Toyota to enter US settlement talks

Toyota is entering settlement talks on US lawsuits that allege sudden unintended acceleration. Source: AAP

AFTER a four-year legal battle, Toyota is entering settlement talks on nearly 400 US lawsuits that allege sudden unintended acceleration problems with its vehicles led to deaths and injuries.

Joint motions filed late on Thursday in US District Court in Santa Ana and Los Angeles County Superior Court indicated both sides would begin an "intensive settlement process" next month.

The Japanese automaker, which has recalled millions of cars since 2009 over the acceleration issue, agreed to the negotiations to make resolving the cases more efficient, spokeswoman Carly Schaffner told The Associated Press on Friday.

"We continue to stand behind the safety and quality of our vehicles," she said.

Cases that don't settle after a two-stage mediation process will go back to court for trial, said plaintiffs' co-lead counsel Mark Robinson Jr., but most of the 375 claims will likely get resolved.

"It's not practical to try all these cases," he said. "You've got two chances to get your case settled and if you're a plaintiff, at least you're not just sitting in some file in the courthouse."

The settlement negotiations come less than two months after an Oklahoma jury awarded a total of $US3 million ($A3.37 million) in damages to the injured driver of a 2005 Camry and to the family of a passenger who was killed.

The ruling was significant because Toyota had won all previous unintended acceleration cases that went to trial. It was also the first case where lawyers for plaintiffs argued that the car's electronics - in this case the software connected to the Camry's electronic throttle-control system - were the cause of the unintended acceleration.

At the time, legal experts said the Oklahoma verdict might cause Toyota to consider a broad settlement of the remaining cases. Until then, Toyota had been riding momentum from several trials where juries found it was not liable.

Robinson said lawyers for plaintiffs had been discussing a streamlined settlement process with Toyota before that verdict, but the Oklahoma case "couldn't have hurt" those talks.

Toyota has blamed drivers, stuck accelerators or floor mats that trapped the pedal for the acceleration claims that led to the big recalls of Camrys and other vehicles. The company has repeatedly denied its vehicles are flawed.

No recalls have been issued related to problems with onboard electronics. In the Oklahoma case, Toyota lawyers theorised that the driver mistakenly pumped the gas pedal instead of the brake when her Camry ran through an intersection and slammed into an embankment.

Sean Kane, president of Massachusetts-based Safety Research & Strategies, said the Oklahoma verdict likely moved Toyota to the negotiating table because it targeted electronics.

"Nobody did until that case and they got hammered - and they got hammered in a conservative venue," said Kane, who researches consumer safety in motor vehicles for plaintiff lawyers and has been closely following the Toyota litigation.

"The evidence that came out in that trial has attracted global attention that is remarkable," he said.

After the verdict, jurors told AP they believed the testimony of an expert who said he found flaws in the car's electronics. They also pointed to 50 metres of skid marks on the road as evidence the driver was desperately trying to brake.

"What makes the accelerator open? The computer," juror Vickie Potter said after the verdict.

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Severe storm warnings cancelled

ANOTHER round of severe thunderstorms pummelled southeast Queensland tonight.

8.25pm: The worst of this evening's severe thunderstorms has passed, with the weather bureau lifting its earlier warnings.

The Bureau of Meteorology said dangerous weather systems are no longer affecting southeast Queensland.

Forecasters will continue to monitor the situation and will issue further warnings if anything is detected on radars.

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Nikki Duncan said the severe thunderstorm which swept over the region earlier this evening dropped a blanket of hail over the city. Picture: Nikki Duncan

8.15pm: Christine McMillan said the hail continued to belt her Willowbank home for 15 to 20 minutes.

"I have never seen anything this intense," she said.

"I also have a picture of the storm approaching but never expected this."

"I had to move from the doorway because they were smashing on the concrete outside and chunks were flying in at me." Picture: Sharon Wheatley at Rathdowney

Ms Duncan said she was lucky to have survived the storm unscathed.

"I've never had hail like that before. It looked like a White Christmas."

