What weather to expect Christmas Day

Darwin locals Will Geinrich Luong, Greg Morgan, Laura Costelloe, Bailey May Tambling and Heather Sweeting make a snowman out of sand on Mindil Beach for Christmas. Source: Northern Territory News

CHRISTMAS Day will deliver a mixed bag of sun and showers around the country.

Sydney and Darwin are bracing for heavy rain, but scattered showers are forecast for Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart.

Santa might get lost in the clouds on his way down to NSW.

Sydney is expected to be blanketed in cloud tonight and tomorrow as a southeasterly change dampens festivities for people spending Christmas outdoors.

The forecast maximum is 25C, with a chance of a shower.

Rain and thunderstorms are predicted for Lismore, Tweed Heads, Tenterfield, Moree and Armidale.

And, Territorians dreaming of a wet Christmas will get their wish.

The weather bureau has forecast showers and storms for Darwin with a top of 34C.

There are scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms in Tasmania today.

But that's set to clear for Christmas Day with a top of 19C and a chance of a shower or two.

Christmas Day could bring relief for Victorians eating a hot roast with a lower top of 22C expected.

Strong winds damaged trees and caused traffic hazards as Victorians sweltered through an uncomfortable night.

The mercury climbed past 40C near country Mildura yesterday, but light cloud cover kept Melbourne hovering around 37C.

And 24 fires were reported around the state as the heat and wind combined to keep firefighters on high alert.

Senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said strong winds of up to 100km/h from the north would hit the state this morning.

However, they will ease a little following a cool change.

Adelaide and Brisbane can expect mostly sunny days, with a top of 26C and 31C respectively.

Much of South Australia was under a total fire ban yesterday, with an out-of-control bushfire in the south growing to 5520ha as it  threatened homes and lives.

Perth will be the hottest capital with a top of 39C on Christmas Day.

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CASA suspends Cairns-based airline

Cairns-based Barrier Aviation has been grounded by the aviation authority with serious and known defectst. Picture: Stewart Mclean Source: Cairns Post

THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has suspended a far north Queensland airline for operating with "serious and known defects".

CASA says Cairns-based Barrier Aviation Pty Ltd would pose a serious and immediate risk to air safety if it was to continue to fly.

"CASA has evidence of Barrier Aviation directing pilots to fly with serious and known aircraft defects, as well as not recording those defects on aircraft maintenance documentation when the defects became known," a aviation regulatory body said in a statement.

"The suspension follows an audit of Barrier Aviation, which revealed a range of maintenance related deficiencies."

The suspension, which began on Sunday, is in force for five working days.

However, CASA can apply to the Federal Court for an extension.

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Aussies warned of Phuket scamsters

Kata Beach , Phuket , Thailand Source: Supplied

AUSTRALIAN tourists in Phuket should be wary of extortion gangs, some of which are in cahoots with local police.

Australian Ambassador James Wise and his British counterpart, Mark Kent, have joined a Thai Ministry of Tourism campaign to tackle tourist scams on Phuket.

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Up to 25,000 Australians visit Phuket each month, with Christmas and New Year the peak of the tourism season.

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The main scams involve taxi and jet-ski operators in Phuket and the seaside resort town of Pattaya.

Mr Wise said travellers needed to be on their guard when they hired jet-skis or motorcycles.

Alan Morison, Phuketwan tourism news editor tells details of an Australian woman that was murdered in the Thai resort city of Phuket overnight.

"Consider the implications if it is stolen or damaged. Foreigners are commonly detained by police until compensation, often thousands of dollars, is negotiated between the parties."

Mr Kent said travellers should be cautious in "crowded markets, tourist sites, bus or train stations and festivals".

"It is best to avoid isolated neighbourhoods, shortcuts, narrow alleys and poorly lit streets, especially late at night," he said.

Larry Cunningham, Australia's honorary consul in Phuket, said scams and criminality had increased to such an extent that expatriates wanted to leave the island.

Mr Cunningham said young travellers were specially targeted by gangs and on occasion by local police.

In one incident, a young Australian man was involved in a minor traffic accident when riding a rental bike. He was told by police an injured man's condition was serious and was forced to pay thousands of dollars in compensation.

An investigation found the Thai man had minor injuries.

Devotees of the Chinese Jui Tui Shrine take part in a street procession marking the annual Vegetarian Festival in the southern town of Phuket.

Mr Wise said travellers should have comprehensive insurance before setting off from Australia.

