G8 summit to pledge £12bn for Arab spring states

Arab transition to democracy are to be offered as much as £12bn in aid, loans and debt relief as a result of pledges being compiled at the G8 group of nations summit on Friday. The money will come from international financial institutions and members of the G8.

Leaders of both Egypt and Tunisia, the two chief recipients of the aid, will speak to leaders of the G8, currently chaired by the French on the second day of its summit in Deauville, and stress that they need money urgently to ensure their shift to democracy is smooth and not hampered by economic crisis.

Both countries have been severely hit by falling economic growth, high inflation, high youth unemployment and loss of tourism, on which both depend. Tunisia has been especially hit by the continuing war in neighbouring Libya.

Tunisia, the electoral commission is insisting elections are deferred from the summer to October to allow more time to prepare a workable electoral roll, a move that is disputed by the interim government.

Egypt, some of the groups responsible for the initial protests that led to the overthrow of Mubarak in February are calling for a second day of rage in Cairo on Friday to protest at the way in which the army appears to be dominating the transition process. Many groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, have warned against further demonstrations.

The £12bn ($20bn) figure, although impressive-sounding, will have to be examined carefully to see how much represents grants as opposed to loans. The money will predominantly come from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the US and the EU. Both the UK and France have offered bilateral sums: France offered Egypt up to $250m a year in development aid on Thursday and David Cameron set aside £110m over four years for political and economic development.

Britain and France have agreed to send ground attack helicopters to the region in a move that will intensify the attacks on the Libyan regime's command and control sites. Britain will send as many as eight Apache helicopters. Sarkozy has tried to persuade the US to deploy A-10 attack aircraft and AC-130 gunships in Libya.

The draft declaration by the G8 will urge Muammar Gaddafi to declare a ceasefire and agree to a political solution, officials said. The Arab Union meeting this week also called for a ceasefire, but did not call for Gaddafi to stand aside.

Russia's ambassador to France, Alexander Orlov, said the Nato coalition has gone too far.

Mladic due back in Belgrade court

EU’s most wanted war crimes fugitive was arrested on Thursday in a northern Serbian village after 16 years on the run. The Bosnian Serb wartime army commander is facing international war crimes charges, including the slaughter of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica during Bosnia’s 1992—95 war.

Thursday’s extradition hearing was adjourned due to what Mladic’s lawyer claimed was his poor health.

Serbian war crimes prosecutors claim the health issue appears to be Mladic’s tactic to delay his extradition to the U.N. tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands.

“What’s important is that his identity has been established,” said deputy war crimes prosecutor Bruno Vekaric. “It now depends on his defense whether they will launch appeals, but a maximum deadline for his extradition is a week.”

Meanwhile, a photo portrait of Mladic during his arrest in the village of Lazarevo, 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Belgrade, was obtained by The Associated Press. It shows him looking much older than in 2002 when he was last seen in Belgrade.

Mladic is alleged to have led the forces that attacked the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, a UN-declared safe area, in the summer of 1995. In early July that year, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were executed by Serbian forces, and the town's women and children were driven out of the area. Mladic has been on the run since 1995, when he was indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

The arrest of Mladic, the most-wanted man in Europe for the alleged massacre of thousands of Muslim men and boys, was announced Thursday by Serbian President Boris Tadic.

The extradition process began that day, but Mladic's lawyer said the judge cut short the questioning because the suspect's "poor physical state" left him unable to communicate.

The BBC has reported that doctors are assessing whether Mladic is well enough to attend his scheduled hearing.

Serbian war crimes prosecutors said the health issue is only a delaying tactic.

What's important is that his identity has been established," said deputy war crimes prosecutor Bruno Vekaric. "It now depends on his defense whether they will launch appeals, but a maximum deadline for his extradition is a week.

Broadcast of live betting odds:Australian sports gambling promotion threat

Meeting of state and federal ministers in Canberra agreed that the promotion of live odds during the broadcast of sport events had to be curtailed.

Governments are concerned that promotion, including commentary by sporting role models, is becoming insidious in live sports coverage," the Select Council on Gambling Reform stated in their communique following the talks.

Under the plan, which has backing from the responsible ministers at the state and federal levels, broadcasters would not be able to promote live odds and gaming websites. The arrangement will cover all sports with the exception of horse racing, which has been excluded due to its long-standing connection with the pastime.

Senator Stephen Conroy, the communications minister, said that the Government would discuss the proposed rules with broadcasters, with a particular focus on how the restrictions would operate.

"The particular concern of all the ministers was the practice by commentators reading out odds and encouraging people to get on," he said.

Conroy said that the government did not wish to override existing commercial arrangements between broadcasters and betting agencies. Networks will have twelve months to alter their practices voluntarily; otherwise, the Government will introduce retrospective legislation to ban the activity.

