Pakistan PM prays at India shrine

PAKISTAN premier Raja Pervez Ashraf has prayed at a 13th-century Muslim shrine in northern India during a one-day visit in which politics was kept off the agenda.

Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid earlier hosted a lunch for Ashraf at a luxury hotel in the tourist city of Jaipur.

He said he was welcoming the Pakistani leader with "open arms", despite strained relations between the nuclear-armed rivals over recent border clashes.

"It's in our culture to welcome our guests with open arms," said Khurshid.

"Today it was a private visit. There were no official talks. We will do it at the appropriate time," Khurshid said.

On Friday, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told parliament ties between the neighbours could improve only if Pakistan shunned its alleged support to "the terror machine" of cross-border militancy.

Pakistan, which has fought three wars with India since independence from Britain in 1947, rejects New Delhi's charges it supports militant attacks.

After the luncheon meeting, Ashraf, whose government's term ends on March 16, flew to the shrine in Ajmer.

Ashraf and his family prayed at the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz and was slated to return to Islamabad later on Saturday.

Ashraf is the most senior Pakistani to visit India since last April, when President Asif Ali Zardari made a similar pilgrimage and had lunch with Prime Minister Singh.

Some Indians, including the symbolic spiritual head of the Ajmer shrine, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, objected to Ashraf's pilgrimage.

Khan had said he would refuse to assist Ashraf during the prayers.

His decision did not affect the visit because other shrine members assisted Ashraf, officials at the religious site said.

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Federal Labor weighed on McGowan

FEDERAL Labor's sinking popularity and ailing image has dragged down the party's West Australian leader Mark McGowan, who was heading for a massive defeat in one of the state's most swiftly called elections.

Moments after counting began, ABC commentators said the polls that had pointed to a crushing victory to premier Colin Barnett and his the Liberal/Nationals coalition were proving correct and called the result about an hour into the tallying.

A brutally frank defence minister Stephen Smith said federal Labor had not helped Mr McGowan, who, despite a strong campaign, could not achieve an extremely rare defeat of a first term government.

Mr Smith said Saturday's result in the west proved the Labor party had many issues to work on before the federal election on September 14.

"We've had a tough time federally - you don't need to be a rocket scientist to work that out - and there's no doubt we have been a drag on Mark and there's no doubt that we haven't been helpful," Mr Smith said.

"We have a range of tough political issues to work through between now and September.

"It will go down to the wire."

With 56.7 per cent of the vote counted, the coalition had 58 per cent of the vote on a two party preferred basis, with Labor taking 42 per cent, accounting for a swing of 6.6 per cent to the government.

Deputy federal opposition leader Julie Bishop said the WA election results - which very early in counting pointed to a Liberal/National coalition securing an overwhelming majority in the WA parliament - reflected poorly on Labor's brand.

Independent Liz Constable, who is retiring from the seat of Churchlands, said: "I don't think anyone anticipated such a landslide".

And WA Labor must have known it, with a very small contingent turning out for the party's gathering in Mr McGowan's home of Rockingham, where the atmosphere was decidedly sombre.

"It looks terrible. What a bloodbath," one Labor supporter lamented at the function.

Deputy leader of the Opposition Roger Cook admitted there had been some damage to the Labor brand from the federal government.

"To what extent it had a role to play in the state election is very difficult to say," he said.

WA Treasurer Troy Buswell, who had been attacked by the Labor party in the last week of the campaign, said the tactic had backfired.

"It's pretty un-Australian to play the man - I don't think West Australians have taken too kindly to that," Mr Buswell said.

After calling Mr Barnett to concede defeat, Mr McGowan said he was proud of the values that were reflected in his party's policies, which aimed to support West Australians in the regions as well as in the suburbs.

"I think we did a good job," he said.

"We went out there and we were bold in what we stood for.

"I know that we need to provide those basic core services, those basic facilities where people live in an expanding, growing state like Western Australia, and that was the vision we took to the election.

"That was what we wanted to make sure people understood that we stood for and that we strived to achieve in the course of this campaign.

"All of those ideas are ideas that we will pursue into the future."

Labor had been courageous in putting out its ideas, he said, adding he was proud of the Metronet plan.

WA Labor's election campaign revolved around the Metronet train project but it was seen as an ambitious proposal and competed with the Liberal party's more piecemeal transport plans.

Mr Barnett congratulated his coalition MPs who retained all the seats won at the last election.

"We've also won a further seven seats with a few still up for grabs," he told supporters.

He said the coalition deserved re-election as it had been a "good government", which was strong on the economy, ethical, principled and had introduced "fantastic reforms in education and health."

"This is the moment to enjoy," he said.

"And I promise you a good government for another four years."

Mr Barnett congratulated Mr McGowan on his energetic campaign which he said gave the people of Western Australia a real choice.

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WA's strong economy seals it for Barnett

PERTH'S tradies, contractors and the self-employed are pretty well off compared to workers on the east coast of Australia.

And therein lies the problem for West Australian Labor and the federal Labor party in an election year.

Labor branches in NSW and Victoria can rustle up the support of the unions, primarily in the manufacturing bases outside Sydney and Melbourne.

But WA's already small manufacturing sector is shrinking, and so is the party's traditional support base.

Many people in blue collar WA Labor seats don't really identify with the party anymore.

No more was that evident at this weekend's state election than in the seats of Midland and Balcatta where the Liberal party won convincingly.

Many tradespeople and contractors are essentially small business people looking for tax concessions, simpler operating conditions and a way to keep the money rolling in.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard knows this well.

That's why she stayed well away from WA Labor leader Mark McGowan's hard fought but futile campaign on public transport, health and education.

In the car-loving, privately health-insured suburbs of Perth, it was extremely hard for Mr McGowan to gain traction with anyone other than the true believers.

To the Liberal party's credit, it not only managed to maintain the support of the mining industry and small business, but a good number of mining workers now identify more strongly with the conservatives than Labor.

It's a funny place, WA.

While Victoria's economy is showing signs it could be in recession and jobs in NSW and Queensland are being lost at a rapid rate, things are still pretty good in the resources heartland.

Despite the massive debt the WA Liberals continue to rack up, people want to hear that the resources boom will continue indefinitely and that the state can still afford a flash new football stadium, airport train and a world class arena.

While Premier Colin Barnett annoyed some of his constituents with generous spending and projects like transforming the city's waterfront, it was not enough to alter the widespread belief that life is best in the west.

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McGowan gracious in WA election loss

IF he was listening to political commentators and polling before the election, WA Labor leader Mark McGowan knew defeat was coming but he handled the loss with optimism and grace.

The Opposition leader conceded defeat on Saturday night just three hours after polling closed in the state election.

In his speech, Mr McGowan said he was proud of the values that were reflected in the party's policies, which aimed to support West Australians in the regions as well as in the metropolitan suburbs.

"I think we did a good job," he said.

"We went out there and we were bold in what we stood for.

"I know that we need to provide those basic core services, those basic facilities where people live in an expanding, growing state like Western Australia, and that was the vision we took to the election.

"That was what we wanted to make sure people understood that we stood for and that we strived to achieve in the course of this campaign.

"All of those ideas are ideas that we will pursue into the future."

Labor had been courageous in putting out its ideas, he said.

"You may have heard of one of them, Metronet," he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

"I'm proud of that plan."

WA Labor's election campaign revolved around Metronet but it was seen as an ambitious proposal and competed with the Liberal party's more piecemeal transport plans.

Mr McGowan said the premier was gracious during their "chat" on the phone.

It was a hard fought campaign and hard to win, but they did their best and WA Labor would come back stronger, he said.

Mr McGowan thanked his family for their support and joked that his daughter Amelia, who was already in bed, had been a star in the campaign and would be premier one day.

"She will be the first premier of Western Australia in ponytails I'm sure," he quipped.

The Labor leader also thanked his staff who he said made him "look good".

Earlier, deputy leader Roger Cook, who won his seat of Kwinana, admitted there had been some damage to the Labor brand from the federal government.

"To what extent that had a role to play in the state election is very difficult to say," he said.

Labor MP Paul Papalia, who won his seat of Warnbro, struggled to hide his disappointment, telling reporters that the Liberals were clearly struggling with a lack of talented leaders since they had to appoint controversial MP Troy Buswell as treasurer.

"What we're going to have is an even bigger pool of people who are incapable of performing at an appropriate level for the state," he said.

However, the result would suggest the public has no such problem with Mr Buswell or the Liberals.

As the crowd of about 100 Labor supporters drowned their sorrows in food and drinks, Mr McGowan took the time to thank people individually, maintaining an optimistic smile all the way.

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WA election loss adds to Labor woes

FEDERAL Labor's woes played a significant role in tainting the party's West Australian election bid, helping to deliver a crushing defeat to state opposition leader Mark McGowan.

The polls had pointed to a landslide win on Saturday for the WA Liberals, but even Premier Colin Barnett, dubbed the Emperor for his decisive and autocratic approach, appeared taken aback by the magnitude of his sweeping victory.

The Liberals, who will once again form a coalition with the Nationals, kept all of the 24 seats they won at the 2008 election, secured a further seven seats and a few were still up for grabs, Mr Barnett said in his victory speech.

With three quarters of the vote counted late on Saturday night, the Liberals had enjoyed a swing of 8.5 per cent which could translate into many as 40 seats for the coalition to Labor's 19.

