Bushfire fallout tests kids' mental health

Children who experienced Tasmania's bushfires showed signs of mental health problems, experts say. Source: AAP

EXPERTS have found around 10 per cent of children who experienced Tasmania's devastating bushfires are showing signs of mental health problems.

A team coordinated by mental health organisation beyondblue has screened 212 children, finding 26 would benefit from more treatment.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression have been identified among the children, some who had to flee for their lives with their families or who saw animals being burned alive.

Professor Brett McDermott, a co-founder of the program also used successfully after the Brisbane floods, said the smell of barbecue smoke or the sound of a siren could still be terrifying years later for a child.

"They might have nightmares and flashbacks and feel like it's happening all over again," Professor Brett McDermott told AAP.

"Or a reminder which might be real, like barbecue smoke, or symbolic, like an ambulance, can bring it all back to them."

As well as PTSD symptoms, parents, teachers and mental health workers are on the lookout for children who appear to show an emotional numbness or have developed phobias to things like fire or wind.

Professor McDermott said the younger the children, the less able they were to process the circumstances of the disaster.

"Some of these kids have had extremely frightening situations where they've been evacuated through very dense smoke and through fire," he said.

" ... Some kids saw animals that were burning.

"These are really frightening kinds of things."

Children in every school affected by the fires have been through a two-stage screening process, while parents and teachers have received training as part of a $650,000 project also involving the Tasmanian government and the Red Cross.

Children needing treatment will receive a form of cognitive behavioural therapy, where they confront and train their thoughts about their experience.

An important part of that was children being able to tell their story, professor McDermott said.

"It was so frightening that they won't tell anyone about it or it comes out in nightmares and dreams which isn't helpful," he said.

"We get them to tell their story several times until it doesn't have any power over them any more.

"The whole emotional burden of their story is diminished."

Professor McDermott said the figure of around 10 per cent was consistent with research from other bushfires.

The flipside of the finding was that most parents were being reassured their children were coping well, he said.

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NSW govt caving in to mine industry: oppn

COMMUNITIES will no longer have "a hope in hell" of stopping large scale mining developments after the NSW government announced it was overhauling the approvals process, the opposition says.

Critics have also slammed the government for caving in to the demands of the mining industry and leaving loopholes "large enough for mining trucks to drive through".

The amendment to NSW's Environmental Planning Policy sets benchmarks for air quality, noise pollution and ground vibrations.

But Labor MP Luke Foley says it also limits the state's power to refuse a proposed development.

It follows a landmark Land and Environment Court decision which overturned ministerial approval for Rio Tinto to expand open-cut mining near Bulga, in the Hunter Valley, on social and environmental grounds.

"The government has caved in to the demands of Rio Tinto and the Minerals Council and is watering down the assessment process," Mr Foley said on Monday.

"This is about gutting the Land and Environment Court's ability to ever again deliver a Bulga-like decision."

He said the state government was failing to protect communities from mining and gas developments, and warned it was possible Rio Tinto could run a fresh application at Bulga.

"This is about giving a green light to large scale mining proposals come what may...

"Communities will know for sure, they'll know for certain, they don't have a hope in hell of stopping a large scale mining development."

But Resources Minister Chris Hartcher says the changes are designed to improve investor confidence while recognising the sector's "key role in the NSW economy".

"The proposed amendments will provide clear direction to both the industry and the community," he said.

Nature Conservation Council of NSW campaign director, Kate Smolski, described it as a dishonest piece of legislation.

"It has been designed to give the appearance of setting new minimum environmental standards but in fact provides loopholes that are big enough to drive a mining truck through...

"The discretionary powers go all one way - in favour of development."

Steve Phillips, from the Lock the Gate Alliance, said the changes were a slap in the face for communities like Bulga.

"The radical changes make all other considerations subordinate to the inexorable might of the mining industry.

"All other land uses whether it be farming, quiet enjoyment or amenity must be relegated to second class considerations to the money-making potential of the proposed mine."

Mr Phillips also attacked the government for opening up the draft amendments for public feedback for only two weeks.

Greens federal senate candidate Cate Faehrmann also criticised the proposed changes, saying it illustrates how NSW's government has prioritised "big mining" over land a water resources.

"Regional communities are crying out for the state government to recognise the overriding importance of productive agricultural land and clean water," she said in a statement.

"Once again conserving biodiversity is at the bottom of the government's priorities."

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Economy, ICAC on Rudd agenda

Federal cabinet have met to put the finishing touches to a pre-election economic statement. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd will try to ease voter concerns over Labor's economic credentials and corruption in the NSW branch before heading to the polls.

Federal cabinet was meeting on Monday to put the finishing touches to a pre-election economic statement to be released on Thursday or Friday.

