Smugglers try to overwhelm PNG boat plan

PEOPLE smugglers are trying to overwhelm Australia's hardline asylum seeker settlement deal with Papua New Guinea, Immigration Minister Tony Burke says.

"In the last few days, some of the smuggling operations have tried to put together a bit of a surge and to see if they can overwhelm the current system," Mr Burke told ABC television on Tuesday.

More than 500 asylum seekers aboard four boats have arrived since Sunday.

The latest boat to arrive in Australian waters capsized north of Christmas Island on Tuesday. Up to five people are believed to have drowned.

Mr Burke insists the number of people arriving by boat has been falling since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd unveiled his tough regional resettlement plan on July 19.

He says Australia and PNG stand ready to build more facilities on PNG's Manus Island if needed.

Meanwhile, Mr Burke said Australia's processing centre on Nauru was almost ready to receive family groups but that it wasn't ready for unaccompanied minors.

"Family groups will be going to Nauru very soon," he said.

"Unaccompanied minors will be going when I'm confident that they will be safe, that the facilities are in place (and) the accommodation and services are in place that meet the obligations that I'd expect."

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Nine charged in UK hacking probe

A SENIOR Sun journalist, a former Daily Mirror journalist, a police officer and a prison officer are among nine people to be charged as part of an ongoing probe into British media wrongdoing.

Graham Dudman, former managing editor of The Sun; John Troup, a former journalist at The Sun; Greig Box Turnbull, a former journalist at the Daily Mirror; Marc Alexander, formerly a prison officer at HMP Holloway in London; and Darren Jennings, an officer with Wiltshire Police, are to be charged under Operation Elveden.

Sun journalist Vince Soodin; Alan Ostler, who was formerly an assistant technical instructor at Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire; Grant Pizzey, a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh in south east London; and his partner Desra Reilly, will also be charged, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday.

All nine will appear before London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 5.

The CPS said it is alleged that, between September 5 and 27, 2002, Dudman requested the authorisation of payments of 3000 to one or more police officers in exchange for information relating to investigations.

It is also claimed that between June 2002 and December 2007, he authorised payments to public officials relating to the health of a patient at Broadmoor, details of an incident at a hospital and details of an incident relating to army combat.

It is further alleged that Dudman, now editorial director of Newsroom 360 at News UK, approved a payment requested by Troup for information relating to the death of a prison inmate.

The CPS said Dudman should be charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, one reflecting conspiracy with Troup, who should also be charged as a co-conspirator.

So far more than 30 people have been charged in the media wrongdoing scandal, including journalists, police officers and former newspaper executives.

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Consumer groups fight high medicine prices

THREE major organisations have joined forces against what they say are unfairly high medicine prices.

The groups are opposing a Pharmacy Guild of Australia petition against a new government policy aimed at reducing drug prices.

Under the policy drug companies will need to disclose the cost price of medicines, and the price the government pays will be adjusted every 12 months instead of the current 18 months.

Choice, Consumers Health Forum (CHF) and poverty lobby group Acoss say Australians pay much more for medicines than people in other countries.

Choice CEO Alan Kirkland says price disclosure is about making sure the price paid by government reflects the price paid by pharmacies.

University of Melbourne Health Economics Professor Philip Clarke says the new policy means prices will be adjusted every 12 months instead of every 18 months.

"However, there is scope to go much further. In England drug prices are adjusted every three months."

Grattan Institute Professor Stephen Duckett says the government pays pharmacists for dispensing medicine and they should not be keeping prices high as well.

"The pharmacy industry needs to move away from relying on inflated subsidies," says CHF chief executive Carol Bennett.

The groups say it is estimated that $1 billion a year could be saved if medicines in Australia cost the same as in New Zealand.

The savings could be used for listing new drugs.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia says members are concerned about the impact on jobs and livelihoods.

Spokesman Greg Turnbull says its position is being "completely misrepresented" and it is not opposed to price disclosure and cheaper prescription medicines.

"However, unless pharmacists are paid adequately to dispense medicines, patients will lose out through reduced services and opening hours and some pharmacies may be forced to close."

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PM to announce $250m for medical research

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd is set to announce a $250 million fund to advance medical research, with a vision to eventually replace or regenerate damaged human organs.

Mr Rudd will make this announcement in Brisbane on Tuesday as an initial response to the McKeon Review of Health and Medical Research.

The centrepiece will be a $250 million investment fund, comprising $125 million of government investment with a matching sum from the private sector.

