Total eclipse wows huge crowds

Double rain man has a rival. Watch our Visual Story Editor's reaction to the total eclipse in Cairns as he becomes an eclipse junkie

This morning's total eclipse: a sequence of pictures. Source: News Limited

The paths of total solar eclipses across Australia from 2012 to 2038. Source: Astronomical Association of Queensland Source: Supplied

• First eclipse in Australia since 2002, last until 2028
• Crowds line beaches and hillside lookouts in FNQ
• All of eastern Australia experiences partial eclipse
• See the Storify picture blog at the bottom of this page
• GALLERY: The eclipse in pictures | Raving in the outback

AND suddenly the heavens were open and unfastened. Thousands lining beaches and lookouts in Cairns and Port Douglas burst into cheers and tears as a total solar eclipse plunged Queensland's far north into darkness at 6.39am.

For two minutes time stood still as an eerie, unearthly glow - the colour of indigo - fell over the tropical coast.

Eclipse FNQ: an hour after sunrise, the moon obscured the sun and Far North Queensland was plunged back into darkness. Picture: Marc McCormack Source: The Cairns Post

Viewers had been promised that day would turn to night, but the speed of the switch left many gobsmacked.

"It was breathtaking," said tourist Ann Lucey, a nurse in her mid-fifities from Florida in the United States.

"I felt my heart skip a few beats, felt myself clapping, I was just breathless in awe."

Solar Eclipse 2012 - shot at the Eclipse 2012 Festival at Palmer River Far North Queensland. Picture: Tom Lee Source: Cairns Post

Huge dark storm clouds taunted onlookers as patches of light played across the Coral Sea, giving odd scant glimpses of a red crescent sun in the partial eclipse phase.

"That big cloud hung about like a bad smell," said Swiss eclipse chaser Barbara Vonarburg, 56, a television science program presenter, on Trinity Beach.

"It was like someone said, "No, I'm not going to show it to you"," she said.

Eclipse 2012 Festival at Palmer River Far North Queensland. Picture: Tom Lee Source: Cairns Post

Many of the heavily equipped amateur astronomers, out to get that trademark shot of the "Eye of God" with pink geysers of nuclear fire visible in the corona surrounding the black disc of the moon, felt disappointed.

"When the light of the sun did come back to Earth, I felt tears of thanks in my eye," said the Swiss.

"Imagine if it didn't?"

Eclipse 2012 Festival at Palmer River Far North Queensland. Picture: Tom Lee Source: Cairns Post

Light spilled back to Earth, visible as illuminated fingers in the cloud, as the camera flashes of an estimated 60,000 tourists and locals rippled along the coastline in a 170km-wide band of moon shadow.

Eclipse FNQ: those watching from hot air balloons near Mareeba had an unobstructed view. Picture: Marc McCormack Source: The Cairns Post

Forty hot air balloons filled the sky over the Atherton Tablelands and a flotilla of sailboats, superyachts, runabouts and four cruise liners dotted the waters of the inner Great Barrier Reef.

"It is like everyone had come down to watch the End of the World," said Dr Natalie Dillon, a scientist in Mareeba.

"When it goes dark and the temperature drops, you get a sense of the fragility of life.

"I just feel in awe. It is like the Moon has wiped a cloth over the face of the Sun and we can start afresh.

She said the moment of totality was a glimpse into the start of the Ice Age.

"It shows how the Sun is the reason life exists on earth. Too much closer and we'd burn. Too much further away and we'd freeze.

"For a moment, you get a sense of what it felt like when the dinosaurs went extinct as the cloud of a meteorite storm obscured the sun and plunged Earth into an Ice Age."

Japanese tourist Hiroaki Kondo, 28, was one onboard four charter flights out of Japan to come to Cairns for the total solar eclipse.

"I feel so excited," he said.

"Everything was so surreal."

Send us your own pictures of the eclipse

Dr Stuart Ryder, from the Australian Astronomical Observatory, said it took the moon about an hour to pass from first contact, when it begins to cross the sun's path, to totality, when the sun is completely obscured.

During those few minutes of totality, it looks like a moonlit night.

Indigenous astronomy expert Duane Hamacher was up on a hilltop near the Cairns Airport to watch the celestial spectacle.

"This is spectacular," Mr Hamacher said.

Many indigenous groups, including in Arnhem Land were watching the event which has deep spiritual meaning for them.

