Mercedes has record sales in September

Stuttgart-based carmaker Daimler AG says it sold a record number of Mercedes-Benz in September. Source: AAP

DAIMLER AG's luxury brand Mercedes-Benz sold a record number of cars in September.

The Stuttgart-based carmaker said it sold 142,994 vehicles during September, up 15.9 per cent on the same month a year before.

It credited new versions of its E-Class and S-Class sedans, as well as increased sales of its smaller models such as the A-, B- and CLA-Class. Compacts increased sales as a group by 68.3 per cent in the first nine months of the year.

September sales rose 6.7 per cent in the US, the brand's biggest single market, and 21.2 per cent in China. Sales at home in Germany rose only 1.5 however.

Mercedes-Benz also increased sales 14.2 per cent in Europe, where car sales have generally lagged because of recession and sky-high unemployment in several countries.

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Body in SA river thought to be missing man

A man's body found along the Murray River in South Australia is believed to be a missing boater. Source: AAP

A MAN'S body found along the Murray River in South Australia is believed to be a missing boater.

Steven Marafioti, 35, and his friend Dave Brent were tipped into the water last Wednesday when their aluminium boat flipped in high winds near Paringa.

Mr Brent managed to swim to shore in a life jacket, but Mr Marafioti could not be found and has been missing for five days.

Police say a body was located in the water on Monday morning not far from the capsized boat and is believed to be Mr Marafioti.

The two men were on a boating and camping trip.

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Beer-swilling WA pig meets tragic end

A feral pig that made headlines for stealing beer from tourists in WA has been found dead. Source: AAP

A BEER-SWILLING feral pig that made headlines for stealing six packs from tourists in Western Australia has met a tragic end.

Main Roads in the region confirmed on Monday the wild pig had been found dead after being hit by a truck near Port Hedland.

The pig, dubbed "Swino" by locals, had been hunted for weeks after raiding campsites at the De Grey River rest area in the South Hedland region last month.

"We had hoped he could become our mascot, so it is a sad end for him," Fionna Findley of Main Roads said.

"It is a very common occurrence for feral animals to get hit and killed by vehicles, but we are all a bit upset."

The pig was said to have drunk as many as 18 cans of beer in one session, before sticking his snout in bin bags to find late-night snacks left by tourists.

Witnesses even reported seeing the porcine predator picking a fight with a cow.

Officers had been trying to locate the animal, who had kept his snout clean since his booze-up a month ago.

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Abbott, Harper differ on Sri Lanka

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says he has no intention of following Canada's leader in boycotting next month's Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka because of human rights concerns.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement on Monday, shortly before he met with Mr Abbott in Bali, confirming his boycott of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Mr Harper and Mr Abbott are on the Indonesian holiday island for the annual APEC leaders summit.

The two countries have a lot in common but they certainly don't see eye to eye on the CHOGM, due to start in Colombo on November 10.

Mr Harper said he'd hoped Sri Lanka would seize the opportunity presented by its selection as host to improve human rights conditions and move toward reconciliation and accountability after the country's long-running and bloody civil war against Tamil separatists, which ended in 2009.

"Unfortunately, this has not been the case," Mr Harper said.

"Canada is deeply concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. The absence of accountability for the serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian standards during and after the civil war is unacceptable."

Mr Harper says he remains concerned about reports of intimidation and incarceration of political leaders and journalists, the harassment of minorities, disappearances, and even allegations of extrajudicial killings.

"Canada believes that if the Commonwealth is to remain relevant it must stand in defence of the basic principles of freedom, democracy, and respect for human dignity, which are the very foundation upon which the Commonwealth was built," he said.

"It is clear that the Sri Lankan government has failed to uphold the Commonwealth's core values, which are cherished by Canadians."

Mr Abbott said Mr Harper's decision was a matter for him.

"But certainly I intend to attend CHOGM and will do my best to make a constructive contribution to the deliberations there," he told reporters.

The prime minister said the Commonwealth is an important forum and amongst Australia's oldest international associations.

"You do not make new friends by rubbishing your old friends or abandoning your old friends," he said.

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APEC leaders seeks ways to foster growth

Indonesia's President wants Asian business and political leaders to further help emerging economies. Source: AAP

INDONESIA'S President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is urging Asian business and political leaders to do more to counter the economic headwinds confronting developing countries by dismantling barriers to trade and investment.

Yudhoyono told a regional summit that as advanced economies are speeding up after a gradual recovery from the global recession, emerging economies are slowing, dogged in some cases by trade deficits, capital flight and weakening currencies.

"The advanced economies are experiencing recovery and showing faster growth while emerging economies ... are facing a slowdown," he said at the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum held amid tight security on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

"APEC is in the ideal position to help the recovery of the global economy," said Yudhoyono, emphasising the importance of preventing protectionism and opening markets further to maximise prosperity.

His comments were consistent with a draft of the APEC leaders' declaration, seen by The Associated Press, which is set to be released at the end of the summit. It says the region faces the backdrop of a fragile and uneven global economic recovery and should guard against pressures to raise trade barriers.

