Iraqi militants 'executed 300 civilians'

ISLAMIC State extremists have executed around 300 Sunni Iraqis in retaliation for the government's launch of a major offensive to regain the western province of Anbar from the radical militia, security sources say.

THE victims, members of local Sunni tribes, were shot dead in the Islamic State-held western town of Qaem near the border with Syria for alleged collaboration with government troops trying to recapture Anbar, the sources said, without giving details.

The Iraqi government started the onslaught to drive Islamic State out of Anbar - the country's largest province - on Wednesday.Last week, Iraqi troops, backed by Shi'ite militiamen and US-led airstrikes, recaptured the strategic northern city of Tikrit in the hardest blow yet to the jihadists, who control vast parts of northern and western Iraq.A security official said that government troops were on Thursday making significant advances in their push to retake mostly Sunni Anbar.Security forces, backed by Sunni and Shi'ite loyalists, have made "big progress" in driving militants out of the area of Sijariya, east of Anbar's capital city of Ramadi, Mohammed Hamed, a senior officer in the province's police, told DPA."Security forces are about to fully liberate Sijariya from the grip of Daesh," he said, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.Six soldiers were killed and 15 wounded in battles with the jihadists in Sijariya, military sources said.Government forces and volunteers were meanwhile imposing a complete siege on Fallujah, a main Anbar city that has been under Islamic State's control for months, Shi'ite militia commander, Juma al-Jamili, said."The next few hours will witness the storming of Fallujah, which is being besieged from all directions," al-Jamili told independent Iraqi news site Almada Press.Most of Anbar, which stretches from Baghdad to the Syrian border, has been under the control of radical Sunni Islamic State and anti-government Sunni insurgents since last year.

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Missing Sydney woman returns home

JESSICA Bialek has returned to her Sydney home after a public, emotional plea from her father following her disappearance.

THE 38-year-old mother vanished from her Coogee home on Wednesday morning, sparking a desperate search by her family, friends and police.

Her father Michael Bialek pleaded on Thursday with his daughter to call home.He fought back tears as he told reporters: "She's got a darling little daughter who's missing her and a loving husband, and we're desperate to find out from her that she's safe. If there's a reason she wants to be on her own, we just want to know she's safe."Ms Bialek's husband posted on social media later that evening she had been found."Jessica Bialek is safe and at home. Found. Thank you," Sabino Matera posted on Facebook just after 6.30pm.Her family raised the alarm on Wednesday afternoon after she left home on foot to run errands just after 8.30am.Mr Bialek said his daughter, her husband and their young girl had just returned from an Easter visit with family in Melbourne.He described her as a "complex character" but said it would be very strange for her to leave behind her daughter or not make contact with her family or friends."She's a loving mother, a wonderful sister, a wonderful daughter, so all of those things make us very suspicious about what it is that's made her go missing."Friends scoured the eastern suburbs on Thursday, posting "Missing" flyers as police doorknocked and checked hotels in an effort to find out where Ms Bialek spent last night.As news of her return filtered through, friends spoke of their relief."And now we can breathe again," wrote Baci Hillyer on Facebook."Thank God. I hope she is ok and knows how much she is loved. Xxx," said Donna Anthony.Detective Superintendent Gavin Dengate earlier told reporters it was unusual for Ms Bialek to disappear."It's totally out of character for Jessica to go missing. We haven't been able, and the family have not been able, to contact her," Supt Dengate said.Ms Bialek is a freelance photographer who has worked for the Australian Ballet, Opera Victoria and the Bangarra dance theatre.A NSW Police spokesman said officers would speak with Ms Bialek to check on her welfare and discuss her absence."We are all very relieved that she is home, safe and well," the spokesman told AAP.

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Accused NZ drug mule collapses in court

A NEW Zealander on trial for smuggling drugs into Bali has fainted in court after clutching at his chest and complaining he couldn't understand the court translation.

ANTONY de Malmanche, 52, had to be carried from the Denpasar courthouse on Thursday and was then driven to hospital in the prosecutor's car.

