Work keeps confined Assange sane: dad

JULIAN Assange cannot even look out of the windows of the Ecuadorean embassy in London, but his confinement has not dampened his work ethic, his father says.

"The conditions are physically harsh," Assange's biological father John Shipton says.

"He's not allowed to look out the windows for fear of admirers throwing food, you don't know if it's contaminated or not."

But a constant stream of visitors is keeping his intellect alive and the demands of the WikiLeaks organisation - and now its political party - are keeping him busy, according to Mr Shipton.

Assange entered the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden more than nine months ago.

Speaking at the launch of the WikiLeaks Party in Melbourne on Saturday, Mr Shipton described his son as "well".

"Emotionally he's steady and has tremendous support."

The Ecuadoreans are looking after him, he said.

He also has a lot to do.

On January 30, WikiLeaks announced Assange would run for a seat in the Victorian senate at the federal election on September 14.

Mr Shipton, who is the chairman of the WikiLeaks Party, says the decision to enter politics is a result of the "transparency movement" maturing.

"This is the political manifestation of an event that's been unfolding for 10 years," Mr Shipton said.

"In this way, transparency can have the arm of accountability with some political authority and power behind it."

He said Assange had first broached the possibility of running for government late in 2011 and was was "very firm" in his commitment to politics.

"If the people of Victoria elect him to represent them that's his job; to represent the people of Victoria in the senate," Mr Shipton said.

The WikiLeaks Party's newly-appointed campaign director Greg Barns on Saturday announced the party would field senate candidates in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia.

If Assange is elected in Victoria but unable to return to the country, a running mate will take-up his seat.

Mr Barns said Assange's ability to take up his seat would be up to the Australian government.

"It would be internationally embarrassing for the voters of Victoria not to be able to have in the senate the person for whom they voted on September 14," he said.

But he was unsure if a successful senate run would increase the likelihood of the WikiLeaks founder returning to Australia.

The senate bid, he said, was not a legal strategy.

"If that were the case he would simply put his name down for the Senate, run in the ungrouped category and hope to get elected."

Mr Shipton said WikiLeaks will release a million pages of documents this year.

"Julian and staff are very very busy," he said.

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Aust firms need to learn China's rules: PM

Prime Minister Julia Gillard's starts her first full day of talks at the Boao Forum for Asia. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS doing business in China will be offered training in how to play by its rules and avoid jail under a new program.

At least four Australian business executives working in China have been jailed in recent times for questionable reasons, but little action has been taken to address the issue.

Attending the Boao Forum for Asia on the Chinese resort island of Hainan, which has trade and investment talks at its core, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said there were huge opportunities for Australians doing business in China and her trip would help build these.

"But there are also risks ... and we believe it's very necessary for people to understand that degree of risk," Ms Gillard told reporters on the sidelines of the forum.

Trade Minister Craig Emerson, who is travelling with the prime minister and Foreign Minister Bob Carr, said a training program would be launched later in the week to take potential investors through the processes they need to follow to do business in China and how to mitigate risk.

However Dr Emerson was at pains to emphasise China was not being singled out as a risky place to do business.

"In any country there are risks in doing business," he said.

Ms Gillard's first full day of talks on her second visit to China in two years included a meeting with International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and a business forum with Chinese and Australian executives.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop, who is also at the Boao Forum, said Australia had neglected its relations with China and policies such as the mining and carbon taxes and Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) decisions were putting investment at risk.

She was backed up by another forum participant, former federal treasurer Peter Costello, who told AAP the greatest risk was the government "changing the rules" and creating uncertainty for investors.

"None of this gives Australia a good reputation overseas and I think the best thing the Australian government could do is return some certainty to the rules ... announce them and keep them," Mr Costello said.

Ms Gillard said the FIRB had not knocked back one of the 380 Chinese investment proposals in 10 years, but had put conditions on six of them.

"We have a foreign investment review system which is appropriate," she said.

The prime minister said the federal coalition would put the eight-year-old Australia-China Free Trade Agreement talks at risk if they changed the FIRB's investment-checking thresholds.

