PM facing poll, election double whammy

Tony Abbott is under more pressure following another poor poll and a disastrous Queensland election. Source: AAP

SPECULATION over Prime Minster Tony Abbott's leadership is set to mount with yet another poll showing voters continuing to abandon the Coalition, and a disastrous election result in Queensland.

AT 8pm, counting in the Queensland election showed Labor on track to possibly snatch a majority victory and as many as 46 seats, in a remarkable comeback after having won just seven seats in 2012.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman lost his seat of Ashgrove.The result came as a Galaxy Poll to be published in NewsCorp's Sunday newspapers showed the Abbott government behind the Opposition 57 to 43 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, compared to 55 to 45 per cent in December.The prime minister's personal approval rating is wallowing at 27 per cent.Attorney-General George Brandis moved to downplay suggestions Mr Abbott's future as Liberal leader was even more in doubt following the poll, and the election result."He had a terrible week. Nobody doubts that. I would have expected that the next poll would look bad and it does," Senator Brandis, who was on Sky News as part of the channel's Queensland election analysis, said on Saturday night.But he maintained Mr Abbott would remain Liberal leader and would lead the Coalition at the next federal election."You asked me a question: do I believe that Tony Abbott will lead us to the next election? Yes I do and I think he should because he is the best person to be the prime minister in this country."There have already been accusations from within Queensland Liberal-National ranks that Mr Abbott and federal issues had severely damaged the LNP's and Mr Newman's prospects.At about 8pm, two hours after polls closed, the ABC's Antony Green said it was possible Labor could form a majority government ."We have 79 of the 89 seats we are giving away to one side or the other and the Labor Party is closer to majority than the LNP. I'm predicting Labor to win 46 seats, which would be majority government," he said.

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Long-distance balloon record burst

TWO pilots from the US and Russia have travelled farther and longer in a gas balloon than anyone in history, aiming to eliminate any remaining debate over a century of records in long-distance ballooning.

THE Two Eagles pilots surpassed the distance and duration records that have held since the 1970s and 1980s, and were aiming on Saturday for a safe landing somewhere on a beach in Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

Troy Bradley of Albuquerque and Leonid Tiukhtyaev of Russia lifted off from Japan on Sunday morning, and by Friday, they beat what's considered the "holy grail" of ballooning achievements, the 137-hour duration record set in 1978 in the first balloon flight across the Atlantic.By early on Saturday morning, the Two Eagles team had been in the air nearly 155 hours and was smashing the distance record, having travelled more than 6500 miles (10,460km), including the crossing of the Pacific Ocean."The technology has improved so much in the last couple of years. I don't think there's going to be any question about the records," said Katie Griggs, a regional director with the nonprofit Balloon Federation of America.Still, the official distance and time of the Two Eagles flight must be confirmed by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, which requires staying aloft one per cent longer and farther than the previous record.The journey has been tough on the pilots, who have been on oxygen for days; high altitude can take a physical toll. But they've been cracking jokes when checking in with mission control and their families.The flight's mission control director, Steve Shope, said their priority now is getting the balloon to a safe landing after bad weather along the US West Coast forced them to make a sharp right turn toward Mexico.The pilots plan to come in low and drop thick trailing ropes into the ocean to slow the balloon before setting down on some dunes in Baja California. Once they reach the sand, they will have travelled more than 6800 miles."We're very excited. The pilots are excited. I think they're ready to land," Shope said.

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UK military worker monitored for Ebola

A British military worker has been evacuated to the UK from Sierra Leone for Ebola monitoring. Source: AAP

A BRITISH military healthcare worker has been brought back to England for Ebola monitoring after suffering a needle-stick injury while treating a person in Sierra Leone.

PUBLIC Health England (PHE) said the individual has been admitted to the Royal Free Hospital in London for assessment and next of kin have been informed.

The individual is likely to have been exposed to the virus but has not been diagnosed with Ebola and does not have symptoms."Our thoughts are with this person, who has been courageous in helping those affected in West Africa, and in preventing the wider spread of Ebola," PHE's director for health protection and medical director Professor Paul Cosford said."We have strict, well-tested protocols in place for this eventuality and we are confident that all appropriate actions have been taken to support the healthcare worker concerned and to protect the health of other people."

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'Giant killer' Jones slays Newman

Kate Jones has claimed victory in the Brisbane-based seat of Ashgrove in the Queensland election. Source: AAP

KATE Jones has claimed victory for Labor in Ashgrove, formally taking back the job she lost to Queensland Premier Campbell Newman three years ago.

MS Jones, dubbed "the giant killer" by former Labor premier Peter Beattie, has thanked supporters who helped her oust Mr Newman.

