Woman set alight in vile act: police

POLICE have described as a "vile act" an attack on a woman who was set alight in Sydney's CBD in a domestic dispute.

Emergency services were called to a building on Castlereagh Street about 6.15pm (AEDT) on Friday after receiving reports that the 34-year-old woman had been splashed with an unknown liquid and set on fire.

The woman, who's an Australian resident of Thai background, was taken to St Vincent's Hospital before being transferred to Concord Hospital where she remains in a serious and stable condition.

About 6.35pm emergency service crews found a 28-year-old man with burns to his arms in Wattle Street, Ultimo.

He was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital where he remains under police guard.

Police said the man, who's also of Thai background, was a suspect in the attack and "was in a domestic relationship with the victim".

Detective Superintendent Mark Walton told reporters police were investigating the attack as an attempted murder and expected to question the man when he was released from hospital.

"This is a vile act and I personally struggle to think of a worse act that one person can commit upon another," Mr Walton said.

"Domestic violence occurs in the home in most occasions not in a public place where others will report the crime.

"It (domestic violence) is a terrible blight on our community."

Mr Walton said it was fortunate there were people nearby who were able to assist in treating the woman shortly after the attack occurred.

He said the attack was carried out in a public part of the property and that there had been a "history of issues" between the couple.

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Will and Kate in Maldives sans baby George

Prince William and Kate are holidaying in the Maldives ahead of their three-week tour Down Under. Source: AAP

PRINCE William and Kate have jetted off to the Maldives for a week-long holiday just a month out from their three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia.

British tabloids report the couple have left Prince George with Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, at their Berkshire mansion west of London.

The royal couple reportedly took a commercial flight to Male before a private hydroplane whisked them off to a paradise isle.

"The Duke and Duchess are staying at one of the most exclusive resorts in the Indian Ocean - the five-star Cheval Blanc Randheli Hotel on Noonu Atoll," the Daily Mail reported on Friday.

Prince William is meant to be completing an intensive 10-week agricultural management course at Cambridge University in preparation for managing the Duchy of Cornwall estate. Reports suggest there's a short break in classes.

Kate recently enjoyed a week-long family holiday with Prince George in Mustique in the Caribbean.

The Queen has given special permission for William and baby George to travel to Australia on the same plane in April.

Multiple heirs are not normally allowed on the same flight in case of an accident.

After touring New Zealand the royal family will visit Sydney, Brisbane, Uluru, Adelaide and Canberra from April 16 to 25.

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RBA acknowledges the unknowns

AS always, it's what the Reserve Bank of Australia doesn't know that's important for the interest rate outlook.

When he fronted a parliamentary committee on Friday, RBA governor Glenn Stevens reiterated the central bank's recent switch to an on-hold stance for interest rates.

After its monetary policy meeting in February, and again after the meeting earlier this week, the RBA said "a period of stability" is likely for interest rates.

Economists have wondered just how long that might be, but rather than clear up the mystery, Mr Stevens just joined the club.

"I have not said how long a period because I do not know," he said.

And that's because he doesn't know how the economy's transition from the mining investment boom to whatever replaces it as a driver of growth will pan out.

"It is pretty typical for sectors to be going in opposite directions," he said.

The RBA would like to see "significant bits of the non-mining part of the economy" gain momentum.

"I think that is happening in certain areas and, hopefully, this is going to work out about right.

"It will be no small achievement if that turns out to be the case," Mr Stevens said.

But the RBA doesn't know if that transition - the fabled "rebalancing" of the economy - will be achieved without the need for more interest rate cuts.

The governor said he did not currently think that would be needed.

And if it is achieved, it's not known how quickly or strongly that will happen, so the timing or size of any eventual interest rate rises can't be pinned down either.

Elements of this "handover" are falling into place as demand for goods and services picks up outside the mining sector.

"The question really is whether that additional demand likely to be generated outside of mining as a result of all those trends will be just the right amount to offset the large decline in mining investment that we know is coming, so keeping the economy at near full employment," Mr Stevens said.

