30 tortured bodies found in Syria

THIRTY tortured and disfigured bodies have been found in the northern Damascus neighbourhood of Barzeh, the scene of regular clashes between regime troops and rebels, a watchdog group says.

"Thirty bodies were found in the Barzeh district. They bore signs of torture and have so far not been identified," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on medics and activists on the ground in compiling its tolls, said on Monday.

The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a grassroots network of anti-regime activists, estimated that there were 50 bodies, adding that "their heads were cut and disfigured to the point that it was no longer possible to identify" them.

These reports could not be verified independently because of restrictions on the international media by the Syrian authorities.

The gruesome discovery was made on Sunday, the day UN and Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said he has a plan to end the conflict that could be acceptable to world powers.

The Syrian conflict, which erupted in March 2011, has claimed more than 45,000 lives, according to Observatory estimates.

On Sunday itself 160 people were killed nationwide - 78 civilians, 41 soldiers and 41 revels, the Observatory said.

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Tourists flock to Sydney for NY eve

SYDNEY'S famous fireworks have attracted not only locals, but brought in overseas visitors keen to experience New Year's Eve down under.

American Melissa Sjostedt says she's wanted to see the fireworks on the bridge since reading about it in a four-page spread in the National Geographic 10 years ago.

"Ever since that I've always wanted to see this for real, live, in person," the 30-year-old from Florida told AAP from Dawes Point Reserve.

Mathieu Herman, 30, from New York City, said he'd made the trip to Australia specifically for New Year's Eve.

"I saw it last year on TV and it looked fabulous. I said to myself 'it's something I've just got to do'.

"I love Australia and if the fireworks are as good as they're supposed to be, I might move here."

Sisters Liann, 25, and Joanne, 19, from Flintshire in North Wales, got to Lady Macquarie's Chair at 10.30am to snag the best view of the fireworks.

"It's been a cracker day so far except for the achey bum, I should have brought more pillows," said Liann as she reclined, drink in hand, on a beach towel.

"It's our first time in Australia so we don't know what to expect.

"But it's got to be better than back home, it's minus five (degrees) there at the moment."

Essig Roland and his girlfriend Marika Rauecker, both from Austria, were anxiously waiting at 7pm (AEDT) just to get into the packed venue.

"What can you do but just stand here and wait" said Mr Roland, who'd been queueing for an hour.

Pop princess Kylie Minogue, chosen as the event's creative ambassador, was a big drawcard for the couple making the trip down under for New Year's this year.

"We're big Kylie fans we've already been to her concert in Austria," he said.

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Shark sightings clear SA beaches

SOUTH Australian swimmers have had a New Year's scare with shark sightings forcing the closure of two popular beaches.

Police said Moana Beach, south of Adelaide, had been evacuated and closed on Monday evening (ACDT) after a 2.5-metre shark was spotted 100 metres from the shore.

A short time later, nearby Christies Beach was closed following another sighting of a 2.5-metre shark.

Police said it was not known if it was the same animal in both sightings.

AAP pbc/a

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Woman accused of NYC subway murder

A woman has been charged with murdering an immigrant by pushing him in front of a NY subway train. Source: AAP

A 31-YEAR-OLD New York woman is scheduled to appear before a judge after being charged with murder as a hate crime for shoving a Hindu man to his death in front of an oncoming subway train.

Erika Menendez of the Bronx borough was motivated by hatred of Muslims and Hindus, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office.

"I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims. Ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers, I've been beating them up," she told police.

Menendez, who is awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Sunday, faces from 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

The victim, 46-year-old Sunando Sen, was born in India and raised Hindu, a roommate told The New York Times.

The incident took place late Thursday at a station on the number 7 line in Queens.

Menendez - who was talking to herself as she paced along the platform, according to witnesses - pushed the man as the train was pulling into the station. He apparently had his back to Menendez and did not see her.

Police released surveillance camera video footage via Twitter showing a woman running from the scene.

"The defendant is accused of committing what is every subway commuter's worst nightmare - being suddenly and senselessly pushed into the path of an oncoming train," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

"The victim was allegedly shoved from behind and had no chance to defend himself. Beyond that, the hateful remarks allegedly made by the defendant and which precipitated the defendant's actions can never be tolerated by a civilised society."

Sen's death was eerily similar to that of a 58-year-old man killed on December 3 when he was pushed on to the tracks during a fight with a deranged man at a Manhattan subway station. The assailant, later identified as 30-year-old Naeem Davis, has been charged with murder. Davis is homeless.

A New York Post front page picture of the man on the tracks a split second before he was killed by the oncoming train provoked public fury as to why no one helped him - and why the tabloid newspaper published the photo.

Several million people use the New York City subway system every day, but incidents of this kind are rare.

Before the December 3 death, the last time someone was pushed on to the rails and hit by a train was in 2010. The woman survived.

Thursday night's incident appeared to have scared many New York subway riders as they kept closer to the walls as trains rolled into station.

"It's horrible," said 46-year-old city resident Elena Rodriguez. "We're feeling so insecure now to be in the subway."

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IMF, EU seek less drastic cuts

THE International Monetary Fund and European Commission officials have encouraged France and its eurozone partners not to fixate on deficit reduction targets if it would exacerbate the bloc's debt crisis.

The head of an IMF mission in France, Edward Gardner, urged officials in Paris last week to consider their 2013 budget targets "in a broader European context".

The IMF and the EU Commission expect the French public deficit to amount to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) next year.

They do not believe France can reach its three per cent goal, the eurozone limit, without additional measures that could aggravate an already tenuous economic situation.

"The credibility of the medium-term orientation policy" was more important than a specific deficit target, Gardner told reporters.

Loosening the criteria would "be more effective, more credible in a coordinated fashion" across the 17-nation eurozone, he said.

In Portugal the public deficit fell at the end of the third quarter to 5.6 per cent of GDP from 6.7 per cent at the same point a year earlier, while neighbouring Spain has promised to slash its deficit to three per cent by 2014 from a blowout shortfall equal to 9.4 per cent of output last year.

Germany expects its budget to be in balance this year, two years ahead of schedule, but IMF head Christine Lagarde has suggested that Berlin ease up a bit in its drive for healthy finances.

"Germany ... and others ... can allow themselves to go a little more slowly than others in the push to straighten out their public finances," Lagarde told the German weekly Die Zeit in comments published last week.

Her call echoed other European voices that are now arguing for greater emphasis on growth rather than austerity measures.

"The IMF is beginning to understand that the French situation has become dangerous," economist Marc Touati at the ACDefi consulting group said. Unemployment is climbing and the economy is still struggling, he said.

The IMF was "trying to prepare public opinion" for missed government targets, Touati said.

On Tuesday, the EU's "fiscal compact", a hard-won step towards tighter economic coordination agreed as part of efforts to tame the debilitating debt crisis, takes effect.

Finalised in March, 25 of the 27 EU member states accepted a "balanced budget rule" in the compact to ensure that governments would no longer run the massive budget deficits which drove the debt crisis and nearly sank the euro.

But as the European debt crisis drags on and economies flounder, the idea of allowing governments more time to straighten out their finances has gained ground.

European Economic Affairs Commissioner Ollie Rehn said last week that France needed more reforms rather than more austerity.

"Once you have a credible medium-term budget strategy, backed up by reforms, you can have a slower adjustment," Rehn told French daily Le Monde.

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Friends recall Indian gang-rape victim

SHE was due to marry her boyfriend in a matter of weeks, was the apple of her father's eye and her friends were convinced she would achieve great things after completing her medical studies.

While India has seen an outpouring of grief for the 23-year-old who suffered fatal injuries when she was gang-raped on December 16, those who actually knew her paint a portrait of a young woman who was both in love and much loved.

Although not formally engaged, it was well-known by her friends that she was planning to marry the boyfriend who also suffered serious injuries in the same attack that would ultimately lead to her death.

Meena Rai said that she had been shopping with the unnamed victim for wedding outfits and the contents of a wedding box.

"She was supposed to get married in February to the same guy who was attacked on the bus with her," said Rai, who lived next door in Mahavir Enclave, a neighbourhood in southwestern New Delhi.

"They had made all the wedding preparations and had planned a wedding party in Delhi," she told AFP.

Another friend who attended the cremation ceremony on Sunday confirmed that the wedding was due to take place in a matter of weeks.

"We know that she was going to get married in February," Usha Rai (no relation) told AFP. "The whole neighbourhood was excited about it."

The young couple had spent the evening together at a mall watching The Life of Pi before they boarded a bus they thought would take them home.

According to reports, the frenzied attack on the pair began when the boyfriend objected to taunts about why an unmarried woman was out so late.

The gang clubbed him with an iron rod before they then turned on her.

The everyday image of a young couple enjoying a night out at the movies has been cited by many Indians to explain why they have been able to relate so much to the plight of someone whose name they will never know.

But others have identified with the backstory of a hardworking student whose family hail from rural India, but who was looking to make a name for herself as a young urban professional with the eager backing of her proud parents.

Her parents sold their small piece of land in rural Uttar Pradesh in order to fund their daughter's education, often limiting their own meals to little more than rotis with namak (bread with salt), according to friends.

