PM Turnbull widens lead over Labor chief

SYDNEY • Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's honeymoon with voters is becoming entrenched, with a poll showing he is widening the margin over opposition Labor party chief Bill Shorten as Australia's preferred leader.

Mr Turnbull, who took power 10 weeks ago, leads Mr Shorten as preferred prime minister by 64 per cent to 15 per cent, says the Newspoll published in The Australian yesterday.

His Liberal-National coalition remains ahead on 53 per cent to Labor's 47 per cent and is on track to win elections due by the end of next year.

BLOOMBERG

Strategy to curb Aids showing results: UN

LONDON • Some 15.8 million people worldwide are now on HIV treatment and a fast-track strategy to end the Aids pandemic is starting to show results, the United Nations Aids programme said yesterday.

In a report ahead of World Aids Day on Dec 1, UNAids said its estimates show new HIV infections have fallen 35 per cent since the peak in 2000, and Aids-related deaths have dropped 42 per cent since a peak in 2004.

"Progress ... over the past 15 years has been extraordinary," it said.

REUTERS