Small business to take tax-break hit

The government is dumping an asset write-off for small businesses that was linked to the mining tax. Source: AAP

THE federal government is setting a "tax trap" for small business by drastically reducing a tax break before legislation for it has passed, the opposition claims.

Small Business Minister Bruce Billson's office has confirmed that the $6500 instant asset write-off introduced by the former Labor government will end from January 1.

Instead, businesses will be able to get instant tax break for assets worth up to only $1000.

The tax break was linked to the mining tax.

Its formal dumping is contained in the mining tax repeal bill, currently stuck in the Senate, but legislation for tax measures can be applied retrospectively.

Acting opposition leader Penny Wong said it was a "tax trap for 2.7 million Australian small businesses and sole traders".

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said it was highly unusual for a government to make tax such changes and not publicise them.

"Have we seen any information campaign for small business saying listen, if you want to make an investment you'd better make it now because your tax write-off ends on 1 January? No," he told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

"I don't think they're very proud of this change."

Dropping the level of the instant asset write-off was part of the coalition's election commitments.

Information on the Australian Taxation Office's website, dated December 18, says the change is "expected to come into effect" on January 1.

Business representatives - the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Industry Group - have told the government that they'd like to see the asset write-off funded in the next federal budget.

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Private sector credit growing modestly

Credit growth was moderate in November as consumers and business are wary about taking on more debt. Source: AAP

CREDIT growth was moderate in November as consumers and business are still wary about taking on more debt.

The amount of private sector credit issued by banks and other lenders was up 0.3 per cent in November, after rising by the same about in October, seasonally adjusted data from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) shows.

Over the 12 months to November, total credit rose 3.8 per cent.

Commonwealth Bank senior economist Michael Workman said record low interest rates are not having the desired affect on spending.

"It's not just about interest rate levels. In our view, moderate credit growth indicates that consumers and businesses remain cautious about increasing leverage because of uncertainty over job security and profitability," he said.

"To be fair, the consumer and business (confidence) surveys are gradually improving. Better news on jobs and the growth outlook are required."

Housing credit went up 0.5 per cent in November, and rose 5.1 per cent over the year to November.

Mr Workman said firm growth in home lending is being offset by relatively high repayment rates.

"Mortgage payers have been reluctant to reduce their repayments in line with lower mortgage rates over the past two years," he said.

"Some recent RBA research has indicated that households appear to have used about two thirds of the savings from lower interest rates to repay debt.

"In some respects it negates the effectiveness of monetary policy. While housing lending has responded to lower interest rates, some of the more interest rate sensitive areas of the economy, like non-mining business investment, remain subdued."

Business credit decreased 0.1 per cent in November, after a 0.1 per cent rise in October, and over the year to November it was up 1.9 per cent.

Other personal credit was unchanged in November, after decreasing 0.1 per cent the month before and rose 0.8 per cent in the 12 months to November.

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Vic govt's 2014 wish is to win election

Victorian Deputy Premier Peter Ryan says the thing he wants most in the new year is to retain power. Source: AAP

AFTER a year in which his boss was sacked, he lost the police ministry and a rogue MP was calling the shots, all deputy Victorian premier Peter Ryan wants for 2014 is to stay in government.

Ted Baillieu quit as premier in March, having lost the confidence of his colleagues, and his replacement Denis Napthine relieved Mr Ryan of the police portfolio.

With the state election due on November 29, Mr Ryan said his priority for the new year was to remain in government for another four years.

"With the prospect of that election now 334 days away, we of course as the government, are very, very keen to be able to win that election," he told reporters on Tuesday.

The government will begin 2014 from a tough position, with Labor holding a healthy lead in two-party preferred terms according to both Newspoll and Fairfax/Nielsen.

But before the election campaign begins, the government will have to deal with parliament, and with two Labor MPs set to return from suspension in February, the opposition will potentially have the numbers to challenge its authority.

The coalition holds 44 of the 88 seats in the lower house to Labor's 43, but cannot necessarily count on independent MP Geoff Shaw's support to maintain an outright majority.

Mr Ryan said it was up to the Labor party to behave themselves over the final 42 sitting days before the election to ensure parliament remains workable.

"The parliament can and does function fine if it is that Labor chooses to conduct itself in a responsible manner," he said.

"We are looking forward to the events on the 29th of November next year, and we will have plenty to say about it over the next 334 days."

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Fortescue receives reprimand after deaths

A man has died in an accident at Fortescue Metals' Christmas Creek mine in Western Australia. Source: AAP

FORTESCUE Metals Group has been ordered to improve its safety procedures by the mines regulator following the death of a man at its Christmas Creek mine.

The 23-year-old contractor was carrying out maintenance on a surface miner, a large piece of mining machinery, in the Pilbara mine's heavy vehicle workshop when the accident occurred overnight on Monday.

It is the second death at the iron ore mine in less than five months.

The WA Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) has issued special directions ensuring that Fortescue tightens safety procedures at all of its operations, including lock out/tag out procedures, ahead of a safety audit in the new year.

Surface mining operations at Christmas Creek have been suspended as DMP inspectors carry out a site investigation.

"The inspectorate has so far determined that a number of recent incidents at Fortescue Metals Group mine sites appear to have involved an ineffectual isolation and lock out/tag out process," State mining engineer Simon Ridge said.

"This may or may not be a contributory factor in this most recent incident."

He said the legal directions would remain in place until Fortescue could ensure lock out/tag out procedures were effective.

Staff at Christmas Creek have been offered chaplains and other counselling services following the man's death.

His name is yet to be released by police.

Unions are concerned the company's efficiency program is being prioritised over safety.

CFMEU Construction Division WA secretary Mick Buchan said his union had received complaints about safety concerns at Christmas Creek in recent months, including anonymous emails from workers who were worried about identifying themselves.

"We want the full gamut of potential contributing factors to be examined in detail, including potentially unsafe working hours on site, the capacity of unions to access the site to assess safety, the replacement of experienced workers with cheaper alternatives - the lot," Mr Buchan said.

He said the death was a huge alarm that something was wrong on the site.

"We need to get to the bottom of it quickly and accurately before anyone else is killed or hurt."

Fortescue said another worker had suffered leg injuries in the incident.

The man's death comes four-and-a-half months after electrician Kurt Williams, 24, was crushed to death while carrying out maintenance work on a large motor in the crushing plant at Christmas Creek.

Mr Williams' death broke a two-year fatality-free run at Western Australia's mines.

At the time, Electrical Trades Union WA secretary Les McLaughlan said the union had raised concerns about safety practices and specific concerns about the kind of work Mr Williams was undertaking.

In October, truck driver had his leg amputated after being crushed at the Christmas Creek mine.

Earlier this month, a contract construction worker Stephen Hampton was killed at Newcrest's Telfer gold mining operations when a large piece of pipework rolled onto him.

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All set for party of the year

Australia's skies are set to explode with colour this New Year's Eve, the biggest party of the year. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS are preparing to celebrate the biggest party of the year, with the skies above the nation's capital cities expected to explode with colour on New Year's Eve.

At the country's drawcard event in Sydney, seven tonnes of fireworks will light up the sky on Tuesday in the form of 11,000 aerial shells and 25,000 shooting comets launched from seven barges spread across six kilometres of Sydney Harbour.

For the first time in a decade, 1000 fireworks will also be shot from the top of the Opera House, as well as from the Harbour Bridge and jet skis stationed in the harbour.

Organisers expect die-hard revellers to start arriving at the iconic new year's locale between 5am and 6am, Sydney New Year's Eve producer Aneurin Coffey said.

"They are the really die-hard fans that get there early and then another group come about 8am," he told AAP.

Keen boaties won't be taking any chances, with more than 2000 vessels expected to vie for an ideal spot from about 10am, he said.

Sydneysiders will share the new year with more than 2,500 police officers expected to be deployed in the city on the night.

Victorians will ring in the new year with a fireworks show promised to be seen from anywhere that has a view of the city skyline.

More than 500,000 revellers are expected to pack the city centre, with 7.5 tonnes of fireworks to be launched from 22 locations, including city rooftops, by a team of 44 pyrotechnists.

Brisbanites will see the state's largest fireworks show yet to welcome the new year.

The skies above the river city will be lit up with five tonnes of fireworks, or 30,000 pyrotechnic effects, fired from three barges and three city rooftops at 8.30pm and midnight.

In Tasmania, tens of thousands will converge on the waterfront and Salamanca, where the state's biggest food festival, Taste, combines with the finish to the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Fireworks will explode over the docks at 9.30pm and midnight as foodies gorge themselves.

More than 70,000 revellers are expected at South Bank Parklands, Kangaroo Point, the Botanic Gardens and Eagle St Pier.

SA will beat the new year's drum with some live music in Adelaide's Elder Park, where local bands will provide the entertainment on top of fireworks.

Western Australia will largely leave its patch of sky alone on the night, with Perth saving up its pyrotechnics display for Australia Day.

But for those not keen to cross the country for Sydney's spectacular display, there are still a few places to ring in 2014 with a bang, including Rockingham and the Shelley foreshore.

