Monday 29 November 2004

Summer arrives early on a blanket of hot air, The Australian, 29 November, 2004.

Summer arrives early on a blanket of hot air: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Stapleton, JohnThe Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 29 Nov 2004: 3.
The hottest parts of the continent yesterday were in South Australia, where Oodnadatta, Woomera and Moomba all notched 43C. Temperatures in northwest Western Australia soared well into the 40s, and Ivanhoe in western NSW also hit 43C.
In NSW, total fire bans were imposed in the northern Riverina and southwest of the state, as well as across much of the central west and the Hunter. Very high to extreme fire warnings are in place across much of NSW. In South Australia, there was a total fire ban on the west coast, the Riverland and the Flinders areas, while bans have been imposed across much of the state today. A fire warning has also been issued for the Mallee in Victoria.

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Friday 26 November 2004

Mother of all parenting dilemmas, The Australian, 26 November, 2004.

Mother of all parenting dilemmas: [1 All-round Country Edition]

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The record low 2003-04 figure was down from 78 children a year earlier, and continues a dramatic 30-year decline in the number ofAustralian children being offered for adoption.
The author of the adoption report, Debbie Noble-Carr, said the decline in the number of Australian-born children available for adoption could be attributed to women making more informed choices about birth control and changing community attitudes towards single parenthood.
Children adopted from China rose from 46 in 2002-03 to 112 in 2003-04, comprising 30 per cent of inter-country adoptions. Adoptions from South Korea and Ethiopia are also on the rise.

Adoption an option we're giving up, The Australian, 26 November, 2004 Additional reporting

Adoption, an option we're giving up: [2 All-round First Edition]

Sid Maher, Cindy TahijaThe Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 26 Nov 2004: 2.
The record low 2003-04 figure was down from 78 children a year earlier, and continues a dramatic 30-year decline in the number of Australian children being offered for adoption.
The author of the adoption report, Debbie Noble-Carr, said the decline in the number of Australian-born children available for adoption could be attributed to women making more informed choices about birth control and changing community attitudes towards single parenthood.
Children adopted from China rose from 46 in 2002-03 to 112 in 2003-04, comprising 30 per cent of inter-country adoptions. Adoptions from South Korea and Ethiopia are also on the rise.

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Monday 22 November 2004

Asthma drug a killer, Senate inquiry hears, The Australian, 22 November, 2004.

Asthma drug a killer, Senate inquiry hears: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Stapleton, JohnThe Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 22 Nov 2004: 4.
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A US trial last year involving Serevent and a dummy treatment was halted after 13 people taking Serevent died. GlaxoSmithKline was forced to place a warning on its packaging.
Doctors said Serevent was most commonly prescribed in conjunction with other drugs. The product Seretide, for example, the leading asthma preventer with 2.5million local scripts written annually, is a combination of Serevent and an anti-inflammatory.
"Our concern as paediatricians is that kids with very mild asthma are being put on Seretide as a first choice, rather than just using a non-steroidal or inhaled steroid." A company spokeswoman said: "GlaxoSmithKline stands firmly behind Serevent, which is safe and effective when used appropriately and in accordance with labelling and treatment guidelines." Three other drugs named by the FDA's spokesman as having safety concerns were on sale in Australia; Reductil, Roaccutane and Bextra.

Free rides for all on city trains, The Australian, 22 November, 2004.

Free rides for all on city trains: [3 All-round Metro Edition]

Stapleton, JohnThe Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 22 Nov 2004: 6.
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COMMUTERS on the CityRail network in and around Sydney, from north of Newcastle to Nowra in the south, are getting a free ride today after months of turmoil, including extensive delays and overcrowding.
Long-suffering train commuters won the fare-free travel after the NSW Government caved in to a protest campaign for a "no-pay day" and Premier Bob Carr overruled rail executives who had threatened to fine fare evaders.

Commuters ride rail free, The Australian, 22 November, 2004.

Commuters ride rail free: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Stapleton, JohnThe Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 22 Nov 2004: 6.
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Long-suffering train commuters won the fare-free travel after the NSW Government caved in to a protest campaign for a "no-pay day" and Premier Bob Carr overruled rail executives who had threatened to fine fare evaders.
Unions NSW secretary John Robertson was supportive, saying: "We think commuters and rail workers alike have suffered at the hands of Railcorp management. The whole system is suffering from a lack of funding."