Thousands flee Dreamworld after fire alert

Thousands have been evacuate from Dreamworld on the Gold Coast due to a grassfire. Source: AAP

MORE than 7000 people fled Australia's largest theme park on Saturday after a grassfire started nearby.

The fire, sending a huge plume of smoke towards the 85-hectare Dreamworld on the Gold Coast from nearby Coomera, prompted an evacuation.

Visitors described how the smoke started drifting into the park, also home to the Big Brother house, prompting rides to be closed one-by-one.

Sam Gilchrist was at the theme park with daughters Alannah, 14, Megan, 9, and Holly, 6, on the last day of a Gold Coast holiday when the smoke started to drift in.

She said Dreamworld staff started shutting down rides one at a time as the smoke started to thicken.

While some people moved to rides that were still open, the Melbourne family left just before the park was evacuated because one of the children started getting upset by the smoke.

"The kids were on a ride and I could see a mist of smoke and I could smell it," she told AAP.

"It started getting really black and blanketing the whole area.

"There was a little bit of ash falling, I think asthmatics would have had a bit of a difficult time."

She said she didn't know whether people would be compensated for having to leave.

The park will open as usual on Sunday.

A Dreamworld spokeswoman said the evacuation of guests and zoo animals had been a precaution.

"We evacuated for the safety of guests, staff and the animals," she said.

She said park visitors whose details staff had managed to obtain before they left the park would be contacted regarding possible compensation.

A Queensland Department of Community Safety spokesperson said the fire covered four hectares on Saturday afternoon, having broken out near Foxwell Road about 1.30pm (AEST).

The spokesperson said there was no immediate threat to homes but advised people to keep their doors and windows closed.

Firefighters had contained the blaze by 7pm (AEST) but the Department of Community Safety said crews would remain on scene "for some time", backburning and monitoring the fire.

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Emma Thompson gets Hollywood honour

British actress Emma Thompson has added her hand and shoe prints to the Hollywood Boulevard. Source: AAP

BRITISH actress Emma Thompson has cemented her place in Hollywood, by adding her hand and shoe prints to the fabled pavement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

The Oscar winner was overcome with emotion at the ceremony on Thursday, recalling a childhood visit to the tourist attraction with her father.

She said, "When I was 14 I came to Hollywood with my dad, who was directing the Norman Conquests, and he brought us here, to the Grauman's, and showed us all the people's hands and feet and the signatures and it was so other-worldly that for me to be here now feels not at all real!"

The 54-year-old was joined by her Saving Mr Banks co-star Tom Hanks at the ceremony and he used the occasion to jokingly try and convince Thompson to give up her British citizenship and become an American.

He quipped, "We wish to convey the following message to Emma - Please Emma, leave England, come here, live with us, live amongst us! Los Angeles and Hollywood needs your sense and sensibility. England, they don't appreciate you like we do."

The ceremony didn't go completely to plan - Thompson took a tumble from an elevated box just as she was about to place her hands in the wet cement, but laughed off the moment and continued chuckling as she was immortalised outside the iconic cinema on Hollywood Boulevard.

And she was more than a little upset about the fact she would have to throw away the designer black shoes she wore to the ceremony, explaining, "They were covered in cement."

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Aboriginal artist's work on Qantas 737

A painting by Aboriginal artist Paddy Bedford has inspired the latest aircraft for Qantas. Source: AAP

ABORIGINAL artist Paddy Bedford would often tell his daughter his work was going to end up on a plane.

"'I'm going to have a painting on a jet'," he'd tell Kathleen Watson.

She dismissed the idea at the time but is proud that the late West Australian artist's wish has come true.

Bedford's 2005 painting Mendoowoorrji - Medicine Pocket inspired the livery for Qantas's new 737-800 aircraft, the fourth in its indigenous art series.

Watson, in Seattle with Gija elders from the East Kimberley for a ceremony to bless the plane, said it was an honour to share the Aboriginal culture in this way.

"I'm proud to keep his legacy alive and sharing and promoting Aboriginal art through the world, Australia, Western Australia and the Kimberley," she said.

Medicine Pocket, which has been gifted to the National Gallery of Australia by Bedford's estate, depicts part of the artist's mother's country.

