Quake hits Indonesia's Sumatra

A strong quake has hit Indonesia's Sumatra days after a tremor killed dozens of people. Source: AAP

JAKARTA, July 6 AFP - A strong 6.0-magnitude quake has struck off Indonesia's Sumatra, US seismologists say, just days after a tremor on the vast island killed dozens and left thousands homeless.

No tsunami warning was issued and there were no reports of damage after the quake struck on Saturday at a shallow depth of just 23km off the south-west coast of the vast island, said the US Geological Survey.

US seismologists initially said it was a magnitude 6.4 quake, then revised it down to a 6.0 quake.

The epicentre was close to the remote archipelago of Mentawai. In 2010, a 7.7-magnitude quake triggered a tsunami that left more than 400 people dead on the island chain.

Suharjono, an official from the local meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency, who goes by one name, said Saturday's quake was unlikely to have caused damage and there was no threat of a tsunami.

"Judging from the quake's magnitude and the distance from the epicentre to the land, I don't think the quake will have a significant impact," he said.

"There's little potential to cause damage," he said, explaining that it was felt mildly by people in two provinces on Sumatra.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami alert.

It came after a 6.1-magnitude inland tremor on Tuesday struck Aceh, on Sumatra's northern tip, flattening buildings and sparking landslides in the mountainous interior of the natural disaster-prone province.

So far 35 people have been confirmed dead from Tuesday's quake and some 16,000 left homeless, according to the national disaster agency.

In 2004, a quake-triggered tsunami left more than 170,000 people dead in Aceh, as well as tens of thousands more in countries around the Indian Ocean.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

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Third whale found dead off Qld coast

A third killer whale carcass has been found after a stranding in waters off Fraser Island. Source: AAP

A THIRD killer whale carcass has been found by wildlife rangers at Fraser Island, off the southern Queensland coast.

The whale was discovered late on Friday in a creek north of Kingfisher Bay on the island by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service staff.

The discovery comes two days after two whales, believed to be a mother and calf, died on Wednesday when their pod became stranded on a sandbar in the Great Sandy Strait which separates the island from the mainland.

It's believed the whale discovered on Friday, which measures seven metres, had been dead for at least 24 hours before its discovery.

Sea World animal care supervisor Tacha Mulligan says it's unclear why the whales died, though it could be an underlying health problem that's to blame.

"The necropsy performed yesterday on an adult female that died on Wednesday showed it had no food it its stomach and had very little milk in its mammary glands even though it had a young calf with it," Mulligan said in a statement.

"At this point in time, whilst there are no indications of illness amongst the remaining nine whales, it gives us concern that three animals have died in such a short space of time and we will continue to monitor the killer whale's behaviour."

The remaining nine members of the pod were continuing to be monitored but none of the animals appeared to be in any distress, Ms Mulligan said

"The pod seems to be quite comfortable in their current location and we have even observed some members rolling on their backs and displaying tail lobs which are relaxed and playful behaviours," she said.

"At this point in time we have not seen any indication in the pod's behaviour that gives us cause for concern."

Intervention will only be required if it becomes clear the whales are not able to make their way into open water, the statement said.

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Bomb in bag kills three police in Yemen

A BOMB hidden in a plastic bag has exploded at a checkpoint in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, killing three policemen and wounding a fourth, a security services official says.

The device was planted near a police checkpoint in the north of the capital and detonated on Saturday as the policemen opened the bag to check its contents, the official added.

The blast killed two of the policemen immediately and seriously wounded two others, one of whom died later.

A manhunt has been launched for those behind the attack, the official added.

Saturday's deadly blast came after a period of relative calm in the Yemeni capital.

Yemen's politicians are currently taking part in a national dialogue aimed at paving the way for a new constitution and planned February 2014 general elections.

The impoverished Arabian Peninsula country has been hit by violence attributed to Al-Qaeda militants, southern separatists and a Shi'ite rebellion in the north.

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$A higher as market waits for US jobs data

THE Australian dollar is higher after a subdued day of trade, as investors sit tight ahead of the release of US employment data.

At 1700 AEST on Friday, the local unit was trading at 91.42 US cents, up from 91.06 US cents on Thursday after a rise during overnight trade.

