Real estate bosses nabbed in Vic drug bust

TWO real estate franchise owners have been charged after police uncovered thousands of cannabis plants at dozens of residential properties across Melbourne's north and west.

Chris Lio and Con Constantinou, owners of Barry Plant Real Estate's Epping franchise, are among eight men arrested in connection with a large quantity of drugs.

Barry Plant chief executive Mike McCarthy said he was shocked to learn the pair allegedly used 25 properties managed by their branch to hydroponically grow some 3000 cannabis plants.

"Nothing like this has occurred in our history," Mr McCarthy said in a statement on Saturday.

"These are serious charges and everyone in our group, from head office right through our 82 franchises, is shocked and dismayed."

Mr McCarthy said the Epping branch was independently owned and operated.

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Cardinals to decide conclave date

CARDINALS will vote on the date to begin a conclave to elect a new pope later on Friday, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.

"We can expect the congregation in the afternoon session today to vote on the date for the start of the conclave," Lombardi said, referring to talks that will begin at 1600 GMT (0300 AEDT Saturday) and end at 1800 GMT (0500 AEDT).

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Sydney man drink driving with kids in car

A MAN who had four children aged between two and eight in his car has been charged for drink driving at more than five times the limit in Sydney's southwest.

Police say the 29-year-old man initially tried to avoid a random breath test at Ruse before he was stopped by officers.

He was then breath tested and blew 0.265.

The children's mother, who does not have a licence, was called and on her arrival at the scene she was driven home with her children by police.

A police spokesman would not tell AAP if the man was the children's father.

The man was charged with high range drink driving and his licence was suspended.

Bail was granted and he's due before Campbelltown Local Court on April 3.

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Man charged over Vic double hit and run

A 21-YEAR-OLD driver has been charged over an alleged double hit and run that injured two men, one of whom was dragged 40 metres in Melbourne's north.

Jordan Kostopoulas, of Preston, was charged with conduct endangering life, dangerous driving causing serious injury and other traffic offences at an out of sessions hearing late on Friday.

Police believe two men were struck by a car in Heidelberg West around 10pm (AEDT) on Thursday after an argument.

The driver allegedly sped off following the crash.

A man aged 31 was critically injured after being dragged by the car. A 32-year-old man was admitted to hospital with less serious injuries.

The two victims had been part of a group who were involved in a heated argument over the car at a home earlier that evening, police say.

Two people were injured before the group left the home.

The car was found at an Ivanhoe shopping centre on Friday morning.

Kostopoulas was granted bail and will face court at a later date.

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Australia urged to fund football diplomacy

THE federal government is being urged to put more money into football diplomacy as Australia prepares for the 2015 Asian Cup.

The football tournament, which will be hosted by Australia for the first time, is expected to attract 45,000 visitors and have a potential television reach of 2.5 billion viewers.

The Lowy Institute for International Policy, in a paper released on Friday, says the tournament will present a big opportunity for Australian businesses to network with Asian investors and consumers.

But to do so, key stakeholders should form a Football Asia Council to pool scarce resources and to provide support for networking opportunities.

The institute recommends that the federal government allocate additional resources to Austrade for it to manage business networking events.

"The Asian Cup will present a significant opportunity for Australia to promote its image and national branding, as well as its goods and services, and strengthen networks in the region," the report said.

Football diplomacy was referred to in both a 2007 parliamentary inquiry on Australia's public diplomacy and in the federal government's Australia in the Asian Century White Paper.

It involves the use of common interest in football to create networks.

The networks can be used for diplomacy, forming political and business connections, promoting products and tourism.

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Calls to fast-track bowel cancer screening

THE two major political parties are being urged to back the fast-tracking of a national bowel cancer screening program so people are tested every two years instead of five.

Just under $50 million was devoted to expanding the bowel cancer program in last year's federal budget, with the aim of extending free screening to 70-year-olds from 2015.

Two-year screenings would begin replacing the current five-year system from 2017-18, when 72-year-olds will be included.

Currently just four age groups are eligible for the free screenings - 50, 55, 60, and 65.

But Bowel Cancer Australia said the upcoming federal election was an opportunity to "reset" the program, to bring forward some of the planned changes.

