Carmakers bet on alternative-fuel future

JUDGING by the slew of electric and hybrid vehicles being rolled out at the Frankfurt Motor Show, it might seem carmakers are tapping a large and eager market.

But in fact almost no one buys such cars - yet.

Every major carmaker is coming out with electric versions of existing vehicles - such as Volkswagen's all-electric versions of its up! city car and Golf compact.

And they are also showcasing models they have designed as electrics from the ground up, like small BMW's electric i3 city car.

Analyst Christoph Stuermer at IHS automotive called Frankfurt "the first full-throttle electric propulsion show" that's about "getting electric drive cars out of the eco-nerd, tree-hugger segment and into the cool group".

To whet appetites, carmakers are making high-performance, luxury versions that give up little or nothing in performance to conventional models. BMW's i8 goes 0-100 kph in a speedy 4.5 seconds.

Audi's Quattro sport concept - meaning it's for demonstration, not for sale - is an aggressive looking sports car with large air intakes flanking the grille and a whopping 700 horsepower from its hybrid drive. The company says it can reach 305 kph.

The Mercedes S-Class plug-in hybrid version, meanwhile, has a powerful six-cylinder internal combustion engine plus an all-electric range of about 30 kilometres.

This way, owners could commute all-electric during the week, recharging overnight but use the petrol engine on a family vacation.

The company says mileage is 3.0 litres per 100 kilometres.

All this, to cater to a market that doesn't really exist in mass terms. Only 0.2 per cent of all cars registered in Europe are hybrids, which combine batteries with internal combustion engines, or electrics, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

In the United States, the Toyota Prius hybrid has broken into the top 10 selling passenger cars. However, electric vehicles have struggled to increase sales numbers because of high prices and so-called range anxiety: buyers' fear of running out of power.

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Labor's friendly leadership battle begins

LEADERSHIP hopefuls Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese insist there is no 'I' in Labor and their civil showdown for the ALP's top job is headed for a contest of personal experience and popularity.

Both candidates say the 30-day leadership campaign - which will see them jetting around the nation - will be a gentlemanly joust, putting the party first and moving away from Labor's past division.

"Labor is drawing a line underneath the rancour of previous years," Mr Shorten told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

"We will not seek to publicly disparage each other in our efforts."

Separating them on policy will not be simple though.

Mr Albanese said both he and Mr Shorten support a price on carbon and would oppose the coalition government's plans to scrap the carbon tax.

Victorian Labor right powerbroker Mr Shorten agreed they had a lot of values in common.

But Mr Albanese, from the party's left, believes his parliamentary longevity gives him an edge.

"I come here as someone (with) 17 years in public office," he said.

"I think one of the things I would bring to the leadership is that I have had time in opposition, I know what it's like, I know what has to be done ... that experience I think does count."

Mr Shorten, a former Australian Workers Union national secretary, has just won his third parliamentary term and hopes his history as a "builder and a campaigner" combined with his energy and enthusiasm makes him leadership material.

But he added: "This ballot in the Labor party will not be the contest of personalities, it will be the contest of ideas".

Both men indicated they would happily work with the other should their leadership aspirations fail.

They both gave their sales pitches to a caucus meeting on Friday where outgoing leader Kevin Rudd accepted responsibility for Labor's election loss and said the party was well placed to win the next election no matter who led the party.

The party room was told Labor had to become more unified to move forward.

"Whoever it was who was tweeting out of the caucus today, it's got to stop," Mr Albanese said later.

"It's not helpful for people to be sitting in a caucus room to be tweeting out to members of the press gallery."

Outgoing Treasurer Chris Bowen has been given the interim party reins while the leader is chosen, in what he called the nation's most democratic election process.

"They will have been elected by the whole Labor party, by every eligible rank and file member, as well as by the parliamentary caucus," Mr Bowen said.

While now it's only a two-horse race, there could be another candidate. Nominations for leadership remain open for seven days, before ballot papers are sent to Labor members.

Caucus will cast their votes last but will not know the grass-roots ballot result when they do.