It was one of the state's - and perhaps the nation's - most swiftly called elections.

Also swift was a comment by deputy federal opposition leader Julie Bishop that the WA election results reflected poorly on Labor's brand.

So too was a brutally frank admission by defence minister Stephen Smith that federal Labor had not helped Mr McGowan, who, despite a strong campaign, could not achieve an extremely rare defeat of a first term government.

Mr Smith said Saturday's result in the west proved the Labor party had many issues to work on before the federal election on September 14.

"We've had a tough time federally - you don't need to be a rocket scientist to work that out - and there's no doubt we have been a drag on Mark and there's no doubt that we haven't been helpful," Mr Smith said.

"We have a range of tough political issues to work through between now and September.

"It will go down to the wire."

Mr Barnett said the resounding result was a combination of his good government and a distaste for Labor federally.

"I think Labor is on the nose to a lot of people, and that was a factor," Mr Barnett said.

"I think the message, if there is one, is that you need to make decisions, for the good of the economy and the good of the people."

The Liberals were poised to claim the previous safe Labor seat of Perth, along with winning Joondalup, Forrestfield, Balcatta and Belmont from Labor.

Deputy Opposition leader Roger Cook admitted there had been some damage from the federal government.

"To what extent it had a role to play in the state election is very difficult to say," he said.

Ms Bishop also said state Labor had put all of its eggs in one basket with its ambitious Metronet suburban rail plan, whereas the government ran local campaigns seat by seat.

But Mr McGowan said he was proud of the values that were reflected in his party's policies, which aimed to support West Australians in the regions as well as in the suburbs.

"I think we did a good job," he said.

"I know that we need to provide those basic core services, those basic facilities where people live in an expanding, growing state like Western Australia, and that was the vision we took to the election."

WA Treasurer Troy Buswell, who had been personally attacked by the Labor party in the last week of the campaign, said the tactic backfired.

"It's pretty un-Australian to play the man - I don't think West Australians have taken too kindly to that," Mr Buswell said.

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Barnett celebrates resounding WA poll win

TRIUMPHANT West Australian premier Colin Barnett says the Liberals' landlside state election victory was an endorsement of an ethical and principled government - and proved the Labor party was "on the nose" in Australia.

Mr Barnett's Liberal party annihilated their WA Labor opposition in a result that even surprised blue-blooded onlookers, with predictions of a Liberal/National alliance which could hold as many as 40 seats in the WA's Lower House on Monday.

Speaking to hundreds of delirious onlookers in his electorate of Cottesloe, who chanted "four more years" on his arrival, Mr Barnett said the result was "resounding".

"I think Labor is on the nose to a lot of people, and that was a factor," Mr Barnett said.

"I think the message, if there is one, is that you need to make decisions, for the good of the economy and the good of the people.

"Get the policy right, make the decisions - don't play politics."

After polling suggested a massive victory for the incumbent Liberals, the voters duly delivered, with huge swings away from Labor in dozens of seats.

The sight of Labor veteran and former minister Michelle Roberts battling to hold on to her seat in Midland was beyond the wildest dreams of even the most die-hard Liberal supporter.

The Liberals were also poised to claim the previous safe Labor seat of Perth, along with winning Joondalup, Forrestfield, Balcatta and Belmont from Labor.

Mr Barnett, who arrived at his celebration party minutes after WA Labor leader Mark McGowan conceded, said he had been called and congratulated by his Rockingham rival.

"Fundamentally there was not a mood for change," Mr Barnett said.

"Mr McGowan did run an energetic campaign, he gave people a choice on major issues and I genuinely congratulate him.

"It is not easy for an opposition ... but I think the last two weeks getting down to some personal issues, I think the perhaps took away some of his support."

The night was made even sweeter with the convincing win of Nationals leader Brendon Grylls in the Pilbara, who secured his own double figure swing.

Mr Barnett said he would govern alongside the Nationals, despite the Liberals winning an overall majority in their own right.

"We will govern in partnership with the National Party," Mr Barnett said.

"That was a remarkable result in the Pilbara, a gutsy move and congratulate Brendon for that.

"I would be hopeful the Liberals and Nationals would have the numbers (in the upper house) as well."

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Soccer verdict sparks unrest in Cairo

VIOLENCE has erupted in Egypt after a court confirmed 21 death sentences for a deadly soccer riot but exonerated 28 people.

A protester was killed on Saturday in fresh clashes with police in central Cairo. Huge flames rose above the main building of the Egyptian Football Association and a police officers' club in an affluent neighbourhood on an island in the Nile.

Fans of Al-Ahly football club, whose members were killed in the 2012 riot that claimed 74 lives, had warned police they would retaliate if defendants were exonerated.

The trial has been a ticking time bomb for Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who is facing a revolt in Port Said, growing nationwide unrest and an unprecedented police strike.

The court handed 15-year sentences to the former head of police security, General Essam Samak, and to Brigadier General Mohammed Saad, who was responsible for the stadium gates, which were locked, when the riot broke out.

Seven other police defendants were acquitted.

During sentencing, the judge read out a string of names without explaining who they were, leading to much confusion.

"First we were happy when we heard the 21 death sentences. We were cheering and didn't hear the rest of the verdict," one football supporter in Cairo told AFP. "Then we were very angry."

In Port Said, hundreds of people prevented ferries from shuttling residents between the banks of the Suez Canal, in protest at the confirmation of the 21 death sentences against supporters of the local team.

Tension has been running particularly high in an already divided Egypt since January 26, when the court first issued the death sentences for the country's deadliest football disaster.

Dissent has even reached police ranks, with police officers refusing orders to deploy, saying they are ill-equipped to deal with violent protesters and were made to suffer the consequences of government mistakes.

In Port Said, the government has almost completely lost its grip on security.

Port Said police on Friday withdrew from their headquarters and handed responsibility for securing it to the military.

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Coconut sales go bananas in diet trend

Jess Ainscough incorporates coconut products in her diet. PIC: Marc Robertson Source: The Courier-Mail

THE coconut craze has reached new heights, with health food retailers struggling to meet demands for the superfood trend, as consumers spend up big for coconut-derived waters, flours and dairy replacement products, despite the high saturated fat content.

Organic food retailer Deborah Wray reports that coconut water sales have tripled in the past six months, and her eight Wray Organic stores are unable to import enough coconut flour to keep up with customer demand.

There's also strong demand for drinking coconuts and coconut milk-based beverages, yoghurts and ice cream.

Coconut oil - used for nutritional and beauty reasons - sells for up to $32.95 per litre online, while coconut flour costs $15-20 per kg.

Demand has steadily grown since Miranda Kerr was misquoted by Cosmopolitan magazine in late 2011 saying she consumed four tablespoons - rather than teaspoons - of the oil daily.

"Two years ago we had one brand of oil, now there's about eight. Customers say they love the taste and regularly add it to smoothies," Ms Wray said.

Previous health concerns, she adds, probably related to hydrogenated coconut oil, which can convert the pure saturated fats into trans-fats, rather than the extra-virgin organic varieties now in fashion.

City-based nutritionist Jessica Cox cautions that it can be easy to overdo it.

"It's not evil but it's not a miracle cure," she said. "

It would concern me if you were having a smoothie in the morning, with loads of coconut milk, snacking on coconut chips then roasting with coconut oil.

"A certain amount of fat in the diet is really important but once you exceed that . . . it will start to affect your fatty acid profile, which can bump up your cholesterol."

Jessica Ainscough, a health coach and wellness blogger, says she incorporates coconut water, flour and nectar into her daily diet, and cooks with coconut oil because of its high smoke point.

Ms Ainscough started consuming coconut products in 2008 when she was diagnosed with soft-tissue cancer in her arm, and also uses coconut oil as a moisturiser, hair treatment and for "oil pulling", an ayurvedic practice of swishing oil around the mouth for 20 minutes to remove toxins.

She says in the past six months social media and health bloggers have spread the pro-coconut message, with the water, milks and oil forms of the drupe fruit going viral.

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Baden-Clay case to set to unfold

FLOWERS and tributes left at the home of Allison Baden-Clay at Brookfield. Source: The Courier-Mail

MORE than 40 witnesses will appear at next week's committal hearing for Gerard Baden-Clay, the Brookfield real estate agent accused of killing his wife.

The hearing is due to run from Monday to Wednesday and then resume the following week, when it will again run from the Monday to Wednesday.

At the conclusion of the hearing Chief Magistrate Brendan Butler will say whether Baden-Clay is committed to stand trial.

Baden-Clay, a real estate principal, made an emergency call to report his wife Allison missing from their Brookfield home on the morning of April 20, 2012.

A canoeist found Allison's body 10 days later under Kholo Creek Bridge at Anstead after a massive search.

The case - which has become one of the state's most high-profile - will be heard in Court 17 at the Brisbane Magistrates Court in George St.

Prosecutor Danny Boyle will lead the Crown case against the 42-year-old, who maintains his innocence.

Baden-Clay will attend the hearing, represented by solicitor Darren Mahony from Gold Coast-based law firm Jacobson Mahony.

Baden-Clay was arrested in June and charged with murdering his wife and interfering with a corpse.

Police might be cross-examined, along with medical experts and residents from around the couple's home and the area where Allison's body was found.

The couple's relationship, finances and insurance arrangements are among the issues open to be probed.

Among the 43 witnesses expected to be called are Baden-Clay's staff, business partners and friends of the couple.

