Five die in Beirut bombing

A POWERFUL bombing has rocked a central business district of central Beirut setting cars ablaze and killing five people, including a senior aide to former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, officials said.

The National News Agency said Mohammed Chatah and his driver were both killed in the explosion, which wounded more than 70 others.

Lebanon has seen a wave of bombings over the past months as tensions rise over Syria's civil war. Hariri heads the main, Western-backed coalition in Lebanon which is engaged in bitter feuding with the militant Hezbollah group, which is allied to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The blast was heard across the city and sent thick black smoke billowing in the downtown posh commercial district behind the government house and above the seafront of the Lebanese capital.

The army cordoned off the area to prevent people from getting close to the scene, where the twisted wreckage of several cars was still smouldering. The explosion appeared to be the result of the car bomb, but security officials said they had no immediate confirmation.

Footage broadcast on Lebanese TV showed medical workers rushing the wounded to ambulances. At least two bodies could be seen lying on the pavement.

The conflict next door has raised tensions in Lebanon's Sunni and Shi'ite communities as each side lines up in support of their brethren in the conflict next door.

That has fuelled predictions that Lebanon, still recovering from its 15-year civil war that ended in 1990, is on the brink of descending into full-blown sectarian violence.

Chatah, a prominent economist and former ambassador to the US, was one of the closest aides to former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in a truck bombing in Beirut in 2005, not far from Friday's explosion.

He later became finance minister when Hariri's son, Saad, took over the premiership, and stayed on as his senior adviser after he lost the post in early 2011.

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Vic transport costs to rise in 2014

The cost of using public transport in Victoria will rise by 2.5 per cent in 2014 under new changes. Source: AAP

VICTORIANS are set to pay more to use public transport and for the first time motorcycles will pay to use the CityLink freeway from New Year's Day.

And as the new year rings in with the sting on hip pockets, motorists can say goodbye to pesky vehicle registration stickers, which will be abolished from January 1.

The labels for light vehicles in Victoria, including passenger cars, will be a thing of the past, with the state government estimating it will save Victorians $19.5 million a year by reducing the red-tape burdens.

The move follows the removal of registration labels in other states.

Upgrades in technology mean police and VicRoads can monitor registrations without the need for the windscreen stickers.

Public transport fares will rise by 2.5 per cent under changes announced recently by the state government.

Two-hour fares will expire after exactly two hours and weekend fares will jump from $3.50 to $6 for a daily zone one and two pass.

Other changes include new charges for motorcyclists, who for the first time will be tolled to use CityLink from January 1.

The road operator will toll them using technology so they will not have to carry an e-TAG.

CityLink is the only toll road in Australia that does not toll motorcycles.

Under its contract with the Victorian government, it was always expected motorcycles would be charged, but they will be tolled half the rate for cars.

The tax grab on poker machines is also set to rise from April.

Taxes on poker machines in bigger venues will be increased by 4.2 per cent, while the minimum player return ratio will be reduced from 87 per cent to 85 per cent.

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Kabul car bomb kills three

THE US-led coalition in Afghanistan says three service members have been killed when a suicide car bomber attacked their convoy in an eastern district of the capital, Kabul.

The International Security Assistance Force didn't provide details on the identities or nationalities of those killed in the attack on Friday.

Earlier, Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanakzai said the attack, which occurred about a kilometre from the Camp Phoenix NATO base, wounded six civilians.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the attack.

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Cambodian garment workers block traffic

STRIKING workers making shoes and clothes for Western brands have blocked roads and briefly scuffled with police in Cambodia.

The workers are demanding a two-fold increase in the minimum wage to $A180.

The protests on Friday snarled traffic in and around the capital Phnom Penh.

Human rights activist Om Sam Ath said protesters blocking a highway leading to Sihanoukville throw stones at police, who fired into the air.

He said four workers were injured, but it was unclear how serious the injuries were.

Most of the country's 500 factories have been closed since Thursday, when the manufacturers association urged its members to cease operations, citing the fear of violence.

