Australia told to be tougher on pedophiles

AUSTRALIA needs to do more to prevent child sex tourists travelling abroad and impose tougher sentences on pedophiles, a senior Thai official says.

Saowanee Khomepatr, a director at the Thai Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, also called on Thai authorities to step up child protection programs with few signs of progress over the past decade.

"I think it's not so much progress about the work (in Thailand). But we have to try more and make more effort," Mrs Saowanee told AAP.

A director of the ministry's Anti-Trafficking in Women and Children Bureau, Mrs Saowanee works closely with Australia on child sex abuse cases.

She said those found guilty in Australia of child sex abuse, and in particular pedophiles who travel abroad to commit crimes, should face stiffer sentences.

She called on Australia to step up publicity to warn potential offenders.

Australia has in place extra-territorial laws covering child sex offenders whose offences occur outside the country.

Thailand is a key destination for child sex tourists and pedophiles, although stepped-up local and international policing has forced more foreign sex tourists to travel to neighbouring countries, such as Cambodia, where official sanctions may be weaker.

Mrs Saowanee's comments came after Thai police arrested a 51-year-old Sydney man, Ian Potterton, last week on charges of "indecency" with a child under 15 years of age and a second count of mental torture to a child.

Potterton, who strenuously denies the charges, could face up to 10 years in jail as well as monetary fines.

Thai police investigators allege he transferred funds to The Philippines and Thailand to pay for "online sex shows" while in Australia.

In Thailand, he travelled with a Thai family and is alleged to have abused their seven-year-old nephew in northern Thailand.

Potterton was arrested on November 8 as he prepared to board a flight to Sydney.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege Potterton had earlier emailed photos of a naked young boy to Australia.

Potterton acknowledged the existence of the file, but told AAP the photos were non-sexual and expressed outrage over the AFP intervention.

On October 31, the AFP conducted a search of his Sydney residence, where "electronic devices" were seized.

Potterton is the second Australian currently facing pedophile charges.

A 93-year-old Australian man, Karl Joseph Kraus, is due to appear in a Chiang Mai court next month over the sexual assault of four young sisters under the age of 15.

Mark Capaldi, a researcher with non-government group End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT), known in Australia as ChildWise, says the new challenge in fighting child sex abuse is digital technology.

"A lot of (child abuse) can be facilitated nowadays around digital technology, through the internet or file sharing, dissemination of child pornography to those people who specifically want to target children," he said.

But he said the high profile cases, often involving Western men, were overshadowed by the fact that the majority of sexual exploitation of children was by "local demand, nationals".

"So that remains a concern in countries like Thailand."

Mr Capaldi welcomed Australian government programs across Asia in awareness and education along with capacity building with Thai police authorities in a bid to address the problem.

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New WA crime laws to target bikie gangs

WESTERN Australia now has some of the toughest organised crime laws in the country after passing a bill that can ban bikie gang members from associating.

The legislation is aimed at disrupting the illegal activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs and other criminal organisations and prevent them profiting from violence, intimidation and crime.

Under the new laws, the police commissioner and Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) can apply to a judge to have groups declared criminal organisations if they associate for the purpose of criminal activity and pose a risk to public safety.

WA Attorney-General Michael Mischin said the legislation would also provide for mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment for members of criminal organisations convicted of serious offences.

"Once a criminal organisation has been declared, a range of measures can be imposed on members, including WA Police applying to the Supreme Court for control orders to stop them associating with other controlled persons, going to banned locations, promoting or recruiting for the organisation, or transferring funds to the organisation," he said.

For some offences, courts will be required to impose at least two years imprisonment on offenders.

Mr Mischin said it was hoped that if members continued their criminal acts once their organisation has been declared, the lengthy jail terms they received would cripple the organisation's ability to operate.

"The state government is committed to targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and other criminal organisations which brazenly break the law and manufacture and distribute drugs to the detriment of the community," he said.

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Hong Kong shares close 1.20% higher

HONG Kong shares have climbed 1.20 per cent, in line with a regional rebound after recent selling fuelled by concerns over the US fiscal cliff.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index, which had lost more than four per cent in the past four sessions, rose 253.34 points to 21,441.99 on turnover of HK$48.34 billion ($A6.01 billion) on Wednesday.

