AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 28

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 28
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Telstra PM (CANBERRA)

All eyes are on the stock exchange today .. watching what's happening with Telstra sales.

Telstra opened at $3.51 .. one cent up on Friday's close .. but in the first 20 minutes
of trading had slipped seven cents to $3.43.

JOHN HOWARD has refused to give any guarantees Telstra's share price won't fall further
.. but analysts say the market today will be looking at the fine detail of the government's
plan to sell about 8 billion dollars of its stake in the telco.



Telstra (CANBERRA)

Communications Minister HELEN COONAN says the government's selling eight billion dollars
worth of its Telstra shares because the conflict over regulations to promote competition
in the industry has become untenable.

Telstra has complained for a year that the rules have undermined its profits and share price.

Senator COONAN today defended the government's decision to push ahead with the sale
amid a dismal share price.



Gardasil (SYDNEY)

The world's first cervical cancer vaccine is now in pharmacies.

The Gardasil vaccine .. developed by Australian of the Year IAN FRAZER .. aims to halt
the spread of the human papilloma virus that causes cervical cancer.

It also protects against two types of HPV that cause genital warts.

Professor FRAZER .. a Queensland-based scientist .. is administering the first immunisation
today .. and says it's a big day for him.

The vaccine's available on prescription from pharmacies .. and is approved for use
on boys and girls over nine.



US Aircraft (LEXINGTON)

It's emerged a US jet was on a runway too short for its size .. before it crashed and
burst into flames in Lexington .. Kentucky.

Only one of the 50 people on board Comair Flight 5191 survived .. a co-pilot who's
in critical condition in hospital.

The jet took off from Blue Grass Airport's shortest runway.

The one thousand and 50-metre-long strip .. unlit and barely half the length of the
airport's main runway .. isn't intended for commercial flights.

Aviation experts say the jet would have needed another 300 metres to fully get off the ground.



Gunns (MELBOURNE)

The Victorian Supreme Court has rejected timber giant Gunns' latest statement of claim
in its bid to sue 20 environmentalists for almost 7 million dollars.

Justice BERNARD BONGIORNO has ruled the Tasmanian timber company's third statement
of claim is too general and tries to accuse too many people of too many things.

Gunns has until October 19 to tell the court if it'll try to introduce another statement
of claim.



Stemcell Survey (CANBERRA)

Laws banning therapeutic cloning would probably be overturned if a conscience vote
was held today.

Twice as many MPs have told a survey they're likely to support the change .. as those
who would vote against it.



Baby (SYDNEY)

A newborn baby .. found abandoned in a cardboard box in the garage of a block of units
in Sydney's north .. is doing well in hospital.

The Department of Community Services says he's being kept in hospital for observation.

The newborn was found covered in a blanket by a resident of units in Wheeler Parade
.. Dee Why .. yesterday morning.

Police later found the 32-year-old mother in one of the units .. and she was taken
to Mona Vale hospital where she was questioned.

The baby will be placed in foster care until the matter's heard in the children's court.



Axeman (HOBART)

Forensic detectives in the tiny Tasmanian town of Lake Leake .. are still looking for
clues in the murder of a man .. believed to be missing woodcutter JOHN LEWIS THORNE.

They're yet to formally identify the body .. and won't comment on any injuries the
man has suffered.



Fire (BRISBANE)

The huge plume of smoke from an industrial blaze in Brisbane's east .. appears to
have had little impact on the environment.

The fire at the Smorgons Steel yard .. which contains car bodies .. started yesterday
afternoon .. but Queensland Fire Service spokesman TOM JAMES has told ABC Radio .. it
hasn't affected air or water quality.



Chase (SYDNEY)

A teenage P-plater in central western NSW has allegedly been clocked driving at more
than twice the legal speed limit .. hitting speeds of more than 200 kilometres an hour.

The 19-year-old's had his license suspended following a high-speed chase on the Mitchell
Highway .. near Orange last night.

He'll face Orange Local Court on September 19.



Briefly in other news ..


Mideast Fox Families (SAN FRANCISCO)

A Fox News correspondent and his cameraman have telephoned their relieved families
.. after being released by militants who held them hostage in the Gaza Strip for two weeks.



Iraq (BAGHDAD)

A series of deadly suicide bombings and shootings across Iraq in the past 24 hours
has left at least 59 people dead.



Turkey Blast (ANKARA)

Four separate blasts in Turkey have injured at least 22 people .. including 10 British tourists.



Repco (SYDNEY)

Automotive parts retailer Repco is set to close up to 15 underperforming stores ..

after revealing a big fall in annual earnings.



Canada Simoneau (VANCOUVER)

One of Canada's most acclaimed opera singers .. LEOPOLD SIMONEAU .. who made his name
as an expert interpreter of MOZART .. has died at the age of 90.



In finance ...

At 11.20am (AEST), the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was UP 2.2 points to 5025.8.

The all ordinaries index was UP 1.4 points to 4998.5.

The Australian dollar was trading at 75.77 US cents, DOWN from 75.82 at Friday's close.

It was at 59.32 euro cents, DOWN from 59.46 Friday.

In Sydney, gold bullion was trading $0.65 DOWN at $US621.6 an ounce, from Friday's close.

To sport:

Cricket Aust Buchanan (COOLUM, Qld)

Australian cricket coach JOHN BUCHANAN has confirmed he'll stand down after next year's
World Cup in the Caribbean.

Cricket Australia says BUCHANAN .. who took over the coaching position from GEOFF MARSH
in 1999 .. had his contract extended after last year's Ashes series in England.

He and Australian captain RICKY PONTING will discuss his decision at a media conference
at Coolum at 1330 AEST today.



Tennis Open Aust (NEW YORK)

In a big confidence booster ahead of the US Open starting tomorrow, Australia's number
one women's tennis player SAMANTHA STOSUR has climbed into the world's top 30 for the
first time.

STOSUR has risen six places to 30th after reaching the semi-finals in New Haven at the weekend.

STOSUR and ALICIA MOLIK are the only two Australians in action on day one of the Open.

MOLIK is first up against American teenager VANIA KING (1am Tuesday AEST) before STOSUR
takes on Czech LUCIE SAFAROVA (about 5am AEST).

LLEYTON HEWITT, MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS and NICOLE PRATT will play their first-round matches
on either Wednesday or Thursday (AEST).



Royals Zara (LONDON)

The Queen's believed to be very pleased .. after her granddaughter ZARA PHILLIPS won
gold at the World Equestrian Games.

Princess ANNE'S daughter kept her nerve to claim top spot on Toytown .. in the three-day
competition in Aachen .. Germany.

The 25-year-old equestrienne has already emulated her mother by winning the European title.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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