"Most Aboriginal cultures believe the sun is female and the moon is male," Mr Hamacher said.

"Some believe the sun is in love with the man but he does not reciprocate these feelings so the sun chases him around the sky.

"On rare occasions, she manages to grab him and in a jealous rage tries to kill him but he convinces the spirits that hold up the sky to save him, which they do."

The next solar eclipse to be visible from Australia is expected in May next year, but it will only be an annular eclipse (where the sun is still visible around the edges of the moon). 

Eclipse chaser: Terry Cuttle of the Astronomical Association of Queensland says even a cloudy eclipse is unforgettable. Picture: Marc McCormack Source: The Cairns Post

See the Storify social media picture blog at the bottom of this page

Spectator Ben Woodward said the temperature dropped, the sky went darker and birds went quiet when the eclipse reached totality.

"It was an eerie feeling and the temperature dropped but the sky didn't go completely dark. It looked like dusk," Mr Woodward, from Cairns Wildlife Dome, told AAP.

"The view was obstructed by a large cloud but there were moments where you could see the eclipse occurring."

He said a lot of cameras had been positioned in the wildlife park to record how the animals reacted.

"Several wildlife keepers have said a lot of the birds fell asleep."

One-in-a-lifetime: Edge Hill State School students prepare for the solar eclipse. Source: The Cairns Post

By a remarkable celestial coincidence, the sun is 400 times wider than the moon, but also 400 times farther away, so for those on the coastline between Cairns and Port Douglas today, the discs will appear to match in size.

Casting a shadow 150km wide, the eclipse began over the Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, moved eastwards across the Gulf of Carpentaria and then crossed Queensland shortly after dawn.

More than 50,000 tourists from Europe, Asia and the US have traveled to the far north to enjoy two minutes of "totality" – weather dependent.

Hotels are completely full, cruise liners are moored offshore and forty hot air balloons will take to the sky above the Atherton Tableland.

Palmer River eclipse festival: Kasi Sealey and Jess Ward from the Gold Coast relax in a hammock as they await the eclipse. Picture: Tom Lee Source: The Cairns Post

Scroll down to see an interactive on the total solar eclipse

Amateur enthusiasts were joined by scientists from around the world who will be researching the eclipse's impact on north Queensland's prolific bird and animal life, as well as one of the deepest mysteries of solar physics: coronal heating.

The sun's corona or outer atmosphere is a million degrees celsius warmer than its 6000 degrees surface, and the few brief minutes of totality are a very rare opportunity for researchers to work out why.

After a 14,500km celestial trek across the Pacific Ocean, the eclipse will end 800km west of Chile.

A partial eclipse was visible right down Australia's east coast, across New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, eastern Indonesia and the southern part of Chile and Argentina, according to Britain's Royal Astronomical Society.

As the sun re-emerged from behind the moon, 700 runners will began the Solar Eclipse Marathon in Port Douglas.

In a nod to the far north's hippy past, an eclectic mix of DJs, techno and folk acts are performing at the week-long Eclipse Festival, near the remote Palmer River Roadhouse.

The eclipse is the first to occur in Australia since Ceduna in South Australia was plunged into darkness ten years ago.

Australian eclipse watchers will have to wait until 2028 for the next total solar eclipse visible from Australian shores.
 

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Lodge menu: PM eats 'victims' for lunch

Liberal MP Judi Moylan, part of the Parliamentary Diabetes Support Group with Juliette Winterflood, 24, who suffers from Type 1 diabetes and Tim Mathieson at the Lodge in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith Source: News Limited

The lunch menu at The Lodge today. Picture: Kym Smith Source: News Limited

SHE'S mounted a full on assault on misogyny now a lunch menu from The Lodge has revealed our badass Prime Minister eats ''victims'' for lunch.

Diet can be a health hazard if you have diabetes but a spelling mistake on a menu for a function at The Lodge for World Diabetes Day hosted by Julia Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson today added an extra level of danger.

The diabetes friendly caesar salad served to the 80 guests was listed as being ''full of victims and a good source of slow release for protein''.

It is assumed the salad is actually full of vitamins.

Before the spelling mistake was discovered Mr Mathieson had revealed that caesar salad ''is probably one of Julia's favourite foods''.

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Anger over bikie clubhouse party

QUEENSLAND Police commissioner Ian Stewart has criticised event organisers who took a group of Gold Coast high school graduates to the clubhouse of a notorious motorcycle gang.