In a frontpage tribute, The Hindustan Times said that she was "invariably among the top students in her class and was determined to earn well and repay her father who had sold his ancestral land to fund her studies".

Employed as a loader at Delhi's international airport, the father used to say he was "investing in my daughter's future as she will be the one who takes care of me when I get old", according to Meena Rai.

Her childhood was mainly spent in a one-bedroom flat near the airport that she shared with her two brothers as well as her parents.

A younger cousin still living back in the parental village in Uttar Pradesh told the Times of India how the young medical student had been an "inspiration".

"Seeing her do well, I was determined to study as well," she said.

Other residents of the village recalled a young woman whose passion to succeed in medicine shone through when she paid a visit back home.

"Hers was a story of charming ordinariness, of aspiration and hard work, of pleasure in life's little joys," said the Hindustan Times.

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Chile seeks arrests in singer's 1973 death

A Chilean court has sought to prosecute any suspects in the killing of singer Victor Jara. Source: AAP

A CHILEAN judge has ordered the arrest of eight ex-army officers for the brutal murder of leftist folk singer Victor Jara, killed in 1973 just days after General Augusto Pinochet came to power.

This is the first time a Chilean court has sought to prosecute any suspects in the killing of the pacifist singer - a crime that became emblematic of the bloody Pinochet dictatorship that left more than 3000 people dead.

Two of the former soldiers were accused of murder, while the others were said to be accomplices, Chilean justice officials said in a statement.

An international arrest warrant was issued for one of the suspects, Pedro Barrientos Nunez, who lives in the United States.

"After bringing together many elements, there comes a time when one must end the investigation and try to move toward a resolution," Judge Miguel Vazquez Plaza told reporters.

Jara family lawyer Nelson Caucoto said he was "quite satisfied" with the decision.

The singer, whose lyrics spoke of love and social protest, became an icon of Latin American popular music with songs like The Right to Live in Peace, The Cigarette and I Remember Amanda.

Jara was married to British dancer Joan Turner, with whom he had two daughters.

He was also a member of Chile's Communist Party and a fervent supporter of the Popular Unity coalition that backed Marxist president Salvador Allende, who came to power by popular vote in 1970.

Jara was arrested the day after the September 11, 1973 coup that installed Pinochet as dictator.

His body was found days later, riddled with 44 machine gun bullets. He had been held, along with around 5,000 other political prisoners, in Santiago's biggest stadium, where he was interrogated, tortured and then killed. He was 40.

Among other horrors, the singer-guitarist's fingers were crushed, broken by rifle butts and boots.

The case was revived in 2009, and Jara's body was exhumed, after a soldier who had been in the stadium after the coup admitted to the shooting - though he later retracted his confession.

In December 2009, thousands of Chileans attended an official funeral for the singer, whose original burial had been conducted by his widow in near-secrecy and almost total anonymity.

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Gillard, Abbott pay tribute to Greig

Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott have paid tribute to cricket great Tony Greig who has died in Sydney. Source: AAP

JULIA Gillard and Tony Abbott have paid tribute to Tony Greig, saying Australia has lost a sporting icon and legend.

Greig, a former England captain and cricket commentator, died in a Sydney hospital on Saturday after suffering a heart attack. He was 66.

Responding to the news, Prime Minister Gillard called Greig a "wonderful example of someone who came to Australia from somewhere else in the world and embraced his adopted country as his own".

"As a superb all-rounder, ambitious national captain and authoritative commentator over the best part of half a century, Greig's standing in the game is matched by very few others," Ms Gillard said in a statement.

"Australia has lost one of the iconic voices of sport."

Ms Gillard said Greig's life in cricket "wasn't always without controversy, but no one could doubt his passion and commitment to the sport he loved".

The Sydney-based, South African-born Greig had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in October and suffered a heart attack at his home on Saturday morning.

It's understood his family were at his side at St Vincent's Hospital when he died.

The opposition leader described Greig as an "Australian legend".

"Tony Greig is an icon of cricket and a household name in Australia," Mr Abbott said in a statement.

"His distinctive voice was synonymous with cricket every Australian summer for more than three decades.

"He may have played for and captained the old enemy England, but Tony Greig will be remembered as an Australian legend too."

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Toxic cough syrup kills 16 in Pakistan

AT least 16 people, mostly drug addicts seeking a fix, have died after drinking toxic cough syrup in an eastern Pakistani city.

The deaths started occurring on Wednesday in the industrial city of Gujranwala, about 70 kilometres north of Lahore, police and doctors said.

"We have received 54 patients at hospital who said their condition deteriorated after taking cough syrups and 16 of them have died," local hospital chief Anwar Aman told AFP on Saturday.

The victims were aged between 20 and 40 and most had a history of drug addiction, Aman said, adding that so far the culprit syrup had not been identified.

Senior police official Azam Mehr confirmed the toll and said samples of cough syrups available at local pharmacies have been collected and sent to laboratories.

"Police and the health department have started inquiries and investigations into the deaths," Mehr said.

Last month at least 19 people were killed in Lahore after drinking toxic cough syrup.

In January about 100 heart patients died in Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, after taking locally made tainted medicine.

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East Timor facing challenges as UN leaves

THE UN ends its peacekeeping mission on Monday after 13 years in Asia's youngest nation East Timor, with the country still hoping to overcome its bloody past and rampant poverty.

East Timor this year held largely peaceful elections, voting in a new president and parliament, as the country marked a decade of formal independence and paved the way for the foreign forces to leave.

But as the last remaining UN police and troops depart, the fragile democracy is still struggling with widespread malnutrition, high unemployment and maternal mortality rates among the worst in the world.

East Timor was occupied by Indonesia for 24 years, with about 183,000 people dying from fighting, disease and starvation before the half-island state voted for independence in 1999 in a bloody referendum, prompting the first UN mission.

There is little concern about violence in the immediate future, yet few employment opportunities, crushing poverty and a rapidly expanding population could threaten peace in the long term, analysts say.

"There's always in this situation the potential for something serious to go wrong," Professor George Quinn from the Australian National University College of Asia and the Pacific told AFP.

More than 40 per cent of young Timorese are jobless, according to AusAID, and although the predominantly Catholic nation has a small population, the fertility rate of 6.5 per woman is the world's fourth-highest, UN data shows.

Despite $US1.5 billion ($A1.45 billion) of aid pouring into the nation of 1.1 million people in a decade and abundant offshore oil and gas reserves, about 41 per cent of the population live on less than the local poverty line of 88 US cents a day.

In the capital Dili, barefoot children eat scraps from the ground in slums and vendors make a pittance at fruit and vegetable markets.

World Bank data from 2010 showed 45.3 per cent of children under five were malnourished, up from 40.6 per cent in 2002. On the UN's human development index, East Timor ranks 147th out of 187 nations, below Pakistan and Bangladesh, and well below the regional average.

East Timor's economy has also become visibly two-tier since 1999 - some are raking in US dollars from government infrastructure projects in urban areas, while the majority are subsistence farmers in far-flung villages.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao insisted after his July re-election that energy revenue would transform East Timor "from being an undeveloped, low-income country by 2030, by making use of all our material and human potential".

While the country's Petroleum Fund has swollen to $US10.5 billion and makes up between 80 to 90 per cent of government revenue, critics point out the reserves are fast falling as they call for diversification of the economy.

Rural Timorese also complain the money has not changed their lives.

"East Timor has always had a problem with properly disbursing its income, and that problem still persists," Professor Quinn said.

Despite East Timor's problems, the departure of the remaining UN forces - which numbered 1600 at the mission's peak - underscores the progress the country has made.

The withdrawal has been welcomed by most, especially leaders who insisted the country was able to handle its own security well before responsibility was handed back to national police in October.

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Miner Lonmin says ill CEO will step down

BRITISH platinum miner Lonmin says chief executive Ian Farmer, off work since August due to a "serious illness", is stepping down permanently from his role at the troubled group.

Simon Scott will continue as interim head until a permanent successor is found, the world's third-largest platinum producer said in a statement on Friday. Scott would eventually revert to being chief financial officer, it added.

Friday's announcement follows a turbulent end to the year for Lonmin, whose shareholders last month approved a rights issue to boost its finances after violent strikes disrupted work at its Marikana platinum mine in South Africa.

"Lonmin plc announces that Ian Farmer, who is being treated for a serious illness, has informed the board of his request to step down as chief executive officer (CEO) and as a director of Lonmin with immediate effect," the company said.

"The board has appointed an executive search agent to pursue the selection and engagement of Ian's successor as CEO. In the meantime, Simon Scott will continue in his role as acting CEO with the full support of the Lonmin board.

"Simon has requested that he should not be considered as a candidate for the role of CEO. Following the appointment of a new CEO, Simon will dedicate his time fully to his role as chief financial officer."

Farmer, 50, was chief executive for four years at the end of a career with Lonmin lasting more than a quarter of a century.

Lonmin chairman Roger Phillimore said Farmer's ability, commitment and drive would be missed.

"He has been CEO for the last four years and the consistent improvement in Lonmin's operating performance over that period owes much to his leadership," he said.

The end of Farmer's tenure was overshadowed by the violence at Marikana that left 46 people dead, including 34 who were killed by police gunfire on August 16.

