'Syria collapse threatens region'

THE UN envoy for the Syria crisis is warning that further deterioration of conditions in the country could send an unbearable stream of refugees into neighbouring countries.

Speaking Saturday after meeting in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, peace envoy Lakhdar Braihmi said "if you have a panic in Damascus and if you have 1 million people leaving Damascus in a panic, they can go to only two places - Lebanon and Jordan. Neither Lebanon or Jordan can support without breaking 500,000 refugees."

Mr Brahimi said that "If the only alternative is really hell or a political process, then we have got all of us to work ceaselessly for a political process."

Neither official gave indication of significant progress toward resolving the 21-month-old conflict in which an estimated 40,000 people have died.

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Strong interest in apprenticeship program

ALMOST 500 potential apprentices have registered for the Gillard government's Kickstart program since it was launched two weeks ago.

The $57.5 million Kickstart program was designed to create up to 21,000 extra apprenticeships in the construction industry.

Tradies who take on a new apprentice before the end of February will get a bonus $3350 from the commonwealth, tripling the upfront incentive paid to employers in the first year.

Minister for Skills Senator Chris Evans said applications had been received from across the country, with the strongest demand so far in carpentry, plumbing and engineering fabrication.

"This is the perfect opportunity for school leavers in particular to get a head start on a successful and rewarding career in the industry," Senator Evans said.

"We will need more skilled tradespeople in the housing sector as we approach the predicted upturn in 2014 and 2015."

The three east coast mainland states have registered the most interest, with more than 200 potential apprentices applying in Victoria, 112 in NSW and 109 in Queensland.

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FBI releases Marilyn Monroe files

THE FBI has re-issued files it kept on Marilyn Monroe, removing dozens of redactions from entries related to surveillance of the actress for communist ties.

A large section of the files obtained by The Associated Press focuses on Monroe's 1962 trip to Mexico and her emerging friendship with Frederick Vanderbilt Field, who was disinherited from his wealthy family for leftist views.

Field was Monroe's guide on a trip in which she furniture-shopped for her new home.

The AP appealed the redactions in the file as part of a series of stories on the 50th anniversary of Monroe's death in 1962, but the bureau previously said it no longer had access to the files.

The bureau issued a new version after a request for details on the records' locations.

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Film composer Bennett dies aged 76

SIR Richard Rodney Bennett, a British composer, pianist and arranger who was nominated three times for Academy Awards, has died in New York City at age 76.

His publisher Novello & Co said in a statement that Bennett died on Dec. 24 following a brief illness.

He was nominated for Oscars for the scores for Far from the Madding Crowd in 1967, Nicholas and Alexandra in 1971 and Murder on the Orient Express in 1974.

A student of Pierre Boulez in 1957-58, Bennett's work evolved from the avant-garde to a more tonal style. As a pianist, he performed with singer Claire Martin and he recorded music by George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Harold Arlen.

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'Worst of euro debt crisis over'

GERMANY'S finance minister says the worst of euro area's debt crisis appears to be over after three years of worries over Greece and other members of the group of 17 European Union countries that use the single currency.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was quoted as telling the Bild newspaper: "I think we have the worst behind us."

Mr Schaeuble says Greece and others have recognised that they can only overcome the crisis by implementing reforms and that the Greek government - which has received two bailouts - "knows that it cannot financially overburden the other euro states".

Some in Germany have expressed concern about the economy of neighboring France. But Mr Schaeuble says the government there "knows very well that every country must constantly conduct reforms to remain competitive."

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Mubarak to be taken to hospital

EGYPT'S state prosecutor has ordered imprisoned former dictator Hosni Mubarak to be transferred to a military hospital after his health deteriorated, a source at the prosecutor's office said.

Mubarak, serving a life sentence over the killings of protesters, was briefly taken to hospital on December 19 for scans after he fell in his prison bathroom.

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Anti-terrorism hotline reaches 10 years

A NATIONWIDE anti-terrorism hotline set up in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombing was launched 10 years ago today.

