AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 8

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2007
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 8
BREAKFAST ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


TURNBULL (SYDNEY)

More trouble for the Liberal Party .. with news this morning in the Weekend Australian
newspaper that the legitimacy of last week's federal leadership ballot is under a cloud.

The paper says defeated Liberal leadership contender MALCOLM TURNBULL has raised concerns
that several MPs .. who faced losing their seats .. were allowed to vote.

Northern Territory MP DAVID TOLLNER is believed to have voted for the winner .. BRENDAN
NELSON .. but has since conceded defeat in his seat of Solomon.

The Weekend Australian says Mr TURNBULL is particularly concerned that two Senators
were excluded from the ballot .. after they were delayed because their plane broke down.



PRIVATISE (SYDNEY)

New South Wales Premier MORRIS IEMMA has called a showdown with his MPs to force a
vote on the 15 billion privatisation of the state's power industry.

The Daily Telegraph says New South Wales Labor Party president and left-wing electrical
trade union boss BERNIE REARDON and Mr IEMMA are now in open conflict over the sale of
the power industry.

The paper says Mr IEMMA will on Monday force a mandate from his MPs .. which he will
then use to stare down the unions and push ahead with the sale.



CORBY (SYDNEY)

Police reportedly knew three weeks before convicted drug smuggler SCHAPELLE CORBY was
caught with drugs in Bali .. that four associates of her were part of a ring ferrying
drugs between Brisbane and Bali.

Fairfax newspapers say a 2004 police intelligence report quotes a witness .. KIM MOORE
.. alleging the four people were involved in manufacturing amphetamines in Brisbane ..

which they took to Bali.

CORBY .. now 30 .. and her family .. have long claimed she was a victim .. and that
her boogie bag was used by drug smugglers .. when she was caught with cannabis at Denpasar
Airport.



CLIMATE AUST (CANBERRA)

KEVIN RUDD says he won't commit to a greenhouse target at this stage of UN climate
change talks in Bali.

The Prime Minister says he won't set a 2020 target until a report into the impact of
interim targets next year.

Mr RUDD also says he's told Chinese Premier WEN JIABAO he'll try to bridge the gap
between developed and developing countries.

But China's told the Bali meeting it won't accept mandatory cuts in greenhouse gases for itself.

It says the United States and other rich countries should take the lead in fighting
climate change and be less extravagant .. because China's per capita emissions are about
one-sixth of America's


SWAN (SYDNEY)

Federal treasurer WAYNE SWAN is reportedly ignoring calls to drop Labor's 31 billion
dollar tax-cut plan .. saying he will deliver the cuts.

The Australian newspaper says a part of Labor wants the money to be spent on better services.

But the new treasurer says the cuts .. and new increased childcare rebates .. are could
bring up to 10-thousand people back into the workforce.

The paper says apart from the tax cuts .. Mr SWAN is promising an austere first budget in May.



TELSTRA (CANBERRA)

The RUDD government insists it's full steam ahead on its high speed broadband network
.. despite Telstra taking aim at its plan for the project to be a private-public joint
venture.

Communications Minister STEPHEN CONROY says Labor's national high speed fibre to the
node network will promote competition and put downward pressure on consumer prices.

Telstra chief executive SOL TRUJILLO has indicated the nation's biggest telco is reluctant
to take part in the project.



BLAINEY (MELBOURNE)

Historian Professor GEOFFREY BLAINEY is receiving an honorary doctorate from the University
of Melbourne today.

Professor BLAINEY has attracted controversy for his past criticism of Asian migration
levels and is known for his conservative views.

He will receive a Doctor of Laws from the university.

The university says the degree acknowledges Professor BLAINEY's contribution to public
debate on issues in Australian society.



EMERGENCY/TAXIS (MELBOURNE)

Health workers in Victoria's crowded emergency departments are reportedly being attacked
by unruly patients .. with staff being kicked .. punched and spat on.

News Limited newspapers say knives .. screwdrivers and other weapons are being used
by drugged .. drunk and psychotic patients .. and the AMA wants tougher penalties for
violent patients.

Meanwhile .. Melbourne's hotels have slammed the city's taxis as a tourist turn-off
.. claiming there have been attacks on hotel staff .. as drivers fight over fares and
parking spots.



VITKOVIC (MELBOURNE)

Melbourne will quietly mark the 20th anniversary of the Queen Street massacre this weekend.

Failed law student FRANK VITKOVIC murdered eight people and then plunged 11 floors
to his death at the Australia Post building in Queen Street in Melbourne's CBD on December
8 .. 1987.

A low-key private wreath laying ceremony will be held at the Memorial Window at the
old GPO building.



KOREA SPILL (SEOUL)

South Korea is battling its worst ever oil spill after a tanker spilled more than 10
thousand tonnes of crude oil into the Yellow Sea after it was holed by a barge.

Authorities are trying to contain the oil inside a boom eight kilometres long .. while
a fleet of 28 ships scatter chemicals or try to pump up the spillage.



SERBIA KOSOVO (BELGRADE)

Serbia's pro-Western president has ruled out waging war over Kosovo .. saying that
those who threaten bloodshed are diminishing the Balkan republic's chances of keeping
the breakaway region.

BORIS TADIC made his comment after a senior government official suggested Serbia is
entitled to use military force if Kosovo declares independence.



STORMS/BUSHFIRES (SYDNEY)

Sydneysiders can expect more storms over the weekend .. similar to the fierce storm
which hit the city yesterday afternoon.

A 53 year old man died at Balgowlah .. when an awning collapsed on him under the weight
of rainwater.

Meanwhile .. five bushfires continue to burn on South Australia's Kangaroo Island ..

threatening property in several areas .. as more than 270 firefighters battle them.

And in Fiji .. powerful tropical cyclone DAMAN .. is packing wind gusts up to 250 kays
an hour as it slams into the islands' northern regions.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..




Queensland Premier ANNA BLIGH is demanding to know how a woman was left to give birth
in a hospital carpark west of Brisbane.




Indonesian authorities have revealed an Australian Federal Police agent shot at last
week .. was attacked by Indonesian police officers .. who thought he was a drug dealer.




At least 26 people are dead after two bomb attacks in Iraq.




Australian rock queen CHRISSY AMPHLETT has revealed she suffers from the brain and
spinal cord disease multiple sclerosis.



IN SPORT ..



GALLOPS FALLON (LONDON)

Six-times champion jockey KIEREN FALLON and five members of an alleged race-fixing
syndicate have walked free from court after a judge threw out the case.

The 42-year-old and his co-accused were acquitted at London's Old Bailey of fixing
27 races after the judge dismissed the evidence of prosecution witness .. Australian horse
racing expert RAY MURRIHY.

The court heard MURRIHY was unfamiliar with English racing.



GOLF AUST (COOLUM)

Hometown favourite ADAM SCOTT has a one-shot lead at the halfway mark of the $1.4 million
Australian PGA Championship at Coolum after firing a second five-under-par 67.



AFL SWANS (SYDNEY)

Sydney ruckman PETER EVERITT has undergone knee surgery but is expected to be fit for
the start of the 2008 AFL season.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP


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