Iraqis leave Mt Sinjar as IS siege broken

Kurdish Peshmerga forces have broken a months-long siege by IS fighters in northwestern Iraq. Source: AAP

KURDISH Peshmerga forces have broken a months-long siege by Islamic State fighters in northwestern Iraq, allowing thousands of trapped Yezidis to leave Mount Sinjar.

"THE evacuation of Yezidis has begun," Holger Geisler, a spokesman for the Council of Yezidis in Germany, said.

"They are being brought away in cars."The Yezidis were heading to Dohuk, a main city in Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan, but some were planning to return to their houses in the Sinjar region, Geisler said.Geisler said there were about 7000 civilians and 3000 Yezidi fighters on the mountain.Thousands of Yezidis fled in August to the mountain after Islamic State seized the northern town of Sinjar.The extremist Sunni group regards Yezidis, followers of an ancient faith, as devil-worshippers.The Peshmerga launched a major offensive on Wednesday backed by US-led airstrikes to retake the area of Sinjar.Kurds said their forces had retaken at least seven villages and the strategic town of Zumar as part of the advance on Sinjar."The road is now open to Zumar, and anyone can now use the road to leave Jabal (Mount) Sinjar," Peshmerga spokesman Jabar Yawar said by telephone from Erbil."People should start leaving by now."He called it a "major humanitarian victory."At least 20 IS militants apparently surrendered following the Peshmerga's push onto Mount Sinjar, a Kurdish commander said."Some of them hold Arab and foreign nationalities," Mahma Khalil, a field commander in Sinjar, told independent Iraqi site Alsumaria News.

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Sydney siege families direct donations

Donations made in honour of the Sydney siege victims have been directed to specific charities. Source: AAP

THE families of Sydney siege victims Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson have requested funds raised in honour of the slain hostages be directed to specific charities.

THE Katrina Dawson Foundation has been established in the barrister's memory to help educate women, while Mr Johnson's family have asked that donations in his name to go to mental health organisation beyondblue.

Ms Dawson's family say they have felt "surrounded by the warmth of a city and a nation" since the siege."It is our hope that out of her senseless death we will, through the opportunities the Foundation will provide, bring meaning to the lives of other amazing young women," the family said.Former Governor-General Quentin Bryce has been announced as the foundation's founding member.A public memorial service will be held at 3pm on Tuesday, December 23, at the University of Sydney's Great Hall in honour of Ms Dawson.Her family have asked attendees to wear a splash of aqua, which was the 38-year-old mother's favourite colour.Mr Johnson's family have requested donations made in his honour go to beyondblue."We are humbled and honoured by this gesture," a beyondblue spokesperson said."All that knew Tori are deeply grateful."All money raised in memory of this courageous young man will be used to support people and families living with depression and anxiety."Almost $70,900 had been donated to beyondblue in Mr Johnson's name by 5pm on Saturday.Tributes flowed for the Lindt cafe manager on the donations page."You were a good friend...You have shown the world what it looks like to be a TRUE HERO," wrote colleague Romano De Alwis."Our Lindt family will never be the same."beyondblue helps Australians experiencing anxiety and depression.

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US state law shields execution drug source

A new bill will shield the names of companies that provide lethal injection drugs for Ohio prisons. Source: AAP

OHIO Governor John Kasich has signed a bill into law shielding the names of companies that provide the US state with lethal injection drugs.

SUPPORTERS say such confidentiality is necessary to obtain supplies of the drugs, and the measure is needed to restart Ohio executions.

Opponents say it's naive to think the bill can truly protect companies' names from being revealed.The legislation also shields the names of participants in Ohio executions.It was one of 40 bills signed on Friday by the governor.A prosecutor has said he expects the legislation to spur lawsuits, making it impossible to carry out the February execution of a condemned child killer as planned.

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Search for man at Qld lake called off

Authorities have called off a month-long search for a man feared drowned at a deep Queensland lake. Source: AAP

AUTHORITIES have called off a month-long search for a man feared drowned at a deep far north Queensland lake.

LOCAL man Maurice Shutter, also known as Maurice Packham, 65, was last seen on November 23 in an inflatable boat in the middle of Lake Eacham, inland from Cairns.

