AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Feb 12

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2004
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Feb 12
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

Election (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says this year's federal election will be held between July
the 1st and early December unless there's a dramatic event that justifies an earlier poll.

But Mr HOWARD's strongly indicated the poll will be held in November -- telling ABC
radio he doesn't want it too close to Christmas.



Medicare Brown (CANBERRA)

Australian Greens Senator BOB BROWN says the government is targeting the four independent
senators as the cheapest option for passing its changes to the Medicare syatem.

The government is negotiating with the four independents to pass its changes to the
public health system -- but has also started talks with the Australian Democrats as a
second option.

One of the four independents -- One Nation Senator LEN HARRIS -- says he won't support
the bill in its current form.



Iraq WMD Howard (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has declared he will wait for the results of the current
inquiry into intelligence over Iraq's weapons before considering a second inquiry.

Mr HOWARD says one of the terms of reference for the current inquiry -- which reports
on March the 1st -- covers the nature, accuracy and independence of the intelligence provided
to the government.

Labor has called on the HOWARD government to pledge that any independent inquiry into
pre-war intelligence on Iraq will report its findings before the next federal election.

Greens Senator BOB BROWN says an independent inquiry -- effectively a royal commission
-- is needed.

And Australian Democrats Leader ANDREW BARTLETT says an independent inquiry should
be held in public.



Iraq WMD Powell (WASHINGTON)

United States Secretary of State COLIN POWELL says he's surprised that United Nations
and American inspectors haven't found any hidden weapons in Iraq.

But POWELL's told the International Relations Committee the US presented what it believed
was the truth about Iraq's threat to the world befor invading the country.



Iraq US Budget (WASHINGTON)

The Pentagon has defended a White House decision to wait until next January to to seek
an extra $A64 billion from Congress for US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Democrats say the delay's a political move to avoid debate over the high cost of Iraq
while President GEORGE W BUSH seeks re-election this November.



SUPER (CANBERRA)

A Liberal politician has backed federal Labor Leader MARK LATHAM'S crackdown on superannuation,
saying he too will cut his entitlements if he wins office.

New South Wales Opposition Leader JOHN BROGDEN has promised to slash his potential
entitlements from up to 80 per cent of his base salary to nine per cent -- the same as
most other public servants.

On Monday, Mr LATHAM pledged to wind down the generous superannuation scheme for all
federal MPs, including forgoing up to $1.9 million of his own entitlements.

The federal government has defended the payouts, and has challenged Mr LATHAM to donate
some of his current entitlements to charity.



Tax Labor (CANBERRA)

Federal Labor frontbencher KELVIN THOMSON says a proposal to increase the income level
at which the top personal income tax rate kicks in, needs consideration.

His comments follow a newspaper report that Opposition Leader MARK LATHAM is pushing
ahead with a proposal to lift the income threshhold for the top tax rate from $62,500
to $75,000.



Trade US (CANBERRA)

Farm industry groups are calling for answers on key issues of concern in the free trade
agreement between Australia and the United States, including quarantine and market access.

Chief executive officer of Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers, JAN DAVIS, says
growers are concerned that trade considerations could override quarantine.



Hookes Files (MELBOURNE)

Victoria Police are investigating whether officers accessed confidential information
about the man charged over the death of cricketer DAVID HOOKES.

Melbourne newspaper The Age says a police audit has found that up to 35 officers accessed
computer information about ZDRAVKO MICEVIC, the man charged with manslaughter over the
death of HOOKES.

HOOKES died on January the 19th after allegedly being punched by MICEVIC outside a
Melbourne hotel.



US vote quit (LITTLE ROCK)

Former NATO commander WESLEY CLARK has ended his bid for the US presidency, saying
he has neither the voter support or the campaign funds to continue.

59-year-old CLARK's withdrawal comes a day after disappointing third finishes in two
crucial Democratic Party primaries, when he was beaten in Tennessee and Virginia behind
frontrunner JOHN KERRY and second-in-line JOHN EDWARDS.



in finance ...............




The all ordinaries index was UP 22.4 points at 3337.7 at 11.32 AM (AEDT), while the
benchmark Standard and Poor's ASX 200 index was UP 23.2 points at 3323.9.

The Australian dollar was HIGHER at 78.71, from 77.96 yesterday.

Against the euro, the local dollar is buying 61.37 euro cents, DOWN from 61.38 yesterday.

In Sydney, gold was $US4.375 HIGHER at $US411.75 an ounce.



The European Commission has cleared a mega-merger between Air France and Dutch carrier
KLM, -- creating the world's biggest airline -- subject to conditions to prevent its
dominance on key routes.



briefly in other news........




Federal Health Minister TONY ABBOTT says a claim that a cloned baby boy was born in
Sydney last week is the medical equivalent of a UFO story.




Genetically modified canola grown in New South Wales for research could reportedly
end up being sold by farmers, despite a New South Wales moratorium on the commercial growth
of GM food crops.




A national taskforce will examine the trend toward obesity in older Australians after
a report found one in five seniors are extremely overweight.





New South Wales Transport Minister MICHAEL COSTA is meeting train drivers whose refusal
to work overtime has plagued the Sydney rail network this week.




Australia Post says its Sydney workers have begun a 24-hour strike in its parcel post
and transport network over the security of their full-time jobs and entitlementt.



Haiti's second-largest city remains without power after a food depot was looted and
torched in the latest troubles to hit the stricken Caribbean republic.



A fossilised creature found in Scotland is the earliest known insect.



A judge has issued an arrest warrant for beleaguered rocker COURTNEY LOVE after she
failed to attend a court hearing on drug possession charges -- giving her until next Tuesday
to turn up.



A Christchurch send-off is being planned for a holidaying Swiss couple after they handed
back over a hundred thousand dollars in cash from an Armourguard van -- for no reward.



AND IN SPORT.................



Cricket Warne (MELBOURNE)

SHANE WARNE has been denied more overs in his comeback cricket match after the Queensland
Academy of Sport declared its first innings closed.

The QAS declared at 5-266, 113 runs behind the Victorian second XI's first innings
5(dec)-379 after just 30 minutes of play in today's fourth and final day.

WARNE did not bowl today and finished the innings with figures of 2-32 from 16 overs.

He might yet get another chance to bowl this afternoon, provided his team makes another
declaration and sets the QAS a fourth innings run-chase.



Cup SA (ADELAIDE)

South Australian batsman SHANE DEITZ will return from injury and play in the one-day
cricket match against New South Wales on Sunday.

DEITZ missed SA's last one-dayer because of a finger injury but will replace CALLUM
FERGUSON in Sunday's fixture at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney.

FERGUSON is representing Australia at the under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.



OLY TORCH (ATHENS)

Greek javelin thrower COSTAS GATSIOUDIS will be the first torch bearer when the Olympic
flame begins its five-month worldwide odyssey for the Athens 2004 Games.

The first torch will be lit on March 25, the date the modern Games started in Athens in 1896.




ENDS BULLETIN

AAP RTV rt

KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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