A MAN'S body has been found after a shed fire on NSW's Central Coast.
The 63-year-old's body was discovered inside the shed after Fire & Rescue NSW officers extinguished the blaze behind a home on Panorama Avenue at Charmhaven after 5pm (AEDT) on Saturday.
A crime scene has been established and is being examined by forensic officers.
An EU advice has been sought on whether the shape of a Kit Kat should be registered as a trademark. Source: AAP
A UK judge deliberating on a legal dispute relating to the shape of a Kit Kat has decided to have a break - and wait for a decision from a European court.
Justice Richard Arnold is analysing a High Court argument between confectionery giants Nestle - which sells Kit Kat bars - and Cadbury.
Nestle wants to register the three-dimensional shape of a Kit Kat as a trademark. Cadbury has objected.
The judge heard legal argument from both sides at a hearing in London in December - and outlined his thoughts in a published ruling.
He said aspects of European trademark law were "unclear". And he said he would seek clarification from the Court of Justice in the European Union.
"Certain aspects of the relevant law remain unclear," said Justice Arnold.
"I have decided it is necessary to seek clarification of the law from the Court of Justice of the European Union in order to determine the (dispute)."
A brawl left three men in hospital in Sydney amid pressure for action on alcohol-related violence. Source: AAP
PRESSURE is mounting on the NSW Government to explain why it hasn't acted on an approved alcohol-related violence plan following a serious assault in Sydney.
Three men were knocked unconscious early on Saturday morning in a brawl in Sydney's CBD.
According to police, a group of people was sitting in Martin Place when several men approached.
A fight started and three men were knocked unconscious.
Two men, aged 24 and 30, were taken to St Vincent's Hospital with head injuries.
A 30-year-old man was also taken to hospital with face lacerations.
Two days ago - and following weeks of public pressure - Premier Barry O'Farrell revealed the government would urgently consider measures to tackle alcohol fuelled assaults in Sydney.
Among the suite of measures that would go before cabinet were proposals to improve the regulation of alcohol licensing, he said.
But the ABC reported on Friday that Mr O'Farrell had a plan sitting on his desk for the past 16 months.
A leaked email from September 2012 reportedly shows that cabinet approved "in principle the introduction of a periodic fee system to commence from July 2013", the ABC reported.
Hospitality Minister George Souris says he will not comment on cabinet meetings.
Shadow Health Minister Andrew McDonald accused the government of running for cover.
"They are hiding, they are hoping it will go away," he said on Saturday.
"This will not go away. It is far too important."
Dr McDonald said the non-implementation of the plan was because the government was in the "pocket of the liquor lobby".
He said it was only a matter of time until the next tragic death.
On Friday friends and family farewelled 18-year-old Daniel Christie, who was fatally punched in Kings Cross on New Year's Eve.
The attack on Daniel Christie took place near the spot where Thomas Kelly was fatally assaulted in 2012.
TWELVE homes have been lost in South Australia as thousands of hectares lay scorched across the state.
But easing weather conditions have enabled firefighters to gain the upper hand on a large blaze in the Eden Valley on Saturday night.
Residents of the small town of Truro were issued an emergency warning on Saturday afternoon, as the large fire made a run towards the Sturt Highway.
The SA Country Fire Service (CFS) warned that the blaze, which has burnt through more than 22,500 hectares since Friday, was putting lives and homes at risk.
But by about 8pm (CST) the CFS had downgraded the alert to a watch and act.
However, the CFS said weather conditions were erratic, so people should remain vigilant.
The downgrade came after about 160 firefighters were supported by nine aircraft at the fire throughout Saturday, a CFS spokesman told AAP.
The fire was one of five out-of-control blazes in the state.
Also of concern was a fire at Bangor in the southern Flinders Ranges, where the CFS said conditions were continually changing.
A watch and act alert was issued in the afternoon, with residents urged not to return to the area until advised.
But the CFS spokesman said crews had experienced a "pretty reasonable day", with milder conditions allowing firefighters to get the better of some blazes.
"We have had a day where we have been able to consolidate a lot of fires and nothing new has kicked off."
Five homes have been lost in the Bangor blaze, with two destroyed in the Billiat park region and five lost in Eden Valley.
However, the CFS said the number could increase as damage assessment crews were deployed.
There has been substantial stock losses.
Premier Jay Weatherill said it would be an achievement if the state came through the fires without loss of life or substantial property loss.
For those who have been affected, disaster relief assistance would be made available.
"For those people who have lost their homes and other property including livestock, this will be devastating," Mr Weatherill said in a statement on Saturday.
"We will respond to each and every one of those families to make sure that they have the support they need to be able to cope with the losses that they've suffered."
CFS assistant chief officer Rob Sandford said while firefighters had gained the upper hand, he called on people to remain on alert.
"Anywhere where we have had a fire in the last seven days, people need to be vigilant because whilst the threat may have reduced with the cooler temperatures, the wind is still reasonably strong and gusty," he told the ABC.
