Liberal lead narrows in McEwen

The margin is tightening in the nation's closest election race in the Victorian seat of McEwen. Source: AAP

THE margin is tightening in the nation's closest election race in the Victorian seat of McEwen.

Liberal challenger Donna Petrovich narrowly leads Labor incumbent Rob Mitchell, with just 142 votes separating them at lunchtime Saturday.

This has narrowed from Friday, with almost 85 per cent per cent of the vote counted.

In Victoria's other close contest, between Liberal Sophie Mirabella and independent Cathy McGowan in Indi, the latter's lead is widening.

On Saturday, Ms McGowan led by 805 votes with more than 88 per cent of the ballots tallied.

Mrs Mirabella this week ruled herself out of a cabinet post in the Tony Abbott government, saying her decision allowed the new prime minister to choose his ministry without waiting for the result in her seat.

Counting continues Saturday and Sunday.

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Police end Mexico City plaza occupation

Police have raided Mexico City's historic centre to remove striking teachers from Zocalo plaza. Source: AAP

RIOT police have swept thousands of striking teachers out of the heart of Mexico City.

The authorities used tear gas, flash grenades and water cannon against protesters to bring a swift end to weeks of occupation of the Zocalo plaza over reforms to the country's dysfunctional education system.

Three days before Mexican Independence Day, the teachers armed themselves with metal pipes and wooden clubs and blocked off the Zocalo with steel grates and plastic traffic dividers, threatening to scuttle the traditional national celebration in the massive colonial-era square.

Before moving in, the government had promised that Independence Day celebrations would take place in the Zocalo as scheduled, and the head of the federal police warned on national television that police would move in at 4pm local time.

The teachers, many veterans of battles with police in poor southern states, promised not to move from the square where they have camped out since last month.

Some fixed knives and nails to wooden planks and declared themselves ready to fight.

Others set up sewage-filled portable toilets in the path of police vehicles.

Shortly after 4pm, the police swarmed in, shooting tear gas from specially equipped fire extinguishers, tossing flash grenades and spraying water from armoured trucks.

Protesters hurled sticks and chunks of pavement broken from the streets around world-famous tourist attractions including the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Templo Mayor and the National Palace.

But within a half hour, police had cleared the Zocalo and much of the surrounding historic centre of virtually all protesters.

Union organisers said they would reassemble away from the main plaza at the nearby Monument to the Revolution.

Small knots of teachers, self-described local anarchists and other supporters hurled bottles and rocks at police on some of the main avenues of downtown Mexico City.

It was a dramatic reassertion of state authority after weeks of near-constant disruption in the centre of one of the world's largest cities.

The teachers have marched through the capital at least 15 times over the last two months, decrying a plan that aims to break union control of education with a new system of standardised teacher testing that become law on Tuesday.

The teachers say blocking the reform itself is no longer the point.

They say they are now trying to maintain pressure to protect their rights and privileges as the government puts the labour reforms into effect and reduces union control over teacher hiring and assignment.

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Singer Joan Regan dies aged 85

BRITISH singer Joan Regan has died in London aged 85, the BBC reports.

Regan had chart hits in the late 50s and early 60s with records including Ricochet, May You Always and If I Give My Heart To You and also had her own BBC TV series Be My Guest.

Born in Romford, Essex, she was signed up by theatre impresario Bernard Delfont and went on to star on both sides of the Atlantic with artists including Perry Como, Max Bygraves and Cliff Richard and performed on many occasions at the London Palladium.

An accident in the shower in 1984 caused a blood clot on the brain and left her paralysed and without speech, but through therapy she made a complete recovery and was able to sing again.

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Rooftop negotiations continue at Qld jail

A BRISBANE prison remains in lockdown as talks continue with two inmates who've scaled the facility's roof in protest.

The men were on their way back from an oval when they climbed on top of a building at Brisbane Correctional Centre at Wacol in the city's west just before noon (AEST).

They are protesting a third prisoner being placed in solitary confinement.

A corrective services spokesman told AAP there was no threat to public safety, but the facility has been placed in lockdown and police negotiators called in to coax the men down.

Eight hours later, the men were yet to make any demands, the spokesman said.

"Police are still negotiating with the two on the roof," he told AAP just before 8pm on Saturday night.

The inmates have reportedly damaged CCTV cameras and the facility is expected to remain in lockdown until the men come down.

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Taliban bomb US consulate in Afghanistan

A truck bomb killed at least one person and wounded 18 outside the US consulate in Afghanistan. Source: AAP

SEVEN heavily armed Taliban suicide attackers have staged a dawn strike on the US consulate in the Afghan city of Herat, setting off two car bombs and sparking a shootout with US forces.

The sophisticated attack early on Friday in the western city, a key business hub near the Iranian border, underscores how the Taliban are able to strike outside their main centres in the south and east.

At least one Afghan guard was killed in the attack and 18 other people wounded, but US officials said there were no US casualties with all consulate staff safe and accounted for.

The US State Department said the attackers appeared to be wearing suicide vests and detonated a truck bomb that "extensively" damaged the front gate.

Afghan security officials said six attackers took part in the assault, detonating a minivan bomb and then a four-wheel drive vehicle, before engaging in a gunbattle with security forces.

The attack comes days after Pakistan said it would soon release its top Taliban prisoner, former military chief Abdul Ghani Baradar, in what Afghan officials hope can ignite peace talks.