Baden-Clay remains in custody after two bail applications were unsuccessful.

Unlike some previous high-profile cases there were no plans to set up a separate media room, a justice department spokesman said.

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Sandra gets nastier as she heads south

Cyclone Sandra is expected to intensify into a Category 3 storm over the weekend. Source: The Courier-Mail

SANDRA'S getting nastier by the day but whether she's heading for us is still, literally, up in the air.

Cyclone Sandra is expected to be upgraded from a Category 1 to a severe Category 3 today as it curves south, roughly parallel with the Queensland coast.

The big storm with winds to 110km/h is affecting an area about 1000km in diameter and is about 1100km northeast of Mackay.

The Weather Bureau has warned shipping that seas at its centre are 12m to 14m.

Weather Bureau forecaster Geoff Doueall said seas were of such a size that on the old Beaufort Scale they were rated as phenomenal, a description that referred to hurricane-force conditions.

"But there will be nothing like that further away from the eye and conditions along the coast have actually eased," he said.

Fisheries Queensland shark control program manager Jeff Krause said shark nets and drum lines would be removed from 20 beaches due to the rough conditions.

The good news is that the further south the cyclone goes, the more chance it has of running out of steam as it moves over cooler waters.

Anywhere north of Mackay is generally warm enough for cyclones to form and conditions south of about Bundaberg start to weaken them.

The Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Centre believes Sandra will assume a more southerly trajectory with winds to increase to 175km/h although one model has the storm crossing the coast between Mackay and Rockhampton and a second at the Sunshine Coast.

Moving at 10km/h, it is expected to remain well out to sea at least until next week.

Weatherzone forecaster Ben Domensino said the storm had only a slim chance of turning towards Queensland.

There was also a low risk that a second low would form next week along the monsoon trough about Cape York.

The monsoon could bring heavy falls across Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria but Cyclone Sandra was drawing much of the moisture off the east coast.

Cyclone Sandra is about 660km from Willis Island, one of the bureau's most remote weather stations.

The island is 450km northeast of Cairns and has a crew of four that serve for six months at a time.

Willis Island meteorologist Zachary Hussain said rough conditions hit the island on Thursday but eased yesterday.

"We've been busy with cyclone preparations and launching additional weather balloons," he said.

"It's not too bad."

Cyclone Yasi tore into the island in 2011, hitting it so hard it reshaped the tiny 400m by 200m land mass.

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Mum's bid for one last Kiss goodbye

AS the family and friends of Shandee Blackburn continue the hunt for her killer, they're hoping for a tribute from veteran rockers KISS. Source: The Courier-Mail

THE family of Mackay murder victim Shandee Blackburn has appealed to international rock superstars KISS to play their song Shandi in her honour when they perform for the Queensland town next week.

As Shandee's mother Vicki and boyfriend Arron Macklin prepare to take to the streets tonight to hand out wristbands bearing her name, friends and family are pinning their hopes on hearing her song on what would have been an early birthday celebration for the 23-year-old.

The bar worker was killed in a frenzied stabbing a month ago as she walked from work - her attacker confronting her less than a block from her home.

Police are yet to find her killer.

Mrs Blackburn said she, along with Mr Macklin and other family members, will walk Mackay's CBD tonight to continue to plead for information.

They want Mackay residents to wear the armbands, printed with the words "Justice for Shandee", as a reminder to stay safe.

"We want to get as many people as we can to be aware of what is going on," she said.

"Every person wearing those armbands will be saying 'this is not acceptable - people have the right to be safe'."

Shandee Blackburn, who died in a savage attack in Mackay, in Central Queensland, last month.

Mrs Blackburn said 2000 bands had already been handed out to locals.

"We want the responsible person off the streets," she said. "To attack a defenceless, small woman, and to not come forward, is just awful.

"This person hasn't thought 'oh my God, what have I done, this is awful, I need to come forward'.

"A lot of people are frightened it is going to happen again."

The grieving mother said she would also use her tour of the city's nightspots to remind young people never to walk home alone.

"Don't be caught out in a situation you can't get out of," Mrs Blackburn said.

She said Shandee had been named after the song and had been looking forward to seeing them perform.

"Before this happened, I had booked some seats at the KISS concert when it comes to Mackay," Mrs Blackburn said.

"It was going to be an early birthday present for her.

"We are really hoping they will do Shandi as a tribute for her.

"It would mean so much."

The Courier-Mail has approached promoters for the rock superstars, who have passed the request on to the band's US management team.

Shandee would have turned 24 on June 11.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Officer's true grit in gunman showdown

A POLICE officer stands his ground before the gunman involved in yesterday's Queen Strett Mall shutdown. PIC: Michael Millier Source: The Courier-Mail

ONE brave senior constable stands his ground as the heavily tattooed man strides towards him, a gun tucked behind his back.

The officer from Ferny Grove, in Brisbane's west, captured in one of dozens of dramatic images from yesterday's drama, was one of dozens called in when a gunman pulled a pistol on two plainclothes officers in the busy Queen Street Mall.

The policeman, who was not wearing a bulletproof vest, stood calmly as the crazed father of three struts back and forth.

Drama: How gunman brought put Brisbane's CBD into lockdown

It was not the first time the officer has stared down danger - he had previously earned a bravery award for ending another siege several years ago.

The then Australian Federal Police officer was recognised for his part in disarming a man when a house party got out of control in Canberra.

"A young fellow had barricaded himself in someone else's house after a party and he was fairly intoxicated," he told The Westerner newspaper in 2010.

"We tried to negotiate with him while he was inside the house for about half an hour, and all of a sudden he burst out of the house carrying a couple of large kitchen knives . . .

Police take down a gunman after a tense stand-off in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall. PIC: Michael Millier

eventually he ran at myself and my team leader.

"We subdued him and disarmed him and he was arrested for threatening police officers."

Officers from Indooroopilly to Ferny Grove, Fortitude Valley and the CBD hit the Queen Street Mall yesterday, taking only five minutes to evacuate thousands of shoppers and lock down businesses.

Heavily armed Special Emergency Response Team officers - trained specifically for high-risk arrests - were called in, using an armoured vehicle to enter the scene.

Photographer Michael Millier, 67, who took the photograph of the police officer and the gunman, said he watched as officers used bean bag rounds to take down the gunman.

"When the gun was being pointed to the ground, that is when police moved in from about three different directions," he said.

"It sounded like about 50 crack shots - it wasn't gun fire.

Heavily armed SERT police officers arrive at the Queen Street Mall in Brisbane's CBD.

"He must have been getting stung. He dropped the pistol, he was obviously in a lot of pain."

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US jobless rate falls to 2008 level

THE US has announced better-than-expected jobs data, with the unemployment rate falling and solid jobs growth in February.

The jobless rate fell to 7.7 per cent, from 7.9 per cent in January, and a net 236,000 jobs were gained, the government said on Friday.

The last time the jobless rate was as low as 7.7 per cent was in December 2008.

The numbers were much better than analysts expected. The average estimate was for the jobless rate to remain stuck at 7.9 per cent for the second month in a row and additional jobs to total 165,000.

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US stocks open higher

US stocks have opened higher as a surprisingly strong jobs report suggests the economic recovery is on track.

The monthly jobs report said the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 per cent from 7.9 per cent, while the net number of jobs gained came in at 236,000, according to the Labor Department.

Both numbers were better than expected.

Five minutes into trade on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial average gained 71.21 (0.5 per cent) to 14,400.7, climbing to a new intra-day record.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 6.79 (0.44 per cent) to 1,551.05. The index was about 14 points below its all-time closing high.

The tech-rich Nasdaq composite index increased by 22.57 (0.7 per cent) to 3,244.93.

Analysts hailed the strong jobs report.

"American companies are hiring again in greater numbers," said Sal Guatieri, senior economist of BMO Capital Markets.

"Employment should strengthen further as the fiscal fog clears and companies see sustained strength in consumer spending and housing activity."

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Some kids 'better off' in bad homes

The head of Queensland's Child Protection Inquiry says some children would be better off in risky homes than being sent into state care. Source: Herald Sun

SOME children would be better off in an inadequate or even risky home where they were loved rather than being sent to foster care, according to the man behind Queensland's child protection inquiry.

Commissioner Tim Carmody is set to recommend every one of the state's 8000 children in care be individually checked to see if they can return to their families.

He accused some child protection officers of "over-reacting" by taking children away from dysfunctional parents, instead of giving families the help they need.

Comment: Thankless task facing Inquiry chief

"There are some children in very dysfunctional homes but the answer is not to just take them out," he told The Courier-Mail yesterday.

"Removing a child at any age from a loved environment - even if it is inadequate or even risky - can give long term problems to that child.

"The impact on some children will be the same as the stolen generation."

Commissioner Carmody's comments coincide with a shocking surge in the number of abused and neglected children across Australia last year.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare will today publish new data showing a record 39,621 kids in foster care nationally.

In Queensland alone, the number of children who were victims of substantiated abuse and neglect jumped 17 per cent to 6974 during 2011/12.

And 2671 Queensland children were taken from their families - including 473 babies.

The total number of children in care has reached 7999 - or 7.4 in every 1000 children.

Mr Carmody, a retired Family Court judge and former Queensland Crime Commissioner, blamed a "malfunction of the system".