The recently announced rights issue, worth $US817 million ($A790.94 million), was aimed at reducing Lonmin's level of debt and increasing its financial strength in the wake of the violence.

Major shareholder, Swiss commodities giant Xstrata has called for a management shake-up at Lonmin, citing serious financial problems at the mining group.

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Vic govt to wait on tender for hospital

THE Victorian government will delay a decision on a major construction tender until a union bid to halt the process is heard.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) made an application in the Federal Court on Friday to stop the state's tender process for the new $630 million Bendigo hospital until a full hearing next year.

The union, which has a union-friendly agreement with builder Lend Lease, sought an injunction to temporarily stop the government's tender process, arguing the state could be breaking the Fair Work Act if it excludes the company.

Earlier this month, it emerged building giant Lend Lease - one of two companies shortlisted to build the project - could lose the project because it breached the Baillieu government's new building code by signing a four-year pay and conditions deal with the CFMEU.

Lawyers for the state told Justice Peter Gray on Friday the government would not make a decision on the tender until April 1 or before a further court hearing, whichever comes first.

A date will be set for a full hearing in the Federal Court before the end of March.

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Obama returns to fray over fiscal cliff

PRESIDENT Barack Obama returns to a sharply divided Washington under pressure to forge a year-end deal with Republicans to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts of the "fiscal cliff".

Obama cut his Hawaiian Christmas vacation short to contend with the looming January 1 crisis, as Republicans and Democrats traded blame and the White House reportedly lashed out at the "congressional stupidity" gripping the capital.

Six days earlier Obama had urged congress to end a deadlock over how to avoid the hundreds of billions of dollars in tax hikes and spending cuts that kick in at the start of the year if congress fails to act.

The situation has spooked US and global markets, left Americans wondering whether they will pay thousands more in taxes next year, and worried the Pentagon, which fears defence cuts could seriously undermine the military.

Complicating efforts to avoid fiscal disaster, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warned that his department will need to take "extraordinary measures" to postpone the day the government could default on its liabilities.

Geithner said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that the nation will reach its statutory $US16.39 trillion ($A15.87 trillion) debt limit on Monday, December 31.

His measures would create some $US200 billion in headroom that under normal circumstances would last about two months, to the end of February.

"However, given the significant uncertainty that now exists with regard to unresolved tax and spending policies for 2013, it is not possible to predict the effective duration of these measures," Geithner said.

Experts say a failure to strike a fiscal cliff compromise by New Year's Eve could plunge the world's biggest economy into recession, and wrangling over the debt ceiling will only exacerbate the uncertainty.

But members of the House and Senate have shown no signs of nearing any accord.

"The White House hasn't reached out to us, nor have Senate (Democrats)," Don Stewart, deputy chief of staff to Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, told AFP on Wednesday. "They seem to be working on this on their own."

Both parties traded blame last week over the failure to reach a deal and Republican House Speaker John Boehner punted to the Democrat-led Senate, asking Obama and Reid to draft legislation that could pass both houses.

Boehner insisted on Wednesday that "lines of communication remain open", but held firm that the Senate must make the next move.

He suggested the chamber take up bills already passed by the House, notably a bill extending all tax breaks and another that replaces automatic spending cuts with ones that do not affect national security.

"If the Senate will not approve and send them to the president to be signed into law in their current form, they must be amended and returned to the House" for consideration, Boehner said in a statement.

A White House official offered a different, blunter view. "What we need is for (McConnell) not to block a vote and for Boehner to allow a vote," the official told ABC News.

"The hits to our economy aren't coming from outside factors, they're coming from congressional stupidity."

With an eerie calm settled over Washington, a senior Democratic aide said there was "no progress" to report.

The Senate will be back in session on Thursday, while Boehner has promised to give House members 48 hours' notice before recalling them.

With the cliff deadline fast approaching, Obama has pared back his hopes for a year-end, multi-trillion-dollar grand bargain that slashes the deficit over a 10-year period.

Instead, he said congress should approve a stop-gap measure that protects middle-class taxpayers while laying the groundwork for further deficit reduction next year.

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Patient killed in Vic psychiatric hospital

A MENTAL health patient is believed to have been killed by a fellow inmate at Melbourne's Thomas Embling psychiatric hospital in what would be the third such death at the secure facility in three years.

The homicide squad is investigating after a man's body was found in a room at the secure hospital in Melbourne's northeast about 6.30am (AEDT) on Thursday.

It is believed another patient was also attacked but no further details were immediately available.

The incident has prompted renewed calls for a second mental health facility to be built in Victoria for high-risk patients.

Health and Community Services Union (HCSU) Victorian secretary Lloyd Williams says Thomas Embling is simply a hospital "inside a secure wall" with guards at the entrance but not on the wards.

"The facility does not have prison guards, it has nurses. It's a hospital, not a prison," he said.

Patients at the facility include people with some of the most severe mental illnesses. Most are prisoners who have become too unwell to be treated in prison, or those who have been found not guilty of crimes because of mental impairment.

In 2009, psychiatric patient Peko Lakovski fatally stabbed two fellow inmates at the hospital with a large carving knife.

He was on a pre-release program at the time and had been on unescorted leave 738 times without incident.

Lakovski, a chronic schizophrenic, killed his wife in 2002 and seriously injured his father-in-law and was serving a nominal term of 25 years inside Thomas Embling.

He was last year ordered by a Supreme Court judge to return to the hospital after being acquitted of the 2009 murders due to mental impairment.

Mr Williams said he had raised the need for a second facility with Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge following the 2009 deaths.

"It's not good enough to have a one-size-fits-all approach," he said.

Mr Williams said staff would have been shaken by the latest incident.

"It will just bring back all of those fears and concerns following the previous incident," he said.

A Victorian government spokeswoman said it is premature to speculate while police are investigating but noted that a review following the 2009 deaths resulted in seven changes made to improve safety.

Premier Ted Baillieu blasted that report as a "whitewash" when he was opposition leader at the time.

"I don't think Victorians will wear it - to think that nothing will change as a consequence of this report," he said in December 2009.

The Baillieu government on Thursday flagged the construction of a 500-bed male prison, including a 75-bed mental health precinct.

An opposition spokeswoman said it would support a review to determine whether a new facility is needed, once the police and coronial investigation is complete.

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Top Syrian diplomat holds talks in Russia

Russia has denied the existence of a joint plan with the US to end the crisis in Syria. Source: AAP

A SYRIAN government delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad has held talks at the Russian foreign ministry as Moscow denied the existence of a joint plan with the United States to end the crisis in the country.

Muqdad held talks on on Thursday morning at the foreign ministry in Moscow, foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said, adding that the results would be announced later in the day.

"The meeting has taken place. We will announce the results later," he told reporters.

"This is of course a part of the efforts we are undertaking to encourage dialogue not just with the government but all opposition forces," he added.

It was not immediately clear who was present at the closed-door meeting but the ITAR-TASS news agency on Wednesday said Muqdad's visit would include talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The meeting came amid a flurry of end-of-year diplomacy in Russia over the Syrian crisis that will also see talks between UN-Arab League Syria peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and Lavrov on Saturday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr is also arriving in Moscow later on Thursday for a visit that will include talks and a news conference with Lavrov on Friday.

Russia has to the fury of the West refused to cut cooperation with the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad in the conflict that according to activists has now claimed over 45,000 lives.

The diplomatic drive comes amid Western media reports of a new Russia-US initiative that would see Assad stay in power until 2014 while preventing him from further renewing his mandate.

But Lukashevich vehemently denied the existence of any such plan.

"There was not and is not such a plan and it is not being discussed," he said, adding that Russia's Syria policy was still based on an accord with world powers made back in June for an inter-Syrian dialogue.

Russia has always insisted it will not prop up Assad's regime but has also emphasised Moscow will not seek to persuade the Syrian president to step down, saying it is up to the Syrian people to decide the country's future.

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Police investigate 'possible abduction'

POLCIE are investigating a possible abduction in Alexandra Hills this afternoon.

A three-year-old and five-year-old girl went missing from a shopping centre on Cambridge Dve and Finucane Rd about 4.30pm

It has been reported that a car's tires were slashed in the centre's car park during the incident.

A police spokeswoman said if the girls have been taken it is believed it was not random, but rather they were taken by someone known to them.

Anyone who knows anything about the incident is urged to immediately contact police.

Police are hunting a car with Victorian number plates that may have been involved in the incident.

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Qld police investigate 'suspicious' death

POLICE are treating the death of a man in Brisbane's north on Christmas night as suspicious.

Police said they were called to a residence at Nina Court in Marayfield about 9.35pm (AEST) on Tuesday night following reports of a disturbance.

An injured man, thought to be in his 40s, was found in the front yard of the residence and was taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital.

The man died a short time later, police said in a statement.

They said investigations into the incident were under way, but that no more information was currently available.

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Abe confirmed as Japan's next PM

Shinzo Abe has been confirmed as Japan's prime minister by the lower house of parliament. Source: AAP

SHINZO Abe has been confirmed as Japan's prime minister by the lower house of parliament after he swept to power on a hawkish platform of getting tough on diplomatic issues while fixing the economy.

Abe, who was prime minister from 2006 to 2007, unveiled his new cabinet within hours of winning the lower house's approval on Wednesday as he rushed to draft an extra budget to spur the flagging economy.

