A woman's body has been found at a house in Victoria's west. Source: AAP
A WOMAN'S body has been found at a house in Victoria's west.
Police were called to Doveton Street, Ballarat, where the woman's body was found at 11.15am (AEDT).
Homicide Squad detectives are also attending the scene.
The US military is reportedly deploying a spy plane in Japan to boost surveillance on North Korea. Source: AAP
THE US military is set to deploy an unmanned spy plane in Japan to boost surveillance capabilities as North Korea apparently readied for missile launches, a newspaper report says.
The Global Hawk will be stationed at the US airbase in Misawa, northern Japan, in the first ever deployment of the aircraft in the country, the Sankei Shimbun reported, quoting government sources.
The US military informed Japan last month about plans to deploy the plane between June and September but may bring the date forward, it said, following reports about North Korea's preparations for missile launches.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing a top South Korean government official, said North Korea had loaded two mid-range Musudan missiles on mobile launchers and hidden them in underground facilities near its east coast.
The Musudan have never been tested but are believed to have a range of around 3000km, which could theoretically be pushed to 4000km if they were to be given a light payload.
That would cover any target in South Korea and Japan, and possibly even reach US military bases located on the Pacific island of Guam.
Tensions have soared on the Korean peninsula since December, when the North test-launched a long-range rocket. In February, it conducted its third nuclear test and drew fresh UN sanctions.
AN Australian navy sailor accused of overpowering a fellow seaman and stealing weapons from a patrol boat in Darwin has pleaded guilty to all charges against him.
Matthew Evans, 26, appeared in the Darwin Supreme Court on Friday to face charges of depriving a person of personal liberty, aggravated robbery, two counts of aggravated assault and one charge of recklessly endangering serious harm.
It's alleged Evans, dressed in a military uniform and a balaclava, attacked a fellow seaman at Darwin's Coonawarra Navy base and tied him up before stealing 12 handguns and two shotguns from HMAS Bathurst, which was moored at the time.
The incident occurred on November 30 last year.
Evans pleaded guilty to all charges and is due to face court on April 15 for sentencing.
HELLS Angels bikies who are converging on Darwin for the annual run can expect to be closely watched, police say.
Northern Territory police on Friday said they had been monitoring the arrival of up to 200 Hell's Angels motorcycle club members in the city over the past few days and would continue to keep an eye on them over the weekend.
The bikies' annual run on Saturday will be the first real test of the territory's temporary liquor licensing laws, which prohibit licensed venues serving anyone wearing colours or insignia related to a known outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG).
Police say the event will cause some delays on roads as large groups of motorcyclists ride around the city.
"Outlaw motorcycle gangs have a history of serious criminal activity and the NT Police make no excuses for observing the movements of these members," Commander Wayne Harris said in a statement.
"This is a preventative exercise aimed directly at letting this OMCG know that any criminal or anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated."
A WOMAN who gave birth prematurely after falling onto her stomach while chasing two thieves at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, has been released from hospital.
Police say the woman, 32, had four aprons snatched from her by a man outside the Hollywood Horrors ride about 2.30pm (AEDT) on Monday, while she was distracted by another man.
After the aprons were stolen, the 34-week pregnant woman and a security guard tried to chase the men into a food tent, but the woman tripped and hit her stomach.
The guard was unable to find the thieves, both believed to be aged about 18, in the crowded area.
No cash was stolen, but the thieves made off with between $5,000 to $10,000 worth of ride tickets, Detective Inspector Paul Arnold from Auburn police told reporters on Wednesday.
He said they targeted the woman because she was pregnant and the incident "could have gone a lot worse".
"It could have been the death of an unborn child."
Police have reviewed CCTV footage from the area, but due to the 95,000-strong crowd it has not yet been possible to identify the men.
The woman, from interstate, was given first aid at the show before she was taken to Westmead Hospital, where she later gave birth to Roman, a 2.9kg baby boy.
