Dallas star Larry Hagman dies in Texas

American actor Larry Hagman, known for his role on the TV show Dallas, has died at the age of 81. Source: AAP

US actor Larry Hagman, who starred as predatory oil baron JR Ewing on TV's hit soap opera Dallas, has died at the age of 81.

Hagman, who returned as JR in a new edition of Dallas this year, died on Friday afternoon due to complications from his battle with cancer, according to a statement from the family provided by Warner Bros, producer of Dallas.

"Larry was back in his beloved hometown of Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved the most," the family said. "Larry's family and closest friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday."

Hagman was diagnosed in 1992 with cirrhosis of the liver and acknowledged that he had drank heavily for years. In 1995, a malignant tumour was discovered on his liver and he underwent a transplant.

Linda Gray, a long-time friend who starred alongside him in the TV show, called him her "best friend for 35 years", her agent told the BBC.

Gray, who played Hagman's on-screen wife, Sue Ellen Ewing, was by his bedside when he died.

In a statement from her agent she said: "Larry Hagman was my best friend for 35 years.

"He was the Pied Piper of life and brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented and I will miss him enormously.

"He was an original and lived life to the full."

Years before Dallas, Hagman had gained TV fame as a nice guy with the fluffy 1965-70 NBC comedy I Dream of Jeannie, in which he played Captain Tony Nelson, an astronaut whose life is disrupted when he finds a comely genie, portrayed by Barbara Eden, and takes her home to live with him.

He also starred in two short-lived sitcoms, The Good Life (NBC, 1971-72) and Here We Go Again (ABC, 1973). His film work included well-regarded performances in The Group, Harry and Tonto and Primary Colors.

But it was Hagman's masterful portrayal of the charmingly loathsome JR that brought him his greatest stardom. The CBS serial drama about the Ewing clan and those in their orbit aired from April 1978 to May 1991.

The "Who shot JR?" story twist, in which Hagman's character was nearly murdered in a cliffhanger episode, fuelled international speculation and millions of dollars in betting-parlour wagers. It also helped give the series a ratings record for the time.

When the answer was revealed in a November 1980 episode, an average 41 million viewers tuned in to make Dallas the second most-watched entertainment show of all time, trailing only the MASH finale in 1983 with 50 million viewers.

It was JR's sister-in-law, Kristin (Mary Crosby) who plugged him - he had made her pregnant, then threatened to frame her as a prostitute unless she left town - but others had equal motivation.

Hagman played Ewing as a bottomless well of corruption with a charming grin: a business cheat and a faithless husband who tried to get his alcoholic wife, Sue Ellen (Gray), institutionalised.

"I know what I want on JR's tombstone," Hagman said in 1988. "It should say: 'Here lies upright citizen JR Ewing. This is the only deal he ever lost.'"

In 2006, Hagman did a guest shot on FX's drama series Nip/Tuck, playing a macho business mogul. He also got new exposure in recent years with the DVD releases of I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas.

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Portugal pulls bulk of police from Timor

Portugal has withdrawn the bulk of its police officers from East Timor. Source: AAP

PORTUGAL has withdrawn the bulk of its police officers from East Timor as international forces wind up a 13-year mission in Asia's youngest nation, where thousands have died in political bloodshed.

Seventy-five of the officers boarded a Lisbon-bound plane in the former Portuguese colony, among the last of 1200 UN peacekeepers to return home before the official end of their mission on December 31.

Only around three dozen UN Police remain in the country, including several from Portugal, Australia, Malaysia and Pakistan. Most of them will leave next week and all will have to withdraw by December 31.

International forces began pulling out in earnest last month with Canberra this week saying it was sending home hundreds of troops from the Australian-led International Stabilisation Force (ISF), ending a six-year operation.

At the UN's terminal in Dili's Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, officers in Portugal's black police uniforms and UN blue berets bade a tearful farewell to Portuguese expatriates who had come to see them off.

Captain Jorge Barradas, commander of the Portuguese police contingent, said he had mixed feelings about leaving a country where he has served on and off since 2001.

"It is kind of a sad feeling for us to leave East Timor. But on the other hand, leaving means that East Timor has developed and is secure so it's also a pleasure to leave," he said.

The UN entered the territory, officially known as Timor-Leste, after violence broke out in 1999 following the resounding "yes" vote for independence from neighbouring Indonesia.

The referendum was organised by the UN after Indonesia announced it would end a brutal, 24-year occupation in which about 183,000 people, or a quarter of the population, died from fighting, disease and starvation.

