Missing Sydney businesswoman found

A WOMAN who went missing from a Sydney hospital last weekend has been found.

Police found 40-year-old Belinda Burcham, nee Sheehan, in Paddington just before 9pm on Saturday (AEDT).

She was taken by ambulance to hospital, where she is being assessed by doctors.

The Sydney businesswoman and mother of two had left St Vincent's Hospital at Darlinghurst last Sunday with no shoes, phone or money, sparking a search by friends and family.

The Double Bay resident left hospital without medical clearance prompting a search by police from Kings Cross and Rose Bay local area commands.

Police thanked the public for their assistance.

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Woman missing from hospital found

Missing Sydney woman Belinda Burcham, who vanished from St Vincent's Hospital without money, shoes or phone, has been found by police.

A SYDNEY woman who went missing from a Sydney hospital last weekend has been found.

Police found 40-year-old Belinda Burcham, nee Sheehan, in Paddington just before 9pm on Saturday (AEDT).

She was taken by ambulance to hospital, where she is being assessed by doctors.

The Sydney businesswoman and mother of two had left St Vincent's Hospital at Darlinghurst last Sunday with no shoes, phone or money, sparking a search by friends and family.

The Double Bay resident left hospital without medical clearance prompting a search by police from Kings Cross and Rose Bay local area commands.

Police thanked the public for their assistance.

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Pakistan charity workers shot dead

UNKNOWN gunmen shot dead two Pakistani charity workers involved in an education project in the northwestern city of Charsadda, 130 kilometres from Islamabad, police said.

Zakir Hussain, head of the education wing of the Al-Khidmat Foundation in Charsadda, was attacked with his driver as they were on the way to visit one of the schools being run by the charity.

"Two gunmen fired at them in Utmanzai town, seven kilometres north of Charsadda, and escaped on a motorcycle after the attack," senior police official Nisar Khan Marwat said.

An official for the Al-Khidmat charity also confirmed the attack.

A representative for an alliance of non-governmental organisations in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province demanded the attackers be arrested.

"We strongly condemn the attack on Al-Khidmat Foundation vehicle and killing of its workers and demand arrest of the attackers," Idrees Kamal, the coordinator of Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network (PCSN), said in a statement.

On Tuesday, seven charity workers including six women and a man working for a Pakistani health and education charity involved in vaccinations were shot dead on their way home from a community centre in the northwestern Swabi district.

Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Taliban insurgency for five years, as well as a separatist Baluch uprising in the southwest. It also suffers from routine attacks blamed on a series of hardline Islamist factions.

Islamabad says more than 35,000 people have been killed as a result of terrorism in the country since the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

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Giant tuna sells for record $1.7m

A monster bluefin tuna sold for a record-breaking $1.7 million in the year's first auction at Japan's Tsukiji fish market, nearly three times the previous high set last year.

The 222-kilogram fish, caught off Japan's northern city of Oma, fetched a winning bid of 155.4 million yen ($1.7 million), said an official at the Tokyo fish market.

The figure dwarfs the previous high of 56.49 million yen paid at last year's inaugural auction at Tsukiji, a huge working market that features on many Tokyo tourist itineraries.

The winning bidder was Kiyoshi Kimura, president of the company that runs the popular Sushi-Zanmai chain, who also won the auction for last year's record-breaking bluefin.

"I wanted to meet expectations of my customers who said they wanted to eat Japan's best tuna again this year," Mr Kimura was quoted by Jiji Press as saying after the intense pre-dawn bidding.

"With this good tuna, I hope to help cheer up Japan," Mr Kimura said.

Based on the price paid - around 700,000 yen per kilogram - a single slice of sushi from the monster fish would cost diners as much as 30,000 yen.

But Mr Kimura plans to sell it at a huge loss, for a more realistic price of up to 398 yen per portion, local media reported.

Bluefin is usually the most expensive fish available at Tsukiji.

Decades of overfishing have seen global tuna stocks crash, leading some Western nations to call for a ban on catching endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna.

Japan consumes three-quarters of the global bluefin catch, a highly prized sushi ingredient known in Japan as "kuro maguro" (black tuna) and dubbed by sushi connoisseurs the "black diamond" because of its scarcity.

A piece of "otoro" or fatty underbelly can cost some 2000 yen at high-end Tokyo restaurants.

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Read your face for health tips

Facial diagnosis is not an absolute science, but it could point you in the direction of a healthier lifestyle. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied

THERE'S more to the old adage about the truth being written all over your face than you may think.

Not only do we get nonverbal signals about someone's true well-being from unconscious facial expressions, but the state of your skin reveals a great deal about what's going on inside, both physically and emotionally.

In fact, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used facial analysis as a diagnostic tool for centuries, marrying specific facial areas and features with organs and emotional states. So when you get a recurring zit on the same part of your chin or have a perpetually congested or flaky forehead, your skin could be trying to tell you that there's a deeper health concern in need of attention.

Facial diagnosis is not an absolute science, but it could certainly point you in the direction of a healthier lifestyle.

Here's what to look out for:

* Mid-Cheeks

Your cheeks are linked to your respiratory system, so a slight rash could be an indication that your body is starved of oxygen and you need to work on deepening your breath. Hannah Yang, resident naturopath at the unique ESPA Life (ESPALifeAtCorinthia.com) spa in London says, "Anything that allows you to open and utilise the lungs would be helpful. Try breathwork, mediation or increase your exercise." Smokers, therefore, will inevitably have/get broken capillaries, discoloration, fine lines or congestion in this area, as will those who suffer from colds, asthma or the flu.

The area is also a stomping ground for rosacea, so be sure to seek topical treatment if you have persistent redness that flares up easily. It's quite possible that too many stimulants like coffee and alcohol could be causing all that flushing.

* Mouth

The mouth, rather fittingly, correlates to the stomach. Where the actual lips relate to the stomach and intestine, the surrounding area at the sides that run down toward the jowls are linked to the colon. Any spots or discolouration dotted around your lips could, therefore, be a sign of poor bowel movements, bloating or a poor appetite. Find a local nutritionist and explore any food intolerances or allergies that may have gone unchecked over the years.

