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Bodies of migrants found on Sicily beach

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 10 Agustus 2013 | 16.41

SIX migrants whose dead bodies were found on a Sicilian tourist beach were among more than 100 people thought to be Syrians whose boat ran aground, a port official says

"The bodies were reported by employees of a beach resort" near the island's second largest city Catania, at dawn, the official said on Saturday.

"We are transferring the other passengers from the little fishing boat they were in. We assume they are all Syrians," he said, adding that they included women and young children. He did not know where they set sail from.

Italian media said the six migrants who died could not swim and drowned trying to reach the shore just 15 metres from where the boat ran aground.


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Thousands flee as Phil troops fight rebels

ABOUT 2,000 farmers have fled their homes in the southern Philippines after renewed fighting between government forces and renegade Muslim rebels, officials say.

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20 dead in air raids in Syria

AIR strikes by the Syrian military have killed at least 20 people in the northwestern province of Latakia, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights group says.

"The toll in several air strikes on the town of Salma in Jabal Akrad rose to at least 20 people," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP on Saturday.

Abdel Rahman said 10 of those killed were believed to be civilians, although many of the bodies were so badly disfigured that it was not immediately possible to identify them.

At least six of those killed were Syrian rebel fighters, while four were foreign volunteers, he added.

"The number of deaths is expected to rise because of the number of wounded and those in serious condition among them," he said.

Latakia province is a stronghold of the Alawite minority of President Bashar al-Assad.

In recent days, rebel forces have captured a number of villages in the Jabal Akrad, a mountainous district in the north of the province.

The army has hit back, sparking fierce fighting that has left dozens dead on both sides, according to the London based Observatory.

In Aleppo province, further east, government troops stormed a village overnight, killing 12 people, the Observatory said.

Fierce fighting also erupted during the night between government troops and rebels in the Barzeh neighbourhood of Damascus, the Britain-based watchdog said.

The army shelled both Barzeh and the Jubar district of the capital, it added.


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Dredging project near Qld reef delayed

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 09 Agustus 2013 | 16.41

UN's environment arm says it wasn't told about plans to expand Queensland's Abbot Point coal port. Source: AAP

A DECISION on a massive dredging project which could impact on the World Heritage listing of the Great Barrier Reef has been put on hold for three months.

The federal government has postponed making a decision on whether to allow the dredging of three million tonnes of soil to expand Abbot Point, south of Townsville.

If the project goes ahead Abbot Point would become one of the largest coal ports in the world.

North Queensland Bulks Ports has proposed dumping the dredged soil in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Environment Minister Mark Butler was due to make a decision on the plan on Friday, but extended the deadline until November.

"This does not prevent a decision being made earlier if I believe I have enough information to make an informed decision," he said in a statement.

Mr Butler wants more time to look over new reports he has received over the past week, including a review of the Port of Gladstone, ship anchorage management and research on the possible affects of dredging.

The minister said the Port of Gladstone report was important as it had been carried out at the request of the United Nations body responsible for world heritage.

"In particular the Port of Gladstone deals very extensively with the scope of the notion of outstanding universal value," Mr Butler said.

"This is the touchstone of a listing on the World Heritage list."

Mr Butler admitted the reef was in "very, very poor condition", but said both state and federal governments were working to improve it.

A UNESCO spokesman has told Guardian Australia it wasn't told about the dredging plans, although Mr Butler's office said that was incorrect.

The World Heritage Committee has sent a letter to the federal government requesting information about the project.

It has also reminded the government about a meeting next year, that could see the reef listed as a World Heritage site in danger unless major coastal developments are reined in.

Greenpeace spokesman Ben Pearson said extending the deadline was a "cop out" and the plan should've been set aside.

"He had enough evidence to reject this, there's no question about it," he told AAP.

Felicity Wishart, of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said it was right to extend the deadline given the new information.

"The federal government dredging management report (released on Friday) shows that dredging material will travel a lot further than previously thought," she told AAP.

"This is a crucial piece of information that needs to be factored in."

Queensland Resources Council weren't surprised by Mr Butler's decision, saying "it was always going to be difficult for him to make a calm and reasoned decision in the hothouse political environment of an election campaign".

Queensland's Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney is fuming about the decision, saying the federal government had already delayed the dredging project.

"(Prime Minister) Kevin Rudd and his ministers simply cannot make the rational decisions that are needed to build the Australian economy and benefit the nation," Mr Seeney said.

He says expanding Abbot Point would enable the opening up of resources of the Galilee Basin.

On Friday the Queensland government approved Clive Palmer's $6.4 billion coal mine and rail project near Alpha in the Galilee Basin.