"I'm considering an audit of the 8000 children in care in Queensland, to see what their protective needs currently are, whether they still need to be cared for by the state," he said.

"If a prisoner on parole can get reviewed, and mental health patients get reviewed, then if I'm a child who once needed protection, why don't I get reviewed?

"You might have a child in care for five years and all of a sudden mum changes partner from a violent one to a good guy, or dad gets clean from alcohol and drugs, and they want their child back."

Mr Carmody said some children were being placed in 35 different homes - and changing school each time - over 10 years.

"Surely the state has to be able to say, 'Hang on, if we can't place a child better than changing residences 35 times, why did we take the child from its parents in the first place?" he said.

"There would be some children who are worse off from having been removed than they would have been if they'd been left alone.

"Kids are going into foster homes where each sibling is a fostered child - that's not a normal family at all, it is a boarding house."

Mr Carmody criticised an "over-reaction" in reporting cases of neglect and abuse

and said the child protection system should not be about "social engineering and giving them a better chance in life".

"It's about meeting their needs, and unless that need is protection and care, they shouldn't get a protection and care service," he said.

"The system is over-responding to over-estimated risks."

Mr Carmody said children must be removed if they are "in danger at home" but criticised removals on the grounds of "emotional abuse".

He said 70 per cent of children in Queensland were put into care for neglect or emotional harm.

Mothers with violent partners were having their children taken away, even if the children had not been physically harmed.

"They do blame the victim of domestic violence sometimes for staying with the violent partner, as a sign of incapacity and unwillingness to protect the children," he said.

"That's not how it is defined in the law, that is how it's reported in practice."

Mr Carmody said the definition of emotional harm was subjective, and there was no consensus even among child welfare professionals.

"If the answer is taking that child away from a loved parent, even if it's a violent home, and putting them with someone they don't know in someone else's home, how is that the right answer?"

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US weekly jobless claims fall

NEW claims for US unemployment benefits fell last week to 340,000, suggesting continued modest strength in the jobs market on the eve of steep federal spending cuts.

Claims, an indicator of the pace of layoffs across the country, fell by 7,000 in the week to March 2, holding below the four-week rolling average, according to the Department of Labor.

It was the last week of reporting before the start of the "sequester" spending cuts, officially launched on March 1: $US85 billion ($A83 billion) in broad-based budget reductions required over the next seven months, which mean furloughs for government workers, cutbacks in temporary hiring and cuts to government contracting.

The weekly figure pulled the four-week moving average of claims down to 348,750, compared with the 367,500 average of a year earlier.

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Insurer Aviva posts huge 2012 loss

BRITISH insurer Aviva says it tumbled into a net loss of STG3.0 billion ($A4.4 billion) last year and slashed its shareholder dividend, sparking a slump in the group's share price.

The loss after tax, owing mainly to a massive writedown following the sale of its US business, contrasted with a net profit of STG60 million in 2011, Aviva said in a results statement on Thursday.

The company meanwhile reported underlying operating profit - an indicator of its day-to-day business - of STG1.78 billion.

However, shares plunged in value after Aviva cut its full-year shareholder dividend by 27 per cent to 19 pence a share, as it sought to cut debt and improve performance.

Chief executive Mark Wilson insisted in the earnings release that the group had achieved major progress in its turnaround program.

"2012 was a year of transition at Aviva. There has been solid progress against the turnaround plan set out last year. Our capital strength has improved materially and we have completed the vast proportion of the disposal program. We have made progress reducing costs and we also have a strong new management team in place," he said.

Wilson added: "The STG3 billion loss after tax is driven principally by writedowns we have previously announced due to the agreed sale of our US business.

"Operating profit levels were healthy across our major businesses, especially in the UK, France and Canada."

Aviva - Britain's second-biggest insurer after Prudential - said last July it would withdraw from 16 non-core business areas following a major strategic review of the group.

The review was launched after the shock resignation of chief executive Andrew Moss in May 2012 amid shareholder revolts over pay for top managers viewed as underperforming.

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US trade gap widens in January

THE US trade deficit grew sharply in January after a plunge in December, government figures show.

The Commerce Department reported the trade gap rose to $US44.4 billion ($A43.5 billion), up from a revised $US38.1 billion in December.

Exports fell by $US2.2 billion to $US184.5 billion, led by declines in exports of industrial supplies and materials as the United States beefed up its imports of those goods.

Total imports rose about $US4.1 billion to $US228.9 billion.

The increase in the trade shortfall came in larger than the average analyst estimate of $US43.0 billion.

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Employers must modernise workplace: ACTU

EMPLOYERS must modernise workplaces and make conditions more flexible to help single mothers and carers stay in their jobs, the ACTU says.

Friday is International Women's Day and Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) President Ged Kearney has used the event to ask employers to "open their minds to different working hours and conditions".

"This International Women's Day we call on employers to modernise their view of work and women's caring responsibilities," Ms Kearney said in a statement.

"Employers are missing out on a lot of talented workers when they don't attempt to accommodate those employees who have to carry, sometimes alone, the responsibilities of caring."

A group of equality organisations say female homelessness is rising faster than that of men and a "tsunami" of housing stress is confronting Australia.

This is brought about by the pressures of balancing work with family responsibilities and gender inequalities in the workplace, the Equality Rights Alliance (ERA) and the Australian Woman Against Violence Alliance (AWAVA) said in a joint statement.

"Housing stress is fundamentally an issue of poverty and Australian women face significant financial disadvantage when compared with men," ERA manager Helen Dalley-Fisher said in a statement.

"The high number of women in low paid jobs, heading single parent families, and the high rates of poverty among ageing women means women are disproportionately affected when it comes to housing."

The gender inequality, including a pay gap of 17.5 per cent between men and women, must be resolved to prevent other women from joining the 45,813 homeless females across the country, the groups said.

Investment and education is needed to bring about change, they added, like dropping the number of women who experience violence.

Violence happens to one in three women, a statistic which has remained static over decades, AWAVA chief Julie Oberin said.

"We know greater investment is needed in early intervention and prevention as these are proven to be the most effective tool to bring about real social change," Ms Oberin said.

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US stocks open higher after Dow record

US stocks have opened higher after central banks in Europe, Britain, Japan and Brazil held off from further loosening already accommodative monetary policies despite facing weak growth.

Five minutes into trade on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 36.11 points, or 0.25 per cent, to 14,332.35, after setting a fresh all-time closing high on Wednesday at 14,296.24.

The broad-based S&P 500 gained 3.42 points, or 0.22 per cent, at 1,544.88.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite rose 4.40 points, or 0.14 per cent, to 3,226.77.

Traders remained cautious but there were no signs yet that investors believed the market was overvalued.

"The lack of selling interest reflects concerns about missing out on further gains and getting mentally whipsawed again by the sight of the market quickly bouncing back from any type of dip," said Patrick O'Hare of Briefing.com.

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Berlusconi sentenced to jail over wiretaps

AN Italian court has sentenced former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to a year in prison over the publication of leaked transcripts from a police wiretap in a newspaper he owns.

Berlusconi, who faces two more verdicts this month for tax fraud and having sex with an underage prostitute, can appeal the conviction, which would suspend the sentence under Italian law.

"It is impossible to tolerate this kind of judicial persecution that has lasted for 20 years," Berlusconi said in a statement.

Berlusconi said the decision was unfair since he himself had been the victim of "thousands" of leaks in newspapers and television broadcasts and had filed lawsuits that had never come to trial.

Italian sentencing guidelines indicate that people aged over 75 and with sentences of less than two years do not have to actually go to prison.

Berlusconi, a billionaire media tycoon, is 76.

"I am disappointed and concerned because I am convinced that the proof was insufficient, contradictory or missing," Berlusconi's lawyer Piero Longo told reporters after the hearing on Thursday.

"I was not expecting a conviction," he said.

Fabrizio Cicchitto, a leading member of Berlusconi's People of Freedom party, said: "The plan to eliminate Silvio Berlusconi through the justice system is now so obvious that it is dangerous for democracy."

The party is preparing a demonstration later this month against a justice system that Berlusconi frequently portrays as left-wing and biased.

Berlusconi stood accused of violating secrecy laws after his Il Giornale newspaper published transcripts in 2005 that were widely seen as an attempt to discredit a senior member of the centre-left Democratic Party ahead of elections in 2006.

The leaks were about the attempted takeover of BNL bank by insurance giant Unipol.

Berlusconi's brother Paolo, editor of Il Giornale, was sentenced to two years and three months.

Silvio Berlusconi also faces a verdict possibly this month in a trial in which he is accused of having sex with a then 17-year-old prostitute when he was prime minister and then abusing the power of his office by putting pressure on police to release her from custody.

A verdict in his appeal trial against a tax fraud conviction from last year in which he was also sentenced to a year in prison is also expected this month.

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Maldives ex-president freed, 81 arrested

FORMER Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed has been freed after his overnight detention sparked anti-government protests that led to the arrest of more than 80 opposition activists, police say.

The release of Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader, came after he was taken before a magistrate on charges of abusing his authority when he was in power between 2008 and 2012.

"We produced him (before a judge) in court today as instructed by the magistrate and after today's hearing he was free to go," police spokesman Hassan Haneef said.

Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said the case had been put off for another four weeks.

But there was no ruling on Nasheed's demand to postpone the case until after the September 7 presidential election in which he is a candidate, the MDP said.

