Sydney Harbour heliport plans put on hold

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Shock as Irish minister found dead

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

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

The Irish Times newspaper said he took his own life.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Japan's new PM pledges to mend China ties

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fire guts historic prison building

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

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

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

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

He said firefighters had managed to control the blaze.

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

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

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European stocks drop at open; London down

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

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

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Malala asks Pakistan not to rename college

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BAE unveils $4bn deal for Oman jets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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India lets 20 rape accused run for office

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She was seriously injured and remains in intensive care.

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

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Karzai welcomes UK's Afghan troop pullout

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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European stocks dip at open; London down

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

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

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

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Qantas-Emirates deal gets ACCC OK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qantas closed up one cent at $1.46.

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Pitt commends Obama's marijuana stance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Police raid Perth Glory owner's businesses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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French judges keep Strauss-Kahn charges

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Report released on Qantas engine problem

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Man in Saudi Arabia executed for murder

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

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

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

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

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Aust to help Fiji in wake of Cyclone Evan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Aust stocks closes at 16 month high

THE Australian market finished on a 16-month closing high as US politicians appeared to make progress on their budget negotiations .

At close on Tuesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 21.8 points, or 0.48 per cent, at 4,595.2 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index had risen 22.5 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 4,610.5 points.

On the ASX 24, the December share price index futures contract was 29 points higher at 4,602 points, with 167,860 contracts traded.

Australian Stock Report head of research Geoff Saffer said the Australian market had its highest close since late July 2011 after US politicians appeared to be making progress on their "fiscal cliff" negotiations.

Just two weeks remain before tax increases and government spending cuts, referred to as the fiscal cliff, start taking effect in the US if no deal is reached.

"I think it was mainly widespread buying today on hopes that US politicians will reach a compromise before the end of the year," he said.

Mr Saffer said the Reserve Bank of Australia's minutes of its December board meeting also suggested that the cash rate could be cut further in 2013 which prompted investor buying.

The Australian market recorded gains across the board with mining, utilities and healthcare the best performing sectors.

BHP Billiton jumped 31 cents to $36.66, Rio Tinto soared $1.18 to $64.70 and Fortescue gained 13 cents to $4.60.

The four major banks all finished in positive territory.

ANZ was up two cents to $24.51, National Australia Bank gained 12 cents to $24.60, Westpac added six cents to $25.81 and Commonwealth Bank jumped 16 cents to $61.45.

The spot price of Sydney gold closed at $US1,702.59, up $US10.84 from Monday's close of $US1,691.75.

Market turnover was 1.77 billion securities worth $4.99 billion, with 536 stocks up, 434 down and 352 unchanged.

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Aust bonds lower after RBA minutes

AUSTRALIAN bond futures prices were lower after the release of the minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's latest board meeting reduced traders' expectations of future interest rate cuts.

RBC Capital Markets fixed income strategist Su-Lin Ong said local bond futures prices fell following the release of the RBA's minutes at 1130 AEDT.

"The minutes from the December meeting suggested it was quite a close decision and I guess the interpretation is that with the cash rate down to three per cent the hurdle to cut further may be quite high," she said.

"So that weighed quite high on fixed income markets."

The RBA cut the cash rate to three per cent in December, from 3.25 per cent previously.

Ms Ong said developments in negotiations on the 'fiscal cliff' of tax hikes and spending cuts due to apply in 2013, unless US political leaders can agree to alternative measures, was likely to drive bond markets over the coming days.

"I think most attention is on these fiscal cliff negotiations, we have had some progress since the weekend and I think there is an expectation that we are inching closer to both a compromise and agreement," Ms Ong said.

US President Barack Obama has offered a proposal to House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner which would raise revenue by $US1.2 trillion ($A1.14 trillion), and cut spending by the same amount.

At 1630 AEDT on Tuesday, the March 10-year bond futures contract was at 96.640 (implying a yield of 3.360 per cent), down from 96.670 (3.330 per cent) on Monday.

