Iran says it's not seeking nuclear weapons

IRAN'S Supreme Leader says Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons, but that no power could stop Tehran's access to an atomic bomb if it intended to build it.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran, told a group of Iranians at his residence in Tehran that Iran backs the elimination of nuclear weapons.

His comments were posted on Saturday on his website, khamenei.ir.

Iran has been highlighting a religious decree issued by Khamenei that bans nuclear weapons in an effort to back up its claim that Iran's nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes and medical research.

The US and its allies fear that Iran might ultimately be able to develop a nuclear weapon.

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Six-year-old girl raped, dumped in India

A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl has been kidnapped, raped and dumped on the side of the road in New Delhi in the latest sexual attack to shock India.

The girl, from Delhi's satellite city of Gurgaon, was spotted by a passer-by in the border region of Kapashera. The crime became public knowledge after local newspapers and news-channels reported it on Friday.

"Medical examinations have confirmed rape. The girl is recuperating in a hospital," Om Prakash, a local police officer said.

"We have launched a manhunt to arrest those responsible for the brutal act but have few leads as the girl is unable to give a proper statement since she is traumatised," he added.

The Times of India reported the victim was last seen with a man in his early twenties and it was possible that she had been raped by more than one person.

Many rapes have been reported since December's fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi. The assault sparked angry protests and demands for better protection for women and stricter laws against rape.

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Suicide attack kills senior Iraqi officer

A SUICIDE attack on Saturday killed a senior Iraqi intelligence officer outside his home near the main northern city of Mosul, officials said.

Brigadier General Aouni Ali, the head of Iraq's main intelligence academy, and two of his guards were killed in the bomb blast at Tal Afar, near Mosul, police and a doctor said.

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Belgium against release of Dutroux

BELGIAN prosecutors and prison officials have recommended that pedophile killer Marc Dutroux stay behind bars as judges get set to rule on his contentious bid for early release.

In the first of two rulings, judges will decide on Monday whether Dutroux should wear an electronic ankle bracelet in the case of an early release from prison.

The 56-year-old is Belgium's most notorious criminal. In the 1990s, he kidnapped six girls, raping and confining them in a dungeon-like cellar. Four of them died.

Dutroux was sentenced to life in prison in 2004, but under Belgian law he can request a conditional release after completing one third of his sentence - a point that would be met on April 30 after almost 16 years behind bars.

The Belgian judicial system is going through the motions triggered by his request, although an early release is deemed unlikely.

The prosecution and prison directors gave four reasons why Dutroux should not be set free, media group Sudpresse reported on Saturday.

Firstly, they said it would be difficult for him to find work as nobody would employ him - a problem that Dutroux himself had admitted to friends. He was considering working as an independent plumber or car mechanic.

Secondly, Dutroux had nowhere to live after his closest friend had retracted an offer to accommodate him upon release.

In addition to this, recent statements by Dutroux had shown he could still cause distress to his victims, and there was a risk of re-offence, Sudpresse wrote, quoting him as saying that he had "treated the little girls with humanity."

Monday's hearing will be public, but it remained unclear whether Dutroux would be present. His last court hearing, on February 4, was held behind closed doors and under heavy police guard.

There was widespread outrage last year when Dutroux's ex-wife and accomplice, Michelle Martin, was freed after serving 16 years of a 30-year sentence.

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EU states want business tax equality

THE finance ministers of Britain, France and Germany have launched a drive to force big business to pay its fair share of tax and halt the schemes of top firms to keep payments to a minimum.

Britain's George Osborne, France's Pierre Moscovici and Germany's Wolfgang Schaeuble said it was time for internationally co-ordinated action to clamp down on the practice of shifting profits from the company's home country to pay less tax under another jurisdiction.

The drive - which is backed by a study by the Organisation for Co-operation and Economic Development (OECD) on the consequences of the so-called profit shifting - comes as cash-strapped governments try to use every means to inject new funds into their budgets.

"We are talking about something that is fundamentally legal. We need to modify the law," said OECD secretary general Angel Gurria. "Avoiding double taxation has become a way of having double non-taxation.

"No single country can go by itself," he said at a news conference on the sidelines of the G20 finance ministers' meeting in Moscow, insisting that the drive was not aimed at "bashing" individual corporate giants.

Schaeuble said it was "unfair that multinational companies should be able to use globalisation as a tool" not to pay their fair share of taxes while Moscovici described the issue as a "matter of fairness for our citizens".

Osborne said current global tax rules had been developed almost 100 years ago - along principles set out by the League of Nations in the 1920s - and few changes had been made since.

"This means that the tax system does not reflect how international companies do business.

"We want businesses to pay the taxes that we set in our countries. And this cannot be achieved by one country alone. No one country can create an international tax system by itself."

The ministers emphasised that their proposal was supported by the Russian presidency of the G20.

Online retailer Amazon, internet giant Google as well as coffee shop chain Starbucks have been under the spotlight for their tax strategies in Britain and other EU countries in recent months.

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Extraordinary attack by KAP candidate

BOB Katter's Australian Party (KAP) has decided not to expel a Senate candidate who tweeted that he didn't want homosexuals teaching his children.

However, soon after the decision late on Friday, Bernard Gaynor launched an extraordinary attack on those who decided not to throw him out, and fellow Senate candidate Steve Bailey.

Earlier in the day, the party confirmed it would not disendorse Mr Bailey, who has publicly said that he supports gay marriage despite one of KAP's core principles being that marriage is between a man and a woman.

The party's National Director Aidan McLindon said candidates were allowed to voice personal opinions, just not on behalf of the party.

"We have our core values and principles like every political party," he told reporters at party headquarters in Brisbane.

"People can champion their opinions, but they can't do it on behalf of the good party.

"Australians know what the party stands for and we're not going to be distracted by these side issues."

Mr McLindon had originally asked Mr Bailey to withdraw his candidacy but party leader Bob Katter overrode the decision.

On Friday evening Mr Gaynor welcomed the party's decision not to terminate his own membership, saying it confirmed his statements did not undermine KAP's core values.

"The backlash against me from radical progressives was driven from their desire to indoctrinate children, regardless of parents' wishes," he said in a statement.

"Teachers have no right to give the impression that a homosexual lifestyle is moral.

"Indeed, it would be a perverted country if homosexual teachers had more rights than parents to form a child's understanding of morality."