Bloody gums indicate an acidic stomach, while dry and flaky lips are a fairly obvious sign of dehydration. Cracks or sores, alternatively, suggest a spleen in need of care. Stock up on vitamin B and iron if that's the case.

* Chin

The kidneys and bladder show up on the chin. Any kind of hormonal imbalance will usually show up here, as guys who were plagued by acne as a teen will know only too well. If, as an adult, you've got congestion around the chin, then there's a good chance your kidneys are working overtime and you've put yourself under an unhealthy amount of stress. "This area can indicate adrenal fatigue," says Yand. "Too much stress causes your adrenals, which sit above the kidneys, to release cortisol, the fight and flight hormone."

* Centre Of Forehead

The comparatively large expanse of the forehead accounts for several organs, including the heart, the small intestine network and the bladder. If you've been partying hard, all that wear and tear will end up written on your forehead.

Congestion signals poor detoxification, while a red and flaky complexion could indicate a digestive tract in need of a bit of lubrication. If you've got both, then your digestive system is crying out for help - a call you've probably felt elsewhere. Look into digestive aids and cut back on oily foods, processed meat, and dairy and processed foods in general for a while. And lay off the party circuit.

* Between The Eyebrows

Herein lies the liver. Unsurprisingly, too much alcohol or excessive consumption of other toxins are going to show up around here. And, since the liver is inextricably linked with anger in traditional Chinese medicine, a furrowed brow is a good sign you might need to work through some anger issues. According to the TCM experts at ESPA Life, a stronger right brow can be found on patients who are more likely to express anger outwardly. Those with a stronger left side, however, will have a tendency to suppress their anger.

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Man feared dead; fire devastates Tas town

WEATHER changes overnight will put more communities in the line of bushfire, the state's fire authorities says.

Winds gusting to 100km/h whipped up the two largest blazes that had started on Thursday; at Forcett, near Dunalley in the state's south, and Lake Repulse near Mt Field National Park northwest of Hobart.

A Tasmania Fire Service incident management team spokeswoman said a predicted weather change overnight will affect the Lawrenny and Hamilton communities to the east of the Derwent River.

The communities are expected to be directly impacted by about 6am Saturday (AEDT) by embers, spotfires and potentially a fire front.

"Communities have been asked to enact their bushfire plans now," the spokeswoman said.

"If their plan was to leave or if they don't have a plan, that they need to leave and go to a friend's or relative's place or the community fire refuge."

Meanwhile winds are pushing the other large bushfire at Forcett, in an easterly direction, impacting the communities of Bream Creek, Copping and Boomer Bay.

"They've been asked to go to their nearby safer place which has been identified as the Falls festival site at Marion Bay, only if the path is clear, though," the spokeswoman said.

"It's severely impacted on Dunalley already.

"You can imagine that the same thing could possibly happen in other communities. We don't want to underestimate this fire."

Meanwhile Tasmanian police are investigating reports of a death in the Forcett fire, that also destroyed homes, and damaged a school and an RSL club.

Police say up to 65 buildings could have been damaged or destroyed in the small community of Dunalley, 55 kilometres southeast of Hobart.

People had also been told to leave the beachside town of Dodges Ferry.

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Ex-spy chief criticises Netanyahu

A PROMINENT Israeli ex-intelligence chief has sought to sway Israelis against Benjamin Netanyahu in upcoming elections, saying that the prime minister has mismanaged Israel's response to Iran's nuclear program and missed opportunities to make inroads on a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

The interview by Yuval Diskin was an unusually strong and overt assault on a prime minister by a figure formerly from the security establishment, coming less than three weeks before the January 22 election, in which polls predict Mr Netanyahu will be re-elected.

The election campaign has hardly touched on security issues like the conflict with Iran or the stalled peace process with the Palestinians, focusing almost entirely on domestic issues.

Mr Diskin, who ran Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency from 2005 to 2011, has been a vocal critic of Mr Netanyahu.

But his front-page interview to the daily Yediot Ahronot included his sharpest comments yet.

He accused Mr Netanyahu of acting illegally by ordering the security apparatus to prepare for an attack on Iran before gaining former approval by the Cabinet of ministers.

He also said Mr Netanyahu squandered the gains made by Israel's security forces by not using a period of relative quiet over the past few years to move toward peace with the Palestinians.

"I am convinced we deserve a better leadership that's braver and more moral, and that sets a better personal example," Mr Diskin said.

"If I cause the Israeli voter to think twice before choosing parties and leaders that are not worthy, because they are actually not leading us where we should be going, I've done my part."

He said he formed his opinion "based on dozens of discussions with many people more or less of my rank" who feel "a lack of security, lack of trust and lack of appreciation" for the current administration.

Mr Netanyahu's office in a text-messaged statement called Mr Diskin's comments "baseless" and accused him of personal frustration over not being selected to head the prestigious Mossad spy agency.

Though Mr Diskin oversaw Israel's domestic security in his role as Shin Bet chief, he was also involved in key security decisions affecting the country including deliberations over a possible strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Mr Diskin said that in 2010 Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak tried to convince him, the army chief and the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency to prepare the security apparatus for an attack on Iran before gaining approval from the necessary government forums, a move Mr Diskin called "illegal".

The army chief and Mossad chief from the time - Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi and Meir Dagan - both spoke similarly about the meeting to Israeli television in November.

Mr Diskin also described attending a meeting with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Barak and then-foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, in which they discussed the Iranian nuclear threat over cigars and liquor.

He called the atmosphere "bizarre," saying leaders discussing such a serious subject with Israeli security officials should show more gravity.

Mr Diskin said Mr Netanyahu acted irresponsibly regarding Iran's nuclear program and accused him of prioritising personal concerns over national interests.

On the Palestinian issue, Mr Diskin criticised Mr Netanyahu's lack of movement on peace talks and said there is a chance another Palestinian uprising could break out.

