I'm not proud of drug use: Nigella

British celebrity chef Nigella Lawson says the idea that she is a habitual drug user is ridiculous. Source: AAP

NIGELLA Lawson has told a court she would rather be "honest and ashamed" than "bullied with lies" after revealing details of her past drug use.

The television chef said she was not proud after admitting she has taken cocaine and cannabis but denied her admission was damage limitation.

"I'm not proud of the fact I have taken drugs but that does not make me a drug addict or a habitual drug user," she said on Thursday.

Lawson said she objected to stories "peddled" by her ex-husband Charles Saatchi, including that he was checking her nose for cocaine when he was photographed gripping her throat outside Scott's restaurant in central London.

"The fact is, I would rather be honest and ashamed.... I wasn't going to be bullied with lies," she said.

"Mr Saatchi was not examining me for cocaine. That's a story he made up afterwards to clear his name."

Lawson was continuing her evidence in the fraud trial of two of her former personal assistants.

Wearing an all-black outfit, she was greeted by a huge pack of photographers, reporters and cameramen as she arrived for a second day at Isleworth Crown Court in west London.

Jurors were previously read an email sent to Lawson from Saatchi in which he said the defendants would get off on the basis that she was "so off her head" on drugs she allowed them to spend whatever they liked.

On Wednesday Lawson denied being a drug addict and spoke of the "intimate terrorism" she suffered at the hands of Mr Saatchi.

She said she first took the class A drug (cocaine) with her late husband John Diamond when he found out he had terminal cancer and on another occasion later during her troubled marriage to Mr Saatchi.

But the 53-year-old, who also admitted to smoking cannabis, said the idea that she is a "drug addict or habitual user of cocaine is absolutely ridiculous".

"I did not have a drug problem, I had a life problem," she said.

Francesca Grillo, 35, and her sister Elisabetta, sometimes referred to as Lisa, 41, are accused of committing fraud by abusing their positions by using a company credit card for personal gain.

Prosecutors claim the Italian sisters lived the "high life", spending the money on designer clothes and handbags from Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Vivienne Westwood.

The pair are accused of using credit cards loaned to them by the TV cook and her ex-husband to spend more than STG685,000 ($A1.25 million) on themselves between 2008 and 2012.

The Grillo sisters, of Kensington Gardens Square, Bayswater, west London, deny the charge against them.

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Storm hits Europe, kills one in Scotland

GALE-FORCE winds have hit Scotland, causing a fatal truck accident, halting all trains and leaving tens of thousands of homes without electricity as much of northwestern Europe braced for a storm that was expected to bring flooding to coastal areas.

Winds gusting up to 229 kilometres per hour were measured overnight in the Scottish Highlands, and many roads and bridges were closed. All train services in Scotland were suspended; Network Rail spokesman Nick King said that "there's too much debris and too much damage to equipment to continue".

A truck driver was killed and four people were injured in an accident west of Edinburgh when high winds toppled his vehicle on to several cars, police said.

A number of flights serving Scotland were also cancelled, and power companies said up to 100,000 homes were without electricity.

Glasgow's central rail station was evacuated after debris smashed glass in the roof, though no one was hurt.

Weather forecasters predicted winds gusting up to 140km/h on Germany's North Sea coast. Britain's Environment Agency said tidal surges could bring "significant" coastal flooding, and the Thames Barrier was closed to protect London.

Ferry operators cancelled services to some of Germany's North Sea islands and the country's national railway, Deutsche Bahn, warned of likely disruption across a swathe of northern Germany.

The Netherlands braced for the storm by closing water barriers that protect the low-lying country from high tides. The Oosterscheldekering in the southwestern delta region of the country was being closed to protect the land behind it for the first time since 2007.

National carrier KLM cancelled dozens of flights to European airports as a precaution.

The German Weather Service said the storm front, which was gathering strength as it headed eastward from the Atlantic Ocean off Greenland, would also bring polar air to Europe - meaning that it could bring snow to low-lying areas.