A key draw promises to be the headline act for the Salt on the Beach NYE party at North Fremantle, New York hip-hop trio De La Soul.

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NSW workers comp changes for 2014

INJURED workers and children attending childcare will be among the winners and losers at the start of 2014, as new laws kick in across NSW.

Among the raft of new legislation to come into effect on January 1 are controversial changes to workers compensation introduced by the O'Farrell government to rein in a $4 billion budget blowout.

Up to 20,000 injured workers across the state who need ongoing medical treatment will lose out in 2014 due to the changes, the Law Society of NSW says.

"For example a worker with an amputation injury who has, up until now, been having their artificial limbs replaced by the insurer will now lose this entitlement," President John Dobson said.

Meanwhile kids will no longer be able to enrol into a childcare facility unless their parent or guardian provides an immunisation record.

Parents or guardians reluctant to vaccinate on religious or other grounds or due to medical conditions will also have to produce documentation.

"No longer will it be at the discretion of child care operators to accept or deny children who aren't immunised," Health Minister Jillian Skinner said in a statement.

"By law these operators will be unable to do so and should they do so they can be fined."

People looking to swap the city for the country air will be some of the winners in the new year with a number of grants rolling out.

From Wednesday a move to regional NSW for full-time employment will see eligible people pocket $10,000.

An existing $7000 grant to city homeowners purchasing properties in regional areas will be extended to include long-term renters in metropolitan Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong who make the country change from January 1.

"This is about attracting much-needed skills to our regions and developing sustainable and more vibrant regional communities," Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said.

Meanwhile the tax free threshold for land tax will increase from $406,000 to $412,000.

For those into combat sports, such as boxing, cage fighting and Ultimate Fighting, stronger health and safety requirements will come into effect, including that combatants comply with protective clothing or equipment.

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal will also commence in 2014.

The tribunal is billed as a one-stop shop for 22 state tribunals, which the government says "will improve their quality, consistency and transparency".

"NCAT enables these services to exist as a network, rather than in isolation, which will improve their quality, consistency and transparency," acting Justice Minister Michael Gallacher said in a statement.

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Icebreaker on track to reach stuck ship

An Aussie icebreaker is about 100 nautical miles from a ship trapped in sea ice near Antarctica. Source: AAP

FEDERAL authorities say a rescue mission by an Australian icebreaker remains on track as it closes in on a ship wedged in sea ice near Antarctica.

A group of scientists, explorers and tourists has been stuck on the Russian research ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy about 1500 nautical miles south of Hobart for the past five days.

Although the expedition's leader says spirits among those on the ship remain high, a retired Brisbane teacher aboard as a tourist says frustration is building.

Two icebreakers have given up on efforts to push through the thick and dangerous ice floes near Antarctica to try to free the trapped research vessel.

A third icebreaker, Australia's Aurora Australis, is on its way to the stranded ship and is due to arrive about 11pm (AEDT) on Sunday.

It is the last ship in the area that will be able to help.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says Aurora Australis is about 85 nautical miles from the trapped ship.

"The Aurora Australis remains on track to arrive in the vicinity around 11pm AEDT," an AMSA spokeswoman said in a statement.

If the icebreaker can't battle through the ice, AMSA says a second option may be to consider ferrying trapped passengers with a helicopter.

The locked-in ship, with 74 people on board, including several New Zealanders, sent a distress call on Christmas Day after becoming trapped in heavy sea ice.

The ship had been undertaking the Spirit of Mawson voyage, which is retracing Sir Douglas Mawson's Antarctic expedition.

Professor Chris Turney of the University of NSW is leading the expedition, consisting of scientists, explorers and enthusiasts undertaking climate research.

He insisted during several interviews with international media outlets that everyone was in good spirits despite the ordeal.

But retired Brisbane teacher Kayleen Lawson, aboard the stricken vessel as a tourist, said frustration was building.

"It was meant to be the trip of a lifetime, and it still is ... but it's turning out a little differently to what I expected," Ms Lawson told News Corp during a satellite phone interview.

The Aurora icebreaker is rated at being able to push through ice slightly deeper than one metre thick.

China's Snow Dragon icebreaker, which came within six and a half nautical miles of the stuck ship before turning back out of safety fears, is standing by in case its helicopter will be needed.

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Times Square preps for New Year's Eve bash

NEW York City's Times Square is getting ready for New Year's Eve.

The square will host millions on Tuesday night counting down the last few moments of 2013.

Starting on Saturday, six Citibikes from the city's bike share program were being installed in Times Square and connected to 12-volt deep cycle batteries.

New Yorkers and tourists will generate power by pedalling. That will help illuminate the famed ball that will descend New Year's Eve.

Each bike will generate an average of 75 watts an hour. It takes 50,000 watts to power the ball, which is lit by 30,000 LEDs.

Additionally, a giant paper shredder and a dumpster were installed in Times Square on Saturday to allow visitors to destroy bad memories of 2013.

The annual event is dubbed Good Riddance Day.

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Cyclone closer to WA's north coast

A category two cyclone off the Western Australian Kimberley coast is expected to intensify. Source: AAP

A CATEGORY two cyclone off Western Australia's Kimberley coast is expected to intensify as it heads towards the Pilbara.

Tropical Cyclone Christine was 280 kilometres off Broome at 2pm (WST) on Sunday and was moving towards the Pilbara coast about 10 kilometres an hour, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

The bureau said the cyclone was "expected to intensify further as it moves towards the Pilbara coast".

It is forecasting the cyclone to bring heavy rainfall and gales of up to 100km/h south of Cape Leveque on Sunday.

Gales are expected to extend further west along the Pilbara coast to Whim Creek late on Sunday or Monday morning as the cyclone approaches.

On Monday, the cyclone is forecast to bring "very destructive" gales and heavy rainfall to Mardie and possibly as far west as Exmouth, with winds possibly reaching 165km/h.

Coastal communities between Pardoo and Mardie have been warned of the potential for a dangerous storm tide late on Monday or early on Tuesday.

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US driver survives plunge off cliff

A driver who survived a 90-metre plunge told rescuers he intentionally drove off the ocean cliff. Source: AAP

A DRIVER who plunged 90 metres off a Southern California ocean cliff was rescued after firefighters waded into the surf to free him from the car.

KNBC-TV says the 19-year-old man, who was in hospital in a critical condition, told paramedics that he intentionally drove off the cliff.

Authorities were called to the scene at about 2am local time on Friday.

They found the car being slammed by waves.

Firefighters, lifeguards and local police helped in the rescue. The driver was finally pulled free and flown to hospital.

The crash site is on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, about 32 kilometres south of downtown Los Angeles.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25)

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SA bushfire under control

A serious bushfire south of Adelaide has been contained the Country Fire Service says. Source: AAP

FIREFIGHTERS have protected a South Australian country town from an out-of-control bushfire, with two fire crew volunteers injured while quelling the blaze.

An emergency alert was issued at 3pm (AEDT) on Saturday about a serious bushfire burning towards the town of Mallala, north of Adelaide.

About 200 Country Fire Service (CFS) personnel battled the blaze at Lower Light with 35 appliances and the help of water bombers.

A CFS spokeswoman said firefighters contained the blaze after it had travelled seven kilometres in three hours.

"The fire was fast-moving and came close to a farming community and within three to four kilometres of the Mallala township," she said.

"But fortunately CFS firefighters managed to protect the township."

A male CFS firefighter was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening chest injuries.

A female CFS firefighter was treated at the fire for smoke inhalation.

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Port Hedland evacuates due to cyclone

A cyclone warning has been issued for coastal areas along Western Australia's northern coast. Source: AAP

SHIPS are being moved from a major port in Western Australia ahead of a developing tropical cyclone expected to hit on Saturday night.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says a tropical low north of WA is expected to develop into a tropical cyclone by Saturday night as it moves southwest.

The low is 340 kilometres north-northwest of Broome, moving at nine kilometres an hour.

The Port Hedland Port Authority began the evacuation of 29 vessels in the inner and outer anchorage areas on Saturday morning.

Another 12 ships in the inner harbour also began evacuating on Saturday.

The port authority said in a statement it anticipated the last vessel would leave the shipping channel by 3am on Sunday.

Gale-force winds and widespread rainfall are expected to hit the Port Hedland area on Sunday.

Winds with gusts of up to 100km/h are forecast to develop through Saturday night on the west Kimberley coast between Cape Leveque and Broome.

BOM advises gales and heavy rainfall may extend to Exmouth and adjacent inland areas on Sunday night and Monday.

If the tropical low system develops as BOM expects, a severe tropical cyclone will likely hit the Pilbara on Monday or Tuesday.

A cyclone warning is in place for coastal areas from Cape Leveque to Whim Creek.

The State Emergency Service is urging residents in or near coastal communities between Dampier Peninsula and Onslow in the Kimberley and Pilbara to prepare emergency kits.

