Pro-choice rally supports Melb clinic

People have rallied outside a Melbourne abortion clinic to protest against 'harassment' of patients. Source: AAP

PRO-CHOICE advocates have rallied outside a Melbourne abortion clinic, saying they're fighting back against pro-life activists who regularly harass the clinic's patients.

Around 100 members of the Melbourne Feminist Action group gathered outside the East Melbourne Fertility Control Clinic on Saturday to condemn the tactics of "intimidation and degradation" which its patients face almost daily, the group says.

Group spokeswoman Stephanie Convery said a variety of religious groups photograph and film women as they enter and exit the clinic, hurl abuse and hand out offensive literature.

"We need to give some support to the pro-choice movement in Melbourne and the women in the clinic," she said.

"Who wants to be bullied for making personal decisions about their own body, who wants to be told they don't know themselves, they don't know their own minds and they're making the wrong choice when they've thought long and hard about it."

A small crowd from pro-life group Youth for Life gathered opposite the rally, which was monitored by police.

Stephanie Ross, from Youth for Life, said members of her group regularly gathered outside the clinic but denied they harassed patients.

"We come to pray and witness, to be with the unborn in their last moments," she said.

The East Melbourne Fertility Control Clinic was opened in 1972 and was one of the first of its kind in Victoria.

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Dallas star Larry Hagman dies in Texas

American actor Larry Hagman, known for his role on the TV show Dallas, has died at the age of 81. Source: AAP

US actor Larry Hagman, who starred as predatory oil baron JR Ewing on TV's hit soap opera Dallas, has died at the age of 81.

Hagman, who returned as JR in a new edition of Dallas this year, died on Friday afternoon due to complications from his battle with cancer, according to a statement from the family provided by Warner Bros, producer of Dallas.

"Larry was back in his beloved hometown of Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved the most," the family said. "Larry's family and closest friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday."

Hagman was diagnosed in 1992 with cirrhosis of the liver and acknowledged that he had drank heavily for years. In 1995, a malignant tumour was discovered on his liver and he underwent a transplant.

Linda Gray, a long-time friend who starred alongside him in the TV show, called him her "best friend for 35 years", her agent told the BBC.

Gray, who played Hagman's on-screen wife, Sue Ellen Ewing, was by his bedside when he died.

In a statement from her agent she said: "Larry Hagman was my best friend for 35 years.

"He was the Pied Piper of life and brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented and I will miss him enormously.

"He was an original and lived life to the full."

Years before Dallas, Hagman had gained TV fame as a nice guy with the fluffy 1965-70 NBC comedy I Dream of Jeannie, in which he played Captain Tony Nelson, an astronaut whose life is disrupted when he finds a comely genie, portrayed by Barbara Eden, and takes her home to live with him.

He also starred in two short-lived sitcoms, The Good Life (NBC, 1971-72) and Here We Go Again (ABC, 1973). His film work included well-regarded performances in The Group, Harry and Tonto and Primary Colors.

But it was Hagman's masterful portrayal of the charmingly loathsome JR that brought him his greatest stardom. The CBS serial drama about the Ewing clan and those in their orbit aired from April 1978 to May 1991.

The "Who shot JR?" story twist, in which Hagman's character was nearly murdered in a cliffhanger episode, fuelled international speculation and millions of dollars in betting-parlour wagers. It also helped give the series a ratings record for the time.

When the answer was revealed in a November 1980 episode, an average 41 million viewers tuned in to make Dallas the second most-watched entertainment show of all time, trailing only the MASH finale in 1983 with 50 million viewers.

It was JR's sister-in-law, Kristin (Mary Crosby) who plugged him - he had made her pregnant, then threatened to frame her as a prostitute unless she left town - but others had equal motivation.

Hagman played Ewing as a bottomless well of corruption with a charming grin: a business cheat and a faithless husband who tried to get his alcoholic wife, Sue Ellen (Gray), institutionalised.

"I know what I want on JR's tombstone," Hagman said in 1988. "It should say: 'Here lies upright citizen JR Ewing. This is the only deal he ever lost.'"

In 2006, Hagman did a guest shot on FX's drama series Nip/Tuck, playing a macho business mogul. He also got new exposure in recent years with the DVD releases of I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas.

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Portugal pulls bulk of police from Timor

Portugal has withdrawn the bulk of its police officers from East Timor. Source: AAP

PORTUGAL has withdrawn the bulk of its police officers from East Timor as international forces wind up a 13-year mission in Asia's youngest nation, where thousands have died in political bloodshed.

Seventy-five of the officers boarded a Lisbon-bound plane in the former Portuguese colony, among the last of 1200 UN peacekeepers to return home before the official end of their mission on December 31.

Only around three dozen UN Police remain in the country, including several from Portugal, Australia, Malaysia and Pakistan. Most of them will leave next week and all will have to withdraw by December 31.

International forces began pulling out in earnest last month with Canberra this week saying it was sending home hundreds of troops from the Australian-led International Stabilisation Force (ISF), ending a six-year operation.

At the UN's terminal in Dili's Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, officers in Portugal's black police uniforms and UN blue berets bade a tearful farewell to Portuguese expatriates who had come to see them off.

Captain Jorge Barradas, commander of the Portuguese police contingent, said he had mixed feelings about leaving a country where he has served on and off since 2001.

"It is kind of a sad feeling for us to leave East Timor. But on the other hand, leaving means that East Timor has developed and is secure so it's also a pleasure to leave," he said.

The UN entered the territory, officially known as Timor-Leste, after violence broke out in 1999 following the resounding "yes" vote for independence from neighbouring Indonesia.

The referendum was organised by the UN after Indonesia announced it would end a brutal, 24-year occupation in which about 183,000 people, or a quarter of the population, died from fighting, disease and starvation.