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Govt, opposition deny Holden pull out plan

THE federal government and the opposition have quickly poured cold water on speculation Holden will pull out of Australia from 2016, both saying no decision had been made on the company's future.

The ABC sparked concerns the car company's Australian manufacturing operations were nearing an end with reports senior ministers believed the company would cease local production from 2016.

"It's understood Holden will close its doors as early as 2016," the ABC reported.

Holden issued a statement saying its discussions with government were continuing.

This was swiftly followed by comments from a spokeswoman for Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane and Opposition Industry spokesman Kim Carr, also denying a decision had been made.

Mr Macfarlane's spokeswoman Kylie Barron said the minister had met with Holden on Thursday and talks were continuing as they had been.

"They haven't made a decision about their future in Australia," Ms Barron told AAP.

"There is no change."

The speculation came as the productivity commission continues an inquiry into the future of the car industry that is expected to determine Holden's future.

If the commission sides with continued government help, the commonwealth is likely to negotiate a new assistance package.

But if it recommends against ongoing funding, Holden is likely to follow Ford and close its assembly facilities.

In a submission to the inquiry, Holden said a long-term Australian policy that was globally competitive was needed to keeping its manufacturing alive in the country.

"Without public assistance, Holden's local manufacturing cannot compete globally," the submission said.

Preliminary findings are expected to be released on December 20 ahead of a final report by March 31.

Senator Carr urged the government to act to ensure the company would continue its Australian manufacturing operations.

"I frankly cannot understand why they haven't had a delegation to Detroit by now to discuss these questions with the global leadership of General Motors," Senator Carr said.

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Shark blamed for NSW surfer's injuries

A SURFER who showed up at a NSW mid-north coast hospital with cuts to his hand and leg has received a surprising diagnosis: shark attack.

Police say the 26-year-old was in the water at Port Macquarie about 6.15pm (AEDT) on Thursday, when he felt something hit his right hand.

When the man discovered cuts to his right hand and blood on his leg he took himself to Port Macquarie Hospital, where doctors told him his wounds were consistent with a shark bite.

"He did not see a shark and was unaware at the time that he could have been bitten by one," NSW police said in a statement.

The man was treated for puncture wounds to his hand and a laceration to his leg, but was expected to be released.

Police said the northern end of Shelley Beach, where the suspected attack happened, was isolated and not widely used.

Officers could not find anyone else in the water when they visited the beach.

An expert is now set to visit Port Macquarie to try to identify the species of shark involved.

The suspected attack came just five days after Port Macquarie teenager Zac Young was killed by a shark while body-boarding further up the NSW coast.

The 19-year-old was in the ocean with three friends at Riecks Point, near Coffs Harbour, on Saturday when a shark bit off his legs.

He died shortly after his friends managed to drag him to shore.

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Manufacturing decline is limited: report

AUSTRALIA'S manufacturing sector has faced difficult economic conditions over the past decade but new research has pin-pointed a sharp downturn in overall productivity to just three key areas.

A staff working paper by the Productivity Commission found that while investment in manufacturing has risen over the long term, hours worked and employment in the sector have declined.

The report found no "overarching systemic reason" for the decline in manufacturing's rate of multi-factor productivity growth.

It declined by 1.4 per cent a year between 2003/04 and 2007/08 compared with 1.3 per cent productivity growth a year between 1998/99 and 2003/04.

"However, three of its sub-sectors - petroleum and chemicals, food and beverages, and metal products - collectively accounted for two-thirds of this decline between cycles," the report released on Friday shows.

One influence has been from the appreciation of the Australian dollar and changing competitive conditions.

It also noted that there has been a lag between new capital investment in these sub-sectors and the output from that investment.

In particular, additional investment in petroleum refining to meet new environmental standards, while improving the quality of outcomes, did not raise output.

