Mali Islamists say ready for hostage talks

AN al Qaeda-linked Islamist group in Mali says it is ready to negotiate the release of a French hostage, as a French-led offensive to rout Islamists from the north gathered steam.

"The MUJAO is ready to negotiate the release of Gilberto," said Walid Abu Sarhaoui by phone, spokesman for the Movement for Jihad and Oneness, referring to Gilberto Rodriguez Leal who was kidnapped in November.

The spokesman, speaking on the 16th day of the French-led campaign which has halted the Islamist advance south, said: "We Muslims can come to an understanding on the issue of war."

Gilberto Rodriguez Leal, a 61-year-old French national of Portuguese origin, was seized on November 20 by armed men in western Mali near the border with Senegal and Mauritania while travelling by car.

His kidnapping was claimed by MUJAO.

A total of seven French hostages are being held in the Sahel, of whom six are captives of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

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ACT storms spoil fireworks display

FIERCE thunderstorms across Canberra have prompted almost 300 calls for help and forced the cancellation of the city's Australia Day fireworks.

The ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES) said the storms, which lashed the city from around 6.30pm (AEDT), left flash flooding, fallen power lines and tree branches in their wake.

Most of the 295 calls for assistance came from residents in the northern suburbs, ACTSES said.

The ACT government cancelled the city's planned fireworks display, saying in a statement it was a necessary safety precaution due to the storms and flooding.

ACTEW AGL electricity crews were also fixing isolated power outages across the territory.

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China's New Year migration begins

THE world's largest annual migration has began in China with tens of thousands in the capital boarding trains to journey home for next month's Lunar New Year celebrations.

Passengers will log 220 million train rides during the 40-day travel season, the Ministry of Railways estimates, as they criss-cross the country to celebrate with their families on February 10.

Many spend weeks at home for the most important holiday of the Chinese calendar, with the travel period spanning about two weeks before and after the Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival.

Travellers streamed into Beijing Railway Station on Saturday afternoon carrying heavy bags and boxes, while one man had strapped to his back a sack twice as thick and nearly as tall as him.

Just as making the trip home can be laborious - often lasting one or two days - so can simply acquiring a seat on the train, and every year complaints arise about the inefficiency or unfairness of the system.

For the second year in a row, New Year's travellers have been able to purchase tickets online and avoid long queues.

But those without internet access were shut out while tech-savvy buyers used plug-ins and other software to facilitate purchases, leading some trips to sell out in minutes and prompting complaints.

One traveller heading home from Beijing to eastern Zhejiang province said it took him seven days to book a ticket online, while a migrant worker said he did not even know how to use a computer.

But the queues at station counters commonplace in previous years weren't seen on Saturday, and people mostly appeared to be picking up tickets before heading home.

Police, some armed with machine guns, kept watch over the massive flows of people. About 70,000 officers were deployed to train stations nationwide on Saturday, the Xinhua state news agency reported.

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14 killed after Egypt soccer verdict

FOURTEEN people have been killed in riots outside the main prison in Port Said following a controversial verdict related to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence.

Two police were shot dead outside the prison when angry relatives tried to storm the facility to free the defendants on trial, 21 of whom were earlier sentenced to death.

The death toll has risen to 14 after the clash, in which police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd outside the prison.

At least 75 people were injured.

Egyptian security officials say the military is being deployed to the city.

Port Said residents also cut off the main road leading to the city.

Officials spoke anonymously in line with regulations.

Earlier in the courtroom, families of the deceased wailed and raised their hands in the air shouting "Allahu Akbar", Arabic for "God is great".

The judge said in his statement read live on state TV that he would announce the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants on March 9.

Among those on trial are nine security officials.

The soccer melee on February 1, 2012 between Port Said's Al-Masry fans and Cairo's Al-Ahly fans was the world's deadliest soccer violence in 15 years, killing 74 people.

As is customary in Egypt, the death sentences will be sent to a top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for approval.

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Cassar-Daley dominates Golden Guitars

Country music fans have marked Australia Day at the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival. Source: AAP

COUNTRY music artist Troy Cassar-Daley has cleaned up at this year's Golden Guitars.

The singer-songwriter took out four award categories in Tamworth on Saturday night including the big one, album of the year and the coveted male artist of the year.

He also took home the APRA song of the year for his track Home and single of the year for Country Is.

The wins take Cassar-Daley's Golden Guitar tally to 25.

Backstage, Cassar-Daley said winning the four awards was a dream come true.

"It's so important," he told AAP backstage at the awards.

"At Christmas I was at my mum's house and I walked past my first Golden Guitar and I got the flutter, like I was a kid again.

"And as they were read out tonight, I still get it so it's still very important to me."

Catherine Britt, who equalled Cassar-Daley's award nominations of seven, scored herself one Golden Guitar for female artist of the year.

"Troy is one of the first artists to take me out on the road," she told AAP after the announcement.

"To me it just feels perfect - female and male artist of the year.

"I'm a very Australian, it's Australia Day, and we're here in Tamworth and I'm really over the moon."

