UK teacher tells of Kruger elephant attack

A BRITISH teacher who suffered a serious leg injury when an elephant tore through her car in South Africa has told how she desperately tried to drive away.

Sarah Brooks, who works at the Sir John Gleed School in Lincolnshire, and her South African fiance Jans de Klerk, were attacked by the elephant as they drove through the Kruger National Park on December 30.

The couple have now returned to England after Brooks spent more than a week recovering from a pelvis fracture and stitches to her right leg after the elephant's tusk pierced it.

The pair have received death threats since footage of the attack - which they say was heavily edited to make it look as if they drove towards the animal - went viral.

The 30-year-old science teacher told the Daily Mail she "completely freaked" as the elephant stormed towards them and in her panic was unable to find reverse in the hire car.

The couple then resorted to stopping, turning off the ignition and looking at the ground, but seconds later the elephant rammed into them.

"The next thing I heard was Jans screaming at me: 'Drive! Drive!'," Brooks said.

"I somehow managed to turn the engine on, Jans found reverse, but just as I got it going, the elephant tipped us up.

"Then he crushed the undercarriage by ramming it with his head, and the key snapped out of the ignition. 'I remember thinking, 'We're never going to be able to drive away now' - and the next thing I knew we were rolling.

"At that moment, your life flashes through your head. I thought, 'We've only been together a year-and-a-half, life's good. Why now? Why the hell now? It just isn't fair.' I didn't know if either of us would live."

She recalled how the bull elephant twice missed her when his tusks ripped through the car before one pierced her leg leaving her streaming with the blood.

De Klerk, who was left unhurt, managed to pull her across to his side of the car, from which the elephant finally walked away only after pushing it up against a tree and smashing the windscreen.

The incident was captured on film by tourists in a car behind, but they drove off after the attack believing the pair to be dead.

The distressed couple, who feared attacks from other animals, waited for help after phoning de Klerk's brother but it was 25 minutes before a helicopter landed.

"They took me to a doctor, where I was patched up before being taken to a hospital to check for internal injuries," Brooks said.

"In the back of the ambulance, I said to Jans: 'I don't want ever to spend another day apart from you.' He said: 'Marry me then?' I said: 'Yes.'"

She told the newspaper that she pleaded with the tourists not to publish the footage, but days later an edited version went viral.

The male elephant, who was believed to be a risk to other tourists, was destroyed after the incident.

The animal had been "on musth", a periodic condition where testosterone levels rise and elephants become more aggressive, and had fought with another elephant earlier that day.

The couple said park rangers told them they were "just unlucky" and had done nothing wrong.

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Jury sides with Love in trial over tweet

A US jury has rejected a defamation case against Courtney Love over a Twitter post that suggested one of her lawyers had been "bought off" for not pursuing a lawsuit over her late husband's estate.

The verdict came after roughly three hours of deliberation in a case that spanned eight days and focused on the Hole frontwoman's postings on the social networking site.

The case centred on one 2010 post that suggested that San Diego lawyer Rhonda Holmes had been "bought off" and that was why she wasn't representing the singer anymore.

Love had hired Holmes to file a fraud case against the estate of her late husband, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. The lawyer contended during the trial that she was fired by Love and that the tweet and other statements the singer made against her have caused her substantial damage.

Love's tweet stated, "I was (expletive) devastated when Rhonda J Holmes Esq of san diego was bought off" in response to a question from user of the popular social media site.

The message was never meant to be public, Love told jurors. She said she meant for it to be sent as a direct message, which only the recipient would see, but it instead went public and was quickly deleted.

The swift verdict wasn't witnessed by Love, who had left court after closing arguments ended on Friday morning. She arrived just as the courthouse was closing down and met her lawyers, John Lawrence and Matthew Bures, in the hallway where she hugged them both.

Love praised her lawyers and the jury after the verdict. Asked about her social media presence, Love said she refrained from posting on Twitter during the trial. "I didn't tweet out of respect for the case," she said.

While the case was billed as the first "Twibel" trial in which Twitter and libel law intersected, Lawrence said it was tried by the same rules as traditional defamation cases.

Jurors determined that Love's tweet included false information, but the musician didn't know it wasn't true.

Holmes lawyer Mitchell Langberg said the jury's verdict meant the panel determined Love's statement was defamatory, but the singer couldn't be held liable for it. Holmes' side asked the panel to award $8 million in damages and send a message that false statements online had consequences.

Langberg said that while his client was disappointed with the verdict, her reputation was upheld and the world now knows that Love's statements were false.

"At the end of the day, her biggest asset in life is her reputation," Langberg said. "That she got back today."

Love's social media postings have gotten her into trouble several times.

In 2011, she agreed to pay $US430,000 to fashion designer Dawn Simorangkir over statements she posted on Twitter and Myspace.

Simorangkir sued Love again last year, alleging the musician libelled her when Love accused Simorangkir of theft on the Howard Stern's radio show and taunted her on the social media site Pinterest.

