Japan scrambles jets in disputed airspace

JAPAN scrambled eight fighter jets after a Chinese state-owned plane breached its airspace for the first time, over islands at the centre of a dispute between Tokyo and Beijing.

It was the first incursion by a Chinese state aircraft into Japanese airspace anywhere since the country's military began monitoring in 1958, the defence ministry said.

The move on Thursday marks a ramping-up of what observers suggest is a Chinese campaign to create a "new normal" - where its forces come and go as they please around islands which Beijing calls the Diaoyus, but Tokyo controls as the Senkakus.

It also comes as ceremonies mark the 75th anniversary of the start of the Nanjing Massacre, when Japanese Imperial Army troops embarked on an orgy of violence and killing in the then-Chinese capital.

F-15 jets were mobilised after a Chinese Maritime Surveillance aircraft ventured over the islands just after 11am (1300 AEDT), Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told reporters.

"It was a fixed-wing Y-12 aeroplane belonging to the Chinese State Oceanic Administration. We confirmed that this aeroplane flew in our country's airspace," he said.

"It is extremely regrettable. We will continue to resolutely deal with any act violating our country's sovereignty, in accordance with domestic laws and regulations."

The Y-12 is a twin-turboprop.

Japan mobilised eight F-15 jets and an E2C early-warning aircraft, the Asahi Shimbun reported, citing a defence ministry source. But the incident appeared to have passed off without any direct confrontation.

In Beijing, China's foreign ministry termed the flight as normal.

"China's maritime surveillance plane flying over the Diaoyu islands is completely normal," said spokesman Hong Lei.

"China requires the Japanese side to stop illegal activities in the waters and airspace of the Diaoyu islands," Hong said, adding they were "China's inherent territory since ancient times".

The coastguard said its regular patrol had spotted the plane.

"At about 11.06am today, a patrol boat from the Japan Coast Guard confirmed the flight of a fixed-wing aeroplane, which belongs to the Chinese Oceanic Administration, in our country's airspace around Uotsuri Island. It was confirmed at a point about 15 kilometres south of Uotsuri," said a statement.

"The patrol boat immediately informed the fixed-wing aircraft: 'Fly without intruding into our country's airspace'. It replied to the effect that 'this is China's airspace'."

The State Oceanic Administration is part of the Ministry of Land and Resources. Its roles include law enforcement in Chinese waters.

Chinese government ships have moved in and out of waters around the islands for more than two months, but there have been no reports of any airborne action.

Four maritime surveillance vessels were logged there earlier in the day, the coast guard said, adding it had ordered them to leave.

Such confrontations have become commonplace since Japan nationalised the East China Sea islands in September, a move it insisted amounted to nothing more than a change of ownership of what was already Japanese territory.

But Beijing reacted with fury, with observers saying the riots that erupted across China had at least tacit backing from the Communist Party government.

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Ex-Thai PM Abhisit charged with murder

Ex-Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva is set to be charged over the deaths of 90 protesters in 2010. Source: AAP

FORMER Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been charged with murder, his party says, over a civilian's death during a crackdown on anti-government rallies two years ago.

Abhisit and his then-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban were formally charged on Thursday at Bangkok's Department of Special Investigation (DSI), making them the first officials to face a court over Thailand's worst political violence in decades.

"The DSI has charged Abhisit and Suthep on section 288, which is murder. They both denied the charge," senior Democrat Party lawmaker Thavorn Senniem told AFP.

Hundreds of riot police flanked the building, as about 20 supporters carrying roses and dozens of protesters holding pictures of those killed in the unrest watched the former leader arrive.

About 90 people died and nearly 1900 were wounded in a series of street clashes between "Red Shirt" demonstrators and security forces, which culminated in a deadly army operation in May 2010 to break up the protest.

The charge against Abhisit, who was prime minister at the time, relates to the fatal shooting of taxi driver Phan Kamkong.

DSI chief Tarit Pengdith announced the move last Thursday and said it was prompted by a court's ruling in September that Phan was shot by troops - the first completed inquest into the bloodshed.

Abhisit dismissed the case against him as "political" last week, saying he had no choice but to take tough action.

