Wet 'n' Wild postpones Sydney NYE event

Sydney's Wet 'n' Wild has postponed a New Year's Eve party just hours before it was due to start. Source: AAP

ABOUT 10,000 people are believed to be missing out on a New Year's Eve party in Sydney as it has been postponed just hours before it was due to start.

Tickets for the event at the newly-opened Wet 'n' Wild theme park cost between $110 and $200 and it will now take place on Australia Day.

NSW Fair Trading says it expects the event promoter to provide a refund to people who cannot attend the postponed event in January.

According to a statement on the Wet 'n' Wild website, One Cube Entertainment, a promotions company organising the event, made the decision to postpone the NYE Festival due to a major technical production issue.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and are currently working on something even better for Australia Day," a One Cube Entertainment spokesperson said in the statement.

An artist manager told AAP One Cube Entertainment had attributed the cancellation to Wet 'n' Wild expressing occupational health and safety concerns.

The manager, who spoke on the basis of anonymity, said contractually his artist was still entitled to a full fee.

NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said under Australian consumer law, a remedy was available if a consumer did not get the service they paid a supplier for.

"You can seek to have refund provided," he told AAP.

Mr Stowe said some ticket holders could not or did not want to attend the postponed event on Australia Day.

"We are expecting the promoters will provide refunds to the consumers who cannot attend," he said."

People who paid for tickets on credit cards will be able to apply for a charge back from their credit institution, Mr Stowe added.

A father called Mick told Macquarie Radio his daughters had been trying to contact Wet 'n' Wild since finding out about the event postponement on Facebook.

"We have been trying to contact Wet 'n' Wild this morning and get a number for this promoter because obviously the kids want a refund but no luck so far," he said.

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Qld police use Eve for G20 practice

Police in Brisbane will use the New Year's Eve celebration to prepare for November's G20 summit. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND police say they will use New Year's Eve to prepare for when Brisbane hosts the G20 in 2014.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Mike Keating says up to 2700 officers will be on duty statewide on Tuesday night.

He says more than 200,000 people are expected to welcome in 2014 in the centre of Brisbane alone, plus tens of thousands more in other cities and towns.

Around 80,000 of those are expected in the South Bank cultural quarter, which will host the world leaders' summit in November.

"We can build on the experiences we have had for many years with these types of events in the city," Mr Keating told reporters on Tuesday.

"It's a good lesson for any event in the future in the South Bank area and that includes the G20."

Mr Keating said the large police contingent will be keeping a close eye on everything from anti-social behaviour to drink driving.

Alcohol bans are in place in areas including the South Bank.

Up to 600 officers will be on duty in Brisbane and a similar number on the Gold Coast.

"I've never met anybody who enjoyed waking up in the watchhouse on New Year's Day - it's not a really nice way to start your new year," Mr Keating said.

"For that matter you don't want to end up in a hospital waiting room or an emergency centre."

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US town evacuated after train derails

A small town in the US is being evacuated after a train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded. Source: AAP

AUTHORITIES have urged residents to evacuate a town in North Dakota after a 1.6-kilometre train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded.

The Cass County sheriff's office said on Monday night it was "strongly recommending" that the 2,400 residents of Casselton and anyone living 8km to the south and east evacuate.

The sheriff's office said the National Weather Service was forecasting a shift in the weather that would push down a plume of smoke from the train wreck, which could increase the risk to health.

The BNSF Railway train left the tracks about 2:30pm on Monday, and as many as 10 cars caught fire. No one was hurt.

Authorities said a second train carrying grain had been involved in the incident. BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said the train carrying grain derailed first, then knocked several cars of the oil train off adjoining tracks.

Ryan Toop, who lives near the accident scene, said he heard explosions and drove as close as about two city blocks to the fire.

"I rolled down the window, and you could literally keep your hands warm," Toop said.

Another witness, Hannah Linnard, 13, said: "I looked out the window and all of a sudden the train car tipped over and the whole thing was engulfed in flames and it just exploded.

"The oil car tipped over on to the grain car."

The railway tracks pass through the middle of Casselton, and Cass County Sheriff's Sergeant Tara Morris said it was "a blessing it didn't happen within the city".

The train had more than 100 cars, and about 80 of them have been moved away from the site.

Morris said it could take up to 12 hours before authorities could get close to the fire.

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Measles linked to Sydney dance event

Dancers who attended a recent Sydney competition have been told to look out for measles symptoms. Source: AAP

DANCERS who participated in a Sydney competition recently have been warned to be on the lookout for measles symptoms.

NSW Health issued a health alert after being made aware of three measles cases in people who probably contracted the infection at the World Supremacy Battleground hip hop competition.

The competition was held at Sydney Olympic Park on December 7 and 8.

The first case came to NSW Health's attention on December 27, with a competitor from Adelaide coming down with measles.

On Monday night, further cases were reported by a New Zealand patient and a Sydney resident.

NSW Health communicable diseases director Dr Vicky Sheppeard advised anyone who attended the dance event to be alert for measles symptoms.

"Measles is highly infectious and is spread through coughing and sneezing," Dr Sheppeard said in a statement.

"Symptoms can include fever, tiredness, runny nose, cough and sore red eyes which usually last for several days before a red, blotchy rash appears."

The time from exposure to the onset of symptoms can be up to 18 days.

NSW Health believes that there may be other cases in the community now or secondary cases could be developing.

Anyone with measles symptoms is advised to contact their local public health unit or phone ahead to a GP to ensure that the waiting area is not shared with others.

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Clouds don't dampen New Year fireworks

Spectators have begun descending on Sydney's popular spots for the New Year's Eve fireworks show. Source: AAP

A CLOUDY Sydney sky has come to life with a kaleidoscope of shooting comets and giant wheels of colour as the city's New Year's Eve spectacular kicked off.

For eight minutes Sydney Harbour exploded in red, green, pink, purple, and gold, at 9pm (AEDT) on Tuesday, with the first of three fireworks displays scheduled for the harbour city's New Year's celebrations.

Some pyrotechnics shot to dizzying heights and exploded, while others fell like fiery teardrops. Others shot heavenward and seemed to hang there, before fizzling without a bang.

Cheers were especially loud for a waterfall of pink and gold crackers that fell from the Harbour Bridge, and for a rush of gold pyrotechnics that closed fireworks.

Emesh, 34, came to the 9pm show with his wife and two children.

"It was amazing," the Parramatta resident told AAP.

"The best was the sparkles, all of them mixed up together.

"These are the best fireworks I have ever seen."

Sydney's 9pm pyrotechnics have come to rival the city's midnight spectacular, with many families keen to get in, and out, of the city before the revelry kicks into high gear.

The 9pm show was accompanied by an eclectic soundtrack, including music from artists Mental as Anything, Danny Elfman, Selena Gomez and Avril Lavigne.

Earlier, thousands of onlookers at Mrs Macquarie's chair were treated to an aerobatic show with a stunt plane doing loop-the-loops and mid-air stalls, and hair-raising low flying just metres from the water.

The city's fireworks director, Fortunato Foti, hopes people are surprised by this year's show, which comprises about seven tonnes of fireworks.

Tuesday's three fireworks displays include 11,000 aerial shells and 25,000 shooting comets that will explode from seven barges spread across six kilometres of Sydney Harbour.

For the first time in a decade, 1000 fireworks will also be shot from the top of the Opera House, as well as from the Harbour Bridge and jet skis stationed in the harbour.

Ahead of midnight's 12-minute extravaganza, the city's more than 1.5 million revellers will be treated to a special one-minute cracker show at 10.30pm, based on an absurdist self-portrait by the night's artistic ambassador Reg Mombassa.

"Essentially the idea is that every person perceives the universe in their own heads," the Mambo artist and Mental as Anything rocker told reporters on Tuesday.

"We are going to empty the contents of one such head onto the Sydney sky so hopefully people will be amused by that."

While remaining tight-lipped about the particulars, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the bridge effect, to be unveiled just after midnight, will be "bigger than ever".

For the first time in a decade more than 1000 fireworks will also be launched off the Opera House's sails.

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Vic top cop admits past racial profiling

RACIAL profiling has occurred within Victoria Police, the state's police chief has admitted for the first time.

The admission comes after the release of a report prompted by allegations from a group of African-Australians that police repeatedly stopped and searched them because of their race.

The group had been living in Melbourne's inner suburb of Flemington at the time.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay says the force do not condone racial profiling in any way, but submissions received during its review showed it had happened in the past.

"Some of the stories that we heard would suggest that some of our members did racially profile," Mr Lay said on Monday.

"I'm not proud of that, I'm not happy about it."

Mr Lay said police would review these incidents to improve its training and police procedures and ensure it does not happen again.

However, he declined to say whether disciplinary action would be taken against individuals.

Mr Lay also announced changes to how the force will interact with minority groups, including a three-year plan aimed at improving relationships between officers and the community.

The plan includes a trial receipt system where a record would be kept of who is stopped by police and for what reason, and anti-racism profiling training for police.

Police were taken to court over the racial profiling allegations, but it settled out of court in February, with police agreeing to an internal investigation and a six-month consultation process.

Part of that court settlement included police agreeing to release a report responding to the community consultation.