The nation conducted peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections this year, and UN peacekeepers last month handed full responsibility for policing back to the nation, which celebrated a decade of formal independence in May.

Portugal, which controlled East Timor for more than 300 years before Indonesia invaded, is among 44 nations that have served in the current UN Police mission dispatched after a second wave of violence hit in 2006.

It has made one of the biggest contributions to the force, sending 2,000 officers since 2006, when unrest ahead of elections left 37 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

The only major violence in the impoverished half-island nation of 1.1 million people since 2006 has been a failed assassination attempt against then-president Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao in 2008.

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Four dead, man critical after NSW crash

A MAN is fighting for his life after a "horrendous" three vehicle crash in western NSW that has left four other people dead.

Police forensic officers are investigating after the collision on the Great Western Highway at Glanmire, east of Bathurst, about 1.40pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

Media reports suggest the tragedy - involving a car, a ute and a semi trailer - occurred after one of the vehicles swerved to miss a dog that had run onto the road.

Three people travelling in the car were killed instantly, while a passenger in the ute also died at the scene.

The ute driver was trapped for an hour and half before being airlifted to Westmead Hospital with life threatening injuries.

The truck driver was not injured.

Police said the crash scene was a horrific sight.

"It was a horrendous scene to turn up to for emergency service personnel responding, as well as to those people who witnessed the accident," Inspector Mark Wall told the Nine Network.

Police have urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The Great Western Highway remains closed in both directions between Bathurst and Lithgow.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area.

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Israelis dissatisfied with ceasefire

A POLL of Israelis shows about half think their government should have continued its military offensive against Palestinian militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The independent Maagar Mohot poll released on Friday shows 49 per cent of respondents feel Israel should have kept going after squads who fired rockets into Israel.

Thirty one per cent supported the government's decision to stop. Twenty per cent had no opinion.

Twenty nine per cent thought Israel should have sent ground troops to invade Gaza.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire two days ago.

The poll of 503 respondents had an error margin of 4.5 percentage points.

The same survey showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party and electoral partner Israel Beiteinu losing some support but his hard-line bloc still able to form the next government.

Elections will be held on January 22.

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Syria state TV journalist shot dead

A SYRIAN state television journalist has been shot dead in Damascus, the latest in a string of employees of pro-government media to be killed.

"An armed terrorist group assassinated a journalist at the Public Authority for Radio and Television, Basel Tawfiq Yousef, in the Tadamun neighbourhood," the official SANA news agency reported on Friday.

The district has seen heavy fighting between rebels and troops since the outbreak of major violence in the capital in July.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the journalist was targeted because activists regarded him a member of the "shabiha," militia supporters of President Bashar al-Assad who have been accused of some of the worst abuses of the 20-month uprising against his rule.

Staff of pro-government media have been among 14 professional journalists killed in Syria since the uprising erupted in March last year.

Another 38 citizen journalists have been killed, according to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

Those killed have included the domestic news editor of SANA, a state television presenter and a journalist from the cultural section of the government daily Tishrin.

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Telstra mobiles to be back on by Saturday

TELSTRA technicians are working around the clock to restore full mobile coverage to customers in Victoria's west and southwest by Saturday lunchtime.

Approximately 65 per cent of 60,000 affected customers had their mobile phones back up and running at 6pm (AEDT) on Friday after a fire severely damaged the Telstra Exchange in Warrnambool early on Thursday morning.

But Telstra said it would still be a number of days before landlines and home internet connections were re-established.

Telstra spokesman James Howe said mobile phone voice calls were the top priority for the 30 technicians assigned to the job.

"In a number of areas we have limited the amount of data traffic," Mr Howe told AAP.

"It shouldn't impede the amount and coverage, however things like using emails and people looking things up their phone will be affected in the short term.

"We're working towards having full mobile coverage by lunchtime tomorrow."

Police stations and hospitals in the area have been issued with satellite phones.

An "exchange on wheels" has been sent to Warrnambool, with 10 mobile stations in the region restored overnight.

Some ATM and EFTPOS services have been restored, however Mr Howe warned EFTPOS would be slower than usual.

He says compensation for businesses affected by the fire will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

It may be an option for residential customers.

"Compensation will certainly be considered in the future," Mr Howe said, although he stressed the telco giant was currently focused on restoration and repair.

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Girl shot dead in public urination row

A 17-YEAR-OLD girl has been shot dead by a man, allegedly after objecting to his urinating near her home in New Delhi.

The man also reportedly shot the girl's mother in the incident, in the Nizamuddin area late on Wednesday.

Police began investigating after a complaint was filed the following day and said on Friday they would soon arrest the accused, a former tenant in the building where the family lives.

"The man ... was relieving himself at the staircase leading to the house, when the girl and her mother objected and shouted at him to leave," area police chief Sunil Kumar said.

"An angry argument followed, after which the man left. He returned to the girl's apartment with a pistol sometime later and shot them," Kumar said.

Kumar said the "sudden provocation" resulting from the argument had led to the murder.

Nearly half of India's 1.2 billion people do not have toilets at home and many people urinate or defecate in the open.

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Health expert to report on Barangaroo

A DEVELOPER has agreed not to move asbestos-contaminated material from one end of Sydney's Barangaroo development site to the other until a health expert has inspected work practices at the site.

The Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) has planning approval to move up to 150,000 cubed metres of material fill containing up to 1 per cent bonded asbestos for use in the base of the new Headland Park, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) says.

But Steve Beaman, EPA director of waste and resource recovery, said on Thursday the watchdog had asked an epidemiology expert from Sydney University to review on-site practices.

This was in response to "a level of community concern" around the management of asbestos on the Barangaroo, he said.

