Thousands gather on Sydney harbour for NYE

Sydney's lord mayor says the city is spending $6.6 million on its New Year's Eve event. Source: AAP

THOUSANDS of revellers have gathered at Sydney's sparkling harbour to take part in the party that kicks off New Year's celebrations the world over.

Temporary cyclone fences surround the city's best vantage points as people armed with fold-up chairs, picnic blankets, nibbles and booze stake a claim.

Lucky types are bobbing on boats in the harbour while others are happy to simply line the sides of roads, with jubilant partygoers spilling from pubs onto the streets.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore says about 1.5 million spectators are expected to line Sydney Harbour to watch the fireworks.

Another two million Australians will catch the $6.6 million event on their teles, as will at least one billion people worldwide.

"This is really putting Australia on the map in terms of welcoming people to the New Year," Ms Moore said.

Pop princess Kylie Minogue, chosen as the event's creative ambassador, developed the theme 'Embrace' and chose its colour scheme and soundtrack.

She will be honoured with a musical-note firework which will be one of 100,000 individual pyrotechnic creations this year, including koala, octopus and hand images in lights.

Minogue said being home to host New Year's Eve was a dream come true.

"It's been a huge year for me and the finish line is tonight," she said, adding that her boyfriend was the first in line for a hug come midnight.

Minogue said her 25 years in the music industry hadn't been easy and had its ups and downs, but it had been "an amazing ride" overall.

Other celebs who have headed Down Under to ring in the New Year include Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx and Jonah Hill.

They will be joined at The Star casino's Marquee Nightclub by Gossip Girl heart throb Chace Crawford, Glee's Matthew Morrison and Arrow actor Colton Haynes.

Out on the streets, more than 3000 police officers will be on crowd control.

"If you act up, you are going to be arrested and charged. There's no view of the fireworks from a police cell," warned Assistant Commissioner Alan Clarke.

At Mrs Macquaries Point, 6283 people had already claimed a spot by midday while the super keen began queuing for the panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and the city skyline 24 hours before the gates of the Botanic Gardens opened at 10am.

Many have queued for hours under the sun.

"It's a much younger crowd than usual, a lot of backpackers rather than families like previous years," said Karla Davies from the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust.

American Melissa Sjostedt said she had wanted to see the fireworks on the bridge since reading about it in a four-page spread in the National Geographic 10 years ago.

"Ever since that I've always wanted to see this for real, live, in person," the 30-year-old from Florida told AAP from Dawes Point Reserve.

People going to the CBD to watch the fireworks have been urged to leave their cars behind and take public transport, with road closures in place and extra trains and buses laid on for the night.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be closed in both directions from 11pm on Monday to 1am on Tuesday.

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30 tortured bodies found in Syria

THIRTY tortured and disfigured bodies have been found in the northern Damascus neighbourhood of Barzeh, the scene of regular clashes between regime troops and rebels, a watchdog group says.

"Thirty bodies were found in the Barzeh district. They bore signs of torture and have so far not been identified," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on medics and activists on the ground in compiling its tolls, said on Monday.

The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a grassroots network of anti-regime activists, estimated that there were 50 bodies, adding that "their heads were cut and disfigured to the point that it was no longer possible to identify" them.

These reports could not be verified independently because of restrictions on the international media by the Syrian authorities.

The gruesome discovery was made on Sunday, the day UN and Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said he has a plan to end the conflict that could be acceptable to world powers.

The Syrian conflict, which erupted in March 2011, has claimed more than 45,000 lives, according to Observatory estimates.

On Sunday itself 160 people were killed nationwide - 78 civilians, 41 soldiers and 41 revels, the Observatory said.

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Tourists flock to Sydney for NY eve

SYDNEY'S famous fireworks have attracted not only locals, but brought in overseas visitors keen to experience New Year's Eve down under.

American Melissa Sjostedt says she's wanted to see the fireworks on the bridge since reading about it in a four-page spread in the National Geographic 10 years ago.

"Ever since that I've always wanted to see this for real, live, in person," the 30-year-old from Florida told AAP from Dawes Point Reserve.

Mathieu Herman, 30, from New York City, said he'd made the trip to Australia specifically for New Year's Eve.

"I saw it last year on TV and it looked fabulous. I said to myself 'it's something I've just got to do'.

"I love Australia and if the fireworks are as good as they're supposed to be, I might move here."

Sisters Liann, 25, and Joanne, 19, from Flintshire in North Wales, got to Lady Macquarie's Chair at 10.30am to snag the best view of the fireworks.

"It's been a cracker day so far except for the achey bum, I should have brought more pillows," said Liann as she reclined, drink in hand, on a beach towel.

"It's our first time in Australia so we don't know what to expect.

"But it's got to be better than back home, it's minus five (degrees) there at the moment."

Essig Roland and his girlfriend Marika Rauecker, both from Austria, were anxiously waiting at 7pm (AEDT) just to get into the packed venue.

"What can you do but just stand here and wait" said Mr Roland, who'd been queueing for an hour.

Pop princess Kylie Minogue, chosen as the event's creative ambassador, was a big drawcard for the couple making the trip down under for New Year's this year.

"We're big Kylie fans we've already been to her concert in Austria," he said.

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Shark sightings clear SA beaches

SOUTH Australian swimmers have had a New Year's scare with shark sightings forcing the closure of two popular beaches.

Police said Moana Beach, south of Adelaide, had been evacuated and closed on Monday evening (ACDT) after a 2.5-metre shark was spotted 100 metres from the shore.

A short time later, nearby Christies Beach was closed following another sighting of a 2.5-metre shark.

Police said it was not known if it was the same animal in both sightings.

AAP pbc/a

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More Sri Lankans opt to go home

Customs picked up a boat carrying 37 suspected asylum seekers and three crew in Australian waters. Source: AAP

ANOTHER 30 Sri Lankans have opted to return home rather than spend time on Nauru, with authorities claiming a win against people smugglers.

They have joined four of their countrymen who made the return trip home last week instead of heading to the Pacific island for the processing of their claims.

"They chose not to pursue their asylum claims and no longer seek to engage Australian protection obligations," said a spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

"This is further proof that there is no advantage engaging with people smugglers."

Nine Sri Lankan men left Nauru early on Sunday morning, travelling on a charter flight from Perth with 21 of their countrymen who were detained in Western Australia.

"These men departed voluntarily," the spokesman said.

He said more transfers to Nauru would take place in the coming weeks, prompting more people to choose to return home.

A total of 883 Sri Lankans have returned home both voluntarily and involuntarily since August 13, when the government announced that asylum seekers would be liable for transfer to regional processing facilities.

The first group to be sent for offshore processing were transferred from Christmas Island to Nauru on September 14.

The department spokesman said people who elected to depart voluntarily could be provided with support to assist with their return.

Meanwhile, a boat carrying 37 suspected asylum seekers has been intercepted in Australian waters after experiencing engine trouble.

The crew of the vessel contacted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Rescue Coordination Centre on Saturday afternoon for assistance after losing power in the vicinity of Ashmore Islands but was then able to continue without help.

The boat was later intercepted by HMAS Larrakia.

The 37 passengers and three crew will be transferred to Christmas Island where they will undergo initial security, health and identity checks.

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Car bomb kills 19 Pakistani pilgrims

A CAR bomb has killed at least 19 Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims in southwest Pakistan as troops searched for the killers of 21 kidnapped soldiers in the troubled northwest.

The remotely triggered bomb on Sunday hit a convoy of three buses carrying about 180 pilgrims to Iran and set one of the buses ablaze in Mastung district, officials said.

"At least 19 people have been killed and 25 injured," said Tufail Baluch, a senior district government official. "All of them were Shi'ite pilgrims."

Most of those killed were burnt to death, he said.

"The bomb was planted in a car," the official said. "The condition of some of the injured is critical."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing at Mastung, about 30 kilometres south of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

The province has become an increasing flashpoint for sectarian violence between Pakistan's majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shi'ites, who account for about a fifth of the country's 180 million people.

Baluchistan is also rife with Islamist militancy and home to a regional insurgency which began in 2004. The insurgents are demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from oil and gas resources.

It was the country's second mass killing to be reported in less than a day.

In the northwest, security forces were hunting the killers of 21 soldiers whose bodies were discovered not far from two camps outside Peshawar where they had been kidnapped by the Pakistani Taliban.

About 200 militants, armed with heavy weapons including mortars and rocket launchers, stormed the government paramilitary camps before dawn on Thursday, killing two security personnel and kidnapping 23.

Officials said on Sunday that the 21 soldiers had their hands tied with rope before they were shot. Two others - one wounded and one unhurt - were also found.

Peshawar is the main city in northwest Pakistan and close to the restive tribal areas bordering Afghanistan which are regarded as havens for Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants.

"We found 21 bullet-riddled bodies of security personnel a short while ago in an uninhabited area," local government official Naveed Akbar told AFP early on Sunday.

"One was found alive but wounded and admitted to hospital while another managed to escape unhurt."

The bodies were handed over to families for burial as security forces cordoned off areas around Peshawar and began a search.

