Lebanese president accepts PM resignation

Lebanon Prime Minister Najib Mikati says the government has resigned. Source: AAP

LEBANESE President Michel Suleiman has formally accepted the resignation of the prime minister, who stepped down blaming government infighting during a time of rising sectarian tensions.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati submitted his written resignation to the president after announcing he was stepping down the day before, taking the country by surprise.

Suleiman asked that his government assume a caretaking role while a new government is being formed.

Mikati's unexpected resignation throws the country into uncertainty at a critical time and threatens to leave a void in the state's highest ranks amid sporadic violence inflamed by the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

It opens the way for what is expected to be prolonged political jockeying as parliamentary blocs try to build a majority coalition to choose a new prime minister.

"I hope that this resignation will provide an opening in the existing deadlock and pave the way for a (political) solution," he said, following his meeting with Suleiman on Saturday.

Mikati has been prime minister since June 2011, heading a government dominated by the Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah and its allies.

Their main rivals are a coalition headed by former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, son of Rafik Hariri, who was also prime minister and was killed in a truck bombing in 2005.

A Harvard-educated billionaire, Mikati was chosen to lead the government after Hezbollah forced the collapse of Lebanon's previous government over fears a UN-backed tribunal investigating the killing of the elder Hariri would indict Hezbollah members.

Mikati stepped down on Friday to protest the parliament's inability to agree on a law to govern elections set for later this year, as well as the refusal by Hezbollah and its allies in the cabinet to extend the tenure of the country's police chief, Major General Ashraf Rifi, who at 58 is about to hit the mandatory retirement age for his rank.

Rifi, like Mikati, is a Sunni Muslim who is considered a foe by Hezbollah.

In his speech on Friday, Mikati said that if Rifi is not allowed to stay on, his departure would send the police department into "a vacuum".

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Pope tells Benedict 'we're brothers'

POPE Francis has travelled to Castel Gandolfo to have lunch with his predecessor Benedict XVI in a historic melding of the papacies that has never before confronted the Catholic Church.

The Vatican said the two popes embraced on the helipad.

In the chapel where they prayed together, Benedict offered Francis the traditional kneeler used by the pope.

Francis refused to take it alone, saying "We're brothers," and the two prayed together on the same one.

Outside the villa, the main piazza of Castel Gandolfo was packed on Saturday with well-wishers hoping to catch a glimpse of history - two popes breaking bread together and presumably discussing the future of the Catholic Church.

They chanted "Francesco! Francesco!".

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said he understands Benedict offered his pledge of obedience to the new pope, while Francis thanked Benedict for his ministry.

He said they both wore white, though Benedict was in a simple cassock without the traditional sash and cape worn by Francis.

Benedict has been living at the papal summer villa since he resigned on February 28, the first pope to step down in 600 years.

He has said he plans to live out his final years in prayer and remain "hidden from the world".

Benedict's dramatic departure that day - flying by helicopter from the helipad in the Vatican gardens with his weeping secretary by his side and circling St Peter's Square in a final goodbye - is one of the most evocative images of this remarkable papal transition.

The Vatican is downplaying the luncheon in keeping with Benedict's desire to remain in private and not interfere with his successor's papacy.

There was to be no live coverage of the private meeting by Vatican television, only a few still photos from the official Vatican photographer and perhaps a video released after the fact.

The Vatican said Benedict was at the helipad in the villa gardens to welcome Francis, and that the two were meeting in Benedict's library and having lunch together.

Francis will then return to his makeshift home at the Vatican hotel at an unspecified time later in the day.

The Vatican spokesman promised a general comment about the meeting, but no detailed statement.

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Russian trial of dead lawyer starts

A MOSCOW court has begun proceedings in the trial of a Russian lawyer who died in custody more than three years ago.

Sergei Magnitsky was jailed in 2008 on charges of tax evasion.

He died in prison the next year of untreated pancreatitis after he testified against police officials, accusing them of stealing $US230 million ($A221.47 million) in tax rebates.

His death attracted international attention.

Magnitsky's family is boycotting the trial with only state-appointed attorneys defending the dead lawyer.

The lawyers filed a motion on Friday, contesting the legality of trying a dead man.

Last year, the United States enacted a law, named after Magnitsky, that allows sanctions against Russians considered human rights violators.

Russia retaliated by banning US citizens from adopting Russian children.

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Jetliner makes emergency landing in Canada

A CANADIAN charter flight to Cuba with 170 passengers onboard has made an emergency landing at the Ottawa airport shortly after taking off, an official says.

The Sunwing flight was en route to Varadero, Cuba.

It left the Canadian capital at 6.32am local time (2132 AEDT) but abruptly turned around 20 minutes later, said Krista Kealey, a spokeswoman for the Ottawa airport.

Public broadcaster CBC said smoke had filled the cockpit, but Kealey said there was no fire.

Authorities were reportedly checking the brakes on the Boeing 737-800 while passengers eager to leave behind snow in Ottawa for sunny Cuba were rebooked on other flights.

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Govt must encourage innovation, says Argus

BUSINESS community elder Don Argus says government should make productivity a top economic priority, and has warned about the impact of consumer debt on spending.

The former BHP Billiton chairman and National Australia Bank chief executive says government needs to focus on productivity in the current global economic climate.

"We need to encourage innovations and not stifle it through excessive oversight by government," Mr Argus said in a statement on Friday.

"We have built 20 years of solid economic wealth for all Australians through good productivity gains, flexible labour markets and the productive use of private, not public capital."

The respected business leader has previously slammed the federal government for what he's termed the "sloganeering" of modern political and economic debate.

He has also highlighted the need for better economic management and raising productivity.

Mr Argus also warned about the "real consequences of excessive debt".