The nation conducted peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections this year, and UN peacekeepers last month handed full responsibility for policing back to the nation, which celebrated a decade of formal independence in May.

Portugal, which controlled East Timor for more than 300 years before Indonesia invaded, is among 44 nations that have served in the current UN Police mission dispatched after a second wave of violence hit in 2006.

It has made one of the biggest contributions to the force, sending 2,000 officers since 2006, when unrest ahead of elections left 37 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

The only major violence in the impoverished half-island nation of 1.1 million people since 2006 has been a failed assassination attempt against then-president Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao in 2008.

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Four dead, man critical after NSW crash

A MAN is fighting for his life after a "horrendous" three vehicle crash in western NSW that has left four other people dead.

Police forensic officers are investigating after the collision on the Great Western Highway at Glanmire, east of Bathurst, about 1.40pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

Media reports suggest the tragedy - involving a car, a ute and a semi trailer - occurred after one of the vehicles swerved to miss a dog that had run onto the road.

Three people travelling in the car were killed instantly, while a passenger in the ute also died at the scene.

The ute driver was trapped for an hour and half before being airlifted to Westmead Hospital with life threatening injuries.

The truck driver was not injured.

Police said the crash scene was a horrific sight.

"It was a horrendous scene to turn up to for emergency service personnel responding, as well as to those people who witnessed the accident," Inspector Mark Wall told the Nine Network.

Police have urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The Great Western Highway remains closed in both directions between Bathurst and Lithgow.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area.

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Syria state TV journalist shot dead

A SYRIAN state television journalist has been shot dead in Damascus, the latest in a string of employees of pro-government media to be killed.

"An armed terrorist group assassinated a journalist at the Public Authority for Radio and Television, Basel Tawfiq Yousef, in the Tadamun neighbourhood," the official SANA news agency reported on Friday.

The district has seen heavy fighting between rebels and troops since the outbreak of major violence in the capital in July.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the journalist was targeted because activists regarded him a member of the "shabiha," militia supporters of President Bashar al-Assad who have been accused of some of the worst abuses of the 20-month uprising against his rule.

Staff of pro-government media have been among 14 professional journalists killed in Syria since the uprising erupted in March last year.

Another 38 citizen journalists have been killed, according to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

Those killed have included the domestic news editor of SANA, a state television presenter and a journalist from the cultural section of the government daily Tishrin.

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Telstra mobiles to be back on by Saturday

TELSTRA technicians are working around the clock to restore full mobile coverage to customers in Victoria's west and southwest by Saturday lunchtime.

Approximately 65 per cent of 60,000 affected customers had their mobile phones back up and running at 6pm (AEDT) on Friday after a fire severely damaged the Telstra Exchange in Warrnambool early on Thursday morning.

But Telstra said it would still be a number of days before landlines and home internet connections were re-established.

Telstra spokesman James Howe said mobile phone voice calls were the top priority for the 30 technicians assigned to the job.

"In a number of areas we have limited the amount of data traffic," Mr Howe told AAP.

"It shouldn't impede the amount and coverage, however things like using emails and people looking things up their phone will be affected in the short term.

"We're working towards having full mobile coverage by lunchtime tomorrow."

Police stations and hospitals in the area have been issued with satellite phones.

An "exchange on wheels" has been sent to Warrnambool, with 10 mobile stations in the region restored overnight.

Some ATM and EFTPOS services have been restored, however Mr Howe warned EFTPOS would be slower than usual.

He says compensation for businesses affected by the fire will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

It may be an option for residential customers.

"Compensation will certainly be considered in the future," Mr Howe said, although he stressed the telco giant was currently focused on restoration and repair.

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Town shocked by death of veteran journo

MACKAY journalists and the legal fraternity have been shocked by the death of veteran local court reporter Bruce McKean, who was killed on Thursday night.

Mr McKean, 58, died after being hit by a truck while crossing Nebo Rd, in Mackay, about 6.30pm.

He was a court reporter for The Courier-Mail for several years in the late 1970s and early 1980s and retired from the Mackay Daily Mercury four weeks ago, shortly after discovering he had inoperable terminal cancer.

Mr McKean had spent 22 years reporting on court and crime for the newspaper and was well known to lawyers, judges and magistrates.

Mackay lawyer Gene Paterson of Macrossan & Amiet said Mr McKean was so well respected amongst the legal fraternity that solicitors and court staff had been talking about having a wake for him before he died.

``He was just a good fellow,'' Mr Paterson said.

