Australia raises piracy case with Russia

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop has called on Russia to treat Australian Greenpeace activist Colin Russell, who is facing piracy charges, with fairness.

Ms Bishop has met with Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Bali.

"I registered our concern about the charges and also our desire to ensure that he's afforded full due legal process and consular assistance," she told reporters in Bali's Nusa Dua.

Worldwide protests are being held on Saturday for the so-called "Arctic 30", who were detained in the port city of Murmansk after their ship the Arctic Sunrise was boarded at gunpoint by Russian authorities.

Mr Russell, from Tasmania, could face up to 15 years in prison if Russian authorities persist with the piracy charge.

He was among 30 Greenpeace activists charged with the offence for their roles in a protest against oil drilling in the Arctic Circle last month.

Mr Russell's wife Christine addressed a rally in Hobart on Saturday, calling on the Australian government to support the Dutch government's legal efforts to initiate arbitration in the United Nations to secure the crew members freedom.

"I urge Minister Bishop and Prime Minister Abbott to support Colin, with a letter of guarantee to help secure his release," Mrs Russell told the protest.

His daughter Madeleine said his irrepressible sense of humour would keep his spirits up in the jail cell.

Ms Bishop said she is taking a keen interest in the case, which is shaping up as her first major consular challenge since taking over as foreign minister.

She says Australian officials have met with Mr Russell in recent days and plan to do so again soon.

"I understand he is well, his conditions of detention are adequate," she said.

Asked if she believed the piracy charge was too extreme, Ms Bishop said: "We're seeking advice as to whether this charge is appropriate.

"I do note that (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin said in one press conference that they were clearly not pirates," she said.

"It's a very serious charge."

At a Melbourne protest, around 100 people chanted "Free the Arctic 30" on the steps of Flinders Street Station.

Others circulated a petition to put more pressure on the federal government to take serious action.

Organiser Julien Vincent said the piracy charge was ridiculous and Greenpeace never expected a protest involving ropes and banners could balloon into such a serious incident.

"They are being detained on a charge that is completely unjustified," he said.

"You can understand why there is such an outpouring of support."

Similar rallies were also held in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.

A British-born Australian resident and a New Zealand man who lives in South Australia have also been charged.

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US man sets himself on fire in capital

A man has set himself on fire near the US congress, a fire official says. Source: AAP

A US man has been flown to hospital after setting himself on fire on the National Mall, a fire official says.

Fire crews responded on Friday afternoon to a report of a man on fire.

A witness said she saw a man dump a red canister of petrol on his head and then set himself on fire.

Fire Department spokesman Tim Wilson said the man has life-threatening injuries.

His name and age were not immediately known.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

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Valentine wins big at the AWGIE Awards

Playwright Anna Valentine has won three gongs at the AWGIE Awards in Melbourne. Source: AAP

PLAYWRIGHT Alana Valentine, who likes to gives audiences a kick up the arse in a witty way, has swept the Australian Writers' Guild Awards (AWGIEs).

Valentine picked up three gongs, including script of the year, at the awards ceremony on Friday night.

The AWGIEs are judged solely by writers on the basis of the script.

Valentine scooped the Major AWGIE, for Most Outstanding Script of 2013, and took out the community and youth theatre category for her play Grounded.

Set in Newcastle, Grounded is a coming-of-age tale about teenager Farrah, who wants to be a marine pilot.

Valentine began her winning streak by picking up the inaugural $25,000 David Williamson Prize for quality new Australian works for the stage.

"I'm very proud to be part of a guild which actually encourages and celebrates writers who want to look at what's happening in our culture right now, on our watch," Valentine told the audience at Melbourne's Plaza Ballroom.

"I'm really proud of all the writers in the guild who chose to, as cleverly and wittily as they do, give our audiences a kick up the arse and rub their noses in what we think is not working about this country."

In television writing, Robert Connolly picked up the best Telemovie Adaption award for Underground: The Julian Assange Story.

The Underbelly: Badness team - Niki Aken, Peter Gawler, Felicity Packard and Jeffrey Truman - were honoured for writing the stand-out original television mini-series.

Andrew Knight won the best television series AWGIE for the Rake series 2 episode R v. Floyd. The Good News Week writers received their ninth AWGIE for the final season of the comedy/light entertainment series.

The $25,000 Foxtel Fellowship, awarded in recognition of an impressive body of television work, went to Jacquelin Perske for a career including TV dramas The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way.

