Australia move closer to legalising heroin

Australia's Labour Party, which is expected to win federal elections at the end of this year, has backed proposals to legally distribute heroin to medically supervised addicts.

Party leader Kim Beazley came out in support of the move after the country's National Crime Authority said the war against drugs is futile.

The NCA has proposed a trial programme whereby heroin will be distributed to addicts from a state-run respository.