A senior government official told AFP the soldiers were killed after the breakdown of negotiations between a local council of tribal elders and Taliban militants.

In August, the Pakistani Taliban released a video showing what appeared to be the severed heads of a dozen soldiers, after the military said 15 troops had gone missing following fighting with militants in the Bajaur tribal district.

There has been a surge in attacks in northwest Pakistan in the past two weeks, including a suicide bombing on a political meeting in Peshawar that killed Bashir Bilour, the second top politician in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack, saying Bilour, an outspoken critic of the militants, was assassinated in revenge for the death of one of the movement's "elders".

Pakistan has lost more than 3000 soldiers in the fight against homegrown insurgents but has resisted US pressure to do more to eliminate havens used by those fighting the Americans in Afghanistan.

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Teenage girl sparks two police chases

AN allegedly drunk teenager in a stolen car has been stopped with road spikes after two car chases on NSW's mid-north coat.

Patrol officers spotted a Hyundai which had been reported stolen on the Pacific Highway at Herons Creek, about 30 kilometres south of Port Macquarie, shortly before 7.40am (AEDT) on Sunday.

But the driver allegedly failed to stop, sparking a chase as the car sped away from police.

Officers pursued the car to the Kew interchange and back onto the Pacific Highway. However, police suspended the chase when the car crossed a median strip north of Moorlands.

Just after 8.00am, a car matching the Hyundai's description was spotted on the Pacific Highway at Johns River, sparking another pursuit.

The driver is alleged to have crossed a median strip a short time later before heading north.

The Hyundai was stopped on Ross Glen Road, where police had set up traffic control and road spikes.

Police allege the driver attempted to run from the Hyundai but was arrested nearby.

A 17-year-old girl has been charged with seven offences including police pursuit, driving dangerously and driving while disqualified from holding a licence and under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

She has been refused bail and is to appear at Parramatta Children's Court on Monday.

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Woman accused of NYC subway murder

A woman has been charged with murdering an immigrant by pushing him in front of a NY subway train. Source: AAP

A 31-YEAR-OLD New York woman is scheduled to appear before a judge after being charged with murder as a hate crime for shoving a Hindu man to his death in front of an oncoming subway train.

Erika Menendez of the Bronx borough was motivated by hatred of Muslims and Hindus, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office.

"I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims. Ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers, I've been beating them up," she told police.

Menendez, who is awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Sunday, faces from 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

The victim, 46-year-old Sunando Sen, was born in India and raised Hindu, a roommate told The New York Times.

The incident took place late Thursday at a station on the number 7 line in Queens.

Menendez - who was talking to herself as she paced along the platform, according to witnesses - pushed the man as the train was pulling into the station. He apparently had his back to Menendez and did not see her.

Police released surveillance camera video footage via Twitter showing a woman running from the scene.

"The defendant is accused of committing what is every subway commuter's worst nightmare - being suddenly and senselessly pushed into the path of an oncoming train," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

"The victim was allegedly shoved from behind and had no chance to defend himself. Beyond that, the hateful remarks allegedly made by the defendant and which precipitated the defendant's actions can never be tolerated by a civilised society."

Sen's death was eerily similar to that of a 58-year-old man killed on December 3 when he was pushed on to the tracks during a fight with a deranged man at a Manhattan subway station. The assailant, later identified as 30-year-old Naeem Davis, has been charged with murder. Davis is homeless.

A New York Post front page picture of the man on the tracks a split second before he was killed by the oncoming train provoked public fury as to why no one helped him - and why the tabloid newspaper published the photo.

Several million people use the New York City subway system every day, but incidents of this kind are rare.

Before the December 3 death, the last time someone was pushed on to the rails and hit by a train was in 2010. The woman survived.

Thursday night's incident appeared to have scared many New York subway riders as they kept closer to the walls as trains rolled into station.

"It's horrible," said 46-year-old city resident Elena Rodriguez. "We're feeling so insecure now to be in the subway."

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Central African Republic troops fight back

The Central African Republic troops are battling to re-capture a rebel-held city, officials say. Source: AAP

GOVERNMENT soldiers in the Central African Republic are battling to re-capture a rebel-held city, a military official says, despite regional efforts to seek a peaceful end to the growing crisis.

The military official said the fighting in Bambari, which rebels from the Seleka coalition seized on Sunday, was "especially violent", and a humanitarian source said witnesses some 60 kilometres away could hear detonations and heavy weapons fire for several hours.

The new violence came the same day as the Central African Republic's neighbours took steps to tackle the crisis in the chronically unstable country, where rebels have advanced towards the capital Bangui, stoking local and international alarm.

Foreign ministers in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) announced late on Friday that more troops of the Central African Multinational Force (FOMAC) would be sent to the country.

"Five hundred and sixty men are already on the ground, and we agreed to a request by the ECCAS general secretariat to increase their numbers and allow them to accomplish their mission as a rapid deployment force", as Seleka rebels threaten the capital, Chad's Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat said after a meeting in the Gabonese capital Libreville, which is seen as a potential venue for peace talks.

The international force is "to deploy so Bangui and all cities that have not been captured (by the rebels) so far cannot be targeted by the rebels", added Gabon's Foreign Minister Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet.

ECCAS deputy secretary general Guy-Pierre Garcia said earlier that the rebels and the Central African government had agreed to unconditional talks.

"The goal is to get to negotiations (between the government and the rebels) by January 10," a source in the Central African Multinational Force said.

Central African (CAR) President Francois Bozize's appeals for help from former colonial power France and from the United States have fallen on deaf ears.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Friday that France had no intention of getting involved in the crisis, and would only intervene to protect its own nationals there.

The French defence ministry said late on Friday that 150 troops had arrived in Bangui from Libreville as a "precautionary measure" to protect French and other European citizens.

Fears about the deteriorating security situation led Washington to evacuate its embassy in Bangui and the United Nations to pull out staff.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday that it too had evacuated some workers, although it stressed it would continue to provide aid to the growing number of displaced people.

A diplomatic team from FOMAC has begun talks with authorities in Bangui and sent a delegation to the rebel-held strategic town of Ndele in the north to meet members of the rebel coalition Seleka, which launched its offensive on December 10.

The UN has demanded rebels halt their offensive, and urged Bozize's government to ensure the safety of civilians amid fears of a breakdown in law and order in the country.

A coalition of three rebel movements known as Seleka - or the "alliance" in the Sango language - has taken a string of towns, including four regional capitals, among them the garrison town and key diamond mining hub of Birao.

The coalition wants the government to fulfil the terms of peace pacts signed in 2007 and 2001, providing for disarmament and social reintegration, including pay.

Bozize took power in a 2003 coup and has twice been elected into office.

In 2006, France, which supported Bozize in his rise to power, had lent logistical help and air support to fight off rebels.

While Seleka says it has no plans to move on the capital, a statement last week announcing it had suspended its advance was followed within a day by news of further rebel victories.

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Chile seeks arrests in singer's 1973 death

A Chilean court has sought to prosecute any suspects in the killing of singer Victor Jara. Source: AAP

A CHILEAN judge has ordered the arrest of eight ex-army officers for the brutal murder of leftist folk singer Victor Jara, killed in 1973 just days after General Augusto Pinochet came to power.

This is the first time a Chilean court has sought to prosecute any suspects in the killing of the pacifist singer - a crime that became emblematic of the bloody Pinochet dictatorship that left more than 3000 people dead.

Two of the former soldiers were accused of murder, while the others were said to be accomplices, Chilean justice officials said in a statement.

An international arrest warrant was issued for one of the suspects, Pedro Barrientos Nunez, who lives in the United States.

"After bringing together many elements, there comes a time when one must end the investigation and try to move toward a resolution," Judge Miguel Vazquez Plaza told reporters.

Jara family lawyer Nelson Caucoto said he was "quite satisfied" with the decision.

The singer, whose lyrics spoke of love and social protest, became an icon of Latin American popular music with songs like The Right to Live in Peace, The Cigarette and I Remember Amanda.

Jara was married to British dancer Joan Turner, with whom he had two daughters.

He was also a member of Chile's Communist Party and a fervent supporter of the Popular Unity coalition that backed Marxist president Salvador Allende, who came to power by popular vote in 1970.

Jara was arrested the day after the September 11, 1973 coup that installed Pinochet as dictator.

His body was found days later, riddled with 44 machine gun bullets. He had been held, along with around 5,000 other political prisoners, in Santiago's biggest stadium, where he was interrogated, tortured and then killed. He was 40.

Among other horrors, the singer-guitarist's fingers were crushed, broken by rifle butts and boots.

The case was revived in 2009, and Jara's body was exhumed, after a soldier who had been in the stadium after the coup admitted to the shooting - though he later retracted his confession.

In December 2009, thousands of Chileans attended an official funeral for the singer, whose original burial had been conducted by his widow in near-secrecy and almost total anonymity.

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Gillard, Abbott pay tribute to Greig

Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott have paid tribute to cricket great Tony Greig who has died in Sydney. Source: AAP

JULIA Gillard and Tony Abbott have paid tribute to Tony Greig, saying Australia has lost a sporting icon and legend.