"The role of the security forces is to create conditions so the political echelon will know what to do with them, and the quiet which was achieved in the last few years is an opportunity that the political echelon should not have missed," Mr Diskin said.

Asked about the response by Mr Netanyahu's office to his comments, Mr Diskin replied only "Have a good Sabbath" in a text message to reporters.

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Approval expected on Superstorm aid

AT LAST, the storm-racked US Northeast is getting a House floor vote on billions in disaster relief aid for victims of October's Superstorm Sandy, but only after a host of East Coast Republican lawmakers threatened a near mutiny against GOP Speaker John Boehner.

A $US9.7 billion ($9.3 million) measure to pay flood insurance claims, which amounts to just a down payment on a multibillion aid commitment, is expected to be approved by the House on Friday, boosting prospects for relief for the many home and business owners devastated by the storm. If the House acts as expected, the Senate plans to follow with a likely uncontested vote later in the day.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency warns that the National Flood Insurance Program will run out of money next week if Congress doesn't provide additional borrowing authority to pay out claims. Congress created the FEMA-run program in 1968 because few private insurers cover flood damage.

The flood insurance measure is the first phase of a proposed Sandy aid package. Under Boehner's new schedule, the House will vote January 15 on an additional $51 billion in recovery money. Senate action on that measure is expected the following week. Fiscally pressured local governments are awaiting that money.

Lawmakers say the money is urgently needed for storm victims awaiting claim checks from the late October storm, which was one of the worst ever to strike the Northeast of the US, ravaging the coast from North Carolina to Maine, with the most severe flooding occurring in Atlantic City, New Jersey, New York City and Long Island and along the Connecticut coastline.

"People are waiting to be paid," said Republican Rep Frank LoBiondo, whose district includes Atlantic City and many other coastal communities hard hit by the storm. "They're sleeping in rented rooms on cots somewhere and they're not happy. They want to get their lives back on track and it's cold outside. They see no prospect of relief."

Mr Boehner had promised a House vote on Friday after his decision to delay an action on a broader Sandy relief package provoked outrage from Northeast Republicans, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who said he'd lost trust in GOP leaders in Congress after being promised a vote earlier this week.

About 140,000 Sandy-related flood insurance claims have been filed, FEMA officials said, and most have yet to be closed out. Many flood victims have only received partial payments on their claims.

Philip Rock has received $8000 in flood insurance payments so far but said he is awaiting a statement on the final amount, which he expects to be much more. A house he owns in Toms River, New Jersey, had a $220,000 flood insurance policy. The house, which he rents out, was destroyed, and he needs to know the final payout before he can demolish it.

The house is a "total loss," Mr Rock said. "We don't want to demolish the house and have them say, 'We have to go around and take more pictures.'"

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were the states hardest hit by the storm in terms of damage from high winds, flooding and storm surges. The storm damaged or destroyed more than 72,000 homes and businesses in New Jersey. In New York, 305,000 housing units were damaged or destroyed and more than 265,000 businesses were affected.

Speaking of the legislation pending Friday, Republican Rep Michael Grimm, whose district includes Staten Island, said, "This funding will give the city and state the much-needed resources to rebuild our damaged infrastructure and provide further aid to individuals and small businesses struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives."

Sandy was the most costly natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and was blamed for at least 120 deaths. Northeast lawmakers have complained that it took just 10 days for Congress to approve about $50 billion in aid for Katrina but that it hasn't provided aid for Sandy relief in more than two months.

"States and local communities need to know the money will be there before they can give a green light to start rebuilding," said LoBiondo.

More than $2 billion in federal money has been spent so far on relief efforts for 11 states and the District of Columbia struck by the storm. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia are receiving FEMA aid.

___

Associated Press writer Katie Zezima in Newark, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

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Starbucks to open first Vietnam cafe

STARBUCKS says it will open its first Vietnam cafe early next month in Ho Chi Minh City as part of its strategy to expand across Asia.

The Seattle-based chain will be entering a country of coffee lovers that already has an established market. At least two popular homegrown chains have dozens of locations across the country.

Starbucks operates more than 3300 stores across 11 countries in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

"We are looking forward to serving our customers in Vietnam in an authentic and locally relevant way," Jinlong Wang, president for Starbucks Asia Pacific, said in a statement.

Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer behind Brazil and already provides high-quality beans for Starbucks stores in other countries.

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Reef port expansion not justified - WWF

THE Queensland government's own figures show the building of new coal ports in and near the Great Barrier Reef is not necessary, environmentalists say.

WWF Australia said the state government's Great Barrier Reef Ports Strategy Economic Analysis showed coal ports in the region were only operating at 52 per cent of their planned capacity.

WWF spokesman Nick Heath said the state did not need more coal terminals, such as those planned for Abbot Point.

"Existing infrastructure can meet this demand. We just need to use it more efficiently," Mr Heath said on Friday.

"Why waste billions of dollars building new ports when we dont use the ones we have already? Why risk damaging an international icon like the Great Barrier Reef?"

Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said the government needed to start planning for expansion.

"Port infrastructure must be planned and constructed to meet the demands of resource projects far into the future," Mr Seeney said.

"Quite simply, our resource sector would be totally uncompetitive if companies waited until demand emerged before providing export infrastructure."

The draft ports strategy, which has just undergone public consultation, forms part of Australia's response to a scathing report from the UN's environmental arm UNESCO on the reef's environmental management.

UNESCO warns the reef could be listed as a World Heritage Site in Danger if Australia cannot convince the international body it is managing risks to the area, particularly from coastal development.

The report recommended Australia not allow port developments other than those already established.

Australia is due to respond to UNESCO before February 1.

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Newspoll confirms Vic govt's woes

THE Victorian government is facing a drubbing from voters, the latest Newspoll suggests.

The poll, published in The Australian on Friday, has Labor with a commanding 55-45 lead over the coalition on a two-party preferred basis, the same result as two months ago.

