■ New Zealand
Minister blasts Helen Clark
Prime Minister Helen Clark sent a former Cabinet minister on stress leave yesterday after he launched an extraordinary attack on her and her government in a magazine interview. John Tamihere, who resigned from the Cabinet a year ago but remains a high profile back-bencher, said Clark was emotional and went to pieces, was surrounded by gays and lesbians, her female-dominated government was anti-men and allowed labor unions too much influence. Clark said Tamihere told her he thought he was off the record at a lunch-time interview and shrugged off the personal attack. But the magazine insisted the conversation was on-the-record and opposition parties declared it indicated a government in disarray.
■ Australia
Breast milk worth tax break
Mothers who breastfeed are not only doing right by their babies but are injecting billions if dollars a year into the economy. Researchers in Australia found the value so great that they should get tax-free breast pumps -- just as dairy farmers get tax breaks on their milking equipment. Australian National University economist Julie Smith estimated the value of the 34 million liters of breast milk expressed each year at A$2.2 billion (US$1.6 billion). The New South Wales health service, which commissioned the study, said there were additional environmental and health benefits that made breast milk a huge national resource. "It's incredibly expensive to feed babies formula. Then there's the cost of healthcare services that breastfeeding prevents," the health service's Liz Develin said.
■ Afghanistan
NGOs `wasting funds'
A simmering row between the Afghan government and Western aid agencies exploded into the open on Saturday with accusations that non-governmental organizations have squandered billions of dollars earmarked for reconstruction. On the eve of a major donor conference, President Hamid Karzai said he had a responsibility "to stop NGOs that are corrupt, wasteful and unaccountable." The statement came on the heels of a law mooted last Monday that would effectively shut aid agencies out of some of the largest projects. According to Karzai, the law reflects "serious concern" that some NGOs are responsible for widespread corruption and misuse of public funds.
■ Indonesia
Quake toll rises to 616
The death toll from last week's massive earthquake that devastated Nias Island rose to 616 on yesterday as a moderate aftershock rattled the quake-battered island. More than 3,200 others were injured. There were 526 killed on Nias Island, the closest to the March 28 quake's epicenter. A total of 6,739 homes, 123 shop-houses, 16 mosques and 69 office buildings as well as 147 school buildings were destroyed by the quake.
■ Nepal
Bomb kills student
Maoist guerrillas set off a bomb in Pokara, killing a university student, as a nationwide strike called by the insurgents has pushed up prices of foodstuffs. The bomb went off late on Sunday in Pokhara, where the strike call had been largely ignored. Three people were also wounded in the explosion and the town shut down after the attack. Maoists, fighting to topple Nepal's Hindu monarchy, called a 11-day strike to protest against King Gyanendra's assumption of power, detention of political leaders and suspension of civil liberties two months ago.
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