First day of gay marriage in ACT

A WA Labor MP has married his male partner as ACT marriage laws came into effect at midnight. Source: AAP

THE bride wore white and so did her wife.

Corinna Peck and Stacey Cowen were among some 15 couples to tie the knot in Canberra on Saturday as Australia's first same-sex marriage law came into play.

But while the outfits were bright and newlywed smiles beamed across the nation's capital, a dark cloud was hanging over the future validity of the same-sex unions.

On Thursday the High Court will rule if the ACT's Marriage Equality Act, passed in October, is at odds with Commonwealth law and therefore invalid.

The threat didn't dampen the enthusiasm of groom Ivan Hinton who vowed to make partner Chris Teoh his "lawful wedded husband".

"There should never be any rule in this country that disrespects the commitment that two people like us wish to express to one another," Mr Hinton told reporters after his wedding.

Ceremonies kicked off at 12.01am (AEDT) with two couples rushing to become Australia's first legally-recognised "husbands".

Australian Marriage Equality director Rodney Croome attended Mr Hinton's marriage and afterwards highlighted the historic nature of Saturday's events.

"In years to come people will look back and think 'what an historic moment that was,' but also, 'why did it take us so long to recognise the wonderful ordinariness of the love, (the) commitment of same-sex relationships?'," Mr Croome said.

The Australian Christian Lobby has criticised the ACT law, claiming it damages the institution of marriage.

"We hear about equal love all the time but we don't hear about what it means for children," Lobby spokesman Lyle Shelton told Sky News.

"Same-sex marriage means same-sex parenting, that means necessarily taking a child from its biological mother or father and giving it to someone else."

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher defended the law and sent a message to critics: "the world will go on".

"This doesn't effect those people who don't agree with it. It doesn't change their life, it doesn't change their relationships. This is all about making sure everyone is treated equally before the law," she said.

Ms Gallagher insisted that the community response, including from religious groups, had been overwhelmingly supportive.

Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young congratulated the newlywed couples and thanked them for being part of an important first step to change.

"This is how laws change, it is how communities evolve, it is how social change happens, when individuals put themselves forward," she said.

"I think it's time that politics put aside the views of others and allowed couples right across this country to have their love celebrated and accepted and recognised."

The ACT government said 47 couple have registered an intent to marry under the new law.

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Keith Urban among Grammy nominees

Keith Urban has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Country Duo/Group. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S Keith Urban has been nominated for a Grammy Award.

The country music star is a nominee in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for his collaboration with Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift, called You Can't Make Old Friends.

Jay Z easily led Grammy Award nominations, announced on Friday night, with nine, but left-of-centre rappers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Kendrick Lamar were among a group of new stars who took many of the major nominations.

New Zealand teenager Lorde was nominated for four awards, mostly for her debut single Royals.

The 17-year-old schoolgirl, who performed live during the Los Angeles ceremony, is in the running for song of the year, record of the year, best pop solo performance and best pop vocal album for Pure Heroine.

Macklemore and Lewis' gay marriage anthem Same Love was among song of the year nominees and the Seattle rap crew joined Los Angeles rapper Lamar with seven nominations apiece, including best album and best new artist of the year.

Pharrell Williams had four major nominations among his seven and Justin Timberlake also had seven.

Joining Lorde with four nominations apiece were Swift, Daft Punk, Bruno Mars and Kacey Musgraves.

Competing against Lorde's Royals for record of the year are Imagine Dragons' Radioactive, Mars' Locked Out of Heaven, Daft Punk's Get Lucky and Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines.

The Lorde and Mars entries also are up for song of the year with Pink's Just Give Me a Reason, Katy Perry's Roar and Same Love.

The show featured some of the year's top songs.

Lorde performed a starkly different version of Royals, while Swift performed her hit I Knew You Were Trouble in a performance pre-taped in Australia.

Urban performed a duet with US singer Miguel, while Thicke, TI and Earth, Wind & Fire teamed on Blurred Lines.

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Shark blamed for NSW surfer's injuries

Authorities say a surfer may have had a brush with a shark off the NSW coast without realising. Source: AAP

A SURFER who showed up at a NSW mid-north coast hospital with cuts to his hand and leg has received a surprising diagnosis: shark attack.

Police say the 26-year-old was in the water at Port Macquarie about 6.15pm (AEDT) on Thursday, when he felt something hit his right hand.