Reductions in tariffs over the past 25 years have yielded nearly $59 billion in savings for businesses, said Yudhoyono, whose own country is struggling not to lose gains that have made the world's largest Muslim country a rising economic power in the region.

Yudhoyono said Indonesia's recent troubles with a weakening currency and inflation were transient.

"We are convinced this is a short-term challenge. Indonesia will remain a land of opportunity and growth," he said.

Singaporean prime minister Hsien Loong said that Asia is pressing ahead with reforms as the US, China and Japan - the world's No. 1, 2 and 3 economies - grapple with their own internal issues.

The APEC summit offers Indonesia a chance to showcase its own progress and possibly attract foreign investment it needs to help modernise its roads, ports, and other infrastructure.

"As the chief sales person of Indonesia incorporated, let me urge you to take advantage of our opportunities," Yudhoyono said, pointing to a potential $1.8 trillion in business prospects in a wide array of businesses.

With the US bogged down in a congressional stalemate over the national budget, forcing President Barack Obama to call off his own attendance at the APEC summit, smaller economies in Asia are watching closely to see how the biggest economies fare.

The 21 economies in APEC, which range from tiny Brunei to giant China, are hoping to reach agreement on at least some reforms that might help break a logjam in world trade talks ahead of a WTO meeting in Bali in December.

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Paramedics praise Sydney crowds

NSW Ambulance has urged event-goers to keep up the stellar behaviour during navy fleet review. Source: AAP

ONE person was hospitalised for intoxication, another fell overboard and more than 30 were treated by paramedics.

But with a million people descending on Sydney Harbour on Saturday, NSW Ambulance have called it a crowd success.

Now they are just asking event-goers to keep up the stellar behaviour.

Paramedics treated 38 people and transported 17 to hospital during Saturday's Fleet Review festivities, Chief Superintendent Joel Bardsley said on Sunday.

Among those hospitalised was a man, aged about 50, who fell from a moored vessel at Rose Bay and was later rescued by NSW Water Police.

Chief Supt Bardsley said most of the treatments involved slips, trips and falls, particularly during the evening fireworks.

"With one million people moving from one spot to another, people are going to have mishaps," he said in a statement.

"When you have as many people in the city as we did, and 38 people being the only number of event-related incidents, you can certainly say the crowds were there for all the right reasons and behaved themselves," he said.

Chief Supt Bardsley asked people to continue with the same safe approach on Sunday, as thousands land at Sydney Olympic Park for the NRL Grand Final, two One Direction concerts and the EB Games Expo.

With temperatures heading into the 30s, he urged everyone to bring plenty of water.

"Bring your sunscreen and your floppy hat, look after each other and behave so that everyone can have a good day," he said.

An extra 250 paramedic shifts, 36 senior supervisors and 30 extra triple zero (000) call takers have been rostered on in preparation for the long-weekend's festivities.

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Tiger attacks worker at US animal park

A US animal park worker has suffered severe damage to her arm after a tiger clawed her. Source: AAP

A WORKER has suffered severe damage to her left arm after she stuck it in a tiger enclosure at a US animal park and couldn't withdraw it before the animal clawed her.

Owner of the central Oklahoma park Joe Schreibvogel said the attack occurred about 10am on Saturday and the woman was in surgery several hours later.

He said doctors are trying to save her arm.

Schreibvogel, owner of the Garold Wayne Interactive Zoological Park in Wynnewood, said the arm was still attached and the young woman was conscious and able to talk and move her fingers when she was airlifted to an Oklahoma City hospital.

He didn't release the woman's name because her family hadn't been notified of the incident.

Schreibvogel said the worker violated protocol by sticking her arm into the cage.

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Sydney Water rejects beach pollution claim

Some of Sydney's prime swimming spots have had their water quality ratings downgraded. Source: AAP

POLLUTION on Sydney's beaches is not due to job cuts or untreated waste water being pumped into the ocean, Sydney Water says.

The latest State of the Beaches report released on Sunday found that the water quality at formerly top-ranking beaches has dropped over the past year.

While 81 per cent of swimming locations reviewed across the state achieved very good or good gradings, only eight Sydney beaches are rated as very good - down from 15 last year.

The NSW opposition blamed the drop in water quality on job and budget cuts at Sydney Water.

It also pointed to a record number of bypasses at waste-water treatment plants.

"We are returning to the bad old days when it was unsafe to swim on the beaches due to overflows," opposition water spokesman Walt Secord said in a statement.

"The O'Farrell government cannot blame rain as NSW has experienced its warmest January to September period on record. NSW has had its mildest winter in more than 150 years."

But Sydney Water rejected the comments, saying they were untrue.

"The Beachwatch 2013 Report released today shows that 37 out of 38 ocean beaches in Sydney were graded as good or very good, despite a wet summer in 2012/13, which is an outstanding result," Sydney Water said in a statement.

According to the report, among the best swimming spots in Sydney are Palm Beach, Whale Beach and Avalon on the Northern Beaches.

But neighbouring beaches Dee Why, South Curl Curl and Mona Vale have all been downgraded from the very good rating they secured last year to good.