The health group wants biannual screenings to be implemented in 2014, and older age groups to be included much earlier in the scheme.

"England's biennial bowel cancer screening program launched in 2006 and by 2012 was rolled out to people aged 60 to 69," Bowel Cancer Australia chief Julien Wiggins said in a statement.

"By 2014, screening will be open to people aged 60 to 74, while our program will be open to only four ages.

"In the meantime we have almost 4,000 men and women dying every year from this preventable disease."

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Councils want constitutional recognition

COUNCILS are a step closer to securing federal funding after a parliamentary committee recommended holding a referendum on whether local government be recognised in the constitution.

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) says the referendum to alter the constitution, which will help councils gain funding, could be held in September with the federal election.

After a five-year campaign for the referendum the ALGA is happy with the recommendation for the referendum as it will enable councils to be legally recognised as "legitimate recipients of direct federal funding".

"Recognition in the constitution is needed to protect important funding for local projects and provide councils with the certainty that funding for local projects can continue without claims of constitutional invalidity," ALGA president Felicity-Ann Lewis said.

The ALGA also wants money from the federal government to support a campaign to convince Australians to vote in favour of constitutional recognition.

"ALGA and its state associations have committed to provide millions of dollars to campaign for the referendum and it is vital that public funding is also made available," Ms Lewis said.

The AlGA wants Section 96 of the constitution to be amended to read: "Parliament may grant financial assistance to any state or local government body formed by or under a law of state or territory on such terms and conditions as the parliament sees fit."

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Bank of England leaves rate steady

THE Bank of England has voted at a regular policy meeting to hold its reference interest rate at a record-low 0.5 per cent, where it has stood for four years, and opted against increasing its cash stimulus program to boost a British economy on the brink of recession.

"The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee today voted to maintain the official Bank Rate paid on commercial bank reserves at 0.5 per cent," the BoE said in a statement following a two-day gathering.

"The Committee also voted to maintain the stock of asset purchases financed by the issuance of central bank reserves at STG375 billion" ($A554 billion).

Analysts had said the decision over stimulus, or quantitative easing (QE), had been on a knife-edge with Britain at risk of its third recession since 2009.

Minutes of the latest meeting, explaining the reasons behind the BoE's latest monthly policy decisions, are to be published on March 20, the central bank said.

Recent official data showed that British gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with the previous three months.

Another contraction in the first quarter of 2013 would officially place Britain in a rare "triple-dip" recession.

Against this backdrop, Moody's ratings agency last month lowered its top-level AAA credit rating for Britain.

Moody's downgraded Britain by one notch from AAA to Aa1, arguing that government debt was still mounting and that growth was too weak to reverse the trend before 2016.

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Indonesia journalist attacked, loses baby

INDONESIAN police have arrested two village officials on Borneo island for allegedly beating a pregnant journalist until she suffered severe bleeding and had a miscarriage.

Nurmila Sari Wahyuni, a 23-year-old reporter for Paser TV, a station in East Kalimantan province, was allegedly ambushed by two men on a motorcycle on Sunday while she was filming in Rantau Panjang village.

East Kalimantan police chief Major General Anas Yusuf said on Wednesday that the men recognised Wahyuni as a daughter of one of the owners of disputed village land.

He said they beat her and trampled on her legs, stomach and head. She was hospitalised after the attack.

The village chief and secretary were arrested and other people are being questioned.

Sunday's assault sparked outrage among activists and independent journalists' associations.

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Thomas Cook axes 2,500 jobs in Britain

TRAVEL firm Thomas Cook says it will axe 2,500 jobs in Britain, mostly in administration functions and its retail network, as part of a major restructuring.

The cuts comprise 16 per cent of the group's total workforce of 15,500 people in Britain and Ireland.

"As part of its ongoing business transformation, Thomas Cook Group plc today began a consultation process to restructure its UK business," the British company said in a statement.

"Subject to that consultation, this process would see the group's UK workforce reduced by 2,500 full-time roles, mostly in back-office functions and its retail network, including some store closures."

Wednesday's news came two days after Thomas Cook announced it had decided against selling its loss-making French division.