It's taken 18 months to get the aircraft ready with Boeing painters for the first time using brush and other hand painting techniques to translate the work's shading and textural elements on to the fuselage.

The white areas feature a lot of grey shading and the iconic Qantas tail has been included in the design, albeit with its trademark red changed to match the painting's earthy tones.

National Gallery Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art senior adviser Franchesca Cubillo said the Australian designers Balarinji and Boeing's painters had managed to capture the essence of the original painting.

"The team of painters here have actually worked closely with Balarinji to ensure that lovely painterly effect, the texture, even the gradient of the colours that are in the original painting have been replicated," she said.

Mendoowoorrji will arrive in Sydney on Monday before joining the Qantas domestic network from mid-November, flying east-west and intra-WA routes.

William Mora Galleries director William Mora said Bedford would have been incredibly proud to see the spirit and story of his painting on a plane.

"I think he'd want to be the first person to leave it when it landed and stand at the top of the stairs and say 'not only am I the number one painter, I have my own plane'."

* The writer travelled to Seattle as a guest of Qantas and Boeing.

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Four charged with severing US man's penis

FOUR people are accused of torturing a California marijuana dispensary owner with a blowtorch and cutting off his penis in an attempt to force him to reveal where he had buried piles of cash in the desert.

Ryan Anthony Kevorkian, 34, and his wife Naomi Josette Kevorkian, 33, were arrested on Friday in Fresno, a day after the FBI arrested 34-year-old Hossein Nayeri in Prague in the Czech Republic.

Another man, Kyle Shirakawa Handley, 34, was arrested in October 2012.

The four have been charged with kidnapping for ransom, aggravated mayhem, torture, burglary and a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury.

Prosecutors said the victim was a prosperous medical marijuana dispensary owner who took some of his pot suppliers - including Handley - to Las Vegas last year for an extravagant weekend.

Authorities allege that after the trip, Handley told some friends that the dispensary owner was extremely wealthy and they came up with a plan to kidnap and rob him.

Orange County authorities contend that on October 2, 2012, Handley, Nayeri and Ryan Kevorkian went to the man's Newport Beach home, stole cash, bound and beat him and kidnapped him along with his room-mate's girlfriend, then drove them out to a desert spot in a van.

Throughout the drive, they allegedly burned the dispensary owner with a blowtorch.

At the spot where the men believed the victim had hidden money, they cut off his penis, poured bleach on him in an effort to destroy any DNA evidence and dumped him and the woman on the side of the road, authorities allege.

It is alleged the three men then drove away with the penis so it couldn't be reattached.

The man survived his injuries.

Handley pleaded not guilty to the charges last month.

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Severe thunderstorms forecast for NSW

A SEVERE thunderstorm warning has been issued for large swathes on NSW's central west.

Damaging winds are forecast to hit parts of the central west slopes and plains and parts of the upper western forecast districts on Friday evening, the Bureau of Meteorology saysd.

Locations which may be affected include Dubbo, Parkes, Wellington, Condobolin, Coonamble, Nyngan, Bourke, Brewarrina and Enngonia.

The State Emergency Service (SES) is advising people to move their cars away from trees and secure loose items around homes.

People are also being urged to stay indoors and away from windows.

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Ken Levy re-appointed CMC chair

THE Queensland government has extended the contract of the head of the state's crime and corruption watchdog despite criticism he was biased.

The opposition wanted Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) Chair Dr Ken Levy to resign after he penned an opinion piece that said the new bikie laws reflected the will of Queenslanders.

His contract has been extended to May 22, 2014.

Dr Levy has written to the head of the parliamentary committee which overseas the CMC, in a letter tabled on Friday, to insist he wasn't pressured to write the article.

When asked last week whether he'd consulted anyone about the article, he said: "No, it's my composition".

But Dr Levy's revealed the head of the government's media unit, Lee Anderson, called the CMC media unit a week before the article was published to ask if the CMC was going to do any media interviews on the legislation.

At the time, Dr Levy told his staff "we would not be spooked" by the call as they were already discussing doing broader media on the issue.

"I certainly have never had any pressure from the Premier or the Attorney General, or anyone else from government for that matter, trying to pressure me about any issue," Dr Levy wrote.

In his letter to parliamentary crime and misconduct committee chair Liz Cunningham, Dr Levy expresses regret and apologises for not remembering the contact the CMC had with Mr Anderson when he was grilled last Friday.

