Labor and coalition swap insults on super

LABOR and the coalition are exchanging insults over planned changes to superannuation, with Tony Abbott saying there's no promise the government won't break.

In turn, Prime Minister Julia Gillard rounded on the opposition leader, saying his comparison of the government's superannuation plan with the economic crisis on Cyprus shows just how unfit he is on economic matters.

Former Howard government treasurer Peter Costello has also entered the fray.

Mr Costello, a consultant at the Boao Forum for Asia, which Ms Gillard is attending, says Labor's constant tinkering on superannuation, along with the mining tax and arbitrary intervention on investments, is worrying potential foreign investors.

In a move to end damaging pre-budget speculation, the government announced a series of superannuation reforms on Friday.

The key change imposes a 15 per cent tax on superannuation earnings over $100,000, a measure likely to affect some 16,000 high income earners.

The coalition says this is a raid on people's funds, while the Greens say it hasn't gone far enough.

Federal Superannuation Minister Bill Shorten said the changes had been well received across the superannuation industry.

"It's not a cash grab because any analysis of the budget numbers shows that the initiative is not bringing savings to the budget in the short term," he told journalists in Melbourne.

In Brisbane, Mr Abbott said the government had broken two earlier promises on superannuation - never to tax payments of those over 60 and undertaking to lift the concessionary contributions cap to $50,000.

"You just can't trust this government. There is nothing that they say, no commitment that they make that they won't break when it suits them," he said.

But he wasn't committing a coalition government to any particular superannuation measure just yet.

"Well, what we will do is make no unexpected adverse changes to superannuation. What we are saying is that we want to make it easier for people to invest in their retirement and we will do that but we will do that in a responsible way," he said.

Ms Gillard seized on a statement Mr Abbott made on Friday.

"Every time a government raids people's funds, there are shades of Cyprus about it," he told a community round table in Melbourne.

Ms Gillard, said this was a crazy statement that no person of reason could make.

She said the situation in Cyprus was a genuine moment of economic crisis.

"And to toy with that as if it is a political slogan is a grossly unacceptable thing to do," she said.

Mr Costello said Labor was actually raising very little revenue from these changes.

"Labor has been in office for five years. They are desperate for money. They are hungry for money. They go looking for the pot of gold. They see the pot of gold - superannuation. They create massive uncertainty. And what do they take out of it - two copper coins," he told Sky News.

Treasurer Wayne Swan dismissed criticism of the plan.

"It appears that some vested interests and newspapers are more concerned about what is happening with a very small number of very wealthy people who have millions of dollars in their superannuation accounts than they are with the superannuation savings of millions of Australian workers," told reporters in Mackay, Queensland.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Work keeps confined Assange sane: dad

JULIAN Assange cannot even look out of the windows of the Ecuadorean embassy in London, but his confinement has not dampened his work ethic, his father says.

"The conditions are physically harsh," Assange's biological father John Shipton says.

"He's not allowed to look out the windows for fear of admirers throwing food, you don't know if it's contaminated or not."

But a constant stream of visitors is keeping his intellect alive and the demands of the WikiLeaks organisation - and now its political party - are keeping him busy, according to Mr Shipton.

Assange entered the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden more than nine months ago.

Speaking at the launch of the WikiLeaks Party in Melbourne on Saturday, Mr Shipton described his son as "well".

"Emotionally he's steady and has tremendous support."

The Ecuadoreans are looking after him, he said.

He also has a lot to do.

On January 30, WikiLeaks announced Assange would run for a seat in the Victorian senate at the federal election on September 14.

Mr Shipton, who is the chairman of the WikiLeaks Party, says the decision to enter politics is a result of the "transparency movement" maturing.

"This is the political manifestation of an event that's been unfolding for 10 years," Mr Shipton said.

"In this way, transparency can have the arm of accountability with some political authority and power behind it."

He said Assange had first broached the possibility of running for government late in 2011 and was was "very firm" in his commitment to politics.

"If the people of Victoria elect him to represent them that's his job; to represent the people of Victoria in the senate," Mr Shipton said.

The WikiLeaks Party's newly-appointed campaign director Greg Barns on Saturday announced the party would field senate candidates in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia.

If Assange is elected in Victoria but unable to return to the country, a running mate will take-up his seat.

Mr Barns said Assange's ability to take up his seat would be up to the Australian government.

"It would be internationally embarrassing for the voters of Victoria not to be able to have in the senate the person for whom they voted on September 14," he said.

But he was unsure if a successful senate run would increase the likelihood of the WikiLeaks founder returning to Australia.

The senate bid, he said, was not a legal strategy.

"If that were the case he would simply put his name down for the Senate, run in the ungrouped category and hope to get elected."

Mr Shipton said WikiLeaks will release a million pages of documents this year.

"Julian and staff are very very busy," he said.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aust firms need to learn China's rules: PM

Prime Minister Julia Gillard's starts her first full day of talks at the Boao Forum for Asia. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS doing business in China will be offered training in how to play by its rules and avoid jail under a new program.

At least four Australian business executives working in China have been jailed in recent times for questionable reasons, but little action has been taken to address the issue.

