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Govt accuses Opposition of $4 billion super raid

THE Government today is accusing the Opposition of a $4 billion "raid on super" as it fights to counter criticism of its own plan to increase taxes on high-end retirement savings.

The offensive will ensure that superannuation, and Labor's bid to put a 15 per cent tax on account earnings over $100,000 a year, will be a central election issue.

The Government is highlighting a separate scheme which started last July to give low income earners a $500 annual tax cut to boost their superannuation savings.

Treasurer Wayne Swan today said the 15 per cent tax would affect 16,000 retirement savers, but rejection of the Low Income Superannuation Contribution (LISC) would hurt 3.6 million - 225 times more people.

"(Opposition Leader)Tony Abbott has spent the last two weeks fuelling rumours about the Government’s superannuation reforms to keep his $4 billion raid on superannuation as secret as he can," said Mr Swan.

But Mr Abbott has dismissed the debate saying the Government will not go ahead with its LISC scheme because it is to be funded by revenue from the mining tax.

"Now, the point I make is that this money is going to go under Labor because the mining tax which funds it hasn't raised any revenues," Mr Abbott said on Sunday.

"No-one should think that this programme is safe under Labor because the money to fund it isn't there.

"This is a government which is so incompetent, it is the first government in Australia's history to put in place a big new tax that raises no money."

The Opposition Leader said the Government did not understand that superannuation money didn't belong to them, and that the savings should not be fiddled with.

"They shouldn't tamper with it, they shouldn't be changing the rules in adverse ways and the commitment that I give is that there will be no unexpected adverse changes to superannuation under a Coalition government," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney.

The Government wants to shift the focus of the superannuation debate onto the Coalition's pledge to reject the Low Income Superannuation Contribution and highlight Mr Abbott's defence of high-earning account holders with $2 million whose proceeds are not taxed at all.

"He says we’re raiding super when we make modest changes that will affect 16,000 of the most wealthy Australians. By his own test, what’s Tony Abbott doing if he goes after the super savings of 3.6 million, as he said he will do?" said Mr Swan.

"Tony Abbott’s superannuation raid hits 225 times as many people as the reforms the Government announced on Friday.

"He needs to be held to account for this - Australians deserve to know that Tony Abbott’s election policy on superannuation is to attack the superannuation savings of 3.6 million workers.”

View the original article here

Ten reasons you need to drink this

There are plenty of reasons to start your day with lemon and water. Source: body and soul

PACKED with antioxidants, a glass of water with the juice of half a lemon revitalises the body and mind.

Here are ten reasons to drink it first thing:

1) Support the immune system

The juice of half a lemon in a glass of water is rich in vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system and assists the body in fighting colds and flu. Nutritionist Michele Chevalley Hedge says lemon also enhances the body’s ability to absorb iron, an important nutrient for a healthy immune system. "Vitamin C may increase non-heme iron bioavailability fourfold," Chevalley Hedge says. "This refers to iron availability in the body from non-meat sources."

2) Aid digestion

As lemon juice is similar in atomic structure to the stomach’s digestive juices, it has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract. It helps cleanse the bowel by flushing out waste more efficiently and stimulates the release of gastric juices, which aid digestion. The digestive qualities of lemon juice can also help relieve symptoms of indigestion, heartburn and bloating.

3) Repair skin

Lemons are great for combating skin ageing, Chevalley Hedge says. The antioxidant properties help combat free radical damage, which is responsible for the symptoms of ageing. "We know that lemons are rich in vitamin C and that is really what creates collagen synthesis, which is wonderful in terms of keeping wrinkles at bay," she says. "Vitamin C is required in the synthesis of amino acids into collagen and the job of collagen and connective tissue is to hold things tight and protect our skin tissue."

4) Reduce appetite

Lemons contain pectin, a soluble fibre commonly found in citrus fruits. Pectin helps stave off hunger as the fibre creates a feeling of fullness, which results in the suppression of hunger cravings. By feeling fuller for longer,
you’re less likely to snack or make poor food choices.

5) Balance pH levels

Lemons are one of the most alkalising foods for the body and a good pH level is essential as too much acidity in the body can be inflammatory. "Lemon water is very alkalising and most of us have acidic bodies," Chevalley Hedge says. "Educated foodies still think of lemons as being acidic when they are quite alkalising."

6) Cleanse the urinary tract

Lemon juice is a diuretic, meaning it encourages the production of urine. As a result, toxins are released at a faster rate, helping to purify the system and keep it healthy. Lemon juice can also change the pH level of the urinary tract which discourages the proliferation of bad bacteria.

