PM draws solace from Menzies

Mr Abbott has drawn inspiration from Robert Menzies' 1963 election win despite his low poll figures. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says he'll bend every fibre of his being to do the job but won't be perfect and will sometimes disappoint.

MR Abbott acknowledged the recent spill motion was a humbling but instructive experience from which he had learned.

Asked if he would ever consider resigning and handing over to another leader, he said he was determined not to get into that position.He said he was elected by the party and people to do a job and was determined to do that job to the best of his ability."Will I be perfect - of course I won't. Will I sometimes be a disappointment - of course I will. But I am absolutely confident the party and the public expect me to do this job," he told Sky News."I will bend every fibre of my being, I will spend every ounce of energy that I have to do this job as well as it humanly can be done.Mr Abbott drew inspiration from former Liberal prime minister Robert Menzies who still won the 1963 election despite trailing in the polls.He said he'd been reading the new book on the Menzies era by former prime minister John Howard.In Menzies' case, he trailed by seven points at the start of the 1963 campaign and went on to an impressive victory.Mr Abbott said no successful leader had not gone through some crisis and invariably it was their response which was the measure of their long-term success."I think I have learned from this experience. Over time I will be a better leader as a result," he said.

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Ice cream-related illness kills 3 in US

Three people in the US have died after contracting a foodborne illness from Blue Bell ice cream. Source: AAP

THE deaths of three people who developed an illness linked to some Blue Bell ice cream products have prompted the US company's first product recall in its 108-year history.

FIVE people developed listeriosis in Kansas after eating products from one production line at the Blue Bell creamery in Brenham, Texas, according to a statement on Friday from the US Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA says listeria bacteria were found in samples of Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Country Cookies, Great Divide Bars, Sour Pop Green Apple Bars, Cotton Candy Bars, Scoops, Vanilla Stick Slices, Almond Bars and No Sugar Added Moo Bars.Blue Bell says its regular Moo Bars were untainted, as were its half gallons, quarts, pints, cups, three-gallon ice cream and take-home frozen snack novelties.According to a statement from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, all five of the people sickened were receiving treatment for unrelated health issues at the same Kansas hospital before developing listeriosis, "a finding that strongly suggests their infections (with listeria bacteria) were acquired in the hospital," the CDC said.Of those five, information was available from four on what foods they had eaten in the month before the infection. All four had consumed milkshakes made with a single-serving Blue Bell ice cream product called "Scoops" while in the hospital, the CDC said.Listeriosis is a life-threatening infection caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes.The disease primarily affects pregnant women and their newborns, older adults, and people with immune systems weakened by cancer, cancer treatments, or other serious conditions.

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Jailed Boko Haram suspects died: Cameroon

CAMEROONIAN authorities say 25 Boko Haram suspects died in custody late last year but deny the country's army carried out regular human rights abuses against the extremist group.

INFORMATION Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary said in a press conference on Friday evening that a senior military official had been sacked over the deaths in December.

He declined to name the official.He denied allegations from local activists that the army was carrying out mass executions and other abuses as it attempts to drive Boko Haram from border regions with Nigeria.Cameroon was repeatedly targeted by Boko Haram before the country signed up to participate in an international force that has dislodged the group from a score of northeastern Nigerian towns in recent weeks.

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Robbers gang-rape nun: Indian police

A NUN in her 70s was gang-raped by a group of bandits when she tried to prevent them from committing a robbery in a Christian missionary school in eastern India, police say.

THE attack early on Saturday is the latest crime to focus attention on the scourge of sexual violence in India.

A police officer said the nun was hospitalised in serious condition after the attack, which was committed by seven to eight robbers at the Convent of Jesus and Mary School in West Bengal state's Nadia district.The officer said police are searching for the bandits, who escaped with some cash, a mobile phone, a laptop computer and a camera belonging to the school.

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Satellites check cyclone toll in Vanuatu

REGIONAL satellite technology has been called in to aid cyclone-battered Pacific islands, especially Vanuatu, after the devastation wrought by Cyclone Pam.

THE United Nations has triggered a regional pact calling on satellite-owning states to provide data and high resolution images to assist the Vanuatu government in relief efforts.