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Cyclone brewing off WA's north

A TROPICAL cyclone is likely for Western Australia's northern coast this weekend, with possible 100km/h winds to hit the Kimberley.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued a cyclone warning for coastal areas from Kuri Bay to Broome on Friday, and also a cyclone watch alert from Broome to De Grey.

The BoM said a tropical low to the north of Broome was expected to form into a tropical cyclone on Saturday.

The system is expected to intensify over the weekend as it tracks southwest towards the Pilbara coast on Monday.

The Port Hedland Port Authority said the Pilbara iron ore export hub was expected to be hit by gales from late Sunday night, so port evacuations should start from Saturday afternoon.

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One dead after Qld truck smash

ONE motorist is dead after a truck and a car collided on a Queensland highway.

The crash, which sparked a grassfire, happened about 4.20pm (AEST) on Friday on the Mount Lindesay Highway, between Greenbank and Jimboomba.

It is the second death on Queensland roads since the beginning of the national holiday road toll period, which runs from midnight on December 23, 2013, until 11.59pm on January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

A 69-year-old man died on Tuesday after his car crashed into a tree northwest of Bundaberg.

However, Queensland police say that fatality was caused by a medical condition.

The national toll stands at 12.

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Teenage driver dead, others charged

A TEENAGE driver has died after her car rolled in a crash in north-west NSW, while the driver of a car in an earlier accident in which two men died has been charged.

Just after midday on Friday, emergency services were called to Killarney Gap Road, 30 kilometres from Narrabri, after reports of a car crash.

At the scene police found a silver Mitsubishi Triton ute that had rolled a few times.

An 18-year-old woman, who was the only person in the vehicle, died at the scene.

Meanwhile, the 29-year-old driver involved in a smash on the NSW Central Coast on Thursday attended Auburn Police Station at 10am on Friday, where he was charged with negligent driving occasioning death.

A southbound vehicle had hit an embankment north of Jolls Bridge just before 5am (AEDT) on Thursday.

One man was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.

A second man, a back-seat passenger, was trapped in the wreckage and died before he could be released.

Three other men, 29, 27 and 22, were treated by paramedics and taken to hospital.

The driver will appear at Burwood Local Court on January 21.

The crash takes the NSW holiday road toll to four and the national road toll to 11.

The national road toll period runs from midnight on December 23, 2013, until midnight on January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Toddler saved after falling into pool

A QUICK-THINKING family member used CPR to save a toddler who fell into a pool on the NSW Central Coast.

The two-year-old girl was pulled unconscious from the backyard pool on Thursday afternoon, but she was breathing by the time paramedics arrived and she regained consciousness.

CareFlight director Ian Badham praised the quick action of the family member.

The girl was airlifted with her mother to The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

"Because she had been underwater for a while, she was taken to the hospital to be checked out and kept under observation," Mr Badham said.

She remains in a stable condition.

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Nine road deaths dampen festive season

NINE people have died on Australian roads this festive season, including two friends killed in a single-vehicle incident in NSW on Boxing Day.

A man, 31, was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene of the crash on the NSW Central Coast. A second man, 22, was trapped in the wreckage and died before he could be released.

The crash, which occurred just before 5am (AEDT), left three other men aged 29, 22 and 27 in hospital.

Police said they hoped to speak to the injured men, all from Sydney suburb Auburn.

In Canberra, a motorcyclist died after losing control of his bike late on the evening of Christmas Day.

The 22-year-old hit a traffic island in the inner-north suburb of Lyneham about 11pm on Wednesday.

He died in Canberra Hospital.

In Perth, a 17-year-old boy died after falling off the back of a utility on Christmas evening.

Police say the boy suffered severe head injuries when he fell from the tray of the Nissan ute.

A 24-year-old man in the Northern Territory was killed after losing control of his motorcycle on a dirt road near the Todd River in Alice Springs on Christmas Day.

Two Victorian women killed in a head-on collision two days before Christmas were the first fatalities for the 2013 Christmas period.

A 69-year-old Queensland man died on Christmas Eve when his car hit a tree near Bundaberg.

On Monday night police found a man dead in a sedan spilt in two following a high-speed crash into a tree north of Moree in NSW.

The deaths take the national toll to nine, compared with 16 recorded by Boxing Day in 2012.

The national road toll period runs from midnight on December 23, 2013, until midnight on January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Shoppers elbow their way towards record

Retailers say shoppers are out in force as Boxing Day sales get underway in Sydney's CBD. Source: AAP

A STRONG coffee, patience and slightly protruding elbows.

That appears to be the recipe to surviving the monstrous crowds that flocked to malls for Boxing Day sales.

Retailers and industry leaders are hopeful Thursday's crowds will break records, with one of Melbourne's busiest shopping centres full and queues surrounding Sydney's shopping drawcards.

The enthusiastic crowds may produce the 5.6 per cent increase in Boxing Day spending predicted by the Australian National Retailer Association (ANRA).

In Sydney, police were called to control foot traffic in the inner city and barricades were erected.

Queues outside stores including adidas, Lacoste and Zara remained lengthy at 4pm.

While many people were happy to give up their time to wait in line to grab a bargain, shopper Marie Blandino was not convinced.

"It's a bit of turn-off if you see the line," she told AAP.

"I just keep going."

The Guildford woman took a moment of reprieve in the shade, surrounded by her purchases, but admitted she was disappointed with the discounts.

"I thought it would be a bit more (discounted), to be honest," she said.

At Sydney's Pitt Street Mall, Penrith woman Alice, who did not want her surname published, said there was too much pushing and shoving.

"It's been a bit of an overcrowded day," she said.

"There is a bit of elbowing and nudging - you have to keep your elbows out."

Department stores Myer and David Jones opened their flagship Sydney stores at 5am, with many forming queues before then.

It was a similar story for the smaller stores in the Queen Victoria Building.

"I have been here since 6am and there were quite a few people waiting outside stores," QV Bar Cafe manager Nik Kalis said.

"A lot of people started the day with a strong coffee so they could shop harder."

At Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre, general manager Anthony Rafaniello said he was pretty sure records would be set.

"Pre-Christmas was strong but this was far stronger," he said.

"We probably couldn't fit more people."

ANRA chief executive Margy Osmond had on Thursday morning predicted a bumper Boxing Day.

"(It) probably makes it just about the best we have seen since the GFC," she said.

Victorians were tipped to spend the most this Boxing Day, at $636.8 million.

In NSW, shoppers were expected to spend $545.4 million, followed by Queensland at $349.5 million.

Some stores took the unusual step of starting their Boxing Day sales online a day or two earlier, and many shoppers chose to bargain hunt from home, with 1.5 million people recorded on the David Jones website.

In comparison, a million people passed through David Jones' flagship inner-city stores throughout the country on Boxing Day.

Cate Daniels, a David Jones operations manager, said more than 30,000 men's business shirts, 75,000 towels, 90,000 pairs of shoes and 20,000 handbags were sold.

"Whilst we have had a strong start to clearance, it is early days, with only one day's trading performance, so we need to trade through the entire clearance period to see if the early momentum is maintained," she said in a statement.

Myer's website was the source of frustrations vented on social media, with visitors being greeted by a colourful sign declaring technical difficulties.

Myer apologised on Twitter.

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Locals help out after Grinch steals gifts

GENEROUS people have been playing Santa and dropping off gifts for two Victorian families whose gifts were stolen from under their Christmas trees.

Police at Wodonga near the Victoria-NSW border are calling the thefts "an unthinkable act of heartlessness".

But they say they have been overwhelmed by the number of donated presents that have been arriving at the police station throughout Christmas Day.

The Salvation Army also gave presents to the children at one of the homes.

"The occupants of the houses were asleep and realised all their gifts were missing when they went to open them this morning," a police spokeswoman said.

The two homes are on different streets, Wilca Way and Hartwig Road, on the southern end of the town.

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WA police concerned for missing woman

Police are concerned for a woman who disappeared from Albany, a day after arriving from Queensland. Source: AAP

POLICE are concerned for a 79-year-old woman who disappeared from Albany on Christmas Eve, a day after arriving from Queensland.

Joan Hanson went missing from Caledonia Crescent at Goode Beach at 5.30pm (WST) on Tuesday.

Police say they are concerned for the welfare of Ms Hanson, believed to be suffering dementia and unfamiliar with the area.

She is of small, slim build and has grey hair.

She was wearing glasses, light-coloured trousers, a yellow-brown shirt, a yellow zip-up sleeveless vest and white shoes when she went missing.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Police Operations Centre on 131 444.

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AmEx to pay $US75.7m in settlement

American Express will pay at least $US75.7m over what authorities say was misleading marketing. Source: AAP

AMERICAN Express has agreed to pay at least $US75.7 million ($A84.92 million) to end an investigation into what regulators say was misleading marketing of some discontinued card products.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said on Tuesday American Express led consumers to believe that an account protection product would work for up to two years when the benefits usually lasted no more than three months, and it didn't properly explain the enrolment process for a product intended to protect against identity theft.

It said 85 per cent of consumers who signed up didn't complete the enrolment process, but they were billed anyway.