Later on Saturday, the prime minister was due to meet with former PM Bob Hawke, New Zealand leader John Key and Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto.

Ms Gillard will address the Boao Forum on Sunday, and meet with China's new president Xi Jinping before heading to Shanghai on the next leg of her trip.

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Pacific Hwy cleared after earlier crash

TRAFFIC has cleared along the Pacific Motorway into the city following a break-down and a two car nose-to-tail crash at Greenslopes earlier today.

Amelia De Vita from the Australian Traffic Network said the scene was long cleared and traffic was "normal but busy" for Friday afternoon peak-hour.

Earlier, police were on-site diverting traffic while the accident was cleared from the left and centre lanes near the Klump Road exit. There were no reports of injuries.

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Thousands crammed on as trains run again

Thousands of commuters crammed into trains after earlier delays when all trains northbound were stopped. Picture: Jono Searle Source: The Courier-Mail

TRAINS have resumed after signalling faults crippled the northbound train network for around an hour during Friday afternoon peak-hour.

Hundreds of passengers crammed the platforms and stairwells at the Bowen Hills station after the faults threw afternoon commuter traffic into chaos.

A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said services resumed on all affected train lines about 4.40pm after the fault was initially discovered around 3.30pm.

There were likely to be some short residual delays but said there was no need for passengers to delay their travel.

Train passengers on Sandgate Rd wait for taxis and buses after trains were stopped north of the city. Picture: Jono Searle

The signaling fault forced passengers to wait for up to an hour during the afternoon, with some complaining about the lack of communication.

Jenny Thwaites, 34, who was travelling from the Brisbane city to Northgate, described the situation as "frustrating" after being left to stand on the station for 45 minutes.

"It was badly managed. Nobody had any idea where to go," she said.

Commuters get back on trains after waiting 40 minutes. Train delays northbound disrup commuters. Picture: Jono Searle

Another passenger, Donna Lovegrove, from Bribie Island, said people were peeved during peak-hour.

"They are just piling people onto the platform until you can't move - and then that's it," she said.

"This seems to happen quite frequently. This happened a few months ago at Geebung and it's the same thing again."

Bowen Hills Rail Station - Train passengers on Sandgate Rd using taxis and buses after trains were stopped north of the city, Bowen Hills. Picture: Jono Searle

But a security guard, who declined to be named, said the mood was "surprisingly good under the circumstances".

One passenger at Bowen Hills said she was delayed 75 minutes, waiting for four trains as passengers tried to reboard after the lines were reopened.

Earlier, commuters had been been warned of long delays, up to two hours during Friday afternoon peak-hour on train lines north of the city.

A spokeswoman for Translink said buses would be replacing trains on the Caboolture, Sunshine Coast, Doomben, Brisbane Airport and Shorncliffe lines.

Translink were unsure how long the delays would last but warned services would not recommence until technicians corrected the problem.

Queensland Rail said repair crews were on scene in Eagle Junction and Geebung.

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SAfrica pulls troops from Central Africa

SOUTH Africa has decided to pull its troops out of the Central African Republic because the deal under which they were deployed has become void with a fall of government.

"We have taken a decision to withdraw our soldiers," President Jacob Zuma was quoted as saying by the public broadcaster SABC, at the end of a summit of African regional leaders on Thursday.

Zuma had faced questions over the presence of his troops following the gunning down by rebels of 13 South African paratroopers during the bloody battle for the capital, Bangui.

"We were in CAR on the basis of the agreement between the two countries," he said at the end of the summit.

"Our mission was to help train the soldiers ... since the coup and the self-appointment of rebels, it was clear that the government is no longer there," Zuma told SABC at the end of a meeting of the Economic Community of Central African States in the Chadian capital Ndjamena.

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Slain NSW central coast couple named

POLICE have released the names of a couple who died in their home on the NSW central coast a week ago, as the man accused of killing them awaits a court appearance.

The bodies of Paul Edward Breen, 54, and his partner, Felicia Crawford, 45, were found in their home at Playford Avenue, Killarney Vale, at 8.30pm on Good Friday.

