Apple sells 2m iPhones in China in 3 days

APPLE says it sold more than two million iPhone 5s in China in their first three days of availability, setting a record for that market.

The iPhone 5, which launched in China on Friday, will be available in more than 100 countries by the end of December.

The phone first went on sale on September 21 in nine countries, including the US and Australia, with more than five million sold in the first three days.

That also set a record, but it only beat last year's iPhone 4S launch by a small margin, falling short of some analysts' expectations.

Apple shares hit an all-time high of $US705.07 that day, but in the months since the stock has plunged about 28 per cent.

On Sunday, Citi analyst Glen Yeung cut his rating for the company to "Neutral" from "Buy", questioning the strength of iPhone 5 demand and saying it's unlikely Apple shares will rally any time soon.

Apple Inc shares fell $US6.85 to $US502.94 in premarket trading on Monday.

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Hospital closes beds as budget cuts bite

UP to 700 patients could be locked out of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, which will close beds next year due to federal government budget cuts.

Victorian hospital chiefs have been holding emergency meetings to work out what services could be cut in a co-ordinated fashion across the state, The Age says.

It says that while hospitals always scale back services over the Christmas-New Year holidays, they were now considering closing beds and operating theatres until mid-year.

Royal Melbourne executive director Diane Gill told the newspaper that she initially planned to close an operating theatre and 45 beds from the end of this week under regular holiday closures.

The beds were due to reopen on January 14 but will now stay closed until February 4.

The hospital is also considering closing a 25-bed ward from February 4 until the end of June.

The paper says the closures would effectively cut 700 operations.

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More seeking help for amphetamine abuse

A NSW drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre has experienced a spike in the number of people seeking treatment for amphetamine-type stimulants.

Odyssey House reported a 20 per cent increase in admissions to its residential rehabilitation clinic for drugs such as ice and speed in 2011/2012, accounting for 30 per cent of clients.

Alcohol was the main drug of concern for 29 per cent of people followed by heroin and other opiates at 24 per cent.

There are no proven medications to effectively treat amphetamine-type substance dependence.

Odyssey House took part in a trial of a therapy-based treatment for people dependent on this group of drugs, with the results due to be published next year.

There were 643 admissions to Odyssey House's residential program and 327 to its withdrawal centre throughout the year.

Chief executive James Pitts said more than half of the centre's clients have mental illnesses.

Fifty-six per cent of people had been diagnosed with a mental illness compared to 42 per cent the previous year.

He said mental illness could be a pre-existing condition, exacerbated by alcohol or drug use or a symptom of withdrawal.

"People often turn to alcohol and other drugs in an attempt to feel better, have a good time or self-medicate their personal issues, yet many end up in the grip of dependence and suffering serious mental health problems, sometimes long-term," he said in a statement.

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German economy to shrink markedly in Q4

THE German economy, Europe's biggest, is set to contract "noticeably" in the fourth quarter of this year and will probably tread water early next year, the Bundesbank has forecast.

"Current indicators point to a noticeable drop in economic production at the end of the year," largely due to weakness in the country's key industrial sector, the German central bank wrote on Monday in its latest monthly report, reiterating its updated growth forecasts published 10 days ago.

The outlook for German companies had "deteriorated" amid a slowdown in global growth and falling demand from the rest of the eurozone, it said.

After expanding by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2012, gross domestic product (GDP) grew by just 0.3 per cent in the second quarter and a mere 0.2 per cent in the third quarter.

But the economy would likely contract in the final quarter, the Bundesbank predicted. And that would mean the economy would grow by just 0.7 per cent over the whole year, instead of the 1.6 per cent forecast in June.

Looking ahead to next year, the economy was unlikely to grow in the first quarter of next year, even if "a further drop could be avoided" provided weather conditions remain "normal", the Bundesbank said.

Overall, the central bank is pencilling in growth of a mere 0.4 per cent for 2013, it said.

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S Africa leader vows 'meaningful change'

EMBATTLED South African President Jacob Zuma has made the case for his re-election, telling ANC members they will see meaningful economic change, as he seeks to face down a leadership challenge from his deputy.

Zuma wooed delegates at the African National Congress's five-yearly conference, which opened on Sunday, with a robust defence of his much-criticised term in office, a promise of change and his trademark ebullient charm.

After securing democracy, the country, he said, was ready to "move into the second phase in which we will focus on achieving meaningful socio-economic freedom".

