Workers start cutting up crashed Bali jet

Workers have started cutting up and removing the wreckage of the Lion Air jet that crashed off Bali. Source: AAP

DOZENS of workers have started cutting up the plane that crashed in shallow water off Indonesia's resort island of Bali.

The Boeing 737-800 operated by Indonesia's largest budget carrier Lion Air missed the runway and crashed into the sea on Saturday. All 108 people on board the flight survived, with more than 40 injured.

More than 70 people equipped with hydraulic and electric saws, including soldiers and police, were involved in the effort on Tuesday to remove the wreckage, Bali's airbase commander Atang Sudrajat said.

"We hope to finish the work today," he said.

Investigators on Monday retrieved the plane's voice cockpit recorder, which could shed light on what happened at the time of the crash.

The flight data recorder was found earlier and the information was being studied, Transportation Minister Evert Mangindaan said.

Indonesia has taken measures to improve its aviation safety standards following a series of fatal air accidents in the last 10 years.

Mangindaan said Lion Air would be subjected to a special audit following the accident.

"We will continue to monitor compliance to safety standards so that such an accident won't happen again," he said.

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Benedict marks 86th birthday quietly

POPE Emeritus Benedict XVI is celebrating his 86th birthday as the first former pope in over 700 years.

Benedict will be joined on Tuesday by his older brother Georg, who is 88 and nearly blind, as well as the four Italian laywomen from a religious movement who have worked for him as housekeepers for years.

Benedict in February became the first pontiff to resign in more than 700 years in a move that stunned the world. A conclave of cardinals in March elected Pope Francis as his successor.

He has lived as a recluse at his temporary home of Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence about 25 kilometres south of Rome, since February 28, never leaving the palace.

Benedict's secretary, Georg Gaenswein, who is also head of the pontifical household for Pope Francis, is also expected to be present at the birthday, which will be an entirely private event.

The pope spends his days praying, doing academic research and playing the piano in the palace on a hillside above Lake Albano, the Vatican said.

The Vatican last week denied that he had a serious illness, following rumours in the Spanish press.

In the most recent images of the former pope, he was seen walking slowly with the help of a cane.

The Vatican has said Benedict will eventually move to a former convent on a picturesque hilltop inside the Vatican walls to live out his days.

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Whistleblower seeks help from NSW premier

A SENIOR policeman who says he won't be protected under whistleblower laws after he exposed alleged child abuse by Catholic priests is seeking support from NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox has claimed the church in the NSW Hunter region covered up evidence about paedophile priests and hindered police investigations into child abuse.

His claims prompted a state government inquiry into the matter and helped pave the way for a royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.

Mr Fox says he received a letter from NSW police on Monday confirming one of his disclosures won't be classified under whistleblower legislation.

"The letter is very hostile. It's basically saying that I don't qualify and if I have a problem with it, I can take them to court," Mr Fox told AAP on Tuesday.

"I'm disappointed and also very let down. I've had phone calls from some in the police force that told me there wouldn't be a problem with this," he said.

Police have said Mr Fox has made several disclosures covered by whistleblower legislation, but one disclosure didn't meet the requirements of the NSW Public Interest Disclosures Act.

They say the other matters were deemed to be protected disclosures, meaning the officer is afforded protection under the act.

Police say Mr Fox is also protected from recriminations by provisions in the NSW Police Act.

Mr Fox says he intends to write to Mr O'Farrell to ask him for his view on the issue.

"He's come out before and said I would be protected under the legislation. He made some very strong statements in parliament ... he said my disclosures were in the public interest and would be treated that way".

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Woodside looks to Canada with spare cash

WOODSIDE Petroleum is looking to spend some extra cash in Canada after shelving its controversial Browse project in Western Australia.

The oil and gas giant, which recently slated more than $2.5 billion for projects in Israel and Myanmar (Burma), said the next stop on its diversification push could be the west coast of Canada.

Analysts expect the company to deliver a higher dividend and look to growth opportunities overseas as it generates solid earnings from its Pluto operations in WA.

Woodside confirmed it had submitted a non-binding expression of interest (EOI) to the British Columbia government to investigate building a liquefied natural gas export facility at Grassy Point on the north west coast of Canada.

"This non-binding EOI aligns with Woodside's strategy to examine new growth opportunities that leverage our core capabilities," a Woodside spokesman said.

The government of British Columbia said Woodside was among four international oil and gas players to submit EOIs for an LNG export plant near Prince Rupert.

The other companies were Nexen, SK, E&S and Imperial Oil Resources.

They were asked to include a description of the project as well as plans to potentially work in collaboration with other companies in Canada's nascent Asia-bound LNG industry.

However, Woodside said it was too early to provide details about costs and possible supply partners.

"There are a number of potential options for gas to be supplied to a future LNG export site at Grassy Point," Woodside said.

Morningstar head of equities Peter Warnes said Woodside's decision on Browse was prudent as costs had increased substantially.

"Commonsense has won the day," Mr Warnes said.

He said the $1.3 billion already invested was not going to meet the "hurdle rate" of a satisfactory return and that the expected overall project cost of $45 billion was too much.