"If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. Medical costs in Thailand can run into many thousands of dollars," he said.

But even insurance may not be enough.

In June, a 27-year-old New Zealand man, Sean Kenzie, was badly injured in a motorbike accident. Despite paying for insurance before travelling, the coverage excluded medical expenses arising from motorbike accidents.

An appeal was called on to help him pay a $A20,000 medical bill for injuries including a split liver, punctured lungs, broken ribs, as well as surgery to reattach shoulder muscles and jaw bones.

Mr Cunningham was blunt: "Don't hire a motorbike - period."

Diplomats warned travellers never to hand over their passport as a guarantee to a hiring company.

"If a dispute arises, it can be extremely difficult or impossible to recover you passport until compensation is settled," Mr Wise said.

Lutzi Matzig, managing director of Indochina tour operator Asian Trails, says a concern in Phuket is overcharging by taxis.

"The local taxi mafia who grossly overcharge the tourists - charging them 500 baht ($A16) for a trip which should cost 20 baht or 50 baht ($A0.65 to $A1.60). The local taxi mafia is pretty bad in Phuket," Mr Matzig said.

Australians have also been warned to be cautious about attending full moon parties where criminals and corrupt police prey on young travellers.

"Australians have been arrested, assaulted, raped, injured or died as a result of incidents at full moon parties, often because they have drunk too much, taken drugs or had their drinks spiked," Mr Wise said.

In 2011, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) reported 69 deaths in Thailand.

Reports say an average of 50 Australians die each year in Phuket due to natural causes, traffic accidents and accidental drug overdoses.

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Your phone will become your car key

YOU'LL never need to worry about lost car keys again. Hyundai has unveiled a smartphone system that will replace them.

Inside the car, you place the phone on a pad in the centre console that wirelessly charges it while the content is synced and streamed to the car's infotainment system and touchscreen.

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National Christmas road toll now 11

A man is recovering in Hospital after a semi trailer carrying a shipping container collided with his Holden Astra on King Georges Road, Roselands, NSW. Picture: Bill Hearne Source: News Limited

THE national holiday road toll has risen to 11 after a female driver was killed when her car crashed into a tree north of Naracoorte, in South Australia.

The tragedy comes just a day ahead of Christmas celebrations and is the state's first fatal road crash of the festive season.

The unnamed driver was killed after the car crashed into a tree on the Riddoch Hwy, about 5km north of Naracoorte, just before 2pm this afternoon.

Emergency crews had earlier reported a woman was trapped in the car.  Local police have blocked the highway and are diverting traffic around the scene.

Earlier, a young man was killed in Esperance, West Australia when his car hit a power pole.

TAC Road Safety TV ad for the Christmas and new year period

The man died on Burton Road in Esperance, about 720km southeast of Perth, about 12.30am (WST) today. It is the first recorded death in West Australia during this holiday period. 

In NSW police said a 79-year-old woman died while travelling with her husband and another married couple, aged 73 and 74. Their car collided with another car in Mount Ousley just after 1pm (AEDT) today.

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Police say the woman was taken to Wollongong Hospital, but died a short time later.

Her 80-year-old husband remains in a serious but stable condition with suspected spinal fractures.

Two teenagers hit by police car

The woman's death was the first recorded in NSW, while Tasmania has each recorded one death, but three people have now died in Victoria since the toll period began at midnight (AEDT) on Sunday.

In the Northern Territory, a 26-year-old man has been charged after a single vehicle crash resulted in the death of three passengers near Hermannsburg on Saturday night, the NT News reported.

Police say they had stopped pursuing a white Holden Commodore car before finding the vehicle on its roof on the side of the road at Larapinta Drive, Hermannsburg, about 130km west of Alice Springs.

Two women aged 26 and 32 were thrown from the car and died at the scene. A man aged 30 who was trapped in the car also died at the scene.

A 26-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were flown to Alice Springs hospital. The man has been charged with dangerous driving causing death (x3), recklessly endangering life, driving a motor vehicle whilst disqualified and bring liquor into a restricted area.

He is due to appear in court today.

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* The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2012 until 2359 January 3, 2013, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Apology not good enough, say victims

Aust's most senior Catholic has apologised to those who have 'suffered at the hands' of priests and teachers

AN apology made by Australia's most senior Catholic to those who suffered abuse at the hands of priests has been labelled a "minimal response" by a child sexual abuse victims group.

Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell apologised to those who have "suffered at the hands" of priests and religious teachers.