"In the embarrassment on Friday afternoon, I indicated to you that perhaps I should consider standing down, particularly in light of the call by the leader of the opposition," he wrote.

But Dr Levy says Mr Anderson's call only referred to the broad area of the CMC's powers to deal with the outlaw bikie gangs and there was no pressure to write the opinion piece.

Instead, Dr Levy was inspired by imbalanced press, which was pitting judges and lawyers against politicians and ignoring the community.

"My article was not politically motivated," he wrote.

"As I said to the Committee last Friday, Criminal motorcycle gangs are really criminal cartels. The Government was being responsible in legislating."

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie says he is supportive of the CMC being more open with the public, but any decisions regarding media is clearly a matter for them.

"The Newman government respects the independence of Queensland's judiciary and statutory bodies," Mr Bleijie said.

The acting role is effective up to and including May 22, 2014 and a permanent appointment is expected next year.

In a statement released on Friday evening, Dr Levy said the letter tabled in parliament on Friday outlined previous contact made to the CMC by staff in the government's media unit.

"This contact occurred a week before I sent my comments to the Courier-Mail and did not influence me in any way to write the opinion piece," he said.

"I did not consult with the part-time commissioners, senior management or the CMC's media unit before sending my comments to the Courier-Mail."

Dr Levy says both he and the CMC remain independent.

"I look forward to continuing to lead the CMC through a period of change," he said.

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Police charge 21 Rebel bikies in blitz

POLICE have arrested 21 members of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang in a week-long blitz.

As part of the Attero National Task Force, state and federal police worked together to disrupt, disable and dismantle the criminal activities of the Rebels.

They charged 21 Rebels on 35 offences, including drugs, burglary, and assault.

Police said none of those arrested were high-ranking members and none had been charged under the state's new bikie laws.

Most of the arrests took place along the Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane.

Detective Superintendent Mick Niland said police would continue to target the Rebels, which he described as a "high risk threat".

He said the Rebels were the largest criminal bikie gang in Australia with 1600 members or associates across the country.

Deputy Commissioner Brett Pointing says arrests over the past week offer a snapshot into the level of criminality carried out by the Rebels.

"They started in Brisbane 44 years ago and they're a sophisticated criminal network," he told media on Friday.

Mr Pointing says leaders of criminal bikie gangs are harder to prosecute because they are protected by associates and members.

"(We're) just as interested in associates as we are in the leadership, because it's the lower level associates that sustain the leaders," he said.

Mr Pointing also says criminal bikie gangs may be consulting with public relations experts to shape public perceptions about the gangs.

"It's in the interests of these organisations to try and convince the public that they're in fact not criminal gangs," he said.

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Third suspect chemical haul found in WA

A THIRD suspicious package has been discovered in the same region south of Perth where highly volatile explosive chemicals were recently found.

Bomb squad technicians are at a disused caravan park at Peppermint Grove Beach in the Capel region working to render the area safe, a police spokesman said.

The spokesman said roadblocks were in place around the caravan park.

The discovery comes after a Tactical Response Group dawn raid of a Bunbury home on Friday, which led to a man being taken into custody for questioning over the chemicals.

Last Tuesday, a member of the public discovered about 3kg of the substance - TATP - hidden underwater near a jetty at Leschanault Estuary, Australind.

A second package was found at the same site 36 hours later.

Both packages were destroyed in controlled detonations.

On Friday, police resumed scouring the waterway, having previously scaled back the search for more of the chemicals.

Four jetties were cleared on Friday, Deputy Commissioner Chris Dawson said.

Road blocks have been put in place at the raided house on Moore Street and at an industrial facility in Harris Road, Picton, which is believed to be the workplace of the man in custody.

Police guards are at both locations, which are not at this stage considered unsafe and have been declared 'protected forensic areas'.

Homes in the Peppermint Grove Beach area may be evacuated while the package is detonated, police say.

"The only location that we are presently concerned about is the Peppermint Grove caravan park," Mr Dawson said.

He said the four jetties were not considered unsafe, but divers would search the entire estuary on Saturday.

"That will be an ongoing operation," Mr Dawson said.

"We have no reason to believe at this point there are any matters that will cause any immediate (risks) to the safety of the public, but we are broadening our search and that's because we need to be thorough."

