Geordie Shore's Vicky admits assault

A Geordie Shore cast member admitted throwing her shoes at a woman in a bar, but will avoid jail. Source: AAP

A CAST member of UK reality TV show Geordie Shore has admitted two counts of assault after hurling her shoes at a woman in a bar.

Vicky Pattison was involved in an altercation in a nightclub in Newcastle last summer.

The 25-year-old was in Florita's Bar with a fellow cast member when they were hit by ice after it was thrown at them.

Pattison wrongly thought it had been thrown by 18-year-old Hannah Kelso in a nearby booth and an argument began.

But after staff stepped in to pull her away, she threw her shoes, one hitting Kelso and the other a security guard.

Kelso was left with a cut under her eye that required four stitches, and the bouncer had a lump and cut to the lip.

Granting her bail, Judge Brian Forster QC said he would sentence her next month but told Pattison that he would not be passing a custodial sentence.

At the time of the incident last July, Pattison was suspended from the MTV show.

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UK's Robber Biggs defiant to the last

Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs was sent off in his own style as his coffin paraded through London. Source: AAP

GREAT Train Robber Ronnie Biggs, who spent much of his life cocking a snook at authority, has been given an appropriate send off.

When he was last seen in public, at the funeral of robbery mastermind Bruce Reynolds, Biggs stuck two fingers up at journalists.

On Friday, as the hearse carrying his coffin passed through the streets of north London, a white floral wreath in the shape of a two-fingered salute was visible alongside a Union flag and the flag of Brazil, the country where he spent many years as a fugitive from British justice.

The coffin was surrounded by floral tributes and messages, and adorned with a red ribbon that read "Ronnie".

Biggs, who won worldwide notoriety after escaping prison and living the high life in Rio de Janeiro, died last month at the age of 84.

He spent more than three decades on the run, and had been cared for at London care home, after suffering several strokes in recent years.

His carers were among those that joined the funeral procession.

Biggs was released from prison in 2009 on compassionate grounds due to ill health, despite being re-arrested in 2001 upon his return to the UK after evading the authorities since his first escape from Wandsworth Prison in 1965.

At the time of his escape, Biggs had served just 15 months of the 30-year sentence he was handed for his part in the robbery of a Royal Mail freight train between London and Glasgow on August 8, 1963.

After having plastic surgery, he lived as a fugitive for 36 years first in Australia then Brazil.

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Man goes missing from NSW aged care home

A MISSING 63-year-old man from Sydney's inner west has not been seen since he left an aged care home on Sunday.

Police are appealing for information about the location of 63-year-old Reginald Bates, last seen leaving an aged care home on Albert Street, Campsie, on Sunday.

A police spokesman told AAP Mr Bates did not suffer from dementia but might be disorientated.

"We've certainly got huge concerns for his safety due to some sort of health (problem)," he said.

Mr Bates is Caucasian in appearance, 183 centimetres tall and 102 kilograms.

He was last seen wearing a blue-and-white chequered shirt and navy blue tracksuit pants.

People with information are urged to contact police or to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

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Narrow range for kiwi as eyes on US

THE New Zealand dollar traded in a narrow range though it may be headed for some volatility as a raft of Federal Reserve speakers take to the airwaves this weekend ahead of next week's release of the latest Fed minutes.

The kiwi was at US82.25 cents at 5pm on Friday in Wellington from US81.99c at 8am and US82.21c at the start of the New Year.

The Fed plans to reduce its bond-buying programme by $US10 billion to $US75b this month as it gains confidence about a revival in the world's largest economy. Investors will be eyeing speeches by a slew of Fed officials this weekend, including Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Philadelphia Fed Bank President Charles Plosser, Fed Governor Jeremy Stein and Richmond Fed Bank President Jeffrey Lacker for clues as to the central bank's plans for further easing of its stimulus programme, which has dented the greenback.

"Over the next two days we are going to get 10 different Fed speeches so that could be quite interesting," said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG Markets.

"We may get some more volatility. We will have to see what the different Fed speakers say."