The report was released late on Monday afternoon, one day before the court-appointed deadline.

Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre executive officer Anthony Kelly said the six men behind the court action were "quietly pleased" by the police review.

He said the three-year action plan addressed many of their concerns.

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Women in suspected double murder named

POLICE have revealed the names of a mother and daughter who are believed to be victims of a double murder in Perth.

The bodies of Tamara Alexandra Horstman, 26, and her mother Maureen Anne Horstman, 67, were found on Sunday afternoon after Tamara failed to arrive at work.

The parents of one of her friends went to the Warwick address to check on her and alerted police who arrived about 2.30pm (WST).

Police have not revealed how the women died but it is believed Maureen suffered chest injuries and Tamara suffered head injuries.

Tamara's Mazda3 car, which had been missing, was found in Mirrabooka on Monday after a member of the public heard through the media about the search and alerted police.

Police want to speak with anyone who saw the 2008 model sedan between 9am (WST) Sunday and midday on Monday.

A man is being questioned by police but no charges have been laid.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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China bans officials from public smoking

China has banned its officials from smoking in public to set an example to the rest of the country. Source: AAP

CHINA has banned its officials from smoking in public to set an example to the rest of the country that has the world's largest number of smokers.

The official Xinhua News Agency said officials are not allowed to smoke in schools, hospitals, sports venues, on public transport or any other places where smoking is banned, or to smoke or offer cigarettes when performing official duties. They also cannot use public funds to buy cigarettes, and within Communist Party or government offices tobacco products cannot be sold nor adverts displayed.

Xinhua said on Sunday the rules were contained in a circular from the Communist Party's central committee and the State Council, or China's cabinet.

There is no nationwide law banning smoking in indoor public places, but the government has tried to ban the practice in the past.

In 2011, the Health Ministry issued guidelines banning smoking in venues including hotels and restaurants, but these are not strictly enforced. Experts say huge revenues from the state-owned tobacco monopoly hinder anti-smoking measures.

"Smoking remains a relatively universal phenomenon in public venues. Some officials smoke in public places, which has not only jeopardised the environment and public health, but tarnished the image of party and government offices and leaders and has a negative influence," the circular read, according to Xinhua.

China has more than 300 million smokers. Smoking, which is linked to an average annual death toll of 1.4 million people in China in recent years, is one of the greatest health threats the country faces, government statistics show. The annual number of cigarettes sold in the country increased by 50 per cent to 2.52 trillion in 2012 compared with 10 years earlier, according to the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control, which is overseen by health authorities.

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Laws to protect police dogs, horses in SA

Laws to protect police dogs and horses are among changes to come into force in S.A. from January 1. Source: AAP

LAWS to protect police dogs and horses, and honesty in petrol pricing, are among legislative changes to come into force in South Australia from January 1.

The stabbing of a police dog in August prompted the government to take action, with the new laws making it an offence intentionally to kill or injure any animal being used by a law enforcement officer.

The offence carries a maximum five-year jail term along with financial penalties related to the cost of veterinary and other treatment.

Premier Jay Weatherill said there was no doubt law enforcement animals needed greater protection.

Motorists will also welcome the new year, with changes to the way fuel prices are advertised.

From January 1, fuel retailers must display actual pump prices on advertising boards, not the discounted price relating to the use of a shopping docket.

Petrol stations will have to sell fuel at the advertised price, although discount vouchers can still be used.

Attorney-General John Rau said the changes would make it easier for independent outlets to compete against outlets operated by big supermarket chains.

"This is about greater transparency and fairness and will be easier for everyone," Mr Rau said.

"What you see is what you get."

Other legislative changes include measures to cut red tape and increase consumer protection in the real estate industry.

Agents will no longer be able to suggest a price range for a property but must give a single figure as the genuine estimate of the selling price.

For auction sales, vendors will have to include an acceptable selling price in their contract which must be within 10 per cent of the reserve price.

A host of gambling reforms will also come into effect in the new year including a requirement for all gaming machines to offer an 87.5 per cent minimum rate of return.

From February all ATMs operating in gaming venues will also have a $250-a-day cash withdrawal limit.

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Vic child killed after tree branch fall

A CHILD has died and a woman was seriously injured after a tree branch fell on them at a park in Bendigo.

Police said the pair were at Rosalind Park when a large branch has fallen from a tree about 5.20pm (AEDT) and killed the young girl.

The woman, aged in her 30s, was taken to Bendigo Hospital in a serious condition with head injuries, a fractured leg and possible spinal injuries.

City of Greater Bendigo acting chief executive officer Stan Liacos described the girl's death as "an absolute tragedy" and expressed his condolences to her family.

"The greater Bendigo community will be shocked and saddened as they learn of what has happened and our thoughts are with the family and their loved ones," he said.

"Very little information is known at this stage and the City will continue to liaise with emergency services to determine what happened."

City staff will also carry out their own investigations of the site.

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Times Square preps for New Year's Eve bash

NEW York City's Times Square is getting ready for New Year's Eve.

The square will host millions on Tuesday night counting down the last few moments of 2013.

Starting on Saturday, six Citibikes from the city's bike share program were being installed in Times Square and connected to 12-volt deep cycle batteries.

New Yorkers and tourists will generate power by pedalling. That will help illuminate the famed ball that will descend New Year's Eve.

Each bike will generate an average of 75 watts an hour. It takes 50,000 watts to power the ball, which is lit by 30,000 LEDs.

Additionally, a giant paper shredder and a dumpster were installed in Times Square on Saturday to allow visitors to destroy bad memories of 2013.

The annual event is dubbed Good Riddance Day.

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Holiday road toll rises to 18

Three more people have been killed on Australian roads, lifting the holiday road toll to 18. Source: AAP

THE Christmas holiday road death toll has risen to 18, with the latest victims including a cyclist who collided with a ute and a woman whose car smashed into a tree.

The cyclist, 21, died in Tasmania after he collided with the ute on the West Tamar Highway in Launceston on Sunday morning.

The death of the Trevallyn man is the second road fatality in Tasmania during the holiday period.

In NSW, a 69-year-old man was killed after losing control of his motorbike when he hit a gravel embankment at Khancoban, near the border of NSW and Victoria, on Sunday morning.

The man, who was riding near his son on another motorbike, died at the scene, with the death taking NSW's road toll to six.

A 31-year-old woman died in a car crash southeast of Perth on Saturday night.

She was a front passenger in a white Holden Commodore sedan that was travelling from Narrogin to Williams about 6.45pm (WST) when it left the road and hit a large tree at Minigin.

The woman and the 30-year-old male driver were trapped in the car and had to be freed by emergency workers, but she died at the scene.

The driver was critically injured and airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital.

Two people have died on WA roads this holiday period.

The national road toll period runs from midnight on December 23, 2013, until midnight on January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Spike in mosquito-borne virus in WA

The number of West Australians diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya has surged. Source: AAP

THE number of West Australians diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya has surged, with most contracting it in Bali.

The latest notifiable disease report from WA Health shows there were 54 cases in the year to December 16, up from three at the same time last year.

Australian Medical Association vice-president Michael Gannon said the increase was significant.

"I think it just reflects the sheer number of Australians travelling to Bali for holiday," he told Fairfax.

"And when you travel to the tropics, you get exposed to infections that you won't get exposed to at home, so it's important that you take different precautions."

Chikungunya symptoms are flu-like, including fever, chills and muscular aches.

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GP fee would 'clog up' hospitals: Labor

LABOR says a $5 fee for bulk-billed GP visits would put extra pressure on the public health system by clogging up hospital emergency departments, labelling the idea a "tax on taking your sick child to the doctor".

The federal government has refused to "speculate" about a proposal to make patients pay the fee after a national Commission of Audit received a proposal for a co-payment scheme for GP consultations.

But doctor groups have criticised such a move, claiming it would destroy Medicare and limit access to GPs for some community groups.

Speaking on Sunday, acting opposition leader Penny Wong said a "real problem" with the approach was that it risked "clogging up our emergency departments in our public hospital system".

"What we don't need is a new tax on taking your family to the doctor and what we don't need is more pressure on our public hospital system," senator Wong said in Adelaide.

She said the idea represented "another broken promise from this Prime Minister".

"He (Tony Abbott) said no new taxes and now today we've got a tax on sick children going to the doctor."

News Corp Australia reports co-payments would see patients pay a fee for bulk-billed GP consultations, with pensioners and concession card holders exempt from the fee.

Families would also be granted up to 12 bulk-billed visits annually.

Federal Health Minister Peter Dutton said he would not comment on "speculation around what the Commission of Audit may or may not recommend".

"The commission's work is still being compiled and will be provided to the government in 2014," he said in a statement.

"The government will be able to consider any recommendations and respond after that time."

Mr Dutton said the government had committed to making sure the health system was sustainable and accessible in the future.

Acting Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale said on Sunday it was a step towards a two-tiered US-style health system and away from universal healthcare.

Dr Con Costa, of the Doctors' Reform Society, said a GP fee would make emergency departments busier.

"Introducing a $5 co-payment is false cost-savings," he said in a statement.

Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Dr Steve Hambleton said the majority of visits to the GP were very "reasonable and helpful" with only a minority causing doctors to ask why they came.

