Ukraine's neighbours eye Russian gas hedge

FOUR Central European nations are urging the US to boost natural gas exports to Europe as a hedge against the risk that Russia could cut its supply of gas to Ukraine, but the White House says such a move would take more than a year.

Ambassadors from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic made their appeal on Friday in a letter to John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives.

A similar letter was expected to be sent to Harry Reid, the Democratic leader of the Senate.

The letter from the four nations, known as the Visegrad Group, asks for Congress to support speedier approval of natural gas exports. It notes that the "presence of US natural gas would be much welcome in Central and Eastern Europe".

The ambassadors say the unrest in Ukraine has revived Cold War memories, and energy security threatens the region's residents daily.

"Gas-to-gas competition in our region is a vital aspect of national security and a key US interest in the region," the ambassadors wrote in a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

Ukraine is heavily dependent on Russian natural gas, and previous disputes between Ukraine and Russia have led to supply cuts.

Russian state company Gazprom has increased the pressure on Ukraine's new government - which already owes $US1.89 billion ($A2.09 billion) for past deliveries - by warning that if Ukraine doesn't pay its debts, Russia could retaliate by cutting off wider supplies to Europe, as happened in 2009.

Recent advancements have made it possible for Russian gas that normally flows to European Union customers through Ukraine to flow in the other direction, so Poland and Hungary could supply gas to Ukraine if Russian supplies halted.

But with gas supplies limited, the region remains vulnerable unless the US makes it easier to import American natural gas, the ambassadors argued.

Boehner and Republicans have been urging the Obama administration to clear the way for more exports to capitalise on America's current natural gas boom.

The US Energy Department has approved only six export licences, while about two dozen remain pending.

"The ability to turn the tables and put the Russian leader in check lies right beneath our feet, in the form of vast supplies of natural energy," Boehner wrote this week in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.

The White House has argued that Russia's dependence on gas revenues makes it unlikely that the country would cut supplies to Europe despite Russia's worsening conflict with Ukraine over the Crimean peninsula.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Friday that because Europe has had a relatively mild winter, gas supplies are sufficient.

He said even if the US did approve more export licences, it would take until the end of 2015 for gas to be delivered.

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Seven die in horror crash in Belgium

SEVEN people have died on a Belgian motorway after their car drove at high speed into the back of a German truck and caught fire.

The accident happened in the early hours of Saturday at Zonhofen, near the Dutch border.

Some of the occupants of the BMW were still conscious when it caught fire on the motorway emergency lane, Belga news agency reported.

The lorry driver and other motorists came to the scene with fire extinguishers before the local fire brigade arrived, but the blaze spread quickly.

Rescue workers later towed the vehicle away, clearing the road where a 4km tailback had developed.

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Australians on board missing plane

A search and rescue mission is underway for a Malaysia Airlines flight, which has lost contact with air traffic control.

Flight with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board missing ... Malaysia Airlines service bound for Beijing lost. Source: Supplied

• Beijing-bound flight from Kuala Lumpur
• Plane lost contact at 5.40am AEDT
• 239 passengers missing, including six Australians
• DFAT hotline: 1300 555 135 or 02 6261 3305
• See full passenger manifest

SIX Australians including two couples from Queensland one couple from New South Wales are missing and feared dead in a Malaysia Airlines crash in the waters off Vietnam.

Brisbane couples Rodney and Mary Burrows and Catherine and Robert Lawton of Springfield Lakes are believed to be friends travelling together.

It was the moment of unspeakable horror that changed the lives of three Aussie families forever.

"Dad phoned this morning and said 'Bobby's plane's missing','' said Robert Lawton's brother David.

"I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it.

"We just want to know where it is, where the plane's come down, if there's anything left.

Cathy and Bob Lawton are kindly neighbours, doting grandparents and adventurous spirits who have long roamed the world, according to friends and family of the Brisbane couple.

Family who had gathered at a Burrows family home yesterday waiting for news saidthey were too upset to speak.

The Burrows lived in the quiet Brisbane suburb of Middle Park, where neighbours last night described the tragic loss of two soul mates who always put family first.

"They are lovely people," said Don Stokes.

"They were excited about the trip.

Fellow neighbour Mandy Watt added: "They were all about the kids. The kids had moved on... they're all successful, all happy. This was their time."

The couple from Sydney have been identified as Li Yuan and Gu Naijun. Their last known address is a peaceful townhouse in a complex on the northern tip of the Shire, where Boeings and Airbuses criss-cross in the skies above. Mr Li is believed to own the Metro petrol station in Miranda.

Perth father-of-two Paul Weeks was among the 239 passengers and crew feared dead.

Perth father-of-two Paul Weeks. Source: Supplied

The 39-year-old, who lives in Perth's north-eastern suburbs with his young family, was on his way to do his first shift as part of a fly in-fly out job in Mongolia.

It was meant to be the start of a dream job for the mechanical engineer.

Last night his wife Danica spoke to The Sunday Times from their home and said she was trying to come to grips with the tragic news.

The couple have a three-year-old son named Lincoln and a 10-month-old called Jack.

Mr Weeks is originally from New Zealand and moved to WA in 2011 to work in the mining industry.

According to his online job resume, he had been working with MTU Detroit Diesel Australia in WA.

