Three dead after North Sea chopper crash

THREE people have been confirmed dead after a helicopter transporting employees between oil rigs in the North Sea ditched, Scottish police say, while a fourth is still missing.

"Following the incident off the coast of Shetland during Friday 23 August, Police Scotland can confirm that the bodies of three people have now been recovered and a fourth person remains unaccounted for," said a statement.

Scottish coastguard had previously reported that three of the 18 people on board - including two crew and 16 passengers - were missing.

Fourteen other people were rescued.

The Super Puma helicopter was travelling from the Borgsten Dolphin platform to Sumburgh airport on Shetland when it came down two miles (three kilometres) west of its destination at approximately 6:20 pm (1720 GMT).

Jim Nicholson, rescue coordinator with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), said there appeared "to have been a catastrophic loss of power which meant the helicopter suddenly dropped into the sea without any opportunity to make a controlled landing".

"It's fortunate there were not more casualties in a helicopter crash of this kind," he said.

No one had yet been able to search the helicopter itself, Nicholson said, adding that it was possible that a body could be recovered inside. Once the helicopter was recovered, it could be searched, he added.

Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, said: "It is still too early to know what caused this terrible tragedy, but a full investigation by the relevant authorities is already under way."

Amanda Smith, the mother of one of the rescued people, Sam Smith, told Britain's Sky News that her son described how the helicopter "seemed to lose power and there was no time to brace - they just dropped into the sea".

"He was by the window so he was able to escape that way as it rolled over," she said.

"He said he had come off better than a lot of people, were his words. It doesn't seem real."

Nine of the rescued passengers were helicoptered to Shetland's main town of Lerwick with one taken off the aircraft on a stretcher, the BBC reported.

The search and rescue operation involving RNLI, the army, police and coastguards then continued through the night to try to find the missing.

CHC, the aircraft's operator, said it was flying for oil company Total.

It is the latest in a series of incidents involving helicopters in the North Sea.

In May, all 14 people on board a Super Puma helicopter were rescued after it ditched off the coast of Aberdeen.

Another helicopter ditched in the North Sea last October, but all 19 people on board survived.

Sixteen men died when a Super Puma helicopter plunged into the sea after its gearbox failed as it was flying from BP's Miller platform to Aberdeen in April 2009.

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Shorten dismisses dire Labor poll

Bill Shorten says the federal election will be decided by voters, not opinion polls or newspapers. Source: AAP

FEDERAL Education Minister Bill Shorten says the election will be decided by Australian voters, not opinion polls or newspapers.

Mr Shorten brushed off Saturday's Fairfax-Nielson poll, which after preferences gives the coalition a six-point lead over Labor - 53 per cent to 47 per cent.

"This election will not be decided by newspapers or by opinion polls, it'll be decided by the will of 15 million people voting," he told reporters at a Queensland Teachers Union meeting in Brisbane.

Mr Shorten also made a speech to delegates where he praised teachers and talked up the benefits of Labor's Better Schools plan, saying it was ironic that a lot of Australians would be lining up to vote in school halls built by the Labor government.

"These are good projects and we should never let be taken away from us some elements of the conservative media or those ignorant, book-burning, anti-education rabble who seek to become the government of Australia - the coalition," Mr Shorten told the crowd, which responded with a booming "here, here".

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Man taken by crocodile: report

A 24-YEAR-OLD man has reportedly been snatched by a crocodile at the Northern Territory's Mary River.

The Nine Network reports the man was taken near the Mary River Wilderness Retreat, about 110km from Darwin.

Police are on their way to the scene, Nine reports.

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Factory ablaze in southeast Melbourne

FIRE crews are responding to a large factory fire in Melbourne's southeast.

Metropolitan Fire Brigade crews were called to the brick and metal premises just after 7pm (AEST) on Saturday to find flames going through the roof.

About 13 fire truck crews are tackling the blaze.

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Flood kills 76 in northeast China city

A RIVER flood triggered by torrential rains has killed 76 people in a northeast Chinese city, state media says.

The official Xinhua News Agency said a memorial service was held on Saturday in the city of Fushun for the victims.

It said another 88 people remained missing as of Friday.

It quoted Fushun mayor Luan Qingwei as saying the flood was the worst in decades for the city, where a river cuts through the downtown area.

A statement by Fushun's municipal government has declared Saturday as a city-wide day of condolence and that all public entertainment activities should be halted for the day.

Fushun, located in a mountainous area, has been hit hard by floods ravaging China's northeastern provinces.

