4 survivors found at Russia chopper crash

RUSSIAN rescue teams have found four survivors including a teenage boy after finally reaching the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in the nearly impassable taiga of eastern Siberia the day before.

Three people have already been evacuated from the crash site, spokesman for the emergencies ministry, Oleg Voronov, told AFP, adding the fourth survivor was a teenage boy who is believed to have a broken spine.

Voronov could not immediately identify the first three survivors, saying they could be the crew members.

A MI-8 helicopter carrying three crew members and 25 passengers including 11 children crashed on Tuesday in the northern Yakutia region when it was apparently pushed to the ground by a downward stream of air.

Aviation officials said, citing the survivors, that 19 people had died although the emergencies ministry is refusing to give casualty figures. Voronov said the search was continuing.

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Egypt security slaps travel ban on Morsi

EGYPTIAN security forces have imposed a travel ban on President Mohamed Morsi and several top Islamist allies over their involvement in a prison escape in 2011, security officials say.

Airport officials confirmed to AFP that they had received orders to prevent the leaders -- including Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood chief Mohammed Badie and his deputy Khairat al-Shater -- from travelling abroad.

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S.Africa's De Klerk out of hospital

SOUTH Africa's last apartheid president FW de Klerk has been discharged from hospital following an operation to have a pacemaker fitted, paying tribute to his ailing successor Nelson Mandela's legacy of reconciliation.

De Klerk, 77, who spent the night in a Cape Town hospital, fell ill after returning early from a European trip due to his fellow Nobel peace laureate's grave condition.

After leaving hospital he lauded Mandela's "philosophy of the necessity for reconciliation".

"I think his legacy will become much more alive again and it can only be good for South Africa," De Klerk told the eNCA news channel.

Mandela is spending a 26th day in hospital with a recurring lung infection.

De Klerk said he had felt light-headed while in London and visited his physician once home.

"It could have become much more serious," he told the broadcaster.

As the country's last apartheid ruler, De Klerk released Mandela after 27 years of apartheid prison in 1990 in a move that paved the way to multi-race democracy.

Mandela became president four years later and De Klerk served as one of his two deputies.

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N. Korea restores hotline with South

NORTH Korea has restored its hotline with South Korea and announced it would let the South's businessmen visit a shuttered joint industrial zone, Seoul officials say.

The move came hours after dozens of South Korean firms threatened to withdraw from the zone at Kaesong in the North, complaining they had fallen victim to political bickering between the two rivals.

"The hotline was restored this afternoon after North Korea accepted our request to normalise it," a South Korean unification ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

The move followed months of high tensions and threats by Pyongyang of nuclear war.

As tensions began easing last month, the North restored the hotline across the border truce village of Panmunjom for talks on setting up a high-level meeting to discuss the fate of the zone.

But the line was switched off again after plans for the talks collapsed due to disputes over protocol.

The Kaesong estate, where North Koreans work in Seoul-owned factories, was the most high-profile casualty of the months of elevated tensions that followed the North's nuclear test in February.

Operations at the complex just north of the border ground to a halt soon after the North banned entry by the South's factory managers and other officials on April 3.

About a week later Pyongyang pulled all its own workers out.

In an unexpected change of course on Wednesday, the North sent a message to the South saying South Korean businessmen and managers would be allowed to visit the complex.

It said the businessmen could take emergency steps to avert damage to facilities and materials during the rainy season, according to a unification ministry statement.

South Korean managers could have talks with their North Korean counterparts during their trip, it said.

The North's invitation sparked speculation that it may be ready for dialogue with the South.

But South Korea responded cautiously, saying it would review the proposal and convey its response later.

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NSW Labor placed under administration

THE NSW Labor Party has been placed under the administration of the ALP national executive in a bid to end corruption and limit union influence.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and NSW Labor boss Sam Dastyari secured the agreement, aimed at improving the party's image after damning revelations about former MPs' conduct came to light during hearings at the state's corruption watchdog.

News Ltd reports that Mr Dastyari will be handed absolute power by the Prime Minister and the national executive to begin the reforms.

They include a policy of zero-tolerance under which MPs will be expelled if they are investigated for corruption.

The administrative committee of NSW Labor is expected to be sacked.

Presently 80 per cent of the NSW administration is comprised of union officials.

This will be changed under the reforms and Mr Rudd and Mr Dastyari are seeking to have 50 per cent of the new administration made up from rank-and-file members.

"We need to not only clean it up, we need to look like we are cleaning it up," a senior NSW federal MP told News Ltd.

"It's a courageous and necessary move."

Under the move, property developers will be prohibited from seeking preselection for the party at state and federal levels, News Ltd reports.

Unions could be angered by the plan, but Mr Rudd told News Ltd he "had a gutful of this stuff,"

"Labor party members have had a gutful of this and so has the nation," he told News Ltd.

"It must now be fundamentally changed."

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Past decade hottest on record, says UN

THE 21st century's first decade was the hottest on record, with temperatures rising at an unprecedented pace and weather extremes claiming over 370,000 lives, the United Nations says.

In a new report on 2001-2010, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said land and sea temperatures averaged 14.47 degrees Celsius.

This compares with the long-term average of 14 C, as measured from weather records dating back to 1881.

"This is the warmest decade of this whole period," said WMO chief Michel Jarraud.

When measured globally, every year of the decade except 2008 was among the 10 warmest on record, the report showed.

"The increase between the 1990s and the past decade is the largest since we have instrumental records," Jarraud added.

In 2001-2010, the average global temperature jumped 0.21 degrees over the previous decade. By comparison, warming rose by 0.14 C in the 1990s over the 1980s.

Global warming is blamed on human activity such as industrial emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, chiefly carbon dioxide (CO2).

Sceptics, however, suggest temperatures should be even higher according to estimates based on CO2 levels and that global warming is therefore plateauing.

"There's no plateau. If you filter out the very short-term variability, the last decade was the warmest by a significant margin," Jarraud countered.

He backed suggestions that heat is being stored in the deep ocean, where it was bound to released in the future.

Based on surveys of 139 countries, the WMO report showed that nearly 94 per cent registered their warmest decade in 2001-2010, while 44 per cent reported nationwide temperature records during the period.

The first 10 years of the 21st century registered more than 370,000 deaths linked to weather extremes, up 20 per cent from the previous decade.

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Portugal govt on the brink, markets fall

PORTUGAL'S government is tottering close to collapse after two ministers quit over its bailout reforms, sparking cries of concern from European authorities as financial markets take fright.

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US police to charge brothers after kidnap

US police have interrogated three brothers Wednesday as grim details began to emerge about how three young Ohio women were kidnapped and held captive for 10 years in an unremarkable city home.

Cleveland police chief Michael McGrath said he expected the trio, a group of men in their fifties, to be charged later in the day after a crime that left many wondering how it could have gone undetected for so long.

"We have confirmation they were bound and there were chains and ropes in the hall," McGrath told NBC television's Today Show, near the home in a working class district of Cleveland from which the women were rescued on Monday.

"The investigative task force team, which is comprised of the FBI and Cleveland officers, has been interviewing the victims since last evening and they'll continue today," he said.

He said that until the interviews were complete it will not be possible to describe in detail how they were treated, and said he could not confirm reports that the captives had had multiple pregnancies.

McGrath said they had been allowed out of the house "very rarely."

"They were released out in the backyard once in a while I believe," he said, adding: "Their physical wellbeing was very good considering the circumstances."

"Currently, today, we are interviewing the suspects that were arrested here the night before last. They are talking," he said.

Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, were freed from a home on Cleveland's Seymour Avenue on Monday, around ten years after they had each disappeared in separate incidents.

The occupant of the home, a 52-year-old former school bus driver of Puerto Rican origin, Ariel Castro, has been detained, along with his brothers, Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50.

Neighbours have expressed shock that the young women -- long feared dead -- could have been held for so many years in an unassuming home belonging to a man who never raised any suspicions in the working class neighbourhood.

The three were rescued after one of the captives managed to alert a neighbour, who broke down the door to free her and the six-year-old daughter she apparently bore as a prisoner.

Police responding to a desperate 911 emergency call found two more women in the detached home with American and Puerto Rican flags on the porch.

Berry's grandmother Fern Gentry spoke to the once-missing teen by phone from Tennessee in a call broadcast by a local ABC News affiliate.

"I'm glad to have you back," Gentry said.

"I'm glad to be back," Berry said, in the first publicly released recording of her voice since the panicked 911 call after her escape.

"I thought you were gone," the grandmother said.

"Nope, I'm here."

Police confirmed that Berry has a six-year-old daughter, Jocelyn, apparently born while she was in captivity. A picture was released showing Berry smiling with her sister and daughter at the hospital.

Berry was last seen on April 21, 2003, when she left work at a fast food restaurant just a few blocks from her home.

DeJesus was 14 when she vanished while walking home from school on April 2, 2004. Knight, who was 20 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen at a cousin's house on August 23, 2002.

Some reports have begun to question how the police could have missed signs of the kidnapping for so long, but McGrath insisted that he was absolutely confident that his officers had not missed a chance for an earlier rescue.

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Bangladesh shuts 18 garment factories

BANGLADESH has shut down 18 garment plants in an attempt to prevent a repeat of last month's factory collapse outside Dhaka, where the death toll has passed 800, with rescuers pulling dozens more bodies from the rubble.

