Bullet hits man's pillow as he sleeps

A Sydney man has escaped with a grazed elbow after shots were fired into his innerwest home. Source: AAP

A BULLET hit a man's pillow as he slept in Sydney's west.

The 62-year-old was asleep with his wife in Windsor Avenue, Croydon Park when at least five shots were fired at his property.

One hit his pillow, another hit his mattress and a third grazed his left elbow, leaving a small wound.

"He was extremely lucky - you couldn't be much luckier really," Detective Inspector Michael O'Rourke told AAP.

"His wife was also asleep and a couple of bullets went whizzing over her head."

Detectives are keeping an open mind about the motive for the shooting, which happened about 1.45am (AEST) on Saturday.

A trail motorbike was seen speeding away from the scene without any lights on.

Witnesses said the vehicle had two people on it.

Police say they do not believe the shooting was bikie gang-related.

The bullets were fired from a high-powered weapon.

Some penetrated the home's front wall, whizzed through the front bedroom, penetrated a second wall and ended up at the back of the property.

Police have asked for information about the attack to be passed to Crime Stoppers.

"We're extremely keen to solve this crime; these people could easily have been killed or at least seriously injured," Det Insp O'Rourke added.

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Australians on board missing plane

A search and rescue mission is underway for a Malaysia Airlines flight, which has lost contact with air traffic control.

Flight with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board missing ... Malaysia Airlines service bound for Beijing lost. Source: Supplied

• Beijing-bound flight loses contact at 5.40am AEDT
• 239 passengers missing
• Seven Australians were on board
• DFAT hotline: 1300 555 135 or 02 6261 3305

SEVEN Australians are among the 239 people on board a Malaysia Airlines flight bound that has lost contact with air traffic control and is missing.

The Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200 aircraft, lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 5.40am (AEST).

"The flight was carrying 227 passengers (including two infants), 12 crew members," the airline said in a statement.

Malaysia Airlines said the passengers were from 14 different nationalities.

"It is our understanding there are Australian passengers on board," a Malaysian Airlines spokesman told News Corp Australia.

Grim news ... Malaysian Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya addresses the media near Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana Source: AFP

A total of 153 passengers were Chinese nationals.

There were also 38 from Malaysia, 12 from Indonesia, three from France, two from New Zealand, four from the USA, two from Ukraine, two Canadians, two Russians, one Italian, one from Taiwan, one from The Netherlands and one from Austria.

Reports on Twitter appeared to show the a list of names of passengers on board the flight, but this had not been confirmed.

"Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their search and rescue team to locate the aircraft," Malaysia Airlines said.

Search and rescue under way ... a map of the Malaysia Airlines flight's approximate flight path to Beijing. Source: Supplied

China's state news agency is reporting that the Malaysia Airlines aircraft has lost contact over Vietnam while an unconfirmed report on a flight tracking website said the aircraft had plunged 200m and changed course shortly before all contact was lost.

The route would have taken the plane across the Malaysian mainland in a north easterly direction and then across the Gulf of Thailand.

Grief ... A possible relative cries at the Beijing Airport. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

Chinese news agency Xinhua quoted Chinese aviation authorities saying the plane did not enter China's air traffic control sphere.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement: "We are very concerned learning this news."

"We are contacting relevant authorities and are trying to confirm relevant information.''

Malaysia Airlines vice president told CNN that the missing plane had enough fuel for seven hours and suspects it would have run out by now.

Malaysia Airlines' Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement: "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am earlier this morning bound for Beijing.

MORE: PLANE CRASHES THAT CHANGED AVIATION HISTORY

Seven Australians have been confirmed to be on board a Malaysian Airlines flight which has gone missing.

"The aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30am local Beijing time (9.30am AEST).

Subang Air Traffic Control reported that it lost contact at 2.40am (local Malaysia time) today.

Flight MH370 was operated on a Boeing B777-200 aircraft," he said.

"The flight was carrying a total number of 239 passengers and crew — comprising 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members. The passengers were of 13 different nationalities."

Recording the grief ... media hover over a possible relative of a passenger on the Malaysia Airlines flight. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

The pilot was 53 year old captain Zahari Ahmad Shah, who joined the airline in 1981 and had over 18,000 flying hours.

An interesting Tweet from The Daily Telegraph's Beijing correspondent shows Beijing Airport full of police but no one waiting for the plane to arrive.

"Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft," Mr Yahya said..

"We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am earlier this morning bound for Beijing.

Is this the plane? ... An image of the plane that is believed to have been lost.. Picture: Courtesy Flight Aware Source: Supplied

"Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew.

"Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilise its full support.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members."