"We are the third country in the world for consumer debt, and what so many people don't seem to understand is just how intrusive debt is on disposable income," he said.

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Ten people hospitalised after Vic tornado

TEN people have been hospitalised after a tornado swept across Victoria's northeast.

Roofs have been ripped off houses and buildings damaged as the wild weather hit about 8pm (AEDT) on Thursday, an SES spokesman said.

The tornado swept along Murray river townships near Bundalong, Rutherglen and Yarrawonga.

The SES fielded 60 calls for help in the region with 10 people hospitalised for injuries.

The spokesman said the greatest trauma risk was from falling buildings and roofs.

"It becomes dangerous and deadly debris," he said.

While the weather appeared to be a tornado, authorities had not yet officially confirmed it, the spokesman said.

"It definitely has tornado like patterns. Certainly that's what it looks like," he said.

He said powerlines in the area are likely to be down.

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Spain exports help narrow trade deficit

SPAIN'S trade deficit narrowed in January as exports surged, in a rare glimmer of good news for a nation struggling in a double-dip recession.

Exports leapt 7.9 per cent from a year earlier to 17.88 billion euros ($A22.45 billion) in January while imports rose 5.7 per cent to 21.38 billion euros, largely because of an increase in demand for energy products, the Economy Ministry said on Thursday.

As a result, the trade deficit narrowed by 4.3 per cent to 3.5 billion euros.

Spain boosted exports especially to markets outside of the European Union, the ministry said, noting the EU-bound exports made up 63.5 per cent of the total, down from 66 per cent a year earlier.

Exports soared by 43.8 per cent to Asia, 16.6 per cent to Africa and 15.1 per cent to Latin America, the government said, noting in particular a rise in exports to emerging markets such as India, up 35.4 per cent, China, up 15.2 per cent, and Brazil, up 28.5 per cent.

In 2012, the eurozone's fourth-largest economy shrank the trade deficit by 33.6 per cent as exports grew 3.8 per cent and imports to the depressed domestic market fell 2.85 per cent.

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PM's apology makes headlines in UK

AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Julia Gillard made headlines in the United Kingdom on Thursday but not just for the farcical leadership spill.

Ms Gillard's apology to people affected by Australia's forced adoption policy between the 1950s and 1970s was one of the top news items on the BBC.

Morning radio bulletins didn't even mention the spill which turned out to be a non-event after former prime minister Kevin Rudd refused to run for Labor's top job.

The BBC website's world page ran a news story headlined "Australia sorry for forced adoptions" while the government's internal troubles were covered in an an analysis piece by Sydney correspondent Nick Bryant.

He wrote that the PM's moving apology to victims of forced separation should have been one of the more solemn and orderly days in the parliamentary calendar.

"But Canberra's coup culture helped transform it into one of confusion, comedy and commotion that many Australians would prefer to forget."

The left-leaning Guardian newspaper, which has a large Australian readership, ran a prominent online news story declaring: "Gillard survives leadership threat."

The paper reported that in an "extraordinary" day in Australian politics Ms Gillard kept her job after "no one dared stand against her".

The Guardian also reported on its front page online that the "PM apologises over forced adoptions".

The Telegraph online ran both stories on its world page as did The Independent.

Top-selling tabloid The Sun didn't cover either the apology or leadership tussle.

Its online coverage was focused on "16 incredible Kate Upton boob gifs".

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Idea of Rudd comeback 'over': Feeney

LABOR senator David Feeney says the idea of a Kevin Rudd comeback as prime minister is over after Thursday's leadership tussle.

Speaking on Thursday night, the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence said Julia Gillard had won a decisive victory over Mr Rudd to confirm herself as party leader.

"The idea of a Kevin Rudd prime ministership is over," Senator Feeney told ABC television.

"It's not a pyrrhic victory, it's a decisive victory. This is an occasion where for the third time the prime minister has been decisively re-endorsed by the caucus as leader."

Labor MPs and senators met for a caucus spill motion on Thursday afternoon after party elder Simon Crean sought to end months of talk about a Kevin Rudd reboot.

Ms Gillard retained the leadership unopposed after Mr Rudd said he wouldn't stand without a request from a majority of the party.

Senator Feeney said the party now had to remain "absolutely focused on the challenge that is immediately before" it.

"This has been a week where the Liberal Party have quite happily said nothing and done nothing and allowed the Labor Party to talk about itself," he said.

"It's precisely the type of week that's emblematic of our challenge."

Senator Feeney refused to be drawn on whether there were concerns inside Labor about cabinet processes under Ms Gillard.

He said he could not comment on the issue because he was not a cabinet member.

"I'm not about to start speculating on cabinet processes," he said.

He said he believed Mr Rudd didn't have a tilt at the top job because "he knew he didn't have the support to become leader".

Victorian Labor MP Richard Marles told the ABC he backed Mr Rudd because he thought the former leader represented the "best chance" for the party.

"I thought the best chance we had in terms of putting our best foot forward was for Kevin Rudd to contest," he said.

"I had a point of view, I made it clear, I don't resile from it, I certainly made my decision, there is no regrets."

At no point did Mr Rudd say he was going to stand for the leadership, Mr Marles said.

"It has always been a question of trying to convince Kevin that this was something that he should do," he said.

Ms Gillard accepted the resignation of Mr Marles from his parliamentary secretary position following Thursday's dramatic events.

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Over 100 missing from Nigeria boat sinking

A BOAT that capsized off southern Nigeria in recent days was carrying an estimated 128 passengers and only two survivors have been found so far, an emergency official said.

"One hundred twenty-eight people were suspected to be aboard the boat, but only nine bodies have been recovered, while there were two survivors so far," Yushau Shuaib, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, told AFP.

"The incident happened about two or three days ago, but there is still some confusion as to the origin of the boat."

