Titanic II a tribute to lives lost: Palmer

MINING magnate Clive Palmer has told British critics of his plan to build a replica Titanic that it's "bulls***" to suggest he's simply seeking publicity.

And he's denied inappropriately making money from the 1912 tragedy that cost over a thousand lives, arguing his Titanic II will be a tribute to them.

Some 1500 people died when the original Titanic sank on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.

At the London launch of Titanic II the first question fired at Mr Palmer was from a reporter with Southampton's daily newspaper.

The city still mourns 550 seafarers lost on the passenger liner.

"There are some concerns, putting it bluntly, that you are making money on the back of 550 dead," the Southampton reporter said at the Ritz Hotel.

Mr Palmer replied: "I haven't made any money yet and we still may not make any money."

The Mineralogy owner went on to argue Titanic II would actually be a tribute to those who lost their lives.

"It's significant that 100 years later we should be mature enough to pay tribute to those people," he said.

"If I'm dead in 100 years time and someone wants to spend some money commemorating my life and the things I've done I'll be very happy about that."

Mr Palmer insisted many descendants of those involved with the original Titanic had expressed interest in travelling in the same cabins their relatives had stayed in.

Titanic II is due in 2016 to retrace the original ship's planned route.

When it reaches the point where the Titanic sank "it'll be very symbolic for the world", Mr Palmer said.

In a "metaphysical" sense the replica would be carrying the hopes and dreams of generations who left Europe to find a better life in the United States.

To those suggesting the whole endeavour is a hoax to generate publicity the Queenslander declared: "It's bulls***."

"We're building four (iron ore) ships now bigger than the Titanic at the shipyard.

"I'm not somebody with no money."

British Titanic Society president Bob Pryor says the people of Southampton don't believe anyone should "play around" with the name Titanic.

"The idea of sailing a replica into Southampton - down there they are absolutely horrified by the idea," Mr Pryor told AAP.

Locals are afraid there'll be an inappropriate "song and dance" when Titanic II reaches the point where the original sank.

"Mr Palmer has got to prove them wrong," Mr Pryor said.

The society president is himself excited to see a replica being built.

But the man who's made many Titanic models, including one that's 12-foot long, is sad to hear Titanic II won't have fake rivets on her hull.

"It's going to look very bare without them," Mr Pryor said.

"They are almost like a signature of the ship."

Mr Palmer on Saturday announced replica rivets weren't needed.

"We want the best technology - we don't want to appear that we've got the worst technology," he said.

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Moscow rally held as adoption row flares

RUSSIA says it is concerned by a US ruling that the death of an adopted Russian boy in Texas was an accident, fuelling a diplomatic row as thousands marched in Moscow demanding an end to all foreign adoptions.

Russia's foreign ministry said it had learned of the US coroner's findings, which clear the boy's parents of wrongdoing, "with concern" and called on US officials to provide Moscow with the necessary documents, including the death certificate of three-year-old Max Shatto (born Maxim Kuzmin), to help shed light on the case.

"Only an examination of these documents will enable meaningful conclusions to be reached about the circumstances surrounding the Russian child's death and determine our possible future steps," the ministry's rights representative Konstantin Dolgov said in a statement on Saturday.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman added that efforts were under way to try to bring home Max's two-year-old brother, whose Russian name is Kirill and who is also being raised by the Shatto couple.

"Certain steps are being taken to bring back (Kirill)," Dmitry Peskov told Dozhd, a private television channel. "There are very complicated legal circumstances related to the possibility of such a return."

According to the autopsy results, the boy died from a lacerated artery in his bowel due to blunt force trauma in his abdomen. The coroner's report also noted that the child had a mental disorder that caused him to hurt himself.

Officials in the US cleared the boy's adoptive parents Laura and Allen Shatto of homicide but the couple could still face negligence charges for leaving the boy alone in their backyard, where he was found unconscious in January.

The Kremlin children's rights envoy Pavel Astakhov reacted to the US findings with scepticism.

"The triumph of justice?" he wrote on Twitter, adding that the boy had become a "victim of big politics."

Meanwhile, thousands of people, including activists from pro-Kremlin children's advocacy groups, braved a temperature of minus eight degrees Celsius to march through Moscow urging authorities to ban all foreign adoptions and demanding the return of Max's brother.

Late last year, Russia introduced a ban on all American adoptions in retaliation for a US bill targeting Russian officials with sanctions over the prison death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

According to official estimates, US families have adopted more than 60,000 Russian children over the past two decades, 21 of whom have died.

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Kerry in Egypt to press for consensus

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Cairo to push for a way out of Egypt's political impasse and its crippling economic crisis.

As Kerry landed in Cairo from Turkey, protesters torched a police station in the canal city of Port Said, reflecting the size of the task facing the secretary of state in Egypt, which has been rocked by months of unrest.

The interior ministry said in a statement about 500 protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at the police station on Saturday, setting it on fire, and then blocked fire engines from approaching the blaze.

In the capital, Kerry, is due to hold talks with Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, as well as political parties, business leaders and civil society groups during his two-day visit which is part of a world tour.

"He is working to touch base with the government, with the military, with people involved in the new Egypt: the political leaders, NGO leaders, the business people," a US State Department official said.

Egypt has been deeply divided since Morsi - the country's first post-revolution president - issued a now-repealed decree in November expanding his powers and paving the way for the adoption of an Islamist-drafted constitution.

The political turmoil has fuelled weeks of unrest and clashes that have left dozens dead.

Two leading dissidents, Mohamed ElBaradei and Hamdeen Sabahi of the opposition coalition National Salvation Front (NSF), said they would not be meeting with Kerry, after Washington's call for them to reconsider a boycott of next month's parliamentary elections.

During the visit, Kerry will stress the "importance of building consensus," a US State Department official said.

A political consensus would pave the way for a crucial loan from the International Monetary Fund, which in turn will unlock several pledges of aid for Egypt's battered economy.

Egyptian officials have said they will continue talks with the IMF on a much needed $US4.8 billion ($A4.7 billion) loan, which has been delayed amid political unrest and might possibly be signed after a parliament is in place in July.

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Assad 'will take part' in 2014 Syria poll

BASHAR al-Assad will take part in Syria's next presidential election in 2014, Iran's foreign minister says.

"In the next election, President Assad, like others, will take part, and the Syrian people will elect whomever they want," Ali Akbar Salehi said at a news conference with his visiting Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Muallem.

Salehi also said that "the official position of Iran is that... Assad will remain the legitimate president until the next... election" in 2014.

Muallem arrived on Saturday in Tehran - a close ally of Damascus - for talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year conflict in Syria that the United Nations says has killed at least 70,000 people and is tearing the country apart.

His visit comes after a week of intense international diplomacy aimed at ending the bloodshed.

Salehi threw Iran's weight behind Damascus's call this week for dialogue with the armed opposition, calling the initiative a "positive step," but reiterated that Assad's regime has "no choice" but to keep fighting rebels.

"We believe that the crisis has no military solution and only a Syrian political one," said the Iranian minister.

