Election 2013 - KEVIN Rudd has announced he will axe the carbon tax

KEVIN Rudd has announced he will axe the carbon tax next July, saving families an average of $380 a year.

The Prime Minister made the announcement this morning in Townsville.

``Today we've taken the decision to terminate the carbon tax,'' said Mr Rudd.

``We've had extensive consultation in cabinet for a number of weeks over these issues.

``This is modest relief but it is real.''

Juror: 'No doubt' that George Zimmerman feared for his life

One of the jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman said she had "no doubt" he feared for his life in the final moments of his struggle with Trayvon Martin, and that was the definitive factor in the verdict.

The woman, who was identified just as Juror B37, spoke exclusively to CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" on Monday night. She is the first juror to speak publicly about the case.

She said she believes Zimmerman's "heart was in the right place" the night he shot Martin, but that he didn't use "good judgment" in confronting the Florida teen.

› CNN

Syrian Rebels Side with Trayvon

Anger over the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin has stretched all the way from Sanford, Florida to Syria, where residents of a besieged town weighed in on the verdict Monday. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/15/syrian-rebels-side-with-trayvon.html

Australia shares seen rising but growth worries may cap gains

Australian shares are set to open higher on Tuesday following Wall Street's rise but could stall on worries about the world's two biggest economies, as China's growth slowed and U.S. retail sales rose less than expected in June.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/hotStocksNews/idUSL4N0FL3TQ20130715?irpc=932

Broken tooth in dino tail 'proves' T. rex was predator... well maybe

A broken T. rex tooth found in another dinosaur's tail bone offers evidence that the king of all meat-eating beasts hunted live prey, US paleontologists said Monday.

But paleontologists have not been able to rule out that T. rex was an opportunistic scavenger, and scientists say the latest research still cannot disprove that theory.What researchers have described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a US journal, is the first discovery of a broken T. rex tooth in another dinosaur bone -- in this case, in the vertebrae of a plant-eating hadrosaur.

http://mobile.france24.com/en/20130715-broken-tooth-dino-tail-proves-rex-was-predator

Australian Christian School releases pamphlet with sex alternatives

Christian schools say it’s hardly surprising they think students should have a burping contest instead of having sex.

Christian Schools Australia CEO Steve O’Doherty says horse riding, eating something new, blowing bubbles and playing ball without the ball are all better options than doing the deed.

They were among a “101 things to do instead of doing it” pamphlet which was recently given to out to students at Caloundra Christian College in Queensland.

http://i.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/8827706/School-releases-pamphlet-with-sex-alternatives

Animals stolen from Australian Reptile Park

THIEVES stole 23 animals including an alligator from the Australian Reptile Park overnight.Police were called to the facility on the Pacific Highway, Somersby, following reports of a break and enter about 11am.Staff told police approximately 23 various reptiles were allegedly stolen from the park including dragons, lizards and a baby alligator 20cm long. http://mobile.news.com.au/travel/australia/thieves-tail-it-with-alligator-and-22-animals-at-australian-reptile-par/story-e6frfq89-1226679431166

RACQ warns motorists have no margin for error on killer Bruce Highway

THE RACQ has warned the Bruce Highway is "unforgiving of driver error" as the families of those lost to its 1700km length call for both sides of politics to commit to the $11 billion needed to fix it.More than 15 per cent of road deaths in Queensland during the first six months of this year occurred on the Bruce Highway.In 2012, it was responsible for one-fifth of the state's road toll.The State Government has said an investment of $11 billion would "bring it up to an acceptable engineering standard". http://m.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/racq-warns-motorists-have-no-margin-for-error-on-killer-bruce-highway/story-fnihsrf2-1226679782723

FUKUSHIMA: CONTAMINATED WATER INTO OCEAN FOR 2 YEARS

Shunichi Tanaka, the head of the Nuclear Regulation Authority in Japan, and the country’s chief nuclear regulator announced on Wednesday, that the nuclear power plant at Fukushima, has been leaking contaminated water into the ocean for the two years since the accident that saw three of the plants six reactors suffer a meltdown.

The problem stems from the fact that ground water is leaking into the basement of the damaged reactors, and becoming contaminated, and whilst that water is being pumped out and stored in huge tanks on site, the inflow has not yet been stopped, meaning that ever more ground water enters the basement and becomes contaminated.

Tanaka explains that neither his staff, nor those working for the plant’s operator have discovered where the leaks are coming from, and therefore have not been able to stop them.

Read the full story › Source

Nearly 2,500 UK-based bankers took home pay packages worth more than €1m (£864,460) in 2011, according to figures released by the EU's banking watchdog.

Nearly 2,500 UK-based bankers took home pay packages worth more than €1m (£864,460) in 2011, according to figures released by the EU's banking watchdog.In 2011, 2,436 UK-based bankers earned in excess of €1m, down from 2,525 the previous year, according to a study by the European Banking Authority. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/10180313/More-than-2400-British-bankers-paid-over-1m-says-EU-regulator.html

Sweets, fast food and fizzy drinks linked to bowel cancer for the first time

Indulging in chocolate and other sweet treats such as biscuits and cakes could increase your risk of bowel cancer, researchers say.

