1. Commission of Audit report.
Yesterday’s Commission of Audit report recommendations on Family Tax Benefits are set to be adopted, today’s News Limited papers report.
The Commission says Treasurer Joe Hockey will stop short of cutting Family Tax Benefit B. Instead, he will apply a new means test to both Family Tax Benefit A and B of $100,000 per family in the Budget.
News Limited reports that according to senior sources, “Over time, the government will adopt many of the 86 recommendations contained in the 1,200-page Commission of Audit report.”
The report has also said the Government will adopt a Medicare co-payment of $7.50 for all GP visits.
The Treasurer has said publicly that the Government will not divulge which of the Commission’s recommendations it will accept or reject until the May 13 Budget.
For more, read this post here. “Mums hit hardest by report”
2. MH370 report.
A report has been released overnight by the Malaysia’s Transport Ministry, nearly two months after the disappearance of flight MH370.
The report shows the plane had been missing off the radar for nearly 17 minutes before anyone noticed.
“We are left to assume (that) for those 17 minutes, Kuala Lumpur either didn’t notice or didn’t act,” CNN aviation correspondent Richard Quest reported.
There was also a four-hour gap from the time officials noticed the plane was missing to when an official rescue operation was launched.
The report comes as Malaysian Airlines sent a request to families of the missing to return to their own homes, saying it would no longer provide hotel accommodation to them.
3. Peaches Geldof autopsy confirmation.
A confirmation that Peaches Geldof “likely” died from the effects of heroin has come overnight.
The BBC reports that results of a toxicology report showed Geldof, who died suddenly last month aged 25, had the drug in her system.
At an inquest in the UK, Det Ch Insp Paul Fotheringham told the hearing: “Recent use of heroin and the levels identified were likely to have played a role in her death.”
The inquest also heard that her husband Thomas Cohen found her “slumped” on a bed in a spare room and called his mother before contacting the emergency services.
4. Great Barrier Reef decision.
A decision on whether to put the Great Barrier Reef on the World Heritage “in danger” list has been deferred for 12 months.
The World Heritage Committee wants to allow the federal and Queensland governments time to complete a strategic plan for future reef protection and development.
Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt has said UNESCO’s draft recommendations showed progress was being made in protecting the reef.
The draft recommendation has raised concerns about recent development approvals, including dredging associated with the planned Abbot Point coal terminal expansion.
5. Kate McCann still searching for Maddie.
With the seventh anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann this weekend, her parents Kate and Gerry McCann have said they need to know whether their daughter is alive or dead.
Kate McCann has told the BBC that she privately returns, at least once or twice a year, to the Portuguese resort where Madeleine went missing to “walk those streets” and “look for answers”.
In another interview on British TV channel ITV, the parents discussed the pain that the family – including Madeleine’s siblings, Sean and Amelie – continue to carry.
“I think for us, our life is defined by pre- and post- the abduction, so it’s very much we were a family of five, and now we’re functioning as a family of four,” Gerry McCann said.
6. Measles Warning.
The Health Department has asked people who visited Ashfield Mall and Strathfield Plaza in Sydney during the last week to be on the lookout for symptoms of measles.
An infected person visited the two shopping centres on many occasions between April 23 and 27.
Symptoms of measles include fever, sore eyes and a cough followed a few days later by a rash.
7. Sam Worthington’s charges dropped.
Actor Sam Worthington has had his charges for assaulting a photographer dropped.
New York Daily News reports that Worthington entered into a conditional dismissal deal on April 8.
“I understand that as long as I continue to lead a law-abiding life, this matter will be dismissed and sealed,” Worthington wrote in a signed statement.
8. Dog found alive six months after he was meant to be euthanized.
A pet dog has been found alive six months after the owners entrusted a vet to put the dog down due to alleged health problems.
The Leonberger dog, Sid was found in a cage still alive but being used for blood transfusions.
For more, see this post: “Dog found alive six months after he was meant to be put down.”
9. How to live past 90.
A landmark study into living longer has revealed some surprising findings.
Thousands of members of a retirement community in Southern California who lived past 90 were studied.
The findings had some expected answers – smoking led to shorter lifespans, while those who exercised lived longer.
Other findings were unexpected – vitamins did not prolong life but carrying some extra weight did.
Keeping active in non-physical ways, such as socializing, playing board games and attending book clubs also was associated with longer life.
People who drank up to two drinks per day also had a 10-15 per cent reduced risk of death compared to non-drinkers, the study suggested.
10. Obese babies losing weight together.
A baby who weighed 21 kilos at the age of eight months has joined together with another obese baby and they are being assisted by a charity to help them lose weight.
The Daily Mail reports that 10-month-olds, Santiago Mendoza and Isabela Caicedo, are following a special weight loss program with the help of Colombian health charity Gorditos de Corazon (Chubby Heart).
Isabela’s mother contacted the charity after she saw Santiago’s plight reported in the local media.
Together the two weigh 41 kilos.
They have so far lost around 1.5 kilos each.
11. Hop on Pop!
A complainant has called for the Canadian public library system to ban Dr Seuss’s book “Hop on Pop” and pay damages to fathers after they said the book incited violence against fathers.
A committee conducted a review into “Hop on Pop” before establishing that it was not violent.
What news are you talking about today?
Top Comments
11) Hop on Pop is a great book as are all books from Dr Seuss - just another example of PC gone mad.
Reminds of when I was in the UK and I read that a local primary school had changed the words of the 3 pigs to the 3 cats, or something, so as not to offend the muslims. A spokesman for the muslim community responded - 'we are allowed to SAY pork, just not eat it!'