Calm in Cairo after night of protest

The Egyptian government has postponed the start of early voting on a disputed draft constitution. Source: AAP

THE streets of Cairo are calm after a huge but peaceful protest overnight against President Mohamed Morsi, who has greatly expanded his powers and is pushing for disputed constitutional reform.

More than 100 demonstrators who had slept in tents or a nearby mosque were camped out in front of the presidential palace, while soldiers manned barbed wire barricades on roads to the square and tanks stood by.

Overnight, more than 10,000 people had filled the square for an hours-long demonstration calling for Morsi to step down.

The hard-core protesters who spent the night outside the palace said they were determined to oppose Morsi all the way.

"I'm ready to die. All these guys are ready to die. I don't want violence but if they try to oppress us, there has to be a stand," said Mustafa el-Tabbal, 27.

He admitted though, that "there has to be some dialogue" between Morsi and the opposition before a planned December 15 referendum on a new constitution drafted by a panel dominated by Morsi's Islamist allies.

Although the scene outside the palace was peaceful, an undercurrent of tension remained after bloody scenes on Wednesday, when pro- and anti-Morsi protesters clashed, leaving seven people dead and more tha 640 hurt.

Egypt's mainly secular opposition is against a decree Morsi issued two weeks ago giving him sweeping new powers free from judicial review.

They also oppose the draft constitution, which they see as weakening their rights and edging towards Islamic law.

Demands for the decree and referendum to be dropped have hardened into a call for Morsi to go altogether after the president gave a defiant speech on Thursday.

Analysts say that if the referendum goes ahead, the new charter will likely be approved because of the still strong support of many Egyptians for Morsi.

But the resulting political polarisation could have a serious impact on the economy which depends greatly on foreign investment and tourism.

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Six more countries free of landmines

Another six countries are free of landmines, organisers of a conference on deadly weapons say. Source: AAP

SIX more countries have been added to the list of nations that have eliminated "the scourge of landmines", organisers of a conference on the deadly weapons say.

Congo, Denmark, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Jordan and Uganda have declared all mined areas in their territories cleared, organisers said on Friday at the end of a five-day meeting to evaluate progress since the signing of the 1997 Ottawa Convention.

Gambia was added to the list as late as Friday, after a country representative unexpectedly announced its mine-free status to the gathering, Laila Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Geneva event, told AFP.

As for perhaps the most surprising name on the list of countries not considered landmine-free until this year, Denmark in July finished clearing minefields left over from World War II, when Nazis put about 1.4 million landmines along the Jutland peninsula to ward off an allied invasion.

Following the new additions, 36 signatory countries to the Mine Ban Treaty are still clearing mines, organisers said.

"Fifteen years after the opening of the Mine Ban treaty, we still see a high level of commitment. . . aimed at ending for all time the scourge of landmines," said Stephen Goose, chair of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which oversees the implementation of the 1997 treaty.

Poland's announcement during the conference of its imminent ratification of the treaty was also grounds for celebration, ICBL said, pointing out Polish participation as the 161st signatory country will mean all EU member states will be part of the pact.

That will leave the United States as the sole NATO member yet to ratify the treaty.

A US delegation nonetheless took part in the Geneva conference and said a domestic landmine policy review launched in 2009 would "soon" be complete, which could potentially open the way for a US ratification.

The Palestinians, who attended the conference for the first time, had meanwhile told the gathering they wanted to take advantage of the upgraded UN status they gained late last month to join the Mine Ban Treaty.

Conference organisers lamented that three signatory countries - Belarus, Greece and Ukraine - were still in violation of the treaty since they had missed deadlines for destroying their stockpiles.

The ICBL says almost 4300 people were killed by landmines worldwide last year - or nearly 12 deaths a day, compared with 32 in 2001.

It says the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad was the only government in the world to lay new landmines this year.

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Troubled UN climate talks spill over

UN talks seeking to slow the march of destructive global warming ran far into extra time on Saturday as host Qatar sought to broker an end to the stand-off between rich and poor nations on funding.

After a long night of haggling, conference chairman Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah of Qatar called negotiators to a meeting where he urged them to consider a set of compromise agreements.

"I believe that this is a package that we can all live with and which is also good for our planet and future generations," he told the delegates from nearly 200 countries, including dozens of cabinet ministers.

"The time has come for the final push," he said, and gave the teams 90 minutes to reconsider their positions.

Negotiators in Doha must extend the greenhouse gas-curbing Kyoto Protocol as an interim measure to rein in climate change and smooth the way to a new, global pact due to take effect in 2020.

But the issue of funding to help poor countries deal with the fallout from global warming and convert to more environmentally friendly energy sources has hamstrung discussions in Doha.

Developed countries are being pressed to show how they intend to keep a promise to raise climate funding for poorer nations to $US100 billion ($A95.8 billion) a year by 2020 - up from a total of $30 billion in 2010-12.

Developing countries say they need at least another $60 billion between now and 2015 - starting with $20 billion from next year - to deal with a climate change-induced rise in droughts, floods, rising sea levels and storms.

But the US and European Union have refused to put concrete figures on the table for 2013-2020, citing tough financial times.

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Elderly man crashes car into Sydney shop

THREE people have been taken to hospital after a hatchback smashed through the front window of a supermarket in Arncliffe.

Police said they were called to the store on the Princess Highway after an elderly man drove his Toyota Corolla hatchback into the store about 4.20pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

They said the car entered the store from the car park, smashing through the glass frontage and winding up more than four metres inside.

A supermarket worker suffering cuts and bruises was taken to St George Hospital, while the driver and his elderly female passenger were also taken to hospital as a precaution.

