Boy feared dead after NT crocodile attack

A boy is feared dead after he was attacked by a crocodile while swimming in the Northern Territory. Source: AAP

A BOY is feared dead after he was attacked by a crocodile while swimming in the Northern Territory.

The 12-year-old boy was swimming with a group of people in waters at Port Bradshaw in East Arnhem Land when he was grabbed by the crocodile about 12.30pm (CST) on Saturday, Northern Territory police said.

It is believed the adults who were with the boy tried to save him by spearing the crocodile but it dragged him out to deeper water, Superintendent Michael White said.

Officers from Nhulunbuy police station, about 80km north of where the attack took place, are currently at Port Bradshaw searching for the boy and the crocodile.

Supt White said members of the local Sea Rangers will also be assisting with the search.

"This is a tragic circumstance for the child's family and friends, and highlights the dangers of swimming in waterways in the Top End," Supt White said in a statement.

The attack on the 12-year-old boy comes after a seven-year-old girl was taken by a crocodile while she was swimming with other children and an adult at a local waterhole in the Northern Territory last month.

The girl was at the Gumarrirnbang outstation, 100km west of the remote community of Maningrida, when she was grabbed on November 17.

She was last seen being dragged under the water by the animal, which had also attacked the man who had been with her in the billabong.

A three-metre crocodile was shot dead in the billabong the next day and human remains were found inside it.

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Alice Springs weather warning cancelled

A SEVERE thunderstorm warning has been cancelled for Alice Springs.

The wild weather was forecast to hit Alice Springs in the Northern Territory at about 6pm (CST) on Saturday, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning of flash flooding.

But the warning has since been cancelled with thunderstorms on the radar having weakened, the bureau said.

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JLo tones down concert in Indonesia

Jennifer Lopez toned down her concert in Indonesia, dressing modestly and leaving out sexy moves. Source: AAP

JENNIFER Lopez has wowed thousands of fans in Indonesia, but they didn't see as much of her as concertgoers in other countries - the American pop star had toned down both her sexy outfits and her dance moves during her show in the world's most populous Muslim country, promoters say.

Lopez's Dance Again World Tour was performed in the country's capital, Jakarta, on Friday in line with promises Lopez made to make her show more appropriate for the audience, said Chairi Ibrahim from Dyandra Entertainment, the concert promoter.

"JLo was very cooperative ... she respected our culture," Ibrahim said, adding that Lopez's managers also asked whether she could perform her usual sexy dance moves, but were told that "making love" moves were not appropriate for Indonesia.

"Yes, she dressed modestly ... she's still sexy, attractive and tantalising, though," said Ira Wibowo, an Indonesian actress who was among more than 7000 fans at the concert.

Another fan, Doddy Adityawarman, was a bit disappointed with the changes.

"She should appear just the way she is," he said, "Many local artists dress even much sexy, much worse."

Lopez changed several times during her 90-minute concert along with several dancers, who also dressed modestly without revealing their chests or cleavage.

Most Muslims in Indonesia, a secular country of 240 million people, are moderate. But a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.

They have pushed through controversial laws - including an anti-pornography bill - and have been known to attack anything perceived as blasphemous, from transvestites and bars to "deviant" religious sects.

Lady Gaga was forced to cancel her sold-out show in Indonesia in May following threats by Islamic hardliners, who called her a "devil worshipper".

Lopez will also perform in Muslim-majority Malaysia on Sunday.

"Thank you Jakarta for an amazing night," the 43-year-old diva tweeted to her 13 million followers on Saturday.

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Compo for fire-affected Vic businesses

BUSINESSES affected by a fire that hit the Telstra exchange in southwestern Victoria will be able to claim compensation.

An estimated 60,000 customers' internet and phone services were affected following the fire at the Warrnambool exchange in southwestern Victoria on November 22.

Business customers affected by the outage will be able to claim compensation, with a call centre, online claim forms and visitations to affected areas set up, Telstra said in a statement.

Telstra had restored all mobile services and repaired 92 per cent of landline services by Saturday, the company said.

About 50 per cent of internet services were back on line as technicians worked to individually recable remaining landline services through the Warrnambool exchange.

More than 50 technicians are on site carrying out repairs.

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Second asylum group lands on Manus Island

A second batch of asylum seekers has landed on Manus Island, lifting the island's intake to 47. Source: AAP

A SECOND batch of asylum seekers has landed on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island as Prime Minister Peter O'Neill declares he will not hand out cash to island landowners demanding compensation.

The group of 28 mostly Sri Lankan and Iranian asylum seekers landed at Manus Island airport about 8.30am local time on Friday.

Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the groups consisted of some families, while witnesses on the island said there was between nine and 12 children among them.

Already 19 asylum seekers are being housed at the temporary tent processing facility on PNG's Lombrum naval base in Manus province.

"They did not look stressed," said Manus-based journalist Nick Solomon.

"There was one Iranian man with a bandage on his head.

"They were loaded onto buses amid a heavy police presence. They were given boxes of food on the bus."

Landowners have repeatedly threatened to protest against the re-establishment of the Howard government-era detention facility amid their demands for compensation for use of traditional land.

Mr Solomon said there was a heavy presence of PNG's mobile riot police at the airport.

Mr O'Neill has categorically ruled out cash payments to landowner groups in compensation.

Between 64 and 75 police have been in the province since a landowner group and disgruntled provincial officials blockaded the airport two weeks ago.

"As a government we have made a decision to host this," Mr O'Neill told SBS news from Sydney on Thursday.

"Landowners have to understand there is an extremely generous package for them which includes building schools, the rebuilding of (capital) Lorengau hospital, rebuilding of Lorengau markets, the rebuilding and reselling of much of the township's roads and things.