It was revealed today that St Hilda's Year 12 students, including Mayor Tom Tate's daughter Emily, had their private formal party at the Nomads clubhouse at Carrara.

The girls, aged 17 and 18, were bussed to the clubhouse after the dinner at the Gold Coast convention centre on Saturday night, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

"I think it's very disappointing that someone would organise such a venue for people from any high school of young people who are at that impressionable age,'' Mr Stewart said.

"I don't think it was the right thing to do.

"I certainly think that in future people need to be more careful about the arrangements they make with third party organisers.

He added: "Any thinking person in the community knows there's absolutely nothing glamorous about OMCGs (outlaw motorcycle gangs).''

A spokeswoman for mayor Tom Tate confirmed his daugher Emily had attended the party but said she had not known it was the Nomads' clubhouse.

Cr Tate has been a vocal opponent of the city's bikie gangs.

Senior police were "stunned" the elite girls' school would allow the after-party to be held at an outlaw gang's clubhouse.

"What kind of message does this send?" said frustrated police.

"Just as police move to have the gangs declared criminal organisations in a landmark legal fight that goes all the way to the High Court, one of the elite private schools has a party at one of their clubhouses. It's an absolute joke."

St Hilda's yesterday refused to comment on the controversy and said it was not responsible for the after-party and was not involved in organising the event.

Read more at the Gold Coast Bulletin

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Watch Australia's solar eclipse live

Solar eclipse live: watch as Far North Queensland is plunged into darkness Source: News Limited

• First eclipse in Australia since 2002, last until 2028
• Crowds will line beaches and hillside lookouts in FNQ
• All of eastern Australia will experience partial eclipse

THOUSANDS of locals, tourists and eclipse chasers in Far North Queensland are hoping for clear skies as they prepare for Australia's first total solar eclipse in a decade.

For three hours tomorrow morning the sun, moon and our planet align to create one of the most spectacular sights on Earth.

If skies are clear, eclipse junkies from around the world will see the sun blotted out by the moon at 06:39 local time.

One-in-a-lifetime: Edge Hill State School students prepare for the solar eclipse. Source: The Cairns Post

By a remarkable celestial coincidence, the sun is 400 times wider than the moon, but also 400 times farther away, so for those on the coastline between Cairns and Port Douglas tomorrow, the discs will appear to match in size.

Send us your own pictures of the eclipse.

Scroll down to see an interactive on the total solar eclipse

Casting a shadow 150km wide, the eclipse begins over the Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, moves eastwards across the Gulf of Carpentaria and then crosses Queensland shortly after dawn.

Recorded live at Palm Cove experts describe what onlookers will experience during the total eclipse of the sun in Queensland

More than 50,000 tourists from Europe, Asia and the US have traveled to the far north to enjoy two minutes of "totality" – weather dependent.

Hotels are completely full, cruise liners are moored offshore and forty hot air balloons will take to the sky above the Atherton Tableland.

Solar eclipse FNQ: in the final seconds before totality, beads of sunlight shine through valleys on the surface of the moon. Source: Supplied

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, conditions won't be ideal for eclipse viewing, with patchy cloud and isolated showers.

So eclipse chasers such as the Astronomical Association of Queensland's Terry Cuttle are keeping their fingers crossed.

Mr Cuttle saw his first solar eclipse in 1976 in New South Wales. This will be his 12th total solar eclipse.

"It's just a fantastic experience, it's the most amazing spectacle," he said.

"There are all sorts of ominous, dark things that happen … it's like nothing you have seen before."

"Things start to look really odd and in the last two or three minutes (before totality), it really accelerates. It's like switching from day to night.

"You can imagine what people thought hundreds of years ago. Every society dreamt up some explanation."

Solar eclipse map: the path of totality across Far North Queensland. Maximum eclipse viewed along the red line. Source: Supplied

Amateur enthusiasts are being joined by scientists from around the world who will be researching the eclipse's impact on north Queensland's prolific bird and animal life, as well as one of the deepest mysteries of solar physics: coronal heating.

Solar eclipse FNQ: at totality viewers will see a black disc with the suns glowing corona stretching around it. Source: Supplied

The sun's corona or outer atmosphere is a million degrees celsius warmer than its 6000 degrees surface, and the few brief minutes of totality are a very rare opportunity for researchers to work out why.