Greig, a former England captain and cricket commentator, died in a Sydney hospital on Saturday after suffering a heart attack. He was 66.

Responding to the news, Prime Minister Gillard called Greig a "wonderful example of someone who came to Australia from somewhere else in the world and embraced his adopted country as his own".

"As a superb all-rounder, ambitious national captain and authoritative commentator over the best part of half a century, Greig's standing in the game is matched by very few others," Ms Gillard said in a statement.

"Australia has lost one of the iconic voices of sport."

Ms Gillard said Greig's life in cricket "wasn't always without controversy, but no one could doubt his passion and commitment to the sport he loved".

The Sydney-based, South African-born Greig had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in October and suffered a heart attack at his home on Saturday morning.

It's understood his family were at his side at St Vincent's Hospital when he died.

The opposition leader described Greig as an "Australian legend".

"Tony Greig is an icon of cricket and a household name in Australia," Mr Abbott said in a statement.

"His distinctive voice was synonymous with cricket every Australian summer for more than three decades.

"He may have played for and captained the old enemy England, but Tony Greig will be remembered as an Australian legend too."

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Toxic cough syrup kills 16 in Pakistan

AT least 16 people, mostly drug addicts seeking a fix, have died after drinking toxic cough syrup in an eastern Pakistani city.

The deaths started occurring on Wednesday in the industrial city of Gujranwala, about 70 kilometres north of Lahore, police and doctors said.

"We have received 54 patients at hospital who said their condition deteriorated after taking cough syrups and 16 of them have died," local hospital chief Anwar Aman told AFP on Saturday.

The victims were aged between 20 and 40 and most had a history of drug addiction, Aman said, adding that so far the culprit syrup had not been identified.

Senior police official Azam Mehr confirmed the toll and said samples of cough syrups available at local pharmacies have been collected and sent to laboratories.

"Police and the health department have started inquiries and investigations into the deaths," Mehr said.

Last month at least 19 people were killed in Lahore after drinking toxic cough syrup.

In January about 100 heart patients died in Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, after taking locally made tainted medicine.

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Russia presses Syria regime to hold talks

Peace envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi called for real change and a transitional government in Syria. Source: AAP

RUSSIA, one of the few remaining allies of President Bashar al-Assad, says it is pressing the Syrian leadership to put into action previous pledges for dialogue with the opposition.

"We actively encouraged ... the Syrian leadership to maximally put into action its declared readiness for dialogue with the opposition," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on Friday when asked about his meeting Thursday with Syria's deputy foreign minister.

Lavrov said Russia also encouraged Assad's government "to underscore that they are open to discussing the widest range of items in line with the agreements reached in Geneva on June 30".

Russia's top diplomat warned on Thursday that time was running out for the parties to save an accord reached by global powers in Geneva that calls for the introduction of a transitional government, but makes no explicit call on Assad to step down.

UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi pushed on Thursday for the plan after several days of talks with the leadership and opposition representatives in Damascus.

Lavrov said after his meeting with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad that "the chances for such a solution ... are diminishing."

Russia has refused to back international pressure on Assad to step down and Lavrov made clear on Friday that Moscow's position on this point had not changed.

"The international community must not incite either side towards violence or pose preliminary conditions," said Lavrov.

"With all due respect to the international community, it is, of course, the Syrian people who must decide" Assad's fate, Lavrov stressed.

Moscow on Saturday will host Brahimi in a new bid to save efforts at ending a 21-month conflict that is estimated to have claimed more than 45,000 lives.

A top Russia official had earlier on Friday said Moscow had also sent an invitation for talks to the head of the opposition National Coalition as it presses on with its diplomatic campaign.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told the RIA Novosti news agency the talks with National Coalition head Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib could take place in Moscow or at a foreign location such as Geneva or Cairo.

Lavrov told reporters that "as far as we understand, they (the National Coalition leaders) are not against this offer" for new talks.

The last Moscow meeting with representatives of the National Council in July ended in mutual recriminations and saw the opposition accuse Russia of inciting further violence by supporting Assad.

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East Timor facing challenges as UN leaves

THE UN ends its peacekeeping mission on Monday after 13 years in Asia's youngest nation East Timor, with the country still hoping to overcome its bloody past and rampant poverty.

East Timor this year held largely peaceful elections, voting in a new president and parliament, as the country marked a decade of formal independence and paved the way for the foreign forces to leave.

But as the last remaining UN police and troops depart, the fragile democracy is still struggling with widespread malnutrition, high unemployment and maternal mortality rates among the worst in the world.

East Timor was occupied by Indonesia for 24 years, with about 183,000 people dying from fighting, disease and starvation before the half-island state voted for independence in 1999 in a bloody referendum, prompting the first UN mission.

There is little concern about violence in the immediate future, yet few employment opportunities, crushing poverty and a rapidly expanding population could threaten peace in the long term, analysts say.

"There's always in this situation the potential for something serious to go wrong," Professor George Quinn from the Australian National University College of Asia and the Pacific told AFP.

More than 40 per cent of young Timorese are jobless, according to AusAID, and although the predominantly Catholic nation has a small population, the fertility rate of 6.5 per woman is the world's fourth-highest, UN data shows.

Despite $US1.5 billion ($A1.45 billion) of aid pouring into the nation of 1.1 million people in a decade and abundant offshore oil and gas reserves, about 41 per cent of the population live on less than the local poverty line of 88 US cents a day.

In the capital Dili, barefoot children eat scraps from the ground in slums and vendors make a pittance at fruit and vegetable markets.

World Bank data from 2010 showed 45.3 per cent of children under five were malnourished, up from 40.6 per cent in 2002. On the UN's human development index, East Timor ranks 147th out of 187 nations, below Pakistan and Bangladesh, and well below the regional average.

East Timor's economy has also become visibly two-tier since 1999 - some are raking in US dollars from government infrastructure projects in urban areas, while the majority are subsistence farmers in far-flung villages.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao insisted after his July re-election that energy revenue would transform East Timor "from being an undeveloped, low-income country by 2030, by making use of all our material and human potential".

While the country's Petroleum Fund has swollen to $US10.5 billion and makes up between 80 to 90 per cent of government revenue, critics point out the reserves are fast falling as they call for diversification of the economy.

Rural Timorese also complain the money has not changed their lives.

"East Timor has always had a problem with properly disbursing its income, and that problem still persists," Professor Quinn said.

Despite East Timor's problems, the departure of the remaining UN forces - which numbered 1600 at the mission's peak - underscores the progress the country has made.

The withdrawal has been welcomed by most, especially leaders who insisted the country was able to handle its own security well before responsibility was handed back to national police in October.

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Miner Lonmin says ill CEO will step down

BRITISH platinum miner Lonmin says chief executive Ian Farmer, off work since August due to a "serious illness", is stepping down permanently from his role at the troubled group.

Simon Scott will continue as interim head until a permanent successor is found, the world's third-largest platinum producer said in a statement on Friday. Scott would eventually revert to being chief financial officer, it added.

Friday's announcement follows a turbulent end to the year for Lonmin, whose shareholders last month approved a rights issue to boost its finances after violent strikes disrupted work at its Marikana platinum mine in South Africa.

"Lonmin plc announces that Ian Farmer, who is being treated for a serious illness, has informed the board of his request to step down as chief executive officer (CEO) and as a director of Lonmin with immediate effect," the company said.

"The board has appointed an executive search agent to pursue the selection and engagement of Ian's successor as CEO. In the meantime, Simon Scott will continue in his role as acting CEO with the full support of the Lonmin board.

"Simon has requested that he should not be considered as a candidate for the role of CEO. Following the appointment of a new CEO, Simon will dedicate his time fully to his role as chief financial officer."

Farmer, 50, was chief executive for four years at the end of a career with Lonmin lasting more than a quarter of a century.

Lonmin chairman Roger Phillimore said Farmer's ability, commitment and drive would be missed.

"He has been CEO for the last four years and the consistent improvement in Lonmin's operating performance over that period owes much to his leadership," he said.

The end of Farmer's tenure was overshadowed by the violence at Marikana that left 46 people dead, including 34 who were killed by police gunfire on August 16.

The recently announced rights issue, worth $US817 million ($A790.94 million), was aimed at reducing Lonmin's level of debt and increasing its financial strength in the wake of the violence.

Major shareholder, Swiss commodities giant Xstrata has called for a management shake-up at Lonmin, citing serious financial problems at the mining group.

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Vic govt to wait on tender for hospital

THE Victorian government will delay a decision on a major construction tender until a union bid to halt the process is heard.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) made an application in the Federal Court on Friday to stop the state's tender process for the new $630 million Bendigo hospital until a full hearing next year.

The union, which has a union-friendly agreement with builder Lend Lease, sought an injunction to temporarily stop the government's tender process, arguing the state could be breaking the Fair Work Act if it excludes the company.

Earlier this month, it emerged building giant Lend Lease - one of two companies shortlisted to build the project - could lose the project because it breached the Baillieu government's new building code by signing a four-year pay and conditions deal with the CFMEU.

Lawyers for the state told Justice Peter Gray on Friday the government would not make a decision on the tender until April 1 or before a further court hearing, whichever comes first.

