Go west, young man

NEWCASTLE'S Western Australia fast bowler Michael Hogan has encouraged University quick Josh Anderson to follow him to Perth if the opportunity arises.

Magpies rule out skipper Maxwell

NICK Maxwell's return to the Collingwood side may coincide with the unfurling of the premiership flag next week, with the captain ruled out of Saturday's clash with North Melbourne as he continues to recover from his kidney injury.

Coach wants Gander running on aggression

MAITLAND sprint coach Tony Fairweather hopes to see more aggression on the track from his protege Liam Gander today in the Australian Athletics Tour Final in Perth.

Anzac Day

How did the dawn service come into being? Gather close, exhorts Peter FitzSimons, and discover the beginning of a great Anzac Day tradition.

Tahs re-sign Palu, Mumm - and put faith in new forwards for Chiefs

THE Waratahs continue to re-sign their biggest names but will again rely on the unknowns against the Chiefs tomorrow night.

Morrison defends mob who oppose carbon tax, boats

THE Opposition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, has rallied to the defence of "the mob" who oppose the carbon tax and boat arrivals and said "sound-minded" Australians were being demonised by Labor as extremists.

National tours

- Art vs Science will tour Australia on the back of their successful debut album The Experiment. The three-piece Sydney band will play five state capitals in June and July with the timing of the tour making a festival stop at Splendour In The Grass likely. The band plays The Enmore in Sydney on July 8.

Qantas set to axe flights and managers

QANTAS has sought to reassure investors that it is doing its utmost to combat high jet fuel prices after revealing plans to axe managers, retire aircraft and cut domestic and international flights.

Swedes dish out award for a 'masterly storyteller'

AFTER the hoo-hah of winning an Oscar a couple of weeks ago, Shaun Tan thought he was bound for a quieter life. That was until he got a phone call from Sweden on Tuesday night telling him he had won the world's richest award for children's and young-adult literature, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, worth 5 million krona ($A765,000).

Qantas on track despite disasters

QANTAS has sought to reassure investors that it is doing its utmost to combat high jet fuel prices after unveiling plans to axe managers, retire aircraft and cut domestic and international flights.

Qantas cuts staff, services to reel in growing costs

NATURAL disasters in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, soaring fuel costs and the QF32 engine explosion are taking their toll on Qantas, forcing it to slash services, dump aircraft and axe managers.

Oscar-winner Tan scores a rich literary sequel

AFTER the hoo-hah of winning an Oscar last month, Shaun Tan thought he was bound for a quieter life. That was until he received a call from Sweden on Tuesday night telling him he had won the world's richest award for children's and young-adult literature, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize, worth 5 million krona ($765,000).

Blues to bypass skinny draft with sons of guns

FOR the Western Bulldogs, the Gold Coast��s dominance of last year��s draft had a less painful build-up than it did for any other club.

Roos at home in stripes

NTH MELBOURNE v COLLINGWOOD ETIHAD STADIUM, SATURDAY, 2.10PM

RICKY PONTING

RICKY PONTING TEST RECORD 152 matches; 12,363 runs at 53.51; highest score 257; 39 centuries, 56 half-centuries, 178 catches

RAWLINSON, KING BACK TOGETHER

Hurdling star Jana Rawlinson (right) has reunited with coach Phil King, who masterminded the first of her two world championship titles. After overcoming a dreadful run with injury, Rawlinson is set to race on Australian soil for the first time in five years at the Perth Track Classic on Thursday. In her corner will be the Melbourne-based King, the husband of Australia's other great 400 metres hurdler, Seoul 1988 Olympic gold medallist Debbie Flintoff-King.

Selwood may return after horror clash

WATCH this space, but do not be surprised if Joel Selwood runs out to play for Geelong against Fremantle on Saturday, despite the car-crash-style injuries he suffered against St Kilda last Friday night.

Taipans, Crocs a pivotal prelude to finals

THE winner of Friday night's Cairns-Townsville showdown will strike a major psychological blow in the battle for the NBL championship, according to Hawks captain Mat Campbell.

Selwood's shock return?

WATCH this space, but do not be surprised if Joel Selwood runs out to play for Geelong against Fremantle on Saturday, despite the car-crash-style injuries he suffered against St Kilda last Friday night.

Crisis looms as first-home buyers priced out of market

AUSTRALIA faces a prolonged housing affordability crisis with the last bastion of cheap housing - new suburbs on city fringes - moving out of reach of most first-home buyers, research shows.

Eagles' victory soured

ASK any West Coast fan to name their worst nightmare, and two scenarios spring to mind - losing Mark LeCras for a big part of the season and losing John Worsfold for good.

Hawks' bittersweet exit

IT may be small consolation, but Wollongong demolished Sydney last night to soften the blow of missing out on the NBL play-offs.