In the meantime, reduced liquidity in the market is limiting the kiwi to a range of US81.70-82 cents, he said.

"There are not a lot of people back at their desks at the moment," Mr Weston said.

"Next week that's when we will get the full volume coming back in and you can start looking at the moves in a much more significant manner."

On Friday, the NZ dollar rose to 60.25 euro cents at 3pm from 59.98 cents at 8am and to 50.02 British pence from 49.98 pence.

The kiwi fell to 91.66 Australian cents from 91.89 cents in the morning and little changed at 85.74 yen from 85.81 yen.

Japanese banks are closed today for a four-day bank holiday. The trade-weighted index was at 77.67.

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Bon Jovi still highest-grossing tour act

BON Jovi have re-affirmed their status as the highest-grossing tour act.

The American rockers have ended 2013 on a career high after banking $US259.5 million ($A292.61 million) to score the year's highest-grossing tour.

The Livin' On A Prayer stars have been trekking across the globe on their Because We Can: The Tour shows since February, and their huge success has landed them the top spot in Pollstar.com's annual list.

The figure is a record for the stars themselves, despite guitarist Richie Sambora quitting the gigs in April to spend more time with his daughter.

Beyonce's The Mrs Carter Show World Tour, which kicked off in April, was a distant second with a haul of $US188.6 million, while Pink claimed third place with $US170.6 million for her The Truth About Love tour.

Justin Bieber and Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band rounded out the top five, while Rihanna, Taylor Swift and One Direction also placed high on the list.

The Pollstar data re-affirms Bon Jovi's status as the highest-earning touring act of the year - Billboard magazine editors also honoured the band with the same title in early December.

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WA man in court over NYE murder

A 23-YEAR-OLD man appeared briefly in court charged with the murder of a young man at a New Year's Eve beach party north of Perth.

James Dorloff, 20, died after being attacked, possibly with a knife or machete, on the 400-metre-long Wedge Island, shortly before 1.30am (WST) on Wednesday.

Joseph Robert Houston has been charged with his murder and with intent to do grievous bodily harm unlawfully wounding another.

He appeared briefly in the Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody on a seven-day hospital order for a mental health assessment.

Houston will next appear in court on January 9.

Outside court, his father offered his condolences to the Dorloff family.

Johnny Cady, who was with Mr Dorloff at the party, posted a photograph of his friend on Facebook with the caption: "Thank you for riding shotgun through this car wreck that is my life."

Two other people, both aged 25, were injured - a man was flown by rescue helicopter to Royal Perth Hospital and a woman was taken by ambulance to Joondalup Health Campus.

The Wedge Island Protection Association (WIPA) issued a statement saying anti-social behaviour in the area had increased since the opening of Indian Ocean Drive three years ago due to ease of access by two-wheel drive road vehicles, social media and lack of sufficient resources to control anti-social behaviour.

WIPA said the incident happened outside the settlement and did not involve shack occupants.

The group said it would continue to offer input to local authorities to better manage the risks associated with gatherings near the Wedge Island area and anti-social behaviour.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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WA struggles to shake off cyclone effects

THE clean-up after ex-Tropical Cyclone Christine has started in parts of Western Australia, but the worst may be yet to come in other parts.

Fresh flood warnings have been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology for two rivers in Pilbara and a flood watch alert for the Goldfields area.

The forecaster also issued a severe weather warning for a large part of the state's southeast on Wednesday.

Flash floods and winds of up to 100km/h are expected as the storm moves southeast across the state.

Farmers and others living in the Goldfields have been warned to prepare for flooding after up to 100mm of rain fell in the 24 hours to 9am (WST) on Wednesday.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services says people living in an area bordered by Eucla, Balgair, Leinster, Wiluna, Carnegie and Giles should prepare for dangerous conditions throughout the day.

The clean-up has begun in areas close to the point Christine made landfall in the state's northwest at midnight on Monday.

Roebourne councillor Robin Vandenberg said locals were used to cyclones and knew how to get back up and running quickly.

