AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 16

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2004
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 16
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


Oly Swm Fly (ATHENS)

Australia's PETRIA THOMAS has won gold in the Olympic women's 100 metre butterfly,
ahead of OTYLIA JEDRZEJCZAK of Poland and INGE DE BRUIJN of the Netherlands.

THOMAS has undergone three shoulder reconstructions and ankle surgery to be able to
compete in her third Games.

After a decade in international swimming, an Olympic title was the only prize that
had eluded her.



Oly Cyc Road (ATHENS)

And Australia's SARA CARRIGAN, who's 23, has won a last lap duel with German JUDITH
ARNDT to capture the women's road race cycling gold medal.

Russian OLGA SLYUSAREVA nudged out Australian OENONE WOOD on the finish line to take bronze.



Oly Swm Thorpe (ATHENS)

Meanwhile, the stage is set for the race of the millennium with IAN THORPE, PIETRE
VAN DEN HOOGENBAND and American wonder kid MICHAEL PHELPS lined up for the 200 metre freestyle
final.

IAN THORPE drew first blood against PHELPS, beating the 19-year-old in their semi-final
to touch 0.43 seconds ahead of PHELPS in one minute 46.65 seconds.

But Dutch Olympic champion PIETER VAN DEN HOOGENBAND has qualified fastest in the earlier
semi, clocking 1:46.



Overboard (SYDNEY)

A former senior adviser has contradicted Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD'S claim in November
2001 that children had been thrown overboard from an asylum seeker vessel the previous
month.

At the time, MIKE SCRAFTON was senior adviser to then defence minister PETER REITH.

In a letter to The Australian newspaper, Mr SCRAFTON says he spoke to Mr HOWARD by
telephone three times on November the 7th, advising him the claims of children being thrown
overboard were inaccurate.

The Australian says despite the advice from Mr SCRAFTON and air force chief ANGUS HOUSTON,
Mr HOWARD continued to claim children had been thrown overboard.

Mr SCRAFTON says he wrote his letter following the recent controversy over issues raised
by 43 signatories of an open letter saying Australia committed to join the invasion of
Iraq on the basis of false assumptions and calling for truth in government.

He also says he was gagged by cabinet from giving evidence to the 2002 Senate committee
set up to inquire into the affair, but says the committee failed to subpoena him to appear.



Draper (SYDNEY)

Federal police have raided the Seven Network's Adelaide bureau and the home of a coalition
staff member to find out who leaked documents relating to alleged travel rorts by federal
Liberal MP TRISH DRAPER.

According to The Australian newspaper, Australian Federal Police have raided several
premises including the home of an electorate officer who previously worked for the South
Australian MP.

Seven's Today Tonight program has told the paper that police searched its Adelaide office
and removed a number of documents.



Telstra (CANBERRA)

Labor has rejected claims by Telstra chief ZIGGY SWITKOWSKI that the company will ultimately
be privatised no matter who wins the federal election.

Dr SWITKOWSKI says that while he expects Telstra to remain heavily regulated for some
time, it's inevitable the company will be privatised within the next few years.

But Labor's communications spokesman LINDSAY TANNER says the opposition's committed
to its promise to keep Telstra in public ownership if it wins the election.

The federal government has failed twice so far to get the Senate to approve its plan
to sell its remaining 51.05 per cent stake in Telstra so it can be fully privatised.



Medicare (CANBERRA)

The federal government will today announce a plan to give extra bulk-billing rebates
to doctors in outlying areas.

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says the government will today unveil new incentives to
boost the number of doctors working in centres such as Canberra.

The Medicare rebate to doctors in outer metropolitan and large provincial centres will
be extended by $2.50 to $7.50 for concession card holders and children under 16.

Under the system, GPs who bulk-bill children under 16 and concession card holders receive
an extra $5 or $7.50 if they work in rural or remote areas or Tasmania.

But the change has been criticised by doctors and the opposition as a vote-grab in
marginal seats ahead of the forthcoming federal election.



Universities Labor (MELBOURNE)

Labor says it's already drafted legislation to reverse the government's policy to allow
universities to raise HECS fees.

Labor's education spokeswoman JENNY MACKLIN says under the HOWARD government, a basic
science degree at university could cost $20,000.

