A MAN has been winched to safety after his yacht began sinking off the coast of Perth.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority received a distress call on Saturday at 5.27pm with rescue crews locating the sailor aboard the sinking vessel 80 nautical miles from the West Australian capital.
An emergency helicopter winched the man to safety just before dusk.
A SYDNEY rock fisherman who jumped into rough seas to save his wife has died and his mate is feared drowned.
The two men, 24 and 26, were part of a group of six that travelled to the NSW Central Coast from Sydney on Friday to go rock fishing.
The friends, some of whom are students, were on a notoriously dangerous rocky ledge at Wybung Head, near Lake Macquarie, when a woman was swept into the ocean by a wave.
The woman's husband and a friend entered the water to rescue her but disappeared. The woman survived after being washed back onto the rocks.
A major search operation was sparked about 6:30pm on Friday when the men failed to resurface.
Police say no one in the group was wearing a life jacket.
A helicopter winched the woman from the rock ledge while paramedics and police rescued three other people.
The emotional woman and her supportive friends returned to Wybung on Saturday as the Westpac Life Saver Helicopter, police and surf life savers searched for her missing husband and friend.
The husband's body was pulled from the ocean at 9am.
"The wife is absolutely devastated as you can imagine," Tuggerah Lakes police acting Inspector John Dooley told AAP.
The search has been called off but will resume at 8am on Sunday.
Local fishermen say the stretch of coast is treacherous and catches many people off guard.
"At that actual location, the people who go rock fishing aren't prepared for the danger of the sport," Peter Trenear, of Pelicans Wharf Fishing Tackle, told AAP.
"For the inexperienced, it can be life threatening."
Mr Trenear said he was washed off rocks in the same area about six years ago and had to be plucked from the ocean by a rescue helicopter.
"It was so easy, the water caught me by surprise," he said.
Insp Dooley said police had carried out several rescues and body recoveries at the spot over the years.
He warned people planning to rock fish to wear life jackets and check ocean conditions.
"You must be appropriately equipped to go down on these rock ledges," he said.
A 6.3-MAGNITUDE earthquake has struck off the coast of the Pacific Island nation of Tonga but experts say there is no threat of a tsunami.
The quake reportedly struck in waters northeast of the Tongan capital, Nuku'alofa, at about 7pm local time (1600 AEST) on Saturday.
Geoscience Australia reports the impact could have been felt by people more than 600-kilometres away.
Seismologist Marco Maldoni said residents of the island nation would definitely felt shaking after the movement of tectonic plates and that that part of the world was prone to earthquakes.
"That earthquake itself happened where the Australian plate meets the Pacific plate," Dr Maldoni told AAP on Saturday.
"Thankfully this is a non-tsunamigenic earthquake - something that can potentially generate a tsunami."
Dr Maldoni said that in the past five years there had been about 200 earthquakes within that area, with another one occurring near Tonga at a magnitude of 6.2 as recently as Friday.
CANBERRA residents who may be feeling ill after consuming mushrooms bought from a Woolworths supermarket are being advised to seek immediate medical attention following a possible Death Cap mushroom poisoning.
ACT Health is investigating after three patients from the same household attended Canberra's Calvary Hospital in the last 48 hours with poisoning symptoms.
They claim to have been affected by mushrooms purchased from a Woolworths in the suburb of Dickson on April 17.
"This appears to be an isolated incident and there have been no other recent reports of Death Cap mushroom poisoning in the ACT," the territory's chief health officer Dr Paul Kelly said.
In a statement on Saturday, Woolworths advised that customers follow ACT Health's recommendations, which include seeking immediate medical attention if they experience stomach aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
ACT Health also recommends throwing away any mushrooms bought from Woolworths in Dickson around that time as a precaution.
Woolworths says it is not aware of any other cases.
"We take customer safety very seriously and are working closely with our supplier and ACT Health to investigate the claims," the company said.
In Canberra in 2012, a man and a woman died and two others were poisoned but recovered after consuming a meal which contained Death Cap mushrooms.
