McDonald's sales weaken in US and Asia

MCDONALD'S says a key global sales figure fell 2.2 per cent in November as US sales continue to soften and it contends with ongoing difficulties from a food-safety scandal in China.

THE world's largest hamburger chain said on Monday that the drop in global sales at locations open at least 13 months included a 4.6 per cent decline in the US and a four per cent decline for the unit that includes the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Africa.

McDonald's Asian business has been trying to bounce back since the summer, when a TV report in China showed workers at one of its suppliers repackaging meat that was alleged to be expired.The claim has not been publicly confirmed by the supplier or the government.The Illinois company said comparable sales for Europe fell two per cent.

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Pope decries 'unimaginable' Middle East

APPEALING for the protection of Christians in the Middle East, Pope Francis said it was "unimaginable" that they could be driven out of the region after 2000 years.

"WE cannot be resigned to imagining a Middle East without Christians," Francis said on Monday at a special meeting of cardinals, known as the consistory.

While the number of Christians has been dwindling throughout the Middle East, recently there has been an exodus of the minority community from Iraq and Syria following the steady advance of the Islamic State extremist group."The latest developments, especially in Iraq and Syria, are very worrying," Francis said. "We are looking at a terrorist phenomenon of previously unimaginable dimensions."He described it as an "unjust situation" that requires not only constant prayers, but also an adequate response from the international community.Earlier this month, an Iraqi Christian politician spoke at the Italian parliament in Rome of the fate of non-Muslim minorities in Iraq."Yezidis have faced genocide, while Christians have faced ethnic cleansing," Hadaya Anwar, a member of the provincial council of Niniveh, in northern Iraq, told a press conference.Anwar said that 120,000 to 130,000 Iraqi Christians have fled to Kurdish areas not controlled by the Islamic State since early August. In addition, some 30,000 have left the country, he said."Us Christians in Iraq have always been the victims of attacks, it's not news, it has been happening for 1400 years," Anwar said. "But today we are the target of the most ferocious aggression that we have seen in the history of Mesopotamia."Francis is expected to return to the issue of Christian minorities in the Middle East when he visits Turkey in late November.

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Parents of ill UK boy to remain in Spanish

A SPANISH judge has ordered the detention for 72 hours of a British couple who took their critically ill five-year-old son abroad against doctors' advice.

A SPOKESMAN at the National Court in Madrid said the judge ruled on Monday the couple must be held while the court considers whether to grant Britain an extradition request.

The judge could have opted to let the parents to go free while the case is considered.The spokesman said Ashya King's parents told the judge they don't want to return to the UK.They were arrested on Sunday in southeastern Spain after a European arrest warrant was issued by Interpol at the request of British police.Their son is receiving medical treatment for a brain tumour and is currently at a Malaga hospital.

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Christmas hopes boost business confidence

RETAILERS' hopes of a good Christmas have driven the number of companies expecting profit growth in the coming months to a 10-year high.

OF the 800 businesses surveyed by researcher Dun & Bradstreet, 40 per cent expect their profit in the final three months of 2014 to be higher than in the same period a year ago.

Just 11 per cent expect a fall.That has sent Dun & Bradstreet's profit expectations index to its highest level in a decade.Retailers were the most optimistic of those businesses, indicating they are confident consumers will spend big this Christmas.More businesses also expect to hire staff and increase investment, and Dun & Bradstreet's economic adviser Stephen Koukoulas said rising confidence could boost the economy."Not only are expected sales at an 11-year high - a sign of buoyant activity - but expected profits are at a level well above the long run average," he said."In the past, firms have only held this level of optimism when the underlying economic conditions were strong."D&B's data suggest that the economy is poised to run at, or even above, trend levels in the second half of 2014, with expected employment and capital expenditure also well above the long run average."Even better for businesses, the survey showed an increase in the number expecting prices to moderate, which would mean less pressure on the central bank to lift interest rates."A low inflation climate will be vital for the Reserve Bank of Australia to keep its interest rate settings on hold," Mr Koukoulas said.Businesses in the retail, services, finance and real estate sectors are the most optimistic about the coming three months, while there was a drop in the number of companies in the manufacturing, construction, transport and utilities sectors forecasting profit growth.Growing business confidence was backed by improving conditions in the second quarter of 2014, Dun & Bradstreet said, with profits higher among those businesses surveyed.

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UK Speaker hits pause in Aussie clerk row

AUSTRALIAN public servant Carol Mills won't be taking up the role of British parliament's senior official as planned after Speaker John Bercow announced a "modest pause" in the recruitment process.

THE Speaker on Monday tried to defuse a growing furore over the appointment of Ms Mills by announcing he would listen to MPs' concerns "in detail".