Corey Breen, 25, was arrested later that night and charged with their murders and two counts of robbery armed with an offensive weapon.

He was refused bail and is next due to appear at Wyong Local Court on June 19.

Strike Force Gathercole was established to investigate the murders as well as carjackings, crashes and an assault.

Nine crime scenes were established across the northern part of the central coast on the night of the killings, from Gorokan to Killarney Vale, police said.

Police are interested in speaking to anyone who may have witnessed or have information about any of these incidents.

In particular, investigators urge anyone who had a pushbike stolen in the Gorokan area that night to come forward.

Police have released a picture of the bicycle, a lady's white Loline model.

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Fannie Mae reports record 2012 earnings

US mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae has posted record annual net income of $A16.5 billion. Source: AAP

US mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae has posted record annual net income of $US17.2 billion ($A16.5 billion) for 2012, compared with a net loss of $16.9 billion a year earlier.

The massive swing into profit was due to a decline in serious loan delinquency rates, an increase in home prices and a settlement with Bank of America, the government-rescued company said in a statement.

"Solid business fundamentals such as improving performance of our book of business and improvements in the housing market led us to report the largest annual and quarterly net income in the company's history," said Susan McFarland, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

For the fourth quarter, the Washington-based company posted net income of $7.6 billion, up from $1.8 billion in the third quarter and compared with a loss of $2.4 billion in the year-ago period.

"The company expects to remain profitable for the foreseeable future," it said.

Fannie Mae, seized by the government in a bailout during the 2008 financial crisis, said it had paid US taxpayers $11.6 billion in dividends in 2012, bringing total dividends paid to $35.6 billion since its rescue.

The 2012 earnings included $1.3 billion in pre-tax income from a settlement with Bank of America over risky mortgages it purchased during the housing bubble.

Fannie Mae and sibling lender Freddie Mac were rescued by the government from the brink of bankruptcy in September 2008 amid surging loan losses after home prices collapsed.

The government took control of the two mortgage finance giants in the $180 billion bailout.

Freddie Mac on March 1 also reported a large swing into annual profit for 2012 amid growing signs of a housing market recovery.

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Eddie Murphy refused Mel B visa form:court

AMERICAN actor Eddie Murphy refused to sign a visa consent form allowing his child with Spice Girl Melanie Brown to come to Australia, a Sydney court has heard.

The Seven Network is battling in the Supreme Court to retain what it claims is an exclusive Australian television agreement with the singer known as Mel B until January 31, 2014.

The network took Brown to court after it was announced earlier this year that she would be appearing on the Nine Network's Australia's Got Talent.

Lawyers for Brown told the court last week Seven had no plans to use Brown this year and simply wanted to stop her appearing on the rival network.

But Seven's director of production, Brad Lyons, said on Wednesday that Seven "really wanted" Brown to appear on its successful X-Factor series for a third year running and so had secured her for the 2013 series.

"She was a very good judge. That's why we exercised the option to have her return. She is outspoken and a big international star," Mr Lyons said.

Brown's husband and manager Stephen Belafonte said in a phone call earlier this year Brown would not be able to come to Australia because they were having consent problems with the fathers of her children, Mr Lyons said.

Brown has three children - one from her first marriage to dancer Jimmy Gulzar, one with ex-boyfriend Murphy and one with Mr Belafonte.

"(Mr Belafonte said) we're fighting custody battles in LA and London. It's looking increasingly likely Mel will have to live and work in LA," Mr Lyons said.

Seven production lawyer Jane Oswald said she was told the problem was with Murphy.

"Eddie Murphy ... wouldn't sign the documents, and (they said) they would have to take him to court to get the documents signed," Ms Oswald said.

Mr Lyons said he was upset that Mel B needed to live and work in LA, but told Mr Belafonte: "We're not going to tear her away from her kids."

He said he started "working towards a solution" to use Brown in the show, including possibly making her a fifth judge who would fly in and out.