The Taliban publicly refuse to negotiate with the Afghan government, branding Afghan President Hamid Karzai a US puppet, but opened a liaison office in Qatar in June billed as a step towards talks with the Americans on a possible prisoner swap.

Abdul Hameed Hameedi, the deputy security chief of Herat province told AFP that after the two vehicles were detonated, "five suicide bombers engaged in a gunbattle with the Afghan security forces, and after a while, all of these suicide bombers get killed in the attack."

He said an Afghan guard at the US consulate was killed and two other guards and two policemen wounded. A number of civilians were wounded because of the powerful explosion, he said.

Herat hospital spokesman Mohammad Rafiq Sherzai told AFP that 18 people were wounded, including four policemen and 14 civilians.

Abdul Raouf Ahmadi, a spokesman for Herat police, said US and Italian forces were called to the scene and cordoned off the area.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

US State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters the attack started at 5.30am when the gunmen, dressed in suicide vests, drove up to the front gate in a truck, opened fire and then detonated the truck bomb.

American and contracted security personnel reacted to the attack before it came to an end, Harf said.

US Ambassador James Cunningham condemned the attack and thanked Afghan and NATO troops for their quick response in securing the building and keeping consulate staff safe.

"We are reminded again of the very real human toll exacted by terrorism. The perpetrators of this attack have shed Afghan blood on Afghan soil," he said in a statement.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP in a telephone call that the militia were responsible.

"Our mujahedeen, armed with heavy and light weapons, attacked the US consulate in Herat. There are several casualties to Afghan and US forces," he said.

US-led NATO troops who have supported the Afghan government against the Taliban are due to end their combat mission next year, after Afghanistan holds key presidential elections.

Roughly 100,000 foreign troops now serve in Afghanistan, two-thirds of them from the United States.

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Carmakers bet on alternative-fuel future

JUDGING by the slew of electric and hybrid vehicles being rolled out at the Frankfurt Motor Show, it might seem carmakers are tapping a large and eager market.

But in fact almost no one buys such cars - yet.

Every major carmaker is coming out with electric versions of existing vehicles - such as Volkswagen's all-electric versions of its up! city car and Golf compact.

And they are also showcasing models they have designed as electrics from the ground up, like small BMW's electric i3 city car.

Analyst Christoph Stuermer at IHS automotive called Frankfurt "the first full-throttle electric propulsion show" that's about "getting electric drive cars out of the eco-nerd, tree-hugger segment and into the cool group".

To whet appetites, carmakers are making high-performance, luxury versions that give up little or nothing in performance to conventional models. BMW's i8 goes 0-100 kph in a speedy 4.5 seconds.

Audi's Quattro sport concept - meaning it's for demonstration, not for sale - is an aggressive looking sports car with large air intakes flanking the grille and a whopping 700 horsepower from its hybrid drive. The company says it can reach 305 kph.

The Mercedes S-Class plug-in hybrid version, meanwhile, has a powerful six-cylinder internal combustion engine plus an all-electric range of about 30 kilometres.

This way, owners could commute all-electric during the week, recharging overnight but use the petrol engine on a family vacation.

The company says mileage is 3.0 litres per 100 kilometres.

All this, to cater to a market that doesn't really exist in mass terms. Only 0.2 per cent of all cars registered in Europe are hybrids, which combine batteries with internal combustion engines, or electrics, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

In the United States, the Toyota Prius hybrid has broken into the top 10 selling passenger cars. However, electric vehicles have struggled to increase sales numbers because of high prices and so-called range anxiety: buyers' fear of running out of power.

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Labor's friendly leadership battle begins

LEADERSHIP hopefuls Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese insist there is no 'I' in Labor and their civil showdown for the ALP's top job is headed for a contest of personal experience and popularity.

Both candidates say the 30-day leadership campaign - which will see them jetting around the nation - will be a gentlemanly joust, putting the party first and moving away from Labor's past division.

"Labor is drawing a line underneath the rancour of previous years," Mr Shorten told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

"We will not seek to publicly disparage each other in our efforts."

Separating them on policy will not be simple though.

Mr Albanese said both he and Mr Shorten support a price on carbon and would oppose the coalition government's plans to scrap the carbon tax.

Victorian Labor right powerbroker Mr Shorten agreed they had a lot of values in common.

But Mr Albanese, from the party's left, believes his parliamentary longevity gives him an edge.

"I come here as someone (with) 17 years in public office," he said.

"I think one of the things I would bring to the leadership is that I have had time in opposition, I know what it's like, I know what has to be done ... that experience I think does count."

Mr Shorten, a former Australian Workers Union national secretary, has just won his third parliamentary term and hopes his history as a "builder and a campaigner" combined with his energy and enthusiasm makes him leadership material.

But he added: "This ballot in the Labor party will not be the contest of personalities, it will be the contest of ideas".

Both men indicated they would happily work with the other should their leadership aspirations fail.

They both gave their sales pitches to a caucus meeting on Friday where outgoing leader Kevin Rudd accepted responsibility for Labor's election loss and said the party was well placed to win the next election no matter who led the party.

The party room was told Labor had to become more unified to move forward.

"Whoever it was who was tweeting out of the caucus today, it's got to stop," Mr Albanese said later.

"It's not helpful for people to be sitting in a caucus room to be tweeting out to members of the press gallery."

Outgoing Treasurer Chris Bowen has been given the interim party reins while the leader is chosen, in what he called the nation's most democratic election process.

"They will have been elected by the whole Labor party, by every eligible rank and file member, as well as by the parliamentary caucus," Mr Bowen said.

