Giant tuna sells for record $1.7m

A monster bluefin tuna sold for a record-breaking $1.7 million in the year's first auction at Japan's Tsukiji fish market, nearly three times the previous high set last year.

The 222-kilogram fish, caught off Japan's northern city of Oma, fetched a winning bid of 155.4 million yen ($1.7 million), said an official at the Tokyo fish market.

The figure dwarfs the previous high of 56.49 million yen paid at last year's inaugural auction at Tsukiji, a huge working market that features on many Tokyo tourist itineraries.

The winning bidder was Kiyoshi Kimura, president of the company that runs the popular Sushi-Zanmai chain, who also won the auction for last year's record-breaking bluefin.

"I wanted to meet expectations of my customers who said they wanted to eat Japan's best tuna again this year," Mr Kimura was quoted by Jiji Press as saying after the intense pre-dawn bidding.

"With this good tuna, I hope to help cheer up Japan," Mr Kimura said.

Based on the price paid - around 700,000 yen per kilogram - a single slice of sushi from the monster fish would cost diners as much as 30,000 yen.

But Mr Kimura plans to sell it at a huge loss, for a more realistic price of up to 398 yen per portion, local media reported.

Bluefin is usually the most expensive fish available at Tsukiji.

Decades of overfishing have seen global tuna stocks crash, leading some Western nations to call for a ban on catching endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna.

Japan consumes three-quarters of the global bluefin catch, a highly prized sushi ingredient known in Japan as "kuro maguro" (black tuna) and dubbed by sushi connoisseurs the "black diamond" because of its scarcity.

A piece of "otoro" or fatty underbelly can cost some 2000 yen at high-end Tokyo restaurants.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thousands stuck in airport as China freezes

THOUSANDS of angry passengers were stranded after heavy fog delayed flights at a Chinese airport, as the country was shivered through its coldest weather in almost three decades.

Ten thousand passengers were stuck in Changshui International Airport in the southern Chinese city of Kunming on Saturday morning after thick fog grounded more than 280 flights, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

Angry passengers stranded at the airport for more than a day struggled with airline staff, damaging computer equipment belonging to an airline, while police broke up scuffles, a photographer present at the scene late on Friday said.

"The passengers were really furious, they kept going to the service desk to ask for information, but didn't get any answers," the photographer said.

Flights at the airport resumed on Saturday afternoon after the fog lifted, Xinhua said.

China is suffering its coldest winter for 28 years, the news agency on Saturday quoted China's Meteorological Administration as saying.

Temperatures recorded over the country since November have averaged minus 3.8 degrees Celsius (25 degrees Fahrenheit), while northeast China saw average temperatures of minus 15.3 degrees Celsius, its coldest winter for 43 years.

Plunging temperatures trapped around 1000 ships in sea ice off eastern China's Shandong province this week, Xinhua reported, while snowfall delayed more than 140 flights in Beijing last month, the China Daily said.

An annual Ice and Snow Festival in the northeastern city of Harbin, famous for its enormous ice-sculptures, is scheduled to open today, as temperatures in the city fall below minus 24 degrees Celsius.

Temperatures in northern China are expected to pick up next week, although parts of south China will continue to experience snow, Xinhua reported.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Trial begins for Indian rape accused

AN INDIAN public prosecutor says there is strong forensic evidence against five men accused of gang-raping a student in New Delhi on a moving bus as their trial begins in a city court.

A district magistrate hearing the case took note of the charges including rape and murder overnight, signalling the start of the trial, and ordered the men to appear before her for the first time on Monday.

"We have filed all the evidence," Rajiv Mohan, additional public prosecutor, told the court in Saket in the south of the city.

"The blood of the victim tallied with the stains found on the clothes of the accused," he added, saying that a DNA test had been conducted by the police.

He also said that police had recovered possessions stolen from the victim and her boyfriend, who were thrown out of the vehicle at the end of their ordeal.

As well as the forensic and other evidence, the woman's boyfriend has testified to police and has reportedly identified the culprits.

Mohan said that the woman had died last weekend of "septicemia (blood poisoning) from multi-organ failure due to multi-organ injury" after she was repeatedly raped and violated with an iron bar.

Presiding magistrate Namrita Aggarwal confirmed she had "taken cognisance" of the charges, adding that this meant the trial had begun.

"They (the suspects) will be produced in court on Monday," she added.

The men, aged from 19 to 35, had been expected to be tried in a different fast-track court amid a clamour for their conviction and warnings from the chief justice that due processes must be followed.

A sixth suspect arrested by police is believed to be a minor, but he is undergoing a bone test to check his age.

Executions are rare in India, but can be sanctioned for the "rarest of rare" crimes.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Merkel kicks off German campaigning

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel is highlighting Germany's economic strength and dismissing worries that her party could be dragged down by its struggling coalition partner as she kicks off campaigning for an important state election.

Mrs Merkel's centre-right coalition faces a tough battle to extend its 10-year hold on Lower Saxony state in the Jan. 20 election.

Polls suggest the centre-left opposition has a good chance of winning - giving it a significant boost ahead of September national elections in which Mrs Merkel will seek a third term.

Mrs Merkel, speaking after her conservative Christian Democrats' leadership met in Lower Saxony, criticised opposition plans for tax increases.

Mrs Merkel's party leads polls in Lower Saxony and nationally but its junior partner, the pro-market Free Democratic Party, is very weak.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iran building software to control networking sites

IRAN'S police chief says the Islamic Republic is developing new software to control social networking sites.

Gen. Esmail Ahmadi Moghadam was quoted in Iranian newspapers as saying the new software will prevent Iranians from being exposed to malicious content online while allowing users to enjoy the benefits of the Internet. He did not say when the software would be introduced.

Gen. Moghadam also did not specify which social networking sites would be affected, but both Facebook and Twitter are popular in Iran.

Iranians currently have access to most of the Internet, although authorities block some sites affiliated with the opposition, as well as those that are seen as promoting dissent or considered morally corrupt.

Iran created a government agency last year to oversee Internet usage in the country.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five die in plane crash in French Alps

POLICE say five people have died after their plane crashed shortly after taking off from an airport in the French Alps.

The plane crashed in a forest in an uninhabited area outside Grenoble, a city that is the gateway to the mountain resorts of the Alps in southeastern France.

An official with the French gendarmerie said the plane crashed shortly after it took off from Grenoble's airport. Everyone aboard died.

It was not clear what kind of plane they were flying. The identities of the victims were not immediately known.

The official would only give the information on condition of anonymity because of police rules.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama warns on 'dangerous debt game'

US President Barack Obama warned Congressional Republicans overnight against playing a "dangerous game" with the economy as lawmakers prepared for a new battle over the national debt ceiling.

But the Democratic president also congratulated lawmakers for passing an 11th-hour deal that avoided the so-called fiscal cliff.

Signed into law Thursday, the compromise raised taxes on the wealthiest Americans while avoiding a tax hike on the middle class that "could have thrown our economy back into recession," Mr Obama said in his weekly radio address.

But new battles are brewing after the deal delayed by two months a debate over raising the country's $US16.4 trillion borrowing limit and more than $US100 billion in automatic spending cuts for military and domestic programs.

