Firearms charges for NSW police employee

A NSW Police Force employee who was wanted over a missing arsenal of weaponry has handed himself in. Source: AAP

A NSW Police Force employee wanted for questioning over missing police weaponry has been charged with firearms offences.

There had been a statewide manhunt for the man who works with firearms at the NSW police centre in Sydney, but he handed himself into police on Saturday.

He has been charged with a number of firearms offences including aggravated possession of firearms and unauthorised manufacture of firearms.

Police said on Friday a raid of the man's Berkeley Vale home the previous day had uncovered firearms they believed were misappropriated from the Surry Hills centre.

A statewide manhunt began on Friday but the 38-year-old contacted police at Berkeley Vale around 10.15am (AEDT) on Saturday and was taken to Wyong police station.

He was charged with aggravated possession of firearms, unauthorised manufacture of firearms, two counts of possession of prohibited pistol, three counts of possession of prohibited firearm, five counts of possession of prohibited weapon and a single count of not keeping a firearm safe.

The man was refused bail and will appear in Gosford Local Court on Sunday.

Investigations are continuing and police anticipate laying further charges.

During Thursday's search of the man's home, detectives allegedly located firearms, firearm parts, ammunition of various calibers, machining equipment and prohibited weapons.

On Friday, Firearms and Organised Crime Squad Commander Ken Finch said the man had emerged as a person of interest in a long-running investigation into the missing equipment.

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North Korea ramps up the sabre rattling

NORTH Korea declared it was in a "state of war" with South Korea and warned Seoul and Washington that any provocation would swiftly escalate into an all-out nuclear conflict.

Late on Saturday the North ratcheted up its threats, warning it could shut down the Kaesong industrial complex, a joint South-North venture that provides the regime with crucial hard currency.

"We warn that stern measures will be taken if (South Korea) continues to make reckless remarks defaming our dignity," a state body said, adding that the fate of the complex depends entirely on the attitude of Seoul.

Established in 2004 as a symbol of cross-border cooperation, Kaesong had managed to keep functioning despite repeated crises in inter-Korean relations.

But there have been concerns that its operations would be affected by Pyongyang's move on Wednesday to sever a military hotline used to monitor movement in and out of the zone.

The United States said it took North Korea's announcement about a state of war "seriously", but noted it followed a familiar pattern, while South Korea largely dismissed it as an old threat dressed in new clothing.

It was the latest in a string of dire-sounding pronouncements from Pyongyang that have been matched by tough warnings from Seoul and Washington, fuelling international concern that the situation might spiral out of control.

"As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol," the North said in a government statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

"The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over," the statement said, adding that any US or South Korean provocation would trigger a "a nuclear war".

The two Koreas have technically remained at war for the past six decades because the 1950-53 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

The North had announced earlier this month that it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with Seoul in protest against South Korea-US joint military exercises.

The White House labelled the latest statement from Pyongyang as "unconstructive" and, while taking it "seriously", sought to place the immediate threat level in context.

"North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and today's announcement follows that familiar pattern," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

In Seoul, the Unification Ministry insisted the war threat was "not really new". The Defence Ministry vowed to "retaliate thoroughly" to any provocation, but added that no notable troop movement had been observed along the border.

Most observers however still believe this will remain a verbal rather than a physical battle.

"The North Koreans in recent weeks have turned rhetoric into performance art," said

Both China and Russia have called for calm, with a Russian diplomat voicing particular concern on Saturday.

"We expect all sides to show maximum responsibility and restraint and that no-one will cross the line after which there will be no return," Grigory Logvinov, a Russian foreign ministry pointman on North Korea, told the Interfax news agency.

On Friday North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered missile units to prepare to strike US mainland and military bases, after US stealth bombers flew over South Korea.

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NATO airstrike kills two children

A NATO helicopter strike killed two children in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, in the latest civilian casualties to beset the war against Taliban militants.

The operation close to Ghazni city was conducted after local people complained of a Taliban post targeting traffic convoys in the area, Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the deputy governor of Ghazni province, said.

