China Walmarts remove tainted donkey meat

Walmart has removed several batches of tainted donkey meat from its stores in China. Source: AAP

WALMART has removed several batches of donkey meat from its stores in the Chinese city of Jinan after discovering that it was being sold fraudulently mixed with undeclared meat from other animals.

After a series of DNA tests, it was found that the donkey meat, a normal dish in the eastern province of Shandong, was mixed with flesh from other animals, including fox meat, the official China Daily said on Friday.

The head of the local company that produced the meat, Dezhou Fujude Food, has been detained and production at the factory suspended.

Walmart has apologised to Chinese consumers and has promised to return all the money paid for the product by all customers who bought the Five Spices brand of donkey meat.

Walmart China has launched an internal investigation, CEO Greg Foran said.

"At Walmart, we take the issue of food fraud very seriously.

"To this end, Walmart China is going beyond what local law requires and is adding DNA tests to its sample tests of meat products to ensure high quality and safety of the products sold in Walmart stores," the company said in a statement.

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Alert issued for Qld island blaze

A WATCH and act alert has been issued for Queensland's North Stradbroke Island where a large bushfire is burning.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services says a large fire on the southwestern side of Alfred Martin Way is moving slowly in a southeasterly direction.

An expected wind change at 2pm on Saturday is likely to push the bushfire in a northwesterly direction.

Authorities say the fire could reach the north side of Mitchell Crescent, Illawong Crescent, Rainbow Crescent, Dickson Way and the Seven Mile S-bend.

People in these areas are being advised to finalise their bushfire plans.

The Dunwich Community Hall has been made available for those who choose to relocate.

Firefighters are working to control the blaze.

On Friday campers and miners in the Dunwich area were asked to leave after the fire jumped containment lines.

Meanwhile, residents on the mainland and Southern Moreton Bay Islands are being asked to conserve water after a treatment plant was damaged on North Stradbroke Island.

The treatment plant is one of just two that service the region.

North Stradbroke Island residents are not being asked to conserve water as the plant doesn't service the island.

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Walker died of traumatic injuries: coroner

A coroner's report has ruled the death of late Fast and Furious star Paul Walker as an accident. Source: AAP

THE Porsche carrying late Fast and Furious star Paul Walker was doing more than 160 kilometres per hour when it crashed, nearly cutting the high-powered vehicle in half, a coroner's report has revealed.

The 40-year-old actor's body was charred beyond recognition in the November 30 accident, according to the report released on Friday by the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

The report said Roger Rodas, Walker's friend and financial adviser, was driving the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT at an unsafe speed, estimated by witnesses to be 100 miles per hour (160km/h) or more.

Rodas was also killed in the crash.

The report says the deaths have been ruled accidents and were due to the "combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries".

A more comprehensive report, obtained by TMZ, lists several other injuries, including multiple bone fractures.

The report also states none of Walker's organs were suitable for donation because of the extent of his injuries.

Walker's jaw, collarbone, left upper arm, ribs and pelvis were fractured by the impact of the crash.

The crash happened in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, where Walker and Rodas had attended a charity event.

Neither man tested positive for alcohol or drugs including marijuana, cocaine, opiates and methamphetamine, the coroner's report said, adding that autopsies were conducted on December 3, but toxicology results were only confirmed on Friday.

The report said Walker was found "wearing remnants of a black T-shirt, a pair of black jeans and a pair of gray boxer briefs" and was "lying supine in the passenger seat".

The report said the driver lost control of the car "for unknown reasons," causing it to spin around and hit a curb, after which the driver's side of the Porsche struck a tree and then a light pole.

"The force of those collisions caused the vehicle to spin 180 degrees and continue in an easterly direction. The passenger side of the vehicle then struck another tree and burst into flames," it said.

"The vehicle was totalled with major traffic collision damage all around, and it appeared that the vehicle was almost split in half," the report added, saying: "The majority of the vehicle was also charred."

It said Walker's body "cannot be positively identified visually".

Rodas also suffered multiple injuries: his skull was fractured and his brain was exposed, the autopsy report said.

Investigators found no mechanical problems with the Porsche or problems with the roadway.

Walker's death stunned fans of the high-octane series The Fast and the Furious, and was a major blow to studio giant Universal Pictures, for whom the franchise is a huge money maker.

