16-year-old survives stowaway flight drama

AN FBI agent says a 16-year-old US boy who stowed away in the wheel well of a flight from California to Hawaii has no memory of the trip and is lucky to be alive.

The teen survived the trip halfway across the Pacific Ocean unharmed despite frigid temperatures at 38,000 feet (11,500 metres) and a lack of oxygen.

FBI spokesman Tom Simon in Honolulu said on Sunday night the boy was questioned after being discovered on the tarmac at the Maui airport with no identification.

"Kid's lucky to be alive," Simon said.

Simon said security footage from the San Jose airport verified that the boy hopped a fence to get to Hawaiian Airlines Flight 45 on Sunday morning.

The teen had run away from his family after an argument, Simon said. When the flight landed in Maui, the boy hopped down from the wheel well and started wandering around the airport grounds, he said.

"He was unconscious for the lion's share of the flight," Simon said. The flight lasted about 5 1/2 hours.

Hawaiian Airlines spokeswoman Alison Croyle said airline personnel noticed the boy on the ramp after the flight arrived and immediately notified airport security.

"Our primary concern now is for the well-being of the boy, who is exceptionally lucky to have survived," Croyle said.

Simon said the boy was medically screened and found to be unharmed.

"Doesn't even remember the flight," Simon said. "It's amazing he survived that."

The boy will not be charged and was referred to child protective services, Simon said.

In August, a 13- or 14-year-old boy in Nigeria survived a 35-minute trip in the wheel well of a domestic flight after stowing away. Authorities credited the flight's short duration.

Others stowing away in wheel wells have died, including a 16-year-old killed after stowing away aboard a flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston in 2010 and a man who fell on to a suburban London street from a flight from Angola in 2012.

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Royals' quiet day makes news

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend a day of rest in Canberra before heading north. Source: AAP

THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were supposed to be having a day free of official engagements, spending the day in Canberra but it proved too tempting for the paparazzi.

The royal couple and their baby were photographed unawares in the ground of Government House at Yarralumla, with vision making news broadcasts across the country.

Kate was filmed taking a stroll with her son in the grounds, with the images showing Prince George being carried on his mother's shoulders, pushed in a buggy and on Kate's lap as the pair played together.

William and Kate were also filmed without their knowledge walking hand in hand along the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin, casually dressed in shirts, jumpers and jeans. At one point, Kate is captured giving an odd little kick.

The pictures taken on a rest day during their tour Down Under may be seen by aides as an intrusion into the couple's privacy.

Although there has been no official word from Kensington Palace, it was tweeted that the palace has requested that the media refrain from intruding on the family's privacy.

On Tuesday, William and Kate will tour Uluru.

The visit will be only their second night away from their son during their 19-day tour of Australia and New Zealand. George, who turns nine months on Tuesday, is expected to remain in Canberra with his nanny.

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NSW police breath-test 60,000 during blitz

ALMOST 60,000 people have been breath tested by NSW police who have issued more than 2000 traffic fines and charged 58 motorists with drink driving during the Easter road blitz.

They've handed out 910 speeding notices and another 1,500 tickets for other offences since Operation Tortoise began on Friday.

On Sunday afternoon, a 25-year-old man was breath tested after Deniliquin police saw him swerve onto the wrong side of the road.

He allegedly blew 0.261, more than five times the limit, and was charged with high-range drink driving and is due before Finlay Local Court in June.

A 19-year-old woman was on Sunday morning charged after being caught behind the wheel with an alleged blood-alcohol concentration of 0.163.

She also caught the attention of police while driving down the wrong side of a Cronulla road.

In the early hours of Monday morning a man, 24, was allegedly clocked speeding through a 80km/h zone at 140 km/h.

"The driver was issued a traffic infringement notice for exceeding speed by more than 45km/h and his licence was suspended for a period of six months," police said.

Traffic and highway patrol's commander Assistant Commissioner John Hartley said it's disappointing people were drink-driving despite consistent warnings from police.

"If you're going out to have a drink you need to find another way home, driving is simply not an option," he said.

Despite the heavy traffic only two people have died, down from three during Easter last year.

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More than 400 charges in Operation Unite

MORE than 400 charges have been laid for assaults and drink driving offences in Western Australia during the eighth Operation Unite targeting alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour.

Total statistics from Thursday to Sunday night included 433 charges, 165 arrests and 200 summons.

They include 21 assaults, as well as 15 people caught driving under the influence, 43 people in excess of 0.08 per cent, 12 people in excess of 0.05 per cent and two people in excess of 0.02 per cent.

Specialist squads made up of officers from the Liquor Enforcement Unit and the Regional Operations Group joined the operation in WA for the first time.

Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said last week that the excessive consumption of alcohol was still the most significant factor contributing to night-time violence.

Operation Unite is not about restricting people from having a good time, it is about continuing to raise community awareness about the dangers of determined drunkenness and the impact it has on others, he said.

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Picture perfect royals visit the zoo

IT was the picture perfect moment the world had been waiting for.

Royal baby Prince George giggled, smiled and played his way through just his second public engagement - a trip to the zoo with his parents Prince William and Kate on Sunday.

The trio arrived at Sydney's Taronga Zoo to visit the bilby enclosure named after Prince George as part of Australia's gift marking his birth on July 22 last year.

It was just the fifth time the royal tot, who is almost nine months old, had been seen in public on this trip.

Dressed in royal blue shorts and a striped, light blue shirt and blue shoes and socks, he appeared to wriggle mischievously in Kate's arms as the family strolled to the bilby enclosure.

For much of this royal tour of New Zealand and Australia, the eyes of the world have been trained on Kate and her fashion choices.

For the zoo, she had changed out of the dove-grey Alexander McQueen outfit she had worn to an Easter church service, into a lemon cream broderie anglaise dress.

At the enclosure, George met a bilby - also called George, then helped his parents unveil a plaque, renaming the enclosure the Prince George Bilby Exhibit.

Bilby keeper Paul Davies said the royal couple were relaxed with George inside the enclosure.

"All of a sudden they were just a family in the zoo," Mr Davies said.

He said at one point George wanted to grab the bilby's ear.

"I said 'he can touch the bilby', but they said no, he (the bilby) will have one ear less," Mr Davies said.

After the bilbies, George returned to Admiralty House and William and Kate viewed other animals at Taronga.

They fed tree kangaroos, strolled past giraffes, enjoyed a bird show, and took in the rhino conservation display.

At the bird show, the couple had galahs and owls swooping just centimetres above their heads.

Taronga Zoo bird trainer Brendan Host presented the bird show, before introducing the duke and duchess to two echidnas, a quokka and a koala named Leuca.

"I think Kate was very taken with Leuca," Mr Host, 27, told reporters after the show.

"She didn't realise the koala would smell the way it did because they eat eucalyptus leaves.

"I think she just really enjoyed the moment."

The royals posed with Leuca and the echidnas with iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House in the background.

This was Australia - as much as the royals - on show.

As he touched the koala, William commented: "This is the moment everyone's been waiting for."

The couple also heard about a number of Australia's endangered species at the bird show - and appeared to take a keen interest.

Taronga Zoo volunteer Meghan was in the audience at the bird show and said the duchess looked "incredible".

"She's stunning, she's perfectly put together, there's never anything out of place."

Michael, 49, at the zoo with his three-year-old son Jimmy, described George as "quite a handsome little man.

"And the duke and duchess; they're a beautiful couple of course."

He said Jimmy "wanted to have a little bit of a play" with the young prince, adding that he hoped the royals had a "great day out" at the zoo.

The duke and duchess finished their tour at the rhino conservation area and the Taronga Wild!, a mass public art exhibition and community conservation initiative raising awareness and support for Taronga's black rhinoceros breeding program.

They also met John Scanlon, secretary-general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

"The duke speaks passionately about his child - Prince George - having the opportunity to see these animals in the wild," Mr Scanlon said afterwards.

"He's very passionate and engaged in this issue."

In February, William attended a high-level summit on the illegal wildlife trade in London alongside his father Prince Charles and brother Prince Harry to ensure the "survival of some of the world's most treasured species" and set up his own initiative, a wildlife charity, United For Wildlife.

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China car show opens with fanfare

Global and Chinese automakers are unveiling their new vehicles at Auto China 2014 this week. Source: AAP

LEADING car makers have gathered in Beijing for China's biggest car show, expressing confidence in the world's largest car market although lacklustre growth and environmental restrictions have thrown uncertainty into the mix.

More than 1100 vehicles are on show at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in the capital's suburbs, which opens on Monday.

General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and Hyundai are among the manufacturers taking part, along with SAIC and Dongfeng, China's top two domestic automakers.

At Ford's display, president and CEO Alan Mulally arrived in a bright red Mustang, the latest incarnation of the iconic model celebrating its 50th year.

The expo comes as a growing number of Chinese cities are restricting the number of cars, in a bid to battle pollution and congestion - moves that analysts warn could cut into purchases.

The eastern city of Hangzhou, a popular tourist destination, last month became the sixth major city to implement such a restriction, with some estimates placing the limit at 80,000 car plates a year.