Under cross-examination from Brown's lawyer, Thomas Blackburn SC, Mr Lyons agreed he did not specifically tell Mr Belafonte that Seven and Brown "have an existing and continuing agreement".

But Mr Lyons said he was convinced the agreement was in place.

The hearing resumes on Thursday.

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GI Joe soldiers his way to box office No.1

ACTION stars are all the rage with film fans who marched into cinemas to see GI Joe: Retaliation, toppling the latest Bruce Willis film from the top of the Australian box office.

The film, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, made $3.865 million in its first weekend, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.

Animated comedy The Croods debuted in second place with $3.737 million, pushing Willis' A Good Day to Die Hard down into third place although it still banked $2.246 million.

Oz The Great and Powerful dropped from second to fourth position while The Host, based on a sci-fi tale from Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer, had a disappointing premiere week in fifth place.

Jack The Giant Slayer dropped from third to sixth place, while the historic comedy-drama Hyde Park on Hudson, starring Bill Murray, debuted at No.7.

Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar-winning performance in Silver Linings Playbook is still winning hearts at eighth place and actually made slightly more money than the previous weekend.

Australian musical film Goddess, starring Magda Szubanski, dropped three places to No.9, while the comedy 21 & Over rounds out the Top 10.

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India drops Italian envoy order

INDIA'S Supreme Court has cancelled an order passed last month during a diplomatic row with Italy, preventing its ambassador from leaving the country.

The court imposed the restriction on ambassador Daniele Mancini after Rome failed to return two Italian marines facing murder charges in New Delhi.

Mancini had signed an affidavit taking responsibility for their return after they had been allowed to travel back to Italy on bail.

The order caused concern that India could be in breach of international law which grants foreign envoys freedom of movement, but the impasse was resolved when Italy sent the marines back to face trial on March 22.

"We vacate our earlier order dated March 18," a three-judge bench in the Supreme Court announced on Tuesday.

It also asked the Indian attorney-general to report back to the court by April 16 on the setting up of a special court in New Delhi to try the marines, who face murder charges over the killing of two fishermen in February last year.

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone were guarding an Italian oil tanker when they opened fire on a fishing boat, which they say they mistook for a pirate vessel.

Italy has insisted the pair should be prosecuted in their home country because the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters.

India says the killings took place in waters under its jurisdiction.

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Tanzania building collapse toll hits 34

25 people have died in a building collapse in Tanzania, with hope fading of finding missing people. Source: AAP

RESCUERS have pulled more bodies from the rubble of a building that collapsed in Tanzania's economic capital Dar es Salaam, bringing the toll to 34 three days after the crash.

"Ten bodies were found between Sunday afternoon and dawn today. This brings the total number confirmed dead to 34," Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Saidi Mecky Sadicky said on Monday.

"We will continue looking for more bodies and perhaps we will find more," Sadicky said, adding that rescuers had managed to excavate the rubble up to the ground floor level but "we will go on until we reach the basement of the building."

Between 60 and 70 people are thought to have been around the partially-built 16-storey building when it came crashing down on Friday morning in the Kisutu area of the coastal city.

At least two children were among those killed and 18 people had been rescued alive following the collapse.

Officials have said there was little hope of finding any more survivors in the rubble.

Local residents have turned out to supply rescuers with food, water and medication.

The ill-fated building is a joint project between the state-owned National Housing Corporation and Ladha Construction Ltd.

Sadicky said investigations into the cause of the accident were under way and police were now holding eight people for questioning.

Those arrested are presumed to be the owners of the building and officials from both the construction firm and Dar es Salaam City Council.

In 2008, another building that collapsed in Dar es Salaam claimed at least four lives.

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Tokyo stocks close down 2.12%

TOKYO stocks closed down 2.12 per cent on Monday as the yen strengthened and after the Bank of Japan (BoJ) quarterly Tankan survey showed a only a modest uptick in business sentiment.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index shed 262.89 points to 12,135.02, while the Topix index of all first-section shares tumbled 3.30 per cent, or 34.14 points, to 1,000.57.

