Syria internet 'restored' after blackout

SYRIA'S internet appears to have been restored after a two-day blackout, residents and state media say.

The blackout was blamed by state media on a technical fault, but activists and a watchdog accused the regime of deliberating cutting the connection to shield military operations.

In a breaking news alert, Syrian state television announced internet and communications were back up and running.

Landline phone services between Syrian provinces had also been down since Tuesday, state news agency SANA said.

US tech firms and the US State Department reported the blackout on Tuesday but did not specify any reasons for it. A similar blackout happened last November.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blackout appeared to be a deliberate cut to help regime forces carrying out military operations.

Syria is ranked 176 out of 179 countries in a worldwide press freedom index compiled by international press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

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Nine feared dead in Italy cargo ship crash

NINE people are feared dead after a container ship crashed in Italy's busiest port of Genoa, bringing down a 50-metre control tower in an accident that revived memories of last year's Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster.

The Jolly Nero ploughed into the dock in the night during a standard manoeuvre as it was being steered to exit the port on its way to Naples with a cargo of industrial vehicles and containers.

Some of the victims were thrown into the water, while others were trapped in the tower's lift, which plunged into the sea, emergency workers said.

"Seven people died, four were injured and two are missing," Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi told parliament after visiting the scene of the tragedy.

Earlier media reports that a 50-year-old man, a telephone operator, had been pulled alive from the rubble on Wednesday were not confirmed.

Lupi said there were three possible explanations for the accident: engine failure, a problem with cables used by the two tug boats towing the ship, or bad steering and excessively high speed.

Prosecutors have placed the ship's captain and a port pilot who had been on board during the manoeuvre under investigation for multiple manslaughter and have sequestered the ship.

Prosecutor Michele Di Lecce said investigators were also looking into a possible charge of "attack on transport security" since the control tower oversaw maritime operations for the entire Liguria region of northwest Italy.

"We do not exclude that other people could be placed under investigation," he said.

The Jolly Nero was following protocol by navigating towards the control tower and should have then turned into the open sea to its next port of call but it instead hit the shore.

The crash carried echoes of the Costa Concordia tragedy last year in which 32 people were killed when a luxury liner crashed into a Tuscan island.

The Costa Concordia had been performing a risky "salute" manoeuvre close to the island of Giglio and six people face charges of manslaughter including the captain, Francesco Schettino.

Initial reports suggested the Jolly Nero, built in 1976, had suffered a mechanical failure.

The company's fleet has been involved in a series of incidents around the world in recent years, including in South Africa and Egypt.

A report by Il Fatto Quotidiano daily said the company's ships had been tied to episodes of toxic waste trafficking in the past.

Rescue divers were still searching the inky waters around the port. Others were using dogs trained to find people in earthquake zones to see if any survivors might be trapped under the rubble.

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Union to deliver NBN asbestos report

FEDERAL Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and companies rolling out the $37.4 billion national broadband network (NBN) in Tasmania will receive a report on asbestos issues with the project's construction on Thursday.

Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) official David Mier says up to 85 per cent of contractors working in pits with asbestos do not have the necessary safety training.

Mr Mier says the lack of training by NBN Co contractor Visionstream has left the pits dangerously exposed.

He says work in the pits and ducts should be stopped where workers haven't completed asbestos safety courses.

Workplace safety watchdog Comcare has confirmed it is examining several issues about the Telstra pits.

Network builder NBN Co says it needs more details from the union as to whether the asbestos problems are on its sites.

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US kidnap victim arrives at family home

US kidnap victim Amanda Berry has arrived at her sister's house for an emotional reunion with her family a decade after she became one of three local women to be kidnapped.

Television images of the rear of the home showed someone carrying a small child, thought to be the six-year-old daughter Berry bore during her time as a prisoner of three suspected kidnappers in a house in Cleveland, Ohio.

Shortly after an SUV with darkened windows arrived at the family residence, bedecked in balloons and banners and surrounded by well wishers and reporters, Berry's sister Beth Serrano emerged to make a brief statement.

"I want to thank the public and media for their support and courage over the years. At this time our family would request privacy so my sister and niece and I can have time to recover," she told a thicket of microphones and lenses.

"We appreciate all you have done for us throughout the past ten years. Please respect our privacy until we are ready to make our statements. And thank you," she added, before breaking down in tears.

Berry, 27, her daughter, and Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, were rescued from a nondescript home on Seymour Avenue, Cleveland, on Monday, around ten years after they disappeared in separate incidents.

The occupant of the house, a 52-year-old former school bus driver of Puerto Rican origin, Ariel Castro, has been detained, along with his brothers, Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50. They are expected to be charged later in the day.

When Berry's car drove up, Jessica Duna, a 50-year-old housekeeper who lives in the neighbourhood, said: "Oh my God, it just stopped my heart. It's just sad that her mother isn't here right now. Its heartbreaking."

Posters hanging on the home's front verandah, surrounded by flowers and balloons, declared: "We never lost hope Mandy" and "Welcome home."

