FFA wants larger A-League venue should Sydney FC meet Wanderers in grand ... - ABC Online

Posted October 30, 2013 17:07:57

The FFA are considering shifting the A-League Sydney derbies to a bigger venue next season and have already booked Sydney's Olympic stadium should the cross-town rivals meet in this campaign's grand final.

Last week's first clash of the season between Western Sydney and Sydney FC was a sell-out, amassing a record crowd of 40,388 at the Sydney Football Stadium - trumping the Sky Blues' largest crowd for regular-season game and far exceeding last season's best figure for the derby of 26,176 at the same ground.

With the January 11 fixture between the two sides also sure to be a sell-out the debate has again been raised over moving it from the 20,000-seater Parramatta Stadium to a larger venue like the Olympic stadium which can accommodate over 80,000 fans.

A-League boss Damien de Bohun, while open to the possibility for next season, has all but ruled out a switch of venue for the two remaining Sydney derbies this campaign, the final one to be played on March 8 at Homebush.

De Bohun said besides the Wanderers' contractual obligations to play their home games at Parramatta, they also would not want to do wrong by their 16,000 members.

"A big part of the Wanderers' success is their loyalty to their fans, they're part of the club's DNA," de Bohun said.

"They have a commitment to Parramatta as their home ground and they're committed to their fans to play their games there.

"With 16,000 members, they need to stay loyal to those fans who have brought those memberships so they can be guaranteed a place at all the big games at Parramatta.

"If the club themselves were to express an interest in moving the derby to a larger venue then we would definitely look at that."

De Bohun admitted the commercial opportunity a larger venue presented was attractive and said the FFA would look at the prospect from next season.

"There are a lot of commercial reasons why you'd look at it very seriously and we're very alive to that," he said.

"We will definitely be looking at that when we come to fixturing next season and beyond.

"We are serious about growing the league and we think the opportunity to play matches in the future at big venue like [the Olympic stadium] is something that we need to look at very seriously."

And, in an effort to capitalise on the momentum the Sydney derby is gaining de Bohun revealed the FFA had already moved to shore-up the city's largest stadium should the two sides meet in this season's title-decider on May 4.

"We have placed a booking on the Olympic Stadium for grand final day in the event it plays out that way," he said.

"ANZ Stadium is being considered as a grand final venue across the board this season, but it becomes particularly relevant if the grand final is a Sydney derby."

The Wanderers will be able to better cater for a burgeoning fan base from next season with Parramatta Stadium to undergo expansion which will increase capacity by 4000 seats.

The club are also exploring the possibility of installing of German-style "rail seating", widely used in the Bundesliga, to allow safe standing areas as part of the overall stadium upgrade.

AAP

Topics: a-league, soccer, sport, sydney-2000, parramatta-2150, nsw, australia

John Symond receives $4.9m in damages from Sydney law firm - Sydney Morning Herald

Business

John Symond: to receive $4.9 million in damages. Photo: Glen McCurtayne

A Sydney law firm has been ordered to pay $4.9 million to Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond over home loan advice it provided that landed him in hot water with the tax office.

The Sydney millionaire launched legal action against Gadens Lawyers after he was forced to pay a "substantial amount" of tax, penalties and interest to the Australian Taxation Office, following an audit of his affairs in 2007.

Mr Symond claimed Gadens was negligent and acted in breach of contract when it gave him advice on how to restructure his business.

This included advice about how he could borrow funds from Aussie Home Loans to complete the construction of his multimillion-dollar mansion in the eastern Sydney harbourside suburb, Point Piper.

The real estate magnate reportedly told Gadens that any restructure had to comply with tax regulations and that "the last thing I want is for the media or the public to think I'm some kind of tax cheat".

Earlier this year, Justice Robert Beech-Jones upheld Mr Symond's claim that Gadens had been negligent in failing to give him advice on the availability of other means of structuring his affairs and those of Aussie Home Loans, when it came to borrowing money to complete his home.

Justice Beech-Jones rejected the law firm's argument that, overall, Mr Symond had made a saving of $10 million on the basis of its advice, and that this outweighed any losses incurred by the tax issue.

On Thursday his honour ordered Gadens to pay the home loan magnate $4.9 million in damages in the NSW Supreme Court.

Mr Symond is now pursuing the company for legal costs.

With AAP

Walking on Sydney's Wild Side - New York Times

Hamilton Lund/Destination NSW

A walk in the Sydney Harbour National Landscape.

The blue-tongued lizard eyed me suspiciously but remained still long enough for photographs, while a kookaburra laughed and a diminutive wallaby rustled in the brush. Rock engravings of fish and kangaroos marked ceremonial sites of Aboriginal ancestors. Scented forests of eucalyptus and gum trees shaded our path over sandstone and thin topsoil, classic Outback topography surprisingly concealed on the outskirts of Sydney.

“We’re six kilometers from the largest city in Australia, but you look around, and you’re in the bush,” said my guide, Ian Wells, gazing at the tangle of branches above the trail.