7) Freshen breath

The antiseptic qualities in lemon juice help kill off bad bacteria in the mouth by acting as a disinfectant. A glass of lemon water is also a healthier morning wake-you-up than coffee.

While there is no evidence-based research on lemon water’s optimal temperature, Chevalley Hedge recommends drinking it at room temperature. "Most health professionals agree room temperature is closer to your own body’s temperature and seems to calm the digestive system," she says.

If you’re concerned about the acid harming tooth enamel, rinse your mouth with water afterwards. "You would have to drink copious amounts of lemon water to strip the enamel," Chevalley Hedge says.

8) Protect overall health

High levels of potassium in lemons can help brain and nerve functioning and control blood pressure. Lemon water can also ward off stress and depression, which have been linked to low levels of potassium. Lemons also contain vitamin P, which improves capillary permeability and overall blood flow.

9) Promote healing

Ascorbic acid, vitamin C, promotes wound healing in the body and is an important nutrient in maintaining healthy bones, tissue and cartilage. It also calms inflammation in the body. "Vitamin C travels through the body, neutralising any free radicals," Chevalley Hedge says. "Free radicals can interact with the healthy cells of the body, damaging them and their membranes and causing inflammation."

10) Detoxify the liver

Lemon water acts as a liver cleanser by assisting in detoxification. It purifies and stimulates the liver by encouraging the production of bile, an acid required for digestion.

Lemon water can also help control excess bile flow, decrease the amount of phlegm produced by the body and assist in dissolving gallstones.

Get more nutrition advice from body + soul

View the original article here

Reporter sings with The Collective

Reporter Nathan Klein sings with Australian heart-throb band The Collective in what he described as scary.

I'M not going to lie. I was scared.

During my pre-pubescent days, I would sing all the time. I'd auditioned for the school choir, I sang in the car to family and friends, and I was even given the opportunity to sing at the Opera House with a group on stage.

But after my voice broke, my high-pitched, soothing sound evolved into a deep grumble and I have avoided singing since. Other than in the shower.

So when I was invited to spend an afternoon learning a Capella with five actual singers, I tried to make excuses.

Nathan Klein with Aussie band The Collective. Picture: BangUniversal Source: The Daily Telegraph

Eventually, I realised I could only get better and accepted the challenge.

When I arrived at Sony headquarters, I was invited into the studio - a place completely foreign to me.

On my left there was a board in front of me with about a million buttons on it. On my right there were a bunch of people. Sound guys, video guys, a voice coach, and of course, spectators who wanted a good laugh.

And as if I wasn't intimidated by the whole scenario enough, standing in the studio was also boy-band The Collective - our Aussie version of One Direction.

Nathan Klein with Aussie band The Collective. Picture: BangUniversal Source: The Daily Telegraph

Before singing with the pros, I'm told to warm up by voice coach Cliff Raux.

"It's like going to the gym and stretching before you do a workout,'' he said.

"It loosens up the vocals so you don't strain your voice too much.''

He told me to grab my thumb and middle finger, and press down on either side of my jaw and make a buzzing sound.

It felt ridiculous. But I looked over to the boys in the studio and they were doing it too.

As soon as I was introduced to them and they heard my low voice, I was told I would be working the bass with Julian.

It meant while Trent, Zach, Jayden and Will were singing the melody and the harmonies, I was keeping the bass in check. It felt like the six of us were in a scene from Pitch Perfect, out now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Luckily my range didn't have to be great and I nailed the three notes I was assigned to do through the chorus of their own number, Surrender.

Zach said a Capella was a lot more difficult than singing to music.

"You are actually making the music so you have to stay in tune in the right key and then harmonise to somebody else,'' he said.

"It's definitely not an easy thing to grasp.''

Each member of the group auditioned for the last X-Factor as solo artists - but were united by the judges to form a boy-band like their UK rivals.

"At the end of the day, and I know I don't just speak for myself, we love being a part of this group now,'' Zach said.

"We all bring our part to the table.''

Will agreed. "We've pretty much become like brothers, and it's a good thing to have. Not just music-wise, but friends-wise as well. We just know each other so well and hang out together - it makes the group so much stronger.''
 

View the original article here

Govt accuses Opposition of $4 billion super raid

THE Government today is accusing the Opposition of a $4 billion "raid on super" as it fights to counter criticism of its own plan to increase taxes on high-end retirement savings.

The offensive will ensure that superannuation, and Labor's bid to put a 15 per cent tax on account earnings over $100,000 a year, will be a central election issue.

The Government is highlighting a separate scheme which started last July to give low income earners a $500 annual tax cut to boost their superannuation savings.

