Police urge calm after rape victim dies

NEW Delhi's top police officer and chief minister have urged people to mourn the death of a gang-rape victim in a peaceful manner as large parts of the city centre were sealed off.

Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar asked people to maintain calm across the city, according to a statement from his office which also announced that the area around the India Gate monument and 10 metro stations would be closed to the public.

New Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also appealed for calm and pledged "solid steps will be taken very soon" to protect women in India's capital.

"Please maintain peace and at the same time we must make sure that every action is taken to make women secure in our city," she told reporters.

The calls for calm came after the Indian woman who was gang-raped on a New Delhi bus died in a Singapore hospital early on Saturday after suffering severe organ failure.

People across India have started coming out to mourn the death of the 23-year-old student, whose death has already sparked mass protests.

Police said they would allow people to hold peaceful demonstrations only in some areas and hundreds of policemen have been deployed to prevent any violence on the streets.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also said he was deeply saddened by the death and the protests that were sparked by the case were "understandable".

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NSW road toll rises to eight

THE NSW holiday road toll has risen to eight after a motorcyclist died following a collision with a ute in the state's north.

Police said a man in his 60s was riding his motorbike on the Summerland Way, near Whiporie, when it hit a Mazda ute at about 10.45am (AEDT) on Saturday.

The motorcyclist died at the scene while the driver of the ute was not hurt, police said in a statement.

They said the Summerland Way was closed as a result of the crash.

The latest fatality followed the death of a 50-year-old male motorist at Mudgee on Thursday and a grim Boxing Day in which there were five deaths on NSW roads.

A 79-year-old woman was the first fatality of the holiday season after she died in a collision at Mount Ousley, near Wollongong, on Sunday.

Meanwhile, police said the number of people injured in car accidents over the holiday period so far had jumped by 17 per cent from last year.

They said 369 people had so far been injured in crashes during Operation Safe Arrival, which runs from December 21 to January 4, compared with 316 injuries at the same point last year.

Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander John Hartley said the increase in the number was "one of the biggest concerns for police".

Police have so far charged 415 people with drink driving and 6573 motorists with speeding over the holiday period.

* The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2012, until 2359 January 3, 2013, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Aust dollar closes higher

THE Australian dollar has closed higher, thanks to a rise in iron prices and gains on the local stock market.

At 1700 AEDT on Friday, the local unit was trading at 103.74 US cents, up from Thursday's close of 103.57 US cents.

The Australian dollar rallied during overnight offshore trading to open at 103.77 US cents at the start of the local trading day.

But since 0700 AEDT, the currency has stuck to a reasonably tight trading range, moving between a low of 103.62 US cents and a high of 103.89 US cents.

St George chief economist Hans Kunnen said the local dollar's rise was due to firmer commodities prices and positive sentiment from equity markets in the region.

"I'd put it down to rising iron ore prices to be honest," Mr Kunnen said.

"Part of it is that you watch the equities and you watch the Aussie dollar, on a day-to-day basis they move together, so we've having a firm day in local markets, there could be some offshore buying of Aussie equities.

"It's thin trade, iron ore prices are up and equities are up."

Iron ore prices climbed about three per cent during the overnight session.

During the day, the Australian dollar peaked at 89.835 yen, the currency's highest level against the Japanese unit since April 2011.

Mr Kunnen said the yen has been losing ground ever since the new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to office and pledged to work with the Bank of Japan to to stimulate the nation's economy.

"It's strengthening against the yen simply on the basis that they're printing money and they've abandoned their low inflation target, so down goes their currency," Mr Kunnen said.

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SA gets power price cuts in new year

ABOUT 200,000 South Australian households will get a nine per cent cut in their electricity bills, as part of changes coming into effect on January 1.

The state government recently negotiated the price cut for about 20 per cent of the state's electricity users who are signed up to power retailer AGL's standing contract.

Small businesses will get a 4.5 per cent cut under the same deal with the state government in return agreeing to lock in the new prices for two years and also to fully deregulate the electricity market.

The price cuts could prove a winner for those families with keen video gamers, with the new year also the time when a new R18+ game classification will be introduced.

It's designed to prevent games with high levels of violence being available to minors and follows national guidelines.

It also means that games classified R18+ in overseas markets will no longer need to be modified to comply with the previous MA15+ category.