The announcement of the closures came days after Bangladesh agreed with the International Labour Organisation to give safety "the highest consideration" amid government fears that Western garment firms might start sourcing goods from other countries.

"Sixteen factories have been closed down in Dhaka and two in Chittagong," textile minister Abdul Latif Siddique told reporters in the capital, adding that more plants would be shut as part of strict new measures to ensure safety.

"We'll ensure ILO standards in terms of compliance," said Siddique, who heads a newly created high-powered panel to inspect the impoverished country's 4500 garment factories in an effort to avoid fresh disasters.

"We have seen that those who claim to be the best compliant factories in Bangladesh have not fully abided by building regulations."

The death toll from Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster hit 803 on Wednesday.

Brigadier General Siddiqul Alam Sikder told AFP the stench of bodies trapped in the lower floors and under beams indicated the toll would rise as cranes and bulldozers kept clearing debris.

"We're expecting to find some bodies because we still haven't reached the bottom. We've finished around 70 per cent of the job," Sikder said.

Workers drawn from the army and fire service wore masks to ward off the smell as they continued to pull bodies from the rubble of the nine-storey building in the town of Savar, a suburb of Dhaka.

More than 3,000 garment workers were on shift on April 24 when the nine-storey Rana Plaza complex crumbled as they were turning out clothing for Western retailers such as Britain's Primark and the Spanish label Mango.

A total of 2437 people were earlier rescued from the ruins, authorities say.

Efforts to identify bodies were being hampered by their decomposition, officials said, adding that relief workers were taking DNA samples from the victims to match with relatives.

Many bodies were found in the staircases. Panicked workers had raced to stairwells in a rush to get out of the building after hearing a loud noise but the compound collapsed within five minutes, trapping them, officials said.

The disaster was the latest in a string of deadly accidents to hit the nation's textile industry. Last November, a factory fire killed 111 garment workers.

A preliminary government investigation blamed the collapse on the vibrations of giant electricity generators. Police have arrested 12 people including the complex's owner and four garment factory owners in connection with the disaster.

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Bangladesh shuts 18 garment factories

BANGLADESH has shut down 18 garment plants in an attempt to prevent a repeat of last month's factory collapse outside Dhaka, where the death toll has passed 800, with rescuers pulling dozens more bodies from the rubble.

The announcement of the closures came days after Bangladesh agreed with the International Labour Organisation to give safety "the highest consideration" amid government fears that Western garment firms might start sourcing goods from other countries.

"Sixteen factories have been closed down in Dhaka and two in Chittagong," textile minister Abdul Latif Siddique told reporters in the capital, adding that more plants would be shut as part of strict new measures to ensure safety.

"We'll ensure ILO standards in terms of compliance," said Siddique, who heads a newly created high-powered panel to inspect the impoverished country's 4500 garment factories in an effort to avoid fresh disasters.

"We have seen that those who claim to be the best compliant factories in Bangladesh have not fully abided by building regulations."

The death toll from Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster hit 803 on Wednesday.

Brigadier General Siddiqul Alam Sikder told AFP the stench of bodies trapped in the lower floors and under beams indicated the toll would rise as cranes and bulldozers kept clearing debris.

"We're expecting to find some bodies because we still haven't reached the bottom. We've finished around 70 per cent of the job," Sikder said.

Workers drawn from the army and fire service wore masks to ward off the smell as they continued to pull bodies from the rubble of the nine-storey building in the town of Savar, a suburb of Dhaka.

More than 3,000 garment workers were on shift on April 24 when the nine-storey Rana Plaza complex crumbled as they were turning out clothing for Western retailers such as Britain's Primark and the Spanish label Mango.

A total of 2437 people were earlier rescued from the ruins, authorities say.

Efforts to identify bodies were being hampered by their decomposition, officials said, adding that relief workers were taking DNA samples from the victims to match with relatives.

Many bodies were found in the staircases. Panicked workers had raced to stairwells in a rush to get out of the building after hearing a loud noise but the compound collapsed within five minutes, trapping them, officials said.

The disaster was the latest in a string of deadly accidents to hit the nation's textile industry. Last November, a factory fire killed 111 garment workers.

A preliminary government investigation blamed the collapse on the vibrations of giant electricity generators. Police have arrested 12 people including the complex's owner and four garment factory owners in connection with the disaster.

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Dutch probe baby milk sales to China

THE Dutch government has ordered an investigation into persistent shortages of certain brands of baby formula, blamed on networks of traffickers who ship milk powder to China where it is sold at premium prices.

Deputy Economic Affairs Minister Sharon Dijksma ordered the Dutch Food and Consumer watchdog to probe a huge rise in demand for baby formula linked to so-called "baby milk runners", who bulk-buy powder in shops before sending it to China where it is resold to young parents fearful of local products.

"I want to gather information... over the bulk buying and trade in the Netherlands in order to inform Chinese authorities that they are getting batches of milk powder that do not conform to their regulations," Dijksma said in the statement.

There is growing concern in The Netherlands, one of Europe's leading diary producers, about a looming national shortage of infant formula, with local papers quoting shoppers saying at least two popular brands were almost impossible to find on shop shelves.

"Dutch consumers can still find baby formula, but it's getting harder and harder," Dutch Food Industry Federation (FNLI) director Philip den Ouden told AFP.

The FNLI and food retail representatives met on Monday to discuss the growing concern over shortages, saying a measure to merely restrict the number of tins of formula per customer was not enough.

Alarm bells over infant formula went off earlier this year when retailers saw a 50 per cent spike in sales figures from the last quarter of 2012, said Den Ouden.

"This was strange because the number of births in the Netherlands did not go up," he said.

An initial probe showed growing demand in China, largely driven by the memories of a 2008 scandal over Chinese formula tainted with the industrial chemical melamine, which left six children dead and affected more than 300,000 others.

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Dutch probe baby milk sales to China

THE Dutch government has ordered an investigation into persistent shortages of certain brands of baby formula, blamed on networks of traffickers who ship milk powder to China where it is sold at premium prices.

Deputy Economic Affairs Minister Sharon Dijksma ordered the Dutch Food and Consumer watchdog to probe a huge rise in demand for baby formula linked to so-called "baby milk runners", who bulk-buy powder in shops before sending it to China where it is resold to young parents fearful of local products.

"I want to gather information... over the bulk buying and trade in the Netherlands in order to inform Chinese authorities that they are getting batches of milk powder that do not conform to their regulations," Dijksma said in the statement.

There is growing concern in The Netherlands, one of Europe's leading diary producers, about a looming national shortage of infant formula, with local papers quoting shoppers saying at least two popular brands were almost impossible to find on shop shelves.

"Dutch consumers can still find baby formula, but it's getting harder and harder," Dutch Food Industry Federation (FNLI) director Philip den Ouden told AFP.

The FNLI and food retail representatives met on Monday to discuss the growing concern over shortages, saying a measure to merely restrict the number of tins of formula per customer was not enough.

Alarm bells over infant formula went off earlier this year when retailers saw a 50 per cent spike in sales figures from the last quarter of 2012, said Den Ouden.

"This was strange because the number of births in the Netherlands did not go up," he said.

An initial probe showed growing demand in China, largely driven by the memories of a 2008 scandal over Chinese formula tainted with the industrial chemical melamine, which left six children dead and affected more than 300,000 others.

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Syria internet 'restored' after blackout

SYRIA'S internet appears to have been restored after a two-day blackout, residents and state media say.

The blackout was blamed by state media on a technical fault, but activists and a watchdog accused the regime of deliberating cutting the connection to shield military operations.

In a breaking news alert, Syrian state television announced internet and communications were back up and running.

Landline phone services between Syrian provinces had also been down since Tuesday, state news agency SANA said.

US tech firms and the US State Department reported the blackout on Tuesday but did not specify any reasons for it. A similar blackout happened last November.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blackout appeared to be a deliberate cut to help regime forces carrying out military operations.

Syria is ranked 176 out of 179 countries in a worldwide press freedom index compiled by international press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

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Nine feared dead in Italy cargo ship crash

NINE people are feared dead after a container ship crashed in Italy's busiest port of Genoa, bringing down a 50-metre control tower in an accident that revived memories of last year's Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster.

The Jolly Nero ploughed into the dock in the night during a standard manoeuvre as it was being steered to exit the port on its way to Naples with a cargo of industrial vehicles and containers.

Some of the victims were thrown into the water, while others were trapped in the tower's lift, which plunged into the sea, emergency workers said.

"Seven people died, four were injured and two are missing," Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi told parliament after visiting the scene of the tragedy.

Earlier media reports that a 50-year-old man, a telephone operator, had been pulled alive from the rubble on Wednesday were not confirmed.

Lupi said there were three possible explanations for the accident: engine failure, a problem with cables used by the two tug boats towing the ship, or bad steering and excessively high speed.

Prosecutors have placed the ship's captain and a port pilot who had been on board during the manoeuvre under investigation for multiple manslaughter and have sequestered the ship.

Prosecutor Michele Di Lecce said investigators were also looking into a possible charge of "attack on transport security" since the control tower oversaw maritime operations for the entire Liguria region of northwest Italy.

"We do not exclude that other people could be placed under investigation," he said.

The Jolly Nero was following protocol by navigating towards the control tower and should have then turned into the open sea to its next port of call but it instead hit the shore.

The crash carried echoes of the Costa Concordia tragedy last year in which 32 people were killed when a luxury liner crashed into a Tuscan island.

