Reasonable chance of finding plane: RAAF

Three planes have left Perth to continue the search for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane. Source: AAP

LONG-RANGE aircraft have joined the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, boosting confidence that suspected debris from MH370 will be found.

The large debris that was captured on satellite imagery on March 16 and publicly revealed on Thursday after being analysed is the most credible lead so far in the hunt for the missing plane.

While it is yet to be spotted by search aircraft, the HMAS Success is due to arrive at the search area on Saturday afternoon.

Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss told a large international media contingent at the Royal Australian Air Force Pearce air base north of Perth, from where the search is being coordinated, that the Australian effort has so far covered some 500,000 square kilometres.

Mr Truss said there had already been 15 sorties from the base, mainly Australian and New Zealand Orion aircraft.

Two longer range aircraft being deployed this weekend had intercontinental capability and would be able to search the area for five hours, compared to the 2-3 hours that military aircraft had available over the past two days, he said.

Aircraft from China will arrive at Pearce later on Saturday and join the search on Sunday, when Japanese aircraft will land at the base.

They will become involved on Monday.

Several vessels from around the world are also en route to assist.

No aircraft or vessels have been sent from Malaysia to help with the Indian Ocean search, but it has sent military personnel to Pearce to act as liaison officers.

"They have other search areas where they are concentrating their efforts, in their own waters and nearby," Mr Truss said.

He said Malaysian authorities were being contacted every few hours

The search area has been adjusted to account for considerable drift.

Weather conditions had much improved and would remain so for the foreseeable future, Mr Truss said.

"If there's something there to be found, I'm confident that this search effort will locate it," he said.

RAAF group captain Craig Heap was cautiously optimistic.

"There's a reasonable chance of finding something," Captain Heap said.

At a press conference in Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the lead as "tenuous", while Mr Truss conceded the debris may be a shipping container.

He said the search would continue as long as there was hope.

"It is important from the perspective of those who have families, whose whereabouts are unknown ... and indeed for the future of the aviation industry, that we do whatever we can to firstly confirm whether or not the sightings as a result of the satellite imagery are indeed connected in any way with the Malaysia Airlines flight," Mr Truss said.

"And then if so, what can be recovered so we can learn more about what has happened on this flight and learn any lessons that are necessary to make sure this doesn't happen again." Australian authorities would their utmost to keep the public informed, he said.

"These families .... they're anxious for information," Mr Truss said.

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Qld police search garbage dump for body

A SEARCH is underway at a Queensland landfill site for the remains of a diamond miner who vanished a month ago.

David Hanson, 71, was supposed to catch a flight to Tanzania on February 22 but never made it to the airport.

Police believe his body and belongings were dumped in a bin south of Brisbane and on Saturday began searching garbage at a waste transfer station.

Fifty-two State Emergency Service volunteers began sifting through 5000 tonnes of compacted waste at the Browns Plains Waste and Recycling Facility using rakes and garden forks on Saturday.

Police won't speculate on a motive.

They say Mr Hanson was jailed for drug trafficking in the United States two decades ago and was not a particularly wealthy man.

Detective Superintendent David Hutchinson said police had set aside a month for the search, which would be a slow and methodical process.

"There's been no proof of life in relation to Mr Hanson since the 22nd of February," he said.

"We always hope for the best and we hope that there's been a reason why he's gone away ... but the evidence that we have would suggest otherwise."

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Cops firing blanks in sex exemption debate

Police in Hawaii may lose a law that allows them to have sex with prostitutes while on the job. Source: AAP

POLICE in Hawaii are facing the prospect of losing an exemption that allows them to have sex with prostitutes while on the job.

The state's Senate Judicial Committee chairman, Clayton Hee, has announced plans to get rid of the exemption in Hawaii's prostitution law that permits police to have sex, so long as it's part of an investigation.

His announcement at a committee hearing this week followed expressions of outrage after police had lobbied to keep the exemption for the so-called morals officers who are charged with the responsibility of investigating prostitution.

"To condone police officers' sexual penetration in making arrests is simply nonsensical to me," Hee said.

State legislators have been working to revamp Hawaii's decades-old law against prostitution. They toughened penalties against pimps and those who use prostitutes, and they also originally proposed scrapping the sex exemption for officers on duty.

But Honolulu police said last month that they needed the legal protection to catch lawbreakers in the act. Otherwise, they argued, prostitutes would insist on sex to identify undercover officers.

The legislation was then amended to restore the protection and the revised proposal passed the House and is now before the Senate.

While police say the exemption is necessary, Myles Breiner, a former Honolulu prosecutor who now works as a defence lawyer, testified that some of his clients who are prostitutes often complained to him that police had sex with them before making an arrest.

"How do we expect people to follow the law when the police engage in criminal conduct," Breiner asked.

Police testified in writing and in person to the House Judiciary Committee in February that keeping the exemption protected undercover officers from being found out. They said internal department protocols protected citizens against abuses.

Law enforcement experts say there's never any need to have sex with a prostitute to make an arrest, because the agreement to exchange money for sex is sufficient evidence of a crime.

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Double bombing kills seven in Iraq

A DOUBLE bombing has killed seven people north of Baghdad.

Police say the attack happened on Saturday morning when a roadside bomb exploded in a commercial street in the city of Tikrit.

Minutes later, a car bomb struck officers arriving to inspect the first blast.

Officials say five policemen and two civilians were killed and 18 people were wounded in the bombings.

Violence has spiked in Iraq since last April, a surge unseen since 2008. The relentless attacks have become the government's most serious challenge.

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Road accident kills 35 in Pakistan

A COLLISION between two passenger buses and a petrol tanker killed 35 people in southwest Pakistan on Saturday, officials said, with many of the victims burning to death.

A bus travelling to Karachi collided with the tanker in the early hours of the morning in Gadani district on the coast of Baluchistan province, senior administration official Akber Haripal told AFP.

"The bus and the tanker had a head-on collision and the oil tanker turned over, but the situation got worse when a second passenger bus coming from behind rammed into the first bus as it skidded on the oil spilled on the road," he said.