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US wildfire spreads, towns evacuated

A large fire is burning out of control in California, causing 1800 people to flee their homes. Source: AAP

A RAPIDLY spreading wildfire raging through a rugged Southern California mountain range has already destroyed 26 homes and is threatening more than 500 other residences, forcing about 1800 people to flee.

One man suffered serious burns and five firefighters were injured, including two from heat exhaustion.

More than 1400 firefighters and nine helicopters were battling the flames as they pushed eastward along the San Jacinto Mountains, a desert range 145km east of Los Angeles.

The wind-whipped blaze was getting bigger and heading towards the desert town of Cabazon, said Cal Fire Riverside Chief John R. Hawkins.

The fire was estimated at nearly 57 sq km on Thursday with 20 per cent containment, but the direction could change in the area, which is known as a wind tunnel. Evacuation orders were issued in five towns, including parts of Cabazon.

"The conditions at the front right now are very dangerous," Hawkins said.

Authorities still have not determined what caused the fire.

Susana Medrano stood in her front yard, mesmerised by the orange and red flames creeping along the wind-swept mountain ridge behind her home, and struggled to leave.

Her children sat in the back of her pickup after grabbing the new clothes and backpacks they had bought for the school year, which starts next week. Now they were wondering whether they will have a place to live.

"It's hard because we don't know what's going to happen," said the mother of four, her eyes tearing up as she prepared to stay with family down the road in San Bernardino.

"I've never seen the fire so close to my home."

Medrano was among scores of residents in Cabazon who were evacuated in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday and returned after sunrise to pack up more belongings and watch the flickering line of fire snaking along the brown, scrubby mountains.

In the nearby town of Banning, Lili Arroyo, 83, left with only her pet cockatiel, Tootsie, in its cage and a bag of important papers from her home, which was rebuilt after being destroyed in a 2006 wildfire.

"There were embers and ash coming down all over the sky," Arroyo said. "The smoke was really thick. I was starting not to be able to breathe."

Along with Cabazon, the evacuation orders covered two camping areas and the rural communities of Poppet Flats, Twin Pines, Edna Valley and Vista Grande.

A different blaze, a 60-acre wildfire, forced evacuations of about 75 homes on Thursday near Wrightwood, a community in the San Gabriel Mountains popular with skiers located about 64.36km northeast of downtown Los Angeles.


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Gunmen grab two Turkish pilots in Lebanon

Live: Friday night NRL

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Twitter 'embarrassingly behind' on rape threats

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How billionaires spend their bucks

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Greens' $600 million pitch to farmers

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 08 Agustus 2013 | 16.41

THE Australian Greens have made a $600 million pitch to farmers with the release of the party's food security policy.

The Our Food Future plan outlines seven initiatives to be rolled out over four years, including a $300 million boost to agricultural research and development.

"Too many of our farmers are struggling to make a living, we're losing precious agricultural land to mining, and we're not prepared for the impacts of climate change," Greens leader Christine Milne said in a statement on Thursday.

"We will give our farmers a fair price and help them stay on the land, because we can't give every Australian healthy food without them."

The plan also includes funding for 180 new agricultural officer jobs, an independent biosecurity authority and commission, and a food waste reduction campaign.

Senator Milne, who grew up in rural Tasmania, made connecting with farmers one of her key priorities when she replaced Bob Brown as Greens leader.

She launched the policy in an online forum, which the party is claiming is an Australian first.

"Contrary to some perceptions, rural and regional Australia is very active online," she said.


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Aust must be bold in Asia: Shorten

EDUCATION Minister Bill Shorten wants the country's universities to become the "Oxbridge of the Asia Pacific", after declaring Australia is not as ready as it could be for the Asian Century.

Australia was well-positioned to take advantage of "the biggest opportunity since the Gold Rush", Mr Shorten told the Victorian and the Asian Century Conference in Melbourne.

However, he added Australia was not entirely ready for when Asia becomes the epicentre of the global economy, and despaired that more local students were not studying an Asian language.

Spruiking the government's Better Schools plan and its focus on Asian languages, he said less than six out of every 100 Australian students study an Asian language in their final year of school.

"More Aussie kids were studying Indonesian in the early 1970s - back when Ian Chappell was captaining the Australian cricket team - than there are now," Mr Shorten said on Thursday night.

"Australia has learned the hard way that you can't expect to win the Ashes unless you get runs on the board."

Mr Shorten said Asia was "not a dollar sign or a market", but a place with different histories, cultures, religions, languages and expectations.

"You can't expect to win in Asia unless you understand the region's languages and cultures," Mr Shorten said.

