Driver dies in Tasmanian crash

Tasmania has recorded its first road fatality of the holiday road toll period. Source: AAP

A MAN has died north of Hobart in Tasmania's first road fatality of the holiday season.

The driver was alone in a car when it crashed on East Bagdad Road near Bagdad about 1.45pm (AEDT) on Sunday.

Police said the man was the only occupant, but further information was not immediately available.

* The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2012 until 2359 January 3, 2013, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Three die in Vic as road campaign begins

A man has died after his car smashed into a tree and flipped on its side in Melbourne's southeast. Source: AAP

THREE people have died on Victoria's roads in a horror start to the state's annual holiday road safety campaign.

Police say an elderly woman died after a car crashed into a light pole in Bentleigh East, in Melbourne's southeast, on Sunday afternoon.

She had been a passenger in the vehicle. The driver is in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The crash came only hours after a man died when his car veered off the road in nearby Moorabbin and smashed into a tree, flipping on its side.

He died at the scene.

The third crash came at 4.15pm (AEDT) in Kerang, in the state's far north.

Police say a sedan veered into oncoming traffic on the Murray Valley Highway and collided head-on with a truck.

The sedan driver, a woman and sole occupant of the vehicle, died at the scene while the truck driver was taken to hospital.

The three deaths came on the first day of Victoria's 12-day holiday road toll campaign.

There were nine deaths in Victoria during last year's campaign.

* The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2012 until 2359 January 3, 2013, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Sydney Harbour heliport plans put on hold

The company that was set to run a heliport in Sydney Harbour says it is putting the project on hold. Source: AAP

THE company that was set to run a heliport in Sydney Harbour says it is putting the project on hold to consider the operation's "feasibility".

Newcastle Helicopters, which was set to operate a floating heliport to provide for quick transfers to and from Sydney airport and scenic flights over Sydney harbour, announced on Saturday that it would be halting the plans until further notice.

"Effective immediately, Newcastle Helicopters has put the project of the Sydney Harbour Floating Heliport on hold until further notice, in order to consider the feasibility of the operation going forward," it said in a statement.

"It is Newcastle Helicopter's intention to address the relevant concerns and queries with thoroughly considered and accurate information, and is taking the appropriate steps to do so."

The announcement comes after Fairfax media reported on Saturday that the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) landing barge in Sydney Harbour was reportedly approved two weeks before it had asked about air safety or air traffic control regulations.

In a series of tweets earlier this week, Malcolm Turnbull also criticised the operation, saying he was told the decision to approve the helicopter service from a barge in Sydney Harbour was made by the RMS without consulting the premier or cabinet or community.

"Frankly what troubles me most is safety, summer afternoon, harbour full of boats, most with kids, noreaster ......," the federal member for Wentworth tweeted.

On Saturday, Mr Turnbull posted further tweets, urging people opposed to the heliport to sign a petition.

"So the NSW Govt Maritime Services dept only start to think about safety AFTER they have issued the helipad licence," he tweeted.

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US judge approves settlement in BP lawsuit

A FEDERAL judge has given final approval to BP's settlement with businesses and individuals who lost money because of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP PLC has estimated it will pay $US7.8 billion ($A7.47 billion) to resolve economic and medical claims from more than 100,000 businesses and individuals hurt by the nation's worst offshore oil spill. The settlement has no cap; the company could end up paying more or less.

US District Judge Carl Barbier, who gave his preliminary approval in May, made it final on Friday in a 125-page ruling released Friday evening.

"None of the objections, whether filed on the objections docket or elsewhere, have shown the settlement to be anything other than fair, reasonable, and adequate," he wrote.

BP and lawyers for the plaintiffs said they were pleased.

"We believe the settlement, which avoids years of lengthy litigation, is good for the people, businesses and communities of the Gulf and is in the best interests of BP's stakeholders," company spokesman Scott Dean said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. "Today's decision by the Court is another important step forward for BP in meeting its commitment to economic and environmental restoration efforts in the Gulf and in eliminating legal risk facing the company."

A statement from plaintiffs' lawyers Steve Herman and Jim Roy praised the settlement program's administrator, Pat Juneau.

"This settlement has - and will continue to - bring the people and businesses of the Gulf the relief they deserve," the lawyers wrote.

