Track Santa's progress online

The progress of Santa Claus and his reindeers around the world can be tracked online courtesy of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

SANTA Claus is coming to town - and the organisation responsible for monitoring North American airspace is helping your kids track him as he completes his whirlwind journey around the globe.

The Santa tracker set up by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a US-Canada joint operation, said that at 1515 GMT, Santa and his overworked reindeer had just passed over the Philippines' capital Manila.

The website, www.noradsanta.org, is available in eight languages and allows children to find Santa's location and upcoming stops on his trip. It also tracks the number of presents left for children. So far? More than 1.2 billion.

After leaving the North Pole, Santa will criss-cross the world until 0900 GMT Tuesday, when all the gifts will have been placed under Christmas trees.

NORAD normally has the very serious task of protecting the United States and Canada, detecting any attacks from the air or the launching of nuclear weapons. But each year, it uses its powerful technology to provide Christmas cheer.

NORAD pulls out all the stops to locate Saint Nick, stopping at no fewer than four high-tech systems: radar, satellites, "Santa Cams" and, yes, fighter jets. After all, Santa travels "faster than starlight."

Volunteers take phone calls from children asking where Santa is and when he will deliver presents to their house, during the annual NORAD Tracks Santa Operation. Picture: Brennan Linsley

"We're the only organisation that has the technology, the qualifications, and the people to do it. And, we love it! NORAD is honored to be Santa's official tracker!" NORAD says on its website.

The first shift of Santa tracker volunteers started taking calls early Monday, telling children - and some adults - when Santa is due at their house. The last shift won't end until nearly 24 hours later.

Some kids wanted to know more than where Santa was and when he would be at their house.

"How old is Santa?" one caller asked. The answer to that one is in the FAQs that NORAD hands out to volunteers: "It's hard to know for sure, but NORAD intelligence indicates Santa is at least 16 centuries old."

Other questions require the volunteers to think fast:

"How do reindeer fly?"

"How many elves does Santa have?"

"Does Santa leave presents for dogs?"

One little boy from Missouri phoned in to ask what time Santa delivered toys to heaven, said volunteer Jennifer Eckels, who took the call. The boy's mother got on the line to explain that his sister had died this year.

"I think Santa headed there first," Eckels told him.

NORAD suggests its volunteers tell callers that Santa won't drop off the presents until all the kids in the home are asleep. The response depends on the caller's age.

"Ohhhhhhh," said an 8-year-old from Illinois, as if trying to digest a brand-new fact.

"Thank you so much for that information," said a grateful mother from Michigan.

NORAD's Santa tracking tradition dates back to 1955, when a department store ad in a Colorado newspaper, which offers to connect children with the cheerful Christmas icon, included an incorrect phone number.

It mistakenly directed them to the hotline of NORAD's predecessor, the Continental Air Defence Command (CONAD).

To avoid disappointing the little ones, the director of operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, ordered his staff to check the radar to see where Santa might be and update the children on his location.

US Air Force Brigadier General Richard Scobie volunteers at the annual NORAD Tracks Santa Operation. Over a thousand volunteers handle more than 100,000 thousand phone calls from children around the world every Christmas Eve.

CONAD officers played along, and word spread that this Cold War military command charged with guarding the US against an attack by the Soviet Union was also telling kids where Santa was.

Since then, NORAD Tracks Santa has gone global, progressing through bulletins on AM radios and black-and-white TVs to updates on Facebook, Twitter and smartphone aps.

Last year, volunteers answered almost 102,000 calls, nearly 25 per cent more than the previous year. They also answered more than 7,700 emails (noradtrackssanta@outlook.com).

The NORAD Tracks Santa website attracted 18.9 million unique visitors from 220 countries and territories during December 2011.

This year, the program has more than 1 million likes on Facebook and more than 114,000 followers on Twitter days before the tracking operation got under way.

NORAD maintains that Santa is the real deal.

"Mountains of historical data and more than 50 years of NORAD tracking information leads us to believe that Santa Claus is alive and well in the hearts of people throughout the world," it says.

And it warns children that Santa's route "can be affected by weather."

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Attack on firefighters caught on radio

Audio has been released of the shooting of New York firefighters in the US. Fox News reports.

CHILLING audio has emerged of the gunman who ambushed four volunteer firefighters responding to a house fire outside Rochester, New York before killing himself.

Emergency radio communications capture someone saying he "could see the muzzle flash coming at me" as a gunman ambushed firefighters responding to a blaze in Lake Ontario he had set to trap them.

