Plane catches fire landing in Nepal

AN Indian jetliner with 170 people on board has caught fire while landing in Nepal's capital, but there were no casualties reported.

The right wheels of the Airbus 320 operated by budget airline Indigo caught fire during the landing and passengers were quickly evacuated through emergency doors, said Rishikesh Sharma, chief of Tribhuwan International Airport in Katmandu.

Sharma said emergency workers responded quickly to control the fire. Officials were investigating the incident.

Nepalese businessman Satish Shrestha, who was aboard the plane with his daughter, said passengers were complaining of a "rubber burning-like smell" even before the aircraft landed.

Shrestha, who regularly flies the route, said the plane was flying too low before landing.

Officials refused to give details, saying the incident was still being investigated.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man bashed with tyre iron in home invasion

Emergency crews were called to a Mount Street address about 3.30pm after a 53-year-old man was assaulted. Source: Supplied

A MAN who was brutally assaulted in his Nerang home is being treated for head injuries at the Gold Coast University Hospital.

Emergency crews were called to a Mount Street address about 3.30pm after a 53-year-old man was assaulted in a possible home invasion.

A witness who wished to remain anonymous said the man was assaulted with a tyre iron.

"A girl and a guy turned up and kicked the door down…[they] have just gone in with the tyre iron and belted this guy. " the witness said.

According to the witness, the offenders hit the man five times with the weapon before decamping in a vehicle.

"So I called the cops and I've come out to see them jump in the car yelling out 'next time we'll kill you'."

"I've gone in there and he's come stumbling out with a big hole in his head basically and there's just blood everywhere," the witness said.

According to the witness, the altercation was sparked over an existing dispute over a motorbike.
Investigations are continuing.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australians on board missing plane

A search and rescue mission is underway for a Malaysia Airlines flight, which has lost contact with air traffic control.

Flight with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board missing ... Malaysia Airlines service bound for Beijing lost. Source: Supplied

• Beijing-bound flight from Kuala Lumpur
• Plane lost contact at 5.40am AEDT
• 239 passengers missing, inclduing six Australians
• DFAT hotline: 1300 555 135 or 02 6261 3305

SIX Australians including two couples from Queensland one couple from New South Wales are missing and feared dead in a Malaysia Airlines crash in the waters off Vietnam.

Brisbane couples Rodney and Mary Burrows and Catherine and Robert Lawton of Springfield Lakes are believed to be friends travelling together.

Neighbours of the Lawtons described them as a lovely couple.

Caroline Daintith, who had lived across the road from the Lawtons for years, said travel was a big part of the couples' lives.

The couple from Sydney have been identified as Li Yuan and Gu Naijun.

On board the flight ... Catherine and Robert Lawton of Springfield Lakes. Picture: Facebook Source: Facebook

They are among the 239 people on board a Malaysia Airlines flight that lost contact with air traffic control and may have gone down in the Gulf of Thailand.

The Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200 aircraft, lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 5.40am (AEST).

"The flight was carrying 227 passengers (including two infants), 12 crew members," the airline said in a statement.

Malaysia Airlines said the passengers were from 14 different countries. Initial reports stated seven passengers were Australians but a subsequent statement from the airline put the number at six. Two were from New Zealand.

Raw ... in Beijing, a woman in tears is helped by airport workers to a bus waiting for relatives of the missing passengers. Picture: Han Guan Ng Source: AP

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government "fears the worst" for those aboard the flight, and that they had so far confirmed the names of six Australians on the flight's passenger manifest.

"Our sympathies are with the families and friends of these Australians. We also extend our condolences to the families of the other passengers and to the governments of all those countries affected, in particular China, Indonesia and Malaysia who had significant numbers of nationals on this flight.

"Australian consular officials are in contact with family members living in Australia of those believed to be on the flight and will continue to provide the families with all possible consular assistance," the spokesperson said.

The world waits ... A spokesperson, right, from the Malaysia Airlines speaks to the media at a hotel in Beijing. Picture: Andy Wong Source: AP

"Australian consular officials are in urgent and ongoing contact with Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia Airlines has advised that it is contacting relatives of the passengers on the flight."

The airline has established a call centre – phone +60 37884 1234 – for those seeking more information.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 24 hour Consular Emergency Centre is contactable on 1 300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 (if calling from overseas).

A total of 153 passengers were Chinese nationals.

There were also 38 from Malaysia, 12 from Indonesia, three from France, two from New Zealand, four from the USA, two from Ukraine, two Canadians, two Russians, one Italian, one from Taiwan, one from The Netherlands and one from Austria.

Grim news ... Malaysian Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya addresses the media near Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana Source: AFP

Reports on Twitter appeared to show a full list of names of passengers on board the flight, but its veracity had not been confirmed.

Pham Hien, a Vietnamese search and rescue official, said the last signal detected from the plane was 120 nautical miles (225 kilometers) southwest of Vietnam's southernmost Ca Mau province, which is close to where the South China Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand.

Lai Xuan Thanh, director of Vietnam's civil aviation authority, said air traffic officials in the country never made contact with the plane.

The plane "lost all contact and radar signal one minute before it entered Vietnam's air traffic control,'' Lt. Gen. Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of the Vietnamese army, said in a statement issued by the government.

Malaysia and Vietnam have launched searches for a missing Malaysia Airlines jet.

The South China Sea is a tense region with competing territorial claims that have led to several low-level conflicts, particularly between China and the Philippines. That antipathy briefly faded as nations of the region rushed to aid in the search, with China dispatching two maritime rescue ships and the Philippines deploying three air force planes and three navy patrol ships to help.

"In times of emergencies like this, we have to show unity of efforts that transcends boundaries and issues,'' said Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, commander of the Philippine military's Western Command.

The ministry launched a rescue effort to find the plane, working in coordination with Malaysian and Chinese officials, the statement added.

Malaysian authorities dispatched a plane, two helicopters and four vessels to search seas off its east coast in the South China Sea, said Faridah Shuib, a spokeswoman for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

The Philippines said it was sending three navy patrol boats and a surveillance plane to help efforts.