He said no charges had yet been laid against the man in custody.

TATP, also known as "Mother of Satan", was used in the London terrorist bombings in 2005.

It is created through the chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide and acetone, is highly volatile, and particularly susceptible to heat, friction and shock.

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Toddler hospitalised after bunk bed fall

A TODDLER has been hospitalised after she fell from her bunk bed in the NSW Southern Highlands and hit a cooling fan.

The two-year-old girl was flown from her Berrima home to the Children's Hospital at Westmead in Sydney on Thursday night.

The girl suffered the injury when she fell from her bed and hit the fan's blades, a spokesman for CareFlight said in a statement.

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Crown of thorns plague moving south

A CROWN of thorns plague is eating its way through the Great Barrier Reef, almost wiping out at least one reef between Cooktown and Cairns.

It is the fourth major outbreak since 1960s and is yet to reach its peak.

Starting in Lizard Island in 2010, starfish numbers are believed to have reached at least one million.

Professor Morgan Pratchett from the Coral Reef Studies research centre at James Cook University says the plague will expand towards Townsville and Mackay in the coming years.

A series of cyclones and increased port development have already resulted in low coral cover, compounding the affects of the outbreak.

"It couldn't have come at a worse time," Professor Pratchett told AAP.

"We're starting from a very low base, it will cause an almost complete loss of coral on some reefs."

Emily Reef, between Cairns and Cooktown, was saved from the brink when almost 11,000 crown of thorns starfish were removed.

According to Professor Pratchett there is only one boat, with a crew of 12, removing the starfish from the reef.

Armed with a new single-shot poison, they are making quicker progress than previous years and can kill up to 50 of the native species a day.

"Each starfish killed will save ten square metres of coral each year," Professor Pratchett said.

"There needs to be a significant increase of investment if we're going to put a dent in the population."

Although scientists are yet to pinpoint the cause of outbreaks, it is widely accepted that plagues are boosted because of a decrease in predators and an increase in fertiliser run-off.

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Congolese rebels surrender in Uganda

A UGANDAN military official says at least 1700 Congolese M23 rebels, including the top commander, have surrendered to Ugandan authorities.

The official said on Thursday that M23's General Sultani Makenga and his fighters were being held by the Ugandan military in Mgahinga, near the Congo border.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to give this information, said the rebels had been disarmed and were being registered by Ugandan officials.

This week the rebels lost control of all the territory they once held following an intensified offensive by Congolese troops who are backed by United Nations forces in eastern Congo.

Uganda had been hosting peace talks between the rebels and Congo's government. The rebels say their rebellion is over. A peace accord has not been signed.

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Aust woman in Dublin free to leave care

A court was told the Australian woman found on a Dublin street has a history of psychiatric issues. Source: AAP

A 25-YEAR-OLD Australian woman found in Dublin a month ago is free to leave state care after a psychiatrist found she wasn't suffering from a mental disorder that would enable her to be detained.

But Samantha Azzopardi can stay in hospital in Ireland voluntarily after a court heard she was suffering from a condition that made her "vulnerable".

An order from Ireland's High Court which meant Ms Azzopardi couldn't be removed from care has now lapsed, but a lawyer acting for the Irish health authorities, Tim O'Leary, said on Thursday "if she's happy to stay where she is that's no problem".

Since being identified earlier this week it's been revealed Ms Azzopardi is known to Australian police, has used false identities and previously been convicted on deception charges.

It was initially feared she was a teenage victim of human trafficking.

The High Court on Thursday heard the Australian would now be cared for by adult health services and would be offered support if she chose to move back out into the community.

Justice George Birmingham said the twists in the case had come "as a shock to everybody and as a surprise".

"But the case has now run its course," he said.

A lawyer for the guardian appointed when it was thought Ms Azzopardi was a teenager, Gerard O'Brien, told reporters outside court: "She is not detainable under the Mental Health Act ... the legal proceedings are at an end."

Local media have turned on the young Australian in the past 24 hours.

The Irish Independent on Thursday said authorities had been "taken in by a Walter Mitty-like con artist".

The newspaper reported the gardai (Ireland's police) were considering charging her with wasting police time.

But a police spokesman refused to comment on that prospect when contacted by AAP.

