content to highlight the crucial role of teachers in the community.

"Public education is seen by too many politicians as a cost as opposed to an investment in the future."

Mr Mulheron said many politicians denigrated the teaching profession to weaken teachers' voices in defending the role of public education and to justify the denial of higher wages.

In a statement, the department said that during a period of industrial action in 2012, individual principals were approached about filming an advertisement on behalf of the NSW Teachers Federation.

"No further details were provided and on that basis, principals declined to participate in what was presented as being part of an industrial campaign.

"In the absence of any confirmation of exactly who at the department Mr Lawrence spoke to, we are unable to comment further," the statement said.

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Debt agreements rise to avoid bankruptcy

MORE Australians are using debt agreements to avoid bankruptcy.

Nearly 50,000 people have used the agreements during the past five years, resulting in a 20 per cent decline in bankruptcies.

Debt agreements are principally aimed at consumer debtors.

They provide the protections of bankruptcy, such as staying enforcement action against provable debts and relief from harassment.

They also release debts that would be provable in a bankruptcy if the debtor satisfies all the obligations under the agreement.

As well, the debtor does not need to have to all creditors agree to an agreement proposal, unlike an informal arrangement to settle debts.

The agreements also help debtors keep their house.

"Debt agreements give many Australians in financial distress an alternative option to get back on their feet sooner than bankruptcy," federal Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said in a statement on Thursday.

In many cases they could be the smarter way forward, especially as bankruptcy could leave a financial legacy for years, she said.

Figures from the Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia show there were 150,353 bankruptcies between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2012.

During the same time debt agreements increased 68 per cent to 49,034.

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Call to fix hospital aircon in heat

THE NSW opposition is demanding the O'Farrell government urgently fix faulty air conditioning systems at Hunter region hospitals as heatwave conditions return.

Acting Opposition Leader Linda Burney on Thursday blamed government cost-cutting for the failure to complete air conditioning upgrades at Maitland Hospital.

She said the air conditioning in the hospital's emergency ward broke down on Tuesday, leaving patients defenceless against 42 degree temperatures outside.

The government had failed to complete a $1.2 million air conditioning upgrade despite numerous complaints from patients and staff, Ms Burney said.

"We know surgical operations at Maitland are being postponed because it's too hot in the operating theatres," she said.

"With the O'Farrell government cutting billions of dollars from health, it's no surprise it's neglecting basic maintenance like air conditioning."

Patients and staff at Cessnock Hospital were also sweltering, Ms Burney said.

She said if the government did not fix the problems, Labor would shame it into action when parliament resumed.

The office of Health Minister Jillian Skinner has been contacted for comment.

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Govt seeks builder for new icebreaker

THE Australian government wants someone to build a new Antarctic icebreaker to keep Antarctic stations resupplied and support critical Antarctic and Southern Ocean research.

Interested parties are being invited to submit proposals for the design, build and long-term operation and maintenance of a new multi-purpose icebreaker to replace the ageing research and supply Vessel Aurora Australis.

Environment Minister Tony Burke said Aurora Australis has been supporting Australia's Antarctic program for more than 23 years and is nearing the end of its useful life.

"Australia is committed to remaining a leading Antarctic nation," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Ensuring Australia has future access to an icebreaker appropriate for the challenging conditions and future requirements is a top priority."

The government allocated $1.7 million in 2012-13 for the development of a detailed business case for a new Antarctic shipping capability, including essential associated infrastructure and support.

The request for proposal for a new icebreaker has been released on the AusTender website (https://www.tenders.gov.au).

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McDonald's pioneer Turner dies

Former McDonald's CEO Fred Turner, who helped expand the chain's global footprint, has died aged 80. Source: AAP

FRED Turner, a former McDonald's CEO who helped expand the fast-food chain's global footprint and spearheaded the creation of "Hamburger University" has died aged 80.

During Turner's time as CEO from 1974 to 1987, McDonald's more than tripled its number of locations and set up shop in dozens of new markets, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. The chain now has about 34,000 locations worldwide.

Turner spearheaded the creation of McDonald's Hamburger University in 1961, the company said.

Turner was one of founder Ray Kroc's first employees in 1956 and partnered with Kroc in building the McDonald's system.

McDonald's said Turner was the architect of the "quality, service and cleanliness" model that helped McDonald's become a global presence.

Turner became president and chief administrative officer in 1968 and became president and CEO in 1974.

He was elected chairman and CEO in 1977 and served in that capacity until 1987. He remained chairman of the board until 1990 when he was named senior chairman. He retired in 2004 and became honorary chairman.

McDonald's said Turner died in a suburb north of Chicago. He is survived by three daughters and eight grandchildren.

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Tarcutta residents ride out bushfire

THE residents of a township in southern NSW are gathering together after a bushfire cut off their planned escape route.

About a dozen people in Tarcutta, east of Wagga Wagga, have arrived at the Tarcutta RSL and Citizens Club on Tuesday afternoon.

Most of the 300 locals are believed to still be in the area.

More are expected to arrive as club director Ngharie McCallum urges them to take shelter from the conditions.

"It is very close to the township," Ms McCallum told AAP.

"The town is full of smoke.

"It's been so hot and dry today it's like a furnace."

She said there had been plans to evacuate before residents received updated information not to flee the area.

"My daughter's just told me we can't go anywhere so we're going to stay put in the RSL club," Ms McCallum said.