ANZ foreign exchange strategist Andrew Salter said the local currency had traded in subdued conditions on Friday ahead of the release of the US June non-farm payrolls data on Friday night, Australian time.

"It's unfortunately been a bit of a dull session but tonight is going to be very important," Mr Salter said.

"The US Federal Reserve has explicitly tied its monetary policy to the evolution of the US data, they've said that if the data surprises to the upside ... then they could remove their unusually large monetary stimulus earlier.

"If we get a surprise to the upside in the number of jobs added, that will imply that the central bank is closer to unwinding its large-scale asset purchases and that will imply strength in the US dollar and therefore weakness in the Aussie."

The Australian dollar at 1700 AEST was at 91.68 Japanese yen, up from Thursday's close of 90.67 yen, and at 70.89 euro cents, up from 70.04 euro cents.

Anticipation of the US data drove Australian bond futures prices lower.

At 1630 AEST the September 10-year bond futures contract was trading at 96.165 (implying a yield of 3.835 per cent), down from 96.195 (3.805 per cent) on Thursday.

The September three-year bond futures contract was at 97.130 (2.870 per cent), down from 97.170 (2.830 per cent).

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Crews close to containing Arizona fire

Fire officials say they are close to containing 85 per cent of a deadly Arizona blaze. Source: AAP

FIRE officials say they are close to containing 85 per cent of a deadly Arizona blaze.

Operations section chief Carl Schwope of a multi-agency incident team says the blaze isn't actively burning and crews have been working to ensure any embers are out cold. It was 45 per cent contained on Thursday afternoon.

Yavapai County Sheriff Scott Mascher says Peeples Valley residents will be able to return home on Thursday evening.

Mascher says only those who can show proof of residency will be allowed past a checkpoint.

Evacuation orders for Yarnell remain in place.

The Yarnell Hill Fire was sparked by lightning on June 28. Two days later, violent winds fed the fire and took the Granite Mountain Hotshots by surprise, killing 19 members of the elite crew.

The fire has burned more than 100 structures on about 33 sq kilometres.

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Killer whales off Qld close to open sea

Rangers are hopeful a pod of whales that became stranded near Fraser Island will move out to sea. Source: AAP

RANGERS are hopeful a pod of killer whales that became stranded off the Queensland coast will move out to sea on Friday night.

The nine whales have been slowly moving north out of shallow waters near Fraser Island where two whales, a mother and her calf, died after becoming stranded on Wednesday morning.

The calf's carcass was dragged further north to help entice the pod away from danger.

Rangers had hoped the pod would swim out to sea on Friday afternoon, but despite moving a few kilometres north they've remained in the channel.

"The tide has stopped going out so they've just stayed in one spot," a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service spokeswoman told AAP.

"They're heading in the right direction and it's expected they'll head north out to sea when the tide goes out about 7pm (AEST) tonight."

Earlier on Friday, Acting Regional Director Peter Wright said the whales appeared relaxed and in good condition.

Rangers, Sea World rescuers and orca experts continue to monitor the pod.

Sea World director of marine sciences Trevor Long says rescuers will only intervene if the whales are not able to make their own way to out to sea.

"This environment of shallow waters and sand banks is very strange for these whales," he said.

"It is possible they have been disorientated as well as fearful of the sand banks following the stranding."

Killer whale strandings are rare.

Rescuers had feared the surviving whales would stay in the shallow waters where the mother and calf died.

A necropsy is being carried out on one of the dead whales in an effort to find out what caused the stranding and if the whales suffered any major health issues.

A 300 metre exclusion zone for all vessels has been set up around the killer whales as they head towards safety.

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$A higher after RBA comment branded a joke

THE Australian dollar is higher after a comment from Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens that caused the local currency to fall to a three-year low was dismissed as a lighthearted remark.

At 1700 AEST on Thursday, the local unit was trading at 91.06 US cents, up from 90.62 cents on Wednesday.

Mr Stevens told a business function on Wednesday that the RBA had deliberated for "a very long time" before deciding to leave the cash rate at its record low of 2.75 per cent on Tuesday.

The unscripted comment sent the Australian dollar below 91 US cents and to its lowest level since September 2010.

But on Thursday RBA deputy governor Philip Lowe said the comment was a lighthearted remark that was "misinterpreted" by financial markets.

"I can confirm for you that the board did deliberate for a very long time," Dr Lowe said.