Roman was initially in a critical condition and his mother was extensively bruised, but their health has since improved and the woman was released from hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
Her son is expected to be discharged in the next few days, Det Insp Arnold said.
Police are looking for two men described as about 18 years old with a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean appearance.
They are appealing for witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1300 333 000.
FEDERAL Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has already begun planning with Western Australia's Premier Colin Barnett on potential changes to GST distribution.
And in return, the WA Liberal supremo has vowed to hammer the Gillard government over the issue in the build-up to the federal election on September 14.
Already a vocal critic of Ms Gillard over the GST share received by WA, as well as the mining tax, Mr Barnett revealed on Wednesday he had begun consultation with Mr Abbott in the event of a change of federal government.
"I have had a telephone conversation with Tony Abbott in the last week and we are talking about trying to fix the system. I think he at least understands the problem," Mr Barnett said.
"It is grossly certainly unfair that we now get 45 cents in the dollar, that has never happened in Australia's history and it shouldn't happen.
"It affects services here, education and health predominantly, but it also holds back the Australian economy."
As Ms Gillard's government continues to stare at a potential wipeout in the west in September, Mr Barnett said he would personally be putting the "facts" about the state's GST share to the public in the election build-up.
"Just a few years ago 50 per cent of state government revenue came from the Commonwealth, that is down to 35 per cent," Mr Barnett told ABC radio.
"So you basically have an independent WA within an Australian federation, so we are going to have raise money ourselves.
"What I want is something that secures long-term funding. The GST is supposed to be the state's revenue source. So I will be presenting to the WA public the facts on the GST in the lead-up to the federal election."
Mr Barnett said he had also talked with Mr Abbott about potential federal funding for state election promises, including a new rail line to the airport and a light rail project to Perth's northern suburbs.
Mr Barnett confirmed this year's state budget would be delivered in early August.
QUEENSLAND'S opposition wants Communities Minister Tracy Davis to resign for failing to audit or save a community association linked to suspended MP Scott Driscoll.
The Regional Community Association of Moreton Bay said on Tuesday it planned to go into liquidation.
Mr Driscoll is facing a raft of allegations, the worst of which is that he secretly controlled the association while he was an MP and funnelled $120,000 in consulting fees to his wife's company, Norsefire.
Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said Ms Davis had the power to order a forensic audit of the association's books.
But she says the minister has sat on her hands for two weeks.
"This minister is incompetent, or maybe they are looking at protecting the member for Redcliffe (Mr Driscoll)," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"Either the minister shapes up and starts to take a hands-on approach to this problem or she should go and make way for someone who is willing to do that."
The taxpayer-funded association assists the community by providing counselling, emergency assistance and other services to residents.
Its board says it's owed about $295,000, including unpaid contract money from the state and federal governments.
It needs about $68,000 to meet all current creditors.
It claims it could pay debts if the government released funding it owes, but has held back since complaints about Mr Driscoll were made to the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).
Ms Palaszczuk said Ms Davis could authorise state payments, so staff could be paid and community service work could continue.
The board, in its letter to media outlets on Tuesday, also lashed out at the "anonymous complaints" made against it.
"Any such complaints are entirely baseless," it said.
The board maintains it fully audited financials at all times and has endured "false, misleading and malicious attacks" for the past 12 months.
"The organisation has been caught up in a political witch-hunt because of its association with the local member of parliament," it says.
"The direct result of this is now the closure of a great local community organisation."
Mr Driscoll has vigorously denied all allegations made against him.
THE NSW opposition and unions are warning the government not to sell off the state's "poles and wires" electricity infrastructure, despite repeated promises it won't be privatised.
A $1.5 million campaign against the sale of the distribution network was launched on Tuesday by the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the United Services Union (USU), the Public Service Association, and Association of Professional Engineers and Scientists and Managers Australia.
Using the results of a recent union survey of 1801 NSW residents, the ETU and USU argue the "overwhelming view" of the public is against the sale of the infrastructure.