He said parents across Australia should be very uncomfortable about "this disgusting notion", adding that the decision not to terminate his membership was clear proof the management committee was embarrassed about its knee-jerk reaction in the face of criticism from "the flouncing blouse set on the left".

He thanked the party leadership for "belatedly growing a backbone" and deciding not to cave in, before attacking the decision to continue to back Mr Bailey as stupid.

"It is perpetually stupid to keep walking down the aisle with him towards an election," he concluded.

Another KAP candidate, Tess Corbett, withdrew her candidacy last month after telling a newspaper she didn't believe gay people should have the same rights as heterosexuals.

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Airbus decides against lithium batteries

Airbus has announced it wont use lithium batteries in the A350 long-range liner under development. Source: AAP

AIRBUS will not use lithium batteries in the A350 long-range liner under development, a company source says.

"The first planes will be delivered with cadmium, not lithium batteries," the source told AFP on Friday, adding that the airliner's first test flights would take place with the lithium batteries.

The announcement comes as Boeing's 50 Dreamliners in service around the world have been grounded since January, after battery smoke forced an emergency landing of one plane and a battery fire was reported on a parked plane.

US air safety investigators have since zeroed in on how a battery fire occurred on the parked plane - a Japanese Airlines 787 at Boston's Logan airport - saying evidence pointed to a single cell on the eight-cell lithium-ion battery, which short circuited, leading to a rise in temperature.

Investigators do not yet know what specifically caused the short circuit.

The Airbus A350 is due to enter service in the second half of 2014, with the company hoping the liner will make it competitive in the long-haul market, where its planes have found it hard to challenge Boeing's 747s and 777s.

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European stocks stable in early deals

EUROPE'S main stock markets are steady in early morning deals.

London's FTSE 100 index of top companies was down 0.09 per cent at 6,321.38 points on Friday morning.

Frankfurt's DAX 30 index fell 0.12 per cent to 7,622.01 points, while in Paris the CAC 40 firmed 0.21 per cent to 3,677.38.

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Oscar Pistorius appears in court

Olympic amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius (C) has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend. Source: AAP

A TEARFUL Oscar Pistorius has been remanded in custody after being formally charged with the murder of his girlfriend.

He was wearing a dark suit, tie and blue shirt when he appeared in the Pretoria magistrates court on Friday.

He broke down in the dock as magistrate Desmond Nair formally charged him with the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, 29.

Prosecutors say they will pursue a premeditated murder charge against Pistorius, 26.

Pistorius stood with his face in his hands as he broke down in tears.

The magistrate delayed Pistorius' bail hearing until Tuesday and Wednesday and ruled that he must be held at a Pretoria police station until then.

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Passengers leave stricken US cruise ship

The crippled cruise ship making its way to the US has suffered a setback after a tow line snapped. Source: AAP

THE last passengers have left a stricken cruise ship in the United States, some kissing the ground, and many angry.

"All guests have now disembarked the Carnival Triumph," the operator Carnival Cruise Line tweeted on Thursday night.

Cheering passengers hung over rails or waited in lines to exit while others, unkempt and some wearing bathrobes, rushed down the single enclosed gangway of the 14-storey ship as they began disembarking at the US port of Mobile, Alabama.

Customs staff had earlier boarded the ship to speed up the process and the cruise line arranged around 100 buses to ferry passengers to Texas or New Orleans for an overnight stay.

No injuries were reported, but one guest with a medical condition was taken off the ship with the help of the Coast Guard.

After a fire on Sunday off the coast of Mexico caused the ship to lose power and left all on board in squalid conditions, the ship was towed towards port at the speed of a recreational jogger.

A tow line attached to one of four tugboats pulling the vessel broke, further hampering the operation.

The 3143 guests and around 1000 crew had been forced to relieve themselves in plastic bags and flee to the open deck to escape overflowing toilets and overheated rooms, CNN reported.

While they praised the crew for working long shifts to ensure guests were as comfortable as possible, many passengers voiced anger over the ordeal, the New York Daily News reported.

"Let us off! Let us off!" some chanted during a disembarking process that lasted several hours.

Passengers also poured scorn on Carnival chief executive Gerry Cahill, who had boarded the vessel to apologise.

"It was absolutely filthy," passenger Robin Burgess said.

"I'm feeling awesome just to see land," added Brittany Ferguson, 24.

Some rolled out banners with messages such as "Sweet Home Alabama" which others had sung on the slow approach into dock.

"Help, we need beer!", another sign said, as others had earlier created human SOS signs also spelling "H-E-L-P."

Passengers related stories of sewage pouring down walls, pungent smells and camping out on deck to avoid the odour.

The planned four-day cruise embarked from Galveston, Texas, on February 7.

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Pistorius held for shooting girlfriend

Olympian Oscar Pistorius has reportedly shot his girlfriend dead after mistaking her for a burglar. Source: AAP

SOUTH African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has been arrested after his model girlfriend was shot dead at his home.

According to local media reports, Reeva Steenkamp, 29, may have been mistaken for an intruder at the property in the Silver Lakes Golf Estate in Boschkop in Pretoria.

There was speculation the shooting may have been a Valentine's Day surprise gone wrong.

Pistorius is known as the Blade Runner because of the ground-breaking prosthetics he uses for racing.

He had been expected to race in Australia in March.

Steenkamp, described in her Twitter biography as a model, cover girl and law graduate, had tweeted about Valentine's Day on Wednesday, writing: "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay".

Police spokeswoman Katlego Mogale told the South African Press Association police were called to Pistorius' home early on Thursday following the shooting.

She said: "Paramedics declared the woman dead on the scene and police proceeded with their investigation. The woman sustained wounds to her head and the upper body."

A 9mm pistol was recovered. According to unconfirmed reports four shots were fired.

Pistorius, 26, was expected to appear in court on Thursday.

Police said a case of murder was being investigated.

The athlete, who lives on a guarded estate, appeared to have serious concerns about his safety.

He was said to keep weapons at his home and sleep with a revolver by his side.

A journalist from the UK's Daily Mail who interviewed Pistorius noted: "This being South Africa, one baseball bat and one cricket bat lie behind Pistorius' bedroom door.

"A revolver is at his bedside. A machine gun by his window."

During the interview, published in August, he described himself as "really blessed".