Most households will also benefit from SA's new water security rebate which will automatically apply to the water bills of eligible customers from the start of 2013.

Properties that use up to 120 kilolitres of water each year will get a $45 rebate while those using more than 120kl will receive $75.

January 1 will also see the start of SA's harmonised workplace safety laws.

South Australia's workplace health and safety regulations will fall into line with those in NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT as well as with federal laws.

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Toyota pays $US1.1bn over recalls

Toyota Motor Corp has reached a settlement in a case involving lawsuits over accelerations problems. Source: AAP

TOYOTA says it has agreed to pay about $US1.1 billion ($A1.07 billion) to settle a class action lawsuit launched by US vehicle owners affected by a series of mass recalls from the Japanese carmaker.

Toyota did not accept any blame but agreed to compensate owners who argued that the value of about 16.3 million vehicles took a hit from dozens of deadly accidents allegedly caused by Toyota vehicles speeding out of control in 2009.

The deal will cover the cost of installing a free brake override system in about 2.7 million vehicles.

It will also provide cash payments to those who sold their vehicles in the wake of the recalls or who own vehicles ineligible for the override system.

Toyota shares jumped 2.74 per cent to Y3,935 by the morning break in Tokyo on Thursday, outpacing broader gains in the Japanese market as investors reacted to the settlement which was announced in the US on Wednesday.

The huge payout will "sting" Toyota, but it will also allow the Japanese giant to "leave these troubles behind and move forward in the new year", said Michelle Krebs, an analyst with automotive site Edmunds.com.

Once lauded for its safety standards, Toyota has been forced into damage control mode in recent years after recalling millions of vehicles because of a series of serious defects.

The firm's biggest domestic rivals, Nissan and Honda, have also issued huge recalls over their own safety and quality problems.

Earlier this year Toyota added two models to the 2009-2010 recalls launched after it was discovered that floor mats were trapping the accelerator pedal.

Toyota's mishandling of the initial problem and other reports of sudden, unintended acceleration led to a US congressional probe, more than $US50 million in fines from US regulators and public apologies by its chief.

Just two weeks ago, the company agreed to pay a record $US17.35 million fine for failing to promptly notify US authorities that the floor mats could also be trapped under the accelerators of 2010 Lexus models.

And last month Toyota agreed to pay $US25.5 million to settle claims from shareholders who lost money after the carmaker's stock price plummeted in the wake of the recalls.

Toyota has worked hard to regain its reputation for safety, while at the same time fighting off the impact of the economic crisis, a strong yen and the devastating 2011 quake-tsunami disaster.

The settlement helps Toyota avoid a lengthy and risky court battle with angry owners who also argued that its technology - not the trapped floor mats - was behind the deadly instances of sudden, unintended acceleration.

"This was a difficult decision - especially since reliable scientific evidence and multiple independent evaluations have confirmed the safety of Toyota's electronic throttle control systems," Christopher Reynolds, Toyota Motor North America's chief legal officer, said in a statement.

"However, we concluded that turning the page on this legacy legal issue through the positive steps we are taking is in the best interests of the company, our employees, our dealers and, most of all, our customers."

The settlement, which was filed in a California federal court on Wednesday, must still be approved by a judge.

It includes $US250 million for owners who have sold their vehicles, $US250 million for owners whose vehicles are ineligible for the brake override system and $US30 million for safety research.

Toyota will also provide free repairs for certain components linked to the recall.

Toyota said it would take a $US1.1 billion charge to cover the estimated costs of the settlement and two other cases.

A lead lawyer for the plaintiffs told the Wall Street Journal that Wednesday's deal could end up costing Toyota as much as $US1.4 billion.

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Katter's party also considers LNP tactic

PETER Beattie's suggestion that Queensland Labor invite former MPs to boost its shadow cabinet has been endorsed by the state's third political party, which says it's also considering the idea.

Katter's Australian Party (KAP) national director Aidan McLindon, a former MP, says the concept of bringing in shadow ministers from outside parliament was used effectively by the Queensland Party before it merged with KAP.

He said it will be discussed with the party's three Queensland MPs when they meet in 2013.

"I think it worked well at the Queensland party two and a half years ago because it makes you all of a sudden have a bigger team and you can get your message out there rather than depending on the elected MPs who already have a very full agenda," Mr McLindon told AAP.

