Philip Morris reports $A2.34b profit

TOBACCO giant Philip Morris International has reported first-quarter profit of $US1.8 billion ($A2.34 billion).

THE New York-based company said it had profit of $US1.16 per share.

Thursday's result topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $US1.02 per share.The seller of Marlboro and other cigarette brands posted revenue of $US6.62 billion in the period.Philip Morris expects full-year earnings to be $US4.32 to $US4.42 per share.The company's shares have decreased four per cent since the beginning of the year.

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Rock-throwing NT kids threatened with care

IF the parents of children responsible for attacking authorities and damaging property in Alice Springs can't control them they'll be taken into care, the NT chief minister has warned.

ADAM Giles says he won't tolerate a situation, which early on Tuesday escalated to a group of more than 50 youths throwing rocks at police, starting several fires and damaging property in the central Australian town.

Police say they are concerned they are being targeted.Over the past two weeks there have been other rock-throwing incidents, one resulting in a damaged ambulance being taken off the road.The government says many of the young people responsible are from outlying, predominantly indigenous communities.Over Easter, Alice Springs hosted a metal concert, a national bike race and the AFL's Lightning Cup Carnival, with many attendees staying on for the school holidays.But there have been numerous reports of property damage since."I'm giving the parents of the children responsible for this spate of violence a very clear message: get your kids off the streets, get them back to communities and back into school," Mr Giles said in a statement late on Wednesday."Otherwise, these children will be regarded as requiring protection and we will take immediate action. Parents should not doubt our resolve to do this."Any school-age child found on the streets during school hours will now be issued with a $298 fine by school attendance officers.Minister for Children and Families John Elferink said he had directed the department "to take strong action" and put children into care where legally possible."Normally the department would see this as a last resort and be willing to work with parents but these are not normal circumstances," he said."If parents don't want to see their children in care then they need to get off the grog and head back to their home community."The government will organise bus transport for families to get them home.Mr Giles said in light of the violence the government is reconsidering supporting the Lightning Cup Carnival next year."If the organisers want taxpayers support, they best think long and hard about how they conduct their event and how to reduce the impact it has created on the town in the subsequent days," he warned.

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WA's Water Corp cuts 300 jobs

About 300 full-time workers at WA's Water Corporation will lose their jobs over eight months. Source: AAP

THE hundreds of jobs to go from Western Australia's Water Corporation reflect the high human cost of the Barnett government's post-mining boom mismanagement, the opposition says.

THE state-owned company will would cut 10 per cent of its workforce over the next eight months, with about 300 full-time jobs to go.

Chief Executive Sue Murphy said the decision followed an organisation-wide review as the company transitions from capital investment to operations and maintenance.But Labor opposition spokesman for water Dave Kelly said this was an excuse that flew in the face of the company's five-year plan released by the minister in parliament last August.The plan called for it to be given more resources in coming years to maintain its infrastructure."It looks to everybody that these 300 jobs that are going are really about budget cuts rather than a well thought out business plan for the Water Corporation," Mr Kelly said on Tuesday."The constant stream of job losses that we're seeing at the moment in the WA economy really reflects badly on the way the government has managed the post-mining sector boom."The first round of Water Corp redundancies will be announced over the next few weeks.JOBS SHEDDING IN WA* 300 full-time positions Water Corporation* 200 jobs oil giant BP's Kwinana refinery, about half of staff* 70 mining jobs junior iron ore producer Karara Mining* Rio Tinto sheds hundreds of jobs in Pilbara* Atlas Iron suspends operations, threatening trucking contractor McAleese* Mining services firm Ausdrill cuts jobs* Fortescue Metals restructures rosters, job cuts flagged

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Lane's alleged US murderer faces trial

The murder of Aussie Chris Lane had such an impact on locals it may take 4 days to select a US jury. Source: AAP

JUST before 3pm on a scorching August day in 2013 Chris Lane, a good-looking athlete from Melbourne, set off for a jog along Country Club Road in the southern Oklahoma city of Duncan.

LANE, 22, had a baseball scholarship at Oklahoma's East Central University and was visiting girlfriend Sarah Harper at her home in the rural city of 23,000.

As Lane approached an intersection in an affluent area of Duncan a bullet from a .22 calibre revolver was fired into the Australian's back.The bullet collapsed both lungs, fractured two ribs and tore through his aorta and pulmonary artery.Lane collapsed on the side of the road.A 911 phone call made by a frightened Duncan local, Joyce Smith, who saw Lane covered in blood gives insight into the terrible last seven minutes of Lane's life.On Monday (Tuesday AEST) Chancey Luna, the boy prosecutors allege pulled the trigger that ended Lane's promising life will be escorted by sheriffs into Duncan's Stephens County courthouse for his first-degree murder trial.Luna was 16 when he allegedly murdered Lane.If found guilty he faces life in prison without the prospect of parole.There are many theories in Duncan why Lane was shot."They wanted to be Billy Bob Badasses," Duncan police chief Danny Ford told AAP in the days after the shooting."They" are Luna and his two teenage mates, James Edwards who was 15 at the time of Lane's death, and Michael Jones, then 17.Chief Ford said one of the boys admitted, "We were bored and didn't have anything to do, so we decided to kill somebody".Edwards has become a prosecution witness and is expected to testify at the trial, which could last 10 days.Edwards had a murder charge replaced by an accessory count.In evidence at a preliminary hearing last year Edwards said Jones was driving a Ford Focus, he was in the front passenger seat rolling a joint and Luna was in the back seat.Edwards said they saw a man jogging on the side of the road, the car accelerated and veered near the jogger and to his surprise a gun was fired from the back seat."Who shot the gun?" assistant district attorney Leah Edwards asked."Mr Luna," Edwards replied.Edwards testified Luna later handed Jones the gun and said, "I thought there were supposed to be blanks in the gun," and Jones replied, "Me, too".Luna's lawyers, cousins Jim and Howard Berry, told reporters Edwards' evidence pointed to an accidental shooting.Last month Jones entered a guilty plea to second degree murder and was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 38 years.A fourth defendant, Oddesse Barnes, 23, who was given the handgun after the shooting, pleaded guilty to accessory to murder and is eligible for release in 12 years.Edwards hasn't been sentenced.Lane's death shocked Duncan and the Berrys fear Luna will not get an impartial jury.About 400 potential jurors have been summoned for jury duty, with selection for Luna's trial possibly taking four days.

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Aboriginal protest disrupts Melb CBD

A large protest opposing the closure of remote indigenous communities in WA has shut down Melbourne. Source: AAP

A LARGE protest opposing the closure of remote indigenous communities in WA has shut down streets in central Melbourne.

SEVERAL thousand people gathered outside the city's main railway station Flinders Street at 4pm.

"Enough is enough - where is the justice for Aboriginal people?" a speaker shouted to the crowd before the walk through CBD streets, flanked by police.The rally forced the closure of Flinders and Elizabeth streets, where surrounding streets soon became clogged with cars and trams forced to stop.Rally goers gathered again outside Flinders Street station, blocking the intersection, just on 5pm.Police, on foot and on riot horses, followed the marchers all the way.Jason Maxwell, 31 of South East Dandenong Ranges, was among the protesters."I disagree, strongly disagree, in selling out on the aboriginal communities just for money," Mr Maxwell told AAP.He said the WA and Federal governments should recognise the importance of the link between indigenous people and their lands, and it was wrong to describe this as a lifestyle choice."It is the worst thing that a modern government could ever say," Mr Maxwell said."It's a political tool to separate us, and I think it is wrong."The protesters did not enjoy universal support, with a heckler heard to shout "move over to WA".

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Ukraine rebels 'killed govt soldiers'

Amnesty International believe Russian-back soldiers in east Ukraine executed government soldiers. Source: AAP

AMNESTY International says it has evidence that Russian-backed separatists in east Ukraine have executed several captured government soldiers in gross violation of international humanitarian law.