The case is pending, but Love said she's trying to be more careful about her online musings than she was when she tweeted about Holmes.

"I don't tweet like I did back then," Love said on Friday.

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First female Anglican priest remembered

THE 70th anniversary of the ordination of the first female Anglican priest is being celebrated on Saturday.

Rev Dr Florence Li Tim-Oi was ordained in China on January 25, 1944.

A church service will be held at St Martin-in-the-Fields, central London at 11am on Saturday to mark the anniversary.

After the World War II, Li Tim-Oi was put under pressure by church authorities and resigned her licence as a priest, but did not give up her holy orders.

She was put in charge of a parish near the Vietnamese border, where she started a maternity home to ensure baby girls were not smothered at birth.

Li Tim-Oi eventually moved to Toronto, Canada, to be with other members of her family.

She lived there until her death in 1992.

A foundation was set up in her name two years later to enable women to be trained for Christian work in their own countries. It has given more than STG750,000 ($A1.43 million) in grants to more than 350 women in countries including Brazil, Fiji, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

One of the first beneficiaries of the foundation, Rev Canon Dr Edidah-Mary Mujinya, now president of the Mothers' Union in Uganda, will preach at the service in London.

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Police pelted by brawling Vic youths

BRAWLERS pelted police with glass bottles in Melbourne as they tried to break up a large street fracas, sparking fears of drunken violence marring Australia Day festivities.

Officers had been confronted by a huge crowd of aggressive youths after being called to Springvale in the city's southeast just before midnight on Friday.

At least 80 people were already fighting in the street when a glass bottle was thrown at one of the police.

Acting Senior Sergeant Anita Brens says police had to spray down four men in the crowd with capsicum foam to try to break up the brawl.

While the group slowly left the suburban street, they continued pelting police with a barrage of glass bottles.

"They continued to be abusive towards police and fight amongst themselves," she said.

No one was arrested and the police all escaped injury.

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said he was disgusted by the group's behaviour and praised police for being able to handle such a volatile situation.

"That is absolutely inappropriate, that is wrong, it is disgusting behaviour," he said.

"It is not the sort of behaviour we want in Melbourne or Victoria."

The melee came only a day after senior police warned of drunken violence occurring over the Australia Day long weekend.

Deputy Commissioner Tim Cartwright said the assault rate on January 26 has been skyrocketing in recent years, largely due to open-air events, alcohol and large gatherings of people.

"We have lots of public events, lots of occasions, but it's still our worst day," he said.

Patrols will be stepped up in city hotspots and around public transport hubs to deal with the expected surge in violence.

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Sydney Harbour to launch Australia Day

WHETHER you're into sheep shearing, whip cracking, fireworks or surfing, there is something for everyone this Australia Day.

And a 100-year-old Iraqi-born grandmother and a two-year-old Indian boy are among nearly 3600 people from 113 countries to become citizens across the state on Sunday.

The largest ceremonies in NSW will take place at Sutherland and Blacktown.

Meanwhile in Sydney, an indigenous ceremony will welcome in Australia Day with a ritual fire at the Opera House at 7.30am.

The fire, along with offerings from around the world will then be carried onboard a boat, before meeting bark canoes under the Harbour bridge for a smoking ceremony.

It will commemorate our past and future, with the national anthem to be sung in the Eora language.

Throughout the day, other free festivities include the popular race of Sydney's ferries, as well as the Australian army parachute display over Circular Quay.

In a new event, tug boats and 10 yachts will perform a "ballet" on the harbour.

Singers Mahalia Barnes and Prinnie Stevens will entertain with the sounds of motown in Darling Harbour from 6pm.

Ms Barnes said it is a great opportunity to celebrate and be grateful.

"We live in one of the most amazing countries in the world, we are very, very lucky," she told reporters on Saturday.

"The best thing about it is that everyone goes out and has a good time."

At 8.45pm, fireworks will mark the finale of the festivities on the harbour.

Meanwhile, face painting, an animal farm and a 3pm concert with The Wiggles will be rolled out at Hyde Park through the day to keep the kids entertained.

"Police have said that the crowd that comes to The Wiggles, Dorothy the Dinosaur and Peppa Pig are the best behaved crowds of the Australia Day weekend," Blue Wiggle, Anthony told reporters.

"It is a lovely, lovely day for families to come along, celebrate Australia and the multicultural society we live in."

Further west in Sydney's Olympic Park, about 6000 Sydneysiders are expected to head to Bicentennial Park for fireworks, sheep shearing, whip cracking and sheep dog trial shows.

Elsewhere in the state, more than 110 people are hoping to break a world record by riding the same wave at North Broulee Beach on the NSW south coast.

At Newcastle a national maritime festival will be held from 8am to 5pm.

Across the state, police are urging people to slow down after almost 800 speed infringement notices were issued on day one of the long weekend campaign.