``Bruce had a lot of compassion for people.''

Mr Paterson said Mr McKean would report on everything from drink driving and serious criminal cases to estate law cases.

``Bruce was just a legend,'' Mackay Daily Mercury journalist Lynnis Bonanno, who had worked with Mr McKean for 12 years, said.

``He would encourage young journalists and share his wisdom and knowledge.

``He was an old-school master of his craft and he loved covering courts and telling great stories.''

Mr McKean, who was not married, was also a keen bowler, a regular at Mackay City Bowls Club and he wrote stories on bowls for the newspaper.

It is believed Mr McKean was walking from the bowls club to a fish and chip shop when he was killed.

Mackay City Bowls Club patron Peter Wright said Mr McKean had been a very good bowler, a coach and president of the district bowling association.

Mr Wright said his friends had gathered at the club tonight to have a drink in his honour.
 

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Storm warning for state's southeast

A SEVERE thunderstorm warning has been issued for Southeast Queensland and other areas of the state are on alert.

A warning is current for very dangerous thunderstorms between Crows Nest and Cooyar on the Darling Downs.

Thunderstorms are moving north and are forecast to hit Yarraman, the area north of Crows Nest and the area north of Cooyar and the area south of Kingaroy by 6:05 pm.

Other severe thunderstorms to the east of Toowoomba are moving towards the northeast.

Destructive winds and large hailstones are likely.

Hail of 4cm in diameter was seen at Laidley at 2.45pm.

Have you got a storm picture? MMS it to 0428 258 117 or email it

The storm activity is set to move westward tomorrow, leaving the southeast mainly fine for the weekend.

The storm activity is set to move westward tomorrow, leaving the southeast mainly fine for the weekend.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Bryan Rolstone said the storms would retreat tomorrow, with inland towns more likely to be affected.

``Toowoomba is most likely going to experience storms tomorrow,'' he said.

Mr Rolstone said the weekend would see the storms retreat further towards the Darling Downs, leaving the southeast with light weather and morning showers until Monday.

"Monday the storm activity decreases over the whole of Queensland even more so and there's still a signal on the eastern Darling Downs but elsewhere in the state there's hardly any," he said.

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Rinehart launches new book

Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has unveiled her new book and her vision for the nation in Sydney. Source: AAP

MINING magnate Gina Rinehart has gathered tributes from advertising millionaire John Singleton and Indian industrialist GVK Reddy for her new book, which she is launching in Sydney on Thursday.

The book, "Northern Australia and Then Some", has been held in relative secrecy ahead of a two-day publicity tour by Ms Rinehart, who is chairman of Hancock Prospecting, through Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

The preface describes the new tome as "a compendium of speeches, articles and images" and says Ms Rinehart "offers the reader a comprehensive insight into her thoughts about national prosperity" and an "intimate glimpse" of her life and times.

A series of photographs from the book, made available to media ahead of the launch in Sydney, show Ms Rinehart with her late father, Lang Hancock, in a number of situations including at her 21st birthday and on one of the family's iron ore tenements in the West Australian Pilbara.

Mr Hancock wrote his own book, Wake Up Australia, to outline his vision of the essential place of mining at the centre of the nation's economic and political future, in 1979.

Mr Singleton, in his tribute to Ms Hancock's book, writes that people need only read two books to understand "the future of Australia and its destruction by government".

"Read Lang's book and it will light up your mind. Read Gina's book and it puts our future under the brightest light I have ever seen," Mr Singleton wrote.

Dr Reddy is chairman and managing director of the giant industrial conglomerate GVK Power and Infrastructure which bought the majority share of Hancock Prospecting's Queensland Galilee Basin coal holdings under a joint development agreement.

Dr Reddy writes that Ms Hancock, who has been involved in a bitter court battle with her children over control of a multi-billion dollar family trust, is "a caring and loving individual ... who cares not only about the wellbeing of her family and those close to her but also about the nation".

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Patient set for bedside court hearing

A 36-year-old man will face a bedside court hearing tomorrow charged with two counts of attempted murder after a fight near Cairns earlier this month.

Police allege the 36-year-old man was found at a Cooktown home early on November 19 with a 31-year-old woman with cuts to her forearm and a 59-year-old man had cuts to his hands, shoulder and leg.

The 36-year-old Cooktown man was found at the home with a gunshot wound to his shoulder.

It is believed the people were known to each other.

The 36-year-old man is expected to face a bedside court hearing at the Cairns Base Hospital tomorrow where he also faces charges of assault occasioning bodily harm, common assault, dangerous operation of a vehicle, unlicensed driving and possession of a dangerous drug.