It's also been reported it cost the state more than 250,000 euros ($A357,450) to identify Ms Azzopardi.

Psychiatrist Brendan Kelly assessed Ms Azzopardi on Wednesday evening and prepared a "fulsome report", the court heard on Thursday morning Dublin time (Thursday night AEDT).

It was Dr Kelly's view that Ms Azzopardi was not suffering from a disorder that would allow her to be detained against her will.

It's been reported her family are travelling from Australia to Ireland.

A relative who Ms Azzopardi had been staying with in Tipperary before she was found on a Dublin street in a distressed state on October 10 has appealed for privacy.

"He requests that the media respect his privacy and that of his family," lawyers acting on his behalf said in a statement.

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Aung San Suu Kyi to visit Australia

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (R) will make her first visit to Australia this month. Source: AAP

AUNG San Suu Kyi will make her first visit to Australia in late November.

The Burmese opposition leader will attend public events in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne and meet members of the Burmese community from November 27 to December 2.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop first met Ms Suu Kyi in 1995 and said she was delighted to be able to welcome her to Australia.

"Australia has long been a staunch supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi's efforts to bring democracy to the Burmese people," she said in a statement on Tuesday.

Australia and other nations have been gradually easing their sanctions against Myanmar (Burma) as the country has allowed greater political and media freedoms in past few of years.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate accepted the invitation from former foreign minister Bob Carr back in June and remarked that she fondly remember growing up with the song Kookaburra Sat In The Old Gum Tree.

The former political prisoner won a parliamentary seat in April 2012 and she became opposition leader of the National League for Democracy.

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US man skydives on 100th birthday

After getting a doctor's certificate, a 100-year-old man in the US has skydived for the first time. Source: AAP

WHEN Vernon Maynard's friends asked him what he wished he had done in his 100 years of life, the US man said he had always wanted to jump from a plane with a parachute.

The retired car dealer from southern California got the chance to mark his centenarian birthday on Monday by doing just that.

Jean Walcher of the US Parachute Association says Maynard and his two great nephews made their first skydive along with trained instructors from 13,000 feet (3,900 metres) southeast of Los Angeles.

Skydive Perris manager Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld says Maynard obtained a doctor's note before making the jump.

Maynard's daughter Linda Hironimus says her father's friends made arrangements for him to skydive after he said he always wanted to try it.

Maynard, who hails from Nebraska, lives in Palm Desert.

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CSG projects face less hurdles in NSW: BCA

CSG projects in NSW could face fewer regulatory hurdles with a new plan for environmental approvals. Source: AAP

MINING companies wanting to develop coal seam gas (CSG) projects in NSW could soon face fewer regulatory hurdles, after the O'Farrell government signed up to a new federal plan for environmental approvals.

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) said the NSW government had helped overcome one of the barriers to CSG projects in the state by signing up to the Abbott government's approvals overhaul.

NSW on Tuesday followed Queensland's lead by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the federal government to create a "one-stop-shop" for environmental approvals.

The proposal promises to deliver faster approvals and eliminate regulatory duplication, but opponents claim it will erode crucial environmental protections by handing federal powers to the states.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the "same strict environmental standards" would apply, but businesses would only need to obtain one approval for projects instead of two.

"The federal government is on track to sign-on all states and territories within 12 months and fast-track the eradication of red and green tape for environmental approvals," Mr Abbott said in a statement.

BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott said the NSW government, which imports 95 per cent of its gas from interstate, had taken a critical step to securing its own gas supply.

"Today's MOU helps overcome one of the barriers to developing coal seam gas projects that would enable New South Wales to develop its own gas supply," Ms Westacott said in a statement.

NSW has been under pressure from the federal government to expand gas mining, including CSG operations, as they search for a solution to energy price spikes and a crisis in natural gas supply.

CSG has proved a powder keg in NSW, with the government the target of frequent protests from farmer and conservationists who warn expanding gas operations threatens agricultural land and water supply.

The NSW Minerals Council praised the O'Farrell government for supporting the plan they claim will address the "overly bureaucratic and cumbersome" approvals process in the state.

"We look forward to seeing fast progress on delivery of these promised reforms, so that the words expressed in the MOU are matched by real action," chief executive Stephen Galilee said in a statement.