The ANC meeting in the central city of Bloemfontein will go a long way towards deciding who will lead South Africa until the end of the decade.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is hoping to wrest control of the party from Zuma, who has been president of the African economic powerhouse since 2009.

Should he succeed, the ANC's commanding electoral standing means he is almost certain to become the country's next president.

Zuma, marred by a series of personal financial scandals, has been pilloried for his handling of the economy, with millions of black South Africans wallowing in poverty 18 years after the ANC took power.

Acknowledging that the road to prosperity will be "long and hard", Zuma insisted however that "the ANC remains the only hope for the poor and marginalised".

Zuma acknowledged there had been problems, not least in the economy.

South Africa has faced a slew of credit ratings downgrades as unemployment remained stubbornly high around 25 per cent and growth slowed to the slowest rate in three years, while the vital mining sector has been hit by waves of violent unrest including the killing of 34 miners by police in August.

In the fight of his political life, Zuma turned on his famed charisma to win over the 4500 delegates who are attending the five-day conference.

Zuma opened his speech by leading thousands of ANC members clad in party colours and regalia in an a cappella tribute to ailing former president Nelson Mandela.

The 94-year-old elder statesman and Nobel Peace laureate has been in hospital for more than a week, undergoing surgery to remove gall stones and getting treatment for a lung infection.

Despite his troubles, Zuma is expected to prevail when delegates vote later in the week.

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Syria planes in deadly refugee camp raid

WARPLANES have bombarded a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus for the first time in Syria's uprising, as the army escalates its bid to suppress the rebellion in the capital.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday's air strike killed at least eight civilians at Yarmuk camp, which has been hit by intermittent violence during the past few months.

The raid took place as President Bashar al-Assad's forces used fighter jets against rebel positions in the provinces of Hama and Aleppo, where rebels stepped up a bid to seize a military academy.

Analysts say the Assad regime is still standing firm despite predictions by Western officials, and even a top Russian diplomat, of its imminent fall, and the fact rebel fighters now hold vast swathes of territory.

"Warplanes staged an air strike on an area near Al-Bassel hospital ... in Yarmuk camp," said the Observatory.

Residents told AFP that a missile hit the Abdel Qader Husseini Mosque in the heart of the camp.

The mosque was acting as a makeshift shelter for some 600 people forced to flee their homes in nearby districts engulfed in violence.

Amateur video posted online by activists in the camp showed broken glass strewn on the ground by the mosque, and several bloodied bodies laid out at the entrance.

The air strike on Yarmuk was Sunday's sixth on flashpoint districts in southern Damascus, said the Observatory.

Fighter jets also bombarded the nearby districts of Al-Hajar al-Aswad and Assali, scene of intense fighting between troops and rebels.

"The army feels it has to step up its campaign to suppress the insurgency in southern Damascus, and that it cannot fight off rebels without resorting to air power," said the Observatory's Rami Abdel Rahman.

"As for the Palestinians, they are divided over the conflict, and are fighting on both sides," he added.

The escalating violence came a day after Iran's armed forces chief of staff warned Turkey over its plans to deploy US-made Patriot missiles near Syria, saying the move was part of a Western plot to "create a world war".

"The Western countries seeking to deploy the missile batteries on the Turkey-Syria border are devising plans for a world war. This is very dangerous for everyone," General Hassan Firouzabadi said.

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Business confidence at record highs: CBA

OPTIMISM among mid-sized Australian businesses has hit record highs in the lead-up to Christmas, a quarterly survey has found.

Commonwealth Bank's future business index rose to 9.3 in December, from 4.3 in September.

The survey focuses on companies with a revenue of $10 million to $100 million, assessing their outlook on business conditions and challenges, projected revenue, investment plans and how prepared they are to cope with volatile conditions in the next six months.

The index first hit 9.3 in March this year, and was its highest ever score.

Almost half (45 per cent) of the companies surveyed said they were well-prepared for future business conditions, while 31 per cent said they thought conditions would improve in the next six months.

However, they expressed concern about rising energy costs in Australia, and a potential economic slowdown in Asia.

Looking at individual sectors, transport and logistics, business services and information, and media and technology were the most confident.

The least confident included manufacturing, wholesale trade and mining - with the latter reporting a significant drop.