"We have asked Dr (Tim) Driscoll to assess the current procedures and work practices in place at the Barangaroo site which deal with the management of asbestos and make recommendations to ensure that the processes are in line with worlds best practice," he said.

The material would not be moved before the completion of the review in early December.

BDA chief executive John Tabart welcomed Dr Driscoll's appointment.

"As a former industrial site, Barangaroo has a responsibility to remediate and manage the site for current and future generations," he said.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) official Rita Mallia told AAP any move to safeguard workers' health was welcomed.

But Ms Mallia, the CFMEU construction president for NSW, warned any review needed to be thorough.

"We would be very concerned if this were a quick and dirty process," she said.

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NKorea threatens to attack SKorean island

NORTH Korea has threatened to attack a South Korean island over what it calls Seoul's provocative claim that it was victorious in a deadly artillery exchange there two years ago.

North Korea shelled the front-line island in November 2010, killing two marines and two civilians.

South Korea returned fire, but Pyongyang says it suffered no military casualties.

South Korean marines believe they won in the artillery exchange and plan to open a "victorious battle memorial hall" on Yeonpyeong Island this week to mark its second anniversary.

An unidentified spokesman at the North Korean military's southwestern front command said in remarks released on Thursday that South Korea's moves are aimed at sparking a war and will lead to "the second Yeonpyeong Island disaster".

North Korea has made similar threats without following through.

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Duck hunt ban to stay in NSW: O'Farrell

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says a 1995 ban on recreational duck hunting will not be overturned. Source: AAP

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says his government has no plans to overturn a long-held ban on recreational duck hunting in the state, after the coalition backed licensing changes introduced by the Shooters Party.

A Shooters Party bill to expand the state's duck hunting program passed through parliament on Thursday, making the Game Council the sole authority for granting licenses.

The changes strip the National Parks and Wildlife Service of its role in the licensing process, a move the opposition said gives the Game Council too much power.

Under current laws, hunting is only allowed on farms for pest mitigation.

Despite the government backing the bill - in return for the Shooters' support of ports privatisation - Mr O'Farrell said the government would not overturn a 1995 ban on recreational duck hunting.

"The 1995 ban on duck hunting is one of the great pieces of Carr (government) spin," Mr O'Farrell told reporters.

"In Labor's last year in office, 2010-2011, (it) set a quota of more than 100,000 ducks on private land - something like 52,000, 53,000 of those ducks were shot.

"Duck hunting on private land has existed since Bob Carr claimed that duck hunting had ended in NSW."

Mr O'Farrell took credit for restricting the Shooters Party bill with a series of government amendments, including the creation of a new Game Bird Management Committee to set quotas and determine what species of bird can be hunted and where.

Questioned about the deal with the Shooters Party over the government's leasing plans for Port Botany and Port Kembla, Mr O'Farrell said: "We're working with the upper house we have."

During the debate on the bill, the opposition's environment spokesman Luke Foley said Labor supported the current system of hunting by farmers for pest mitigation, but the shooters' bill was "a bridge too far".

"If recreational shooters play a part in a legitimate mitigation effort, we don't see a problem with that," Mr Foley told the upper house.

"We don't believe the regulatory arrangements contemplated by (the Shooters Party) are balanced."

Shooters Party MP Robert Brown said the bill simply removed the red tape involved with the licensing system.

"The current system is inefficient with two licensing systems running in parallel," he told parliament.

Greens MP John Kaye blasted the government for backing the duck hunting bill in return for the Shooters Party vote on its ports privatisation bill, which passed through parliament late on Wednesday night.

"(The government) is absolutely happy to trade off animal welfare in order to get its legislation through this chamber," he said.

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Rinehart launches new book

Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has unveiled her new book and her vision for the nation in Sydney. Source: AAP

MINING magnate Gina Rinehart has gathered tributes from advertising millionaire John Singleton and Indian industrialist GVK Reddy for her new book, which she is launching in Sydney on Thursday.

The book, "Northern Australia and Then Some", has been held in relative secrecy ahead of a two-day publicity tour by Ms Rinehart, who is chairman of Hancock Prospecting, through Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

The preface describes the new tome as "a compendium of speeches, articles and images" and says Ms Rinehart "offers the reader a comprehensive insight into her thoughts about national prosperity" and an "intimate glimpse" of her life and times.

A series of photographs from the book, made available to media ahead of the launch in Sydney, show Ms Rinehart with her late father, Lang Hancock, in a number of situations including at her 21st birthday and on one of the family's iron ore tenements in the West Australian Pilbara.

Mr Hancock wrote his own book, Wake Up Australia, to outline his vision of the essential place of mining at the centre of the nation's economic and political future, in 1979.

Mr Singleton, in his tribute to Ms Hancock's book, writes that people need only read two books to understand "the future of Australia and its destruction by government".

"Read Lang's book and it will light up your mind. Read Gina's book and it puts our future under the brightest light I have ever seen," Mr Singleton wrote.

Dr Reddy is chairman and managing director of the giant industrial conglomerate GVK Power and Infrastructure which bought the majority share of Hancock Prospecting's Queensland Galilee Basin coal holdings under a joint development agreement.

Dr Reddy writes that Ms Hancock, who has been involved in a bitter court battle with her children over control of a multi-billion dollar family trust, is "a caring and loving individual ... who cares not only about the wellbeing of her family and those close to her but also about the nation".

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Convicted wife abuser refused bail

A MAN jailed for at least 10 years over the "sadistic and brutal" abuse of his wife over two decades has told a Sydney judge he doesn't have a "violent bone" in his body.

But Kevin Smith, 64, in an unsuccessful bail application in Sydney's Supreme Court on Wednesday, was told by a judge he had failed to demonstrate that he was likely to succeed in appealing his conviction.