Taro Aso, another former prime minister in Japan's revolving-door political system, was tapped as both Abe's deputy and also finance minister.

Earlier on Wednesday, the yen tumbled against the US dollar on growing speculation that the Bank of Japan would usher in further easing measures - a key plank of Abe's campaign.

Abe, 58, achieved a resounding election victory this month for his Liberal Democratic Party over the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

On Wednesday he secured 328 votes to 57 for the DPJ's new leader Banri Kaieda, the industry minister during last year's Fukushima nuclear crisis.

Abe, Japan's seventh prime minister in less than seven years, replaces Yoshihiko Noda whose DPJ suffered a stinging defeat at the polls.

The party, which came to power in 2009, was seen as being punished for policy flip-flops and its clumsy handling of the atomic disaster.

The foreign minister job in the new cabinet went to Fumio Kishida, who was a state minister in charge of Okinawan affairs during Abe's previous tenure.

The appointment was seen as a reflection of Abe's desire for progress on the relocation of US military bases in the southern island chain, and comes as Japan is embroiled in a territorial row with China.

The defence portfolio went to Itsunori Onodera, who served as deputy foreign minister for a year during Abe's earlier prime ministership and during that of his successor Yasuo Fukuda.

Sadakazu Tanigaki, the head of the LDP when the party was in opposition after ruling Japan for most of the past six decades, became justice minister.

Abe has vowed to pressure the central bank for further easing measures to boost growth, while also promising big government spending to spur the economy.

He won conservative support with nationalistic pronouncements on diplomacy amid the row with Beijing over a group of East China Sea islands, saying Japan would stand firm on its claim to the chain.

Abe has also said he would consider revising Japan's post-World War II pacifist constitution, alarming officials in China and South Korea.

But Abe quickly toned down the campaign rhetoric and has said he wants improved ties with China, Japan's biggest trading partner. He called for a solution through what he described as "patient exchanges".

China called on Abe to meet it "halfway" to try to improve relations that have been hurt by the debilitating territorial dispute.

"We hope the new Japanese administration will meet the Chinese side halfway and make concrete efforts to overcome difficulties in bilateral relations," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

South Korea has its own islands dispute with Japan. But President Lee Myung-Bak sent Abe his congratulations, saying the countries have engaged in "close cooperation and exchanges as close neighbours and friendly nations".

Analysts said Abe was likely to delay drastic policy measures ahead of upper house elections next year, while the LDP's moderate junior coalition partner New Komeito could also balance his right-leaning instincts.

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UK archbishops tweet Xmas sermons

THE Archbishops of Canterbury and York are tweeting their sermons for the first time to "bring the meaning of Christmas to a new digital audience".

Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu - with the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby - will deliver their Christmas Day messages simultaneously from their pulpits and over the micro-blogging site.

Their words will be "live tweeted" to the UK's 10 million Twitter users as part of a campaign to reach out to social networkers across the country.

The Church of England has asked members in its 16,000 parishes to join in by tweeting snippets from services containing the hashtag #ChristmasStartsWithChrist to spread the Christian message.

The Rev Arun Arora, director of communications at the Archbishops' Council, said: "This is a brilliant opportunity for parishes to take the good news of the first Christmas out of churches and into people's lives and homes.

"It is the first time that the joy and excitement of Christmas will have been broadcast widely on Twitter.

"There are large numbers of social media enthusiasts to be found in pews and pulpits across the country.

"This is an invitation for them to join together to celebrate the joy of the Christ Child coming into the world, taking the real meaning of Christmas to a new digital audience."

Tweets were also fed out from carol, crib and midnight services on Christmas Eve as churches from all denominations were encouraged to broadcast their messages online.

A Twitter spokesman said: "It is fantastic to see the Church of England embracing Twitter and using it to share their Christmas message with new audiences."

Dr Williams has previously branded the site a potentially "poisonous" and destructive tool.

But he has also spoken of its power to do good.

The outgoing archbishop - who does not own a mobile phone and admits he struggles with "any kind" of technology - addressed the issue earlier this month when he said it was often assumed that clergy were "too unworldly" for social media.

But he insisted not all clergy should be assumed to be as "dim" as he is in this area.

Twitter users can track the sermons at Canterbury Cathedral, Durham Cathedral and York Minster by following Dr Williams (@lambethpalace), Dr Sentamu (@johnsentamu) and the Archbishop Designate, Bishop Welby (@bishopofdurham), who already has nearly 15,000 followers.

Dr Williams will stand down as Archbishop of Canterbury at the end of this month after a decade in office.

He will take up a new post as master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and will also serve as chairman of the board of trustees at Christian Aid, the international development agency.

Bishop Welby will be enthroned as his successor at Canterbury Cathedral in March.

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Japan officials inspect Mitsubishi offices

DOZENS of Japan's transport ministry officials have inspected Mitsubishi Motors' offices after the automaker last week widened a recall to about 1.7 million vehicles.

The inspection of Mitsubishi's Tokyo headquarters and quality-control offices nationwide on Tuesday came after the ministry criticised the firm after it widened its oil leak recall.

"We are inspecting the company's offices to see whether the quality improvement program that Mitsubishi submitted to us is appropriate," ministry official Tsuneki Matsuo told AFP.

The inspection, which involves about 40 ministry staff, would include Mitsubishi dealerships in Japan, he added.

Two years ago, Mitsubishi recalled nearly 250,000 vehicles, adding about 300,000 more vehicles to the call back this year, after anonymous tips to the transport ministry prompted officials to order the firm to revisit the glitch.

Last week, the company said it was adding another 1.2 million vehicles to the recall, the latest in a string of safety and quality issues to affect Japan's auto sector.

A faulty engine part could trigger an oil leak and light the oil pressure gauge on the dashboard. In a worst-case scenario the engine could seize, the company said, adding that no accidents had been linked to the glitch.

The latest recall prompted a rebuke from transport ministry officials, who said last week they would meet with Mitsubishi officials to press them on the issue, saying the company had not made proper disclosures to the public.

It ordered the firm to report on the status of internal measures taken to prevent a recurrence of the problem, and said it would ask government-chosen experts to probe the recall.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mitsubishi said "we will fully co-operate with the on-site inspection and will make steady progress to prevent a repeat".

The transport ministry reprimand comes a decade after Mitsubishi admitted to keeping the ministry and public in the dark about tens of thousands of complaints filed by car owners dating back to the late 1970s.

There were some fatal accidents linked to those safety problems.

Bigger rivals Toyota, Nissan and Honda have recalled millions of vehicles in recent years, dealing a blow to their safety and quality image.

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Character actor Charles Durning dies

CHARLES Durning, a two-time Oscar nominee dubbed the king of the character actors for his skill in playing everything from a Nazi colonel to the pope, has died Monday at his home in New York City. He was 89.

Durning died on Monday of natural causes in his home in the borough of Manhattan, his longtime agent and friend Judith Moss told The Associated Press.

Although he portrayed everyone from blustery public officials to comic foils to put-upon everymen, Durning may be best remembered by movie audiences for his Oscar-nominated, over-the-top role as a comically corrupt governor in the 1982 film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Many critics marvelled that such a heavyset man could be so nimble in the film's show-stopping song-and-dance number, not realising that Durning had been a dance instructor early in his career. He had met his first wife, Carol, when both worked at a dance studio.

The year after Best Little Whorehouse, Durning received another Oscar nomination, for his portrayal of a bumbling Nazi officer in the Mel Brooks classic To Be or Not to Be. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe as the harried police lieutenant in the 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon.

He won a Golden Globe as best supporting TV actor in 1991 for his portrayal of John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald in the TV film The Kennedys of Massachusetts and a Tony in 1990 as Big Daddy in the Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Durning had begun his career on stage, getting his first big break when theatrical producer Joseph Papp hired him for the New York Shakespeare Festival.

He went on to work regularly, if fairly anonymously, through the 1960s until his breakout role as a small-town mayor in the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning play That Championship Season in 1972.

He quickly made an impression on movie audiences the following year as the crooked cop stalking con men Paul Newman and Robert Redford in the Oscar-winning comedy The Sting.

Dozens of notable portrayals followed. He was the would-be suitor of Dustin Hoffman, posing as a female soap opera star in Tootsie; the infamous seller of frog legs in The Muppet Movie; and Chief Brandon in Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy. He played Santa Claus in four different movies made for television and was the pope in the TV film I Would Be Called John: Pope John XXIII.

"I never turned down anything and never argued with any producer or director," Durning told The Associated Press in 2008, when he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Other films included The Front Page, The Hindenburg, Breakheart Pass, North Dallas Forty, Starting Over, Tough Guys, Home for the Holidays, Spy Hard and O Brother Where Art Thou?

Durning's rugged early life provided ample material on which to base his later portrayals. He was born into an Irish family of 10 children in 1923, in Highland Falls, New York, a town near West Point. His father was unable to work, having lost a leg and been gassed during World War I, so his mother supported the family by washing the uniforms of West Point cadets.

The younger Durning himself would barely survive World War II. He was among the first wave of US soldiers to land at Normandy during the D-Day invasion and the only member of his army unit to survive. He killed several Germans and was wounded in the leg. Later he was bayoneted by a young German soldier whom he killed with a rock. He was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and survived a massacre of prisoners.