The 45-year-old Nasheed says the charges are politically motivated and aimed at disqualifying him from contesting the September presidential elections.

Police detained Nasheed on Tuesday, defying pressure from regional power India which had called for him to be free to campaign for the elections.

During Wednesday's one-hour hearing, two women were arrested for causing "disturbances", police spokesman Haneef said, adding that a total of 81 people had been detained since protests erupted on Tuesday.

India had appealed for calm following Nasheed's arrest that breached an informal understanding he would be free to campaign.

Male has been racked by violence and political infighting since February 2012 when Nasheed was ousted following a mutiny by security forces and street protests.

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Indefinite strike called in Karachi

KARACHI has gone on an indefinite strike, with businesses, shops, schools and transporters ordered to shut down until police arrest those responsible for the city's worst bomb attack in years.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which controls most of Pakistan's largest city, ordered the strike three days after a powerful car bomb killed 50 people and wounded around 140 others in Shi'ite Muslim neighbourhood Abbas Town.

Sunday's bomb was the fourth in a series of major attacks on the minority Shi'ite community since January 10 that have killed more than 250 people.

While there has been no claim for the Karachi bombing, the banned extremist Sunni outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi said it carried out the previous attacks.

There has been widespread outrage at the government's apparent powerlessness in the face of rising sectarian violence, which has raised alarming questions about the security of general elections due to be held by mid-May.

"We are starting a peaceful movement right now against the terror attack on Abbas Town and the government's failure in arresting the terrorists despite the lapse of three days," Raza Haroon, an MQM leader, told a news conference.

"We appeal to all traders, businessmen and transporters to suspend their activities during our protest."

The MQM last month withdrew from the main ruling coalition in a move interpreted as a way of jockeying for political advantage as parliament prepares to dissolve in mid-March.

Karachi, a city of 18 million people, contributes 42 per cent of Pakistan's GDP, but is rife with murder and kidnappings, plagued for years by ethnic, sectarian and political violence, and campaigners warn the situation is getting worse.

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Britain to give Syria rebels body armour

BRITAIN will provide body armour and armoured vehicles to the rebels battling forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Secretary William Hague says.

Hague said the non-lethal military aid, worth $US20 million ($A19.61 million), was a "necessary, proportionate and lawful response" to a situation of "extreme" humanitarian suffering.

"The fact remains that diplomacy is taking far too long and the prospect of an immediate breakthrough is slim," he told parliament.

The announcement comes after the European Union authorised on Thursday last week the supply of non-lethal military equipment and training to the Syrian opposition.

Britain has already provided them with equipment such as power generators and communications devices worth STG9.4 million ($A13.96 million).

But Hague said his government was being forced to move towards "more active efforts" in a bid to end the violence.

"We will also now provide new types of non-lethal equipment for the protection of civilians, going beyond what we have given before," he said.

"It will certainly include, for instance, armoured four-wheel drive vehicles to help opposition figures move around more freely, as well as personal protection equipment including body armour."

Britain will also give the rebels equipment to test for the possible use of chemical weapons by the regime, he added.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday that "a lot of countries" were already training the rebels as part of stepped-up efforts to end the brutal conflict, which the United Nations estimates has cost at least 70,000 lives.

One million Syrians had also fled their homeland since the revolt against Assad erupted two years ago, the UN said.

The United States last month pledged $US60 million in funding for the political opposition as well as food and medical assistance, but not the weapons the rebels have asked for.

An EU arms embargo prohibits European countries from supplying weapons to the Syrian opposition, although Britain has been pushing to lift this.

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Egypt court orders cancellation of poll

EGYPT'S administrative court has ordered the cancellation of controversial parliamentary elections scheduled for April 22, throwing the country deeper into political crisis.

It also referred the law governing the elections to the Supreme Constitutional Court for review.

President Mohamed Morsi last month called parliamentary elections on April 22, to take place in four stages over two months.

Egypt's main opposition bloc, the National Salvation Front, announced it would boycott the vote, expressing doubts over its transparency, and demanded a new electoral law.

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Taliban kill 17 Afghan soldiers: officials

TALIBAN militants have killed 17 Afghan soldiers in the far northeast in one of the deadliest single attacks on government security forces in recent years, officials say.

The men were taken hostage in Badakhshan on Saturday while guarding a convoy.

Their bodies were discovered by local people in the relatively peaceful mountainous province, which borders China, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

"The enemy have executed 17 soldiers whose bodies were found last night," provincial deputy police chief Sayed Jahangir Keramat said.

"Seven other soldiers were released in exchange for some Taliban prisoners."

Afghan government forces have increasingly suffered the brunt of insurgent attacks as they prepare to take responsibility for national security when the bulk of NATO combat troops withdraw next year.

The attack in Badakhshan will heighten concern that Afghan forces cannot provide security across the country, where a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban regime in 2001.

"Last night locals found 17 bullet-riddled bodies of Afghan soldiers in Warduj district," said Abdul Marouf Rasekh, spokesman for the provincial governor, confirming several others had been released after talks conducted by tribal elders.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, but said the deaths had occurred during fighting, rather than after the soldiers had been captured.

When the 100,000-strong international military coalition fighting alongside Afghan forces withdraws by the end of next year, the ability of local troops to control the insurgents is key to the country's stability.

General James Mattis, head of US Central Command, on Tuesday insisted Afghan forces were increasingly capable and the Kabul government's army and police were now leading anti-insurgency efforts.

President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday made a rare public criticism of national security personnel during a speech at the opening of a new session of parliament.

"While I fight everyday, without any exception, with the foreigners for the human rights of the Afghan people ... we learn that our own security forces violate the rights of the Afghan people," he said.

"This is unforgivable."

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Canada foreign aid tied to commerce

ONCE held up as a model global citizen, Canada is facing growing criticism from aid groups over moves to tie foreign assistance to trade through partnerships with mining and other firms.

Plenty of nations use foreign aid to further their political and economic interests, and Ottawa has insisted that in tough economic times a market-based approach involving private firms will ensure aid is used efficiently.

But aid groups counter that in tying assistance to economic gains Canada neglects its obligation to fight poverty, and Ottawa has even earned a rare rebuke from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

In January, Canada's International Co-operation Minister Julian Fantino announced the suspension of new aid to Haiti over concerns about mismanagement of funds in the impoverished Caribbean nation, ravaged by a 2010 earthquake.

Canada is a leading backer of international efforts to rebuild Haiti, and the announcement drew immediate criticism from aid groups.

Bonnie Campbell, a politics professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal, said the changes began in 2009, when the Canadian government axed funding for eight African countries.

Colombia and Peru, two nations that had recently signed free trade agreements with Canada, were meanwhile added to Ottawa's list of top aid beneficiaries.

"Those picks are worrying," said Campbell.

"We're choosing targets for aid based on Canada's commercial interests and we're distancing ourselves from our international obligations to reduce poverty."

The latest changes even drew criticism from the OECD, which last year deemed unfortunate a five-per cent reduction in Canada's foreign aid budget, saying its "new approach to foreign aid is neither sufficient nor transparent."

In a response to AFP, Fantino touted the private sector as "absolutely essential for job creation and durable economic growth, without which developing nations cannot break the cycle of poverty."

He said Ottawa had obtained positive results by focusing aid on the "social, economic and health needs" of people in poorer nations and defended its partnerships with mining and other firms.

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Weak leadership cost Baillieu - editorials

WEAK leadership in tough times forced Ted Baillieu's resignation, and his successor, Premier Denis Napthine, faces a struggle to resurrect the unpopular Victorian government, Melbourne's major newspapers say.

The Australian says while Mr Baillieu's greatest achievement - returning the coalition to government after 11 years - should not be forgotten, he lacked decisiveness and vision once in office.

He failed to inspire the confidence of his own party members, as well as the Victorian people.

His handling of this week's taped conversation scandal sealed his fate, it says.

"After a series of policy failures, scandals and poor poll results, the task for the new premier will be to lead boldly," the editorial said.

The Herald Sun says Mr Baillieu lacked the guidance and direction his party members - and Victorians - needed from him.

His lack of communication hurt him most, and he needed a stronger voice, its editorial says.

"It was always a matter of communication, or a lack of it for which Mr Baillieu was criticised by this newspaper, as well as his political mentor in former premier Jeff Kennett," it said.

The Age says Mr Baillieu set high standards upon his election, but failed to follow through once in office.

His promises to end the "rancid culture" of politics and deliver disciplined, stable government did not eventuate, and that culture only grew in party ranks, it says.

"That it was there at all, and allowed to fester on his watch, points to a significant failure of leadership," The Age's editorial said.

The coalition's future would depend on its preparedness to crush disunity and frustration within its ranks, it said.

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Record 1 in 5 of world politicians women

THE share of women in the world's parliaments has risen to a new high topping 20 per cent, with quotas driving the surge, the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) says.

"Since parliaments exist, this is the first time in history that there's been one woman for every four men," said Anders Johnsson, head of the Geneva-based IPU, which groups 162 national legislatures.

The global average share of women in parliaments stood at 20.3 per cent in 2012, up from 19.5 per cent in 2011, the IPU said, ahead of the UN-sponsored International Women's Day on March 8.

Of the 48 countries which held elections last year, 22 used quotas of some form, including Senegal, Algeria, the Netherlands, France and South Korea.

Where quotas were set down in law, women took an average 24 per cent of the seats, while voluntary quotas produced a rate of 22 per cent.