A date will be set for a full hearing in the Federal Court before the end of March.

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Man held over elderly Vic couple's death

VICTORIAN police have made a breakthrough during the investigation of the deaths of an elderly couple found dead in their burning house at Yarraville last Saturday.

They have arrested a man in relation to the deaths and are now interviewing him.

At this stage they are not releasing any more details about the arrest other than to say the man is assisting police with their inquiries.

The fire that destroyed the house is believed to have been deliberately lit with police treating the circumstance of the deaths as suspicious.

On the day of the fire detective inspector John Potter described the incident as "gruesome".

He said police believed both people, aged in their 70s and 80s, could have been killed before the house was set alight.

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Five die on NSW roads on Boxing Day

NSW police are pleading for drivers to slow down after a grim day on the roads with five people killed.

An elderly Fijian couple spending Christmas with family members died when their seven-seater Nissan, in which they were passengers, left the Hume Highway and rolled over near Holbrook in the state's south.

A 14-year-old Fijian boy was critically injured in the accident which happened just before 7am (AEDT) on Boxing Day.

"We have seen a significant rise in the number of people injured on our roads," warned Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander John Hartley.

"This is a pattern seen during poor driving conditions," he said.

A 27-year-old man died in a two-car collision at Marsden Park in Sydney's northwest at 6.50am.

The 24-year-old driver of the other car was taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment for head and facial injuries.

Police alleged he was an unaccompanied learner driver.

In separate accidents, two men died when their cars left the road and hit trees - one at Abernethy in the Hunter Valley and the other at Hargreaves, in the state's central west.

Queensland's first holiday road death came after a sedan veered off the Bruce Highway on the state's east coast and rolled at about 3.15am (AEST) on Wednesday, killing its male driver and sole occupant.

Victoria, which has had five deaths since the holiday toll began on Sunday, was fatality-free on Boxing Day.

However, police expect to lay charges over a Christmas Day collision that involved a car slamming into a taxi that had been stopped at traffic lights in Geelong, killing the male driver, a father of five.

The nationwide road toll now stands at 16 so far this holiday season, with six dead in NSW, five in Victoria, two in South Australia with Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia each recording one fatality.

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

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Abe confirmed as Japan's next PM

Shinzo Abe has been confirmed as Japan's prime minister by the lower house of parliament. Source: AAP

SHINZO Abe has been confirmed as Japan's prime minister by the lower house of parliament after he swept to power on a hawkish platform of getting tough on diplomatic issues while fixing the economy.

Abe, who was prime minister from 2006 to 2007, unveiled his new cabinet within hours of winning the lower house's approval on Wednesday as he rushed to draft an extra budget to spur the flagging economy.

Taro Aso, another former prime minister in Japan's revolving-door political system, was tapped as both Abe's deputy and also finance minister.

Earlier on Wednesday, the yen tumbled against the US dollar on growing speculation that the Bank of Japan would usher in further easing measures - a key plank of Abe's campaign.

Abe, 58, achieved a resounding election victory this month for his Liberal Democratic Party over the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

On Wednesday he secured 328 votes to 57 for the DPJ's new leader Banri Kaieda, the industry minister during last year's Fukushima nuclear crisis.

Abe, Japan's seventh prime minister in less than seven years, replaces Yoshihiko Noda whose DPJ suffered a stinging defeat at the polls.

The party, which came to power in 2009, was seen as being punished for policy flip-flops and its clumsy handling of the atomic disaster.

The foreign minister job in the new cabinet went to Fumio Kishida, who was a state minister in charge of Okinawan affairs during Abe's previous tenure.

The appointment was seen as a reflection of Abe's desire for progress on the relocation of US military bases in the southern island chain, and comes as Japan is embroiled in a territorial row with China.

The defence portfolio went to Itsunori Onodera, who served as deputy foreign minister for a year during Abe's earlier prime ministership and during that of his successor Yasuo Fukuda.

Sadakazu Tanigaki, the head of the LDP when the party was in opposition after ruling Japan for most of the past six decades, became justice minister.

Abe has vowed to pressure the central bank for further easing measures to boost growth, while also promising big government spending to spur the economy.

He won conservative support with nationalistic pronouncements on diplomacy amid the row with Beijing over a group of East China Sea islands, saying Japan would stand firm on its claim to the chain.

Abe has also said he would consider revising Japan's post-World War II pacifist constitution, alarming officials in China and South Korea.

But Abe quickly toned down the campaign rhetoric and has said he wants improved ties with China, Japan's biggest trading partner. He called for a solution through what he described as "patient exchanges".

China called on Abe to meet it "halfway" to try to improve relations that have been hurt by the debilitating territorial dispute.

"We hope the new Japanese administration will meet the Chinese side halfway and make concrete efforts to overcome difficulties in bilateral relations," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

South Korea has its own islands dispute with Japan. But President Lee Myung-Bak sent Abe his congratulations, saying the countries have engaged in "close cooperation and exchanges as close neighbours and friendly nations".

Analysts said Abe was likely to delay drastic policy measures ahead of upper house elections next year, while the LDP's moderate junior coalition partner New Komeito could also balance his right-leaning instincts.

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Qld police investigate 'suspicious' death

POLICE are treating the death of a man in Brisbane's north on Christmas night as suspicious.

Police said they were called to a residence at Nina Court in Marayfield about 9.35pm (AEST) on Tuesday night following reports of a disturbance.

An injured man, thought to be in his 40s, was found in the front yard of the residence and was taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital.

The man died a short time later, police said in a statement.

They said investigations into the incident were under way, but that no more information was currently available.

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Northern NSW prepares for severe storm

Thunderstorms may cause heavy rain and flash flooding over large parts of NSW, forecasters warn. Source: AAP

HEAVY rain and damaging winds are expected to lash large parts of NSW as a storm front moves north.

A severe thunderstorm warning is in place for the remainder of Christmas for the north-west slopes and plains, northern tablelands and parts of the northern rivers, mid-north coast, Hunter and upper western forecast districts.

"Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and damaging winds in the warning area over the next several hours," the Bureau of Meteorology said when it issued the warning at 7.35pm (AEDT) on Tuesday.

Residents in towns including Scone, Armidale, Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Inverell, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Moree, Narrabri, Walgett, Mungindi and Lightning Ridge are being warned to batten down the hatches.

A spokesman for the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said that by 6.30pm the service had received about 50 calls on Christmas Day.

Most of these calls were for help patching up minor property damage and no injuries had been reported, he said.

The SES has warned residents to secure loose items around homes and gardens, keep pets and children indoors during the storm, and keep clear of creeks, storm drains and fallen power lines.

An earlier storm warning for the central tablelands and central west slopes and plains districts was cancelled by Tuesday evening.

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Japan's new PM promises action on economy

JAPAN'S prime minister elect has announced his top lieutenants and promised he will pursue fresh policies to tackle the nation's economic woes and bolster its sagging influence on the international stage.

Shinzo Abe, who led his conservative Liberal Democratic Party to victory in elections on December 16 after three years in opposition, was to be formally installed as prime minister on Wednesday.

This will be his second term at the nation's helm. He was also prime minister in 2006-07.

In filling the top party posts, Abe vowed to take bold measures to bring Japan out of its doldrums and win back public trust in the government, which has taken a beating for failing to shore up the economy, deal with a swelling national debt and come up with a recovery plan following last year's devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crises.

"The Liberal Democratic Party has changed," he told a news conference on Tuesday.

"We are not the party we once were."

The new top party line-up includes two women - more than previous LDP administrations - and is also more youthful, with several members aged in their fifties.

The LDP governed Japan for decades after it was founded in 1955 but became the top opposition party after the 2009 elections were won by the left-leaning Democratic Party of Japan.

Before it was ousted, the LDP was hobbled by scandals and its own problems getting key legislation through a divided parliament.

Abe has promised to make the economy his priority and is expected to push for a two per cent inflation target designed to fight a problem that was until recently relatively unique in the world - deflation, or continually dropping prices, which deadens economic activity. The Japanese economy has been stuck in deflation for two decades.

Besides generous promises to boost public-works spending - by as much as 10 trillion yen ($A115 billion), according to party officials - Abe is pressuring the central bank to work more closely with the government to reach the inflation target.

Abe has also stressed his desire to make Japan a bigger player on the world stage.

This stance has resonated with many voters who are concerned that their nation is increasingly taking a back seat both economically and diplomatically to China.

Abe has vowed to stand up to Beijing over an ongoing territorial dispute and strengthen Tokyo's security alliance with Washington.

He has acknowledged, however, that the road ahead for Japan will be bumpy.

"Our party leadership will undoubtedly have to deal with many issues," he said.

Meanwhile, the ousted Democrats have named a new party leader to replace outgoing prime minister Yoshihiko Noda.

Banri Kaieda, a former trade minister, vowed to keep the left-leaning Democratic Party of Japan from collapsing after its stinging defeat in the latest elections. Kaieda also said the party must continue to fight the conservatives.

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UK archbishops tweet Xmas sermons

THE Archbishops of Canterbury and York are tweeting their sermons for the first time to "bring the meaning of Christmas to a new digital audience".

Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu - with the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby - will deliver their Christmas Day messages simultaneously from their pulpits and over the micro-blogging site.

Their words will be "live tweeted" to the UK's 10 million Twitter users as part of a campaign to reach out to social networkers across the country.

The Church of England has asked members in its 16,000 parishes to join in by tweeting snippets from services containing the hashtag #ChristmasStartsWithChrist to spread the Christian message.

The Rev Arun Arora, director of communications at the Archbishops' Council, said: "This is a brilliant opportunity for parishes to take the good news of the first Christmas out of churches and into people's lives and homes.

"It is the first time that the joy and excitement of Christmas will have been broadcast widely on Twitter.

"There are large numbers of social media enthusiasts to be found in pews and pulpits across the country.

"This is an invitation for them to join together to celebrate the joy of the Christ Child coming into the world, taking the real meaning of Christmas to a new digital audience."

Tweets were also fed out from carol, crib and midnight services on Christmas Eve as churches from all denominations were encouraged to broadcast their messages online.

A Twitter spokesman said: "It is fantastic to see the Church of England embracing Twitter and using it to share their Christmas message with new audiences."

Dr Williams has previously branded the site a potentially "poisonous" and destructive tool.

But he has also spoken of its power to do good.

The outgoing archbishop - who does not own a mobile phone and admits he struggles with "any kind" of technology - addressed the issue earlier this month when he said it was often assumed that clergy were "too unworldly" for social media.

But he insisted not all clergy should be assumed to be as "dim" as he is in this area.

Twitter users can track the sermons at Canterbury Cathedral, Durham Cathedral and York Minster by following Dr Williams (@lambethpalace), Dr Sentamu (@johnsentamu) and the Archbishop Designate, Bishop Welby (@bishopofdurham), who already has nearly 15,000 followers.

Dr Williams will stand down as Archbishop of Canterbury at the end of this month after a decade in office.

He will take up a new post as master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and will also serve as chairman of the board of trustees at Christian Aid, the international development agency.

Bishop Welby will be enthroned as his successor at Canterbury Cathedral in March.

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Japan officials inspect Mitsubishi offices

DOZENS of Japan's transport ministry officials have inspected Mitsubishi Motors' offices after the automaker last week widened a recall to about 1.7 million vehicles.

The inspection of Mitsubishi's Tokyo headquarters and quality-control offices nationwide on Tuesday came after the ministry criticised the firm after it widened its oil leak recall.

"We are inspecting the company's offices to see whether the quality improvement program that Mitsubishi submitted to us is appropriate," ministry official Tsuneki Matsuo told AFP.

The inspection, which involves about 40 ministry staff, would include Mitsubishi dealerships in Japan, he added.

Two years ago, Mitsubishi recalled nearly 250,000 vehicles, adding about 300,000 more vehicles to the call back this year, after anonymous tips to the transport ministry prompted officials to order the firm to revisit the glitch.

Last week, the company said it was adding another 1.2 million vehicles to the recall, the latest in a string of safety and quality issues to affect Japan's auto sector.

A faulty engine part could trigger an oil leak and light the oil pressure gauge on the dashboard. In a worst-case scenario the engine could seize, the company said, adding that no accidents had been linked to the glitch.

The latest recall prompted a rebuke from transport ministry officials, who said last week they would meet with Mitsubishi officials to press them on the issue, saying the company had not made proper disclosures to the public.

It ordered the firm to report on the status of internal measures taken to prevent a recurrence of the problem, and said it would ask government-chosen experts to probe the recall.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mitsubishi said "we will fully co-operate with the on-site inspection and will make steady progress to prevent a repeat".

The transport ministry reprimand comes a decade after Mitsubishi admitted to keeping the ministry and public in the dark about tens of thousands of complaints filed by car owners dating back to the late 1970s.

There were some fatal accidents linked to those safety problems.

Bigger rivals Toyota, Nissan and Honda have recalled millions of vehicles in recent years, dealing a blow to their safety and quality image.

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Mongolia graft probe clears Aussie lawyer

Mongolian authorities have cleared an Aussie lawyer of corruption allegations, freeing her to leave. Source: AAP

AN Australian lawyer who had been barred from leaving Mongolia has been cleared of involvement in a corruption case and allowed to leave the country.

Sarah Armstrong was stopped at Ulan Bator airport in mid-October because authorities wanted to question her in relation to corruption allegations.

On Christmas Eve, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed the 32-year-old had boarded a flight out of the country, which had taken off by 7pm (AEST).

Her mother, Yvonne, said she had been bracing for a Christmas spent thinking of her daughter stuck in Mongolia.

"All I wanted to hear was that she was on a plane," she said from her Tasmanian home.

She got the good news via text message from a friend in Mongolia.

Mrs Armstrong said her daughter had told her on Friday that she thought she would be allowed to leave within days, but she had been trying not to get her hopes up.

Also on Friday, it is understood, Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr again contacted the Mongolian ambassador to Australia about Ms Armstrong's case.

Senator Carr also flagged the Australian government's concerns when he met the Mongolian foreign minister in November.

Ms Armstrong is a lawyer for Rio Tinto mining subsidiary SouthGobi Resources.

The company on Monday said Mongolia's Independent Authority Against Corruption had ended its questioning of the lawyer.

SouthGobi has been informed by the IAAC that the 32-year-old "is no longer a suspect in their investigations", the coal firm said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange where it is listed.

Mongolian officials said Armstrong was wanted over an investigation into the former chief of Mongolia's mining authority, who is suspected of illegally handling mining licences, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

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Thousands flock to Bethlehem for Christmas

THOUSANDS of Palestinians and tourists are flocking to the West Bank city of Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas at the site where many believe Jesus Christ was born.

This year's celebration carries special significance for many Palestinians, coming after 12 months in which their status on the world stage has been significantly upgraded.

Last month the United Nations granted Palestine status as a non-member observer state. Earlier this year Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity was recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site.

The designation also included part of a pilgrimage route in Bethlehem, along which the traditional Christmas procession headed by the Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal will march later on Monday.

Thousands of tourists are expected to join Palestinian residents of the city - Muslim and Christian alike - in lining the route to welcome the procession, which includes dozens of musicians and scout troupes from across the West Bank.

The parade will end in Manger Square, in front of the Church of the Nativity, which is built over the site where Christians believe Mary gave birth to Jesus in a cattle shed.

Several hours later, Twal, the most senior Roman Catholic bishop in the Middle East, will deliver the traditional midnight mass to the faithful.

Scout troupes were already marching in the square to the rhythm of drums and bagpipes mid-morning, while hundreds of tourists looked on.

The mass is traditionally attended by top officials from the Palestinian Authority including president Mahmud Abbas and prime minister Salam Fayyad.

Last week, in his pre-Christmas press conference, Twal praised the UN decision to upgrade Palestinian status, calling it a "step towards peace and stability in the region".

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US gun advocates seek CNN host deportation

US Gun advocates have set up a petition to have British CNN host Piers Morgan deported. Source: AAP

US gun rights advocates have signed a White House petition calling for British CNN host Piers Morgan to be deported for allegedly attacking the Second Amendment rights of ordinary Americans.

The outspoken former British tabloid editor has launched something of a personal crusade for greater gun control measures in the wake of the December 14 massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

On Tuesday, Morgan held an especially contentious interview with executive director of Gun Owners of America Larry Pratt, appearing to become incensed and incredulous when Pratt suggested more, not fewer, weapons as the solution.

"You're an unbelievably stupid man, aren't you?" Morgan said at one point during the heated debate. "You have absolutely no coherent argument. You don't actually give a damn about the gun murder rate in America."

Following the interview, a Texas journalist posted a petition on the White House website alleging Morgan "is engaged in a hostile attack against the US Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment".

"We demand that Mr Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens," it says.

Many Americans believe in the literal interpretation of the Second Amendment, which enshrines the "right to bear arms" in the US constitution.

Morgan insists America can outlaw military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines without infringing on people's constitutional rights and says he has no quarrel with the Second Amendment.

Two days after the petition calling for Morgan's deportation was posted, it had already garnered more than 19,000 signatures, closing in quickly on the 25,000 required to get a response from the White House.

A defiant Morgan refused to back down from his position.

"Ironic US gun rights campaign to deport me for 'attacking 2nd Amendment rights' - is my opinion not protected under 1st Amendment rights?," he posted on his Twitter feed on Saturday, referring to freedom of speech provisions.

Morgan continued to post incendiary comments on the gun control debate, including a response on Sunday morning to an NBC interview with a top official in the powerful pro-gun lobby group, the National Rifle Association.

"Watching @davidgregory expose Wayne Lapierre for what he is - a dangerous, dim-witted, deluded menace to American safety. @NRA," Morgan tweeted.

At least some Americans have come out in support of the British citizen.

In one message, reposted by Morgan, Lee Cox in Arizona wrote: "I'm a native-born US citizen, and I agree 100% with Mr Morgan. If he goes back to the UK, should I go with him?"