The Minerals Council of Australia said the one-stop-shop would eradicate unnecessary green tape without compromising environmental standards.

But Greens senator Larissa Waters said the plan would "gut" environmental protections, and blasted the duplication argument being put forward by Mr Abbott and "his big business buddies" as a furphy.

"Tony Abbott is laying the groundwork to hand federal environmental approval powers to NSW, giving his conservative state cronies open slather over our nationally significant environmental assets," she said in a statement.

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Family of shot Sydney girl talk to police

The family of a teenage girl who was shot in her western Sydney home are now talking to police.

A schoolgirl has been shot at a home in Sydney's west, in what police say is a targeted attack. Source: AAP

AFTER a day of being condemned for their silence, the family of a teenage girl who was shot in her western Sydney home are talking to police.

On Tuesday morning, as the girl lay injured in hospital, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and the state's top officers vented their frustration at the family of the 13-year-old, who was shot by gunmen at her Blacktown home late on Monday night.

The men were reportedly looking to settle a score with the girl's brother, who is suspected of having links to the notorious Brothers 4 Life gang.

After having the door slammed in their faces, the men allegedly opened fire, hitting the girl in the back.

On Tuesday morning, Mr O'Farrell expressed outrage at the parents' lack of co-operation.

"What sort of parents, whose daughter's been injured in an attack like this, will not co-operate with police?" he asked.

Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas called on the family to take responsibility.

"This poor girl had nothing to do with anything, but someone in her family did," he said.

Late on Tuesday afternoon, it appeared the family's silence had been broken, with the premier issuing a statement saying family members were talking to police.

The girl's father told media on Tuesday his daughter was "settled", adding he was disappointed by the gunmen's actions.

"Everyone's disappointed in the community; they do the wrong thing," he said.

Inspector Dave Lagats said what police feared had become a reality after a string of recent shootings.

"Our greatest fears have now been reached ... an innocent person, a 13-year-old girl, has now become the victim of this type of senseless activity," he said.

Neighbours woken by the fracas thought they were hearing thunder or fireworks until the screaming began.

Father-of-three Sarn Pulefele lives two doors away on Sunnyholt Road and said he was woken by a loud bang.

"At first I thought it was thunder because I'd never heard guns before," Mr Pulefele told AAP.

"Then I got up and I could hear screaming. And then I realised someone's been shot."

A neighbour said police had been to the house before.

The latest incident comes after one man was killed and two were injured in shootings linked to Brothers 4 Life.

On Sunday, a 27-year-old man, named by media as suspected Brothers 4 Life gang member Michael Odisho, was found with multiple gunshot wounds at Winston Hills.

A man, believed to be the cousin of Brothers 4 Life boss Bassam Hamzy, was shot dead in Revesby a week ago and another man, Omar Ajaj, suffered multiple bullet wounds in the attack.

Police said it was too early to tell whether Monday's shooting was a revenge attack.

Mr Kaldas would not rule out that Hamzy might have influenced recent shootings from jail. He also refused to say whether the intended shooting target had been interviewed, or whether he was even at home during the attack.

However, Mr O'Farrell said a man had "fled out the back door" seconds before the shooting began.

The NSW opposition accused Mr O'Farrell of allowing gun crime to spiral out of control.

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Bandicoot fire survivor revives at Taronga

A northern brown bandicoot which survived the NSW bushfires is being treated at Taronga Zoo. Source: AAP

A TINY survivor of the NSW bushfires has staff at Taronga Zoo gushing.

The northern brown bandicoot was recently handed into the RSPCA in the Hunter Valley with severe burns to his feet.

When staff realised he needed ongoing care the furry fellow was transferred to the city.

On Monday, Taronga Wildlife Hospital staff applied bandages to all four of the bandicoot's legs from tip to toe.

Taronga Zoo's senior veterinarian Larry Vogelnest works with animals every day but even he thinks the bandicoot sure looks cute with his bandages on.

He says the bandicoot was extremely lucky to have such minor injuries because trapped animals usually die in bushfires.

"Most people think we'd be absolutely inundated with hundreds and hundreds of burnt wildlife but we don't actually tend to get that many," he told AAP.

"All that's burnt is his feet and the tip of his tail so he must have had to run over some hot coals."

It will be several weeks before the deep burns on the bandicoot's feet have healed enough for him to be released.