Sister trio The McClymonts, who were up for five gongs, earned themselves top selling album of the year for Two Worlds Collide and best video clip for Piece of Me while Chelsea Basham earned best new talent for Laugh it Off.

Tamworth's favourite country music couple Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson took out duo of the year.

"If we can make a record together, and tour together, and not get divorced then it's a success already," Chambers told the crowd at the awards.

"I guess we're a group or duo all the time when we're not making records so this just means we're a good one," Nicholson chimed in.

Country music's night of nights included performances by multi-award winning Cassar- Daley and Catherine Britt.

It also featured a Kevin Bennett tribute to the late Jimmy Little, who died last year.

Also included was a video tribute to 90-year-old Geoff Mack who received a standing ovation and the lifetime achievement award on the night.

Mack's song, I've Been Everywhere, has been recorded by more than 130 artists including Johnny Cash and Rihanna.

The night concluded with a finale performance of I've Been Everywhere by The Sunny Cowgirls.

The Golden Guitars mark the end of the annual 10-day Tamworth Country Music Festival, which attracts thousands of local and international musicians and included more than 4,000 individual performances.

Tamworth's main street is home to hundreds of buskers over the festival's duration and is said to have launched the careers of artists such as Keith Urban and Kasey Chambers.

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Nokia reports return to profit

NOKIA Corp has reported a fourth-quarter net profit of $US270 million after a net loss of more than $US1 billion a year earlier, but revenue in the period fell 20 per cent.

The ailing Finnish company gave a poor outlook saying it expected operating margins in the first quarter 2013 to be "approximately negative two per cent, plus or minus four percentage points," citing increased competition as it struggles against the dominance of market leaders Samsung and Apple.

Nokia said it sold 15.9 million smartphones in the quarter, down from 19.6 million a year earlier.

The company's share price was up some three per cent in Helsinki.

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Asian markets mixed, weak yen lifts Tokyo

ASIAN markets have closed mixed despite a positive lead from Wall Street and news that Chinese manufacturing activity hit a two-year high in January.

The yen retreated after a two-day rally as Japan logged a record trade deficit for 2012, with exports hit by the ongoing territorial spat with China and Europe's long-running debt crisis.

Tokyo reversed early losses thanks to the yen's dip, with the Nikkei up 1.28 per cent, or 133.88 points, at 10,620.87 at the close on Thursday. Sydney rose 0.47 per cent, or 22.4 points, to 4,810.2, but Seoul shed 0.8 per cent, or 15.93 points, to 1,964.48.

Shanghai fell 0.79 per cent, or 18.31 points, to 2,302.6, with profit-takers moving in after the index hit an eight-month high in intra-day trade. Hong Kong shed 0.15 per cent, or 36.20 points, to 23,598.9.

In China HSBC said its preliminary purchasing managers index (PMI) rose to 51.9 in January from 51.5 in December, its highest since January 2011.

Anything above 50 indicates growth while anything below is contraction.

The news reinforces views that the world's number-two economy has picked up after a drawn-out slumber.

The results provided a fillip to Japan's Nikkei, while data showing Japan suffered a second-consecutive annual trade deficit in 2012 sent the yen tumbling, providing shares with another lift.

Official figures from the finance ministry showed Japan's trade shortfall totalled Y6.92 trillion ($A74.21 billion), with the deficit in December alone standing at a higher-than-expected Y641.5 billion.

The yen had enjoyed a two-day rally from Tuesday and equities slumped, after the Bank of Japan (BoJ) disappointed dealers with its two per cent inflation target and indefinite monetary easing, which they said was not enough.

In afternoon currency deals the greenback bought Y89.32, compared with Y88.56 in New York late on Wednesday. The dollar, however, is still down from the two-and-a-half-year high Y90.24 before the BoJ move.

The euro bought Y118.70 from Y118, and $US1.3298 from $US1.3315.

The three main indexes on Wall Street ended higher after a string of upbeat earnings from firms including IBM and Google.

The Dow ended up 0.49 per cent, at its highest level since October 2007, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.15 per cent and the Nasdaq climbed 0.33 per cent.

However, after US markets closed Apple released flat October-December first quarter earnings and sales of key products such as the iPhone 5 came in below expectations.

The iPhone 5 made a lacklustre debut in China and an analyst reported that Apple had cut orders for smartphone parts.

Wednesday's results sent shares in the computer giant slumping more than 10 per cent in after-hours trade.

Regional firms linked to Apple ended mixed on Thursday after beginning the day in negative territory.

Supplier LG Display fell 1.21 per cent in Seoul, but in Tokyo TDK added 0.96 per cent and telecoms firm Softbank, which sells the iPhone, was up 0.27 per cent.

South Korean shares were also hurt by data showing the economy grew two per cent in 2012, its slowest pace in three years, owing to overseas turmoil and soft demand at home.

Oil prices were mixed. New York's main contract, WTI light sweet crude for delivery in March, gained 15 cents to $US95.38 a barrel in the afternoon while Brent North Sea crude for March delivery dropped 18 cents to $112.62.