In countries without a quota, women took just 12 per cent of seats.

"Although quotas remain contentious in some parts of the world, they remain key to progress on a fundamental component of democracy - gender parity in political representation," Johnsson said.

Johnsson said research showed a "critical mass" of 30 per cent was needed for women to influence the legislative process.

"When you have those kinds of numbers, the agenda tends to change. I'm not talking about a women's agenda, but a gender perspective," he explained.

"Women have, without over-generalising, a social awareness that many men don't have. And therefore they tend to bring what we could call a different social perspective.

"When one excludes a large proportion of the population, and doesn't include them in the decision-making process, it's not to the benefit of the country."

Nordic countries, which have long boasted the world's highest proportion of women in their parliaments, had an average of 42 per cent in 2012.

Europe's overall rate was 23.2 per cent, behind the Americas' 24.1 per cent.

Women accounted for 20.4 per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa's MPs, and for 17.9 per cent in Asia.

In the Pacific, the figure was 15.3 per cent - and just three per cent excluding Australia and New Zealand.

Arab states trailed with 13.2 per cent, the IPU noted, saying the region had failed to deliver on the promises of democratic change heralded by the Arab Spring.

The notable exception was Algeria, with 31.6 per cent, thanks to its quota.

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Dow index spikes to all-time record

THE Dow Jones Industrial Average has surged to a new all-time high as trade opened, surpassing the record set more than five years ago.

Ten minutes into trade the Dow was at 14,222.13, up 94 points and well past the previous intraday high of 14,198.10 set on October 11, 2007.

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Russia divided on Stalin 60 years on

RUSSIA has marked 60 years since the death of Joseph Stalin, with the nation divided about whether to view him as a tyrant who slaughtered millions or a saviour who turned the country into a superpower after World War II.

Hundreds of people laid red carnations at the Red Square grave of the Soviet ruler, where his body was buried in 1961 after being displayed for several years alongside Lenin in the Mausoleum.

"There were repressions, but they should not overshadow the greatness achieved by the country," said 48-year-old businessman Roman Fomin.

"For many Stalin means victory, economic growth and prosperity. Many people would like his return."

Stalin's role in Russian history has split society for decades.

His image is openly used in Victory Day celebrations for the end of World War II, while the 1930s-era purges, the murderous collectivisation of the peasantry, and the feared network of Gulag camps that together claimed millions of lives are largely absent from public discourse.

"I flew in from Kamchatka," said Larisa Tokunova, a 50-year-old lawyer from Russia's easternmost region, calling Stalin a "genius" who turned the Soviet Union into a superpower.

"If we manage to restore our country, it can only be according to his plan," she said.

Stalin is often praised for creating the post-war Soviet empire that stretched from the Baltic states to the Caucasus, Central Asia and beyond to the Pacific coast.

Even in Georgia, the dictator's birthplace where the pro-Western government has instituted reforms aimed at erasing pro-Stalin propaganda, about 100 people rallied on Tuesday, praising his glory.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president between 2008 and 2012, has said he views Stalin's legacy "negatively" and even attempted a so-called "de-Stalinisation" campaign.

But President Vladimir Putin, who once called the breakup of the Soviet Union one of history's great tragedies, has avoided any evaluation of the Soviet leader.

In an opinion poll this month by the independent Levada Centre, 49 per cent of Russians said they viewed Stalin's role as positive, while 32 per cent disagreed.

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Doubts emerge on Malay assault of invaders

MALAYSIA'S military has launched a fierce assault including jet fighters on up to 300 Filipino intruders after a deadly three-week standoff.

However, the militants' supporters say they have escaped and are alive and well.

Malaysia's national police chief had also raised doubts about the success of the air and ground attack, saying "mopping up" operations had yet to find any bodies and suggesting at least some of the militants might have slipped away.

Malaysian premier Najib Razak said as the raid was under way that he had no choice but to unleash the military to end Malaysia's biggest security crisis in years after the interlopers refused to surrender and 27 people were killed.

A day after the Philippines called for restraint, Malaysia launched a dawn assault on the estimated 100-300 gunmen on Borneo island, who invaded to claim Malaysian territory on behalf of a former Philippine sultanate.

Fighter jets bombed the standoff village of Tanduo in Sabah state on the northern tip of Borneo island, followed by a ground assault by troops.

The area is set amid vast oil-palm plantations.

"The longer this invasion lasts, it is clear to the authorities that the invaders do not intend to leave Sabah," Najib said in a statement.

But Abraham Idjirani, spokesman for the sultan Jamalul Kiram III, said the attack had occurred "away from where" their men were, saying he spoke with the leader of the armed group about eight hours after the assault was launched.

Malaysian federal police chief Ismail Omar later told reporters in a press conference hours after the initial attack that soldiers combing across a wide area of hilly plantation country were yet to find any dead militants.

He added Malaysian forces had suffered no casualties.

If the invaders had indeed escaped a tight police and military cordon, it would likely fuel perceptions of incompetence by security forces in the affair, and sow fears that armed and dangerous gunmen were loose.

The crisis comes as Malaysia's 56-year-old ruling coalition is bracing for what are widely expected to be the country's closest-ever election against a formidable opposition, which has criticised the handling of the incursion.

Jamalul Kiram III, 74, a self-proclaimed sultan and leader of the insurgents said earlier on Tuesday in Manila that the fighters, which had included his younger brother "will fight to the last man".

Muslim-majority Malaysia has been shocked by the spectacularly bold attack by the Islamists, who claim to be asserting Jamalul's ancestral control of Sabah as heir to the now defunct Sulu sultanate.

The invaders had been holed up in Tanduo village since landing by boat last month, highlighting lax Malaysian security in the region and the continuing threat from southern Philippine Islamists.

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Protesting Greek farmers seek lower taxes

MORE than 2,000 Greek farmers have gathered in Athens to demand lower taxes, arguing that the rising cost of fuel and electricity is driving them to ruin.

The farmers also want subsidies from the heavily indebted state, which has been forced to undertake a tough austerity policy, to help them lower their costs and remain competitive.

"The government has not given us anything, no cheap oil, no electricity or VAT, so that we can have competitive products, lower the production cost and not have imported (products)," said Pantelis Moschos, head of the Greek open-air markets producers union.

Unionist Vangelis Boutas claimed the EU was making arrangements to import agricultural products from Brazil, which would harm local farmers.

"This is the enemy," he said.

The government, which has committed to the austerity policy in return for EU-IMF bailout loans, has ruled out any major concessions.

"My problems were created by the EU and the government," said 56-year-old Cretan farmer Yiannis Psarakis.

"We don't want charity. We want our pensions to be protected, so that we won't be reduced to beggary."

The farmers came from different parts of the country at the call of the KKE communist party.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras last week promised to lower sales tax on farm produce within the next four years and to facilitate early retirement after the age of 62, five years prior to the nominal retirement age.

The government's austerity drive has provoked several protests and strikes, some of which have turned violent.

In January, hundreds of protesting farmers gathered along national highways around the country, threatening to block traffic.

Riot police were forced to intervene to keep the highways open.

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Man punched in face at Vic Sikh temple

A MAN has been punched in the face at a Sikh temple in Melbourne's north.

An unknown man entered the temple at Craigieburn around 7.30pm (AEDT) on Tuesday, but was asked to leave by 31-year-man inside, police said.

As he left through the main entrance, the offender set fire to some rope which was on the door, punched the other man in the face, then fled.

The victim was treated at the Northern Hospital.

Police have urged witnesses to help them track down a medium-built, black-haired Caucasian man who was wearing black pants and white shoes.

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NSW police accused of Mardi Gras brutality

NSW police will investigate a video that appears to show an officer throwing a handcuffed, injured Mardi Gras reveller to the ground and standing on his back.

The four-minute video was purportedly recorded after the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade on Saturday, and was posted on YouTube on Monday.

It appears to show a young man with a head wound, apparently being taken into custody by several police officers.

The unknown man is seen crying and repeating that he "didn't do anything wrong".

A officer is then seen to throw the man, who has his hands cuffed behind his back, to the ground before standing with one foot on his back for at least 20 seconds.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said there would be an investigation.

"The NSW Police force is aware of the vision and an investigation will be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the incident," she told AAP on Wednesday.

The video does not capture the initial encounter between the young man and officers, but a woman interviewed in the blurry film says: "This (officer) here grabbed his throat and smashed his skull on the pavement."

Another woman is heard to say: "They just slammed his head. There's blood all over the ground."

Mardi Gras organisers said they had viewed the video late on Tuesday.

"This incident is quite distressing and our thoughts are with the individual, his family, friends and those that witnessed this," they said in a statement issued early on Wednesday.

State MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, will seek to meet Police Minister Mike Gallacher on Wednesday.

"There were thousands of police out working on Mardi Gras night and many of them did a great job, but this one incident was concerning," he told AAP.

The video came without any context, Mr Greenwich said, but at first viewing it was "extremely distressing".

Mr Greenwich said he was aware of at least one other incident involving allegations of undue force from police at the weekend event.

Prominent gay rights activist Bryn Hutchinson claimed he was thrown to the ground after he ignored police instructions not to cross a road.

The gay sister of federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, Christine Forster, said she could "barely watch" the video.

"Terrible to see such an incident when Mardi Gras is such a celebration of community," the local politician tweeted, under the hashtag #MardiGrasBrutality.