A UK Independence Party (Ukip) councillor has blamed recent storms and floods on the British government's decision to legalise gay marriage.
David Silvester, who defected from the Tories in protest at David Cameron's support for same-sex unions, claimed he had warned the Prime Minister that the legislation would result in "disasters".
The Henley-on-Thames councillor said that the country had been "beset by storms" since the passage of the new law on gay marriage because Mr Cameron had acted "arrogantly against the Gospel".
In a letter to the Henley Standard he wrote: "The scriptures make it abundantly clear that a Christian nation that abandons its faith and acts contrary to the Gospel (and in naked breach of a coronation oath) will be beset by natural disasters such as storms, disease, pestilence and war.
"I wrote to David Cameron in April 2012 to warn him that disasters would accompany the passage of his same-sex marriage bill.
"But he went ahead despite a 600,000-signature petition by concerned Christians and more than half of his own parliamentary party saying that he should not do so."
Blaming the prime minister for the bad weather, he added: "It is his fault that large swathes of the nation have been afflicted by storms and floods.
"He has arrogantly acted against the Gospel that once made Britain 'great' and the lesson surely to be learned is that no man or men, however powerful, can mess with Almighty God with impunity and get away with it for everything a nation does is weighed on the scaled of divine approval or disapproval."
Ukip said the views expressed by Mr Silvester were "not the party's belief" but defended his right to state his opinions.
VICTORIA has done "reasonably well" during the major bushfire emergency that gripped the state during the past few days, authorities say.
More than 100,000 hectares have burnt across the state in conditions described as the worst since Black Saturday.
Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley says the impact of the fires was "not a bad result", given the conditions.
"You can see that in some respects we've had big fires - 100,000 hectares burnt in a matter of basically two days - but you would think that we've done reasonably well," he told reporters.
The main fires are raging in the Grampians in the east, the Mallee in the northwest and Gippsland but all emergency warnings have been downgraded.
Four homes have been recorded lost to fire that burnt through more than 51,000 hectares in the northern end of the Grampians National Park and claimed one life.
Numerous sheds and many kilometres of fencing were destroyed, and up to 7500 sheep were affected, most of which will have to be put down.
Authorities say a woman whose body was found at her Roses Gap property on Friday morning died as a result of a medical issue.
The tourist village of Halls Gap was saved from the fire's path on Friday by an earlier-than-expected wind change.
Some homes were lost in the small town of Brimpaen, while two properties near Dadswells Bridge have also been affected.
The Grampians fire caused building damage at the Troopers Creek Tavern and the Happy Wanderers Holiday Resort at Wartook.
While conditions cool after a four-day heatwave, authorities say the firefighting effort will continue for days.
Crews are still battling fires in the Mallee region and in Gippsland, but authorities no longer believe the more than 30 fires raging out of control there will merge to form a 500,000-hectare inferno.
THE federal government is working to confirm reports that another Australian has been killed in Syria.
"We are aware of unconfirmed reports of an Australian death in Syria," A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.
"As a matter of course, whenever contacted by next of kin in relation to a reported death of an Australian overseas, the department follows up."
DFAT says it would welcome any further information the media is able to provide.
The reports come just days after a Sydney woman Amira Ali and her husband Yusuf Ali were killed in the war-torn country.
At least seven Australians have died in fighting in the country since the civil war began in 2011.
DFAT is reminding Australians that it does not have an embassy in Syria so its capacity to deliver consular help is "extremely limited".
It continues to advise Australians in Syria to leave.
QUEEN Elizabeth II's granddaughter Zara Phillips has given birth to a girl, Buckingham Palace says.
Zara gave birth at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital to her first child, which weighed 7lbs 12oz.
The father, Mike Tindall, a former England rugby star, was present at the birth of his daughter, who is 16th in line to the throne.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips and Mike's parents, Mr Phillip and Mrs Linda Tindall, have been informed and are delighted with the news.
"The baby's name will be confirmed in due course."
Police say twelve fires have been deliberately lit across Victoria with conditions worsening. Source: AAP
ARSONISTS have deliberately sparked 12 fires in Victoria as soaring temperatures and strong winds create the most dangerous fire conditions since Black Saturday.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said police believe 12 of the 68 fires burning across the state were deliberately lit.
Most of those fires were sparked on the urban fringes of Melbourne, including three grass fires in Epping, in the city's north.
Detectives are now investigating those fires.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said it was a disgraceful act for anyone to deliberately start a blaze on a day of high fire danger.
"There are no words that can be used to describe the lowlife that would light fires in these situations," he told reporters.
"They are putting lives at risk."
UK retail sales have jumped more than expected during the crucial Christmas period despite poor weather before the holiday.
The Office of National Statistics says retail sales leapt by 2.6 per cent during December compared with the previous month.
Economists had predicted a rise of 0.2 per cent.
Friday's report was surprising because major chains such as Tesco had reported dismal figures for the period, and suggests the retail sector is supporting the economic recovery.