Gold was at $US1,677.37 at 1040 GMT (2140 AEDT) compared with $US1,691.66 late on Wednesday.

In other markets:

- Taipei fell 0.62 per cent, or 48.19 points, to 7,695.99.

TSMC fell 1.09 per cent to Tw$99.9 while HTC was 0.88 per cent lower at Tw$281.0.

- Manila closed 0.41 per cent higher, adding 24.74 points to 6,117.27.

Ayala Corp rose 2.26 per cent to 542 pesos, Metro Pacific Investments added 1.25 per cent to 4.86 pesos and Philippine Long Distance Telephone was 0.22 per cent up at 2,792 pesos.

- Wellington was flat, edging up 2.19 points to 4,189.91.

Telecom rose 0.86 per cent to NZ$2.34, Fletcher Building was down 1.61 per cent at NZ$9.19 and Contact Energy was steady at NZ$5.20.

- Singapore closed up 0.53 per cent, or 17.16 points, to 3,248.39.

Singapore Telecommunications gained 1.17 per cent to Sg$3.47 and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation added 0.31 per cent to Sg$9.70.

Bangkok added 0.69 per cent or 9.89 points to 1,449.09.

- Airports of Thailand gained 4.69 per cent to 111.50 baht, while Bangchak Petroleum edged up 6.62 per cent to 36.25 baht.

- Mumbai fell 0.51 per cent, or 102.83 points to 19,923.74.

- Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur were closed for public holidays.

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Man shot twice in leg in Sydney's west

A MAN has been taken to hospital after being shot twice in the leg in Sydney's west.

Emergency services personnel were called to Lavinia Street in South Granville at around 9.30pm (AEDT) on Thursday, following reports that a man had been shot.

Upon arrival officers found a man with two gun shot wounds to his leg, police said.

He has been taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment to non-life threatening injuries.

A crime scene has been established and investigations are continuing.

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Fire rips through Hobart's Queens Domain

A LARGE fire is spreading from hilly bushland just northeast of Hobart's CBD.

The fire was moving uphill from the northeast side of the Queens Domain, fanned by strong winds, Tasmania Police said at 10.30pm (AEDT) on Thursday.

Motorists are being urged to avoid the area and be mindful of police directions and firefighting operations.

Authorities say no buildings are currently threatened.

The blaze has so far consumed around five hectares of long, dry grass at a city council reserve next to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, with at least 14 crews battling to bring it under control, a Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) spokesman said.

"It's quite visual with everybody around Hobart, (but) it's not threatening any properties," he told AAP.

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Spainish newspaper sorry for Chavez bungle

A TOP Spanish newspaper has apologised after publishing a front-page photograph supposedly of ailing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in his hospital bed, and then discovering the patient was someone else.

El Pais, Spain's best selling newspaper and one of the most influential in the Spanish-speaking world, said Thursday's issue of the newspaper was recalled and the photograph remained on its online site for about half an hour. Some copies of paper were sold before distribution was halted.

The dramatic photograph, which claimed to show Chavez lying in a Cuban hospital after his cancer operation with tubes emerging from his mouth, sparked a furious reaction from Venezuela.

"It is as grotesque as it is false," Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said in a comment on his official Twitter account. The photograph was actually taken from a video of an operation posted on YouTube, he said.

"El Pais apologises to its readers for the harm caused. The newspaper has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of what happened and the errors that may have been committed in verifying the photograph."

El Pais said it received the photo from the Gtres Online news agency, which claimed the image was of the Venezuelan leader.

It stressed that the caption on the photograph had emphasised that El Pais was unable to independently verify the circumstances, the place and date of the photograph.

El Pais said print editions of the newspaper could be unavailable to readers because of the interruption to distribution.

Chavez, who has been convalescing in Cuba since his fourth round of cancer surgery, has not been seen in public since December 10 and official information about his health has been sketchy.

The Venezuelan leader was too ill to attend his scheduled inauguration on January 10, but in recent days officials have said he has been making encouraging progress.

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More poor health than good in UK: survey

THE findings of a new medical study in Britain could go some way toward explaining the colloquial whingeing Pom.

A survey conducted by Spire Bristol Hospital found the average British person spends just a sixth of the year feeling 100 per cent healthy.

Residents of the UK complained of ailments including colds and ear infections, cricked necks, bitten tongues and backaches which plagued some 300 days of their year.

The findings come from a poll of 2000 people, which also showed a quarter of respondents had a condition that is ongoing.

"While people often adopt a 'grin and bear it' approach, it's important to recognise what's easily treatable and can relieve us from a lot of unnecessary suffering day to day," hospital director Rob Anderson told British newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

Survey results also show that people feel run-down for at least two days each week, with 11.35am on Monday being the most common time for people to feel ill.

Saturday lunchtime sees Britons feeling their most healthy.

Headaches are high on the list of complaints, closely followed by back pain, and discomfort from an old sports injury.

The survey also found that in an average year, residents of the UK will experience two ear infections, five bouts of heartburn, an eye infection, three bitten tongues and five cricked necks.

