US man denies mailing guns to Australia

A US man has denied he posted an assault rifle and a 9mm pistol to buyers in Australia.

Adam Joseph Bunger, 33, was arraigned in the District Court in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on Wednesday accused of using encrypted German-based website Black Market Reloaded to find buyers in Australia, the UK and other nations for guns.

An international investigation began in June when authorities in Sydney inspected a package sent via express post from the US and discovered a Star Echeverria, Modelo Super 9mm pistol hidden inside an Xbox game console.

In July, authorities allege two more packages sent by Bunger, one bound for Australia containing a disassembled assault rifle hidden in a DVD player and the other containing an "Uzi style pistol", headed to a UK address, were seized.

Bunger, from Bowling Green, entered not guilty pleas to charges of exporting firearms contrary to US law and dealing in firearms in foreign commerce while not a licensed importer, manufacturer or dealer.

Bunger's trial is set for December 16.

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MPs don headscarves in Turkish parliament

FOUR female MPs with the Islamic conservative AK party have broken a long-standing taboo by wearing headscarves in the Turkish parliament.

The last time an MP wore a headscarf in parliament was in 1999, when parliamentarian Merve Kavakci caused an uproar by her appearance in one.

Her actions led to her losing her seat in parliament and her Turkish citizenship.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip of the AK party last month overturned the ban on Islamic headscarves except in courts of law and the security forces.

The September 30th move was a part of a package of political reforms aimed at strengthening democracy, including granting greater freedoms for the Kurdish minority.

The reforms were announced months after mass protests against Erdogan's perceived authoritarian governing style and ahead of elections next year.

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Safe assumption phone was tapped: Carr

BOB Carr says while he was foreign minister it was a "safe assumption" to operate as though his phone calls were being monitored.

Mr Carr's comments come after media leaks from former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden revealed that German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and other foreign leaders, had their personal phones tapped by the US National Security Agency (NSA).

The revelation has created an uproar in Germany and across Europe amid conflicting reports as to whether US President Barack Obama knew of the eavesdropping.

When asked by ABC's Lateline on Thursday whether he operated under the assumption that his calls were being monitored while he was Australia's foreign minister, Mr Carr said it was a "safe assumption".

"In travelling in some parts of the world, one felt that advice more pressing than in other parts of the world," the recently retired NSW senator said.

Mr Carr, who was foreign minister under the former Labor government, says the lesson to be learned out of the leaks is whether allowing security agencies to pursue "adventurous objectives" is worth the potential loss of prestige.

"The Americans are going to have a vigorous debate about whether their national interest has been compromised by a too adventurous activity from intelligence agencies set up, strengthened, and strongly resourced after September 11," he said.

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UK Trial told Brooks, Coulson had affair

FORMER News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson had an affair for at least six years, a jury has heard.

Prosecutor Andrew Edis has told jurors at the Old Bailey that in February 2004, when the pair were both working at the media giant, they had been having a relationship for some years.

He says a letter was found on Brooks's computer from February 2004, that made the relationship clear.

Edis said: "The point that I'm going to make in relation to that letter is that over the relevant period, what Mr Coulson knew, Mrs Brooks knew too. And what Mrs Brooks knew, Mr Coulson knew too - that's the point.

"Because it is clear from that letter that, as of February 2004, they had been having an affair which had lasted at least six years."

Edis told the court that the pair had been having an affair dating back to around 1998, spanning the period covered by their phone-hacking conspiracy charge.

The court heard that the letter - apparently written by Brooks in response to Coulson trying to end the affair - included a declaration of her love for her colleague.

Edis told jurors he was not revealing the affair to deliberately intrude into their privacy or to make a "moral judgment".

"But Mrs Brooks and Mr Coulson are charged with conspiracy and, when people are charged with conspiracy, the first question a jury has to answer is how well did they know each other? How much did they trust each other?

"And the fact that they were in this relationship which was a secret means that they trusted each other quite a lot with at least that secret and that's why we are telling you about it."

He says the revelation is likely to attract a "great deal of publicity" and may draw some "unfair, unkind and unnecessary" comment.