The Costa Concordia had been performing a risky "salute" manoeuvre close to the island of Giglio and six people face charges of manslaughter including the captain, Francesco Schettino.

Initial reports suggested the Jolly Nero, built in 1976, had suffered a mechanical failure.

The company's fleet has been involved in a series of incidents around the world in recent years, including in South Africa and Egypt.

A report by Il Fatto Quotidiano daily said the company's ships had been tied to episodes of toxic waste trafficking in the past.

Rescue divers were still searching the inky waters around the port. Others were using dogs trained to find people in earthquake zones to see if any survivors might be trapped under the rubble.

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UK man loses Longley murder appeal

A YOUNG British man found guilty of murdering his aspiring New Zealand model girlfriend has lost his appeal against conviction.

Wealthy jeweller's son Elliot Turner, now 21, from Bournemouth was present in the dock at the Court of Appeal in London for Wednesday's ruling by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, sitting with Justice Royce and Justice Globe.

In May last year Turner was sentenced to life and ordered to serve at least 16 years before he can apply for parole after he was convicted by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of murdering 17-year-old Emily Longley.

After hearing argument on Turner's behalf and from a QC representing the prosecution, Lord Judge announced the court had decided to reject Turner's challenge.

He said the court had reached the "clear conclusion" that the appeal should be dismissed.

The court also threw out Turner's bid to have his sentence reduced.

The judges will give their reasons for their decision at a date to be announced.

A large number of Ms Longley's family were in court, including members who had travelled from their home in New Zealand.

During his trial Turner claimed that he acted in self-defence when Emily attacked him and he grabbed her by the throat for five or six seconds, then woke up to find her dead in his bed at his home.

The prosecution said Turner used a pillow to smother Emily and then strangled her after she went back to his house to talk things over following a violent argument that night.

When sentencing Turner, Justice Dobbs said he had "bullied, harassed, threatened and assaulted" Emily to control her as his "trophy" girlfriend.

Turner's QC Anthony Donne told the appeal judges: "The appeal against conviction centres on the use by the police of a covert listening device at the appellant's family home in Bournemouth following his release on police bail after his arrest on suspicion of the murder of his girlfriend Emily Longley on the night of 6/7 May 2011."

As well as hearing submissions on the safety of the conviction from Donne, the judges also heard argument from Timothy Mousley QC, opposing the appeal on behalf of the prosecution.

Justice Dobbs described Emily as a "lovely, kind, fun-loving girl who brought a ray of sunshine to those she touched".

The teenager had come from New Zealand to study at college just eight months before her death.

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Shooting zone needed in NSW parks: union

THE Australian Workers Union (AWU) is urging the NSW government to enforce a 10-kilometre shooting exclusion zone around the homes of employees who live and work in the state's national parks.

Recreational hunters will be allowed to hunt in national parks with bows and arrows and guns under a plan agreed to by the state government last year.

A survey of 365 national park workers reveals they have "deep fears" about the policy, AWU state secretary Russ Collison said.

He said nearly 100 employees live in national parks, prompting calls for an expanded exclusion zone.

"Unfortunately bullets don't stop at 1.5 kilometres, and can easily travel three to five kilometres. We can't have a situation where families are dodging bullets in their backyard," Mr Collison said.

The AWU survey also found 99 per cent of those polled want supervision and competency testing of shooters.

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US stocks open mixed

US stocks are mixed in opening trade after Tuesday's one per cent-plus gains, with trade tempered by Apple's fall in profits and a poor read on durable goods orders in March.

Five minutes into trade on Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 21.81 points (0.15 per cent) at 14,741.27.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 2.26 (0.14 per cent) to 1581.04, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index lost 1.64 (0.05 per cent) to 3267.69.

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Two days of Iraq violence claims 118 lives

TWO days of violence in Iraq have killed 118 people, 99 of them in clashes and attacks involving security forces, protesters and their supporters, officials say.

The violence also wounded 245 people, 194 of them in protest-related unrest, they said.

The trouble began early on Tuesday, when clashes broke out after security forces moved into an area near Hawijah in northern Iraq, where protests have been held since January.

The fighting killed 53 people, and a series of revenge attacks left another 27 dead. A further 15 were killed in apparently unrelated unrest, officials said.

On Wednesday, another 23 people died in violence, 19 of them in protest-related unrest.

Protesters have taken to the streets in Sunni-majority areas of Iraq for more than four months, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and decrying the alleged targeting of their minority community by the Shi'ite-led authorities.

The latest spate of violence is the worst protest-related unrest since the demonstrations began.

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S Africa's Tutu in hospital for infection

PEACE icon Desmond Tutu has checked into a South African hospital for non-surgical treatment and tests related to an ongoing infection.

"Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has checked into a Cape Town hospital for the treatment of a persistent infection and to undergo tests to discover the underlying cause," his foundation said in a statement.

A photograph of the 81-year-old showed him smiling at his office where he spent the morning before being admitted to the undisclosed hospital.

"He was in good spirits and full of praise for the care he receives from an exceptional team of doctors," said the statement from the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.

"The non-surgical treatment is expected to take five days."

Officially retired, Tutu is often referred to as South Africa's moral guide due to his outspokenness of wrongdoing at home and in the world.

Just under two weeks ago, he took part in a celebration to mark a recent award, getting up to dance, at the cathedral where he rallied against the apartheid state.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997 and underwent repeated treatments.

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Flash floods kill 11 in north Afghanistan

ELEVEN people are confirmed dead and three are missing after flash floods swept through part of northern Afghanistan, damaging almost a thousand homes.

The floods on Tuesday hit the Kishindih, Sholgara and Nahri Shai districts of Balkh province, said Munir Ahmad Farhad, a provincial government spokesman.

Eastern areas of the city of Mazar-e-Sharif were also hit but no one was hurt, Farhad told AFP.

"The floods have also damaged close to a thousand homes as well as hundreds of hectares of farmland," the spokesman said.

"We have sent delegations to the affected areas to assess the damage and casualties."

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Russia nabs gunman suspected of killing 6

A GUNMAN suspected of shooting six people dead in the western Russian city of Belgorod has been captured after a massive manhunt last more than 24 hours, police say.

Convicted criminal Sergei Pomazun, 31, was shown on television pinned down by police who found him trying to board a freight train in Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border, where the shootings took place.

"I didn't shoot children. I was shooting at hell," said the wild-eyed man lying face-down on the ground in handcuffs in a police video broadcast on Rossiya 1 channel.

He is believed to be the gunman who opened fire in a hunting store on Monday before going outside and shooting passersby in a central square, including two girls aged 14 and 16, who both died, before fleeing.

Pomazun stabbed a policeman during his capture late Tuesday. The police major was in intensive care in hospital with non-life-threatening wounds.

Investigators said that Pomazun took a hunting rifle belonging to his father which he used to shoot dead two staff and a customer in the hunting store.

He then took another gun from the store and shot at passersby who witnessed his getaway in his father's BMW.

Rossiya 24 television reported that Pomazun had carried out the shooting in apparent revenge after staff in the store earlier in the day had refused to sell him ammunition.

His parents had recently called police twice over their son's aggressive behaviour. He had several convictions and was last released from prison in 2012 after serving time for car theft.

His father had reportedly worked as a gamekeeper and Pomazun was familiar with guns. Izvestia daily reported that he killed his six victims with just six shots.

Around 2000 police, including riot police from Moscow, searched for the gunman in the city and the surrounding area, while townspeople piled flowers at the site of the murders.

Pomazun declined to give evidence to investigators. If convicted, he faces life in jail for mass murder.

AFP

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Russia's growth slows drastically

RUSSIA has reported a sharp slowdown in growth over the first three months of the year to 1.1 per cent from 4.9 per cent in the same period of 2012, amid growing alarm over the state of its economy amid a slew of poor data and falling oil prices.

Deputy Economy Minister Andrei Klepach said the estimate came in after downward revisions for the figures for January and February - a month in which the economy contracted by 0.4 per cent.

But he added that a stronger March helped Russia's overall performance in the first quarter.

"By our estimate, GDP grew in March by 2.3 per cent in annual terms, and we confirm our estimate of 1.1 per cent for the first quarter," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Klepach as saying.

The estimate was released a week after Russia slashed its 2013 growth forecast to 2.4 from 3.6 per cent due to a slowdown in both industrial output and consumer demand.

Klepach spoke at the same time as Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was delivering an economic performance review before the lower house of parliament.

Medvedev told deputies that Russia's slowdown was caused in large part by poor economic performance among its main trading partners abroad.

"The first months of the year show that the global trend toward slower growth remains in place," Medvedev said in a speech lasting nearly two hours. "There are serious risks here."

President Vladimir Putin - whose strong popularity ratings come from the prosperity brought by years of high prices for Russia's energy exports - himself admitted on Monday that the world economy was in "crisis".

He then instructed Medvedev to quickly assemble a meeting of ministers and Kremlin officials that could devise a strategy for pulling the country out of its economic malaise.

Medvedev said on Wednesday that the government already had a proper strategy in place.

"The government has its own vision of what must be done," he said.

"But these measures must be discussed in detail with the experts and the deputies."

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Vibrating fork to combat obesity on sale

AN electronic fork that vibrates when you eat too fast has gone on sale in the US, with its French inventors claiming it can help combat obesity and digestive issues.

Those who contribute at least $US89 ($A86) on the crowd funding website Kickstarter will get a HAPIfork, which comes in blue, green and pink, ahead of its planned general release to consumers in the United States and Europe later this year.