The agency also said that the company misrepresented the terms of a "lost wallet" product that was offered to Spanish-speaking customers in Puerto Rico, and it did not provide written materials in Spanish.

The New York-based company said it agreed to pay $US16.2 million in fines and repay at least $US59.5 million to customers.

American Express said it has set aside enough to cover most of the costs of the settlement with the FDIC, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Office of Comptroller of the Currency. It has already made most of the payments to customers.

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Man stabbed, woman left unconscious

A man has been found stabbed and a woman found unconscious, in Sydney suburb of Guildford. Source: AAP

A MAN has been found with stab wounds to his neck and a woman has been found unconscious in Sydney's west.

Police were called to a house on Woodville Road, Guildford, just after midday on Tuesday after reports of a man and woman fighting in the yard of the premises.

The man was found with stab wounds to his neck while a woman, aged in her mid-20s, was found unconscious.

The man's age is not known.

Both were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance Paramedics and taken to Westmead Hospital.

Their condition is not yet known, police say.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, while a crime scene has been established on Woodville Road with two southbound lanes closed.

They will be examined by specialist forensic officers.

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A very merry Christmas for Aussie shops

THE Christmas clock is ticking, and the tills have been ringing.

Last-minute shoppers have helped push Australian retailers towards what's tipped to be their biggest Christmas since the global financial crisis hit.

Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) CEO Margy Osmond says the overall spend in the four-week run-up to Christmas this year is expected to hit $29.6 billion.

"We think Australian retailers will probably have the best Christmas they've had for four or five years," she told AAP on Tuesday.

She said the last-minute rush had favoured the big retailers.

"A lot of the specialty stores have done much better this Christmas but there's no doubt in the last couple of weeks it's the department stores that are the big winners because it's the place you can go and tick every box all in the one spot," Ms Osmond said.

Residents in smaller states - the Northern Territory, the ACT, Tasmania - had generally gotten their Christmas shopping out of the way early, while their counterparts in NSW and Victoria were more likely to have left it till the last minute.

Kevin Finch was looking harried in Sydney's CBD on Tuesday evening, ticking off the people he was still buying for.

"My mother, my father, some family friends, and my grandma," he told AAP.

"Stupidly, I thought today would be a bit quieter."

He said he wouldn't be venturing out for the Boxing Day sales on Thursday, but keen bargain-hunters can get in earlier than that.

In a break with tradition, department store David Jones has already launched its post-Christmas sale online, while the Myer online sale will kick off at 9am (AEDT) on Wednesday.

ANRA's Margy Osmond is expecting a 5.6 per cent boost on post-Christmas sales figures from a year ago, with an expected $1.9 billion spend on Boxing Day alone.

Retailers predict stores around the country will take in more than $15 billion over the next three weeks, with the bulk of that likely to be spent on Boxing Day.

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman told AAP he expects "a huge number of people" to head for malls around the country when the bricks-and-mortar sales start on Thursday.

But Mr Zimmerman didn't think the lure of early sales online would take away from the familiar frenzy seen in department stores on the day.

"There's a real atmosphere around Boxing Day sales, it's full of people, it's full of excitement and noise and generally speaking there's entertainment around," he said.

"You may well find that people will be encouraged to come out, they'll think it might not be quite so busy as it's been in the past because of the online sales, but I suspect it will be just as busy."

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Indon official in trouble over plane rage

AN Indonesian official has allegedly ordered his staff to prevent a plane landing because an airline refused to free up a seat for him.

Marianus Sae, the head of Ngada district in East Nusa Tenggara province, is being sought for questioning in relation to the incident, police said Tuesday.

When Sae was told there were no seats left on the Saturday morning flight from the provincial capital Kupang to his district's Turelelo Soa airport, he phoned his security officials there and ordered them to put their cars on the runway, the Kompas.com news website reported.

Unable to land, the flight operated by state-run domestic operator Merpati Nusantara was forced to return to Kupang, local news reports said.

"We have questioned several people involved and are awaiting the permission of the governor to question the district chief," provincial police chief Ketut Yoga Ana said.

The alleged action "clearly violated the law" and was punishable by up to three years in prison, he said.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said Sae had endangered the lives of the people on board.

Sae said he "begged them for a seat because I had an important meeting with district council but the flight was fully booked. I explained to them I was the district chief but they ignored me," he was quoted as saying by Kompas.com.

The airline said it had rebuked its employees for refusing to issue a ticket for the district chief.

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Batts inquiry must reveal truth: family

A royal commission into the Rudd government's home insulation scheme is set to begin in Brisbane. Source: AAP

KEVIN and Christine Fuller are about to spend their fifth Christmas without their son, Matthew, but take some comfort in knowing they're a step closer to finding out why he died installing home insulation.

A $25 million royal commission into the Rudd government's bungled "pink batts" scheme to establish "what really went wrong" opened on Monday.

Mr Fuller is hopeful the commission will uncover the truth about the program that's been blamed for the death of his 25-year-old son and fellow insulation installers Rueben Barnes, Mitchell Sweeney and Marcus Wilson.

"What we've always wanted is the truth, the whole truth to come out," Mr Fuller told reporters on Monday.

"(And for) changes to be made so no one else goes through what we've been through."

Commissioner Ian Hangar QC says he will examine whether the deaths of the four men between October 2009 and February 2010 were avoidable had there been a different approach to workplace health and safety risks.

The $2.8 billion program launched by Kevin Rudd in early 2009 to inject money into the economy has also been linked to at least one serious injury and hundreds of fires.

The royal commission will investigate whether the government sought or received advice about the program and how it responded.

It will also investigate the actions of the government and the public servants involved.

Mr Fuller says both state and federal public servants still had a lot to answer for as previous inquiries had only established that employers "did things wrong".

Lawyer Bill Potts says he would like to cross-examine Mr Rudd and other ministers involved in the program on behalf of his client Murray Barnes, the father of Rueben.

However, Mr Potts says the commission mustn't turn into a political witch hunt.

"What we want to know is whether there were warnings, and if there were warnings why weren't they heeded?" he told reporters.

Mr Potts said there was little to protect Rueben, 16, from being electrocuted while installing home insulation at Rockhampton.

"He received three weeks' training and the only safety equipment he had was sunscreen," he said.

"Rueben Barnes died, and at Christmas there is an empty space at his father's table."

Those affected by the bungled scheme will be called to appear at the inquiry, however some testimonies may be made in private.

Counsel Assisting Keith Wilson QC says 76 parties have been summonsed to appear.

Public sittings are expected to be held in March and April next year, with the commission to deliver its findings mid-year.

Asked whether it made Christmas easier now that the commission was finally underway, four years after her son's death, Mrs Fuller said: "It does help."

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Newcrest faces shareholder class action

Gold miner Newcrest is facing a class action from shareholders over its massive financial writedown. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S largest gold miner is facing a class action from shareholders over its massive financial writedown.

Newcrest Mining in June downgraded its production forecasts and reduced the value of its assets by more than $6 billion, partly due to the significant fall in the gold price.

In the days leading up to the announcement, three different analysts downgraded their investment views on Newcrest, causing a fall in the company's share price.

The corporate regulator is investigating possible breaches of disclosure laws, due to speculation analysts were given market sensitive information before it was released to the wider investment market.

Newcrest has denied it breached any laws, and an investigation it commissioned in July found no wrongdoing.

Law firm Slater and Gordon has now told Newcrest it has been instructed to start a shareholder class action in the Federal Court against the gold miner, relating to Newcrest's market disclosure ahead of its June writedowns.

But before proceedings commence, the law firm has invited Newcrest to begin "confidential and without prejudice discussions" about the matter.

"Newcrest is considering its position in relation to this approach," the company said.

If the company does not enter talks, the legal action will begin.

"Newcrest intends to defend any proceedings if they are commenced," it said.

Newcrest shares closed 16 cents, or 2.1 per cent, weaker at $7.54.

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Two women killed in Victorian crash

TWO women killed in a collision on a Victorian highway are believed to be Australia's first road fatalities for the Christmas-New Year period.

Police say a car and a 4WD vehicle collided on the Calder Highway, 8km north of Ouyen in the state's northwest about 1pm (AEDT) on Monday.

A 22-year-old Mt Waverley woman in one car and a 63-year-old woman in the other died at the scene.

The women were both passengers in the vehicles that are believed to have collided head on.

Five other people were in the vehicles with four suffering serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said he could not stress enough to people the need to act safely on the roads.

"It's Christmas, please look after yourselves, your family, your loved ones and take care while you travel on our roads."

The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2013 until 2359 January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Six horses slaughtered in SA stable

Six miniature show horses have been hacked to death at a stable south of Adelaide. Source: AAP

SIX miniature show horses have been found slaughtered in a stable at Clayton Bay, about 70 kilometres south of Adelaide.

Police describe the incident as "bizarre and cruel".

Three other miniature horses in the same stable were not harmed.

The distraught owner of the horses reported the incident to police on Saturday.