Attending the Boao Forum for Asia on the Chinese resort island of Hainan, which has trade and investment talks at its core, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said there were huge opportunities for Australians doing business in China and her trip would help build these.

"But there are also risks ... and we believe it's very necessary for people to understand that degree of risk," Ms Gillard told reporters on the sidelines of the forum.

Trade Minister Craig Emerson, who is travelling with the prime minister and Foreign Minister Bob Carr, said a training program would be launched later in the week to take potential investors through the processes they need to follow to do business in China and how to mitigate risk.

However Dr Emerson was at pains to emphasise China was not being singled out as a risky place to do business.

"In any country there are risks in doing business," he said.

Ms Gillard's first full day of talks on her second visit to China in two years included a meeting with International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and a business forum with Chinese and Australian executives.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop, who is also at the Boao Forum, said Australia had neglected its relations with China and policies such as the mining and carbon taxes and Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) decisions were putting investment at risk.

She was backed up by another forum participant, former federal treasurer Peter Costello, who told AAP the greatest risk was the government "changing the rules" and creating uncertainty for investors.

"None of this gives Australia a good reputation overseas and I think the best thing the Australian government could do is return some certainty to the rules ... announce them and keep them," Mr Costello said.

Ms Gillard said the FIRB had not knocked back one of the 380 Chinese investment proposals in 10 years, but had put conditions on six of them.

"We have a foreign investment review system which is appropriate," she said.

The prime minister said the federal coalition would put the eight-year-old Australia-China Free Trade Agreement talks at risk if they changed the FIRB's investment-checking thresholds.

Later on Saturday, the prime minister was due to meet with former PM Bob Hawke, New Zealand leader John Key and Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto.

Ms Gillard will address the Boao Forum on Sunday, and meet with China's new president Xi Jinping before heading to Shanghai on the next leg of her trip.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Water leak feared at Japan nuke plant

THE operator of Japan's crippled nuclear plant says it is moving tonnes of highly radioactive water from a temporary storage tank to another because of a possible leak.

TEPCO said on Saturday about 108 tonnes the water are believed to have breached the tank's inner linings, although little is thought to have leaked into the soil. TEPCO is moving the water to a nearby tank.

It is part of the water that was used to cool melted fuel at the Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors damaged in the March 2011 disaster.

So much water was used that TEPCO is struggling to find storage space.

The plant is being decommissioned but continues to experience glitches.

A fuel storage pool temporarily its lost cooling system on Friday, a month after a similar 30-hour outage.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Let Manus detainees mingle with locals'

AUSTRALIA needs to consider allowing asylum seekers housed at the detention facility on Manus Island to interact with the local community, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says.

Mr O'Neill made the comments on Tuesday in response to a question about mounting criticism in Australia over the running of the centre.

"We don't run the facility, we provide the opportunity for (Australia) to run the processing centre, and we've always stressed it has to be done in a humane as possible way and manner - we expect that to be carried out," Mr O'Neill told reporters in Port Moresby.

"If children are on board, we have already offered to the Australian government and everybody that the refugees must be allowed to interact with our communities.

"I think there needs to be some consideration given to that by the Australian government."

On Thursday, Paris Aristotle, part of former Defence chief Angus Houston's refugee policy review panel, said safeguards needed to mitigate the risk of mental health harm have not been put in place at the detention centre.

He said he was particularly concerned about the arbitrary detention of asylum seekers, especially children, on Manus Island.

"Something needs to be done to address that immediately," he told ABC TV's Lateline on Thursday.

"Six months in, I don't think it's appropriate that children are still held in detention anywhere.

"If they were free to move around, if there were adequate services available for them and so forth, then that may have been an acceptable option."

He said he has had discussions with the federal government and immigration department and doesn't believe they are ignoring the panel's recommendations.

Mr O'Neill says the people of Manus would welcome more interaction with the asylum seekers.

"Manus is one of the most peaceful places in this country and people are very friendly, very welcoming.

"The community has willingly said they are free to move around and engage with them."

Following Mr Aristotle's comments, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young called for the facility to be closed down.

Australian authorities on Thursday transferred the first group of asylum seekers to be moved to the Papua New Guinea processing facility in two months.

Police last month charged 18 asylum seekers with fighting and assault following a series of incidents at the temporary facility on Lombrum Naval base.

Some of the detainees then went on a week-long hunger strike to protest the charges.

A legal challenge to the centre has been repeatedly adjourned as lawyers haggle over procedural issues.

It is next expected to come before Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia on Wednesday for a directions hearing.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Escapes prompt call for NSW prison review

THE NSW opposition has called for an urgent review of security in the state's prisons after a week in which four inmates escaped and two others died in custody.

In the latest incident, three minimum security inmates absconded from their unit at a prison at Glen Innes, in northern NSW, some time between 6.30pm (AEDT) on Thursday and 7am on Friday.

That followed the escape of a prisoner from Goulburn Correctional Centre on Tuesday and the deaths of two prisoners in custody at the Silverwater Metropolitan Remand Centre on Monday.

Opposition justice spokesman Paul Lynch said it was alarming to see three separate serious incidents across three separate NSW prisons in such a short space of time.

"(Attorney-General) Greg Smith needs to explain how these four prisoners have managed to escape with seemingly so much ease from custody and remain at large within our community," Mr Lynch said in a statement.