Ms MACKLIN says Labor's already drafted legislation to reverse the fee increases outlined
in the government's higher education policy.

She says a Labor government will create 20,000 new university places every year and
abolish full-fee degrees for undergraduates.

Labor also will lower the age of independence for Youth Allowance and extend rent assistance
to students on Austudy.



Plane (BRISBANE)

Searchers have found wreckage from a light plane which crashed late yesterday in the
ocean off Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

A Queensland Police spokesman says there's so far no sign of the lone occupant of the
single-engine four-seater aircraft.

Witnesses saw the plane crash in the ocean one nautical mile east of Kawana, on the
Sunshine Coast, about 8.15pm (AEST) yesterday.

The police spokesman says searchers are waiting for an army helicopter with infra red
equipment to arrive to the area from Toowoomba to assist in the search.



Iraq Fallujah (FALLUJAH)

A United States warplane has bombed a house in the Sunni Muslim town of Fallujah, killing
four Iraqis and wounding five.

A hospital doctor says it's the fourth air strike in the city, 50km west of Baghdad,
in four days.



Meanwhile, a national conference on democracy in Iraq has got off to a rocky start
with more than 100 delegates walking out to protest against fighting in the holy city
of Najaf.

The protesters threatened to withdraw from the conference unless US-led military operations
against fighters of the cleric MOQTADA SADR in Najaf are not halted.



Hungary Plane (FRANKFURT)

A false bomb threat forced a German passenger jet bound for Istanbul to make an emergency
landing in Budapest.

A spokesman for Lufthansa airlines says the Airbus 321 from the western German city
of Frankfurt carrying 169 people was forced to stop in the Hungarian capital an hour after
takeoff.



Kashmir Aust (CANBERRA)

Two men have been arrested in Indian Kashmir for allegedly raping an Australian woman
and holding her captive for two months on a houseboat.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman says the Australian government's aware of
the case and believes the 22-year-old woman has returned home.



BRIEFLY......................




A three-year-old girl has died after allegedly being bashed in a Melbourne house.




The bed of Sydney Harbour is slowly being poisoned by impurities from the city's stormwater
system and the level of contamination is higher than other harbours around the world.




The first foreign troops, a contingent of from Rwanda, have been sent to Sudan's troubled
Darfur region to protect observers monitoring a ceasefire there.




The death toll from Hurricane Charley has climbed to 16 as thousands left homeless
in southwest Florida begin rebuilding their lives and President GEORGE W BUSH rushed in
to view the devastation.



FINANCE:


Markets Preview (MELBOURNE)

The flow of June half profit results should drive the Australian share market this
week, with analysts warning any disappointment will have a negative impact on the market.

Companies scheduled to release earnings results in the week ahead include Boral, Origin
Energy and BlueScope Steel on Tuesday.

BHP Billiton AMP and Lend Lease Corporation will release results on Wednesday.

Amcor, Insurance Australia Group and Qantas Airways are among the companies due to
report on Thursday.

While positive results are expected, analysts have cautioned that high expectations
could lead to disappointment.



NAB (MELBOURNE)

National Australia Bank chief executive GRAHAM KRAEHE says the bank's poised for a turnaround.

He says regulatory requirements placed on the bank after the foreign exchange scandal
earlier this year have hit the bank's corporate customers.

Mr KRAEHE's told ABC TV customers have remained loyal and the bank's now well on its
way to meeting all conditions placed on it by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.



AND IN SPORT:


Oly Tickets (ATHENS)

Television images of near empty Olympic stadiums have prompted IOC officials to look
at giving tickets away.

The IOC's told the Athens Games organisers to give tickets away for free if necessary.



MOTOR PRIX (BUDAPEST)

World champion formula one driver MICHAEL SCHUMACHER claimed a record 12th win of the
season as he led Ferrari to a world championship-winning one-two in the Hungarian Grand
Prix.



CRICKET WINDIES LARA (MANCHESTER)

West Indies captain BRIAN LARA became the fastest batsman to score 10,000 Test runs
when he made seven against England in the third Test at Old Trafford.

LARA is only the fourth man to score 10,000 Test runs and he reached the landmark in
his 111th Test and 195th innings.

That was 13 matches quicker and 17 innings fewer than India great SUNIL GAVASKAR.




AAP RTV ea/psm/

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