In the movie arena, Kim Mordaunt won the AWGIE for best original feature film script for The Rocket.

That film, about a 10-year-old boy trying to help his family in Laos' war-torn north, is Australia's selection for the best foreign-language film at next year's Oscars.

The Rocket also took out the audience awards at both the Sydney and Melbourne film festivals.

Best short film script went to husband and wife team, Matthew Moore and Genevieve Hegney, for The Amber Amulet, based on Craig Silvey's novella.

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Prince wows Sydney on first official visit

Prince Harry has arrived at Sydney's Garden Island Naval Base for the International Fleet Review. Source: AAP

HE may like to party, but Prince Harry was all business as he greeted adoring fans, inspected warships, and met the prime minister and his family on his first official visit to Australia.

Thousands of Harry fans turned out to catch a glimpse of the fourth-in-line to the British throne in Sydney as part of the International Fleet Review.

The 29-year-old prince is the big drawcard of the eight-day navy extravaganza, which marks 100 years since the Royal Australian Navy fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour.

Dressed in a white tropical dress uniform of the British Army and a blue Army Air Corps beret, the 29-year-old began the day by saluting naval officers before being greeted by navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs at Sydney naval base Garden Island.

Captain Wales, as he's known in the British military, then boarded the HMAS Leeuwin where Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Defence Minister David Johnston and a host of other dignitaries were waiting for him.

After being welcomed on the harbour by a 100 gun salute, Harry spent the next few hours on board HMAS Leeuwin inspecting the warship fleet alongside Governor General Quentin Bryce.

The prince's appearance on the harbour coincided with a dazzling display by navy aircraft and helicopters, thrilling thousands lining the foreshore.

Back on land and donning a crisp navy-coloured suit, blue tie and white shirt, Harry turned his attention to his Sydney fans.

Making a surprise appearance at the Rocks, there were screams, smiles and waves as the red-haired prince emerged from his car at Sydney Harbour to greet a heaving crowd of fans.

In the 10-minute stop, Harry shook hands and said hello to hundreds who were hugging the barricades in an effort to see him.

Linda Wickens handed him a stuffed dingo as a present for his nephew Prince George.

The prince then stopped for a quick photo with her 12-year-old daughter Annabel who summed up the experience in one word: "awesome".

From there, the prince took a boat to Kirribilli House, where he was greeted by Mr Abbott, his wife Margie and daughters Bridget and Frances.

They posed for official photographs and walked through the gardens before greeting a crowd that had gathered at the gates of the prime minister's Sydney residence.

"What do you think of your new neighbour?" Harry asked one of the locals, referring to the newly-elected Mr Abbott.

Inside, the prime minister reflected on the special day, joking that Prince Harry appealed to even those Australians who aren't royalists.

"Prince Harry, I regret to say not every Australian is a monarchist," he said.

"But today everyone feels like a monarchist."

The prince is understood to be later hosting a private function for injured veterans of Afghanistan, a cause he actively supports.

He is due to leave Sydney for Perth on Sunday morning for the next leg of his Aussie tour.

The Fleet Review's Fireworks and Lightshow Spectacular is due to start at 7.30pm (AEST) at Sydney Harbour.

Up to one million people are expected to gather on the foreshore for the event.

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Daylight savings to begin on Sunday

WEEKEND workers, churchgoers and Wallabies fans - here's an important reminder for you all.

Daylight savings starts at 2am (AEST) Sunday morning.

In NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT, set your clocks forward one hour before going to bed on Saturday night to avoid missing any important appointments early on Sunday.

That means Wallabies fans will have to wake up earlier than expected to catch the kick-off against Argentina at 9.40am (AEDT) on Sunday.

On the topic of the game they play in heaven, churchgoers will also get less sleep.

Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory can rest easy - there will be no need to head out to Spotlight for new curtains in six months' time.

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Qld police nab five more Bandidos

Five more Bandidos have been arrested as the police crackdown on bikie gangs continue in Queensland. Source: AAP

FIVE more Bandidos have been arrested as the police crackdown on bikie gangs continues in Queensland.

The arrests were made during police raids in Brisbane and Logan on Friday morning, that seized cash and drugs.

Officers from Taskforce Hydra, which targets outlaw bikie gangs, executed search warrants at Birkdale, Alexandra Hills and in the Logan suburb of Crestmead on Friday morning.

They seized money, drugs and drug producing equipment.

