US MPs still get paid even in shutdown

In the US, the 532 members of Congress continue to be paid despite the government shutdown. Source: AAP

THERE'S at least one constant in a government shutdown: The 532 members of Congress continue to be paid - at a cost of $US10,583.85 ($A11,379.87) per hour to taxpayers.

MPs are getting their pay even as hundreds of congressional staffers are sent home, packs of tourists are turned away at the Capitol, and constituent services in many offices grind to a halt.

House members and senators can't withhold their own pay even if they want to.

Under the Constitution's 27th Amendment, MPs can only change the pay of those in a future Congress, not the one in which they serve.

MPs aren't oblivious to how it looks.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz and others are pledging to donate their salaries to charity during the shutdown.

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Last Post sounds for Rusty Priest

THEY called him the soldier's soldier.

But Rusty Priest was also a stirrer, a prankster, a husband and father who loved his family unreservedly.

Family, dignitaries and diggers packed into St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney on Wednesday to farewell the former NSW RSL boss at a state funeral.

Mr Priest died last week at the age of 86, after a life devoted to Australia's military legacy and nearly a decade at the helm of the NSW RSL, between 1993 and 2002.

NSW Governor Marie Bashir led the tributes, describing Mr Priest as a "soldier's soldier" and a fierce advocate for fellow veterans.

"Godfrey 'Rusty' Priest's life certainly was a life of unstinting service to his country and to the men and women who protect it," she told the ceremony.

"Once he set himself a goal, he was not one to be easily distracted or deterred."

Mr Priest's successor as RSL president, Don Rowe, Premier Barry O'Farrell and retired army chief Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie were among those came to pay tribute.

The World War II veteran was instrumental in creating the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway at Concord and getting the Glebe Island Bridge renamed the Anzac Bridge and is credited with lifting the profile of Anzac Day.

NSW MP Charlie Lynn, the state's parliamentary secretary for veterans' affairs, remembered his late friend as a larrikin who put his mates first.

He told the gathered mourners that for one brief spell during his 22-year military career, Mr Priest had been a pilot.

"It was a relatively short flying career, because as a dare to one of his mates he buzzed the brigadier's house early one morning, as the brigadier's wife was hanging out the washing," Mr Lynn said to laughs from the cathedral hall.

On another occasion, he said, Mr Priest misappropriated an oak table from his general so that men standing sentry duty for that night could get a fire going.

Curiously, when the same men were asked to find the culprit, they were unsuccessful.

Son Michael 'Tim' Priest remembered his father as a man who stuck to his guns.

"He would never take a backward step if he was right," he said.

Carol-Anne Priest described her father as a man who "delighted in the ridiculous" in life, and inspired her still in death.

Veterans' medals glinted in the midday sun as the mourners' procession travelled through the Sydney CBD to the Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park for a gun salute and the playing of the Last Post.

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Stuntwoman gives cruising a new edge

CRUISING has traditionally been viewed as a fairly sedate holiday option but on Monday P&O launched a bid to change that image - with the help of a stuntwoman.

Janene Carleton, who has performed stunts for the likes of Angelina Jolie and Jessica Biel, sped upside-down on a zip line across the Pacific Jewel's Level 14 deck as the ship stood at Sydney's White Bay terminal.

Carleton not only hooked herself to the zip line, she also posed for a Titanic moment, arms spread out at the bow of the ship, in imitation of the famous scene in James Cameron's 1997 film.

It was all to publicise the cruise company's new P&O Edge program, which gives thrill-seeking passengers on the Pacific Jewel the chance to climb, swing, race and jump.

The ship offers 20 activities including a funnel climb, flying-fox lines, high rope swings, laser tag, slack lines and Segway obstacle courses.

"We're proud to offer passengers the most comprehensive range of onboard adventure activities ever seen in the cruising world," said Ann Sherry, head of P&O Cruises.

"Whilst other cruise lines offer passengers a limited selection of activities, P&O Edge is the first to roll out a fully integrated program - something we're confident our passengers will love."

The program of activities caters for all ages, said John Sharpe of Pacific Adventures, who devised the P&O Edge program to incorporate many of the ship's existing features.

At the moment the program is available on Pacific Jewel cruises but P&O has plans to roll it out in 2014 across its fleets.

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OZ Minerals shares rise on takeover talk

SHARES in copper miner OZ Minerals are higher because of speculation global mining giant Glencore Xstrata is considering making a takeover bid.

But OZ Minerals says it has not received an offer from Glencore Xstrata, nor is it aware of the Swiss-based company buying a large amount of its shares.