Ms Mills is currently head of the Department of Parliamentary Services in Canberra and some British politicians have voiced concerns about her lack of knowledge of Westminster procedures.They believe she is too inexperienced for the prestigious Commons position which combines the clerk's duties as a key constitutional adviser with the role of chief executive responsible for running the building and managing 2000 staff.Mr Bercow addressed the issue immediately when parliament returned on Monday after the summer recess.He acknowledged a number of MPs had expressed "disquiet" about the replacement for retired clerk Sir Robert Rogers.The members were, the Speaker said, concerned the selection panel should have instead recommended splitting the roles of clerk and chief executive.Mr Bercow on Monday said he'd been advised the panel couldn't do that without prior legislation."There is a compelling case for such a separation but any change would of course require the support of the house," the Speaker said, adding other MPs were worried about pre-appointment scrutiny."A strong case can be made for it and on this point also I wish to hear colleagues' views."In the circumstances ... I believe a modest pause in the recruitment process is desirable while such issues are explored and the views of members solicited in detail."Mr Bercow told parliament he hoped the matter could be resolved "with goodwill and by consensus".In the meantime the functions of the clerk and chief executive will be distributed among members of the Commons' management board.Ms Mills was selected by a panel of five MPs and one lay member.While the Speaker has passed the name of the recommended candidate to Prime Minister David Cameron the appointment still needs to be approved by the Queen.The issue will be discussed at a meeting of the House of Commons Commission next Monday.Australian upper house clerk Rosemary Laing has previously written to Westminster officials warning Ms Mills has little parliamentary knowledge and experience.But Mr Bercow on Monday stressed "highly skilled management" was now just as vital in the UK position as expertise in procedure.

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Children 'treated as baby convicts'

CHILDREN in institutions in Northern Ireland were exported to Australia like "baby convicts", a witness has told a public inquiry into historical abuse.

THE Sisters of Nazareth order of Catholic nuns was responsible for the removal of 111 child migrants aged as young as five before and after World War II, some of whom faced grave sexual and physical violence after arrival.

Another 20 were sent by other institutions.In some cases parental consent was not sought, migrants were separated from siblings and some deprived of their real identities by withholding of birth certificates, a lawyer for the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry said on Monday.Reasons for transport included boosting "Catholicisation" in Australia, propping up the number of white inhabitants of the Empire or saving money and emptying overcrowded workhouses, the investigation heard.A statement from one witness said: "We were exported to Australia like little baby convicts."The inquiry was established by ministers in Northern Ireland following a campaign by alleged victims.Survivors have given graphic details of their ordeals, according to inquiry chairman Sir Anthony Hart.Approximately 130 young children, in the care of religious voluntary institutions or state bodies after being orphaned or taken away from unmarried mothers, became child migrants, most in the decade after the war.The experiences of around 50 of them will be examined in person or via video-link and their statements furnished to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Australia.The Sisters of Nazareth, based in Londonderry and Belfast, sent 111 children between 1938 and 1956.Many were Queensland-bound in eastern Australia because it was seen as a very Catholic state and considered best for the girls. Others went to Fremantle near Perth or other parts of Western Australia.A witness, who has since died, submitted a statement to the inquiry.He said: "My life in institutions has had a profound impact on me. I have always wondered what it would have been like to have had a family, a mother and father and brothers and sisters."I never got the chance to find out because I was sent to Australia."I was treated like an object, taken from one place to another. I found it very hard to show affection to my children when they were young."I have a nightmare every night of my life; I relive my past."The inquiry panel, sitting in Banbridge in County Down, is limited to what happened to children in institutions in Northern Ireland and does not have the power to investigate what befell migrants in Australian institutions.Sir Anthony said: "That does not mean that their accounts of their experiences in Australia will be swept under the carpet. I want to assure them that will not be the case."The inquiry is probing claims that the process for sending young people was abusive.Christine Smith QC, barrister representing the inquiry, said the migrants allege they were seriously abused in institutions and many lost all contact with their parents and siblings.Ms Smith said the inquiry needed to consider what efforts the sisters made to keep informed about children's progress in Australia."It is a common complaint by migrants that they received no letters from home, that letters were kept from them if they were sent and that their parents in many instances were unaware that the children were sent to Australia.."

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Mine fire lessons must be learnt: Teague

THE residents of a Victorian town choked in ash during a six-week coalmine fire hope lessons will not only be learnt from the blaze, but acted upon.

THEY say the 400-page report on the Hazelwood mine fire, due to be tabled in state parliament on Tuesday, must be accompanied by a firm commitment from both the government and the opposition to adopt the recommendations.

Victorian health and environment authorities had no precedent to draw on as they dealt with the 45-day fire and the smoke and ash it produced.Mine operators GDF Suez and the Country Fire Authority faced power outages, water shortages and were poorly coordinated while battling the blaze sparked by bushfires spotting into the mine in February.Public hearings of the Hazelwood mine fire inquiry heard four substantial blazes had broken out in the open-cut mine in the past decade, with reviews and recommendations following each.During the hearings GDF Suez was accused of ignoring a report that followed a 2008 fire recommending a risk assessment of the non-operational areas of the mine, where the 45-day blaze took hold.Counsel assisting the inquiry, Peter Rozen, said the 2014 fire might not have occurred if the risk assessment had been done and proper measures put in place.The company's lawyer said there were no legal obligations to implement the recommendations and the 2008 fire was completely different to the 2014 fire.When former Supreme Court Justice Bernard Teague delivered the board's report last week, he said it was important to learn lessons from the blaze.The government has said it will move swiftly on recommendations put forward by the board of inquiry.GDF Suez has begun work to install more pipes and hydrants in the mine, remove vegetation from worked-out areas and rehabilitate part of the mine's northern batters.The company has also been working with the Country Fire Authority to improve preparedness for mine fires.A GDF Suez spokesman said more would be done when the recommendations were handed down.