"Iran firstly wants a stop to the bloodshed but the Syrian government has no choice but to fight against the terrorists and we cannot ask the Syrian government not to do so and leave them alone," he added.

Muallem, meanwhile, condemned the announcement by US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday that Washington would provide $US60 million ($A59 million) in "non-lethal" assistance to support the Syrian political opposition.

"When the US (says it has) allocated $US60 million to the opposition and this opposition is killing people, I don't understand this initiative... are there any weapons that do not kill people? Who are you kidding?" Muallem asked.

He repeated calls for pressure to be exerted on Turkey and Qatar, among the main supporters of the rebels alongside Western countries.

While in Tehran, Muallem is also due to meet the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, Mehr news agency reported.

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Kenya prepares to go to the polls

KENYA'S top two presidential candidates have held their final rallies before large and raucous crowds.

However, it was an interview with a British newspaper that upended the campaign's final days, with the prime minister quoted as saying violence could be worse than 2007-08 if he loses because of rigging.

Monday's vote is the first nationwide election since Kenya's December 2007 vote devolved into tribe-on-tribe violence that killed more than 1000 people. Kenyan leaders and community groups have been working to ensure that massive violence isn't repeated, but fears linger that bloodshed will reappear.

The Financial Times in a story on Saturday quoted Prime Minister Raila Odinga - one of the two top presidential candidates - as saying he knows his opponents are planning to rig the vote and "I have warned them the consequences may be worse than last time round. The people will not stomach another rigging."

The paper also quotes him as saying that if he loses it will because of "blackmail and intimidation."

Odinga, in a statement on Saturday, denied talking about violence in the interview and said he felt "absolutely slandered."

The Financial Times did not release an audio recording of the interview.

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta - Odinga's top challenger - called Odinga's words "dangerous and inflammatory" and he called on Odinga to retract them.

"We have in public, and our words and deeds throughout this election - all of us presidential candidates - committed to campaign in this election in peace, and just as importantly, to accept the result in peace," Kenyatta said.

"So then why is it that at the most delicate time in the election campaign Raila sought to use such dangerous, inflammatory words? In the interests of the people of Kenya he must publicly reject what he has said to this newspaper."

Kenyatta and his running mate - William Ruto - both face charges at the International Criminal Court over allegations they instigated the 2007-08 violence. If Kenyatta wins, he may be forced to spend much of presidency before The Hague-based court.

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Syria army captures key Aleppo road

THE Syrian army says it has seized control of a key road linking the central province of Hama to Aleppo international airport, scene of weeks of fierce battles with rebel fighters.

The capture of the road will allow the army to deploy fresh reinforcements and send supplies to the area near the airport, where fighting has raged since mid-February.

"In collaboration with honourable citizens, troops carried out a special operation and restored security and stability to villages on the airport road," the military said in a statement published on Saturday by state news agency SANA.

"This achievement shows the commitment of our forces to continue to fulfil their sacred national duty, repelling killings and aggression targeting our people and our country," said the statement.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the report and said the army will now be able to deploy fresh troops and supplies in the area and the nearby Nayrab military airport.

Rebels launched last month an all-out assault on several airports in Aleppo province, including the international airport and Nayrab, which are located southeast of Syria's second-largest city.

They have since captured Al-Jarrah military airport as well as several other air defence complexes and nearby checkpoints.

But Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said that if the army succeeds in keeping control over the road "it will change the course of battles" around Aleppo and Nayrab airports "and even Aleppo", Syria's second city.

While rebels have taken over large swathes of territory and a number of key military garrisons in Aleppo province, fighting in the city has been at stalemate for months.

Abdel Rahman said that clashes around the airport road continued despite the army's capture.

Aleppo international airport has been closed since the start of the year.

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China executes 4 foreigners over murders

CHINA has executed four foreigners for the killing of 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River in an attack that highlighted drug smuggling and extortion rackets along the vital waterway and led to a major expansion of Chinese police powers in the region.

State broadcaster CCTV showed the four being led in shackles and handcuffs from their cells at a jail in southwestern Yunnan province's capital of Kunming prior to their execution by lethal injection. Their deaths were announced two hours later by the Yunnan provincial police department.

Accused ringleader Naw Kham and accomplices Hsang Kham, Yi Lai, and Zha Xiha were found guilty of the murder of the 13 Chinese sailors. The four are of Myanmar (Burma), Thai, Laotian, and unknown nationality. Two others were given a suspended death sentence and eight years in prison for involvement in the killings.

The gang was accused of ambushing two flat-bottomed Chinese cargo ships on the upper reaches of the Mekong River on October 5, 2011, in Myanmar waters infested with gangs that make their living from protection rackets and the production and smuggling of heroin, methamphetamine and other drugs. The Mekong flows south from Yunnan through the infamous Golden Triangle region, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, and provides a vital trade and transportation route between southwestern China and Southeast Asia.

The ships were recovered downriver later that day by Thai police following a gun battle with gang members, and the bodies of the 13 victims, some bound by the hands before being stabbed and shot, were fished from the river over the following days. Methamphetamine was found on the boats, leading to speculation they had been hijacked as part of a drug smuggling plot.

However, gang members later testified the killings were in retaliation for the ships refusing to pay protection money and allowing themselves to be used by Thai and Laotian soldiers in attacks on warlord bases. They said the drugs were placed on board to make it look like there had been a struggle between smugglers.

Because the killings took place on board Chinese-flagged vessels, Beijing, whose massive economy and powerful military give it considerable sway over its smaller southern neighbours, ruled the trials should take place in China.

The four were sentenced to death in November in a two-day trial, and the judgment was upheld by China's Supreme People's Court in Beijing following an automatic appeal in accordance with Chinese law.

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Rwandan woman jailed for inciting genocide

A COURT in the Netherlands has jailed Dutch-Rwandan woman Yvonne Basebya for inciting genocide during the central African nation's 1994 genocide.

"The court orders the suspect jailed for six years and eight months," judge Rene Elkerbout said on Friday, acquitting her of other charges including war crimes and genocide perpetration.

Basebya, 66, faced a total of six charges before The Hague's district court for her role in the slaughter of almost a million people, committed by Hutu extremists against Tutsis and moderate Hutus. She could have been jailed for life.

"She incited unfortunate youngsters to commit murder against Tutsis during meetings, as evidenced by the song she sang, 'Tuba Tsembe Tsembe', which means 'let's exterminate them all'," judge Elkerbout said.

Two of Basebya's daughters were in court and started crying as the judgement was read.

Basebya, wearing a pink jacket, black trousers and had her hair pulled back, was impassive during the sentencing, as was her husband, Rwandan former MP Augustin Basebya.

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Two killed in blasts at Somali restaurant

AT least two people have been killed and several wounded in twin attacks at a restaurant on the popular beachfront of Somalia's capital Mogadishu.

The blast, the latest in a string of attacks in the war-ravaged city, reportedly included a car bomb followed shortly after by an attacker wearing a suicide vest packed with explosives.