The garment industry employs more than 500,000 people and is Cambodia's biggest export earner.

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Holiday road toll rises to 13

The Christmas holiday road toll has risen to 12 following the death of a teenager and a cyclist. Source: AAP

THE Christmas holiday road death toll has risen to 13, with the latest victims including a teenage driver and a cyclist killed in an apparent hit-and-run accident.

An 18-year-old woman died on Friday after the ute she was driving rolled near Narrabri in northwest NSW.

Earlier, a female cyclist was killed in an alleged hit-and-run near Adelaide.

Police allege a 37-year-old woman hit the cyclist at Lower Inman Valley and drove off.

About an hour later, a police patrol on the Southern Expressway at Lonsdale spotted two people in a car with front-end damage and a cracked windscreen.

Both occupants were arrested and the female driver was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

About noon on Friday a 25-year-old truck driver died when his vehicle left the North South Road at Apple Tree Creek in Queensland and rolled.

Police believe he was not wearing a seatbelt.

Another motorist in southeast Queensland died on Friday afternoon after a crash involving a truck on the Mount Lindesay Highway.

The national road toll period runs from midnight on December 23, 2013, until midnight on January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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German teenager dies in Tasmania crash

A GERMAN teenager has been killed in a single-vehicle accident in a remote part of Tasmania.

The 18-year-old woman's body was found in a vehicle that rolled on a dirt road in the Leven Canyon area.

Her 20-year-old companion is being treated in hospital.

Police said the pair were tourists and were on a narrow dirt road when the driver lost control on Friday afternoon.

The death is the first in Tasmania and the 14th nationally during the festive season toll period.

The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2013 until 2359 January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Ambush in Central African Republic

SIX Chadian peacekeepers have been killed and 15 wounded after being ambushed in the Central African Republic's chaotic capital, the spokesman for an African Union peacekeeping force says.

Eloi Yao told The Associated Press by telephone on Thursday that the peacekeepers were attacked at noon on Wednesday but the identity of the attackers was unclear.

The Chadian contingent, which is made up of Arabic-speaking Muslim soldiers, has been accused of taking sides in the country's communal conflict.

They are seen as being anti-Christian and of having sided with the Muslim rebels who grabbed power in a coup nine months ago.

The attack further underscores the messy nature of the conflict in the Central African Republic, where both French and AU forces have come under attack.

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Philippine rebels vow to intensify attacks

PHILIPPINE communist rebels have vowed to intensify attacks against government troops and build a 25,000-strong guerrilla force, but the military has mocked the target as unrealistic.

New People's Army guerrillas marked the 45th founding anniversary of their underground party on Thursday with a clandestine gathering at a mountain lair, where they invited journalists in southeastern Agusan del Sur province.

A communist rebel statement urged the Maoist guerrillas to "wipe out enemy units and seize their weapons" and "increase the number of our Red fighters to 25,000."

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, however, said the rebels, whose armed guerrilla strength has dwindled to 4000, have been on a decline and would not achieve such a target due to problems such as the loss of community support and infighting.

"They're dreaming," Zagala said. "The reality is they have been on a decline due to the loss of their mass bases, surrenders and other problems."

The communist rebellion in the Philippines began in the late 1960s with a ragtag group armed with a few rifles. The movement peaked during the repressive years under dictator Ferdinand Marcos with several thousand full-time guerrillas.

Though it remains one of the world's longest-running Marxist insurgencies, the rebel movement has grown considerably weaker in recent years due to battle setbacks, surrenders and factionalism. They remain a national security concern.

Talks to end the rebellion have stalled since 2011 due to disagreements between the government and guerrillas over the release of several jailed rebel leaders.

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Donors needed to get over blood hurdle

PEOPLE are being urged to roll up their sleeves to help Australians get over one of the last hurdles of 2013.

In the lead-up to the New Year's Day holiday, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service needs to ensure it has a constant supply of platelets, a blood product often used by cancer patients.

Donations cannot be made on January 1 and the service needs 3000 Aussies to make appointments for December 31 and January 2.

