Jailed Greenpeace activist clings to hope

A BRITISH environmental campaigner facing 15 years in a Russian jail for alleged piracy says she is "trying very, very hard not to lose hope".

Greenpeace activist Alexandra Harris has been denied bail following a month in prison for her part in a protest against oil company Gazprom's platform in the Arctic's Pechora Sea.

She is one of the 30 people detained when armed Russian officials boarded their vessel, the Arctic Sunrise, last month.

Those arrested include citizens of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, Finland, France, Sweden, Poland, Turkey and Ukraine and the US.

In a handwritten letter to her parents, the 27-year-old said: "I'm worried about what's going to happen.

"I have moments of feeling panicky but then I try to tell myself there's nothing I can do from in here and what will be will be so it's pointless worrying.

"But it's hard. Surely my future isn't rotting in a prison in Murmansk?! Well, I really hope it isn't."

Appearing in court for her bail hearing on Friday, Harris protested her innocence and said she was proud of Greenpeace's "non-violent, peaceful efforts" to stop oil drilling in the Arctic.

"The only thing that happened was a peaceful protest and I believe the footage and Greenpeace's long history can demonstrate this," she said.

"I'd also like to say that the protest was not directed at Russia - it was solely about Arctic oil and the threat it poses to the climate and the Arctic environment."

Greenpeace says it will not be "daunted" by the piracy charges the environmental campaigners are facing, as supporters held a candlelight vigil in London to mark their 30th day in prison.

The "Arctic 30" and their boat were taken from waters near the port of Murmansk on September 19 after two of them tried to board the rig.

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Opera House gets price tag for birthday

The economic, cultural and digital value of the Sydney Opera House works out at $4.6 billion. Source: AAP

IT'S a priceless national icon, but a new report has put a figure on what the Sydney Opera House means to Australia.

The tourist magnet is worth $4.6 billion - or about $200 per citizen - to the Australian public, according to Deloitte.

Ticket sales, iconic status, digital presence and the unique design were all quantified to come up with the value.

"We all know in our bones how important it is,", Sydney Opera House chief executive Louise Herron said.

"(But) here is the number - this is what we're worth, don't take us for granted."

By putting a price tag on the venue, management can make a stronger case for government funding for upkeep, she said.

"We have this 40-year-old thing which is magnificent, but absolutely needs to be renovated," she said.

Commissioned ahead of the building's 40th anniversary, the report also found the Opera House injects roughly $775 million into the national economy annually.

Jorn Utzon's famed creation rates higher than the national identity on a marketing index of brand esteem, the report says.

"It's slightly counterintuitive that Australia would have as it's symbol a work of art, but we do," Ms Herron said.

Looking ahead, the Opera House is hoping to grow its online presence and digital audience with blogs, live-streaming and social media.

But for now the focus is on birthday festivities, including an anniversary concert on October 20 attended by Danish royals Mary and Frederik.

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US releasing $US1.6bn in Pakistan aid

THE US has quietly decided to release more than $US1.6 billion ($A1.66 billion) in military and economic aid to Pakistan that was suspended when relations between the two countries disintegrated over the covert raid that killed Osama bin Laden and deadly US airstrikes against Pakistani soldiers.

Officials and congressional aides say ties have improved enough to allow the money to flow again.

American and NATO supply routes to Afghanistan are open. Controversial US drone strikes are down. The US and Pakistan recently announced the restart of their "strategic dialogue" after a long pause. Pakistan's new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, is travelling to Washington for talks this coming week with President Barack Obama.

But in a summer dominated by foreign policy debates over the coup in Egypt and chemical weapons attacks in Syria, the US hasn't promoted its revamped aid relationship with Pakistan. Neither has Pakistan.

The silence reflects the lingering mutual suspicions between the two.

The Pakistanis do not like being seen as dependent on their heavy-handed partners. The Americans are uncomfortable highlighting the billions provided to a government that is plagued by corruption and perceived as often duplicitous in fighting terrorism.

Congress has cleared most of the money, which should start moving early next year, officials and congressional aides say.

Over three weeks in July and August, the State Department and the US Agency for International Development informed Congress that it planned to restart a wide range of assistance, mostly dedicated to helping Pakistan fight terrorism.

The US sees that effort sees as essential as it withdraws troops from neighbouring Afghanistan next year and tries to leave a stable government behind.

Other funds focus on a range of items, including help for Pakistani law enforcement and a multibillion-dollar dam in disputed territory.

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