Shuaib said the accident occurred more than 60 kilometres off the coast of the southern Nigerian city of Calabar.

There were indications that the boat had originated from the Congo, but that has not been confirmed, he said.

He did not have further details.

A rescue source speaking on condition of anonymity said initial indications were that the two survivors were Togolese.

Such accidents occur regularly in parts of Africa, with rickety boats often overloaded with passengers and few reliable records of who was aboard.

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Aust could fuel India 'nuclear accident'

ANTI-NUCLEAR campaigners have raised concerns Australian uranium could fuel a nuclear accident in India similar to the Fukushima and Chernobyl disasters.

Negotiations are under way in New Delhi to establish nuclear safeguards before Australia begins selling uranium to India.

Last year India's auditor-general warned that lax safety standards could lead to a nuclear disaster.

It is a concern backed up by the Indian-based Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP).

"A major catastrophic accident like Fukushima could happen in any of our 20 reactors," CNDP spokesman Praful Bidwai told ABC television.

Workers in the reactors said they could not be relied upon to raise the alarm on an impending disaster because they were not kept informed by management.

"We can be out there all day in the reactor and we wouldn't know if we've been exposed to danger or not," said Gulab Singh who works in a Rajasthan reactor.

Anti-nuclear activist Imran Khan said workers were bullied into working in the dangerous conditions.

"They know that if they don't do the job they won't have work, so they accept all levels of radiation and keep on working," he said.

However, a former Indian prime ministerial adviser said the country's nuclear safety record was impeccable.

G. Parthasarathy said Australian uranium would not be funnelled off for nuclear weapons.

"Let me assure you that we have enough fissile material," he said.

In December 2011 Labor overturned its longstanding policy of blocking uranium sales to India.

India has not signed up to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

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Asian markets mixed after Cyprus vote

ASIAN markets were mixed on Wednesday after Cypriot lawmakers comprehensively rejected a plan to tax savings as part of a crucial bailout deal.

The euro rebounded from morning losses to climb against the yen and dollar as European leaders sought to sooth investor concerns, saying they were willing to work with Nicosia to help it avoid bankruptcy.

Sydney fell 0.40 per cent, or 20.1 points, to 4,967.3 while Seoul lost 0.97 per cent, or 19.15 points, to 1,959.41.

Bargain hunters moved in to send Hong Kong up 0.97 per cent, or 214.58 points, to 22,256.44, while Shanghai surged 2.66 per cent, or 59.94 points, to 2,317.37.

Tokyo was closed for a public holiday.

Cypriot MPs on Tuesday rejected a proposal to impose a levy on savings as part of a deal agreed with international creditors for a 10-billion-euro ($13 billion) rescue.

The plan had been to charge 6.75 per cent for deposits of 20,000-100,000 euros and a 9.9 per cent tax on anything above that, with savings of up to 20,000 euros exempt.

The 5.8 billion euros the proposal would have raised was crucial to Nicosia getting the full rescue, and with that now in doubt Cyprus must find other ways to raise cash to repay its debts.

However while Tuesday's events raised fears the country could exit the eurozone, analysts said they soothed fears such levies could be introduced in other troubled eurozone countries, which could have hammered confidence in the region.

Stephen Wood, chief market strategist at Russell Investments, told Dow Jones Newswires: "We're watching very closely, but at present we don't think Cyprus is a game-changer in Europe.

"We're looking at financial-system indicators in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and also bank data to see if there's a run or even a jog on banks in those countries. We don't see that just yet."

The European Central Bank also said it would continue to provide financial support for troubled Cypriot banks, a key step to allow all sides a little more time to try to find a way out of the impasse.

But Stan Shamu, market strategist at IG Markets in Melbourne, offered a word of warning, saying: "The Cyprus issue is far from over.

"I don't think it will be a situation where the ECB has stepped in and we don't have to worry about it."

On currency markets the euro climbed on hopes that the crisis can be overcome.

In afternoon trade the single currency bought $1.2898, down from $1.2881 in New York late Tuesday, while it sat at 122.93 yen from 122.59 yen.

The dollar fetched 95.29 yen from 95.23 yen.

On Wall Street markets were mixed, with the Dow nudging up 0.03 per cent, the S&P 500 falling 0.24 per cent and the Nasdaq off 0.26 per cent.

US traders took heart from expectations the Federal Reserve could on Wednesday deliver an improved view of the world's biggest economy.

The Fed's policy committee "may sound more upbeat this time around amid the more broad-based recovery", said David Song of DailyFX in the United States.

Oil prices rose, with New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April, gained 73 cents to $92.89 a barrel in the afternoon and Brent North Sea crude for May was up 62 cents at $108.07.

Gold was at $1,610.87 an ounce at 1050 GMT compared with $1,602.20 late Tuesday.

In other markets:

-- Taipei fell 0.52 per cent, or 40.44 points, to 7,798.03.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. fell 1.2 per cent to Tw$98.8 while smartphone maker HTC was 1.0 per cent lower at Tw$246.5.

-- Manila closed 0.10 per cent lower, shedding 6.63 points to 6,419.62.

Metropolitan Bank eased 1.40 per cent to 113 pesos and Alliance Global fell 3.73 per cent to 19.88 pesos, while SM Investments added 1.19 per cent.

-- Wellington closed 0.10 per cent higher, adding 4.39 points to 4,349.43.

Air New Zealand was up 2.75 per cent at NZ$1.50, Sky Television rose 1.48 per cent to N$5.49 and Telecom was down 1.1 per cent at NZ$2.26.

-- Singapore shed 0.63 per cent, or 20.73 points, to close at 3,248.40.

Singtel was down 2.25 per cent to Sg$3.48 while real estate developer Capitaland gained 0.57 per cent to Sg$3.53.