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Tokyo extends losses as Asia markets fall

MOST Asian markets have closed lower, in spite of a Wall Street rally.

Tokyo's Nikkei fell 2.08 per cent, or 222.94 points to 10,486.99 on Wednesday and Seoul closed 0.81 per cent lower, losing 16.11 points to 1,980.41, but Sydney rose 0.18 per cent, or 8.7 points, to 4,787.8.

Hong Kong eased 0.1 per cent, shedding 23.89 points to 23,635.10 and Shanghai ended up 0.25 per cent, or 5.77 points, at 2,320.91 thanks to a late rally.

Japan's Nikkei was hit after the central bank said on Tuesday it would fall into line with the new government and set a two per cent inflation target, while also launching an unlimited asset-buying scheme from next year.

The bank also lifted its growth forecast, predicting gross domestic product would expand 2.3 per cent in the year ended March 2014, up from an earlier 1.6 per cent estimate.

But the bank's moves were in line with expectations, which have seen the yen tumble against the dollar and euro, in turn sending equities flying higher.

"The monetary policy announcement came so completely within range of market expectations that it rang as a disappointment," SMBC Nikko Securities general manager of equities Hiroichi Nishi told Dow Jones Newswires.

The yen began rising soon after Tuesday's announcement and rose further in New York trade. However, it stabilised in Tokyo early on Wednesday.

The greenback - which hit a two-and-a-half-year high of Y90.24 before the Bank of Japan (BoJ) move - bought Y88.36 in afternoon trade, against Y88.68 yen in New York on Tuesday.

The euro - which topped Y120 last week - slipped to Y117.53 on Wednesday, from Y118.14 in New York and to $US1.3298 from $US1.3321.

Regional markets were largely unaffected by healthy gains on Wall Street on Tuesday following a long weekend, thanks to stronger-than-expected earnings results, including from The Travelers Companies and DuPont.

The Dow rose 0.46 per cent, the S&P 500 added 0.44 per cent and the Nasdaq ended up 0.27 per cent.

Oil prices were slightly up, with New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in March, up two cents to $US96.70 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for March delivery up three cents to $US112.45.

Gold was at $US1,691.66 at 1100 GMT (2200 AEDT) compared with $US1,692.41 late on Tuesday.

In other markets:

- Wellington was flat, edging up 0.64 points to 4,187.72.

Telecom fell 2.1 per cent to NZ$2.32 and Fletcher Building rose 0.5 per cent to NZ$9.34, while Air New Zealand was unchanged at NZ$1.24.

- Manila fell 0.20 per cent, or 12.37 points, to 6,092.53.

- Taipei fell 0.19 per cent, or 14.92 points, to 7,744.18.

Hon Hai Precision was 0.47 per cent lower at Tw$85.0, while HTC shed 2.07 per cent at Tw$283.5.

- Singapore closed up 0.35 per cent, or 11.37 points, to 3,231.23.

Real estate developer Capitaland gained 0.52 per cent to Sg$3.89 and Singapore Airlines gained 1.28 per cent to Sg$11.10.

- Kuala Lumpur gained 6.59 points, or 0.4 per cent, to close at 1,635.25.

Public Bank added 0.6 per cent to 15.70 ringgit, and Kuala Lumpur Kepong rose 0.5 per cent to 21.80. UEM Land Holdings fell 0.5 per cent to 2.14 ringgit.

Jakarta closed up 2.18 points, or 0.05 per cent, at 4,418.73.

- Bank Negara Indonesia rose 1.32 per cent to 3,850 rupiah and mobile phone provider Indosat climbed 0.75 per cent to 6,700 rupiah, while palm oil producer Astra Agro Lestari slipped 0.26 per cent to 19,250 rupiah.

Bangkok added 0.36 per cent or 5.11 points to 1,439.20.

- Airports of Thailand jumped 7.58 per cent to 106.50 baht, while telecoms firm True Corp. gained 2.61 per cent to 5.90 baht.

- Mumbai was up 0.23 per cent, or 45.04 points, to 20,026.61.

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Norway cheese fire shuts down road tunnel

A ROAD tunnel in northern Norway will be shut for several weeks after a 27-tonne truckload of sweet goat's milk cheese caught fire.

Regional traffic department chief Geir Joergensen says flames engulfed the tunnel last week and gases from the melting load hindered firefighters. It took four days to put it out.

The driver was not hurt and no other vehicles were in the 3.6-kilometre tunnel at the time.

Joergensen said on Wednesday that the tunnel near the small Arctic municipality of Tysfjord, some 1,350km north of the capital, Oslo, likely will be closed for two more weeks.

Goat's milk cheese is an essential part of many Norwegians' daily diet.

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Pope prays for victims of Jakarta floods

POPE Benedict XVI has offered his prayers to the victims of floods in Indonesia's capital Jakarta and said "no one should go without the necessary aid".

The 85-year-old pope said during his weekly general audience on Wednesday: "I have been following with preoccupation the news from Indonesia where a large flood has devastated Jakarta, leaving in its wake victims, thousands without shelter and significant damage,"

"I wish to express my closeness to the populations hit by this natural calamity, assuring them my prayers and encouraging solidarity so that no-one should go without the necessary aid," he said in front of some 2,000 faithful gathered at the Vatican.

