Order out to arrest PNG opposition leader

Orders have been issued for the arrest of PNG's opposition leader over police threat allegations. Source: AAP

ORDERS have been issued for the arrest of Papua New Guinea's opposition leader amid allegations he threatened the police commissioner.

The country's top cop, Tom Kulunga, on Saturday ordered the arrest of Belden Namah on allegations the former deputy prime minister threatened him in a letter.

In the letter Mr Namah allegedly demanded Mr Kulunga reinstate four policemen who were suspended after a warrant was issued for the arrest of Prime Minister Peter O'Neill.

A police spokesman told AAP the order for Mr Namah's arrest was issued on Saturday morning.

Further comment is being sought from police.

Mr Namah is expected to give a press conference on Saturday night.

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Govt 'too willing to risk Indonesia ties'

The opposition says the Abbott government is too willing to risk Australia's ties with Indonesia. Source: AAP

THE Abbott government is prepared to risk too much in its relationship with Indonesia, the federal opposition says.

Indonesia issued a stern warning to the government after it was confirmed Australian navy vessels had entered Indonesian waters on several occasions without permission while conducting border protection operations.

The Indonesian government said it deplored the breaches and its navy will ramp up patrols in areas where the incidents occurred.

It has called on the Australian government to suspend its policy of turning back asylum-seeker boats.

Acting opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said Indonesia's strongly worded response showed the government didn't understand the importance of maintaining positive bilateral ties.

"Australia's security today and in the future will always require a strong relationship with Indonesia and I fear ... this government just doesn't get that," she told reporters in Adelaide on Saturday.

"(The government) seems willing to put it under too much strain ... You only need to look at what the Indonesians are saying. It's self-evident and the government needs to fix this."

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said the government was determined to work with Indonesia in its "common interest" to stop the people-smuggling trade.

However, the government remained tight-lipped on Indonesia's calls to suspend its policy of turning back asylum-seeker boats.

"We are determined to work with our counterparts in Indonesia to stop the people-smuggling trade," the minister told reporters in Perth on Saturday.

"It's in our common interest to prevent people getting on boats and making the hazardous journey to Australia.

"We are determined to do it, and will work with Indonesia to ensure the people-smuggling trade is dismantled."

Ms Bishop said she had written to her Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa to issue a personal and formal government apology.

A formal apology has been conveyed by the Australian embassy's deputy head of mission in Jakarta, David Engel, to the Indonesian government.

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Pressure mounting after Sydney drunk brawl

A brawl left three men in hospital in Sydney amid pressure for action on alcohol-related violence. Source: AAP

PRESSURE is mounting on the NSW Government to explain why it hasn't acted on an approved alcohol-related violence plan following a serious assault in Sydney.

Three men were knocked unconscious early on Saturday morning in a brawl in Sydney's CBD.

According to police, a group of people was sitting in Martin Place when several men approached.

A fight started and three men were knocked unconscious.

Two men, aged 24 and 30, were taken to St Vincent's Hospital with head injuries.

A 30-year-old man was also taken to hospital with face lacerations.

Two days ago - and following weeks of public pressure - Premier Barry O'Farrell revealed the government would urgently consider measures to tackle alcohol fuelled assaults in Sydney.

Among the suite of measures that would go before cabinet were proposals to improve the regulation of alcohol licensing, he said.

But the ABC reported on Friday that Mr O'Farrell had a plan sitting on his desk for the past 16 months.

A leaked email from September 2012 reportedly shows that cabinet approved "in principle the introduction of a periodic fee system to commence from July 2013", the ABC reported.

Hospitality Minister George Souris says he will not comment on cabinet meetings.

Shadow Health Minister Andrew McDonald accused the government of running for cover.

"They are hiding, they are hoping it will go away," he said on Saturday.

"This will not go away. It is far too important."

Dr McDonald said the non-implementation of the plan was because the government was in the "pocket of the liquor lobby".

He said it was only a matter of time until the next tragic death.

