Novartis faces legal trouble in Japan

SWISS pharmaceutical group Novartis is facing criminal proceedings in Japan and a public lawsuit in the US for allegedly using unsound marketing tactics for two of its medications.

Japan's Health Ministry on Thursday filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors against the drug giant's Japanese arm over alleged exaggerated advertising for a popular blood pressure drug.

Novartis in Tokyo used two Japanese universities' clinical studies of the drug, Diovan, that contained false data.

The ministry said it suspects Novartis continued to use ads citing the studies even after they became aware that clinical data in them had been manipulated.

Novartis apologised online "for causing trouble and concern" with the advertising.

The company said it "took the situation extremely seriously and will continue to cooperate fully with authorities".

Novartis has conceded employee involvement in the flawed research, but has claimed it was not aware of the false data in the studies. It also said clinical trials in other countries showed similar results.

In New York, prosecutors charged on Wednesday that Novartis had defrauded public health care services by offering the BioScrip pharmacy company kickbacks, which in return aggressively marketed Exjade, a Novartis blood transfusion medication.

BioScrip had contacted patients and recommended they continue taking the drug, "while understating Exjade's serious, potentially life-threatening side effects", the US attorney's office for the southern district of New York said.

Novartis said it stands behind its programs to get patients to stick to drugs like Exjade, which are difficult to administer but important for chronic patients.

The European Union announced last month that it would fine Novartis and Johnson and Johnson a total of 16 million euros ($A25 million) for delaying the launch of a generic painkiller in the Netherlands.

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ECB leaves rates unchanged

THE European Central Bank has left its key interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.25 per cent despite concerns over a weak economy and low inflation.

The bank's rate council made the decision at its monthly policy meeting on Thursday.

Lower rates can help growth, but the ECB has little room left to cut.

Analysts think it may try other steps such as offering cheap loans to banks on the condition they loan that money to companies.

The eurozone economy grew only 0.1 per cent in the third quarter.

Inflation, at only 0.8 per cent, remains below the ECB's goal of just under 2 per cent and makes it harder for troubled countries such as Greece to reduce their debt levels.

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UK's first koala gets Aussie name

DESPITE being thought to be the first koala born in the UK, Edinburgh Zoo's recent arrival has been a decidedly Down Under name.

The joey was born at the zoo last May but keepers waited until he had fully emerged from mother Alinga's pouch before they started to handle him.

After being found to be male, the joey was named Yooranah - the Aboriginal word meaning "loving".

Senior keeper Donald Gow said it was exciting to see the joey grow.

"This is the first time that a koala joey has been born in the UK so it is amazing to see him develop from being pink and hairless into a fully-formed, if tiny, koala," he said.

"At the moment he seems to be all ears! He is also starting to develop his own personality - he can be quite feisty like his mother Alinga and father Goonaroo."

Yooranah is an indigenous Australian word meaning "loving".

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American abducted in Pakistan urges help

A 72-YEAR-OLD American development worker who was kidnapped in Pakistan by al-Qaeda more than two years ago has appealed to President Barack Obama in a video to negotiate his release, saying he feels "totally abandoned and forgotten".

The video of Warren Weinstein released on Thursday was the first since two videos released in September 2012.

Weinstein, the country director in Pakistan for J.E. Austin Associates, a US-based firm that advises a range of Pakistani business and government sectors, was abducted from his house in the eastern city of Lahore in August 2011.

In the video sent on Thursday to reporters in Pakistan including The Associated Press, Weinstein called on the US government to negotiate his release.

"Nine years ago I came to Pakistan to help my government, and I did so at a time when most Americans would not come here, and now when I need my government it seems that I have been totally abandoned and forgotten," Weinstein said during the 13-minute video.

"And so I again appeal to you to instruct your appropriate officials to negotiate my release."

It was impossible to tell how much Weinstein's statement, made under the duress of captivity, was scripted by his captors.

The video and an accompanying letter purported to be from Weinstein was emailed anonymously to reporters in Pakistan.

The video was labelled "As-Sahab," which is al-Qaeda's media wing, but its authenticity could not be independently verified. The letter was dated October 3, 2013 and in the video Weinstein said he had been in captivity for two years.

In the video, Weinstein wore a grey track suit jacket and what appeared to be a black knit hat on his head. His face was partially covered with a beard.

Al-Qaeda has said Weinstein would be released if the US halted airstrikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen and also demanded the release of all al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects around the world.

The White House has called for Weinstein's immediate release but has said it won't negotiate with al-Qaeda.

The videos last year showed Weinstein appealing for help from the Jewish community and Israel's prime minister.