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Keep Rudd asylum-seeker policy: Burke

TONY Abbott should swallow his pride and stick to Labor's hardline asylum-seeker policies because they are working, says outgoing Immigration Minister Tony Burke.

Mr Abbott did not speak to the media as he continued setting up his government on Friday, amid suggestions Indonesia will not accept part of his border-protection policies and news a fourth asylum-seeker boat had arrived since the coalition won the election.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa reportedly said this week his country won't accept part of the coalition's policy for a $20 million community engagement program to pay Indonesian village "wardens" to provide intelligence about people smugglers and a boat buy-back.

"We will reject his policy on asylum seekers and any other policy that harms the spirit of partnership and (Indonesian) sovereignty and national integrity," Mr Natalegawa told a House of Representatives meeting on Wednesday.

Mr Abbott's incoming foreign minister Julie Bishop was not available for comment either.

But she said in a statement that Abbott government policies would, where appropriate, be discussed during formal bilateral meetings with Indonesian officials in coming weeks and months.

Discussions would not be conducted through the media, she said.

Mr Burke says there was a "complete collapse" in boat arrivals after former prime minister Kevin Rudd changed the rules so that asylum seekers who arrive by boat without a visa are sent to PNG or Nauru and are ineligible for resettlement in Australia.

Mr Burke said that if Mr Abbott sticks with these policies people-smuggling operators won't be able to get their customers back.

"But he needs to swallow his pride and it's hard to swallow his pride so soon after what was such a big win for him," Mr Burke told reporters in Canberra.

The coalition's border-protection plan, called Operation Sovereign Borders, will officially begin when the new government is sworn in next week, Mr Abbott said.

Australian authorities intercepted a boat carrying 158 people, believed to be asylum seekers, north-west of Christmas Island overnight.

Meanwhile, the Australian Lawyers Alliance says Australia has spent almost $28 million on asylum seekers' compensation claims since 2000 - $21.1 million for unlawful detention in 299 matters and $6.9 million for breaches of duty-of-care and statutory duties towards 150 others.

And outspoken barrister Julian Burnside QC suggested the incoming Abbott government should fund a processing centre for asylum seekers in Indonesia to help prevent the perilous sea voyages.

He said Australia should prepare for more arrivals when international troops withdraw from Afghanistan at the end of the year.

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Iraq mosque bombing kills 28

A BOMB has struck a Sunni mosque during prayers north of Baghdad, killing 28 people in the latest eruption of violence to rock Iraq.

Police officials said Friday's bombing hit the village of Umm al-Adham on the outskirts of Baqouba, 60km northeast of Baghdad.

The officials said at least 41 people were wounded.

Health officials confirmed the death toll.

Iraq is weathering it deadliest bout of violence in half a decade, raising fears the country is returning to the widespread killing that pushed it to the brink of civil war following the 2003 US-led invasion.

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Indonesia eyes Oz land for cattle breeding

PLANS by the Indonesian government to purchase a million hectares of Australian land for cattle breeding have been welcomed by farmers.

Amid growing demands for beef, the southeast Asian nation will turn to Australia where breeding is about one fifth of the cost, Indonesia's State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said.

"It's specified only for breeding," Mr Dahlan said of the plan.

"After they're born, a few months afterward, (the cattle) must be brought to Indonesia for feedlot."

In contrast to breeding costs, feedlot expenses are three times cheaper in Indonesia, Mr Dahlan said.

National Farmers' Federation boss Matt Linnegar said the Indonesian investment would provide a much-needed injection to Australia's struggling agriculture sector.

"Our sector will not survive without a level of foreign investment," he told SBS TV on Thursday night.

"If it's part of a broader solution where the trade is continuing and they invest in that property and in infrastructure, that could in fact mean more jobs for Australians."

Incoming coalition government MP Barnaby Joyce, who holds the rural NSW seat of New England, was more wary of the plan.

"This is like selling somebody (a portion of land equal in size to) the ACT, so it's quite a substantial chunk of Australia," Mr Joyce said.

He said Australia has plenty of cattle to sell but live trade was suspended by the federal government in 2011 amid animal cruelty allegations.