Treasurer Wayne Swan today said the 15 per cent tax would affect 16,000 retirement savers, but rejection of the Low Income Superannuation Contribution (LISC) would hurt 3.6 million - 225 times more people.

"(Opposition Leader)Tony Abbott has spent the last two weeks fuelling rumours about the Government’s superannuation reforms to keep his $4 billion raid on superannuation as secret as he can," said Mr Swan.

But Mr Abbott has dismissed the debate saying the Government will not go ahead with its LISC scheme because it is to be funded by revenue from the mining tax.

"Now, the point I make is that this money is going to go under Labor because the mining tax which funds it hasn't raised any revenues," Mr Abbott said on Sunday.

"No-one should think that this programme is safe under Labor because the money to fund it isn't there.

"This is a government which is so incompetent, it is the first government in Australia's history to put in place a big new tax that raises no money."

The Opposition Leader said the Government did not understand that superannuation money didn't belong to them, and that the savings should not be fiddled with.

"They shouldn't tamper with it, they shouldn't be changing the rules in adverse ways and the commitment that I give is that there will be no unexpected adverse changes to superannuation under a Coalition government," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney.

The Government wants to shift the focus of the superannuation debate onto the Coalition's pledge to reject the Low Income Superannuation Contribution and highlight Mr Abbott's defence of high-earning account holders with $2 million whose proceeds are not taxed at all.

"He says we’re raiding super when we make modest changes that will affect 16,000 of the most wealthy Australians. By his own test, what’s Tony Abbott doing if he goes after the super savings of 3.6 million, as he said he will do?" said Mr Swan.

"Tony Abbott’s superannuation raid hits 225 times as many people as the reforms the Government announced on Friday.

"He needs to be held to account for this - Australians deserve to know that Tony Abbott’s election policy on superannuation is to attack the superannuation savings of 3.6 million workers.”

View the original article here

G'Day China is next for Australia

Prime Minister Julia Gillard with China's President Xi Jinping. Source: Supplied

AUSTRALIA will use big-name celebrities to lure Chinese tourists Down Under to create jobs and cash in on Asia's economic boom.

In Shanghai today, Prime Minister Julia Gillard will announce a "G'Day China" tourism campaign based on the successful "G'Day USA" scheme.

Ms Gillard is targetting tourism as a massive way for Australia to benefit from the Asian Century.

G'Day US has featured big name Australian and American celebrities including Hugh Jackman, Olivia Newton John, Paul Hogan, Miranda Kerr, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and John Travolta.

A record 625,000 Chinese visited Australia last year, but the market is set to soar. China's President Xi Jinping yesterday predicted 400 million Chinese would travel abroad in the next five years.

Ms Gillard held formal talks with President Xi while First Bloke Tim Mathieson scored an audience with China's First Lady, Madame Peng Liyuan.

Madame Peng requested the meeting to discuss Mr Mathieson's work promoting men's health and her campaign to cut smoking rates in China.

Australia and China will strike a landmark currency agreement today.

The Australian dollar will be the third major currency after the US dollar and Japanese yen to be directly traded in China with the yuan.

The PM says this will boost Australia's banks, super funds and the financial services sector.

The $1.75 million G'Day China campaign will begin next year and aim to boost tourism, trade,  investment and Australia’s reputation as a world leading destination.

The Chinese event will be a week of cultural activities showcasing contemporary performing and visual arts and a gala dinner in Shanghai.

Ms Gillard, who is on a five-day visit leading the most senior Australian political delegation to ever visit China, is seeking to deepen the relationship with Australia's biggest trading partner.

In a speech in Shanghai today she will pay tribute to China's "vast and vibrant society" and confidence.

"This is the China which I believe can embrace and manage future change," she said.

The PM will praise China's network of high-speed rail to connect growing cities, its running of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and its space program.

Ms Gillard yesterday spoke at the Bo'ao business pow-wow attended by Mr Xi,  Microsoft founder Bill Gates, former PM Bob Hawke and hundreds of business and political leaders.

She warned that rising economic growth in Asia "will keep changing the strategic order of our region".

Mr Xi told the forum he was pro-growth and investment and China needed to "abolish outdated mindsets and unleash all potential for development".

He did not name North Korea or its recent nuclear threats but he talked about "regional hot spots" and said China called for world peace through "dialogue and negotiations".

Billionaire mining boss Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, whose company Fortescue was a top sponsor of the Bo'ao forum, said "we salute the china dream".

View the original article here

Search for missing diabetic man in WA bush

A SEARCH is underway for a diabetic man who walked away from a campsite in Western Australia's southwest over the weekend after a disagreement with friends.