The owner's son, Daniel Spong, told ABC Radio it may have been a targeted attack but it was not known why.

"It just would take an extremely sick individual, I think, to carry this out. We just can't believe it."

Police say the horses are believed to have been killed some time between Friday night and Saturday morning at a property at Clayton Bay.

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Snake on train sparks police warning

A MAN found carrying a snake in a box on a train has prompted a police warning to passengers that pets are not permitted on the Queensland Rail City Network.

The Police Railway Squad intercepted the man and his python on Friday afternoon.

"Although the harmless python was appropriately boxed and the authorised owner was returning from a veterinarian appointment, it is still an offence to travel with an animal on a train," police said in a statement on Sunday.

The passenger was issued with a warning notice for carrying an animal on a train and permitted to continue his journey supervised by Queensland Rail staff.

The maximum penalty for carrying an animal on a train is $2200.

Police and Queensland Rail have urged rail passengers to to arrange appropriate alternative transport for their pets.

Assistance animals such as guide dogs are exempt from the train ban.

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Two men killed in gyrocopter crash

THE pilot of a gyrocopter that crashed in Victorian bushland, killing him and his passenger, has been remembered as an experienced flyer and beloved father.

The bodies of both men, named in media reports as 51-year-old pilot Reg Thaggard and international student Jordan Peng, were found in rugged terrain in Kinglake National Park early on Sunday morning.

A police plane finally spotted the wreckage of the aircraft in dense bushland after search crews had spent hours scouring the park for both men.

It was supposed to have been a 15-minute flight from the Yarra Valley conference centre, taking off just after 7pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

But Victoria Police Acting Senior Sergeant Colin Anderson said the pair had been flying over a remote area of the ranges to view bushfire damage when the aircraft went down.

"It's devastating to all concerned - people involved that have to retrieve people from the situation and those directly involved with the people that have been killed," he said.

One of the pilot's friends, Damien Mould, said losing Mr Thaggard was like losing a family member.

"It's devastating to me," he told the Nine Network.

"He's a family man. He's a wonderful guy."

He leaves behind a wife and several children.

Mr Thaggard's passenger is believed to have been an 18-year-old student from Singapore.

The cause of the crash is not yet known.

Many in the flying community believe the crash couldn't have been the result of pilot error.

"He's an extremely good pilot," Mr Mould said.

"I'm sure he would have down everything in his power to try and get that aircraft down safely."

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Khodorkovsky starts life as a free man

Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky has arrived in Germany after being freed from a Russian prison. Source: AAP

RUSSIA'S most famous prisoner, Kremlin critic and former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has begun life as a free man in Germany after his surprise pardon by President Vladimir Putin.

After spending more than 10 years behind bars, Russia's former richest man was quietly escorted from his prison in northwestern Russia on Friday and boarded a plane to Berlin in an operation worked out behind the scenes with the German government.

The lightning speed of his release led some observers to suggest that Khodorkovsky might have flown into forced exile but Putin's spokesman dismissed such suggestions.

"He is free to return to Russia. Absolutely," Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday. He declined however to say whether any conditions were attached to his release or whether he would be free to participate in politics.

Putin had stunned Russia on Thursday by saying his fierce critic had asked for clemency on humanitarian grounds as his mother was ill.

"Guided by humanitarian principles," the Russian strongman signed a pardon decree on Friday.

In his first remarks since his release, Khodorkovsky said in a statement on Friday he did ask Putin for a pardon but his request did not amount to an admission of guilt and thanked Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Germany's foreign minister from 1974-1992, for helping negotiate his release.

"I am very much looking forward to the minute when I will be able to embrace my loved ones," the father of four said, without specifying his future plans.

Khodorkovsky's 79-year-old mother Marina, who has cancer, was expected to fly out to Berlin, where she had undergone treatment before, to see her son.

The Russian opposition magazine The New Times, for which Khodorkovsky wrote a column about his prison life, said the former tycoon called the editorial office to express gratitude for support.

"The most important today is Freedom, Freedom, Freedom," the magazine quoted him as saying.

"A lot lies ahead, the release of those hostages who still remained in prison, first and foremost Platon Lebedev," he said, referring to his jailed business partner.

Genscher said he was unaware if Khodorkovsky planned to remain in Germany: "I think that he wants to take a deep breath and wait to take his family in his arms tomorrow."

Interviewed on CNN television, Khodorkovsky's son Pavel, said he was in a state of "happy shock" following his father's release, adding that they had spoken on the phone.

"He's doing very well, sounds certainly very good and very happy."

Pavel said he "didn't think" his father would seek political asylum in Germany.

Khodorkovsky's release coincided with an amnesty for prisoners convicted of non-violent crimes that is expected to free the two jailed members of Pussy Riot band, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, just as the Kremlin readies to host the Winter Olympics in February.

Thirty foreign and Russian Greenpeace activists including an Australian man, arrested on hooliganism charges after their protest against Arctic oil drilling, are also expected to escape prosecution.

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Homicide cops investigate Rosebud body

A WOMAN'S body has been discovered in a home on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

The body was found at a property on William Crescent, Rosebud West, about 1.30pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

Homicide Squad detectives were en route to the scene on Saturday evening and the circumstances surrounding the death were being investigated.

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Gay couples wed in Utah after ruling

A US judge has struck down Utah's same-sex marriage ban in a decision that marks a drastic shift towards gay marriage in a conservative state where the Mormon church has long been against it.

Friday's decision set off an immediate frenzy as the clerk in the state's most populous county began issuing marriage licences to dozens of gay couples while state officials took steps to appeal the ruling and halt the process.

Cheers erupted as the mayor of Salt Lake City led one of the state's first gay wedding ceremonies in an office building about three miles from the headquarters of the Mormon church.

Deputy Salt Lake County Clerk Dahnelle Burton-Lee said the district attorney authorised her office to begin issuing licences to same-sex couples but she couldn't immediately say how many had been issued.

Just hours earlier, US District Judge Robert Shelby issued a 53-page ruling saying the constitutional amendment Utah voters approved in 2004 violates gay and lesbian couples' rights to due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment. Shelby said the state failed to show that allowing same-sex marriages would affect opposite-sex marriages in any way.

"In the absence of such evidence, the State's unsupported fears and speculations are insufficient to justify the State's refusal to dignify the family relationships of its gay and lesbian citizens," Shelby wrote.

The decision drew a swift and angry reaction from Utah leaders, including Republican Governor Gary Herbert.

"I am very disappointed an activist federal judge is attempting to override the will of the people of Utah. I am working with my legal counsel and the acting attorney general to determine the best course to defend traditional marriage within the borders of Utah," Herbert said.

Late on Friday, the state filed both a notice of appeal of the ruling and a request for an emergency stay that would stop marriage licences from being issued to same-sex couples. It's unknown when the judge will make a decision on whether to grant the stay.

If the ruling stands, Utah would become the 18th state to allow gay marriages, said Jon Davidson, director of Lambda Legal, which pursues litigation on LGBT issues nationwide. That's up from six before the US Supreme Court last year struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. The District of Columbia also allows same-sex marriage.

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Australians brave in rescues: Minister

CUSTOMS and navy officers showed extraordinary bravery during their search and rescue attempts to save asylum seekers from capsized boats, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says.

Nine asylum seekers heading for Australia drowned in June after a boat believed to be carrying up to 70 people sank off Christmas Island.

A baby boy died on July 12 when Siev 784 sank but 88 people were saved. A few days later, another four people died off Christmas Island after an asylum-seeker boat carrying about 150 passengers capsized in rough seas.

Key findings from internal reviews into all three search and rescues were that the Australian agencies involved complied with relevant policies, processes, and procedures, Mr Morrison said.

"These reports chronicle extraordinary acts of bravery by Customs and Border Protection and Royal Australian Navy officers under extreme conditions," he said in a statement.

The review of the incident on the Siev 784, available on the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service website, acknowledged the bravery and professionalism of border protection personnel in preventing further loss of life.

The reviews made a number of recommendations around administrative and technical processes, which are all being implemented.

None of the matters identified for improvement had a material impact on the outcome of each search and rescue, the minister said.

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Palmer's Qld coal project gets green light

CLIVE Palmer's $6.4 billion coal project in Queensland's Galilee Basin has received environmental approval from the federal government.

Waratah Coal plans to build a thermal coal project near Alpha, west of Emerald in the state's central west, plus a rail line linking the project to a proposed port at Abbot Point.

Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt on Friday approved the environmental impact statement for the project.

The approval is subject to 49 conditions that will avoid, mitigate or manage the impacts on the environment, most notably on water resources, his department said.

The proposed mine will have a life of approximately 30 years.

Waratah Coal managing director Nui Harris says it's hoped the mine will open in late 2016 or early 2017.

"It's taken a full five years and a lot of resources to get to this stage of the project," he told AAP.

"We've been working closely with the Commonwealth government over the last 18 months and in particularly the last six months to see this end result."

Environment groups have slammed the decision, saying large tracts of bushland including the Bimblebox nature refuge will be destroyed.