Yahoo News quoted local newspaper reports that the Vietnamese Navy said the plane went down into the sea about 153 miles south of Phu Quoc Island, just off the coast of the Vietnamese / Cambodian border.

Other media outlets reported that the Chinese Navy had deployed two vessels to the South China Sea to search for the missing plane.

"Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their search and rescue team to locate the aircraft," Malaysia Airlines said.

Whatever happened to the flight, Indonesia-based independent aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman said the clock was ticking on a "24-hour golden window'' for search and rescue efforts.

"You can't assume that there are no survivors, and if there are any, it is absolutely crucial that they are picked up within a day, or the chances of survival drops significantly,'' he said.

Search and rescue under way ... a map of the Malaysia Airlines flight's approximate flight path to Beijing. Source: Supplied

China's state news agency reported that the Malaysia Airlines aircraft lost contact over Vietnam while an unconfirmed report on a flight tracking website said the aircraft had plunged 200m and changed course shortly before all contact was lost.

The route would have taken the plane across the Malaysian mainland in a north easterly direction and then across the Gulf of Thailand.

Grief ... A possible relative cries at the Beijing Airport. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

Chinese news agency Xinhua quoted Chinese aviation authorities saying the plane did not enter China's air traffic control sphere.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement: "We are very concerned learning this news."

"We are contacting relevant authorities and are trying to confirm relevant information.''

The vice president of Malaysia Airlines told CNN that the missing plane had enough fuel for seven hours.

In shock ... A woman, center, surrounded by media covers her mouth on her arrival at a hotel which is prepared for relatives or friends of passengers aboard the missing plane, in Beijing. Picture: Andy Wong Source: AP

Malaysia Airlines' Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement: "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am earlier this morning bound for Beijing."

MORE: PLANE CRASHES THAT CHANGED AVIATION HISTORY

MORE: MAJOR AIR DISASTERS SINCE 2009

Seven Australians have been confirmed to be on board a Malaysian Airlines flight which has gone missing.

"The aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30am local Beijing time (9.30am AEST).

"Subang Air Traffic Control reported that it lost contact at 2.40am (local Malaysia time) today.

"Flight MH370 was operated on a Boeing B777-200 aircraft," he said.

"The flight was carrying a total number of 239 passengers and crew — comprising 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members. The passengers were of 13 different nationalities."

Recording the grief ... media hover over a possible relative of a passenger on the Malaysia Airlines flight. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

The pilot was 53 year old captain Zahari Ahmad Shah, who joined the airline in 1981 and had over 18,000 flying hours.

"Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft," Mr Yahya said..

"We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am earlier this morning bound for Beijing.

"Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew.

"Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilise its full support.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members."

Fearing the worst ... Chinese police stand beside the arrival board showing the flight MH370 (top red) at Beijing Airport. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

Follow Malaysia Airlines on the incident on Facebook

Fuad Sharuji, Malaysian Airlines' vice president of operations control, told CNN that the plane was flying at an altitude of 35,000 feet (10,670 meters) and that the pilots had reported no problem with the aircraft.

Finding planes that disappear over the ocean can be very difficult. Aeroplane "black boxes'' - the flight data and cockpit voice recorders - are equipped with "pingers'' that emit ultrasonic signals that can be detected underwater.

Under good conditions, the signals can be detected from several hundred miles away, said John Goglia, a former member of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. If the boxes are trapped inside the wreckage, the sound may not travel as far, he said. If the boxes are at the bottom of an underwater trench, that also hinders how far the sound can travel. The signals also weaken over time.

Air France Flight 447, with 228 people on board, disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio de Janiero to Paris on June 1, 2009. Some wreckage and bodies were recovered over the next two weeks, but it took nearly two years for the main wreckage of the Airbus 330 and its black boxes to be located and recovered.

The Malaysia Airlines plane, registration 9M MRO, is thought to have been a regular on routes to Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Auckland.

A flight tracking website shows images of the plane descending at Kingsford-Smith airport in Sydney in 2010.

Showing the strain ... a Malaysian policeman stands guard outside a reception centre for family and friends at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana Source: AFP

The Malaysian Airlines flight was not the only air traffic incident to happen on Saturday.

An Indian jetliner with 170 people on board caught fire while landing in Nepal's capital, but there were no casualties reported.

The right wheels of the Indigo Airbus 320 caught fire during the landing and passengers were quickly evacuated through emergency doors.

Officials said the plane, which was arriving from New Delhi, was flying too low before landing.

Fearing bad news ... a woman talks on the phone at a reception centre for families and friends of passengers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana. Source: AFP

Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier of Malaysia and one of Asia's largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.

Malaysia Airlines has 15 777 planes in the fleet and is an experienced operator of this type of aircraft.

Aviation Week reported that the missing plane was a 777-2H6ER with tail number 9M-MRO and serial number 28420. It had been built in 2002 and had been used by Malaysian Airlines since that time.

The last major crash of Malaysia Airlines flight was in 1995, when a Fokker 50 (9M-MGH) crashed during approach in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia, killing 34 people.

In 1977, a Malaysia Airlines flight was hijacked and crashed in Tanjung Kupang, Johor, Malaysia, killing all 100 people aboard.

Anyone wanting more information on the flight should call the airline on +60-378841234.

If you have any information that is relevant to this story, please email paul.tatnell@news.com.au.

Commercial flight missing ... The image from @flightaware shows the last known track of flight MH370 over southern Asia. Picture: Flightaware.com Source: Supplied

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fuel tanker in head-on highway smash

A FUEL tanker is on fire after it collided head-on with another vehicle between Mackay and Emerald.

The smash occurred just before 7pm with emergency crews closing the Peak Downs Highway.

Initial information suggests there are several people requiring medical attention.

More to come.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sarkozy under court wiretap

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy's mobile phone has reportedly been under a wiretap. Source: AAP

FORMER French president Nicolas Sarkozy's mobile phone has been under a wiretap for nearly a year as part of an investigation into campaign financing, according to reports.

