Delhi gang-rape case in court

THE case of five men accused of the gang-rape and murder of a student on a New Delhi bus was set to be transferred to a fast-track trial court, as her boyfriend recounted for the first time his efforts to save her.

The horrifying crime has appalled India and brought simmering anger over widespread crime against women to the boil amid demands for safer streets, more sensitive policing and a change in social attitudes.

Police arrested six suspects soon after the attack and formally charged five of them in court on Thursday with murder, rape and kidnap. One of them claims to be a juvenile aged 17, who is undergoing a bone test to check his age.

A district court was due to hold its second hearing on Saturday and is expected to transfer the case of the five men to a special "fast-track" court set up amid a public outcry and demands for the culprits to be hanged.

Adding to the anger and soul-searching underway in India was the first description of events from the boyfriend of the 23-year-old physiotherapy student, who was with her when they were attacked.

"The cruelty I saw should not be seen ever," the 28-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told AFP of the savagery of the assault, which left the woman with such serious internal injuries that she died last weekend.

"I tried to fight against the men but later I begged them again and again to leave her," he said from his family's home in rural northern India where he is taking time out from his job at a software firm in the capital.

The 28-year-old recounted bitterly how passers-by had failed to come to their rescue after they were thrown out of the moving vehicle without clothes after their ordeal.

He also criticised police for failing to be sensitive to their mental condition after the attack, and raised questions about the emergency care given in the public hospital which admitted his girlfriend.

"A passerby found us (after the attack), but he did not even give my friend his jacket. We waited for the police to come and save us," he told AFP.

Later Friday, he appeared for the first time in public since the attack, giving an anguished interview to Hindi-language Indian cable channel Zee News, in which he again criticised police and onlookers for failing to help.

"They could have taken us to hospital, given us clothes in that crucial one and half hours. For a dying person every minute is important," he told the channel, adding that police had taken 45 minutes to reach the scene.

Police told AFP on Saturday they had filed a case against the channel because the interview - which showed the boyfriend in full view - had illegally disclosed the identity of a rape victim.

The Committee for the Protection of Journalists criticised the move in a statement.

The man, who said he was "in love" with the victim but declined to comment on statements from friends that they were to marry, told AFP how events had quickly spiralled out of control on the bus.

The couple had been to see the film Life of Pi at an upmarket shopping mall and were finding it difficult to flag down a rickshaw afterwards.

"I was not very confident about getting into the bus but my friend was running late, so we got into it. This was the biggest mistake I made and after that everything went out of control," he said.

The boyfriend told how the driver and his accomplices allegedly made lewd remarks before stopping the vehicle and locking the doors.

"They hit me with a small stick and dragged my friend to a seat near the driver's cabin," he said.

After that the "driver and the other men raped my friend and hit her in the worst possible ways in the most private parts of her body".

"I cannot tell you what I feel when I think of it. I shiver in pain," he said, adding that police had eventually arrived but were dismissive of their mental condition.

"I was treated like an object by the police... They wanted all the help to solve the case even before getting me the right treatment," he said.

He added that he was "not satisfied" at the treatment his girlfriend was given at the government-run Safdarjung Hospital.

"Anywhere in the world the prognosis was not very good to start with," Yatin Mehta, a highly experienced critical care specialist at the private Medanta hospital, who helped with her treatment, told AFP.

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Vic fire fighters set for Tassie

A CONTINGENT of 65 Victorians is preparing to head to Tasmania to help battle the bushfires.

Victorian Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said planning is under way to send the crews to assist as parts of Tasmania's east coast have been cut off by bushfires.

"We will send crews that will leave Sunday evening to work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday," Mr Lapsley told AAP.

"They'll be crews that are both incident management teams, aircraft positions, so those that will manage and fly, and crews on the trucks."

The blaze on the Tasman Peninsula, east of Hobart, continues to burn out of control.

It has claimed least 80 properties and left thousands of people isolated on Friday night, spurred on by record high temperatures.

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Tas alert on Forcett fire downgraded

THE major fire at Bicheno in Tasmania's east has been downgraded and the Tasman Highway has been reopened.