In pictures: Horror attack

A gunman has shot dead two firefighters when he ambushed them at the scene of a housefire in a suburb of Rochester, New York.

The audio draws a chilling picture of the attack police say William Spengler carried out Friday morning in the Lake Ontario community of Webster. Spengler ambushed the four volunteer firefighters responding to an intense pre-dawn house fire killing two before ending up dead himself, authorities said.

The gunman fired at the firefighters when they arrived shortly after 5.30am at the blaze near the Lake Ontario shore in Webster, town police chief Gerald Pickering said.

Lieutenant Michael Chiapperini, who volunteered as a firefighter in his spare time, was one of two firefighters killed in a Christmas Eve ambush in New York state.

The audio posted on the website RadioReference.com has someone reporting "firefighters are down" and saying "got to be rifle or shotgun."

The first Webster police officer who arrived chased the suspect and exchanged gunfire with him, authorities said. Police used an armoured vehicle to evacuate more than 30 nearby residents.

Firefighters gather around a burning house after they were let back into the area follwoing the fatal shooting. Picture: AP/Democrat & Chronicle, Jamie Germano

"It does appear it was a trap" for the first responders to the fire, Mr Pickering said at a news conference.

Police in New York state say the  62-year-old gunman who ambushed the firefighters had served 17 years for manslaughter in the death of his grandmother.

This image taken from video provided by WHAM13-TV, shows homes on fire in Webster, where a gunman ambushed four volunteer firefighters responding to a house fire.

Mr Pickering said Spengler was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.

Police don't know a motive yet nor if anyone died in the fire itself.

A screen grab from WHAM-TV's live coverage of the scene in Webster, New York.

One of the dead firefighters was also a town police lieutenant; it wasn't clear whether he returned fire. An off-duty police officer who was driving by was injured by shrapnel, Mr Pickering said.

"These people get up in the middle of the night to go put out fires; they don't expect to be shot and killed," Mr Pickering said.

Firefighters battle a blaze after they were let back onto the site outside Rochester. Picture: AP/Democrat & Chronicle, Jamie Germano

The fire started in one home and spread to two others and a car, officials said. The gunfire initially kept firefighters from battling the blazes. Police say four homes were destroyed and four damaged.

The West Webster Fire District learned of the fire early on Monday after a report of a car and house on fire on Lake Road, on a narrow peninsula where Irondequoit Bay meets Lake Ontario, Monroe county sheriff Patrick O'Flynn said.

The fire appeared from a distance as a pulsating ball of flame glowing against the early morning sky, flames licking into treetops and reflecting on the water, with huge bursts of smoke billowing away in a brisk wind.

Two of the firefighters arrived on a fire engine and two in their own vehicles, Mr Pickering said. After the gunman fired, one of the wounded men managed to flee, but the other three couldn't because of flying gunfire.

A police armoured vehicle was used to recover two of the men, and eventually it evacuated 33 people from nearby homes, the police chief said.

The dead men were identified as Police Lt. Michael Chiapperini, 43, the Webster Police Department's public information officer; and Tomasz Kaczowka, also a 911 dispatcher, whose age was not released.

Mr Pickering described Chiapperini as a "lifetime firefighter" with nearly 20 years with the department, and called Kaczowka a "tremendous young man."

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The two wounded firefighters, Joseph Hofsetter and Theodore Scardino, were in a guarded condition in the intensive care unit at Strong Memorial Hospital, authorities said. Both were awake and alert and are expected to recover.

Mr Hofsetter, also a full-timer with the Rochester Fire Department, was hit once in the pelvis, and the bullet lodged in his spine, authorities said. Mr Scardino was hit in the chest and knee.

Yesterday's shooting and fires were in a neighbourhood of seasonal and year-round homes set close together across the road from the lakeshore. The area is popular with recreational boaters but is normally quiet this time of year.

"We have very few calls for service in that location," Mr Pickering said. "Webster is a tremendous community. We are a safe community, and to have a tragedy befall us like this is just horrendous."

Mr O'Flynn lamented the violence, which comes on the heels of other shootings including the massacre of 20 students and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

"It's sad to see that that this is becoming more commonplace in communities across the nation," Mr O'Flynn said.

Webster, a middle-class suburb, has now been linked to house fire violence two Decembers in a row.

Last year on December 7, authorities say a 15-year-old boy doused his home with gasoline and set it ablaze, killing his father and two brothers, aged 16 and 12. His mother and 13-year-old sister escaped with injuries. He is being prosecuted as an adult.