"We are deeply disappointed with this decision," Bimblebox co-owner Paola Cassoni said in a statement.

"Minister Hunt is clearly kowtowing to mining interests over the conservation outcomes we have been working towards for years."

Greenpeace said the approval was likely a Christmas gift for the influential new federal MP Mr Palmer.

"It's one that will destroy the Bimblebox Nature Refuge and cause more emissions than many small countries," spokeswoman Louise Matthiesson told AAP.

"We are seriously concerned there's a conflict of interest with Clive Palmer having such a sway over the Senate and it's reasonable to suspect it might have influenced (Minister) Greg Hunt's decision."

The Lock the Gate Alliance said the mine would also have unacceptable impacts on groundwater and the communities that depended on it.

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Perth policeman charged with child sex

A Perth policeman is expected to appear in court on charges of having sex with an underage girl. Source: AAP

A 44-YEAR-OLD Perth policeman has been stood down from duty after he allegedly sexually assaulted a child.

West Australian police said the senior constable, from the East Metropolitan District, had been charged by the Internal Affairs Unit with two counts of sexual penetration of a child over 13 years and under 16 years.

The alleged offences involved a 15-year-old girl.

The officer is due to appear in the Midland Magistrates Court later on Friday.

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Boy critical after 'horror' Sydney crash

A young boy is in a critical condition after a crash involving a cement truck in Sydney's southwest. Source: AAP

A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy is in a critical condition after being thrown from a van in a "horror crash" involving a cement truck in Sydney's southwest.

Police said the Toyota Tarago was stopped in a breakdown lane on the Hume Highway just before noon (AEDT) on Thursday when the cement truck crashed into its rear.

The boy, who was sitting in a rear booster seat, was thrown some 10 metres from the van by the force of the crash and suffered head, chest and pelvic injuries and leg fractures, CareFlight said.

The green van was left a mangled and crushed wreck.

Describing it as a horror crash, CareFlight said one of its trauma doctors performed emergency roadside surgery on the boy.

The six-year-old was then placed in an induced coma before being flown by helicopter to Westmead Children's Hospital in a critical condition.

His 13-year-old sister, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the van, sustained minor injuries including cuts and abrasions and was also taken to Westmead.

Their mother, standing outside the van at the time of the crash, suffered suspected pelvic injuries and was taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment, police said.

The driver of the cement truck and his passenger were trapped in their vehicle before being freed by emergency services and taken to hospital.

The truck driver, believed to be in his 30s, is undergoing mandatory blood and urine tests.

Southbound lanes of the motorway have been re-opened.

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Korean man's body believed to be in grave

Police will dig up a shallow grave in Brisbane as they search for a missing South Korean man. Source: AAP

MIN Tae Kim went to exchange his hard-earned Australian savings for South Korean money for his return home but he may never get there.

Police have found a shallow grave on a vacant property in southwest Brisbane they believe could contain the 28-year-old South Korean man's body.

Detective Inspector Kemp says two men and a woman are being held over his disappearance.

Blood was found around the grave site, in Algester, and forensics officers are preparing to exhume the contents.

They hope to know by Friday if it is Mr Kim's remains.

"We're not sure what is in that grave at this time," Det Insp Kemp told reporters.

"It could be a dog, we do have fears that is human though and it could be the missing person."

Det Insp Kemp said Mr Kim had been working hard at a local abattoir to build up his savings before his planned return to South Korea next month.

But he needed to change $15,000 cash into South Korean won and put an ad on the Gumtree website to get a cheaper exchange rate.

Mr Kim left his Cannon Hill share house with his cash to do a deal with an unknown person about 2pm Monday.

It was the last time he was seen alive.

"We feel that he may have met with foul play, we don't know," Det Insp Kemp said.

Mr Kim's disappearance comes after 22-year-old South Korean woman Eunji Ban was allegedly bashed to death while walking to work in Brisbane's CBD last month.

The Council of International Students Australia president Thomson Ch'ng said the incidents would rock people's confidence in Brisbane being a safe place to study.

"Two incidents within three weeks is not good for Brisbane and Australia," he told AAP.

"The fact is, international students are important bridges between Australia and the international community and whatever happens here (in Australia), the world is watching."

Det Insp Kemp said it would be a very unfortunate if Mr Kim became the second South Korean murdered in Brisbane in less than a month.

"If it is and if he has been brutally murdered, it's a shocking thing for us and a concern for us, most certainly," he said.

Police expect to find out the results of forensic testing on the gravesite on Friday.

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US 'regrets' Indian diplomat's treatment

THE US has voiced regret to India over the treatment of a diplomat whose account of being stripped and cavity-searched triggered outrage as the prosecutor in charge of the case defended the arrest.

With New Delhi vowing to "restore the dignity" of diplomat Devyani Khobragade, Indian media reported that the 39-year-old was being moved from her post as deputy consul general in New York to the UN mission in a bid to thwart her prosecution.

In a strongly worded statement, Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said the diplomat had "clearly tried to evade US law designed to protect from exploitation the domestic employees of diplomats and consular officers".

Khobragade is free on bail after her December 12 arrest in New York for allegedly paying a domestic worker a fraction of the minimum wage and for lying about the employee's salary in a visa application.

Bharara, who was born in India, stressed that the employee allegedly worked "far more" than the 40 hours a week in her contract and visa application.

The worker is said to have been paid just $US3.31 an hour - well below New York's required $US7.25 - despite signing a contract to pay her three times that amount for childcare and other services.

"Is it for US prosecutors to look the other way, ignore the law and the civil rights of victims (again, here an Indian national), or is it the responsibility of the diplomats and consular officers and their government to make sure the law is observed?" Bharara asked.

While India retaliated against American diplomats in the usually US-friendly country, Secretary of State John Kerry tried to end the row in a telephone call to India's national security adviser, Shivshankar Menon.

Kerry "expressed his regret, as well as his concern that we not allow this unfortunate public issue to hurt our close and vital relationship with India", in a call to Menon, the State Department said.

State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said it was "particularly important to Secretary Kerry that foreign diplomats serving in the United States are accorded respect and dignity just as we expect our own diplomats should receive overseas".

The fury in India grew after an email from Khobragade in which the diplomat said she had been repeatedly stripped and cavity-searched by the US authorities after her detention.

"I must admit that I broke down many times as the indignities of repeated handcuffing, stripping and cavity searches, swabbing, in a hold-up with common criminals and drug addicts were all being imposed upon me despite my incessant assertions of immunity," she said in the email.

But Bharara, the US attorney, insisted that Khobragade was arrested in the "most discreet" way possible, was never handcuffed or restrained and was searched by a female deputy marshal in a "private setting".

"One wonders why there is so much outrage about the alleged treatment of the Indian national accused of perpetrating these acts, but precious little outrage about the alleged treatment of the Indian victim and her spouse?" he asked.

But the diplomat's allegations of harsh treatment at the hands of the US has caused huge offence in a country that sees itself as an emerging world power.

In an address to parliament, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said it was his "duty to bring the lady back.

"We have to restore her dignity and I will do it at any cost," he said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed the diplomat's arrest "deplorable".

Bulldozers dragged away concrete barricades that had been set up outside the US Embassy.

And US consular officials have been told to return identity cards that speed up travel into and through India, with their import clearances for duty free alcohol and other goods suspended.

State Department No.3 Wendy Sherman spoke to Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and voiced hope that Indian authorities "will continue to fulfil their host government obligations regarding the safety and security of our personnel and mission premises", Harf said.

Harf said the State Department had not received any notice that India wanted to change Khobragade's credentials to the UN mission.

Such a move "would have to be approved by all appropriate authorities" at the UN and State Department, she said.

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State Mine Fire inquiry hearings wrap up

A COMMISSION of inquiry has finished public hearings into how an extensive fire was sparked by a botched explosives exercise at a Defence Training area near the NSW city of Lithgow.

But the inquiry report and recommendations may remain under wraps if Defence chiefs so decide.

The fire that started on October 16 grew into the destructive State Mine blaze, which tore through more than 50,000 hectares and destroyed five houses, a Rural Fire Service (RFS) investigation found.

The fire broke out during a live explosives exercise at the Marrangaroo Training Area near Lithgow.

Defence apologised for starting the fire and appointed an inquiry headed by former Sydney judge John O'Meally, assisted by Brigadier Jane Spalding and Air Commodore David Steele.

Eight days of public hearings finished on Wednesday.

During the hearings the inquiry learned that despite RFS recommendations, hazard reduction burns at the training ground had not been carried out for nearly two decades.

It also emerged that equipment at the site was inadequate to cope and exploding ordnance hindered efforts to control the blaze.

A lack of co-operation between Defence and the RFS was also exposed at the hearings.

A Defence spokesman told AAP the inquiry panel would prepare a report for Defence and submit it within a month or so.

The Defence department would then consider the report and its recommendations.

It would be up to the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence to determine whether the report would be released publicly, the spokesman said.