He had previously worked for the New Zealand army for about six years.

Mr Weeks was listed as one of two New Zealand passengers despite his ties to Australia. The Sunday Times also understands the brother of a Perth woman was on the flight.

On board the flight ... Catherine and Robert Lawton of Springfield Lakes. Picture: Facebook Source: Facebook

They are among the 239 people on board a Malaysia Airlines flight that lost contact with air traffic control and may have gone down in the Gulf of Thailand.

The Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200 aircraft, lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 5.40am (AEST).

"The flight was carrying 227 passengers (including two infants), 12 crew members," the airline said in a statement.

Malaysia Airlines said the passengers were from 14 different countries. Initial reports stated seven passengers were Australians but a subsequent statement from the airline put the number at six. Two were from New Zealand.

Vietnamese air force planes have spotted two large oil slicks that authorities suspect are from a missing Malaysian jetliner.

The slicks were spotted off the southern tip of Vietnam, a government statement says.

The slicks were each between 10km and 15km long.

The statement says the slicks are consistent with the kinds that would be left by fuel from a crashed jetliner.

For hours after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared from radar screens en route to Beijing the rumour mill was swirling.

Officials were forced to deny reports that the plane had landed in southern China, saying they were simply untrue.

They also said reports that the plane had crashed of the South Vietnamese coast had not been confirmed, nor could they rule out a terrorist attack or a complete loss of fuel.

The Vietnamese Navy claimed its military radar had recorded the plane crashing into the sea about 250km south of Phu Quoc Island, a popular Vietnamese tourist resort near Cambodia. That, too, remained unconformed.

Another report claimed the plane had suddenly plunged 200m and changed course shortly before all contact was lost. Aviation experts say this could have been due to a catastrophic engine failure, the pilots taking evasive action to avoid another aircraft, or an explosion.

But late into the night airline officials were still saying they simply did not know what had happened.

Raw ... in Beijing, a woman in tears is helped by airport workers to a bus waiting for relatives of the missing passengers. Picture: Han Guan Ng Source: AP

What is known is that three hours and 40 minutes afte takeoff the flight with 227 passengers from 14 countries and 12 crew ceased all contact with air traffic control near Ca Mau province in southern Vietnam.

Since then, no emergency message nor distress beacon has been heard.

"Normally, with a situation on a flight, they have time to check systems, activate emergency beacons, talk to other aircraft nearby and air traffic control," Adam Susz from the the Australian and International Pilots Association said.

"The thing about this type of incident is it seems to happen instantly.

"That's probably the last thing we want to hear is that it is a very sudden and unexpected sign."

Mr Susz said aircrafts were normally in constant communication with air traffic control, typically every 30 to 60 minutes, either by satellite or VHF.

Chinese and Thai authorities said the Boeing 777-200 did not enter their airspace.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government "fears the worst" for those aboard the flight, and that they had so far confirmed the names of six Australians on the flight's passenger manifest.

"Our sympathies are with the families and friends of these Australians. We also extend our condolences to the families of the other passengers and to the governments of all those countries affected, in particular China, Indonesia and Malaysia who had significant numbers of nationals on this flight.

"Australian consular officials are in contact with family members living in Australia of those believed to be on the flight and will continue to provide the families with all possible consular assistance," the spokesperson said.

The world waits ... A spokesperson, right, from the Malaysia Airlines speaks to the media at a hotel in Beijing. Picture: Andy Wong Source: AP

"Australian consular officials are in urgent and ongoing contact with Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia Airlines has advised that it is contacting relatives of the passengers on the flight."

The airline has established a call centre – phone +60 37884 1234 – for those seeking more information.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 24 hour Consular Emergency Centre is contactable on 1 300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 (if calling from overseas).

A total of 153 passengers were Chinese nationals.

There were also 38 from Malaysia, 12 from Indonesia, three from France, two from New Zealand, four from the USA, two from Ukraine, two Canadians, two Russians, one Italian, one from Taiwan, one from The Netherlands and one from Austria.

Tearful and angry, the friends and relatives of passengers on board missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have lashed out at the company as journalists besiege them in a Beijing hotel.

Many were taken there by the airline after going to the Chinese capital's airport to meet the flight, scheduled to land at around 6.30am.

A press conference was expected at the same location, and when others arrived later, they had to run the gauntlet of scores of Chinese and international reporters shoving microphones and cameras in their faces.

"They should have told us something before now," said one visibly distressed man in his 30s, from the Chinese city of Tianjin.

A man in his 20s struggled to help a grieving older woman, possibly his mother, into a quiet room as journalists shouted questions at her.

"They are useless," he said of the airline. "I don't know why they haven't released any information. We waited for four hours and all they told us was the very few details they released at the media conference."

Fighting back tears, a 20-year-old woman who had gone to the airport to meet a college friend said the passenger's family still had not been told by the airline she was on board.

Scores of family members spoke to airline officials in small groups in a room on the hotel's second floor.

Security at times struggled to hold back the huge throng of reporters crowding outside the door and making it difficult for relatives to enter or exit.

One woman in her twenties entered the room frantically crying, ignoring questions from the horde.

A man in his 60s wiped tears from his eyes with a handkerchief as he entered the room.