Local newspaper, the Democrat and Chronicle, reports that the flag outside the West Webster Fire Department was lowered to half-staff at 10.45am. Fire district commissioners, Pat Morris and Billy Gross, described a sombre scene inside. 

"Each one of the firefighters is comforting each other," Mr Morris said. The Monroe County stress management team is working with the firefighters, the commissioners said, and local businesses are donating food.

"These firemen are part of our family. You go into a fire with these guys. To see them go down with something like this is totally unexpected. We are in shock," Mr Gross said, adding help was coming from all sides.

"Because of the shock and stress inside, you can't expect us to go and fight (another) fire," he added.

FBI spokeswoman Maureen Dempsey said the FBI was assisting law enforcement with whatever needs they had. "We have people on the scene. Members of our joint terrorism task force."

Webster is a middle-class, lakeside suburb. "I'm not aware of anything like this happening in Webster, obviously not a firefighter being fired upon," Webster fire marshal Rob Boutillier said.

Authorities remain on the scene evacuating residents. They are being searched by New York state police and other authorities before being taken to a bus.

Resident Michael Damico, whose son woke him up at 8am to tell him about the fire, was among those evacuated. He told the Democrat and Chronicle that "The whole strip's been evacuated. They're evacuating all of the houses and going through them," he said.

"We looked out the window and we saw the SWAT team and everyone around. Some people on this bus already watched their houses burn. They're not happy," Mr Damico said.

The debate about gun laws in America continues, in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings on December 14, which killed 26 people including 20 children.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is sticking to its stance on guns, calling for an armed guard in every school across America. National Rifle Association chief executive officer Wayne LaPierre said on Friday: "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

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Prince Harry 'kills Taliban chief'

Captain Prince Harry of Wales has allegedly killed his first Taliban commander in Afghanistan. No narration

IN what is likely to change his reputation as a Playboy Prince, Harry has allegedly killed his first Taliban commander in Afghanistan.

The 28-year-old gunship co-pilot unleashed a missile strike to eliminate the terrorist leader in late October, The Sun reports.

Harry has proved to be very popular among his comrades in Helmand, Afghanistan, and has been given the nickname Big H.

A defence insider told The Sun: "Big H is a legend. We were on patrol and the Apache helicopters were called in. We heard this posh voice come over the radio and knew it was Big H. They were tracking a Taliban leader - he was commander level.

"The Apache then let off some Hellfire missiles and its 30mm cannon and 'boom'. It was Big H all the way."

The Royal is a front seat co-pilot, which means he is the mission controller and operates the craft's main weapons. The Apache pilot sits in the back seat under the command of the mission controller and is tasked with manoeuvering the craft. Apaches, also called "mosquitoes" because of their unique sound, are among the world's most sophisticated and deadly helicopters and have terrorised the Taliban for the last five years, The Sun reports.

Captain Prince Harry of Wales as he prepares his Apache helicopter to go out on a mission in El Centro, California in undated photo issued by British Ministry of Defence.

Harry is on tour in Helmand and has been flying daily combat missions helping "troops in contact", the code given when ground forces are engaged by enemy fighters.

"He's like a normal squaddie," the source told The Sun. "All the guys in Afghan have so much respect for him and love him.

"Big H is a legend, he's been out in Afghan and he's doing the business. All the guys love him - he's Big H. He likes a drink and a laugh and he's one of the lads."

However, news of the strike reveals the danger Harry is in on the front line. Prince Charles recently spoke of his anxiety for his son at The Sun's Military Awards. Charles, 64, said: "The younger one is at this moment in Afghanistan. Fortunately, he rings me every now and then.

"And from time to time I've even persuaded him to write me a letter.

AN Apache attack helicopter takes off after refueling during a several-hour firefight against the Taliban, in Zhari district, Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan.

"Because, I keep saying, if you write me a letter and not just an email or a text or something, in 30 years' time or 40 years' time that will be interesting history."

Prince Charles said: "I just make this point because I really do understand the worry of service families when their loved ones are away serving in somewhere like Afghanistan. It's almost easier for those serving away than for those left behind because you worry all the time.

"So I do appreciate the extraordinary resilience and the unbelievable support provided by the families back here who encourage and remind their loved ones that they are there for them, despite what they are having to put up with."

Harry's recent tour of duty is the second undertaken by the prince in Helmand. Harry secretly served 77 days on the front line between 2007 and 2008 before switching to choppers.