If Congress fails to clinch a deal to allow more government borrowing, it risks causing the government to default on its bills and financial obligations.

Republicans, who accepted the fiscal cliff deal without any significant spending cuts, are now demanding concessions on expenditures in return for allowing the ceiling to rise.

Yet Mr Obama vowed that he "will not compromise" on insisting that Congress raise the federal debt ceiling. The US credit rating was downgraded in 2011 when lawmakers threatened to leave the debt ceiling as it stood.

"If Congress refuses to give the United States the ability to pay its bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy could be catastrophic," he said.

"Our families and our businesses cannot afford that dangerous game again."

House Speaker John Boehner has warned Republicans will ask for "significant spending cuts" and reforms of expensive programs that provide pensions and health care services for the elderly.

Mr Obama said he backs spending cuts, but insists he will not shortchange education, job training, research and technology.

"Spending cuts must be balanced with more reforms to our tax code," he said.

"The wealthiest individuals and the biggest corporations shouldn't be able to take advantage of loopholes and deductions that aren't available to most Americans."

In the Republican address, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan said that in addressing the debt limit, lawmakers "must identify responsible ways to tackle Washington's wasteful spending."

And he said American families know that "when you have no more money in your account and your credit cards are maxed out, then the spending must stop."

China is the largest foreign holder of US debt, owning about $US1.2 trillion in US treasury bills, notes and bonds, according to the Treasury Department. In total, China owns about eight percent of publicly held US debt.

Camp accused the president and Democratic lawmakers of refusing to take "any meaningful steps to make Washington live within its means" and urged them to reconsider their position and join the fight on "wasteful spending."

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hamas allows mass Fatah rally in Gaza

HUNDREDS of thousands of supporters of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party on Friday held a mass rally in Gaza, their first since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.

"Victory is near and we will meet you in Gaza in the near future," Mr Abbas said in a short speech from his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah, beamed to the Gaza crowd at the Saraya complex on giant screens.

"Gaza was the first Palestinian territory rid of (Israeli) occupation and settlement and we want a lifting of the blockade so that it can be free and linked to the rest of the nation."

Hamas, in a sign of reconciliation with Fatah, permitted the rally to go ahead as the climax of a week of Gaza festivities celebrating the 48th anniversary of Fatah taking up arms against Israel.

Demonstrators, many of them women and children waved Palestinian and Fatah flags and carried pictures of Mr Abbas, an AFP correspondent reported. Balloons in the colours of the Palestinian flag with portraits of Mr Abbas hovered above.

"This crowd is a vote in favour of (Mr Abbas's) Palestinian Authority and shows that Fatah is still out in front," local Fatah leader Selim al-Zaraei told AFP.

Fatah Gaza spokesman Fayez Abou Eita told AFP that "hundreds of thousands of people are currently taking part in the public festivities."

Hamas congratulated Fatah on the anniversary, saying it considered it a "celebration of national unity and a success for Hamas as well as Fatah."

"This positive atmosphere is a step on road to restoring national unity," it said.

Mr Abbas's address was to be followed by a speech by senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath, who travelled to Gaza from the West Bank for the event. He was to be followed by Hamas official Rawhi Mushtaha, who was to speak in the name of all the Palestinian factions.

But Mr Shaath and Mr Mushtaha did not end up delivering their speeches after the crowd became rowdy, Mr Abou Eita said.

Khan Younis resident Ayman Barbakh, 24, said he hoped the rally marked "the beginning of true unity and reconciliation, because our Palestinian people have suffered enough."

"It's been six years since we in Fatah have been waiting for this moment," said participant Sabrine Srour. "I feel the joy I can see on people's faces."

A young man attempting to fasten a Fatah banner to an electricity pylon was killed and seven others were injured by electrocution, medical sources said.

Some participants brandished portraits and chanted slogans in favor of ex-Fatah strongman in Gaza, Mohammed Dahlan, excluded from his movement and reviled by Hamas.

Hamas and Fatah had been at loggerheads since the Islamist movement seized control of Gaza in June 2007, following its victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections the previous year.

But under Egyptian mediation, the two groups reached a unity agreement in April 2011, although its main provisions have so far not been implemented.

The anniversary commemorates the first operation against Israel claimed by Fatah's armed wing, then known as Al-Assifa (The Thunderstorm in Arabic), on January 1, 1965.

Israel considers Hamas a terrorist organisation, and is opposed to it moving closer to Fatah.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Govt gives $18.5m to McGrath Foundation

THE federal government is to provide a further $18.5 million to the McGrath Foundation for specialist breast cancer care nurses.

The funding will allow all 44 existing McGrath Breast Care Nurse positions to continue and expand the program by 10 fulltime equivalent places, Health Minister Tanya Plibersek will announce on Saturday.

The McGrath Foundation was set up in honour of Jane McGrath, the late wife of cricket great Glenn McGrath.

Breast care nurses are specially trained registered nurses who act as patient advocates, coordinating care for women with breast cancer, their family and carers.

They work to ensure physical, psychological and basic support needs are met.

The breast care nurse program began after the government committed $12 million to the McGrath Foundation in 2008 for recruitment, training and placement of specialist nurses around Australia.

The McGrath Foundation welcomed the government's announcement of the grant, coinciding with Jane McGrath Day.

Foundation co-founder Glenn McGrath said the foundation had worked tirelessly over the past four years to maximise every fundraising opportunity.

"But we know there is much more work to do and the team won't rest until we've seen our vision of a breast care nurse for every Australian family experiencing breast cancer," he said in a statement.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

France to grill Swiss shooter over murders

FRENCH police want to question a Swiss gunman who killed three women in his home village over a number of unresolved murders in France, police in Switzerland say.

The police in a neighbouring French region of Haute-Savoie made the request to their colleagues in the Swiss canton of Valais, where the 33-year-old gunman went on a shooting spree on the streets of the small village of Daillon, a spokesman said.

Saad al-Hilli, his wife Iqbal and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, were all found dead inside their estate car near Lake Annecy in Haute-Savoie on September 5, along with a French cyclist who police believe was an innocent bystander.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Armed raid at John and Yoko's 'bed-in for peace' hotel

MASKED gunmen have raided the Amsterdam hotel where John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their 1969 bed-in for peace, making off with cash but causing no injuries, police told AFP.

"Two balaclava-wearing criminals entered the hotel just before midday," Amsterdam police spokeswoman Marjolein Koek told AFP of the raid on the Apollolaan Hilton, to the south of Amsterdam's city centre.

"Using the threat of weapons they stole an as-yet unknown amount," she said. "They fled in a black Volkswagen Golf."

The hotel declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

Beatle Lennon and his artist wife Ono made the hotel world-famous when in 1969 they used media interest in their marriage to promote world peace by spending their honeymoon at the hotel.

At the height of the Vietnam War, the couple invited the world's press to visit them during their week in bed in the hotel's presidential suite.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spare elephants or I go to Russia: Bardot

FRENCH cinema legend Brigitte Bardot has threatened to follow Gerard Depardieu out of France unless two elephants under threat of being put down are granted a reprieve.

