Turkish journalist freed in Syria

A TURKISH journalist who went missing in Syria in August and was believed to have been held by government troops has been freed and handed to Turkish MPs touring the country.

"I am very happy, I am doing well," Cuneyt Unal was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as saying by telephone from Syria on Saturday.

One of the MPs, Hasan Akgol of Turkey's main CHP opposition party, told the agency that the cameraman was in good health.

The journalist and MPs were due to return to Turkey later in the day, Akgol said.

Cameraman Unal and his Jordanian colleague Bashar Fahmi, who were working for US broadcaster Al-Hurra, disappeared in the northern city of Aleppo on August 20.

The Anatolia report had no immediate information on Fahmi's whereabouts or fate.

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Afghan govt, Taliban urge inmate releases

THE Afghan government and Taliban said they wanted to see more of the latter's inmates released from Pakistani jails, in a move seen as a step to bring militants to the negotiating table before NATO's 2014 withdrawal.

An agreement was reached this week at a meeting between Pakistani government officials and Afghanistan's High Peace Council (HPC) in Islamabad that resulted in the release of a group of Taliban in Pakistan.

"We hope the releasing of Taliban prisoners from Pakistani jails continues and more Taliban who are willing for talks are released," the chief of Afghanistan's HPC, Salahuddin Rabbani, told reporters on Saturday in Kabul.

Afghan officials have pressed for the release of senior Taliban leaders held in Pakistan, believing they could help to bring militants to the negotiating table, to end over a decade of war ahead of the 2014 pull-out of US-led NATO troops.

Rabbani said nine members of the Taliban were released but the group did not include its former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was captured in Pakistan in 2010.

"Those who were released were also important members and they can help us in peace and negotiations," he said.

The Taliban - whose government was toppled by a US-led invasion in 2001, leading to an 11-year insurgency to regain power - welcomed the move, calling it a "positive step" to "increase trust between two neighbouring nations and people".

They also "requested the rest of the prisoners ... to be released", in a statement posted on one of their websites.

The militants have always publicly refused to negotiate directly with Kabul, calling the government of President Hamid Karzai a US puppet.

Preliminary contacts between the US and the Taliban in Doha were broken off in March when the militants failed to secure the release of five of their comrades held at the Guantanamo Bay prison on the US base in Cuba.

Support from Pakistan, which backed the Taliban regime that held power in Kabul from 1996 to 2001, is seen as crucial to peace in Afghanistan.

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Thousands rally against Slovenia austerity

THOUSANDS of people are protesting against salary cuts and other austerity measures in Slovenia, a struggling eurozone member that is in danger of needing an international bailout.

Saturday's rally in Ljubljana was organised by several workers unions who say government's austerity package would not end the downturn but only deepen the poverty.

Union leader Dusan Semolic says "workers' salaries did not cause this crisis." A huge banner reads: "No to Destructive Policies."

The rally appeared peaceful unlike similar gatherings in several European cities last week that erupted in street battles with police.

Slovenia has faced recession linked to the crisis in the 17-member zone using the euro.

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Thousands turn out for Albania king burial

THOUSANDS of Albanians have turned out to pay their respects to the late self-proclaimed king Zog I, whose remains are to be reburied with state honours after they were returned from France where he died in exile in 1961.

"King Zog is an illustrious figure who laid the foundations of the Albanian state and contributed to the European calling of Albanian society," Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said after passing by the coffin -- draped with the Albanian flag -- lying in state in the former royal palace.

The king, whose remains were returned to Albania on Friday, is to be buried in a newly built mausoleum for the royal family in an official ceremony later on Saturday.

Zog ruled Albania from 1925 to 1939. He started out as president but in 1928 proclaimed a constitutional monarchy and was crowned king of the Albanians.

He fled in 1939 after Italian dictator Benito Mussolini invaded Albania with an eye on the country's strategic Adriatic ports.

Zog died in exile in France aged 66 and was buried in the Thiais cemetery.

His son Leka and other members of the royal family returned to Albania in 2002.

The repatriation and reburial was organised by Albania's conservative government as part of ceremonies to celebrate Albania's 100 years of independence from the Ottoman Empire.

Albania is currently a republic with a parliamentary democracy, and crown prince Leka's grandson is a political adviser to Albania's President Bujar Nishani.

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Indian Hindu leader Bal Thackeray dies

FIREBRAND Indian politician Bal Thackeray, who founded the right-wing Hindu party Shiv Sena, has died after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Thackeray, 86, has "breathed his last", his physician Jalil Parkar told a huge crowd assembled outside the veteran politician's house in India's financial hub of Mumbai.

Thackeray, regarded as one of India's most divisive politicians, had been placed on a ventilator earlier after his health deteriorated sharply, and Parkar said attempts to revive him after he suffered a cardiac arrest failed.

Mumbai police have placed thousands of extra police on the streets on Saturday to prevent unrest following the death of the politician.

Thackeray's Shiv Sena party became synonymous with deadly communal violence during its campaign to protect local Marathi-speaking people and their culture from migrant workers.

Supporters sobbed into their handkerchiefs outside the house of Thackeray, who was known for his oratorical skills.

"He was an iron man, he spoke in the language of the masses. It worked very well because he connected with them at the very basic level. He gave them hope," Shobhaa De, novelist and a popular columnist, told India's CNN-IBN network.

The funeral rites for the founder and president of the Shiv Sena or the Army of Shivaji - the Maratha king who battled against the Islamic Mughal empire - were due to be held on Sunday.

A massive procession was planned through the streets of Mumbai for Thackeray, nicknamed "The Tiger" because of his fearlessness and readiness to take on any opponent.

Shiv Sena, which has controlled Mumbai's city council since the mid-1990s, is a staunch ally of the Hindu nationalist and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP announced it was cancelling its attendance at a dinner to be held by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday night to show respect for Thackeray.

A stream of politicians, cutting across party lines, and top Bollywood entertainment figures had visited Thackeray's house in the past few days.

Thackeray's son Uddhav, the Shiv Sena executive president, earlier in the week had appealed to the party's supporters to stay calm.

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Uganda records rise in gorilla numbers

THE population of Uganda's mountain gorillas has grown to 400, up from 302 in 2006, according to a census conducted last year.

This brings the total number of mountain gorillas in Africa to 880, giving hope to conservationists trying to save the critically endangered species.

Uganda is now home to nearly half of the world's mountain gorillas remaining in the wild, a source of confidence for a country that has come to depend heavily on the popular apes for substantial tourism revenue.

The rest of the surviving mountain gorillas - the species Gorilla beringei beringei - are in Congo and Rwanda.

"The increase in the population of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is testimony to the sound natural resource management policies that are being implemented in the protected areas," Uganda's Ministry of Tourism said in a statement on Friday.

"This result confirms beyond reasonable doubt that Uganda's conservation efforts are paying off."

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a network of forested jungle deep in the country's southwestern frontier, is recognised by UNESCO as a heritage site of world value.

A permit to track gorillas there costs at least $US500 ($A485) and the World Wildlife Fund estimates that each gorilla brings in up to $US1 million in revenue each year for the East African country.