A search was launched after the boat was found abandoned.Dozens of emergency personnel, some using specialised sonar equipment, have searched the 65-metre deep lake and surrounding area each day for the past month but there has been no sign of Mr Shutter.Police said in a statement on Saturday that the search had been suspended.The lake and surrounding national park have been reopened.

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Police identify the Manoora child victims

Police have formally identified the eight children killed in a home in the Cairns suburb of Manoora. Source: AAP

POLICE have formally identified the eight children killed in a Cairns home.

THEY were four girls aged 14, 12, 11 and two, and four boys aged nine, eight, six and five.

The mother of the seven youngest children has been arrested over their murders, but not yet charged. The oldest girl was her niece.Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar says police have spoken to all five of the children's fathers."I don't think anybody would imagine any reaction other than absolute devastation, to be told that their child's dead. Of course that was the case," he told reporters on Saturday afternoon.He said the families have been co-operating with police, which had helped make the identification of the children easier."Even under these horrific circumstances and the trauma they've been through, the support that the family has been giving us in this investigation has been outstanding," he said."And it's been because of them this process was able to be done in a really calm, easy and least intrusive way we possibly could."Police are yet to release a cause of death with the autopsies still being conducted. Those results are expected in the next few days.The youngest children's mother, Mersane Warria, 37, is yet to be charged but is under police guard at a local hospital where she is in a stable condition after suffering multiple stab wounds."Charges are being considered of course. Investigations are continuing, obviously, in that direction. At this stage we haven't proffered any charges," he said.Det Asnicar would not comment on how she sustained her injuries, whether she had undergone a mental health assessment, or any other treatment she had been given.He also would not say if she had given police her version of events yet, although she was lucid."Her injuries aren't particularly impacting on her now," he said.Det Asnicar said the investigation would be thorough, with as many as dozens of police, including specialists, involved."At this stage whatever I want I will get. The Queensland Police Service will support any needs that I have," he said.He said the Murray St house would remain a crime scene for several days, and police were piecing together exactly what had happened."Every minute we have a better understanding of what went on in the house, and I can assure you that by the time this investigation's completed with, we will understand every single movement and everything that happened in that house."Det Asnicar said the house hadn't "been flagged in any special way" before, but would not comment if the family was known to child protection authorities."There hasn't been particular issues. This is just a devastating thing that's happened. That nobody predicted."LifeLine Phone: 131 114 Website: www.lifeline.org.au

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Ex-aide to UK PM denies child porn charges

A FORMER Downing Street aide to British Prime Minister David Cameron has pleaded not guilty to child indecency offences.

PATRICK Rock denies six counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of possessing indecent images of children.

The offences, said to have been committed between July 31 and August 31 2013, relate to more than 60 images.He is accused of making indecent photographs of children aged approximately 13, 11, 10 and 12.He is also charged with possessing 56 indecent images of children aged approximately between 10 and 14.Rock spoke to confirm his name and plead not guilty to the seven charges when he appeared at London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday.

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Missing woman's partner arrested on murder

Missing Darwin mother Carlie Sinclair's partner has been arrested on suspicion of her murder. Source: AAP

THE partner of missing Darwin woman Carlie Sinclair has been arrested on suspicion of her murder, as police say they have found her gravesite.

VIDEO of Danny Deacon being arrested in Darwin on Friday was broadcast by the Nine Network.

Police will not confirm the name of the man arrested, but say he was known to Ms Sinclair, 35, and had left the Northern Territory soon after her disappearance, returning less than 24 hours ago."Earlier today, as a result of a man being seen in Berry Springs area, he has been arrested and we will be holding him in custody until the results are known of a comprehensive crime scene analysis," NT Police Commissioner John McRoberts told reporters.Ms Sinclair was last seen by Mr Deacon, on July 18 last year.They had an argument at the business they ran together, Darwin Decorative Concrete, and Mr Deacon said she walked out, leaving behind her belongings, car, and young son Alex.The case has fascinated the Top End for the past 18 months, with widespread campaigns to help find Ms Sinclair and a $250,000 reward offered for information leading to her whereabouts.On Friday afternoon forensic officers established a crime scene and were examining a private property on Wheewall Road in Berry Springs, about 60km south of Darwin.Police had previously searched the site 10 days after Ms Sinclair's disappearance after receiving a tip-off that Mr Deacon's 4WD was seen in the area on June 18, News Corp Australia reported.Based on comments the man had made and as a result of the investigation, along with "the fact that we have what is clearly a grave site in Berry Springs, we are very confident we have solved the mystery of the disappearance of Ms Sinclair", Commissioner McRoberts said.He said the man was surprised to be arrested, and charges are pending.Police expected to confirm the body found as Ms Sinclair's by Saturday morning."We know you are grieving and nothing I say or we do will bring Carlie home," Commissioner McRoberts said in a message to her family."But I do hope that today's events will give you some comfort that we have found your daughter and will enable you at some point in time to have some degree of closure."

