US village honours Aust army captain

A New York village has honoured Australian soldier Captain Paul McKay, who died on a mountain. Source: AAP

THE small upstate New York village of Saranac Lake has honoured Australian soldier Captain Paul McKay, who died in sub-zero conditions on a mountain in January.

A group of eight, including Saranac Lake Mayor Clyde Rabideau and the Australian Army's Major Cameron Satrapa, scaled Scarface Mountain on Friday morning to the site where Capt McKay's body was found.

They gathered some rocks together to create a cairn memorial and placed a blue ribbon and a poppy on it.

"We said some prayers and toasted Capt McKay with some Australian beer," Mr Rabideau told AAP.

"It was a nice, simple, solemn service."

An Anzac Day service, attended by 150 people, was then held at Saranac Lake's World War I memorial where the Australian anthem was sung and the Ode of Remembrance read.

The residents of Saranac Lake, located near the Canadian border, were heartbroken when Capt McKay's body was found on the mountain after an intense two-week search.

Capt McKay, 31, from Adelaide, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress after a tour of Afghanistan and from a hotel room in the area emailed his father in Australia to say he was leaving all of his possessions to him.

Capt McKay, without the appropriate gear, then scaled Scarface Mountain in minus 28C and blizzard conditions.

Essex County Coroner Francis Whitelaw ruled the death a suicide.

An autopsy found he died from arrhythmia due to hypothermia.

Capt McKay's parents, John and Angela, plan to visit the village in June and will dedicate a bench at the base of the mountain to their son.

Saranac Lake declared Friday Anzac Day for PTS Awareness.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

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NSW man accused of stabbing murder

A 20-year-old man has been stabbed to death in the NSW Hunter region, police say. Source: AAP

A MAN is facing a murder charge after a 20-year-old was fatally stabbed in the NSW Hunter region.

The alleged victim succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at Cessnock District Hospital on Friday night.

Police say they broke up a brawl in the hospital car park, where they found another 20-year-old man suffering a minor stab wound to the arm.

A third man, also 20, was arrested in Cessnock and questioned overnight, and has now been charged with murder.

The accused man was refused bail during an appearance before Maitland Local Court on Saturday and is due to reappear before Cessnock Local Court on Wednesday.

He has also been charged with carrying a cutting weapon and reckless wounding.

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Xzibit hurls chair at Aust promoter: video

A VIDEO allegedly showing US rapper Xzibit throwing a chair at his Australian promoter after a gig in Adelaide has been posted on YouTube.

The performer has been on tour Down Under since April 12 and will finish in Brisbane on Friday night.

In the video, after arguing between several people backstage, a man with an Australian accent is heard saying, "I didn't f***ing do that", before a man with an American accent is seen lifting a metal chair.

The man with the chair, who is tagged in the video as Xzibit, says, "Get the f*** out of here, man, before I f*** you up."

When the Australian responds, "What is your problem?" the man tagged as Xzibit throws the chair at him while shouting something about "the sound check".

The argument continues with threats of a fight before security steps in and someone says, "This needs to be resolved."

The three-minute and 38-second video was posted on YouTube on Wednesday and the Australian who Xzibit appears to be fighting with is tagged as Patrick "Mastercraft" Whyntie.

Mr Whyntie was the promoter for Xzibit's show in the Adelaide UniBar on Wednesday night.

Various news outlets and online sites are reporting the altercation was about Xzibit's transport.

On fasterlouder.com.au, reports say the argument came about because the rapper was picked up from Adelaide airport in an old Subaru with broken windows, and was forced to catch a taxi to the sound check.

The report also says the rapper found nothing was set up when he arrived.

The site also reports that Mr Whyntie says Xzibit was picked up in a $50,000 BMW.

Mr Whyntie posted a response on his Facebook page on Thursday that seems to address the argument.

"People forget Xzibit was one of my idols I spent my life savings to bring him down to Heatwave 1, had best friends invest and we treated him like royalty. Stretch Limos, fat pay cheque, unlimited booze you name it. What do you think we did this time?" he posted.

"Moments before he flipped out I had just had my guys running around to make sure every last need was taken care of! ... We damn near sold a show out on a Wednesday night in Adelaide. SO WHY on earth would any of the team Xpect you or deserve you to talk to us like s***, throw a tantrum and piss on everything we did for you!" the post said.