Investigations are continuing.

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China angst over runaway boys' deaths

THE deaths of five runaway boys while they tried to keep warm in a bin has captured hearts in China, and led to the sackings of officials.

The five cousins and brothers, ranging from nine to 13 years old, died of carbon monoxide poisoning when they burned coal to try to keep warm as they sheltered from the cold in a bin in the city of Bijie, in Guizhou province.

They were among the vast numbers of children of migrant workers who are left with relatives while their parents earn a living elsewhere.

"The ignorance and apathy in this country leave me speechless and, once again, heartbroken," said one user of China's popular Twitter-like service Weibo.

Two of the three fathers of the boys worked in other parts of China, while the one who laboured in their hometown as a farmer said he and his wife had little time for their boy, Xinhua news agency reported.

The others were put under the care of an elderly grandmother with poor eyesight "who had difficulties even caring for herself".

Four of the boys had dropped out of school and the other missed classes regularly, Xinhua added.

"We need to put the 'left behind' children at the top of our agenda," it quoted Hu Jihong, the deputy mayor of Bijie, as saying. "Many uncared-for youngsters are wandering about the streets."

China's one-child policy has fostered a culture of families doting on their only offspring since it was imposed three decades ago, but incidents of abuse or neglect have sparked debate about how children are treated in general.

In recent weeks a kindergarten teacher stirred outrage after an online video showed her lifting a child off the ground by his ears as he cried out in pain.

In October last year a surveillance camera showed passers-by ignoring a two-year-old girl bleeding on the ground after she was struck by two vehicles. The infant died soon afterward.

Four education and civil affairs officials and two school principals in Bijie have been fired over the latest incident, and two district officials suspended.

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AFP expects more arrests over major bust

The AFP expects to make more arrests after smashing a multimillion-dollar international drug ring. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S second major drug bust in a week, which netted $240 million worth of cocaine and methamphetamine in Sydney, shows the international reach of police work is greater than ever, federal police say.

The 350-kilogram haul had been shipped from China hidden inside a road roller and was being prepared for the local market when police swooped on five premises around Sydney last weekend.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested two foreign nationals over the bust - a 34-year-old Canadian, alleged to be the organiser and financier of the operation, and a 33-year-old US national, also suspected to be a major player in an international crime syndicate targeting Australia.

The syndicate has been the target of an AFP investigation for more than two years, and the agency says more arrests could follow in Australia and overseas.

The AFP says its international co-operation and intelligence efforts are paying off.

"This is the second multi-million-dollar seizure inside a week," AFP acting national manager for serious and organised crime David Sharpe told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

"In the last five months the AFP and partners have seized in excess of 2.3 tonnes of narcotics."

Last week, the AFP seized 204 kilograms of cocaine found - along with the body of a crewman - aboard a yacht that ran aground in Tonga.

The AFP was acting on a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Agency that the suspect vessel had departed Ecuador en route for Australia.

The latest operation, codenamed Pendine, involved a complex investigation launched in July 2010, based on intelligence obtained in Australia that an international organised crime syndicate was planning a major drug importation.

On September 21, the AFP identified a shipping container - carrying a 20-tonne road roller of the type used to compact gravel and bitumen - on a vessel arriving at Port Botany from China.

After the search warrants were executed on Saturday and Sunday, police found the roller inside a storage unit in the northern Sydney suburb of Warriewood.

They also found equipment used to dismantle the machine and 13 sports bags containing compressed blocks of drugs - 235kg of methamphetamine worth an estimated $174 million and 115kg of cocaine worth $63 million. Also seized was $150,000 in cash.

The two men appeared in Sydney Central Local Court on Monday and were remanded in custody.

Both face charges of importing commercial quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine, which carry maximum life imprisonment penalties.

The US national was also charged with dealing in the proceeds of crime.

Assistant Commissioner Sharpe said the AFP's global network was constantly improving, and organised crime syndicates should be looking over their shoulders.

"This seizure sends a clear message to criminals that no matter how long it takes, how complex or innovative the concealment method, global law enforcement is joining forces to stop the importation of illicit drugs into Australia."

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Slain Qld grandma's belongings found

POLICE have no doubt a grandmother found dead on an island off Queensland's southeast coast was murdered, after finding a number of her belongings some distance from her home.

Liselotte Watson, 85, was found by police face down in a bedroom of her home on Macleay Island, off Brisbane, on Tuesday last week.