In a surreal twist to the saga over Depardieu's move into tax exile, the veteran animal rights campaigner said she would emulate his request for Russian nationality unless authorities intervened to save Baby and Nepal.

The two elephants face being put down because they have been diagnosed with tuberculosis and have been deemed a threat to the health of other animals and visitors to the Tete d'Or zoo in Lyon.

City authorities ordered the elephants to be put down last month but a petition organised by their original owner, circus master Gilbert Edelstein, resulted in them being granted a temporary reprieve over Christmas.

Bardot said in a statement she would be leaving France if the reprieve was not made permanent.

"If the powers that be have the cowardice and the shamelessness to kill Baby and Nepal... I have decided to take Russian nationality and quit this country that is nothing more an animal cemetery," Bardot said.

Bardot, 77, has been a high-profile supporter of Depardieu in his spat with the French government over his decision to take up residence in neighbouring Belgium for tax reasons.

She said last month that her fellow actor, who was branded "pathetic" by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, had been the "victim of extremely unfair persecution".

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shark spotting hit and miss: NSW study

AERIAL beach patrols detect as few as one in eight sharks and give the public an inflated sense of protection, a NSW government report says.

The world-first study by the NSW Department of of Primary Industries was based on a trial at Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast, using artificial sharks placed at various depths, Fairfax reported on Saturday.

It found plane crews spotted just 12.5 per cent of the dummies and helicopters detected 17.1 per cent.

"This is a clear concern when the purpose of these patrols is to provide a warning of shark presence to the beach going public," the report said.

The findings call into question millions of dollars of government funding, sponsorship and donations poured into patrols across Australia.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bomb kills two Pakistanis in Peshawar

A BOMB planted at an electricity tower on Friday killed two passers-by in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, police said.

The explosive attached with a time device exploded when the victims were close to the electricity tower in the Badh Bher area of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.

"Two kilograms of explosives were used for the blast which killed two people," Javed Khan, a local police official told AFP.

The electricity tower was also damaged as a result of the blast.

Peshawar is vulnerable to bomb blasts and Taliban attacks as it runs into the semi-autonomous tribal belt, considered a safe haven for Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other insurgents fighting both in Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan.

Pakistan says 35,000 people have been killed as a result of terrorism since the 9/11 attacks and the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rare Stephen King book for auction

A SIGNED copy of a rare Stephen King book is up for auction at a Maine bookstore, with proceeds going to a nearby homeless shelter's emergency home heating fund.

The copy of the The Regulators, written by horror writer and Maine native King under the pen name Richard Bachman, was donated by a customer of Scottie's Bookhouse in Hancock.

Owner Michael Riggs says there are only 550 copies of the book in a special collector's box.

Auction proceeds will go to the Emmaus Homeless Shelter's emergency fuel fund in Ellsworth.

Emmaus director Sister Lucille MacDonald tells WABI-TV it's an "ingenious" way to help people struggling to buy heating oil.

The book is on display at Scottie's and bids are being accepted by email, phone and in person until Jan. 31.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sandy Hook kids return to school

CLASSES are resuming for Sandy Hook Elementary School students for the first time since last month's shooting that killed 20 children and six educators.

The more than 400 students are attending classes at a refurbished school in a neighboring town that has been given the same name as their old school.

The school district says parents who want to be close to their children are welcome to visit and stay in classrooms or an auditorium throughout the day.

Parents were encouraged to have their children take the bus to help them return to familiar routines.

The gunman, Adam Lanza, killed his mother before going on the rampage at the school on Dec. 14 and then committing suicide. Police have not offered a possible motive.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bank card payments suspended in Vatican

THE Bank of Italy has suspended all bank card payments in the Vatican including for tickets to its famous museum until further notice because of a failure to fully implement anti-money laundering legislation, Italian media report.

The payments have been suspended since January 1 after the Bank of Italy ordered Deutsche Bank Italia, which handles bank card payments on Vatican territory, to deactivate its terminals because of a lack of authorisation for the transactions.

The Vatican museum, which was visited by five million tourists last year who paid a total of 91.3 million euros ($A115 million), will now be asking for payments in cash, La Repubblica newspaper reported.

The reports quoted Italian central bank sources saying the Vatican does not respect international anti-money laundering norms and an Italian-registered bank such as Deutsche Bank Italia can therefore not operate on its territory.

The suspension also includes payments at the Vatican pharmacy, the post office and a few shops that operate in the world's tiniest state.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said contacts were under way with other operators and the suspension of bank card payments should be "short-lived", Corriere della Sera reported.

Pope Benedict XVI has vowed greater transparency in Vatican finances and the operations of its bank, the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), which has been infiltrated by organised crime in the past.

Moneyval, a group of experts from the Council of Europe, said last year the Vatican had made huge strides in adapting its legislation to new rules but that a lot of work remained to be done.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man in hospital after Sydney home invasion

A MAN is in hospital after being bashed by three men and stabbed in the arm with a chisel when he answered the front door of his home in Sydney's west.

The 45-year-old man was confronted at his front door in Smithfield about 2.45pm (AEDT) on Thursday by a man who started punching him, police said.

Two other men appeared and also started assaulting him.

Police said he was struck to the body with a spirit level and stabbed in the arm with a chisel, both tools belonging to the victim.

He was taken to Fairfield Hospital for treatment to non-life threatening injuries.

Police describe the first man as being of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean appearance, 30 years old, 170cm to 175cm tall, medium build with black hair.

The second man has been described as being of Caucasian appearance in his mid-20s, 180cm to 185cm tall with a large build. He was wearing brown shorts and a blue shirt.

The third man has been described as being of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean appearance, 25 to 30 years of age, 170cm to 175cm tall with a muscular build and wearing a black T-shirt.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hot cocoa 'tastes better in orange cup'

EUROPEAN scientists say they have found further evidence that how you serve food and drink matters hugely in the perception of taste.

Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the University of Oxford recruited 57 volunteers and asked them to taste hot chocolate served in plastic cups with four different colours - white, cream, red and orange with white on the inside.

The chocolate was the same in all the samples, but the volunteers found that the flavour was better when the drink was served in the orange or cream-coloured cups.

"The colour of the container where food and drink are served can enhance some attributes like taste and aroma," Betina Piqueras-Fiszman of the Polytechnic University of Valencia said in a press release.

The findings could be beneficial to chefs and food manufacturers, Ms Piqueras-Fiszman added.

Previous research has found that yellow containers boost the perception of flavour of lemons in soft drinks; beverages with cold colours, like blue, seem more thirst-quenching than warm colours like red; and if drinks are pink, they are perceived as being more sugary.

The study appears in a specialist publication, the Journal of Sensory Studies.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks ease after strong rise

US stocks have headed lower after rising strongly for two straight sessions driven by Congress's long-awaited deal to avert the "fiscal cliff".

Five minutes into trade on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Index was down 36.05 points, or 0.27 per cent, at 13,376.50.

The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 2.66 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 1,459.76.

The Nasdaq Composite lost 6.96 points, or 0.22 per cent, at 3,105.30.

