Hypnotist dies in Sydney balcony fall

The body of a man, believed to be a touring hypnotist, has been found outside a Sydney unit block. Source: AAP

THE body of a well known touring hypnotist has been found outside a central Sydney unit block.

It's believed Las Vegas showman Dr Scott Lewis fell from an eleventh-floor balcony to the fourth floor of the Pyrmont complex where he was staying with other performers.

His body was found by police on Saturday morning.

Dr Lewis was discovered missing when he failed to meet a bus which was to take him and six other members of the Illusionists 2.0 show to the Sydney Opera House where they were to perform.

"I came out of my room, I could hear someone screaming for help," witness John Breen told the Nine Network.

A crime scene has been established, which has been examined by forensic specialists.

Police aren't treating the death as suspicious.

However, a report is being prepared for the coroner.

Meanwhile, the Sydney Opera House released a statement on Saturday evening, saying it had been informed of Dr Lewis' death.

"We wish to express our deepest sympathies to Dr Lewis' family and friends, as well as to the cast and crew of The Illusionists 2.0," it read.

"Dr Lewis was a wonderful performer and he will be greatly missed.

The show's co-producer Tim Lawson said his colleagues were deeply saddened by the sudden loss.

"The entire company has decided to continue the show in his honour, and send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends," he said.

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Police release image of Boxing Day robber

Police are looking for this man in relation to a robbery in Brisbane's CBD on Boxing Day last year. r. Picture: Queensland Police Source: Supplied

Police are looking for this man in relation to a robbery in Brisbane's CBD on Boxing Day last year. r. Picture: Queensland Police Source: Supplied

POLICE have released the image of a man wanted in relation to a robbery in Brisbane City last year.

The man walked into a Queen St supermarket about 12.25pm on December 26 and approached the counter.
After making demands for money from the attendant, he fled the store with a sum of cash.

He was last seen on Queen Street heading towards Fortitude Valley.

The attendant wasn't physically injured during the robbery.

The man is described as being Asian in appearance, around 35-years-of-age, with black hair and a proportionate build.

He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, grey shorts and grey running shoes.

Police are appealing to anyone that may be able to assist with their investigations to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Turkmen leader fires central bank chief

THE autocratic leader of Turkmenistan has fired the country's chief banker and several other officials.

State television reported on Saturday that President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov dismissed Central Bank head Tuvakmammet Japarov and chiefs of two other state-run banks for unspecified "flaws in their work".

The firings came after Berdymukhamedov issued a reprimand to Japarov and several other bankers for receiving regular bonuses and ordered them to pay them back.

Berdymukhamedov also fired Kakageldy Abdullayev, the head of Turkmengaz state natural gas company over a low output and the failure to properly oversee the use of gas resources.

Turkmenistan boasts rich natural gas reserves estimated to be the fourth largest in the world.

Berdymukhamedov has run the Central Asian country with an iron fist since 2006.

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UK bids to quell WWI Anzac row

DOWNING Street has intervened in an attempt to quell the the latest row to erupt over the WWI centenary commemorations amid claims the role of Australian and New Zealand troops is being ignored.

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said it was "completely wrong" to suggest the contribution of the Anzacs was being overlooked in the anniversary events.

No 10 was forced to step in after allies of Education Secretary Michael Gove were quoted as expressing concern that there would be no special mention of Australians and New Zealanders in the tributes organised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

It followed a briefing to Australian journalists by Whitehall officials that led to reports that the Anzacs were being "whitewashed" out of the commemorations in favour of black and Asian servicemen from India, the Caribbean and West Africa.

It was claimed that the emphasis on troops from the "New Commonwealth" was intended to promote "community cohesion" in the UK - leading to accusations in Australia of "blatant politicisation".

The Daily Mail quoted a Whitehall source as saying: "This is awful. The idiot Maria Miller is doing nothing to involve the rest of the Empire, who sent vast numbers of people to help us."

A source quoted in the The Sun said the department's plans to "airbrush out all the countries that helped us during World War I are totally disgraceful".

Cameron's spokesman, however, insisted the role of the Anzacs would be fully honoured in the commemorations next year to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings when the Australian and New Zealand forces suffered very heavy casualties.

"The Government is working very closely with the Australian and New Zealand governments on that event," he said.

"I think the focus should be entirely around these very important commemorations rather than anything else."

In all, 62,000 Australians and 18,000 New Zealanders died fighting during WWI.