The census shows a stunning recovery for a species that once faced a real threat of extinction.

Mountain gorillas in the wild still face threats ranging from habitat loss to poaching, especially in Congo, where lawlessness in the country's vast eastern territory has allowed illegal hunters to prosper.

Mountain gorillas are hunted for their meat in Congo, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Even a common cold can kill a mountain gorilla, as the species is particularly vulnerable to respiratory diseases usually associated with humans.

The conservation group Gorilla Doctors said the population growth was partly due to "extreme conservation" methods such as daily ranger monitoring in the forest.

Ugandan wildlife officials have been able to build successful partnerships with local communities in part by pouring some of the revenue into local projects, converting previously hostile groups into friendly advocates for the gorillas' survival.

"The mountain gorilla is the only non-human great ape that is actually growing in number," said Mike Cranfield of Gorilla Doctors.

"The growth of the mountain gorilla population can be attributed to the intensive conservation and collaboration between multiple conservation groups and government authorities."

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UN court frees Croatian 'hero' generals

THE UN Yugoslav war crimes court has acquitted Croatian ex-generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac of charges including war crimes during the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia and ordered them freed.

The appeals court "enters a verdict of acquittal" for Gotovina and Markac, judge Theodor Meron said on Friday at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

The court's packed public gallery erupted in cheers and clapping as the acquittal was read, with many people bursting out in tears and hugging Markac's wife, Mirjana, who was at the hearing, as supporters outside uncorked champagne bottles.

Gotovina and Markac, considered heros in Croatia, were last year jailed for 24 and 18 years respectively for the murder of Croatian Serbs during their country's struggle for independence and the bloody and ethnically driven break-up of Yugoslavia.

But the court found that the initial convictions had been based on the false premise that any artillery that landed on Serb-inhabited towns and was more than 200 metres from a military target was an attack on civilians.

Judges also overturned the finding of "a joint criminal enterprise whose purpose was the permanent and forcible removal of Serb civilians from the Krajina region."

Gotovina, dressed in a light blue suit and dark blue tie, listened intently as judge Meron read the verdict, sometimes tapping his fingers on the table. As it became obvious he would be freed, he smiled and shook Markac's hand.

Outside the courthouse, supporters uncorked champagne while singing Croatian nationalist songs.

"It's a great day for us," said Zvonko Komsic, 53, as he hugged Markac's wife while taking a swig of champagne.

Candle-lit vigils were held the night before the ruling around Croatia, which will in July join the European Union, having fulfilled the condition of handing over war crimes suspects to the court based in The Hague.

People cheered and broke down in tears in Zagreb's central square, where thousands watched the generals acquitted in a live broadcast.

Hope had been riding high that the generals would be freed, with Gotovina supporter Edi Zelic saying he had champagne on ice in anticipation as he awaited the verdict outside the Hague courtroom.

Croatian Roman Catholic bishop Vlado Kosic had urged the faithful to "raise their voice against injustice regarding the generals and Croatia" and to pray "for a fair verdict".

Gotovina, and Markac, both 57, were convicted last year on nine counts including murder and inhumane acts committed against Serbs.

A third accused, Ivan Cermak, who was deputy Croatian defence minister at the time, was acquitted.

A former French Foreign Legionnaire, Gotovina was sentenced for war crimes his troops committed during "Operation Storm" he led in 1995, specifically the shelling of four towns in Croatia's self-proclaimed Serb area of Krajina in August of that year.

The lightning offensive led to the recapture of the Krajina region, crushing one of the last pockets of Serb nationalist resistance in an area where the community had roots going back centuries.

The prosecution said 324 Serb civilians and soldiers were killed and "close to 90,000 Serbs were forcibly displaced with the clear intention that they never return."

Serb victims' associations put the numbers at 1,200 civilians killed and 220,000 refugees.

Gotovina, the highest-ranking Croatian army officer tried by the court, and Markac - jailed for 18 years - appealed their sentences in May, with their lawyer disputing that Croatian artillery ever targeted civilians, something appeals judges agreed with.

Prosecutors had argued that Operation Storm was a "joint criminal enterprise", devised by the late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman and senior Croat military commanders to drive Serbs from the country.

Gotovina, seen by his supporters as the man who helped liberate Croatia in the chaotic aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, was arrested in a luxury hotel in the Spanish Canary Islands in December 2005 after almost four years on the run.

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China premier to visit Cambodia, Thailand

CHINESE Premier Wen Jiabao will take part in a Southeast Asian meeting in Cambodia from Sunday that will include President Barack Obama and regional leaders, which comes as China is locked in territorial disputes with its neighbours.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that Wen will visit Cambodia and Thailand from Sunday to Wednesday. Hong did not provide specific dates for each leg of Wen's visit.

Hong said Wen will attend the East Asian Summit and other meetings in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh organised by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-member bloc that China is not a part of but holds talks with.

Tensions have flared recently over territorial disputes in the region, including rival claims by China, the Philippines and Vietnam to South China Sea islands and waters that are believed to be rich in gas and oil and straddle busy shipping routes.

Two other ASEAN members - Brunei and Malaysia - also have been embroiled in South China Sea territorial rifts.

China has opposed any attempt to bring the disputes to international forums, including ASEAN, preferring to negotiate one-on-one with rival claimants. It has warned the United States, which has been reasserting its role as an Asia-Pacific power, to stay away from the sea disputes.

The United States, which has tens of thousands of forces based in the Asia-Pacific, views itself as a stabilising influence in the region, and its diplomacy on the South China Sea, where it says it holds no position on the competing sovereignty claims, has helped boost its standing in Southeast Asia.

But criticism of China risks straining ties with Beijing that the US also sees as crucial for regional stability.

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Petraeus arrives for hearing

EX-CIA director David Petraeus has arrived at the US Capitol for highly-anticipated, closed-door congressional hearings on the September 11 assault on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya.

The decorated general, making his first appearance since resigning last week in the wake of an extramarital affair with his biographer, entered a closed-door session of the House Intelligence Committee.

Mr Petraeus avoided the assembled press pack but an official confirmed that he had entered the hearing room. He is due to attend a closed-door Senate Intelligence Committee hearing later in the morning.

Lawmakers are expected to press him about intelligence operations in Libya and his agency's role in the incident, as well as security conditions at the US consulate and the nearby CIA annex in Benghazi during the attack which left four Americans dead, including ambassador Christopher Stevens.

Congressmen said Thursday that Mr Petraeus travelled to Tripoli after the attack and interviewed several people involved in the incident, and that they wanted to hear directly from the general about what he learned on his trip to Libya.

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India wants probe into woman's death

NEW Delhi has demanded a "transparent" probe into the death of an Indian women in Ireland after doctors there allegedly refused to terminate her pregnancy even though she was miscarrying.

New Delhi cranked up the pressure on Dublin over the October 28 death of Savita Halappanavar from septicaemia after local politicians expressed their concern and urged the government to act.

Foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said India's ambassador to Ireland would meet local authorities later on Friday.

"We expect that he will also seek reassurance from the Irish authorities that they will hold an independent, transparent enquiry into the matter," Akbaruddin said.