Three men, aged 32, 29 and 25, and a woman, 27, are facing drug charges.

Officers from the Gold Coast also arrested a 27-year-old man from Birkdale for rioting.

The charge is related to last week's violent bikie brawl on the Gold Coast.

He will face Southport Magistrates Court on October 25.

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Heart transplant milestone at Vic hospital

Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital has marked 25 years of heart transplant for Australian kids. Source: AAP

REBECCA Peters is part of a small but close-knit club.

Along with 115 others she has the Royal Children's Hospital's pioneering heart transplant service, which marked its 25-year anniversary in Melbourne on Friday, to thank for her life.

"It's an incredible milestone because in the scheme of things it's within a lot of people's lifetimes and the outcomes keep getting better and better," Ms Peters said.

Ms Peters received her life-saving transplant just two days after her seventh birthday.

Fourteen years later, she's back at the hospital working as a mentor to adolescent patients.

"I'm living the dream. I'm giving something back to young people who have been through similar journeys."

Nadia Cozmescu and Tyler Aerey, who received heart transplants in 2009 and 2010, are now being mentored by Ms Peters.

"I think it's always good to have that connection with other people who have gone through it. It makes the whole experience a whole lot easier because it's a really scary thing," Nadia said.

Ms Peters hopes the anniversary will put a spotlight on organ donation.

"One of the problems with the low organ donation rates is that Australians don't know much about it and they just don't get around to filling out the forms," she said.

The hospital's former director of cardiac surgery Roger Mee completed the first paediatric heart transplant in Australia back in 1988.

He remembers the day clearly.

His colleague was in England at the time and as a result Dr Mee had to do the job of two teams by himself.

"The CEO drove me in his car and I picked up the donor heart, then I came back and put it in the patient," Dr Mee said.

Paediatric transplant surgery has come a long way since Dr Mee's pioneering first transplant.

Few know this better than Samantha McGowan, the mother of four-year-old transplant recipient Scarlett.

In 2009 Scarlett was the recipient of Australia's first paediatric ABO incompatible heart transplant.

After going into end-stage cardiac failure, baby Scarlett was listed for transplant with a heart from an incompatible blood type to increase the chance of finding a suitable donor.

"Scarlett behaves like any other four-year-old now, so much so that most people are in disbelief when they hear her story," Samantha said.

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$3m paid out by defence abuse taskforce

Victims of abuse in the defence force who are yet to lodge key paperwork are being warned to act. Source: AAP

VICTIMS of assault and mistreatment in the defence force yet to lodge paperwork are being warned to act soon, with more than $3 million already paid out in 70 cases.

People who have made complaints to the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce have until November 30 to provide all relevant documentation.

A budget of $70 million has been allocated to the reparation payments scheme, and 981 complaints are at various stages of the assessment process.

As of September 16, the taskforce's reparations assessor had approved in excess of $3 million in payments over 70 cases, 50 of which were for the maximum $50,000 payment.

Slater and Gordon's military compensation lawyer Brian Briggs warned time was nearly up for victims.

"When the scheme was established, it was always made clear that it would run for a set period of time," he said.

Complainants may also have the opportunity to meet with senior defence leaders in conferences.

The third interim report by the taskforce was tabled to federal parliament on Friday, providing an update on the progress of outcomes to individual complaints of abuse in the military.

The outcomes may include a referral to counselling, reparation payments, referral of appropriate matters to police or military justice authorities, referral to the chief of the defence force for administrative action or participation in a restorative engagement conference.

"The conferences will give people who have suffered abuse in defence a powerful opportunity to have their stories heard," said taskforce chair Len Roberts-Smith QC.

More than 2400 complaints have been made to the taskforce about abuse suffered in defence prior to April 2011.

As of September 16, 10 matters had been referred to police and 11 matters had been resolved in other ways.

The taskforce's crime group also has a further 41 active matters under assessment.

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Australia agrees to take Syrian refugees

Australia will over the next months accept 500 Syrians forced to leave due to the ongoing conflict. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA will take in 500 Syrian refugees in response to a global call to assist people fleeing the bloody conflict in the Middle Eastern country.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison confirmed Australia would join 16 other countries in a resettlement program driven by the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.

"The Australian government will work with the UNHCR to identify those offered the resettlement places, which will be targeted for highly vulnerable people in urgent need of protection," he said in a statement on Thursday.

Syria's neighbours - Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq - have absorbed the majority of the refugees, but as numbers grow to more than two million, the influx has strained resources and caused tensions.