The coalition's primary vote was down a point to 36 per cent, and while Labor's actually fell three points to 38 per cent, it was offset by a rise in the Greens' popularity.

Premier Ted Baillieu's net satisfaction rating slid to minus 15, one of the worst results for a leader in the past two decades, while Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews improved his standing to minus six, his highest standing since the 2010 state election.

Mr Andrews also maintained his nine-point lead over Mr Baillieu in the question of preferred premier.

The next state election is due in November next year.

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Rescuers evacuate 1200 skiers in Spain

RESCUERS have evacuated the last of 1200 skiers trapped by strong winds a day earlier on the slopes of a resort in the Spanish Pyrenees.

Winds gusting up to 110km/h forced the Panticosa ski resort to stop the ski-lifts on Wednesday afternoon, stranding holidaymakers on the mountain.

"At 9.29am (1929 AEDT) the evacuation of skiers at the Panticosa ski resort was ended after the arrival at the cable-car base of the last group that was being transferred," said Aramon, a group managing most of the ski resorts in the northern Aragon region.

"There have been no notable incidents apart from understandable tiredness after hours of waiting," it said in a statement on Thursday.

During the night, Spanish police, rescuers and resort staff worked to bring down skiers stranded in a cafeteria high up in the resort since the ski-lifts stopped at 3pm, they said.

Skiers were taken down in small groups in snow grooming machines to a more accessible area below the snowline and then transported in all-terrain vehicles to the town of Hoz de Jaca and finally to the Panticosa resort base.

Some of the more expert skiers were able to ski down.

The resort was closed on Thursday to check its installations following the bad weather.

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Syria air raid kills 12 in one family

AN air raid on a town partly held by rebels on the outskirts of Damascus has killed at least 12 members of the same family, most of them children, a watchdog says.

Regime warplanes bombed the town of Moadamiyet al-Sham, southwest of the capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Elsewhere, fierce fighting that erupted overnight in the northwest of the country raged into Wednesday as rebels attacked regime troops stationed around an air base causing casualties on both sides, the Britain-based Observatory said.

Outside Damascus, warplanes attacked the towns of Shebaa to the southeast and Deir Assafir to the south, where according to Human Rights Watch 11 children were killed in November when cluster bombs were dropped on a playground.

The deadly strikes came as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad shelled rebels in Harasta and Douma, insurgent strongholds to the northeast of the capital, and in Daraya to the southwest.

Army reinforcements have been massing for weeks in Daraya in a bid to drive rebel Free Syrian Army fighters from the town, the site of the bloodiest massacre of the conflict in which hundreds died in August.

Northeast of Damascus, the army shelled Qaboon district, the Observatory said, while in the south, residents of a Palestinian refugee camp that faced deadly air raids in December were sent fleeing once again by barrages of mortar fire.

In northwestern Syria, clashes between mostly jihadist rebel fighters and Assad's forces at Taftanaz air base in Idlib province killed four insurgents and an unknown number of soldiers, the Observatory said.

A local resident told AFP the army was carrying out air raids around the Taftanaz base in an attempt to repel the multi-pronged attack headed by the Islamist groups the Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham.

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Angola New Year stampede death toll rises

THE official death toll from a stampede at a New Year's Eve evangelical vigil in Angola has risen to 16, as witnesses said the tragedy was caused by a scramble for sachets of holy water.

"We confirm the death of 16 people, including four children, due to asphyxia, shoving and trampling of faithful at the entrance of Cidadela Stadium," Paulo Gaspar de Almeida, deputy commander-general of the Angolan police, told AFP.

Authorities probing how the disaster happened have discovered that the 80,000-seater stadium in the capital Luanda was packed to nearly double its capacity as turnout far exceeded expectations.

"The police, firefighters and health services and church leaders, all of us, were overwhelmed by the numbers of people who descended on Cidadela Stadium," said Gaspar de Almeida.

The initial death toll had stood at 10. Police did not give further details on the six latest deaths.

Worshipper Marcelina Baptista said people were crushed when they tried to grab sachets of water believed to have supernatural powers.

"The chaos began with the arrival of the last batch of people from Luanda's outlying neighbourhoods, through the entrance ... where sachets of blessed water were placed. Everyone wanted to reach for one. That is what caused the stampede," she said.

The vigil was organised by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, which was founded in Brazil in 1977 and boasts of more than a million followers in Angola, according to the culture ministry.

Its overnight New Year's Eve prayer vigil in Luanda is an annual event.

The church has denied responsibility for the tragedy.

"We sought clearance to hold the service 20 days ago, and we were granted permission," Ferner Batalha, a bishop, told AFP.

Of the more than 100 wounded during the crush, 25 sustained serious injuries, he said.

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Emirates opens superjumbo concourse

DUBAI'S Emirates Airlines began operations from a $US3 billion ($2.9 billion) new concourse dedicated to Airbus' A380 superjumbos at the Gulf city-state's rapidly-expanding airport.

Flight EK003 took off to London Heathrow from Concourse A, which will become "home of the Emirates A380," and add a capacity to handle 15 million passengers a year, said a statement by Emirates - one of the world's fastest-growing carriers.

The new extension to Terminal 3, featuring 20 gates specifically designed to accommodate Airbus' longhaul airliners, will open gradually, with just four gates operational, Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths said in another statement.

"This is a historic and momentous occasion, marking another world first from Emirates," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman of Emirates and of Dubai Airports.

The government-owned carrier is the largest operator of A380, with a fleet of 31 and another 59 units on order.

The new concourse spreads across 11 floors with a total area of 528,000 square metres. It cost $US3 billion to build.

Dubai Airports has undertaken a $US7.8 billion to further expand the capacity of the international travel hub, as it expects to handle 75 million passengers by 2015 and 98 million passengers by 2020.

It expected the number of passengers who used Dubai International airport in 2012 to be around 57 million.

Emirates had moved its operations to Terminal 3 in 2008, when the new complex opened dedicated to the national carrier of Dubai, leaving the older Terminal One to foreign airlines.