"We won't succeed with a fly-in, fly-out mentality towards Asia."

Australia should aspire to become the Oxbridge of the Asia Pacific, "attracting the best and brightest scholars of the region".

"The chances are the next Galileo will be born in Asia - imagine if we could educate that child in Melbourne," he said.

"Why not develop an Asia-specific grant scheme - a 21st century Rhodes scholarship-in-reverse?"

Asia made up nine of the top ten countries for international students in Australia, he said.

And while only 10 per cent of Chinese students studied abroad, in five to ten years that figure would leap to 68 per cent.

"This will create enormous opportunities for the higher education sector - and strengthen Australia's links with the region," Mr Shorten said.


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Rio cutting costs as profit falls

Video: The miracle line dropout

Kurt-French

WATCH THE KICK: David Middleton has seen only two 100m line dropouts, one in NSW bush footy and the other in Queensland's second-tier competition.

Mum cops $15,250 worth of toll fees

Mum cops $15,250 worth of toll fees

THE day Patricia Hona was diagnosed with breast cancer, a tollway operator hit her with a $15,250 bill - including nearly $12,000 in "admin fees".


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Vic Greens seek road tunnel alternatives

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 07 Agustus 2013 | 16.41

THE Victorian Greens are seeking access to a secret government document outlining alternative routes for Melbourne's controversial East West Link tunnel.

Greens transport spokesman Greg Barber is taking the state government to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on Wednesday after it was refused access to the document under Freedom of Information.

"When $8 billion of public money's at stake, the government should explain what tunnelling options they're looking at, what alternative routes they've looked at and for that matter, how many cars they expect to drive on this thing and where the traffic will come out," he told AAP.

"Many, many people are losing their houses and their businesses over this particular tunnel option the government's chosen.

"The public should know what options were rejected and why."

Mr Barber said he also understood that the tenderers could propose alternative designs for the tunnel during the tendering process.

"We might not find out until the tender's completed, released and the contracts are signed what it is that's going to actually get built," he said.

The government is due to sign the contract for the tunnel eight weeks before the state election in November 2014.

Premier Denis Napthine said the government had received interest in the project from builders around the world.

Dr Napthine said the government was ready to seek expressions of interest (EOI), which would get the best deal for Victorian taxpayers and motorists.

"Those details will come through the EOI process, but what we do know is that there's enormous interest around the world for participation in this project," he said.

He said the government would collect the tolls and an availability payment would be paid to the successful consortium over a number of years.

"The professional people who've done the business case have done a proper estimate of traffic usage, and they estimate 80,000-100,000 per day, and the toll will be set at a level consistent with what people are willing to pay at that price point," he said.


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Hong Kong shares end 1.53% lower

HONG Kong shares have closed 1.53 per cent lower, tracking a broad selloff across Asia after indications of a likely pullback of the US stimulus program.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index on Wednesday lost 334.86 points to 21,588.84 on turnover of $HK51.78 billion ($A7.47 billion).

Hong Kong trade initially took cues from US stocks, which suffered sharp declines after comments from Federal Reserve officials sparked jitters over a likely winding up of the US stimulus.

The chiefs of the Federal Reserve's Chicago and Atlanta branches both said the central bank could begin tapering its $US85 billion a month quantitative easing program in September, but stressed that economic growth needed to hold steady or improve.

The growing speculation led to a broad selloff across Asia, with Tokyo leading regional declines with a four per cent plunge.

Financial shares dragged on the index, with Bank of China falling 2.2 per cent to $HK31.5 and China Construction Bank declining 2.1 per cent to $HK5.57.

British banking giant HSBC continued to fall after its disappointing earnings report late on Monday, closing down 1.2 per cent to $HK84.10.

Chinese shares closed down 0.67 per cent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 13.72 points to 2,046.78 on turnover of 91.3 billion yuan ($A16.66 billion).

The Chinese government is due to announce trade data on Thursday and inflation figures on Friday.

"Wait-and-see sentiment usually prevails in the market before major economic data comes out, while falls in some active sectors like media also hurt overall performance," Zheshang Securities analyst Zhang Yanbing told AFP.

Media shares fell on profit-taking. Chinese Universe Publishing and Media lost 4.64 per cent to 18.50 yuan while Shanghai Xinhua Media dropped 4.48 per cent to 5.54 yuan.

Metal shares were mixed, with zinc producer Tibet Summit Industrial losing 2.27 per cent to 9.90 yuan while Xiamen Tungsten rising 1.81 per cent to 29.27 yuan.

Property developers bucked the trend amid growing expectations that the government may lift restrictions on financing of real estate firms.

