Record heroin haul worth $24 million

Record heroin haul worth $24 million	28.03.2008

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03/28/2008		Italy recalls contaminated mozzarella
ITALY has ordered a recall of mozzarella cheese potentially contaminated with cancer-causing dioxin as a widening health scare tainted the reputation of one of the country`s best-known culinary products

03/28/2008		Triplets make 12 for super surrogate mum
Surrogate mum gives birth to triplets She is Britain`s most prolific surrogate mother Babies will go to a Greek couple ]]>

03/28/2008		Greece tightens flame security
GREEK police said more than 2000 officers will be deployed in Athens this weekend to maintain order during the handover of the Beijing Olympics flame to Chinese organisers

03/28/2008		Sarkozy to consult EU over Games boycott
FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy said he will consult other members of the European Union about boycotting the Beijing Olympics` opening ceremony - stepping up international pressure over China`s crackdown in Tibet

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Latest Comments:

Does a lot of bloody talking this bloke.....
Posted by: philj of perth 9:11pm today

I'm surprised Kev hasn't announced a homelessness summit or a homelessness committee to be chaired by Cate Blanchett.Hey, maybe if Kevin's really serious he'll announce a homelessness enquiry!
Posted by: Daniel of Sydney 9:08pm today

Stop adding to the list by low income earners being priced out of rental accomodation and forced to add to the homeless pile for a start, then look at the current homeless. Maybe the list wont grow then or have one name replaced by another effctively getting nowhere.Higher rent relieffora start, max rent assistance stops at $130week rent paid.... show me a place at $130 a weekand I'd move from my $180 a week place.(which btw is falling down, no heat no air, and gaps between the walls and floors...)I have had to leave as its being demolished, now I'm looking at $240a week rent, or on the street
Posted by: Chris of ouyen 9:06pm today

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Rudd pledges to cut number of homeless people
100,000 people homeless every night
Paper released to seek "new bold ideas"

HOMELESSNESS was a national obscenity, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said today as he pledged to cut the number of people sleeping rough.

Mr Rudd said that every night, about 100,000 people - including 10,000 children under 12 - were homeless and it would be a national disgrace if Australia failed to come to grips with the problem.

"Homelessness is a national obscenity," he said after his speech to the fifth national homelessness conference in Adelaide.

"We can do better, we must do better on this."

The Prime Minister released today a green paper on homelessness which he said would seek out "bold new ideas" from interested groups, business and the wider community.

How could homelessness be reduced? Tell us below

Public hearings will begin in Perth next week.

A committee, chaired by the executive director of the welfare group Brotherhood of St Laurence, Tony Nicholson, will use those hearings and submissions to prepare a white paper for the Government by August.

Mr Rudd said he expected measurable targets to stem from the white paper, but said the Government was committed to finding a new approach to breaking the cycle of homelessness.

"Over the past year I`ve visited several homeless services and witnessed the reality of Australian homelessness," he said.

"I`ve spoken to many people experiencing homelessness of its varying forms. I`ve shared a joke with them, I`ve had a cup of tea with them and I`ve learned something of their experiences."

Mr Rudd said those experiences showed how easy it was for anyone to have the rug pulled from under them, with the immediate reasons for homelessness lying in family breakdown, job loss, sickness, drug addiction, gambling addiction and domestic violence.

Homelessness was also a window into the wider debate on Australian disadvantage - the rising cost of housing, the rising cost of living and the particular challenges facing many young people and senior Australians on the fringes of our society, he said.

"Homelessness can happen to any of us," he said.

The National Youth Coalition for Housing welcomed the prime minister`s acknowledgment of the large number of young people living without a home.

Chairwoman Maria Leebeek said that was long a hidden statistic.

But she said over the past 10 years homeless services had not been resourced adequately and had been forced to meet the rising demand with innovative responses.

"We not only need to acknowledge the lack of beds for homeless young people currently, but we need new resources to explore other models of service delivery," she said.

Catholic Social Services Australia said it would present a submission to the Government`s green paper and believed the chronic shortage of assistance for homeless people was evidence enough of the need for urgent action.

"Homelessness is not just about accommodation, the causes stem from a whole range of unmet social need," said executive director Frank Quinlan.

"While providing a roof over someone`s head is central to the solution, realistic resources must be poured into ensuring people get access to services that help with drug and alcohol problems, mental health issues, managing finances and a raft of other services."

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