Toyota to enter US settlement talks

Toyota is entering settlement talks on US lawsuits that allege sudden unintended acceleration. Source: AAP

AFTER a four-year legal battle, Toyota is entering settlement talks on nearly 400 US lawsuits that allege sudden unintended acceleration problems with its vehicles led to deaths and injuries.

Joint motions filed late on Thursday in US District Court in Santa Ana and Los Angeles County Superior Court indicated both sides would begin an "intensive settlement process" next month.

The Japanese automaker, which has recalled millions of cars since 2009 over the acceleration issue, agreed to the negotiations to make resolving the cases more efficient, spokeswoman Carly Schaffner told The Associated Press on Friday.

"We continue to stand behind the safety and quality of our vehicles," she said.

Cases that don't settle after a two-stage mediation process will go back to court for trial, said plaintiffs' co-lead counsel Mark Robinson Jr., but most of the 375 claims will likely get resolved.

"It's not practical to try all these cases," he said. "You've got two chances to get your case settled and if you're a plaintiff, at least you're not just sitting in some file in the courthouse."

The settlement negotiations come less than two months after an Oklahoma jury awarded a total of $US3 million ($A3.37 million) in damages to the injured driver of a 2005 Camry and to the family of a passenger who was killed.

The ruling was significant because Toyota had won all previous unintended acceleration cases that went to trial. It was also the first case where lawyers for plaintiffs argued that the car's electronics - in this case the software connected to the Camry's electronic throttle-control system - were the cause of the unintended acceleration.

At the time, legal experts said the Oklahoma verdict might cause Toyota to consider a broad settlement of the remaining cases. Until then, Toyota had been riding momentum from several trials where juries found it was not liable.

Robinson said lawyers for plaintiffs had been discussing a streamlined settlement process with Toyota before that verdict, but the Oklahoma case "couldn't have hurt" those talks.

Toyota has blamed drivers, stuck accelerators or floor mats that trapped the pedal for the acceleration claims that led to the big recalls of Camrys and other vehicles. The company has repeatedly denied its vehicles are flawed.

No recalls have been issued related to problems with onboard electronics. In the Oklahoma case, Toyota lawyers theorised that the driver mistakenly pumped the gas pedal instead of the brake when her Camry ran through an intersection and slammed into an embankment.

Sean Kane, president of Massachusetts-based Safety Research & Strategies, said the Oklahoma verdict likely moved Toyota to the negotiating table because it targeted electronics.

"Nobody did until that case and they got hammered - and they got hammered in a conservative venue," said Kane, who researches consumer safety in motor vehicles for plaintiff lawyers and has been closely following the Toyota litigation.

"The evidence that came out in that trial has attracted global attention that is remarkable," he said.

After the verdict, jurors told AP they believed the testimony of an expert who said he found flaws in the car's electronics. They also pointed to 50 metres of skid marks on the road as evidence the driver was desperately trying to brake.

"What makes the accelerator open? The computer," juror Vickie Potter said after the verdict.

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Severe storm warnings cancelled

ANOTHER round of severe thunderstorms pummelled southeast Queensland tonight.

8.25pm: The worst of this evening's severe thunderstorms has passed, with the weather bureau lifting its earlier warnings.

The Bureau of Meteorology said dangerous weather systems are no longer affecting southeast Queensland.

Forecasters will continue to monitor the situation and will issue further warnings if anything is detected on radars.

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Nikki Duncan said the severe thunderstorm which swept over the region earlier this evening dropped a blanket of hail over the city. Picture: Nikki Duncan

8.15pm: Christine McMillan said the hail continued to belt her Willowbank home for 15 to 20 minutes.

"I have never seen anything this intense," she said.

"I also have a picture of the storm approaching but never expected this."

"I had to move from the doorway because they were smashing on the concrete outside and chunks were flying in at me." Picture: Sharon Wheatley at Rathdowney

Ms Duncan said she was lucky to have survived the storm unscathed.

"I've never had hail like that before. It looked like a White Christmas."

"I appear to have survived without any major damage. I'm yet to check my car."
 

Christine McMillan said the hail continued to belt her Willowbank home for 15 to 20 minutes. Picture: Christine McMillan

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7.55pm: The Bureau of Meteorology have updated a severe thunderstorm warning to include areas of Brisbane CBD, Ipswich, Boonah, Beaudesert, Beenleigh, Logan City, Cleveland, Strathpine, Esk, Redcliffe and Caboolture.