More specifically that August morning, my family and I were hiking in the suburbs of Sydney on a 7.5-mile route between Spit Bridge in Mosman and the beach town Manly, combing the north shore of Sydney Harbour, a natural asset celebrated by everyone from Capt. James Cook in the 18th century to fans of the harborfront Sydney Opera House, but largely unsung as a coastal wilderness until recently.

In February, Sydney Harbour was named the country’s newest National Landscape, calling attention to the wild side in Sydney’s metropolitan area of 4.6 million residents. It encompasses a 620-square-mile expanse of beaches, rivers, islands and bushland, ranging from Royal National Park in the south to the Barrenjoey Headland in the north, the Pacific Ocean in the east and Parramatta Park to the west. Other National Landscapes include the Great Barrier Reef and the Red Centre, the country’s desert center and home to the famous rock formation Uluru.

In a country with an abundance of wilderness — including more than 600 national parks — the National Landscapes program is designed to help visitors as well as locals identify some of Australia’s unique wild places. The program, a partnership between Parks Australia and Tourism Australia, two government organizations, began in 2006. The latest designation prompted five tour operators, including Mr. Wells, to add harbor-focused tours. Among the excursions is a two-hour “tea at sea” cruise. New kayaking routes and ferry tours are also planned.

“There is easily a week of exploring you can do around Sydney Harbour and still find new experiences and lifelong memories every day,” Tony Burke, the former Australian environment minister, said in a statement last spring.

An extensive ferry system in the harbor links Sydney’s downtown Circular Quay to nearby beach communities like Watsons Bay, gateway to the South Head. It was there that my husband, 13-year-old son and I spent a morning atop the area’s sandstone cliffs, spying humpback whales, soaring albatrosses and flocks of rainbow lorikeet. But the best way to interpret the bush, we learned, is to take a full-day guided hike with Mr. Wells of Sydney Coast Walks (sydneycoastwalks.com.au), which recently added harbor itineraries ranging from half-day trips to weekend-long treks.

Our full-day walk to Manly (159 Australian dollars, about the same in U.S. dollars, including transportation and food) began with a thrilling water-taxi ride in the shadow of a towering cruise ship and through teeming ferry lanes to an exclusive yacht harbor. There we started our walk after an Aboriginal greeting from Mr. Wells. “Brothers, sisters, friends, I see you,” he translated from Ku-ring-gai, noting the Aboriginal belief that spirits linger after death.

The walk began on the fringe of Sydney among tidy beach homes but soon turned to remote dirt track, where banyan roots snake around boulders, freshwater streams trickle from fern-covered cliffs and piles of oyster shells mark ancient Aboriginal dump sites. We stopped for snacks at a deserted pocket beach, then continued upward through the coastal gum forest, listening to our guide’s encyclopedic identification of plant species and their Aboriginal uses in making fire sticks, bedding, baskets and spears. Topping out in dry heathland, we met the Outback by way of the lizard and the Aboriginal engravings. As a pod of dolphins swam below in the clear blue depths of the harbor’s Crater Cove, we spread out on the hilltop to lunch on deli sandwiches and wraps that Mr. Wells unpacked. “I hope you don’t mind the view,” he said, joking.

The trail gradually re-enters civilization at Manly, a resort town, and the nearly seven-hour tour concludes with a 20-minute ferry ride back from breezy Manly to Sydney’s downtown docks.

“I think there are Sydneysiders who don’t realize there’s this much nature here,” said Mr. Wells, pointing out our picnic spot high above a bush-covered hill, with nary a kookaburra visible from water level.

Bushfires In Australia Disrupt Flights, Close Sydney-Area National Parks And ... - International Business Times

Dozens of bushfires have encircled the Sydney metropolitan area for five days now, destroying more than 200 homes, damaging at least 100 others and leaving several communities on high alert. The worst, however, may be yet to come.

“Weather conditions over the next few days will deteriorate significantly, and there is potential for a significant and widespread danger to life and property across the state,” New South Wales (NSW) Premier Barry O’Farrell said Sunday as he issued a state of emergency, citing warnings from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) commissioner. “This is not an action taken lightly by either the Commissioner, the Minister or myself, but it’s important the Rural Fire Service and other emergency services have the powers and the resources they need to combat this threat.”

O’Farrell added that he was “planning for the worst but hoping for the best.” The state of emergency triggered a range of measures that will allow emergency personnel to direct the public to evacuate an area or not enter an area, order power and gas supplies to be shut off, shore up or pull down buildings and enter premises to facilitate the exercise of these powers.

“I again urge people in bushfire-prone areas to prepare their homes and have a bushfire survival plan,” Emergency Services Minister Michael Gallacher stated. Gallacher asked the public to stay tuned to the media, official social networking sites and the RFS website to keep up to date with the latest information.

Meteorologists believe a dry winter and hotter than average spring combined to form perfect conditions for the 60 odd bushfires currently raging across Eastern Australia (14 of which were considered “out of control” Monday). NSW officials say they are the most dangerous conditions in more than 40 years.

National Parks, Travel And Tourism

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service said Monday afternoon that active bushfires raged across 11 national parks and state conservation areas, particularly in the Blue Mountains, a popular destination about an hour from downtown Sydney. The emergency situation, meanwhile, forced the closure of all parks in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area.

