Abu Sayyaf group releases Malaysian cop

THE Philippines army says the militant Abu Sayyaf group has released a Malaysian police constable eight months after they kidnapped him from a Malaysian resort.

MILITARY spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc said Zakia Aliep, a member of the Malaysia's marine police, was brought back to Malaysia's Sabah state early on Saturday.

He was quoting reports from civilian informants in nearby Sulu province in the southern Philippines.Cabunoc credited Philippine military operations in Sulu with the hostage's release.Abu Sayyaf gunmen ambushed several Malaysian marine police officers guarding the Sabah resort on July 12, killing one policeman and seizing Aliep as they escaped.The group has turned to ransom kidnappings and extortion to survive years of US military-backed military offensives.They are still holding a Dutch birdwatcher.

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High winds set to hamper bushfire efforts

Aircraft are dumping retardant in a bid to contain a bushfire that continues to burn in Tasmania. Source: AAP

WINDS forecast to reach speeds of up to 100km/h will hamper efforts to control a bushfire which continues to tear across northern Tasmania.

BURNING for more than 48 hours and through some 1000 hectares of bushland near George Town, the fire remains out of control and is heading east toward dense forest, the Tasmanian Fire Service says.

"The winds are of quite a bit of concern to us," incident controller Steve Lowe said on Thursday afternoon."We have done some really hard work on the northern front and if we can hold it, hopefully we can get on top of it, but it all depends on these wind gusts that are coming through."The fire isn't threatening homes or infrastructure, but residents of Lefroy are being urged to remain alert.The township of about 70 homes was evacuated on Wednesday and the blaze came within a kilometre of residences."At this point in time there is no threat ... but we need all people in the area to remain up-to-date as conditions change," Mr Lowe said.Two fixed-wing aircraft brought in from Victoria spent Thursday dumping thousands of litres of retardant, while crews continued the battle on the ground.The focus has been on the northern, most active, fire front which is being fuelled by southwesterly winds expected to peak in speed by midnight.There is still no cause for the fire, which started in a state forest late on Tuesday.It was deemed safe enough for investigators to enter the fire ground on Thursday and begin their work.In other parts of Tasmania temperatures dipped on Thursday, with snow recorded on some peaks.

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Ex-Knox head told to report allegations

Knox Grammar's ex-headmaster has admitted to impeding a police investigation into teachers at Knox. Source: AAP

A FORMER Supreme Court judge says he told the headmaster of Knox Grammar to report an allegation to police that a teacher had been sleeping with a boy at the elite Sydney school for two years.

MORRIS "Dusty" Ireland, who was chairman of the Knox school council in the 1990s, has told the child abuse royal commission headmaster Ian Paterson told him in 1992 a student was threatening to sue the school and expose it "as a hotbed of homosexuality".

The student, known as ATJ, also alleged teacher Bob James had been having sex with a senior student, known as ATP, for two years.Justice Ireland said he could not now remember full details, but recalled advising Dr Paterson not to approach the student and telling him the James affair should be reported to police because it "might involve criminal conduct" depending on the student's age.He said he couldn't remember what became of his recommendation.Justice Ireland said news of the litigation threat was common knowledge at the time and he was sure he would have spoken to other school councillors about it.Earlier on Wednesday, Dr Paterson, headmaster at Knox from 1969 to 1998, admitted to the commission to impeding a police investigation in 1996 into a number of Knox teachers.When NSW police Inspector Beth Cullen of the child protection unit approached Dr Paterson about the teachers - Craig Treolar, Damien Vance, Christopher Fotis and Barrie Stewart - he referred her to his secretary to provide school records.When asked by counsel advising the commission David Lloyd if he knew the records wouldn't reveal any information, Dr Paterson answered: "Correct."Mr Lloyd asked him if he'd known that failing to tell Insp Cullen what he knew, including that three of the teachers were still at the school, "was likely to impede or hinder her investigation".Dr Paterson replied: "I accept that."The former headmaster went on to admit that multiple failures on his part put students at risk of sexual abuse.He had never reported to police or put in place any training for staff on mandatory reporting obligations.Dr Paterson also said he didn't have written policies on child protection and no systems in place for interviewing or conducting reference or criminal checks for people applying to be housemasters.In the case of ATJ, he said he had hoped the litigation would never proceed.The commission has been told there is a handwritten school note referring to the litigation noting that ATJ had died.In reply to Geoffrey Watson QC, representing Knox, Dr Paterson agreed the school was inextricably linked to his own reputation, but denied that he was giving false evidence to protect his own name.The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse hearing will resume on Thursday with Justice Ireland returning to the stand.Dr Paterson will then be recalled.

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Borella Ride celebrates NT war hero

WHEN Albert Borella charged a German machine gun post with a revolver on the Western Front in 1918, he likely didn't even turn his head, because he knew his men would follow him.

SUCH was the action of a man often described as a born leader during a "short, sharp and bloody" battle for which he won the Northern Territory's only Victoria Cross.