"People are reminded not to pick and eat any wild mushrooms. It can be extremely difficult for even experienced collectors to distinguish Death Cap mushrooms from other edible mushrooms," Dr Kelly said.
The highly toxic Death Cap mushroom is a native to Europe but has spread around the world, with populations observed in Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide. It resembles a common edible variety used in Chinese cooking.
Australian HMAS Darwin has seized a record one-tonne haul of heroin from a vessel off Kenya. Source: AAP
AUSTRALIAN warship HMAS Darwin has seized more than a tonne of heroin valued at almost $290 million from a smuggling boat off Kenya.
The record 1032kg haul was discovered aboard a dhow in the Indian Ocean, about 27 nautical miles east of Mombasa, Defence says in a statement.
Darwin's crew spotted the vessel on Wednesday and a boarding team discovered 46 sacks of heroin hidden among bags of cement.
HMAS Darwin's Commander Terry Morrison said the seizure removed a major source of funding for terrorist and criminal networks.
"The search tested the steel of Darwin's boarding parties who were working in difficult conditions throughout the night," he said in a statement.
Darwin is taking part in the UK-led Combined Task Force 150.
It's one of three multinational task forces conducting security and counter-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf region.
Coalition Maritime Force (CMF) director of operations, Australian Captain Craig Powell, said the heroin haul was the largest in the history of the CMF, with a street value of about $289 million.
Australian warships have destroyed large quantities of heroin, hashish and amphetamines during patrols off Africa in the past year.
Drugs are destroyed by dumping them in the sea, and crews of smuggling vessels are sent on their way.
TASMANIAN Governor Peter Underwood has told Hobart's Anzac Day ceremony Australia needs to understand the truth of its involvement in war.
Mr Underwood has called for peace studies centres to be funded and for the Anzac centenary in 2015 to be a designated Year of Peace.
The governor is renowned for his strongly worded anti-war Anzac Day addresses, and last year implored Australians to avoid glorifying the centenary.
More than six thousand people have attended Hobart's dawn service while seven thousand in Launceston didn't let near-freezing temperatures deter them.
THIS year's dawn service at Gallipoli was billed as a dress rehearsal for the 2015 centenary but a smaller-than-expected turnout made it a very intimate affair.
Some 4400 mostly Australian and New Zealand pilgrims were at North Beach 12 months out from the 100th anniversary when 10,500 people will be crammed on to the site.
The crowd on Friday was reminded that reverential silence on the often eerily quiet Turkish peninsula is a tribute to the diggers who died in 1915.
Veterans' Affairs Minister Michael Ronaldson said the soldiers who landed at Anzac Cove 99 years ago were, by their own admission, ordinary men.
"They did not seek glory, nor did they want their actions to be glorified - for it was they who quickly came to know the true horror of war," the minister said as the sun rose over the Gallipoli cliffs.
"That these ordinary men, however, did extraordinary things is beyond doubt."
Senator Ronaldson said the Anzacs left a vanquished fighting force but "were victorious in helping forge the identity of our two new nations".
"As the dawn of this new day breaks over the peninsula our tribute to the spirit of Anzac is a reverential silence," he said.
Some 8700 Australians died during the eight-month campaign alongside 2700 New Zealanders.
It's estimated up to 87,000 Turks lost their lives.
The modern Turkish nation, too, was built partly on the back of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's success as a commander at Gallipoli. He went on to become the republic's first president in 1923.
Young Australian Erinn Cooper camped out overnight to represent her father and grandfather at the dawn service.
The 22-year-old comes from a military family - her father served in East Timor and Iraq while her grandfather fought in World War II.
"It's really mind-blowing to be here," she said.
"Anzac Day is our biggest day of the year. It's a really big thing in our family."
Ms Cooper considered applying for the centenary in 2015 but decided the ballot was too risky.
"Coming this year was something we could actually make happen."
Organisers saw this year's service as a dress rehearsal for 2015.
But while the crowd will be much bigger next year, it will also potentially be more manageable.
Authorities know exactly who's coming because the event is ticketed.