"With 168 major crashes and one fatality, I'd like to again remind drivers to slow down, stay within the speed limit; no deadline is worth dying for," NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said in a statement.

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Govt 'creating' welfare crisis: Labor

LABOR has accused the Abbott government of "manufacturing" a welfare crisis ahead of a planned crack down on young people claiming the disability pension.

Under federal government plans to overhaul the welfare system, young people who are deemed partially fit to work will no longer be able to claim disability welfare payments, News Corp Australia reports.

Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews said under the previous Labor government, young Australians were able to claim the disability pension despite their condition being minor.

Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite rejected the claim, saying the number of people on the disability pension actually decreased between 2012 and 2013.

He said there was no need for a planned overhaul of the welfare system because Australia didn't have a welfare problem.

"They are creating and manufacturing a crisis to ensure they look like they are a government that is doing something," he told Sky News on Saturday.

The federal government is facing criticism for excluding aged pensioners, who make up the majority of the welfare expenditure, in its welfare payments review as it grapples with a budget deficit.

Finance Minister Mathias Corman said increasing workforce participation among younger people claiming the disability allowance was part of the government's agenda to reduce the budget bottom line.

"We don't think that people with temporary health conditions should be put onto the Disability Support Pension for the remainder of their working lives," he told Sky News.

"We want to help people who are able to work back into the workforce. We think that is good for them and it's obviously good for the country."

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Zara Phillips names baby Mia Grace

THE Queen's granddaughter, Zara Phillips, has named her baby Mia Grace.

The champion horse rider and her rugby-player husband Mike Tindall announced the name of their daughter on Thursday, with Tindall tweeting "For everyone who has asked what our daughters name, it's Mia Grace Tindall."

Zara gave birth last week to the 7lbs 12oz (3.5kg) girl, who is 16th in line to the throne and is the Queen's fourth great grandchild.

Tindall took to Twitter after the birth to describe his joy at becoming a father for the first time, saying it was "definitely the best day of my life".

Zara, a silver medal-winning Olympian, who is one of Britain's leading equestrian riders, gave birth to her first child at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in southwest England with her husband at her side.

Like her mother, the baby will not bear a royal title and will be known as plain "Miss Tindall".

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US tourist likely killed by elephants

PARK rangers in Thailand have found the body of an American tourist who was apparently trampled to death by elephants in a reserve outside Bangkok.

The woman went missing on January 13 in Thailand's Kaeng Krachan National Park in the western province of Petchaburi, said police Colonel Woradet Suanklaai on Thursday.

She was found crumpled in the woods five days later after a 70-person search team was deployed, and the severity of the injuries indicated she was likely trampled to death.

"Her arms, her wrists and other parts of the body were broken, so we assumed she was trampled by elephants because no humans could have caused such powerful damage to the body," Woradet said.

Police sent the body to a forensic institute in the capital to determine the cause of death, he said.

The US Embassy in Bangkok confirmed the death, but gave no details.

Kaeng Krachan is the largest national park in Thailand, covering nearly 3000sq km of forest. It is 200km southwest of Bangkok.

Woradet said the woman, who was in her 20s, was travelling alone when she left a camping ground in the park.

"Looking at the pictures she took in her camera, we see a lot of animals, birds, snakes, lizards," Woradet said.

"We assumed she wanted to take pictures of elephants because that's what the Kaeng Krachan National Park is famous for. We believed she wanted to find them and take some photos."

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Bieber arrested in Miami for drag racing

Priest charged with sex offences

POLICE investigating a paedophile ring at two boarding schools in Bathurst have today arrested and charged a former Catholic priest.

$580m seized in laundering probe

BIKIE gangs and people smugglers are using a "complex'' network of more than 20 countries to launder millions of dollars through Australia, authorities say.

Star had 'suicidal thoughts' court told

MANLY Sea Eagles player Richie Fa'aoso was having "suicidal thoughts" after breaking his neck and being told he might never play the game of rugby league again, a court heard this morning.

Ibrahim hits back at clean-up

KING of the Cross John Ibrahim has offered to dig into his own pockets to fund an anti- violence campaign aimed at young men.

26 killed on roads since New Year

Police said of those killed this year, 15 were drivers, three were passengers, five were motorcyclists, two were pedestrians and and one was riding a bicycle.

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Tassie freight schemes need change: report

TASMANIA'S freight headache looks set to continue with a Productivity Commission report finding the island state requires ongoing and improved support to maintain viable links to mainland Australia and international ports.

The draft report released on Friday recommends updates to current arrangements, which see the federal government subsidise goods and passenger services to help offset the cost disadvantage of Bass Strait.

"The design and administration of the current subsidy schemes are out-dated, resulting in outcomes not well-aligned with the schemes' underlying objectives," Commissioner Karen Chester said.

"The embedded administrative complexity also gives rise to anomalies and some perverse incentives."

Without change, the federal government will pay $2 billion over the next 15 years to fund the schemes.