In 2011 he passed the gruelling Apache fliers' course and was deployed in September. After 18 months of rigorous training, Harry was also crowned his class's Top Gun pilot in February.

An AH-64 Apache prepares to escort a CH-47 Chinook helicopter waiting to lift off as part of the Shah Wali Kot Offensive.

Harry is the first Royal to serve in a war zone since his uncle, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, who served for more than 20 years as a Royal Naval officer and flew as a second pilot in Sea King helicopters in the 1982 Falklands War.

Andrew and Charles' father, Prince Philip, was in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and the Queen, then 18, also served in uniform during World War Two.

Prince Harry examines the 30mm cannon of an Apache helicopter with a member of his 622 Squadron in Helmand Province. The Sun newspaper is reporting the Royal killed a Taliban chief in October.

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'Irresistible' sacked secretary speaks

Iowa State Supreme Court in the US has ruled that a boss can sack a worker for being too attractive

THE woman at the centre of a discrimination row - where seven male judges agreed she could be sacked for being attractive - has spoken out about her ordeal.

The all-male Iowa State Supreme Court ruled a dentist acted legally when he fired a 32-year-old assistant that he found attractive simply because he and his wife viewed the woman as a threat to their marriage.

"I don't think it's fair. I don't think it's right," Melissa Nelson said on CNN yesterday.

"I worked hard, enjoyed my job, and one day it just came to a screeching halt.''

The court ruled 7-0 that bosses can fire employees they see as an "irresistible attraction," even if the employees have not engaged in flirtatious behavior or otherwise done anything wrong.

Dentist James Knight, 53, admitted Nelson was a great worker, but he complained her tight clothing was too much of a distraction.

He even once told Nelson that if his pants were bulging, she would know her outfits were too revealing, the lawsuit said. And he quipped about her irregular sex life, saying it was "like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it".

Nelson disputed that she had dressed provocatively: "I wore a long-sleeve or short-sleeve T-shirt and I wore scrubs''.

Iowa's Supreme Court has backed the sacking of Melissa Nelson, right, after her employer, dentist James Knight, left, said he found her "irresistibly attractive".

Such firings may be unfair, but they are not unlawful discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act because they are motivated by feelings and emotions, not gender, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote.

An attorney for Fort Dodge Knight said the decision, the first of its kind in Iowa, is a victory for "family values" because Knight fired Melissa Nelson in the interest of saving his marriage, not because she was a woman.

But Nelson's attorney said Iowa's all-male high court, one of only a handful in the nation, failed to recognize the discrimination that women see routinely in the workplace.

"These judges sent a message to Iowa women that they don't think men can be held responsible for their sexual desires and that Iowa women are the ones who have to monitor and control their bosses' sexual desires," said attorney Paige Fiedler. "If they get out of hand, then the women can be legally fired for it."

Nelson, 32, worked for Knight for 10 years, and he considered her a stellar worker.

Knight and Nelson - both married with children - started exchanging text messages, mostly about personal matters, such as their families. Knight's wife, who also worked in the dental office, found out about the messages and demanded Nelson be fired.

The Knights consulted with their pastor, who agreed that terminating Nelson was appropriate.

Melissa Nelson speaks to CNN on how she was fired for being "irresistibly attractive".

Knight fired Nelson and gave her one month's severance. He later told Nelson's husband that he worried he was getting too personally attached and feared he would eventually try to start an affair with her.

Nelson was stunned because she viewed the 53-year-old Knight as a father figure and had never been interested in starting a relationship, Fiedler said.

Nelson filed a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination, arguing she would not have been terminated if she was male. She did not allege sexual harassment because Knight's conduct may not have risen to that level and didn't particularly offend her, Fiedler said.

Knight argued Nelson was fired not because of her gender, but because her continued employment threatened his marriage.

A district judge agreed, dismissing the case before trial, and the high court upheld that ruling.

Mansfield noted that Knight had an all-female workforce and Nelson was replaced by a woman.

He said the decision was in line with state and federal court rulings that found workers can be fired for relationships that cause jealousy and tension within a business owner's family.

Melissa Nelson - "I don't think its fair. I don't think its right".

One such case from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a business owner's firing of a valued employee who was seen by his wife as a threat to their marriage. In that case, the fired employee had engaged in flirtatious conduct.

Mansfield said allowing Nelson's lawsuit would stretch the definition of discrimination to allow anyone fired over a relationship to file a claim arguing they would not have been fired but for their gender.