Smith, who was representing himself, laid out 21 grounds of appeal during the bail hearing, including that his 2011 conviction over the abuse of his wife, Catherine, between 1977 and 1997 was "contaminated by corruption".

"There's no proof whatsoever that any of these crimes were committed by me," Smith said in an appearance by video link.

"There's something seriously wrong with these disgusting allegations that are devoid of proof."

At one point, an impassioned Smith held up a picture which appeared to depict a figure pointing a gun.

"My wife tried to kill me," he said.

Catherine Smith was acquitted in 2008 of the attempted murder of Smith after she confronted him with a gun but did not pull the trigger.

Sentencing Smith in October last year, Judge Leonie Flannery said Catherine had lived in a state of perpetual fear for much of the 20 years he abused her and that it was fortunate she was never seriously injured by his "sadistic and brutal" behaviour.

During his trial, jurors heard he once held a knife under his wife's chin and said, "Get that fear out of your eyes, bitch. Have some faith in your husband."

On another occasion, he told her to "start running" and got out his rifle.

He was sentenced to a maximum 17 years' imprisonment and will be eligible for parole in February 2020.

Smith said the charges laid against him were "a direct result of malicious persecution, public character assassination and slander".

"I haven't a violent bone in my body and I have never harmed a living soul," he said.

He submitted he was left without legal representation during his trial, the proceedings were prejudiced by media coverage and his conviction was a miscarriage of justice.

Smith, who suffers from bone marrow disease, also said he was not receiving adequate medical attention in jail.

Handing down his decision, Justice Peter Johnson said he was not convinced Smith had demonstrated "special and exceptional circumstances" to be eligible for bail.

"I'm not convinced by the things said by the accused that he has demonstrated that any ground of appeal is most likely to succeed," he said.

The court heard Smith had filed a notice of intention of appeal in the Court of Criminal Appeal, but it had expired on September 29.

Smith will need to file further documentation for the appeal process to continue.

Smith said "I have not finished" and "I expected that" as the judge handed down his decision.

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China angst over runaway boys' deaths

THE deaths of five runaway boys while they tried to keep warm in a bin has captured hearts in China, and led to the sackings of officials.

The five cousins and brothers, ranging from nine to 13 years old, died of carbon monoxide poisoning when they burned coal to try to keep warm as they sheltered from the cold in a bin in the city of Bijie, in Guizhou province.

They were among the vast numbers of children of migrant workers who are left with relatives while their parents earn a living elsewhere.

"The ignorance and apathy in this country leave me speechless and, once again, heartbroken," said one user of China's popular Twitter-like service Weibo.

Two of the three fathers of the boys worked in other parts of China, while the one who laboured in their hometown as a farmer said he and his wife had little time for their boy, Xinhua news agency reported.

The others were put under the care of an elderly grandmother with poor eyesight "who had difficulties even caring for herself".

Four of the boys had dropped out of school and the other missed classes regularly, Xinhua added.

"We need to put the 'left behind' children at the top of our agenda," it quoted Hu Jihong, the deputy mayor of Bijie, as saying. "Many uncared-for youngsters are wandering about the streets."

China's one-child policy has fostered a culture of families doting on their only offspring since it was imposed three decades ago, but incidents of abuse or neglect have sparked debate about how children are treated in general.

In recent weeks a kindergarten teacher stirred outrage after an online video showed her lifting a child off the ground by his ears as he cried out in pain.

In October last year a surveillance camera showed passers-by ignoring a two-year-old girl bleeding on the ground after she was struck by two vehicles. The infant died soon afterward.

Four education and civil affairs officials and two school principals in Bijie have been fired over the latest incident, and two district officials suspended.

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AFP expects more arrests over major bust

The AFP expects to make more arrests after smashing a multimillion-dollar international drug ring. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S second major drug bust in a week, which netted $240 million worth of cocaine and methamphetamine in Sydney, shows the international reach of police work is greater than ever, federal police say.

The 350-kilogram haul had been shipped from China hidden inside a road roller and was being prepared for the local market when police swooped on five premises around Sydney last weekend.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested two foreign nationals over the bust - a 34-year-old Canadian, alleged to be the organiser and financier of the operation, and a 33-year-old US national, also suspected to be a major player in an international crime syndicate targeting Australia.

The syndicate has been the target of an AFP investigation for more than two years, and the agency says more arrests could follow in Australia and overseas.

The AFP says its international co-operation and intelligence efforts are paying off.

"This is the second multi-million-dollar seizure inside a week," AFP acting national manager for serious and organised crime David Sharpe told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

"In the last five months the AFP and partners have seized in excess of 2.3 tonnes of narcotics."

Last week, the AFP seized 204 kilograms of cocaine found - along with the body of a crewman - aboard a yacht that ran aground in Tonga.

The AFP was acting on a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Agency that the suspect vessel had departed Ecuador en route for Australia.

The latest operation, codenamed Pendine, involved a complex investigation launched in July 2010, based on intelligence obtained in Australia that an international organised crime syndicate was planning a major drug importation.

On September 21, the AFP identified a shipping container - carrying a 20-tonne road roller of the type used to compact gravel and bitumen - on a vessel arriving at Port Botany from China.

After the search warrants were executed on Saturday and Sunday, police found the roller inside a storage unit in the northern Sydney suburb of Warriewood.

They also found equipment used to dismantle the machine and 13 sports bags containing compressed blocks of drugs - 235kg of methamphetamine worth an estimated $174 million and 115kg of cocaine worth $63 million. Also seized was $150,000 in cash.

The two men appeared in Sydney Central Local Court on Monday and were remanded in custody.

Both face charges of importing commercial quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine, which carry maximum life imprisonment penalties.

The US national was also charged with dealing in the proceeds of crime.