He told the paper: "All I want is not to spend my career discussing my legs."

He made history at the London 2012 Olympics when he became the first amputee sprinter to compete in the able-bodied Games, running in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

The Johannesburg-born athlete, who was born without fibulas in his legs and had the limbs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, had to win a legal battle over his blades with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 2008 for the right to compete in able-bodied competition.

Tropika Island of Treasure - an entertainment show starring Steenkamp due to be broadcast this weekend - posted a tribute to Steenkamp on its website.

It says: "We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to Reeva's family and friends."

Athletes joined fans in paying tribute to Steenkamp.

On Wednesday Pistorius was active on his Twitter account, retweeting South African movie channel MNet.

The tweet was about a film the channel is showing as part of its Oscars film awards celebrations - a campaign Pistorius is a brand ambassador for, according to his website.

Just three days ago, Pistorius tweeted about his excitement regarding his first race of 2013, accompanied by a photograph of him in action.

The Tropika Island of Treasure website also features a profile of Steenkamp in which she is described as a top model and reality television star who "prefers to read a book on her off days and spend quality time with friends and family".

The profile says: "Reeva was born in Cape Town and moved to Port Elizabeth as a child where she continued her studies after matriculating, eventually graduating with a degree in law.

"She moved to JHB (Johannesburg) six years ago after being scouted and named the first face of cosmetics giant Avon South Africa.

"Since then, Reeva has travelled between JHB and Cape Town to film and shoot some of SA's leading campaigns and commercials.

"Toyota, FHM, Clover and Italian brand Zui are some of the more prestigious clients she has worked for.

"With a background in TV presenting, once the live roaming presenter for FashionTV in South Africa, Reeva is currently working on some major projects that include smaller TV roles as well as a lead in a new reality TV show.

"Reeva has a passion for cars and cooking."

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said: "At this time the IPC would like to offer its deepest sympathy and condolences to all families involved in this case."

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India inflation hits 3-year low of 6.6%

INDIA'S stubbornly high inflation eased to a three-year low of 6.6 per cent in January, a glimmer of good economic news that adds to expectations the central bank will further reduce interest rates to boost slowing growth.

Wholesale price inflation released on Thursday was down from 7.2 per cent year-on-year in December.

India's economy is expanding at its slowest pace in a decade, with gross domestic product predicted to grow as little as 5 per cent in the fiscal year ending in March.

That's down from 9 per cent in early 2011, and it's paired with rising budget and current account deficits.

Worrisomely high inflation has been the main reason that the Reserve Bank of India has hesitated to cut interest rates to stimulate investment and spending.

The easing of inflation pressure - the index has now inched down for four months - gives the central bank more scope to lower borrowing costs but many analysts say the cuts won't be large as inflation is still higher than the RBI would like.

The bank has pledged to bring wholesale inflation down to below 4.5 per cent.

Manufactured goods led the drop in overall inflation, with price rises slowing to 4.8 per cent in January over a year earlier.

Fuel and power costs were up by 7.1 per cent, but that was down from 9.4 per cent in December.

Food prices, which are more volatile, recorded some sharp increases.

Pulses were up 16.9 per cent and potatoes surged 79.1 per cent.

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Streets cordoned off in WA siege

POLICE are negotiating with a man holed up in his house in Perth's northern suburbs.

Firefighters were called to the home on Mayflower Crescent, Craigie, mid-afternoon on Thursday because of a fire in the backyard.

The man became aggressive towards the firefighters and the Tactical Response Unit was brought in.

Several streets have been cordoned off.

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President's son quits Indonesia parliament

THE son of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has resigned from parliament following criticism over his absence at a recent plenary session of the House.

Edhie Baskoro announced his resignation on Thursday, two days after being caught on camera signing an attendance form, then skipping the plenary session of the 550-seat House.

The 32-year-old politician argued he missed the session because he was busy preparing for a meeting of the leadership of his father's ruling Democratic Party.

He also is secretary-general of the party, which has been plagued by a recent series of graft scandals.

In a move to save the party, President Yudhoyono last week relieved chairman Anas Urbaningrum of his duties to allow him to focus on legal issues following corruption allegations.

Edhie Baskoro graduated from Perth's Curtin University of Technology in 2005.

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'Axe the Tampon Tax' issue rises again

FEDERAL politicians are again under pressure to scrap the GST on tampons, with thousands of people signing an online petition calling for the 10 per cent levy to be dropped.

Perth student Sophie Liley launched the petition on change.org on Tuesday and within 36 hours had gained 15,000 signatures of support from men and women.

Labor had campaigned to have GST on tampons scrapped in 2000.

In September 2001 the Senate passed a bill exempting the products, breast pumps, funeral services, and caravan park and boarding house rents from GST - but the changes were vetoed in the House of Representatives.

The latest "Axe the Tampon Tax" petition says most women will end up being taxed $1000 over their lifetime for sanitary products and calls on Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to make scrapping GST on tampons a key 2013 election pledge.

"It's completely outrageous that women are forced to pay the GST on tampons because they're labelled as 'luxury' items - particularly when condoms, lubricants, incontinence pads and sunscreen are GST free," Ms Liley said.

"A government that charges women the GST as a direct consequence of their basic biology is a country that is fundamentally sexist.

"It sends the message that in this day and age, despite having our first female prime minister, we are okay with continued sexism in this country."

The issue has also gained support on social media sites, with plenty of people posting Twitter messages linked to the petition, with the hashtag #bloodyoutrage.

The issue also arose in 2009 after supermarket chain Coles reduced the price of female hygiene products by 10 per cent to offset the GST.

Coles said at the time it was removing the equivalent cost of the tax because tampons should be treated the same as basic food, education and medical services.

But the government refused to budge, with the then assistant treasurer Nick Sherry commenting: "The government has made a commitment to maintain the existing GST arrangements."

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UN experts in Iran for nuclear talks

SENIOR UN investigators are in Iran for a new round of talks with government officials over allegations that Tehran may have carried out tests on triggers for atomic weapons.

Iranian state TV said on Wednesday that talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency could be extended beyond the day, "if necessary".

The visit by the UN team, led by Herman Nackaerts, comes a day after Tehran raised prospects that the IAEA may be allowed to inspect Parchin, a military site where the agency suspects nuclear-related experiments were conducted.