"It is never easy to make decisions that impact directly on our people, but we also owe it to our customers to shape the business effectively and ensure that, when they book their holiday with us, our administrative costs are as low as possible," said Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of Thomas Cook's UK & Continental Europe division.

"As we improve and develop our online capabilities, maintaining a strong presence on the High Street is an important part of our omni-channel strategy. Even after these changes we will still have one of the largest retail networks in UK travel.

"These proposals will mean a stronger Thomas Cook that continues to be a major employer in the UK dedicated to providing excellent holiday experiences to our 23 million customers."

London-listed Thomas Cook had posted annual net losses of almost STG586 million ($A870.47 million) in November, as the group was hit by the combined impact of the eurozone debt crisis, Middle East unrest and high fuel costs.

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World media sees bleak Chavez legacy

HUGO Chavez has left Venezuela divided with an economy overly reliant on oil wealth and riddled with corruption, world newspapers have warned, foreseeing great instability after his death.

Chavez's death from cancer at 58 leaves a complex legacy for his successor, with elections expected in 30 days, newspapers and online sites say.

Yet few papers could deny his huge political impact in Venezuela and across the Latin American region.

Some papers credited him for working to improve the lives of the poor, though the verdict on his performance was mixed.

Chavez stayed in power for 14 years, winning elections "with a mix of personal charisma, largesse in the use of oil money, populist rhetoric and an ability to convince many that their lives would be better thanks to the Bolivarian revolution," said Spain's leading daily El Pais.

Chavez's Bolivarian revolution, a socialist movement inspired by Venezuelan revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar, had promised economic independence and equality to the people.

"But it seems more than improbable that any successor will be able to stir enough support to make citizens tolerate for much longer the enormous financial imbalances, daily shortages, extensive corruption or rampant urban violence that afflict the Caribbean nation and that remain in place or are even worse after the late president's long reign," El Pais said.

A rival Spanish daily, the conservative El Mundo, said Chavez's death had sown "paranoia" among Venezuelan leaders.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro made clear he believed there had been a "political assassination", it said.

"Now begins an uncertain interim period," El Mundo warned.

Rory Carroll, Guardian correspondent and author of Comandante: Hugo Chavez's Venezuela, wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times headlined: "In the end, an awful manager."

"Chavez was a brilliant politician and a disastrous ruler. He leaves Venezuela a ruin, and his death plunges its roughly 30 million citizens into profound uncertainty," Carroll wrote.

The Washington Post's lead article described Chavez as "passionate but polarising."

Some papers were more sympathetic, however.

Chavez's fierce anti-US rhetoric led him to fraternise with regimes such as those in Iran or Belarus, said the online edition of Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"But the relationship between Latin America and the North was deeply changed by Caracas's repeated verbal attacks on Washington in recent years. Latin American states gained self-confidence," the paper said.

In Britain, the left-leaning Guardian said Chavez had left a legacy of literacy and healthcare for the poor but also "crumbling infrastructure and dependence on oil".

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Labor's budget plan failing, business says

THE federal government risks damaging economic growth if it stoops to ad hoc new taxes and revenue grabs in this year's budget, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) warns.

In its 2013/14 budget submission released on Wednesday, the group representing the nation's top 100 bosses says the government's execution of its fiscal strategy is not working and urgently needs a major rethink.

BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott says the budget must include a clear and sensible path back to surplus, starting with an independent review of the size and scope of government and its approach to spending.

"Our research shows the government has spent more than it should in recent years," she said in a statement.

Just as stimulus measures taken during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis were being unwound, new spending programs started to build to a $49 billion impact on the budget over the forward estimates.

"Spending is not being fully offset with real savings because it has relied on revenue growth which hasn't eventuated, and because more than half of the $28 billion in recent savings claimed by the government have been made up by timing shifts that have no lasting budget benefit," she said.

Worthy but high-cost policies such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Gonski eduction reforms require up to $17 billion of new funding annually in coming years, depending on how much the cash-strapped states can chip in.

The BCA estimates that for the government to meet its commitment to run surpluses on average over the medium term it would have to consistently deliver growing surpluses into the next decade to offset the budget deficits since 2008.

