Airstrikes in Syria kill 29: reports

TWO government airstrikes have killed at least 29 people in the north, Syrian activists say.

Warplanes targeted rebel positions in an opposition-held district of Aleppo city on Saturday, but the attack missed the target and slammed into a crowded vegetable market, killing 14 people, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says.

In a separate airstrike on the town of al-Bab near Aleppo, 15 people were killed, it says.

Another activist group, the Aleppo Media Network, confirmed the airstrikes and posted a video of what it says was the aftermath of the al-Bab raid.

Plumes of smoke are seen rising from ground, strewn with twisted metal and chunks of broken-up concrete.

Men can be seen pulling a person, who appears dead, out of a car.

The videos appeared authentic and corresponded with The Associated Press' reporting of the airstrikes.

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More storms expected in southeast

At least one home has been destroyed by a tornado that whipped through northern NSW.

A FEROCIOUS line of storms that barrelled through the southeast corner -- bringing rain and destructive gusts and damaging homes – continued to track towards the northeast overnight.

Forecasters said the storms had started to weaken by 10.30pm and were likely to reach the Sunshine Coast by 1am.

"They have weakened over the past hour but we are still seeing some intense bursts of rainfall and the odd significant wind gust," said Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Brett Harrison.

Early reports suggested one house was completely demolished and up to 30 other homes were reportedly damaged in the Rosewood and Pine Mountain area near Ipswich, although this could not be confirmed by emergency services.

"We have dodged three big storms lately, but we really copped it tonight,'' said Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale late on Saturday.

Storms roll over Brisbane, as seen from Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Pic: Adam Smith

"One has collapsed completely and 25 to 30 have got damage at various degrees.

"No-one has been injured so far as we know.''

On Saturday night, the heaviest falls were recorded at Junction View, south of Gatton, with up to 62mm of rain dumped in just over an hour.

Wind gusts of up to 92km/h were recorded at Amberley at the height of the storm.

Storms roll over Brisbane, as seen from Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Pic: Adam Smith

Golf ball-size hail was dropped near Inglewood, Ipswich and Warwick, but senior forecaster Brett Harrison said there had been no reports since 5.30pm Saturday.

Energex reported more than 5000 homes across the southeast were without power at around 10pm.

More showers and thunderstorms are expected to brew on Sunday, with the activity likely to be closer to the southeast coast.

Mr Harrison said November had certainly made up for a late start to the storm season.

Storms roll over Brisbane, as seen from Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Pic: Adam Smith

"This time of year is when we expect there to be a large number of severe thunderstorms," he said.

"The main trigger is the upper trough."

A severe thunderstorm warning had been issued at 10.58pm for damaging wind and heavy rainfall in the Sunshine Coast and Cherbourg Shire areas and for parts of the Gympie, Moreton Bay, Somerset, South Burnett and Toowoomba areas.

Damaging winds and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding were likely, the Bureau of Meteorology warned.

Storm clouds north of Moonie, Western Darling Downs, Saturday afternoon. Pic: Jeff Higgins. Higgins Storm Chasing

The warning came after several thunderstorms rolled across southern Queensland throughout Saturday.

Residents reported seeing hail stones, lightning strikes, strong winds and heavy rain across the area.

By 9.15pm, the State Emergency Services had received 47 requests for help through the Rosewood, Hatton Vale, Marburg, Amberley, Ipswich and Brisbane CBD areas.

A spokeswoman said the requests related to structural damage to homes, fallen trees and general storm and flood damage.

"There was significant roof damage to houses in Lower Mt Walker, near Laidley," she said.

A 92 km/h wind gust was recorded at Amberley Airport at 7.45pm, an 87 km/h wind gust was recorded at Gold Coast Seaway at 8.30pm and a 79 km/h wind gust was recorded at Inner Beacon (Moreton Bay) at 8:55pm.

Wild weather also battered northern NSW on Saturday, with a twister destroying at least one home.

Top of Bunya Mountains looking west out over the Darling Downs. Things are really brewing up out here today! Picture courtesy: Jeff Higgins / Higgins Storm Chasing

Bowen certainly has copped some rain!! Thankfully tide was out bit still water is still through some houses and cars. Picture: Tash Edwards

Bowen certainly has copped some rain!! Thankfully tide was out bit still water is still through some houses and cars. Picture: Tash Edwards

Bowen certainly has copped some rain!! Thankfully tide was out bit still water is still through some houses and cars. Picture: Tash Edwards

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Pakistani drone protesters block supplies

THOUSANDS of people protesting US drone strikes have blocked a road in northwest Pakistan used to truck NATO troop supplies and equipment in and out of Afghanistan.

