Two ships crash off Japan

Two cargo ships have collided off Tokyo leaving five crew members injured, and another missing. Source: AAP

TWO cargo ships have collided off Tokyo leaving five Japanese crew members critically injured, and another missing.

The five sailors rescued on Friday evening from the Japanese-flagged Eifuku Maru No 18 were found in a state of cardiorespiratory arrest, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The coast guard was searching for the sixth crew member, the Kyodo News Agency reported.

The 498-tonne ship and the 2,962-tonne Jia Hui, registered in Sierra Leone, collided at about 1.25am on Friday near Izu Oshima island, 100km south of Tokyo.

The Japanese vessel, found capsized with all its crew missing, was heading for Chiba, east of Tokyo, from Nagoya, central Japan.

The 13 Chinese and Myanmar nationals that made up the Sierra Leone freighter's crew were rescued from waters nearby, Kyodo said.

The Jia Hui was on its way to Busan, South Korea, from Kawasaki, south of Tokyo.

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Two die on Vic roads in two hours

TWO women have been killed within two hours in separate Victorian crashes.

The first died after a head-on collision at Brucknell in Victoria's southwest.

Police say the woman's car collided with a van about 45km from Warrnambool, at about 3pm (AEST) on Saturday.

She died at the scene.

Police say another woman died in the Geelong suburb of Leopold, when a utility lost control and struck her car at about 5pm.

The woman, who was the only occupant in the car, died at the scene.

The deaths take Victoria's road toll to 172, compared with 197 at the same time last year.

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Asylum seekers 'abandoned' at sea

The Abbott government has been criticised for its tight-lipped stance on an asylum-seeker tragedy.

SURVIVORS from an asylum-seeker boat that sank off Indonesia claim their desperate pleas to Australian authorities for help were ignored as their vessel foundered in heavy seas.

The death toll from the tragedy was on Saturday expected to surpass 50, with 30 or so people still missing.

Indonesian authorities say that at least 21 people, including seven children, drowned when the boat, which was believed to be carrying about 80 passengers, sank on Friday off the coast of Java.

A decision on whether to resume the search would be made on Sunday morning, Indonesian officials said late Saturday.

Authorities fear for up to 70 asylum seekers still missing after their boat sank off Java.

The Australian government issued a statement on Saturday evening expressing its sympathies and saying that it would provide assistance to Indonesian authorities.

Immigration and Border Protection minister Scott Morrison said Australian authorities received a call about the vessel on Friday morning that placed the stricken boat about 25 nautical miles of Indonesia.

Mr Morrison said Rescue Coordination Centre Australia maintained co-ordination of the search and notified the Indonesian rescue agency.

An all-ships broadcast was issued by Australian authorities, but a merchant ship and a border protection aircraft were both unable to find the vessel.

The dead, wrapped in yellow bodybags, some stacked on top of each other, could be seen on Saturday, exposed to the sun and heat in an open storage room of a clinic in the village of Agrabinta, near where they had washed ashore the previous day.

Many were children.

One of the survivors, Lebanese man Hussein Khodr, had reportedly lost his pregnant wife and eight children in the disaster.

But some of the survivors say that more lives could have been saved, claiming that as many as 10 calls to Australian authorities were either eventually ignored or treated as a low priority.

"We called them and we told them we're sinking, we need anybody to help us," 28-year-old Abdullah al Qisi said, according to The Australian newspaper.

"And they were telling us 'we're coming, we're coming' and they didn't come," he said.

Initial reports suggested the boat first got into trouble about 10 hours into its journey and efforts were made to return to Indonesia before it sank.

There were also claims on Saturday that the crew had abandoned ship shortly after setting off, and that the passengers had been left to fend for themselves for five days, drifting around with no engine, before calamity finally struck on Friday.

A spokesman for the Indonesian search and rescue agency, BASARNAS, said his office was not advised of an incident involving an asylum-seeker boat until 8am local time on Friday.

He said the Australian Maritime and Safety Authority had contacted BASARNAS about the boat.

However, a police official from the district of Cianjur near where the boat sank said authorities were only alerted to the incident after bodies were discovered floating in an estuary on Friday morning.

Strong waves had limited search and rescue efforts on Saturday, although three more people were found alive, taking the number of confirmed survivors to 28.

It's the first known fatal attempted asylum-seeker crossing under the coalition government, which promised that it would stop boats reaching Australia after it won this month's federal election.

The sinking comes after another group of 44 asylum seekers were rescued by an Australian navy vessel in the Sunda Strait on Thursday.

It also emerged on Saturday that a third group of 31 asylum seekers had been rescued by an Australian navy vessel, and were set to be returned to Indonesia - the second "hand-back" in as many days.

The latest tragedy in waters between Indonesia and Australia comes amid an increase in tensions between Canberra and Jakarta over the asylum-seeker issue, and days ahead of talks in Jakarta between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Mr Abbott and President Yudhoyno will meet on Monday, with asylum-seeker policy expected to be at the top of the agenda.

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Ex-UK PM Thatcher's ashes laid to rest

BARONESS Thatcher's ashes have been laid interred in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Members of her family attended a short church service in the chapel of the central London site on Saturday before a solid oak casket containing her ashes was placed in the ground.

A headstone bearing the simple inscription "Margaret Thatcher 1925 - 2013" was being erected on top of her final resting place in the leafy hospital grounds.

Britain's first female prime minister died aged 87 on April 8.

Twelve Chelsea Pensioners dressed in their distinctive scarlet coats formed a guard of honour as her ashes were placed alongside those of her husband Sir Denis, who died in 2003.