The March three-year bond futures contract was trading at 97.220 (2.780 per cent), down from 97.235 (2.765 per cent).

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Man faces 10 years jail over flight abuse

AN international flight was diverted after a drunken Perth man allegedly tried to smoke a cigarette on the plane before punching and spitting on crew members.

The 34-year-old man was taken off the flight, enroute from Sydney to Japan on Monday night, when it was diverted to Cairns.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege the man was heavily intoxicated and was abusive towards the crew and other passengers.

He had to be forcibly restrained by the crew and was arrested when the plane landed in Cairns, police said.

Assistant commissioner Shane Connelly said the public needed to remember that when they travelled on an aircraft their behaviour was subject to Australian laws.

"Enough is enough. An aircraft captain and co-pilot can ill-afford to be distracted from their duties of safely flying an aircraft by having to deal with drunk, violent or disorderly passengers," he said.

"The cabin crew are there to make your flight safe and enjoyable.

"They should not have to restrain violent passengers, be abused or assaulted, or be interfered with in conducting their duties."

AFP responded to more than 1000 alcohol-related incidents at Australia's 10 major airports during the 2011-12 financial year.

Out of those incidents, 145 were for offences related to offensive and disorderly behaviour and excessive alcohol consumption.

AFP said the plane was forced to dump its fuel load when it diverted to Cairns and the airline would seek to recover significant costs.

The man was due to face Cairns Magistrate Court on Tuesday charged with smoking in an aircraft, disorderly and offensive behaviour on board an aircraft, and interfering with crew or aircraft.

The offences carry a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment.

He will also be charged with assaulting crew general, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

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Evan batters Fiji as Samoa counts the cost

CYCLONE Evan has battered the South Pacific island state of Fiji with 200km/h winds, cutting power and water supplies in the northern region.

Thousands of people took refuge in evacuation centres and airlines suspended flights in and out of the country on Monday.

The military government warned that Evan could be the most destructive cyclone since 1993 to hit the island, one of the Pacific's biggest tourist centres.

Fiji government spokeswoman Sharon Smith-Johns says the cyclone was moving towards Nadi and had intensified a little, with winds of up to 200km/h.

Ms Smith-Johns said 3500 people are sheltering in evacuation centres after people had earlier been warned to prepare for the worst.

She said the lack of early casualties was encouraging but people could not become complacent.

"We've had a week to prepare for this, so we're as prepared as you can be," she told Radio New Zealand on Monday.

"The extent of the damage, I don't think we're going to know until tomorrow morning when we wake up and see how badly it has hit."

Fiji's second-biggest city Lautoka, near the closed international airport at Nadi, was severely battered by the cyclone, with resident Janet Mason telling RNZ that an empty house had "flown through the air" and landed beside hers.

The bulk carrier ship Starford, believed to be carrying equipment for a Chinese firm constructing a highway, dragged its anchor and was pushed on to the reef in Suva Harbour, the Fiji Times reported.

Meanwhile, New Zealand searchers looking for 10 fishermen missing off Samoa since the cyclone hit the island nation believe they have found one of four missing boats.

The upturned fishing boat hull is being towed to Apia by a Samoan police launch after being found by a New Zealand Air Force Orion searching for the fishermen.

Four people have already died and more casualties are feared, as damage to the Samoan island of Upolu appeared to be worse than from a 2009 earthquake and tsunami that killed 135 people, according to aerial surveillance, a spokeswoman for the prime minister told RNZ.

New Zealand Red Cross has deployed a specialist team and an emergency grant of $NZ10,000 ($A8,098) to help deal with the damage.

Air NZ is allowing all passengers flying from Auckland to Apia between December 17 and December 30 to take one extra piece of checked luggage, up to 23kg, free of charge.

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Cash must be part of abuse compo: inquiry

VICTIMS of institutional abuse must be financially compensated as part of a broader acknowledgment of wrongdoing, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

A partner at a law firm that has handled more than one thousand child sex abuse claims said victims' desire for justice outweighs their desire for financial compensation but money is vital because victims' experiences "cost them a great deal".