"It is completely unacceptable to have this many serious incidents across our prison system without any answers from the O'Farrell government."

Mr Lynch said the incidents could be linked to recent job losses within the prison system.

"We already know that this minister has overseen the slashing of 650 corrective services jobs, which has clearly compromised the safety and security of our prison system.

Police are continuing their search for the three inmates who escaped on Thursday, who have been named as Zac Cree, 25, Ashley Cullen, 21, and Reegan Freeburn, 24, all from Grafton.

Cree was serving a sentence for driving and break-and-enter offences, Cullen for break and enter and fraud, and Freeburn was serving a term for assault, stalking and intimidation as well as reckless wounding.

Meanwhile, Christopher Gibbs, 30, remains on the run after escaping from the Goulburn Correctional Centre in the NSW southern tablelands on Tuesday morning while serving a sentence for armed robbery.

Police say anyone who sees any of the men should not approach them but contact police immediately.

On Monday, two male prisoners, aged 41 and 47, were found dead at Silverwater Prison's Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre.

A police spokeswoman said the homicide squad was pursuing murder-suicide as a key line of inquiry, but detectives were keeping an open mind.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mandela is getting better: wife

South Africa's president Jacob Zuma (pic) says Nelson Mandela is showing "continuous improvement". Source: AAP

NELSON Mandela's wife says the 94-year-old icon is "fine" and his health is improving after he was hospitalised more than a week ago for pneumonia, a report says.

"Madiba is fine, Madiba is getting better and better," said Graca Machel late on Thursday, using 94-year-old Mandela's clan name, the private eNCA news channel reported.

"He is in hospital simply because the doctors want to be absolutely sure that he is strong enough to go home and nothing is going to recur."

Her comments marked the latest upbeat update on the country's first black president, who was hospitalised shortly before midnight on March 27.

The admission was his third hospital stay since December.

On Thursday, President Jacob Zuma said that he had visited his predecessor and that doctors had said he was showing continuous improvement.

"Madiba is stable and we are thankful that he is responding well to treatment and that he is much better," Zuma said,

To help him breathe without difficulty, doctors last week drained excess fluid from the lining of his lungs.

Last month, Mandela spent a night in hospital for a scheduled check-up and in December he was admitted for 18 days for a lung infection and gallstones surgery, his longest hospital stay since he walked free from 27 years in jail in 1990.

Mandela's latest health scare has sparked an outpouring of wishes and prayers from across the globe and at home.

"Thank you very, very, very much for lifting him up. God is listening," said Machel.

No indication has been made as to when Mandela could be released from hospital, with his grandson also saying this was likely only when doctors were satisfied.

"We are always very concerned when he goes into hospital," his grandson Mandla Mandela told SABC public television on Thursday.

But he noted that Mandela had undergone several "scheduled hospital visits" for check-ups and monitoring in recent months and said his grandfather was in the "good capable hands" of his doctors.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man charged over Qld tattoo parlour attack

A QUEENSLAND man has been charged over a shotgun attack on a Sunshine Coast tattoo parlour.

The 33-year-old, from Mountain Creek near Mooloolaba, is facing a number of charges including extortion and discharging a firearm.

He will appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on April 22.

The front window of a Mooloolaba tattoo parlour was hit by shotgun blasts in the early hours of Thursday morning when shots were fired by a man riding a stolen pushbike.

Police are investigating possible outlaw motorcycle gang links.

The stolen bicycle, a shotgun and clothing which were found not far from the parlour are undergoing forensic tests.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Celebrated composer Tommy Tycho dies

AUSTRALIAN composer and musician Tommy Tycho has died at the age of 84.

Tycho was an institution in the early days of Australian television and recorded the version of the national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, used often at sporting events in Australia.

The ABC's website reports Tycho's personal manager, Ken Laing, says the musician was demure and known as a gentleman.

Laing also says Tycho was "a genius when it comes to being a musician and a composer and arranger."

Born in Budapest in 1928, Tycho emigrated to Australia with his family in 1951. Before that he lived in Iran and was the personal pianist to the Shah of Iran from 1948 to 1951.

In 1956 Tycho landed a job with Channel Seven and for 15 years was the music director for the Seven Network. During his career he worked with Peter Allen, Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Barry Crocker and international acts Sammy Davis Jr, Shirley Bassey, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.

In 1977, Tycho was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Tycho suffered a stroke in 2008, two weeks after he had played the piano for Denmark's Princess Mary at the opening of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.

He had been living in a nursing home ever since, where the ABC says he died on Thursday from complications from pneumonia.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

SAfrica pulls troops from Central Africa

SOUTH Africa has decided to pull its troops out of the Central African Republic because the deal under which they were deployed has become void with a fall of government.

"We have taken a decision to withdraw our soldiers," President Jacob Zuma was quoted as saying by the public broadcaster SABC, at the end of a summit of African regional leaders on Thursday.

Zuma had faced questions over the presence of his troops following the gunning down by rebels of 13 South African paratroopers during the bloody battle for the capital, Bangui.

"We were in CAR on the basis of the agreement between the two countries," he said at the end of the summit.

