Aussie student raped in Sri Lanka: reports

A YOUNG Australian woman is believed to have been raped during a trip to a coastal town in southern Sri Lanka.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) did not give details of the incident but says it is in contact with a woman in the south Asian nation.

"We are providing consular assistance to a young Australian woman in Sri Lanka," a spokeswoman told AAP on Monday.

"The individual seeks privacy at this time."

Local news site ColomboPage reports the woman told police in the southern town of Ambalangoda that she had been raped on a beach by a tourist guide.

The site reports she is an Australian National University (ANU) student and was in the country as part of a group of 15 Australian students.

"The Ambalangoda Police says the suspect has fled the area and investigations are underway island wide to arrest him and to produce him before the court," the site reported.

An ANU spokesman said the university was aware of media reports and was investigating the incident.

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Man injured in Australia Day attack

A man has suffered a cut to his head in an unprovoked Australia Day attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Source: AAP

A MAN has suffered a cut head in an unprovoked Australia Day attack on a street in Sydney's east.

Police said the 24-year-old victim was standing on the footpath on Campbell Parade at Bondi when an unknown man pushed him in the chest then punched him in the head, about 9pm (AEDT) Sunday.

The 24-year-old fell to the ground and struck his head on the pavement, police said in a statement.

He was taken to St Vincent's Hospital with a laceration on the back of his head.

The attacker fled the area with two other people in a silver 4WD.

Detectives are looking for a male who's described as Caucasian, 190cm tall, about 17 years old with short brown hair.

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NT man charged with murder

A MAN has been charged with murder following the death of a man at a house in the Northern Territory.

A 20-year-old man has been remanded in custody after the body of a 29-year-old man was found in Larapinta on Sunday.

Emergency services were called to a house, west of Alice Springs, at around 1pm and found the dead man.

The 20-year-old was taken into police custody a short time later.

He will appear in the Alice Springs Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

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Put taxes on budget repair agenda: Access

A LEADING economist is urging the federal government to make sensible repairs to the budget and believes it's "dumb" to leave taxes off the agenda.

The government has a Commission of Audit working on recommendations to cut commonwealth spending, faced with the potential of a decade of budget deficits and ballooning government debt.

The Commission was due to deliver its initial interim report by Friday, but was granted another two weeks by Treasurer Joe Hockey.

In his latest business outlook released on Tuesday, Deloitte Access Economics economist Chris Richardson says the focus needs to be on sensible repair of the budget.

"All programs need to be assessed on merit, rather than just focusing cuts on the newest programs," Mr Richardson says.

"Taxes need to be on the table too; it's dumb to pretend they can't be touched."

While the government has promised a review of the tax system, its recommendations would be taken to the next election in 2016.

The potential for government cutbacks to address the budget black hole, along with the continued caution of businesses and households, should keep overall economic growth a bit below a trend rate of 3.25 per cent through to late 2015.

But Mr Richardson says the "Big Daddy" of negatives facing the economy is what he describes as the "construction cliff" - the peaking of resource-related investment and its fall from heady heights.

This is already hitting business with soft revenues and stagnant profits.

However, he says there are some "powerful positives" in play for the Australian outlook.

"The (Australian) dollar is finally starting to take its foot off the throat of Australia's economy," he said.

At the same time, the US recovery is accelerating, China is hitting its growth targets, and there is a growing dividend in export volumes from Australia's newly built mines.

Still, an overall weak economy should keep interest rate rises at bay until 2015.

"With the world's central banks winding back their stimulus, the Australian dollar will remain under pressure in 2014 and 2015," Mr Richardson said.

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No action over Nigella drug-taking

UK police will take no further action against TV cook Nigella Lawson after she told a court that she had taken drugs, Scotland Yard says.

The Metropolitan Police said a specialist team had examined all the evidence relating to the 53-year-old's confessions during the fraud trial of her two former assistants, but has concluded there will be no further action.

Self-styled domestic goddess Lawson revealed during the trial of Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo that she took Class A drug cocaine with her late husband John Diamond when he found out he had terminal cancer, and in July 2010 when she claimed she was being "subjected to intimate terrorism" by her former husband, Charles Saatchi.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said there were "serious public interest concerns" about the message a prosecution would send to potential witnesses and victims in the future, and could deter people from being candid with police and the court.

"The decision has been taken based on a number of factors, including the need for police action to be proportionate, whether further action would be in the public interest, and after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service," the statement read.

"There are serious public interest concerns about the message any prosecution would send out to potential witnesses and victims in the future.

"Whilst witnesses clearly cannot simply admit to any offence under oath without consequences, this has to be balanced with the requirement for victims and witnesses to tell the truth."

During the trial of the Grillo sisters last year, Lawson told jurors she had tried cocaine, but said the idea that she was a habitual user of the Class A drug was ridiculous.

The TV star said she was "not proud" but would rather be "honest and ashamed" about what she had done.

She also admitted that she began taking cannabis in the last year of her marriage to multi-millionaire Saatchi.

Saatchi claimed in an email that Lawson's drug use meant she allowed their former assistants to spend what they liked.

The message said: "Of course now the Grillos will get off on the basis that you... were so off your head on drugs that you allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked and, yes, I believe every word they have said."

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India celebrates Republic Day

Millions have watched a display of India's cultural diversity during national day celebrations. Source: AAP

MILLIONS of Indians have watched a display of the country's military power and cultural diversity amid tight security during national day celebrations.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was a special guest at Sunday's parade in the Indian capital, the highlight of the annual Republic Day festivities.

Schoolchildren, folk dancers, and police and military battalions marched through New Delhi, followed by the military hardware display and folk dances. India adopted its democratic Constitution on January 26, 1950.

