Last Aust sheep to be culled in Pakistan

MORE than 11,000 Australian sheep that have been in export limbo in Pakistan for more than a month will be culled on Saturday.

A shipment of about 21,000 sheep was sent to Pakistan on September 5 after being rejected in Bahrain due to health concerns.

However further disease fears emerged in Pakistan, leading to the brutal culling of thousands of the animals and reports that some had been buried alive.

Fremantle-based exporter Wellard says it has been informed the culling of the remaining 11,500 sheep will be completed in Karachi on Saturday despite proof the sheep are healthy and fit for human consumption.

Importer PK Livestock had been negotiating with the Sindh Livestock Department and the Federal Quarantine Department of Pakistan to guarantee the humane processing of the remaining sheep.

Pakistani livestock authorities have made assurances the cull will be "completed humanely".

However, Wellard said it was unable to verify the guarantee because its staff and PK Livestock staff were forcibly removed from the facility where the cull will take place.

Wellard spokesman Cameron Morse told AAP a group of Pakistan police arrived early on Saturday morning to remove the staff from the PK Livestock feedlot.

He said about three Wellard staff members were escorted off the premises but were not detained.

"We've exhausted every avenue, diplomatic, legal etc," he said.

Exports to Pakistan remain suspended, he said.

Mr Morse said the company was frustrated and sad that the animals would be killed despite proof the sheep were healthy.

The company said the issue has "undermined 20 years of incident-free livestock exports to Pakistan".

A spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture said Australian authorities were trying to confirm reports the cull was going ahead.

"A cull would contravene a previous agreement overnight by the local authorities and importer PK Livestock to hand full control of the animals to representatives of the importer and Australian exporter Wellard Rural Exports," she said.

"The agreement was reached after the Sindh High Court received test results from an independent international laboratory that confirmed the sheep were free from the tested diseases and fit for human consumption."

Australian Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said the culling showed that government regulation of the supply chain assurance system was failing.

"The whole thing underlines why the export trade must end," she told AAP.

The Greens want to debate to continue on their private member's bill to end live exports, when parliament resumes in a fortnight.

Animals Australia campaign director Lyn White said she was horrified.

"This again proves that once animals are outside of Australian control there is nothing we can do to prevent horrendous treatment," Ms White said.

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Tasmanian kayaker dies

A MAN has been killed in a kayaking accident on Tasmania's northeast coast.

Police responded to a call to help the 47-year-old, who was in danger about a kilometre north of Bridport, just after 11am (AEDT).

The man was kayaking with six others at the time.

Before police arrived, merchant vessel Matthew Flinders managed to retrieve him from the water.

The crew and a member of the kayaking group gave him medical treatment.

The crew, a police officer and another member of the kayaking group then swam the man to shore.

He was treated by a doctor and paramedics but died at the scene.

Police are preparing a report for the coroner.

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Stronger dollar hurts McDonald's Q3 result

TOUGH competition in the US and the weakening economy abroad was a double whammy for McDonald's in the third quarter, sending the burger chain's net income down nearly 4 per cent.

McDonald's said on Friday it was adjusting some of its plans to deal with the pressures, including stepping up advertising for its dollar menu and bringing back the popular McRib sandwich nationally in December to drive traffic into US stores.

The world's largest hamburger chain with 33,000 locations worldwide has thrived in boom and bust times by selling cheap meals and constantly updating its menu.

But global economic pressures and intensifying competition are wearing at the company, which does two-thirds of its business overseas.

"When the economic crisis began in 2008, few people thought the environment would still be as uncertain and fragile as it is today," said chief executive Don Thompson.

"It is clear however that this operating environment is the new normal. As such, our near-term focus is on stabilising and growing traffic and market share."

Thompson said revenue in stores open at least 13 months, a key restaurant metric, is trending negative so far in October.

That news sent shares down $US4.14 ($A4.01), or 4.5 per cent, to close at $88.72. The stock had been down 7 per cent since the beginning of the year.

"McDonald's is facing a lot of pressure," said Morningstar analyst R J Hottovy.