The April 2010 blowout of BP's Macondo well triggered an explosion that killed 11 rig workers and spilled more than 757 million litres of oil into the Gulf, closing much of it for months to commercial and recreational fishing and shrimping.

There is still a lot of litigation left, including a trial to identify the causes of BP's blowout and assign percentages of fault to the companies involved, Barbier wrote. That trial is scheduled next year.

Still unresolved are environmental damage claims brought by the federal government and Gulf Coast states against BP and its partners on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, and claims against Switzerland-based rig owner Transocean Ltd. and Houston-based cement contractor Halliburton.

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Caterpillar lays off 50 workers: union

A union has slammed machinery maker Caterpillar's decision to lay off 50 workers ahead of Christmas. Source: AAP

THE Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union says mining equipment manufacturer Caterpillar has laid off up to 50 workers at its operation in Tasmania.

Union state secretary John Short says the workers will be cut loose from the company's manufacturing plant in Burnie.

"It's a pretty mean-spirited act to lay off workers on the eve of Christmas," Mr Short said in a statement.

"It will take the merriness out of the family time meant to be enjoyed for these workers.

"The dedicated and skilled workers here in Burnie deserve better than this."

Mr Short said the company had started building machinery at a new plant in Thailand.

"When you add in job lay-offs before Christmas and the commencement of operations in new premises in Thailand, I think workers and the Burnie community have every right to know what Caterpillar's real plans are," he said.

Caterpillar did not immediately respond to AAP's inquiry.

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Fiji's military to 'monitor' parliament

FIJI'S ruling military has warned it will closely monitor parliament when the coup-plagued nation finally elects a new government, as officials wrapped up work on a draft constitution.

Military leader Voreqe Bainimarama, who seized power in a 2006 coup and tore up the last constitution, has pledged to hold elections in 2014 after introducing reforms he said were needed to make the country a proper democracy.

However, the role of the military, a key political player in the Pacific nation that has endured four coups since 1987, remains contentious, with the author of the draft constitution calling for it to stay out of politics after 2014.

But in a submission to the commission tasked with working on the new constitution, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) indicated it had no intention of restricting its role after the elections.

The military exists "to deal with both internal security situation and external threats," said the submission, which was seen by AFP.

"The forces cannot and will not be complacent in dealing with situations that undermine national interest."

The military said it would not allow any government that won office in 2014 to undermine its reforms.

"The RFMF will monitor the ongoing situation in the parliament and in Fiji, ensuring that what it had adopted since 2006 ... is fully implemented," it said.

Kenyan academic Yash Ghai, the head of the five-person Constitutional Commission that handed the draft document to the government on Friday, said the military should be subject to parliamentary oversight and focus on national defence.

"We think the professional military, their conscience should be to defend Fiji against external aggression and we would rather the police handle internal disorder issues," he told Radio New Zealand.

"We feel that the military must be responsible to the government and to parliament and they have to act within the confines of the constitution."

The new constitution is intended to guarantee, through a People's Charter, principles such as one-person-one-vote, an independent judiciary and transparent governance, as well as establishing a secular, corruption-free state.

The draft constitution is scheduled to be formally adopted by the end of March.

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Billabong CFO Craig White heads for door

Billabong's CFO Craig White has left the troubled surfwear retailer following talk of a takeover. Source: AAP

BILLABONG'S chief financial officer Craig White has left the troubled surfwear retailer.

It comes less than a day after the company began considering its lowest takeover offer in 10 months.

Billabong said Mr White departed on Thursday and Peter Bryant, the company's chief financial officer of the Americas, had been temporarily appointed to the role.

The company will conduct an international search for a permanent replacement as it looks to "implement a new organisational and reporting structure as part of its transformation strategy".

Billabong shares closed 5.9 per cent lower on Thursday at 80 cents, just six cents off its all-time lowest close of 74 cents on November 16.

Investors have wiped more than 20 per cent off the value of Billabong shares over the past two days following Wednesday's announcement about its earnings downgrade and that it was considering its fifth - and lowest - takeover offer in 10 months.

Former Billabong board member and president of Billabong's American business, Paul Naude, has made a $1.10 a share offer as part of a consortium which includes New-York based private equity group Sycamore Partners and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

The $527 million takeover proposal comes with a long list of conditions.

Billabong now expects its full-year underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to fall to between $85 million and $92 million for 2012/13.