"I think Labor has to start looking outside the square."

Writing in an opinion piece in The Australian, former Labor premier Peter Beattie said there was no shame in Labor swiping the strategy that saw Campbell Newman leading the Liberal National Party (LNP) to a landslide victory from outside parliament.

He suggested Labor pick the best of its defeated ministers and MPs, who had lost their seats through no fault of their own amid a "tidal wave of community discontent" with the Bligh government.

Mr McLindon said more Liberal National Party (LNP) MPs may defect to KAP, giving the newer party a real chance to become the opposition in parliament.

In the past 18 months, MPs Shane Knuth and Ray Hopper have moved from the LNP to KAP.

"It's Queensland politics, I don't think you can rule anything out," Mr McLindon said.

"I think 2013 will be a race for relevance between the ALP and KAP."

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Corpse flower makes stinky Christmas bloom

Horticulture fans are flocking to Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens to witness a rare Corpse Flower. Source: AAP

IT stinks like a rotting body, is six feet tall and dies after just two days.

It sounds revolting, but it has staff at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne overwhelmed with joy.

The Titan Arum - or Corpse Flower - finally reached full bloom on Christmas Day, but horticulture fans must hurry to witness the highly anticipated sensory delight, as it's expected to last just 48 hours.

"We're pretty excited," Nursery coordinator David Robbins told AAP.

"I could smell it from outside the glasshouse this morning when I walked past - to me it was akin to a strong organic fertiliser, but others say it smells like blue cheese or rotten fish or meat."

It is the first Corpse Flower in Victoria and just one of a handful to have bloomed in Australia.

The flower began to grow on December 10 and it finally reached its peak late on Christmas Day at a lofty 180cm.

When in full bloom, the tiny female flowers at the base of the central column omit a strong smell to attract insects.

The Titan Arum tuber can remain dormant for 1-3 years and produce either one gigantic leaf up to 6m tall, or a flower that can grow to just over 3m tall.

Mr Robbins said he expects thousands of people to file past the flower on Boxing Day, before it starts to wilt and die.

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All five Boxing Day fatalities in NSW

DRIVERS in NSW are being urged to slow down and smarten up after the state claimed all five of the nation's road deaths on Boxing Day.

A 14-year-old Fijian boy, who lives in the ACT, is also fighting for his life in hospital.

"We have seen a significant rise in the number of people injured on our roads," warned Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander John Hartley.

"This is a pattern seen during poor driving conditions."

Sixteen people have died on the nation's roads so far this holiday season, with five of them - all in NSW - being killed on Boxing Day.

The teenager was one of five family members who were taken to hospital following the single-vehicle crash six kilometres north of Holbrook in southern NSW.

A husband and wife, both aged 70 and visiting from Fiji, also died when the seven-seater Nissan Patrol left the Hume Highway and rolled at about 6.55am (AEDT).

The teenager suffered head injuries and was airlifted to a Canberra hospital in a critical condition while a 67-year-old woman was airlifted to Melbourne with possible spinal injuries. She is in a stable condition.

The driver, a 44-year-old man, his 45-year-old wife and her 40-year-old sister had minor injuries.

The crash survivors are from Chisholm in the ACT and are from the same Fijian family.

In another fatal accident at 6.50am, police were called to a two-car collision at Marsden Park in Sydney's northwest.

A 27-year-old man was found dead at the scene while a 24-year-old man from Lithgow, driving a Mitsubishi Magna, was taken to Westmead Hospital.

He has undergone mandatory blood tests and had further treatment for head and facial injuries

Police allege the 24-year-old was an unaccompanied learner driver.

Later in the day two men died less than an hour apart after their cars hit trees in separate accidents.

A sedan left the road on Murray Street at Abernethy in the Hunter Valley and collided with a tree at about 2.30pm (AEDT), a police spokeswoman told AAP.

The driver, whose age isn't known, was discovered by a passing motorist and he later died at the scene.

It followed a similar accident involving a tree at 1.45pm at Hargreaves, in the state's central west.

The driver was taken to hospital while emergency services worked for some time to free the passenger, who had suffered fatal injuries.

The Ambulance Service of NSW described it as a "horror day on the road" and urged drivers to slow down.

The accidents have also prompted police to warn that drivers are ignoring pleas to take care in the wet conditions with alarming evidence of erratic driving.