Le Monde newspaper reported on Friday that Sarkozy and two of his former interior ministers were placed under wiretap in April 2013 as part of the investigation into allegations his 2007 presidential campaign was partly financed by Libyan dictator Moamer Gaddafi.

The recordings reportedly revealed that a top prosecutor was using his access to confidential court documents to brief Sarkozy on another affair in which he was implicated - the Bettencourt affair.

Sarkozy was charged last year with exploiting elderly L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt in order to obtain contributions towards his 2007 election campaign.

The charges were later dropped but Sarkozy is still trying to contain the fallout by contesting the legality of the seizure of his presidential-era diaries.

Le Monde said the wiretaps showed that a public prosecutor who was not involved in the Bettencourt case, but who has access to judicial documents, secretly briefed Sarkozy's lawyer on which way the Court of Cassation was leaning on the matter of the diaries.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sydney crash victim gets $251,000 damages

AN aspiring fashion designer has been awarded more than $251,000 in damages after a car hit her when she was attempting to cross a Sydney highway.

Helen Kamateros had been at the St George Leagues Club with two friends on November 11, 2005 to celebrate finishing her high school certificate exams.

Ms Kamateros, then 18, and her friends left the club to catch a bus from the opposite side of the Princes Highway at Kogarah.

However, a car struck Ms Kamateros as she crossed the road.

She launched a claim for damages in the NSW District Court in 2008 submitting the driver breached a duty of care.

In a decision handed down on Friday, the district court found in Ms Kamateros' favour and rejected driver Belinda Monk's claim there was nothing she could do.

According to the judgment, Ms Kamateros was behind a friend in crossing the road and was in the third lane, closest to the median strip, when the car struck her.

She told the court her friend suggested they cross the road as a bus would arrive soon, but denied she was hurried.

The trio had crossed the highway 60 metres south of a intersection with traffic lights.

Ms Monk told police on the night of the crash, she had been driving through a green light and saw three girls running across the road in front of her.

"There was one girl in each lane and there was nothing I could do," Ms Monk said in a statement to police.

"I applied my brakes but couldn't turn away or try and avoid them otherwise I would have hit all of them."

However, Judge Phillip Mahony SC did not accept the Ms Monk's submission.

"I therefore find that the defendant was driving at a speed which was excessive in the circumstances and in a manner that she was unable to avoid the plaintiff," he wrote in his decision.

"She therefore breached her duty of care to the plaintiff."

The judgment stated Ms Kamateros finished a TAFE course in 2009 in fashion design and had been working at the Johanna Johnston bridal boutique in Paddington.

She told the court she enjoyed working for the boutique but had to leave the job in 2010 because of back pain and headaches.

Ms Kamateros has had extensive physiotherapy for ongoing problems with her jaw, knee and lower back, the judgment stated.

The damages to be awarded were based on the assumption that but for her injury, Ms Kamateros would have had the opportunity to operate her own fashion business if she chose to.

After a reduction of 40 per cent due to contributory negligence, Ms Kamateros will be awarded $251,785.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

NSW teacher arrested after child porn find

A Sydney school teacher has been charged after police uncovered child abuse material at his home. Source: AAP

A PRIMARY school teacher has been charged after police uncovered child abuse material at a home west of Sydney.

After receiving a tip-off, detectives raided the man's home in the Lithgow suburb of Oaky Park on Friday.

Police say a number of electronic devices were seized and child abuse material had been allegedly stored on some devices.

The teacher, 41, was arrested at a nearby shopping centre.

He has been charged with child abuse material possession and using a carriage service for child pornography.

He was granted bail to appear in Lithgow Local Court on March 27.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man struck by lightning in Sydney's west

A man has been struck by lightning as severe thunderstorms sweep across Sydney. Source: AAP

A MAN has been struck by lightning as severe thunderstorms sweep across Sydney.

A NSW Fire and Rescue spokesman said the 65-year-old man was struck outside his home in Baulkham Hills, in northwest Sydney, at 5pm on Friday.

Fire fighters administered first aid to the man, who was conscious but disoriented, the spokesman said.

He has been taken to hospital.

There is a severe thunderstorm warning in place for parts of Sydney, particularly the western suburbs.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Melbourne siblings, 15 and 3, go missing

A THREE-YEAR-OLD boy and his teenage sister have gone missing from Melbourne's north.

Paris, 15, and Corey Prince were last known to be at their home in Reservoir on Monday.

Police have been told the siblings are with a male family member but are concerned for the children's welfare given their age and the ability of the family member to care for them.

Despite searching a number of locations the children have not been found and anyone who sees them is urged to call triple-zero.

Paris has coloured hair and a slim build, while Corey has brown hair.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kelly family hand over Kings Cross CCTV

THE family of coward punch victim Thomas Kelly hope a new CCTV camera in Kings Cross will make people think twice before orchestrating a violent attack.

The Thomas Kelly Foundation was established following the 18-year-old's death in 2012.

Thomas was fatally punched while walking through Kings Cross with friends.

Last year Daniel Christie was punched on the same stretch of road.

He died in hospital from critical head injuries.

The foundation, established by Thomas' parents Ralph and Kathy Kelly, and the City of Sydney have funded a CCTV camera in Victoria Street to cover the spot where Thomas and Daniel lost their lives.

The Kelly family handed over the new camera on Friday.

Mr Kelly said he saw CCTV cameras as a preventative measure.

"Whilst they won't stop the assaults occurring by themselves, if it makes some people think twice before committing a violent attack, then they have an important role to play," he said in a statement.

Mr Kelly said the arrest of Thomas' attacker was supplemented by hours of vision from CCTV cameras.

The City of Sydney has a plan to install 10 extra CCTV cameras at night spots around Surry Hills, Kings Cross and the CBD.

The new cameras will be monitored 24 hours a day at the city's Security and Emergency Operations Centre at Town Hall.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cootes Transport faces NSW ban: govt

THE trucking company involved in a fatal Sydney fuel tanker crash that supplies NSW service stations with almost half of their fuel is facing a state-wide ban.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay said Cootes Transport had shown a "blatant disregard for safety" and now had 14 days to explain why its trucks shouldn't be suspended or banned from travelling on NSW roads.