Prayers were said by hospital chaplain the Reverend Richard Whittington as her family members comforted one another.

Among the small group of mourners was Lady Thatcher's former private secretary Lord Powell and Lord Bell, her former political adviser.

Her children each placed a single red rose alongside the casket.

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Greek Golden Dawn leader, MPs arrested

GREEK police have arrested the leader and other top officials of the anti-immigrant Golden Dawn party on charges of forming a criminal organisation.

The arrests are an escalation of a government crackdown after a fatal stabbing allegedly committed by a supporter.

It is the first time since 1974 that a party head and sitting members of parliament have been arrested.

Police announced the arrests of 16 Golden Dawn members, including party head Nikos Michaloliakos, spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris and two other MPs.

The arrests included a local Golden Dawn leader in an Athens suburb while the rest were ordinary members.

Two police officials said an operation by the counterterrorism unit was still ongoing on Saturday morning, with a total of about 35 arrest warrants for Golden Dawn members issued.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly.

Despite the arrests, the party's MPs retain their parliamentary seats unless they are convicted of a crime.

Golden Dawn holds 18 of parliament's 300 seats, after winning nearly 7 per cent of the vote in general elections last year.

Michaloliakos had earlier threatened to pull the group's deputies out of parliament, a move that would prompt by-elections in 15 regions around the country.

"We will exhaust any means within our legal constitutional rights to defend our political honour," Michaloliakos said on Thursday.

"If the country enters a cycle of instability, it is those who demonise Golden Dawn who will be responsible, not (us)," he said.

The arrests come 11 days after the killing of anti-fascist activist rapper Pavlos Fyssas by an alleged Golden Dawn member.

Though the party has vehemently denied any role in the killing, the case has appeared to dent its appeal among Greeks and the government has worked to crack down on the party.

Golden Dawn expressed outrage at the arrests in a text message to journalists.

"We call upon everyone to support our moral and just struggle against the corrupt system! Everyone come to our offices!," it said.

A later text message called for supporters to head to police headquarters "with calm and order".

A small group of about 30 people initially gathered, standing on the footpath across the street from the building.

Golden Dawn entered the Greek parliament for the first time in May 2012, capitalising on Greece's deep financial crisis, rising crime and anti-immigrant sentiment.

The party's members and supporters have frequently been suspected of carrying out violent attacks, mainly against immigrants.

Despite its reputation for violence, the party had enjoyed growing popularity.

A government spokesman refused to comment on the details of the operation.

"Democracy can protect itself. Justice will do its job," Simos Kedikoglou told reporters.

In addition to Michaloliakos and Kasidiaris, Golden Dawn deputy, Ilias Panayiotaros, gave himself up at police headquarters, telling police they were looking for him at a wrong address.

Another MP, Yannis Lagos, has also been arrested.

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Perth Zoo elephant Tricia backs Dockers

Tricia the Asian elephant at Perth Zoo has tipped the Fremantle Dockers to win the AFL grand final. Source: AAP

MANY Fremantle Dockers fans have come out of the woodwork recently - including Tricia the Asian elephant.

Perth Zoo's longest resident, Tricia had her allegiance put to the test when keepers put paintings of the Dockers and Hawks logos in front of the 56-year-old this week.

And she lumbered straight up to the purple one, clearly pointing her trunk at the canvas, a video uploaded to YouTube shows.

"She really could have picked anything, so we were really pleased," spokeswoman Debbie Read said.

The paintings were made by Tricia and her younger female herd member, Permai, as part of an enrichment program that gives the elephants physical and mental stimulation.

The keepers placed stencils of the team logos on the canvas and the elephants then sprayed them with paint.

Ms Read said Perth Zoo's male elephant, Putra Mas, also liked painting.

"They become very excited when the keepers appear with the painting equipment," she said.

"They each paint with their own distinctive style and colour preference.

"We use vegetable-based non-toxic paint."

The elephants also paint with their feet.

Ms Read said the paintings were sold, with the funds going towards wildlife conservation.

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Tas parliament to debate euthanasia bill

Premier Lara Giddings has introduced a voluntary euthanasia bill to the Tasmanian parliament. Source: AAP

PREMIER Lara Giddings has introduced a voluntary euthanasia bill to her state's parliament that would allow terminally ill Tasmanians to take their lives.

Ms Giddings and Greens leader Nick McKim tabled a joint private members bill on Thursday that is based on "the values of compassion, respect for human dignity, and freedom of choice".

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2013 will establish a state registrar to oversee the process of people seeking voluntary euthanasia.

It also features penalties for anyone found to pressure patients.

"Who are we to say to an independent, competent adult that they must continue to live with pain and suffering, rather than allowing them to end their life at the time of their choosing?" Ms Giddings said in a statement.

"It is a tragedy that our current laws still often force terminally ill people to suffer an agonising and often humiliating death."

She said safeguards used in overseas laws and 900 public submissions had been considered during the consultation process.

The bill will be debated during the next sitting of Tasmania's parliament in mid-October.

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Bushfire conditions ease in NSW

NSW firefighters are on the front foot against bushfires on the state's mid-north coast, with local residents granted a reprieve by the easing winds.

Forty properties in the Taree and Great Lakes areas had been threatened when soaring temperatures and fierce gusts helped stoke fires, but Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd told ABC Radio that conditions were improving on Thursday night.

"The main thing is the winds have dropped," he said.

"Initially this afternoon, we saw wind gusts in excess of 60-70km/h, even as high as 90km/h, across some of these firegrounds and that's what caused a number of these fires to flare up and run and run quite hard."