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Appeal to find alleged Vic attacker

A Victorian man missing part of his ear is evading police over alleged sex crimes. Source: AAP

A VICTORIAN man missing part of his ear is evading police over alleged sex crimes.

POLICE have appealed for public help to find Wodonga man Steven Hyatt, 19, who is wanted on an outstanding warrant.

The warrant was issued over alleged bail breaches after Hyatt was charged with a number of sex offences.Police believe Hyatt was known to be in Ruby Road, Wodonga on December 12 and that he is actively evading capture.He is described as of medium build, 170cm tall, with straight light brown hair and brown eyes and a large part of his left ear is missing.Anyone who sees him is urged to contact Triple Zero.

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Man rams car into Spain's ruling party HQ

SPANISH police are searching for possible explosives at the headquarters of the ruling conservative Popular Party after a man rammed his car into the office entrance.

THERE were no reports of injuries and National Police spokesman Antonio Nevado told Spanish National Radio that the attack did not appear to be terrorism-related. The driver has been arrested.

Nevado said bomb disposal experts were searching the area in and around the Genova Street office in downtown Madrid. He said police had found two gas cylinders and an unidentified substance in the car."Everything indicates it was a personal action that has nothing to do with any type of terrorist action," Nevado said."It's a person that is suffering economic problems and rammed his car against the Popular Party office headquarters."A police robot could be seen close to the office and ambulances lined a nearby road in apparent preparation for an emergency situation.One image published by El Mundo newspaper's online edition showed a car with its lights still on in the reception area of the building, indicating it had smashed through a roll-down metal entrance shutter and two sets of doors.Police sealed off the entire street and several surrounding roads, creating rush-hour traffic chaos. Two subway stations on the street were closed.The incident occurred in the early morning, local time, and it is believed there were few people in the building.Police have been keeping guard outside the building for several years, mainly to prevent demonstrators protesting corruption scandals affecting the party or the government's handling of the severe economic crisis from getting near the office.

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Profumo 'temptress' Mandy Rice-Davies dies

MANDY Rice-Davies - one of the women at the centre of the Profumo affair which rocked Harold Macmillan's Tory government in the 1960s - has died aged 70.

A SPOKESMAN for the family said Marilyn Foreman, also known as Mandy Rice-Davies, had died on Thursday evening after a short battle with cancer.

"They have asked for their privacy to be respected and no further comment will be made," he said.The lurid disclosures of high-society sex parties and claims that the Secretary of State for War John Profumo had shared a mistress with a Russian defence attache enthralled and scandalised early 1960s Britain.Rice-Davies, a nightclub dancer, gained notoriety when in the witness box of the Old Bailey she dismissed a denial by Lord Astor that he had slept with her, saying: "Well, he would, wouldn't he?"Her insouciant response seemed to encapsulate a new lack of deference to the old order as the country emerged from the austerity of the immediate post war years.Her claim to have had an affair with the peer - whose mansion at Cliveden was the setting for the scandal - was denied many years later by his wife, but she always stuck to her story."What was Bill (Lord Astor) doing? I didn't seduce Bill. I didn't even flutter an eyelash at him. I wasn't a temptress. He seduced me. In those days women did not leap upon men," she had said.

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US jobless aid applications decline

FEWER Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, a sign of solid job security and growing confidence among employers.