His announcement came after two people were killed and five injured in October 2013, when a Cootes tanker rolled on its side, burst into flames and collided with several cars on Mona Vale Road in Sydney's north.

"I have lost confidence in this company as an operator of dangerous goods movements on NSW roads," Mr Gay told parliament on Thursday.

"Enough is enough."

Cootes' parent company McAleese Group said it was surprised by the minister's announcement, considering it was already in the process of winding back most of its NSW operations.

Cootes supplies about 45 per cent of the state's fuel, but having recently failed to renew key contracts with BP and Shell, that number will fall dramatically in the coming months.

A McAleese spokesman said the company took its safety responsibilities "extremely seriously" and would respond to the government's concerns within the two weeks given to it.

The government in February called for Cootes' 400-strong NSW fleet to be re-inspected after problems were found in a number of trucks during routine checks.

Of about 320 vehicles checked, only 179 had not received a formal warning or defect notice, Mr Gay said.

"The community deserves to feel safe on our roads and this blatant disregard for safety will not be tolerated," he said.

The opposition's roads spokesman Walt Secord said while Labor supported the minister's announcement, it was concerned for drivers who now face "possible unemployment".

Caltex, which relies on Cootes to transport about 50 per cent of its fuel supply, said trucks should only be taken off the road if they fail regulatory checks.

Colin Long, from the Service Station Association, said a Cootes' ban could seriously impact major oil brands.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Niger hands over Gaddafi son to Libya

Niger has turned dictator Muammar Gaddafi's son Al-Saadi (Pic) over to Libyan authorities. Source: AAP

NIGER has turned a son of the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi over to Libyan authorities, the Tripoli government said Thursday, as a government-allied militia released pictures of him in captivity.

The government said al-Saadi Gaddafi, who fled across the Sahara desert to Niger during the 2011 uprising that saw rebels capture and kill his father, ending his four-decade dictatorship, was in Libyan custody.

The Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade, a militia made up of former rebels, released pictures on Facebook of al-Saadi in a blue jumpsuit getting his head shaved.

The Libyan government said he would be held in accordance with "international standards regarding the treatment of prisoners."

Al-Saadi Gaddafi was best known as the head of Libya's football federation and a player who paid his way into Italy's top division.

Interpol had issued a "Red Notice" for him, for "allegedly misappropriating properties through force and armed intimidation when he headed the Libyan Football Federation."

Libya had repeatedly called for the extradition of al-Saadi from Niger, which had granted him asylum since September 2011 on "humanitarian" grounds, saying it had insufficient guarantees Libya's new rulers would give him a fair trial.

Three of Gaddafi's sons were killed in the 2011 uprising, including Mutassim, who was killed by rebels on the same day as his father.

Several key members of the Gaddafi clan have survived however, including Gaddafi's erstwhile heir apparent Seif al-Islam, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court but detained by a militia in Libya.

Former Libyan Olympic Committee chief Muhammad, and Hannibal, who made headlines with his scandal-packed European holidays, are believed to be in Algeria, as is the fallen tyrant's daughter Aisha.

Around 30 senior regime officials are believed to have crossed into Niger at the same time as al-Saadi but the authorities in Niamey have not said how many remain in the country.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM's comments rile Tasmanian leaders

Tasmania's leaders have clashed over PM Tony Abbott's controversial comments on forestry. Source: AAP

TASMANIA'S leaders have clashed in a pre-election debate over Prime Minister Tony Abbott's claim that too much Australian forest has been "locked up".

Mr Abbott made the comments at a forestry industry gathering this week, 10 days out from the Tasmanian poll.

The federal government has already moved to wind back World Heritage areas in Tasmania that are part of an historic peace deal between conservationists and the timber industry.

Premier Lara Giddings has defended the agreement, which Liberal opposition leader Will Hodgman has promised to tear up if, as expected, he wins government on March 15.

Ms Giddings says the deal, which took almost three years to negotiate, should not be tampered with.

"Forestry is a critical industry in Tasmania but it cannot be part of the war and conflict we had in the past," the premier said.

But Mr Hodgman said parts of the 74,000 hectares the federal government has asked UNESCO to jettison had been logged previously and could be used to revitalise the state's ailing forestry sector.

"They can in fact then be productive forests available to the industry that's been deprived of a resource," he said.

"It's costing jobs and it's not allowing our forestry industry the capacity to grow."

The Liberals have pledged to get more tourists into Tasmania's World Heritage areas and say they will boost eco-tourism developments in national parks.

"It's too easy to say 'no' to these things," Mr Hodgman said.

"Why can't we be more like New Zealand?"

In a lacklustre third debate of the campaign, questions came from some of the 100 voters present in the Hobart Town Hall as part of a live television broadcast.

There were emotional pleas about provision of services from the carer of a disabled daughter and angst from a jobseeker who described a recent knock-back.

After the first debate was widely called as a draw, Ms Giddings went on the offensive with interjections in the second and was considered the winner.

The premier had less latitude to get on to the front foot in the third but an exit poll awarded her a win.

Only one moment drew applause and it had little to do with Tasmania.

Asked about the plight of asylum seekers on Manus Island, both leaders said they would welcome more refugees to the state.

Ms Giddings called for the reopening of the Pontville detention centre north of Hobart.

"We believe that we ought to have a humane approach to these people who need someone to stand by them," she said, to claps from the audience.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two possible cyclones track towards Qld

TWO tropical lows tracking toward north Queensland could form into cyclones and cross the mainland, forecasters say.

The Bureau of Meteorology says there's a high chance a low pressure system between PNG and the Solomon Islands, about 1000km northeast of Cairns, will form into a cyclone in the Coral Sea on Saturday.

Forecaster David Grant he says it's difficult to predict whether the storm will cross the Queensland coast and where it might cross as it's moving at such a slow rate.

"At the moment we couldn't rule it out as it's still a fair way offshore but it is moving towards the Queensland coast," he told AAP on Thursday.

"But if that is the case it's still a few days away from occurring."

On Thursday afternoon the system was moving about 20km/h in a southwest direction.