The protest, which was led by Pakistani politician and cricket star Imran Khan, likely had more symbolic value than practical impact because there is normally little NATO supply traffic on the road on Saturdays.

The blocked route in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province leads to one of two border crossings used to send supplies overland from Pakistan to neighbouring Afghanistan.

Khan, whose Tehreek-e-Insaf party runs the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, called on federal officials to take a firmer stance to force the US to end drone attacks and block NATO supplies across the country.

"We will put pressure on America, and our protest will continue if drone attacks are not stopped," Khan told the protesters, who dispersed after his speech.

The US Embassy in Islamabad declined to comment on the protest. The US leads the coalition of NATO troops battling the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Drone strikes have been a growing source of friction between Islamabad and Washington.

Khan and other officials regularly denounce the attacks as a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, although the country's government is known to have supported some of the strikes in the past.

The tension has further complicated a relationship that Washington views as vital to fight al-Qaeda and the Taliban, as well as negotiate peace in Afghanistan.

The protest comes only two days after a rare US drone strike outside of Pakistan's remote tribal region killed five people, including at least three Afghan militants, at an Islamic seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The attack outraged Pakistani officials, as did one on November 1 that killed the former leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, a day before the Pakistani government said it was going to invite him to hold peace talks.

Khan pushed the Pakistani government block NATO supplies after the strike on Mehsud, but it has shown little interest in doing so.

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UK 'slavery' suspects arrested before

THE two suspects bailed after three women were alleged to have been held as slaves in London for 30 years were previously arrested in the 1970s.

They have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences as well as in connection with the investigation into slavery and domestic servitude, Scotland Yard said.

The case came to light after one victim told a charity she had been held against her will in a house in London for more than 30 years.

The victims - a 30-year-old British woman, a 57-year-old Irish woman and a 69-year-old Malaysian woman - are being looked after in a safe location.

Police said the two suspects have been in the country for "many years", and said the case "so far is unique to us".

It was described as a "complicated and disturbing picture of emotional control over many years".

Detective Inspector Kevin Hyland said the whole of the human trafficking unit - 37 officers - are now working on this investigation.

Specially-trained officers are working with the women to try to understand their lives over the last 30 years or more, he said.

Hyland said the women are in the care of a specialist non-governmental organisation.

"Whilst we do not believe that they have been subjected to sexual abuse, we know that there has been physical abuse, described as beatings.

"However there is nothing to suggest that the suspects were violent to others outside of the address," he said.

Hyland said the two suspects have also been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.

He was not prepared to disclose the nationalities of the two people arrested, but said they have been in the country for "many years".

Police do not believe the victims were trafficked into the UK, he said.

Hyland said the police search of the address in south London took 12 hours, and said they seized 55 bags of evidence amounting to in excess of 2500 exhibits.

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UK PM 'following' escort agency on Twitter

British Prime Minister David Cameron has been following a high-class escort agency on Twitter. Source: AAP

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron has been following the exploits of a high-class escort agency on Twitter.

One of the prime minister's official accounts was linked to the Carltons of London's feed on the micro-blogging site, technology news website The Register found.

It claims to be London's "finest luxury boutique escort agency" catering for the needs of a "select and small group of elite gentlemen".

The agency also offers a corporate service for those looking to secure a big deal who "need something special to swing them in your favour".

But Downing Street indicated the agency may have first been followed under Gordon Brown's premiership.

The @Number10gov account is the official Twitter feed for the office of the Prime Minister and automatically followed anyone that chose to follow it until 2009 - while the former Labour leader was in power - when the practice was stopped.

"We have stopped following this particular account," a Downing Street spokesman said.

"Prior to 2010, an auto-follow process was used, meaning that @Number10gov automatically followed anyone who followed the account. This was common practice at the time for many corporate accounts, but was discontinued in 2009.

"As a result of this legacy, the @Number10gov account follows almost 370,000 accounts and we have taken steps to un-follow as many as possible that are inactive, spam or inappropriate. This work is ongoing."