"While our product is still a prototype, we're thrilled by the global response so far," said Fabrice Boutain, founder of the product's California-based developer HAPILABS, in a statement.

"We believe this is affirmation of the growing consumer health awareness movement to gain better control of issues impacting weight and digestive issues as well as more serious issues such as diabetes and other chronic conditions."

First shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, the HAPIfork - the brainchild of French inventor Jacques Lepine - is based on research that suggests people living in a fast-paced world can lose weight by eating more slowly.

The gadget, which is dishwasher safe, includes LED warning lights, a USB connector and software for computers and smartphones enabling users to monitor their progress towards a healthier pace of eating.

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French executives in breast implant trial

FRANCE has launched one of its biggest-ever trials as five managers from company PIP faced charges of selling faulty breast implants that sparked a global health scare.

More than 5000 women registered as plaintiffs in the case, which sees the defendants, including PIP founder Jean-Claude Mas, charged with aggravated fraud for using industrial-grade silicone in implants.

An estimated 300,000 women in 65 countries are believed to have received the implants, which some health authorities say are twice as likely to rupture as other brands.

Up to 400 of the plaintiffs were on hand on Wednesday for the start of the trial, which has been moved to a congress centre in the southern city of Marseille to accommodate the hundreds of plaintiffs and lawyers attending.

The defendants face up to five years in prison and the trial is set to last until May 17.

Taking to the stand to declare his name and profession at the start of the trial, Mas was booed by the crowd, who hissed and shouted again when a defence lawyer stated that the accused had been "ruined" by the scandal.

Mas, who has always insisted there was no health risk from the implants, made no comment to journalists gathered outside the courtroom, but his lawyer Yves Haddad said he would expound on his actions in court.

News of the faulty implants in 2011 sparked fears worldwide, but health officials in various countries have said they are not toxic and do not increase the risk of breast cancer.

More than 4000 women have reported ruptures, and in France alone 15,000 have had the PIP implants replaced.

The others on trial with Mas are PIP's former general manager, Claude Couty, quality control director Hannelore Font, technical director Loic Gossart and product director Thierry Brinon.

Some of the defendants, including Mas, have also been charged in separate and ongoing manslaughter and financial fraud investigations into the scandal.

The manslaughter probe is related to the 2010 death from cancer of a woman who was fitted with the implants.

The hearings were adjourned until Thursday morning, with the court expected to continuing hearing procedural motions until at least Friday.

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Undisclosed glitch disrupts Google Mail

GOOGLE has suffered disruptions on several of its cloud-based services including Google Mail for about two hours for reasons that were not disclosed.

The apps status dashboard of the world's most popular search engine indicated "service disruptions" for Google Mail, Google Drive, Google Documents, Google Spreadsheets and Google Presentations.

It also reported a total "service outage" for its "admin control panel / API" used by administrators of Google Apps domains.

By 11.30am on Wednesday (1530 GMT) however, the dashboard indicated that all services were back in full service.

There was no explanation for the outage, but Google said "less than 0.007 per cent" of its Google Mail user base was affected.

"We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support," it said.

"Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better."

Cloud-based computing services - in which email, documents and other data from many different sources are filed and accessed from a single shared server via the internet - is growing.

Last year, Google said its Gmail service has more than 425 million users, and that 500 million businesses use its various Google Apps.

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Obama letter had suspicious substance

A LETTER addressed to President Barack Obama containing a "suspicious" substance has been intercepted at a mail screening facility outside the White House, the US Secret Service says.

The letter was discovered at the remote facility which is used to screen White House mail on Tuesday, the same day authorities said a letter was sent to Senator Roger Wicker which was laced with ricin, a deadly poison.

Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said the agency, which protects the president and his family, was working closely with the US Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to trace the origins of the letter.

The discovery of the letters rattled nerves following the bomb attacks near the finish line at the Boston Marathon on Monday, which killed three people and injured more than 180 others, though it was not clear if the incidents were linked.

The episode also recalled the mysterious series of letters laced with anthrax that were sent to MPs and some journalists following the September 11 attacks in 2001, which killed five people and sickened 17 others.

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EU mulls easing Syria oil embargo

THE European Union is considering a case-by-case easing of its oil embargo against Syria in order to help the opposition, diplomatic sources say.

A decision, which would be formally agreed by EU foreign ministers at talks next Monday in Luxembourg, would enable EU companies to import oil on a case-by-case basis from areas under opposition control, the sources said.

It would also allow a resumption of EU investments and export of equipment intended for the oil and gas sector.

The 27-nation bloc slapped a ban on investments in Syrian oil in September 2011 followed by a ban on imports of oil in December.

Syria's largest oil reserves are in Deir Ezzor in the east of the country.

Syria's production of some 420,000 of barrels of oil a day has been sliced in half since the United States and the European Union banned the import of Syrian petroleum.

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France unveils plan to reach 2014 deficit

FRANCE has presented a plan to get its public deficit back under the EU limit by 2014, having decided to let debt grow further as it tries to jumpstart a sputtering economy.

The plan to bring the deficit below 3.0 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) is based on a broad effort that includes higher taxes along with savings within the social security system.

The "stability program" was released by the finance ministry and based on what the government termed a "realistic" economic growth forecast of 0.1 per cent this year and 1.2 per cent in 2014, which it maintained would allow the public deficit to be cut to 2.9 per cent of output next year.

"What I want is fiscal sobriety - essential for debt reduction in the medium term but also for growth without which there won't be deficit reduction," President Francois Hollande said in a speech.

The growth forecasts have been questioned however both by the International Monetary Fund and a new independent French high council for public finances, with the IMF forecasting on Tuesday that the French economy would contract by 0.1 per cent this year before expanding by a slight 0.3 per cent in 2014.

France was initially to have cut the deficit to 3.0 per cent of GDP already this year, but has asked for more time owing to weak growth which has pushed the estimated 2013 public deficit figure up to 3.7 per cent, compared with 4.8 per cent in 2012.

Under EU rules, eurozone members are expected to run public deficits of no more than 3.0 per cent of GDP, and are supposed to work towards a balance, or even a surplus in times of economic growth.

Without an EU extension, France could trigger procedures that might result in sanctions.

The government is now pledging to bring the public deficit down to 2.9 per cent next year, with Hollande having ruled out making more sharp spending cuts to reach the target this year.

Under the program, public debt is expected to reach a record peak of 94.3 per cent of GDP in 2014 before beginning to decline a year later than initially planned.

The European Commission, which will vet the plan once French MPs have approved it, said it would take a close look at new commitments by the French government.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: "We wish France success because France is key to the eurozone as a whole."

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France acquits mum over son's Jihad shirt

A COURT in southern France has acquitted a mother on trial for dressing her three-year-old son in a T-shirt reading "I am a bomb" and "Jihad, Born on September 11."

Bouchra Bagour, 35, was on trial in Avignon on charges of defending terrorism after sending her boy, named Jihad, to his school in the town of Sorgues wearing the T-shirt.

Bagour and her 29-year-old brother Zeyad, who was also charged and acquitted, had faced up to five years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros ($A56,520) if convicted.

The court ruled on Wednesday that prosecutors had not proven that the defence of terrorism was "unequivocal", as required by the law.

"I am delighted, it was a discerning and legally justified decision that should put an end to this unfortunate affair," said Gaele Guenoun, the lawyer for Bagour, who was not present for the ruling.

Bagour had admitted to the court that sending her child to school wearing the T-shirt had been "tactless" but insisted it was not meant as a provocation.

She said she simply wanted to make note of her son's birthday on September 11 and did not intend to reference the 9/11 attacks in the United States in 2001.

Her brother, who had also faced charges for having bought Jihad the T-shirt, said after the ruling that he was "happy" and "relieved".

Sorgues Mayor Thierry Lagneau, who had expressed outrage at the incident, said the court ruling did not reflect the wishes of the local community.

"I have the feeling that the law does not reflect reality as it is seen by citizens," he said, adding that the ruling "gives the impression that everything is allowed."

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UK PM leads parliament tribute to Thatcher

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron has led parliament in a special session of tributes to Margaret Thatcher, describing the divisive former leader as an "extraordinary" woman who had revived the country's fortunes.

The Iron Lady's harshest critics stayed away in a sign of her bitterly disputed legacy, but the Houses of Commons and Lords were mostly packed full of MPs recalled from their holidays after Thatcher died on Monday aged 87.

"Let this be her epitaph, that she made this country great again," intoned Cameron, a fellow Conservative.

Hailing her as an "extraordinary leader - and an extraordinary woman", Cameron said Thatcher was also renowned internationally for helping defeat communism during the 1980s and ending the Cold War.

"Today, in different corners of the world, there are millions of people who know that they owe their freedom, in part, to Margaret Thatcher," Cameron said.

Supporters say Thatcher's free-market reforms made Britain stronger and hail her leadership during the Falklands War with Argentina, while critics complain her economic policies and battles with the trade unions destroyed millions of lives.

But opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband acknowledged her impact on Britain.

"Whatever your view of her, Margaret Thatcher was a unique and towering figure," he said in answer to Cameron's comments.

Thatcher's son Mark said his twin sister Carol and the rest of their family had been "overwhelmed" by messages of support they had received from around the globe. Their mother died at London's Ritz Hotel after a stroke.