Assistant Commissioner Sharpe said the AFP's global network was constantly improving, and organised crime syndicates should be looking over their shoulders.

"This seizure sends a clear message to criminals that no matter how long it takes, how complex or innovative the concealment method, global law enforcement is joining forces to stop the importation of illicit drugs into Australia."

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Slain Qld grandma's belongings found

POLICE have no doubt a grandmother found dead on an island off Queensland's southeast coast was murdered, after finding a number of her belongings some distance from her home.

Liselotte Watson, 85, was found by police face down in a bedroom of her home on Macleay Island, off Brisbane, on Tuesday last week.

Detective Acting Superintendent Geoff Sheldon says a member of the public found some of her belongings at Thompson's Point at the other end of the island.

Police divers then found more items in the water.

Supt Sheldon would not reveal what the items were, but said the fact they were taken from the murder scene indicated foul play.

"There is no other logical explanation other than sinister motives for her property being found in the water here," he told reporters at the scene on Wednesday.

"So we're taking it forward from here to seek further public assistance to help us find who has taken Mrs Watson's life."

He said detectives were "buoyed" by the find.

Supt Sheldon said detectives were following several other lines of inquiry as well, but were yet to determine any specific suspects.

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Consumers frustrated with packaging: study

FRUSTRATED consumers are using hammers, saws, kitchen knives, teeth and even angle-grinders to extract some products from impenetrable packaging, a survey has found.

Almost half are getting injured in the process, the survey of 500 people in Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand found.

Ninety-four per cent of those questioned said they had some resentment towards packaging, with the glued-tight plastic "clamshell" voted among the most infuriating.

The survey, published in the Australian Reader's Digest, found the plastic shell - together with squeeze and twist caps on cleaning products and medicines - have about 41 per cent of us seeing red.

In attempts to prise open the packaging 36 per cent reported using scissors and an equal number admitted to wielding a kitchen knife.

Others have also resorted to using their teeth, saws and, in one case, an angle-grinder.

"We're reasonable enough to concede that products need to arrive clean, fresh and intact," Readers Digest editor-in-chief Sue Carney said in a statement.

"But the vast majority (80 per cent) believe manufacturers and retailers have lost the plot and are simply making it too hard for us to open and enjoy their products."

The opening methods and weapons were causing a range of injuries, she said, with 42 per cent of those surveyed saying they had given themselves a deep cut.

Another 14 per cent said they had chipped or broken their teeth, with three per cent needing medical treatment for wounds.

As one man told the magazine: "I bought a pair of scissors that required a pair of scissors to open!"

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RBA hints at future cuts

AUSTRALIA'S central bank has hinted at future interest rate cuts, while addressing the challenges faced by an economy in transition.

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) governor Glenn Stevens spoke to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) in Melbourne, on the same day that minutes from the bank's November 6 meeting had been released.

During his address, Mr Stevens reiterated that future changes to the cash rate had not been ruled out.

"The Board felt that further easing might be required over time," he said.

"It was also conscious, though, that a significant easing of policy had already been put in place, the effects of which were still coming through and would be for a while.

"In addition, the latest inflation data, while not a major problem, were a bit on the high side, and the gloom internationally had lifted just a little. So it seemed prudent to sit still for the moment."

The RBA had previously cut the central interest rate in May, June and October to its current level of 3.25 per cent.

Mr Stevens said domestic data - particularly for growth and inflation - would provide guidance on future moves.

Speaking of longer-term trends, he said Australia's economy was in transition, as terms of trade fell from historic highs, and the resources sector moved into another stage.

"The terms of trade have peaked, and will probably have fallen by about 15 per cent by the end of this year," he said.

"So, while a high level of the terms of trade continues to add to the level of national income, we can no longer expect that a rising terms of trade will be adding to growth in living standards."

Talk of an end to the mining boom was "somewhat overhyped", he said.

"The boom is not so much ended as simply evolving, as these events would be expected to," he said.

"Thoughtful commentators have already pointed out on a number of occasions that there are three phases to the boom."

The second phase - of investment in mining projects - was likely to peak some time in 2013 or 2014, with the third phase of extraction and export of resources still to come, particularly with regard to gas projects.

"With the peak in the investment phase of the mining boom now coming into view, the question naturally arises as to how the balance between the various types of demand in the economy will unfold," he said.

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Suicide too common in rural towns: report

SUICIDE rates in remote parts of Australia remain disproportionately high, with farmers and young men particularly vulnerable, a report shows.

In one tragic snapshot, men living in remote Queensland areas were 2.6 times more likely to die by suicide than their counterparts in metropolitan areas.

The Suicide in Rural and Remote Areas of Australia report says isolated communities will face an increasing burden of suicide unless more resources are directed to those most at risk.

While no one explanation is offered, environmental factors such as droughts and floods, coupled with economic hardship, are blamed for contributing to the high rate of self harm in remote towns.

Mental Health Minister Mark Butler said vulnerable communities needed targeted assistance to help them with the specific hardships they faced.

"There is always the scope for greater levels of assistance," Mr Butler told Sky News on Tuesday.

"We're constantly learning and constantly refining the support we give to affected communities."

Women in regional communities are also at greater risk than those living in cities, while indigenous populations were significantly overrepresented.

One study in the report claimed suicide rates in recent years had increased 12-fold in towns with fewer than 4000 people, with males aged 15-24 years most at risk.

For agricultural workers, the stress of running a property in the face of unpredictable environmental conditions can lead to mental illness, the report says.

Mr Butler said it's important current and comprehensive research is available to help inform the mental health initiatives being rolled out in remote communities.

The report recommended providing greater support to those dealing with financial stress on farms and addressing the lifestyle risks unique to remote communities such as drug and alcohol problems.