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Cops to target Byron Bay schoolies

A BIG police operation will target Byron Bay as thousands of revellers descend on the northern NSW town to celebrate schoolies.

Schoolies began in Queensland on Sunday and has its start in NSW this Saturday, with Byron Bay expecting about 10,000 school leavers to hit town through until December 1.

Police said a highly visible operation including local cops, riot squad, dog unit, mounted unit and highway patrol would be targeting Byron Bay.

The operation will target alcohol-related offences, illegal drug use and supply, and anti-social behaviour.

It'll be focused in and around pubs and clubs, car parks and beaches and criminal behaviour, police said.

Tweed and Byron Police Detective Superintendent, Stuart Wilkins, urged school leavers visiting the area to act responsibly.

"Alcohol impairs your judgment and leads to poor decision-making, so know your limits and don't take risks that could lead to you becoming a victim of crime or an offender," he said in a statement.

"Most importantly, if at any time you think something is not right or you need urgent assistance, call Triple Zero."

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Greece predicts return to growth in 2014

GREECE'S deputy finance minister says the economy is expected to emerge from its recession and grow slightly next year.

Christos Staikouras said on Thursday that the 2014 budget projects economic growth of 0.6 per cent next year.

He spoke as he presented the budget, submitted to Parliament moments earlier by Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras.

Staikouras said the economy is expected to contract by four per cent this year, slightly less than the originally expected 4.5 per cent.

He said the conditions are being created for Greece to return to the international bond markets next year.

It has been priced out of them by high interest rates since 2010, and relies on international rescue loans.

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Cyclone warning issued for southern India

A TROPICAL cyclone over the Bay of Bengal is likely to hit coastal areas of India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh over the next 24 hours, with evacuations set to begin soon, officials said on Thursday.

Cyclone Helen is predicted to bring winds of up to 120km/h, as well as heavy rainfall.

Storm surges of up to 1.5 metres at the time of landfall are expected near the city of Machillipatnam on Friday afternoon, India's Meteorological Department said.

The storm was expected to cause "extensive damage to thatched roofs and huts. Minor damage to power and communication lines due to uprooting of large trees", the IMD said in a statement.

Fishermen have been warned not to venture out to sea.

State disaster management official VK Ekbote said the storm was changing course, and evacuations would begin on Friday once officials were able to confirm precisely where it would make land.

The storm is expected to be significantly less intense than Cyclone Phailin, which hit India's Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states last month, with wind speeds of over 200km/h, claiming 40 lives.

Cyclones often form over the Bay of Bengal, bringing widespread destruction and flooding to India's southern and eastern coasts.

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BoE minutes show unanimity on policy

BANK of England policy makers have voted unanimously to keep monetary policy unchanged, despite growing signs that Europe's third-largest economy is on the mend.

The minutes of the November 6-7 Monetary Policy Committee, published on Wednesday, showed that the nine-member panel thought the economic recovery was gathering pace.

It grew a quarterly rate of 0.8 per cent in the third quarter, however, they voiced "uncertainties over the durability of the recovery," particularly in regard to the economic outlook in Europe.

Given that backdrop, they voted to keep the Bank's key interest rate unchanged at the record low of 0.5 per cent and not to increase the monetary stimulus.

So far STG375 billion ($A645.16 billion) has been pumped into the British economy in an attempt to keep market rates low and encourage lending.

"The UK economy remained vulnerable to disorderly adjustment in the euro area and in some emerging economies," the minutes said.

Though the 17-country eurozone has emerged from its longest-ever recession, growth is muted; in the third quarter of 2013, it grew by only 0.1 per cent from the previous three-month period.

Over the past few years, the debt crisis in the eurozone has been one of the main reasons, along with a government deficit-reduction program and high levels of private indebtedness, that's held back the economic recovery in Britain.

Despite the recent pick-up in growth, the British economy remains about 2.5 per cent smaller than the start of 2008, before it slipped into its deepest recession since World War II.

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Tax office to shed 900 jobs

THE Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will shed 900 jobs over the coming nine months as it searches for budget savings, with most of the job cuts linked to government plans to abolish its controversial mining profits tax.

The ATO said said about half of the 900 jobs would be from natural attrition, and the remainder would be from voluntary redundancies from its 23,000 workers, saving about $50 million this financial year.