A co-payment scheme was introduced under the Hawke government in the 1990s but was scrapped.

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Cyclone accelerates towards WA coast

A category two cyclone off the Western Australian Kimberley coast is expected to intensify. Source: AAP

A CATEGORY two cyclone off Western Australia's Kimberley coast is picking up speed as it heads towards the Pilbara.

Tropical Cyclone Christine was 295 kilometres off Broome at 5pm (WST) on Sunday and was moving towards the Pilbara coast about 13 kilometres an hour, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said.

Earlier in the day BoM tracked the cyclone at 10km/h.

The bureau says the cyclone is expected to intensify as it moves towards the coast.

It has issued a cyclone warning for coastal areas from Cape Leveque to Mardie, including Broome, Port Hedland and Karratha, and extending inland to Marble Bar.

BoM forecasts the cyclone to bring heavy rainfall and gales of up to 100km/h south of Cape Leveque later on Sunday.

Gales are expected to extend west along the Pilbara coast to Whim Creek late on Sunday or Monday morning as the cyclone approaches.

The bureau said the cyclone could on Monday bring "very destructive" gales and heavy rainfall to Mardie and possibly as far west as Exmouth, with winds possibly reaching 165km/h.

Coastal communities between Pardoo and Mardie have been warned of the potential for a dangerous storm tide late on Monday or early on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, BoM says severe thunderstorms have hit Queensland's southeast around Gympie, Pomona and Amamoor.

The thunderstorms are moving northeast and are forecast to hit the area northwest of Noosa Heads and the region east of Gympie and Lake Cooloola.

Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely, the bureau says.

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US driver survives plunge off cliff

A driver who survived a 90-metre plunge told rescuers he intentionally drove off the ocean cliff. Source: AAP

A DRIVER who plunged 90 metres off a Southern California ocean cliff was rescued after firefighters waded into the surf to free him from the car.

KNBC-TV says the 19-year-old man, who was in hospital in a critical condition, told paramedics that he intentionally drove off the cliff.

Authorities were called to the scene at about 2am local time on Friday.

They found the car being slammed by waves.

Firefighters, lifeguards and local police helped in the rescue. The driver was finally pulled free and flown to hospital.

The crash site is on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, about 32 kilometres south of downtown Los Angeles.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25)

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Port Hedland evacuates due to cyclone

A cyclone warning has been issued for coastal areas along Western Australia's northern coast. Source: AAP

SHIPS are being moved from a major port in Western Australia ahead of a developing tropical cyclone expected to hit on Saturday night.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says a tropical low north of WA is expected to develop into a tropical cyclone by Saturday night as it moves southwest.

The low is 340 kilometres north-northwest of Broome, moving at nine kilometres an hour.

The Port Hedland Port Authority began the evacuation of 29 vessels in the inner and outer anchorage areas on Saturday morning.

Another 12 ships in the inner harbour also began evacuating on Saturday.

The port authority said in a statement it anticipated the last vessel would leave the shipping channel by 3am on Sunday.

Gale-force winds and widespread rainfall are expected to hit the Port Hedland area on Sunday.

Winds with gusts of up to 100km/h are forecast to develop through Saturday night on the west Kimberley coast between Cape Leveque and Broome.

BOM advises gales and heavy rainfall may extend to Exmouth and adjacent inland areas on Sunday night and Monday.

If the tropical low system develops as BOM expects, a severe tropical cyclone will likely hit the Pilbara on Monday or Tuesday.

A cyclone warning is in place for coastal areas from Cape Leveque to Whim Creek.

The State Emergency Service is urging residents in or near coastal communities between Dampier Peninsula and Onslow in the Kimberley and Pilbara to prepare emergency kits.

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SA bushfire under control

A serious bushfire south of Adelaide has been contained the Country Fire Service says. Source: AAP

FIREFIGHTERS have protected a South Australian country town from an out-of-control bushfire, with two fire crew volunteers injured while quelling the blaze.

An emergency alert was issued at 3pm (AEDT) on Saturday about a serious bushfire burning towards the town of Mallala, north of Adelaide.

About 200 Country Fire Service (CFS) personnel battled the blaze at Lower Light with 35 appliances and the help of water bombers.

A CFS spokeswoman said firefighters contained the blaze after it had travelled seven kilometres in three hours.

"The fire was fast-moving and came close to a farming community and within three to four kilometres of the Mallala township," she said.

"But fortunately CFS firefighters managed to protect the township."

A male CFS firefighter was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening chest injuries.

A female CFS firefighter was treated at the fire for smoke inhalation.

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Gambler rewards honest US cabbie with $10K

A US gambler who left behind $US300,000 in a cab has handed over $US10,000 to the honest driver. Source: AAP

A POKER player who left $US300,000 ($A338,275) in the back seat of a Las Vegas taxi made good on his promise this week, handing over a $US10,000 reward to the honest cabbie who returned the stash.

Yellow Checker Star Cab Company CEO Bill Shranko confirmed Friday that Gerardo Gamboa had been paid by the poker player. The cab company also honoured the driver's good deed by naming him employee of the year, awarding him $US1000 and giving him a gift certificate to a Las Vegas steakhouse.

It's unclear how Gamboa plans to spend the belated Christmas gift. He did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press on Friday.

The tale, first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, started Monday when Gamboa accepted a fare at the Bellagio casino. A hotel doorman noticed a brown paper bag on the back seat and handed it to him; Gamboa thought it was sweets.

The driver said he had another passenger by the time he began wondering what kind of chocolates were in the brown paper bag. He peeked inside at a traffic light and spotted the cash.

"I told my passenger, 'You are my witness on this'," the 13-year taxi driver told the Las Vegas Sun, "and then I immediately called my dispatcher".

Gamboa took the six bundles of $100 bills to the company's main office, where Las Vegas police and casino officials linked it to the poker player.

It took several hours to verify the identity of the owner and return the cash. Authorities aren't identifying the poker player.

Before he learned about the anonymous gambler's gift, Gamboa said he wasn't in it for the money.

"If he doesn't give me anything, that's OK," Gamboa told the Sun earlier this week. "I'm not waiting for any kind of return. I just wanted to do the right thing, and I appreciate what the company did for me."

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China one-child policy change approved

Chinese state media says the National People's Congress has approved to change its one-child policy. Source: AAP

CHINA'S top legislature has sanctioned the ruling Communist Party's decision to allow couples to have a second child if one parent is an only child.

It's the first major easing in three decades of the restrictive national birth planning policy.

Implemented around 1980, China's birth policy has limited most couples to only one child, but has allowed a second child if neither parent has siblings or if the first born to a rural couple is a girl.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the standing committee of the National People's Congress approved a resolution on Saturday to formalise the party decision.

It says the national lawmaking body has delegated the power to provincial people's congresses and their standing committees to implement the new policy.

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NYE fireworks to light Melbourne skyline

Melbourne will ring in the new year with fireworks that can be seen anywhere with a skyline view. Source: AAP

MELBOURNE will ring in the new year with a spectacular fireworks show that will be able to be seen anywhere with a view of the city skyline.

The sky will light up at 9.30pm at Yarra Park and at midnight for the 10-minute extravaganza, which will use two semi-trailer loads of fireworks.

More than 550,000 revellers are expected to pack the city centre, with fireworks to be launched from 22 locations, including city rooftops, by a team of 44 pyrotechnicians.

Celebrations will take place at four places including Docklands, Flagstaff Gardens, Treasury Gardens and Kings Domain.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the addition of Kings Domain ensured the city was covered from all angles to ensure revellers had a good viewing and crowds were dispersed safely.

The four sites will run from 9pm to 1am and include DJs and multimedia entertainment and a countdown ahead of midnight.

The 9.30pm family fireworks will take place at Yarra Park. The same show will also run from Footscray Park.

The City of Melbourne New Year's Eve event is alcohol-free and revellers who flout the rules face fines.

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Gold Coast adventurer reaches South Pole

A Gold Coast adventurer taking a pink "boob-sled" across the Antarctic has reached the South Pole. Source: AAP

A GOLD Coast adventurer taking a pink "boob-sled" across Antarctica has made it to the South Pole.

Dr Geoff Wilson reached the milestone on Friday, leaving him with 1100km to go in his quest to become the first Aussie - and third person - to cross the southern continent solo.

But he reckons the worst of the journey is over.

"Now I've got the shorter run to the coast, which is the traditional entry route for most polar travellers," he told ABC Radio on Friday.

"The positive is that it's down hill and it will get warmer and warmer as I get closer to the coast."

Dr Wilson has endured sub-zero temperatures and strong icy winds throughout his trek.

Earlier this month he even ventured into the elements naked, dancing around a tent to celebrate beating the Australian record for the longest trek across the icy continent.

However, his main goal is to take the "boob-sled" 3300km from one side of Antarctica to the other - and raise $1 million for breast cancer charity the McGrath Foundation.

"I've been pulling the boob-sled for 2280km to here, so it's double the current record for Australian solo polar travel already and there's still 1100km to go," he told ABC Radio.

"It will be the first Australian crossing of the Antarctic continent and there's only two other guys who have ever done it solo unassisted - they're both Norwegian legends.

