Flood rescue prompts police warning

A 68-YEAR-OLD man's narrow escape from his rapidly submerging ute in NSW's Northern Rivers region has prompted police to repeat warnings to motorists not to drive into floodwaters.

Police said that at about 6am (AEDT) on Saturday the man ignored signs warning of water over a causeway at Ellangowan, 20km south of Casino, and drove his utility in, flooding the vehicle up to the bonnet.

The force of the water pushed the ute off the causeway and it began to float downstream.

Police said the man managed to get out moments before the ute submerged and he was swept about 100 metres downstream before he managed to grab a tree.

At about 8.30am a passerby heard his cries for help and called a nearby resident, who waded towards the man but wasn't able to reach him because of the current.

Police and Casino Volunteer Rescue Association officers were called and conducted a swift water rescue of the man who was treated for mild hypothermia before being taken to hospital.

The rescue came only hours before the body of a man was found in his submerged car on a flooded road at Mylneford, about 20km northwest of Grafton on the NSW north coast.

That death prompted a warning to motorists from Deputy State Emergency Operations Controller, Assistant Commissioner Alan Clarke, and he repeated the warning after learning of the Ellangowan rescue.

"Roads are closed for a very good reason - they are flooded and dangerous," he said in a statement.

"We are again appealing for motorists and members of the public to never enter floodwaters or cross flooded causeways.

"It is dangerous for them and for those who have to rescue them."

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

16 sites for new nuclear plants in Iran

IRAN has selected 16 locations for the contruction of nuclear power plants as part of a plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity at multiple sites over the next 15 years.

State TV says that experts at the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran have finished studies to select the best locations across the country.

It added the sites were chosen in part for their resistance to earthquakes and military air strikes.

The Islamic republic says it needs 20 large-scale plants to meet its growing electricity needs over the next one-and-a-half decades.

State TV also says that Iran has discovered new uranium resources in the country that will put its reserves at 3990 tonnes compared to 1385 tonnes three decades ago.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius spends time with family

Oscar Pistorius (R) has been freed on bail pending a high-profile trial for killing his girlfriend. Source: AAP

SOUTH Africa's Olympic "Blade Runner" and murder suspect Oscar Pistorius was on Saturday with his family spending his first day out on bail pending trial for the killing of his girlfriend.

Pistorius was freed on a record one million rand ($A110,656) bail on Friday after eight days in cells and an emotionally charged four-day bail hearing.

"I would like Oscar to just compose himself and to have a normal day," his uncle Arnold Pistorius told the local Eyewitness News.

Pistorius will return to court later this year when a date will be set for trial for having shot dead his model girlfriend and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day.

When contacted by AFP, his father Henke Pistorius refused to say how his son had slept. He spent the night at his uncle's house in Pretoria.

But a source close to the family told AFP that "the family just want time together. They haven't thought about anything except being together".

Pistorius claims he killed his lover by mistake thinking she was a burglar.

The grieving parents of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, however, did not appear convinced.

"It doesn't matter how rich he is and how good his legal team is. He needs to live with himself if he lets his legal team lie for him," his father Barry told the Afrikaans language daily Beeld.

Pistorius has assembled some of the best legal brains in South African to defend his case.

"He'll have to live with his conscience. But if he's telling the truth, I may forgive him one day," said Steenkamp's father.

But "if it didn't happen as he described it, he should suffer. And he will suffer ... only he knows".

Pistorius' family sent flowers and card to the Steenkamp family, but "what does that mean? Nothing," said June, Reeva's mother.

In addition to the bail cash he posted on Friday, which experts say is among one of the highest ever set in South Africa, Pistorius had to surrender his passport and his firearms.

He will have to report twice weekly to Pretoria's Brooklyn police between 7am and 1pm each Monday and Friday. He was also ordered not to take alcohol or drugs.

Pistorius may also on Saturday hold talks with his trainer to get back on the track, despite being banned under the terms of his bail from competing outside South Africa.

"He is a professional athlete. He needs to keep his body in shape," said the family source.

His arrest on February 14 shocked the world and gripped South Africa, where he became a national hero after becoming the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics last year.

The state charged him with the premeditated Valentine's Day killing of 29-year-old Steenkamp.

If found guilty he faces a possible life sentence.

Just hours before the magistrate decided to release Pistorius on bail, arguing he was not a flight risk and did not pose a danger to the public, defence lawyer Barry Roux appeared to concede that the star sprinter could be convicted on a lesser charge of homicide.

That charge entails negligence rather than murderous intent and can carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Opposition slams world inaction on Syria

Syria's opposition coalition says it will form a government to run "liberated areas" of the country. Source: AAP

THE umbrella opposition National Coalition condemned world powers for failing to act to stop the slaughter in Syria, as missiles killed at least 29 in Aleppo.

The remarks by spokesman Walid al-Bunni came after the Coalition had said it would form a government to run "liberated areas" of Syria and was pulling out of several international meetings in protest against world "silence".

"We cannot continue listening to statements that are not accompanied by action," Bunni said it remarks to France 24's Arabic-language channel.

"The world has a responsibility to protect (the Syrian people) from a butcher who has been slaughtering them for two years," a reference to President Bashar al-Assad.

Referring to a meeting of the Friends of Syria group in Rome next Thursday, Bunni said: "We want to say... if you are our real friends, help us to stop the massacres that are being committed against our people".

Late on Friday, the group had said it would not attend meetings in Italy, Russia and the United States to protest against the "shameful" lack of global condemnation of "crimes committed against the Syrian people".

It had been due to attend the Friends of Syria, and Coalition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib had also been invited to Moscow.

"The international silence on the crimes committed every day against our people amounts to participating in two years of killings," a statement said.

"We hold the Russian leaders in particular ethically and politically responsible because they continue to support the (Damascus) regime with weapons."

Bunni also challenged the United States to honour what he said were promises of support for democracy in Syria.

"Our visit to Washington is on hold until Washington takes a stance that is in accordance with US statements on its support for democracy."

On Friday, Bunni announced plans for a government for "liberated areas" that he said he hoped would be based inside northern Syria.

Its composition and "prime minister" would be chosen at a meeting on March 2, he added, with Coalition members saying the gathering would be held in Istanbul.