Police said 35-year-old Luke Kocsis was camping with friends at Scott National Park near Augusta on Saturday night when he decided to walk back to Margaret River.

He was reported missing on Sunday afternoon.

Police and State Emergency Service volunteers searched for him for six hours on Sunday evening but didn't find him.

The search resumed at 6am (WST) on Monday.

Police are seeking information from anyone who may have seen Mr Kocsis, who was wearing dark jeans, a dark jacket and thongs when he left the campsite without his diabetes medication.

View the original article here

Stars of style start a week-long party

Model Lara Bingle poses alongside fashion blogger Bryanboy at the official welcome for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia Spring/Summer 2013/14 at CarriageWorks in Sydney. Picture: Caroline McCredie/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

• LIVE rolling coverage from our reporters
• Camilla and Marc show opens the 2013 festival
• Global style bloggers like Candice Lake will attend events

MERCEDES-Benz Fashion Week has kicked off this morning, with Camilla and Marc opening this year's festival with their tenth anniversary show.

11.20am: Polished show for Camilla and Marc

Camilla and Marc celebrated their 10th anniversary with the coveted slot of opening MBFWA. With a raised wooden runway and X to mark the occasion, the brother and sister duo presented a slick, polished show.

The SS13 collection, Concentric, showcased the brand's signature shapes.

Trousers appeared in three silhouettes, a languid drop-crotch harem pant, slim cigarette pants and fluid, wide-leg styles.

An abstract animal print on a red base was used on skirts, tops and corsets.

Crop tops were teamed with high waisted pencil skirts to create a youthful yet restrained silhouette or with trousers to flash an expanse of taught stomach.

Tailored leather shift dresses, skirts and jackets were given a fresh perspective in crisp white.

Decadent gold brocade was used in pants, bodysuits, skirts, tops and jacket. Teamed with sheer French lace, it was a feminine, sexy take on evening wear.
 

Keep up to date with our roving fashion team's tweets: 

Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman will open fashion week today with their tenth anniversary show.

11.15am: Coffee, ciggies and Red Bull

General Pants design director Pip Edwards has an unsual survival kit for fashion week: Coffee, ciggies and a few Red Bulls. Source: Twitter

General Pants design director Pip Edwards knows a thing or two about lasting the distance over the five day trade event. Her survival kit? "Coffee, ciggies and a few Red Bulls," she says.

The glamorous stylist wears mirrored Richard Nicholl for Ksubi shades, Josh Goot bomber jacket and Balenciaga heels.
 

11.04am: Emotional opening show

A look at the tenth anniversary Camilla and Marc collection. Source: Twitter

There were tears and emotional embraces following this morning's Camilla and Marc tenth anniversary show.

Designer Camilla Freeman Topper couldn't hold back her emotion after the milestone event as she and brother Marc Freeman were congratulated by friends and supporters.

"I'm really happy; it was amazing and we were honoured to open the event. I think it was an ode to the past and a look into the future and we're just thrilled," she said.

The collection itself featured the hallmark details the brand is known for, with white leather, sheer black lace and gold brocade pieces dominating the catwalk.

10.55am: Welcome event photos

Designers Luke Sales (R) and Anna Plunkett (C) of Romance Was Born attend the official welcome at at CarriageWorks in Sydney. Picture: Caroline McCredie/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

Fashion bloggers Suzie Bubble and Tommy Ton pose alongside NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner at CarriageWorks. Picture: Caroline McCredie/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

10.02am: Celeb spotting

Sara McGrath has just turned up with husband Glenn ahead of designers Camilla and Marc at the festival's opening show, as our own Elle Halliwell reports.

Sara McGrath wore a plum Phillip Lim shirt and pant ensemble and a black Louis Vuitton clutch as she and husband Glenn arrived at the Camilla and Marc show. Source: The Daily Telegraph

Wearing a plum Phillip Lim shirt and pant ensemble and a black Louis Vuitton clutch, the ex cricketer's wife said she was would be attending shows all week.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing Ginger & Smart, and we're going to Aurelio Costarella too," she said. "I should have worn an Australian designer but I was running late."

McGrath didn't seem to share his wife's passion for the shows, saying he was simply keeping her company.

9.48am: Celebration of a $6b industry

He may not be known as a fashionista but NSW deputy premiere Andrew Stoner launched Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia at CarriageWork this morning.Stoner was joined by head of IMG Jarrad Clark and fashion ambassadors Lara Bingle and designer Kym Ellery.

"This is the start of an incredibly exciting week," he said. "It's an event that not only attracts many visitors to this great city but that underlines Sydney's status as both a global city and Australia's fashion capital."