While the ATO said it could not say which areas would be affected, it said the abolition of the mining tax could lead to about 200 jobs cut from offices in Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane.

"Our best view is that we need to move our allocations down by about $50 million between now and the end of the financial year," the ATO's Geoff Leeper told a Senate estimates hearing.

"Our objective in announcing what we've announced today was to take action which allows us to live within our budget for this financial year and to position us for the financial years that lie ahead."

The mining tax, known as the Minerals Resource Rent Tax, imposed a 30 per cent super profits tax on major iron ore and coal mine projects. Laws to abolish the tax passed through the House of Representatives on Wednesday, but faces a more difficult passage through the Senate.

The opposition and Greens have the numbers in the upper house to block the laws, which may force the government to wait until the new Senate sits from July 1, 2014.

Mr Leeper said that while the abolition of the MRRT accounted for about 200 jobs, the remainder of the cuts were due to budget efficiency restrictions imposed by the former Labor government.

Earlier this week, the government said it would review its plan to cut 12,000 public service jobs through natural attrition, due to job cuts already in train through the former government's efficiency dividends, where departments and agencies receive across the board funding cuts.

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Missouri executes serial killer Franklin

JOSEPH Paul Franklin, a white supremacist who targeted blacks and Jews in a cross-country killing spree from 1977 to 1980, has been put to death in Missouri, the state's first execution in nearly three years.

Franklin, 63, was executed at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing Gerald Gordon in a sniper shooting at a suburban St Louis synagogue in 1977.

Franklin was convicted of seven other murders across the country and claimed responsibility for up to 20 overall, but the Missouri case was the only one that brought a death sentence.

Franklin also admitted to shooting and wounding civil rights leader Vernon Jordan and Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, who has been paralysed from the waist down since the attack in 1978.

Flynt had sued to stop Franklin's execution because he doesn't believe the death penalty is a deterrent.

Mike O'Connell, of the Missouri Department of Corrections, said Franklin was pronounced dead at 6.17am local time.

The execution was the first in Missouri using a single drug, pentobarbital.

Franklin's fate was sealed early on Wednesday when the US Supreme Court upheld a federal appeals court ruling that overturned two stays granted on Tuesday evening by district court judges in Missouri.

Franklin's lawyer had launched three separate appeals: One claiming his life should be spared because he is mentally ill; one claiming faulty jury instruction when he was given the death penalty; and one raising concern about Missouri's first-ever use of pentobarbital.

Franklin, a paranoid schizophrenic who grew up in Mobile, Alabama, was in his mid-20s in 1977 when he began drifting across America, robbing up to 16 banks to fund his travels.

He bombed a synagogue in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July that year.

No one was hurt, but the killings began soon after that, many of them sniper shootings.

Franklin had a particular dislike for interracial couples - several of his victims were black men and the white women with them.

He arrived in suburban St. Louis and picked out Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel synagogue from the phone book.

On October 8, 1977, a bar mitzvah ended and guests were in the parking lot when Franklin opened fire from a grassy area nearby, killing Gordon, 42.

The killings continued for three more years.

Franklin was finally caught after killing two young black men who were about to go jogging with two teenage white girls in Salt Lake City in August 1980.

Years later, in federal prison, he admitted to the St. Louis County killing and was sentenced to death in 1997.

Franklin, in the days leading up to the execution, said in several interviews that he was sorry for his crimes and was no longer a racist.

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Deere profit beats US estimates

DEERE & Co's fourth-quarter net income has risen 17 per cent as it raised prices for its farm and construction equipment.

But it is predicting a slowdown in the farm economy and smaller profits for next year.

Crop prices have been dipping after setting record highs, so farmers have less money in their pockets.

Deere says that will hurt demand next year. It predicts that equipment sales will fall three per cent next year, and its profits will also decline.

For the most recent quarter Deere earned $US806.8 million ($A857.9 million), or $US2.11 per share. That was up from $US687.6 million, or $US1.75 per share, a year earlier.

The results were well ahead of the $US1.90 per share profit expected by analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Equipment revenue fell Five per cent to $US8.62 billion, matching analyst estimates.

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Govt body wants alcohol rethink

IT'S good enough for Olympians and Wallabies - and now an advisory panel wants the entire nation to reassess its attitude towards alcohol.

In the latest bid to curb the impact of alcohol abuse on the community, the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) on Wednesday put forward a series of recommendations to the federal government aimed at tackling the issue.

