Napthine winning over voters

Denis Napthine has an approval rating of 50 per cent, according to the latest Newspoll. Picture: David Caird Source: Herald Sun

THE elevation of Denis Napthine to Premier has turned around the Government's electoral fortunes.

The Coalition is level pegging with Labor after trailing 55-45 on the two-party vote in the lead-up to Christmas, according to the latest Newspoll.

And Dr Napthine, who replaced Ted Baillieu in March, has an approval rating of 50 per cent, compared to only 31 per cent for Mr Baillieu in January-February.

Dr Napthine is clearly preferred as the better premier, with 43 per cent support, compared to 24 per cent for Labor's Daniel Andrews, said the poll for March-April published in The Australian newspaper .

Mr Andrews' satisfaction rating was 42 per cent, up from 30 per cent in January-February.

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For sale: One piece of Brisbane City

UP FOR SALE: The Clem7 toll road. Picture: Bruce Long Source: The Courier-Mail

THE CLEM7 toll road is going up for sale, with receivers to the collapsed operator of the road, which uses a tunnel under the Brisbane River, calling for expressions of interest.

The 6.8km road was opened to traffic in 2010 but consistently struggled to meet overoptimistic forecasts for traffic.

A big debt burden eventually helped trigger the financial collapse of the operator, stockmarket-listed RiverCity Motorway, in 2011.

Martin Madden and David Merryweather from KordaMentha were appointed receivers, and Mr Madden yesterday said a sales process would begin from today.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs was assisting with the sale.

Mr Madden said the first step would be calling for expressions of interest.

BrisConnections, the operator of Brisbane's other big toll road, Airport Link, collapsed earlier this year, also the victim of overly ambitious forecasts.

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Is it plane OK to breast pump on-board?

An American Airlines plane is moved from a gate at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. Picture: AP

DAWN Brahos,38, was on her way home from a rare weekend away from her children when she decided to plug in and use an electric breast pump on an American Airlines flight.

She told New York Daily News: "I started it off being quiet and discreet, but the flight attendant wasn't discreet at all. She came back three times to my seat and was really loud about it. She was like, 'You absolutely cannot pump.'"

"She was just dismissing any possibility of me resolving my situation. She got angry with me and then wasn't willing to give me her name.

In Australia the right to breastfeed is protected under the sex discrimination act. Australian Breastfeeding Associate spokesperson Meredith Laverty told news.com.au there is no distinction between breastfeeding or using a pump to express milk. 

"It is illegal to discriminate against a mother in Australia if she is breastfeeding or expressing milk," Ms Laverty said. "Pumping milk is not as discreet as breastfeeding. If you are doing a flight, particularly a long haul flight it is a good idea to take a hand pump."

Ms Brahos and her husband travelled from Chicago to San Diego on April 13. On that flight she said she used the Medala branded pump under a blanket without any problems. 

On April 17 the couple boarded a return flight to Chicago. She said flight attendants on that flight were accommodating and allowed her to plug in and pump in the galley area of the plane. 

When bad weather forced the plane to be diverted to Minneapolis, American Airlines booked Ms Brahos and her husband into a hotel overnight. They boarded another flight to Chicago the next day. That's where the trouble occurred. 

Ms Brahos said she was reliant on the breast pump to relieve pressure and keep her milk supply flowing. She is currently breastfeeding her one-year-old son Adrien. During the trip away she was pumping milk out every three and a half hours.

The flight time from Minneapolis is short - only 1 hour and 13 minutes. But Ms Brahos said she couldn't wait. 

She said she was busy before the flight checking out of the hotel, travelling to the airport, checking in and going through security.  

She told the New York Daily news she began to feel "painfully engorged" on the flight. So she pulled out the breast pump. 

She says the female flight attendant called her a liar when she explained that she had used the breast pump twice on previous American Airlines flights without any problems. 

"It was humiliating. She kept saying I had to be mistaken, that it must have been a different airline.

"She was loud and cold and argumentative. At least a third of the plane knew my business. I could see them talking amongst themselves."

American Airlines has offered an apology to Ms Brahos saying Medala-branded breast pumps are allowed to be used during flights. A different brand of pump would have required prior approval.

American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Haguely said: "We apologise for the experience Ms. Brahos had on a recent flight. Our in-flight personnel are trained to handle these situations with professionalism and discretion. American does not have a policy prohibiting the use of breast pumps in-flight."

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Mulherons' Kitchen Rules in MKR final

WON BY TWO: Dan and Steph's party erupted in Brisbane last night after they were named winners. Picture: Steve Pohlner Source: The Courier-Mail

HERVEY Bay cooking couple Dan and Steph Mulheron are one step closer to their dreams of starting a family after winning Seven's My Kitchen Rules

The toughly fought kitchen battle saw Dan and Steph narrowly defeat Sunshine Coast siblings Jake and Elle Harrison by just two points in the culmination of the months-long reality show.

Dan and Steph have revealed they will use the money to fund further IVF treatments and open a gourmet sausage shop.

They were required to serve a five-course meal for family, friends and former contestants, 100 plates in total, and were judged on the quality of the food and presentation.