Further south near Newcastle, four teenagers have been arrested over a bushfire that forced the evacuation of a Scout camp northwest of Newcastle.

About 60 children had to leave Glenrock Scout Camp on Thursday due to a blaze that prompted a police investigation into suspicious fires in the Glenrock State Conservation area.

"Officers from NSW Fire and Rescue have been fighting a number of fires in the conservation area between Dudley and Merewether Heights," a police spokesman told AAP.

"Four teenage males ... have been taken to Belmont Police Station, where they are assisting police with their inquiries."

Scouts NSW communications and development manager Rosalie Batistoni told AAP the scouts were all safe after being moved to a local bowls club.

A blaze south of Taree, near Old Bar Rd, has burnt over 100 hectares and firefighters are still working to protect homes.

The fire forced the Pacific Highway to close but it has since been reopened.

Meanwhile, fire has destroyed some sheds in Shallow Bay and burned through 70 hectares of bushland.

The RFS has now down-graded fire alerts for both blazes to "watch and act", urging residents to keep monitoring the situation and be prepared to react quickly.

Reception centres for residents unable to return home have been set up at Club Taree and Club Old Bar.

Club Old Bar manager Tony Jones said 300 locals had holed up at the establishment, some bringing their cats and dogs.

"A lot of kids are upset," he told AAP.

"The uncertainty is the worst at the moment."

The RFS is battling 50 fires across the state, 20 which are uncontained. NSW Fire and Rescue said they were dealing with more than 100 smaller bush and grass fires, mostly in western Sydney.

Damaging winds were also felt at the Sydney Airport, where a 80km/h crosswind forced a Jetstar flight from the Gold Coast to pull out of its landing just 30 metres from the runway.

"It was probably the worst flight we have been on," passenger Steve Ovani told Network Ten.

Falling trees cut off electricity to about 4000 homes in Sydney, with areas including Lane Cove, Rozelle and Chatswood affected shortly after 2pm (AEST).

The State Emergency Service received 500 jobs, mainly for fallen trees and roof damage, spokeswoman Sue Pritchard said.

In the CBD, the gusty winds blew out shop fronts and high-rise windows, Ten reported.

Elsewhere, Thredbo recorded winds of up to 111km/h, while Goulburn, the Southern Tablelands and the Hunter all experienced winds of more than 95km/h.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Francois Geffroy said conditions were expected to ease further overnight.

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Syria committed to weapons deal: Assad

Syrian President Bashar al Assad says he doesn't discount the possibility of a US military attack. Source: AAP

SYRIA is committed to a deal to hand over its chemical weapons, President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview, as major powers inched closer to a UN resolution enshrining the agreement.

The Syrian president, in an interview with Venezuelan television station Telesur broadcast on Wednesday, said he saw "no obstacles" to a plan under which Damascus will relinquish its chemical arms.

His comments came as UN experts arrived in Damascus to resume investigating around 14 incidents in which chemical weapons are alleged to have been used.

On the ground, an Iraqi woman was killed when a mortar round hit the Iraqi consulate in Damascus, a diplomat said.

Assad told Telesur his government was committed to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which it signed as part of the US-Russian agreement on the destruction of its chemical arsenal.

"Syria is generally committed to all the agreements that it signs," he said in the interview, published in full by the state news agency SANA on Thursday.

He said Damascus had begun to send the required details of its chemical arsenal to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons which is overseeing the deal, and that OPCW inspectors were expected in Syria.

"Experts (from the OPCW) will come to Syria in the coming period to look into the status of these weapons," he said.

"As the Syrian government, there are no serious obstacles.

"But there is always the possibility that the terrorists will obstruct the work of the experts by preventing them from accessing certain places."

Assad's Syrian regime labels those fighting against it "terrorists".

Syria agreed to turn over its chemical arsenal under a deal thrashed out following an August 21 sarin attack in the suburbs of Damascus, which killed hundreds of people.

The attack, which occurred as UN chemical weapons experts were in Syria investigating previous alleged chemical attacks, was blamed on the Syrian regime by Washington and other international backers of the Syrian opposition.

Assad's government denies involvement, but agreed to turn over its chemical arsenal in the face of threatened US military action.

The deal halted talk of a US assault, but Assad said "the possibility of aggression is always there".

"This time the pretext is chemical weapons, next time it will be something else," he said.

The permanent members of the UN Security Council meanwhile made progress on a resolution enshrining the chemical weapons deal, agreeing on the "main points" of a text.

A diplomat said it could result in a resolution that allows for a later vote on sanctions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter if Damascus fails to honour the Russia-US plan.

A senior State Department official cautioned to AFP: "We're making progress but we're not done yet."

US President Barack Obama told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday there had to be a "strong" resolution and French President Francois Hollande said it must include the threat of eventual "coercive" measures.

But Russia opposes a resolution with any such language.

A team of UN experts led by Swedish chief Ake Sellstrom is in Damascus for further investigations into chemical weapons use.

After determining that sarin gas was used in the August 21 attack, the team must now try to reach up to 14 sites where allegations of chemical weapons use have been made.

On the rebel side, a group of 13 rebel factions, including some previously under a Western-backed command, announced they were joining the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra front and rejected the key National Coalition opposition grouping based in Turkey.

At the UN, where the General Assembly is being held, nations pledged new aid to deal with the fallout from the 30-month conflict which has killed more than 110,000 people and displaced millions.

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Mandela responding to treatment: Zuma

The South African president says former leader Nelson Mandela is responding to treatment at home. Source: AAP

THE South African president says former leader Nelson Mandela is responding to treatment at his home, where a team of doctors is caring for him.