On Friday friends and family farewelled 18-year-old Daniel Christie, who was fatally punched in Kings Cross on New Year's Eve.

The attack on Daniel Christie took place near the spot where Thomas Kelly was fatally assaulted in 2012.

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Indonesia 'deplores' border breaches

Asylum seekers say they were given a boat by Australian authorities to return to Indonesia. Source: AAP

INDONESIA has demanded the Abbott government immediately suspend its policy of turning asylum seeker boats back after the Australian navy breached its territorial waters.

The Indonesian government say it deplores the breaches and its navy will also ramp up patrols in areas where the incidents occurred in what appears a serious decline in already fractured relations.

A stern warning from Indonesia, contained in a statement issued on Friday afternoon, came after Immigration Minister Scott Morrison confirmed Australian navy vessels had entered Indonesian waters without permission while conducting border protection operations.

"The government of Indonesia deplores and rejects the violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity by the Australian vessels," the statement read.

"The government of Indonesia underlines that any of such violation of whatever basis constitutes a serious matter in bilateral relations of the two countries.

"Indonesia therefore demands that such violation will not recur in the future.

"The government of Indonesia has the right to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international laws and the charter of the United Nations.

"Indonesia demands that such operation conducted by the Australian government that led to this incident to be suspended until formal clarification is received and assurances of no recurrence of such incidents has been provided."

"While we take note such assurance that Australia fully respects Indonesia's territorial sovereignty, Indonesia rejects the so-called 'turn back boats' policy and ... any unilateral action which risks the recurrence of similar incidents in the future."

The statement, which was released by the office of Indonesia's Co-ordinating Minister for Politics, Security and Law, also demanded a more detailed explanation as to how Australian navy vessels had strayed into Indonesian waters.

The statement came after a spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono earlier suggested Indonesia was dissatisfied with Australia's response to the incidents.

Teuku Faizasyah, the president's spokesman on foreign affairs, confirmed to AAP that Dr Yudhoyono had been briefed on reports of the territorial incursions.

He said Dr Yudhoyono had also been made aware of Australia's "expression of regret" in relation to the incidents.

Despite the government repeatedly promising to respect Indonesia's territorial sovereignty, Mr Morrison on Friday admitted to a number of incursions by Australian vessels during Operation Sovereign Borders.

It is unclear whether the navy ships were turning back asylum seeker boats when they entered Indonesian waters.

"This was done unintentionally and without knowledge or sanction by the Australian government," Mr Morrison said.

"The Australian government takes our shared commitment with Indonesia to mutually respect the sovereignty of each nation very, very seriously."

An Indonesian spokesman warned the latest incident was likely to put further strain on relations between Jakarta and Canberra, already at their lowest point in more than a decade in the wake of last year's spying row.

"If they entered Indonesian waters like that, this will only worsen the situation and the relationship between Indonesia and Australia," Agus Barnas said.

A rapprochement between the countries following Jakarta's decision late last year to freeze co-operation with Australia in the wake of the spying row is now in serious jeopardy.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop apologised to her Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa on Thursday, while Mr Morrison said a more formal apology will be provided to the Indonesian government via the Australian embassy in Indonesia.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the government needs to stop blaming the navy and take responsibility for its own border protection policy.

"These service men and women do an extremely tough job under very difficult circumstances and they shouldn't be blamed for the failings of the Abbott government and its policies," Mr Shorten said.

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Israeli bill would outlaw the word Nazi

AN Israeli draft law that would criminalise the use of the word Nazi in most cases has sparked a debate on freedom of speech in a state that was founded out of the ashes of the Holocaust.

Seven decades later, memories of the extermination of millions of Jews during World War II permeate virtually every aspect of life in Israel.

Public figures and interest groups frequently invoke the World War II genocide to score political points, and the word and Nazi symbols have slipped into Israeli discourse over the years.