"The money is important because the money is a tangible acknowledgment of wrongdoing," Angela Sdrinis of Ryan Carlisle Thomas Lawyers told the Victorian child abuse inquiry on Monday.

"For victims to feel some sense of justice, what they get has to cost a wrongdoer."

Ms Sdrinis says there needs to be an apology, and payment should be part of that as a gesture that the institution recognises the victim has suffered at its hands.

The theme of financial compensation ran through three submissions heard on Monday by Victoria's parliamentary inquiry into religious and non-government organisations' handling of sex abuse against children.

In its address to the inquiry, the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) called for compensation to be paid through a fund similar to the James Hardie asbestos injuries compensation fund.

Religious organisations would be required to contribute to it, LIV said.

LIV president Michael Holcroft said this would remove some of the uncertainty victims' faced when making a compensation claim.

He said anyone attempting to bring an action against the Catholic Church risked the church relying on the defence it did not employ the members of the clergy.

"They do not have assets, the assets are held in independent property trusts," Mr Holcroft said.

"Hence any compensation arrangements or settlement arrangements will be prejudiced in light of that."

Advocacy group Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) said an independent panel should supervise a redress scheme.

"Redress payments should be funded by economic contributions by the state and the churches and the charities that run all children's homes, foster care and other institutions," CLAN told the inquiry.

The inquiry heard there was evidence of abuse allegations going back 80 years.

CLAN chief executive Leonie Sheedy said many of CLANs members had a real fear of going into a nursing home.

"A lot of our members tell us they will commit suicide rather than go back into an institution again," Ms Sheedy said.

CLAN's submission and statement to the inquiry detailed a number of shocking abuse cases, some of which were heard in a 2004 Senate inquiry into children in institutional care.

CLAN said children who attempted to report institutional abuse were threatened, isolated, beaten and blamed, including being frequently locked in cupboards by their carers as punishment for raising allegations.

One girl, who reported abuse to nuns, was kicked by them and then told she was "the spawn of the devil", the organisation said.

CLAN said thousands of children who attempted to escape their abusers and some who made reports of sexual mistreatment were returned to the perpetrators, with police returning children who had run away to the religious and government homes.

The advocacy group strongly suggests these children were fleeing "rape and sexual or other forms of abuse".

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Blast hits US compound in Afghan capital

A CAR bomb has exploded outside a compound housing a US military contractor in the Afghan capital, blowing apart an exterior wall and wounding dozens inside, company representatives and police say.

The blast on the outskirts of the city sent a plume of smoke up in the air and shook windows more than a two kilometres away in the city centre.

The security officer for Contrack, a McLean, Virginia-based company that builds facilities for military bases, said a suicide attacker on Monday drove a vehicle packed with explosives up to the exterior wall of the compound and detonated the bomb.

Afghan police said they could not confirm if it was a suicide attack or a remotely detonated bomb that had been placed in a parked vehicle.

Contrack did not respond to calls or emails asking for comment.

Deputy Interior Ministry spokesman Najibullah Danish said that at least one person was killed in the attack. It was not immediately clear if this may have been the attacker.

Contrack security officer Baryalai, who like many Afghans only goes by one name, said he could only confirm wounded. He said the injured employees included Americans, Afghans and South Africans. The American director of the company was seriously wounded, he said.

Contrack has a range of contracts in Afghanistan but Baryalai said the arm of the company that was attacked on Monday is building barracks and other facilities for the Afghan army.

A worker coming out of the building said that he saw at least 30 people wounded.

"There was massive destruction inside. ... I was sitting behind my computer when it happened. I was not hurt but I saw many of my colleagues were injured," Bashir Farhang said.

Jalalabad road, where the explosion occurred, is home to a number of foreign companies that have offices inside of blast-walled compounds.

Contrack's projects also include fuel storage, air field construction and tanker facilities for US military bases in Afghanistan, according to its website.