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Unemployment to remain steady

THE unemployment rate is expected to have been steady in April although is likely to rise over the next six months.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will release its labour force figures for April on Thursday.

An AAP survey of 14 economists shows a median forecast for the unemployment rate at a steady 5.6 per cent for April with total employment numbers growing by 11,000, which is too low to keep up with population growth.

The participation rate, the percentage of the working age population either employed or looking for a job, is expected to remain at 65.1 per cent.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Australia chief economist Saul Eslake expects the figures to show modest jobs growth, but says the unemployment rate is likely to increase over the coming months due, in part, to the effect of the high Australian dollar.

"As firms start to lift productivity in response to the view that the exchange rate will stay higher for longer, that will result in a gradual trend upwards in unemployment," he said.

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Jordan summons Israel envoy over mufti

JORDAN has summoned Israeli Ambassador Daniel Nevo after MPs unanimously demanded the government expel him following Israel's detention of the mufti of Jerusalem, state media has reported.

Interior Minister Hussein Majali, who is acting foreign minister, summoned Nevo, the official news agency Petra reported.

"These Israeli actions violate international law and obstruct peace efforts. As occupying force, Israel is responsible for preventing such provocations. Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa are a red line," Majali said.

Majali asked Nevo "to convey this message to his government in a very clear way," Petra reported.

The development came after the lower house of parliament "unanimously demanded the government ask the Israeli ambassador to leave Jordan, and recall the Jordanian ambassador in Israel," Walid Obeidat, Petra said.

The non-binding vote came in response to "Israeli occupation measures at Al-Aqsa mosque" in the Old City, in the annexed eastern sector of Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur told MPs his government "views the Israeli violations in a very serious way."

Nsur added that the Jordanian embassy in Tel Aviv "will take all necessary measures to respond to these hideous crimes."

"If things develop, the government will ask the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting."

Israeli police questioned Hussein on Wednesday over a "disturbance" at Al-Aqsa mosque compound a day earlier, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

They released him six hours later without charge.

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US raises concerns over Malaysia poll

THE White House has called on Malaysia to address "concerns" about an election which drew opposition claims of fraud but nevertheless congratulated the governing party's winning candidate.

"We note concerns regarding reported irregularities in the conduct of the election, and believe it is important that Malaysian authorities address concerns that have been raised," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

"We look forward to the outcome of their investigations."

On behalf of President Barack Obama, Carney also congratulated Prime Minister Najib Razak's Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition, which has ruled the country for the last 56 years.

He also noted the record numbers of Malaysians who turned out to vote in the parliamentary polls on Sunday, and opposing parties, as "vibrant opposition is a foundation of democracy."

The White House statement was released as thousands of Malaysians dressed in mourning black gathered to denounce the elections, which they say were stolen through fraud.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to produce evidence from the closest-ever Malaysian polls that he says will show the government is "illegitimate."

The US State Department had on Monday congratulated Barisan for its win but noted "irregularities" in the voting.

But it called on all parties to "peacefully respect the will of the voters."

As part of a new focus on Southeast Asia, the Obama administration has reached out to Najib to improve relations with Malaysia, which were uneasy during the 1981-2003 rule of firebrand Mahathir Mohamad.

Anwar, who spent six years in prison on charges he said were trumped up by Mahathir over a power struggle, has also been a frequent visitor to Washington as he tried to cast himself as a voice of democracy and moderation.

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S.Korea leader proposes peace park

SOUTH Korea's president has proposed an international park on the tense border with North Korea as part of a region-wide peace initiative to put an end to constant cycles of crisis.

In an address to a joint meeting of the US Congress, President Park Geun-Hye warned that the Demilitarised Zone dividing the neighbours was in fact "the most militarised place on the planet" and a risk to the world.

"The Demilitarised Zone must live up to its name, a zone that strengthens the peace, not undermines it," Park said.

"It is with this vision in mind that I hope to work toward an international park inside the DMZ. It will be a park that sends a message of peace to all of humanity," she said.

The proposal, while vague in detail, marks a shift in tone from the newly elected conservative leader who vowed a day earlier with President Barack Obama to take a hard line after months of soaring tensions with North Korea.

The most visible symbol of cooperation between North and South Korea -- the Kaesong industrial park inside the impoverished communist side -- has been suspended amid the democratic South's fears for its citizens' safety.

Park also called for a broader initiative in northeast Asia, where friction involving regional heavyweights China and Japan have also been on the rise.

The South Korean leader called for regional nations to step up cooperation on issue such as environmental issues and disaster relief. She said the United States should take part -- and that North Korea could eventually join.

"We cannot afford to put off a multilateral dialogue process in northeast Asia. Together, the United States and other northeast Asian partners could start with softer issues," she said.

"Of course, North Korea could also be invited to join. If we start where our interests overlap, then later it will be easier to find common ground on the larger challenges," she said.

Park described the proposal as part of her idea of "trustpolitik" -- stabilising relations between the two Koreas -- that she laid out before her election as a way to find a new path to the six-decade-old conflict.

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