FAST FOOTY

WEST COAST 3.7 6.10 9.12 13.14 (92)

First home buyers get best deal in WA

Labor shortages and responding to changing conditions has led to Perth leading the affordable housing market, write Colin Keane and Bob Birrell.

Melbourne man on US firearms charge

A CONVICTED heroin dealer from Melbourne with links to a notorious motorcycle gang has been indicted by a grand jury and refused bail after buying three pistols in Arizona.

MPs slow to gather views on same-sex marriage

PERHAPS it was a case of don't ask, don't tell. Last November, the House of Representatives called on MPs to "gauge" voter views on same-sex marriage.

Tactix and Vixens looking to kickstart faltering campaigns

IT WAS a debrief like no other. February 22. A windowless room in East Christchurch.

VFL PREVIEW 2011 CLUB BY CLUB

Bendigo Bombers

Queen to open Commonwealth talks

More than 10,000 West Australians are expected to line the streets of Perth for a glimpse of the Queen when she arrives to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting this year. Queen Elizabeth's visit was confirmed yesterday and will be her first to Australia since 2006, when she opened the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said the Queen would be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. "Confirmation of the royal visit is an important and exciting development in the preparations for CHOGM 2011," Ms Gillard said. The Western Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, said the Queen's private secretary visited Perth about three weeks ago to discuss the visit as well as what the program might include. "The plans at this stage include two very public events where ... people will have a chance to see [the Queen] and hopefully many will have a chance to say hello," he said. "I think 10,000 West Australians will take part in this event." Ms Gillard said it would be the biggest international event held in Perth. Commonwealth leaders meet at CHOGM every two years to discuss global and Commonwealth issues.

Best-value capitals

This $580,000 five-bedroom home in Hobart plus affordable options in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, p8

STATE OF THE UNION

WHERE IT WAS WON

Webber quick to take charge at home

RED BULL teammates Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel have taken up where they left off last season, leading the way in formula one's first practice session of the year at the Australian Grand Prix.

Ignore them and they might go away

Among the numerous Sydneysiders expressing a degree of ambivalence about tomorrow's state election is the joint managing director of Transfield Holdings, Luca Belgiorno-Nettis (aka LBN).

Hawks lie in wait

OSCAR Forman can't believe his bad luck.

AFL TEAMS

Bye: Gold Coast Suns (All Sydney times)

James and Kerry break the fast

James Packer's very public reconciliation with Kerry Stokes at a Perth breakfast yesterday almost brought tears to the eyes.

Four boys charged with sexual assaults

FOUR boys aged between 11 and 14 have been charged with a string of sexual assaults on women at train stations, bus stations and shops across Perth on March 9 and 10.

Like a Bull at a gate

Lunchtime appointments don't come much bigger than this one.

Wangi world title bid

HIS bid to win six different world titles in a year may have faltered, but Wangi Wangi sailor Nathan Outteridge will have all guns blazing at the 505 World Championships starting at Hamilton Island tomorrow.

Winning day for Stokes as billionaires bond

JAMES Packer's very public reconciliation with Kerry Stokes in Perth at breakfast yesterday almost brought tears to the eyes.

Sun setting on paper news: Stokes

PRINTED newspapers are a "sunset industry" that could be gone in as little as 10 years after evolving online news reports that incorporate TV broadcasts, magnate Kerry Stokes says.

Stalemate over Big Bash pay

AUSTRALIAN cricketers will not support private ownership in the Big Bash League unless they receive a share of the new money, and the issue has caused a stalemate with Cricket Australia over a new pay agreement.

ON THE PUNT

THE JACKPOT

Reward for Gunn vision

DOCKLANDS' principal design adviser, architect Graeme Gunn, was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects highest accolade, the Gold Medal, in Perth last night.

Hawks promise Kings hot farewell

HAWKS legend Glen Saville has promised the Sydney Kings a torrid time on Sunday, regardless of the effect of the grudge match on Wollongong's slim finals hopes.

TRIVIA

1. Which country did USSR invade in 1979? 2. In which sport could the Wildcats take on the Taipans?

Investors watch childcare offer

TAKEOVERS and capital raisings are dominating the real estate investment trust sector as fund managers prepare their strategies for the final quarter of the financial year.

Japanese pulling out of supply deals

JAPANESE iron ore customers are pulling out of supply deals in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami amid reports they are suffering a credit squeeze.

demand for supply

Expertise in a variety of roles helps selection of candidates.

Cooling on uranium

JAPAN'S nuclear crisis has prompted Russia's state-owned Rosatom Corporation to slash its planned takeover of uranium miner Mantra Resources by more than 12 per cent, casting doubt on how other uranium takeovers will be valued.