Indonesia's purchase of Australian land could be blocked by the federal government or the Foreign Investment Review Board.

But farmers say the number of cattle bred on a million-hectare property would not pose a threat of market domination and there are suitable land holdings available for sale.

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Prince William quits armed forces

Prince William is quitting the armed forces and will focus on charity duties for 12 months. Source: AAP

PRINCE William is quitting the armed forces and will spend the next 12 months focusing on royal and charitable duties while he decides what work to do in the future.

The transitional year is expected to include a trip to Australia with his wife Kate and little Prince George.

It was always expected the Duke of Cambridge would increasingly focus on royal engagements as the Queen slowed down, but it's understood he is not yet ready to become a "full time royal".

William has worked as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot in Wales for the past three years.

During that time he was involved in 156 operations resulting in 149 people being rescued.

But Kensington Palace on Thursday announced "the Duke is to leave operational service in the armed forces".

"He completes his tour with the RAF search and rescue force ... after more than seven-and-a-half years of full-time military service," the palace said in a statement.

In total the Duke has completed 1300 flying hours with the RAF.

Prince William plans to support the Queen and the royal family through a program of official engagements with Kate over the next 12 months.

He'll work with his charity in the field of conservation, particularly in respect of endangered species, as well as helping children, young people and veterans.

As to his long-term future, the palace stated: "The Duke is currently considering a number of options for public service, a further announcement on which will follow in due course."

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said William was always going to take on more official royal duties as the Queen and her husband Philip aged.

"The next 12 months will be heavily focused on royal duties and charitable work," he told AAP.

"But the prince has also made it very clear he wants to be a modern father so there's no doubt he'll be spending a great deal of time with his son and Kate. It's a modern approach."

Mr Fitzwilliams said the Duke had done extraordinarily well during his military career.

"He would have wished to have been on the front line if he could have been but, being a future heir to the throne, that simply wasn't possible."

William, Kate and baby George are expected to move into their official residence at Kensington Palace within the next few weeks.

The Duke revealed at the Anglesey Show in mid-August that the family plans to visit Australia in 2014.

The royal tour will be reminiscent of the 1983 trip undertaken by Prince Charles and Princess Diana with a then nine-month-old William.

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S Korea hoists national flag in Pyongyang

SOUTH Korean weightlifters are flying their national flag at the start of an international competition hosted by bitter rival North Korea.

The development at Thursday's opening ceremonies of the Asian Cup and Interclub Weightlifting Championship in Pyongyang marks something of a milestone for two countries that were trading war threats this spring.

Seoul says it's the first time its athletes have attended an international sports event in North Korea. Both countries consider themselves the only legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean athletes hope to hear their national anthem played should they win gold.

North Korea's concession comes as animosity eases and the rivals pursue diplomacy.

The peninsula is still technically in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

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WA Labor frontbencher quits shadow cabinet

WEST Australian Labor has suffered its first casualty since the party's crushing federal defeat, with Sally Talbot retreating to the back bench.

Ms Talbot, opposition spokeswoman for child protection, disability services and mental health, announced late on Thursday she was stepping down from the front bench.

"Clearly people have made a judgment about the Labor Party," she said on social media.

"They have made a judgment that we do not reflect their values; that they do not value what Labor offers them; that they do not trust Labor to give them a better future.

"At its worst, Labor turns its back on the task of changing our culture and expressing our values.

"But at its best, Labor is a party full of true activists, hungry for change and tireless in our efforts to tell the Labor story."

Ms Talbot, a former president of the WA branch, said Labor needed to reconnect with the electorate and she could play a stronger part in rebuilding the party as a backbencher.

"Stepping down from the front bench will enable me to put all my energy into making our time in opposition as short as possible and helping to rebuild the community support and trust that will make our return to government a reality."

Labor's lowest primary vote in the country was in WA at a measly 29 per cent.

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Would-be senator considers buying suit

UNEMPLOYED father of five Ricky Muir admits he doesn't own a suit.

But he understands he'll have to be measured up if forecasts are correct and he lands a federal Senate seat.

The Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party's (AMEP) lead Senate candidate in Victoria could be bound for Canberra thanks to a complex system of preference flows, which may hand him the state's sixth upper house pass.

"I've got some nice clothing but I have not got a suit yet, but I will get one," Mr Muir told ABC TV from his rural home at Denison in Victoria's Gippsland on Wednesday.

Asked of his preference for a carbon tax or emissions trading scheme, the potential balance of power senator said the party "would speak about that further if elected".

"We want to bring balance to the Senate," he said.

"We're working on a road safety platform, so we want uniform road laws, safer roads and driver education."

When faced with legislation, Mr Muir said he would consider all the evidence and "try to make a decision that reflects on the everyday Australian".

"If there's a better way to do things, we certainly need to look at it."

Mr Muir lost his job when a local saw mill closed, and said he and his family have since been living off savings.

Despite facing an annual Senate pay packet in excess of $190,000, the novice candidate said "I'm not out for the money".

Mr Muir's social media trail includes footage apparently showing him flinging kangaroo poo at a mate, plus a Facebook post in which he seems to suggest former US president George W Bush was behind the September 11 terrorist attacks.

On Wednesday night the AMEP had 12,444 votes, representing 0.50 per cent of the Victorian ballots counted to date.

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Prehistoric crocs 'ran like dogs'

Prehistoric crocodiles survived a dinosaur-dominated world by behaving like dogs, research found. Source: AAP

PREHISTORIC crocodiles survived a dinosaur-dominated world by running around like dogs, new research has found.

Unlike today's crocodiles that mostly live in freshwater habitats and feed on mammals and fish, their ancient relatives were extremely diverse.

Some behaved like dogs and others adapted to life in the open ocean, imitating the feeding behaviour of today's killer whales.

The research uncovers the hidden past of crocodiles - showing for the first time how the jaws of the fierce reptiles evolved, enabling them to survive in vastly different environments in a dinosaur-dominated world 235 to 65 million years ago.

The study was conducted by Tom Stubbs and Dr Emily Rayfield from the University of Bristol, together with Dr Stephanie Pierce from The Royal Veterinary College and Dr Phil Anderson from Duke University in the United States.

Mr Stubbs says the ancestors of today's crocodiles have a fascinating history that is relatively unknown compared to their dinosaur counterparts.

"They were very different creatures to the ones we are familiar with today, much more diverse and, as this research shows, their ability to adapt was quite remarkable," he said.

"Their evolution and anatomical variation during the Mesozoic Era was exceptional.

"They evolved lifestyles and feeding ecologies unlike anything seen today."

The research team examined variation in the morphology (shape) and biomechanics (function) of the lower jaws in over 100 ancient crocodiles, using a unique combination of numerical methods.

Dr Pierce said they were curious how extinction events and adaptations to extreme environments during the Mesozoic - a period covering over 170 million years - impacted the feeding systems of ancient crocodiles.

"To do this we focused our efforts on the main food-processing bone, the lower jaw."

By analysing variation in the lower jaw, the researchers provide novel insights into how the feeding systems of ancient crocodiles evolved as the group recovered from the devastating end-Triassic extinction event and subsequently responded to the distribution of ecological resources, such as habitat and foodstuff.

The research showed that, following the end-Triassic extinction, ancient crocodiles invaded the Jurassic seas and evolved jaws built primarily for hydrodynamic efficiency to capture agile prey, such as fish.

However, only a small range of elongate lower jaw shapes were suitable in Jurassic marine environments.

The study also revealed that variation peaked again in the Cretaceous, where ancient crocodiles evolved a great variety of lower jaw shapes as they adapted to a diverse range of feeding ecologies and terrestrial environments alongside the dinosaurs.

Surprisingly, the lower jaws of Cretaceous crocodiles did not have a great amount of biomechanical variation and, instead, the fossil record points towards novel adaptations in other areas of their anatomy, such as armadillo-like body armour.

"Our results show that the ability to exploit a variety of different food resources and habitats, by evolving many different jaw shapes, was crucial to recovering from the end-Triassic extinction and most likely contributed to the success of Mesozoic crocodiles living in the shadow of the dinosaurs," Dr Pierce said.