THE human rights group said in a statement that footage it has seen shows at least four Ukrainian soldiers - now confirmed dead - being interrogated by rebel militia.

Pictures showing bullet wounds to the soldier's heads and bodies appeared to show they had died as the result of execution-style killings, the group said.Rebel officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Amnesty's allegations.The English-language Kyiv Post newspaper earlier this week managed to contact a rebel unit commander, Arseniy Pavlov, who is believed to be a Russian national, to respond to widely aired claims he was responsible for executions.In the telephone interview, which has been uploaded to YouTube, Pavlov responds that he personally shot dead 15 Ukrainian servicemen.

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Man charged over Melb bouncer stabbing

A MAN has been charged after a bouncer was stabbed in the back outside a Melbourne nightclub.

SECURITY camera footage released after Thursday's late-night attack shows the 29-year-old bouncer manning the door as a man approached from behind and stabbed him in the back.

Police raided a house in Footscray late on Monday where they arrested a 25-year-old man.He has been charged with conduct endangering life, assault and weapon offences.The man was bailed to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on June 30.

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Facebook must release documents: US judge

A US federal judge says Facebook must turn over documents important to a fake ownership claim. Source: AAP

FACEBOOK and its founder must release documents and electronic correspondence to a defence lawyer whose client has fled from criminal charges that he falsely claimed a majority ownership in the social media giant, a federal judge said.

US District Judge Vernon Broderick on Friday ordered Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg to relinquish documents by Monday that were requested by Paul Ceglia's lawyer, Robert Ross Fogg.

The judge said he received a letter on Thursday from lawyers for Facebook Inc and Zuckerberg asking that an order he issued earlier in the week to promptly turn over requested documents be suspended until Ceglia is caught.Documents requested include all electronic communications Zuckerberg had about a Ceglia contract during an 18-month stretch beginning in 2003.With a May 4 trial approaching, Ceglia cut off his electronic ankle bracelet last month and fled. His wife, two children and dog also are missing from their home in Wellsville, 112 kilometres southeast of Buffalo.Ceglia's father told Broderick at a hearing last week that he believed his son might have fled because he believed Facebook and Zuckerberg were working together with prosecutors against him, jeopardising his chance for a fair trial. The judge said he would not allow a trial to proceed unjustly.Federal prosecutors had urged Broderick not to force Facebook and Zuckerberg to turn over the documents, saying doing so would "reward Ceglia's flouting of the judicial process while unreasonably drawing on the resources of the government and the authority of the court."The criminal case against Ceglia was brought after a judge threw out his 2010 civil lawsuit claiming that he gave Zuckerberg, a student at Harvard University at the time, $US1000 ($A1320) in startup money in exchange for 50 per cent of the future company.Prosecutors said a forensic analysis of his computers and Harvard's email archive determined Ceglia had altered an unrelated software development contract he signed with Zuckerberg in 2003 and falsified emails to make it appear Zuckerberg had promised him a half-share of Facebook.Zuckerberg has said he didn't come up with the idea for Facebook until months after he responded to Ceglia's online help-wanted ad and signed a contract agreeing to create some software for him.Fogg said in an email on Wednesday that he and others "continue to fight for Paul, even in his absence, with the same vigour and fortitude and in a sense - more determined than ever".

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Handbags stolen from Vic hospital patients

A homeless woman is wanted by police after handbags were stolen from Melbourne hospital patients. Source: AAP

A HOMELESS woman is wanted for questioning after handbags were stolen from Melbourne hospital patients.

REBECCA Cheryl Porter, 33, was due to appear in the Dandenong Magistrates Court last month charged with burglary but failed to appear.

Handbags and personal items have been stolen from patients in public hospitals and other areas around inner Melbourne, and police think Ms Porter can assist their investigation.She is known to frequent the Richmond, Fitzroy and Collingwood areas.A warrant has been issued for her arrest.

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Vic parade remembers 'Princess Marci'

FRIENDS of murdered Melbourne schoolgirl Masa Vukotic have celebrated her life in a celebration fit for a princess.

THE dress code was pink, Lolita Japanese fashion and anything rabbit related, and the masses complied.

As many as 300 people, mostly woman, and many from the cosplay - costumed role play - community walked around the Queen Victoria Gardens in a memorial titled "Princess Marci's Royal Parade".White doves and pink balloons were released and a memorial book was signed to be presented to Masa's parents, brother and sister who also attended.Masa, 17, was fatally stabbed at a Doncaster park on March 17.Her funeral was held on Thursday.

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Man charged with intimidating girl on bus

A 65-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly intimidated a schoolgirl on a Sydney bus. Source: AAP

A MAN will face court after allegedly making sexual comments to a 12-year-old girl on a bus to her Sydney school.

POLICE say the 65-year-old boarded a bus at Darlinghurst about 8am on Thursday and sat next to the girl.

He allegedly asked her personal questions, made sexually suggestive comments and grabbed her arm.When the bus reached Bronte Road at Waverley, the girl got off the bus and ran straight to her school.The man alighted at the same stop, police say.He was arrested on Friday morning and charged with inciting a person under 16 to commit an act of indecency, intimidation and common assault.He is due to face Waverley Local Court on April 8.

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Bishop announces $30m to fight disease

THE federal government has pledged $30 million over three years to help fight tuberculosis and malaria in the Indo-Pacific region.

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop made the announcement in Canberra at the launch of the Australasian Tuberculosis Forum, describing the disease as a "scourge".

The TB Alliance will receive a third of the money to support late stage clinical trials of new treatments.Another $10 million will go towards The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, with the remaining $10 million given to Medicines for Malaria Venture to develop antimalarial drugs.Earlier on Monday, the government was urged to "wade in" and boost funding to help develop a new tuberculosis treatment for the Asia Pacific.The head of Policy Cures said Australia's current contribution to the fight was "a toe in the water", with Southeast Asia and the western Pacific accounting for 56 per cent of all new TB cases."What I would like to see is for Australia to take that toe in the water and wade in," Dr Mary Moran told reporters on the eve of World TB Day.Current TB treatments were decades-old and ineffective, she said.New drugs in development were faster and much cheaper, and just $22 million in funding globally would ensure they were readily available, she said.

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WA rally against Abbott government

Adversaries of the Abbott government have rallied in Perth to protest on a day of nationwide action. Source: AAP

ADVERSARIES of the Abbott government have rallied in Perth to protest on a day of nationwide action.

SEVERAL hundred people attended the March In March event on Sunday to voice concerns on a range of issues including indigenous rights, climate change, homelessness, live animal exports and metadata.

Federal Labor MP Melissa Parke told the crowd she thought Prime Minister Tony Abbott was a cross between Russia's Vladimir Putin and former US President George W Bush and that he was leading "the worst government ever".

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Death shot supplier 'celebrated' rehab end

A PERTH man who supplied a lethal dose of heroin to a friend as they celebrated the end of his drug rehabilitation course has dodged jail.

THE District Court of Western Australia heard on Friday that Peter Roy Barto, 46, didn't "taste" the drug to test its strength before helping three companions to inject it in a Burswood hotel room in July last year.

A woman fell unconscious and had to be taken to Royal Perth Hospital while a man died at the hotel.Judge Bruce Goetze said Barto's rehab course was obviously not successful given how he celebrated its conclusion."Now, there's a certain irony in all of that but that's what you did," Judge Goetze said."You sourced this heroin, you supplied it, you assisted others in the injection of it."Lives are ruined because people take drugs. And you probably only know that too well."Barto, who is again undergoing a rehabilitation course, was handed a term of imprisonment of 12 months, conditionally suspended for the same period.

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Price-fixing French yoghurt firms fined

FRANCE'S competition authority has fined the country's dominant yoghurt makers 192 million euros ($A266.98 million) for fixing prices over several years.