Iran denies any such activities and insists Parchin is only a conventional military site.

The US and its allies fear Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran denies the charge, saying its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

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Energy agency cuts oil demand forecast

THE International Energy Agency (IEA) has cut its world oil demand forecast for 2013 on continuing fragility in the world economy despite signs of recovery in China and the US.

The IEA said the marginal cut of 85,000 barrels a day was in line with the prospect for slower economic growth forecast by the International Monetary Fund, which last month cut its world growth estimate for 2013 to 3.5 per cent from 3.6 per cent.

The agency now forecasts oil demand of 90.7 million barrels a day, with the eurozone and Latin America accounting for much of the revisions.

"The reduction in the IMF economic outlook for Europe seems particularly ominous," the agency said in its monthly report on the world oil market, in part because of "the sheer size of the region's economic footprint".

Oil demand across Europe is now forecast to decline 260,00 bpd, or down 1.9 per cent, instead of 235,000 bpd lower as forecast earlier.

The IEA said world oil supply hit 12-month lows in January, down 100,000 bpd on a monthly basis to 30.34 mbd, despite higher production from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

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NATO raid kills civilians: Afghan official

A NATO airstrike has killed eight civilians, four children and four women, as well as a number of insurgents in an eastern province near the Pakistani border, an Afghan official says.

The governor of Kunar province said the airstrike occurred during a joint NATO-Afghan operation in the Shigal district on Tuesday night and early Wednesday.

Sayed Fazelullah Wahidi said a number of insurgents were killed in the strike, but he couldn't give a specific number.

The international military alliance in Kabul said it was looking into the reports.

"We are definitely aware of the allegations of these civilian casualties," said Jamie Graybeal, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), as the alliance is known.

"We take these allegations very seriously and we are in the process of determining the circumstances surrounding this incident."

The killing of civilians at the hands of US and other foreign forces has been one of the most contentious issues in the 11-year war.

The UN body monitoring the rights of children said last week that attacks by US military forces in Afghanistan, including airstrikes, have reportedly killed hundreds of children over the last four years.

The Geneva-based Committee on the Rights of the Child said the casualties were "due notably to reported lack of precautionary measures and indiscriminate use of force."

ISAF, which is composed mainly of US forces, dismissed that claim, saying that it takes special care to avoid civilian casualties.

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Two homes destroyed in WA bushfire

TWO homes have been destroyed in Western Australia's South West as a string of bushfires sparked by lightning strikes sweep through the region.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said just before 6pm (WST) that a homestead in Southampton, to the northwest of Bridgetown, had burnt down.

A home some 900 metres away had also been destroyed.

About 130 firefighters are battling the blazes, which span the South West and Lower South West.

An emergency warning has been put in place, meaning residents have to act now to survive.

The department says 1685 hectares have been burnt so far, and the fire is moving in an easterly direction.

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Pope greets pilgrims after resignation

The Vatican has begun a momentous transition process following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Source: AAP

POPE Benedict XVI has made his first public appearance since announcing his resignation, holding an audience with thousands of cheering pilgrims in a Vatican auditorium.

The 85-year-old pope waved to the crowd but looked tired as he entered the hall on Wednesday in what will be one of his last appearances before he steps down on February 28.

Benedict will step down on February 28 because of his advancing age.

He will go on to celebrate an Ash Wednesday mass in St Peter's Basilica on Thursday, his last public mass and one of his last engagements as pope.

The mass is traditionally held in the Santa Sabina Church on Rome's Aventine Hill.

On this occasion however it has been moved: out of respect for the outgoing pontiff, and to accommodate the crowd of faithful who will want to mark the end of his eight-year rule - one of the shortest in the Church's modern history.

"It will be an important concelebration, and the last led by the Holy Father in San Pietro," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.

Key cardinals were expected to attend as the papal conclave begins gathering in Rome to elect the next pope.

No date has yet been set for the secret conclave, which will meet in the Sistine Chapel under Michelangelo's famous ceiling frescoes, but it could come within days of Benedict's resignation.

Lombardi has said he expects a new pope in place in time for Easter, which falls on March 31 this year. Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone will govern the Church during the transition.

Candidates for the Vatican's top job will join bishops, monks, friars and pilgrims for the Ash Wednesday celebrations, during which the pope anoints the foreheads of the faithful with ashes, launching a period of penitence before Easter in the Christian calendar.

Benedict's surprise decision to step down - making him the first pontiff in 700 years to resign simply because he cannot carry on - sparked a flurry of rumours over his health, fed by revelations that he had had an operation to replace the batteries in his pacemaker three months ago.

His decision was seen by some as a bid to avoid the fate of Benedict's predecessor John Paul II, whose drawn-out and debilitating illness was played out on the world's stage.

The Vatican has insisted the pontiff suffers from nothing worse than arthritis and old age.

After Ash Wednesday Benedict will hold another general audience and recite the Angelus twice from his apartment window on St Peter's Square before retiring to a secluded monastery, the Vatican added.

Soon a new pope will be installed in the papal apartments, with his predecessor just a stone's throw way in the monastery which sits within the Vatican grounds, leading many to ask what role will be carved out for Benedict. The Vatican has said he will spend his time in prayer rather than giving advice.

Vatican experts, who widely described the resignation as "revolutionary", said it could change the face of the modern papacy by setting a precedent for ageing pontiffs in the future.

As rumours fly over front-runners for St. Peter's chair, commentators have said age may be a key factor in selecting a new pope, but any of the 117 cardinals eligible to vote could be chosen.

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Obama rebukes North Korea over test

The US president called for "swift" international action following North Korea's nuclear test. Source: AAP

US President Barack Obama says North Korea's "provocative" nuclear test does not make it more secure, calling for "swift" and "credible" international action.

Obama also vowed in a written statement on Tuesday that Washington would remain vigilant in the face of the underground detonation by the Stalinist state and steadfast in its defence commitments to its allies in Asia.

"These provocations do not make North Korea more secure," Obama said.

"Far from achieving its stated goal of becoming a strong and prosperous nation, North Korea has instead increasingly isolated and impoverished its people through its ill-advised pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery."

Obama complained that the test was a "highly provocative act" that -- following the North's December 12 ballistic missile launch -- undermined regional stability and violated UN Security Council resolutions.