In the end Manu Fieldel and Pete Evans judged Dan and Steph's offering more highly, giving them a score of 54/60.

Jake and Elle were awarded 52/60 and the two point difference saw them sent home as runners up.

Dan and Steph have previously spoken of their desire to start a family after trying for five years. They have undergone IVF treatment once already and have been saving for their next attempt.

STILL HAPPY: Losers still are grinners - Jake and Elle Harrison celebrated their My Kitchen Rules runner-up award with friends and family. Picture: Marc Robertson

The $250,000 cash prize will give them the freedom to keep trying.

"The dream is to have three kids, me with my sausage shop, Steph at home as a mum and live comfortably," Dan said in the lead-up to last night's grand final.

"I want to work hard, have the weekends off with family and be able to provide for my family, that is the ideal."

Heading into the competition the pair were living week-to-week just making ends meet as they saved to make their dreams come true. For siblings Jake and Elle, the dream was to open a late-night supper club in Brisbane and while not taking out the cash prize will certainly prove a hurdle for them, they are determined to turn that dream into reality under their own steam.

They said they weren't completely disappointed.

"The only difference is $250,000," Elle said. "That is amazing but coming second is still amazing. We are the youngest competitors ever in this competition, getting this far is incredible."

KNIVES OUT: My Kitchen Rules grand finalists Jake and Elle Harrison and Steph and Dan Mulheron.

Both duos held separate grand final parties with family and friends at Brisbane venues.

Regardless, Jake and Elle said they would be "partying well into Monday".

They were all kept in the dark about who would win the competition until it was announced on air last night with dual endings shot to keep the final result a secret.

The Voice vs My Kitchen Rules MKR

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This kid really does have the best job

22 year old Sebastian Smith has landed the job as water slide tester

Sebastian Smith, 22, is First Choice's waterslide tester. Picture: First Choice

HOW far would you go to win a job as a waterslide tester? From 2000 applicants one winner has been chosen. So how did he score the top job?

Sebastian Smith, 22, a student at Leeds University in the US will be paid $30,000 to travel around the world testing out waterslides for First Choice holidays.

With four other finalists Mr Smith travelled to the Iberotel Makadi Saraya Splash Resort in Hurghada, Egypt for the finals of the competition. 

The finalists were given five challenges to complete. One of which was to prepare a song about why they would make the best waterslide tester - then sing it as they rode the slide. 

After clenching the top job Mr Smith said: "I am ecstatic right now. I did not expect this. It has been a privilege to get this far."

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Residents angry over rail funds

Dianne Dejanovic (front holding photo) and Federal Labor MP for Maribyrnong Bill Shorten (front centre) with members of the local community at the train level crossing on Main Road in St Albans, Melbourne where Dianne's son Christian was struck and killed by a train. Picture: Hamish Blair Source: Herald Sun

BILL Shorten says the Victorian Government has refused $90 million from the Commonwealth to fix a deadly railway level-crossing in St Albans because it is in "the wrong part of town".

Mr Shorten, the federal Workplace Relations Minister, said the Main Rd crossing in his safe Labor electorate of Maribyrnong had claimed 16 lives in the past 10 years with countless near misses.

"The politics of the residents shouldn't dictate funding decisions by the Napthine Government," Mr Shorten said.

"What should matter is we have a killer crossing that will kill again. If you know bad things are going to happen in the future, you have an obligation to prevent them."

But the state Minister for Public Transport, Terry Mulder, said the offer from Canberra was not real money but "unrealised savings" from other projects, which might as well be Monopoly money.

Mr Shorten said it was real money and he had lobbied Transport Minister Anthony Albanese to make a special one-off grant of $90 million to fund half the cost of upgrading the dangerous crossing.

"St Albans is being punished because the Liberals think it is the wrong part of town," Mr Shorten said. "I am stunned the Napthine Government has rejected our offer."

Mr Shorten said he feared it was only a matter of time before another fatality.

He said he would write to 17,000 households in the area urging residents to contact the State Government to demand they stop neglecting the western suburbs.

Mr Mulder said the Federal Government gave South Australia money to remove four level-crossings and it was Labor taking the people of St Albans for granted.

"The Victorian Government did not reject federal funding, we simply asked the Federal Government to make sure the offer was real money, not 'unrealised savings' which may not eventuate," he said.

"Unrealised savings is a fingers-crossed approach to hoping other projects come in under budget, and if they do, using those savings. With Labor's track record, the reality is that none of the savings may eventuate, so they may as well be offering Monopoly money."

Dianne Dejanovic, whose 31-year-old son Christian was killed at the level-crossing 15 months ago, said she could not understand why the State Government would not accept the money.

"For us it's too late," Ms Dejanovic said. "But they can do something to prevent the victims of the future."

phillip.hudson@news.com.au

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Ute on fire on Pacific Motorway

A UTE has been destroyed in a blaze on the Gold Coast.

Fire crews were called to the Dreamworld Exit on the Pacific Motorway’s southbound lane about 8.45am Monday, finding the car on fire.

The fire has since been extinguished and no one was hurt.