* The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2012, until 2359 January 3, 2013, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

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Seven die as fires burn in Manila

AT least seven people have been killed and thousands left homeless as two fires struck the Philippine capital on Christmas Day, sparking riots as a slum went up in flames.

Six bodies were recovered and two other people were missing as a blaze erupted at dawn in a row of old apartments in the Baler section of northern Manila, chief superintendent Santiago Laguna said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, suspected arsonists set off a second blaze at a sprawling shantytown across the city, sparking rioting that left one man dead and two others arrested, Laguna said in an interview that aired over DZBB radio.

"They (residents) started grabbing hoses from our firefighters, who could not do anything as they feared for their own safety," he said.

A man was beaten up and later died from his injuries in the melee as the blaze consumed the shantytown in the San Juan district.

"They mistook him for a fireman," Laguna said of the victim, adding that two suspected rioters were also arrested.

Laguna said residents were apparently infuriated by the delayed arrival of firefighters and took it upon themselves to grab firehoses to aim at their blazing shanties.

However, he said the residents were themselves to blame.

"Our firetrucks had difficulty entering the narrow streets that were blocked by parked cars and carts," he said.

"Our firefighters had to drag the hoses into the alleys, where they were attacked."

The shantytown blaze left at least 8000 people homeless, Laguna said.

An AFP photographer on the scene saw hundreds of homeless survivors huddled on the floor of two basketball courts nearby.

Laguna said the cause of the apartment blaze was under investigation, although he added that electrical circuits had probably overloaded from increased use during Christmas Eve parties across the metropolis of 14 million people.

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Free Christmas lunches spread cheer in NSW

FROM back-alley barbecues and plates of sandwiches for a few needy people 50 years ago, Sydney's free Christmas Day lunch volunteers now feed and cheer up thousands.

Not even heavy downpours could dampen spirits at the free lunches in the city on Tuesday, hosted to help out the homeless, the hard-up and the lonely.

Reverend Graham Long of the Wayside Chapel at Potts Point said an annual Christmas Day street party had been hosted there since 1964.

"Originally it started out as a smallish barbecue in the back alley and it just grew over the years," he said.

An estimated 1000 people were fed on Tuesday.

New volunteer Sheila said it was her first time skipping Christmas Day mass, but she'd waited 35 years for an opportunity to contribute at Wayside.

"Just very gently, you've touched somebody in your life," she said.

Ken Sharpe, 80, said he thought the party was "a damn good idea".

"Look around - the feeling. As the daughter says, she hugs and kisses people that another time you'd cross the street to get away from," he told AAP.

"People should do good things for other people and they don't need religion as a crutch - they should just do it."

At a Christmas Day lunch at Ashfield in Sydney's inner west, the Exodus Foundation laid on more than 65 hams, 55 turkeys, 220 litres of gravy and 330 litres of custard to feed an expected 3000 people.

Reverend Bill Crews it was the foundation's 27th free Christmas Day lunch and each year there were increasing number of people turning up.

He said the annual lunch began with a plate of sandwiches for two lonely people 27 years ago and this year was set to be the biggest yet.

"Just because you're lonely or you can't afford Christmas doesn't mean you have to go without," Reverend Crews said.

At Eveleigh in inner Sydney the Salvation Army's Streetlevel Mission fed about 1500 people in its 16th year of operation, with 150 volunteers giving part of their day to help out.

Meanwhile, thousands of worshippers attended church services across the state.

It was standing room only at St Mary's Cathedral for the morning service led by the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell.

In his homily, Cardinal Pell said the birth of Jesus contained a message "that produces love and goodness".

"This baby did grow up to redeem us by his life, death and resurrection," he said.

Outside church, one worshipper, Sean, said the service was a chance to connect with his family's past.

"My father has always come, my grandfather has always come, and my son has decided he wants to come - it goes back generations," he said.

Sydney's St Andrew's Cathedral hosted a Lord's supper on Tuesday morning, followed by services through the day, including an address by Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen.

In his annual Christmas message released earlier, he said Christmas was a time to fix feuds and forgive.

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Putin visits India for arms talks

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has held talks in New Delhi to tighten defence ties and boost trade with India, a traditional ally and one of Russia's top clients for arms sales.