Universal announced the studio had shut down production of Fast and Furious 7 following Walker's death.

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UK index turns 30 on a high note

BRITAIN'S leading share index is marking its 30th anniversary as forecasts suggest that it will reach record highs in the year ahead.

The FTSE 100 replaced the FT30 as the main indicator for the performance of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange on January 3, 1984.

Today, the combined value of its constituents stands at Stg1.87 trillion ($A3.47 trillion), more than 10 times higher than the market capitalisation total of Stg164 billion in December 1985 - the first available data.

The index has weathered the miners' strike, the Big Bang of market deregulation in 1986 and the Black Monday crash of 1987, as well as the 1990s' dotcom boom and the financial crisis in more recent years.

But just 30 of the original companies remain on the list, which is composed of the 100 biggest London-listed firms by market value.

Only 19 have remained in the index for the entire 30-year period - including oil giant BP, retailer Marks & Spencer and insurer Prudential.

Big names that have dropped out, been broken up, or bought out, include Imperial Chemical Industries, GEC and Scottish & Newcastle breweries. Others that have joined since include BT, Vodafone and Royal Mail.

Many of the others now on the list have operations largely based abroad, meaning that the performance of the index is often more heavily influenced by world economic currents than the domestic scene.

The FTSE 100 was founded with a base level of 1,000 in 1984. It reached an all-time closing high of 6930.2 at the height of the dotcom boom on December 30, 1999.

Its biggest one-day rise, of 9.8 per cent, came on November 24, 2008, as the index bounced back from a five-year low during the financial crisis.

The steepest fall came on October 20, 1987, when it plunged 12.2% following a wave of panic selling across the Atlantic on Wall Street - that became known as Black Monday.

On an annual basis, the biggest rise was in 1997, when it rose nearly 25%, and the heaviest plunge was in 2008, when the index fell 31%.

It reached its lowest level of the last five years on March 5, 2009, sliding to 3529.7 as the Bank of England slashed interest rates to their current low and started pumping billions into the economy amid the dark days of recession.

By the end of the year, however, the FTSE 100 had jumped 22% as the stimulus measures began to take effect.

Earlier this week, the index notched up its biggest annual climb since then, ending 2013 at 6749.1 points, 14 per cent up on the end of 2012.

Shares have been boosted by stimulus policies which have kept interest rates and yields on government bonds low, leaving investors to seek better returns in the equities market.

Economists and fund managers predict it is now likely to reach an all-time closing high during 2014, breaking through the 7,000 barrier.

But the comparison with previous record highs is not straightforward in investment terms as company dividends paid out on shares have not grown at the same pace.

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NSW police hunt missing 15-year-old girl

POLICE are concerned for the welfare of a teenage girl who has been missing from her home in south Sydney for more than three days.

Police say 15-year-old Rabia Ahmad left her house on Midlothian Avenue, Beverley Hills, with a few belongings at around 11pm (AEDT) on Tuesday.

She has not contacted her family since.

Ms Ahmad wears a head scarf and is described as Middle Eastern in appearance, about 160cm to 165cm tall and of medium build.

Any members of the public with information are asked to contact police.

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2013 is Australia's hottest year on record

The Bureau of Meteorology's annual statement shows 2013 is Australia's hottest year on record. Source: AAP

THE hottest year, the hottest spring and summer, the hottest January and September, the hottest summer day and the warmest winter day: 2013 was a record-setting year in weather.

The Bureau of Meteorology's annual climate statement shows 2013 was Australia's hottest year since records began in 1910.

It says the national mean temperature was 1.20 degrees celsius above the 1961-1990 average.

"Long periods of warmer-than-average days have been common, with a distinct lack of cold weather," the statement says.

The year was also the hottest on record for South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

It was the second-hottest year on record for New South Wales and Queensland, third for Victoria and fourth for Tasmania.

The bureau says Australia has experienced just one cooler-than-average year in the past decade: 2011.

Nationally averaged rainfall was slightly below average for the year, with 428mm.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his cabinet should take a "good strong look" at the report which makes it clear again that climate change is real, acting Opposition Leader Penny Wong says.

"These are facts we have to face up to," Senator Wong told reporters in Adelaide on Friday.

"The only people who don't believe climate change is real are Prime Minister Abbott, his cabinet and some of his advisers."