Blood service spokesman Shaun Inguanzo says platelets have a shelf life of five days, which means stock collected on Friday will have expired or run out by New Year's Day, unless there's a constant flow of donations.

"In particular, we really need donors in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria," Mr Inguanzo said.

One in three Australians would need donated blood in their lifetime, he said.

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Canoeist missing at NSW dam

Faces of fear on the buses

"WANTED" posters of serial troublemakerswho terrorise bus drivers have been circulated to State Transit Authority bus depots.

Payment plans ease power pain

THOUSANDS of electricity customers are signing up to fortnightly and monthly billing programs every week in a bid to cope with soaring power prices.

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Weekly US jobless claims drop 42,000

THE number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped by 42,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 338,000, the biggest drop since November 2012.

But economists say the figures from late November and December are warped by seasonal volatility around the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holidays.

The US Labor Department says the less-volatile four-week average rose 4250 to 348,000.

Claims had jumped 75,000 in the two weeks that ended December 14 before plunging last week.

Unemployment claims are a proxy for layoffs and are now consistent with a solid job market.

Hiring has been healthy the past four months. The economy added an average of 204,000 jobs every month from August through November, an improvement from earlier this year.

The unemployment rate fell in November to 7 per cent.

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American abducted in Pakistan urges help

A 72-YEAR-OLD American development worker who was kidnapped in Pakistan by al-Qaeda more than two years ago has appealed to President Barack Obama in a video to negotiate his release, saying he feels "totally abandoned and forgotten".

The video of Warren Weinstein released on Thursday was the first since two videos released in September 2012.

Weinstein, the country director in Pakistan for J.E. Austin Associates, a US-based firm that advises a range of Pakistani business and government sectors, was abducted from his house in the eastern city of Lahore in August 2011.

In the video sent on Thursday to reporters in Pakistan including The Associated Press, Weinstein called on the US government to negotiate his release.

"Nine years ago I came to Pakistan to help my government, and I did so at a time when most Americans would not come here, and now when I need my government it seems that I have been totally abandoned and forgotten," Weinstein said during the 13-minute video.

"And so I again appeal to you to instruct your appropriate officials to negotiate my release."

It was impossible to tell how much Weinstein's statement, made under the duress of captivity, was scripted by his captors.

The video and an accompanying letter purported to be from Weinstein was emailed anonymously to reporters in Pakistan.

The video was labelled "As-Sahab," which is al-Qaeda's media wing, but its authenticity could not be independently verified. The letter was dated October 3, 2013 and in the video Weinstein said he had been in captivity for two years.

In the video, Weinstein wore a grey track suit jacket and what appeared to be a black knit hat on his head. His face was partially covered with a beard.

Al-Qaeda has said Weinstein would be released if the US halted airstrikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen and also demanded the release of all al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects around the world.

The White House has called for Weinstein's immediate release but has said it won't negotiate with al-Qaeda.

The videos last year showed Weinstein appealing for help from the Jewish community and Israel's prime minister.

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Qld crash takes Xmas road toll to 4

A 69-YEAR-OLD man who was killed when his car crashed into a tree northwest of Bundaberg has become the first fatality on Queensland roads in the Christmas holiday period.

His death near Avondale at around 12.30pm (AEST) on Tuesday takes the national road toll for the holiday period to four.

Police said a member of the public reported the crash and the driver and sole occupant, believed to be a local man, died at the scene.

The death follows that of a man in northern NSW who was killed when the car he was in also hit a tree and split in two during a police pursuit.

A second man in the Holden sedan was critically injured in the high speed crash about 4km north of Moree at about 11pm (AEDT) on Monday.

Police said officers were attempting to catch up with the car after it passed a stationary RBT site on the Carnarvon Highway.

The death was the first in NSW for the holiday period and followed the deaths of two women in a two-car collision on the Calder Highway near Ouyen in Victoria's northwest at about 1pm on Monday.