A witness told AAP it was a miracle more people weren't injured.

She said shoppers screamed as the car drove into the store and that "plate glass was everywhere".

She said the impact of the car was so great that parts of the store's ceiling collapsed.

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Pigs will fly before GST reform: O'Farrell

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell rates the chance of any change to the GST on par with pigs flying. Source: AAP

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell puts the chance of any change to the GST on par with pigs flying.

As Mr O'Farrell headed into the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in Canberra on Friday he was asked if GST reform was on the agenda.

"Hang on, a pig just went by," he told reporters at parliament house.

"There's as much chance of reforming the GST in the lead up to a federal (election) campaign as there is of me jumping off this building and surviving."

Mr O'Farrell has previously called for debate on raising the 10 per cent rate of the consumption tax, or broadening its base, in lieu of getting rid of inefficient state taxes.

"I'm sceptical about so-called appetite for GST reform federally. That's why I continue to look for pigs when I come to Canberra," he said.

"Unless every state and the commonwealth agrees to reform, there will be no reform."

Mr O'Farrell also said he was bitterly disappointed a review into how GST revenue is carved up among the states and territories recommended no change to the current distribution mechanism.

"It means that NSW GST payers will continue to subsidise other parts of Australia," he said.

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Hong Kong stocks end 0.26% lower

HONG Kong shares have closed 0.26 per cent lower following a late sell-off on profit-taking after spending most of the day on positive territory.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 58.64 points to end at 22,191.17 on turnover of HK$75.60 billion ($A9.34 billion).

Chinese shares closed up 1.60 per cent.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 32.55 points to 2,061.79 on turnover of 82.2 billion yuan ($A12.65 billion).

The index jumped 4.12 per cent this week after hitting a four-year low on Monday.

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WA man faces Malaysian court over drugs

THE police officer behind the arrest of a Perth man facing a possible death sentence in Malaysia has admitted to selling the drugs, which he allegedly obtained from the accused, to his informant.

Serious allegations of corruption have been levelled in court against Inspector Luther Nurjib, the undercover police officer who arrested Perth man Dominic Bird in March for allegedly supplying 167 grams of methamphetamine.

Bird faces a mandatory death penalty if convicted.

Insp Nurjib on Friday admitted he had taken RM1200 ($A375) from an informant which he used to allegedly buy a five gram sample of methamphetamine from Bird.

He then gave the drugs to the informant.

Insp Nurjib did not report the transaction to his superiors.

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Bushfire threat eases on Yorke Peninsula

FIRE crews are continuing to monitor a bushfire north of Minlaton on Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.

The fire broke out around 1pm (CST) near Curramulka, eight kilometres west of the township near Gunbarrel and Spicers Road on Friday.

The Country Fire Service (CFS) said in a statement early on Friday night the threat had subsided, but crews were continuing to monitor the blaze.

Five aerial water bombers, about 180 firefighters and 39 fire trucks were involved in battling the fire.

"At one stage it moved rapidly south towards Minlaton, destroying a hay shed and has burnt about 555 hectares," the CFS said.

"Local residents are advised that although the threat has now been reduced, to be aware that some risks may still be present, including smoke that may reduce visibility, falling trees and embers."

The Minlaton to Maitland Road remains closed in both directions.

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Auckland mum tells of tornado terror

SHARON White stood gripping her youngest son as tornadoes ripped through her neighbourhood with such force that windows smashed around her and the children's trampoline was flung through her lounge window.

Three tornadoes hit the west Auckland suburb of Hobsonville just after midday on Thursday, with one touching ground and killing three people, injuring seven others and leaving hundreds displaced.

Ms White, 38, who lives on Hobsonville Road near where three died after a concrete slab came down on a construction site, had just returned home from collecting her son from kindergarten when the tornadoes hit.

"It all went really dark... then there was so much wind and rain," she said.

"The whole house was rattling."

Ms White says she wasn't sure how to react so she stood her in lounge gripping her son Bradley, aged three.

"You just don't know what to do in these situations. It was crazy. I don't know why I stood in the lounge because there are so many windows."

She then heard a loud crash as her children's trampoline was picked up by the wind and smashed through a nearby window.

Other windows were smashed by flying debris and pot plants and small trees in her garden were toppled.

"It felt like it went on for hours and then it was all over."

After the tornadoes subsided her thoughts turned to her other children, Olivia, 10, and Charlotte, 8, who attend nearby Whenuapai School.

"Thankfully they were all okay and just spent the afternoon watching movies," she said.

Power has been cut to about 1300 properties including Ms White's home.

She had yet to decide whether her family would join the hundreds of others who had been displaced by the tornadoes and head to Whenuapai Air Base.

"We just don't know what we're going to do. I just can't believe this has happened."

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Dotcom can sue for millions: NZ opposition

INTERNET tycoon Kim Dotcom will be able to sue the New Zealand government for millions under a High Court ruling released on Thursday, opposition parties say.

Justice Helen Winkelmann has ruled the Government Communications Security Bureau must disclose when it was first asked by police to spy on Dotcom and his associate Bram van der Kolk.

She has also granted an application for the GCSB to be added as a defendant in the ongoing judicial review of the lawfulness of the police raid on Dotcom's mansion in January, when he was arrested on allegations of internet piracy and racketeering.

That opens the door for Dotcom and van der Kolk to seek declarations about the legality of the GCSB's actions and seek damages.

The agency has already admitted it acted illegally because Dotcom and van der Kolk are New Zealand residents, and it is forbidden by law to spy on citizens or residents.