"It was a joint (Afghan and coalition) operation conducted this morning that killed nine Taliban. Unfortunately, two school children were also killed and seven other civilians were wounded," he said.

A spokesman for the NATO's International Security Assistance Force said it was aware of the reported civilian casualties and was seeking further information.

However he added that the ISAF helicopter engagement was not in direct support of Afghan forces, without giving further details.

It was unclear who called in the airstrike, but President Hamid Karzai recently banned Afghan forces from requesting foreign air support.

Civilian casualties mostly caused by air strikes have been one of the most sensitive issues in relations between Karzai and the NATO-led military.

The civilians were riding in two vehicles near the Taliban post when the attack took place, Mohammad Hassan Hadil, the deputy police chief of the province, said.

The deaths, if confirmed, would be another blow to the prestige of US-led NATO forces as they prepare to withdraw combat troops from the war against the Islamist insurgents by the end of next year.

Airstrikes by the US-led coalition killed 126 Afghan civilians last year, a nearly 50 percent drop from the year before, according to a recent UN report.

The overall civilian death toll in 2012 also declined some 12 percent to 2,754, compared with 3,131 the previous year, according to the annual report by the United Nations Mission to Afghanistan.

Four civilians, including a child, were killed in a two-day raid against Taliban insurgents by Afghan and international forces in Logar province earlier this week.

str-emh/bgs/mmg/pdh

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Bosnian Serb gets 45yrs for war crimes

VESELIN Vlahovic, a former Bosnian Serb paramilitary dubbed the "Monster of Grbavica", was jailed Friday for 45 years for inflicting a reign of terror on Sarajevo civilians during the 1992-95 war.

"During systematic repression against the non-Serb population he participated in expulsion of his victims, he committed murders, he tortured, raped and imprisoned his victims," judge Zoran Bozic said at the sentencing in a packed Sarajevo courtroom.

The sentence against Vlahovic, a Montenegrin, is the most severe delivered for war crimes by a Bosnian court.

Dressed in light blue shirt, Vlahovic, 43, showed no reaction when the verdict was read out, drawing applause from members of victims' associations in the heavily guarded courtroom.

Vlahovic, sentenced on all 60 counts in his indictment, committed the crimes between May and July 1992, in three Sarajevo neighbourhoods controlled by Serb forces during the war -- Grbavica, Kovacici and Vraca.

"He killed 31 people, took 14 people who have still been considered missing, raped 13 women," prosecutor Behaija Krnjic said in a closing statement, having said earlier in the trial that Vlahovic's "name was the synonym for evil".

Vlahovic, who had pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial in April 2011, was charged with the "executions, enslavement, rape, physical and psychological torture" of Muslim and Croat civilians, as well as looting, according to the indictment.

Calling for Vlahovic to be jailed for 45 years, Krnjic said: "Such a sentence would be the most just, but even that one will still be insufficient to heal the suffering of the victims."

A total of 112 prosecution witnesses were heard at the trial, including a number of women who testified behind closed doors to having been raped by Vlahovic, according to Krnjic.

"Vlahovic was not even bothered with the fact that one of his victims was highly pregnant at the time of the rape," the prosecutor said.

During the trial Vlahovic insulted a witness, a local journalist who reported on his crimes during the war. He also sent an intimidating letter to the family of a victim, the prosecution said.

The case concerned some of the "cruelest war crimes committed during the war, including torture, rapes and executions committed before the eyes of family members of the victims," it said.

Vlahovic was arrested in March 2010 as a suspect in a number of burglaries in the Spanish town of Altea where he was living under a fake Bulgarian identity. He was extradited to Bosnia in August that year.

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Swiss sommelier is top world wine waiter

THE world's best wine waiter was crowned in Japan on Friday, at the culmination of a three-day competition attracting entrants from around the globe.

Paolo Basso, from Switzerland, was hoisted into the air as judges in Tokyo awarded him first place in a ceremony in front of several thousand spectators that was carried live on Japanese national television.

"Thank you very much to everybody, it is a very important moment for me," he said after receiving the gold medal and hugs from rival sommeliers.

