Howard in power struggle

A DRAMATIC public confrontation erupted between Australia’s prime minister and his ambitious treasurer yesterday over an alleged promise to hand over power.

Just hours after Prime Minister John Howard, 66, denied making such a promise, Treasurer Peter Costello, 48, called a news conference to say that he had.

“There was no deal made,” Mr Howard said, denying a reported account of a meeting with Mr Costello in December 1994 as the two men haggled over the leadership of the Liberal Party.