'World first' cell phone detection cameras rolled out in Australia - CNN

Andrew Constance, New South Wales' Minister for Roads said the "world-first" technology would target illegal cell phone use through "fixed and mobile trailer-mounted cameras."

The cameras will use artificial intelligence to review images and detect illegal use of cell phones, according to Transport for NSW.

Images identified as being likely to contain a driver illegally using a call phone will then be verified by authorized personnel, authorities said, noting that images captured by the system would be "securely stored and managed."

Over the next three years, 45 portable cameras will be set up across the state, in unknown locations, and without warning signs, CNN affiliate Sky News Australia reported.

For the first three months, drivers caught out by the technology will receive a warning letter, Transport for New South Wales said in a statement, after which offenders will face a fine of up to $344, or $457 in a school zone, and penalty points on their drivers license.

"The NSW Government is serious about reducing our state's road toll and rolling out mobile phone detection cameras is another way we will do this," Andrew Constance, Minister for Roads said in a statement.

Officials said that a trial of the technology earlier in the year had caught more than 100,000 drivers illegally using a phone at the wheel.

Some 329 people have died this year on New South Wales' roads, Reuters news agency reported, compared with 354 people for all of 2018, according to official statistics.

The state wants to cut the number of road fatalities by 30% by 2021, Reuters said.

Making and receiving phone calls while driving is legal in New South Wales, but using hands-free technology. Other functions, including using social media, video calling, photography, playing audio while driving are only legal if a driver has parked their vehicle outside of traffic.

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2019-12-01 11:52:00Z
CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNubi5jb20vMjAxOS8xMi8wMS9hdXN0cmFsaWEvY2VsbC1waG9uZS1kZXRlY3Rpb24tY2FtZXJhLWF1c3RyYWxpYS1pbnRsLXNjbGkvaW5kZXguaHRtbNIBZ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmNubi5jb20vY25uLzIwMTkvMTIvMDEvYXVzdHJhbGlhL2NlbGwtcGhvbmUtZGV0ZWN0aW9uLWNhbWVyYS1hdXN0cmFsaWEtaW50bC1zY2xpL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw

Australia's Weeks says hope helped him survive Taliban captivity - Reuters

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Timothy Weeks, the Australian academic released by the Taliban in November after being kept hostage for more than three years, said on Sunday that hope helped him survive the ordeal.

FILE PHOTO: Timothy Weeks speaks to the camera while kept hostage by Taliban insurgents in an unknown location, said to be Afghanistan, in this still image taken from social media video said to be shot January 1, 2017 and shared by pro-Taliban cahnnels. Social media via REUTERS

Weeks and U.S. citizen Kevin King were freed by the Taliban in return for the release of three Taliban commanders. The two were kidnapped in August 2016 outside Kabul’s American University of Afghanistan where they worked.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his release a visibly emotional Weeks said that the “long and tortuous ordeal” had a profound effect on him.

“At times, I felt as if my death was imminent and that I would never return to see those that I loved again,” Weeks said in Sydney in remarks televised by the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “But, by the will of God, I am here. I am alive and I am safe. And I am free. There is nothing else in the world that I need.”

He said that he had never given up hope, although his freedom took longer than he expected.

“If you give up hope, there is very little left for you,” he added.

Kidnapping has been a major problem in Afghanistan for many years. Most victims are Afghans and many kidnappers are criminal gangs seeking ransoms but foreigners have also been abducted for political ends.

The 50-year old teacher from Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, who returned to Australia on Thursday, also said that he believed that there were six attempts made to free him and King, including U.S. Navy SEAL forces in at least one instance.

“We were woken in the morning at around 2 a.m. and we were taken down into the tunnels. We were told by our guards that it was Daesh, and I’ve since learnt that I believe now that it was the Navy SEALs coming in to get us,” he said.

He said that although both were treated “as well as could be expected”, they were moved around various locations and sometimes kept in dark cells.

Weeks said he does not hate the guards who were watching him.

“A lot of people don’t admit this, but for me, they were soldiers. And soldiers obey the commands of their commanders. Then don’t get a choice,” Weeks said.

“Some of them were so compassionate and such lovely, lovely people. And it really led me to think about... You know, how did they end up like this?”

Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Christian Schmollinger

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2019-12-01 02:55:00Z
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Race Report 2019 AUS-X Open Australian Supercross - Australian MX - Racer X Online

Anderson took second overall and also the FIM Oceania Supercross Championship, consisting of this race and the S-X Open in New Zealand two weeks ago (which Anderson won). He wasn’t mad about not winning the race, or the Reed knock down. Afterwards, the Rockstar Energy Racing Husqvarna rider explained that he’s learned a lot of perspective over the last year and tries to stay positive and have fun, win or lose.