WEEKLY unemployment benefit applications dropped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 289,000, the Labour Department said on Thursday. That is the lowest level since late October.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, declined 750 to 298,750.Applications are a proxy for layoffs. The average has fallen nearly 13 per cent in the past year, evidence the job market is improving.Companies are cutting fewer jobs as the economy expands and hiring has picked up.In the first 11 months of this year, employers have added 2.65 million jobs. That already makes 2014 the best year for hiring since 1999.The figures are "low enough to signal very strong payroll growth," said Ian Shepherdson, an economist at High Frequency Economics. The current level of applications is consistent with monthly job gains of about 300,000, he added.Just 2.37 million people are receiving benefits, down from more than 4 million a year ago. Some former recipients have found jobs, but many have used up all the benefits available to them.A federal extended benefits program expired at the end of last year. Barely a quarter of the 9.1 million people out of work receive unemployment aid.Still, hiring is accelerating. Employers added 321,000 jobs in November, the most in nearly three years. The unemployment rate held steady at 5.8 per cent, down from 7 per cent 12 months earlier.The average hourly wage rose 9 cents to $24.66, the biggest gain in 17 months. Over the past 12 months, hourly pay has risen 2.1 per cent, above the 1.3 per cent inflation rate.

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Aussie slips Java death penalty charges

INDONESIAN prosecutors have revealed they were considering charges carrying the death penalty for a former Australian policeman arrested in a drug raid.

ANDREW Roger, alias Roger Yeo, should be jailed for 16 years over the stash of marijuana, crystal meth and pills found in a raid of his east Java home in May, a court has heard.

Prosecutor I Wayan Oja on Thursday said he had at first weighed trafficking charges over the haul, which would have carried a maximum penalty of death.Instead, he was pressing drug possession charges and requested Roger, 51, serve 16 years from a possible 20 years."He was caught while using it," he told the court in Surabaya, referring to evidence that Roger, formerly of Darwin, was rolling a joint when police stormed in."He also didn't deny that the evidence was his."The defendant's actions are against the government program to combat drugs."The defendant was also a police officer in Australia which means he should have known better about the law."Roger has previously pleaded with the court for leniency, saying he's suffered a long and powerful addiction to marijuana.Giving evidence last month, he claimed he smoked up to 20 marijuana cigarettes a day.Roger, who says he's a former police officer and waste contractor, said he had been using the drug since he was aged 15.If he didn't, he said he suffered anxiety and insomnia.In Roger's favour, the prosecution said, were his co-operation, admission and evidence he was supporting five children.Roger's lawyer Budi Sampoerna said the sentencing request was "fantastical and baseless"."Such a sentence request of 16 years' jail is usually applied for evidence of more than 1kg," he said."We will analyse this prosecutor's request first." The trial resumes on January 5.

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Ferouz and other babies to stay in Aust

Scott Morrison says 31 babies born to asylum seekers can stay in Australia despite a court ruling. Source: AAP

A BABY born in Brisbane to asylum-seeker parents can stay in Australia despite the Federal Court upholding a decision not to allow the boy to apply for a protection visa.

THE Australian government had said Ferouz could not apply for a protection visa because he was an unauthorised maritime arrival, a stance that was upheld by the Federal Circuit Court in October.

It was again upheld by the Federal Court in Brisbane on Thursday following an appeal by lawyers for Ferouz's family.However, just before the judgment was handed down, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison announced that 31 babies, including Ferouz, and their families would not be transferred back to the Nauru detention centre."Today is a very joyful day for my whole family," Ferouz's father, who cannot be named, said in a statement."I have never known such joy in my whole life."They will instead be able to apply for protection visas and can remain in Australia at least until they have been assessed.Mr Morrison's office said the court ruling can not change his decision."It will have no effect on the decision of the government. The commitment will be implemented," a spokesman said in a statement.Mr Morrison says the babies' claims for refugee protection will be assessed as part of a legacy caseload of 30,000 asylum seekers who arrived under the previous Labor government.Eighty family members related to the babies will also get to stay in Australia.The minister said it was a "special one-off arrangement" and pregnant asylum seekers transferred to Australia who had not given birth before Thursday would be returned to Nauru.Senate crossbencher Ricky Muir won the concession from Mr Morrison in exchange for his support of controversial migration law changes that passed the upper house in December.Baby Ferouz was born last year in Brisbane's Mater Hospital to Rohingya parents from Myanmar, who arrived on Christmas Island in September last year.The boy's mother, Latifa, was flown from Nauru to Brisbane to give birth after complications during pregnancy.The Australian government argued Ferouz could not apply for a protection visa because he was an unauthorised maritime arrival.Laws introduced last year mean asylum seekers who arrived by boat after July 19, 2013, can't claim protection visas.Law firm Maurice Blackburn, which represents Ferouz's family and other asylum seeker babies, welcomed the minister's announcement on Thursday.Senior Associate Murray Watt said the change of heart by the minister would spare the 31 children from the "inhumane" conditions on Nauru.Mr Watt said it was important to note that the babies and their families faced other hurdles as they still need to have their visa applications considered, and any visa would only be temporary."However, they at least now have that right and do not face imminent removal to Nauru," he said.It isn't yet known whether Ferouz and his family will remain in detention until their visas have been assessed or released on bridging visas.