The bill would impose a fine of 100,000 shekels (nearly $29,000) and six months in jail for anybody using the word or symbols from Adolf Hitler's Third Reich in a "wrong or inappropriate way".

Educational settings or artistic performances would be exempt.

The Knesset gave preliminary approval to the measure on Wednesday, but it still must pass three more readings and committee discussions before becoming law.

A similar effort in 2012 fell in committee amid opposition.

Its sponsor, Shimon Ohayon from the Yisrael Beiteinu party, said the law would put Israel on par with other countries "battling anti-Semitism".

He acknowledged enforcement would largely rely on violations being reported to police.

"We want to prevent disrespect of the Holocaust," said Ohayon, the bill's sponsor.

"We allow too many freedoms which are taking over in a way that is harming us."

Opponents say the measure endangers freedom of speech in a country that takes pride in being a democracy in a volatile region dominated by monarchies and authoritarian leaders.

"Week after week you want to shut mouths and harm freedom of expression," said Zehava Galon, leader of the opposition Meretz party.

Six million Jews were murdered in the systematic Nazi effort to kill all the Jews of Europe. Created in 1948 in the shadow of the war, Israel provided a haven for hundreds of thousands of refugees freshly liberated from Nazi death camps. Today, it is home to about 200,000 ageing survivors.

Preserving the memory of the Holocaust has become a central tenet of Israeli identity. Students learn about the event from a young age and thousands of high school pupils make an annual pilgrimage to Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps in Europe to forge a personal link to the murder of millions of Jews.

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Fortescue under fire over mine deaths

FORTESCUE Metals Group is under fire over the deaths of two contractors and a string of safety breaches as investigators place the company's operations under the microscope.

The world's fourth biggest iron ore miner has expanded rapidly on the back of strong Chinese steel demand, using a host of contracting companies to build and operate its iron ore operations in the Pilbara.

But unions and workers are worried about Fortescue's serious incident rate and some of the practices among its contractors.

Mine inspectors are carrying out multiple investigations into two deaths at Fortescue's Christmas Creek mine over the past six months and four incidents at the company's Solomon hub this month.

Mineral Resources Limited, the mining services company which employed a worker who died at Fortescue's Christmas Creek mine in August, said on Friday that Fortescue paid $300 million to buy out its two crushing plants as it hired its local workforce.

Mineral Resources' subsidiary Crushing Services International (CSI) employed more than 121 contractors at Christmas Creek when New Zealander Kurt Williams, 24, was crushed to death while carrying out maintenance work in the crushing plant.

Since then Fortescue's safety record has come under increased scrutiny.

Two weeks ago a 33 year-old man died while carrying out maintenance on a large piece of mining machinery at Christmas Creek's heavy vehicle workshop, prompting the mining regulator to issue a special order to improve safety procedures at the mine.

The man was employed by contractor Global Surface Mining.

At the time the WA Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) suspended operations and ordered Fortescue to improve its safety procedures at all of its operations.

The DMP is carrying out two separate investigations at Christmas Creek.

It follows an incident last year in which a contractor had his leg amputated after a truck crash on a Fortescue site.

The department is also investigating incidents at Solomon in which three people were within a blast exclusion zone, two water truck incident reports, and an incident involving a tool carrier.

"Any incident is of concern and mine operators across WA's resources sector should always be looking to maintain and improve safety outcomes," the department's executive director of mine safety Simon Ridge said.

Mr Ridge has said Fortescue's mine sites appeared to have involved an "ineffectual isolation and lock out/tag out process".

Unions have highlighted Fortescue's use of contractors and say the safety culture has to change to prevent another death or serious injury.

"We want the full gamut of potential contributing factors to be examined in detail, including the replacement of experienced workers with cheaper alternatives," CFMEU Construction Division WA secretary Mick Buchan said.

Union members were very concerned about the serious incident rate at Fortescue Metals sites.

"Something's got to give otherwise there's just going to be more of the same."