7.45pm: Ipswich residents must have been dreaming of a white Christmas, with the city transformed into a winter wonderland.

Nikki Duncan said the severe thunderstorm which swept over the region earlier this evening dropped a blanket of hail over the city.

"It was very sudden and loud," she said. "The severity was unexpected."

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7.50pm: A severe thunderstorm south of the NSW border is expected to hit Queensland by 8pm.

The cell is predicted to reach the McPherson Range, Rathdowney, Numinbah Valley, Laravale, Kooralbyn and the area south of Canungra by 8.05 pm.

Beaudesert will be next in the firing line, with the storm expected to strike about 8.30pm.
 

7.30pm: Sharon Wheatley said the earlier storm battered her property near Rathdowney.

"I was watching the clouds from the doorway and saw that one hailstone drop into the yard, nothing else, just that one, so I stuck a bucket over my head and ran out and grabbed it," she said.

"Gradually a few more dropped. There was no rain at first, just large hail dropping from the sky.

"I had to move from the doorway because they were smashing on the concrete outside and chunks were flying in at me. Then they just came down solidly for maybe 10 minutes or so."

7.15pm: The weather bureau has warned that while one severe thunderstorm is skirting dangerously close to Brisbane's CBD, another one is brewing just over the NSW border.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Peter Otto said an earlier warning was still current for areas to the west of Brisbane, but the storm was unlikely to reach the city centre.

Further west, he said golf-sized hail stones have fallen on Mt Barney, with larger stones reported at Boonah.

"That storm is moving over the Ipswich area at the moment," he said.

"There is another cell south of the border that is likely to hit Rathdowney in the next half hour and it may head north after that. It's another very dangerous storm with large hail stones expected."

6.45pm: Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Rosewood, Marburg, Lake Manchester, Upper Brookfield and Fernvale by 7.20 pm and Enoggera Reservoir, Enoggera, Mount Nebo, Highvale, Samford and Albany Creek by 7.50 pm.

Other severe thunderstorms in northern NSW are forecast to affect Mount Barney, the McPherson Range, Rathdowney, Maroon Dam, Kooralbyn and Lamington National Park by 7:50 pm.

Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely, with hail larger than golf balls reported at Boonah earlier.

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6.20pm:  The Bureau of Meteorology has updated their thunderstorm warning, alerting residents that very dangerous thunderstorms were moving north.

The storms were detected on weather radar near Boonah, Aratula, Harrisville, Peak Crossing, Bundamba Lagoon and the area south of Amberley.

Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Ipswich, Redbank Plains, Amberley, Rosewood, Marburg and Lake Manchester by 6:50 pm and Lowood, Fernvale, Mount Nebo, Highvale, Samford and the D'Aguilar Ranges by 7:20 pm.

Other severe thunderstorms were located near Bonalbo(NSW). Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely.

Hail larger than golf balls was reported at Boonah at around 5:40pm.

5.20pm: The weather bureau issued a severe thunderstorm warning after storms were detected over the Scenic Rim region near Mount Barney, Laravale and Kooralbyn.

The southeast Queensland warning said damaging winds and large hailstones are likely.

Forecasters from the Bureau of Meteorology said the thunderstorms were moving in a northerly direction, with Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast put on alert.

The storms are predicted to hit Beaudesert about 5.30pm.

More to come.
 

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advises that people should:
* Move your car under cover or away from trees.
* Secure loose outdoor items.
* Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
* Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm.
* Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.
 

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Reporter sues Toronto mayor for defamation

A Canadian newspaper reporter is suing Toronto mayor Rob Ford after insinuating he is a pedophile. Source: AAP

THE controversial mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto is being sued by a newspaper reporter after he suggested the journalist is a pedophile.

In a TV interview, Rob Ford accused Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale of taking pictures of children. Ford said he didn't "want to say that word but you start thinking what this guy is all about."

The day after the interview aired, Ford told reporters that he stands by his words. "I stand by every word I said."

Ford's insinuation was related to an instance when Dale was close to the mayor's house in May 2012, investigating a plot of public land adjacent to Ford's home that the mayor wanted to buy.

Dale has said he was writing a story about the plot so he went to take a look at it when the mayor emerged from his home to confront him. Dale said the mayor's two children were nowhere in sight, nor were any children in sight.

Dale said he decided to take action after Ford repeated the accusations on a radio show on Thursday, saying again that Dale was taking photos outside of his house.