Under Justice Winkelmann's ruling the GCSB must hand over to the courts all the information it collected when it intercepted Dotcom's communications.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says it's outrageous that taxpayers could end up footing a huge bill.

"Prime Minister John Key is responsible, he is the minister in charge of the GCSB and this happened under his watch," Dr Norman said.

"He didn't monitor what they were doing."

NZ First leader Winston Peters says Dotcom will be able to sue the government, the police and the GCSB.

"This will end up costing taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees to fight the case and in compensation to Dotcom," he said.

US authorities have laid charges against Dotcom and an extradition hearing is due to start next year, probably in June or July.

Dotcom said in October he would prefer not to sue.

"We love it here and we don't want to burden taxpayers."

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Dame Elisabeth showed kindness, grace

Rupert Murdoch (L) has thanked the Australian public for its thoughts about his mother. Source: AAP

IF you've got lots of money, it's easy to give it away, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch once said. But it was the way she did it which set her apart as one of Australia's best loved citizens.

Dame Elisabeth was described by Prime Minister Julia Gillard as a woman of "kindness, humility and grace", Premier Ted Baillieu as "Victoria's guardian angel" and by neighbours of her home in Melbourne's outer southeast as a beautiful person who'd done amazing things.

Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser said she was "without peer, without equal", while members of the arts and medical communities and more than 100 organisations around Australia are indebted to her philanthropy and service.

But, while she'll be missed by so many Australians, her 77 direct descendants - including three children, 18 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren - will feel the loss hardest.

Rupert Murdoch thanked the Australian public on behalf of his extended family for the tide of warmth and appreciation which has followed the death of his mother on Wednesday at the age of 103.

"Many thanks for condolences about my Mum. A great lady, wife, mother and citizen. 193 yo, but still a blow," the media mogul tweeted on Thursday, before correcting her age: "No, 103 yo! There are limits!"

"We have lost the most wonderful mother but we are all grateful to have had her love and wisdom for so many years," he said in an earlier statement.

Grandson Lachlan Murdoch said on Thursday Dame Elisabeth was also the "closest person, frankly, to a saint in my view".

Saintly maybe, but while she took delight in her four children - Helen (who died in 2004), Rupert, Anne and Janet - she was no easy touch.

"I took the slipper to Rupert twice because he was very rude to his governess," Dame Elisabeth told ABC TV in 2002.

And she continued to put the slipper in, disapproving of some of Rupert's newspapers.

"I think the kind of journalism and the tremendous invasion of people's privacy, I don't approve of that," she said.

Always the mother, she was also critical of his divorce from second wife Anna to marry Wendi Deng in 1999.

"When you take a vow to be loyal to someone for all your life, you don't hurt other people for your own happiness," she said.

Dame Elisabeth supported more than 100 charities, but perhaps her greatest impact has been in medicine where her legacy will live on at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

But she gladly put her generosity in perspective, saying "making money is not greatness".

"If you've money, it is perfectly easy to give it away. Nothing to be particularly proud of, but it is being involved and knowing what you're helping and you know, really being committed," she told the ABC.

Her death, however, won't bring an end to her family's charity, says Philanthropy Australia chief executive Louise Walsh.

"If anything I would imagine it would encourage them to do more. I'm sure she instilled that in every member of that family, no question at all," Ms Walsh said.

Dame Elisabeth was surrounded by family when she died peacefully on Wednesday night at Cruden Farm, her garden estate home in Langwarrin where she had lived for nearly 80 years.

Locals gathered at the farm gates on Thursday to lay floral tributes to their august, but unpretentious, neighbour.

"She's just a beautiful person. She's done so much for my friends. My girlfriend has cerebral palsy and she's given her a computer," said local woman Deborah Wilson, whose children attend Elisabeth Murdoch College in Langwarrin.

"She's done amazing things."

Ms Gillard said Dame Elisabeth was a remarkable Australian.

"Her example of kindness, humility and grace was constant. She was not only generous, she led others to generosity," the prime minister said in a statement.

Royal Children's Hospital chief executive Professor Christine Kilpatrick said staff were deeply saddened by the passing of Dame Elisabeth, whose association with the hospital began in 1933, when she joined the committee of management and later served as its president.

Dame Elisabeth was a key founder and funder of The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, established with a $5 million grant from the Murdoch family in 1986.

Arts Centre Melbourne chief executive Judith Isherwood said Dame Elisabeth would be sadly missed by the entire arts community which she had served, among many other roles, as a trustee of the National Gallery of Victoria and a benefactor to the Australian Ballet, Opera Australia and the Bell Theatre Company.

Her funeral is expected to be private, but a state memorial service will be held on December 18 at St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne.

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Ex-Thai PM Vejjajiva 'faces murder charge'

Former Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva is to face a charge of murder over the death of a taxi driver. Source: AAP

FORMER Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is to face a charge of murder over the death of a taxi driver who was shot by soldiers during 2010 "Red Shirt" rallies, authorities say.

The Department of Special Investigation, police and Thai prosecutors announced the decision, which marks the first charges for deaths during the mass rallies in Bangkok against Abhisit's government.

"The tripartite meeting has decided to charge former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban under article 288," said DSI chief Tarit Pengdith, referring to the murder provision under Thailand's criminal code.

He said the group based their decision on further witness testimony as well as a court ruling that taxi driver Phan Kamkong was shot and killed by Thai soldiers during the country's worst political violence in decades.

Abhisit and Suthep will be summoned by letter to hear the charges and to be questioned on December 12, Tarit said, adding that authorities would not seek court permission to detain the men.