The new forecast is lower than its previous guidance of $100 million to $110 million, which was given to shareholders at the company's annual general meeting (AGM) on October 24.

Billabong attributed its earnings downgrade to weaker-than-expected sales during October and November.

Private equity firm TPG offered $854 million, or $3.30 per share, for Billabong in February, but that offer was rejected.

Billabong shares peaked at $14.06 in May, 2007.

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Fire threatens homes in Sydney suburb

A WARNING is in place for residents of the south western Sydney suburb of Airds where firefighters are fighting to contain a blaze that is threatening homes.

Inspector Ben Shepherd of the Rural Fire Service said firefighters were getting the upper hand on the fire but residents should remain vigilant.

The fire is burning at Georges River Parkway reserve behind Greengate and Woolwash roads.

"The fire activity has settled down somewhat ... but we still need people just to be vigilant," he said.

A number of fire trucks and aircraft are fighting the fire.

The fire is being treated as suspicious.

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Xie to stand trial for Lin murders

LIAN Bin 'Robert' Xie will stand trial in the Supreme Court next year charged with murdering five members of his wife's family in their Sydney home.

If convicted of the 2009 Lin family murders, Xie, 48, faces life imprisonment, Central Local Court heard on Wednesday.

Following lengthy committal proceedings, Magistrate John Andrews ruled there was enough evidence against Xie to put the case before a Supreme Court jury.

Xie applied for bail immediately after the decision was handed down, which was opposed by the Crown on the basis that if convicted, he faces life imprisonment.

Xie's wife, Kathy Lin, who has supported him throughout the proceedings, wept in court as she pledged to give in her passport as well as her husband's if he was granted bail.

Xie also started crying as he witnessed his wife's distress.

He is accused of murdering his brother-in-law, Min "Norman" Lin, 45, Mr Lin's wife, Yun Li "Lily" Lin, 43, her sister, Yun Bin "Irene" Yin, 39, and two boys, aged nine and 12, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Their bodies were found in a North Epping house, in Sydney's northwest, on July 18, 2009.

They had been beaten to death in their bedrooms with a hammer-like object, while the cause of death for four of the victims also included asphyxia.

During four weeks of hearings, the Crown alleged there was a "compelling" case Lin murdered the family in a crime of "extreme hatred and hostility".

Crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC said the prosecution case against Xie was a circumstantial one that rested on "looking at all of the strands of information" that pointed to him being the killer.

This included DNA evidence in the form of a spot, which was found on the floor of his garage.

Mr Tedeschi submitted it contained the DNA of at least four different people and could "only be blood" taken from the crime scene.

He conceded, however, the case in relation to Xie's motive was "weak".

Defence barrister Graham Turnbull SC said the case against Xie was based almost entirely on speculation and he had no chance of being convicted.

He argued the DNA evidence would be inadmissible at trial.

Opposing bail, Mr Tedeschi said Xie had strong financial and family links to his native China and posed a significant flight risk.

Lester Fernandez, representing Xie, said the prosecution case was weak and Xie had strong community ties that would prevent him from fleeing.

Mr Andrews will hand down his decision on bail on Thursday.

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US concerned for 'detained' Laos activist

POLICE in Laos have detained a prominent development campaigner, a source close to the activist says.

Footage from closed circuit cameras revealed that Sombath Somphone, who went missing on Saturday in Vientiane, "was taken away by plainclothes policemen", according to a person familiar with the case who asked not to be named.

It was unclear why he was detained.

Laos officials were not immediately available to comment.

United States officials on Tuesday said diplomatic and aid agency representatives had been in contact with Sombath's wife, adding that they had "concerns for his well-being and safety".

"We have registered our concern with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Laos and encouraged them to make every effort to locate him and figure out what's happened here," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told journalists.

Sombath won the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership for his work in poverty reduction and sustainable development in one of South-East Asia's poorest countries.

A member of the activist's Participatory Development Training Centre (PADETC) said that Sombath's family was searching for the activist.

"I am still shocked and everybody here is praying about it," the aid worker said.

Laos is a one-party communist state which exerts total control over the media and does not tolerate criticism of its institutions.

Earlier this month authorities expelled the outspoken country director of Swiss charity Helvetas, Anne-Sophie Gindroz, for criticising the Laos government.

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Aust bonds lower after RBA minutes

AUSTRALIAN bond futures prices were lower after the release of the minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's latest board meeting reduced traders' expectations of future interest rate cuts.