Dale said Ford added this: "When you've got young kids, that freaked me right out.

"This isn't quite as egregious as the (first) comment he made, but it brought renewed attention to his malicious and defamatory insinuation ... that I have some sort of predatory interest in young children - that I am a pedophile. I can't tolerate it. I won't tolerate it," wrote Dale in his article.

Dale said the libel notice asks Ford to immediately retract the false insinuation that I am a pedophile and all of his false statements about my conduct on May 2, 2012. Dale said he is also suing Vision TV, which twice broadcast Ford's first remarks. Dale asks that Ford and Vision owner ZoomerMedia apologise immediately "publicly, abjectly, unreservedly and completely."

Allegations about Ford smoking crack surfaced in May when two reporters for the Toronto Star and one from the website Gawker said they saw a video of Ford appearing to smoke from a crack pipe, but they did not obtain a copy. Ford vilified the Star, accusing the paper of trying to take him down.

He admitted last month to smoking crack "in a drunken stupor."

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Vic pedestrian dies after being hit by car

Thirteen motorists have been killed on Victoria's roads in the first 13 days of December. Source: AAP

AN elderly pedestrian has died in hospital after being hit by a car in Melbourne's east.

Police believe the woman, 66, was crossing North Road in Brighton East when hit by a grey Toyota hatch about 9.15pm (AEDT) Thursday.

She was taken to The Alfred Hospital with life-threatening injuries and died about 2.30pm on Friday.

The driver of the car stopped and is assisting police with their inquiries.

Victoria's road toll stands at 226 compared to 271 this time last year, with 14 of the deaths occurring in the past 13 days.

Road policing command Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said on Friday afternoon the number of fatalities in such a short time was extremely concerning heading into the festive season.

"This is a horrible start to December, especially as we head into what we know is a high-risk time of the year on Victorian roads," he said.

"I don't want to see any more ungiven gifts under Christmas tree this year, however we are likely to see another 10 deaths on our roads and potentially 250 people seriously injured."

The warning comes as Victoria Police launch their Summer Stay road campaign, a two-month blitz aiming to reduce the road toll over the holiday season.

The campaign will target drink/drug driving, speeding, fatigue, driver distraction and drivers not wearing a seatbelt.

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Milat murder appeal angers victim's family

THE great-nephew of serial killer Ivan Milat wants his murder sentence halved, infuriating the family of the boy he slaughtered.

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Thai protesters cut power to PM's office

PROTESTERS have announced they have cut off electricity to the Thai prime minister's office compound and are demanding that police abandon the premises amid a political crisis that has dragged on for weeks.

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PM tributes troops in valedictory speech

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has kicked off parliament's annual valedictory speeches, marking 2013 as the year Australian troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan.

Following a tribute to retiring clerk of the House of Representatives Bernard Wright, Mr Abbott praised the service of Australian troops after almost a decade in the Afghan province of Uruzgan.

"Our troops have done a magnificent job, but they've paid a high price," he said.

"We hope that the years of service and sacrifice will be honoured by a province and a country that respects the values that we tried to bring to that province."

He said the nation had also endured floods in Queensland and fires in NSW.

"But so often in this country, nature at its worst brings out Australians at their best," he said.

He noted the change of government in September and promised it would be for the better.

"I am determined to ensure that it is a very long time indeed before this country has three prime ministers in one year," he said.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten acknowledged the thousands of Holden workers who will soon be out of a job following the announcement that the company will cease manufacturing in Australia.

"We will continue to stand up for their futures every day," Mr Shorten said.

He too noted the devastation of natural disasters across the country, which began with the Tasmanian bushfires earlier in the year.

"The worst in over 30 years, through one of the state's harshest heatwaves," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss described the past year as "long and somewhat tumultuous" while his Labor counterpart Tanya Plibersek said it had certainly been curious.

"I don't think history will look kindly on the last parliament," Mr Truss said.

"It was raucous and I don't think it reflected well on the process of our democracy."

Ms Plibersek said people watching the nightly news would have thought the past year was almost entirely one of conflict but parliament had achieved things.

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PM Abbott hosts his first COAG

Prime Minister Tony Abbott will host his first COAG meeting in Canberra on Friday. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott will use his first meeting with state premiers and chief ministers to start the groundwork for delivering the coalition's paid parental leave scheme.

Mr Abbott will host his first Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting at Parliament House in Canberra on Friday.