Meanwhile, peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said Thursday's attack in Damascus had left about 100 people dead - substantially more than a previous toll of 61 - and wounded another 250.

Describing it as a "war crime", the UN-Arab League envoy said "nothing could justify such horrible actions that amount to war crimes under international law".

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said "nothing can justify an act of such brutality that killed so many people, mostly civilians, including children".

Both the regime and opposition have blamed "terrorists" for the attack near the ruling Baath party's main offices.

The same day, another 22 people were killed in a triple bombing targeting security headquarters in northern Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In the second largest city of Aleppo, at least 29 people, including 19 children, had been killed and 150 wounded when three missiles hit Tariq al-Bab district on Friday, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

Shelling of the city's Maadi district caused a building to collapse, killing an unknown number of people, and rebels fought troops near Aleppo international airport and Nayrab air base to the southeast.

The army's use of surface-to-surface missiles is part of a bid to advance on Aleppo, swathes of which the rebels have seized since mid-2012, said Abdel Rahman.

"The army has been trying for weeks to come closer to Aleppo via its eastern entrance, in order to assault it. Elite troops are being sent... but so far the army has been unsuccessful."

The Britain-based Observatory said 149 people were killed nationwide on Friday, adding to an overall UN death toll of at least 70,000 dead in the 23-month conflict.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Malaysia busts child trafficking syndicate

MALAYSIAN police said they have broken up a child trafficking syndicate and rescued 21 children and babies.

Police in the northern state of Penang said they arrested 43 suspects, at least 20 of them women, in a nationwide operation which began late last December.

"The babies and children were aged between a month and nine years," Penang police chief Rahim Hanafi said in a statement on the force's Facebook page.

Reports also cited him as saying in an earlier press conference that police made raids Thursday night in six states and the capital Kuala Lumpur.

"We are also working closely with Interpol on a few of the children believed to have been taken to neighbouring countries," Friday's The Star newspaper quoted Rahim as saying.

Malaysian police have in recent years broken up several other child trafficking syndicates, nabbing Malaysians and Indonesians who bought children from poor women and sold them on for as much as $A5,880.

The suspects face jail terms of between three to 20 years.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hitler and Frankenstein run for election

ADOLF Hitler is running for election in India. So is Frankenstein.

The tiny northeast Indian state of Meghalaya has a special fascination for interesting and sometimes controversial names, and the ballot for state elections Saturday is proof.

Hitler, aged 54, has already been elected to the state assembly three times, with little controversy over being named after the Nazi dictator.

He points out that he's not an exact match; his middle name is Lu.

Hitler has travelled the world, including to the United States and Germany. He has often been asked by immigration officials why he has that name.

He says it wasn't his decision.

India played little role in World War II, and many Indians view Hitler not as the personification of evil but as a figure of fascination.

Among the 345 contestants running for the state assembly are Frankenstein Momin, Billykid Sangma, Field Marshal Mawphniang and Romeo Rani.

Some, like Kenedy Marak, Kennedy Cornelius Khyriem and Jhim Carter Sangma, are clearly hoping for the electoral success of their namesake American presidents.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Arrests over Tunisian politician murder

TUNISIA'S interior minister has announced the arrest of several suspects in the assassination of a leftist politician two weeks ago that plunged the country into a political crisis.

Ali Larayedh said late Thursday that "rapid progress" had been made in the investigation into Chorki Belaid's killing.

He gave few details, however, and could not confirm whether those arrested were the suspected killers themselves or say who was behind the assassination.

Belaid was shot four times outside his home on February 6, provoking days of unrest after many held the government responsible for his death.

Tunisia's prime minister has since resigned and the largest party in the assembly, the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party, is now working on putting together a new governing coalition.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Scottish schools hit by horse meat scandal

ALL Scottish schools have been told not to serve frozen beef burgers after one was found to contain traces of horse DNA.

Local authorities were advised to "place a hold" on the use of the products following the discovery in a burger at a North Lanarkshire school kitchen.

The measure also applies to council leisure facilities and some social care establishments.

The revelation was made after frozen burgers were removed for testing last week.

Scotland's Rural Affairs Secretary, Richard Lochhead, said it was "really unacceptable that any school child in Scotland should be eating a burger which has got horse meat in it".

News of the discovery in North Lanarkshire emerged on Thursday night.

The school where the positive test was recorded has not been named.

A local authority spokesman said: "The council has notified the Food Standards Agency, as it is required to do, and investigations are continuing.

"Our investigations are focusing on the use of frozen burger supplies during the past three months, the maximum length of time these would be held in storage."

Samples of frozen mince came back negative for horse DNA.

Meanwhile, councils across the United Kingdom were advised to take frozen beef burgers off the menu as a precautionary measure.

The move was confirmed by procurement agency Scotland Excel, which deals with contracts across Scotland.

A spokesman said: "On the evening of February 21, we were advised by North Lanarkshire Council that traces of horse DNA were found in a frozen beef burger that had been supplied to one of the schools in their area.

"Scotland Excel is very concerned to learn of this incident despite the steps taken by our suppliers to provide assurances on their processed meat products.

"Investigations are taking place and we are continuing to work with our suppliers to ensure that the necessary verification is taking place across the supply chain.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nike suspends Pistorius contract

US sportswear giant Nike has suspended its contract with Oscar Pistorius after the South African Paralympic star was charged with murdering his girlfriend.

"Nike has suspended its contract with Oscar Pistorius," the firm's UK and Ireland spokesman told AFP on Thursday.

"We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

Seen worldwide as an inspirational athlete, Pistorius, who has both legs amputated below the knee, is linked to several corporate giants.

He is facing murder charges over the Valentine's Day shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in South Africa.

Pistorius, who became the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes in the Olympics at the 2012 London Games, says he shot Steenkamp by mistake through a bathroom door, believing she was a burglar.

Pistorius earned millions in endorsements but the murder charge saw billboards featuring his image taken down soon after the news broke.

An advert for Nike showing Pistorius setting off from the starting blocks with the line "I am the bullet in the chamber" has been removed from the runner's personal website.

A Nike spokesman confirmed on Tuesday the sporting goods and apparel manufacturer had "no plans for Oscar Pistorius in upcoming campaigns".