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Tiger taken from Indonesia death zoo dies

Chaddy set to get even bigger

CHADSTONE shopping centre will undergo a $580 million expansion, which will include 40 new retailers, a 10-storey office building and even a hotel - and create at least 2700 jobs.

Australia slaps Russia with sanctions

AUSTRALIA has ramped up its economic and trade sanctions against Russia in protest at Moscow sending troops and heavy weaponry across the border into Ukraine.

Mystery over death after abortion

A SUNSHINE woman who died after attending an abortion clinic in Croydon may have suffered an earlier adverse reaction to anaesthetic.

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Britain reopens way for fracking

The UK government has reopened the way for energy firms to fracking for shale gas . Source: AAP

THE British government has opened the way for energy firms to explore for shale gas, three years after seismic tremors led to the suspension of fracking.

BUSINESS and Energy Minister Matthew Hancock says shale gas has the potential to improve energy security but stresses national parks will be protected.

"Done right, speeding up shale will mean more jobs and opportunities for people and help ensure long-term economic and energy security for our country," he said on Monday.Firms will be able to bid for licences to start exploring, though further permits are required for drilling.Drilling for shale gas, a process known as fracking, was linked to two earthquakes near Blackpool, a town in northern England, in 2011 with magnitudes 2.3 and 1.5.As a result the UK government stopped operations.

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Toll mounts as Ukraine clashes intensify

The US has released satellite images it says add to its claims Russia has fired across the border. Source: AAP

AT least eight civilians have been killed by fighting and shelling in two Ukrainian cities held by separatist militants, officials in the rebellion-wracked east say.

AUTHORITIES in Luhansk said that five people were killed and 15 injured by overnight artillery strikes.

Three were killed in Donetsk as a result of clashes, the city's government said.Territory between the cities has been the site of intensified fighting as government troops try to gain control over the area where a Malaysia Airlines plane was downed earlier this month.Dutch and Australian police set off for the crash site on Monday morning in a convoy of 20 cars, aiming to secure the area so that investigations can continue and any remaining bodies can be recovered.Both sides in the conflict have traded accusations over the mounting civilian death toll.The armed conflict that has been raging for more than three months has displaced more than 200,000 people.Rebels accuse government troops of deploying artillery against residential areas. Authorities deny that charge but also complain of insurgents using apartment blocks as firing positions.The US State Department on Sunday released satellite images that it says back up its claims that rockets have been fired from Russia into eastern Ukraine and heavy artillery for separatists has also crossed the border.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the claims on Monday during a televised press conference, asking "why it took ten days" before the US released the images.A four-page document released by the State Department appears to show blast marks from where rockets were launched and craters where they landed.Officials said the images, sourced from the US Director of National Intelligence, show heavy weapons fired between July 21 and July 26 - after the July 17 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.The images could not be independently verified by The Associated Press.Lavrov said he is expecting Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observers to arrive at the Russian-Ukrainian border "in the coming days".He said they would see that accusations rebels are travelling freely into Ukraine from Russia are false.Ukrainian officials have said the mission is largely pointless because it involves only about two dozen observers monitoring the 2000 kilometre border between the two countries.

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Search called off for man overboard in WA

THE search for a 41-year-old man who fell overboard from a Liberian crude oil tanker off Western Australia's northern coast has been called off.

INDIAN national Mukesh Lala Fulbaria was reported missing early on Sunday after he fell from the MT Sigma Integrity, northwest of Carnarvon, in the Gascoyne region.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (ASMSA) released a statement on Monday evening saying the search operation had ceased.ASMSA said advice from medical experts indicated that even under the best circumstances there was now no realistic prospect of survival.MT Sigma Integrity dropped flotation equipment for the motorman and a search began immediately, but he was not found.An AMSA spokesman said a Dornier search and rescue aircraft made two sorties on Monday.The MT Sigma Integrity also remained in the area on Monday searching for Mr Fulbaria.Wallem Ship Management said in a statement that Mr Fulbaria had been an employee for 13 years."Wallem's thoughts are with the family of the seafarer," they said.The MT Sigma Integrity had been on its way to the port of Kwinana in WA.

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Thai rail line to reopen after derailment

THAI railway authorities are preparing to reopen a route where a luxury train derailed and injured two tourists.

THE six carriages were being moved away from the track to clear the way for regular rail services to resume later in the day, said an official.

The accident occurred on Sunday in central Thailand as the Eastern & Oriental Express train was en route to Bangkok from Singapore.Two Japanese women suffered minor injuries and were treated in hospital.The Eastern & Oriental Express is a luxury train service that travels between Vientiane, Laos and Singapore, through Thailand. Ticket prices range from $US2000 to $US9000 ($A2163-$A9737).