"We are not in the business of handing out cash to anybody."

Lombrum base is state-owned land, but landowners from clans living around the base fear being left out.

The latest arrivals on the tiny Pacific province, located two degrees south of the equator, comes amid reports detainees are self harming at another Australian-run processing centre on Nauru.

Some groups on Manus are angry security firm G4S have been contracted to provide security for the site.

Amnesty International has heavily criticised the Australian government's Nauru facility.

The Australian government says its plan is working, with Mr Bowen on Friday announcing 700 Sri Lankan asylum seekers have been sent home after failing in their bid to come to Australia.

"The government will continue to return people where they do not engage Australia's international obligations," he said in a statement.

"People who pay smugglers are risking their lives and throwing their money away. There is no visa on arrival. There is no speedy outcome and there is no special treatment."

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Darwin navy intruder had inside knowledge

AN armed intruder who breached national security, assaulted a sailor and stole weapons from a Darwin naval base appears to have an intimate knowledge of defence procedures, police say.

Fourteen weapons were stolen early on Friday morning when the assailant, wearing a balaclava and military clothing, boarded the Armidale-class patrol boat Bathurst, which was moored at HMAS Coonawarra near the city centre.

They overpowered a duty sailor before tying him up with cable ties and raiding the armoury on board the patrol boat.

Navy chief Vice Admiral Ray Griggs has ordered an investigation of Australia's fleet of ships and bases around the country in response to what he described as a serious theft.

"There is an investigation under way from a police perspective but I have also initiated a review of security on board our ships and establishments," he told reporters in Darwin.

Admiral Griggs said the assaulted sailor was "okay" but his life had clearly been threatened.

NT police commander Richard Bryson said it was not believed ammunition or magazines were taken for the two pump-action rifles and 12 semi-automatic pistols.

"It would appear to investigators that the person who was the offender in these circumstances appeared to have good knowledge of the layout of the vessel and ADF (Australian Defence Force) procedures," Commander Bryson told reporters in Darwin.

It is unclear whether the intruder entered the base by land or sea.

Both NT police and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are investigating the case.

The naval base has been in lockdown all day and all vehicles on it were being searched following the attack, which occurred just before 1am (CST).

Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston said the situation reflected on the government's decision to cut the defence budget.

A tender process for the ADF's security program had commenced but the project had been shelved, Senator Johnston said.

"It was a $203 million project that was about two months ago involving CCTV, duress monitoring systems etcetera and it was shelved because of budgetary restraints," he told AAP.

"I think that is a smoking gun on the negligence and complete lack of understanding of what reaching into defence and pulling $5.5 billion out of the last budget causes."

Senator Johnston said the security breach in Darwin was the second wake-up call for the need to improve base security, following the discovery of a plot by terrorists to attack Holsworthy army base in Sydney.

"The security of weapons and munitions is one of the first priorities of a defence force," he said.

"This government has fallen at one of the first hurdles."

Defence Minister Stephen Smith declined to comment on the criticisms.

In a separate Darwin robbery, another five firearms and a large amount of cash were stolen from a business at Berrimah, near Darwin, about 5.30am, when a shop's gun safe was broken into.

But police have not yet identified any link between the two thefts.

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UK papers back PM's rebuff of press laws

British newspapers have backed Prime Minister David Cameron's opposition for new press laws. Source: AAP

BRITAIN'S newspapers have praised senior judge Brian Leveson's report into media ethics, but warned its recommendation to introduce new laws could "suffocate the free press".

Leveson, who led an eight-month inquiry sparked by the phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World tabloid, said on Friday there should be an independent self-regulatory body, underpinned by legislation.

But Fleet Street mostly backed Prime Minister David Cameron's response, which indicated he would oppose any state regulation of the press.

"We agree with Lord Justice Leveson: a free press is one of the safeguards of our democracy," said the Daily Telegraph's editorial.

"Where we part company with the learned judge ... is in his belief that either of these two bulwarks of British liberty would be served by a regulatory body for newspapers that is underpinned by legislation."

The centre-right broadsheet, which has long voiced opposition to new press laws, said Leveson's insistence that his recommendations did not amount to statutory regulation was "either sophistry or naivety".

"What is to stop MPs amending it now and in the future so that it no longer resembles the benign legislative vehicle envisaged by the judge?" it asked.

Cameron commissioned the inquiry in July 2011 in the wake of a Guardian report alleging that the News of the World hacked the voicemails of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The Guardian praised the 2000-page report's "detail and clarity", but gave only conditional backing to proposals for a statutory framework.

"Clearly ... the drafting of the Leveson statute requires great care, real deliberation and cross-party support to avoid endless amendments and additions that move it from light touch to something more sinister," said its editorial.

But it called on Cameron to "think carefully before dismissing significant parts" of the report.

Centre-left publication The Independent said there was "only one flaw in Lord Justice Leveson's epic verdict - but it's a crucial flaw.

"Mr Cameron is right: legislation would be unnecessary, complex and slow," it concluded.

The prime minister faces a parliamentary row as both opposition leader Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, leader of junior coalition partners the Liberal Democrats, support new laws.

The Murdoch-owned The Times backed Cameron's stance taken despite Leveson's proposal of legislation "that was politically hard to resist".

"Sir Brian described the proposal as 'essential', hinting that to demur would be a rejection of his entire scheme. Mr Cameron did not accept this, and he was right not to," argued its leading article.

"Mr Cameron appreciated that in addition to being unnecessary, the proposed law would pose huge practical difficulties and breach the vital principle that parliament should not take responsibility for the regulation of a free press," it added.