THE decision announced on Thursday targets 11 companies - including Yoplait and Lactalis - that represent 90 per cent of the French market in yoghurt and related products.

The cartel was uncovered thanks to a special procedure that allows companies to report their own price-fixing activity to regulators in exchange for reduced fines. Yoplait was the first company to report the activity, and was given no fines.The companies agreed on how and when to raise prices from 2006 to 2012, as yoghurt executives held secret meetings via dedicated phone numbers and in hotels, a famed Paris cafe and an apartment, according to the ruling.The companies can appeal the decision.

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Ericsson cuts 2,200 jobs

WIRELESS equipment maker Ericsson will cut 2,200 jobs in Sweden as part of a nine billion kronor ($A1.44 billion) savings package.

THE Stockholm-based company said the layoffs would mostly affect research and development and supply positions.

Ericsson, a leading maker of mobile broadband infrastructure, said the cuts were part of a savings plan announced in November "with an ambition to reduce operating expenses and cost of sales across all Ericsson's operations."The cost cuts are expected to take full effect in 2017.

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Homelessness in spotlight on women's day

HIGH-FLYING Australian women are thriving in business, telecommunications, boardrooms and the arts more than ever.

BUT on any given night in Australia, 45,000 women are homeless.

That is the contrasting reality in Australia on Sunday's International Women's Day.A list of Australia's richest self-made women, released on Sunday, shows the country's female high-flyers are getting richer with a combined wealth of $5.4 billion, up from $4.5 billion last year.The list, compile by BRW, shows telco founder Vicky Teoh was on top for the third year in a row.It also features famous names in entertainment Nicole Kidman, Kylie Minogue and Elle Macpherson.Therese Rein, former prime minister Kevin Rudd's wife, and former Westpac boss Gail Kelly are also on the list.Homelessness Australia CEO Glenda Stevens says while 14,000 females experiencing homelessness are under 18, with support they could also be tomorrow's innovators and leaders.She believes the main difference between the women on the rich-list and homeless women is opportunity and support."These ladies may be self-made but you will probably find they have had a very good support network behind them," Ms Stevens said."This is something that people who are homeless don't have."Research shows homelessness is an inter-generational problem with more than half the adults in homeless services reporting that their parents were homeless at some point in their lives."Unless we invest today in addressing the causes of homelessness we are sentencing many young people to a dismal future," she said.This group wants the Australian government to urgently renew its commitment to the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness.If not renewed, funding for 180 homelessness programs will expire on June 30.In Brisbane, 10,000 women were celebrating the day by putting on their running shoes and taking part in the FunRun for Breast Cancer. They hope to raise $300,000.International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women.Places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria make the day a national holiday.

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Abu Sayyaf group releases Malaysian cop

THE Philippines army says the militant Abu Sayyaf group has released a Malaysian police constable eight months after they kidnapped him from a Malaysian resort.

MILITARY spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc said Zakia Aliep, a member of the Malaysia's marine police, was brought back to Malaysia's Sabah state early on Saturday.

He was quoting reports from civilian informants in nearby Sulu province in the southern Philippines.Cabunoc credited Philippine military operations in Sulu with the hostage's release.Abu Sayyaf gunmen ambushed several Malaysian marine police officers guarding the Sabah resort on July 12, killing one policeman and seizing Aliep as they escaped.The group has turned to ransom kidnappings and extortion to survive years of US military-backed military offensives.They are still holding a Dutch birdwatcher.

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High winds set to hamper bushfire efforts

Aircraft are dumping retardant in a bid to contain a bushfire that continues to burn in Tasmania. Source: AAP

WINDS forecast to reach speeds of up to 100km/h will hamper efforts to control a bushfire which continues to tear across northern Tasmania.

BURNING for more than 48 hours and through some 1000 hectares of bushland near George Town, the fire remains out of control and is heading east toward dense forest, the Tasmanian Fire Service says.

"The winds are of quite a bit of concern to us," incident controller Steve Lowe said on Thursday afternoon."We have done some really hard work on the northern front and if we can hold it, hopefully we can get on top of it, but it all depends on these wind gusts that are coming through."The fire isn't threatening homes or infrastructure, but residents of Lefroy are being urged to remain alert.The township of about 70 homes was evacuated on Wednesday and the blaze came within a kilometre of residences."At this point in time there is no threat ... but we need all people in the area to remain up-to-date as conditions change," Mr Lowe said.Two fixed-wing aircraft brought in from Victoria spent Thursday dumping thousands of litres of retardant, while crews continued the battle on the ground.The focus has been on the northern, most active, fire front which is being fuelled by southwesterly winds expected to peak in speed by midnight.There is still no cause for the fire, which started in a state forest late on Tuesday.It was deemed safe enough for investigators to enter the fire ground on Thursday and begin their work.In other parts of Tasmania temperatures dipped on Thursday, with snow recorded on some peaks.

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Ex-Knox head told to report allegations

Knox Grammar's ex-headmaster has admitted to impeding a police investigation into teachers at Knox. Source: AAP

A FORMER Supreme Court judge says he told the headmaster of Knox Grammar to report an allegation to police that a teacher had been sleeping with a boy at the elite Sydney school for two years.

MORRIS "Dusty" Ireland, who was chairman of the Knox school council in the 1990s, has told the child abuse royal commission headmaster Ian Paterson told him in 1992 a student was threatening to sue the school and expose it "as a hotbed of homosexuality".

The student, known as ATJ, also alleged teacher Bob James had been having sex with a senior student, known as ATP, for two years.Justice Ireland said he could not now remember full details, but recalled advising Dr Paterson not to approach the student and telling him the James affair should be reported to police because it "might involve criminal conduct" depending on the student's age.He said he couldn't remember what became of his recommendation.Justice Ireland said news of the litigation threat was common knowledge at the time and he was sure he would have spoken to other school councillors about it.Earlier on Wednesday, Dr Paterson, headmaster at Knox from 1969 to 1998, admitted to the commission to impeding a police investigation in 1996 into a number of Knox teachers.When NSW police Inspector Beth Cullen of the child protection unit approached Dr Paterson about the teachers - Craig Treolar, Damien Vance, Christopher Fotis and Barrie Stewart - he referred her to his secretary to provide school records.When asked by counsel advising the commission David Lloyd if he knew the records wouldn't reveal any information, Dr Paterson answered: "Correct."Mr Lloyd asked him if he'd known that failing to tell Insp Cullen what he knew, including that three of the teachers were still at the school, "was likely to impede or hinder her investigation".Dr Paterson replied: "I accept that."The former headmaster went on to admit that multiple failures on his part put students at risk of sexual abuse.He had never reported to police or put in place any training for staff on mandatory reporting obligations.Dr Paterson also said he didn't have written policies on child protection and no systems in place for interviewing or conducting reference or criminal checks for people applying to be housemasters.In the case of ATJ, he said he had hoped the litigation would never proceed.The commission has been told there is a handwritten school note referring to the litigation noting that ATJ had died.In reply to Geoffrey Watson QC, representing Knox, Dr Paterson agreed the school was inextricably linked to his own reputation, but denied that he was giving false evidence to protect his own name.The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse hearing will resume on Thursday with Justice Ireland returning to the stand.Dr Paterson will then be recalled.

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Borella Ride celebrates NT war hero

WHEN Albert Borella charged a German machine gun post with a revolver on the Western Front in 1918, he likely didn't even turn his head, because he knew his men would follow him.

SUCH was the action of a man often described as a born leader during a "short, sharp and bloody" battle for which he won the Northern Territory's only Victoria Cross.