The new facility will be available to A380 flights to Europe operated by Qantas, as per the global partnership announced recently and awaiting the approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Emirates said.

Emirates has a fleet of 195 wide-body Airbus and Boeing, and has some 204 units on orders worth more than $US74 billion, it said. It flies to 128 destinations in 74 countries.

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Telehealth rebate cut will hurt Vic: Davis

THOUSANDS of Victorians face longer waits and travel times for health services because of a change to a federal rebate, the state government says.

The telehealth rebate, introduced in 2011, now only applies to remote patients, rather than those in outer suburban and regional areas.

Victorian Health Minister David Davis said those on Melbourne's fringes would now face longer waits for services.

"There is an acute shortage of many specialists in these outer metropolitan areas, forcing many Victorians to travel further and wait longer for specialist advice and care," he told The Age on Thursday.

Mr Davis's criticism is the latest in a running stoush between the levels of government over health care.

The state has accused the Commonwealth of ripping hundreds of millions from the budget, while federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek says the state will actually receive an additional $1 billion over the next four years.

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Attacks down but Iraq in 'low-level war'

VIOLENCE in Iraq dropped in 2012, data shows, but insurgents proved they were still capable of mounting waves of attacks and a watchdog warned the country was still in a "low-level war".

The warnings, which come after the first full year since American forces completed their withdrawal in December 2011, were punctuated by a series of nationwide shootings and bombings on New Year's Eve in which 28 people were killed and nearly 100 wounded.

The latest violence came just days ahead of a major Shi'ite commemoration ceremony, and after more than a week of non-stop anti-government rallies in Sunni-majority areas where demonstrators allege targeting of their community by Iraq's Shi'ite-led authorities.

A total of 144 people were killed across Iraq last month, including 40 policemen and 15 soldiers, and 360 others were wounded, according to figures compiled by AFP based on reports from security and medical officials.

The monthly death toll was near 2012's low of 136 set in October.

And data released by Iraq's ministries of health, interior and defence said 2,174 people were killed throughout last year, sharply lower than in previous years, particularly compared to the height of the country's brutal sectarian war from 2005 to 2008 when tens of thousands were killed.

But Britain-based monitor group Iraq Body Count put the overall death toll at 4,471, more than double the official figures, though the last three months of 2012 represented a record low.

It warned in its annual report that "the country remains in a state of low-level war ... with a 'background' level of everyday armed violence punctuated by occasional larger-scale attacks designed to kill many people at once."

"2012 has been more consistent with an entrenched conflict than with any transformation in the security situation for Iraqis in the first year since the formal withdrawal of US troops," it said.

US troops withdrew in December 2011, though a small contingent of around 150 soldiers remains as part of a bilateral agreement to help train and supply Iraq's security forces.

Baghdad's police and military are widely agreed to be largely able to maintain internal security, but are not expected to be fully capable of defending Iraq's borders, airspace and waters until 2020.

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Workers 'killed boss, ate body parts'

Tea plantation workers torched a vehicle and the home of their boss, killing both him and his wife, following a labour dispute in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

POLICE in northeast India say they believe workers on a tea plantation who bludgeoned their boss and his wife to death last month also ate parts of their bodies.

A crowd of 1000 workers at the privately-owned M.K.B. Tea Estate in the state of Assam surrounded the plantation owner's bungalow last week. A mob then set it on fire in violence blamed on festering labour unrest in the region.

"Our investigations say that at least five plantation workers ate the flesh of the tea planter and his wife after they were brutally killed," Numol Mahatao, deputy police chief of Tinsukia district, told journalists.

"We suspect that about 15 people were actually involved in the crime although there were some 1000 present there at the spot," the police official said. "We have identified all the masterminds and nine are in our custody so far."

Mr Mahatao said the reports of cannibalism were based on a confession from one of the workers present during the attack.

Tea workers are notoriously badly paid and often housed in poor accommodation in remote areas. They have few protections from police and cannot take advantage of laws designed to guarantee them health care and fair working conditions, rights groups say.

The Indian Express newspaper said the violence was sparked by orders from the boss for 10 estate workers to vacate their quarters and by the detention of three employees by police over unspecified disputes.

"We are investigating the reasons that led to the attack. But whatever may be the reason, such acts of barbarism are unacceptable in this modern world," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.

Assam produces around 55 per cent of India's annual tea production, which stood at 988.32 million kilograms last year, and the state is home to more than 800 tea estates.
 

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60 dead in Ivory Coast New Year's crush

AT least 60 people died and dozens more were injured in the Ivory Coast capital Abidjan as crowds stampeded overnight during celebratory New Year's fireworks, rescue workers say.

The head of military rescue workers, Lieutenant Colonel Issa Sako, told public television that "60 people" died and 200 were injured based on a preliminary toll. Another rescue official told AFP the toll was "61 dead and 48 injured".

The rescue official said the injured had been taken to hospitals in Abidjan.

An AFP journalist saw many injured children.

The flow of people coming to the entrance of the city's main stadium to watch the fireworks caused a "very large crush", Sako said. "In the crush, people were walked over and suffocated by the crowd."

Images broadcast by RTI television showed bodies stretched lifeless on the ground. Piles of abandoned shoes and clothing could also be seen at the stadium, where soldiers and police were deployed.

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Man stabbed in throat with sword

A MAN who allegedly stabbed another man in the throat with a sword in southeast Queensland on New Year's Day has been charged by police.

Police said the 34-year-old stabbed the man in the throat with a small sword during an altercation in Pialba about 5.30am (AEST) on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old victim was taken to hospital with a serious cut to his throat and remains in a stable condition.

The alleged attacker was charged with unlawful wounding, police said in a statement.

He is due to front Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

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2013 arrives with a pop and pink

SYDNEYSIDERS have paid homage to Australia's princess of pop as they ushered in the New Year with sparkle, glam and a little bit of cheek.

2012 was farewelled in a cascade of pink and gold as hit tunes from Kylie Minogue's 25 years in show business bounced around the packed harbour foreshore.

