News Headlines at ALWAYSHOTNEWS.com

04/07/2008		Temp roles on the rise as market dips
TECHNOLOGY vacancies remained in negative territory last month, dipping 0.91 per cent

04/07/2008		Regional users may still get WiMAX
RURAL Australia may still get a wide-coverage WiMAX network even though the federal Government has canned Opel`s $958 million contract

04/07/2008		Spurned system may be only one for bush
OPTUS chief executive Paul O`Sullivan says the WiMAX technology dumped by the Government will be essential to broadband services

04/07/2008		Pitt gives a little silence
THE Duchess did cartwheels, Brad Pitt suffered a microphone malfunction and It girl Miley Cyrus rocked the house - and all for a good cause

04/07/2008		Pavarotti lip-synched at Winter Games
RENOWN tenor Luciano Pavarotti lip-synched his performance at the opening of the Turin Winter Olympic Games in 2006, according to the man who conducted the performance, Leone Magiera

04/07/2008		Kyle turns on Rove
OUTSPOKEN radio jock Kyle Sandilands has turned his fury on pint-sized funny man and perpetual award winner Rove McManus

04/07/2008		Sadr to disband militia if ordered
IRAQI Shi`ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr will disband his Mehdi Army militia if top Shi`ite clerics, including Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, order him to do so, a senior Sadr aide says

04/07/2008		Archie`s injury a blessing
MELBOURNE Victory coach Ernie Merrick would much rather have Archie Thompson in his line-up, but concedes the striker`s knee injury may actually benefit his overworked star

04/07/2008		Victory`s Brox of tricks
MELBOURNE Victory youngster Leigh Broxham is set for a key marking job in Wednesday night`s Asian Champions League game against Gamba Osaka

04/07/2008		Man U lose Rio ahead of cup clash
MANCHESTER United face a defensive injury crisis after Rio Ferdinand became the latest addition to their growing casualty list

04/07/2008		Australia`s favourable draw in Under-19
AUSTRALIA have received a favourable draw for the Asian Under-19 soccer championships to be held in Saudi Arabia from October 31 to November 14

04/07/2008		PNG want NRL team by 2014
PAPUA New Guinean rugby league officials have launched a campaign to have a team in Australia`s National Rugby League competition by 2014

04/07/2008		Injured Knights trio will play
NEWCASTLE coach Brian Smith expects injured trio Danny Buderus, Jarrod Mullen and Scott Dureau to all play in Sunday`s litmus test against Brisbane at EnergyAustralia Stadium

04/07/2008		Mackinnon set to fly coup
TIME is fast running out for the owner-less Brisbane Bullets with skipper Sam Mackinnon and other players set to fly the coop by the end of the week

04/07/2008		Tragardh a Hawk until 2011
FORWARD Cameron Tragardh has signed a three-year contract with the Wollongong Hawks, keeping him at the NBL side through the 2010-11 season

04/07/2008		Ryles cleared of fan incident
ST GEORGE Illawarra prop Jason Ryles will not face a sanction from the NRL after an alleged exchange with a fan following last Saturday`s loss to Cronulla at ANZ Stadium

04/07/2008		Cowley`s five titanium face plates
FORMER swimmer Simon Cowley will have five titanium plates in his face for the rest of his life after suffering horrific injuries when he was king hit in a Sydney bar last week

04/07/2008		Magic edge past brave Thunderbirds
A DECISIVE 7-1 run in the final quarter allowed the Waikato Magic to overhaul the Adelaide Thunderbirds 46-42 in Rotorua

04/07/2008		Latham vows to be back
AUSTRALIA full-back Chris Latham faces a month of uncertainty after damaging his right knee again

04/07/2008		Brumbies given timely blueprint
THE Brumbies will attempt to emulate the New South Wales`s line-out dominance when they play the Blues in their must-win match in Auckland on Saturday

Aussie dad among crash dead

BRIAN Mullery died flying with a Thai budget airline with a chequered safety history, whose owners had replaced its European pilots to save money.

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Pumpkin`s father named as New Zealand publisher
Fears Pumpkin`s mother may have been murdered
Police manhunt for Naiyin Xun Xue underway

A MANHUNT is under way in the United States for the father who abandoned toddler Qian Xun Xue - the little girl dubbed "Pumpkin".

Authorities in three countries – Australia, New Zealand the US – are trying to piece together the bizarre case of the dumped girl.

The Herald Sun has learned Naiyin Xun Xue, the director of New Zealand newspaper Chinese Times and a martial arts expert, bought a plane ticket to Los Angeles on Friday before leaving his daughter at Melbourne`s Southern Cross station on Saturday.

Mr Xue, who is aged in his 40s and also known by his English name Michael, lived with his daughter, who turns four in December, and his wife Anni in Auckland.

The three-year-old`s mother has not contacted police and could not be found by investigators yesterday.

Fears were mounting last night for her welfare. Police have not ruled out any possibility, including murder.

The family has been investigated by New Zealand`s child protection service in the past. It`s believed Mr Xue has convictions for domestic violence.

Mr Xue arrived in Melbourne at 7.45pm on Thursday and headed for a CBD hotel with his daughter.

They travelled on New Zealand passports.

They stayed for two days but little is known about what they did or who they met. The Herald Sun has been told Mr Xue is originally from Hong Kong and has been suffering depression from business and personal problems.

He had only packed a small suitcase, leaving Pumpkin at the station in Spencer St with no change of clothing and nothing to identify her.

Police say Mr Xue left the station about 8am on Saturday and went to the airport where he caught a flight to Los Angeles, via Auckland.

They believe he deliberately abandoned his daughter.

Interpol is also involved in the manhunt for Mr Xue.

Pumpkin was named after the Pumpkin Patch vest she was wearing, but the Herald Sun has confirmed her real name from several sources.

She is in temporary care and officials say she has settled in well, can understand some English and has asked for her mum.

One police theory is that she has relatives in Australia and the father hoped someone would come forward to claim her.

Inspector Brad Shallies said it was one of the most intriguing cases he had been involved in.

"We have not dismissed they may know people in Melbourne. It`s logical to think it`s likely they know people here," he said.

Insp Shallies said calls to Crime Stoppers from people who had seen the pair at the station and on the flight from Auckland had helped police identify the man and girl.

He said there were many reasons why the child may have been abandoned.

"At the moment there are probably 50 or 60 scenarios, but I don`t know yet if anybody else was meant to be there (to meet Pumpkin) or whether they met with any other people in Melbourne."

A friend, Nai Quan Xie, said he hadn`t heard from Mr Xue or his wife since last Tuesday.

He had tried phoning the pair frequently but got no answer.

He usually talked to Mr Xue most days as he taught him Wu Style, a Chinese martial art. Mr Xue describes himself as a grand master of the martial art.

Pumpkin has settled in with the Melbourne family caring for her, but had been distressed.

Department of Human Services spokeswoman Christina Asquini said she was coping well, watching children`s DVDs with her carer`s children, but had also called out for her mother.

She said Pumpkin could understand English.

"She was laughing at what was happening on the DVDs, which seems to say she has some comprehension of English. She has been speaking some English, predominantly asking for her mother."

Welfare workers are unaware if she speaks any other languages.

The station`s authorities believed she was able to identify a man on the security camera as a relative.

Pumpkin aimlessly wandered around the station for 15 minutes after the man left her on a platform at the bottom of an escalator.

Security footage from Southern Cross railway station shows the girl hand-in-hand with a man pulling a suitcase before he leaves her behind.

Anyone who can help identify Pumpkin is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.