This exceptional variation has never before been explored numerically, with no studies ever having incorporated such a wide range of crocodiles over such a long time period.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

The research was partially funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

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China's Li says economic recovery fragile

China's premier has promised to improve the investment climate for foreign companies. Source: AAP

CHINA'S premier says the basis of its economic recovery is still fragile and has promised to improve the investment climate for foreign companies.

Speaking at a business forum in the city of Dalian, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday that China's economic fundamentals are stable but cautioned the global economy faced a "complex situation".

China's factory output and other activity improved in August after growth fell to a two-decade low of 7.5 per cent in the latest quarter. Analysts warn, however, that the rebound is underpinned by government spending and might not last.

Li also promised to press ahead with reforms aimed at making the economy more productive by opening markets wider to private and foreign competitors.

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Senior Lib 1449 votes behind in Indi

Electoral officials found more than a thousand votes favouring the challenger to Sophie Mirabella. Source: AAP

INDEPENDENT Cathy McGowan is now nearly 1500 votes ahead in the battle for the seat of Indi after election officials added a missing 1000 votes to her tally.

Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella had been gaining on Ms McGowan as postal votes were counted, but on Wednesday officials realised there had been a discrepancy between the number of people who voted in the Senate and House of Representatives.

They found a bundle of 1003 votes from a Wangaratta prepoll centre which had not been included in Ms McGowan's tally.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) officially added the votes to Ms McGowan's total late on Wednesday, giving her a lead of 1449 votes.

Ms McGowan, who has run a grassroots campaign backed by more than 600 volunteers, was delighted.

"Isn't it amazing," she told AAP.

"You wouldn't want it to be the other way, would you? It would be shocking."

An AEC spokesman said the error was discovered as part of a number of checks and balances during counting.

A spokesman for Ms Mirabella would not comment, instead directing calls to Liberal Party headquarters.

State director Damien Mantach said there was no doubt the votes had given Ms McGowan a clear advantage.

"Despite this turn of events, we're hopeful of making up ground with the thousands of votes that are still to be counted," he said in a statement.

Indi, which is in Victoria's northeast and includes the towns of Wodonga, Wangaratta and Benalla was considered a fairly safe Liberal seat before the election and has been held by conservative parties since 1931.

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Jessica Mauboy adds to Deadlys haul

JESSICA Mauboy has done it again taking home two more gongs at the 19th Deadly Awards at the Sydney Opera House.

The pop sweetheart won Female Artist of the Year and Single Release of the Year for Something's Got A Hold on Me, bringing her total tally of Deadlys to nine, having triumphed in five of the past six ceremonies.

Award-winning drama Redfern Now took best Television Show of the Year at the Tuesday night ceremony while one of its stars, Luke Carroll, was awarded Male Actor of the Year.

Carroll also hosted the evening which celebrates and recognises the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the areas of music, sport, entertainment and community.

Popular film The Sapphires - which just missed last year's cut-off for nominations - won Film of the Year and its star Deborah Mailman was named Female Actor of the Year.

The Album of the Year was awarded to Archie Roach for Into the Bloodstream and the iconic singer/songwriter was also given the Lifetime Contribution Award for Healing the Stolen Generations.

Roach was also due to perform at the event, backed by a 20 piece gospel choir.

All eyes will be following the careers of the up and comers who won in the most promising categories.

Queanbeyan based group Stik n Move won the Deadly for Most Promising New Talent in Music, while it was hockey player, Mariah Williams, who was awarded Most Promising New Talent in Sport.

There were other familiar faces who won in the sports categories including Adam Goodes for AFL Player of the Year and Johnathan Thurston for NRL Player of the Year.

Goodes was also given the Ella Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sport.

A tribute to the late Dr Yunupingu, the lead singer of Yothu Yindi, was set to open the ceremony.

A special rendition of his hit song Mainstream was to be performed by his grandson Rrawun Maymurru, to honour the late singer and former Australian of the Year.

Singer Christine Anu, who is currently playing Bloody Mary in the production of South Pacific at the Sydney Opera House, is scheduled to do a double take on the night as she switches auditoriums to perform at the Deadlys.

