Alert issued for Qld island blaze

A watch and act alert has been issued for a bushfire on Queensland's North Stradbroke Island. Source: AAP

A WATCH and act alert has been issued for Queensland's North Stradbroke Island where a large bushfire is burning.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services says a large fire on the southwestern side of Alfred Martin Way is moving slowly in a southeasterly direction.

An expected wind change at 2pm on Saturday is likely to push the bushfire in a northwesterly direction.

Authorities say the fire could reach the north side of Mitchell Crescent, Illawong Crescent, Rainbow Crescent, Dickson Way and the Seven Mile S-bend.

People in these areas are being advised to finalise their bushfire plans.

The Dunwich Community Hall has been made available for those who choose to relocate.

Firefighters are working to control the blaze.

On Friday campers and miners in the Dunwich area were asked to leave after the fire jumped containment lines.

Meanwhile, residents on the mainland and Southern Moreton Bay Islands are being asked to conserve water after a treatment plant was damaged on North Stradbroke Island.

The treatment plant is one of just two that service the region.

North Stradbroke Island residents are not being asked to conserve water as the plant doesn't service the island.

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Qld cop dragged 200m by car

A police officer is recovering after being dragged 200 metres along a road by a car in Townsville. Source: AAP

A POLICE officer is recovering after being dragged 200 metres along a road by a car in central Townsville.

Police will allege the driver of the car grabbed the officer's arm after he leant into the car to breath test the driver about 2.40am on Saturday.

The driver then drove about 200m before the 45-year-old officer managed to free himself.

The officer was allegedly elbowed twice in the face.

He has been treated in hospital for a cut to his head and eye, a chipped tooth and multiple abrasions and bruising.

The 23-year-old driver was later involved in a police car chase and has been taken into custody.

Charges are yet to be laid.

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Body found in Canberra unit

DETECTIVES are trying to determine whether foul play was involved in the death of a man discovered in an ACT home unit.

A friend of the 52-year-old found his body at lunchtime on Saturday at a building in Bega Flats, Reid, police say.

A crime scene has been set up, with investigators working to establish the cause of death.

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Case of burned woman baffles NSW cops

A severely burnt woman discovered in Sydney bushland claimed she was a victim of a chemical attack. Source: AAP

POLICE are mystified as to how a woman who was critically burned in an apparent chemical attack survived for days on the streets of western Sydney with little more than basic first aid.

A resident on Ferraro Crescent at West Hoxton heard cries from nearby bushland on Friday night and called triple zero.

When police arrived they found Monika "Nikki" Chetty, who has reportedly been sleeping rough in the area for months, with extensive burns to her face and body.

The 39-year-old told police she was attacked about a week ago in a Liverpool park but she did not seek help at hospital.

"In my 41 years in the police, this is most baffling - I cannot fathom the circumstances leading up to this," Green Valley Police Detective Superintendent James Johnson told reporters on Saturday.

"She is covered in black marks. It's full-thickness burns.

"She would have been in absolute agony, in my opinion, and to survive this long is amazing."

Ferraro Crescent resident Gavin O'Brien reportedly found Ms Chetty washing her wounds around the side of his house on Boxing Day.

"I couldn't tell it was a woman, the person was that disfigured," he told Network Ten.

"Had bandages on their head, didn't look too well. I asked if they were OK, they didn't want to talk, they were quite distressed."

It has been reported the woman is a mother of three who occasionally slept in bushland near where she was found by emergency services.

"She's been hanging up bedsheets and clothes along the park fence," neighbour Frank Ravese told the Seven Network.

Ms Chetty is in the Concord hospital burns unit in critical condition and police have asked for anyone with information to come forward.

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Chinese man gets death for child deaths

A CHINESE man who hacked three children to death and injured 13 others at a daycare centre in southern China has been sentenced to death.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday that Wu Yechang was convicted of intentional homicide in the Guigang Intermediate People's Court in China's Guangxi region for the September 2012 attack that horrified the country.

It was one of several violent attacks on children in China in recent years that have resulted in tighter security at schools and kindergartens.

The attacks also have led to calls for more attention to mental illnesses and prompted concern over rising stress in Chinese society.

Wu suffered from illness and loneliness when he targeted the children at the Red Apple daycare centre in Guangxi's Pingnan county, Xinhua said.

He told police in 2012 he initially wanted to kill himself but decided to do something bigger.

Reports say the jobless man bought an axe and was wandering when he saw the daycare centre.