Detective Acting Superintendent Geoff Sheldon says a member of the public found some of her belongings at Thompson's Point at the other end of the island.

Police divers then found more items in the water.

Supt Sheldon would not reveal what the items were, but said the fact they were taken from the murder scene indicated foul play.

"There is no other logical explanation other than sinister motives for her property being found in the water here," he told reporters at the scene on Wednesday.

"So we're taking it forward from here to seek further public assistance to help us find who has taken Mrs Watson's life."

He said detectives were "buoyed" by the find.

Supt Sheldon said detectives were following several other lines of inquiry as well, but were yet to determine any specific suspects.

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Consumers frustrated with packaging: study

FRUSTRATED consumers are using hammers, saws, kitchen knives, teeth and even angle-grinders to extract some products from impenetrable packaging, a survey has found.

Almost half are getting injured in the process, the survey of 500 people in Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand found.

Ninety-four per cent of those questioned said they had some resentment towards packaging, with the glued-tight plastic "clamshell" voted among the most infuriating.

The survey, published in the Australian Reader's Digest, found the plastic shell - together with squeeze and twist caps on cleaning products and medicines - have about 41 per cent of us seeing red.

In attempts to prise open the packaging 36 per cent reported using scissors and an equal number admitted to wielding a kitchen knife.

Others have also resorted to using their teeth, saws and, in one case, an angle-grinder.

"We're reasonable enough to concede that products need to arrive clean, fresh and intact," Readers Digest editor-in-chief Sue Carney said in a statement.

"But the vast majority (80 per cent) believe manufacturers and retailers have lost the plot and are simply making it too hard for us to open and enjoy their products."

The opening methods and weapons were causing a range of injuries, she said, with 42 per cent of those surveyed saying they had given themselves a deep cut.

Another 14 per cent said they had chipped or broken their teeth, with three per cent needing medical treatment for wounds.

As one man told the magazine: "I bought a pair of scissors that required a pair of scissors to open!"

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RBA hints at future cuts

AUSTRALIA'S central bank has hinted at future interest rate cuts, while addressing the challenges faced by an economy in transition.

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) governor Glenn Stevens spoke to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) in Melbourne, on the same day that minutes from the bank's November 6 meeting had been released.

During his address, Mr Stevens reiterated that future changes to the cash rate had not been ruled out.

"The Board felt that further easing might be required over time," he said.

"It was also conscious, though, that a significant easing of policy had already been put in place, the effects of which were still coming through and would be for a while.

"In addition, the latest inflation data, while not a major problem, were a bit on the high side, and the gloom internationally had lifted just a little. So it seemed prudent to sit still for the moment."

The RBA had previously cut the central interest rate in May, June and October to its current level of 3.25 per cent.

Mr Stevens said domestic data - particularly for growth and inflation - would provide guidance on future moves.

Speaking of longer-term trends, he said Australia's economy was in transition, as terms of trade fell from historic highs, and the resources sector moved into another stage.

"The terms of trade have peaked, and will probably have fallen by about 15 per cent by the end of this year," he said.

"So, while a high level of the terms of trade continues to add to the level of national income, we can no longer expect that a rising terms of trade will be adding to growth in living standards."

Talk of an end to the mining boom was "somewhat overhyped", he said.

"The boom is not so much ended as simply evolving, as these events would be expected to," he said.

"Thoughtful commentators have already pointed out on a number of occasions that there are three phases to the boom."

The second phase - of investment in mining projects - was likely to peak some time in 2013 or 2014, with the third phase of extraction and export of resources still to come, particularly with regard to gas projects.

"With the peak in the investment phase of the mining boom now coming into view, the question naturally arises as to how the balance between the various types of demand in the economy will unfold," he said.

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Suicide too common in rural towns: report

SUICIDE rates in remote parts of Australia remain disproportionately high, with farmers and young men particularly vulnerable, a report shows.

In one tragic snapshot, men living in remote Queensland areas were 2.6 times more likely to die by suicide than their counterparts in metropolitan areas.

The Suicide in Rural and Remote Areas of Australia report says isolated communities will face an increasing burden of suicide unless more resources are directed to those most at risk.

While no one explanation is offered, environmental factors such as droughts and floods, coupled with economic hardship, are blamed for contributing to the high rate of self harm in remote towns.

Mental Health Minister Mark Butler said vulnerable communities needed targeted assistance to help them with the specific hardships they faced.

"There is always the scope for greater levels of assistance," Mr Butler told Sky News on Tuesday.

"We're constantly learning and constantly refining the support we give to affected communities."