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ECB leaves rates unchanged

THE European Central Bank has left its key interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.25 per cent despite concerns over a weak economy and low inflation.

The bank's rate council made the decision at its monthly policy meeting on Thursday.

Lower rates can help growth, but the ECB has little room left to cut.

Analysts think it may try other steps such as offering cheap loans to banks on the condition they loan that money to companies.

The eurozone economy grew only 0.1 per cent in the third quarter.

Inflation, at only 0.8 per cent, remains below the ECB's goal of just under 2 per cent and makes it harder for troubled countries such as Greece to reduce their debt levels.

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Diageo forms new joint venture with Combs

DRINKS company Diageo has formed a new joint venture with rap star Sean "Diddy" Combs and has bought the tequila brand DeLeon.

The 50/50 partnership between Diageo and Combs Wine & Spirits allows the brand to take advantage of Diageo's distribution network, together with Combs' star power in marketing luxury brands.

DeLeon has variants of tequila, which have suggested retail prices ranging from $US120 ($A135) to over $US1000.

In a statement on Wednesday, Combs says DeLeon appeals to "those who love exceptional tequila in a distinctive bottle".

Diageo also has a separate "strategic alliance" with Combs Enterprises to develop and grow the vodka brand, Ciroc.

The alliance began in 2007, and has grown from 50,000 cases a year to nearly two million cases.

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Ralph Lauren's niece fined over air rage

THE niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren has been fined 2000 euros ($A3000) for pushing an air hostess and swearing at airline staff.

Jennifer Lauren pleaded guilty to breaching the peace and being drunk on board a transatlantic Delta Air Lines flight which had to be diverted to Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland on Monday afternoon.

The 41-year-old appeared before Ennis District Court in Co Clare, where her solicitor claimed Lauren was upset and embarrassed by her actions, which she said were out of character and caused by a reaction to alcohol mixed with medication.

More than 200 passengers and crew were on board the flight from Barcelona to New York when the air rage incident took place.

The diversion cost Delta $US43,000 ($A48,500).

Lauren bit her lip and looked to the ground in the dock while Garda Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court she had been loud-mouthed, abusive and threatening on the aircraft.

He said the flight, bound for New York's JFK airport, had been in the air for two hours when an air hostess noticed the defendant crying in her seat, which would not recline properly.

He said Lauren told stewardess Constance Topping to "get the f*** out of my face" as she tried to help, and when told to calm down she became more abusive.

The court heard Topping went to brief her supervisor Jennifer Simpson at the top of the plane and Lauren followed her through first class and in the galley "at speed" where she ranted, roared and shouted incoherently.

"She told the air hostess she was going to go ballistic and pushed the air hostess hard and she hit her back against the wall of the aircraft," Mr Kennedy said.

He revealed her frightening experience continued with Lauren calling her a "f***ing ugly, blonde bitch" and called Simpson a "fat ugly, unhappy, blonde bitch".

A pilot on a rest break in the cabin also intervened and was called "an asshole" by the defendant, Kennedy added.

Lauren, dressed in a black jumper, burgundy velvet skirt and boots, looked back to her friends for reassurance as the details were outlined to the packed courtroom.

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Climate change may slug leaping sea snails

The effects of climate change could alter sea snails abilities to evade predators researchers say. Source: AAP

THE effects of climate change could hinder sea snails' extraordinary ability to leap away from predators on one foot, Queensland researchers have found.

The study shows conch snails, found in sandy areas off coral reefs, find it difficult to make the quick decision to jump out of reach of prey when exposed to higher levels of carbon dioxide.

Lead researcher Dr Sue-Ann Watson of James Cook University says the chemical disrupts the snail's neurotransmitter receptor, causing it to have a delayed response.

The snail either stops jumping or takes longer to jump when exposed to the levels of carbon dioxide projected for the end of this century, the marine biologist says.

This leaves the three to four centimetre snail more vulnerable to the poisonous dart of its slow-moving nemesis, the cone shell.

"Snails normally move slowly and crawl around on their one big foot," Dr Watson told AAP.

"But this snail uses its foot in a very special way as it has a strong foot and uses it to push up rapidly on the sand."

The conch snail normally jumps backwards and can leap the equivalent of its body height.

Dr Watson says the broader effects on the ocean's ecosystem could be quite profound.

"Altered behaviours between predators and prey have the potential to disrupt ocean food webs," she said.

Study co-author Professor Goran Nilsson, from the University of Oslo, says results of the study suggest carbon dioxide emissions directly alter the behaviour of many marine animals, including seafood.