"Our mission was to help train the soldiers ... since the coup and the self-appointment of rebels, it was clear that the government is no longer there," Zuma told SABC at the end of a meeting of the Economic Community of Central African States in the Chadian capital Ndjamena.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Slain NSW central coast couple named

POLICE have released the names of a couple who died in their home on the NSW central coast a week ago, as the man accused of killing them awaits a court appearance.

The bodies of Paul Edward Breen, 54, and his partner, Felicia Crawford, 45, were found in their home at Playford Avenue, Killarney Vale, at 8.30pm on Good Friday.

Corey Breen, 25, was arrested later that night and charged with their murders and two counts of robbery armed with an offensive weapon.

He was refused bail and is next due to appear at Wyong Local Court on June 19.

Strike Force Gathercole was established to investigate the murders as well as carjackings, crashes and an assault.

Nine crime scenes were established across the northern part of the central coast on the night of the killings, from Gorokan to Killarney Vale, police said.

Police are interested in speaking to anyone who may have witnessed or have information about any of these incidents.

In particular, investigators urge anyone who had a pushbike stolen in the Gorokan area that night to come forward.

Police have released a picture of the bicycle, a lady's white Loline model.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

NSW govt will slash school jobs: union

A TEACHER'S union says a newspaper advertisement, where it accuses the NSW government of depriving the state's children of a decent education, is accurate.

The state government wants the NSW Teachers Federation to apologise for the full-page ad, which urges parents to "say no" to $1.6 billion in public education cuts, which will slash "1000 school jobs - with more to follow".

Education Minister Adrian Piccoli says the claims are misleading and deceptive.

"In the next four years the NSW government will invest at least $53.5 billion in education," he said in statement on Thursday.

Mr Piccoli also dismissed the union's claims of jobs being cut as "a bare-faced lie".

"We have employed more than 500 extra teachers since we were elected," he said.

But Teachers Federation president Maurie Mulheron said Mr Piccoli should "read his own media releases" before accusing the union of lying.

Mr Mulheron said the minister issued a report last September, stating that "over the next four years, the total required savings for Education and Communities is estimated to be $1.7 billion".

The report also states that "over the next four years, the department will need to reduce its staff numbers by around 1800", Mr Mulheron said.

"Mr Piccoli does himself no credit at all by denying what his government is doing. Instead, he should be standing with public school communities and advocating on their behalf that these cuts be reversed," he said.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eddie Murphy refused Mel B visa form:court

AMERICAN actor Eddie Murphy refused to sign a visa consent form allowing his child with Spice Girl Melanie Brown to come to Australia, a Sydney court has heard.

The Seven Network is battling in the Supreme Court to retain what it claims is an exclusive Australian television agreement with the singer known as Mel B until January 31, 2014.

The network took Brown to court after it was announced earlier this year that she would be appearing on the Nine Network's Australia's Got Talent.

Lawyers for Brown told the court last week Seven had no plans to use Brown this year and simply wanted to stop her appearing on the rival network.

But Seven's director of production, Brad Lyons, said on Wednesday that Seven "really wanted" Brown to appear on its successful X-Factor series for a third year running and so had secured her for the 2013 series.

"She was a very good judge. That's why we exercised the option to have her return. She is outspoken and a big international star," Mr Lyons said.

Brown's husband and manager Stephen Belafonte said in a phone call earlier this year Brown would not be able to come to Australia because they were having consent problems with the fathers of her children, Mr Lyons said.

Brown has three children - one from her first marriage to dancer Jimmy Gulzar, one with ex-boyfriend Murphy and one with Mr Belafonte.

"(Mr Belafonte said) we're fighting custody battles in LA and London. It's looking increasingly likely Mel will have to live and work in LA," Mr Lyons said.

Seven production lawyer Jane Oswald said she was told the problem was with Murphy.

"Eddie Murphy ... wouldn't sign the documents, and (they said) they would have to take him to court to get the documents signed," Ms Oswald said.

Mr Lyons said he was upset that Mel B needed to live and work in LA, but told Mr Belafonte: "We're not going to tear her away from her kids."

He said he started "working towards a solution" to use Brown in the show, including possibly making her a fifth judge who would fly in and out.

Under cross-examination from Brown's lawyer, Thomas Blackburn SC, Mr Lyons agreed he did not specifically tell Mr Belafonte that Seven and Brown "have an existing and continuing agreement".

But Mr Lyons said he was convinced the agreement was in place.

The hearing resumes on Thursday.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld watchdog bogged down, review says

A REVIEW of Queensland's crime and corruption watchdog recommends keeping allegations secret, prosecuting people who make malicious claims and culling the government's ethical standards units.

The state government asked former High Court judge Ian Callinan to review the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC), claiming it had allowed itself to be used by those with an axe to grind.

Mr Callinan's 17 recommendations were released on Wednesday.

They include overhauling the CMC's administrative structure and complaints process.

Some of the more controversial recommendations would allow the government to deny Right to Information requests for nine months without a reason.

Ethical standards units within government departments would disappear or be greatly reduced, with investigations centralised through the Public Service Commission.

Mr Callinan wants the CMC to free up its limited resources by canning all research, unless it's approved by the government.

No more educational material should be produced, such as codes of conduct for state and local governments, which were labelled "unremarkable".