While now it's only a two-horse race, there could be another candidate. Nominations for leadership remain open for seven days, before ballot papers are sent to Labor members.

Caucus will cast their votes last but will not know the grass-roots ballot result when they do.

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Keep Rudd asylum-seeker policy: Burke

TONY Abbott should swallow his pride and stick to Labor's hardline asylum-seeker policies because they are working, says outgoing Immigration Minister Tony Burke.

Mr Abbott did not speak to the media as he continued setting up his government on Friday, amid suggestions Indonesia will not accept part of his border-protection policies and news a fourth asylum-seeker boat had arrived since the coalition won the election.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa reportedly said this week his country won't accept part of the coalition's policy for a $20 million community engagement program to pay Indonesian village "wardens" to provide intelligence about people smugglers and a boat buy-back.

"We will reject his policy on asylum seekers and any other policy that harms the spirit of partnership and (Indonesian) sovereignty and national integrity," Mr Natalegawa told a House of Representatives meeting on Wednesday.

Mr Abbott's incoming foreign minister Julie Bishop was not available for comment either.

But she said in a statement that Abbott government policies would, where appropriate, be discussed during formal bilateral meetings with Indonesian officials in coming weeks and months.

Discussions would not be conducted through the media, she said.

Mr Burke says there was a "complete collapse" in boat arrivals after former prime minister Kevin Rudd changed the rules so that asylum seekers who arrive by boat without a visa are sent to PNG or Nauru and are ineligible for resettlement in Australia.

Mr Burke said that if Mr Abbott sticks with these policies people-smuggling operators won't be able to get their customers back.

"But he needs to swallow his pride and it's hard to swallow his pride so soon after what was such a big win for him," Mr Burke told reporters in Canberra.

The coalition's border-protection plan, called Operation Sovereign Borders, will officially begin when the new government is sworn in next week, Mr Abbott said.

Australian authorities intercepted a boat carrying 158 people, believed to be asylum seekers, north-west of Christmas Island overnight.

Meanwhile, the Australian Lawyers Alliance says Australia has spent almost $28 million on asylum seekers' compensation claims since 2000 - $21.1 million for unlawful detention in 299 matters and $6.9 million for breaches of duty-of-care and statutory duties towards 150 others.

And outspoken barrister Julian Burnside QC suggested the incoming Abbott government should fund a processing centre for asylum seekers in Indonesia to help prevent the perilous sea voyages.

He said Australia should prepare for more arrivals when international troops withdraw from Afghanistan at the end of the year.

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Indonesia eyes Oz land for cattle breeding

PLANS by the Indonesian government to purchase a million hectares of Australian land for cattle breeding have been welcomed by farmers.

Amid growing demands for beef, the southeast Asian nation will turn to Australia where breeding is about one fifth of the cost, Indonesia's State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said.

"It's specified only for breeding," Mr Dahlan said of the plan.

"After they're born, a few months afterward, (the cattle) must be brought to Indonesia for feedlot."

In contrast to breeding costs, feedlot expenses are three times cheaper in Indonesia, Mr Dahlan said.

National Farmers' Federation boss Matt Linnegar said the Indonesian investment would provide a much-needed injection to Australia's struggling agriculture sector.

"Our sector will not survive without a level of foreign investment," he told SBS TV on Thursday night.

"If it's part of a broader solution where the trade is continuing and they invest in that property and in infrastructure, that could in fact mean more jobs for Australians."

Incoming coalition government MP Barnaby Joyce, who holds the rural NSW seat of New England, was more wary of the plan.

"This is like selling somebody (a portion of land equal in size to) the ACT, so it's quite a substantial chunk of Australia," Mr Joyce said.

He said Australia has plenty of cattle to sell but live trade was suspended by the federal government in 2011 amid animal cruelty allegations.

Indonesia's purchase of Australian land could be blocked by the federal government or the Foreign Investment Review Board.

But farmers say the number of cattle bred on a million-hectare property would not pose a threat of market domination and there are suitable land holdings available for sale.

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Prince William quits armed forces

Prince William is quitting the armed forces and will focus on charity duties for 12 months. Source: AAP

PRINCE William is to leave the armed forces and temporarily focus on official engagements both in Britain and overseas, Kensington Palace says.

The new father will spend the next year considering his future work options with an announcement on that to come "in due course".

The Duke of Cambridge's wife Kate gave birth to baby George in July.

Prince William has been working as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot in Wales.

But the palace on Thursday announced "the Duke is to leave operational service in the armed forces".

"He completes his tour with the RAF search and rescue force ... after more than seven-and-a-half years of full-time military service," the palace said in a statement.

Prince William plans to support the work of the Queen and the royal family through a program of official engagements with Kate.

Over the next 12 months he'll work with the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

"He will expand his work in the field of conservation particularly in respect of endangered species," the palace said, adding he'd also continue to work with his charities on issues relating to children, young people, veterans and serving members of the armed forces.

As to his long-term future, the palace stated: "The Duke is currently considering a number of options for public service, a further announcement on which will follow in due course."

William, Kate and little Prince George are expected to move into their official residence at Kensington Palace within the next few weeks.

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S Korea hoists national flag in Pyongyang

SOUTH Korean weightlifters are flying their national flag at the start of an international competition hosted by bitter rival North Korea.

The development at Thursday's opening ceremonies of the Asian Cup and Interclub Weightlifting Championship in Pyongyang marks something of a milestone for two countries that were trading war threats this spring.

