Mubarak still behind bars after ruling

AN Egyptian court has ordered the release of ousted president Hosni Mubarak over the deaths of protesters but he'll remain in custody over fraud charges, state media report.

The Cairo court ordered "the release of former president Hosni Mubarak, so long as he is not detained on other charges", the official MENA news agency reported.

The former president, who attended Monday's court session, will remain in custody pending investigation into separate corruption charges.

Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for three decades, was ousted in a popular uprising in 2011.

He has been under arrest since April 2011 charged with complicity in the murder and attempted murder of hundreds of peaceful protesters on January 25-31, 2011. He is also facing several charges of corruption.

Defence lawyer Farid al-Dib made the case for his release on the grounds that Mubarak has spent two years in custody.

In January, Egypt's Court of Cassation ordered a retrial for Mubarak after accepting an appeal against his life sentence, citing procedural failings.

However, the new trial was cut short on Saturday when the judge recused himself and asked the case to be passed to another court after a short but chaotic first sitting.

In October, the same judge had acquitted defendants in the infamous "Battle of the Camels" trial, who were accused of sending men on camels and horses to break up a protest during the 2011 uprising.

Mubarak appeared relaxed and comfortable at the retrial on Saturday, waving to supporters and chatting to his sons Alaa and Gamal, who are also on trial charged with corruption.

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US stocks lower on weak Chinese growth

US stocks have retreated following a surprisingly weak economic report out of China.

Five minutes into trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 60.97 points, or 0.41 per cent, to 14,804.09.

The broad-based S&P 500 sank 8.78 points, or 0.55 per cent, to 1,580.07.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell 16.15 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 3,278.79.

Official government data on Monday said growth in China slowed to 7.7 per cent in the first quarter, compared with a median forecast of 8.0 per cent in an AFP survey and 7.9 per cent in the previous quarter.

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Sydney girl dies after being hit by car

A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD girl has died in hospital after being hit by a car in Sydney's west last week.

Police said the girl was run down by the car in Wilga Street, Fairfield about 6pm last Thursday.

She was taken to Liverpool Hospital and had been on life support, but died on Monday morning.

Police have spoken to a 44-year-old woman who was driving the car that struck the child.

Officers say they believe the child ran out onto the road.

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NSW man trapped under car for three days

AN elderly man has been rescued after spending three days stuck under a crashed car in NSW's central west.

Police said neighbours found the man, 76, trapped under the Honda CRV about 6.30pm on Monday (AEST).

The vehicle had crashed into a tree on the man's Rylstone property, police said.

It's thought the man got out of his car after the crash and then the car rolled on top of him.

Police believe the man was trapped under the chassis for at least three days.

He was still conscious when found, but was suffering severe injuries including a fractured skull.

He has been flown to John Hunter Hospital at Newcastle.

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Welfare tragic for indigenous: Pearson

ABORIGINAL leader Noel Pearson says welfare entitlement has been "a tragic disability" for his people.

Mr Pearson has backed comments by indigenous academic Marcia Langton that a sense of entitlement had poisoned Aboriginal society.

"It's been a tragic disability," he told ABC TV on Monday.

"The flipside of the opening up of the doors of citizenship to our people, was the provision of welfare. What should have been provided was opportunities to engage in ... the mainstream economy."

Australia was now "reaping that tragedy".

He also echoed Professor Langton's statements about mining being a quiet revolution for indigenous people.

"The revolution she is talking about is one that is absolutely tectonically happening," he said, adding that it was a strange irony.

Mr Pearson reflected on his "bitter" negotiations with Rio Tinto in his early years of work in the Cape York and how the changed paradigm was now creating a new Aboriginal middle class.

"We've got to embrace Aboriginal success," he said.

"Money and materialism shouldn't be an anathema to Aboriginal people."

He said indigenous people needed to be striving for a better life.

"We still haven't gotten out of the mindset of Aboriginal people being the poor, benighted victims in Australian society," Mr Pearson said.