-- Kuala Lumpur shares gained 6.08 points, or 0.37 per cent, to close at 1,632.54.

UEM Land Holdings surged 6 per cent to 2.64 ringgit while Tenaga Nasional was up 2 per cent to end at 7.14. IOI Corp lost 1.7 to close at 4.62.

Jakarta closed higher 8.87 points, or 0.18 per cent, at 4,831.50.

-- Cement producer Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa rose 3.35 per cent to 23,150.00 rupiah, telecoms firm Telekomunikasi Indonesia gained 1.42 per cent to 10,700 rupiah, while Timah lost two per cent to 1,470 rupiah.

Bangkok fell 1.57 per cent or 24.58 points to 1,543.67.

-- Bangchak Petroleum dropped 6.99 per cent to 33.25 baht, while power giant Electricity Generating Public Co. added 1.61 per cent to 158.00 baht.

-- Mumbai fell 0.65 per cent, or 123.91 points, to at 18,884.19.

Bharti Airtel fell 4.18 per cent to 281.15 rupees, while State Bank of India fell 3.87 per cent to 2,117.35 rupees.

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Tiny implant conducts blood tests

A TINY implant that conducts blood tests under the skin could greatly improve the tracking and treatment of cancer and other diseases, researchers claim.

The 14 millimetre-long device is packed with miniaturised electronics including five sensors and a WiFi transmitter.

Power is delivered through the skin by a battery patch which also relays test data via Bluetooth.

Results can be displayed on a doctor's mobile phone or laptop.

The sensors target proteins, sugar and organic acids in the blood that provide vital health information.

For patients with chronic illnesses, such as cancer or diabetes, the device could provide continuous monitoring and sound an alert before symptoms emerge.

Scientists believe the implant will be especially useful as a chemotherapy aid.

Currently doctors rely on occasional blood tests to assess a cancer patient's tolerance of a particular treatment dosage. However, it is difficult to tailor the ideal dose for an individual patient.

The implant opens up the possibility of much more finely tuned and effective treatment, according to Professor Giovanni de Micheli, one of the chip's designers from the EPFL polytechnic in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"It will allow direct and continuous monitoring based on a patient's individual tolerance, and not on age and weight charts, or weekly blood tests," said Prof de Micheli.

"In a general sense, our system has enormous potential in cases where the evolution of a pathology needs to be monitored or the tolerance to a treatment tested."

A prototype has already been tested for five different substances and found to be as reliable as conventional analysis methods.

The results were presented today at DATE (Design Automation & Test in Europe), Europe's largest electronics meeting taking place in Grenoble, France.

Prof de Micheli's team hopes the device will be on the market within four years.

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Three-parent IVF to move closer?

THE UK could move a step closer today to allowing IVF babies with DNA from three different people.

Techniques that give a baby DNA from a father, a mother and a woman donor to prevent inherited disorders are currently outlawed.

But today the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) will announce what advice it plans to give the Government on the issue.

Some groups have raised ethical and safety concerns about three-people IVF.

The purpose of the procedure is to stop the transmission of defective mitochondrial DNA from mothers to their babies.

Children born after the procedures would possess nuclear DNA inherited from their parents plus mitochondrial DNA from a woman donor.

Mitochondria are rod-shaped power plants in the bodies of cells that supply energy. They contain their own DNA, which is only passed down the maternal line.

Faulty mitochondrial genes can lead to a wide range of serious disorders including heart malfunction, kidney and liver disease, stroke, dementia, and blindness, as well as premature death.

Around 6,000 adults in the UK are believed to be affected by mitochondrial diseases.

Controversy surrounds attempts to prevent such diseases through hi-tech variations of In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment.

One technique, pronuclear transfer, involves transferring nuclear DNA out of a day-old embryonic cell containing defective mitochondria. The DNA is planted into another single-cell embryo whose mitochondria function normally.

The donor embryo's own nuclear DNA is discarded, but it still contains the normal mitochondria of the woman whose egg was fertilised to create it.

As it grows, the embryo produces a baby with DNA from three sources - nuclear DNA from the original parents, plus a tiny amount of mitochondrial DNA from the woman egg donor.

Another technique, maternal spindle transfer (MST), is similar but involves transferring nuclear DNA from an unfertilised egg to a donor egg. The egg is then fertilised using the father's sperm.

The issue has been the subject of a public consultation by the HFEA - the UK's fertility watchdog.

The HFEA will pass on the findings of the consultation and agree on its advice to ministers.

Although such techniques are banned, they could be voted in by Parliament under existing legislation.

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Half a million new homes for Sydney

NSW Planning Minister Brad Hazzard has unveiled a 20-year blueprint for Sydney's growth. Source: AAP

A 20-YEAR blueprint for Sydney's growth has identified a need for more than half a million new homes by 2031 but lobby groups want clarity about where they will be built.

Unveiling the strategy on Tuesday, Planning Minister Brad Hazzard said 545,000 new homes would be needed to cater for a population of 5.6 million Sydneysiders in 20 years - a 17 per cent increase on the number forecast in 2010.

Seventy per cent of the additional 1.3 million people who will set up homes in Sydney will be the children of current residents.

"We're trying to be less constrictive and restrictive and what we are saying is the market place should have far more of a say in what the mix of housing is and where it will be," Mr Hazzard said.

"We can make forecasts on where we believe it should be, but we are not going to do what Labor did ... they allowed the planners to be the sole determinant."

Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson said the obvious location for higher density housing was around transport nodes and town centres.

But a range of housing types was needed, including new houses on the city's fringe and apartments in existing suburban areas.

"We need more detail on the type of housing densities planned, particularly for existing urban areas," he said.

Patricia Forsythe, executive director of the Sydney Business Chamber, said the strategy needed to address the density of housing along transport corridors.

"We need to increase housing density along existing transport corridors as a matter of common sense to continue to maintain a working city.