The information is expected to play a vital role as relief organisations set about the job of recovery from the cyclone's 340km/h winds amid reports of dozens of deaths.Communications with the outside world have also been cut, adding to the importance the satellite data will play in relief efforts.The agreements come under the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) with satellite-owning countries including India, China, South Korea and Japan providing data to enable a full assessment of damage."The country can assess the extent of their losses very quickly and understand how to mount relief operations," Shamika Sirimanne, director of ESCAP's ICT and Disaster Risk Reduction division told AAP.Ms Sirimanne's comments come as the UN is hosting the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan.She said that immediately after a disaster there was a need to understand the damage and loss, leading to member states sharing satellite data and high resolution real time images."The work has just started last (Friday) night. My colleagues were working the whole night to get this satellite data from the space-faring countries," she said in a telephone interview from the conference venue.A UN report this week noted that economic losses over the past 45 years in the Asia Pacific from natural disasters have cost economies cumulative losses of $US1.15 trillion ($A1.49 trillion), with a loss of more than two million lives.The UN report found Vanuatu was the country most at risk in the world to natural disasters, ahead of Tonga, the Philippines, Japan and Costa Rica.The UN is pressing countries to view disaster management as part of long term development strategies rather than being left to emergency relief agencies.Ms Sirimanne, who is also an economist, called for a greater role of mainstream economic ministries to ensure protection of vital infrastructure, schools, hospitals and utilities such as power.

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Assange agrees to be quizzed in London

SWEDISH prosecutors will travel to London to interview Julian Assange inside Ecuador's embassy in a move described by WikiLeaks as a "victory" for its founder.

SWEDISH prosecutors on Friday performed an about-face by asking Assange's legal team whether the Australian would consent to being interviewed in London and have his DNA taken via a swab.

They'd previously refused to countenance quizzing Assange in the UK over allegations he sexually assaulted two women in Sweden in 2010.Assange's lawyer Per Samuelson on Friday said the 43-year-old, who denies the allegations, would accept the offer which could lead to a breakthrough in the long-running case."This is something we've demanded for over four years," Mr Samuelson said."Julian Assange wants to be interviewed so he can be exonerated."We are cooperating with the investigation. He will accept."WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said the Swedish decision was "a victory for Julian" but he criticised the delay."It's absolutely outrageous that it took the Swedish prosecutor four-and-a-half years to come to this conclusion after maintaining that she couldn't come to London," Hrafnsson said.The Court of Appeal in Stockholm late last year refused Assange's request to set aside the 2010 detention order.But in the process the court noted the investigation had ground to a halt and stated "the failure of the prosecutors to examine alternative avenues is not in line with their obligation ... to move the preliminary investigation forward".Friday's move came after Assange appealed again to Sweden's Supreme Court which earlier this week asked the prosecutor-general to issue an opinion.Mr Samuelson suspects Sweden's prosecutor-general then ordered Assange be interviewed in London.Prosecutor Marianne Ny on Friday said she was now willing to travel to the UK because the statute of limitations on some of the alleged crimes would become effective in August."My view has always been that to perform an interview with him at the Ecuadorian embassy in London would lower the quality of the interview and he would need to be present in Sweden in any case should there be a trial," Ms Ny said in a statement."This assessment remains unchanged."(But) now that time is of the essence I have viewed it therefore necessary to accept such deficiencies to the investigation and likewise take the risk that the interview does not move the case forward."After losing a UK legal battle against extradition Assange entered Ecuador's diplomatic mission in June 2012 and was granted political asylum two months later.The cost of policing the embassy 24 hours a day has now topped $A20 million.The Australian fears if he goes to Sweden he'll be extradited to the United States and charged over WikiLeaks' release of classified documents.Hrafnsson on Friday said the Swedish offer didn't mean Assange would be able to walk out of the embassy anytime soon."We have to worry about the ongoing criminal investigation in the United States," he said.

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Harper Lee 'not subject to abuse'

HARPER Lee's agent has said the To Kill A Mockingbird writer is "in full possession of her mental faculties" after it was suggested the 88-year-old was being taken advantage of over the publication of a follow-up to the best-selling book.

THE literary world was stunned last month when news of the book - called Go Set A Watchman - emerged and concerns were raised about the extent of Ms Lee's involvement in the project.

The reclusive 88-year-old suffered a stroke in 2007 and was reported to have gone blind and The Washington Post reported "questions have been raised about how much control Lee is exercising" over the new book.Authorities in her native Alabama recently closed their investigation into the issue saying the reclusive writer had "made it quite clear" she wanted the book published.Her agent Andrew Nurnberg said he was surprised to hear that someone had approached the authorities to suggest that Lee was being subjected to "elder abuse"."Having spent quality time with her over the last couple of years, I can categorically state that she is in full possession of her mental faculties," he said."The fact that she is hard of hearing and suffers from some macular degeneration has no bearing whatsoever on her quick wit or of speaking her mind on all manner of things."He said the writer was surprised when the manuscript, which she had presumed long lost, was found last August, and is both delighted and enthused that it will now be published.He added that any suggestion that the writer, who now lives in a residential home, was not being well-cared for was "as shameful as it is sad".The novel, written before To Kill A Mockingbird, is a certainty to become a bestseller alongside the original book which has sold more than 40 million copies since it was published in 1960.