"I would like to thank first of all my family, because they allowed me the time for the hard training that I am still doing for several years," he said in English.

Basso, who works at Conca Balla in Vacallo, on the Swiss-Italian border, beat off competition from fellow finalists Belgian Aristide Spies and Canadian Vronique Rivest.

The 47-year-old takes the title previously held by Gerard Basset, who won the 2010 competition in Chile competing for Britain.

Entrants from 54 countries had been tested over three days of events designed to measure their skills marrying wines to foods and serving demanding customers.

All of them had to work in a foreign language.

Contestants from Australia, Brazil, Indonesia and Sweden were among those participating in the event, which has been held 14 times since it started in 1969.

"A good sommelier not only has to have good knowledge of wine, but he also needs to be able to put customers at ease and know what to do to let them enjoy the food," explained Serge Dubs, chairman of the jury and a former champion, ahead of the competition.

"A sommelier has to be a very good communicator, he has to know what his clients want and how to make them remember their experience at the restaurant," former champion Basset told AFP on Tuesday.

"The sommelier should also be a good cellar manager and act as an ambassador for producers, constituting a kind of link between the growers and consumers," he said.

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Mandela 'in good spirits' in hospital

South Africa's Nelson Mandela is said to be responding positively to treatment for a lung infection. Source: AAP

NELSON Mandela has been in "good spirits" as he spends a second day in hospital for a lung infection, in the latest health scare for the revered peace icon, South Africa's presidency says.

"Mandela is in good spirits and enjoyed a full breakfast this morning," President Jacob Zuma's office said in a statement on Friday, as messages of concern for the ailing 94-year-old poured in from across the globe.

"The doctors report that he is making steady progress. He remains under treatment and observation in hospital."

The anti-apartheid hero, one of the towering figures of modern history, was admitted to hospital for the recurring lung infection just before midnight on Wednesday, his third hospitalisation in four months.

Zuma sought Thursday to reassure South Africans that Mandela was in good hands as his doctors reported some progress in his treatment.

"The country must not panic, Madiba is fine," Zuma told the BBC, referring to South Africa's first black president by his clan name.

"The doctors advise that former president Nelson Mandela is responding positively to the treatment he is undergoing for a recurring lung infection," Zuma's office had said in a short statement Thursday.

The Nobel peace laureate was conscious when he was admitted, presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj, who was in prison with Mandela on Robben Island, had told AFP.

It is the second time this month that Mandela has been admitted to hospital, after spending a night for checkups on March 9.

That followed a nearly three-week hospital stay in December, when Mandela was treated for another lung infection and underwent gallstone surgery, after which he was released for home-based care.

The series of hospitalisations has seen an outpouring of prayers, but has also seen South Africans come to terms with the mortality of their national hero.

"In Zulu, when someone passes away who is very old, people say he or she has gone home. I think those are some of the things we should be thinking about," Zuma said.

Mandela is idolised in his home nation, where he is seen as the architect of the country's peaceful transition from a white-minority ruled police state to hope-filled democracy.

Nearly 20 years after he came to power in 1994 he remains a unifying symbol in a country still riven by racial tensions and deep inequality.

Labour unrest, high-profile crimes, grinding poverty and corruption scandals have effectively ended the honeymoon enjoyed after Mandela ushered in the "Rainbow Nation".

"He is the voice that holds the country together," said Kasturi Pandaram in Durban.

"He's been a stalwart and I think if anything should happen to him now, with the state the country is in, I think it's going to fall apart," she said.

While Mandela the symbol bestrides South African politics, the man has long since exited the political stage and for the country's large young population he is a figure from another era, serving as president for just one term from 1994 to 1999.

He has not appeared in public since South Africa's football World Cup final in 2010, six years after retiring from public life.

Still, his nearly life-long struggle against apartheid resonates.

"We are deeply concerned with Nelson Mandela's health - he is a hero, I think, to all of us," US President Barack Obama said.

