Vic pair targeted in unprovoked attack

TWO men have been beaten and punched in the head on a Melbourne street in an unprovoked attack on Saturday, police say.

The victims, both aged 27 from Prahran and South Yarra, were treated for facial injuries and taken to The Alfred Hospital.

At around 3am (AEST) they were approached by two men of African appearance and beaten to the ground.

One victim was punched around the head and face, causing him to fall backwards hitting the concrete.

The second victim was pinned to the ground and punched in the head by the other offender before the attackers fled the scene.

Police have released CCTV footage and still images of two men they wish to speak to in relation to the incident.

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NASA gives up on Deep Impact comet mission

NASA has given up on the Deep Impact mission, after engineers lost contact with the spacecraft. Source: AAP

NASA has given up on the Deep Impact spacecraft, which suddenly went silent after nine years of exploration.

The US space agency said on Friday the mission is over for Deep Impact, which in 2005 smashed a comet with a projectile to give scientists a peek of the interior.

The spacecraft went on to rendezvous with two more comets.

Last month, engineers lost contact.

After trying for a month to regain communications, NASA says there is no hope left.

University of Maryland scientists, who led the team, say the spacecraft lasted longer than they imagined and returned many discoveries about how comets formed.

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Starbucks says guns unwelcome, not banned

STARBUCKS says guns are no longer welcome in its US cafes, though it is stopping short of an outright ban on firearms.

The fine line the Seattle company is walking in addressing the concerns of both gun rights and gun control advocates reflects how heated the issue has become, particularly in light of recent mass shootings.

CEO Howard Schultz says the decision to ask customers to stop bringing guns into stores came as a result of the growing frequency of "Starbucks Appreciation Days," in which gun rights advocates turned up at Starbucks cafes with firearms.

Schultz says the events mischaracterised the company's stance on the issue and the demonstrations "have made our customers uncomfortable."

Schultz hopes people will honour the request not to bring in guns but says the company will nevertheless serve those who do.

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WA stripped of its AAA credit rating

WESTERN Australia has lost its AAA credit rating, with Standard & Poor's downgrading the once-boom state.

WA's long-term issuer credit rating is now AA+, but its short-term issuer credit rating of A-1+ has been affirmed.

Standard & Poor's said the lowering of the long-term rating reflected its view that while the state government's Fiscal Action Plan announced in the August budget "improves the state's path", there was "likely to be slippage, reflecting our view of limited political will".

That limited will had been shown by the early revision of some budget revenue and expenditure measures, the ratings agency said.

On Tuesday, the state government watered down a plan to charge $4000 per year for students of 457 visa holders, saying the budget-boosting measure would bring in less than half of the $120 million that it originally anticipated over four years.

It was the second backflip by the WA government since the August budget, following the reversal of plans to halve the tariff rate for households that feed in surplus solar power to the grid, which was projected to claw back $51 million.

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Qld doctor accused of hog-tying 13yo boy

A Gold Coast doctor has appeared in court accused of assaulting a child patient in his clinic. Source: AAP

A GOLD Coast doctor has started his 59th birthday by appearing in court after being accused of hog-tying a child in his clinic.

The doctor, a long-serving paediatrician in Southport, is facing two counts of common assault and one count of deprivation of liberty after the incident in October last year.

It's alleged the doctor hog-tied the 13-year-old boy while his mother was present during a consultation.

In a brief mention at the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday, the doctor's case was adjourned until November 11.

The doctor made no comment during the mention.

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Dominic Bird granted bail in Malaysia

PERTH man Dominic Bird has been granted bail in Malaysia but will not be allowed to return to Australia until the outcome of an appeal against his acquittal on drug trafficking charges that carry the death penalty.

The 33-year-old was set free two weeks ago after being found not guilty of supplying 167 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer, but was re-arrested days later, just minutes before his flight to Perth was to depart after prosecutors launched an 11th hour appeal.

But the Malaysian Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed a request by prosecutors that Mr Bird be remanded until the appeal process, which is expected to take at least six months, runs its course.

Mr Bird must first come up with 50,000 Malaysian ringgit ($A16,000) in order to post bail, and will be required to report to police once a week.

He must also surrender his passport.

It's unclear in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday's ruling if Mr Bird will be able to raise the $A16,000.

Prosecutors are yet to detail the grounds on which they will appeal the case, while the circumstances surrounding last week's drama have also prompted accusations from Mr Bird's lawyers that Malaysian authorities conspired to obtain an "unlawful" warrant for his arrest.

Mr Bird's lawyers also argue that, having been declared by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to be a free man, he should be allowed to return to Australia pending the outcome of the appeal.

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Bishop welcomes US-Russia deal on Syria

Incoming foreign minister Julie Bishop has welcomed the US-Russia deal on Syria's chemical weapons. Source: AAP

INCOMING foreign minister Julie Bishop has welcomed a "significant" deal between the US and Russia that could see Syria stripped of its chemical weapons.

The new accord gives Syria a week to provide details of its chemical weapons stockpile, and requires that international inspectors are given complete access to them.

The goal is to have the weapons removed by the middle of next year, but Barack Obama has warned if Syria doesn't uphold its end of the bargain the US could still use military force.

Ms Bishop on Sunday said the deal was a "positive step in the right direction", and praised the US over its handling of the crisis.

"It is as a result, I believe, of the United States making it quite clear that they would use military force if need be," she told Network Ten on Sunday.

Australia has assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council until the end of the month, and could be called to act on behalf of countries pushing the case for a strike against Syria.

Syria's ally Russia would likely veto any such motion, but Ms Bishop said in the past the president of the council had been asked to prepare a statement on behalf of the majority of nations.

"First things first, we want to see how this agreement between the US and Russia plays out," she said.

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Cunliffe elected leader of NZ Labour Party

NEW Zealand's opposition Labour Party has elected David Cunliffe as its new leader, following a campaign that involved rank-and-file members taking part in the ballot for the first time.

Labour MP Grant Robertson conceded defeat to Mr Cunliffe, saying he will be an excellent leader, while Shane Jones tweeted "Congratulations to our new rangatira".

The three men had contested the leadership when David Shearer announced his resignation three weeks ago after failing to lift Labour's poll results during his 20 months at the helm.

Mr Robertson is pledging his "100 per cent loyalty" to Mr Cunliffe.

Mr Cunliffe said the party would focus on winning the 2014 election.

"We must beat (Prime Minister) John Key in 2014 and we will only do that by mobilising the entire party, the affiliates, the membership and the caucus," he said.

Mr Cunliffe got 51.15 per cent of the first round of the vote, Mr Robertson got 32.97 per cent and Mr Jones got 15.88 per cent.

It is the first time Labour's wider membership have had a say on the leadership, who has previously been chosen by MPs.

MPs and party members get 40 per cent of the vote each and affiliated unions get 20 per cent.

Mr Cunliffe said his win marked a new day for the party, and he believed he could unite the caucus - despite winning less support from MPs than Mr Robertson.

Pointing out that Sunday is the International Day of Democracy, Mr Cunliffe said Labour has proven its critics wrong by holding a democratic leadership election process without tearing itself apart.

"Grant Robertson and Shane Jones are two of the finest, most gifted politicians of our generation. Our respect for each other has only grown during this contest," Mr Cunliffe said.

Despite receiving just 32.35 per cent of caucus' first preference votes, compared with 47.06 per cent for Mr Robertson and 20.59 per cent for Mr Jones, Mr Cunliffe said he was confident the caucus would unite behind him.

Mr Robertson was the preferred candidate within caucus but missed out on votes from party members and affiliated unions, who overwhelmingly favoured Mr Cunliffe.

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