The National Security Hotline was established to collect information on threats to national security and pass them to policing and intelligence agencies.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said in a statement on Thursday the hotline had received almost 170,000 calls since it was launched a decade ago.

"Calls to the hotline continue to make important contributions to major counter-terrorism investigations in Australia," Ms Roxon said.

"Our security agencies report that terrorism continues to present the most immediate threat to the security of Australians and Australian interests.

"Every little bit of information counts. Information from the public can and does make that extra bit of difference in exposing and preventing terrorism."

The hotline commenced operation on December 27, 2002, two-and-a-half months after the Bali bombing in which 202 people including 88 Australians were killed.

Members of the public who provide information can choose to remain anonymous if they wish, and can contact operators 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Since inception the hotline has evolved with technology, allowing the public to report suspicious activity via email, text or picture messages, computer screenshots and multimedia content.

"It's important that if a member of the public sees something that they feel isn't right or out of the ordinary that they call the hotline and report it," Ms Roxon said.

"It's better to be safe than sorry. The smallest piece of information from the public could help us to complete the picture and prevent a terrorist attack."

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China suspends officials after 11 kids die

A CITY in east China has suspended 12 officials, including a vice mayor, policemen and education administrators, after 11 children were killed in a road wreck involving an overloaded vehicle.

The Monday accident occurred in Guixi city, Jiangxi province when the overloaded mini-van plunged into a pond as it was transporting the four- to six-year-old children to kindergarten.

Kindergarten principal Zhou Chune, who was driving the van, and four other children survived the accident. Zhou has been taken into police custody, the Guixi city government said on its website.

The city further announced on Wednesday that 12 officials, including a vice mayor, several traffic police officials and numerous Guixi school administrators had been suspended from work pending an investigation into the accident.

On Monday, locals complained that the police response to the wreck was too slow and could have contributed to the high death toll.

China's roads are highly dangerous, with traffic laws and safety widely flouted and fatal accidents involving overloaded vehicles routine.

Nationwide concern over overcrowded school buses became a focus in December last year when 15 primary school children died after the bus they were travelling in rolled into a river in east China's Jiangsu province.

That accident came after 19 children died when their school bus collided head on with a truck in Gansu province weeks earlier.

Some 64 children had been crammed into the nine-seater bus with the tragedy prompting authorities to order checks on school transport across the country.

Last year, more than 62,000 people died in traffic accidents in China, state media said, citing police figures.

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Canberra homes damaged by storm

DOZENS of people have called for help after a thunderstorm battered Canberra.

The ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES) received 30 calls for help on Christmas Eve.

In Oxley, families were forced from their homes because of leaking gas.

Four houses had to be evacuated after two gas leaks were discovered on Newman Morris Circuit.

Firefighters put a 50 to 100-metre exclusion zone in place as they waited for repairmen to arrive.

In Florey, a fallen tree caused damage to several houses in Summerville Crescent.

Part of the tree crashed through the roof of one home and into the lounge room.

ACT Rural Fire Service crews, the ACTSES and ACT Fire & Rescue will help families clean up through the night.

Just before 7pm (AEDT) on Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology cancelled a severe thunderstorm warning for Canberra and Queanbeyan.

The immediate threat of severe thunderstorms had passed, the Bureau said, but a more general thunderstorm warning remained in place for parts of NSW and the ACT.

Authorities later said the Oxley residents were being allowed to return to their homes.

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Eleven children die in China road accident

A VAN has plunged into a roadside pond in a rural area of China, killing 11 children.

Three children died at the scene of the accident in Guixi city in Jiangxi province and another eight died later in hospital, said an official from the propaganda office of the city's Communist Party committee.

The victims were aged from four to six years old.

Four children survived, said the official.

Police detained the driver for questioning and were investigating the cause of the accident, the official Xinhua News Agency.

Photos on the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post's website showed a silver minivan partially submerged in a grassy pond, with one of its three windows on the right side broken.

The Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights & Democracy said in a statement that cited no sources that the van was made to carry seven people but was overloaded with 17. The human rights group said it took 70 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

Serious traffic accidents are common in China, due to poorly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

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