Of the 17 countries, including the United States, signed up to the UNHCR program to offer 10,000 a total resettlement places, France has agreed to accept 1200 Syrian refugees.

The first refugees are expected to arrive in Australia before the end of 2013.

Mr Morrison says the coalition's crackdown on asylum seeker boat arrivals means the federal government is better positioned to help those "most in need".

But Australia's offer of assistance to Syrian refugees should not be misinterpreted.

"The Australian people's generous support should not be interpreted as an encouragement to those seeking to enter our country illegally," he said.

Australia has provided more than $100 million in humanitarian assistance to the Syrian crisis, including some $45.5 million to support humanitarian activities in neighbouring countries.

"Our funding has supported UNHCR and other agencies to provide shelter, food and clean water to refugees and host communities," Mr Morrison said.

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NSW fire breaches containment lines

AN out-of-control bushfire burning near a small town on the NSW mid-north coast has breached containment lines, the Rural Fire Service says.

The scrub fire is burning in the Crowdy Bay National Park, north of the town of Harrington in the Greater Taree region.

The RFS on Thursday night said the blaze had crossed containment lines and was burning close to properties at Coralville Road and Diamond Head Road.

More than 80 firefighters, and six aircraft, have been battling the blaze, which began on Wednesday.

The fire has so far burnt through about 3000 hectares of scrub, the RFS said on its website.

Firies are backburning where they can and hope forecast storm activity will help them get the upper hand.

Earlier, about 40 holidaymakers had to be evacuated from a camping area at Diamond Head due to the blaze.

A number of roads in the area are closed.

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Greens to appeal WA recount decision

THE Greens will appeal an Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) decision not to conduct a recount of the tight West Australian Senate vote, with ousted candidate Scott Ludlam saying it was needed to exclude human error.

Senator Ludlam asked for a partial recount after a 14-vote difference between micro-parties, the Shooters and Fishers Party and Australian Christians, sent preferences against him into the hands of the Palmer United Party.

But the AEC on Thursday decided against the recount - also requested by Australian Sports Party candidate Wayne Dropulich - saying neither request had identified "specific issues" which would have warranted a second look.

Senator Ludlam said there had been Senate vote recounts before when the margin had been bigger than 14 votes.

"And on more than one occasion those recounts have led to a different result," Senator Ludlam said in a statement.

"In such a marginal decision, with such important consequences for two Senate seats, only a recount can ensure that the votes receive the scrutiny needed to exclude human error.

"As none of the elected senators will be required to take their seats in the Senate before 1 July 2014, there is time to ensure the result is correct."

It's understood a recount would have cost the AEC about $1 million.

Greens leader Christine Milne said a recount was "commonsense".

The makeup of the new Senate continues to throw up potential hurdles to Prime Minister Tony Abbott's direct action climate policy and his paid parental leave scheme, with Family First's Bob Day saying one is a waste of money, and the other inequitable.

But the new senate may be more ideologically aligned with the new prime minister.

Senator-elect Day admits his thoughts on legislation are "more or less" aligned with those of Mr Abbott.

The government's paid parental leave scheme did not adhere to "the principle of equal pay for equal work", and employed women should not receive more than stay-at-home mums, he said.

The Abbott government can also expect opposition from him on climate change.

"It's an absolute total waste of money this direct action, any kind of action," he told ABC Radio.

Opposition to direct action and Mr Abbott's paid parental scheme has also been expressed by Liberal Democrats Senator-elect, David Leyonhjelm.

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Dumped Telstra boss appointed NBN chief

HE was dumped by Telstra and spent just one chaotic year at Optus.

Say hello again to Ziggy Switkowski, the man the coalition has put at the helm of Australia's largest infrastructure project, the National Broadband Network (NBN).

The nuclear physicist was formally appointed as executive chairman of the new NBN Co board on Thursday by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

During Dr Switkowski's five-year tenure as chief executive of Telstra, the share price slumped 42 per cent to about $5.

In 2004 he walked away with a $2.1 million payout two years before the end of his contract, leaving mum and dad investors seething.

However Mr Turnbull on Thursday played down concerns about Dr Switkowski's track record in the telecommunications industry, which he hasn't worked in for nine years.

"What was the share price of Telstra when Dr Switkowski left compared to when (his successor Sol) Trujillo left? ($3.68)" Mr Turnbull rebutted to a journalist.

"I don't really want to get into a debate about the share price of Telstra."