Earlier, the premier called her to concede defeat in the Brisbane-based seat.Ms Jones told cheering supporters she could not stomach the changes she witnessed under the Newman government, and that was why she ran again."People (were) saying to me that they did not like the direction that we were going in. They did not like the attacks on our judiciary. They did not like the attacks on our doctors, our lawyers and on our community," she told the party faithful.She said she'd heard one clear message repeated by Ashgrove voters."The resounding message that I have heard loud and clear is that trust is something that cannot be bought but is something that is earned."Treasurer Tim Nicholls said the result in Ashgrove was devastating for Mr Newman and the LNP."There will be much sorrow - Campbell having lost his seat and not being part of the team going forward," he told the ABC."For Campbell, this will be a very sad and disappointing day."Mr Newman is expected to address the media shortly.

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Long-distance balloon crew land in Mexico

TWO pilots in a helium-filled balloon have landed safely off the coast of Mexico after a record-breaking trip across the Pacific Ocean.

THE pilots landed off Baja California about 480km north of Cabo San Lucas, greeted by a team of balloon enthusiasts who assisted with the landing.

The pilots came in low and dropped thick trailing ropes into the ocean to slow the balloon before setting down in a controlled water landing.Troy Bradley of the US and Leonid Tiukhtyaev of Russia beat what's considered the "holy grail" of ballooning achievements, the 137-hour duration record in the first balloon flight across the Atlantic.They also easily exceeded the distance record of 5209 miles (8381km) set during the first trans-Pacific flight in 1981.

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Several lightning-sparked bushfires in WA

A downgraded fire alert still applies to the eastern part of Waroona, south of Perth. Source: AAP

LIGHTNING has played havoc with bushland in Western Australia, igniting multiple fires that are threatening lives and homes.

IN the state's South West region, a bushfire had been threatening houses at Forrington Heights in the east of the town of Waroona.

It has since been downgraded to a watch and act advice after the blaze was contained.About 25 hectares have been burnt in hard-to-access terrain, which is thick with grass trees that throw off embers for up to 1km.A community meeting on Friday afternoon was attended by about 100 evacuated residents.A Waroona resident, who did not wish to be named, said there was concern a brewing thunderstorm could bring fresh lightning-sparked fires."They felt that overnight they would be able to manage it and that by tomorrow, the incident team would move on to another job and they would leave it to the shire," he said."I don't think they're panicked about the fire impacting the town."In the Lower South West region, an emergency alert for people 30km southeast of Manjimup and 3km south of the Muirs Highway has been downgraded to a watch and act because the blaze has been contained.In the Great Southern region, a watch and act warning has been issued for the Lake Unicup Nature Reserve area and Mordalup Road in the Shire of Cranbrook.The alert was upgraded because the fire broke containment lines after further lightning strikes.The blaze started in the reserve and is burning on neighbouring private property.It is out of control and unpredictable, and moving slowly to the northwest.Lightning has sparked several other blazes in recent days, including in a national park in the Perth Hills near a prison farm in the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, and in the Midwest-Gascoyne and Pilbara regions.

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Taliban claim Kabul airport 'insider' kill

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for an apparent "insider attack" at Kabul airport. Source: AAP

THE Taliban have claimed responsibility for an apparent "insider attack" at Kabul airport in which three American contractors and an Afghan were killed.

DETAILS of the Thursday evening shooting are still unclear, with a spokesman for NATO's Resolute Support mission saying the incident is under investigation.

A US defence official in Washington told AFP that the American victims, who were employed under a US Defense Department contract to help train the Afghan air force, died from gunshot wounds.Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said a member of the insurgent movement was responsible for the attack."A brave Afghan mujahid infiltrator working in the military side of Kabul airport opened fire on invading American soldiers, killing three Americans," he said in a statement sent to media.Western troops and civilians training Afghan security forces have faced lethal assaults from Afghans in uniform who turn their guns on their counterparts.NATO troops have adopted special security measures in recent years to try to counter the threat.The airport in the Afghan capital is heavily guarded, with one section devoted to commercial aircraft and another area set aside for a NATO contingent.Thursday's attack came after a surge in Taliban violence over the past year.At least nine people were killed earlier Thursday in the country's east when a suicide bomber struck at a funeral for victims of a roadside bomb attack.Most NATO combat troops pulled out of Afghanistan last year but a small contingent of about 12,000 remain in the country, including roughly 10,600 American forces.The American soldiers, along with other NATO troops and private contractors, are helping the Afghans improve their logistics and build up a fledgling air force.