Leading business title the Financial Times called the report "a damning indictment of the culture and practices of the newspaper industry", but stopped short of calling for state-backed regulation.

"Redressing the balance is primarily a task for the industry rather than the politicians," said its editorial. "In this respect, David Cameron's reaction to the report deserves commendation.

"He is right to warn of the risks of statutory intervention in newspapers. The government must take care not to suffocate the free press by trying to sanitise it".

The centre-right Daily Mail and Murdoch tabloid The Sun - sister paper of the News of the World - both celebrated Cameron's statement as a victory for freedom of speech.

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Suu Kyi decries crackdown on protesters

Aung San Suu Kyi is urging for talks to end protests over a military-backed copper mine in Myanmar. Source: AAP

OPPOSITION leader Aung San Suu Kyi has publicly criticised the forcible crackdown on protesters at a mine in northwestern Myanmar (Burma) and says the public need an explanation of the violence that injured dozens, including Buddhist monks.

At the same time, she indicated in her speech to villagers on Friday that the protesters may have to accept a compromise for the sake of national honour.

Now serving in parliament after years as a political prisoner of the long-ruling junta, Suu Kyi received a hero's welcome in the town of Monywa, where residents were rattled by the government's biggest crackdown on demonstrations since reformist President Thein Sein took office last year.

She was scheduled to visit the area before the crackdown to hear the protesters' grievances and said she would try to negotiate or mediate in the conflict over the mine, which protesters say is causing environmental and social problems.

Speaking to a crowd of more than 10,000, Suu Kyi made the point she did not want confrontation but said people had the right to ask why the authorities cracked down so harshly on the non-violent protesters.

"I want to ask, 'What was their purpose of doing this?' Frankly, there's no need to act like this," she said, and people in the crowd shouted back: "Right!"

"I'm not saying this to agitate people," she continued. "I never persuade people by agitating. I explain to people so that they can decide by thinking."

Activists and Buddhist monks who contend the Letpadaung copper mine is causing environmental and social problems had occupied the mine for 11 days before police used water cannons, tear gas and smoke bombs to break up the protest early on Thursday.

Weapons that protesters described as flare guns caused severe burns to protesters and set shelters ablaze. A nurse at a Monywa hospital said 27 monks and one other person were admitted there to be treated for burns.

Suu Kyi visited with injured protesters on Thursday, as well as meeting with mining company officials and local activists. She was to meet security officials on Friday.

She has taken a soft line on the conflict over the project, noting that many people asked her to help stop the project at once, but saying she did not know details of the original contract and a parliamentary investigating committee had yet to do its work.

Suu Kyi went on to suggest that Myanmar should honour the contracts establishing the project, especially since they involved a neighbouring country. The mine is a joint venture between a military-controlled holding company and a Chinese mining company.

She said the deals were done under the previous military regime without taking into account the wishes of the people, and "We are suffering as a result of these," but that Myanmar should honour its commitments nonetheless.

She said that even in some cases where the people's interest was not taken into account, the agreement should be followed "so that the country's image will not be hurt."

"You can't decide that you can't keep the promise that you didn't give," she said.

The government's position is similar, with senior officials publicly stating that the protesters' demands to stop operating the mine risked scaring off foreign investment in Myanmar's long-neglected economy.

Although she is head of the parliamentary opposition, Suu Kyi has usually counselled moderation in problematic issues.

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Wild storm hits Western Australia

A wild storm has caused havoc in Perth, partially ripping the roof off a new $20 million hotel. Source: AAP

A BRUTAL storm has left more than 50,000 homes in Perth and regional Western Australia without power, as emergency services scrambled to cope with widespread damage to schools, heritage buildings and homes across the state.

Dozens of fallen power lines left tens of thousands in the dark, at least two schools were badly damaged, while Perth's new $20 million boutique luxury hotel had its roof ripped off and a chimney demolished by the vicious gusts of wind that blasted the coast.

The Terrace Hotel was opened only at the beginning of November, after an extensive and expensive renovation designed to attract A-list celebrity visitors.

Police and emergency services were forced to close St George's Terrace around the refurbished building after a nearby pedestrian walkway was showered with rubble from the hotel's roof.

Police and emergency services cordoned off the area for several hours, as glass and brick continued to fall on the street below.

Around the city damage was widespread, with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) answering around 100 calls for help, and Main Roads reporting numerous roads closed due to fallen trees and other debris.

The northern suburbs of Wanneroo, Stirling and the Perth CBD were worst hit, with the Avon Vale Primary School in Northam receiving significant structural damage and immediately saying it would be shut on Thursday.

Samson Primary School, in the city's south, had damage to the roof of an undercover area, while Perth's Beatty Park Aquatic Centre, which was recently refurbished, was also damaged.

Power lines were brought down by falling trees in several suburbs, with police closing roads in Bayswater after several lines were felled by one tree.

Western Power was responding to almost 500 hazards, with the worst affected areas in Armadale, Morley and Forrestfield in the Perth metro area, and Collie and York.

More than 20,000 calls for assistance were received in four hours, the company said.

A post on social media showed a Virgin flight apparently abandoning an attempted landing at Perth Airport as winds continued to gust.

And school leavers' celebrations at Rottnest Island and Dunsborough were dampened by the unseasonal weather.

Thousands of schoolies celebrating on Rottnest Island were battered by winds of up to 117km/h. Ferry companies are keeping a watch on conditions before deciding whether services would run on schedule on Thursday.

At the Dunsborough Lakes campsite, 40 tents were destroyed, leaving hundreds of youngsters without anywhere to sleep, as clothes and belongings were blown into a nearby creek.

Boats in Bunbury, Mosman Park and Bull Creek were sheared from moorings by the strong winds.