"The honest truth is that no-one can answer that question with great confidence."

Even then, there's no guarantee that tweaking the stance of policy will resolve any imbalances either fully or quickly.

"Monetary policy has a powerful effect on the general environment but it just cannot fine tune quarterly or even annual pace of demand that well," Mr Stevens said.

"We harbour no illusions of our capacity to do that."

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Malaysian couple to hang for starving maid

A MALAYSIAN couple has been sentenced to hang for murdering their Indonesian maid by starving her to death, according to reports that say she weighed just 26 kilos when she died.

In the latest case of abuse against the legion of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, the High Court ruled on Thursday that 26-year-old Isti Komariyah died of deliberate starvation in June 2011.

Judge Noor Azian Shaari said Fong Kong Meng, 58 and his wife Teoh Ching Yen, 56, consistently withheld food from the young woman during the three years she worked for them.

"She was 26 and weighed barely 26kg when she was taken to the University Malaya Medical Centre with bruises and scratch marks on her back, arms and forehead," The Star newspaper reported.

Isti was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. She had weighed 46 kilos when she first started working for the couple.

The court and the couple's lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment.

Malaysia relies on an estimated two million Indonesians who toil in plantation, construction, factory and domestic work - both legally and illegally.

Allegations of abuse against foreign labourers have included overwork, beatings, sexual abuse and torture.

A Cambodian maid was starved to death in 2012 by her employers, earning them 24 years in jail. Cambodia had stopped sending maids a year earlier over other abuses.

But poor Indonesian women have continued to arrive.

Malaysia has taken some steps towards improving the welfare of domestic workers, including requiring at least one day off per week and nearly doubling minimum monthly salaries to 700 ringgit ($A232).

But activists say it is difficult to enforce these requirements.

The Indonesian embassy estimates 400,000 women work in Malaysia as maids - about half illegally. Indonesian workers account for roughly half of all foreign labourers.

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Political newbie has little to lose

South Australian Opposition Leader Steven Marshall has little to lose heading into the election. Source: AAP

AS a political newbie South Australian Opposition Leader Steven Marshall has almost nothing to lose.

If he manages to lead the Liberals to victory in the March 15 election he will be an instant party hero.

If he loses, then he will remain the most likely candidate to continue to lead the party in opposition.

They surely couldn't dump him after one election and only one year in the leader's chair.

After all, the former businessman, who only entered the parliament in 2010, has done what others before him tried to do and generally failed by uniting the Liberals' often fractured ranks.

When he took over from Isobel Redmond in 2013 he was elected unopposed, and since then, his colleagues have shown him unwavering support.

The problem for the 45-year-old is that, as a first-term MP, he remains a mystery to many South Australians.

To counter that, Mr Marshall has worked hard to raise his profile over the past 12 months keeping up an exhausting schedule of speeches and public appearances.

He's also played it smart on the policy front, coming up with some relatively modest spending promises and focussing most of his attention on Labor's record in office.

As the election campaign rolled on, Mr Marshall released more detail of his plans which gained approval from the business community.

And he's reaped dividends, with the latest Newspoll showing he's the preferred premier by 39 per cent of voters - a gain of 10 points since December - while his rival remains at a steady 40 per cent.

If he has made a mistake it was probably over the decision by Holden to close its local car making operations.

Presumably with his approval, the opposition engaged in a largely do nothing strategy which may have left some voters wondering if the Liberal leader cared if the company stayed or went.

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Hughes 'too old to have sex in a bush'

An alleged victim of Robert Hughes says the actor said he was "far too old to have sex in a bush". Source: AAP

HEY Dad! star Robert Hughes told one of his alleged victims she needed to find a proper place for them to have sex because he was "far too old" to do it in a bush, a court has heard.

Hughes, 65, has pleaded not guilty to 11 sexual and indecent assault charges stemming from allegations he abused five girls in the 1980s and '90s.