Golf icon Tiger Woods, another Nike-backed athlete, retained the endorsement of the company during his infamous sex scandal when other sponsors severed ties with the then-married father of two.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eurozone PMI at two-month low

PRIVATE business activity across the eurozone hit a two-month low in February, signalling a steepening of the economic downturn, a leading growth indicator says.

The Purchasing Managers' Index, a leading indicator, published by London-based Markit fell to 47.3 in February from 48.6 the previous month, the company said on Thursday.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

31 dead as car bomb rocks central Damascus

A POWERFUL car bomb has exploded near the offices of Syria's ruling Baath party in Damascus, killing at least 31 people, wounding dozens and shattering buildings.

The mid-morning blast, which rocked the city centre and sent thick smoke scudding across the skyline, came as Syria's opposition was meeting in Cairo to discuss proposals to hold conditional talks with Syria's regime.

Shortly after the Thursday blast, a nearby military headquarters came under mortar attack, state television said, without giving details.

The official SANA news agency said a "large number" of civilians were killed or wounded in a "terrorist attack", while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the initial toll at 31 dead and dozens wounded.

Images of bloodied bodies and blazing vehicles were broadcast by the official television channel Al-Ekhbariya, which said children were among the wounded, as the blast occurred near a school in Mazraa district.

A police official told AFP the car bomb exploded at the 16 November Square near the Al-Iman mosque, where the Baath party's head offices are located.

Ambulance sirens rang out and machinegun fire was also heard.

Russian news agencies reported the windows of Russia's embassy in Damascus were blown out but none of its staff were hurt.

The explosion added urgency to the Cairo meeting of the main opposition National Coalition, where discussions according to a delegate were centred on an offer by the group's chief to hold direct talks with the Syrian regime.

"The agenda is long and among the issues to be discussed is the initiative of Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib," Khaled Nasser told AFP.

Coalition chief Khatib has offered to negotiate with officials of President Bashar al-Assad's regime who have no "blood on their hands" - naming Vice President Faruq al-Sharaa as a possible pointman.

Assad's regime has said it is ready to negotiate with the opposition but without pre-conditions.

Khatib's initiative has been welcomed by the Arab League and the United States as well as by two of Syria's chief allies, Iran and Russia.

But the Syrian National Council, a key component of the Coalition, has rejected any possibility of dialogue until Assad steps down.

UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who on Wednesday agreed to extend his mission by six months, at the weekend urged support for Khatib's plan.

Holding talks "in one of the United Nations' headquarters between the opposition and an acceptable Syrian government delegation would be a start to exiting the dark tunnel," he said in Cairo.

Russia, which has long urged a negotiated end to the conflict, on Wednesday again called on the warring sides to halt their fighting and start talks, warning that seeking a military settlement risked mutual destruction.

"It's time to end this two-year conflict," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after a meeting with Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi and other top Arab diplomats in Moscow.

"Neither side can allow itself to bet on a military settlement as this is a path to nowhere, a path to mutual destruction.

The UN says at least 70,000 people have been killed in the near two-year conflict.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asian markets hit by Fed stimulus fears

ASIAN markets have suffered a heavy sell-off following a tumble on Wall Street as traders grow concerned the US Federal Reserve could bring an early end to its huge stimulus program.

Minutes from the Fed's most recent policy board meeting showed some members in favour of cutting short the $US85 billion ($A83.37 billion)-a-month bond-buying introduced last year to support the economy and which has helped lift global shares.

Tokyo fell 1.39 per cent, or 159.15 points, to 11,309.13 and Sydney slid 2.33 per cent, or 118.6 points, to 4,980.1, its worst day so far for 2013 and biggest fall since May.

Seoul was off 0.47 per cent, or 9.42 points, at 2,015.22.

Shanghai tumbled 2.97 per cent, or 71.23 points, to 2,325.95, while Hong Kong slipped 1.72 per cent, or 400.74 points, to 22,906.67.

The Fed introduced a third round of its asset-purchase scheme, known as quantitative easing 3 (QE3), in September and said it would not take its foot off the pedal until unemployment had fallen and the economy was strong enough.

However, investor sentiment took a hit after the Fed minutes showed a "number" of board members said an ongoing evaluation of the easing "might well lead the committee to taper or end its purchases before it judged that a substantial improvement in the outlook for the labour market had occurred".

On Wall Street the Dow fell 0.77 per cent and the S&P 500 lost 1.24 per cent, with both markets having closed at more than five-year highs on Tuesday. The Nasdaq dropped 1.53 per cent.

The dollar surged against the euro in New York trade, with the single currency ending at $1.3283, well down from $1.3390 the previous day.

In Tokyo on Thursday the euro bought $1.3265. The euro also sat at 123.96 yen compared with 124.37 yen in New York. The greenback fetched 93.45 yen, against 93.61 yen.

Flagship airline Qantas lifted 2.79 per cent after slashing international losses and banking Dreamliner compensation from Boeing to notch a net first-half profit of $US114 million - up 164 per cent year on year.

Sony slipped 1.77 per cent to close at 1,331 yen in a muted response after it announced its long-awaited PlayStation 4 in New York without actually unveiling the console.

Oil prices were lower owing to a stronger dollar, with New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April, shedding $1.06 to $94.16 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for delivery in April dropping 98 cents to $114.62.

Gold was at $1,568.41 at 1030 GMT (2130 AEDT) compared with $1,595.20 late Wednesday.

In other markets:

- Taipei fell 71.64 points, or 0.89 per cent, to 7,957.46.

HTC rose 0.54 per cent to Tw$279.0 while Hon Hai Precision fell 1.89 per cent to Tw$83.2.

- Manila closed 0.28 per cent higher, adding 18.84 points to 6,667.41.

BDO Unibank gained 0.49 per cent to 92 pesos while Philippine Long Distance Telephone rose 0.48 per cent to 2,896 pesos.

- Wellington fell 1.04 per cent, or 43.81 points, to 4,170.43.

Fletcher Building fell 3.6 per cent to NZ$8.55 and Nuplex lost 4.0 per cent to end at NZ$3.33, while Telecom was down 1.3 per cent at NZ$2.21.

