WA: Autopsy for Christmas day fatal bashing victim

00-00-0000
WA: Autopsy for Christmas day fatal bashing victim

An autopsy will be conducted today on a 21-year-old Perth man who was fatally bashedon Christmas Day by up to three car-loads of youths.

LEON JAMES ROBINSON was trying to hitch a lift home with four friends early on Christmasmorning when up to 10 young men bashed him unconscious.

He died shortly after in hospital.

Mr ROBINSON had spent Christmas Eve at a tavern in north suburban Hillarys with his20-year-old girlfriend TANYA HAMILTON, another woman and two other men.

Ms HAMILTON's told reporters that when they tried to hitch a lift, up to 10 men intwo or three cars bashed the 21-year-old electrician unconscious before repeatedly kickinghim as he lay on the ground.

Police say a post mortem examination will be carried out today on Mr ROBINSON's body.

AAP RTV lk/rk/rp

KEYWORD: ROBINSON (PERTH)

Qld: Commission to rule on police industrial action

00-00-0000
Qld: Commission to rule on police industrial action

The Brisbane Supreme Court will rule today on whether the Queensland Police Union cantake industrial action to further its wage claims.

The union last Friday went to court in a bid to prove the Industrial Relations Actgave them the right to take industrial action.

But QPU President GARY WILKINSON says police won't strike even if they win the right.

The union is seeking an 18 per cent pay rise over three years for its 8,000 members,while the government has offered 3.5 per cent per annum.

The QPU launched a television advertising campaign yesterday, focusing on QueenslandPremier PETER BEATTIE'S salary.

The ads claim Mr BEATTIE is Australia's second highest paid premier and accuses himof hypocrisy for expecting police to work for less than their southern counterparts.

A spokesman for the premier says the figures are wrong.

Industrial Relations Minister GORDON NUTTALL says the ads show how the union has stoopedto desperate measures.

AAP RTV ch/jtb/psm/

KEYWORD: QPU (BRISBANE)

NSW: Drug can cut stroke deaths by 10,000 - expert

00-00-0000
NSW: Drug can cut stroke deaths by 10,000 - expert

By Judy Skatssoon, Health and Medical Writer

SYDNEY, April 9 AAP - A commonly used drug could prevent up to 10,000 stroke-relateddeaths a year if it was more widely prescribed to high-risk groups, a medical expert saidtoday.

Dr Graeme Hankey, head of the stroke unit at Royal Perth Hospital, said an overseasstudy published in the British Medical Journal this month found the drug ramipril, marketedas Tritace, reduced the risk of fatal strokes by 61 per cent.

It also cut the risk of many stroke-related disabilities in survivors by up to 40 percent, the study found.

However, this was not because of the drug's blood-pressure lowering effect for whichit was currently prescribed, Dr Hankey said.

Instead, the drug had shown an ability to suppress the production of a substance knownas Angiotensin 2, which accelerates hardening of the arteries.

Dr Hankey said because of its limited use as a blood pressure-lowering drug Tritacewas currently only being prescribed to about half the people who could benefit from it.

He said GPs should be targeting high risk candidates for stroke and prescribing themthe drug as a preventative measure.

This included people who had previously had a heart attack or stroke, people with highcholesterol, people with blood vessel disease in their legs and diabetics.

"If this treatment is given ... to a wide range of people who are at risk of stroke... if these people can be appropriately treated, whatever their blood pressure is, withthis drug by their GP, then the potential impact for the burden of stroke on the communityis really rather large," he said.

He said the findings had significant implications for Australians, with strokes thethird most common cause of death and the leading cause of disability among adults in thecountry.

He said, in addition to other preventive measures, the use of Tritace could preventat least 5,000 and up to 10,000 of Australia's 40,000 strokes a year over the next fourto five years.

Tritace's effect with relation to lowering Angiotensin 2 had also revealed a possiblenew risk factor for stroke, he said.

"It's helped us to uncover our understanding of what causes hardening of the arteriesand what causes strokes," he said.

The drug had minimal side effects with one in twenty patients likely to to experiencecoughing from it.