The peak body representing commercial free-to-air networks, Free TV Australia, said in a statement that it would negotiate over the terms of the ban. But the body's chief executive Julie Flynn insisted that any proposal must also cover other forms of media.

During cricket broadcasts, for example, commentators which include former Australian captains break away from ball-by-ball coverage to give up-to-date odds from a gambling agency to reflect the current state of the match.

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"We are concerned that this can significantly influence vulnerable and young people and normalize gambling behaviour," the statement said.

If the gambling industry and television networks do not voluntarily halt such promotion by the end of June next year, legislation to ban it will be introduced to parliament. The proposed restrictions will apply to all sports with the exception of horse racing.

The Australian government also announced a review of existing online gambling laws.

Senator Stephen Conroy, the government minister for broadband, communications and the digital economy, said there would be no new contracts allowed for in-game betting, including odds on scoreboards at sporting events.

Commonwealth wants the measure compulsory while the states want a voluntary system, and some want compensation for lost tax revenue system.

Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin foreshadowed a constitutional showdown on the issue.

Ms Macklin said that in February it had been made "very clear" the Commonwealth had constitutional power to legislate on the issue and override the states.

She said legislation will be drafted in conjunction with independent Andrew Wilkie, who has made mandatory limits a condition of his support for the minority government, for operation by 2014.

"I would prefer to get an agreement with the states and territories and I do think today is a very significant step forward," Ms Macklin said after a meeting of the Council of Australian Governments.

"It is the first time all of us - the states, the territories, and the Commonwealth - have agreed that pre-commitment technology is a very helpful tool for people who are gambling on the poker machine.''

Victorian Gaming Minister Michael O'Brien said after the talks his state would install the technology needed for pre-commitment on all poker machines, but make its use voluntary.

"Ministers noted that members do not agree on whether such technology should be used on a voluntary or mandatory basis," the council's communique stated.

"Ministers asked senior officials to do further work on developing the required functionality for pre-commitment and a timetable for implementation.

A Bogut adds $25,000 to reward for finding missing Jesse Densley

Member of the public spotted Jesse near Champion St in Williamstown, where he had been staying in a disused building with other people since Tuesday.

He was taken to the Royal Chidren’s Hospital for treatment.

Jesse’s father, Jody, said he and wife Michelle rushed to the police station when told the 15-year-old had been found.

"We got here in about 15 seconds,’’ he said.

Asked if a $50,000 reward for information about their son, posted by Mr Densley's former employer the Lew family and basketballer Andrew Bogut, was still valid, the relieved father said: "Yeah, absolutely.’’

"I would like to especially thank the Lew family, Rose and Solomon Lew. Previous employers of mine I’ve had no contact with for 18 years and without hesitation they put up the first $25,000.

Jesse was last seen by a friend at North Williamstown train station about 8.30am on Tuesday.

He was later captured on CCTV getting off a train at Cheltenham station before boarding a return service to Newport.

Despite several unsuccessful leads, neither police nor Jesse's parents have any idea where he went next.

Jody and Michelle Densley offered a $25,000 reward this morning as the search entered its fourth day.

The figure was then matched by Bogut after the Milwaukee Bucks star heard Mr Densley's pleas on radio.

Today he was taken to Williamstown Police Station where he was united with his relieved family, and waved to reporters before being taken by ambulance to the Royal Children’s Hospital for assessment.

It is understood Jesse was spotted by another boy who called Triple 0.

Ms Densley told Radio 3AW that she was “beside herself” at the discovery.

And despite his visit to hospital, she was confident it was "nothing a good wash and feed won't fix".

The discovery brings to an end an agonising search that included emotional public pleas from his parents.

As late as this morning, Mr Densley and Jesse's mother Michelle said they had no idea where their son was.

Mr Densley said he hoped the money would impel more people to help.

"It's only going to take one person to find Jess," Mr Densley said.

"He's going to be alone I guess. We have have no idea where he is. If we did, we would be looking."

Jesse, who has been suffering depression, has not contacted friends or logged into his Facebook account since his disappearance.

He is described as Caucasian, about 185cm tall and medium build with blond shoulder-length hair.

He was last seen wearing a grey Rip Curl hoodie with a blue panel on the chest.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or to visit www.crimestoppers.com.au – or call 000.

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Nathan Tinkler hits a billion on the rich list

Gina Rinehart has topped off a dramatic 12 months by sweeping to top place on the BRW Rich 200 list with a fortune of $10.3 billion.

It is the first time any member of the Rich 200 has broken through the magical $10 billion mark and underlines the dramatic impact the mining boom has had on the ranks of Australia's wealthy.

Rinehart was well ahead of the surprise second place on the list Ivan Glasenberg, the South African-born, Swiss-based chief executive of Glencore. His wealth was estimated at $8.8 billion courtesy of last week's float of the world's biggest commodity trader.