The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) has issued an "advice" alert level for the fire, which was earlier classified at an emergency warning level.

The TFS says the fire danger rating in the area is low to moderate, and there is no immediate threat to communities.

The Tasman Highway has been re-opened and motorists are being urged to be cautious due to possible smoke and emergency services vehicles in the area.

The fire is still not under control and authorities say people may experience embers, smoke and ash falling on Coles Bay Road, south of Apsley River, and the Tasman Highway, south of Bicheno.

Back burning off the Cole Bay Road will continue through the night and residents are advised that they should not be alarmed if there is more smoke in this area.

Earlier, the fire at Forcett, east of Hobart, was downgraded to a watch and act level as cooler weather spread across the island state.

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Pet Perth pooch leads cops to drugs, gun

A frightened pet dog has led concerned police officers to a drug stash and an illegal shotgun. Source: AAP

THE owners of a timid dog may be wondering if the canine is their best friend after it led police to their drug stash.

Officers noticed the fierce-looking, but scared, mastiff cross in their car park on Friday.

When they approached the dog, it ran into traffic.

Concerned, the police followed the mutt down a laneway opposite the station.

The dog went to a unit in Hinderwell Street, where police say they found drugs and cash on a table.

An unlicensed shotgun and ammunition were allegedly found in a car on the premises and other drugs were found in the house.

A 31-year-old man from Queens Park will appear in Perth Magistrates Court on January 10 charged with possessing an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

A 45-year-old Beverley woman is expected to be charged with possession of amphetamines and possession of a smoking implement.

A 32-year-old Scarborough man is expected to be charged with allowing the home to be used for drug taking and for possessing a prohibited drug.

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Hong Kong stocks end 0.29% lower

HONG Kong shares have ended 0.29 per cent lower after a rally in the previous two sessions was capped by concerns the US Federal Reserve will end its monetary easing scheme earlier than expected.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index shed 67.51 points to 23,331.09 at Friday's close on turnover of HK$77.49 billion ($10.0 billion).

However, the slight dip after rising 3.3 per cent over Wednesday and Thursday was just "a healthy technical correction", said KGI Asia chief operating officer Ben Kwong.

"The two drivers for the Hong Kong market's uptrend - the China recovery story and abundant liquidity - remain intact," he told Dow Jones Newswires.

While fiscal cliff woes have been put off, minutes from the Fed's December meeting show a growing bias towards some policy tightening this year, with some members looking to end its asset purchases during 2013 and others by the end of the year.

The Fed in September unveiled its third bond-buying scheme - called quantitative easing (QE3) - to boost growth, saying it would not stop until the economy was up on its feet. And in December it added to that scheme.

Banking giant HSBC fell 1.56 per cent to HK$82.00, China Mobile slipped 0.87 per cent to HK$90.65 and Haitong Securities fell 3.3 per cent to HK$12.96.

Mainland developer Hopson rose 10.5 per cent to HK$16.06 and bourse operator Hongkong Exchanges also outperformed, closing 2.0 per cent higher at HK$142.60.

Chinese shares closed up 0.35 per cent on their first day of trade for the year, following a near three per cent rise in the previous two sessions.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added 7.86 points to 2,276.99 on turnover of 114.6 billion yuan $US18.4 billion ($A17.66 billion).

The index gained 1.96 per cent in this week's two trading sessions - the market was closed from Tuesday for a three-day New Year holiday.

Analysts said sentiment was boosted by hopes for a rebound in the domestic economy after an improvement in manufacturing activity, but investors also expect Beijing to unveil pro-growth policies next month.

Steel makers gained after an industry group said manufacturing activity and new orders in the sector recovered in December.

Luyin Investment Group surged by its 10 per cent daily limit to 5.70 yuan while Fangda Special Steel Technology jumped 7.71 per cent to 4.19 yuan.

Construction companies ended higher. China Railway Construction gained 8.69 per cent to 6.38 yuan while China Railway Group rose 5.92 per cent to 3.22 yuan.

