Friday's news

01 Mar 2013

Benedict XVI has officially ended his papacy and has been flown by helicopter out of Rome. In local news, residents near Perth are being urged to evacuate as winds threaten bushfire control efforts.

Benedict XVI’s papacy ends

Pope Benedict XVI has officially ended his papacy last night, leaving the Vatican in a helicopter and travelling to Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s summer residence. His deputy Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone will have charge of the Church until a new Pope is chosen. ABC News has more.

Residents urged to evacuate

Residents in towns north east of Perth are being urged to evacuate as a large bushfire continues to burn out of control. The fire has consumed approximately 1200 hectares overnight and with strong winds predicted this morning, it may intensify. Read more.

Gap cover an extra $4.5 billion

Australians have had to fork out an extra $4.5 billion in gap payments for using their cover at a hospital or dentist. Statistics from the Private Health Insurance Administration Council show that out-of-pocket expenses have risen by 15 per cent in the past three years. Adelaide Now has the full report.

ALDI offering mobile deals

ALDI will soon be selling pre-paid mobile phone plans in a move to put pressure on Telstra and Optus. ALDImobile, to be launched on Wednesday, will use the Telstra network, but offer cut-price calls, texts and data. Read more.

Ombudsman criticises investigation into taser death

The NSW Ombudsman has criticised the police investigation into the death of student Roberto Laudisio Curti last year after he was tasered by police. ABC News has the full story.

Australian troops involved in incident

The Australian Defence Force has confirmed that Australian troops were involved in an incident in Afghanistan allegedly involving civilian casualties. There were no Australian casualties. ABC News will be updating its page as information is released.