He said he would accept trial rather than "bargain" over a proposal by his political rivals in government for a wide-ranging amnesty plan that many believe could allow the return of the Reds' hero, ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

But experts believe British-born Abhisit is unlikely to face jail because of his close ties to the Thai establishment.

A separate terrorism case against 24 Red Shirt leaders, including five current MPs, for their part in the rallies was again postponed on Thursday after two witnesses failed to turn up.

The Red Shirts were demanding immediate elections in their 2010 protest.

They accused Abhisit's government of being undemocratic because it took office in 2008 through a parliamentary vote after a court stripped Thaksin's allies of power.

Polls in 2011 brought Thaksin's Red Shirt-backed Puea Thai party to power with his sister Yingluck as premier, sweeping Abhisit into opposition.

Support from the Thai elite means Abhisit is "unlikely" to go to prison, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University, adding that the former premier "has a sense of political invincibility".

He told AFP that Abhisit's arraignment was part of a "political tit-for-tat", with prosecutions against both sides, but said it still could deter the use of force against demonstrators in the future.

"It is a very important charge, because it means that the sense of impunity is being challenged," he told AFP.

The DSI said earlier on Thursday that after hearing the charges Abhisit and Suthep would be released without bail because they were prominent figures.

Tarit told reporters at DSI headquarters that it was "very awkward" for him to file the charges against the pair because of their position in society and since he himself had served on the official body that oversaw the crackdown in 2010.

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New party? Ask my wife, Palmer says

MINING magnate Clive Palmer says only his wife knows whether he'll found his own political party.

Mr Palmer suggested more than two weeks ago he was considering establishing a United Australia Party but hasn't made any further announcements since then.

The former LNP life member, who has publicly fallen out with Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney, couldn't be drawn on his intentions on Thursday.

"If I started a party that would depend on what my wife said. I'm the boss of our family but I've got her permission to say so," Mr Palmer told reporters on the Gold Coast.

"I'm totally under her control so you'd be best to have a press conference with her to find out what I'm doing.

"My wife is a difficult person. Takes her a while to be convinced on things but sometimes she just makes a decision instantly.

"When she does I have to follow."

LNP defectors Alex Douglas and Carl Judge have both been linked to Mr Palmer's proposed party, with Dr Douglas expressing an interest to join if it's founded.

Mr Palmer refused to be drawn on whether he'd spoken to either MP about the party but did reiterate his support for their decisions to leave the Queensland government.

"One of the rarest things in politics is political courage, the ability to do something, stand up and go against the trend," he said.

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Dickens' cheque on display in Canberra

A cheque written by literary great Charles Dickens has been acquired by the National Library. Source: AAP

A CHEQUE sent by literary great Charles Dickens to help his sons find their feet in Australia has been acquired by the National Library in Canberra.

The 143-year-old cheque, signed with a flourish by Dickens, is now on display in the library's Treasures Gallery.

Never cashed, the Coutts bank cheque for 100 pounds was destined for two of Dickens' children, Alfred and his youngest Edward.

Dickens, never visited Australia but believed it was a land of opportunity and so like many characters in his popular novels sent his two boys across the seas to find their fortune Down Under.

The boys relied on their father for contacts and cash in the "new world", and letters show it strained their relationship on occasions.

But even if he found his sons "exasperating" at times, Dickens loved his boys and believed Australia was a good experience for them.

"He wanted to make his children stand on their own two feet, but at the same time he was arranging things for them," the assistant curator at the National Library Susannah Helman told AAP.

"I think it's clear that he saw Australia as a land of great promise."

Dickens provided his sons with letters of introduction in Australia, and even arranged for Edward to get a rifle.

Alfred was a financial drain on his father while Edward, just 16 when he migrated to Australia, was believed to be Dickens' favourite of his ten children.

In a letter to be displayed alongside the newly-acquired cheque, Dickens expresses concern to Alfred that his youngest son wasn't "taking to Australia".

Dickens died just 19 days later and the boys received the news by telegraph before the letter arrived.

The cheque shows the "fascinating connection" Dickens had with Australia, Ms Helman said.