Senator Wong said Mr Abbott considered climate change "absolute crap" and his direct action policy was a policy of doing nothing.

She says her biggest worry was not how Australia would look to other nations by doing little to combat global warming but how the current generation would look to its children and grandchildren.

"What are we going to say to them in years to come if we go down the path that Tony Abbott wants to go down which is to reject what the Bureau of Meteorology and other Australians scientists are saying," she said.

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Fresh Prince actor James Avery dies

Actor James Avery (L), who played Will Smith's uncle in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has died at 65. Source: AAP

US actor James Avery, most famous as Uncle Phil in hit 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has died on New Year's Eve aged 68, his publicist says.

With a deep baritone voice, Avery regularly played judges, professors or doctors on TV shows in the 1980s and 90s, as well as extensive voice work, including on animated projects.

His first big-screen role was an uncredited part in 80s classic The Blues Brothers, and he enjoyed a prolific TV and movie career stretching over three decades.

But the role most people will remember him for is as Philip Banks on the 1990s NBC series, a role model to the young Will Smith's character, a fictionalised rapper version of himself.

"I'm deeply saddened to say James Avery has passed away," his Fresh Prince co-star Alfonso Ribeiro tweeted. "He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly."

Born James LaRue Avery in Virginia and raised in New Jersey, he had worked until September, shooting the film Wish I Was Here directed by Zach Braff, which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this month.

Avery died late on Tuesday in hospital in Glendale, outside Los Angeles, "due to complications from open heart surgery", his publicist, Cynthia Snyder, said in an email.

He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Barbara Avery, his mother Florence Avery, and his stepson Kevin Waters. Plans are being made for a memorial service, the spokeswoman said.

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Federal govt stands by its jobs promise

The opposition says the government will fail at its promise of creating a million jobs in 5 years. Source: AAP

THE federal government has rejected claims by the opposition that it is doing a "con job" on Australians by promising to create one million jobs.

During last year's election campaign, the coalition set a target of creating a million jobs over five years and two million over a decade.

But shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says figures released on Thursday showed it will fall 200,000 jobs short of the five-year promise.

The Parliamentary Library had used the government's own employment forecasts and Australian Bureau of Statistics data to extrapolate the figures, he said.

"The government's own figures released in their mini-budget before Christmas show that they will fall well short of that target," Mr Bowen told reporters in Fairfield on Thursday.

"They will not create a million jobs over the next five years."

The data showed Mr Abbott's pledge was a "hollow one".

"It was a con job on the Australian people," Mr Bowen said.

But Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said the government was already working towards achieving its goal of creating one million jobs by working on scrapping the carbon and mining taxes, and reducing red tape costs for businesses.

He said the Labor party was "dishonestly" using an analysis of its last budget to predict the future performance of the coalition.

"The economy we inherited was an economy growing below trend, with unemployment rising and with the budget in a mess," he said.

"We are working to turn that situation around."

Senator Cormann said there were always external factors to consider such as the Australian dollar, but the government was "sticking" to its election commitment, and accused Labor of trying to stand in the way of that promise.

Mr Bowen said blaming the previous Labor government was not a good excuse.

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SA road toll dips under 100 again

ROAD deaths in South Australia were kept under 100 for the second year in a row in 2013, but police are still not happy and will target drivers using mobile phones or other technology in the new year.

Assistant Commissioner Linda Williams says combating driver distraction will be a key issue for police along with drivers under the influence of drugs.

"A particular focus for us is the technology that's distracting people in their vehicles," Ms Williams said on Thursday.

"The focus on drug-driving is very big for us, because we see that the hit rate we're getting from positive drug tests is disproportionate to where we are with drink driving (which is falling).

In SA last year 97 people died on the state's road, three more than the previous year.

It was the first time since 1946 that road deaths were under 100 two years in a row and compared with the 156 people killed in 2003.

Of those killed, 71 per cent were men while 63 per cent died on rural or country roads.

Thirty-two per cent of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt and 26 per cent of all fatal crashes involved excessive speed.

SA also recorded 800 serious injuries last year, putting the state close to its goal of less than 800 by 2020.

However, the death toll remains well above the 80 or less the state government has targeted over the same period.

Ms Williams said while every road death or serious injury was one too many, the toll had been reducing steadily for a number of years.

"For the coming year our message if very simple: distraction, speeding, dangerous driving, (not wearing) seatbelts, drink and drug driving are still the worst enemies on our roads," she said.