Dr Switkowski, who replaces outgoing chairwoman Siobhan McKenna, will be executive chairman until a chief executive officer is appointed.

He will be joined by current NBN Co board members Kerry Schott and Alison Lansley, the only survivors of the former NBN Co board, all of whom tendered their resignations after the coalition won the election.

Mr Turnbull said a strategic review was under way to see exactly what was happening with the NBN project.

"In a nutshell ... what the status of the project is at the moment; how much it is going to cost; and how long it will take to complete it on the current plan or the Labor government's plan of a 93 per cent fibre to the premise model," he said.

It will also look at what time and cost savings can be made, including if there should be an increased use of fibre-to-the-node.

Labor's communications spokesman Anthony Albanese questioned the decision to install Dr Switkowski after his controversial tenure at Optus and Telstra.

"He was not in charge of any major new network construction activity in either role," he said, adding that a three-person board was not sufficient to provide good governance.

Australian Industry Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said that during the period of the reviews to the current model it was vital to limit further delays to the NBN rollout.

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Second WA teen charged over kidnapping

A SECOND teenager has been charged over the alleged assault and kidnapping of a 20-year-old man in Western Australia's southwest almost three months ago.

The victim was assaulted, put in his own car, driven a few kilometres north of Margaret River, assaulted again, then left without his car keys on July 6.

A 17-year-old boy was charged with a string of offences in August after investigators identified him as a member of a group of four men involved in the attack.

On Wednesday, an 18-year-old man from Gosnells was also charged over the incident.

The man, who was 17 at the time, has been charged with aggravated robbery, detained another with intent to gain a benefit, act or omission causing bodily harm, criminal damage, stealing and possessing a disguise.

He will appear before Perth Children's Court on Thursday.

Detectives are still trying to find the two other males involved.

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PUP to be a power in Senate

MINING magnate Clive Palmer's political party looks set to hold the balance of power when the new Senate takes shape next July.

The coalition will have 33 senators but needs six more votes to pass legislation.

Labor with 26 seats and the Greens with nine - possibly 10 after a recount - are likely to vote together to oppose government plans.

Both parties oppose repealing the carbon tax, which Prime Minister Tony Abbott has at the top of his legislative priorities.

The coalition would need to seek support from the eight senators on the crossbench, including five independent/micro party senators.

They're independent Nick Xenophon (SA), Democratic Labor Party John Madigan (Vic) and three newcomers: Liberal Democratic Party David Leyonhjelm (NSW), Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party Ricky Muir (Vic) and Family First's Bob Day (SA).

The other newcomers are Palmer United Party (PUP) senators Glenn Lazarus from Queensland, Jacqui Lambie from Tasmania and probably Zhenya Wang from Western Australia.

However senator-elect Wang is facing a partial vote recount in WA, requested by the man he seems to have ousted on preferences - Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam.

Mr Abbott will be able to count on the PUP senators, Mr Day and Senator Madigan since all have publicly opposed the carbon tax.

But Mr Abbott may have tough negotiations ahead with Senator Xenophon, Senator-elect Muir, and Senator-elect Leyonhjelm.

Senator Xenophon supports the repeal of the tax but wants it replaced by a model developed by Frontier Economics, which rewards low-emission industries and punishes high-emission polluters.

The Liberal Democratic Party's policies state that, should evidence become compelling that global warming is due to human activity, the party would favour market-based options.

The Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party's stance is not clear.

Its environmental policy is to support a balanced approach towards sustainability of the environment and the use of the environment, both for the survival of mankind and for the unimpeded recreational use of the environment.

However, the party also advocates removing the need for government to waste time on the introduction of "nanny-rules" to protect ourselves from ourselves.

Mr Abbott's signature paid parental leave scheme may pass parliament before the changeover next year, if he agrees to the Greens push for a $50,000 payout cap.

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US politicians still get paid in shutdown

In the US, the 532 members of Congress continue to be paid despite the government shutdown. Source: AAP

THERE'S at least one constant in a government shutdown: The 532 members of congress continue to be paid - at a cost of $US10,583.85 ($A11,379.87) per hour to taxpayers.

Legislators are getting their pay even as hundreds of congressional staffers are sent home, packs of tourists are turned away at the Capitol, and constituent services in many offices grind to a halt.

House members and senators can't withhold their own pay even if they want to.

Under the Constitution's 27th Amendment, legislators can only change the pay of those in a future congress, not the one in which they serve.