Authorities have previously described Mandela's condition as critical.

The 95-year-old former president and leader of the anti-apartheid movement was discharged from a hospital on September 1, nearly three months after he was admitted for a recurring lung infection.

The South African Press Association quotes President Jacob Zuma as saying in a speech released on Wednesday that Mandela continues to respond to treatment.

The speech was prepared for delivery at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Mandela's grandson Mbuso Mandela told The New Age newspaper his grandfather was "sitting up and looking around" and had spent the Tuesday public holiday surrounded by family.

"I saw him again yesterday (Wednesday) at lunch. He is doing well," he said, adding that "we are keeping him company".

He stressed that Mandela was "much better" and not completely bed-ridden.

Mandela spent 27 years in prison during white minority rule.

He led South Africa through a delicate transition to all-race elections that propelled him to the presidency in 1994.

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Victim named in WA desert rally crash

A MAN killed in a long-distance off-road rally in Western Australia's north west has been named as Ivan Erceg.

The moto competitor had an accident at stage one of the Australasian Safari, about 50km east of Minilya near Carnarvon, on Wednesday at 9.30am (WST).

Emergency services were quick to assist the man, who was believed to be in his early 40s, but he died at the scene.

An Australasian Safari spokeswoman said the remainder of the leg had been cancelled.

The event will resume tomorrow, she said.

The event organisers extended sympathies to Mr Erceg's family, team members and friends.

"Ivan was one of life's huge characters and was loved by the entire Safari family," they said on their Facebook page.

"He was a true competitor who loved his motorbikes and the mateship of competition. He will be sorely missed."

Police have seized the bike and a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding Mr Erceg's death has commenced.

Organisers have also arranged for a pastor and counsellors to be available at the race site.

Tributes flowed on the Australasian Safari's Facebook page.

Kevin O'Bryan wrote: "One of the most respected desert racers Australia wide."

James Arnold posted: "Condolences... R.I.P. you mad man, will be missed."

Karlie Conner wrote: "A safari legend who will be missed by all."

The WA government sponsors the Australasian Safari through Eventscorp, a division of Tourism WA.

It is an annual off-road rally for four-wheel drives, side by sides, motorbikes and quad bikes.

Considered Australia's toughest motorsport challenge, the event began on September 19 and runs until September 29.

It covers 3000km including Geraldton, the Gascoyne region, the Kennedy Ranges, Carnarvon and Kalbarri.

The extreme motorsport event attracts competitors from countries including China, France, Sweden, Britain, Thailand, South Africa, Botswana, the US, Italy and Germany.

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Bond is back in new novel

BOND is back, exactly as we remember him but also subtly different. For one thing, he looks a bit like Daniel Day-Lewis.

William Boyd, who has written a new official James Bond novel authorised by Ian Fleming's family, says Day-Lewis would be perfect to play the 007 he's created in Solo.

Boyd says Fleming once described Bond as "looking like the American singer-songwriter Hoagy Carmichael. Daniel Day-Lewis looks like Hoagy Carmichael."

Solo is set in 1969 and takes the suave British spy - 45 years old and feeling his age - from London's plush Dorchester Hotel to a war-ravaged West African country and to Washington.

The book was launched on Wednesday with a suitably glamorous photo call involving sports cars and flight attendants, ahead of its publication in Britain on Thursday.

It will be published in the United States and Canada on October 8.

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Teen molested by police: report

A TEENAGER was allegedly forced to strip and molested by police when she refused to pay a bribe to lodge a rape complaint in northern India, officials say.

"The girl complained that the station house officer took her into a room and asked her to remove her clothes, so he could confirm if she had been sexually assaulted," on Sunday, the region's police chief Lalit Kumar Singh said.

The victim, 18, "alleged she was later molested by the officer, who had demanded 50,000 rupees (800 dollars) to lodge the rape complaint," he added.

The Times of India on Wednesday reported the girl's age as 14, and said the alleged assault occurred after her father, who had taken her to the station, refused to pay the bribe.

The police launched a probe against the officer, in the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh state, after the father complained to the police superintendent on Tuesday, the report said.

Singh said on Wednesday the police had charged the officer with molestation, and arrested a suspect of the original rape.

Sexual violence has been a focus of public attention in India since the fatal gang rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi in December triggered mass protests.

But activists say little has changed in attitudes towards sexual assault, and attacks on women and girls continue unabated.

Campaigners have said police officers' patriarchal and misogynist mindset deters victims from reporting sexual violence.

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Council worker asked to cover up asbestos

A FORMER northwestern NSW council worker claims he was asked to cover up dumped asbestos with green waste and garbage.

Mark Sankey said he worked at landfill sites for Gwydir Shire Council from 2008 until March this year.

On numerous occasions he alleges he was asked to cover dumped asbestos with garbage, green waste, push it into walls and sometimes burn it.

"When I was first in that job I was exposed to asbestos many, many times," he told AAP on Wednesday.

"They would ask me to just push the asbestos under the garbage so people couldn't see it."

He said only two landfills in the shire were locked, allowing dumping to occur overnight.

It was only after he began receiving training on how asbestos was to be properly disposed of that he began questioning the requests.

"When I asked questions they threatened me with my job."

In March, Mr Sankey said he was made redundant after being told his skills were no longer required.

Gwydir Shire Council was not immediately available to comment on Mr Sankey's claims, which come after the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (ADFA) accused the council of unsafe work practices and illegal dumping, which is potentially putting the residents at risk.