Fearing the worst ... Chinese police stand beside the arrival board showing the flight MH370 (top red) at Beijing Airport. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

Follow Malaysia Airlines on the incident on Facebook

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade released a statement saying: "Malaysia Airlines has advised that seven Australians were on board the missing flight MH370. Australian consular officials are in urgent and ongoing contact with Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia Airlines has advised that it is contacting relatives of the passengers on the flight.

The airline has established a call centre – telephone +60 37884 1234 – for those seeking more information.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 24 hour Consular Emergency Centre is contactable on 1 300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 (if calling from overseas).

commercial flight missing ... The image from @flightaware shows the last known track of flight MH370 over southern Asia. Picture: Flightaware.com Source: Supplied

Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier of Malaysia and one of Asia's largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.

Malaysia Airlines has 15 777 planes in the fleet and is an experienced operator of this type of aircraft. This aircraft is believed to be 11.8-years-old, delivered to the Malaysian Airlines fleet in 2002, so it's not a particularly old aircraft.

Anyone wanting more information on the flight should call the airline on +60-378841234.

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Fonterra expects higher milk volumes

Fonterra forecasts its New Zealand milk supply to rise 7.5 per cent this year. Source: AAP

FONTERRA anticipates bigger growth in milk supply this season with dry conditions not as bad as last year's drought and the incentive of a higher forecast farmgate pay-out.

New Zealand milk volumes are forecast to rise 7.5 per cent to 1.57 million kilograms of milk solids in the 2013/14 season, up from a previous expectation of 6.4 per cent growth, Fonterra says.

Based on the forecast payout to farmers of $NZ8.65 per kgMS, that implies Fonterra will pay some $NZ13.61 billion ($A12.83 billion) to source local milk in the season.

Fonterra's New Zealand-sourced milk costs were $NZ8.64b in the year ended July 31, 2013, when it paid $NZ5.84 per kgMS to farmers.

The Auckland-based company, which is the world's biggest dairy exporter, collected 151 million kgMS in February compared to 137 million kgMS a year earlier when the North Island was in the grip of the worst drought in seven decades.

Total collection in the season to date was up 4.9 per cent to 1.27 million kgMS.

"While we are seeing dry conditions impact some regions of the country, particularly Waikato and Northland, these are not as widespread as the same time last year," Fonterra said.

"The lift in forecast farmgate milk price may have a positive influence on milk supply increasing above our previous forecast."

Fonterra reports its first-half result on March 26. It has previously forecast 2014 earnings before interest and tax to fall to between $NZ500 million to $NZ600 million from $NZ1 billion in 2013.

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Labor asks teachers and CLP to end impasse

NORTHERN Territory Labor has called on the Australian Education Union and the Country Liberals government to end their stand-off as teachers in public schools strike all day across the NT.

Twenty four schools are closed and all of the other 130 would be experiencing disruptive action or would be in supervision-mode only, AEU NT president Matthew Cranitch told AAP on Friday.

This is the fourth strike since November.

The NT education system is reaching boiling point, said Natasha Fyles, Shadow Minister for Education.

"Our teachers are on strike because they know our education system is in crisis; the CLP government and the AEU need to come together and solve this quickly," she told reporters in Darwin.

Teachers have rejected an enterprise bargaining agreement that would see an increase of almost $100 in their fortnightly pay, and the union is using those negotiations to try to influence education policy, Attorney-General John Elferink has said.

The union says the only way it will accept the EBA is if the cuts to education were totally reversed.

Labor says that if it wins the next NT election it will commit to doing that, but stopped short of giving the union a written guarantee.

"We've continually called on the government to reverse the cuts, we've spoken about the measures we took to improve education, and that would continue," Ms Fyles said.

Meanwhile, the AEU NT's president Matthew Cranitch has announced he will stand as an independent candidate in the upcoming by-election for Blain, a seat in Palmerston, a town about 20km east of Darwin.

He rejected the Labor candidate, police officer Geoff Bahnert, as unrepresentative and lacking credibility in the electorate.

It is also thought that an AEU candidate will split Labor's vote in a contest for a seat that the CLP holds by 13 per cent.

Ms Fyles denied this had affected Labor's relationship with the AEU.

"I'm not concerned about the sideshow of the Blain by-election," she said.

"The AEU is far bigger than one person, they need to solve (this stand-off) for their teachers."

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Ford says no guarantees on 2016 closure

Ford says there are no guarantees the company will keep making cars in Australia until 2016. Source: AAP

FORD is rolling new car models into Australia earlier than expected, but says it might shut down local manufacturing earlier than initially planned.

