Hugh Jackman to pick up top film awards

HUGH Jackman is set to be honoured with two top awards at film festivals in Switzerland and Spain next month.

The X-Men star will receive the Golden Icon Award at the Zurich Film Festival, where he will also present his new film Prisoners in the gala premieres section.

Jackman will be presented with the award at a ceremony on September 28.

He will also be feted with the San Sebastian Film Festival's Donostia Award for lifetime achievement on September 27.

Zurich Film Festival director Karl Spoerri said Jackman was in a class by himself as a multi-talented entertainer with a global following.

"There is nothing he can't do and he proves this time and time again with every project he's involved in," Spoerri said in a statement.

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Rudd reiterates: get out of Syria

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has reiterated his warning for Australians to get the hell out of Syria.

the situation in Syria is continuing to evolve and Australia, which is to chair the UN Security Council from Sunday, remains in close consultation with allies around the world, Mr Rudd says.

The United States has released an intelligence report expressing "high confidence" the Syrian regime launched a chemical onslaught in the suburbs of Damascus last week, killing 1429 people, including at least 426 children.

Work in New York on the preparation of a security resolution "is increasingly problematic" because there are a range of views on the council on the best way forward, Mr Rudd told reporters in Darwin on Saturday.

Australia believes there is overwhelming evidence that chemical weapons were used, and that the Syrian regime was responsible, the prime minister said.

"I emphasise again. If there are any Australians currently in Syria just to get the hell out of there. It is not the time to be fooling around," he said.

Mr Rudd said it was critical for Australians in the middle east to pay attention to Australian government travel advisories.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne told reporters in Sydney she did not support the idea of Australia taking presidency of the security council "and then trying to go around the security council to back a pre-emptive strike by the United States".

Opposition leader Tony Abbott has accused Kevin Rudd of exaggerating Australia's role in the Syrian crisis.

The Labor leader hit back, accusing his opponent of a lack of foreign policy experience.

Senator Milne said whoever becomes prime minister of Australia next weekend is going to have an added level of responsibility with the Security Council and presidency of the G20.

"That means Australia has an unprecedented level of involvement and influence," she told reporters in Sydney.

"We've not seen Tony Abbott's capacity in that regard but I'm not going to condemn either of them in that regard because I think everybody knows Australia has to step up."

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Aust 'nastier than Taliban' on refugees

A PROMINENT human rights lawyer has compared the major political parties to the Taliban as he endorsed the re-election of Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young as an alternative voice on refugees.

Speaking to reporters alongside Senator Hanson-Young in Adelaide on Sunday, Julian Burnside QC said it was the first time in his life he had publicly supported a political party.

"I'm doing it because this is the first time in Australia's history that we've seen both major parties promising to outdo each other in cruelty to one group of human beings," he said.

His comments came as Senator Hanson-Young launched the Greens' refugee policy.

She said analysis from the parliamentary budget office showed taxpayers could save $3.2 billion if all offshore detentions centres were shut down, as well as some onshore centres.

The money could instead be used to give asylum seekers work rights so they could contribute to the economy and the community, she said.

"Many Australians want a new way, a more human way, and what we've shown today is that (this) is cost-effective as well as being the right thing to do."

Mr Burnside said Australia's asylum seeker policy had hurt the country in the eyes of civilised nations and it was now regarded as selfish and cruel overseas.

More than half the boat refugees who had arrived in the last 15 years were ethnic Hazara fleeing the Taliban, he said.

"We make ourselves look even nastier than the Taliban so that people won't try to come here," he said.

"Is that the Australia you want to live in?"

The Greens would also put a 30-day limit on the length of time asylum seekers could be kept in detention for health and security checks before being released into the community on bridging visas.

They would also increase Australia's humanitarian intake from 20,000 a year to 30,000.

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Man taken by croc at Top End party

A BIRTHDAY celebration in the Top End has ended in tragedy as a man was attacked by a crocodile and is believed dead.

Police say a 26-year-old Darwin man was celebrating a friend's 30th birthday on Saturday at the Mary River Wilderness Retreat, about halfway between Darwin and Kakadu National Park.

At around 3pm (CST), two male partygoers were swimming across the muddy river when one was grabbed by a five-metre long saltwater crocodile.

"The Mary River is known worldwide to have the greatest saturation of adult saltwater crocodiles in the world. You don't swim in the Mary River," watch commander Geoff Bahnert told AAP.

He said alcohol may have played a part in the decision to take a dip.

"Several of the group in the party witnessed the male being taken in the jaws of the croc for a period of time, and then he was out of sight," he said.

Police and the NT Crocodile Management Team arrived at the lodge and caravan park before last light on Saturday, and an officer shot one of the largest crocs found in the area.

It's not yet known whether it was the attacking crocodile.

"That was to make sure that it wouldn't hamper any rescue attempts - large crocodiles are territorial," Sen Sgt Bahnert said.

The victim's parents and sister drove to the site from Katherine to be briefed by police on what is now most likely a recovery operation.

Police are still taking statements from traumatised witnesses, and dragging the river in search of the body.

"The Mary River is a tidal river, with lots of water movement," Sen Sgt Bahnert said.

"It's 20 hours since he's been missing and he hasn't been located yet.

"We hold the gravest of fears."

The advice to tourists is to come, look, take photographs and stay out of the water.

"We advise people check the water before entering swimming pools - that's how seriously we take water safety in relation to crocodiles," Sen Sgt Bahnert said.

"Any body of water you're going into in the NT, there's the potential for a croc to be in there."

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