The Wanganui man was arrested in December at Bali's International airport and charged with carrying 1.7kg of methamphetamine in his backpack.He faces charges that carry the death penalty.Before the trial resumed on Thursday, de Malmanche complained to the judge that he couldn't understand the translation.Translator Wayan Ana then tried to withdraw himself from the trial, saying "every time, he has complaints".The judge persuaded Mr Wayan to continue with a slower translation.Lawyer for de Malmanche, Chris Harno, then complained about the conduct of the prosecution at last week's hearing, when a customs officer told the court the Kiwi was soaked with sweat at customs, which was suspicious, given the cold airport.Mr Harno said the prosecution was "trying to hide the possibility that he is a victim of a syndicate"."We just want to seek justice," he said.Judge Cening Budiana agreed Mr Harno could discuss the possibility of bringing CCTV footage from the airport to trial, and two further witnesses from customs.Bali drug squad officer Gede Suparta was the only witness to front the trial on Thursday, before de Malmanche took ill.The officer told the court that on taking custody of de Malmanche, his team took him to the hotel he had reserved, along with his mobile phone, in expectation of people named April and Michael collecting the drugs."This was conducted based on the defendant's testimony," he said.After two days, no one showed up.Mr Harno - who has already tried to have the police dossier rejected because his client was not told of his rights for representation in the first 48 hours - asked if the officer had offered a lawyer or translator.He replied: "No, it's not my authority".Asked if he conducted fingerprinting, he said no.The judge was to call a second drug squad witness when he observed de Malmanche looked sick.The hearing was adjourned, three hours in, and the prisoner was given water and invited to lay on the bench.He then fainted, and was taken to hospital in the prosecutor's car.De Malmanche's lawyers plan a novel defence that will argue he is a victim of human trafficking, rather than a trafficker.They say he had travelled to Hong Kong believing he would meet his internet girlfriend "Jessie" before flying to Bali on the instructions of a man he thought to be her assistant.

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'Fake relative' claims Germanwings flights

GERMAN police are looking into an allegation that a woman got free flights to the south of France by pretending to be a relative of one of 150 people killed in the Germanwings crash.

GERMANWINGS, the budget airline in the Lufthansa group, provided free flights for mourners visiting the French Alps scene of the March 24 crash, which French and German prosecutors believe was deliberately caused by the plane's co-pilot.

The freeloader claimed to be a cousin of a female teacher who died, reported the Halterner Zeitung, a newspaper in Haltern, Germany, quoting the teacher's father. Haltern's high school lost 16 schoolchildren and two teachers in the disaster.An airline spokesman told DPA, "The incident is known to Lufthansa," but would not discuss details, except to say Lufthansa lawyers were examining if they could sue her.A fraud inquiry had begun in Hoexter, another town in North Rhine Westphalia state, police there told DPA. They said they were acting on a complaint from Lufthansa.The father said the phantom cousin, who was neither a kinswoman nor friend of his daughter, flew twice to the Alps and back, taking three other unidentified persons with her, according to the newspaper.She even received the counselling that was offered free to the rest of the mourners.

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Sex of second Royal baby still unknown

THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have thanked the public for their warm wishes ahead of the birth of their second child - but they still don't know if it will be a boy or girl.

A HEAVILY pregnant Kate is expected to give birth towards the end of April and for the delivery will return to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington where Prince George was born.

The Duke and Duchess have sent a message saying they are very grateful for the warm wishes they've received from people throughout the UK and around the world over the last few months.

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Bayley shattered lives: Guy

ADRIAN Bayley's actions have had a huge impact, shattering the lives of many people.

THAT'S why Victoria's Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says he's pledged a bipartisan approach to any reform of sentencing by the state government.