The study appears in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

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HK movie mogul Run Run Shaw dies at 107

Hong Kong movie producer Run Run Shaw has died at the age of 107, a TVB statement says. Source: AAP

PIONEERING Hong Kong movie producer Run Run Shaw has died at the age of 107.

No cause of death was given in a statement from Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), which Shaw helped found in 1967.

Shaw was one of the most influential figures in Asia's entertainment industry.

His Shaw Brothers Studios churned out nearly 1000 movies as it popularised the kung fu genre that influenced Quentin Tarantino and other Hollywood directors.

Shaw's movie studio, once among the world's largest, helped launch the careers of powerhouses including director John Woo.

His television empire helped actors including Chow Yun-fat rise to fame.

He also produced a handful of US films, including the 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner.

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Global disasters kill more, cost less

THE German insurance company Munich Re says about 20,000 people died in natural disasters last year, about twice as many as in 2012.

Most of the deaths resulted from Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines, Vietnam and China in November with a loss of almost 6100 lives.

This was followed by floods in India that killed about 5500 people in June.

Munich Re's annual disasters report released on Tuesday found the economic cost of natural catastrophes was lower last year.

About 880 events cost about $US125 billion ($A139.86 billion), with insured losses of $US31 billion.

This compares with costs of $US173 billion and insured losses of $US65 billion in 2012.

The costliest natural disasters were summer hailstorms in Germany, floods in Central Europe, and storms and tornadoes in the United States.

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Man dead, three injured after crash

A YOUNG man has died and three others were injured when a station wagon and a truck collided in southern Queensland.

The 24-year-old passenger died when the station wagon was hit by a truck as it turned right across the New England Highway into a property at Glen Aplin, near Stanthorpe, on Tuesday afternoon, police say.

Two other men in the car, 26 and 29, have been taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The 25-year-old driver was taken to Stanthorpe Hospital.

No one in the truck was hurt.

Specialist police are investigating.

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Staff seize bosses at French Goodyear site

WORKERS at a restive Goodyear plant in northern France have detained two managers in a conference room at the tyre factory.

The factory's union says the director and human resources chief were blocked from leaving after an especially difficult meeting on Monday with staff.

A Goodyear representative, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the tense situation, says the two managers were being held against their will.

"Boss-napping" became rampant in France in 2009 at the height of the economic meltdown, although the practice has since tapered off.

But the Amiens plant has an especially contentious past. Goodyear has been trying to restructure or close the factory for more than five years.

Sometimes violent workers' protests, government concerns and France's prolonged layoff procedures have stalled the process.

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Millions hit by deadly chill in US

AN icy vortex of Arctic air pushed deadly wind chills and heavy snow into much of the US Midwest with meteorologists saying at least 32 states were in its path over the coming days as it moves south and east.

Even the northern tier of winter-hardy states and cities like Minnesota, Chicago and Milwaukee called off school for Monday as the country braced for wind chill temperatures down to minus 51 degrees Celsius and colder.

It was the first time in 17 years that Minnesota schools have been closed due to snow and dangerously low temperatures, reports said.

Governor Mark Dayton ordered the closings.

"Temperatures are deadly," warned Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard in broadcast remarks. Snow fell in his state of Indiana on Sunday at the rate of 5 centimetres an hour, media reports said.

In Green Bay, Wisconsin, tens of thousands of fans braved minus-26-degree wind chill temperatures to watch a key football playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers. Despite the Green Bay team having an apparent weather advantage, the 49ers won 23-20.

With the mercury expected to drop down to minus 44C through the night, food stands at Lambeau Field in Green Bay were offering free coffee and hot chocolate to keep fans warm. There were worries that beer would freeze in the open air stadium, CNN reported.

"Life-threatening wind chill," the National Weather Service warned.

"The coldest temperatures in almost two decades will spread into the northern and central US ... behind an Arctic cold front," the government forecaster said.

Before the "polar vortex" - as it's being called by meteorologists - hits the east and south, rain was expected to fall in those regions and be turned into thick ice when temperatures plunge into the minus-20C range on Tuesday.

The normally mild-temperature city of Nashville, Tennessee, has delayed by a day the post-holiday school start until Wednesday.

"Dangerously low temperatures forecast for Tuesday morning a concern for student safety," the school system said.

Flash freezes after the rain and blizzard conditions were expected from Tennessee to Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, the private forecaster AccuWeather said.

At least 13 people have died due to blizzard-like conditions and record cold over past days, most of them from traffic accidents in Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana.

