Death toll in US mudslide rises to 30

AS medical examiners painstakingly piece together the identities and lives of the 30 people known killed when a mudslide wiped out a small Washington community, one mystery troubles them.

One set of remains does not fit with the description on the missing persons list, which, as of Thursday, includes 17 people.

The medical examiners know it is a male, but his remains give no clue as to who he was, or who might be looking for him.

They can't even identify his age range, and at this point, gold teeth are all they have to go on.

The mystery underscores the tedious process of identifying remains more than a week after the March 22 landslide that broke off a steep hill, roared across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River and buried a community at Oso, about 90km north of Seattle.

Like the homes, the cars and the other parts of people's lives swept away by the torrent of mud, some bodies are in pieces.

Norman Thiersch, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner, said the goal of the team - made up of medical examiners, detectives, dentists and others - is to make sure there's no doubt as to the identities of the victims.

"This is not television," he said.

"These are methodical, painstaking processes we go through."

Although the identities of 28 of the 30 confirmed dead have been determined, officials have so far released the names of only 27.

Other names are expected to be released by the end of the week.

09.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rate rises may be limited: IMF

AS consumers and businesses worry about an interest rate rise from the Reserve Bank before long, a new analysis suggests any increases are likely to be limited.

The International Monetary Fund says worldwide interest rates are expected to increase in the medium term with global economic conditions normalising, reversing the decline into negative territory due to the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

But in the analytical chapters of its forthcoming world economic outlook, the IMF does not believe real, or inflation adjusted, interest rates will return to high levels.

"The increase from current levels is expected to be modest, because the factors that have mostly contributed to low real rates in the past recent years are unlikely to reverse substantially," the report released in Washington on Thursday said.

It says the "scars" from the GFC have resulted in a sharp and persistent decline in investment in advanced economies, while there will be only a modest impact from lower savings in emerging market economies as a result of slower economic growth.

There has also been an investment shift to safer interest-rate yielding bonds away from riskier equities, which has kept rates low.

Using data from a number of countries, including Australia, it found that 10-year real interest rates declined from an average of 5.5 per cent in the 1980s, to 3.5 per cent in the 1990s, to two per cent between 2001 and 2008 and to slightly negative territory of 2012.

While continued low real rates will help borrowers to lower debt ratios, they also raise new policy challenges.

"The envisioned low real rate environment ... may re-emerge as a constraint to monetary policy should risks of very low growth in advanced economies materialise," it said.

09.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Queen meets Pope Francis at Vatican

BRITAIN'S Queen Elizabeth II has paid a private call on Pope Francis at the Vatican, making him the fifth pontiff she has met.

She arrived on Thursday afternoon wearing a lilac-coloured spring coat and matching hat that are practically the same colours as the wisteria blooming over much of the Italian capital.

The monarch, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, was ushered into a small room near the Vatican's public audience hall for the 30-minute meeting.

Previously, Elizabeth had met with four pontiffs, starting with Pius XII in 1951, a year before her accession to the throne.

Earlier in the day, Elizabeth lunched with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at the Quirinal palace.

Illness had forced her to cancel a 2013 trip to Rome when she was supposed to see Napolitano.

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Four dead in Bangladesh gas blast

AT least four workers have been killed after a gas cylinder exploded in a ship-breaking yard in southern Bangladesh, police said.

The explosion occurred while workers were removing parts from an old ship in the Kadam Rasul area of Sitakunda, 200 kilometres southeast of the capital Dhaka.

Six people were injured, four of whom later died in hospital, police officer Iftekha Hasan said.

"The workers might have died of inhaling toxic gas," the officer said.

Bangladesh is the third largest country in terms of dismantling obsolete ships.

Safety measures in the yards are still inadequate.

At least 20 people were killed in 2013 in Bangladeshi ship-breaking yards, which are mostly located in Chittagong district, according to a human rights group.

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US retail sales rebounded 0.3 per cent

US retail sales have bounced back after suffering a steep decline during a bitterly cold January, with people spending more on cars, clothing and furniture.

The Commerce Department said on Thursday seasonally-adjusted retail sales rose 0.3 per cent in February. Spending had fallen 0.6 per cent in January and 0.3 per cent in December.

The increase suggests consumer spending has started to recover after being tempered by snowstorms and freezing temperatures that blanketed much of the country.

Auto sales rose 0.3 per cent. Excluding volatile spending on cars, petrol and building supplies, retail sales increased 0.3 per cent from December.

Last month's rebound almost brought retail spending back to its December levels. Purchases at restaurants, online retailers and department stores also improved.

Over the past 12 months, retail sales have risen 1.5 per cent.

09.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Children get wake-up call about sleep

CHILDREN and parents need a wake-up call about the importance of sleep, say medical experts who are visiting schools in Australia and New Zealand with their message.

They say too many children are not getting the good night's sleep they need to grow strong, think clearly and feel good.

Children aged five to 12 need nine to 11 hours a night. Older children need 8.5 to 9.5 hours until the age of 18.

But research shows 20 per cent don't get the recommended amount and up to 40 per cent have poor sleep schedules.

"Undoubtedly their physical and mental health is suffering," said sleep researcher Dr Sarah Biggs.

"We're on a mission to turn this trend around."