"(The poles and wires) are owned by the residents of NSW and they're not for any government to sell," ETU NSW secretary Steve Butler told reporters on Tuesday.
The survey also indicated the fate of the state's power infrastructure would influence how people voted at the next state election, Mr Butler said.
Both groups argue the distribution network would probably be purchased by foreign investors if put up for sale, as happened in South Australia and Victoria.
This would drive up electricity costs and transfer $3.5 billion the government earns from the poles and wires - money used to improve schools and hospitals - into the hands of overseas investors, USU general secretary Graeme Kelly said.
"Our polling shows us that the vast majority of people don't believe that foreign ownership is in their best interest," Mr Kelly said.
Opposition Leader John Robertson has called on the government to confirm it won't privatise the poles and wires, saying it would "send energy bills soaring".
"Electricity bills have already risen by almost $600 in the two years since Mr O'Farrell came to office, and privatising electricity will only make things worse," he said in a statement.
"If the premier and treasurer have any understanding of the pressure rising electricity bills are having on NSW families, they will categorically rule out selling the poles and wires."
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said in a statement earlier on Tuesday that his government's election promise to keep poles and wires as a public asset "has not changed".
He said the unions were using the issue to run an "unfounded scare campaign".
Funding from the federal government is needed to upgrade ageing and potentially dangerous bridges. Source: AAP
FUNDING from the federal government is needed to help upgrade ageing and potentially dangerous bridges and structures in NSW, state Roads Minister Duncan Gay says.
The NSW government has committed to improving road safety and freight productivity by replacing or upgrading bridges over the next five years at 17 locations across the state.
The announcement follows a joint Fairfax/University of Technology Sydney investigation into bridges at risk of collapse.
The report of the study said Gosford Council had ignored warnings from engineers to repair a rusted culvert, which gave way and killed five people in 2007.
Mr Gay says there's no denying there are council-owned bridges and structures which are ageing in regional NSW.
"We have a massive task ahead of us, working with local councils, to work through this huge backlog of outdated infrastructure across the state," he said in a statement.
"This is because, due to either the sheer size of the structure or its heavy maintenance schedule, these bridges are beyond the local council's financial capability," he said.
Although most bridges fall under the jurisdiction of local councils, Mr Gay said the state government maintained 188 bridges on local and regional roads.
In October last year, the government introduced a $145 million program to be rolled out over five years to improve road safety and freight productivity by replacing or upgrading bridges at 17 key locations across country NSW.
"We're seeking matching funding from the federal government to make this a $290 million program," Mr Gay said.
In 2011, the federal government dumped a program that had been in place for five years to replace timber bridges.
The NSW government had allocated more than $1.35 billion toward the maintenance of roads in the state, which included $170 million of grant payments made to councils this financial year as a contribution to the management of regional roads and bridges, Mr Gay said.
"This financial year more than $5.7 million has been allocated to Kempsey, Clarence and Kyogle Shire councils to address road and bridge maintenance on regional roads," he said.
"We're doing what we can to help local government, but councils need to make clear decisions as to where funding should be allocated in their local area."
But he stressed that councils should not be wholly dependent on state funds for the upgrades.
"Councils also receive funding from their local rates and the federal government, and if bridges are deteriorating or need replacing, councils need to prioritise funding for the work," he said.
MANUFACTURING activity in China expanded at its fastest pace in almost a year last month, official data shows, indicating conditions in the world's No 2 economy are continuing to improve.
The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) hit 50.9 in March, the highest since April 2012 when the figure stood at 53.3, according to the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP).
PMI is a widely watched barometer of the health of China's economy, with a reading above 50 indicating expansion while anything below points to contraction.
The March reading improved from 50.1 in February and signalled the sixth consecutive month of expanding manufacturing activity in the country.
The rebound in PMI last month was led by increasing new orders as demand improved, driven by exports and investment, said Zhang Liqun, a government analyst, in a CFLP statement.