On Wednesday the markets opened the New Year with a grand rally, the S&P 500 surging 2.5 per cent and the Nasdaq gaining 3.1 per cent.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraq car bomb kills 12 Shiite pilgrims

IRAQI officials say a car bomb has struck a procession of Shiite pilgrims south of Baghdad, killing at least 12 and wounding dozens.

A police official says the bomb exploded late Thursday afternoon in the town of Musayyib, about 60 kilometres south of the Iraqi capital.

He says the bomb hit the pilgrims as they were returning from the holy city of Karbala to commemorate the Arbaeen.

The religious event marks the passing of 40 days after the anniversary of the seventh century martyrdom of the revered Shiite saint Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

A hospital official confirmed the casualty toll. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to release the information to reporters.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Emirates opens superjumbo concourse

DUBAI'S Emirates Airlines began operations from a $US3 billion ($2.9 billion) new concourse dedicated to Airbus' A380 superjumbos at the Gulf city-state's rapidly-expanding airport.

Flight EK003 took off to London Heathrow from Concourse A, which will become "home of the Emirates A380," and add a capacity to handle 15 million passengers a year, said a statement by Emirates - one of the world's fastest-growing carriers.

The new extension to Terminal 3, featuring 20 gates specifically designed to accommodate Airbus' longhaul airliners, will open gradually, with just four gates operational, Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths said in another statement.

"This is a historic and momentous occasion, marking another world first from Emirates," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman of Emirates and of Dubai Airports.

The government-owned carrier is the largest operator of A380, with a fleet of 31 and another 59 units on order.

The new concourse spreads across 11 floors with a total area of 528,000 square metres. It cost $US3 billion to build.

Dubai Airports has undertaken a $US7.8 billion to further expand the capacity of the international travel hub, as it expects to handle 75 million passengers by 2015 and 98 million passengers by 2020.

It expected the number of passengers who used Dubai International airport in 2012 to be around 57 million.

Emirates had moved its operations to Terminal 3 in 2008, when the new complex opened dedicated to the national carrier of Dubai, leaving the older Terminal One to foreign airlines.

The new facility will be available to A380 flights to Europe operated by Qantas, as per the global partnership announced recently and awaiting the approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Emirates said.

Emirates has a fleet of 195 wide-body Airbus and Boeing, and has some 204 units on orders worth more than $US74 billion, it said. It flies to 128 destinations in 74 countries.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Telehealth rebate cut will hurt Vic: Davis

THOUSANDS of Victorians face longer waits and travel times for health services because of a change to a federal rebate, the state government says.

The telehealth rebate, introduced in 2011, now only applies to remote patients, rather than those in outer suburban and regional areas.

Victorian Health Minister David Davis said those on Melbourne's fringes would now face longer waits for services.

"There is an acute shortage of many specialists in these outer metropolitan areas, forcing many Victorians to travel further and wait longer for specialist advice and care," he told The Age on Thursday.

Mr Davis's criticism is the latest in a running stoush between the levels of government over health care.

The state has accused the Commonwealth of ripping hundreds of millions from the budget, while federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek says the state will actually receive an additional $1 billion over the next four years.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man killed in Adelaide crash

A MAN has been killed in a two-car collision in Adelaide's western suburbs.

Two cars collided before one hit a power pole at Rosewater about 6.15pm (CDT) on Wednesday, police said.

The person is the sixth person to die on South Australian roads during the holiday road toll period.

* The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2012, until 2359 January 3, 2013, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

US shares soar on fiscal-cliff deal

US stocks shot up overnight in opening trade on news of a fiscal-cliff deal in Congress that prevented most tax increases and delayed sharp spending cuts.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.8 per cent in the first minutes of trade, while the Nasdaq Composite topped 2.8 per cent.

The broad-market S&P 500 gained nearly 2 per cent.

In the first trading day of the new year, Wall Street joined a global equities rally celebrating the passage of a bill that avoids the "fiscal cliff" of automatic spending cuts and tax increases.

While markets were closed on Tuesday for the New Year holiday, lawmakers approved a compromise bill that raises taxes on the rich and puts off automatic $US109 billion ($105 billion) federal budget cuts for two months.

If they had failed, Americans would have been hit by sweeping tax hikes, and spending cuts would have kicked in across the government, in a combined $US500 billion shock that could have rocked the fragile recovery.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Call to widen inquiry into child sex abuse

THE scope of the royal commission into child sex abuse should be extended to include physical assault and neglect, child welfare advocates say.

The National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect says the scope of the royal commission needs to be broadened because it is inequitable.

According to The Australian newspaper, the group wants Prime Minister Julia Gillard to expand the terms of reference of the commission to include all forms of abuse against children by churches, institutions and government.

The newspaper reports the call has split child welfare advocates, with some arguing it would mean the commission would go on for years, making it harder to get "concrete recommendations".

The federal government last year announced the royal commission to investigate child abuse in Australia, including in the Catholic Church.

It follows claims abuse by clergy was covered up by Catholic Church hierarchy in Victoria and NSW.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Twin mums give birth on New Year's Day

AIDEN and Donavyn didn't wait until New Year's Day to come screaming into the world, but the circumstances of their births are still pretty special: The babies were born about two hours apart to Ohio mothers who are identical twins.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports that the 19-year-old mothers - Aimee and Ashlee Nelson weren't raised to do things alike and did not plan the births to come at the same time. In fact, their due dates were about a week apart.

But Donavyn Scott Bratten was born just after noon on the last day of 2012. Aiden Lee Alan Dilts made his appearance at about 2pm local time.

They were delivered by the same doctor at Summa Akron City Hospital.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

School massacre survivors ready for class

STUDENTS at the elementary school where a gunman massacred 26 children and teachers last month were returning to class for the first time overnight in a new building adapted to look exactly like their old one.

Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut has been closed since the December 14 tragedy in which a 20-year-old local man shot 20 small children and six staff members before committing suicide.

Families were invited to inspect the new school in the nearby town of Monroe, where a disused facility has been prepared to resemble the old one, right down to the pictures on the walls and crayons on desks, US ABC television reported.

In a message to parents on the school website, acting principal Donna Page, who replaces the slain school head Dawn Hochsprung, insisted "the facility is safe, secure and fully operational."

Ms Page said parents would be allowed to stay in the school when it opens for classes today, to provide reassurance to their children, many of whom witnessed to the bloodbath.

"We understand many parents may need to be near their children on their first day(s) of school and you will be welcome. That being said, we encourage students to take the bus to school in order to help them return to familiar routines as soon as possible," she wrote.

The shootings, in which Adam Lanza wielded a semi-automatic assault-style rifle, provoked a major national debate on gun control and a promise from US President Barack Obama to back a bill outlawing military-type weapons.

The killer, Adam Lanza, was laid to rest over the weekend after his father, a tax executive, retrieved his body from the authorities last week, a family spokesman said.

Lanza's mother, whom he shot at their home just ahead of the school massacre, was buried in New Hampshire last month.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man stabbed in throat with sword

A MAN who allegedly stabbed another man in the throat with a sword in southeast Queensland on New Year's Day has been charged by police.