* The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2013 until 2359 January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Medicals scrapped for older SA drivers

SOUTH Australian drivers aged over 70 will no longer have to undergo annual medical tests to keep their licence.

The move is aimed at supporting older people to be more active and engaged in the community, said Health and Ageing Minister Jack Snelling.

South Australia has the youngest age for a mandatory medical check across the nation, despite having the oldest mainland population.

"While some jurisdictions have compulsory medical testing for drivers at 75 and 80 years of age, there are some who do not have aged-based testing at all and that is what South Australia will move to from 1 September, 2014," Mr Snelling said on Tuesday.

Research had not shown that age-based testing reduced crash rates for older drivers, but it had prompted some to cease driving.

SA's crash rate was similar to Victoria's, which had no age-based testing, he said.

A working group is to be set up to see what alternatives could be implemented to ensure road safety is unaffected by these changes.

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A very merry Christmas for Aussie shops

THE Christmas clock is ticking, and the tills have been ringing.

Last-minute shoppers have helped push Australian retailers towards what's tipped to be their biggest Christmas since the global financial crisis hit.

Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) CEO Margy Osmond says the overall spend in the four-week run-up to Christmas this year is expected to hit $29.6 billion.

"We think Australian retailers will probably have the best Christmas they've had for four or five years," she told AAP on Tuesday.

She said the last-minute rush had favoured the big retailers.

"A lot of the specialty stores have done much better this Christmas but there's no doubt in the last couple of weeks it's the department stores that are the big winners because it's the place you can go and tick every box all in the one spot," Ms Osmond said.

Residents in smaller states - the Northern Territory, the ACT, Tasmania - had generally gotten their Christmas shopping out of the way early, while their counterparts in NSW and Victoria were more likely to have left it till the last minute.

Kevin Finch was looking harried in Sydney's CBD on Tuesday evening, ticking off the people he was still buying for.

"My mother, my father, some family friends, and my grandma," he told AAP.

"Stupidly, I thought today would be a bit quieter."

He said he wouldn't be venturing out for the Boxing Day sales on Thursday, but keen bargain-hunters can get in earlier than that.

In a break with tradition, department store David Jones has already launched its post-Christmas sale online, while the Myer online sale will kick off at 9am (AEDT) on Wednesday.

ANRA's Margy Osmond is expecting a 5.6 per cent boost on post-Christmas sales figures from a year ago, with an expected $1.9 billion spend on Boxing Day alone.

Retailers predict stores around the country will take in more than $15 billion over the next three weeks, with the bulk of that likely to be spent on Boxing Day.

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman told AAP he expects "a huge number of people" to head for malls around the country when the bricks-and-mortar sales start on Thursday.

But Mr Zimmerman didn't think the lure of early sales online would take away from the familiar frenzy seen in department stores on the day.

"There's a real atmosphere around Boxing Day sales, it's full of people, it's full of excitement and noise and generally speaking there's entertainment around," he said.

"You may well find that people will be encouraged to come out, they'll think it might not be quite so busy as it's been in the past because of the online sales, but I suspect it will be just as busy."

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Two young boys taken from Qld home

TWO young boys taken from a home south of Brisbane by a man in a silver sedan may be at risk, say police, who are seeking urgent public assistance to find them.

The boys, aged three and four, were taken from a residence in Errol Street, Loganlea, at around 3.30pm (AEST) on Tuesday.

Police said the boys were taken by a 30-year-old man who was known to them and they "may be at risk".

The man is described as being of Papua New Guinean appearance, 180cm tall, of heavy build, tanned complexion, with collar length dark curly hair, a black bushy beard and wearing black shorts and a black T-shirt.

The children are described as having very short haircuts, one having a tanned complexion and the other being described as fair.

Both are believed to be wearing denim shorts and one boy was not wearing a shirt.

Police say the man was driving a silver 2003 Toyota Camry sedan bearing Queensland registration 564IGC.

The car was last seen at Logan Village on Camp Cable Road around 4.45pm and was travelling west.

Police urge anyone with information to ring 131 564.

