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Quick weather
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FULL WEATHER DETAILS: PAGE 39
By SARAH CRAWFORD
A DARWIN soldier has
been formally charged with
allegedly stabbing a man
four times in the face and
hand in a sex tourism hot
spot in Thailand.
Thai website Pattaya One
reported Shamus Macintosh, 26, is accused of stabbing Khun Wattana, 38, after the Thai man allegedly
tried to sell him drugs at
Pattaya Beach on April 10.
Australian Defence Force
media has confirmed that
Macintosh had been arrested and would remain in
Thailand until the case was
finalised.
‘‘The member is not on
remand in jail,’’ the media
spokesperson said.
The member of the Fifth
Battalion Royal Australian
Regiment was on holiday at
Pattaya, a seaside resort
area on the Eastern Gulf
Coast of Thailand known
for its sex tourism, when he
was arrested and charged
with assault.
Mr Wattana alleged he
was trying to stop Macintosh fighting with his girlfriend when the Digger
turned on him.
Macintosh told police Mr
Wattana had been trying to
sell him drugs and when he
refused a fight broke out.
Pattaya
One
wrote
Macintosh said he was acting in self-defence.
The website reported that
Mr Wattana had previous
drug convictions.
Both men are being investigated by Thai police.
The Defence media spokesperson said Macintosh
would not receive legal representation from the army
because he was on leave
and not on duty at the time
of the incident.
Where Defence members
are arrested overseas while
not on duty, they do not receive legal representation
from Defence. The Defence
attache in Thailand will
monitor legal proceedings
and Macintosh’s welfare.
Territorians are a
pack of bastards
Helena Hainz, with son Gabriel Williams, has been engaged to partner Wayne Williams for three years — but they are yet to marry
By NICOLE MILLS
It would take a fair
bit of organising. I
just haven’t had a
chance yet
TERRITORIANS are dragging their feet to the altar
with skyrocketing numbers
of babies being born out of
wedlock, according to new
research.
And there is more.
The Australian Bureau of
Statistics also found Territorians tied the knot later and
were more likely to steer
clear of church weddings.
Darwin mother Helena
Hainz and fiance Wayne Williams have been engaged for
three years — despite having
Gabriel, 2, in their lives.
She said the couple had
been too busy to plan a wedding. ‘‘We didn’t really find
the time yet,’’ she said.
‘‘My family is all overseas
and it would be important for me to have my family over.
‘‘It would take a fair bit
of organising. I haven’t had
a chance to do anything yet.’’
The figures showed only
4.2 marriages per 1000 people
were registered in the Territory — compared with some
5.9 in Queensland.
But the lowest marriage
rate in the country also resulted in the lowest crude
divorce rate — just 1.9 per
1000 people.
Territorians were also the
least likely to marry in a
church, with 80 per cent of
ceremonies conducted by a
civil celebrant in 2010.
Picture: BRAD FLEET
Ms Hainz, of Wulagi, said
that her dream wedding
would be outdoors.
‘‘I’m not religious so I
wouldn’t get married in a
church
for
religious
reasons,’’ she said.
‘‘I really would like to get
married on the beach.’’
Territorians had the highest median marriage age at
30.7 for men and 28.7 for females and the highest proportion of babies born outside marriage at 60 per cent.
Indigenous opera in a crater
Forum gives women the lead
By ELIZABETH FORTESCUE
A RECORD number of women from remote communities attended a leadership forum in Katherine last week.
Thirty indigenous women
participated in the three-day
event run by the Victoria
Daly Shire Council.
They came from com-
AN INDIGENOUS opera is
to be performed in a meteorite impact crater, 175km
west of Alice Springs.
At the National Indigenous Arts Awards at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday
www.ntnews.com.au
night, musician Warren H.
Williams was awarded the
$50,000 Red Ochre Award.
The award will allow Williams, who was born in Hermannsburg, to develop his
idea for an opera, The Magic
Coolamon. It will be performed on site at Gosses
Bluff in the NT. The libretto
would be sung in Western
Aranda, the area’s language.
Although Western Aranda
is not under threat as a language, Williams is passionate
about the preservation of
disappearing indigenous
languages and traditions.
munities including Timber
Creek, Wadeye, Peppimenarti, Kalkarindji, Nauiyu,
Pine Creek and Yarralin.
Women and children services co-ordinator Nalika
Ahangama said that the forum encouraged future female leaders.
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‘‘I am really happy with
the turnout to this first event
and the overall participation
level was high,’’ Ms Ahangama said.
‘‘This indicates a growing
need for such programs, and
a strong interest from women in remote communities.’’
Tuesday, May 29, 2012. NT NEWS.
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PUB:
Digger
in sex
spot
brawl
French film Love beat Nicole
Kidman’s movie The Paperboy to
win the top prize at the Cannes
Film Festival yesterday.
But the Aussie actress was the
talk of the festival after she
admitted the scene in which she
urinated on Zac Efron was real.
ENTERTAINMENT P16
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