Seoul says it's the first time its athletes have attended an international sports event in North Korea. Both countries consider themselves the only legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean athletes hope to hear their national anthem played should they win gold.

North Korea's concession comes as animosity eases and the rivals pursue diplomacy.

The peninsula is still technically in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

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WA Labor frontbencher quits shadow cabinet

WEST Australian Labor has suffered its first casualty since the party's crushing federal defeat, with Sally Talbot retreating to the back bench.

Ms Talbot, opposition spokeswoman for child protection, disability services and mental health, announced late on Thursday she was stepping down from the front bench.

"Clearly people have made a judgment about the Labor Party," she said on social media.

"They have made a judgment that we do not reflect their values; that they do not value what Labor offers them; that they do not trust Labor to give them a better future.

"At its worst, Labor turns its back on the task of changing our culture and expressing our values.

"But at its best, Labor is a party full of true activists, hungry for change and tireless in our efforts to tell the Labor story."

Ms Talbot, a former president of the WA branch, said Labor needed to reconnect with the electorate and she could play a stronger part in rebuilding the party as a backbencher.

"Stepping down from the front bench will enable me to put all my energy into making our time in opposition as short as possible and helping to rebuild the community support and trust that will make our return to government a reality."

Labor's lowest primary vote in the country was in WA at a measly 29 per cent.

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Prehistoric crocs 'ran like dogs'

Prehistoric crocodiles survived a dinosaur-dominated world by behaving like dogs, research found. Source: AAP

PREHISTORIC crocodiles survived a dinosaur-dominated world by running around like dogs, new research has found.

Unlike today's crocodiles that mostly live in freshwater habitats and feed on mammals and fish, their ancient relatives were extremely diverse.

Some behaved like dogs and others adapted to life in the open ocean, imitating the feeding behaviour of today's killer whales.

The research uncovers the hidden past of crocodiles - showing for the first time how the jaws of the fierce reptiles evolved, enabling them to survive in vastly different environments in a dinosaur-dominated world 235 to 65 million years ago.

The study was conducted by Tom Stubbs and Dr Emily Rayfield from the University of Bristol, together with Dr Stephanie Pierce from The Royal Veterinary College and Dr Phil Anderson from Duke University in the United States.

Mr Stubbs says the ancestors of today's crocodiles have a fascinating history that is relatively unknown compared to their dinosaur counterparts.

"They were very different creatures to the ones we are familiar with today, much more diverse and, as this research shows, their ability to adapt was quite remarkable," he said.

"Their evolution and anatomical variation during the Mesozoic Era was exceptional.

"They evolved lifestyles and feeding ecologies unlike anything seen today."

The research team examined variation in the morphology (shape) and biomechanics (function) of the lower jaws in over 100 ancient crocodiles, using a unique combination of numerical methods.

Dr Pierce said they were curious how extinction events and adaptations to extreme environments during the Mesozoic - a period covering over 170 million years - impacted the feeding systems of ancient crocodiles.

"To do this we focused our efforts on the main food-processing bone, the lower jaw."

By analysing variation in the lower jaw, the researchers provide novel insights into how the feeding systems of ancient crocodiles evolved as the group recovered from the devastating end-Triassic extinction event and subsequently responded to the distribution of ecological resources, such as habitat and foodstuff.

The research showed that, following the end-Triassic extinction, ancient crocodiles invaded the Jurassic seas and evolved jaws built primarily for hydrodynamic efficiency to capture agile prey, such as fish.

However, only a small range of elongate lower jaw shapes were suitable in Jurassic marine environments.

The study also revealed that variation peaked again in the Cretaceous, where ancient crocodiles evolved a great variety of lower jaw shapes as they adapted to a diverse range of feeding ecologies and terrestrial environments alongside the dinosaurs.

Surprisingly, the lower jaws of Cretaceous crocodiles did not have a great amount of biomechanical variation and, instead, the fossil record points towards novel adaptations in other areas of their anatomy, such as armadillo-like body armour.

"Our results show that the ability to exploit a variety of different food resources and habitats, by evolving many different jaw shapes, was crucial to recovering from the end-Triassic extinction and most likely contributed to the success of Mesozoic crocodiles living in the shadow of the dinosaurs," Dr Pierce said.

This exceptional variation has never before been explored numerically, with no studies ever having incorporated such a wide range of crocodiles over such a long time period.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

The research was partially funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

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Would-be senator considers buying suit

UNEMPLOYED father of five Ricky Muir admits he doesn't own a suit.

But he understands he'll have to be measured up if forecasts are correct and he lands a federal Senate seat.

The Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party's (AMEP) lead Senate candidate in Victoria could be bound for Canberra thanks to a complex system of preference flows, which may hand him the state's sixth upper house pass.

"I've got some nice clothing but I have not got a suit yet, but I will get one," Mr Muir told ABC TV from his rural home at Denison in Victoria's Gippsland on Wednesday.

Asked of his preference for a carbon tax or emissions trading scheme, the potential balance of power senator said the party "would speak about that further if elected".

"We want to bring balance to the Senate," he said.

"We're working on a road safety platform, so we want uniform road laws, safer roads and driver education."

When faced with legislation, Mr Muir said he would consider all the evidence and "try to make a decision that reflects on the everyday Australian".

"If there's a better way to do things, we certainly need to look at it."

Mr Muir lost his job when a local saw mill closed, and said he and his family have since been living off savings.