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Perth braces for storms due to cyclone

PERTH is bracing for fierce storms this weekend as the weakening Tropical Cyclone Olwyn continues to hit Western Australia's Pilbara region.

CYCLONE Olwyn intensified to a category three on Thursday but late on Friday it was downgraded to a category two system as it tracked past Carnarvon and Denham.

A red alert was in place for people in or near the coastal communities between Cape Cuvier and Denham.That includes Useless Loop, Overlander Roadhouse, Billabong Roadhouse, Carnarvon and Wooroomel.A yellow alert is current for people in or near Kalbarri, including Port Gergory and Horrocks.The system is weakening as it moves south, but is expected to take heavy rain and squally winds into southern parts of the state.Destructive winds, storm tides and flooding could happen in some areas.Some schools and national parks have been closed, while emergency relocation centres have been established in Kalbarri, Exmouth and Carnarvon.Meanwhile, the clean-up has begun in some areas including Exmouth where damage extended to roofs, caravans, trees and powerlines.Horizon Power says there are 3500 customers without power in Carnarvon but it has so far restored power to 200 customers in Exmouth.The Water Corporation says mains water supply has been affected in Exmouth and possibly other areas due to the loss of power.Pilbara Ports Authority says it is returning to normal operations after port closures at Dampier and Ashburton.The Department of Fire and Emergency Services is urging communities as far south as Perth and the South West to prepare their homes and families for dangerous weather this weekend.

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Ebola patient arrives at US hospital

AN American healthcare worker who contracted Ebola while volunteering in Sierra Leone has arrived at the National Institutes of Health's hospital in Maryland.

THE patient's condition was still being evaluated after being flown in isolation from Sierra Leone on a chartered plane on Friday, NIH officials said in a statement. The patient's name, age and gender were not released.

The patient is the eleventh person with Ebola to be treated in the US and the second admitted to the NIH Clinical Centre. It has one of the few containment facilities nationwide set up to treat Ebola patients.The centre's Special Clinical Studies Unit is staffed by specialists in infectious disease and critical care and is designed to prevent the spread of highly contagious viruses, including Ebola.Previously, an American nurse was treated there after she contracted Ebola while caring for a patient in a Dallas hospital. The nurse, Nina Pham, survived and is Ebola-free.The World Health Organisation estimated on Thursday that the virus has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly in the West African nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.While deaths have slowed dramatically in recent months, the virus appears stubbornly entrenched in parts of Guinea and Sierra Leone.

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Vanuatu hit by powerful cyclone

AN extremely powerful cyclone has reportedly blown over islands in the Pacific's Vanuatu archipelago after a westward change of course put populated areas directly in the path of its destructive 270km/h winds.

THE UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a release on Friday that there were unconfirmed reports of deaths in Vanuatu's northeastern islands after Cyclone Pam moved off its expected track.

The Category 5 cyclone had average wind speeds of 250km/h to 270km/h, with gusts up to 340km/h, according to the office. It said the periphery of the eye of the storm had passed over islands that are home to several thousand people and was expected to hit or come close to the island of Efate, home to the capital, Port Vila.Located about a quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii, Vanuatu has a population of 267,000 spread over 65 islands. About 47,000 people live in the capital.Vanuatu had earlier issued a red alert to its residents, urging them to take shelter from Pam.Authorities said they feared the cyclone would destroy homes as well as cause landslides and severe coastal flooding.The cyclone has already destroyed some homes and caused damage to other Pacific islands including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.Earlier on Friday, a spokeswoman for relief agency UNICEF who is in Port Vila, Alice Clements, said the capital was like a ghost town as people took shelter."They've put the deck chairs at the hotel I'm staying at into the swimming pool to stop them blowing away," she said. "It's quite surreal."She said many people in Vanuatu live in flimsy shelters, especially those on the more remote outer islands.She said she expects a huge clean-up and urgent medical needs after the storm passes.Authorities in New Zealand are preparing for the storm, which is forecast to pass north of the country on Sunday and Monday.

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Al-Shabab group attacks Somalian town

THE Somali Islamist group al-Shabaab has attacked a regional government headquarters in the central-southern city of Baidoa, killing nine people, police and officials say.

ATTACKERS detonated a car bomb and tried to enter the seat of newly created South West State. A gun battle followed.

The fatalities included three Somali soldiers, two Ethiopian soldiers from African Union troops and four civilians, according to Baidoa police representative Cornell Mahad Mohamed.Officials initially put the number of attackers at three, but Mohamed said they were four.Three of the attackers were killed and one captured."The three... were shot dead before they reached their target. The situation has returned to normal," Baidoa Mayor Hassan Mohamed Biikole said on Thursday.A spokesman for al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack on pro-insurgent radio broadcaster Andalus.Founded in 2006, al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab seeks a state with the strictest application of Islamic law. Somalia is fighting the group with African Union backing.