- Singapore closed 0.64 per cent, or 21.29 points, lower at 3,287.60.

Oil rig maker Keppel Corp dropped 0.43 per cent to Sg$11.66. Real estate developer Capitaland fell 2.74 per cent to Sg$3.90.

- Jakarta ended down 2.05 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 4,632.40.

State controlled miner Aneka Tambang dropped 3.73 per cent to 1,290 rupiah and retailer Hero Supermarket slid 1.82 per cent to 5,400 rupiah.

- Bangkok lost 1.16 per cent or 17.90 points to 1,528.74.

Coal producer Banpu added 3.70 per cent to 392.00 baht, while Bangkok Life Assurance jumped 3.08 per cent to 67.00 baht.

- Kuala Lumpur gained 0.72 points or 0.04 per cent, to close at 1,614.05.

Felda Global Ventures Holdings was up 0.4 per cent to 4.49 ringgit while PPB Group rose 0.8 per cent to 12.38. Genting Malaysia fell 1.9 per cent to end at 3.56 ringgit.

- Mumbai fell 1.62 per cent or 317.39 points to 19,325.36 points.

Indian steel producer Tata Steel fell 4.18 per cent to 364.15 rupees while private ICICI Bank slid 3.77 per cent to 1,078.45 rupees.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA nurses dispute reaches stalemate

THE Industrial Relations Commission has recommended West Australian nurses lift work bans at public hospitals but the Australian Nurses Federation (ANF) is standing firm in its bid for higher wages and less menial tasks.

The ANF says the commission did not order nurses to open beds but did recommend the lifting of all work bans, which have closed one in five beds in many wards.

But that wouldn't happen unless it was agreed to by a majority of union members at a mass meeting, ANF state secretary Mark Olson said.

"I have also said to the commission that I will not be going to a meeting of our members empty-handed," Mr Olson said.

He called on the government to make an acceptable offer to nurses before the ANF and commission resume talks at 9am (WST) on Thursday.

WA Premier Colin Barnett said no agreement could be signed during the caretaker period, although negotiations at an administrative level could continue.

Mr Barnett said he had the highest regard for nurses but was appealing to them to stop the work bans.

"I don't think there is any justification for closing beds in our hospitals and it is affecting patient care," he told Fairfax Radio.

WA Labor leader Mark McGowan said the party would treat nurses better than the current state government if it won the March 9 election.

"In the course of an election campaign, I cannot be making pay offers to one group or another," he told ABC Radio.

"But I don't think nurses are being treated well. It's very unusual for nurses to take industrial action - the last time it happened was 12 years ago, again under a conservative government.

"They don't do it lightly. They only do it when they feel they are being poorly treated or provoked."

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

British unemployment rises to 7.8%

BRITAIN'S unemployment rate edged higher to 7.8 per cent in the three months to the end of December from 7.7 per cent in the three months to the end of November, official data shows.

The number of unemployed people rose to 2.50 million from 2.49 million over the same period, the Office for National Statistics added in a statement on Wednesday.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Anti-Islam campaigner 'lost' his freedom

Geert Wilders, leader of The Party for Freedom, is bringing his anti-Islamisation message to Australia. Source: The Daily Telegraph

FOR the past nine years, right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders has needed 24-hour police protection wherever he has travelled because the anti-Islam campaigner says he is never safe to walk the streets alone.

After flying into Perth on Wednesday, where he'd been forced to cancel a press conference and speaking engagement after a hotel scrubbed his booking, Mr Wilders said he had to have heavy security around him at all times.

He was dogged by people who wanted to kill him, which was hard on his family because they were not free, he said.

"I lost my own freedom. I haven't been able to walk alone on any street in the world for almost nine years," Mr Wilders told Fairfax Radio.

"But still, I know why I am doing it. I know that it needs to be done."

In 2002, during the Dutch election campaign, anti-Islam politician Pym Fortuyn was assassinated by a man who said he wanted to stop him scapegoating Muslims.

Mr Wilders, who says he is agnostic but ascribes to Judeo-Christian values, claims he does not have anything against Muslim people.

But he's against extreme Islam, he says, which has a "totalitarian ideology" like communism and fascism.

"I feel that we should stop it from coming to our free societies because Islam and freedom are incompatible," he said.

The controversial politician, who wants a ban on Islamic immigration, received a standing ovation on Tuesday in Melbourne, where up to 300 people dodged a large group of rowdy protesters to hear the first speech in his Australian tour.

Mr Wilders said it was "very sad" he could not find a venue willing to host him in WA after Premier Colin Barnett said he would not be allowed in any state government building.

"It's sad that I was not welcome in his state," Mr Wilders told Fairfax Radio.

He said in a democratic society like Australia, he should be able to express his opinions freely.

"Let's be happy we live in a democracy," he said.

"If people don't like my message then they should advocate their own message."

His next speaking engagement in Sydney on Friday is still planned to go ahead, event organisers Q Society of Australia told AAP.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asian markets mostly up

ASIAN markets have mostly climbed, with dealers taking a positive cue from Wall Street and Europe, following a surge in investor confidence in eurozone powerhouse Germany.

Japanese shares posted healthy gains on Wednesday as the yen softened and data showed exports rose for the first time in eight months in January, although the country still posted its worst ever monthly trade deficit.

Tokyo added 0.84 per cent, or 95.94 points, to 11,468.28, while Sydney was up 0.33 per cent, or 16.8 points, to 5,098.7 points - its highest close since September 2008.

Seoul jumped 1.95 per cent, or 38.81 points to 2,024.64 and Hong Kong was up 0.71 per cent, or 163.50 points, at 23,307.41, while Shanghai added 0.60 per cent, or 14.27 points, to 2,397.18.

On Wall Street investors returned from a three-day weekend to send the Dow and S&P 500 to more than five-year highs thanks to fresh merger and acquisition news.

The Dow rose 0.39 per cent to its best level since October 12, 2007 and the S&P 500 was up 0.73 per cent, hitting its highest point since October 31, 2007. The Nasdaq gained 0.68 per cent.

Reports office supply retailers Office Depot and OfficeMax were planning a tie-up followed last week's news of a merger between American Airlines and US Airways, and the Berkshire Hathaway-3G Capital takeover of Heinz.