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Cars seized from Fast and Furious hoons

THREE hoons who allegedly drove recklessly during a car club cruise dedicated to the memory of Fast and the Furious actor Paul Walker have had their cars seized.

Perth's Unforgotten Car Club organised and promoted a memorial cruise following the death of Walker, who died last month when the powerful Porsche he was being driven in crashed into a tree in California.

Police issued more than 180 traffic infringements to participants and investigations were launched after video footage of the driving was supplied by the public.

On Wednesday, WA police said they had seized three cars and impounded them for 28 days.

A 19-year-old man from Bicton was charged with creating excess noise and smoke and had his Mitsubishi Mirage impounded.

A 21-year-old man from Mirrabooka has been charged with reckless driving and had his Holden Commodore impounded.

A 19-year-old man from Kenwick has also been charged with reckless driving and had his Holden Commodore Ute impounded.

Inquiries into other vehicles involved in dangerous driving behaviour are continuing, while all three men charged will appear in court at a later date.

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School in shock after boy dies in crash

A six-year-old boy has died after he was hit by a car outside a child-care centre in Sydney. Source: AAP

A SYDNEY school community is in shock after a young boy on holidays from Malaysia died after he was hit by a car on the last day of the school year.

The six-year-old was struck as he was walking with his mother and two female cousins, aged four and five, near Carlingford Public School on Rickard Street, Carlingford in Sydney's northwest on Wednesday morning.

The car, with a woman and two children inside, was turning into the driveway of a child-care centre when it ploughed into them as they were walking past.

The boy died at the scene.

The Nissan Dualis sedan also hit his four-year-old cousin who is in The Children's Hospital at Westmead with pelvic injuries.

The boy's 38-year-old mother, a Malaysian national, was taken to Westmead Hospital with non life-threatening injuries while the other young girl was not injured.

Parents rushed to the school on Wednesday afternoon to find most of the street being cordoned off by police tape.

Magdalena Kowalska, a mother of three children at the school, went to pick up her children about lunchtime after hearing the news.

"I was at work and heard about it ... I thought I'd come and check on the children and collect them from school," she said.

"There was counselling inside just to reassure them that everything is fine."

Her son Alex, 11, said school staff had talked to students about the accident.

"I just heard someone died in a car crash and was pretty sad about it."

The driver of the car, a 46-year-old Carlingford woman, was taken to hospital suffering shock.

Police said she would undergo mandatory blood and urine testing.

Superintendent John Duncan, from Ryde Local Area Command, said the driveway where the accident happened was not a designated drop-off area, and it was still too early to tell what caused the accident.

"This is a tragic incident, it's a week before Christmas, it's the last day of school," Supt Duncan said.

"It's a timely reminder for everybody to just take your time on the roads."

Police are yet to formally interview the driver or the mother of the boy who died.

The Department of Education has organised counselling for teachers and students.

Premier Barry O'Farrell said it was a terrible day for the entire school community.

"It's a shock to everybody," Mr O'Farrell said.

"A shock, not least because this, the last day of school, is normally a day full of excitement for students and school communities.

"A shock because for all of us in this country, schools are happy, safe, learning environments."

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

The latest school death comes one year after five-year-old Kevin Quintal was struck on his way to kindergarten at a school in Kingsgrove in Sydney's south.

The driver, Lidija Sutevska, was found not guilty of negligent driving occasioning death in November with the magistrate saying it was "a series of unfortunate events".

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Funds cut for mandatory efficiency program

ENERGY efficiency groups are livid the government has cut funding to a John Howard-era program that makes it mandatory for large energy-using businesses to improve their efficiency.

The midyear budget review on Tuesday says funding for the Energy Efficiency Opportunities program will terminate from July as part of the government's moves to abolish the carbon tax.

The program was set up in 2006 and makes it mandatory for companies who are large users of electricity, gas or diesel to improve the identification, evaluation and implementation of cost-effective energy savings opportunities.

The Energy Efficiency Council says the surprise cut has created huge uncertainty in the sector.

The council represents electricity generators and providers, and energy-efficiency product manufacturers, suppliers and installers.

"The government haven't scrapped the Energy Efficiency Opportunities program, because it's legislated, but they've cut funding to administer the program," chief executive Rob Murray-Leach said.

"People are confused and very, very angry."

A statement on the program's website says it will continue in its present form until June 30, 2014.

It says the government is consulting on how to optimise energy efficiency policy through its energy white paper.

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More indigenous in jail without legal aid

CUTTING Aboriginal legal aid will further entrench Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders as second-class citizens in their own country, a legal body says.

The Abbott Government is set to announce the cutting funding of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS), and of all law reform and policy officer positions within each state and territory to make an annual saving of $3 million for the next three years.

At a time when indigenous incarceration rates are alarmingly high and rising, cutting the funding such services is short-sighted, says NATSILS chairman Shane Duffy.

"More people are going to end up in prison, it's as simple as that," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Justice-related costs are spiralling out of control around Australia, and removing the ability of front-line services to provide government agencies with accurate policy advice will only serve to make our system more ineffective, inefficient and increasingly costly."

The money saved will be a fraction of the damage done to Aboriginal families by neutering the legal peak body that represents them, said Gary Highland, national director of Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR).

Aboriginal people are 18 times more likely to be imprisoned than other Australians, which is a major factor preventing participation in the workforce, he said.

"We won't give Aboriginal children a good education, while they are 25 times more likely to be incarcerated than other Australian children," he said.

Both men said cutting the funding made no sense.

"The funding cuts directly target our ability to work with governments to address the underlying causes of why (indigenous) peoples are so disproportionately represented in our justice system," Mr Duffy said.

"There's no one else to fulfil this role if we are prohibited from doing so."

He didn't understand why funding for indigenous legal services has been excluded from the prime minister's Indigenous Advisory Council review of all government expenditure on indigenous programs.

The fact that the government had pre-empted the review calls into question Prime Minister Tony Abbott's commitment to indigenous issues, he said.

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Dimmeys fined $3m over safety breaches

DISCOUNT retailer Dimmeys has been fined $3 million for selling toys, swimwear and basketball rings that breached Australian safety laws.

Consumer Affairs Victoria took the company to the Federal Court alleging that the products - girls' swimwear, baby bath toys, cosmetics and basketball rings - breached safety standards.

The products were on sale between January 2011 and March 2012.

Consumer Affairs Victoria alleged the girls' swimwear and basketball rings did not have adequate safety warning labels, the baby bath toys were choking hazards and the cosmetics - shower gift sets - did not list ingredients.

The Federal Court has also fined Starite, the company which supplied the goods to Dimmeys, $600,000.

Dimmeys and Starite were also banned from selling any goods which were subject to safety standards for six years.

The director of both Dimmeys and Starite, Douglas Edward Zappelli was fined $120,000. He has also been disqualified for six years from managing corporations.

The Federal Court ruled the $3 million penalty was adequate given the need for general deterrence when dealing with the safety of products used by children.

The court also ordered that the goods be destroyed and disposed of at the expense of Dimmeys, Starite and Mr Zappelli.

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Vic Great Ocean Rd upgrade to begin 2014

A planned $50m upgrade to Victoria's Great Ocean Road will begin after the peak tourist season. Source: AAP

A $50 million upgrade to the Great Ocean Road in Victoria will begin next year after the peak summer season.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced resurfacing works will begin in Anglesea, one of the first towns along the iconic tourist drive, with an $1.8 million upgrade.

"The better the roads, the better the infrastructure, the easier it is for people to do business, the easier it is for people to live their lives," he told reporters in the town on Monday.

The upgrades will begin in early in 2014 after the peak season, when up to 16,000 vehicles a day cruise along the iconic 240km stretch of coastal scenery.

The federal coalition pledged $50 million towards the Great Ocean Road during the election campaign, with half the money coming from the state government.

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Qld govt eyes NGO role in child protection

Queensland will look to non-government organisations to rescue the state's child protection system. Source: AAP

THE number of Queensland children in out-of-home care will increase by 40 per cent in the next decade if the Queensland government doesn't act.

The government has adopted most of the recommendations from the Carmody commission of inquiry, which found the system was under significant stress.

It has committed to focus on more early intervention strategies and will turn to the non-government sector to help prevent children from entering the child protection system.

In severe cases, toddlers will be routinely considered for adoption to give them a better chance of bonding with new families.

Extremely troubled teenagers would as a last resort be placed in institutions and boarding schools will become official carers.

The mandatory reporting of domestic violence incidents in homes where children are present will end, because it's putting too much pressure on the system.

The government will still respond to the most serious cases of maltreatment but there will be new strategies to deal with lower-level situations.

Overworked frontline staff will be relieved of some of their workloads and non-government organisations could play an expanded role in case management and casework.

The Carmody inquiry pointed to a system struggling under the weight of its workload, with the number of children in out-of-home care doubling over the past decade and the length of stays increasing.

There are currently 8,600 Queensland children in out-of-home care - more than the state's adult prison population - costing the state $820 million each year.

Child Safety Minister Tracy Davis says if action wasn't taken, in a decade that number could rise by 40 per cent to 12,000 children, and cost $1.5 billion a year.