Lawmakers aren't oblivious to how it looks.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz and others are pledging to donate their salaries to charity during the shutdown.

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Vic bikies appear in court after raids

MEMBERS of the rival Comanchero and Hells Angels bikie gangs will face separate court hearings following a number of drive-by shootings in Melbourne.

Police charged eight men after raids across Melbourne on Tuesday night, during which guns, explosives and cash were seized.

The raids came a day after the Hells Angels Seaford clubhouse in the city's south was sprayed with bullets.

Hells Angels member Dennis Basic, 33, of Frankston, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with 13 offences, including making explosives and illegally possessing seven guns.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Jelena Popovic was told the members of the two gangs would require separate dates for their committal mention hearings.

Comanchero members Gemino Aloia, 26, of Glenroy, Bemir Saracevic, 26, of Cranbourne North, Emir Jaha, 27, of Mt Martha, and Mark Balsillie, 29, of Gladstone Park also faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Additional police and security officers were present in the court room and outside the building.

Basic's charges were adjourned until December 20, while the other four men were remanded to appear on the previous day.

None of the five applied for bail.

Police say the Seaford attack was in retaliation for a suspected Hells Angels shoot-up of two businesses owned by a rival Comanchero member.

High-powered military weapons such as AK-47s or M1 carbines were used in both shootings, police say.

Also charged after the raids are Bashkim Gashi, 30, of Dandenong North and Mohammed Khodr, 26, of Balwyn North.

All three are expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

A ninth man, aged 22, was charged late on Wednesday with drugs, weapons and explosives offences.

Police said the man, with alleged links to the Hells Angels, was arrested in Carrum Downs by Special Operations Group officers.

The man, from Carrum Downs, has been bailed to appear at the Frankston Magistrates Court on November 27.

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Gateway upgrade will swallow properties

More than 20 properties may have to be compulsorily acquired for a north Brisbane road project. Source: AAP

MORE than 20 properties including an historic racecourse may have to be compulsorily acquired to make way for north Brisbane's newest road project.

Queensland's Transport Minister Scott Emerson says some properties in the path of the $1.3 billion Gateway Upgrade North project, between Nudgee and Bracken Ridge, will be resumed.

But he says most of them are owned by the state government or council.

"There's about four properties that are privately owned at the moment but the negotiations have already started proceeding with those," Mr Emerson told reporters.

"One is the Deagon Racecourse. There's (also) one that is privately owned by an individual."

The 128 year old Deagon Racecourse is primarily used as a racehorse training facility.

Mr Emerson said most of the affected properties wouldn't be demolished, but instead have land taken off them.

The project, which is due to be put to tender next year, will widen an existing a roadway between Nudgee and Bracken Ridge.

The government expected to complete the project within five years.

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WA devils Saxon and Vandal NSW-bound

Tasmanian Devils from a Perth zoo are being moved to NSW to add variety to a breeding program. Source: AAP

TASMANIAN Devils from a zoo south of Perth are being moved to a NSW wildlife park to add genetic variety to a breeding program.

The two devils, Saxon and Vandal, are half-brothers to Itchy, Scratchy, and Genghis - the trio that hit headlines last year when they escaped from Peel Zoo in Pinjarra and were recovered days later thanks to help from the public.

Saxon and Vandal are on their way to Featherdale Wildlife Park in Sydney, where it's hoped they will breed, adding genetic diversity to the resident colony.

Peel Zoo co-owner David Cobbold said the facility played an important role in providing the nocturnal carnivores to other organisations that lacked appropriate breeding facilities. It started with four devils and has so far bred 15.

"It's quite a big feather in our cap," Mr Cobbold told AAP.

"Their DNA could be extremely valuable to the breeding program."

He said testing of Saxon and Vandal's DNA was necessary to see if they were suitable for breeding and that was being undertaken at the University of Sydney.

Peel Zoo's original four devils were obtained from Tasmania Zoo and East Coast Natureworld, but there was no record of their lineage," Mr Cobbald said.

"There's nothing known about our devils. We don't know who their parents were."

Collecting the tissue samples from all 18 of the feisty critters had proved tricky - and it had to be done twice.

"Using a hole-punch on a devil's ear isn't the easiest job," Mr Cobbold said.

If Saxon and Vandal aren't deemed suitable for breeding, they will be sent to a zoo - possibly overseas - to display to the public and hopefully raise awareness about conserving the endangered species, which is being ravaged by a contagious facial tumour disease.