"He will request that the Irish authorities keep India informed of the progress and outcome of the enquiry," the spokesman said, adding that the envoy would also convey the "concern growing in India" over Halappanavar's death.

The 31-year-old dentist repeatedly asked staff at University Hospital in Galway, west Ireland, to terminate her pregnancy because she was miscarrying, her family said.

Doctors allegedly refused her demand, telling her that "this is a Catholic country". Abortion is illegal in Roman Catholic-dominated Ireland except when it is necessary to save the life of the mother.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny described her death as a "tragedy", while two separate investigations have been announced.

Indian Communist Party leader Brinda Karat said Halappanavar's condition should have been treated as a "medical emergency" as she joined calls for a tough line with Ireland over the incident.

"The fact that they didn't is a crime and the Irish authorities are responsible for committing a crime of a loss of a human life and I think the Indian government must step in here," she told reporters.

Ireland's abortion laws have been the subject of debate for years.

Under a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, women in Ireland are legally entitled to an abortion when it is necessary to save the life of the mother. But legislation has never been passed to reflect this.

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Qld Aussie of The Year finalist announced

LEADING skin cancer researcher Adele Green has been named as the Queensland finalist in the Australian of the Year awards.

Professor Green says winning Australian of the Year would mean a big step forward for skin cancer research in Australia.

"It would be an amazing honour and a terrific opportunity to spread the word so we can prevent a lot of needless suffering," she told AAP after Thursday's announcement.

Prof Green has been at the front line of melanoma research for 20 years.

Like many professional women, she has had a struggle to balance her career with family life.

"I've had a few challenges along the way, as have all professional women who are also mothers and members of families.

"I would like to continue to inspire young women so they know they can do it."

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US hits Asia markets, weak yen lifts Tokyo

MOST Asian markets have closed lower after Barack Obama challenged Republicans to accept tax hikes for the rich as part of a deal to avert a fiscal cliff.

Japan's Nikkei surged on Thursday thanks to a weakening yen after the leader of the country's opposition vowed unlimited monetary easing to kickstart the economy if, as expected, he wins a general election slated for next month.

A close eye was also being kept on Beijing, where China unveiled its leaders for the next 10 years, with investors hoping for some clarity on future policy in the world's number two economy.

Sydney shed 0.89 per cent, or 39.2 points, to 4,349.2, and Seoul slumped 1.23 per cent, or 23.32 points, to 1,870.72.

But Tokyo climbed 1.9 per cent, or 164.99 points, to 8,829.72.

Hong Kong fell 1.55 per cent, or 333.06 points, to 21,108.93, while Shanghai lost 1.22 per cent, or 25.13 points, at 2,030.29, as investors bet the new-look Chinese leadership unveiled earlier in the day was unlikely to embark on any economy-boosting measures any time soon.

Obama, in his first news conference since re-election, on Wednesday laid out his terms for a deal on avoiding the fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts that are due on January 1 and could tip the US back into recession.

He said he wanted to extend tax cuts for 98 per cent of Americans but insisted any agreement could not include breaks for the wealthiest two per cent, a position most Republicans have rejected.

Wall Street reacted negatively on fears the president's position could spell out a long battle between the bitterly divided Republicans and Democrats that could end with no compromise.

The Dow tumbled 1.45 per cent to its lowest close since June 26, while the S&P 500 lost 1.39 per cent and the Nasdaq fell 1.29 per cent.

However, dealers welcomed confirmation by the ruling party of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of a national poll on December 16, bringing an end to months of speculation.

The election is expected to be won by the Liberal Democratic Party, whose leader Shinzo Abe - a former prime minister - on Thursday said he would seek more control of the central bank and push for unlimited monetary easing to spur the economy and lift inflation to two to three per cent.

"Only by implementing unlimited easing to achieve this target will the market show reaction," Abe said.

An equity trading director at a foreign brokerage told Dow Jones Newswires: "A potential LDP return to power may bode well for a slew of industries, including nuclear power, consumer finance and others, in light of business-friendly comments already made regarding taxes and regulations."

On forex markets the dollar and euro added to gains made in New York on Wednesday.

In the afternoon the euro was at Y102.94 and the dollar bought Y80.78, compared with Y102.19 and Y80.23 in New York. They are both well up from Y101.11 and Y79.50 earlier on Wednesday in Asia.

The European single currency traded at $1.2743 on Thursday, compared with $1.2734 late in New York.

In China there were few surprises as Xi Jinping was unveiled as the new head of the Communist Party and the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, the country's top decision-making body.

"The major good thing about (the change in leadership) is that it takes away at least one of the major uncertainties about China," said David Chang, regional head (Greater China) at Franklin Templeton Investments in Hong Kong.

Investors are now hoping for some clarity on future policy for the world's number two economy.

But BOC International analyst Shen Jun told AFP: "It's unlikely the new leaders will introduce fresh macroeconomic policies and market-moving measures in the short term."

Eurozone fears remained in place as anti-austerity strikes kicked off around the continent, hitting Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.

Adding to worries was another steep fall in gross domestic product for Athens and Lisbon, while dealers nervously await data for Germany, Spain, Italy, France and the eurozone later in the day.

In Tokyo Sony slumped almost nine per cent to more than 30-year lows on the Nikkei after it said it would issue bonds worth Y150 billion ($A1.81 billion) to raise cash for investment and repay debts, fuelling fears of stock dilution.

Oil was slightly higher. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December gained eight cents to $US86.36 a barrel in the afternoon and Brent North Sea crude for December delivery added 27 cents to $US109.88.

Gold was at $1,723.86 by 1050 GMT (2150 AEDT) compared with $US1,725.78 late on Wednesday.

In other markets:

- Taipei fell 0.22 per cent, or 15.91 points, to 7,143.84.

Smartphone maker HTC rose 1.5 per cent to Tw$237.50 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. was 0.33 per cent lower at Tw$90.20.

- Wellington fell 0.1 per cent, or 4.06 points, to 3,951.50.

Air New Zealand fell 0.8 per cent to NZ$1.235, and Contact Energy was off 1.52 per cent at NZ$5.19.

- Manila closed 0.66 per cent lower, shedding 36.27 points to 5,414.82.

Metropolitan Bank fell 1.04 per cent to 95.05 pesos and Philippine Long Distance Telephone dropped 1.88 per cent to 2,502 pesos.

- Bangkok lost 0.41 per cent, or 5.27 points, to close at 1,274.02.

PTT dropped 0.63 per cent to 314.00 baht, while Advanced Info Service gained 3.17 per cent to 195.00 baht.

- Singapore closed down 1.08 per cent, or 32.11 points to 2,945.92.

United Overseas Bank sank 1.21 per cent to Sg$18.03, and Jardine Cycle and Carriage fell 2.26 per cent to Sg$45.94.

- Mumbai slid 0.79 per cent, or 147.5 points, at 18,471.37 points.

United Breweries fell 10.39 per cent to 783.8 rupees, and Tata Motors also plunged 2.66 per cent to 375.75 rupees.

- Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur were closed for public holidays.

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Business council to build long-term vision

THE Business Council of Australia (BCA) will mark its 30th anniversary next year by developing a long-term vision for Australia.

