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[OMEN]

Democrat Barack Obama won a US presidential nominating contest in Oregon, NBC News projected, while rival Hillary Clinton cruised to a rout of the front-runner in Kentucky.

The results gave Obama a majority of pledged delegates won in the lengthy state-by-state nominating fight with Clinton.

He hopes that milestone marks the beginning of the end of their gruelling Democratic race for the right to face Republican John McCain in November's election.

"We have returned to Iowa with a majority of delegates elected by the American people and you have put us within reach of the Democratic nomination for president of the United States," Obama told supporters in Iowa, site of his breakthrough win in the first Democratic contest on January 3.

At a rally outside the Iowa state capitol in Des Moines, the Illinois senator turned his attention to a showdown with McCain and said their November battle would represent "more of the same versus change. It is the past versus the future."

But Clinton gave no sign of surrender, promising supporters in Kentucky that she would keep fighting until the Democratic voting ends on June 3.

"I'm going to keep making our case until we have a nominee - whoever she may be," said Clinton, who has shrugged off calls to drop out of the race for weeks.

"We have to select a nominee who is best positioned to win in November and someone who is best prepared to address the enormous challenges in these difficult times," the New York senator and former first lady told supporters in Louisville.

Even with Tuesday's results, Obama will still be about 50 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to win the nomination at the Democratic convention in August. But he hopes the milestone will start more undecided superdelegates - party officials who can back any candidate - flooding his way.

He contends those superdelegates, who have been breaking his way heavily in recent weeks, should support him because he won the most delegates in state voting.

Clinton says they should reconsider because she would be a stronger opponent for McCain, an Arizona senator. Her victories in big states like Pennsylvania and Ohio gave her a broader base of support than Obama, she said.

Reuters

[OMEN]

French police have arrested the top military commander of Basque separatist group ETA in southwest France, Spanish state television reported.

It said Francisco Javier Lopez Pena and three other ETA members were arrested in a raid in the French city of Bordeaux.

ETA has killed more than 800 people in four decades in its fight for independence for the Basque Country in northern Spain and southern France.

Polls show most Basques do not seem to want independence, although the leader of Spain's Basque regional government Juan Jose Ibarretxe is defying the Spanish government with plans to hold a referendum on whether to begin a debate on ties with Spain.

More than 750 suspected ETA members have been arrested since 2000, and the group is believed to have been seriously weakened

Reuters

[OMEN]

Former NSW Labour minister Milton Orkopoulos, convicted of child sex and drug offences, has been sentenced to at least nine years and three months in jail by a Newcastle court.

Orkopoulos, 50, was found guilty by a jury in March of 28 offences, and pleaded guilty to two other charges at the outset of his trial.

In the Newcastle District Court today, Judge Ralph Coolahan set a maximum jail term of 13 years and 11 months for the former Aboriginal affairs minister.

Judge Coolahan spent more than an hour detailing the former MP's crimes which date between 1995 and 2006 and involved the grooming of three young boys with drugs and alcohol in exchange for sex.

He said Orkopoulos used his position of authority and power to win the trust of his victims and introduced one to heroin, an act which he described as "a very serious offence".

"His conduct was premeditated, predatory and manipulative with far reaching impacts," Judge Coolahan told the court.

The only time Orkopoulos displayed any emotion during the hearing was when the judge mentioned the ongoing support he had received from his mother, sister and former parliamentary colleague Jan Burnswoods.

All three of his victims, who were present in court with family and friends, simply stared at Orkopoulos as the sentence was passed.

Outside court, his second victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said today represented a new beginning.

He condemned Orkopoulos as "gutless", and said he hoped he would suffer.

"Justice has been served," he told reporters.

"It's taken away so much of my life, and I want to make up for the last 10 years I have lost."

He said he was not surprised Orkopoulos only showed emotion when his own family was mentioned, saying: "That's just the sort of person he is."

The man said he supported a fundraising push by some Labor MPs hoping to raise money for Orkopoulos' wife Kathy and daughter Anastasia.

"His wife has probably suffered," he said, but broke down when asked if he believed the Labor Party had tried to protect Orkopoulos.

The third victim, Ben Blackburn, who was 16 when he was first indecently assaulted by Orkopoulos, said he was extremely relieved by the sentence.

"It's been a long road but we got justice in the end," he said, as his mother sobbed beside him.