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Six Asian airports in global top 10

SIX Asian airports have made the list of the top 10 airports in the world, with Singapore's Changi Airport retaining the No.1 position for the third year running.

AIRPORTS in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and China ranked in the top 10 at the 2015 World Airport Awards held by airline consultancy Skytrax in Paris.

South Korea's Incheon International Airport and Hong Kong International retained their ranks of second and fourth respectively.Tokyo International Haneda rose one spot to fifth place, while Central Japan International Airport near Nagoya jumped five spots, coming in seventh place in 2015.Changi Airport was also voted the best airport for leisure activities."This recognition is particularly pleasing for us as it comes at a time of transformation at Changi Airport," said Changi Airport Group's chief executive Lee Seow Hiang.Based on 13.02 million customer nominations, the World Airport Awards include 550 airports worldwide.The survey evaluates customer satisfaction across key performance indicators such as check-in, arrivals, transfers and shopping facilities.THE TOP 10 AIRPORTS:1 Singapore Changi Airport2 Incheon International Airport3 Munich Airport4 Hong Kong International Airport5 Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)6 Zurich Airport7 Central Japan International Airport8 London Heathrow Airport9 Amsterdam Schiphol Airport10 Beijing Capital International Airport

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Bangladesh cement factory collapse kills 4

THE roof of a five-storey cement factory being constructed in Bangladesh has collapsed, killing at least four people and trapping many others, a fire official says.

FIRE official Mizanur Rahman said the accident occurred on Thursday at Mongla in Bagerhat district when about 150 workers were on duty.

He said at least 30 people were rescued from under the debris and up to 40 are feared trapped.Rahman said many of the survivors were injured and have been hospitalised.The area is about 135 kilometres southwest of the capital Dhaka.

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US unemployment benefits applications fall

THE number of people seeking US unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, in a sign that strong hiring will likely continue.

THE Labor Department says weekly applications for unemployment aid dropped 36,000 to a seasonally adjusted 289,000. The drop nearly reversed last month's large increase, which likely occurred because of cold weather and snowstorms.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell 3,750 to 302,250. The average has dropped nearly 9 per cent in the past year.Applications are a proxy for lay-offs. The decline indicates companies are confident enough to hold onto their staffs and hire more workers.Weekly applications had risen by 40,000 last month. Economists blamed most of that rise on harsh winter weather that closed schools and shut down construction sites, causing temporary lay-offs.

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British Ebola patient lands in UK

A PLANE believed to be carrying a British military healthcare worker who tested positive for Ebola in Sierra Leone has landed in the UK.

THE RAF plane, which has also brought back two of the female worker's colleagues for further monitoring, touched down at RAF Northolt in west London on Thursday afternoon.

All three will now be transferred to the Royal Free Hospital (RFH) in London where the infected worker will be treated at its special high-level isolation unit.Public Health England (PHE) announced on Wednesday that the worker had tested positive for Ebola after being exposed to the virus while treating patients in Sierra Leone.Up to 700 British military personnel are currently deployed in the West African country to aid the Ebola effort.A total of four military healthcare workers are known to have come into contact with the infected worker and two of them will now be assessed at the RFH as a precautionary measure.The pair that remain in Sierra Leone will be kept under observation there while a decision is made about whether to bring them to the UK.Nurses Pauline Cafferkey and Will Pooley - the only other Britons to have tested positive for the disease - were also treated at the RFH and both made full recoveries.A PHE spokeswoman said rapid tracing was undertaken in Sierra Leone to identify anyone who had been in recent close contact with the worker as soon as she was known to be infected.The Ebola disease has killed more than 9960 people in West Africa.

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Ericsson cuts 2,200 jobs

WIRELESS equipment maker Ericsson will cut 2,200 jobs in Sweden as part of a nine billion kronor ($A1.44 billion) savings package.

THE Stockholm-based company said the layoffs would mostly affect research and development and supply positions.

Ericsson, a leading maker of mobile broadband infrastructure, said the cuts were part of a savings plan announced in November "with an ambition to reduce operating expenses and cost of sales across all Ericsson's operations."The cost cuts are expected to take full effect in 2017.

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US chopper crash troops presumed dead

SEVEN Marines and four soldiers aboard a US Army helicopter that crashed off Florida during a night training mission are presumed dead, military officials say.

SEARCH crews have found human remains despite heavy fog hampering search efforts on Wednesday.