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China fines LG, Samsung, 4 others

CHINESE regulators have fined South Korean companies LG and Samsung and four Taiwanese companies on charges they fixed prices of flat panel screens sold to Chinese manufacturers.

The government announced on Friday that LG, Samsung and the Taiwanese companies were ordered to repay a total of 172 million yuan ($A25.91 million) to Chinese customers.

In addition, the companies were fined a total of 144 million yuan.

The Chinese Cabinet's economic planning agency said investigators found representatives of the six companies met dozens of times in 2001-06 to agree on prices to charge for flat-panel screens.

It said that improperly raised costs for Chinese manufacturers.

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Death report as Tas bushfire razes homes

TASMANIAN police say they are not able to confirm reports of a death in a huge bushfire in the state's south that has already destroyed homes, a school and an RSL club.

They say up to 65 buildings could have been damaged or destroyed in the small community of Dunalley, 56km southeast of Hobart.

They include the local school, RSL club, service station and houses, ABC television reported.

Around 15 houses at nearby Boomer Bay could also have been lost as the impact of catastrophic fire conditions in southern Tasmania begins to emerge.

Tasmania Police commissioner Scott Tilyard said no death had been confirmed.

"It really has the status of a rumour at this stage," he told the ABC.

But as a police boat was being sent to rescue people taking refuge on the waterfront at the top of the Tasman Peninsula, damage to property was becoming clearer.

"Reports are of anything up to about 65 buildings may have been impacted by the fire and that is the area where there has been an unconfirmed report that possibly there might have been one life lost," Mr Tilyard said.

Around 50 people were awaiting the arrival of the police vessel to help them evacuate but were safe, he said.

Huge plumes of smoke were visible from Hobart on Friday as the island capital sweltered through its hottest day on record.

Accompanying winds whipped up the two largest blazes that had started on Thursday; at Forcett, near Dunalley, and Lake Repulse near Mt Field National Park northwest of Hobart.

Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) Chief Officer Mike Brown said conditions on Friday had reached the catastrophic level in the rating system developed after the Black Saturday fires in Victoria.

"We reached catastrophic fire danger ratings at times during this afternoon," Chief Officer Brown told reporters.

"I don't think we're quite out of the woods yet.

On a day Hobart hit a top temperature of 41.8C - smashing the previous record of 40.8 set in 1976 - up to 40 fires were burning around the state.

The TFS used its emergency phone warning system to ask residents to leave the affected areas and police said around 80 per cent had chosen to go.

Near Dunalley, the TFS said it was too late to leave the communities of Connellys Marsh or Primrose Sands.

Those at Connellys Marsh were being advised the nearby beach was a safer option for them.

Carlton River Road was considered impassable and Primrose Sands residents were also being told to head to the nearby beach.

The popular Port Arthur tourist area was cut off after police closed the Arthur Highway, isolating the Tasman Peninsula.

The second major fire, which authorities suspect was started by a campfire, is affecting communities including Broad River, Jones River and Ellendale.

Late on Friday afternoon, the TFS upgraded a warning for another fire near Bicheno in that area.

Campers were being evacuated and residents were being encouraged to act on their bushfire plans or leave.

A large grass fire at Epping Forest in the state's north was also causing concern.

A mild southerly change was due in Hobart around midnight after conditions considered worse than 2006/7 when houses were lost on the state's east coast.

The change is unlikely to bring rain but could ignite more fires with lightning strikes, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

"Lighter winds tomorrow and milder temperatures and higher relative humidities will be of help," senior forecaster Malcolm Downing told AAP on Friday.

Hobart hit 41.8C at 4.05pm (AEDT), its highest temperature since record keeping started in 1883.

Authorities say smoke is likely to be visible for several hours and people sensitive to it should stay indoors.

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Nikkei up 2.82% on first trading day

TOKYO stocks have closed up 2.82 per cent on the first trading day of 2013, as the yen tumbles on relief over a US deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and huge spending cuts.

The Nikkei 225 index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which ended 2012 at its highest level since the March 2011 quake and tsunami disaster, added 292.93 points on Friday to 10,688.11.