Borella's extraordinary determination and sense of responsibility have been celebrated for the past 12 days, as his grandson Richard retraced his 1000km journey from Tennant Creek in Central Australia all the way to Darwin to enlist in the First World War.The re-enactment of Borella's journey by foot, horseback, horse-drawn mail cart and train is part of the official centenary commemorations of the war.Albert Borella had to sail from Darwin to Townsville to enlist, and was not assigned to the Light Horse Brigade as he had hoped, but with the far more dangerous infantry.He fought in Gallipoli for the last two months of that campaign before being sent to the Western Front."He saw that something needed to be done and he simply stepped forward and did it," said war historian Tom Lewis at the closing of the Borella Ride on Tuesday night in Darwin, where several hundred people gathered, many in period costume, to celebrate the life of a remarkable man.His military career was characterised by his strong sense of duty, dedication and determination, Mr Lewis said."It made him a magnificent Australian; never forget him."As a father, Albert was quiet, respectful, and a gentleman, said his only surviving son, Rowan."We all looked up to him and respected him," he said."He was a man who never went into a rage, never went into a panic. I can't recall ever receiving a whack on the backside."He thanked his son Richard for his efforts retracing Albert's footsteps - five months ago, Richard didn't know how to ride a horse. His parents followed his journey in a caravan."We've had it really easy. We've had support, people cooking for us," Richard told AAP."One hundred years ago you had it damned tough and I don't think I could have done it (then), no way."Only eight months old when Albert died, the ride had brought his grandfather closer, he said.NT Chief Minister Adam Giles says a new suburb will be named for Borella when one is developed in future.

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Executions 'risk condemnation' for Jakarta

A lawyer who claims to be able to help the Bali Nine pair is now reluctant to discuss the matter. Source: AAP

SENDING Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran for execution while they have an appeal before the courts would jeopardise Indonesia's international reputation as a law-respecting democracy, their lawyer warns.

BALI authorities are ready to transfer the Bali Nine pair to Nusakambangan this week, for their execution with eight other drug offenders.

Barrister Julian McMahon said an appeal was being lodged on Monday against the administrative court's decision not to examine the men's clemency rejection.The lawyers did not question the sovereignty of Indonesia or seek to undermine its legal system, Mr McMahon said.They just wanted a chance to have the facts of Chan and Sukumaran's cases for clemency - including their successful rehabilitation - heard in a court.It would be "shocking" if they were moved to Nusakambangan in the process of an appeal."It's unthinkable that people who are having their right to life litigated in a court could at the same time be taken away from that court by powerful people, by the executive, and simply executed," he told reporters in Bali.It could also disadvantage Indonesia in international law co-operation on drugs, he argued."To me it would be impossible to imagine that Indonesia would jeopardise its good name and respect for the rule of law by taking away prisoners who, like my own clients, are fighting for their rights in the court system and having them executed in a way which internationally would be condemned as a breach of the rule of law," Mr McMahon said.But Indonesia's president has repeated his conviction that executing drug offenders was important for the country's sovereignty.Students from a Central Java school linked to the military visited the presidential palace in Jakarta on Monday, where Joko Widodo warned them of the dangers of drugs."Be careful, right now there are 50 people from our generation who die each day because of drugs," he said, as quoted by news website detik.com."That's why we have to be strict. Do you all agree that drug dealers must be executed?"The students replied in unison: "Agree!"Mr Joko told reporters: "don't let anyone try to intervene in our sovereign law. About the executions of drug offenders, this is our sovereign law."In Bali, chief prosecutor Momock Bambang Samiarso met authorities to discuss plans to move the Bali Nine pair out of Kerobokan jail within days."It's confirmed, this week," he told reporters."(Nusakambangan) is all ready."But the Attorney-General HM Prasetyo, who will give the order, would only confirm the executions would be this month."It's getting closer," he told reporters, saying preparations were "95 per cent ready".The timeframe for moving the men has shifted several times, as Indonesia prepares to execute 10 drug offenders - the most it has ever executed at one time.The president has been contacted by leaders of various countries, including Australia, France, the Netherlands and Brazil, over the hardline drugs policy, but has not been swayed.His friend and political ally, Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known better as Ahok, has revealed he has encouraged the president to abolish the death penalty, and he believes he is considering alternative views on the matter.Meanwhile one of the Bali Nine drug mules sentenced to life in jail says he's lost hope under Indonesia's drugs policy and believes it would be more humane to execute him now, rather than let him die in jail.In a letter to The Australian newspaper, Martin Stephens says Mr Joko's decision to refuse the pair clemency, despite their great strides in rehabilitation, makes him wonder what hope there is for freedom or redemption for other drug offenders, like himself."It is more humane to just take me out the back and shoot me like Andrew and Myuran," he wrote.

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Abbott clawing back ground: Ipsos poll

Tony Abbott is staging an unlikely recovery with a poll showing the Coalition closing in on Labor. Source: AAP

TONY Abbott is staging an unlikely recovery in the polls even as speculation about his leadership rumbles on.

A FAIRFAX-IPSOS poll published on Sunday puts the coalition almost neck-and-neck with Labor in two-party terms at 49-51.

That's the best result since October and a big improvement on the 54-46 split recorded in January.Labor's primary vote dropped four points to sit at 36 per cent, while the coalition has gained four points to hit 42 per cent, the poll of 1406 voters suggests.The results confirm a surge in government support suggested last week by Newspoll, which found primary support for the government rising three points.Yet Mr Abbott continues to lag former leader Malcolm Turnbull as preferred leader, losing out in all 10 of the leadership attributes surveyed.A fifth of those polled believe Mr Abbott enjoys the confidence of his party. Half think Mr Turnbull does.Labor leader Bill Shorten remains preferred prime minister, but his margin has been slashed from 16 points to five to sit at 44-39.Mr Abbott laughed off the latest round of leadership speculation on Sunday, amid talk of a second spill motion.He said the matter had been settled by the party room three weeks ago.The poll has a 2.6 per cent margin of error.

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Deal improves trans-Tasman criminal checks

Australia and New Zealand authorities have agreed to share more criminal history information. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand have agreed to share more criminal history information.

AUTHORITIES on both sides of the Tasman will now be able to request the information to vet people for jobs, training and professional registration purposes.

Australian Minister for Justice Michael Keenan said on Saturday that he and and his New Zealand counterpart Amy Adams have signed a Memorandum of Understanding following a successful trial involving Queensland authorities."This provides an important tool for protecting the community from people who may pose a risk," Mr Keenan said in a statement.He said it would strengthen border control as the numbers of people travelling between the two countries increases.Approved agencies can only check someone's criminal history with the person's informed consent.

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More Abbott leadership speculation: report

LESS than three weeks after Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived a party room vote, leadership tensions at the top of the government have emerged yet again.

THE Seven Network and the ABC have reported that Malcolm Turnbull has been told he has the numbers to topple Abbott.

But a government insider and Abbott supporter says Mr Turnbull just doesn't have the numbers.He said this latest leadership speculation was down to the same few disaffected MPs as last time trying to beat up support for Mr Turnbull."The vast majority of people know we can't win the election with Malcolm as leader, because with Malcolm as leader we would lose a chunk of our base and no party has ever won an election without its base," he told AAP.This follows the unsuccessful leadership spill on February 9 when Liberal MPs voted 61-39 to defeat a motion to declare leadership positions vacant.That was without a challenger to Mr Abbott.Mr Turnbull, regarded as the most likely leadership contender, didn't stand or even indicate where he stood on the leadership.The vote did show that internal disaffection - stoked by poor polls and the rout of Queensland's LNP government at their state election - was substantially greater than even many government insiders realised.An immediate casualty was chief whip Philip Ruddock, regarded as having an insufficient grasp of party thinking. He was dumped in favour of Queenslander Scott Buchholz.Assistant infrastructure minister Jamie Briggs said nothing had changed."The issue was raised in the party room a few weeks ago. The issue was resolved and the government is getting on doing its job," he told Sky News.Liberal backbencher Rowan Ramsey said MPs were falling in behind Mr Abbott."We've had that day in the party room. Not everybody's happy all the time but that's life," he told the ABC.Liberal MP Russell Broadbent said Mr Abbott had been given some time, although there was no deadline."He's on a test at all times - so every prime minister is," he told the ABC.Mr Turnbull declined to fuel the latest speculation."I'm a member of parliament so I talk to my colleagues all the time," he told reporters."Really.....I'll leave you guys to speculate about all that stuff."