"They're all choices people make and all too often they lead to tragic consequences."

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Man remains critical after NYE assault

A TEENAGER remains in a critical condition after being punched in a random attack in Sydney on New Year's Eve.

As the first fireworks display crackled over Sydney Harbour at 9pm (AEDT) on Tuesday, police say the 18-year-old was knocked to the ground in an unprovoked attack in Kings Cross.

He remains in a critical condition at St Vincent's Hospital, with his alleged 25-year-old attacker due to face Parramatta Bail Court on Wednesday.

The attack occurred on the same street where teenage king-hit victim Thomas Kelly was killed in 2012.

Acting Police Commissioner David Hudson said police were being updated on the 18-year-old's progress hourly adding that he remains in a critical condition.

"Our thoughts are obviously with the victim's family and with him in his recovery hopefully," he told reporters on Wednesday.

He said the police's swift action led to the alleged attacker's arrest before any other incidents could occur.

"Police were very close by. They didn't actually witness the incident, but they were very close by and responded very quickly."

It's the latest in a string of attacks in Sydney in recent times.

Last month, Michael McEwen fell into a coma after he was assaulted at Bondi in Sydney's east following an altercation in a kebab shop.

In another incident in December, a man was taken to intensive care after being king hit at a fast food restaurant in Oxford Street at Surry Hills.

Police said the man had been involved in a verbal argument with another man at the restaurant and as he was leaving, the other man punched him to the side of the head, causing him to fall to the ground.

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Vic road toll lowest in 90 years

Victoria's road toll has fallen for the sixth consecutive year and to its lowest level in 90 years. Source: AAP

VICTORIA'S road toll has fallen for the sixth consecutive year and to its lowest level in 90 years.

Police say 242 people were killed on Victorian roads in 2013, compared to 282 the previous year and 444 in 2001.

Acting Premier Peter Ryan says the 2013 road toll is the lowest figure since 1924.

He says the falling figure is the result of years of strategies to make the state's roads, and drivers, much safer.

"This shows just how far we have come in saving lives. But we will not rest until the road toll is zero," he said on Wednesday.

Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said the encouraging result would be no comfort for those who had lost loved ones on the road.

"The fact we have 40 less people killed on our roads this year means little to those who have lost loved ones to road trauma," he said.

"Road trauma has a profound effect on families, friends and communities and my thoughts go out to all those who have lost a loved friend or family member."

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Rough start to 2014 for some at NSW court

TEARS, tantrums and the trading of cricket jokes.

Parramatta bail court saw it all on New Year's Day as a string of accused offenders came before registrar Bernadette Hilton seeking to kick off 2014 with requests for their freedom.

Intoxication and the heightened emotions of the festive season appeared to have taken their toll on people who spent a night in the cells on New Year's Eve.

One young woman accused of assaulting someone while armed with a knife explained that she needed to get out of custody because her friend had smashed her apartment window.

"I need to get out of here in case some of my s*** goes missing," the woman told the court.

But when Ms Hilton noted the woman was on parole at the time of the alleged attack and refused bail, the woman told the registrar to "f*** off" before storming out.

One man accused of breaching an apprehended violence order eight times told the registrar it wasn't his fault.

But Ms Hilton noted that even if she gave him "the strictest bail conditions in the world" he could still "freak out" and approach his victim.

"She's contacted me 465 times since taking the AVO out on me, sending me naked pictures of herself, and nothing happens to her," the man said angrily before he, too, stormed out of the videolink room.

Not everyone was so unreceptive.

A new mother charged with breaching her bail conditions nodded solemnly when the registrar told her to set a better example for her seven-week-old child.

"What you don't need to be is in custody with a small child," Ms Hilton told the woman as she granted her bail with strict conditions.

Another woman cried as she denied breaching her 11pm curfew on New Year's Eve and running from police.

She put her head in her hands and sobbed upon learning she would be released from custody.

An arrested British tourist apologised profusely for his drunken behaviour.

"I've never been more ashamed in my life. I've got no excuse," the man told the court.

Ms Hilton quipped she thought the man was going to use his country's recent Ashes loss as an excuse.

"I wouldn't want to make things worse for myself," he replied, before thanking the court graciously when his bail was approved.