Dozens more have been reported killed by floods elsewhere in the region.

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Vic sex worker killer to be sentenced

A man found guilty of murdering Melbourne sex worker Johanna Martin will be sentenced on Friday. Source: AAP

A MURDERER who tried to explain away the death of a Melbourne prostitute as an erotic asphyxiation fantasy turned tragedy faces a lengthy jail term after running a "scurrilous and time-wasting" defence.

A jury rejected Steve Constantinou's claim that he accidentally strangled sex worker Johanna "Jazzy O" Martin with leather reins attached to a dog-collar while the pair were watching porn.

Victorian Supreme Court Justice Phillip Priest will sentence Constantinou, 49, for murder on Friday after describing his version of events as preposterous.

"In my observation his defence was scurrilous and time wasting," Justice Priest said during Constantinou's plea hearing this week.

"Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would have rejected his evidence."

The prosecution said Constantinou murdered Ms Martin, a 65-year-old sex worker and stripper also known as Honi, in his Port Melbourne apartment in October 2011 to avoid repaying thousands of dollars.

After killing Ms Martin, Constantinou took her jewellery and sold it at a Footscray pawn shop, before punting at a nearby pub.

He later dumped her body in bushes in Lorimer Street.

The pair struck up a friendship after meeting at the South Melbourne markets in early 2011.

Defence barrister Shane Tyrrell described Constantinou as a petty thief and gambling addict but said the killing was out of character.

He said Constantinou had mostly been a kind friend to Ms Martin.

Constantinou will be sentenced on Friday morning.

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Shorten wins high praise from Hawke

Former PM Bob Hawke says Labor Minister Bill Shorten (pic) has "future leadership qualities". Source: AAP

EDUCATION and Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has won high praise from former prime minister Bob Hawke as a person with "future leadership qualities".

Mr Hawke said Mr Shorten had a strong academic background coupled with experience in both the union movement and as a senior minister and backed the suggestion that the former union boss could be a future Labor leader.

"He did a marvellous job in the leadership of the trade union movement, protecting and advancing the interests of the working people of this country," Mr Hawke told reporters on Thursday.

"So the answer is obviously yes."

Asked if Mr Shorten would be a better leader than prime minister Kevin Rudd, Mr Hawke said comparisons were "invidious".

"The truth is that Bill has had a longer experience in the Labor movement and the trade union movement and has had more experience, therefore, in dealing with people at an individual level," Mr Hawke said.

"That would mean his relations with his colleagues would always be easy."

Mr Hawke's comments came after a speech to Labor members and supporters in Adelaide where he urged them to seek out undecided voters ahead of the September 7 election to emphasise Labor's record on economic management, education and national security.

"This is about what sort of country we're going to be, what sort of society we're going to be," he said.

"Whether we're going to be a society of equal opportunity, whether we're going to be a country which maximises its opportunities for growth and whether we're going to be a country which takes a constructive lead in the region and the world in creating a more harmonious society."

Mr Shorten said Mr Hawke was one of Australia's greatest ever communicators.

"Every political party wishes they had one but Labor is the only one who has a Bob Hawke," he said.

Opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb said Mr Hawke's praise for Mr Shorten was a massive vote of no confidence in Mr Rudd.

"Mr Hawke's public intervention today demonstrates a complete lack of confidence in Mr Rudd's leadership by a revered Labor Party elder," Mr Robb said in a statement.

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Fairfax seeks new revenue sources

Fairfax Media will create marketing businesses as it chases new revenue sources. Source: AAP

FAIRFAX Media will create marketing businesses to chase new revenue streams after weak ad markets and declining revenues contributed to a $16.4 million full year loss.

The result was an improvement from a $2.7 billion loss in the previous financial year, helped by $118 million in cost cutting and an 80 per cent reduction in net debt to $154 million.

But the company did incur a $406 million impairment charge on the value of its regional and agricultural businesses.

Revenue declined by 9.5 per cent in its key metropolitan media business - which includes the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Financial Review Group.

Revenue in its regional publications declined by 7.5 per cent, and 4.7 per cent in New Zealand.

Chief executive Greg Hywood acknowledged the tough conditions, but said Fairfax would continue to cut costs in its traditional print operations and invest in new digital revenues.

"In these tough times this media company will not blink," Mr Hywood said.

"We're responding to difficult conditions by transforming our operations, evolving the way we engage with customers and audiences."