BCA president Tony Shepherd has told the council's annual dinner in Sydney on Thursday such a vision needs to resonate with the broader community and the nine million Australians employed by companies and businesses.

"We want Australia to see that influential people ... share a vision and that we can work together to achieve it," Mr Shepherd said in his prepared address.

"We may have different ideas on the detail and that's healthy. But our members want this project to capture the priorities of all the groups in this room and all Australians."

He said business, government, opposition, the union movement and groups that represent the broader community should not be seen as combatants.

He said in the days of the Accord, which kicked off in 1983 under the Hawke government, different sectors were able to agree on a common purpose and a plan to foster productivity, competitiveness and growth.

"In fact, prime minister (Bob) Hawke encouraged the formation of the Business Council of Australia to deal with the matters arising from the Economic Summit and the Accord," Mr Shepherd said.

"There is no reason we cannot do this again."

He said in the past year, the BCA - representing the nation's top 100 chief executives - focused on productivity and competitiveness to lock in economic growth for the benefit of all Australians.

"We've looked at continued growth as the only way of keeping Australia ahead of the very real risks coming our way through global volatility and shifting economic sands," he said.

"We are not hypochondriacs at the BCA but we are strong believers that prevention is always better than a cure."

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Number of synthetic drugs keeps rising: EU

EUROPEAN Union authorities have identified a record number of new synthetic substances known as "legal highs", most of them manufactured in China and India and then sold over the internet, the EU drug agency says.

The agency said in its annual report released on Thursday that it detected 49 new psychoactive substances on the market in 2011 - up from 41 in 2010 and a record for the third straight year.

The term "legal high" refers to substances that reproduce the effects of illegal drugs. They are sold under various product labels, including research chemicals, bath salts and plant food, and cover a wide range of synthetic and plant-derived substances, the agency said.

The number of online stores selling Europe's 10 most popular "legal highs" rose to 759 last year. That was just over double the number the previous year, the Portugal-based institution said.

Cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines remain the most-used stimulants on the continent but they face growing competition from synthetic alternatives.

Investigations by European law enforcement agencies have concluded most of the substances are synthesised in China and, to a lesser extent, India. The agency said "opportunistic entrepreneurs" are behind the internet sales.

"These drugs appear to have the potential for more widespread diffusion," the report said.

The lengthy process of drafting new laws has placed authorities at a disadvantage in the fight against the synthetic substances.

"The speed with which these new substances are launched, combined with a lack of information on the risks associated with their use, challenges the established procedure of adding individual substances to the list of those controlled by drug laws," the report said.

Some EU countries, such as Austria, Ireland and Romania, have responded by enacting new laws that penalise the unauthorised distribution of psychoactive substances, the agency said.

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Countries slow to use the power of Twitter

ONLY nine out of 193 UN member states own Twitter accounts bearing their country name, and only three of those accounts have been officially verified by the micro-blogging site, according to a report.

In "Twiplomacy", a study published on Thursday looking at country branding on Twitter, communications firm Burson-Marsteller said it had found that most country name accounts were held by private individuals and three out of five were either dormant, inactive, suspended or protected, meaning they can only be seen by accepted viewers.

"Few governments and tourism organisations have understood the power of country branding and marketing on Twitter," Matthias Luefkens, who heads Burson-Marsteller's digital practice unit, said in a statement.

Only the @GreatBritain, @Israel and @SouthAfrica handles were verified by Twitter as official accounts run by the countries' governments or tourism boards, Luefkens told AFP.

Britain's account was a successful part of the "Britain is Great" campaign launched in March this year, while Israel's account, run by the foreign ministry, was the country's official Twitter channel and counted more than 66,000 followers, according to the study.

Sweden's Twitter account @Sweden, with 65,000 followers, is run jointly by the government-linked Swedish Institute and the country's official tourism board, but has, according to Luefkens, likely not been verified by Twitter due to its "democratic" format, allowing a new citizen to host the feed each week and tweet about anything that comes to mind.

The Twitter accounts of Antigua Barbuda, Barbados, Lithuania, the Maldives and Spain are also run by their respective tourism organisations to promote tourism in the countries, the study showed.

It is meanwhile not possible to tell who runs the world's most followed country handle, @Indonesia, which is basically a feed for news about the country and counts 193,349 followers, Luefkens said.

Many country-name accounts were held by private individuals, with the protected @Egypt account profile for instance stating it is run out of the California Bay area and that "I am not Egypt the country. Okay? I am. not. Egypt. the. country."

The person who owns @Canada has repeatedly offered to give the handle to the Canadian government, if it gets in touch, Luefkens said, pointing out that it is against Twitter rules to sell a handle.

He said he was not surprised more governments did not have control of their country handles, pointing out that "it is only just dawning on them that this is a powerful vehicle for communication".

"I think it will change quickly and governments will become more active" in trying to gain control of Twitter accounts bearing their countries' name, he said.

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Corby parole on hold as loophole closed

Convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby's bid for early release from prison has been put on hold. Source: AAP

CONVICTED drug smuggler Schapelle Corby's bid for early release from Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail is on hold indefinitely as Indonesian authorities move to close a loophole that may have allowed her to return to Australia if granted parole.

The development is a massive blow to Corby, who is already eligible to apply for parole, after being granted a further sentence remission in August, which followed a five-year cut to her 20-year prison term in May.

Immigration laws introduced last year did not include visa provisions for foreign prisoners released on parole, creating a loophole which meant they would either be placed in immigration detention or deported.

It meant Corby may have been able to return to Australia on being granted parole.

But any hopes she had of tasting freedom before the end of the year have now been completely dashed with parole applications suspended as the regulations are reviewed.

It is likely to take months before the conflict between the new immigration laws and the parole regulations are sorted out.

A senior official with the office of the director-general of prisons has confirmed that parole applications for all foreign prisoners have been suspended.

"In the new immigration law a foreign citizen who is undergoing legal process or serving sentences is not able to be given a visa," director for prison training and service Rahmat Prio Sutarjo told AAP.

"If a foreign citizen (does not have a) stay permit, then he or she has to go to (an) immigration detention centre."

"This is not a parole situation any more because it's still detention.

"Submission of a parole request for foreign prisoners is postponed."

The review will pave the way for foreign prisoners who are granted parole to be provided with documentation from Indonesia's department of immigration that would be similar to a visa.

It means foreign prisoners granted parole, including Corby, would have to serve out the period of early release in Indonesia.

"With that permit, the prisoner can be released from jail (on parole) and work among the society. But the prisoner would still be banned from travelling aboard until sentence is complete," Mr Sutarjo said.

Corby's lawyer, Iskander Nawing, confirmed that the 35-year-old's parole application could not be submitted until the situation was resolved.

"We're still waiting for the immigration department to be at one with prison authority," he said.

"There's still contradiction between ministerial regulation on parole and new immigration law. I hope it would be revised immediately.

"Once it's revised, we will submit our parole request."

Corby was arrested in 2004 attempting to smuggle 4.1 kilograms of marijuana into Bali in a bodyboard bag.

She was granted clemency by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in May on humanitarian grounds, after claiming she was suffering from a mental illness that could endanger her life.