Despite facing an annual Senate pay packet in excess of $190,000, the novice candidate said "I'm not out for the money".

Mr Muir's social media trail includes footage apparently showing him flinging kangaroo poo at a mate, plus a Facebook post in which he seems to suggest former US president George W Bush was behind the September 11 terrorist attacks.

On Wednesday night the AMEP had 12,444 votes, representing 0.50 per cent of the Victorian ballots counted to date.

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China's Li says economic recovery fragile

China's premier has promised to improve the investment climate for foreign companies. Source: AAP

CHINA'S premier says the basis of its economic recovery is still fragile and has promised to improve the investment climate for foreign companies.

Speaking at a business forum in the city of Dalian, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday that China's economic fundamentals are stable but cautioned the global economy faced a "complex situation".

China's factory output and other activity improved in August after growth fell to a two-decade low of 7.5 per cent in the latest quarter. Analysts warn, however, that the rebound is underpinned by government spending and might not last.

Li also promised to press ahead with reforms aimed at making the economy more productive by opening markets wider to private and foreign competitors.

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Senior Lib 1449 votes behind in Indi

Electoral officials found more than a thousand votes favouring the challenger to Sophie Mirabella. Source: AAP

INDEPENDENT Cathy McGowan is now nearly 1500 votes ahead in the battle for the seat of Indi after election officials added a missing 1000 votes to her tally.

Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella had been gaining on Ms McGowan as postal votes were counted, but on Wednesday officials realised there had been a discrepancy between the number of people who voted in the Senate and House of Representatives.

They found a bundle of 1003 votes from a Wangaratta prepoll centre which had not been included in Ms McGowan's tally.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) officially added the votes to Ms McGowan's total late on Wednesday, giving her a lead of 1449 votes.

Ms McGowan, who has run a grassroots campaign backed by more than 600 volunteers, was delighted.

"Isn't it amazing," she told AAP.

"You wouldn't want it to be the other way, would you? It would be shocking."

An AEC spokesman said the error was discovered as part of a number of checks and balances during counting.

A spokesman for Ms Mirabella would not comment, instead directing calls to Liberal Party headquarters.

State director Damien Mantach said there was no doubt the votes had given Ms McGowan a clear advantage.

"Despite this turn of events, we're hopeful of making up ground with the thousands of votes that are still to be counted," he said in a statement.

Indi, which is in Victoria's northeast and includes the towns of Wodonga, Wangaratta and Benalla was considered a fairly safe Liberal seat before the election and has been held by conservative parties since 1931.

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NSW dog trainer running rescue missions

IT'S definitely a dog's day in Sydney.

As firefighters battle bushfires raging across the city's northwest, dog trainer Farmer Dave is running rescue missions for pooches whose homes have been threatened.

"All up there's going to be about 40," he tells AAP as he ferries another load of dogs to the makeshift rescue centre at the Australian Canine Sports and Training Centre at Box Hill.

Warm winds gusting at up to 80km/h are fanning fires that are threatening a significant part of Sydney's northwest.

The fires have destroyed two houses, injured several fire fighters and forced the evacuation of more than 2000 people from a University of Western Sydney campus.

About 300 students were also evacuated from St Paul's Grammar School at Castlereagh.

But Since 5pm (AEST) on Tuesday Farmer Dave and about 50 volunteers have been taking dogs from several shelters including Save Our Strays and Greyhound Rescue.

"We've got eight little dogs, we've got dogs from working breeds, we've got maltese crosses, we've got bulldogs, cattle dogs, we've got everything," he said.

And despite the turmoil in the area, they're all on the best behaviour.

"They're very, very quiet. There hasn't been a single bark or a single growl," he said.

"I think they're coping pretty damn well considering."

Which isn't too surprising, given that they have a massive pool and several acres of playgrounds to keep them distracted.

"They've landed on their feet, just quietly. It's pretty much a doggie heaven," he said.

"It's much better than kennels or apartments or whatever they were in.

Anyone needing help with their dog can contact Farmer Dave thorough Facebook or at the Australian Canine Sports and Training Centre.

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NT arrest over cannabis nursery

NT police have seized 200 cannabis seedlings and plants from a home in Tennant Creek. Source: AAP

A 73-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested after police seized 200 cannabis seedlings and plants from his home in Tennant Creek.

During a raid on Tuesday, police found about 190 small cannabis seedlings, 10 mature plants and a large quantity of cannabis seeds.

A police spokesperson could not comment on whether the man was known to officers or if they were tipped off about the stash.

The man has been charged with cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis and possessing of cannabis seeds, and will appear in court at a later date.

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Jessica Mauboy adds to Deadlys haul

JESSICA Mauboy has done it again taking home two more gongs at the 19th Deadly Awards at the Sydney Opera House.

The pop sweetheart won Female Artist of the Year and Single Release of the Year for Something's Got A Hold on Me, bringing her total tally of Deadlys to nine, having triumphed in five of the past six ceremonies.

Award-winning drama Redfern Now took best Television Show of the Year at the Tuesday night ceremony while one of its stars, Luke Carroll, was awarded Male Actor of the Year.

Carroll also hosted the evening which celebrates and recognises the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the areas of music, sport, entertainment and community.

Popular film The Sapphires - which just missed last year's cut-off for nominations - won Film of the Year and its star Deborah Mailman was named Female Actor of the Year.

The Album of the Year was awarded to Archie Roach for Into the Bloodstream and the iconic singer/songwriter was also given the Lifetime Contribution Award for Healing the Stolen Generations.