Electrical Trades Union WA secretary Les McLaughlan has raised concerns about Crushing Services International's safety practices as employees worked on live equipment.

Meanwhile, mining services contractor Global Surface Mining, which employed the worker who died on December 30, is staying tight lipped about its current contract with Fortescue.

Fortescue is reviewing safety procedures and this week said it bought out CSI's equipment to ensure the "safe and efficient operation" of the two ore processing facilities.

"This outcome will assist in ensuring cultural alignment among the valued personnel," Fortescue chief executive Nev Power said in a statement.

Mr Power has previously said no one on a Fortescue site was expected to do anything that compromises safety.

A Department of Mines and Petroleum spokesperson says more than 500 workers per year suffer serious injuries on WA mines.

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Forecaster says heatwave a class act

ADELAIDE'S heatwave is a "class act" as it challenges records dating back more than 70 years, a senior forecaster says.

Adelaide sweltered through 45C on Tuesday, just one degree short of its all time high of 46.1C set on January 12, 1939.

The heatwave was also forecast to give the city five consecutive days above 40C, making it the city's third longest hot spell.

In 1908 and 2009, Adelaide recorded six days above 40C, but Bureau of Meteorology acting regional director John Nairn said they both came at a time when Australia was gripped by drought.

"It's a class act in terms of a heatwave, so it does deserve our attention," Mr Nairn said.

While Adelaide sizzled, the hottest spot in SA on Tuesday was Keith, in the southeast, where the mercury hit 47.2C while at Pallamana, east of Adelaide, it reached 46.3C and at Lameroo and Port Augusta 46.2C.

The conditions prompted Premier Jay Weatherill to convene a special Emergency Management Council meeting to allow the government and emergency services to discuss the threats posed by the high temperatures.

"People need to closely monitor the weather in their area and ensure they are prepared for extreme circumstances," Mr Weatherill said.

The premier said forecast thunderstorms in some districts were also increasing the risk of major bushfires.

On Tuesday the Country Fire Service battled a string of incidents, including fires in the Adelaide Hills, on Kangaroo Island, on Eyre Peninsula, at Cape Jervis and in the mid-north.

In the Barossa Valley about 1000 homes and businesses lost power while almost 4000 suffered a cut to services across Adelaide's inner-northern suburbs.

The state's ambulance service reported a 12 per cent rise in demand for its services with about 20 heat-related admissions to local hospitals in the 24 hours to 8am (CDST) on Tuesday.

An ambulance service spokesman said Wednesday and Thursday were likely to be the worst days for heat-related calls.

Temperatures are expected to hit 45C on Wednesday and 46C on Thursday before a cool changes sweeps across the state on Friday.

After the Emergency Management Council meeting, Mr Weatherill said he was confident the situation remained under control.

"But there are great concerns about the very extreme weather conditions which are quite changeable," the premier told Network 10.

He said emergency services still had plenty of spare capacity and were liaising with interstate authorities to supplement resources if necessary.

"We're well placed at the moment and everybody understands the nature of the threat and is well prepared to respond to it," Mr Weatherill said.

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Locals return to Perth hills devastation

The Perth hills bushfire is officially under control as residents prepare to tour the area. Source: AAP

THE flames may be out, but the recovery for the Perth hills after Sunday's devastating firestorm is just beginning as residents who lost homes return to view the damage.

As firefighters mopped up in Stoneville, Parkerville and Mt Helena, the toll of properties lost was finalised at 52, with more than $13 million in damage already reported by insurers.

And those worst affected made the grim trip back to what remained of their houses, to literally start picking up the pieces.

"The glass didn't shatter, it melted," Stoneville resident Stacey Delich told AAP.

"We will have to contact the insurance company and see if we can salvage anything. If we can find anything, that's a bonus.

"But they're things that can't be found any more ... they're all gone."

Counselling services have been made available to the dozens of people confronted with the reality of their loss.

"To be told verbally is one thing, to see it visually is quite another," said Deputy Fire Commissioner Brad Stringer.