Commonwealth Banks executive general manager of corporate financial services Symon Brewis-Weston said that despite the confident reading, most firms were approaching 2013 with caution.

"We're finding that its something of a wait-and-see period for the mid-market," he said.

"The feeling is that while companies expect a moderate decline in costs and they're feeling more prepared for the future, there is little appetite for investment and major changes.

"Companies are placing less emphasis on growth at the moment and ensuring they have the financial support required for any unforeseen challenges in the future."

The index showed moderate optimism among the states and territories, with Victoria and Tasmania recording steady confidence, both rising to 14 from 6.2.

Meanwhile, New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory were the only regions in decline, both falling to six from 10.4.

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More Aussies could avoid stroke: experts

MANY stroke sufferers miss out on a lifesaving de-clotting drug and four in 10 get treated in general wards rather than specialist stroke units, an advocacy group says.

Stroke is Australia's second-largest killer and many of the 350,000 survivors live with a disability and struggle with basic daily tasks such as eating and cooking.

The National Stroke Foundation is lobbying the federal government and opposition to commit to a $198 million action plan to boost services and increase awareness of how to prevent stroke and recognise the signs of stroke.

Chief executive Erin Lalor says many patients who attend hospital with stroke don't get access to de-clotting thrombolysis drugs that must be administered within four hours.

"If the hospital is too slow or people delay presentation to hospital they can't have it," she told AAP.

"It's a lifesaving drug."

She said four in 10 people were treated for stroke in general wards, rather than specialist units, and this increased their chances of death or disability.

A number of major hospitals, particularly in Queensland, don't have specialist stroke units, Dr Lalor said.

As part of the plan, the foundation wants the government to spend $121 million extra over three years to fund more stroke units and boost the quality of existing care.

They want a national rollout of a pharmacy health-check program, currently funded by the NSW and Queensland governments, which involves a free blood pressure and diabetes check. Pharmacists then advise people whether they need to go to their GP for more testing.

When Lina Brohier had a stroke in 2008 at age 31, a transient ischemic attack followed, making her dizzy, heavy and voiceless.

The attack passed and she didn't go to the doctor.

"If there was more information and advertising about stroke maybe people like me would be prevented from having a stroke," she told AAP.

"You think ... it's not going to happen to me; it's something that happens to old people."

The stroke left her with no muscle movement on the right side of her body.

After extensive rehabilitation and occupational therapy, Ms Brohier made a full recovery.

Dr Lalor said people over the age of 45 should be able to get an integrated check for their risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease when they visit their GPs.

She said there also needs to be more support for people living with stroke, as well as their carers.

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NSW healthcare system 'working well'

RATES of premature death from cancer, heart disease and stroke have fallen across NSW, but further improvements could be made in the state's health care system, a report says.

Results from the third annual Healthcare in Focus 2012 report, which compares the performance of the NSW health care system with other states and countries, found fewer years of life are lost to cancer and heart disease in NSW than in most other countries, Bureau of Health Information chief Kim Browne said.

"NSW is performing quite well when we compare internationally," Ms Browne told AAP.

"(But) there are areas where we've got opportunities to improve compared to international comparators."

The report indicated NSW has one of the lowest rates of potential years of life lost to cancer, outperforming France, The Netherlands, New Zealand and the US.

Only Sweden has a lower rate, Ms Browne said.

Fewer years of life were lost to cardiovascular disease and stroke in NSW than in most other countries, the report found.

Ms Browne added fewer years of life were lost to heart attack in NSW than in any of the 10 other countries examined in the report.

But there are areas of the health care system that can be improved, she said.

"Unplanned readmissions for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are mid-range ... but they're higher than places like Canada, the UK and Switzerland," she told AAP.

NSW also has a high rate of hospitalisation for diabetic, medical and surgical care complications, a statistic Ms Browne would like to see decrease.

"It's a bit of a mixed picture but overall when we look internationally NSW tends to perform fairly well," Ms Browne said.

Health care system users were surveyed as part of the report and the majority rated their experiences and treatment positively, she said.

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Opposition claims Egypt 'vote rigging'

THE opposition accused Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood of attempted "vote rigging" in today's referendum on a new constitution for Egypt.

The National Salvation Front, in a statement, expressed "deep concern... over the number of irregularities and violations in the holding of the referendum," charging it "points to a clear desire for vote rigging by the Muslim Brotherhood."

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