"I appear to have survived without any major damage. I'm yet to check my car."
 

Christine McMillan said the hail continued to belt her Willowbank home for 15 to 20 minutes. Picture: Christine McMillan

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7.55pm: The Bureau of Meteorology have updated a severe thunderstorm warning to include areas of Brisbane CBD, Ipswich, Boonah, Beaudesert, Beenleigh, Logan City, Cleveland, Strathpine, Esk, Redcliffe and Caboolture.

7.45pm: Ipswich residents must have been dreaming of a white Christmas, with the city transformed into a winter wonderland.

Nikki Duncan said the severe thunderstorm which swept over the region earlier this evening dropped a blanket of hail over the city.

"It was very sudden and loud," she said. "The severity was unexpected."

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7.50pm: A severe thunderstorm south of the NSW border is expected to hit Queensland by 8pm.

The cell is predicted to reach the McPherson Range, Rathdowney, Numinbah Valley, Laravale, Kooralbyn and the area south of Canungra by 8.05 pm.

Beaudesert will be next in the firing line, with the storm expected to strike about 8.30pm.
 

7.30pm: Sharon Wheatley said the earlier storm battered her property near Rathdowney.

"I was watching the clouds from the doorway and saw that one hailstone drop into the yard, nothing else, just that one, so I stuck a bucket over my head and ran out and grabbed it," she said.

"Gradually a few more dropped. There was no rain at first, just large hail dropping from the sky.

"I had to move from the doorway because they were smashing on the concrete outside and chunks were flying in at me. Then they just came down solidly for maybe 10 minutes or so."

7.15pm: The weather bureau has warned that while one severe thunderstorm is skirting dangerously close to Brisbane's CBD, another one is brewing just over the NSW border.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Peter Otto said an earlier warning was still current for areas to the west of Brisbane, but the storm was unlikely to reach the city centre.

Further west, he said golf-sized hail stones have fallen on Mt Barney, with larger stones reported at Boonah.

"That storm is moving over the Ipswich area at the moment," he said.

"There is another cell south of the border that is likely to hit Rathdowney in the next half hour and it may head north after that. It's another very dangerous storm with large hail stones expected."

6.45pm: Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Rosewood, Marburg, Lake Manchester, Upper Brookfield and Fernvale by 7.20 pm and Enoggera Reservoir, Enoggera, Mount Nebo, Highvale, Samford and Albany Creek by 7.50 pm.

Other severe thunderstorms in northern NSW are forecast to affect Mount Barney, the McPherson Range, Rathdowney, Maroon Dam, Kooralbyn and Lamington National Park by 7:50 pm.

Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely, with hail larger than golf balls reported at Boonah earlier.

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6.20pm:  The Bureau of Meteorology has updated their thunderstorm warning, alerting residents that very dangerous thunderstorms were moving north.

The storms were detected on weather radar near Boonah, Aratula, Harrisville, Peak Crossing, Bundamba Lagoon and the area south of Amberley.

Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Ipswich, Redbank Plains, Amberley, Rosewood, Marburg and Lake Manchester by 6:50 pm and Lowood, Fernvale, Mount Nebo, Highvale, Samford and the D'Aguilar Ranges by 7:20 pm.

Other severe thunderstorms were located near Bonalbo(NSW). Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely.

Hail larger than golf balls was reported at Boonah at around 5:40pm.

5.20pm: The weather bureau issued a severe thunderstorm warning after storms were detected over the Scenic Rim region near Mount Barney, Laravale and Kooralbyn.

The southeast Queensland warning said damaging winds and large hailstones are likely.

Forecasters from the Bureau of Meteorology said the thunderstorms were moving in a northerly direction, with Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast put on alert.

The storms are predicted to hit Beaudesert about 5.30pm.

More to come.
 

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advises that people should:
* Move your car under cover or away from trees.
* Secure loose outdoor items.
* Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
* Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm.
* Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.
 

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Mandela's remains transferred to air base

The South African military has handed over Nelson Mandela's flag-draped coffin to the ANC. Source: AAP

THE remains of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela have been transferred to Waterkloof air base for a farewell from the African National Congress.