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Aussie lawyer gets early Christmas gift

Mongolian authorities have cleared an Aussie lawyer of corruption allegations, freeing her to leave. Source: AAP

THE parents of an Australian lawyer who was barred from leaving Mongolia for two months have received an early Christmas present, with the news their daughter is finally on her way home.

Sarah Armstrong was stopped at Ulan Bator airport in mid-October because authorities wanted to question her in relation to corruption allegations.

On Christmas Eve, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed the 32-year-old had boarded a flight out of the country, which had taken off by 7pm (AEST).

Mum, Yvonne, told AAP she had been bracing for a Christmas spent thinking of her daughter stuck in Mongolia.

"All I wanted to hear was that she was on a plane," she said on Monday from her Tasmanian home.

She got the good news via text message from a friend in Mongolia.

Mrs Armstrong said her daughter had told her on Friday that she thought she would be allowed to leave within days, but she had been trying not to get her hopes up.

Also on Friday, it is understood, Foreign Minister Bob Carr again contacted the Mongolian ambassador to Australia about Ms Armstrong's case.

Senator Carr also flagged the Australian government's concerns when he met the Mongolian foreign minister in November.

Ms Armstrong is a lawyer for Rio Tinto mining subsidiary SouthGobi Resources.

The company on Monday said Mongolia's Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) had ended its questioning of the lawyer.

SouthGobi has been informed by the IAAC that the 32-year-old "is no longer a suspect in their investigations", the coal firm said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange where it is listed.

Mongolian officials said Armstrong was wanted over an investigation into the former chief of Mongolia's mining authority, who is suspected of illegally handling mining licences, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

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Young people stressed over Xmas tension

Young Australians are citing family tension as a reason for feeling negative about Christmas. Source: AAP

YOUNG Australians are citing family tension as a reason for feeling negative about Christmas and are turning to social media to escape the stress, a survey has found.

Around 57 per cent of young people say they feel happy about Christmas, but about 88 per cent also admit there are things that make them feel negative about the jolly season, a survey by the National Youth Mental Health Foundation headspace has found.

More than 65 per cent cited tensions between family members as a factor that made them feel negative about Christmas, up from 58 per cent last year.

Headspace chief executive Chris Tanti said families should be supporting each other over Christmas.

"This survey clearly shows that many young people approach Christmas with trepidation, rather than excitement," Mr Tanti said in a statement on Sunday.

The survey shows that, for 24 per cent of young people, Christmas made them feel depressed and for 28 per cent, the festive season made them feel worse than usual.

More than 86 per cent of young people said they would be using social media on Christmas Day, with 62 per cent saying they used social media to escape family tensions and 54 per cent using it to help them feel less lonely.

"We know about the dangers of social media, but this survey also shows that it's an important tool for coping with difficult situations," Mr Tanti said.

The report surveyed 500 young Australians aged between 12 and 25.

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Five die on first day of holiday period

The Christmas period has got off to a terrible start on Australian roads with five people killed. Source: AAP

THE 12-day Christmas period has got off to a terrible start with five road fatalities, including three deaths in separate accidents in Victoria.

The deaths follow three in the Northern Territory and one in Queensland on Saturday night before the start of the official 12-day road toll period.

On Sunday, an elderly woman passenger died when the car she was in crashed into a light pole in Bentleigh East in Melbourne's southeast.

The crash came hours after a man died when his car veered off the road in nearby Moorabbin and smashed into a tree, flipping on its side.

The third fatality occurred at 4.15pm (AEDT) in Kerang in the state's far north when a sedan veered into truck on the Murray Valley Highway.

The driver of the sedan, a woman and sole occupant, died at the scene while the truck driver was taken to hospital.

Tasmania recorded its first fatality of the holiday season when a motorist died when his car when crashed on East Bagdad Road near Bagdad, north of Hobart, about 1.45pm (AEDT).

In South Australia, a 22-year-old woman died after her car crashed into a tree at Black Hill, near Mannum, east of Adelaide about 1.50am (CST).

On the Gold Coast, two people were airlifted to hospital in a critical condition after a bus rolled down an embankment on Mount Tamborine in the hinterland.

Police say 18 people, mostly Chinese tourists, were involved in the accident, which occurred about noon (AEST).

The deaths took the national holiday road toll to five.

On Saturday night, before the start of the national Christmas road toll, three people died in the Northern Territory after their car rolled and landed on its top near Hermannsburg.

Police had called off a pursuit of a Commodore about 8.30pm (CST) on Saturday after the driver refused to stop and then sped off.

The car was later found about 4km west of Hermannsburg having rolled onto its roof, police said on Sunday.

Two women, aged 26 and 32, died after being ejected from the car and a 30-year-old man also died at the scene, police said.

A 26-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were also taken to hospital.

In far north Queensland, a man died after crashing an overloaded car.

Police say the vehicle was travelling along Pormpuraaw St, in Pormpuraaw on the Cape York Peninsula, about 11.30pm (AEST) on Saturday when it left the road and rolled.

Six people were in the car at the time of the crash, police say.

The driver, a 27-year-old Aurukun man, died at the scene.

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

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Police seek man for NSW shooting

Police have identified a man they want to speak to in connection with a shooting in Sydney. Source: AAP

POLICE have identified a man they are looking for over a shooting in Sydney's southwest last week.

Officers were called to a home in Panania on reports five children and their mother were inside a house when a window was broken by a gunshot about 1.20am (AEDT) on Thursday.

No one was injured.

Police said two men, who are know to them, were arguing outside the property when a struggle ensued and a shot was fired.

They are seeking Victor Vladymtsev, 22, who is wanted over an arrest warrant for the offence of firing a firearm in manner likely to injure person.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance with an olive complexion, medium build and brown hair.

Police have warned members of the public not to approach Vladymtsev as he may be armed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Afghanistan Taliban pair pledge tolerance

Taliban have held talks with Afghan government officials at a landmark meeting in France. Source: AAP

TWO senior Taliban representatives have pledged to accept a multiparty political system and respect women's rights in future post-war governments.

The officials last week attended a two-day conference in Paris with Afghan parliamentarians, opposition leaders and government officials organised by a research institute.

In a declaration made public after the conference, they promised political tolerance, but criticised Kabul and the United States government for not being serious about their peace efforts.

They also called for a new constitution based on "the Islamic principles, national interests, social justice, and historical gains".

Such a charter would "guarantee, without prejudice, equal rights for all ethnic groups".

The rebels said they did not accept the current constitution because it was "written under the pressure of B-52 war planes" in 2004.

In a conciliatory note, the movement said it was not "seeking an exclusive right to power".

"We want an all-Afghan, inclusive government," the statement said, adding that Taliban leader Mullah Omar "respects his opponents and insists on mutual understanding and asks them to join him in defending the country."

The Taliban also claimed they would respect "women's rights" and the role that "Islam has given them."

"A woman in Islam has the right to get married, inherit, own (possessions), education, and work."

The former Taliban regime, which was ousted by the US-led military invasion in 2001, called the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Its leaders say they continue to be "a legitimate force."

"It has a political representation in the world and our invitation to this conference is a good example of our political existence," the group said.

The Taliban want direct talks with the US, and have refused to talk with the Afghan government, which it regards as a "puppet administration."

"Foreigners and the Kabul administration are not interested in peace," it said. "Nor are they committed to the goals and principles of peace.

"Indeed, under the pretext of peace they want the mujahideen (militants) to surrender, lay down their weapons, accept the constitution, and obey their orders. Is that what you call a peace process?"

The Taliban insist that an end to all foreign military occupation remains a prerequisite for peace.

The officials praised France for taking steps to withdraw its troops, and called on the US and other allies to "withdraw" immediately.

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Sydney Harbour heliport plans put on hold

The company that was set to run a heliport in Sydney Harbour says it is putting the project on hold. Source: AAP

THE company that was set to run a heliport in Sydney Harbour says it is putting the project on hold to consider the operation's "feasibility".

Newcastle Helicopters, which was set to operate a floating heliport to provide for quick transfers to and from Sydney airport and scenic flights over Sydney harbour, announced on Saturday that it would be halting the plans until further notice.

"Effective immediately, Newcastle Helicopters has put the project of the Sydney Harbour Floating Heliport on hold until further notice, in order to consider the feasibility of the operation going forward," it said in a statement.

"It is Newcastle Helicopter's intention to address the relevant concerns and queries with thoroughly considered and accurate information, and is taking the appropriate steps to do so."

The announcement comes after Fairfax media reported on Saturday that the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) landing barge in Sydney Harbour was reportedly approved two weeks before it had asked about air safety or air traffic control regulations.

In a series of tweets earlier this week, Malcolm Turnbull also criticised the operation, saying he was told the decision to approve the helicopter service from a barge in Sydney Harbour was made by the RMS without consulting the premier or cabinet or community.

"Frankly what troubles me most is safety, summer afternoon, harbour full of boats, most with kids, noreaster ......," the federal member for Wentworth tweeted.

On Saturday, Mr Turnbull posted further tweets, urging people opposed to the heliport to sign a petition.

"So the NSW Govt Maritime Services dept only start to think about safety AFTER they have issued the helipad licence," he tweeted.