"We may, as long as I keep making good decisions, give the record a shake which has been held since 1997 by a very tough Norwegian called Borge Ousland."

Dr Wilson began the trek on November 4 and expects the journey to take him up to 80 days.

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SPC sacks 73 two days after Xmas

Fruit giant SPC has sacked the entire maintenance workforce at its cannery in north Victoria. Source: AAP

FRUIT giant SPC has sacked the entire maintenance workforce at its cannery in north Victoria two days after Christmas.

The 73 Shepparton maintenance workers were told on Friday they would be replaced by contract workers before May 2014, the Electrical Trades Union says.

SPC Ardmona issued a statement saying the employees were aware of the critical need for the company to transform its business.

"The majority have responded in practical and financial ways to lift productivity to help secure our long-term in future in the Goulburn Valley," a company spokesperson said.

"SPC Ardmona has been assessing its work practices for many months to identify significant improvements in productivity."

The company, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Amatil, is seeking government assistance.

It wants $25 million from the federal government and a matching contribution from the Victorian government.

Electrical Trade Union branch officer Damian King told AAP the union had been in discussion with SPC for months seeking productivity gains as part of an EBA renegotiation.

He said the union had offered a two-year wage freeze in an effort to preserve jobs.

"They've basically said times are tough for them," Mr King told AAP.

He said the union was due to meet with the company early in 2014 and workers had been blindsided by the job cuts.

"In 20 years as a union official I've never heard of mass sackings between Christmas and New Year's," Mr King said.

"It's disgusting."

The SPC spokesperson said the company had earlier advised the workers their positions were under review.

She said SPC Ardmona expected the external maintenance service provider would set up an office in Shepparton.

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Can't wait to get back to normal: Russell

If Russian authorities approve activist Colin Russell's exit visa he could be home for New Years. Source: AAP

AN Australian activist detained in Russia for three months says he can't wait to return to normal life - including mowing the lawn and sleeping on his own pillow.

Colin Russell, 59, was one of 30 activists arrested and detained in September for protesting against a Russian oil rig operated by Moscow-based energy company Gazprom in the Pechora Sea.

Known as the Arctic 30, the group, made up of 28 Greenpeace activists and two freelance journalists, had been accused of hooliganism.

The charges were dropped last week after the Russian parliament passed an amnesty law and freed the defendants.

Russian authorities granted Mr Russell an exit visa on Friday night, allowing him to return home to Tasmania.

Mr Russell, a radio operator, said he was happy it was finally over.

"So are the girls," he said via a Greenpeace spokesman in St Petersburg on Friday night.

"(I) can't wait to get back to normal, throw the stick for George the dog, mow the lawn, sleep on my own pillow.

"My whole life is waiting for me." Greenpeace communications manager James Lorenz told AAP Mr Russell was enormously relieved to be going home.

"It's been a long time."

Mr Russell is expected to fly to Amsterdam, where Greenpeace International is based, with his wife Christine and daughter Madeleine.

He will arrive in Australia on January 2.

Britain-born Australian resident Alex Harris and Adelaide resident Jon Beauchamp were also granted exit visas.

"We're leaving Russia, it's over, we're finally truly free," Ms Harris, 27, said in a statement.

"It feels like the moment I've been waiting for, and my family too, but also for millions of people around the world who have worked for this, and I simply cannot find the words to say how grateful and humbled I am by their support.

"People I will never meet have campaigned for our release - they wrote emails, they marched, they protested, they made a noise that became deafening, even in the Kremlin.

"I promise I will repay those people by using my freedom to stand up for the Arctic."

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Cyclone brewing off WA's north

A tropical cyclone is likely for WA's northern coast this weekend, with possible 100km/h winds. Source: AAP

A TROPICAL cyclone is likely for Western Australia's northern coast this weekend, with possible 100km/h winds to hit the Kimberley.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued a cyclone warning for coastal areas from Kuri Bay to Broome on Friday, and also a cyclone watch alert from Broome to De Grey.

The BoM said a tropical low to the north of Broome was expected to form into a tropical cyclone on Saturday.

The system is expected to intensify over the weekend as it tracks southwest towards the Pilbara coast on Monday.

The Port Hedland Port Authority said the Pilbara iron ore export hub was expected to be hit by gales from late Sunday night, so port evacuations should start from Saturday afternoon.

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Indon remembers 170,000 tsunami victims

People gathered at mass graves as Indonesia's Aceh province marks nine years since a deadly tsunami. Source: AAP

FLAGS are flying at half-mast and locals have gathered at mass graves as Indonesia's Aceh province marks nine years since it was ravaged by a tsunami that killed 170,000 people.

The province on the northern tip of Sumatra island bore the brunt of the tsunami that devastated the region and affected coastal areas across south and South-East Asia.

"It's been nine years but it feels like it was yesterday," said 50-year-old Makmun Adam, who lost two children and his wife in the tsunami.

"I pray to God that they be given a place in heaven," he said.

Indonesian red-and-white flags will be flown at half-mast for three days to mark the disaster.

The tsunami was triggered by a magnitude-9.3 earthquake off Sumatra and killed an estimated 230,000 people in 13 countries in the Indian Ocean.

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WA paraglider trapped on cliff

EMERGENCY volunteers are working to rescue a man trapped on a cliff face in WA.

Police say the 26-year-old was paragliding in Sandpatch, near Albany in the state's south, when something went wrong.

Rescue Service firefighters and State Emergency Service volunteers from Albany are at the scene and a rescue helicopter is on its way.

A spokesman for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said crews were working to raise the man up the cliff face.

A police media spokeswoman said the man's injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

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Toddler saved after falling into pool

A family member's quick actions have saved a toddler who fell into a pool on the NSW Central Coast. Source: AAP

A QUICK-THINKING family member used CPR to save a toddler who fell into a pool on the NSW Central Coast.

The two-year-old girl was pulled unconscious from the backyard pool on Thursday afternoon, but she was breathing by the time paramedics arrived and she regained consciousness.

CareFlight director Ian Badham praised the quick action of the family member.

The girl was airlifted with her mother to The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

"Because she had been underwater for a while, she was taken to the hospital to be checked out and kept under observation," Mr Badham said.

She remains in a stable condition.

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Nine road deaths dampen festive season

Nine people have died on Australian roads this festive season, including a teen who fell off a ute. Source: AAP

NINE people have died on Australian roads this festive season, including two friends killed in a single-vehicle incident in NSW on Boxing Day.

A man, 31, was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene of the crash on the NSW Central Coast. A second man, 22, was trapped in the wreckage and died before he could be released.

The crash, which occurred just before 5am (AEDT), left three other men aged 29, 22 and 27 in hospital.

Police said they hoped to speak to the injured men, all from Sydney suburb Auburn.

In Canberra, a motorcyclist died after losing control of his bike late on the evening of Christmas Day.

The 22-year-old hit a traffic island in the inner-north suburb of Lyneham about 11pm on Wednesday.

He died in Canberra Hospital.

In Perth, a 17-year-old boy died after falling off the back of a utility on Christmas evening.

Police say the boy suffered severe head injuries when he fell from the tray of the Nissan ute.

A 24-year-old man in the Northern Territory was killed after losing control of his motorcycle on a dirt road near the Todd River in Alice Springs on Christmas Day.

Two Victorian women killed in a head-on collision two days before Christmas were the first fatalities for the 2013 Christmas period.

A 69-year-old Queensland man died on Christmas Eve when his car hit a tree near Bundaberg.

On Monday night police found a man dead in a sedan spilt in two following a high-speed crash into a tree north of Moree in NSW.

The deaths take the national toll to nine, compared with 16 recorded by Boxing Day in 2012.

The national road toll period runs from midnight on December 23, 2013, until midnight on January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Tourists die in poorly ventilated hotel

TWO Italian tourists have been found dead in their poorly ventilated hotel room in Nepal's capital, Katmandu.

The man and woman were found after the hotel's owners alerted police they were not responding to calls, police official Umesh Raj Joshi said on Thursday.

Police broke the windows, which were taped shut, and found the bodies on the bed.

Joshi said they appeared to be regular visitors to Nepal.

Gas and kerosene heaters are common in Nepal during the winter because of a shortage of electricity.

They are dangerous if used in closed rooms.

Two Chinese tourists died from gas poisoning from a heater in a mountain resort room near Katmandu earlier in December.

About 500,000 tourists visit Nepal a year.

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Indonesia cuts Christians' jail sentences

NEARLY 8,500 Christian prisoners in Indonesia have been given sentence cuts of 15 days to two months to mark Christmas.

"Remissions were given to Christian inmates who have shown good behaviour," Akbar Hadi, a justice ministry spokesman told state news agency Antara on Wednesday.

More than 160 prisoners were eligible for immediate release thanks to sentence cuts, he said.

Indonesia traditionally offers sentence cuts to prisoners to mark religious holidays and Independence Day.

There are more than 150,000 prisoners across the country and overcrowding is a problem in many of the more than 400 prisons.

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Ship passengers happy despite ice trap

Australian explorers are stranded near Antarctica after their ship became wedged in by sea ice. Source: AAP

PASSENGERS on a Antarctic-bound cruiseliner are in fine spirits and are enjoying Christmas despite being trapped by ice after a storm.