Hopes for an end to Europe's long struggles were given a fillip by the widely watched ZEW economic institute investor confidence index in Germany, which soared to 48.2 points in February from 31.5 points in January, its highest level since April 2010.

The reading beat market expectations for a much more modest increase to just 35 points this month.

On currency markets the dollar was at 93.40 yen, against 93.54 yen in New York on Tuesday.

The single European currency bought 125.29 yen and $1.3419 compared with 125.24 yen and $1.3390 in US trade.

Official data on Wednesday showed Japan logged its worst ever trade deficit in January, with a shortfall of 1.63 trillion yen, more than the 1.3 trillion forecast. That came despite exports seeing first gain since June.

In Sydney mining giant BHP Billiton said its first half net profit fell 58 per cent, but also announced that its chief executive Marius Kloppers will retire in May, to be replaced by the man who has headed the firm's non-ferrous division since 2008.

The firm's shares were 0.56 per cent lower in early trade.

On oil markets New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in March gained 39 cents to $97.05 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for delivery in April dropped 28 cents to $117.28.

Gold was at $1,595.20 at 1100 GMT, compared with $1,612.50 late on Tuesday.

In other markets:

- Taiwan rose 68.22 points, or 0.86 per cent, to 8,029.1.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co added 1.87 per cent to Tw$109.0, while Hon Hai Precision was 0.83 per cent higher at Tw$84.8.

- Manila rose 0.42 per cent higher, or 27.85 points, to a record 6,648.57.

SM Investments Corp. gained 0.70 per cent to 1,007 pesos while Megaworld Corp. rose 0.26 per cent to 3.90 pesos.

- Wellington fell 0.71 per cent, or 29.97 points, to 4,214.24.

- Singapore closed up 0.40 per cent, or 13.12 points, at 3,308.89.

Capitaland increased 1.52 per cent to Sg$4.01 and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation gained 0.50 per cent to Sg$10.03.

- Kuala Lumpur shed 1.74 points, or 0.11 per cent, to close at 1,613.33.

DiGi.com lost 1.9 per cent to 4.61 ringgit, while Telekom Malaysia slipped 1.3 per cent to close at 5.15. YTL Corp added 1.3 per cent to 1.60 ringgit.

- Jakarta closed up 32.39 points, or 0.70 per cent, at 4,634.45.

- Astra Agro Lestari rose 2.16 per cent to 18,900 rupiah, while retailer Ramayana Lestari Sentosa jumped 5.31 per cent to 1,190 rupiah. Cigarette maker Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna slid 1.35 per cent to 73,000 rupiah.

- Bangkok added 0.95 per cent, or 14.57 points, to 1,546.64.

Power giant Electricity Generating Public Co. lost 0.66 per cent to 151.50 baht, while Thai Airways International added 4.08 per cent to 25.50 baht.

- Mumbai edged up 0.04 per cent, or 7.03 points, to 19,642.75.

Reliance Industries rose 3.13 per cent to 875.35 rupees.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Multimillion-dollar Belgian diamond heist

EIGHT armed and masked men made a hole in a security fence at Brussels' international airport, drove onto the tarmac and snatched millions of dollars' worth of diamonds from the hold of a Swiss-bound plane without firing a shot, authorities said.

The gang used two vehicles in their daring raid on Monday, grabbed the cache of stones and sped off into the darkness, said Anja Bijnens, spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor's office.

Police found a burnt-out vehicle close to the airport later Monday night and said they were still looking for clues.

The heist was estimated at some $US50 million ($A48.80 million) in diamonds, said Caroline De Wolf of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre.

"What we are talking about is obviously a gigantic sum," De Wolf told VRT network.

An airport spokesman said the robbers made a hole in the perimeter fence and drove up to the Swiss passenger plane, which was ready to leave. The robbers got out of the car, flashed their weapons and took the loot from the hold, said airport spokesman Jan Van Der Crujsse. Without firing a shot they drove off through the same hole in the fence, completing the spectacular theft within minutes, he said.

Van Der Crujsse could not explain how the area could be so vulnerable to theft.

"We abide by the most stringent rules," he said.

The Swiss flight, bound for Zurich and operated by Helvetic Airways, was cancelled. Swiss, an affiliate of Germany's Deutsche Lufthansa AG, declined to comment on the heist, citing the ongoing judicial investigation.

The insurance for air transport - handled sometimes by airlines themselves or external insurance companies - is usually relatively cheap because it's considered to be the safest way of transporting small high value items, logistics experts say.

Unlike a car or a truck, an airplane cannot be attacked by robbers once it's on its way, and it is considered to be very safe before the departure and after the plane's arrival because the aircraft is always within the confines of an airport - which are normally highly secured.

A decade ago the Belgian city of Antwerp, the world capital of diamond-cutting, was the scene of what was probably one of the biggest diamond heists in history, when robbers took precious stones, jewels, gold and securities from the high-security vaults at Antwerp's Diamond Center, yielding loot that police in 2003 estimated to be worth about $US100 million ($A97.60 million).

Antwerp's Diamond Center stands in the heart of the high-surveillance diamond district where police and dozens of cameras work around the clock, and security has been beefed up further since the spectacular 2003 robbery.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Germany approves troops for Mali mission

THE German government will send up to 330 soldiers to help train the Malian army and support the French deployment in its battle against Islamists.

Up to 180 German soldiers have been earmarked for the European Union Training Mission (EUTM), formally approved by EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.

Forty of the German contingent will train Malian forces. Another 40 will act as medical support staff, according to a government statement.

The other 100 will be available to provide logistical support, dealing with water and energy supplies.

The deployment will make Germany the second-biggest contributor to the EUTM mission behind France, according to European sources.

Germany will make another 150 soldiers available to back up the French army in Mali via air transport for French and African troops and help in the refuelling of planes.

Combat troops will not be sent to Mali.

The EUTM has a 15-month mandate to assist the ramshackle Malian army in its effort to fight Islamist rebels who last year seized control of the country's vast arid north.

The 27 EU nations first approved the idea of a training mission in December but its deployment was accelerated after the surprise intervention of France in its former colony on January 11 to halt the insurgents' march on the capital.