Stoner said that NSW's fashion industry employs over 70,000 people and is worth $6 billion to the economy.

Stoner also introduced this year's fashion ambassadors, designers Kym Ellery, Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales from Romance Was Born, Lara Bingle, Russh editor Jess Blanch and blogger Jessica Stein.

They are tasked with showing off Sydney to international bloggers Susie Bubble, Bryan Boy, Tommy Ton and Hillary Kerr.

"I'm delighted to be a fashion ambassador," Lara Bingle said. "Here in Sydney we are lucky enough to have so many talented designers.

"Sydney also has such a great lifestyle and I'm thrilled to share that with our visitors."

9.38am: Mobile desk

A look at reporter Elle Halliwell's desk for the week. Source: Twitter

9.10: Tweet feeds

Surviving a week of wall to wall fashion may seem easy, but the best come prepared as our own Renata Gortan reports.

Her survival kit: survival guide, oversize tote, notebook, extra pens, iPad, charger, snacks & Anna Wintour-esque sunnies.

Our reporters including Melissa Hoyer, Elle Halliwell, Prue Lewington and Ros Reines are tweeting from fashion week events all over town.

8.20am: Ready to rumble

ORGANISERS are putting the final touches to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia which begins this morning at its new home - Eveleigh’s CarriageWorks.

Design duo Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman will kick off the event with their label Camilla and Marc, which is celebrating ten years in the industry, followed by Aurelio Costarella, Bec & Bridge and young gun Christopher Esber.

Today an international blogging contingent is set to make an appearance including Candice Lake, Tommy Ton, Bryan Boy and Susie Bubble, while celebs including Kelly Slater, Phoebe Tonkin, Lara Bingle and Samara Weaving will join them in the front row.

Our fashion team will keep you updated online with all the hottest shows, front row stars and after party gossip as it happens.

8.05am: Trend setters for a decade

INDUSTRY stalwarts Jayson Brunsdon and Camilla Freeman-Topper will mark a decade in fashion at this year's fashion week.

Camilla of Camilla and Marc fame, told The Daily Telegraph it takes hard work, belief and perseverance to make it.

"We had an idea of what we wanted the brand to be and a strategic plan of where we wanted the brand to go and we have achieved that and a lot more," she said.

7.35am: Logies style stakes

TV's night of nights isn't just about the little gold statuettes, with the frocks on the red carpet capturing most of the attention.

Our own Melissa Hoyer crowned, Kate Richie queen of the 2013 Logies red carpet for the elegant yet sexy black frock she stole the show with last night.

Gallery: Logies Red carpet in pictures

6:02am: A sad start

FASHION week has started on a sad note, with news that American designer Lilly Pultizer, who made a name for herself in the 1960s with her signature print dresses, has died aged 81.

The Florida socialite, who went to boarding school with a young Jacqueline Kennedy, began her career in fashion as a housewife looking for bright print dresses.  After spilling orange juice on a dress, she sought colourful prints which could hide such stains.

"I designed collections around whatever struck my fancy ... fruits, vegetables, politics, or peacocks! I entered in with no business sense. It was a total change of life for me, but it made people happy," she told the Associated Press in March 2009.

View the original article here

Labor told: Release 'true cost of NBN'

Source: The Daily Telegraph

A BUSINESS group is urging the federal government to explain the true cost of the national broadband network after claims it could top $90 billion.

The coalition estimates the final price tag of the NBN could more than double to $90 billion-plus, and that it will take an extra four years to complete.

The claims are made in the coalition's broadband policy, obtained by The Daily Telegraph, which opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull has promised will be released soon.

The Australian Industry Group says the $90 billion figure, if true, is "extraordinarily high" and it wants the government to conduct a rigorous cost-benefit analysis.

"It's a project that the business community broadly supports, as long as it's done properly and with the proper costings in place," AIG boss Innes Willox told ABC radio on Monday.

The government should have conducted a cost-benefit analysis from the beginning, but releasing the true figures now would do no harm, he said.

"It can only instil further public confidence in the rollout of a broadband network which we support," he said.

Mr Turnbull told The Daily Telegraph that Australia had some of the most expensive communications costs in the developed world.

Member for Blair Shayne Neumann; Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy; and the Member for Oxley, Bernie Ripoll, in Goodna where the National Broadband Network rollout is ramping up.

He criticised the government for handing the network builder, NBN Co, a blank cheque.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy denies the NBN will cost as much as $90 billion, accusing the coalition of running a scare campaign.

The policy was costed every year by the auditor-general's office, which determined the price tag was $37.4 billion.

Senator Conroy said the coalition was making baseless claims about the NBN.