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Egyptian court jails activist for 5 years

A PROMINENT Egyptian democracy activist has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of organising an illegal demonstration and of attacking police officers by a court in Cairo.

ALAA Abdel-Fattah was arrested in November 2013, two days after activists had attempted to hold a demonstration outside parliament to protest against the trial of civilians by military courts.

Police broke up the protest under a controversial law restricting demonstrations.The law had been passed just days earlier.Activists in the group say they had attempted to hand themselves in to the authorities after prosecutors accused Abdel-Fattah of being behind the demonstration.

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Candidate denies punching Sydney mayor

A SUBURBAN Sydney council candidate says he didn't punch the local mayor at a polling booth.

INDEPENDENT Victor Tagg has denied striking 52-year-old Ryde Mayor Bill Pickering at Putney Public School, in the city's northwest, on Saturday.

The pair were there attending a ward by-election for which Mr Tagg was a candidate.When asked on Sunday by the Seven Network whether he struck Mr Pickering, Mr Tagg said: "No."Pressed to explain what happened, he declined to make further comment.Asked if he was going to speak with police, Mr Tagg replied: "I am going to talk to my solicitor."Mr Pickering told reporters on Sunday he was recovering.However, he declined to give specifics, saying a police investigation was underway."I had an MRI scan, everything's OK neurologically," he said."Obviously there's swelling and other things but nothing I won't recover from in a couple of days."He said he could identify the man who allegedly assaulted him.The Ryde mayor said he was handing out sandwiches and thanking volunteers when he became aware of a couple being berated.He began talking to them before being confronted by another man.Mr Pickering said he only just saw the punch coming."It was too late to react," he said.Police say inquiries are ongoing.

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Premier pledges to rebuild central Qld

THE big rebuild has begun in central Queensland with the army joining efforts in the mop up of the war zone-like destruction left by Cyclone Marcia.

STUNNED Yeppoon, Rockhampton and Bileola residents were left to tidy up the mess on Saturday as Marcia unleashed its fury before turning into a tropical low which swamped southern Queensland.

Almost 550 houses were damaged and 60,000 properties left without power on the Capricorn Coast region, with the worst in Yeppoon, which copped the brunt of the category five blow.It's expected to take several weeks for buildings to be repaired and rebuilt and also several days before hundreds of Ergon and Energex workers can switch power back on in central Queensland.Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk visited both Rockhampton and Yeppoon on Saturday afternoon to assess the damage and meet the mayors of both towns and local disaster management teams."What we are seeing here is complete and utter devastation," she said. "Both mayors are telling me is that they fundamentally need more help."We now need the army to come in and assist."These are resilient people. They have been through the worst of the worst."But now, we are by their side and we will rebuild these communities."As well as thousands of State Emergency Service volunteers, the Australian Defence Force is deploying up to 350 soldiers from Townsville with another 350 on stand-by from the ADF's Brisbane base.Rockhampton disaster management committee chairman Tony Williams said it was far too early to know the extent of the damage bill."It's going to be massive - at this stage it's hard to put a figure on it," he said.Flooding in Bileola and Gympie, plus 56 schools, is among the damage list.While there were no reports of deaths or serious injuries, there had been grave fears for three teenage boys on Saturday afternoon who were reported missing after playing near Sunshine Coast floodwaters.After almost three hours of frantic searching, the youths were finally found near the area they'd been last seen clinging to a tree in a rising Beerwah creek.Police immediately put out a stern public warning saying "it would seem that the simplest of messages are often the hardest to receive"."Flooded creeks and rivers, fast-flowing waterways and watercourses and churned up oceans are dangerous places to play," the police statement read.Residents in the small towns of Jambin and Goovigen also received a major scare when Callide Creek broke its banks after automatic controls opened the Callide Dam gates late Friday night.More than 20 residents were evacuated from the local school in the middle of the night by helicopter.Freakish waterspouts also delivered minor damage on the Sunshine Coast and Marcia also produced thumping surf for board riders on the southern Gold Coast.But there was much relief that flooding expected in south-east Queensland was far less than expected.Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk praised residents for being well prepared for the deluge, shown by 190,000 sandbags collected from council depots."People have heard the call and they've taken a `it's better to be safe than sorry' approach," he said.

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SA man extradited to WA to face sex charge

A MAN who allegedly sexually assaulted two women at Perth's Scarborough Beach in June 1994 has been extradited from South Australia.

THE 44-year-old is charged with five counts of aggravated sexual penetration without consent, two counts of deprivation of liberty and one of aggravated indecent assault.

He is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday.

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WA bushfire warning downgraded

A total fire ban has been declared for parts of WA's Midwest Gascoyne region on Thursday. Source: AAP

AN alert for an out of control bushfire on Perth's northeastern fringe has been downgraded.

THE watch and act warning was issued early on Thursday evening for residents on Sounness Drive in Bullsbrook, in the City of Swan, with lives and property under possible threat.

However, Fire and Emergency Services later said the danger had diminished and the alert level had been downgraded.It said there was still a lot of smoke in the area, and people were urged to keep up to date in case the situation changed again.The bushfire sparked accidentally on Thursday afternoon.

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Brawl after bride marries guest, not groom

TWO wedding guests were briefly detained in northern India after the bride reportedly rejected her groom in favour of another guest.

DURING one of the preliminary ceremonies of the Hindu wedding - the exchange of garlands - Jugal Kishore, 25, had an epileptic fit and fell to the floor at the wedding venue in the northern Indian town of Rampur, the Times of India newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Indira, the 23-year-old bride, apparently angered that she did not know about Kishore's condition, said she would instead marry a relative of her brother-in-law who was a guest at the wedding.The guest agreed and the garlanding ceremony continued. The marriage rituals were then completed, including a key section which involved the couple walking round a holy fire seven times, according to the report late on Tuesday.Kishore, who had been taken to a doctor, came back to find he no longer had a bride. The disagreement which followed reportedly turned violent, and police were called.A complaint was filed with the local police, but was later withdrawn after elders of both families intervened, the newspaper reported, quoting local police official RP Solanki."Both families have amicably resolved the matter," Solanki said.

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Hepatitis A: What is it?

Five people who ate frozen berries have contracted hepatitis A, sparking a national recall. Source: AAP

WHAT BERRIES HAVE BEEN RECALLED?

ALL 1kg packs of Nanna's Frozen Mixed Berries, which are imported from China and distributed in Australia by Patties Foods. Patties is also recalling all 300g and 500g packs of Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries.

WHAT IS HEP A?It's a viral disease that affects the liver.HOW DO YOU CATCH IT?It's spread by consuming food and drink that has been contaminated by faeces from an infected person.HOW IS HEP A DIAGNOSED?It's easy to diagnose hep A through a blood test.WHAT IS THE INCUBATION PERIOD?The average incubation period is 30 days, but you can fall ill anywhere between 15 and 50 days after catching the virus.WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?Fever, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, yellow skin and eyes.HOW LONG DO SYMPTOMS LAST?Several weeks, after which most people will experience a full recovery from the virus.WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE IT?Go to the doctor. Keep your hands clean and don't prepare food for others.A, B OR C?Hep A, B and C are caused by different viruses, are spread in different ways and require different treatments.PREVIOUS OUTBREAKS OF HEP A IN AUSTRALIA?There was a large outbreak of hep A linked to the consumption of raw oysters in NSW in 1997.A large outbreak in 2009 was associated with semidried tomatoes.WHO GETS THE HEP A VACCINATION?The hep A vaccination is recommended for travellers to developing countries.It's also given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in north Queensland, child daycare and pre-school workers and certain health care professionals.