The military handed over Mandela's flag-draped coffin to the African National Congress (ANC) at a solemn ceremony broadcast live on South African television.

The remains were to be returned to military control later on Saturday.

It will then be flown to the Eastern Cape in preparation for Mandela's funeral the following day.

Mandela's casket is expected to arrive on Saturday afternoon and to be greeted by a full military ceremony.

The late president died just over a week ago at age 95.

His body lay in state for three days this week, drawing huge crowds of South Africans who mourned his death and celebrated his successful struggle against apartheid.

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Cops in bashing video 'professional': Union

Video captures police officers apparently punching and kicking a man in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. Courtesy Joe Smith

A SHOCKING video has emerged showing a man being punched and kicked by police during an apparently unprovoked attack in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.

UPDATE: Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said the police officers involved would be "completely vindicated" when the facts emerged.

"Having spoken with police familiar with the incident, I can confirm all police involved acted in an entirely professional, appropriate and responsible manner and their actions will be vindicated and put in context when all the evidence of this matter becomes public," he said.

"I am informed the brief few seconds of footage that have been filmed by a bystander do not accurately portray or represent the entirety of the police interaction with the offender."

READ MORE IN THE SUNDAY MAIL - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH VICTIM
 

EARLIER: The video shows a man in a maroon suit in the alleyway next to the Fortitude Valley nightclub The Beat speaking with three police officers about 11pm Friday night.

Amateur video captures a man being punched and kicked by police in an apparently unprovoked attack in Fortitude Valley.

The man is then suddenly punched by one of the officers, reeling back.

It then appears a further scuffle next to the wall takes place.

Further footage shows the man being kicked repeatedly by a second officer before being taken away in a police van in cuffs.

Joe Ritson, 24, said he was walking through the entertainment precinct with his friend when he saw the confrontation.

"I had a feeling something was going on, I don't know why I was filming," he said.

Motorists watch as a man is punched and kicked by police in an apparently unprovoked attack in Fortitude Valley.

"He was just standing there, we were watching for a good minute or two, when it happened."

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Mr Ritson said he approached police afterwards and told them he had recorded the incident.

"They said f*** off, we'll arrest you too."

He said he yelled out to the man being arrested he would try to do something.

Amateur footage shows a man being punched and kicked by police in an apparently unprovoked attack in Fortitude Valley.

"I was really worried and shocked … then I woke up to see the Queensland Police Facebook page. They were bragging about all of these arrests they made overnight but it really questions how legitimate they really are."

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Brisbane Region Acting Assistant Commissioner Allan McCarthy said the incident, involving three officers and a member of the public, had been referred to the Ethical Standards Command.

"It is important that members of the community have confidence in their police, and that is why all members of the Queensland Police Service are expected to act professionally and ethically in accordance with the Service's high standards at all times," he said.

"In keeping with our commitment to high standards of behaviour, transparency and accountability, the QPS regularly informs the public about investigations of this nature."

Acting Assistant Commissioner McCarthy said the investigation did not mean any allegations or complaints about the officers had been substantiated.

"It is important not to pre-empt the outcome, however the circumstances will be investigated thoroughly to determine if the officers have acted in accordance with the high expectations of the Service," he said.

"Policing can be a complex and dangerous job, and the Service also provides officers with appropriate training to deal with a range of situations, and that is why the QPS has a set of guidelines that govern the use of force options available to officers."

 

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Three men stabbed in Sydney's west

AT least two men have been stabbed in a brawl at a western Sydney service station.

Emergency services found two wounded men behind the Granville petrol station after being called there on reports of a fight between two groups of men early on Saturday night, police say.

The men, believed to be in their late teens or early 20s, were taken to Westmead Hospital with multiple stab wounds.

Shortly afterwards another man presented at Auburn Hospital seeking treatment for stab wounds.

"Police are trying to determine whether he was involved in the brawl at Granville," police said in a statement.

A crime scene has been established and forensic specialists are investigating.

