Report on health of Gladstone harbour due

THE health of Gladstone harbour and any impacts the port may be having on the Great Barrier Reef will be revealed in a report due out on Sunday.

The UN's environment arm was highly critical of Australia's management of the reef in a report last year and requested a review of the harbour.

Of particular concern is development on nearby Curtis Island, increased shipping, dredging and sea dumping activities.

Concerns have also been raised by commercial fishers about the health of fish within the port and the loss of seagrass.

Environmentalist Bob Irwin, father of the late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, has described the harbour as a war zone.

"What they've done to Gladstone Harbour and the southern end of Curtis Island is environmental vandalism without a doubt," he told AAP.

In February, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke commissioned an independent review of the harbour.

The review panel is expected to report back to Mr Burke on Sunday.

The research will be used as part of the government's long-term strategic assessment of the reef, which UNESCO also requested Australia implement.

The Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) recently released research on the state of the harbour which showed the port was having little impact on its surrounds.

It showed an increase in commercial fishing catches, an increase in protected conservation areas, and consistent water quality over two decades.

GPC boss Leo Zussino told the Gladstone Observer the port was impacting the environment but the firm was mitigating that impact.

Earlier this month the World Heritage Committee told Australia it must present a plan on how it intends to protect the reef.

If improvements aren't made the reef could be listed as "in danger" when the committee meets in June next year.

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Eight Thai soldiers killed in blast: army

A roadside bomb has killed 8 soldiers in Thailand's south, the army says. Source: AAP

EIGHT soldiers have been killed by an early morning roadside bomb in Thailand's restive south, an army spokesman says.

The attack raises questions over the durability of a fragile peace process aimed at ending the near-decade-long insurgency.

More than 5700 people have been killed in an insurgency in Thailand's Muslim-majority southern provinces, but optimism for peace has flickered recently after talks between authorities and some rebel groups including the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN).

The bomb, among the most deadly single attacks by rebels on Thai security forces in recent years, ripped through a military truck transporting the soldiers after a night on duty at a base in Krongpinang district of Yala province.

"It was a very powerful bomb that completely destroyed the truck," spokesman Colonel Pramote Promin said by phone.

"Ten soldiers were in the truck. Eight died and two were wounded," he said, adding that two villagers had also been injured in the blast.

"It's likely the biggest loss for our military so far this year."

Local media reports said the bomb weighed more than 50 kilograms, backing up the view of experts who say the rebels are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the bomb attacks.

Near-daily assaults on security forces and civilians have continued despite a successful round of talks on June 14 in which both sides agreed to work towards curbing violence over Ramadan.

But prospects for a significant reduction in violence appeared to receive a blow last week after the BRN called for the army to return to their bases over Ramadan in exchange for a ceasefire during the holy month, a condition swiftly rejected by the kingdom's government.

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Samsung puts curve in new televisions

Samsung says it will produce curved televisions featuring an advanced display called OLED. Source: AAP

SAMSUNG Electronics is rolling out a curved TV that uses an advanced display called OLED.

Samsung said on Thursday the 55-inch TV will sell for 15 million won (about $A14,000) in South Korea. That is more than five times expensive than LCD televisions of the same size.

The TV industry has been struggling to excite interest with new technologies.

Samsung is not the first to introduce a curved TV using OLED. In May, LG Electronics launched a 55-inch curved OLED TV in South Korea.

Samsung and LG are the only companies to begin sales of OLED TVs.

Mass producing OLED displays is difficult so prices are high.

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Kelly's Yothu Yindi song stands up

AS politicians, musicians and aboriginal elders prepare to pay their respects at the state funeral for Mr Yunupingu, Paul Kelly remembers fondly his time with the Yothu Yindi founder.

The pioneering musician and educator's funeral will be held at Gulkula, about 40km north of Nhulunbuy, on Sunday morning.

Mr Yunupingu, the 1992 Australian of the Year, died aged 56 at his home in the small town of Yirrkala on June 2.

Kelly spent time with Mr Yunupingu in Arnhem Land working on arrangements for Yothu Yindi's second album, Tribal Voice, released in 1991.

"Yunupingu, when I got there said 'I want to write a song about the treaty,'" Kelly tells AAP.