OZ Minerals shares rose by as much as six per cent in early trade on Monday after a news report in the UK said Glencore Xstrata has increased its stake in OZ Minerals and was considering making a takeover bid.

But both companies were unable to shed any light on the rumour.

OZ Minerals has not received a substantial shareholder notice from Glencore Xstrata, and has not been approached with any proposal, it said.

A Glencore Xstrata spokesman said the company was making no comment.

OZ Minerals shares ended at $4.43 on Monday, up two cents, or 0.45 per cent, taking its market value to $1.34 billion.

The company operates the Prominent Hill copper and gold mine and the Carrapateena copper and gold exploration project, both in South Australia.

Morningstar resources analyst Mathew Hodge said Glencore Xstrata had previously said it was not interested in developing new mines, which were often plagued by high risks and low returns.

"So this is the kind of thing they might be interested in, particularly Carrapateena which could be a fairly large copper mine in the future," Mr Hodge said.

Glencore Xstrata could bring cost savings and better buying power to a mid-tier established company such as OZ Minerals, but it would need to find value, he said.

Shares in OZ Minerals have almost halved over the past year as the price of gold and copper waned.

The company suffered a $268 million loss in the first half of 2013, due to a writedown of Prominent Hill.

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Morrison rejects claims of boat delay

The Greens want an inquiry into the government's delayed response to the latest asylum seeker boat. Source: AAP

IMMIGRATION Minister Scott Morrison has defended Australia's response to an asylum seeker boat that sank off Indonesia as survivors claim the tragedy could have been prevented.

With Prime Minister Tony Abbott flying to Indonesia on Monday for his first overseas visit, his government is under fire for its handling of the disaster, which left up to 50 people dead or missing.

Indonesian authorities say there is little hope of finding more survivors from the boat that sank off Java on Friday, with searchers being hampered by rough seas on Sunday.

Twenty-one people, including seven children, have so far been confirmed dead while more than 30 remain missing.

One survivor told ABC TV that a GPS location was sent to Australian authorities when multiple distress calls were made on Thursday.

"We called the Australian government for 24 hours. They were telling us 'we're coming, we're coming, we're coming', and they didn't come," he said.

"This is because of the Australian government. I want them to know that," he said of the tragedy.

But a spokesman for Mr Morrison said suggestions Australian authorities were slow to act were "absolutely and totally wrong".

"The government completely rejects allegations of a 26-hour delay in response to this tragic incident by Australian agencies," Mr Morrison's office said in a statement issued on Sunday.

"Australian agencies acted on the information provided on this tragic incident."

Mr Morrison said initial searches failed to find the boat, which was reported to be about 25 nautical miles off the Indonesian coast.

"The Australians who work for our rescue and border protection agencies respond to all such events with great professionalism and a keenly felt sense of duty, as they did on this occasion," the statement said.

"This is a tragic event. The Australian government's thoughts and sympathies are with those affected by this tragedy. The government will continue to provide any assistance required by the Indonesian government."

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne called for an immediate inquiry into the government's involvement in the "heartbreaking" tragedy.

"I would expect that to happen before the next parliament sits," Senator Milne told Sky Agenda on Sunday.

Labor leadership candidate Bill Shorten criticised the Abbott government's approach to asylum seekers, saying "sooner or later they're going to work out that three-word slogans don't solve issues, and don't solve refugees or immigration".

People smuggling is expected to be high on the agenda when Mr Abbott meets with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta.

Indonesia's foreign minister Marty Natalegawa last week warned any violation of his country's borders could damage neighbourly relations, in a pointed criticism of the coalition's policy to turn back the boats.

Mr Shorten accused the coalition of "bagging" Indonesia in the stand-off over asylum seeker policy.

"One of the key platforms or planks to making sure we've got a safe and sustainable policy is to have a good relationship with Indonesia," he told ABC television.

"I'm not sure that getting out and bagging the Indonesians is really helpful.

"If they can't work out that Indonesia and working co-operatively with Indonesia's important to handling the challenging issues of asylum seekers and refugees, then that's a worry."

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Westpac Rescue Helicopter marks 40 years

The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter has celebrated 40 years of saving Australian lives. Source: AAP

IT began with a band of daring surfies rescuing swimmers off Sydney's beaches.

Now the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter celebrates its 40th birthday as a full rescue service that has helped people caught in some of the nation's worst disasters.

Two helicopters flew in formation over Sydney Harbour on Sunday to mark the occasion, four decades after a group of surf lifesavers founded the service in 1973 with a MASH-style single-engine light helicopter, the Bell C47.

Then it was known as the Wales Bank SLSA Helicopter Surf Rescue Service.

