California wildfire doubles in size

MORE than 1600 Californian firefighters are battling a blaze east of Los Angeles that has injured six people and forced hundreds to flee their homes.

The fire is estimated to cover 7200 hectares, a figure that has nearly doubled since Thursday.

Those injured include five firefighters and a civilian, the Riverside County Fire Department says.

As of Friday the fire had destroyed 29 buildings, mostly homes, and was only 40 per cent contained.

Two of the firefighters were overwhelmed by heat, and the condition of the other three has not been made public.

The civilian victim was wounded Wednesday, the day the fire broke out, and was airlifted to a burn centre, Fire Chief John Hawkins earlier told reporters.

Eight helicopters were being in use to fight the fire, which on Thursday forced the evacuation of 1,800 people in several towns near Banning, 90 miles (150 kilometres) east of Los Angeles. Some of those residents were allowed to return home on Friday.

Authorities have not determined what set off the fire.

The effort to douse the flames is being complicated by high temperatures, very low humidity and wind gusts, weather forecasters said.

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Deputy PM says airport curfew claims false

DEPUTY Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hit back at claims flights were allowed to land after curfew at Sydney airport because politicians were on board.

Max Moore-Wilson, the boss of Sydney airport, claimed that Virgin Australia was on Tuesday night given preferential treatment and allowed to land 10 planes after the strict 11pm (AEST) curfew, News Corp Australia reports.

"I suspect there were a few politicians on those planes," he told an aviation conference in Sydney on Friday.

But Mr Albanese has refuted the statement, saying up to four flights were allowed to land between 11pm and 11.30 pm because of a "breakdown in (Virgin Australia's) communication system."

No flights landed after curfew on Tuesday night, News Corp reports.

Mr Albanese accused Mr Moore-Wilton of making "personal attacks" and "an extraordinary assertion" motivated by a desire to stop a second airport being built for Sydney.

"Max Moore-Wilton believes that this should continue to be a monopoly airport, the only airport for Sydney," Mr Albanese told reporters on Saturday.

And in order to downplay its problems "he tries to find some other reason why there are constraints and issues at this airport," the Deputy Prime Minister added.

Mr Albanese said jobs, economic growth and "Sydney's future as a global city" would be jeopardised if a second airport isn't constructed.

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RBA forecasts consistent with govt: Bowen

FEDERAL Treasurer Chris Bowen says the latest central bank forecasts are totally consistent with the government's own outlook.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released its quarterly statement on monetary policy on Friday and trimmed its growth forecast, in line with the government's latest economic update.

"This shows just how weak the opposition's approach is," Mr Bowen told reporters in Sydney.

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey has said the government's figures can't be relied upon.

"Yet today we have the Reserve Bank coming out and releasing their statement showing figures that are entirely consistent with the government's economic statement," Mr Bowen said.

Like the government, the RBA is forecasting economic growth of 2.5 per cent in the 2013/14.

Mr Bowen said there was also "confusion and chaos" in the Liberal party over their election costings.

He said earlier this week, Mr Hockey had said he would not respect the figures in the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook (PEFO), to be released on Tuesday, and they would not be used to base their costings on.

But on Friday, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had said the best estimate going would be PEFO and they'd be working off those figures.

"The leader of the opposition has shown he does not have confidence in the shadow treasurer's approach on how their funding will be accounted for," Mr Bowen said.

"This is yet another position on their costings."

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NZ dollar heads for 2.1% weekly gain

THE New Zealand dollar is heading for a 2.1 per cent weekly gain against the greenback as investor concerns about Fonterra's food scare dissipate and as Chinese figures reinvigorate optimism about Australasia's biggest trading partner.

The kiwi eased to 79.93 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 80.17 cents at 8am, though up from 79.60 cents on Thursday.

It started the week at 78.31 cents, slumping to a month-low 76.99 cents at the height of the Fonterra scare.

The trade-weighted index advanced to 75.01 at 5pm from 74.90 on Thursday, and is heading for a 0.2 per cent decline, starting the week at 75.14.

Investors shrugged off concerns about New Zealand's dairy exports as trading partners refrained from imposing blanket import bans and as Fonterra managed to get the potential food taint under control within days.

The NZ dollar got a further boost as improving trade figures in China fuelled demand for the Australian dollar, with the trans-Tasman currencies typically moving in unison.

"Fonterra recovered pretty quickly - the action was all on Monday," said Alex Hill, head of dealing at HiFX in Auckland.

"The kiwi's at the top of the range really - it still looks like a relief rally to some degree."

Mr Hill said the kiwi dollar was also being helped by its Australian counterpart, which has rebounded after the Reserve Bank of Australia cut rates as expected on Tuesday, without keeping the door open for more reductions.

"The Aussie is the most oversold of the currencies out there - the whole market was short and it (the RBA) didn't surprise," he said.

The NZ currency was unchanged at 87.68 Australian cents at 5pm on Friday from the same time Thursday, and inched up to 77.06 yen from 76.92 yen. It was little changed at 59.72 euro cents from 59.66 cents.