The loss was mixed with growing frustration for other residents, who were asked to prove their address before being given a permit to be allowed to return to their homes to assess the damage.

Fire commissioner Wayne Gregson, a Hills resident himself, said he could understand the heightened emotion.

"I accept that as a potential possibility, some people will say bugger the authorities and go back in," Commissioner Gregson said.

"They are putting themselves at risk by ignoring the roadblocks, but I can understand that - if it was my house I'd be equally as anxious to know."

Nearly a dozen people were forced to sleep at the emergency evacuation centre set up in nearby Swan View, with dozens more displaced families relying on the goodwill of friends and family.

The generosity of locals had been so overwhelming with donations of clothes, toys, blankets, and personal items that people have been asked to use a local Salvation Army depot to drop off donations, or donate money to a disaster fund instead.

The fire is being blamed for the death of one man, 62 year-old Ron Shaw, who collapsed as he stood on the roof of his Hovea home to prepare for the flames.

Insurance assessors began reviewing claims in the bushfire-affected communities, with more than 300 claims topping $13 million.

Power remained out for around 450 homes late on Tuesday.

As the emergency response gave way to investigation, Commissioner Gregson confirmed the fire was most likely sparked by a fallen power pole on private property, which remains the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain.

Thousands of private power poles are spread across the state, and have already been blamed for sparking a bushfire last January which threatened houses in Chidlow.

Mr Gregson suggested the time had come to review the responsibilities placed on homeowners to maintain poles on their land.

"Is it fair and reasonable to expect an owner to be responsible for that type of infrastructure?" he said on ABC radio.

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Temperature hits 46C in parts of Victoria

SOME Victorians sweltered through 46-degree heat, others sweated with no power and grassfires burned at the start of a record-breaking heatwave.

Several towns in the state's northwest endured temperatures of 46C on Tuesday while mercury in other towns hit 45C.

No one was spared from the heat, with temperatures reaching 40C in all nine of the Bureau of Meteorology's forecast districts.

Melbourne, which reached 42.8C, is set to endure four consecutive days of temperatures above 40C after the bureau upgraded Wednesday's forecast to 41C.

It will be the first time the city has endured such a heatwave since 1908, when there was a five-day streak above 40C, Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Stuart Coombs said.

"It would go down as the second-longest run of 40s since records started in 1835 in Melbourne," he said.

"There will be very little relief during the overnight periods and that's going to make this a very arduous spell of weather for people to get through."

Some people had trouble getting through Tuesday's heat as electricity company SP AusNet went ahead with bushfire mitigation works in some areas, while postponing non-essential maintenance.

SP AusNet said it began work earlier than originally stated so customers would be reconnected before temperatures hit their peak in the afternoon.

"We've increased resources for these jobs and brought forward start times, predominantly starting as early as 7am, to reconnect power before the hottest period of the day," a spokesperson said.

Emily Healy, a resident of Thoona, one of the affected towns, said they were warned about the interruption two weeks ago, but were caught out when the power was cut early.

"We've got no power, which means we've got no water - our water is reliant on electricity pump," she said.

Several fires flared on Tuesday afternoon with some firefighters treated for heat stress.

Paramedics dealt with 35 cases of heat exhaustion or heat stroke across the state by late afternoon.

There were five cases of children locked in cars.

Ambulance Victoria operations manager Paul Holman said while some cases were accidental, others appeared to be deliberate.

"If you're going to lock your children in cars, you may as well put a gun to their heads, it's just so dangerous," Mr Holman said.

Mr Holman said ambulance crews will struggle to cope with the influx of heat-related patients during the heatwave despite all available staff being on duty.

"We will be stretched, there's no two ways about it," Mr Holman said.

While the top international tennis players endure the heat at the Australian Open, the first horse race at Caulfield on Wednesday will start at 11am with the last race at 2.45pm in an attempt by Racing Victoria to avoid the predicted high temperatures.

