Archive for August, 2010
NRL pulls plug on Fijian tour
PLAYERS and their supporters are angry and most likely out of pocket after the Newcastle Rugby League announced on Tuesday that an invitational side’s tour to Fiji had been scrapped. The planned 10-day tour was scheduled for September 23 to October 3 and involved two matches at the 30,000-seat National Stadium in Suva against Fijian [...]
73-all, now it’s over to the independents
TONY Abbott looks likely to gain the highest number of seats in the new Parliament but will be locked in a dead-heat with Labor and one Green as pressure increases on independents to back a side. The Australian Electoral Commission last night had the Coalition winning 73 seats out of 150. It had the Labor [...]
Quade Cooper likely to stay with rugby union
THE Eels concede the Australian Rugby Union is in the box seat to retain Quade Cooper in the wake of the Wallabies’ departure to South Africa. While Parramatta are not putting up the white flag, Eels chairman Roy Spagnolo admits it will take some major resistance from Cooper not to be swayed by the pressure [...]
Support Abbott, voters demand
THE three independents holding the future of the next federal government in their hands have been sent a clear message from their own constituents – back Tony Abbott and the Coalition. An exclusive Galaxy Poll revealed most voters in the seats of Kennedy, Lyne and New England want their independent local members to support a [...]
Helping the poor with microfinance
ANDY Penn, who runs one of Australia’s biggest insurance and wealth-management companies, can see the financial sense in lending $100 to someone who earns just $2 a day. The money could help start up a tea shop in India, provide yarn for a sewing business in Bolivia or be put towards the purchase of goats [...]
Air Pacific change to Check in Time
Fiji – As part of its efforts to ensure on-time flights and better service delivery, Fiji’s national carrier Air Pacific will be implementing new check-in times for all customers beginning on the 15th of September. Passengers will now be required to check-in no later than one (1) hour before departure for all Air Pacific flights [...]
Redundancy offer for all public servants
ROLLING targeted separation packages with no restrictions will be offered to state public servants when the Budget is finally delivered on September 16. Public-sector sources have told The Advertiser the aim of the packages will be to shed up to 2000 jobs across government departments and agencies. The packages have previously been open for limited [...]
Swine flu ‘continues to spread’ in NZ
SWINE flu continues to spread in New Zealand, health officials said as the death toll rose to 10 and some areas reported more people in hospital than during last year’s pandemic. Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the global pandemic over, H1N1 “is the most common strain of influenza circulating” in New Zealand, [...]
Springboks coach Peter de Villiers warns Wallabies will ‘get hurt’
PROVOCATIVE South African coach Peter de Villiers has warned the Wallabies they will “get hurt” this weekend in Pretoria when a stung rugby nation tries to soothe a season of Tri-Nations despair. It is not just that the winless Springboks will be harnessing the hurt of their epic 29-22 loss to the All Blacks last [...]
Julia Gillard leading the race to the Lodge
JULIA Gillard’s chances of forming government look more likely – with the support of at least two of three independents and the lone Greens member from Melbourne. Late yesterday, Labor was hopeful of holding 73 seats in the 150-seat Parliament, and as many as 74, with only a few hundred votes to decide the final [...]
New Zealand seals Tri-Nations with win over South Africa
NEW Zealand scored two tries in the final three minutes to snatch a 29-22 victory over South Africa in Soweto ro clinch the Tri-Nations title. Captain and flanker Richie McCaw dived over in one corner and replacement back Israel Dagg in the other as the Springboks slumped to a fourth consecutive loss in the southern [...]
UN warns of ’2nd death wave’ in Pakistan
The United Nations has warned of a “second wave of death” in flood-stricken Pakistan as aid agencies struggled to raise money to help the 20 million people hit by the nation’s worst-ever natural disaster. Britain branded the international response to the catastrophe “lamentable” and charities said Pakistan was suffering from an “image deficit” partly because [...]
Pacific workers to work in Australian farms
SEASONAL employers have faced an expensive and difficult process for training and retaining workers, but a pilot scheme to allow seasonal industries to hire Pacific Islanders may be just what Australian growers need, reports Seamus Byrne. A recent report on labour mobility by the Lowy Institute for International Policy revealed that the National Farmers’ Federation [...]
Israel has ’8 days’ to hit Iran nuclear site: Bolton
Israel has “eight days” to launch a military strike against Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility and stop Tehran from acquiring a functioning atomic plant, a former US envoy to the UN has said.Iran is to bring online its first nuclear power reactor, built with Russia’s help, next week, when a shipment of nuclear fuel will be [...]
And now love blooms for Stephanie Rice and Quade Cooper
POOL darling Stephanie Rice and rugby’s man-of-the-moment Quade Cooper are all atwitter as sport’s hot, new power couple. The high-profile pair are officially an item and have been happy to flaunt their affection around Brisbane since hooking up over the past month. Wallaby star Cooper farewelled Rice over Friday before her flight to an Aussie [...]
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