Mr Hywood said Fairfax would pursue new revenue in three areas - online marketing services to small business; events management (expanding on ventures such as Sydney's City To Surf fun run); and content marketing, with a new business to be set up in coming months.

He declined to say what earnings from the new "revenue adjacencies" would be.

The company launched metered paywalls for news websites in July, and Mr Hywood said 68,000 new digital subscriptions had been added with "minimal impact" on site visit numbers.

Within Fairfax's metro media business, print and digital news and classifieds revenue suffered a 16.7 per cent decline.

Metro print ad revenue fell 25 per cent while digital income, from online news, classifieds and transaction sites such as RSVP, increased 3.4 per cent.

Radio, including Perth's 96fm and Melbourne's 3AW, was a strong point for the company, with a 7.7 per cent rise in underlying ad revenue and underlying earnings up by 35 per cent.

BBY analyst Mark McDonnell said Fairfax's management had done well in cost cutting but revenue declines remained a problem.

"Everything they have done has been credible and creditable but I'm still struggling to find where the point is that they are going to stabilise their earnings line," he said.

Mr Hywood said further cost cutting was to come.

Mr Hywood received no bonus on top of his $1.6 million fixed salary, with no senior executives received bonuses as short term financial benchmarks were not met.

Fairfax shares closed 0.5 cents higher at 58.5 cents.

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Sydney teacher sorry for Facebook pics

A SYDNEY teacher who posted pictures of his students on Facebook is remorseful over his behaviour, the NSW Department of Education says.

John Pheeney, an experienced teacher at Hurstville Public School, has outraged parents after posting several photos of his students on Facebook, the Seven Network reports.

Some parents are asking for Mr Pheeney to be stood down, it reports.

But the Department of Education says an investigation into the matter has already been completed and parents have been notified.

"When brought to its attention, the department responded quickly to this matter by informing the teacher that his behaviour was unacceptable and directing him verbally and in writing to remove the photos of students from his social networking site," the department said in a statement.

"The teacher is remorseful for his behaviour.

"This is the first complaint about the teacher's personal or professional conduct in a career of more than 20 years with the department."

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Rowdy audience dominates Swan's debate

A rowdy crowd dominated Wayne Swan's (L) first candidates's debate of the campaign in Brisbane. Source: AAP

A ROWDY crowd dominated former treasurer Wayne Swan's first candidates's debate of the campaign.

Liberal National Party (LNP) stalwarts and rusted-on Labor supporters constantly interjected during a lively debate between Mr Swan and LNP opponent Rod McGarvie.

They scoffed at Mr Swan's claims about the growing economy and booed Mr McGarvie when he spoke of the need to rein in spiralling government debt.

Neither candidate delivered a knockout blow, but the pair were certainly more exciting than their leaders.

Mr Swan became unstuck when asked if could guarantee no cuts to services under Labor, saying "I can guarantee all our plans already costed".

There were also howls when Mr McGarvie suggested that because of Labor's marine parks "Asian fishing boats can come in there (the Coral Sea) and rape and pillage".

But Mr McGarvie pulled out the big guns on Mr Swan when he read quotes he'd made about Prime Minister Kevin Rudd when he was still a backbencher.

The moderator then asked Mr Swan if he was comfortable serving under Mr Rudd.

"I'm happy to serve," he replied.

"Under Rudd," asked the moderator, some partisan members of the crowd joining in.

"I'm doing it now," a seemingly annoyed Mr Swan said, to cheers of other audience members.

Mr McGarvie then stumbled when he said the government needed to run healthcare more efficiently, like a business.

"We don't live in a business, we live in a society," Mr Swan replied, to wild cheers from the obvious parts of the room.

But overall both candidates carried themselves well, despite almost constant audience interjections.

Mr Swan seemed very confident, while relative newbie Mr McGarvie held his ground impressively.

"I really enjoyed that debate, it was terrific," Mr Swan told reporters afterwards.

Mr McGarvie thought his first candidates' debate had been enjoyable.

"It was an interesting time, it was my first time to do something like that," he said.

There was no clear winner, but many in the crowd had made up their minds about who they would vote for before they arrived anyway.

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Cafferkey murderer to die in jail

THE parents of murder victim Sarah Cafferkey led a round of loud and tearful applause as a judge sentenced their daughter's killer to die in jail.

And minutes later they vowed to continue the fight to change the system that set Stephen James Hunter free to commit what was his second murder.

Ms Cafferkey's mother Noelle Dickson declared that justice had been served by the life sentence without the possibility of parole passed on Hunter, 47, by Victorian Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bell.

