Iran nuclear talks date set: official

World powers will meet Iranian representatives to discuss the disputed nuclear program in Istanbul. Source: AAP

WORLD powers will meet Iranian top representatives to discuss the Islamic state's disputed nuclear program in Istanbul at the end of January, a Russian official says.

Iran and the so-called "P5+1" nations - the five permanent UN Security Council members along with Germany - have not all met since a June session in Moscow, but an unnamed Russian source told the state RIA Novosti agency that the next meeting has been provisionally scheduled for the end of the month in Istanbul - host of the first such talks last April.

The source did not name a specific date or say when one might be announced.

However, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov - Russia's pointman at the talks and most senior Iran expert - expressed frustration that an exact date had not been fixed.

"We have had situations in the past when we had trouble agreeing a time and place, and we have one now today," Interfax quoted Ryabkov as saying on Friday.

He said Moscow wanted to see the momentum of talks continue "without significant delays".

Ryabkov gave no indication whether it was Iran or Catherine Ashton - the EU foreign affairs chief and main Western representative at the negotiations - who had the most serious reservations about new talks.

Three prior "P5+1" meetings have been held with Iran at the most senior level envisioned for the Istanbul session.

None has produced a compromise that sees the powers accept Iran's right to enrich uranium in exchange for its provision of access to closed nuclear facilities and its promise not to make higher-grade material.

Israel and much of the West suspects Iran is trying to develop atomic weapons under the guise of its nuclear energy program. Tehran denies the charge.

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Pole embedded in teenager's head

A metal pole has been embedded in a teenager's head during a row at a Sydney birthday party. Source: AAP

A SYDNEY teenager is fighting for his life after a metal pole was embedded in his head during a birthday party brawl.

Police and paramedics were called to a Forestville home in Sydney's north at 11.40pm (AEDT) on Friday after gatecrashers tried to force their way into an 18th birthday party.

In the ensuing fight, an 18-year-old man was struck in the head with a 2.5 metre metal pole.

The pole became embedded in the right side of his head and he was taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital, paramedics said.

He underwent surgery and remains in a critical condition.

Police have set up a crime scene at the home and were continuing to question witnesses on Saturday afternoon.

No arrests have been made.

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RFS saves elderly NSW man from bushfire

AN RFS crew has landed at the scene of an out-of-control bushfire in the NSW Southern Tablelands and saved an elderly man and his home.

An RFS Rapid Aerial Response Team (RART) landed at the scene of the fire 25 kilometres north of Crookwell near Goulburn on Friday afternoon, where a 70-year-old man's rural property was under threat.

The crew, made up of 20 firefighters and seven aircraft, waterbombed the area and saved the home.

The fire was continuing to rage across 35-40 hectares as of 4.15pm (AEDT).

"The gentleman was quite shaken up, but he is not believed to be injured," an RFS spokeswoman told reporters.

There was no damage to the property, other than to some "antique farming equipment", she added.

No other properties are under threat in that area.

Several fires are continuing to burn in the Goulburn area, many of them sparked by dry lightning strikes, that have been smouldering since as long ago as last weekend and which were exacerbated by the hot and windy conditions.

Of the 99 bushfires continuing to burn across the state, 18 remain out of control.

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Tasmania residents relieved to return home

ANXIOUS residents of the bushfire damaged Tasman Peninsula are relieved the long wait is over and they will finally find out if their homes are still standing.

Hundreds of locals were expected to travel back to the devastated communities around Dunalley on Friday after they were finally allowed through the police checkpoint on the Arthur Highway.

Carlton River resident Robyn Ransley's home survived but she was unsure whether properties she owns further south at Taranna and Saltwater River had been burnt out.

Ms Ransley, 49, was stranded on the peninsula when she tried to check on them at the height of the firestorm before escaping by boat.

She hasn't seen her children or grandchildren for a week.

"I think probably the most stressful part's been that this road's blocked," she told reporters at the police checkpoint.

"When we got stuck down there the hard thing was you run out of food, you run out of water and you had no power and you had no diesel or petrol and you had no reception for your computer or your phone.

"It was really isolated down there."

