Search on for NT crocodile victim

NORTHERN Territory police are searching for a man who is believed to have been snatched by a crocodile.

Senior Sergeant Peter Lindfield says police received reports about 4pm (CST) on Saturday that the 24-year-old had been attacked by a crocodile while he swam at Mary River, about 110km from Darwin.

"Officers from the Water Police Section and Territory Response Group are currently at the scene of the attack and are searching for the man and the crocodile," Sergeant Lindfield said in a statement.

An employee at the Mary River Wilderness Retreat says the man and a friend had ignored warnings not to go in the water.

"Two local boys decided to go swimming, we tell people to stay away from the water, they obviously went against this (and) a man was taken," Erin Bayard told News Corp Australia.

"We say to everybody it's full of crocs.

"It's one of the most populated rivers in the Territory, every couple of kilometres there is a large croc."

A police spokeswoman told AAP that officers and wildlife rangers would search through the night.

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Flood kills 76 in northeast China city

A RIVER flood triggered by torrential rains has killed 76 people in a northeast Chinese city, state media says.

The official Xinhua News Agency said a memorial service was held on Saturday in the city of Fushun for the victims.

It said another 88 people remained missing as of Friday.

It quoted Fushun mayor Luan Qingwei as saying the flood was the worst in decades for the city, where a river cuts through the downtown area.

A statement by Fushun's municipal government has declared Saturday as a city-wide day of condolence and that all public entertainment activities should be halted for the day.

Fushun, located in a mountainous area, has been hit hard by floods ravaging China's northeastern provinces.

Dozens more have been reported killed by floods elsewhere in the region.

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Three dead after North Sea chopper crash

Three people are dead and a fourth is missing after a helicopter went down off the Shetland Islands. Source: AAP

THREE people have been confirmed dead after a helicopter transporting employees between oil rigs in the North Sea ditched, Scottish police say, while a fourth is still missing.

"Following the incident off the coast of Shetland during Friday 23 August, Police Scotland can confirm that the bodies of three people have now been recovered and a fourth person remains unaccounted for," said a statement.

Scottish coastguard had previously reported that three of the 18 people on board - including two crew and 16 passengers - were missing.

Fourteen other people were rescued.

The Super Puma helicopter was travelling from the Borgsten Dolphin platform to Sumburgh airport on Shetland when it came down two miles (three kilometres) west of its destination at approximately 6:20 pm (1720 GMT).

Jim Nicholson, rescue coordinator with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), said there appeared "to have been a catastrophic loss of power which meant the helicopter suddenly dropped into the sea without any opportunity to make a controlled landing".

"It's fortunate there were not more casualties in a helicopter crash of this kind," he said.

No one had yet been able to search the helicopter itself, Nicholson said, adding that it was possible that a body could be recovered inside. Once the helicopter was recovered, it could be searched, he added.

Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, said: "It is still too early to know what caused this terrible tragedy, but a full investigation by the relevant authorities is already under way."

Amanda Smith, the mother of one of the rescued people, Sam Smith, told Britain's Sky News that her son described how the helicopter "seemed to lose power and there was no time to brace - they just dropped into the sea".

"He was by the window so he was able to escape that way as it rolled over," she said.

"He said he had come off better than a lot of people, were his words. It doesn't seem real."

Nine of the rescued passengers were helicoptered to Shetland's main town of Lerwick with one taken off the aircraft on a stretcher, the BBC reported.

The search and rescue operation involving RNLI, the army, police and coastguards then continued through the night to try to find the missing.

CHC, the aircraft's operator, said it was flying for oil company Total.

It is the latest in a series of incidents involving helicopters in the North Sea.

In May, all 14 people on board a Super Puma helicopter were rescued after it ditched off the coast of Aberdeen.

Another helicopter ditched in the North Sea last October, but all 19 people on board survived.

Sixteen men died when a Super Puma helicopter plunged into the sea after its gearbox failed as it was flying from BP's Miller platform to Aberdeen in April 2009.

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Malaysia govt can appeal Allah case: court

MALAYSIA'S government has won the right to appeal a court ruling allowing the country's non-Muslim minority to use the word "Allah" to refer to God.

Appeal hearings are scheduled to start on September 10 to resolve the politically sensitive dispute that triggered attacks on Malaysian churches and other places of worship more than three years ago.

"Allah" is the Arabic word for God and is commonly used in the Malay language to refer to God.

The government, however, insists "Allah" is an Islamic word and that its use by others would confuse Muslims.

Roman Catholic representatives say the government's curb on their use of "Allah" is unreasonable because Christians who speak the Malay language had long also used the word to refer to God in their Bibles, literature and songs before authorities sought to enforce the ban in recent years.

A nearly 6-year-old court dispute over the issue stems from efforts by the newspaper of the Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia to use "Allah" in its Malay-language publication.