"There was a big explosion from a car, then as people rushed towards the area after the blast, a suicide bomber with a vest exploded himself," said Mohammed Abdullahi, a businessman who was inside the restaurant when the attack took place.

He saw the dead bodies of two security guards, and said at least nine other people were wounded.

"Many people who were wounded ran away after the explosion, so more might have been injured," he added.

The explosion took place on Friday close to Mogadishu's famous Lido beach, which is usually crowded on weekends with families enjoying the beach, playing football or swimming in the Indian Ocean waves.

"There was a heavy explosion, and then a short time later there was another," said policeman Ali Mohammed, who was near the scene of the attack.

One person was killed in a similar car bomb blast in the area last month.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, but al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents have launched a series of guerrilla-style attacks in Mogadishu in recent months.

The insurgents have vowed to topple President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who took office in September after being chosen by the country's new parliament.

But the once powerful Shebab are on the back foot inside Somalia, having fled a string of key towns ahead of a 17,000-strong African Union force which is also fighting alongside Somali soldiers.

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Spill at UK plant sends Scotch into sewer

A MASSIVE spill at a Chivas plant has sent the smell of spirits flowing through a Scottish sewer and sorrow coursing through the hearts of Scotch whisky fans.

Chivas Brothers Ltd spokeswoman Jennifer Stevenson says the group is investigating what she described as an "accidental loss" of spirit at the company's bottling plant in Dumbarton, Scotland on February 26.

She declined to estimate how much of the bulk whisky had been lost, saying only that it was less than the 18,000 litres mentioned in media reports.

Bulk whisky can be used in various ways, and it wasn't immediately clear which Chivas brand the liquid was meant to fill.

Stevenson said on Friday she did not want to comment on the spill's circumstances until the company had completed its investigation.

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Hundreds protest in Delhi over sex assault

HUNDREDS of protesters have clashed with police outside a New Delhi hospital where a seven-year-old victim of sexual assault was admitted earlier in the day.

Angry youths hurled stones at buses and police, who then used batons to break up the demonstration outside the hospital which is located in a low-income neighbourhood, India's NDTV channel reported.

"The protesters were angry over the assault on the little girl and were demanding that police act against the culprit," the police official told AFP on Friday.

The official, who asked not to be identified, said the second-grader was sexually assaulted on Friday morning while at school.

After police were called, the child was taken to hospital and later discharged.

"The crowds have dispersed and the situation is normal," the official said.

Police are investigating the case, he added.

Three men - two school-teachers and a security guard - have been detained for questioning, local media reports said.

India has seen a surge in anti-rape demonstrations in recent weeks after thousands took to the streets to protest against police inaction following the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old student on a Delhi bus in December.

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Benedict starts new life with TV, snooze

BENEDICT XVI has begun his life of retirement by watching a bit of television, getting a good night's sleep and reciting the rosary, the Vatican says, a day after his resignation.

After bidding the faithful a final emotional farewell on Thursday, the Pope had dinner and then watched television news broadcasts about his departure.

"He really appreciated the coverage," spokesman Federico Lombardi said on Friday, adding: "A Pope can also appreciate good media work in his heart".

Afterwards, the Pope Emeritus paced up and down a long reception room, the Hall of the Swiss, overlooking Albano Lake in his new temporary residence of Castel Gandolfo near Rome in the final moments of his eight-year pontificate.

"He then retired for prayer and rest," said Lombardi, who still referred to the ex-pontiff as "Pope" on the first day of a popeless interim for the Catholic Church ahead of a conclave this month to elect a successor.

Lombardi said the Pope had brought a few books with him on theological and historical themes including one titled Hans Urs von Balthasar's Theological Aesthetics: A Model for Post-Critical Biblical Interpretation.

The Vatican spokesman also revealed that Benedict - an accomplished pianist - has been playing the piano more frequently in the run-up to the resignation although the piano remained silent on the night of his departure.

"The Pope slept really well. This morning he celebrated mass," Lombardi said, adding that later in the day Benedict would probably have lunch and recite the rosary on a quiet walk in the gardens of Castel Gandolfo palace.

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No VC for Simpson or 13 other diggers

THE Victoria Cross won't be awarded retrospectively to World War I digger John Simpson or a dozen others, despite calls for their gallantry to be rewarded.

The Defence Honours and Awards Appeal Tribunal has concluded no award of the VC or any other medal should be made to the 13 soldiers and sailors who were the subjects of its year-long inquiry.

The tribunal's decision, released on Friday, is supported by the federal government, after the cases were reviewed by independent experts.

"For reasons of process, for reasons of history, for reasons of fact, it is not appropriate to award retrospectively a Victoria Cross," the parliamentary secretary for defence David Feeney told AAP.

In the 454-page report, the tribunal chaired by former attorney-general's department secretary Alan Rose found it wasn't possible for Australia to recommend honours in the imperial awards system.

It is possible to make retrospective recommendations in the Australian system, which replaced imperial honours in 1991, but only if there's a clear case of maladministration or the emergence of compelling new evidence.

"Extreme practical difficulties, such as gathering reliable evidence about past actions as well as the problem of second-guessing the commanders of the time make retrospective recognition difficult and likely to damage the integrity of the Australian honours and awards system," the tribunal said.

The inquiry into the vexed issue of retrospective VC awards to long-dead servicemen, some of whose deeds occurred almost a century ago, began last April.

It considered 11 former sailors and two soldiers from three wars. Among them was Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick, known as John Simpson, famed for transporting wounded men from the Gallipoli frontline to field hospitals on his donkey.

Despite an abundance of gallantry, none of the 99 VCs awarded to Australians has ever gone to a sailor.

The tribunal concluded that contrary to some submissions, there was no British bias against Australians.

Statistically, far fewer VCs go to sailors, with only 53 of 1354 imperial VCs going to members of Britain's Royal Navy.

A number of submissions suggested awarding a VC to the Unknown Soldier in lieu of unrecognised acts of gallantry.

The tribunal disagreed, citing former prime minister Paul Keating's 1993 speech that recognised the very ordinariness of the Unknown Soldier and argued he should not stand above any of the 102,735 listed on the Australian War Memorial's Roll of Honour.

The VC is awarded for exceptional conduct.

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Draft plan for Rookwood Cemetery released

THE NSW government has released a draft plan to better manage Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney's west.

The plan involves ensuring environmental impacts are managed, heritage values are protected, and the use of burial resources is sustainable.

The operation and visual appeal of the cemetery would also be enhanced under the plan.

"This is the next step of the NSW government's most significant cemeteries reforms in over 100 years," NSW Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson said in a statement.

Ms Hodgkinson said the plan was developed with the involvement of all the former denominational trusts at Rookwood Cemetery, the new Rookwood General Cemeteries Reserve Trust, the Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust and other stakeholders.

"I am now seeking comment on the draft plan from the broader community before it is adopted," she said.

The historic Rookwood Necropolis cemetery has been in operation since 1867 and is the largest multicultural necropolis in the southern hemisphere.

The draft management plan will be advertised for six weeks and submissions should be made by April 12.

