US pilot missing in China likely dead

RESCUERS say a missing US stunt pilot who crashed into a lake in northeast China is likely dead.

Divers are continuing to search for the body of David Riggs, a well-known Hollywood stunt pilot. Riggs' Chinese translator died in Tuesday's crash outside the city of Shenyang.

The head rescuer, who gave only his surname Zhang, says parts of Riggs' high-performance single-engine Lancair 320 plane have been recovered, including one of its two seats.

Zhang said the plane had been travelling at high speed and it was almost impossible to survive such an accident.

Reports said Riggs had been attempting a stunt in which the wheels of his plane were to skim the surface of the lake.

Riggs reportedly lost his US licence twice for unauthorised flying activity.

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NT government wants GST to remain at 10%

A HIKE in the GST would be detrimental to Australia's competitiveness in the long run, the Northern Territory treasurer says.

Dave Tollner, of the Country Liberals, says the NT is happy for the GST to remain at 10 per cent, and does not support Western Australian Liberal Premier Colin Barnett in his calls to increase it to 12.5 per cent.

"(It) certainly might help some short term problems but I think in the long run would harm our international competitiveness and be detrimental," Mr Tollner told the ABC on Friday.

"We're taking a position that we want to tighten our belts, we want to reduce spending, at the same time try and maintain services but to get to a position where we live within our means."

But he did call for the federal government to review a Commonwealth Grants Commission decision last year to take $100 million in funding from the NT, saying it was the equivalent to stripping $6 billion from NSW or Victoria.

The decision was based on census data that showed more people in the eastern states identifying as Aboriginal and therefore receiving more federal funding, but a spokesman for the treasurer's office said it didn't consider the unique issue of the NT's vast geography.

"The way it was formulated didn't factor in the huge issue of remoteness, and how socially disadvantaged Aboriginal people are by living in remote areas," the spokesman told AAP.

Otherwise, Mr Tollner said, he was happy with how the GST was being allocated.

Around 80 per cent of the NT's budget comes from the GST.

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Qld doctor accused of hog-tying 13yo boy

A Gold Coast doctor has appeared in court accused of assaulting a child patient in his clinic. Source: AAP

A GOLD Coast doctor has started his 59th birthday by appearing in court after being accused of hog-tying a child in his clinic.

The doctor, a long-serving paediatrician in Southport, is facing two counts of common assault and one count of deprivation of liberty after the incident in October last year.

It's alleged the doctor hog-tied the 13-year-old boy while his mother was present during a consultation.

In a brief mention at the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday, the doctor's case was adjourned until November 11.

The doctor made no comment during the mention.

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Dominic Bird granted bail in Malaysia

PERTH man Dominic Bird has been granted bail in Malaysia but will not be allowed to return to Australia until the outcome of an appeal against his acquittal on drug trafficking charges that carry the death penalty.

The 33-year-old was set free two weeks ago after being found not guilty of supplying 167 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer, but was re-arrested days later, just minutes before his flight to Perth was to depart after prosecutors launched an 11th hour appeal.

But the Malaysian Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed a request by prosecutors that Mr Bird be remanded until the appeal process, which is expected to take at least six months, runs its course.

Mr Bird must first come up with 50,000 Malaysian ringgit ($A16,000) in order to post bail, and will be required to report to police once a week.

He must also surrender his passport.

It's unclear in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday's ruling if Mr Bird will be able to raise the $A16,000.

Prosecutors are yet to detail the grounds on which they will appeal the case, while the circumstances surrounding last week's drama have also prompted accusations from Mr Bird's lawyers that Malaysian authorities conspired to obtain an "unlawful" warrant for his arrest.

Mr Bird's lawyers also argue that, having been declared by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to be a free man, he should be allowed to return to Australia pending the outcome of the appeal.

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