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Boat arrivals at five-year low: Morrison

Scott Morrison says asylum-seeker arrivals for the October quarter were the lowest in five years. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIAN authorities have intercepted the first asylum-seeker boat of the year but the government isn't counting it yet.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison's weekly statement, issued on Friday, says no illegal maritime arrivals were transferred to immigration authorities in the past week.

"The boats have not yet stopped, but they are stopping," his statement says.

But an accompanying statement from Operation Sovereign Borders commander Lieutenant General Angus Campbell notes a boat was intercepted near Melville Island on Wednesday.

It is still under control of Border Protection Command, with those on board yet to be handed to immigration officials on Christmas Island.

Mr Morrison said boat arrivals from October to December were at the lowest level since 2008.

This is the second week in a row Mr Morrison has issued his report via email instead of holding a press conference.

Labor immigration spokesman Richard Marles said Mr Morrison was trying to hide the boats and offered a new year's resolution for the minister: "Start being honest with the Australian people about what is happening on our borders".

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Big jobless dip in Spain

SPAIN'S Labour Ministry says the number of people registered as unemployed fell by 107,570 in December, the best drop on record for the month and welcome news for an economy struggling to emerge from more than two years of recession.

The ministry said on Friday the decrease left the country's total number of unemployed at about 4.7 million. It said the unemployment figure dipped by 147,385 for the whole of 2013.

Quarterly unemployment surveys - seen as more accurate by economists - show that Spain's unemployment rate was 26 per cent in the third quarter, with 6 million people jobless. The rate is the second highest in the 28-country European Union after Greece.

The Spanish government insists the economy is on the mend and will create jobs in 2014.

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Irishman jailed in WA for car crash deaths

An Irishman has been jailed for almost three years for dangerous driving occasioning death in Perth. Source: AAP

AN Irishman working in Perth had been drinking alcohol when he got behind the wheel of an overloaded car, was speeding and ran a red light moments before crashing and killing two friends.

Eamonn Mark Driver, 31, was sentenced in the Perth District Court on Friday to two years and 50 weeks in prison after being extradited from Ireland last August and pleading guilty to two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.

He was driving six friends in October 2007 when his Toyota Corolla hit a curb and crashed, killing Irish nationals Colm Paul Reilly, 20, and 22-year-old Kiara Eileen Duncan.

Driver, who was also injured, left Perth to attend the funerals in Ireland before being charged.

When he was charged in his absence, Driver failed to appear in a Perth court in 2009 because he was recovering from a motorcycle accident in Ireland and could not travel, but did not fight an extradition order.

His lawyer submitted on Friday that "momentary inattention" caused the Perth crash because Driver turned to tell his passengers to quieten down.

In sentencing, Judge Richard Keen said Driver's behaviour leading up to the crash indicated his manner of driving and said it was a "dangerous combination" of factors that led to the accident.

The court heard Driver had disregarded comments from his passengers to slow down, although Driver claimed to have not heard them protest.

Judge Keen accepted Driver was remorseful, had empathy for the victims' families and the accident haunted him.

But he said general deterrence was important and offenders needed to know there would be little leniency for such crimes.

"There is far too much carnage on our roads," he said.

Referring to a statement from Ms Duncan's mother, Judge Keen noted she did not forgive Driver and was struggling to deal with her loss.

The court heard Driver kept a distance at Ms Duncan's funeral but sat with the family during Mr Reilly's funeral because they were close friends and the victim's family welcomed him.

Judge Keen noted prison would be difficult for Driver in Australia because he was far from family.

Driver will be eligible for parole after serving half his sentence.

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Family mourn loss of Vic man

THE girlfriend of a young footballer who was killed in a street brawl in Victoria's north has posted on social media that she does not know what to do without her "co pilot".

Hayden Atkinson-Thring, 20, died after a violent fight outside a service station in Cobram when he was stabbed in the abdomen about 10.30pm on Thursday (AEDT).

Two men fled in a silver Commodore after a verbal argument.

Two men were interviewed by police in relation to the incident.

An 18-year-old Shepparton man was released pending further inquiries on Friday night, police said.

A 27-year-old Cobram man remains in custody and is helping police with their inquiries after he handed himself into a Melbourne police station at 10am on Friday, police said.

No charges have been laid.

Atkinson-Thring's distraught girlfriend Kelli Berdini said in a tribute posted on social media she would never forget her "soul mate".

"My heart is broken haych," Ms Berdini wrote.

"I had never been so happy. What am I meant to do without my co pilot?

"This is so hard. I just want him to come home."

The shocked grandmother of the Cobram Secondary College graduate told reporters he was a quiet boy who did not deserve to die.

Heather Atkinson said her grandson was a "beautiful boy" who was full of life.