The statistics office says there was a record 8.7 per cent month-on-month increase in the quantity of goods bought at department stores.
But small stores led the charge.
Marc Ostwald, a strategist with Monument Securities, says that surge may have come from the poor weather, which may have prompted consumers to shop locally.
A UK judge deliberating on a legal dispute relating to the shape of a Kit Kat has decided to have a break - and wait for a decision from a European court.
Justice Richard Arnold is analysing a High Court argument between confectionery giants Nestle - which sells Kit Kat bars - and Cadbury.
Nestle wants to register the three-dimensional shape of a Kit Kat as a trademark. Cadbury has objected.
The judge heard legal argument from both sides at a hearing in London in December - and outlined his thoughts in a published ruling.
He said aspects of European trademark law were "unclear". And he said he would seek clarification from the Court of Justice in the European Union.
"Certain aspects of the relevant law remain unclear," said Justice Arnold.
"I have decided it is necessary to seek clarification of the law from the Court of Justice of the European Union in order to determine the (dispute)."
GENERAL Electric Co says its net income rose five per cent in the fourth quarter on rising profits from the sale of aircraft engines, oil and gas drilling equipment and appliances.
Its adjusted earnings matched Wall Street expectations.
Its shares edged higher in premarket trading.
GE reported net income of $US4.2 billion ($A4.7 billion) for the fourth quarter of 2013 on revenue of $US40.38 billion.
That's up from net income of $US4.01 billion on revenue of $US39.16 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Adjusted to remove the effects of one-time items and discontinued operations, GE earned 53 cents per share.
That matches what analysts polled by FactSet expected, on average.
GE's adjusted earnings per share rose 20 per cent compared with the prior quarter.
Profit in the company's aviation, oil and gas, and appliances divisions all rose 20 per cent or more in the quarter.
A POLITICIAN in the US is proposing the use of firing squads to execute condemned inmates if constitutional problems or other issues ever prevent his state from using lethal injection.
Wyoming state Senator Bruce Burns, a Republican, said on Monday that state law currently calls for using a gas chamber if lethal injection is unavailable.
"The state of Wyoming doesn't have a gas chamber currently, an operating gas chamber, so the procedure and expense to build one would be impractical to me," said Burns, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"I consider frankly the gas chamber to be cruel and unusual, so I went with firing squad because they also have it in Utah," Burns said. He's introduced the bill for consideration in the legislative session that starts February 10.
"One of the reasons I chose firing squad as opposed to any other form of execution is because frankly it's one of the cheapest for the state," Burns said.
Burns said his bill addresses this issue because a number of states are running short of the chemicals used for lethal injection, largely because companies have stopped selling the drugs to prisons.
Wyoming, a sparsely populated western state, has only one inmate on death row and last executed an inmate in 1992.
Richard Dieter, executive director of the national Death Penalty Information Center, said on Monday he believes Wyoming could face constitutional challenges if it tried to use the firing squad as its only method of execution.
Dieter said Utah has offered inmates the choice of being executed by firing squad but said the state is phasing out the punishment.
CHINESE officials say they are expecting citizens to make 3.6 billion trips during the Chinese New Year travel period that starts on Thursday.
The holiday is the most important one in China and represents the world's largest seasonal migration of people as families reunite.
The Year of the Horse starts on January 31. The Spring Festival transportation period lasts 40 days from January 16.
Lian Weiliang, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, says they expect 200 million more journeys than in 2013.
Lian also told a news conference on Tuesday snow and bad weather could hamper the mass migration.
MONKEYS at a British zoo have been banned from eating bananas - because they are too unhealthy.
Animal nutritionists have likened giving bananas to the primates at Paignton Zoo in Devon to humans eating too much cake and chocolate.
The monkeys have been on a health kick and have been avoiding food that is too sweet and sugary - including bananas.
Amy Plowman, head of conservation and advocacy, said: "People usually try to improve their diet by eating more fruit - but fruit cultivated for humans is much higher in sugar and much lower in protein and fibre than most wild fruit because we like our fruit to be so sweet and juicy.
"Giving this fruit to animals is equivalent to giving them cake and chocolate.
"Compared to the food they would eat in the wild, bananas are much more energy-dense - they have lots of calories - and contain much more sugar that's bad for their teeth and can lead to diabetes and similar conditions.
"It can also cause gastrointestinal problems as their stomachs are mostly adapted to eating fibrous foods with very low digestibility."
Plowman said it had not been too hard to wean the monkeys off bananas and give them vegetables instead.
"They didn't get a choice but - unlike children - they couldn't complain."
A typical monkey diet now features lots of green leafy vegetables, smaller amounts of other vegetables and as much browse - leafy branches - as possible, especially for the leaf-eating monkeys.
A specialist pellet feed gives them the correct balance of nutrients, while small amounts of cooked brown rice can be scattered around enclosures to encourage foraging.
