A WOMAN died yesterday after being attacked by a shark off eastern Australia, a rescue helicopter spokeswoman said.

The unidentified woman, 21, suffered severe injuries when she was mauled by a shark while swimming near North Stradbroke Island, east of Brisbane.

The woman was airlifted to a local hospital where she had to have both arms amputated just below the elbow, Queensland Rescue Helicopter spokeswoman Helen Anderson said. She later died in hospital.

LA now second safest city in US

LOS Angeles's major crime rate dropped 14% last year, making it the second-safest large city in the United States, the LAPD has said.

The city had a reported 140,601 major crimes last year, according to statistics. By comparison, the city had more than 300,000 major crimes in 1992, one of its most violent years.

Japan to launch new satellites

JAPAN plans to send two more spy satellites into orbit by March 2007 to monitor North Korea, according to Japanese media report yesterday.

Kyodo News agency reported that Japan plans to send up two satellites between now and March 2007, citing unnamed government sources.

Austrian jet's forced landing

AN Austrian Airlines jet flying from the Libyan capital, Tripoli, to Vienna made an emergency landing after the aircraft lost power in one of its engines, authorities said today.

The Fokker-70 jet, operated by Austrian Arrows . . . a division of the flag carrier . . . made the landing late on Friday in Graz, 120 miles south of Vienna.

None of the 78 passengers or five crew members was injured, an airline spokesman said. The shaken passengers were put on buses for Vienna.