Further, the pilgrims will be older on average because 1600 passes were set aside for direct descendants and veterans.
In 2015, only 25 per cent of visitors will be under 35, whereas usually 60 per cent are in that age group.
Australian authorities think it's likely Prince Charles will attend the centenary service in Gallipoli although his spokeswoman has told AAP it is "too early to say".
Prince William this week revealed he was looking forward to "taking part in next year's Gallipoli centenary" along with wife Kate and brother Prince Harry.
That led to speculation they'd be at North Beach but a palace spokesman has clarified they could attend any number of Anzac ceremonies anywhere in the world.
AN elderly man who allegedly shot a neighbour during a heated strata meeting is facing a shooting with intent to murder charge.
Police were called to a unit block in Lakemba, in Sydney's southwest, on Thursday night after the meeting between residents turned violent.
A 66-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound to his neck while the alleged shooter, an 85-year-old man, had a head injury.
The victim is believed to be the building's strata manager.
A unit owner who attended the meeting, Mercedes Bush, said owners decided to sack the strata manager before the shooting.
"I ran away from them and fled to number six unit to escape from them, but everybody ran away," she told Fairfax Media.
Police say given the tight space the violent stand-off played out in, it was fortunate no one else was hurt.
"It's very lucky no one else was seriously injured," Inspector David McCloskey told reporters on Friday.
The elderly man was charged with multiple offences on Friday afternoon, including shoot with intent to murder.
A bedside court hearing will be held on Saturday.
The man is in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with head injuries.
The victim is also in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
GENERAL Motors has reported its worst quarterly performance in more than four years as the costs of a series of recalls dragged down earnings.
First-quarter profit fell 86 per cent to $US125 million ($A135.05 million).
The Detroit car maker took a $US1.3 billion charge for recalling about 7 million vehicles worldwide. GM also incurred $US300 million in restructuring costs, mostly in Europe. And it took another $US419 million charge due to a change in the way it values Venezuela's currency.
GM made 6 cents per share, down from 58 cents per share a year ago. The recall charge alone cut 48 cents off GM's first-quarter earnings.
Excluding one-time items, GM made 29 cents per share, far above Wall Street estimates of 3 cents per share.
It was a disappointing start to what many expected would be a strong year for GM. The US government, which bailed out the car maker five years ago, sold its remaining stake in the company at the end of last year, freeing GM of the "Government Motors" nickname.
In January, the company announced its first quarterly dividend in six years. And GM has rolled out multiple new models in recent months including high-profit pickup trucks and full-size SUVs.
But the recalls overshadowed the first quarter under the leadership of new CEO Mary Barra, the first woman to lead a major car maker.
In February, GM announced it would recall more than a million older small cars because the ignition switches can slip from "run" to "accessory" or "off," shutting down the engine.
That knocks out power steering and brakes and can cause drivers to lose control and crash. It also disables the air bags. Later, the recall was expanded to 2.6 million cars, and other recalls took the number to near 7 million.
GM admitted knowing about the problem at least a decade ago. Thirteen people have died in crashes linked to the problem, according to GM, although relatives of the victims say the death toll exceeds 30.
The financial results were GM's worst since late 2009, when it posted a $US4.4 billion loss for the five months after leaving bankruptcy protection.
Even so, the company's revenue for the quarter was strong. GM took in $US37.4 billion, up 1.3 per cent from the year-ago quarter and in line with analysts' estimates.
GM's global sales for the quarter rose 2.3 per cent to 2.42 million cars and trucks. China sales grew 13 per cent, and sales in Europe rose less than 1 per cent. But sales fell 2 per cent in North America, GM's most profitable region. Sales fell 10 per cent in South America.
The company's North America division earned $US600 million. Without the recall charge, it would have earned $US1.9 billion, up from $US1.4 billion a year ago. Sales in the region fell to 745,000 cars and trucks.
FOUR teenagers convicted of unlawfully killing a 28-year-old man have each been sentenced to more than four years in detention, while the victim's mother has urged them to make a better future.