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Woman sexually assaulted in Vic

A SOUTH American woman has been sexually assaulted by a man who gave her a lift on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

Police say a man approached the 28-year-old, who is working in Australia as a nanny, at McCrae on Sunday and offered her a lift to a train station.

He drove her to an isolated part of Shoreham, punched her in the face and grappled with her, before she got out of the car and tried to flee.

The man then allegedly ran her down and sexually assaulted her.

He fled the scene in his car, described as a gold-coloured Holden utility.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Walsh said the woman was extremely distressed and traumatised by the attack and had decided to leave Australia earlier than planned.

"She received minor facial injuries, however, emotionally will be scarred forever," he said on Tuesday.

Police say the man told the woman his name was Dane, and is described as Caucasian in appearance, of thin build, about 25 years old and about 165cm tall with short, light-brown or blond hair and light-brown eyes.

He was wearing a dark T-shirt, possibly black, light beige pants, possibly cargos and dark-coloured shoes.

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Measles linked to Sydney dance event

DANCERS who participated in a Sydney competition recently have been warned to be on the lookout for measles symptoms.

NSW Health issued a health alert after being made aware of three measles cases in people who probably contracted the infection at the World Supremacy Battleground hip hop competition.

The competition was held at Sydney Olympic Park on December 7 and 8.

The first case came to NSW Health's attention on December 27, with a competitor from Adelaide coming down with measles.

On Monday night, further cases were reported by a New Zealand patient and a Sydney resident.

NSW Health communicable diseases director Dr Vicky Sheppeard advised anyone who attended the dance event to be alert for measles symptoms.

"Measles is highly infectious and is spread through coughing and sneezing," Dr Sheppeard said in a statement.

"Symptoms can include fever, tiredness, runny nose, cough and sore red eyes which usually last for several days before a red, blotchy rash appears."

The time from exposure to the onset of symptoms can be up to 18 days.

NSW Health believes that there may be other cases in the community now or secondary cases could be developing.

Anyone with measles symptoms is advised to contact their local public health unit or phone ahead to a GP to ensure that the waiting area is not shared with others.

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Scooter company on track for first profit

SCOOTER maker Vmoto expects 2013 will be its first profitable year, thanks to growing sales in China.

The company makes electric and petrol scooters in China, and distributes them to more than 30 countries.

Vmoto also owns 10 retail outlets in China, with four of those stores having opened in the last two months.

On Monday, the company said November was another profitable month, and the company still expects to make its maiden annual profit, of between $300,000 and $600,000, in the 2013 calendar year.

Vmoto listed on the Australian share market in 2002.

It expects to have had made 42,000 scooters in the year, and had sold 3,197 of its own scooters in China by the end of November.

"The gradual buildup in sales month-on-month are testament to the Vmoto brand becoming increasingly recognised as a premium product for electric scooter riders in China," it said.

The company's shares gained 0.1 of a cent to 3.1 cents.

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Perth gets ready for NYE parties

LIVE music, fancy-dress parties and fireworks are on offer in Perth for New Year's Eve, but police are warning revellers to act responsibly.

An extra 1000 police will be on the streets on New Year's Eve, to clamp down on rowdy or anti-social behaviour and drink-drivers.

Assistant Commissioner Gary Dreibergs said with so many people expected in Perth's entertainment precincts, people should look out for their mates and plan their trip home before they go out.

"To put it simply, respect yourself, and respect others," he said.

"All too often we see minor matters escalate into serious incidents because someone who has consumed too much alcohol isn't able to make the right decision to step away from a minor disagreement or other trivial occurrence, such as being bumped by someone else."

Police have also warned people not to hire drivers who are advertising their taxi services online illegally.

Family entertainment in Perth includes fireworks in Mandurah and Rockingham, and a party at Perth Zoo with live music.

On New Year's Day, about 35,000 people are expected to attend the Perth Cup at Ascot Racecourse.

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Die-hard spectators snag NYE spots at 5am

FOR some New Year's Eve revellers, the distant sparkle of fireworks is enough to entertain.

But for others, the occasion is worth setting up a camping chair and waiting 20 hours to ensure a front-row seat for the show.

Every year a trickle of die-hard punters heads to Sydney's prime vantage points from early New Year's Eve morning to secure a spot for the fireworks spectacular.

"We have people turning up from 5-6am easily," Sydney New Year's Eve producer Aneurin Coffey told AAP.

