Delays expected as Virgin system crashes

VIRGIN Australia has warned passengers to expect delays and cancellations to flights on Tuesday night following a worldwide computer glitch which crashed the airline's check in service.

Thousands of frustrated passengers are banked up in queues at Sydney airport with Virgin one of several airlines affected by problems with the Sabre booking and check-in system.

A Virgin spokeswoman said the airline had cancelled 35 flights on its domestic and international network and there were currently delays of up to an hour at airports.

The airline said the temporary outage occurred between 2pm (AEST) and 4pm on Tuesday but the disruptions were expected to continue.

It was working with Sabre to get flight back on track.

"We're working to get it back to normal as soon as possible," the spokeswoman told AAP.

The airline has cancelled flights on Tuesday afternoon and is busily arranging accommodation and new travel plans for stranded passengers.

Among the travellers was NSW south coast resident Beverley King, whose 2pm flight to Cairns, to play squash in Great Barrier Reef Games, was cancelled.

She's been waiting at the airport for nearly six hours.

Asked if the airline was looking after her, Mrs King told AAP: "Oh you've got to be kidding!"

Mrs King has to stay with a friend overnight before making a second trek to the airport on Wednesday.

Insurance agent Bodo Lenitschek was also bound for Cairns after a work training trip in Sydney.

"Things happen, it's frustrating, it's taken too long for them to tell us what's going on," he told AAP.

"The staff are friendly enough but no information is coming through."

Welsh backpacker Richie Morgan was looking forward to a few beers in tropical paradise in far north Queensland with his mates.

"It is what it is," he told AAP.

The airline's provided an $8 meal voucher and staff have been handing out water bottles.

Swiss backpacker Noura Imhof and her group of friends had the best seats in the house, sitting on their bags eating chips and playing with their tablets.

Virgin advised passengers to check its website for updates.

People who miss flights on Tuesday will be provided with a full credit for the cost of the flight and customers will be able to change their flight to the same destination to another service until August 13 for free.

Customers stranded overseas may be eligible for hotel accommodation.

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Rudd too sensitive to media: Howard

John Howard has criticised Kevin Rudd (pic) for "whingeing" over a Sydney newspaper front page. Source: AAP

WHEN John Howard opposed the idea of Australia becoming a republic, he knew his view wasn't shared by most of the country's media.

If he didn't, Rupert Murdoch's The Daily Telegraph certainly drilled it home during 1998's Constitutional Convention to nut out a referendum on the issue.

The Sydney News Corp tabloid ran a photo of the former prime minister sitting on his own during the 10 days of deliberations.

The headline?

"Alone on the Queen's bench."

But Mr Howard didn't take it personally.

"It was a very clever headline," he quipped to a lunchtime audience in Sydney on Tuesday.

When petrol prices rose a few years later, the tabloid dressed him and then treasurer Peter Costello up as Middle Eastern oil tycoons.

"They had Peter Costello and me dressed up as Sheikhs, the implication we were responsible."

Mr Howard conceded he's had his ups and downs with the media.

"But you've just got to cop that in Australian politics."

Which is what he says Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should do after the Telegraph led its Monday edition with a full-page photo of Mr Rudd and an editorial under the headline: "Kick this mob out".

Mr Rudd hit back, saying News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch had repeatedly made his political stance clear through his publications and public statements.

Mr Howard said his successor was "sensitive" for "whinging" so early on in an election campaign.

"One of the big mistakes this government made is to single out people in Rupert Murdoch's pretty successful business," he said.

"It's not good for our country, to have political leaders attacking individuals."

There are a healthy range of views in the media, which has more diversity than in the past, Mr Howard said.

"The argument for more control of the media is less now than it's ever been."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on Monday denied the coalition had the support of News Corp.

"Over the years I've copped a fair bit of criticism from News Limited papers along with some support," Mr Abbott told ABC radio.

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Rolf Harris silent after new arrest

ROLF Harris is staying silent in the face of fresh sex abuse allegations after he was arrested for a second time by a UK police taskforce set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

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NZ govt officials put in Fonterra offices

New Zealand's PM says there are "gaps" in the information Fonterra has provided to the government. Source: AAP

NEW Zealand government officials will be stationed in Fonterra's offices to get to the bottom of a whey contamination scandal.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has been sent to Auckland for meetings with Fonterra bosses, and officials from the Ministry for Primary Industries have been put into the dairy giant's offices to get "absolute clarity" about the problem, Prime Minister John Key says.