Mr Callinan describes the CMC as being bogged down with bureaucracy.

In one year, it received 5000 complaints, but fewer than 100 needed to be pursued.

One of the most wasteful claims was that a prison cell was left untidy after a police search.

Mr Callinan says to reduce the avalanche of complaints, those who make "baseless, vexatious, reckless, or malicious" claims could be prosecuted and fined.

Complaints would only be made public if investigations led to criminal proceedings or proceedings in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Premier Campbell Newman is no stranger to CMC complaints.

He was the target of a few during the 2012 election campaign.

They were later found to be baseless.

He believes the CMC needs significant reform.

"We need to ensure that the CMC is not used to settle personal or political scores," he said.

"We need reforms to ensure the organisation focuses on the big issues of corruption and official misconduct, but particularly on organised criminal gangs that have unfortunately started infiltrating Queensland.

"That's where the scarce dollars should be going."

Mr Newman said he was committed to maintaining the CMC's independence, but said it needed to be more accountable to parliament and Queenslanders.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the recommendations would erode the CMC's independence and discourage whistleblowers from reporting corruption.

"We are a seeing a muzzle put on the independent watchdog," she told reporters.

"This government has a vendetta against the CMC."

Terry O'Gorman, from the Queensland Council of Civil Liberties, is concerned the CMC's research would have to be approved by the government.

"It is a dangerous proposal. It would be subject to political dictation of the day," he said.

The review recommends that a four person panel, including the CMC chair, should implement the recommendations.

The CMC issued a short statement on Wednesday saying it wouldn't be appropriate to comment because any reform would be driven by the new panel.

Mr Newman is yet to say what recommendations could be adopted or when a decision would be made.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Surfer dies off northwest Tasmania

A HOBART surfer has died on Tasmania's far northwest coast.

The 30-year-old man was pulled from the water at Marrawah on Tuesday evening after getting into difficulty.

He was given CPR by members of the public and paramedics, but could not be revived.

Police said it was possible he had died as the result of a medical condition and a post mortem examination was being conducted.

A coroner's report was also being prepared.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Italy mafia probe nets 1.3b euros

ITALIAN police say they have seized mafia-linked assets worth 1.3 billion euros ($A1.63 billion) from a Sicilian renewable energy developer.

The assets, including 43 wind and solar energy companies, 98 properties and 66 bank accounts, belonged to Vito Nicastri, a 57-year-old businessman dubbed the "Lord of the Wind" for his prominent role in the business.

"This is a sector in which money can easily be laundered," Arturo de Felice, head of Italy's anti-mafia agency, told news channel SkyTG24 on Wednesday.

"Operating in a grey area helped him build up his business over the years," De Felice said.

The anti-mafia agency said in a statement it was the biggest seizure of mafia-linked assets.

The assets had been frozen in 2010 and Nicastri is on probation under orders not to leave his town of Alcamo in western Sicily during the investigation.

Nicastri had "numerous and high-level contacts with mafia figures," the anti-mafia agency said, adding that this had been confirmed by messages found during the arrest of two local mafia bosses.

The businessman was also linked to Matteo Messina Denaro, a fugitive considered the godfather of the Sicilian mafia, the statement said.

Italy's renewable energy sector has been heavily infiltrated by the mafia because of once-generous state subsidies and lax controls.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

GI Joe soldiers his way to box office No.1

ACTION stars are all the rage with film fans who marched into cinemas to see GI Joe: Retaliation, toppling the latest Bruce Willis film from the top of the Australian box office.

The film, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, made $3.865 million in its first weekend, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.

Animated comedy The Croods debuted in second place with $3.737 million, pushing Willis' A Good Day to Die Hard down into third place although it still banked $2.246 million.

Oz The Great and Powerful dropped from second to fourth position while The Host, based on a sci-fi tale from Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer, had a disappointing premiere week in fifth place.

Jack The Giant Slayer dropped from third to sixth place, while the historic comedy-drama Hyde Park on Hudson, starring Bill Murray, debuted at No.7.

Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar-winning performance in Silver Linings Playbook is still winning hearts at eighth place and actually made slightly more money than the previous weekend.

Australian musical film Goddess, starring Magda Szubanski, dropped three places to No.9, while the comedy 21 & Over rounds out the Top 10.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

India drops Italian envoy order

INDIA'S Supreme Court has cancelled an order passed last month during a diplomatic row with Italy, preventing its ambassador from leaving the country.

The court imposed the restriction on ambassador Daniele Mancini after Rome failed to return two Italian marines facing murder charges in New Delhi.

Mancini had signed an affidavit taking responsibility for their return after they had been allowed to travel back to Italy on bail.

The order caused concern that India could be in breach of international law which grants foreign envoys freedom of movement, but the impasse was resolved when Italy sent the marines back to face trial on March 22.

"We vacate our earlier order dated March 18," a three-judge bench in the Supreme Court announced on Tuesday.

It also asked the Indian attorney-general to report back to the court by April 16 on the setting up of a special court in New Delhi to try the marines, who face murder charges over the killing of two fishermen in February last year.

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone were guarding an Italian oil tanker when they opened fire on a fishing boat, which they say they mistook for a pirate vessel.