Until then, Mr Vogelnest says the gentle but confident bandicoot is busy showing off to his carers.

"He does show his teeth, he'll open his mouth and look ferocious but that's about where it stops," he told AAP.

"Generally the bandicoots aren't particularly aggressive ... they're lovely little animals."

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Death crash officer trial begins

A MOTHER driving her daughter to have her hair done on her 16th birthday died of multiple injuries when a police vehicle chasing a stolen car slammed into her at high speed, a court has been told.

The first class constable who was driving the police car, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has gone on trial in a Perth court charged with dangerous driving causing the death of Sharon D'Ercole.

The 50-year-old was in her Toyota Corolla, driving her daughter Lashay to a hair appointment in the Perth CBD, when her car was smashed into by the Ford Territory at the intersection in Dianella in April 2012.

Perth District Court heard the Ford had gone through two sets of red lights when it smashed into Ms D'Ercole's car, causing her horrific injuries.

The mother-of-three died less than an hour later in hospital.

Prosecutor Bernard Standish told the jury they would have to decide just one major issue - whether the constable's driving was dangerous to the public.

"The lives of Sharon D'Ercole and this officer intersected with tragic consequences," Mr Standish said.

The court heard the 28-year-old officer was trained to the highest level of pursuit driving. He had set off after the stolen Audi after police database checks indicated it had been stolen just hours before.

The car's lights and sirens were deployed as the pursuit progressed, the court was told.

The trial, which is scheduled to last three weeks, will hear from several eye witnesses, as well specialists who will estimate what speed the cars were doing when they collided.

Ms D'Ercole's daughter however, will not be giving evidence, as she was knocked unconscious in the crash and has no memory of the moments leading up to her mother's death.

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Boog and Drew evicted from Big Brother

OUSTED Big Brother intruder Alex "Boog" Roe might need to evict part of her wardrobe after family, friends and fans saw a bit more of her than necessary.

Roe and Anthony Drew were evicted from the Nine Network series on Monday night, leaving Tahan, Jade and Tim remaining in the Big Brother house on the Gold Coast ahead of Wednesday's grand finale episode.

The trio are in the running for the $250,000 first prize.

However, Roe had an embarrassing moment when her right breast appeared to slip out of her low-cut top as she bent down to meet family and friends at the side of the stage.

The Brisbane telecast, which is on an hour delay, went blurry for several seconds before Roe stood up and walked across the stage to sit down next to Big Brother host Sonia Kruger.

No mention was made of the wardrobe malfunction and the show went on as if nothing happened.

Roe told Kruger she had a fun time in the compound and did not blame the fact she was an intruder for being evicted with such a low percentage of the vote.

The 23-year-old received just 3.8 per cent of the votes cast by viewers, who elect to save housemates.

"I don't want to blame the intruder thing," Roe said during the live telecast.

"They are big characters and much stronger than me."

Boog's voting percentage was the lowest this series.

Drew received just 14.1 per cent of the votes to be saved and he was tipping Tim to win the series.

The highest voting percentages were revealed on Monday but they were not assigned names.

The housemate who finished on top of the poll received 29.6 per cent of the votes to be saved, followed by 26.5 per cent and 26 per cent.

"I think Tim is up there (the highest with 29.6 per cent)and then Jade (26.5 per cent) and Tahan," Drew told Kruger.

"They're all amazing people. They deserve it."

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No more survivors after Myanmar boat sank

FAMILY members are scouring the coastline off western Myanmar, a day after a boat carrying at least 70 Muslim Rohingya capsized, but there are no new signs of survivors, a community leader says.

Only eight people have been plucked from the waters alive.

The overloaded boat was in the Bay of Bengal and headed for Bangladesh when it sank early on Sunday, just four hours after leaving shore, said Aung Win, a Rohingya Muslim community leader.

He was speaking on Monday from Sittwe, the Rakhine state capital.

"There were many, many women and children on board," Aung Win said, as he prepared to go to the beach to check on efforts by loved ones to search for bodies.

"Some were hoping to continue on to Malaysia, Indonesia or other third countries."

Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation, has been gripped by sectarian violence in the last year.

Many of the 240 people killed and 240,000 others forced to flee their homes have been Rohingya, described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted religious minorities in the world.