Ford announced in 2013 that car making at its Broadmeadows and Geelong plants would close in October, 2016.

But the company has since cut 300 workers, citing a downturn in sales.

Ford Australia boss Bob Graziano said on Thursday the sales trend meant local production was not a certainty in the next two-and-a-half years.

However, that didn't mean Ford would close dealerships and stop selling cars.

"We'll continue to match our production with demand," he told reporters while visiting a Ford dealership in Melbourne.

"If you are looking for a guarantee, there are no guarantees. It is our intent to work to (October 2016)."

Since announcing its production closures, Ford says it has moved 20 out of more than 1000 manufacturing workers into new jobs in the company.

About 20 marketing professionals will also be hired to support Ford's plans for promoting local sales.

The company says it expects to be Australia's largest auto employer by 2018, including employing about 1500 skilled employees across fields such as engineering and design.

Nine Australian auto suppliers have found new business in Ford's global operations, too.

Mr Graziano stressed that the company was committed to launching its refreshed Falcon and Territory models later in 2014.

The Mustang will also be rolled into dealerships by 2015, a year earlier than expected, and the Mondeo will also make its Australian debut.

Mr Graziano said the new Mustang should attract its own drivers and not overlap with Falcon enthusiasts.

"It's a car, quite honestly, that I've had people ask me about since I arrived here three years ago," he said.

Victorian Manufacturing Minister David Hodgett said he was confident Ford would give its "best efforts" to stick with its manufacturing shutdown dates.

"Ford still expects to be Australia's largest automotive employer, which is great news for the Victorian economy," he said.

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Biotron shares jump on trial result

SHARES in drug developer Biotron have soared after data from a clinical trial of its lead anti-viral drug showed patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C were virus-free after six months of treatment.

"This extends previous data that showed patients had undetectable virus levels at 12 weeks," Biotron said on Thursday.

"Response to treatment at this time point is generally a good indication of final outcome at 48 weeks."

Preliminary data from patients who have completed 48 weeks of treatment indicate that they remain virus-free, the company also said.

"This 24-week data further validates the efficacy of BIT225 as a potential new therapy for HCV (Hepatitis 3 virus) and, in particular, for this difficult to treat group of HIV/HCV co-infected patients who typically have more serious HCV infection and lower response rates to treatment with existing standard therapies," managing director Michelle Miller said.

Biotron shares had more than doubled by 1522 AEDT, up 8.4 cents at 18 cents.

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Business wants carbon tax repealed:Hockey

FEDERAL Treasurer Joe Hockey says business wants the shackles of the carbon tax removed and again urged the Labor opposition to support its repeal.

Four key business groups have called on senators to swiftly repeal the carbon tax. The legislation remains stuck in the upper house.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Australian Industry Group, Business Council of Australia and Minerals Council of Australia on Wednesday released a joint statement urging the Senate to pass the Abbott government's package of bills.

Mr Hockey told parliament the latest national accounts showed the economy still growing at a sub-trend pace of 2.8 per cent.

He said the economy needs to grow at a faster pace to get the unemployment rate down by removing shackles on business.

"Business is saying you should support the repeal of the carbon tax," he told parliament, pointing at the opposition benches.

"That is one way you can immediately lift the speed of Australia's economic growth."

The business groups said the carbon tax was making key industries less competitive every day it remained in place.

"Most businesses have been unable to pass their carbon tax-related costs on to customers," the groups' chief executives said.

"For small business especially, this has been a major burden that has reduced profitability, suppressed employment and added to already difficult conditions."

The chiefs said both Labor and the coalition had gone to the 2013 election pledging to "terminate" the carbon tax.

While they acknowledged crossbench senators taking their seats in July had pledged to back the repeal, acting immediately would boost business confidence and cut power bills.

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Economic growth starting to pick up pace

Exports lifted economic growth to an annual rate of 2.8 per cent after the December quarter. Source: AAP

ECONOMIC growth picked up pace at the end of 2013, and it looks like it will get even stronger in 2014.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by 0.8 per cent in the December quarter, for an annual rate of 2.8 per cent, official figures show.

The figures were slightly better than economists and the Reserve Bank of Australia had expected, but JP Morgan Australia chief economist Stephen Walters said it is still unimpressive.

"The annual change is just 2.8 per cent, still below trend, meaning the jobless rate will keep climbing," he said.

"Still, lets not get too gloomy. We expect a pretty benign post mining investment boom adjustment, with growth lifting slowly towards three per cent over the course of 2014.

"Given the sheer size of the resources boom - more was invested in mining in Australia in the seven years to 2012 than in any other country - we should accept a period of sub-trend growth without complaint."

