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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