Kylie gears up for a special Sydney NYE

POP princess Kylie Minogue will meet with Sydney New Year's Eve planners to put the finishing touches on plans for the big night.

As creative ambassador for the event in 2012, the UK-based singer developed the event's theme "embrace" and chose its colour scheme and soundtrack.

She arrived in Sydney early on Friday, and will meet with New Year's Eve organisers on Saturday afternoon.

Minogue told reporters on Saturday she was jet-lagged, but excited to be welcoming the new year from Sydney streets.

"It's so exciting to be seeing signage in the streets. I keep telling anyone who'll listen: 'Look! Look up there!'" she said.

"I can't wait."

She said she designed the New Year's Eve "embrace" theme to mean different things to different people - but for her, it means sharing a big hug with that special someone.

Asked who or what she would be embracing during the midnight countdown on Monday, the star did not hesitate.

"My boyfriend, firstly," she said.

"And I have some family coming up for New Year's Eve.

"I love the concept of embrace. It can mean so many different things, and I'm looking forward to embracing new possibilities for the next year."

Event producer Aneurin Coffey said Minogue had been a hands-on creative ambassador.

"She's been a lot more involved than we expected," he told reporters on Friday.

"When you actually get someone like Kylie on board, you never know quite what you're going to get, but she was absolutely ecstatic to be involved."

She will be honoured with a one-of-a-kind sparkling musical note firework.

The semiquaver will be one of 100,000 individual pyrotechnic creations this year, including brand new koala, octopus and hand images up in lights.

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Australia condemns Japan whale hunt

The Australian government has vowed to continue its fight against Japan's whale hunt. Source: AAP

THE Australian government has vowed to continue its fight against all forms of whaling as Japan's whaling fleet leaves for its annual hunt in the Southern Ocean.

"The Australian government condemns all commercial whaling, including Japan's so-called 'scientific' whaling," Environment Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.

"It is particularly offensive that Japan's whaling will take place in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary established by the International Whaling Commission.

"We will keep working to achieve a permanent end to all commercial whaling."

The Australian government started legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice in May 2010.

Both Australia and Japan have filed their detailed written arguments to the court and the case has been set down for oral hearing in The Hague.

The Australia government anticipates the case is likely to be listed for hearing in the latter half of next year.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said the decision to start legal proceedings was not taken lightly.

"The Australian government considers Japan's whaling program is contrary to its international obligations and should stop," said Ms Roxon.

Citing the Fisheries Agency, Kyodo News reported on Friday three vessels had left from the far-western port of Shimonoseki, while environmental group Greenpeace said the mother ship had left another port also in the country's west.

The fleet plans to hunt up to 935 Antarctic minke whales and up to 50 fin whales through March, the fisheries agency said earlier.

Greens Acting Leader Adam Bandt called on the Australian government to seek a court injunction to stop the whaling.

"The Labor government and the coalition government before its attempts to stop this illegal whaling have been an abject failure because they've been half-hearted," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"The government says it wants to do something about it and has commenced proceedings in the court, but it hasn't done the simple thing that would actually stop the whaling, and that is go off and seek an injunction.

"If the Japanese government can go off to a United States court and get an injunction to stop the Sea Shepherd, well then the Australian government can go off as well and get an injunction to stop this illegal whaling."

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Vietnam police arrest dissident lawyer

VIETNAMESE police have detained a well-known dissident lawyer as part of a continuing government crackdown on opposition to its rule.

State-run Tuoi Tre newspaper reported that Le Quoc Quan was taken into police custody in Hanoi on Thursday for alleged tax evasion.

Neither authorities nor Quan's family were available for comment.

Quan is one of Vietnam's better-known dissidents and maintains an anti-government blog.

In August, he needed hospital treatment after being beaten outside his home by men he suspected were state agents.

International human rights groups have criticised Vietnam for jailing dissidents for peacefully expressing their views.

