Man killed 'behind Copenhagen shootings'

A terrorist attack against a cultural centre in Copenhagen leaves one dead and three wounded. Source: AAP

COPENHAGEN police believe a man shot dead by officers was responsible for two fatal attacks that shocked the normally peaceful Danish capital.

THE killings, coming little more than a month after bloody Islamist attacks in Paris that left 17 dead, were described by Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt as "a cynical act of terror".

The man believed to be behind the shootings was shot dead after he opened fire on police at a rail station on Sunday.It came after a 55-year-old man was killed at a panel discussion about Islam and free speech on Saturday attended by the Swedish cartoonist behind controversial caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.In the second attack, a Jewish man was killed and two police officers were wounded outside Copenhagen's main synagogue early Sunday."We believe the same man was behind both shootings and we also believe that the perpetrator who was shot by the police action force at Noerrebro station is the person behind the two attacks," Torben Moelgaard Jensen told a press conference.The first lethal attacks on Danish soil in decades were branded "deplorable" by the United States and triggered condemnation around the world.Lars Vilks, whose controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed sparked worldwide protests in 2007, had been among the speakers at the Krudttoenden cultural centre when a man opened fire on Saturday.A man was killed when the gunman sprayed bullets at the centre, while a young Jewish man was gunned down outside the synagogue in central Copenhagen. Five police officers were wounded in the two attacks.The killing of the suspected perpetrator capped a massive police manhunt launched after the gunman fled the scene following both shootings.The shootout took place shortly before dawn in the inner-city neighbourhood of Noerrebro, where police had been keeping an address under observation.Police said video surveillance had led to them to believe that the man killed by law enforcers was behind both attacks, but that a large amount of considerable investigative work would be required to ascertain that he was not acting with others.The shooting came at the end of a night of fear that had gripped the city of about one million, which had been spared major attacks in recent years.The central area of Copenhagen that is home to both the synagogue and Noerreport station, the country's busiest rail hub, was cordoned off by police carrying machine guns.Swedish security services told AFP they were on alert for any attempt by a suspect to cross the bridge linking Denmark with Sweden.Danish police had released a photo of the suspect in the cultural centre attack, wearing a black puffer jacket and a maroon balaclava and carrying a black bag.Police said the gunman who fled the scene of the second shooting had been wearing black trousers, black shoes and a light grey jacket with "multi-coloured" parts.The windows of the cultural centre were pockmarked by bullet holes, and the BBC released chilling audio of the moment a speaker at the event was interrupted by a volley of gunshots.France's ambassador to Denmark Francois Zimeray, who was present at the debate but was unhurt, told AFP the shooting was an attempt to replicate the January 7 attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris."Intuitively I would say there were at least 50 gunshots, and the police here are saying 200," he said."Bullets went through the doors and everyone threw themselves to the floor."Charlie Hebdo has, like Vilks, angered Islamist extremists by publishing cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed and frequently satirises Islam.Police initially said two suspects had fled the cultural centre in a Volkswagen Polo. The car was found abandoned around two hours after the attack.

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UK closes its Cairo embassy

THE British Embassy in Cairo has been closed because of security fears.

THE Foreign Office says public services were suspended on Sunday and people should not come to the embassy building in central Cairo.

It gave no details of the threat and there was no word on when the embassy would reopen.On Saturday, the Australian government said travellers should reconsider their need to travel to Egypt, citing reports "that terrorists may be planning attacks against tourist sites, government ministries and embassies in Cairo".Egypt has seen a surge in bomb attacks blamed on Islamic militants fighting the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

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Women who get HPV vaccine still need tests

WOMEN who have had the human papillomavirus vaccine are being reminded they still need to undergo regular screening to prevent cervical cancer.

NEW research in the Medical Journal of Australia shows that women who have received the vaccine are less likely to have Pap tests than those who have not been vaccinated.