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Bomb attack kills 16 at Pakistan market

A car bomb attack at a Pakistan market has killed 16 people and wounded around 70, officials say. Source: AAP

A CAR bomb attack has killed 16 people and wounded around 70 in a Pakistan market in the northwestern town of Jamrud, close to the Afghan border, officials say.

The bomb exploded on Monday in a small market near a bus stop, killing and wounding people waiting for buses to take them across the northwest and to other parts of the country, according to officials.

Pools of blood and charred pieces of human flesh littered the roadside, along with at least 20 burnt vehicles, an AFP reporter said. Clothes, school books, children's shoes and burqas lay everywhere.

Jamrud is in Khyber district, which is part of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt where the Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked groups have strongholds.

A government office of the district administration was around 100 metres from where the bomb detonated but was not damaged in the attack, according to an AFP reporter.

"At least 16 people were killed and 71 others wounded in the blast caused by an explosive-laden car, which had been parked very close to the waiting area for passengers," Khyber's most senior administration official, Mutahir Zeb, told AFP.

He said ordinary civilians and not the government office, some distance from the explosion, were the target.

"We are still are ascertaining what procedure was exactly used to blow up the vehicle," he said.

Local administration official Jehangir Azam also confirmed that 16 people died.

"The blast also damaged 10 vehicles and more than 15 shops in the market," Azam told AFP.

Officials had earlier said 12 people were killed.

Two intelligence officials said the explosives had been packed into a Suzuki Alto vehicle.

Pakistan suffers frequent bomb and suicide attacks blamed on Islamist militant groups. Its troops have for years been fighting against homegrown armed groups in the tribal belt.

On Saturday, a suicide squad of five targeted the airport in Peshawar, the main northwestern city close to Jamrud, killing five civilians and blowing a hole in the perimeter wall.

The assault, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, sparked prolonged gunfire and forced authorities to close the airport, a commercial hub and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base on the edge of the tribal belt.

It was the second Islamist militant attack in four months on a military air base in nuclear-armed Pakistan.

On Sunday, a policeman and five militants were killed following gun battles between security forces and militants suspected of having been involved in the airport attack, security officials said.

The government says more than 35,000 people have been killed as a result of terrorism in the country since the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

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N Korea marks anniversary of Kim's death

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) has led a memorial service for his late father Kim Jong-Il. Source: AAP

NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has led thousands of officials in a triumphant memorial service for his late father and ex-ruler Kim Jong-Il, days after a long-range rocket launch, state TV showed.

Sunday's service followed a mass rally two days earlier that also lauded the launch of the three-stage rocket, a move which was condemned by the UN Security Council and seen by many countries as a disguised ballistic missile test.

Kim Jong-Il, who ruled the communist state for nearly two decades, died of heart attack on December 17 in 2011.

His youngest son, Jong-Un, immediately took over in the third-generation power transfer of the Kim dynasty which ruled the isolated country for more than six decades with an iron fist and pervasive personality cult.

On Sunday, Jong-Un, stone-faced and clad in black Mao suit, was seen sitting at the stage along with dozens of other top officials against a giant red flag in the background featuring a large portrait of smiling Kim Jong-Il.

"The heart of the great leader stopped beating but the comrade Kim Jong-Il lives with us forever ... to give blessing for the bright future of our people," the ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-Nam said in a speech.

"The successful launch of our Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite is also another victory achieved by our military and people, by faithfully following the teachings of the great leader (Kim Jong-Il)."

The impoverished but nuclear-armed North staged the widely-condemned rocket in an apparent bid to mark the anniversary and to drum up more support for the young and inexperienced leader Jong-Un.

The North said the apparently successful launch -- its second after its much-heralded but botched mission in April -- was a scientific project to put its weather satellite into the orbit.

But the United States and allies South Korea and Japan view it as a disguised long-range missile test banned under UN resolutions triggered by its past nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.

