AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 17

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2007
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 17
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Toll NSW (SYDNEY)

Women from three generations of the same family .. were among five people killed in
a head-on collision yesterday in north-western New South Wales.

Police have confirmed a 70-year-old grandmother from Rooty Hill in Sydney's west ..

her two daughters .. aged 44 and 47 .. and her 21-year-old granddaughter and her 22-year-old
boyfriend .. died in the fiery crash.

All five were in a Commodore which hit a furniture truck head-on .. on the Kamilaroi
Highway .. north of Boggabri .. yesterday afternoon.

Both vehicles burst into flames .. the truck driver was unhurt.



Porn Keelty (CANBERRA)

Federal police are expecting to make more arrests as a global child pornography ring unravels.

AFP commissioner MICK KEELTY says there's an overseas aspect to the operation that's
yet to unfold.

Mr KEELTY's told the Nine Network the AFP has been working with America's FBI and British
police for almost a year on several investigations.

Two teachers and a former police officer were among six men arrested in weekend raids
in New South Wales and Victoria.



Climate Bali Wrap (CANBERRA)

The federal opposition says Prime Minister KEVIN RUDD has jeopardised future climate
change negotiations with the United States.

Opposition climate change spokesman GREG HUNT says while the US accepted with good
grace Australia's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol .. Mr RUDD had a swipe at the US
during his speech at the Bali summit.

Mr HUNT's told ABC radio Australia now has less influence and less leverage with the
US .. and their work together in APEC has been pushed away.

But Mr RUDD says it's an important step forward .. because it opens up a roadmap to
the future .. even though there'll be another two years of hard .. tough negotiations.

And New Zealand climate change minister DAVID PARKER says the Bali summit achieved
more than he expected .. and it's an enormous change to have America agreeing to help
turn the situation around.



Pseudoephedrine (ADELAIDE)

An increase in drug-related crime has prompted pharmacists to step up their call for
the immediate withdrawal of products containing pseudoephedrine from chemist shops.

They say they're being targeted as a source of ingredients for making drugs like ice
.. and the problem's getting worse.

They say tighter controls are limiting the sale of medicine containing pseudoephedrine
to customers .. but the number of break-ins continues to rise.



Budget (CANBERRA)

Access Economics says cutting spending on family benefits and national security could
help the federal government stem the tide of rising interest rates.

It says the government must stick to its election campaign promise of a razor gang
to slash government spending .. otherwise future budget surpluses will shrink considerably.

Director CHRIS RICHARDSON has told ABC radio interest rates could rise in February
and again in the middle of 2008 .. unless savings are made and our economy's starting
to choke on its own prosperity.



Iraq alQaeda (DUBAI)

Al-Qaeda's second-in-command says Britain's handover of security in southern Iraq shows
the insurgents are gaining the upper hand.

On a video posted on the internet .. AYMAN AL-ZAWAHRI says reports from Iraq point
to the increasing power of the mujahideen and the deteriorating conditions of the Americans.

He says the proof is in the British decision to flee Basra.



Iraq Diyala (BAQUBA)

At least 39 people have been killed in fierce clashes between suspected al-Qaeda fighters
and Sunni Arab villagers in the Iraqi province of Diyala.

Police say two Sunni villages that used to be al-Qaeda strongholds before locals sided
with the US military .. were attacked by militants last night.



Mattress (MELBOURNE)

A man and two children have been rescued after floating out to sea on an air mattress
in Western Port Bay .. south-east of Melbourne.

The 35-year-old man .. 11-year-old girl .. and 12-year-old boy were paddling along
the shore on the queen-size inflatable bed .. collecting treasures .. about 6.30 last
night .. when they were taken out to sea by the tide.



US Fogelberg (NEW YORK)

American singer DAN FOGELBERG .. whose hits Leader of the Band and Same Old Lang Syne
helped define the soft-rock era in the 1970s .. has died after battling prostate cancer.

A statement on his website says FOGELBERG died peacefully at home in Maine .. with
his wife JEAN at his side.

FOGELBERG was found in 2004 to have advanced prostate cancer.



Briefly in other news ..




Children in Uganda have better oral health than Aussie kids.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found our children's oral health
is worse than the Netherlands .. England .. Sweden .. Denmark .. and Uganda .. but better
than New Zealand .. Greece .. Norway and Germany.




Work's begun on the billion-dollar redevelopment of Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital
.. with Premier JOHN BRUMBY and Health Minister DANIEL ANDREWS turning the first sod on
the project.




A commission .. set up to investigate child protection measures in New South Wales
.. has begun its first public hearings today .. with retired Justice JAMES WOOD promising
an independent and exhaustive inquiry.




A man's facing a string of charges after three young girls were found unrestrained
in an overloaded car on the Gold Coast .. the youngest was a six month old baby found
sitting on the front passenger seat floor.




The last Federal cabinet meeting of the year is underway in Canberra with RUDD government
ministers considering draft legislation to phase out AWA's.



in Finance ..




At 1114 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was DOWN 110.8 points at 6380.9, and
the all ordinaries index was DOWN 111.5 points at 6444.6.

The Australian dollar was trading at 86.29 US cents, DOWN from Friday's local close
of 87.81 US cents.

It was at 59.82 euro cents, DOWN from 59.97 euro cents on Friday.

In Sydney, the spot price of gold was $U795.00 per fine ounce, DOWN $US7.60 from Friday's
local close of $US802.60.



in Sport ..



Stallions (SYDNEY)

New South Wales horses will cross the border into Victoria today .. for the first time
since the outbreak of equine influenza.

The 64 horses will leave quarantine in Sydney this afternoon .. and arrive at a quarantine
facility in Victoria tomorrow.

New South Wales Primary Industries Minister IAN MACDONALD says it will be the first
legal movement of horses into Victoria since the outbreak .. and more will follow.



Cricket Aust (MELBOURNE)

Australian wicketkeeper ADAM GILCHRIST will sit out the third and final Chappell-Hadlee
one-day match against New Zealand after Cricket Australia decided to rest him before the
coming Test series against India.

GILCHRIST'S absence from Thursday's match in Hobart means BRAD HADDIN will take the
gloves for his 26th international.

Australia lead the series 1-0 after two matches, but the Black Caps can regain the
trophy by winning in Hobart.



Sail Sydhob (SYDNEY)

The crew of New Zealand boat Maximus remains in race mode despite damage to their keel
in the lead up to the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Senior crew member ROSS FIELD says it may be tomorrow before the full extent of the
damage is known.

He says the keel, which was damaged last night in transit from Auckland is likely to
take well into tonight to remove.

He says there were a few nervous moments in the passage overnight, but the crew remains
happy and is still preparing with the intension of starting on Boxing Day.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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