"When we think of a single individual that embodies the kind of leadership qualities that I think we all aspire to, the person's name that comes up is Nelson Mandela. So we wish him all the very best," Obama added.

"He is as strong physically as he has been in character and in leadership over so many decades. Hopefully he will come out of this latest challenge."

The name and location of the hospital where Mandela is being treated were not disclosed, to allow the medical team to focus on their work and to shield the family from the intense media interest.

"We know they are going through a difficult time and we want to ensure that their privacy is maintained," said Maharaj.

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Pope appoints new Buenos Aires archbishop

POPE Francis made his first clerical appointment on Thursday, assigning the bishop of Santa Rosa in Argentina to take over his former post as archbishop of the large diocese of Buenos Aires.

Archbishop Mario Poli, 65, steps into the shoes of former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the top Catholic Church figure in Argentina.

Poli worked alongside Bergoglio in the Argentine capital - which numbers 2.5 million faithful - from 2002 to 2008, after he was appointed auxiliary bishop by Francis's predecessor Benedict XVI.

The pair are said to be close.

The world's first Latin American pontiff is expected to include a trip home to Argentina among his first visits abroad.

While Argentina's Clarin daily has cited Vatican sources saying the 76-year-old pope plans to travel there in the first weeks of December, no trip has yet been officially confirmed.

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Church leaders call for action on gambling

CHURCH leaders have used Easter to call on the NSW government to launch an inquiry into the social impacts of gambling.

In a statement, the NSW Council of Churches urged politicians not to back any laws that would boost the availability of gaming until an inquiry had been held into the issue.

The council's president, the Reverend Ross Clifford, said an inquiry was needed due to the ongoing debate about a second Sydney casino, and concerns over poker machines and sports betting.

He said the community would need to have "adequate opportunity to respond to any recommendations (the inquiry) might propose".

The call was not about trying to impose "wowser values", Dr Clifford said.

"It's about effective harm minimisation and consumer protection strategies," he said.

"No one who is genuinely concerned about the devastating impact of problem gambling on individuals and communities in NSW wants to wait for a federal inquiry to report on federal issues."

He said it was an issue on which NSW needed to take the lead.

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Myanmar says won't tolerate extremism

MYANMAR (Burma) President Thein Sein says his reformist government will not tolerate religious extremism, following a wave of deadly Buddhist-Muslim violence in the former army-ruled nation.

At least 40 people have been killed and mosques burned in several towns in central Myanmar since a new eruption of sectarian strife on March 20, prompting the government to impose emergency rule and curfews in some areas.

"I would like to warn all political opportunists and religious extremists who try to exploit the noble teachings of these religions and have tried to plant hatred among people of different faiths for their own self-interest: their efforts will not be tolerated," Thein Sein said in a national address.

"In general, I do not endorse the use of force to solve problems. However, I will not hesitate to use force as a last resort to protect the lives and safeguard the property of general public," the former general added.

"All perpetrators of violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," he said, according to an official translation.

The recent clashes were apparently triggered by an argument in a gold shop that turned into an escalating riot during which mosques were burned, houses razed and charred bodies left lying in the streets.

But witnesses say much of the violence appears to be well organised.

Security forces fired warning shots on Wednesday to disperse rioters and dozens of people have been detained. But Muslim leaders have criticised the security forces for failing to stop the attacks.

It is the worst sectarian strife since violence between Buddhists and Muslims in the western state of Rakhine last year left at least 180 people dead and more than 110,000 displaced.

The communal clashes pose a major challenge to Thein Sein, who has won international praise for his reform efforts since taking office two years ago following the end of decades of outright military rule.

"We must expect these conflicts and difficulties to arise during our period of democratic transition," Thein Sein said.

But "only an inclusive democratic society based on equality for all citizens will ensure peace and stability, especially in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-faith country such as ours", he added.

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Gillard warns WA over education reforms

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has warned state governments to expect no compromises at next month's Council of Australian Government Meeting (COAG), saying she is determined to come away with a deal on the Gonski education reforms.