Animals do still get bananas if they are unwell and the keepers need to make sure they take medication.
"Putting it in a piece of banana works really well, as it's such a treat now," Plowman said.
A MOTORBIKE rider has been arrested for allegedly leaving a passenger who died on a Queensland road.
Police were called to Jambin-Dakenbah Road in Biloela about 4am (AEST) on January 10, where they found a man who died despite medical efforts at the scene.
Police allege the man sustained fatal injuries while he was a passenger on a motorbike a 28-year-old man was riding.
The rider, from Argoon, has been charged with a string of offences, including dangerous operation of vehicle causing death.
He was also charged for leaving the scene of the incident without getting help.
He will appear in Biloela Magistrates Court on January 29.
Police issued a special thanks to the Jambin and Biloela communities for their assistance in the case.
JPMORGAN Chase, the biggest US bank by assets, says it returned to a profit in the fourth quarter.
The bank said it had net income of $US5.3 billion ($A5.8 billion) in the last three months of 2013, compared with a profit of $US5.7 billion in the same period a year earlier.
On a per-share basis, JPMorgan said it had earned $US1.30 a share in the quarter, compared with $US1.39 a share a year earlier.
Revenue fell one per cent to $US24.1 billion, just above analysts' expectations of $US23.9 billion.
The bank reported a loss in the third quarter, due to the bank's mounting legal costs. It was the bank's first quarterly loss in 10 years.
One boy's story about poor access to train stations from his wheelchair has sparked a community outcry and pressure on the State Government.
A FRESH allegation of murder has formally been laid on Daniel Christie's alleged attacker Shaun McNeil as angry MPs slam the Premier for inaction on alcohol-fuelled violence.
Snakes are out in full force around Prospect Reservoir and are likely to start heading for Wet'n'Wild water park, snake catchers have warned.
Four people are unaccounted for and 46 homes have been destroyed by a bushfire in the Perth hills. Source: AAP
FOUR people feared victims of a bushfire that razed 49 homes in the Perth hills region have been found safe, while firefighters are still battling to control the blaze.
The one death attributed to the fire was that of a 62-year-old man in Hovea who collapsed on the roof of his house on Sunday while preparing for the disaster.
The fire, which tore through 650 hectares in the Shire of Mundaring on Sunday and also destroyed two sheds, was contained on Monday but firefighters were still battling to control it.
A watch and act alert remains for the eastern part of Parkerville, Stoneville and Mount Helena.
One resident tried to get back to their house on Monday afternoon and suffered burns to the hands and feet.
Noelene Michels, from Helena Valley, said she knew her house was close to the fire zone and that her son was still there, but she could not reach him due to roadblocks.
"We think it is ok, but we can't get through to check," she said.
Sally and Gary Elwood, from nearby Narla Way, already knew their home of 30 years was gone.
"I am a bit shocked, but until I physically see, it won't hit me fully, but I have seen it on Facebook so I know it is ours," Ms Elwood said.
"I know it is gone, but my glass is half full - the kids are fine, everyone is fine. We will just rebuild, at 48 - bloody hell."
Mundaring Shire president Helen Dullard said many residents were relieved to escape the flames.
"Visually, it was a very ugly fire. It was scary," she said.
People who lost their homes will be escorted to the ruins on Tuesday.
The fate of livestock and pets is unknown but residents are bracing for the worst, while some firefighters have been treated for heat exhaustion and bee stings.
Emergency Services Minister Joe Francis believes a power pole on private property caused the fire.
He said the blaze could have been much worse and wiped out hundreds more homes.
"We pray this is the last fire we see like this, but there are no guarantees," he said.
"We deal with the lottery dealt out by Mother Nature."
Mr Francis admitted he was frustrated that the fire preparation message was not getting through.
The WA government will donate $1 million to the Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund to help victims.
It will also provide $3000 to those whose homes had been destroyed and $1000 for damaged houses.
Western Power says about 700 properties are without power - and will remain so for days - and more than 150 poles will need to be replaced.
"Poles and equipment are being delivered in preparation for the rebuild, which is not expected to be able to start before Wednesday," a spokeswoman said.
Insurers have declared the fire a catastrophic event.
Attorney-General George Brandis said the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment would also be provided to eligible residents.
People can claim a payment of $1000 for each adult and $400 for each child.
INSTANT messaging services on mobile phones are likely to carry more than twice the number of messages sent by text in 2014, according to global predictions by Deloitte.
As 50 billion instant messages are set to be dispatched, 21 billion text messages are expected to be sent - a rapid lift from 2012, when 11 instant messages were sent for every 10 texts, the firm said.
While instant messaging services - such as WhatsApp and Snapchat - may win the battle for volume this year, text messaging will be victorious in revenue terms, according to the technology report, which will be launched tomorrow.
Text messaging is expected to continue to generate significantly greater revenues until 2018, by which point global text message revenues are expected to have started falling.