“These closures are necessary to ensure public safety whilst the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service deploys all available firefighters to assist the Rural Fire Service and NSW Fire and Rescue in combating the fire emergency situation across the Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands,” the park service said in a statement Monday.

Despite the closures, major vehicle-accessible lookouts in the Blue Mountains remained open, like those on the southern side of Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba, home to the iconic “Three Sisters” rock formation. Visitor information centers at Echo Point, Katoomba and Glenbrook were also open and on standby for an escalation of fire threat, as was the popular Scenic World attraction.

In the Lithgow area, the heritage-listed Zig Zag Railway lost its assets to a bushfire.

Members of the regional organization Blue Mountains Lithgow & Oberon Tourism, or Bmlot, gathered for an emergency meeting Sunday at the Blue Mountains Fire Control Center to create a list of recommendations for tourism operators in the area. It asked hoteliers to provide guests with a deferred visit option, and it urged all tour companies to end all bushwalking activities for the indefinite future.

“The risks we face over the coming days should not be underestimated,” Bmlot Chairman Randall Walker warned. “It is our paramount mission to ensure that no visitors to our region are injured due to bushfires.”

Walker said that members of the tourism industry, one of the region’s main employers, had been among those who lost their homes to the fire. “We express our deep thanks to all volunteers fighting the bushfires, protecting lives and property, and providing support services, including many tourism industry people,” he said.

The bushfires have not directly affected Australia’s biggest city, but smoke in the air has occasionally plunged Sydney into midday darkness and caused problems for travelers getting into and out of the airport. Airservices Australia, which manages the majority of the country’s air space, said it had limited landings in Sydney from 50 an hour to 34 on Monday as bushfire smoke reduced the visibility to about 1,200 meters (3,940 feet). Meanwhile, a United Airlines flight that blew out its tires on takeoff from Sydney Sunday night caused a ripple effect of delays and cancellations across the country that dragged into Monday morning.

A Bad Situation About To Get Worse

Temperatures in the greater Sydney area hit 33 degrees Celsius (91 Fahrenheit) Monday afternoon, which is unseasonably warm for mid-Spring. Higher temperatures and strong winds across New South Wales are expected to continue through at least Wednesday and make an already bad situation worse in Australia’s most populous state.

Nowhere is the threat greater at the moment than in the already hard-hit Blue Mountains, where RFS said it’s possible that the two major infernos burning in the area could merge together with another blaze in nearby Lithgow. “We can understand the magnitude of that as it would then creep into the bottom end of Sydney,” an RFS spokesperson said. “It’s certainly something that we’re very concerned about.”

The foothills of the Blue Mountains lie just across the Nepean River from Sydney’s western suburbs, and embers already jumped its banks last week to start a fire near Penrith.

RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told reporters Monday that there would be several difficult days ahead. “We’ve got what would be unparalleled (conditions) in terms of risk and exposure for the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury communities throughout this week,” he said. “If you are to draw a parallel, and it’s always dangerous to draw a parallel, at best you’d be going back to time periods in the late 60s.

“The reality is, however, these conditions that we’re looking at are a whole new ball-game and in a league of their own.”

Man dies after Sydney driveway shooting - NEWS.com.au

A MAN has died after being shot in the back as he walked to his car at a unit block in Sydney's west.

It comes just days after a double shooting in city's southwest left one man dead and another wounded.

The 27-year-old was shot in the driveway of the unit complex on Dunmore Street in Pendle Hill on Wednesday night.

Paramedics performed CPR on the man and took him to Westmead Hospital, where he later died.

Police say witnesses described the lone gunman as wearing a black hooded jumper, and that he was last seen walking towards Goodall Street.

Detectives from Holroyd Local Area Command, with the assistance of the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad are conducting the investigations.

They are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

At about midnight on Tuesday two men were shot in a garage in Sydney's southwest.

One man, who was affiliated with the notorious Brothers 4 Life crime gang, died and the other suffered wounds to his leg and stomach.

Police haven't said if the two shootings are related.

Sydney FC remain a borderline basket case - Sydney Morning Herald

Demolition derby: Nikola Petkovic and Seb Ryall show their frustration during Sydney FC's 2-0 loss to Western Sydney Wanderers last Saturday. Photo: Getty Images

It was at the end-of-season awards night for Sydney FC when club chairman Scott Barlow took to the stage.

Before a room filled with players, coaches, sponsors and associated hangers-on, he pressed home how the 2012-13 campaign had been – the signing of a certain Italian aside – a series of disappointments.

“Clearly, missing the finals series was the top of those disappointments,” he told the crowd at Doltone House in Pyrmont. “Our qualification for the finals should never have hinged on results elsewhere in the final round of the season. We'd already had ample opportunity to secure our finals birth throughout the season. To miss out, on goal difference, was particularly frustrating.”

Marquee man: Alessandro Del Piero's success with the Sky Blues has been achieved in spite of his surroundings. Photo: Getty Images

Given Barlow's penchant for befriending players rather than berating them, the message was clear. Not good enough for my father-in-law (David Traktovenko, who pays the bills), not good enough me, and certainly not good enough for Sydney FC.