There are "gaps" in the information Fonterra has provided to the government.

Mr Key says he doesn't believe Fonterra is deliberately withholding information, but the breadth of the problem appears to be wider than originally thought.

A ministerial response team has been established for a whole-of-government approach to the issue, and Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye will meet with grocery sector representatives on Monday night, after MPI advised consumers to avoid two infant formula products made by Nutricia.

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Hong Kong stocks rise 0.14% by close

HONG Kong stocks have risen 0.14 per cent, following a late surge on Wall Street that saw US stocks end at a record high last week despite weaker-than-expected jobs growth.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index on Monday gained 31.04 points to 22,222.01 on turnover of $HK42.37 billion ($A6.16 billion).

Investors were looking ahead to a semi-annual earnings report from British banking giant HSBC where shares closed up 0.8 per cent at $HK89.55, accounting for nearly all of the index's gains.

Shortly after the market closed the British bank announced its half-year net profits had jumped 22 per cent to $US10.28 ($A11.59) billon on lower costs and falling bad-debt charges.

The stock "looks much more expensive than the mainland banks but considering the transparency and uncertainties on the latter, (I'd) rather hold the global bank", said Kim Eng investment advisory head Edward Fung.

Shares in China Modern ended near a two-month high at $HK2.59, while Biostime rose 9.8 per cent to $HK43.35 and China food giant Want Want fell 3.2 per cent to $HK10.16.

Chinese shares closed up 1.04 per cent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 21.06 points to 2,050.48 on turnover of 73.3 billion yuan ($A13.53 billion).

The government said last week that its official purchasing managers' index, a gauge of manufacturing activity, rose to 50.3 in July from 50.1 in June, in a positive sign for recovery.

Chinese authorities had also introduced measures, including tax reductions on small firms and speeding up infrastructure investment, to boost its economy.

"Market expectations were not as pessimistic as earlier and the government has made clear of its policy stance to stabilise economic growth, so there's upward momentum," BOC International analyst Shen Jun told AFP.

Dairy producers led gains on hopes a scandal involving tainted whey products from New Zealand industry giant Fonterra could turn customers toward domestic brands.

Beijing Sanyuan Foods jumped 4.75 per cent to 6.62 yuan while Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group gained 3.06 per cent to 37.09 yuan.

Locomotive car makers were higher after the country's top economic planner said over the weekend it sped up approvals for some urban rail projects in the first half.

China CNR Corp advanced 2.28 per cent to 4.49 yuan while CSR Corp rose 1.71 per cent to 4.17 yuan.

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Iran leader names technocrats to cabinet

PRESIDENT Hassan Rowhani has unveiled a cabinet of technocrats to help him tackle the formidable challenges of shoring up Iran's economy and opening up dialogue with the West over Tehran's controversial nuclear drive.

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Mugabe faces growing fallout from election

ROBERT Mugabe looked to a seventh term as Zimbabwe's president after winning elections denounced by the opposition as "stolen" and criticised by Western powers.

Mugabe, 89, who has run the country since he helped end white rule in 1980, trounced his long-standing political rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, in Wednesday's election, Zimbabwean election officials said.

By the time he completes his new tenure, he will have ruled the former British colony in southern Africa for 38 years.

Official results showed Mugabe won 61 per cent of the presidential vote and his party got a super majority in parliament that will allow it to change the constitution. He routed Tsvangirai who trailed heavily with 34 per cent.

But 61-year-old Tsvangirai, who has unsuccessfully tried to unseat Mugabe three times, condemned the vote as "fraudulent and stolen".

The reaction in the Sunday press was divisive with state-controlled newspaper The Herald proclaiming "President Mugabe romps to victory", while the independent Daily News said "It's a crisis".

US Secretary of State John Kerry meanwhile described the election as "deeply flawed" and said the US "does not believe that the results ... today represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague added his own "grave concerns" over the conduct of the vote in the former colony.

On Sunday, Australia called for Zimbabwe to go to the polls again.

"Given our doubts about the results, Australia calls for a re-run of the elections based on a verified and agreed voters roll," Foreign Minister Bob Carr said in a statement.

Tsvangirai vowed to challenge the result in court and said his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) would boycott government institutions.

"We will not join government," he said. "We will go to court."