Suppression orders on three trials were lifted on Thursday, allowing publication of the fact that Bayley, the sex offender who murdered Jill Meagher, is guilty of raping three more women."He as one individual has made a huge impact on many Victorians by his disgraceful actions, which have seen many changes and continued reform that will be needed to the parole system and law and order," Mr Guy told reporters.Mr Guy said the previous government had made changes to baseline sentencing and abolished suspended sentences. Now, in opposition, the coalition would take a bipartisan approach to sentencing reform.Mr Guy said a review of the parole board had seen improvements but it needed to be regularly monitored to keep up with public opinion.Corrections Minister Wade Noonan welcomed the offer of bipartisan support should further reforms be needed.The previous government had made Victoria's parole system the toughest in the country, the minister said."The crimes of Adrian Bayley are absolutely horrendous and shocking. Quite frankly they sicken me," he told reporters."Through his actions Adrian Bayley has ensured getting parole is very difficult."More than 800 people who applied for parole last year didn't get it, and 700 more had their parole cancelled.Mr Noonan said the government would look at possible sentencing changes, but sentencing had already been significantly reformed in recent years.The parole board's funding had been doubled, and an upgrade of its IT system would be in place by the end of the year.White Ribbon Australia, which campaigns to stop violence against women, says the convictions show a flawed system can ultimately arrive at justice."It reminds us the system does have capacity to deal with the perpetrators," White Ribbon chief Libby Davies told AAP."It also reminds us that the incidence of violence against women is an ongoing curse for all of our community."The massive street march and outpouring of concern that followed Ms Meagher's 2012 murder was also a key moment in elevating the issue in the public consciousness, she said.

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PM uses Nazi propaganda chief reference

FOUR years after comparing Tony Abbott to Joseph Goebbels, shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus was outraged when the prime minister used the same comparison in parliament.

MR Abbott on Thursday labelled Opposition Leader Bill Shorten the "Dr Goebbels of economic policy", likening him to the Nazi minister for propaganda.

Mr Abbott immediately withdrew the remark, but not before opposition MPs, including the Jewish Mr Dreyfus, erupted in anger.During a rowdy exchange, Speaker Bronwyn Bishop suspended Mr Dreyfus from the chamber.As he left the chamber, Mr Dreyfus said Mr Abbott was a "disgusting man".When Labor pleaded for his reprieve, government leader of the house Christopher Pyne reminded Ms Bishop that Mr Dreyfus had made a similar Goebbels reference when criticising then opposition leader Mr Abbott's anti-carbon tax campaign in 2011."Leaving aside the Goebbellian cynicism of labelling a scare campaign a `truth campaign', I think it shows Abbott's contempt for the Australian electorate," Mr Dreyfus wrote in an opinion piece for Fairfax Media.Other Labor figures have also made Goebbels references.Former treasurer Wayne Swan in 1995 made the comparison with then opposition leader John Howard."In recent weeks there has been a Goebbels-type campaign by the leader of the opposition, the member for Bennelong (Mr Howard), and others on his front bench ..."And in 2006, Labor MP Jill Hall said the coalition "have vilified asylum seekers and refugees in a way that would make Goebbels blush".Later on Thursday, Jewish Labor MP Michael Danby said all parties, including the opposition, should stop making Nazi references."We have had differences in the Australian parliament, rough and tumble hard as you like, lots of jokes, but it's not appropriate to compare us with the paradigm of evil in politics," he told Sky News on Thursday.Mr Danby gave Mr Abbott credit for how he normally handles issues to do with the Jewish community, including increasing security around schools against possible terror attacks."The irony is as far as the Jewish community goes, Tony Abbott is a good guy."That makes my criticism of him all the more valid - don't make these comparisons, it's completely unnecessary for you."

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MH370 probe eyes 'asleep' Malaysia worker

THE Malaysian transport minister has vowed to take action against an air traffic control supervisor if it is confirmed that he was sleeping on the job when Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared a year ago.

AN interim investigation report last Sunday published transcripts of conversation between an airline official and a Kuala Lumpur air traffic controller.

Nearly four hours after the Boeing 777 with 239 people aboard dropped off radar while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, the controller had said he would need to wake up his supervisor to confirm details of the plane's location.Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said on Thursday that his department is conducting an internal probe and that action would be taken if there was any misconduct.