The report states while Dee Why is suitable for swimming most of the time the water is susceptible to pollution from several sources of faecal contamination, including stormwater.

South Curl Curl and Mona Vale are also susceptible to pollution following rainfall.

Boat Harbour near Cronulla was rated poor this year for the first time.

The report linked major rainfall events over the last couple of years as a major driver of pollution to recreational waters.

Six ocean beaches impacted by contamination - including discharge from lagoons and estuaries - were graded as poor including Killick Beach at Crescent Head and Terrigal Beach on the Central Coast.

NSW Services Minister Andrew Constance said any suggestion that raw sewage was being pumped onto Sydney beaches was "an outrageous lie".

He described the city's beaches as some of the cleanest in the world.

"During rain events wastewater undergoes wet weather treatment, in which 90 per cent of the treatment processes are completed," Mr Constance said in a statement.

He rejected Labor's job cut claims, but did say Sydney Water's ageing workforce meant staff numbers were decreasing significantly through natural attrition.

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Kill off the scripted robots: Shorten

ALP leadership contender Bill Shorten has declared that a team of individuals will beat a team of robots, hinting he'll boost free speech for Labor MPs if he becomes opposition leader.

Campaigning at a barbecue with party members in Hobart on a windy Saturday, Mr Shorten was taken to task for the "tightly scripted song sheets" and increasingly "presidential style" of the major political parties.

A Tasmanian man urged Mr Shorten to let shadow ministers and backbenchers speak their mind, even if that contradicts the party line, in order to broaden the party's appeal with the public.

Mr Shorten hinted at a potential shake-up of MPs' media management and communication strategies if he becomes opposition leader.

The party doesn't need robots, Australians want more authenticity, sincerity and optimism, Mr Shorten said.

"A team of individuals will always beat a team of robots, I get that," Mr Shorten said.

"We don't need scripted round-the-world lines, our Labor representatives should know what our general policy is and they should of course have a heart full of Labor values."

He said scripting everyone reduces the party to the "lowest common denominator."

"The truth always beats the nonsense," Mr Shorten said.

Mr Shorten said he was keen to encourage an ideas agenda.

Tasmanian Labor MPs should allowed to pursue a Tasmanian agenda, he said.

During his address Mr Shorten likened the Labor leadership to that of a coaching role.

Asked what three qualities he possessed that would make him a good coach Mr Shorten singled out his refusal to "take no for an answer," ability to "get people working on the same page" and his skills in vision creation.

Fellow leadership hopeful Anthony Albanese was in Hobart overnight wooing rank and file members at a pub event.

He returned to Sydney on Saturday and has no public events scheduled.

His spokesman said he was having a quiet long weekend and hitting the phones to talk to ALP members one-on-one.

The Labor leadership caucus and rank and file ballots will be finalised next week.

A result will be known on Sunday October 13.

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Australia raises piracy case with Russia

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop has called on Russia to treat Australian Greenpeace activist Colin Russell, who is facing piracy charges, with fairness.

Ms Bishop has met with Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Bali.

"I registered our concern about the charges and also our desire to ensure that he's afforded full due legal process and consular assistance," she told reporters in Bali's Nusa Dua.

Worldwide protests are being held on Saturday for the so-called "Arctic 30", who were detained in the port city of Murmansk after their ship the Arctic Sunrise was boarded at gunpoint by Russian authorities.

Mr Russell, from Tasmania, could face up to 15 years in prison if Russian authorities persist with the piracy charge.

He was among 30 Greenpeace activists charged with the offence for their roles in a protest against oil drilling in the Arctic Circle last month.

Mr Russell's wife Christine addressed a rally in Hobart on Saturday, calling on the Australian government to support the Dutch government's legal efforts to initiate arbitration in the United Nations to secure the crew members freedom.

"I urge Minister Bishop and Prime Minister Abbott to support Colin, with a letter of guarantee to help secure his release," Mrs Russell told the protest.

His daughter Madeleine said his irrepressible sense of humour would keep his spirits up in the jail cell.

Ms Bishop said she is taking a keen interest in the case, which is shaping up as her first major consular challenge since taking over as foreign minister.

She says Australian officials have met with Mr Russell in recent days and plan to do so again soon.

"I understand he is well, his conditions of detention are adequate," she said.

Asked if she believed the piracy charge was too extreme, Ms Bishop said: "We're seeking advice as to whether this charge is appropriate.

"I do note that (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin said in one press conference that they were clearly not pirates," she said.

"It's a very serious charge."

At a Melbourne protest, around 100 people chanted "Free the Arctic 30" on the steps of Flinders Street Station.

Others circulated a petition to put more pressure on the federal government to take serious action.

Organiser Julien Vincent said the piracy charge was ridiculous and Greenpeace never expected a protest involving ropes and banners could balloon into such a serious incident.

"They are being detained on a charge that is completely unjustified," he said.

"You can understand why there is such an outpouring of support."

Similar rallies were also held in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.

A British-born Australian resident and a New Zealand man who lives in South Australia have also been charged.

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