"They rely on misleading statistics and misleading data to try and make these scare campaigns," he told ABC radio on Monday.

"What you've seen today is a classic policy-free zone claim by the coalition."

The benefits of the NBN would outweigh the costs, and revenue from the scheme would eventually be paid back to taxpayers, with interest, Senator Conroy said.

View the original article here

Slipper buys more time over charges

Former Speaker Peter Slipper faces faces charges relating to three occasions in which he allegedly dishonestly used Cabcharge dockets.  File picture: Ray Strange Source: news.com.au

UPDATE: FORMER parliamentary speaker Peter Slipper has been ordered to enter a plea of not guilty over the alleged misuse of taxpayer-funded taxi vouchers.

Mr Slipper's Queensland-based lawyer Peter Russo today asked for a further adjournment of the matter which was denied by ACT magistrate Bernadette Boss.

Ms Boss entered a not guilty plea for Mr Slipper to progress the matter.

The former Liberal MP-now-independent will be required to front the court on May 23 at 11am for a case management hearing.

Mr Russo said he was seeking a five week adjournment over the matter.

"We are in a situation where we are awaiting advice from counsel in relation to the matter," Mr Russo told the court.

Ms Boss said due to the matter having been adjourned twice before in February and March she could not justify pushing the matter back any further.

Prosecutor Karen Musgrove said she was awaiting evidence from a geospatial expert in order to complete the brief of evidence on the matter.

Peter Slipper's lawyer, Peter Russo, addresses the media after an earlier hearing. Picture: Gary Ramage

She said she envisioned it would be complete in six weeks time.

Mr Slipper was originally given leave not to attend today's hearing on the proviso he enter a plea.

Mr Slipper, who stood down from the role of Speaker of the House of Representatives amid controversy last year, faces charges relating to three occasions in which he allegedly dishonestly used Cabcharge dockets to visit Canberra wineries in hire cars in 2010, amounting to $1194 in charges to the taxpayer.

He faces the possibility of a jail sentence, with the offences carrying a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment if he is found guilty.

Mr Slipper last year denied misusing Cabcharge dockets, saying allegations against him were a "complete farbrication".
 

View the original article here

Kiwi war talk won't help Korean crisis

New Zealand's Opposition says Prime Minister John Key's comments about a potential war on the Korean peninsula are totally inappropriate. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

• New Zealand PM said war is "a remote possibility"
• Kiwis have long and proud history of supporting South Korea
• Labour leader David Shearer says Key's remarks are "irresponsible"

NEW Zealand Prime Minister John Key has been accused of "ramping up the rhetoric" and talking up the prospect of war with comments about New Zealand's role in another Korean conflict.

Mr Key has since distanced himself from those comments, saying war between South Korea and North Korea is "a remote possibility" and he doesn't want to speculate on New Zealand's role.

North Korea may be planning missile launch

He earlier told reporters in Guangzhou, during his visit to China, that New Zealand could support old allies the US and Australia if there was a war in the Korean peninsula.

"I wouldn't want to speculate, but obviously we have got a long and proud history of coming to the support of South Korea," he said.

Labour leader David Shearer says the international community is trying to calm the situation.

"No one should be talking up the prospect of war, the international community is focused on de-escalation," he said.

"John Key's comments were irresponsible, he must be more careful."

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says Mr Key "totally jumped the gun ... the last thing we need is the prime minister of New Zealand going to China and talking about a war on the Korean peninsula."

In his later comments, Mr Key denied saying New Zealand would follow the United States and Australia.

"What I said was if there was a situation that got to the extreme, New Zealand would consider its position."

Asked if that could see Kiwi troops deployed, Mr Key said: "I think you're just so far off the planet, don't worry about it."

Mr Key discussed the Korean stand-off with China's new President Xi Jinping at a meeting yesterday, and said the gravity of the situation was not lost on China.

"They are totally committed to peace and to a peaceful outcome so they are going to, I'm sure, work extremely hard with all the partners to ensure there's peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."

View the original article here

Slain diplomat's dad: 'She loved her job'

Anne Smedinghoff was killed on April 6 in southern Afghanistan, the first US diplomat to die on the job since last year's attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi. Picture: AP/Courtesy of Tom Smedinghoff Source: AP

ANNE Smedinghoff had a quiet ambition and displayed a love of global affairs from an early age.

So when the 25-year-old suburban Chicago woman was killed on Saturday in southern Afghanistan - the first American diplomat to die on the job since last September's attack in Benghazi, Libya - her family took solace in the fact that she died doing something she loved.