After a 14,500km celestial trek across the Pacific Ocean, the eclipse will end 800km west of Chile.

A partial eclipse will be visible right down Australia's east coast, across New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, eastern Indonesia and the southern part of Chile and Argentina, according to Britain's Royal Astronomical Society.

As the sun re-emerges from behind the moon, 700 runners will begin the Solar Eclipse Marathon in Port Douglas.

In a nod to the far north's hippy past, an eclectic mix of DJs, techno and folk acts are performing at the week-long Eclipse Festival, near the remote Palmer River Roadhouse.

The eclipse is the first to occur in Australia since Ceduna in South Australia was plunged into darkness ten years ago.

Australian eclipse watchers will have to wait until 2028 for the next total solar eclipse visible from Australian shores.
 

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No Home and Away meltdown on UK chat show

No hissy fits, no tantrums: Melissa George is all smiles on The Jonathan Ross Show in the UK. Picture: ITV Source: Supplied

NICE Melissa George or angry Melissa George? That all depends on which hemisphere she's in.

The Australian actress reportedly threw a hissy fit on Friday's edition of The Morning Show because of Home and Away.

The Daily Telegraph says George threatened to walk off the set if the hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies made mention of her character on the soap, Angel Parrish, and that her behaviour on The Morning Show "erratic" and "unbelievable".

Scroll down to watch Melissa George on The Morning Show and The Jonathan Ross Show

The show's executive producer, Sarah Stinson, said she originally thought George's meltdown was a prank. "I didn't realise she had such an issue with her roots. Most of our guests are usually proud to embrace where they've come from and we never would have done anything to purposely upset her."

However, the star didn't have any problems talking about her Summer Bay past when she appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show in the UK.

Ross introduced George with this clip of her in Home and Away. Picture: ITV / Channel Seven Source: Supplied

George's reaction to the Home and Away clip. She joked that the show should be put out of its misery. Picture: ITV Source: Supplied

The interview, which was recorded before her appearance on Channel Seven, was aired on the ABC at the weekend. In it Ross introduces George by playing a clip of her as Angel in Home and Away.

George said she hadn't seen "that footage in so long" and went Ocker to joke that her accent back then was "really strong".

Ross asked her if Home and Away was still running and joked that the show should be put out of its misery. George agreed: "They really should."

The rest of the interview touched on her new show, Hunted, and offered up the gem that Simon Cowell had tried to make her into a pop star even though she couldn't sing.

George, a champion roller-skater in her youth, was also game enough to put on a pair of skates give Ross and his other guests some lessons.

She pleased enough with the interview to tweet about it on her Twitter account:

But her appearance on The Morning Show - to promote McHappy Day, a fundraising event organised by McDonald's to help Australian families with seriously ill children - left hurt and upset.

She responded to the hissy fit claims on her Twitter account, telling her fans that she had no problem talking about her past but that The Morning Show only wanted to speak about Home and Away.

Both Home and Away and The Morning Show are produced by Channel Seven. An insider told The Daily Telegraph that George "kept saying she's had so many bigger roles since Home and Away that it was offensive to talk about it - she even said she'd send Seven an invoice because she inadvertently promotes it through the media".

George said the Australian press were "disgusting" for constantly aligning her with the soap.

"I don't need credibility from my country any more, I just need them all to be quiet," she said. "If they have nothing intelligent to say, please don't speak to me any more. I'd rather be having a croissant and an espresso in Paris or walking my French bulldog in New York City.

"I've never spoken out about it because I have to be the loyal good Aussie, who goes away and comes home.

"But I'm a really hard-working woman and people have to respect me for what I've done ... my next call will be to Home And Away to ask them to pay me because nobody does more promotion for that f***ing show than me."

George showed off her roller-skating skills on Ross's show and helped the other guests do some stunts. Picture: ITV Source: Supplied

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'Grave fears' for missing women

Police in Melbourne are appealing for public assistance to help find two missing women

Missing woman Sandra Pevitt, inset, and her silver Hyandai. Source: Herald Sun

Katie Dircks was last seen on Friday night. Source: Herald Sun

POLICE are appealing for missing woman Sandra Pevitt to make contact after it was revealed she accessed her bank account two days after she was last seen.

The search continues for 45-year-old Ms Pevitt after she vanished five days ago.

Ms Pevitt, of Werribee, was reported missing but detectives have since discovered she accessed her bank account from a Tarneit shopping centre on Friday.