Surf Lifesaving WA closed all metropolitan and South West beaches because of dangerous conditions.

The cold front crossed the coast at Cape Naturaliste at 2.30pm WST, with forecasters warning of wind gusts up to 125km/h into the evening.

In regional areas, Dwellingup recorded wind speeds of 89km/h winds and Esperance 94km/h.

The Bureau of Meteorology advised severe thunderstorms were likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding in parts of the Goldfields, Eucla, South Interior and South East Coastal districts.

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Tissue transplant pregnancy Aussie first

A GROUNDBREAKING procedure resulting in Australia's first pregnancy using frozen ovarian tissue has the potential to preserve the fertility of female cancer sufferers.

Monash IVF implanted ovarian tissue into a 43-year-old Melbourne woman, six years after she beat breast cancer.

The tissue was removed from the woman in 2005 before she underwent cancer treatment and this April the tissue was implanted, allowing natural ovulation.

Professor Gab Kovacs, director of Monash IVF, presided over the process, telling AAP the woman was now six and a half weeks pregnant.

He said it was the 20th pregnancy worldwide using the method.

"Fertility doctors all see young women with cancer who want to preserve their fertility. These days cancer treatments are very effective and the women go on to survive, but without their fertility," Professor Kovacs said.

"The beauty of this technology is that a woman can see a doctor one day and have the tissue removed the next - there's no delay. It's simple and any gynecologist can do it."

Professor Kovacs was taught the method by Israeli fertility specialists, who outlined the procedure on the back of an envelope.

The other benefit of the implantation method is cost, according to Professor Kovacs, who said it was much cheaper than IVF.

"Right now we don't know what the success rate for the procedure is but it has great potential," he said.

"This could be the way to go for women who want to preserve their fertility after cancer."

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Qld govt erupts into open warfare

LNP MP Alex Douglas claims he was pushed out of his role as chairman of the ethics committee. Source: AAP

IT has come down to the word of Queensland Premier Campbell Newman against that of the former head of his ethics committee.

Outspoken LNP MP Alex Douglas was dumped by his own party as the chair of the legal affairs committee on Wednesday after suggesting there was something sinister about his ousting as chair of the ethics committee and deputy chair of the parliamentary crime and misconduct committee a day earlier.

Dr Douglas said at no stage did he ask to be removed from the ethics committee role, despite Mr Newman telling parliament he had.

Dr Douglas said Mr Newman hadn't corrected the record because of his "ego" but warned if he didn't he'd ask the ethics committee to investigate if the premier knowingly misled parliament.

Dr Douglas has also asked for Leader of the House Ray Stevens to retract accusations Dr Douglas was loose with the truth and had insisted he was happy with the changes to his role.

"Unless he produces an unqualified, total, public retraction ... I will (sue for defamation)," he told AAP.

Dr Douglas said Mr Newman had delivered swift retribution for speaking out and he and other backbenchers were over it.

"I think privately people want to see an end of a culture of bullying and intimidation and trying to force people, this idea that they can freely speak out, it's not true," he said.

Dr Douglas also wants an investigation into his removal and who was behind it.

He accused Mr Newman of tampering with the ethics committee, but wouldn't elaborate if it was because it is investigating transport's director general Michael Caltabiano.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said Queenslanders would decide for themselves if there'd been a government conspiracy.

"Why now, all of a sudden, has the chair been removed," she told reporters.

"There is something rotten in the state of Queensland."

Mr Newman said Dr Douglas had assured him - in a meeting with witnesses on Tuesday - that he was happy with the changes.

The premier said it was right that the MP had been stripped of his committee roles.

"If you don't have the integrity to tell the truth about a meeting with the leader of your party ... then perhaps you shouldn't be doing that job," the premier said.

But he denied he was gagging dissent.

There could be more internal strife for the Newman government on Thursday.

LNP member for Yeerongpilly Carl Judge will decide if he'll become the second MP to leave the party, unhappy with how much influence backbenchers have.

Veteran rural MP Ray Hopper defected from the LNP on the weekend, to join Katter's Australian Party.

Dr Douglas wants to remain an LNP member and be reinstated to ethics committee chair.

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UK PM 'should' reject media regulation

British MPs are urging PM David Cameron to reject statutory regulation of the press. Source: AAP

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron faces fresh demands to reject statutory regulation of newspapers as he prepares to take delivery of the Leveson report.

More than 80 politicians from all three main parties have signed a letter warning the Prime Minister that accepting such a recommendation would undermine free speech.

The intervention highlights the deep divisions on the key issue, after a group of 42 Tory MPs urged tough new laws to keep newspapers in check.

Mr Cameron will receive his copy of Lord Justice Leveson's conclusions this lunchtime on Wednesday, a day ahead of the official publication.

The premier, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have all indicated they will support the judge's recommendations as long as they are "proportionate".

But, with his own MPs and Cabinet badly split, there is speculation that Mr Cameron could offer Parliament a free vote.

The letter to the Daily Telegraph and Guardian was organised by Labour former home secretary David Blunkett and Tory backbencher Conor Burns.

Conservatives make up the overwhelming majority of the signatories, including "big beasts" Liam Fox and David Davis, as well as media select committee chairman John Whittingdale and 1922 committee chairman Graham Brady.

Labour's Kate Hoey and Frank Field, and Lib Dem John Hemming also backed the letter.

"As parliamentarians, we believe in free speech and are opposed to the imposition of any form of statutory control even if it is dressed up as underpinning," they argued.

"No form of statutory regulation of the press would be possible without the imposition of state licensing - abolished in Britain in 1695.

"State licensing is inimical to any idea of press freedom and would radically alter the balance of our unwritten constitution."