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Farmers in shock over banana disease scare

There are fears a fungal disease detected in a Queensland banana farm could decimate the industry. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND'S banana farmers always knew it was possible a devastating fungal disease could emerge in the state.

AND now it looks like it has, they're praying it doesn't spread.

Australian Banana Growers' Council chairman Doug Phillips has worked his banana farm near South Johnstone for 13 years.His 16-hectare property is about a 40-minute drive south of a plantation near Tully which was quarantined on Wednesday after the Panama TR4 fungal disease was detected.It's the first time it has been found in Queensland, having wrought havoc on the Northern Territory's industry after breaking out there in 1997.Mr Phillips says Queensland growers have always hoped the disease wouldn't reach the Sunshine State."We always knew it was a possibility, but you never quite think it's going to happen," he said."We need to get on top of this as soon as possible."The spread of the disease would be the worst-case scenario for the industry, he warned.The suspected case is on the Cassowary Coast - an area considered to be the heart of the banana growing industry.In all, the far north produces about 95 per cent of the country's bananas, is worth about $570 million and employs thousands.Biosecurity Queensland says it's too early to say how the disease got into the state and the results of final tests won't be ready for up to two weeks.Until then, Mr Phillips is urging farmers to take prevention into their own hands.The best way to do this is to limit access to their properties, given the disease is carried through water and soil, he says.Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Bill Byrne and Biosecurity Queensland have defended their response to the scare after reports the quarantined property's farmer raised concerns about his plants weeks ago.The department says it acted as quickly as possible after he notified the growers' council about potentially diseased plants on February 10.A biosecurity spokesman said testing for bacteria and fungi could take a number of weeks and involved growing tissue cultures, adding there were no symptoms consistent with the disease.PANAMA TROPICAL RACE 4 DISEASE* One of the world's worst banana plant diseases, caused by a fungus* TR4 is the worst strain and affects all banana plant varieties, including Australia's major banana variety, Cavendish* It kills banana plants by destroying the plants' vascular tissue* It doesn't affect fruit and bananas are still safe to handle and eat* TR4 is in the Northern Territory where it has significantly impacted the industry.Source: Australian Banana Growers' Council

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More Abbott leadership speculation: report

LESS than three weeks after Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived a party room vote, leadership tensions at the top of the government have emerged yet again.

THE Seven Network and the ABC have reported that Malcolm Turnbull has been told he has the numbers to topple Abbott.

But a government insider and Abbott supporter says Mr Turnbull just doesn't have the numbers.He said this latest leadership speculation was down to the same few disaffected MPs as last time trying to beat up support for Mr Turnbull."The vast majority of people know we can't win the election with Malcolm as leader, because with Malcolm as leader we would lose a chunk of our base and no party has ever won an election without its base," he told AAP.This follows the unsuccessful leadership spill on February 9 when Liberal MPs voted 61-39 to defeat a motion to declare leadership positions vacant.That was without a challenger to Mr Abbott.Mr Turnbull, regarded as the most likely leadership contender, didn't stand or even indicate where he stood on the leadership.The vote did show that internal disaffection - stoked by poor polls and the rout of Queensland's LNP government at their state election - was substantially greater than even many government insiders realised.An immediate casualty was chief whip Philip Ruddock, regarded as having an insufficient grasp of party thinking. He was dumped in favour of Queenslander Scott Buchholz.Assistant infrastructure minister Jamie Briggs said nothing had changed."The issue was raised in the party room a few weeks ago. The issue was resolved and the government is getting on doing its job," he told Sky News.Liberal backbencher Rowan Ramsey said MPs were falling in behind Mr Abbott."We've had that day in the party room. Not everybody's happy all the time but that's life," he told the ABC.Liberal MP Russell Broadbent said Mr Abbott had been given some time, although there was no deadline."He's on a test at all times - so every prime minister is," he told the ABC.Mr Turnbull declined to fuel the latest speculation."I'm a member of parliament so I talk to my colleagues all the time," he told reporters."Really.....I'll leave you guys to speculate about all that stuff."