The research found Pap test rates were 13 per cent lower among vaccinated women aged 25 to 29, while for women aged 20 to 24, the rate was 10 per cent lower.Associate Professor Marion Saville, from the Victorian Cytology Service, says the vaccine only protects against two HPV types, which cause about 70 per cent of cervical cancers."So it's crucial that young women participate in cervical screening whether they're vaccinated or not, especially once they reach 25," she said.Cancer Council Victoria's screening manager Kate Broun said the research highlighted the need for continued awareness campaigns."Historically, younger women are less likely to undergo regular Pap test than women in older age groups, so the misconception that vaccinated women don't need cervical screening is a real concern," she said.

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Swan disputes PM's 'we saved Aust' comment

WAYNE Swan has hit out at Tony Abbott's claims to have "saved Australia", releasing a letter from Treasury Secretary Martin Parkinson praising his role during the global financial crisis.

FRESH from the launch of his book The Good Fight - which plots out his actions as Labor treasurer during the GFC - Mr Swan took aim at the prime minister's comments to the Nationals federal council meeting on Saturday.

Mr Abbott told his coalition colleagues they had "collectively saved Australia from the worst government in our history".But an angry Mr Swan said "Australia needs saving all right"."From Tony Abbott and his incompetent and out-of-touch government," he told AAP.Disputing coalition claims of an economic emergency, the now Labor backbencher released Dr Parkinson's 2011 letter congratulating him on winning Euromoney's Finance Minister of the Year award.In it, the head of treasury speaks glowingly of the Labor government's efforts in avoiding a recession, which he describes as a "very significant achievement"."In his correspondence, Dr Parkinson notes the role of the federal Labor government in contributing to the resilience of the Australian economy during the global financial crisis," Mr Swan said."His letter also notes that our response was an important contributor to the outperformance of the Australian economy during the downturn."

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German arms decision for Iraq 'difficult'

A SENIOR German minister says Berlin's decision to send arms to Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq had been the toughest of his political career.

"THIS is the most difficult decision that I have had to make in my career," said German Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who is also the vice chancellor in Angela Merkel's ruling coalition.

The German government is due to announce later on Sunday details of the military equipment that Berlin plans to send to help the Kurds in their fight against Islamic State militants.This is despite Germany's long-standing reluctance to join military operations in international flashpoints, due in part to the legacy of the Nazis' military aggression last century and the consequent deep sense of pacifism in the country.The German army, the Bundeswehr, has already flown nearly 180 tonnes of blankets, food and medicines to northern Iraq as part of a worldwide humanitarian effort to help those displaced by the Islamic State's advance in the region.About 4000 protective vests and helmets, 700 radios, 680 night-vision equipment and mine detectors also stand ready to be dispatched to northern Iraq.Merkel is to meet with senior ministers on Sunday to decide which firearms and anti-tank missiles from Bundeswehr stocks will be provided to the Kurds.Lawmakers in the Bundestag are set to vote on the government's decision on Monday following a statement to parliament by Merkel setting out the reasons for Berlin's arms shipment.The government does not require the backing of parliament but has agreed to hold the vote so to demonstrate the widest possibly support for the decision.Merkel's Christian Democrat-led political bloc and its Social Democratic (SPD) coalition partner plan to back the move. Gabriel is SPD chief.While the German government is committed to providing military support to Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State, Merkel has repeatedly ruled out sending ground troops to Iraq.

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Pacific islands leaders in Samoa for talks

AUSTRALIA is set to discuss oceans, disasters, gender equality and economic growth with its tiny Pacific island neighbours at a United Nations conference this week.

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop and Parliamentary Secretary Brett Mason have travelled to Apia, Samoa for the third UN Small Island Developing States conference, which starts on Monday and runs until Thursday.

Ms Bishop will address a forum on private sector partnerships and their role in development.She will also announce a special training program to help Vanuatu citizens get jobs in the cruise industry, which is worth more than $53 million to its economy.Senator Mason's agenda includes a special ocean themed event about how marine resources can help drive economic growth.