"We got the power back around 5.30pm yesterday afternoon," he told AAP on Wednesday.

"Driving around last night the areas around here all seemed to be back on.

"It's a beautiful day here today, everything is getting back to normal."

Christine made landfall between Whim Creek and Roebourne as a category-three cyclone, but the system was weakening as it tracked southeast into the Gascoyne region.

The cyclone was downgraded on Tuesday to a category one system as it swept inland through WA, leaving behind largely superficial damage to trees, fences and roofs.

Horizon Power expects to have most areas without electricity back up and running on Wednesday.

Power in Roebourne will be supplied by mining firm Rio Tinto's equipment while the line to the town in repaired.

Christine is set to move across the Nullabor into northern SA on Thursday morning, bringing gale force winds and high temperatures, but no rain.

Winds of up to 55km/h are forecast and while they are not expected to do major damage, dust storms will hit some areas.

Port Hedland Mayor Kelly Howlett said the clean-up operation there would take about a month.

There is no serious damage but there is a lot of sand on the streets and trees knocked down.

She praised the mateship of local people, including one group who gathered at a nursing home to help clean up its grounds.

"We are fortunate, but while there is no major damage it will take a while to clean it all up," she told AAP.

"The residents have been really good at getting out and helping each other."

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GP fee would be a mistake: Greens

THE government can reduce health expenditure by rectifying "piecemeal" reform and investing in treating more people in the community, the Greens say.

The party was responding to a proposal received by the National Commission of Audit for a co-payment scheme for GP consultations.

Acting Greens leader Richard Di Natale, who will chair a senate committee established to report on the commission of audit, said for the government to "balance the books" on the back of the health care of ordinary Australians would be a "big mistake".

"Of course there are some efficiencies to be gained in health care but putting a barrier in front of people to access a doctor is not the way to achieve it," Senator Di Natale said on Wednesday.

Senator Di Natale said instead of a co-charge to see a doctor, the commission of audit should look at the health system more broadly.

"Why not look at those areas in health care we might be funding that are not being funded on the basis of good evidence," he said.

"We treat people in hospitals, often the worst places for somebody who's sick who doesn't need to be there, when we could be treating them in the community.

"We could be investing in the greater use of antibiotics, for example, in the community; greater supports for people in the community so that they're not in hospitals being exposed to the risk of infection."

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Woman sexually assaulted in Vic

A SOUTH American woman has been sexually assaulted by a man who gave her a lift on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

Police say a man approached the 28-year-old, who is working in Australia as a nanny, at McCrae on Sunday and offered her a lift to a train station.

He drove her to an isolated part of Shoreham, punched her in the face and grappled with her, before she got out of the car and tried to flee.

The man then allegedly ran her down and sexually assaulted her.

He fled the scene in his car, described as a gold-coloured Holden utility.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Walsh said the woman was extremely distressed and traumatised by the attack and had decided to leave Australia earlier than planned.

"She received minor facial injuries, however, emotionally will be scarred forever," he said on Tuesday.

Police say the man told the woman his name was Dane, and is described as Caucasian in appearance, of thin build, about 25 years old and about 165cm tall with short, light-brown or blond hair and light-brown eyes.

He was wearing a dark T-shirt, possibly black, light beige pants, possibly cargos and dark-coloured shoes.

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Scooter company on track for first profit

SCOOTER maker Vmoto expects 2013 will be its first profitable year, thanks to growing sales in China.

The company makes electric and petrol scooters in China, and distributes them to more than 30 countries.

Vmoto also owns 10 retail outlets in China, with four of those stores having opened in the last two months.

On Monday, the company said November was another profitable month, and the company still expects to make its maiden annual profit, of between $300,000 and $600,000, in the 2013 calendar year.

Vmoto listed on the Australian share market in 2002.

It expects to have had made 42,000 scooters in the year, and had sold 3,197 of its own scooters in China by the end of November.

"The gradual buildup in sales month-on-month are testament to the Vmoto brand becoming increasingly recognised as a premium product for electric scooter riders in China," it said.