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SAfrica apologises for Mandela interpreter

The man accused of faking sign interpretation at Nelson Mandela's memorial claims he hallucinated. Source: AAP

THE South African government has formally apologised for any offence caused by the sign language interpreter it hired for Nelson Mandela's memorial, later exposed as a fake.

"We sincerely apologise to the deaf community and to all South Africans for any offence that may have been suffered," Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile said in a statement on Friday.

The country's junior minister for disabilities, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, admitted on Thursday the government had made a "mistake", but defended the interpreter.

Enraged sign language experts said that Thamsanqa Jantjie's signing in front of US President Barack Obama and other world leaders gathered at Soweto's Soccer City stadium had amounted to little more than "flapping his arms around".

Jantjie later blamed his behaviour on a schizophrenic attack.

Contacted by telephone on Friday, he refused to discuss the incident, saying he was too busy drafting an explanation to the government.

"Yesterday I explained to all the media...(and) today I am busy with the government that want my side of the story," he said.

Minister Mashatile said parliament would pass a new law early next year to regulate the profession "so that this kind of incident doesn't happen ever again."

Bogopane-Zulu said Thursday the interpreter was not fake, but may have had problems with English or was overworked and tired.

South Africa's deaf organisations, however, said this was not a one-off incident, claiming they had complained to the government about Jantjie before.

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Nigella accused of lying to court

ONE of the personal assistants accused of defrauding Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi has accused them of lying under oath as she gave evidence in her trial.

Elisabetta Grillo, 41, also said other members of the TV cook's "Team Cupcake" lied in court.

The defendant, who along with her sister Francesca Grillo, 35, is accused of spending STG685,000 ($A1.26 million) on credit cards belonging to the celebrity couple to buy designer goods and luxury holidays for herself, made the claims as she spent a second day in the witness box.

As she began cross-examining her, prosecutor Jane Carpenter asked: "Ms Grillo, is it your evidence that Ms Lawson has lied to the court?"

She replied: "Yes."

"And Mr Saatchi?"

"Yes."

"And you're the one telling the truth?"

"I am."

"And the other PAs, have they lied as well?"

"Yes."

The court previously heard that the defendants allege that Lawson, who divorced multi-millionaire Saatchi earlier this year, regularly snorted cocaine and smoked cannabis during her 10-year marriage.

But, giving evidence last week, Ms Lawson told jurors she had only taken cocaine with her late husband John Diamond when he found out he had terminal cancer, and on another occasion in July 2010 during her troubled marriage to Saatchi.

Giving evidence yesterday, Elisabetta said she regularly found signs that Lawson was using cocaine, including a packet of white powder found in a toilet in the home she shared with Diamond, as well as rolled-up banknotes and credit cards with white powder on them.

Asked if she had ever seen Lawson taking drugs, Elisabetta - who is also known as Lisa - said: "No."

But she told jurors she was aware that Lawson had taken illegal substances.

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Coleman keen to clinch an overseas deal

Woodside Petroleum boss Peter Coleman is eager to secure a lucrative overseas LNG export deal. Source: AAP

WOODSIDE Petroleum boss Peter Coleman would love to pull off a big overseas deal and set his company up for years of strong growth.

But this week's announcement that the oil and gas giant will defer a $1.25 billion investment in Israel isn't going to get him to that point anytime soon.

The well-touted Leviathan LNG project in the Mediterranean Sea is getting increasingly complicated, as a series of regulatory delays and problems with its joint venture partners force the company to tread carefully.

Some believe Woodside should concentrate on what it knows best - delivering low cost LNG from offshore gas fields in Western Australia.

But Mr Coleman has larger growth aspirations.

This week he said Woodside would wait another two months before committing to a 30 per cent stake in the Leviathan project with US-based firm Noble Energy.

That's more than a year after he announced the project.

"We're not in it to do a deal for a deal," Mr Coleman told analysts.

"It needs to be a compelling value case given the amount of investment involved in the decision."

Some analysts have highlighted the geopolitical risks involved and questioned the viability of exporting gas from Israel which is grappling with its own gas reservation policy and tax regime.