Mr Pearson is frustrated his far north Queensland Cape York welfare reform trials had not been able to achieve home ownership for any indigenous people in the trial communities.

"There are complexities of home ownership on Aboriginal land involving tenure," he said.

"Many of the Aboriginal people in these communities earn full-time wages, work for adjacent mining companies, but they can't own a home on their own land."

The federal government was yet to heed his message that the focus on social housing should move to home ownership, Mr Pearson said.

The trials, under way in Coen, Aurukun, Mossman Gorge and Hope Vale, aim to restore local indigenous authority and improve living conditions and the local economy.

Mr Pearson is in remission from lymphoma and says 2012 was his "descent into hell".

"But I had the great joy to spend 12 months with my youngest child," he said.

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Aussies fret more, but drink less: study

AUSTRALIANS have cut down on smoking and drinking, but they have gained weight and become more anxious, a major research project shows.

A survey of 50,000 Australians has found 1.1 million fewer glasses of alcoholic beverages are being consumed a week and 134,000 fewer people smoke compared with 2007.

The bad news is 736,000 more adults are obese and the number of people with anxiety has increased by 1.3 million, says Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan Research, which collaborated with Alere healthcare company to establish the Alere Wellness Index.

Although tempting, it is not possible to link reduced smoking and drinking to increased anxiety and obesity.

"It's more likely that local and global economic issues are to blame for the psycho-emotional trend and fast-food consumption could account for the increase in obesity," said John Lang of Alere.

The results are based on 1,800 questions put to 50,000 people a year for the past five years.

According to the research, western Brisbane is the most healthy of the 57 areas surveyed. Least healthy is the Murray and Murrumbidgee area in NSW.

The questions cover medical conditions, food purchasing and consumption and psychological wellbeing. Alcohol, smoking, body weight and activity levels are also included.

"Compared to 2007, the overall health of Australians is down just slightly," said Ms Levine.

Alere managing director Mark Volling says the research allows well-informed monitoring of chronic disease risk factors.

"The index allows us to determine where action is needed," he said.

"It will provide an excellent public health resource to assist state and federal governments in their allocation of health services and funding.

"It will also provide an invaluable tool with which to track outcomes of public health initiatives."

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NSW govt to fast-track new homes

COUNCILS could be forced to approve development applications for new homes in just 10 days under proposed reforms to NSW planning laws.

A government white paper out Tuesday recommends forcing councils to give rulings on DAs within 10 days or risk losing decision making powers, News Ltd reports.

The report says councils will have to green-light the fast-tracked approvals if the new homes are under two storeys and don't impact neighbours.

The approval process for some apartments, townhouse developments and new shops and land subdivisions will also be sped up under the plan.

Councils reportedly take an average 71 days to adjudicate on DAs at the moment.

The O'Farrell government hopes the recommended changes will save the state up to $1.7 billion over the next decade.

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Most support coalition on super: Newspoll

DESPITE Labor introducing Australia's modern superannuation system, most people do not trust party on the issue and are opposed to any tax increases after the federal government's pre-budget announcement of cuts to retirement concessions for the wealthiest, a Newspoll shows.

The poll, in The Australian newspaper on Tuesday, revealed 55 per cent of voters did not "currently" trust Labor on superannuation, compared to 31 per cent who did.

Just one in four believes the ALP, the party that introduced modern superannuation and compulsory employer payments to workers, can best handle the issue.

The Newspoll survey was taken on the weekend after Treasurer Wayne Swan announced changes aimed at saving $1 billion over four years.

Eighty-one per cent of coalition voters were strongly against Labor, as well as 24 per cent of ALP voters, who also said they did not trust it.

There was almost equal support from both sides of politics for lifting the maximum limit allowed for extra personal payments into superannuation from the current $25,000, with 69 per cent of coalition voters and 67 per cent of Labor voters in agreement.

The poll showed opposition to an increased tax on superannuation at 78 per cent, with 89 per cent of coalition voters and 66 per cent of Labor voters against the move.

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