AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 7

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2005
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 7
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Parly Labor (CANBERRA)

Labor MPs say the government will show its true face today .. by ramming through the
final stages of controversial legislation.

Opposition health spokeswoman JULIA GILLARD .. says all the bills need more debate
.. but the government is smug and no longer cares what Australians think.

She says it's will ram through the final stages of its industrial relations .. welfare
to work .. voluntary student unionism .. and anti-terrorism legislation.



Terror Beazley (CANBERRA)

KIM BEAZLEY's defended his party's support of sweeping anti-terrorism laws .. saying
he's happy with the deal reached between the government and premiers.

The terrorism bill was rushed through the Senate last night .. after the government
gagged debate.

The Greens.. Democrats .. and the Law Council have accused Labor of selling out civil
rights by supporting the bill .. which gives unprecedented powers to police and spy agencies.

Meanwhile .. Attorney-General PHILIP RUDDOCK's welcomed the passage of the sweeping
new laws .. saying they'll help fight home-grown terrorism.



VSU Parly (CANBERRA)

The federal government has moved to gag debate in the lower house .. on the controversial
laws which would abolish compulsory student union fees.

The fees support student services such as health .. accomodation .. childcare .. and sport.

Rebel Nationals senator BARNABY JOYCE has vowed to cross the floor to vote against
the legislation when it reaches the Upper House.



Gerard Costello (SYDNEY)

PETER COSTELLO says he only became aware of ROBERT GERARD's tax dealings when they
were reported in the media nine days ago.

The treasurer is facing questions about how he came to appoint Mr GERARD .. a Liberal
Party donor .. to the board of the Reserve Bank.

Mr GERARD resigned last week .. amid claims he was involved in setting up overseas tax havens.



Nguyen Funeral (MELBOURNE)

Hundreds of mourners have gathered at Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral to farewell
drug smuggler VAN NGUYEN .. who was executed in Singapore last week.

Friend BRONWYN LEW has tied yellow ribbons around several elm tries surrounding the
stately cathedral .. Melbourne's largest Catholic church ahead of the requiem mass.

The family has asked that the service be a celebration of the young man's life.. not
a protest agaist the death penalty.



Iran Plane (TEHRAN)

An ageing military transport aircraft loaded with Iranian journalists has crashed into
a 10-storey block of flats in the capital Tehran .. killing up to 116 people.

Officials say one wing of the transport clipped the building .. as the fuselage crashed
to the ground at the foot of the building .. gouging out a huge crater and sparking a
large fire.

The plane developed engine trouble just after takeoff.



Iraq (BAGHDAD)

SADDAM HUSSEIN has told judges to go to hell .. and has threatened to stay away from
his own trial after hearing more chilling evidence from witnesses.

The heavily fortified Baghdad court has heard testimony of torture and intimidation
from witnesses .. hidden behind screens to protect their identities.

SADDAM denounced his trial for crimes against humanity .. as an US-inspired farce pandering
to electoral agendas.





The trial is continuing against a backdrop of violence in Iraq .. with two suicide
bombers killing at least 36 officers and cadets at a policy academy in Baghdad .. and
four more police in the Kurdish controlled north.

It's the bloodiest attack in three weeks .. and comes nine days before the December 15 election.



UN Climate WWF (MONTREAL)

An international environment group says this year looks set to be the hottest .. stormiest
.. and driest yet.

Releasing its report at the United Nations Climate Change Conference .. the WWF says
the results confirm the urgent need to combat global warming.



Terror CIA (WASHINGTON)

The United States has shut two secret CIA prisons in Romania and Poland after having
their existence revealed by a rights group.

The American ABC network says the detained terrorist suspects .. all top al-Qaeda operatives
.. have been moved to North Africa.

Menawhile .. President GEORGE W BUSH says the United States didn't secretly move terrorism
suspects to foreign countries that torture to get information.

He says the US doesn't torture .. or use countries that do.



Takriti Pfitzner (ADELAIDE)

Former South Australian Liberal MP BERNICE PFITZNER says her marriage to a past bodyguard
of SADDAM HUSSEIN isn't one of convenience .. but love.

The federal government is investigating the case of TAKRITI .. who arrived in Australia
six years ago and was granted a protection visa on appeal after having his initial application
denied.




People who make money from illegal activities .. including drug dealing and people
smuggling .. will be denied tax deductions on their spending under laws passed by parliament.



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




At 11.13 am (AEDT) .. the benchmark Standard and Poor's ASX 200 index was 13.7 points
HIGHER at 4629.7. The all ordinaries index was 12.2 points HIGHER at 4580.9.

The Australian dollar was trading at 75.23 US cents .. UP from 75.14 at yesterday's close.

It was at 63.78 euro cents, UP from 63.72 at yesterday's close.

In Sydney, gold bullion was trading 12.5 US cents HIGHER at $US508.50 an ounce.




The Reserve Bank's kept interest rates on hold for the ninth consecutive month .. in
an early Christmas present for mortgage holders.



and in sport...............



SOCCER WORLD AUST (LONDON)

Australia will play one seeded team .. one unseeded European team and either an Asian
or central American side in its World Cup group.

Australia .. as the sole representative of Oceania .. was put into the pool with the
five African qualifiers .. Ghana .. Ivory Coast .. Tunisia .. Angola .. Togo .. plus
the two lower-ranked South American teams Ecuador and Paraguay.



ENDS ROUND-UP

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