Hanoi maintains that only lawbreakers are put behind bars.

In 2007, Quan was detained for three months on his return from a US government-funded fellowship in Washington.

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Leighton wins two LNG contracts

LEIGHTON Holdings has secured $1.2 billion worth of contracts linked to the $34 billion Ichthys liquefied natural gas project in Darwin.

The first contract, worth $923 million, is to build infrastructure such as roads, foundations and trenches, at Blaydin Point for Ichthys' onshore facilities.

Construction is due to start in May and be completed by July 2016, Leighton's wholly-owned subsidiary Leighton Contractors said in a statement on Friday.

It is the third project Leighton had won for Ichthys' onshore processing site.

Separately, the company said it had clinched a $280 million operations and maintenance contract for Blaydin Point's temporary facilities.

Leighton Contractors will operate and maintain services for all temporary site facilities, including power supply, water treatment plants and pest control, for more than four years during the construction phase.

The temporary facilities were currently being built by Leighton Contractors' infrastructure division.

"We see the LNG and coal seam methane markets offering significant opportunities for the Leighton Group, which has developed a high degree of competency in delivering essential infrastructure for large resources projects," Leighton chief executive Hamish Tyrwhitt said.

The Ichthys gas field lies about 200kms off the West Australian coast.

It is expected to produce 8.4 million tonnes of LNG and 1.6 million tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas a year.

Gas will be piped from the Ichthys field to Darwin, about 900km away, for processing and shipping.

Leighton shares were cents at $17.96.

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Man arrested after Darwin street lockdown

A MAN who had allegedly been threatening residents in suburban Darwin street has been arrested.

Police say they arrested the man shortly after 2.30pm (CST) on Thursday after responding to reports of the man had been threatening locals in Progress Drive, Nightcliff.

They confiscated a crossbow inside a unit in the street.

Armed police cordoned off parts of the street and evacuated a local childcare centre.

Senior Sergeant Bob Harrison says the man gave himself up to police willingly.

"The person just made threats and we had to take it seriously," he told reporters in Nightcliff.

"The gentleman actually exited the unit himself, he actually didn't know what was happening and came to us voluntarily."

The man was known to police and is expected to be reviewed under the Mental Health Act.

Police are expected to lay charges.

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Sand sculptors decorate Vic beach

MERMAIDS, whales, submarines and sharks are appearing on a Melbourne beach, thanks to a crafty clique of international sand sculptors.

About 3500 tonnes of sand will be shaped into intricately detailed sculptures on the Frankston waterfront over the next four months, the Sand Sculpting Australia group says.

One sculpture created on Thursday depicts Poseidon, the Greek "God of the Sea".

The artists are showcasing their silica-shaping skills to the public, with the theme of Under the Sea, until April 28.

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Greens call for new bushfire body

THE nation's bushfire research body should be replaced with a new one because it's set to run out of government funding, Greens MP Adam Bandt says.

The Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre (BCRC) examines the social, environmental and economic impacts of bushfires.

It's funded on a project-by-project basis by the commonwealth until June 30, 2013, at which point its fate remains uncertain.

Mr Bandt says the body should be replaced with a new national fire institute which will ensure it's work continues.

"It's time to transfer to a national body ... to oversee Australia's preparedness to deal with major fires, with the growing risk of climate change meaning more frequent fires of greater severity," Mr Bandt told AAP on Wednesday.

The risk of losing the body would be not having an accurate national response to major fire emergencies, he said.

"We are potentially going to face a Black Saturday every year or two, and that's a terrifying prospect," Mr Bandt said.

The body's CEO Gary Morgan welcomed the idea, saying its work was far from finished and there was still a lot more needed to understand a range of issues, including how to manage volunteers, smoke management, creating models to prevent fire risk and better biodiversity management.