"We struggled, because... I'm the complete opposite writer to the way he wrote, he was someone who wrote from the philosophy, he had a message.

"I sort of come from the area of just following people around."

Despite the difficulties Kelly and Mr Yunupingu had working on what eventually became Yothu Yindi's best-selling song, they brought a verse or two to Darwin where the band worked on it together.

"Then they came to Melbourne a few months later and we worked on it some more, so... it took a little while to finish off," Kelly says.

What broke the song for mainstream Australian audiences was the Filthy Lucre remix which peaked at No.4 in Australia and also appeared on the US Billboard dance charts.

"So it's a song of many hands," Kelly says.

Kelly appeared on stage with federal MP Peter Garrett singing Treaty when Yothu Yindi were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2012.

In Kelly's typical laconic style, he says he's still proud of the tune.

"I thought, that still works pretty well."

Both Kelly and Garrett will be speaking at Mr Yunupingu's state funeral.

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Tokyo stocks close down 1.04%

TOKYO stocks have closed 1.04 per cent lower, weighed by a stronger yen and falls in Shanghai fuelled by lingering fears about a Chinese liquidity crisis.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index on Wednesday lost 135.33 points to 12,834.01, while the Topix index was down 0.87 per cent, or 9.38 points, to 1,069.28.

"Jitters over Chinese banking liquidity continue to rattle investors," said an equity analyst at a foreign brokerage.

China's central bank said it had provided money to some firms on Tuesday to ease a cash crunch that has gripped the country's financial markets and raised concerns about the economy.

The move by People's Bank of China came just a day after it ruled out providing fresh cash and ordered banks to put their financial houses in order.

"Investors are now highly sensitive to risks," Yoshihiro Okumura, general manager for research at Chibagin Asset Management, told Dow Jones Newswires.

"The Nikkei's fall under 13,000 should entice dip-buying, but until Chinese markets stabilise, active buy backs will be limited."

Tokyo stocks had opened 1.41 per cent higher on Wednesday morning following a rally on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.69 per cent to 14,760.31, helped by data showing more strength and confidence in the US economy.

New orders for durable goods surged 3.6 per cent in May on the back of strong aircraft sales, and housing prices added a huge 2.5 per cent in one month. Consumer confidence also jumped in May.

The data initially boosted the US dollar past the Y98 mark on Wednesday before it fell back to Y97.45 in mid-afternoon trade.

In Tokyo stock trading, SoftBank jumped shortly after the opening bell, but ended down 0.18 per cent at Y5,420, after shareholders in US mobile carrier Sprint approved a $US21.6 billion ($A23.46 billion) takeover by the Japanese firm.

Electronics maker Sharp also gave up earlier gains to end 3.50 per cent lower at Y386.

Toyota finished up 0.53 per cent at Y5,700 while Sony advanced 1.41 per cent to Y2,001.

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Dismay at US court ruling on voting rights

IN what President Barack Obama has branded a civil rights setback, the US Supreme Court has struck down a key part of a federal law safeguarding the voting rights of blacks and other minorities.

By a 5-4 decision, the court on Tuesday upheld the core principle of the Voting Rights Act - that any electoral changes in mainly southern states with a track record of voting discrimination must be "precleared" or approved by Washington.

But it cast the entire law into limbo by stating section four of the law - which lays out a formula for determining which of the 50 states should be subject to its provisions - is outdated and needs a rewrite by Congress.

"Our decision in no way affects the permanent, nationwide ban on racial discrimination in voting," Chief Justice John Roberts argued, writing in the majority opinion issued with the verdict.

"Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. Its formula can no longer be used as a basis for subjecting jurisdictions to preclearance.

"Coverage today is based on decades-old data and eradicated practices. Today the nation is no longer divided (as it was in 1965) ... yet the Voting Rights Act continues to treat is as if it were."

Tossing a political hot potato across the street to the Capitol, Roberts said it fell upon Congress to decide whether to draft another section-four formula "based on current conditions".

With the Republicans in control of the House of Representatives, political analysts say the prospects for any such revision in the near future are practically nil.

Obama was "deeply disappointed" by a ruling that, he said, "upsets decades of well-established practices that help make sure voting is fair, especially in places where voting discrimination has been historically prevalent".