"He was a lovely boy. He did not deserve this," Ms Atkinson told Channel Nine.

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British man, NZ woman found dead in Libya

THE Foreign Office in London has confirmed that a British national has died in Libya, after the bodies of a British man and a New Zealand woman were found shot dead.

Libyan troops found the bodies southwest of Tripoli on Thursday, a security source in the north African country told AFP.

A British Foreign Office spokesman told AFP on Friday: "We are aware of the tragic death of a British national in Libya and we stand ready to provide consular assistance."

It is not believed the victim's family is yet aware of his death.

The bodies have been moved to Tripoli, the security source said.

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs is investigating the reported death of the New Zealand woman.

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Big drop in Chicago homicides in 2013

Police say the number of homicides in Chicago in 2013 dropped by 18% over the previous year. Source: AAP

CHICAGO has ended 2013 with fewer homicides than any year since 1965 and the lowest overall crime rate since 1972.

The police department also says the number of shooting victims fell to 2328 in 2013, compared with 3066 the year before.

In a news release, the department says there was a drop in several crime categories, ranging from robbery and aggravated battery to criminal sexual assault and burglary.

Violence in the city became a national news story in 2012, when the number of homicides climbed past the 500 mark.

In 2013, homicides fell 18 per cent to 415.

Over the past year, the department launched a number of initiatives targeting street gangs responsible for much of the violence and spent about $US100 million ($A112.8 million) in overtime to flood high crime areas with officers.

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Study pinpoints arrival of deadly stingers

A new forecast system could warn swimmers in advance of the arrival of deadly Irukandji stingers. Source: AAP

SWIMMERS could be warned a week in advance of the arrival of deadly Irukandji stingers after researchers found a way to pinpoint when the jellyfish would arrive at a certain spot.

Queensland CSIRO scientists studied wind and water current patterns for the past 30 years to create a forecasting system to predict the arrival of the stingers.

This week they successfully tested the method at Palm Cove, north of Cairns, where Irukandji stingers were discovered in the 1940s.

CSIRO Wealth from Oceans research scientist Lisa Gershwin says if tests in other areas are successful the method could be used to warn swimmers against going in the water.

"Hopefully this will ultimately lead to a reduction in the number of stings and keep people safe," the marine biologist, who has studied jellyfish for the past 20 years, told AAP on Thursday.

"It's similar to weather forecasting ... but we're still in the research and development stage."

The method will be particularly useful in areas where there are no lifeguards, she says.

At present, lifeguards conduct tests and close beaches if jellyfish are found in the water, a method Dr Gershwin says is not reliable.

"There is a lot of luck involved in this method, and it's also about the skill of the lifeguard to recognise the jellyfish in different growth stages."

Irukandji jellyfish are found in the tropical waters off north Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Their stings can cause severe muscular pain, anxious behaviour, headaches and vomiting.

Queensland Health says the sting from some species can cause very high blood pressure or affect the heart, potentially resulting in death.

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Woodside pushes ahead with Browse sales

Woodside Petroleum will push ahead with plans to jointly sell gas from its proposed Browse project. Source: AAP

WOODSIDE Petroleum says it will push ahead with plans to jointly sell gas from its proposed Browse project despite a Japanese partner terminating a purchase deal.

Japan Australia LNG, known as MIMI as it is a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui, had agreed to buy around 1.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year from the Browse LNG development, subject to a final investment decision on Browse being taken by December 31, 2013.

Woodside and its joint venture partners - Japan's Mitsui, PetroChina, Shell and BP - recently decided to pursue a floating LNG option, and will make a final investment in the third quarter of 2015.

"As a result of the Browse joint venture participants deciding not to proceed with an onshore development and to enter basis of design for a floating LNG development concept, both parties recognise that this condition will not be satisfied," Woodside said in a statement on Thursday.

"Consequently, MIMI has today given Woodside notice terminating the sales and purchase agreement."

It comes eight months after Woodside's sale of equity in the Browse LNG development to MIMI.

Woodside said it will continue to work actively with MIMI on the marketing of co-mingled LNG volumes in the Japanese market.

"In addition, Woodside remains in ongoing discussions with other regional customers regarding potential sales from its portfolio of Australian LNG developments, including Browse," the company said.

In December Woodside chief executive Peter Coleman indicated the company was in a strong position to sell gas in Japan as the nation struggles to secure energy after the Fukushima nuclear accident, but he would not reveal details of recent price negotiations.

Woodside expects to complete its pricing negotiations by April 2014.

Meanwhile, analysts expect Royal Dutch Shell, which owns a 23 per cent stake in Woodside, to begin selling down its interest in coming weeks as its new chief executive Ben van Beurden takes the reins.