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New board member for Newcrest

GOLD miner Newcrest has appointed experienced director and lawyer Peter Hay to its board.

Mr Hay also holds positions on the boards of ANZ, Myer, Alumina, GUD Holdings and Epworth Healthcare, and will join Newcrest as a non-executive director immediately.

Mr Hay joins the board at a difficult time for the company, which has been hit by a steep decline in the gold price.

Newcrest recently wrote down the value of its assets by up to $6 billion, the announcement of which has led to an investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) into its disclosure practices.

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Oppn must come clean on costing: Rudd

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd says the clock is ticking for Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to show the coalition's policy costings.

The Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook (PEFO) will be released on Tuesday by the Treasury and Finance department, an independent update on the state of the federal budget, in particular the budget bottom line, and the Australian economy.

"The clock is now ticking," Mr Rudd told reporters in Brisbane.

"Four days, and we are counting them off one by one by one by one until Mr Abbott must come clean with his bottom line for the Australian people."

He said a Labor analysis has found that the opposition's planned cut in the company tax rate to 28.5 per cent from 30 per cent will leave them $5 billion short in their numbers, and accused him of double counting.

But Mr Abbott said he outlined $17 billion of "significant savings" in his budget reply speech in May.

"Our full list of saves and spends will be out there for the public to consider in good time before the election," Mr Abbott told reporters in Devonport, Tasmania.

"And the budget bottom line will be better under the coalition than under the Labor party."

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Rebel separatists kill 14 in SW Pakistan

REBEL separatists have killed 14 people, including three security officers, after stopping vehicles at a fake checkpoint in Pakistan's volatile southwestern province of Baluchistan.

The attack appears to have targeted mostly people from the central province of Punjab ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Separatist rebels have been fighting in Baluchistan since 2004, demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region's natural oil, gas and mineral resources.

Tuesday's attack happened in the Mach area of Bolan district, 70km southeast of the provincial capital Quetta.

"Miscreants blocked the road in two places. First they took away five FC (paramilitary) men from an FC patrol vehicle, tied them up and snatched their walkie-talkies and weapons," provincial home secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani told AFP.

The rebels then stopped two buses and took away 13 labourers. Security force personnel chased after them, but the rebels fired off a rocket that killed one security officer, Durrani said.

"Then they lined them up in the mountains and killed 13," added Durrani.

Local official, Kashif Nabi, confirmed the incident and said the bodies had been recovered.

"We are making arrangements to bring them to Quetta," he said.

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NSW murderer's friend avoids jail term

A FRIEND of a man who murdered his teenage girlfriend says he didn't tell police about the attack because he was scared his tongue would be ripped out with bolt cutters.

Adam Dark spent five days with convicted murderer Sean Lee King after the brutal 2011 killing, giving his friend "comfort and support".

But he was also in fear of King and his stepfather.

In a recorded phone call a few months later, Dark's father told him he should have gone to police straight away with what he knew.

"If I open my f***in' mouth they've got bolt cutters to cut my f***in' tongue out," Dark replied, adding King's stepfather was a "dangerous motherf***er" with ties to bikies.

He also told his girlfriend King's family had instructed him not to say anything about that night and he didn't want to "rat Kingy out".

Dark has avoided jail after a Sydney District Court judge sentenced him to an 18-month good behaviour bond for failing to tell police about King's attack on 18-year-old Jazmin-Jean Ajbschitz.

King, 27, beat Ms Ajbschitz to death in a ferocious, drug-fuelled murder - kicking and hitting her with three different objects, dragging her bruised and bloodied around her apartment and stomping on her chest until her heart stopped.

He was jailed for at least 25 and a half years last month after a Supreme Court jury found him guilty of murder.

Dark pleaded guilty to being an accessory after assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

King's trial heard he and Dark drove together to Ms Ajbschitz's apartment at Ultimo and wandered through the security building looking for her.

They then went to a nearby convenience store where Dark remained, while King, who was high on ice, returned to the apartment and persuaded Ms Ajbschitz to let him in.

During the next 26 minutes, King beat Ms Ajbschitz to death, leaving her partially clothed body on the kitchen floor before returning to Dark and telling him to call an ambulance.

He told Dark they had had a "little argument" and he hit Ms Ajbschitz, causing her to hit her head on a book case.

Dark anonymously called for an ambulance, telling the operator, "I heard some screams", but gave the wrong address and paramedics were unable to find Ms Ajbschitz.

Her body was discovered by her brother three days later.

Dark was initially charged with several offences, including manslaughter, but these were withdrawn.

He eventually admitted he lied to police and tried to protect King.

Sentencing him last Friday, Judge Andrew Haesler ordered him to be of good behaviour for the next 18 months.

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ALP offers $450 million for child care

PM Kevin Rudd has committed $450m to provide before and after hours school-based care for children. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has committed $450 million to provide before and after hours school-based care for children.

Mr Rudd said the funding will be offered under Labor's Better Schools Plan and comes alongside previous government investment in school facilities.

Children needed to be looked after before school and after school.

"A kid's development doesn't just begin at 9am and end at 3pm," Mr Rudd said.