Tritace is available under the PBS.

AAP jjs/ldj/sb

KEYWORD: STROKE

WA: DEP calls for help finding highly toxic 245-T

00-00-0000
WA: DEP calls for help finding highly toxic 245-T

The West Australian government is calling for help to find a stockpile of deadly 245-Tburied in the state.

Agriculture Minister KIM CHANCE says the government may consider holding a judicialreview into claims the Agent Orange ingredient was dumped in the state.

Mr CHANCE says he will consider calling for a judicial probe if …

NSW: Lawyer considering suing judge over IUD case

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2001
NSW: Lawyer considering suing judge over IUD case

The lawyer for a group of more than 300 women whose case against the makers of the
Copper 7 IUD contraceptive has now been resolved, is considering suing the former judge
who heard their case.

Outside the New South Wales Supreme Court, Dr PETER CASHMAN said today's resolution
follows the earlier failure of former Justice VINCE BRUCE to give a proper and reasoned
decision in the case.

Justice BRUCE heard the case, Australia's longest and most complex product liability
litigation, in 1996 and delivered his judgment in 1999, finding in favour of IUD's makers
G D Searle.

After giving his judgment, Justice BRUCE resigned following complaints of delays in
his judgments, a state government attempt to remove him from the bench, and the disclosure
that he suffered from depression.

His Copper 7 judgment was overturned on appeal last year and a new trial ordered.

Dr CASHMAN's told reporters that Justice BRUCE's judgment was inadequate and consideration
is being given to suing the former judge.

The terms of today's resolution in the case are confidential.

AAP RTV gl/jjs/ldj/rp

KEYWORD: IUD (SYDNEY)

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD: New test for revolutionary scramjet

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2001
QLD: New test for revolutionary scramjet

By Gil Breitkreutz

BRISBANE, April 12 AAP - A revolutionary jet engine designed to fly planes four times
faster than the Concorde has passed initial tests.

The scramjet, the pet project of aeronautical engineer Ray Stalker, passed its vibration
tests at Salisbury, South Australia, over the past three days.

Prof Stalker said the shaker test aimed to prove the revolutionary engine could withstand
the rigours of being shot into space.

"They literally tried to shake it to pieces," Prof Stalker said.

"Now it's passed, we have the Hyshot Project in July."

That involved sending a scramjet engine 380km into space and trying to start the engine
during its passage.

The scramjet is a combustible engine designed to work with air that passes into its
chambers at supersonic speed.

"With normal combustion engines the air is slowed down. With the scramjet the air enters
at the speed the engine is travelling and fuel is injected in milliseconds to provide
the combustion," said Prof Stalker.

He said the scramjet had worked in tests on the ground but this would be the first
attempt to make the engine work under subspace conditions.

"If it works it could lead to jet planes flying at eight times the speed of sound.

That's about four times the present speed of the Concorde. Think how that could revolutionise
air travel," he said.

Prof Stalker, who has been working on the project for 20 years, said the present trials
were costing about $500,000.

"The Americans have a longer term project underway that has a $150 million-budget," he said.

Prof Stalker said the US Air Force, the National Aeronautical Laboratory of Japan and
the US aerospace company GASL had joined the Queensland University in the current project.

Dr Allan Paul of Queensland University's Centre for Hypersonics said the scramjet could
revolutionise the launch of small space payloads such as communications satellites by
substantially lowering the costs.

AAP geb/jhm/mg

KEYWORD: SCRAMJET

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Firefighters find suspect crop and illegal power setup

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2001
Vic: Firefighters find suspect crop and illegal power setup

Police later said they have detained a man for questioning after 10 marijuana plants were found.

A spokesman says the 1.5 metre plants were found in a garage at the property.

He says a lighting system, watering equipment and timer had been used to grow the plants.

The fire was believed to have started in a bedroom ceiling fan due to a power overload.

Police expect to charge a man in his 30s with drug offences.

AAP bp/psm/

KEYWORD: CROP 2 MELBOURNE (REOPENS)

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.