Mr Rudd believes it will deliver health benefits plus new jobs and economic benefits for Australia.

He says in the 20th century advances in immunisation and medicine were a driving force for improving human welfare.

In the 21st century, the next frontier for medicine will be biological medicine-regenerative medicine and genomics, he says.

Mr Rudd thinks Australia can play a leading role in this next frontier.

"We have some of the best scientists in the world and a track record of great medical breakthroughs," he says.

The prime minister thinks Australia needs to back researchers with the vision and investment they need to take their ideas from the laboratory to the doctor's surgery.

Mr Rudd points to the work of leading researchers such as Professor Melissa Little of the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience.

Her team has been convincing tissue cells they are kidney stem cells, and introducing these into the patient to replace damaged cells to regenerate the organ.

"This work is an example of the kind of breakthroughs that are on the horizon and can be achieved with government support," the prime minister says.

Mr Rudd said currently the only treatment for end-stage kidney disease was dialysis or transplant, treatment which cost the federal government an estimated $12 billion in the period 2009-2020.

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Prince George 'is a rascal', says William

PRINCE William has described his newborn son George as a "bit of a rascal" and admitted that fatherhood has changed him already.

In his first interview since the birth on July 22, the prince says he and Catherine are enjoying their new role as parents, but admits the new arrival is keeping them on their toes.

And he said his smooth fitting of the child car seat before driving his wife and son home from the hospital was the result of careful practice.

Speaking to CNN about George's character in an interview shown on Monday, William said: "He's a little bit of a rascal, I'll put it that way.

"He either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger, I'm not sure, but he's doing very well at the moment."

William described George as a "little fighter".

"He wriggles around quite a lot," he said. "And he doesn't want to go to sleep that much, which is a little bit of a problem."

William, 31, who is second in line to the throne, says he doesn't get up in the night to tend to the baby as much as his wife and says she is doing a "fantastic job".

He says fatherhood has already changed his outlook on life.

"I think the last few weeks for me have been just a very different emotional experience," he said.

"Something I never thought I would feel myself. And I find, again it's only been a short period, but a lot of things affect me differently now. "

William said last week he and his family will leave their home on the Welsh island of Anglesey when his posting as a search and rescue helicopter pilot with the Royal Air Force finishes next month.

He also said a holiday Down Under is on the cards next year.

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US stocks open mostly lower

US stocks have opened mostly lower, continuing their downward lurch on a quiet day as far as economic news.

Five minutes into trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 16.19 (0.11 per cent) to 15,065.28.

The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 2.21 (0.13 per cent) to 1,653.62, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index added 3.05 (0.08 per cent) at 3,605.82.

Monday's trade comes on the heels of two straight losing weeks ont he back of mediocre economic data, poor earnings for the retail sector and a jump in bond yields at concern the Federal Reserve could soon begin tapering its bond-buying program.

This week's economic calendar features the release of minutes from the Fed's last policy meeting and several important housing market indicators, as well as the Fed's annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on August 22-24.

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Call for action as young adults get fatter

MORE young adults are getting fat than other age groups, according to a study that has tracked 11,000 Australians for 12 years.

But the AusDiab study shows Australians in general are failing to make the lifestyle changes necessary to beat obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

And women are putting on more centimetres than men.

Radical action similar to the anti-smoking drive is needed, says joint chief investigator Professor Jonathan Shaw of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

"The health and wellbeing of a whole generation of young Australians is being compromised by a lifestyle rich in energy-dense foods and low on physical activity," he says.

The study shows people aged 25 to 34 have gained more weight and waist circumference during the 12 years than other age groups and about 270 people aged over 25 develop type 2 diabetes every day.

"We have a big problem. If we want to be serious about it we have to recognise it is not something that can be solved only through telling individuals what they need to do," Prof Shaw says.

"It's complicated, but we need to find ways to make healthy food options the cheap options."

Possible approaches include taxation of junk food and subsidies of healthy food, he says.

The study shows that living in the most socially disadvantaged areas doubles the risk of diabetes.

"Education and income are major determinants of health," says Baker IDI Associate Professor Anna Peeters.

"The AusDiab data highlights the extent to which a person's environment makes a contribution to their wellbeing."

She says disadvantaged areas generally have higher concentrations of junk food outlets and fewer recreational opportunities.

The study shows obese people aged 60 and over are about twice as likely than their peers to have cognitive impairment and physical disability.

"One of the biggest contradictions is that people are living longer but they're being diagnosed with more disease. So their quality of life is being compromised," says Prof Shaw.