There are 50 tourists, scientists and explorers and 20 crew on the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which is on a Spirit of Mawson voyage along the edge of Antarctica.

They are in no immediate danger, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

"The ship is reinforced against ice and well adapted to the conditions," said Alvin Stone, spokesman for voyage operators.

He said those on board were in fine spirits and were enjoying Christmas.

Mr Stone said the storm was well-timed as those on board has just returned from a 60km trek across pack ice in Antarctica.

The ship had sailed from New Zealand to visit several sites.

The AMSA received a distress call on Christmas morning.

A spokeswoman said three ships had been sent to assist but it would take at least two days for the nearest vessel to reach the remote location - about 1500 nautical miles south of Hobart.

"It's in quite a remote part of the world," she said on Wednesday.

"But we have everyone safe. The vessel isn't in any immediate danger."

The ship's voyage is part of a research expedition to commemorate the centenary of Douglas Mawson's exploration.

Expedition leader Chris Turney didn't seem too bothered by being stranded.

He wrote in a Christmas Day tweet: "Heavy ice. Beautiful; light wind. Only -1degC. All well. Merry Xmas everyone from AAE."

The privately funded expedition includes a trip to Mawson's Huts on Antarctica, which had been inaccessible for many years because of an iceberg.

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Beiber announces his retirement on Twitter

Justin Bieber has tweeted that he intents to retire, but he has told fans he will be "here forever". Source: AAP

JUSTIN Beiber has used Twitter to announce his retirement.

In a tweet that caused a Christmas Day social media frenzy, the 19-year-old superstar said: "My beloved beliebers I'm officially retiring."

But he later tweeted that he would never leave his fans and that he was "here forever".

The original tweet was retweeted almost 200,000 time in three hours, according to Twitter.

This is not the first time the celebrity has hinted that he plans to retire.

He told a Los Angeles radio station on December 19 that he intended to take a break from his music career.

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Santa spreads cheer at Vic hospital

SANTA has spread Christmas cheer across the world, stopping into a Melbourne hospital to deliver gifts to seriously sick children.

Young patients at the Royal Children's Hospital were delighted to have a visit from the jolly fellow, who stopped off at each ward.

Across the state of Victoria, Christmas Day was celebrated with fine weather and merriment.

There was no rain recorded, with Melbourne reaching a top temperature of 31.8C.

Charities gave out meals for the less fortunate on Christmas morning with more than 300 hampers distributed.

A Melbourne man was lucky to escape with his life after he was pulled out of his burning home in Whittlesea on Christmas morning.

And two Victorian families suffered what police described as "an unthinkable act of heartlessness" when their presents were stolen overnight.

But their neighbours in the community of Wodonga banded together to restore some festive spirit by donating gifts to them.

Victorian church leaders have issued Christmas messages, urging people to open their hearts to those who are without and to acknowledge victims of clergy abuse.

Melbourne's Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart called on the church to reach out to victims of sexual abuse as part of his Christmas address.

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Christmas came early for shy girl: cleric

Thousands of worshippers have attended mass while others have flocked to the beach for Christmas. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS should strive to make every day Christmas Day for the people around them.

That is the message delivered to a standing-room crowd at St Mary's Cathedral's annual Christmas mass in Sydney.

Thousands of worshippers flocked to the cathedral on Wednesday night for the service, led by Father Brendan Purcell.

He told a story he thought of when asked recently if he had witnessed a miracle.

He spoke about a young girl who was so embarrassed by a skin ailment that she refused to go to school and hid in her room.

He said somehow her sister persuaded her to go to school on the last day of the term, and the principal told her she would progress to the next year, despite missing around three months of school.

"They made that day Christmas for her," Fr Purcell said.

"It's up to us to make every day Christmas Day for the people around us."

Most families in and around Sydney were forced to celebrate Christmas Day inside due to rainy weather.

But it was a different story in northern parts of NSW, Victoria and Queensland, where sweltering heat drove families and santa-hat sporting holiday makers to the beach.

Despite the sizeable crowds, there were few major incidents on the beaches.

"We have had tremendous numbers on the beaches and a lot of volunteers turning up to help," Gold Coast Surf Life Saving duty officer Laurie Cavill said.

"There has been isolated rescues but no major incidents."

Further south ambulance crews were called to Ballina and Byron Bay for a dislocated shoulder and drunk beach goers.

"All in all it's been a good day and volunteer life savers across the state have been been on top of their game. So far nothing bad has occurred," Surf Life Saving NSW spokesperson Matt Miller told AAP.

In Perth, surf life savers also had a "pretty good day" with a spinal injury and dislocated shoulder among the few incidents reported.

Alice Springs mayor Damien Ryan said the aquatic centre was the hot spot for the town on a rainy Christmas.

"In other parts of the world they sing about a white christmas," he told ABC Radio.

"But this morning when I got up and the rain clouds were halfway down the wonderful Macdonnell Ranges. It looked like they were snow capped - it was pretty close for us."

In Melbourne, where temperatures reached 31.8C, Santa dropped by the Royal Children's Hospital to distribute gifts.

Also benefiting from the Christmas spirit were two Victorian families who had their presents stolen overnight.

Their Wodonga neighbours banded together and donated gifts to them.

Further afield, the thoughts of many Australian families were with the 2200 Australian troops deployed overseas.

Despite the end to Australia's mission in Uruzgan province and the return of troops just before Christmas, 500 remain in Afghanistan.

Major General Craig Orme, Commander Joint Task Force in the Middle East, said senior officers would spend Christmas Day visiting troops in the region.

"Christmas on operations is a hard time. The work continues and the absence from family and friends is reinforced," he said in a statement,

"But our personnel deployed across the Middle East Area of Operations will make time to mark the occasion with their deployed family."

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A very merry Christmas for Aussie shops

THE Christmas clock is ticking, and the tills have been ringing.

Last-minute shoppers have helped push Australian retailers towards what's tipped to be their biggest Christmas since the global financial crisis hit.

Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) CEO Margy Osmond says the overall spend in the four-week run-up to Christmas this year is expected to hit $29.6 billion.

"We think Australian retailers will probably have the best Christmas they've had for four or five years," she told AAP on Tuesday.

She said the last-minute rush had favoured the big retailers.

"A lot of the specialty stores have done much better this Christmas but there's no doubt in the last couple of weeks it's the department stores that are the big winners because it's the place you can go and tick every box all in the one spot," Ms Osmond said.

Residents in smaller states - the Northern Territory, the ACT, Tasmania - had generally gotten their Christmas shopping out of the way early, while their counterparts in NSW and Victoria were more likely to have left it till the last minute.

Kevin Finch was looking harried in Sydney's CBD on Tuesday evening, ticking off the people he was still buying for.

"My mother, my father, some family friends, and my grandma," he told AAP.

"Stupidly, I thought today would be a bit quieter."

He said he wouldn't be venturing out for the Boxing Day sales on Thursday, but keen bargain-hunters can get in earlier than that.

In a break with tradition, department store David Jones has already launched its post-Christmas sale online, while the Myer online sale will kick off at 9am (AEDT) on Wednesday.

ANRA's Margy Osmond is expecting a 5.6 per cent boost on post-Christmas sales figures from a year ago, with an expected $1.9 billion spend on Boxing Day alone.

Retailers predict stores around the country will take in more than $15 billion over the next three weeks, with the bulk of that likely to be spent on Boxing Day.

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman told AAP he expects "a huge number of people" to head for malls around the country when the bricks-and-mortar sales start on Thursday.

But Mr Zimmerman didn't think the lure of early sales online would take away from the familiar frenzy seen in department stores on the day.

"There's a real atmosphere around Boxing Day sales, it's full of people, it's full of excitement and noise and generally speaking there's entertainment around," he said.

"You may well find that people will be encouraged to come out, they'll think it might not be quite so busy as it's been in the past because of the online sales, but I suspect it will be just as busy."

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Indon official in trouble over plane rage

AN Indonesian official has allegedly ordered his staff to prevent a plane landing because an airline refused to free up a seat for him.

Marianus Sae, the head of Ngada district in East Nusa Tenggara province, is being sought for questioning in relation to the incident, police said Tuesday.

When Sae was told there were no seats left on the Saturday morning flight from the provincial capital Kupang to his district's Turelelo Soa airport, he phoned his security officials there and ordered them to put their cars on the runway, the Kompas.com news website reported.

Unable to land, the flight operated by state-run domestic operator Merpati Nusantara was forced to return to Kupang, local news reports said.

"We have questioned several people involved and are awaiting the permission of the governor to question the district chief," provincial police chief Ketut Yoga Ana said.

The alleged action "clearly violated the law" and was punishable by up to three years in prison, he said.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said Sae had endangered the lives of the people on board.

Sae said he "begged them for a seat because I had an important meeting with district council but the flight was fully booked. I explained to them I was the district chief but they ignored me," he was quoted as saying by Kompas.com.

The airline said it had rebuked its employees for refusing to issue a ticket for the district chief.

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Police officer punched, spat on

Three men have been arrested after a police officer was punched and spat on in Sydney. Source: AAP

A POLICE officer has been punched and spat on and three men arrested following a fight in Sydney's southeast.