Sundy Land Investment surged 7.58 per cent to 5.68 yuan while Poly Real Estate rose 2.31 per cent to 11.07 yuan.


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PNG message hurting people smugglers: ALP

Ashes rocked by DRS scandal

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THE Ashes has descended into controversy with claims players have applied a silicon-based tape to the edges of their bats in a bid to cheat Hot Spot.

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Aussies urged to leave Yemen

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Abbott's carbon claim 'not wrong'

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Asian shares mixed on weak US data

Written By Unknown on Senin, 05 Agustus 2013 | 16.41

ASIAN markets have closed mixed after lower-than-expected US jobs growth sounded a warning about the recovery of the world's biggest economy.

Investors on Monday failed to follow Wall Street, which closed last week on record highs despite the job figures indicating that growth remains sluggish.

Tokyo fell 1.44 per cent or 208.12 points to close at 14,258.04, Seoul dropped 0.37 per cent or 7.16 points to 1,916.22, and Sydney fell 0.11 per cent or 5.5 points to 5,111.3.

But Shanghai rose 1.04 per cent or 21.06 points to 2,050.48, while Hong Kong gained 0.14 per cent or 31.04 points to 22,222.01.

Markets in the region were digesting Friday's Labor Department figures, which showed the US added just 162,000 jobs in July, well below the 175,000 increase expected by analysts.

The unemployment rate fell to 7.4 per cent from 7.6 per cent in June.

The data will serve as an indicator of when the Federal Reserve may rein in its bond-buying program, with sluggish growth suggesting any scaling back of the massive stimulus scheme will be delayed.

Despite the disappointing figures leading to an initial dip, Wall Street saw a late surge to end the week at a record high, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing up 0.19 per cent or 30.34 points at 15,658.36. The broad-market S&P 500 ended up 0.16 per cent or 2.80 points at 1,709.67.

The release at the weekend of a slightly improved Chinese non-manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) failed to give Asian stocks a boost.

China's official non-manufacturing PMI for July came in at 54.1, up from 53.9 the previous month. A reading below 50 indicates contraction, while anything above signals growth.

Banking giant HSBC said on Monday its PMI for the services industry in China stood at 51.3 in July, unchanged from June.

The US dollar fetched Y98.76 in afternoon Asian trade, almost flat from Y98.89 in New York on Friday, but sharply down from around Y99.50 in Tokyo on Friday.

The euro bought $US1.3274 and Y131.11 on Monday against $US1.3279 and Y131.35 in US trade.

Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of equities at SMBC Nikko Securities, said there was "some caution over stocks having risen too sharply" in previous sessions.

Still, "falls are likely to be limited as uncertainty has broadly receded over the global economic outlook in recent weeks", he added.

Oil prices turned higher on Monday, with New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in September, gaining 30 US cents to $US107.24 a barrel in afternoon trade. Brent North Sea crude for September rose 25 US cents to $US109.20.

"The HSBC purchasing managers' index for the services industry in China remains in an expansionary region, and this has provided support for crude prices," Lee Chen Hoay, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore, told AFP.

Gold cost $US1,315.90 at 1820 AEST, compared with $US1,289.00 late on Friday.

In other markets:

- Manila fell 0.37 per cent, or 24.22 points, to 6,509.73.

SM Prime Holdings dropped 0.72 per cent to 16.50 pesos while Ayala Corp fell 0.67 per cent to 596 pesos.

- Taipei rose 0.48 per cent, or 38.75 points, to 8,138.63.

MediaTek shed 1.24 per cent to $Tw358.5 while HTC was up 7 per cent at $Tw153.

- Wellington climbed 0.14 per cent, or 6.59 points, to 4,589.49.

Fletcher Building gained 1.55 per cent to $NZ8.54 and Fonterra Shareholders' Fund slipped 3.65 per cent to $NZ6.86.


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Labor's after hours care boost for parents

PARENTS stressed over the daily school drop off and pick up have been promised a $450 million boost to after school hours care with Kevin Rudd's big pitch to families on the first day of campaigning.

Up to 345,000 children aged five to 12 years will benefit from the pledge, which would provide up to 500 schools with the extra funding needed to introduce new services, or expand what they currently offer.

"A kid's development doesn't just begin at 9am and end at 3pm," Mr Rudd said of the measures, which would start in 2014.

"The government will give parents a further helping hand."

Mr Rudd said after school care could open as early as 7am and run to 7pm, while extra hours might also be provided during holidays.

Additional places would be provided in areas where parent currently lack access to such care.

New services, such as music programs, supervised sport and homework clubs, would also be encouraged, with grants of up to $200,000 available to schools.