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Is it plane OK to breast pump on-board?

An American Airlines plane is moved from a gate at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. Picture: AP

DAWN Brahos,38, was on her way home from a rare weekend away from her children when she decided to plug in and use an electric breast pump on an American Airlines flight.

She told New York Daily News: "I started it off being quiet and discreet, but the flight attendant wasn't discreet at all. She came back three times to my seat and was really loud about it. She was like, 'You absolutely cannot pump.'"

"She was just dismissing any possibility of me resolving my situation. She got angry with me and then wasn't willing to give me her name.

Ms Brahos and her husband travelled from Chicago to San Diego on April 13. On that flight she said she used the Medala branded pump under a blanket without any problems. 

On April 17 the couple boarded a return flight to Chicago. She said flight attendants on that flight were accommodating and allowed her to plug in and pump in the galley area of the plane. 

When bad weather forced the plane to be diverted to Minneapolis, American Airlines booked Ms Brahos and her husband into a hotel overnight. They boarded another flight to Chicago the next day. That's where the trouble occurred. 

Ms Brahos said she was reliant on the breast pump to relieve pressure and keep her milk supply flowing. She is currently breastfeeding her one-year-old son Adrien. During the trip away she was pumping milk out every three and a half hours.

The flight time from Minneapolis is short - only 1 hour and 13 minutes. But Ms Brahos said she couldn't wait. 

She said she was busy before the flight checking out of the hotel, travelling to the airport, checking in and going through security.  

She told the New York Daily news she began to feel "painfully engorged" on the flight. So she pulled out the breast pump. 

She says the female flight attendant called her a liar when she explained that she had used the breast pump twice on previous American Airlines flights without any problems. 

"It was humiliating. She kept saying I had to be mistaken, that it must have been a different airline.

"She was loud and cold and argumentative. At least a third of the plane knew my business. I could see them talking amongst themselves."

American Airlines has offered an apology to Ms Brahos saying Medala-branded breast pumps are allowed to be used during flights. A different brand of pump would have required prior approval.

American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Haguely said: "We apologise for the experience Ms. Brahos had on a recent flight. Our in-flight personnel are trained to handle these situations with professionalism and discretion. American does not have a policy prohibiting the use of breast pumps in-flight."

View the original article here

Police investigate fight on Mt Everest

Mountaineers descend from the summit of Mount Everest. Police are investigating after a brawl reportedly broke out between climbers and their Nepalese guides. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

POLICE near Mount Everest are investigating reports of a fight on the upper reaches of the world's highest mountain between two foreign climbers and their Nepalese guides, officials said.

"We were told our clients and the guides fought on their way to camp three. We don't have all the details yet, but our clients have come down off the peak," said Anish Gupta of Cho-Oyu Trekking, the Kathmandu-based company that organised the expedition.

He said that one of the clients, a Swiss national, had descended the mountain and was currently waiting for a flight back to Kathmandu.

The other client, an Italian, remained at Everest Base Camp and may still try to summit the 8848-metre peak.

Sitaram Karki, the chief district officer in Solukhumbu, the region where Everest stands, said the police were conducting an investigation, but the details were still unclear.

"There are communication issues high on the mountain, but we have received the reports of a fight and deployed our team to investigate the incident," Mr Karki said.

More than 3000 people have climbed Everest, which straddles Nepal and China, since it was first conquered by New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese guide Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Every year hundreds more set out in April to attempt the climb.

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'High chance' of Cyclone Zane forming

THE fifth cyclone of the season is highly likely to develop within the next 24 hours, forecasters say.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Lauren Murphy says there is a “high chance” the low, which is currently 940km east-north-east off Cairns, will form into a cyclone by tomorrow.

It is expected to cross the coast somewhere between Torres Strait and Cook Town on Wednesday, but should not reach a category three system.

“We are expecting it to be on the weaker scale of cyclones if it does form,” she said.

The Bureau is expecting to issue a tropical cyclone watch warning for the far north Queensland coast later today, as the system, which would be called Zane, intensifies.

“There are already strong wind warnings current for parts of the tropical Queensland coast,” she said.

“It has showed signs of development over the past 12 hours and (the system) is in a favourable environment for further development.”

The Bureau said 14 tropical cyclones have formed in the month of April since 1970, with only nine impacting the Queensland coast.

And if the cyclone crosses the coast on Wednesday, May 1, it would be the first to do so in May since Cyclone Lisa in 1991.

Meanwhile, southeast Queensland is tipped to have mostly fine conditions, with the chance of isolated showers in some areas.

View the original article here

Things get hairy in Europe

Gerhard Knapp, participant in the German beard championships, poses for a photo at the congress center in Pforzheim, southern Germany. AFP / Uli Deck Source: AFP

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Balloon missing off Peru, seven on board

Authorities believe the balloon was probably blown off course by strong winds. Picture: Steve Fraser Source: Supplied

A HOT air balloon carrying seven people is missing after disappearing over the Pacific Ocean south of Lima during a tourist excursion, its owner says.

"We are looking at a probable accident, we assume the balloon has fallen," Globos Peru Sac manager Luis Miguel Fernandez told Lima's RPP radio station.