"They are the really die-hard fans that get there early and then another group come about 8am."

Mr Coffey said it was often the same early risers who nabbed a piece of "prime real estate" year after year.

"Often it's the same groups of people, and our staff and security guards get to know the people who turn up early," he said.

While the Sydney Opera House and Dawes Point see the first trickle of spectators, Bradfield Park, Blues Point Reserve and Observatory Hill Park are also popular early.

Boats also turn out early, from about 10am Mr Coffey says, to secure an ideal spot in the harbour.

"Boats come early and snag a spot so guests can get water taxis out and join them in the day," he said.

In past years, there have been between 2000 and 8000 vessels in the harbour on New Year's Eve.

With 1.5 million people expected to flock to Sydney for the celebrations, organisers warn people to look out the vantage points outside the CBD.

Emergency services will be out in strength, with 2500 police in Sydney and 3000 across NSW.

Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch said every "toy we possess" would be in play.

"We will have our general duties police, police on public transport, on the water, on horseback, in motor cars but extensively on foot," he told reporters on Monday.

NSW Ambulance Deputy Commissioner Mike Willis said paramedic numbers will also be boosted, as the service prepares for alcohol-related injuries.

"We will see everything from people who have fallen down stairs or more tragically fallen over some of the cliffs that are in and around some of the foreshore," he told reporters on Monday.

Sydney will see three fireworks displays this year at 9pm, 10:30pm and midnight.

President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Dr Steve Hambleton also warned against over-indulging and said people shouldn't mix alcohol and energy drinks.

"It can lead people to consume excessive amounts of alcohol and excessive amounts of caffeine, both of which can be harmful on their own, but potentially lethal when consumed together," he said.

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Palmer a tease over Muir deal: Xenophon

INDEPENDENT senator Nick Xenophon says Clive Palmer is teasing the public about his political alliance with motoring enthusiast Ricky Muir, comparing the billionaire to a burlesque dancer.

A one-page memorandum of understanding between the Palmer United Party (PUP) and senator-elect Muir's Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party, says each intends to work together in the Senate "where it is practicable".

However, the October 6 agreement also frees up both parties to vote how they wish on matters of principle.

"This memorandum does not require any party to vote for legislation that is against his or her party's policies and principles, or against their conscience," the deal states.

Senator Xenophon had accused Mr Palmer of breaking his promise to release the memo by Christmas.

But having now seen the document, released on the PUP website at the weekend, he's wondering: "Is that all there is?"

"Why did he make such a song and dance?" Senator Xenophon told AAP on Monday.

"He's been teasing us with this document, turning it into a big deal.

"He is to politics what Dita Von Teese is to burlesque."

Senator Xenophon also questioned why the memo appeared to be missing information, with paragraphs skipping from B to D, and 2 to 4.

Mr Palmer has blamed a computer error for the anomaly, prompting an offer of a new computer from the South Australian senator.

"I'm trying to find an old [80s-era] Amstrad 64," Senator Xenophon joked.

"I think it would be more reliable than the computer that he's currently got."

The Greens' Lee Rhiannon said the memo did not clarify the relationship between the two parties, and called for reform of the Senate voting system.

"Australians should be able to feel confident that when they vote for a party in the Senate, if preferences are distributed they flow according to the voter's choice," Senator Rhiannon said in a statement.

Comment is being sought from Mr Palmer.

Mr Muir and the newly elected PUP senators will take their seats at the beginning of July.

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Man enters embassy in Indonesia: report

A man is being questioned by police after he scaled the Australian embassy wall in Indonesia. Source: AAP

POLICE have reportedly found two knives and a rope on a man who scaled the Australian embassy wall in Indonesia.

According to a report from Indonesian news agency Antara, the man climbed the side wall and entered the Australian embassy complex on Saturday night.

Embassy security officers caught the man, 43, and took him to Jakarta police headquarters.

The report states police found seven metres of rope, a kitchen knife and a folded knife on the man.

In his backpack he had paper, 11 cartoon writings and matches, according to the report.

Jakarta Police spokesman Rikwanto told Antara the man used the rope to climb the side perimeter.

They are questioning the man.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed a man gained unauthorised access to the Jakarta embassy on Saturday.

"Embassy guards responded immediately," a spokesman said in a statement.

"The individual was escorted from the premises by Indonesian police."