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Permira snaps up UK's Dr Martens

BRITISH boot brand Dr Martens has been snapped up by private equity firm Permira in a STG300 million ($A507.14 million) deal, ending more than 50 years of family ownership.

It means the boots - footwear of choice for generations of skinheads, punks and students - will join a stable of brands which also includes Hugo Boss and New Look.

The Northamptonshire-based Griggs family, who have been making shoes since 1901, will retain control of around 20 per cent of the business.

Dr Martens employs 700 people worldwide, including 350 in the UK, and its products are sold in 63 countries.

The deal, expected to complete in January, will see Permira take control of parent company R Griggs.

Chief executive David Suddens says the brand's authenticity and the millions of customers who have used "Docs" as a symbol of self-expression for over half a century are what makes Dr Martens unique.

"The Permira funds respect that heritage and want to support the management team in nurturing it," Suddens said.

Cheryl Potter, partner and head of the consumer sector team at Permira, says Dr Martens is an iconic brand with a passionate fan base of followers.

Dr Martens has enjoyed a revival in fortunes in recent years as a new generation of stars such as Miley Cyrus, Emma Watson and Agyness Deyn took up the "bovver boots" whose popularity - once espoused by the likes of The Who's Pete Townshend - had been on the wane.

The deal follows reports of the Griggs family looking to exit the business after more than five decades running the brand that last year made STG15.3 million pre-tax profits on revenues of STG110 million, following an abortive sale attempt last year.

Permira is thought likely to try to expand Dr Martens' online and store presence into new international markets.

The Griggs family started producing the Dr Martens boots in 1960 after the development of a revolutionary new air-cushioned sole by the Germans Klaus Martens and Herbert Funck.

It still pays an annual fee to the families of the two men.

Production was moved to Asia, but the original Northamptonshire factory was reopened in 2007 to produce vintage styles.

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Roma family removals probe in Ireland

IRELAND'S police watchdog will review the cases of two Roma families having children removed from their homes amid claims they could not prove their identity.

Two reports have been ordered on the controversial action by gardai and health officials after a seven-year-old girl was taken from her south Dublin home for 48 hours and a two year-old boy from his home in Athlone in the Midlands overnight.

Both children were subsequently proven to be members of the families with the girl returned home after DNA tests.

The police watchdog, the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission, said it has not received any complaints but has demanded copies of a report by the Commissioner Martin Callinan.

"We have requested this in order to inform ourselves fully of the circumstances of events so that we can take an appropriate position," a spokesman for the Ombudsman said.

Separately, the Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan will investigate why the children were removed from their families.

She will be furnished with two reports - from Mr Callinan and the Health Service Executive (HSE) - in two weeks time.

Both youngsters have blonde hair and blue eyes while their parents have darker complexions and hair, which is not out of the ordinary in the Roma community.

Amnesty International threw its weight behind calls from one of the families for an independent inquiry.

Colm O'Gorman, spokesman for the organisation in Ireland, said responses to reported child protection concerns needed to be proportionate and non-discriminatory.

"If it is found that the authorities' actions were discriminatory, steps must taken to ensure this is not repeated. There must be a public apology to the Roma families for the wrongdoing.

"The eyes of the world are now on Ireland, and the Government must show institutional discrimination will not be tolerated."

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Spain's unemployment rate falls

THE number of unemployed people in Spain dropped by 72,800 to 5.9 million in the third quarter, pushing the unemployment rate down to 25.98 per cent.

The drop in the number of jobless people in the third quarter, compared to the same period in recent years, was the sharpest since 2005, the National Statistics Institute reported in its Labour Force Survey on Thursday.

Employment rose by 39,500 to 16.82 million in the July-September period, marking the first rise in the third quarter of a year since 2010, with the labour force participation rate hitting 59.59 per cent, the Labor Force Survey said.

The unemployment rate for men in the second quarter was 25.50 per cent, while the jobless rate for women was 26.55 per cent.