Training certain members of a community to offer local treatment and referral services to their neighbours could also prove highly effective, the report suggested.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263).

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France ends combat mission in Afghanistan

FRANCE has ended its combat mission in Afghanistan, withdrawing troops from a strategic province northeast of Kabul as part of a speeded-up departure from the war-torn country.

Paris has said all French combat soldiers will leave the country next month, two years before allied nations contributing to the 100,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the United States are due to depart.

Taliban insurgents called on other foreign forces to follow France's example.

"We urge the others to follow France and leave Afghanistan, end the occupation of Afghanistan and leave the fate of the country to Afghans themselves," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said.

France has lost 88 soldiers in Afghanistan and has been the fifth largest contributor to ISAF, behind the United States, Britain, Germany and Italy.

Paris decided to accelerate its withdrawal after a string of deadly attacks in 2011 and 2012, including an assault in January in which an Afghan soldier shot dead five French troops as they were jogging at their Kapisa base.

Then-president Nicolas Sarkozy announced the combat mission would end in 2013, but his successor Francoise Hollande brought that forward to the end of 2012.

So-called insider attacks have spiralled this year, with a total of 61 NATO soldiers killed by members of the Afghan security forces, fuelling distrust between the allies in the war against Taliban Islamist insurgents.

The attacks have also led to calls in other Western countries, where the long war is increasingly unpopular, for early troop withdrawals.

But NATO has insisted that it will follow the agreed program of pulling out all combat troops by the end of 2014.

Around 1500 French soldiers will stay into 2013 to take responsibility for repatriating equipment and training the Afghan army to take over.

France in late 2001 joined the NATO coalition defending the new government from Taliban insurgents.

A US-led invasion had toppled the Taliban government earlier that year for giving refuge to Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network.

But despite 11 years of fighting, a resilient insurgency has led to warnings of a return to civil war or the Taliban coming back to power in Afghanistan after 2014.

The last 400 soldiers deployed in Kapisa province started to leave Nijrab, the last French base outside Kabul, at 10am (1630 AEDT on Tuesday) after a departure ceremony.

Kapisa, which straddles key transit routes from Pakistan to the Afghan capital, has been the deadliest French mission in Afghanistan, accounting for 60 of the total French fatalities.

Two out of six Kapisa districts are thought to be at least partly controlled by insurgents.

Kapisa's security will now be the responsibility of 4700 Afghan police and soldiers, supported by 250 American soldiers, according to General Eric Hautecloque-Raysz, the French commander in Kapisa and nearby district Surobi.

He says he is optimistic about the capacity of Afghan troops.

"The insurgency is 10 times less than the (Afghan) security forces. Therefore, they cannot be beaten," he said.

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Take storm warnings seriously: Qld govt

A major clean-up operation is underway after thunderstorms and hail struck southeast Queensland. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND'S government and the weather bureau say people must take warnings seriously, after destructive storms damaged hundreds of homes and cars across Brisbane.

Emergency Services Minister Jack Dempsey held talks on Monday with the Bureau of Meteorology about wild weekend storms that lashed Brisbane with strong winds and huge hailstones and caused flash-flooding.

The storms also affected Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast and Lockyer Valley and wiped out crops in the Granite Belt and on the Darling Downs.

"We are seeing damage to homes from fallen tree branches, hail and wind damage from flying debris," an RACQ spokesman said in a statement. "We are also being notified of water entering homes through roofs as a result of clogged gutters and downpipes and damage to sheds and out-buildings."

The weather bureau is reviewing its warnings after some people complained they weren't told about the storms early enough.

The bureau did repeatedly warn on Friday of the potential for severe weekend storms, but a specific warning about Saturday's storm was issued only after it had hit some parts of Brisbane.

The bureau's Queensland director Robb Webb stressed that forecasters had put the southeast on alert for wild weather on Friday, and that warning stood when the storm hit on Saturday.

"They watched to the point where they thought this storm is too big, we better get a warning out," he said.

"This was on the backdrop of having the community being prepared anyway."

Mr Dempsey is talking with the bureau about communicating storm warnings better, but says he's still confident in its forecasts.

"We've got to make sure people get ready," he told reporters.

"To always ensure that we hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."

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Karzai accuses US of breaching prison pact

PRESIDENT Hamid Karzai has accused the United States of breaching an agreement to transfer more than 3000 detainees at a controversial prison north of Kabul to Afghan control.

Kabul had hailed the transfer of Bagram prison, sometimes called the Guantanamo Bay of Afghanistan, as a victory for national sovereignty as NATO prepares to hand over security to Afghans and withdraw its combat troops by the end of 2014.

Karzai had demanded authority over the prison as a condition for signing a long-term agreement covering Afghan-US relations after the pull-out of combat troops in 2014.

But prisoners found innocent by courts were still being held and more people had been captured by American forces against the provisions of the agreement, a statement from the president's office said on Monday.

The president condemned what he called "a serious breach of the memorandum of understanding" with the US after the completion of a two-month timeline agreed for the full transfer of the prison.

"The president assigned the minister of defence, the attorney-general, and the chief commander of Bagram prison to take all required and urgent measures to ensure a full Afghanisation of the prison affairs and a complete transfer of its authority," it added.

There was no immediate comment from the US embassy in Kabul.

The US formally handed control of the prisoners to Afghan authorities on September 10, but disagreements remained over the fate of hundreds of inmates.

Under the agreement, Afghan authorities will need to advise the US of plans to release any prisoners and "consider favourably" objections if the Americans consider such inmates could engage in "terrorist activity".

In turn, the Afghans would give the US and humanitarian bodies access to detainees to monitor their treatment under international humanitarian law.

Human rights campaigners have regularly criticised the prison under US control, saying it fails to comply with international norms as some inmates are detained arbitrarily without trial or knowledge of the charges against them.

