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.

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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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Bishop plays down China's public rebuke

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop has revealed she shared a delightful evening meal with her Chinese counterpart after his public rebuke last year.

Ms Bishop was upbraided by Wang Yi during a press conference in Beijing in December.

The foreign minister was criticised for "irresponsible" comments after Australia condemned China's declaration of an air-defence zone over an island chain also claimed by Japan.

He accused Australia of "jeopardising bilateral mutual trust".

Last week, Australia's top diplomat for north Asia, Peter Rowe, described the incident as the rudest display he'd seen in his 30-year career.

But Ms Bishop has played down the exchange.

"He made a very robust point, to which I responded equally robustly," she told ABC TV.

"There might have been some staging of events for the media."

Asked if it was a bullying effort by the Chinese, Ms Bishop replied: "Well it didn't work if that was the intention."

Ms Bishop said after the press conference the meeting continued for three hours and then the pair had a "delightful evening" sharing dinner together.

In the past, former foreign ministers Stephen Smith, Kevin Rudd and Bob Carr had robust discussions with the Chinese behind closed doors, Ms Bishop said.

She denied that her gender had played a role.

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Pollies to put Stevens under the spotlight

FEDERAL politicians will get the chance to tease out the Reserve Bank's current thinking on the economy and interest rates when its boss goes under the spotlight.

Governor Glenn Stevens and his top officials appear before the House Economics Committee in Sydney on Friday, the first of two public hearings held each year.

The three-hour grilling comes after a week of largely upbeat data, including strong retail spending and building approvals figures, along with the national accounts that showed the economy growing at a smarter pace of 2.8 per cent over 2013.

But in leaving the cash rate unchanged again at an all-time low of 2.5 per cent at this week's board meeting, Mr Stevens warned that unemployment could rise further, while mining investment is set to decline significantly.

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Deregulation on TV networks wish lists

MORE freedom over programming standards is on commercial television networks' wish lists as they face increased pressure from the internet.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is holding talks with telecommunications and media broadcast chiefs in Sydney on Friday to discuss deregulation of the industry.

The meeting is part of the Abbott government's plan to remove $1 billion of regulation from business each year and rebuild bridges with an industry put offside by the previous Labor government.

Free TV chief Julie Flynn said in a submission to Mr Turnbull's review that commercial networks were being squeezed by twin pressures.

Revenues were under pressure from competition for advertising dollars and eyeballs from new entrants such as Google, YouTube, Netflix, Telstra and Fetch.

At the same time, broadcasters were having to invest in new content and technology.

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Experts to give verdict on direct action

KEY climate change experts are set to deliver their verdicts on the Abbott government's proposed alternative to the carbon tax - its direct action plan.

Heavyweights from the CSIRO, Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Climate Change Authority will front a Senate committee hearing in Canberra on Friday.

Ross Garnaut, who conducted two reviews into global warming for the previous Labor government, will also give evidence.

Climate Change Authority chair Bernie Fraser says major political parties need to show more than lip service to climate change science.

"It has to be backed by policy measures commensurate with the challenges identified by climate scientists," he said in a submission to the inquiry.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tony Abbott will deliver an address to the United Nations International Women's Day breakfast in Sydney on Friday.

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