It is not known how much money she took from the account.

Werribee CIU detective Sen-Constable Dave Reynolds said police had CCTV footage of Ms Pevitt "frequenting local shopping centres".

There were also indications she had been using her silver Hyundai car, he said.

On footage taken at a Tarneit shopping centre, Ms Pevitt was alone and appeared to be "just going about her business".

Police are still reviewing other CCTV footage but did not release details of where it came from.

But Sen-Constable Reynolds said police were still very concerned for Ms Pevitt's physical, mental and emotional state as she had not contacted family or friends.

"It is very much out of character for Sandra to not make contact with family and friends," he said.

He appealed to Ms Pevitt, or anyone who knew her whereabouts, to contact police.

More coverage at Wyndham Leader

Ms Pevitt left her Werribee home at 8.30am on Wednesday and had told a family member she was going to see a doctor that day.

She did not see the doctor and she has not been seen since.

Her sister, Leanne Snaize, said there had been nothing to indicate anything was wrong.

Sandra Pevitt's partner Paul Czech and sister Leanne Snaize. Picture: Mike Keating Source: Herald Sun

She said her sister loved her nieces and nephews and was deeply missed.

"She walks in the room and you know Sandra's there. Sandra makes the party," Mrs Snaize said.

Ms Pevitt's partner, Paul Czech, said there was no explanation. He said she was a sensitive person with a great sense of humour.

"Obviously everybody's desperately worried. Everybody has been trying every avenue they can possibly try (to find her). We miss her terribly," he said.

Mr Czech urged Ms Pevitt to get in touch.

"She's loved. Please, make contact with somebody," he said.

Ms Pevitt is 167cm tall, of medium build with brown shoulder-length straight hair, brown eyes and wearing frameless glasses.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a grey sports top, brown and white knitted jacket and white runners with a pink trim.

Her vehicle, a 2010 Hyundai i30 wagon, is registered XVL-284.

Meanwhile,  an Elwood woman missing for several days has been found safe and well.

Katie Dircks, 30, had not been seen since Friday but was found today in Tasmania.

- with James Twining, Jon Kaila and Mark Buttner

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Wee problem with drug test results

DRUG CHEATS: A technical officer testing urine samples from rugby league players at Australian Government Analytical Laboratory in Pymble, NSW. Picture: Nicole Emanuel Source: Herald Sun

MINERS are buying fake urine to beat workplace drug and alcohol tests.

A variety of synthetic urine products is available on the internet and from Australian distributors. They range in price from $30 to $95.

The advertising boasts the chemical substitutes contain "all the ingredients normally found in urine and is balanced for pH, specific gravity, creatinine and other urine characteristics", enabling buyers to pass drug tests.

Most kits include heat pads to keep the fake urine at body temperature. Some, with names such as SweetPee and Whizzinator, even come with prosthetic penises.

Police in Western Australia's iron ore-rich Pilbara say they are increasingly finding the products during drug raids, usually involving people employed in mining.

Central Queensland regional crime co-ordinator, acting Detective Inspector Ben Carroll, said that police intelligence from within mining camps suggested that fake pee was becoming more prevalent. "We've noticed a rise in this sort of behaviour aimed at defeating the testing regime. They all know about it in the industry. It's very simple to get hold of."

It was also believed to be common for "clean" workers to provide samples of their urine to colleagues who had been drinking or taking drugs to enable them to beat the tests.

It is not illegal to sell or possess synthetic urine. "It's more an issue for the companies under workplace health and safety," Det Insp Carroll said.

"I certainly would not want to be working (in a mine) with someone with drugs onboard."

A Queensland Resources Council spokeswoman said

the QRC had not heard about fake urine being used and it was probably less common in Queensland than Western Australia because most coalmines tested saliva rather than urine.

Employees caught trying to cheat at drug tests would face disciplinary measures, including dismissal.

daryl.passmore@news.com.au

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Spy who shagged me under his desk

General David Petraeus has admitted to an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell. Picture: Supplied Source: The Sunday Telegraph

Broadwell is currently under FBI investigation. Source: The Sunday Telegraph

THE scandal that brought down CIA Director David Petraeus started with harassing emails sent by his biographer and paramour, Paula Broadwell, to another woman.

One of America's most decorated soldiers and its spy boss, General Petraeus, has been secretly having an affair with the pretty biographer and married mum of two.