In later years, he refused to discuss the military service for which he was awarded the Silver Star and three Purple Hearts.

Tragedy also stalked other members of his family. Durning was 12 when his father died, and five of his sisters were killed by smallpox or scarlet fever.

Durning and his first wife had three children before divorcing in 1972. In 1974, he married his high-school sweetheart, Mary Ann Amelio.

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Aussie lawyer gets early Christmas gift

Mongolian authorities have cleared an Aussie lawyer of corruption allegations, freeing her to leave. Source: AAP

THE parents of an Australian lawyer who was barred from leaving Mongolia for two months have received an early Christmas present, with the news their daughter is finally on her way home.

Sarah Armstrong was stopped at Ulan Bator airport in mid-October because authorities wanted to question her in relation to corruption allegations.

On Christmas Eve, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed the 32-year-old had boarded a flight out of the country, which had taken off by 7pm (AEST).

Mum, Yvonne, told AAP she had been bracing for a Christmas spent thinking of her daughter stuck in Mongolia.

"All I wanted to hear was that she was on a plane," she said on Monday from her Tasmanian home.

She got the good news via text message from a friend in Mongolia.

Mrs Armstrong said her daughter had told her on Friday that she thought she would be allowed to leave within days, but she had been trying not to get her hopes up.

Also on Friday, it is understood, Foreign Minister Bob Carr again contacted the Mongolian ambassador to Australia about Ms Armstrong's case.

Senator Carr also flagged the Australian government's concerns when he met the Mongolian foreign minister in November.

Ms Armstrong is a lawyer for Rio Tinto mining subsidiary SouthGobi Resources.

The company on Monday said Mongolia's Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) had ended its questioning of the lawyer.

SouthGobi has been informed by the IAAC that the 32-year-old "is no longer a suspect in their investigations", the coal firm said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange where it is listed.

Mongolian officials said Armstrong was wanted over an investigation into the former chief of Mongolia's mining authority, who is suspected of illegally handling mining licences, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

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Singer Jimmy McCracklin dies aged 91

SINGER/SONGWRITER Jimmy McCracklin has died aged 91 at a nursing facility in San Pablo, California.

McCracklin was best known for his 1958 dance hit The Walk which he recorded with his band, the Blues Blasters.

After performing the song on Dick Clark's popular TV show American Bandstand, it was later covered by the Beatles during their Let It Be sessions.

McCracklin went on to release more than 20 albums, scoring hits with songs including Just Got to Know, Think and Shame, Shame, Shame.

His song Tramp, which was co-written with blues star Lowell Fulson, became a hit when Otis Redding and Carla Thomas recorded it in 1967, and it was also adapted by Salt-n-Pepa in 1986.

In the 1960s, McCracklin also founded the Art-Tone record label. He released his last album, Hey Baby, in 2010.

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Former president Bush remains in hospital

Doctors say former president George Bush needs to build up his energy before he can leave hospital. Source: AAP

FORMER US president George Bush, who has been in a Houston hospital with a lingering cough since November, needs to "build up his energy" before he can be released, doctors say.

Methodist Hospital spokesman George Kovacik said in an emailed statement that doctors are still optimistic the 88-year-old Bush will make a full recovery, but are being "extra cautious" with his care.

Bush was hospitalised on November 23 for treatment of a bronchitis-related cough.

Hospital officials have said Bush has been receiving physical therapy to increase his strength.

Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said on Thursday that Bush could be released in time for Christmas.

However, Kovacik said on Sunday a discharge date has not been set, and it remains unclear whether the 41st president will be able to spend the holiday at home.

Kovacik said that could be decided on Monday.

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Five die on first day of holiday period

The Christmas period has got off to a terrible start on Australian roads with five people killed. Source: AAP

THE 12-day Christmas period has got off to a terrible start with five road fatalities, including three deaths in separate accidents in Victoria.

The deaths follow three in the Northern Territory and one in Queensland on Saturday night before the start of the official 12-day road toll period.

On Sunday, an elderly woman passenger died when the car she was in crashed into a light pole in Bentleigh East in Melbourne's southeast.

The crash came hours after a man died when his car veered off the road in nearby Moorabbin and smashed into a tree, flipping on its side.

The third fatality occurred at 4.15pm (AEDT) in Kerang in the state's far north when a sedan veered into truck on the Murray Valley Highway.

The driver of the sedan, a woman and sole occupant, died at the scene while the truck driver was taken to hospital.

Tasmania recorded its first fatality of the holiday season when a motorist died when his car when crashed on East Bagdad Road near Bagdad, north of Hobart, about 1.45pm (AEDT).

In South Australia, a 22-year-old woman died after her car crashed into a tree at Black Hill, near Mannum, east of Adelaide about 1.50am (CST).

On the Gold Coast, two people were airlifted to hospital in a critical condition after a bus rolled down an embankment on Mount Tamborine in the hinterland.

Police say 18 people, mostly Chinese tourists, were involved in the accident, which occurred about noon (AEST).

The deaths took the national holiday road toll to five.

On Saturday night, before the start of the national Christmas road toll, three people died in the Northern Territory after their car rolled and landed on its top near Hermannsburg.

Police had called off a pursuit of a Commodore about 8.30pm (CST) on Saturday after the driver refused to stop and then sped off.

The car was later found about 4km west of Hermannsburg having rolled onto its roof, police said on Sunday.

Two women, aged 26 and 32, died after being ejected from the car and a 30-year-old man also died at the scene, police said.

A 26-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were also taken to hospital.

In far north Queensland, a man died after crashing an overloaded car.

Police say the vehicle was travelling along Pormpuraaw St, in Pormpuraaw on the Cape York Peninsula, about 11.30pm (AEST) on Saturday when it left the road and rolled.

Six people were in the car at the time of the crash, police say.

The driver, a 27-year-old Aurukun man, died at the scene.

* The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2012 until 2359 January 3, 2013, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Police seek man for NSW shooting

Police have identified a man they want to speak to in connection with a shooting in Sydney. Source: AAP

POLICE have identified a man they are looking for over a shooting in Sydney's southwest last week.

Officers were called to a home in Panania on reports five children and their mother were inside a house when a window was broken by a gunshot about 1.20am (AEDT) on Thursday.

No one was injured.

Police said two men, who are know to them, were arguing outside the property when a struggle ensued and a shot was fired.

They are seeking Victor Vladymtsev, 22, who is wanted over an arrest warrant for the offence of firing a firearm in manner likely to injure person.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance with an olive complexion, medium build and brown hair.

Police have warned members of the public not to approach Vladymtsev as he may be armed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Afghanistan Taliban pair pledge tolerance

Taliban have held talks with Afghan government officials at a landmark meeting in France. Source: AAP

TWO senior Taliban representatives have pledged to accept a multiparty political system and respect women's rights in future post-war governments.

The officials last week attended a two-day conference in Paris with Afghan parliamentarians, opposition leaders and government officials organised by a research institute.

In a declaration made public after the conference, they promised political tolerance, but criticised Kabul and the United States government for not being serious about their peace efforts.

They also called for a new constitution based on "the Islamic principles, national interests, social justice, and historical gains".

Such a charter would "guarantee, without prejudice, equal rights for all ethnic groups".

The rebels said they did not accept the current constitution because it was "written under the pressure of B-52 war planes" in 2004.

In a conciliatory note, the movement said it was not "seeking an exclusive right to power".

"We want an all-Afghan, inclusive government," the statement said, adding that Taliban leader Mullah Omar "respects his opponents and insists on mutual understanding and asks them to join him in defending the country."

The Taliban also claimed they would respect "women's rights" and the role that "Islam has given them."

"A woman in Islam has the right to get married, inherit, own (possessions), education, and work."

The former Taliban regime, which was ousted by the US-led military invasion in 2001, called the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Its leaders say they continue to be "a legitimate force."

"It has a political representation in the world and our invitation to this conference is a good example of our political existence," the group said.

The Taliban want direct talks with the US, and have refused to talk with the Afghan government, which it regards as a "puppet administration."

"Foreigners and the Kabul administration are not interested in peace," it said. "Nor are they committed to the goals and principles of peace.

"Indeed, under the pretext of peace they want the mujahideen (militants) to surrender, lay down their weapons, accept the constitution, and obey their orders. Is that what you call a peace process?"

The Taliban insist that an end to all foreign military occupation remains a prerequisite for peace.

The officials praised France for taking steps to withdraw its troops, and called on the US and other allies to "withdraw" immediately.

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Argentina slams UK 'imperialism'

Argentina has protested Britain's decision to name a vast swath of Antarctica Queen Elizabeth Land. Source: AAP

ARGENTINA is protesting Britain's decision to name a vast swath of Antarctica Queen Elizabeth Land.

The foreign ministry has handed a formal protest note to British Ambassador John Freeman in Buenos Aires.

The note rejects London's claim since 1908 to a chunk of Antarctic known as the British Antarctic Territory, and it criticises what Argentina calls Britain's "imperialistic ambitions going back to ancient practices".

Argentina has long claimed as its own the land named after the British monarch this week.

That area is about a third of the British Antarctic Territory.