Tauri Litchfield was killed in Mandurah, south of Perth, in March last year after four boys, aged 15 and 16, assaulted and chased him until he tripped over a wall and hit his head.
In sentencing on Thursday, Children's Court president Denis Reynolds said the boy who punched Mr Litchfield - after he slapped the youth on the back of the head for trying to pickpocket him - wanted to show the older man that he was the boss.
"You likely felt demeaned (by the slap) in the presence of the group," Judge Reynolds said.
He said if the boy had not started and continued to pursue the confrontation, Mr Litchfield would still be alive.
Despite suggestions Mr Litchfield had been agitated after celebrating St Patrick's Day, Judge Reynolds found he did not engage in any unprovoked violence and was extremely fearful for his safety from the "pack" of youths when he tried to escape further assault.
People should be able to walk in public alone, and deterrence was important to prevent similar violence in the community, Judge Reynolds said.
Mr Litchfield's mother, Kerry Biggs, told the court she was broken by the loss of her son and would take the pain to her grave.
"I will carry his heart in my heart forever," she said.
Ms Biggs told the teenagers they could still change their lives.
"You have an opportunity to choose how to use the rest of your lives, to make a better future for your family, your community and your children," she said.
Ms Biggs said there were no words to describe the agony and anguish she felt.
"When you have your own children, then you will understand what you took from us," she said.
Judge Reynolds, who questioned the remorse of the troubled teenagers, said he hoped they would take note of Ms Biggs' comments in their rehabilitation.
Mr Litchfield's girlfriend, Lisa Emes, said in her victim impact statement that she screamed for him to wake up in hospital so she could see his blue eyes again.
The court heard that two of the boys did not have criminal records, but two others had violent records including one who was involved in an attempted group sex attack and another who threw a brick at a person's face.
Three teenagers were each sentenced to four-and-a-half years in detention, while the instigator was sentenced to five-and-a-half years behind bars.
Each boy has already been in custody for about a year and will be eligible for supervised release orders after serving half their sentences.
A fifth boy was acquitted of any crime against Mr Litchfield, while a charge against a sixth boy was dropped during the trial.
The California Supreme Court has refused to review the conviction of Michael Jackson's doctor. Source: AAP
THE California Supreme Court has refused to review the involuntary manslaughter conviction of Michael Jackson's doctor, rejecting his lawyer's petition without comment.
The decision by the state's highest court on Wednesday was the latest stop on Dr Conrad Murray's legal odyssey. A state appeals court upheld his conviction earlier this year and then refused to reconsider its decision.
Lawyer Valerie Wass said Murray will take his fight to federal court. "We're greatly disappointed, but we intend to pursue this in federal court," Wass said.
She said she telephoned Murray with the news and, "He said, 'The fight is not over.' "
Authorities said Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of the anaesthetic propofol in 2009 while the singer prepared for a series of comeback concerts.
Murray was convicted in 2011 and served two years in jail. He was released in October because of a change in California law requiring nonviolent offenders to serve their sentences in county jails and as a result of credits for good behaviour.
The six-week trial focused on Murray's care of Jackson, including nightly doses of propofol to help the entertainer sleep.
The earlier appellate court decision said, "The evidence demonstrated that Mr Jackson was a vulnerable victim and that (Murray) was in a position of trust, and that (Murray) violated the trust relationship by breaching standards of professional conduct in numerous respects."
Since his release, Murray has been travelling and spending time with family, "trying to get his life back together", Wass said.
The federal appeal she plans to file will focus on media coverage of the trial and exposure of the unsequestered jury to the internet, Wass said. Murray has maintained throughout his appeals that the jury should have been sequestered because of the flood of publicity surrounding the case.
THE number of people seeking US unemployment benefits surged 24,000 to a seasonally adjusted 329,000 last week, though the gain likely reflected temporary layoffs in the week before Easter.
The US Labor Department says the four-week average of applications, a less volatile number, rose 4750 to 316,750. The four-week average fell two weeks ago to its lowest level since October 2007, two months before the recession began.