Roach was also due to perform at the event, backed by a 20 piece gospel choir.

All eyes will be following the careers of the up and comers who won in the most promising categories.

Queanbeyan based group Stik n Move won the Deadly for Most Promising New Talent in Music, while it was hockey player, Mariah Williams, who was awarded Most Promising New Talent in Sport.

There were other familiar faces who won in the sports categories including Adam Goodes for AFL Player of the Year and Johnathan Thurston for NRL Player of the Year.

Goodes was also given the Ella Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sport.

A tribute to the late Dr Yunupingu, the lead singer of Yothu Yindi, was set to open the ceremony.

A special rendition of his hit song Mainstream was to be performed by his grandson Rrawun Maymurru, to honour the late singer and former Australian of the Year.

Singer Christine Anu, who is currently playing Bloody Mary in the production of South Pacific at the Sydney Opera House, is scheduled to do a double take on the night as she switches auditoriums to perform at the Deadlys.

Anu's performance of Bali Hai will make history at the Opera House, making her the first to appear in two productions at the venue on the same night.

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"Albo4Leader" campaign under way

A SOCIAL media campaign is underway backing Anthony Albanese as the next federal Labor leader, with supporters convinced he would defeat powerbroker Bill Shorten if the choice goes to party members.

A day after being launched, the "Anthony Albanese for Labor Leader" Facebook page had attracted more than 700 "likes" on Tuesday evening.

The "albo4leader" Twitter handle meanwhile was reporting a spike in "albomentum".

The group claims it isn't connected to the outgoing deputy prime minister, and understands the Sydney-based MP hasn't yet thrown his hat in the ring.

"But it's obvious he's the best candidate to unite and lead Labor!" states a message on the Facebook page, below an image depicting a young, long-haired Mr Albanese from his university days.

One of the group's co-convenors Luke Whitington, a NSW Labor Policy Forum member, said Mr Albanese was a strong parliamentary performer and the best person to return the party to federal government quickly.

Mr Albanese had always proven he'd put the party before himself and had the trust of its rank and files members, he added.

"I think that if given the chance, he'd win a vote amongst the party members overwhelmingly," Mr Whitington told AAP on Tuesday.

The group is appealing for Mr Albanese to contest the top job under new rules which give grassroots members a say.

If there are two or more candidates, the leadership for the first time will be decided in a ballot weighted 50 per cent to the caucus and 50 per cent to grassroots members of the ALP.

Party heavyweight Bill Shorten appears on track to take the federal Labor leadership at a caucus meeting in Canberra on Friday.

But the unendorsed group backing Mr Albanese has demanded there be no backroom deals, warning Labor's rank and file members will be palpable if Mr Shorten were installed without a ballot.

"I think there should be more elections, there should be more democracy, members should have more of a say," Mr Whitington said.

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Kerry reasserts Syria charge in London

IN a strong rebuttal to remarks by Syrian President Bashar Assad, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday there is very strong evidence that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against his own people.

In an interview by Charlie Rose, slated to air Monday on CBS "This Morning," Assad argued that the evidence Kerry has disclosed about chemical weapons use amounts to a "big lie" that resembles the case for war in Iraq that then-Secretary of State Colin Powell made to the United Nations over a decade ago.

Asked to respond, Kerry told reporters in London that he would be confident to take evidence that the US intelligence committee has gathered into any courtroom.

"What does he offer?" Kerry asked rhetorically of Assad. "Words that are contradicted by fact."

Kerry arrived in London Sunday afternoon from Paris where he held talks with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia and members of the Arab League's committed on the Mideast peace talks. He was returning to Washington later Monday to continue to lobby Congress to authorise a military strike against Assad's regime.

At a news conference with Foreign Secretary William Hague, Kerry also said that the British Parliament's decision against endorsing a military strike in Syria would not damage US-British relations. "Our bond is bigger than one vote - bigger than one moment in history," Kerry said.

Kerry, at another point, referenced the roughly 50 protesters outside the British foreign ministry who were chanting "One, two, three four, we don't want another war!" But he said he thinks it's important for nations to "stand up for humanity."

"This is a humanitarian catastrophe of global proportions," he said.

Kerry said the US realises that there is no military solution to conflict, but that a political resolution will not be possible if the Assad regime is allowed to continue killing the Syrian people without consequences.

"The evidence is powerful and the question for all of us is what are we going to do? Turn our backs? Have a moment of silence?" Kerry asked.

He said Assad's credibility is in question.

"He sends SCUD missiles into schools," Kerry said.

Hague agreed, saying: "Let's not fall into the trap of believing every word that comes out of this man's mouth."

Kerry said Assad could resolve the crisis by turning over "every single bit" of his weapons arsenal to the international community within a week. But he said he didn't believe the Syrian leader was "about to do that."

"We know that his regime gave orders to prepare for a chemical attack. We know they deployed forces," he said. Kerry said Washington also "knows where the rockets came from and where they landed ... and it was no accident that they all came from regime -controlled territory and all landed" in opposition-held territory.

Meanwhile, Russian and Syrian foreign ministers said Monday they planned to push for the return of United Nations inspectors to Syria to continue their probe into the use of chemical weapons.

Lavrov said after Monday's talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem that Moscow will continue to promote a peaceful settlement and may try to convene a gathering of all Syrian opposition figures who are interested in peaceful settlement. He said a US attack on Syria would deal a fatal blow to peace efforts.