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Beaches reopen after NSW shark attack

BEACHES around Ballina on the NSW north coast have reopened following a fatal shark attack and shark sightings.

THE beaches have been closed for six days since Tadashi Nakahara, 41, was bitten and killed by a 3-4m great white while surfing at Shelly Beach on Monday.

Since then, shark sightings and a large number of baitfish in the area have kept beaches closed.It's believed the last shark sighting was at Lighthouse Beach on Friday.Police and local lifesavers have reassessed the situation and opened the beaches between South Ballina and Lennox Heads.

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Fire danger continues in SA

SEVERAL South Australian districts face extended fire bans as hazardous conditions are predicted to continue over the weekend.

TOTAL fire bans have been declared for 11 of the state's 15 weather districts from midnight on Saturday through to midnight on Sunday.

Senior forecaster Tom Boeck says the north and east of the state will experience the highest temperatures on Sunday, with the mercury tipped to reach the mid-40s.It comes after firefighters battled a number of blazes on Saturday amidst similar hot weather, with catastrophic fire danger predicted in the West Coast.An old, abandoned home was swallowed by a scrub fire that burnt through about 20 hectares at Port Germein, 30km from Port Pirie in the Southern Flinders Ranges.About 55 firefighters and aerial tankers started battling the blaze about 2pm and the threat to safety was reduced within a couple of hours.An earlier blaze at Ceduna, in the West Coast, burnt through about 10 hectares of stubble but firefighters managed to contain it by early the afternoon.About 20 firefighters also battled and contained a smaller paddock fire near Minlaton on the Yorke Peninsula."The CFS advises motorists in all these areas to take care, as smoke will reduce visibility," a CFS spokesman said of the fires on Saturday."Residents are urged to remain vigilant and report any outbreak should they occur."The CFS has predicted extreme fire danger in the Mid North, Mount Lofty Ranges, Murraylands, Upper South East and Lower South East regions on Sunday.Severe fire danger is expected in the Northwest Pastoral, West Coast, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Flinders, Yorke Peninsula and Riverland districts.The CFS has urged residents in affected areas to prepare to enact their bushfire survival plans.People have also been warned not to carry out any activity which could create a spark, including mowing or using a drill.Total fire bans continued in 13 districts through to midnight on Saturday, including those listed for Sunday as well as the Lower Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island districts.A cool change is expected to slowly sweep across the state later on Sunday, reaching Adelaide by mid-afternoon.

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Profit growth for David Jones

Stronger sales have delivered a 10 per cent rise in profit for department store David Jones. Source: AAP

STRONGER sales have delivered a 10 per cent rise in profit for department store David Jones.

THE retailer's new owners, South Africa's Woolworths Holdings, said David Jones made an operating profit of $107 million in the five months to December 28, and sales rose two per cent on the same period a year earlier.

Profit growth of 10 per cent is based on pro-forma calculations for the same period a year ealier.Woolworths paid $2.2 billion for David Jones in a deal that was finalised in late July, and also took full ownership of clothing retailer Country Road.Sales in Country Road rose 9.2 per cent in the six months to December."In Australia there are early signs of an improved retail environment and we expect sales in both David Jones and the Country Road Group to be ahead of the market," Woolworths said.

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NT govt draws line in sand over infighting

THE Northern Territory government has drawn a line in the sand and is hoping to leave its divisions behind - at least publicly.

CHIEF Minister Adam Giles' latest cabinet was sworn in on Wednesday, marking the leader's 10th reshuffle, and the 14th for the Country Liberals since they won the August 2012 election.

"This is an opportunity to put a line in the sand and say enough is enough of the infighting and the bickering, we're here to represent Territorians," Mr Giles told reporters.He denied that a lack of talent in the CLP parliamentary wing was the reason for a drop to an eight-person cabinet from the customary nine."People can cast stones and rocks as much as they like, but there are eight members standing here. I have full confidence in these members, and in the parliamentary wing," he said.But the sacking of frontbencher Robyn Lambley and the resignation of Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matt Conlan left only three backbenchers to be considered for promotion, who between them have only six years' parliamentary experience.The reshuffle comes after last Tuesday's failed leadership coup, which has resulted in the installation of challenger Willem Westra van Holthe as deputy chief minister.David Tollner has been reappointed treasurer, as well as picking up the portfolios of lands and planning and mines and energy.He said he was thrilled to be back, after resigning six months ago following a homophobic slur scandal."What goes on behind closed doors went public this week, but all government members are very focused on what's best for Territorians," he said of the leadership instability.NT Police Association head Vince Kelly told AAP he didn't think the cabinet reshuffle provided strong and stable leadership, with Mr Giles announcing he would take back the police portfolio once four investigations into alleged rorting of the Pensioner and Carer Concession Scheme were complete.Mr Giles and the NTPA have a rocky relationship, with police demanding he apologise for implicating senior officers in a rumour campaign he said aimed to topple his leadership.Parliament resumes for the year next week.

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Stand-off in Tas home enters second night

NEGOTIATIONS with an armed man inside a Tasmanian home are stretching into their second night.

A 35-YEAR-OLD man who is thought to have access to guns remains holed up inside a home in Cedar Street, Newnham.

On Monday he was holding a woman and two children under threat, but they were later released unharmed.Police have remained in contact with the man inside the home.Commander Brett Smith says the wellbeing of the man and the safety of local residents and police are their primary concerns.An information line has been set up for Cedar Street and Laver Grove residents who were evacuated from their homes as a precaution on Monday.Residents can call 03 6777 3867 for details on returning to their homes.

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Perth Mint coins honour the Anzac spirit

Limited edition collectable coins commemorating the Anzac spirit have been released by Perth Mint. Source: AAP

LIMITED edition collectable coins commemorating the Anzac spirit have been released by Perth Mint.

THE Baptism of Fire 2oz gold coin depicts Australian and New Zealand soldiers scaling the cliffs above Anzac Cove, and features a red poppy and an inscription.

The Making of a Nation 1oz silver coin shows the troops in wooden row boats near the Gallipoli shore, with its rugged terrain in the background.Both coins are part of the five-year Anzac Spirit 100th anniversary coin program, marking Australia's involvement in World War I.About 10,000 Australian and New Zealand troops lost their lives at Gallipoli, and a further 18,000 soldiers were wounded.Perth Mint spokesman Ron Currie said although Gallipoli was considered a costly military failure, it sparked the start of the Anzac legend."The Anzac Spirit coin series recognises this incredible story of valour, mateship and sacrifice, all of which were exhibited at the Gallipoli landing," he said.Only 100 Baptism of Fire gold coins will be released at $5050, while 7500 of the Making of a Nation silver coin will be available at $99.Perth Mint will also soon release a Lest We Forget 1kg silver hero coin and a Goodbye Cobber 1/4oz gold coin.

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Sultry film noir star Lizabeth Scott dies

LIZABETH Scott, whose long tawny hair, alluring face and low seductive voice made her an ideal film noir star in the 1940s and '50s, has died in Los Angeles. She was 92.

THE Los Angeles Times reported that Scott died on January 31 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre.

Her longtime friend Mary Goodstein tells the newspaper the cause was congestive heart failure.Like Lauren Bacall and Veronica Lake, both of whom she resembled, Scott proved a perfect fit for the genre, easily able to play the case hardened siren who snared and sometimes betrayed the anti-hero male star.Her films included Dead Reckoning, I Walk Alone and Dark City.Scott made nearly two dozen films between 1945 and 1957.

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Govt to crack down on foreign home buyers

The federal government will toughen up laws to stop foreigners illegally buying homes in Australia. Source: AAP

THE federal government is vowing to clamp down on foreign nationals illegally purchasing residential real estate in Australia.