That was April, and now it's almost November, but little seems to have improved.

Are Sydney a club in crisis? After three rounds, surely it's too early to put them in such a basket.

But they remain a borderline basket case, as they have been for a few years now. Membership, crowds and sponsors are respectable, but you can attribute that fairly and squarely to Alessandro Del Piero.

His retention aside, few boxes have been ticked. The club has failed to consecrate its identity and there remains an absence of long-term planning. Not to bring up the Wanderers following the derby, but the two seems to headed in vastly different directions.

Truthfully, if the Sky Blues don't sort out this mess, the legacy of having Del Piero will be squandered.

Don't be so foolish to think there will be some kind of residual glow when he leaves. The part-time fans and theatre-goers – heaven knows there's plenty of each – will be the first to ditch Moore Park.

What Del Piero provided was a gateway to reach those fans. Finally, this was Sydney's chance to then convert their blood to sky blue.

Of course, we can't judge the success of the experiment until Del Piero leaves, but as it stands, his success – which remains untarnished – seems to have been achieved in spite of his surroundings. It's become a collective triumph for the A-League, not Sydney FC.

A replacement marquee is required when he leaves – we're absolutely fixated on the sugar rush – but the club must also lay the building blocks of something more substantial.

Indeed, when you look at Sydney's squad, there's plenty of quality. Brett Emerton and Richard Garcia went to World Cups, Nicky Carle and Yairu Yau should have, Nikola Petkovic has reached serious European heights and Pedj Bojic was an integral part of last year's champions.

Garcia admitted on Twitter that the team hasn't gelled just yet, and while he's right, progress over pre-season is hard to ascertain.

On paper, they're arguably stronger than the Wanderers, yet only one looks organised and capable. Credit that to Tony Popovic and Ante Milicic, who run a meticulous planning operation.

Sydney must realise that while loyalty is a good quality, it's a terrible bedfellow with mediocrity. That's a recipe for repeat disasters.

Frighteningly, the aspiration to play quality football seems to have been abandoned. In three rounds, they've relied on survival instinct rather than tactical discipline. A jammy opening win against Newcastle was a consequence of Del Piero's brilliant feet.

You could string a thousand reasons together why Sydney aren't winning, but the lack of a definitive game plan is the prime worry. Plan B – the archetypal backs-to-the-wall approach – will only deliver occasionally, nor is it fitting for the flagship club of Australia's biggest city.

Those on the inside insist stability and hard work will bring change. They ought to realise no amount of pedalling will replace a broken chain.

Man seen beating child, Sydney trial hears - NEWS.com.au

A Sydney murder trial has heard a man was too afraid to report a child being beaten near his house. Source: AAP

A WITNESS who saw a man beating a child near his house considered calling authorities but was afraid for his own safety, a Sydney murder trial has heard.

Peter Cooper said he heard loud shouting and swearing at the front of his house on the NSW Central Coast on August 9, 2011.

The Crown alleges the man was Warren Ross, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his girlfriend's child, Tanilla Warrick-Deaves, at a house in nearby Watanobbi 16 days later, on August 25, 2011.

"He was swearing at the little girl and telling her to get up and walk," Mr Cooper told the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday.

"She said 'I can't walk any further, my legs are tired'.

"He picked her up by the hand and stood her up and hit her on the back, on the legs."

Mr Cooper, who came to court in a wheelchair, said the child was struck half a dozen times and with "quite a bit of force".

He said the swearing and yelling continued and the girl was sobbing.

He said he went inside and considered calling police and the Department on Community Services.

"Because of the anger in his voice I was worried about him coming back," Mr Cooper said.

"In hindsight, I should have called.

"At the time I was concerned about our safety and him coming back."

A few weeks later, Mr Cooper noticed a picture of two-year-old Tanilla in the paper and on the television news.

She was dead, and Ross, 28, has been charged with killing her.

The trial before Justice Stephen Rothman continues.

Tongan royals visit Sydney - SBS

Members of the Tongan royal family have attended a charity-focused event in western Sydney.

His Serene Highness, Prince Tungi, his mother the Hon. Alaileula Tuku'aho and other members of the royal family visited the Granville Youth and Community Centre earlier today.

The intimate event gave locals the chance to meet the Prince, with organisers hoping the visit will inspire Tongan youth.

"The Tongan culture is alive and well in Australia. And it's good to see that as a person coming from the Islands," Prince Tungi said.

The 23-year-old is training in New Zealand to become a pilot.

And it's hoped his visit here will encourage other young Tongans to reach for the skies.

"Tongan students, school leavers or unemployed who feel that they're not part of the community, hey, they've got a lot of future for them.. the community are supporting them," said Reverend Sione Pinomi from the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga.

There's approximately 18,000 Tongans settled in Australia.

But last year people born in Tonga had the fourth highest imprisonment rate. Unemployment is also high at 9.2 per cent.

And recent clashes in Queensland have raised concerns about anti-social behaviour.