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Russia's Kalashnikov in intensive care

Russian rifle designer Mikhail Kalashnikov has been hospitalised after complaining of weakness. Source: AAP

RUSSIA'S legendary rifle designer Mikhail Kalashnikov has been hospitalised in intensive care after complaining of general weakness, his assistant says.

The 93-year-old father of the AK-47 has been having heart problems and feeling poorly since March, when he stopped showing up for work, his aide told the RIA Novosti news agency on Tuesday.

"When I visited him at home last week, he told me that nothing seemed to hurt, but that he simply had no strength left," his assistant Nikolai Shklyayev was quoted as saying.

"It seems that this is just his age showing," Shklyayev said.

The assistant said Kalashnikov was sent to intensive care on Thursday after complaining of swelling.

"I last got in touch with (Kalashnikov's) driver. He said that everything was fine," Shklyayev told the Interfax news agency.

Kalashnikov designed his iconic rifles - staples of armies across the world for the past half century - at the Izhmash factory in the central city of Izhevsk.

Originally formed in 1807, Izhmash remains one of the main producers of Russian weapons.

But like several other specialised industrial firms, it has been hit by dwindling post-Soviet demand and its failure to make up for this with foreign orders.

Kalashnikov and 16 colleagues raised the alarm about the situation at Izhmash in an open letter to President Vladimir Putin last month, saying production had fallen to an all-time low and the factory needed to be saved.

According to popular legend, Kalashnikov began designing weapons after having trouble with the rifles the Soviet Red Army was using during World War II.

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Blast kills two Chilean miners

TWO miners have died in an explosion in a mine located near the Chilean town of Andacollo, police say.

The victims, identified as Juan Herrera Cortes and Mauricio Rodriguez Vera, were employed at a mine operated by the National Mining Company, or Enamil, which began its activities in the Coquimbo region, 458 kilometres north of Santiago, in mid-November.

First reports received by the Carabineros - Chile's militarised police - and the Fire Department said that apparently the blast occurred before the miners could get out of the El Manzano 1 mine some 40 metres deep.

Another worker was in the vicinity at the time of the explosion but managed to save himself.

According to first reports, the mine had not been granted the proper authority to operate by the Sernageomin national mining service, a situation that will be investigated by the judicial authorities.

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Qld firies battle blaze near Fraser Coast

FIREFIGHTERS are battling a large bushfire which is threatening homes in an area near the Queensland south coast.

Eight crews are on the scene of the bushfire which has grown considerably since it broke out before noon (AEST) on Tuesday, on Maryborough Hervey Bay Road near the Fraser Coast.

A smoke hazard warning has been issued. Residents are being advised to close doors and windows and motorists are urged to exercise caution because of low visibility.

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Pell apology could signal change in church

Cardinal George Pell's apology to those abused by priests has been labelled a "minimal response". Source: AAP

VICTIMS' support groups say the Catholic Church could be preparing to acknowledge its involvement in historic child sexual abuse in Australia after Cardinal George Pell apologised to those who "suffered at the hands" of priests.

In a Christmas message, the Australian church's most senior cleric said he was "deeply sorry" for the hurt that had occurred, describing it as "completely contrary" to Christ's teachings.

But he stopped short of specifically mentioning allegations of child sex abuse by members of the clergy.

"I feel too the shock and shame across the community at these revelations of wrongdoing and crimes," Cardinal Pell said.

His apology came after the federal government this year announced a royal commission to the response of institutions, including the church, to cases of child sexual abuse in Australia.

Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston said Cardinal Pell's statement represented a "cultural shift" in the church as it comes to terms with the role played by some its clergy.

Not all victims would find solace in his words, but it was an important message that needed to be said, she added.

"The silence, secrecy and the shame which the church have been leaders in, are the offenders best friend and our children's worst enemy," Ms Johnston told AAP on Monday.

"I think they're finally ready to face the demons and face the past and to hopefully put it behind them."

Catholics who had deserted the church over its handling of child abuse might also find some comfort in knowing Cardinal Pell had acknowledged the suffering, she said.