The first bus then caught fire, he said, adding that 35 people were killed, most burning to death while trapped inside the bus, and 30 were injured.

Amir Sultan, another senior administration official confirmed the incident and toll and said the dead bodies were "beyond recognition".

"These passengers buses travelling between Baluchistan and Karachi have automatic hydraulic doors and their windows are sealed because the buses are air conditioned, so most of the passengers were trapped inside," he said.

Sultan said the injured were being taken to Karachi after receiving first aid at a government-run medical dispensary because there was no hospital in the area.

Pakistan has one of the world's worst records for fatal traffic accidents, blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

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Principal says school trusted staff

A FORMER Adelaide principal who hired a pedophile says he did not lie but made a mistake when he initially said he had done a police check on the bus driver.

Claude Hamam also said the school was extremely vigilant about supervision, but he had not known children went to the woodwork shed at lunchtime to see the driver, Brian Perkins.

"At the time we had an element of trust that we had for all the staff there," he told the royal commission into sex abuse on Friday.

It is investigating St Ann's Special School and Perkins who sexually abused intellectually disabled children between 1986 and 1991.

Mr Hamam hired Perkins, who had three child abuse convictions, without doing a police check, could not recall if he verified his references, and interviewed him alone which breached catholic school policy.

He told the commission he deeply regretted telling the Catholic Education Office (CEO) in 2001 that he had carried out the check, before revealing in 2003 that he had not done so.

"It is something I have got to carry for the rest of my life," he said.

It had been a mistake and an error of judgment, so he was shocked and devastated to be accused of lying and to be dismissed on the grounds of not being a fit and proper person.

Mr Hamam agreed that as Perkins took on more school activities, he had greater opportunities to be alone with children but said "we were extremely vigilant".

Perkins did volunteer respite care of students on weekends and helped out in the woodwork shed.

Mr Hamam said he did not recall a mother telling him that Perkins had placed her daughter on his knee in the shed and tried to feel her breast.

If that happened, he said he would have informed police.

He did recall a teacher raising concerns about Perkins bringing another man - whom the commission heard was now a convicted pedophile - onto the school premises.

"She felt perhaps he was a little creepy and she didn't like the look of this person," Mr Hamam said.

He told the man he did not want him at the school, but he could not recall if he brought up the incident with Perkins or if it gave him concern about the driver.

He said he first found out about the abuse claims when police contacted him in 1991.

Mr Hamam said he told Michael Critchley, who worked in the CEO's resources section, and expected him to take the case further.

He denied only approaching Mr Critchley for help in terminating Perkins' employment, saying "I thought it was a much more serious matter than looking at an industrial issue".

He did not tell parents their children may have been abused as police told him to keep the matter confidential so as not to compromise their investigation.

He did not raise the allegations with the Archbishop or at school board meetings.

Mr Critchley testified that he did not inform anyone in the CEO of his conversation with Mr Hamam.

"I can't recall why I didn't do it," he said, but agreed that in retrospect he should have.

Perkins, jailed for 10 years in 2003 after pleading guilty to sex offences, died in prison in 2009.

The hearing is continuing.

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Australia's real Pacific solution

Guards at Australia's detention centre on Manus island are ordered to carry hooked knives. Source: AAP

GUARDS at Australia's detention centre on Manus island are ordered to carry hooked knives.

The knives are used to cut ropes when asylum seekers try to hang themselves.

This is the harsh reality of Australia's so-called Pacific Solution.

Here's another reality - in one sleeping area in Foxtrot compound 122 men sleep in a steaming hot, darkened room with no air-conditioning.

Large, industrial fans are spaced unevenly between the beds, leaving little room for people to move.

And another reality: these are men - 1296 of them - living with the dark memories of the February 17 riot that claimed the life of 23-year-old Iranian man Reza Berati.

Broken window panes in the dining hall at Oscar compound, missing windows in Mike compound, bullet holes in a large white container exposing - like wounds - the rusted brown interior.

"They hit him and he fell from here and they hit him till he died," one asylum seeker said of Berati, pointing to a stairwell in Mike compound.

"They hit him in the head until he died." Guards and immigration officials quickly moved us on.

On Friday, a select group of media organisations including AAP was permitted rare access to the centre by court order as part of a Papua New Guinea human rights inquiry into the treatment of asylum seekers.

We were not allowed to interview staff or detainees.

Men in Delta, Foxtrot and Oscar compounds held pictures of Berati.

"Please report this, we want freedom," shouted one man, who gripped tightly onto the shoulder of this journalist.

"Please, we can't sleep. We are scared all the time."

Another became visibly upset. "Six months, seven months, eight months like this here," he said.

"We have no (running) water, no safety."

In Delta compound, media were shown filthy toilets with no running water, while in another compound there were broken showers.

This part of the facility is constructed on the remains of the old Manus Island detention centre, built so the Howard government could implement the first instalment of the Pacific Solution.

Tightly packed shipping containers in rows, each one sleeping four or five men.

Facing each other, the walkway between them is shielded from the heavy and frequent Manus rains by a metal roof.

Peering down, you can barely make out the faces of the men in the dark.

There are vast differences in the quality of the compounds.

While Delta and Foxtrot compounds are extremely run down, others are not.

Mike compound is made up of blazing white shipping containers stacked on top of each other. Each room sleeps four men.

In Oscar compound - made up of a dining hall and large marquee sleeping halls for up to 50 men - showers were broken.

In one of these sleeping halls the words, "you'll never find a rainbow if you keep looking down", are scrawled on a wall above one of the bunk beds.

The beds are spaced about a foot apart.

The court party was informed there are fewer tables in the dining halls since the riot, with none in one compound.

Next to Oscar compound, behind a large corrugated iron fence, is the mental health sleeping quarters.

Inside, a bearded man clutches his violently shaking right hand to his chest.

"I am from Syria, please I want freedom," he said.

Next to Mike compound is "the green zone" where asylum seekers can make calls to their families at night.

But there's nothing safe about it.

An asylum seeker points out a bullet hole in a metal support beam - another memory of February 17.

As the team of court officials and media walks between Oscar and Delta compounds, men hang against the fences and stare at us silently.