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Suge Knight held in LA over deadly crash

A lawyer says rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight was involved in a fatal hit-and-run in Los Angeles. Source: AAP

DEATH Row Records founder Marion "Suge" Knight has turned himself into authorities after his lawyer said the rap mogul accidentally ran over and killed a friend and injured another man.

THE Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said the incident was being investigated as a homicide and that Knight was a person of interest.

In a brief statement released early Friday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Knight was at the West Hollywood station with his lawyer and was being interviewed by homicide detectives.No other information was released and there was no mention if Knight was being held.Video provided by ONSCENE.TV showed Knight getting out of a private car at the sheriff's station and then leisurely walking into the building with companions and others who appeared to be law officers.Officials say that a red pick-up truck struck the men in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant. A 55-year-old man died at a hospital and a 51-year-old man was injured but Corina did not immediately know his condition."We are confident that once the investigation is completed, he will be totally exonerated," lawyer James Blatt said earlier by telephone.Late Thursday, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lieutenant John Corina told reporters that the crash occurred around 3pm in the parking lot of the restaurant in the Los Angeles-area city of Compton and then the driver took off."Looks like he drove backwards and struck the victims and drove forwards and struck them again," Corina said."The people we talked to say it looked like it was an intentional act," he said.The Sheriff's Department said in a statement that two people were in the parking lot when the red pick-up arrived and its driver became involved in an argument with them."The argument escalated and the driver backed up striking one of the victims. The driver then drove forward driving over both victims," the sheriff's statement said."Various witnesses described the driver as being Marion Suge Knight."The empty truck was found late Thursday night in a West Los Angeles parking lot, Corina said.He said the rap mogul was seen driving a red pick-up truck 20 minutes earlier in a different part of town where a video was being shot.Witnesses also spoke of an argument."To see the argument happen, it's one thing," said 17-year-old Robert Smith, who was eating in the restaurant."Seeing the car incident, that was shocking."Blatt said it was an accident."He was in the process of being physically assaulted by two men and in an effort to escape he unfortunately hit two (other) individuals," the lawyer said."He was in his car trying to escape."Knight founded Death Row Records, one of rap's leading labels, in the 1990s, releasing labels by artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur.He later declared bankruptcy and the company was auctioned off.Knight has a long history of run-ins with the law ranging from assaults to driving violations.He has serve timed for probation violations.Last August, Knight was shot six times at a Los Angeles nightclub. No arrests have been made.

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Barbie sales continue down for Mattel

SLUMPING sales of Barbie did little to bring a happy holiday to her maker, Mattel Inc.

MATTEL'S fourth-quarter earnings released on Friday gave the first details on what contributed to a weak performance that led to the resignation of its chairman and CEO.

Barbie sales fell 12 per cent, though that wasn't as bad as the third quarter's 21 per cent drop. Fisher-Price sales fell 11 per cent and American Girl slipped 4 per cent. Hot Wheels sales rose 5 per cent.The results for the quarter that ended December 31 are important because they include the holiday season, which is a make-or-break time of year for toy makers.Mattel's fourth-quarter performance fell far short of Wall Street's expectations when the toy maker provided preliminary results Monday, the same time it announced the departure of CEO Bryan Stockton.Board member Christopher A. Sinclair was appointed chairman and interim CEO.Stockton became CEO in January 2012 and then was named chairman a year later. A former Kraft Foods executive, he served as a Mattel's chief operating officer before becoming CEO. Sinclair has served as a Mattel Inc. director since 1996.For the fourth quarter, Mattel posted an adjusted profit of 52 cents per share on revenue of $US1.99 billion ($A2.57 billion). That was below the 83 cents per share on revenue of $US2.07 billion that analysts polled by FactSet predicted.The company's stock dropped $US1.30, or 4.8 per cent, to $US25.60 in premarket trading.

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Tower Bridge tribute to Churchill

CROWDS have gathered at London's Tower Bridge to remember Winston Churchill and watch a flotilla recreate his final journey on the River Thames 50 years ago to the day.

WHILE the numbers on Friday could not match those of 1965, people still lined the banks to reflect and acknowledge the nation's debt to its great wartime leader.

Among them was Susan Potter, who grew up in London and was a girl when Churchill was prime minister. Now living in Australia, she said: "Churchill is so famous in my life. He wasn't perfect but we owe him a lot, even today."Just before 12.45pm traffic over the bridge stopped as a small flotilla, including Havengore, the vessel which carried Churchill's coffin on the river following his state funeral at St Paul's Cathedral, approached the famous towers.Then, as the faint strain of bagpipes could be heard across the waters, the bridge was raised and Havengore passed beneath.Fifty years ago London's dockers paid tribute to Churchill by lowering their cranes as his body passed - on Friday the city's people raised their phones, iPads and cameras to capture the memory.