About 16 countries from the EU as well as Norway have agreed to take part in the EUTM, which will have a budget of 12.3 million euros ($A16.07 million).

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Troops pour into Syria's Aleppo

President Bashar al-Assad says he's confident his troops will win the conflict ravaging Syria. Source: AAP

HUNDREDS of troops backed by military vehicles poured into the northern province of Aleppo following rebel advances and as a battle raged for control of Syria's second-largest airport, a watchdog said.

The reinforcements arrived at the town of Tal-Aran in the southeast of the province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Tuesday's deployment follows unexpected advances by the rebels in their thrust to seize control of air bases in northern Syria and to capture Aleppo's international airport.

"A large number of troops are currently approaching Aleppo from the east, redeployed from central Syria, to keep the rebels from taking the country's second-biggest airport," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"The army will not let Aleppo international airport go without a big fight."

In the past week, rebels have captured air bases at Al-Jarrah, Hassel and Base 80, as well as an important checkpoint near the international airport.

On Monday, they made a brief incursion into the airport's fuel warehouse before the army pushed them out, a military source said.

The source also said the rebels had seized a building strategically located 200 metres from the airport.

Fighting between rebels and troops also erupted Tuesday in southern Damascus, where the army deployed reinforcements in a bid to drive insurgents out of belts surrounding the capital, the Observatory said.

"Rebels and regular troops clashed at the entrance to Yarmuk (Palestinian) refugee camp in Damascus," said the watchdog.

Pro-regime daily Al-Watan at the same time reported "clashes near Sayyida Zeinab (southeast of Damascus) and the surroundings of Yarmuk camp".

The camp housing thousands of Palestinian refugees has seen fierce fighting inside and outside its premises since late last year.

Throughout much of the winter, the army has been engaged in a bid to keep approaching rebels out of Damascus, making daily attacks on their enclaves all around the capital.

But in Damascus province, as in much of the rest of the country, rebels and the army have reached a military stalemate, said Abdel Rahman.

"Across Syria today, there are hundreds of flashpoints. Both the army and the rebels are over-stretched," he said.

"While the rebels have made significant advances in some areas such as Aleppo province, the army is not going to let any strategic area slide. So what we are looking at is a long-term war of attrition."

The United Nations says that nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict.

On Monday at least 154 people were killed in violence across Syria, among them 63 soldiers and 54 rebel fighters, said the Observatory.

Russia has sent two planes to Syria to pick up Russians wanting to leave the conflict-torn country as the navy dispatched four warships to the Mediterranean possibly for a larger evacuation.

Two emergencies ministry planes carrying humanitarian aid for Syria were heading for the port city of Latakia and would take any Russians wanting to leave on their flight back, the ministry said on Tuesday.

The aid consists of electrical equipment, bedding, tents as well as food such as fish, milk and sugar.

Meanwhile the defence ministry said Russia is sending four more warships to the Mediterranean Sea to join an escort ship and smaller vessels that are already on duty in the region.

Observers are watching for any hints of Russia planning a full-scale evacuation of its citizens which would be seen as a tacit admission from Moscow that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad is doomed in its fight against rebels.

The defence ministry told Russian news agencies the ships would be on "military service" but gave no further details.

But a military source quoted by RIA Novosti said their main task could be taking part in a possible evacuation of Russian citizens from Syria.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius charged with murder

Olympian Oscar Pistorius (R) has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Source: AAP

A SOUTH Africa prosecutor has charged Olympian Oscar Pistorius with the murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The 26-year-old appeared in the dock at the Pretoria court in a black suit, blue shirt and grey tie and stared straight ahead anxiously.

Oscar Pistorius' father Henke Pistorius and siblings, Aimee and Carl, were in court at the start of his bail hearing on Tuesday, seated behind the defence in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court.

The prosecutor argued Pistorius committed premeditated murder.

The double-amputee Olympian and Paralympian "Blade Runner" is seeking bail

at the hearing.

State prosecutor Gerrie Nel said that Pistorius killed an "innocent and unarmed woman" in a premeditated murder.

"There is no possible explanation to support his report that it was a burglar," Nel told the court.

The prosecutor said that Pistorius shot Steenkamp four times through the bathroom door of his home in a guarded and gated complex in the South African capital.

Nel told the court the door had been broken open.

Nel said Pistorius put on his prosthesis, walked seven metres and fired three shots through a locked bathroom door at Steenkamp.

Nel said the victim arrived at the house between 5pm and 6pm the night before she was killed at 3am.

The prosecutor also said the athlete, who broke down in tears during the hearing, had not provided investigators with his own version of what happened.

Defence lawyer Barry Roux said Steenkamp was not murdered, and there were a number of cases where men have shot members of their own family through doors after mistaking them for burglars.

"There's no agreement there, not even concession that this is

murder."

He also suggested that Pistorius broke the bathroom door down to help Ms Steenkamp after the shooting.

After the shooting Pistorius informed his sister that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder, the court heard.

Nel said the killing was premeditated because the defendant planned to say that he thought he was shooting an intruder.

He added: "It was all part of the pre-planning. Why would a burglar lock himself inside the bathroom?"

Nel said: "He prepared. He armed himself. The motive was, he wanted to kill.

"We have the facts. There were two people in the home. (One) was shot dead."

Four bullets were fired through the bathroom door - three hit Steenkamp, Nel said.

"There is no possible explanation to support his report that it was a burglar," he said.

Pistorius was emotional as the state read out the first parts of its case against him, at times holding his head in his hands.

Judge Desmond Nair ruled that Pistorius will face a charge of premeditated murder over the death of Steenkamp.

The magistrate ruled that Pistorius faces the harshest bail requirements available in South African law. He did not elaborate before a break was called in the session.

Pistorius spoke only to confirm he had no previous convictions.

"Yes, your worship," he said in a shaking voice.

Nair asked Pistorius to speak up and he repeated the phrase louder.

The judge ruled that, for the purpose of the bail hearing, the case was a schedule six offence - meaning premeditated murder - rather than the less serious schedule five.

Pistorius' family huddled in prayer at the court after the judge's ruling, and the his father Henke was comforted by family members outside the court.