"The practical stuff which makes that time before and after school useful and a fun place to be as well," Mr Rudd said.

Families who access the improved after-school services would still be eligible for the 50 per cent Child Care Rebate, the prime minister said.

The union representing after hours care workers said the extra funding would help meet the dramatic increase in demand for services.

"This new $450 million program will go a long way to improving services offered to families, which can only make a positive contribution to children's wellbeing and to women's workforce participation," United Voice president Michael Crosby said in a statement.

ACTU President Ged Kearney said 70 per cent of people with kids were in paid work.

"They need affordable, accessible and high quality childcare as well as the ability to plan their working hours around formal care," she said in a statement.

The Women's Electoral Lobby said it would boost work opportunities for mothers "hampered by a lack of access to flexible and appropriate care for school age children".

The Australian Greens Sarah Hanson Young welcomed the move but said it only "tinkers around the edges" of the funding hole faced by the childcare sector.

Comment is being sought from opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne.


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Aust 'funds PNG police thugs' on Manus

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 04 Agustus 2013 | 16.41

Media reports say Australia is secretly funding a notorious paramilitary police unit in PNG. Source: AAP

MEDIA reports say Australia is secretly funding a notorious paramilitary police unit in Papua New Guinea to guard the Manus Island detention centre.

Fairfax Media claims the Department of Immigration is secretly funding PNG's "Mobile Squad" whose members "just last month beat a local man to death on the island".

Fairfax says the officers of the squad are getting a special living away allowance of about $100 a day compared with local pay rates of $1.50 an hour.

The squad has also been given three rented Toyota LandCruisers and the Sydney Morning Herald says the rental bill is "paid by Australian Immigration Department funds".

The newspaper says "on Friday the Immigration Department did not deny the payments were being made and said $558,821 had been allocated last year to cover costs associated with the temporary centre".

Fairfax claims the squad's presence on the island suggests "PNG and Australian officials fear a major clash with landowners" and says its name has become a "byword for police brutality in Papua New Guinea and many of its operations have been condemned by human rights organisations such as Amnesty and Human Rights Watch".


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Libyan deputy PM resigns

Prince to play on with Broncos

Scott Prince

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Twitter GM apologises to 'abused' women

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Price plan could save you $250m

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Formula recalled in NZ over botulism scare

Infant formula has been recalled in NZ and exports to China may be at risk of contamination. Source: AAP

INFANT formula has been recalled in New Zealand and exports to China may be at risk after Fonterra revealed its whey protein had been contaminated with a toxic bacteria.

Fonterra announced on Saturday some of its whey contained a bacteria that can cause botulism, which can cause nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting, paralysis or even death.

The powder has been exported to Australia, China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam.

China's quality watchdog has suspended imports of New Zealand milk powders and ordered importers to pull products from their shelves.

Fonterra's chief executive Theo Spierings has rushed to China for crisis talks, and Trade Minister Tim Groser says he'll follow "at the drop of a hat" if he is advised political talks are necessary.

In New Zealand Nutricia Karicare is recalling two products: Karicare Infant Formula Stage 1 (0-6 months) with batch numbers 3169 and 3170, and Karicare Gold+ Follow On Formula Stage 2 (6-12 months) with batch number D3183.

The recall was precautionary and none of its products indicated any contamination, Nutricia said.

Parents have vented their frustration on social media at the recall and changing advice, after initially being told only formula for children aged 6 months plus was affected.

"I am furious that there is a chance that your formula has be contaminated, I have changed brands as of last night, will not be ever using karicare formula again !!" Catherine Bunting posted on Karicare's Facebook page.

Fonterra animal feed subsidiary NZAgbiz is recalling calf milk replacer found to contain the affected whey.

A small amount of affected product had been sold to customers in the North Island, but the majority was still in stock, NZAgbiz general manager Justine Pearce said.

Expert advice confirmed the risk to animal health was low, she said.

Fonterra says all its eight affected customers have either recalled or deemed their products safe.

About 38 tonnes of whey protein concentrate manufactured at Fonterra's Hautapu plant in Waikato were contaminated by an unsanitary pipe in May 2012.

Testing in March indicated a problem, and the whey tested positive for clostridium botulinum on Wednesday.

Fonterra notified MPI on Friday afternoon.

The batches of whey product have been used in 870 tonnes of products, MPI acting director general Scott Gallacher said.

More than 60 staff from MPI, MFAT and the Ministry of Health are working on the response.

There has been no reports of children with botulism in New Zealand, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

Fresh milk, yoghurt, cheese, and UHT milk products are not affected.


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