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Man to be interviewed over Vic hit-run

A 33-year-old man has been arrested over a hit-run accident that killed a teenager in Melbourne. Source: AAP

POLICE will interview a man suspected to be involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident in Melbourne.

A 33-YEAR-OLD Hillside man was arrested on Thursday after a police officer spotted a light-coloured SUV that allegedly hit two teenagers while they were crossing a road in Delahey.

A 17-year-old boy died in the Royal Melbourne Hospital from his injuries, and a 17-year-old girl remains in a critical condition.The pair were crossing on a green pedestrian light when they were struck by the vehicle in Melbourne's northwest, about 11.30pm on Tuesday.The vehicle allegedly ran a red light and did not stop.A police spokeswoman said the man would be interviewed on Friday morning.A second man is assisting police with inquiries.

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Water Diviner, Babadook share AACTA award

THE AACTAs were a night of firsts.

IT was the first time two movies took home best film, with The Water Diviner and The Babadook tying for the honour.

It was the first time a horror film won an AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema, Television and the Arts award) for best film.And it was the first time a camel stole the show at the Australian film and television gala on Thursday.The beast, named Geoffrey, put in a fine performance, getting one of the biggest laughs of the night when he interrupted Mia Wasikowska during her speech about her film Tracks.But the big shock came when hosts Cate Blanchett and Deborah Mailman opened the envelope to read out the winner for best film."Oh, OK," Blanchett said, looking perplexed. "Well, there's actually two winners. I don't think this has ever happened before. What do we do?"As the pair tried to decide which to read out first, Blanchett broke the ice: "I know, we'll have a dance-off."But the winners were read, with Russell Crowe beaming in from a film set in the US to accept the award for The Water Diviner, as the cast crowded onto the stage."It means a lot to us the effort we've put in has been recognised," Crowe said.Then came The Babadook's turn, and a group including director Jennifer Kent and star Essie Davis took to the stage."It has managed to strike a chord on a deeper level with so many people around the world," Kent said of her acclaimed film.The Babadook also won best director for Kent and best original screenplay.Best film was not The Water Diviner's only award. Yilmaz Erdogan won best supporting actor for Crowe's directorial debut, and the movie took out best costume design at the AACTA Awards luncheon on Tuesday.Other big winners in film included Predestination, which added another AACTA to the three it won at the luncheon when Sarah Snook won best lead actress.David Gulpilil was recognised as the best lead actor for his work in Charlie's Country.Rose Byrne was awarded the inaugural Trailblazer Award, and while The LEGO Movie missed out on a lot of Academy Award nominations, the Australian industry was keen to honour the popular flick in the best visual effects or animation category.In television, The Code was the big winner with four awards, including best television drama, while The Voice took out the top prize for reality TV.Josh Thomas, who won best screenplay in television, said the overseas success of his show Please Like Me made him feel "normal"."I really want to be eccentric, but apparently I'm just fine," he said backstage, clutching his award to his chest.

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Author Colleen McCullough dies aged 77

INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed Australian author, Colleen McCullough, has died aged 77.

THE best-selling author died in hospital on Norfolk Island on Thursday.

Her novel, The Thorn Birds, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making her one of the first Australian authors to succeed on the world stage, publisher HarperCollins Australia said in a statement.HarperCollins publishing director Shona Martyn said McCullough showed determination in overcoming a string of health and eyesight problems to continue writing through dictation."Ever quick-witted and direct, we looked forward to her visits from Norfolk Island and the arrival of each new manuscript delivered in hard copy in custom-made maroon manuscript boxes inscribed with her name," Ms Martyn said."The world is a less colourful place without Col."Ms McCullough wrote 25 novels during her career with the last, Bittersweet, published in 2013.Before becoming a best selling author she established neurophysiology department at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and spent a decade as a researcher at Yale Medical School in the US.From politicians to authors, tributes have flowed for Ms McCullough, who is survived by her husband Ric Robinson.Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Ms McCullough had enthralled readers for decades."Colleen McCullough was a unique Australian personality and Norfolk Island's most famous resident," he said in a statement."She will be missed."Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Ms McCullough's impulse purchase of a typewriter had immeasurably enriched the literary landscape of Australia and the world."Colleen has written her final word but she lives on in bookshelves and libraries around the world - and in the hearts of all who loved her," he said.Fellow Australian author Tara Moss described Ms McCullough as irreplaceable."So sad to hear of the passing of Colleen McCullough. She was fierce, funny and so supportive of other writers. Irreplaceable. RIP Colleen," she tweeted.Random House Books tweeted that Ms McCullough's contribution to storytelling was the stuff of legends while federal MP Alex Hawke said her Masters of Rome series was world-leading historical fiction.