He hit a cameraman in the face who tried to film him as he walked by, as a security guard shouted "Don't you all have families?"

Grim news ... Malaysian Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya addresses the media near Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana Source: AFP

Reports on Twitter appeared to show a full list of names of passengers on board the flight, but its veracity had not been confirmed.

Pham Hien, a Vietnamese search and rescue official, said the last signal detected from the plane was 120 nautical miles (225 kilometers) southwest of Vietnam's southernmost Ca Mau province, which is close to where the South China Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand.

Lai Xuan Thanh, director of Vietnam's civil aviation authority, said air traffic officials in the country never made contact with the plane.

The plane "lost all contact and radar signal one minute before it entered Vietnam's air traffic control,'' Lt. Gen. Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of the Vietnamese army, said in a statement issued by the government.

As darkness fell and a major search and rescue operation was under way off the Vietnamese coast, an airline spokesman said: "We are still trying to locate the current location of the flight based on the last known position of the aircraft.

"We are working with the International search and rescue teams in trying to locate the aircraft.

"So far, we have not received any emergency signals or distress messages from MH370.

"We are working with authorities and assure that all sources are deployed to assist with the search and rescue mission."

Malaysia and Vietnam have launched searches for a missing Malaysia Airlines jet.

The South China Sea is a tense region with competing territorial claims that have led to several low-level conflicts, particularly between China and the Philippines. That antipathy briefly faded as nations of the region rushed to aid in the search, with China dispatching two maritime rescue ships and the Philippines deploying three air force planes and three navy patrol ships to help.

"In times of emergencies like this, we have to show unity of efforts that transcends boundaries and issues,'' said Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, commander of the Philippine military's Western Command.

The ministry launched a rescue effort to find the plane, working in coordination with Malaysian and Chinese officials, the statement added.

Malaysian authorities dispatched a plane, two helicopters and four vessels to search seas off its east coast in the South China Sea, said Faridah Shuib, a spokeswoman for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

The Philippines said it was sending three navy patrol boats and a surveillance plane to help efforts.

Yahoo News quoted local newspaper reports that the Vietnamese Navy said the plane went down into the sea about 153 miles south of Phu Quoc Island, just off the coast of the Vietnamese / Cambodian border.

Other media outlets reported that the Chinese Navy had deployed two vessels to the South China Sea to search for the missing plane.

"Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their search and rescue team to locate the aircraft," Malaysia Airlines said.

Whatever happened to the flight, Indonesia-based independent aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman said the clock was ticking on a "24-hour golden window'' for search and rescue efforts.

"You can't assume that there are no survivors, and if there are any, it is absolutely crucial that they are picked up within a day, or the chances of survival drops significantly,'' he said.

Search and rescue under way ... a map of the Malaysia Airlines flight's approximate flight path to Beijing. Source: Supplied

China's state news agency reported that the Malaysia Airlines aircraft lost contact over Vietnam while an unconfirmed report on a flight tracking website said the aircraft had plunged 200m and changed course shortly before all contact was lost.

The route would have taken the plane across the Malaysian mainland in a north easterly direction and then across the Gulf of Thailand.

Grief ... A possible relative cries at the Beijing Airport. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

Chinese news agency Xinhua quoted Chinese aviation authorities saying the plane did not enter China's air traffic control sphere.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement: "We are very concerned learning this news."

"We are contacting relevant authorities and are trying to confirm relevant information.''

The vice president of Malaysia Airlines told CNN that the missing plane had enough fuel for seven hours.

In shock ... A woman, center, surrounded by media covers her mouth on her arrival at a hotel which is prepared for relatives or friends of passengers aboard the missing plane, in Beijing. Picture: Andy Wong Source: AP

Malaysia Airlines' Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement: "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am earlier this morning bound for Beijing."

MORE: PLANE CRASHES THAT CHANGED AVIATION HISTORY

MORE: MAJOR AIR DISASTERS SINCE 2009

Seven Australians have been confirmed to be on board a Malaysian Airlines flight which has gone missing.

"The aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30am local Beijing time (9.30am AEST).

"Subang Air Traffic Control reported that it lost contact at 2.40am (local Malaysia time) today.

"Flight MH370 was operated on a Boeing B777-200 aircraft," he said.

Recording the grief ... media hover over a possible relative of a passenger on the Malaysia Airlines flight. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

The pilot was 53 year old captain Zahari Ahmad Shah, who joined the airline in 1981 and had over 18,000 flying hours.

"Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft," Mr Yahya said..

"Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilise its full support.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members."

Fearing the worst ... Chinese police stand beside the arrival board showing the flight MH370 (top red) at Beijing Airport. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

Follow Malaysia Airlines on the incident on Facebook

Fuad Sharuji, Malaysian Airlines' vice president of operations control, told CNN that the plane was flying at an altitude of 10,670 metres and that the pilots had reported no problem with the aircraft.

Finding planes that disappear over the ocean can be very difficult. Aeroplane "black boxes'' - the flight data and cockpit voice recorders - are equipped with "pingers'' that emit ultrasonic signals that can be detected underwater.