Argentina also claims the British territory of the Falkland Islands, which are known as Las Malvinas in Spanish.

The two nations fought a brief but bloody war over the South Atlantic archipelago 30 years ago.

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Govt approves The Block redevelopment

The government has granted planning approval for the redevelopment of The Block in Redfern. Source: AAP

THE redevelopment of The Block in the Sydney suburb of Redfern is one step closer after the state government granted planning approval.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said on Saturday that the Department of Planning and Infrastructure had approved the Pemulwuy redevelopment project in the inner-city suburb.

Mr O'Farrell said Pemulwuy would include 62 affordable houses, a 42-unit student housing complex, a gym, a child-care centre and a community gallery, as well as open space.

He said there would also be shops and a 115-space underground car park.

"The approval of this project by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure will allow for the creation of a vibrant new housing, community and cultural precinct close to transport and the University of Sydney," Mr O'Farrell said in a statement.

"This part of Sydney has been crying out for renewal for many years and it is fantastic this long-running issue has now been resolved."

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Boy, 4, hurt after falling out of 4WD

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy has been injured after he fell from a four-wheel drive southwest of Darwin.

The boy fell from the window of the stationary 4WD on to concrete at Peppimenarti around midday (CST) on Saturday and suffered a head injury, CareFlight said.

He was rushed to the community's health clinic but after his condition began to deteriorate, CareFlight was called.

The boy was flown to Royal Darwin Hospital for observation on a CareFlight helicopter where he remains in a stable condition.

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BAE unveils $4bn deal for Oman jets

BRITISH defence giant BAE Systems has announced a 2.5-billion pound ($A3.93 billion) deal to supply military aircraft to Oman.

The group said in a statement on Friday it would supply 12 Typhoon fighter aircraft and eight Hawk trainer jets, delivering from 2017.

"BAE Systems welcomes the decision by the Sultanate of Oman to purchase 12 Typhoon and eight Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft," it said.

"This contract is further recognition that both Typhoon and Hawk are leading aircraft in their class, providing the best capabilities available.

"As well as supplying aircraft, BAE Systems will provide in-service support to the Royal Air Force of Oman's operational tasks. Deliveries are expected to commence in 2017."

Earlier this year, BAE Systems had attempted to merge with European aerospace giant EADS, but the deal collapsed under the weight of political wrangling and unexpectedly strong opposition from Germany.

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India lets 20 rape accused run for office

AT least 20 men accused of raping women ran in Indian elections in the past five years, according to a think-tank report published amid growing outrage over the gang-rape of a student on a bus.

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) study was released on Thursday as political parties lined up to condemn the rape of the 23-year-old woman, which has triggered widespread protests against how women are treated in India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi and opposition MPs have condemned the savage assault last Sunday but the ADR said many Indian parties fielded candidates who were facing rape accusations.

"Since 2007, political parties gave tickets to 20 rape accused to fight in state elections. This is shocking and requires urgent action," Jagdeep Chhokar, the founder of ADR, said.

"The politicians who come out to condemn rape are the ones who are openly giving the rape accused a chance to fight elections. This is hypocrisy," he said.

The report stated that political parties had also given tickets to 260 men who were charged with other crimes against women, including molestation.

It did not record how many of the accused candidates had been found guilty.

"Political parties should stop giving tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds and all those lawmakers who are accused in rape cases should be thrown out of power," Chhokar added.

Further protests were held in New Delhi on Friday, with scores of female demonstrators marching to the president's palace.

The rape victim was coerced onto the off-duty bus and raped by six men before being thrown off the vehicle.

She was seriously injured and remains in intensive care.

Five people, including the bus driver, have so far been arrested.

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Japanese man jailed for 12 cent theft

A COURT in Japan has jailed a 66-year-old man for a year for stealing 10 yen (12 cents) from a temple offering box, reducing his original sentence by eight months.

A district court ordered Masafumi Tsuruhara to spend 20 months in prison earlier this year after being caught taking the coin at Kongou-buji Temple in Wakayama, western Japan.

Tsuruhara appealed to Osaka High Court, insisting he had just been "playing with it", press reports said on Friday.

A judge on Thursday said the sentence was "too heavy", they added. A court spokeswoman confirmed the jail term had been reduced to one year.

"It's 10 yen, but it is still cash," the judge was quoted by local media as saying. "The motive is selfish. His criminal responsibility cannot be treated lightly."

Under Japanese law, theft is punishable by up to 10 years' jail or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.

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Report released on Qantas engine problem

AN Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation has concluded a separated turbine blade led to an engine malfunction on an international Qantas flight last year.

A Qantas Boeing 747-400 aircraft, was en route from Sydney to Singapore on May 9, 2011 when - while climbing from 36,000ft to 38,000ft - the crew noticed abnormalities from the aeroplane's No.4 engine, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said on Wednesday.

"The indications included an increase in both the exhaust gas temperature and vibration levels," ATSB said in a statement.

"The flight crew reduced the engines thrust, however, the vibration continued near maximum levels and the engine was subsequently shut down."

The plane continued to Singapore for a safe landing and disembarkation of the passengers and crew.

Following an investigation into the incident, ATSB said on Wednesday the jump in the exhaust gas temperature and vibration from the engine was "a direct result of the failure and separation of a single intermediate-pressure turbine blade", which fractured.

In its safety message, the bureau said operators and maintainers of Rolls-Royce RB211-524 engines should be aware of the "potential for wear and degradation of the intermediate-pressure turbine blade interlocking shrouds".

But it said the probability of an intermediate-pressure turbine blade failure is extremely low, with only three reported occurrences across the RB211-524 engine operating history.

"While blade separation will likely cause malfunctions necessitating an in-flight engine shut down, the associated risks to the safety of continued flight are minor."

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Man in Saudi Arabia executed for murder

A SUDANESE man convicted of murder has been beheaded by the sword in the western city of Mecca, the Saudi interior ministry says.

Othman Mohammed was found guilty of killing another Sudanese man, Salah Ahmed, by repeatedly beating him on his head following a dispute between the two, the ministry said in a statement published by state news agency SPA.

Mohammed's beheading raises to 76 the number of people executed so far this year in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom, where 79 were put to death in 2011, according to Amnesty International.

Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under its strict version of sharia, or Islamic law.

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Malaysia provides refuge for 'Rohingyas'

MALAYSIA has provided refuge to 40 shipwreck survivors believed to be refugees from Myanmar's conflict-wracked Rakhine state, a Malaysian maritime official says.

The refugees arrived late on Tuesday in the southern state of Johor after they were picked up by a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency vessel from a Vietnamese cargo ship off Singapore, the official said.

The 40 refugees were rescued by the cargo ship from a boat believed to be carrying 250 people that sank December 5 in the Bay of Bengal.

Many of those on board were still missing.

The official, who requested anonymity, said the refugees were believed to be from Myanmar's Rohingya minority.

All the refugees appeared to be in good health and were undergoing medical examinations, he said.

They were given temporary refuge while they are processed, he said.

Malaysia hosts about 24,000 refugees from Myanmar's Rakhine state, which has seen clashes between Muslim Rohingya and majority Buddhists.

At least 89 people were killed in the violence in October, and more than 5300 houses and religious buildings were burned or destroyed, according to UN figures.

More than 110,000 people have been forced from their homes since the violence first flared in June.

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Aust stocks closes at 16 month high

THE Australian market finished on a 16-month closing high as US politicians appeared to make progress on their budget negotiations .

At close on Tuesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 21.8 points, or 0.48 per cent, at 4,595.2 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index had risen 22.5 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 4,610.5 points.

On the ASX 24, the December share price index futures contract was 29 points higher at 4,602 points, with 167,860 contracts traded.

Australian Stock Report head of research Geoff Saffer said the Australian market had its highest close since late July 2011 after US politicians appeared to be making progress on their "fiscal cliff" negotiations.

Just two weeks remain before tax increases and government spending cuts, referred to as the fiscal cliff, start taking effect in the US if no deal is reached.

"I think it was mainly widespread buying today on hopes that US politicians will reach a compromise before the end of the year," he said.

Mr Saffer said the Reserve Bank of Australia's minutes of its December board meeting also suggested that the cash rate could be cut further in 2013 which prompted investor buying.

The Australian market recorded gains across the board with mining, utilities and healthcare the best performing sectors.

BHP Billiton jumped 31 cents to $36.66, Rio Tinto soared $1.18 to $64.70 and Fortescue gained 13 cents to $4.60.

The four major banks all finished in positive territory.

ANZ was up two cents to $24.51, National Australia Bank gained 12 cents to $24.60, Westpac added six cents to $25.81 and Commonwealth Bank jumped 16 cents to $61.45.

The spot price of Sydney gold closed at $US1,702.59, up $US10.84 from Monday's close of $US1,691.75.

Market turnover was 1.77 billion securities worth $4.99 billion, with 536 stocks up, 434 down and 352 unchanged.

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Aust bonds lower after RBA minutes

AUSTRALIAN bond futures prices were lower after the release of the minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's latest board meeting reduced traders' expectations of future interest rate cuts.

RBC Capital Markets fixed income strategist Su-Lin Ong said local bond futures prices fell following the release of the RBA's minutes at 1130 AEDT.