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Aust plays part in comet rendezvous

IN the fields of human achievement, landing a washing machine sized probe onto a speeding comet millions of kilometres from earth must rank up there with man's first steps on the moon.

THE stunning rendezvous occurred late last year when the Rosetta orbiter released its Philae lander to touch down on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko half a billion kilometres from earth - and Australia played its part.

Dr Paolo Ferri, head of mission operations for the European Space Agency, said aspects of this mission had never been encountered before and were extremely challenging."What I found most difficult of this mission was the rendezvous and flying around the comet. It has very little to do with normal space flight," he said.Dr Ferri, in Australia to deliver a presentation on the Rosetta mission, said ESA operated the small Gnangara antenna outside Perth which tracked initial progress of Rosetta following launch from French Guyana, South America, in 2004.Subsequently the larger deep space tracking station at New Norcia, north of Perth, tracked Rosetta to the comet.Rosetta's probe Philae landed on the comet surface but failed to anchor properly.It now lies on an angle in the shadow of a cliff or crater wall, its battery depleted. Scientists hope to revive Philae next month as the comet approaches the sun and extra light falls on its solar panels.The mission produced the first images from the surface of a comet plus a huge amount of scientific data on comet composition.The US journal Science billed this as the top scientific achievement for 2014.Australia is a significant user of space services, launching satellites through both ESA and NASA.But once Australia hosted space facilities and even launched a satellite in 1967, the third nation on earth to launch a satellite from its own territory.Now the federal government has commissioned another report into the future of Australia's space industry.That will be completed by the end of October, assessing what Australia is doing in terms of civil space-related technology.Dr Ferri said the future of space was in international co-operation and an increasing role could only be good for Australia."Globally I think it makes a lot of sense not to replicate capabilities everywhere," he said."Co-operating in space is a vehicle for many things which are not strictly related to space - science, technology, development, outreach and education. - it's inspirational."

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Tribute at UK parliament to French victims

HUNDREDS of British MPs, peers, parliamentary staff and journalists have gathered in Westminster Hall in London for a two minute silence in memory of the 12 people killed in the Paris terror attack.

SPEAKER John Bercow led the vigil as the Big Ben bells tolled twelve noon over the Parliamentary estate and as the event ended said: "Colleagues, thank you for supporting the people of France."

Politicians from all sides united to hold pens in the air and with many holding banners reading "Je suis Charlie".Debates continued in both the Commons and Lords during the silence but those not speaking flooded to Westminster Hall.Labour MP Chris Bryant announced the event in the Commons and afterwards said: "It's a delight to see politicians from the Lords and the Commons, staff, police officers, everybody, standing still to commemorate the people who died in France yesterday."Frankly, that solidarity extends not just to the journalists and the police officers killed in France but also to journalists everywhere where freedom of the press is not enjoyed."Among the politicians taking part were Commons leader William Hague and Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman.

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Early weight gain 'ups asthma risk'

BABIES who rapidly gain weight in the first three months of life are more likely to develop asthma, a study has found.

RESEARCHERS at the University of Bristol analysed information on height, weight and asthma symptoms in almost 10,000 people from birth to age 17.

They found rapid weight gain from birth to age three months was consistently associated with asthma in eight and 17-year-olds.It was also linked with lower lung function and increased responsiveness of the airways, which are both signs of asthma.In contrast, fast weight gain in children aged between three and seven years was associated with higher lung function at 15 years old.Asthma is one of the world's most common chronic diseases in childhood, affecting 1.1 million children and 4.3 million adults in the UK.Britain has some of the highest asthma rates in Europe, with three people dying from the condition each day, according to Asthma UK.Dr Agnes Sonnenschein-van der Voort, lead researcher on the study, said: "It is clear from our research that there is a connection between babies gaining weight quickly in the first three months of life and the risk of them developing asthma later on."We are not sure exactly what causes this, but it may be that rapid weight gain leads to abnormal development of the lungs or the immune system. Further studies will be required to confirm these findings."We would recommend that GPs check a child's personal growth curve if they come to them with asthma-related symptoms and take this into account in their decision to start medication."The research, which used data from the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol, analysed records for 9723 people.Current asthma was reported for 13.9 per cent of those aged eight, 13.2 per cent at age 14 and 15.3 per cent at age 17.Many factors are associated with an increased risk of asthma but the cause of the condition is still not known.It is now widely accepted that events in early childhood could be critical for asthma development, with rate of foetal growth and low birth weight both associated with the condition.The study is published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

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Japanese whalers return, without harpoons

JAPANESE whalers are heading back to the Antarctic Ocean to carry out non-lethal research on whales after a UN court decision.