Malaysia's Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday that the government has the right to challenge a 2009 verdict by a lower court that permitted the newspaper to use "Allah".

That earlier verdict sparked a string of arson attacks and vandalism at 11 churches, a Sikh temple, three mosques and two Muslim prayer rooms.

The government's ban remains in effect because of a stay order on the verdict until the appeals process is completed.

Judge Abu Samah Nordin said on Thursday that the dispute "is still a live issue," overruling church officials' contention that an appeal would be unjustified.

More than 100 Muslim activists gathered outside the court, with some shouting "Allahu Akbar," or "God is greatest," after the ruling.

The Reverend Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Catholic newspaper, The Herald, voiced disappointment but said his team would accept the ruling and argue its case next month.

The ban has become a symbol of grievances in Malaysia among Christian, Buddhist and Hindu minorities, who sometimes complain that their constitutional right to practice religion freely is undermined.

The government denies any discrimination.

Other disputes over the past decade include the demolition of temples illegally built on state-owned land.

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Detaining of refugees 'inhumane': UN

AUSTRALIA has been accused of almost 150 violations of international law by a United Nations committee for its "inhumane" indefinite detention of 46 refugees.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has called for the mainly Tamil refugees to be freed and labelled their detention "cruel, inhumane and degrading".

The complaint was lodged three years ago by Professor Ben Saul from the University of Sydney's Centre for International Law.

He says the findings are embarrassing and will damage Australia's international reputation.

"We frequently criticise the human rights performance of other countries and yet we don't have our house in order," Professor Saul told AAP on Thursday.

The detainees were given refugee status, but were deemed a security threat and held in detention for at least two and a half years.

They say they've been unable to challenge the legality of their detention in Australian courts.

The UN body said their detention was arbitrary and broke the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Australia has 180 days to respond to the findings.

The federal government told the committee releasing classified details would compromise the assessment system and national security.

However it did explain the refugees posed one or more of three specific risks.

These were the threat of fomenting violence in Australia, providing a safe haven for organisations to prepare attacks against their homeland's government, and of raising funds in Australia for foreign terrorists.

Prof Saul is hopeful the findings will be enough to shift the government's position on indefinite detention.

"I think now it's really beyond doubt that these are very serious and numerous violations of international law," he said.

Amnesty International said Australia's policy of indefinite detention of refugees had become "an international embarrassment" and a stain on its legal system.

Meanwhile, the immigration department on Thursday released a three-minute subtitled video of asylum seekers on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island warning others not to take boat journeys to Australia.

Their faces are blurred out but their voices are clear as they describe their ordeals.

"Please, I'm asking people, it's a big mistake, please don't take this journey," one man says.

Another man describes how people smugglers promised him $10,000 on arrival in Australia.

He said they took him and other refugees to a small hut in a jungle.

There they were locked up with no proper food or water, and had to go to the toilet in plastic bags.

Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the men interviewed were offered no incentive and were not prompted or told what to say.

Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young described the video as "hostage-style".

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PetroChina 1H profit rises

STATE-OWNED PetroChina's half-year profit rose to nearly $US11 billion ($A12.31 billion) as Asia's biggest oil producer increased output of crude and natural gas.

The company said on Thursday its results were also helped by smaller losses at its refining and chemicals business after China reformed price controls so domestic fuel prices would more closely follow international prices.

PetroChina said January-June profit rose 5.6 per cent from a year earlier to 65.5 billion yuan ($A11.98 billion).

Revenue rose 5.2 per cent to 1.1 trillion yuan.

Beijing-based PetroChina said crude output grew 2.6 per cent to 464.2 million barrels.

Natural gas production rose 8.1 per cent to 1.4 trillion cubic feet.

Chairman Zhou Jiping said in the second half there may be "some difficulties for the rebound of the domestic economy" while the global outlook is "highly uncertain".

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Gambaro tells forum she's for gay marriage

Liberal MP Teresa Gambaro says she'll vote for gay marriage if allowed a conscience vote. Source: AAP

THE Liberal MP representing Queensland's most marginal federal seat has declared she would vote for gay marriage if the coalition allowed a conscience vote.

Teresa Gambaro has previously stated she would push Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to allow a conscience vote on the matter after the election.

The shadow parliamentary secretary has, however, previously declined to say whether or not she personally supported gay marriage.

But on Thursday night, the MP who holds Brisbane by a narrow 1.1 per cent margin, told a candidates' forum in her electorate she would vote in favour of marriage equality if given the choice.

"Should I be privileged to represent the people of Brisbane and be re-elected to the seat, my conscience vote would be in favour of same-sex marriage," she said to loud applause.

Ms Gambaro said people should be free to love who they want, regardless of their gender.