Speaking at the community cabinet meeting in Perth, Ms Gillard said the "end game" had been reached in the debate between the federal and state governments on the proposed reforms, and she was not about to back down.

From a surprisingly welcoming audience of around 400 people, Ms Gillard was questioned on subjects as wide ranging as the Jandakot Airport to the return of the death penalty in Australia.

But it was on the debate with the states of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the Gonski reforms that Ms Gillard showed her hard edge, saying she "deeply regretted" not being able to roll out an NDIS scheme in WA later this year.

Asked about what impediments the WA Premier Colin Barnett had put in the way of the Gonski reforms, Ms Gillard renewed her attacks on state governments threatening to withdraw funding from schools.

"We are going to keep the dialogue open, but we are not going to put more money into schools only for state governments to take money out," she said.

"We are prepared to talk to get this done, but it can't be against a backdrop of states taking money out.

"We are in the end game of this now, and I am very determined to go to the COAG in April and come out with better deal for Australian children."

Asked about the lack of co-operation from Mr Barnett on the NDIS, Ms Gillard said she did not believe there was "absence of will" to support the scheme in WA.

"What we are arguing about is the governance structure - he does not want services governed remotely from Canberra and neither do I," she said.

Taking just 12 questions over 45 minutes, Ms Gillard defended her position on the live export ban, which drew protesters from both sides to greet her arrival at Thornlie Senior High School.

Flanked by ministers including Stephen Smith, Gary Gray, Kate Lundy and Mark Dreyfus, Ms Gillard fielded all but two of the questions, espousing her views on asylum seekers, the impact of a lower Newstart payment for single parents and the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Perth.

Communications minister Stephen Conroy confirmed the first homes to receive NBN coverage in Perth would be hooked up in June.

Ms Gillard will wrap-up her three-day tour of WA on Thursday morning.

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European stocks slide on Cyprus tensions

European stock markets have mostly risen and the euro has recovered from four-month lows. Source: AAP

EUROPEAN stock markets retreated and the euro dropped under $US1.28 for the first time in fourth months owing to concerns about fallout from the Cyprus financial bailout, analysts said.

London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies fell 0.57 per cent to stand at 6362.96 points in late Wednesday morning deals, as Frankfurt's DAX 30 shed 0.89 per cent to 7809.71 points and in Paris the CAC 40 slumped 1.30 per cent to 3699.78.

Madrid tumbled 1.93 per cent and Milan lost 1.56 per cent.

Italian borrowing rates fell slightly in a 10-year debt auction on Wednesday, despite concerns over a political deadlock in the recession-hit country following inconclusive elections.

Stock indices were falling "as the ongoing issues in Cyprus continue to weigh on sentiment," said Alpari trading group analyst Craig Erlam.

In foreign exchange deals, the euro dropped to $1.2782 - the lowest level since November 21 - and compared with $1.2861 late in New York on Tuesday.

Gold prices slipped to $US1592.25 ($A1525.36) an ounce from $1598 Tuesday on the London Bullion Market.

The foreign exchange market "is concerned about medium-term contagion effects" of the Cyprus bailout, said Commerzbank analyst Thu Lan Nguyen.

Troubled eurozone nation Cyprus on Wednesday scrambled to finalise capital controls to avert a run on banks, a day before they are due to reopen after a nearly two-week lockdown while the island secured a huge bailout.

Meanwhile there are fears that the controversial terms of the bailout could be mirrored in any future financial rescues of indebted eurozone members.

Nicosia overnight on Sunday-Monday agreed a last-minute deal with its international lenders that will see it receive a $13 billion rescue package to help pay its bills.

And while the decision to tax bank savings above 100,000 euros ($A123,540) raised fears of a similar move in future rescues - reinforced by comments from the head of the Eurogroup of finance ministers - officials have since insisted that Cyprus is a special case.

"The negative sentiment is also enhanced by rumours that this format will be adopted as a template for any further bailout schemes," said Currencies Direct trader Amir Khan.

"Although top officials deny any such move in the future, markets are still wary that this format will leave the banks with fewer deposits and in turn will allow them to lend less, shrinking growth."