Mark said that Thatcher would have been "greatly honoured" by Queen Elizabeth II's decision to attend her funeral next Wednesday, a rare honour from the monarch only accorded to Winston Churchill.

The ceremony will be held at St Paul's Cathedral in London, where British armed forces personnel from units associated with the Falklands conflict will bear her coffin. A total of 700 military personnel will be involved.

Cameron said her casket would also be draped with the British flag as it was transported on a gun carriage to the cathedral, saying: "This will be a fitting salute to a great prime minister."

The parliamentary session was largely respectful but several of her biggest critics boycotted the debates.

"Her impact and influence is indisputable, but her legacy is too bitter to warrant this claim to national mourning," said one Labour lawmaker who stayed away, John Healey.

Firebrand left-wing lawmaker George Galloway also said he would stay away from what he derided as a "state-organised eulogy".

Security for the funeral is likely to be extremely tight with fears of disruption by Irish republican dissidents and far-left groups. Police are also reportedly bracing for a possible "lone wolf" attack.

Concerns about potential violence rose after trouble erupted at several street parties celebrating her death on Monday night in London, Liverpool, Bristol and Glasgow.

Many world figures are expected to attend Thatcher's funeral, although a spokesman for former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said he would not be among them because his health was too frail.

Former Labour prime minister Tony Blair and his wife were among the first confirmed guests to the ceremony, which will be followed by a private cremation.

Thatcher's ashes will be laid next to those of her husband Denis, who died in 2003, at the Royal Chelsea Hospital.

Mark Thatcher was out of the country when his mother died, as was his sister, but he returned overnight to the family's plush central London townhouse, where well-wishers had left flowers and tributes.

"We have quite simply been overwhelmed by messages of support, condolence, of every type from far and wide and I know that my mother would be pleased they have come from people of all walks of life," the 59-year-old told reporters.

Several Conservative MPs have called for Thatcher to receive a full state funeral but her spokesman Lord Tim Bell said Thatcher had specifically asked not to have one.

The government dismissed criticism over the cost of the ceremony, which is less ostentatious than the state funeral given to Churchill but is the same honour afforded to the Queen Mother and Princess Diana.

"I think we can afford to contribute to a funeral," Foreign Secretary William Hague told the BBC.

Thatcher and her policies, dubbed "Thatcherism", remain as divisive now as they were during her premiership from 1979 to 1990.

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US growth to pick up 3.2% in 2014: Obama

PRESIDENT Barack Obama's fiscal 2014 budget sees US economic growth picking up to 3.2 per cent next year from 2.3 per cent this year.

The $US3.77 trillion ($A3.61 trillion) proposed budget, released on Wednesday, also assumes unemployment will average 7.2 per cent next year, down from the current 7.6 per cent.

The budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1 foresees the US deficit falling to $US744 billion, compared to a projected shortfall of $US973 billion in the current year.

That would bring the country's deficit down to 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product from 6.0 per cent this year.

Government spending was projected to rise just 2.5 per cent in 2014 - slightly more than the projected inflation rate of 2.2 per cent - as pressure remains on the White House to curtail spending.

Nevertheless, Republicans in Congress are expected to reject the proposal and push for more cuts in disbursements.

"We don't view this budget as a starting point. This is an offer where the president came more than half way towards the Republicans in an attempt to get a fiscal deal," said a senior White House official.

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Dane cleared of crimes due to 'sexsomnia'

A DANISH man has been acquitted of molesting two 17-year-old girls after he was found to suffer from a rare sleep disorder known as "sexsomnia".

The Glostrup court said Wednesday that the man fondled the teenagers while sleeping in his suburban Copenhagen apartment after a party in 2011.

The girls awoke and interrupted the man, and later reported him to police.

But the court cleared the 31-year-old of sex crimes charges, saying medical tests show he suffers from "sexsomnia" in which a person engages in sexual activity while asleep.

Michael Laub, a Danish sleep specialist who wasn't involved in the case, said it's a rare but widely recognised sleep disorder.

The defendant said he had no recollection of what happened.

Prosecutor Martin von Buelow said he wouldn't appeal the ruling.

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European stocks close sharply higher

EUROPE'S main stock markets closed sharply higher on Wednesday, with London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies gaining 1.17 per cent to 6,387.37 points.

In Frankfurt, the DAX 30 jumped 2.27 per cent to 7,810.63 points, in Paris the CAC 40 rose 1.99 per cent to 3,743.71 points, while in Milan the FTSE-Mib soared 3.19 per cent and Madrid's IBEX 35 rose 3.35 per cent.

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Google expands superfast internet in US

WHILE Australians debate the merits of faster broadband, Google is extending its "super-fast" service to Texas.

Google Fiber debuted in Kansas City and in November began providing users there with internet service that moves data at a blazing gigabyte per second.

That's about 100 times faster than the speed provided by typical broadband connections in the US.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Labor's planned $44 billion national broadband network (NBN) aims to offer speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps).

The coalition plans a $29.5 billion NBN with speeds of 25 Mbps.

In the US, Google plans to extend its "gigabit" experimental internet service to Austin, the Texas state capital and a hotbed for internet entrepreneurs, by the middle of next year, says vice president of access services Milo Medin.

"It's a mecca for creativity and entrepreneurialism, with thriving artistic and tech communities, as well as the University of Texas and its new medical research hospital," Medin said of Austin.

"We're sure these folks will do amazing things with gigabit access."

The announcement was greeted immediately with a challenge from telecom giant AT&T, which said it would offer a similar service if it gets the same access as Google.

"When the startup community hears about Google Fiber coming to Austin there may be celebration in the streets," said Eugene Sepulveda, chief executive of the Entrepreneurs Foundation in that city.

Google says pricing details for the service are being worked out but are expected to be on par with those in Kansas City, where gigabyte-speed service is available for a monthly fee of $US70 ($A67).

Slower Google Fiber connection to the internet is made available free, after a one-time "construction fee" of $US300.

Consumers also will have an option to pay $US120 monthly for superfast internet combined with Google TV service that syncs with notebooks, smartphones or tablets powered by Android software backed by the California technology titan.

Google will hook schools, hospitals, community centres and other public facilities to Fiber for free, according to Medin.

"I don't think, probably, any Austinite can tell you what Google Fiber will mean to Austin a year from now, and that is really the cool part," Texas state Senator Kirk Watson said in a video posted at Google's blog.

Aspiring tech tycoons, their potential financiers, plus indie film-makers and musicians of all generations and genres flock by the thousands to Austin each year for a pop culture jamboree known as SXSW.

AT&T responded to the challenge from Google by announcing that it is prepared to build an advanced fibre optic network in Austin, provided it gets the same deal as Google did from local officials.

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New horsemeat scandal in the Netherlands

THE Netherlands' food watchdog had asked hundreds of companies across Europe, supplied by a Dutch wholesaler suspected of mixing beef and horsemeat, to check 50,000 tonnes of suspect meat.

The organisation sent a letter to 130 Dutch companies who were supplied with possible horse-contaminated beef from the Selten company asking them to "take it off the market as a precautionary measure" and "verify all products".

About 370 companies across Europe could also be affected, the organisation said.

"The companies have possibly already processed the meat and sold it," the government's NVWA food and consumer watchdog said in a statement.

"We estimate it's about 50,000 tonnes of meat," it added.

NVWA spokeswoman Esther Filon told AFP the meat was supplied between January 2011 and February 2013 across Europe, meaning that much of it has already been consumed.

The companies have two weeks to report back to the NVWA, who has also informed health authorities in France, Germany and Spain.

Dutch officials in February raided the Selten meat processing plant in the south of the Netherlands on suspicion that it was mixing horsemeat with beef and selling it as pure beef.

Since the problem was first discovered in Ireland in January, governments have scrambled to figure out how and where the mislabelling of meat happened in the sprawling chain of production spanning abattoirs and meat suppliers across Europe.

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Defence company to shed 450 Aust jobs

ONE of Australia's largest defence companies, BAE Systems, will make more than 400 workers redundant as it reels from the loss of defence contracts.

The Australian arm of the global defence company has revealed the loss of a maintenance contract will affect about 450 staff, according to the Australian newspaper.

The Land Material Maintenance contract, which is expected to be awarded to Transfield from July 1, is for the maintenance of Defence's land-based equipment such as military vehicles.

A BAE spokeswoman said on Wednesday the maintenance services elements of their contracts employ around 450 people, and the company is working closely with those affected to "support their transition".

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Spain princess suspect in corruption case

A SPANISH judge has named King Juan Carlos's daughter Princess Cristina as a suspect in a corruption case, dealing a spectacular blow to the prestige of the royal family.

It is first time a member of the Spanish royal family has been called to appear in a court of law on suspicion of wrongdoing.

The 47-year-old princess must testify as a suspect on April 27 at the court in Palma on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, said a written ruling by the judge, Jose Castro.

"The royal household does not comment in any way on judicial decisions," a spokesman for the royal family told AFP on Wednesday.

The case, which was opened at the end of 2011, is centred on allegations of embezzlement and influence peddling against her husband, former Olympic handball player Inaki Urdangarin, and his former business partner Diego Torres.

The pair are suspected of syphoning off money paid by regional governments to stage sports and tourism events to the non-profit Noos Institute, which Urdangarin chaired from 2004 to 2006.

The princess - the seventh in line to the Spanish throne - had seemed set to avoid being snared by the case.