"We're the friendly island and we don't want to take that away. That's something we're proud of and we really want to keep that in Australia," Reverend Sione Pinomi said.

Community members say they would like to see more event like this to bring families together and show their support for Tonga's youth.

"This is a great positive event. This will bring the community together. It will bring the local youth from the Tongan community," says Parramatta Lord Mayor John Chedid.

"The more events like this the better for our society in general and we are delighted to be here today," Prince Tungi said.

Sydney's richest offer vintage luxury for annual bargain sale - Sydney Morning Herald

83-year-old Margie Dowling, daughter of one of the original founders, is donating her yellow Louis Vuitton handbag. Photo: Tamara Dean

When the society women of Sydney got together in 1941 to sell pre-loved designer frocks to help the poor children of Paddington's slums, 50 women fainted with excitement at the sight of such luxury during wartime rationing.

An elderly woman with a weak heart refused treatment until after she had grabbed her gown, reported The Sydney Morning Herald in April 1941.

More than 70 years later, the Peter Pan committee is still selling frocks and making hearts flutter.

The Peter Pan Parade in Rowe Street, Sydney on October 3, 1957. Photo: Supplied

These days, it is a twice-a-year, three-day extravaganza, offering slightly and often unworn hand-me-downs from the wardrobes of some of the richest women in Sydney.

Committee member Margie Dowling, a daughter of one of the original members, is donating a yellow patent leather Louis Vuitton handbag she bought for $50 at a previous sale. “I think it will go for much more this time,” she said.

The committee received many donations from deceased estates.

“Whenever there is a deceased estate, there are masses and masses of new shoes. I am afraid old people seem to think they will wear them one day, but they are often still in their original boxes," said Mrs Dowling, who lives in Double Bay.

"So if the shoe fits you, they are very very good value. Masses of Tod's and brands like that.”

Lady Jenner was the first president of the Peter Pan Committee, which was formed in 1936 to build a free kindergarten in Paddington which would provide the poor children with a hot lunch.

At this year's sale in Paddington, the biggest room is strictly women only.

“Because people are trying clothes on in the room, it is very public, we don't have changing rooms," said Mrs Dowling.

"We do have a lot of arguments, particularly gay guys, who ask why they can't come in.”

She said the clothes came out of the most affluent wardrobes, particularly those who go to races. “We don't tell anyone who our donors are.”

The sale often included vintage clothes and hat boxes, beautiful ball gowns and party dresses, handbags and shoes. It also included donations from retailers, which were sold at less than half price.

Each Peter Pan sale raised between $60,000 to $70,000, which was donated to Barnados to care for 6989 children.

The next Summer Sale runs from Wednesday, October 30 to Friday, November 1 at Paddington Town Hall, Sydney.

Two in court over Sydney shooting murder - NEWS.com.au

TWO men have faced court over the death of a man gunned down while bringing in rubbish bins at his home in Sydney's west.

Ali Jammas, 36, was shot outside his Abbotsbury home on the morning of July 12.

Police arrested 28-year-old Yagoona man Mahmoud Barakat on Wednesday and charged him with murder and possessing or using a prohibited weapon without a permit.

He's also charged with two counts of driving while suspended and not disclosing the identity of his passengers.

David Younis, 29, was also arrested at his Yagoona home and charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder and concealing a serious offence.

Barakat didn't apply for bail when he fronted Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday and it was formally refused.

Younis, whose wife was in court, was granted bail.

The court heard that the prosecution was concerned Younis would intervene with crown witnesses, but his lawyer said there was scant evidence he would do that and he was not a flight risk.

Meanwhile, police say they seized ammunition, prohibited drugs and a ballistic vest during raids through Sydney.

Further arrests are expected.

New York Magazine says Adelaide is better than Sydney - Adelaide Now

Bistro Dom, Waymouth Street, Adelaide. Source: News Limited

The city of churches is revamping its image with a new ad featuring DJ Minx.

A new television commercial promoting the Barossa Valley as Australia's premier food and wine destination was launched today.

TOURISTS should bypass Sydney for a stay in Adelaide, according to New York Magazine.

New restaurant Peel St and Bistro Dom in Waymouth St get special mentions in the travel article, titled 'Adelaide Instead of Sydney'.

It says Clarion Hotel Soho in Flinders St has "elegant touches" and also recommends Annie's Place on Franklin St and North Adelaide's Fire Station Inn.

What do you love about Adelaide? Tell us below.

The warm praise from across the Pacific comes as Lonely Planet named Adelaide one of the top 10 cities in the world.

"Now that recently revised liquor laws have made it easier for small venues to obtain licenses, the city has seen a boom in boutique bars," Alexa Tsoulis-Reay wrote in the New York Magazine piece.

"Once known as a city of serial killers and churches, Adelaide is now jokingly referred to as Australia's answer to Portland.

"Like its eastern cousin Sydney, Adelaide has eclectic cuisine, idyllic beaches, shiraz wineries, and kangaroo spotting galore - but with a fraction of the tourists and for a whole lot cheaper."