SPEAKING on Saturday, Treasurer Joe Hockey said he was working to toughen up laws in the area.

"Foreign investors are not allowed to own existing Australian residential real estate without approval," Mr Hockey told reporters in Sydney."There have been abuses of this process. We are going to toughen up the laws to go after those people who are breaking our laws and remaining foreign citizens owning existing Australian residential real estate."Under current laws, foreign nationals must get approval from the government to buy a home in Australia.Approval is not normally granted for the purchase of houses, flats or units that have been previously occupied.Mr Hockey said he would also soon announce the introduction of an agricultural land register, and a requirement for all purchases of such to be subject to "approval over a certain financial point"."We are actually delivering tougher laws on foreign investment at the same time as ensuring we continue to welcome record levels of foreign investment into Australia," he added.

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$4 billion needed for abuse victims

The child sex abuse royal commission has estimated a compensation scheme of over $4 billion. Source: AAP

STATES and territories might have to pay almost half of a $4 billion national compensation scheme for victims of child sexual abuse.

IN a landmark consultation paper launched on Friday, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse outlined models for a compensation scheme that would exceed $4 billion across a 10-year period.

In one model governments would be "funders of last resort" - paying survivors when an institution no longer existed or could not afford to pay.This would see states and territories paying $582 million above what they were liable for because of abuse in state-run institutions.The extra would bring their total contribution to $1.971 billion of the $4.3 billion scheme.Private institutions such as churches, charities, schools or other organisations where children were abused would pay $2.4 billion.That model assumes 65,000 eligible survivors would receive payments of $65,000 each.The scheme was modelled across a 10-year period with annual payments peaking at more than $600 million in some years."Although it appears that governments must accept a broader role in providing effective and fair redress, the primary responsibility is with the institution," commission chair Justice Peter McClellan said when launching the paper.He said the commission understood the current economic climate ensures governments must be careful in committing public money to areas not presently funded.But the fundamental object of redress "must be to help those who have suffered to heal and live a productive and fulfilled life".The commission said a single national redress scheme administered by the federal government the ideal scenario would be, with institutions contributing based on their responsibility.However, if that could not be put in place quickly an alternative scheme run by states and territories with oversight by an advisory body would be established.Representatives of survivor support groups say they prefer a national scheme run by the federal government.Leonie Sheedy, chief executive of Care Leavers Australia Network said, "Many people do not want to go back to the state governments to ask for their compensation when they were responsible for neglecting us".She also questioned the caps in the model schemes, pointing out the federal government paid Cornelia Rau almost $3 million for six months' incarceration in a detention centre in 2005.Adults Surviving Child Abuse president Cathy Kelzelman said while the figures presented by the royal commission seem substantial, they are modest when compared with the cost of inaction.She said supporting survivors through redress made good economic sense when "the costs of mental and physical ill health, substance abuse issues, obesity, suicide and attempted suicide ... as well as the attendant loss of tax revenue is enormous".The Truth Justice and Healing Council, which represents the Catholic Church at the commission, said it was crucial all governments in Australia make it clear they are willing to participate in the scheme.Council chief executive Francis Sullivan says the commission's proposal is consistent with his calls for a generous national scheme.Governments across the country have said they need time to go through the 312-page report before responding.The commission has called for community and government responses to the proposals and will hold a three day public hearing in March to consider the feedback before making final recommendations on a scheme in June or July.

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Labor spruiks teacher wage review

The ALP has promised to review teaching classifications and their pay rates in Queensland. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk is pledging $6 million to pave the way for the state's best teachers to get a pay rise.

THE opposition leader says if elected the ALP will fund a review to establish two new classifications that identify "highly accomplished" and "lead" teachers.

But she concedes the process could take up to four years to complete.That means those eligible could have to wait until after the next state election to benefit."What we've seen over the last few years is teachers leaving our profession to get higher paid jobs," she said on Saturday."This is going to be encouragement to teachers to come back into the classroom."Initial estimates suggested the most experienced teachers could earn up to $120,000, Ms Palaszczuk said.But she was tight-lipped when asked how the party would fund the initiative, simply insisting it wouldn't rely on asset sales.The details would be available when the party's costing were released in the coming week, she said.Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the plan falls far short of the LNP's master teachers program, which recruits teachers capable of lifting academic results.He said hundreds of master and mentor teachers would be deployed from Tuesday as part of the scheme - which even his Labor counterpart, Andrew Lynham, admitted had its merits."We want to make sure our students don't have to wait years for better improved results and better quality teaching," Mr Langbroek said.The LNP has pledged $1 billion for 22 new schools and existing school upgrades, as well as a $90 million innovation fund and 500 scholarships for education degrees so far this election.Meanwhile, Labor has promised to hire hundreds of new teachers in state schools over three years, employ more guidance counsellors and cut class sizes in state primary schools.

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LNP politicians target Alan Jones

RADIO personality Alan Jones is facing more legal action from Queensland government ministers.

LAWRENCE Springborg's office has confirmed the health minister will file a defamation case against Mr Jones for falsely accusing him for orchestrating coal mines in his Southern Downs electorate.

A spokesman for the minister said Jones told Fairfax Radio listeners on Friday that there were coal mines all over the Southern Downs organised to suit Mr Springborg."There is not a single coal mining lease in the Southern Downs," he said."He was speaking tripe."This comes after Jones received court documents from Premier Campbell Newman and Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney flagging impending defamation action over comments about Queensland's New Acland coal mine.A tweet from 4BC radio also says Treasurer Tim Nicholls and assistant minister to the premier Deb Frecklington are poised to sue Jones and the radio station.The broadcaster is in hot water after Jones said Mr Newman lied to him by pledging that stage three of the mine, on the Darling Downs, would not proceed but then approved it anyway.Mining magnate and politician Clive Palmer on Friday described Jones as a "brave and courageous man" for standing up to Mr Newman and offered to fund Jones's defence."Alan Jones has my full support for telling the truth on this matter," Mr Palmer said."He has my financial support for any legal action brought against him by the premier."Comment was being sought from Mr Jones.

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Rihanna wins Topshop T-shirt legal battle

Singer Rihanna has won a legal battle with high street store Topshop over a T-shirt with her image. Source: AAP

POP star Rihanna has won a legal battle with high street store Topshop over a T-shirt with her image.

IN an important ruling on celebrity "image rights", Britain's Court of Appeal upheld a ban on the store selling a Rihanna "tank" sleeveless T-shirt without her permission.

Three appeal judges agreed with an earlier High Court ruling that marketing the fashion item without the 26-year-old singer's approval amounts to "passing off", a term used to enforce unregistered trademark rights.Topshop lawyers had urged the appeal judges - Lord Justice Richards, Lord Justice Kitchin and Lord Justice Underhill - to rule that High Court judge Justice Birss had misunderstood the law on celebrity merchandising.The three judges unanimously dismissed the Topshop appeal.In the lead judgment, Lord Justice Kitchin ruled Justice Birss "was entitled to find that the sale by Topshop of the T-shirt amounted to passing off".The judges also agreed that a substantial number of the 26-year-old pop diva's fans were likely to be led into the false belief that she had authorised the T-shirt to carry her image.Rihanna's lawyers said the image was from an unauthorised photograph taken while the star was filming a video in Northern Ireland for one of her singles in 2011 and Topshop should remain banned from exploiting it.Geoffrey Hobbs QC, appearing for Topshop, which is part of the Arcadia Group, had argued at the hearing that the court was dealing with a "decorated T-shirt" in a tradition of the merchandising of star images over the decades, including those of Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.Hobbs submitted Rihanna was in reality using the law wrongly to claim that "only a celebrity may ever market his or her own character".Rihanna has various lucrative endorsement deals with retailers including Topshop's high-street rival River Island.Hobbs contended the public had no expectation that clothes bearing an image were authorised by people shown in that image.