It is the first study to link fatty and sugary snacks to bowel tumours, which claim more lives than any other form of the disease apart from lung cancer.However, not all treats are off the menu. 

The British study also found drinking lots of coffee could have a protective effect.

Read more: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2363152/Snacking-sweets-fast-food-fizzy-drinks-linked-bowel-cancer-time.html

Obama Launches Massive Domestic Propaganda Push With Government-Run News

U.S. Repeals Propaganda Ban, Spreads Government-Made News To Americans 

For decades, a so-called anti-propaganda law prevented the U.S. government's mammoth broadcasting arm from delivering programming to American audiences. But on July 2, that came silently to an end with the implementation of a new reform passed in January. The result: an unleashing of thousands of hours per week of government-funded radio and TV programs for domestic U.S. consumption in a reform initially criticized as a green light for U.S. domestic propaganda efforts. So what just happened? http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/07/12/us_backs_off_propaganda_ban_spreads_government_made_news_to_americans

Israeli archaeologists dig up artifact from time of Kings David and Solomon

Fragment of ceramic jar found near the Temple Mount bears earliest sample of written alphabetical text found in Jerusalem.

Israeli archaeologists last week discovered a fragment of a ceramic jar they say dates back to the time of Kings David and Solomon and bears the earliest sample of written text ever found in Jerusalem. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israeli-archaeologists-dig-up-artifact-from-time-of-kings-david-and-solomon.premium-1.535792

'No Justice, No Peace': Pro-Trayvon Martin Protesters Clash With Police in NYC, L.A.

KTVU reports for the second night in a row covering pro-Trayvon Martin protests in Oakland, Calif., one of the station’s cameramen has been attacked by masked protesters.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/14/watch-live-pro-trayvon-martin-protesters-clash-with-police-in-nyc-l-a/

NBA Basketball Player Baron Davis: I was 'abducted by aliens' in desert two weeks ago...

Ex-Knicks guard Baron Davis swears he was abducted by aliens while driving to Los Angeles two weeks ago.

“Then next thing you know, dude, like, I was in this f------ steel thing,” Davis deadpanned.

”The basket-case baller told the hosts of “The Champs Podcast” that he crossed into his own personal twilight zone while driving “like two weeks ago.”

http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1397660

Why you should deactivate Facebook

'Facebook has become a dark hole – a place where jealousy and competition breed, where self-worth is defined by a catalogue of carefully tagged pictures and an overall productivity time-suck'

In today's world, not having Facebook is akin to leprosy. Surely something must be wrong with you if you have no social account to show for your life. How will people follow your achievements, your relationships or your weight gain without a social presence to stalk?The existential crisis of the 21st century has become: "If something happens and you don't put it on Facebook, did it ever happen?" Joking aside, it's true many of us feel that Facebook is the be-all and end-all of socialising; that having no social network is the same as having no friends.AdvertisementBut what our connected world has not taken into account are the several ways in which Facebook can harm our lives, instead of enhancing them. Sure, you can reconnect with lost friends and family, find job opportunities and keep a digital log of your life. But more commonly Facebook has become a dark hole – a place where jealousy and competition breed, where self-worth is defined by a catalogue of carefully tagged pictures and an overall productivity time-suck.Ultimately, we risk comparing our everyday lives to our online personas, which are often overwhelmingly composed of curated success stories and positive experiences.... more

Lead Cop Told FBI Zimmerman Was Not A Racist

As the Department of Justice resumes its review of the Trayvon Martin killing to determine whether criminal civil rights charges should be filed against George Zimmerman, the federal probe could be hampered by the observations of the state’s lead investigator that the fatalshooting was not based on Martin’s skin color, nor was Zimmerman considered to be a racist.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/investigation/cop-told-fbi-zimmerman-not-a-racist-765093

World's fastest man tests positive for banned substance...

Jamaican Sherone Simpson, who has a gold and two silver Olympic medals to her credit.Word came Sunday that all three had failed drug tests. "A sad day," one former track official called it.

American champion Tyson Gay, who went out of his way to promote himself as an anti-drug athlete.....

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ATH_GAY_POSITIVE_TEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-07-14-11-00-05

Syrian rebels' Damascus chemical cache found by Assad army - State TV

The Syrian army has discovered a storehouse belonging to rebels in the Damascus area of Jobar, where toxic chemical substances - including chlorine - have been produced and kept, State TV reported.

Military sources reported that the militants "were preparing to fire mortars in the suburbs of the capital and were going to pack missiles with chemical warheads."  http://rt.com/news/damascus-syria-chemical-weapons-082/

Obama: Americans should "honor" the life of Trayvon Martin by committing to gun control. ..

President Barack Obama issued a long-awaited response Sunday afternoon to the acquittal of George Zimmerman Saturday evening, reminding Americans to temper "passions," and that "we are a nation of laws and the jury has spoken."

He added that Americans should "honor" the life of Trayvon Martin by committing to "stem the tide of gun violence," and "ask ourselves if we are doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion in our communities." In March 2012, Obama had lent... more 》http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/14/Obama-Responds-to-Zimmerman-Verdict-Stem-the-Tide-of-Gun-Violence