Broadcasters warned that frost bite could set in within just five minutes in the harsh conditions.

The weather caused cancellation of 3,467 flights and delays in another 11,191, according to the flight tracker FlightAware.com.

Overall, around 149 million people - about half the US population - were expected to be in the grip of the Arctic chill by Monday and Tuesday, meteorologists said.

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UK Treasury chief to order more cuts

BRITAIN'S Treasury chief says the country still has a long way to go to eliminate the deficit and that substantial savings must be gleaned from welfare cuts.

George Osborne says 2014 is to be the "year of hard truths" and that there are still big underlying problems in the economy.

Osborne told autoworkers in Birmingham on Monday billions of pounds in welfare cuts will be needed to reduce the deficit, which has been swollen by the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Pensioners are likely not to be affected, as the coalition government has suggested they will remain protected.

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UK faces more flooding in wave of storms

BRITAIN'S coastal residents are bracing for more flooding with lashing winds, rain and high tides expected.

At least three people have died in a wave of stormy weather that has battered Britain since last week, including a man killed when his mobility scooter fell into a river in Oxford, southern England.

Weather forecasting body the Met Office warned on Monday of wind gusts of up to 113 km/h accompanied by exceptionally large waves, along the coasts of Wales, southwest England and Northern Ireland.

The Environment Agency issued a severe flood warning - meaning a threat to life and property - for the county of Dorset in southwestern England, as well as more than 300 less serious flood warnings and alerts.

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Syrian rebels battle al-Qaeda fighters

SYRIAN rebels have seized a compound held by al-Qaeda-linked militants as their one-time allies used car bombs against them, in some of the most serious infighting between fighters challenging the rule of President Bashar Assad.

The rebel-on-rebel fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is the strongest pushback yet from Syrian rebels who have seen their uprising to topple Assad hijacked by al-Qaeda forces seeking to impose Islamic rule in opposition-held portions of the country.

The clashes began on Friday after residents accused the al-Qaeda-linked fighters of killing a doctor in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo. Fighting quickly spread to rebel-held areas of the northeast province of Idlib and the central province of Hama.

The clashes widened on Sunday, with at least one outside of Aleppo pitting the ISIL against the Nusra Front, which is also an al-Qaeda-aligned group, said Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Another clash struck the town of Tabqa in the eastern province of Raqqa, where ISIL forces are most dominant, Abdurrahman said.

The Observatory obtains its information from a network of activists on the ground.

Rebels seized the ISIL compound in the town of Manbij in the northern province of Aleppo, activists said.

The Observatory said ISIL fighters also used car bombs for the first time to defend its territory. Other activists reported ISIL was pushed out of the town of Atmeh.

There always has been resentment against ISIL in Syria, whose fighters, a mix of foreigners and locals, fanned into the country last year, taking advantage of the upheaval to assert power in areas seized by rebels.

It is seen as particularly brutal in Syria's civil war for its abductions and killings of anti-Assad activists, journalists and civilians seen as critical to their rule.

But other residents welcome the group for chasing out thugs who terrorised residents in opposition-held areas, and for distributing food and aid to the poor.

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Bombings kill 20 in Baghdad

A NEW wave of bombings has hit Iraq's capital, Baghdad, killing at least 20 people.

The deadliest attack took place in Baghdad's Shi'ite northern Shaab neighbourhood, when two parked car bombs exploded simultaneously near a restaurant and a tea house. Officials say those blasts killed 10 people and wounded 26.

Authorities say a parked car bomb ripped through in capital's Shi'ite eastern district of Sadr City, killing five and wounding 10. Another bombing killed three civilians and wounded six in a commercial area in the central Bab al-Muadham neighbourhood, officials said. Two other bombings killed two civilians and wounded 13, police said.

Medical officials confirmed the causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to release information.

The attacks come as Iraqi security forces are besieging two key cities country's western Anbar province after they were taken over by militants from al-Qaeda's local branch, known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant.

Clashes have been taking place since Monday in Anbar's provincial capital, Ramadi, and nearby Fallujah between al-Qaeda militants and pro-government Sunni tribesmen. The Baghdad bombings could be seen as an attempt by militants to distract security forces.

Earlier on Sunday, a senior Iraqi military commander said that it will take a few days to fully dislodge al-Qaeda-linked fighters from two key western cities.

Lieutenant General Rasheed Fleih, who leads the Anbar Military Command, told the state television Sunday that "two to three days" are needed to push the militants out of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi.

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