"The danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants further swift and credible action by the international community," Obama said, ahead of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called for later on Tuesday.

"The United States will also continue to take steps necessary to defend ourselves and our allies," Obama said.

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Perth bushfire threat scaled back

AN alert for a bushfire burning in Perth's southern fringe has been downgraded, but authorities warn there is still a danger to residents as the unpredictable blaze rages on.

An emergency warning was issued at 4.15pm (WST) on Tuesday but was downgraded to a watch and act alert at 5.30pm for people in an area bounded by Hella Kipper Drive, Nettleton Road and Manjedal Road, in the southern part of Karrakup, in the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.

The fire started between South Western Highway and Norman Road in Cardup at 3.20pm.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said fire crews on the ground and air support worked hard to slow the spread of the fire, which resulted in the alert level being downgraded.

"There is still a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is approaching the area and conditions are changing," the department warns.

"You need to leave or get ready to actively defend."

The bushfire, which is still out of control, is moving in a northeasterly direction towards Nettleton Road.

Burning embers were likely to be blown around homes and spot fires were starting ahead of the fire, the DFES said.

The flames have so far burnt about 28 hectares.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

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UK inflation holds steady at 2.7 per cent

BRITAIN'S inflation rate remained unchanged in January, figures show.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) was unchanged at 2.7 per cent but economists predict energy price hikes and rising food prices could push the rate above three per cent by the summer.

The Bank of England (BoE) warned last week that inflation might remain above its two per cent target for the next two years.

The BoE will publish its latest quarterly economic forecasts on Wednesday.

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Train hits truck in Japan, 16 injured

A PASSENGER train has hit a truck at a level crossing in Japan with footage and reports from the scene showing it had mounted a station platform.

A picture published by the Yomiuri Shimbun showed a carriage half-on a platform in Hyogo prefecture. A spokesman for the local police confirmed Tuesday's accident and said the injury toll of 16 may rise.

"A train and a trailer collided at a crossing near Arai station on the Sanyo line in Takasago city at around 3.50pm (1750 AEDT)," a spokesman said.

"Sixteen people including the drivers of the truck and the train were injured. There is a possibility that the number of injured will increase. We don't know if any of them was seriously hurt."

The Yomiuri said the driver of the train was badly injured in the accident in which the first and second carriages of the six-car train jumped the tracks, moving around 200m before coming to a halt at the end of a station platform.

The accident occurred some 800m from the municipal office.

"According to people in the neighbourhood, the trailer stalled at the crossing and the express train crashed into it," the paper said.

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Iran calls for end to all nuclear arms

SANCTIONS-HIT Iran has called for the destruction of all atomic weapons in the world after North Korea announced that it had staged its most powerful nuclear test yet.

"We need to come to the point where no country has any nuclear weapons and at the same time all weapons of mass destruction and nuclear arms need to be destroyed," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Tuesday when asked for a response to Pyongyang's claim to have detonated a "miniaturised" device.

"At the same all countries should have the right to make use of nuclear activities for peaceful purposes," Mehmanparast said at his weekly press briefing.

Iran has been slapped with numerous international sanctions due to its controversial nuclear program, which the West insists masks a drive for atomic weapons despite repeated denials by Tehran.

"For such a world to exist those who are the front runners in producing the nuclear ... who are proud of their nuclear stockpiles ... who upgrade them and allocate budgets to maintain them, need to be the first people to disarm so that no country would pursue these weapons," Mehmanparast said.

The test by the pariah nation has been met with the world condemnation.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said he is "gravely concerned about the negative impact of this deeply destabilising act" as the UN Security Council prepared to hold an emergency session at 9am in New York (0100 AEDT on Wednesday) .

Tehran was among the few nations who congratulated North Korea on successfully launching a scientific satellite in orbit last December, but denied having a role in preparing the launch.

Iranian officials denied a South Korean newspaper report and a Western diplomatic source claim that a number of Iranian missile experts were in North Korea offering technical assistance for the launch.

Leaked US diplomatic cables in 2010 showed that US officials believe Iran has acquired ballistic missile parts from North Korea.

Pyongyang and Tehran are both under UN security council sanctions for their ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

A 2011 UN sanctions report said Tehran and Pyongyang were suspected of sharing ballistic missile technology.

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Green groups slam Maules Creek approval

WHITEHAVEN Coal has been given permission to develop a controversial coal mine in northeastern NSW that green groups warn will "carve the heart" out of the region's native woodlands.

Environment Minister Tony Burke on Monday granted strict conditional approval to Whitehaven's Maules Creek open-cut mine proposal and the nearby Boggabri project, controlled by Japanese company Idemitsu.

More work must be done before the projects can actually proceed but Mr Burke said he was satisfied the conditions would prevent unacceptable impacts on the environment.

"As the conditions make clear where more work, new plans or further modelling needs to take place, then this must be carried out to my satisfaction," Mr Burke said in a statement.

Last week, Mr Burke extended his department's timeframe for considering the Maules Creek project until April 30, much to the disappointment of Whitehaven and its investors.

But he was forced to act on Monday after the leaking of a commercially sensitive letter at the weekend that indicated he had the intention of approving the mine back in December.

Mr Burke has accused the NSW government of leaking the letter, and has ruled it out of any future dealings with the coal company over its flagship development.

Maules Creek made headlines when activist Jonathan Moylan admitted sending a press release to media outlets in early January falsely claiming the ANZ Bank had pulled its $1.2 billion loan to the miner.

Community and environment activists fear the project threatens koala habitats and thousands of hectares of old-growth forests and will force farmers off their land through soil damage.

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW accused Mr Burke of making the "unconscionable" decision to destroy thousands of hectares of state forest for short-term mining profits.

"This decision sounds the death knell for this extraordinary area, and will leave a permanent scar on the landscape," NCC chief executive officer Pepe Clarke said in a statement.

The Australian Greens said it was just the latest "crime" committed by Mr Burke against the government.

The Gillard government was just one of the "arms of the mining industry" and voters wouldn't forget in September, Greens leader Christine Milne said.

Mr Burke said the companies must minimise their impacts on the Leard State Forest and provide "enduring protection" for more than 15,000 hectares of offset projects in the surrounding areas.

These proposed offset areas aim to build wildlife corridors between the Maules Creek and Boggabri mine to protect native species including koalas and swift parrots.