"Today we stand before you in the knowledge justice has been served for our beautiful daughter, niece, cousin and friend," she said.

"We thank Justice Bell for a quick and courageous judgment."

Justice Bell had earlier told Hunter he was guilty of a crime of exceptional horror and brutality.

"The nature of the offence you have committed is ... in the worst category of the worst offence on the criminal calendar," Justice Bell said.

Ms Cafferkey was Hunter's second murder victim and her death bore chilling similarities to that of his first.

In 1986 Hunter murdered Melbourne schoolgirl Jacqueline Mathews, stabbing her repeatedly then dousing her body in petrol and burning it beyond recognition.

In November last year, 11 days after his parole for another crime expired, Hunter murdered Ms Cafferkey, stabbing her 19 times after beating her with a hammer.

He then drove around for several days with her body in the boot of his car, complaining to a friend that it was starting to smell, before putting it into a wheelie bin and pouring concrete on top of it.

A day after the release of a report that revealed chronic deficiencies in the system that allows dangerous criminals to be released on parole, Justice Bell went to great lengths to explain his decision to condemn Hunter to die behind bars.

He said Hunter deserved "very great credit" for his early guilty plea and that he had exhibited remorse.

"While your crime was monstrous, you are not a monster," he told Hunter on Wednesday.

"You are not a remorseless psychopath."

The judge also referred in his sentencing address to international conventions on human rights.

But he said none of those considerations outweighed Ms Cafferkey's human right to life or the need to protect the community from someone such as Hunter.

"After anxious consideration I have concluded that I should not impose a minimum term," he said.

As they grasped the meaning of the words, Ms Dickson and Sarah's father Adrian Cafferkey led heartfelt applause from the public gallery of the Supreme Court and were joined by friends and relatives.

Outside the court Ms Dickson promised to continue her campaign to overhaul Victoria's adult parole system.

"Community safety is of the utmost importance," she said.

"Parole is a privilege and not a right."

Ms Cafferkey's murder is just one of several committed in Victoria in recent years by killers who were paroled for earlier violent crimes and which led to the judicial inquiry into the state's Adult Parole Board.

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Nazi Goering's cigars up for sale

A COLLECTION of cigars that were made for Hitler's deputy Hermann Goering are to go up for auction today.

The cigars, expected to fetch between STG800 ($A1,392) and STG1,200 ($A2,088), were removed from the cellars of the Nazi officer's home in Brandenburg at the end of the Second World War.

They are held in boxes bearing the words "Sondernfetigung Reichsmarshall Hermann Goering" which means "Specially made for Reichsmarshall Hermann Goering".

Goering's initials, his personal coat of arms and the supplier's name, Gildemann Ltd, Cigar Manufacturers, Berlin-Hamburg, are also printed on the box.

The cigars will go under the hammer at an auction at Golding Young and Mawer auctioneers in Lincoln on behalf of a private vendor who inherited the cigars from a relative.

Auctioneer John Leatt said: "These cigars were specially made for the fuhrer's deputy and, by the vendor's family repute, were removed from the cellars of his home in Brandenburg, near Berlin, after the end of the war. They have been consigned for sale by a local private vendor who inherited them from a relative.

"These unusual items are in untouched condition and are certain to attract collectors of cigars and Third Reich memorabilia."

After the Second World War, Goering was tried at the Nuremburg Trials and found guilty of war crimes.

He was sentenced to death by hanging, but committed suicide by ingesting a cyanide capsule while waiting to be executed.

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WA man in custody over suspected murder

A BROOME woman has died from a stab wound in a suspected homicide.

West Australian police responded to an emergency call at a Miller Way residence on Wednesday morning and found the injured 42-year-old woman.

St John Ambulance paramedics arrived but the woman died at the scene.

A 39-year old man at the property was taken into custody and is assisting officers with their investigation.

Detectives from the Major Crime Squad are travelling to Broome and the incident is being investigated as a suspected homicide.

Police are seeking information from anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area around 10am (WST).

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Vic murderer told 'preposterous' lies

THE man who killed Melbourne prostitute Johanna "Jazzy O" Martin told scurrilous and preposterous lies in his own defence, a judge says.

Steve Constantinou was last week found guilty of murdering Ms Martin, a 65-year-old sex worker and stripper also known as Honi, at his Port Melbourne apartment in October 2011.

Victorian Supreme Court Justice Phillip Priest said Constantinou had not shown any remorse at all for his crimes, and had lied to avoid being held accountable.