"They're seeing more competition from their quick-service restaurants and fast-casual peers in the US and facing austerity measures and macro-economic pressures in Europe and Asia."

McDonald's said its net income fell to $1.46 billion, or $1.43 a share.

That compares with net income of $1.51 billion, or $1.45 a share last year. Analysts expected net income of $1.47 a share, according to Fact Set.

The stronger US dollar hurt net income by 8 cents a share. When the dollar is strong, international sales translate into fewer dollars at home.

Revenue was nearly flat at $7.15 billion from $7.17 billion last year. Analysts expected revenue of $7.17 billion.

Revenue in stores open at least 13 months rose 1.9 per cent globally, including a 1.2 per cent rise in the US, where the company said it faced "broad competitive activity".

McDonald's is facing stiffer competition from newer chains like Panera Bread Co, which offers higher-end food in a fast casual atmosphere.

Long-time rivals such as Wendy's and Burger King are also reworking their menus, renovating restaurants and launching new ad campaigns to win back customers.

McDonald's said it will step up advertising for its dollar menu rather than its more profitable extra value menu that includes items more expensive than $1.

Hottovy, the Morningstar analyst, said focusing on the value menu was a good move for McDonald's.

"In this environment you have to give customers what they want, and across the globe consumers are squarely focused on value," he said.

In Europe, where McDonald's does 40 per cent of its business, revenue in stores open at least 13 months rose 1.8 per cent, hurt by reduced guest traffic.

In the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, the measure rose 1.4 per cent as the company promoted limited-time offers and traffic increased.

In China, the measure rose 3.6 per cent.

Many US companies are looking to China for growth, but there is concern about a slowdown in the country.

However, Thompson said the country is a "market with significant potential" and that McDonald's is on track to open 225 to 250 restaurants there this year, with the goal of having 2000 open by the end of 2013.

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Bushfire threatens rural homes in NSW

AT least two sheds have been destroyed by an out-of-control bushfire threatening dozens of properties on NSW's mid north coast.

An emergency warning was issued to around 110 homes in Upper Lansdowne at 3pm (AEDT) on Saturday, half-an-hour after the blaze broke out.

More than 10 hectares of bush have already been burnt.

NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman Bridie O'Connor said the fire was heading towards 30 rural properties on Gungully Road.

"We have got more than 20 firefighters there and they're being assisted by water bombing aircraft," she told AAP.

"Hopefully they're making good progress on it and the fire won't actually reach those homes."

Temperatures reached 38 degrees Celsius in the area earlier on Saturday, with wind gusts of up to 35km/h.

Fire crews are hoping a cool change slowly moving up the NSW coast will bring with it more favourable conditions later in the evening.

A handful of properties are also under threat from a grassfire burning out of control about 10km south of Casino.

The blaze began about midday (AEDT) and has already covered about 15 hectares.

"Grassfires can start really quickly and move three times as fast as bushfires, that's why it's managed to get to these properties as quickly has it has," Ms O'Connor said.

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Asset sales hit LNP's federal vote: poll

QUEENSLAND support for the Liberal National Party is sliding at the federal level as a result of the Newman government's decision to sell assets to pay off the state's debt, according to a ReachTEL poll.

The figures, to be aired on the Seven Network on Friday, reveal 45.1 per cent of Queenslanders are less likely to vote for the LNP at the next federal election because of the state government's performance since the March election.

About 34 per cent of respondents said they were more likely to vote for the LNP and 21.1 per cent were undecided.

The slump in support appears to be linked to the LNP restarting the previous government's unpopular asset sales program to pay off the state's debt.

Almost 64 per cent of respondents oppose the move, while only 15.6 per cent support it and 21.0 per cent are undecided.

Only 41.1 per cent thought Premier Campbell Newman's performance was good, down seven percentage points since September 14, while 46 per cent said it was poor, which was unchanged from the last poll.

About 10.3 per cent rated Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk's performance as very good and 16 per cent thought it was good, compared to nine per cent and 14.2 per cent last month, respectively.

Those who said her performance was poor rose 1.8 per cent to 15 per cent.

At the state level, Labor's first-preference vote has slumped by 4.2 per cent to 30.5 per cent, while LNP support fell one percentage point to 44.6 per cent.