Fernandez said the basket attached to the balloon can float.

"We hope that the seven occupants - six tourists and the pilots, all Peruvians - are in the basket," he said.

The balloon was lost about 200 kilometres south of Lima, and was probably swept by a strong wind into the Pacific Ocean, which was covered in dense fog.

He said Peruvian navy units, backed by a helicopter, were searching the area.

View the original article here

Police investigate fight on Mt Everest

Mountaineers descend from the summit of Mount Everest. Police are investigating after a brawl reportedly broke out between climbers and their Nepalese guides. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

POLICE near Mount Everest are investigating reports of a fight on the upper reaches of the world's highest mountain between two foreign climbers and their Nepalese guides, officials said.

"We were told our clients and the guides fought on their way to camp three. We don't have all the details yet, but our clients have come down off the peak," said Anish Gupta of Cho-Oyu Trekking, the Kathmandu-based company that organised the expedition.

He said that one of the clients, a Swiss national, had descended the mountain and was currently waiting for a flight back to Kathmandu.

The other client, an Italian, remained at Everest Base Camp and may still try to summit the 8848-metre peak.

Sitaram Karki, the chief district officer in Solukhumbu, the region where Everest stands, said the police were conducting an investigation, but the details were still unclear.

"There are communication issues high on the mountain, but we have received the reports of a fight and deployed our team to investigate the incident," Mr Karki said.

More than 3000 people have climbed Everest, which straddles Nepal and China, since it was first conquered by New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese guide Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Every year hundreds more set out in April to attempt the climb.

View the original article here

Dreamliner takes to skies over Tokyo

Japan's All Nippon Airways tests its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner since overheating batteries forced the fleet grounded worldwide. Lindsey Parietti reports.

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner of All Nippon Airways prepares to land after a test flight at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, one of the first flights after the aircraft was grounded in mid-January amid safety concerns. Picture: AP Source: AP

A MODIFIED Dreamliner took to the skies over Tokyo with top Boeing and ANA executives aboard, as the planemaker and its leading client sought to reassure passengers the jetliners are safe.

It was the first flight by one of All Nippon Airways' 787s since the worldwide fleet of the next-generation planes was grounded over safety concerns due to faulty batteries sparking fires on board two planes.

The test flight by ANA, which has the largest fleet of Dreamliners, came a day after Ethiopian Airlines became the first carrier to resume flying the 787s.

After a two-hour test flight from Tokyo's Haneda airport, ANA chairman Shinichiro Ito and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner descended the stairs of the Dreamliner.

"After three months it's a terrific feeling to have an ANA 787 back in the air, and I am very pleased to say that it was a perfect flight on a perfect day," Mr Conner told reporters.

"As is evident by the fact that we are here today, we are very confident in the solution that we developed...and I can tell you that we put our family on this airplane on any day of a week, and any time."

ANA and Boeing are anxious to put the damaging crisis behind them but it could still be at least a month before the carrier can complete all the battery fixes and get its planes in the air.

Mr Ito said the company may fly the aircraft in May on an irregular basis and that it would aim to resume normal flights from June 1.

"We had not necessarily expected this (problem of batteries) as the launch customer, but I can say it was a meaningful challenge," Mr Ito said.

Neither Mr Ito nor Mr Conner commented on details of compensation, which ANA has said it will seek after months of cancellations and disruption to schedules.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators grounded the worldwide Dreamliner fleet in mid-January after failures of the lithium-ion batteries on the jetliner caused a fire on board one parked plane in Boston and forced the emergency landing of an ANA-operated aircraft in Japan.

Following months of investigations, the FAA on Thursday issued formal approval of Boeing's battery fix, with Ethiopian Airlines on Saturday becoming the first carrier to resume using the aircraft.

Speaking in Tokyo on Saturday, Mike Sinnett, Boeing's chief project manager for the Dreamliner program, said the Japanese test flight showed the faith that the US aircraft manufacturer placed in the battery fix.

"What it represents is...the depth of confidence that Ray Conner has in the series of design solutions we have brought forward," Mr Sinnett told reporters.

Although the exact cause of the battery failures has yet to be pinpointed - as noted by the FAA on Thursday - Mr Sinnett insisted that the refitted planes were safe to fly.

"Even if we missed the root cause, we have identified 80 potential causal factors and we have addressed all of them in the design," he said.

The battery solution eliminated the potential for fire and heat to get into the airplane, he said.

Japanese travellers expressed mixed feelings towards the modified Dreamliners.

Yuji Kawaguchi, 56, said he would like to see the 787 operations resume soon.

"I often fly for business trips," he said as he waited for a flight to southern Kagoshima at Haneda airport.

"As far as the testing shows no problem, we might as well start thinking about improving convenience."

In contrast, Tomohiro Obayashi, 32, from northern Hokkaido expressed concerns that the root-cause has not been identified.

"I don't feel like flying on the aircraft for a while."

View the original article here

Mum wants justice for baby Kyhesha-Lee

THE mother of Kyhesha-Lee, the toddler found dead in her north Brisbane home in late March, has called for justice.