Dickens published many articles lauding the opportunities of Australia and voluntary emigration, and many of his novels feature references to the penal colony.

Great Expectations' Abel Magwitch and Mr Wilkins Micawber of David Copperfield fame were just two famous Dickens characters who left England for a new life in Australia.

Alfred Dickens lived in Australia for 45 years, as well as lecturing on his father's life and works in England and America.

Edward Dickens went on to become a member of parliament in NSW but died poor and ill in the northern agricultural town of Moree.

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Vic building permits reviewed

Thousands of Victorian building permits issued between 2009 and 2011 will be reviewed. Source: AAP

THOUSANDS of building permits will be reviewed in Victoria after the ombudsman found the regulator has compromised public safety by registering operators who had failed competency exams or were not tested at all.

Ombudsman George Brouwer said on Wednesday applicants who failed core stages of competency assessments were often still granted registration by the Building Practitioners Board.

He said competency tests were poorly administered, with some applicants sitting the wrong type of test or not being assessed.

"The Practitioners Board could not have confidence that only competent, suitably qualified and experienced practitioners were registered to undertake building works in Victoria," Mr Brouwer said in his report into the Victorian Building Commission, which provides administrative support to the board.

"This represents a substantial risk to public safety."

Applicants who failed tests proceeded to an interview regardless and some interviews were conducted at local cafes.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy said the Victorian Building Commission, whose new head Michael Kefford was appointed in February 2012, would review all permits issued by the previous registrar between 2009 and 2011.

There are currently more than 25,000 registered builders in the state.

"It is like a piece of string as to how long it (the review) will take," he told reporters.

Mr Guy announced last month the commission would be axed and replaced with the Victorian Building Authority, to be headed by an independent board.

The ombudsman also found before Mr Kefford took charge, executives spent more than $200,000 on meals and corporate entertainment over three years.

More than $100,000 was spent in 18 months on entertaining at sports events including Australian Football League (AFL) games and the Australian Open tennis.

Almost $950,000 was shelled out in less than four years to sponsor various events run by bodies such as the Master Builders Association of Victoria.

Building Commission staff could spend up to $500 on meals and hospitality before needing management approval.

"There is an inherent conflict in the commission providing this entertainment when its core function is the regulation of the people it is entertaining," Mr Brouwer said.

The commission had hired external investigators for six years at a cost of $3.2 million without a competitive tender, he said.

He said the commission's audit and investigation unit was staffed almost exclusively with former police officers, some of whom had criminal records.

Mr Guy said the commission would be banned from new providing major corporate sponsorship and lavish hospitality.

"This level of corporate hospitality was ridiculous, it was grossly over the top ... entertainment at the races, at the AFL. This is just obscene," he said.

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Leveson looks at civil law and bloggers

THE man who headed the exhaustive inquiry into the British media following the phone hacking scandal has cast his eye on the internet and asked if the enforcement of civil law is possible in the online world.

In a speech entitled Hold the Front Page: News Gathering in a Time of Change at Melbourne University, Lord Justice Brian Leveson said the rise of internet bloggers, who seem to operate above the law, may force more mainstream media to cut corners.

"It is sometimes suggested that the growth of the internet has made effective enforcement of the civil law more difficult, if not impossible," he said.

"Some have suggested that the internet is like the Wild West, and one without an effective sheriff or a Wyatt Earp to ride into town."

He pointed to a celebrity case in the UK where names were doing the rounds with bloggers and tweeters despite an injunction and the mainstream media had to stand on the sidelines and watch.

"This situation clearly exacerbated the media's concerns," Lord Justice Leveson said.

"They were subject to the injunctions, and were liable to the force of the law if they breached them.

"They had, however, to watch the very same injunctions being breached with apparent impunity by many thousands on the internet."

He said the frustration of established journalists could lead them to attempt to compete with bloggers by becoming less scrupulous in the way they gathered news.

"It may encourage unethical and potentially unlawful practice to get a story," he said.

He said such a situation could come about if an established newspaper moved entirely online or moved its base outside the jurisdiction in which it targets its readers.