But the judge said evidence, including emails provided to the court by her husband's former business partner, raised doubts that she really was unaware of the business operations of Noos.

Closing the case without hearing the princess, who was a member of the Noos board, would "discredit the maxim that justice is equal for all", he said.

The princess is accused of allowing the lustre of her royal connections to be used by the Noos institute.

Urdangarin, who has not been charged with any crime and maintains his innocence, had sought to distance his wife and the rest of the royals from his business dealings.

But Torres provided the judge with emails, which were leaked to the press, appearing to show that Urdangarin regularly consulted his wife about Noos affairs.

Cristina's personal secretary, Carlos Garcia Revenga, also was questioned by the judge after Torres submitted another batch of emails that suggested he was actively involved in the Noos Institute's dealings.

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French government hit by tax fraud scandal

FRANCE'S Socialist government is reeling from an explosive tax fraud scandal as critics question how much President Francois Hollande knew about a former budget minister's secret foreign bank account.

Jerome Cahuzac - the minister responsible for cracking down on tax evasion until he resigned two weeks ago - was charged on Tuesday with "laundering the proceeds of tax fraud" after he admitted to having a foreign bank account containing some 600,000 euros ($A742,000), following weeks of denials.

Hollande appeared on national television on Wednesday to address the scandal, vowing a new law within weeks on the "publication and control" of the wealth of ministers and parliamentarians.

Hollande said he knew nothing of the foreign account and that Cahuzac "did not benefit from any protection" from the government.

"He deceived the highest authorities in the country: the head of state, the head of the government, parliament, and through them all the French people," Hollande said.

The president had been quick to condemn Cahuzac's actions, but critics have pounced on the scandal, saying top officials must have been either lying to protect the ex-minister or naive enough to believe him.

The head of the main opposition right-wing UMP party, Jean-Francois Cope, has demanded Hollande explain the scandal to the French public.

Cope said the president either "knew nothing, and that's extremely serious because it means he showed a certain amount of naivete" or "he knew and that means he lied to the French people".

"Who can believe that Francois Hollande and (Prime Minister) Jean-Marc Ayrault were aware of nothing?" Cope asked on Europe 1 radio. "They must explain themselves more deeply before the French people."

Opposition lawmakers have called for a parliamentary probe into the scandal and for the resignation of Cahuzac's former boss, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front, said the entire government should resign and new parliamentary elections held.

Cahuzac announced his resignation on March 19 after prosecutors opened a probe into the account, first revealed by the investigative Mediapart news website in December. He met with investigators on Tuesday and admitted to having had the foreign account for around 20 years.

His lawyer said the account, originally opened in Switzerland, had been transferred to Singapore and that the amount laundered was equivalent to about 30,000 euros ($A37,000).

If convicted, Cahuzac faces up to five years in prison and a potential fine of up to 375,000 euros.

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Taliban kill 44 in attack on Afghan court

TALIBAN militants have stormed an Afghan court, killing at least 44 people in a bid to free insurgents standing trial in the deadliest attack for more than a year.

It was not immediately clear whether the accused men had escaped the court complex in the western town of Farah, although a hospital doctor said one prisoner was among those being treated for injuries.

The multiple bomb and gun assault will raise further questions about the Afghans' ability to secure the country as NATO winds down its combat mission in the war-torn country by the end of next year.

"I can confirm that 34 civilians, six army and four policemen have been killed and 91 people, the majority of them civilians, have been injured," Najib Danish, interior ministry deputy spokesman, told AFP.

"Nine attackers have also been killed."

The death toll was the highest in Afghanistan from a single attack since a Shiite Muslim shrine was bombed in Kabul in December 2011, killing 80 people.

"The attack is over, but the casualties have unfortunately risen," Farah provincial governor Mohammad Akram Khpalwak told AFP, putting the final death toll as high as 46.

"In total, 34 civilians and 12 (Afghan) security forces have been killed in the attack. We have also discovered the bodies of eight attackers, more than 100 people have also been injured."

The governor added a group of Taliban had been brought for trial Wednesday, without giving further details.

Taliban militants fighting the US-backed central government claimed responsibility.

"Our fighters attacked several government buildings in Farah according to their planned tactic. They conducted the attack with small arms and grenades," the group said on its website.

"The fighting happened after information that (President Hamid) Karzai's administration wanted to try several fighters in a cruel way in this court."

Taliban fighters frequently target government compounds equipped with suicide vests, rockets and machine-guns.

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Another death in China from new bird flu

A MAN in the Chinese province of Zhejiang has died of the H7N9 strain of bird flu, state media says, bringing the total deaths attributed to the virus to three since the first human cases.

He was one of two H7N9 avian influenza infections reported in Zhejiang in eastern China, the official Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday, citing local authorities, bringing the country's total number of cases to nine.

Chinese authorities are trying to determine how exactly the new variety of bird flu infected people, but say there is no evidence yet of human-to-human transmission.

The latest fatality was a 38-year-old man who worked as a chef, media website Zhejiang Online said. The province's other case was a 67-year-old retiree who was being treated in hospital.

Two other deaths have been reported, both in China's commercial hub of Shanghai. Other cases have occurred in the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui, the government has said.

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said the number of cases of the infection looks set to climb, but a pandemic is not on the cards.

"Given the fact that we've seen seven confirmed cases, plus there are reports of other cases, it would not be surprising to see additional cases," said Gregory Hartl, spokesman of the WHO's influenza and epidemics division.

"But these would be additional cases, one by one. We have no evidence so far of human-to-human transmission, and without human-to-human transmission, the likelihood or risk of pandemic is low," he told reporters.

"We're a long way away from thinking about a pandemic," he added.

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Flooding in Argentina kills 25

AT least 25 people have died in flooding in the Argentine city of La Plata as torrential rain hit the region.

The deaths raised the number of people killed this week to 33 following record heavy rain in Argentina.

A powerful storm that earlier pummelled Buenos Aires slammed La Plata, located 63km south of the Argentine capital, overnight Tuesday to Wednesday.

"The bodies began to appear as the water subsided," said Governor Daniel Scioli, who announced the death toll.

A record 40cm of rain fell on La Plata in a two-hour period, officials said, knocking out phone lines and leaving people in the dark.

Some 2200 people fled the city because of heavy rain, and many of those who remained were forced to scramble to rooftops for safety.

The heavy rain turned many city streets into rivers. In parts of the downtown area water was reported to be 1.6m deep.

"This has never happened in La Plata," said Argentine Security Minister Sergio Berni.

"There are people on rooftops, in trees waiting for us to rescue them," he said, adding that firefighters, civil defence workers, police and soldiers have been deployed to the area to help in rescue operations.

A senior city official in La Plata, Santiago Martorelli, told local television that the flooding was a "catastrophe". He added that schools and local government were closed for Wednesday.

La Plata, population 895,000, is the administrative centre of the province where Buenos Aires is located.

Eight people were killed on Tuesday when the same powerful storm system battered the Argentine capital and its suburbs, knocking out power lines and downing trees.

More than 15cm of rain fell between midnight Monday and early Tuesday, the Buenos Aires weather service said, setting an April record.

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European stocks drop on downbeat US data

EUROPE'S main stock markets has slumped, with London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies giving up 1.08 per cent to 6,420.28 points.

In Frankfurt, the DAX 30 fell by 0.87 per cent to 7,874.75 points on Wednesday, while in Paris the CAC 40 lost 1.32 per cent to 3,754.96 points.

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US top court tackles law on gay marriage

THE US Supreme Court is tackling same-sex unions for a second day, hearing arguments for and against the 1996 US law defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

After the nine justices mulled arguments on a California law outlawing gay marriage on Tuesday, they took up a challenge to the constitutionality of the federal Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA).

The 1996 law prevents couples who have tied the knot in nine states - where same-sex marriage is legal - from enjoying the same federal rights as heterosexual couples.

The plaintiff is Edie Windsor, 83, who was ordered to pay federal inheritance taxes of $US363,000 ($A347,750) following the 2009 death of Thea Spyer, her partner of more than 40 years. The couple had married in Canada in 2007.

The surviving half of a heterosexual couple would not have faced the same tax demand. Windsor is challenging Section 3 of DOMA on the grounds it is discriminatory because it defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Up to 800 people gathered outside the court on Wednesday, with a majority shouting slogans and carrying placards in support of marriage equality. On the opposing side, a poster read: "God hates gay marriage."

President Barack Obama's administration had opposed Windsor's bid to repeal Section 3 as it progressed through the lower courts, where the legislation was twice ruled as unconstitutional.

But the White House has since switched sides. Now it is calling for the law to be overturned, leaving DOMA to be defended by a group of Republican mPs, along with a coalition of religious and conservative groups.

"The case is pretty simple. It's about discrimination," said James Esseks, one of Windsor's lawyers.

"It doesn't make sense in America for a federal government to treat two different people, married under the same state law, different ways. That is unfair, it is un-American and it should be unconstitutional."

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Flat year for US music industry: survey

US music industry sales held nearly steady in 2012 as gains from digital subscription services offset further declines in physical disc sales, an industry survey showed on Wednesday.

Overall recorded music sales revenues for 2012 were $US7.1 billion ($A6.80 billion), down 0.9 per cent, after a slight increase in 2011, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America.

The RIAA report showed revenues from digital formats rose 14 per cent to $4 billion, making up 59 per cent of sales. Digital sales crossed the 50 per cent threshold for the first time in 2011.