Bartender extraordinaire Shaun Pattinson, who recently closed Adelaide's top cocktail bar Cushdy, provided his top drink tips for the article.

They were Grapple Cooler from Gouger St's Loft Oyster and Wine Bar, the Break Fast Fizz from Casablabla, "the United Nations of bars" on Leigh St, and home-bottled punch from "funky gem" Four Doors Plus One on Hindley St.

The article says "Sydney's excursions have nothing on (Adelaide's) side trips" to Wilpena Pound, the Barossa Valley, Maslin Beach, Port Willunga and Kangaroo Island.

What do you love about Adelaide? Tell us below.

Pair arrested over driveway shooting of Ali Jammas at Abbotsbury in Sydney - Yahoo!7 News

Two men have been arrested over what police describe as the targeted shooting murder of another man in Sydney's south west in July.

Ali Jammas, 36, was gunned down in the driveway of his Abbotsbury home as he was collecting his garbage bins one morning.

At about 7:00am today, heavily armed officers arrested a 28-year-old man at his Yagoona home and expect to charge him in relation to the shooting.

A 29-year-old man has also been arrested and is expected to be charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.

Detective Superintendent Michael Willing says Mr Jammas knew one of the men and it was a targeted attack.

"We believe that Mr Jammas was involved in a dispute with the 28-year-old male's family and that has led to his death," he said.

"Can I also say that organised crime underpins this murder."

He says Mr Jammas was associated with the Hells Angels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang but does not believe that had anything to do with his death.

Police are carrying out further search warrants and expect to make more arrests.

Sydney FC star Rhyan Grant out for A-League season after rupturing ACL in loss ... - ABC Online

Updated October 28, 2013 14:52:50

Young Sydney FC star Rhyan Grant has been ruled out for the rest of the A-League season after injuring his knee in Saturday's loss to cross-town rivals Western Sydney.

The 22-year-old utility ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the second half of the derby and will undergo surgery on Friday.

Grant joins fellow midfielders Peter Triantis (osteitis pubis) and Terry Antonis (thigh) on the Sky Blues' long-term injury list.

"It's disappointing for Rhyan but he is a strong and tough character, so I have no doubt he has the ability to come back and come back an even better player," coach Frank Farina said in a statement on Monday.

"He will be well looked after and providing he follows the advice he is given, he'll have no problems returning to the park."

Despite the lengthy spell on the sidelines, Grant remains optimistic and has vowed to come back fitter and stronger.

"It's a long road ahead but I'm positive and looking forward to getting back on my feet," he said.

"A number of the boys have suffered the same injury during their careers so I'm more than confident I will be able to return fitter and stronger.

"It's a blow but the physio staff at Sydney FC have been first class and I'm eager to begin my recovery as soon as possible."

A calf injury still has captain Alessandro Del Piero in doubt for the Sky Blues' clash with Perth Glory on Sunday.

AAP

Topics: a-league, soccer, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted October 28, 2013 13:40:40

One Direction breaks Sydney ticket sales record - Sydney Morning Herald

Music

One Drection performing at Allphones Arena on October 5, 2013. Photo: Steve Lunam

One Direction have broken Metallica's ticket sales record at Sydney's Allphones Arena. One Direction sold nearly 82,000 tickets to their seven shows at the Sydney arena. Metallica sold just under 75,000 tickets at the venue during their 2010 tour.

Each member of One Direction was presented with a Gold Microphone as a trophy and a plaque was positioned in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct to mark the achievement.

Allphones Arena General Manager, Guy Ngata, said today "Epic and extraordinary are words too commonly used these days.

"One Direction's run of seven performances at Allphones Arena was just outstanding ... 81,542 screaming fans across six perfect October days will be something difficult to ever repeat let alone break."

One Direction will wrap up the Australian and New Zealand leg of their Take Me Home world tour in Melbourne on Wednesday night.

The boy band released their new single Story of My Life on Tuesday.

Noise11

Man arrested over fatal Sydney shooting - Yahoo!7 News

A man shot dead while bringing in rubbish bins at his home in Sydney's west had been involved in a dispute with the family of his suspected killer, police say.

Ali Jammas, 36, was gunned down outside his Abbotsbury home on the morning of July 12.

Police from the Tactical Operations Unit on Wednesday arrested a 28-year-old man at his Yagoona home in relation to the killing.

Police have also arrested a 29-year-old man from Yagoona and expect to charge him with being an accessory after the fact to murder.

Police Detective Superintendent Michael Willing said Mr Jammas, a Hells Angels associate, was in a dispute with the 28-year-old's family.

"That (the dispute) has led to his death," Det Supt Willing said at police headquarters in Parramatta.

He would not detail any details about the nature of the dispute.

He said it was tragic that Mr Jammas had died in front of his family.

Like many of the other shooting incidents in the state recently, the attack on Mr Jammas was underpinned by organised crime, Det Supt Willing said.

He said the two arrested men were not related to each other and were currently at Bankstown police station in the process of being charged.

"We do anticipate that these people will be before the courts shortly," Mr Willing added.

He said police were searching other houses in Sydney in connection with the killing and expected to make more arrests.