Ten thousand members and supporters of the gay community took part in the parade on Saturday night with thousands more flocking to the Oxford Street precinct to watch.

About 1000 extra officers patrolled the event.

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Parents targeted in school parking blitz

School parking Source: The Courier-Mail

A HIT list of schools with dangerous parking issues has been drawn up by the Brisbane City Council after complaints about poor driver behaviour among parents.

The list, revealed in school newsletters, warns those with the most complaints made against them have been targeted.

Schools on the hit list have been told the council will maintain a "presence and enforce illegal parking within school zones".

"As you know, parking spaces during pick up and set down times are at a premium . . . (which) leads to poor driver behaviour and potentially dangerous parking practices," the BCC letter states.

IS YOUR SCHOOL IN A DRIVING DANGER ZONE? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW OR EMAIL US AT CMONLINE@QNP.NEWSLTD.COM.AU

BCC Brisbane Lifestyle Committee chairwoman Krista Adams said about 20 to 25 schools per term were on its list as part of a rolling program which started last year because of a "very high rate of complaints about illegal parking around schools".

Cr Adams said different schools were targeted each term and were sent a letter beforehand to give "a heads-up" council officers would be patrolling the area.

She declined to reveal the schools involved this term but said most people would recognise those in their local area "that cause more dramas than others".

"There are schools that have got issues and it is not because the parents are more poorly behaved, it is where they are," Cr Adams said.

She said the schools had either outgrown their suburbs, were on main roads, or the number of children at the school had increased.

"Unfortunately, sometimes the last straw is giving them (parents) a monetary fine, so it actually gets through to them," she said.

"My experience is principals and P&Fs are crying out for us to do more in this space."

A Courier-Mail investigation has found Chapel Hill State School, Kelvin Grove State College, Marshall Road and Wilston State schools, St Martin's Catholic Primary School and St Joseph's College at Gregory Terrace have all received the parking letters since the start of last year.

Windsor State School faces major parking issues, with the principal already warning parents in a recent newsletter to "be mindful" of the needs of their neighbours to access their properties.

At Kelvin Grove State College, which has reported instances of aggressive parent driver behaviour, volunteer Cathy Barker said they were tackling the issue by having volunteers in high visibility shirts deliver children directly to their parents, who had their children's name written in the front of the car.

She said she would welcome council intervention to change long term parking restrictions in the area to keep a lid on illegal driving manoeuvres.

"Despite our best efforts, drivers often do illegal u-turns and double park, but when police are out on patrol the number of incidents drops dramatically' said Mrs Barker.

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Stormy omen as cyclone Sandy looms

Cyclone information Source: The Courier-Mail

Date/Time: 2013:03:04 20:47:55 Source: The Courier-Mail

FORECASTERS are keeping a wary eye on a weather system off north Queensland that is an even-money bet to develop into a cyclone towards the end of the week.

Although it is forecast to initially travel east-southeast, there are no guarantees it will continue away from the drenched eastern seaboard.

A low may develop along the monsoon trough over the Coral Sea today or tomorrow but remain well offshore.

Weather bureau forecaster Ken Kato said there was a 50 per cent chance of a cyclone forming - to be called Sandra - possibly near Townsville.

In the short term, monsoon winds appeared to have the strength to push the system away from the coast but it was unclear how long this might last.

Comment: No room for complacency in planning

"It's hard to predict because the monsoon trough should strengthen over the next few days, bringing northwest winds on (the low's) northern side while we've got southeast winds coming into its southern side," he said.

"This means its intensity and movements are uncertain."

Mackay is the latest coastal centre to get flash flooding, at one stage yesterday recording 53mm in only one hour. This followed falls of more than 200mm overnight.

It comes as dozens of roads are closed on the Darling Downs and 37 Dalby homeowners clean up after Myall Creek inundated their properties on the weekend.

Western Downs Regional Council mayor Ray Brown is seeking Federal and State government funds to build diversion channels around the town.

"Dalby was built on a flood plain," Cr Brown said.

"There's just nowhere to go."

Cr Brown said 234 properties had water in yards in the second flood in five weeks and residents were fed up.

"The frogs are hoarse from croaking," he said.

"We've got potholes the size of cars."

A flood peak heading towards Condamine was not expected to affect any homes, although an ill man from coastal Lowmead whose road access was cut had to be flown out by helicopter yesterday.

Agforce spokesman Wayne Newton, who farms near Dalby, said sorghum crops had taken a bit hit, with prices to be downgraded due to water damage.

Crops were so wet that grain heads were sprouting or simply falling to the ground.

"The paddock in front of me is just a great big sheet of water," Mr Newton said.

"We're cut off. We won't be able to get harvesters on to paddocks for two weeks or more."

Severe erosion also had occurred on some properties.

"Cotton shouldn't be too bad but you get mould and loss of colour. It will be ugly, whatever the outcome is," he said.

The weather bureau expects moderate to heavy rain to fall over the southern interior today and scattered showers and storms over most of the east coast and Channel Country.

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Queensland's forensic pioneer dies

Forensic pioneer John Tonge. PIC: David Kapernick Source: The Courier-Mail

THE man who helped transform the nation's forensic research and overhaul Queensland's road safety has died, aged 96.

Dr John Tonge, respected internationally for advancements to forensic pathology and research, helped police, coroners and authorities with hundreds of investigations in his dedicated career.

Director of the State Laboratory of Microbiology and Pathology from 1947 until his retirement in 1979, he also strongly campaigned for road safety.

In the 1960s he called for a "little fearless legislation", campaigning for mandatory seatbelts, the introduction of blood alcohol limits, breath tests and crash helmets for motorcyclists in Queensland.

Dr Tonge was also acknowledged for the introduction of aviation pathology, protocols for autopsies in sudden infant death syndrome and the introduction of counselling services for bereaved parents.

Born on May 17, 1916, he was a graduate of the University of Sydney and conducted his first autopsy on July 31, 1946.

Dr Tonge estimated he and his team performed 40,000 more by his retirement in 1979.

He was made a Companion of the British Empire in 1980.

After his fight for better morgue facilities in Queensland, the Institute of Forensic Pathology was opened in 1961.

Daughter Margaret Ward said her father was an "absolute stickler" for respect for people in life or death and expected the same from police and colleagues.

She said her father worked as a part-time lecturer at UQ for 30 years.

"He was a very dedicated public servant but often he did not let bureaucracy get in his way," Mrs Ward said. "He was known for his forthright memos in the health department."

In 1992, the new mortuary at Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services was named in his honour.

Mrs Ward said he dedicated 30 years to helping disabled daughter Mena have a good life until her death in 2009.

Forensic and Scientific Services senior director Greg Shaw said Dr Tonge also established Queensland's first facility for tubercle bacillus culture and helped found the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. He was president from 1959-61.

"While the news of Dr Tonge's death is a moment for sadness and reflection, it is also an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of a great medical scientist, pathologist, doctor and humanitarian," Mr Shaw said.

Dr Lee Butterworth, who interviewed Dr Tonge in 2010 for a chapter of her thesis, said he was a very humble man.

"I said to him you should do your biography and he said: 'No, who would want to read about me?'."

"But the things he achieved are just enormous."

His son Stephen said Dr Tonge, who dedicated his life to forensic medicine after leaving the army in 1946, had donated his body to UQ.

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Bruce 'ignored' as Gillard goes west

The Newman Government has accused Prime Minister Julia Gillard of ignoring much-needed work to Queensland's major highway. Source: The Courier-Mail

THE Newman Government has accused Julia Gillard of ignoring the Bruce Highway after she offered $1 billion for a motorways network in western Sydney.

Ms Gillard's offer - part of the next major round of federal infrastructure funding known as Nation Building 2 - has been rebuffed by the NSW Government because it comes with too many conditions.

But the offer has sparked an outcry from Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson, who said he had been waiting for months on an answer from Canberra for a joint $5 billion upgrade to the Bruce Highway in the next decade.

Editorial: Julia Gillard's Sydney campaign circus

The state in October offered a $1 billion investment to be matched with $4 billion from the Federal Government under a typical 80/20 funding split.

"We presented our Bruce Highway Action Plan to the Federal Government in October but have yet to hear of any funding commitment from the Commonwealth," Mr Emerson said.

"The plan was undertaken by engineers, not politicians, and will provide a safer, more reliable Bruce Highway reducing the impact of flooding."

"Ms Gillard needs to commit to the safety of Queensland motorists, not just look after her own political fortunes."

The Federal Government is still negotiating the projects to be funded in the Nation Building 2 program, which would begin in mid 2014.

Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese's spokesman said the Bruce Highway would be included in the program, but the funding model had not been agreed.

The Federal Government has allocated $2.7 billion to the highway in the six years to mid 2014, compared with $1.3 billion spent over 12 years by the Howard government, he said.

Queensland councils have also complained they are missing out on funds as Ms Gillard concentrates on western Sydney.

Chairman of the Southeast Queensland Council of Mayors Graham Quirk said there were at least three infrastructure projects in this region with business cases.

"The Toowoomba second Range crossing, the Pacific Highway upgrade from Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes and the Cunningham Highway from Yamanto to Willowbank all have completed business cases and are key national highways projects," Cr Quirk said.