Late last year Woodside said it planned to stump up $1.4 billion for Leviathan, a decision which was based entirely on a Tzemach advisory panel report.

The Tzemach report recommended Israel export just over half of its gas, but it sparked outrage among Israelis who want most of the gas reserved for domestic purposes.

Mr Coleman said the new Israeli government had given Woodside assurances around LNG export volumes.

Further legal challenges could create more uncertainty.

It comes as Woodside awaits the outcome of a review into Israeli tax law relating to LNG and pipeline exports which is due to be released in early February.

In addition, joint venture partners are reportedly talking about building a pipeline into Turkey.

For all of the "moving parts" involved in doing business in the Middle East, Mr Coleman remains upbeat but cautious ahead of committing shareholder funds.

"There's still an opportunity for Woodside to create significant value within the joint venture, but first and foremost we are focused on ensuring that we have a commercial outcome that delivers value to us," he says.

He has previously said the company would prefer to give money back to shareholders if a project doesn't stack up.

"We have other options that we're also pursuing and in this case we're ensuring that whatever we do, if we do enter into this joint venture, it's done in a way that's a commercially sensible outcome for all of us."

Woodside's overall estimated investment expenditure for 2013 has dropped to $US1.1 billion ($A1.21 billion) from the previous guidance of $US2.3 billion ($A2.53 billion) due to the deferral of expected expenditure on Leviathan.

Total investment expenditure in 2014 is expected to be between approximately $US2.0 billion ($A2.25 billion) and $US2.4 billion ($A2.70 billion).

It comes as Mr Coleman was this week quizzed about Woodside's stalled Sunrise project in the wake of the East Timor spy scandal, and a fortnight after Mr Coleman completed a trip to Japan where he began marketing gas from the proposed Browse floating LNG project in north Western Australia.

He would not reveal details of recent price negotiations, but indicated the company was in a strong position in Japan as the nation struggles to secure energy after the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Woodside spent more than $1 billion on the controversial Browse onshore proposal near Broome but abandoned it after widespread community opposition, citing higher costs.

The risks of outlaying a similar amount will be in the front of Mr Coleman's mind next year as Woodside crunches the numbers on Leviathan, factoring in a substantially weaker Australian dollar.

Around this time the company is due to open an office in Myanmar as it continues exploring in New Zealand, Ireland and WA.

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James Bond an 'impotent alcoholic'

JAMES Bond's martini habit likely made him an impotent alcoholic, according to a study published Friday in the British Medical Journal.

"We conclude that James Bond was unlikely to be able to stir his drinks, even if he would have wanted to, because of likely alcohol-induced tremor," wrote researchers Patrick Davies, Indra Neil Guha and Graham Johnson.

The study authors read 12 of Ian Fleming's novels starring the British spy, noting his alcohol consumption and calculating that in the total 123.5 days described he often drank more than four times the weekly recommended limit of alcohol.

Bond was at "considerable risk of developing alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, impotence, and other alcohol-related health problems, together with being at serious risk of injury or death because of his drinking."

The most he drank in one day was in From Russia With Love, when he consumed 49.8 units - in Britain the recommended daily limit for men is three or four units. On average he drank between 65 and 92 units a week.

Bond was also a serial drink-driver, the researchers noted.

"In Goldfinger, for example, he drinks 18 units while having drinks and dinner with Auric Goldfinger before then driving home," they wrote.

"In Casino Royale, he drinks over 39 units before engaging in a high speed car chase, losing control, and spending 14 days in hospital. We hope that this was a salutatory lesson."

It was a "pure fiction", the authors wrote, that Bond would be able to carry out the highly complicated tasks described in the thrillers after drinking so much.

"Although we appreciate the societal pressures to consume alcohol when working with international terrorists and high stakes gamblers, we would advise Bond be referred for further assessment of his alcohol intake and reduce his intake to safe levels," they concluded.

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Berlin prosecutors investigate Nazi guard

A FORMER Nazi concentration camp guard living in Berlin is being investigated on suspicion of murder after authorities received a tip from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, prosecutors said.