As the the event's creative ambassador, the diminutive pop star developed the theme Embrace and chose its colour scheme and soundtrack.

"It's just overwhelming, it was so beautiful," said Amanda Wormleaton from Belmore.

"It was the best fireworks Sydney has ever had."

John Priest, who made the trip from Adelaide, agreed.

"It's the best I've seen," he told AAP.

A musical-note firework pulsed on the bridge in Minogue's honour, one of 100,000 individual pyrotechnic creations.

"It's been a huge year for me and the finish line is tonight," Minogue said, adding that her Spanish boyfriend was the first in line for a hug come midnight.

"I love the concept of embrace. It can mean so many different things," she added.

Minogue, who wore a short Asian-inspired blue and white dress for the 9pm fireworks, said despite ups and downs her career had been "an amazing ride".

She later turned up at the lord mayor's party at the Opera House in a slinky long silver gown.

"How's everyone feeling," she asked, as she pressed a button to trigger the midnight display, which opened with a large pair of red lips making the official countdown on the bridge.

Other celebs who have headed Down Under to ring in the New Year include Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx and Jonah Hill.

They will be joined at The Star casino's Marquee Nightclub by Gossip Girl heart throb Chace Crawford, Glee's Matthew Morrison and Arrow actor Colton Haynes.

The midnight fireworks kick off New Year's celebrations the world over.

Under balmy and clear skies, tens of thousands of revellers lined Darling Harbour and other viewing hotspots, including about 1.5 million along the harbour foreshore.

As streams of incandescent colour shot into the heavens, families on picnic blankets cheered and clapped along with others aboard luxury yachts.

"It's a much younger crowd than usual, a lot of backpackers rather than families like previous years," said Karla Davies from the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said about 1.5 million spectators were expected to line Sydney Harbour to watch the fireworks.

Another two million Australians will catch the $6.6 million event on television, as will at least one billion people worldwide.

"This is really putting Australia on the map in terms of welcoming people to the new year," Ms Moore said.

Emil, 21, said he would return to his home country of Sweden a happy man.

"The huge lips on the bridge, that was worth the wait," he said from Lady Macquarie's Chair, where about 17,000 people gathered.

"I can go back to Sweden very happy. We just met some French girls three minutes ago so the night is getting even better."

Caroline, 24, from Melbourne, said it was worth the overnight camp to get the perfect vantage spot.

"We were here at midnight last night and stayed on the grass, I don't know whether that was legal," she said.

"But tonight I am going home with a friend, one night sleeping rough was enough."

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European stocks mixed on last day of year

EUROPEAN stock markets diverged on Monday, the final trading day of 2012 amid fading hopes of a deal to avert the US "fiscal cliff" of sharp tax hikes and spending cuts.

The London and Paris markets were operating for only half a day, resulting in thin trading volumes, while the Frankfurt DAX 30 closed for the year on Friday, with Germany's main index gaining 29 per cent in value during 2012.

Frankfurt soared over the course of the year after staging a sustained rally in late 2012 on eurozone debt progress and fresh stimulus moves by the US Federal Reserve, analysts said.

In late morning deals on Monday, London's benchmark FTSE 100 was down 0.40 per cent at 5,901.7 points, having risen almost six per cent over the year.

The Paris CAC 40 was showing a gain of 0.38 per cent to 3,633.96 points, having won 15 per cent in 2012.

Madrid has lost more than five per cent since January while Milan has climbed eight per cent, as Spain and Italy battle with national debt strains.

"Despite signs of economic strength in China ... the mood in the markets is rather subdued - all because of the fiscal cliff impasse across the pond," said Gekko Global Markets trader Anita Paluch, explaining Monday's trading performance.

In foreign exchange deals, the euro fell to $US1.3194 from $US1.3217 late in New York on Friday. Gold prices rose to $US1,666.80 an ounce on the London Bullion Market from $US1,657.50 on Friday.

The single currency has risen by about 2.0 per cent in value against the dollar in 2012.

"Given that this time last year, markets were factoring in a euro bust-up and Greek exiting from the eurozone club by end of 2012, the year actually has seen equities and the euro put on a respectable show," Ishaq Siddiqi, market strategist at ETX Capital trading group, told AFP.

"European corporates aren't doing too bad either - cash rich in many cases as they hoarded money during the worst of the crisis. This means they will have to put that money to work in 2013, whether its through share buybacks, mergers and acquisitions or increasing dividends.

"At the same time, valuations are cheap and the increase in risk appetite this year has been favourable for cyclical stocks like banks, miners, autos and industrials. So looking to 2013, we should see a sense of normality return to markets as 2012 was still a bit of a rollercoaster," Siddiqi added.

Over in Washington, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill ended Sunday without reaching a compromise over a deficit-cutting budget that would be less painful than the deep spending cuts and tax hikes due to start taking effect on Tuesday.

Back in Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that her country's economy, the continent's biggest, would experience a harder time next year than in 2012 and cautioned too that the eurozone debt crisis was far from over.

In her annual New Year address, Merkel said: "In fact, the economic environment next year will not be easier, but more difficult", adding: "The crisis is a long way from being beaten."

Although top exporter Germany has managed to hold up to the crisis fairly well, growth has slowed here as well since the beginning of the year.

In Asia meanwhile, stock markets fell in New Year's Eve-shortened trade. However, there was some bright news out of China, where a survey by HSBC showed manufacturing activity hit a 19-month high in December.

And despite Monday's losses, all the region's stock markets ended the year higher, with Bangkok the standout performer, surging almost 36 per cent, while Shanghai was the weakest, adding less than three per cent over the 12 months.

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Sydney leads New Year's Eve party charge

IT'S the party that starts the world's New Year celebrations and Sydney didn't disappoint yet again.

As one of the first major cities in the world to welcome in 2013, Sydney has set the standard. Just ask the millions who watched the spectacular display both in person and on the television.

On a warm summer night, an estimated 1.5 million people poured into the city to watch the $6.6 million fireworks display light up the sky - twice - from the harbour foreshore, at Darling Harbour and other vantage points with the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge playing a major part.