Shares in Woodside dropped 34 cents, or 0.87 per cent, to $38.56.

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Bondi shooting victim leads gang: reports

A MAN found on the streets of Bondi with a gunshot wound to his shoulder is reportedly a Brothers 4 Life kingpin who has previously been linked to three killings.

The 31-year-old is also believed to have been on a luxury cruiser at Rose Bay in Sydney's eastern suburbs on New Year's Day when it was shot at from the shore, police say.

Peppered with bullets, the boat left the wharf but was stopped by police a short time later and towed to Balmain.

Less than two hours after the shooting, a 31-year-old was discovered at Lamrock Avenue opposite Bondi Beach with a gunshot wound to his shoulder.

AAP understands the man is linked to the Brothers 4 Life street gang.

He has been identified in media reports as the leader of one of the gang's factions.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was last year set to face trial over a body found in a suburban backyard but the charges were reportedly dropped.

Five years ago, a NSW Supreme Court jury acquitted him of murdering a high school friend and another man in Sydney's west.

He admitted shooting the two men dead in 2006 but was found not guilty of murder after his lawyer argued he acted in self-defence.

Following this week's shooting, a witness said he spoke to the injured man before police arrived.

"We just walked past and this guy's just said, 'Man, I've been shot in the back,' and these coppers just showed up and they've taken over the scene," the passer-by told Fairfax Media.

Emergency services took the man to St Vincent's Hospital, police say, and he has since discharged himself.

It is understood he is not co-operating with police.

Residents of Sydney's west and southwest witnessed gang violence this year as feuds between Brothers 4 Life members erupted in shootings.

The group was founded by Bassam Hamzy, who was jailed in 1998 for the murder of Kris Toumazis outside the Mr Goodbar nightclub in Sydney's inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst.

He has had his jail time increased after orchestrating kidnappings and assaults and running a drug ring from within prison.

A man believed to be his cousin was shot dead in Revesby last year and another man, Omar Ajaj, suffered multiple bullet wounds in the attack.

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Antarctic ship rescue underway

Authorities say the rescue mission for the passengers stranded off Antarctica will commence shortly. Source: AAP

A RESCUE helicopter has loaded the first two groups of passengers from a Russian ship stuck in sea ice in Antarctica.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) estimates the rescue of the ship's 52 passengers, including scientists, tourists and journalists, will take at least five hours, depending on the weather.

Expedition leader Chris Turney confirmed in a tweet that the mostly Australian and New Zealand passengers stuck in ice on the Akademik Shokalskiy since Christmas Eve were being airlifted to safety.

"The Chinese helicopter has arrived @ the Shokalskiy. It's 100% we're off! A huge thanks to all." Prof Turney tweeted on Thursday afternoon.

He then tweeted a video of passengers walking through the ice and loading onto the helicopter.

"The first of the helicopters to take us home. Thanks everyone!"

Just after 7pm (AEDT) on Thursday, he tweeted "Take off! second team gone. Looking good."

The group will be moved in five flights of up to 12 passengers, with each return journey to the Xue Long some 10 nautical miles away expected to take 45 minutes.

The helicopter from the Chinese icebreaker the Xue Long finally reached the ship around 5pm after several attempts were thwarted by severe weather.

After initially saying the rescue would go ahead on Thursday, AMSA then announced around 1pm that sea ice conditions would delay the mission.

But the helicopter arrived at the makeshift helipad in the ice next to the ship just before 5pm and loaded the passengers shortly after.

AMSA took to social media on Thursday evening to say the first helicopter carrying 12 passengers had successfully transferred them.

Passengers are due to be dropped off on the Chinese ship, then transferred on a barge to the Aurora Australis icebreaker.

That ship will carry the passengers to Tasmania, arriving by mid-January.

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Wet 'n' Wild postpones Sydney NYE event

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Qld police use Eve for G20 practice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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US town evacuated after train derails

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Measles linked to Sydney dance event

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Clouds don't dampen New Year fireworks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Vic top cop admits past racial profiling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Women in suspected double murder named

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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China bans officials from public smoking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Laws to protect police dogs, horses in SA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What you see is what you get."

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

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

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

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

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

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Vic child killed after tree branch fall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Times Square preps for New Year's Eve bash

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

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

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

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

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

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

The annual event is dubbed Good Riddance Day.

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Holiday road toll rises to 18

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two people have died on WA roads this holiday period.

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

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Spike in mosquito-borne virus in WA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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GP fee would 'clog up' hospitals: Labor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cyclone accelerates towards WA coast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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