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Police search for dead Sydney baby's mum

Hundreds of women will be interviewed by police after a baby was found dead on a Sydney beach. Source: AAP

HUNDREDS of women who gave birth towards the end of last year in eastern Sydney will be interviewed by police as they search for the mother of a baby found buried at Maroubra Beach.

POLICE will begin doorknocking on Monday after obtaining medical records of women who were pregnant a couple of months either side of the baby's discovery.

The girl's body was found by two boys on November 30 as they dug in the sand at the beach in Sydney's south.Forensic teams have struggled to gather more information from the victim's body, which was heavily decomposed."(That) has certainly hampered the investigation," Superintendent Gavin Dengate told reporters on Saturday.The Eastern Beaches Local Area Commander hoped further DNA testing would reveal more about the baby's age and potentially her ethnicity.Meanwhile, police will canvass the community for information."Sensitivity is very important," Supt Dengate said."You're not going to go in heavy-handed and say, 'Is that really your baby?'"Supt Dengate urged anyone who had information about the baby's mother to come forward.

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Vic park killer spent night drinking

A man who pleaded guilty to murdering a woman in a Melbourne park spent the previous night drinking. Source: AAP

A WOMAN who was raped and killed by a homeless man spent her final evening practising hymns for a performance at a Melbourne aged-care centre.

AT the same time, her killer, Scott Allen Miller, 43, was drinking in city bars and harassing women.

He told one woman he had an ability to "mentally" ask strangers if he could slap their bottoms and would then do so, according to documents tendered in the Melbourne Magistrates Court.Miller was kicked out of the Carlton Club on Bourke Street just after 5am on June 28 last year.He walked along St Kilda Road, where he crossed paths with Renea Lau, 32, and brutally attacked her.Miller pleaded guilty to two charges of rape and one charge of murder on Thursday.Court documents also indicate he initially frightened Ms Lau, who was on her way to her job at a chocolate shop in South Yarra.She ran across four lanes of St Kilda Road, but was chased by Miller.The next morning, walkers found her bloodied body near the police memorial in the Kings Domain park.Miller, who had been sleeping rough in the botanic gardens since arriving in Victoria the previous month, fled the city.He was arrested near Eden, NSW, and extradited to Victoria where he was charged.Miller told police in an interview he was blind drunk and had been stoned for five days when he attacked Ms Lau.He said he had not intended to kill the Chinese national, but he deserved to go to jail."I just exploded into this violent, violent rage," Miller told police in a transcript of an interview."I'm happy because I'll be in jail and I'll have a place to stay and I'll have food and I'll be able to speak to people, and so I do accept that I'm going to go to jail for this," he said.Ms Lau's boyfriend, Chun Hang Wong, said in a statement to police she was very much loved and was loyal to her friends.He last saw her late on June 27, at their church choir leader's house, where they practised the hymns they planned to sing at an aged-care centre."I said goodbye to Renea knowing we would see each other the following day at church," Mr Wong said."Renea was in a good and happy mood having spent the evening singing hymns."Miller will next face the Victorian Supreme Court on January 20.A date for his sentencing is yet to be fixed.

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Toxic leak forces ISS astronauts to move

A PART of the International Space Station (ISS) has been evacuated after a toxic substance leaked, the Russian Federal Space Agency says.

THE incident happened in the US-sponsored part of the ISS, and all astronauts were safely brought to the station's Russian section, the agency said.

"The crew's safety was ensured thanks to the quick actions of the astronauts and ground control in Moscow and Houston," the agency said.It added that NASA was analysing the situation.Russian news agencies reported that the substance was ammonia, which is used as a coolant on the station.Currently the ISS is staffed with an Italian, three Russian and two US astronauts.

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Newman not a fan of balcony smoking ban

The Queensland premier is not a personal fan of forcing smokers to butt out on their own property. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND Premier Campbell Newman has one message for body corporates wanting to ban smokers from lighting up on their own balconies: butt out.

THE premier was asked about the proposed changes on Tuesday and said he thought smokers should be free to do what they want on their own property.

"I think Australia has got enough laws," he told the Sunshine Coast's 92.7 MIX FM."I'm always loath to see more laws come in, that's my personal opinion."But Mr Newman said the government had received feedback from Queenslanders frustrated with their neighbours' nicotine habits, as part of a wider review into the state's property laws.The Queensland University of Technology study investigated how second-hand smoke can waft across units in blocks, forcing non-smokers to keep their windows and doors shut.Commissioned by Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie, it suggested empowering bodies corporate to regulate where unit dwellers can smoke, ruling out areas like balconies, as a possible solution."On a balcony, it can be a nuisance. You can even smell it two or three floors up," researcher Bill Duncan told AAP.Asthmatics struggling to cope with the effect of chain smokers living in their block were among people who had sent submissions to researchers.But Queensland Body Corporate Association executive officer Errol Anderson said the practical reality of forcing people to butt out on their own balconies would be problematic."It would turn the managers into policemen," Mr Anderson told ABC Radio.The Cancer Council Queensland, however, has welcomed any such ban."Almost one life is lost every day in Queensland due to second-hand smoke exposure," spokesperson Katie Clift said.Public consultation on the proposed changes is open until January 30.

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Home made bomb explodes in Melbourne

A MOLOTOV cocktail thrown at a suburban home in Melbourne's west has exploded.

A PLASTIC bottle containing an unknown chemical was thrown at a balcony in Waterloo Road, Oak Park just after 7am on Saturday, Victoria Police spokeswoman Belinda Nolan said.

"The device exploded, causing minor damage to the balcony area," she said."Two occupants were home at the time but no one was injured."

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Kiwi heads for 1.7% weekly gain

THE New Zealand dollar is heading for a 1.7 per cent weekly gain as the oil price slide seemed stemmed.

THE kiwi rose to 78.33 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 77.02 cents on Friday in New York last week, and was up from 78.17 cents at 8am and 77.93 cents on Thursday.

The trade-weighted index is heading for a 0.8 per cent weekly gain to 79.98 from 79.35 last week, and up from 79.74 on Thursday.The US dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, has been holding near nine-year highs this week as falling oil prices keep a lid on already tepid global inflation and sapped demand for risk-sensitive assets.At the same time the euro has been under pressure on heightened speculation the European Central Bank will have to print money to fight deflation."Oil has been getting smashed and it's ready to rip - our feeling is the market's found a bit of a low and is due a bounce," said Mitchell McIntyre, corporate FX dealer at NZ Forex in Auckland."Everyone in the market's taking a bit of a breather, and the kiwi's just drifting a little bit higher."Traders are waiting on US non-farm payrolls figures on Friday in Washington to gauge the pace of recovery in the world's biggest economy, with the Federal Reserve looking likely to start unwinding its zero interest rate policy this year.The kiwi increased to 96.20 Australian cents at 5pm in Wellington from 96.04 cents on Thursday, to 4.8626 Chinese yuan from 4.8472 yuan, to 66.34 euro cents from 65.89 cents and to 93.61 yen from 93.26 yen.

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Suicide bomber kills at least 15 in Yemen

A SUICIDE bomber driving a minibus full of explosives has killed at least 15 people near a police academy in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

WEDNESDAY'S blast wounded at least 40 people, officials said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.Yemen's local al-Qaeda branch, targeted in frequent US drone strikes in the country, has carried out similar attacks in the past. Washington considers al-Qaeda in Yemen to be the world's most dangerous branch of the terror network.The blast comes as Shi'ite rebels known as Houthis seized large areas of Yemen, including Sanaa, as part of a protracted power struggle with President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.An al-Qaeda suicide bomber killed at least 24 people on December 31 in an attack on Houthis as they commemorated the birth of the Prophet Mohammed.

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