At least 15 people were killed last week by the floods, which forced 18,000 people from their homes and were the worst to hit the capital since 2007.

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Indian panel gets tough on women's safety

AN Indian government panel has recommended the strict enforcement of sexual assault laws, a commitment to speedy rape trials and an overhaul of the country's antiquated penal code.

The three-member panel received more than 80,000 idea submissions in the month since it was set up by the government to help quell street protests and demands for reform sparked by the fatal gang-rape of a student.

The panel on Wednesday recommended that police and other officials who fail to act against crimes against women be punished.

It called for a crack down on dowry payments to enhance women's status, since families are often forced into massive debt to get their daughters married.

It also suggested the government appoint more judges to lessen the backlog of cases and ensure swift justice. It called for updating the law to outlaw acts such as voyeurism, stalking and other crimes against women.

"We hope the parliament will take the legislative suggestions given by the committee," and translate these into law, said retired Chief Justice JS Verma, who headed the panel.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office had no immediate comment about what it would do with the recommendations.

Verma advocated for strict punishment to prevent sexual harassment and assaults against women and sought reforms in how police treat rape victims.

He called for speedy justice and the setting of a time frame to deal with cases of crimes against women.

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Miners worried about China slowing: report

THE mining industry is worried a potential slowdown in China and is making less effort to attract the most qualified workers, a report shows.

The global survey of 374 mining companies comes only days after official Chinese data showed the economy for Australia's largest trading partner grew by 7.8 per cent in the year to December 2012.

The result was an improvement on the previous quarter but the annual Mining Executive Insights report for 2012, by US industrial firm Ventyx, shows the resource sector is cautious about the global economy.

"Encouraging signs of new growth, albeit limited, in North America are offset by uncertainty in the EU and a potential slowdown of the Chinese economy, all of which translate into unpredictability for the mining sector," the report said.

As a result, mining companies are shifting from finding the most qualified workers to improving efficiencies.

Mining companies are also focusing more on expanding operations at existing sites instead of developing new sites, citing regulatory burdens as an impediment to ramping up new operations.

When it comes to challenges, workforce safety was cited as the most important concern for miners, with 31 per cent of surveyed recipients nominating it as their top priority.

This was followed by managing capital projects (25 per cent), maximising production effectiveness (21 per cent) and equipment reliability (8 per cent).

The report did not reveal which mining companies had taken part in the study, but coal, iron ore and copper operators were surveyed.

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Man's body found in Sydney car park

POLICE are appealing for information following the discovery of man's body in the car park of a Sydney shopping centre.

Police said the body of a man, aged in his 50s, was found in the inner city car park on Broadway at about 5.20pm (AEDT) on Tuesday.

Despite attempts to revive the man, he was not able to be resuscitated, police said.

A crime scene was established, and investigators are awaiting a post mortem to determine how the man died.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Airlines profit from EU carbon tax freeze

AIRLINES have made up to half a billion euros in windfall profits by passing on a carbon surcharge to travellers despite an EU decision to freeze its controversial carbon tax, environmentalists say.

Green group Transport and Environment said on Tuesday that airlines chalked up extra revenues estimated at 486 million euros ($A620 million) even though EU climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard in November decided to "stop the clock" on an EU carbon tax angering the global aviation industry.

She offered to freeze the measure for a year on flights to and from non-European nations amid hopes of negotiating a global CO2 emissions in the framework of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

But Transport and Environment said that airlines throughout the year had passed on the cost of their permits to pollute to passengers even though 85 per cent of the permits were allotted free, enabling carriers to make up to 1.3 billion euros in windfall profits in 2012.

And the EU freeze had enabled them to make extra profits, the group said.

"The "stopping of the clock" proposal turns revenues raised by airlines to cover the costs of their CO2 permits into additional windfalls," it said.

Asked for comment, Hedegaard's spokesman said "all we can do is ask for greater transparency in tariffs," said Isaac Valero, spokesman for Hedegaard.

The EU imposed the scheme on January 1 last year, but 26 of ICAO's 36 members, including India, Russia, China and the United States, opposed the move, saying it violated international law.

The EU tax forces airlines operating in the bloc, whatever their flag, to buy 15 per cent of their carbon emissions, or 32 million tonnes, to help battle global warming.

Pay-up time however was due only from 2013, once billing for 2012 had been completed.

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Bolshoi chief undergoes plastic surgery

THE Bolshoi ballet's artistic director has undergone successful plastic surgery following an acid attack that left the former dancer barely able to see the fingers on his hand.

Doctors said Sergei Filin was receiving family visits on Tuesday after undergoing a high-tech procedure to remove lesions from the third-degree burns to the face.

He was attacked outside his home on Thursday night.

"The operation was a success," the Moscow city health department said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.

The violent incident shook the global artistic community and cast a spotlight on rivalries raging between superstars of the 237-year-old institution - one of Russia's most prominent brands.

