AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2009
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 2
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430
G20 Wrap (LONDON)
KEVIN RUDD says G20 summit leaders have an obligation to produce a good outcome for
the workers of the world.
The PM's been speaking with Russian President DMITRY MEDVEDEV .. during a photo opportunity
before holding talks in London ahead of tomorrow's summit.
Meantime demonstrators in London have laid siege to the Bank of England and smashed
the windows of the Bank of Scotland.
Other anti-capitalist and anti-war activists fought police .. hurling paint and smoke
bombs .. bottles .. cans and shoes.
A second demonstration with about two thousand people gathered outside the US embassy
which was also protected by hundreds of police.
And ahead of the talks .. the US and Russia say they'll negotiate to reduce their nuclear
capabilities .. with President BARACK OBAMA and Russian leader DMITRY MEDVEDEV saying
they've agreed on the long-term goal of a nuclear free world.
Economy Swan (CANBERRA)
WAYNE SWAN says Australia's unemployment rate will climb higher than the government's
previous forecast of seven per cent.
The OECD's recently tipped unemployment will reach an average of 10 per cent across
the developed world .. while growth is projected to shrink by 4.3 per cent.
The Treasurer's told ABC Television this means Australia's growth will be slower ..
and unemployment higher than forecast in February .. but that these forecasts will be
updated in the May budget.
Fitzgibbon (SYDNEY)
Pressure's mounting on Australia's defence minister to explain his relationship with
Chinese-born businesswoman HELEN LIU .. with reports in today's papers claiming she paid
for another first-class trip to China in 1993 .. before he was an MP.
Fairfax Media reports one of Ms LIU's companies paid for a seven-day trip for JOEL
FITZGIBBON and his father ERIC FITZGIBBON .. who was then a federal Labor MP .. to mark
the start of work on a tourist development.
Mr FITZGIBBON came under fire last week when it emerged he'd failed to declare Ms LIU
paid for two trips to China in 2002 and 2005 when he was an opposition frontbencher.
As he wasn't an MP in 1993 .. Mr FITZGIBBON wasn't obliged to declare the trip to parliament.
But he didn't mention it last week .. when asked about claims he'd received expensive
gifts from Ms LIU.
Bikies Law (SYDNEY)
NATHAN REES is rushing ahead with new laws aimed at banning members of bikie gangs
from associating with one another.
Fairfax Media reports the New South Wales premier's pushing the tough new laws through
parliament today .. just two days after he warned they might not be in place until June.
The legislation will go to a special caucus meeting this morning following a cabinet
meeting last night .. where Mr REES told his ministers the government couldn't risk delaying
them.
Under the new laws .. which have the firm backing of police and the NSW opposition
.. members of gangs declared a "criminal organisation" by a Supreme Court judge would
be charged immediately.
They could be jailed for at least two years and would not have any warnings before
they're charged.
Transient (ADELAIDE)
Police in South Australia say they've charged a man with attempted murder after he
allegedly went on a rampage .. randomly stabbing two women and running two men down in
his four-wheel drive.
News Limited newspapers report the man was a transient .. who'd been staying in a caravan
park at Snowtown with his dog after arriving in town a few weeks ago.
Police say the 42-year-old allegedly ran down a truck driver who was standing next
to his vehicle about 1.15 pm (CDT) .. before ramming the rear of another vehicle which
had two women sitting in it.
When they got out to investigate .. the man allegedly stabbed both of them in the neck
with a knife before getting back into his Toyota Hilux and running over a pedestrian who
was pushing another man in a wheelchair.
He was subdued by three police officers.
Fire (HOBART)
Neighbours have discovered a severed body part at their house .. after a bizarre killing
in Tasmania in which the attacker also died.
Police say it appears a 31-year-old Hobart man turned on an older drinking buddy with
a hatchet and a knife after an argument while both were drunk.
They believe he cut off part of the 57-year-old man's body .. dropping it at a neighbour's
home .. before returning to torch his home about three am (AEDT) yesterday.
But police say the younger man's then died from smoke inhalation in a bedroom where
his alleged victim's body was also found.
Smoke (SYDNEY)
A Melbourne study investigating the link between cigarettes and Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome has found babies born to smoking mums find it harder to wake up.
It's found babies in homes where the mother smoked up to 20 cigarettes daily .. during
and after the pregnancy .. perform poorer on arousal tests.
Associate Professor ROSEMARY HORNE says the research sheds new light on why smoking
is emerging as a leading cause of SIDS .. after most mums have responded to the message
to not put their baby to sleep stomach down.
UK Helicopter (EDINBURGH)
Scottish police say eight bodies have been recovered from the North Sea after a helicopter
returning from an oil platform went down with 16 people on board.
There's been no immediate word on survivors after the helicopter ditched off the northeast
coast of Scotland.
It's the second such incident this year .. with both involving the same model of helicopter
.. the Super Puma.
Briefly in other news ..
Refrigerators (BRISBANE)
More than 300 workers will finish up at Brisbane's Fisher and Paykel refrigerator factory
today .. as the company prepares to shift operations to Thailand.
Browse (PERTH)
West Australian Premier COLIN BARNETT has extended his deadline for traditional owners
to agree to plans for a Kimberley gas hub .. and has backed away from threats to compulsorily
acquire land for the project.
LNP (BRISBANE)
Brisbane-based MP TIM NICHOLLS has been tipped to win today's Liberal National Party
leadership ballot in Brisbane .. in his race against Sunshine Coast MP FIONA SIMPSON and
Gold Coast MP JOHN-PAUL LANGBROEK.
Cervical (CANBERRA)
It seems the pap smear message is getting through .. with a new report founding the
rate of women undergoing cervical cancer screening every two years has reached its highest
level in eight years.
in Sport ..
WC10 Aust (SYDNEY)
The Socceroos are just one point away from qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals
in South Africa following last's night's 2-nil win over Uzbekistan in Sydney.
The win virtually assures Australia one of the top two automatic qualifying spots in
their group and an appearance at successive World Cups for the first time.
Bahrain's 1-0 win over Qatar in Manama this morning denied the Socceroos official qualification
.. but a draw against Qatar in Doha on June 6 will get Australia over the line.
Failing that .. they'll only need a point from their remaining two home clashes against
Bahrain and Japan.
League Eagles (SYDNEY)
Manly chief executive GRANT MAYER has received a stay of execution following a board
meeting of the NRL club.
The Daily Telegraph reports MAYER has been given six weeks to come up with a final
version of his business plan for the strife-torn premiers.
A plea for stability from coach DES HASLER is believed to have contributed to MAYER'S
retention as the club reels from opening its 2009 campaign with three straight losses.
ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP
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