Mr Walters said the rotation of growth from mining investment to the non-mining sectors of the economy looks slow.

"Outside higher exports, the positive contributions last quarter from household spending, home construction and public spending (all higher) were wiped out by a big fall in private investment, leaving domestic demand all but flat," he said.

"Where's the rotation?"

Commonwealth Bank chief economist Michael Blythe said while the economy's transition appears elusive, mining and resources exports are a major factor in supporting growth at the moment.

He said export volumes were up 2.1 per cent in the second half of 2013 and contributed 0.5 percentage points to GDP in that period.

"Spending on new dwellings and non-mining capex both fell in the fourth quarter," he said.

"Mining capex has rolled over and is starting to decline and resource exports are now growing strongly as new production comes on line."

RBC Capital Markets senior economist Su-Lin Ong said the figures show interest rate cuts in the past couple of years are having the desired effect on the economy.

"We are encouraged by some stronger household dynamics but mindful that the emerging hole in activity as mining related capex projects finish is large and will get bigger," she said.

"As long as there are signs of policy traction, core inflation remains in the upper half of the RBA's target range, and there is no substantial deterioration in the labour market, the RBA is likely to stay on hold."

Ms Ong said other factors such as a fall in overall investment in the economy and a likely fall in government spending means that the RBA will keep the cash rate at 2.5 per cent for the remainder of 2014.

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Gina gets richer but falls down list

Gina Rinehart has tumbled 10 places on a list of the world's wealthiest, despite getting richer. Source: AAP

MINING magnate Gina Rinehart has tumbled 10 places on a list of the world's wealthiest, despite getting richer.

Ms Rinehart's current wealth is estimated to have increased in the last year by $US700 million to $US17.7 billion ($A19.89 billion), but she fell from a ranking of 36 to 46 in the latest Forbes Magazine rich list.

Her wealth has declined from two years ago, as the price of iron ore fell, and she focussed on securing $7 billion in debt for her massive Roy Hill iron ore project.

On top of that, there's the cost of financial legal battles against her family.

She was the world's fifth richest woman on the list and easily Australia's richest person, ahead of 208th-ranked James Packer with $US6.5 billion.

Australian-born media magnate Rupert Murdoch and his family climbed 13 places to 78th, with $US13.5 billion.

As the mining boom dramatically propelled the size of her wealth in 2011, it was speculated Ms Rinehart could become the world's richest person.

However there is plenty of ground to make up, with Microsoft founder Bill Gates soaring back to the top spot after a four-year break with a net worth of $US76 billion.

Mr Gates displaced Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim Helu, who placed second at $US72 billion.

Next was Spanish clothing giant founder Amancio Ortega, owner of Zara, with $US64 billion, and then there's high-profile investor Warren Buffett.

Rising stock markets swelled the ranks of the world's billionaires to a record 1,645 from 1,426 last year.

The list included 172 women led by Wal-Mart heiress Christy Walton.

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RBA's rate unchanged as economy improves

THE Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the cash rate at 2.5 per cent, amid signs that the local economy is starting to improve.

The decision was expected, after RBA governor Glenn Stevens said a month ago that the board would not be changing the rate anytime soon, which he reiterated after the March meeting.

"On present indications, the most prudent course is likely to be a period of stability in interest rates," he said on Tuesday.

Mr Stevens said that consumer demand is getting slightly better and is there are signs that the housing construction sector is improving.

"Some indicators of business conditions and confidence have shown improvement and exports are rising," he said in a statement.

"At the same time, resources sector investment spending is set to decline significantly and, at this stage, signs of improvement in investment intentions in other sectors are only tentative."

The RBA governor expects the unemployment rate to rise, but the overall economic picture looks encouraging.

"Over time, growth is expected to strengthen, helped by continued low interest rates and the lower exchange rate," Mr Stevens said.

HSBC Australia chief economist Paul Bloxham said Mr Stevens' statement showed the RBA planned to keep the cash rate on hold for some time.

"There are no hints here that the RBA is considering cutting interest rates further and we think the RBA's easing phase is done," he said.

He said the RBA had also toned down its rhetoric on the Australian dollar, which it regularly described as "uncomfortably high" during 2013.

That suggested the central bank was no longer trying to push the currency lower.

"We think their concerted campaign to jawbone the Aussie dollar lower is over," Mr Bloxham said.

The Australian dollar fell more than a quarter of a US cent after the RBA's announcement.

That may be because it looks like the bank will embark on another round of talking down the currency, Westpac chief currency strategist Robert Rennie said.