One group of about eight men stand with their faces pressed against the rusted metal.

To their right: a sign ordering guards to carry the hooked knives.

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Nats will do better at re-run poll: Joyce

THE Nationals will improve their performance at the re-run West Australian Senate election, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says.

The party - which began in the west - missed out on a seat at the September poll because of preference deals wrangled by minor parties including the Australian Sports Party.

Shane Van Styn and Colin de Grussa are running again at the April 5 election, but former AFL star David Wirrapanda has decided he won't.

"We had David Wirrapanda and he did a good job - we got a better vote than one of the senators that got in, it's just that our preference flow wasn't right but this time, the preference flow is better for us," Mr Joyce told Fairfax radio on Friday.

"We've got a better position (on the ballot paper) in box B.

"There was an overwhelming desire for change at the last election and I suppose the National party, because they stand on their own, got run over a bit in it.

"But this election is different."

Mr Joyce said the party's policy platform was centred on abolishing the carbon tax, progressing trade agreements and more infrastructure in WA.

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No sweet tooth for Australian cake champ

FOR an award-winning cake decorator who spends Monday to Friday surrounded by the temptations of her sugary creations, Jacquie Goldstaiz's palate is a blessing in disguise.

"I never bake for me. I just really love fresh fruit and vegetables," she said.

"The only time I really taste cake is to make sure it's the right flavour or it's not too dry."

Ms Goldstaiz's artistic flair earned her the championship title and a $2000 prize at the Australian Cake Decorating Championships in Sydney on Friday.

The Gold Coast woman's marzipan fruit creation took two months to make.

While the competition version was not edible, Ms Goldstaiz estimates a real cake would take two weeks to create and would weigh about 10 kilograms.

Throughout her five-year career, Ms Goldstaiz has created cakes in the shape of a Louis Vuitton bag, a Native American head and a diving helmet.

But somehow the former florist manages not to overindulge.

"To me, it's an art," she said.

"I never look at it as a cake and never look at it as something to eat."

Her winning confection will return to Queensland to take prime position in her cake-decorating shop.

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Trio charged after Vic bikie gang raids

Police are conducting raids on properties linked to the Comancheros outlaw bikie gang in Victoria. Source: AAP

THREE men have been charged and guns and drugs seized after raids on the Comanchero bikie gang across Melbourne.

Police searched a series of homes and businesses across the city on Friday morning, finding firearms at a property in Dewhurst.

Ammunition and drugs, believed to be steroids, were found in Lynbrook.

Three men were arrested and all charged with perverting the course of justice.

Robert Morando, 41, of Narre Warren South, Michael Murray, 36, of Lysterfield South and Almir Dzafic, 33, of Hampton Park, were remanded in custody to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.

Murray is also facing charges of possessing firearms, steroids and ammunition.

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Nine killed in Turkey crash

AT least nine people are dead and five others have been left injured after a passenger train crashed into a minibus carrying workers to a factory in southern Turkey.

Local governor Basri Guzeloglu said on Thursday the train slammed into the vehicle at a level crossing near the Mediterranean port city of Mersin.

All the dead were in the vehicle. Three of the injured were said to be in a serious condition.

Guzeloglu said the cause of the accident would be investigated but media reports suggested a signalling fault that saw the crossing's barrier arms up at the time of the accident.

No one aboard the train, travelling from the southern city of Adana to Mersin, was hurt.

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Woodside to operate Browse for 50 years

Woodside Petroleum plans to operate its Browse offshore floating LNG project in WA for 50 years. Source: AAP

WOODSIDE Petroleum plans to operate its Browse offshore floating LNG project for fifty years, with the first production well due to be drilled in 2017.

The Perth-based energy giant says three floating LNG (FLNG) vessels, each almost half a kilometre long, will operate at two offshore locations during the life of the gas field.

Woodside recently reported a drop in earnings amid uncertainty around the timing of it's two key growth projects at Browse in Western Australia and Leviathan in Israel.

In documents filed with the Federal Environment Department, Woodside said development drilling is scheduled to commence two years after a final investment decision.

The company and its joint venture partners - Japan's Mitsui, PetroChina, Shell and BP - recently said it will make a final investment on Browse in the third quarter of 2015.

It anticipates around 64 production wells will be drilled to between 3500 and 4500 metres below sea level.

"The final preparations to ready a well for production are expected to take approximately three months for each well," Woodside said in a draft environment impact statement for the Browse FLNG development.

"Operations are expected to extend for approximately 50 years."

All infrastructure will be located in Australian waters, with subsea infrastructure to be in water depths of 350 to 700 metres, the company said.

A floating hotel, or "flotel," will service staff during the development phase, the company said.

The company is yet to decide on a preferred location for an onshore supply base which will be required to support the development.

Once it's up and running the FLNG project will have between 62 and 94 vessel movements per year to transport the gas.

Public comment submissions on the draft impact statement will close on Friday.

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Man wedged between car and wall critical

A MAN is in a critical condition in a Sydney hospital after becoming wedged between his car and a brick wall.

The 50-year-old had been reversing from a driveway at a unit block on Shadforth Street, Wiley Park when he got stuck on Thursday morning.

CareFlight director Ian Badham told AAP a passerby rushed to the man's aid and pushed the car back about half a metre to relieve the pressure until emergency services arrived.

A doctor performed emergency surgery while NSW Fire and Rescue worked for 40 minutes to free the man, Mr Badham added.

He was taken to Liverpool Hospital with severe head and chest injuries and fractures.

A hospital spokesman said on Thursday night he was in a critical but stable condition.

Witness Moshi Ali told Network 10 he saw the incident unfold.

"I just heard a big bang then I looked from my balcony and I saw this guy trapped," he said.

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Qld premier says doctors are replaceable

Queensland's premier has threatened to replace doctors if they resign over a contracts dispute. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND Premier Campbell Newman is threatening to replace senior medical specialists with overseas doctors if they resign en masse over a contracts dispute.

Tensions between the government and doctors have intensified after more than 1200 specialists unanimously voted on Wednesday night to reject an eleventh-hour compromise.