The three-year-old was found dead in her Petrie home over the Easter weekend with police interviewing family and a 44-year-old man in Grafton who is believed to have been in the Old Dayboro Rd apartment when Kyhesha-Lee Williamson died.

Estranged mother Danielle Joughin responded to well-wishers on Facebook who said they would continue praying for the family.

"Its (sic) ok justice will be served," she said on Facebook.

Family members said they missed the little girl, who has been remembered as a bubbly child who was always smiling.

The 44-year-old man questioned by Petrie detectives in northern New South Wales earlier this month was charged with traffic offences but no charges were laid in relation to Kyhesha-Lee's death.

A police media spokeswoman said investigations into the case were continuing.

View the original article here

Balloon missing off Peru, seven on board

Authorities believe the balloon was probably blown off course by strong winds. Picture: Steve Fraser Source: Supplied

A HOT air balloon carrying seven people is missing after disappearing over the Pacific Ocean south of Lima during a tourist excursion, its owner says.

"We are looking at a probable accident, we assume the balloon has fallen," Globos Peru Sac manager Luis Miguel Fernandez told Lima's RPP radio station.

Fernandez said the basket attached to the balloon can float.

"We hope that the seven occupants - six tourists and the pilots, all Peruvians - are in the basket," he said.

The balloon was lost about 200 kilometres south of Lima, and was probably swept by a strong wind into the Pacific Ocean, which was covered in dense fog.

He said Peruvian navy units, backed by a helicopter, were searching the area.

View the original article here

Dreamliner takes to skies over Tokyo

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner of All Nippon Airways prepares to land after a test flight at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, one of the first flights after the aircraft was grounded in mid-January amid safety concerns. Picture: AP Source: AP

A MODIFIED Dreamliner took to the skies over Tokyo with top Boeing and ANA executives aboard, as the planemaker and its leading client sought to reassure passengers the jetliners are safe.

It was the first flight by one of All Nippon Airways' 787s since the worldwide fleet of the next-generation planes was grounded over safety concerns due to faulty batteries sparking fires on board two planes.

The test flight by ANA, which has the largest fleet of Dreamliners, came a day after Ethiopian Airlines became the first carrier to resume flying the 787s.

After a two-hour test flight from Tokyo's Haneda airport, ANA chairman Shinichiro Ito and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner descended the stairs of the Dreamliner.

"After three months it's a terrific feeling to have an ANA 787 back in the air, and I am very pleased to say that it was a perfect flight on a perfect day," Mr Conner told reporters.

"As is evident by the fact that we are here today, we are very confident in the solution that we developed...and I can tell you that we put our family on this airplane on any day of a week, and any time."

ANA and Boeing are anxious to put the damaging crisis behind them but it could still be at least a month before the carrier can complete all the battery fixes and get its planes in the air.

Mr Ito said the company may fly the aircraft in May on an irregular basis and that it would aim to resume normal flights from June 1.

"We had not necessarily expected this (problem of batteries) as the launch customer, but I can say it was a meaningful challenge," Mr Ito said.

Neither Mr Ito nor Mr Conner commented on details of compensation, which ANA has said it will seek after months of cancellations and disruption to schedules.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators grounded the worldwide Dreamliner fleet in mid-January after failures of the lithium-ion batteries on the jetliner caused a fire on board one parked plane in Boston and forced the emergency landing of an ANA-operated aircraft in Japan.

Following months of investigations, the FAA on Thursday issued formal approval of Boeing's battery fix, with Ethiopian Airlines on Saturday becoming the first carrier to resume using the aircraft.

Speaking in Tokyo on Saturday, Mike Sinnett, Boeing's chief project manager for the Dreamliner program, said the Japanese test flight showed the faith that the US aircraft manufacturer placed in the battery fix.

"What it represents is...the depth of confidence that Ray Conner has in the series of design solutions we have brought forward," Mr Sinnett told reporters.

Although the exact cause of the battery failures has yet to be pinpointed - as noted by the FAA on Thursday - Mr Sinnett insisted that the refitted planes were safe to fly.

"Even if we missed the root cause, we have identified 80 potential causal factors and we have addressed all of them in the design," he said.

The battery solution eliminated the potential for fire and heat to get into the airplane, he said.

Japanese travellers expressed mixed feelings towards the modified Dreamliners.

Yuji Kawaguchi, 56, said he would like to see the 787 operations resume soon.

"I often fly for business trips," he said as he waited for a flight to southern Kagoshima at Haneda airport.

"As far as the testing shows no problem, we might as well start thinking about improving convenience."

In contrast, Tomohiro Obayashi, 32, from northern Hokkaido expressed concerns that the root-cause has not been identified.

"I don't feel like flying on the aircraft for a while."

View the original article here

Man dies after house fire

AN elderly man dragged from his burning home in Geelong by neighbours has died in hospital.

The critically injured man, 88, was dragged from his bed by the neighbours after they noticed flames coming from the Alma Court property in the suburb of Newcomb just after 1am.

He was taken to Geelong Hospital with life-threatening injuries, but later died.

Police will prepare a report for the Coroner.