ADFA president Barry Robson said worried Warialda locals had reported council workers cutting asbestos cement pipes in a residential street without safety equipment or warnings.

He also said there were reports asbestos was being illegally dumped or "simply being tossed over the fence of local tips".

But Gwydir Shire Mayor John Coulton dismissed the reports as "unfair and misleading", saying safety concerns had been fully investigated.

"The council is confident that no staff member or member of the public has been endangered during the water pipe replacement program in Warialda," he said in a statement.

He also rubbished allegations workers in the small town were told to misclassify asbestos waste to minimise disposal costs.

WorkCover NSW and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) have both confirmed they were looking into the claims.

The EPA said it received a report from Gwydir Shire Council on September 19 saying the council had inadvertently deposited about 10 cubic metres of soil with bonded asbestos pipe on council-owned lands at Warialda.

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Vic man punched to head while shopping

A MAN is fighting for his life after he was punched to the head at a shopping centre in Victoria's southwest.

The 46-year-old man from Bannockburn was allegedly assaulted just after 12pm (AEST) in Belmont by another man, who fled after the confrontation.

Suffering from severe head injuries, the victim was taken to the Geelong hospital and then airlifted to The Alfred hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A 41-year-old Norlane man was arrested and is currently assisting police with their enquires.

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Improve urban life: Bloomberg

New York's mayor is offering cities in Europe millions for plans to improve urban life. Source: AAP

NEW York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is offering European cities millions to come up with plans to improve urban life, tapping his personal fortune to extend his cities-as-civic-laboratories campaign outside America, as the end of his own tenure nears.

The billionaire businessman-turned-politician invited about 600 sizeable European cities Tuesday to compete for nine million euros ($A12.98 million) from his personal foundation.

The competition could signal how Bloomberg aims to maintain and broaden his impact on government after his 12-year tenure ends in December.

"I am a big believer in the power of cities to shape the future," Bloomberg said in a statement ahead of a news conference at London City Hall. He said the contest would spotlight "bold ideas which can take root in Europe and spread around the world."

Modelled on a Bloomberg Philanthropies contest that awarded $US9 million ($A9.60 million) to five US cities this year, the European competition seeks ideas that solve problems or make government more efficient or citizen-friendly.

It's open to cities with 100,000 or more residents in 40 countries. Winners of a five million euro grand prize and four one million euro awards will be announced next northern autumn.

In the recent US version of the Mayors Challenge, the $US5 million top prize went in March to Providence, Rhode Island. Its project aims to improve poor children's vocabulary by outfitting them with recording devices if their parents agree to it, counting the words the children hear and coaching parents.

Four other cities that won $US1 million apiece - Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Santa Monica, California - also are gearing up their projects.

As mayor, Bloomberg isn't shy about encouraging others to follow New York's lead on such new initiatives as trying to ban many eateries from selling super-size, sugary drinks. Meanwhile, he's borrowed bicycle-sharing and some other ideas from elsewhere.

The organisation also supports environmental, education, health and arts projects. It gave away a total of $US370 million last year.

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Pyne reveals plans for university shake-up

AXING compulsory university fees collected to support student services and scrapping Labor's targets to lift participation by disadvantaged students are part of the Coalition's plan to overhaul the higher education system.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne described the student services and amenities fee introduced by Labor as "compulsory student unionism by the backdoor" and the Coalition would abolish it.

He told Fairfax Media that the Coalition would also axe Labor's target to increase participation by those from low socio-economic backgrounds to 20 per cent by 2020.

Instead the government will make "sensible, methodical reform" to encourage those from low socio-economic backgrounds to attend university, he said.

A review of the demand-driven system is one of his top priorities for the higher education system, which could see the return of caps on university places.

He said the review would consider if the demand-driven system was impacting on the quality and reputation of the higher education system.

"It's a very important reputation to maintain and the poison that would undermine that reputation would be a diminution in quality," he said.

The former Labor government abolished caps on the number of Commonwealth-supported university places, helping almost 200,000 more students access higher education.

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Vic courts tougher on family violence

OFFENDERS violating family violence orders are facing harsher punishment in Victorian courts, a report says.

The report by Victoria's Sentencing Advisory Council has found a move away from punishing offenders with fines and an increased use of prison sentences, particularly for repeat offenders.

The report, which looks at the punishment handed to people who breach family violence intervention orders between 2009-2010 and 2011-2012, found that the use of fines had declined by 30.5 per cent.

For repeat offenders the use of fines almost halved and as a result custodial sentences increased to become the most common sentences imposed.

Sentencing Advisory Council chair Professor Arie Freiberg welcomed the move by courts away from fines for dealing with family violence.

"We (have) said they were not particularly effective in terms of behaviour change and we were concerned that fines tended to undervalue the severity of the offences," he said.

He credits a marked cultural shift in attitudes towards family violence by police and in the courts.

He said this cultural change had led to more people reporting family violence to police, which could be behind the statistic that showed the reporting of those incidents had increased by 72.8 per cent since 2004-2005.

"What that shows is that police are no longer saying 'it's only domestic'," he said.

"They are saying 'we're going to take action' and that's a really dramatic change."

These developments are heartening, but Prof Freiberg said the ultimate aim - reducing family violence - was much more difficult to measure.

"The ultimate aim is to reduce family violence, not to increase sentencing, so when you say effectiveness the jury's still out."

Detective Superintendent Rob Jouning of the sexual and family violence directorate agrees and suggests changing offender attitudes is the next challenge for police and the public.

"To me it's going to have more impact if the person before he does something actually thinks 'oh hang on if I do that my mates are going to think I'm an idiot'," he said.