Mr Grant says residents between St Lawrence and Cairns should expect heavy rain and high hinds over the weekend.

If it forms into a cyclone it will likely be called Gillian.

Mr Grant says there's a moderate chance another weak tropical low off the Top End could form into a cyclone as it nears western Cape York on Sunday.

The system will bring heavy rain and strong winds to areas north of Weipa and the Torres Strait Islands over the weekend and early next week, he says.

There have been four cyclones in the region so far this wet season.

Cyclone Dylan made landfall between Airlie Beach and Bowen on January 31 as a category two cyclone, causing flooding and other minor damage along the north and central Queensland coast.

The following day Cyclone Edna formed but petered out in the Coral Sea.

Cyclone Fletcher made landfall as a category one storm between Karumba and the Gilbert River Mouth in the Gulf of Carpentaria on February 3 but it was a fizzer.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Palmer angry over election ad robbery

CLIVE Palmer is furious thieves have stolen his party's election advertisements in a Brisbane robbery.

Mr Palmer said there was a break-in late Wednesday at Coroneo and Co, the advertising firm he uses in Brisbane.

He said the Palmer United Party's yet-to-be released policy advertisements for the Western Australia Senate election rerun and Tasmanian state election were targeted in the raid.

"The Palmer United Party continues to be targeted by illegal and dirty-handed tactics," the Queensland MP said in a statement, referring to misplaced votes in the Fairfax seat recount and WA Senate election recount.

Mr Palmer has rushed back to Queensland from Canberra, where he had been attending federal parliament, to assess the situation.

A spokesman from Queensland Police told AAP the robbery happened between 6pm (AEST) on Wednesday and 3am on Thursday morning.

Police said three computers were stolen.

There's been no arrests so far.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

NT education union to contest by-election

THE Australian Education Union is using schoolchildren to flex its political power by standing a candidate in a coming by-election, the Northern Territory's attorney-general says.

It was revealed on Tuesday that the AEU would endorse a candidate for the seat of Blain in Palmerston, 20km outside of Darwin.

The seat was previously held by former Chief Minister Terry Mills, who was dumped while on a trade trip to Japan last March.

He held the seat for the Country Liberal Party by a margin of about 13 per cent, which Labor hopes to rattle, but the move by the AEU could challenge its aspirations.

"We decided another way to put pressure on this government would be to run a credible candidate who would be able to advocate outside of party lines to actually represent the electors of Blain in a positive way," AEU president Matthew Cranitch told AAP on Tuesday.

The announcement of the independent candidate will be made in the next few days, he said.

"We would endorse and support a candidate who has the same views as us for the need for education to be seen as an investment rather than a cost," he said.

"We have no intention of being a political party."

He rejected the Labor candidate, police officer Geoff Bahnert, as unrepresentative and lacking credibility in the electorate.

Teachers at NT government schools will strike all day on Friday.

They are refusing to sign an enterprise bargaining agreement that would see almost $100 a fortnight more in their pay, and are demanding better conditions in the face of sweeping cuts to education and teacher jobs.

"It's not about the incomes of teachers, it's about outcomes for students," Mr Cranitch said.

"If it's not about the money, sign up to the EBA and let's talk about policy," said Attorney-General John Elferink.

"For the AEU to say 'the government has forced us to do this' is essentially arguing from the perspective of someone who's taken a hostage.

"We will not kowtow to unions who think they can use the students of the NT as a vehicle to push union power."

The AEU's candidate will most likely splinter Labor's vote rather than damage the CLP, but the way Mr Mills was treated by his colleagues could see a swing against the government.

When asked how damaging for Labor the AEU's role in the election would be, Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie told AAP: "We are fully supportive of territory teachers, families and students that are suffering from the drastic cuts and cruelty of an uncaring CLP government."

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fearful Corby grabbed knife: parole boss

SCHAPELLE Corby twice tried to take her own life during a two-hour meeting with Bali's parole boss, who says she believes the media is stalking her even as she sleeps.

Sunar Agus met the convicted drug smuggler on Monday night to discuss "various possibilities" that may follow the Seven Network's program about her release from prison.

Authorities had repeatedly warned the program may breach her parole by causing community unease.

Agus says he found Corby "unstable" and "afraid" at the home of her sister Mercedes and brother-in-law Wayan Widyartha.

When the topic of her parole was broached, she twice ran to the kitchen and grabbed a small knife, he told reporters on Tuesday.

Corby made an "effort to slice her arm" with the knife, but was twice restrained by Mercedes and the other parole officers.

Mercedes reportedly denies the incident, but the parole boss was clear.

"I couldn't be sure whether Corby held it with her right or left hand because ... from me, there was about a three metre distance," Mr Agus said.

He believes Corby thought the officers were there to take her back to prison.

She was also distressed about the media attention.

"According to her, while sleeping in her room, she's photographed by reporters," he said. Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin on Tuesday repeated his earlier promise to carefully review the parole board's report on the program before deciding whether it had crossed the line by causing community unease.

The minister - who hasn't seen the program himself - said he expected the report soon, but didn't want it rushed.

"I'm giving Bapas (the parole board) enough time to be as comfortable as possible because this is something they need to study very well," he told reporters.

Mercedes told the program which aired on Sunday that her "broken" sister had to be bathed and hand-fed as she battled mental illness during her time in Bali's Kerobokan prison.

She also maintained the 36-year-old is innocent of smuggling 4.1kg of marijuana in her surfing gear in 2004.

Mercedes said the marijuana "could have been from Indonesia" or that perhaps an airport worker may have been responsible.

After interviewing Mercedes and Wayan to verify the statements made in the interview, Mr Agus said: "I suggest she (Corby) be more low profile".

I Gusti Kompyang Adnyana, head of Bali's Law and Human Rights provincial office, echoed the minister's view that the report must be considered carefully.

"This regards a problem that's quite in the spotlight," he said.

"We can't recklessly make the assessment."

Corby has now left the luxury villa she stayed in for three weeks while the Seven Network was negotiating the story, which it says was unpaid.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 or follow @LifelineAust @OntheLineAus @kidshelp @beyondblue @headspace_aus @ReachOut_AUS on Twitter.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hospitals could be $1b more efficient

EDS: Not for use before 2000 (AEDT), Tuesday, March 4.