CFA spokesman Craig Owston said firefighters praised the neighbours' courage.

"It’s a pretty heroic effort considering what they were confronted with," Mr Owston said.

He said firefighters brought the fire under control shortly after 2am, and there was damage to the property’s roof.

Investigators will arrive at the scene this morning to determine the cause, but it is not considered suspicious.

Meanwhile, police are investigating a suspicious house fire in Tarneit, in Melbourne’s west, last night.

Neighbours say they heard a loud explosion before the house on Leakes Rd went up in flames about 11.30pm.

Police have set up a crime scene at the house, which was unoccupied at the time of the blaze.

Police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit
www.crimestoppers.com.au
 

View the original article here

Tourette's man kicked off flight

Mr Doyle accused the Jetblue staff of speaking to him as if he was in kindergarten. Picture: Fox News  Source: News Limited

A TOURETTE'S syndrome sufferer was refused boarding on to a flight in Washington because he kept repeating the word 'bomb'.

Michael Doyle tried to get on the Jet Blue flight at Reagan National Airport to San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Doyle got through the passenger screening without being stopped even though he had begun "ticking" - the involuntary repetition of words or phrases that is a common feature of Tourettes.

"With all the stuff in the news about the Boston bombings and stuff...I started ticking 'bomb,'' Doyle told Fox News. 'Because when I get nervous and anything on my mind will come out. And things you're not supposed to say." 

Just before boarding a Jet Blue employee stepped forward and told Doyle who could not get on the plane.

"I mean they stood me up in front of everyone and told me I'm like in kindergarten that I'm not allowed to go on the plane," he said.

Doyle's public humiliation happened even though he had contacted Jet Blue and the Transport Security Administration in advance about his condition, aware that it might create problems.

Doyle had been traveling to Puerto Rico with his friend Chaz Petteway to take part in a Revolutionary War reenactment. Petteway stayed behind with his friend when he was refused permission to board.

"To me it looks like it was kind of discrimination, you know," Petteway said.

DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

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Nurses reject low pay bid

MATER public nurses and midwives have overwhelmingly rejected a bid to pay them lower wages than Queensland Health employees doing similar work.

A ballot of 2300 nurses and midwives at the Mater Adult, Children's and Mothers' hospitals, has overwhelmingly rejected an 8 per cent pay offer over three years, backdated to April last year.

Queensland Health nurses received 9 per cent over three years soon after the Newman Government came to power in March last year.

Queensland Nurses Union secretary Beth Mohle said the Mater Health Services also wanted to significantly cut the professional development allowance paid to its nurses and midwives from $1500 to $500 a year and to remove the "no forced redundancies clause'' from its agreement.

Overall, she said experienced full-time Mater nurses and midwives would be about $2000 a year worse off than their Queensland Health colleagues.

Ms Mohle said the Mater Health Services had traditionally matched Queensland Health in relation to wages and conditions.

She said the union feared the decision by the Mater's non-government operators to push for an inferior deal to Queensland Health employees was linked to the potential privatisation of public hospitals in the state under an LNP Government.

Fears have been raised about the possibility of public services at both the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital and the Queensland Children's Hospital being outsourced to the private sector.

The QNU has been vocal against any attempts at outsourcing public health services, given private operaters are not as accountable as other public hospitals have to be.

"The Mater, especially in the context of a hospital privatisation debate, is trying to start the scale back of nurse and midwife wages and working conditions,'' Ms Mohle said. ``Our members can see straight through that.

"The vast majority of costs associated with healthcare relate to the costs of employing people. The bottom line is that our members know that they're worth more than what's being offered.

"They deserve the same as what their Queensland Health colleagues are being paid a couple of kilometres down the road at the Princess Alexandra Hospital for doing the same work."

Of the 2300 eligible Mater public nurses and midwives, 1300 voted in the ballot, with 87 per cent rejecting the offer.

Ms Mohle said the QNU had been trying to negotiate with the Mater Health Services for a new agreement since December 2011.

The last agreement expired in March last year.

View the original article here

Hunt for men after glassing brawl

Images released by police.

POLICE have released CCTV images of men they want to speak to after a pub brawl in which two people were glassed.

Police believe a fight broke out between two groups of people inside the venue on Raleigh Rd in Maribyrnong about 11.30pm on April 20.

Up to 10 men and women were involved in the brawl, in which two men were wounded after they were struck by glass.

A Melton West man, 29, was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with a cut to his head, while a Werribee man, 31, was taken to the Western Hospital with a cut to his face.

Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au.
 

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New luxury Maldives resort, easier Tibetan travel

China has eased its restrictions on tourism in Tibet, which should make it easier for travellers to visit picture-perfect destinations like Cholo and Kangchung Peak. Source: Supplied

An overwater villa at Maalifushi resort in The Maldives. Source: Supplied

COMO Hotels will open the doors to its newest resort in the Maldives in October, while Tibetan travel will be easier now that the government has eased restrictions.

1. Maldives luxury

A LUXURIOUS resort will open on a private island in the Maldives in October.