Mr Rudd is also expected to reveal how NSW Labor will clean up its act after federal party intervention.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption on Wednesday will hand down reports into former members of the previous NSW government, including Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid.

The federal coalition believes the economy and the ICAC allegations are political weak spots for Labor, especially in NSW where there are 48 lower house seats.

Labor strategists say the economic plan will complete the four pre-election tasks Mr Rudd set himself, after earlier initiatives on carbon pricing, Labor party reform and asylum seeker policy.

Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is on the government's expenditure review committee which met on Monday, said the economic statement would forecast a return to budget surplus in 2016/17 while maintaining growth and jobs.

"All of our actions will be completely consistent with the government's approach of supporting a strong economy, supporting jobs, and supporting fairness," Mr Albanese said.

The latest Galaxy poll puts Labor and the coalition neck-and-neck and on a two-party preferred basis and in terms of which side voters rate the better economic manager.

But an Essential poll gave the coalition a 15-point lead in terms of managing the economy and a six-point lead on the primary vote.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the Labor cabinet was "in a panic" over the state of the budget, which the government had mismanaged for six years.

"There are some people who are saying there needs to be expenditure restraint and there are others who are saying spend, spend, spend to try to buy the next election," Mr Abbott said.

Mr Abbott said Labor needed to cut spending and roll out a plan to grow the economy.

If Mr Rudd decides on a September 7 election, it would need to be called by next Monday to cover the minimum 33-day campaign period.

Homing in on Labor corruption allegations, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey likened Mr Rudd's party reforms to "putting lipstick on a crocodile".

"The fact is that when you look carefully at your Labor candidates, look carefully for their deep association with Eddie Obeid and people that are part of the rotten family of Labor," Mr Hockey said.

The issue is killing state Labor in NSW, with the latest Newspoll showing the coalition leading the ALP 61-39 on a two-party preferred basis.

On July 4, Mr Rudd gave NSW ALP secretary Sam Dastyari 30 days to report on cleaning up the party branch.

The rule changes sought by the prime minister include expulsion of any member found to be corrupt or engaging in improper conduct, a ban on property developers as candidates, a retired judge to oversee disputes, a complaints ombudsman and 50 per cent rank and file members on the powerful administrative committee.

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Syria army retakes key Homs rebel district

THE Syrian army has recaptured the key rebel district of Khaldiyeh in the central city of Homs, the state broadcaster reports.

"The armed forces have restored security and stability across the neighbourhood of Khaldiyeh," one of the largest bastions of rebels in Syria's third city, state television said on Monday.

The army, backed by fighters from Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah militant group, had launched an assault on Khaldiyeh a month ago as they pressed efforts to retake all of Homs, activists said.

The full recapture of Homs, dubbed by rebels "the capital of the revolution," would be a major coup for President Bashar al-Assad's regime as the city straddles a key route linking Damascus to the Mediterranean coast and the Alawite hinterland of Assad's minority community.

Several neighbourhoods in the Old City also remain in rebel hands, but troops, who have a foothold in that part of town too, appear determined to dislodge them.

The offensive in the city follows the army's recapture of the Homs province town of Qusayr in June, also with help from Hezbollah.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fierce battles early on Monday preceded the recapture of Khaldiyeh, calling the fighting "the most violent since the offensive was launched."

Meanwhile, Syrian warplanes raided the Bab Hud neighbourhood of the Old City just south of Khaldiyeh, said the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of activists and medics on the ground.

AFP e

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Morsi supporters defiant after bloodshed

Egypt's health ministry says at least 74 people have been killed during violent clashes in Cairo. Source: AAP

SUPPORTERS of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi pledged to press their protests on Sunday, a day after bloody clashes at a Cairo sit-in killed at least 72 people.

Sporadic violence was reported nationwide overnight, including in the Suez Canal city of Port Said.

Saturday's violence in the capital drew international and domestic condemnation, including from Washington, a key backer of the Egyptian army.

Following the clashes near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque where Morsi loyalists have been camped out for weeks, the interior minister pledged to disperse the protests "soon".

But the violence and the warning did not appear to have thinned the ranks at the Cairo demonstration, where a core group of several thousand protesters remained.

And Gehad El-Haddad, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, said demonstrators were angry but "hugely defiant" after Saturday's deaths.

"There are feelings of agony and anger, but also a very strong feeling of determination," he told AFP.

"People are hugely defiant," he added.

"For us, if we die, we meet our creator and we did so for a just cause... Either we die or we succeed."

The violence early on Saturday was the bloodiest incident since Morsi's July 3 ouster by the military following huge demonstrations against his rule.

The deaths came after rival protests both for and against Morsi on Friday.