Elsewhere on Wednesday, in indebted eurozone member Italy, the government raised three billion euros in bonds due to mature in 2023 at a rate of 4.66 per cent, compared with 4.83 per cent at the last similar auction on February 27.

Italy also raised 3.91 billion euros in five-year bonds at a rate of 3.65 per cent, slightly higher than the 3.59 per cent level in the previous comparable sale.

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Govt urged to guarantee cancer treatment

HEALTH professionals are expected to tell a senate committee hearing that no cancer patients should be impacted by cuts to federal funding for chemotherapy drugs.

The senate hearing, to be held in Sydney on Thursday, will look at the supply of chemotherapy drugs in relation to patient access to treatment, cost to pharmacists and suppliers, and the cost to the private and public hospital systems.

It will hear from cancer patient advocacy groups, oncologists, pharmacists and hospital bosses.

In a joint statement, Cancer Voices Australia and Private Cancer Physicians of Australia (PCPA) said the committee would be urged to guarantee treatment for cancer sufferers.

"The majority of those presenting at the senate hearing are expected to call on the Government to guarantee that no cancer patient is impacted upon by its failure to ensure chemotherapy services are properly funded," the statement reads.

"Right now, there are more than 40 regional cancer clinics at risk of closing or reducing their services."

If that happened, some cancer patients would have to travel long distances for treatment or be put on a public hospital waiting list, according to the statement.

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Kerry and Karzai strike upbeat note

US Secretary of State John Kerry vowed to stick by Afghanistan despite hostility towards US troops. Source: AAP

US Secretary of State John Kerry has held a second round of talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul after the two put on a public show of unity in a bid to repair damaged ties.

Kerry visited Afghanistan as the United States ceded to a key long-standing demand of Karzai by delivering full control of Bagram prison, where Taliban and al-Qaeda suspects are held north of Kabul, to Afghan forces.

Karzai had turned the fate of Bagram and its hundreds of detainees into a rallying cry for his push to take back sovereignty as the bulk of US-led combat troops prepare to leave by the end of 2014 after more than a decade of war.

The militant threat facing Afghanistan was on Tuesday again underlined when seven suicide bombers targeted a police base in the eastern city of Jalalabad.

All the attackers and five officers died in the assault, for which the Taliban claimed responsibility.

After a series of fiery anti-US outbursts from Karzai in recent weeks, both he and Kerry were keen to make a public display of friendship and stress that relations were back on track.

"Bagram prison was handed over to the Afghan government ... Finally after many years of effort we have reached a deal," Karzai told reporters at a joint press conference late Monday.

Kerry said: "The US is committed to an enduring partnership ... The US supports a strong and united Afghanistan.

"We are committed to Afghanistan's sovereignty and we will not let al-Qaeda or the Taliban shake this commitment."

Earlier this month, Karzai accused Washington of working in concert with the Taliban and his spokesman described the NATO coalition's war effort as "aimless and unwise", triggering fury from Afghanistan's foreign backers.

Responding to a storm of protest over the collusion allegations, Kerry said he was confident that Karzai "does not believe that the United States has any interest except to see the Taliban come to the table to make peace".

For his part, Karzai said: "I was interpreted as saying the US and Taliban are colluding, but I did not use this word."

Afghan forces are gradually taking on responsibility for battling the Taliban as most of the 100,000 foreign troops prepare to exit by the end of 2014.

Karzai is due to step down at elections next year, 13 years after he came to power with US backing when the hardline Taliban regime was ousted in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks of 2001.

During his trip, Kerry emphasised the importance of a credible poll in 2014, and paid tribute to Afghan MPs, rights activists and election officials.

"You're engaged in a remarkable effort and the whole world is watching," he told them on Tuesday before he flew out of Kabul.

The war in Afghanistan is increasingly unpopular in the United States, and the latest outbursts from Karzai led many US commentators to call for Washington to take a tougher stance towards Kabul.

The Afghan leader in past weeks has also demanded US special forces leave the flashpoint province of Wardak and banned international troops from university campuses, both due to unproven harassment claims.