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Government won't 'speculate' on GP fee

THE federal government has refused to "speculate" about a proposal to make patients pay a $5 fee for bulk-billed GP visits.

A national Commission of Audit has received a proposal for a co-payment scheme for GP consultations.

Doctor groups and political parties have criticised such a move, claiming it would destroy Medicare and limit access to GPs for some community groups.

Co-payments would see patients pay a fee for bulk-billed GP consultations.

News Corp Australia reports pensioners and concession card holders would be exempt from the fee.

Families would also be granted up to 12 bulk-billed visits annually.

Federal Health Minister Peter Dutton said he would not comment on "speculation around what the Commission of Audit may or may not recommend".

"The commission's work is still being compiled and will be provided to the government in 2014," he said in a statement.

"The government will be able to consider any recommendations and respond after that time."

Mr Dutton said the government had committed to making sure the health system was sustainable and accessible in the future.

The Abbott government has been ridiculed for its refusal to rule out a GP fee.

The Opposition has called on Mr Abbott to immediately strike out the idea while The Greens say it will cause many to think twice about a GP visit.

Acting Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale said on Sunday it was a step towards a two-tiered US-style health system and away from universal healthcare.

Dr Con Costa, of the Doctors' Reform Society, believes a GP fee would make emergency departments busier.

"Introducing a $5 co-payment is false cost-savings," he said in a statement.

"People would stop seeing their GP, ending up sicker and going to hospital - which costs thousands of dollars a day versus the current $36 to see a GP bulk-billed."

It has been reported a co-payment plan aimed to help ease unnecessary trips to the doctor.

But Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Dr Steve Hambleton said the majority of visits to the GP were very "reasonable and helpful" with only a minority causing doctors to ask why they came.

A co-payment scheme was introduced under the Hawke government in the 1990s but was scrapped.

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WA's Taste Master reluctant to leave

JUMPING out of a plane was not as frightening as scaling the famously hair-raising Gloucester Tree in Western Australia's South West region, the man with one of the best jobs in the world says.

Rich Keam counts the 72-metre tree near Pemberton as the only challenge that's bested him in his enviable role as Tourism WA's "taste master" over the past four months.

The 35-year-old Englishman believes he scored the best of all seven gigs offered by Tourism Australia - including "chief funster" in NSW - as he's tasked with munching his way through WA's considerable culinary delights after beating more than 600,000 other applicants from around the world.

With about six weeks of his six-month contract remaining, he's yet to take in the temperate towns of Denmark, Albany and Esperance in the state's Great Southern region, and Geraldton in the Mid West.

But he's been dazzled by the Kimberley's rugged beauty, relished the South West - where he rubbed shoulders with top chefs such as Heston Blumenthal at the Margaret River Gourmet Escape - and taken the plunge from a tiny plane in the middle of Perth.

"I was absolutely terrified," Keam said of the tandem dive that landed him in the city's central Langley Park.

"I'm tall, so I had to stick my leg out onto the wheel and go head first down. That was surreal."

However, it wasn't as scary as trying to climbing 153 thin pegs to the top of the Gloucester Tree, a former fire lookout in the middle of Karri forest.

Keam twice made it about 15 metres up then declared: "I'm coming down!".

"My eyes were blurring, I got sweaty hands.

"I'd sooner jump out of a plane.

"If there was a harness, I'd do it, but that's the challenge, isn't it - to do it without a harness."

Keam said another top adventure was participating in the Kickstarters Gascoyne Dash, which starts in desert inland from Carnarvon.

The Brighton-based film costumer reached 220km in a souped-up buggy driven by WA's off-road racing champion Bradley Cooper, but it was the people he met in the fishing town that left the greatest impression.

"I just had a great time there," he said.

"There were really friendly people in Carnarvon - some real characters."

And after sampling boab tuber chutney, ants and pearl meat, Keam's gourmet highlight was at the Sal Salis luxury eco-camp on the Coral Coast at Ningaloo Reef, where he feasted on pork belly and mud crab salad.

"I was the only person there," Keam said.

"It was so peaceful and serene, looking out at the ocean, so I took two hours to eat it."

Keam says he'll miss WA - the ultimate self-drive holiday destination with its vast distances - and its family-friendly capital.

"I don't really want to leave.

"I'd like to stay here for a couple of years."

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