"With revenues expected to be volatile over the forward estimates, the government should be reprioritising outlays, and pulling back on new spending commitments until there is greater certainty over how they can be paid for," Ms Westacott said.

The submission also calls for a lift in infrastructure investment, and the development of a long-term blueprint for comprehensive tax reform.

"The size of Australia's fiscal challenge reinforces the importance in this election year of all parties putting forward economically responsible policies which support confidence, growth and jobs and which do not undermine the budget position," she said.

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Marriott, IKEA team up to launch new hotel

US hotel chain Marriott says it is teaming up with Swedish furniture giant IKEA to launch a new budget hotel brand in Germany and Europe, called Moxy Hotels.

Over the next 10 years, 150 low-cost hotels will be opened in 10 countries, Marriott chief Arne Sorenson told a news conference in Berlin.

In addition to Germany, hotels would be opened in Austria, Britain, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

The first Moxy Hotel would open in Milan at the start of next year, Sorenson said.

The new brand was targeted at a young, price-conscious, well-travelled clientele.

Separately, the US hotel group Starwood Hotels and Resorts said it planned to open 50 new hotels in Europe over the next five years, with particular emphasis on countries of the ex-Soviet Union and Turkey.

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Govts overspending by $60b: think tank

GOVERNMENTS across Australia are overspending by more than $60 billion a year, posing a risk of higher taxation, more debt and lower living standards for future generations, a think tank warns.

The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) says government spending at all three tiers - federal, state and local councils - has been growing at an average rate of four per cent per year since 1972, and is now nearly 35 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

CIS research fellow Simon Cowan says the ideal size of government is less than 30 per cent of GDP, which means governments are overspending by as much as $63 billion a year.

"All government spending should be scrutinised to ensure taxpayers' dollars are not being wasted on inefficient, ineffective programs," Mr Cowan says in a new report 'TARGET30 - Towards smaller government and future prosperity'.

The report aims to prepare Australia for its future fiscal challenges by proposing ways to reduce government spending to less than 30 per cent of GDP within 10 years.

Health, welfare and education consume more than 60 per cent of government budgets, and with costs set to rise rapidly, mainly due to an ageing population and spiralling health care costs, there will be much higher taxation and enormous public debts.

"It is crucial that we act now to make these services more efficient, curb the uncontrolled growth of government, and stave off a fiscal and debt crisis like those afflicting big-spending, big-government countries in Europe," Mr Cowen says.

Much of the increase over the past 10 years has come from new spending programs.

Mr Cowen says governments should focus on finding savings from existing, lower priority programs, to pay for new spending programs and recent commitments like the Gonski education reforms and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

"TARGET30 calls for a shift in cultural thinking. It asks Australians to think about what we really need governments to provide, and what individuals should be providing for themselves," he said.

Without action, government spending may exceed 50 per cent of GDP by 2050, he warns.

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Abbott preferred in western Sydney: poll

VOTERS in Sydney's west would rather have Kevin Rudd as prime minister than Julia Gillard, but Tony Abbott remains their top choice, a poll shows.

The Seven News/ReachTEL poll found Mr Rudd has a clear lead over Ms Gillard as the preferred prime minister - 74.5 per cent to 25.5 per cent - if voters are forced to choose between the two.

Almost 42 per cent of western Sydney residents would be more likely to vote Labor if Mr Rudd was leader of the party.

But the poll found both Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd sank below Opposition Leader Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister.

If given the choice of four prime ministers, 39.2 per cent of voters would choose Mr Abbott, followed by Mr Rudd at 26 per cent, Malcolm Turnbull at 22.1 per cent, and Ms Gillard at just 13.2 per cent.

The poll surveyed 1615 residents from 11 electorates in Sydney's west.

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Oztag finger injuries worry doctors

FOR a low-injury, non-contact sport, Oztag is causing a significant concern in medical circles.

The 40,000 Australians who enjoy the game have been warned not to ignore a common injury known as rugger jersey finger.

During the contest, which is similar to touch rugby, players pull a velcro tag from an opponent's shorts. But many are also pulling a finger tendon.