Knight's attorney, Stuart Cochrane, said the court got it right. The decision clarified that bosses can make decisions showing favoritism to a family member without committing discrimination; in this case, by allowing Knight to honor his wife's wishes to fire Nelson, he said.

Knight is a very religious and moral individual, and he sincerely believed that firing Nelson would be best for all parties, he said.

"While there was really no fault on the part of Mrs. Nelson, it was just as clear the decision to terminate her was not related to the fact that she was a woman," he said. "The motives behind Dr. Knight terminating Mrs. Nelson were quite clear: He did so to preserve his marriage.

"I don't view this as a decision that was either pro-women or opposed to women rights at all. In my view, this was a decision that followed the appropriate case law."

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Flying fish attacks holidaymaker

Spike strike: Julie Filson, who was attacked by a garfish while swimming at Port Douglas, has the fish's barb in a bottle as a memento of her painful north Queensland holiday. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: The Sunday Mail (Qld)

A BRISBANE mum has suffered hearing loss after she was speared in the ear by a rogue garfish.

Julie Fison, 46, was swimming chest-deep at Port Douglas in September when the garfish leapt up and plunged a 2.5cm barb into her eardrum.

Mrs Fison, a children's adventure book writer, is still recovering from surgery.

"It was excruciating - it hit me hard enough in the head to make me collapse and bleed out of my ear," the mother of two said.

She was left with facial palsy - unable to smile or blink on one side of her face - for more than a month after the barb perforated the eardrum and penetrated a facial nerve near her brain.

It took three hours of surgery at Cairns Base Hospital to remove the barb and she has since made numerous trips to ear specialists, physio sessions, an ophthamologist and now a speech therapist - and yet she still suffers hearing loss in her left ear.

Mrs Fison was unable to drive a car, take the kids to school, use a computer or work for weeks after the injury.

It is believed she is the first person in Australian medical history to be speared in the ear by a tiny garfish.

"My hearing and ear has still not recovered. I'm told it could take up to six months," she said.

But she feels lucky to be alive, with at least one recorded death of a Torres Strait fisherman fatally speared by a much larger specimen.

North Queensland is renowned as frontier territory with a wide array of deadly and dangerous creatures such as crocodiles, tiger sharks and box jellyfish.

Mrs Fison, the author of Hazard River, who has survived on rat soup on a barge on the Mekong River, said not even her wildest imagination could conjure such a "bizarre random attack".

The fish had to leap out of the water to reach her ear.

"There are lots of lethal things in the wilds of the deep north that are known to be dangerous - but a tiny garfish was not on my list," she said. "It is a bit of a war story, some people laugh.

"It is such a random thing, and it shows how in the blink of an eye, your life can change ... even if it is from being attacked by a tiny fish."

----------

peter.michael@news.com.au

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Andre's TV show halted after death

Singer Peter Andre has postponed the airing of his reality show after the death of his older brother Andrew last week. Source: Getty Images

GRIEVING Peter Andre has asked for the airing of his reality TV show to be postponed - because it features scenes of his older brother, Andrew, dying of cancer.

The singer, 39, is ''devastated'' by the death of Andrew, 54, who lost his battle with kidney cancer last Sunday.

Some parts of the most recent episode of Peter Andre: My Life were filmed just over a week before Andrew's death and showed his family spending the final days with him.

The show's synopsis says, "As brother Andrew's condition worsens, the singer finds Emily is on hand to help him enjoy his new-found passion for art, and it is not long before he is inspired to have a dabble at painting his muse."

British TV producers were initially planning on airing the episode as a tribute to Andrew, including a message at the start and end acknowledging his death.

But The Sun newspaper reports that after a request from Andre's management the program has been postponed to later in the week out of respect to the family.

Andrew was diagnosed with cancer earlier in February after complaining of stomach pains.

Earlier this month Andre postponed his tour of the UK, so he could spend time with his ailing brother.

Andrew had been living with his wife Magda in the singer's Sussex home and died surrounded by his loved ones.

The singer's spokesperson said: "Everyone was at Andrew's side - his wife, daughter, Pete and their parents -the whole family.

"Andrew woke up, looked around at everyone to say goodbye, and then fell asleep. He passed away in his sleep. It was very peaceful.

"This is the first member of Pete's immediate family to pass away and he is obviously devastated.

"The whole family is in shock and need time and privacy to grieve."

The singer's ex-wife Katie Price sent her support to Andre as he grieves for his brother.