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Militia takes over US compound in Libya

A MILITIA group says it has "secured" a US embassy compound in Libya's capital, more than a month after US personnel evacuated from the country over ongoing fighting.

AN Associated Press reporter walked through the compound on Sunday after the Dawn of Libya, an umbrella group for Islamist militias, invited onlookers inside.

Windows at the compound had been broken, but it appeared most of the equipment there remained untouched.A commander for the Dawn of Libya group said his forces had entered and been in control of the compound since last week.A video posted online showed men playing in a pool at the compound.In a message on Twitter, US ambassador to Libya Safira Deborah said the video appeared to have been shot at the embassy's residential annex.She also said it appeared the compound was being "safeguarded" and was not "ransacked".On July 26, US diplomats evacuated to neighbouring Tunisia under a US military escort.The State Department said embassy operations would be suspended until the security situation improved.The Dawn of Libya militia is deployed around the capital and has called on foreign diplomats to return now that the fighting in the city has subsided.

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Australia and NZ 'learning from adversity'

SOME of the Australian emergency workers who helped out after the devastating earthquake in Christchurch 2011 are returning to New Zealand.

THE workers are attending a conference on what lessons have been learnt from it and other disasters.

The annual Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC) and Bushfire and Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Centre conference is being held in Wellington from Tuesday. It is held in New Zealand once every eight years.President Greg Mullins says many AFAC members travelled to New Zealand to help in the response immediately following the earthquake."We are pleased to be able to return now for this conference and to share in the learning from this disaster with our New Zealand colleagues," said Mr Mullins, the Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner.New Zealand Fire Service chief executive Paul Baxter says the theme of the conference is "after disaster strikes - learning from adversity".There was no shortage of disasters to learn from, he said.Last summer, Australia experienced some of its most extreme heat waves. New Zealand is still coping with the devastating Canterbury earthquakes, while several Pacific neighbours are still recovering from cyclones and tsunami.Fire Service data reveals increasing demand for its services at wind, rain and flood events.The Fire Service was putting increased emphasis on developing leadership and excellence in incident management, Mr Baxter said.

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Take climate more seriously, PM told

MORE than half of all Australians think the Abbott government should take climate change more seriously, a poll commissioned by environment group the Climate Institute has found.

BUT only 20 per cent trust Prime Minister Tony Abbott to do so.

The institute says its new climate survey shows a "rebound in desire" for action on climate change, with 61 per cent of people wanting Australia to be a world leader in solving the problem.It said 57 per cent wanted the Abbott government to take climate change more seriously, with only 22 per cent supporting its Direct Action plan to reduce emissions.The survey also found opposition to the carbon tax had decreased by 22 per cent in the past two years, with 47 per cent saying carbon pricing was better than not taking any action at all.Only 20 per cent said they trusted Mr Abbott when he said he was concerned about climate change, compared with 31 per cent for Labor leader Bill Shorten."Australians continue to be uncertain, if not cynical, about political parties and their policies on climate change," Climate Institute chief John Connor says."Yet a clear majority think the Abbott government should take climate change more seriously."

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Refugee drowns in Nauru

A REFUGEE who was resettled in Nauru after being sent to the Australian immigration detention centre there has drowned along with a Nauruan citizen who attempted a rescue.

IMMIGRATION Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement on Sunday evening he had been informed of the two deaths and extended his sympathies to the families and friends of both.

"We understand from initial reports that the first deceased person was a private resident of Nauru, on a Nauruan refugee visa, and was accidentally drowned," the minister said.He said the person was not a resident at the offshore processing centre.A spokesman for the minister confirmed to AAP that the refugee had been in the centre before being resettled in the Nauruan community.Mr Morrison said it was understood that a Nauruan citizen also died after attempting to rescue the first person.He said another Nauruan citizen was receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the attempted rescue."This is a matter for the government of Nauru as it pertains to an incident involving a resident and citizens of their own country that occurred within their jurisdiction," the minister said.He said Nauruan police were investigating the matter, which would become the subject of a coronial inquiry.

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