The Queensland Greens have lifted their first-preference votes by 1.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent and Katter's Australian Party saw its share rise by 1.6 per cent to 11.0 per cent.

Other parties have seen their vote jump 2.3 per cent to 6.4 per cent in a month.

The survey of 1140 Queensland residents was conducted on October 12.

The last ReachTEL poll was on September 14.

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Car bombing kills nine Yemeni soldiers

AL-QAEDA militants have set off an explosives-laden car inside an army base in southern Yemen, killing at least nine soldiers.

The militants drove through several checkpoints at dawn on Friday, before entering the base of the Yemeni army's 115th brigade in Abyan province, where a drone raid killed at least seven al-Qaeda members the day before, military officials say.

"Four members of al-Qaeda with explosive belts... travelling in a military vehicle managed to pass through several army checkpoints to reach the camp" at Shaqra, 35km from the Abyan capital Zinjibar, one told AFP.

"Two soldiers were killed at the entrance of the base by the assailants who then continued their journey to the camp where three of the four occupants got out of their vehicle, while the driver blew himself up, killing seven soldiers," said the official.

The army killed two of the militants who got out, while the other managed to escape on foot.

The attack came 24 hours after rockets fired from a drone near the southern city of Jaar killed at least seven suspected members of the terror network, including a local leader.

Officials say al-Qaeda militants have been trying to position themselves near Yemen's main southern cities to carry out operations against the army and the Popular Resistance Committees, local pro-army militias.

In May, the army launched an all out offensive against al-Qaeda in Abyan province, forcing them to retreat from major strongholds including Jaar and Zinjibar.

The campaign was backed by US drones which in recent months have been deployed in strikes against al-Qaeda targets in the south and east of the country.

Thursday's strike was the second such drone attack this month.

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Aust stocks at fresh 15-month high

THE Australian share market closed slightly stronger at a fresh 15-month high, ahead of a summit of EU leaders this weekend.

At the close of trade on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 11.7 points, or 0.26 per cent, at 4,571.1, while the broader All Ordinaries index had gained 12.6 points, or 0.28 per cent, to 4,593.5.

On the ASX 24, the December share price index futures contract was 17 points higher at 4,567 with 20,537 contracts traded.

IG Markets analyst Stan Shamu said the Australian share market was in a lull after a strong run this week, while some investors became cautious about the EU summit.

"Investors are looking for that next lead before another move higher," Mr Shamu said.

"Some market watchers were nervous while the market remained at elevated levels.

"They'd rather lock in gains than keep hoping that the rally would keep accelerating," he said.

It was the fourth consecutive day of gains for the Australian market.

But some investor caution took over on Friday after National Australia Bank (NAB) announced it would increase its collective provisions by $250 million to $320 million, warning of a slowing economy.

The flagging of a likely dent in its full-year earnings caused NAB shares to lose 73 cents to $26.22.

Commonwealth Bank shed 21 cents to $56.84, Westpac lost 39 cents to $25.56 while ANZ dropped 29 cents to $26.22.

Shares in Australian grains trader GrainCorp were been placed in a trading halt after a potential suitor, Archer Daniel Midlands, requested talks.

Two large parcels of GrainCorp shares changed hands before the start of trade at a price well above Thursday's closing price of $8.85.

Oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum was up 78 cents at $35.98 after striking agreement with Daewoo International Corporation for a production sharing contract in Burma.

National turnover was 2.02 billion securities worth $5.97 billion, with 528 stocks up, 414 down and 368 unchanged.

AAP krc/jmc

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WA jumbo gold nugget seems to be a hoax

REPORTS of a colossal gold nugget being found during illegal prospecting near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia appear to be a hoax.

The so-called jumbo nugget has been estimated as weighing anything between seven kilograms and 60kg, and was reportedly discovered near Cashmans Prospect east of Ora Banda.

There were reports it was uncovered by a bulldozer, but others said it was revealed after someone kicked some dirt.

A photo of the boomerang-shaped object has gone far and wide, but several posts on prospecting forums say it appears to be poured lead covered in gold paint.