The letter insisted almost all the problems raised before Lord Justice Leveson concerned illegal activity, suggesting a failure of law enforcement.

It cautioned that statutory regulation could be counterproductive, giving chaotic online forums such as Twitter further advantages over "properly moderated and edited print journalism".

However, the politicians stressed that the "status quo is not an option", and endorsed senior newspaper industry figures' proposals for a stronger regulator that could impose million-pound fines.

"We cannot countenance newspapers behaving as some have in the past. The solution is not new laws but a profound restructuring of the self-regulatory system," the letter added.

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HK stocks flat, Shanghai at four-year low

HONG Kong shares have closed flat, rowing back from earlier gains sparked by a eurozone and IMF deal to unlock 43.7 billion euros ($A54.63 billion) in loans to debt-crippled Greece.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index on Tuesday slid 17.78 points to end at 21,844.03 on turnover of HK$49.48 billion ($A6.13 billion) after trading in positive territory following the announcement of the bailout deal for Athens.

Greece won breathing space with long-frozen eurozone loans to restart from December and a first clear admission that a chunk of the country's debt burden will eventually need to be written off.

After 13 hours of talks in Brussels, finance chiefs agreed to release multibillion-euro loans from next month and on the need to grant significant debt relief for decades to come.

Clothing retailer Esprit fell 2.1 per cent to close at $HK12.32 while consumer conglomerate China Resources Enterprises gained 2.8 per cent to $HK27.70.

Shipbuilder China Rongsheng shed 6.7 per cent to $HK1.40 while mainland developer Glorious Property fell 3.2 per cent to $HK1.20.

Chinese shares fell 1.30 per cent to close at their lowest level in nearly four years on growing pessimism about the domestic economy and the absence of new government moves to support growth.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 26.29 points to 1,991.17 on turnover of 39.1 billion yuan ($A6.05 billion).

The close was the lowest since January 23, 2009, when the index ended at 1,990.66. The index also touched an intra-day low of 1,990.34, the lowest since February 2, 2009, when it reached 1,987.13.

Investors have been looking for weeks for the government to act more aggressively to ease monetary policy, analysts said.

"There's pessimism towards economic conditions next year," Haitong Securities analyst Zhang Qi told AFP.

"China may maintain its current stance for its monetary policy, which may not be significantly relaxed until the first quarter next year."

Metals stocks fell on weak domestic prices. Dongyangguang Aluminium slumped 7.31 per cent to 6.97 yuan, Qinghai Jinrui Mineral Development lost 6.15 per cent to 10.07 yuan and Xiamen Tungsten dropped 5.67 per cent to 30.80 yuan.

Wine and liquor producers lost ground on concerns over product quality. Jinfeng Wine fell 2.93 per cent to 8.29 yuan and Sichuan Swellfun shed 1.42 per cent to 18.72 yuan.

China's economic growth hit a more than three-year low of 7.4 per cent in the third quarter this year.

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Congo rebels ignore deadline to leave Goma

Rebels holding the town of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo ignored a deadline to withdraw. Source: AAP

REBELS in the Democratic Republic of Congo have ignored a deadline to leave the key eastern city of Goma, defiantly patrolling its streets despite threats to dislodge them.

The M23 rebels, army mutineers whose campaign has sown fears of wider conflict in the chronically unstable region rich in minerals, were still out in force in Goma early on Tuesday.

Regional leaders had told rebels to pull out by Monday night and the DR Congo's army chief, General Francois Olenga, had threatened to remove them by force.

"We are holding our positions, we are waiting," Olenga, who had travelled to within 20 kilometres of rebel positions in the east to inspect his troops, told AFP on Tuesday.

At a summit Saturday in Uganda's capital Kampala, regional heads of state gave the rebels 48 hours to withdraw to at least 20 kilometres outside Goma, and also called on the DR Congo government to take steps to resolve the rebels' "legitimate grievances".

But the rebels have refused to withdraw before holding direct talks with the government, which has in turn refused to negotiate without a withdrawal.

The M23 was founded by former fighters in an ethnic-Tutsi rebel group whose members were integrated into the regular army under a 2009 peace deal they claim was never fully implemented.

They mutinied in April and seized Goma last week in a rapid advance that the army proved unable to stop despite getting backing from United Nations peacekeepers who deployed attack helicopters in a bid to hold back the M23.

The United Nations last week issued a damning report accusing Rwanda, and to a lesser extent Uganda, of backing the rebels, who it says have murdered, raped and kidnapped civilians in their sweep across the east.

Both countries deny the allegations.

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Barnett labels White Paper 'underwhelming'

WA Premier Colin Barnett says the federal government's Asian Century White Paper is flawed. Source: AAP

WEST Australian Premier Colin Barnett has labelled the federal government's Asian Century White Paper "underwhelming", describing it as lacking in analysis and objectivity.

Mr Barnett told delegates at the In the Zone conference in Perth that half of the report involved recycled press releases and was heavily flawed.

"Productivity was talked about but the elephant in the room was industrial relations, which was totally ignored," he said.

"Structural change in Australia was largely omitted. WA's increasing dominance was not there.

"The report tends to downplay mining - 'here we go again, boom and bust'.

"Much of what is counted as manufacturing is actually moderate transformations of raw materials."

The premier said the focus on the services sector had also been overstated.

While services growth was important, it was also transferable, Mr Barnett said.

"We should not lose sight of the fact that services trade is still less than 20 per cent of global trade," he said.

Two "big hiccups" in recent years had been the Mining Resources Rent Tax and the cessation of live cattle exports to Asia, which damaged Australia's international reputation, Mr Barnett said.