The 87-year-old, identified only as Horst P., is alleged to have been involved in killings while serving as a guard at the Dachau camp near Munich, Berlin prosecutors' spokesman Martin Steltner said.

He refused to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

The Wiesenthal Centre's top Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff said information on the suspect came in after the organisation launched a poster campaign in Germany in July soliciting tips on the whereabouts of former guards and Nazis. He passed it on to Berlin prosecutors after confirming the suspect really had been a Dachau guard.

"We were informed that the case is being taken seriously, and we can only hope it will be expedited in an appropriate manner," Zuroff said in a telephone interview from Jerusalem.

Germany's Bild newspaper first reported the case, publishing an interview with the suspect Friday in which he is quoted as denying involvement in any killings.

But, he acknowledged, "when one of the criminals caused a disturbance I reported him, then he was picked up and taken to a special camp. Sometimes I never saw them again but I also never asked any questions."

German authorities are currently investigating about 30 former Auschwitz guards under new legal thinking that anyone who served in a death camp, whose sole purpose was to kill, can be prosecuted as accessories to murder.

That argument has not been successfully expanded to include guards at concentration camps like Dachau, where tens of thousands died but whose purpose was not solely killing.

In this case, that means that prosecutors will have to find sufficient evidence of a specific crime before they can file charges.

Zuroff would not give specific details on the information the Wiesenthal Centre received, but did say it was an "allegation of the commission of a serious crime."

In Bild's story, the newspaper printed a photo collage they said was on the wall of the man's apartment southeast of the German capital. It was labelled "Mein Kampf" - the same title as Adolf Hitler's notorious book - and included photos showing him in uniform.

He was also quoted as saying he joined the SS because he "was told that it was fun."

Steltner said it was not clear how Bild learned of the case, and Zuroff said the Wiesenthal Centre had been hoping not to publicise it until the investigation was farther along.

"The information did not come from us," Zuroff said. "I wanted to give the prosecutors a chance to do the right thing."

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Two die after being hit by cars in Vic

TWO people have died in hospital after being hit by cars in separate crashes in Melbourne's north.

A 29-year-old woman died in hospital on Thursday afternoon after being hit by a car on the weekend.

A passerby found her with life threatening injuries in the inner northern suburb of Thornbury about 2.50am (AEDT) on Sunday.

She was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital where she died on Thursday afternoon.

A man, 19, from Reservoir, is assisting police with their inquires.

An elderly man also died in hospital on Thursday after being hit by a car in Brunswick East last month.

Investigators believe the 82-year-old from North Fitzroy was crossing Nicholson Street near Barkly Street when he was hit by a north-bound car on the afternoon of November 8.

Victoria's road toll stands at 224 compared to 271 at this time last year.

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Batts inquiry start date announced

THE federal royal commission into Labor's home insulation program, which cost four lives and caused extensive property damage, is set to begin before Christmas.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd launched the $2.8 billion "pink batts" scheme in 2008 to inject cash into the economy during the global financial crisis. It ran until 2010.

The commission, which is investigating whether the then-government's practices contributed to the deaths and damage, will commence with a preliminary hearing in Brisbane on the morning of December 23.

The governor-general has appointed Mr Ian Hanger AM QC to head the inquiry.

She has also asked whether laws or practices should be altered to "prevent the recurrence of any failure identified by the inquiry".

"Four young men died while undertaking installations funded by the Home Insulation Program. There are claims of homes sustaining damage and businesses suffering financial loss," Mr Hanger said.

"This Royal Commission will investigate whether the way that the Australian government established and implemented the home insulation program contributed to these consequences."

In July, a Queensland coroner found the rushed rollout of the scheme was a significant factor in the deaths of Queensland batt installers Mitchell Sweeney, Matthew Fuller and Rueben Barnes.

In New South Wales, 19-year-old Marcus Wilson, died on his first day on the job after suffering heat stroke.

The coroner cited "inadequate" training and "lax" supervision as factors in the tragedies.