Anu's performance of Bali Hai will make history at the Opera House, making her the first to appear in two productions at the venue on the same night.

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NT arrest over cannabis nursery

NT police have seized 200 cannabis seedlings and plants from a home in Tennant Creek. Source: AAP

A 73-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested after police seized 200 cannabis seedlings and plants from his home in Tennant Creek.

During a raid on Tuesday, police found about 190 small cannabis seedlings, 10 mature plants and a large quantity of cannabis seeds.

A police spokesperson could not comment on whether the man was known to officers or if they were tipped off about the stash.

The man has been charged with cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis and possessing of cannabis seeds, and will appear in court at a later date.

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"Albo4Leader" campaign under way

A SOCIAL media campaign is underway backing Anthony Albanese as the next federal Labor leader, with supporters convinced he would defeat powerbroker Bill Shorten if the choice goes to party members.

A day after being launched, the "Anthony Albanese for Labor Leader" Facebook page had attracted more than 700 "likes" on Tuesday evening.

The "albo4leader" Twitter handle meanwhile was reporting a spike in "albomentum".

The group claims it isn't connected to the outgoing deputy prime minister, and understands the Sydney-based MP hasn't yet thrown his hat in the ring.

"But it's obvious he's the best candidate to unite and lead Labor!" states a message on the Facebook page, below an image depicting a young, long-haired Mr Albanese from his university days.

One of the group's co-convenors Luke Whitington, a NSW Labor Policy Forum member, said Mr Albanese was a strong parliamentary performer and the best person to return the party to federal government quickly.

Mr Albanese had always proven he'd put the party before himself and had the trust of its rank and files members, he added.

"I think that if given the chance, he'd win a vote amongst the party members overwhelmingly," Mr Whitington told AAP on Tuesday.

The group is appealing for Mr Albanese to contest the top job under new rules which give grassroots members a say.

If there are two or more candidates, the leadership for the first time will be decided in a ballot weighted 50 per cent to the caucus and 50 per cent to grassroots members of the ALP.

Party heavyweight Bill Shorten appears on track to take the federal Labor leadership at a caucus meeting in Canberra on Friday.

But the unendorsed group backing Mr Albanese has demanded there be no backroom deals, warning Labor's rank and file members will be palpable if Mr Shorten were installed without a ballot.

"I think there should be more elections, there should be more democracy, members should have more of a say," Mr Whitington said.

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Fake products may be dangerous: CHOICE

AUSTRALIAN customs last year seized more than 700,000 items of fake merchandise worth about $48.5 million, it has been revealed.

The haul was part of the $272 billion annual global trade in potentially dangerous bogus goods.

And it's not just products being ripped off.

Groups selling counterfeits "lure consumers to their sites with paid online advertising and images from a brand's most recent advertising campaign," Tom Godfrey from consumer advocacy group CHOICE says.

"Counterfeiters also fake tags, receipts and authenticity cards making it even more challenging for consumers to work out the real deal."

About two per cent of world trade is in fake goods and while imitation accessories, like shoes or handbags, aren't dangerous many others could harm people, Mr Godfrey says.

"Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics sold overseas online are unregulated with no requirement for them to be produced in sanitary conditions," he said.

"If you're lucky, counterfeit perfume will only stain your clothes, but it may cause skin allergies, burns and trigger respiratory problems."

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First boat arrives on coalition watch

A suspected asylum seeker boat carrying 88 people has been intercepted northwest of Darwin. Source: AAP

HOURS after Tony Abbott was elected prime minister promising hardline policy and immediate action on asylum seekers arriving by boat, authorities found a suspected people-smuggling vessel off Australia's north coast.

The boat, carrying 88 passengers and two crew, was spotted by a border patrol aircraft northwest of Darwin on Sunday.

A Customs vessel went to assist the boat and those on board are being transferred to Christmas Island for assessment.

It is the first boat to be intercepted by Australian authorities since the coalition's election victory on Saturday.

Mr Abbott has promised instant action to deter asylum seekers.