Most of the digital growth was from "access models," where users listen from large libraries of music rather than purchasing individual songs or albums.

These include services such as Rhapsody and paid versions of Spotify, as well as online radio services like Pandora.

Digital download revenues, including albums, single tracks, videos, and kiosk sales rose 8.6 per cent to $2.9 billion in 2012, RIAA said.

Physical sales of compact discs and other formats meanwhile slumped 16.5 per cent to $2.8 billion in 2012, with shipment volumes down 11.7 per cent.

The report was less upbeat than a survey released last month by the London-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which showed overall music sales up 0.3 per cent at $16.5 billion, the first increase since 1999.

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Jeep Cherokee takes a radical new turn

THE Jeep Cherokee is back, with a surprising design that could win some new buyers but lose some old fans.

The 2014 Cherokee midsize SUV makes its debut on Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show. The remake is so radical that observers might not realise it's a Jeep.

The new Cherokee ditches Jeep's traditional boxy look for a more aerodynamic style. It replaces the brand's signature round headlights with sharply angled slits. The interior is plush and full of luxury options like automatic parallel parking. Even Jeep's seven-slat grille didn't go untouched - it's much smaller and creased in the middle to fold over the Cherokee's nose.

It's a look more reminiscent of a Honda CR-V than the model it replaces - the Liberty - and past Cherokees that helped establish Jeep as a symbol of toughness and off-road adventure.

All this isn't sitting well with some Jeep fans, who say the 72-year-old brand is straying too far from its rugged, utilitarian roots. They bemoan the new styling and softer ride, saying it's more suited for a trip to the mall than the Rubicon trail.

"It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen on the road and to put a Jeep badge on it, let alone call it a Cherokee, is an insult to the name and heritage that Jeep has always delivered," says Micah Myers, a longtime Jeep fan who drives a 13-year-old Cherokee.

Chrysler Group, Jeep's parent, acknowledges that the design is polarising. But Jeep needs to win back the suburbanites who have spent the last decade defecting to a newer batch of car-like, fuel-efficient competitors like the Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota RAV4. The new Cherokee goes on sale this fall.

In 2002, after Jeep replaced the aging Cherokee with the cheaper, smaller Liberty, a record 171,212 were sold in the US, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. Last year that fell to 75,482. The CR-V outsold the Liberty by more than three to one.

"They need to do something different, and that kind of vehicle is something different altogether," says Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst at the car-buying site Edmunds.com. "They have to stretch that brand."

Jeep - and other carmakers - are also under pressure to meet increasing US fuel economy requirements. That explains the aerodynamic style and the new nine-speed transmission under the hood.

Finally, Jeep needs the SUV to appeal to customers around the world, not just adventurous types. The Cherokee will be built in Toledo, Ohio, but exported to more than 150 countries, including China.

"We wanted a design that is fluid and efficient yet still rugged and looks at home on the trail or at the Theater," said Mark Allen, Jeep's design chief.

The Cherokee first went on sale in 1974, when Jeep was still owned by American Motors Corp. In 1984, American Motors released a new Cherokee that was smaller, narrower and lighter than the original, essentially inventing the sport utility vehicle. Sales soared. More than 100,000 Cherokees were sold each year between 1986 and 2001. Off-roaders were big fans because of the Cherokee's capability.

In 2001, Jeep's new owner, Chrysler, revamped the SUV again. It changed the name to Liberty, which tested better in focus groups and helped attract new buyers. The Liberty initially sold well, but then struggled as the midsize SUV market got more crowded and Chrysler - which went through bankruptcy in 2009 - invested little money in it.

Krebs says bringing back the Cherokee name makes sense, since it fits neatly under its larger sibling, the Grand Cherokee SUV. It will also save Chrysler money, since the vehicle has always kept the Cherokee name in international markets.

But purists complain that the plush new model is nothing like Cherokees of old. For one thing, it shares a car underbody with Chrysler's Italian partner, Fiat SpA, instead of a platform designed for off-roading. Nearly 900 fans have already "liked" a Facebook petition asking Chrysler not to call the new SUV a Cherokee.

David Silecchia, who has owned three Cherokee XJs from 1988, 1998 and 2000, thinks the 2014 Cherokee will sell, but not to rock-climbing adventurers like him.

"Jeep now seems to want to appeal to the people who go to the mall, throw a bunch of shopping bags in the back, drive home and read a book," said Silecchia, a student and information technology worker in Georgia. "The 2014 Cherokee is a nice vehicle, don't get me wrong, but not a suitable "rebirth" of the Cherokee name."

Chrysler insists that the new Cherokee can capably tackle rough terrain. It has more low-gear power for towing and climbing steep grades than the 2001 Cherokee. At 184 horsepower, the base, four-cylinder engine is slightly less powerful than the 2001 Cherokee's base V6, but it's much more efficient. The new Cherokee also offers a 271-horsepower V6. The new Cherokee can tow up to 2041 kilograms, which is more than any other vehicle its size but about 226 kilograms less than the 2001 version.

A Trailhawk edition of the new Cherokee carries Jeep's "trail rated" badge, which means it can handle a series of challenging off-road conditions, including fording water.

Dave Sullivan, an analyst with the consulting firm AutoPacific, says the higher-priced, fully-loaded versions of the Cherokee should be very capable. But he thinks the drastic redesign will cost Jeep some loyalists.

Jeep, like Toyota, has been successful partly because its design changes are usually subtle, Sullivan says. The two-door Jeep Wrangler, for instance, has changed little since it went on sale in 1987, but it's by far the best-selling small SUV in the US.

"This is not an edgy brand. It should not be about spending money on outrageous design," he said. "It's all about the off-road design and capability."

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BMW unveils new diesel 3-Series sedan

BMW is giving fans of its 3-Series more room and better petrol mileage in two important variations of the small luxury sports sedan that it's rolling out at the New York International Auto Show this week.

On Wednesday, the German carmaker will formally unveil a new 3 Series Gran Turismo, which has a bigger distance between the front and rear wheels to create more rear-seat legroom and cargo space in the trunk. The company also will unveil the 328d in the US, a 3-Series equipped with a diesel engine that should get more than 17 kilometres per litre on the highway.

The 3-Series is the top-selling luxury car in the US. BMW sold almost 99,000 3-Series sedans, coupes, and wagons last year, up more than six per cent from 2011. Luxury carmakers overall sold more than one million cars in the US last year, an increase of almost 12 per cent over 2011.

The Gran Turismo will be available in the fall at US dealers, while the 328d will arrive at showrooms later this year.

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Vic firefighters to assess damage

FIREFIGHTERS will get their first look on Thursday at the destruction caused by a fire that ravaged the community of Dereel in Victoria's west.

The fire broke out just after 11.30am on Wednesday and spread rapidly to cover 1300 hectares, causing residents to pack up and head for safety.

A State Control Centre spokeswoman told AAP there were reports of 12 properties affected by the blaze but was unable to confirm the number while the fire was raging.

It is hoped, with the fire now under containment, authorities and residents will be able to return to the area to assess the damage.

Victoria Police will also be interested in inspecting the fire ground in an effort to discover how the fire started.

Overnight, a blaze in Victoria's east was downgraded to watch and act after wind conditions eased.

It had been threatening the communities of Allambee South and Allambee East but just before midnight on Wednesday, firefighters got the 510ha blaze under control.

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Russia raids HRW office amid EU concern

RUSSIAN authorities have searched the Moscow offices of New-York based Human Rights Watch as they step up raids against pro-democracy groups despite growing concern from top European states.

Germany said the inspections risked affecting the two allies' relations while France sought an explanation from the Russian embassy about a check into the activities of its Alliance Francaise cultural outreach organisation.

HRW's Europe and Central Asia department head Rachel Denber said three representatives from the prosecutor's office and a tax official had undertaken what they called "an unplanned inspection" of the Moscow office.

She said the Moscow headquarters of the Civic Assistance refugees centre and of the Transparency International corruption watchdog had been raided in a similar manner.

"This is part of a massive, unprecedented wave of inspections of NGOs (non-governmental organisations) in Russia that is intensifying pressure on civil society in the wake of the adoption of a number restrictive laws last year," Denber said by email.

"The scale of these inspections serves to reinforce the menacing atmosphere for civil society created by the adoption of last year's laws."

The raids followed President Vladimir Putin's signature of a law that labelled Russian political organisations with Western funding as "foreign agents" that required more rigorous checks.

The raids have already raised eyebrows in Europe and threatened to further complicate ex-KGB agent Putin's uneasy relations with the West.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Tuesday called the inspections and searches "worrisome since they seem to be aimed at further undermining civil society activities in the country."

Germany also expressed its "concern" to the number two envoy of the Russian embassy in Berlin over an inspection of the offices of Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) - a political think tank with ties to Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.

A spokesman for Merkel warned on Wednesday that "any action that interferes with or criminalises (the NGO's) main activities will degrade the relationship" between Russia and Germany.

Activists estimate that at least 100 organisations have been inspected already in Moscow and Saint Petersburg as well as other parts of Russia.

They complain that the checks effectively paralyse their activities because staff are forced to dig through old documents and compile huge stacks of material for the myriad of Russian agencies with which they have to register.

One rights group posted a photograph on Twitter on Tuesday showing a pile of documents requested by the authorities that came out to more than a metre in height.

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Bersani scambles to form Italy govt

CENTRE-LEFT leader Pier Luigi Bersani says only a mentally ill person would want Italy's top job as he scrambles against the clock to secure enough support to form a government in the recession-hit country.