Italy has insisted the pair should be prosecuted in their home country because the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters.

India says the killings took place in waters under its jurisdiction.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Moreton Bay centre 'a political football'

QUEENSLAND Communities Minister Tracy Davis has defended her handling of an alleged scandal involving a community association linked to suspended MP Scott Driscoll.

The Regional Community Association of Moreton Bay (RCAMB) said on Tuesday it was planning to go into liquidation.

Mr Driscoll, a Liberal National Party (LNP) MP, is facing a raft of allegations.

The worst claim is that he secretly controlled the association while he was an MP and funnelled $120,000 in consulting fees to his wife's company, Norsefire.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said Ms Davis had the power to order a forensic audit of the association's books but had sat on her hands for two weeks.

Ms Palaszczuk wants Ms Davis to resign.

"This minister is incompetent, or maybe they are looking at protecting the member for Redcliffe (Mr Driscoll)," Ms Palaszczuk said.

But Ms Davis said the government had already appointed an auditor.

She accused Ms Palaszczuk of being out of touch and using the association as a political football.

"Whilst Ms Palaszczuk has had her head buried in the sand, this government has been getting on with the job of ensuring there is greater accountability around the use of taxpayer funds," she said.

Ms Davis said she found out late on Thursday that the association was in a dire financial position and couldn't meet its obligations.

She had created a contingency plan and directed funding to a local neighbourhood centre, so services could continue.

The taxpayer-funded RCAMB assists the community by providing counselling, emergency assistance and other services to residents.

Its board says it owes about $295,000, including unpaid contract money from the state and federal governments.

It needs about $68,000 to meet all current creditors.

It claims it could pay debts if the government released funding it owes but has held back since complaints about Mr Driscoll were made to the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).

Ms Palaszczuk said Ms Davis could authorise state payments, so staff could be paid and community service work could continue.

The board, in its letter to media outlets on Tuesday, also lashed out at the "anonymous complaints" made against it.

"Any such complaints are entirely baseless," it said.

The board maintains it fully audited financials at all times and has endured "false, misleading and malicious attacks" for the past 12 months.

"The organisation has been caught up in a political witch-hunt because of its association with the local member of parliament," it says.

"The direct result of this is now the closure of a great local community organisation."

Mr Driscoll has vigorously denied all allegations made against him.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Body found near NT search site for plane

THE body of a female has been found on a beach within the search site for a missing light aircraft in the Northern Territory.

Fears have been held for the lives of 45-year-old electrical contractor Stuart Sceney, his 53-year-old wife Karmi, and daughters Mekdes, 12, and Kal, 15, since their plane disappeared.

The Cessna 210 took off from Bullo River Station about 2pm (CST) on Monday and failed to land at an airfield south of Darwin a few hours later.

"Late this afternoon a body was discovered washed up on a beach in the south of the search area near Cape Ford," Acting Commander Mark Christopher said in a statement on Tuesday.

"A forensics team is on its way to the site to recover the body in preparation for formal identification."

Media reported a plane wreck has been spotted at Anson Bay, but NT police say this is incorrect.

Up to eight aircraft and numerous vessels have been scouring the search area.

The search for the plane and passengers will continue at first light on Wednesday.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tanzania building collapse toll hits 34

25 people have died in a building collapse in Tanzania, with hope fading of finding missing people. Source: AAP

RESCUERS have pulled more bodies from the rubble of a building that collapsed in Tanzania's economic capital Dar es Salaam, bringing the toll to 34 three days after the crash.

"Ten bodies were found between Sunday afternoon and dawn today. This brings the total number confirmed dead to 34," Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Saidi Mecky Sadicky said on Monday.

"We will continue looking for more bodies and perhaps we will find more," Sadicky said, adding that rescuers had managed to excavate the rubble up to the ground floor level but "we will go on until we reach the basement of the building."

Between 60 and 70 people are thought to have been around the partially-built 16-storey building when it came crashing down on Friday morning in the Kisutu area of the coastal city.

At least two children were among those killed and 18 people had been rescued alive following the collapse.

Officials have said there was little hope of finding any more survivors in the rubble.

Local residents have turned out to supply rescuers with food, water and medication.

The ill-fated building is a joint project between the state-owned National Housing Corporation and Ladha Construction Ltd.

Sadicky said investigations into the cause of the accident were under way and police were now holding eight people for questioning.

Those arrested are presumed to be the owners of the building and officials from both the construction firm and Dar es Salaam City Council.

In 2008, another building that collapsed in Dar es Salaam claimed at least four lives.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tokyo stocks close down 2.12%

TOKYO stocks closed down 2.12 per cent on Monday as the yen strengthened and after the Bank of Japan (BoJ) quarterly Tankan survey showed a only a modest uptick in business sentiment.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index shed 262.89 points to 12,135.02, while the Topix index of all first-section shares tumbled 3.30 per cent, or 34.14 points, to 1,000.57.

Just before the start of Monday's session, the BoJ's Tankan survey showed confidence among large Japanese manufacturers saw a modest improvement in the first quarter as Tokyo works to reverse years of limp growth.

Investors are also watching a BoJ policy meeting this week as its new governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, talks up his plans to revive the economy and reverse falling prices that have crimped private spending and corporate investment.