A spokesman for NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said: "Newcastle Helicopters has advised the NSW government that the Sydney Harbour Floating Heliport project has been put on hold, pending further discussions with relevant stakeholders."

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Shock as Irish minister found dead

THE Irish political world is in shock after a member of Prime Minister Enda Kenny's government was found dead in circumstances that police say are not suspicious.

Shane McEntee, 56 - a junior minister at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine - died on Friday near his home in Meath, northeast Ireland.

The Irish Times newspaper said he took his own life.

McEntee was married to Kathleen and had three children. As well as his political role, he was also a well-known farmer and publican.

Kenny said he was "devastated" by the death, which Irish police confirmed they were not treating as suspicious.

"As minister of state, he brought great energy, diligence and enthusiasm to his role," Kenny said in a statement on Saturday.

"On a personal level, Shane McEntee was a loyal friend and colleague and my thoughts and prayers go out to Kathleen and their family at this very sad time," Kenny added.

McEntee was first elected to the Irish parliament in a 2005 by-election after former prime minister John Bruton stood down to become the European Union's ambassador to the United States.

"It's absolutely awful for the family and indeed everyone who loved Shane. He was a really compassionate man," Bruton said.

"The by-election that he won in 2005 was in a way a beginning of the revival of the Fine Gael party which helped the party to find its way into government in 2011."

Dublin's coalition government, of which Fine Gael is the larger party, has come under increasing pressure since unveiling another austerity budget earlier this month.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78

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Japan's new PM pledges to mend China ties

JAPAN'S incoming premier has pledged to seek a thaw in ties with China after a report said he will send a special envoy on a fence-mending mission to Beijing.

Ties between Japan and China have become increasingly strained over a disputed island chain - the Tokyo-controlled Senkakus, which Beijing calls the Diaoyus - with neither side willing to budge after months of bitter wrangling.

"I want to make efforts to return to the starting point of developing the mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests," Shinzo Abe told reporters on Saturday.

"The Japan-China relationship is one of extremely important bilateral ties," he said.

The comments came after the business daily Nikkei reported Abe will send Masahiko Komura, the vice president of his Liberal Democratic Party, to deliver a letter to Chinese authorities next month.

They also came a day after China sent ships into territorial waters around the disputed islands, in the first incursion since Japan elected a new government.

"I will shoulder grave responsibility (for Japan's future)," Abe, who will officially be appointed prime minister on Wednesday, told supporters in western Japan earlier Saturday.

"My mission is to bring a breakthrough in the serious situations we face in economy, diplomacy, and education."

Abe said Friday he will dispatch former finance minister Fukushiro Nukaga to deliver a letter to South Korea's president-elect Park Geun-Hye, who also triumphed in elections just days ago.

Tokyo is embroiled in a separate row with Seoul over a different set of islets, with tensions flaring up earlier this year after outgoing South Korean president Lee Myung-Bak paid a sudden visit to the disputed territory.

"Abe intends to improve frayed ties with South Korea and with China by sending special envoys," the Nikkei said, without citing sources.

Abe's sweeping parliamentary victory on Sunday was greeted with caution in Beijing and Seoul, with China saying it was "highly concerned" over Japan's future direction under the new government.

Shortly after his parliamentary win, Abe said there was no room for compromise on the sovereignty of the disputed islands, calling them "Japan's inherent territory", and putting the onus for improved relations on Beijing.

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Fire guts historic prison building

A fire in Sydney's west has ripped through an historic building inside a prison complex. Source: AAP

FIRE has gutted an historic building inside a prison complex in Sydney's west.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) said the blaze started early on Saturday morning at the Norma Parker correctional facility at Parramatta.

It destroyed about half an unused historic building at the centre, which had previously been a dormitory, a FRNSW spokesman said.

He said firefighters had managed to control the blaze.

"The fire has gone through the roof and has gutted most of the top floor. Firefighters have stopped it spreading to the remainder of the building," the spokesman said.

On Saturday afternoon FRNSW told AAP one crew remained at the scene.

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European stocks drop at open; London down

EUROPE'S main stock markets slid in opening deals on Friday, with London's FTSE 100 index of top companies down 0.41 per cent at 5,933.97 points.

Elsewhere, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index fell 0.52 per cent to 7,632.41 points and in Paris the CAC 40 recoiled 0.47 per cent to 3,649.33.

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Malala asks Pakistan not to rename college

A 15-YEAR-OLD Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for promoting girls' education has urged Pakistan to reverse a decision to rename a college in her honour to avert militant attacks on students.

Malala Yousufzai, who became a symbol of youth resistance to the Taliban, made the request after students broke into the school, tore down Malala's pictures and boycotted classes in her home town of Mingora. They said renaming the college endangered their lives.

A senior government official, Kamran Rehman, said Malala had called him from London, where she was being treated for critical wounds from the attack on October 9. The Taliban said it targeted her for promoting education for secular girls.

Malala's case won worldwide recognition for the struggle for women's rights in Pakistan and the Taliban have vowed to target her again.

Pakistani Taliban have a strong presence in the country's tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

A bomb ripped through the office of local militant commander Maulvi Abbas in Wana, a main town in the South Waziristan tribal region in the northwest, killing him and three of his guards, two intelligence officials said on Friday.

Abbas was an associate of Hakimullah Mehsud, the head of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan militant group, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief reporters.

It was unclear who had planted the bomb. The attack came weeks after a suicide bomber in the same town attacked Maulvi Nazir, a prominent militant commander who is believed to have a non-aggression pact with the army.

Nazir was wounded in the attack and seven of his men were killed.

Since then there has been tension between followers of Nazir and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in the region.

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BAE unveils $4bn deal for Oman jets

British defence giant BAE Systems has announced a $A3.93 billion deal to supply aircraft to Oman. Source: AAP

BRITISH defence giant BAE Systems has announced a 2.5-billion pound ($A3.93 billion) deal to supply military aircraft to Oman.

The group said in a statement on Friday it would supply 12 Typhoon fighter aircraft and eight Hawk trainer jets, delivering from 2017.

"BAE Systems welcomes the decision by the Sultanate of Oman to purchase 12 Typhoon and eight Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft," it said.

"This contract is further recognition that both Typhoon and Hawk are leading aircraft in their class, providing the best capabilities available.

"As well as supplying aircraft, BAE Systems will provide in-service support to the Royal Air Force of Oman's operational tasks. Deliveries are expected to commence in 2017."

Earlier this year, BAE Systems had attempted to merge with European aerospace giant EADS, but the deal collapsed under the weight of political wrangling and unexpectedly strong opposition from Germany.

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India lets 20 rape accused run for office

AT least 20 men accused of raping women ran in Indian elections in the past five years, according to a think-tank report published amid growing outrage over the gang-rape of a student on a bus.

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) study was released on Thursday as political parties lined up to condemn the rape of the 23-year-old woman, which has triggered widespread protests against how women are treated in India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi and opposition MPs have condemned the savage assault last Sunday but the ADR said many Indian parties fielded candidates who were facing rape accusations.

"Since 2007, political parties gave tickets to 20 rape accused to fight in state elections. This is shocking and requires urgent action," Jagdeep Chhokar, the founder of ADR, said.

"The politicians who come out to condemn rape are the ones who are openly giving the rape accused a chance to fight elections. This is hypocrisy," he said.

The report stated that political parties had also given tickets to 260 men who were charged with other crimes against women, including molestation.

It did not record how many of the accused candidates had been found guilty.

"Political parties should stop giving tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds and all those lawmakers who are accused in rape cases should be thrown out of power," Chhokar added.

Further protests were held in New Delhi on Friday, with scores of female demonstrators marching to the president's palace.

The rape victim was coerced onto the off-duty bus and raped by six men before being thrown off the vehicle.

She was seriously injured and remains in intensive care.

Five people, including the bus driver, have so far been arrested.

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Karzai welcomes UK's Afghan troop pullout

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has welcomed the UK's decision to withdraw 3800 troops next year. Source: AAP

PRESIDENT Hamid Karzai has welcomed the announcement that Britain will pull thousands of troops out of Afghanistan next year, saying his country was ready to take over security responsibilities.

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday said that he would withdraw almost half of the country's 9,000 troops from Afghanistan next year as NATO hands over to Afghan forces.

The announcement comes as NATO prepares for a full security handover at the end of 2014, despite fears that a civil war could follow, and amid a spike in "insider attacks" on foreign troops by Afghans in uniform.

Karzai said the decision was "well-timed" and insisted his war-scarred nation was ready to take charge of its own security.

"The president ... welcoming the announcement said: 'the Afghan national forces are ready to provide the security and defend their country," a statement from Karzai's office said on Thursday.

"The decision by Britain is a well-timed decision."

Cameron said the withdrawal of around 3,800 British troops by the end of 2013 was possible "because of the success of our forces and the Afghan National Security Forces".

There are currently more than 9,000 British troops serving in Afghanistan with the NATO force - the second largest force in the country after the United States.

Britain has lost 438 troops in Afghanistan since the operation to topple the Taliban began in October 2001 following the 9/11 attacks.

Most British troops are stationed in southern Helmand province, one of the toughest battlegrounds against the Taliban.