When the man discovered cuts to his right hand and blood on his leg he took himself to Port Macquarie Hospital, where doctors told him his wounds were consistent with a shark bite.

"He did not see a shark and was unaware at the time that he could have been bitten by one," NSW police said in a statement.

The man was treated for puncture wounds to his hand and a laceration to his leg, but was expected to be released.

Police said the northern end of Shelley Beach, where the suspected attack happened, was isolated and not widely used.

Officers could not find anyone else in the water when they visited the beach.

An expert is now set to visit Port Macquarie to try to identify the species of shark involved.

The suspected attack came just five days after Port Macquarie teenager Zac Young was killed by a shark while body-boarding further up the NSW coast.

The 19-year-old was in the ocean with three friends at Riecks Point, near Coffs Harbour, on Saturday when a shark bit off his legs.

He died shortly after his friends managed to drag him to shore.

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Fuel deal a win for consumers, business

CONSUMERS should expect lower grocery prices at Coles and Woolworths in 2014 due to an agreement from the supermarket giants to limit fuel discounts.

Hailed as a win for independent supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths agreed on Friday to limit discounts to a maximum four cents a litre as part of undertakings given to the nation's competition watchdog.

The retail behemoths told the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) they would stop funding the discounts through their supermarkets division, and any future discounting would need to be covered by their fuel retailing business.

The chains made the voluntary undertakings to address ACCC concerns their discount offers would reduce competition in the fuel retail sector.

The move comes after the consumer watchdog probed the supermarkets' shopper dockets following extended periods of eight cents a litre discounts.

Coles managing director Ian McLeod said the supermarket chain didn't believe its discounts amounted to a breach of law, but he recognised the ACCC's concerns.

Woolworths, meanwhile, denied there had been a competition problem arising from the discounts.

Consumer advocate Choice said the pledge should mean lower prices at Coles and Woolworths from January 1.

"Consumers have every right to expect grocery prices will fall at Coles and Woolworths as the supermarket giants reverse the flow of subsidies away from fuel," Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said in a statement.

He said anything less would "expose the so-called price wars as nothing more than advertising slogans".

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman said the deal was "the first step in fixing serious misuse of market powers issues".

He told AAP small, independent supermarkets had been "really badly hurt" by deep fuel discounts given by Coles and Woolworths.

"It does give (independent supermarkets) an opportunity to compete on a more level playing field."

The Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association, which represents independent service stations, also backed the deal.

"It's not perfect, but we welcome it as a step towards levelling the playing field in the fuel industry," group chief executive Nic Moulis said.

He said about 1000 independent service stations had shut in the past four years, partly due to cost pressure caused by heavy fuel discounts at Coles and Woolworths.

Coles said it would continue to offer fuel discounts of four cents a litre.

Woolworths said it would offer eight cents a litre discounts to supermarket customers who spent an additional $5 on merchandise at its petrol stations.

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'Bikie brawler' to remain locked up

An alleged bikie will remain locked up at the weekend for his role in a public brawl in Queensland. Source: AAP

A 20-YEAR-OLD alleged bikie will remain locked up at the weekend for his role in a public brawl, despite his claim to have cut all ties with the gang.

Joel Votear Leavitt appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday, a day after he was charged with riot relating to an all-out brawl outside a Broadbeach restaurant on September 27.

His lawyer Neil Lawler said Leavitt had been charged with public nuisance on the night of the brawl but he understood police might upgrade the offence.

Mr Lawler attempted to apply for bail on his client's behalf, saying the former Bandido had disassociated himself from the gang since the fight, including by changing his phone number.

He accepted his client appeared in CCTV footage of the wild fight.

However, Magistrate Christine Roney said Leavitt ought to give evidence on oath about his former gang association and she ordered the application be relisted on another date so it could be dealt with in greater detail.

"He appears to have previously associated with a group the community in particular regard as antisocial," Ms Roney said.

Leavitt's bail application is due to be heard on Monday afternoon.

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Crime rates fall in NSW except for fraud

The latest crime figures for NSW show the rates of most major crime types except fraud have fallen. Source: AAP

ALL major types of crime in NSW except fraud have either fallen or remained stable in the two years to September, latest crime statistics show.