The coalition promised at the election to roll out a scheme to pay mothers who give birth after July 2015 up to half their annual salary for 26 weeks, capped at a salary of $150,000 a year.

COAG will discuss how the plan, costing $5.5 billion a year, will fit in with existing state public sector parental leave schemes.

Mr Abbott said during the election campaign there would be no extra cost to state governments and the national scheme would be an improvement to existing state schemes.

However, he said he wanted to have an "adult discussion" with the premiers about its details.

The scheme is to be paid for by a levy on Australia's largest businesses.

COAG will also discuss ways to fast-track and fund major infrastructure and boost jobs in manufacturing.

The manufacturing talks had been scheduled well before the announcement of Holden ceasing car production from 2017, but is now expected to take greater prominence.

Mr Abbott will talk to the premiers about his plans for a white paper on reform of federal-state relations.

The prime minister said in a speech when he was opposition leader that COAG had become "a talk shop, not a decision-making process" and the roles of the federal, state and territory governments needed to be better defined.

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Three MPs honoured with integrity awards

FORMER attorney-general Mark Dreyfus, retired Liberal backbencher Judi Moylan and Labor's Melissa Parke have been honoured with awards for integrity in politics at a ceremony in Canberra.

The three were chosen from a field of 16 federal parliamentarians, with the awards recognising honesty, civility, independence and courage in politics.

Mr Dreyfus was presented the Button award for frontbenchers, named after longtime Labor senator and minister John Button, who was noted for his honesty and candour.

Ms Moylan and Ms Parke were awarded the Missen Award for backbenchers, in honour of the famously independent-minded Liberal senator Alan Missen, who voted against his own party 41 times.

The awards, for work in the previous parliament, were presented by transparency group the Accountability Roundtable.

Chair of the Roundtable Tim Smith QC praised Mr Dreyfus for his "outstanding commitment to serve the public interest", citing as achievements his central role in the passage of whistleblower protections and changes to the sexual discrimination act.

The former Labor government minister said he was proud to receive the Button reward, named after someone who had been a great figure in his life, someone he knew well and who had encouraged him to enter federal politics.

"I feel supported in all of the work that I've done, and it's good to have the work acknowledged," Mr Dreyfus said.

Ms Moylan, who retired at the September election and had her own reputation for crossing the floor, was honoured for, among many things, her advocacy of the rights of asylum seekers.

"In the 43rd parliament she ... sought to hold the government to account and to change policies of both government and opposition in a number of areas," Mr Smith said.

"In particular, she continued her attempts to depoliticise and change the policies of the government and the opposition in relation to asylum seekers."

Fremantle MP Ms Parke was honoured for her work on human rights and international relations, and for her role as chair of a federal committee overseeing the transparency of law enforcement bodies such as the Australian Federal Police and Customs.

"Her contribution to debate and deliberations on policy within and outside parliament on significant world and domestic matters at times challenged the government's position and administration of policy," Mr Smith said.

"Matters have included the treatment of asylum seekers, the rights of children, minorities and indigenous people, and issues of people trafficking, gene patents, animal welfare and the death penalty."

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Navy suspends three over Ballarat claims

Three sailors have been suspended over allegations of unacceptable behaviour on HMAS Ballarat. Source: AAP

THREE sailors have been suspended from duties and could face prosecution for unacceptable behaviour aboard HMAS Ballarat.

Defence force investigators boarded HMAS Ballarat in early November after a sailor made allegations of sexual assault against several members of the ship's company.

Defence issued an update on its investigations on Wednesday, saying there is a reasonable suspicion three members of HMAS Ballarat ship's company have committed serious service offences.

They have been suspended from duty.

"Similar to civilian criminal investigative processes, evidence gathered will now be referred for prosecutorial review," Defence said in its statement.

Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs said a separate administrative inquiry into "certain aspects" relating to the HMAS Ballarat allegations has commenced.

"This inquiry is being run ... to identify any broader procedural or cultural issues that may require further action by Navy," he said.

He reiterated that Navy did not tolerate unacceptable behaviour.

"It is inconsistent with its values and the behaviours," he said.

"Unacceptable behaviour by individuals damages our people and our effectiveness to conduct operations and achieve our mission," he said.

Defence said the director of military prosecutions may consider a range of actions against the three sailors, including laying charges and referral to the Registrar of Military Justice for consideration by a Service Tribunal, or referral for civilian prosecution.