"I can also confirm for you that it always deliberates for a very long time."

CMC Markets foreign exchange dealer Tim Waterer said the clarification from Dr Lowe saw the Australian dollar recover some of the losses posted after Mr Stevens' comment.

"The clarification by the deputy governor today seemed to have added a little bit of forward momentum to the Aussie," Mr Waterer said.

"The fact that Lowe came out and did state that it was a lighthearted remark, that had traders thinking that maybe the Tuesday rates decision wasn't as close a call as they originally thought on the back of Stevens' comments yesterday."

The Australian dollar at 1700 AEST was at 90.67 Japanese yen, down from Wednesday's close of 91.30 yen, and at 70.04 euro cents, up from 69.83 euro cents.

Meanwhile, Dr Lowe's comments sent Australian bond futures prices lower.

"We've pulled back a bit on the Lowe clarification," said National Australia Bank head of research Peter Jolly.

Prices were also driven by Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing total building approvals for new homes fell 1.1 per cent across Australia in May.

"It was a pretty soft reading because there's no doubt that residential construction is seen as one of those sectors that may at least partially fill the gap that's going to be left by the peak in the mining investment boom," Mr Jolly said.

At 1630 AEST the September 10-year bond futures contract was trading at 96.195 (implying a yield of 3.805 per cent), down from 96.240 (3.760 per cent) on Wednesday.

The September three-year bond futures contract was at 97.170 (2.830 per cent), down from 97.240 (2.760 per cent).

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Whales still at risk of restranding in Qld

QUEENSLAND marine park rangers will drag the carcass of a baby killer whale out to sea to stop members of its pod from potentially beaching themselves again.

Up to eight whales remain in shallow waters near Fraser Island where two whales, a mother and her calf, died after becoming stranded on Wednesday morning.

Rescuers fear the pod could become stranded again.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services says it will tow the dead calf by boat out to deeper waters at first light on Friday.

It's hoped the surviving killer whales will follow.

The calf's mother has been removed from the water.

Five other stranded whales were freed on Wednesday afternoon. They are part of the pod that remains in the channel.

Sea World's marine expert Trevor Long says the whales may not have moved on because they're mourning the loss of the other whales.

"This is a family unit and the loss of those two whales out of that family unit is extremely strong," he told AAP.

He says killer whale strandings are rare.

"I'm not sure why they would be there," Mr Long said.

"Whether they are following some type of food into there, that might be seal or whale, I don't know."

A 300-metre exclusion zone for all vessels has been put in place around the whales.

Killer whales, also known as orca, follow the humpback whale migration along Australia's east coast to prey on calves.

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Packer's celebrity pull helps casino win

Businessman James Packer is delighted his bid for a second Sydney casino has won approval. Source: AAP

JAMES Packer's successful track record in attracting Asian high rollers and celebrities has played a part in his big win on the path to building Sydney's second casino.

A bid by Mr Packer's Crown to build a $1.5 billion luxury resort and VIP-only casino on the city's harbourside has been favoured by the NSW government, ahead of a $1.1 bid from rival casino operator Echo Entertainment.

He does not yet have a licence, but is now able to move to the final stage of the development approval process.

A government appointed panel found Crown's proposal would contribute $442 million a year to the state's gross domestic product through taxes and fees licence, more than Echo's plan.

IG market strategist Stan Shamu said Crown's Barangaroo bid was compelling with its luxury appeal, harbour views, and the fact it would be looking to bring in celebrities and Asian high rollers.

"Crown's casino in Melbourne is a mini-village that is enormously successful," he told AAP.

Mr Packer, Australia's third-richest man with wealth estimated at $6 billion, said he wanted a building that was instantly recognisable around the world that would feature on postcards and memorabilia.

"Sydney is one of the world's great cities; it deserves one of the world's great hotels," he said in a statement.

In contrast, Echo is now unable to proceed with its own planned $1.1 billion expansion of The Star, and from 2019 is likely to face stiff competition from Crown for the VIP market, the most lucrative part of a casino's business.

Kimber Capital wealth management's head of research Greg Fraser told AAP Echo's disastrous $30 million impairment hit last year would have counted against it, which related to a collapsed Chinese VIP junket operator SilkStar.

While Mr Packer was also exposed to that market, he would have been able to demonstrate a better ability to manage it, he said.