His comments came during last-minute talks with political parties before time runs out for Bersani, who was asked by Italy's president last week to try to forge a coalition but has been unable to strike a deal with his rivals.

"Only a mentally ill person could have an itching desire to govern right now," Bersani said during talks with the anti-politics 5-Star movement, which he has repeatedly tried - and failed - to woo.

"I want things to be clear: I am ready to assume a huge amount of responsibility, but I ask everyone else to all take on a little bit themselves," he said.

Business leaders and trade unions sounded the alarm this week over the parlous state of the eurozone's third largest economy.

Italy is suffering its longest recession for 20 years and young people have been hit particularly hard, with unemployment rates hitting almost 39 per cent in January while the economy is forecast to shrink by 1.3 per cent this year.

"It is clear that the political instability is not helping," Marcello Messori, economics professor at the Luiss University in Rome told AFP.

He said he was "very concerned" that the country's economic health would be neglected as Italy's politicians wrangled.

Bersani has hoped to persuade individual members of other parties to give their support, proposing a limited program of urgently-needed reforms in exchange for their backing at a confidence vote.

Proposals on the table include a cut in taxes and expenses of political parties, and a reform to the complicated electoral law which has been blamed for landing the parties in the current crisis.

The parties have been at loggerheads since a February 24-25 vote which saw the centre-left win by a whisker but without the majority in the upper house necessary to govern.

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Miners trapped after cave-in

Nineteen people have been pulled to safety after a mine collapsed after a quake in Poland. Above, rescuers search for miners in China, which is frequently hit by deadly mine accidents. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

NINETEEN copper miners in Poland have been rescued after being trapped underground for more than seven hours by a cave-in caused by an earthquake.

The workers crawled their way to the surface of the Rudna copper mine, the deepest in Europe, after rescuers used excavators to clear rocks that had buried them almost a kilometre below ground, said operator KGHM.

Twenty-three miners initially managed to escape after the 10-second quake in Poland's southwestern mining belt late on Tuesday caused the ceiling of one section of the mine to collapse, spokeswoman Anna Osadczuk told AFP.

Two of the 42 miners on duty were taken to hospital with minor injuries, she said.

Rescue workers "used excavators to remove the rock until they saw an opening, through which they were able to communicate with the trapped miners," Ms Osadczuk said, adding that the 19 had been caught about 960 metres below the surface.

"The rescue workers were crawling up to the opening on their knees."

One miner was taken to hospital with bruises, while another received stitches to his head and spoke of spinal pain, she said.

"It was a very dramatic night, but luckily the day began with good news," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters in Warsaw.

KGHM chief executive Herbert Wirth said luck played a part in the survival of the miners.

"They were at the front, which was well ventilated and they did not run out of fresh air. That all led to such a positive outcome," Mr Wirth said, quoted by Polish news agency PAP.

Rudna, which has been open since 1969, churns out about 12.3 million tonnes of ore a year.

KGHM, which is 31 per cent state-owned, is the only copper producer in Poland, operating three mines in the southwest of the country.

It was also the world's top silver producer in 2011, according to the latest World Silver Survey.

Poland has a large number of mines, many of which are located in the industrialised Silesia region, which is rich in mineral and natural resources.

In 2006, a gas explosion at a coal mine in the region claimed 23 lives.

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3000 Afghan troops, police killed in year

ALMOST 3,000 Afghan police and soldiers have been killed in the past 12 months, nearly the same as the number of NATO deaths in Afghanistan in the past 11 years of war, Kabul says.

In statistics marking the end of the lunar year in Afghanistan, the interior and defence ministries said 2,983 security personnel - 1,800 police and 1,183 soldiers - lost their lives from March 2012 to March 2013.

According to the independent website, icasualties.org, 3,270 coalition troops, including 2,190 Americans, have died since the invasion started in late 2001.

Afghan police and soldiers have been set up and trained by NATO to take on increasing responsibility for security as NATO combat troops gradually withdraw from the country by the end of 2014.

Today numbered at 330,000 and due to reach a target of 352,000, they have been increasingly targeted by Taliban insurgents fighting to evict the Western-backed administration in Kabul.

"It is a pity but understandable why we have witnessed such a huge loss of life and increase in ANSF (Afghan security force) casualties since they started taking responsibility from international troops," said analyst Jawed Kohistani.

"Given the fact that there has not been any effective strategy from the Afghan defence or interior ministries to deal with Taliban guerilla warfare tactics, we can expect more loss of life."

In 2012, 402 NATO members died in Afghanistan, the lowest number since 2008.

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Cyprus fails to win Russia's help

CYPRIOT Finance Minister Michalis Sarris has failed to win assistance from tough-bargaining Russia after his island's rejection of an EU bailout that would have slapped a painful levy on bank accounts.

Sarris met his Russian counterpart Anton Siluanov before holding talks with First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov about a possible new Moscow loan.

Cyprus also hopes to ease the terms of a 2.5 billion euros ($A3.13 billion) loan Moscow afforded Nicosia in 2011 that matures in 2016.

"We had a very good beginning. We had a very good, honest and open discussion," Sarris told reporters after his meeting with the Russian finance minister.

But a Russian government source told AFP a second round of talks with Shuvalov - a close aide to President Vladimir Putin who oversees the financial sector - produced no results.

Sarris has vowed to stay in Moscow until some agreement is reached that could help his country's banks avoid bankruptcy and the island from going into default.

Russian news reports said the talks would continue in Moscow on Thursday.

"It makes sense for Russia to extend the loan, but at what price - these are the things they are discussing now," said Renaissance Capital's chief economist Ivan Tchakarov.

The visit comes a day after furious Cypriot MPs flatly rejected a highly unpopular measure that would have slapped a one-time fee of up to 9.9 per cent on bank deposits over 20,000 euros as a condition for an EU-led 10-billion-euro bailout loan.

The European Commission said on Wednesday any new Cyprus bailout must ensure its debt burden is sustainable - a signal it expects the island to raise the remaining 5.8 billion euros believed necessary.

Cyprus badly needs the money in part to recapitalise its banks, which took a bruising in the Greek debt crisis.

Their collapse would leave the country bankrupt and in danger of going into default.

That in turn would put immense pressure on the eurozone and once again put the future of the single currency in doubt.

Cyprus is now scrambling for a Plan B that includes the option of turning to Russia.

Russians - many of them wealthy tycoons seeking to avoid taxes back home - have $US31 billion ($A30.05 billion) in private and corporate cash deposited in the island's teetering banks.

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19 miners rescued after cave-in in Poland

NINETEEN copper miners in Poland have been rescued after being trapped underground for more than seven hours by a cave-in caused by an earthquake.

The workers crawled their way to the surface of the Rudna copper mine, the deepest in Europe, after rescuers used excavators to clear rocks that had buried them almost a kilometre below ground, said operator KGHM.

Twenty-three miners initially managed to escape after the 10-second quake in Poland's southwestern mining belt late on Tuesday caused the ceiling of one section of the mine to collapse, spokeswoman Anna Osadczuk told AFP.

Two of the 42 miners on duty were taken to hospital with minor injuries, she said.

Rescue workers "used excavators to remove the rock until they saw an opening, through which they were able to communicate with the trapped miners," Osadczuk said, adding that the 19 had been caught about 960 metres below the surface.

"The rescue workers were crawling up to the opening on their knees."

One miner was taken to hospital with bruises, while another received stitches to his head and spoke of spinal pain, she said.

"It was a very dramatic night, but luckily the day began with good news," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters in Warsaw.

KGHM chief executive Herbert Wirth said luck played a part in the survival of the miners.

"They were at the front, which was well ventilated and they did not run out of fresh air. That all led to such a positive outcome," Wirth said, quoted by Polish news agency PAP.

Rudna, which has been open since 1969, churns out about 12.3 million tonnes of ore a year.

KGHM, which is 31 per cent state-owned, is the only copper producer in Poland, operating three mines in the southwest of the country.

It was also the world's top silver producer in 2011, according to the latest World Silver Survey.

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Pope promises 'respect' for all religions

POPE Francis has promised "friendship and respect" for all faiths at a meeting with representatives of major world religions in the Vatican in which he said he felt "close" to non-believers.

The Roman Catholic Church would "promote friendship and respect between men and women of different religions," the Pope said, a day after his formal inauguration in St Peter's Square.

"We can do a lot for the good of people who are poor, who are weak, who suffer ... and to promote reconciliation and peace," the Pope told other Christian leaders and representatives of Buddhism, Islam and Judaism in an ornate Vatican hall.

Latin America's first pontiff said all religions should be united against "one of the most dangerous pitfalls of our time - reducing human beings to what they produce and what they consume.

"I very much appreciate your presence and I see in it a sign of mutual respect and of co-operation for the common good of humanity," he said.

This was particularly important in a world of "divisions, confrontations and rivalries," he said.

Francis also told Jewish leaders he wanted to continue "a fraternal dialogue" that began with the reformist Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, which removed the notion of any Jewish blame for Jesus Christ's death in Catholic doctrine.

The 76-year-old Pope also said he felt "close" to those people who "do not recognise themselves in any faith but are in a search for truth, for goodness and for beauty, which is God."

The reference echoed a "silent blessing" Francis made on Saturday to non-believers at a meeting with journalists from around the world.

"You are all children of God," he said on Saturday.

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