"I've made this decision because of my personal journey speaking to people, touched by the issue, as I've been door knocking right around the electorate," she said.

"Who people choose to love is not a decision for government.

"People should be free to love who they want, free of discrimination, bias and prejudice."

Ms Gambaro told the forum that marriage equality had been used as a political wedge, and said her vote against a gay marriage motion last year fulfilled a 2010 election promise.

"I believe it accurately reflected the majority view of the electorate of Brisbane at the time," she said.

"I'm on the record as saying that I'm not going to be bullied into taking one position or another and believe in representing people properly and not using this for political purposes."

Her position in favour of marriage equality comes as Australian Marriage Equality distributes leaflets in her inner-city seat pointing out how she hadn't declared a position.

Ms Gambaro has joined fellow federal Liberal MPs Malcolm Turnbull, Wyatt Roy and Kelly O'Dwyer in backing same sex marriage.

She said she had previously supported conscience votes for euthanasia and the abortion drug RU486.

Labor's candidate for Brisbane, Fiona McNamara, who supports gay marriage, questioned whether Ms Gambaro would cross the floor if the coalition didn't change its position to allow a conscience vote.

"I welcome Ms Gambaro's statement that she would vote for a conscience vote," she told AAP after the forum.

"Will she cross the floor if the LNP doesn't allow a conscience vote?"

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Tourists safe from WA bushfire

ABOUT 200 tourists have returned to their accommodation after a bushfire in Western Australia's Kimberley region forced them to take refuge in nearby administration buildings.

The fire near the five-star Kooljaman Tourist Resort at Cape Leveque was reported just before 2pm (WST) on Wednesday, prompting an emergency warning from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES).

The department said on Wednesday night there was no longer a threat to lives and property.

Guests who relocated to the administration area as the fire threatened the resort were allowed to return to their accommodation.

The bushfire was moving slowly in a northwesterly direction, the DFES said.

The fire was out of control but containment lines had been constructed to protect lives and property, it said.

About 15 volunteer firefighters and local Bardi Jawi Rangers are on the scene fighting the fire and strengthening containment lines.

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Rudd, Abbott in frank election debate

KEVIN Rudd and Tony Abbott had a frank exchange at the second leaders' debate, as the prime minister turned up the heat on the costing of the coalition's paid parental leave scheme.

The opposition leader was narrowly voted the winner by the 105-member audience of undecided voters - 37 to 35, with 33 still undecided - at Brisbane's Broncos Leagues Club on Wednesday night.

But he caused a stir when Mr Rudd wouldn't give up an attack on the coalition's $5.5 billion a year plan to give working women six months paid parental leave capped at $75,000.

"Will this guy ever shut up?" said Mr Abbott, attracting laughter from the audience.

The Liberal leader later said Mr Rudd had deliberately set out to be feisty and confrontational, but admitted he too was a little "keyed up" before the people's forum.

Mr Rudd used the debate to probe his opponent on plans to cut health funding and how the coalition would pay for the parental leave scheme.

Mr Abbott said the independent Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) had signed off on the funding - which includes a 1.5 per cent levy on more than 3000 companies, the scrapping of Labor's scheme and "consequential adjustments".

Pushed for detail, Mr Abbott said "about a half" of the annual price tag would come from the business levy.

"So it will mean cuts for the other half, which is $2.5 billion worth of cuts to jobs, health and education," Mr Rudd said. The PBO analysis hasn't been publicly released.

The prime minister asked Mr Abbott whether he would commit to the $20 billion health and hospitals deal with the states.

"Of course there will not be cuts to the hospitals," Mr Abbott said.

Labor campaign spokeswoman Penny Wong believed Mr Abbott's performance showed the "real" opposition leader.

"The unscripted, negative, aggressive man who would be prime minister," Senator Wong said.

Asked what his version of the Howard-era Work Choices industrial relations policy would be called, Mr Abbott revived his 2010 pledge that the hardline policy was "dead, buried and cremated".

Mr Rudd said the coalition had yet to give a "convincing reply" to questions about the protection of penalty rates and overtime.

But Mr Abbott did commit the coalition to saying where it stood on Labor's bank levy before the September 7 election.

While he didn't like it, there was a "serious budgetary position" to consider.

Both leaders were asked about the low quality of candidates contesting the federal election.

Mr Rudd said there had been a problem with the "lowness of parliamentary standards".

Mr Abbott admitted a couple of his own candidates had "not exactly covered themselves in glory so far in this campaign".

"But I am confident that people can grow, develop and mature," he said.

Mr Abbott said this forum had been more lively than the previous election debate.

"It's 'People 1 - Journos nil' perhaps," he said.

Mr Rudd is expected to visit Geelong on Thursday to meet with car industry workers and talk about disability care.

Mr Abbott will start his day in Brisbane.

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