"In my observation his defence was scurrilous and time wasting," Justice Priest said during Constantinou's plea hearing on Wednesday.

"I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that he perjured himself and perjured himself deliberately."

Constantinou, 49, had claimed Ms Martin's death was the result of a sex act gone wrong, but prosecutors said he murdered her to avoid repaying a debt of several thousand dollars.

Justice Priest said he found Constantinou's evidence to be preposterous.

"Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would have rejected his evidence," he said.

After he killed Ms Martin, Constantinou stole some of her jewellery and sold it at a Footscray pawn shop, before putting bets on at a nearby pub.

He later returned to the apartment, wrapped Ms Martin's body and dumped it in bushes on Lorimer Street.

Ms Martin's friend Barbara Bushell told the court Ms Martin was very happy in the months leading up to her death and was looking forward to an overseas holiday.

"This lady for the first time in her life had found peace," she said.

Defence barrister Shane Tyrrell said Constantinou had suffered a gambling addiction since 1987, and conceded that he was a petty thief.

However, he said the killing was totally out of character and Constantinou had mostly been a kind friend to Ms Martin.

Constantinou's trial heard that Ms Martin had about $3 million in assets that included properties and cars.

Justice Priest will sentence Constantinou on Friday.

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WA mum robbed bottle shop with daughter

A PERTH woman who robbed a bottle shop with her 14-year-old daughter, stole some bourbon and was caught hiding behind a rubbish bin has been jailed for more than two years.

The woman, who cannot be named, pleaded guilty to aggravated armed robbery and unlawful wounding.

The West Australian Supreme Court heard she entered a BWS store in February armed with a black-handled knife with a 10cm-long serrated blade.

Raising the knife at head-level, she approached an employee and threatened him with the knife.

She then picked up some bottles of bourbon before she was challenged by another employee.

The woman lunged with the knife at the employee who intervened, striking him underneath the shoulder blade, the court heard.

The two employees then retreated to the back of the store.

The woman fled the store with her 14-year-old daughter and another female, carrying the alcohol.

Police caught the woman a short distance away, after she tried to hide behind a rubbish bin in the front yard of a house.

The court heard the woman had little memory of what happened because she was tired, had been drinking and had consumed amphetamines.

She could not even recall having a knife, but accepted the facts when she saw the CCTV footage.

The woman was sentenced last week to two years and six months in prison but will be eligible for parole in April next year.

Her daughter previously pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and received a six-month youth community-based order.

The third offender was charged with aggravated robbery but that matter has not been dealt with in court.

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European stocks drop at open; London loses

EUROPE'S main stock markets have fallen at Tuesday's open, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index down 0.65 per cent at 6,423.57 points.

Frankfurt's DAX 30 sank 0.85 per cent to 8,294.87 points and the CAC 40 in Paris shed 0.43 per cent to 4,066.36 compared with Monday's closing values.

Asian equities mostly fell on Tuesday after another weak lead from Wall Street, as speculation mounts the US Federal Reserve will soon start to scale back its stimulus program, dealers said.

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WA reports its 12th case of meningococcal

A YOUNG adult has been diagnosed with the potentially deadly meningococcal disease in Western Australia.

The WA Department of Health says it is the 12th case this year and the ill young adult is recovering in hospital.

Meanwhile, the patient's closest contacts have been informed and some have been given antibiotics to minimise the chance of the organism spreading.

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon, life-threatening illness caused by a bacterial infection of the blood or membranes that line the spinal cord and brain.

The bacterium are often carried harmlessly in the back of the nose and throat by many people, and very rarely invade the bloodstream and cause serious infections.

It can spread from the nose and throat when coughing or sneezing but is not spread by saliva and does not survive more than a few seconds in the environment.

Symptoms may include a fever, chills, headaches, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, severe muscle and joint pain, and sometimes a rash.

The department said the incidence of meningococcal disease had decreased significantly in WA over the past decade, with about 20 to 25 cases reported each year.

That figure is down from a peak of 86 cases in 2000.

There were 19 cases notified in 2012, the lowest number recorded in more than 20 years.

A vaccine to protect against the C type of meningococcal disease, which in the past was responsible for about 15 per cent of cases in WA, is provided free to one-year-old children.

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3 killed in central China bus stabbings

A KNIFE-WIELDING man has killed three people and wounded 12 aboard a bus in the country's latest rampage attack, police say.