"Many existing transport corridors, especially along railway lines, have old three-storey walk-up apartment buildings that are reaching their use-by date.

"Reforming the planning and strata systems could see a flurry of building activity to redevelop these buildings into higher density, modern apartments."

Housing Industry Association executive director NSW, David Bare, said "urgent action is required".

As part of the plan, the government also wants to create 625,000 extra jobs over the next two decades, with 50 per cent of them in western Sydney.

The draft metropolitan strategy divides Sydney into nine key areas, known as "city shapers". These include growth corridors along Parramatta Road, Anzac Parade and the North West Rail Link, and an enhanced role for Parramatta as Sydney's second CBD.

A western Sydney employment area would be developed south of Mt Druitt.

"We need to make sure in whatever we plan, the jobs are near houses, the houses near jobs and infrastructure is there to connect them," Mr Hazzard told parliament.

He said western Sydney was at the heart of the government's economic strategy.

"Sydney is in effect the Aladdin's Cave, but the part of the Aladdin's Cave that is the critical part is the west," he said.

"The west is where the treasure lies for people to tap."

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US backs Aust and NZ's Antarctic plans

The US is backing a proposal by Australia and NZ to set up marine sanctuaries in Antarctica. Source: AAP

HAILING the waters of Antarctica as a living laboratory, the United States has joined Australia and New Zealand in appealing for the creation of marine sanctuaries in the most remote and pristine part of the world.

The United States and New Zealand have drawn up a proposal for a marine sanctuary covering 1.6 million square kilometres of the Ross Sea, which would be the world's largest reserve.

Nations led by Australia, France and the European Union also want to protect 1.9 million square kilometres of critical coastal area in the East Antarctic.

But the proposals were blocked when talks in November at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) - comprising 24 countries and the European Union - ended without resolution amid concerns from Russia and China.

Now the nations in favour are boosting their efforts to get the two sanctuaries approved at a special meeting of the group in Germany in July.

"Antarctica is a collection of superlatives. It's the highest, coldest, the windiest, the driest, the most pristine and the most remote place on Earth," US Secretary of State John Kerry told a gathering organised by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

"And it has beguiled humankind for centuries as people have sought to understand it," he added, arguing that the waters of the Southern Ocean, home to 16,000 species, are a "living laboratory."

Kerry told the gathering at the National Geographic Society he believed the world can "work together to ensure that Antarctica remains a place devoted to peace and devoted to expanding human understanding of this fragile planet."

"This is one of the last places we could do this, and I think we owe it to ourselves to make it happen."

But conservationists argue the proposals do not go far enough to protect marine life - notably the Antarctic toothfish, which is fished in huge quantities and served as Chilean sea bass on restaurant tables around the world.

The Ross Sea proposal, while creating a reserve to protect Adelie and emperor penguins, as well as killer whales and Weddell seals, would still allow some 3,000 tonnes of toothfish to be commercially caught each year.

"We wanted New Zealand to come up with a much stronger proposal, and they just didn't, and they dug their heels in, and basically the US had to go for New Zealand's proposal," documentary film-maker Peter Young said.

"It doesn't matter how sustainable this quota is, we shouldn't be in the last place. We don't take buffalo from Yellowstone. We don't take kiwi from the forests in New Zealand. We should not fish from the Ross Sea."

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Xstrata cuts 100 jobs

GLOBAL miner Xstrata says it will axe about 100 jobs as part of a decision to close its Brisbane office.

The weak global coal market including poor prices and a high Australian dollar, as well as high costs, have been blamed for the decision.

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Qld MP Driscoll still facing allegations

A ROOKIE Queensland MP has been unable to shake off allegations of misusing taxpayer funds despite an attempt to explain himself in parliament.

Redcliffe MP Scott Driscoll has faced a raft of allegations in recent weeks, including claims of sexual harassment, financial mismanagement and improper business dealings.

Mr Driscoll defended himself in parliament on Tuesday, saying he had done nothing wrong other than failing to declare that his wife received more than $500 in income from a private company she runs.

Premier Campbell Newman has stood by his first-term MP, saying there's nothing to suggest he's unfit for public office.

The premier said investigations so far by the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC), and ongoing departmental probes, had all turned up nothing.

But Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk repeatedly attacked the government in parliament on Tuesday, saying Mr Driscoll had not done enough to explain himself.

"We have heard today a very brief explanation from the member for Redcliffe ... and it does not go to the root of all the questions that need to be answered."

Ms Palaszczuk said Mr Driscoll had other irregularities in his pecuniary interests register and listed 13 specific questions the opposition felt he still needed to answer.

Mr Newman said Mr Driscoll had become subject to "trial by media", a scenario he had encountered himself during last year's state election.

"I, myself, and my wife know only too well about ... trial by media, but particularly the tactics of the Australian Labor Party to use the CMC as a political weapon to attack people," he told parliament.

The latest claims against Mr Driscoll, published in The Courier-Mail on Tuesday, accuse him of using his electorate office and staff to run a retail lobby group he used to head.

He's also faced sexual harassment claims from former employees of the Queensland Retail Traders and Shopkeepers Association and calls to produce the association's books amid claims that about $700,000 was spent inappropriately.

Mr Driscoll's wife has also been accused of inappropriately receiving taxpayer funds from another organisation with which Mr Driscoll was involved, the Regional Community Association of Moreton Bay.

But the MP says he's the target of a campaign of "falsehoods" and the attacks on his wife have been particularly upsetting.

The CMC confirmed on Tuesday that it received a referral from the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services on November 27, 2012.

It alleged official misconduct against Mr Driscoll.

The CMC says it found at the assessment phase of the complaint, that the matter did not involve official misconduct and therefore fell outside its jurisdiction.