China's car sales jumped by 13.9 per cent to 21.98 million vehicles last year. But that growth hit a speed bump in March, slowing to a 6.6 per cent year-on-year rise after reaching a record 17.8 per cent high in January.

China's economy has also turned in its weakest performance in 18 months, growing 7.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2014.

Despite the concerns, industry players and analysts say the China market's importance to global manufacturers cannot be overstated.

"I think the market for cars is going to continue to be fantastic," Mulally said on Sunday, adding that the promise of increased domestic spending outweighed concerns about congestion.

China's overall plan "to move to a consumer-based economy" was a key factor "that reduces risk", he said.

"We are also working with all of the cities and the government because just to add more cars in the cities is not going to be the answer," he said.

Ford has opened three plants in China since 2012, with four more under construction, Mulally said.

"This is part of our biggest global manufacturing expansion in 50 years," he said.

Karsten Engel, president and CEO of BMW's operations in China, said the German manufacturer would introduce 10 new models to China this year, and carry out more manufacturing and research and development inside the country.

"All these efforts are based on our confidence in the long-term development of our success here," he said.

Further underscoring China's significance, French auto giant Peugeot Citroen's agreed earlier this year to hand over part control to Dongfeng and the French state.

German giant Daimler said last month that it had signed a deal worth 1 billion euros ($A1.485) with Chinese partner Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation to expand production at their joint venture in Beijing.

South Korea's largest automaker Hyundai Motor also announced in March that it was planning a fourth plant in China.

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Pope calls for solidarity at Easter mass

Pope Francis has baptised 10 people at an Easter Vigil in St Peter's Basilica. Source: AAP

POPE Francis has celebrated Easter mass with a message of social solidarity as the world's Orthodox marked a holiday marred by bitter divisions over Ukraine and clashes breaking out in Jerusalem.

Francis led the ceremony for the holiest day in the Christian calendar on St Peter's Square, which will be followed by a special blessing and address to crowds of Catholic faithful in the famous Vatican piazza.

Swiss Guards and cardinals could be seen as tens of thousands of people crowded into St Peter's Square and the main avenue leading up to the Vatican, which was decorated with 35,000 flowers donated by Dutch growers.

At an Easter vigil on Saturday, Francis asked Catholics to bring "the fire which Jesus has kindled in the world... to all people, to the very ends of the Earth".

Francis said the core of the Easter message was about returning to the basics and asking: "Have I gone off on roads and paths which made me forget it?"

This is Francis's second Easter since he was elected by fellow cardinals in March last year promising to make the Catholic Church less "Vatican-centric", more transparent and closer to ordinary people.

On Good Friday, Francis attended a traditional torch-lit ceremony at the Colosseum in Rome where he called for help to "abandoned people" and railed against "the monstrosity of humankind".

Prayers read out during the event honouring Christian martyrs past and present touched on pressing contemporary social issues including drug addiction, unemployment, prison overcrowding and domestic abuse.

The Vatican almoner meanwhile dispensed charity on the pope's behalf to homeless people sleeping rough around Rome's main train station Termini, handing out an Easter greeting card and 50-euro ($A74) notes.

At the start of four days of Easter rituals on Maundy Thursday, the pope washed the feet of 12 disabled people at a centre in Rome in a new take on a traditional ceremony inspired by Christ's humility.

Easter this year coincides with the Orthodox calendar and Ukraine's government said it was holding off on a confrontation with pro-Russian insurgents in eastern Ukraine until after the Easter holidays.

But four people were reported killed in a gunbattle at a barricade in the volatile eastern Ukrainian town of Slavyansk on Sunday, a local leader told journalists.

And there was a bitter war of words between religious leaders, with Kiev's Patriarch Filaret thundering that Russia was an "enemy" whose "attack" was doomed to failure because it was evil and against God's will.

In Moscow, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill prayed for God in turn to put "an end to the designs of those who want to destroy Holy Russia" and said Ukraine was "spiritually and historically" at one with Russia.

There were also tensions in Jerusalem amid Easter celebrations, with Israeli police arresting 16 Palestinians as they clashed with demonstrators at the Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City - a sensitive holy site revered by Christians, Jews and Muslims.

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Former NSW premier Neville Wran dies

LONG-TIME NSW premier Neville Wran has died after a long illness, aged 87.

His wife Jill Hickson said in a statement to AAP that Mr Wran died just before 6pm on Sunday evening.

Ms Hickson was with him and all his family close by.

Mr Wran has been suffering from dementia and has been under special care for the past two years.

"This is of course a very sad time for us all, but in fact a blessed release for Neville," Ms Hickson said.