A suspect is in custody and officers are trying to confirm him as the assailant in the Monday attack, a government spokeswoman said in the central city of Anyang on Tuesday.

There was no immediate word on a motive.

Those killed were an infant and two boys, although it wasn't known whether the man deliberately targeted young people, Anyang police said in a statement.

Attackers in some previous incidents have targeted children, either out of revenge or blind rage.

Observers have blamed attacks on chronic weaknesses in a mental health system that fails to diagnose and treat those who might be a threat.

Recent attacks include the stabbing of six government family planning workers last month, two of whom died.

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Iran boycotts people smuggling talks

INDONESIAN Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has downplayed the significance of the failure of Iran to turn up to people smuggling talks in Jakarta.

The meeting, established under the so-called Bali Process, was aimed at deepening cooperation, Dr Natalegawa said.

"What is important is not whether someone is sitting in the conference room or not, it's more the outcome and the actual implementation," Dr Natalegawa told reporters after the talks.

"Indonesia has had very good cooperation with many countries of origin including Iran and I have confidence we will be able to put into effect some of these commitments," he said.

The Indonesian foreign minister rejected suggestions that little in the way of outcomes would come from the meeting, which concluded after just three hours with a three-page declaration.

"I can assure you it is a far better situation today thanks to the kind of commitment the countries that have met today have made in identifying and following up areas where we can be working together," Dr Natalegawa told reporters.

He said plans to hold combined search and rescue exercises involving origin, transit and destination countries was an example of a practical measure that the meeting had delivered.

"Now the key issue is one of implementation or delivering on the kind of commitments we have made."

Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke, who attended the meeting along with Foreign Minister Bob Carr, also claimed the talks had delivered progress in terms of a coordinated response to dealing with the increased flow of asylum seekers around the region.

A key achievement was a commitment from the countries involved to address the abuse of visa on arrival schemes which have made it easy for asylum seekers to gain entry to transit countries such as Indonesia, Mr Burke said.

The talks came on the same day that Indonesia closed the door on visas on arrival for Iranians. This is seen as a major step towards addressing the influx of asylum seekers transiting through Indonesia to Australia.

Figures obtained by AAP show there has been a steady increase in the number of visas on arrival granted to Iranians in the lead-up to the August 20 cut-off date.

In January, a total of 1,172 visas were granted to Iranians arriving in Indonesia compared to 2,257 in July. The figures for August are not yet available.

A spokesman for the Indonesian Immigration Department confirmed that Iranians had been arriving in greater numbers.

"Yes, there's been a rise these last few months," he told AAP.

Mr Burke said there had also been a strong commitment made to forcing returns of asylum seekers found not to be bona fide refugees.

There are occasions when people simply have to be returned to their country of origin if they do not have a valid claim, Mr Burke said.

The talks, an initiative announced by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last month, would boost the framework "that is required to deal with what is a regional problem", he said.

"If anybody wanted to doubt that people smuggling is a regional problem, they could not have doubted it any longer once they heard the voices around that table today."

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No consular help for Freedom Flotilla

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says a group of Australians sailing for Indonesia are risking jail time. Source: AAP

FOREIGN Minister Bob Carr says a group of Australian activists planning to sail to Indonesia to highlight the fight for Papuan independence will receive no consular assistance whatsoever if they are jailed.

The stern warning came as representatives from the so-called Freedom Flotilla - three yachts with about 20 Australians and West Papuans aboard - continued to insist they would proceed with their protest.

They are expected to arrive in the city of Merauke in about a fortnight, without authorisation or proper documents.

But Senator Carr, who was in Jakarta on Tuesday for regional talks on people smuggling, said the group had received numerous warnings not to proceed with their plans.

Senator Carr said a formal letter had been sent to the organisation on Tuesday informing them that local laws and penalties would apply in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The members of the group could face up to five years in prison for immigration and other offences if they entered Indonesian waters without approval.

"We've given them this warning. Therefore, should they end up in prison as a result of breaching the law of Indonesia or Papua New Guinea we've got no obligation to give them consular support," Senator Carr said.

"The penalties are clear. The penalties will apply and there is no intervention Australia can make and the provision of consular support where people have received explicit warnings is not an obligation."

Senator Carr said members of the flotilla were perpetrating a cruel hoax on the people of the Papuan provinces, by suggesting Papuan independence was on the international agenda.

"We recognise Indonesia's sovereignty over West Papua," he said.

"There's no way any Australian government, Labor or coalition, would give any support or encouragement to an enterprise of this type. We are opposed to it and we're advising against it."