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British American Tobacco profit soars

BRITISH American Tobacco, the world's second-biggest maker of cigarettes, has announced a 24 per cent hike in annual net profit.

Earnings after tax grew to STG3.84 billion ($A5.73 billion) in 2012 from net profit totalling STG3.1 billion a year earlier, the maker of the Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall brands said in an earnings statement on Thursday.

"BAT delivered strong profit growth in 2012, achieved through good pricing and an outstanding improvement in operating margin, partially offset by adverse exchange rate movements," chairman Richard Burrows added in the statement.

"Despite the difficult trading conditions in many parts of the world, particularly southern Europe, these results demonstrate the company is in excellent shape and we remain confident that our strategy will continue to deliver superior shareholder returns."

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German inflation slows to 1.5%

INFLATION in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, slowed to its lowest level in two and a half years in February, official figures show.

The cost of living in Germany increased by 1.5 per cent on a 12-month basis this month, down from 1.7 per cent in January, the federal statistics office Destatis calculated in a preliminary estimate on Thursday.

The last time the annual inflation rate was lower was in October 2010, when it had stood at 1.3 per cent.

Using the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), the ECB's inflation yardstick, the rate of inflation in Germany also eased to 1.8 per cent in February from 1.9 per cent in January, Destatis said.

The ECB defines price stability as increases in HICP of close to but just below 2.0 per cent.

Preliminary inflation data are calculated using consumer price data for six of Germany's 16 federal states.

Final data, based on statistics for all 16 states, are scheduled to be published on March 12.

Destatis gave no indication as to the cause of the slowdown in inflation this month.

But Newedge Strategy analyst Annalisa Piazza said the regional data pointed to moderating price pressures from food and consumer goods.

And "the overall picture of moderating inflation remains intact", Piazza said.

Postbank Research economist Thilo Heidrich said he expected slowing inflation to bottom out in the coming months as the economic recovery gathers steam.

"It should settle down at just under 2.0 per cent. For the whole of 2013, we're projecting an annual average of 1.7 per cent," Heidrich said.

By contrast, Jennifer McKeown at Capital Economics said she saw German inflation "falling to below 1.0 per cent before the end of this year as energy inflation slows and the core rate remains subdued".

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Unions knock on WA premier's door

THOUSANDS of angry unionists knocked on WA Premier Colin Barnett's office door to voice their frustration at overseas recruitment - only to find he was out campaigning thousands of kilometres away.

The massed ranks of Western Australia's union movement marched through Perth's main business district on Thursday, continuing a long-term protest against mining and construction companies using guest workers over Australians.

"We are a state that relies on trade, so we will not mandate local content," WA Commerce Minister Simon O'Brien said in response to Thursday's well-attended rally, which was led by construction and maritime union members.

Mr Barnett was campaigning in Esperance as the Liberals again concentrated on the Kimberley as an environmental selling point.

In their fourth announcement about the Kimberley in a month, the Liberals laid out a plan to create one of Australia's biggest national parks in the state's north.

The Class A Wanjina National Park, stretching from Walcott Inlet in the south to the Lawley River in the north, would provide the highest level of protection to the internationally recognised environment, rock art and cultural values, including those of the Wanjina people.

The park could cover up to 20,000 sq km - 2000 sq km bigger than Kakadu.

Planning Minister John Day said on Thursday that if re-elected at the March 9 poll, the government would build 500 affordable homes on big state-owned blocks within three years and loosen laws on granny flats to address WA's housing crisis.

Families and social welfare remained the focus for WA Labor, with a promise of more childcare services at schools and a new mental health facility north of Perth.

Leader Mark McGowan revealed a 10-point plan to tackle mental health, providing 50 extra community liaison officers and building a $95 million mental health facility at Joondalup Health Campus.

Mr McGowan claimed some of WA's most vulnerable had been let down by the government.

"Our mental health system is not working and too many patients are falling through the cracks," he said.

Labor also promised childcare facilities at all new primary schools and help for schools to set up out-of-school care.

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Abbott govt would consider IR reform

THE Productivity Commission would be called on to review the Fair Work Act if Opposition Leader Tony Abbott wins power, under a plan being considered by the federal coalition.

Senior coalition figures have told The Australian newspaper the proposal was designed to neutralise a looming multimillion-dollar campaign by Labor and the unions to convince voters the opposition leader would reintroduce aspects of John Howard's Work Choices regime, if Mr Abbott won the September 14 election.

Under the plan, a coalition government would appoint the Productivity Commission to conduct a wide-ranging investigation into the Fair Work Act.

Any major changes would be delayed until after the 2016 election.

The coalition would also undertake months of stakeholder consultation on the commission's recommendations before seeking a "mandate" for any proposed changes.

Coalition sources told The Australian the plan was under "active and serious" consideration, but a final decision on whether to proceed had not been made.

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South Africa unveils tough budget

SOUTH Africa finance minister Pravin Gordhan has unveiled a bootstraps budget of spending curbs and increased "sin taxes" for Africa's largest economy, predicting slow growth and a swollen budget deficit.

Gordhan told parliament that growth would be a modest 2.7 per cent this year and the government's budget deficit would hit 5.2 per cent amid "enormous" challenges facing the country.

"South Africa's economic outlook is improving but it requires that we take a different trajectory to move it forward," said Gordhan.

Growth had previously been forecast to hit 3.0 per cent this year.

The minister said that a growing economy - and widening the tax base - was the best way to address the budget shortfall.

"All of you must pay a little more tax thank you very much," he said to mixed reactions from MPs.

But he admitted, "the growth outlook for the next three years has weakened, and government's net debt is now expected to stabilise marginally higher than 40 per cent of" gross domestic product.

To close the 16.3 billion rand ($A1.77 billion) gap in tax revenue versus previous estimates, in the short term he announced cuts to planned spending of 10.4 billion rand over three years.

He also announced an increase in fuel levies as well as taxes on beer, wines, spirits and tobacco, while announcing some tax incentives for consumers and youth employment.

A carbon tax will be increased from 2015.

More tax increases may well be on the way.

"There will be significant adjustments in revenue, which means that taxes may go up later," he said.

Gordhan presented his 2013 budget under pressure to provide assurance on South Africa's path after credit rating downgrades from all three major agencies in recent months.

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3 dead, 7 hurt in Swiss factory shooting

A GUNMAN has killed two people and wounded seven others when he opened fire in a Swiss factory, police say, adding the shooter also died.

"There are three dead and seven wounded, a number of them seriously," a police spokesman in the central canton of Lucerne told AFP.

The gunman was among the dead, the spokesman added, without saying whether he had committed suicide or been shot by police.

Three helicopters from the Swiss emergency service REGA evacuated four seriously wounded people from the scene of the shooting at the Kronospan wood panel plant in Menznau, near Lucerne, a spokesman told AFP.

Some Swiss media claimed the gunman was a disgruntled Kronospan employee, but police declined to elaborate.

Local newspaper Willisauerer Bote said the company had just announced it was cutting production after a poor logging season.