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German business confidence up

A CLOSELY-WATCHED survey shows business confidence in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, has risen for the second month in a row as lower oil prices and a weaker euro helped brighten managers' outlook for the next six months

THE Ifo institute on Thursday said its monthly confidence index rose to 105.5 points from 104.7 in November. The increase was in line with economists' expectations.

Ifo says managers' outlook for the coming six months improved while their assessment of the current situation was unchanged.It was the second straight increase after six months of declines.Recent data have showed a promising increase in German factory orders, though the country's central bank has cautioned that it expects only modest economic growth over the winter.Earlier this week, a separate survey of investor confidence rose sharply thanks at least in part to falling oil prices and a weaker euro.The euro's lower exchange rate against the currencies of other trading partners makes German exports more competitive on price.ING-DiBa chief economist Carsten Brzeski said in a blog post that "lower energy prices and the weaker euro should make a decent short-term stimulus package for the German economy."The German economy grew by a modest 0.1 per cent in the third quarter as worries about the conflict in Ukraine weighed on business decisions.That followed a 0.1 per cent decline the quarter before. Unemployment remains low, however, supporting consumer spending.

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UK police pursue pedophile link in murders

BRITISH police are investigating the alleged murder of three young boys linked to a Westminster pedophile ring active in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

SCOTLAND Yard detectives on Thursday appealed for abuse victims and potential witnesses to come forward to assist them in their probe into the historic sex gang.

Detective Superintendent Kenny McDonald, the lead officer for the operation, said: "I appeal to men who were subjected to abuse 30 years ago to come forward."We are also investigating the murder of three young boys - we are determined to find answers."He said people who lived or visited Dolphin Square in Pimlico, central London, in the 1970s "will have seen or heard something that they only understand the significance of now".The residential development near parliament has long been popular with MPs.Officers believe the abuse took place at locations in London and the Home Counties including military bases between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s.An alleged victim - known as Nick - has come forward, claiming he was abused from the age of seven to 16 at a number of locations including a flat in Dolphin Square on the River Thames.Nick has alleged he was abused by single men, groups of men and at "parties", and that other young boys were present who were also abused, Mr McDonald said.No further details of the alleged murders were given by detectives.

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Probe finds UK troops mistreated Iraqis

BRITISH troops mistreated nine Iraqi detainees following a fierce battle a decade ago, but false allegations of murder and torture came out of "deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility", a judge-led inquiry has found.

THE long-running Al-Sweady inquiry, which has cost the taxpayer almost STG25 million ($A45.6 million), concluded in its final report on Wednesday that the conduct of some soldiers towards detainees breached the Geneva convention.

But it was highly critical of the claims it was initially set up to investigate - that Iraqi detainees had been murdered, mutilated and tortured following the Battle of Danny Boy on May 14 2004 near Al Amarah in southern Iraq.It found that British forces responded to a deadly ambush by insurgents with "exemplary courage, resolution and professionalism".And it suggested that some of the detainees - all described as members or supporters of the Mahdi Army insurgent group - consciously lied about the most serious allegations to discredit the British armed forces.

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Technical setback in MH370 search

A technical issue could set back the planned finish date for work in the main search zone for MH370. Source: AAP

A TECHNICAL problem could set back the planned finish date for work in the main search zone for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370.

THE Joint Agency Coordination Centre said on Sunday that investigators could finish scouring the priority zone of the Indian Ocean by May if there were no delays with vessels, equipment or weather.