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238 dead, hundreds missing in Philippines

THE death toll from a typhoon that ravaged the Philippines has jumped to 238 with hundreds missing, as rescuers battle to reach areas cut off by floods and mudslides, officials say.

Typhoon Bopha slammed into the southern island of Mindanao on Tuesday, toppling trees and blowing away homes with 210-kilometre an hour gusts before easing overnight as it headed towards the South China Sea.

A total of 142 people died and 241 others were missing in the mountainous Mindanao town of New Bataan, Lieutenant-Colonel Lyndon Paniza told AFP.

Eighty-one other people were killed in the nearby province of Davao Oriental and 15 in other areas, Paniza and the civil defence office said.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and other officials described scenes of utter devastation with houses and other structures in some towns and villages ripped apart by the most powerful storm to hit the country this year.

"There are very few structures left standing in the town of Cateel," she told AFP, referring to one badly hit coastal town.

"We need to rush to these areas body bags, medicines, dry clothes and most importantly tents, because survivors are living out in the open after the typhoon blew away homes and rooftops."

The situation was just as dire in New Bataan town, which the military said saw flash floods and mudslides.

"The bodies are left lying on the ground in the open in New Bataan and we don't want to risk the spread of disease," Soliman said.

The New Bataan dead included a soldier taking part in rescue operations, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said. Six other army men from the same unit were missing and three were injured.

"It is quite sad and tragic. They were actually there to be ready to help our countrymen who may be in trouble," Roxas said.

The military was scrambling helicopters and heavy equipment on Wednesday to the mountain town, where rainwater had gushed down from nearby slopes, creating a deadly swirl of water, logs and rocks that crushed everything in its path.

Logs and boulders blocked the narrow mountain pass leading to the town, said Major General Ariel Bernardo, commander of an army division in the area.

Parts of Mindanao remained without power and telephone services, with food and clean water in limited supply.

Cateel and two other towns on Mindanao's east coast remained cut off because of a collapsed bridge and fallen trees and debris blocking roads, said Corazon Malanyaon, governor of Davao Oriental province where Bopha made landfall.

She said rescuers were using everything from heavy equipment to their bare hands and chainsaws to clear the roads.

"It's like we're running an obstacle course," Malanyaon said on local radio.

"About 95 per cent of the town centre's structures including hospitals, private homes, private buildings had their roofs blown away," she said.

Bernardo said about 200 soldiers were dispatched to help them, while emphasising that the military was also "a victim of the storm" after an army patrol base and a rescue truck were washed away in New Bataan.

"In one of our headquarters, no bunkers were left standing and all our communication equipment has been destroyed," he said.

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Angry worker set factory fire for $440

A FORMER worker has told state media he set the fire that killed 14 young workers at a Chinese clothing factory because he was angry about less than $500 in unpaid wages.

The suspect, Liu Shuangyun, told the Guangdong TV broadcaster in a jailhouse interview that he started the fire "because I couldn't get my salary", which he had been owed since quitting the factory three years ago.

Asked whether he had thought about or regretted the loss of life the fire had caused, Liu said, "I didn't think about these things."

Fourteen people were killed and one person was seriously injured in the fire on Tuesday afternoon in Shantou city in Guangdong province, the provincial emergency department said on its microblog.

The 14 victims were all women aged 18 to 20, the Southern Metropolis Daily said in an online report.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the victims were 13 women and one man. It said Liu, a 26-year-old migrant worker from Hunan province, had been arrested, but it didn't specify what charges he faced.

Xinhua said he spent 40 yuan (about $6) on petroleum used to start the blaze and fled the scene after his alleged crime.

"The whole time, I've been very impulsive, very angry about this," Liu said during the television interview. "So I did these things."

Sitting on a chair, his hands in handcuffs, Liu said the factory boss owed him 3000 yuan ($A442). The reporter said that after Liu quit the factory, his former boss had only given him excuses why he couldn't pay the back wages.

A photo accompanying the Guangdong TV report showed a four-storey building, lined with windows on each floor, its front completely blackened. The fire had not spread to an adjacent building.

Senior provincial officials set up a team to investigate and step up safety measures to avoid similar fatal fires, Guangdong's emergency department said. The factory made underwear, it said.

Building fires are common in China because of lax safety codes and unsafe construction work.

A fire in April 2011 at an unlicensed garment factory in Beijing killed 17 people. The fire happened in the middle of the night and anti-intrusion bars over the factory's dormitory windows were blamed for trapping victims inside.

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Hong Kong stocks close 2.16% higher

HONG Kong shares have climbed 2.16 per cent to a 16-month high, boosted by a strong rally in Shanghai, which enjoyed a rebound from near four-year lows.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index on Wednesday rose 470.94 points to end at 22,270.91 on turnover of HK$94.73 billion ($A11.72 billion).

Trading volume was inflated by interest in Ping An after HSBC sold its entire stake in China's second-largest life insurer for $US9.4 billion ($A9.01 billion).

Investors were cheered by the 2.87 per cent rally in Chinese shares on expectations Beijing will soon announce new economic policies after a meeting of top political leaders. On Monday, the Shanghai market sank to its lowest level since January 2009.

The gains were in line with a regional rally spurred by upbeat eurozone news and hopes US talks to avert the fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts will be successful.

The best-performing blue chip was Ping An, which jumped 4.9 per cent to $HK60.50 after HSBC said it will sell its 15.57 per cent stake to Thailand conglomerate Charoen Pokphand.

Brokerages also rallied. Citic Securities gained 5.2 per cent to $HK15.02 and Haitong Securities jumped 6.7 per cent to $HK10.18.

Bank of East Asia rose 2.2 per cent to $HK30.35.