"The current data showed the economy generally remained stable. But we have to keep a close eye on changes that may take place in the coming months," Zhang said on Monday.
British bank HSBC - whose survey focuses more on smaller enterprises - said its final PMI for March stood at 51.6 in March, up from 50.4 in February, when the reading dipped to its lowest since October.
"China's recovery continues, mainly driven by the gradually improving domestic demand conditions," said Qu Hongbin, a Hong Kong-based economist with the bank, in a statement.
Declining input prices and "lingering external headwinds" - an apparent reference to the eurozone's woes and the sluggish US recovery - indicated that inflationary pressures were easing, he said.
China's economy expanded 7.8 per cent in 2012, its slowest pace for 13 years, in the face of weakness at home and in key overseas markets.
But growth accelerated in the final three months of last year to 7.9 per cent, snapping seven straight quarters of weakening expansion.
However, government figures pointed to a slowdown in retail sales growth last month, suggesting the budding recovery may be fragile.
China's inflation hit a 10-month high of 3.2 per cent in February, up from January's 2.0 per cent, as holiday season spending and rapid credit growth accelerated price rises.
A third person has died in hospital following the collapse of a brick wall in inner-Melbourne. Source: AAP
AN audit of crumbling facades on Victorian building sites is one of four urgent investigations being undertaken after three people, including a brother and sister, were killed by a collapsing wall in Melbourne.
Bridget Jones, 18, died in a Melbourne hospital early on Sunday from injuries she received when a big wind gust brought down a 15-metre long section of wall as she walked along a footpath on Thursday.
Her brother, 19-year-old Alexander Jones, died at the scene in inner Melbourne when he flung his body across his sister to protect her from the falling bricks.
A Mount Waverley woman in her 30s also was killed but has not yet been formally identified.
The Victorian government has ordered the building commission to examine similar walls around the state.
"This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with the family," Premier Denis Napthine said.
"This incident will be fully investigated by the coroner and other relevant authorities."
Victoria Police will also complete an investigation, as will WorkSafe and Grocon, the owner of the site.
Bridget's death at 6.30am (AEDT) in Royal Melbourne Hospital prompted friends and well-wishers to flood a Facebook tribute page to pay their respects and express disbelief.
"Hard to find meaning in life when things like this happen," one friend wrote.
"Condolences to family and friends. Stay strong for each other, they are together and at peace now."
On Saturday, the parents of the siblings, Sue and Ian Jones, said they were devastated.
"We are overwhelmed at the loss of our son Alexander and are very distressed to see our critically ill daughter in the hospital," they said in their statement.
They also thanked the passers-by who sifted through the rubble in frenzied rescue attempts.
"We understand people who were passing by and the emergency services did everything that they could and we are so grateful these people tried their best for our children."
Friends of the siblings continued to gather at the scene of the tragedy on Swanston Street in Carlton on Sunday.
Flowers and messages of support were left at the makeshift shrine, including "Zander for PM" scrawled across the pavement in chalk.
Alexander, known to his friends as Zander, was a former school captain at Montmorency Secondary College.
School principal Allan Robinson says the Montmorency community is devastated.
"This is a loss of enormous proportions," he told reporters.
"He was an incredible young man, thoroughly respected and admired by every student and every member of staff at Montmorency Secondary College."
TEN hikers including five children are lost in Victoria's Bogong High Plains, in the Alpine National Park.
They set off from Youngs Hut around lunch time on Saturday and headed along Youngs Top Walking Track before contacting emergency services about 6pm (AEDT).
"The group had planned to walk to McNamara Hut when it is believed they took a wrong turn," a police spokeswoman said.
"They camped overnight and at this stage there are no medical concerns and the group has both food and water."
The area is part of the Great Dividing Range, north east of Melbourne and can be accessed from the ski resorts of Mount Hotham and Falls Creek.
Emergency services are searching for the group and anyone who may have seen is urged to contact triple-0.