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Pakistan frees Taliban prisoners

PAKISTAN freed several Taliban prisoners at the request of the Afghan government overnight in a bid to strike a peace deal with the militant group.

The release of the prisoners - described as mid- and low-level fighters - is the most encouraging sign yet that Pakistan may be willing to help jumpstart peace talks that have mostly gone nowhere, hobbled by distrust among the major players involved, including the United States.

Pakistan is seen as key to the process because of its historical ties to the Taliban and because many of the group's leaders are believed to be based on Pakistani territory, having fled there following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

The release of the Taliban militants came in response to a personal request by Salahuddin Rabbani, the head of an Afghan government council for peace talks with the Taliban, said a Pakistani government official and an intelligence official. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media about the release.

Mr Rabbani is in Islamabad on a three-day visit that ends today.

The seven released were "low- and mid-level" fighters, and it is up to them whether they go back to Afghanistan to participate in peace talks, said the Pakistani government official.

Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai said he could neither confirm nor deny the prisoner release.

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Palestinians rally to mark 'independence'

PALESTINIANS rallied across the West Bank, a day before the 24th anniversary of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's independence declaration.

Thousands of Palestinians were taking place in demonstrations blocking roads near the West Bank towns of Bethlehem, Jericho and Ramallah.

Demonstrators also gathered near the southern city of Hebron, as well as the northern towns of Qalqilya and Nablus, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans against the Israeli occupation.

Chanting "Free Palestine," they carried banners supporting a Palestinian bid later this month to obtain state observer status at the United Nations.

In Atara, north of Ramallah, and at a checkpoint by the city of Bethlehem, Israeli forces fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

An Israeli army spokesman said that "approximately 200 people - Palestinians and international activists - were throwing stones" near Jericho.

"The military force at the site is not reacting with riot dispersal means," the spokesman said, "and one soldier was lightly wounded by rocks. The soldiers are reacting with moderation."

The spokesman also said that around 100 Palestinians demonstrated near Nabi Saleh in the central West Bank, and 50 others had attempted to block a tunnel road connecting West Bank city Bethlehem to Jerusalem.

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Israel ministry proposes 'toppling' Abbas

ISRAEL'S foreign ministry has proposed in a policy paper "toppling" Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas if a Palestinian bid for state observer status at the United Nations is approved later this month.

"Toppling Abu Mazen's (Abbas's) regime would be the only option in this case," the position paper obtained by AFP says.

"Any other option ... would mean waving a white flag and admitting the failure of the Israeli leadership to deal with the challenge."

The position paper is a draft document that is expected to be endorsed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who would then present it to the Israeli officials charged with formulating Israel's response to the Palestinian bid.

Lieberman has already reportedly expressed his view that Abbas's Palestinian Authority should be dismantled if the UN bid succeeds.

The Palestinians are scheduled to present their bid for state observer status at the general assembly on November 29, where they are expected to easily win approval, despite opposition from the United States and Israel.

The bid comes slightly more than a year after the Palestinians sought full UN membership at the security council, a request that stalled there because of opposition from the United States, a permanent member and veto-holder.

The ministry paper warns that Israel "must extract a high price from Abu Mazen," and that receiving state status at the UN "would be considered a crossing of a red line."

Israel's Channel 10 reported on November 5 that Lieberman had backed the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, in comments to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

"If the Palestinians pursue their project at the UN, they are definitively destroying the chances of peace talks," the station quoted Lieberman as saying on October 24.

"If they persist with this project, I will ensure that the Palestinian Authority collapses."

A senior Israeli official said on Wednesday that Israel is also considering annulling part or all of the 1993 Oslo Accords in response to the UN bid.

The 1993 Oslo accords were intended to pave the way for a full resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority, which was to govern parts of the occupied West Bank and Gaza until a final agreement.

Israel and Washington fiercely oppose any Palestinian action at the United Nations, and US President Barack Obama called Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas earlier this week to reiterate his opposition.

But the Palestinians have confirmed they will push ahead with the plan, saying that enhanced UN status does not contradict peace efforts, and pointing out that direct talks have been on hold since late September 2010.

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Stock markets drop as Europe strikes

EUROPEAN stock markets have slid as workers across indebted eurozone nations took part in coordinated general strikes in protest at their governments' deep austerity programs.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index on Wednesday dropped 0.66 per cent to 5,748.08 points approaching midday as traders reacted to mixed company earnings, a drop in British unemployment and a downgrade to the Bank of England's growth forecasts for Britain.

Frankfurt's DAX 30 slipped 0.44 per cent to 7,137.79 points and in Paris the CAC 40 lost 0.41 per cent to 3,416.53.

Madrid stocks slipped 0.12 per cent and Milan shed 0.43 per cent.

Markets headed lower "as eurozone concerns continue to hit risk appetite", said Craig Erlam, market analyst at Alpari trading group.

"Strikes against austerity in the southern eurozone states are starting to gather large support, raising concerns about how much more the countries can take."

In foreign exchange deals, the euro rose to $US1.2739 from $US1.2703 late in New York on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the European single currency had hit two-month low points against the dollar.

Gold prices dipped to $US1,725.53 an ounce in trading on the London Bullion Market on Wednesday, compared with $US1,726.25 on Tuesday.

Baton-wielding riot police and demonstrators clashed in central Madrid on Wednesday as Spain held a general strike as part of a Europe-wide anti-austerity protest.

Spain and Portugal held the first coordinated general strike in the Iberian Peninsula, slashing train, bus and metro services, halting factories and cancelling more than 700 flights.

They were backed by temporary walkouts in Italy, the number-three eurozone economy, and Greece, which is fighting to avert default despite agreeing 13.5 billion euros ($A16.58 billion) in cuts and tax increases.

Markets were suffering losses also on worries about the US economic outlook following last week's re-election of President Barack Obama.

Dealers fear a stand-off in congress in addressing the fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts that are due to come into force on January 1 unless a deal is brokered ahead of the new year.

The package, drawn up during fraught spending cap talks last year, could tip the world's biggest economy back into recession.

Adding to the selling pressure is uncertainty over Greece after European finance chiefs put off for a week a decision on granting Athens the latest instalment of a multibillion-euro bailout.

And in Germany a survey on Tuesday showed investor confidence had worsened in November as the eurozone crisis began to drag on its biggest economy.

However, there was some good news for Greece with the threat of a default this week receding after it raised 4.0 billion euros in short-term bond auctions, which should help plug a financing gap left by the stalled loan.

On the corporate front on Wednesday, shares in RWE, Germany's second biggest power supplier, fell 0.35 per cent to 32.815 euros, despite the company expressing confidence about this year's earnings after posting solid quarterly profits.

In London, Britain's biggest insurer Prudential rose 0.54 per cent to 870 pence after the company said its sales rebounded sharply in the third quarter, boosted by growth in Asia.

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Greece raises 4.062bn euros in bond sale

GREECE has raised 4.062.5 billion euros ($A4.99 billion) to avert a messy default this week.

The fresh funds plug a financing gap left by a stalled EU-IMF loan which risks triggering default on a short-term debt settlement on Friday.