Mr Burke also granted conditional approval for a coal seam methane gas project at Gloucester owned by AGL Energy, but warned it wouldn't go ahead if tests showed there could be an impact on groundwater.

The approvals were welcomed by the NSW Minerals Council, which said the mines would be subjected to some of the strictest conditions in the world and would deliver jobs and economic growth for regional NSW.

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Boat arrivals 'more than were expected'

THE immigration department admits there will be more asylum seeker boat arrivals than expected this financial year as a new boat arrived and figures showed another blowout in costs in managing would-be refugees.

Department secretary Martin Bowles told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra "around 12,000" asylum seekers had arrived by boat already.

That's 12,884 people, while the government budgeted for 12,000 for the 12 months to June 30, he said on Monday - just hours before the government announced a new boat had been intercepted off the Ashmore Islands with 53 passengers and two crew on board.

In the committee hearing, Liberal senator Michaelia Cash queried whether more were expected to arrive.

"So, no one else is going to arrive from now and the end of June - is that the prediction?" she asked.

Senator Cash pointed to figures released as part of the estimates process that showed costs for dealing with asylum seekers had more than doubled this financial year, from $1.1 billion forecast in the May budget.

Mr Bowles conceded the government might revise its expected costs, but said they did not depend only on the numbers arriving.

The department is changing the way it processes asylum seekers and moving more people out of detention.

"If we actually see more people arrive, but move through the system more quickly and into bridging visas, for instance, as one example, we might actually see a reduction in the overall spend," Mr Bowles said.

The government expects costs relating to its asylum-seeker policy to fall from $2.23 billion in 2012/13 to about $340 million in 2015/16.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison accused Labor of claiming savings they will never achieve.

"You can't claim the savings of stopping the boats, if you don't implement the polices needed to stop the boats, but this is what Labor have done," he said in a statement.

Mr Bowles had earlier admitted Malaysia had not yet agreed to strengthening human rights protections for asylum seekers under the people-swap deal between the two nations.

The two countries have discussed the deal since the federal government's expert panel recommended last August that Malaysia provide more protections for minors, but no changes to the agreement have yet been made.

Meanwhile, the family of an alleged people smuggler known as Captain Emad have had their protection visas cancelled.

Captain Emad, also known as Ali Al Abbasi and Abu Khalid, fled Australia on June 5 last year, a day after an ABC program linked him to a people-smuggling operation and discovered he was working in Canberra.

His visa was cancelled last year, and he's believed to be living in Iraq.

His son, daughter, daughter-in-law and ex-wife had their protection visas cancelled in January and were served with removal-pending bridging visas.

They've also been served with humanitarian stay temporary visas.

One remaining daughter is still on a protection visa.

The family members haven't been given a removal date and may still be owed protections.

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NSW offers $100,000 to solve gay 'murder'

THE NSW Government has offered a $100,000 reward for information that determines how a man died in Sydney's north more than 24 years ago.

The body of 27-year-old Scott Johnson was found at the base of Manly's North Head on December 10, 1988.

An investigation found no suggestion of foul play, and an inquest in 1989 determined Scott had committed suicide.

A second inquest last year returned an open finding, and referred the case to State Crime Command's Unsolved Homicide Team.

Detectives have now formed Strike Force Macnamir to review the case, which was featured in ABC TV's Australian Story on Monday.

They hope the $100,000 reward will encourage people to come forward with information that will help solve the mystery of how Scott died.

"At this stage, it is not known whether Scott's death is a result of suicide, misadventure or murder," Detective Acting Superintendent Chris Olen said.

"With a lack of witnesses and physical evidence, this is a very challenging case.

"What we need is fresh information to help us solve this case and bring some closure to the Johnson family."

"We understand that police need to look at all the different scenarios, and support them in that effort.

"But we believe in our hearts that Scott was murdered in a hate crime because he was gay."

Scott, who was American, came to Australia to live with his partner and study mathematics.

He died on the day he should have been celebrating completion of his doctoral work.

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Federal money now for Qld flood victims

QUEENSLAND farmers and business owners hit by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald can start applying for money to rebuild.

Federal government clean-up and recovery grants of up to $25,000 are now available to people in Queensland's hardest hit areas.

The grants are designed to help cover clean-up costs, replace damaged equipment and stock, and ensure business aren't disrupted longer than necessary.

There are 53 local government areas in Queensland eligible for various types of disaster assistance under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

More information about eligibility can be found at www.disasterassist.gov.au and www.qraa.qld.gov.au

It is hoped the money will ensure business aren't disrupted longer than necessary.

The assistance doesn't compensate for income losses and is not intended to replace insurance.

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Ten killed in Russian coal mine blast

TEN miners were killed and seven missing when a methane explosion tore through a coal mine in the remote Russian Far North town of Vorkuta within the Arctic Circle, the emergencies ministry said, the latest disaster to hit the country's mining industry.

A total of 259 miners were working underground when the explosion occurred at the Vorkutinskaya mine in the Komi region controlled by Russian steel-making giant Severstal.

Most of them have been evacuated but when the rescue workers arrived at the scene they found 10 bodies, the ministry said.

"The fate of seven people remains unclear," it said in a statement, adding that more than 280 rescue workers were working on salvage operations at the scene.

Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov would personally go to the mine to oversee the rescue operation, said ministry spokeswoman Elena Smirnykh.

The families of the dead miners would receive two million rubles ($A64,280) each, she told AFP.

Some of the rescued workers were injured, said Smirnykh, adding that a plane was dispatched from Moscow to the mine to help hospitalise the miners.

The emergencies ministry had earlier said around two dozen miners were working in the shaft where the explosion believed to have been caused by methane ripped through the mine.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev tasked his deputy Arkady Dvorkovich with the responsibility to provide assistance to families of the dead miners.

"An accident took place in Komi," a grim-faced Medvedev said in televised remarks. "Put together the complete information and report on what is happening."

The mine in the northern city of Vorkuta is operated by Vorkutaugol, part of the coal mining division of the Russian steel-making giant Severstal whose mills it provides with hard coking coal concentrate.

It has been working since 1973 with an output of 1.8 million tonnes of coal a year and its reserves of coal are estimated at 40 million tonnes.

Vorkutaugol spokesman Yevgeny Sukharev said the company paid "unprecedented attention" to safety standards. "Everyone is in shock," he told AFP.