Pistorius denied "in the strongest terms" murdering his 29-year-old lover in the Valentine's Day shooting.

"I had no intention to kill my girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp," he said in an affidavit read out at the court hearing by his lawyer Barry Roux.

"We were deeply in love.

"I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder let alone premeditated murder as I did not intend to kill my girlfriend."

Pistorius' lawyer said the defence would apply for more information on the prosecution's case by Wednesday.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Royals eye new car with added security

ROYAL protection officers are road testing a bulletproof, anti-kidnap, gadget-laden limousine for use by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.

The STG300,000 BMW 760 is loaded with security features including windows and bodywork capable of repelling gunfire.

Testing of the German marque comes after the future king and the Duchess of Cornwall became startled backseat targets during student protests in London in 2010.

The couple's Rolls Royce was pelted with eggs and paint bombs and Camilla was poked with a wooden pole through an window as crowds chanted "off with their heads", The Independent newspaper reported.

The BMW, which boasts a list of accessories making it suitable for a starring role in a James Bond film, is the ideal vehicle for high-profile royals, experts say.

"This is the best security car of its kind and in my view the police should be using it because they couldn't countenance another attack like the one during the student riots," former head of royal security Dai Davies said.

Remote ignition means the BMW can be started from a distance in case terrorists have wired explosives to the starter system.

Sensors are in place to detect and automatically extinguish fires underneath the vehicle and in the engine bay.

In the case of a gas attack, windows and air vents are automatically closed while a supplementary oxygen system kicks in.

The boot of the car can be locked and unlocked remotely by police so it is impossible for royal passengers to be trapped inside.

The car is promoted as the second-most secure in the world, beaten only by US President Barack Obama's custom made Cadillac One, nicknamed "the beast".

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Politically-correct loos panned in Britain

THE introduction of gender-neutral public toilets by some English councils has been labelled "political correctness gone barmy" by opponents.

At least two councils have proposed to adopt the new loo code so as not to "alienate the transgender community", British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reports.

Under the plans, facilities would not show a "man" or "ladies" symbol but instead a sign indicating they can be used by people of all ages and any gender.

"This does seem to be a case of unnecessary bureaucracy and political correctness," Lynda Hyde, a Tory councillor from one of the affected areas, told the newspaper.

"Local residents, particularly women with children, would much prefer to use separate facilities as, apart from anything else, it is safer."

Work is already under way on the first of the new public toilets at Brighton, with plans to gradually phase in the new signage at all facilities.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labor is all about workers, Gillard says

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has delivered a pep talk to the labour movement, declaring the economy will be at the centre of her re-election campaign.

Addressing the Australian Workers' Union national conference on the Gold Coast on Monday night, Ms Gillard said her government had "more to do" on education, jobs and improving productivity beyond the September 14 election.

"The watchwords of this year ... jobs, opportunity, fairness, being stronger, being smarter, making sure that the next generation enjoys a better life than we do," Ms Gillard said in a speech delivered without notes.

"That is our mission, that is our cause in 2013 and beyond 2013."

With the Jupiters Casino conference room packed with the nation's union leaders and more than a dozen federal Labor MPs, Ms Gillard declared herself a "Labor leader".

"I'm not the leader of a party called the progressive party, I'm not the leader of a party called the moderate party," she said.

"I'm not the leader of a party even called the social democratic party.

"I'm the leader of the party called the Labor Party deliberately, because that is where we come from, that is what we believe in, that is who we are."

She said she was "confident" that Australians would embrace her plan for the nation's future.

Ms Gillard took a shot at the coalition's policies, arguing that cost-cutting through reducing wages and conditions was the wrong direction.

"We won't do that. We will never do that," she said.

And she flagged further changes to the Fair Work Act, declaring that the workplace laws were "good, but not good enough".

AWU national secretary Paul Howes said after the speech that it had filled him with confidence for the year ahead and his union would "work hard" to get Ms Gillard re-elected.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Victorian towns brace for wind change

THE townships of Wollert and Woodstock in Melbourne's north have been warned they could be in the way of a grassfire if a wind change occurs between midnight and 4am (AEST) Tuesday.

The Country Fire Authority says the slow large, slow-moving grassfire in the Wollert and Epping areas is being pushed south by northerly winds but a southwesterly wind change is expected to arrive between midnight and 4am.

"The wind change may change the direction of the fire to a northeasterly direction towards Wollert and Woodstock," the CFA said.

The fire is around 1900 hectares in size and is currently under control.

Meanwhile, residents affected when the fire closed the Hume Freeway at Epping on Monday have been told it is safe to return to their homes.

A CFA spokeswoman said residents in the area around Copper St, Epping Road, Steen Avenue and Allumba Way could return home.

That fire destroyed one home and damaged another in Melbourne's northern suburbs.

One home in the Epping North area was destroyed but none in housing estates, incident controller John Deering said.

Another home was damaged and several outbuildings or sheds lost.

An emergency warning remains in place on Monday night for the Epping and Campbellfield area.

Some parts of the 31km of fire edge were still active, incident controller John Deering said.

"The fire is not advancing or spreading any further at this stage," he told ABC radio.

"However, there may be still active fire within that fire edge."

Crews would remain on scene all night, he said.

In the Grampians in Victoria's southwest, two large bushfires have merged to form one out-of-control fire about 4230 hectares in size.

The fire had come out of bushland and into private land, Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said.

A wind change due on Monday night would put a lot of pressure on the fire, Mr Lapsley said.

"We have a lot of resources in place but certainly it is a very dry area and certainly we will see significant fire move through Victoria Valley," he told ABC television,

The fire, which was started by lightning on Thursday, has been creating spot fires 1km ahead of it.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tropfest gets new date and location

AFTER 21 years, Tropfest founder John Polson says it's time for a change, so the world's largest short film festival will move to a new time of year and a new home.

The 22nd Tropfest will be held on December 8 this year and will move from The Domain to Centennial Park in Sydney.

Festival director Polson revealed the change following the announcement of the Tropfest winner on Sunday night.

"February is always a tricky month," he told AAP, particularly for people in the film industry wanting to visit.

Aside from the Berlin Film Festival, "it's the BAFTAs, the Oscars, it's this, it's that.