"While today's decision is a setback, it doesn't represent the end of our efforts to end voting discrimination. I am calling on Congress to pass legislation to ensure every American has equal access to the polls," he said.

Overwhelmingly renewed by Congress in 2006, the Voting Rights Act requires nine states, plus a batch of local-level governments in seven states, to seek Justice Department approval when altering their electoral laws.

The nine states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia, while the local governments are in states as diverse as California, Florida, Michigan and New York.

Americans have been split on the Voting Rights Act for some time, with one recent CNN poll indicating 50 per cent think it is no longer needed and 48 per cent in favour of keeping it.

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Newcrest to review disclosure practices

Gold miner Newcrest will conduct an independent review of its market disclosure practices. Source: AAP

GOLD miner Newcrest has brought in a former chairman of the corporate regulator to review the way it keeps investors informed about its business.

Newcrest is currently under investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for events leading up to the company's announcement of a $6 billion writedowns earlier this month.

The company's shares plunged in the days leading up to the announcement, and there have been claims Newcrest tipped off some analysts about the writedowns before making an announcement to the market.

"Whilst the board is already reviewing events leading up to 7 June 2013, we have decided to obtain an independent perspective," Newcrest chairman Don Mercer said on Tuesday.

Former ASIC chairman Maurice Newman will conduct the review of the company's disclosure and investor relations practices, he said.

Mr Newman will provide a report to the Newcrest board as soon as possible, including recommendations for any improvements or changes in the company's disclosure practices.

"If steps are required to be taken as a result of the review of these matters, the board will ensure that this occurs without delay," Mr Mercer said.

"I intend to report publicly on any resulting actions we decide are necessary."

Newcrest shares have fallen to decade-long lows since the writedowns were announced, and were down 16 cents at $9.37 at 1159 AEST on Tuesday.

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US pressures Russia to turn over Snowden

THE White House is pressuring Russia to expel fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden and warned China it had harmed efforts to rebuild trust by allowing him to leave Hong Kong.

As intrigue in the case mounted, Snowden vanished in Moscow, not taking a flight to Cuba on which he was booked - possibly on a journey scheduled to end up in Ecuador.

He was said by Russian officials to have spent Sunday night in a "capsule hotel" at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport awaiting his onward connection.

Russia's Interfax news agency, known for its strong security contacts, confirmed that he was not on the Havana flight and quoted an informed source as saying he was likely already out of the country.

Snowden had arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Hong Kong, from where he leaked to the media details of secret cyber-espionage programs by both US and British intelligence agencies.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, himself holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid claims of sexual assault in Sweden, said Snowden was "safe" after leaving Hong Kong with a refugee document supplied by Quito after the United States revoked his passport.

And Snowden made another revelation sure to irk the US government.

He told the South China Morning Post in a story that appeared on Tuesday that he joined the NSA contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, from which he stole secrets on the surveillance programs, specially to gain access to information on such activities and spill it to the press.

"My position with Booz Allen Hamilton granted me access to lists of machines all over the world the NSA hacked," he told the Post. "That is why I accepted that position about three months ago." The interview was conducted on June 12.

President Barack Obama said Washington was using every legal channel to apprehend Snowden.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Washington assumed that Snowden was still in Moscow. He lashed out at Beijing for letting him go, despite US extradition requests.

"With regards to ... the Chinese government, we are just not buying that this was a technical decision by a Hong Kong immigration official," he said.

"This was a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant, and that decision unquestionably has a negative impact on the US-China relationship."

Carney noted that Beijing, as evidenced by Obama's summit with new president Xi Jinping this month in California, had been seeking to rebuild trust with Washington.

"We think that they have dealt that effort a serious setback. If we cannot count on them to honour their legal extradition obligations, then there is a problem. And that is a point we are making to them very directly."

Carney also told reporters the White House believes Russia should accept a request for Snowden to be expelled back to the United States.

"We do expect the Russian government to look at all the options available to them to expel Mr Snowden back to the United States," he said.

He refused to speculate on the implications of any failure by Russia to hand over Snowden.

He also said Washington had been in touch with countries through which Snowden might transit, noting that he was a fugitive from felony charges in the United States. His US passport has been revoked.