"The government will give parents a further helping hand."

An additional $450 million will go to schools looking to set up outside school hours care on their grounds, or extend the hours they currently offer.

"This initiative will see, number one, more flexible school opening hours, before and after school and during school holidays," Mr Rudd said.

Secondly, it will provide additional places in areas where parent need access to such care.

It also means there will be new services, such as music programs, supervised sport and homework clubs.

The extra funds are also aimed at boosting employment for mums.

This should ease living cost pressures and "increase the opportunities for employment participation, especially for women", he said.

Starting in 2014, up to 500 schools across the nation would offer the extended services, benefiting some 345,000 children aged five to 12 years.

Mr Rudd confirmed the money for the Better Schools: Before And After program was net new investment.

Parents currently using out of schools hours care receive the child care rebate, which is not means tested.

Early childhood minister Kate Ellis said the program would not affect existing child care arrangements for parents - the child care rebate remains.

"The point of this arrangement is trying to ensure we have more places, more parents being able to use those places," she said.

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Prayer leader pleads guilty to assaults

A MUSLIM prayer leader has pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting two teenage girls and a grandmother on Sydney's northern beaches.

Ahmed Abdelshafy Mohamed El-Kahly, 60, appeared at North Sydney Local Court on Monday dressed in traditional Muslim clothing and headgear.

He is accused of kissing the hands of the women and touching their breasts at and near Dee Why Beach in late July.

The 57-year-old woman was allegedly indecently assaulted on Dee Why Beach while she was pushing her four-month-old grandson in a pram, court papers allege.

As she tried to pull away El-Kahly said to her "I love you, I love you".

He said the same thing to one of the two 16-year-old victims as she tried to get away from him.

El-Kahly is described in court papers as an Egyptian Iman who arrived in Australia on June 7.

He comes to Australia each year to "lead prayer", the papers said.

Police are still investigating and more charges may be laid, the court heard.

His temporary working stay visa will expire on August 18 but the matter returns to the same court on September 16.

Outside the court, El-Kahly's lawyer Rick Mitry said his client had suffered from psychiatric problems for years and didn't have his medication with him in Australia.

"He doesn't even remember most of what happened," Mr Mitry told reporters, adding his condition caused psychotic episodes and hallucinations.

"He has been treated for deep depression bordering on schizophrenia (in Egypt).

"He's very distressed. He has written a fairly extensive letter of apology (to the victims)."

Mr Mitry said he won't know for two or three days whether further charges will be laid.

El-Kahly covered his face with a scarf as he walked out of court.

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Hopes fade for Indonesians missing at sea

MALAYSIAN rescuers say hopes are fading for 40 Indonesians who went missing at sea days earlier, as one survivor recounted how passengers terrified by high waves panicked and caused their boat to capsize.

The wooden boat, believed to be carrying 44 people including women and children from southern Johor state to Indonesia's Batam island, sank in heavy seas late on Thursday.

Four men were rescued on Friday by passing fishermen and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. The accident occurred 24km off the coast.

The passengers are believed to be illegal migrants working in Malaysia who wanted to return to their country to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim fasting month next week, without passing border controls.

One of the survivors, Edey Muliadi, was quoted by The Star daily on Sunday as saying when high waves hit the boat, the passengers panicked and crowded to one side of it, causing it to overturn.

"When we were thrown into the sea, all I could hear was people and children screaming in the pitch-darkness," said the 26-year-old who worked as an excavator operator near the capital Kuala Lumpur.

He said the passengers tried to hold on to the overturned boat in the storm, but the vessel sank.

Amran Daud, an official with the maritime agency, said six vessels had been dispatched, while several helicopters were on standby with the weather clear on Sunday.

"We are continuing our operations. After three days in the ocean the chances are very slim to get a survivor," he told AFP.

"From the survivors' accounts, I would say that this boat is not seaworthy to travel in. They took the risk."

An estimated four million foreigners, mostly from poorer countries in the region, such as Indonesia and Myanmar (Burma), work in Malaysia - many illegally - filling low-paying jobs shunned by locals on plantations, construction sites and in factories.

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Election date set for September 7

Speculation is mounting that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd may be closer to naming the poll date. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS will go to the polls on September 7, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced.

"It's on. A few moments ago I saw the Governor-General and asked that she dissolve this parliament and call the federal election for September 7," he said in an email.

"Australians now face a choice. And the choice couldn't be starker.

"I have a positive vision about the country we can be.

"In this election I'll be talking with Australians across the country about better schools for our kids, investing so we can create good jobs, and about how the NBN can help keep our economy strong."

Mr Rudd will hold a press conference at 4pm (AEST) at Parliament House.

The prime minister flew into Canberra from his hometown of Brisbane about 2.38pm and arrived at Yarralumla around 3.10pm.

He left the governor-general's residence just 13 minutes later.

Mr Rudd appeared to downplay the likelihood of a September 7 election on Saturday when he told reporters he wanted to attend the G20 summit in St Petersberg just days before.

But on Sunday he announced Victoria had signed on to the schools funding deal, and Western Australia on to the national disability care scheme.

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