World News: China president admits 'lots to be done on human rights'

Chinese president Hu Jintao has acknowledged that "a lot still needs to be done" in China over human rights.

Mr Hu was speaking at a rare joint news conference with US president Barack Obama on the first full day of his state visit to the US.

Asked to justify China's human rights record, Mr Hu said China had "made enormous progress recognised in the world".

Mr Obama said he saw China's "peaceful rise" as good for the United States.

"The US has an interest in seeing hundreds of millions of people lifted out of poverty," Mr Obama said.

Later today, Mr Hu is expected to travel to Chicago, where some predict he will sign a series of trade and investment agreements.

The US is encouraging China to buy tens of billions of dollars of aircraft, car parts, agricultural goods and beef.

Mr Hu was feted at the White House at a star-studded state dinner, to which he was welcomed by Mr Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Mr Hu proposed a toast in which he said the superpower relationship presented more challenges and responsibilities than at any time in history.

Star's like cat who got cream

Anne Hathaway has clawed her way into the latest Batman movie, nabbing the role of Selina Kyle and her alter ego Catwoman for Christopher Nolan's latest superhero saga, The Dark Knight Rises.

She will appear opposite Christian Bale, who is returning as Batman.

Giffords set for rehab

CONGRESS-WOMAN Gabrielle Giffords is to be moved tomorrow to a rehabilitation centre, her family has said.

Ms Giffords, shot in the forehead in a mass shooting in Arizona last week, continues to recover in hospital.

Barring further complications, she will be moved to Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital in Houston, where her husband works for Nasa.

Jared Loughner, 22, has been jailed pending trial for the attack, in which six were killed.

Shocking camel race scam

Dubai undercover agents say they've wrapped up a real sting operation - finding devices that deliver electric shocks to camels to make them run faster in races.

Two men are accused of selling the so-called "shock jockeys." The units allegedly sold for up to 30,000 dirhams (515).

Sand leads to copter rescue

A line scrawled by a villager in the sand helped point airborne searchers to a downed helicopter pilot after his aircraft crashed today into a bay on the coast of northern New Zealand, rescue officials said.

The pilot suffered "semi-shock" but was otherwise unhurt .

Police arrest family of ousted leader

Tunisia: Some 33 members of ousted Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's family have been held, state TV said.

It said that they were arrested as they tried to leave the country.

Australia: A surging river flooded Kerang, in the south-east state of Victoria.

The floods also appeared to have claimed another life when the body of a three-year-old boy was found in floodwaters near his home in Marthaguy, New South Wales.