The former model tweeted her condolences, writing "My thoughts are with the Andre family at this difficult time xx".

Peter Andre has two children, Junior and Princess, with Katie and considers her disabled son Harvey to be his own child.

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Turf war fears as Aussie bikers hit Europe

The Comancheros are among Australian, US and Canadian biker gangs arriving in Europe and sparking fears of a turf war. Picture: Attila Szilvasi Source: The Daily Telegraph

A WAVE of biker gangs from the US, Canada and Australia arriving in Europe has raised fears of deadly turf battle, European police agency Europol warned.

Gangs such as the Comancheros and Rebels from Australia, Rock Machine from Canada and the Mongols and Vagos from the US were moving into Europe, said a Europol statement.

The total number of what it called Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMCG) in Europe now ran at more than 700, it said.

The gangs were seeking out particularly a dangerous hard core of recruits in their bid to seize territory to traffic drugs, weapons and people.

Now they were approaching far-right militants, prison gang members, hooligans and military personnel to exploit their expert knowledge, said Europol.

"Merely establishing a chapter on the 'turf' of another OMCG is interpreted as an act of provocation and is likely to result in violent confrontations and retaliation," the agency said.

The gangs "have a propensity to use extreme forms of violence", including with Kalashnikov assault rifles and grenades.

Modern biker gangs were becoming less associated with the biker lifestyle, with some members having neither a motorbike nor a driving licence, Europol noted.

Biker gangs were also involved in territorial disputes with local organised crime groups and street gangs, it added.

Europol said it had informed national police forces of the risk of clashes "and the possible impact on the general organised crime situation".

Europol said the so-called 'Nordic Biker Wars' of the 1990s were "a compelling example of the capacity for extreme violence resulting from an increased concentration of OMCGs in Europe."

The deadly conflict exploded when the Bandidos gang penetrated Nordic countries and challenged the Hell's Angels for a region that had been under their control for more than a decade.

Bikers used weapons including assault rifles, anti-tank weapons and car bombs against each other, leaving at least 11 bikers dead and dozens wounded.

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Simply irresistible? Sack her

Bosses are entitled to sack staff they find "irrisistible", a US judge has ruled. Source: Supplied

IF you think an employee is 'irresistibly' attractive, it's okay to sack her - at least in the minds of seven male US judges.

An all-male Iowa Supreme Court ruled today that a dentist acted legally when he fired an assistant because he and his wife viewed the woman as a threat to their marriage.

The court ruled 7-0 that bosses can fire employees they see as an "irresistible attraction," even if the employees have not engaged in flirtatious behaviour or otherwise done anything wrong.

Such firings may be unfair, but they are not unlawful discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act because they are motivated by feelings and emotions, not gender, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote.

An attorney for Fort Dodge dentist James Knight said the decision, the first of its kind in Iowa, is a victory for "family values" because Knight fired Melissa Nelson in the interest of saving his marriage, not because she was a woman.

But Nelson's attorney said Iowa's all-male high court, one of only a handful in the nation, failed to recognise the discrimination that women see routinely in the workplace.

"These judges sent a message to Iowa women that they don't think men can be held responsible for their sexual desires and that Iowa women are the ones who have to monitor and control their bosses' sexual desires," said attorney Paige Fiedler. "If they get out of hand, then the women can be legally fired for it."

Read the full ruling here.

Nelson, 32, worked for Knight for 10 years, and he considered her a stellar worker. But in the final months of her employment, he complained that her tight clothing was distracting, once telling her that if his pants were bulging that was a sign her clothes were too revealing, according to the opinion.

He also once allegedly remarked about her infrequent sex life by saying, "that's like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it."

Knight and Nelson - both married with children - started exchanging text messages, mostly about personal matters, such as their families. Knight's wife, who also worked in the dental office, found out about the messages and demanded Nelson be fired. The Knights consulted with their pastor, who agreed that terminating Nelson was appropriate.

The Perch Blog: How blatantly discriminatory can you get?

Knight fired Nelson and gave her one month's severance. He later told Nelson's husband that he worried he was getting too personally attached and feared he would eventually try to start an affair with her.

Nelson was stunned because she viewed the 53-year-old Knight as a father figure and had never been interested in starting a relationship, Fiedler said.

Nelson filed a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination, arguing she would not have been terminated if she was male. She did not allege sexual harassment because Knight's conduct may not have risen to that level and didn't particularly offend her, Fiedler said.