A Pentagon official said all 11 service members were presumed dead and that the Coast Guard found debris in the water. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorised to speak on the record.Crews had found some human remains but still considered it a search-and-rescue mission, said Michelle Stewart, a military spokeswoman for Eglin Air Force Base.The helicopter - a UH-60 Black Hawk from the Army National Guard - was reported missing around 8.30pm on Tuesday, and search-and-rescue crews found debris around 2am, said Andy Bourland, a spokesman for the base.Much of the area was enveloped in fog from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning, said Katie Moore of the National Weather Service.Base officials said the Marines were part of a Camp Lejeune, North Carolina-based special operations group. The soldiers were from a Louisiana-based National Guard unit.

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Wild storm lashes Sydney's west

A WILD storm has lashed Sydney's west and south, causing widespread damage including flooding and car accidents, as well as pulling a roof onto train tracks.

MORE than 20,000 homes lost power when heavy rainfall, damaging winds and lightning rolled through after 7pm on Wednesday night, with authorities saying some would not be reconnected until Thursday.

A Bringelly family was forced to leave their home when their roof collapsed, while another piece of roof blew onto train tracks at Mount Druitt.The NSW Fire and Rescue service received about 70 calls for help, mainly for fallen trees and powerlines, while also responding to motor vehicle accidents due to the conditions.The SES fielded more than 150 calls for help.Lightning strikes sparked blazes at Liverpool and Fairfield and fires in homes at Ryde, Canterbury and Rydalmere.An SES spokesman said western and southern Sydney suburbs such as Campbelltown, Blacktown, Bankstown, Penrith and Mount Druitt were worst affected by winds and flooding.Electricity was cut from the Leightonfield substation after a large tree fell on power lines, affecting about 5000 customers, an Ausgrid spokeswoman said"There has been significant damage across the network," she told AAP."Crews will be making sure it's safe and then working to get it back as quickly as possible."Lightning strikes caused most of the problems for the Endeavour Energy network, a spokesman said, with more than 20,000 customers losing power at the height of the storm."By 10pm tonight we restored over 10,000 of those but we've got 10,150 customers who are still off," the Endeavour Energy spokesman told AAP.No major injuries have been reported.

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IPO conditions good in 2015: Deloitte

CONDITIONS for public floats of companies remain promising, after a strong year for public listings in 2014, says financial services provider Deloitte.

"CONDITIONS remain largely the same for 2015, and the early signs are strongly positive with IPOs (initial public offerings) continuing to outperform the S&P/ASX 200 index in the first two months of the year," Deloitte corporate finance partner Ian Turner said on Thursday.

"However, under-performance of certain IPOs, and re-pricing of others toward the back end of last year, does raise the question of whether the 2014 wave is sustainable."Mr Turner said a very healthy pipeline of IPOs was building for the rest of 2015, especially in the technology and financial services sectors.Low interest rates, a lower Australian dollar, strength in global equity markets, a willing queue of business owners keen to monetise their investments or pursue further expansion via listing, and demand from institutions and superannuation funds would fuel activity.Asian businesses were also showing greater interest in listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.Deloitte said 2014 was a banner year for Australian IPOs, with 74 floats worth a total of $26 billion, up from 56 floats worth a total of $11.9 billion in 2013.Deloitte's 2015 IPO Report said there were 42 IPOs exceeding $75 million in 2014.Fifty-nine per cent of the new listings were healthcare and financial services stocks.Listings of energy and resources stocks fell from 30 per cent of all new listings in 2013 to 14 per cent in 2014.Newly listed stocks returned an average of 17 per cent to investors, which was significantly more than the S&P/ASX200 index's gain of one per cent.TOP PERFORMING IPOs for 20141. Beacon Lighting (retail), share price up 127 per cent from listing date to 31 December, 20142. IPH Ltd (commercial services), up 67 per cent3. Bellamy's Australia (retail), up 65 per cent4. Mantra Group (consumer services), up 61 per cent5. Victor Group Holdings (consulting and planning), up 40 per cent

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Germany refuses to discuss WWII reparation

THE German government says it isn't prepared to reopen the issue of compensation for the Nazis' World War II occupation of Greece.

GREEK radical left Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has revived the question of wartime reparations, saying in a parliamentary debate on Tuesday in Athens that his debt-ridden country has never been fully compensated by Germany.

The issue has heightened tensions between Athens and Berlin amid the ongoing negotiations over Greece's financial bailout, to which Germany has contributed a large share.German Finance Ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger said on Wednesday that Berlin believes the issue was resolved in a 1960 accord requiring Germany to pay 115 million Deutschmarks to Greece.Jaeger told reporters in Berlin that "backward-looking allegations don't help in the context of the work we need to tackle with the Greeks."