"Obviously it is not something that is going to go away. It is always going to be with me." Orkopoulos' lawyer, John Fitzgerald, said he had since the sentencing visited his client, who was yet to consider whether he would appeal against the sentence.

"He has asked me to seek advice on his options," Mr Fitzgerald said.

"They are matters that I shall discuss with him.

"He's asked for some time to digest what's been handed down."

Hetty Johnston, executive director of the child sex abuse support organisation, Bravehearts, for whom Mr Blackburn now works, said they were satisfied with the sentence.

"(This sends a message to pedophiles that) You are going to get caught and when you get caught, justice is going to come down on you," she told reporters.

She supported fundraising for the Orkopoulos family, but said his victim's should not be forgotten.

"I think his wife and his children can't be held responsible for what he has done," she said.

AAP

[OMEN]

The United States warned Pakistan against negotiating an agreement with militants along its border with Afghanistan, saying a deal might allow them to plot attacks in Pakistan and abroad.

The Bush administration is worried such an agreement, if pursued by Pakistan's newly elected government, would give the militants a free hand in Pakistan's tribal areas, which have long operated outside the central government's full control.

Al Qaeda members as well as Taliban militants are believed to have taken refuge in North and South Waziristan - part of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) - after US-led forces ousted the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001.

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden masterminded the September 11 attacks from Afghanistan, where he was sheltered by the Taliban regime, and he is believed to be hiding somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Speaking at a congressional hearing, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte voiced the US government's misgivings about the possibility of Pakistan striking agreements with tribal militants.

A previous deal reached by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in 2006 was abandoned. Musharraf's allies lost February parliamentary elections, bringing a new coalition government to power.

"Are we concerned about the possibility of negotiations between the government or elements of the government and these extremist groups up there ... yes," Negroponte said.

Fiercely independent tribes have fought against outside interference for centuries. They were never fully under the control of British authorities during colonial rule or Pakistani authorities since independence in 1947.

"I hope that they proceed cautiously and not accept an outcome that would give extremist elements the right, or the ability, to use the FATA area with impunity to carry out attacks on Pakistan and carry out attacks on Afghanistan or the United States or the rest of the world," Negroponte said.

"There is a lot at stake here and we have made that point repeatedly," he said, saying some Pakistanis believe it is worth trying negotiations "before one has to resort to more vigorous security measures."

"I think the response to that is that approach was tried before ... and it turned out not to work," he added.

Reuters

[Black Widow]

A police car that killed a 16-year-old girl was travelling at "about 100mph", according to a crash witness.

Hayley Adamson died in hospital after she was hit crossing the road in Newcastle late on Monday, the day before she was due to sit her GCSE English exam.

Angry witnesses confronted police and threw bricks at them in the moments after the crash.

A man - named in reports as Hayley's boyfriend, 23-year-old George Oliver - was shot with a police taser stun gun as tempers flared.

Several arrests for violent disorder were made after the crash, which happened as the car responded to a call.

Witnesses say the Volvo T5 car was being driven at 100 mph and did not have its sirens or blue lights activated.

An investigation has been launched by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The teenager was walking with friends - including David Forrest - when she was hit.

He said: "Hayley was right behind me in the group, but when I crossed the road and reached the other side I heard an almighty bang.

"I turned round and a police car had hit Hayley and thrown her about 50ft down the road."

Chris Broatch, 23, saw the crash from his home.

He said the police car was travelling at "about 100mph - that fast" when it hit Hayley.

"He had the headlights on but no blue lights or a siren."

Chief Supt Paul Weir, from Northumbria Police, said: "Emotions are running high that is understandable.

"There was a number of arrests made for violence and disorder immediately following the incident.

"People were distressed and some people were throwing bricks."

Gary Garland, IPCC Commissioner for the North East, said: "It is unclear at this stage whether the car's emergency warning equipment was activated.

"Following the collision there was an incident involving a member of the public at the scene which culminated in a police officer discharging a Taser stun gun.

"The IPCC will also examine the circumstances involving this incident."

The driver has been suspended from operational duty.

Tributes have poured in for "happy, popular and fun-loving" Hayley, who was about to sit her GCSEs.


sky news

[JohnCenaFan28]

Wow, look at what the people who are supposed to be keeping us safe do...

[JohnCenaFan28]

Thanks for the news.