Their love tryst, which began in the battlefields of Afghanistan, was only uncovered after the FBI launched an investigation into Broadwell for allegedly hacking into the general's email as part of an abusive attack on another woman who has not yet been identified. It is reportedly not Petraeus' wife.

While in his account, the FBI discovered sexually explicit emails between Petraeus and Broadwell - reportedly including one which made references to engaging in sex under a desk.

As the general was married and had the nations' highest security clearance, the affair was deemed a national security risk and investigated further as it potentially exposed the CIA head to blackmail.

Petraeus yesterday quit in disgrace, with his departure stunning political, military and intelligence establishments.

Broadwell, who describes herself as a national security analyst, is co-author of the best-selling biography All In: The Education Of General David Petraeus.

The retired four-star general was a leading commander in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars following 9/11. He was credited with the counter-offensive surge strategy that tamed the Iraq insurgency.

Known as a straight shooter, he was highly regarded on both sides of the political aisle. Republicans touted him as a potential presidential candidate, while President Barack Obama made him part of his cabinet.

Broadwell, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her radiologist husband Dr Scott Broadwell and their two young sons Lucien and Lando, was embedded with Petraeus in Afghanistan, and said the two would go on 8km jogs together.

Petraeus stepped down after he confessed to cheating on his wife of 37 years, Holly - behaviour he explained was "unacceptable" for a senior administration official. He first met Broadwell six years ago when he addressed students at Harvard University, where she is a researcher, and they eventually got to know each other better during runs.

CIA Director David Petraeus has resigned from his post, citing an extramarital affair.

The scandal broke after the FBI reportedly began to investigate threatening emails sent by Broadwell to another woman "close" to Petraeus.

FBI officials reportedly said the un-named recipient was frightened enough by the emails to go to the FBI for protection.

While initially investigating the reports, the FBI feared the CIA director's personal email account may have been hacked. But the sexual nature of the email exchanges exposed the affair.

Other reports suggest Broadwell split from Petraeus in 2011, and that he general continued to pursue her with hundreds of emails during the past year.

The FBI brought the matter up with Petraeus directly after being alerted that Broadwell may have had access to his personal email account. The emails involved in the matter were in most instances sent from the personal account, not his CIA one.

CIA officers long had expressed concern about Broadwell's unprecedented access to the director. She frequently visited the spy agency's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, to meet Petraeus in his office, accompanied him on his punishing morning runs around the CIA grounds and often attended public functions as his guest, according to two former intelligence officials.

Broadwell has not responded to multiple emails and phone messages. Broadwell planned to celebrate her 40th birthday party in Washington this weekend, with many reporters invited. But her husband emailed guests to cancel the event late Friday.

Members of Congress said they want answers to questions about the affair that led to Petraeus's resignation.

In this 2004 file photo, Major General David Petraeus, center, kisses his wife, Holly, second left, as his son, Stephen, left, and daughter, Anne, right, look on upon his return home from Iraq. Picture: Christopher Berkey Source: AP

"He is truly remorseful about everything that's happened,'' said Steve Boylan, a retired army officer and former Petraeus spokesman who spoke with the former general yesterday. In a phone call with Boylan, Petraeus lamented the damage he'd done to his "wonderful family'' and the hurt he'd caused his wife.
 
"He screwed up, he knows he screwed up, now he's got to try to get past this with his family and heal,'' said Boylan.

The retired general told his staffers in a statement that he was guilty of "extremely poor judgment'' in engaging in the affair. "Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.'' He said he had offered his resignation to Obama.

In the biography, Broadwell, who served in the military for more than a decade, revealed she first met Petraeus during his visit to Harvard in 2006 when he was a commander at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

Facebook photo of Paula Broadwell with her husband Scott. Source: Supplied

"I was among the students invited by the school to meet with the general at a dinner afterward, because of my military background," she said.

"I introduced myself to then Lieutenant General Petraeus and told him about my research interests; he gave me his card and offered to put me in touch with other researchers and service members working on the same issues."

Broadwell said this was not a one-off as he often "does a lot of mentoring".

As she pursued her PhD in public policy in 2008, she contacted him to ask if she could interview him and they kept in touch via email.

"A few months into my research, General Petraeus, who was then leading Central Command, invited me to go for a run with him and his team along the Potomac River during one of his visits to Washington," she wrote.