Changes in consumer preferences have also had an impact on productivity, such as significant growth in smaller-scale bakeries that use more labour-intensive processes.

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Trade not aid key to Asian support: Abbott

TRADE, not aid, should be Australia's policy when it comes to assisting Asian neighbours, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said, as the opposition called for an inquiry into his government's $4.5 billion aid program cuts.

Speaking in Melbourne on Thursday night, Mr Abbott said foreign aid should be better targeted and Australia should help developing nations stand on their own feet.

He said the growing economic strength of the region needed to be matched in Australia by strengthening of the economy.

Australia's international clout doesn't rest on the size of its aid budget, but on the size of its economy, Mr Abbott said.

"As far as possible, Australian aid should be designed to enable other countries to stand on their own two feet as quickly as possible," Mr Abbott said.

"Trade, rather than aid, is the best way to sustainably boost poor countries' prosperity."

He said reducing the rate of increase in the aid budget would enable the government to ensure it was being targeted effectively.

His comments followed an announcement by Labor senator Ursula Stephens the opposition would be referring plans for $4.5 billion of cuts to Australia's international aid program to a Senate Committee for inquiry.

The matter will be moved in the Senate on Monday.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek said Australians deserved to know why the government had decided to slash aid funding and where the cuts would be made.

"We know Australians support a strong international aid program. Australia is a rich, generous country that can afford to lend a helping hand," Ms Plibersek said.

Mr Abbott also spoke about the importance of fostering strong relationships with the booming economies of China, India and Japan and in particular, Indonesia, which he said was Australia's, "important overall relationship."

He said the media made the relationship with Indonesia difficult.

"Being Indonesia's "trusted partner" is easier said than done, given the media's tendency to play to stereotypes and past disagreements over East Timor," Mr Abbott said.

On Thursday, the government agreed to a six-point plan aimed at repairing relations with Indonesia two weeks after the suspension in co-operation on November 26.

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Facebook says users connect with brands

Facebook has defended the presence of commercial brands on the popular social networking site. Source: AAP

FACEBOOK has defended the presence of commercial brands on the popular social networking site, saying users aren't "revolting" against it.

Facebook on Wednesday released a detailed breakdown of Australian user figures for 2013, showing nine million Aussies visited the site every day.

The data, from the site's 2013 Aussies on Facebook research, showed 12 million Aussies logged on to the site at least once a month.

At a media briefing in Sydney, Facebook Australia's head of measurements and insight, Helen Crossley, said 63 per cent of local users regularly "connected with brands" on the site.

She said Facebook had no problem with that.

"We want to help people connect to the brands that matter to them," Ms Crossley told reporters.

"It's actually OK for brands to be in the news feed ... We don't really see that people are revolting against that at this stage.

"We see that people are increasingly connecting with brands."

She said 69 per cent of users logged on to Facebook to stay in touch with family and friends, with 80 per cent of users accessing it via mobile phone.

The data, compiled by research firm TNS, also showed Facebook users spent 12 per cent of their total media consumption time on the site.

Thirty-three per cent of users engaged with politics on the site, while 40 per cent posted news articles and 32 per cent used it to keep up with current affairs.

Ms Crossley said users were most likely to log into the site between 2pm and 5pm, or after 8pm.

Aussies accessed the site at work, on holidays, at school and even in bed, the data showed.

In a blog post earlier this week, Facebook reportedly said it was revising the way it delivered information to its billion-plus users.

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Abbott defends ADM-GrainCorp decision

Labor has stepped up its attack on the government's rejection of a foreign takeover of GrainCorp. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has defended his treasurer's call on the attempted foreign takeover of GrainCorp, telling a high-level business audience that good government is about pragmatic idealism, not perfection.

The federal opposition on Wednesday stepped up its attack on the government's rejection of the foreign takeover bid, with shadow treasurer Chris Bowen claiming Treasurer Joe Hockey blocked the deal due to political pressure and his decision would cost jobs.