The Topix index of all first-section issues gained 3.34 per cent or 28.71 points to 888.51.

"Japan's markets are opening relatively late after the US government acted, and thus they stand to benefit from the news as well as the enthusiastic response from other bourses," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of equities at SMBC Nikko Securities.

Global markets rallied after the US House of Representatives late on Tuesday passed a deal between the White House and Republicans to raise taxes on the rich and put off automatic $US109 billion ($A104.61 billion) budget cuts for two months.

The deal lifted the clouds of immediate crisis, sending the yen to its lowest level since July 2010 against the dollar.

The dollar rose to 87.73 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade, up from 87.19 yen in New York on Thursday afternoon. The euro was at 114.35 yen and $1.3034 from 113.80 yen and $1.3052.

The market is watching the next moves by Congress and President Barack Obama.

CLSA equity strategist Nicholas Smith said: "Thereafter (the) focus will be on who Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe wants to recommend as the new Bank of Japan governor."

Abe, who took office in December, has pressured the central bank to take aggressive easing steps to help drag Japan out of years of deflation and weak growth.

It has spawned speculation he will want someone willing to agree to his inflation target to replace current governor Masaaki Shirakawa, whose five-year tenure ends on April 8.

An equity trading director at a foreign brokerage said: "Players await US jobs figures tonight. There is currently no reason to sell the market, and a good jobs report will fuel more buying."

Friday was also the first trading day for Japan Exchange Group, which brought together The Tokyo Stock Exchange and Osaka Securities Exchange.

"We will aim for Asia's number one exchange that is selected by investors from around the world," the group's chief executive Atsushi Saito said at a ceremony at the Tokyo bourse.

Exporters were higher, with Toyota Motor up 6.36 per cent at 4,260 yen and Nikon up 5.14 per cent at 2,656 yen.

Among financials Nomura Holdings climbed 4.17 per cent to 524 yen and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group rose 3.53 per cent to 3,225 yen.

Embattled electronics firm Sharp fell 2.64 per cent to 295 yen after a report during the New Year break it was considering making a public share offering worth more than Y100 billion ($A1.10 billion) this year.

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European stocks steady after bumper gains

EUROPEAN stock markets have steadied, with dealers digesting the previous day's huge gains after US lawmakers agreed a deal to avert the so-called fiscal cliff.

In opening Thursday trade, London's FTSE 100 index of top companies edged 0.01 per cent higher to 6,028.22 points, while Frankfurt's DAX 30 index dropped 0.21 per cent to 7,762.13 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 0.21 per cent to 3,725.92.

Global stocks began 2013 with a bang on Wednesday after Washington sealed a last-minute deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of huge tax rises and spending cuts which would have pushed the United States back into recession, economists said.

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Macmahon get 2nd bid for construction unit

MACMAHON Holdings has received a second bid for its construction business after Indian-based Punj Lloyd Ltd said it was keen to better an agreed deal with Leighton Holdings.

Punj Lloyd said in a statement after the Australian market closed on Thursday its wholly-owned Sembawang Australia subsidiary had made an offer to buy Macmahon's construction operations for $25 million.

Sembawang president and chief executive Richard Grosvenor said the two companies were a strategic fit.

"Sembawang has always been eyeing Macmahon's construction business for over four years now and believe that the time is right to make this offer," Mr Grosvenor said in the statement.

Sembawang said the offer was the subject of satisfactory due diligence and board approval.

Punj Lloyd, an engineering and construction group, was listed on the national and Bombay stock exchange.

Macmahon said in December it would sell its construction activities to Leighton Holdings for $20 million and become a dedicated full service mining contractor.

Leighton owns about 24 per cent of Macmahon and is the company's largest shareholder.

While the effective date of the sale was December 31, 2012, the transaction required shareholder approval, with a vote due to be held at a Macmahon extraordinary general meeting scheduled for February.

Macmahon and Leighton did not respond to requests for comment.

Macmahon closed Thursday's local session up three cents, or 11.76 per cent, at 28.5 cents, while Leighton gained 47 cents, or 2.59 per cent, to $18.65.

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