Others said the photo and story had been passed on by reputable people.

Ivor Roberts, executive director for mineral titles at WA's Department of Mines and Petroleum, said the department was not aware of any recent discovery of a gold nugget through illegal prospecting at Cashmans Prospect.

"We take illegal prospecting very seriously, with the maximum penalty for unauthorised mining recently increasing from $100,000 to $300,000 per offence, and if it continues, $30,000 every day or part day," Mr Roberts said.

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NT woman attacked, abducted, court told

A WOMAN allegedly knocked unconscious and kidnapped in the Northern Territory was taken fishing while her assailants were on the run, a court has heard.

Brian Yunupingu and a 16-year-old who cannot be named appeared separately in the Darwin Magistrates Court on Thursday over the alleged abduction of a woman from Nhulunbuy, in Arnhem Land.

Police prosecutor Allan Teague told the court Yunupingu drove the car during the incident on Monday, and tried to get away from police when he realised they were pursuing him.

Prosecutors have alleged Yunupingu was in a car when a 16-year-old boy hit the woman with a woomera, rendering her unconscious.

The boy allegedly took her into the vehicle where he threatened her with a hammer.

Yunupingu drove the car, at one stage pushing the woman away as she tried to grab the steering wheel, prosecutors alleged.

As well as the teenager, Yunupingu and the woman there were three other people in the car the court heard, two of whom witnessed events and one that was asleep.

After stopping at a home to pick up a rifle the people in the car then went to a beach where they fished and later dropped the woman off by the side of a road.

Defence lawyer Peter Maley said it was an unusual case because it appeared the woman had been abducted and taken hunting and fishing for six hours.

He said Yunupingu did not share a common purpose with his co-defendant and there were no allegations his client was physically involved in the crime, save for the steering wheel claim.

Yunupingu has admitted he was the driver of the vehicle, Mr Maley said.

Mr Teague opposed a bail application from Yunupingu.

Mr Teague said Yunupingu, who is charged with aggravated assault, deprivation of liberty and driving charges, was fully culpable for the abduction.

"The defendant was aware of what was going to occur."

But Magistrate Sally Sievers awarded bail with conditions including that Yunupingu pay a $1000 surety, live in his father's home and stay there from 8pm (CST) until 8am.

During the hearing, Yunupingu, wearing blue jeans and a striped polo shirt, sat hunched over with his arms crossed over his knees.

He is due to reappear in court in Nhulunbuy on November 8.

In another court, the teenage boy did not apply for bail and his case was adjourned until August 23.

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Motorbike lane filter trial for Sydney

MOTORCYCLISTS will be allowed to zip around stationary vehicles in parts of the Sydney CBD under a trial announced by the NSW government.

The three-month trial to begin on February 1 next year will test if motorbike lane filtering improves traffic flow, Roads Minister Duncan Gay said on Thursday.

Lane filtering will be confined to the areas bordered by Sussex and Market Streets, St James Road, Macquarie and Alfred Streets and Hickson Road.

"Lane filtering is currently against the law, however there will be an exemption for motorcyclists in this part of the CBD which will permit them to filter through traffic when vehicles are stopped at traffic lights," Mr Gay said in a statement.

"This trial is not about favouring one road user group over another, it is a system which could benefit all motorists in the CBD.

"It needs to be tested to ensure it improves traffic flow while not jeopardising road safety."

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$A surges after relief over Chinese GDP

THE Australian dollar hit an almost three-week high after traders breathed a sigh of relief over China's latest economic growth figures.

At 1700 AEDT on Thursday, the local unit was trading at 103.81 US cents, up from 103.13 cents on Wednesday.

During local trade, the currency, rose as high as 103.98 US cents, its highest level since October 1.

Early in the afternoon, it was announced that China's gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to 7.4 per cent in the September quarter.

It was the lowest rate in more than three years but retail sales and investment improved in a possible sign the slump might be stabilising.

Forex.com research analyst Chris Tedder said the market was relieved that China's GDP were not disappointing, which helped the Australian dollar rise.