Under good conditions, the signals can be detected from several hundred kilometres away, said John Goglia, a former member of the US National Transportation Safety Board. If the boxes are trapped inside the wreckage, the sound may not travel as far, he said. If the boxes are at the bottom of an underwater trench, that also hinders how far the sound can travel. The signals also weaken over time.

Air France Flight 447, with 228 people on board, disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio de Janiero to Paris on June 1, 2009. Some wreckage and bodies were recovered over the next two weeks, but it took nearly two years for the main wreckage of the Airbus 330 and its black boxes to be located and recovered.

The Malaysia Airlines plane, registration 9M MRO, is thought to have been a regular on routes to Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Auckland.

A flight tracking website shows images of the plane descending at Kingsford-Smith airport in Sydney in 2010.

Showing the strain ... a Malaysian policeman stands guard outside a reception centre for family and friends at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana Source: AFP

The Malaysian Airlines flight was not the only air traffic incident to happen on Saturday.

An Indian jetliner with 170 people on board caught fire while landing in Nepal's capital, but there were no casualties reported.

The right wheels of the Indigo Airbus 320 caught fire during the landing and passengers were quickly evacuated through emergency doors.

Officials said the plane, which was arriving from New Delhi, was flying too low before landing.

Fearing bad news ... a woman talks on the phone at a reception centre for families and friends of passengers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana. Source: AFP

Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier of Malaysia and one of Asia's largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.

Malaysia Airlines has 15 777 planes in the fleet and is an experienced operator of this type of aircraft.

Aviation Week reported that the missing plane was a 777-2H6ER with tail number 9M-MRO and serial number 28420. It had been built in 2002 and had been used by Malaysian Airlines since that time.

The last major crash of Malaysia Airlines flight was in 1995, when a Fokker 50 (9M-MGH) crashed during approach in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia, killing 34 people.

In 1977, a Malaysia Airlines flight was hijacked and crashed in Tanjung Kupang, Johor, Malaysia, killing all 100 people aboard.

The crash represents one of the biggest passenger losses in recent time and the second fatal accident involving a Boeing 777 in less than a year after an almost spotless record.

Last year, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash landed in San Francisco, killing three passengers with 200 people taken to hospital.

In 2005, during a flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur the crew received a "stall warning" forcing the pilot to turn back.

Boeing said it was "monitoring" the situation.

Other accidents involving Malaysia Airlines planes include a fatal crash last October in Borneo Island, which claimed the lives of a copilot and passenger.

In 1977, a jet crashed in southern Malaysia, killing all 93 passengers and seven crew.

Anyone wanting more information on the flight should call the airline on +60-378841234.

If you have any information that is relevant to this story, please email paul.tatnell@news.com.au.

Commercial flight missing ... The image from @flightaware shows the last known track of flight MH370 over southern Asia. Picture: Flightaware.com Source: Supplied

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Will and Kate in Maldives sans baby George

PRINCE William and Kate have jetted off to the Maldives for a week-long holiday just a month out from their three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia.

British tabloids report the couple have left Prince George with Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, at their Berkshire mansion west of London.

The royal couple reportedly took a commercial flight to Male before a private hydroplane whisked them off to a paradise isle.

"The Duke and Duchess are staying at one of the most exclusive resorts in the Indian Ocean - the five-star Cheval Blanc Randheli Hotel on Noonu Atoll," the Daily Mail reported on Friday.

Prince William is meant to be completing an intensive 10-week agricultural management course at Cambridge University in preparation for managing the Duchy of Cornwall estate. Reports suggest there's a short break in classes.

Kate recently enjoyed a week-long family holiday with Prince George in Mustique in the Caribbean.

The Queen has given special permission for William and baby George to travel to Australia on the same plane in April.

Multiple heirs are not normally allowed on the same flight in case of an accident.

After touring New Zealand the royal family will visit Sydney, Brisbane, Uluru, Adelaide and Canberra from April 16 to 25.

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British PM laughs off Twitter ribbing

DAVID Cameron has laughed off merciless mockery of a photograph of him on the telephone to Barack Obama.

The Prime Minister posted the grim-faced image on Twitter on Wednesday evening, with the message: "I've been speaking to @BarackObama about the situation in Ukraine. We are united in condemnation of Russia's actions."

But it was immediately ridiculed by other users on the social networking site, who replied with pictures of themselves clutching household objects and even animals to their ears.

Veteran British actor Sir Patrick Stewart was among those joining in the ribbing, using a tub of wet-wipes as a handset and saying: "I'm now patched in as well. Sorry for the delay."

US comedian Rob Delaney posed with a tube of toothpaste, writing: "Hi guys, I'm on the line now too. Get me up to speed."

Cameron made light of the reaction today, posting a message to Sir Patrick with a picture of him chatting to former US President Bill Clinton in Downing Street.

"Talking to another US President, this time face to face, not on the phone," he wrote.

Cameron was a late convert to Twitter, having once notoriously explained his unwillingness to join the site by saying "too many tweets make a tw**".

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Percentage of women on Aust boards doubles

THE percentage of women on Australia's top corporate boards has more than doubled in the past four years, but is still only at 17.6 per cent.

Australian Institute of Company Directors' chief executive John Colvin said the figures showed that while progress still needs to be made, significant ground has been gained as Australian companies embrace the need for greater gender diversity on their boards and senior management.