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China school blast kills two, hurts 34

Two people have died after an apparently accidental explosion outside a primary school in China. Source: AAP

AN explosion outside a primary school in China killed two people and injured at least 34 others on Monday, 26 of them schoolchildren, state-run media and a local official said.

The blast in Guilin, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the south, occurred as a man riding a motorcycle passed the school gate while children were arriving for classes, China's official Xinhua news agency said.

"First, the motorcycle caught fire and then exploded with a tremendous noise that could be heard from far, far away," a witness told Xinhua.

The cause of the explosion was not clear.

A man and a woman were killed immediately and 34 of the injured, including 26 pupils and two infants, were taken to a military hospital in Guilin, Xinhua said. Five of them were in critical condition, it added.

It was not known if the motorcyclist was among the casualties.

Other victims were taken to other hospitals, it said, and exact casualties were still to be determined.

Pictures posted online showed the mangled remains of a tricycle on the ground and a motorcycle in flames outside the school, while several people sat on the ground bleeding.

A local official in Lingchaun County, where the explosion occurred, confirmed the death toll to AFP without offering further details.

Police in Guilin have begun a search for illegal explosives in the city, Xinhua said.

Posters on China's popular weibo microblog sites were outraged.

"Keep asking why the harmonious society is not harmonious, and address the fundamental problems," said one.

Another added: "Why is it always aimed at children? Can't we do something to stop violence?"

China has been hit by a number of attacks on schoolchildren in recent years, including a spate of five incidents in 2010 that killed 15 children and two adults and wounded more than 80.

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Russia, Syria want return of UN inspectors

RUSSIAN and Syrian foreign ministers on Monday strongly pushed for the return of United Nations inspectors to Syria to continue their probe into the use of chemical weapons and again warned Washington against launching an attack.

The statement comes as President Barack Obama, who blames President Bashar al-Assad for killing hundreds of his own people in a chemical attack last month, is pressing for a limited strike against the Syrian government.

It has denied launching the attack, insisting along with its ally Russia that the attack was launched by the rebels to drag the US into war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after Monday's talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem that UN chemical weapons experts should complete their probe and present their findings to the UN Security Council.

"We have agreed to push for the soonest return of inspectors," Lavrov said.

Al-Muallem said his government was ready to host the UN team, and insisted that Syria is ready to use all channels to convince the Americans that it wasn't behind the attack.

He added that Syria was ready for "full cooperation with Russia to remove any pretext for aggression".

Neither minister, however, offered any evidence to back their claim of rebel involvement in the chemical attack.

Lavrov said Russia will continue to promote a peaceful settlement and may try to convene a gathering of all Syrian opposition figures to join in negotiations. He added that a US attack on Syria would deal a fatal blow to peace efforts.

Lavrov wouldn't say how Russia could respond to a possible US attack on Syria, saying that "we wouldn't like to proceed from a negative scenario and would primarily take efforts to prevent a military intervention".

President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would keep providing assistance to Syria in case of US attack, but he and other Russian officials have made clear that Russia has no intention to engage in hostilities.

Lavrov also denied allegations that Russia may have sponsored a deal between the US and Syria during the Group of 20 summit in St. Petersburg last week, where Putin discussed the Syrian crisis with Obama.

"There won't be and there can't be any deal behind the back of the Syrian people," Lavrov said.

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NT govt dumps minister Anderson

Aboriginal MP Alison Anderson has been dumped from the Northern Territory ministry. Source: AAP

ABORIGINAL MP Alison Anderson has been dumped from the Northern Territory ministry just two days after a federal coalition government was elected.

The Member for Namatjira was in charge of four portfolios: Children and Families, Regional Development, Local Government and Women's Policy.

But now Attorney-General John Elferink is the Minister for Children and Families, Deputy Chief Minister Dave Tollner has taken over the Local Government and Regions portfolio and Bess Price is Minister for Women's Policy.

In a statement released on Monday night, Chief Minister Adam Giles said he was "keen to re-organise the ministry to reflect the government's priorities" after a year in power.

Last month he ruled out dumping Ms Anderson, saying it was "all fiction".

Tension has been bubbling for some time between them, when in March after a failed leadership bid for the Country Liberal government Ms Anderson accused Mr Giles of behaving like a "little boy".

She threatened to leave the party and take three bush members - Bess Price, Larissa Lee and Francis Xavier - with her if Mr Giles pursued the Chief Ministership, which he successfully did with the bush members' support a week later.

Ms Anderson was elected as a Labor MLA in 2005, and served as a minister until 2009, when she left the party after a disagreement with then-Chief Minister Paul Henderson.

She was an independent until 2011 when she joined the Country Liberals, and was re-elected in last year's Territory elections.

Her dispute with Mr Giles came as she supported Terry Mills, the chief minister he rolled in March.

Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie said Mr Giles had never gotten over the slight.

"There's no doubt (he's) clinging to power without the full support of his colleagues," she said in a statement.

More recently, Mr Giles clashed with Ms Anderson over the CEO position for the Department of Children and Families, which now has its fourth leader in less than a year.

Ms Anderson appointed Jenni Collard to the acting role in March, and last week backed her for the full-time role, despite the government leaking that it wanted to appoint former Country Liberals leader Jodeen Carney, which it now has.

Mr Giles did not give a reason why Ms Anderson had been pushed out of cabinet, but said: "I thank Alison Anderson for her work in Cabinet and wish her well. (She) has worked as a minister for several years across different portfolios and governments."