There is a risk that subsidy recipients will become reliant on the funds, which will subsequently reduce the productivity of the Tasmanian economy, the report said.

The commission recommends the schemes are regularly and independently reviewed.

After a period of public consultation the report - titled Tasmanian Shipping and Freight - will be submitted to the Australian government in March.

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Afghan boys playing volleyball shot dead

AT least five boys have been shot dead after a group of militants attacked them on a volleyball court in eastern Afghanistan.

"The young boys, who were school students, were playing volleyball in a village in Alingar district at 12.30pm ... a group of gunmen from the nearby village came and shot them," Sarhdai Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor of Laghman, said on Thursday.

"The shooters, who are surely members of the armed opposition, fled the area," Zwak said, implying the attack was carried out by Taliban militants.

"It is not clear yet why they shot dead the boys, but it is clear that the enemies of Afghans cannot tolerate our sports achievements. So, they restore cowardly attacks."

Last week, four young footballers were killed in the southern province of Kandahar when a rocket, allegedly fired by Taliban militants, struck the football field.

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Southwest's 4Q profit rises on fuel costs

SOUTHWEST Airlines is making more money thanks to a lower fuel bill and higher average fares.

The company says fourth-quarter net income was $US212 million ($A240 million), up from $US78 million a year earlier.

The airline says that excluding special items it earned 33 cents per share.

Analysts were expecting 29 cents per share, according to a FactSet survey.

Revenue is up 6.1 per cent to $US4.43 billion, above analysts' forecast of $US4.39 billion.

The increase in net income can be credited to a 9.2 per cent drop in fuel spending, a savings of $US138 million.

However, labour costs are up 7.3 per cent.

The average fare on Southwest is $US156.05 each way, up $US8 or 5.4 per cent from a year earlier.

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Woman's body found in Sydney car park

A woman's body has been discovered in a car park in Sydney's south. Source: AAP

A WOMAN'S body has been discovered in a car park in Sydney's south.

Police found the body in a Taren Point car park after being called there on Wednesday afternoon.

Officers spoke with a man at the scene, who is assisting with their inquiries.

Investigations are continuing.

Police believe the woman's death is related to a "domestic incident", a police spokeswoman told AAP.

"It's not a random attack," she said.

She wouldn't say whether the death was being treated as suspicious.

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2 bodies found after migrant boat sinks

GREEK officials say the bodies of a woman and an 11-year-old boy have been found a day after a fishing boat crammed with immigrants capsized in the dark, leaving 12 people feared drowned in the Aegean Sea.

A coastguard statement says the two bodies were found on Tuesday by authorities on the nearby Turkish coast.

The crippled vessel, whose engine failed as it was trying to reach Greece illegally, was being towed by a Greek patrol boat when it overturned.

Wednesday's statement says photos of the bodies were identified by some of the 16 survivors. Their nationalities were not announced.

The United Nations refugee agency has expressed dismay at the accident, urging Greece to investigate the circumstances.

Greek authorities say the boat capsized during a panic after two passengers dived overboard.

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Two shot dead as Ukraine police storm Kiev

Ukraine's opposition has accused President Viktor Yanukovych of fanning violent protests in Kiev. Source: AAP

TWO activists have been shot dead as Ukrainian police stormed protesters' barricades in Kiev, the first fatalities in two months of anti-government protests.

Hours after the deaths were reported on Wednesday, police launched a fresh assault on the protesters in central Kiev, driving into their lines using tear gas and stun grenades.

The protesters fought back in intense clashes, with casualties being loaded into ambulances.

The deadly violence horrified Ukrainians, who have never witnessed such scenes in their country, including during the 2004 Orange Revolution which was almost entirely peaceful.

The EU called for an immediate end to the violence and the US slapped visa restrictions on Ukrainian officials it blamed for cracking down on protesters.

But Ukraine's prime minister labelled the radical protesters behind the clashes as "terrorists".

Wednesday's deaths occurred during chaotic scenes as police marched through the protesters' barricades shortly on Wednesday morning local time on Grushevsky Street in Kiev, an AFP correspondent said.

New clashes broke out as the police arrested protesters and created a large hole in barricades set up behind the burned-out wrecks of destroyed police buses.

Protesters hurled Molotov cocktails and stones while police responded with stun grenades and fired rubber bullets, an AFP correspondent said.

General prosecutors confirmed earlier information from the protest movement that two activists had been shot dead, one of them with wounds to head and chest.

Protesters claimed they were shot by police snipers but this was not confirmed.

Meanwhile, the medical centre of the protest movement said a third activist was killed after falling from the top of the ceremonial entrance to Dynamo stadium near the protests.

With Ukraine supposedly celebrating its annual day of unity, President Viktor Yanukovych prayed for the country at a ceremony to mark the occasion, the presidency said.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Mykola Azarov indicated that the government was in no mood for compromise, savaging the behaviour of the protesters.