The company's shares gained 0.1 of a cent to 3.1 cents.

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Vic police launch plan after racism case

VICTORIA'S police chief has announced a number of changes to how the force interacts with minority groups in response to allegations of racial profiling.

In a statement, Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said a three-year plan is aimed at improving relationships between officers and the community.

"The key task before us moving forward is to increase public confidence and trust by improving perceptions of legitimacy, procedural justice and fairness," he said in a statement.

Among the changes, he said the force will:

- Set up community advisory groups.

- Review current policies to ensure they don't lead to racial profiling.

- Review how officers are being trained in cultural diversity.

- Improve the force's complaints process.

The changes come after a group of African-Australians alleged that police repeatedly stopped and searched them because of their race, rather than for legitimate reasons, while they were living in Melbourne's inner suburb of Flemington from 2005 to 2009.

The federal court case, however, was settled out of court in February with police agreeing to an internal investigation and a six-month consultation process.

Part of that court settlement included police agreeing to release a report responding to the community consultation.

The report was released late on Monday afternoon, one day before the court-appointed deadline.

Mr Lay will address a media conference about the changes later on Monday.

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WA residents take shelter during cyclone

Residents in and near Port Hedland have been told to take shelter as Cyclone Christine intensifies. Source: AAP

RESIDENTS have taken shelter as Tropical Cyclone Christine approaches Western Australia's Pilbara coast and brings destructive storms to the region.

A red alert has been issued for people in or near coastal areas between Pardoo and Mardie including Port Hedland, South Hedland, Whim Creek, Roebourne, Point Samson, Wickham, Karratha and Dampier.

"You need to immediately head to shelter and stay indoors away from doors and windows," the Department of Fire and Emergency Services warned.

The Department for Child Protection and Family Support has set up a relocation point at the JD Hardie Centre in South Hedland where about 85 people have sought shelter.

An emergency welfare centre has also been opened at the Karratha Leisureplex.

A yellow alert is current for people in inland areas including Marble Bar, Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Pannawonica.

Authorities say there is a possible threat to lives and homes as the cyclone approaches.

A blue alert remains for people in or near coastal areas between Bidyadanga and Pardoo, and between Mardie and Onslow, and the inland area from Marble Bar to Newman.

If the path of the system remains unchanged, a red alert will be declared from Tom Price to Paraburdoo at 6pm (WST) on Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says.

At 11am (WST) on Monday, BoM estimated the category three tropical cyclone was 135km north of Port Hedland and 250km northeast of Karratha, and moving southwest at 12km/h towards the Pilbara coast.

Cyclone Christine will continue to intensify and is expected to cross the coast between Karratha and Port Hedland on Monday night or early on Tuesday morning, BoM says.

Gales with gusts to 110km/h and heavy rainfall are occurring between Bidyadanga and Whim Creek, including Port Hedland, and should extend west Monday night, possibly as far as Oslow.

Very destructive winds with gusts in excess of 200km/h are likely near the centre as the cyclone crosses the coast, while destructive winds with gusts in excess of 130km/h are expected to extend inland on Monday night as the cyclone moves south, BoM says.

Heavy rainfall is expected near the cyclone track and flood warnings have been issued for the Pilbara, as well as dangerous storm tides and damaging waves on Monday night.

Horizon Power says 176 customers are without power in South Hedland and supply will remain out until the cyclone passes.

Water Corp advises the Yule Borefield, which supplies Port Hedland, is likely to be significantly impacted by the cyclone.

The De Grey Borefield will be used and it is not expected that supply will be disrupted.

An emergency welfare centre will open later on Monday at the Civic Centre in Marble Bar, as well as at Tom Price and Paraburdoo in the evening.

Authorities said people should only relocate if they had nowhere safe to stay and should bring essential documents such as birth and marriage certificates, insurance and property documents, bank details, medications, jewellery, photographs and clothing.

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Icebreaker 100 miles from stuck ship

AN Australian icebreaker is closing in on a ship wedged in Antarctic sea ice as part of a second rescue mission to free the stricken vessel.