AF

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Mandela treated for gall stones

SA anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela has undergone a successful procedure to remove gall stones. Source: AAP

SOUTH African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela has undergone a successful procedure to remove gall stones a week after being admitted to hospital for a lung infection.

"The medical team decided to attend to a lung infection before determining when to attend to the gall stones", a statement from the office of the president said on Saturday.

The 94-year-old is being treated at a private hospital in the capital Pretoria. Initial tests revealed he was suffering from a recurring lung infection.

The former president underwent a procedure via endoscopy to have the gall stones removed, the statement said.

"The procedure was successful and Madiba is recovering," it added, using the clan name by which Mandela is affectionately known.

Mandela was previously hospitalised for an acute respiratory infection in January 2011, when he was kept for two nights before being released for home-based care and intense medical monitoring.

Mandela has a long history of lung problems, dating back decades to when he contracted tuberculosis while in prison.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner who led the country to democracy in 1994 was flown from his rural home village of Qunu to Pretoria on December 8.

It was not clear when Mandela was moved to the private hospital from the One Military facility, the country's top military healthcare centre, where government officials initially said Mandela was being treated.

The Mediclinic Heart Hospital, where he is currently being cared for, bills itself as the first and "only hospital of its kind - a private, specialised heart hospital - in South Africa."

A doctor who spoke to AFP said gall stones were not a serious ailment and can happen to anybody.

"They occur when fluid collects in your gall and crystalises. The stones can cause discomfort," said Mark Sonderup, vice chairman of the South African Medical Association.

The presidency appealed for privacy for Mandela and his family. Local and international media have been camped outside his home and the hospital.

News of Mandela's hospitalisation always causes panic among South Africans, as the elderly statesman is hardly seen in public.

Television images earlier this year showed the tall, grey-haired icon seated on a couch at his rural home, surrounded by grandchildren.

Mandela stepped down from office in 1999 after serving one term, in 2004 he announced his retirement from public life, but continued to make a few public appearances.

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Union warned about WA dock's safety issues

A KARRATHA man's arm was crushed as he worked at the dock supplying Chevron's massive Gorgon LNG project in Western Australia on Saturday, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) says.

The man was airlifted to a Perth hospital after his arm became trapped between the dock and a barge at the Mermaid Marine Supply base in Dampier, which is used exclusively by Chevron.

MUA WA secretary Chris Cain described Chevron and its contractor as "cowboys", saying poor safety standards had been a problem at the Mermaid Marine Supply base for months.

"It's becoming clearer and clearer that Chevron and their contractors like Mermaid are cutting corners to make up time and money on the Gorgon project," Mr Cain said.

The union said WorkSafe WA had been warned that poor training and management made an accident "inevitable".

Safety representatives had arranged for WorkSafe WA inspectors to visit the site on Friday.

"We've got serious issues when the day after WorkSafe says there's no problem, ambulances are called to an accident of the type exactly predicted by health and safety representatives," Mr Cain said.

The union said the accident raised serious questions that need to be answered, such as why WorkSafe was called to investigate the accident hours after it happened.

WorkSafe and Mermaid Marine have been contacted for comment.

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Grassfire 'out of control' near Young

FIREFIGHTERS are battling an out-of-control grassfire burning near properties in southwestern NSW.

The fire, covering 4600 hectares, is burning at Geegullalong Road, around eight kilometres east of Murringo, near Young.

NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesman Ben Shepherd said 140 firefighters, 43 fire trucks and six aircraft were trying to bring the fire under control.

He said fire crews were working to protect a number of rural properties in the area but no residents had been evacuated from their homes.

Locals were being advised to stay in their homes as the fire-front approached, he said.

"A lot of people have done some preparation around their property and we are moving crews into those properties as the fire-front arrives," he told AAP.

He said the Lachlan Valley Way was closed in the area because of the fire.

Strong winds were pushing the fire in a north and north-easterly direction, and it was unlikely the blaze would be brought under control on Sunday night, Mr Shepherd said.

The RFS have issued a watch and act alert for the area.

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