Washington was concerned that the handover of Bagram to Afghan forces would allow suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda detainees to return to the battlefield.

But a final agreement was sealed on Saturday and a handover ceremony was held at the jail shortly before Kerry landed in Afghanistan.

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Mirren up for best actress Olivier award

HELEN Mirren has received another accolade for her royal performance as Queen Elizabeth II - a best-actress nomination at Britain's Olivier theatre awards.

Mirren is nominated for The Audience, alongside Hattie Morahan for A Doll's House, Billie Piper for The Effect and Kristin Scott Thomas for Old Times.

Best-actor nominees announced on Tuesday include Rupert Everett, James McAvoy, Mark Rylance, Rafe Spall and Luke Treadaway.

Nominees for musicals include Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton for Sweeney Todd, Alex Bourne and Hannah Waddingham for Kiss Me, Kate and Heather Headley for The Bodyguard.

Poignant drama The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has eight nominations and jaunty musical Top Hat seven for the prizes, which celebrate London theatre, opera and dance.

Winners will be announced April 28.

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Ntaganda tells ICC he is innocent

CONGOLESE war crimes suspect Bosco Ntaganda has made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court, telling a judge he was innocent of charges ranging from murder and rape to using child soldiers.

The man known as The Terminator appeared on Tuesday with a shaved head, thin moustache and wearing a black suit and dark blue tie after arriving in The Hague on Friday following his surprise surrender in Rwanda.

"My name is Bosco Ntaganda, I only have the two names, the names given to me by my parents," he said when presiding judge Ekaterina Trendafilova asked him to identify himself.

"As you know, I was a soldier in the Congo," he said. "I was born in Rwanda but I grew up in the Congo. I am Congolese."

"I was informed of these crimes but I plead not guilty," Ntaganda said before Trendafilova cut him short.

"I do not want to interrupt you. The purpose of the initial appearance is a very limited one," the judge said. "You will have ample opportunities to make your point as thoroughly and necessary to the chamber."

The judge set September 23 as the date for a hearing to confirm the charges against Ntaganda, who was allegedly involved in the murder of at least 800 people in villages in the volatile DR Congo's Ituri region.

During that hearing, prosecutors must convince the court's judges they have enough evidence to take him to trial.

Ntaganda reportedly walked into the US embassy in Kigali and asked to be sent to the ICC, possibly fearing for his life as a fugitive from former comrades.

The first ever suspect to voluntarily surrender to the ICC, Ntaganda is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed a decade ago when he was a warlord in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tuesday's brief appearance was to verify Ntaganda's identity, read the alleged crimes and his rights under the court's founding document, the Rome Statute.

Set up just over a decade ago, the ICC is the world's only permanent criminal court to try genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

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Rodwell overwhelmed, thankful for freedom

AUSTRALIAN Warren Rodwell says he's overwhelmed by the effort put into his release from 15 months as a hostage in the Philippines.

Facing media in Manila for the first time since he was freed, Mr Rodwell said he was very happy to be there.

"There was a great sense of helplessness and hopelessness," he told reporters.

"I'm certainly overwhelmed to know the amount of effort and compassion that has been put into this operation."

He offered "heartfelt thanks" to the Filipino and Australian governments and everyone who worked to release him from the hands of al-Qaeda-linked group Abu Sayyaf.

He also told reporters he was getting stronger.

Earlier on Monday, his sister Denise Cappello and brother Wayne Rodwell also thanked authorities.

Ms Cappello wished the Philippine national police success in tracking down and capturing Mr Rodwell's abductors.

"We hope they are brought to justice so others don't have to experience what Warren has just been through," she said.

Wayne Rodwell said the family had held on to hope of his brother's safe release throughout his ordeal.

The family's immediate concern was for his health, as he would require medical support, along with time and space to recover, he said.

The pair thanked Al-Rasheed Sakkalahul, vice-governor of the Philippine island province of Basilan, saying that without his help Warren would not be free.