Chris Behrens, also 49, said he was feeling nervous as he headed to Murdunna, where he spends half his time.

"Hopefully (there will be) a house sitting there.

"It was all right on Saturday but they think the fire may have been coming back that way, that's why they asked us to leave."

Support services were on the ground in Dunalley and police and mental health groups were urging people to use them.

"There is a degree of anxiety," police commander Peter Edwards said.

"The health officials tell us that it's not unreasonable or unexpected that people are going to go through a whole range of emotions."

Mr Edwards said people needed to focus on what was achievable on their first trip back.

"What we're actually saying to people is, just for today, just go and make an assessment, go and have a look, take it in," he said.

"Don't start fossicking around if you really don't have to."

He said, while locals needed to be given space to grieve their losses, local businesses were also keen for visitors to return.

"There are some very significant tourism sites, particularly at Port Arthur," Mr Edwards said.

The Arthur Highway is unlikely to open to the general public until Monday.

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Delhi gang-rape case to be fast-tracked

THE case against five Indian men charged with the gang-rape and murder of a student is set to be moved to a fast-track court on Thursday.

The five are all due to make their second appearance before a district court in New Delhi after their first appearance on Monday was marred by chaotic scenes which led the presiding magistrate to order the court to be cleared.

The victim, a medical student from northern India, was repeatedly raped and violated with an iron bar on a moving bus on December 16 as she returned from a cinema where she had watched a film with her boyfriend.

A senior court officer said on Monday the case would be transferred to a fast-track trial court during Thursday's hearing which will take place behind closed doors, as is standard in India in rape cases.

Three of the accused will be defended by the lawyer M.L. Sharma who has said his clients would plead not guilty when the case reaches the fast-track court.

The other two defendants have yet to get themselves lawyer while a sixth accused, who is 17, is to be tried in a juvenile court.

Legal proceedings in India, particularly for offences such as rape, often involve years, even decades, of delay.

The country's chief justice, Altamas Kabir, has said the huge delays may be one reason contributing to the surge in violence towards women in recent years. Some Indian judges have tens of thousands of cases pending.

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Teen banned over gay taunt brawl

A TEENAGER has been banned from Fortitude Valley and told to get used to life in the city after he appeared in court for starting a street brawl over a gay taunt.

Magistrate Christine Roney lectured Jacob Rodney Williams, 18, an aspiring professional rugby player, on the public nuisance charge from December 16, adding that "many a handsome young man in the inner city" had been accused of being gay but it was in no way a cause for provocation.

"It is life in the city, as we know, it is not a provocation ...," she said.

Prosecutor Sgt Robin Rochfort said Williams, whose large frame towered over everyone in court today, was charged by police after he became involved in a fight with others on a Fortitude Valley street at 5.10am.

Defence lawyer Sue Ganasan said Williams was an aspiring professional rugby player and and would abstain from alcohol when he started training soon.

She said Williams became involved in the fight after another man sat on his lap and accused him of being homosexual.

But Ms Roney was unimpressed by Williams' football aspirations, saying they weren't a guarantee of good behaviour.

"History shows us the courts are full of football players who behave badly," she pointed out.

She said the most reliable assessment of Williams' behaviour was his previous conduct.

"Your client is a strong, powerful young man," Ms Roney said.

"He has to understand he can't behave in such a way."

Ms Roney ordered Williams serve six-months probation and banned him from the Fortitude Valley Drink Safe Precinct between 9pm and 6am until July 10.

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Riders stuck as rollercoaster breaks down

The new Green Lantern rollercoaster at Warner Bros Movie World on the Gold Coast, which has the steepest drop in the Southern Hemisphere. Picture: Supplied by Warner Bros Movie World Source: Supplied

EIGHT holiday-makers have spent more than an hour stuck on a rollercoaster at Movie World after an electrical short circuit at the Gold Coast theme park.

The brand-new Green Lantern roller coaster went in to automatic shut down after the electrical fault occurred just after midday with eight people stranded mid-ride.

Theme park officials kept the unlucky passengers cool with water and umbrellas while workers rectified the problem.