"If they know what they are going to do is wrong amongst their mates that's probably going to have more of an impact than worrying what sentence they are going to get."

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Juratowitch stands tall to win ANTM

Melbourne high school student Melissa Juratowitch (R) has been crowned Australia's Next Top Model. Source: AAP

MELBOURNE high school student Melissa Juratowitch has become an accidental hero after winning Australia's Next Top Model.

The 16-year-old won a public vote to claim the Fox8 series from bubbly Nyadak "Duckie" Thot and well-spoken Shanali Martin on Tuesday night at the Star Casino in Sydney.

In a winner-take-all finale, Juratowitch pocketed $20,000 cash from TRESemme, a Nissan Dualis, a modelling contract with IMG and she will also appear on the cover of Harper's Bazaar.

The year 11 student not only never set out to audition for the series, but she was also the shortest model in the competition.

Standing just 173cm, Juratowitch was about five centimetres shy of the height minimum US IMG scouts had stated (5'10") they were looking for when they held auditions earlier this year.

In fact, Juratowitch only went to the auditions as a spectator and was plucked out of the crowd by the judges who are asked her to try out despite her lack of stature.

"I went along to the auditions because I had been along with my mum to watch them every year and I was standing there and all the judges were staring at me," Juratowitch said.

"So I got up on stage and now I am here and it's insane. It's so incredible."

Juratowitch said she's mindful of her height and worked hard during the season to try and put it out of her mind.

"My height has always been an issue during his whole competition," she said.

Australia's Next Top Model started with 15 models and a dozen were eliminated throughout the series on the opinions of Alex Perry, Didier Cohen, Charlotte Dawson and host Jennifer Hawkins.

However, Tuesday's finale was decided purely by viewer votes and the three finalists used social media to try and build their fan base and their votes.

Juratowitch's plans almost came unstuck when her Facebook and Twitter accounts were hacked earlier this month and deleted, forcing her to start again.

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Poisoned elephant death toll rises

ZIMBABWEAN authorities say at least 81 elephants have been killed for their ivory tusks by poachers using cyanide poison in water holes in a vast western national park.

Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi, in Harare on Tuesday after touring Hwange National Park, said more elephant carcasses were discovered after a first count of more than 40 earlier in the month.

Wildlife department officials said industrial cyanide, used in gold mining, was put in the park's remote water holes, killing smaller animals drinking there and vultures and other predators feeding on the dead animals.

Nine alleged poachers were arrested after rangers tracked them to a cache of ivory hidden in the park.

Zimbabwe's state media reported Tuesday that newly-appointed environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere has vowed harsher jail penalties for poachers.

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Kidman supports 'China Hollywood' bid

NICOLE Kidman attended a star-studded event that has seen China's richest man announce plans to spend 50 billion yuan ($A8.79 billion) to build the country's version of Hollywood in the northeastern city of Qingdao.

Wang Jianlin's red carpet event in Qingdao on Sunday underlined his outsized ambitions for China's entertainment industry. Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Travolta and Leonardo DiCaprio rubbed elbows with Chinese stars including Zhang Ziyi, Jet Li and Tony Leung at the event in Qingdao, best known for Tsingtao Brewery founded when Germany colonised the city a century ago.

Wang's success in attracting the A-list actors to his launch, held the same day as the Emmy entertainment awards show in Los Angeles, also highlights how the centre of gravity in the global film industry is shifting to the east.

The tycoon said his company, Dalian Wanda Group, will build a state-of-the-art film studio complex in a bid to dominate China's rapidly growing movie market.

The Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis's 20 studios will include a permanent underwater studio and a 10,000 square-metre stage that Wang said would be the world's biggest. The facility will also include an Imax research and development centre, cinemas and China's biggest film and celebrity wax museums. The first phase is planned to open in June 2016 and it will be fully operational by June 2017.

A yacht marina, eight hotels and a theme park will be built to attract tourists.

The company has signed a preliminary deal with "a number of global film and television giants and talent agencies" to shoot about 30 foreign films a year. It did not name the companies.

Wang also hopes to attract more than 50 Chinese production companies to make at least 100 domestic films and TV shows a year at the studios, where sets will simulate locations from Europe, the Middle East and China's Ming and Qing dynasties.

He predicted China's film market would become the world's biggest in five years, and compared it to a big cake that foreign studios would love to share.

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Former KAP candidate facing army sacking

AN Iraq War veteran and former Senate candidate is fighting attempts by the Australian Defence Force to sack him.

Bernard Gaynor is facing a "notice to show cause for termination" from Chief of the Defence Force David Hurley.

Mr Gaynor has come under fire for controversial comments on social media about Islam, women and homosexuality.

The former Katter's Australian Party Queensland Senate candidate had his preselection revoked earlier this year after saying he did not want his children taught by gay teachers.

Mr Gaynor claims he is the victim of a miscarriage of justice and breach of procedural fairness.

"If my commission is terminated, it will be because I have defended Catholic beliefs from public attack," Mr Gaynor said in a statement.

"It will be an unjust punishment that will become a badge of honour. I will proudly take it to my grave and fearlessly wear it when I face my God and Eternal King."

The Army Reserve intelligence officer and father-of-five claimed he had been cleared of wrongdoing by two military investigations but remained concerned about the fate of his career.

In a leaked minute dated August 22, General Hurley questioned Mr Gaynor's ability to uphold the values of the Australian Army.

"Your public comments demonstrate attitudes that are demeaning and demonstrate intolerance of homosexual persons, transgender persons and women and are contrary to the ... cultural change currently being undertaken within the Army," he said.