Echo said it was disappointed with the NSW government's decision, but was determined to press on in growing and realising value from The Star.

The Star still holds an 80 year licence term, including another six years of exclusivity in Sydney, Echo chairman John O'Neill said in a statement.

"The Star is Echo's flagship property and we are here for at least another 80 years," he said.

Echo also had a bad day on the market, with its shares trading for nearly 20 minutes after it was reported that it had lost the bid, despite the company's request for a halt in trading.

Its shares dropped 13 cents, or 4.3 per cent, to $2.91.

Crown's shares were placed in halt nearly 20 minutes earlier, up 26 cents, or 2.2 per cent, at $12.21.

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Portugal stocks plunge on crisis

PORTUGUESE share prices plummeted six per cent in early trading after the resignations of the foreign and finance ministers threw the government's survival into doubt.

The Lisbon stock exchange's key index plunged 5.99 per cent to 5,199.01 points at 0730 GMT.

The latest bout of unease were triggered by the resignation of two ministers this week over tough budget cuts that have sharply reduced living standards in one of the poorest countries that uses the euro.

Foreign Minister Paulo Portas resigned Tuesday evening, a day after the shock departure of Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar.

Portugal is implementing austerity measures in return for its 78 billion euros ($A111.56 billion) international bailout.

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Retail spending up in May

Retail spending rose 0.1% in May, official figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIAN retail spending rose 0.1 per cent in May, official figures show.

That followed a surplus of $171 million in April, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

Economists had expected a surplus of $50 million in May.

During the month, exports rose 4.0 per cent, while imports rose 2.0 per cent, the ABS said.

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New offence for loud-mouth CMC complainers

PEOPLE who make a complaint to Queensland's crime and corruption watchdog will be charged if they go public under sweeping reforms of the embattled organisation.

The state government has released its response to two reports into the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) and will introduce legislation this year to implement the recommendations it accepted.

Senior ministers have lambasted the watchdog for publicly releasing sensitive documents from the Fitzgerald inquiry into police corruption and claim it has allowed itself to be used as a political football during the 2012 election campaign.

Under the changes, the government will try to reduce complaints flowing into the CMC, especially baseless, vexatious allegations.

People who lodge an allegation with the CMC will have to sign a statutory declaration and the CMC will be obliged to instigate prosecutions for complaints which are found to be malicious.

It will be an offence for any person, including an officer of the CMC, to disclose that a complaint has been made and the subject of it.

A person found to have made a baseless complaint may be required to pay compensation to the CMC or the person who the complaint was made against.

The threshold of what constitutes "official misconduct" will be raised, in a bid to reduce complaints.

There will also be an administrative restructure of the CMC, in a bid to reduce its increasing bureaucratisation.

The government won't split the CMC in two, as recommended, but it will lose its education and research functions to have a renewed focus on fighting crime.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie says the changes are necessary to uphold the integrity and improve the overall running of the CMC.

"We have seen over the years, a watchdog that has lost its way and has become over burdened with red tape," he said.

"These changes will improve the internal processes, practices and culture within the CMC.

"Queenslanders deserve to have a watchdog they can trust and this government is committed to implementing these recommendations to ensure this."

The government hopes to have all recommendations implemented by March 2014.

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Retailers frustrated by steady cash rate

Retailers have criticised the Reserve Bank's decision to leave interest rates on hold. Source: AAP

THE decision to leave interest rates on hold will cause further damage to the struggling retail sector, a peak retailers group says.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced on Tuesday the cash rate would remain at 2.75 per cent following its monthly board meeting.

Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the Australian Retailers Association, says the decision is frustrating for the industry.

"We can only expect further damage to retailers who are struggling to keep their heads above water," Mr Zimmerman said.

He said a rate cut was needed in order to encourage customers to spend their money.

"The RBA needs to cut official rates to 2.5 per cent to get variable mortgage rates to a level of six per cent," he added.

Australian National Retailer's Association CEO Margy Osmond agreed that the steady cash rate would fail to boost retail spirits.

She said the retail sector could not rely on the recent weakening of the Australian dollar to boost domestic spending.

"We expect customers to remain cautious about their discretionary spending ... as we enter the second half of the year," she added.