They were eventually freed about 1.30pm.

The cause of the short-circuit, and whether it was related to soaring temperatures, is being investigated.

More to come

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Police reveal more about decapitated man

WEST Australian police are hoping the public will help them piece together what happened to a man whose head was found washed up in a plastic bag on a beach off Perth.

An 11-year old girl holidaying with her family at Porpoise Bay on Rottnest Island made the horrific discovery last Sunday when she opened the plastic bag and saw a human ear.

Police have confirmed the head belongs to a Caucasian male, possibly aged between 30 and 60.

Seven of the man's upper front teeth were missing - and had been for some time - but the man did not wear a plate or dentures, forensics have revealed.

His other teeth were also in poor condition.

Police said the man did not have any piercings, but had a full beard and moustache.

The discovery is being treated as a murder, but police still don't know who the man is.

Police and State Emergency Service volunteers finished searching the beach on Tuesday afternoon but did not find any other human remains.

Some personal items were collected but it is not known if they are connected to the case, police said.

Crime Stoppers has received several calls from the public that are being assessed and investigated.

Anyone with further information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Homes threatened as NSW battles 135 fires

A total fire ban is in place for NSW, as more than 20 uncontained fires rage across the state. Source: AAP

DOZENS of homes are under threat as NSW firefighters battle 135 blazes in 40-plus temperatures and "catastrophic" conditions.

The worst fires are in the south of the state, near Cooma, Nowra, Bega and Wagga Wagga.

But although 40 remained uncontained, by mid-afternoon on Tuesday there had been no reports of loss of life or homes as residents heeded dire warnings from authorities.

"We have been very fortunate," said Rural Fire Services (RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, who praised the "extraordinary" firefighting effort taking place in "dirty, hot difficult conditions".

Hundreds of firefighters were in the field, with thousands more on standby, as temperatures climbed and the fires, fanned by winds over 70km/h, burned more than 26,000 hectares of grass, scrub and bushland.

Thirty homes were threatened by a fire 12km east of Cooma - 20 in the Kybeyan Valley and 10 around Mount Forest Road in the Cooma-Monaro area.

A fire on the south coast at Brogo, near Bega, was expected to affect isolated properties north of Eagles Nest Road.

There has been some respite in the Bega area, after temperatures eased to the mid-20s following a southerly wind change just after 2pm.

An emergency bushfire warning was issued for the township of Tarcutta, in southwest NSW, where the fire front was about 3km from properties shortly before 1pm.

Residents were being urged to "shelter in place" as it approached, as it was too late to leave, and parts of the Hume Highway were closed.

Other fires at an "emergency" alert level were at Oura, Mates Gully and Munyabla, near Wagga, and Narrandera, southwest of Wagga.

The Munyabla fire was heading towards the township of Henty, between Albury and Wagga.

A fire at Dean's Gap in the Shoalhaven was heading east towards the Princes Highway and posing a potential threat to the seaside resort of Sussex Inlet.

Up to 90 per cent of NSW was in severe danger, with conditions officially described as catastrophic in the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, the Southern Ranges, the northern and eastern Riverina and southern parts of the lower Central West Plains.

NSW Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher said the extreme weather - predicted to create one of the worst fire danger days in NSW history - had started "to play out".

"There was a hope that something would abate this weather condition as it moves across NSW, but the fact is that it has not," he told reporters in Sydney.

A total fire ban is in place across NSW, with temperatures predicted to hit 45 degrees in the state's far west and 43 degrees in Sydney - the third highest mark on record.

All NSW national parks, reserves and state forests are closed to the public due to the fire risk, while the total fire ban has been extended into Wednesday.

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Gunman on the run in Melbourne

A MAN who twice pointed a gun at pursuing police after an armed hold-up at a Melbourne gaming venue remains on the run.

Two men wearing disguises robbed the gaming venue at the Dorset Gardens Hotel in Croydon about 9.45am (AEDT) on Tuesday.

Police arrived as the robbers were leaving the venue in a car, sparking a pursuit in which one of the men pointed a gun at officers, Superintendent Graeme Arthur said.