Accompanied by several senior ministers and military officials, Putin was due to meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the day-long visit on Monday, his first since he returned to the presidency in May.

India's foreign ministry changed the venue of the meeting due to violent protests in central New Delhi following the gang-rape of a student that has caused widespread public outrage.

"We had to change the venue due to security concerns. President Putin will be meeting the prime minister at his residence and not in Hyderabad House," a foreign ministry official told AFP.

Hyderabad House, the regular scene of diplomatic talks, has been cordoned off after thousands of protesters poured into the heart of the capital over the weekend.

India is now the world's largest arms importer and Russian-made military equipment accounts for 70 percent of Indian arms supplies.

"I would like to stress that deepening of friendship and cooperation with India is among the top priorities of our foreign policy," Putin wrote in an article for The Hindu, an Indian daily, ahead of his visit.

His comments echoed those of Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid who said Friday that "India is committed to strengthening and enhancing this relationship, both on economic and strategic ties".

Likely tie-ups are expected to involve Russia's Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer, including a $3.77 billion deal for 42 Su-30MKI fighters and a deal to produce the fifth generation Sukhoi fighter -- a joint Russia-India project, according to Igor Korotchenko, director of the Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade.

Moscow has been worried recently by New Delhi's increasing preference for Western suppliers, especially after Boeing was chosen last month over Russia's MiL plant for a major helicopter contract.

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Japan's new China envoy urges better ties

JAPAN'S new envoy to China has urged stronger economic ties with Beijing after the incoming premier pledged to mend relations that have been strained by a bitter territorial row.

Ties between Asia's two biggest economies have become increasingly strained over a disputed island chain -- the Tokyo-controlled Senkakus, which Beijing calls the Diaoyus -- with neither side willing to budge after months of wrangling.

"My mission number one is to improve the Japan-China relationship," Masato Kitera, a career diplomat who will succeed Uichiro Niwa as Japan's ambassador to China, told public broadcaster NHK on Monday.

"I will explain to China's senior officials we need to make economic ties warmer if our political relationship is cooling, as Japanese corporate activities in China are contributing to the Chinese economy," he said.

The dispute flared in September after Tokyo nationalised the islands, triggering protests across China that led to boycotts or attacks on Japanese businesses, with Japan's exports to China tumbling 14.5 percent on-year.

Beijing has also boycotted various events held in the both countries, including its decision not to send its finance minister and central bank chief to Tokyo for IMF and World Bank meetings held in October.

Beijing sent government boats into the archipelago's territorial waters almost every day, and upped the ante earlier this month with a flypast, in what Japan said was the first Chinese breach of its airspace since about 1958.

"It is important to boost exchanges in various fields so as to ease bitter public sentiment against each other," Kitera said.

His comments come after Japan's incoming prime minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday also pledged to seek a thaw in ties with China as a report said he will send a special envoy on a fence-mending mission to Beijing.

Abe, who is expected to take office on Wednesday, spent much of his election campaign talking tough on China and proclaimed after his victory there could be "no negotiation" over the sovereignty of islands that both sides claim.

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Woman sexually assaulted in home invasion

A WOMAN has been sexually assaulted and robbed and her son beaten unconscious during a home invasion on the NSW north coast.

Police said a 23-year-old man was punched in the face when he opened the door of his Yamba home about 5.30am (AEDT) on Saturday, before two men pushed their way inside and demanded money.

He was hit again and knocked unconscious by the men, who then sexually assaulted his 46-year-old mother.

The two men then stole a small amount of money and a mobile phone before fleeing in the victims' car, which was later found burnt-out at the Yamba mission.

Both the mother and her son were taken to hospital.

Police are appealing for public assistance and are looking for two men described as being of Aboriginal appearance, with one around 183cm tall with a muscular build and black fuzzy hair.

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

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NZ police trial surveillance drone

NEW Zealand police are trialling an unmanned aerial drone using technology from war zones such as Afghanistan.

One drone has been bought and has been used twice in investigations. Police will decide in the coming months whether to continue using the technology, 3News reports.

The confirmation of the trial came after a complaint to the ombudsman.

The drone can provide high resolution images, infrared images at night, and 3D images to help with operational planning.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor says it is an innovative breakthrough for police.

Mr O'Connor said that despite concerns of privacy campaigners, innocent members of the public had nothing to fear.

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