But if they were then seen to be regularly acting in breach of the law, they would start to lose their authoritative voice.

"If they lost that voice they would simply be one more online purveyor of gossip with the attendant loss of influence which that would entail," Lord Justice Leveson said.

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Brisbane tent embassy removed by council

Brisbane City Council is shutting down an Aboriginal tent embassy at the request of elders. Source: AAP

AN Aboriginal tent embassy in Brisbane is being removed at the request of indigenous elders who fear the site has moved away from its original purpose.

Council staff were on Tuesday afternoon cleaning up the small cluster of tents at South Brisbane's Musgrave Park after Brisbane City Council withdrew permission for the embassy to be there.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said members of Brisbane's indigenous community had serious concerns about the site, including fears it lacked adult supervision and was becoming violent and choked with rubbish.

Indigenous leaders asked the embassy members to move during a meeting on Tuesday but they refused.

"This action is being taken strictly at the request of local elders," Mr Quirk said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We have a very good working relationship with Brisbane's indigenous community and if they tell me that the tent embassy has lost its way and needs to close, then I respect that decision."

Relations between authorities and embassy members were strained when hundreds of police closed it earlier this year to make way for a major Greek festival.

It was relocated to another position in the park.

In October the site was partially destroyed by a fire which is understood to have been started by one of the inhabitants.

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Americans turn to mobile news

AMERICANS of all ages are increasingly using mobile devices for news, with many boosting their media consumption rather than just shifting from print sources, a survey shows.

The Pew Research Centre study, in collaboration with The Economist Group, found that around a third of Americans with tablets or smartphones use them for news on a daily basis.

The survey found 33 per cent of tablet owners in the 18-29 age group got news on their device daily, as did 38 per cent of those aged 30-49, along with 43 per cent of those in the 50-64 age group and 32 per cent of those over 65.

Similar percentages of smartphone owners use their devices to check daily for news.

The report said younger people "are much lighter news consumers generally" and "have largely abandoned the print news product".

"At the same time, nearly half (49 per cent) of those with lower education levels say tablets are adding to their overall news consumption rather than just replacing news they used to get in other ways," Pew said on Tuesday.

"That compares with 36 per cent of college graduates who say this."

Overall, according to the survey, 58 per cent of mobile news consumers prefer a print-like experience, a preference that tends to hold up across age and gender.

Men are heavier mobile news consumers than women: the survey found 43 per cent of male tablet owners consume news daily on their device versus 32 per cent of female tablet owners.

The gap is nearly identical on smartphones - 41 per cent to 30 per cent.

On the tablet, men check in for news more frequently, and are more likely to read in-depth news articles and watch news videos.

Mobile news users in lower-income households are more likely to watch video on both smartphones and tablets, the survey found.

Women were more likely to get news through social media on both types of devices.

"The study provides a snapshot of the emerging differences among mobile news users," said Amy Mitchell, the study's lead author.

"Understanding these patterns is important for news organisations as they try to engage their audiences - and build new revenue streams to support journalism."

The report was based on a survey conducted June 29 to August 8 among 9513 adults.

An earlier Pew survey found around half of US adults now own mobile devices and a majority use them for news.

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Radio station announces $500,000 apology

The two 2DayFM hosts at the centre of a Royal prank say they're devastated by the tragic outcome. Source: AAP

THE Sydney radio station that aired a fateful prank call to a UK hospital will donate at least $500,000 to benefit the bereaved family of a nurse duped by the hoax.

All advertising on 2Day FM was suspended after the nurse who first took the call, and transferred it to a nurse treating the Duchess of Cambridge, reportedly took her own life on Friday.

On Tuesday, station owner Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) announced it would resume advertising on the station this Thursday.

The company pledged to donate any profits made by the end of the year to a memorial fund that would benefit the family of the late nurse, 46-year-old mum of two Jacintha Saldanha.

"We are very sorry for what has happened," SCA chief executive Rhys Holleran said in a statement.

"We hope that by contributing to a memorial fund we can help to provide the Saldanha family with the support they need at this very difficult time."

A minimum $500,000 would be donated, SCA said.