Citing a study which revealed one in three Australian drinkers consumed alcohol with the primary purpose of getting drunk, the ANCD said the impact of alcohol abuse had reached "unacceptable levels of crime, violence, health harms and family disturbance".

"The health, social and economic costs associated with alcohol use simply cannot be allowed to continue at the current level," chairman Dr John Herron said in a statement.

"We all understand that the culture of drinking and intoxication has a long history in Australia and we all agree that these levels of harm are unacceptable.

"However, whenever we speak of culture change the industries that profit most from this culture run the same old fear campaign of a nanny state takeover.

"Seatbelts, random breath tests and gun laws do not represent a nanny state and nor do sensible alcohol policies and programs."

It is a shift in thinking which has already been adopted by sporting organisations, given the tough stance taken on alcohol consumption by the Australian Rugby Union and Australian Olympic team.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie stood down six players as a result of an alcohol-fuelled bonding session during the current tour of Europe, while Australia's 2016 Olympics team chef de mission Kitty Chiller said alcohol would be banned for athletes in the Olympic village.

But while both the Wallabies and AOC are doing their best to protect the image of their organisations, the ANCD's recommendations are attempting to address far more serious issues - particularly among the nation's youth.

The study found that while young people generally drank less often, when they did so they were more likely to consume at risk levels.

Nearly two in three adults under the age of 30 said they would drink specifically to get drunk, while 60 per cent of 12-17 year-old students admitted to consuming alcohol in the past year.

According to the report, one in eight deaths of young people under 25 were now attributed to alcohol.

Included in the recommendations put forward to the government was the encouragement of debate on the legal drinking age, though greater education of the dangers of alcohol abuse is the cornerstone of the report.

The government itself does not escape unscathed, with a call for the implementation of an independent body to review and regulate alcohol advertising and promotion.

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German optimism index rises on growth

A KEY index of optimism about the German economy has risen more than expected, underlining modestly improved prospects for Europe's recovery.

The ZEW index rose to 54.6 points from 52.8 points in October.

That is more than the 54.0 expected on average by analysts, and well above the index's long-term average of 24.1.

Clemens Fuest, who heads the ZEW or Centre for European Economic Research, said on Tuesday that "the slightly improved economic growth in the eurozone likely contributed to this".

The overall economy of the 17 countries that use the euro currency has shown modest growth for two quarters in a row after a long period of declining output.

However, growth remained weak in the third quarter at only 0.1 per cent.

The European Central Bank cut interest rates on November 7 to try to strengthen the weak recovery.

Capital Economics chief European economist Jonathan Loynes said the survey "provided some evidence that the eurozone's biggest economy has continued to expand in the fourth quarter, but at a relatively moderate pace".

Germany's economy, Europe's largest, slowed to quarterly growth of 0.3 per cent in the third quarter from 0.7 per cent in the previous three-month period..

Loynes said the data suggested the German and eurozone recoveries were not strong enough to help indebted countries in southern Europe such as Greece, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus and Spain.

Those countries have cut back on spending and raised taxes to improve government finances.

But that has hurt growth and sent unemployment higher.

"The overall message appears to be that, while the German, and the eurozone, economies continue to grow, they do not appear to be accelerating to the sort of pace which might start to have a beneficial impact on the beleaguered peripheral countries," Loynes said.

The index was based on a survey of 265 professional investment analysts November 4-18.

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Best Buy reports 3rd quarter profit

ELECTRONICS retailer Best Buy Co has returned to a profit in the third quarter as the busy holiday season revs up.

However, the company says it expects a tough competitive environment during the holiday season and shares fell eight per cent in premarket trading.

Best Buy has been cutting costs, adding employee training and matching online prices to get customers into stores as it faces competition from discounters and online retailers.

The Minneapolis-based company says third-quarter net income totalled $US54 million ($A57.7 million), or 16 cents per share. That compares with a loss of $US10 million, or three cents per share, in the prior-year quarter.

Analysts expected 13 cents per share.

Revenue was nearly flat at $US9.36 billion. Analysts expected revenue of $US9.37 billion.

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Campbell Soup cuts outlook

CAMPBELL Soup's first-quarter net income tumbled 30 per cent on declining US soup sales and rising costs.