"We're just sort of sitting and waiting because apparently we are surrounded by fire."

An hour earlier, the NSW Rural Fire Service said a fire at the southern side of the township could impact the area at anytime.

Residents were warned to take shelter as it was too late to flee the area.

Embers could be blown up to 4km ahead of the fire, creating spot fires that could move in different directions.

Tarcutta is located on the Hume Highway, which has been closed.

Ms McCallum said the township had not been threatened by bushfire in the 46 years she had been living there.

"They're saying there's another fire north of us so we are virtually in the middle of fire," Ms McCallum said.

"We are surrounded."

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Japan complains about Chinese ships

JAPAN has summoned the Chinese ambassador for the first time under the new nationalist government to "strongly protest" against the presence of official ships in waters around disputed islands.

The foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had told China to stop sending vessels to the area around a chain controlled by Japan under the name Senkakus, but claimed by China as the Diaoyus.

Deputy minister for foreign affairs, Akitaka Saiki, met Chinese ambassador Cheng Yonghua to protest against Beijing's dispatching of four ships on Monday, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry on Monday lodged a protest with the Chinese embassy by telephone.

It summoned Cheng on Tuesday for the first time since conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to power on December 26 with promises of assertive diplomacy to confront a confident China.

The ministry last summoned acting Chinese ambassador Han Zhiqiang on December 13 to file a strong protest after Beijing sent an airplane to the area. Japan scrambled fighter jets in response.

It was the first incursion by a Chinese state aircraft into Japanese airspace anywhere since Tokyo's military began monitoring in 1958.

In the meeting on Tuesday, Saiki "strongly protested over the Chinese public vessels' entry and staying for a long time inside Japanese territorial waters, as well as strongly demanded that such incidents do not happen again," the foreign ministry statement said.

Cheng responded by reiterating China's claim over the islands, but said he will report Japan's protest to Beijing, the foreign ministry said.

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Qld offers help to fire-ravaged Tasmania

QUEENSLAND says it's ready to send help to bushfire-ravaged Tasmania.

Premier Campbell Newman, who is still on leave, spoke with Tasmania's Acting Premier Bryan Green on Monday offering to send any assistance that might be needed.

Acting Premier Jeff Seeney said Mr Newman also expressed his deep sympathy and concern for those affected by the disaster.

"We share the anxiety and concern of Tasmanians at this time with the bushfire threat still current," Mr Seeney said in a statement.

He said Queensland fire crews could be sent to Tasmania immediately if needed.

Queensland is providing planning support to the NSW State Emergency Service, with that state facing a possible fire emergency from Tuesday.

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Man found dead inside tent

A man has been found dead inside a tent in bushland on the NSW far north coast, police say. Source: AAP

THE body of a man has been found in a tent in bushland on the NSW far north coast.

Police said a man was walking through Wooyung Nature Reserve south of Tweed Heads on Friday afternoon when he noticed a tent that had been pitched in the same spot for about a week.

The walker looked inside the tent and found the dead man, police said in a statement.

They are currently trying to ascertain the deceased man's identity and cause of death.

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Abalone fisherman lucky to be alive

ABALONE season in Western Australia has almost claimed another life, with only the swift actions of a beach inspector saving a 50-year old man at Trigg Beach in Perth.

The fisherman was spotted unconscious in the water at 7.30am (WST) and dragged to shore by the City of Stirling beach inspector.

The inspector performed emergency resuscitation on the man both in the water and on shore, City of Stirling beach services manager John Snook said.

After reviving the fisherman, he was taken by ambulance for further treatment.

The dramatic rescue is the latest disaster to strike an abalone fisherman in Perth, with two having already died since November.

In late December, a Chinese man in his 40s drowned in the waters near Cape Leeuwin in the state's southwest while diving for the marine delicacy.

And in November, a 20-year-old Malaysian was swept out to sea in treacherous conditions while on an abalone hunt north of Perth.

The man was caught in a strong rip in Yanchep Lagoon, 55 kilometres north of Perth, and was swept away.

He had been with a group searching for the expensive delicacy on the first day of the heavily restricted recreational fishing season.

The disaster triggered calls for metropolitan abalone fishing spots to be closed in dangerous weather.

Sunday is the third official day of the abalone season, with an hour on the first Sunday of every month from November to March set aside for fisherman to legally collect the large edible sea snails.

The fisherman was taken to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, where he is said to be in a critical condition.

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Firefighters warn of hotter conditions

FIREFIGHTERS are urging NSW residents to prepare their homes against the threat of bushfires as about 70 blazes continue to burn across the state.

NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesman Ben Shepherd told AAP firefighters were trying to get as many under control as possible before conditions turned nasty on Tuesday.

"We're doing what we can to get the majority of these contained prior to the bad fire weather coming through on Tuesday," Mr Shepherd said.

"There is forecast more lightning tonight, so that many prove problematic because it may give us new fires over the next 24 hours.

"We may not have the ability to contain some prior to that real warm, dry, hot weather coming through."

He said there could also be fires that had not been spotted yet, saying the fire situation was "reasonably quiet" across the state.

Blazes were burning near Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Albury and the Snowy Mountains region, he said.

He said extreme fire conditions were predicted in many parts of the state on Tuesday.

He said residents should not to wait until "the last minute" to prepare their properties against bushfire threats.

Total fire bans were currently in place in the southern and northern Riverina, and lower and upper Central West Plains, the RFS said on its website.

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