Speaking at his trial on Thursday, one of the alleged victims said she had met Hughes in 1988 through work experience when she was 15 years old.

The woman, who cannot be named, said Hughes became interested in her and on one occasion kissed her on the mouth after dropping her home.

"I was grossed out," she said, adding that his teeth were "too smooth", as if he was wearing dentures.

At one point, she alleged Hughes said: "We have taken this as far as we can go. You need to find a place to have sex because I'm far too old to have sex in a bush."

In a bid to ward off his advances, she said she told him: "I'm 15. I'm still under the age of consent."

She said she thought having sex with a man who played a father on TV would be "seen as a gross joke".

Months later, on her 16th birthday, the woman said she received red roses with a card signed 'RH'.

When talking about one of the alleged incidents during cross-examination, Hughes' lawyer, Greg Walsh, suggested to her it never happened.

"That is not true, Mr Walsh, and denial will not make it go away," she replied.

When asked why she apologised after one of the alleged assaults, the woman said: "I was a champion self-blamer and at that time I didn't know about the grooming behaviours that pedophiles used."

The trial continues.

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RBA reluctant to move rates for some time

THE Reserve Bank is reluctant to make a change to the cash rate in the coming months, after its sixth straight decision to leave it at a record low.

"On present indications, the most prudent course is likely to be a period of stability in interest rates," RBA governor Glenn Stevens said in a statement after Tuesday's board meeting, repeating the words he said a month ago.

There were signs the local economy was moving away from the heavy influence of mining investment to being driven by the non-mining sectors, such as home building construction, he said.

"Recent information suggests slightly firmer consumer demand and foreshadows a solid expansion in housing construction," Mr Stevens said.

"Some indicators of business conditions and confidence have shown improvement and exports are rising."

"At the same time, resources sector investment spending is set to decline significantly and, at this stage, signs of improvement in investment intentions in other sectors are only tentative."

HSBC Australia chief economist Paul Bloxham said Mr Stevens' statement showed the RBA planned to keep the cash rate at 2.5 per cent for some time.

"There are no hints here that the RBA is considering cutting interest rates further and we think the RBA's easing phase is done," he said.

One big difference in Mr Stevens' comments on Tuesday from those made after February's board meeting was a re-emergence of frustration about the high Australian dollar.

"The decline in the exchange rate seen to date will assist in achieving balanced growth in the economy, though the exchange rate remains high by historical standards," he said.

The Australian dollar fell almost half a US cent after the RBA's decision to leave the cash rate on hold again, to an intraday low of 89.10 cents.

JP Morgan Australia chief economist Stephen Walters said a resumption of the RBA talking down the Australian dollar might be helpful.

"The February statement a month ago was noticeable for the fact that the board jettisoned previous references to the Australian dollar being uncomfortably high," he said.

"The simultaneous dumping of the easing bias saw the Australian dollar rally four per cent in the days following, something we suspect officials didn't want to see."

Mr Walters said the RBA is in "an unusually complicated policy dilemma".

"Last week's dire capital expenditure data confirmed that the long-awaited transition away from mining investment as the dominant driver of activity remains a work in progress," he said.

Mr Bloxham said he thinks the RBA is confident that record low interest rates and a relatively low Australian dollar will help rebalance the economy.

"The RBA seem to continue to believe that they have already delivered enough stimulus and expect that growth will strengthen over time," he said.

"Our view is that the timely indicators of activity, such as building approvals, retail sales, housing prices and the business surveys are helping to affirm the RBA's view that growth is rebalancing."

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ACCC opposes AGL's NSW power stations buy

The ACCC will oppose energy giant AGL's planned takeover of two NSW power stations. Source: AAP

THE consumer watchdog has opposed AGL Energy's planned $1.5 billion takeover of two NSW government owned power stations.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says the proposed purchase of Macquarie Generation, which owns the Bayswater and Liddell power stations, would substantially lessen competition in the electricity market.