He said Singapore had the potential to become a professional services hub for the Asian region despite the White Paper pointing to Darwin as the gateway to Asia.

However, Mr Barnett said the White Paper had provided a good snapshot of Asian growth, highlighting the urbanisation of city states like Shanghai, food security, environment and the increasing amount of foreign exchange reserves held by Asian countries.

In the Zone, held at the University of Western Australia, is a meeting of national and international leaders from the business, government and academic sectors.

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More back whaling than not: Japan survey

More Japanese people support the country's controversial whale hunt than oppose it, a survey shows. Source: AAP

MORE Japanese people support the country's controversial whale hunt than oppose it, a survey carried out on behalf of animal rights activists shows.

Of 1200 people questioned for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), 26.8 per cent said the country should continue its hunt against 18.5 per cent who opposed it. The remainder expressed no opinion.

Japan hunts whales using a loophole in a global moratorium. It kills the mammals for "scientific research" even though the meat is later sold openly in shops and restaurants.

Tokyo says the whale hunt is deeply embedded in Japanese culture and wants to resume commercial whaling.

Environmentalists routinely condemn the hunt and maintain it does not have the support of Japanese people.

In a press release on Tuesday, IFAW tried to put a positive gloss on the survey, which questioned people aged 15 to 79 nationwide over a 13-day period in October.

"The good people of Japan are taking whale meat off the menu," said Patrick Ramage, director of IFAW's global whale program, citing the 88.8 per cent of respondents who said they had not bought whale meat in the past year.

The survey did not provide results for how many people had actually consumed the meat over the period.

Japan's Fisheries Agency is to sell whale meat by mail order, the Mainichi Shimbun reported earlier this month. It said the move is aimed at boosting consumption after demand fell as prices rose.

IFAW opposes all commercial and scientific whaling and advocates whale-watching programs that it says generate around $US2.1 billion ($A2.02 billion) annually for coastal communities.

Japan's whaling fleet is expected to set sail for the Southern Ocean around Antarctica in the next few weeks.

Tokyo will not disclose the exact date of the departure, citing fears of attacks by militant conservationist group Sea Shepherd which habitually pursues the ships.

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Concerns NDIS will force people to sue

Minister Jenny Macklin has released draft legislation for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Source: AAP

SOME people with disabilities could be forced to take costly legal action to seek compensation in order to be eligible for the federal government's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Disability Reform Minister Jenny Macklin on Monday released draft legislation for the scheme due to be introduced to parliament this week by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

The bill states the head of the NDIS transitional agency has the legal power to require people with disabilities to take action to obtain compensation otherwise their care plans could be suspended.

Victorian Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge said she was concerned about provisions compelling people with disabilities to take legal action to seek compensation.

"This is a very heavy obligation given the significant financial and personal costs that may be involved in litigation," she said.

"The head of the transition agency can compel a person to take legal action to recover compensation from a person or organisation who may be at fault without any guarantee that they will even receive support under the scheme or be able to recover their costs."

Meanwhile, people with disabilities who need to have NDIS agency decisions reviewed are not entitled to any legal assistance and may have to represent themselves at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, according to the bill.

Last week, several state governments expressed concerns the draft legislation was too prescriptive and bureaucratic, and could result in a Centrelink-type approach which would rob people of choice and control over their care.

Ms Macklin reassured stakeholders the scheme would be flexible and said the legislation would be underpinned by special rules to ensure this was the case.

"Consultation on these detailed rules will occur with people with disability, their families, carers, service providers and advocates in the coming months," she told reporters in Canberra.

The draft legislation sets up the framework for the scheme, including eligibility criteria, age requirements and what constitutes reasonable and necessary support.

It will also establish a launch transition agency as an independent body.

A parliamentary inquiry will examine the bill after it is introduced.

The NDIS is expected to cost about $15 billion-a-year when fully implemented in 2018/19.

The government has set aside $1 billion to fund five launch sites around the nation from mid-2013, but future funding commitments fall outside the four-year budget estimates period.

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Defence shows off new fitness standard

The defence force demonstrated its new fitness standards during a troop demonstration in Canberra. Source: AAP

FUTURE Australian soldiers could have to prove their fitness by route marching in full kit and carrying 22-kilogram jerry cans full of water, rather than running and doing push-ups and sit-ups.

The proposed new defence Physical Employment Standards Assessments (PESA) are the culmination of a long program of research by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) aimed at determining standards of fitness required for a particular job.

Under reforms now underway, women will be able to serve in frontline combat units if they can meet the physical standard.

DSTO scientist Dan Billing, who's headed the research project, said on Monday the current Army Basic Fitness Assessment standard specified a 2.4km run plus push-ups and sit-ups, adjusted according to age and gender.

"They are good tests of physical capacity. But they don't necessarily assess someone's capability to do the job," he said.

Mr Billing said the proposed new basic test, demonstrated at the defence headquarters in Canberra on Monday, gives a better indication of whether a soldier is actually able to perform a range of tasks likely to be encountered in service life.

It starts with a 55 minute, five-kilometre march, wearing protective equipment and carrying weapons. Soldiers must then carry two 22-kilogram jerry cans for 150 metres, which mirrors the effort it takes to carry a casualty on a stretcher.

Soldiers must also demonstrate the basic tactical skill of fire and movement by running six metres, kneeling and lying prone in a firing position and repeating that 12 times.

Finally, there's a requirement to lift a 25kg weight a distance of 1.5 metres - comparable to lifting store onto a truck or moving sandbags in a disaster relief operation.

The basic requirement for an infantry soldier is more stringent and proposed tests for special forces will be tougher still.

Mr Billing said the requirements aren't designed to exclude people.