"I figured I could interview him while we ran."

The keen runner said she wanted to test him to see if he could keep up with her as she interviewed him.

"Instead it became a test for me,' she said.

"As we talked during the run from the Pentagon to the Washington Monument and back, Petraeus progressively increased the pace until the talk turned to heavy breathing and we reached a six-minute-per-mile pace. It was a signature Petraeus move."

David Petraeus has resigned after admitting to an affair with Paula Broadwell, author of the CIA chief's biography All In. Picture: AP Source: AP

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Four kids linked to shopping centre fire

The fire at North Mackay engulfs the Toys R Us store. Picture: Seven News Source: Supplied

A MASSIVE fire that gutted four shopping outlets in north Queensland has been brought under control.

The "enormous fire", which destroyed most of the Toys R Us, Clark Rubber and Autobarn stores, was put out about 3pm and firefighters were hosing down remanent flames.

No one was injured.

Much of North Mackay was in lockdown when an emergency situation was declared, causing major traffic chaos with local streets in gridlock.

Fire crews rush to fight a blaze at a shopping centre in North Mackay. Picture: Seven News via Twitter.

At 4pm, police lifted the emergency situation and reopened all roads, but a public safety order is still in place because of police concerns about toxic smoke from burning chemicals in some of the shops.

Were you there? Did you witness the fire? Email pictures and news tips to pictorial@qnp.newsltd.com.au

A police spokeswoman confirmed four juveniles were in police custody in relation to the incident.

Four children were arrested in relation to a fire in Mackay.

One is understood to be a 15-year-old girl.

The fire, first reported to police at around 11.45am, saw Toys'R'Us, Autobarn and Clark Rubber totally engulfed by flames and a huge smoke plume cover the area.

Up to ten fire crews were called to Greenfields Boulevard to fight the blaze, which continued burning for almost five hours after the first Triple-Zero call was made.

A fire at Mackay destroyed several buildings in a shopping centre.

Busy Saturday trading at the Toys R Us Mackay saw a mass evacuation from the building, and at 1.20pm, the roof of the Toys R Us was reported to be caving in.

The Bruce Highway at Nebo and all surrounding streets were closed.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area.

A fire at Mackay destroyed several buildings in a shopping centre and caused a huge smoke plume in the area,

More to come...

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Travel delays as check-in system fails

Hundreds of frustrated passengers voice their anger with Jetstar at Sydney Airport this morning. Picture: Jonty Bush/Facebook Source: The Daily Telegraph

The chaos at Melbourne Airport this morning with Jetstar and Virgin Australia check-in systems crashing. Source: Herald Sun

AIRLINE check-in systems affected by a computer glitch are back online and the queues of delayed passengers are clearing.

Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways are electronically checking in the backlog of passengers after having to manually process passengers  in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney during the two-hour IT outage. 

Frustrated passengers vented their anger after lengthy airport delays across the country .

Virgin staff handed out water bottled to disgruntled customers, many of whom had no idea when their flights would be called.

Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways this afternoon announced that the check-in system is now back in operation, although delays will continue as they work through the backlog.

"The system is back up and running now, but we are still expecting delays," Melissa Thomson of Virgin Australia said this afternoon.

"It's a domino effect as the same plane makes flights out of multiple airports throughout the day. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are taking the brunt."

A Jetstar spokesman said the outage caused delays across the airline's network and staff were working to process delayed passengers as quickly as possible.

"We know that this has inconvenienced our customers and we thank them for their patience as we process passengers,'' he said.

Tiger Airways spokeswoman Vanessa Regan said the Navitaire system came back online just before midday. She said the outage had caused a half an hour delay for several Tiger flights.

"We did have a couple of minimal delays but we expect to smooth those over now,'' Ms Regan said.

At Sydney Airport the delays exceeded two hours, with improvised boarding passes meaning there were no set seats.  "Sit where you like," passengers were told.

At Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne, most Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights had been delayed by up to four hours, with problems continuing when they were boarding, with seats having to be reallocated.

Jason English flew in to Sydney with wife Jenny and six-month old son Archie for a Cycling Australia function on Friday night, where he was named Australian Mountain Biker of the Year.

The young family turned up to Sydney Airport over three hours early for their 12.15pm flight back to Port Macquarie, so they could enjoy the Virgin Lounge for the first time.

Jason, speaking from amidst the "mob-like scenes" said they were shocked when they arrived.