Women in regional communities are also at greater risk than those living in cities, while indigenous populations were significantly overrepresented.

One study in the report claimed suicide rates in recent years had increased 12-fold in towns with fewer than 4000 people, with males aged 15-24 years most at risk.

For agricultural workers, the stress of running a property in the face of unpredictable environmental conditions can lead to mental illness, the report says.

Mr Butler said it's important current and comprehensive research is available to help inform the mental health initiatives being rolled out in remote communities.

The report recommended providing greater support to those dealing with financial stress on farms and addressing the lifestyle risks unique to remote communities such as drug and alcohol problems.

Training certain members of a community to offer local treatment and referral services to their neighbours could also prove highly effective, the report suggested.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263).

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Murder hunt as Vic woman's body found

Police believe the body of missing woman Sarah Cafferkey has been found in Melbourne's outer west. Source: AAP

ONE of two men living in the house where missing woman Sarah Cafferkey's body was found is believed to be a suspect in her murder.

Police on Monday formally identified the body in the Point Cook home as that of Ms Cafferkey.

Forensic officers examined the home on Fongeo Drive throughout Monday, and neighbours in the new estate have been interviewed by detectives.

Neighbours say they heard power tools being used late at night at the house, which is rented by the two men.

Both men have been named on social media as having had contact with the 22-year-old woman before her disappearance, including an online spat in which she complained about their behaviour.

Ms Cafferkey, from Bacchus Marsh, was last seen on November 9 by her family, whose worst fears were realised when the body that was found by police on Saturday was formally identified on Monday afternoon.

It is understood only one of the men is considered a suspect.

Police are also reportedly investigating a link between a yellow Holden Commodore which was found on the Western Highway near Bacchus Marsh on Friday and a yellow car which neighbours say had been parked outside the Fongeo Drive home, 50km from Bacchus Marsh.

"That car has been outside since we moved in. It's just been there," neighbour Sweta Sheth told AAP.

Detective-Inspector Michael Roberts, of the homicide squad, said comments posted on Ms Cafferkey's Facebook page, involving at least one man, were being closely examined by police.

"Stop being immature over Facebook, please. I've had enough," she wrote on November 4.

"I will delete you if you are unable to be civil."

Police would not comment further, other than to announce the body had been identified.

A resident of the new suburb in Melbourne's southwest had earlier recalled hearing power tools and mechanical noises coming from the house one evening at around 10pm or 11pm.

"They were doing some mechanical work in their garage, using power tools and things like that," the resident told the Nine Network.

"It seemed a bit odd to be doing that kind of thing," he said.

Ms Sheth, who moved into the street six weeks ago, said she saw one of the men working in the garage but thought nothing of it.

"Just doing stuff in the garage, nothing out of the ordinary that you would suspect," she said.

"I think he was just a normal Aussie bloke, that's what my hubby said.

"There was nothing that would make him stand out."

Homicide detectives took over the investigation after Ms Cafferkey's car was found in Maribyrnong in Melbourne's west.

Det Insp Roberts said Ms Cafferkey's ex-boyfriend was not a suspect.

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Obama urges end to Myanmar violence

US President Barack Obama is heading to Myanmar for an historic visit aimed at encouraging reforms. Source: AAP

US President Barack Obama has used a historic speech in Myanmar (Burma) to urge an end to sectarian unrest in the western state of Rakhine, saying there was "no excuse for violence against innocent people".

"National reconciliation will take time, but for the sake of our common humanity, and for the sake of this country's future, it is necessary to stop the incitement and to stop violence," he said on Monday.

Two major outbreaks of violence since June between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims in the state have killed 180 people and displaced more than 110,000.

Downtown Yangon (Rangoon) came to a near halt during Obama's visit.

Crowds flooded the streets, workers left their jobs and a nurse even snuck out of the hospital to see Obama, the first US president to visit the Asian nation.

Among the crowd were hundreds of students wearing matching school uniforms of white shirts and dark green sarongs. Many of those on the streets waved American flags and some held homemade signs welcoming Obama.

In a country where people are often forced by the authorities into mass demonstrations, the spontaneous outpouring of support was striking.

Ma Than Than Win, 42, wore an Obama T-shirt and held a banner with a picture of Obama and Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy activist who welcomed Obama to the home where she once was held under house arrest by the country's ruling military regime.

"We have never had the visit of a president from a big country like America. I came here because we believe that President Obama will be a big strength for Myanmar's democratic reforms as he is a world-recognised leader for democracy," said Win, an office worker.