The company would save a substantial amount of money by using a floating option for the Browse project.

"Woodside CEO Peter Coleman has got some growth options up his sleeve," Mr Warnes said.

"Whether you want to put Israel and Burma and Canada into that mix is a moot point, but I suspect you may see a bit of a kick in the dividend."

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Moon could affect shark diving patterns

Shark behaviour could be influenced by the moon, water temperature and time of day, a study sais. Source: AAP

THE diving behaviour of sharks could be influenced by the moon, water temperature and time of day, new research has revealed.

A study of about 40 grey reef sharks - commonly found on coral reefs in northern Australia and in the Indo-Pacific - found they stayed in deep water during a full moon and moved to shallow water with the new moon.

The sharks were tagged near Palau, east of the Philippines, and followed for two years using acoustic telemetry.

The group of mostly adult females were recorded diving to an average depth of 35m in winter and 60m in spring.

In winter, when deeper waters were colder, the sharks remained closer to the surface where the water was warmer, but moved around to a range of depths in summer.

Researchers suggest that because sharks are cold blooded, they may prefer warmer water to conserve their energy.

The research also found that the time of day could affect how deeply sharks dive.

"We were surprised to see sharks going progressively deeper during the morning and the exact inverse pattern in the afternoon, gradually rising towards the surface," researcher Gabriel Vianna said.

"This matches how light changes on the reef during the day.

"To our knowledge, this is the first time such patterns have been observed in detail for reef sharks."

The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Western Australia's Oceans Institute and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

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Opposition rejects Venezuela poll results

Venezuelans have flocked to the polls to pick Hugo Chavez' successor and decide the nation's future. Source: AAP

VENEZUELA'S acting President Nicolas Maduro has been declared the winner of the election to succeed his late mentor, Hugo Chavez, by a razor-thin margin, but his rival has refused to concede defeat.

The contested result plunged the deeply divided oil-rich South American country into uncertainty, with the handpicked heir of Chavez's socialist revolution declaring victory and opposition leader Henrique Capriles demanding a recount.

Fireworks erupted after the National Electoral Council announced late on Sunday that the "irreversible" results showed Maduro had won with just 50.66 per cent of the vote compared with 49.1 per cent for Capriles - a difference of less than 300,000 votes.

"Mission accomplished Comandante Chavez. The people fulfilled its pledge," Maduro said in front of cheering supporters at the Miraflores presidential palace.

The 50-year-old former foreign minister declared that he secured a "fair, legal, constitutional" victory. But he said he was open to an audit of the close vote tally. He is scheduled to be sworn-in to complete Chavez's six-year term on Friday.

Maduro said he spoke with Capriles by telephone and that he told his rival he must recognise the outcome of the election. Both candidates had pledged during the campaign to accept the results.

But Capriles - who had accepted defeat when Chavez beat him by 11 points in October polls - held up a list of some 3200 "incidents" that took place during the vote.

"Today's loser is you," he told a news conference, referring to Maduro, adding: "We won't recognise a result until every vote has been counted."

The 40-year-old state governor wants a recount of the backup paper ballots that are printed out by the electronic voting machines.

Hours earlier, Capriles charged that there were attempts to let people vote after polling stations closed. He also accused the government of pressuring civil servants to vote for Maduro.

Some Capriles supporters fought back tears at his campaign headquarters.

"I'm exasperated because we worked a lot in this campaign for a better future and I don't accept the results of the electoral council," said Daniela Brito, a 19-year-old university student with tears in her eyes.

But National Electoral Council president Tibisay Lucena said the results were "irreversible" after 99 per cent of electronic votes were counted, with a 78.7 per cent turnout.

Luis Vicente Leon, director of the Datanalisis polling firm, wrote on Twitter that the opposition's rejection of the results "was within the legal framework and does not represent a risk of conflict in the street".

Named by Chavez as his political heir, Maduro rode a wave of grief for the late leader, who ruled Venezuela for 14 years with a socialist revolution that made him popular among the poor while disenchanting others fed up with the weak economy.

Opinion polls had given Maduro leads of 10 to 20 points during the campaign, but Capriles energised the opposition in his second shot at the presidency.

Maduro has vowed to continue the oil-funded policies that cut poverty by almost half to 29 per cent through popular health, education and food programs.

But Chavez left behind a litany of problems: South America's highest murder rate, with 16,000 people killed last year, chronic food shortages, high inflation and recurring power outages.

Hundreds of Chavistas began to celebrate in front of the presidential palace well before the results were announced, launching fireworks, dancing and holding pictures of Maduro and Chavez.

"This is a very important victory for the future of the country. This is the legacy of our comandante, who is no longer here. But he left us Maduro and he will defend his project," said Rafael Perez Camarero, 29.

Capriles had graciously accepted his defeat when Chavez beat him in October polls that marked the opposition's best showing against the late leader. Sunday's result against Chavez's handpicked heir was far closer.

Maduro inherited Chavez's formidable electoral machinery, which helped the late leader win successive elections in 14 years, with government employees often seen handing campaign pamphlets and attending rallies in groups.