"The cynicism and amorality of the terrorists has reached a point that they are throwing Molotov cocktails right at living people," he told a cabinet meeting.

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Abbott says navy claims are baseless

Prime Minister Tony Abbott (L) says Indonesia is Australia's most important single relationship. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says there is "absolutely no evidence" to back up claims Australian sailors mistreated asylum seekers during a boat tow-back operation.

Indonesian police are investigating after the ABC aired footage of asylum seekers receiving medical treatment for burns they allege were inflicted when they were forced to hold onto hot engine pipes during a boat tow-back operation to Rote Island.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison denied the allegations on Wednesday, saying people smugglers had reason to fabricate them to undermine Australia's border protection policies, and his comments were backed up by Mr Abbott in Switzerland.

"There's absolutely no evidence for them," said Mr Abbott, in Davos for the World Economic Forum.

"These are just claims without any apparent facts to back them up.

"I fully support the statement of the minister on this subject and I have complete confidence in the decency, the humanity and the professionalism of Australia's naval and customs personnel, who I commend for a magnificent job. A job which is increasingly effective and successful."

Asked if the aired footage constituted as evidence, Mr Abbott said: "Who do you believe?

"Do you believe Australian naval personnel or do you believe people who were attempting to break Australian law? I believe Australian naval personnel."

Okto George Riwu, a spokesman for Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara provincial police, said earlier officers were looking into the allegations but did not yet have evidence to back up the allegations.

Mr Abbott said the claims would not impact upon Australia's longstanding policy of turning back asylum-seeker boats "when it's safe to do so".

The prime minister's comments came after he moved to ease tensions with Indonesia on Tuesday by declaring it was Australia's "most important single relationship".

However, in the wake of the naval infringement controversy, Mr Abbott said Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must understand border control was a matter of sovereignty for Australia.

Australian Customs and Defence have started a review into the entry of Australian vessels into Indonesian waters after the incursions reignited tensions between the nations.

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Royal wedding activists lose appeal

ROYAL wedding protesters have lost the latest round in their legal action over how the Metropolitan Police conducted operations when Prince William married Kate Middleton.

When a case brought by 20 individuals, who claimed they were the victims of unlawful searches and arrests, went to London's High Court in 2012, the Met were accused of effectively "suppressing anti-monarchist sentiment" at the time of the April 2011 event.

But Lord Justice Richards and Justice Openshaw ruled that the police, who argued that their action was justified and proportionate, had acted within their powers and were not guilty of operating an unlawful policy.

The 20 were among scores arrested or subjected to searches before or on the wedding day.

One group involved 15 protesters arrested at various locations in London, including at a Starbucks in Oxford Street, Charing Cross and those attending the Queer Resistance zombie picnic in Soho Square.

Their lawyers said the case touched on "the most important of constitutional rights, namely the right to free expression and to protest, both of which are elemental to a properly functioning democracy".

The 2012 finding by the two judges is no longer the subject of challenge but an appeal was brought on behalf of four people on whether the deprivation of their liberty contravened Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

On Wednesday, Lord Justice Maurice Kay, Lord Justice Leveson and Lord Justice Aikens in the Court of Appeal said they were satisfied that the arrests and detentions were lawful.

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Confidence climbs among mid-size firms

BUSINESSES expect a better trading year in 2014 amid strong profits and a reduction in operating costs.

The Commonwealth Bank future business index, which gauges the sentiment of mid-size businesses with a turnover of $10 million to $100 million, suggests businesses are experiencing a sharp increase in confidence.

The index was 17 points in the December quarter, its highest level since the survey began in September 2011, and up from 10.8 points in the previous three months.

"The vast majority of businesses are anticipating a more prosperous year ahead," said the bank's general manager for corporate financial services, Michael Cant, when the report was released on Thursday.

"Notwithstanding the buoyant sentiment ... there remains a level of conservatism as businesses continue to focus on managing costs."

The survey found the top three challenges facing business are weak consumer confidence, a falling Australian dollar and uncertainty about government policy decisions.

There are also increasing concerns about skills shortages.

However, 77 per cent of organisations expect a better performance in 2014 compared with 2013.

The survey's revenue index for the next six months jumped to 41 points in the December quarter from 25 in the September quarter, the profit forecasts index increased to 27 from 15, and the operating costs index eased to 29 from 33.

Commonwealth Bank chief economist Michael Blythe said the sharp improvement in revenue and profit expectations was quite encouraging.

"We're seeing this improved sentiment flow through to other important areas, such as an enhanced appetite for risk and an expected increase in capital expenditure and headcount," he said.

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Actor called UK soap star 'cockroach'

CORONATION Street star William Roache was called a "cockroach" by a fellow cast member, a UK court has heard.

And one of his alleged sex assault victims was warned by Peter Adamson, who played Len Fairclough in the soap, that he would "lead you astray", the jury heard.

The witness claims Roache indecently assaulted her when she was about 14 after he arranged passes for herself and her younger sister on a visit to Granada Studios in Manchester.