"The minutes from the December meeting suggested it was quite a close decision and I guess the interpretation is that with the cash rate down to three per cent the hurdle to cut further may be quite high," she said.

"So that weighed quite high on fixed income markets."

The RBA cut the cash rate to three per cent in December, from 3.25 per cent previously.

Ms Ong said developments in negotiations on the 'fiscal cliff' of tax hikes and spending cuts due to apply in 2013, unless US political leaders can agree to alternative measures, was likely to drive bond markets over the coming days.

"I think most attention is on these fiscal cliff negotiations, we have had some progress since the weekend and I think there is an expectation that we are inching closer to both a compromise and agreement," Ms Ong said.

US President Barack Obama has offered a proposal to House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner which would raise revenue by $US1.2 trillion ($A1.14 trillion), and cut spending by the same amount.

At 1630 AEDT on Tuesday, the March 10-year bond futures contract was at 96.640 (implying a yield of 3.360 per cent), down from 96.670 (3.330 per cent) on Monday.

The March three-year bond futures contract was trading at 97.220 (2.780 per cent), down from 97.235 (2.765 per cent).

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Man faces 10 years jail over flight abuse

AN international flight was diverted after a drunken Perth man allegedly tried to smoke a cigarette on the plane before punching and spitting on crew members.

The 34-year-old man was taken off the flight, enroute from Sydney to Japan on Monday night, when it was diverted to Cairns.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege the man was heavily intoxicated and was abusive towards the crew and other passengers.

He had to be forcibly restrained by the crew and was arrested when the plane landed in Cairns, police said.

Assistant commissioner Shane Connelly said the public needed to remember that when they travelled on an aircraft their behaviour was subject to Australian laws.

"Enough is enough. An aircraft captain and co-pilot can ill-afford to be distracted from their duties of safely flying an aircraft by having to deal with drunk, violent or disorderly passengers," he said.

"The cabin crew are there to make your flight safe and enjoyable.

"They should not have to restrain violent passengers, be abused or assaulted, or be interfered with in conducting their duties."

AFP responded to more than 1000 alcohol-related incidents at Australia's 10 major airports during the 2011-12 financial year.

Out of those incidents, 145 were for offences related to offensive and disorderly behaviour and excessive alcohol consumption.

AFP said the plane was forced to dump its fuel load when it diverted to Cairns and the airline would seek to recover significant costs.

The man was due to face Cairns Magistrate Court on Tuesday charged with smoking in an aircraft, disorderly and offensive behaviour on board an aircraft, and interfering with crew or aircraft.

The offences carry a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment.

He will also be charged with assaulting crew general, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

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Cash must be part of abuse compo: inquiry

VICTIMS of institutional abuse must be financially compensated as part of a broader acknowledgment of wrongdoing, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

A partner at a law firm that has handled more than one thousand child sex abuse claims said victims' desire for justice outweighs their desire for financial compensation but money is vital because victims' experiences "cost them a great deal".

"The money is important because the money is a tangible acknowledgment of wrongdoing," Angela Sdrinis of Ryan Carlisle Thomas Lawyers told the Victorian child abuse inquiry on Monday.

"For victims to feel some sense of justice, what they get has to cost a wrongdoer."

Ms Sdrinis says there needs to be an apology, and payment should be part of that as a gesture that the institution recognises the victim has suffered at its hands.

The theme of financial compensation ran through three submissions heard on Monday by Victoria's parliamentary inquiry into religious and non-government organisations' handling of sex abuse against children.

In its address to the inquiry, the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) called for compensation to be paid through a fund similar to the James Hardie asbestos injuries compensation fund.

Religious organisations would be required to contribute to it, LIV said.

LIV president Michael Holcroft said this would remove some of the uncertainty victims' faced when making a compensation claim.

He said anyone attempting to bring an action against the Catholic Church risked the church relying on the defence it did not employ the members of the clergy.

"They do not have assets, the assets are held in independent property trusts," Mr Holcroft said.

"Hence any compensation arrangements or settlement arrangements will be prejudiced in light of that."

Advocacy group Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) said an independent panel should supervise a redress scheme.

"Redress payments should be funded by economic contributions by the state and the churches and the charities that run all children's homes, foster care and other institutions," CLAN told the inquiry.

The inquiry heard there was evidence of abuse allegations going back 80 years.

CLAN chief executive Leonie Sheedy said many of CLANs members had a real fear of going into a nursing home.

"A lot of our members tell us they will commit suicide rather than go back into an institution again," Ms Sheedy said.

CLAN's submission and statement to the inquiry detailed a number of shocking abuse cases, some of which were heard in a 2004 Senate inquiry into children in institutional care.

CLAN said children who attempted to report institutional abuse were threatened, isolated, beaten and blamed, including being frequently locked in cupboards by their carers as punishment for raising allegations.

One girl, who reported abuse to nuns, was kicked by them and then told she was "the spawn of the devil", the organisation said.

CLAN said thousands of children who attempted to escape their abusers and some who made reports of sexual mistreatment were returned to the perpetrators, with police returning children who had run away to the religious and government homes.

The advocacy group strongly suggests these children were fleeing "rape and sexual or other forms of abuse".

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Blast hits US compound in Afghan capital

A CAR bomb has exploded outside a compound housing a US military contractor in the Afghan capital, blowing apart an exterior wall and wounding dozens inside, company representatives and police say.

The blast on the outskirts of the city sent a plume of smoke up in the air and shook windows more than a two kilometres away in the city centre.

The security officer for Contrack, a McLean, Virginia-based company that builds facilities for military bases, said a suicide attacker on Monday drove a vehicle packed with explosives up to the exterior wall of the compound and detonated the bomb.

Afghan police said they could not confirm if it was a suicide attack or a remotely detonated bomb that had been placed in a parked vehicle.

Contrack did not respond to calls or emails asking for comment.

Deputy Interior Ministry spokesman Najibullah Danish said that at least one person was killed in the attack. It was not immediately clear if this may have been the attacker.

Contrack security officer Baryalai, who like many Afghans only goes by one name, said he could only confirm wounded. He said the injured employees included Americans, Afghans and South Africans. The American director of the company was seriously wounded, he said.

Contrack has a range of contracts in Afghanistan but Baryalai said the arm of the company that was attacked on Monday is building barracks and other facilities for the Afghan army.

A worker coming out of the building said that he saw at least 30 people wounded.

"There was massive destruction inside. ... I was sitting behind my computer when it happened. I was not hurt but I saw many of my colleagues were injured," Bashir Farhang said.

Jalalabad road, where the explosion occurred, is home to a number of foreign companies that have offices inside of blast-walled compounds.

Contrack's projects also include fuel storage, air field construction and tanker facilities for US military bases in Afghanistan, according to its website.

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Bomb attack kills 16 at Pakistan market

A car bomb attack at a Pakistan market has killed 16 people and wounded around 70, officials say. Source: AAP

A CAR bomb attack has killed 16 people and wounded around 70 in a Pakistan market in the northwestern town of Jamrud, close to the Afghan border, officials say.

The bomb exploded on Monday in a small market near a bus stop, killing and wounding people waiting for buses to take them across the northwest and to other parts of the country, according to officials.

Pools of blood and charred pieces of human flesh littered the roadside, along with at least 20 burnt vehicles, an AFP reporter said. Clothes, school books, children's shoes and burqas lay everywhere.

Jamrud is in Khyber district, which is part of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt where the Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked groups have strongholds.

A government office of the district administration was around 100 metres from where the bomb detonated but was not damaged in the attack, according to an AFP reporter.

"At least 16 people were killed and 71 others wounded in the blast caused by an explosive-laden car, which had been parked very close to the waiting area for passengers," Khyber's most senior administration official, Mutahir Zeb, told AFP.

He said ordinary civilians and not the government office, some distance from the explosion, were the target.

"We are still are ascertaining what procedure was exactly used to blow up the vehicle," he said.

Local administration official Jehangir Azam also confirmed that 16 people died.

"The blast also damaged 10 vehicles and more than 15 shops in the market," Azam told AFP.

Officials had earlier said 12 people were killed.

Two intelligence officials said the explosives had been packed into a Suzuki Alto vehicle.

Pakistan suffers frequent bomb and suicide attacks blamed on Islamist militant groups. Its troops have for years been fighting against homegrown armed groups in the tribal belt.

On Saturday, a suicide squad of five targeted the airport in Peshawar, the main northwestern city close to Jamrud, killing five civilians and blowing a hole in the perimeter wall.

The assault, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, sparked prolonged gunfire and forced authorities to close the airport, a commercial hub and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base on the edge of the tribal belt.

It was the second Islamist militant attack in four months on a military air base in nuclear-armed Pakistan.

On Sunday, a policeman and five militants were killed following gun battles between security forces and militants suspected of having been involved in the airport attack, security officials said.

The government says more than 35,000 people have been killed as a result of terrorism in the country since the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

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Union warned about WA dock's safety issues

A KARRATHA man's arm was crushed as he worked at the dock supplying Chevron's massive Gorgon LNG project in Western Australia on Saturday, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) says.

The man was airlifted to a Perth hospital after his arm became trapped between the dock and a barge at the Mermaid Marine Supply base in Dampier, which is used exclusively by Chevron.