Anyone who wishes to appear before the commission as a witness must apply by 4pm (AEDT) December 18.

Further information is available at www.homeinsulationroyalcommission.gov.au

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Thai protesters cut power to PM's office

Thai protesters have cut power to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's office compound in Bangkok. Source: AAP

PROTESTERS have announced they have cut off electricity to the Thai prime minister's office compound and are demanding that police abandon the premises amid a political crisis that has dragged on for weeks.

The protesters, seeking to force the replacement of caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government before a February 2 election, have threatened to force their way in if police don't leave.

Police attempts to negotiate were rebuffed, but they did not withdraw immediately.

An Associated Press photographer inside one of the buildings said electricity had been shut off to the press office. Police confirmed that power had been cut to some buildings in the compound, collectively called Government House.

Protesters also cut barbed wire placed on top of the steel fence surrounding the compound while police stationed nearby looked on.

Yingluck was not in her offices at the time and shortly afterward gave a televised address from an unidentified location in which she announced a December 15 meeting of all sections of society to try to find a solution to the crisis.

The protest leadership has demanded a meeting with senior military and police officials, a call which has so far been rejected, at least publicly. Protest leaders did meet at a hotel with business leaders in what was billed as an effort to explain their goals.

In a previous confrontation, police withdrew from the prime minister's compound to allow the demonstrators in without a fight. That withdrawal came after two days of increasingly violent standoffs. Since the latest unrest began last month that left five people dead and nearly 300 injured.

The street fighting was suspended when both sides agreed it would dishonour the occasion of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's birthday last week.

Looking for a way out of the crisis, Yingluck dissolved the lower house of Parliament on Monday and called for early elections. Her foes, however, insist she step aside to make way for an interim appointed government, an action that cannot be taken under the country's constitution.

They claim that Thai politics is hopelessly corrupt under the influence of Yingluck's billionaire brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for the country's constitutional monarch.

To carry out reforms, they want to institute a less democratic system where the concept of one-man, one vote would no longer apply because they believe the masses are not well enough educated to choose responsible leaders. They also say the poor sell their votes.

Thaksin's supporters say he is disliked because he has shifted power away from Thailand's traditional ruling class.

Thaksin and his allies have easily won every national election since 2001, relying on the support of the rural majority and urban poor, who benefited from his populist policies. The opposition Democrat Party, which has allied itself with the protests, has not won an election since 1992.

Yingluck's ruling party won the last vote two years ago in a landslide, and is likely to be victorious in any new ballot.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban this week has been declaring that his movement has more legitimacy than the government, which he claims has acted against the constitution.

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Gaddafi's son appears in Libyan court

THE son of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi has briefly appeared before a militia-backed court in western Libya, only to have the proceedings against him adjourned until the end of February.

Since the end of Libya's 2011 civil war, Seif al-Islam Gaddafi has been held by a militia in Zintan, which has refused to hand him over for a separate trial in the capital, Tripoli - a sign of the central government's weakness.

In Tripoli, he is being tried in absentia along with 39 other Gaddafi regime figures, including notorious spymaster Abdullah al-Senoussi, for alleged crimes during Libya's conflict.

Seif al-Islam is also wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.

The only Gaddafi son in custody, Seif al-Islam looked healthy during his brief appearance in the Zintan court. Wearing a blue prison uniform, he replied with a "no" when the judge asked him whether he had any requests.

The hearings were then adjourned until February 27 because the judge demanded that "other suspects" be brought in.

In the Zintan trial, Seif al-Islam faces charges of attempting to escape prison and insulting Libya's new flag. These charges are linked to a meeting he had in June 2012 with an ICC delegation that was accused of smuggling documents and a camera to him in his cell. The four-member team from The Hague was detained by Zintan rebels but released after the international tribunal apologised and pledged to investigate the incident.

The Zintan charges are separate from both those by the ICC, which indicted Seif al-Islam for the murder and persecution of protesters in the uprising that ultimately toppled his father's regime, and those by the Tripoli court.