There are widespread expectations that the bank will launch a new wave of aggressive policy measures that tend to weaken the yen and lift exporter shares.

New investment money will start flowing into stocks as a new fiscal year starts, said SMBC Nikko Securities general manager of equities Hiroichi Nishi.

"But turmoil in the eurozone regarding the Cyprus bank fallout, as well as geopolitical stress in the Korean peninsula still warrant keen attention," he added.

Tokyo's dip on Monday comes after the Nikkei soared almost 20 per cent in the first quarter of the year, while on Wall Street Thursday the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 both ended at record highs.

A stronger yen weighed on major exporters in Tokyo trade, with Toyota off 2.05 per cent at 4,760 yen, Canon falling 1.17 per cent to 3,360 yen and tyre giant Bridgestone slipping 2.83 per cent to 3,080 yen.

Sony fell 4.26 per cent to 1,572 yen while Olympus slipped 3.12 per cent to 2,142 yen after the pair said last week that their planned medical joint venture had been held up due to delays in winning regulatory approval.

In afternoon Tokyo forex trade, the dollar weakened to 93.56 yen against 94.20 yen in Easter weekend trade on Friday in New York.

The euro bought $1.2800 and 119.74 yen, slipping from $1.2818 and 120.78 yen, as the Cyprus bailout and Italian political instability led to caution among dealers.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tibet landslide leaves 21 dead, 62 missing

RESCUERS have recovered 21 bodies three days after a massive landslide in Tibet buried more than 80 mine workers, China National Radio reported.

Another 62 miners remain missing under two million cubic metres of earth east of the Tibetan capital Lhasa, with about 3,500 emergency workers battling snow and altitude sickness to search for them.

Some searchers dug with their bare hands to avoid damaging bodies or because the disaster had blocked roads needed to deliver large-scale rescue equipment, reports said.

Two of the bodies were found on Saturday and the rest on Sunday, and the search will continue "as long as there was a one per cent chance" of recovering bodies, the radio quoted a rescue worker as saying.

Experts from the ministry of land and resources have arrived in the area to investigate the cause of the landslide.

Mountainous regions of Tibet are prone to such occurrences, which can be exacerbated by heavy mining activity, and the risk of additional landslides has heightened concerns about safety.

In recent years China has discovered huge mineral resources in Tibet, including tens of millions of tonnes of copper, lead and zinc, and billions of tonnes of iron ore.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Passenger's touring helps No 1 single

BRITISH singer-songwriter Passenger scores his eighth international number one placement by moving up one spot to the top of the ARIA Singles Chart with his hit Let Her Go.

Previously he has topped the charts in Belgium, The Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden and it is currently No 1 in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, as well as at No 2 in Denmark and Finland.

He has one more week of touring here in Australia, plus his album All the Little Lights jumps up to No 2 this week, so he could be at the summit of both charts next week.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis move back down to second place after one week at the top with Can't Hold Us.

MKTO were in the country recently for a promo visit, and that has helped their track Thank You to climb to a new peak of No 3, Pink and Nate Ruess are in fourth place with Just Give Me a Reason, whilst Rihanna does what her song says and is stable at No 5 with Stay.

Staying at the top of the albums chart for a second week is Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience.

Landing the highest new album entry of the week at No 3 is Sydney metal-core band Northlane, whose second album Singularity far surpasses the No 85 peak that their November 2011 first set Discoveries achieved.

Ed Sheeran is down a place to No 4 with + -, pushing down Pink and The Truth About Love to fifth place.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

A-League club's PR man dies in cliff fall

FORMER journalist and owner of PR consulting firm Rocket Group Rod Allen has died in a cliff fall on Sydney's Cockatoo Island.

About 8am (AEDT) on Sunday the body of Mr Allen was found at the base of a cliff on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, police said.

It is understood Mr Allen had been camping on the island as part of a former colleague's 50th birthday party celebrations when the incident occurred.

A police spokeswoman told AAP that investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident were continuing.

Mr Allen has been involved in the media industry for more than 20 years and as media manager for the Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club had just celebrated the club's A-League premiership in its inaugural season.

During his journalistic career he had been managing editor of sport for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald newspapers and had managed Fairfax Media's coverage of the Olympic games in Beijing.

In 2009 Mr Allen established the public relations consultation firm, Rocket Group, named for his nickname of Rocket.

He also was heavily involved with the Australian football community having worked as head of media relations for Football Federation Australia in which he managed all aspects of the media for Australia's bids for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, the Socceroos' campaigns for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.

His PR group worked for a range of clients in the sporting world. As news of Mr Allen's death became known on Sunday tributes began to flow on social media networks.

Sydney FC chief executive Tony Pignata tweeted that his thoughts were with Mr Allen's family, while many former Fairfax colleagues also expressed their sympathies.

FFA CEO David Gallop paid tribute to Mr Allen for his contribution to football, sport and media in Australia.

He said Mr Allen had a remarkable career in sports journalism and more recently sports administration and was regarded as an extremely professional and well-respected journalist, editor and media manager.

"His no-nonsense approach to the task at hand was his trademark and many who dealt with him appreciated this dedication to getting the story, hitting deadline or managing an issue.