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Trade pact close to reality, says Robb

Australian Minister of Trade Andrew Robb says a free trade agreement is close to being "sealed". Source: AAP

THE 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement is close to being "sealed", Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb says.

Mr Robb, in the US to lead the Australian government's delegation for the G'Day USA promotion, says the Obama administration has attempted to entice him to Washington DC for TPP talks.

Mr Robb told AAP on Saturday he would wait for formal TPP discussions scheduled "in a couple of weeks".

The TPP is being negotiated between Australia, the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam - countries that comprise almost 40 per cent of the world's GDP.

US President Barack Obama had set a deadline to clinch the TPP deal by the end of 2013 and is facing growing pressure from members of Congress critical of the secrecy around the discussions.

Mr Robb dismissed similar critics in Australia.

"It is nonsense to suggest that people are in the dark," Mr Robb, who attended the G'Day USA ball in Los Angeles on Saturday, told AAP.

He was upbeat about the countries agreeing to the TPP.

"It's ready to be sealed," Robb said.

"A few big things have to end up back on the table yet, but it is close.

"I would hope we are going to see progress obviously this year and sooner rather than later."

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Vic Liberal minister to stand down at poll

VICTORIAN government minister Nicholas Kotsiras has announced he will step down at the November state election.

The Greek-born member for Bulleen, whose portfolios include multicultural affairs and energy and resources, says he will end his parliamentary career to spend more time with his family.

"Fifty years ago my parents landed at Station Pier, so it's symbolic that I announce my retirement today," a teary Mr Kotsiras told reporters at the same Port Melbourne pier on Sunday.

Mr Kotsiras, 54, said his proudest achievement is his work in multicultural and "the fact that we live in the most harmonious state in Australia".

The exit of the former school principal who was elected in 1999 raises the prospect that frontbencher Matthew Guy, touted a Liberal leadership aspirant, will move from the upper house to take over his lower house seat.

Mr Kotsiras said while branch members will elect the new candidate, he backed Mr Guy if he chose to run.

"I think he'll make a very, very good member. I would support Matthew Guy," he said.

Mr Kotsiras said it has been a great privilege to serve in public life but he is looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren.

"Family is very important and I've missed my children growing up and I've got four wonderful grandchildren today," he said.

Premier Denis Napthine said Mr Kotsiras had made an outstanding contribution to Victoria, particularly in multicultural affairs.

"Nick is the epitome of achievement for somebody who arrived here as a young person, who worked hard and has really reached the pinnacle in our democratic institution," he told reporters.

Dr Napthine said a decision on whether Mr Kotsiras will remain minister until the November 29 election will be made after Liberal and National party preselections are finalised and he discusses the make up of the cabinet with deputy premier and Nationals leader Peter Ryan.

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Police hunt gang who set WA man on fire

POLICE in Perth are searching for a gang of men who set another man on fire during an argument, leaving him with burns to almost half his body and fighting for life in hospital.

The police station in Cannington, south-east of Perth, had to be closed on Sunday after the 20-year-old man from East Cannington collapsed there while seeking help.

WA police said he was shirtless when he arrived at the police station as he had taken it off as he put out the fire.

Investigators say they are searching for a gang of five men they believe are responsible for the man's injuries, which are mainly to his legs and stomach, with minor burns to his face.

The victim is in Royal Perth Hospital in a critical but stable condition.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Rob Jamieson told reporters authorities believed the incident happened near Mallard Road and Hamilton Street between 4am and 4.30am.

Acting Det Sen Sgt Jamieson said the victim was out walking when he was approached by five dark-skinned males.

"During an altercation some form of accelerant is believed to have been poured or sprayed onto the victim and he was set alight," he said.

At the time of the incident the victim was wearing black jeans or shorts, white sneakers and a black singlet.

One of the offenders is described as aged between 18 and 25, about 175 centimetres tall, of slim build, wearing black-and-red basketball shorts and no shirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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