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Rates unchanged as dollar falls

The Reserve Bank has left the cash rate on hold at 2.75 per cent at its July board meeting. Source: AAP

THE Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the cash rate unchanged as the falling Australian dollar does the central bank's work.

In a statement accompanying the decision to keep the rate at a record low of 2.75 per cent, RBA governor Glenn Stevens said the Australian dollar was still at relatively high levels.

That's despite the currency's fall of more than 10 per cent since early April, as an improving US economy strengthens the US dollar.

"It is possible that the exchange rate will depreciate further over time, which would help to foster a rebalancing of growth in the economy," Mr Stevens said.

"This is expected to continue in the near term as the economy adjusts to lower levels of mining investment."

He also said four rate cuts in 2012 have helped the economy.

"The pace of borrowing has remained relatively subdued, though recently there are signs of increased demand for finance by households," Mr Stevens said.

JP Morgan economist Tom Kennedy said there wasn't much new in the RBA's short statement, but it did highlight the sharp decline in the currency, which is helping the non-mining sectors of the economy.

"That rebalancing of growth away from mining to the other sectors of the economy is likely to get a leg up and we'll obviously continue to benefit from that," he said.

Mr Kennedy said the high Australian dollar was the crucial factor that led to the RBA's last cash rate cut in May.

He expects the RBA's next interest rate cut to be in November, followed by another in February 2014.

St George Bank chief economist Hans Kunnen said the RBA board was waiting to see whether the Australian dollar will fall further and what impact it would have on consumer prices.

"They're clearly thinking hard about the impact of currency both on demand and on inflation," Mr Kunnen said.

"They've told us there is scope for another move should that be required."

Mr Kunnen expects another rate cut, to 2.5 per cent, in August, following the release of inflation figures later this month.

CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian also believes further cuts are possible.

"The Reserve Bank warned last month that it would do what it takes to restore growth, and indeed the central bank still has plenty of ammunition left," he said.

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Snowden abandons request for asylum

US leaker Edward Snowden has applied for political asylum in Russia after more than a week in limbo. Source: AAP

US fugitive Edward Snowden has abandoned his request for political asylum in Russia after Moscow told him he would have to stop leaking US intelligence reports, a Kremlin spokesman said.

"He abandoned his intention and his request to receive the chance of staying in Russia," Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.

Snowden applied for asylum on Sunday night and on Monday Putin said he was welcome to stay in Russia as long as he stopped his leaks.

Meanwhile, Poland has rejected Snowden's asylum request, while officials in Germany, Norway, Austria and Switzerland say that he cannot apply for asylum from abroad.

WikiLeaks says Snowden, who is believed to be at a transit area of a Russian airport, has asked for asylum in 21 countries including 13 in Europe.

Many European countries require an asylum request to be made on their soil.

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Child safety groups pleased with inquiry

QUEENSLAND'S child safety advocates have welcomed a recommendation to increase support for families to prevent children from ending up in state care.

Commissioner Tim Carmody handed down Queensland's child protection inquiry's final report on Monday.

The report contained 121 recommendations centred on reducing the number of children in state care and improving frontline services.

Mr Carmody wants more emphasis on supporting struggling families to prevent their children from ending up in the child protection system.

Child protection intakes have tripled in the past decade, he said.

Lindsay Wegener, executive director of child safety services' group PeakCare, says prevention is far better than cure.

"We have far too many children entering the care system and not enough leaving in a timely manner," Mr Wegener said.

"He is certainly right in saying we need to do much better to support children in being safely cared for in their families rather than removing them from their parents."

However, Mr Wegener says Mr Carmody's recommendation to reintroduce secure care for troubled children who may harm themselves or others must be treated with caution.

Secure care broadly refers to placing children in a facility that they cannot leave.

"Our concern with secure care is it might inadvertently lead to the incarceration of children for arbitrary reasons," he said.

"It's a slippery slope and we want to make sure the safeguards are there so we don't return to those dark days when children had very little legal rights and too many were kept in institutional care."

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk also questioned locking up troubled teens.

"I do not want to see a situation in Queensland where we bring back institutionalisation," she said.

Lucas Moore, co-ordinator of young people in care group Create, said the report raised a critical need to support young adults transitioning from state care into the wider community.

"We would like to see legislation changed to cement the support the state is required to give to young people leaving state care," he said.