While the doctors didn't pass a resolution at that Brisbane meeting to resign en masse, Mr Newman said they could be replaced.

"If people do choose to resign, we will have in place arrangements to replace those people and if we have to replace people from interstate or overseas ... we shall do that," he told parliament on Thursday.

"We will give anybody who wants to work in our public health system, which will be the best in Australia, the opportunity to do that."

Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation national president Tony Sara said a failure to broker a compromise could see elective surgery in Queensland cancelled by July, especially if anaesthetists quit.

"If 50, 70 per cent of the anaesthetists in your state go for a resignation strategy, then all elective surgery ceases on the first of July," he told AAP.

"The waiting lists immediately blow out."

About a dozen senior doctors are understood to have resigned on Wednesday night, as specialists from across Queensland voted against a government compromise allowing contract changes only if they didn't leave salaried medical officers worse off.

It is understood that transplant surgeons and neurosurgeons are among those planning to exit Queensland's public hospital system, with senior doctors in Townsville and Cairns preparing a mass exodus.

Dr Sara said emergency specialists would continue treating patients regardless.

"Emergency, life-saving surgery would still be done by the members even if they have resigned," he said.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the doctors' union was being sneaky.

"I'm very disappointed we've got doctors' union representatives going around talking about nuclear options to blow up the hospital system," he told reporters.

"What we've got here is a bit of sneakiness, the goal posts keep on changing, it's shifting sands."

The Liberal National Party government, however, is divided, with Assistant Health Minister Chris Davis on Wednesday night speaking out against the individual contracts.

"In my opinion, contracts should not proceed without transparent evidence of proposed efficacy and the due diligence," Dr Davis, a former director of geriatric medicine at Brisbane's Prince Charles Hospital, said to loud applause at Wednesday night's meeting.

The government wants doctors to sign contracts by April 30 but has ruled out revisiting industrial relations legislation, which has hospital boards appointing a mediator.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk asked Mr Newman why Mr Springborg was not being sacked over the "crisis", but the premier said he had full confidence in his health minister.

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Cootes granted NSW govt reprieve

The NSW government says trucking company Cootes Transport can continue driving on the state's roads. Source: AAP

EMBATTLED trucking company Cootes Transport has been granted a reprieve, with the NSW government allowing the firm to continue driving on the state's roads.

Cootes came under scrutiny after one of its fuel tankers was involved in a double fatality in Sydney's north in October 2013.

Compliance checks and an audit of the truck's fleet uncovered hundreds of defects, including faulty brakes, loose brackets and oil and fluid leaks.

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay put Cootes on notice earlier this month.

Cootes were asked to show cause within two weeks as to why it should not be banned from operating on NSW roads.

Mr Gay said the company had provided an action plan, including decommissioning 50 older trucks.

Cootes has pledged to purchase or bring in new prime movers to join its NSW fleet and review maintenance processes.

Mr Gay said the commitment meant Cootes would be allowed to continue operations in NSW "for the time being".

"I am encouraged to know the company has taken sensible action to address the issues," he said.

"But it is not a time to be complacent.

"The company is aware that should compliance issues continue to be detected, action will be reinstated to ensure the safety of all road users."

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No curfew for Brisbane Airport: Truss

THE federal government will not allow a curfew to be imposed on Brisbane Airport.

"A curfew at Brisbane Airport would have had an ongoing impact on the Brisbane economy, not to mention the tourism industry," Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss told a tourism and transport forum in Canberra on Wednesday.

"At the same time it would have done very little to mitigate the aircraft noise impact, particularly during peak periods, on Brisbane residents."

Mr Truss, who is the deputy prime minister, said the capacity at Brisbane Airport, the nation's third busiest, needed to be improved as it handled growing air traffic numbers.

An additional runway at Brisbane Airport is "some time" away from being operational and in the interim, all efforts should be made to maximise capacity.

Mr Truss said the nearest house was more than six kilometres from the runway, double the buffer at Melbourne Airport where there was no curfew.

Aircraft using Brisbane Airport should take advantage of its coastal position, flying over water whenever possible, he said.

"Brisbane has that advantage that there is no population on one end of the runway and therefore that is where the maximum noise should be concentrated," he said.

"The government is not predisposed towards implementing additional regulatory burdens on industry," Mr Truss said of his decision.

The Tourism and Transport Forum said a 24-hour airport would give Brisbane a competitive advantage.

"This decision removes the uncertainty the lengthy review created in the air transport and tourism industries," chief executive Ken Morrison said in a statement.

Brisbane Airport Corporation managing director Julieanne Alroe said it took noise mitigation very seriously.

"It is a very high priority and we will continue to lead the country in working with airlines, AirServices Australia and the community to find new ways to manage noise impacts," she said.

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Sun saps folic acid from women: study

Women who spend a lot of time in the sun are at risk of losing folic acid, according to a new study. Source: AAP

WOMEN who spend a lot of time in the sun are at risk of losing folic acid, according to a new study.

This means outdoor workers and others should speak to their GP if they are pregnant or likely to become pregnant, says researcher Professor Michael Kimlin from the Queensland University of Technology.

He and Dr David Borradale found a 20 per cent reduction in folate levels in a study of Brisbane women aged 18 to 47 who had high rates of sun exposure.

"This is concerning as the benefits of folic acid are well known," Professor Kimlin said.

Folate has been found to reduce miscarriage and neural tube defects in unborn babies.

Pregnant women or those planning a pregnancy are encouraged to take 500 micrograms a day.

High exposure to sun left women with folate below the recommended range for those considering pregnancy, according to the study published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology.

Women who spend time outside from 10am to 3pm with inadequate sun protection are most at risk.

Folic acid is a B vitamin found in green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, legumes, whole grains and vegemite.

In Australia it is also added to foods such as bread.

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Crimeans attack Ukraine navy HQ

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin and leaders of Crimea and its biggest city Sevastopol have signed a treaty making the two entities new members of the Russian Federation.

The treaty goes into force immediately, but stipulates an interim period until the end of the year to formalise the accession of the 84th and 85th members of the Russian Federation.