The commission pointed out in its statement on Tuesday that the assessment process is separate to an investigation.

The CMC said it's assessing all new relevant information on the matter to decide whether or not it needs to take any further action.

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Dead pigs in China river exceed 13,000

The number of dead pigs found in a river running through Shanghai has reached more than 13,000. Source: AAP

THE number of dead pigs found in a river running through China's commercial hub Shanghai has reached more than 13,000, as mystery deepened over the hogs' precise origin.

Shanghai had pulled 9,460 pigs out of the Huangpu river, which supplies 22 per cent of the city's drinking water, since the infestation began earlier this month, the Shanghai Daily reported.

Shanghai has blamed farmers in Jiaxing in neighbouring Zhejiang province for dumping pigs which died of disease into the river upstream, where the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday another 3,601 dead animals had been recovered.

The Jiaxing government has said the area is not the sole source of the carcasses, adding it had found only one producer that could be held responsible.

Shanghai said it had checked farms in its southwestern district of Songjiang, where the pigs were first detected, but found they were not to blame, the Shanghai Daily said.

The scandal has spotlighted China's troubles with food safety, adding the country's most popular meat to a growing list of food items rocked by controversy.

Samples of the dead pigs have tested positive for porcine circovirus, a common swine disease that does not affect humans.

"Due to some farming households having a weak recognition of the law, bad habits, and lack of increased supervision and capability for treatment have led to the situation," the national agriculture ministry's chief veterinarian Yu Kangzhen said.

Yu attributed a higher mortality rate among pigs to colder weather this spring, though he ruled out an epidemic, the ministry said in statement posted on its website over the weekend.

The thousands of dead pigs have drawn attention to China's poorly regulated farm production. Animals that die from disease can end up in the country's food supply chain or improperly disposed of, despite laws against the practice.

In Wenling, also in Zhejiang, authorities announced last week that 46 people had been jailed for up to six-and-a-half years for processing and selling pork from more than 1,000 diseased pigs.

China faced one its biggest food-safety scandals in 2008 when the industrial chemical melamine was found to have been illegally added to dairy products, killing at least six babies and making 300,000 people ill.

In another recent incident, the American fast-food giant KFC faced controversy after revealing that some Chinese suppliers provided chicken with high levels of antibiotics, in what appeared to be an industry-wide practice.

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US stocks fall on renewed eurozone fears

US stock markets opened sharply lower on Monday amid concerns that the controversial Cyprus bailout could reignite the eurozone crisis.

Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gave up 97.55 (0.67 per cent) to 14,416.56.

The broad-based S&P 500, which last week appeared poised to break its all time record, declined 14.92 (0.96 per cent) to 1,545.78.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index declined 34.36 (1.06 per cent) to 3,214.71.

The requirement that the 10 billion euro ($A12.62 billion) bailout include a tax on deposits in Cyprus banks has stirred anger and worries that go well beyond the tiny island nation.

"There is heightened concern that this bailout plan will force a run on banks, particularly in troubled peripheral countries, as other depositors worry about the potential of being hit with a similar tax on deposits in the future," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare.

"The structure of the bailout deal has opened a whole new can of worms, inviting talk of a possible Cyprus exit from the eurozone and reinvigorating concerns about the eurozone debt crisis," O'Hare added.

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Syrian planes bomb Lebanon border area

SYRIAN warplanes bombed the border area with Lebanon for the first time on Monday, a high-ranking Lebanese army official told AFP, reportedly targeting Syrian rebel positions inside Lebanon.

"Syrian planes bombed the border between Lebanon and Syria, but I cannot yet say if they hit Lebanese territory or only Syrian territory," the military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But a Lebanese security services official on the ground confirmed that the warplanes had fired four missiles against Syrian rebel positions on the Lebanese side of the border.

He said the attacks targeted the town of Arsal, in east Lebanon, close to the Syrian border, where many residents back the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The mountainous, desert area is also ideal for the smuggling of arms and the flow of fighters across the border.

Al-Manar television, which belongs to the pro-Syrian Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah movement, reported that the warplanes planes had targeted two barns used by rebel forces in the Wadi al-Khayl area of Arsal.

Lebanon has publicly committed itself to staying neutral in the violence engulfing Syria, but the conflict has exacerbated tensions in the country.

The country's opposition largely backs the Syrian uprising, while Hezbollah and its allies stand by Assad's regime.

Syrian rebels accuse Hezbollah of dispatching fighters to battle alongside Assad's force, while Damascus last week threatened to respond with force if "armed terrorist gangs" continued to infiltrate from Lebanon.

"Syrian forces are showing restraint by not striking these gangs inside Lebanese territory to prevent them crossing into Syria, but this will not go on indefinitely," the foreign ministry said in a message to its Lebanese counterpart.

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Carr says he was sourced incorrectly

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Bob Carr says he has been sourced incorrectly in a newspaper article about Labor ministers losing faith in Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Fairfax Media reported on Tuesday that Senator Carr has told colleagues that he lost confidence in Ms Gillard some time ago.

The report stated that the senator was disenchanted and angered by the Prime Minister's handling of two policy decisions.

One was Australia's vote on giving UN observer status to the Palestinians and the other was her decision not to give the cabinet notice that it was going to discuss media policy last week.

But Senator Carr sent out a statement less than two hours after the article was published online, saying it was wrong.

"An article in today's Age and Sydney Morning Herald makes comment on the ALP leadership," Mr Carr said in a statement early on Tuesday morning.

"The views attributed to me in this article are incorrect and no comment was sought from my office."

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Pope eschews tradition with silver ring

POPE Francis has eschewed tradition and chosen a silver Fisherman's Ring rather than a gold one - and one designed decades ago rather than created specifically for him, the Vatican said Monday.

