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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