AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 4

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2007
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 4
BREAKFAST ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


BUS (BRISBANE)

Queensland police will turn their attention to the brakes of a bus today that crashed
on the Gold Coast yesterday injuring all 24 people on board.

The tourist bus ended on its side after sliding down an embankment .. as it tried to
take a tight corner on Tamborine-Oxenford Road near Coomera yesterday afternoon.

Four ambulances were called to the scene and 11 passengers were taken to hospital.



FLU (BRISBANE)

A group of Gold Coast primary students on excursion to Canberra are expected to return
home this weekend after an Influenza outbreak during the trip.

39 children and seven adults from Marymount Primary School at Burleigh Heads were taken
to Canberra Hospital yesterday with flu symptoms .. after becoming ill during the excursion.

ACT health authorities say 12 children were sent to hospital .. five children tested
positive to Influenza A .. and the rest have been treated at their hotel by doctors and
nurses.



WORKPLACE ADS (SYDNEY)

Canberra's latest advertising blitz is reportedly reinforcing fears over its Work Choices
reforms .. rather than dispelling them.

A research firm says worker reactions to the ads with Workplace Authority director
BARBARA BENNETT are raising worries amongst employees .. rather than busting any myths
about the IR changes.

Essential Research has told The Australian newspaper .. rather than taking away the
fear of the new laws .. the ads' unintended side effect is that people get even more worried.

Meanwhile .. details of the federal government's takeover of a Tasmanian hospital will
be advertised over four pages of a local newspaper today.



STATES IEMMA (SYDNEY)

New South Wales Premier MORRIS IEMMA has blasted the prime minister over his intervention
in state affairs .. saying he's behaving as if he's involved in a bikie gang war.

Mr IEMMA says the HOWARD government's embarked on a re-election strategy of using brutal
political force against the states.



APEC Hospitals (SYDNEY)

Some of Sydney's major hospitals will reportedly reportedly halt or cut elective surgery
during next month's APEC summit.

Fairfax newspapers say the New South Wales health department has denied the shutdown
.. but doctors at the hospitals say they have been told resources will be freed up in
case of a major health disaster.

But state Health Minister REBA MEAGHER's office says the APEC forum between September
2 and 9 won't affect the health system's performance on elective surgery.



CHILDCARE (SYDNEY)

Thousands of parents will receive a childcare cash bonus of up to for-thousand-200
dollars from the federal government as they prepare to go to the polling booths.

The payment will also roughly coincide with the release of the controversially delayed
2005-06 childcare rebate .. to be paid via a families 2006-07 tax return.

Childcare campaigner REBECCA BARTEL has told the Australian newspaper it appears the
payments were held off to be used as election sweeteners for families.



ROCKS (MELBOURNE)

Police say youths have pelted rocks at nine cars on the Princes Highway south-west of Melbourne.

They say the three youths threw the rocks at cars from behind barriers at about eight
o'clock last night .. at a highway construction zone at Laverton.

A helicopter and the Dog Squad searched the area .. but the three escaped.



NIGERIA HELICOPTER (PORT HARCOURT)

An Australian pilot has been killed in a helicopter accident in Nigeria.

The pilot was flying for energy company ExxonMobil and died from his injuries after
crashing at an oil expert terminal.



US FREEWAY (MINNEAPOLIS)

Authorities searching the rubble of an interstate bridge collapse in Minnesota on Wednesday
have lowered the number of people believed missing to eight.

The official death toll is five.

Meanwhile .. an Australian engineering expert says questions have been raised in the
past about 40-year-old bridge.

Associate Professor PRIYAN MENDIS from the University of Melbourne worked in Minneapolis
in 1996 .. and says maintenance issues are the most likely cause of the collapse.



BREASTFEED (SYDNEY)

New South Wales now threatens fines of up to 40 thousand dollars for people discriminating
against mothers who breastfeed in public or at work.

Attorney-General JOHN HATZISTERGOS says the new law will make sure mothers are adequately
supported .. and bring New South Wales in line with other states.



DEER (SYDNEY)

The RSPCA says it'll back a major deer cull in Sydney's south as long as it's done
as humanely as possible.

DAVID O'SHANNESSY from the RSPCA New South Wales says there's a proven need to curb
the deer population .. which is estimated at more than 17-hundred animals.



AFGHAN KIDNAP (GHAZNI)

South Korean officials and the Taliban are struggling to agree on a venue for talks
to save the lives of 21 hostages .. as the rebels refuse to allow Afghan doctors to see
the group.

The hardliners say they have not killed any more hostages after the latest deadline
expired on Wednesday.

Before that .. they shot dead two hostages.

The latest efforts come as South Korea says it can't meet Taliban demands.



UK WANGITA (LONDON)

It's been revealed a son of the later former Ugandan dictator IDI AMIN was jailed earlier
this year in London .. over his role in a brutal murder.

25-year-old FAISAL WANGITA was among a 40-strong gang which took part in an horrific
attack on 18-year-old Somalian .. MAHIR OSMAN .. in January last year.

OSMAN died within minutes of being stabbed 20 times .. hit with baseball bats .. bottles
and hammers.

The attack was captured on closed-circuit TV cameras.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..




Four more American soldiers have been killed in the Iraqi capital .. in two separate attacks.




The New South Wales Liberal Party executive has voted against endorsing MICHAEL TOWKE
as its candidate for the federal Sydney seat of Cook .. after claims he paid membership
fees for new recruits.




Two unrelated cases of meningococcal disease have been detected in northern Sydney.




And jaywalkers in Melbourne's business district can be fined 55 dollars on the spot from Monday.



IN SPORT ..



LEAGUE WRAP (SYDNEY)

Bulldogs backrower BRAD MORRIN looks headed for the NRL judiciary after being put on
report for allegedly biting TIMANA TAHU in last night's 34-22 loss to Parramatta at Telstra
Stadium.

In last night's other game .. St George Illawarra coach NATHAN BROWN accused his players
of dumb football despite the Dragons beating the Knights 20-4 in Newcastle.

Today .. Gold Coast ARE HOME TO a Wests Tigers side minus skipper BRETT HODGSON due
to a corked knee.

North Queensland will be hoping to end a three-game losing streak when they host Canberra
while Penrith take on South Sydney.



AFL WRAP (MELBOURNE)

The Western Bulldogs and St Kilda had a draw last night, a result that might prove
crucial to the final makeup of the AFL top eight.

Saint NICK RIEWOLDT took an outstanding mark just before time but his shot for goal
was touched behind to tie the scores at 12.13 (85).

Top side Geelong should have no trouble at home this afternoon against bottom side
Richmond and Collingwood start favourites against Carlton at the MCG.

Brisbane host the second-placed Kangaroos tonight, while Adelaide must beat Port Adelaide
to stay in the finals hunt.



SOCCER ASIAN (KUALA LUMPUR)

The Socceroos have been named Asia's top seeds for the region's 2010 World Cup qualifiers
-- the top five receiving first-round byes.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP


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