The gold-plated silver ring, one of the papal symbols that the new Pope will receive during the inauguration mass on Tuesday, is modelled on a ring designed by Italian sculptor Enrico Manfrini, who died in 2004, for Paul VI.

"The ring is designed by Manfrini, who created several religious works and it was presented to the Pope by the master of ceremonies who had received the model from one of Paul VI's secretaries," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.

Nicknamed "the Popes' sculptor", Manfrini designed religious objects for several pontiffs, including Pius XII, Paul VI and John Paul II.

The simple ring, customarily worn on the pontiff's right hand, depicts a bearded and haloed St Peter holding a pair of keys - an emblem of the papacy which captures the moment Peter was given the keys to heaven.

It was chosen by Francis out of three ring models presented to him, Lombardi said.

"I don't know if the ring was used by Paul VI. The design stems from that period but it is not physically the same ring. The original ring was melted down but this is a ring based on the same design."

The Fisherman's Ring originally served as both a symbol of the papacy and a seal, but these days the Pope has a separate seal with which to mark documents.

There had been a lot of speculation over what sort of ring Francis would choose, following his decision to reject the papal gold cross necklace for his own simpler one at his first appearance after his election.

"It is not the first time that a pope has chosen to have a ring made of silver," Claudio Franchi, the Roman goldsmith who crafted the elaborate ring worn by Francis's predecessor, Benedict XVI, told AFP.

"It is quite unusual, however, to use a ring which already exists or has been made based on a design which already exists," he said.

The Vatican also unveiled the coat of arms and motto Francis will use - the ones he used as archbishop of Buenos Aires.

The coat of arms shows three symbols on a blue background: at the top, a sun with the letters IHS in the middle - the logo of the Jesuit Society - and underneath a five-point star and a lily, symbolising the Virgin Mary and St Joseph.

The Latin motto beneath the crest is "miserando atque eligendo" - which refers to a Bible passage showing Jesus Christ's "mercy" in choosing Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his disciples.

"The motto recalls Pope Francis's personal vocation and he wanted to keep it," Lombardi said.

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Pregnancy eating disorders revealed

ONE in 14 women have an eating disorder in the first three months of their pregnancy, according to British research.

A survey of more than 700 pregnant women by University College London (UCL) found a quarter were "highly concerned about their weight and shape".

Two per cent of those questioned were found to fast, exercise excessively, induce vomiting, and misuse laxatives or diuretics to avoid gaining weight during pregnancy.

The study - funded by the National Institute for Health Research - also found one in 12 pregnant women said they would overeat and lose control over what they ate twice a week.

Dr Nadia Micali, from the UCL Institute of Child Health, who led the study, said: "There is good evidence from our research that eating disorders in pregnancy can affect both the mother and the developing baby.

"Greater awareness of eating disorders and their symptoms amongst antenatal health care professionals would help to better identify and manage such disorders amongst pregnant women."

The researchers have called for women to be screened for eating disorders at their first antenatal check-up due to the adverse affects on the health of the mother and the baby.

Writing in the European Eating Disorders Review, they warned that many pregnant women with eating disorders are currently being left untreated.

Dr Abigail Easter, also from the UCL Institute of Child Health, added: "Women with eating disorders are often reluctant to disclose their illness to healthcare professionals, possibly due to a fear of stigma or fear that health services might respond in a negative way.

"Typical pregnancy symptoms such as weight gain and vomiting can also mask the presence of an eating disorder. Many women with eating disorders may therefore go undetected and untreated during pregnancy."

About 1.4 million women nationwide suffer from eating disorders, around four per cent of the female population.

The women answered an anonymous questionnaire at their first routine antenatal scan, which asked about their eating habits in the six to 12 months before becoming pregnant.

Any symptoms were assessed during the first three months of their pregnancy.

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UK dad and son found dead on Mont Blanc

A BRITISH man and his 12-year-old son have been found dead in the French Alps after apparently falling while hiking.

Their bodies were found a day after contact was last made with the 48-year-old father, who had called an emergency centre in Chamonix to inform them his son had fallen into a crevasse near Mont Blanc.

A helicopter spotted them at 1700 (AEDT) on Sunday at an altitude of 1600 metres.

Emergency services had attempted to trace the man's mobile phone call after launching a rescue operation, Captain Patrice Ribes told Sky News.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are urgently looking into reports that two British nationals have been found dead in the French Alps."

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UAE opens world's largest solar plant

OIL-RICH Abu Dhabi has officially opened the world's largest Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant, which cost $US600 million ($A580.80 million) to build and will provide electricity to 20,000 homes.

The 100-megawatt Shams 1 is "the world's largest concentrated solar power plant in operation" said Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the head of Abu Dhabi's Masdar, which oversees the emirate's plan to generate seven percent of its energy needs by 2020 from renewable sources.

"Today, Shams 1 is the largest CSP plant in all terms," said Santiago Seage, chief executive officer of Abengoa Solar, one of the partners in the project.

Masdar now produces 10 percent of the world's concentrated solar power, he said during the official inauguration.

The solar park features long lines of parabolic mirrors spread over an area equivalent to 285 football pitches in the desert of the Western Region, some 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of Abu Dhabi.

Masdar owns 60 percent of the project, while France's Total and Spain's Abengoa Solar own 20 percent each.

Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest of the seven sheikdoms that make up the federation of the United Arab Emirates.

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PM facing landslide loss in new poll

THE latest Fairfax Media/Nielsen poll offers no glimmer of hope for Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her government which shows the Labor Party seemingly entrenched at a 31 per cent primary vote.

With the Tony Abbott-led coalition unchanged on 47 per cent, it represents electoral oblivion for the government at the September 14 election.

The two-party-preferred split has the government on 44 per cent and the opposition at 56 per cent - a six per cent swing to the coalition from the 50/50 result in 2010 and a landslide victory if carried through to the election.