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European stocks dip at open; London down

EUROPE'S main stock markets retreated in opening deals on Thursday, with London's FTSE 100 index of top companies down 0.05 per cent at 5,958.44 points.

Frankfurt's DAX 30 index lost 0.33 per cent to 7,642.99 points and in Paris the CAC 40 shed 0.34 per cent to 3,652.08.

Trading in shares in the NYSE Euronext trans-Atlantic stock market was suspended for what a spokesman for the company said was technical reasons, but there was market speculation that US rival InterContinental Exchange (ICE) might be mounting a takeover offer.

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Qantas-Emirates deal gets ACCC OK

A partnership between Qantas and Emirates is set to receive approval from the competition watchdog. Source: AAP

CHRISTMAS has come early for Qantas, with the competition watchdog approving its alliance with Emirates, but the struggling Flying Kangaroo did not get all the yuletide presents it wished for.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on Thursday it was likely to give the tie-up the green light when it handed down a final decision in March 2013.

"The ACCC considers that the alliance is likely to result in material, although not substantial, benefits to Australian consumers," ACCC chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.

However, the ACCC rebuffed their request for a 10-year term.

Mr Sims said the ACCC was prepared to grant only a five-year authorisation, citing concerns on their ability to lift ticket prices on some trans-Tasman routes through cutting or limiting capacity.

Therefore, the ACCC said in its draft determination it would impose a condition on Qantas and Emirates that would "restrict the ability of the alliance to reduce or limit growth in its capacity" on four routes between Australia and New Zealand.

The four routes - Sydney-Auckland, Melbourne-Auckland, Brisbane-Auckland and Sydney-Christchurch - represented about 65 per cent of trans-Tasman capacity in the 12 months to June 30, 2012, the ACCC said.

"The condition requires the applicants to maintain a base level of capacity on the routes of concern for the term of the authorisation and to increase capacity in accordance with a specified growth factor," the ACCC said.

Requirements to grow capacity would be put off until a later date, the ACCC said, given Qantas and Emirates' claims about there being excess capacity on the relevant routes.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce welcomed the draft decision, saying the airline had put in a strong case to the ACCC that highlighted the benefits of the partnership for travellers and Australian tourism.

"We will now focus on responding to the issue raised by the ACCC in relation to the trans-Tasman as we move to securing final approval of this landmark partnership," Mr Joyce said in a statement.

Qantas had said previously it was considering launching new routes across the Tasman as part of its alliance with Emirates, with direct service between Perth and Adelaide to Auckland believed to be among the options being looked at.

The proposed tie-up involved an extensive codesharing arrangement, reciprocal frequent-flyer benefits and joint marketing, pricing and coordination on certain routes between the two carriers.

It was regarded as a key plank of Mr Joyce's plan to turn around Qantas' struggling international operations, which reported a $450 million loss in 2011/12.

In addition to the public benefits, federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the alliance would help Qantas expand in Asia.

"The solid commercial position provided by the alliance also provides the opportunity for Qantas to invest in additional aircraft capacity and international services, especially to meet the growth in Asia but also its broader international network," he said in a statement.

Some analysts have said the deal could boost Qantas' earnings by up to $150 million, but Qantas had not offered a estimates on how the deal would boost the bottom line.

Qantas closed up one cent at $1.46.

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Pitt commends Obama's marijuana stance

BRAD Pitt and several colleagues are praising US President Barack Obama's current stance on drugs.

Last Friday, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot dead 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

The massacre occurred barely a month after voters in two US states - Washington and Colorado - legalised marijuana in November's elections.

In light of the shooting, Obama recently said that prosecuting pot users is "not a top priority".

Pitt, Russell Simmons, Danny Glover and John Legend all serve as executive producers on The House I Live In, a documentary highlighting the human rights injustices resultant of America's anti-drug war.

They are all happy that The White House has focused its attention on other matters.

"President Obama should be commended for expressing the will of the people in Colorado and Washington," the producers say in a joint statement to ET Online.

"Our jails are overburdened with nonviolent drug users in this country, too often serving harsher sentences than violent criminals. This defies all common and economic sense.

"The President's statement reflects a saner and more sensible drug policy, and a step away from the decades long failed war on drugs."

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Police raid Perth Glory owner's businesses

SEVERAL companies associated with Perth Glory owner and businessman Tony Sage have been raided by federal police.

It is understood the Australian Federal Police (AFP) spent several hours in the soccer club's Leederville building as well as at the office of mining company Cape Lambert Resources, which Mr Sage chairs.

An AFP spokeswoman said she could not comment on an ongoing investigation but did confirm several commercial and residential premises were raided in Perth and Sydney on Wednesday.

"The AFP can confirm that today a number of search warrants were executed on commercial and residential premises in Perth and Sydney," she said in an emailed statement.

The searches were part of an ongoing AFP investigation in partnership with commonwealth agencies including the Australian Crime Commission, Australian Tax Office, and Australian Securities and Investments Commission, she said.

"The investigation is ongoing, therefore it is not appropriate to make any further comment at this point in time," she said.

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French judges keep Strauss-Kahn charges

French judges have decided not to drop aggravated pimping charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Source: AAP

FRENCH judges have decided not to drop aggravated pimping charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

His lawyer says the former International Monetary Fund chief will appeal.

Strauss-Kahn's lawyers have argued the investigating judges in the case are biased.

The case revolves around a suspected luxury prostitution ring in northern France.

A court in the French city of Douai decided on Wednesday to retain the preliminary charges.

Strauss-Kahn's lawyers have said he attended "libertine" gatherings but didn't know some women present were paid.

The case is one part of an intercontinental legal saga that exposed Strauss-Kahn's active sex life and buried his French presidential ambitions.

Strauss-Kahn reached a settlement in the US last week with a hotel maid who accused of him of trying to rape her in May 2011.

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Report released on Qantas engine problem

AN Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation has concluded a separated turbine blade led to an engine malfunction on an international Qantas flight last year.

A Qantas Boeing 747-400 aircraft, was en route from Sydney to Singapore on May 9, 2011 when - while climbing from 36,000ft to 38,000ft - the crew noticed abnormalities from the aeroplane's No.4 engine, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said on Wednesday.

"The indications included an increase in both the exhaust gas temperature and vibration levels," ATSB said in a statement.

"The flight crew reduced the engines thrust, however, the vibration continued near maximum levels and the engine was subsequently shut down."

The plane continued to Singapore for a safe landing and disembarkation of the passengers and crew.

Following an investigation into the incident, ATSB said on Wednesday the jump in the exhaust gas temperature and vibration from the engine was "a direct result of the failure and separation of a single intermediate-pressure turbine blade", which fractured.

In its safety message, the bureau said operators and maintainers of Rolls-Royce RB211-524 engines should be aware of the "potential for wear and degradation of the intermediate-pressure turbine blade interlocking shrouds".

But it said the probability of an intermediate-pressure turbine blade failure is extremely low, with only three reported occurrences across the RB211-524 engine operating history.

"While blade separation will likely cause malfunctions necessitating an in-flight engine shut down, the associated risks to the safety of continued flight are minor."

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Man in Saudi Arabia executed for murder

A SUDANESE man convicted of murder has been beheaded by the sword in the western city of Mecca, the Saudi interior ministry says.

Othman Mohammed was found guilty of killing another Sudanese man, Salah Ahmed, by repeatedly beating him on his head following a dispute between the two, the ministry said in a statement published by state news agency SPA.

Mohammed's beheading raises to 76 the number of people executed so far this year in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom, where 79 were put to death in 2011, according to Amnesty International.

Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under its strict version of sharia, or Islamic law.

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Aust to help Fiji in wake of Cyclone Evan

The federal government is giving Fiji immediate humanitarian assistance in the wake of Cyclone Evan. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA will give Fiji and Samoa an initial $1 million worth of emergency assistance each to help recover from Cyclone Evan.

The cyclone has left a swathe of destruction after battering Fiji for more than 12 hours, destroying homes, flooding rivers and stranding thousands of tourists.

Western parts of main island Viti Levu bore the brunt of the cyclone's fury but there are no reports of deaths. About 8500 locals sheltered from the cyclone in evacuation centres.

The head of AusAID in Fiji, John Davidson, says Australia is giving Fiji 1000-plus family care packages as a first step.

"We will continue to monitor the situation very closely," he told AAP from Suva on Tuesday.

"The response we've provided so far is very much an immediate response to help the people of Fiji.

"I would expect it would be a much larger response once we're able to ascertain the full extent of the damage."

Foreign Minister Bob Carr said the government was sending two disaster relief experts to assess the damage, and an extra foreign affairs official to give consular help to Australians.

"The Australian Civilian Corps is also on standby for early deployment," he said in a statement.

Mr Davidson said further assistance could include water purification, hydration, soap, tents and school infrastructure.

AusAID may also provide vaccinations and mosquito nets to prevent typhoid and dengue fever outbreaks, Mr Davidson said.

Evan killed five people when it pummelled Samoa late last week. The Australian High Commission in the capital Apia reopened on Tuesday after closing due to storm damage.

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