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Murder hunt as Vic woman's body found

Police believe the body of missing woman Sarah Cafferkey has been found in Melbourne's outer west. Source: AAP

ONE of two men living in the house where missing woman Sarah Cafferkey's body was found is believed to be a suspect in her murder.

Police on Monday formally identified the body in the Point Cook home as that of Ms Cafferkey.

Forensic officers examined the home on Fongeo Drive throughout Monday, and neighbours in the new estate have been interviewed by detectives.

Neighbours say they heard power tools being used late at night at the house, which is rented by the two men.

Both men have been named on social media as having had contact with the 22-year-old woman before her disappearance, including an online spat in which she complained about their behaviour.

Ms Cafferkey, from Bacchus Marsh, was last seen on November 9 by her family, whose worst fears were realised when the body that was found by police on Saturday was formally identified on Monday afternoon.

It is understood only one of the men is considered a suspect.

Police are also reportedly investigating a link between a yellow Holden Commodore which was found on the Western Highway near Bacchus Marsh on Friday and a yellow car which neighbours say had been parked outside the Fongeo Drive home, 50km from Bacchus Marsh.

"That car has been outside since we moved in. It's just been there," neighbour Sweta Sheth told AAP.

Detective-Inspector Michael Roberts, of the homicide squad, said comments posted on Ms Cafferkey's Facebook page, involving at least one man, were being closely examined by police.

"Stop being immature over Facebook, please. I've had enough," she wrote on November 4.

"I will delete you if you are unable to be civil."

Police would not comment further, other than to announce the body had been identified.

A resident of the new suburb in Melbourne's southwest had earlier recalled hearing power tools and mechanical noises coming from the house one evening at around 10pm or 11pm.

"They were doing some mechanical work in their garage, using power tools and things like that," the resident told the Nine Network.

"It seemed a bit odd to be doing that kind of thing," he said.

Ms Sheth, who moved into the street six weeks ago, said she saw one of the men working in the garage but thought nothing of it.

"Just doing stuff in the garage, nothing out of the ordinary that you would suspect," she said.

"I think he was just a normal Aussie bloke, that's what my hubby said.

"There was nothing that would make him stand out."

Homicide detectives took over the investigation after Ms Cafferkey's car was found in Maribyrnong in Melbourne's west.

Det Insp Roberts said Ms Cafferkey's ex-boyfriend was not a suspect.

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Obama urges end to Myanmar violence

US President Barack Obama is heading to Myanmar for an historic visit aimed at encouraging reforms. Source: AAP

US President Barack Obama has used a historic speech in Myanmar (Burma) to urge an end to sectarian unrest in the western state of Rakhine, saying there was "no excuse for violence against innocent people".

"National reconciliation will take time, but for the sake of our common humanity, and for the sake of this country's future, it is necessary to stop the incitement and to stop violence," he said on Monday.

Two major outbreaks of violence since June between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims in the state have killed 180 people and displaced more than 110,000.

Downtown Yangon (Rangoon) came to a near halt during Obama's visit.

Crowds flooded the streets, workers left their jobs and a nurse even snuck out of the hospital to see Obama, the first US president to visit the Asian nation.

Among the crowd were hundreds of students wearing matching school uniforms of white shirts and dark green sarongs. Many of those on the streets waved American flags and some held homemade signs welcoming Obama.

In a country where people are often forced by the authorities into mass demonstrations, the spontaneous outpouring of support was striking.

Ma Than Than Win, 42, wore an Obama T-shirt and held a banner with a picture of Obama and Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy activist who welcomed Obama to the home where she once was held under house arrest by the country's ruling military regime.

"We have never had the visit of a president from a big country like America. I came here because we believe that President Obama will be a big strength for Myanmar's democratic reforms as he is a world-recognised leader for democracy," said Win, an office worker.

During their meeting, Obama and President Thein Sein sat side by side in large padded chairs, with the US and Myanmar flags behind them.

Thein Sein spoke first, saying through a translator that the relationship between their countries "has been progressing" and he looked forward to it strengthening in the coming years. He said he and Obama spoke about the need to continue promoting democracy and human rights.

He also said Myanmar would continue to co-operate with the United States on those efforts.

Thein Sein expressed "our sincere appreciation for President Obama's vision and support".

After the meeting, Obama made an unscheduled stop at the nearby Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most revered sites in Myanmar. With their shoes and socks off, Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton walked up the pagoda's steep steps.

Obama took part in a ritual often carried out at the pagoda - saying a blessing at a section of the pagoda platform that recognises the day of Obama's birth, Friday. Obama poured 11 cups of water into a basin, turning to reporters to explain that he was dousing "the flames" of anger, hatred and other vices.

Suu Kyi welcomed Obama to her home for a meeting. Now a member of Parliament, Suu Kyi lives in a gated residence with razor wire along the top of the compound's walls. The house is a light-grey structure with a red-tiled roof. The lawn is ringed with roses.

The house has been renovated since Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest in late 2010, with a new roof and freshly painted walls.

Obama thanked her for her "extraordinary hospitality and grace" and the power of her example, which he said "has been inspiration to people all around the world, including myself.

Suu Kyi cautioned against too much optimism over the country's progress.

"We have to be very careful that we're not lured by the mirage of success," Suu Kyi said after meeting Obama at her home in Yangon.

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WA live-export activists pelted with eggs

Protesters have tried to block live-export trucks after being pelted with eggs by supporters. Source: AAP

EGGS were thrown and a woman carrying a child jumped in front of a truck as anti live-export demonstrators and farmers held duelling rallies in Fremantle.

Stop Live Exports co-ordinator Katrina Love said about 1000 people formed a human chain across Stirling Bridge on Sunday morning, up from 370 last year.

