The prime minister Julia Gillard has refused to be drawn on the impact of carbon tax on the government's standing in the opinion polls, the A-C Nielson Poll shows 62% of Australians oppose the tax.

 

Meanwhile a newspoll in the Australian newspaper shows labor is at risk of losing all its seats in Queensland, Mr.Gillard says the public will begin to see the impact of the carbon pricing system itself, but woundn't comment on the polls.

 

The foreign affairs minister Bob Carr has welcomed the imminent release of the Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor from Libya custody, Ms.Taylor and three of her colleagues from the international criminal court were detained early last month, she had been accused of spying, senator Carr says she is expected to be freed within hours.

 

Northern Territory police say they're relieved no one was injured during the arrest of a fugitive who's been hiding in bushland near Darwon for almost a week, 46-year-old Jonathan Stenberg will face in an extradition hearing in the Darwon Magistrates court tdoay on a warrant for a murder in New South Wales, it's alleged he beheaded  54-year-old Edward Kelly at Broadwater last month and feld to the territory.

 

And Japan has restarted its first nuclear reactor since last year's disater at Fukushima, all of the  country's 55 nuclear plants had been shut down for safty checks after last year's meltdown, the move has divided public opinion, thousands of people turned out to protest.