Police said the 34-year-old stabbed the man in the throat with a small sword during an altercation in Pialba about 5.30am (AEST) on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old victim was taken to hospital with a serious cut to his throat and remains in a stable condition.

The alleged attacker was charged with unlawful wounding, police said in a statement.

He is due to front Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Beattie calls for states to be 'abolished'

FORMER Queensland premier Peter Beattie has called for the abolition of the states, saying they could be replaced by larger councils.

Mr Beattie has told The Australian newspaper the states needed to be redefined or abolished given a 2006 High Court decision that upheld the Work Choices laws.

He said in the wake of the federal industrial relations laws the states had become "hand maiden of the Commonwealth".

Mr Beattie is reported as suggesting that larger regional councils could in the long term erode the power of the states and lead to a new structure of government for Australia.

This would reduce duplication and provide better government services, the newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Mr Beattie said one of the reasons he quit state politics was because he thought the future of state governments was "dim".

The call comes after recent urgings from former prime minister Bob Hawke for state governments to be scrapped.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rohingya boat people found near Thailand

A BOAT carrying about 70 asylum seekers from Myanmar's (Burma's) beleaguered Rohingya minority has been found adrift in the Andaman Sea off the Thai resort of Phuket.

Thai navy, police, health and other officials have supplied medicine and food and water to the asylum seekers, along with fuel for the boat so it could continue its journey without landing in Thailand.

Thai policy is to not accept boat people but to aid them in reaching a third country.

The passengers include about 10 children.

The exodus of Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladesh, where many are also confined to refugee camps, has become seasonal, peaking in December and January.

Their fate became an international issue in 2008-2009, when predominantly Buddhist Thailand towed broken-down boats crammed with refugees back to sea, where they were cast adrift. Hundreds are believed to have died when the boats later sank.

The latest batch of asylum seekers told officials they had been at sea for 13 days and were headed for Malaysia, Thailand's southern neighbour.

Malaysia is seen as a welcoming destination because its own Muslim population is dominant, though it too considers the Rohingya undesirable.

On Sunday, about 450 asylum seekers from Myanmar landed in Malaysia after a similar boat journey that left one dead, a man who tried to swim to shore.

It was one of the largest groups of Rohingya this past year to reach Malaysia, where about 25,000 Rohingya are registered with the UN refugee agency.

The UN estimates the Rohingya population in Myanmar at 800,000, but the government does not recognise them as one of the country's 135 ethnic groups, and most are denied citizenship.

Rohingya speak a Bengali dialect and resemble Muslim Bangladeshis, with darker skin than most people in Myanmar. They are widely regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and heavily discriminated against. But Bangladesh also refuses to accept them as citizens.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

US 'fiscal cliff' solution goes to House

A LEGISLATIVE fix to patch up America's fiscal crisis will be taken up by lawmakers in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives after passing the Senate.

The White House and top Republicans struck a deal after dramatic 11th-hour negotiations to avert huge New Year tax hikes and postpone automatic spending cuts that had threatened to send the US economy back into recession.

If the legislation passes the House as expected, it will represent a win for President Barack Obama as it raises taxes on the richest Americans - albeit above an income threshold higher than he and other Democrats had wanted.

But the victory will be hollow as it fails to tackle the deep spending cuts needed to resolve America's austerity crisis, setting up the prospect of another bitter Washington battle at the start of Obama's second term.

After months of agonising over the crisis, weeks of debate about a possible solution, and days of intense, closed-door bartering, the US Senate voted overwhelmingly 89-8 early Tuesday to pass a controversial bill that averts the so-called "fiscal cliff".

Although the midnight deadline was technically missed, any serious impact on the world's biggest economy will be avoided as long as legislation passes the House of Representatives in the coming days.

Obama issued a statement shortly after the Senate vote, urging lawmakers in the Republican-controlled House to "pass it without delay".

A vote could come as early as Tuesday.

If the measure is agreed by both chambers of Congress, tax rates will be hiked on households earning over $US450,000 a year but remain where they are for everyone else.

While not matching Obama's campaign threshold of $US250,000, it would represent a major concession from Republicans who have stuck solidly to a pledge of no higher taxes since then president George Bush failed to win re-election in 1992 after breaking a promise not to raise rates.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria sees in New Year with more violence

SYRIANS woke up to air strikes near Damascus on New Year's Day as Aleppo airport was closed after repeated rebel attacks, casting doubts on diplomatic drives to end the 21-month conflict.

The violence came a day after activists reported finding the corpses of dozens of people who had been tortured, another sign of the gruesome nature of the conflict, and as the regime said it welcomed any initiative for talks to end it.

Warplanes bombed the northeastern and southwestern suburbs of Damascus in a fresh bid to push rebels further from the capital, and troops attacked insurgent strongholds on the road to Damascus airport.

"Three air strikes by MiG planes have targeted Daraya since the morning, and the shelling is continuing," Abu Kinan, an activist from the town southwest of Damascus told AFP over the internet.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the raids came amid fierce clashes near the towns of Bait Saham and Aqraba along the airport road, and that shelling killed three civilians in nearby Ziabiyeh.

Battles have raged for weeks outside Damascus where insurgents have set up rear bases.

Analysts say the army is set on taking total control of Damascus and its immediate surroundings to create conditions necessary for future dialogue.

In northern Syria, where insurgents hold huge swathes of territory, authorities announced the temporary closure of Aleppo international airport after rebel attacks in recent days.

"There have been continued attempts by opposition militants to target civilian aircraft, which could cause a humanitarian disaster," an airport official told AFP.

But he added that the airport would be closed for a "very short period of time" while the army tries to regain control of rebel-held areas around it.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russian ban on US adoptions kicks in

RUSSIA'S controversial ban on adoptions of Russian children by American families has come into force, days after its signing by President Vladimir Putin sparked an international outcry.

The ban is part of a law rushed through parliament to hit back at the United States over its passing of a law sanctioning Russian officials implicated in the death in jail of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009.

But opponents say it makes Russian orphans - many with physical or mental difficulties - the blameless victims of a diplomatic standoff between Washington and Moscow.

The law came into force on January 1 after being signed by Putin on December 28, Russian state media said.

The blanket ban brings to an end a process that according to the US State Department has seen US families adopt more than 60,000 Russian children over the past 20 years.

It also forbids US citizens who are deemed to have hurt the rights of Russians from entering Russia, and allows the authorities to shut down NGOs funded by the United States.

The ban on adoptions caused an unusual amount of dissent within the political establishment, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicating his discomfort and Deputy Prime Minister in charge of social policy Olga Golodets vehemently opposed.

The anti-Putin opposition is trying to play on the splits within the elite by holding a mass rally against the law on January 13 in central Moscow, which organisers hope will muster up to 20,000 people.

Activists have said that American families were in particular prepared to adopt ill Russian children and the law risks consigning the most disadvantaged to orphanages for the rest of their childhood.

There is also concern about some 50 children caught in limbo after the law thwarted ongoing adoption processes, where in some cases the orphans had already met future adoptive parents.