The New Jersey company fell well short of Wall Street expectations and it cut its forecast for the year because of the slow start.

Shares fell seven per cent before the opening bell on Tuesday.

Campbell Soup Co earned $US172 million ($A184 million), or 54 cents per share. That's down from $US245 million, or 78 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding restructuring charges and other items, adjusted earnings from continuing operations were 66 cents per share.

Analysts polled by FactSet predicted earnings of 86 cents per share.

Revenue dipped two per cent to $US2.17 billion from $US2.21 billion. Wall Street was looking for $US2.29 billion in revenue.

US soup sales declined six per cent as retailers adjusted their inventory.

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Singer in UK court on child sex charges

VETERAN folk and rock performer Roy Harper has appeared in a UK court charged with committing a series of child sex offences in the 1970s.

The singer-songwriter, who has performed with Pink Floyd and influenced rock band Led Zeppelin, was not required to enter a plea to any of the charges during a four-minute appearance at Hereford Magistrates' Court.

Harper, of Rossmore, near Clonakilty, County Cork, in the Republic of Ireland, is accused of two counts of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13.

The singer also faces three charges of indecent assault and four of gross indecency relating to the same alleged victim.

West Mercia Police announced last week that Harper had been charged with the offences, which are alleged to have occurred between 1975 and 1977 in the Herefordshire area.

Harper, dressed casually in a checked shirt and blue jeans, spoke only to give the clerk of the court his name and full address during today's hearing.

The 72-year-old declined to comment to reporters after his appearance before three magistrates, who granted unconditional bail and ordered him to appear before a judge at Worcester Crown Court on December 2.

The prolific performer has produced more than 30 albums during his career, and continues to tour.

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WA cop cleared after fatal crash

A WEST Australian policeman whose car struck another vehicle and killed the female driver has been found not guilty of dangerous driving causing her death.

Constable Gareth Hopley, 29, has been on trial in the Perth District Court for the past two weeks, charged over the death of Sharon Ann D'Ercole in April last year.

Ms D'Ercole, 50, died from multiple injuries, while her 16-year-old daughter, who was a passenger, has no memory of the accident.

A jury took an afternoon of deliberating before deciding to acquit the officer on Monday.

During the trial, Mr Hopley denied having "tunnel vision" while chasing a stolen car before crashing into Ms D'Ercole's vehicle, and testified that he believed she was slowing down for him when he hit her.

The officer's lights and sirens were activated at the time, the court heard.

Some evidence also indicated Ms D'Ercole was driving at about 25km/h in a 60km/h zone, while the police vehicle was travelling at up to 75km/h.

Const Hopley was emotional while giving evidence as he recounted seeing the injured woman at the crash scene.

He also told the court that his passenger was like a brother to him and he would do anything to keep him and the public safe.

"I never would have gone through that intersection if I didn't deem it safe to do so," Const Hopley said.

Ms D'Ercole's husband Ron said he was disappointed with the verdict.

"I'm all in favour of the justice system - democratic process and the jury system as it is," he told reporters outside court.

"I respect that, on the premise that he's innocent until proven guilty and beyond reasonable doubt, the decision - the way it went - went against us."

He said his wife had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

WA Police Union president George Tilbury called on Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan to ensure Const Hopley was returned to duty.

"He's been acquitted of the charge and there should be no barrier to him returning," Mr Tilbury said.

Const Hopley was being sought for comment.

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Indonesia recalls Aust ambassador

INDONESIA'S ambassador in Canberra will immediately return to Jakarta following claims Australia had tapped the phone of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa announced on Monday afternoon the ambassador would be recalled.

"It's nothing less than an unfriendly act," Dr Natalegawa said of the spying claims.

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Legal, Political and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto earlier said he would demand Australia make a public explanation about the claims and make a commitment that it would not monitor the phones again.

Top secret documents from Australia's Defence Signals Directorate, leaked by fugitive US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden and published by the ABC and The Guardian, list 10 officials and their phone details - beginning with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and wife Ani.

Air Marshal Suyanto also said Indonesia would review the exchange of information with Australia and "all other cooperation".

Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will be told the issue will have a negative impact on the countries' bilateral relationship.

Dr Natalegawa emphatically condemned Australia's alleged actions.

"It is, I want to make it absolutely clear, an unfriendly act unbecoming of relations between strategic partners," he said.