But on Wednesday, JACC revealed the vessel Fugro Discovery had a "system issue" with a component of the search equipment."Search activities have been suspended while the issue is remedied," it said.Also, JACC told AAP the Australian Transport Safety Bureau had advised that measures to fix Fugro Discovery's problem were being trialled and the results would be reviewed."Until that process is complete, the extent of the issue's effect on the progress of the underwater search is unknown," JACC said.Meanwhile, other search efforts will continue during the festive period.The Fugro Equator is scheduled to depart for Fremantle on Wednesday after finishing its current survey, and the GO Phoenix continues its underwater search.More than 200,000 sqkm has been surveyed and 11,000 sqkm of the sea floor has been searched.MH370, carrying 239 passengers and crew, disappeared on March 8 travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

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US consumer prices fall in November

PLUNGING fuel costs caused US consumer prices to drop in November, muting inflation across the entire economy.

THE US Labour Department says the inflation reading fell 0.3 per cent last month, after prices were flat in October. Petrol costs plummeted 10.5 per cent in November, the steepest decline in nearly six years.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile energy and food prices, rose 0.1 per cent in November. For the past 12 months, overall inflation has risen 1.3 per cent while core inflation has increased 1.7 per cent.Both annual gains are well below the Federal Reserve's 2 per cent inflation target. This gives Fed officials who end their policy meeting on Wednesday afternoon significant leeway to keep a key interest rate at near zero, which helps infuse the economy with capital to boost economic growth and hiring.

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US current account deficit rises to $100bn

THE US current account trade deficit widened slightly in the July-September quarter, largely due to foreign institutions paying less in fines and penalties to the US government.

THE Commerce Department says the deficit in the current account rose to $US100.3 billion ($A108.52 billion) in the third quarter, up 1.9 per cent from the revised $US98.4 billion deficit in the April-June period.

The increase occurred despite a drop in the trade deficit for goods and services, reflecting cheaper oil prices and a stronger dollar.The deficit widened because fines collected by the US government fell to $US27.8 billion from $US40.1 billion in the previous quarter.The current account is the broadest measure of trade, covering not only the flow of goods and services but also investment flows.

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Obama offers help after Sydney cafe siege

PRESIDENT Barack Obama is offering US assistance to Australia after the Sydney hostage crisis.

THE president called Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Monday night and offered condolences after a gunman took 17 people hostage inside a cafe.

The White House says Obama expressed confidence the Australian people would emerge from this tragedy stronger.The White House also said Obama praised the Australian public's embrace of the hashtag (hash)Illridewithyou - offering to ride public transport with anyone wearing religious garments who feared they would be harassed after the hostage situation.The hostage taker was a 50-year-old Iranian-born, self-styled cleric named Man Haron Monis. He and two hostages were killed as police rushed in to free the captives.

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Baby found in NSW but father still missing

A man who took his seven-week-old baby from a Canberra home has been urged to contact police. Source: AAP

A NINE-WEEK-OLD baby has been found but his father is still missing in the NSW Illawarra region.

POLICE say the baby is safe and well, but they are concerned for the welfare of Garry Gorden.

Mr Gorden, 25, travelled from Canberra with his baby boy on Sunday and police believe he is in the Wollongong area."We want to make sure he's okay, we'd like him to make himself known to police," an ACT police spokeswoman said.Mr Gorden has been described as 193cm tall, with short curly red hair, last seen wearing a dark hoodie and driving a white car.

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Consider all bats deadly: doctor

ALL bats should be considered deadly until proven otherwise because even the smallest scratch or bite is capable of killing.

THAT'S the warning from the doctor who helped diagnose the first case of deadly lyssavirus in an Australian child.

The rabies-like disease is extremely rare but has killed every infected person, paediatrician Dr Joshua Francis says.Such was the case last year when an eight-year-old Queensland boy died two months after being bitten.By the time the boy arrived at hospital with rabies-like symptoms, it was too late for Dr Francis and his team to save him.He was the third Australian to die from the disease."It was a devastating case," Dr Francis told AAP.In latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia, released on Monday, he renews calls for the public to avoid complacency."It's a very rare disease, but devastating and fatal," he writes.He urges anybody bitten or scratched by a bat to seek medical attention immediately.Infection can be managed with rabies medication if caught before symptoms emerge.