"As a community, we need to be prepared to take some tough decisions.

"It's not impossible. Look at what we've achieved with gun control, smoking and water restrictions."

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Hand transplant man doing well 2 years on

IT has taken months of gruelling rehabilitation and daily doses of strong drugs, but Australia's only double hand transplant recipient is doing well after two years.

"I have full feeling," says Peter Walsh, 67, a plumber from regional Victoria.

"They did a great job. It's excellent," says the world's oldest hand-transplant recipient.

His life is a far cry from the dependency he was facing in 2006, when doctors amputated both hands and both legs after a bacterial infection.

He has artificial legs and surgeons have fashioned a semi-functional thumb on his left hand. He received the new right hand in 2011 and several months later managed to write a thank you letter to the family of his donor.

"My wife, Margaret, does not have to put me to bed anymore. I'm quite independent now. Give me time and I can do most things," says Mr Walsh, who is one of 51 hand recipients in modern medicine and the only one in the southern hemisphere.

It is early in the process, but Mr Walsh's doctors are pleased, according to a case study in the latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Not mentioning Mr Walsh by name, they say he has made impressive functional gains in dressing, eating, writing and attending to personal hygiene.

According to the journal, the transplant team led by Dr Karen Dwyer and Professor Wayne Morrison at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, stirred controversy because of Mr Walsh's age.

But in an interview with AAP, Dr Dwyer says physical and psychological health are the major factors.

"He was pretty healthy with a good heart and good lungs.

"Hand transplants are risky, but I think Peter would agree any complications that may arise are probably worth the improved quality of life."

Dr Dwyer says the patient's psychological state is a major factor.

"This is something that is very visible to you and the outside world. It is different from a heart or a kidney."

She says Mr Walsh's commitment to his medication and rehabilitation are major factors in the success so far.

"People have lost their hand because they did not take to their medication."

She says the surgery is very intricate, but the main issue is the suitability of patient.

"It is not something that is put on and works the next day."

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CBA tops business satisfaction ratings

THE Commonwealth Bank has pulled ahead of its big bank rivals when it comes to business customer satisfaction, while ANZ continues to languish at the back of the pack.

CBA scored an average customer satisfaction rating of 7.5 out of 10 among business customers in July, the highest level ever achieved by the bank.

According to the monthly DBM Consultants' Business Financial Services Monitor (BFSM), Westpac followed CBA with an average rating of 7.4, while Nab scored 7.1 and ANZ remained in bottom place at 7.0 out of 10.

CBA ranked highest among both micro businesses and large companies, and tied with Westpac for satisfaction among on medium sized businesses.

DBM director Maria Claridad said the big four had a combined average satisfaction rating of 7.3 in July, their highest ever rating.

"I think this very high level of satisfaction with the banks is a combination of improved customer service to businesses across the board, combined with the halo effect of interest rates falling regularly towards a 53-year low," she said.

The BFSM tracks customer service ratings among the big four banks on a monthly basis through interviews with 20,000 businesses annually.

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McCain wants Egypt aid cut after killings

US politicians are calling for military aid to be cut after Egypt's security forces killed hundreds of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi in a four-day "massacre".

US Senator John McCain, who called for suspending the $US1.3 billion ($A1.4 billion) in annual aid to the military after it overthrew Morsi in early July, said Washington risked losing credibility if it continued to turn a blind eye to the bloody crackdown.

"They have orchestrated a massacre," he said, after the four-day death toll from mass shootings and street clashes climbed to more than 750 people.

"We have no credibility. We do have influence, but when you don't use that influence, then you do not have that influence," McCain, a Republican hawk and frequent critic of Obama's foreign policy, told CNN's State of the Union.

McCain suggested Washington could pressure Egypt's generals by cutting off aid, spare parts for US-made military equipment and backing for an International Monetary Fund loan to relieve the country's devastated economy.

"For us to sit by and watch this happen is a violation of everything that we stand for," he said.

Senator Rand Paul, a rising star in the Republican Party, also called for cutting off aid, saying on Fox News Sunday: "I don't think we are buying any love of the Egyptian people when they see an American tank on the street."

Obama last week cancelled joint military exercises but has yet to suspend aid to Egypt, a key Middle East ally and one of just two Arab countries to have signed a peace treaty with Israel.

The administration has refused to call Morsi's overthrow a "coup", which would require it to cut off aid, saying it hoped to steer the country toward a democratic transition.

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