At the End of the day

The tradition of top tunes at the grand prix continues, this year, writes Andrew Murfett.

Nuclear crisis creates uranium bargain hunt

JAPAN'S nuclear crisis has prompted Russia's state-owned Rosatom Corporation to revise its planned takeover of the uranium miner Mantra Resources by more than 12 per cent, casting doubt on how other uranium takeovers will be valued.

Johnson confident he'll fire up for India

AHMEDABAD: At 29 and needing only five matches to reach 100 ODIs, Mitchell Johnson is undoubtedly among the most senior players in the Australian squad.

Style police: Cup final cops wanted, ugly need not apply

Only good-looking police officers, who can supposedly whack the tripe out of fans with a stick, will be allowed to work at the Cricket World Cup final, Mumbai's police commissioner has reportedly said. Arup Patnaik told senior officers during a briefing that he only wanted "tall, well-built and slim policemen" to be working on April 2 when the last match is played at Wankhede Stadium, DNA India reported. "The commissioner has asked all deputy commissioners to choose tall, well-built and slim policemen for the bandobast [organised] duty. They should look healthy, and be seen as competent," a senior policeman told DNA.

Wollongong's fate out of their hands

WHEN the full-time siren ended Saturday's battle between Wollongong and Cairns, the Hawks' wide-eyed look of despair suggested they had just witnessed a natural disaster.

Pubs owner loses control of Perth business

THE Compass Hotel Group of Perth is the latest pub owner to go into receivership, owing close to $100 million to the St George Bank.

Cashing in estate: remains of Talbot empire up for sale

The chairman is reportedly in Beijing chatting to potential buyers of the ore.

Benn bent on bettering mark in Aussie season

COMMONWEALTH discus champion Benn Harradine has set his sights on breaking his own national record - this time on Australian soil - when he returns from Europe on Saturday.

A winning culture

These days, we know there is no single super food that will rejuvenate, renew and restore us but good full-cream yoghurt with live acidophilus cultures intact is a rewarding, healthy and delicious staple to have in the kitchen.

LETTERS

Better late

Fowler's Glory days over as Smeltz becomes main man

ROBBIE FOWLER'S A-League career could be over after it emerged yesterday Perth Glory had won the race to sign Shane Smeltz as their marquee player.

Margin for error tiny

Round 23 of the NBL was easily the closest of the season.

Rebel pride to raise Rebel hell

MELBOURNE Rebels vice-captain Gareth Delve yesterday said the team's pride ensured it would bounce back from the 53-3 last-round thrashing by Queensland.

Old favourites steal the show

There were few surprises at Sydney's annual sip-off, writes Willie Simpson.

Taipans could steal second

CAIRNS haven't given up on climbing from fourth to second spot.

North coach is looking beyond the premiership window

NORTH Melbourne accepts that it must first prove it can compete with the top four sides, but Brad Scott envisages that seasons 2012 to 2014, present the chance to join the top four and strike for a flag.

Brave faces after dream is crushed

THE Wollongong Hawks' dreams of a championship all but evaporated with Saturday night's heartbreaking 68-67 loss to Cairns.

AUSTRALIA ��� Ecosystems under threat

THE KIMBERLEY

D-Day for Dynasty shareholders

Shareholders in the listed soap opera Dynasty Metals are expected to be treated to their most melodramatic episode yet, when the iron-ore explorer meets in Perth today for its extraordinary general meeting.

Demoted Jones has striking comeback

HE'S 37, bald and slow and wasn't even considered good enough to be part of his team's recent road trip to Adelaide and Perth.

DOWNLOADED

November to February is typically a sleepy time for new albums and singles, with just the odd tardy track breaking up the slew of Christmas songs and festive stocking stuffers. In February, like an American groundhog sniffing out the advent of spring, a few new records emerge hesitantly, but in March the onslaught begins in earnest. This week saw a swathe of freshly minted albums make their way into the download charts, with five new releases in the digital top 10 alone.

Expect fresh blood in the final eight

All good things must come to end, and it could come soon.

Shining through

The footballing gods have smiled on AFL newcomers the Suns. THE 2011 AFL pre-season has provided a murkier script than usual, which is saying something, and one that became disturbingly difficult to follow. And with no weekly intervention of truly competitive football, the lines between sport and life have also become increasingly blurred.

Now our cup bid begins

THE record books show Australia's 2011 World Cup campaign officially began a month ago although chief selector Andrew Hilditch reckons it realistically begins today, against Pakistan.

It's all son and games for Jetta

Things have happened quickly for Lewis Jetta - on and off the field, writes Michael Cowley.

Triplets and bovver boys in double take

SINGAPORE BIENNALE 2011:

Buses in west get a man riding shotgun

SECURITY guards have started to accompany bus drivers on some evening bus services from Mount Druitt.