Police have since spoken to several Bolshoi staff members as they sift through allegations that the attack was triggered by either personal rivalries or criminals with links to the globetrotting troupe.

Filin - a principal dancer before moving into the artistic management side - said in his first detailed post-attack interview that he had felt threatened for several weeks.

"I associate what happened with my work," Filin told the mass-circulation Komsomolskaya Pravda daily.

"The only thing I blame myself for is carelessness," he added. "I should have told the media about the threats right away, before New Year."

Friends said that Filin had told them about his car tyres being slashed and his social media account being hacked - and its explicit content republished - within the past few weeks.

Filin named no suspects in the interview while hinting darkly that he knew where the trouble was coming from.

Doctors said the hooded assailant threw the sulphuric acid cocktail on the right side of Filin's face.

As a result, the former dancer has begun recovering his vision first in his left eye, while his right could barely distinguish between shadows of dark and light.

"My eyes worry me the most," Filin said in the interview.

Doctors said Monday they hoped to restore Filin's vision in at least his left eye while ruling out the possibility of his travelling abroad for treatment because of his weakened state.

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Catastrophic fire warning in southeast WA

A CATASTROPHIC fire danger warning has been issued for people living in the southeast of Western Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast the worst possible conditions for bush or grass fire on Wednesday for the Eucla, which includes the Kalgoorlie-Boulder area, as well as the shire of Dundas.

Residents have been warned that any fire that takes hold will be "extremely difficult to control and will take significant firefighting resources".

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said spot fires would start well ahead of the main fire, causing rapid spread of the fire with embers coming from many directions.

DFES said people living in or near bush with high fuel loads would be at risk and needed to act.

"If you are not prepared to the highest level, leaving bushfire risk areas early in the day is your safest option," DFES said in a statement.

Residents should also read through their bushfire survival plans.

Meanwhile, severe fire danger advice has been issued for inland parts of the Pilbara and coastal parts of the Great Southern for Wednesday, while extreme fire danger will be experienced in central and southern parts of the Interior.

A total fire ban has been declared for the Shire of Esperance.

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Europe bank optimistic over eurozone debt

THE European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has expressed optimism that the worst of the eurozone debt crisis is over, but trimmed its 2013 growth forecast for the ex-Soviet bloc.

The EBRD cut the growth forecast for the countries where it operates to 3.1 per cent this year, the London-based institution announced on Monday in its latest economic outlook.

That compared with the previous estimate in October of 3.2 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

"Downside risks to the outlook have continued to recede as the likelihood of further deterioration of the eurozone crisis diminishes," the EBRD said in the report.

"Growth in the transition region continued to slow down in the third quarter of 2012, but the deceleration is showing signs of bottoming out."

The economies in the EBRD's investment zone shrank by 2.6 per cent last year, hit by fallout from the long-running eurozone sovereign debt crisis, after impressive expansion of 4.6 per cent in 2011.

"For the first time in a long while we are now seeing the possibility of a reduction in the risks facing emerging Europe, especially the risks from the eurozone," said EBRD chief economist Erik Berglof.

"It is too early to sound the all-clear but there are signs of stabilisation," Berglof added.

The EBRD was formed in 1991 to help former Soviet bloc countries switch to a market economy, and invests alongside private-sector firms.

It agreed earlier last year to expand its reach into emerging Arab democracies.

In May, it approved the pumping of one billion euros ($A1.15 billion) into nations in the Middle East and North Africa region, at the lender's annual meeting.

At the same time, the group appointed its first British president, veteran civil servant Suma Chakrabarti.

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Snow causes delays at European airports

SCORES of fights have been cancelled as snow and ice blanket much of Europe.

London's Heathrow airport says it has cancelled about 130 flights on Monday, 10 per cent of the daily total, compared to 20 per cent on Sunday.

Hundreds of schools are closed across Britain.

British domestic trains and Eurostar services from France and Belgium to London have been disrupted.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at Germany's busiest airport in Frankfurt due to heavy snow.

So far, a total 203 flights have been cancelled for the whole day, following 445 cancellations on Sunday, a spokeswoman for airport operator Fraport said.

All flights were cancelled for several hours late on Sunday afternoon, with many inbound services diverted to other airports.

De-icing operations restarted later on Sunday and traffic slowly resumed on a case-by-case basis.

In Munich, which received 13cm of snow overnight, another 200 flights were cancelled, and long delays were expected.

In northern Germany, slick roads outside Berlin caused a stretch of a major highway to be closed down for the Monday morning commute, and the high-speed train that runs through Brussels from Paris to Germany was experiencing long delays.

Forty per cent of flights were canceled at Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris.

Unusually heavy snowfall of almost 50 centimetres in Moscow caused traffic jams on Monday but did not affect flights at city airports, which are well equipped for snowstorms.

The snowfall over the last four days in Moscow exceeded the average for the whole month of January, Moscow Deputy Mayor Pyotr Biryukov said.

"Over the last four days, 50cm of snow has fallen in Moscow. Since the start of the month, 65cm has fallen, while the average for the first month of the year is 42cm," Biryukov said, quoted by the Interfax news agency.