"The RBA used the words the currency 'remains high by historical standards'" he said.

"So the foreign exchange market, I assume, is thinking that is potentially the beginning on the part of the RBA to encourage a weaker currency and therefore improve the rebalancing of growth in Australia."

Mr Rennie said the RBA looks fairly confident about the local economy.

"The use of the words 'appropriately configured' when you're talking about monetary policy makes it very obvious that is the case," he said.

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Online privacy a threat to kids: forum

DETAILED personal information about thousands of Australian children is up for grabs each time they log in at school, a forum has heard, and parents have no idea.

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) says free web tools such as Google apps and Gmail are widely used in Australian schools, and the company has agreed not to show advertising to in-school users of their online offerings.

But Jeff Gould, president of US tech privacy advocacy body SafeGov, told a forum in Sydney on Monday that children's online activities during school hours could still be scanned for personal data that could be used to deliver potentially troubling advertising to them beyond the school gates.

It's known as data mining, Mr Gould told AAP, and a joint SafeGov-ACSSO survey of 1000 Australian parents in 2013 showed most were clueless about the practice.

"The majority of parents, 54 per cent, basically don't know anything," he said.

Mr Gould said most parents were savvy enough to warn their children not to provide personal information, but data mining was more insidious.

A 13-year-old could log on at school, away from parents' watchful eyes and send an email about a topless picture.

"And when they go outside school, or log into YouTube, or some other site that has nothing to do with Google but where Google is selling an ad on that site, they will get an ad for nude webcams or sexy singles or whatever," Mr Gould said.

"Even if you're disclosing nothing they can still figure out all these things about you."

He told the inaugural Child Online Safety and Protection forum that schools needed to insist that tech giants agree not to use products designed for in-school use to gather data.

ACSSO president Peter Garrigan said as parents learned more about data mining, they overwhelmingly wanted the practice put to a stop.

"When we're using this stuff in a school environment, turn off the data mining. Protect the kids," he said.

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Man shot west of Brisbane

A man is in a serious condition after being shot in the stomach the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane. Source: AAP

A YOUNG man is in a serious condition after being shot in stomach in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.

A woman is assisting police with inquiries after paramedics found the man bleeding profusely at a Laidley Heights property about 9am.

The victim, aged in his 20s, has been taken to a Brisbane hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Police had no other details.

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Police release image over Vic kidnap bid

AN image has been released of a man police want to speak to about an attempted abduction of a boy from a Melbourne playground.

The six-year-old boy was in the playground on Dempster Way in Narre Warren when he was approached by an unknown man about 5pm on Saturday.

The man grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him almost 80 metres towards Melzak Way, police said.

He let go of the child when a woman challenged him and then left the area with a young girl, believed to be known to him, police say.

The man is described as being of Indian sub-continental appearance and about 177cm tall, well presented and clean cut.

He was wearing a black shirt, black shorts with a red strip down the sides and a white emblem, and glasses.

The girl who was with the man is described as being aged about four or five, with black hair in a ponytail, wearing a pink top with a butterfly on the front and a skirt.

The boy wasn't injured and police are treating it as an isolated incident.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 00.

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NZ MP urges Aust same-sex marriage reform

NEW Zealand MP Louisa Wall is challenging Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to pick up the ball on same-sex marriage.

The gay Labour MP, who is a former national representative netball and rugby union player, has released a video urging Mr Abbott to hold a free vote on reform.

"My message to Tony Abbott is don't be afraid of democracy and don't be afraid of the people."

Marriage equality was a topic of its time, she said.

Ms Wall drafted the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill which made New Zealand the 13th country to allow same-sex marriage and the first in the Asia-Pacific.

MPs cast conscience votes in April 2013, with no instructions from their parties, and the bill passed 77-44.

"We were able to join what is a global conversation in New Zealand because of the members' bill," Ms Wall said.

"And within the context of that bill, what we were really clear about was that every member of parliament had the right to exercise their conscience."

Australia's Labor Party will introduce a private members' bill aimed at legalising gay marriage, in a move designed to pressure Mr Abbott into deciding on whether government MPs will be allowed a conscience vote, ABC reported last week.

The draft legislation is practically the same as the private members' bill the then government MP, Stephen Jones, proposed to the last parliament, which was defeated in 2012.

When in opposition last year Mr Abbott was blasted for describing the push to legalise same-sex marriage as the "fashion of the moment".

Ms Wall released the video when she was in Sydney ahead of the Mardi Gras parade, GayNZ.com reported.

"Some years after taking on Australia on the netball court and rugby field, she has joined forces with Australian Marriage Equality," GayNZ.com said.

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