A spokesman for victims support group Broken Rites Dr Wayne Chamley said the church was beginning to "appreciate" the scale of its involvement in child abuse since the royal commission was announced.

"It's pleasing that he's opening up his heart to these people," Dr Chamley told ABC television.

"I don't think we've seen a statement in the past which was reflecting on the scale of what's gone on."

The church has been accused of covering up its involvement in child sexual abuse by silencing victims, hindering police and alerting offenders.

One senior NSW police investigator's damning testimony into how the church destroyed evidence and moved accused priests around the country prompted Prime Minister Julia Gillard to announce the royal commission in November.

In his statement, Cardinal Pell said people had "suffered at the hands" of fellow Christians, Christian officials, priests and religious teachers.

Adults Surviving Child Abuse president Dr Cathy Kezelman said the church still needed to be more transparent and forthright about its role in the systematic abuse of children over the years.

"It's an absolutely minimal response to express regret," she told AAP on Monday.

"It's very important that we also acknowledge the failure of religious organisations, including the Catholic Church, to respond appropriately to victims."

Last week, the federal government announced the terms of reference for the royal commission would not be available until January, instead of this month.

The inquiry is due to begin in 2013 and could run for years.

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Thatcher 'in good spirits' after op

Former British prime minster Margaret Thatcher is recovering from minor surgery in hospital. Source: AAP

FORMER British prime minister Margaret Thatcher is said to be "in good spirits" as she recovers from minor surgery but is expected to spend Christmas in hospital.

The 87-year-old was operated on two days ago to remove a growth from her bladder after suffering pain earlier in the week.

"I understand she is in good spirits," a spokesman said.

"Given her age, I don't think she will be coming out for a few days."

Thatcher's public appearances have been restricted over recent years due to continued ill health.

She was unable to join the Queen for a Diamond Jubilee lunch with former and serving prime ministers this summer and missed a birthday party thrown for her at 10 Downing Street.

In October, Thatcher was sufficiently well, however, to mark her 87th birthday with lunch at a restaurant in London's exclusive St James's district with her son Mark and his wife.

Her health was thrust into the global spotlight this year when Meryl Streep starred in a controversial Hollywood film about her.

The Iron Lady drew criticism from British Prime Minister David Cameron and others for concentrating on the dementia she suffers after a series of small strokes.

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Union launches blitz against Qld govt

QUEENSLAND'S public sector union has launched a $500,000 advertising blitz attacking the Newman government.

Together union secretary Alex Scott says the advertisements, which will appear in newspapers and online, aim to persuade voters to join their Working for Queenslanders campaign against the state government's cuts to public sector jobs and services.

Mr Scott says recent cuts in the health system are the final straw.

He insists the hefty advertising bill is money well spent.

"What we've seen in the last nine months is the destruction of our frontline services," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday.

"Working for Queenslanders is designed to hold him (Premier Campbell Newman) to account before the next election."

Mr Scott says the advertising blitz will run for about six weeks, with the potential to run longer if required.

Mr Scott also hit out at a government proposal to remove penalty rates for small business employees working on weekends or holidays.

He said the government had already stripped rights away from public servants and it was now turning its razor to the private sector.

"I don't think it's fair and reasonable that someone on Christmas day should be paid the same as someone working on any other day of the year," he said.

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North Korean leader calls for more rockets

NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for the development of more powerful rockets after last week's successful launch of a satellite into space.

The North's official media said on Saturday that Kim made the call at a banquet for rocket scientists on Friday in Pyongyang.

The December 12 launch of a long-range rocket put the country's first satellite in orbit. The United States, South Korea and others have condemned the launch as a test of ballistic missile technology banned under UN security council resolutions.

Kim had already called for sending more scientific satellites into space on the day of the launch. But his speech on Friday marks the first time he has explicitly called for the advancement of his country's long-range rocket program.

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