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Hockey taking time in lieu, says Abbott

Tony Abbott has defended the time Joe Hockey has spent on a defamation case against Fairfax Media. Source: AAP

TONY Abbott has defended the time Joe Hockey has spent at the hearing of a defamation case against Fairfax Media.

THE treasurer is suing the company over a series of articles, posters and tweets published by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times about his relationship with the North Sydney Forum.

The articles suggested he provided "privileged access" to members of the forum who paid up to $22,000 in annual membership fees.Mr Hockey has been in court on Monday and Tuesday giving evidence to support his case.Mr Abbott said anyone who knew the treasurer would know he was working all weekend."So I suppose maybe he is having a bit of time in lieu today," he told reporters in Kalgoorlie."I think it's pretty unreasonable, if I may say so, for people to start bandying around that kind of question."

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Abbott waits for Joko call

Prime Minister Tony Abbott continues to plead for the lives of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott continues to plead for the lives of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, describing them as a force for good in the fight against drugs.

THE two Bali Nine ringleaders are in isolation on the Indonesian penal island of Nusakambangan, awaiting the outcome of legal appeals against their execution.

Mr Abbott is waiting to hear whether his request to speak again to Indonesian president Joko Widodo about the fate of the two Australians will be accepted."I appreciate that we have given this subject a pretty good thrash," he told reporters in Kalgoorlie on Tuesday."I'm keen to talk to him again but, in the end, I can request, he may or may not accept."Mr Abbott said Chan and Sukumaran had been a "force for good" in Indonesia's fight against drugs, describing their rehabilitation as a credit to the country's penal system.Authorities are waiting for legal appeals to wrap up before before setting a date for execution.

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AirAsia flight diverted, trouble landing

AN AirAsia flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur has diverted to Melbourne because of a minor technical fault.

AN Airservices Australia spokesman denied reports that the plane had been circling Melbourne Airport for two hours, but confirmed it had attempted to land more than once on Tuesday.

"We are not sure of, at this stage, the reason for the missed approach," the spokesman told AAP on Tuesday."But it is a common occurrence and not related to the technical fault."He said the pilot had chosen to divert the plane to Melbourne because of bad weather in Sydney.Information, including whether the plane is still in Melbourne, is being sought from AirAsia.While she couldn't confirm the plane was an AirAsia flight, a Melbourne Airport spokeswoman said an incoming pilot had highlighted that there could be difficulty landing safely on Tuesday afternoon.The pilot had requested a precautionary "local standby", she said.The plane landed without incident or injury.

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Baird schools teachers, Foley woos nurses

EDS: Updating with further govt health spending pledges

NSW ELECTION CAMPAIGN - TUESDAY, MARCH 10

WHERE THEY WENTMike Baird: QueanbeyanLuke Foley: KogarahWHAT THEY SAID"If we don't win here, obviously that threatens our ability to govern overall and it stops projects such as this." - Baird when asked if he was worried about losing the seat of Monaro while announcing his schools policy."I'll give you the big tip: you'll see a lot more of Bill and I together over the next 18 days than you'll see of Mr Baird and Mr Abbott. You can take that as gospel." - Foley, standing next to federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in Kogarah, on Prime Minister Tony Abbott campaigning with Mike Baird."TAFE would be able to reverse the cuts to courses, colleges and contact hours, reinstate face-to-face teaching and restore outreach programs and services for students with disability." - Greens MLC John Kaye.TODAY'S PROMISESGovt- $224m funding commitment for the state's top primary school teachers to mentor and coach their NSW colleagues under a re-elected Baird government.- $50m for upgrades to Bowral Hospital- $120m to redevelop Goulburn HospitalLabor- Labor will spend $96 million over the next four years hiring 735 new nurses in emergency departments and 105 new nurses in paediatric wards.- Will legislate to enforce ratios of one nurse for every three patients in emergency care.- Confirmed a $307m upgrade to Kogarah's St George Hospital.Greens- The NSW Greens want $900m of government money stripped from private schools and colleges and put into TAFE.

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Entertainer Stuart Wagstaff dies aged 90

ENTERTAINER Stuart Wagstaff has died in a Sydney hospital aged 90.

WAGSTAFF came to Australia in 1958 after starting out in theatre and TV in England.