The death of Magnitsky - who was charged with the very tax scam that he claimed to have uncovered - in pre-trial detention in 2009 has become a symbol of human rights abuses in the Russian prison system.

The Russian legislation responding to the US Magnitsky Act was dubbed as the Dima Yakovlev law, named for a Russian boy adopted in the United States who died after being locked in a hot car by his adoptive US father in 2008.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nigerian officials deny report of massacre

NIGERIA'S emergency agency has denied a report from one of its officials that 15 people were killed at a church in the country's volatile northeast, saying two were dead in unclear circumstances.

An official from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Monday told reporters that attackers had killed 15 people during a church service on Sunday in a remote village outside the town of Chibok.

The official who spoke is the agency's co-ordinator for the northeast region, but the agency's headquarters issued a statement on Tuesday providing a drastically different version. The military meanwhile denied any incident occurred.

The statement said the emergency agency had contacted the official quoted, Mohammed Kanar, and he had denied giving the information.

NEMA "has denied a report claiming that 15 worshippers were killed in an outskirt of Chibok local government council of Borno state on Sunday", the statement said.

"Though some of the reports claimed a source from NEMA provided the information, the agency not only contacted the same officer who denied it in its entirety, it also assigned a special team to investigate and verify the allegation which was later found to be unsubstantiated and untrue.

"Meanwhile the team has also discovered that two people were killed by unidentified gunmen around the area on Sunday and whose bodies had been deposited in a hospital. The victims were a security man and a bystander."

Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, a spokesman for a military task force in the region, which has been hard hit by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, told AFP he was not aware of any incident in the area on Sunday.

Asked about the NEMA statement saying two were dead, he maintained his previous statement and declined further comment.

Death tolls and information on attacks are often controversial and conflicting in Nigeria, with authorities under pressure to show progress in the fight against Boko Haram.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Melbourne into 2013 with hands and feet

MELBOURNE reached out and grabbed 2013 with hands and feet, as fireworks shaped like digits lit up the skyline in the southern capital.

An estimated 550,000 flooded into the CBD to witness the fireworks display, a 10-minute spectacular that flooded the sky with colour, featuring some unique explosions in the shape of human hands and feet.

The city's tallest buildings were used as launch sites, lighting the entire skyline to the delight of crowds gathered at the Docklands, Federation Square and at Treasury and Flagstaff Gardens.

Earlier on New Year's Eve, the city's family-friendly display at Yarra Gardens played host to about 60,000 people as the imposing backdrop of the MCG was showered with silver, gold and red.

Organisers said those gathered were very well behaved.

Robyn Smith, of Gisborne, northwest of Melbourne, said she had brought her two children to the city for the past three years.

"We just love it - it's just such a great party atmosphere," she told AAP.

"I think the fireworks bring out the little kid in everyone."

Irish sisters Emma and Sophie O'Dowd said they couldn't resist the lure of the New Year's lights and sounds, stopping at Yarra Park to see the fireworks on their way to a dance party.

"It's what it's all about. What a beautiful stage you've got here," Sophie, 22, said.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nearly 90% of Syria dead killed in 2012

NEARLY 90 per cent of those who have died in Syria's 21-month conflict were killed in 2012, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says.

More than 45,000 people have been killed since the conflict broke out in March 2011, but 39,362 of those perished during the past 12 months, the majority civilians, said the Britain-based watchdog.

The civilian toll of 28,113 includes those who have taken up arms against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, it said.

Government troops suffered heavy losses, with 9482 people killed, while 1040 military defectors also were killed in action. Another 727 people in the 2012 toll were unidentified.

"The death toll of the regime forces is actually higher, but the government keeps these figures under wraps," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

On the other hand, he said, "the rebels are discreet about their total losses of life in order to keep up morale, while the deaths of foreign fighters are not announced in their home countries".

The increase in the total number of deaths was due to a fierce escalation in the methods of crackdown by the regime, Abdel Rahman said.

"The year 2012 was the bloodiest and most destructive because all kinds of heavy weapons as well as regime warplanes were used in battle," he told AFP by phone.

The uprising began in March 2011 with peaceful protests inspired by the Arab Spring, but steadily morphed into an armed rebellion following a brutal government crackdown on dissent.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bob Brown joins Sea Shepherd board

FORMER Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has joined the board of anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd.

Dr Brown, who retired from the Greens leadership and the Australian Senate last year, will join Sea Shepherd Australia's board of directors early this year, the organisation announced on its website.

Dr Brown, who is a long-time friend of the Sea Shepherd's public face Paul Watson, said he had long admired the group's activism in trying to prevent Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean.

"It is an honour to join the Board of Sea Shepherd Australia, whose mission, backed by the majority of Australians, is to protect nearly 1000 whales from the Japanese slaughter fleet this summer," he said.

Mr Watson said he was "immensely proud" to have Dr Brown on board.

"Bob Brown has been a hero of mine for three decades going back to the days of the campaigns to protect the Franklin River," he said.

"What I most admire about Bob is that he is a living example of the three virtues that we need to protect our oceans and our planet - passion, courage, and imagination."

In recent years, the group has been engaged in heated confrontations with the whaling fleet, and were recently ordered by a US Court not to approach the Japanese ships.

The Japanese fleet reportedly left for Antarctica last week.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks drop as 'cliff' deadline looms

US stocks have opened lower on the last day of the year as Washington politicians appeared still far from a deal hours before the deadline to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Five minutes into trade on Monday the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off 33.18 points, or 0.26 per cent, at 12,904.93.

The broad-market S&P 500 fell 2.42 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 1,400.01.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite shed 0.51 points, or 0.02 per cent, at 2,959.80.

After a weekend in which Washington leaders failed to find a last-minute compromise on a fiscal deficit reduction plan, the cliff's mix of steep automatic spending hikes and tax cuts was almost certain to begin taking effect at midnight, pushing the country toward recession.

"Stocks are close to pricing in a lot of this political failure and brinkmanship. If no last-minute deals are cobbled together, this last day of the year will likely bring another round of selling," said Kevin Cook of online broker Zacks.

"But since a new playing field with new incentives exists on the other side of tonight's cliff, the chances to prevent a recession are numerous, manageable, and conceivable."

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

European stocks mixed on last day of year

EUROPEAN stock markets diverged on the last trading day of the year, amid fading hopes of a deal to avert the US "fiscal cliff" of sharp tax hikes and spending cuts.

The London and Paris markets operated for only half a day, resulting in thin trading volumes, while the Frankfurt DAX 30 closed for the year on Friday, with Germany's main index gaining 29 per cent in value during 2012.

Frankfurt soared over the course of 2012 after staging a sustained rally late in the year on eurozone debt progress and fresh stimulus moves by the US Federal Reserve, analysts said.

On Monday, London's benchmark FTSE 100 closed with a daily loss of 0.47 per cent at 5,897.81 points, having risen by 5.84 per cent over the entire year.

The Paris CAC 40 gained 0.58 per cent on Monday to 3,641.07 points, close to its highest point for the year after adding 15.23 per cent in 2012.