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Pistorius to face trial in March

Prosecutors in South Africa are set to indict Oscar Pistorius for murdering his girlfriend. Source: AAP

PARALYMPIC sprint star Oscar Pistorius will go on trial in March charged with murdering his girlfriend on Valentine's Day, a South African magistrate has ruled, after a brief but emotional court appearance.

The 26-year-old double amputee wept and prayed with brother Carl and sister Aimee as he awaited the magistrate, who confirmed charges of murder, which carries a life sentence, and illegal possession of ammunition.

Reeva Steenkamp - a blonde cover girl and law graduate who would have turned 30 on Monday - died in the bathroom of Pistorius's upmarket Pretoria home in the early hours of February 14.

She was shot in the head, elbow and hip.

The athlete known as "Blade Runner", who is currently out on bail, has admitted to killing her but denied murder, saying he shot Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door because he believed she was an intruder.

Prosecutors will argue he is guilty of pre-meditated murder.

"The accused armed himself with his nine-millimetre pistol and through the locked door, fired four shots at the deceased. The deceased was wounded and died on the scene," the charge sheet said.

Magistrate Desmond Nair said the trial would start at the High Court on March 3 and run until March 20.

Monday's hearing lasted only a few minutes, as lawyers had already agreed to start the trial next year amid backlogs in the South African courts.

Pistorius appeared in the dock wearing a black suit and light blue shirt, occasionally wiping his nose and breathing heavily.

Friends of Steenkamp were also present, dressed in black.

"Ironically the 19th of August 2013 would have been Reeva's 30th birthday, a day that should have been a celebration of her life," their spokesman Ian Levitt said afterwards.

"Instead it will now mark a court appearance related to her untimely passing six months ago," he added as three of Steenkamp's friends wept behind him.

The Pistorius family said they did not immediately wish to comment.

Local media had said Pistorius may also be charged with gun offences as the state tries to cast him as aggressive and trigger-happy.

However, no other charges were listed on the indictment.

The document showed 107 witnesses, including many of Pistorius's neighbours.

"Some of the state witnesses heard a woman scream, followed by moments of silence, then heard gunshots and then more screaming," it said.

Pistorius's ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor is also expected to testify.

Pistorius allegedly once fired a gun through the sunroof of Taylor's car, and earlier this year reportedly discharged a gun by accident at a Johannesburg restaurant.

A single senior judge will hear the case as South Africa does not have a jury system.

Key aspects of the police investigation into Steenkamp's death came under scrutiny during the lengthy bail hearing.

Ballistics reports from the bathroom door suggest Pistorius was on his stumps when the shooting took place, South Africa's Sunday Times reported.

Prosecutors earlier said he donned his two prosthetic legs before firing four shots through the door, a delay they thought would prove the murder was planned.

The athlete, who earned his nickname for the fibreglass prostheses he uses in competition, was born without calf bones and had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old.

He catapulted to fame at last year's London Olympics as the first double-amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes.

But the killing sent shock waves around the world and since then his reckless past and love of fast cars, beautiful women and guns has emerged in the media.

The case halted his participation in athletic events and ended lucrative endorsement deals with US sportswear giant Nike and French cosmetic firm Clarins.

Now South Africa's much-maligned police force is under immense pressure to help secure a conviction, after the bail hearing showed up shoddy police work that led to the whole investigation team being replaced.

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Palmer loses court case against Nicholls

A QUEENSLAND court has dismissed legal action by Clive Palmer's Waratah Coal against the state treasurer and a government-owned corporation over a decision to curtail port development in north Queensland.

The action arose after a May 2012 announcement by the state government that plans for a number of new port terminals at Abbot Point had been scaled back.

Waratah applied for a judicial review of the decision.

Its lawyers alleged the shareholding ministers of the government-owned North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation invalidly directed the corporation to terminate processes in place for the expansion.

Queensland Treasurer and Trade Minister Tim Nicholls is a shareholding minister of the ports corporation.

In March Supreme Court Justice Peter Applegarth found no evidence of such a direction by shareholding ministers and said that Waratah's action "lacked merit and had no real prospect of success".

However, he deferred dismissing the application at that time.

Instead he ordered the shareholding ministers and the ports corporation to disclose any documents within a certain period that could contain evidence of such a direction.

In his written judgment published on Monday, Justice Applegarth said the requirements of the disclosure order had been met and there was still no evidence of any direction.

He concluded Waratah was "misconceived" in alleging a ministerial direction had taken place.