"They're quite iconic and extremely important, but not quite as cute as a panda, so they don't get as much attention," Mr Cobbold said.

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ASIC clarifies action on RBA

THE corporate regulator has backed away from suggestions it has thoroughly investigated potential breaches by senior public servants over an alleged corrupt deal linking the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to the regime of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said on Tuesday the bribery allegations would be considered, though a statute of limitations applied.

The clarification came after it issued a statement on Monday about potential Corporations Act breaches by directors of the RBA's subsidiaries Securency and Note Printing Australia (NPA).

The regulator said charges had been laid over allegations that representatives from the NPA attended business meetings in Iraq at the height of UN sanctions with the Middle East country.

ASIC said it had worked with federal police to determine if company directors had breached the Corporations Act by trying to set up a deal to upgrade Iraqi currency by supplying polymer bank notes.

On Tuesday, ASIC said its Monday statement mentioned that it had reviewed more than 10,000 pages of documents provided by Australian Federal Police before deciding not to take the matter further.

ASIC says some media organisations were now suggesting those 10,000 pages related specifically to Iraq bribery allegations.

"This is not the case. The material ASIC examined related to alleged conduct in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Nepal," ASIC's statement said.

"The Iraq bribery allegations will be considered but it must be stressed that a six-year statute of limitations applies to civil penalty cases."

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Kathy Lette opens up about her son, Julius

AUTHOR Kathy Lette has no shortage of funny stories about her son, Julius.

There's the occasion when he asked about her apparent facial hair when she was in the middle of a dinner with Hugh Jackman.

Then there's the time 12-year-old Julius met Tony Blair at Downing Street.

"I said, 'Oh Jules, this is the Prime Minister, Tony Blair' and my son said, 'You're the one my mother calls Tony Blah Blah'.

"You just think, let me die now.

"You have to strap a shock absorber to your brain so you're not continuously mortified."

Lette is best known as the co-author of the novel, Puberty Blues, which was adapted into a television series, airing in 2012. A second series is now in production.

Julius inspired Lette's latest book, The Boy Who Fell To Earth, which is being made into a film by Emily Mortimer.

She says raising a child on the autism spectrum like Julius can be heartbreaking, but also hysterically and accidentally funny.

"They're so candid, they say whatever they are thinking at any time.

"It's almost like they have taken a truth serum.

"Truth is quite a rare commodity these days."

Lette will be in Melbourne this week to discuss not only the obstacles special needs children and their families face, but also how people with autism can contribute to society in the most positive and fascinating ways.

Diagnostic hindsight suggests Vincent Van Gogh, Albert Einstein and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were probably on the autism spectrum, Lette says.

Julius is now 22 and living in his own flat while studying acting at university, but Lette says raising him taught her what really matters in life.

"He has made me a better person in many ways because it does teach you not to be judgmental and it does teach you to be compassionate," she says.

"And also to take joy from little things, little achievements, not always be thinking about all the things you haven't got and you haven't done.

"When he got a girlfriend a few months ago, to me, that was better than winning the Nobel Prize for Literature to see him so happy."

Another of Lette's books, To Love, Honour and Betray, is being made into a BBC series set in Cronulla, NSW, she says.

Now, much to the horror of her human rights barrister husband Geoffrey Robertson, Lette is casting her satirical eyes over the legal profession.

"I think he wants to lock me away in maximum security prison so I don't send up his world but it's ripe for satire," she says.

* Kathy Lette will give the keynote address at the Festival of Ideas on October 4 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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Clive Palmer's margin slims to three

CLIVE Palmer's lead has shrunk to just three votes in the Queensland federal seat of Fairfax.

A recount of preferences is under way in the Sunshine Coast seat after Mr Palmer finished 36 votes ahead of Liberal National Party candidate Ted O'Brien when the Australian Electoral Commission completed initial counting after the September 7 poll.

Margins less than 100 trigger a recount.

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Chopper Read admitted to hospital: manager

CRIME figure and author Mark "Chopper" Read has been admitted to hospital as his battle with liver cancer continues.

Read was admitted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Monday with an ongoing and serious illness, his manager Andrew Parisi said in a statement.

"Neither Mark or his family will be providing any information regarding his prognosis and would appreciate privacy in these most difficult times," he said in the statement.

Read spent more than 23 years in jail up until 1998 for crimes including armed robbery, assault and kidnapping.