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Fake bishop tries to sneak into Vatican

AN Italian man dressed up in fake ecclesiastical robes has been escorted out of a meeting of Catholic cardinals by Swiss Guards after trying to sneak into the closed-door Vatican meeting.

The man told reporters his name was "Basilius" and he was a member of the "Italian Orthodox Church", which does not exist.

Before he was discovered, the "bishop" told reporters that Catholic bishops had "made a mistake by moving priests" who were accused of pedophilia around different parishes.

He was wearing a purple scarf around his waist that was similar to the sashes warn by senior Catholic prelates and he shook hands and chatted with priests and cardinals arriving at the meeting on Monday.

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US stocks slip after launch of budget cuts

US stocks have opened modestly lower as traders remained cautious after Washington moved into austerity mode with the launch of the steep sequester spending cuts.

Ten minutes into trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 40.63 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 14,049.03.

The broad-based S&P 500 lost 2.68 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 1,515.52.

The Nasdaq Composite slipped 4.98 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 3,164.76.

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Frostbitten explorer Fiennes back home

BRITISH explorer Ranulph Fiennes showed off a heavily bandaged hand as he returned home following his evacuation from Antarctica with severe frostbite, and vowed to help the team he left out there.

The 68-year-old said it was "extremely frustrating" to be pulled off the trip, which if successful would have meant him had become among the first people to ski across the world's coldest continent in winter.

He insisted the remaining five members of his team would succeed in their quest to be the first men to conquer Antarctica in winter, and said he would focus on helping them raise their target of $US10 million ($A9.85 million) for charity.

"I'm not good at crying over spilt milk or split fingers," Fiennes told journalists at London's Heathrow Airport on Monday after flying in from South Africa, where he received several days of treatment on his frostbitten left hand.

"I started work on this expedition five years ago. I've been working on it, and nothing else, full time and unpaid - so it is definitely frustrating, but unavoidable," he said.

"I will make the best of it by putting my focus full time onto the expedition team - which of course is going on."

The team are making the epic trek in a vehicle dubbed the Ice Train, made from two snow tractors dragging carriages for scientific research, storage and accommodation.

They are set to start the winter crossing on March 20. The six-month journey via the South Pole will be mostly in darkness.

Fiennes told AFP he will probably not attempt to ski across Antarctica again.

"I probably won't because it takes a long time to set up," he said, adding that he would be unlikely to get fresh permission for the challenge because he could "die and become embarrassing to the British government".

The explorer, who is taking strong painkillers for his injuries, said the pain of frostbite "has to be experienced to be believed".

He famously sawed off the fingertips of the same hand himself after suffering severe frostbite on an expedition more than a decade ago.

"I had every reason to suspect that the damage from 13 years ago had completely gone," he told AFP.

He explained he had had no problems with the hand on recent expeditions, so the new bout of frostbite "was very bad luck indeed".

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Who says old age slows you down?

Transport MInister Scott Emerson plans to conduct a review of licensing across Queensland. Source: The Courier-Mail

TWO 91-year-old hoons were among 260,522 Queensland drivers whose licences were disqualified or suspended last year.

One of the speedsters was disqualified outright while the other was disqualified for amassing too many points.

The next oldest driver to be rubbed out was an 87-year-old. Their identities were not revealed.

A shame file produced by the Department of Transport and Main Roads exclusively for The Courier-Mail contained other surprises.

No fewer than 39 16-year-olds were disqualified before they even obtained their open licences.

Other young offenders to lose their licences included 154 aged 17, 472 aged 18 and 811 aged 19.

Drivers aged 23 had the most disqualifications while the 20-26-year-old group made up 26 per cent of all disqualifications.

A majority of licence cancellations were for unpaid fines.

Of 3.3 million licence holders in Queensland, 6 per cent were disqualified or suspended in 2012, said Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson.

Mr Emerson is conducting a sweeping review of licensing, penalties and sanctions and seeks public input.

He wants to see improvements in the way young driver's skills are tested. "It's important that students have skills such as reverse parking, but there is a higher priority on riskier manoeuvres such as turning right across incoming traffic," Mr Emerson said.

"I want to ensure that the test better reflects the competency required for young drivers to stay safe. I'll be making a decision in the coming months about changes to licensing for two of the most at-risk driver groups.

"We are currently considering public feedback and changes recommended by two reports into the Q-Ride motorcycle program and the Q-SAFE driver's license test.

"The review of licensing was prompted by figures which show how significantly over-represented both groups were in crash and fatality statistics.

"Motorcycles make up 4.2 per cent of all motorised vehicles on register, yet in 2011 there were 45 motorcycle rider and pillion fatalities in Queensland, which represents 16.7 per cent of the Queensland road toll. There are 12 recommendations, including pre-learner training, skills refreshment for riders returning after an extended break from riding, and a further assessment of basic motorcycle skills by a Q-Ride service provider after six months," Mr Emerson said.

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Taking bets on just how long you'll wait

Stephen Morris is a regular flyer and says aircraft delays at Brisbane Airport are a great waste of resources. PIC: Steve Pohlner Source: The Courier-Mail

IT'S the aerial waiting game that passengers are taking unofficial bets over.

Businessman Stephen Morris, from Hendra, said most of his flights into Brisbane in recent months had been forced to circle the sky as they awaited a landing slot.

"Usually it is around the Gold Coast when the pilot announces the plane is going into a holding pattern," he said.

"We (passengers) then start taking bets on how long it will be."

Mr Morris warned that business travellers who returned from trips to Melbourne and Sydney "have no nice words to say about (landing in) Brisbane".

"In my experience, flights are always delayed up to 40 minutes to an hour returning to Brisbane, while a previous flight I was on was diverted to the Gold Coast to pick up fuel, which turned a trip from Sydney to Brisbane into a three-hour trip."

Mr Morris, who regularly flies twice a week, said the problem had reached such a level that he wrote a letter to the CEO and managing director of the Brisbane Airport Corporation, Julieanne Alroe, to make her understand his frustration.

"It is socially disruptive, a huge waste of resources, and has become a reputation issue for Brisbane," he said.

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Crews begin demolition of sinkhole home

CREWS with heavy equipment have begun the demolition of a Florida home over a huge sinkhole where a man is presumed dead after being swallowed by the earth.

The search for Jeff Bush, 37, was called off on the weekend, and a heavy machine with a large bucket scoop was moved into position on Sunday.

The six-metre-wide opening of the sinkhole was almost covered by the house, and rescuers said there were no signs of life since the hole opened on Thursday.

Jeremy Bush, the man who tried to save his brother, was escorted with a woman by a deputy sheriff to the front of the house early Sunday before equipment moved into position.

He repositioned some flowers from a makeshift memorial to a safer location, where Bush and the unidentified woman knelt in prayer.

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Korean police shoot US soldier after chase

A US soldier has been shot and injured by South Korean police after a dramatic early morning car chase through the capital Seoul.

The 23-year-old private first class, who was not named, was shot in the shoulder shortly after midnight, Yonhap news agency said.

The agency and several other news outlets cited police in Yongsan district near the huge US military base in central Seoul.

Media reports said police approached two soldiers in the Itaewon entertainment district early Sunday after receiving complaints that the pair were apparently threatening passers-by with an air gun.

They reportedly fled, crashing into several other cars in a high-speed escape that continued for about 10km before the pair turned into a dead-end street.

The soldiers reportedly tried to ram their car into a police officer, prompting him to fire three shots at the car. They eventually fled to the US base.

The wounded soldier, who was driving the vehicle, was treated at the base and was said to be in stable condition. The Seoul police officer reportedly suffered a minor injury.

Video from another car - shown on local TV on Sunday night - showed the soldiers' vehicle driving at high speed past police officers.

The US 8th Army in the area reportedly offered an apology and vowed to co-operate in the investigation.

About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with a ceasefire instead of a peace treaty.

Crimes or disputes involving the US troops are a sensitive subject in South Korea, even though many see their presence as necessary to deter an attack by North Korea.

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Hundreds die in Syria police academy fight

HUNDREDS of Syrian troops and rebels have been killed in a week-long battle for a police academy in the northern province of Aleppo, with insurgents seizing control of most of the complex, a monitoring group says.

"Rebels have seized most of a police academy in Khan al-Assal in Aleppo province ... after eight days of fighting that left 200 troops and rebels dead," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based group said at least 120 army troops were among those killed in the battle for one of the regime's last remaining bastions in the west of Aleppo province. On Sunday alone, rebels killed more than 34 troops at the facility.

A police source in Aleppo confirmed that much of the academy had fallen into rebel hands, reporting that 40 security forces were believed dead. As many as 300 rebels were among those killed, he said.

Elsewhere, two mortars hit an area near Umayyad square in the heart of Damascus, close to a duty-free zone and customs offices, Syrian state media said, reporting only material damage.

The affected area is home to the state television building, the Assad Library and the army general command headquarters.

The Observatory reported that three mortar rounds smashed into the area, which was hit last year by a car bombing claimed by the jihadist Al-Nusra Front. On February 21, two mortar rounds hit the same area.

Also on Sunday, rebels in the southern province of Daraa seized an artillery battalion in Jamla village near the armistice line with Israel, according to the Observatory.

Eight rebel fighters were killed in the battle, the group said, adding the insurgents summarily executed the commander of the captured battalion.

In an unprecedented escalation of violence in the coastal province of Latakia, a regime stronghold, at least 15 rebel fighters were killed in a battle against troops, the Observatory said.

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