Obama declined to be say whether he had contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met a week ago in Northern Ireland.

Patrick Ventrell, a State Department spokesman, said the administration had been in touch with Ecuador, which has said Snowden has asked for asylum.

Interfax quoted a source close to the matter as saying Russia was studying an extradition request from the United States for Snowden.

However, the source said Russia does not have the right to either "detain or deport" Snowden because he has not officially crossed the Russian border.

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PNG leader slams oppn's 'race attack'

PNG's leader says a racially motivated attack on him by the nation's opposition is disgraceful. Source: AAP

PAPUA New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says a racially motivated attack on him by the nation's opposition leader is disgraceful.

Mr O'Neill on Monday responded to a weekend attack by Belden Namah in which the opposition leader accused the prime minister of not being Melanesian after he signed an extradition treaty with Indonesia.

PNG shares its only land border with the restive Indonesian province of West Papua, and many West Papuans have fled east to escape Indonesia's rule.

"I just find it absolutely disgraceful that someone who claims to be a 'leader' can resort to race-based abuse and name-calling without provocation or justification," Mr O'Neill said in a statement on Monday.

"His vicious and uncalled-for attack on me while trying to justify his newfound position on Indonesia and Papua is disappointing, but sadly, it is also not unexpected.

"Mr Namah's disgraceful behaviour is one reason why the opposition numbers have dropped from around 20 to five or six since he became opposition leader last August."

Mr O'Neill last week visited Jakarta with a large business and ministerial delegation to sign the extradition treaty, and a series of commercial and civil agreements.

Mr Namah directed his response to the bilateral talks at Mr O'Neill personally, and said the O'Neill government would use the extradition treaty to send West Papuans fleeing Jakarta's rule back to Indonesia.

"Peter O'Neill is not a Melanesian," Mr Namah said.

"If he is Melanesian, he will feel the pain and the suffering of the West Papuans."

Speaking directly to the attack, Mr O'Neill said he was proud of the contributions his father - an Australian-born magistrate, or "Kiap" in Tok Pisin - had made to PNG.

"I am a proud Papua New Guinean," he said.

"I am proud of the contribution my late father made to Papua New Guinea before and after Independence. I am proud of my heritage, as are my children."

He urged Mr Namah to put up policies, adding there was no place for race-based politics in PNG.

Mr O'Neill is already suing Mr Namah for defamation after the latter publicly accused the prime minister of personally benefiting from government contracts.

The political falling out between Mr O'Neill and Mr Namah came after the 2012 national election that saw Mr O'Neill become PM and Mr Namah head a rapidly diminishing opposition.

For a year leading up to the election, Mr Namah was Mr O'Neill's deputy prime minister.

Now Mr O'Neill commands a large majority in parliament - about 95 out of 111 seats, while Mr Namah has seen his numbers shrink from 12 to just seven.

The pair's relationship soured during the lead up to the election, with Mr Namah publicly declaring during the campaign he should be the nation's prime minister.

Mr O'Neill last month reportedly took a page out of former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating's play-book, telling Mr Namah in parliament he wanted to "undo [him] slowly".

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Gaming firms score court win over Vic govt

Two leading gaming companies have won a court battle against the Victorian government. Source: AAP

VICTORIA'S two big gaming companies have won court action against the state government over levies of more than $42 million imposed on them.

The Victorian Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favour of Tatts and Tabcorp in their joint legal action against the Victorian Treasurer Michael O'Brien, challenging his determination that they each pay health benefit levies of about $42 million for the 2012/13 financial year.

The companies say they operated gaming machines in Victoria for only 46 days of the financial year, losing the right to operate poker machines in venues other than Melbourne's Crown Casino on August 15, 2012.

On Monday, they issued statements on their court win.

"The court found in favour of Tatts and set aside the treasurer's determination to impose a health benefit levy upon Tatts in the amount of $42,607,106," Tatts said in the statement.

"The court found that the treasurer was not compelled to make a determination in this amount and that he erred in making the determination on the basis that he had no discretion."

Tatts said it was waiting for the treasurer to reassess the levy "by the proper exercise of his discretion."

Tatts had set aside about $7 million to pay the health benefit levy.

In its statement, Tabcorp said the matter will go back to the Victorian government to make a fresh determination on the levy.