Knight argued Nelson was fired not because of her gender, but because her continued employment threatened his marriage. A district judge agreed, dismissing the case before trial, and the high court upheld that ruling.

View Larger Map

Mansfield noted that Knight had an all-female workforce and Nelson was replaced by a woman.

He said the decision was in line with state and federal court rulings that found workers can be fired for relationships that cause jealousy and tension within a business owner's family. One such case from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a business owner's firing of a valued employee who was seen by his wife as a threat to their marriage. In that case, the fired employee had engaged in flirtatious conduct.

Mansfield said allowing Nelson's lawsuit would stretch the definition of discrimination to allow anyone fired over a relationship to file a claim arguing they would not have been fired but for their gender.

Knight's attorney, Stuart Cochrane, said the court got it right. The decision clarified that bosses can make decisions showing favouritism to a family member without committing discrimination; in this case, by allowing Knight to honour his wife's wishes to fire Nelson, he said.

"Knight is a very religious and moral individual, and he sincerely believed that firing Nelson would be best for all parties", he said.

"While there was really no fault on the part of Mrs. Nelson, it was just as clear the decision to terminate her was not related to the fact that she was a woman," he said. "The motives behind Dr. Knight terminating Mrs. Nelson were quite clear: He did so to preserve his marriage.

"I don't view this as a decision that was either pro-women or opposed to women rights at all. In my view, this was a decision that followed the appropriate case law."

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Shock at WA academics' violent deaths

Dr Del Weston, 62, and Professor Gavin Mooney, 69, were found dead early yesterday at their remote Hobart home. Source: PerthNow

TRAGEDY: A Police officer at the scene of a double homicide at Mountain River, 20km south-west of Hobart. Source: The Mercury

A West Australian man has been charged with killing a retired couple in a remote part of southern Tasmania.

TRAGEDY: Police attend a double homicide at Mountain River, 20km south-west of Hobart. Source: The Mercury

THE nation's leading health economist and his academic partner are dead after being bludgeoned to death at their idyllic Mountain River property on Wednesday night.

Retired Perth academics Professor Gavin Mooney, 69, and Dr Del Weston, 62, were both found dead with severe blunt force trauma to the head in the lounge room of their secluded Bennetts Road home after their alleged killer rang triple 0.

The 27-year-old charged with the double murder is Dr Weston's son from a previous relationship.

Nicolau Francisco Soares did not enter a plea when he appeared in the Hobart Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon and was remanded in custody.

All three family members are previously from Western Australia, with Prof Mooney and Dr Weston moving to Tasmania to enjoy semi-retirement in September last year.

Their alleged killer arrived in the state three weeks ago for a "fresh start'' according to sources and had been staying at their home.

It is the second double murder in the state's south in four days and the third this year, after a Hamilton couple was shot dead on Sunday and a man and woman were stabbed to death in Launceston in August.

Police say this was a particularly gruesome crime with the hammer and sledgehammer used to inflict the fatal wounds found next to the bodies.

The alleged killer was waiting in another room when police arrived in the early hours of yesterday morning.

"The only person who really knows what occurred in that house now is the man we have in custody,'' Detective Inspector Peter Powell alleged.

"There was some sign in the room of a disturbance, some furniture overturned.

"But as to who was attacked first or how the altercation commenced, we don't know.''

He said there was no obvious motive at this stage.

"We hope to discover it as we go through the investigation,'' he said.

Police say they found no evidence the son was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time or any serious mental health conditions had been previously diagnosed.

"Certainly we would like to know more about his movements,'' Det Insp Powell said.

"The area where they lived is a remote area and there are no houses close to the location but obviously we're making inquiries in the area to see what people know of this couple and this young man.

"We've been doorknocking down there this morning and making inquiries in the Kingston area too.

Although police asked neighbours not to comment publicly yesterday, it was apparent those living close to the murdered couple were deeply shocked by the horror crime in their peaceful rural street.

The silence was broken only by the sound of police vehicles arriving at the misty scene yesterday morning, with forensics officers visible up the long driveway standing on the porch.

Det Insp Powell said it was a terrible thing to have two double murders within days of each other and both allegedly committed by people known to the victims.

"I think it's really unfortunate timing and we all understand that sometimes in domestic situations, and coming up to Christmas, often families do have issues and stresses on them that sometimes result in these tragedies,'' he said.

The man believed to be responsible for the Hamilton shootings remains in a medically-induced coma in the Royal Hobart Hospital after shooting himself in the head on Sunday.