The percentage of women on ASX200 boards more than doubled since 2010 to 17.6 per cent.

In the ASX20 the percentage of women in directorships was higher at 23.8 per cent.

The number of female chairs on ASX200 boards also doubled over the four years to five per cent.

Mr Colvin said just over four years ago Company Directors instigated a plan to increase the number of women on Australian boards.

"We felt that the proportion of women on major company boards was not good enough and needed to be increased," Mr Colvin said.

"We believed that we had to take a leadership role on this issue."

The organisation's plan to increase the number of women on Australian boards included a chairman's mentoring program and a board diversity scholarship program.

It has also encouraged companies and boards to establish a diversity policy which has measurable goals.

Mr Colvin said he was confident the improvement in females in top positions would continue without the need for quotas or other new regulation.

"The idea of mandated quotas for female representation on boards is wrong in principle, has difficulties in practice, is tokenistic and is counterproductive to the end goal of increasing board diversity," he said.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors provides education, information and advocacy for company directors Australiawide, catering for more than 34,000 members.

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UK star publicist's sex trial starts

CELEBRITY publicist Max Clifford, whose clients have included Muhammad Ali and Frank Sinatra, has gone on trial in London accused of a string of sex offences against children and young women.

Clifford used his celebrity connections to "bully and manipulate" his victims into sex acts, prosecutor Rosina Cottage told the jury on Thursday, adding that the defendant knew "how to manipulate, lie and get what he wants".

The 70-year-old is accused of 11 counts of indecent assault against seven victims, who were aged between 14 and 19 when the alleged attacks took place between 1966 and 1984.

"Many of you, but not all of you, will have heard of the name Max Clifford," Cottage said.

"He is wealthy, he is well connected. He is the maker of the kiss-and-tell celebrity and the breaker of reputations."

Clifford had been "at the top of the media game for many years" and "must have thought he was untouchable", she continued.

The publicist, who denies the charges, told journalists outside the court that the 15 months since he was first arrested had been "a very dark cloud for myself, my family and loved ones".

A string of celebrities have gone on trial for sex offences since the death of high profile BBC presenter Jimmy Savile in 2011 prompted hundreds of people to come forward with accusations that he had sexually abused them.

The publicity around the case prompted other sex abuse victims to come forward and police launched a wide-ranging investigation.

Stuart Hall, another top BBC presenter, was last year jailed for child sex abuse as a result of the inquiry, while children's entertainer Rolf Harris is due to go on trial for indecent assault in April.

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S Sudanese flee into Darfur

Refugees from violence in South Sudan are so desperate they are fleeing to Sudan's Darfur region. Source: AAP

THE civil war in South Sudan has left people so hungry and desperate for relief that they are even fleeing across the border into Darfur, a long-troubled region of famine and suffering in neighbouring Sudan, the UN humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan says.

Some 900,000 South Sudanese are homeless since the war erupted in December, and about 195,000 of them have fled as refugees to Uganda, Ethiopia and even into Darfur, Tony Lanzer said on Tuesday.

South Sudan broke away from Sudan to become independent in 2011. Sudan's western Darfur region has been gripped by violence since 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government.

"I never thought I would see people fleeing into Darfur," Lanzer said.

"It's a very painful thing for the world's youngest country if your people are fleeing."

South Sudan's civil war broke out in December between supporters of ousted Vice President Riek Machar, from the Nuer ethnic group, and the forces of President Salva Kiir, who is an ethnic Dinka. The two sides agreed to a ceasefire in January, but that agreement does not appear to be holding.

A total of 3.7 million South Sudanese are "food insecure," or unsure of where their next meal will come from, Lanzer said, out of a population of about 11 million.

Lanzer is organising donations for international relief aid in the coming weeks during the dry season, when roads are passable. The World Food Program hopes to pre-position 146,000 tons of food. By June, during the wet season, supplies would have to be airlifted at far greater cost.

"Now, 90 per cent of funds go toward relief, and 10 per cent to delivery," Lanzer said. By June, that ratio will have flipped.

Adding to the urgency, people need to sow crops before June but are afraid to go into the fields.

"There will not be a harvest if people do not cultivate," Lanzer said.

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Australian tells of detainment in N Korea

An Australian man detained in North Korea has recounted "long and gruelling" interrogation sessions. Source: AAP

TWO hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.

Australian missionary John Short has revealed detail of his "long and gruelling" interrogation while detained in North Korea for breaches of the country's religious laws.

The 75-year-old was held for 13 days in the capital Pyongyang after being picked up en route to the airport on February 18.

In a statement issued on Wednesday Mr Short said recounting scripture helped him endure the "long and gruelling investigation".

"There were two-hour sessions each morning, which were repeated again in the afternoons," he said.

The keen walker who clocks up an average 5kms a day said his seated confinement was challenging.

"This I found to be most painful physically as an active senior person."

It was also stressful being under constant guard, he added.

When first detained Mr Short said he insisted he was not a spy and did not intend bringing hostilities to North Korea.

He was told that by distributing religious pamphlets at a Buddhist temple and in a crowded train he violated local laws which prohibit the dissemination of religious material, and faced 15 years in prison.

"I confessed that I had knowingly broken the law in what I believed is my God directed duty and as I do in every place and country I visit," Mr Short said.