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Legal battle looms over 157 asylum seekers

Last Updated: July 29, 2014

LAWYERS for 157 asylum seekers brought to the Australian mainland insist their clients are not economic migrants despite claims to the contrary by the Abbott government.

Mary still loves to party at 105

MARY O'Driscoll might be 105, but she loves to party. "I don't dance though," the great-grandmother says.

Heat on ALP leader over leaked tapes

DANIEL Andrews is standing by senior ALP figures involved in the Baillieu tape affair as the Liberal Party vowed to expel and dob in to police any of its members if they were involved.

A boulevard of grand dreams

HIGH-rise schools will be ­integrated with apartments and businesses under the final plan for the revitalisation and expansion of Fishermans Bend.

Couples take up counselling offer

VICTORIANS have raced to take up the Federal Government's offer of free marriage counselling, with nearly 700 couples signing up in the first month alone.

Woman sues over 'dodgy' treadmill

A WOMAN who claims she ended up in hospital after being thrown from a faulty treadmill is taking legal action against her gym.

Explosions delay MH17 investigation

AUSTRALIAN and Dutch police have been forced to head back from the MH17 crash site in Ukraine after reports of heavy explosions in the area.

The end of the free download?

THE days of downloading your favourite TV show for free are numbered. Here's how the piracy crackdown could cost you.

Ex-teacher accused of running sex cult

A FORMER Ballarat teacher is at the centre of explosive claims he ran a money-laundering cult that forced young men to engage in homosexual acts against their will.

Study to probe effect of early birth on brains

A NEW study shows babies born four to eight weeks early have smaller and less mature brains than infants born on time - and researchers are investigating whether it has lasting effects.

A boulevard of grand dreams

HIGH-rise schools will be ­integrated with apartments and businesses under the final plan for the revitalisation and expansion of Fishermans Bend.

Overland signed off Carl's $1m reward

UPDATE: THE state's former top cop and prosecutor approved gangland boss Carl Williams's eligibility for a $1 million reward over the deaths of informer Terence Hodson and wife Christine.

Comic giants clash over name

ORGANISERS of two of the biggest comic-book conventions in the US at war over a naming issue. Find out why the lawyers are coming.

What you missed on TV last night

MISS Monday night's Round 18 debrief? Catch up on all the news and expert analysis on Collingwood, Ty Vickery and Hawks-Swans.

The creepiest modern-day cannibals

IT'S often associated with mysterious, island tribes from a far away land, but recent headlines prove the idea of eating humans is as prevalent today as it was back in the 16th Century.

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Five dead as violence rattles Thai south

Last Updated: July 29, 2014

A 10-YEAR-OLD girl died after a grenade blast while four others, including a soldier, were killed in a shootout only hours afterwards in Thailand's war-torn deep south.

Mary still loves to party at 105

MARY O'Driscoll might be 105, but she loves to party. "I don't dance though," the great-grandmother says.

Heat on ALP leader over leaked tapes

DANIEL Andrews is standing by senior ALP figures involved in the Baillieu tape affair as the Liberal Party vowed to expel and dob in to police any of its members if they were involved.

A boulevard of grand dreams

HIGH-rise schools will be ­integrated with apartments and businesses under the final plan for the revitalisation and expansion of Fishermans Bend.

Couples take up counselling offer

VICTORIANS have raced to take up the Federal Government's offer of free marriage counselling, with nearly 700 couples signing up in the first month alone.

Woman sues over 'dodgy' treadmill

A WOMAN who claims she ended up in hospital after being thrown from a faulty treadmill is taking legal action against her gym.

Explosions delay MH17 investigation

AUSTRALIAN and Dutch police have been forced to head back from the MH17 crash site in Ukraine after reports of heavy explosions in the area.

The end of the free download?

THE days of downloading your favourite TV show for free are numbered. Here's how the piracy crackdown could cost you.

Ex-teacher accused of running sex cult

A FORMER Ballarat teacher is at the centre of explosive claims he ran a money-laundering cult that forced young men to engage in homosexual acts against their will.

Study to probe effect of early birth on brains

A NEW study shows babies born four to eight weeks early have smaller and less mature brains than infants born on time - and researchers are investigating whether it has lasting effects.

A boulevard of grand dreams

HIGH-rise schools will be ­integrated with apartments and businesses under the final plan for the revitalisation and expansion of Fishermans Bend.

Overland signed off Carl's $1m reward

UPDATE: THE state's former top cop and prosecutor approved gangland boss Carl Williams's eligibility for a $1 million reward over the deaths of informer Terence Hodson and wife Christine.

Comic giants clash over name

ORGANISERS of two of the biggest comic-book conventions in the US at war over a naming issue. Find out why the lawyers are coming.

What you missed on TV last night

MISS Monday night's Round 18 debrief? Catch up on all the news and expert analysis on Collingwood, Ty Vickery and Hawks-Swans.

The creepiest modern-day cannibals

IT'S often associated with mysterious, island tribes from a far away land, but recent headlines prove the idea of eating humans is as prevalent today as it was back in the 16th Century.

