A census of Australia's top 200 listed companies, conducted every two years by Macquarie University for the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency, has found that women held only 8.4 per cent of board positions, or 123 seats out of 1,467, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Based on the latest company annual reports, this year's Australian Census of Women in Leadership shows that compared with the United States, New Zealand, Britain, Canada and South Africa, Australia has the lowest percentage of women in senior positions. 

Laptops 'too hot for thighs'

People who work with a laptop computer resting on their thighs have been warned that they could be permanently damaging their skin, The Daily Telegraph reports. A medical report by Swiss researchers, that was published in the journal Paediatrics, has found that placing the devices next to skin for long periods of time can lead to "toasted skin syndrome", an unusual-looking mottled skin condition caused by long-term heat exposure. It's generally harmless but can cause permanent skin darkening or even lead to skin cancer. 

Child Development Fund gets boost

A matching fund was set up this week to support the Child Development Fund (CDF), which will entail the hiring of 10,000 teaching instructors, Sing Tao Daily reports. CDF was set up in 2008 by the government to help underprivileged children save money and develop attributes such as self-confidence. A group of businesspeople formed a matching fund to provide further financial assistance.