"It was a great adventure for her ... She loved it," her father, Tom Smedinghoff, told The Associated Press on Sunday. "She was tailor-made for this job.''

Smedinghoff died when the group she was traveling with was struck by an explosion in southern Zabul province. They were en route to donate textbooks to students. A civilian employee with the U.S. Defense Department and three U.S. soldiers were also killed in the attack.

Anne Smedinghoff grew up in River Forest, Illinois - an upscale suburb about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Chicago - the daughter of an attorney and the second of four children. She attended the highly selective Fenwick High School, followed by Johns Hopkins University, where she studied international relations and became a key organizer of the university's annual Foreign Affairs Symposium in 2008. The event draws high-profile speakers from around the world.

Those who knew Smedinghoff described her as a positive, hard-working and dependable young woman.

While a student at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, she worked part time for Sam Hopkins, an attorney near campus. He described her as ambitious "but in a wonderfully quiet, modest way."

Her first assignment for the foreign service was in Caracas, Venezuela, and she volunteered for the Afghanistan assignment after that. Her father said family members would tease her about signing up for a less dangerous location, maybe London or Paris.

"She said, 'What would I do in London or Paris? It would be so boring," her father recalled. In her free time, she would travel as much as possible, her father said.

Smedinghoff was an up-and-coming employee of the State Department who garnered praise from the highest ranks. She was to finish her Afghanistan assignment as a press officer in July. Already fluent in Spanish, she was gearing up to learn Arabic, first for a year in the U.S. and then in Cairo, before a two-year assignment in Algeria.

Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday at a news conference in Turkey that Smedinghoff was "vivacious, smart" and "capable." Smedinghoff had assisted Kerry during a visit to Afghanistan two weeks ago.

He also described Smedinghoff as "a selfless, idealistic woman who woke up yesterday morning and set out to bring textbooks to school children, to bring them knowledge."

Her father said they knew the assignments were dangerous, though she spent most of her time at the U.S. Embassy compound. Trips outside were in heavily armored convoys - as was Saturday's trip.

"It's like a nightmare, you think will go away and it's not," he said. "We keep saying to ourselves, we're just so proud of her, we take consolation in the fact that she was doing what she loved."

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Man trapped after head-on crash

A MAN was trapped in his car for several hours after a head-on collision in Sydney's north-west this morning.

Emergency services were called to Richmond Rd, Marsden Park, following reports of a head-on collision.

A man, aged in his mid-20s, was trapped in his vehicle as a result of the crash.

It is understood he sustained an injury to his shoulder in the accident.

Paramedics and fire crews worked for several hours to free the man.

He was transported to Westmead Hospital for treatment.
 

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Unions challenge electoral donation laws

NSW unions are launching a High Court challenge to the state government's electoral donation laws, arguing they breach constitutional rights of freedom of political expression.

The laws, passed by the NSW parliament last year, ban all but individuals from donating to political parties.

Mark Lennon, secretary of Unions NSW, which is leading Monday's court action, says the laws hinder working people from expressing their political views.

"If they're allowed to stand, the O'Farrell government's electoral donation laws will muzzle debate and silence the voice of working people in NSW," he said.

"Our High Court action is about the right of working people to ensure their collective voice is heard."

He said the laws were a cynical attempt by the government to undermine the political strength of its opponents.

The laws ban unions from paying affiliation fees to political parties, combine caps on election spending for political parties and affiliated unions and ban peak councils such as Unions NSW from levying its affiliates to run movement-wide election campaigns.

The NSW Greens warn the court challenge could have the unintended consequence of returning the state to the days when millions of dollars flowed to political parties from vested corporate interests.

Greens MP John Kaye said the outcome could "reopen the floodgates to corporate donations and the corrupting influence they had on political parties".

"It would be unfortunate if the unions' case delivered a springboard for the developers and the alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries or other corporations to once again corrupt state politics," he said in a statement.

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Airport worker's corrupt customs

AN airport worker, whose part in a plot to smuggle illicit pills from Thailand helped trigger a major security review, joined a culture which was rife with corruption, a court has heard.

The claims came as former customs officer Paul Katralis, 25, faced a sentence hearing in the District Court for helping drug trafficker Joseph Harb import 65,000 flu tablets into the country in August.

Katralis was one of two officials arrested last year amid revelations a corrupt "cell" with underworld links was operating out of the Sydney international terminal.

The arrests followed a two-year investigation by the AFP and other authorities which resulted in the federal government forming a customs reform panel under the watch of retired judge James Wood.

Katralis was to have received $50,000 from Harb for smoothing the passage of the drugs through customs and providing detailed, inside knowledge on how to avoid security measures.