"The fraudulent and stolen election has plunged Zimbabwe into a constitutional, political and economic crisis."

With gentler assessments from African observers who nonetheless noted flaws, President Jacob Zuma of powerful neighbour South Africa offered his "profound congratulations" to Mugabe on Sunday.

"President Zuma urges all political parties in Zimbabwe to accept the outcome of the elections as election observers reported it to be an expression of the will of the people," a foreign ministry statement said.

Tsvangirai has been in a coalition with Mugabe since 2009. He defended the decision then to enter into an uneasy power-sharing government with Mugabe, who has had him arrested, beaten and charged with treason.

"Our participation rescued this country. Schools had closed, hospitals had closed. We were using the Zimbabwe dollar which was worthless, there were no goods in the shops, everyone was desperate," he said.

But Mugabe's ZANU-PF party says there is no more need for the MDC in the new government.

"We have received over 60 per cent of the vote, we have two thirds majority, why would we want to bring someone else on board," State Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi said to AFP.

The MDC now has until Wednesday to present evidence of fraud to the high court, but finding a smoking gun may prove difficult. Inauguration is expected within 48 hours of the court's decision.

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Boy found after night in SA bush

A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy survived a night in the bush south of Adelaide by sleeping under a tree.

Simon Kruger wandered off from a family picnic in the Deep Creek Conservation Park on early on Saturday afternoon, sparking a massive search and rescue effort.

He spent a night in the bush before being found safe and well at around midday (ACST) on Sunday.

Simon was found about half a kilometre from his family's campsite with only a few minor scratches.

His first words to father Etienne upon being reunited were, "Dad I'm okay - I slept under a tree and there were kangaroos".

Mr Kruger said the family were thrilled to see Simon again.

"Ecstatic, we're over the moon," he told The Advertiser.

"I couldn't survive another night without him."

Mr Kruger thanked the huge search party who had volunteered to help.

"He left a quiet picnic and came back to a large crowd," he said.

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Nauru signs up to Rudd's stop boats plan

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced a new refugee plan with the Pacific Island nation of Nauru. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has announced a new agreement with the Pacific Island nation of Nauru, which like Australia's deal with Papua New Guinea, will deny asylum seekers the chance to resettle in Australia.

But the Opposition says it's just a ploy to win votes.

Mr Rudd and the president of the Republic of Nauru, Baron Waqa, signed the memorandum of understanding at a press conference in Brisbane on Saturday.

The deal supercedes the one struck between the nations last year and allows for asylum seekers to not only be processed in the Pacific Island nation, but also to be settled there.

"No matter where people smugglers try to land asylum seekers by boat in Australia, they will not be settled in Australia," Mr Rudd told reporters.

"This is our core principal."

The Nauru agreement is similar to the deal struck with Papua New Guinea's prime minister, Peter O'Neill, two weeks ago and is the latest salvo in Mr Rudd's tough new approach to asylum seekers.

Immigration Minister Tony Burke attended Saturday's announcement and agreed the number of asylum seekers sent to Nauru would be small.

They would comprise families or unaccompanied minors and a new site to house them had been chosen, he said.

The most urgent priority though was expanding the capacity of the island nation's prison, he said.

Australia will provide $29.9 million in aid to Nauru in 2013-2014 under the plan.

A further $17 million will be spent on rebuilding the prison, which was damaged in a recent riot on the island.

Funds from a contingency reserve will also be allocated according to the number of refugees Nauru accepts.

Mr Burke flagged the possibility of reaching similar deals concerning refugees with other nations in the region.

"I'm prepared to say there are other countries who have raised this with us as well," he said.

"There are a number of countries within the region who have signed the convention and who have a genuine commitment to wanting to take a regional approach, and if we're able to reach agreements with them then we will."

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the plan was "elaborate staging" by Labor with no real substance.

"Nauru will play no real role in offshore processing arrangements for the foreseeable future under Labor," he said in a statement on Saturday.

"This announcement is just a patch-up for the devastation of the riots that cost taxpayers up to $60 million and was allowed to occur on Labor's watch."

The Australian Greens said the government had hit a new low on refugee policy.

"This is just more cruelty at the cost of Australia's generous heart and it is trashing our global reputation," Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said in a statement on Saturday.

"It seems there is no limit to the cruelty that either Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbott are prepared to inflict on refugees in their race to bottom as they race to the polls."

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