A scuffle started outside a bar on Botany road in Botany on Monday night when police tried to remove a patron from the bar.

Police allege a 22-year-old man punched an acting sergeant in the head and spat on him before running from the pub.

He was caught a short time later.

Police arrested another two men, aged 36 and 40.

They were all taken to Redfern Police Station where the 22-year-old was charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to police.

He was refused bail and will appear in Central Local Court today.

The two other men were both charged with assaulting police and were granted bail to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on January 13.

The acting sergeant suffered a cut to his head and was taken to Prince of Wales Hospital for treatment.

Two other officers involved were not hurt.

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Cyclone could develop Christmas Day

A TROPICAL cyclone is expected to form in northern Western Australia on Christmas morning with warnings issued for parts of the state and the Northern Territory.

A blue alert has been issued for people in or near the coastal and inland communities between the WA and Northern Territory border and the Mitchell Plateau.

That includes people in Wyndham, Kalumburu, Troughton Island and surrounding areas.

"Although there is no immediate danger, you need to start preparing for dangerous weather and keep up to date," the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) warns.

Residents have been warned to secure or remove loose material from around their homes and ensure their emergency kits are complete.

The Northern Territory Emergency Service has also advised people in affected areas to tie things down and seek shelter when conditions deteriorate.

The service warned that driving conditions may be hazardous and urged people to avoid flooded roads and watercourses.

At around 6.30pm (CST) on Tuesday the tropical low was estimated to be about 270km northeast of Kalumburu and 335km north of Wyndham, moving south at 4km/h towards the north Kimberley coast.

The low may develop into a tropical cyclone in the next 12 to 24 hours, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Gales with gusts to 100km/h may develop on the coast on Wednesday morning.

Heavy rain is also expected over the far north Kimberley region during Wednesday and Thursday.

AAP anr/ldj

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Belfast peace talks fail to reach deal

OVERNIGHT talks in Belfast have failed to resolve deep-seated divisions over parades and flags that have triggered widespread rioting in Northern Ireland.

Richard Haass, director of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, led the multiparty talks.

The hope was that he could forge a compromise plan by the end of the year on areas of bitter dispute: parades, British and Irish flags and emblems, and remembering the dead from Northern Ireland's four-decade conflict.

Talks ended around 4am on Tuesday without agreement.

Haass insisted the process was "still alive" and said he might return to Belfast before the end of the year.

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'Pink batts' inquiry set to begin

A royal commission into the Rudd government's home insulation scheme will begin tomorrow. Source: AAP

A ROYAL Commission of Inquiry into deaths and injuries linked to the Rudd government's home insulation scheme will begin on Monday in Brisbane.

Four young men died while working on the roll-out of the so-called "pink batts" scheme set up in 2009.

Three of the men were Queenslanders Matthew Fuller, Rueben Barnes, Mitchell Sweeney and the fourth New South Welshman Marcus Wilson.

Their families believe the $2.8 billion program - implemented by then-prime minister Kevin Rudd to inject money into the economy during the global financial crisis - was rushed and lacked adequate safety standards.

The inquiry will also investigate the affect the program had on the reputation and profits of long-standing home insulation businesses.

Heading the Royal Commission is barrister and commercial dispute resolution practitioner Ian Hanger, QC.

Mr Hange has until June 30 next year to provide a report of his findings and recommendations.

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Spacesuit flaw postpones ISS repairs

NASA has delayed until Christmas Eve the next outing to repair the International Space Station. Source: AAP

A NEW flaw has emerged with a US-made spacesuit, forcing NASA to delay until Christmas Eve the next outing to repair the International Space Station.

The problem came up in a system that handles water condensation in veteran astronaut Rick Mastracchio's spacesuit after he re-entered the space station airlock following a spacewalk that lasted more than five hours, NASA said.

It was not believed to be the same type of issue that caused a dangerous water leak in the helmet of Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano in July.

An investigation into that situation is ongoing.

Faced with unexpected repairs due to an equipment cooling breakdown at the orbiting lab on December 11, NASA arranged makeshift snorkels inside the 35-year-old spacesuits and absorbent pads in the helmets for these spacewalks in case such a leak happened again.

"During repressuristion of the station's airlock following the spacewalk, a spacesuit configuration issue put the suit Mastracchio was wearing in question for the next excursion - specifically whether water entered into the suit's sublimator inside the airlock," the space agency said in a statement.

"This issue is not related to the spacesuit water leak that was seen during a July spacewalk."

Now, astronauts are resizing a spare spacesuit aboard the ISS for Mastracchio, 53, to wear on the next spacewalk to complete the pump replacement.

The outing was planned for Monday, but will now take place Tuesday, beginning at 7:10am (2310 AEDT).

NASA released the news late on Saturday, after the spacewalk by the two American astronauts ended with the successful disconnection and removal of the old pump.

NASA mission control in Houston checked in with them frequently to see if they were experiencing any wetness in their helmets, and each time the spacewalkers reported no problems.

Space agency officials told reporters this week that Hopkins, 44, would be wearing the suit Parmitano had worn when he experienced the leak that nearly drowned him, noting its water pump system had been replaced.

The spacewalks were called for after a faulty valve forced a partial shutdown in the system that regulates equipment temperature at the space station.

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Six horses slaughtered in SA stable

Six miniature show horses have been hacked to death at a stable south of Adelaide. Source: AAP

A $100,000 reward is being offered to catch the "extremely sick" person who slaughtered six miniature show horses in a South Australian stable.

Police describe the animal killings at Clayton Bay, about 70km south of Adelaide, as "bizarre and cruel", with no leads on a suspect.

Three miniature horses in the same stable were not harmed but six others were found dead with their throats cut.

The owner's son, Daniel Spong, told ABC Radio it may have been a targeted attack but he doesn't know why.

"It just would take an extremely sick individual, I think, to carry this out," he said.

"We just can't believe it.

"These horses each have their own characters and personalities, and each of the staff and family have their own personal relationships with the animals." He said the distraught owners were offering a $100,000 reward.

A police spokesman said the horses are believed to have been killed some time between Friday night and Saturday morning.

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Man critical after CBD assault

Two men are in a critical condition, following a night of alcohol-fuelled violence in Brisbane

Police would like to speak to this man in relation to a serious assault in Brisbane's CBD early Sunday morning. Source: Supplied

Police would like to speak to this man in relation to a serious assault in Brisbane's CBD early Sunday morning. Source: Supplied

A MAN has come forward over a bashing in Brisbane CBD overnight, which left another man with critical injuries.

A man voluntarily attended Petrie police station a short time ago and is currently speaking with detectives.

The other man is still in hospital in a critical condition with life threatening injuries.

EARLIER, police relased CCTV images of a man as part of ongoing investigations into the serious assault of a man in Brisbane's CBD.

Police are searching for a man who intervened in a couple's fight, seriously injuring a 38-year-old man in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The couple were arguing on the footpath of Queen Street near the intersection with Wharf Street around 4am when an unidentified man stepped in, seriously injuring the 38-year-old.

Brisbane region detective inspector Ian Park said the partner of the injured Arana Hills man was by his bedside in hospital.

"She's very upset obviously by what's happened," he said.

He said the man today remained in Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a critical condition with serious injuries after being resuscitated at the scene.

Insp Park said alcohol may have been a factor.

"I guess it's a fair assumption that at 4 o'clock there is going to be alcohol involved, so we would appeal to people to just be careful with alcohol and look after themselves and each other and not to drink to excessive levels, which is always a deadly cocktail."

There were reports that people performed CPR on the man before paramedics arrived.

Alessandro Vosolo, who is staying on the 44th floor of the building, said the fight sounded violent and lasted less than four minutes.

"Fighting, screaming, arguing like guys getting thrown around, that sort of thing," he said.

One witness said he was on the 20th floor of the hotel and heard the fight.

"A dude got beat up... We heard it but then police rocked up."

Police insp Park said a number of witnesses had already been interviewed but appealed for more people to step forward, particularly the man, understood to be Caucasian and in his 30s, who was involved in the fight.

The injured man was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a critical condition.

"Initial information suggests that a man and a woman were seen arguing on the footpath of Queen Street near the intersection with Wharf Street when another man intervened just before 4am," police said in a statement.

Police said the two men were then involved in a fight in which a 38-year-old Arana Hills man sustained a serious head injury.

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Detective inspector Ian Park said police were also investigating the assault of a man who got into a fight with a hotel staff member at the Orient about 4.30am.

A 37-year-old man fell down the stairs and suffered serious head injuries when his head hit the concrete pavement.

"I believe the may have been a disagreement between this person and a staff member but as to what actually took place is subject to investigation," Insp Park said.

The man was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital where he is in a serious condition.

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In a third incident, a man was allegedly glassed in the face at the Family Nightclub on McLachlan St in the Fortitude Valley about 3am Sunday.

Police said a 19-year-old was struck in the face with a glass, receiving cuts to his cheek area. Police said the man did not have life-threatening injuries.

A spokesman said security staff and patrons stopped the alleged attacker and held him until police arrived.

A 20-year-old Calamvale man has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm. He is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday morning.