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26 dead, 82 missing in Indon landslide

A landslide in an Indonesian village has killed at least 18 people and 90 are still missing. Source: AAP

AT least 26 people have died and 80 are missing after a landslide in central Indonesia, with heavy equipment now being used to look for survivors.

SIX bodies were found on Sunday after the landslide hit Jemblung village in central Java late Friday, National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

Hundreds of rescuers were digging through the mud with shovels and their bare hands in a desperate hunt for any survivors."I am very worried," said a sobbing Sutinem, whose 12 family members including her children were buried in the landslide.The 45-year-old, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, said so far only the body of her mother had been found. She was not at the village when the landslide hit as she was working in west Java."I was shocked to see that my village was flattened to the ground... I pray that the government will find them quickly," she said."We are trying our best to look (for) those still buried. It's a big challenge because we are still using manual tools and the affected area is very muddy," military official Edi Rahmatullah told reporters.Provincial search and rescue agency chief Agus Haryono said rescue efforts have been slow because the ground was still unstable."The affected area is a large valley surrounded by hills. The soil is loose and muddy so we have to be very careful when digging to prevent more landslides," he said, adding that sniffer dogs were being deployed to detect bodies."The chances of finding anyone alive at this point is slim, but who knows? We just hope and pray that we can find survivors," he said.Authorities were using heavy equipment to clear a three-metre high pile of fallen trees and rubble on the main road leading to the site of the disaster.Around 1250 rescuers, including police, soldiers and volunteers were involved in the search operations.Fifteen people were injured, including 11 seriously, and 577 people were evacuated to temporary shelters, Nugroho said."Many of (the survivors) were injured from being hit by debris and are being treated in hospital," he said, adding that survivors were in need of food, blankets, and medicines.President Joko Widodo, who arrived in Central Java's provincial district of Banjarnegara on Sunday, stressed the need to speed up rescue efforts."Earlier I visited the landslide site in Banjarnegara to look at the situation there. Although logistical support has been provided, the evacuation process must be strengthened and hastened," he wrote on his Facebook page.Landslides triggered by heavy rains and floods are common in tropical Indonesia during the rainy season.The national disaster agency estimates around half the country's population of 250 million lives in areas prone to landslides.

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Boating accidents in NSW leave two dead

A SERIES of boating accidents has left two people dead after a day of rough seas on the NSW coast.

A FURTHER 11 people were rescued in five separate incidents on Sunday.

In Botany Bay, two men died and a third man was injured after a fishing boat hit rocks and capsized in rough seas about 1.10pm.Four helicopters were sent to rescue two men who were floating face down in the water and a third who reached a nearby rock shelf.All three were recovered but the two men died at the scene.None of them were wearing life jackets.Later on Sunday, a racing catamaran overturned at Botany Heads, throwing a number of people into the water.The Westpac Life Saver Helicopter stopped a shipping container from ploughing into the vessel until the people were rescued by police.In between the two accidents, rescue crews helped three capsized jet skiers at Merries Reef in Sydney's south and several people in the water off Kirribilli after their boat overturned.Helicopter crews also searched for a man who went missing in the surf at Whale Beach - he was found on the beach safe and well.Westpac Life Saver Helicopter CEO Stephen Leahy warned fishermen and boat users to be more observant of weather conditions and safety equipment."We need to be aware of what nature can throw at us," he said."Many tragic accidents can be avoided if people took the time to check weather and ocean forecasts."Nothing is more tragic than losing lives so close to Christmas."Mr Leahy also praised the emergency service crew for keeping up with the number of incidents on Sunday.

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Wait over for VCE results

THE nervous wait for VCE results is over for more than 47,000 students.

THE Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) scores will be available by SMS to registered VCE students and online from 7am on Monday morning.

Overall the girls outperformed the boys, just like in previous years, Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre director Catherine Wills said.However, more boys received a perfect ATAR score of 99.95.SCORES RELEASED FOR VCE STUDENTS* 47,032 VCE students get their results on Monday* The average ATAR score for girls is 64.4* The average ATAR score for boys is 62.2* 22 boys and 11 girls received the top ATAR score of 99.95(Source: Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre)

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