A Defence spokeswoman said General Hurley had yet to consider Mr Gaynor's response to correspondence.

"During the decision making process, Defence will not publicly discuss deliberations concerning an individual's service in the Australian Defence Force," she said in a statement.

She said Mr Gaynor would be advised of the outcomes in due course.

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Delhi gang-rape convicts set to appeal

FOUR men sentenced to death in the Delhi gang-rape case are likely to appeal, their lawyers say.

A special trial court handed down the sentences on September 13 after finding them guilty in the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old student in December.

The case was referred to the Delhi High Court for confirmation of the sentence, which on Monday directed jail authorities to produce the men before it on Tuesday.

"Production warrants have been issued, now the court will inquire whether they want to challenge the sentence," said AP Singh, the lawyer representing two of the defendants.

"My clients have decided to appeal against the sentence and that is what we will inform the court. We can file the appeal within 30 days from the date of verdict," he said.

VK Anand and Vivek Sharma, lawyers for other defendants, also confirmed they would begin appeals.

"They have retained us as lawyers, barring last minute changes. The High Court will hear arguments from the prosecution and defence before deciding on the matter," Anand said.

The appeal could take up to a year, Indian media outlets reported citing legal experts.

A death sentence can be challenged in the High Court and the Supreme Court, after which the defendant can file a mercy petition with the president.

The Delhi gang rape led to protests across the country and international outrage, prompting the government to amend laws to apply stricter punishments for rape including the death penalty if the victim died or was left in a vegetative state.

The police charged six people initially. The case against one of the accused was dropped after he was found hanged in his cell in jail during the trial. The sixth accused, a juvenile, was found guilty by a juvenile court and sent to a correctional home for three years.

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East Timor bans martial arts clubs

EAST Timor police say there will be zero tolerance against those who continue to practice a local martial art after the government banned all clubs following deadly gang violence.

At least 12 East Timorese have been killed and more than 200 injured in the past two years as a result of fighting among rival pencak silat clubs, said Armando Monteiro, National Police detective chief, on Monday.

Two were killed in neighbouring Indonesia, while other deaths and injuries have occurred as far away as England and Ireland.

He said the number of casualties is likely higher since many people are afraid to report gang activity or go to the hospital for treatment.

"Any martial arts clubs members that violate the government resolution will be dealt with under the law," Monteiro said. There will be "zero tolerance for martial arts activities in the country".

Schools and clubs for pencak silat, an adapted form of the Indonesian martial art, have a long history in East Timor, with many students in the past fighting against Indonesia's military occupation.

They also became active clandestine members in supporting guerrilla fighters and some made significant contributions toward winning the country's independence in 2002.

Later, martial arts students became rivals and began killing each other in the streets, as happened in 2006 during a violent political crisis that left dozens dead and tens of thousands displaced in the tiny half-island nation.

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Turnbull called for NBN Co board's scalps

The communications minister has asked the NBN Co board to resign, a spokesman confirmed. Source: AAP

LABOR says the "trashing" of the national broadband network has begun after Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull asked NBN Co board members to resign last week.

A spokesman for Mr Turnbull confirmed late on Monday night that Mr Turnbull made the request ahead of the board meeting last Friday.

He declined to confirm NBN Co chairwoman Siobhan McKenna and all but one of her board colleagues have since offered their resignations.

The spokesman told AAP there may be an announcement about new board members soon.

It is understood the matter will be considered at a meeting of the federal cabinet as early as next Tuesday.

"And so the trashing of the national broadband network has begun," Labor communications spokesman Anthony Albanese said on Monday.

The resignations may relate to Mr Turnbull's comment earlier this month that while he had no criticism of individual members "it is remarkable that there is nobody on that board who has either run or built or been responsible for building or managing a large telecommunications network".

"Given that is the core business of NBN Co, that is a singular deficiency", Mr Turnbull said.

Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten said the Abbott government would stack the NBN Co board with its "friends".

The Abbott government has flagged at least three examinations into broadband: an independent audit of NBN Co's books, a review of its commercial progress and a Productivity Commission inquiry into broadband policy.

It wants to cut down the cost and speed up the rollout by changing from a fibre-to-the-premises to a fibre-to-the-node model.

NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley, who also sits on the board, announced his retirement in July but remains in the job during the transition.

Former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski has been flagged as a possible replacement for Mr Quigley.

The NBN Co website makes no mention of the resignations, but states: "This website is currently under review, pending the introduction of new government policy."

Liberal frontbencher Mitch Fifield said the government would ensure there was "good and appropriate governance" of the NBN.

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Dutch royal Beatrix breaks cheekbone

PRINCESS Beatrix, the former Dutch queen, has undergone surgery after falling and breaking a cheekbone.

Beatrix, 75, was operated on Sunday morning after the fall and will remain hospitalised for a few days.

After 33 years on the throne, Beatrix was replaced as Dutch monarch on April 30 this year by her eldest son Willem-Alexander.

Following her abdication, she was named Princess Beatrix and continues to perform public duties.

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Man terrorising Qld women drivers: police

Police have released an image of a man who is terrorising women in north Queensland. Source: AAP

POLICE have released an image of a man who is terrorising women in north Queensland.

A woman driving along Flying Fishing Point Road at Innisfail, south of Cairns, was assaulted after stopping for a man on the side of the road around 10pm (AEST) on September 19.

He approached the car and after a brief conversation, grabbed her hair before fleeing, police say.

Innisfail officers say a similar incident occurred two weeks ago on the same road where a man ran in front of a car and then tried to put his arm through the driver's window.