Just before the start of Monday's session, the BoJ's Tankan survey showed confidence among large Japanese manufacturers saw a modest improvement in the first quarter as Tokyo works to reverse years of limp growth.

Investors are also watching a BoJ policy meeting this week as its new governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, talks up his plans to revive the economy and reverse falling prices that have crimped private spending and corporate investment.

There are widespread expectations that the bank will launch a new wave of aggressive policy measures that tend to weaken the yen and lift exporter shares.

New investment money will start flowing into stocks as a new fiscal year starts, said SMBC Nikko Securities general manager of equities Hiroichi Nishi.

"But turmoil in the eurozone regarding the Cyprus bank fallout, as well as geopolitical stress in the Korean peninsula still warrant keen attention," he added.

Tokyo's dip on Monday comes after the Nikkei soared almost 20 per cent in the first quarter of the year, while on Wall Street Thursday the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 both ended at record highs.

A stronger yen weighed on major exporters in Tokyo trade, with Toyota off 2.05 per cent at 4,760 yen, Canon falling 1.17 per cent to 3,360 yen and tyre giant Bridgestone slipping 2.83 per cent to 3,080 yen.

Sony fell 4.26 per cent to 1,572 yen while Olympus slipped 3.12 per cent to 2,142 yen after the pair said last week that their planned medical joint venture had been held up due to delays in winning regulatory approval.

In afternoon Tokyo forex trade, the dollar weakened to 93.56 yen against 94.20 yen in Easter weekend trade on Friday in New York.

The euro bought $1.2800 and 119.74 yen, slipping from $1.2818 and 120.78 yen, as the Cyprus bailout and Italian political instability led to caution among dealers.

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Kangaroo multilated in country Victoria

A KANGAROO has been mutilated and tied to a barbed wire fence in country Victoria.

Police believe several offenders captured and killed the mature kangaroo near Hamptons Lane and Parkinsons Road in Napoleons on early Sunday morning.

"The kangaroo was then tied to a barbed wire fence and was visible from the road," a police spokeswoman said.

Locals helped police remove the kangaroo from the fence.

Police urged anyone with information to contact them.

AAP m

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Vic national park slated for development

POINT Nepean could be among the first Victorian tourism developments in previously off-limits national parks.

In a bid to cash in on the lucrative eco-tourism market, the state government has released rules which would allow development in some national parks.

Developers will have to jump five hurdles in the approval process and allow for a public notification period before being given the green light.

The developments would have to be sensitive to their setting and provide social and economic benefits to the community.

Tourism groups say the move will help the state generate returns on already high visitor numbers to national parks.

But environment groups say developers have no place in national parks and the guidelines don't require enough public consultation.

Environment Minister Ryan Smith said the government would initiate some developments and soon call for expressions of interest in Point Nepean on the tip of the Mornington Peninsula.

The government is also considering upgrading facilities at Mount Buffalo in the state's alpine high country.

Victoria Tourism Industry Council chief executive Dianne Smith said the state had more national park visitors than other states, but received the lowest economic return.

"This is largely due to the lack of appropriate infrastructure and experiences available to visitors," she said.

"By allowing appropriate investment, these guidelines will make our national parks more accessible for locals and visitors."

Victorian National Parks Association executive director Matt Ruchel said developers should stay out of national parks.

"Commercial developments should be outside national parks, not inside," he said.

"They're for nature conservation, recreation and respite, not property development."

He said the guidelines should include more than one stage of public consultation, slated to happen early in the process before final business cases were presented.

Mr Smith said developers had yet to indicate which areas of the state were in their sights.

He refused to rule out large-scale hotels, adding each proposal would be judged on its merits.

"Developments such as fast food outlets wouldn't be able to bring a net community benefit and certainly would not be under the definition of a sensitive and sensible development," he said.

Mr Smith said facilities similar to the Cradle Mountain huts in Tasmania, resort-style accommodation in the Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia and Karijini Eco Retreat in Western Australia would be the sorts of developments likely to be viewed as appropriate.

"There is no reason why Victoria can't compete on the same playing field as those other states," he said.

He said there would be some areas where developments would also need federal government approval.

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