She told the jury at Preston Crown Court last week that Roache groped her in a room after being led past the Rovers Return pub on the set.

On Monday, she was cross-examined by the defendant's lawyer, Louise Blackwell QC, and claimed that Adamson made the "cockroach" remark about the actor while she was at the studios.

"It was Len Fairclough that made the comment," she said.

"Because when he said it he looked directly at him and he looked at us and said 'You want to keep your eye on him, he will lead you astray' and he called him 'cockroach'.

"Len Fairclough said that he would lead us astray. He called him a cockroach with a capital C."

Roache, 81, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, denies two counts of rapes and five counts of indecent assault involving five complainants aged 16 and under on dates between 1965 and 1971.

The court heard that the alleged victim and her sister would sit on the steps outside the studio in the summer holidays in the mid to late 1960s, along with other girls and boys who were autograph-hunting.

But on one occasion after being invited inside the studios, Roache, who has played Ken Barlow in the ITV soap for more than 50 years, took her to his dressing room and indecently assaulted her by putting his hands on her breasts and up her skirt.

She told police: "He was like an octopus - hands everywhere."

Challenged about her account of what happened by Blackwell, the witness told the court: "It happened, no matter what you are saying or what your job is, it happened.

"I have no reason to lie, no reason in the world."

Later Blackwell put it to the witness: "Are you even trying to tell the truth here?"

"I'm telling the truth," she replied.

"Why the hell would I put myself through all of this?"

Roache was charged last May with two counts of rape on one alleged victim, with the publicity that following leading to the four other complainants coming forward.

The witness said she felt the incident had been her fault "for being there in the first place".

Her sister claims she was abused by Roache on a separate occasion.

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Thai unrest cancels Frankie Valli concert

SIXTIES doo-wop singer Frankie Valli has cancelled a concert in Bangkok scheduled for this week because of Thailand's political unrest.

Promoter BEC-Tero Entertainment PCL says that Wednesday's performance was scrapped because of difficulties associated with the unrest and for the safety of the audience.

The concert was to be held at a venue close to a site where protesters have been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Violence has marred some of the protests, leading to nine deaths since November. Two explosions wounded 28 people in Bangkok on Sunday.

The promoter said concerts by other visiting artists, including Avril Lavigne in February and Eric Clapton and Bruno Mars, both in March, were still on schedule.

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US man speaks to reporters in N Korea

Jailed US missionary Kenneth Bae (R) is appealing to the US government to secure his release. Source: AAP

A US missionary who has been jailed in North Korea for more than a year has appeared before reporters and is appealing to the US government to do its best to secure his release.

The missionary, Kenneth Bae, made the comments on Monday at what he called a press conference held at his own request.

Bae was arrested in November 2012 while leading a tour group.

He was accused of crimes against the state and sentenced to 15 years of hard labour.

He was moved to a hospital last northern summer in poor health.

He is the longest-serving US detainee in North Korea in recent years.

Bae expressed hope that the US government will do its best to secure his release.

Wearing a grey cap and inmate's uniform with the number 103 on his chest, Bae spoke in Korean during the brief appearance on Monday, which was attended by foreign media reporters in Pyongyang.

"I believe that my problem can be solved by close co-operation and agreement between the American government and the government of this country," he said.

He said he has not been treated badly in confinement.

"We shouldn't take Kenneth Bae's comments merely as his own," said Kim Jin Moo, a North Korea expert at the state-run Korea Institute for Defence Analyses in Seoul.

"The reason why North Korea had Kenneth Bae make this statement... is that they want Washington to reach out to them."

"Bae's comments are an appeal to Washington to actively persuade Pyongyang to release him," Kim said.

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Credit demand subdued other than for homes

DEMAND for home loans is at its highest level in four years but consumers appear to be shying away from other forms of debt, faced with the spectre of rising unemployment.

Data from credit information provider Veda found that mortgage inquiries surged 15.3 per cent over 2013 compared with a year earlier although overall credit demand increased by just 0.4 per cent.

Veda's general manager of consumer risk, Angus Luffman, says an extended period of low interest rates is supporting a lift in mortgage inquiries, showing the strongest growth since late 2009.

"It is likely that we will see a continuing increase in the near term, along with sustained house price growth," Mr Luffman said on Tuesday.

In contrast, inquiries for credit cards rose just 2.4 per cent last year, while demand for personal loans fell 1.4 per cent.

Mr Luffman said the December quarter was usually a strong period for credit demand, reflecting increased spending for Christmas.

"The relatively weak outcome in loans and credit cards suggests low interest rates are not leading to a significant lift in consumer borrowing as households remain cautious about rising unemployment," he said.

It is also a reflection of a slowdown in car sales, which barely grew in 2013.

Mr Luffman believes slow credit demand suggests retailers face continuing challenges for big ticket sales.

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Royal communications teams to merge

THE Prince of Wales' communications team is to merge with its counterpart at Buckingham Palace - a major development towards Charles' future role as king.

