466-ABC managing director Mark Scott has described as "absolutely ludicrous" suggestions the corporation buckled under pressure from China not to broadcast a controversial Australian documentary about Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer. But Mr Scott's claim that the film The 10 Conditions of Love was never "locked in" for screening appeared at odds with an ABC email sent to its producer, John Lewis, apologising for shelving the original broadcast date of December 17.

478-IN its most brutally merciless performance of the summer, a clinical Australia has systematically dismantled a barely competitive West Indies outfit in front of a record low crowd in Adelaide. The attendance of 8378 - the lowest for an Adelaide game involving Australia - will fuel the burgeoning calls to kill off one-day cricket and replace it with more Twenty20 matches. As gloomy as the crowd figure was, it could not dull Australia's dominant performance last night.

428-SOCCEROOS assistant coach Graham Arnold will take over the Central Coast Mariners after incumbent Lawrie McKinna announced yesterday he was stepping down to take up an administrative role at the club. Arnold, who has signed a three-year deal, will take over the club when he finishes his commitments with the Socceroos at the World Cup finals in South Africa in June. He will then end his connection to the national team.

484-AAP The jewel has slipped from the crown. For the first time since national rankings began, Royal Melbourne is not rated the country's top golf course. It has been replaced by another sandbelt gem - Kingston Heath, host of last year's Australian Masters, won by disgraced superstar Tiger Woods. This is the first time since the authoritative Australian Golf Digest's biennial ranking of the country's Top 100 courses began in 1986 that Royal Melbourne has not topped the list.

350-CAULFIELD Guineas winner Starspangledbanner yesterday sizzled around the Valley, but he won't be back at the track on Saturday when Black Caviar aims to stretch her unbeaten record to six in the William Reid Stakes. Stable manager Troy Corstens said while the colt looked awesome it was felt that the Oakleigh Plate a week later was more appealing.

396-VICTORIA is now welcoming more than 1000 migrants a week, the latest figures show. Almost 55,000 foreign nationals were granted permanent residence in Victoria last year, with the vast majority settling in Melbourne. Across Australia, the figure reached 224,000 people - a 9 per cent increase on the previous year, according to the Federal Government's report, Immigration Update 2008-09.

421-AAP The first step toward NRL redemption will be taken by once-troubled halfback Tim Smith on Saturday night. The former Parramatta playmaker has been named to partner Ben Hunt in the halves in the Broncos' NRL trial against reigning premiers Melbourne in Rockhampton. Smith, 25, has made every post a winner since joining Brisbane's pre-season training squad under a deal with Queensland Cup club Brisbane Easts.

334-AFP Victorian cricket has reacted cautiously to reports it is set to join a new worldwide Twenty20 competition. The concept, announced by Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne, would also include English county side Hampshire, South Africa's Cape Cobras and Trinidad and Tobago. Warne has also captained Hampshire and Victoria.

482-Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold will take over the helm of the Central Coast Mariners with current coach Lawrie McKinna moving into a new off-field role at the A-League club. McKinna, who has coached the Mariners since the inaugural A-League season in 2005-06, will move into a football and commercial operations role at the Gosford-based club. He has also extended his contract with the club, due to expire at the end of the 2010-11 season, by another year in the process.

490-AAP Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold will take over the helm of the Central Coast Mariners with current coach Lawrie McKinna moving into a new off-field role at the A-League club. McKinna, who has coached the Mariners since the inaugural A-League season in 2005-06, will move into a football and commercial operations role at the Gosford-based club. He has also extended his contract with the club, due to expire at the end of the 2010-11 season, by another year in the process.

438-AAP Doug Bollinger fired out West Indian captain Chris Gayle with the first ball of the match and returned to help gobble up the tail as Australia made a mess of the visitors' batting at Adelaide Oval. Fancying their chances of a strong score after winning the toss, the West Indies were bowled out for a meagre 170 in 39.4 overs, never recovering from the hammer blow of Gayle's instant dismissal by the excellent Bollinger (4-28).

480-AAP A Melbourne author killed a man he owed money to by repeatedly bashing him on the head with a hammer, a court has heard. Prosecutors allege Douglas Fredrick Robinson, 63, murdered Michael Grech at Melton, northwest of Melbourne, in November 2007. Police found Mr Grech's body wrapped in plastic nearly six months later in a shallow grave at nearby Toolern Vale. Robinson has pleaded not guilty to murder and his trial in the Victorian Supreme Court began on Tuesday.

472-A MELBOURNE author killed a man he owed money to by repeatedly bashing him on the head with a hammer, a court has heard. Prosecutors allege Douglas Fredrick Robinson, 63, murdered Michael Grech at Melton, northwest of Melbourne, in November 2007. Police found Mr Grech's body wrapped in plastic nearly six months later in a shallow grave at nearby Toolern Vale. Mr Robinson has pleaded not guilty to murder and his trial in the Victorian Supreme Court began today.

443-IT'S game over for an over-zealous Brisbane player who was fined $1.6m for illegally copying and uploading a pre-release version of a popular game. James Burt, 24, received an early copy of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros Wii and made it available for download from a website, which has since been shut down. As a result of his actions the Federal Court ordered Burt to pay Nintendo $1.5m in damages and also cover the $100,000 in court costs.

443-IT'S game over for an over-zealous Brisbane player who was fined $1.5m for illegally copying and uploading a pre-release version of a popular game. James Burt, 24, received an early copy of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros Wii and made it available for download from a website, which has since been shut down. As a result of his actions the Federal Court ordered Burt to pay Nintendo $1.5m in damages and also cover the $100,000 in court costs.

452-IT'S game over for one over-zealous player who was fined $1.6m for illegally copying and uploading a pre-release version of a popular game. James Burt, 24 from Brisbane, received an early copy of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros Wii and made it available for download from a website, which has since been shut down. As a result of his actions the Federal Court ordered Burt to pay Nintendo $1.5m in damages and also cover the $100,000 in court costs.

401-WEST Indies captain Chris Gayle was out first ball after choosing to bat against Australia in the second limited overs match at Adelaide Oval. Gayle misjudged the line to be caught on the crease to a ball that came in a fraction from Australian left-arm pacemen Doug Bollinger. SCOREBOARD The visitors are looking for an improved display after their heavy defeat in the first match at the MCG.

367-NZPA Gold Coast United striker Shane Smeltz is facing a torrid schedule during the A-League finals after being named in a New Zealand squad to play Mexico in Los Angeles. The friendly international on March 3 is just days before the Gold Coast could be playing either the second leg of a grand final qualifier on March 6 or an elimination semi-final on March 7.

375-AAP A Queensland man will have to pay Nintendo $1.5 million in damages after illegally copying and uploading one of its new games to the internet ahead of its release, the gaming giant says. James Burt, 24, of Sinnamon Park in Queensland will pay Nintendo $1.5 million after an out-of-court settlement was struck to compensate the company for the loss of sales revenue.

423-AAP She's a water baby! Melbourne Zoo's still unnamed elephant calf, just three weeks old, loves the water. The daughter of Dokkoon goes on public display on Wednesday for the first time and if Tuesday's media debut is anything to go by, the public will love her. While Dokkoon and great aunt Mek Kapah cooled off in the pond at the elephant barn, the youngster was literally throwing herself around in the water.