According to the company's website, in 2011 the Vorkutinskaya mine won a corporate award for "worthy working conditions - the basis for respect in the work force".

Known for its extremely inhospitable climate, Vorkuta was home to one of the most infamous Stalin-era prison camps, the Vorkuta Gulag.

Deadly blasts which usually caused by a build-up in methane gas remain a frequent occurrence in the coal mining industry in Russia despite recent drives to improve safety.

In 2010, more than 60 people were killed in twin methane blasts at Russia's biggest underground coal mine, the Raspadskaya mine in the Kemerovo region of Siberia.

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WA Liberals pledge Perth airport rail link

THE WA Liberals have promised to build an airport rail link if they win next month's state election, after Labor announced an ambitious Metronet project in late January.

If re-elected on March 9, the Liberals have pledged to build a $1.895 billion airport rail link transporting domestic and international passengers to and from Perth Airport.

Premier Colin Barnett says as well as offering public transport to travellers, the rail link will also offer more options to residents in the eastern suburbs wanting to travel into the city, as well as businesses at the proposed airport business and industrial park.

"Our airport line will take Western Australians and tourists straight to the doorstep of the airport terminal, delivering maximum convenience and cost savings for travellers," he said.

Under the Liberal model, trains would run at least every 10 minutes at peak times and airport trains would integrate with services on the existing Midland line, meaning increased train frequencies between Bayswater and Perth.

Transport Minister Troy Buswell said the project would have three stations and 3000 car bays and would be built by 2018.

"Unlike the Labor party's airport rail line, the Liberal Party will not leave you sweating or shivering waiting for a shuttle bus more than 1km down the road," he said.

"We will take you directly to both the international and domestic terminals."

Labor's Metronet project would include a 10.5km rail line to Perth's international airport - and would serve domestic terminals when they are relocated to adjacent land in coming years - at an estimated cost of $731.5 million, not including rail cars.

Labor's entire Metronet project servicing the metropolitan area is expected to cost $3.8 billion but the Liberals have mocked the ambitious scheme, saying it is more likely to cost $6.4 billion.

Labor leader Mark McGowan said Mr Barnett could not be trusted to build a rail line to Perth Airport.

He said the Liberal party's pledge would become a broken promise, like the Ellenbrook rail line promised at the previous election, describing the Premier's announcement as a "hoax".

"The Liberal Party will simply break this promise because they have no credibility on public transport," Mr McGowan said.

He said the Liberals' plan also involved unnecessary tunnelling.

Mr McGowan made a further Metronet announcement on Sunday, pledging $590 million to buy 144 new rail cars and build a train depot over eight years.

The new trains would have driver-supervised automatic train operation, leading brake technology, energy-efficient lighting, air conditioning and passenger information systems, he said.

Labor would also ensure all new generation rail cars had security with CCTV cameras and free Wi-Fi, Mr McGowan said.

"The trains bought for the new Perth Airport rail line will be configured to ensure ample luggage space for travellers," he said.

"Modern train technology means they will be more environmentally friendly, use less power, provide a smoother ride and have lower operating cost."

However, Mr Buswell said Labor's entire rail plan was a fantasy that would never be delivered because it was under budgeted.

"This obvious infrastructure announcement today to provide more rail cars for this fantasy is therefore immaterial," he said.

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Iranians march to mark revolution

HUNDREDS of thousands of people have marched in Tehran and other cities chanting "Death to America" as Iran marked the 34th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that ousted the US-backed shah.

In the capital on Sunday, crowds waving Iranian flags and portraits of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini walked towards the landmark Azadi (Freedom) Square, in a government-sponsored rally which is now a cornerstone of the regime.

Marchers also chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" as they headed for the square, some waving posters of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was expected to speak.

Iran is holding similar rallies nationwide, especially in large provincial capitals such as Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz and Kerman.

At the Tehran rally, foreign media were being closely monitored and allowed to cover the event from officially designated areas only.

The rally marks February 11 when the army declared solidarity with the people, turning its back on shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Ten days beforehand, Khomeini returned in triumph from exile in France to lead the revolutionaries to power.

Tehran is currently under a series of international sanctions aimed at curbing its controversial nuclear program of uranium enrichment.

World powers and Iran's arch regional foe Israel suspect that Tehran is trying to develop atomic weapons under the cover of its civilian program, a charge repeatedly and vehemently denied by the Islamic republic.

The sanctions have led to a severe economic crisis, choking Iran's banking system and limiting its oil exports, the country's main foreign revenue earner.

According to a recent survey by the US polling firm Gallup, Iran's nuclear program is supported by a large majority of its population.

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Indian Kashmiris chafe under curfew

RESIDENTS of India's Kashmir valley are upset over a curfew imposed following the hanging of a local separatist which has sparked a fresh debate on capital punishment.

Mohammed Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri Muslim convicted of helping plot the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament which killed 10 people, was executed on Saturday in New Delhi's Tihar jail.

Fearing a backlash over his death, Indian authorities imposed a tight curfew on Saturday in major populated areas of Kashmir.

Internet services were shut down and they also blocked local newspapers in a bid to prevent protests.

At least four people were injured on Saturday during protests, including two who received bullet wounds when government forces fired on a crowd in a village 40km from the biggest city of Srinagar.

Abdul Hafeez, a resident of Srinagar, said his two-month-old granddaughter needed milk but they were unable to go shopping because of the strict orders restricting people to their homes which have been imposed indefinitely.

"We have seen so much violence in the past. We just hope that things return to normal as quickly as possible," he told AFP.

Guru was convicted of waging war against India and conspiring with the Islamist militants who attacked the parliament - an event that brought nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to the brink of another conflict.

The one-time fruit merchant and medical college dropout always insisted he was innocent and claimed he was denied a proper legal defence, while some protesters in Kashmir accused the police of framing him.

India, the world' biggest democracy uses capital punishment for the "rarest of rare" crimes.

There had not been an execution since 2004 until the hanging in November last year of Mohammed Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.

The two executions - both approved under new President Pranab Mukherjee - worried human rights activists who had hoped India was phasing out the practice following its informal eight-year moratorium.

"India should end this distressing use of executions as a way to satisfy some public opinion," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Amnesty International was also quick to condemn Guru's hanging as a "disturbing and regressive trend" towards executions in India.