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Ukrainians take part control of MH17 site

Dutch and Australian forensic investigators on their way to the MH17 crash site have turned back. Source: AAP

THE Ukrainian army has seized control of part of the vast crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 in the east of the country, pro-Russia rebels say.

"THE Ukrainians have taken over a part of the crash site," said Vladimir Antyufeev, self-styled first deputy prime minister of the "Donetsk People's Republic".

Ukraine's military said on Monday its troops were battling separatist fighters for control of a string of towns around the impact site and had "entered" the town of Shakhtarsk, about 10 kilometres from the scene.The rebels, accused by Ukraine and its Western allies of shooting down MH17 on July 17, have kept a close guard over the crash site as international anger has grown over possible evidence tampering.A team of unarmed Dutch and Australian police were forced by heavy fighting to abandon attempts to reach the crash site, where the remains of some of the 298 people killed remain rotting in the sun.But Antyufeev lashed out at Kiev for launching the nearby attack despite the planned visit by international experts and said government shelling was "destroying parts of the site where fragments of the plane are located".Monday's advances by Kiev forces come as the government claims a string of government victories across the wider region that could see the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk cut off from the Russian border.Antyufeev admitted the rebel forces increasingly have their backs to the wall and that the military situation on the ground "is very complicated".

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Swiss urge hikers to look for artefacts

SWISS scientists are urging mountain climbers and hikers to keep an eye out for lost items in melting ice patches lost hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

A PROJECT run by a Swiss cultural institute in the canton of Graubuenden aims to gather artefacts trapped long ago in glaciers that are now turning up with more frequency due to a warming planet.

The project encourages people to turn over things like wood or clothing they might run across in eastern Switzerland where the Swiss National Park is located.In recent years mountaineers have found everything from goat skin leggings in the Swiss Alps to a corpse in the melting ice of South Tyrol, each about 5000 years old.

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Sales of US existing homes up 4.9 percent

SALES of previously owned US homes in May posted the best monthly gain in nearly three years, providing hope that housing is beginning to regain momentum lost over the past year.

THE National Association of Realtors said on Monday sales of existing homes increased 4.9 per cent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million homes.

The monthly gain was the fastest since August 2011 but even with the increase sales are still 5 per cent below the pace in May 2013.Sales have been dampened by last year's rise in mortgage rates from historic lows and various other factors including tight supplies and tougher lending standards.The median price of a home sold in May was $US213,400 ($A230,890), up 5.1 per cent from a year ago.

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US factory output rebounded in May

US manufacturing output rose in May after shrinking in April, led by greater production of vehicles, computers and furniture.

THE Federal Reserve on Monday said factory output rose 0.6 per cent in May after dipping 0.1 per cent the previous month. April's figure was revised upward from an initial estimate of a 0.4 per cent decline.

Americans are buying more cars, and businesses are ordering more machinery and other goods. Those trends are fueling factory production. Car sales reached a nine-year high in May.Overall industrial production, which includes manufacturing, mining and utilities, also rose 0.6 per cent in May. It had fallen 0.3 per cent in April.Mining output, which includes oil and gas production, jumped 1.3 per cent, while utility output declined 0.8 per cent, its fourth straight drop.

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D-day trip veteran marks 90th birthday

A WAR veteran who turned up in Normandy after he was reported missing from his care home in England says he is overwhelmed by the number of cards and gifts he has received for his 90th birthday.

BERNARD Jordan, whose birthday is on Monday, made headlines around the world when he disappeared from The Pines care home in Hove, East Sussex, embarking on a cross-channel trip for the 70th anniversary of D-Day wearing his war medals underneath his grey mac.

But the former Royal Navy officer decided his birthday should be more low-key and is celebrating it quietly with friends and his wife Irene, a spokesman for the veteran said.The Candy Girls, who met Mr Jordan on his way to France, will also be singing to him, the spokesman said.The former mayor of Hove said he wanted to thank everyone for their good wishes after being inundated with at least 2500 birthday cards from around the world following his Normandy adventure."I just can't believe it. It's quite overwhelming to be honest," Jordan said."I want to thank everyone who sent me a card or a gift. Sadly I can't thank everyone in person so I hope they get this message."I'm just one man and I'm nothing special. Anyone would think I'd defeated Hitler on my own."There were a lot of other people on the beaches of Normandy that day, this lovely attention is for them really, not me."Jordan's disappearance on June 5 sparked a police search and his whereabouts was only uncovered when a younger veteran from Brighton phoned later that night to say he had met the veteran on a coach on the way to France, and that they were safe and well in a hotel in Ouistreham.

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Baden-Clay murder trial starts today

Gerard Baden-Clay in court. Illustration: Jonathan Bentley. Source: Supplied

BRISBANE real estate agent Gerard Baden-Clay will stand trial today for the murder of his wife.

More than 70 witnesses are due to be called to give evidence in a case expected to go for four weeks.

Baden-Clay has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Allison and interfering with the mother-of-three's corpse.