The non-denominational Christian Evangelist, originally from South Australia, who has lived with his wife in Hong Kong since 1964, thanked his family along with consular officials who helped publicise his case and facilitate his release.

North Korea's official news agency, KCNA, reported that the decision to expel Mr Short without penalty was partly in consideration of his age.

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Leave scheme to go ahead: Hockey

The government will go ahead with its planned paid parental leave scheme, Treasurer Joe Hockey says. Source: AAP

THE federal government will push ahead with its planned paid parental leave scheme even if a commission of audit deems it too generous in the current budgetary environment.

Treasurer Joe Hockey said the coalition will keep its promise to deliver the scheme, which is planned to begin in July 2015 and cost about $5.5 billion a year.

"The paid parental leave scheme will be fully funded and it is fully funded," Mr Hockey told the ABC on Wednesday.

He did not reject an assertion that an interim report from the commission found the scheme too generous in light of the budget's unhealthy position.

He also flagged that the government could overlook other commission of audit recommendations in its May budget.

"We won't accept every recommendation of the report," he said.

"It is a report to the government ... all the commission of audit reports that have been around previously, I don't think any government has accepted all the recommendations."

In his signature paid parental leave policy, Prime Minister Tony Abbott wants to give working women their regular wage for six months, capped at $75,000, after they give birth.

Labor is opposed to the scheme and in late February Nationals senator John Williams said he will only back the plan if there is a significant economic turnaround.

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Speaker should be neutral, Burke says

A Labor frontbencher has hinted a level of dissatisfaction with the federal parliamentary Speaker. Source: AAP

A FEDERAL Labor frontbencher has hinted there is community disquiet about the objectivity of parliamentary Speaker Bronwyn Bishop.

Clashes between the manager of opposition business Tony Burke and "madam speaker", as Ms Bishop is referred to in the lower house, have become a common fixture during question time.

Asked about Ms Bishop's style on Wednesday, Mr Burke said there are rules which limit what he can say outside of parliament.

"As a principle I guess the best way to describe it from my end, is: on the sporting field I don't think the referee ought to get involved in the sledging," he told Sky News.

"I think that's the sort of view I hear throughout the community a fair bit too."

Ms Bishop was appointed Speaker when the coalition came into power for the 44th parliament.

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Study shows HPV vaccine saves lives

AUSTRALIA'S mass HPV vaccination program is working and saving lives, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.

The population-based study shows women who are fully vaccinated are far less likely to develop cervical cancer than other women.

This is real-world proof that the program is working, says co-author Professor David Whiteman.

"We always knew the vaccine was safe and effective in the narrow, controlled environment of clinical trials. This proves its value on a broad scale."

Scientists from the University of Queensland and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute looked at Pap smear results of young women in Queensland and compared these to their vaccination history.

Those with high-grade abnormalities of the cervix were least likely to have been vaccinated.

The vaccine halves the risk of cervical cancer by preventing infection by two types of HPV (human papillomavirus).

However, women are still at risk from other strains and about 200 Australian women die from cervical cancer a year.

This makes regular Pap tests essential for early detection.

"All young women should be vaccinated before they become sexually active," says Prof Whiteman.

"Australia was one of the first countries to undertake mass HPV vaccination. This analysis of how well the vaccine has worked in the first four years of the program supports the decision to roll it out across the country."

The program saves lives and minimises future health expenditure, he says.

The HPV vaccine (sometimes called the cervical cancer vaccine) was developed by University of Queensland professor Ian Frazer.

It is given as three doses over six months and is provided free for girls and boys in the first year of high school.

The research is great news for Australian women, says co-author Dr Julia Brotherton, medical director of the National HPV Vaccination Program Register.

HPV is passed on through sexual contact and can cause penile, anal, cervical, vulval and vaginal cancers, as well as genital warts.

"With the program now vaccinating boys as well, Australia is leading the way in preventing HPV infection and the cancers it can cause," Dr Brotherton says.

"It is still important that women remember to go for Pap tests though, because the vaccine can't prevent all of the types of HPV."

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RadioShack to close up to 1100 US stores

RADIOSHACK plans to close up to 1,100 of its underperforming stores in the US and has reported a wider loss for its fourth quarter as traffic slowed during the critical holiday season.

The stock tumbled more than 24 per cent in Tuesday premarket trading.

The store closings would leave RadioShack with more than 4,000 stores.

For the period ended December 31, the electronics retailer lost $US191.4 million ($A215.09 million), or $US1.90 per share.

That compares with a loss of $US63.3 million, or 63 UScents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding items, RadioShack Corp lost $US1.29 per share. Analysts expected a loss of 16 US cents per share.

Revenue declined to $US935.4 million from $US1.17 billion.

Sales at stores open at least a year fell 19 per cent on weaker traffic and the soft performance of its mobility business.

Analysts expected revenue of $US1.12 billion.

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Medicare costs must be reined in: Dutton

HEALTH Minister Peter Dutton says the Medicare system needs to modernised to be affordable, but he won't say if GP co-payments will be part of the mix.

The Consumers Health Forum on Tuesday reignited debate on GP co-payments, when it released research showing that not only would they hit the needy, but they would fail to provide any overall budget savings.