Some of India's press speculated on who could be the next to face the gallows, while respect left-of-centre newspaper The Hindu slammed the execution.

"Guru was walked to the gallows... at the end of the macabre rite governments enact from time to time to propitiate that most angry of gods, a vengeful public," it said.

"There is no principle underpinning the death penalty in India today except vengeance. And vengeance is no principle at all," the daily wrote.

In Kashmir, where a bloody separatist conflict has killed an estimated 100,000 people in two decades, some feared the execution could feed local anti-India feeling and spur more violence.

Police also prevented local newspapers from publishing on Sunday and seized copies of four dailies who managed to go to press in defiance of the restrictions.

"Police seized our newspaper from the press without any prior information to our management," Haji Hayat, editor-in-chief of the English language newspaper Kashmir Reader, told AFP.

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Curry plays cricket like John Howard

AUSSIE actor Stephen Curry says when it comes to cricket, he's like former prime minister John Howard.

At the cricket-themed premiere of the Save Your Legs! in Sydney on Sunday night, Curry said he would have a bit of a game on the green carpet if he wasn't so hopeless.

"I'm no good with the bat, so I don't really want to show off my skills here," Curry, who's best known for his roles in The Castle and The Cup, said.

"(I'm) more of a cricket tragic in the way that John Howard, our former Prime Minister was a cricket tragic - loved the game, armchair expert, couldn't play to save himself.

"And I'm a redhead in this so I'm very similar to Julia Gillard."

Directed by Boyd Hicklin, in Save Your Legs! Curry plays Teddy, the president of D-grade cricket team the Abbotsford Anglers, who find themselves on a cricket tour of India.

Wearing his blue and yellow Anglers jacket, Curry said in light of the recent cheating scandals in Aussie sports he came to the Sydney premiere prepared.

"Look, tonight I am full of peptides," he said.

"I had them injected into my stomach and I was forced to sign a waiver, so I feel like it's basically going to make my green carpet performance as good as it possibly could be, and I'll probably recover very nicely in the morning."

Based on a true story, Save Your Legs! was written by and stars Brendan Cowell, who is a self confessed "cricket nut", having played since he was five and been a member of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) since he was 14.

Walking the green carpet with Curry and co-star Damon Gameau, he joked that he was OK missing Australia's match against the West Indies for the premiere, because "this is where the real fixture is".

"The Abbotsford Anglers, they're the team everyone's talking about, so we're here and this film's been to London, it's been to Mumbai, so now we're at our home ground at the SCG, ready to play some strokes," he said.

For Cowell and Curry, an Aussie cricket movie has been a long time coming.

Cowell joked that with the success of 1984 Australian miniseries Bodyline, "I think people have been waiting for a great cricket movie, so it's timely".

Curry thinks it's interesting Aussies haven't tried to propel cricket onto the big screen before.

"It's fascinating that in this rich history of filmmaking in this country and our great affiliation with cricket that there actually hasn't been a feature film about cricket," Curry said.

"So I think it's about time and hopefully we've done it justice."

* Save Your Legs! releases in Australian cinemas on February 28.

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Hunt for fugitive LA cop continues

THE hunt for a former Los Angeles police officer suspected in three killings is continuing for a fourth day in snow-covered mountains.

Meanwhile, officials will re-examine the allegations in 2007 by Christopher Dorner, 33, that his law enforcement career was undone by racist colleagues, Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck announced on Saturday.

"I do this not to appease a murderer. I do it to reassure the public that their police department is transparent and fair in all the things we do," the chief said in a statement.

Authorities suspect Dorner in a series of attacks in Southern California over the past week that left three people dead.

They say Dorner had vowed revenge against several former LAPD colleagues whom he blames for ending his career.

The killings and threats that Dorner allegedly made in an online rant have led police to provide protection to 50 families, Beck said.

A captain, named as a target in the manifesto posted on Facebook, told the Orange County Register he has not stepped outside his house since he learned of the threat.

"From what I've seen of (Dorner's) actions, he feels he can make allegations for injustice and justify killing people and that's not reasonable," said Captain Phil Tingirides, who chaired a board that stripped Dorner of his badge.

"The end never justifies the means."

On Saturday, a smaller search party took advantage of a break in stormy weather to look for Dorner in the San Bernardino mountains, about 130 kilometres northeast of downtown Los Angeles, where his burned-out pickup truck was discovered Thursday.

A law enforcement officer told The Associated Press that authorities found weapons in the truck.

Also, newly-released surveillance video showed Dorner tossing several items into a dumpster behind an auto parts store in National City on Monday.

The store's manager told FOX5 in San Diego an employee found a magazine full of bullets, a military belt and a military helmet.

On Friday night, authorities searched a Buena Park storage unit and collected evidence as part of their investigation but did not provide further details.

Earlier on Friday, another warrant was served at a La Palma house belonging to Dorner's mother. Officers collected 10 bags of evidence, including five electronic items.

In his online manifesto, Dorner vowed to use "every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordnance and survival training I've been given" to bring "warfare" to the LAPD and its families.

Dorner served in the US navy, earning a rifle marksman ribbon and a pistol expert medal.

He was assigned to a naval undersea warfare unit and various aviation training units, according to military records. Dorner took leave from the LAPD for a six-month deployment to Bahrain in 2006 and 2007.

The flight training he received in the navy prompted the transportation security administration to issue an alert, warning the general aviation community to be on the lookout for Dorner.

February 1 was Dorner's last day with the navy and also the day CNN's Anderson Cooper received a package that contained a note that read, in part, "I never lied."

A coin riddled with bullet holes that former Chief William Bratton gave out as a souvenir was also in the package.

Police said it was a sign of planning by Dorner before the killing began.

On February 3, police say Dorner shot and killed a couple in a parking garage at their condominium in Irvine. The woman was the daughter of a retired police captain who had represented Dorner in the disciplinary proceedings that led to his sacking.

Dorner wrote in his manifesto that he believed the retired captain had represented the interests of the department over his.

Hours after authorities identified Dorner as a suspect in the double murder, police believe Dorner shot and grazed an LAPD officer in Corona and then used a rifle to ambush two Riverside police officers early Thursday, killing one and seriously wounding the other.

The crime spree spanned across a wide area of Southern California, prompting several police agencies, including the FBI, to form a task force.

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