COMO Hotels and Resorts will open Maalifushi by COMO on an 8ha island in the southerly Thaa Atoll as a sister property to Cocoa Island by COMO, further north in the South MalI atoll.

The 66-room property will be the first luxury resort in Thaa Atoll, neighboured by a string of uninhabited islands that can be booked for castaway picnics and romantic private dining.

See comohotels.com/maalifushi

2. Tibet's doors open

TRAVELLERS will find it easier to visit Tibet following the easing of travel restrictions by the Chinese government. Under the changes there is no longer a minimum number of travellers required per nationality within a tour group.

There are no longer any restrictions on the size of the group of travellers, but passengers entering Tibet must be travelling with a tour operator recognised by the Tibetan Tourism Administration and be travelling on that operator's official tour.

Helen Wong, founder and managing director of China specialist Helen Wong's Tours, said the timing couldn't have been better as her company has now entered the New Zealand market.

"We will now see Australians able to travel with the Kiwis to Tibet," she said.

3. Dark side

TASMANIA'S controversial Museum of Old and New Art (MoNA) is introducing a new winter festival this year.

Dark Mofo - dubbed the darker sister to MONA's summer MOFO event - will include a large-scale public art program and exhibition in Hobart, a Winter Feast at Princes Wharf No.1, art installations throughout the city, a music program, film program as well as food and wine. Martha Wainwright will perform at the event from June 13 to 23.

See darkmofo.net.au

4. Go with the Flow

SNOW lovers can get their annual pre-season fix of adrenalin when the latest Warren Miller film tours Australia from May 22. Resorts in Colorado, California, Switzerland, Japan, Norway, Alaska and Austria feature in this year's movie, Flow State. The film stars celebrated athletes including Colby West, Chris Davenport, Jess McMillan and David Wise, while Warren Miller regular Chris Anthony tries his luck on some 70-year-old ski equipment.

For dates see warrenmiller.com.au

5. Pulled into shape

PULLMAN Sydney Hyde Park has unveiled a multimillion-dollar refurbishment with a modern lobby and a new-look executive lounge with views over the park and city skyline. The 5-star hotel also has a new Connectivity Lounge offering free Wi-Fi and a range of business services and a sleek new bar.

All 22 floors have been refurbished with new carpet, artistic bed heads, glass work desks, chairs and artistic lighting. Rates start from $279 a room, a night.

See pullmanhotels.com

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Commuters face morning train delays

Train delays at Flinders Street Station. Picture: Chris Scott Source: Herald Sun

COMMUTERS will experience lengthy delays and some cancelled services this morning due to Regional Rail Link works running late.

Affected lines to run on a modified timetable are Werribee, Frankston, Williamstown, Craigieburn and Sunbury.

Some express trains are expected to stop all stations, selected loop trains will run direct to Flinders St and there will be a number of cancellations.

See latest delays and cancellations here

A Metro Trains spokesman said issues with upgrading signalling systems were to blame.

"The major schedule of very complex replacement and upgrade signalling works carried out over the four day extended weekend has presented a number of challenges as we integrate new signalling with the existing aged system," he said.

"The scale and nature of these works should not be underestimated. Around one thousand people have been working tirelessly over the weekend but we now acknowledge works are likely to carry over into the morning.

"We apologise in advance to our customers and ask that they allow extra time for their journey."

Cancellations and delays include:

Craigieburn line:

Cancelled services to Flinders St - 7:29 from Broadmeadows, 7:38 from Craigieburn, 8:04 from  Broadmeadows, 8:07 from Craigieburn.

Cancelled services to Craigieburn - 8:14 from Flinders St.

Frankston line:
All services will run direct to Flinders St.

Customers will need to change at Richmond for a city loop service.

Cancelled services to Frankston - 5:20 to Frankston, 7:50 to Moorabbin.

Pakenham / Cranbourne lines:
Cancelled services to Flinders St - 7:00 from Westall, 7:25 from Dandenong, 8:18 from Dandenong, 8:42 from Westall.

Sunbury line:

Cancelled service to Flinders St - 7:35 from Watergardens

Cancelled service to Watergardens - 8:53 from Flinders St

Werribee line:

All services will stop all stations.

Laverton /Altona Loop trains will run to and from Newport as a shuttle service where customers will change to a Werribee train.

Williamstown line:

Services will run as a shuttle to and from Newport where customers will change to a Werribee service.

Jessica.evans@news.com.au

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Man critically injured in house fire

AN elderly man dragged from his burning home in Geelong by neighbours has died in hospital.

The critically injured man, 88, was dragged from his bed by the neighbours after they noticed flames coming from the Alma Court property in the suburb of Newcomb just after 1am.

He was taken to Geelong Hospital with life-threatening injuries, but later died.

Police will prepare a report for the Coroner.

CFA spokesman Craig Owston said firefighters praised the neighbours' courage.

"It’s a pretty heroic effort considering what they were confronted with," Mr Owston said.

He said firefighters brought the fire under control shortly after 2am, and there was damage to the property’s roof.

Investigators will arrive at the scene this morning to determine the cause, but it is not considered suspicious.