In China the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index ended up 56.77 points at 2,031.91 on turnover of 85.5 billion yuan ($A13.04 billion).

"The index is rebounding from a period of heavy selling as trading volumes pick up," Chen Zhen, an analyst at Gold State Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.

Despite a rebound in China's economy, buying has been weak on fears of a share glut as a number of listings are in the pipeline, while dealers have also been left disappointed by a lack of government action to boost the market.

Property stocks rose after China Vanke, the country's largest developer by sales, said on Tuesday that its sales in November were 17.13 billion yuan, double that of November last year.

China Vanke added 2.1 per cent to 9.14 yuan while Poly Real Estate jumped 1.9 per cent at 12.08 yuan.

Construction material-related firms rose on hopes of rising demand. Anhui Conch Cement gained 4.9 per cent at 17.42 yuan and Baoshan Iron and Steel rose 1.3 per cent to 4.69 yuan.

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More rail pain for NSW government

The NSW government is under fire over a report revealing a record number of transport complaints. Source: AAP

THE NSW government has come under fire after a report revealed a record number of complaints against Railcorp and a drop in the overall number of on-time trains.

The Auditor-General's NSW transport report, released on Wednesday, found complaints about on-time running were up almost 18 per cent on 2011.

On the roads, the report also shows there's little joy for Sydney's road commuters, as average speeds slowed on five of the city's seven major roads.

Afternoon peak-hour speeds on the M2 Lane Cove Tunnel/Gore Hill freeway dropped from 60km/h down to 52km/h in the space of 12 months.

Auditor-general Peter Archterstraat said only nine of the state's 16 rail networks achieved 92 per cent the on-time running target, down from 14 previously.

The East Hills, South, Western, Northern via Strathfield, South Coast, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, Hunter and Newcastle and Central Coast lines are all operating below the 92 per cent target, according to the report.

Complaints about hygiene have increased by 26 per cent, with 35 complaints lodged every week.

Opposition Transport spokeswoman Penny Sharpe said during eight peak hour periods in the past year, less than 60 per cent of the network operated on time, with train reliability at its lowest level in four years, .

Commuters were being charged up to $156 extra in fares each year, a figure that is set to increase again from January 1.

"Trains are getting later, dirtier and more crowded under Barry O'Farrell," Ms Sharpe said in a statement.

Greens MP and transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann said critical infrastructure decisions were being made according to the government's privatisation agenda, rather than in the best interests of the community.

She said NSW has been sent down a risky path by committing to a public private partnership (PPP) to build the North West Rail Link.

"We've had a series of failed transport PPPs in NSW and now the auditor-general himself has raised serious concerns - we can't afford to stuff up public transport infrastructure because of this government's ideological obsession with privatising public services," Ms Faerhmann said in a statement.

NRMA Spokesman Peter Khoury said the slowing of commutes for Sydney drivers shows that as the economic hub of Australia, Sydney should be doing better instead of stifling businesses.

"The longer it takes to deliver goods and services, the harder it is to make a buck," he said.

"It's not the way to run an economy. It's not the way to run a city."

Mr Khoury said the report showed the NSW government needed to increase spending on roads, developing the WestConnex project and completing upgrades to the M2 and M5.

"Decades of neglect has resulted in making life harder for commuters, but if we do finish projects that are on the drawing board and continue to improve public transport then we will see a substantial improvement in how Sydney moves around," he said.

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Bikie's mate cleared of misleading CCC

AN Iranian acquaintance of a senior Coffin Cheater has been cleared of misleading Western Australia's corruption watchdog after he was accused of giving false evidence about a vicious bikie brawl.

In another bloody nose for the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC), Mohammed Alamdar from Mosman Park was acquitted of a charge of giving false or misleading evidence during two CCC inquisitions in 2010 and 2011.

Mr Alamdar was ordered to give evidence about the showdown between the Coffin Cheaters and the Finks at the Kwinana Motorplex racing venue in late 2010.

The brawl left Finks members Stephen Wallace with three fingers missing, David Marrapodi with a gunshot wound and Troy Smith with serious head injuries.

At a trial at Perth Magistrates Court, video interviews of Alamdar at the CCC were shown, where he claimed his memory was impaired after being dropped on his head as a child.

He consistently said he could not remember details of his association with the Coffin Cheaters.

Later, he appeared to admit that was not true, saying he had been scared for himself and his family in giving evidence.

With Farsi being Mr Alamdar's first language, the defence said he sometimes struggled to communicate, citing various instances during the CCC hearings where he had sought clarification of a question or said he was unsure of the answer.

His lawyer Laurie Levy argued the Iranian may have misinterpreted what he was being asked, and may have initially only suspected a brawl had occurred, suspicions that were confirmed when he watched the news the next day.

And after a two-day hearing, magistrate Peter Malone agreed, saying the prosecution had not proved at any point Mr Alamdar had witnessed the actual fight - so in turn had not proved he lied to the CCC about what he knew.

Mr Malone also said Mr Alamdar's understanding of English was not "objectively good".

"Extreme caution is necessary before one could rely on a literal understanding of what the accused may have stated," Mr Malone said.

"There are multiple questions within questions and it gives rise to doubts as to what the accused is saying in answering."

Mr Alamdar was also awarded costs totalling more than $14,000.

After the verdict, he criticised the tactics of CCC investigators who raided his house in the days following the brawl.

"It was awful. If they want to raid the house they should let us know, because we have kids (there). It was not very nice," Mr Alamdar said.

Tuesday's acquittal comes a day after former West Australian premier Brian Burke was found not guilty of illegally obtaining official secrets, arising from a CCC investigation.