The signing ceremony in the Kremlin on Tuesday came after an almost hour-long address to MPs and governors, in which Putin defended the move that has triggered the worst crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

Putin stressed that Sunday's referendum in Crimea was fully legal, noting that more than 96 per cent of voters supported accession to Russia, according to official figures.

"The numbers were fully convincing," he said.

Putin compared Crimea's accession with Germany's unification after the Cold War, stressing that Moscow had explicitly supported this "unlike some other countries".

"I am convinced that the Germans will support us," he said.

Putin rejected Western accusations that Russia had invaded and annexed a part of Ukraine.

"We are being told that there was some Russian intervention in Crimea, an aggression. That's strange to hear. I do not recall a single case in history of an intervention without a shot being fired," he said.

Putin argued that while Russia did recognise Ukraine's independence in 1991, both countries never signed a treaty delineating the border between them.

He accused the West of "double standards and straight cynicism" over the issue.

"Our Western partners, led by the United States of America, prefer not to act according to international law but according to 'might is right'," he said.

He pointed to NATO-backed bombings in Yugoslavia and Libya, which went ahead without a UN Security Council mandate, as examples.

Putin again denied that Russian soldiers had invaded Crimea, saying that Russia merely "strengthened" its forces already stationed on the peninsula.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet is based in Crimea under an agreement with Ukraine.

Putin also brushed off sanctions, saying that Russia already suffered from limitations to its economy that were a legacy of the Cold War.

In a move unprecedented since the end of the Cold War, the US and the European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on Moscow that include asset freezes and travel bans on senior Russian government officials.

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Comedians join anti-cage eggs campaign

LAUGHTER is a useful tool for getting across a message on an unpleasant topic.

That's the tack Animals Australia has taken in its latest television campaign urging consumers to shun battery cage eggs, featuring comedians including Arj Barker, Carl Barron, and Kath and Kim's Peter Rowsthorn.

Mick Molloy is seen tenderly cradling a rescued battery hen, saying: "That ain't no way to treat a lady."

Rowsthorn says: "Think about it if you got caught on a really crowded train and the doors shut, and there you were, for the rest of your life. That's not good."

The advertisement follows the Make it Possible campaign by the animal welfare group in October when Woolworths pledged to phase out all cage eggs by 2018.

The move angered farmers, with the Victorian Farmers' Federation saying egg suppliers had five years earlier invested in new cage systems that met industry requirements, and that they would not be compensated for Woolworths' pending ban.

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Decades-old fire to be extinguished

A fire that's been burning for years in a section of a Victorian coal mine may be put out for good. Source: AAP

A FIRE that may have been burning since the 1970s in a disused part of a Victorian mine will have to finally be put out as it now appears to have a new source of oxygen.

The fire, nicknamed Old Faithful, has been smouldering for years in the Hazelwood open-cut mine's northern batters under a clay cap placed by mine operators to block its oxygen supply.

CFA incident controller Bob Barry said that since fires came through the area in February, Old Faithful seemed to be smoking more.

"It could get progressively worse because they don't know where the oxygen source is coming from," Mr Barry said on Wednesday.

"The best thing for us to do at the moment is to pull the clay off and see what's underneath and if we can suppress it, let's dig it out and suppress it once and for all."

Machinery will be brought in on Thursday morning to break open to cap. Mr Barry said the fire "could have been burning since the '77 fires".

"Every now and again it pops up with a little bit of smoke," Mr Barry said.

Old Faithful is not related to the February 9 blaze which caused smoke to blanket the nearby town of Morwell.

He said to put Old Faithful out once and for all would be a significant win.

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Three Australian beaches in world's top 25

Three Australian beaches, including Whitehaven Beach, have been voted among the best in the world. Source: AAP

THREE Australian beaches have been voted among the best 25 in the world.

But not only did Sydney's iconic Bondi beach not make it onto the list, it didn't even make it onto the list of the top ten Australian beaches.

A travel website revealed the winners of its 'Travellers' Choice' award for beaches, based on reviews and ratings for beaches on the site in the past 12 months.

Whitehaven Beach on the Whitsunday Island was named the best beach in Australia and the South Pacific, with international travellers ranking it the fifth best in the world.

"We are very excited that the Whitehaven Beach has taken out the top award and has been recognised as one of the best beaches in the world," Whitsundays Marketing and Development Ltd chief executive Danial Rochford said.

Turquoise Bay in Western Australia and Cable Beach, near Broome, were the other two Australian beaches in the world's top 25, coming in at number 20 and 22 respectively.

Baia do Sancho beach in the Fernando de Noronha region of Brazil was rated as the best beach in the world - with the South American country the only other, apart from Australia, to have three beaches on TripAdvisor's top 25 list.

"For those dreading the start of winter, there's really no better cure than an escape to one of these award-winning beaches," the site's chief marketing officer Barbara Messing said.

According to TripAdvisor users however, Bondi was not worthy of a mention in Australia's top ten, despite overwhelmingly positive reviews on the website. Over 75 per cent of users rated the beach excellent or very good.

But beaches including Burleigh Heads Beach, Manly Beach and Cottesloe Beach all rated above the iconic strip of Sydney sand.

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Aust needs science strategy: Chubb

Australia's chief scientist Ian Chubb says Australia needs a more strategic approach to science. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA is not doing collaboration between science, government and industry well and needs a strategy to improve research and innovation, the chief scientist says.

Professor Ian Chubb says it is important to support the full spectrum of research, from discovery through to use, as well as develop a more strategic approach to science to give Australia the progress needed for sustained economic development.

Only by working together can government, industry and academia meet the challenges, he says.

"In Australia, we are not good at the working together bit," the chief scientist told the National Press Club on Tuesday.

The UK and Australia have a similar distribution of researchers in universities and business but the UK does collaboration better because it has real strategies and incentives, Prof Chubb said.

"We do not have such strategies. And we should."

Prof Chubb said it was important the community understood the scientific process because when opinion overrode evidence, it was a sad time for humankind.

"And it is a truly frightening time for humankind when scientists and their science are derided - even vilified - because their evidence, after close and expert scrutiny, happens not to fit with what some people want to hear."