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Swedish Christmas goat engulfed in flames

A giant straw goat in Sweden symbolising Christmas spirit has been burnt down for the 27th time. Source: AAP

VANDALS in Sweden have burned down for the 27th time a giant straw goat meant to symbolise Christmas spirit.

The 13-metre high and 3.6-tonne heavy straw goat was engulfed in flames early on Saturday after unidentified assailants attacked it in the Swedish town of Gavle, 150km north of Stockholm.

The straw goat is a centuries-old Scandinavian yule symbol that preceded Santa Claus as the bringer of gifts.

Since 1966, when the tradition of erecting the giant straw goat in the town square was introduced, Vandals have burnt it down 27 times.

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Khodorkovsky starts life as a free man

Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky has arrived in Germany after being freed from a Russian prison. Source: AAP

RUSSIA'S most famous prisoner, Kremlin critic and former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has begun life as a free man in Germany after his surprise pardon by President Vladimir Putin.

Khodorkovsky has been reunited with his son in Berlin, a spokeswoman for the former tycoon said on Saturday.

"The eldest son of Mikhail Borisovich, Pavel, has already seen his dad," a spokeswoman for Khodorkovsky, Olga Pispanen, said on Russian radio Echo of Moscow.

"They are now together in Berlin."

Khodorkovsky's parents, Marina and Boris, were also preparing to fly out to Germany to "finally see and hug him," the spokeswoman added.

Released on Friday after 10 years behind bars, Khodorkovsky is "feeling well" and will give a news conference on Sunday, she said, with the date and place to be confirmed later.

Khodorkovsky's 79-year-old mother, who has cancer, said she was taking sedatives to help her cope with the strong emotions sparked by his release.

"We survived grief but it is also apparently hard to survive joy," Marina Khodorkovskaya said in an interview broadcast on Russian state television on Saturday.

Putin stunned Russia on Thursday by revealing that Khodorkovsky had turned to him for pardon on humanitarian grounds, citing his mother's health.

In a head-spinning succession of events, less than 24 hours later Khodorkovsky was granted pardon, walked out of prison and flew to Germany in a secret operation worked out behind the scenes with Berlin.

Prison officials said Khodorkovsky had requested to fly to Germany, where his mother has undergone treatment before.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Khodorkovsky was not forced into exile and was free to return to Russia.

Former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who helped negotiate his release, arranged the flight for him on a private jet and picked him up at the airport in Berlin.

From the airport, Khodorkovsky was reportedly taken to Berlin's luxury Adlon Hotel near the Brandenburg Gate from which Genscher was seen leaving on Friday evening.

About 20 cameramen and photographers as well as two TV vans were waiting for a possible glimpse of the former tycoon outside the landmark hotel in sub-zero temperatures on Saturday morning, according to reports.

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Gay couples wed in Utah after ruling

A US judge has struck down Utah's same-sex marriage ban in a decision that marks a drastic shift towards gay marriage in a conservative state where the Mormon church has long been against it.

Friday's decision set off an immediate frenzy as the clerk in the state's most populous county began issuing marriage licences to dozens of gay couples while state officials took steps to appeal the ruling and halt the process.

Cheers erupted as the mayor of Salt Lake City led one of the state's first gay wedding ceremonies in an office building about three miles from the headquarters of the Mormon church.

Deputy Salt Lake County Clerk Dahnelle Burton-Lee said the district attorney authorised her office to begin issuing licences to same-sex couples but she couldn't immediately say how many had been issued.

Just hours earlier, US District Judge Robert Shelby issued a 53-page ruling saying the constitutional amendment Utah voters approved in 2004 violates gay and lesbian couples' rights to due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment. Shelby said the state failed to show that allowing same-sex marriages would affect opposite-sex marriages in any way.

"In the absence of such evidence, the State's unsupported fears and speculations are insufficient to justify the State's refusal to dignify the family relationships of its gay and lesbian citizens," Shelby wrote.

The decision drew a swift and angry reaction from Utah leaders, including Republican Governor Gary Herbert.

"I am very disappointed an activist federal judge is attempting to override the will of the people of Utah. I am working with my legal counsel and the acting attorney general to determine the best course to defend traditional marriage within the borders of Utah," Herbert said.

Late on Friday, the state filed both a notice of appeal of the ruling and a request for an emergency stay that would stop marriage licences from being issued to same-sex couples. It's unknown when the judge will make a decision on whether to grant the stay.

If the ruling stands, Utah would become the 18th state to allow gay marriages, said Jon Davidson, director of Lambda Legal, which pursues litigation on LGBT issues nationwide. That's up from six before the US Supreme Court last year struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. The District of Columbia also allows same-sex marriage.

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Gunman had botched vasectomy: Neighbours

AUTHORITIES in the US are trying to determine whether a Northern California man's anger over complications he suffered from a 2010 surgery prompted him to go on a shooting rampage at a Nevada urologist's office, killing one doctor and critically wounding another before committing suicide.

Reno Police Lieutenant William Rulla said on Friday detectives were working to obtain Alan Oliver Frazier's medical records to learn more about his physical and mental health.

Frazier, 51, made it clear in a suicide note that he had planned the attack and that his "focus was on the physicians at the specific office," Rulla said. Police recovered the note at Frazier's home.

Investigators have declined to specify the kind of surgery he had or say whether the doctors he targeted had anything to do with it.

But a couple who lived across the street from Frazier at Lake Almanor, about 130 miles north of Reno, said the operation he had had was a vasectomy. They also said Frazier frequently posted complaints in an online chat group about the pain he suffered from what he claimed was a botched surgery.

An international expert in men's reproductive health care said that while it's uncommon, some men experience pain more than two years after a vasectomy.

Neighbour Mario Tognotti told The Associated Press on Friday that Frazier told him and his wife that he sought help from doctors for his pain and had approached a lawyer about the situation. Tognotti declined to comment further.

His wife, Jari Tognotti, told the Reno Gazette-Journal in an email Thursday that Frazier encouraged friends to learn more about the kind of painful allergic reactions that men like him sometimes suffered as a result of vasectomies. She said it involved "immune-type reactions while their bodies are trying to absorb the sperm."

Dr Paul Turek, president of the Society of Male Reproduction and Urology, said that while vasectomies remain among the safest forms of permanent contraception, there are potential short- and long-term side effects. He declined to comment on Frazier's case, but noted about 60 to 70 per cent of men who undergo vasectomies develop an allergy to their sperm in the form of "antisperm antibodies."

Turek also said it's rare but possible to experience pain more than two years after a vasectomy.

"Developing over time can be a low-grade discomfort in the scrotum that's basically relieved by reversals because it's due to congestion that causes back pressure," Turek said.

Any sperm allergy appears to be localised to the immune systems on reproductive tracts, he said, and antisperm antibodies have not been shown conclusively to have any significant effect on other organs.

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NSW Police retrieve abseiler's body

An abseiler has fallen to his death and a woman has been lifted to safety in the Blue Mountains. Source: AAP

A MAN who fell to his death from a Blue Mountains cliff was reportedly trying to save his girlfriend after she became tangled in ropes.

The man in his 30s was abseiling with a woman in her 20s at Malaita Point, a popular abseiling spot on the edge of the Jamison Valley, near Katoomba, on Saturday morning.

Emergency services were called around 8.30am (AEDT) after the woman became tangled in ropes mid-way down a cliff.

Police say the man then plummeted down the cliff and the woman raised the alarm.

"It just so happened that at the time there were some tourists walking past and (they) came down to this lookout to admire the view, and they heard the female calling for help," Inspector Ken Schack-Evans told reporters at the scene.

An operation to retrieve the man's body was completed on Saturday evening.

The woman was winched to safety at about 1.30pm and wasn't injured, NSW Ambulance duty operations manager Murray Traynor said.

A rope system was used to haul her to the top of the cliff in a rescue operation involving ambulance and police helicopters.

Police will investigate the incident and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

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Attacks across Iraq leave 13 people dead

A STRING of attacks across Iraq has killed 13 people, including a senior military commander and four soldiers who died during a raid on an al-Qaeda hideout.

Police officials said army Major General Mohammed al-Karawi and the four troops were killed on Saturday when they stormed the booby-trapped hideout in the area of Rutba, in Iraq's volatile Sunni western Anbar province.

Al-Karawi, who commanded the Iraqi army's 7th Division, was leading a search operation hunting for al-Qaeda fighters in the area.

Also in western Iraq, gunmen in a speeding car opened fire at a police checkpoint in the city of Fallujah, killing four policemen earlier Saturday.

In the north, near the city of Kirkuk, an army officer and a soldier were killed when two mortar shells struck a military camp, officials said.

And in the town of Latifiyah, 30 kilometres south of Baghdad, a mortar shell hit a group of Shi'ite pilgrims heading to the holy sites in the city of Karbala.

The pilgrims were commemorating Arbaeen, the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death of Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussein, a revered Shi'ite figure.

Hundreds of thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims make their way every year to Karbala for Arbaeen. Al-Qaeda fighters and other Sunni insurgents frequently target Shi'ites, whom they consider to be infidels. Iraqi security forces also often poorly protect Shi'ite marches and pilgrimages to holy sites.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for any of the attacks.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to media.