Thursday's hearing was held amid tight security measures, with several masked policemen guarding Seif al-Islam inside the courtroom.

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Jerry Lewis appointed honorary OA

US comedian Jerry Lewis has been appointed an honorary member of the Order of Australia for his charity work on muscular dystrophy.

Now 87, the star of numerous films has been international patron of the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation of Australia since 2009.

He has helped to raise more than $2.6 billion through his long support of research into this degenerative disease dating back to the 1950s.

Lewis has given enormous support for a range of activities, including clinical research on a global scale, to prolong the lives of many thousands of children throughout the world.

The official citation says he's being recognised for service to the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation of Australia and for his longtime humanitarian contribution to those affected by the disorder.

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Aussie boat race pest pleads to stay in UK

BOAT race protester Trenton Oldfield has told an immigration tribunal hearing that if he is deported from the UK his British wife and five-month-old baby daughter won't move to Australia with him because it's a "racist country".

Mr Oldfield is fronting the tribunal in London after his request for a spousal visa was refused by the government on the grounds his presence in Britain is not "conducive to the public good".

The 37-year-old activist has lived in the UK for more than 10 years.

In April 2012 Mr Oldfield swam into the path of the Oxford and Cambridge rowing crews, as they raced down the Thames, in a protest against elitism and inequality. He was subsequently jailed for seven weeks.

"Australia is a particularly racist country," Mr Oldfield said on Monday when explaining that if deported he would be separated from his wife Deepa Naik, 36, and child.

Mr Oldfield said Ms Naik had never visited Australia and couldn't live there because some Indians in the community had suffered violent racist attacks.

There was also everyday "passive water-cooler racism", he said.

"Our home is here. Australia is on the other side of the world."

Mr Oldfield told immigration judge Kevin Moore that if he were allowed to stay in the UK - which he said he loved - "I give you my word we won't be here (in a tribunal) again".

The Australian said when he swam in the Thames in 2012 he'd recently returned to the UK after caring for Ms Naik's father as he was dying of cancer.

He said he was saddened to realise that wealthier people could afford better drugs and have a better quality of life when gravely ill.

"I think I was vulnerable in terms of realising how short life can be," Mr Oldfield told the hearing before breaking down in tears.

"I think I was very emotional. When you walk around London you see pockets of depravation that still exist. I think I was heartbroken."

His lawyer, Stephanie Harrison QC, said the boat protest wasn't of sufficient gravity or seriousness to justify his deportation.

"His presence is neither undesirable or contrary to the public good," she said, adding that separating him from his wife would be a "disproportionate" punishment.

Ms Harrison said the judge had "unfettered discretion" to overturn Home Secretary Theresa May's decision to kick him out of the country.

It's expected Judge Moore won't make a ruling for four to six weeks.

If the decision goes against Mr Oldfield he could still appeal to an upper tribunal or the Court of Appeal.

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BBC complaints about Mandela coverage

MORE than 1000 viewers have complained about the excessive coverage of Nelson Mandela's death on BBC services, including some who grumbled about Mrs Brown's Boys being interrupted.

The BBC has defended the extent to which it featured the death of the former South African president, a major news item which led bulletins around the world.

By Monday, the BBC had received 1350 complaints about too much coverage across its news services, with some saying the emphasis had reduced the coverage of severe weather across the UK that day.

Programme chiefs broke into a repeat of BBC1 sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys to break the news.

"Nelson Mandela was a hugely significant world leader with an enormous political and cultural influence across the world," a BBC spokeswoman said.

"His death is of considerable interest to our audiences at home and across the globe."

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Vic doctors receive 10 per cent pay rise

VICTORIAN public hospital doctors have received a pay rise of about 10 per cent over four years.

The four-year enterprise bargaining agreement for the state's 8600 doctors will see them receive three instalments of 3.33 per cent salary increases.

Victorian Health Minister David Davis said the agreement was a "fair outcome" following talks in the Fair Work Commission.

Mr Davis said paramedics were now the last public health sector employees yet to finalise their enterprise bargaining agreements.

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