"We have seen really clear evidence that if people are given the exposure and the necessary conditioning and training, they improve radically and very quickly," he said.

"We have actually implemented the tests at recruit training centres. Both males and females have passed the test at the end of recruit training. These are people who have been in the army for 12 weeks."

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Skyfall shakes the Australian box office

The latest Bond film Skyfall has taken $12.304 million in its opening weekend in Australia. Source: AAP

THE latest Bond instalment has shaken the Australian Box Office, pulling in a massive $12.304 million in its opening weekend.

Skyfall, the 23rd in the James Bond series, which stars Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem as a very convincing baddie, and a string of beautiful Bond girls, has clearly not lost favour with Australian audiences.

Losing a bit of bite, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 managed to make $4.489 million at the weekend, which takes its total to $20.309 million after just two weeks at the cinemas, according to figures released by the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.

Ben Affleck's thriller Argo has been pushed to No.3.

Although its figure this week of $421,563 looks rather insignificant compared with the top two films, the true story about efforts to smuggle Americans out of Iran during the hostage drama of 1979 has already attracted more than $9 million at Australian cinemas.

The new film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which stars Emma Watson, proves she's got a big career ahead after leaving Hermione Granger back at Hogwarts.

The film, about three misfit teenagers and based on the book of the same name, finished at No.5 in its opening week with $175,754.

French film The Intouchables continues to attract good audiences and sits at No.4 after five weeks.

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Report slams WA firefighting preparedness

A WA parliamentary committee found that firefighters are struggling with a lack of basic equipment. Source: AAP

WESTERN Australia's firefighters are battling dud radios, a lack of basic equipment and budget cuts, despite a succession of devastating bushfires in the past three years, a parliamentary committee has concluded.

Toodyay in 2009, the Perth Hills in 2010 and Margaret River last year suffered huge property losses after devastating fires swept through an increasingly dry and dangerous WA landscape.

And with one Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) firefighter already having been killed in a fire in Albany last month, committee chairman Tony O'Gorman said that despite claims of better preparedness there were still major flaws in the state's firefighting capability.

"The government has given extra money to the department (of Fire and Emergency Services) but have then taken a whole heap of that money back," Mr O'Gorman said.

"We think that actually does affect frontline services."

Ahead of what is tipped to be another nightmare bushfire season in 2012, the state government has admitted a combination of a heavy fuel load, a dry winter and expected unhelpful weather threaten more major bushfires.

The committee tasked with investigating WA'S fire readiness concluded that firefighters were being exposed to danger because of a reliance on ancient UHF radios.

One firefighter gave evidence that he now carried five different radios in his cab to talk to different people, and digital radios sometimes failed as soon as pumps left suburban fire stations.

"The WA Emergency Radio Network (WAERN) seems to have significantly degraded performance in the bushfire environment," a committee statement said.

"Incredibly ... its performance is affected by both smoke and water vapour, and witnesses (said) they revert to using their older UHF radios.

"Digital upgrades had been deferred due to budgetary constraints."

The committee also concluded that volunteer firefighters were still waiting for more training and basic equipment, including fire blankets.

It called on Minister for Emergency Services Troy Buswell to institute a database of potential hotspots around the state by the 2013-14 bushfire season and to ensure future post-fire analyses were out within eight weeks of the event.

The committee said a solid policy was needed for how victims of future major natural disasters, such as bushfires, would be compensated.

It called for a review of the ability of that state's insurers to assess losses more quickly.

"The evidence from witnesses highlighted that there has been ad hoc assistance provided by the government for victims of different bushfires over the past three years," the committee said.

Mr Buswell said WA was better prepared for this year's bushfire season than it was last year, but noted this season would be a challenge.

"We are, I think, better prepared than we were last year. We'll be better prepared next year," he said.

"You'd never say we're as prepared as we ever can be because the nature of fire and the nature of response to fire is that you'll always find things that you can do better."

Mr Buswell said the government was still "flat out" responding to other bushfire reports.

There should not be an artificial timeline on post-event analysis, he said.

"We had, what I think, was a well-considered response," Mr Buswell said.

"Where there are learnings to be made we'll accept those learnings, but we're not going to just rush the report out because a parliamentary committee decides that's what they think is appropriate."

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Afghan bomb attacks kill 8, wound 35

The Pakistan Taliban has claimed a bomb blast that killed eight people near a Shi'ite procession. Source: AAP

A BOMB attack on a Shi'ite Muslim procession has wounded more than 35 people in Pakistan's northwest as Shi'ites mark their holiest day Ashura.

The bomb on Sunday exploded in the city of Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where a blast on Saturday had killed eight people near a Shi'ite Muslim procession.

"We have received more than 35 injured, the condition of some of them was critical," Khalid Aziz, a doctor in the city's main hospital, told Pakistan's private ARY TV channel.

Nazir Khan, a police official in the city, told AFP by telephone the bomb was planted inside a shop. "It was a remote-controlled bomb and exploded as a procession reached here," he said.

Four boys were among the dead and 30 other people were injured when the remote-controlled bomb packed with ball bearings exploded on the outskirts of Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, police said.

The attack on Shi'ites, a minority in Sunni-dominated Pakistan, came as they marched to mourn Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussain during the holy month of Muharram which culminates Sunday in Ashura, the group's holiest day of the year.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.

"We carried out the attack against the Shi'ite community," spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

"The government can make whatever security arrangements it wants but it cannot stop our attacks."

The Taliban had dispatched more than 20 suicide bombers across the country for attacks on the minority community, he said.

The blast followed another suicide attack - also claimed by the Pakistani Taliban - that killed 23 people at a Shi'ite procession in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Thursday, the country's deadliest bombing for five months.