Violence has spiked in Iraq since a deadly crackdown on a Sunni protest camp in a northern town in April. At least 365 people have died in attacks across the country so far this month, according to an Associated Press count.

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Milky Way to be mapped in 3D

The European Space Agency has launched a project set to provide the mapping of the Milky Way. Source: AAP

THE European Space Agency has launched a project set to provide the first realistic three-dimensional mapping of the Milky Way.

As part of the mission, a highly precise telescope dubbed Gaia will orbit the sun at a distance of 1.5 million kilometres beyond the Earth's orbit.

The rocket was launched on Thursday on a Russian Soyuz rocket, taking off from a space station in French Guiana.

The aim of the five-year mission is to map more than a billion stars, thereby creating a three-dimensional map of their positions and movement in space.

Scientists hope the information obtained will help them to better understand the structure and evolution of our galaxy, thereby shedding light on how it came into being.

New data on the movement of stars is also meant to allow scientists to predict incidents like the meteorite that exploded over Russia in February.

The comprehensive map, expected to collate data filling the equivalent of 20,000 DVDs, is set to be completed in 2020.

The first useable scientific data from the telescope is expected in January.

An earlier attempt by the agency to map the Milky Way took place from 1989 to 1993.

Experts say the mapping technology used for Gaia is 50 times more precise than that of its predecessor.

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Former judge to head new Vic parole board

FORMER Victorian Supreme Court justice Bill Gillard QC will be the first full-time chair of the state's parole board.

Mr Gillard will head the new-look Adult Parole Board and is joined by community representatives Rudolph Kirby, Glenda Frost, Peter Harvey and Keith Wolahan.

Retired County Court judge and serving board member Frank Shelton will be deputy chair.

The state government has overhauled the parole system on the recommendations of former High Court judge Ian Callinan, who delivered a scathing review of the board's performance after a series of murders committed by parolees.

Until now, the board has been chaired by a sitting Supreme Court judge, most recently Justice Elizabeth Curtain.

Board members are now only allowed to serve a maximum term of nine years, while registered victims must be given at least two weeks' notice of a prisoner's parole release.

The government has changed legislation to automatically cancel parole for serious sex and violent offenders who commit further crimes.

Laws have also been passed making it a crime to breach parole, with a possible jail term added to any other time owing.

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Woman killed in three car Vic crash

A THREE-CAR smash in southern Victoria has killed a woman and injured a man.

Three cars collided and a motorcyclist skidded off the road on Phillip Island Road at San Remo on Friday afternoon.

Police say a woman aged in her 50s died, while a man in his 60s was airlifted to The Alfred hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, a cyclist has died at the same hospital following an alleged hit-and-run collision a kilometre from his Melbourne home last month.

Brighton East man Julian Paul, 53, was cycling home on November 26 when he was hit from behind by a car, leaving him with severe spine and brain injuries.

He died in The Alfred on Wednesday night, police said on Friday.

A 31-year-old Moorabbin woman was charged a few days after the incident with failing to stop after an accident and failing to render assistance.

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NSW police officer nabbed drink-driving

A NSW police officer has been charged with high-range drink-driving.

The male officer, attached to Sydney's Central Metropolitan Region Command, was issued with a court attendance notice on Thursday for driving with a high-range PCA.

The man is due to appear in Orange Local Court on January 23.

A police spokesman said no further details would be released due to a policy change in the way such matters were reported to the media.

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Investigators probe UK theatre collapse

At least 88 people were injured when the ceiling collapsed during a show at London's Apollo Theatre. Source: AAP

INVESTIGATORS are seeking to establish why the ceiling of a packed London theatre collapsed, injuring 76 people and coating terrified audience members with rubble.

A sell-out crowd of around 720 people was in the Apollo Theatre in Soho on Thursday night when ornate masonry and rigging fell about five storeys on to their heads.

Witnesses said they heard creaking noises in the 112-year-old theatre, but thought it was part of the show they were watching, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

Then debris and dust filled the air, sending coughing, terrified theatregoers - many of them families enjoying a pre-Christmas treat - fleeing for the exits.

Rescuers commandeered three iconic red London double-decker buses to transport the injured, while the city's normally tourist-thronged "Theatreland" was brought to a stunned halt.

Ambulance staff treated 76 patients, taking 58 to hospital, where seven were described as having serious but not life-threatening injuries.

A surveyor examined the theatre overnight and said the roof was secure, but investigations are now being carried out by the local authority to establish what happened.

The abnormally heavy rain that fell in the hour before the ceiling collapsed shortly after 8.00pm (0700 AEDT Friday) is likely to be one line of inquiry.

"We will not know the cause of the incident until all investigations have been completed but checks are ongoing," said councillor Nickie Aiken of Westminster Council.

"This appears to be an isolated incident, but we will continue to work with theatres throughout the day to ensure that all safety precautions are in place."

All historic theatres are required to undergo rigorous safety checks on their roofs every three years, she added.

Witnesses told of terror inside the Edwardian-era theatre, which has three tiers of balconies, the uppermost of which is said to be the steepest in London.

"A section of the theatre's ceiling collapsed on to the audience who were watching the show. The ceiling took parts of the balconies down with it," senior firefighter Nick Harding told reporters.

"In my time as a fire officer I've never seen an incident like this."

Desmond Thomas, 18, part of a school party watching the show, said they heard noises before the accident.

"Maybe 10 minutes into the performance we heard a tap-tap noise, we thought it was rain," he told AFP.

"There was a crack and then it suddenly seemed to get bigger and suddenly it collapsed. The next thing we knew the whole theatre filled with dust and smoke."

Simon Usborne, a journalist for The Independent newspaper who was watching the show, said there was "chaos".

"Loud bangs, cracks. Thought was part of show then whole interior of theatre filled with curtain of dark grey dust and debris, falling on heads of anyone not sheltered," he tweeted afterwards.

"People emerging soon after bloodied - children crying - family show - people dumbfounded."

No Australians were reported to be injured in the collapse. "Consular staff are in contact with UK authorities, but have not been advised of any Australians affected at this stage," a spokeswoman for the high commission in London said in a statement.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was being kept updated on the incident and was "grateful for the fast work of the emergency services in helping the injured".

Some of the injured were treated in triage centres set up in the lobbies of the nearby Gielgud and Queen's theatres.

"In the finest traditions of Theatreland, they very quickly rallied around," said fire brigade spokesman Graham Ellis.

He said that "heavy ornate plaster" had fallen from the roof on to theatregoers in the circle, dress circle and stalls.

Audience member James Kearney, who was given a ticket to the show as a present, told AFP there were "people with blood on their heads in shock" behind them.

Kearney's companion Dee Stephenson said there was so much dust afterwards they had to feel their way out.

"Everybody was in a trance-like state. A lot of people were in absolute shock," Stephenson told AFP. "We were extremely fortunate."

Based on an award-winning novel by Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time has been running in London since August 2012.

Haddon said on Twitter that the incident was "horrifying" and that he was "hugely relieved that no one died".

The owner of the Apollo, Nimax Theatres, said the ceiling collapse was a "shocking and upsetting incident".

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DuluxGroup sees modest growth in 2014

Shares in paint supplier DuluxGroup have risen after the company forecast modest growth for 2014. Source: AAP

SHARES in paint, glue and garden goods supplier DuluxGroup have risen after the company forecast modest growth for 2014.

Managing director Patrick Houlihan on Thursday told shareholders low interest rates, expansionary consumer confidence and rising house prices were helping its Australian operations.

"In addition, we have seen signs that new housing construction will improve, though of course most of our exposure to this segment of the market is late in the cycle," he said.

"Given this, we expect modest market growth in 2014 in Australia."

Rebuilding activity in the earthquake damaged city of Christchurch is expected to help in New Zealand but China and Papua New Guinea are more challenging, the company advised.

DuluxGroup shares added 18 cents, or 3.4 per cent, to $5.48.

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Conditions at Nauru horrendous: senator

Greens' Sarah Hanson-Young says conditions for children being held at Nauru are "heart wrenching". Source: AAP

THE living conditions for children at the Nauru detention camp are "heart wrenching", Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says.

The senator has just returned from a four-day trip to the Pacific nation, where she toured the Australian offshore detention facilities housing asylum seekers.

The camps, located in the middle of a phosphate mine, house single adult males and families separately in conditions Senator Hanson-Young described as "harsh".

There was no grass or shade at the facilities, or a space for children to play.

"They live 24/7 on gravel, housed in tents, where it is upwards 40 degrees," she told Sky News on Thursday.

"They can't escape that."

Senator Hanson-Young decried the fact that so close to Christmas, children in the centres had no toys or a school to attend and were confused about why they were being detained.

All detainees she encountered referred to the facilities as prisons, reflecting the "horrendous reality" of the offshore detention policy supported by the federal government and Labor.

"The reality is we are destroying the lives of these children," she said.

The United Nations refugee agency in November warned that asylum seekers being detained at Australia's offshore centres were being subjected to arbitrary, mandatory and indefinite detention in unsafe and inhumane conditions.

Officials inspected detention centres at Nauru and PNG's Manus Island in October, finding harsh conditions there failed to meet international standards.

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