MUA WA secretary Chris Cain described Chevron and its contractor as "cowboys", saying poor safety standards had been a problem at the Mermaid Marine Supply base for months.

"It's becoming clearer and clearer that Chevron and their contractors like Mermaid are cutting corners to make up time and money on the Gorgon project," Mr Cain said.

The union said WorkSafe WA had been warned that poor training and management made an accident "inevitable".

Safety representatives had arranged for WorkSafe WA inspectors to visit the site on Friday.

"We've got serious issues when the day after WorkSafe says there's no problem, ambulances are called to an accident of the type exactly predicted by health and safety representatives," Mr Cain said.

The union said the accident raised serious questions that need to be answered, such as why WorkSafe was called to investigate the accident hours after it happened.

WorkSafe and Mermaid Marine have been contacted for comment.

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Grassfire 'out of control' near Young

FIREFIGHTERS are battling an out-of-control grassfire burning near properties in southwestern NSW.

The fire, covering 4600 hectares, is burning at Geegullalong Road, around eight kilometres east of Murringo, near Young.

NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesman Ben Shepherd said 140 firefighters, 43 fire trucks and six aircraft were trying to bring the fire under control.

He said fire crews were working to protect a number of rural properties in the area but no residents had been evacuated from their homes.

Locals were being advised to stay in their homes as the fire-front approached, he said.

"A lot of people have done some preparation around their property and we are moving crews into those properties as the fire-front arrives," he told AAP.

He said the Lachlan Valley Way was closed in the area because of the fire.

Strong winds were pushing the fire in a north and north-easterly direction, and it was unlikely the blaze would be brought under control on Sunday night, Mr Shepherd said.

The RFS have issued a watch and act alert for the area.

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US school victims mostly six years old

Police say the gunman who shot dead 20 school children at a US school forced his way in. Source: AAP

SHATTERED families and grieving residents are devastated that most of the 27 people shot dead by a US school gunman are children aged just six and seven.

President Barack Obama is due to join the vigils in the small Connecticut community of Newtown on Sunday, to lead national mourning after this latest massacre that has revived calls for a debate on gun control.

But the political ramifications of the tragedy are far from the minds of most in this picturesque town, where parents of the survivors and the dead are struggling to come to terms with the stunning loss.

Robbie Parker, a 30-year-old hospital assistant who cares for sick newborns, says the death of his loving six-year-old Emilie should "inspire us to be better, more compassionate and caring toward other people."

He included the family of the apparent shooter, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, in his condolences, addressing them through the news media to say: "I can't imagine how hard this experience must be for you."

Robert and Diane Licata described how their six-year-old son Aiden ran past the shooter in his classroom doorway to escape after seeing his teacher gunned down - and recounted their desperate search for him.

Diane Licata told CNN she had rushed to the school to see her daughter led out of the building but there was no sign of Aiden.

"So the kids start to come out and when I saw her, you know, the sense of relief is incredible, but it's really short-lived because I still have one in there. And I'm waiting for him to come. And he didn't come out," she said.

"When you're standing there waiting....it's an indescribable feeling of helplessness."

Licata eventually received a text that her son was safe at a nearby police station.

Aiden was later able to explain his escape.

She said his class heard noises that initially sounded like hammers.

"Then they realised that it was gunshots."

"Aiden's teacher had the presence of mind to move all of the children to a distance away from the door... and that's when the gunman burst in," Licata said.

The gunman had "no facial expressions" she said, adding that he "proceeded to shoot their teacher."

Many US children are taught how to react during an emergency, so Aiden and his classmates quickly made their way to the door where the gunman was standing and ran past him. Some of them survived.

"He (Aiden) really, really, really cared about his teacher. He knows that she's been hurt but he doesn't know the end result. He knows the kids that he saw getting shot."

A police spokesman said Lanza is believed to have shot his mother at the home they shared before launching his attack at the nearby school.

He had two handguns but the coroner told reporters that most of the children and staff were killed by multiple gunshots from his assault rifle, a .223 calibre Bushmaster, a civilian version of the US military's M4.

Lanza's father Peter expressed shock and grief at the horror caused by his son.

"No words can truly express how heartbroken we are," he said in a statement vowing to continue co-operating with law enforcement.

"We, too, are asking why?"

Connecticut State Police released the identity of the victims, aged six to 56. They included 16 six-year-olds and four seven-year-olds.

Twelve of the 20 slain children were girls and eight were boys.

The six adults killed were all women, including the school's principal and its psychologist.

The motives of the shooter are still the biggest mystery.

Asked whether any suicide note, emails or other clues to the killer's mind had been found, Connecticut State Police spokesman Lieutenant J Paul Vance said investigators have gathered "some very good evidence."

Lanza was a shy, awkward and nerdy boy but hadn't apparently given any warning sign that he was a mass murderer.

The weapons, news reports said, were registered in his mother's name but she was widely seen as an upstanding resident in the town.

The tragedy drew messages of support from around the world, and candlelight vigils are being held.

Of all US campus shootings, the toll was second only to the 32 murders in the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech University.

The latest number far exceeded the 15 killed in the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which triggered a fierce but inconclusive debate about gun control laws in the United States.

However, the White House has scotched any suggestion that the politically explosive subject would be quickly reopened.

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Troops should quit Afghan villages: Karzai

AFGHAN President Hamid Karzai says the US and NATO troops transferring security to Afghan forces should leave Afghan villages as soon as possible.

Karzai spoke on Saturday on the opening day of a conference to develop Afghanistan's foreign policy strategy for the next three years.

He said international forces will end their combat mission at the end of 2014 but said that before that - in 2013 - Afghan forces would take charge of securing the entire country.

Karzai said the sooner that transition could be completed, the better.

He said he wanted the international troops to leave Afghan villages, draw back to their bases and slowly withdraw from there.

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Car rolls off Coronation Drive to river

Car nearly into the river (off Coronation Drive) just down from the Regatta Hotel at 6.35pm today. Picture: Chris Rutherford Source: The Courier-Mail

TRAFFIC has reportedly ground to a halt after a multiple-vehicle crash on Coronation Drive at Toowong this evening.

Witnesses reported seeing a car rolling backwards into the river but police media said the vehicle came to rest on the embankment.

The spokeswoman said police and emergency services were trying to reach the crash scene "but traffic was a bit like a car park".

It is believed there some of the passengers have received injuries but there is no further information available.

The accident happened before 7pm, near the Regatta Hotel, and delays are expected for some time.

More to come.

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Philippine cops kill Malaysian 'terrorist'

Philippine police say they have fatally shot a suspected Malaysian terrorist. Source: AAP

PHILIPPINE police have killed a suspected Malaysian terrorist who was allegedly planning a bomb attack in one of the largest cities in the country's south, police say.

The suspected terrorist, identified as Mohd Noor Fikrie Bin Abud Kahar, was shot dead by police on Friday following a scuffle inside a hotel in Davao, a bustling port city and a regional commercial hub on the main southern island of Mindanao.

As the man and his Filipino wife were checking out of the hotel, he tried to grab a backpack from his wife containing a homemade bomb, Davao city police chief Ronald de la Rosa said.

Officers tried to seize the man, who broke free and threatened to detonate the device.

"You want the bomb? You want the bomb? Shoot me! Shoot me! I will explode the bomb," de la Rosa quoted the man as saying.

The threats prompted officers and people in the hotel lobby to scamper out for safety, the police chief said.

The man and his wife then ran into the street, where they hugged each other as the man raised a mobile phone, threatening to use it to trigger the bomb.

The man grabbed the backpack from his wife and ran toward a park full of revellers while his wife was arrested by police, de la Rosa told The Associated Press by telephone from Davao, about 980 kilometres south of Manila.

Guards locked the park's gate to keep the man out.

Still raising his hand that held the mobile phone, he then ran into a packed restaurant where a sniper shot him twice in the chest. Other officers then fired at him and killed him, de la Rosa said.

The bomb, which was subsequently defused, was fashioned from a mortar shell.

The police chief said intelligence reports indicated terrorists planned to explode a bomb in Davao.

Intelligence agents had received a tip from a "very reliable source" that the couple were staying at the hotel, de la Rosa said.

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Vic water usage up as restrictions ease

VICTORIANS made a splash as water restrictions were lifted, with the state's usage going up for the first time in five years, official figures show.

The Essential Services Commission's (ESC) annual report, released on Friday, showed the average household used 150 kilolitres (kL) of water in 2011-12, an increase of seven kL on the previous year.

The average had been on the slide for the previous four years, but Victorians seemed to enjoy the lifting of restrictions last year.

Consequently, average water bills also increased, up $115 to an average of $885 per year.

The figures show country households used more water than their urban counterparts, with averages of 174kL and 142kL respectively.

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Scrap metal yard on fire in Sydney's west

A LARGE fire has broken out at a scrap metal yard in sydney's west.

A fire and rescue spokesman said six firefighting crews were sent to the scrap yard in Greenacre just after 6.30pm (AEDT) on Friday.

The fire will burn for a long time time, the spokesman said.

"It's scrap metal so it has oil, plastics, paint ... but then once you heat up aluminium then it will burn as well," he told AAP.

"We may end up having to keep a fire engine there all night."

One person has suffered burns and been taken to hospital, the spokesman added.

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