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Woman assaulted by five men in Lismore

A 30-YEAR-OLD woman has been sexually assaulted at an oval by a group of five men on the NSW north coast.

The woman had left a hotel on Woodlark Street in Lismore in the early hours of Friday and was heading home when she passed Gloria Mortimer Oval near Dawson Street to be confronted by the men.

Police say the woman was detained against her will and was sexually assaulted by the group near the the amenities block at the oval.

She managed to return home to inform relatives about the incident before being taken to Lismore Base Hospital, where she continues to receive medical treatment.

A crime scene has been established and examined by forensic officers.

Detectives are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

They are looking for five males who have only been described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance.

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Car production races ahead by 12%

CAR production is accelerating ahead, driven by demand from Europe, according to the latest figures.

A total of 142,158 cars were manufactured in the UK in March - a 12 per cent rise on the March 2013 figure, the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) said.

Last month's figure bought the year-so-far production total to nearly 405,000 - a 2.9 per cent increase on the January-March 2013 total.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "The 12 per cent growth in UK car production in March 2014 is a significant step forward after a period of product changes at the start to the year.

"After several years in the doldrums, European demand for new cars is now picking up, with growth in the last seven months.

"This is a welcome boost for the UK's volume manufacturers for whom Europe is the key market. As new models are launched and investments realised, the sector remains on course for all-time record levels of output by 2017."

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Teen dies after heartbreaking rescue bid

The family of a boy who drowned while fishing in the Blue Mountains is being offered counselling. Source: AAP

A POPULAR teenager has died in a NSW Blue Mountains lake after his younger brother and a fisherman failed in a desperate and heartbreaking rescue attempt.

Michael Ryall, 16, was angling at Wentworth Falls Lake with his 15-year-old brother on Wednesday afternoon when he caught a fish but let it slip back into the shallows.

Michael, a fit sportsman from nearby Lawson, entered the cold water to try and retrieve the fish but got into difficulty about 5pm (AEST).

His brother and another fisherman plunged in after him.

"They actually got to Michael and were able to take hold of him but unfortunately he could not be saved and he disappeared under the water," Detective Superintendent Darryl Jobson told AAP.

Michael's brother and the fisherman scrambled back to safety.

Police and other emergency services searched the lake, a popular recreational spot northeast of Katoomba. They found Michael's body about 10.30pm.

It remains unclear precisely how he died or why he got into difficulty so quickly.

He was said to be semi-clothed when he entered the

water.

Michael was doing his HSC at school and his death has thrown both his family and the Blue Mountains community into mourning.

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Tourists to follow Royals' adventure

THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to leave more than a royal glow at Uluru, with tourism operators tipping a boost to business from their visit.

Prince William and Kate flew out of Yulara airport in Australia's red centre on Wednesday after a stay of less than 24 hours.

In that time, however, they put the jewels of desert Australia on display to the world.

Scores of media cameras captured the royals at iconic Uluru, a destination already high on the to-do list of UK holiday-makers.

British tourists are the biggest group of international visitors to the Northern Territory, with about 35,000 coming each year.

The Northern Territory government has already boosted its international marketing budget by $8 million in an effort to capitalise on the exposure from William and Kate's visit.

The government is hoping for a 10 per cent improvement in visitor numbers as a result of the royal tour.

Ray Stone, executive general manager of sales and marketing for Uluru resort operator Voyages, said the royal tour should increase international visitor numbers, adding momentum to a change already evident in the market.

When you look at the coverage (the royal tour) is getting in the UK, it will have a significant effect on our business, Mr Stone said.

I can't put a number on it but obviously we are at a point now where consumer confidence in the UK is growing, Mr Stone said.

We have been seeing increases (in inbound tourist numbers) out of the UK market for the first time in five or six years.

Mr Stone visited the UK in March and said tour operators had told him then that business was picking up.

It remains to be seen how many tourists will want to copy William and Kate's night of """""glamping""""" under the desert stars in the luxury tents of Longitude 131 resort near Uluru.

Baillie Lodges, the company that owns Longitude 131, has a strict privacy policy and would not detail the royals' visit beyond a brief statement saying it was delighted to have hosted the couple.

"It was an absolute honour to host the Royal couple at Longitude 131 and we're very glad they were able to experience the spiritual heart of Australia during their tour," Baillie Lodges Managing Director James Baillie said.

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