At the same time, about 900 farmers, breeders and live export industry workers held a rally on the foreshore below as a procession of about a dozen trucks, plastered with banners in support of the trade, drove across the bridge.

Ms Love said the protest was largely peaceful, but a handful of demonstrators - including a woman carrying a child - jumped in front of the trucks in an effort to stop them.

She said she did not condone those actions and the protesters would have been instructed to make a more symbolic gesture if police had warned organisers about the convoy.

"We could have asked everyone to turn their backs to the trucks, which would have been more poignant," Ms Love told AAP.

She said eggs were hurled at demonstrators - presumably by people in support of the live export trade - from passing cars.

And there had also previously been threats of violence posted on Stop Live Exports' Facebook page, "including being shot at", she said.

Ms Love said police had been advised of the threats, but decided not to stop the counter rally.

Police said attendees to both rallies were generally well behaved apart from a few minor incidents.

No arrests were made, but two move-on notices were issued.

Ms Love said Stop Live Exports was not calling for an immediate end to the trade, as this would cause economic hardship.

Instead, it wanted live exports to be phased out over the next three to 10 years and be replaced with processing in Australia, she said.

"We want to see governments getting involved in looking for options that are viable for producers, but also humane," Ms Love said.

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Vic biker falls into path of oncoming car

A man has died after he came off his motorbike on the Great Alpine Rd, Victoria. Source: AAP

A MAN has died after he came off his motorbike while taking a sweeping bend and was hit by an oncoming four-wheel drive on the Great Alpine Rd at Hotham Heights in Victoria's northeast.

Police say the 57-year-old Myrtleford man was riding with two other friends when the incident happened just after 1.30pm (AEDT) on Sunday.

One of the riders, a Beechworth man in his late 50s, came around the bend as his friend fell off his bike, which caused him to brake and also come off his machine.

He escaped with minor injuries.

The death takes the road toll to 251, two more than for the same period last year.

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Obama lands in Thailand at start of trip

President Barack Obama is heading to Asia on his first foreign trip since winning re-election. Source: AAP

US President Barack Obama has started a three-day Southeast Asia tour, hailing alliances with countries such as Thailand as cornerstones of the administration's deeper commitment to the Asia-Pacific region.

While in Asia, however, Obama will be dividing his attention by monitoring the escalating conflict between Israel and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Obama has been in regular contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as with Egyptian and Turkish leaders who might hold sway with the Hamas leadership.

Obama landed in Bangkok on Sunday afternoon, his schedule packed with cultural sightseeing, a royal audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a private meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, a joint press conference and an official dinner.

He will also visit Myanmar (Burma) and Cambodia in his first trip abroad since winning a second term.

The visit to Thailand, less than 18 hours long, is a gesture of friendship to a long-standing partner and major non-NATO ally.

Still, the two countries have faced strains, most recently after the 2006 military coup that deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and Obama's visit offers an opportunity to restate and broaden the relationship.

"It was very important for us to send a signal to the region that allies are going to continue to be the foundation of our approach" to establishing a more prominent presence in Asia, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters travelling with the president aboard Air Force One.

Obama is also seeking to open new markets for US businesses; the United States is Thailand's third biggest trading partner, behind China and Japan.

Becoming a counterweight to China in the region is a keystone of Obama's so-called pivot to the Asia-Pacific region.

Obama's trip comes on the heels of meetings in Thailand between Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and his Thai counterparts on security and military co-operation on issues ranging from fighting weapons proliferation to disaster relief to countering piracy.

Alluding to the 2006 coup, Obama's national security adviser, Tom Donilon, said in a speech ahead of the trip last week that Obama would build on Panetta's outreach to reinforce the relationship and "support the continued peaceful restoration of democratic order after a turbulent period."

Obama will visit the Wat Pho Royal Monastery, a cultural must-see in Bangkok, before paying a courtesy call to ailing 86-year-old, US-born King Bhumibol Adulyadej in his hospital quarters.

The king, the longest serving living monarch, was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and studied in Europe.

The centrepiece of the Asia trip comes on Monday when Obama travels to Myanmar, the once reclusive and autocratic state that has begun instituting democratic measures.

Obama has eased sanction on the country, also known as Burma, and his visit will be the first there by a sitting US president.

Obama aides see Myanmar as not only a success story, but also as a signal to other countries that the US will reward democratic behaviour.

"If Burma can continue to succeed in a democratic transition, then that can potentially send a powerful message regionally and around the world ... that if countries do take the right decisions, we have to be there with incentives," Rhodes said.

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Qld's southeast battens down again

DANGEROUS thunderstorms with large hailstones are moving into Queensland's southeast corner, with the weather bureau issuing warnings for the region.

The bureau says residents in Logan City and parts of the Brisbane City, Gympie, Ipswich City, Sunshine Coast, Scenic Rim and South Burnett can all expect a buffeting, with wind gusts reaching 110km/h.

It said dangerous thunderstorms were expected to hit Peak Crossing, Bundamba Lagoon, Greenbank and Redbank Plains accompanied by flash flooding.

Emergency Management Queensland advises people to move their cars under cover and away from trees, not to attempt to drive, walk or ride through flood waters and avoid using the phone during a thunderstorm.

The Department of Community Safety said about 60 calls had been received on Sunday, to help with minor flooding, leaking roofs and tarping.

Senior Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecaster Jonty Hall said weak storms throughout the day kept temperatures low.

"So we didn't see the heat which enhances the storms," Mr Hall told AAP.

On Saturday, Brisbanites only knew a ferocious storm was upon them when they were being pounded by almost cyclonic winds and hail.

The BoM was criticised for failing to issue a warning until five minutes after the storm began to hammer the inner city, with its Facebook page hit with negative messages.

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