Madrid however has lost 4.66 per cent since January, to 8,167.5 points, while Milan has climbed by 7.84 per cent to 16,273.38 points, as Spain and Italy battle with national debt strains.

"Despite signs of economic strength in China ... the mood in the markets is rather subdued - all because of the 'fiscal cliff' impasse across the Pond," said Gekko Global Markets trader Anita Paluch, explaining Monday's trading performance.

In foreign exchange deals, the euro fell to $US1.3194 from $US1.3217 late in New York on Friday. Gold prices rose to $US1,666.80 an ounce on the London Bullion Market from $US1,657.50 Friday.

The single currency has risen by about 2.0 per cent in value against the dollar in 2012.

"Given that this time last year, markets were factoring in a euro bust-up and Greek exiting from the eurozone club by end of 2012, the year actually has seen equities and the euro put on a respectable show," Ishaq Siddiqi, market strategist at ETX Capital trading group, told AFP.

"European corporates aren't doing too bad either - cash-rich in many cases as they hoarded money during the worst of the crisis. This means they will have to put that money to work in 2013, whether it's through share buybacks, mergers and acquisitions or increasing dividends.

"At the same time, valuations are cheap and the increase in risk appetite this year has been favourable for cyclical stocks like banks, miners, autos and industrials. So looking to 2013, we should see a sense of normality return to markets, as 2012 was still a bit of a rollercoaster," Siddiqi added.

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that her country's economy, the continent's biggest, would experience a harder time next year than in 2012 and cautioned too that the eurozone debt crisis was far from over.

In her annual New Year address, Merkel said: "In fact, the economic environment next year will not be easier, but more difficult."

"The crisis is a long way from being beaten."

Although top exporter Germany has managed to hold up to the crisis fairly well, growth has slowed there as well since the beginning of the year.

In Asia meanwhile, stock markets fell in New Year's Eve-shortened trade. However, there was some bright news out of China, where a survey by HSBC showed manufacturing activity hit a 19-month high in December.

And despite Monday's losses, all the region's stock markets ended the year higher, with Bangkok the standout performer, surging almost 36 per cent, while Shanghai was the weakest, adding less than three per cent over the 12 months.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fireworks light up foreshore at Gold Coast

CARTOON superheroes shone on a high-rise wall as fireworks lit up the beachfront for the New Year's Eve curtain-raiser at Surfers Paradise.

Thousands of revellers took in the 9pm (AEST) show, a precursor to the main event at midnight, which is billed as one of the biggest fireworks displays in Queensland for New Year's celebrations.

Organisers went with a superheroes theme for this year's family party, hoping to encourage children to attend as their favourite superhero and several little Spidermen and Supermen could be seen among the crowd.

Projected images of superheroes such as the Phantom and Batman were displayed on a high-rise building adjacent to the beach as the fireworks display began.

"It's going to be a big year, bring on 2013," Coomera resident Steve Hoffmann, who brought his wife and son to the display, told AAP.

The event was one of several held up and down the Gold Coast while other centres in Queensland also lit up with their family-friendly displays.

The main event at Brisbane's South Bank had to be delayed by 10 minutes due to a helicopter needing the airspace above the Brisbane river to deliver a patient to nearby hospital but after that it was all systems go.

Crowd numbers were reported to be down for the midnight spectacular, with about 65,000 revellers turning up to the riverbank at South Bank to watch laser light shows and fireworks that launch underwater.

"We've been working on a few surprises," Skylighter Fireworks director Max Brunner told Brisbanetimes.com.

"All I can say is that this year will be the biggest display a Brisbane New Year's Eve has ever had."

Public transport was free of charge to revellers in Queensland's southeast until 5.30am (AEST) on New Year's Day.

Cairns also suffered a drop in numbers due to wet weather during the day.

The heavy rain appears to have headed south leaving clear skies at midnight for revellers in Cairns and Townsville, though other centres such as Mackay and Bowen faced a damp start to 2013.

Up to 50,000 people were thought to have attended the Surfers Paradise festivities.

Police praised crowds for their good behaviour and attitude, with no major incidents taking place and just two arrests made at South Bank before midnight.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Putin urges unity after year of protests

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has used a traditional New Year address to call for unity following a year of protests against his return to the Kremlin for a third term.

The country's "development and fate depend on our enthusiasm and labour, on our unity and responsibility," ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Putin as saying in the televised message aired first in Russia's Far East.

"Only together can we, the people of Russia, advance steadily, cope with any trials, solve the most complicated tasks, build a strong, successful state, a modern, prosperous and free society," said Putin.

Russia was rocked by its largest post-Soviet protests in response to Putin's decision to seek the presidency again following a 2000-2008 spell in power in which the state cracked down on civil liberties and media rights.

The former KGB spy served as prime minister for four years under his hand-picked presidential successor Dmitry Medvedev before announcing in September 2011 that the two had agreed to a job swap.

Putin then won March elections and was sworn in as president in May.

His inauguration was preceded by violent protests outside the Kremlin and was followed by the adoption of laws further restricting Russians' right to join demonstrations not authorised by the state.

The strength of such rallies has tapered off in recent months as the opposition scrambles for a strategy that could work with Putin firmly cemented in power at least through 2018.

But smaller-scale rallies still periodically continue in Moscow and Saint Petersburg - Russia's tsarist capital and the home town of both Putin and many of his closest ministers and advisers.

The radical wing of Russia's opposition movement vowed to hold a traditional New Year's Eve rally in central Moscow despite failing to win permission for the event from the city.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Afghan soldier killings highest ever

MORE than 1000 Afghan soldiers died in action this year, the highest since the Taliban insurgency began, as the army assumes more responsibility before NATO forces withdraw in 2014.

"In the past nine months, 906 Afghan army soldiers were killed. A total of 1056 soldiers were killed in 2012," defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told reporters in Kabul on Sunday.

"The toll has increased compared to the previous years."

The ability of the rapidly expanding army to thwart the Islamist insurgency is key to Afghanistan avoiding civil war as about 100,000 international troops head home.

Azimi said the army had now taken the lead role for security in more than 75 per cent of the country, though he added it needed better equipment and protection against land mines to cut fatalities.

NATO is aiming to train up 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police by the end of 2014 to ensure stability in Afghanistan, but challenges remain in the transition process.

Desertions, poor re-enlistment rates and low morale are among the key problems troubling Afghan and NATO commanders.

So-called "insider" attacks by Afghan security forces on their NATO colleagues and mentors have left more than 60 foreign troops dead this year, seriously undermining trust between the two forces.

The Taliban were ousted from power in 2001, but have waged an 11-year insurgency against the US-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama 'sceptical' of armed school guards

US President Barack Obama has pledged to enact stronger controls on gun ownership. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

RECALLING the shooting of 20 first graders as the worst day of his presidency, President Barack Obama has pledged to put his "full weight" behind a legislative package next year aimed at containing gun violence.

In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, Mr Obama voiced scepticism about proposals to place armed guards at schools in the aftermath of the December 14 deadly assault at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

In his boldest terms yet, he vowed to rally the American people around an agenda to limit gun violence and said he still supports increased background checks and bans on assault weapons and high capacity bullet magazines.