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Prince Harry to visit the US

PRINCE Harry is returning to the United States - but this time he's skipping Las Vegas.

St James's Palace said on Monday that the 28-year-old prince will travel to the US east coast as well was Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

His trip will include trips to Arlington National Cemetery, Walter Reed National Medical Center and the competition between British and American veteran athletes in the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs.

He will also visit Hurricane Sandy victims in New Jersey.

Harry, who is third in line to the throne, made headlines on another US visit, when he was caught frolicking in the nude after what was alleged to have been a game of strip billiards in his Las Vegas hotel room.

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Labor's lousy week continues with Newspoll

THIS September's federal election is getting more lopsided with 30 Labor MPs likely to lose their seats, according to the latest Newspoll.

With Prime Minister Julia Gillard admonishing her own party for an "appalling" two weeks of self-indulgence, which culminated in an abortive leadership challenge, her personal standing has crashed to a 19-month low.

The government lost four experienced ministers in Chris Bowen, Martin Ferguson and Kim Carr, who all resigned, and Simon Crean, who was sacked after instigating the spill.

The Newspoll, taken over the weekend and published in The Australian on Tuesday, shows Labor's primary vote has crashed four points to a disastrous 30 per cent while the coalition has jumped six points to 50 per cent.

The Australian says that after taking into account preference flows, the government's support is eight percentage points below its level at the 2010 election - at 42 per cent - compared to the coalition's 12-month high of 58 per cent - a six-point rise.

If that sort of swing was repeated at the election 30 Labor MPs, including at least five ministers, would lose their seats.

In the preferred prime minister stakes, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is streets ahead, 43 per cent (up five points) to 35 per cent (down seven) - the second time in three Newspoll surveys since February that he has been in front.

20.07 | 0 komentar | Read More

Berezovsky death under investigation

Exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky has been found dead in London, media reports say. Source: AAP

BRITISH police investigating the death of exiled Russian oligarch and Kremlin critic Boris Berezovsky say a search of his house by chemical, biological and nuclear experts has found "nothing of concern".

The 67-year-old who emigrated to Britain in 2000 after falling out with President Vladimir Putin was found dead in his mansion in the upmarket town of Ascot outside London on Saturday.

Police officers trained in detecting chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) material inspected the house as a precautionary measure, but have given it the all clear.

"I am pleased to say the CBRN officers found nothing of concern in the property and we are now progressing the investigation as normal," police superintendent Simon Bowden said.

He said Berezovsky's death remained "unexplained".

He survived one assassination attempt in 1995 in which a bomb decapitated his chauffeur, and openly expressed his fear that his life was in danger.

His friend and fellow Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko died an agonising death from radioactive poisoning in London in 2006, in what Litvinenko's widow has said was an assassination by Russian agents.

Berezovsky's wealth has diminished in recent years and last year he lost a bitter multimillion-pound legal battle with fellow British-based oligarch Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club.

Berezovsky had sought more than STG3 billion ($A4.3 billion) in damages and accused Abramovich of blackmail, breach of trust and breach of contract in an oil deal.

Following his defeat in a London court, he was forced to agree to pay Abramovich STG35 million in legal costs, although there is speculation the final bill will be far greater.

The judge in the case described Berezovsky as "an unimpressive, and inherently unreliable, witness".

Berezovsky was a close confidante of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin and one of a handful of businessmen who became billionaires following the privatisation of Russian state assets in the 1990s.

But he fell out with Yeltsin's successor, Putin, and fled Russia in 2000 just in time to escape arrest on fraud charges.

Forbes' Russian-language website published an interview he gave to a journalist Ilya Zhegulev, in which Berezovsky said his "life no longer makes sense" and that all he wanted to do was return to Russia.

Zhegulev said the interview had taken place on Friday, but had not been recorded.

The tycoon's friend Demyan Kudryavtsev dismissed speculation that Berezovsky had killed himself.

"There are no external signs of a suicide," he told the Prime news agency in Russia.

"There are no signs that he injected himself or swallowed any pills. No one knows why his heart stopped."

20.07 | 0 komentar | Read More