He reported her missing from the couple's Brookfield home on Friday April 20, 2012, and she was found dead 10 days later under Kholo Creek bridge at Anstead.

Potential jurors will be asked three questions: If they have ever expressed an opinion about Baden-Clay's guilt or innocence; if they or relatives lived in the area at the time; and if they attended a fundraiser or donated to any fund set up in connection to the case.

Baden-Clay, 43, is represented by barrister Michael Byrne QC, and solicitor Peter Shields.

Follow The Courier-Mail for rolling coverage of the case.

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Pension funds run eye over state assets

CANADA'S cashed-up pension funds are running the calculator over road and port projects in Australia.

Executives from the funds - which hold around $1.1 trillion in assets - are involved in talks with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Trade Minister Andrew Robb, government officials and Australian business chiefs in Ottawa on Monday (Ottawa time).

It is understood that among the potential investments are the Port of Melbourne, which is earmarked for privatisation, the expanded Port of Hastings, the second stage of Sydney's WestConnex (M5 East) and Melbourne's East West Link.

Expressions of interest for the Port of Melbourne are expected to be called in early 2015 but the structure of the sale or long-term lease will depend on the outcome of the November state election in Victoria.

Labor has backed a 99-year lease project while the Napthine coalition government prefers a more corporate-oriented model.

Canadian pension fund Caisse has already shown interest in Australian ports, taking a stake in the Port of Brisbane last year.

Work on the business case and environmental assessment for Victoria's Port of Hastings expansion is expected to be completed by 2017.

The NSW government is considering making the second stage of the WestConnex road project a public-private partnership.

Mr Robb has been involved in a series of functions and roundtables in Ottawa.

The minister said that apart from infrastructure, there was a lot of interest in the service industries, tourism, resources and medical research and devices.

The long-running issue of lifting Canada's ban on majority foreign investment in uranium mines is understood to have been canvassed.

Mr Robb will take Australia's "open for business" message to Toronto, New York, Houston, while Mr Abbott and his business delegation will head to New York, Washington DC and Houston.

Canada is a top-10 source country for foreign direct investment in Australia with $26 billion invested.

The US is Australia's largest source of foreign direct investment with $658 billion directly invested.

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Abbott gets official welcome in Canada

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has received a formal welcome with military honours in Ottawa.

Mr Abbott is the first Australian leader since John Howard in 2006 to visit Canada.

He began Monday with a bicycle ride, accompanied by Mounties, through the picturesque streets of the capital followed by breakfast with counterpart Stephen Harper.

The prime minister also made a courtesy call to Canada's Governor-General David Johnston.

Mr Harper has spared nothing in welcoming his conservative political friend, with Australian flags flying along all of Ottawa's main thoroughfares, military honours on historic Parliament Hill and a welcome ceremony in Confederation Hall.

The two leaders will hold talks on trade, investment and security before giving a joint media conference on Monday afternoon (Ottawa time).

Canada and Australia are working with 10 other nations towards an Asia-Pacific free trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

As the current president of the G20, Mr Abbott is also seeking Mr Harper's support for a two per cent growth target to be agreed at the Brisbane summit in November.

A business roundtable and formal dinner will round off the two-day visit before Mr Abbott heads to New York.

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Trucker in Morgan crash lacked sleep

A WAL-MART truck driver accused of causing a New Jersey crash that critically injured Tracy Morgan and killed another comedian allegedly hadn't slept for more than 24 hours.

A court official on Monday said 35-year-old Kevin Roper was scheduled to face an initial court appearance on Wednesday. He remains free after posting a $US50,000 ($A54,100) bond.

Roper has been charged with death by auto and four counts of assault by auto.

Authorities said the Jonesboro, Georgia, resident apparently failed to slow for traffic early on Saturday in Cranbury Township and swerved at the last minute to avoid a crash.

Instead, his rig smashed into the back of Morgan's chauffeured Mercedes limo bus, killing comedian James "Jimmy Mack" McNair, authorities said.

The 45-year-old actor and comedian, a former Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock cast member, remained in critical condition early on Monday.

Morgan's spokesman, Lewis Kay, said he was "more responsive" on Sunday after having surgery for a broken leg.

Kay said Morgan also suffered a broken femur, a broken nose and several broken ribs and is expected to remain hospitalised for several weeks.

He said Morgan's family is "tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans".

Tyrone Gale, who was driving the limo bus, told ABC News he was disoriented after the vehicle flipped over and could hear Morgan yelling for help.

"I climbed around and heard Tracy screaming for help," Gale said.

"I climbed up on the body of the limo bus ... but I couldn't reach them."

Wal-Mart President Bill Simon said in a statement the company "will take full responsibility" if authorities determine its truck caused the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board is working with state police to look at any issues in the crash related to commercial trucking and limousine safety.

Morgan, a New York City native, was returning from a stand-up performance at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in Delaware when the crash occurred.

In all, six vehicles were involved in the pileup but no one from the other cars was injured.

McNair, 62, of Peekskill, New York, was a close friend and mentor to Morgan, Morgan's ex-wife, Sabina Morgan, told the New York Daily News.