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Builders vow to improve crane safety

WorkCover NSW will hold a safety discussion on cranes following an incident in Sydney last week. Source: AAP

THE construction industry has vowed to improve crane safety and emergency evacuation procedures in the wake of a fire outbreak at an inner Sydney building site.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) last week when a crane caught on fire and collapsed at Broadway.

Following a safety roundtable meeting on Tuesday, called in response to the crane emergency, WorkCover manager John Watson said the safety watchdog would work in partnership with industry to ensure the safety of workers.

"The purpose of today's roundtable was to bring together industry players to discuss how we can ensure the safety of workers and the public, and prevent incidents like last week's happening again," Mr Watson said in a statement.

He said attendees had agreed on the same objective, to ensure "all workers go home safely at the end of the working day".

A special industry communique has been distributed to crane operators, Mr Watson said, to remind them to undertake fire prevention and control measures, and to review their evacuation procedures and systems.

Among the other measures agreed, the Industry Plant Consultative Committee has been tasked to review existing risk control advice and industry practice.

WorkCover will also release a safety alert and will continue to monitor tower crane safety.

Meanwhile, Mr Watson said WorkCover's investigation into last week's incident was ongoing.

"WorkCover is carrying out a thorough investigation into the incident which includes the causes, systems of work, maintenance of equipment and adequacy of control measures.

"WorkCover has taken possession of a number of relevant components ... for testing and analysis in an attempt to identify the cause of the fire.

"Any action taken by WorkCover will be dependent on the findings of the investigation."

The CFMEU says across-the-board accountability is required to improve crane safety.

The union's NSW secretary, Brian Parker, said a crane safety roundtable on Tuesday was positive, with industry support for pre-erection and pre-commissioning inspection of every crane used in the state.

The emergency meeting comes after last week's crane fire and collapse, which saw hundreds of people evacuated from the University of Technology Sydney at Broadway.

"If these plans are put in place, it means cranes will be inspected every time they're used, not just once a year," Mr Parker said.

"Furthermore, it's the CFMEU view these inspections should be undertaken by an independent third party.

"Self-regulation within the industry has been encouraged, putting workers at risk."

WorkCover's investigation into last week's incident is ongoing, but Mr Parker said it was rumoured the fire ignited after leaking hydraulic oil flowed onto the crane's engine.

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AGL launches action on price ruling

AGL Energy has launched legal action to challenge a price ruling by the Essential Services Commission OF South Australia (ESCOSA).

AGL began legal proceedings in the Supreme Court of South Australia on Tuesday ahead of a final price determination on December 14.

"AGL maintains that ESCOSA has wrongly exercised its power under the legislation to review prices due to special circumstances," AGL said in a statement.

In its fiscal 2013 earnings guidance AGL said adverse regulatory pricing decisions in Queensland and South Australia would reduce underlying profit by approximately $45 million in fiscal 2013.

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Chocolate warnings don't work on women

WARNING women that eating chocolate can make them fat may actually drive some to eat more, research from the University of Western Australia (UWA) shows.

The joint study with the University of Strathclyde in Scotland found low restraint eaters - those not on a diet - showed a strong impulse to eat chocolate when presented with negative messaging, including warnings that chocolate could lead to obesity.

Women on a diet were also prone to rebel against attempts to scare them off chocolate, particularly by ads featuring thin models.

Researchers found dieters shown ads featuring thin models displayed an increased desire to eat chocolate coupled with greater feelings of wanting to avoid consumption, or indulged in higher consumption - and ultimately felt more guilt.

Lead author Professor Kevin Durkin said the reaction of a warning having a contrary effect was known as "reactance".

"Reactance could be more marked among the low-restraint participants because they are generally less preoccupied with regulating their food intake and thus find external attempts to intervene in freely determined behaviour more jarring," Prof Durkin said.

The study involved 80 female participants between the ages of 17 and 26, categorised into low or high restraint and scored on a specifically designed "chocolate questionnaire" developed by UWA-based psychologist Professor Werner Stritzke.

The research was published in the journal Appetite, which specialises in behavioural nutrition and the cultural, sensory, and physiological influences on intake of foods and drinks.

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WA primary school closed due to bushfire

BREMER Bay Primary School in Western Australia's Great Southern region will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday due to a bushfire in the area.

Department of Education deputy director general of schools David Axworthy said the school would re-open only when it was safe to do so.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said the fire had burnt bushland about 3km north of the Bremer Bay township and 5km southwest of Quaalup in the Shire of Jerramungup.

At 4pm (WST), there was no threat to lives or homes, but people camping along Doubtful Islands Road and Gordon Inlet Road had been asked to leave the area as a precaution.

Landowners in the area, particularly in and near Quaalup, had been notified of the fire, the department said.

Parents of Bremer Bay Primary School students can call the South West Regional Education Office on 9791 0300 for more information.

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Egypt's top court on strike

EGYPT'S top court began an open-ended strike on Sunday in what it called a "black day" for the judiciary after supporters of President Mohamed Morsi blocked the courthouse ahead of a key ruling, amid a tense standoff between the president and the judges.

The Supreme Constitutional Court said it would "suspend work for an indefinite period ... and until there is no more psychological and material pressure."

Hundreds of pro-Morsi demonstrators blocked off a main road that runs along the Nile to the courthouse and surrounded entrances to its precincts.

The court was due to rule on the legality of an Islamist-dominated panel that drew up a controversial draft constitution.

The new charter, which has become the focal point of Egypt's biggest political crisis since Morsi was elected in June, is to be put to a referendum set for December 15.