Today it has a fleet of 15 helicopters across twelve bases around the country, and has helped rescue Australians involved in the Waterfall train crash, the Milperra bikie massacre and the Thredbo landslide, where the service helicopter was on hand to fly sole survivor Stuart Diver to Canberra Hospital after he was trapped in rubble for almost three days.

But the more things have changed, the more they've stayed the same, according to CEO Stephen Leahy.

"The reason we go out hasn't changed in those 40 years, we were set up to help the people of Sydney and NSW and we're still doing that today," he told AAP.

"The only things that have really changed are the helicopters themselves - what we use now are bigger, better and faster."

Even the bank that helped launch the fledgling service in 1973 with a $25,000 cheque remains the same, despite a name change.

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Apple app bug sends drivers onto US runway

FAULTY directions from Apple's maps app that guide drivers to the edge of a runway instead of a terminal at an Alaskan airport have been reactivated, causing worry for transportation officials.

Fairbanks International Airport officials say Apple had notified them the directions were disabled. But officials noticed the directions were reactivated on Friday and had one person intentionally follow them, which presents a dangerous situation for pilots and drivers.

Previously, officials say drivers on two different occasions had followed the directions continued on and cut across an active runway to reach the terminal.

Cupertino, California-based Apple didn't immediately comment on Friday evening.

On Friday, Alaska transportation officials sent out a warning to pilots that the faulty directions were back on.

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Philippines declares end to rebel siege

THE Philippine military declared victory after a nearly three-week siege by separatist Muslim rebels in a major southern city, officials say.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said on Saturday the rebels had been defeated in Zamboanga, but acknowledged that their field commander was still unaccounted for.

"Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin declares Zamboanga standoff over ... still searching for Commander Habier Malik," his Twitter account announced on the 20th day of the standoff.

Malik led a rebel faction of the Moro National Liberation Front in attacking the city to declare an independent Bangsamoro Republic.

The guerrillas said the government had abandoned a peace agreement signed in 1996.

Soldiers conducted clearing operations and searches for explosives Saturday as normal life resumed in the seaside city of about 800,000 inhabitants.

"We are sure there is no one left among members of Misuari faction," military spokesman Brigadier General Domingo Tutaan was quoted saying by broadcaster ANC.

Tutaan said 375 rebels had been killed, captured or surrendered.

The military reported 18 soldiers, five police and 12 civilians among the dead.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said all the hostages held by the rebels have been accounted for.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said more than 110,000 people had been displaced and more than 10,000 houses were burned or suffered damage in the clashes.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said the government faces a humanitarian refugee crisis.

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Bus crash kills 20 in India

TWENTY people have died after a bus plunged into a gorge in northern India, police say.

Police officer Gurmer Singh said Friday's accident happened on a mountainous road in Himachal Pradesh state, nearly 330 kilometres north of New Delhi.

Singh says only one person survived as the bus fell into the 195-metre deep gorge near the town of Nahan.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

India has the world's deadliest roads, with more than 110,000 people killed annually.

Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.

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Up to 70 feared trapped in Mumbai building

A FIVE-STOREY residential block has collapsed in Mumbai leaving up to 70 people feared trapped inside, in the latest building disaster to hit India's financial capital.

Crowds formed around the rubble of the completely flattened block, owned by the city's civic administrative body, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, in the east of the city.

"My son is inside. I'm waiting for them to get him out," distraught 62-year-old retiree Mithi Solakani said as rescue workers scrambled over tonnes of debris.

Several diggers were pressed into action to lift some of the larger slabs of concrete, allowing teams of rescuers to begin the task of taking out bodies and searching for survivors.

One was removed covered in dark red cloth and carried to a waiting ambulance on a stretcher. Crowds of women waiting nearby could be heard sobbing.

Local politician Bhai Jagtap said that 22 families lived in the destroyed block and seven to eight people had been brought out alive.

"The rest of the people are down below, calling people from inside. Rescuers are doing their level best to save lives," he said.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also said that 22 families were housed there.

"We think up to 70 people are trapped," Alok Avasthy from the NDMA said at the scene.

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai said the building was for employees of the local administration and their families who had been asked to leave earlier this year.

"The building was around 30 years old. We had issued a notice to them in April, to vacate the building, but they did not act," said Vijay Khabale-Patil, the corporation's spokesman

He did not explain why the families had been asked to leave.

Five other apartment blocks have collapsed in or close to Mumbai in recent months, including one in April that killed 74 people.

They have highlighted poor quality construction and violations of the building code, caused by massive demand for housing and endemic corruption.

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