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Arsenio Hall crashes his Porsche

LOS Angeles police say talk show host Arsenio Hall drove off a road in the San Fernando Valley but he's uninjured.

Sgt Russell Carr tells City News Service that Hall lost control of his Porsche and drove into a dirt shoulder at around 7.15pm on Monday in West Hills.

The car had to be towed.

Carr says it's unclear why Hall lost control of the car but police have ruled out driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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NSW house fire leads to cannabis discovery

A MAN has been charged after police seized more than 40 cannabis plants from the scene of a house fire in Sydney's west.

Emergency services were called to a home in Fairfield East on December 19 following reports of a fire, police say.

The blaze was extinguished and no one was injured during the incident.

During a search of the home, police allegedly discovered a hydroponic set up and seized 43 cannabis plants.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on Monday and charged with enhanced indoor cultivation of cannabis for commercial purpose.

The man was granted conditional bail and will appear before Parramatta Local Court on February 20.

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US consumer spending up 0.5% in November

AMERICANS increased their spending in November by the most in five months, and their income edged up modestly.

Consumer spending rose 0.5 per cent from October, when spending had risen 0.4 per cent, the Commerce Department said on Monday. It was the best showing since June. The gain was driven by a jump in spending on long-lasting durable goods such as autos.

Consumers' income rose 0.2 per cent, an improvement from a 0.1 per cent decline in October. Wages and salaries, the most important component of income, rose a solid 0.4 per cent. That gain reflected strength in the private sector and a modest gain in government pay.

Consumer spending is closely followed because it accounts for about 70 per cent of economic activity. The strong November showing suggests solid economic growth this quarter.

Steady hiring and modest wage gains have boosted consumer confidence and given Americans more money to spend. At the same time, higher stock and home prices have driven up household wealth and made some people more comfortable about spending.

The big rise in spending and smaller income gain meant that the personal saving rate slipped a bit to 4.2 per cent of after-tax income in November. That was down from 4.5 per cent in October.

An inflation gauge tied to consumer spending that is closely followed by the Federal Reserve showed that inflation is still running well below the Fed's target. Prices were unchanged in November and have risen just 0.9 per cent over the past 12 months. The Fed's target for annual inflation is 2 per cent.

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Archbishop questions asylum seeker policy

THE federal government's treatment of asylum seekers suggests there would be "no room at the inn" for Mary and Joseph in a modern day Australia, Anglican Archbishop of Adelaide Jeffrey Driver says.

In a Christmas message, Archbishop Driver says that in 2013, the holy family could be called internally displaced persons, travelling to Bethlehem to comply with a census ordered by a "super-power" that "wanted to impose its administrative structures".

A few days later, fleeing across the border to Egypt to escape a massacre, they had become refugees.

Archbishop driver says recent decisions by the commonwealth on asylum seekers to call such people who flee their homes illegal arrivals and to limit the number of temporary protection visas, suggest that they would not be welcome if they arrived in Australia today.

Archbishop Driver said no one was arguing that Australia have an open-door policy for limitless arrivals.

But he said that policy must be humane.

"The story of Christmas and the holy family calls for something better than we are presently seeing, an extraordinarily expensive process that risks dehumanising even those lucky enough to get into it," he said.

"Room at the Inn?

"Surely there must be, at least for some of the most frail and vulnerable no matter how they come."

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Church leaders reflect on Christmas

CHURCH leaders have used their annual Christmas messages to attack the "selfie" culture, call for the faithful to cheer up, and condemn politicians' response to the plight of asylum seekers.

The nation's most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, says the church's primary challenge could be responding to those "thirsting for God", not atheism.

He warned Christians not to become "sourpusses".

"Christians cannot answer this challenge if we look like we have just come from a funeral," he said in his Christmas message on Tuesday.

The newly minted Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies, said Christmas was a good time to reflect on the rise of the selfie in Australian popular culture.

"At Christmas time we should remember that there is an ultimate self-image, the image of God, which far outweighs the supercilious picture of a face filling our screen," Dr Davies said on Christmas Eve.

