AAP National News Wire Round Up for Breakfast, Dec 2

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-1999
AAP National News Wire Round Up for Breakfast, Dec 2
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430

WTO ARRESTS (SEATTLE)

Seattle police have arrested at least 25 people in efforts to contain anti-trade protests
after a day of violence that prevented some world trade meetings.

At least 15 protesters were seen handcuffed by police on a street several blocks from
the World Trade Organisation meeting headquarters.

Another dozen arrested protesters were seen in city buses waiting to be taken away.

Meanwhile, Trade Minister MARK VAILE says protests that delayed the opening session
of world trade talks in Seattle won't derail the process.

Mr VAILE says he expects an agreement on the future of trade talks by the end of the week.

Prime Minister John Howard last night criticised the demonstrators, saying the disruption
would only hurt poor countries.

AIDS World (LONDON)

The world marked the last World AIDS Day of the millennium today with ceremonies, protests
and calls for greater efforts to fight the disease in the next millennium.

In London and South Africa public buildings were dramatically bathed in red light as
World AIDS Day dawned.

In Washington hundreds of protesters charged the United States on the eve of the event
with hindering the access of developing countries to AIDS drugs.

In France, the French medical charity Medecins du Monde urged countries meeting at
the World Trade Organisation summit to allow Third World states to import and produce
anti-AIDS drugs cheaply without fear of trade sanctions.

AIDS UK (LONDON)

Barbie, the world's most famous doll, has been recruited in the fight against AIDS.

And more than 50 top names in art and fashion reinvented the icon to raise money on
World Aids Day today.

The Elton John Aids Foundation, launched the project with toymaker Mattel saying the
Art of Barbie exhibition celebrates 40 years of the doll and helps a worthwhile cause.

Data (CANBERRA)

The federal opposition has urged tighter privacy codes despite Prime Minister JOHN
HOWARD'S assurance there is nothing to fear from a giant database on 15 million Australians.

The database - with details ranging from spending habits to family pets - is part of
a joint venture between media magnate KERRY PACKER'S Publishing and Broadcasting Limited
and the US-based Acxiom Corp.

Privacy groups have expressed concern about the venture.

Sanderson (MELBOURNE)

Australia's former army chief has warned that Australians should accept the possibility
that Australia may need to intervene again in the Asian region.

Lieutenant-General JOHN SANDERSON says there appears to be no one else to assume such
regional leadership and Australia may well be more acceptable than the United States.

Delivering Asialink's annual Sir EDWARD "Weary" Dunlop Asia Lecture, he said it's as
important for Australia's political health as for Asia's to support human rights and justice
in the region.

Boat Woomera (ADELAIDE)

A medical centre at Australia's newest detention facility for illegal immigrants at
Woomera, north of Adelaide, is expected to be fully operational by midday today.

The population at the facility has swelled to more than 300 this week, consisting mainly
of illegal immigrants from the Middle East

A teacher has also arrived on site.

Taxis (CANBERRA)

The Productivity Commission has found that severe restrictions on taxi numbers and
fares can't be justified and cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

But the Commission warns it could cost billions of dollars to compensate taxi owners
if the industry is fully deregulated.

Government regulations restricting the number of taxis on Australian roads and the
fares they charge make taxis an extraordinarily lucrative assets.

Bug (SYDNEY)

Australian companies are bracing for a new wave of computer viruses, with a bug striking
Sydney computers.

The Daily Telegraph reports that at least three major companies in Sydney are believed
to have been forced to shut down part of their computer networks because of a worm.

One of those affected was accountancy giant KPMG with a spokesman saying they were
still assessing the damage.

The worm, which spreads rapidly and destroys Microsoft files, first emerged four months
ago but yesterday hit computers in the United States, Switzerland and Sydney.

Deals (SYDNEY)

The cash-for-comment inquiry will resume today after a two-week break and two resignations
from radio 2UE, the station currently under scrutiny.

The ABA has been investigating the sponsorship deals of 2UE's two stars, JOHN LAWS
and ALAN JONES.

The hearing resumes after a tumultuous fortnight where it lost its rugby league broadcast
rights, its program director JOHN BRENNAN and night host STAN ZEMANEK.

Burwood (MELBOURNE)

In the lead up to the Burwood by-election, the battle for JEFF KENNETT'S old seat
has degenerated into squabbling over electoral handouts.

Former KENNETT staffer STEPHEN MAYNE has attacked Liberal candidate LANA MCLEAN'S claim
that she grew up in the electorate.

When Ms MCLEAN stood unsuccessfully for the seat of Melbourne at the September general
election she told voters she grew up in Flemington in the Melbourne electorate.

Retirees (CANBERRA)

A study released by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling reveals that
self-funded retirees will have double the disposable income of pensioner households by
the end of the next decade.

The Centre says despite there being twice as many pensioners, self-funded retirees
will be forking out $23 billion a year by 2010 on recreation and entertainment.

In contrast, the vast pool of pensioners will spend only 13 per cent of their weekly
allowance or $20 billion a year on living it up.

Boat Villages (CANBERRA)

A parliamentary committee has heard that Immigration Minister PHILIP RUDDOCK has anecdotal
intelligence that entire middle eastern villages are packing up to come to Australia illegally.

But, the committee has been told, he doesn't know which ones.

An immigration department official says Australia's intelligence gathering sources
on illegal immigration are stronger than ever before.

Mandela (CANBERRA)

A federal minister is refusing to reveal whether the prime minister's department tried
to put a stop to a visit by former South African president NELSON MANDELA to the 1997
reconciliation convention.

Opposition Senate leader JOHN FAULKNER asked whether it had been quietly conveyed to
President MANDELA that it would not be suitable time for a visit.

Government Senate leader ROBERT HILL disagreed, as did officials of the department
of prime minister and cabinet.

AND BRIEFLY..............

The first pictures from NASA's Mars Polar Lander will be relayed to the world by Australian
engineers at Canberra's Tidbinbilla tracking station on Saturday afternoon.

A regional government in Spain has come up with a novel idea for promoting safe sex,
offering discounts at youth hostels to discourage young people from having hurried sexual
encounters in cars, doorways and parks.

Elite model agency European chairman GERALD MARIE, who resigned following a documentary
showed him soliciting sex says his behaviour was inexcusable but denies any criminal acts.

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

CRICKET AKHTAR (LONDON)

A former coach of Pakistan's cricket team has joined Australian assertions that fast
bowler SHOAIB AKHTAR uses a sometimes suspect delivery.

WASIM RAJA, a former Test player who coached Pakistan until two months ago, has told
the BBC that AKHTAR uses an illegal action to get extra speed for a bouncer.

Such claims made in Australia recently caused outrage in Pakistan and a denial by AKHTAR
and the team.

CRICKET MULLER (SYDNEY)

Channel Nine has attempted to settle the controversy over the sledging of fast bowler
SCOTT MULLER by interviewing the cameraman who made the "CAN'T BOWL, CAN'T THROW" jibe.

Cameraman JOE PREVITERA apologised to MULLER for any hurt caused by the incident, saying
he was just making a comment he didn't mean to a fellow cameraman.

GOLF AUST (BRISBANE)

CRAIG PARRY will start favourite for the $800,000 Players Champioship that gets underway
at Royal Queensland golf course today.

Teenage amateur AARON BADDELEY is also in the field, comingoff his win in the Australian
Open last weekend.

ENDS AAP RTV BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

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