Borella's extraordinary determination and sense of responsibility have been celebrated for the past 12 days, as his grandson Richard retraced his 1000km journey from Tennant Creek in Central Australia all the way to Darwin to enlist in the First World War.The re-enactment of Borella's journey by foot, horseback, horse-drawn mail cart and train is part of the official centenary commemorations of the war.Albert Borella had to sail from Darwin to Townsville to enlist, and was not assigned to the Light Horse Brigade as he had hoped, but with the far more dangerous infantry.He fought in Gallipoli for the last two months of that campaign before being sent to the Western Front."He saw that something needed to be done and he simply stepped forward and did it," said war historian Tom Lewis at the closing of the Borella Ride on Tuesday night in Darwin, where several hundred people gathered, many in period costume, to celebrate the life of a remarkable man.His military career was characterised by his strong sense of duty, dedication and determination, Mr Lewis said."It made him a magnificent Australian; never forget him."As a father, Albert was quiet, respectful, and a gentleman, said his only surviving son, Rowan."We all looked up to him and respected him," he said."He was a man who never went into a rage, never went into a panic. I can't recall ever receiving a whack on the backside."He thanked his son Richard for his efforts retracing Albert's footsteps - five months ago, Richard didn't know how to ride a horse. His parents followed his journey in a caravan."We've had it really easy. We've had support, people cooking for us," Richard told AAP."One hundred years ago you had it damned tough and I don't think I could have done it (then), no way."Only eight months old when Albert died, the ride had brought his grandfather closer, he said.NT Chief Minister Adam Giles says a new suburb will be named for Borella when one is developed in future.

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Executions 'risk condemnation' for Jakarta

A lawyer who claims to be able to help the Bali Nine pair is now reluctant to discuss the matter. Source: AAP

SENDING Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran for execution while they have an appeal before the courts would jeopardise Indonesia's international reputation as a law-respecting democracy, their lawyer warns.

BALI authorities are ready to transfer the Bali Nine pair to Nusakambangan this week, for their execution with eight other drug offenders.

Barrister Julian McMahon said an appeal was being lodged on Monday against the administrative court's decision not to examine the men's clemency rejection.The lawyers did not question the sovereignty of Indonesia or seek to undermine its legal system, Mr McMahon said.They just wanted a chance to have the facts of Chan and Sukumaran's cases for clemency - including their successful rehabilitation - heard in a court.It would be "shocking" if they were moved to Nusakambangan in the process of an appeal."It's unthinkable that people who are having their right to life litigated in a court could at the same time be taken away from that court by powerful people, by the executive, and simply executed," he told reporters in Bali.It could also disadvantage Indonesia in international law co-operation on drugs, he argued."To me it would be impossible to imagine that Indonesia would jeopardise its good name and respect for the rule of law by taking away prisoners who, like my own clients, are fighting for their rights in the court system and having them executed in a way which internationally would be condemned as a breach of the rule of law," Mr McMahon said.But Indonesia's president has repeated his conviction that executing drug offenders was important for the country's sovereignty.Students from a Central Java school linked to the military visited the presidential palace in Jakarta on Monday, where Joko Widodo warned them of the dangers of drugs."Be careful, right now there are 50 people from our generation who die each day because of drugs," he said, as quoted by news website detik.com."That's why we have to be strict. Do you all agree that drug dealers must be executed?"The students replied in unison: "Agree!"Mr Joko told reporters: "don't let anyone try to intervene in our sovereign law. About the executions of drug offenders, this is our sovereign law."In Bali, chief prosecutor Momock Bambang Samiarso met authorities to discuss plans to move the Bali Nine pair out of Kerobokan jail within days."It's confirmed, this week," he told reporters."(Nusakambangan) is all ready."But the Attorney-General HM Prasetyo, who will give the order, would only confirm the executions would be this month."It's getting closer," he told reporters, saying preparations were "95 per cent ready".The timeframe for moving the men has shifted several times, as Indonesia prepares to execute 10 drug offenders - the most it has ever executed at one time.The president has been contacted by leaders of various countries, including Australia, France, the Netherlands and Brazil, over the hardline drugs policy, but has not been swayed.His friend and political ally, Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known better as Ahok, has revealed he has encouraged the president to abolish the death penalty, and he believes he is considering alternative views on the matter.Meanwhile one of the Bali Nine drug mules sentenced to life in jail says he's lost hope under Indonesia's drugs policy and believes it would be more humane to execute him now, rather than let him die in jail.In a letter to The Australian newspaper, Martin Stephens says Mr Joko's decision to refuse the pair clemency, despite their great strides in rehabilitation, makes him wonder what hope there is for freedom or redemption for other drug offenders, like himself."It is more humane to just take me out the back and shoot me like Andrew and Myuran," he wrote.

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Abbott clawing back ground: Ipsos poll

Tony Abbott is staging an unlikely recovery with a poll showing the Coalition closing in on Labor. Source: AAP

TONY Abbott is staging an unlikely recovery in the polls even as speculation about his leadership rumbles on.

A FAIRFAX-IPSOS poll published on Sunday puts the coalition almost neck-and-neck with Labor in two-party terms at 49-51.

That's the best result since October and a big improvement on the 54-46 split recorded in January.Labor's primary vote dropped four points to sit at 36 per cent, while the coalition has gained four points to hit 42 per cent, the poll of 1406 voters suggests.The results confirm a surge in government support suggested last week by Newspoll, which found primary support for the government rising three points.Yet Mr Abbott continues to lag former leader Malcolm Turnbull as preferred leader, losing out in all 10 of the leadership attributes surveyed.A fifth of those polled believe Mr Abbott enjoys the confidence of his party. Half think Mr Turnbull does.Labor leader Bill Shorten remains preferred prime minister, but his margin has been slashed from 16 points to five to sit at 44-39.Mr Abbott laughed off the latest round of leadership speculation on Sunday, amid talk of a second spill motion.He said the matter had been settled by the party room three weeks ago.The poll has a 2.6 per cent margin of error.

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