"It violates every single decent and legal instrument I can think of; national in Indonesia, national in Australia, international as well.

"It is nothing less than an unfriendly act which is already having a very serious impact on bilateral relations."

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Malta to ID buyers of its citizenship

THE Maltese government has rolled back one element of its controversial law to sell its citizenship for 650,000 ($A942,644), saying it will publish the names of people buying their way into European Union passports.

The government had argued that keeping the names secret would have brought in more money - the key goal of the initiative - because more people would have been attracted to buying a Maltese passport anonymously.

But the government withdraw the secrecy clause "after listening to the people," according to a statement late Sunday.

Opposition politicians and ordinary Maltese had argued that keeping the names secret could have exposed Malta to ill-intentioned citizenship-seekers, including possible terrorists.

Citizens of EU-member Malta can freely enter and reside in any of the other 27 EU member states.

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Cancer gene women unprotected: research

MANY Australian women are failing to protect themselves from breast and ovarian cancer despite knowing they carry a dangerous gene mutation, according to a new study.

About 20 per cent are likely to have their breasts removed, according to the study which tracked 325 women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations for up to 15 years.

The study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, shows about 40 per cent have their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.

Apart from protecting against ovarian cancer, this procedure reduced the risk of breast cancer if done before menopause, said research leader Professor Kelly-Anne Phillips from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne.

Three per cent of the women in the study participated in a clinical trial of Tamoxifen, a medication which Prof Phillips and her team recently showed helped halve the risk of breast cancer.

The next phase of the research would involve face-to-face interviews with women and their doctors to understand why some women did not use cancer prevention strategies.

"All the options have advantages and disadvantages. These are complex and personal decisions," said Prof Phillips.

Data collection for the study ended in May 2012, before actor Angelina Jolie went public about her double mastectomy.

An increase in genetic testing has been reported in Australia since then and Prof Phillips told AAP it was possible this had prompted more women to take preventative action.

But prevention during the research period was low compared with other countries, she said.

One reason could be that women were not aware of the latest options.

"The evidence for the different interventions has changed significantly over the past few years," she said.

"My advice is for women who know they have the gene mutation to talk to their specialist at regular intervals.

"Women who don't know if they have the mutation but are concerned about their family history should talk to their GP.

BRCA1 mutation carriers have a 65 per cent chance of developing breast cancer and a 39 per cent chance of ovarian cancer by the age of 70, according to the study.

BRCA2 mutation carriers have a 45 per cent chance of breast cancer and 11 per cent risk of ovarian cancer.

"There are things women can do that will dramatically reduce their risk," said Prof Phillips.

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Bold action needed for Aussie kids: report

AUSTRALIA needs bold action to improve the wellbeing of its young people, says a high-powered group concerned the country is underperforming compared with its peers.

The main problems include a lack of support for babies and toddlers, education, physical health and income disparity, says a strategy report compiled by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY).

The document, titled Nest, will be launched in Canberra on Monday.

It says Australians aged 0-24 rank in the top third for about a quarter of wellbeing indicators and in the bottom third for another quarter compared with other countries in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).

Australia is doing well for youth smoking, education and employment, but relatively poorly for infant mortality, income inequality, jobless families, pre-school attendance and year-4 reading and science.

The report highlights serious inequalities between indigenous and non-indigenous children and youth.

"Australian children are not doing as well as they should be. We are middle of the road at best for child wellbeing compared to other countries," said Dr Lance Emerson, CEO of the 3000-member group.

"We have management plans for the hairy-nosed wombat, but we don't have an overarching plan for kids."

He said a co-ordinated plan was needed across several areas.

"It is important that we don't try to address issues individually.

"Finishing Year 12 is a better indicator of low risk for heart disease than hypertension and a lot of other illnesses combined."

The aim was for Australia to achieve a top-five position for education performance and physical, social and emotional wellbeing by 2025, he said.

"Healthy children mean a healthy economy."

Australia needed a strong legislated approach that ensured children got off to a better start, Dr Emerson said.

"The Scandinavian countries are doing incredibly well. They invest heavily in services for parents in the early years."

ARACY Chair Elaine Henry said there had been excellent reforms in the past, but non-government agencies, governments and service providers had been working in isolation, all looking after their own patch.

"We know we can achieve these targets if we invest wisely in evidence-based and prevention-focused policies, programs and practices," she said.

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