Isra-Mart srl : Carbon price witch-hunt heats up MPs

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Australia's debate over carbon pricing hotted up. Julia Gillard was cheered by a petition containing 12,000 names in favour, but received a Productivity Commission report highlighting difficulties in comparing a carbon price burden on Australian industries with those overseas, and was forced to head off a scare campaign by industry leaders.

Tax opponent Tony Abbott described as ''a cross-section of middle Australia'' demonstrators waving placards with slogans such as ''Ditch the Witch'' and ''JuLIAR Bob Brown's Bitch''. He later regretted such ''abusive or hurtful language''.

After several days of rioting, Christmas Island detention centre was closed to new arrivals. Although boats continue to arrive, the number held on the island was reduced from about 3000 last December to 2154.
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Qantas fought cockpit fires on a Philippines flight, was warned of widespread strike action over pay and was ticked off by the safety bureau for overloading one of its A330s.

The upbeat Premier, Kristina Keneally, took her father on the campaign trail, meeting mums, miners and marsupials. The Opposition Leader, Barry O'Farrell, took a bus ride around all 93 electorates. Pundits predicted a big win for him today.

Sydney had its wettest March day in 27 years. The Illawarra was inundated. A man drowned on the south coast. A deep hole opened up in Gosford. William, ''Prince of Hearts'', wowed Queensland flood and cyclone victims.

Overseas, thousands of Libyans fled the fighting and the growing chaos as forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi continued to attack rebel bases despite international air strikes. State television reported a ''large number'' of civilian casualties.

Japanese tsunami victims Sumi Abe, 80, and her 16-year-old grandson were rescued after nine days trapped in the wreckage of their Ishinomaki home. They survived by eating yoghurt from a fridge. Elsewhere, fears over food and water contamination from a damaged nuclear reactor increased, and the grim task of burying the dead in mass graves began.

A bomb exploded at a bus stop near Jerusalem's central bus station, the first for several years, killing one and injuring more than 30.

Egyptians voted in a referendum for a new constitution.

English-born actress, Academy award-winner and AIDS activist Elizabeth Taylor died, aged 79. She won two Oscars, appeared in eight marriages and made more than 70 movies.

In a twist to the strange case of the ''whites-only'' Midsomer Murders - the popular TV cop show set in an archetypal English village - it was revealed that a black man appeared in a recent episode. But out of focus, for only a few seconds.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert opened in New York. The New York Times called her ''monotonous and mechanical''; The New York Post admired her ''big joyous heart''. Cast wondered how lines such as ''just what Australia needs - another cock in a frock on a rock'' would go down when the show moves to Italy.

Australia was beaten by favourites India in the quarter-finals of the World Cup cricket. Captain Tetchy, Ricky Ponting, was forced to join everyone else and consider his future.

Footballers behaved themselves. But the Townsville basketball mascot, the Croc, was cautioned over lewd behaviour. It was alleged that in a recent game he stood behind a Perth player and ''suggestively flaunted his tail''.