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Clive Palmer falls from rich list

PLUNGING commodity prices have knocked Clive Palmer off Australia's top 50 rich list.

MR Palmer's estimated wealth has fallen below $US550 million - the cut off for the latest Forbes Australia list - as the value of his coal and iron ore assets fell.

He's not the only mining magnate whose fortune has been hit by tumbling commodity prices.Gina Rinehart's wealth dropped by $US6 billion, but she remains the country's richest person with a net worth of $US11.7 billion.Fortescue Metals founder Andrew Forrest dropped from fifth to tenth on the list, as his net worth shrunk from $US5 billion to $US2.1 billion.Forbes said Australia's mining royals have taken a hit from a worldwide decline in the demand for steel, particularly in China."The drop in iron ore prices and the Australian dollar's 6.5 per cent depreciation against the US dollar were among the factors that impacted many of the richest," it said.The collective worth of Australia's 50 richest people was $US89.3 billion in 2014, down from $US101.15 billion a year earlier.A real estate boom, partly driven by soaring interest in Australian real estate from Asian buyers, boosted the wealth of property tycoons.Sydney developer Harry Triguboff rose to second on the list as his fortune more than quadrupled to $US5.6 billion.Known as "Highrise Harry" for developing more than 60,000 apartments throughout his career, Mr Triguboff is the founder of Australia's biggest apartment builder Meriton.Westfield shopping centre tycoon Frank Lowy is the third richest Australian, adding $US400 million to his net worth, to $US5 billion.Casino mogul James Packer is fourth despite falling revenue from Crown's Macau casino interests wiping $US2 billion from his net worth.Ivan Glasenberg, who holds the biggest private stake in mining giant Glencore, was also hit by the commodity price downturn, but is ranked fifth with a net worth of $US4.4 billion.AUSTRALIA'S RICHEST PEOPLE1 - Gina Rinehart, mining, $US11.7b2 - Harry Triguboff, property, $US5.6b3 - Frank Lowy, retail, $US5b4 - James Packer, casinos, $US4.7b5 - Ivan Glasenberg, mining, $US4.4b6 - John Gandel, retail, $US3.6b7 - Anthony Pratt, manufacturing, $US3.5b8 - Kerr Neilson, investment, $US3b9 - Lindsay Fox, transport, $US2.9b10 - Andrew Forrest, mining, $US2.1bSource: Forbes Australia

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Ford fourth quarter earnings fall

FORD'S net income tumbled in the fourth quarter as the company took an expected charge to deal with currency devaluation at its Venezuelan operations.

BUT without that loss and other one-time items, Ford came out ahead of Wall Street's expectations for the fourth quarter and the full year.

Its shares rose in premarket trading on Thursday.Ford's net income fell to $US52 million ($A65.62 million) in the fourth quarter, largely due to an $US800 million charge because of Venezuelan currency controls. Ford announced last week that it would remove its Venezuelan operations from its financial reporting in future quarters.Ford's earnings of a penny per share compared to earnings of 75 cents per share in the fourth quarter a year ago.Without onUS1.1 billion in the quarter, down 15 per cent from a year ago.Pretax earnings of 26 cents per share beat Wall Street's forecast of 22 cents per share, according to FactSet.Fourth-quarter revenue fell 4.5 per cent to $US35.9 billion, also beating analysts' expectations.For the full year, Ford earnings fell 56 per cent to $US3.2 billion, or 80 cents per share. On a pretax basis, the company earned $US6.3 billion, down from a near-record of $US8.6 billion a year ago.Worldwide sales fell slightly to 6.3 million cars and trucks.Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford had repeatedly warned that its profits would be down in 2014. Last autumn, the company cut its full-year pretax earnings forecast to $US6 billion from $US7 billion to $US8 billion.Ford spent heavily to introduce a record 24 vehicles worldwide, including a redesigned Mustang and the new aluminium-bodied F-150 pickup truck.Ford is spending more than $US1 billion to retrofit its two US plants to make the new truck; while shipments have already begun, the Dearborn and Kansas City plants that make the lucrative trucks won't be fully operational until the second quarter of this year.Ford struggled with higher warranty costs, including a $US500 million charge for the recall of 850,000 vehicles with defective air bags. The company is also rapidly expanding in Asia, where it's building five plants and launching the Lincoln brand.Ford shares rose 34 cents, or 2.4 per cent, to $US14.80 in premarket trading ahead of the market open.

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