Dealers were also looking to mainland China as the Communist Party prepares to unveil its top decision-making body on Thursday, with hopes leaders will clarify their plans for the economy.

The index, along with global markets, has fallen over the past week as investors grow nervous about the US fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts that are due to take effect from January 1.

The package, agreed last year during a spending cap face-off between Democrats and Republicans, will almost certainly tip the economy back into recession if a deal between deeply divided politicians cannot be made.

"It is difficult to understand the confidence that investors have in the ability of US politicians to accomplish in the next few months what they haven't been able to do in the past two years," investment house UBS said.

US politicians are expected to begin negotiations on Friday.

In Hong Kong, aluminium giant Chalco rose 2.8 per cent to HK$3.32, while China's largest two banks ICBC and China Construction Bank, and mainland developer China Resources Land all rallied more than 3.0 per cent.

Chinese shares closed 0.37 per cent higher. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added 7.53 points to 2,055.42 on turnover of 35.9 billion yuan ($A5.59 billion).

"The market is likely to welcome a Politburo Standing Committee line-up that includes more leaders who favour reform," Changjiang Securities analyst Wu Bangdong told Dow Jones Newswires.

Aluminium producers rose as dealers bet that the falls in prices would be arrested after state media said China may soon start government procurement of the metal.

Chalco jumped 4.65 per cent to 4.95 yuan, Shandong Nanshan Aluminium rose 2.22 per cent to 6.45 yuan and Dongyangguang Aluminum added 0.86 per cent to 8.24 yuan.

Among liquor makers, Xinjiang Yilite Industry gained 3.01 per cent to 13.68 yuan, while Sichuan Swellfun climbed 1.33 per cent to 22.81 yuan.

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Aust could keep some forces in Afghanistan

UNITED States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta says a deployment of Australian special forces to assist in maintaining security in Afghanistan after 2014 is worth considering.

Mr Panetta, who visited the barracks of the Special Air Service Regiment in Perth to meet some of those who had fought in Afghanistan, said Defence Minister Stephen Smith had expressed an interest in an Australian special forces presence in Afghanistan in the post-2014 period.

"I believe that is worth considering," he told the media conference at the conclusion of the annual Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN) consultations in Perth.

Under current transition plans, Afghan National Security Forces are progressively taking the lead in security, with that process to be fully completed by the end of 2014.

Australia is now considering what assistance it can provide after that period. Among the possibilities is ongoing help with training and deployment of special forces, subject to a suitable mandate and legal framework.

Mr Panetta said one of the missions in Afghanistan after 2014 would be counter-terrorism and continuing to target al-Qaeda and other groups.

"As we design that post-2014 presence, we want to consider the role not only of Australia but other countries can provide in special forces that I think would be very important in the future security of Afghanistan," he said.

In the communique released at the close of AUSMIN, Australia and the US reiterated the continued commitment to a secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan that is not a safe haven for international terrorists.

Australia and the US reiterated their commitment to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) transition strategy and to a post-2014 mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces.

Much pre-AUSMIN discussion centred on alleged US concerns at the level of Australian defence spending but the topic was only mentioned briefly in the media conference after a specific question to Mr Panetta.

He said both the US and Australia were facing budget constrictions which had to be taken into consideration.

"But I remain fully confident that in light of what we are confronting that we have the capability to maintain a strong national defence for both of our countries," he said.

"We will be able to meet the threats that confront us, not only in this part of the world but elsewhere as well."

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Most Afghans optimistic about future: poll

MOST Afghans believe their country is headed in the right direction but still worry about the lack of security resulting from the 11-year war, a public opinion survey by a major international non-profit group says.

The poll by the San Francisco-based Asia Foundation also found that an overwhelming majority of Afghans back the government's efforts to negotiate and reconcile with armed insurgent groups.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has offered jobs and housing to Taliban fighters who defect and formed a High Peace Council to facilitate negotiations.

Though officials and diplomats say contacts are being made with insurgent leaders, no formal peace talks are currently under way - mostly because the Taliban broke off efforts to start negotiations earlier this year.

"Security continues to be the biggest indicator of both optimism and pessimism for Afghans," Abdullah Ahmadzai, the deputy representative for Afghanistan with the Asia Foundation, said on Wednesday.