He believes if the community better understood how science generated and assessed evidence people could make better-informed decisions.

His talk came as hundreds of industry leaders converged in Canberra to meet parliamentarians.

Science and Technology Australia boss Catriona Jackson said they hoped to follow the UK's lead and spread expert knowledge throughout federal divisions since the Abbott government scrapped a science ministry.

Prof Chubb said politicians acting on expert advice could identify a budget, key priorities such as particular areas where Australia must be engaged, or key infrastructure within a priority framework.

Once that was done they should leave the decisions on which projects to fund to researchers and the peer community, he said.

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Shark attack may have been mackerel

A 10-YEAR-OLD girl injured in what was thought to be a shark attack may have been bitten by a mackerel.

The girl suffered "very minor injuries" to her hand when she was bitten on Tuesday afternoon while swimming off the main beach at Lennox Head, a spokeswoman at Lismore Base hospital told AAP.

Initially it was believed she had been attacked by a shark. But authorities say they aren't sure what is responsible for the injuries.

"They don't know if that's actually correct," the spokeswoman said of the shark attack theory.

Georgia Laddin, from the Lennox Head girls surfriders told News Corp Australia it wasn't a shark.

"It was a mackerel. She's been bitten by a fish," she said.

"She's fine, she's OK. She's one of the local girls who surfs down there."

A police spokeswoman told News Corp Australia the girl's thumb was scratched.

No further detail was available and the girl's family don't want to speak to media.

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Liberals gain ground in SA election

The Liberal Party has gained ground in resumed counting on Tuesday of the South Australian election. Source: AAP

THE Liberal opposition has closed the gap in some seats and extended its lead in others as counting resumed in South Australia's too-close-to-call election.

The electoral commission began tallying absentee, pre-poll and postal votes on Tuesday which could have a big impact on the final result with 320,000 ballots potentially outstanding.

At the close of counting on Saturday Labor looked likely to retain 23 seats in the 47-seat parliament, one short of a majority.

The Liberals looked set to win 22 with two going to independents.

However, there were five seats where the margin was less than 600 votes.

In the closest of those, Mitchell, the Liberals extended their lead on Tuesday from 233 votes to 373, while in seats where Labor was ahead, the opposition closed the gap.

In Ashford it reduced the margin from 835 to 661, in Colton from 571 to 440 and in Elder from 746 to 625.

It also picked up ground in Light and Newland, but not of any significance.

The electoral commission said more declaration votes would be counted for the doubtful metropolitan seats on Thursday when a clearer picture as to the final outcome would probably emerge.

However, a definitive result might not be known until Sunday when the final preferences would be allocated.

Despite the opposition's improved position, the most likely result remains a hung parliament with independents Geoff Brock and Bob Such set to have the balance of power.

Both have met with Premier Jay Weatherill and Opposition Leader Steven Marshall who are lobbying for their support to form a minority government.

Mr Brock on Tuesday met with the council chiefs within his mid-north electorate of Frome he had promised to consult before making any decision.

At the same time a newspaper survey of voters in both his seat and the seat of Fisher, held by Dr Such, revealed most people wanted the pair to side with the opposition.

In Fisher, The Advertiser-Galaxy poll quizzed 382 voters on Monday night and 66 per cent wanted Dr Such to back the Liberals while 53 per cent of the 317 voters questioned in Frome also wanted Mr Brock to support a Liberal minority government.

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Joyce fends off more jobs speculation

The opposition is holding off on a decision on Qantas law changes until an inquiry is tabled. Source: AAP

QANTAS chief Alan Joyce will not rule out sending more jobs offshore if able to do so under legislative changes being considered by federal parliament.

The airline is committed to slashing 5000 jobs as part of a $2 billion cost-cutting program, and as the coalition government proposes changes to the Qantas Sale Act, Mr Joyce will not forecast how many additional Australian positions could be lost.

"I'm not going to rule anything in or anything out," he told a Senate hearing in Canberra on Tuesday.

The airline boss faced repeated questioning about the impact on jobs of changing the Act, which would allow greater foreign ownership of Qantas's domestic arm.

But he said the airline has done no such modelling and refuses to deal in hypotheticals.

"We have no more plans on that," Mr Joyce said when asked of the jobs impact on different divisions of the company including maintenance, flight crew, catering and management.

Mr Joyce's position at the Qantas helm, which he has held since 2008, came under fire from Labor senator Sam Dastyari, who cited a drop in share price of more than 50 per cent since his appointment.

"If it was in the interests of shareholder value ... for you to resign would you do so?" Senator Dastyari asked.

Mr Joyce insisted that he has the support of the Qantas board.

"The important thing is to have the support of the shareholders and I continuously meet with the shareholders," Mr Joyce said.

A refresh of the Qantas board is the answer to the airline's problems, not legislative changes to the Act, Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association federal secretary Stephen Purvinas told the hearing.

"I would suggest that the government stop dealing with the current board of management until such time as they replace the CEO, they replace the chairman and they put someone with aviation background on the board," Mr Purvinas said.

He said the board is made up of bankers and people with corporate backgrounds, who lack an understanding of aviation issues.

Furthermore he said Qantas has purposefully lost money to back the federal government into a corner to change the Act.

"Qantas are intentionally creating this drama and all of the hype around them struggling internationally so that they can suck you guys into changing the Qantas Sale Act," Mr Purvinas said.

The Senate economics committee is due to report on March 24.

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Govt called on to encourage Chinese money

The Australia China Business Council has met with ministers ahead of Tony Abbott's visit to China. Source: AAP

BUSINESS groups want the federal government to do all it can to encourage Chinese investment in Australia to help build much needed infrastructure.

The Australia China Business Council met with a number of ministers in Canberra on Monday, including Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who will lead a trade delegation to China in mid-April.

The council's national president Duncan Calder said Australia must do all it can to deliver a level playing field for Chinese investment.

His call follows recent University of Sydney/KPMG research which found in 2013 Australia was overtaken by the United States as the preferred destination for China's direct investment.