TWO Japanese whaling ships without harpoons left from Shimonoseki port in western Japan, and their research will not involve hunting whales, the Fisheries Agency said on Thursday.

Japan gave up what it said was "research whaling" this season after the International Court of Justice in The Hague halted the much-criticised program in March, ruling that it contravenes a 1986 moratorium on whale hunting.Tokyo has vowed to resume "research whaling" in the next financial year, starting in April, and submitted to the International Whaling Commission a revised plan that cuts the target number of minke whales for hunting by two-thirds from the previous target to 333.In 1987, Japan officially halted commercial whaling.However, since then the country has conducted "research whaling" under what critics say is a loophole in the IWC charter.

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Freed Pakistan blasphemy-accused killed

A 52-YEAR-OLD Muslim man arrested for blasphemy in Pakistan has been killed by gunmen after being released from jail, police say.

POLICE officer Mohammad Ayub said on Thursday that the bullet-riddled body of Aabid Mehmood was found the day before in Taxila, a town about 40 kilometres from the capital Islamabad.

He said Mehmood was arrested in 2011 after claiming to be Islam's prophet, but authorities freed him recently after concluding that he was not mentally stable.Ayub said relatives of the man buried him at the courtyard of his home after residents objected to his burial at a local graveyard.Under Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws, anyone convicted of insulting Islam or the Prophet Muhammad can be sentenced to death.However, people often take the law into their own hands.

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Suicide attack kills 7 in Iraq

A SUICIDE bomber targeting a police checkpoint south of Baghdad has killed seven people, Iraqi officials say.

POLICE officials said the bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a police checkpoint in the town of Youssifiyah on Thursday, killing three police and four civilians, and wounding another 21 people.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures.All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to journalists.Iraq has near-daily bombings and other attacks targeting the Shi'ite majority and security forces.

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Pakistan cricket legend Khan marries

PAKISTAN'S legendary cricket star and politician, Imran Khan, has tied the knot, ending weeks of speculation about whether one of the country's most famous bachelors was getting married for a second time.

KHAN married Reham Khan, a former BBC journalist who now hosts a talk show on Pakistani television, during a ceremony on Thursday at his house on the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad. Party officials said it was a simple ceremony.

"We hope that this marriage will be successful, and it will be a good omen for the nation," said Naeemul Haq, a senior official with Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf political party.Khan, who led Pakistan to the World Cup in 1992, was previously married to British socialite Jemima Khan and has two sons.His new wife reportedly has three kids from a previous marriage. Khan's PTI is the third largest party in the parliament, and he has been one of the most vocal opponents to the current government.Pakistan has been abuzz for weeks about the remarriage and in a press conference earlier this week, Khan promised to share some good news with the country. His former wife, Jemima, with whom he had an amicable divorce, said on Twitter that she hoped Imran would be happy in the new phase of his life.Pakistani television showed photos of the couple in formal Pakistani wedding attire. Imran wore a gold-colored achkan, a knee-length coat for formal occasions, and white pants, called salwar. His bride wore a more elaborate, silver-colored wedding outfit.Little is known about their romance, although Reham Khan has interviewed the politician on her talk show. The two are not related, and Khan is a common family name in the country.Weddings in Pakistan are often elaborate affairs but PTI officials said only close friends and relatives were invited to the ceremony and that instead of a reception, food and clothes would be distributed to poor families.Even so, some opposition politicians slammed Khan for getting married at a time when the nation is still mourning last month's Taliban massacre at a Peshawar school.

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