CANBERRA, March 4 AAP - Almost $1 billion could be saved each year if public hospitals were forced to be more efficient with their spending, a think tank says.

The Grattan Institute says an efficient price for hospital services should be set by state governments to remove what it says is about $928 million in "avoidable" spending annually.

The institute's health director, Stephen Duckett, called for administrators to be held more accountable for spending, saying the current funding for the average cost of care rewarded inefficiency.

The institute's report, Controlling Costly Care, says there is a gulf between so-called high- and low-cost hospitals. The gap between the most and least expensive is as high as $2500 an admission in some states.

Dr Duckett said a new efficient average price should be set and linked to hospital funding.

The new benchmark would take account of unavoidable costs, which could be because patients were older or coming from remote areas.

However, it would also remove inefficient spending on items such as supplies, or on patients waiting or staying too long in a hospital bed.

"What we're asking states to do is to be tighter in the way they set their prices at public hospitals," Dr Duckett told AAP.

"There are a range of reasons for why hospital costs vary, and what we're saying is that these all need to be under control."

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police excavate driveway in Novy search

INVESTIGATORS are excavating a southern Queensland driveway looking for a vehicle believed to be linked to the disappearance of Gold Coast woman Novy Chardon.

Police, including homicide squad officers, will search other areas of the Mt Nathan property over the coming days, looking for evidence relating to the disappearance of the Indonesian-born 34-year-old.

"We're digging up a driveway, and it is connected to the case of Novy Chardon," police told AAP.

"There's meant to be a vehicle that's underground that they're digging up."

Police wouldn't say whose property it was or what the significance of the vehicle was.

But they did say it wasn't the home of her husband John.

Ms Chandon has not been seen since February last year.

A week after she went missing, officers and SES volunteers scoured a quiet semi-rural road that runs behind Dreamworld, not far from the Chardon home at Upper Coomera.

They believe Mrs Chardon's Volvo SUV may have been driven along the road some time between her disappearance and the evening of February 11 when it was found near Nerang railway station, more than 20 kilometres away.

In January it was announced that John Chardon, 66, will stand trial on eight charges of sexual crimes against children, alleged to have occurred between 1998 and 1999.

They include three counts of rape, four counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 and one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16 in care.

The charges aren't linked to his wife's disappearance, which Chardon said he doesn't know anything about.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egyptian court bans Hamas activities

A CAIRO court has ruled to ban activities by the militant Palestinian group Hamas in Egypt, branding it a terrorist organisation.

The court also on Tuesday ordered Hamas offices in the country be shut down and all dealings with the group suspended.

Egypt's relations with Hamas have sharply deteriorated since the military removed Islamist leader Mohammed Morsi last July.

Hamas, which rules neighbouring Gaza Strip, is the Palestinian chapter of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.

Morsi and scores of Brotherhood leaders are in detention, facing a multitude of trials on charges that carry the death penalty.

Two of those cases involve Hamas members, accused of assisting Morsi and others in escaping from prison in 2011.

Morsi and others are also charged in a separate trial of leaking state secrets to Hamas.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

WA woman jailed in Indonesia

A WEST Australian woman has been sentenced to eight months' jail in Indonesia after police found drugs in her handbag at a burgeoning tourist spot.

Julie Anne Joseph, of Port Hedland, has been in custody on the island of Lombok since October last year, after allegedly being found with 1.73 grams of crystal meth.

Prosecutors last month told the court they accepted the meth was for Joseph's personal use but had said then they would press charges carrying a maximum four years' jail.

Joseph meanwhile apologised to the court and begged to be spared jail for the sake of her two children, who were being teased about their mother's arrest.

With the time she has already served behind bars, Joseph, 32, will be eligible for release in June.

"I think this is fair," the truck driver told reporters at the court in Mataram.

"I will tell my family ... I'm coming home soon."

The verdict was handed down by a panel of three judges, led by Bagus Irawan, who found Joseph guilty of drug use.

In sentencing, they noted Joseph had been polite throughout the court process, had admitted wrongdoing, and had the burden of family.

Earlier in the trial, Joseph's defence lawyer, Edmond L Aipassa said his client had accepted a small package from a man she had just met in a bar in the tourist area of Senggigi.

She was in "a state of depression" at the time, he argued.

It was reported that Joseph came to the attention of police after being involved in a motorbike accident.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cashed-up firms eye new workers

New figures are showing tentative signs that business has the confidence to hire staff. Source: AAP

AT a time of high-profile job cuts, there are more tentative signs that business has the confidence to hire staff.

New figures show employment advertising jumped by more than five per cent in February, following similar strength in the federal government's job vacancies series.

The latest numbers coincide with other data on Monday showing gross operating company profits rose by 1.7 per cent in the December quarter to $68.2 billion, the largest figure in more than two years.

"Corporate Australia is well placed to spend, invest, employ ... over the next year," Commonwealth Securities chief economist Craig James says.

The profits figures will feed into Wednesday's national accounts for the December quarter.

Economists expect a relatively solid 0.7 per cent rise in gross domestic product in the final three months of 2013, although annual economic growth at 2.5 per cent will remain well below trend at just more than three per cent.

Such expectations will be taken to the Reserve Bank's board meeting on Tuesday.

Economists broadly expect the cash rate to remain at a record low of 2.5 per cent for at least another month.

A key federal parliamentary committee agrees.

The House of Representatives economics committee has tabled the findings of the RBA's twice-yearly parliamentary appearance before its members.

"The committee considers the current monetary policy settings to be appropriate," committee chair and Liberal MP Kelly O'Dwyer said.

"But the government and the RBA must ensure that sound decisions continue to be made to ensure that Australia's economy transitioned successfully to a post-mining boom era."

The committee noted the warning by RBA governor Glenn Stevens that Australia faced considerable challenges as investment in the resources sector declined and productivity gains and investment needed to occur in non-mining sectors to sustain and increase future growth.