The youth unemployment rate - calculated for those younger than 25 - was 54.39 per cent in the third quarter, down 1.75 percentage points.

The number of households with all members of the labour force unemployed fell by 13,400 in the July-September period, but it still stands at a high 1.8 million, the report said.

The Bank of Spain said in its latest economic bulletin Wednesday that the country climbed out of recession in the third quarter, growing 0.10 per cent from the previous three-month period to end a streak of nine consecutive quarters of contraction.

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Bad bushfire conditions set to linger

BUSHFIRE-WEARY NSW residents shouldn't expect any respite just yet, with dangerous fire weather expected to linger for at least another three days.

Scores of fires continued to burn around the state late on Thursday as the bushfire crisis entered its second week.

But none burned at emergency level overnight.

A Rural Fire Service spokesman has warned that warm weather and strong winds were expected to plague the state until early next week at the least.

He conceded some residents may become "frustrated" after days of being urged to leave their homes, then being allowed to return.

But he pleaded for locals in bushfire-affected areas to continue to heed official warnings because the danger remained real.

Governor-General Quentin Bryce is expected to tour bushfire-hit parts of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, on Friday.

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Appeal for UK Savile cop to come forward

A FORMER UK police officer who anonymously told journalists that he caught Jimmy Savile trying to seduce an underage girl in 1965 has been urged to come forward and speak to investigators.

The ex-Leeds Pc spoke to the Daily Mirror and the BBC under the pseudonym Paul Leonard, claiming that Savile was found parked in a lay-by with a young girl in his Rolls Royce.

He told the newspaper that the disgraced DJ said he was waiting for midnight when the girl turned 16, and threatened: "If you want to keep your job I suggest you get on your bike and f-off."

Today West Yorkshire Police appealed for the man to speak to them about the incident.

The force released a statement that said: "West Yorkshire Police are appealing for a man who spoke to the media yesterday in relation to the Jimmy Savile case to get in touch.

Previous appeals have been made for witnesses with information about Savile to come forward, but the force said they do not believe that he has made contact before.

The statement went on: "To our knowledge, Mr Leonard was not one of those who made contact. Given that Paul Leonard used a pseudonym, a false name, in his media interviews his identity or the content of what he says is very difficult to verify.

"We are however keen to speak to 'Mr Leonard' in order that this can be investigated thoroughly."

The former officer told the Daily Mirror that he had been warned off pursuing the incident by a more senior officer.

He claimed that a sergeant had said: "Shut up, son, he's got friends in high places. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave it there."

The officer told the newspaper: "There wasn't a copper in Leeds who didn't know Savile was a pervert. But he was so well-connected. He was like a superstar."

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Drug offers hope for pancreas cancer

A BREAST cancer drug can double two-year survival rates of patients with pancreatic cancer, trial results have shown.

Nab-paclitaxel, marketed as Abraxane, also increased the proportion of patients still alive after one year by 59 per cent.

It is already approved for women with spreading breast cancer who have run out of other options.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, killing 80 per cent of patients within a year.

The disease claimed the life of Hollywood star Patrick Swayze.

Data from the MPACT (Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Clinical Trial) study showed significant improvements when patients were treated with Abraxane in combination with standard chemotherapy.

Average survival increased from 6.7 months to 8.5 months. One year survival rates rose from 22 per cent to 35 per cent and at two years they doubled from 4 per cent to 9 per cent.

The results are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Today's news represents a major step-forward in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer," said consultant oncologist Dr Harpreet Wasan, from Hammersmith Hospital in London, who runs a pancreatic cancer research program.

"The prognosis for these patients is exceptionally poor and, unlike many other cancers, current treatment options are limited. Based on this data, nab-paclitaxel offers patients a major new advance."

Ali Stunt, founder and chief executive of the charity Pancreatic Cancer Action, said: "Pancreatic cancer is lagging behind other cancers in terms of treatments that extend survival, but nab-paclitaxel has the potential to offer hope to patients with this deadly disease."

Abraxane's manufacturer Celgene has applied to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for a licence to use the drug to treat advanced pancreatic cancer.

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