He dismissed the application and ordered Waratah pay the respondents' legal costs.

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Tougher parole laws go to Vic parliament

THE families of people murdered by parolees are about to learn whether the Victorian government has heeded their calls for sweeping changes to the state's parole system.

Previously announced changes, including making breaching parole a crime, will be debated in parliament this week, while a review of the state's parole system by retired High Court judge Ian Callinan may also be released as early as Tuesday.

Premier Denis Napthine said the state would have the toughest parole regime in the country.

"We'll be debating further toughening of parole laws in Victoria to make it very clear that we will have the toughest parole conditions in Australia," Dr Napthine told reporters on Monday.

"There is no doubt that there needs to be improvements to our parole processes.

"We make no apology for making it very clear that parole is a privilege not a right."

Among the measures being debated in parliament are making breaching parole an offence and giving police greater powers to deal with those those who breach parole.

The government has already made it mandatory to put violent offenders back in jail if they are convicted of a serious crime while on parole.

The crackdown follows about 13 murders by parolees in recent years, including the Jill Meagher case, with the families of victims among those calling for greater transparency and accountability by the parole board.

Dr Napthine met with Ms Meagher's widower Tom last week to discuss his concerns about the Adult Parole Board of Victoria.

Helen Wicking, whose daughter Joanne was killed by a parolee in 2010, says victims of crime need to have a stronger voice in parole decisions, and called for stronger surveillance once prisoners are released.

Steve Medcraft, president of People Against Lenient Sentencing, says he hopes to see a degree of transparency introduced to the parole board.

"I would hope that we get a clearer insight into the workings of the body and more involvement from people affected by the decisions," he said.

The board's decisions are made in an administrative rather than a legal setting, meaning prisoners are not entitled to legal representation and hearings are not open to the public or media.

Two of the four reviews of the state's parole system - suppressed during an inquest - examine 11 cases of offenders alleged to have murdered people while on parole.

The issue goes back before State Coroner Judge Ian Gray on Tuesday. He last week lifted the suppression order but the Department of Justice sought a stay while it considered an appeal.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said the Callinan and other reviews should be made public.

"There needs to be an open process. It needs to be transparent."

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Peak-hour chaos in Sydney CBD

BROKEN traffic lights have caused chaos in Sydney's CBD, with traffic snarls and delays of more than an hour on some bus routes.

Commuters were warned to expect delays and urged to take a train where possible after the traffic lights on Castlereagh Street broke down between Hunter and Bathurst Streets on Monday evening.

The broken lights caused long traffic delays and waits of over an hour on bus routes travelling along Castlereagh Street.

The lights were repaired by 7.30pm (AEST) and conditions were beginning to ease, a spokeswoman for the Transport Management Centre said.

However, some bus services were still delayed by up to 60 minutes.

Bus passengers were able to use their tickets on trains on the city, Inner West and Bankstown lines until 8pm (AEST).

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Backpackers caught in fool's gold ring

Queensland police say they've cracked a syndicate that preyed on backpackers and other tourists. Source: AAP

A CRIMINAL mastermind has been nabbed accused of tricking backpackers into selling fake gold and stealing their identities to launder the profits.

The 29-year-old Gold Coast man allegedly lured dozens of primarily Asian tourists to work for him to sell the fake gold and other precious metals to dealers.

As part of their employment, they surrendered their passports.

Police say the man then set up bank accounts in their names, using them to launder the proceeds of crime.

Raids over the weekend uncovered a cache of stolen passports, counterfeit money, fake metals and weapons, Detective Superintendent Brian Hay told reporters on Monday.

"This is very clever indeed," he said.

"It will be alleged the mastermind behind these operations had gone to some lengths to actually distance themselves as much as possible from getting their hands dirty, so to speak."

Supt Hay said the syndicate had been in operation since at least last year.

Detectives are still trying to determine just how many foreigners were targeted.

A 23-year-old Korean woman has also been charged in relation to several fraud and identity theft offences.

She'll appear in Southport Magistrates Court on August 22, while the alleged ringleader will front court on September 5.

Supt Hay said the syndicate saw backpackers as an easy target.

"They come to this country with an element of trust in the Australian way of life and ... they're here for a short period of time," he said.

"They won't be in this country for such a long time as to hang around and possibly give evidence against that person."

The syndicate came unstuck after police received reports of stolen passports and fake precious metals and linked the two.

He said the ringleader was likely skilled in metallurgy and urged anyone in the industry with information to contact police.

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