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Ex-Montana gov, others seek money for mine

A GROUP of investors that includes former Montana governor Brian Schweitzer is seeking $10 million from a mining company in exchange for access to a huge copper and silver reserve - a move the company's chief executive says was "extortion" and included a threat to stir up negative publicity for the project.

Schweitzer, who has hinted at a 2016 presidential run, rejected the accusation and said he had been making a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute with a cash and stock settlement.

The two-term Democratic governor last year joined a handful of investors to form Optima Inc. That business controls mining rights - known as claims - on underground parcels needed by Mines Management Inc to access the proposed Montanore mine beneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness near Libby.

The mine would tap into underground veins of copper and silver ore valued at more than $8 billion and employ 350 people. A federal judge in April gave Montanore a preliminary condemnation order giving it rights to access the reserves through tunnels passing through Optima's claims.

The order entitles Optima to just compensation. Schweitzer says $10 million represents a "ballpark figure" of what the claims are worth, and it is based on an earlier offer from Optima that was rejected by Mines Management.

Mines Management Chief Executive Officer Glenn Dobbs told The Associated Press that when Schweitzer called him in March to make the offer, the former governor threatened retribution if Optima didn't get its way.

"It was an extortion call," Dobbs said. "They were going to announce to the world that we didn't have access to the project. They would create controversy and depress our share price ... It's really gutter-type gangsterism."

Schweitzer responded that Dobbs' accusation was "silly."

"How would it make sense for us to depress the value of the shares if that's the way we were hoping to be paid compensation? These are illogical allegations, and they are not true," he said.

Schweitzer left office last year and now serves as chairman of Stillwater Mining Inc, where he helped engineer a corporate board takeover that ousted the company's former chairman and CEO. Stillwater - Montana's largest mining company - is not involved with Optima or the Montanore mine, Schweitzer said.

A formal compensation claim against Mines Management from Optima is expected to be filed in federal court Thursday. If the two sides cannot agree on compensation, the court will appoint a commission to resolve the matter, according to Montana condemnation laws.

The mining claims at issue were originally owned by another member of Optima, Arnold Bakie, according to court documents.

Spokane-based Mines Management needs the Bakie claims to access a 4,200 metre tunnel and build another that would give it access to the silver and copper reserves, the company said in court documents.

Bakie and others with claims at the Montanore site were sued by Mines Management in an attempt to cancel out their claims.

After a state court rejected the lawsuit, the company filed a separate complaint in US District Court to condemn the claims under Montana's eminent domain law.

A previous $100,000 offer to Bakie was rejected last year.

Schweitzer said he had followed the case as governor, and he got involved once he left office. Optima was incorporated after conversations between Schweitzer and Bakie that the governor said were "mutually" initiated.

"I was familiar with the doings here as governor," Schweitzer said. "I saw what was happening: These guys from MMI (Mines Management) thought they would come in here and strong-arm Arnold Bakie and their big lawyers are going to scare him ... Now he has partners that stand with him."

In March, Mines Management turned down Schweitzer's offer to resolve the claims dispute in exchange for cash and stock worth about $10 million, according to Dobbs and Schweitzer. That's when Dobbs said Schweitzer made his threats.

Dobbs also accused Schweitzer's administration of delaying the project during his two terms in office - another claim that Schweitzer said is untrue.

"Quite the opposite. This is an opportunity to settle this thing and have it over with" so work on the mine can proceed, he said.

Mines Management has been seeking state and federal permits since 2005 for Montanore. Its reserves hold 230 million ounces of silver and 1.7 billion pounds of copper, according to Mines Management.

A permit decision by the US Forest Service and other agencies is targeted for 2015.

That timeline is largely dictated by the federal agencies, not the state, said Kristi Ponozzo, project coordinator at the Montana Department of Environmental Protection. She said she was unaware of any involvement by Schweitzer when he was in office.

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NATO, Russia views on Ukraine 'far apart'

NATO'S and Russia's views on the crisis in Ukraine "remain far apart," a spokeswoman for the military alliance says after its ambassadors met with Moscow's envoy to NATO, Alexander Grushko, for the first time since March.

"It is clear that there are fundamentally different views on this crisis, on its origins, on what is happening now and how it should be resolved," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen concludes after the talks, according to spokeswoman Oana Lungescu.

The NATO ambassadors call on Russia to engage constructively with Ukraine's newly elected president, Petro Poroshenko, and say they would not recognise the annexation of Crimea.

"They also called on Russia to respect its international commitment to stop the flow of arms and weapons across the border, to stop supporting armed separatists in Ukraine and to withdraw in full and verfiable manner their troops from the border," Lungescu says.

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Businesses worried about budget cuts

MORE than half of Australia's businesses are worried about the fallout from the federal government's tough budget will have on them.

Nearly 60 per cent of businesses surveyed by Dun & Bradstreet expressed concern about the budget.

Retailers are bracing themselves for a tough September quarter, with expectations of falling profits following the steep spending cuts announced in last month's budget.