The bandits left their car and ran, with one again pointing the gun at police as they chased him on foot though no shots were fired.

"When police have pursued them they've pointed a firearm at them whilst they've been involved in the car chase and secondly when they've pursued them on foot," Supt Arthur told reporters.

One alleged offender was caught but the man seen with a gun remains on the run.

Supt Arthur said he was dangerous and needed to be caught.

The man scaled a number of fences in the Croydon area, and one resident had challenged him with a baseball bat, Supt Arthur said.

Police are conducting a house-to-house search around Currong Grove/Mt Dandenong Road and believe the man may still be in the area.

Some residents have been evacuated from the area.

Supt Arthur said police were worried someone may return home from work or holidays to find the man on their property.

The man is about 165cm tall and was wearing a white hoodie top and black parachute tracksuit pants.

Anyone who sees him is urged to contact police.

A 20-year-old man is in custody.

Police say they found the gun on Mt Dandenong Road about 3.15pm.

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Body found in tent on NSW far north coast

A man has been found dead inside a tent in bushland on the NSW far north coast, police say. Source: AAP

A BODY has been found in a tent in bushland on the NSW far north coast.

Police said a man was walking through Wooyung Nature Reserve south of Tweed Heads on Friday afternoon when he noticed a tent that had been pitched in the same spot for about a week.

The walker looked inside the tent and found the body, police said in a statement.

They are currently trying to ascertain the deceased person's gender and identity and a cause of death.

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Elderly murder accused 'should be moved'

A LAWYER for an 83-year-old man charged with murdering his 86-year-old wife has asked for him to be moved to a secure psychiatric facility.

In Port Pirie Magistrates Court on Monday, defence counsel Bronwen Waldron said it would be more appropriate for Daniel Dunn to be housed in a "therapeutic environment" while his case proceeds through the courts.

She said his transfer from Adelaide Remand Centre would depend on the availability of a bed in a psychiatric facility, but asked the court for an order to allow Dunn to be moved should one become available.

Magistrate Nick Alexandrides said he didn't consider he had sufficient information to make the order and suggested the issue be raised at the man's next court appearance.

He noted an assessment on Dunn's suitability for home detention bail had raised issues around his cognitive abilities and his own safety.

Given this, he told Ms Waldron he expected authorities would be "mindful of your client's health interests and special requirements".

Dunn made no comment and sat with his head bowed during the short video-linked court appearance, the second since his arrest late last month.

He is charged with murdering his wife Edith at their home in the nearby town of Gladstone on December 29.

Details of how the woman died have not been released.

In court on Monday Ms Waldron also abandoned a previously scheduled application for bail but asked that she be able to renew the application should suitable accommodation be found.

Dunn was remanded in custody to appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on March 19.

He was ordered to answer the charge against him on April 19.

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Taxi driver stabs passenger after dispute

A TAXI driver who allegedly shanked a passenger with a screwdriver in Sydney's west has been charged by police.

Police said the taxi driver, 54, stabbed the 34-year-old male passenger about 3.30pm (AEDT) on Saturday after a dispute about the route to take on a trip to Parramatta.

When the taxi arrived at Houison Place in Parramatta, the victim paid the fare but continued to argue with the cabbie, police said in a statement on Sunday.

After the man left the cab, the taxi driver allegedly got out and stabbed him in the arm.

Police said they stopped the taxi later on Saturday and found two screwdrivers inside.

The driver has been charged with reckless wounding and is due to appear in Parramatta Local Court on February 27.

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Two young women dead in Qld crash

Two teenagers have died after their vehicle crashed into a power pole in Brisbane's southwest. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND police have confirmed the death of two young women in a crash in Brisbane's southwest.

A vehicle was crushed after it slammed into a power pole on Hawkesbury Road, Anstead, about 3.25am (AEST) on Sunday.

Emergency crews were initially unable to tell how many people were in the vehicle.

But a police spokesman confirmed the crash claimed the lives of two females who appeared to be in their late teens.

They are have yet to be formally identified, he said.

The spokesman said the scene had been cleared by energy crews who were still working to fix the power pole the vehicle crashed into.

Investigations are continuing.

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