Fairfax says a telephone survey of 1400 people taken last week also showed Ms Gillard's satisfaction rating continuing to slide and Mr Abbott's continuing to improve.

The Opposition Leader is now preferred prime minister by 49 per cent of voters against Ms Gillard on 43 per cent - down two points.

To make matters worse for the prime minister, voters prefer a Kevin Rudd-led Labor Party by two to one with 62 per cent against opting for Mr Rudd as opposed to Ms Gillard's 31 per cent.

But if Mr Rudd is not in charge there is less appetite for a change that would bring three other Labor leadership possibilities - cabinet ministers Bill Shorten, Greg Combet and Bob Carr.

Fairfax says that of the three, Foreign Minister Senator Carr had the most support with 41 per cent to Ms Gillard on 50 per cent.

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'Pray for me', new Pope Francis urges

POPE Francis has appeared before some 150,000 pilgrims massed in St Peter's Square for his first Angelus prayer and asked the faithful to pray for him.

"Thank you for your welcome, and for your prayers," the first Pope from Latin America said from a window of the papal apartment high above the square on Sunday. "Pray for me."

Dozens of flags from Francis' native Argentina were waving in the square, along with the Vatican's yellow and white standard, as the former cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio recited the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer, the first of his papacy.

Flags from other Latin American nations including Colombia, Peru, Paraguay and Mexico, could also be seen in the crowd.

One banner read: "Francis, You Are the Springtime of the Church", reflecting a groundswell of hope that the choice of a humble outsider has inspired in many Catholics weary of Vatican scandal and dysfunction.

Gabriel Solis, 33, an Argentine pilgrim, spoke of his "indescribable emotion".

"He will bring much peace because he seems more humble, more spontaneous," he said. "He seems closer to the people. We didn't feel that with the pope we had before."

The Angelus has traditionally been a moment to comment on international issues, but Francis instead used the occasion to emphasise his Italian roots.

The former Buenos Aires archbishop, whose parents hailed from Italy, said he chose to name himself after St Francis of Assisi because of his "spiritual ties with this land".

Earlier the Pope grabbed an opportunity to shake hands with well-wishers, plunging into crowds pushing against barricades outside a Vatican gate as security men and Swiss Guards stood nervously by.

Chanting "Viva Il Papa" and calling his name, the well-wishers jostled to greet the new pontiff, who has projected a common touch by breaking with many formal traditions since his surprise election to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics on Wednesday.

The 76-year-old Pope's informal style is markedly different from that of his more austere 85-year-old predecessor Benedict XVI, who stunned the world last month by announcing his resignation citing his advanced age.

A million people may attend the Pope's inauguration mass on Tuesday, including world leaders who are set to begin flying into Rome on Sunday.

Among them is Argentine President Cristina Kirchner who had tense relations with Bergoglio, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, before his elevation to Pope.

US Vice President Joe Biden was also due to arrive later on Sunday.

Francis, whose Italian father was a railway worker, has already spoken to Catholic leaders about the need for spiritual renewal and evangelisation and cautioned them against worldly glories, as well as calling for a "poor Church" that should be closer to ordinary people.

Francis is a moderate conservative who is unlikely to change key doctrine but experts say that he could push for more social justice and a friendlier faith.

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Count under way after Zimbabwe referendum

ZIMBABWE is tallying the ballots from a constitutional referendum that looked set to curb President Robert Mugabe's powers and tee up crucial elections in the violence-plagued nation.

The first incomplete trickle of results pointed to landslide backing for the text, which would introduce presidential term limits, beef up parliament's powers and set polls to decide whether the 89-year-old Mugabe stays in power.

Mugabe has ruled uninterrupted since the country's independence in 1980, despite a series of disputed and violent polls and a severe economic crash propelled by hyper-inflation.

The draft constitution is part of an internationally backed plan to get the country on track. Zimbabweans' verdict on the draft is expected to be known within five days of the voting.

According to the Movement of Democratic Change, the party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, of the nearly 90,000 votes initially counted in the second city of Bulawayo only 6250 were against the draft.

Mugabe has backed the proposed constitution, which enshrines his drive to put land in the hands of black Zimbabweans. Also, the clauses are not retroactive so he could if re-elected remain president for another 10 years.

His political rival Tsvangirai has also lent his support to the text, although turnout is expected to be low.

But that has not prevented the threat of violence from looming over the vote, as party militants keep one eye on the general election.

A vote is expected to take place in July, but doubts remain about whether it can take place as planned.

Shortly before polls opened on Saturday, gunmen later identified as plain clothes police detectives, seized a member of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) from his home northeast of Harare.

Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told AFP Samson Magumura had been arrested on charges of attempted murder in connection with a recent firebomb attack that injured a Mugabe ally.

While casting his vote on Saturday, Mugabe, whom many blame for past unrest, urged Zimbabweans to ensure the referendum proceeded peacefully.

"You can't go about beating people on the streets, that's not allowed, we want peace in the country, peace, peace," he said.

Mugabe, the target of 11 years of Western sanctions over political violence and rights abuses, also used the opportunity to vow the United States and European countries would not be allowed to monitor the upcoming general election.

"The Europeans and the Americans have imposed sanctions on us and we keep them out in the same way they keep us out," he said.

Tsvangirai on Saturday expressed hope that a positive outcome would help catapult the country out of a crisis marked by bloodshed and economic meltdown.

Zimbabwe police detained three senior aides to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in the wake of a key referendum, the premier's office said.

They "were arrested in Harare (on Sunday) morning," a source in Tsvangirai's office told AFP, adding that the charges were not specified.

The three were detained by plain clothes police officers at their homes.

They were named as Thabani Mpofu, Anna Muzvidziwa and Felix Matsinde.

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