Mr Willing said officers had so far found a large amount of ammunition, drugs and a ballistic vest in the raids, and police and homicide detectives would investigate recent west Sydney shootings "methodically and professionally".

"My message for those who want to engage in this type of activity is that you will face the consequences," he said.

The arrests come a day after a man was killed and another injured in a shooting in Revesby, in Sydney's southwest.

Police believe both men were affiliated with the Brothers4Life gang.

Australian wildfires kill one, destroy 100 homes near Sydney - Reuters

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By Maggie Lu Yueyang

SYDNEY | Fri Oct 18, 2013 1:56am EDT

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Wildfires claimed one life and destroyed at least 100 homes near Sydney, Australia's biggest city, after forcing thousands to evacuate their homes, and authorities warned on Friday more homes could be lost as fires burned out of control.

Fuelled by unseasonably high temperatures and strong winds, 100 fires were still burning in New South Wales state in Australia's east, more than 30 of which were uncontained, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) said.

A 63-year-old man died from a heart attack on Thursday while trying to defend his home from a fire in a coastal community a short drive north of Sydney, an RFS spokesman said.

Thousands of people spent the night in evacuation centers on the western outskirts of the city, as well as to the north and the south.

Astonished Sydneysiders watched on Thursday as a thick pall of smoke from the fires in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney moved across the city over some of its best-known landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

Callers to Sydney talkback radio stations on Thursday reported ash and burnt leaves falling on some of the city's famous beaches, including Bondi.

Emergency warnings remained in place for fires in the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast, just north of Sydney.

The biggest threat was on an uncontained fire in Wyong, 75 km (45 miles) north of Sydney, with some homes believed to have been destroyed, the RFS said in its latest update.

NSW Police and Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher said the loss of just 100 homes could be considered "lucky" given the magnitude of the threat posed by the fires.

"I suspect given what I saw last night ... I think the potential is most certainly much higher," Gallacher told Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC) radio.

Residents said whole streets had been razed in some communities in the Blue Mountains, where schools and businesses were forced to close.

"My son was here, a 19-year-old boy, and we were talking to him on the phone and we simply said grab a few things," Blue Mountains resident Ron Fuller told ABC radio.

"He grabbed his favorite bass (guitar) and a couple of items and he got out, and as he was driving up the street he could see the flames coming into a little gorge behind us and then the next thing the houses were all going up one by one."

Authorities expected to reopen some areas in the Blue Mountains as the weather turned milder on Friday.

With dry weather and a massive land area, Australia is particularly prone to brushfires. In 2009, the "Black Saturday" wildfires in Victoria state killed 173 people and caused $4.4 billion worth of damage.

(Additional reporting by Lachlan Brunton and Lincoln Feast; Editing by Paul Tait)

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Ash cloud covers Sydney as fires rage - Telegraph.co.uk

^{A bushfire jumps the Bells Line Road north of Lithgow (EPA)}

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said it had been a "very difficult and dangerous day" of "extraordinary fire behaviour", with blazes travelling vast distances due to the winds.

"This is as bad as it gets, you're talking destructive, damaging, and people losing everything they own," Fitzsimmons told reporters.

"I think we will be counting properties in the dozens if not the hundreds."

No fatalities have been reported so far, while just one firefighter has been injured, but Fitzsimmons said there were "many hours yet still to run" with a forecast thunderstorm and change of wind likely to complicate efforts.

"It's going to be a long, difficult and dangerous evening ahead," he said.

^{Sean Butler stands in front of his 1958 bus after fighting a fire with five other residents in the historic township of Newnes Junction north of Lithgow (EPA)}

Springwood man Joe Moore told Sky News his home had been razed while an estimated 40 other houses had been lost in the village, though that figure could not be confirmed by officials.

"It's about as bad a situation as we could ever have hoped for," he said.

"It's one of those things, if you want to live up in the Blue Mountains it's a beautiful place to live, but it has the dangers of nature's ferocity like we had today."

The blaze was believed to have started when a power line came down in strong winds, according to media reports.

^{Fire and Rescue officers from New South Wales try to extinguish a bushfire burning on the outskirts of Lithgow, west of Sydney (EPA)}

Sydney health authorities issued a respiratory alert after a blanket of smoke settled over the city, bathing familiar landmarks including the Opera House and Bondi Beach in an otherworldly amber hue and causing ash to rain from the skies.

The plume was so thick it showed up on the nation's weather radar.

The NSW Rural Fire Service said it was bracing for "erratic and dangerous conditions for the next few hours" as a southerly wind came in, with flames descending the mountains and jumping across the Nepean River on the outskirts of Sydney to start a fire near the city of Penrith.

Strong winds forced the grounding of water-bombing firefighting aircraft and residents of the Blue Mountains were urged to stay off the roads to clear the way for emergency vehicles.

Fitzsimmons said there would be a reprieve for fire crews on Friday with cooler, less windy conditions expected, but the danger would ramp back up on Sunday and Monday when temperatures soared once more.

Wildfires are common in Australia's summer months between December and February, and authorities are expecting a bad season this year due to low rainfall in the winter and forecasts of hot, dry weather ahead.