Dan McNorton, a spokesman for the UN High Commission for Refugees, warned that this year's exodus of desperate people from Rakhine could be one of the biggest ever.

Around 1500 people are believed to have fled, just in the last week, he said.

The agency had received several reports of drownings and was seeking details from authorities.

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Volcanic eruption displaces 1300 villagers

ABOUT 1300 villagers living at the foot of Mount Sinabung in Sumatra have been evacuated after an eruption, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Sunday four villages situated within three kilometres of the volcano were evacuated.

"Tremors are still occurring and thick black clouds are still being spewed," he said by phone.

Authorities have raised the volcano status to the second-highest level.

Mount Sinabung had been dormant for 400 years before it erupted on August 2010. There are nearly 130 active volcanoes across the Indonesian archipelago.

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Hawkesbury blaze under control

FIREFIGHTERS are expected to work through the night to mop up a bushfire that threatened about 50 properties at Lower Portland near the Hawkesbury River on Sunday afternoon.

More than 100 firefighters worked to quell the blaze, which reportedly crossed the river at one point, while six aircraft water-bombed the fire zone.

The fire was eventually brought under control around 7.30pm (AEDT) as cooler conditions had an impact.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes and no damage to property was reported.

A watch and act warning is now in place.

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LAX gunman planned to kill many agents

Los Angeles International Airport is returning to normal operations after a gunman sparked chaos. Source: AAP

THE gunman who allegedly killed a security officer at Los Angeles airport carried a note saying he planned to murder "multiple" agents, prosecutors said as they announced charges against him.

A prosecutor told how Paul Ciancia allegedly opened fire at "point-blank range" on Gerardo Hernandez, the first Transportation Security Administration agent killed since the office was created following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The dead officer's widow, meanwhile, said she was "truly devastated" by his death.

"He was a joyful person, always smiling and took pride in his duty to the American public," Ana Hernandez said.

Ciancia, who used a Smith & Wesson assault rifle and a large stock of ammunition in the attack, faces a possible death penalty on charges of murdering a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport.

The gun rampage on Friday triggered chaos at LA International Airport (LAX), disrupting more than 1500 flights. The airport only fully reopened more than 24 hours later.

Describing how the shooting started, a prosecutor said Ciancia pulled a ".223-calibre M and P-15 assault rifle out of his bag and fired multiple rounds at point-blank range" at Hernandez, 39.

The shots wounded the unarmed TSA officer but did not kill him. The 23-year-old gunman, dressed in black and wearing a bullet-proof vest, then went up a nearby escalator and came back down to "shoot the wounded officer again," US attorney Andre Birotte said.

Ciancia then proceeded further into the terminal, shooting four more people, including two other TSA officers, before being detained following a gunfight with airport police.

The alleged gunman, who remains in hospital and has not yet answered questions from investigators, carried a note in his bag indicating that "he targeted especially TSA officers," for whom he felt "anger and malice".

The handwritten note showed he "made a conscious decision to kill multiple TSA employees", said David Bowdich, the head of the FBI's Los Angeles office.

"In the note that was handwritten by the defendant, that was signed by the defendant, we found a statement where he made a conscious decision to kill multiple TSA employees," Bowdich said.

"He addressed them at one point in the letter, and stated that he wanted to 'instil fear into their traitorous (sic) minds'."

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Ciancia had a lot of ammunition when he was arrested.

During the shooting spree, which lasted less than 10 minutes, Ciancia approached a number of people cowering in the terminal and pointed his gun at them, asking if they "were TSA", according to the Los Angeles Times.

If they answered "no" he moved on, the Times reported, citing witnesses who said he cursed the TSA repeatedly.

While officials have not released details about the suspect's condition, the Times said he was hospitalised in a critical condition after being shot in the head and leg.

The FBI said Ciancia was a Los Angeles resident who was originally from the eastern state of New Jersey.

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Southern Highlands bushfire under control

A BUSHFIRE that threatened rural properties in the Southern Highlands is now under control.

An emergency warning was issued for a fire at Alpine, between the Hume Highway and the Old Hume Highway, at about 5.30pm (AEDT).

The fire was brought under control after about two hours and downgraded to a watch and act warning.

Sweltering conditions and strong winds fanned several blazes across the state on Sunday, until a cool change arrived in the late afternoon.

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