Applications can be volatile around Easter, because many school systems temporarily lay off bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other employees during spring break. Some of those workers file for unemployment benefits.
Despite the volatility, applications have generally been declining in recent months, a hopeful sign for the job market. Three weeks ago, applications fell to 301,000, the lowest level in nearly seven years.
PALESTINIAN officials say Hamas and the Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas are making a new attempt to overcome the Palestinians' political split by holding general elections in seven months.
Similar agreements were reached in principle in the past but never implemented.
The Islamic militant Hamas seized Gaza from Abbas in 2007, leaving him with only parts of the West Bank. Both sides have become entrenched in their territories.
Abbas sent a delegation to Gaza this week for reconciliation talks.
Bassam Salhi, one of those sent by Abbas, said on Wednesday that under an emerging agreement, a joint interim government would be formed within five weeks, followed six months later by elections.
A Hamas official confirmed the outlines of the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.
OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD techniques are being used to help protect one of the world's greatest natural wonders.
Researchers at James Cook University in north Queensland are using images from NASA satellites to study the impact of polluted land run-off on the Great Barrier Reef.
The researchers say river flood plumes from heavy rain or cyclones push polluted water, containing pesticides and fertilisers, into the reef.
Dr Caroline Petus, from the university's TropWATER program, says the publicly available images can be effectively used to map the extent, nutrient content and muddiness of flood plumes.
It replaces the need for costly and labor-intensive methods like using submerged data loggers or boats and helicopters to gather water samples, she said.
The images will be used develop river plume maps for the reef's seagrass and coral ecosystems, which are in decline.
"These maps will help our understanding of the resilience of these ecosystems to water quality changes," Dr Petus said.
"In the near future they should help us predict ecosystems' health changes associated with human activities or climate change."
Seagrass expert Dr Michael Rasheed said the new information would help researchers better understand flood plume impacts, leading to better management of the reef.
"It is often difficult to determine whether declines in seagrass beds are due to polluted river run-off or coastal development such as dredging around a port," he said.
COMCAST Corp says its first-quarter net income rose by 30 per cent as ad revenue surged at broadcast network NBC.
The results, released on Tuesday, beat Wall Street estimates and its shares edged up in morning trading.
Comcast is the largest cable company in the country with 22 million video customers and 21.1 internet customers.
It is in the midst of an expected yearlong review of its $US45 billion ($A48 billion) acquisition of No. 2 rival Time Warner Cable Inc.
Regulators are examining whether the combination would give it undue pricing power over customers and too much leverage with programmers.
Its net income in the quarter through March rose to $US1.87 billion, or 71 cents per share, from $US1.44 billion, or 54 cents per share a year ago.
Excluding one-time items, adjusted earnings came to 68 cents per share, beating the 64 cents expected by analysts polled by FactSet.
Revenue grew 14 per cent to $US17.41 billion from $US15.31 billion - also higher than the $US16.99 billion expected by analysts.
NBCUniversal revenue grew 29 per cent to $US6.88 billion while cable services revenue grew 5 per cent to $US10.76 billion.
Olympics broadcast rights boosted NBCU revenue by $US1.1 billion.
Even excluding the games, broadcast revenue rose 17 per cent, helped by Fallon's selection for NBC's late night slot, replacing longtime host Jay Leno.
The network was also boosted by more hours of The Voice and the popularity of new shows such as The Blacklist.
On the cable connections side, Comcast added 24,000 video customers during the quarter, the second quarterly gain in a row following a six-and-a-half year losing streak.
HALLIBURTON says it was profitable in the first-quarter after reporting a loss for the period a year ago.
Its latest results topped Wall Street expectations, and its shares edged up in premarket trading on Monday.
The Houston-based company reported net income of $US622 million ($A665.92 million), or 73 US cents per share. Revenue rose 5 per cent to $US7.35 billion.
Analysts polled by FactSet expected 72 US cents per share on revenue of $US7.26 billion.
A year ago, the company reported a net loss of $US18 million, or 2 US cents per share on revenue of $US6.97 billion. That included a charge for setting aside money for litigation over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Without the charge, its adjusted profit was 67 US cents per share a year ago.