"Tabcorp intends to submit to the Victorian government that the discretion should be applied to calculate the levy on a pro rata basis, referable to the 46 days Tabcorp operated gaming machines in the 2013 financial year."

The health benefit levy was introduced in July 2000 and applied to poker machines operated in Victoria to help fund hospitals and charities.

After the court ruling, Mr O'Brien issued a statement in which he said the health benefit levy operates under legislation introduced by his Labor predecessors.

He said the government would respond to the judgment in due course.

"The coalition government is determined to put Victorian taxpayers first in seeking a resolution to this matter," he said.

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Bad weather hits India flood rescue ops

BAD weather is hampering rescue operations in rain-ravaged northern India where up to 1,000 people are feared to have died in landslides and flash floods that have left pilgrims and tourists stranded in remote mountains without food or water.

So far 557 bodies have been found after torrential rains struck the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on June 15, flooding the Ganges river and devastating an area known as the "Land of the Gods" for its revered Hindu shrines.

More than 20,000 people were cut off in remote areas with the full extent of the loss of life only likely to emerge after flood waters recede and rescue workers reach isolated areas, officials said.

"The death toll could be more than 750 - maybe around 1,000," Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said in the state capital Dehradun late on Saturday.

Raging rivers have swept away houses, buildings and entire villages.

Dozens of helicopters and thousands of soldiers have been deployed to help people trapped across the state.

But air operations had to be suspended on Sunday due to rain and overcast conditions over the pilgrimage sites of Kedarnath and Badrinath as well as Rishikesh, which is popular with adventure tourists for its white-river rafting.

Twenty trekkers including six Americans were rescued on Saturday after they were marooned near a remote glacier, while the army managed to make contact with nearly 1,000 people stuck in mountains near Kedarnath.

Weather permitting, two aircraft were to transport a medical team and equipment to set up an emergency "mini hospital" in the region, Indian Air Force spokeswoman Priya Joshi said.

About 120 bodies were recovered from the Kedarnath temple complex and more were feared to be lying in nearby jungle where tourists took refuge after hotels and other buildings collapsed in the deluge.

The Times of India newspaper said some people had died of hunger and illness when relief failed to reach them in time.

"Mostly the young survived. But many had to see their loved ones die a slow death in front of their eyes," it quoted a rescue worker as saying.

Rescuers hoped to evacuate more people on Sunday after road links to several areas were reopened.

The military operation, involving around 50 helicopters and more than 10,000 soldiers, was focused on reaching those stranded in the holy town of Badrinath after earlier finding widespread devastation in the Kedarnath temple area.

Special trains and buses have been pressed into service to bring tourists home while medical and food supplies were being flown to stranded people.

Floods and landslides from monsoon rains have also struck neighbouring Nepal, leaving at least 39 people dead, according to the government in Kathmandu.

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Mob attacks pensioners in Nicaragua

A MOB suspected to be made up of supporters of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega attacked a protest by senior citizens over pension payouts, drawing outrage from political, business and religious groups.

About 300 people wearing printed government t-shirts and their faces masked by scarves "suddenly appeared, running and shouting they would kill us," said Luciana Chamorro, who was at the scene of the violence in Managua on Saturday.

"They were beating up some old men with bats and kicking them," said Chamorro, one of a group of college students on hand to support the elderly protesters.

Chamorro, grand-daughter of former president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, said the mob was trucked in to the area.

She said men were stripped naked, bags and mobile phones were grabbed, and the protesters were given just seconds to "disappear" from the square that has been occupied for a week for the demonstration.

The attackers, both men and women, destroyed the makeshift camp and smashed the windows of nearby cars, she said, adding that police "laughed" and blocked demonstrators from running away.

The violence was condemned by opposition politicians, business groups and Catholic leaders, who accused the government of using "paramilitary groups" against the elderly in a move he called "state terrorism."

Protesters are calling for the government to pay out partial pensions to elderly Nicaraguans who have paid into the social security system for at least five years, but who did not work the 750 weeks, or just under 14.5 years, required to earn a pension.

The president of the social security administration said on Friday the agency does not have the money to pay reduced pensions, which would amount to about $US95 million ($A103.6 million) annually.

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