"Anticipation of Chinese growth figures flat-lined Asia's commodity currencies early in the session, with investors nervous about the possible impact of the data," he said.

"Overall, China is expanding at a pace the market deems acceptable, which is important for investor sentiment and, in turn, commodity currencies."

Mr Tedder said the Australian dollar looked at if it could get to 104.00 US cents but as it neared that level investors start to sell it to take profits.

"A push through this level may pave the way for a push back towards 105.00 US cents," he said.

"Now that the Chinese data is out of the way, the near-term direction of the Aussie, and many other risk assets for that matter, may be determined by the success or failure of the upcoming EU summit.

The European Council will meet in Brussels on October 18 and 19.

At 1700 AEDT, the Australian dollar was at 82.16 Japanese yen, up from Wednesday's close of 81.11 yen, and at 79.20 euro cents, up from 78.78 euro cents.

Meanwhile, Australian bond futures prices moved lower.

Westpac senior market strategist Damien McColough said a global shift towards higher risk assets such as equities saw local bond futures prices fall for the third straight day on Thursday.

"I don't think there is a major bearish trend under way, it is just correcting some relatively strong pricing," he said.

Mr McColough said the Chinese economic growth figure was roughly in line with market expectations and many had expected an even weaker number.

He predicted that the sell-off in local bond futures was likely to stall on Friday.

At 1630 AEDT on Thursday, the December 10-year bond futures contract was trading at 96.855 (implying a yield of 3.145 per cent), down from 96.965 (3.035 per cent)

The three-year bond futures contract was at 97.450 (2.550 per cent), down from 97.550 (2.450 per cent).

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European stocks stable at open

EUROPE'S main stock markets have steadied at the start of trading, with London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies up 0.15 per cent at 5,919.97 points.

Frankfurt's DAX 30 gained 0.09 per cent to 7,401.41 points on Thursday, while in Paris the CAC 40 eased 0.02 per cent lower to 3,526.15 points.

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Health concerns over sustainable fuel

BIODIESEL made from soy and canola produces compounds that can cause serious respiratory disease, researchers say.

A team from the Queensland University of Technology says the discovery could lead to restrictions on the use of biodiesel as an alternative to fossil fuel.

The team looked at a range of biologists made from soy, tallow and canola.

They found that burning diesel fuels with a high percentage of biodiesel - up to 80 per cent - produced higher emissions of compounds linked to respiratory disease.

The compounds, called reactive oxygen species, form on surface of small soot particles in exhaust emissions.

Reactive oxygen species can lead to the cell damage called oxidative stress which, over long periods of time, can progress to serious respiratory disease.

Postdoctoral fellow Dr Nicholas Surawski says care must be taken to guard against respiratory illness that could result from new fuels.

"Now we've identified a component of the emissions that causes the problem we can start to look for solutions," Dr Surawski said in a statement on Wednesday.

The team is now trying to understand the way the reactive oxygen species in the emissions are generated, and how to remove them.

Their work is aimed at providing the transport industry with fuels that have a favourable environmental impact and are acceptable from a human health perspective.

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Body found in Gold Coast hinterland

DETECTIVES are investigating the discovery of human remains in the Gold Coast hinterland.

The remains were found at an address on Mt Nimmel Road in Austinville around midday on Wednesday, and police, forensic officers and crime scene investigators are at the scene.

Police say the death is being treated as suspicious.

Police have confirmed the remains were badly burned by a bushfire that swept through the area last week, which is making identification difficult.

The discovery was made by two bushwalkers who alerted police.

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PM's speech won't stop attacks

THE opposition's "sexist" attitude towards Julia Gillard is unlikely to change, despite her recent parliamentary speech on the issue, a prominent feminist says.

Speaking ahead of a lecture in Sydney on "the political persecution" of Ms Gillard on Wednesday, author and feminist Anne Summers said she doubted the prime minister's address would shift the way members of the opposition treated her.

Ms Gillard made world headlines last week after using a 15-minute speech in parliament to accuse Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of being a misogynist.

The attack has even prompted a recasting of the word's meaning in the Macquarie Dictionary, which has broadened the definition from strictly meaning a hatred of women to include an entrenched prejudice against women.