Mr Stevens and his economic team will face the committee again in Sydney on Friday.

The committee's deputy chairman, Labor MP Ed Husic, flagged the opposition's concern about the "excessively generous and ill-considered" decision of Treasurer Joe Hockey to make an $8.8 billion grant to replenish the bank's reserve fund.

He was also concerned about the confused and contradictory decision making of the coalition government.

"We've seen a government unable to respond to job shedding occurring under its watch," Mr Husic told parliament.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen quizzed Prime Minister Tony Abbott on last week's worst capital expenditure figures since the 2008/09 global financial crisis, when the coalition in opposition said companies would "unleash their balance sheets" on a change of government.

Mr Abbott said the coalition was elected to fix the economy.

"We are marching to the rescue of this nation from the wreckage that we inherited from members opposite," he told parliament.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius pleads not guilty to murder

OSCAR Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to murdering his girlfriend on Valentine's Day last year, marking the start of the Olympian's murder trial.

The trial started 90 minutes late after an Afrikaans interpreter was delayed and two women entered the courtroom trying to see the proceedings.

One woman claimed she knew Pistorius' late mother, Sheila, and had knowledge of Pistorius' character, while another said she was the ex-wife of the doctor who had amputated his legs.

Pistorius plead not guilty to all four charges against him: murder, two charges relating to discharge of firearm in a public place and one charge of illegal possession of ammunition. Before the trial started he walked past the victim's mother who says she came to court so she can "really look him in the eyes."

The double-amputee athlete is charged with murder with premeditation in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the pre-dawn hours of February 14, 2013.

Pistorius says he shot Steenkamp by accident, thinking she was an intruder inside his bathroom.

Steenkamp's mother, June, earlier entered the court dressed in black. She was quoted in the Pretoria News, which published an interview she gave to a British newspaper, saying that she wants to see Pistorius.

"I want to look at Oscar, really look him in the eyes, and see for myself the truth about what he did to Reeva," said June Steenkamp, 67. "Whatever the court decides at the end of his trial, I will be ready to forgive him ... But first I want to force him to look at me, Reeva's mother, and see the pain and anguish he has inflicted on me. I feel I need that."

Pistorius arrived at the high court in Pretoria wearing a dark gray suit and black tie. June Steenkamp was seated on the same bench as Pistorius' family, and behind Pistorius so there is a possibility that their eyes will lock during the trial.

Prosecutors charged Pistorius, 27, with murder and say it was with premeditation. They say they will seek a life sentence if Pistorius is convicted.

The state says Pistorius intentionally killed Steenkamp by shooting her through a toilet door after an argument. Pistorius denies murder and says he killed his girlfriend by mistake when he fired four times through the door thinking there was a dangerous intruder on the other side.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Economic growth getting a little faster

Australia's economic growth is expected to have strengthened a little at the end of 2013. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S economic growth is expected to have strengthened a little at the end of 2013, getting a boost from a lift in mining and resource exports.

December quarter gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to have grown by 0.7 per cent, for an annual rate of 2.5 per cent, according to an AAP survey of 12 economists.

In the September quarter, GDP growth was 0.6 per cent, and 2.3 per cent in the year to September.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will release National Accounts figures on Wednesday.

JP Morgan Australia chief economist Stephen Walters said mining and resources exports took over from mining and resources investment as the main driver for economic growth in 2013.

"There was a substantial shift in Australia's growth drivers in 2013, with the decade-long dependence on resource investment giving way to an inflated reliance on real net trade," he said.

"The upshot from fading resources investment is that output from the associated projects is starting to come online, particularly in the iron ore and coal sectors, with a further lift in liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity expected further down the line.

"In 2013, iron ore, coal, and LNG comprised more than half of Australia's total export basket, with this share set to well in coming years."

Commonwealth Bank chief economist Michael Blythe said Australia continued to post solid economic growth but it was still below its long-term average.

"This outcome is not unexpected," he said.

"But some perspective is needed here.

"Even at a sub-trend pace, the Australian economy has just clocked up 22 years of continuous economic growth.

Mr Blythe said evidence of the slow transition to an economy driven by non-mining segments will be one of the disappointing parts of Wednesday's National Accounts.

"Some parts of the story are unfolding as expected," he said.

"Mining capital expenditure, and related imports, are turning down. And resource exports are picking up.

"The resultant swing in net exports is set to make a significant contribution to GDP growth, of around 0.8 percentage points.

"What is missing though is the lift in residential construction and non-mining capital expenditure that is supposed to generate the jobs needed to absorb the shake-out in mining construction employment."

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

QLD woman charged with attempted murder

A man is in a serious condition after being shot in the stomach the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane. Source: AAP

A WOMAN has been charged with attempted murder after a man was found with a gunshot wound in a Lockyer Valley home.

The 26-year-old man was bleeding profusely when he was located by emergency services at a Laidley Heights home on Monday morning, police said.

He was taken to a Brisbane hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Police on Monday night charged a 33-year-old woman, who was earlier speaking to officers, with attempted murder.

She is due before the Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Police wouldn't provide further details.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

QLD crash victim would fly to relax

TRIBUTES are flowing for a Queensland plane crash victim who would spend his weekends in the skies to relax.

John Stortelder, 58, was on a regular Sunday morning flight when his light plane came down and burst into flames in the Lockyer Valley in southeast Queensland on Sunday morning.

The fatal crash occurred about 7.20am (AEST) at Gatton, west of Ipswich.

Firefighters say the aircraft slammed into a transport depot on Princes Road and bounced over a fence before coming to rest on an embankment.

The crash occurred in the same area as the local airpark, where Mr Stortelder spent a lot of time, friends say.

Members of tight-knit flying community in Gatton have remembered Mr Stortelder as a reserved, quiet man who loved to fly.

"He was a lovely guy," friend Martin Hone said.

"Its just such a shame and has really affected everyone out here."

Mr Hone, who had known Mr Stortelder for six years, was also flying when the father-of-two crashed.

"He did have a lot of flying time," he said.

"He had been flying for a few years but took it very seriously and flew regularly.