"We think we're pretty big but I don't want to take on the Oscars."

When Tropfest started in 1993, Polson says nobody knew what it was but as the festival has grown bigger there's been a significant increase in visiting international guests.

"We've really been thinking, where's the best place to fit in with the global calendar of these film events?"

Moving Tropfest to December should also attract more international visitors, he said.

However, the weather has also played a small part in the decision.

Only one Tropfest had to be shut down but an enormous downpour last year certainly dampened the night.

"If you look it up, statistically Sydney has almost double the rainfall in February than it has in December, so I'm not going to pretend that didn't have something to do with it either," he said.

The popularity of the film festival, which began in Sydney's Tropicana Cafe, has contributed to the date change as well as the new location.

Polson says with audiences and filmmaker numbers expanding, Centennial Park offers more opportunity to add value to the festival.

"People are coming in earlier and earlier to get their space... but now they're there for 8 or 10 hours and we're trying to give them great stuff to do," he says.

There are many ideas in the pipeline, including A-list live music acts.

However, The Domain will always be an incredible part of Tropfest's history.

Polson said when they moved there in 1999 most people thought they were crazy.

"You know: 'You're never going to fill it, this thing's going to completely tank, because it'll be half full and everyone will think you're a failure'," Polson says.

"And frankly I was one of them."

Of course that didn't happen and Tropfest now attracts a live national audience of about 150,000 people as well as featuring on free-to-air channel SBS One.

Polson says one of the things they've learnt at Tropfest is "even if you're on a great wicket, you cannot just breeze it".

He says it's no coincidence the new Tropfest signature item (TSI), which has to be included in every short film entry, is 'change'.

"The reason is we want to embrace change," he says.

"It's easy to be afraid of change... (but) you've got to be courageous if you want a pay-off.

"No guts, no glory.

"This is going to take some guts and we're hopefully going to get some glory."

* The 22nd Tropfest will run on December 8, 2013

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spy work must be secret: Israeli PM

EXPOSURE of intelligence activities can "badly damage" state security, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu said, in his first remarks on the arrest and death of a jailed Australian-Israeli with Mossad links.

In remarks to his outgoing cabinet on Sunday, the Israeli prime minister insisted that security forces be allowed to "quietly" get on with their jobs, in his first comments on the mysterious spy saga which has dominated headlines in Israel and Australia.

"Overexposure of security and intelligence activities can damage, and damage badly, state security and that is why in every debate we must not underestimate the security interest," he said in remarks quoted by his office.

"In the reality in which Israel lives, it must be a central interest," he said in a thinly veiled criticism of the media frenzy sparked by the exposure last week of the identity of Prisoner X - an Australian immigrant called Ben Zygier who worked for Israel's Mossad spy agency.

According to a story broken last Tuesday by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Zygier was found hanged in his cell in Ayalon prison near Tel Aviv in December 2010, in a case Israel went to extreme lengths to cover up.

Israel imposed a total media blackout on the case but was forced to ease the restrictions after the story made headlines across the world, rendering the local gag order ineffective.

Until now, Israel's government had said nothing on matter, although Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon on Saturday insisted that Israel abided fully by the law, even in the case of security prisoners.

"I ask everyone: let the security forces continue to work quietly in order that we can carry on living in peace and security in Israel," Netanyahu said.

"We are an exemplary democratic state and safeguard the rights of those under investigation and the rights of the individual no less than any other state.

"But we are also facing greater threats and challenges and therefore we need to ensure that we protect the normal working of our security branches," he said, expressing "complete trust" in Israel's security forces and legal system.

Zygier, who immigrated to Israel around 2001 and at some point joined Mossad, is understood to have been arrested in February 2010 on charges which remain subject to a tight gag order.

Three months later, Israel's Ynet news website briefly ran a report about a prisoner held in top secret conditions whose identity and alleged crime were not known even to his jailers, but it was quickly taken offline under a gag order.

In December 2010, Zygier was found hanged in his cell despite the fact it was under 24-hour electronic surveillance, sparking a barrage of criticism and conspiracy theories in both Israel and Australia.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labor and Gillard losing support: poll

THE federal government's standing with voters has dropped again, while Julia Gillard has lost her lead as preferred prime minister, a new poll shows.

Labor's primary vote stands at just 30 per cent, according to a Herald/Nielsen poll published in Fairfax newspapers.

It's a dip of 5 points since the last survey in December.

Support for the Coalition has risen 4 points, taking its primary vote to 47 per cent - its highest level since just after the carbon tax began in July 2012.

On a two-party-preferred basis, Labor's support is at 45 per cent, well behind the 55 per cent for the Coalition.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has also overtaken Julia Gillard in the preferred prime minister stakes, with his support leaping by 9 percentage points to 49 per cent compared with Ms Gillard on 45.

The national poll of 1400 voters found the gap between Ms Gillard and former prime minister Kevin Rudd has also grown, with Mr Rudd favoured by 61 per cent of respondents to just 35 per cent for her.

It comes as Mr Rudd rubbished suggestions on Sunday that he was planning another tilt at the ALP leadership.

He said there was no leadership stoush, reiterating that he and the Labor Party had full confidence in Ms Gillard's leadership.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Floods and landslides kill 13 in Indonesia

AT least 13 people have been killed in Indonesia after heavy rains triggered floods and landslides, officials say.

Flooding and landslides hit North Sulawesi province's capital city Manado early Sunday, killing 10 people and causing the evacuation of another 1200, national disaster management agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

On Saturday three people including two 14-year-old boys were killed after they were swept away by floodwaters in Jambi province on Sumatra island, local disaster official Dalmanto told AFP.

"Several days of heavy rains caused a river to break its banks and flood smaller waterways. The boys were taken away by strong currents as they were bathing in a waterway," he said.

"And today, we found the body of a man who went fishing in a canal."

Indonesia has been repeatedly afflicted by deadly floods and landslides in recent years during its wet season which lasts about six months.

Environmentalists blame logging and a failure to reforest denuded land in the world's fourth-most populous country for the frequent flooding.

Heavy rains caused flooding in the capital Jakarta in January, killing 32 people and forcing nearly 46,000 to flee their homes.

19.19 | 0 komentar | Read More