The health ministry said 72 people were killed in Cairo on Saturday, along with nine killed in second city Alexandria a day earlier.

Sporadic violence continued overnight, including in Port Said, where state news agency MENA said 15 people were injured during clashes at the funeral of a Morsi supporter killed in Cairo.

MENA and an eyewitness speaking to AFP said Morsi supporters opened fire during the funeral, but a Brotherhood spokesman said the mourners had come under attack.

A medical source at Port Said's Al-Amiri hospital said it had five people wounded in the clashes, "including two in a critical condition, with bullet wounds to the neck and chest".

In Menufiya, in the central Delta region, Morsi opponents set fire to the Brotherhood headquarters, causing no injuries, MENA said.

Funerals for many of the ousted president's backers killed on Saturday were expected to take place on Sunday, raising fears of further violence.

Morsi supporters accused security forces of using live fire against unarmed protesters, but the interior ministry insisted that its forces had only fired tear gas.

Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim also warned on Saturday that pro-Morsi demonstrations would be dispersed "in a legal fashion" and "as soon as possible".

He called on protesters to "come to their senses" and go home.

The violence prompted international condemnation.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, whose country contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Egypt, expressed Washington's "deep concern".

In a statement, Kerry called on the authorities to "respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression".

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has infuriated Egypt's interim administration by maintaining his support for Morsi, denounced what he described as massacres.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged the authorities to "cease the use of violence against protesters, including live fire, and to hold to account those responsible".

The violence also prompted domestic criticism, with Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei, a former opposition activist who joined the transitional government, denouncing "excessive use of force" by the authorities.

The head of Al-Azhar, Egypt's top Sunni Muslim authority, also condemned the violence, calling for an "urgent judicial investigation".

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China orders audit of government debt

CHINA has called for an audit of all government debt, the national auditor has announced, as concerns grow over official liabilities in the world's second-largest economy.

"In line with a demand by the State Council in recent days, the National Audit Office will organise auditing agencies nationwide to carry out an audit of government debt," the office said in a one-sentence statement on its website on Sunday.

The powerful State Council, China's cabinet, is headed by Premier Li Keqiang.

The demand for the audit was "urgently" issued Friday afternoon, the People's Daily, newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, said on its website citing a source.

It said the audit office suspended all other projects to prepare for the undertaking and would dispatch personnel to provinces and cities in coming days.

China's debt problem is considered to be a serious potential drag on its economy unless steps are taken to rein it in.

The International Monetary Fund earlier this month estimated that the combined obligations of both central and local governments stood at 45 per cent of China's gross domestic product.

Concerns about the debt burden centre on trillions of dollars of government borrowing, especially by local authorities.

While such debt has helped the investment-based economy expand strongly, economists and the government itself believe it is unsustainable and the growth model should be rebalanced towards consumer demand.

The National Audit Office said it had no more information to announce on the planned audit at present, according to the People's Daily.

Japan, the world's third-largest economy, suffers from an even worse problem. Public debt stands at more than twice the size of the economy, the worst figure among industrialised nations.

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Two million people join Pope in Rio

TWO million people have packed Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach for a prayer vigil with Pope Francis, the Vatican says.

"There are two million people," spokesman Federico Lombardi told AFP on Saturday, the second to last day of the pontiff's trip to Brazil, which coincides with World Youth Day, a gathering of young Catholics.

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NZ PM confident of Korean trade pact

New Zealand PM John Key says he expects to secure a free trade agreement with South Korea. Source: AAP

NEW Zealand Prime Minister John Key is confident he'll be able to push a South Korean free trade agreement over the line using the lure of "technology transfer" for farmers.

Mr Key, who is in South Korea to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, has made no secret of his visit's double-agenda and is pushing for free trade talks with President Park Geun-hye.

Talks with South Korea have stalled in recent years, with the country's agriculture sector opposed to a deal.

But Mr Key says new leadership under President Park has ignited new hope than an agreement can be reached.

"It's an emotional connection with New Zealand for her (President Park) and I think we'll get it over the line," Mr Key told TVNZ's Q&A programme on Sunday.

The key to securing a deal is pushing the benefit of "technology transfer" for South Korea's farming sector, he says.

"The way to sell this is to get them to understand that this is complementary," he said.

"We're not here to put them out of business."

Mr Key said an FTA had become urgent, with New Zealand companies in the market under pressure from the US and Europe, who have existing trade agreements.

South Korea is New Zealand's fifth largest market, he said.

"Our companies are clinging on at the moment, as every day goes by they are at a bigger and bigger disadvantage to US and European companies," Mr Key said.

"That was the point we made with the president, we were really polite about it but actually quite direct.

"In the end our companies could give up faith and hope in this market if they don't get an FTA."

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