Macquarie Generation accounts for just over a quarter of NSW's energy production.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the acquisition would mean up to 80 per cent of the state's energy generation would be controlled by three companies: AGL, Origin and EnergyAustralia.

"This is likely to raise barriers to entry and expansion for other electricity retailers in NSW and, therefore, reduce competition compared to the situation if the proposed acquisition does not proceed," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Sims said the three companies already had more than 85 per cent of the energy retail market and 95 per cent of the mass market between them.

AGL shares dropped 38 cents, or 2.5 per cent, to $15.05.

In a statement, the company said it was reviewing the reasons for the ACCC's decision and would decide what action to take in due course.

NSW Treasurer Mike Baird said the ACCC decision meant the transaction would not proceed in its current form, and the government would now consider the details of the ACCC review before deciding upon its next step.

He said the government was "not involved in a desperate fire sale" and would not consider a sale unless it exceeded the state's retention value.

"I have always made it very clear we will proceed with the sale of state-owned assets only if it is in the best interests of taxpayers," Mr Baird said in a statement.

He said the sale processes for remaining state-owned energy assets - Green State Power and Delta Electricity's Central Coast power stations Vales Point and Colongra - were ongoing with both expected to conclude in 2014.

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Royal visit to Adelaide shocks Vic oppn

WHY would anyone want to go to Adelaide?

That's the question being asked by Victorian Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews who is disappointed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit the city of churches, but not Melbourne.

The royal couple will visit the northern Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth, which is named after the prince's grandmother on April 23.

Mr Andrews is shocked Melbourne has been snubbed and blames Premier Denis Napthine.

"How is it that we've got to a situation where the royals would rather visit Adelaide than come to Melbourne," he told reporters.

"What is going on in our state that we can't even attract members of the royal family, to come to Melbourne, to come to Victoria when they visit. Who would want to be going to Adelaide. Apparently the royal family do."

Prince William visited Victoria in 2010, touring areas devastated by the previous year's Black Saturday bushfires.

In 2011 the prince visited Victorian towns affected by floods.

Dr Napthine, who was visiting the fire and smoke weary Victorian town Morwell, said he would have loved for the royal family to come to Victoria and possibly boost the morale of Morwell residents, but he was not surprised.

"We in Victoria have been blessed with a number of royal visits, particularly from Prince William over in the last couple of years, Dr Napthine said.

"We'd love to have them and certainly invite them anytime in the future, particularly to visit Morwell."

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Nut grower questions free trade deal snub

AUSTRALIA'S biggest walnut producer will have to wait seven years before it can export to South Korea after walnuts were excluded from a new free trade agreement.

Webster Ltd chief executive John Hosken said no clear reason was given for walnuts being excluded from the Korea Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) announced by the federal government in February.

KAFTA will remove tariffs on almost all of Australia's exports to South Korea, including beef, dairy products, wine, almonds and macadamias - either immediately or over a number of years.

Walnuts, however, will remain subject to a 30 per cent tariff because they were listed as too sensitive, along with rice and honey.

Mr Hosken said no explanation was given for the decision, which was disappointing because South Korea is a major importer of the nuts from the United States under a free trade deal with that country.

"They have claimed sensitive status on walnuts, so I'm absolutely delighted for the (Australian nut) industry but very disappointed that we have missed out," Mr Hosken said.

"We won't be able to make a start there for another seven years."

The exclusion came just as Webster's Walnuts Australia business opened a new, $11 million nut processing facility in Leeton, New South Wales, to produce shelled walnuts.

Walnuts Australia grows about 95 per cent of Australia's walnut crop and in 2013 was named Agribusiness of the Year at the National Export Awards.

Mr Hosken said he will meet with trade minister Andrew Robb in April to seek more information on why the walnut industry missed out in the free trade deal.

The United States increased its shipments of walnuts to South Korea by 21 per cent in 2012 after establishing a free trade agreement, and now counts South Korea as its biggest export market, worth about $US100 million a year.

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