"On weekends he would come out to the airpark to fly his planes and that was his relaxation."

Lockyer Valley mayor Steve Jones said the tragedy would impact many at the Gatton airpark.

"It will be upsetting for the people that live there because the site is right beside the airpark."

Alec Williams knew the pilot and says he was a "good fella" who spent a lot of time at the Gatton airpark.

He told ABC radio the pilot spent weekends at the airpark and was "well respected around the place".

"He was a good fella who lived his own life."

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dad drink drives three times in one day

Police have charged a NSW father who was caught driving drunk three times in 24 hours. Source: AAP

A NSW father on his p-plates who allegedly drove drunk to a police station to collect his daughter after she was caught boozed up behind the wheel has been nabbed for drink driving twice more in 24 hours.

After his 19-year-old daughter blew 0.016 at Toronto police station on Friday night, the man arrived to collect her only to be breath tested himself.

He was found to have a blood alcohol reading of 0.192.

The 37-year-old was charged and his provisional licence was suspended.

About 13 hours later, at Saturday lunchtime, the man was stopped at a random breath test.

He was taken back to Toronto police station and blew 0.190.

Police charged the man with another high-range drink driving offence.

But about 10 hours later, he was caught for the third time after losing control of his car and driving down the wrong side of the road.

This time he was caught with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.159.

He was given his third high-range drink driving charge.

The man is due before Toronto Local Court in March.

Pedestrian Council of Australia president Harold Scruby says repeat high range drink-driving offenders should have their vehicles confiscated, as is the case in places including New Zealand.

"If you run amok with a gun or a knife, they'll confiscate the weapon and they'll lock you up. If you run amok with Australia's most dangerous weapon, the motor vehicle, it's almost an Order of Australia these days," he told AAP.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Premier wants minister to stay on

Victorian Liberal frontbencher Mary Wooldridge lost a preselection battle for the safe seat of Kew. Source: AAP

PREMIER Denis Napthine wants Victorian government minister Mary Wooldridge to continue her career in state parliament after she lost a preselection battle for the safe seat of Kew.

In an embarrassing blow to the government, the community services minister lost a Liberal preselection contest for Kew on Sunday to former local mayor Tim Smith.

Premier Denis Napthine had strongly backed Ms Wooldridge, saying she would win preselection after her seat of Doncaster was abolished in an electoral redistribution.

Ms Wooldridge said she will now contemplate her future.

"Obviously I'm disappointed but it's an important part of a democracy of our party," she told reporters.

She says she will discuss her future with her husband and colleagues.

Mr Smith, seen as a rising star in the party, said he was humbled to be chosen by about 300 mainly rank and file Liberal members, but would not take questions.

"Extraordinary day, for which I'm truly humbled by the honour the Liberal party in Kew has bestowed on me," he told reporters.

Dr Napthine said he had no regret in strongly supporting Ms Wooldridge's preselection.

"She was a great candidate and I thought she would win," he said.

The premier said Ms Wooldridge was an outstanding contributor who will remain in his cabinet prior to November's election.

He wanted to ensure the government does all it can so Ms Wooldridge can continue on his team.

"I'll be encouraging Mary Wooldridge to continue her state parliamentary career," he said.

Dr Napthine congratulated Mr Smith and said his team would support him.

"Tim Smith is a young man with a great track record and certainly has a great future," he said.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fed govt boosts pension payment

THE federal government has announced a boost to pension payments to help 3.6 million pensioners keep pace with rising living costs.

The increase to pension payments will come into effect on March 20 and is aimed at helping pensioners keep up with rises in cost of living expenses, the federal government says.

Federal Minister for Social Services Kevin Andrews said the payment rise had been driven by the consumer price index increase of 1.9 per cent for the first six months to December 2013.

"The coalition government is pleased to deliver increases to those on the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment and veterans' income support," Mr Andrews said on Sunday.

He signalled another increase would occur in September to reflect growth in the CPI or the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index, whichever is higher.

Single age pensioners would receive an increase of $15.70 a fortnight, while age pensioner couples would receive an extra $23.80 a fortnight.

"This means total pension payments for people on the maximum rate will be $842.80 a fortnight for singles, and $1,270.60 a fortnight for couples," Mr Andrews said.

One million allowance recipients would also benefit from a boost to income support payments such as Newstart and Parenting Payment as of March 20.

The announcement comes as the government is considering combining disability payments and payments to the unemployed into a single welfare payment, News Corp Australia reported on Sunday.

Mr Andrews told reporters in Melbourne the government needed to tackle welfare reform because the budget was in a dire position.

The federal opposition believes any move to combine the dole and disability pensions into a universal payment is just putting the boot into disabled people.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused the government of persecuting people with disabilities and seeking to slash their incomes.

"They seem to believe that everyone on the disability pension is rorting the system," he told reporters in Hobart.

"That isn't true."

The head of the government's welfare review, Patrick McClure, recommended to the Howard government in 2000 that it create a single, unified payment for all welfare recipients with top up amounts based on further need.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

PBS funds Botox to prevent migraines

The PBS is funding Botox injections for people who suffer headaches on at least 15 days a month. Source: AAP

THE PBS has started funding Botox injections to prevent chronic migraines.

The prescription drug, which has various cosmetic and medicinal uses, is subsidised for adults who suffer headaches at least 15 days a month.

They must also have unsuccessfully tried at least three other preventive medications.

A specially trained neurologist gives patients injections into their head and neck every 12 weeks.

These are given with a fine needle in 31 spots, including the forehead, temples and back of the head, says Melbourne neurologist Dr Richard Stark.

Migraine symptoms include visual disturbances such as flashing lights and blind spots along with nausea and vomiting.

The condition can lead to depression and anxiety, largely because of missed work and loss of income.

However, only a small proportion of people with chronic migraines have been diagnosed, says Sydney neurologist Dr Con Yiannikas.

People experiencing multiple headaches a month should ask their GP to refer them to a neurologist to explore preventative treatment options, he says.

The PBS also funds Botox for conditions including cerebral palsy, urinary incontinence and excessive sweating.

17.52 | 0 komentar | Read More