A quarter of retailers expect a fall in earnings, pulling the sector's profits index into negative territory for the first time in two years.

"The fall in expected earnings for retailers is reflective of the mood among consumers, which has dropped significantly following the release of the budget," the head of Dun & Bradstreet's Australasian operations Gareth Jones said on Tuesday.

"Combined with soft wages growth, and signs from D&B's consumer financial stress index that individuals are finding conditions more difficult, it's unsurprising that many businesses expect to see spending levels fall away."

Despite the gloom in the retail sector, manufacturers raised their expectations for sales and profits to 10-year highs.

Forty six per cent expected higher profits in the September quarter, with 57 per cent forecasting better sales.

Wholesalers were just as upbeat, with 43 per cent expecting a rise in earnings and 56 per cent flagging a lift in sales.

However their optimism was not enough to offset the lower expectations among retailers and those in the transportation, communications and utilities sector as well as those in finance, insurance and real estate, and services.

As a result the D&B all-industries sales expectations was flat at 33.4.

Overall, 62 per cent of businesses expressed confidence about growth this year compared to 2013.

Hiring expectations also lifted for a fourth consecutive quarter, buoyed by the better-than-expected 5.8 per cent unemployment rate announced in May.

More than a fifth of businesses plan to hire workers in the September quarter, with nine per cent planning to cut staff.

"Despite concerns from business about the potential impact of the budget, expectations are, on balance, favourable for the next three months," said Dun & Bradstreet's economic advisor Stephen Koukoulas.

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Moose disrupts handicraft class in Sweden

SCHOOLCHILDREN in western Sweden received a surprise visit during their handicraft class when a moose jumped through the window.

The teacher and a dozen teenagers fled the classroom on Monday to another part of the school and locked themselves into a room to escape the thrashing animal, which had wounded itself on the broken window.

Goteborg police spokesman Thomas Fuxborg told daily Aftonbladet that the young moose "was in a panic and so were the children and teacher".

Officers broke a window to let the schoolchildren out and later shot the wounded animal that couldn't find its way out of the school.

Except for the moose, no one was injured during the incident at the high school in Molndal, near the western city of Goteborg.

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George Harrison's guitar brings $657K

GEORGE Harrison's 1962 Rickenbacker guitar has sold for $US657,000 ($A710,850) at auction.

Harrison purchased the guitar in 1963 at Fenton's Music store in Mount Vernon, Illinois, while visiting his sister.

The Julien's Auctions sale of rock 'n' roll memorabilia was held on Saturday at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York.

Harrison had the guitar refinished from a Fireglo red to black to match John Lennon's Rickenbacker.

Other items in the sale included Lady Gaga's 1990 Red Rolls-Royce Corniche III. It sold for $US125,000.

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Colombia arrests bus driver after crash

Last Updated: May 20, 2014

COLOMBIAN authorities have arrested the driver of a bus that crashed and killed 31 children.

Rock royalty Queen to tour Oz

LEGENDARY British band Queen is set to tour Australia in August. But who will replace the incomparable Freddie Mercury on vocals?

$26 cut could have saved $1 billion

MEDICINE prices could have been slashed by up to $26 per script and $1 billion a year saved if the government had stopped overpaying for generic medicines.

Melbourne single mum plays for $1m jackpot

A MELBOURNE single mum will play for a place in Australian quiz show history — and a $1 million jackpot — on television tonight.

No link between vaccines and autism

Sydney University research has debunked claims by anti-vaccination groups that the development of autism is linked to childhood vaccines.

Decadent Tiramisu you just have to try

TIRAMISU can come in all shapes and sizes. But where do you get the very best Melbourne has to offer? We look at where tradition mixes with innovation, to create something truly special.

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Guard distressed after shooting bandit

A SECURITY guard who shot dead an armed bandit outside a Gold Coast tavern appears to have acted instinctively, police say.

Police have interviewed the 47-year-old guard but haven't laid charges against him after the fatal incident on Monday morning.

A 46-year-old Upper Coomera man was shot dead after ambushing the security guard about 7.40am on Monday morning.

The guard was delivering cash to the Highland Park Tavern when he was tackled by a man wearing a motorcycle helmet and carrying a 9mm pistol.

Police say the two men struggled and the security guard fired several shots.

The bandit suffered a number of gunshot wounds and was dead by the time officers arrived just before 8am.

The shooting forced the closure of nearby streets, and sent a child-care centre into lockdown.

The security guard suffered minor facial injuries during the struggle. He was the one who asked a passer-by to call the police.

Regional Crime Co-ordinator Detective Superintendent David Hutchinson said it appeared the licensed security guard had reacted instinctively when he was attacked.

"We all must understand that under that sort of situation he would have been acting instinctively and he may not recall exactly himself how things went down," he told reporters on Monday.

"It's certainly a traumatic situation for anyone and he's traumatised by it."

Police haven't said whether the victim fired any shots.

He is yet to be formally identified but police believe they know who he is.

Officers seized a vehicle found in a nearby street and are examining it.

Police are also appealing to witnesses to the shooting to come forward.

The death is expected to be investigated by Queensland's coroner.

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