Co-payments of up to $6 have been flagged as one way to tackle health spending as the government grapples with the budget deficit.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has downplayed the likelihood of a co-payment being introduced, saying he wants the government to be "the best friend that Medicare has ever had".

Mr Dutton, who has called for a debate on whether the well-off should contribute more to their health care, said arguments for and against co-payments would be considered by the government's commission of audit.

"That's with the commission of audit at the moment - we'll consider those recommendations in relation to this portfolio," Mr Dutton told reporters in Canberra.

But he said if the coalition wants to be Medicare's best friend, it needed to modernise the decades-old system.

"If we want to be the best friend that Medicare can have ... then we have to recognise it was a 1980s model, and we need to modernise it and strengthen it," he said.

"Because there are costs and threats coming down the line with an ageing population that can't be paid otherwise."

The Consumers Health Forum says co-payments could be counter-productive in reducing health costs, because people would delay seeking treatment and end up in hospital emergency departments.

Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King said the introduction of GP co-payments would spell the end of universal health care.

"This will lead to a two-tier health system that looks much more like an American system than the one of universal care Australia has known for the past 30 years," she said in a statement.

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Stray dog chases away leopard in India

A STRAY dog has chased away an adult leopard that had wandered into a residential area in Mumbai from a wildlife park nearby.

Footage captured by surveillance cameras published in the Mid-Day newspaper shows the big cat sidling into the apartment premises in the Goregaon area and approaching a couple of strays in the parking lot.

The canines didn't scamper to safety. And one of them, Rocky, barked and managed to chase away the ferocious feline.

The incident took place early on February 26 and Rocky has become a hero for the residents, the report said, calling it "Mumbai's chase of the year."

They said the brave dog deserves a new name - Tiger.

"When the leopard entered our building, it was Rocky who chased it out, not only saving his life, but that of another dog lying next to him," resident Rajan Mayekar was quoted as saying.

"Running a leopard out of a building is a big task for a dog and from today, we have decided to call Rocky, Tiger, because only a tiger can chase away a leopard," he added.

Residents said the leopard could have strayed from the nearby Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

This is the second instance of a leopard wandering into a city and sparking panic in recent days.

In the last week of February, another big cat entered an army hospital terrifying patients, before it strayed into the northern city of Meerut, prompting the closure of markets and schools.

Rampant deforestation around Indian cities is forcing wild animals to come out of their natural habitats.

Similar incidents have been reported from other states, pointing to a growing conflict for space.

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Egypt cops jailed for killing of activist

AN Egyptian court has sentenced two policemen to 10 years in prison each for the 2010 killing of a political activist whose slaying was one of the sparks that led to the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak the following year.

The sentencing was the result of a retrial in the landmark case of the beating to death in the port city of Alexandria of 28-year-old Khaled Said.

Photographs of the dead Said's severely beaten face were posted on the internet and became a rallying cry against rampant police brutality under Mubarak.

The two policemen - Awad Suliman and Mahmoud Salah - had previously been convicted and handed sentences of seven years but that conviction was later overturned and a new trial was ordered.

In a separate development, prosecutors released the son of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi - Mubarak's successor - after he agreed to give samples for a drug test.

According to the state MENA news agency, 20-year-old university freshman Abdullah Morsi was freed late on Sunday after agreeing to give blood and urine samples for the test.

The young Morsi was detained on Saturday on suspicion of drug possession. He was with a friend in a parked car that was searched by a police patrol east of Cairo. Officers reportedly found two rolled hashish cigarettes in the vehicle.

Abdullah's older brother, Osama, had rejected the accusations, calling them fabricated.

Morsi was ousted in July last year by the military and faces a multitude of trials on charges that carry the death penalty.

He was in office for a year when he was removed by military chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

Mubarak himself faces two trials: a retrial over the killing of hundreds of protesters during the uprising that toppled his 29-year rule and a second one, on charges that he and his two sons took for personal use state funds set aside for the upkeep and maintenance of presidential palaces.

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Tyco selling SKorean security arm

FIRE protection and security company Tyco is selling its South Korean security business to asset manager The Carlyle Group for about $US1.93 billion ($A2.17 billion).

Tyco Fire & Security Services Korea Co Ltd and its subsidiaries form and run Tyco International Ltd's South Korean security business.

That business serves approximately 475,000 small-and-medium-sized businesses, commercial and residential customers.

It provides central monitoring services, with video surveillance and dispatch, access control and other customised security solutions as well as guarding services.

The business, which is based in Seoul, is expected to have fiscal 2014 revenue of approximately $US600 million.

Tyco, based in Switzerland, said on Monday that it anticipates net proceeds of $US1.85 billion.

Tyco said the proceeds will allow it to increase the amount of cash it uses for acquisitions, stock buybacks and other corporate purposes.

Due to the sale, Tyco now expects second-quarter earnings from continuing operations of 39 cents to 41 cents per share, down from 44 cents to 46 cents per share. Analysts polled by FactSet predict earnings of 46 cents per share.

The deal is expected to close in Tyco's fiscal third quarter.

Tyco also announced that its board approved an additional $US1.75 billion in stock buybacks. This brings its total repurchase program to $US2 billion, as $US250 million was remaining under a prior authorisation.