Pop princess Kylie Minogue, the event's creative ambassador who chose the theme of Embrace for the celebrations, started the midnight show with the press of a button.

A giant set of red lips in the middle of the harbour bridge counted down to midnight, before the fireworks set off.

A one-of-a-kind sparkling semiquaver - to honour Kylie's 25 years in music - was one of 100,000 individual pyrotechnic creations this year, including brand new koala, octopus and hand images up in lights.

Sydney's skyline exploded in gold, pink, green and blue first at 9pm for the family-oriented curtain raiser and again at midnight.

Colours streamed from four barges situated around the harbour, with gold flashes cascading like tinsel as a gold butterfly-like design lit up the bridge.

"It was all great, amazing," said Lee Whittaker, from Denistone, who brought her kids Mel and Leon with her.

And there are plenty of tourists who come especially for the event.

American Melissa Sjostedt said she had wanted to see the fireworks on the bridge since reading about it in National Geographic 10 years ago.

"Ever since that I've always wanted to see this for real, live, in person," the 30-year-old from Florida told AAP from Dawes Point Reserve.

Mathieu Herman, 30, from New York City, said he'd made the trip to Australia specifically for New Year's Eve.

"I saw it last year on TV and it looked fabulous. I said to myself 'it's something I've just got to do'."

Across the rest of the country, other major cities hosted their own fireworks displays and parties.

More than half a million people filled the Melbourne city centre with live sites at Treasury Gardens, Flagstaff Gardens and the Docklands.

Throughout the evening, free concert at Federation Square had tens of thousands dancing away the remaining hours of 2012.

Irish sisters Emma and Sophie O'Dowd said they couldn't resist the lure of the New Year's lights and sounds, stopping at Yarra Park to see the fireworks light up the MCG on their way to a dance party.

"It's what it's all about. What a beautiful stage you've got here," Sophie, 22, said.

Surfers Paradise hosted one of Queensland's biggest New Year's Eve fireworks displays, with thousands catching a preview at the 9pm (AEST) show.

Organisers went with a superheroes theme for this year's family party, hoping to encourage children to attend as their favourite superhero and several little Spidermen and Supermen could be seen among the crowd.

In Brisbane, crowds were slightly down at South Bank, but there was still plenty of cheer as revellers waited to welcome in midnight.

Perth is partying through a heatwave, while Adelaide tried to encourage less alcohol and more family-friendly events.

Hobart hosted thousands in town for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race and Tasmania's biggest event, The Taste Festival near Salamanca Place.

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Aust goes with US after NZ nuke ban

WHEN it came down to a choice between the United States and New Zealand on defence co-operation, the cabinet of Bob Hawke found there was really no choice.

It was the US all the way.

The choice followed a decision by the new NZ Labour government to bar nuclear-powered and nuclear armed vessels in its territorial waters.

In practical terms that meant denying entry to US ships, given the American policy of refusing to confirm or deny the existence of nuclear weapons on board, even when clearly they were not.

The NZ policy was confirmed in February 1985 when permission for a port visit was denied to the destroyer USS Buchanan, abrogating the 1951 ANZUS treaty and its articles pledging mutual defence aid and co-operation.

Cabinet papers for 1984 and 1985, released by the National Archives of Australia, show the Hawke government was deeply concerned, but keen to make a public show of business as usual, stressing that ANZUS remained in effect and there were no moves to set it aside.

"Any doubts in Australia and countries in our region on the continuing validity for Australia of the key security undertakings of the Anzus Treaty should be actively countered," the papers said.

It blamed the problem squarely on New Zealand and said peacetime trilateral military interaction was in abeyance.

"Within the context of Anzus and as important as our defence relations with New Zealand are, those with the USA are of dominant significance for Australia's security and for the development of our defence capacity," cabinet said.

On that basis, Australia would continue defence co-operation with the US without NZ, substituting bilateral for trilateral activities where appropriate.

At the same time, Australia would safeguard the relationship with NZ, minimising any damage to the traditional affinity by continuing bilateral defence activities.

In some forums, Australia was prepared to represent New Zealand. Australia also would maintain active co-operation with its Tasman neighbour on intelligence, although that went only so far.

"Australia will not pass to New Zealand intelligence of United States origin that the USA denies New Zealand," it said.

The decision came at a time of growing global anti-nuclear sentiment, although NZ always had and still has a strong anti-nuclear constituency.

It wasn't about to back off, cementing its position in legislation. The US duly suspended its ANZUS obligations.

From this low point, defence relations between NZ and the US have steadily improved, although it's taken some time.

That culminated in June this year with the Washington Declaration. It doesn't renew the ANZUS obligations, but it does establish a basis for expanded defence co-operation.

It immediately manifested with NZ ships, aircraft and troops participating in the RIMPAC (rim of the Pacific) 2012 Exercise, the world's largest multinational maritime exercise, hosted by the US Navy on and around Hawaii.

It was the first time in 28 years New Zealand had taken part in a RIMPAC.

In practice, New Zealand's absence from ANZUS hasn't mattered that much.

Kiwi troops served alongside Australians in East Timor, benefiting equally from US logistical support and from the implied threat that US forces would intervene against Indonesia if needed.

Small numbers of NZ troops also have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Hawke government cabinet papers suggest Australia can take some credit for the ultimate improvement in NZ-US ties.

The key decision of March 1985 says the long-term aim should be restoration of normal trilateral relationships.

While avoiding the role of mediator, Australia should work with the US and New Zealand to ensure the dispute eased rather than worsened.

Where necessary, representations would be made in Washington to urge the US to adhere to its stated position of not taking punitive economic action against New Zealand.

"Australia should seek as appropriate to encourage its treaty partners to avoid making immoderate statements which might complicate and worsen difficult political situations," it said.

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Peace envoy talks up Syria plan

PEACE envoy Lakhdar Brahimi says he has a proposal to end the deadly 21-month conflict in Syria "that could be adopted by the international community".