He added that street cleaners and snow ploughs had removed 2.5 million cubic metres of snow over the last four days.

On Monday morning rush-hour traffic crawled at an average speed of 30km/h and slowed to 10km/h on some highways, a spokesman for the city transport department told Interfax.

The city's three commercial airports were not affected by the weather.

The Russian weather centre warned of a "very cold" week in European Russia.

In Moscow, temperatures were predicted to fall to minus 19C on Monday night and to minus 21C on Tuesday night.

The most extreme temperatures are predicted in Magadan in Far East Russia, where they could fall to minus 49C, and in central Siberia where they could fall to minus 52C.

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French troops advance toward key Mali town

ABOUT 200 French infantrymen supported by six combat helicopters and reconnaissance planes are advancing toward the town of Diabaly, seized one week ago by Islamic extremists.

The extremists included fighters under the command of the mastermind of the deadly terrorist attack in Algeria.

Diabaly, a small bucolic town in central Mali, has become the scene of the first major battle in the war to retake northern Mali from bearded fighters who have occupied the region for nine months.

"The operation in Diabaly is currently ongoing," said Captain Romain, the deputy in charge of France's 21st Marine Infantry regiment, positioned in the town of Markala about 140 kilometres from the front line.

"We don't know what we will find there," he said of Diabaly, giving only his first name in keeping with French military policy.

On the road to Diabaly, there were scenes that indicated the area is returning to normal life. Women washed children in an irrigation canal, others washed clothes and placed them to dry on the banks. Families with suitcases and bags headed north in donkey-drawn carts, apparently returning home after fleeing the conflict.

The French military used fighter planes and helicopter gunships to carry out a dozen operations over the weekend in Mali.

France said it had targeted "terrorist vehicles" in six of the strikes over the last 24 hours, and that the campaign against the militants was making progress.

In an interview with France-5 TV, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he wasn't aware of any civilian casualties.

He said the air strikes had caused "significant" - though unspecified - losses among the jihadists, and only minor skirmishes involved French forces on the ground.

Also Sunday, the extremist group behind the deadly hostage crisis in Algeria threatened more attacks against foreign targets if France does not bring an immediate halt to its military operation in Mali.

In a statement, the Masked Brigade warned of more such attacks against any country backing France's military intervention in Mali.

"We promise all the countries that participated in the Crusader campaign ... that we will carry out more operations if they do not reverse their decision," it said, according to a transcript released by SITE Intelligence Group.

France began its military offensive in Mali on Jan. 11, and has said that African nations must take the lead though it could be some weeks before they are ready to do so.

On Sunday, France said that some 400 troops from Nigeria, Togo and Benin had arrived in the Malian capital Bamako to help train an African force for Mali. Troops from Chad, who are considered hardened fighters familiar with the desert-like terrain of northern Mali, also have arrived, Le Drian said.

A top official with the West African regional bloc said on Sunday the cost of the African intervention could top $US500 million ($A478 million).

ECOWAS Commission President Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, who gave an interview to state television in Ivory Coast, said the initial estimate "may vary depending on the needs" of the mission and the situation on the ground.

About 100 American trainers also have been deployed to Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo and Ghana "to discuss training and equipping and deployment needs of those countries in the interest of getting them ready to go into Mali," said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

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Syria groups delay govt-in-exile decision

THE Syrian opposition says it has postponed a decision on forming a government-in-exile at its meeting in Istanbul, saying it needs guarantees of support from dissident forces on the ground.

The Syrian National Council (SNC), a key component of the opposition, said the meeting held on Sunday formed a five-member panel to consult with the rebel Free Syrian Army, and other concerned parties on the issue.

"After studying the proposals and after deliberation on the question of creating an interim government, we decided to set up a five-member committee tasked with consulting with the forces of the revolution, the Free Syrian Army and friendly countries," the council said.

The Syrian National Council is an influential member of the National Coalition, which was set up in Doha in November in a bid to unify opposition forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Since it was formed, the National Coalition has been recognised by scores of states and organisations as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

Syria's 22-month revolt has been racked by political schisms and unmet promises of financial and military aid by the international community, dissidents say.

The opposition said the five-member committee would also be tasked with exploring "the extent of (opposition and international) commitment in order for the work to be financially and politically feasible."

The panel includes, among others, National Coalition chief Moaz al-Khatib, Syrian National Council head George Sabra and prominent Paris-based dissident, Burhan Ghalioun.

The opposition is due to meet again on January 28 in Paris, along with representatives of some 20 countries that back the revolt against Assad.

More than 60,000 people have been killed so far in the conflict that erupted in March 2011, according to United Nations figures.

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Man caught filming up girls' skirts

A MAN has been charged with using his mobile phone to film up the skirts of teenage girls at a shopping centre in Sydney's inner west.

Police say they were on foot patrol in a Burwood shopping complex on Monday afternoon when they witnessed a man, 53, approach two young women, before placing a mobile phone up their skirts.

After following the man for a short period, officers allegedly saw him use a phone to video under the skirts of two 14-year-old girls.