"I do not see the national interest test was properly invoked in this instance," Mr Bowen told the National Press Club.

He said he would have approved the deal based on the available information.

Mr Hockey last week blocked the $3.4 billion takeover of GrainCorp by American agribusiness Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) after deciding it was contrary to the national interest.

Farm groups and the government's junior partner the National Party had campaigned heavily against the deal, which would have given ADM control of 85 per cent of Australia's east coast grain ports.

Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board examines all major foreign investment proposals and must decide if they are contrary to a loosely defined "national interest" test.

However, the treasurer of the day must make the final decision.

On Wednesday evening, Mr Abbott was in Sydney to attend a gala dinner hosted by the Business Council of Australia.

"The coalition in opposition tried to stop a government from breaking its election commitments. The current opposition is trying to stop a government from keeping its election commitments," he told the audience.

"Yes, the coalition has knocked back one - just one - foreign investment application out of more than 130 received, but I do want to stress that foreign investment applications will always be considered on their merits and approved where it is in the national interest to do so."

Alison Watkins, the Graincorp CEO who announced her resignation after the takeover bid was knocked back and is set to take up a position with Coca-Cola Amatil, was among those in the audience.

"If I may say so, only from the outside does government mostly seem a matter of choosing right from wrong," Mr Abbott said.

"On the inside, it much more often involves choosing the greater good, or the lesser evil - getting the best possible outcome, not necessarily the perfect one."

Mr Bowen - who also attended the dinner - has claimed the takeover rejection did not pass "the common sense test".

"Clearly this was a decision frankly that was taken for political reasons," he said earlier on Wednesday.

"I'm not entirely sure it was a decision that Joe Hockey didn't have foisted upon him. It's a decision which he claims to be his own. If it is his own, it is a particularly weak one."

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Bieber gives injured Vic fan private show

Pop megastar Justin Bieber has performed a secret, intimate concert for an injured Melbourne fan. Source: AAP

POP megastar Justin Bieber has performed a secret, intimate concert for a Melbourne fan whose dreams of seeing him perform were shattered, along with her spine, in a horrific car accident last month.

Friends of Melbourne teen Kate O'Neill launched a social media campaign to encourage the Canadian teen idol to visit Ms O'Neill who had saved thousands of dollars to be able to attend all of his Australian concerts.

The 19-year-old, whose Twitter account @BieberMelbourne has more than 29,000 followers, tweeted on Wednesday morning that it was the best day of her life, after she received a tweet from the official Justin Bieber account.

At the time, she had no idea of the surprise that lay ahead.

"Not even the amount of pain I am in right now can ruin this for me," Ms O'Neill wrote on Wednesday morning.

Ms O'Neill is still in hospital recovering from her injuries, which include broken ribs, a fractured spine, internal bleeding and lacerations to her kidney and liver.

"If I meet Justin I will hug him so tight IDGAF (I don't give a f**k) about my broken spike (spine) and broken ribs," she tweeted on Wednesday morning.

"I thought this was going to be the worst week of my life but Justin has made it the best! I can't believe this I am so happy!"

On Wednesday afternoon, a car transferred Ms O'Neill from hospital to a private studio where Bieber performed an impromptu acoustic set for her and 50 other fans.

After his performance, Bieber said he loved his "Beliebers" who do so much for him.

"It was so special to be able to give something back, especially to an amazing fan like Kate," Bieber said.

Then he asked Ms O'Neill to kiss him on the cheek.

Ms O'Neill was quoted in a release from Bieber's management as saying the concert had been amazing.

But it was on Twitter that she revealed her true excitement:

"AHWSJJDJEIDIEJHSJWSIYWUWOWODHJWIDIWBB BEST DAY OF MY LIFE I CANT BREATHE OMFG JUSTIN AND THE CREW ARE SO PERFECT SVSJJSDJJSJDJSDISIWJDJWJS," she wrote.