Increasing awareness and teaching good habits would ultimately boost health and learning, said Dr Biggs, co-ordinator of the Australasian Sleep Association and Sleep Health Foundation campaign.

Volunteers from the organisations will speak to 6000 students at 23 schools on Friday, world sleep day.

Their message includes the need for children to have a regular bed time, and to limit the use of electronic devices before bed.

Devices including televisions, computers and mobile phones should be kept out of the bedroom at night.

The volunteers will also promote MWorld smartphone app that teaches children about sleep and other interesting science topics.

"Sleep is regularly ignored, even though it's a pillar of healthy living alongside sensible eating and regular exercise, said Sleep Foundation chair Professor David Hillman.

Research shows short sleep duration and poor sleep scheduling are associated with health problems such as obesity, behavioural problems and poor academic performance.

"Healthy sleep is important for physical growth, learning, positive mood, energy and daytime concentration," said Associate Professor Nick Antic, who heads the Australasian Sleep Association.

"Healthy sleep is not just about duration. It's about quality and having a consistent sleep routine that keeps your body clock in sync."

Symptoms of a child being sleep deprived include being overactive or moody, struggling to concentrate, falling asleep during short car trips or while watching TV, or having problems at school.

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Hip-hop pioneers want NYC museum

THE pioneers of hip-hop are hoping to create a museum in the Bronx dedicated to the genre.

Organisers say the project would be called the Universal Hip Hop Museum.

Afrika Bambaataa says the museum would look at the historical and cultural roots of hip-hop and the contributions made by break dancers and disc jockeys.

Bambaataa is frequently called the father of hip-hop. He would serve as the museum's chairman.

The museum hopes to open in 2017 inside the Kingsbridge Armory, which is being redeveloped into a national ice sports centre. The plan was announced at a news conference on Wednesday.

Bambaataa says many people think of rappers when they hear the word hip-hop. But he says there's a whole culture and movement behind it.

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Americans spend $56 bn on pets

AMERICANS spent an all-time high of $US55.7 billion ($A62.20 billion) on their pets in 2013 and will creep close to $US60 billion this year.

Bob Vetere of the American Pet Products Association told buyers and exhibitors at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday food accounted for $US21.6 billion of the spending.

In 1996, when the not-for-profit trade association started tracking pet spending, pet owners spent $US21 billion on everything. Adjusted for inflation, that's $US31.3 billion.

Vetere says the humanisation of pets and the many positive effects pets have on human health should keep the industry vibrant for many more years.

For the long term, he says, he expects to see a pet health craze that starts for humans and pets much earlier and younger.

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Percentage of women on Aust boards doubles

THE percentage of women on Australia's top corporate boards has more than doubled in the past four years, but is still only at 17.6 per cent.

Australian Institute of Company Directors' chief executive John Colvin said the figures showed that while progress still needs to be made, significant ground has been gained as Australian companies embrace the need for greater gender diversity on their boards and senior management.

The percentage of women on ASX200 boards more than doubled since 2010 to 17.6 per cent.

In the ASX20 the percentage of women in directorships was higher at 23.8 per cent.

The number of female chairs on ASX200 boards also doubled over the four years to five per cent.

Mr Colvin said just over four years ago Company Directors instigated a plan to increase the number of women on Australian boards.

"We felt that the proportion of women on major company boards was not good enough and needed to be increased," Mr Colvin said.

"We believed that we had to take a leadership role on this issue."

The organisation's plan to increase the number of women on Australian boards included a chairman's mentoring program and a board diversity scholarship program.

It has also encouraged companies and boards to establish a diversity policy which has measurable goals.

Mr Colvin said he was confident the improvement in females in top positions would continue without the need for quotas or other new regulation.

"The idea of mandated quotas for female representation on boards is wrong in principle, has difficulties in practice, is tokenistic and is counterproductive to the end goal of increasing board diversity," he said.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors provides education, information and advocacy for company directors Australiawide, catering for more than 34,000 members.

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UK star publicist's sex trial starts

CELEBRITY publicist Max Clifford, whose clients have included Muhammad Ali and Frank Sinatra, has gone on trial in London accused of a string of sex offences against children and young women.

Clifford used his celebrity connections to "bully and manipulate" his victims into sex acts, prosecutor Rosina Cottage told the jury on Thursday, adding that the defendant knew "how to manipulate, lie and get what he wants".

The 70-year-old is accused of 11 counts of indecent assault against seven victims, who were aged between 14 and 19 when the alleged attacks took place between 1966 and 1984.

"Many of you, but not all of you, will have heard of the name Max Clifford," Cottage said.

"He is wealthy, he is well connected. He is the maker of the kiss-and-tell celebrity and the breaker of reputations."

Clifford had been "at the top of the media game for many years" and "must have thought he was untouchable", she continued.

The publicist, who denies the charges, told journalists outside the court that the 15 months since he was first arrested had been "a very dark cloud for myself, my family and loved ones".

A string of celebrities have gone on trial for sex offences since the death of high profile BBC presenter Jimmy Savile in 2011 prompted hundreds of people to come forward with accusations that he had sexually abused them.

The publicity around the case prompted other sex abuse victims to come forward and police launched a wide-ranging investigation.

Stuart Hall, another top BBC presenter, was last year jailed for child sex abuse as a result of the inquiry, while children's entertainer Rolf Harris is due to go on trial for indecent assault in April.

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