Witnesses quoted by local media said the shooting started in the factory canteen around 9:00 am (1900 AEST), as workers on an early shift took their lunch break.

"We're all in shock. We'll do everything we can to help the victims' loved ones and support them financially," Urs Fluder, a member of Kronospan's board, told local station Radio Pilatus.

"The company will keep going as normally as possible," he added.

Owned by Austrian group Kronospan, the factory is the top employer in Menznau, giving jobs to about 400 people in the community of almost 2,600.

"This is a tragedy," Menznau's mayor, Adrian Duss, told AFP.

Switzerland has a longstanding tradition of gun ownership, rooted in the fact that the bulk of its military are reservists, rather than professionals.

The country ranks third in the world for the number of guns per inhabitant, after the United States and Yemen.

On January 2, a 33-year-old drifter wielding two weapons killed three women and wounded two men in the village of Daillon in southern Switzerland.

The biggest gun massacre in recent Swiss history occurred in September 2001 in the central city of Zug, claiming 15 lives including that of the shooter.

A local man with a history of legal clashes with the authorities dressed in a fake police uniform attacked the regional parliament armed with several weapons including an assault rifle.

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Balcony collapses as 11 tuck in to dinner

EIGHT people are in hospital after a balcony collapse in Sydney sent them hurtling up to seven metres.

Police, rescue crews and paramedics were called to a duplex on the Pacific Highway, in the leafy north shore suburb of Lane Cove, just after 10pm (AEDT) on Wednesday.

NSW Fire and Rescue spokesman Ian Krimmer told AAP 11 people had been dining on the balcony when it collapsed.

Some 30 emergency services personnel helped manoeuvre the injured out of the rubble during a long rescue operation.

"The cause of the incident is yet to be investigated," Superintendent Krimmer said.

Eight people were taken to hospital, including five with serious injuries.

Engineers are expected to begin examining the site at daybreak.

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Sausages containing horsemeat in Russia

RUSSIA says it has found horsemeat in a shipment of sausages imported from Europe, its first known case of horsemeat contamination.

Alexei Alexeyenko, an aide to Sergei Dankvert, the head of Russian agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, said that tests on sausages imported from the city of Linz in Austria found horse DNA.

"It came two days ago from Austria," Alexeyenko told AFP. "The shipment is over 20 tonnes," he said, adding that the enterprise that supplied the meat had been struck off the list of suppliers.

The contaminated meat will either be destroyed or returned to the supplier, he added.

Horsemeat is a traditional delicacy in Russia and can be found in many restaurants and stores across the country.

Alexeyenko said the problem with the contaminated meat was that it was not clear what it was made of.

"We are talking about adulterated meat products containing horsemeat," he said. "The source of this meat is unknown," he noted, adding that old ill animals could have been used to make it.

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Wiener sausages withdrawn by Ikea

FURNITURE giant Ikea is withdrawing wiener sausages in the UK after tests found "indications" of horsemeat, just days after it withdrew a batch of its traditional meatballs.

The Swedish company said it was removing the sausages from sale in Britain, France, Spain, Ireland and Portugal after tests confirmed "a few indications of horsemeat".

An Ikea spokeswoman said: "Based on some hundred test results that we have received so far, there are a few indications of horse meat. Together with the Swedish supplier in question we have decided to withdraw from sales also the wiener sausages ... from that supplier."

The move comes two days after it withdrew Swedish meatballs from stores across Europe and a handful of countries in Asia and the Caribbean after horse meat was discovered by Czech authorities.

But it said the move affected just one batch as a precaution pending further tests, and meatballs would still be available to buy in its stores.

A spokesman said on Monday: "Ikea is committed to serving and selling high quality food that is safe, healthy and produced with care for the environment and the people who produce it.

"We do not tolerate any other ingredients than the ones stipulated in our recipes or specifications, secured through set standards, certifications and product analysis by accredited laboratories."

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UK's deputy PM admits 'serious mistakes'

BRITISH Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has admitted that "very serious mistakes" were made over a sex scandal which has rocked his Liberal Democrat party ahead of a crucial by-election.

Clegg repeated his insistence that he was unaware of allegations of sexual harassment by several female party workers against former Lib Dem chief executive Lord Chris Rennard until they emerged last week.

But he conceded that rumours about the behaviour of Rennard - who strongly denies groping the women - had been "in the background" of the peer's resignation due to ill-health in 2009.

The Lib Dems, the junior coalition partners in Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative-led government, have launched two internal inquiries into the allegations and the police are also investigating whether crimes were committed.

"There were some very serious mistakes and the women were not listened to and were let down," Clegg said during his weekly phone-in on a London radio station.

He said that "clearly something went seriously wrong" in the Liberal Democrats because they failed to act upon complaints dating back several years, but insisted: "My party has nothing to hide, I have nothing to hide."

The Lib Dems have struggled to contain the media storm over the allegations and Clegg's leadership has been called into question following claim and counterclaim about what he knew and when.

The affair could not come at a worse time as the Lib Dems battle to retain their parliamentary seat in Eastleigh, southern England, in a by-election on Thursday which itself was sparked by another scandal.

The seat was vacated by Chris Huhne, a former Lib Dem energy minister who is likely to receive a jail sentence after pleading guilty to asking his wife to take speeding points on his behalf a decade ago, and then lying about it.

It is unclear how much of an impact the Rennard affair will have on the vote in Eastleigh, where the Lib Dems are in a tight race with the Tories.

But commentators say the scandal reveals serious weaknesses in Clegg's leadership and the structures of Britain's third political party which until the 2010 general election was a party of protest that had never before held power.

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Battles erupt at Aleppo's historic mosque

FIERCE fighting has erupted around the historic Umayyad Mosque in Syria's second city Aleppo, as rebels battle troops on the grounds of a police academy elsewhere in the province, a watchdog says.

Explosions and gunfire shook the area around the mosque, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A military source also reported heavy fighting and said rebels had detonated an explosive near the southern outer wall of the mosque in an attempt to break into the courtyard.

The army has full control of the mosque itself, but rebels hold positions around the southern entrance.

In October, the mosque was heavily damaged when a fire broke out amid clashes and charred several antique furnishings and one of its intricately sculpted colonnades.

At the time, thieves stole three hairs and part of a tooth said to have been from the Muslim Prophet Mohammed that were among the mosque's most renowned, an AFP reporter learned.

The site has been a place of Muslim worship since the 8th century, but the original building was razed by the Mongols in the 13th century, from when the current structure dates.

Today it is again in danger, as fighting has raged in Aleppo since mid-July, including in its UNESCO-listed Old City which embraces the ancient citadel and historic covered market and the mosque.

Elsewhere in Aleppo province, rebels pushed into the grounds of a major police academy and seized one of its buildings after a fierce two-day siege in which more than 70 combatants were killed, the Observatory said.

The academy, located near the town of Khan Assal, is one of the last regime bastions in the province.

Air strikes were also reported in the southern province of Daraa, the eastern outskirts of Damascus, the northwestern province of Idlib and the northern province of Raqa.