The Carlyle Group, based in Washington, DC, had about $US189 billion of assets under management at the end of 2013.

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BoM, CSIRO make dire climate predictions

THE national weather agency is predicting Australia's climate will continue to warm, bringing more extreme heat and longer fire seasons across large parts of the country.

A new report by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO concludes the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is rising, and left unchecked further emissions will cause more warming this century.

"Limiting the magnitude of future climate change requires large and sustained net global reductions in greenhouse gases," states the third "State of the Climate" report.

It stresses the changes were occurring against the background of high climate variability but the overall signal was clear.

It's a sobering reminder from the nation's premier science and weather bodies, and follows hot on the heels of a major review on Australia's emissions targets from the Climate Change Authority last week.

This latest BoM report, released on Tuesday, focuses on climate observations and monitoring in the Australian region as well as possible future scenarios.

There was no shortage of fascinating - and at times, destructive - weather events for the report to scrutinise.

The year 2013 was Australia's warmest year on record, but wasn't an isolated occurrence.

Seven of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998, with a five-fold increase in the frequency of very warm months over the same period.

The report found that since the 1970s there had also been an increase in extreme fire weather, but predicted worse was to come.

More extreme fire-weather days are slated for southern and eastern Australia, areas devastated by bushfires this spring and summer, with longer fire seasons in these regions to drag on.

In bad news for farmers, a likely increase in drought frequency and severity is predicted as average rainfall in southern Australia decreases.

Cyclones are expected to be fewer, but fiercer, while more extremely hot days and fewer cool days remain a reality on the horizon.

The BoM and CSIRO said the record-breaking heatwaves like the kind that swept Australia the past two summers were "very unlikely to have been caused by natural variability alone".

Cutting global emissions would be crucial to preventing the worst global warming has in store, but that alone wouldn't be enough, the science agencies warn.

"Adaptation is required because some warming and associated changes are unavoidable," it recommended.

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Baby wipes cause rash of skin complaints

A PRESERVATIVE used in baby wipes is causing a rash of skin complaints.

The problem is an increasingly common allergic reaction to a preservative used in some brands.

But it's parents' hands, not babies' bottoms, that are breaking out, according to a research letter published in the latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

But the rashes could also appear on other parts of the body because the preservative, Methylisothiazolinone (MI), is also used in make-up removal wipes, shampoos, conditioners, body washes, moisturisers, sunscreens and deodorants.

"MI is now the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis among our patient population," write dermatologist Dr Jennifer Cahill and her colleagues.

"The most common source of MI is disposable wet wipes, now commonly used in nappy changing."

She and her colleagues at the Skin and Cancer Foundation in Melbourne routinely test people with rashes for the allergy.

The proportion of positive tests has soared from 3.5 per cent in 2011 to 11.3 per cent in 2013.

"Ironically it is the parents who are consulting doctors with rashes on their hands," co-author Associate Professor Rosemary Nixon told AAP.

But there could be under-diagnosis among babies, partly because nappy rash is common and partly because they are unlikely to be tested.

People with concerns should look for MI among the ingredients on their product, she said.

The best thing was to try determine the cause of a rash through a process of elimination.

If it failed to go away or returned, people should see a GP.

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Call for caution amid fracking uncertainty

AUSTRALIA should view the relatively new practice of fracking for gas with as much caution as the introduction of a new drug, says an essay in the latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

"The uncertainty over the health implications is greater than that surrounding any other energy choice, write Dr Alicia Coram and her colleagues.

"The absence of concrete evidence of harm does not equate to evidence of its absence."

They say the current evidence does not provide a clear picture, which is a good reason to put the brakes on.

They say the biggest public concerns include contamination of drinking and irrigation water.

However, wastewater and community disruption are also major issues.

"Natural contaminants present in wastewater can include heavy metals and radioactive materials, which have serious and well known health effects."

Fracking involves injecting large quantities of water and chemicals into gas reservoirs. Materials like sand are pumped in to keep the fractures open and allow the gas to flow.

The authors argue that it is incorrect to compare the process with the environmental impact of coal, because the damage caused by coal makes it a poor benchmark.

The comparison also obscures renewable energy options like solar and wind energy.

The uncertainties, including doubts about the greenhouse profile, weigh heavily against proceeding with proposed future developments, they write.

"Additionally, the burden of potential health hazards from gas extraction would fall on the most vulnerable children, the elderly, the poor, those living in rural, agricultural and indigenous communities, and future generations."

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Teenage detainees on run in NSW

FOUR male teenage detainees have threatened security officers with a knife before fleeing in a prison van on the NSW north coast.

At 4.30pm on Sunday police were called to North Street in Grafton where the teens allegedly threatened two security officers with a knife.

The security officers and another detainee got out of the van.

Police say four detainees, three aged 18 and one 15-year-old, then allegedly took off with the juvenile justice van.

The vehicle was found on Redgum Road shortly after.

However the detainees are still on the run.

The 18-year-olds are described as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander appearance, with black hair, medium builds and between 150 and 170cm tall. The fourth teen is described as being of Caucasian appearance, approximately 150cm to 155cm tall, with a thin build and brown hair.

Police have urged people not to approach the young men but to call 000 immediately.

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