Andrew Forrest, the head of Fortescue Metals Group, was in third place with a fortune of $6.18 billion, while Anthony Pratt, who succeeded his late father as head of packaging giant Visy Industries, was in fourth with $5.18 billion.

Clive Palmer – who is set to list his coal company Resourcehouse on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in the next few weeks – was ranked fifth with a fortune of $5.05 billion.

While Gina Rinehart has never been far from the headlines in the last 12 months thanks to her strident opposition to the Government's mining tax and her surprise investments in media companies Ten Network and Fairfax Media, the sheer size of the increase in her fortune is staggering.

Not only is she the first woman in the list's 28-year history to lead it, but she also made the biggest fortune ever to be recorded by the BRW Rich 200, with her wealth more than doubling from $4.75 billion last year.

Overall, the rich list gained a 23 per cent rise in wealth to $167.25 billion, and five new billionaires took the total to 35.

Most appearances on this year's list were self-made, with only 17 per cent inheriting their wealth. The number of women in the list remained at 15 in line with last year, BRW said.

Harold Camping: Judgment Day Did Actually Happen Saturday

As crestfallen followers of a California preacher who foresaw the world's end strained to find meaning in their lives, Harold Camping revised his apocalyptic prophecy Monday, saying he was off by five months and the Earth actually will be obliterated on Oct. 21.

Camping, who predicted that 200 million Christians would be taken to heaven Saturday before global cataclysm struck the planet, said he felt so terrible when his doomsday message did not come true that he left home and took refuge in a motel with his wife. His independent ministry, Family Radio International, spent millions -- some of it from donations made by followers -- on more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the Judgment Day message.

Follower Jeff Hopkins also spent a good deal of his own retirement savings on gas money to power his car so people would see its ominous lighted sign showcasing Camping's May 21 warning. As the appointed day drew nearer, Hopkins started making the 100-mile round trip from Long Island to New York City twice a day, spending at least $15 on gas each trip.

Camping did admit to at least one mistake: that he'd been reading the Bible with a factual mindset, rather than a spiritual one, which is why he'd misinterpreted Saturday's events.

"On May 21, this last weekend, this is where the spiritual aspect of it really comes through," said Camping. "God again brought judgment on the world. We didn't see any difference but God brought Judgment Day to bear upon the whole world. The whole world is under Judgment Day and it will continue right up until Oct. 21, 2011 and by that time the whole world will be destroyed."

So, in other words, even though Harold Camping was wrong, he was actually still right. You just don't know it, because you aren't Harold Camping.

Afghanistan mission 'succeeding' despite soldier's death

HUNDREDS of ex-servicemen stood together, backs straight, in perfect silence. None of them knew Sergeant Brett Wood, but all were familiar with the pain of loss.

During a minute's silence to mark the death of the 24th Digger in Afghanistan and the wounding of five others, there were some who called for the government to pull Australian troops out of an ''unwinnable'' conflict.

Australian forces, it was learnt yesterday, have killed about 1500 insurgents in the past 12 months, during some of the most vicious fighting seen by the military since the Vietnam War.

We can't win there, the mob we're fighting are willing to use women and children in battle: they will do anything,'' said Bob Cunningham, 63, at yesterday's Congress of Returned Servicemen's Leagues at Rooty Hill.

''In Afghanistan you don't know who or where the enemy is but you know they've got no morals and we're Australian, so we have to fight fair.''

'But progress is being made in Afghanistan and we are there for all of the right reasons - we are there to ensure that Afghanistan does not again become a safe haven for terrorists.

One of Sergeant Wood's fellow soldiers suffered life-threatening wounds and another serious injuries from the same blast. Another three Australian soldiers were injured in a separate firefight on Monday, but they were expected to be discharged from hospital at the Australian base in Tarin Kowt last night.

Defence Force chief Angus Houston yesterday described Sergeant Wood as a ''magnificent'' soldier who was on his third deployment to Afghanistan, having previously served in Iraq, East Timor and Bougainville.

Paul Twining's son, David, was Sergeant Wood's best friend until David was killed in a car accident in 2001, just three days after returning from service in East Timor. The two met the day they both joined the army and the pair became best friends. ''After losing our son, every time you'd hear about something overseas you'd always hope it wasn't Brett, but unfortunately you have in the back of your mind that one day it might happen,'' Mr Twining said.

Sergeant Wood's death came as a former Taliban commander reportedly said insurgents in Oruzgan were laying down their arms to concentrate on harvesting opium.

Australia's stated aim is to train the 4th Brigade of the Afghan National Army to allow it to assume responsibility for security in the province.

However, over the Australian summer, allied troops in Oruzgan have pushed further out from Tarin Kowt, taking territory and Taliban arms caches, and killing and capturing insurgent leaders ahead of the ''fighting season''.

With these successes, the Department of Defence and the government appear to have broadened their definition of progress.

''We are in places in Oruzgan we've never been before,'' Air Chief Marshal Houston, said yesterday.