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Amphetamines link to higher HIV risk

THE growing use of amphetamine-style stimulants across Southeast Asia has increased the risk that users will contract HIV or other blood-borne viruses, a report has found.

Amphetamine-type stimulants are the second most used recreational drugs in the world, after cannabis, and the use of amphetamines continues to grow.

The study of amphetamine use in 11 countries in Southeast Asia found those who injected the drugs were more at risk of contracting a blood-borne virus.

Other users are at higher risk of contracting HIV due to higher-risk behaviour, such as unsafe sex.

The study found users of amphetamine-type stimulants faced multiple HIV risks.

"Use appears higher among groups vulnerable to HIV such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, and young people," said the report, by the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) in co-operation with the Asia-Pacific Drugs and Development Issues Committee.

ANCD chairman John Herron said the report highlighted the need for governments to take action.

"The effects of amphetamine-type stimulant use on young people cannot be underestimated," Dr Herron said.

"Drug use may negatively impact on schooling and employment opportunities and contribute to risky behaviour - especially risky sexual behaviour amongst young people."

He said the rising use of amphetamines in Australia and in Southeast Asia was disturbing.

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Asthma hampers play, sex and work: study

NEARLY a third of dads with uncontrolled asthma avoid running around with their kids, according to a study that shows the condition affects almost every aspect of adult life.

It takes a toll on dating, sexual pleasure and people's careers, according to an Asthma Australia report on the study of more than 1000 people with poor asthma control.

More than one in 10 mothers in the study avoid playtime with their children and 16 per cent of parents find it difficult to carry their child.

More than two million Australians have asthma, and the condition can be controlled with the right medication and treatment plan, says respiratory physician Dr Simon Bowler.

"There is absolutely no reason why people with asthma can't gain better control."

He said the place to start was to discuss an action plan with a GP.

Dating and socialising are a major problem, with a large proportion of people in the study saying they cannot not keep up with friends during a night out. Many say they go home early.

A third say they worry about wheezing at the theatre or movies.

One young woman said she didn't tell her boyfriend about her asthma on their first few dates. When she could not hide it any more, she pretended it wasn't important.

A third of men and about 20 per cent of women in the study say their asthma interferes with their sex life.

Asthma Australia CEO Mark Brooke says it is essential for people to ask their GP for help.

"Often simple changes like getting a treatment plan or reviewing their medication can help minimise the impact on patients' sex lives," said Dr Bowler, chair of the organisation's medical advisory committee.

More than half of the people in the AstraZeneca-sponsored study miss work every year because of their symptoms.

Almost 20 per cent take time off six times a year or more.

A large proportion say asthma has hampered their career.

Almost two thirds have had an asthma attack at work, with 40 per cent saying stress made their symptoms worse.

One senior executive said he had been embarrassed by staff who tried to keep away from him when he had an asthma cough.

Only six per cent say their colleagues are supportive and many do not feel comfortable taking medication in front of others.

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Art project elicits the profound, profane

IT is public art made of private wishes.

In a phenomenon spreading across the globe, over-sized blackboards, painted on buildings and freestanding displays, invite passers-by to complete the sentence: "Before I die I want to ..."

Answers, some profound, some profane, are written on stencilled lines with pieces of sidewalk chalk picked from the ground below.

"... make my dad proud."

"... find the yin to my yang."

Since artist Candy Chang created the first wall on an abandoned house in her New Orleans neighbourhood in 2011, more than 400 walls have gone up in the United States and more than 60 other countries, including Kazakhstan, Mexico, Iraq, Haiti, South Korea and South Africa.

"... be happy."

"... see Italy."

"I've been surprised by how quickly people have dropped their guards and written sincere and sometimes heartbreaking things on these walls," said Chang, who said the first wall was inspired by the loss of a loved one. "It reassures me that I'm not alone as I try to make sense of my life."