"The will of the people is stronger than the will of a few judges," said demonstrator Ismail Ahmed, 39, alluding to the accusations of Morsi supporters that the judiciary remains dominated by holdouts from the era of Hosni Mubarak, the veteran strongman ousted early last year.

The judges responded by calling an "administrative delay" to Sunday's session, prompting the protesters to head home from the courthouse, an AFP correspondent reported.

An interior ministry official denied it was impossible for judges to enter the courthouse, saying some judiciary officials had in fact got in thanks to security forces guarding the entrances.

A ruling by the court on Sunday would have defied Morsi's presidential decree that barred any judicial body from dissolving the constituent assembly, which adopted the draft charter in the face of a boycott by liberals and Christians.

The November 22 decree sparked popular unrest, with the constitution, which had been due for more deliberation, being rushed through days later amid the commotion.

Opposition groups said they would rally on Tuesday outside the presidential palace to protest against the referendum, the constitution and Morsi's new powers, in a march dubbed "the final warning".

The controversial charter -- which has been criticised for paving the way to a strict interpretation of Islamic law and failing to secure key rights -- prompted rival rallies by Morsi opponents and supporters.

Hundreds of thousands of Islamist protesters gathered on Saturday in support of Morsi, his sweeping powers and the draft constitution, a day after crowds thronged to Cairo's Tahrir Square to denounce his "dictatorial" decree.

"One nation, two peoples," read the front page of Sunday's edition of the Al-Shuruq newspaper, while Al-Masri al-Youm ran with "Egypt at the mouth of a volcano."

The Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters have branded the anti-Islamist opposition enemies of the 2011 revolution, and Sunday's protesters chanted against secular and liberal opposition leaders.

The National Rescue Front -- a coalition of opponents led by Mohamed ElBaradei, the former UN nuclear watchdog chief; ex-Arab League chief Amr Mussa; and former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi -- has called on opponents of the decree to keep up the momentum of the protest movement.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have raised concerns about the draft charter.

On Thursday, Morsi stressed his new powers would expire as soon as the constitution has been ratified, a point Islamists have repeatedly made in his favour.

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Bikie's mate scared to reveal all to CCC

A WITNESS to a vicious bikie gang brawl in Perth told a corruption hearing he was so scared for himself and his family he couldn't tell the truth about what he saw.

Mohammed Alamdar, of Mosman Park, is accused of giving false and misleading evidence to Western Australia's Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) at secret hearings in 2010 and 2011, following the brawl at the Kwinana Motorplex.

The showdown between the Coffin Cheaters and the Finks at the motor racing venue in late 2010 left Finks members Stephen Wallace without three fingers, David Marrapodi with a gunshot wound and Troy Smith with serious head injuries.

At a trial in Perth Magistrates Court, video interviews of Alamdar at the CCC were shown in which he claimed his memory was impaired after being dropped on his head as a child. He consistently said he could not remember details of his association with the Coffin Cheaters.

He initially told the CCC he was not that close to the bikies, before admitting he had spent time in his native Iran with club member Paul Martino, who'd stayed in the home of his deaf, elderly mother while there.

But as the CCC interview progressed, Alamdar told then-commissioner Len Roberts-Smith he feared for his safety if he revealed what he had seen in Kwinana.

"I was scared for myself, I was scared for my family," Alamdar said.

"I do not want to get involved in these things, it is not my business. Why do you put me in this bad position?"

Through his evidence to the CCC, Alamdar revealed he had struck up friendships with two Coffin Cheaters, including Martino, while installing security windows and doors at their headquarters in Bayswater.

He was summonsed to appear before CCC hearings twice, after investigators established he was present at the Motorplex on the day of the brawl.

He was then charged with misleading the CCC after giving evidence to Mr Roberts-Smith that he had not spoken to Martino the day before the brawl, had not travelled with him to the Motorplex and had not witnessed the violence.

But phone intercepts revealed he had arranged to drive Martino to the event and even took advice from him as to what to wear on the day.

When directly questioned about whether it was his voice on the intercepted phone call, Alamdar said: "That's not me, buddy."

Mr Roberts-Smith warned Alamdar at the time his vague answers could be regarded as "constructive refusal" to answer, and that he could face criminal charges.

A guilty finding could result in a $100,000 fine or a five-year jail term or both.

Finks members and associates Smith, Stephen Laurence Silvestro, Clovis Chikonga and Tristan Roger Allbeury have already been jailed for two years on contempt charges relating to the CCC hearings.

Coffin Cheaters members Benjamin Ortin and David Reid were also called before a CCC hearing and refused to answer questions but avoided charges after the corruption watchdog dropped the case.

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Army bombs Damascus suburbs

SYRIAN troops battered rebel positions in and around Damascus in an assault aimed at securing the capital, as Russia and Turkey prepared for talks in Istanbul on their differences over the conflict.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said artillery gunners targeted the districts of Hajar al-Aswad and Tadamun as well as the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk in southern Damascus.

The army also bombarded Yabrud to the north, Yalda to the south and the Eastern Ghouta towns of Douma, Harasta, Irbin and Haran al-Hawamid, in the area of the road linking Damascus to its international airport, it said on Monday.

Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been trying to establish a secure perimeter around Damascus at all costs, turning the province into one of the main battlegrounds in the country's 20-month conflict.

Analysts say the objective of the military campaign is to put the regime in a position to negotiate a way out of the conflict that the Observatory says has cost more than 41,000 lives since March 2011.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, was to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday during a landmark visit to Istanbul to discuss their differences on Syria.

The talks are to cover "reconciliation in the Middle East, the situation in the Gaza Strip, the crisis in Syria, as well as co-operation," Putin's foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said in a statement.