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China probes staff of GlaxoSmithKline

CHINESE police are investigating senior management staff of British drug firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in China for suspected "economic crimes", according to a statement.

Police in the central Chinese city of Changsha said they were investigating personnel of GlaxoSmithKline (China) Investment Co., said the statement, which was reported by state media on Monday.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper on Monday said police had detained company employees in three cities: Changsha, the commercial hub Shanghai and Beijing.

A spokeswoman for the company, which has its China headquarters in Shanghai, declined to comment, saying she was not authorised to speak to overseas media.

The allegations involve at least one foreign executive employed by the company, said the postings on China's Twitter-like microblogs.

The exact nature of the allegations was not specified by Changsha police. But authorities typically use the phrase "economic crimes" when referring to corruption.

GSK is one of the largest multinational pharmaceutical companies in China with total investment of more than $500 million, according to its website.

Last month, GSK said data was "misrepresented" in a paper written by scientists at its China research centre published in the journal "Nature Medicine" in 2010.

The company sacked one person involved in that incident and placed three others on administrative leave while another resigned, it said.

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Army suspends five more soldiers

FIVE more soldiers have been suspended from the army over the "Jedi Council" email ring scandal.

The Australian Defence Force Investigative Service is reviewing allegations of unacceptable behaviour by the five as part of an ongoing major investigation, the army said in a statement on Monday.

That inquiry is looking at a series of degrading emails involving up to 10 female victims sent by a group of officers and non-commissioned officers reportedly calling themselves the "Jedi Council".

They are alleged to have produced and distributed offensive material and imagery including filmed sex acts, dating back to 2010.

This latest suspension follows that of three other army personnel announced in mid-June by Chief of Army Lieutenant General David Morrison.

The highest ranked was lieutenant colonel.

Another 90 mostly serving army members are still being investigated.

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Robin Thicke enjoys eighth week at top

Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines has become the longest running No. 1 single of 2013 on the ARIA charts. Source: AAP

NOT since last winter has a song spent so long at the top of the ARIA charts, with Robin Thicke with TI and Pharrell with Blurred Lines spending an eighth week at No.1.

The last song to achieve eight weeks was Flo Rida with Whistle across May, June and July 2012.

If Thicke only stays for eight weeks, he will have tied for third place in the longest running No.1 this decade, as Gotye and Kimbra also spent eight weeks at the top in 2011 with Somebody That I Used to Know.

Ahead with the longest running No.1s this decade are two LMFAO songs - Sexy and I Know It, at the top for nine weeks, and Party Rock Anthem, at the top for ten weeks.

Blasting up 40 places from last week's debut at No.42 to No.2 this week is Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc with Wake Me Up, becoming his highest charting single.

Jumping up six places each within the Top 10 are Timomatic with Parachute to No.3 and Olly Murs with Dear Darlin' to No.4.

After returning to No.2 last week, Passenger slips down three places to No.5 with Let Her Go, Bastille's pending August tour in Australia helps keep Pompeii at No.6 this week, and down three places to No.7 are Daft Punk with Pharrell and Get Lucky.

Jessie J lands her fourth Top 10 single in Australia as her latest track Wild is up six places to a new peak of No.8.

Imagine Dragons land their first Top 10 hit with Radioactive up three places to No.9, and returning to the Top 10, back up a place to No.10, is Matt Corby with Resolution.

On the ARIA albums chart, the Voice Season 2 winner Harrison Craig sees his debut album More Than a Dream debut at the top, selling enough to achieve Gold in its first week of sales.

Last week's top two debuts move down one place each this week, with Yeezus for Kanye West dropping to No.2 and Troy Cassar-Daley and Adam Harvey's The Great Country Songbook down to No.3.

Rising back up to No.4 is The Great Gatsby Soundtrack and back up two places to No.5 is Bruno Mars with Unorthodox Jukebox.

Daft Punk hold steady at No.6 in their sixth week on the chart with Random Access Memories, Pink is back up five places to No.7 with The Truth about Love, and Bernard Fanning drops four places to No.8 with Departures.

Ice on the Sun for Empire of the Sun falls six places to No.9 and down to No.10 is Passenger with All the Little Lights.

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South China Sea row heats up ASEAN talks

THE Philippines has accused China of a "massive" military build-up in the disputed South China Sea, warning at a regional security forum that the Asian giant's tactics were a threat to peace.