Authorities subsequently ordered heightened security, with services for mobile phones - which are often used to trigger bombs - suspended in major cities.

But that did not prevent Saturday's attack. Police said a 10 kilogram bomb was hidden in a dustbin on the procession route and its powerful blast could be heard several kilometres away.

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Search for swimmer at WA beach called off

THE search for a swimmer initially feared missing off Perth's Trigg Beach has been suspended after no firm reports emerged of a missing person.

Police and surf lifesavers had been searching for more than three hours after a beach inspector saw a man waving for assistance at about 11.30am (WST) but could not find him later.

Helicopters, boats and jet skis were used in the search and the beach was cleared to see if there was any unclaimed personal property on the shore.

There were further concerns after Surf Life Saving WA reported a 1.5-metre hammerhead shark 300m off the beach at about 1.50pm (WST).

Police say they do not know for certain, but it is possible the man may have made his way back to the beach unassisted.

Members of the public who know of loved ones who may have been swimming and not returned home are asked to call police on 131 444.

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ElBaradei warns of Egypt turmoil

Egypt's top judges have denounced President Mohamed Morsi for granting himself sweeping new powers. Source: AAP

PROMINENT Egyptian democracy advocate Mohammed ElBaradei has warned of increasing turmoil that could lead to the military stepping in unless Islamist President Mohammed Morsi rescinds his new, near absolute powers.

Egypt's liberal and secular forces - long divided, weakened and uncertain amid the rise of Islamist parties to power - are seeking to rally themselves in response to the decrees issued this week by Morsi.

The president granted himself sweeping powers to "protect the revolution" and made himself immune to judicial oversight.

The judiciary, which was the main target of Morsi's edicts, pushed back on Saturday.

The country's highest body of judges, the Supreme Judicial Council, called his decrees an "unprecedented assault."

Courts in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria announced a work suspension until the decrees are lifted.

Outside the high court building in Cairo, several hundred demonstrators rallied against Morsi, chanting, "Leave! Leave!" echoing the slogan used against former leader Hosni Mubarak in last year's uprising that ousted him.

Police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of young men who were shooting flares outside the court.

The edicts issued on Wednesday have galvanised anger brewing against Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, from which he hails, ever since he took office in June as Egypt's first freely elected president.

Critics accuse the Brotherhood - which has dominated elections the past year - and other Islamists of monopolising power and doing little to bring real reform or address Egypt's mounting economic and security woes.

Opposition groups have called for new nationwide rallies on Tuesday - and the Muslim Brotherhood has called for rallies supporting Morsi the same day, setting the stage for new violence.

Morsi supporters counter that the edicts were necessary to prevent the courts, which already dissolved the elected lower house of parliament, from further holding up moves to stability by disbanding the assembly writing the new constitution, as judges were considering doing.

Like parliament was, the assembly is dominated by Islamists.

Morsi accuses Mubarak loyalists in the judiciary of seeking to thwart the revolution's goals and barred the judiciary from disbanding the constitutional assembly or parliament's upper house.

In an interview with a handful of journalists, including The Associated Press, Nobel Peace laureate ElBaradei raised alarm over the impact of Morsi's rulings, saying he had become "a new pharaoh."

"There is a good deal of anger, chaos, confusion. Violence is spreading to many places and state authority is starting to erode slowly," he said.

"We hope that we can manage to do a smooth transition without plunging the country into a cycle of violence. But I don't see this happening without Mr Morsi rescinding all of this."

Speaking of Egypt's powerful military, ElBaradei said, "I am sure they are as worried as everyone else. You cannot exclude that the army will intervene to restore law and order" if the situation gets out of hand.

But anti-Morsi factions are chronically divided, with revolutionary youth activists, new liberal political parties that have struggled to build a public base and figures from the Mubarak era, all of whom distrust each other.

The judiciary is also an uncomfortable cause for some to back, since it includes many Mubarak appointees who even Morsi opponents criticise as too tied to the old regime.

Opponents say the edicts gave Morsi near dictatorial powers, neutering the judiciary when he already holds both executive and legislative powers.

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Men arrested after mosque 'threat'

A person is in custody after a threat has been made against a mosque in Sydney's south. Source: AAP

TWO suspected Muslim extremists have been arrested at a mosque in Sydney's south after threats were allegedly made against worshippers.

Police say two men are in custody after an operation at the mosque in Arncliffe, in Sydney's south, on Sunday afternoon.

They said one man was removed from the mosque around 1.15pm by "members of the congregation" before being arrested by police stationed outside.

Another man was arrested outside the mosque, police told AAP.

They did not specify the nature of the arrests.

A witness at the mosque who does not want to be named, said he saw members of the congregation drag a man wearing Islamic clothing from the building around 1.00pm (AEDT).

The witness said worshippers hauled the man out of the mosque and took him "down the street", before police arrived and apprehended him.

He said the man appeared to be an Anglo-Saxon Australian and said he thought he may have been a Wahabi extremist.

Jamal Daoud of the Social Justice Network said he was contacted by a member of the Muslim community who said two Wahabi extremists had threatened Shia Muslims gathered to observe the day of Ashura at the Masjid Fatima Al Zahrah mosque.

"We have information that two men were arrested when they attempted attacking masses of Shia Muslims remembering the Ashura in Arncliffe," Mr Daoud said.

He said the action came after calls for violence against Shia were made on Facebook on Saturday.

Mr Daoud said worshippers at the mosque called police when they became suspicious of attempts by the two men to use their mobile phones.

Police said both arrested men had been taken to St George Police Station where they were assisting with inquiries.

They said the men were not aligned with any particular religious group and may have mental health issues.

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