"I have discussed this plan with Russia and Syria ... I think this proposal could be adopted by the international community," the UN and Arab League envoy said in Egypt after meeting League chief Nabil al-Arabi on Sunday.

The situation in Syria "is very bad and getting worse by the day", added Brahimi a day after warning in Moscow that Damascus faced a choice between "hell or the political process".

"There is a proposal for a political solution based on the Geneva declaration foreseeing a ceasefire, forming a government with complete prerogatives and a plan for parliamentary and presidential elections," he said, referring to a failed peace initiative that world powers agreed to in Geneva in June.

"Either there is a political solution in Syria" or the country risks a descent into a Somalia-like situation, Brahimi told reporters.

Russia on Saturday acknowledged that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will not be persuaded to quit, but insisted there is still a chance of finding a political solution.

Saturday's talks between Brahimi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov came amid signs that key Syrian ally Moscow was beginning to distance itself from Assad.

Lavrov said both he and Brahimi agreed there was hope for a solution as long as world powers put pressure on both sides.

"The confrontation is escalating. But we agree the chance for a political solution remains," Lavrov said.

Assad's departure is a given for the Syrian opposition before any national dialogue such as that under the Geneva initiative can take place.

The international action group on Syria comprises the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - and representatives of the Arab League, the UN and EU and Turkey.

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Bad brakes cited in Moscow crash landing

RUSSIAN investigators have blamed a defective brake system for a Moscow airport crash that killed five crew members when a plane skidded off the runway and smashed into a highway.

Rescue workers recovered the flight recorders from the four-year-old Tu-204 of tycoon Alexander Lebedev's Red Wings airline late Saturday as Russia began mourning its latest post-Soviet crash fatalities.

"The plane touched down in the proper landing area but for some reason was unable to stop on the strip," Federal Air Transport Agency chief Alexander Neradko said in televised remarks.

"According to preliminary data, the pilots used all the brake systems available on the plane," an unidentified investigator told the Interfax news agency.

"But for some reason, the aircraft failed to stop and continued moving" down the runway. "Most likely, the cause was defective reverse engines or brakes."

Red Wings said a flight attendant died of her injuries on Sunday to bring the toll to five. Three others were recovering in a stable condition.

Greater loss of life was averted only because the 210-seat liner was empty except for the eight crew returning from a charter flight to the Czech Republic.

Mobile phone footage of the accident posted online showed chunks of debris hurtling over the highway and crashing into cars whose drivers had to swerve and make emergency stops.

The jet split into three pieces and required the temporary shutdown of both the Kiev Highway and Vnukovo - Moscow's third largest airport and the site of a special terminal for Kremlin officials.

Red Wings owner Lebedev - a billionaire famous for his critical view of the Kremlin and his ownership of the London Evening Standard and The Independent in Britain - said the jet had recently passed a meticulous check.

"Plane number 47 had accumulated 8500 flight hours and underwent its last thorough check on November 23," Lebedev said on his Twitter feed.

He also suggested that traffic controllers' initial refusal to authorise landing - requiring the plane to complete several circles over Vnukovo in bad weather - may have been a contributing factor.

"All machinery has its limits, even when it is new," Lebedev wrote.

Russian media said the authorities had concerns about the Tu-204 jet's ability to stop in various weather conditions even before Saturday's crash landing.

They cited a letter sent by the state aviation watchdog Rosaviatsya to the jet's maker on Friday asking about an incident last week in which the engines failed to fire into reverse on landing.

The manoeuvre is required for the plane to slow down quickly upon touchdown.

The russianplanes.net aviation website said the very same jet had suffered an engine failure and was forced to make an emergency landing in June 2009.

It said Lebedev's airline had in fact decided not to order any more Tu-204 planes after the 2009 incident because of the engine problems.

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Cops jailed over detainee's torture, death

A BAHRAIN court on Sunday jailed two policemen for seven years each after convicting them of torturing to death a Shiite detainee in the wake of last year's crackdown on protests, a local daily said.

The Gulf kingdom's high criminal court found the two national security members guilty of torturing Abdul Karim Fakhrawi to death while in detention, Al-Wasat's online edition reported.

The court had in May thrown out the case against the two defendants for lack of proof and sent it back to the prosecution for further investigation.

A number of policemen are being investigated or are on trial for allegedly torturing detainees after hundreds of Shiites were rounded up when security forces in the Sunni-ruled state quelled a month-long protest in mid-March 2011.

Authorities say they are implementing the recommendations of an independent commission of inquiry called for by the king that confirmed allegations of excessive use of force by security forces during the uprising.

Home to the US Fifth Fleet and strategically situated across the Gulf from Iran, Bahrain still sees sporadic Shiite-led demonstrations, mostly outside the capital Manama.

According to the International Federation for Human Rights, around 80 people have been killed in Bahrain since the violence first broke out on February 14, 2011.

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Afghan soldier killings highest ever

MORE than 1000 Afghan soldiers died in action this year, the highest since the Taliban insurgency began, as the army assumes more responsibility before NATO forces withdraw in 2014.

"In the past nine months, 906 Afghan army soldiers were killed. A total of 1056 soldiers were killed in 2012," defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told reporters in Kabul on Sunday.

"The toll has increased compared to the previous years."

The ability of the rapidly expanding army to thwart the Islamist insurgency is key to Afghanistan avoiding civil war as about 100,000 international troops head home.

Azimi said the army had now taken the lead role for security in more than 75 per cent of the country, though he added it needed better equipment and protection against land mines to cut fatalities.

NATO is aiming to train up 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police by the end of 2014 to ensure stability in Afghanistan, but challenges remain in the transition process.

Desertions, poor re-enlistment rates and low morale are among the key problems troubling Afghan and NATO commanders.

So-called "insider" attacks by Afghan security forces on their NATO colleagues and mentors have left more than 60 foreign troops dead this year, seriously undermining trust between the two forces.

The Taliban were ousted from power in 2001, but have waged an 11-year insurgency against the US-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.

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