Paedophile ring busted and children rescued

FOUR Australians are alleged to be some of the most senior members of the world's largest ever online paedophile ring, a global operation whose members are alleged to have kept hundreds of young boys captive in order to abuse them.

Hatzistergos assails the prosecutor and Cowdery sails into sunset

The Attorney-General, John Hatzistergos, has performed what we can only hope is his final act of bastardry before he is flung out of office. As long as Hatzistergos had breath in his body he was going to see the end of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery - and his final play in the battle was the appointment of Ian Temby, QC, as acting DPP for two months.

Sydney is a sadder, meaner, angrier city

Sydney is the Elizabeth Taylor of Australian cities. It is a little-appreciated fact that the ageing Hollywood glamazon was born just weeks before the grand opening ceremony for the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932. The city and the star have been making a living off their good looks ever since.

Perth to stage Dynasty showdown

The soap opera in the Dynasty Metals boardroom is quickly resembling one of the power struggles portrayed in the much-loved US television series of the same name.

Pitch to host G20 summit in 2014

AUSTRALIA is pitching to host the heads of 20 leading nations in 2014 for a special summit on the global economy.

Rio gives extra protection to whistleblowers

RIO TINTO has beefed up its whistleblower program for its 77,000 global employees, hot on the heels of the Stern Hu affair.

Chameleon Mining successfully fights off claim from its former litigation funder

WITH a board flanked by the former rugby league star Benny Elias and Perth Glory owner Tony Sage, there should be high fives and hugs all around at Chameleon Mining NL after its success in fighting off a multimillion-dollar claim from its one-time litigation funder.

Perron Group defies the trend on St Kilda Road

PERTH-BASED Perron Group has secured five new leases in its 484 St Kilda Road office tower in deals totalling 6500 square metres.

Good outcome for Chameleon

WITH a board flanked by former rugby league star Benny Elias and Perth Glory owner Tony Sage, there should be high-fives and hugs all round at Chameleon Mining NL following its success in fighting off a multimillion-dollar claim from its one-time litigation funder.

Gillard out of step on carbon tax and same-sex marriage

JULIA Gillard is on the wrong side of public opinion on two of the most contentious issues facing her government ��� with a clear majority of voters opposing a carbon tax and supporting same-sex marriage.

Greenhouse gases aren't the bad guys, says Abbott

THE Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has again questioned the scientific evidence for climate change, saying he does not accept that carbon dioxide is a proven "environmental villain" or that cutting greenhouse gas emissions is the most important environmental challenge.

Fantastic foliage sets stage for an original Magic Flute

Mozart's last opera is staged as a rumble in the jungle, Robin Usher writes.

Carbon dioxide not the bad guy, says Abbott

THE Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has again questioned the scientific evidence for climate change, saying he does not accept that carbon dioxide is a proven "environmental villain" or that cutting greenhouse gas emissions is the most important environmental challenge.

Brews up but just four golds flow

Major medals are scarce at this year's Sydney Royal Beer Competition.

Needed: lots more engineers

The resource industry is desperately short of skilled workers, writes Philip Wen

Suitcase pair raised alert

IT WAS train staff on board the Indian Pacific who first became suspicious of two young men clutching suitcases on the three-night trip from Perth to Sydney. The pair were stopped and searched when they arrived at Central Station on Saturday morning. Police allegedly found $2.5 million in Australian currency inside the two suitcases, mainly in $50 notes. The men, a 25-year-old from Auburn and a 26-year-old from Sydney, were charged with recklessly dealing in the proceeds of crime. They will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on April 19.

Voters turn on PM over broken carbon promise

JULIA Gillard has for the first time conceded that she broke a promise on a carbon tax, as a new poll showed that voters were turning on her over the issue.

Putting all shoulders to the wheel

The competition for skilled labour is taking its toll in Australia, writes Philip Wen.

Strike Three

TWO weeks after he was taken from Subiaco Oval on a stretcher after a bump, Collingwood rookie Tom Hunter remains in a neck brace with his immediate playing future uncertain.

Staff noticed suitcase pair

IT WAS train staff on board the Indian Pacific who first became suspicious of two young men clutching suitcases on the three-night trip between Sydney and Perth.

Return of menacing dialogue

Robin Usher reports on a prize-winning play featuring rapid-fire word games.

Heartbreaking draw shows the Force isn't with unlucky Westerners

THE Western Force are the only team in the Australian conference without a win, but they are easily the most courageous and unluckiest of the five local provinces.

Security sent in as detainees still at large

TWO PLANE loads of police and security staff have flown to Christmas Island to counter two breakouts by more than 200 immigration detainees who smashed through security doors and fences.