RBC Capital Markets fixed income strategist Su-Lin Ong said local bond futures prices fell following the release of the RBA's minutes at 1130 AEDT.

"The minutes from the December meeting suggested it was quite a close decision and I guess the interpretation is that with the cash rate down to three per cent the hurdle to cut further may be quite high," she said.

"So that weighed quite high on fixed income markets."

The RBA cut the cash rate to three per cent in December, from 3.25 per cent previously.

Ms Ong said developments in negotiations on the 'fiscal cliff' of tax hikes and spending cuts due to apply in 2013, unless US political leaders can agree to alternative measures, was likely to drive bond markets over the coming days.

"I think most attention is on these fiscal cliff negotiations, we have had some progress since the weekend and I think there is an expectation that we are inching closer to both a compromise and agreement," Ms Ong said.

US President Barack Obama has offered a proposal to House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner which would raise revenue by $US1.2 trillion ($A1.14 trillion), and cut spending by the same amount.

At 1630 AEDT on Tuesday, the March 10-year bond futures contract was at 96.640 (implying a yield of 3.360 per cent), down from 96.670 (3.330 per cent) on Monday.

The March three-year bond futures contract was trading at 97.220 (2.780 per cent), down from 97.235 (2.765 per cent).

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Man faces 10 years jail over flight abuse

AN international flight was diverted after a drunken Perth man allegedly tried to smoke a cigarette on the plane before punching and spitting on crew members.

The 34-year-old man was taken off the flight, enroute from Sydney to Japan on Monday night, when it was diverted to Cairns.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege the man was heavily intoxicated and was abusive towards the crew and other passengers.

He had to be forcibly restrained by the crew and was arrested when the plane landed in Cairns, police said.

Assistant commissioner Shane Connelly said the public needed to remember that when they travelled on an aircraft their behaviour was subject to Australian laws.

"Enough is enough. An aircraft captain and co-pilot can ill-afford to be distracted from their duties of safely flying an aircraft by having to deal with drunk, violent or disorderly passengers," he said.

"The cabin crew are there to make your flight safe and enjoyable.

"They should not have to restrain violent passengers, be abused or assaulted, or be interfered with in conducting their duties."

AFP responded to more than 1000 alcohol-related incidents at Australia's 10 major airports during the 2011-12 financial year.

Out of those incidents, 145 were for offences related to offensive and disorderly behaviour and excessive alcohol consumption.

AFP said the plane was forced to dump its fuel load when it diverted to Cairns and the airline would seek to recover significant costs.

The man was due to face Cairns Magistrate Court on Tuesday charged with smoking in an aircraft, disorderly and offensive behaviour on board an aircraft, and interfering with crew or aircraft.

The offences carry a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment.

He will also be charged with assaulting crew general, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

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WA police find marron, marijuana at house

A 59-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with drug-related offences following a search of his home south of Perth, which also uncovered 37 live marron in the bathtub.

Police searched the man's Mandurah home on Saturday afternoon and found about 290 grams of cannabis and various electrical items allegedly stolen from a vehicle in the same area the previous night.

Officers from the Department of Fisheries also went to the house because the recreational fishing season for marron does not start until January 8.

The man was charged with one count of possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply, one count of supplying a prohibited drug and one count of receiving stolen goods.

He is due to appear in Mandurah Magistrates Court on Friday.

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Land tax revenue would have to triple: Vic

Land tax revenue would have to triple if Victoria abolished stamp duty, the state government says. Source: AAP

LAND tax revenue would have to triple if Victoria abolished stamp duty, the state government says.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has urged the states to reform their own taxation regimes, saying they could start by getting rid of stamp duty.

Victorian Treasurer Kim Wells said it would mean Victorian families would be hit with a huge increase in land tax.

"Labor would have Victoria more than triple land tax revenue and levy it on the family home," Mr Wells said in a statement after a meeting of treasurers in Canberra on Monday.

The meeting wound up without any major agreement on the GST.

Mr Wells said the Victorian coalition government had said on a number of occasions that it did not support extending GST to services like health and education.

"We have advocated for a number of sensible reforms, including a lowering of the low value GST threshold for imports," he said.

"The Commonwealth also needs to make an effort to close loopholes in the GST system which are undermining the revenue base."

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