Similar parades were held in Indian states, including Jammu-Kashmir and Manipur, where separatist militants don't accept Indian rule and called for general strikes.

Four low-intensity explosions marred the celebrations in Imphal, the capital of remote northeastern Manipur state, but did not cause any damage or casualties, police said.

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Luminaries speak and Sydney sky lights up

MARIE Bashir has given her final Australia Day address as governor of NSW in a ceremony marking the end of official Sydney festivities for the national holiday.

Tens of thousands of spectators packed Darling Harbour on Sunday night to watch the day's celebrations peak with a dazzling fireworks display.

Professor Bashir, who is set to retire in September, sailed into Cockle Bay aboard the Admiral's Barge before taking a lap of honour in front of cheering children waving Australian flags.

She told the crowd Australia Day was an opportunity to rejoice and give thanks but also to commit to helping those who were doing it tough.

"We should not slip into complacency, for there is still much to do to address the challenges of those who need our additional support: the marginalised, those who are coping with poverty," Prof Bashir said.

"As we have done in the past, we should meet those challenges with joy and with success."

Indigenous footballer Adam Goodes, who on Saturday was named 2014 Australian of the Year for his leadership in the fight against racism, delivered a video address.

The 34-year-old spoke about the hard work, discipline and sacrifice it took for him to go from country kid to AFL superstar and said he hoped others could follow in his footsteps.

"I was shy growing up. I've learnt over time, and a large part of that learning is about standing up for things I believe in," Goodes said.

"I really hope people are inspired and find the courage to stand up for themselves in the way that I was able to do."

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NT police search for boy taken by croc

A crocodile is believed to have taken a 12-year-old boy missing from a Northern Territory billabong. Source: AAP

A CROCODILE is believed to have taken a 12-year-old boy missing from a Northern Territory billabong.

Another boy, also 12, swimming in the billabong was bitten by a crocodile, police say.

Police and Park Rangers are conducting a search and rescue mission by land and boat after being alerted to the incident at Kakadu National Park on Sunday afternoon.

Acting Commander Michael White said police believed the missing boy was taken by a crocodile as he and a number of other young boys were swimming in the billabong.

"One other boy, also aged 12, was bitten on the arm by the crocodile and has received medical treatment from attending St John Ambulance members," Mr White said.

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Richie, Cyrus perform at Clive Davis gala

JOHN Fogerty performed with the Foo Fighters and Jennifer Hudson. R. Kelly debuted a tribal song in tribute to Nelson Mandela. And Miley Cyrus basically called the audience old.

Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy gala drew stars who are set to shine at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in the US and featured performances from musical dynamos including Lionel Richie and newcomers such as Lorde and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

Neil Diamond, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Metallica, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Rod Stewart were among the A-listers who attended the Beverly Hilton for the four-hour event.

Cyrus opened her set with the upbeat Get It Right, which didn't earn a rousing applause.

"I hope y'all feel better than y'all look," said Cyrus, sporting a mini-dress under her fluffy coat.

"Maybe this song is better for this crowd," she said before performing Dolly Parton's Jolene, which earned the 21-year-old a louder applause.

Robin Thicke had the night's funniest moment when he sang Blurred Lines with Pharrell Williams and T.I., who danced happily onstage. Even Jane Fonda danced along.

Most of the performers impressed: Thicke and wife Paula Patton stood up the entire time Fogerty killed on the guitar; Richie got the crowd up during Easy and All Night Long (All Night); and R. Kelly was backed up by African dancers, a drummer and a choir.

Celebrities mixed and mingled: Swift's table included R&B singer Tyrese; Gloria Estefan sat with Cyndi Lauper and the Osbournes; and Alicia Key hung out with Jamie Foxx.

The crowd sang happy birthday to Keys, who celebrated her 34th birthday on Saturday.

Davis, 81, closed the night with videos of performances of Whitney Houston.

"We all know that Whitney was the greatest contemporary singer in the world," said Davis, who discovered Houston and launched her career at his annual pre-Grammy gala.

"I don't want the world to forget that, and I don't know anyone in this room to forget that."

Houston died the night before the 2012 Grammy Awards.

The 56th annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center on Fox8 with the red carpet arrivals at 10am.

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Uni students want more say on services

STUDENTS still aren't getting enough say in how their money is spent on university services but their union is hopeful that will improve.

A National Union of Students (NUS) report finds the funding situation at three-quarters of student organisations has improved since the introduction of the student services and amenities fee (SSAF) two years ago.

But less than one in four organisations said they'd recommend their university's method of consulting on how to spend the money in 2013.

This was a big drop from the previous year.

As well, only four out of the 31 student organisations surveyed said they got more than half the SSAF money their university collected.

NUS president Deanna Taylor said the guidelines around student consultation on how to spend the money were not clear.

Many universities were putting together committees to decide on spending SSAF funds that were stacked with university representatives at the expense of students.

Other concerns were the lack of transparency and clear timetables for consultation.

"We need students to be having a very loud and clear voice in how their money is spent so that we make sure it goes to what they want it spent on and they get the most out of the fee," she told AAP.

"We just need to keep reminding universities to engage in meaningful consultation and to respect the wishes of student representatives."

But she was hopeful new guidelines starting in 2014 would improve the situation.

The $273 annual services and amenities fee was instituted in 2012.

It can only be spent on certain campus services, not including political causes, and can be added to a student's HECS-HELP debt.

The NUS found the most common student-run services funded were student newspapers, advocacy services, sporting and non-sporting clubs, concerts, and university diaries.

The most common services jointly run by students and universities were orientation activities, international student support, welfare, and bookshops.

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