"Anything we can do to encourage Chinese investment ... can only be positive for the Australian economy," Mr Calder told reporters.

Mr Calder said he was encouraged by what he heard at the meetings, which centred around cutting regulations and making it simpler and easier for business to succeed.

"What we want is just to make sure that the environment in which trade occurs is one where there is no 'big government," Mr Calder said.

Over 135 council members from around Australia attended the networking day at Parliament House.

It included sessions with Mr Abbott, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Treasurer Joe Hockey, Trade Minister Andrew Robb, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane and Small Business Minister Bruce Billson.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Palmer United Party Leader Clive Palmer also took part.

Freight operator Aurizon's managing director Lance Hockridge said all ministers spoke of the importance of the relationship with China and how that translates into real and tangible benefits for Australians.

"The prime minister and the other ministers going to China in two or three weeks is a tremendous representation of the commitment and change that we are seeking," Mr Hockridge told reporters.

He said the relationship with China offers opportunities that simply cannot be taken for granted.

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Pistorius ordered six guns before shooting

OSCAR Pistorius was in the process of buying six guns at the time he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, more than usually allowed under South African law, his murder trial has heard.

The order for three shotguns, two revolvers, and a rifle had already been invoiced to the athlete when he shot Steenkamp on February 14 last year, testified gun licensee Sean Rens on Monday.

"The transaction was cancelled a month post-incident," he said at the start of the third week of trial.

South African law allows non-collectors to possess only four firearms.

Rens said Pistorius "had a great love and enthusiasm" for firearms.

The licensee said Pistorius told him he once drew his gun inside his house at a suspicious noise, which turned out to be the washing machine.

"He went into what we call 'code red', or combat mode, in other words to draw his gun and go and clear his house," Rens testified on Monday.

Rens met the double-amputee in 2012 through a mutual friend. At the time Pistorius owned a 9 mm pistol and the pair visited a shooting range together around 10 times.

The state has drawn on previous gun incidents to depict the 27-year-old Pistorius as rash and trigger-happy, in support of the charge of premeditated murder.

The sprinter faces three additional non-related charges over firing a gun in a restaurant and from a moving car, and for the illegal possession of ammunition.

Licensing examination records showed Pistorius knew the country's gun laws well, the court heard.

He answered correctly that he could only shoot at a person if his life was directly threatened.

Asked if he could fire at burglars stealing a television from his house, Pistorius answered: "No. Life is not in danger," Rens said, reading from an answer sheet.

Pistorius says he shot dead Steenkamp, 29, through a locked toilet door when he mistook her for an intruder.

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Vic premier to fight for fair share of GST

VICTORIAN Premier Denis Napthine has vowed to "kick and scream" for a fairer share of the GST cake at the next meeting between the federal government and states and territories.

Dr Napthine said it was wrong that Victoria received about 90 cents in every dollar it pays in GST, while Queensland and NSW got a dollar for dollar return.

He said the recent allocation of the GST would make things worse and he would fight for a better deal at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in May.

"I will go to Canberra and I will kick and scream and fight for our fair share for Victoria," Dr Napthine said.

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Hi-tech serenity for people with dementia

Healthcare expects are using gaming technology to bring serenity to people living with dementia. Source: AAP

HEALTHCARE experts have found a way to bring serenity to the lives of people with dementia - thrill-a-second gaming technology.

They want to use the technology to create virtual experiences people can enjoy at home or in care centres.

The idea is to replace bouts of anxiety, agitation and depression with a distraction that is calming and engaging.

Alzheimer's Australia Vic has teamed up with Opaque Multimedia, a Melbourne digital-design studio, to develop the technology, which will use the same consoles as other video games.

Their first project is a virtual forest, which will allow people with dementia to control their environment as they wave their arms to make the wind gust through the trees.

"It creates a complete sensory experience of sight, sound and kinetic interaction," says Alzheimer's Australia Vic CEO Maree McCabe.

"Imagine being able to take a person with dementia out of their everyday experience and into a virtual environment through which they will experience awe, wonder, giggles, amazement and joy," Ms McCabe told AAP over the phone from San Francisco, where she is attending a game developers' conference to source crowdfunding.

She says the idea was inspired by a previous IT project aimed at helping people understand what it feels like to have dementia.

The forest is just the beginning, Ms McCabe says. She is excited about other concepts such as a beach experience or a festive Christmas scenario.

"The developers are using the same technology as the most visually impressive video games," says Opaque Multimedia director Norman Wang.

This will break new ground in the use of virtual sensory therapies to create feelings of safety, novelty and stimulation, he adds.

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Vic paramedics to take industrial action

Victorian paramedics say they'll take stop-work action over their long-running pay dispute. Source: AAP

VICTORIAN paramedics say they'll take stop-work action over their long-running pay dispute.

Paramedics have backed work bans, which their union says may include stop works, as part of the 20-month wages dispute.

Almost 1700 paramedics voted with 98 per cent of votes cast in favour of intensifying industrial action, the Ambulance Employees Association says.

"With this comprehensive vote for tougher action our members are sending the government a clear signal to get serious or deal with the consequences," state secretary Steve McGhie said on Monday.

Health Minister David Davis said the government and Ambulance Victoria had a significant offer of a six per cent upfront pay rise and two further tranches of three per cent, with a $1500 sign-on bonus.

"It's disappointing that the hardline ambulance union is determined to take industrial action," he told reporters.

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Baby sisters in hospital after collision

TWO baby sisters are in a serious but stable condition after the hatchback they were travelling in collided with a NSW Fire and Rescue truck driving in the same direction on the Pacific Highway in Sydney's north.

A 17-month-old girl sustained head injuries and a one-month-old girl was treated for head and abdominal injuries at the scene in Ku-ring-gai before being taken to Westmead Childrens' Hospital, police said.

Their mother, 28, sustained minor injuries in the Sunday afternoon collision, while their 29-year-old father was uninjured.

Police are investigating the incident.

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Qld Labor open to longer jail terms

QUEENSLAND'S opposition leader says tougher punishment for convicted child sex offenders needs to be looked at following the sentencing of schoolboy Daniel Morcombe's killer.