Supporters of Mr Abbott deny claims of misogyny against him, while he has labelled the attack cheap and personal.

Due to speak at the University of NSW on Wednesday night, Ms Summers said the sexist attitudes of some members of the opposition were probably too entrenched to be altered.

"I don't think there will be a change," she told AAP.

"The attitudes are entrenched but also Mr Abbott's political posture is one of negativity.

"He's also very pugilistic and that's so ingrained in him that I can't see that changing."

She said the "misogyny war" of the last week came after many sustained sexist attacks on Ms Gillard since she took office in June 2010.

The prime minister had been the target of "sexist and discriminatory treatment" by "the opposition and by some elements in Australian society" in emails, on radio and in parliament, she said.

While she doubted Ms Gillard's speech would end the attacks on her, Ms Summers said it had prompted many women to engage with the issue.

"I think it's really energised a lot of people especially a lot of young women who maybe felt that there was no entry point for them into these kinds of conversations," she said.

"It's given a lot of women permission to say 'yes, these issues are important and I want to stand up for them'."

"A lot of people, including a lot of men, have contacted me to say they now feel ashamed of how they've responded to email jokes and tweets about Julia Gillard."

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David Jones plans for high-tech future

UPMARKET retailer David Jones has outlined its moves to become a major player across all shopping platforms, from instore to online and mobile apps.

Chairman Robert Savage and chief executive Paul Zahra said in the company's annual report that David Jones would provide customers with the "best shopping experience and range of products regardless of which channel they choose to shop from".

David Jones had stepped up its push into so-called omni channel, multi-level retailing since March, 2012, they said.

"To support the company's vision of becoming a true omni-channel retailer, investment and resources have been allocated during the year to build the required physical infrastructure."

David Jones' warehouse in the Sydney suburb of Silverwater had been expanded and upgraded to be capable of supporting the turnover equivalent of a large suburban store.

At the facility, David Jones had set up a production house containing studios, post-production and copywriting facilities.

A new IT platform, comprising a new content management system, new order management system and new warehouse management system, had been implemented.

The company is on track to launch its new online shopping site by the end of October 2012.

A new blogging team had been established consisting of editors from Vogue, GQ and Inside Out magazines.

"The company has continued its move towards integrated marketing across all channels, with a focus on digital marketing including investment in digital display advertising, Search Engine Optimisation, the use of QR (quick response) codes in press and catalogues and the launch of our presence on Pinterest and Instagram," the company bosses said.

"Despite the immediate trading challenges we are facing, we are excited about David Jones' future."

In other developments listed in the annual report, the company noted July's sham takeover bid for the retailer by a little-known UK private equity group.

"The proposed offer and the company's disclosure were reviewed by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)," the company bosses said.

"ASIC has advised the company it has concluded its investigation at this stage and it is not proposing to take further action."

David Jones shares closed two cents higher at $2.60 on Wednesday.

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Paintings stolen from Dutch museum

SEVERAL paintings of considerable value have been stolen from Rotterdam's Kunsthal museum where works by artists including Picasso and Van Gogh hang.

"There was a break-in during the night and a few paintings were taken that represent a considerable sum," Rotterdam police spokeswoman Patricia Wessels told AFP.

"A major investigation is underway and forensics are at the scene," she said, adding that "for several reasons we can't say yet which works are concerned or which artists."

"We're investigating how they got access, what time it happened and who did it."

The museum is showing works from the Triton Foundation as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, including paintings by Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Marcel Duchamp and Piet Mondriaan, according to its website.

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Jakarta 'aware' of AFP West Papua concerns

AUSTRALIAN government funding for counter-terrorism courses in Indonesia would be reviewed if participants were involved in inappropriate activity, Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner Tony Negus says.

Mr Negus also told a senate budget estimates hearing on Tuesday that Indonesia was well aware of Australian concerns about the activities of security forces in West Papua.

The issue was raised by Greens Senator Richard Di Natale, who referred to allegations of human rights abuses by Indonesian security forces in West Papua, including members of the counter-terrorist detachment.

Mr Negus said the AFP was taking precautions to ensure it wasn't supporting activities unacceptable to the Australian community.