Despite constant reports of gang-related shootings in Sydney, the latest quarterly crime report released on Thursday by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show shooting incidents have returned to their long-term average.

Recorded drug possession offences showed a lift but the bureau says those increases could be due to more intensive law enforcement rather than increased drug use.

The figures show fraud offences over the period increased by 20.7 per cent.

Most of that increase came from unauthorised use of credit cards and bank cards, while failing to pay for petrol from service stations accounted for six per cent of the increase. Eight of the major criminal offences showed significant downward trends.

These included non-domestic assault, robbery without a weapon, break and enter offences, motor vehicle theft, steal from motor vehicle, steal from person and malicious damage to property.

There were sizeable increases in a number of recorded drug possession offences, including possession of cocaine (up 45.3 per cent), amphetamines (up 13.6 per cent and other drugs (up 23.2 per cent).

"These increases may be due to more intensive law enforcement rather than increased drug use," the bureau said in a statement.

It said the biggest problems within the Greater Sydney area were fraud and stealing from a retail store, while Coffs Harbour-Grafton, Illawarra and Richmond-Tweed all experienced substantial increases in fraud incidents.

Most other parts of regional NSW experienced either stable or falling crime trends in most other categories of crime.

One notable exception to this was for the New England and North West Statistical Area, which experienced a 64 per cent increase in robbery with a weapon other than a firearm.

In the Greater Sydney area, non-domestic assaults were up by 28.8 per cent in Ryde, sexual assaults were up by 25.5 per cent in the inner southwest, indecent assaults and related offences were up 44.1 per cent in the inner west and robbery without a weapon was up 23.8 per cent in Parramatta.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione welcomed the latest data, showing 16 of the 17 major crime categories either stable or falling and significant decreases in eight of those categories.

The figures showed that in the past 12 months there had been a decline in incidents of discharging firearms into premises by 52.7 per cent, he said in a statement.

Mr Scipione said the bureau had noted that police were actively working to reduce gun crime through increased weapons searches and uncovering of unlicensed firearms.

Mr Scipione said there had been a 9.5 per cent increase in safe firearm storage inspections, with 45,135 inspections conducted in the 12 months to September 2013.

He said the notable rise in fraud offences served as a warning for people to take all possible precautions to protect the security of their banking details, particularly credit cards.

"We know there are criminal gangs out there committing fraud via card skimming and on-line deception offences," he said.

Mr Scipione said failing to pay for petrol was a preventable crime with pay-before-you-pump an obvious strategy to prevent such offences.

He praised the "dedication and tenacity" of NSW police officers for the positive crime figures.

Acting Police Minister Greg Smith said the decreases were a win for police and for communities across NSW.

"Across NSW, over the five years to September 2013, violent offences have decreased on average each year by 1.9 per cent," he said in a statement.

"These statistics highlight how police are doing a fantastic job targeting people associated with gun crime and are getting in their faces every day."

Mr Smith said the NSW government was committed to driving down crime and would continue to give police the resources they need.

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Video shows Vic premier desperate: Oppn

THE release of a video by Victorian Premier Denis Napthine ruling out laws that would restrict a woman's right to choose to have an abortion was a move by a rattled and desperate premier, the opposition says.

Independent MP Geoff Shaw, who holds the balance of power in the parliament, has reportedly approached Dr Napthine wanting to overhaul the state's abortion laws.

A motion was passed at the Victorian Liberal Party state conference on Sunday backing changes to abortion laws.

Dr Napthine released a video message on Tuesday night ruling out changes.

"As premier, neither I nor my government have any intention of introducing legislation that would reduce a woman's right to choose," he said.

"This issue was vigorously debated in the community and settled in the parliament in 2008.

"Let me again be crystal-clear about this - I have no intention whatsoever of introducing or supporting legislation that would reduce a woman's right to choose."

Acting opposition leader James Merlino said the premier was rattled.

"The premier released a video yesterday which can only be described as a move by a rattled and desperate premier," he told reporters.

"The fact of the matter is the only way that this issue will be debated in the parliament next year is if Premier Napthine has made a deal with Geoff Shaw."

Mr Merlino said it was clear Mr Shaw wanted a debate on the issue and it would be up to Dr Napthine to decide whether to give it the green light.

A Victorian government spokesman said Mr Merlino's comments were a lie.

"James Merlino has been in parliament long enough to know that any member of the upper house can directly introduce a private member's bill," the spokesman said.