WA couple looking for the good life

Professor Gavin Mooney moved to Tasmania from Western Australia looking for the good life in September 2011 and was in no doubt he had found it.

The nation's leading health economist and his partner, academic Dr Del Weston, were both captivated by the beauty and tranquility of the expansive home they bought in the hamlet of Mountain River, about 30 minutes drive south of Hobart.

The broad deck of their home looks out on the rugged peaks across the scattered homes of the rural residential area and the steep timbered ridges rising up to Collins Bonnet.

The couple had big plans, both were keen to become involved in social justice issues, as they has been in WA where Mr Mooney had helped found the WA Social Justice Network.

They wanted to expand their vegetable garden and their small flock of chickens and enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle of a tree-changer's semi-retirement.

Professor Mooney, an passionate and energetic advocate for those less well off, regularly contributed the benefit of his long experience in the field of health economic to The Mercury's coverage of health issues.

In August he launched the Social Determinants of Health Advocacy Network and was involved in facilitating "Citizens' Juries'' as a more democratic way for people to participate in setting priorities for the heath systems.

Dr Weston did her PhD on the political economy of global warming at Curtin University in Western Australia.

She had been a a visiting Scholar at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban, South Africa and an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Tasmania in the School of Geography and Environmental Science.

Tony Reidy from TasCoss said Professor Mooney had been a driving force behind the organisation's submission to the state government this year.

"We're really quite devastated. Gavin Mooney was making an enormous contribution to social justice in Tasmania,'' he said.

"He was a real leader in his field. His death is an enormous tragedy for the state.

"He was one of the leaders in our campaign for the government and the community to invest in the social determinants of health.

"It's a tragic development when we see a man like Gavin, with an impeccable background and credentials, come to an end so tragically.

"His contribution and presence will be sorely missed.''

Miriam Herzfeld set up the Social Determinants of Health Advocacy Network with Professor Mooney this year.

She said he and Dr Weston were passionate, caring and giving people who had worked to make a contribution from the moment they arrived in their new home.

"He was absolutely passionate about creating a more equal society and giving everybody the opportunity to lead a healthy and good quality life,'' she said.

"Gavin and Del had been in Tasmania for a short period of time but they'd made an enormous impact.

"He took every opportunity he could to say something about improving health outcomes, and that included mental health outcomes. They both were extremely giving as people.''

Before moving to Tasmania Professor Mooney had been Director of the Social and Public Health Economics Research Group and Professor of Health Economics at Curtin University in Perth.

Starting his career as a trainee actuary in Edinburgh, Scotland, Mr Mooney worked as a health economist for over 35 years, first in the UK, then Denmark and Perth.

In June 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Degree in Social Sciences by the University of Cape Town as one of the founding fathers of health economics. - David Killick

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Yes world, we're alive: Tourism Australia

A look at the Tourism Australia Facebook page that reassures concerned overseas fans that the Mayan apocalypse hasn't happened and they should head Down Under. Source: Supplied

THE world's eyes turned to Australia overnight to see if the country was still here, with people around the globe figuring if the world was going to end we'd know about it Down Under first.

Tourism Australia's Facebook page was flooded with more than 1000 posts such as "Any survivors?" and "Are you guys still alive?" as December 21 - the last day of the Mayan calendar - hit.

This morning Tourism Australia posted a reply saying "Yes, we're alive", which resulted in more than 100,000 "likes" and more than 10,000 comments.

Technically, however, the world isn't set to end until 10.12pm Australian eastern daylight time tonight.

All the extra attention helped the See Australia page reach more than four million fans overnight, cementing its position as the largest tourism destination page in the world.

Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said it was a busy morning for the team.

"With so many predictions that the end of the world is near, and with so many fans of our country around the globe, we reckon we owe the Mayans a bit of a pat on the back for helping push our Facebook page through the four million fan milestone," he said.

"We'd like to reassure our fans around the world that Australia is very much alive and well, and still the perfect place for a holiday."

Launched four years ago to promote Australian holidays, the page reached two million fans in January thanks to a video of the New Year's Eve fireworks on Sydney Harbour.

Mr McEvoy said the Facebook page was a powerful marketing tool, allowing Australian tourism operators to showcase themselves to the world.

In August it launched a new app on the page which allows travellers to tap into their network of friends for inspiration and ideas to plan and make the most of a holiday in Australia.

Tourism Australia is also the most followed destination page on Google+ and Instagram and is active on Twitter and major Asian social media platforms Weibo and Tudou.

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