The pills contained enough of the precursor chemical pseudoephedrine to make pure methamphetamine - also known as the drug ice - with a street value of $2.3 million, according to court documents.

Both men admitted their roles in the plot after police intercepted a series of incriminating phone conversations, ending in Harb and his female companion's arrest as they tried to leave the airport with the tablets.

Katralis told Harb to pack the drugs in vacuum-sealed bags and take an early flight when the airport would be busy, even boasting in one recorded conversation that another person "did it last time and there was no issue".

But on Friday, his barrister Philip Boulten SC told a judge Katralis had become part of a team at the airport that was "infused" with corruption.

"The culture existed when he got there," he said.

The court was also told there was a "pervasive culture" among customs staff of "fast-tracking" family members through security.

As Harb approached immigration checks, Katralis sent him text messages with instructions to first "wait" and then "come" at the right time so the drug importer could pass through the airport without customs or quarantine staff searching his bags.

Katralis claimed in court he was due to join the AFP - the same agency which busted him for his corrupt dealings - four days after his arrest.

He said Harb eventually agreed to give him six boxes of the growth hormone Gen-Tropin, which was worth up to $2500 a box, in exchange for his help so he could "bulk up" for his planned career change.

Katralis will be sentenced on April 26.

Harb is due to be sentenced on Friday.

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Slipper forced to plead not guilty

Former Speaker Peter Slipper faces faces charges relating to three occasions in which he allegedly dishonestly used Cabcharge dockets.  File picture: Ray Strange Source: news.com.au

UPDATE: FORMER parliamentary speaker Peter Slipper has been ordered to enter a plea of not guilty over the alleged misuse of taxpayer-funded taxi vouchers.

Mr Slipper's Queensland-based lawyer Peter Russo today asked for a further adjournment of the matter which was denied by ACT magistrate Bernadette Boss.

Ms Boss entered a not guilty plea for Mr Slipper to progress the matter.

The former Liberal MP-now-independent will be required to front the court on May 23 at 11am for a case management hearing.

Mr Russo said he was seeking a five week adjournment over the matter.

"We are in a situation where we are awaiting advice from counsel in relation to the matter," Mr Russo told the court.

Ms Boss said due to the matter having been adjourned twice before in February and March she could not justify pushing the matter back any further.

Prosecutor Karen Musgrove said she was awaiting evidence from a geospatial expert in order to complete the brief of evidence on the matter.

Peter Slipper's lawyer, Peter Russo, addresses the media after an earlier hearing. Picture: Gary Ramage

She said she envisioned it would be complete in six weeks time.

Mr Slipper was originally given leave not to attend today's hearing on the proviso he enter a plea.

Mr Slipper, who stood down from the role of Speaker of the House of Representatives amid controversy last year, faces charges relating to three occasions in which he allegedly dishonestly used Cabcharge dockets to visit Canberra wineries in hire cars in 2010, amounting to $1194 in charges to the taxpayer.

He faces the possibility of a jail sentence, with the offences carrying a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment if he is found guilty.

Mr Slipper last year denied misusing Cabcharge dockets, saying allegations against him were a "complete farbrication".
 

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13 best baby names of 2013, one of them's Bruce

Bruce Wayne is Batman. So if you think your kid will become Batman then, sure, go ahead and call him Bruce. Picture: Warner Bros. Source: Supplied

• Hottest names include: Bruce, Thor, Wilder 
• Nameberry unveils top 13 names of '13
  
• What are your favourite names of 2013?

HOLLYWOOD is seriously warping the baby-name trend.

Bruce Wayne. Thor. Olivia Wilde. They're all influencing some of the hottest, yet oddest, new names in 2013.

Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, is an obvious choice. Christopher Nolan's epic film series concluded in style last year and no one is suaver than Mr Wayne.

Thor, ok, The Avengers, fair enough. But who wants to be called Thor when they're 24 and rake-thin and not in the least resembling the hulking, hammer-wielding Chris Hemsworth?

With those inclusions, here are the hottest 13 baby names for 2013, according to Nameberry:

• Bruce
• Thor
• Marnie
• Marlowe
• Christian
• Nelly
• Mavis
• Severine
• Wilder
• Phaedra
• Mingus
• Linnea
• Finnegan

Thor. Hammer not included. Picture: Disney Source: Supplied

Before we let you go, a few observations: Severine, honestly, is just not a word; Mingus sounds like a TV character who specialises in "search terms", wears thick glasses, talks fast, but still gets a lot of hot girls; Finnegan, at best, is an Irish surname.

If your name is Bruce and you're offended, please lodge your complaint on Twitter @christoforpaine | newscomauhq

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