Sunday's statement by Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario ensured the growing row over rival claims to the strategically vital and potentially resource-rich sea would again be a key focus of the annual four-day Asia-Pacific talks.

"Del Rosario today expressed serious concern over the increasing militarisation of the South China Sea," said a Philippine government statement released on the first day of the event in the Brunei capital.

Del Rosario said there was a "massive presence of Chinese military and paramilitary ships" at two groups of islets within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, called Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal.

Del Rosario described the Chinese presence at these islets as "threats to efforts to maintain maritime peace and stability in the region".

He did not give details of the alleged build-up but said the Chinese actions violated a pact in 2002 in which rival claimants to the sea pledged not to take any actions that may increase tensions.

The declaration on conduct signed by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China also committed claimants to settle their disputes "without resorting to the threat or use of force".

China claims nearly all of the sea, even waters approaching the coasts of neighbouring countries.

ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, as well as Taiwan, also have competing claims to parts of the sea.

The rivalries have for decades been a source of regional tension, with China and Vietnam fighting battles in 1974 and 1988 for control of some islands in which dozens of Vietnamese soldiers died.

Tensions have again grown in recent years with the Philippines, Vietnam and some other countries expressing concern at increasingly assertive Chinese military and diplomatic tactics to stress control of the sea.

ASEAN has been trying for more than a decade to secure agreement from China on a legally binding code of conduct that would govern actions in the South China Sea.

China has resisted agreeing to the code, wary of making any concessions that may weaken its claim to the sea.

Nevertheless, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said ASEAN would continue to press its case with China in Brunei.

"We will be really zeroing in on the need for the code of conduct," Natalegawa told reporters on Saturday.

Toxic smoke from uncontrolled burning of Indonesia's enormous rainforests that has drifted across to neighbouring countries was also discussed on the first day of the Brunei talks.

Natalegawa said the fires had been greatly reduced and were coming under control.

The talks will expand on Monday and Tuesday to include the US, China, Japan, Russia and other countries across the Asia-Pacific, providing the platform for face-to-face diplomacy on many of the world's hot-button issues.

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Abortion drug overshadows new PBS listings

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek says the abortion pill RU486 will be listed on the PBS. Source: AAP

THE inclusion of controversial abortion drug RU486 on Australia's subsidised medication program has been labelled an "abuse of power" by pro-life supporters.

Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek announced on Sunday that Mifepristone and Misoprostol - used in combination to terminate a pregnancy of up to seven weeks gestation - would be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

"By offering this different option at a very difficult time in a woman's life, I hope that we are giving more choice in what are often extraordinary difficult circumstances," the minister said.

However Right To Life president Margaret Tighe said the decision was a "gross abuse of power" by the government.

"The PBS is designed to include life-saving drugs," she told AAP.

"In this case these drugs are just going to make it easier and cheaper and quicker to have more abortions in Australia and that's an absolute disgrace and goes against the purpose of the PBS."

Listing of the abortion drugs overshadowed the addition of cancer treatments and an anti-stroke medication which were also named by Ms Plibersek as newcomers to the PBS.

Breakthrough skin cancer drug ipilimumab, late-stage prostate cancer treatment abiraterone and breast cancer medication vinorelbine were added to the list in a move that will cost taxpayers $430 million over the next four years.

"The exciting thing about these new treatments is that they will extend the life of patients with melanoma, with prostate cancer, with breast cancer," Ms Plibersek said.

"If we didn't subsidise these medicines through the PBS they would be out of the reach of most Australians."

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia welcomed news of abiraterone's listing to help in the fight against a cancer that kills 3300 men each year.

"Affordable access to therapy at all stages of the condition is vital and the minister's decision to include the therapy on the PBS highlights her commitment to all Australians touched by prostate cancer," foundation CEO Anthony Lowe said in a statement.

Cancer Australia also welcomed the new PBS listings.

"All these agents are important in their own way and to have them available more widely is very important to patients," Professor Jim Bishop said on behalf of the national body.

The government will also put up $450 million over the coming four years for the PBS inclusion of anti-stroke medication rivaroxaban.

"It's a drug that will be used by patients who have been on Warfarin in the past," Ms Plibersek said.

The revised PBS listings are effective from August.

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