"It's about moving away from statutory responses to community based responses," she said.

"Parents still love their children, but some don't have the skills to keep them safe at home."

Foster Care Qld's Bryan Smith says carers would welcome extra support from NGO providers and the opposition says the government's response must be backed by adequate resources.

Since taking office, the LNP has sacked 385 people in the Department of Communities and slashed departmental funding to non-government organisations by $65 million a year, Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mulherin says.

"The LNP's track record of cuts to frontline services and cuts to frontline community groups cannot be allowed to be repeated when it comes to looking after vulnerable children," he said.

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Family reunions recommended in WA prisons

WESTERN Australia's prison inspector has recommended male and female inmates from the same family be allowed to visit each other in jail - despite serious reservations of guards.

In a report into young female prisoners in WA, Inspector of Custodial Services Neil Morgan revealed a "wish list" of teenaged girls being held at Banksia Hill young offender's prison in Perth's south.

As well as asking for a water fountain in the prison's outdoor area, many of the girls said they wanted the ban lifted on visiting male family members in the same jail.

Mr Morgan concluded it was a good idea.

"During the 2013 inspection no such interaction was occurring at all," Mr Morgan wrote.

"The female detainees said that they would like to be able to have visits with male relatives at Banksia Hill ... however no such visits were occurring or seemed even to be under management consideration.

"The apparent perception of some staff being that interaction between male and female detainees should be avoided at any cost."

Despite this, Mr Morgan recommended the Department of Corrective Services should introduce inter and intra-prison visits for detainees and their family members, a recommendation the report says has been supported by Banksia Hill.

Mr Morgan also recommended that some adult female prisoners be housed alongside younger girls at Banksia Hill, to make education and training courses more economical.

"This recommendation is not made lightly, for ... the Young Offenders Act, in line with the provisions of United Nations conventions, is premised on the separation of adults and children," Mr Morgan said.

"However, in the interests of the community, more needs to be done for incarcerated young women and girls."

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Qld lifts pokies ban on big notes

Poker machines in Queensland's pubs, clubs and casinos will now accept notes bigger than $20. Source: AAP

INCREASING the value of notes Queensland's poker machines can accept is a bad move that will escalate problem gambling, critics say.

For the past 12 years, electronic gaming machines in the state's pubs, clubs and casinos were restricted to accept nothing larger than $20 bills.

Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie has approved a change to allow $50 and $100 notes.

The move, lobbied by major casino owner Echo Entertainment, was condemned by charities and counselling services, which say it will have a negative effect on problem gamblers.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mulherin says the government's own discussion paper on lifting the restriction identified that limiting the size of notes to $20 prevented gamblers from making "large spontaneous bets".

A state government discussion paper in February also said the note-size limit was reviewed in 2003, Mr Mulherin said.

"That review found the policy was working and had succeeded in 'adjusting the behaviour of people who were at risk of developing a gambling problem'."

He accused the government of giving in to the gambling industry.

"The slipshod process for deciding on new casino licences is proof of that," he said.

"Even before any community consultation has been undertaken, the government has decided new licences will be available just because groups like the James Packer-led Crown casinos want one."

Premier Campbell Newman says the poker machine changes will have little effect on problem gamblers.

"This is a change about the notes you can use - no changes to the limit," he said.

"There's a $100 limit, which puts a real lid in terms of problem gamblers."

Mr Newman says the limit in NSW is $10,000.

"We've got some tight controls here and we haven't slackened them off."

The lifting of the ban on $50 and $100 notes was among recommendations by a government-appointed expert panel that reviewed the state's gambling laws and policies.

Controversial proposals being considered include doubling the maximum of each poker machine bet to $10 and allowing gaming at pubs and clubs before 10am.

The government is expected to release its full response next year.

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Eight more dead in Bangladesh riots

10 people have been killed in Bangladesh's violence over the execution of an Islamist party leader. Source: AAP

EIGHT more deaths were reported in Bangladesh in intensified riots and protests sparked by the execution of a top Islamist leader, as the prime minister warned of a crackdown on the violence.

Police said Islamist supporters torched houses and fought running street battles with officers in towns and cities during a third day of unrest over the execution of Abdul Quader Molla for war crimes.

Two people were killed on Sunday in the northern town of Patgram and another six elsewhere overnight, police said, as Islamist supporters enforced a nationwide strike over the execution of Molla, a senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

"Police fired shotgun pellets to disperse the Jamaat protesters who torched at least 20 houses belonging to ruling party supporters," government administrator Habibur Rahman told AFP of the violence in Patgram.

Molla's hanging on Thursday night triggered fresh unrest in the impoverished country, already reeling from political violence in the build-up to a deeply divisive national election scheduled for January 5.

Twenty people are now known to have died and dozens more have been injured in the clashes since Thursday between outraged Jamaat activists and police and between the activists and supporters of the ruling Awami League.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina warned of strong action against the rioters, saying "we have shown enough patience. We will not tolerate anymore."

"People of the country know how to reply to these atrocities (the latest violence), we (government) also know how to respond to, control you (the rioters)," she told a rally late on Saturday to commemorate those killed in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.

Molla, 65, became the first person to be executed for his role in that war. Jamaat called the hanging a "political murder" and said it would avenge it.

Molla had been found guilty in February by a much-criticised domestic tribunal of having been a leader of a pro-Pakistan militia that fought against the country's independence and killed some of Bangladesh's top professors, doctors, writers and journalists.

He was convicted of rape, murder and mass murder, including the killing of more than 350 unarmed civilians. Prosecutors called him the "Butcher of Mirpur", a Dhaka suburb where he committed most of the atrocities.

Of the six killed overnight, police said three died in the southern town of Companyganj, two in the northern town of Ramganj and one in the coastal town of Laxmipur.

At Companyganj, an opposition bastion, police fired rifles to disperse at least 8,000 rampaging Jamaat supporters who torched four government offices and attacked officers with crude bombs and guns, a senior police officer said.

In Ramganj, activists of Jamaat and its main ally, the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, attacked a convoy of ruling party lawmakers, leaving two people dead, sub-inspector Ershadul Alam told AFP.

Molla was one of five Islamists and other politicians sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal, which the opposition says is aimed at eradicating its leaders.

The sentences have triggered riots and plunged the country into its worst violence since independence.

Some 250 people have now been killed in street protests since January, when the first verdicts were handed down.

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Red-suited revellers hit NY bars

The costumed New York pub crawl known as SantaCon has seen thousands of Santa's partying in bars. Source: AAP

SANTA Claus came to town despite snow and widespread criticism of the costumed New York pub crawl known as SantaCon.

New York City's SantaCon started on Saturday morning in Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. Thousands of red-suited revellers then spread out through the city's bars and snowy streets.

This year's SantaCon takes place in New York amid criticism that the event has become too rowdy. SantaCon participants were told to make charitable donations and encouraged to bring small gifts to bestow on one another and passers-by.

Organisers say similar events were set for more than 100 other cities worldwide on Saturday, including San Francisco; Portland, Oregon, Newport Beach, California and Vancouver, British Columbia.

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Sydney road and railway line reopen

A MAIN road and part of a railway line that were shut after a train malfunction on a level crossing in Sydney's northwest have reopened.

Garfield Road at Riverstone and the T1 western railway line between Mulgrave and Quakers Hill station are open but the Transport Management Centre says delays could still occur on trains in the area.

No delays are expected on local roads.

Supplementary buses are running and users of public transport are being asked to allow extra travel time.

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Mandela's remains transferred to air base

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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Severe storm warning for wind and hail

ANOTHER round of severe thunderstorms is set to pummel the southeast.

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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Baby bongo Tambo is Taronga's new arrival

Sydney's Taronga Zoo has welcomed the birth of one of Africa's rarest and strangest looking animals. Source: AAP

HE may look strange and share a name with a percussion instrument but Australia's newest bongo is extremely important.

Born at Taronga Zoo on November 29, the zebra-like antelope is one of only 500 eastern bongos in captivity.

So endangered is the eastern bongo that only 100 remain in the wild at Mount Kenya.

Taronga's ungulate keeper Natalie Dunn told AAP the zoo's recent arrival may one day be released into the wild population to breed.

"There's a reintroduction program in Mount Kenya," she said.

"If he had the genes that were missing in the wild population ... there's every chance he could end up in the program."

The new calf, named Tambo, meaning vigorous, was up and walking within half an hour of his birth.

He's the second calf for "textbook mum" Djembe, joining 18-month-old sister Kiazi, who Ms Dunn says was initially hesitant to have a stranger in her enclosure.

"She (Kiazi) was quite shocked to turn around and see there was a calf on the ground," she said.

"But the good thing about having her ... (with him) is that she gets exposed to all this mothering behaviour.

"She'll definitely be a breeder."

Ms Dunn says Tambo is a curious bouncing baby boy, "jumping like a spring lamb" and chasing birds.

"He's the cutest thing ever," she said.

"We end up running very behind because we stand and watch him far too long."

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