The company has already suspended all prank calls across its network and reportedly cancelled its annual Christmas party, instead making a donation to the Lifeline and Beyond Blue charities.

Radio DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were taken off-air and whose 2Day FM show was axed, have been roundly criticised by British media for breaking their silence on TV current affairs programs rather than at a full press conference.

London's Sun newspaper described the "shamed" pair's apologies as "grovelling".

BBC TV highlighted that they didn't seem bothered by the ethics of the prank, in which they posed as the Queen and Prince Charles in a telephone call to a London hospital to gain private information about the pregnant Kate Middleton.

The Daily Mail said the two radio hosts escaped a tough grilling on TV, describing as "soft and sympathetic" the line of questioning they faced on Channel Seven's Today Tonight.

"Miss Greig's mascara was running down her face as she tearfully recounted the events that have resulted in both of them being inundated with savage comments about their behaviour," the paper said.

Commentator Richard Littlejohn said: "Until they tried to present themselves as victims, I had a scintilla of sympathy for them.

"But for Michael Christian and Mel Greig to invite the world to share their pain is unforgivable. I'm sure their remorse was sincere. Turning their public apology into a self-indulgent, self-justifying sobfest was, however, utterly nauseating."

Whatever turmoil they were experiencing, he said, they had not endured a genuine human tragedy, unlike the nurse's family and friends.

The radio hoaxers said in TV interviews they were devastated, heartbroken and sorry if they unwittingly had any part in the nurse's death.

"If we played any involvement then we're very sorry for that. And time will only tell," said a tearful Greig.

"We're incredibly sorry for the harm that we may have helped contribute (to)," said Christian.

They said there was no malice in their prank.

Greig said she was prepared to attend any inquest in London and see the nurse's family face to face.

"If that's something that they want to do, to get some closure, then I'll do that," she said.

"It was meant to be a silly little prank that so many people have done before. This wasn't meant to happen."

The nurse's family are devastated by her death and "miss her every moment of every day", according to British Labour MP Keith Vaz, who met them at the House of Commons.

Flanked by Jacintha Saldanha's husband, Benedict Barboza, and her two teenage children, the politician said: "They want the facts to be established so that they can effectively grieve."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have sent their condolences to Saldanha's family.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.

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Tokyo stocks mixed by the close

TOKYO shares have closed mixed as better-than-expected US jobs data was overshadowed by poor Japanese figures and caution over talks in Washington aimed at averting the fiscal cliff.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index on Monday inched 0.07 per cent higher, or 6.36 points, to 9,533.75, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares slipped 0.22 per cent, or 1.76 points, to 788.48.

Upbeat US jobs data on Friday helped sentiment, although investors were nervously watching the US fiscal cliff budgetary impasse for signs of a new spending deal in the deeply divided US Congress.

Also helping sentiment, China released a series of figures on Sunday showing strength picking up in the world's second-largest economy.

"The positives certainly cannot be overlooked," said SMBC Nikko Securities general manager of equities Hiroichi Nishi.

But "there seems to be little hope of resolution in US fiscal cliff negotiations - a major negative", he told Dow Jones Newswires.

Many investors would wait on the sidelines ahead of Sunday's general election in Japan with main opposition leader Shinzo Abe, the frontrunner to become the country's next prime minister, vowing to pressure the Bank of Japan (BoJ) for more aggressive monetary easing measures to boost growth.

Official data on Monday confirmed Japan's economy contracted in the three months to September, stoking recession fears and speculation the central bank would launch further policy action.

Japan's October's current account surplus came in better-than-expected in separate data on Monday, but the broad measure of its trade with the rest of the world was still down about 30 per cent year on year.

The BoJ releases its key Tankan corporate sentiment survey later this week.

In Tokyo trade, Panasonic was 0.71 per cent lower at Y417, Sony lost 0.84 per cent to Y820 and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group lost 1.04 per cent to Y379.

On currency markets, the greenback bought Y82.37 in Tokyo, from Y82.46 in New York trade late on Friday, while the euro slipped to $US1.2891 and Y106.18 from $US1.2928 and Y106.64.

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