He flagged a wider shuffle of the ministry, with the creation of three new portfolios - North Australia Development, Community Services and a combined Department of Local Government and Regions.

"Now is the time for northern Australia to be recognised as the key player in the energy, food and economic security of the Asian region," Mr Giles said.

"In light of this, I will be taking on the important new portfolio of North Australia Development, which will allow the Territory to work more closely with the federal, West Australian and Queensland governments on issues affecting the north."

Ms Lawrie described the government as the most dysfunctional the NT had ever had, with two chief ministers, five cabinets and multiple departmental changes in one year.

"There is no doubt deep divisions remain in the CLP camp," she said.

The NT's new ministry will be sworn in on Tuesday in Darwin.

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First boat arrives on coalition watch

A suspected asylum seeker boat carrying 88 people has been intercepted northwest of Darwin. Source: AAP

HOURS after Tony Abbott was elected prime minister promising hardline policy and immediate action on asylum seekers arriving by boat, authorities found a suspected people-smuggling vessel off Australia's north coast.

The boat, carrying 88 passengers and two crew, was spotted by a border patrol aircraft northwest of Darwin on Sunday.

A Customs vessel went to assist the boat and those on board are being transferred to Christmas Island for assessment.

It is the first boat to be intercepted by Australian authorities since the coalition's election victory on Saturday.

Mr Abbott has promised instant action to deter asylum seekers.

"We will make a difference from day one. I believe we can stop the boats in a term of government," he has said repeatedly, including during his election campaign.

Mr Abbott said a coalition government will put in place processes to turn back boats when it is safe to do so.

"These are Indonesian crewed, Indonesian flagged, Indonesian home-ported vessels that have a right to access Indonesia," Mr Abbott has said.

Indonesia has rejected the coalition plan to turn back boats, sparking concerns that relations between the two countries could turn rocky.

But Mr Abbott said the Howard government successfully turned back boats without compromising the regional relationship.

AAP has sought comment from the incoming government on the latest boat arrival.

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Indian troops try to halt communal clashes

Hundreds of troops have been deployed to halt deadly clashes between Hindus and Muslims in India. Source: AAP

HUNDREDS of Indian troops have been deployed to quell clashes between Hindus and Muslims sparked by the killing of three villagers who had objected when a young woman was being harassed.

Nine people were killed, including an Indian broadcast journalist and a police photographer, when the two groups set upon each other with guns and knives in Kawal village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Sunday.

The violence quickly spread to neighbouring villages in Muzaffarnagar district on Saturday night.

"A curfew has been imposed in three riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar," said the head of the state's home ministry, RM Srivastava.

"The situation is still very tense, but under control."

Soldiers were going door to door to search for weapons.

A state of high alert was declared for the entire state of Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of 200 million people.

The clashes broke out on Saturday after thousands of Hindu farmers held a meeting in Kawal to demand justice in the August 27 killing of three men who had spoken out when a woman was being verbally harassed.

The state's minority welfare minister, Mohammad Azam Khan, said some at the meeting gave provocative speeches calling for Muslims to be killed.

The farmers were attacked as they were returning home after the meeting, senior police official Arun Kumar said.

"The attack seemed well planned," Kumar said.

"Some were armed with rifles and sharp-edged weapons."

Gunfire was reported from several areas of the village.

Within hours clashes broke out in neighbouring villages, Kumar said.

A leader from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party said tensions had been simmering since the three men were killed August 27 in a tea shop.

"Had the killers been arrested, the situation might not have gone out of hand," Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

Uttar Pradesh was at the heart of some of India's worst communal clashes in December 1992, after a Hindu mob razed the 16th-century Babri mosque in Ayodhya.

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'Taliban attack' kills 4 Afghan soldiers

FOUR Afghan soldiers have been killed and 30 people injured in a Taliban attack on the office of the national intelligence agency in eastern Wardak province, an official says.

"Six insurgents attacked the National Directorate of Security building in Maidan Shahr city, trying to enter the building," Ataullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Wardak, said.

One detonated an explosives-filled truck bomb at the entrance before the others opened fire on troops guarding the building.

Police shot dead all six insurgents, Khogyani said.

Most of the injured were civilians, he added.

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Chinese man convicted via Yahoo email free

China has freed a dissident writer who was convicted of leaking "state secrets" in 2005. Source: AAP

CHINA has freed a dissident writer who was convicted of leaking "state secrets" in 2005 in a landmark case where his Yahoo emails formed key evidence against him, international writers' groups say.

Shi Tao, 45, was released on August 23 after serving nearly nine years of a 10-year sentence for "providing state secrets to overseas organisations," the Independent Chinese PEN Centre and PEN International said.

"We welcome news of Shi Tao's early release, at a time when there seem to be increasingly long shadows over freedom of expression in China," said Marian Botsford Fraser, head of PEN International's Writers in Prison Committee.

"Shi Tao's arrest and imprisonment, because of the actions of Yahoo China, signalled a decade ago the challenges to freedom of expression of internet surveillance and privacy that we are now dealing with," Botsford Fraser said.

Other dissident writers said they believed Shi was arrested because of online publications in which he criticised the ruling Communist Party.

The government said Shi had leaked details via email of a "certain important document" that he learned about through his work as a reporter in the southern city of Changsha.

Yahoo later apologised for handing over Shi's emails to Chinese authorities.

In 2007, it settled a lawsuit brought on behalf of Shi and another Chinese journalist who was convicted partly through information provided by Yahoo.

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