Deloitte expects instant messaging services on mobile phones to continue to supersede text messages and all other forms of communication, including email and phone calls.
Despite the burgeoning volumes of messages carried over instant messaging services, text messages are expected to generate more than STG60 billion ($A110.64 billion) in 2014, equivalent to about 50 times the total revenues from all instant messaging services.
Deloitte predicts that the fastest-growing part of the smartphone market in developed countries will be among the over-55s.
About 47 per cent of this group will own smartphones by 2014, an increase from 40 per cent in May-June 2013.
The first text was sent on December 3, 1992, when Neil Papworth, a 22-year-old British engineer, used his computer to send the message "Merry Christmas" to an Orbitel 901 mobile phone.
AFTER tallying a record number of plane orders and deliveries last year, Airbus is admittedly facing a high bar in 2014.
The European aerospace conglomerate said on Monday it delivered 626 planes last year, a company record but still 22 fewer than US rival Boeing Co.
The companies enjoyed a banner year as airlines gobbled up their offerings to renew or build their fleets, cut fuel costs and plan for continued growth in air travel.
Airbus' orders last year rose to 1169, nearly twice its expectations, leading some executives to caution against any precise predictions about how many they'll tally this year. The order backlog - jets it plans to deliver in coming years - sits at a record 5559.
"The market was extremely bullish ... more bullish than John or me would have thought, and probably Boeing," said Airbus' top executive Fabrice Bregier, meeting with journalists along with commercial director John Leahy.
Some of the biggest demand came from once-struggling US airlines as well as from emerging markets, particularly Asia.
"The real story for some of you is, where does it go from here?" said Leahy.
"The fact is, we cannot as an industry continue at this level. But what we are doing is we're continuing to increase production."
"The point is, we are in a growth industry," he added.
Losing out to Boeing in the delivery tally "doesn't matter to us at all," Leahy said.
"I think we're happy with what we've got. It's a duopoly, with a 50-50 split here. I don't really care if they have two more aeroplanes or we have two more."
A mortar attack has killed at least 19 people in the central Syrian city of Homs. Source: AAP
A MORTAR attack has killed at least 19 people in the central Syrian city of Homs.
The official SANA news agency said late on Sunday mortar rounds slammed into the pro-government Ghouta and Karm al-Shami neighbourhoods of Homs.
It blamed "terrorists" for the attack, employing the term the government uses to describe those trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad.
Syrian rebels often lob mortar rounds into pro-government neighbourhoods of cities and towns, while the president's forces indiscriminately strike rebel-held areas with artillery, air strikes and surface-to-surface missiles.
Syria's civil war has killed more than 120,000 since the crisis began in March 2011.
A MAN has been charged following the deaths of three people, including a pedestrian, hit by a car in Melbourne on Sunday night.
Nei Lima DaCosta, 29, of Richmond, has been charged with three counts of culpable driving, three of negligently causing serious injury and one of reckless conduct endangering life.
Police say a 45-year-old man was crossing Dandenong Road in Oakleigh with his wife when he was fatally hit by a white Kia hatchback about 11.40pm (AEDT). He died at the scene.
The hatchback then collided with a silver Ford sedan, killing husband and wife passengers and leaving the car's driver in critical condition.
DaCosta was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with serious injuries following the crash.
Police questioned and charged him after he was released from hospital on Monday.
He has been remanded in custody and will appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
BEAM, the maker of Jim Beam and Marker's Mark alcohol brands, has agreed to be acquired by Japan's Suntory Holdings Ltd. for approximately $US13.62 billion ($A15.18 billion).
Shares of the spirits maker rose in Monday premarket trading.
Suntory will pay $83.50 per share, a 25 per cent premium to Beam's Friday closing price of $66.97. The companies put the deal's value at about $US16 billion, including debt.
Suntory has a portfolio of spirits, with whiskies including Yamazaki and Hakushu as well as Midori liqueur and other beverages.
Suntory already distributes Beam's products in Japan. Beam distributes Suntory's products in Singapore and other Asian markets.
Both companies' boards unanimously approved the transaction, which is targeted to close in the second quarter.
It needs approval from Beam Inc. stockholders.
There were 883 cases of homicide in Puerto Rico last year compared with 1004 in 2012. Source: AAP
PUERTO Rico closed 2013 with 883 homicides, a figure 12.1 per cent lower than in 2012 and the second straight annual decrease since 2011, when the Caribbean island experienced its bloodiest year in recent history.
That is confirmed by data on type-1 crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, physical abuse) published this week by the Statistics Institute of Puerto Rico.
According to the figures, there were 883 cases of homicide, compared with 1004 in 2012 and 1136 in 2011, the highest number on the island since 1940.
Aside from crimes of that type, the numbers of other kinds of offences declined last year. There were 26 rapes (down 18.8 per cent), 6016 robberies (down 4.4 per cent), 2395 cases of physical abuse (down 12 per cent), 29,360 cases of theft and embezzlement (down 3.9 per cent) and 5530 vehicles stolen (down 5.4 per cent).