As for Reed, he hung on for an impressive second in the first race. He went 2-7-5 for fifth overall, saying, “If people actually knew how little I’ve been on a motorcycle over the last few months they probably wouldn’t believe it.

“It’s been a lot of fun, but it’s hard knowing you’re going to the race with little to give,” said Reed. “Whatever little I have to give, I always tell myself coming into the race that I’m going to give it my all. I honestly just felt like I was breathing through a straw! I just had an amazing time out here, getting holeshots leading laps, I really didn’t expect that.”

Third overall went to CDR Monster Energy Yamaha’s Josh Hill, who was solid in all three races. That was good for his team, but the bad news was Clout’s night. He came into the race sporting a one-point lead on Brayton and tried to get inside of his title rival in the first lap of the first race. He washed the front end on the slippery dirt and crashed. When Anderson was knocked down by Reed, Clout got collected in that mess, too, putting him even further back. That sent his whole weekend off the rails, and he went 10-3-7 for a disappointing seventh overall.

There was just as much disappointment, and the inverse level of satisfaction, in the SX2 (250) class, which played out much like SX1. Young American Josh Osby had the points lead over veteran Chris Blose coming into the race, but Osby crashed several times throughout the three SX2 races, and also had bike problems in the last race. The Raceline KTM rider’s 5-4-12 results left him fifth overall, opening the door for Blose, who was rock solid, saying he felt zero nerves all day. Blose, saying years of championship battles in American arenacross might have helped him, went 2-1-4 to capture second overall and the title.

“Oh man it feels so good, the whole team has been working so hard lately,” said Blose. “We came into this with the mindset of winning—we accomplished our goals. I’m so pumped right now, I’m almost speechless, I can’t believe this right now. Let me tell you, these short races are hectic. I knew where I was in the standings and where my competitors were, and once I got off to a good start in the third main event, I knew where everyone was, so I let the boys go and fight for it. We didn’t win the battle but we won the war.”

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2019-11-30 15:05:00Z
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Watch 2019 AUS-X Open Supercross Live 3 am Eastern - Australian MX - Racer X Online

The promoters of the Monster Energy Aus-X Open have provided a video link to watch tonight's race from Melbourne, Australia. The broadcast link is exclusive to U.S. and Canada viewers. There's a $5.99 charge to watch the show, broadcast straight from Marvel Stadium. The show should work on laptop/desktop computers, and Google and Android mobile devices. 

Jason Anderson and Chad Reed will race the event alongside the Australian Supercross Championship regulars such as Justin Brayton, who sits one point behind Australia's own Luke Clout in his bid for a fourth-straight Australian Supercross title. In addition, Ricky Carmichael and Ben Townley will lead the charge for their teams in the ANZAC versus USA team race. The race airs live at 3 a.m. but the $5.99 charge includes two weeks of archive viewing so you can watch whenever you'd like.

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2019-11-30 05:00:00Z
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Aslan King: Missing Briton found dead near Australian campsite - BBC News

Missing British man Aslan King has been found dead three days after he disappeared while camping, Australian police have confirmed.

Mr King, 25, had been away with friends in a popular tourist region in Victoria when he was last seen on Saturday.

His body was found about a kilometre (0.6 miles) away in a creek. Victoria Police said the cause of his death was under investigation.

An illustrator from Brighton, Mr King relocated to Australia two weeks ago.

His body was identified by two of his travelling partners, who were close friends, Victoria Police Sgt Danny Brown said.

Authorities said Mr King had been with four friends when he hit his head on the ground about 02:00 local time on Saturday (15:00 GMT Friday) and suffered a suspected seizure.

He then suddenly ran into surrounding bushland and may have been disoriented, police said.

Search crews had scoured the coastal area near Princetown - not far from the Twelve Apostles tourist site - since Sunday.

Police said Mr King's behaviour on Saturday had appeared to be out of character.

"This is why it made it so hard for us [to search] because there was no intelligence to suggest why he left or where he went," Sgt Danny Brown said on Tuesday, according to a report by the Herald Sun.

"His behaviour took everyone by surprise. By all accounts he was very fit, physically and mentally."

Officers said the search was difficult because of the thick vegetation, rocky clifftops and deep coastal waters in the region.

Sgt Brown said Mr King's friends would be offered counselling.

"They have suffered a trauma as well by losing their friend in the beginning and the worry that goes with that," he said.

"And now to have two friends formally identify one of their own, one of their good close friends, and they have been friends for a lot of years, is traumatic on its own."