"We will make a difference from day one. I believe we can stop the boats in a term of government," he has said repeatedly, including during his election campaign.

Mr Abbott said a coalition government will put in place processes to turn back boats when it is safe to do so.

"These are Indonesian crewed, Indonesian flagged, Indonesian home-ported vessels that have a right to access Indonesia," Mr Abbott has said.

Indonesia has rejected the coalition plan to turn back boats, sparking concerns that relations between the two countries could turn rocky.

But Mr Abbott said the Howard government successfully turned back boats without compromising the regional relationship.

AAP has sought comment from the incoming government on the latest boat arrival.

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Indian troops try to halt communal clashes

Hundreds of troops have been deployed to halt deadly clashes between Hindus and Muslims in India. Source: AAP

HUNDREDS of Indian troops have been deployed to quell clashes between Hindus and Muslims sparked by the killing of three villagers who had objected when a young woman was being harassed.

Nine people were killed, including an Indian broadcast journalist and a police photographer, when the two groups set upon each other with guns and knives in Kawal village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Sunday.

The violence quickly spread to neighbouring villages in Muzaffarnagar district on Saturday night.

"A curfew has been imposed in three riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar," said the head of the state's home ministry, RM Srivastava.

"The situation is still very tense, but under control."

Soldiers were going door to door to search for weapons.

A state of high alert was declared for the entire state of Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of 200 million people.

The clashes broke out on Saturday after thousands of Hindu farmers held a meeting in Kawal to demand justice in the August 27 killing of three men who had spoken out when a woman was being verbally harassed.

The state's minority welfare minister, Mohammad Azam Khan, said some at the meeting gave provocative speeches calling for Muslims to be killed.

The farmers were attacked as they were returning home after the meeting, senior police official Arun Kumar said.

"The attack seemed well planned," Kumar said.

"Some were armed with rifles and sharp-edged weapons."

Gunfire was reported from several areas of the village.

Within hours clashes broke out in neighbouring villages, Kumar said.

A leader from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party said tensions had been simmering since the three men were killed August 27 in a tea shop.

"Had the killers been arrested, the situation might not have gone out of hand," Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

Uttar Pradesh was at the heart of some of India's worst communal clashes in December 1992, after a Hindu mob razed the 16th-century Babri mosque in Ayodhya.

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'Taliban attack' kills 4 Afghan soldiers

FOUR Afghan soldiers have been killed and 30 people injured in a Taliban attack on the office of the national intelligence agency in eastern Wardak province, an official says.

"Six insurgents attacked the National Directorate of Security building in Maidan Shahr city, trying to enter the building," Ataullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Wardak, said.

One detonated an explosives-filled truck bomb at the entrance before the others opened fire on troops guarding the building.

Police shot dead all six insurgents, Khogyani said.

Most of the injured were civilians, he added.

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Chinese man convicted via Yahoo email free

China has freed a dissident writer who was convicted of leaking "state secrets" in 2005. Source: AAP

CHINA has freed a dissident writer who was convicted of leaking "state secrets" in 2005 in a landmark case where his Yahoo emails formed key evidence against him, international writers' groups say.

Shi Tao, 45, was released on August 23 after serving nearly nine years of a 10-year sentence for "providing state secrets to overseas organisations," the Independent Chinese PEN Centre and PEN International said.

"We welcome news of Shi Tao's early release, at a time when there seem to be increasingly long shadows over freedom of expression in China," said Marian Botsford Fraser, head of PEN International's Writers in Prison Committee.

"Shi Tao's arrest and imprisonment, because of the actions of Yahoo China, signalled a decade ago the challenges to freedom of expression of internet surveillance and privacy that we are now dealing with," Botsford Fraser said.

Other dissident writers said they believed Shi was arrested because of online publications in which he criticised the ruling Communist Party.

The government said Shi had leaked details via email of a "certain important document" that he learned about through his work as a reporter in the southern city of Changsha.

Yahoo later apologised for handing over Shi's emails to Chinese authorities.

In 2007, it settled a lawsuit brought on behalf of Shi and another Chinese journalist who was convicted partly through information provided by Yahoo.

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