Serial pedophile Brett Peter Cowan was sentenced last week to life imprisonment with a 20-year non-parole period for the December 2003 murder on the Sunshine Coast.

While the sentence was longer than the minimum 15 years without parole, Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie is preparing to appeal against it and to introduce tougher sex offender laws.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says Labor would be open to longer jail terms.

"If we can toughen up parole and penalties, it's something we need to seriously look at," she told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday.

"We will look at any sensible options that the government presents to us. But we want it open and transparent and we want to make sure that people get consulted."

Ms Palaszczuk, who has previously criticised the Liberal National Party government for rushing through sex offender laws, hoped Mr Bleijie wasn't cashing in on the Morcombe family's grief.

"I hope he is not politicising a tragedy," she said, adding she didn't want this to happen to another family.

Queensland judges have had the power to keep repeat sex offenders in jail indefinitely since 1945. But Cowan served only 14 months of a two-year sentence for molesting a seven-year-old boy at a Brisbane park in 1987.

Six years later, he violently sodomised a six-year-old boy in Darwin, serving only half of a seven-year jail sentence.

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Premier Hodgman gets straight to work

Will Hodgman has declared he begins his new job as Tasmania's premier with a mandate for change. Source: AAP

TASMANIA'S next premier Will Hodgman has spent day one after the Liberals' thumping election victory familiarising himself with the job.

Mr Hodgman has joined deputy Jeremy Rockliff and likely treasurer Peter Gutwein in meetings with the heads of the premier's department and treasury.

In scenes that mirrored the election of prime minister Tony Abbott last year, Mr Hodgman ticked off day one of a 100-day plan and didn't address the media.

The Liberals grabbed 52 per cent of the primary vote, a swing of 12 per cent, to win at least 14 of the lower house's 25 seats and take power for the first time in 16 years.

Mr Hodgman told department heads his team was serious about turning around Tasmania's struggling economy.

"We appreciate, having spent some time in opposition, there'll be a lot we need to hear from you as to what's required of us," he said.

"My team ... are keen to start work straight away. But we will do things in a sensible and methodical way as well.

"We are not proposing anything radical."

But his refusal to answer questions was immediately attacked by defeated Labor premier Lara Giddings.

Asked about the Liberals' disciplined campaign, Ms Giddings hit out on "day of the next election campaign".

"Discipline in not even being available to answer questions on your first day as the next premier is not really acceptable," she said.

With more than 80 per cent of the vote counted, the ALP had secured six seats, the Greens probably three while two were still in doubt.

Ms Giddings was clinging to hope that Labor could finish with as many as nine, the final outcome not expected for another 10 days.

"I'm not conceding any of the seats that are still in doubt," Ms Giddings told reporters.

"We don't know how the preferences will flow."

Ms Giddings, who confirmed she would be a candidate for the Labor leadership, said her government's rout had not been unexpected.

"It's a result that we're not unsurprised by in terms of the tough decisions we've had to make, the issues that were thrown at us ... and of course the difficulty of combating a very negative opposition," she said.

Greens leader Nick McKim was expected to retain the leadership of his party despite an eight per cent swing against it.

He joined Ms Giddings in reiterating support for Tasmania's forest peace deal between environmentalists and the timber industry.

The elected Liberals have promised to tear up the agreement, which protects contentious forests from logging in return for green group support of a plantation-based industry.

Signatories to the deal The Wilderness Society and Environment Tasmania also called on it to be retained.

"Will, can we just see your forest plan please mate?" Mr McKim said.

"Nobody's seen it and we'd like to see how you're actually going to do what you say you are going to do."

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Stolen BMW crashes into driver: police

POLICE in Perth are investigating a pursuit that ended with a 51-year-old man in a critical condition after his car was hit by a stolen BMW driven by a teenager.

Police say officers tried to stop the BMW on Albany Highway in East Victoria Park on Saturday night, but the 16-year-old driver sped off.

A brief chase by officers on the ground was taken over by the Police Air Wing, which continued to pursue the car.

Police said the BMW ran a red light at the intersection of McDowell Street and Orrong Road in Welshpool and struck another vehicle.

They said the young BMW driver ran off after the crash but Air Wing officers spotted him hiding in bushes and he was arrested a short time later.

He remains in custody and was later charged with aggravated dangerous driving causing bodily harm, no authority to drive, stealing a motor vehicle, reckless driving and failing to stop when directed by police.

He is due to appear in the Perth Childrens Court on Monday.

The 51-year-old man is in Royal Perth Hospital in a critical but stable condition.

Investigators from WA's major crash unit have been called in to investigate the crash, which will also be probed by the WA police internal affairs unit.

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20,000 Sydney homes lose power in storm

STRONG winds have lashed the NSW coast, cutting power to about 20,000 homes in Sydney's north and 19,000 on the Central Coast.

Residents between Palm Beach and Freshwater lost power early on Sunday afternoon and, about an hour later, State Emergency Service volunteers were called to 120 jobs, predominantly in the northern beaches.

This is expected to climb to about 300 by the end of the Sunday, Fairfax reports.

"This storm has hit Sydney so quickly, all our volunteers have just had to scramble together to get each job covered as quickly as possible," SES spokesman Todd Burns told Fairfax.

Responding to customers on Twitter, Ausgrid said it may take "a few hours" to restore power.

"It may take a few more hours depending on damage and location. Sorry for delays today. storm came thru fast and furious," Ausgrid said on Twitter.

Wind gusting up to 90 km/h was recorded at Terry Hills and 16 millimetres of rain fell in about 15 minutes at nearby Hornsby, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said.

"The cell was moving so quickly it didn't have a chance to drop too much," a bureau spokesman told AAP.

Further north, winds blew across Evans Head at 115km/h and through Casino at 107 km/h.

At Williamtown, near Newcastle, wind ripped through at 95 km/h, and speeds between 90 and 100 km/h were recorded at Gunnedah, Glenn Innes on the northern tablelands, Scone and in the upper Hunter regions.

The storm is now well gone and the BOM is forecasting dry, sunny days in the high 20s for the start of the week after a cool Sunday night.

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