Neil Trotter, mayor of Corangamite Shire, said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of Aslan. We feel for his family and friends."

He said his friends were "understandably traumatised", and that be believes Mr King's mother is en route to Australia.

"We feel for her having to do what no parent would ever wish to do," he added.

The Foreign Office said it was in close contact with Australian police and was supporting Mr King's family.

"Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time," a spokeswoman said.

Police said they would prepare a report for the coroner.

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2019-11-27 12:57:08Z
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Australia weather map: Oz facing 40C summer scorcher as NSW and QLD fires rage in heatwave - Express.co.uk

Australia saw its highest mean, maximum and minimum temperatures on record in December 2018, as heatwaves affected the north of Australia at the start of the month, spreading to the west and south during the second half of December. Now a 125-year temperature record of 40C could be broken on Thursday in Melbourne.

Melbourne will experience two days of early summer as it begins to heat up on Wednesday.

The region will see one of its hottest November days ever with temperatures forecast to reach 39C on Thursday - with the potential of breaking the 125-year record of 40C.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Richard Carlyon said: "For Melbourne, the last time it reached 39 degrees was in 2012 and the all time record for November is just over 40.

"Normally at this time of the year we start to see some summery weather with temperatures reaching the mid 30 degrees, but it is unusual to see them into the high 30s."

The scorching temperatures saw a rise in hospital admissions, mass deaths of wild horses, bats and fish and blackouts.

Read More: Sydney air quality: Smoke CHOKES Australia as more than 50 treated

Every state and territory across the country felt the impact, but South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales got faced the worst of the extreme temperatures.

Now a map from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecasts more extreme heat and less rainfall this summer.

Forecaster Livio Remano said he had never seen such extreme conditions in the 20 years he has worked with the Bureau of Meteorology.

Mr Remano compared the long-term seasonal outlook to a bad chest X-ray.

He said: “It’s horrible, it’s a horrible map to look at.

“I have never seen this before in my life … the entire country of Australia is covered in deep red.”

In Victoria, Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said firefighters were battling “some of the worst conditions that you’d expect to see often in February or March”.

She said: “It is incredibly dry, it will continue to get drier as the months go on over this summer, so the conditions we see today are likely conditions that we’ll confront over this summer.”

Scientist, residents and former fire chiefs have linked the current bushfire crisis and the forecast heat to climate change.

However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said there is no evidence to prove cutting Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions would decrease the risk of bushfires.

He said: “The suggestion in any way shape or form that Australia - accounting for 1.3 per cent of the world’s emissions … (is) impacting directly on specific fire events, whether it is here or anywhere else in the world, that doesn’t bear up to credible scientific evidence.”

In Australia, summer begins in December and ends in February, as it is located in the Southern Hemisphere.

Currently, it is spring, and hot weather and lack of rain have caused fires to spread across the country,

Concerns are growing for Australia's native koalas, as large swathes of habitat have been decimated, and hundreds of animals killed. 

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2019-11-27 09:45:00Z
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Australia bushfires: Firefighter accused of arson in 'ultimate betrayal' - BBC News

A volunteer firefighter in Australia has been charged with deliberately lighting blazes during the nation's bushfire crisis.

Police arrested the man, 19, for seven counts of alleged arson in an area south of Sydney, New South Wales (NSW).

The fire service there described the alleged acts as the "ultimate betrayal" to crews already under immense strain.

Six people have died and over 650 homes have been lost in bushfires which have ravaged the east coast since September.

The man is not accused over those tragedies.

• How common are firefighter arsonists?

The NSW Rural Fire Service calls itself the largest volunteer-based firefighting service in the world. The majority of its crews are staffed by trained volunteers.

"Over the past few weeks, we've seen firefighters going above and beyond in difficult and dangerous conditions," said Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on Wednesday.

"Our members will be rightly angry that the alleged actions of one individual can tarnish the reputation and hard work of so many."

How was he arrested?

Police said they had been investigating a "spate" of fires believed to have been deliberately lit in the Bega Valley in the state's south since October.

• How do you fight extreme wildfires?
• Koala in 'heart-rending' bushfire video dies

On Tuesday, officers spotted a man sitting in his car next to a river in the area. Shortly afterwards, they saw smoke and a pile of grass and trees on fire.

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"Police will allege in court that the man lit the fire and left the area before returning to respond to the fire as part of his duties as a volunteer firefighter," said New South Wales Police on Wednesday.

He was arrested shortly after and was due to face a court on Wednesday.

More than 120 blazes continue to burn across the state. Officials have warned that the worst of Australia's season is still to come.

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2019-11-27 03:54:24Z
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