Charles' communications secretary Sally Osman will be in charge of the combined press office with the new title of communications director.

The development is not only a physical move but a symbolic one as the Prince's staff will leave their Clarence House offices for Buckingham Palace - likely to be the prince's official home when he is head of state.

There is also speculation that Charles will take on a more prominent role supporting the Queen in her official duties.

With the Queen, 87, and Duke of Edinburgh, 92, advancing in years it is thought Charles may carry out long-haul overseas engagements on behalf of his mother.

Charles has already represented the Queen at a major summit of Commonwealth leaders in Sri Lanka, the first time he has performed the role.

A Clarence House spokeswoman stressed that the Prince and senior members of the royal family have been and will continue to support the Queen in her official duties.

"The Prince and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, carry out engagements to support her and represent her and she's still incredibly busy," she said.

Charles' press office was set up in the early 1990s and will merge with Buckingham Palace's communications team in the coming weeks.

Osman will be in overall charge of the press affairs of all senior royals and will maintain close links with the Palace as she will be managed by the Queen's private secretary Sir Christopher Geidt.

The Clarence House spokeswoman added: "A decision has been taken to re-integrate the press and communications teams across the three royal households into one royal communications team, based at Buckingham Palace.

"Communications teams across the royal households are always looking for ways to work together better.

"This reintegration will formalise that collaboration and help us communicate the work of the royal family more effectively, making full use of modern media and the range of expertise we have across the whole team."

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Escaped Greek terrorist vows to fight govt

A GREEK fugitive who vanished on leave from prison while serving six life sentences for left-wing bombings and shootings has vowed a return to armed action.

Christodoulos Xiros, 55, was convicted in 2003, along with two of his brothers, of belonging to the November 17 organisation.

The group emerged in the mid-1970s and claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks against foreign diplomats and Greek politicians and businessmen over nearly three decades.

He vanished on January 7 while on a seven-day leave from prison to visit his family.

In a video posted Monday on the internet, Xiros read a seven-page statement.

It was accompanied by an apparently recent photo of him in front of pictures 19th-century Greek resistance fighters and Latin American rebel Che Guevara.

A text version of the statement was included in the posting.

"I once again decided to make the guerilla rifle thunder against those who stole our lives and sold our dreams to make a profit," Xiros says in the statement, which rails against how Greece's financial crisis was handled.

He criticises the media, the judiciary, the police and the extreme right-wing Golden Dawn party, and invites Greece's security forces to join with him.

The statement reserves particular bile for the two parties in Greece's governing coalition, the conservative New Democracy and the socialist Pasok, accusing them of treason and stating that the "price of their treason is death."

In extensive references to the financial crisis, he claims that Greece and other European countries have become colonies under "German occupation."

Germany is the single largest contributor toward international rescue loans that Greece has been relying on for years.

"If we ever meet again, which I don't hope (and neither should you) you will do well to kill me. Because if you take me captive again, I will leave again to fight you to the end," Xiros said in the statement.

November 17, which mixed Marxist ideology with nationalism, killed 23 people - including British, American and Turkish diplomats and military officials - before being broken up after a string of arrests in 2002.

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ANZ's satisfaction ratings rebounds

ANZ lifted its standing significantly among business customers in the second half of 2013, to leapfrog rivals NAB and ANZ in satisfaction ratings.

The latest DBM Consultants Business Financial Services Monitor (BFSM) shows ANZ in second place among with big four with an average business customer satisfaction rating of 7.4 out of 10.

That's a significant move from the 6.9 out of 10 ANZ scored in May last year, when it lagged behind its big four counterparts.

DBM director Maria Claridad said most of the improvement in ANZ's rating had come in the micro-business segment, which includes businesses with an annual turnover of up to $1 million.

"This makes up the majority of Australian businesses by number, and ANZ's increase (among micro businesses) over the year is the biggest increase of any bank in any segment," she said.

The BFSM, which surveys 20,000 businesses, showed the Commonwealth Bank in top place again with an average rating of 7.5 out of 10.

Meanwhile, Westpac had an average rating of 7.3, down slightly from a month earlier and NAB, Australia's biggest business lender, remained in fourth place at 7.0.

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Man dies in Melbourne kayaking accident

A MAN has died in a kayaking accident on a Melbourne creek.

Police believe the man, in his 20s, got into difficulty while kayaking just before 8pm (AEDT) on Sunday, prompting a passer-by to come to his aid then attempting to revive him.

The man, who is yet to be identified, died at the scene in Kananook Creek, in Seaford in Melbourne's southeast.

The exact cause of the man's death is yet to be determined, however police say it is not suspicious.

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Woman in court over 3-year-old's death

A 33-YEAR-OLD woman will appear in a Scottish court after being arrested and charged in connection with the death of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular.

Police did not name the woman, although it has been widely reported that Rosdeep Kular, the mother of the missing Edinburgh boy, was being questioned by officers after a child's body was discovered in Fife, kilometres from his home.