The woman escaped by driving off.

Police are encouraging other women who have experienced such incidents to come forward.

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More than 60 killed at Pakistan church

Two suicide bombers have killed at least 53 people attending a church service in Pakistan. Source: AAP

A DOUBLE suicide bombing has killed more than 60 people at a church service in northwest Pakistan, officials said, believed to be the deadliest attack on Christians in the troubled country.

Pakistan's small and largely impoverished Christian community suffers discrimination in overwhelmingly Muslim-majority Pakistan but bombings against them are extremely rare.

The two bombers struck at the end of a service at All Saints Church in Peshawar, the main town of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has borne the brunt of a bloody Islamist insurgency in recent years.

Doctor Mohammad Iqbal of Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital said 61 people had been killed and 120 wounded.

Sahibzada Anees, one of Peshawar's most senior officials, told reporters the bombers struck when the service had just ended.

"Most of the wounded are in critical condition," Anees said.

"We are in an area which is a target of terrorism and within that area there was a special security arrangement for the church. We are in a rescue phase and once it is over we will investigate what went wrong."

Former minister for inter-faith harmony Paul Bhatti and provincial lawmaker Fredrich Azeem Ghauri both said the attack was the deadliest ever targeting Christians in Pakistan.

School teacher Nazir Khan, 50, said the service had just ended and at least 400 worshippers were greeting each other when there was a big explosion.

"A huge blast threw me on the floor and as soon as I regained my senses. A second blast took place and I saw wounded people everywhere," Khan said

Grieving relatives blocked the main Grand Trunk road highway with bodies of the victims to protest against the killings.

Sectarian violence between majority Sunni and minority Shi'ite Muslims is on the rise in Pakistan and Sunday's attack will fuel fears the already beleaguered Christian community could be increasingly targeted.

Islamist militants have carried out hundreds of bombings targeting security forces and minority Muslim groups they regard as heretical, but attacks on Christians have previously largely been confined to grenade attacks and occasional riots.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a deeply conservative province bordering the tribal districts along the Afghan frontier, which are home to Taliban and al-Qaeda militants.

Provincial lawmaker Ghauri said there were about 200,000 Christians in the province, of whom 70,000 lived in Peshawar.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bombings.

Only around two per cent of Pakistan's population of 180 million are Christian. The community is largely poor and complains of growing discrimination.

Christians have a precarious existence in Pakistan, often living in slum-like "colonies" cheek-by-jowl with Muslims and fearful of allegations of blasphemy, a sensitive subject that can provoke sudden outbursts of public violence.

In the town of Gojra, in Punjab province, in 2009, a mob burned 77 houses and killed seven people after rumours that a copy of the Islamic holy book the Koran had been desecrated during a Christian marriage ceremony.

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Voters cast ballots on fate of Swiss Army

FOR the third time in almost a quarter-century, neutral Switzerland is voting on a proposal to abolish mandatory service in its army.

Voters were heading to the polls on Sunday on a referendum by pacifists and left-wing parties that would do away with military conscription, despite similar proposals that were defeated in 1989 and 2001.

Surveys indicate it is likely to be defeated again, with more than two-thirds of the country still favouring mandatory service for most men between the ages of 18 to 34. Women can serve voluntarily.

The Swiss government has urged voters to retain the service - counter to what most Western European nations have done since the Cold War.

About 20,000 soldiers a year attend basic training for 18 to 21 weeks.

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Australian killed in Nairobi mall attack

No Australians are believed to have been injured in the deadly mall shooting in Kenya. Source: AAP

A DUAL Australian-UK national is among the victims of the unfolding Nairobi shopping mall siege, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says.

"Advice received from the Australian High Commission in Nairobi confirms that an Australian-UK dual national was among those killed in the terrorist attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi," a DFAT spokeswoman told AAP late on Sunday.

"The Australian government deeply regrets this senseless loss of life and extends deepest sympathies to the family of the victim.

"It is not appropriate to name the individual."

Consular assistance will be extended to the family of the person killed, but no identifying details have been released.

At least 59 people were killed and 175 wounded when al-Qaeda-linked Somali militants stormed an upmarket shopping centre in the Kenyan capital, according to local officials.

Between 10 and 15 gunmen are believed to be holed up in the building with an unknown number of hostages, a full day after the carnage began.

DFAT says it's received confirmation that two Canadian nationals have been killed, including a diplomat, and the French government has advised that two of its nationals are among the victims.

One New Zealand national has been confirmed as injured.

"The situation on the ground remains fluid," DFAT's spokeswoman said.

"DFAT has received advice from several Australians who were caught up in the attack and managed to escape to safety."

Among them is Melbourne woman Sarah Williamson, who reportedly survived by huddling in a phone store.

The 23-year-old was in the mall with her father, who works for the UN, when she heard the first explosions.

"She heard the first grenade go off and said, 'What was that, dad?'," her mother Linda has told Fairfax Radio Network.

"Then he heard the guns firing and he knew exactly what it was and he said, 'We're under attack, everybody to the back of the room.'"

The Eltham woman spent six hours trapped in the store before she could run to safety.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has condemned the terrorist attack and expressed her sympathy to Kenyans and President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has lost family members in the incident.

"The thoughts of all Australians are with the victims and their families," she said in a statement.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott was briefed on the unfolding crisis earlier on Sunday.

Australians still in Kenya have been urged to avoid all public places in Nairobi for the next 24-48 hours and closely monitor local media.

People with concerns about family or friends in Kenya should try to contact them directly or if unsuccessful phone the DFAT consular emergency centre on (02) 6261 3305.

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