He appeared in shows on all the Australian commercial networks and theatre productions in Melbourne and Sydney."Just heard the news, my dear old friend Stuart Wagstaff has just passed on. Bless your beautiful heart old mate," Russell Crowe tweeted.Wagstaff was hospitalised in July with pulmonary fibrosis.He died at Sydney's Greenwich Hospital on Tuesday night.Information on a memorial is expected to be released soon, MGM Publicity told AAP."After 50 years in the business and over 40 of those years in Australia, Stuart had continued success in television, theatre and music and continues primarily with his first love, the theatre" MGM said in a statement.Burning a warm image in the minds of the blue-rinse set, Wagstaff starred in a succession of theatre and television roles, including The Dick Emery Show (TV), Blankety Blanks (TV), Follies (at the Sydney Opera House) and Crazy for You (also theatre).He was in the original My Fair Lady production for four-and-a-half years, played the male lead in The Sound of Music, hosted interview, current affairs and variety TV shows and was a regular panellist on Celebrity Squares and Blankety Blanks."Guest roles in television continued throughout in such shows as GP, Rafferty's Rules, A Country Practice, All Saints and others," MGM said."Stuart appeared often on Midday and was regularly asked to appear on Good Morning Australia."In 1998, Wagstaff was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia not only for his theatre and television work, but also for his years of service to the community - particularly in raising funds for children's medical research.

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Hungary to ban shopping on most Sundays

HUNGARIANS have taken advantage of the last opportunity to shop on Sundays before new regulations kick in greatly limiting opening hours for most stores.

STARTING March 15, stores can only open between 6am and 10pm and are banned from opening on Sundays.

Exceptions include pharmacies, small shops operated by their owners or family members, and stores located in hospitals, prisons, petrol stations, airports and bus and train stations.Spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said the government was trying to adapt local regulations to standards in some other European countries and that "Hungarians are going to get used to it very quickly".Shops will be allowed to open four Sundays before Christmas and one Sunday a year of their own choosing.Unions and trade groups said the shorter hours will lead to layoffs.

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UN nuclear watchdog holds Tehran talks

Barack Obama says the US will walk away from nuclear talks with Iran if there's no acceptable deal. Source: AAP

EXPERTS from the UN nuclear watchdog have held talks in Tehran in their investigation into decade-old allegations of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program, the ISNA news agency reports.

THE International Atomic Energy Agency delegation's visit comes as the United States and other major world powers seek to conclude a comprehensive agreement on Iran's controversial nuclear activities.

While Iran is negotiating limits on its program with world powers, the IAEA has been pressing leaders in Tehran for years to address allegations that prior to 2003, and possibly since, they conducted research into the technology required to build a nuclear weapon.In 2011, the IAEA expressed concern about Iran's development of "exploding bridge wire detonators" because of their "possible application in a nuclear explosive device."It is one of a number of allegations of past weapons research which Tehran denies but which the watchdog says it has yet to satisfactorily answer.Another technical issue to be discussed during the visit concerns "modelling and calculations" on neutrons, the sub-atomic particles which trigger the fission of uranium, ISNA reported.After some progress last year, the IAEA investigation stalled.In its latest report on February 19, the IAEA said Iran had not provided "any explanation regarding the two outstanding practical issues".But a spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Agency told state television on Sunday that "these two issues can be finalised during the visit of the IAEA delegation".IAEA chief Yukiya Amano has urged Iran to provide answers quickly.

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Call for probe over Europe C-section rates

WIDE variations in the rate of caesarean sections carried out in Europe have raised concerns about whether women are benefiting from best practice.

A NEW study published by the journal BJOG has found around a quarter of births in the UK are by C-section, compared to a low of 14.8 per cent in Iceland and a high of about 52 per cent in Cyprus.

Authors of the study, led by academics at City University London, said it highlights a clear "lack of consensus about best practice" between countries of the EU, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland.It urged further investigation, suggesting professionals' attitudes to care at delivery, adherence to guidelines and differences in healthcare systems and how they are financed could be to blame for the stark variations."We would hope that this data would be consistent but it clearly isn't," said Alison Macfarlane, professor of perinatal health at City University London and lead author of the study."There is a concern that the caesarean rate is going up and there are some women who undergo the surgery unnecessarily, which this reports suggests there are because of the wide variation."The UK figures are neither high nor low, but there is a concern that the caesarean rates are still going up, with huge variations even between hospitals."When a caesarean is really necessary it can mean the difference between life and death but but when it isn't it can have big effects on the mother and the baby."We need to look at what are the pressures that lead to more caesareans and why is there such wide variation in clinical practice."She highlighted the need for a comparative review of national policies and guidelines to prioritise the health of mothers and childrenThe study, the first of its kind, found the average of rate of C-sections in Europe is around 25.2 per cent of all births.However, the figure for mothers giving birth to more than one baby is 63.1 per cent, and is 98.6 per cent in Malta, 31.1 per cent in Iceland and 62.6 per cent in England. Data for all the UK was not available.C-sections are more likely to be performed when babies are born to first-time mothers, women who have previously undergone a caesarean or who are carrying twins or when babies are in a breech position.

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Finland radio to air full Koran readings

FINLAND'S state radio channel YLE is broadcasting readings of the entire Koran in Finnish to improve knowledge of Muslim culture in the country.