The latest violence came after 154 people were killed nationwide on Monday - 54 civilians, 41 rebels and 59 regime troops, eight of whom were killed in a suicide car bombing on their checkpoint in Damascus, the Observatory said.

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Poachers threatening African rhino species

RHINO poaching soared by nearly half last year and appears to be increasing this year, conservationists say, warning that the small population of animals will soon begin to shrink.

Poaching of the animals jumped by 43 per cent between 2011 and 2012, and so far this year one rhino had been killed by poachers every 11 hours, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said.

Last year at least 745 rhinos were poached across Africa, with 668 of the animals killed in South Africa alone, it said in a statement.

And since 2006 nearly 2400 rhinos have been killed across Africa, slowing the population growth to its lowest levels since 1995, it said.

"Well-organised and well-funded crime syndicates are continuing to feed the growing black market with rhino horn," said Mike Knight, who heads the IUCN's African Rhino Specialist Group.

"Over the past few years, consumers' use of rhino horn has shifted from traditional Asian medicine practices to new uses, such as to convey status," he explained, pointing out that demand in Vietnam was especially escalating.

There are currently 5055 Black Rhinoceros and 20,405 White Rhinoceros in Africa, according to the organisation.

While the populations are continuing to grow slightly, they will begin declining in less than two years if the poaching continues to increase, IUCN said.

The organisation called on the international community, and especially the main rhino horn markets Vietnam and China, as well as transit hub Mozambique, "to urgently address the crisis by strengthening and enforcing regional and international trade laws, particularly in relation to rhino horn."

The plight of rhinos and African elephants, which are increasingly being poached for their ivory, will be among the top issues discussed at a summit on endangered species in Bangkok next month, organised by UN wildlife trade regulator CITES.

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UNICEF seeks $45 million for Mali children

UNICEF says it urgently needs $US45 million ($A43.95 million) to help children in conflict-stricken Mali, where the threat of violence and trafficking has spiralled, compounding a long-running food crisis.

The money was needed to meet basic needs such as health care, nutrition, education and protection over the next three months, UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado told reporters.

Hundreds of thousands of Malians fled their homes in the wake of last year's seizure of a swathe of the north by Islamists who took advantage of a rebellion by the country's Tuareg community.

The number of fleeing Malians has risen during a French-led offensive against the militants launched by the Malian army in January.

"The impact on children has been particularly acute," said Mercado.

"Displacement has put children at increased risk of sexual exploitation, gender-based violence, trafficking, separation, recruitment into armed groups, as well as exposure to mines and unexploded or abandoned war ordinance," she added.

The conflict came on top of years of drought in Mali and other nations in the Sahel region of northern Africa, where millions face famine as a result.

"The region as a whole is experiencing a continuing nutrition crisis and children affected by the Mali crisis are at particular risk and in urgent need of assistance," said Mercado.

In Mali an estimated 660,000 children under the age of five are expected to face malnutrition this year, according to UNICEF.

The crisis has disrupted schooling for some 700,000 children.

There have also been concerns about human rights violations by both the Islamists and the Malian army.

Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, France's deputy foreign minister Yamina Benguigui called for a resolution that would pave the way for an investigation into rights abuses.

She said the Malian authorities must respect international rights treaties and watch for violations.

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EU MPs vote to suspend airline carbon tax

EU politicians have backed plans to exempt some airline carbon emissions from a controversial tax pending an international accord on an issue which has pitted Europe against the United States and China.

The Environment Committee of the European Parliament voted through a proposal to suspend the EU's CO2 Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for intercontinental flights, as announced, for a year in November by the European Commission.

MEPs stressed that their support was conditional on progress at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to agree worldwide measures to tackle the carbon dioxide emissions many blame for global warming.

"Today's vote is a clear signal that the European Union wants an international solution," said MEP Peter Liese, who oversees the issue in parliament.

EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard suspended the carbon tax plan last year for flights to and from non-European nations after Washington and Beijing led a chorus of opposition. The EU unilaterally introduced the carbon tax scheme on January 1, 2012 but 26 of the ICAO's 36 members opposed the move, saying the levy violated international law.

Under the ETS, airlines operating within the EU have to buy pollution credits to cover some 15 percent of their carbon dioxide emissions.

Liese said there was now "no more excuses for third countries not to engage in the issue.

"Third countries have given the impression that it is the European Union that stands in the way but we shall see if they have enough commitment," he added.

The ICAO is due to take up the issue again at its next general assembly in September 2013.

The committee recommendation now goes to a full parliament vote in April.

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Germany lays down rules for 'fracking'

THE German government has drawn up rules for the controversial oil and gas technique of "fracking" to be carried out in the country, according to a ministry paper obtained by AFP.

Under a draft proposal by the economy and environment ministries, fracking - the subject of fierce debate - would be banned in areas where there are water reserves and mineral springs.

This is a concession to public opinion amid serious concerns about safety, as well as the environmental and health effects of the technology.

In addition, rigorous studies into the environmental impact would be undertaken at each proposed site, the paper said.

The technology of "hydraulic fracturing" has unlocked immense gas and oil resources and changed the geopolitics of energy.

But it remains highly controversial, with widespread, serious worries for the environment and the health of people living near the "fracking" locations.

It has been banned in France since 2011.

German Environment Minister Peter Altmaier has promised to introduce legislation on the topic before federal elections on September 22.

Chancellor Angela Merkel recently expressed caution about the technology, pointing out that, unlike large areas of the United States where fracking is carried out, Germany is a very densely populated country.

Since its invention in 2007, "fracking" has become the gold rush of the 21st century, bringing with it tens of billions of dollars in revenue and hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

Environment minister Altmaier said in a statement the proposals represented "an important breakthrough to contain the dangers of fracking."

"Safety and environmental protection have priority over economic interests," the minister said.

"It's a signal that we're serious about protecting the environment and people."

Nevertheless the untapped underground oil and gas reserves - for gas alone they are estimated at as much as 2.3 trillion cubic metres - represent a "significant" source of energy for the future, the ministries pointed out.

"Domestic oil and gas production will continue to make a substantial contribution to the security of supply and price stability in Germany," as the country has pledged to abandon nuclear energy entirely by 2022, the ministries said.

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'Heavy fighting' in strategic Sudan border

HEAVY fighting has occurred between government and rebel forces in a strategic Sudanese border town, a source familiar with the situation says, giving the first independent confirmation of the key battle.

The fight for El Kurmuk - which Sudan's army has denied - is the most serious for more than a year in Blue Nile state, which has been largely sealed from the outside world.

"There has been heavy fighting since the start of this week," said the source, who cannot be identified.

Rebels claimed on Sunday to have pushed into Kurmuk's southwest.

Kurmuk, an important trading centre on the Ethiopian border, is the third-largest town in Blue Nile state and has been in government hands since November 2011.

Sudan's government severely restricts access to Blue Nile and South Kordofan, two states where the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North have been fighting since 2011.

Khartoum accuses South Sudan of backing the SPLM-N but the South denies involvement.