"There's people everywhere," he said. "It was a bit of a rude surprise. If we had of known we would have stayed at our hotel in Circular Quay."

English said the confusion and lack of communication from Virgin staff was making passengers "freak out" across the terminal.

"We were lining up for over two hours in what we thought was a queue for check-in," he said. "Then they told us there were no queues and they were doing the planes one by one.

"Archie is not very happy, he definitely needs a sleep.

"We were going to get him some sleep in the lounge, but that's proved impossible."

English said Virgin had provided disgruntled passengers with improvised hand-written boarding passes without frequent flyer numbers written on them. Virgin is yet to confirm if passengers will be receiving frequent flyer points as a result of this morning's computer crash.

"It was going to be the highlight of our weekend," English said. "But it certainly isn't."

NBL team Adelaide 36ers are among the thousand-plus people waiting to check-in for their Virgin flights at Tullamarine's departure terminal.

Basketballer Adam Gibson said having their 10am flight home delayed was another blow to the team after losing to the Melbourne Tigers last night.

"It is definitely making (the loss) worse," Gibson, 26, said.

He said the team was planning on preparing for tomorrow's game against Perth but now had no idea what time they would arrive in Adelaide.

Delayed flights are being called individually so passengers can be manually boarded.

At 8.15am, a Courier-Mail reporter due to fly from Brisbane to Cairns said Jetstar's check-in system had crashed.

Brisbane Airport Corporation confirmed that Jetstar's check-in system had experienced an error that was delaying flights nation-wide.

A Herald Sun reporter due to board a 10am flight from Melbourne to Sydney said the Virgin Australia area at Tullamarine Airport was chaos, with hundreds of passengers waiting to be manually boarded.

She said Virgin staff told passengers the whole computer check-in system was down and they would manually board passengers, although that process is yet to begin. She added that the last flight to depart was the 9.40am to Maroochydore.

One of the passengers caught in this morning's chaos is 2009 Young Australian of the Year Jonty Bush who is attempting to return to Brisbane airport after a dinner last night with Prince Charles and Camilla in Sydney.

Chaotic scenes at Sydney domestic airport departure lounge as the booking system fails and thousands are left to be manually checked in by staff. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Source: The Sunday Telegraph

Having flown down with Qantas for the event organised by Governor-General Quentin Bryce with Qantas, Bush told The Sunday Telegraph she was kicking herself for not booking return flights with the Flying Kangaroo.

"I don't know why I always fall for this," she said. "I've had maybe two out of six successful flights with Jetstar."

Describing the scene at Sydney Airport, Bush said: "It's horrendous. There' no progression, no movement.

"We've got no idea what's going on, there's literally hundreds of people trying to check in and there's no computer kiosks working.

"It's out of control."

Inspiring ... Anti-violence advocate Jonty Bush with her Young Australian of the Year award in 2009. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: news.com.au

Bush was invited to Friday night's dinner thanks to her pioneering work in setting up the "One Punch Can Kill" campaign after losing family members to violence in her teens.

Melissa Thompson of Virgin Australia said: "We are having an issue, as is Jetstar," Melissa Thompson of Virgin Australia said.

"It is a slow process, but we are booking in passengers manually at the moment."

Virgin Australia said no flights had been cancelled.

The system crash has also affected the Jetstar website, with customers unable to search flights or book online.

Unimpressed passengers are turning to Twitter to vent their frustrations about the delays.

"Well this is fantastic! @VirginAustralia systems are down so looks like I'm stuck in Brisbane airport for who knows how long!," PetieRee tweeted.

efjohnhunter said: "@VirginAustralia check-in line is all the way down to the @JetstarAirways check-in desks. #SydneyAirport."

ssharwood tweeted: "@VirginAustralia experiencing "nationsl (sic) system outage" and all flights grounded in Sydney. Grumpy."

One Jetstar customer, Alex Cassimaty tweeted: "First there was trackwork, [sic] then my bus didn't show up and now Jetstar's check-in system is down. MELBOURNE WHY DON'T YOU WANT ME."

Bruce Ehrlich on the Daily Telegraph's Facebook page tweeted: "At Mackay airport waiting in line with Jet Star. Virgin and Qantas aren't having problems here only Jet Star!"

A Qantas spokeswoman confirmed the airline, which uses a different computer system to subsidiary Jetstar, was unaffected.

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