Turkey and Russia are at loggerheads over how to tackle the bloody crackdown in Syria, despite growing trade and energy links.

Those tensions came to a head in October when Turkey intercepted a Syrian plane en route from Moscow to Damascus on suspicion that it had military cargo, drawing an angry response from Russia.

Ankara said the cargo contained military equipment destined for the Syrian defence ministry.

Moscow insisted it was dual-purpose radar equipment which was not banned by international conventions.

Turkey, once an ally of the Damascus regime, has become one of its fiercest critics.

But Moscow remains one of Assad's few allies, routinely blocking resolutions against his regime in the UN security council.

Russia also objects to Turkey's request to NATO for the deployment of Patriot missiles near its volatile border with Syria.

It has warned such a move could spark a broader conflict that would draw in the western military alliance.

But Turkey insists the US-made Patriots would be used for purely defensive purposes, and NATO's response is expected this week.

On the ground, the Britain-based Observatory also reported clashes with rebels since Sunday in the central city of Hama, prompting authorities to send in reinforcements.

"This fighting... shows that despite the total control of the army and security forces over the town, the rebels have still managed to infiltrate," the Observatory's Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The watchdog, which relies on a network of activists and medics in civilian and military hospitals, said a total of 134 people - 58 civilians, 41 soldiers and 35 rebels - were killed in countrywide violence on Sunday.

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Man fails in bid to bite police dog

A MAN tried to chomp on a police dog but had to be stitched up himself after the dog bit back.

Police say they arrested the 31-year-old man at Berkeley, in the Illawarra region south of Sydney, on Saturday night following reports he had violated a restraining order.

Lake Illawarra acting inspector Jack Brown told AAP the man kicked so hard at the door of the caged police truck in which he was held that officers weren't sure the vehicle could restrain him, so they began moving him to another wagon.

"At some point he has kicked out at the dog and attempted to bite it, and the dog has responded in kind," Insp Brown said on Sunday.

The wounded man was taken for further treatment to Shellharbour Hospital, then sent back to the police station.

He was then taken back to the hospital to receive stitches to his arm.

Insp Brown said the German shepherd was doing fine.

The man spent Saturday night in custody and is to appear in Wollongong Local Court on Monday on several charges related to damaging property, resisting police, contravening a personal apprehended violence order and committing an act of cruelty to animals.

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Soccer brawl in Sydney's west

POLICE have detained several people after a brawl broke out during a soccer match in Sydney's west.

A police spokesman said the fight broke out at about 4.45pm on Sunday at Palmyra Avenue at Willmot.

One person was taken to Nepean Hospital with head injuries and a number of people have been detained at the scene and are being questioned by police.

Initial reports indicate the fight may have been racially motivated.

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Whitlam celebrates 40 years since victory

FAMILY and friends have surrounded former prime minister and legendary Labor leader Gough Whitlam to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his momentous 1972 election victory.

Among those joining Mr Whitlam for lunch at Lulworth House in Sydney on Sunday were his children, Antony, Nicholas, Stephen and Catherine, speechwriter Evan Williams, Senator John Faulkner and director of the Whitlam Institute, Eric Sidoti.

Mr Whitlam, now 96, was unable to attend a public celebration last month.

Mr Sidoti said it was only right Mr Whitlam took "centre stage" for the special anniversary.

"Though it may be a much more private stage than what he dominated throughout his public life, there can be no doubt that Gough Whitlam and his government profoundly changed Australia and for the better," Mr Sidoti said.

"The fires of reform that Gough Whitlam lit, burn still."

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Hero instructor fought off son: police

A US community college instructor killed in a classroom murder-suicide has been hailed a hero, with police saying he gave his students time to flee by distracting and fighting off his son.

Christopher Krumm, 25, barged into his father's computer science class at Casper College, Wyoming and shot him in the head with a high-powered bow and arrow on Friday.

The arrow severely wounded James Krumm, 56 but he managed to wrestle with the younger man while his handful of students escaped.

Christopher Krumm, of Vernon, Connecticut, had just stabbed to death his father's live-in girlfriend at the couple's home several kilometres away.

When police arrived after the bow-and-arrow attack, they found Christopher Krumm bleeding from self-inflicted knife wounds and taking his last breaths.

James Krumm was dead, Police Chief Chris Walsh said on Sunday.

"I can tell you the courage that was demonstrated by Mr Krumm senior was absolutely without equal," he said.

"Around six" students were in the classroom when Christopher Krumm entered, Casper police spokesman Justin Smith said. None were hurt.

Walsh said police were still trying to figure out what motivated Christopher Krumm to attack his father and girlfriend, 42-year-old Heidi Arnold, a maths instructor at the college. Arnold died of multiple stab wounds.

After shooting his father with the arrow, Christopher Krumm stabbed himself, then fatally stabbed his father in the chest in a struggle in the classroom, Walsh said.

Police began getting reports about the attack on Arnold soon after they responded by the dozen to the campus attack.

Authorities locked down the campus for two hours while they scoured the grounds for any other attackers. They were reassured Christopher Krumm acted alone.

He had smuggled the compound bow - a type much more powerful than a simple, wooden bow - onto campus beneath a blanket, Walsh said.

He said Christopher Krumm also had two knives with him and the one used was "very large".

Arnold's body was found in the gutter of her street.

Casper College instructor Kevin McDermott said Arnold and James Krumm were well-liked on campus.

Investigators said Christopher Krumm had recently driven to Casper from Connecticut and had been staying at a local hotel. He had no significant history of encounters with police.

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