After voting in Caracas earlier in the day, Maduro warned there would be no dialogue with the "bourgeoisie" - his term for the opposition - and took a shot at the United States, saying he would present evidence of US interventionism on Monday.

His candidacy was backed by Chavez's leftist allies in the region, especially communist Cuba, whose anaemic economy has been kept afloat by generous oil shipments from a nation sitting on the world's biggest crude reserves.

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Rock climber falls in Blue Mountains

A ROCK climber has suffered leg injuries after falling down a cliff in the Blue Mountains.

The man, 25, was climbing a rock face at Leura when he fell around 1pm (AEST) on Sunday, landing about 50 metres from the base.

Paramedics responded to the incident, with a doctor abseiling down the cliff face to the injured climber and then managing to puts his legs in splints.

The NSW Ambulance Service said a rescue helicopter was flown in in an attempt to extract the stricken climber but could not winch him off the rock face.

An attempt was being made on Sunday afternoon to abseil the injured man down the cliff, and then winch him out.

An Ambulance Service spokesman told AAP there was a chance the man would have to spend the night in the bush with ambulance officers.

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Syrian forces damage mosque: activists

SYRIAN opposition activists say President Bashar al-Assad's forces have destroyed the minaret of the historic Omari mosque where Syria's uprising erupted two years ago in Daraa.

In amateur video footage the activists uploaded to YouTube, the mosque can be seen at the end of a street, its towering minaret toppling over after apparent shelling and crumbling into rubble and dust.

Other videos posted online show the mosque, which is thought to date back to the 7th century, had been targeted in shelling for several days.

"This regime of unrestrained barbarism targeted with tanks the minaret of the Omari mosque, a place full of symbols of civilisation and spirituality and humanity," said the opposition Syrian National Council.

"The minaret of this mosque, which was build by Caliph Omar bin al-Khattab, is the first in the whole of the Levant, and has been destroyed by the soldiers of the tyrant," it added, referring to President Assad.

The Council noted the mosque had played a pivotal role in the beginning of the uprising against Assad, which sprung in large part from the city of Daraa after the arrest and torture of two boys.

"It was the first place that embraced the Syrian revolution during its infancy, the first wave of demonstrations of pride and dignity came out through its doors," said the Council.

"The first martyrs fell on its walls and the first wounded were treated on its floors."

The Local Coordination Committees activist network condemned the destruction of the minaret as a "barbaric act ... which adds a new crime to the list of Assad's crimes".

"It is not just stones that are destroyed but also religious and historic heritage cherished by the Syrian people," said the LCC.

As Syria's conflict continues into a third year, an increasing number of the country's key heritage sites, both religious and cultural, are being damaged in the fighting.

International authorities including UNESCO have expressed concern that numerous sites in the country, including some classified as world heritage sites, are being seriously damaged.

Syria has six sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, including the old cities of Damascus and second city Aleppo, and the famed Crac des Chevaliers crusader castle.

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Boy killed in NSW trail bike collision

A BOY has died after his trail bike and a ute collided in southwest NSW.

The 11-year-old was riding on a private dirt trail at Trentham Cliffs when he collided head-on with the ute about 11.45am (AEST) on Sunday, police say.

The boy was treated at the scene by paramedics and then taken to hospital where he died.

Police are going to speak to the ute's driver, 50, in the next few days.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.

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Egypt's Mubarak retrial hits a glitch

THE retrial of Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak after he appealed against a life sentence began in Cairo and was immediately adjourned as the judge recused himself amid chaotic scenes.

Mostafa Hassan Abdallah recused himself after Saturday's hearing that lasted just seconds, sending the case back to the Court of Appeal which will then refer it to a new court.

As the judge filed out of the courtroom, there was an uproar with people shouting and waving their arms.

Civil society lawyers attending the trial chanted: "The people want the execution of the president."

Last October, the very same judge had acquitted the defendants in the infamous "Battle of the Camels" trial, who were accused of sending men on camels and horses to break up a protest during the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak.

Earlier on Saturday, television footage showed Mubarak, dressed in white and wearing sunglasses, wheeled out of an ambulance on a stretcher and taken into the capital's Police Academy in a suburb of the capital for the hearing.

Inside the courtroom, he was seen sitting up, smiling and waving from inside a barred cage, although it was not clear if he was greeting anyone in particular.

In the cage with him were his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, and his former security chief Habib al-Adly, who were due to face retrial.

Earlier, a handful of Mubarak supporters outside the courthouse held up posters of their former leader, but were outnumbered by security officers.

Mubarak was flown to the academy that was once named after him by helicopter from the Cairo military hospital where he is being treated, the official MENA news agency said.

He left the compound the same way.

His original trial in August 2011 was a major moment for both Egypt and the region, being the first time an Arab leader deposed by his people had appeared in court in person.

Mubarak, Adly and six security chiefs were again in the dock - albeit briefly - for their alleged complicity in the murder and attempted murder of hundreds of peaceful protesters on January 25-31, 2011.

Gamal and Alaa Mubarak, once symbols of Egyptian power and wealth, also faced retrial on corruption charges. Another defendant, business tycoon Hussein Salem, was to be tried in absentia.

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