The fighting has led to "truly appalling" conditions for civilians trapped in the region, UN humanitarian operations director John Ging said in January.

More than 200,000 people have fled as refugees to South Sudan and Ethiopia, the UN says.

An additional one million have been affected inside Blue Nile and South Kordofan, according to figures from the humanitarian wing of the rebels and data from the government's aid agency.

Ging said there are stories of "people having to rely on roots and leaves" to survive, and that those who escape the area are in an emaciated state.

International concerns are rising over tensions between Khartoum and the South Sudanese government in Juba. The two countries failed to implement agreements, including a demilitarised border zone, which they hailed in September as ending a cross-border conflict.

SPLM-N fighters were allies of southern rebels during the civil war that led to South Sudan's independence two years ago under a 2005 peace agreement.

That deal failed to settle the role of ethnically diverse Blue Nile and South Kordofan within Sudan.

Kurmuk was a key battleground during Sudan's 22-year civil war.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) retook the town in November 2011, two months after fighting began with the SPLM-N.

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Syria says ready for talks with rebels

THE Syrian regime is ready for talks with armed rebels and anyone who favours dialogue, President Bashar al-Assad's foreign minister says, in the first such offer by a top Syrian official.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem was in Moscow on Monday for talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, whose country is one of the few big powers to still maintain ties with Assad's regime.

Russia has renewed calls for rebels and regime to engage in direct negotiations to end the two-year conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, warning that pressing for a military victory risked destroying Syria.

"We are ready for dialogue with all who want dialogue, including those who are carrying arms," Muallem said at the talks with Lavrov.

"We still believe in a peaceful solution to the Syrian problem," said Muallem, pointing to the creation of a government coalition that would negotiate with both the "external and internal opposition".

Lavrov said alongside Muallem that there was no alternative to a political solution to the two-year conflict agreed through talks.

He warned there was no point for the sides trying to fight towards a "victorious end" and warned Assad's regime not to give into what he termed "provocations".

Russia has also been working on agreeing a trip to Moscow, possibly in early March, by the head of the Syrian opposition National Coalition Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib.

However the rebels have now pulled out of talks with foreign powers in protest at the international community's inability to halt the bloodshed.

While Khatib has offered to talk to regime officials without "blood on their hands", the National Coalition has said Assad and the top military command cannot be part of any solution.

The Muallem-Lavrov talks came a day before Russia's top diplomat meets new US Secretary of State John Kerry in Berlin for the first time, with the Syria crisis topping the agenda.

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Chainsaw used in break and enter

TWO men have used a chainsaw to break into a home in Arundel, southeast of Brisbane, before threatening an occupant with a firearm, police say.

The men broke into the home about 3.30pm (AEST) on Monday and threatened a 50-year-old man before all five occupants of the home escaped onto the street, police said.

The two offenders then fled in a vehicle.

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Ikea pulls meatballs over horsemeat fears

SWEDISH furniture giant Ikea has withdrawn some of its meatballs from sale in at least 15 European countries after horsemeat was found in the product by Czech authorities.

"We take this very seriously and have withdrawn one-kilo bags of frozen meatballs from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, France, Britain, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Cyprus, Greece and Ireland," in addition to Sweden, said company spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson.

The product had also been removed from shelves in Denmark, according to Dorte Hjorth Harder, spokeswoman for Ikea Denmark.

"We have today been informed that our meatballs could contain traces of horsemeat, based on a test done in the Czech Republic," Ikea said in a statement.

"Our own tests haven't shown any traces of horsemeat. We now obviously have to study this further," it added.

The batch of 1kg frozen meatballs had been pulled from shelves due to "customer concerns", Ikea said.

Sweden's National Food Agency said it had been informed of the tests by Dafgaard, the company that produces the meatballs sold by Ikea in most European countries.

"It's the authorities in the Czech Republic that found traces of horsemeat in one of three tests they performed," said Karin Cerenius, head of food control for the agency in the western region of Vaestra Goetaland.

"They still don't know the amount (of horsemeat) involved," she said.

Dafgaard said in a statement it was performing its own DNA tests on the batch and that the meatballs had been "blocked" from distribution.

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Lost Sydney boy found, one still missing

ONE of two boys who went missing from school in Sydney's southwest has returned home but police continue to search for his friend.

Jaydan Patterson, 13, and Tyler Rolani, 11, were last seen leaving their school at Warwick Farm about 10.35am (AEDT) on Monday.

Police were seriously concerned for their welfare as they both had intellectual disabilities and could be easily disoriented.

Tyler had since returned home to his family in Macquarie Fields and was safe and well.

They said they were following a number of inquiries to locate his friend Jaydan.

He has dark hair and freckles and is believed to be wearing three-quarter length shorts, a dark coloured collared shirt and black runners.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts should immediately call triple-zero.

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US stocks rise on promise of more stimulus

US stocks have opened solidly higher on expectations of continued economic stimulus measures by central banks.

Five minutes into trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 53.27 points, or 0.38 per cent, to 14,053.84.

The broad-based S&P 500 increased 7.74 points, or 0.51 per cent, to 1,523.34.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 20.09 points, or 0.64 per cent, to 3,181.90.

The increases followed comments on Friday by St Louis Federal Reserve president James Bullard that the US easy-money policy would continue.

On Monday, news surfaced that Japan's prime minister plans to appoint as central bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda, the president of the Asian Development Bank, who is viewed as favouring economic stimulus measures.

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Philips drops 'Electronics' name

DUTCH manufacturing giant Philips says it intends to drop the word Electronics from its name as it shifts away from consumer-based entertainment towards health, well-being and lighting products.

Based in Eindhoven in the southern Netherlands, Philips announced in late January it was selling its lifestyle entertainment branch, which makes audio, video and multimedia products to Japanese company Funai in a 150 million euro ($A194 million) deal.

The proposal to drop the word Electronics to rename the company Royal Philips will be put to shareholders at the annual general meeting in Amsterdam on May 3, Philips said in a statement.

"Philips is a diversified technology company focused on delivering meaningful innovation in healthcare, energy-efficient lighting and consumer health and well-being," its chief executive Frans van Houten said.

"We believe having Royal Philips as our new company name will position us well in our endeavour to make the world healthier and more sustainable," he added.

Founded in 1891, the company specialised for years in making lightbulbs and later televisions. In the past decade however, it has diversified into manufacturing medical equipment such as resonance scanners.

It has been operating under the name Philips Electronics since 1991 and Royal Philips Electronics since 1998.

"We believe the new name better reflects that consumer electronics is not our priority anymore," Philips spokesman Steve Klink told AFP.

"The name change is a step in a process that we began several years ago," he said.

Last year, Philips finalised the sale of its television-making arm - a victim of competition from Asia - and the Funai deal in January saw Philips stop manufacturing products such as stereos and DVD players.

The company however will continue to make small appliances such as razors, electronic toothbrushes and coffee makers.

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John Kerry embarks on Europe, Mideast tour

AMERICA'S top diplomat John Kerry has started his first official trip as secretary of state, a marathon get-acquainted tour of America's closest allies in Europe and the Middle East.