"It is not enough for us to say, 'This is too hard so we're not going to try,'" Mr Obama said. "So what I intend to do is I will call all the stakeholders together. I will meet with Republicans. I will meet with Democrats. I will talk to anybody.

"I think there are a vast majority of responsible gun owners out there who recognise that we can't have a situation in which somebody with severe psychological problems is able to get the kind of high capacity weapons that this individual in Newtown obtained and gun down our kids. And, yes, it's going to be hard."

Mr Obama's comments come as the schoolroom shooting has elevated the issue of gun violence to the forefront of public attention.

Six adults also died at the school. Authorities say the shooter killed himself and also killed his mother at their home.

The slayings have prompted renewed calls for greater gun controls. The National Rifle Association has resisted those efforts vociferously, arguing instead that schools should have armed guards for protection.

"I am sceptical that the only answer is putting more guns in schools," Mr Obama said. "And I think the vast majority of the American people are sceptical that that somehow is going to solve our problem."

Mr Obama said he intended to press the issue with the public.

"Will there be resistance? Absolutely there will be resistance," he said.

"The question then becomes whether we are actually shook up enough by what happened here that it does not just become another one of these routine episodes where it gets a lot of attention for a couple of weeks and then it drifts away. It certainly won't feel like that to me. This is something that - you know, that was the worst day of my presidency. And it's not something that I want to see repeated."

Besides getting gun violence legislation passed next year, Mr Obama also listed immigration as a top priority for 2013 as well as deficit reduction. A big deficit reduction deal with Republicans proved elusive this month and Mr Obama is now hoping Senate Democratic and Republican leaders salvage a scaled back plan that avoids across the board tax increases for virtually all Americans.

He issued a defence of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, who has been mentioned as one of the leading candidates for new secretary of defence.

Mr Hagel, who opposed President George W. Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq, has been criticised in conservative circles for not being a strong enough ally of Israel. Many liberals and gay activists also have banded against him for comments he made in 1998 about an openly gay nominee for an ambassadorship

Mr Obama, who briefly served with Hagel in the Senate, stressed that he had yet to make a decision on a secretary of defence but said called Mr Hagel a "patriot".

"He is somebody who has done extraordinary work both in the United States Senate," he said. "Somebody who served this country with valour in Vietnam. And is somebody who's currently serving on my intelligence advisory board and doing an outstanding job."

He noted that Mr Hagel had apologised for his 14-year-old remark. "And I think it's a testimony to what has been a positive change over the last decade in terms of people's attitudes about gays and lesbians serving our country," Mr Obama said.
 

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five to die for murder of Saudi diplomat

A SPECIAL tribunal in Dhaka has sentenced to death five Bangladeshi men for the killing of a Saudi diplomat early this year in what appeared to be a street crime gone wrong.

Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali, a 45-year-old official in the Saudi Embassy's consular section, was shot and killed near his home in Dhaka in early March.

Tribunal Judge Mohammad Motahar Hossain handed down the verdict on Sunday about two months after the trial began in October, chief prosecutor Rafiqul Islam said.

One of the men was tried in his absence, Islam said.

He said the men can appeal the verdict.

Initial speculation about the death focused on Iran, which has been accused of other international attacks or attempted attacks against diplomats, including Saudis. Iran denied the accusations.

Days after the shooting Saudi Arabia sent a team of investigators to assist Bangladeshi detectives.

During the trial the men pleaded not guilty even though after their arrest in July the four men told investigators they tried to rob the diplomat as he was going for a walk on the deserted street and shot him accidentally during a scuffle.

Police said the men were arrested after a revolver and a car used in the killing were found in their possession.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh enjoys good relations with Saudi Arabia, which is a top destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

Relations between the countries were tested in October last year, when Saudi Arabia beheaded eight Bangladeshi workers who were found guilty of robbing and killing an Egyptian.

22.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vietnam War medals stolen from Qld home

FIVE Vietnam War medals have been stolen from a home in Brisbane's south.

An unknown number of offenders gained access to the home in Mount Cotton Road, Mount Cotton about 2pm (AEDT) on Sunday, police said.

The medals, which are of great sentimental value to the occupant, are usually displayed in a hand-made wooden box.

A search is under way for them.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Merkel has 'women's bonus', says rival

ANGELA Merkel's main challenger in next year's German elections says the chancellor has an advantage over him because she is a woman.

Peer Steinbrueck's told weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung in an interview published on Sunday that Merkel had a "women's bonus" that counted in her favour.

He suggested female voters appreciated that the two-time chancellor is able to get her way within her party and in Europe.

The centre-left Social Democratic Party candidate's remarks sparked swift criticism from commentators across the political spectrum.

In the same interview, Steinbrueck said German chancellors aren't paid well enough. Merkel currently earns about 18,000 euros ($A23,000) a month.

Steinbrueck recently revealed that since leaving government in 2009 he has earned about 1.25 million euros from speaking engagements on top of his salary as a lawmaker.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama blames Republicans for fiscal cliff

US President Barack Obama has blamed a Republican refusal to raise taxes on the rich for the "fiscal cliff" crisis as top lawmakers haggled in a desperate end-of-year search for a stop-gap deal.

Obama slammed foes in Congress as the clock ticked down to an automatic avalanche of tax hikes and slashing spending cuts coming into force on Tuesday, which could throw the US economy back into recession and roil world markets.

"Now the pressure's on Congress to produce," Obama said in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press broadcast on Sunday but recorded Saturday. He barely concealed his anger that Republicans have refused what he sees as a reasonable compromise.

"So far, at least, Congress has not been able to get this stuff done," he added. "Not because Democrats in Congress don't want to go ahead and co-operate."

Obama said it had been "very hard" for top Republican leaders to accept that "taxes on the wealthiest Americans should go up a little bit, as part of an overall deficit reduction package".

The president's remarks did not seem to hint that a deal that would set tax policy and chart deficit cutting measures in the long term was imminent.

As Obama's interview was broadcast, top Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate groped for a scaled back plan that would stop taxes going up on the middle class on Tuesday but leave most big budget questions unanswered.

Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell would have to seal a deal by mid-afternoon on Sunday for there to be time to get votes passed through the Senate and the House by January 1.

Obama has demanded a vote on his fallback plan - a bare bones effort to save the middle class from a tax hike and to extend unemployment insurance, if no deal is done.

That would leave Republicans with the unpalatable political choice of being seen to block a bid to ease the tax burden on the middle class.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spanish police arrest 17 'Voodoo pimps'

SPAIN'S Interior Ministry says police have arrested 17 people on suspicion of smuggling Nigerian women into Spain and forcing them into prostitution using threats including claims they would cast Voodoo spells on them if they didn't comply.

An investigation began when police detected in January that around 10 women had been brought into the country illegally using a small boat.

Police said that following an investigation its raids seized computer equipment, mobile phones, false identity and work permit documents, as well as objects that detectives said were allegedly used in "Voodoo rituals".

Officers tracked down the suspected pimps in cities throughout Spain and arrested 16 Nigerian nationals and one Ugandan citizen, a statement released on Sunday said.

22.33 | 0 komentar | Read More