THE 60 half-hour readings are accompanied by comments from the translator of the Islamic holy book and Imam Anas Hajjar of Finland's Islamic Society.

The chairman of the organisation, Mohammad Hussein Omar, on Sunday described the readings as a good way to help people understand the religion and Muslim customs better.There are an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 Muslims in Finland, which has an overall population of 5.5 million.The country has only one building constructed as a mosque, in the early 1940s.Other Muslim prayer rooms or mosques are former schools, cinemas or municipal halls.

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Indonesia prepares for executions

THE PRISONERS AWAITING EXECUTION AND THEIR LEGAL APPEALS:

JAKARTA is yet to announce a date for the executions of up to 10 prisoners, including Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, indicating it's watching various legal appeals.

MYURAN SUKUMARAN, ANDREW CHANAre appealing the administrative court's decision to reject their challenge of the clemency rejections with a hearing in Jakarta on Thursday.MARY JANE FIESTA VELOSO (Philippines)Has applied for a second judicial review. Hearings took place in Jogjakarta last week and the Supreme Court is expected to deliver a decision this week.SERGE ARESKI ATLAOUI (France)Has applied for a first judicial review, with a hearing on Wednesday in Tangerang near Jakarta.RAHEEM AGBAJE SALAMI (Nigeria)The administrative court on Monday threw out a challenge of his clemency rejection. Lawyers say they will appeal.SILVESTER OBIEKWE (Nigeria)Also challenging his rejection of clemency in the administrative court, with a hearing expected next week.ZAINAL ABIDIN (Indonesia)Has been waiting years for an answer on his judicial review, according to his family.OTHERS:Rodrigo Gularte (Brazil) - According to the attorney-general's spokesman, has had a second opinion on his mental health, but the report has not returned.Okwudili Ayotanze (Nigeria)Martin Anderson alias Belo (Ghana)

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Syrian airstrikes kill at least 10

SYRIAN government airstrikes on a rebel-held suburb of the capital have killed at least 10 people, activists say.

THE Local Coordination Committees activist collective and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say Sunday's air raids targeted the Arbeen district just east of Damascus.

The Local Coordination Committees says at least 10 people were killed and dozens wounded in the attack.The Observatory said more than 50 people were wounded.

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Police probe woman's death in Sydney

A woman has died after being attacked in the street on her way home in Sydney's west. Source: AAP

HOMICIDE detectives are investigating the death of a woman from a suspected knife attack in Sydney's west.

THE woman, believed to be in her early 40s, was found lying on the ground at Westmead on Saturday night.

She was taken to Westmead Hospital, where she died early on Sunday."A post-mortem is being conducted to determine the cause of the woman's death. However, early investigations suggest she died as a result of a wound inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon," police said.It's believed the woman was walking home from Parramatta train station when she was attacked.A crime scene has been established and forensic experts are investigating, along with local police and homicide detectives.

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One dead, six wounded Egypt bomb blast

A BOMB has exploded outside a supermarket in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, killing one person and wounding six.

SUNDAY'S blast took place at a branch of the French supermarket chain Carrefour in Alexandria's eastern district of Seyouf.

It is the latest in a bombing campaign blamed on Islamic militants who are targeting foreign and local economic and financial establishments.The attacks are designed to undermine confidence in Egypt ahead of a major economic conference later this week during which the government plans to announce projects worth up to $US35 billion ($A45.02 billion).

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Egypt postpones retrial of Al-Jazeera duo

THE retrial of two Al-Jazeera journalists who face terror-related charges in Egypt has been postponed to March 19.

SUNDAY'S decision comes after a brief hearing for acting bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed.

The pair were freed last month awaiting trial, though they've had to check in with police daily. Their first hearing on February 23 also was postponed.The two, arrested in December 2013, face charges accusing them of being part of a terrorist group and airing falsified footage intended to damage national security. Al-Jazeera is based in Qatar, a main backer of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.Human rights organisations and media groups have criticised the trial. Australian journalist Peter Greste, also charged in the case, was deported in last month.

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Three dead amid Afghan prison standoff

INMATES in northern Afghanistan have killed two police officers they had taken hostage during a prison riot in which an inmate was shot dead, an Afghan security official says.

THE riot erupted during a search for mobile phones, knives and other contraband, said General Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, the police chief of northern Jawzjan province.

Five officers and 10 inmates were wounded in the melee.The inmates managed to take two police officers and a criminal investigator hostage.They later killed the two officers and set the investigator on fire, thinking he was a prosecutor.He survived but is in critical condition, Jawzjani said, adding that local officials were trying to negotiate an end to the standoff.The prison complex, located in the provincial capital Shebirghan, holds about 800 inmates in separate male and female lockups.

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