"Dementia is a cruel fate and I have been grieving the loss that comes with it for some years. But I hope now, especially this political climate, people will join me in celebrating the life of a great man, a true political hero."

She paid special tribute the nursing staff of Lulworth House who had been caring for the former premier.

"They really are angels," she said.

He led the Labor government in NSW from May 1976 to July 1986.

MORE TO COME

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NSW deaths push road toll to seven

THE nation's Easter road toll stands at seven following two fatal NSW collisions.

The latest death was that of a cyclist, killed instantly when struck by a car on Sydney's north shore on Saturday afternoon.

Police said the male driver of the Mercedes sedan was uninjured but had been taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.

Two-and-a-half hours earlier, a man was killed when his car and a truck collided in the state's north at Tyndale.

The deceased driver is yet to be identified, while the man behind the wheel of the truck and his passenger both suffered non life-threatening injuries and were taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash and witnesses are urged to come forward. A report will also be prepared for the Coroner.

The deaths follow tragedies in Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland over the holiday period.

Three of the fatalities were on WA roads and involved young men aged 17-20.

A Chinese tourist was killed in Tasmania and a Queensland woman died after being struck by a car.

The 67-year-old woman died on the way to hospital on Thursday after she was hit by a station wagon while crossing the road in Beaudesert, south of Brisbane.

On Thursday afternoon, a 17-year-old boy died after being thrown from a car which rolled several times on the Gnaraloo-Quobba Road near the West Australian town of Carnarvon.

The East Carnarvon boy was taken to Carnarvon Regional Hospital but was unable to be revived.

Hours later, a 20-year-old man was killed when his Ford Falcon ute hit a tree on Collie-Williams Road near Collie.

His passenger, a 22-year-old man from Bunbury, was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital after a passing motorist pulled him from the burning wreckage.

On Thursday night, a 19-year-old Bruce Rock man died after his car hit a large tree near Bruce Rock east of Perth.

Also on Thursday, a 32-year-old Chinese tourist died following a head-on collision on a Tasmanian highway.

The woman from China was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by her 30-year-old husband.

Their Volkswagen hatchback collided with the Hyundai delivery van on the Bass Highway, west of Port Latta.

The couple were taken to the North West Regional Hospital, where the woman died. The man has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a serious condition.

(EDS: The Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 17 to 2359 April 21)

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Abbott 'world's worst tipster': Tony's dad

PM Tony Abbott's dad says 'Tony is the world's worst tipster' when it comes to horse racing. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott may know about politics but he's not so good when it comes to horse racing - just ask his dad.

"Tony would be the worst tipster in the world on racing," Dick Abbott said of his son during a short break from their lunch outing at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Mr Abbott and his wife Margie had accompanied Mr Abbott's parents to day two of the rich new Championships carnival at Randwick.

The prime minister was in an upbeat mood, saying his day had started well with a 55km bike ride.

"And now I can I guess eat and drink to my heart's content this afternoon," he said.

Mr Abbott was not answering questions about a week of highs and lows that saw him welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, to Australia on the same day his NSW Liberal colleague Barry O'Farrell resigned as state premier in sensational circumstances.

"I guess this is a week of sad endings and happy beginnings," Mr Abbott said.

The one tip staunch monarchist Mr Abbott was prepared to volunteer was for Carlton House, a horse owned by Queen Elizabeth and trained by Gai Waterhouse.

"I guess it couldn't have a better owner and you couldn't have a better trainer," the prime minister said.

He wasn't doing his own betting, however.

"I've sought advice and I've given $50 to my racing investment adviser and I've asked him to try to make sure he comes back with more than $50," Mr Abbott said, not revealing who that adviser might be.

Mr Abbott was filling in for the visiting royals, who were unable to attend Randwick for the presentation to the winner of the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday afternoon.

The outing was also a belated 90th birthday treat for Mr Abbott senior.

The prime ministerial party dined in the Directors' Room in Randwick's new grandstand as guests of Racing NSW with broadcaster Alan Jones and former News Limited boss John Hartigan at their table.

On the menu were starters of king prawns, rock oysters and Alaskan king crab while the main course was a choice of veal fillet and rock lobster medallions or poached pink snapper fillet with gingered kumera.

Dick and Mr Abbott's mother Fay are keen racegoers and have been members at Randwick for 35 years.

"I first came to the Randwick track in the 1960s when I was a kid," Mr Abbott said.

"Visits have been few and far between since then."

The PM said it was "nice to be able to give something back to your parents".

Fay Abbott said she favoured It's a Dundeel.

"I think it might be a quinella race - the Queen's horse Carlton House and It's a Dundeel," she said.

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