While not specifically mentioning allegations of child sex abuse by members of the clergy, Cardinal Pell said he was "deeply sorry" for the hurt that had occurred, calling it "completely contrary" to Christ's teachings.

"I am deeply sorry this happened," Cardinal Pell said.

"I feel too the shock and shame across the community at these revelations of wrongdoing and crimes."

In his statement, Cardinal Pell said people had "suffered at the hands" of fellow Christians, Christian officials, priests and religious teachers.

Adults Surviving Child Abuse president Dr Cathy Kezelman said the Catholic Church needed to be more transparent and forthright about its role in the abuse of children over the years.

"It's an absolutely minimal response to express regret," she said today.

Cardinal George Pell, leader of the Catholic church in Australia, says he is "deeply sorry" for the pain caused by those in his organisation. Picture: Craig Greenhill

"It's very important that we also acknowledge the failure of religious organisations, including the Catholic Church, to respond appropriately to victims."

Efforts by the church to "cover up" its role in the abuse of children meant many victims still had not received justice years later, she said.

Christmas in particular was a time when these survivors often felt the most isolated and alone as they reflected on the abuse committed from within a trusted authority.

"It absolutely challenges and rocks one's faith," Dr Kezelman said.

"To have that ultimate betrayal by someone not only you should trust but is meant to be setting a moral compass."

But Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston said Cardinal Pell's statement represented a "cultural shift" in the church as it comes to terms with the role played by some its clergy.

Not all victims would find solace in his words, but it was an important message that needed to be said, she added.

"The silence, secrecy and the shame which the church have been leaders in, are the offenders best friend and our children's worst enemy," Ms Johnston said.

"I think they're finally ready to face the demons and face the past and to hopefully put it behind them."

Catholics who had deserted the church over its handling of child abuse might also find some comfort in knowing Cardinal Pell had acknowledged the suffering, she said.

A spokesman for victims support group Broken Rites Dr Wayne Chamley said the church was beginning to "appreciate" the scale of its involvement in child abuse since the royal commission was announced.

"It's pleasing that he's opening up his heart to these people," Dr Chamley told ABC television.

"I don't think we've seen a statement in the past which was reflecting on the scale of what's gone on."

Cardinal Pell's Christmas message comes in the wake of accusations that the church has been covering up its involvement in child sexual abuse by silencing victims, hindering police and alerting offenders.

Faith in "God's goodness and love" was needed "to help those who have been hurt", Cardinal Pell said in his message.

"We need the hope that comes to us from Christ's birth with his call to conversion, to sorrow for sins and the necessity of reparation," he said.

"The light of Christ shines through this darkness."

One senior NSW police investigator's damning testimony into how the church destroyed evidence and moved accused priests around the country prompted Prime Minister Julia Gillard to announce the royal commission in November.

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Fake Santa cracks safe, robs shop

A man dressed as Santa Claus broke into a safe and stole cash. Picture: NSW POLICE MEDIA Source: The Daily Telegraph

ONE Sydney thief has tried to give Santa Claus a bad name by dressing as the big man himself and cracking open a shopping centre safe.

The man, dressed in a full Santa Claus suit, entered a retail store at the large shopping centre in Liverpool about 8pm on Sunday.

The store was closed at the time, however the shopping centre was open.

He was pushing a shopping trolley and using a walking stick. In the trolley was a red sack.

He broke into the office of the store and forced entry to a safe, stealing a large sum of cash, before leaving the scene.

Police have released an image of the man who can assist with inquiries.

Anyone with information should phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
 

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Driver nabbed writing shopping list

A WOMAN has been caught writing a shopping list while driving on a busy road in Melbourne's southwest, hours before Christmas trading hours cease.

The 46-year-old woman was noticed in Williamstown about 8.30am driving her maroon Toyota Camry station wagon east on Kororoit Creek Rd.

Police said she was driving with her head down and not watching the road on a number of occasions.

The driver told police she had been putting together a shopping list.

The Williamstown woman received a $388 fine and lost three demerit points.

Anyone who witnesses irresponsible driving behaviour should report the matter to police on 000.

It comes just a day after three people were killed on Victoria's roads.

A man died in Moorabbin on Sunday when his car veered off Warrigal Rd, smashed into a tree, then flipped over.

A woman was killed when the car in which she was a passenger went out of control and struck a light pole in Bentleigh East.

Another woman perished in a fiery wreck when her car veered into the path of a truck on the Murray Valley Highway at Kerang.

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