"... eat more everything."

"... get my wife back."

"... slow down for a moment and maybe even stop."

"It's an honest mess of the longing, anxiety, joy, pain, gratitude, insecurity and wonder you find in every community. ... It's like collective therapy in public space," said Chang, responding to questions via email.

Chang earned a master's degree in urban planning and sees in public spaces the potential to unify and communicate.

Her own entries have ranged from "enjoy more places with the people I love" to "revive a ghost town."

"I don't know if maybe you're more likely to do it because now it's out there for the world to see, there's just something magical about stuff like this," said Sara McAlister, 22, after stopping to write on a former factory building in Syracuse.

"I think putting it out there, even considering the question, is going to make a difference."

"Travel the world," "brighten someone's day," wrote McAlister, a bartender who recently finished a master's degree in social work at Syracuse University.

"And between you and me, I wrote, marry this one over here," she said, nodding toward her boyfriend, Patrick Kraushaar, 26, who was writing "inspire someone positively" and "make my family proud."

"It's almost like positive imagery," Kraushaar said after putting his chalk down. "It helps bring it to fruition, maybe?"

Building owner Rick Destito painted the "Before I Die" wall after seeing the idea on Facebook.

"It's such a simple idea but it resonated so much with me because there are so many things that I want to do before I die," said Destito, who is transforming the former gear factory into artist and rehearsal studios.

He has watched people of all ages and backgrounds stop and write, some lingering, others dashing off a hope and hurrying off.

"... see a cure for autism."

"... grow a moustache."

"... get clean."

Nyquis Turner, 16, stopped to write, "play in the NFL."

"Find a cure for cancer. Be famous," Lynn Morehouse read from one of two boards that went up last month in Providence, Rhode Island.

"Some of them are funny. Some of them are a little off the wall. ... I like it."

"... find alien life."

"... tell my dad I'm gay."

Chang said a universal theme is personal well-being, citing repeat entries like: "come to terms with who I am," "have no regrets," "forgive and be forgiven," "heal".

A hardcover book, "Before I Die," released earlier this month by St. Martin's Press, permanently captures some of the answers, which are often otherwise erased to make room for more.

"Some walls reflect the current politics of the region," Chang said.

"But for the most part, the walls have shown just how universal our hopes are.

"We want to love and be loved," she said.

"We want to see the world. We want to help others. We want to understand who we really are."

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Saab back, first cars under new owners

FOR the first time in two-and-a-half years, a new Saab sedan has rolled off the production line in Trollhattan in southwest Sweden.

National Electric Vehicle Sweden, the Hong Kong-based company that bought Saab out of bankruptcy in September last year, on Monday presented its new 9-3 Aero.

The company, also called NEVS, aims to make electric cars under the Saab brand, but said it will also provide gasoline-fuelled cars until "electric cars fully meet customer demands".

The first 200 cars will be delivered in the spring and will cost 279,000 kronor ($A46,700).

Saab shut down production in April 2011 as its previous Dutch owner, Spyker, struggled with financing.

Formerly owned by General Motors, Saab filed for bankruptcy in December the same year.

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Bank of America to pay Freddie Mac $US400m

BANK of America will pay $US404 million ($A444 million) to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac to settle all remaining claims over home loans sold in the previous decade.

The bank says the deal resolves claims on loans sold from 2000 through 2009, which includes mortgage-backed investments that soured during the housing crash.

The bank's reserves will cover the payment.

Earlier this year, Bank of America Corp. agreed to pay $US3.6 billion in cash to Freddie's sibling company, Fannie Mae, and buy back $US6.75 billion in loans sold by the bank and Countrywide Financial, which Bank of America bought in 2008.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy mortgages from banks and package them as bonds to sell.

The government rescued both during the financial crisis in 2008 with loans of about $US187 billion.

So far, they have repaid about $US136 billion of that aid.

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