A devastating firestorm ripped through southern Victoria in 2009, razing thousands of homes and killing 173 people.

Police brace for tit-for-tat shootings - Sydney Morning Herald

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Man killed in Revesby drive-by

Authorities question a man who turns up at the victims house of the Revesby drive-by shooting.

PT0M51S http://www.smh.com.au/action/externalEmbeddedPlayer?id=d-2wd4o 620 349 October 29, 2013 - 12:50PM

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Police are bracing for the possibility of tit-for-tat shootings after the cousin of Brothers for Life founder Bassam Hamzy was shot dead in Sydney's south-west.

Brothers for Life member Mahmoud Hamzy, 25, was fatally gunned down in a Revesby Heights garage just after 12.30am on Tuesday, police said. His friend, Omar Ajaj, 24, was in intensive care on Tuesday night after he was shot in the leg and stomach.

Homicide detectives were investigating the ''distinct possibility'' that the shooting was the result of an internal gang conflict but were also looking at whether it was motivated by a feud with rivals.

A police source said members of Brothers for Life, who comprise mostly Middle Eastern men living in south-west Sydney, were known to use guns to settle any dispute, from being upset about a post on social networking site Facebook to unpaid drug debts.

''Brothers for Life have a known history of shooting each other,'' the source said.

Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas said three offenders and at least two guns were used in the shooting on Bardo Circuit.

Mahmoud Hamzy: Shot dead at a home in Revesby Heights. Hamzy is a cousin of Bassam Hamzy and a member of Brothers For Life. Photo: Facebook

''We are certainly mindful that there possibly may be reprisals,'' Mr Kaldas said. ''I know the group is called Brothers for Life but there is also a feeling among some police that they are not real brothers for life. They're lucky to be brothers for today.''

A relative of Mahmoud Hamzy showed up at the crime scene on Tuesday in a car with number plates that read MEOC - the acronym for Middle Eastern Organised Crime - and likened the shooting to New Year's Eve fireworks.

''His cousin has been murdered and he feels it's a light matter,'' Mr Kaldas said.

Cousin of killed man: Notorious criminal Bassam Hamzy.

A family of four said they were forced to move out of the street just weeks ago, fearful of what was going on at the house and concerned about a heavy police presence after a reported shooting in July.

''My wife was extremely concerned,'' a member of the family said.

''They are pretty brazen. They used to drive in and out of the street in their Audi and Maserati.''

Mr Kaldas said, despite Tuesday's fatal incident, drive-by shootings had more than halved in the past two months.

He said detectives had nothing to suggest at this stage that the shooting was linked to the fatal shooting of another Brothers for Life member in Greenacre in October last year.

Police also did not believe it was linked in anyway to Bassam Hamzy, who was now in Goulburn's Supermax jail, and said that, while he might have founded the group, he had little to no control over the gang now.

Sydney copier House: Chinese officials criticised for 'rip-off' version of ... - Daily Mail

• Haian councillors criticised for wasting money on lavish waterside building


• They were given a grant to boost poor area by developing ecological park


• Instead, local people have an empty replica of Sydney Opera House
  


• Local farmers have been using the empty building to store crops in winter


• Park managers say the small, dark building will be used as a greenhouse
  

By Helen Collis

PUBLISHED: 08:06 EST, 29 October 2013 | UPDATED: 09:18 EST, 29 October 2013

Councillors in an impoverished Chinese village have been criticised for splashing out on a Sydney Opera House-style building which has been used only to store crops

Local councillors in Haian county, in Jiangsu province, were given a grant intended to transform the under-developed area into an ecological park.

But it appears all the money has been spent on a small but lavishly-designed waterside building that replicates the iconic Sydney Opera House.

Rip-off? Chinese officials in the poor county of Haian deny they have wasted grant money on a waterside building that looks like Sydney Opera House

Greenhouse: The money was intended to transform Haian into an ecological centre, but instead they got a lavish building

Officials however strongly deny the copycat claims and say the building was built as a greenhouse.

The empty structure, that looks out of place among the rundown houses in the neighbourhood, has been unused and empty for four years.

So local farmers decided it was the perfect place to keep crops dry over winter, which has become the building's default purpose.

Managers of the newly-created ecological park claim that the building was not an attempt to create a copy based on the Opera House.

The resemblance with the 'ecological' building in Haian to the Sydney Opera House, pictured, has been noticed by many, who have criticised councillors for wasting money

They said it was to be a giant greenhouse to be used as a nursery for planting exotic crops for the local fields.

Most critics have dismissed this however, pointing to the restricted light and limited floor space inside the building.

With just 120 square metres, they point out that it wouldn't be very practical, since hardly any young plants could be raised there.

The money was supposed to benefit local people in the under-developed area. It was used to build the striking building, which has laid empty for four years

But park spokesman Jian Tien was adamant that they had not been wasting money by creating buildings that were copies of something more famous elsewhere: 'We built it to look like a booming flower, and not as a copycat as the Sydney opera house.

'I know it has been unused for some time but we will put it into use soon, and not leave it unused any longer.'

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