"On behalf of the Australian Football Community, we offer our deepest condolences to his family during this extremely sad time," Mr Gallop said.

Sydney Morning Herald sports editor Ben Coady said the death of Mr Allen was a "huge loss" to the Australian sporting industry.

"Rod's death is a tragic event. In his role as chief editor of the Sun-Herald and Sydney Morning Herald sports departments he was a journalist of the highest integrity.

"He had a brilliant news sense and was respected by all members of staff who worked with him," Mr Coady said Fairfax websites on Sunday.

Australian Turf Club CEO Darren Pearce said Mr Allen had a major influence on the Australian racing industry with helping to develop a new media strategy.

He will leave his mark in so many ways ... it's just perplexing, tragic and sad, all at the same time," Mr Pearce told Fairfax.

Wanderers Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman said football had lost a great friend, a wonderful man and an incredible contributor to the club and football.

"Our thoughts are with his beautiful wife Laila and their extended family."

Mr Gorman said his last time with Mr Allen was in Newcastle on Friday night where "we celebrated a wonderful night in our club's history after winning the Premiers Plate."

"I am not sure that in the nine years I have known Rod that I have ever seen him happier or prouder when it came to football."

Australia Olympic Committee spokesman Mike Tancred said the AOC was deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of Mr Allen.

He said Mr Allen managed the AOC office in the Main Press Centre at the London Olympics.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

NSW police RBT two million in four months

More than two million drivers have been random breath tested by NSW Police in the past four months. Source: AAP

NSW Police have random breath tested more than two million motorists as part of a four month crackdown on drink driving.

The crackdown, codenamed Operation Paciullo, was launched in November to coincide with the 30th anniversary of random breath testing in NSW.

Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas on Sunday administered the two millionth RBT to a car on George Street in front of Sydney Town Hall.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Kaldas said around eight thousand people had been arrested in the operation, which was named after George Paciullo.

Paciullo, who died last year, was a NSW Labor government minister who undertook a personal crusade to introduce random breath testing at a time when the state's annual road toll was about 1200 a year.

Less than 400 were killed last year, a dramatic drop, although experts say safer cars have also played a major role in the reduction.

Mr Kaldas said the anti-drink driving message was still not reaching many people.

He said in 2012 police breath tested more than four million people, resulting in 21,000 arrests.

"Thousands of people continue to drink and drive and think they're going to get away with it," he said.

"There will always be a minority who do not follow the rules, and they're the ones that have to be dealt with."

He said random breath testing had made a huge impact on cutting down road accidents since being introduced 30 years ago.

"I think it would be a hell of a lot worse if we weren't charging people and not random breath testing," he said.

"We have to accept that it's having an impact."

He said 545,000 people had been charged for drink-driving in NSW since police started randomly stopping drivers.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kangaroo multilated in country Victoria

A KANGAROO has been mutilated and tied to a barbed wire fence in country Victoria.

Police believe several offenders captured and killed the mature kangaroo near Hamptons Lane and Parkinsons Road in Napoleons on early Sunday morning.

"The kangaroo was then tied to a barbed wire fence and was visible from the road," a police spokeswoman said.

Locals helped police remove the kangaroo from the fence.

Police urged anyone with information to contact them.

AAP m

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic national park slated for development

POINT Nepean could be among the first Victorian tourism developments in previously off-limits national parks.

In a bid to cash in on the lucrative eco-tourism market, the state government has released rules which would allow development in some national parks.

Developers will have to jump five hurdles in the approval process and allow for a public notification period before being given the green light.

The developments would have to be sensitive to their setting and provide social and economic benefits to the community.

Tourism groups say the move will help the state generate returns on already high visitor numbers to national parks.

But environment groups say developers have no place in national parks and the guidelines don't require enough public consultation.

Environment Minister Ryan Smith said the government would initiate some developments and soon call for expressions of interest in Point Nepean on the tip of the Mornington Peninsula.

The government is also considering upgrading facilities at Mount Buffalo in the state's alpine high country.

Victoria Tourism Industry Council chief executive Dianne Smith said the state had more national park visitors than other states, but received the lowest economic return.

"This is largely due to the lack of appropriate infrastructure and experiences available to visitors," she said.

"By allowing appropriate investment, these guidelines will make our national parks more accessible for locals and visitors."

Victorian National Parks Association executive director Matt Ruchel said developers should stay out of national parks.

"Commercial developments should be outside national parks, not inside," he said.

"They're for nature conservation, recreation and respite, not property development."

He said the guidelines should include more than one stage of public consultation, slated to happen early in the process before final business cases were presented.

Mr Smith said developers had yet to indicate which areas of the state were in their sights.

He refused to rule out large-scale hotels, adding each proposal would be judged on its merits.

"Developments such as fast food outlets wouldn't be able to bring a net community benefit and certainly would not be under the definition of a sensitive and sensible development," he said.

Mr Smith said facilities similar to the Cradle Mountain huts in Tasmania, resort-style accommodation in the Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia and Karijini Eco Retreat in Western Australia would be the sorts of developments likely to be viewed as appropriate.

"There is no reason why Victoria can't compete on the same playing field as those other states," he said.

He said there would be some areas where developments would also need federal government approval.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More