During their meeting, Obama and President Thein Sein sat side by side in large padded chairs, with the US and Myanmar flags behind them.

Thein Sein spoke first, saying through a translator that the relationship between their countries "has been progressing" and he looked forward to it strengthening in the coming years. He said he and Obama spoke about the need to continue promoting democracy and human rights.

He also said Myanmar would continue to co-operate with the United States on those efforts.

Thein Sein expressed "our sincere appreciation for President Obama's vision and support".

After the meeting, Obama made an unscheduled stop at the nearby Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most revered sites in Myanmar. With their shoes and socks off, Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton walked up the pagoda's steep steps.

Obama took part in a ritual often carried out at the pagoda - saying a blessing at a section of the pagoda platform that recognises the day of Obama's birth, Friday. Obama poured 11 cups of water into a basin, turning to reporters to explain that he was dousing "the flames" of anger, hatred and other vices.

Suu Kyi welcomed Obama to her home for a meeting. Now a member of Parliament, Suu Kyi lives in a gated residence with razor wire along the top of the compound's walls. The house is a light-grey structure with a red-tiled roof. The lawn is ringed with roses.

The house has been renovated since Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest in late 2010, with a new roof and freshly painted walls.

Obama thanked her for her "extraordinary hospitality and grace" and the power of her example, which he said "has been inspiration to people all around the world, including myself.

Suu Kyi cautioned against too much optimism over the country's progress.

"We have to be very careful that we're not lured by the mirage of success," Suu Kyi said after meeting Obama at her home in Yangon.

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Gillard talks trade in Cambodia

PM Julia Gillard is on her way to Phnom Penh for talks with leaders at the East Asia Summit. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard is aiming for an ambitious trade agreement that not only covers ASEAN and its neighbours but leaves the door open for other entrants.

Ms Gillard arrived in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on Monday for the East Asia Summit, which is set to launch the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on Tuesday afternoon (Cambodian time).

The RCEP agreement - which would bring down trade barriers and cut customs duties across the region - is set to involve the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

"Australia will be supporting a regional comprehensive economic partnership that is comprehensive, covering trade in goods and services as well as investment, which is ambitious and which has a door open to new entrants to join should they choose to do so," Ms Gillard told reporters in Phnom Penh.

Officials say it is possible the agreement, covering around $17 trillion in gross domestic product and three billion people, could be in place as early as 2015, with talks on protocols to start early next year.

Ms Gillard didn't want to commit to a particular deadline but said it needed to be done as "expeditiously" as possible.

The existing Australia-New Zealand-ASEAN free trade agreement is being used as a model for the new deal.

US President Barack Obama, who has been on a tour of Southeast Asia over the past three days, will sit down with Ms Gillard and other proponents of another trade deal - the Trans-Pacific Partnership - in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.

Ms Gillard praised Mr Obama for focusing on Asia so early in his second term as president.

The US and Russia, who have observer status at the EAS, are not involved in the RCEP.

ASEAN nations are expected to average an annual rate of 5.5 per cent growth over the 2013/17 period, the OECD said in a report released in Phnom Penh on Sunday.

Ms Gillard is due to meet Japan's PM Yoshihiko Noda and the Sultan of Brunei on Monday night before a gala dinner hosted by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The leaders will gather on Tuesday at the Peace Palace for a day of talks.

Finance, energy, education, health and disaster response will be discussed alongside human rights and the disputed territories in the South China Sea, in what one official said was certain to be a "free-ranging forum".

Security is tight in the city, with police breaking up several human rights protests in recent days, shanty homes near the airport cleared and beggars being shunted from prominent tourist attractions.

The ASEAN countries are Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos.

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Obama lands in Thailand at start of trip

President Barack Obama is heading to Asia on his first foreign trip since winning re-election. Source: AAP

US President Barack Obama has started a three-day Southeast Asia tour, hailing alliances with countries such as Thailand as cornerstones of the administration's deeper commitment to the Asia-Pacific region.

While in Asia, however, Obama will be dividing his attention by monitoring the escalating conflict between Israel and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Obama has been in regular contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as with Egyptian and Turkish leaders who might hold sway with the Hamas leadership.

Obama landed in Bangkok on Sunday afternoon, his schedule packed with cultural sightseeing, a royal audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a private meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, a joint press conference and an official dinner.

He will also visit Myanmar (Burma) and Cambodia in his first trip abroad since winning a second term.

The visit to Thailand, less than 18 hours long, is a gesture of friendship to a long-standing partner and major non-NATO ally.