Only 30 per cent of respondents in the poll expressed sympathy for the insurgents, while nearly two-thirds said they did not support them.

But when asked why the Taliban continue to fight, the most common reason cited was opposition to the presence of foreign troops in the country.

Other reasons included a desire to gain power, illiteracy, support from Pakistan and corruption.

Despite their opposition to the Taliban, many respondents also said they were afraid of the troops from the US-led NATO coalition and government's security forces.

Nearly three-quarters said they felt fear when meeting international troops, while just under half said they had the same reaction when encountering the Afghan army or police.

NATO has intensified training of the 352,000-strong Afghan police and army to help improve standards and enable them to operate independently after foreign combat troops leave the country at the end of 2014.

The survey, which included 89 questions on a wide range of issues, showed that the vast majority of Afghans see corruption as a major problem in all facets of life and at all levels of governance.

Nearly 80 per cent of respondents said graft was a serious problem across the country, the report said.

The in-person survey of 6,290 Afghans from all 34 provinces, conducted with support from the US Agency for International Development and other foreign agencies, had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.1 per cent.

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'Romance' robbers fined $1.5m by NSW court

THREE "romance robbers" from True Love Corp must pay almost $1.5 million for exploiting vulnerable clients and leaving them dateless and destitute.

NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe says True Love's conduct was "despicable" and he hopes "other ruthless operators" in the dating game will take note of the landmark decision against them in the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Zivko Dimitrijevski, the former director of the internet dating company True Love Corp (TLC) Consulting Services Pty Ltd and his wife Helen Dimitrijevski, a former manager of TLC, have been ordered to pay compensation of $1,123,095 and banned from working in the introduction industry, Mr Stowe said in a statement.

Hollie Veall, a former co-director, was ordered to pay $342,050.

The NSW Supreme Court found that between February 2003 and July 2008, TLC had made false and misleading representations to a number of its clients who had signed up to get suitable introductions, Mr Stowe said.

In most cases the clients were told to upgrade their memberships, at significant cost, to meet more people and have life coaching and grooming services but didn't get anything and it turned out the prospective partners on the databases were largely nonexistent.

One victim sustained a loss of more than $680,000.

"TLC's conduct was particularly despicable as the Dimitrijevskis and Ms Veall had targeted lonely and vulnerable members of the community, many of whom had a disability or lived in remote areas," he said.

"These people put their trust in a company which took advantage of their vulnerable situation and milked them for every dollar they could get, leaving them destitute and dateless."

He said TLC had been operating on the NSW/Queensland border since 2002 but targeted consumers across most states and territories.

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Floodwaters recede from Venice

FLOODING in Venice has receded after record highs over the weekend that left much of the city under water, as four people were found dead from flooding due to heavy rains in Tuscany in central Italy.

The level of the water in Venice reached 149 centimetres on Sunday - its highest level since 2008 - sparking a red alert in the city, where hardy bathers were seen taking a dip in the flooded historic St Mark's Square.

The maximum highs forecast in Venice this week are 90 centimetres on Tuesday, 85 on Wednesday, and falling to 60 on Friday.

Meanwhile the toll mounted from flooding in central parts of the country.

Three of the victims were found in a car that was swept off a bridge that collapsed due to the swollen current near the town of Manciano late on Monday.

The local prosecutor's office said that the three victims were employees of electricity operator Enel who were travelling to a flood-struck area.

The heavy rains also left a victim in Capalbio on the Tuscan coastline, where a 73-year-old was swept away in his car.

Local trains were disrupted across Tuscany and the local governor has asked for assistance from the army but the rain in Italy has eased and several regions were expected to lower alert levels later on Tuesday.

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Nepal flood due to 'small rockslide'

FLASH flooding which swept away an entire village in Nepal originated with a minor rockslide, scientists say, warning that the disaster could be repeated.

More than 70 people are believed to have died when the Seti River burst its banks on May 5, 2012 and hit Kharapani - a village in the central Annapurna region with a population of just 100.

A team of Nepalese and US scientists investigating the cause of the flood said that a "comparatively small" rockslide had dammed an upstream gorge, forming a reservoir over several weeks.

This reservoir was then hit by a large avalanche from the Annapurna IV peak.

The research team found that the impact of the avalanche had overfilled the reservoir and had "caused such stress as to break the rockslide dam. The huge outburst flood resulted."