All varieties of type-1 crimes showed declines compared with the previous year, something Puerto Rico Police Superintendent James Tuller Cintron says is a result of "the daily commitment of our forces".
"These statistics reflect the work being done by police every day to improve the quality of life in Puerto Rico," he said in a statement.
"(But) these results are insufficient and tell us not to be satisfied and to work harder."
A motorcyclist has died after being chased by police for failing to stop for a roadside breath test. Source: AAP
A MOTORCYCLIST has died after a brief police pursuit in suburban Perth.
WA Police's major crash squad and internal affairs are investigating Saturday's fatal crash in Hillarys, north of Perth.
A police spokesman said a man on a Ducati motorcycle approached a booze bus on West Coast Drive about 8.40pm (WST) but failed to stop for a breath test.
In the ensuing pursuit, the motorcyclist sped onto nearby Hepburn Avenue, where he slammed into a BMW being driven in the opposite direction.
The 28-year-old rider from Beldon was seriously injured and died at the scene.
GOVERNMENT shelling has killed more than 20 people in the central Syrian city of Homs.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday the number is expected rise because dozens of people were critically wounded in the shelling of the rebel-held Waer area.
The Observatory said the shelling happened on Saturday. The activist collective, the Local Coordination Committees, published similar information.
Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been widening an air assault on rebel-held areas in recent weeks, targeting opposition-held residential areas and killing civilians.
Syrian rebels have also targeted Assad-loyal areas with indiscriminate mortar fire.
On Sunday, Syria's state media said rebel-fired mortar shells killed two people in the Assad-loyal Zahra area of the city.
POPE Francis has named 19 new cardinals, 16 of whom will hold voting rights in the conclave that elects the next pontiff.
Francis made the announcement as he spoke from his studio window to a crowd in St Peter's Square.
Sixteen of the appointees are younger than 80, meaning they are eligible to elect the next pope, which is a cardinal's most important task.
The ceremony to formally install them as cardinals will be held on February 22 at the Vatican.
Some appointments were expected, including that of his new secretary of state, the Italian archbishop Pietro Parolin, and the German head of the Vatican's watchdog office for doctrinal orthodoxy, Gerhard Ludwig Mueller.
But some names were surprising.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the pontiff's selection of churchmen from Haiti and Burkino Faso, which are among the world's poorest countries, reflects Francis' attention to the destitute as a core part of the church's mission.
Also chosen to become a "prince of the church," as the cardinals are known, was Mario Aurelio Poli, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, a post Francis left when he was elected in March.
ANTI-GOVERNMENT demonstrators are preparing to occupy major intersections of Thailand's congested capital in what they say is an effort to shut down Bangkok.
The plan has raised fears of violence that could trigger a military coup.
The protesters are trying to force caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to resign and have her government replaced by a non-elected interim administration to implement reforms they say are needed to stop corruption and money politics.
They want to scuttle an early general election called by Yingluck for February 2.
Since November, the demonstrators have engaged in street battles with police, cut off water and electricity to police headquarters and occupied for a time the compounds of other government agencies.
At least eight people, including a policeman, have died in violence associated with the political unrest.
The protest leaders said last week that the demonstrators would occupy seven key intersections on Monday in Bangkok, a teeming city known for its debilitating traffic jams.
They are also threatening to occupy government office compounds.
Groups of demonstrators started arriving late on Sunday at some of the venues, where they said they would erect stages.
Earlier on Sunday, some demonstrators blocked a road in Bangkok's northern outskirts, where many government offices are located, said Deputy Police Spokesman Colonel Anucha Romyanan.
There were no immediate confrontations with the authorities, who have vowed to show restraint in order to avoid violence.
Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said on Friday that a combined force of around 12,000 police officers and 8000 soldiers was being deployed to maintain order in the capital.
Protest leaders have said they will maintain their "shutdown" of Bangkok for weeks, or until they obtain their goal.
Their recent demonstrations have drawn up to 150,000-200,000 people at their height.
Concern about a coup is high because of the army's history of intervening in politics.
Army commander General Prayuth Chan-ocha has refused to rule out the possibility of a military takeover.
Another deputy prime minister, Pongthep Thepkanjana, said on Friday that be believed the army had learned a lesson from the 2006 coup - which ended up polarising Thailand rather than pacifying it - and that the international community and many Thais would be opposed to a military takeover.
A MAN has died attempting to save his house from a devastating bushfire in the Perth hills that has destroyed at least 27 homes.
St John Ambulance staff say the man collapsed on the roof of his house in Hovea just after noon on Sunday.
St John crews were unable to access the roof despite assistance from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), and the man died at the scene.
Despite the efforts of dozens of firefighters and helitac helicopters in atrocious conditions, properties near Parkerville and Stoneville were razed by the fast-moving fire.
One Chidlow resident said he was leaving most of his possessions to the flames.
"There are embers coming down like an ash - we are getting the hell out of here," he told ABC radio.