Meanwhile, police are investigating a suspicious house fire in Tarneit, in Melbourne’s west, last night.

Neighbours say they heard a loud explosion before the house on Leakes Rd went up in flames about 11.30pm.

Police have set up a crime scene at the house, which was unoccupied at the time of the blaze.

Police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit
www.crimestoppers.com.au
 

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Last-minute millions to spark racing probe

QUESTIONS: Former treasurer Andrew Fraser, and how The Courier-Mail has broken the key stories into the administration of Racing Queensland. Source: The Courier-Mail

A DECISION by Anna Bligh's government to transfer $20 million two days before the Labor administration went into caretaker mode is among events set to spark a commission of inquiry into Queensland's racing industry.

The Courier-Mail has learnt of two key incidents involving more than $100 million that have raised serious questions about the former administration of the racing industry.

The Courier-Mail last night learnt that the Newman Government was investigating former Treasurer Andrew Fraser's decision to approve the transfer of $20 million into Racing Queensland Limited's trust account for infrastructure projects.

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The Government is seeking details on whether Mr Fraser ignored advice from Treasury on the business cases for RQL infrastructure projects.

The transfer occurred in February 2012, two days before the caretaker mode applied ahead of Labor's landslide election loss.

The Newman Government is also looking into a decision by four of RQL's then five directors to allow Tatts Group to retain almost $90 million of fees that had been earmarked for the racing industry.

The latest twist comes as Campbell Newman's Government ponders its options in addressing the growing scandal surrounding the industry's previous leadership.

QUESTIONS: ALP powerbroker Bill Ludwig and how The Courier-Mail has broken the key stories into the administration of Racing Queensland.

The Courier-Mail understands the government is looking at either a full Commission of Inquiry or a Parliamentary Inquiry into the administration of the industry under the board chaired by Labor-aligned former chairman Bob Bentley and including Labor powerbroker and longtime union boss Bill Ludwig.

The Government is expected to lean towards a commission of inquiry which would have greater powers.

One of the key matters is the process used for approving the $20 million payment and whether questions had been raised by Treasury officials over whether it should go ahead.

Rules blocking access to briefing papers provided to the previous government is hampering their investigation.

Mr Fraser last night told The Courier-Mail: "The decision to provide the money to (RQL) was announced in the Budget and all decisions were made in accordance with Treasury advice."

Today, he urged the release of a briefing note which he says make legitimate the$20 million transfer two days before the government went into caretaker mode last year.

Last November, The Courier-Mail revealed that RQL had awarded $158 million worth of contracts to Contour Consulting Engineers, based on the Sunshine Coast, for upgrades to regional racetracks and facilities. Only one of more than 30 projects went to tender.

But the Newman Government, less than a month into its tenure, brought the program to a halt by imposing a freeze on Racing Queensland making payments above $20,000 without approval.

A forensic audit by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, delivered to the Government this week, has recommended the Crime and Misconduct Commission and the State Auditor-General conduct a full inquiry into the contract, which was found to be up to 40 per cent more expensive than those offered by other firms.

The Bentley-led board was overhauled and replaced as the Newman Government sought to implement a new racing structure.

Investigations by The Courier-Mail last year have also revealed that RQL board had approved golden handshakes of more than $1 million to four executives in the event that they resigned before the body was dismantled by the new government.

That decision has been the subject of an Australian Securities and Investments Commission investigation.

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Tatts deal a $90m blow to industry

QUEENSLAND'S racing industry is missing out on tens of millions of dollars every year after its former chiefs ignored legal advice and waived fees of almost $90 million from gaming giant Tatts Group.

Queensland Race Product Co - a non-profit company established by Racing Queensland Limited to collect race information fees from the gambling industry - has foregone the money over the past three years.

Instead, the money has gone to the bottom line of Tatts Group - the betting behemoth which last year raked in $3.9 billion from wagers on racing, sports and lotteries and made a $319 million profit.

The chairman of RQL at the time of the decision - Bob Bentley - was also then a Tatts director. Mr Bentley was the only RQL director to not also sit on the board of Queensland Race Product Co.

Under a 15-year agreement which expires next year, Tatts Group (formerly UniTAB) has the rights to run betting on all Queensland racing.

Laws introduced in September 2008 allow Product Co to charge race information fees of 1.5 per cent on all wagering turnover above $5 million. Tatts Group collected the fees from betting groups in other states for wagers on Queensland races.

But, unlike counterparts in NSW, RQL allowed Tatts to deduct "agency" costs, reducing the amount flowing into the industry's coffers by $20 million to $30 million per year.

"It's an absolute disgrace. It's a hell of a lot of money," said Bill Andrews, a former director of RQL and Product Co who opposed a decision that now shapes as a magnet for any government-initiated inquiry into the industry.

Product Co, whose directors included Labor powerbroker Bill Ludwig, ignored legal advice it sought that recommended that Tatts should be charged the full fees.

Mr Andrews' push for a senior barrister to be engaged for further advice was rejected.

Two months ago, Mr Bentley, who remains a Tatts director, sold 45,000 shares in the company for $151,650. He still owns 115,000, worth $377,200 yesterday.

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