He was arrested, with an examination of his phone revealing further offences, police allege.

The Croydon man was charged with 13 counts of filming a person's private parts, one of attempting the same and two counts of possessing cannabis.

He was allowed bail and will appear in Burwood Local Court on February 14.

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At least 15 bodies found in Nigerian river

POLICE in Nigeria have found at least 15 unidentified corpses floating on a river in southeast Anambra state, officials say.

Local media claim the number could be much higher.

"I don't know the exact number of bodies but I have seen at least 15 corpses floating on the river," Anambra police commissioner Bala Nasarawa said on Sunday in a television interview after visiting the scene.

Some local media reports put the number of corpses at between 30 and 40.

It was unclear how the people had died or how their bodies ended up in the river.

Nasarawa said police were investigating the mysterious case.

Television showed footage of what appeared to be male corpses in the Ezu river in Amansea, a border community between Anambra and neighbouring Enugu state.

The Enugu police commissioner, Musa Daura, who also visited the scene, said there had been no recent reports of communal clashes in the area.

Local reports said the corpses were first discovered on Saturday by fishermen and sand excavators, who alerted authorities.

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Rock climber rescued after falling

A ROCK climber has been rescued after falling down a cliff in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

The 23-year-old local and his friend arrived at Centennial Glen, near Blackheath, to go rock climbing about 9.30am (AEDT) on Sunday.

Before they started, the man fell about 10 metres down a cliff face and landed on a ledge.

His friend and another climber abseiled to him before contacting emergency services.

After arriving on the scene, police rescue and paramedics abseiled to the man and started treating him for serious head and internal injuries.

A helicopter was dispatched to the area but was unable to assist due to poor weather.

A complicated roping system was then set up to retrieve the injured climber safely.

About 5.15pm, he was carried out of the bush by a team of emergency service workers and taken by ambulance to Westmead Hospital.

His injuries are not considered life threatening, police said.

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Syrian opposition to meet in Paris on Jan

THE leaders of Syria's main opposition National Coalition will meet in Paris on January 28 along with representatives of countries supporting them, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says.

Speaking on Europe 1 radio on Sunday, Fabius provided no other details of the meeting.

He also denied reports Syria had used chemical weapons in December.

"We asked for our intelligence services to check - and not just us - and we're told 'no'," that chemical weapons had not been used, he said.

Earlier this month, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said the United States was increasingly focused on how to secure Syria's chemical weapons if the Assad regime were to fall.

Panetta said he would not consider sending ground troops into the war-torn country, even to secure chemical sites, but he left the door open to some US military presence if President Bashar al-Assad's downfall was followed by a peaceful transition.

Fabius downplayed the presence of Islamic extremists among the Syrian opposition, saying one of the most prominent such factions, the Al-Nusra front, "came from Iraq and is an ultra-minority group".

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4 die in Egypt clashes

EGYPT'S Health Ministry says overnight clashes between police and residents of a densely populated district just north of Cairo have left four people dead and 12 wounded.

Security officials say the clashes began when a bystander was hit by a stray bullet fired by police chasing an alleged drug dealer.

They began on Saturday night and continued until Sunday.

The ministry said in a statement the wounded included two officers and a police conscript.

Clashes between police and civilians have been common since the ouster of autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak in an uprising nearly two years ago.

Police brutality was one of the major causes of the 2011 uprising.

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Five family members die in Syria air raid

Syrian Kurds have urged the opposition to halt a siege against them by Islamist rebels. Source: AAP

FIVE members of one family have been killed in air raids on a town in Damascus province, with Syrian warplanes bombarding a battleground town southwest of the capital.

A couple and their three children were among seven civilians killed in air strikes on the village of Baraka, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday, adding that the toll may rise as a number of people were buried under debris.

The Britain-based watchdog also reported artillery shelling and air raids on Daraya as army reinforcements arrived in the town, strategic for its location next to Al-Mazzeh military airport east of Damascus.

Pro-regime daily Al-Watan said on Sunday that "the terrorists on the outskirts of Daraya and Moadamiyet al-Sham have appealed for help after being hit very hard by the Syrian army, which destroyed several of the hideouts where they barricaded themselves."

Syrian authorities use the term "terrorists" to describe rebels against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

"The army continued its assault yesterday and completely destroyed these hideouts and plans to conduct a qualitative ground operation to root out the remaining terrorists," the newspaper said on Sunday.

In Damascus on Sunday, a man was shot dead in the southern district of Qadam as troops and rebels clashed, and another man was killed in shelling on the northeast suburb of Douma, the Observatory reported.

The army also bombarded several districts in the central city of Homs which have been under siege for months, as well as locations in the northern province of Aleppo, the northwest province of Idlib and Latakia on the coast.

In the southern province of Daraa, two rebels died in clashes near Busra al-Harir, while one civilian was killed and another critically wounded by regime gunfire in the town, the watchdog said.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of activists and medics for information, said that 138 people were killed nationwide on Saturday: 62 civilians - including 13 children - 35 soldiers, 39 rebels and two Kurdish fighters.

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