Halliburton shares rose 45 US cents to $US61.35 in premarket trading.
MORE than 400 charges have been laid for assaults and drink driving offences in Western Australia during the eighth Operation Unite targeting alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour.
Total statistics from Thursday to Sunday night included 433 charges, 165 arrests and 200 summons.
They include 21 assaults, as well as 15 people caught driving under the influence, 43 people in excess of 0.08 per cent, 12 people in excess of 0.05 per cent and two people in excess of 0.02 per cent.
Specialist squads made up of officers from the Liquor Enforcement Unit and the Regional Operations Group joined the operation in WA for the first time.
Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said last week that the excessive consumption of alcohol was still the most significant factor contributing to night-time violence.
Operation Unite is not about restricting people from having a good time, it is about continuing to raise community awareness about the dangers of determined drunkenness and the impact it has on others, he said.
MOURNERS have started to arrive ahead of the funeral of Peaches Geldof as a host of celebrities prepare to say farewell to the television presenter and model.
Bob Geldof is expected to lead tributes to his daughter later on Monday at the same church where the funeral of her mother, Paula Yates, was held.
Musician and television personality Jools Holland was among the first to arrive at St Mary Magdalene and St Lawrence church in the village of Davington, near Faversham in Kent.
Dozens of locals also looked on as cars began to arrive outside the church, which is where the 25-year-old socialite married musician Tom Cohen, the father of her children, in 2012.
The funeral of TV presenter Yates was held there after she died from an accidental heroin overdose in 2000, aged 41.
Bono and Annie Lennox are expected to be among the mourners who will attend the funeral, according to reports.
The Geldof family have said the service will be held in private.
Mystery still surrounds the sudden death of Geldof on April 7.
Her body was found at the home she shared with her husband and their two young sons, Astala, 23 months, and 11-month-old Phaedra, in Kent, after officers were called "following a report of concern for the welfare of a woman".
Former Boomtown Rats singer Geldof paid tribute to his daughter alongside his partner Jeanne Marine and Peaches' sisters Fifi Trixibelle, Pixie and Tiger, saying she was the "wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us".
Kent Police said it was being treated as a "non-suspicious, unexplained sudden death".
An inquest is not expected to be opened until after the results of toxicology tests are known.
Cars carrying flowers for the funeral arrived outside the church, which is next to Sir Bob's Davington Priory country estate, where Peaches grew up.
There were bouquets and cards left by well-wishers outside the entrance to the property's driveway.
Peaches' ashes are expected to be scattered in the estate's garden, where she played as a child, according to reports.
Written in chalk on the church's wall, a message read "RIP Peaches".
Hollywood veteran Mickey Rooney has been laid to rest at a private funeral in California. Source: AAP
MICKEY Rooney has been laid to rest at a private funeral in California.
Family and friends of the Breakfast at Tiffany's star bid farewell to the beloved actor at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Saturday, following a memorial service on Friday.
The funeral comes a week after Rooney's conservator and attorney Michael Augustine, and Rooney's estranged wife, Janice Rooney, debated on where to hold the send-off. The two parties eventually settled on the popular site, where other Hollywood legends are buried.
Rooney, 93, died on April 6.
NATIONAL Australia Bank continues to lag behind its major rivals when it comes to business customer satisfaction, despite a slight improvement.
NAB, Australia's biggest business lender, had an average customer satisfaction rating of 7.0 out of 10 in March, which lagged behind ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac, which all scored 7.4.
But according to the monthly DBM Consultants Business Financial Services Monitor (BFSM), NAB has improved its standing among small and medium sized business.
DBM Consultants director Maria Claridad said the NAB ranked alongside the Commonwealth and Westpac in both categories, with ANZ lagging behind.
However, the bank's performance had been weighed down by its relatively weak standing among micro businesses.
"The key is to delight the micro businesses, as they make up close to 90 per cent of all Australian businesses," she said.
"NAB's score amongst these businesses is 6.9, although it has shown signs of improving in recent months."