"If there was ever any taint of anyone we have trained, being involved in inappropriate activity, we would certainly have to review that level of support that we would provide," he told the hearing in Canberra.

"That's clearly evident to the Indonesians."

Australia had spent about $300,000 training 11 members of Detachment 88 in Indonesia in counter-terrorism investigation over the last few years.

Mr Negus said the AFP relied on the Indonesians to select the people to undertake the training.

"They are fully aware that we do not, and would not be involved in any counter-separatism work," he said.

"We have not been involved in any activities in West Papua."

With 900,000 Australians visiting Bali each year, Indonesian police counter-terrorism activities were important.

"Yes, we need to be very careful about where the funding is going," Mr Negus added.

"But we also need to recognise the terrific work that has been done across the board in protecting Indonesians and Australians from future attack."

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European stocks open higher

EUROPE'S main stock markets rose at the start of the trading on Tuesday, with London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies up 0.46 per cent to 5832.25 points.

Frankfurt's DAX 30 gained 0.66 per cent to 7309.08 points and in Paris the CAC 40 grew by 0.71 per cent in value to stand at 3444.67 points.

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Clay could be key to new hypersonic craft

HYPERSONIC aircraft that could fly from Sydney to Madrid in less than two hours could be closer to reality following Australian scientific work with clay.

Jets have already been built that can fly at up to five times faster than the speed of sound (Mach 5) but they can do it only for a few seconds.

Part of the challenge of maintaining speed is materials, University of Melbourne's Carolina Tallon and other researchers say in a paper for Fresh Science, a national science event in Melbourne.

But they have found a unique group of ceramic materials that withstand the temperatures and stresses.

Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics are promising materials for hypersonic aircraft parts because they offer good thermomechanical properties under extreme conditions and they do it without compromising the integrity of the overall structure, Dr Tallon says.

The UHTCs can also be formed into complex shapes.

Using chemistry to modify a standard method of casting ceramics in a mould, the researchers have developed an alternative to the traditional technique of forming these ceramics as blocks at high temperatures and pressures.

The new method, a form of slip casting, allows them to generate ultra-high-temperature ceramic components at lower temperatures and pressures, which save time and money because they do not require extensive machining.

"The ceramic pieces we have made are stronger and will survive to higher temperatures than those used on the Space Shuttle," Dr Tallon says.

Dr Tallon is developing the processing techniques with Professor George Franks of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Their work is part of the propulsion program of the Defence Materials Technology Centre to develop the manufacturing of advanced materials within Australia.

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European stocks stable at open

EUROPE'S main stock markets are steady at the start of trading compared with Friday's closing levels.

London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies dipped 0.06 per cent to 5,789.60 points on Monday, Frankfurt's DAX 30 edged up 0.07 per cent to 7,237.50 points and in Paris the CAC 40 dipped 0.04 per cent to 3,387.76.

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Taken 2, Looper top box office picks

ACTION, sci-fi and outlaw tales have kept movie-goers enthralled at the Australian box office, with Taken 2, Looper and newcomer Lawless in the Top 4.

Liam Neeson's action film Taken 2, the sequel to his 2008 hit, has held onto its No.1 spot for a second week, taking more than $3.4 million at the weekend.

American sci-fi action film Looper continues its good run jumping two places to sit in second place, earning more than $1.2 million.

Lawless, which was written by Nick Cave, directed by fellow Aussie John Hillcoat and stars Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Mia Wasikowska finished in fourth place in its opening week.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is in the top three, earning $907,912 million at the weekend for a total of more than $22.7 million at Australian cinemas.

PJ Hogan's Australian film Mental, starring Toni Collette and Anthony LaPaglia, has held on to its No.6 spot.

Meanwhile two new films to hit Australian cinemas this week included Killing Them Softly, a crime/thriller starring Brad Pitt, which debuted in seventh place.

The drama/romance The Words, starring Bradley Cooper as young writer who becomes a literary darling with his first published novel, finished its first week at No.10.