Still, the two countries have faced strains, most recently after the 2006 military coup that deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and Obama's visit offers an opportunity to restate and broaden the relationship.

"It was very important for us to send a signal to the region that allies are going to continue to be the foundation of our approach" to establishing a more prominent presence in Asia, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters travelling with the president aboard Air Force One.

Obama is also seeking to open new markets for US businesses; the United States is Thailand's third biggest trading partner, behind China and Japan.

Becoming a counterweight to China in the region is a keystone of Obama's so-called pivot to the Asia-Pacific region.

Obama's trip comes on the heels of meetings in Thailand between Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and his Thai counterparts on security and military co-operation on issues ranging from fighting weapons proliferation to disaster relief to countering piracy.

Alluding to the 2006 coup, Obama's national security adviser, Tom Donilon, said in a speech ahead of the trip last week that Obama would build on Panetta's outreach to reinforce the relationship and "support the continued peaceful restoration of democratic order after a turbulent period."

Obama will visit the Wat Pho Royal Monastery, a cultural must-see in Bangkok, before paying a courtesy call to ailing 86-year-old, US-born King Bhumibol Adulyadej in his hospital quarters.

The king, the longest serving living monarch, was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and studied in Europe.

The centrepiece of the Asia trip comes on Monday when Obama travels to Myanmar, the once reclusive and autocratic state that has begun instituting democratic measures.

Obama has eased sanction on the country, also known as Burma, and his visit will be the first there by a sitting US president.

Obama aides see Myanmar as not only a success story, but also as a signal to other countries that the US will reward democratic behaviour.

"If Burma can continue to succeed in a democratic transition, then that can potentially send a powerful message regionally and around the world ... that if countries do take the right decisions, we have to be there with incentives," Rhodes said.

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Qld's southeast battens down again

DANGEROUS thunderstorms with large hailstones are moving into Queensland's southeast corner, with the weather bureau issuing warnings for the region.

The bureau says residents in Logan City and parts of the Brisbane City, Gympie, Ipswich City, Sunshine Coast, Scenic Rim and South Burnett can all expect a buffeting, with wind gusts reaching 110km/h.

It said dangerous thunderstorms were expected to hit Peak Crossing, Bundamba Lagoon, Greenbank and Redbank Plains accompanied by flash flooding.

Emergency Management Queensland advises people to move their cars under cover and away from trees, not to attempt to drive, walk or ride through flood waters and avoid using the phone during a thunderstorm.

The Department of Community Safety said about 60 calls had been received on Sunday, to help with minor flooding, leaking roofs and tarping.

Senior Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecaster Jonty Hall said weak storms throughout the day kept temperatures low.

"So we didn't see the heat which enhances the storms," Mr Hall told AAP.

On Saturday, Brisbanites only knew a ferocious storm was upon them when they were being pounded by almost cyclonic winds and hail.

The BoM was criticised for failing to issue a warning until five minutes after the storm began to hammer the inner city, with its Facebook page hit with negative messages.

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GrainCorp boss eyes growth, not sale

GrainCorp says it wants to pursue growth and is not in the mode of selling the company. Source: AAP

EASTERN Australia's largest grains handler, GrainCorp, says it is more interested in unlocking $110 million of annual profit improvements it has identified than being acquired.

The grains marketer and maltster rejected a $2.68 billion takeover proposal from US-based food processing giant Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) on Friday.

It reported a 19 per cent lift in annual profit to $204.9 million on the same day.

Chief executive Alison Watkins said she believed the company's profit result and plans to lift annual earnings would give shareholders an understanding of GrainCorp's fundamental value, which was greater than ADM's $11.75 a share cash offer.

"We're not in the mode of selling the company," she told ABC TV's Inside Business on Sunday.

"We considered the ADM proposal. We took that very seriously. We have a great growth strategy, very excited about getting on and delivering that."

Ms Watkins cited the recent $472 million acquisition of Goodman Fielder's Gardner Smith and Integro food oils businesses as growth drivers.

GrainCorp would be more focused on organic growth - rather than bolt-on acquisitions - through its existing east Australian assets involving wheat, barley, canola and storing, processing and marketing those grains, she said.

New York stock exchange-listed agribusiness giant ADM is the world's largest corn producer and increased its stake in GrainCorp to 14.9 per cent from 4.9 per cent last month.

The possible foreign control of a major Australian wheat exporter led NSW Nationals Senator John Williams to argue against its approval, which would have to be given by the Foreign Investment Review Board.

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