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Donors needed to get over blood hurdle

PEOPLE are being urged to roll up their sleeves to help Australians get over one of the last hurdles of 2013.

In the lead-up to the New Year's Day holiday, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service needs to ensure it has a constant supply of platelets, a blood product often used by cancer patients.

Donations cannot be made on January 1 and the service needs 3000 Aussies to make appointments for December 31 and January 2.

Blood service spokesman Shaun Inguanzo says platelets have a shelf life of five days, which means stock collected on Friday will have expired or run out by New Year's Day, unless there's a constant flow of donations.

"In particular, we really need donors in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria," Mr Inguanzo said.

One in three Australians would need donated blood in their lifetime, he said.

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Weekly US jobless claims drop 42,000

THE number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped by 42,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 338,000, the biggest drop since November 2012.

But economists say the figures from late November and December are warped by seasonal volatility around the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holidays.

The US Labor Department says the less-volatile four-week average rose 4250 to 348,000.

Claims had jumped 75,000 in the two weeks that ended December 14 before plunging last week.

Unemployment claims are a proxy for layoffs and are now consistent with a solid job market.

Hiring has been healthy the past four months. The economy added an average of 204,000 jobs every month from August through November, an improvement from earlier this year.

The unemployment rate fell in November to 7 per cent.

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Philippine rebels vow to intensify attacks

PHILIPPINE communist rebels have vowed to intensify attacks against government troops and build a 25,000-strong guerrilla force, but the military has mocked the target as unrealistic.

New People's Army guerrillas marked the 45th founding anniversary of their underground party on Thursday with a clandestine gathering at a mountain lair, where they invited journalists in southeastern Agusan del Sur province.

A communist rebel statement urged the Maoist guerrillas to "wipe out enemy units and seize their weapons" and "increase the number of our Red fighters to 25,000."

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, however, said the rebels, whose armed guerrilla strength has dwindled to 4000, have been on a decline and would not achieve such a target due to problems such as the loss of community support and infighting.

"They're dreaming," Zagala said. "The reality is they have been on a decline due to the loss of their mass bases, surrenders and other problems."

The communist rebellion in the Philippines began in the late 1960s with a ragtag group armed with a few rifles. The movement peaked during the repressive years under dictator Ferdinand Marcos with several thousand full-time guerrillas.

Though it remains one of the world's longest-running Marxist insurgencies, the rebel movement has grown considerably weaker in recent years due to battle setbacks, surrenders and factionalism. They remain a national security concern.

Talks to end the rebellion have stalled since 2011 due to disagreements between the government and guerrillas over the release of several jailed rebel leaders.

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Canoeist missing at NSW dam

A MAN remains missing after falling out of a capsizing canoe and failing to surface at a dam in the NSW Southern Tablelands.

Police said the 21-year-old was one of three young men thrown into the water when the canoe tipped over on the Pejar Dam at Crookwell at about 7pm (AEDT) on Thursday.

The other two, aged in their late teens, managed to swim to shore and signal for help.

The 21-year-old did not surface and a search of the dam was conducted by local police, the SES and a rescue helicopter.

The two younger men were treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to Goulburn Hospital with suspected hypothermia.

The search was suspended at 9.30pm with weather conditions deteriorating and no sign of the man.

Local police, the Police Rescue Squad and SES volunteers will resume the search on Friday morning.

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Ambush in Central African Republic

SIX Chadian peacekeepers have been killed and 15 wounded after being ambushed in the Central African Republic's chaotic capital, the spokesman for an African Union peacekeeping force says.

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Target says 40 million accounts breached

TARGET says that about 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a data breach that occurred just as the holiday shopping season shifted into high gear.

The chain said that customers who made purchases using their cards at its US stores between November 27 and December 15 may have been exposed.

The Minneapolis company said it immediately told authorities and financial institutions once it became aware of the breach and that it's teaming with a third-party forensics firm to investigate the matter.

It said it is putting all "appropriate resources" toward the issue.

Target Corp advised customers who suspect there has been unauthorised activity on their cards to call them.

"Target's first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause," Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a statement on Thursday.

Target is the latest retailer to be hit with a data breach problem.

TJX Cos, which runs stores such as T.J. Maxx and Marshall's, had a breach that began in July 2005 that exposed at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards to possible fraud.

The breach wasn't detected until December 2006.

In June 2009, TJX agreed to pay $US9.75 million in a settlement with multiple states related to the massive data theft, but stressed at the time that it firmly believed it did not violate any consumer protection or data security laws.

Target has 1797 US stores and 124 in Canada.

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