"This includes Labor members."

Mr Merlino was asked by a reporter earlier on Wednesday about a possible move by Labor MP Christine Campbell, who wants a section of abortion law reformed, bringing a private member's bill in the upper house.

"At the end of the day it is the government that controls the debate in parliament," he said.

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Test results show Gonski needed-Labor

Labor says new student tests results is proof the full Gonski schools model must go ahead. Source: AAP

NEW tests results showing Australian student standards continue to slide is proof the full Gonski schools funding model must go ahead, the federal opposition says.

But Labor also insists it won't let the government cut $2.3 billion from universities funding, even though Labor itself proposed the cuts in April to pay for its new schools funding system.

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results show Australian school results in maths and reading continued to slip in international comparisons - and when compared with the performance of Australian students over the past decade.

The results also show increasing gaps between advantaged students and those from poor or indigenous backgrounds or remote areas.

"Our children are being let down by a long-time broken education system," Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told reporters in Canberra.

"It's time to get on board and make sure that we have an education system which is not betraying the future capacities of our young children."

Education Minister Christopher Pyne says the PISA results show the extra money the former Labor government put into schools over the past five years didn't lift student performance.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott called for the schools funding debate to shift away from money to school standards.

"Plainly there is more to be done," Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra.

"Between 2009 and 2012, commonwealth school spending increased by 10 per cent in real terms and yet we appear to have gone backwards when it comes to international academic comparisons."

Mr Abbott said now the government had restored $1.2 billion to the funding system it was time for a debate on school performance, principal autonomy, more parental involvement and higher standards.

Mr Shorten didn't believe it could be deduced from the findings that more funding was the answer, adding it took a long time to implement wide-ranging reform.

"The real issues were not just the funding ... it's what the funding is used for," he said.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has committed to match Labor's needs-based Gonski schools funding for the next four years to the tune of $2.8 billion.

Labor had planned to spend a total $11 billion of federal money on schools over six years from 2014.

It's unclear whether all states still have to abide by conditions set by Labor under the Gonski plan, including pledges for co-commitments and improvements to teacher quality and student outcomes.

The opposition says it can't see any point in letting the government cut money from universities if it won't commit to the full schools plan.

"They want all the cuts but they're not committing to the spend," education spokeswoman Kate Ellis said.

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Gold prices down, so miners produce more

Gold miners in Australia are targeting higher ore grades and producing more to combat weaker prices. Source: AAP

GOLD miners in Australia have reacted to weaker prices by producing more of the precious metal for a second successive quarter.

Gold output rose four per cent to 69.5 tonnes - or more than 2.2 million ounces - in the three months to the end of September.

That is up 12 per cent on 62 tonnes in the September quarter in 2012.

Gold producers were targetting higher grades since gold prices fell earlier this year to protect margins, said Dr Sandra Close, a director with mining consultants Surbiton Associates.

During a decade-long period of rising gold prices between 2001 and 2011, gold producers had reduced ore grades leading to higher cash costs, she said.

The price of gold fell from $US1,580 a ounce to $US1,190 during the June quarter, and has remained in a narrow range since.

It closed at $US1,242.61 on Friday.

Australia's largest goldminer Newcrest Mining was hit hard suffering writedowns and a multibillion dollar loss with its share price down 65 per cent this year.

However a fall in the value of the Australian dollar this year from around 105 US cents to 90 US cents was giving producers relief, she said.

The biggest producing gold mines in Australia are in Western Australia, including Newmont Mining's Boddington mine and the Super Pit joint venture run by Newmont and Barrick Gold.

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Stars hit the red carpet for ARIAs

THE Australian music industry's biggest stars have begun arriving at the 27th ARIA Awards.

Birds of Tokyo, who are up for six awards including Album of the Year and Best Group, and X Factor winner Samantha Jade, who has been given a nod for Song of the Year, were among the first to arrive at Sydney's The Star casino on Sunday afternoon.

The alternative rock outfit from Perth said they felt like "zombies" after catching a red eye flight from Perth where they were supporting UK rockers Muse.

The band are backing fellow Perth outfit Tame Impala to "win a bunch of stuff".

Tame Impala have garnered seven nominations but the night is expected to belong to 22-year-old electronic artist Flume, who leads the pack with eight nods.

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