The Tuesday sale raised 2.762.5 billion euros in one-month treasury bills at an interest rate of 3.95 per cent and a further 1.3 billion euros in three-month bills at 4.2 per cent.

In the October auction of a three month debt issue, the agency had raised 1.625 billion euros at an interest rate of 4.24 per cent, but the stakes are higher now.

Greece needed the money to repay five billion euros from a prior three-month debt issue that matures on Friday.

That treasury bill had been auctioned in August to enable the country to pay state salaries and pensions in the absence of a scheduled loan payment from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

Worth 31.2 billion euros overall, the loan payment was supposed to have been disbursed by July but was held back on reform delays and protracted political uncertainty after a four-month electoral campaign in Greece.

The release of these funds, which are part of Greece's second EU-IMF financial assistance package, is still pending.

Tuesday's sale is nearly a billion short of the required sum for Friday's treasury bill repayment.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras flew to Brussels on Tuesday for talks with President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU President Herman Van Rompuy.

"We did our part. Now we wait for Europe to make its own move," Samaras said in off-camera comments to journalists on Monday, dailies here reported.

Eurozone finance ministers will meet on November 20 to discuss whether Athens will at last be given the urgently needed funds.

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UK terror suspect Abu Qatada out on bail

Radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada has won his appeal against deportation from Britain to Jordan. Source: AAP

BRITAIN has released terror suspect Abu Qatada from prison on bail after judges ruled that the man dubbed Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe should not be extradited to Jordan.

The radical Islamist preacher, who is in his early 50s, was driven out of the high-security Long Lartin prison in central England on Tuesday in a black van at high speed, television pictures showed.

Abu Qatada was expected to be taken to his home in northwest London where he will be under a curfew 16 hours a day but can leave his home between 8.00am and 4.00pm.

He will have to wear an electronic tag and who he meets will be restricted.

The heavily bearded Jordanian of Palestinian origin has been in jail in Britain for the past seven years fighting extradition, and also spent much of the time between 2002 and 2005 in detention or under house arrest.

Abu Qatada was convicted in absentia in Jordan in 1998 for involvement in terror attacks.

The decision by senior judges on Monday to uphold his appeal against extradition to Jordan was a major blow for the British government, which has fought for seven years to deport him.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said on Tuesday that the government was determined to deport Abu Qatada.

"We strongly disagree with the court ruling. We are going to challenge it, we are going to take it to appeal," Clegg told ITV television.

"We are absolutely determined to see this man get on a plane and go back to Jordan, he does not belong here," Clegg said.

Home Secretary Theresa May had ordered Abu Qatada's extradition after she was given assurances by Jordan that no evidence gained through the torture of two other men would be used against him in a retrial.

But the Special Immigration Appeals Commission - a semi-secret panel of British judges that deals with decisions on national security - said that could not be guaranteed.

May told parliament after Monday's decision: "Qatada is a dangerous man, a suspected terrorist, who is accused of serious crime in his home country of Jordan."

She said she believed that the judge who made the final decision had applied the "wrong legal test" in finding in Abu Qatada's favour, adding: "It is deeply unsatisfactory that Abu Qatada has not already been deported to Jordan.

"Successive governments have tried to remove him since December 2001. He has a long-standing association with al-Qaeda. British courts have found that he 'provides a religious justification for acts of violence and terror'."

The European Court of Human Rights had ruled earlier this year that Abu Qatada could not be deported while there was a "real risk that evidence obtained by torture will be used against him" in a possible retrial.

May then travelled to Jordan to secure guarantees from Amman that he would receive a fair trial and the European court subsequently gave the go-ahead for him to be extradited.

But the immigration tribunal ruled on Monday that statements from Abu Qatada's former co-defendants Al-Hamasher and Abu Hawsher, which were alleged to have been obtained by torture, created a risk that any trial would be unfair.

The cleric, a father of five whose real name is Omar Mohammed Othman, arrived in Britain in 1993 claiming asylum and has been a thorn in the side of successive British governments.

Videos of his sermons were found in the Hamburg flat used by some of the hijackers involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks. He has also defended the killing of Jews and attacks on Americans.

A Spanish judge once branded him late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, although Abu Qatada denies ever having met bin Laden.

Britain first ordered his deportation in 2005 and his appeal against that order was rejected in 2009. May then signed a fresh deportation order and Abu Qatada appealed to the European court.

He was briefly freed on bail earlier this year but then re-arrested.

In October Britain extradited another radical Islamist preacher, Abu Hamza, and four other terror suspects to the United States.

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Charles, Camilla myths busted on website

HIS youngest son is still regularly spotted with a cigarette in hand but Prince Charles's wife gave up smoking "years ago".

Camilla's call to ditch the fags is among a range of royal snippets released on Charles's official website, aiming to dispel myths about the heir to the British throne.

While Charles, who turns 64 on Wednesday, and Camilla, 65, continue their tour of New Zealand as part of a southern hemisphere visit which has also taken in Australia and Papua New Guinea, their London-based staff on Monday released the answers to 24 "FAQs" (frequently asked questions) about the couple.

Contrary to the suggestion of a well-read British author, Charles does not demand seven boiled eggs for breakfast and eat only the one he deems to be cooked best.

"No, he doesn't and never has done, at breakfast or any other time," the website www.princeofwales.gov.uk/faqs states.

The website also tries to justify Charles's staff of 161 full-time equivalent positions.

"Of these, 134.9 support Their Royal Highnesses, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, in undertaking official duties and charitable activities, and 26.2 are personal, garden and farm staff," the site reads.

Except for the odd occasion when Charles must ride in a police-owned Bentley for security purposes, the Prince uses a range of vehicles which have been converted to use biodiesel made from used cooking oil, in keeping with his greenie beliefs.

Charles's 40-year-old Aston Martin, famously driven by Prince William on the day of his marriage to Catherine, runs on bioethanol made from waste wine, the website says.

And while Prince Harry is still regularly photographed holding a cigarette, Camilla has kicked the habit.

"The Duchess of Cornwall gave up smoking many years ago," says the site.

Since marrying Charles in 2005, Camilla has kept her own home in the English countryside.

"The Duchess likes to spend time with her children and grandchildren at their family home in Wiltshire," aids wrote.

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Prestige captain 'checked' oil tanker

TEN years to the day after the Prestige tanker sent an SOS heralding one of Europe's worst oil spills, the 77-year-old Greek captain has testified at a trial in Spain that his vessel had passed the required checks.

The ill-fated tanker's skipper, Apostolos Mangouras, was the first of four accused to testify in the trial over the catastrophe in which tens of thousands of tonnes of oil blackened the coasts of Spain, Portugal and France.

Prosecutors have charged the captain with criminal damage of the environment and a protected nature reserve and are seeking a combined jail term of 12 years.

They are also demanding more than 4 billion euros ($A4.91 billion) in damages.

"We had made visual inspections" of the hull and ballast tanks before it departed Saint Petersburg," said the captain on Tuesday, explaining that the checks were repeated every three or six months.

Mangouras, testifying in the trial at an exhibition centre in the northern port city of A Coruna, said he and his Philippine crew were all properly qualified for their duties.