"We are taking the animals, some clothes and the tax files in a box and we are leaving everything else. If it burns, it doesn't matter."
The DFES confirmed 27 homes had been lost, and added this number was expected to increase as damage assessments continued into Monday.
More than 100 firefighters and 50 vehicles remained on the scene late on Sunday, as warnings in the area were downgraded to watch-and-act, and waterbombers were deployed to battle the blaze.
Burning embers were being blown around homes, and spot fires were starting up to 150 metres ahead of the fire, the DFES said.
At least two firefighters have been treated for heat exhaustion.
Just before noon on Sunday, residents in the eastern part of Mundaring were told to leave their homes immediately.
Less than 30 minutes later, locals were told it was too late to leave, as it could be deadly if they did.
By 4pm WST, more than 250 hectares had been burnt.
An emergency warning was issued for people after the fire started between Johnson Road and Granite Road at 11am. The cause of the blaze is not yet known.
Flames up to 20 metres high burned towards Richardson Road, Riley Road and Stoneville Road and residents were warned they were in danger and needed to act immediately to survive.
Homes east of Parkerville were in the immediate path of the fire, and emergency authorities confirmed several houses had been destroyed.
Two separate evacuation centres were established, with the Mundaring Recreation Centre filling up with more than 80 evacuees, with a second evacuation centre set up at Brown Park in nearby Swan View.
Mundaring shire president Helen Dullard said they were setting up to have people staying in emergency conditions for days, with Salvation Army volunteers on hand.
"We have got food and accommodation well taken care of, and there will be people staying overnight and not just one night," Ms Dullard said.
"But we are still in an emergency stage.
"Some are finding out by friends, and because their friends' houses have gone, then theirs has gone. Some aren't sure.
"They are anxious to get home as soon as they can, but are having to wait and that is very difficult for them."
The blaze in the hills were the worst of a horror day for WA fire authorities, who battled blazes in Wanneroo, Boddington, Denmark, Gosnells, Shark Bay and a major fire in Baldivis.
The fires came after two successive days of 40C heat in Perth, and an oppressive heatwave in the northern part of the state all week.
MELBOURNE is set to swelter this week, with three days forecast above 40 degrees.
As the first real taste of summer hits, temperatures in parts of rural Victoria will soar to 44 degrees.
The hot spell begins on Monday as the 2014 Australian Open kicks off in Melbourne.
Melbourne is forecast to reach 35 degrees, followed by 41C on Tuesday, 39C on Wednesday, 41C on Thursday, then 40C on Friday.
Other parts of the state are also set to sizzle, with five days in a row to hit above 40 in northern Victoria.
In the towns of Echuca and Swan Hill the mercury is tipped to rise to 44 on Thursday and Friday.
"It's the first burst of proper heat this summer," Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Terry Ryan told AAP.
But the heatwave is not likely to set records in Melbourne, which endured three consecutive days of at least 43 degrees in January 2009, the week before Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires.
"They were the hottest three days ever in Melbourne," Mr Ryan said.
The longest hot spell recorded in Melbourne was in 1908, when the temperature hovered above 40 for five consecutive days.
Premier Denis Napthine urged Victorians to stay hydrated, look after their neighbours, particularly the elderly, and be aware of fire risks.
"We are in the height of our fire season," he told reporters in Melbourne.
"I can assure Victorians all fire services are ready to deal with any emergency, but people need to be alert, people need to be conscious of the risk and people need to be prepared to make decisions to leave early and live."
A change is expected to sweep through Melbourne late on Friday, with Saturday's forecast of 26C to provide welcome relief.
POLICE in Perth are searching for a gang of men who set another man on fire during an argument, leaving him with burns to almost half his body and fighting for life in hospital.
The police station in Cannington, south-east of Perth, had to be closed on Sunday after the 20-year-old man from East Cannington collapsed there while seeking help.
WA police said he was shirtless when he arrived at the police station as he had taken it off as he put out the fire.
Investigators say they are searching for a gang of five men they believe are responsible for the man's injuries, which are mainly to his legs and stomach, with minor burns to his face.
The victim is in Royal Perth Hospital in a critical but stable condition.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Rob Jamieson told reporters authorities believed the incident happened near Mallard Road and Hamilton Street between 4am and 4.30am.
Acting Det Sen Sgt Jamieson said the victim was out walking when he was approached by five dark-skinned males.
"During an altercation some form of accelerant is believed to have been poured or sprayed onto the victim and he was set alight," he said.
At the time of the incident the victim was wearing black jeans or shorts, white sneakers and a black singlet.
One of the offenders is described as aged between 18 and 25, about 175 centimetres tall, of slim build, wearing black-and-red basketball shorts and no shirt.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Category-five Tropical Cyclone Ian has left one person dead after it ripped through Tonga. Source: AAP
THE most powerful cyclone ever to slam into the South Pacific tourist destination of Tonga has destroyed villages, flattened trees and left at least one person dead.