He was portrayed by Eric Bana in the 2000 film Chopper, and his autobiographical books have made him Australia's best-selling true crime author.

In April 2012 he revealed that he had cancer and at the time said doctors had told him he may have weeks or up to six years left to live.

At the time he tweeted: "Looks like the big C has finally bitten".

This year Chopper has looked increasingly weak at his public appearances.

Only last week, vision from his show A Night with Chopper showed an emotional Chopper as he hugged his wife and 10-year-old son.

And in a newspaper interview earlier this month he said that he was told by doctors he would not live beyond Christmas, but was "not worried about dying".

Mr Parisi said the media would be advised of Read's condition in coming days.

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36 confirmed dead in Indon boat tragedy

The death toll after the sinking of an asylum-seeker boat off Java last week has risen to 36. Source: AAP

THE death toll after the sinking of an asylum-seeker boat off Java last week has risen to 36, with Indonesian authorities now conceding the search operation is now about recovering the dead rather than finding anyone else alive.

Four more bodies, including those of two children, were found on Monday morning, bringing the toll to 36 dead and authorities say more than 20 people are missing, feared drowned.

Just 28 asylum seekers have been found alive since the boat, which was carrying about 80 people from Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq, broke apart near a beach in the district of Agrabinta in West Java on Friday morning.

The Lebanese foreign ministry has confirmed there were 68 Lebanese, including children, on board the ill-fated vessel.

An official from the Indonesian search and rescue agency, BASARNAS, says the recovery operation will continue throughout Monday.

"There's still a chance we may find more bodies so we still continue with the search today," he said.

However, authorities have already acknowledged there is very little hope of finding any more survivors.

The latest tragedy in waters between Indonesia and Australia - the first known fatal attempted crossing under the coalition government - comes amid an increase in tensions between Canberra and Jakarta over the asylum-seeker issue.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott arrives in Jakarta on Monday for a two-day visit, where his refugee policies are expected to be top of the agenda in discussions with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

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Labor leadership contenders visit Perth

About 500 party members and supporters gathered in Perth to hear ALP leadership contenders speak. Source: AAP

BILL Shorten came to a Labor party members' forum sausage sizzle in Perth dressed in a smart-casual shirt and trousers, while Anthony Albanese wore a Rip Curl shirt and jeans.

Perhaps that says something about their different approaches to tackling the federal Labor leadership contest.

Despite their differences, the pair have kept their rivalry friendly and as each addressed the 500 people gathered at Hyde Park on Monday - a public holiday in Western Australia - both agreed to work with whoever won the leadership battle.

For the first time, rank and file party members will have their say in choosing Labor's leader and both contenders were given 10 minutes to convince members why they should be leader.

Mr Albanese said he believed he could unite the party, reminding members that he was leader of the house when it was a "fairly difficult" parliament that still managed to pass 596 pieces of legislation.

"I think I'm in a very strong position to advance Labor's cause, to defend our legacy, hold the Abbott government to account, but also help develop Labor's new agenda," he said to cheers from the crowd.

Mr Albanese also used part of his speech as an opportunity to remind Western Australians that the new coalition government had slashed the amount of federal infrastructure funding going to the state.

He said Prime Minister Tony Abbott had left a $500 million hole in the WA government's plans to build a light rail network through Perth's northern suburbs and a new rail line to the city's airport.

Mr Abbott had also withdrawn funding for other projects including $140.6 million for three new interchanges along the Tonkin Highway, $307.8 million for upgrades to the Great Northern Highway between Muchea and Wubin, and $174 million for improvements to the North West Coastal Highway, Mr Albanese said.

Mr Shorten was more impassioned during his address, telling members he wanted to make Mr Abbott history and present a brave Labor party.

"We need to be a party who people want to vote for because they like us, not because they just don't like the other mob," he said.

"We need to make it clear that we're not anti-mining.

"I just don't confuse people who own mining companies with miners. The miners do the work."

Mr Shorten said he also wanted to tackle domestic violence and promised that factions would not run Labor.

The former union boss also drew applause when he said Australia should be pro-immigration.

"We should not shy away from saying the refugees are a legitimate part of the Australian population," he said.

Among the attendees was WA Labor leader Mark McGowan and opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt.

Mr McGowan told reporters the event gave people a feeling of empowerment and made sure leadership aspirants were in touch with members.

The leadership contest will be decided by a nationwide ballot of party members before the caucus meets for a vote on October 10.

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