Satellite images had shown that there had been rockslides between 2003 and 2008 with a "significant reactivation" weeks before the disaster, they said.

The scientists, from the Nepalese government and the University of Arizona, recommended research into an early-warning system and warned villagers to be vigilant.

They cited the area's "unique" geography as a potential danger as its deep, marble gorges cause rivers to "cut directly downward like a hot knife slicing through a stick of butter".

Their report followed an expedition they had made to the region earlier in the month.

The village of Kharapani stood in the shadow of Mount Annapurna, one of Nepal's most popular tourist destinations.

The fast-flowing floodwaters smashed into two buildings and a number of shacks, as well as swamping families enjoying picnics.

Although there was never any official death toll, 23 bodies were recovered and around 50 people remain missing, including three Ukrainian tourists.

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Car employees to be paid before Christmas

FORMER employees of a used car dealer which collapsed in July will be paid in time for Christmas.

But more than 1000 owners around Australia who sold their vehicles through We Buy Any Car will have to wait between four and six months to hear if they have any hope of getting their cash.

We Buy Any Car traded in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia.

Worrells Solvency and Forensic Accountants announced on Tuesday that all 53 full time staff would be paid outstanding wages, including holiday pay, this week.

But people who worked for the company under tourist visas aren't so lucky - they are not covered by the federal government's General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme.

Liquidator Raj Khatri says the incomplete state of the company's books is making the job difficult.

"Something has gone very wrong here and our accountants are conducting an in-depth investigation, made more difficult as we cannot speak to the managing director who has disappeared overseas," he said in a statement.

Mr Khatri said the company was only trading for 12 months and he could not say when, or even if, people would see any money.

"This company incurred debts of at least $10 million over a short time period and we need to find out why this happened and where all the money went.

"We understand and empathise with the many people who sold their car in good faith - many of them have endured significant financial difficulties due to this loss."

Customers of We Buy Any Car can still register a proof of debt at Worrells.net.au.

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Hong Kong shares close 1.13% lower

HONG Kong shares have slid 1.13 per cent, in line with a regional sell-off sparked by growing concerns over Greece's bailout and the approaching US "fiscal cliff".

The benchmark Hang Seng Index on Tuesday fell 241.65 points to 21,188.65 on turnover of HK$52.28 billion ($A6.50 billion).

The losses, which mirrored falls in mainland China, came despite data out of Beijing on Friday and Saturday indicating the slowdown in the world's No.2 economy was coming to an end.

In Europe finance ministers said Greece had made "considerable progress" on meeting conditions for its next tranche of rescue cash, but they would have to meet again on Tuesday next week to decide whether to release it.

Investors are also growing increasingly nervous about the approaching automatic spending cuts and tax rises that threaten to send the US economy back into recession unless a cross-party deal is brokered.

"China's economy is on a recovery (track), though not a V-shape rebound," Steven Leung, director of institutional sales at UOB KayHian, told Dow Jones Newswires, saying he saw value emerging in policy-driven and cyclical stocks.

Out of 49 Hong Kong blue chips, 45 finished in the red - with property giant New World Development, major Chinese oil firm Sinopec and coalminers Shenhua and China Coal registering losses of over 2.0 per cent.

Chinese shares closed down 1.51 per cent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 31.39 points to 2,047.89 on turnover of 44.6 billion yuan ($A6.84 billion). The index ended at its lowest level since September 26.

"Positive October economic indicators helped ease concerns over the domestic economic outlook but remained insufficient to move the market further north," Shenyin Wanguo Securities analyst Li Xiaoxuan told Dow Jones.

Investors were also awaiting the end this week of the Communist Party's 18th congress that will choose the country's leaders for the next 10 years.

Developers fell after state media quoted a housing official as saying on Monday that the government had no immediate plans to loosen property control measures, which have been in place for more than two years.

China Vanke ended down 2.2 per cent at 8.37 yuan while Gemdale lost 3.9 per cent to 5.25 yuan.

Securities firms also fell on earnings fears. Sinolink Securities fell 6.5 per cent to 14.21 yuan, Haitong Securities lost 3.4 per cent to 8.44 yuan and Citic Securities slid 1.6 per cent to 10.69 yuan.

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