"We are all stamped with the image of God and it is this image that makes us precious in his sight."

His counterpart in South Australia, Adelaide Archbishop Jeffrey Driver, said that in 2013 we'd think of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as refugees - and based on the federal government's recent record, modern-day Australia would turn them away.

"The story of Christmas and the holy family calls for something better than we are presently seeing, an extraordinarily expensive process that risks dehumanising even those lucky enough to get into it," he said.

The National Council of Churches in Australia took a similar theme with a call for social justice in 2014.

"Clearly Jesus as God with us knows the experience of those seeking asylum in another land," the council's general-secretary, Reverend Tara Curlewis, said.

"He knows the experience of the poor and the homeless. Jesus is God with us in all life's experiences.

"May we in Australia know and see God with us."

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Remember those facing tough times: Oppn

FEDERAL Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has called on Australians to remember those facing an uncertain future this Christmas.

Mr Shorten said he was also thinking of emergency services workers and defence personnel.

"We'll be thinking of those who are working through the holidays," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We're also thinking of those who might be out of work this Christmas, or facing an uncertain future," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, 2900 Holden workers in Victoria and South Australia found out they would lose their jobs when Holden ceases making cars in 2017.

Mr Shorten said while Christmas was a celebration and a time for being with loved ones, it could be a hard time for many families.

"If you can, please reach out to those who might not be as fortunate," he said.

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Remember those doing it tough at Xmas: PM

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has paid tribute to Australians spending Christmas away from their families in the service of others.

In his first Christmas message in the top job, Mr Abbott urged Australians to live up to their good nature and lend a hand to those doing it tough during the holiday season.

"We are a good and generous people," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Abbott made special mention of members of Australia's armed forces, and emergency workers who were missing Christmas lunches and dinners with their families so they can keep the community safe.

"This Christmas I pay tribute to everyone who's away from family because of their service to our country and our communities," he said.

"We all hope you have a quiet day."

He also thanked those working for charities looking after the less fortunate on Christmas Day.

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NAB enters undertaking with ASIC

THE National Australia Bank has entered into an enforceable undertaking with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission following an inquiry into an October 2012 share price spike on the Australian stock exchange.

The undertaking relates specifically to NAB's responsibility for potential market misconduct undertaken by the trading personnel of a contractor, which led to the spike, ASIC said on Monday.

"NAB has agreed to adopt specific monitoring and control systems for its direct market access trading and ASIC will supervise the certification of those systems for the next three years," the watchdog said in a statement.

It said the NAB would also make a voluntary contribution of $2 million to fund independent financial literacy projects in Australia.

ASIC Commissioner Cathie Armour said the undertaking was a timely, effective way to ensure there was genuine change to monitoring and control systems following the October 18, 2012 spike.

"It is imperative that entities have adequate monitoring and control systems in place to ensure this type of activity does not occur."

She said ASIC's investigation of the contractor and its trading personnel continued.

The third party equity index arbitrage business contracted to trade on NAB's behalf has not been named for legal reasons.

By 18 October 2012, following their decision to take an existing arbitrage position to expiry (which involved closing out a negative shares position), the Contractors Trading Personnel arranged to buy 197 of the shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX200) from one of NABs brokers, Goldman Sachs Australia, at the prices at which those shares matched in the ASX opening auction that morning.

ASIC said the NAB acknowledged concerns its contracted traders may have breached the Corporations Act in the way they placed sell orders in larger volumes than they intended to trade in an opening auction in order to later trade shares at advantageous prices for the bank.

In a statement the NAB said it had worked closely with ASIC throughout its investigation and the bank took its regulatory compliance obligations very seriously.

"NAB does not condone or accept any activity that undermines or has the potential to undermine market integrity."

The bank said the equity index arbitrage business formed only a very small part of its overall trading activity and "NAB terminated the operations of this third party business in late 2012".

"The issues that have been identified do not raise concerns as to NAB's broader trading activity or control environment," the bank said.

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