The Prestige, a Bahama-flagged Liberian tanker, was carrying 77,000 tonnes of fuel when it sent a distress call in the midst of a storm off the northwestern Spanish coast on November 13, 2002.

The conservative Popular Party government in power at the time ordered the Prestige out to sea away from the Spanish coast instead of following an emergency contingency plan prepared by experts that called for it to be brought to port where the leaking oil could be confined.

For six days it drifted in the Atlantic, before breaking up and foundering 250 kilometres (155 miles) off the coast into waters some 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) deep, oozing some 50,000 tonnes of thick, sticky oil into the ocean and coastline.

Over the weeks that followed 300,000 volunteers from Spain and the rest of Europe joined local people in scraping the oil from the rocks and beaches, armed with little more than buckets and their bare hands.

Others charged are Greek chief engineer Nikolaos Argyropoulos and first mate Irineo Maloto, a Filipino whose whereabouts are unknown, and Jose Luis Lopez-Sors, head of the Spanish merchant navy at the time, who ordered the ship out to sea when it was losing fuel.

The trial is due to last until May and hear testimony from 133 witnesses and 100 experts.

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Clinton backs Aust-India naval exercises

UNITED States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has applauded the federal government's strategic white paper on Asian policy and welcomed Australian-Indian naval vessel exercises in the future.

Mrs Clinton is in Perth for the AUSMIN meeting and on Tuesday night launched the Perth USAsia Centre at the University of Western Australia (UWA), aimed at strengthening ties between the US, Australia and the Asian region.

She said it was important the US and Australia worked together closely in the region.

"We would welcome joint Australian-Indian naval vessel exercises in the future and we are eager to work together in the Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation which Australia will chair in 2013 and which the United States has now joined as a dialogue partner," she said.

The $10 million Perth USAsia Centre is a partnership between the US Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney and UWA.

Addressing the crowd at the launch, Mrs Clinton said it was her first visit to Perth and she recalled her friend John Glenn's space orbit of the earth in 1962.

"Every light in this city came on to signal support for his mission and I will tell you that he never forgot the gesture of friendship from this city of light, so for me to come here is a dream come true," she said.

Mrs Clinton said it wasn't surprising that foreign investment in Australia was "soaring" including more than $100 billion from the US.

She said Australia was a key focus of America's expanding engagement in the region.

WA Premier Colin Barnett also shared his love of space and joked that as a child he "wanted to be American" and insisted on being called Sputnik, prompting a jovial Mrs Clinton to call him "Premier Sputnik".

Senator Chris Evans joked that his teenage son understood American politics better than Australian politics, highlighting the bond between the two nations.

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Queen criticised for light pay packets

WORKING as a cleaner for the Queen seems to be about prestige rather than pay, with the monarch forced to review salary levels after a backlash over a recent job ad.

The official British Monarchy website called for applications for a part-time cleaner at Windsor Castle, offering the successful maid STG6.67 ($A10.27) per hour, British tabloid the Daily Mirror reported on Monday.

The hourly rate is STG0.47 above Britain's minimum wage but STG0.78 below the government's recommended "living wage".

It means the cleaner - who would perform tasks including vacuuming, mopping, dusting, and changing bed linen - working from 8am to 1pm Monday to Saturday, would earn a full-time equivalent salary of STG13,000 ($A20,000) a year.

"This looks really bad. Since the Queen receives considerable support from the public purse she should pay a living wage, not just barely a minimum wage," Labour MP Grahame Morris told the newspaper.

"She's setting a bad example to other employers."

In June Windsor Castle advertised for a servant to work 40 hours a week for STG14,000 a year.

A royal spokesman told the Daily Mirror: "We are reviewing our policies regarding the living wage".

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Troika report on Greece 'positive': Junker

A LONG-AWAITED report on Greece's economic reform program by its three international creditors, the EU, ECB and IMF "troika", is "positive", Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker says.

Arriving on Monday for talks between the 17 eurozone finance ministers later in the day, Juncker said they had received the report on Sunday night and it "is positive in its fundamental tone because the Greeks really delivered. Now it is for us to deliver."

The Luxembourg premier said that a new austerity package adopted Wednesday and a cost-cutting 2013 budget agreed late Sunday were "very ambitious" and "fulfils our wishlist nearly completely."

"Greece is accomplishing step by step what we expected," he added.

Juncker said the ministers would discuss the report in detail but would make "no definitive decision today" on the release of a 31.5 billion-euro instalment from a second international bailout of Greece needed to stave off bankruptcy.

He said he believed the general feeling would be to organise the disbursement "in the best way possible" and for the ministers to agree a calendar.

Any decision to extend Greece's deadline would also require parliamentary approval in Germany, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

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European stocks, euro hold steady

EUROPEAN stock markets and the euro have steadied with the focus on EU talks concerning Greek debt, after a mixed batch of Asian economic data and amid strains over the outlook for the United States.

The benchmark FTSE 100 index of top companies on Monday rose 0.22 per cent to 5,782.18 points approaching midday in London, Frankfurt's DAX 30 gained 0.20 per cent to 7,177.79 points and in Paris the CAC 40 dipped 0.15 per cent to 3,418.34.

Greece's unrelenting debt drama tops the agenda on Monday when eurozone finance ministers discuss whether Athens has met conditions set by its international creditors to provide bailout funds so it can stay afloat.

The talks come hours after the Greek parliament, amid noisy protests, agreed on a tough cost-cutting 2013 budget, the latest hurdle cleared by Athens to guarantee the release of the foreign aid needed to stave off insolvency.

However, no decision is expected in Brussels on Monday on delivering a much-awaited fresh aid tranche of 31.5 billion euros ($A38.82 billion) held back since June.

"European leaders meet later today, where investors hoped the group would sign off on the payment to Greece; however it looks like that won't happen for a numbers of weeks yet," said David Madden, market analyst at IG trading group.

"It's shaping up to be a reasonably dull day for the markets, with investors listening for any further developments from Europe."

In foreign exchange activity on Monday ahead of the Greece talks, the euro eased to $US1.2708 from $US1.2709 late in New York on Friday.

Gold prices dipped to $US1,735.13 an ounce from $US1,738.25 on Friday.

Asian markets closed mixed on Monday as news that Japan's economy shrank in the July-September quarter and fears over the US "fiscal cliff" offset another round of healthy Chinese data, traders said.

Recent indications that the Chinese economy is emerging from a drawn-out slumber were reinforced on Saturday when figures showed exports rose 11.6 per cent year-on-year in October, following a near 10 per cent jump in September.

The numbers, which were released as the Communist Party holds its 18th congress and prepares for a once-a-decade leadership transition, came a day after officials said Chinese industrial output surged last month.

However, while the world's No.2 economy continues to show signs of a resurgence Japan on Monday said gross domestic product had shrunk 0.9 per cent in the July-September period from the previous three months.

It comes after Japan posted its worst September trade figures for 30 years as exports slumped, with analysts blaming the continued strength of the yen, a territorial spat with Beijing and the debilitating debt crisis in Europe.

"News at the weekend that the Chinese trade surplus hit a four-year high ... has helped assuage concerns that the Chinese economy is slipping back," said CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson.