A group of scientists, explorers and tourists has been stuck on the Russian research ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, about 1500 nautical miles south of Hobart, for the past five days.

Two icebreakers have given up on efforts to push through the thick and dangerous ice floes near Antarctica to try to free the trapped research vessel.

A third icebreaker, Australia's Aurora Australis, is on its way to the ship and is due to arrive about 1am (NZT) on Monday.

It is the last ship in the area that will be able to help.

The Aurora Australis was about 100 nautical miles from the trapped ship at 2pm (AEDT),(4pm NZT), the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement.

If it can't battle through the ice, AMSA says a second option may be to consider ferrying trapped passengers with a helicopter.

The locked-in ship, with 74 people on board, including several New Zealanders, sent a distress call on Christmas Day after becoming trapped in heavy sea ice.

The ship had been undertaking the Spirit of Mawson voyage, which is retracing Australian explorer Sir Douglas Mawson's Antarctic expedition.

Professor Chris Turney of the University of NSW is leading the expedition, consisting of scientists, explorers and enthusiasts undertaking climate research.

He insisted during several interviews with international media outlets that everyone was in good spirits despite the ordeal.

The Aurora icebreaker is rated at being able to push through ice slightly deeper than one metre thick.

China's Snow Dragon icebreaker, which came within six-and-a-half nautical miles of the stuck ship before turning back out of safety fears, is standing by in case its helicopter will be needed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said four New Zealanders are on board, but there may be as many as six, according to media reports.

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WA's Taste Master reluctant to leave

JUMPING out of a plane was not as frightening as scaling the famously hair-raising Gloucester Tree in Western Australia's South West region, the man with one of the best jobs in the world says.

Rich Keam counts the 72-metre tree near Pemberton as the only challenge that's bested him in his enviable role as Tourism WA's "taste master" over the past four months.

The 35-year-old Englishman believes he scored the best of all seven gigs offered by Tourism Australia - including "chief funster" in NSW - as he's tasked with munching his way through WA's considerable culinary delights after beating more than 600,000 other applicants from around the world.

With about six weeks of his six-month contract remaining, he's yet to take in the temperate towns of Denmark, Albany and Esperance in the state's Great Southern region, and Geraldton in the Mid West.

But he's been dazzled by the Kimberley's rugged beauty, relished the South West - where he rubbed shoulders with top chefs such as Heston Blumenthal at the Margaret River Gourmet Escape - and taken the plunge from a tiny plane in the middle of Perth.

"I was absolutely terrified," Keam said of the tandem dive that landed him in the city's central Langley Park.

"I'm tall, so I had to stick my leg out onto the wheel and go head first down. That was surreal."

However, it wasn't as scary as trying to climbing 153 thin pegs to the top of the Gloucester Tree, a former fire lookout in the middle of Karri forest.

Keam twice made it about 15 metres up then declared: "I'm coming down!".

"My eyes were blurring, I got sweaty hands.

"I'd sooner jump out of a plane.

"If there was a harness, I'd do it, but that's the challenge, isn't it - to do it without a harness."

Keam said another top adventure was participating in the Kickstarters Gascoyne Dash, which starts in desert inland from Carnarvon.

The Brighton-based film costumer reached 220km in a souped-up buggy driven by WA's off-road racing champion Bradley Cooper, but it was the people he met in the fishing town that left the greatest impression.

"I just had a great time there," he said.

"There were really friendly people in Carnarvon - some real characters."

And after sampling boab tuber chutney, ants and pearl meat, Keam's gourmet highlight was at the Sal Salis luxury eco-camp on the Coral Coast at Ningaloo Reef, where he feasted on pork belly and mud crab salad.

"I was the only person there," Keam said.

"It was so peaceful and serene, looking out at the ocean, so I took two hours to eat it."

Keam says he'll miss WA - the ultimate self-drive holiday destination with its vast distances - and its family-friendly capital.

"I don't really want to leave.

"I'd like to stay here for a couple of years."

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