The development was announced late Saturday (GMT) by Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham.

"During the course of today, the investigation into the disappearance of Mikaeel Kular has continued at pace," he said.

"Following formal identification, I can now confirm that a 33-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with Mikaeel's death.

"The woman is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday."

A major police investigation was launched to trace Mikaeel after he was reported missing from his home in Edinburgh's Ferry Gait Crescent on Thursday.

More than 200 members of the public joined police and other agencies in their searches for the youngster in the Drylaw area of the capital on Friday.

Officers searching for the three-year-old found remains - now identified as those of Mikaeel - in Kirkcaldy, Fife, shortly before midnight that day.

Mr Graham expressed his thanks to all those who aided police in recent days.

More than 500 calls were made by the public to a dedicated phone line set up after Mikaeel's disappearance, he revealed.

"I would like to again recognise the overwhelming public assistance that Police Scotland have received during the course of this very complex investigation," he said.

"This includes his family and friends, with whom our thoughts remain."

Mr Graham said he would be unable to answer further questions about the investigation.

Mikaeel's body was removed from a wooded area behind a property in Dunvegan Avenue, Kirkcaldy.

Pandeep Kular, 37, Mikaeel's aunt, sobbed as she told the Sunday People newspaper: "We're devastated. I'm with the kids."

She said she had not spoken with her sister, saying: "I'm not aware of anything. I'm just with my family in the house. That's all I can say. We've just lost him."

Floral tributes, soft toys and candles have been placed at a small park in the Drylaw area, around the corner from the flat where Mikaeel lived on Ferry Gait Crescent.

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Egyptian army says top Sinai militant dead

EGYPTIAN army forces have killed the military commander of the al-Tawhid Wal Jihad group in Sinai, military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali says.

Ahmed Hamdan Harb al-Maneiy, also known as Abu Mariam, was killed in the northern Sinai town of al-Mahdiya during anti-jihad operations, Ali said.

"The military was able to kill three Islamist figures, including Abu Mariam, in an exchange of fire between the militants and the army," he added.

There have been regular attacks by militants in the Sinai peninsula since the uprising that overthrew long-term president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

They have intensified since the military deposed president Mohamed Morsi in July.

In August, the military launched a major campaign against Islamist militants in the region, the second in as many years.

But local residents have complained of unjustified arrests and strikes on civilian buildings.

Al-Tawhid Wal Jihad is one of several jihadist groups active in Sinai, including Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which claimed responsiblity for several attacks targeting police forces in different provinces across Egypt.

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Innocence of kids non-negotiable: Vatican

THE "most terrible" cases of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have come to light, but the Church should not lower its guard, says the Vatican's former sex crimes prosecutor.

Malta Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna told the Sunday Times of Malta that he expected the number of priests banned from the clergy on pedophile charges to stabilise at around 100 per year, after a peak of 384 cases in 2011-12.

"It's not the time for complacency, but time to be aware and proactive. The innocence of children is non-negotiable," said Scicluna, who until 2012 worked at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's disciplinary watchdog.

He said the spike in defrocking cases recorded in 2011-12 was due to a backlog of cases.

The figures were publicised after Thursday's hearing of the Holy See before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, in which Scicluna and another Vatican envoy were grilled about the long-running worldwide scandal of pedophile priests.

Scicluna said facing eight hours of questioning "was tough".

He added: "There is worldwide recognition of the work churches do, but when you have some priests who do awful things, they create not only headlines, but huge concern."

The prelate said the hurt done to the victims still pained him.

"This is the most tragic wound; a wound inflicted on the Church. These are great wounds inflicted by those who should have been of service to the community," he said.

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Oxfam calls for tax haven crack down

OXFAM wants Prime Minister Tony Abbott to align himself with the 99 per cent and call for a crack down on tax havens at the World Economic Forum.

The organisation has released a discussion paper showing economic inequality increasing with almost half the world's wealth now in the hands of just one per cent of its population.

The poorest half of the world's population own the same amount as the richest 85 people.

Mr Abbott will address to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Thursday and is expected to outline where he plans to take Australia as a global economic player.

Oxfam is urging all gathered at the forum to support progressive taxation regimes and crack down on tax havens.

"Tony Abbott is in a prime position to help reduce extreme inequality and poverty globally as Australia prepares to host the leaders of G20 nations this year," Oxfam Australia chief executive Helen Szoke said in a statement.

She called on the government to introduce rules requiring Australian mining and energy companies to disclose the payments they make to governments in other countries, a move to help stamp out corruption.

Oxfam says the rising concentration of wealth represents a global threat to stable and inclusive societies.

"In developed and developing countries alike, the lowest tax rates, the best health and education and the opportunity to influence are being given to the rich and their children," Dr Szoke said.

A network of tax havens allowed the richest individuals and companies to hide trillions of dollars from tax collectors.

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