Up to 70 per cent of houses and buildings in the central Ha'apai islands group - which is home to about 8000 people and bore the brunt of Cyclone Ian - were damaged or destroyed.
The Tongan government on Sunday declared a state of emergency in the Ha'apai region after it was pounded by winds in excess of 200 kilometres an hour, which whipped up mountainous seas around coastal villages.
Although initial reports when the cyclone hit on Saturday said there had only been minor damage, the full extent of the destruction began to emerge when communications were partially restored a day later.
"Seventy per cent of houses (on Ha'apai) are damaged or blown away, and the rest of the 30 per cent are affected by water," Tongan military commander Satisi Vunipola told reporters.
Residents on Ha'apai's main island of Lifuka were reported to have huddled in churches for shelter as houses were destroyed in the furious cyclone.
Ian Wilson, a New Zealand emergency management official, said Lifuka was in the direct path of the cyclone.
"Whatever was on the island has been damaged, whether it's buildings, crops, roading or infrastructure, it's all been damaged," said Mr Wilson, warning that it remained difficult to get a detailed picture of the destruction.
"There is no communication. We did have a satellite phone but that also died. It is serious. The eye of the storm went right across the top of the island."
Ian was downgraded to a category four cyclone on Saturday morning, but increased in intensity later in the day to be restored to the most severe rating of category five as it hit Ha'apai, knocking out contact with outlying islands.
Ian is the first category-five cyclone to belt into Tonga and Ha'apai governor Tu'i Ha'angana said he could see from one side of the island to the other - "that's how devastated it is".
The head of the Tonga Red Cross, Sione Taumoefolau, said he had been informed of one death in Ha'apai but did not have further details as communication remained sketchy.
He said staff in the region told him by satellite phone that Lifuka was devastated.
The Red Cross established a policy last year of maintaining containers of relief supplies on most islands, and Mr Taumoefolau said they were able to provide immediate assistance.
Tupou Ahomee Faupula, from Tonga's mobile phone provider Digicel, said his field officer in Ha'apai reported widespread devastation.
"He told us that this was the worst ever damage from a cyclone. Most houses are flattened, roofs are off, trees and power lines are down."
The Tonga navy has sent two patrol boats to Ha'apai, and the Matangi Tonga news website reported the government was considering a request for overseas aid.
New Zealand offered immediate assistance of NZ$50,000 ($41,500) and an Air Force Orion was sent Sunday to begin an immediate aerial surveillance of the devastated areas.
Police say two men have died after a hand grenade apparently exploded in their car in Austria. Source: AAP
POLICE say two men have died after a hand grenade apparently exploded in their car in the Austrian capital.
Officers found the men in a Bulgarian-registered car in Vienna's Ottakring district early on Saturday after a passer-by reported hearing shots or an explosion.
One man in the car was already dead and the other died at the scene.
Police were working to identify the men, believed to be around 50, and piece together what happened.
The Austria Press Agency reported that evidence points to a hand grenade having exploded and quoted police spokesman Thomas Keiblinger as saying officials "have no indications that it was thrown into the car".
No other weapons were found.
The British government is to have further army redundancies to reduce the organisation's size. Source: AAP
THE British government is to have another round of army redundancies as it continues to reduce the organisation's size.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed there are more cuts on the way though the numbers involved are unclear.
The Sunday Telegraph newspaper says it had been told that the army would cut around 3000 jobs this year, but a government source said the figure under discussion was lower.
The regular army is being cut from 102,000 to 82,000 over a number of years while the newly renamed Army Reserve - formerly the Territorial Army - is being expanded from 19,000 to 30,000.
The newspaper said the latest losses are planned as the final wave of job cuts that will see the army lose the 20,000 posts by 2020. Thousands of jobs have already gone in the past three years.
The cuts come despite the army starting a recruitment campaign for both regular troops and reservists after saying it was struggling to attract applicants.
Mr Hammond said a television advertising campaign would "dispel forever the myth that somehow the army isn't recruiting".
Mr Hammond added that 2013 "was not a good year for recruitment".
The new campaign will introduce a simpler online application form, a more streamlined medical clearance process and an army fitness app.
The cuts will be announced next week, the newspaper said.
At least four militants have been killed after a crude bomb was launched in India's northeast. Source: AAP
AT least four militants have been killed in a clash with security forces in India's northeastern state of Meghalaya.
The clash occurred late on Saturday after a group of insurgents lobbed a crude bomb at a petrol station in the West Garo Hills. There were no casualties in the explosion but two vehicles were damaged.
District police chief Mukesh Singh told IANS news agency that four rebels died, while police did not suffer any casualties.
A cache of arms, ammunition and explosives was recovered.
The rebels allegedly belonged to a splinter group of the Achik National Volunteers Council that is fighting for a separate state for the Garo tribe.
North-eastern India is home to many diverse ethnic groups. It has been plagued by rebellions over the past several decades.