A Sydney hand surgeon, Richard Lawson, and his colleagues are so worried about the injuries that they have written a letter to the Australian Medical Journal.

They say people who are treated within 10 days are likely to recover fully. Those who wait can expect a less satisfactory outcome, possibly involving difficult surgery.

"Primary-care doctors and Oztag participants should be aware that hand injuries sustained while playing the sport may be serious, and early expert evaluation is advisable," says the letter.

Oztag, also known as tag rugby, is played by over 40,000 people around Australia and is considered a low-injury, non-contact sport.

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Twenty Islamists killed in Nigeria

NIGERIA'S military says it killed 20 Boko Haram Islamists while repelling an attack by the extremist group in the embattled northeastern state of Borno.

"Boko Haram terrorists attempted to attack a military barracks (in Borno) at about 5am" (1500 AEDT) on Sunday, spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa said in a statement.

He said the attack occurred in the village of Monguno, about 200km from Borno's restive capital of Maiduguri, considered Boko Haram's home base where the radical group has been blamed for scores of deadly attacks.

The raid on the military barracks "was repelled", Musa said. "The encounter led to the deaths of 20 Boko Haram terrorists."

He said the gunmen, armed with Kalashnikovs and rocket-propelled grenade launchers had stormed the military site in three 4X4 trucks and eight motorcycles.

Boko Haram's insurgency is estimated to have left 3000 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.

The Islamists have said they are fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, but their demands have repeatedly shifted.

A video posted on YouTube last month featured gunmen claiming to be from Boko Haram who said they abducted a French family of seven from a Cameroon nature park near the Nigerian border.

The video marked a departure for the Islamist group, which had never before claimed the kidnapping of a Westerner and some have questioned whether the Nigerian Islamists did in fact carry out the abductions.

France has said Boko Haram is responsible for the attack and is likely holding the family members, including four children, in Nigeria.

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Rio police occupy slum near airport

BRAZILIAN police have occupied crime-infested slums near Rio de Janeiro's international airport and seaport as part of efforts to drive out drug traffickers ahead of next year's soccer World Cup.

The operation, which began at 4.55am local time (1855 AEDT) on Sunday, involved more than 1300 police and members of the military backed by mechanised units of the Brazilian navy, which entered the favelas of Caju and Barreira do Vasco and seized control of their narrow streets.

So far, authorities have not encountered any resistance from residents of the townships whose combined population has reached about 20,000. And they were quick to declare victory.

"The operation has been a success," military police Colonel Frederico Caldas told O Globo television. "This very important, strategic area was taken without firing a shot."

For years, the favelas have been a stronghold of drug-trafficking gangs that held sway over the area and terrorised the local population.

Now, the local residents have cautiously welcomed the operation that they hope will help restore law and order.

"I think this is all good," said a 77-year-old woman, who lives in Caju but remains reluctant to reveal her name for fear of retribution on the part of the criminals. "I hope now we will have more security," she told AFP.

According to police, their next target will be violence-plagued Mare, an area near the airport largely controlled by drug gangs and militia units.

In 2008, Rio authorities began cleaning up lawless favelas, or slums, one by one, hoping to finish the job before the soccer World Cup of 2014 and the Olympic Games two years later, which are likely to bring to Rio millions of tourists.

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At least 50 Islamists killed in Mali

AT least 50 al-Qaeda-linked rebel fighters have been killed in recent days in clashes with French and Malian troops near the town of Gao in northern Mali, a Malian military source says.

"Fighting continues on Sunday morning some 60km north of Gao between Islamists and Malian troops supported by the French army. We have the situation under control," said a Malian military source contacted by phone from the capital Bamako.

"At least 50 MUJAO Islamists have been killed since the day before yesterday (Friday)," he added, referring to rebels from the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa.

Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, was under the control of MUJAO before it was driven from there by the French-backed international offensive that was launched on January 11.

A Malian soldier who had taken part in the fighting on Friday evening near Gao had told AFP on Saturday that the Malian army had destroyed a MUJAO base.

He said the group suffered heavy losses during the fighting, which took place in In-Manas, 60 km east of Gao.

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