A plane carrying the new US secretary of state and his team took off from Joint Base Andrews outside Washington about 7.15am (2315 AEDT) on Sunday.

Kerry will visit the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar until March 6.

The first stop will be London, where Kerry will meet with senior British officials, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters on Friday.

Kerry travels on to Berlin where, in addition to meeting Germans, he will encounter his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, for a tricky exchange at a time when Moscow and Washington are at loggerheads on many issues.

"Obviously, they know each other well from when Secretary Kerry was Senator Kerry, but it will be their first opportunity to sit down bilaterally as foreign ministers," Nuland said.

The marathon trip underscores Washington's new foreign policy imperative, which is subtly pivoting away from Asia and increasingly towards Europe.

Tyson Barker of the Bertelsmann Foundation think tank said that, after a first term focused on relations with Pacific countries, President Barack Obama hopes "to consolidate and retro-fit some of our legacy relationships".

Among the issues high on his agenda during the marathon series of talks is a newly announced effort to agree a mammoth free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union.

Obama announced the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership in his annual State of the Union address last month, and said the agreement would boost economic growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Vic TAFE cuts 'hit women harder'

YOUNG women and people in rural and regional Victoria are likely to be the biggest losers from state government cuts to TAFE.

The state's peak youth advocacy group has released a report on the impact of the government's $290 million cut to TAFE.

It has called for a special fund to be set up to ensure Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers can continue to offer courses for Victoria's most disadvantaged young people.

Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic) chief executive Kate Colvin said young women and people living in rural areas are likely to be the hardest hit by the funding squeeze.

She said young women and people living in the country tended to favour courses in areas such as hospitality and sport, which had had funding reduced.

Young people were also more likely than older people to be enrolled in certificate I and II courses, which were not funded at the same rate as previously.

Ms Colvin said the government was on the right track in trying to encourage young people to enrol in courses that were more likely to lead to a job.

"But the problem, we think, is that young people might choose not to do any courses at all," she said.

The YACVic wants the state government to set up an equity fund that would deliver money through a tender process open to public and private VET providers.

Providers of programs that helped young, disadvantaged students gain ongoing employment could apply for the extra cash.

"Often young people will enrol in a course and not complete it or it doesn't lead to a job," Ms Colvin said.

"There is a body of evidence that shows what it is that's needed to encourage young people to take that full pathway from studying into a job.

"Programs that deliver that should get some additional resources."

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Regional leaders sign Congo peace deal

REGIONAL African leaders have signed a deal aimed at bringing peace and stability to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with plans to reinforce a UN-led mission to combat rebels after years of unrest.

Eleven countries in the Great Lakes region - including those accused of stoking trouble by backing rebel groups - signed on to the accord at a ceremony in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Sunday in the presence of UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

"It is my hope that the framework will lead to an era of peace and stability for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region," Ban said, but added: "It is only the beginning of a comprehensive approach that will require sustained engagement."

The accord calls for regional countries to refrain from interfering in each other's affairs and aims to encourage the reform of weak institutions in the DRC, central Africa's largest country.

It also provides for the "strategic revision" of the UN's 17,000-man strong MONUSCO mission, which may lead to creation of a special UN "intervention brigade" to combat rebel groups and support political reforms, and the appointment of a UN special envoy.

South African President Jacob Zuma described the creation of the brigade, which will total 2500 troops, as a realistic way to quickly restore security.

DR Congo's mineral-rich east has been ravaged by conflict involving numerous armed groups for the past two decades, with new rebel movements spawned on a regular basis.

The latest surge in violence erupted last year and culminated in the rebel March 23 movement (M23) - made up of largely Tutsi former soldiers - briefly seizing the key town of Goma last November.

The presidents of the DR Congo, South Africa, Mozambique, Rwanda, Congo and Tanzania were present for the signing, along with envoys from Uganda, Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic and Zambia.

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Explosions at house in Vietnam kill 10

VIETNAMESE state media say 10 people, including a family of seven, were killed in twin explosions at a house used to store materials for creating smoke and fire effects in film production.

Tuoi Tre news says the blasts took place on Sunday in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's commercial capital.

The report says the house was owned by a pyrotechnician who worked in films, and that materials he was storing there were suspected in the blasts.

The man, known as "Phoung of Smoke and Fire", was among the 10 people killed.

According to the report, neighbours said they heard two blasts five minutes apart. They said the explosions broke the windows of nearby houses.

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Newspoll shows NSW Labor down

THE latest Newspoll shows support for NSW Labor is at its lowest point for six months as a corruption scandal dims the party's prospects at a state level and federally.

The poll conducted for The Australian newspaper in January and February shows primary support for state Labor at 27 per cent, two points down on a poll conducted in November and December last year.

Labor was last at 27 per cent in a poll conducted in July-August last year after dipping to only 24 per cent in March-April.

Support for the O'Farrell coalition government is up one percentage point, at 46 per cent, indicating a 60-40 split in favour of the coalition in two-party preferred terms.

The poll, published on Monday, is bad news for federal Labor, with half of the party's 20 most marginal federal seats in NSW, and big swings against it widely tipped in western Sydney and on the NSW Central Coast.

Polls have shown support for Labor has been slipping since NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption began hearing last year into allegedly corrupt conduct by three former state Labor ministers.

Monday's poll result is also bad news for state Opposition Leader John Robertson whose support as preferred premier has slipped back two points to 19 per cent.

Premier Barry O'Farrell's support has risen four points to 48 per cent.

He has 43 per cent of voters satisfied with his performance and 38 per cent dissatisfied compared with 28 per cent satisfied with Mr Robertson and 35 per cent not satisfied.

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Joan Child, first female Speaker, dies

JOAN Child, the first female Speaker of federal parliament, has died at the age of 91.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has paid tribute to Ms Child, saying she is deeply saddened by her death on the weekend and she will remain a source of inspiration.

"With Joan Child's passing, Australia has lost one of its pioneering female political leaders, and I have lost a role model," Ms Gillard said.

Ms Child was elected to the Melbourne seat of Henty in 1974, when she became the first female Labor member of the House of Representatives and only the fourth woman ever elected to the House.

She was Speaker from 1986 to 1989 under the Hawke government, and retired from parliament the following year.

Until the election of Labor's Anna Burke last October, Ms Child had been the only female Speaker.

Ms Gillard said in a statement that Ms Child came to politics later in life, bringing "remarkable gifts of common sense, good humour and persistence against the odds".

Widowed at a young age, she had brought up five boys on her own and for a time worked as a cleaner to make ends meet.

"Though she attained high office, Joan always retained a sense of perspective. Her hobbies - gardening, reading detective fiction, listening to her idol Elvis - kept her firmly grounded," Ms Gillard said.

She said Ms Child was one of Labor's 'true believers' and was a powerful voice for the needs and rights of women, especially working women and women doing it tough.

Ms Child also set an example that led the way for women's participation in the Labor Party.

The prime minister said Ms Child's family had accepted the offer of a state funeral.

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