Defence has not detailed the allegations.

But after the defence investigation was made public a former naval member claimed officers were "set upon, stripped off and had things essentially put in their bums".

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UN maintains Liberia sanctions

THE United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to maintain an arms embargo on Liberia, a travel ban on named individuals, and an asset freeze against former Liberian president Charles Taylor, his key allies and associated companies.

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Young locked out of property market: oppn

YOUNG people in NSW will struggle to buy property with state government cuts to the first home buyers grants effectively locking them out of the market, the state opposition says.

Monthly loan figures for October, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, show about seven per cent of loans taken to buy property were from first home buyers, shadow treasurer Michael Daley said.

In October 2010, the figure was around 17 per cent, he added.

"The disappointing figures follow (Premier) Barry O'Farrell's decision to dump the $7000 First Home Owner Grant and end stamp duty exemptions worth up to $17,990 for first home buyers purchasing existing homes," Mr Daley said.

"Instead, the government's New Home Grant Scheme has paid 9802 grants to property investors and existing home owners buying a second property - further putting first home buyers out of the market."

Under the changes, taxpayer's money is "assisting property speculators", Mr Daley said.

NSW treasurer Mike Baird said the government made the changes to increase the number of first home buyers purchasing new homes.

Grants for newly built homes are up 83 per cent in the six months to November compared to the same period in 2012, Mr Baird added.

A $15,000 grant, applicable for the next two years, is available to first homebuyers of new homes costing up to $650,000.

Stamp duty won't be charged on homes worth less than $550,000 and a reduced fee will be imposed upon those who purchase property for less than $650,000, Mr Baird said.

"Previous incentives to first homebuyers for existing properties simply increased mortgage sizes, as they increased demand without any boost to housing supply," Mr Baird said in a statement to AAP.

"We are unashamedly targeting first homebuyer incentives towards new homes."

The NSW property market, he said, was the best it had been for a decade.

"Increasing housing stock and choice will ease competition in the market and help to get more first homebuyers into the housing market sooner."

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Dexus lifts earnings guidance

DEXUS Property Group has upgraded its earnings guidance as a result of a buyback of securities and the net impact of Dexus's investment in the Commonwealth Property Office Fund (CPA).

Dexus also says its office and industrial portfolios are performing solidly.

Dexus on Tuesday lifted its earnings guidance for the 2014 financial year to 8.29 cents per stapled security, from 8.15 cents per security - up seven per cent on the 2013 result.

"Today's increase in guidance is evidence of our focus on enhancing value and returns to investors," Dexus chief executive Darren Steinberg said in a statement.

"Both the re-instatement of the buy-back in July 2013 and our use of an efficient derivative structure for the investment in CPA, reflect our active approach to capital management."

Dexus will distribute 3.07 cents per security for the six months ending December 31, 2013 - up 6.2 per cent on the prior corresponding period.

Dexus is aiming to pay a full year distribution of 6.24 cents per security.

Dexus securities were two cents higher at $1.035 at 1021 AEDT.

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BBC complaints about Mandela coverage

More than 1000 viewers have complained about the BBC's excessive coverage of Nelson Mandela's death. Source: AAP

MORE than 1000 viewers have complained about the excessive coverage of Nelson Mandela's death on BBC services, including some who grumbled about Mrs Brown's Boys being interrupted.

The BBC has defended the extent to which it featured the death of the former South African president, a major news item which led bulletins around the world.

By Monday, the BBC had received 1350 complaints about too much coverage across its news services, with some saying the emphasis had reduced the coverage of severe weather across the UK that day.

Programme chiefs broke into a repeat of BBC1 sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys to break the news.

"Nelson Mandela was a hugely significant world leader with an enormous political and cultural influence across the world," a BBC spokeswoman said.

"His death is of considerable interest to our audiences at home and across the globe."

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Vic doctors receive 10 per cent pay rise

Victorian public hospital doctors have received a pay rise of about 10 per cent over four years. Source: AAP

VICTORIAN public hospital doctors have received a pay rise of about 10 per cent over four years.

The four-year enterprise bargaining agreement for the state's 8600 doctors will see them receive three instalments of 3.33 per cent salary increases.

Victorian Health Minister David Davis said the agreement was a "fair outcome" following talks in the Fair Work Commission.

Mr Davis said paramedics were now the last public health sector employees yet to finalise their enterprise bargaining agreements.

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