Top 10 at the Australian Box Office this weekend:

1. Taken 2 - $3.423 million (Fox)

2. Looper - $1.291 million (Roadshow)

3. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted - $907,912 (Paramount)

4. Lawless - $843,377 (Roadshow)

5. Hotel Transylvania - $767,813 (Sony Pictures)

6. Mental - $729,616 (Universal)

7. Killing Them Softly - $664,552 (Hoyts/StudioCanal)

8. Diary Of a Wimpy Kid - Dog Days $379,045 (Fox)

9. Arbitrage - $353,490 (Madman)

10. The Words - $137,936 (Becker)

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

India inflation rises to 7.8% in September

INDIA'S inflation accelerated to 7.8 per cent in September after the government hiked subsidised fuel prices to rein in the budget deficit.

The number released on Monday is worse than expected and gives the central bank little room to cut its key interest rate to counter slowing economic growth when it meets later this month.

Economists polled by CNBC-TV18 forecast inflation of 7.7 per cent in September.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices, remained unchanged from August at 5.6 per cent.

"Core inflation has remained sticky," said Sonal Varma, economist at Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities in Mumbai.

"We were expecting some marginal drop."

She said headline inflation is likely to continue to rise as second round effects of higher fuel costs show up in, for example, rising food prices, reflecting increased transportation costs.

Fuel prices rose 4.0 per cent, driven by an 8.6 per cent rise in diesel costs.

The Reserve Bank of India has made clear that inflation remains its top concern, despite the tepid growth of Asia's third-largest economy.

The central bank has also pushed New Delhi to take credible steps to bring the fiscal deficit under control and enact reforms to unblock supply bottlenecks in the economy and bring prices down.

New Delhi has finally responded, raising diesel rates and opening sectors like retail to greater foreign ownership, which could bring crucial investment to India's inadequate supply chains, particularly for food.

"On one hand we do have the government's political response coming in, but inflation is not giving them the window to respond to the space the government is trying to create," Varma said.

"Our view is RBI will wait for inflation to moderate."

C Rangarajan, the chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, told CNBC-TV18 the rise was "largely attributable" to the increase in the fuel price.

"This increase in fuel prices was planned," he said.

"It's still in the grey zone, because the Reserve Bank probably would be looking for some sign of a decline in inflation in order to be able to move ahead," he said.

The government revised July inflation up to 7.5 per cent, from its earlier estimate of 6.9 per cent.

Inflation was 7.6 per cent in August.

September's inflation is the highest for India since last November, according to financial information provider FactSet.

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Super shouldn't all be lump sum: report

AUSTRALIA has the third-best retirement savings system in the world, but it could be improved by moving to a compulsory income stream element of accessing superannuation, a survey shows.

Australia finished third out of 18 countries graded in the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index, behind the Netherlands and Denmark in first place.

Report author David Knox said many of the world's retirement systems were under growing stress with an ageing population and low investment returns.

He said in Australia's case, having a means-tested aged pension meant people were willing to take more risks in their investment portfolios than in countries without that safety net.

Dr Knox said part of people's retirement benefits should be provided as an income stream rather than being seen as a one-off windfall.

"I don't think we have to convert 100 per cent to an accumulated benefit to an income stream, but I think predominantly we need to focus on income," he told the audience at the launch of this year's index in Melbourne.

"We won't get there immediately, but we need to transition towards an income system."

Exposure to growth assets, including equity and property, ranged from almost zero in some countries to more than 70 per cent in Australia.

Australian Super chief executive Ian Silk said while he acknowledged many people were angry about their superannuation funds' returns over the past five years, that did not mean there was a case for dramatically changing the weight of investments in favour of bonds or fixed interest.

"The last five years have been lousy for members of super funds unambiguously and it matched lousy equity markets, which has meant that most members of superannuation funds are angry, disillusioned, disappointed - entirely natural reactions," he said.

Mr Silk said the way to tackle this was for funds to focus on individual fund members' investment horizons rather than moving away from growth assets across the entire system.

Dr Knox said other ways to improve the system in Australia included boosting labour force participation among older workers, introducing a mechanism to increase the pension age as life expectancy grew and gradually boosting the age at which members could access their superannuation.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More