In Paris shares in global advertising group Publicis rose by 3.30 per cent to 42.44 euros in morning trading after chief executive Maurive Levy had said late on Sunday that its activity had risen by more than 7.0 per cent in October.

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Japan's Olympus records first-half profit

OLYMPUS says it has swung back into the black in the first half of its fiscal year, a boost for the camera and medical equipment maker as it looks to move on from an embarrassing accounting scandal.

The company said on Monday its $US100 million ($A96.63 million) half-year profit was partly due to the sale of subsidiaries unrelated to its core business, while the key medical systems unit posted an operating profit.

But it added that it lost money in its camera business because of the strong yen, which makes Japanese exports less competitive, and the growing popularity of camera-equipped smartphones.

Olympus cut its full-year target for digital camera sales to 7.3 million units from 8.2 million.

"Brisk performance in our medical business was the profit driver, offsetting the negative impact of exchange rates," Olympus President Hiroyuki Sasa told a news briefing.

Sasa said "smartphones equipped with cameras have spread globally so that has shrunk the compact camera market", but he added that there was room for growth in the firm's higher-end camera business.

Olympus dominates the global market for endoscopes, which are used for internal medical examinations, with nearly three-quarters of the market.

The Japanese company lost 48.99 billion yen in its previous fiscal year, largely tied to scandal-related expenses.

In March, the company and three former senior executives -- including ex-president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa -- were charged over their role in the scandal, and later pleaded guilty.

The firm initially denied allegations it had used past acquisition deals and outsized consultant fees to hide huge losses, but later admitted wrongdoing.

Olympus shares closed 1.66 per cent lower at 1,244 yen in Tokyo on Monday before the firm's results were made public.

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Radical preacher Abu Qatada wins appeal

MUSLIM radical preacher Abu Qatada has won his appeal against deportation from Britain to Jordan to face terrorism charges.

The decision represents a setback to the British government.

Home Office officials say they strongly disagree with the ruling.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission on Monday blocked the deportation of Abu Qatada, saying it was not convinced by the government's assurances that no evidence obtained through torture would be used against Abu Qatada in Jordan.

He has been referred to as a top al-Qaeda operative who had close ties to the late Osama bin Laden.

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Sri Lanka opposition wants prison inquiry

SRI Lanka's opposition has demanded a thorough investigation into a prison shootout that killed 27 inmates.

Tissa Attanayake, a leader of the United National Party, said on Sunday violent clashes inside prisons have become frequent in Sri Lanka and demanded that their causes be examined.

The opposition says incidents like the one which occurred on Friday damage the country's reputation internationally.

Twenty-seven prisoners were killed after a clash when police commandos tried to search the Welikada Prison facility in Colombo for narcotics.

Officials said the bloodshed erupted when prisoners attacked the search team and armed themselves by breaking into the armory.

At least two suspects died following another prison revolt in June and human rights campaigners alleged they died after being beaten by guards.

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Camilla's hairdresser on tour

PRINCE Charles and wife Camilla encountered some less-than-ideal weather conditions during their tour of Australia, so it's just as well the Duchess of Cornwall had her personal hairdresser on hand to keep any potential frizz at bay.

While the future king is paying for the services of stylist Hugh Green, the taxpayers of Australia and New Zealand will foot the bill for his accommodation and travel after he flew in to Melbourne to assist Camilla, 65, the Sunday Express newspaper reported.

Clarence House, the royal couple's London base, confirmed that "the realms" would cover Mr Green's travel expenses, the tabloid said.

The Duchess has made some high-profile appearances while in Australia, including presenting the Melbourne Cup to the winning connections of the popular race.

In Sydney and Hobart, Camilla was forced to carry a brolly to shelter from soaking rain.

Mr Green has flown on to Auckland with the royal party for a six-day visit to NZ as part of a two-week tour representing the Queen in her diamond jubilee year, which has also taken in Papua New Guinea.

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Egypt police bust baby trafficking ring

EGYPTIAN police say they have broken up a child trafficking ring that sold almost 300 babies for $US570 ($A550) each or less.

A police official said on Sunday officers had arrested five suspects, including two nurses and a doctor working at the Cairo hospital where the babies were sold for almost three years.

Police are searching for the hospital manager who escaped arrest.

The official said the network also performed caesarian operations on women who had left it too late for an abortion of an unwanted child in exchange for allowing the doctors to sell the babies, usually to couples who could not have their own children.

Adoption is illegal in Egypt, which adheres to Islamic law in some family matters.

Some couples have sought to bypass the ban by buying children.

In 2009, an American couple received a two year jail sentence after a court convicted them of buying a child from an orphanage.

Abortion is legal where it is deemed necessary for the health of the mother.

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Iraq executes 10, including Egyptian

IRAQI authorities have executed 10 men, bringing to 129 the number of people put to death this year in defiance of international calls for a halt to Baghdad's use of capital punishment.

The mass executions are the first in around a month in Iraq, which has been roundly condemned by European governments and international human rights organisations for its use of the death penalty.

"Ten people were executed, including one Egyptian," a justice ministry official told AFP on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"They were accused of terrorist crimes."

The official did not provide further details about the men or the specific crimes of which they were convicted.

Executions in Iraq are normally carried out by hanging.

Sunday was the latest of several days this year that Baghdad has carried out multiple executions.

They have sparked calls for a moratorium from the UN mission in Iraq, as well as Britain, the European Union and human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed shock earlier this year at the number of executions in Iraq, criticising the lack of transparency in court proceedings and calling for an immediate suspension of the death penalty.

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Israel fires warning shots into Syria

ISRAELI troops have fired warning shots into Syria, in what public radio says is the first Israeli fire directed at the military in the Golan Heights area since the 1973 war.

"A short while ago, a mortar shell hit an IDF post in the Golan Heights adjacent to the Israel-Syria border, as part of the internal conflict inside Syria. In response, IDF soldiers fired warning shots towards Syrian areas," the army said in a statement on Sunday.

Military sources told AFP the army used a single Tamuz anti-tank missile, a weapon known for being highly accurate.

In addition, the army said in its statement it had filed a complaint through the local UN forces, warning that "fire emanating from Syria into Israel will not be tolerated and shall be responded to with severity".

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was "closely monitoring what is happening on our border with Syria and there too we are ready for any development".

Sunday's cross-border fire was the latest in a string of incidents in which fire has spilled from Syria across the ceasefire line.

On Thursday, three stray mortar rounds from Syria hit the Golan, which Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in 1981 in a move never recognised by the international community.

And on Monday, an Israeli military vehicle patrolling the buffer zone was hit by gunfire, with the army acknowledging it was caused by "stray bullets".

No one was wounded, but the incident prompted an Israeli complaint to the United Nations Security Council in which it described the gunfire as a "grave violation" of a 1974 agreement on security in the buffer zone.

Two days earlier, three Syrian tanks entered Bir Ajam village, five kilometres southeast of Quneitra, in the demilitarised zone, sparking another Israeli complaint to the UN.

Since Israel and Syria signed the 1974 disengagement agreement, a 1200-strong unarmed UN force has patrolled the buffer zone.

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