AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 30

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2003
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 30
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

Custody Nicholson (CANBERRA)

Family Court Chief Justice ALASTAIR NICHOLSON has welcomed aspects of a proposed overhaul
of Australia's child custody system but he's doubtful a Families Tribunal will work.

A federal parliamentary committee yesterday recommended a major overhaul of the Family
Court system including the creation of a Families Tribunal.

Justice NICHOLSON has largely welcomed the committee's recommendations saying they
are pointing in the right direction.

The report recommended an emphasis on mediation and problem-solving, rather than the
traditional court-based adversarial system.

Children and Youth Affairs Minister LARRY ANTHONY says the government is in no hurry
to endorse the recommendations and the Law Society of New South Wales has raised concerns
about the lawyer-free tribunal.

Father's group, Men's Rights Agency, says accusations of domestic violence against
fathers are likely to soar if the recommendations are adopted.



NZ Search (WELLINGTON)

An Australian hiker and her companion missing in rugged country in New Zealand for
several days have been found alive.

Thirty-six-year-old MARNI SHEPPEARD, from Sydney, and Christchurch woman SONJA RENDELL,
aged 25, had not been seen since December the 21st while walking in the Arthur's Pass
National Park on New Zealand's South Island.



Quake Iran Aust (CANBERRA)

An Australian Air Force plane loaded with emergency supplies is due to arrive in Iran
tomorrow to provide relief to victims of last Friday's devastating earthquake that's killed
as many as 30,000 people.

Air Commander GREG EVANS says the RAAF C130 Hercules aircraft will land in Kerman,
a city north of quake-hit Bam, as Bam's airfield was damaged in the earthquake.

He's told the Nine Network bad weather en route to Iran has delayed the flight and
it's now due to arrive early tomorrow morning Australian time.

Amid the mayhem in Bam, a six-month-old baby has been found alive in the arms of her
dead mother in the early hours of today.

And Iran's supreme leader AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI has visited the ruined city and pledged
to rebuild the ancient city.



Quake Iran US (WASHINGTON)

The United States says the humanitarian tragedy in Bam transcends political considerations
and has sent aid to the stricken city.

The move comes in the face of two decades of suspicion of its so-called avis of evil foe.

Deputy Secretary of State RICHARD ARMITAGE contacted Iran when the full extent of the
quake became known to offer assistance.



Terror Marshals Reax (LONDON)

An announcement by the US that it's ordering foreign airlines to place armed marshals
on selected flights has drawn a mixed reaction from international airlines.

The US Department of Homeland Security says the measure went into effect yesterday.

Britain appeared to have anticipated the ruling, saying at the weekend it would put
armed police on flights which could become possible terrorist targets.

But British Airways says it's opposed to the measure, arguing that security measures
should be carried out on the ground before takeoff.

New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority aviation security manager TREVOR JOY says it's
unlikely to place armed marshals on its flights unless more information is provided.



Defence (CANBERRA)

A defence force contractor says helmets worn by some Australian soldiers serving in
Iraq are defective and would fail to protect troops struck by a projectile.

A private supplier to the Defence Material Organisation -- which equips the defence
force -- says about 8,000 helmets sold in 1995 have not been properly maintained and are
now defective.

PETER MARSHALL's told ABC radio the faulty helmets are still in use and troops in Iraq
have been issued with them.

But Australian Defence Force communications director Brigadier MIKE HANNAN denies the
helmets are faulty and says no one serving in Iraq has been issued with below specification
equipment.



Crocodile (DARWIN)

Wildlife rangers have shot and killed a saltwater crocodile believed responsible for
killing a man near Darwin last week.

The 3.8m crocodile was shot around midnight near where 22-year-old BRETT MANN was taken
in a stretch of the Finniss River, about 80 kilometres southwest of Darwin.

Northern Territory police say it will be some time before police know whether the dead
crocodile was the one which killed Mr MANN on December the 21st.



Helicopter (SYDNEY)

A large-scale air search operation is underway in a remote area of the Northern Territory
after a helicopter with two young men onboard failed to turn up at its destination.

Australian Search and Rescue spokesman DAVID GRAY says the 22-year-old pilot and his
26-year-old companion took off from Katherine, 300 kilometres south of Darwin, at 1pm
(AEDT) yesterday.

They were due at the Mirrangadga aboriginal settlement, around 300km north-east of
Katherine, at 4.30pm, but they never arrived.



Bulkbill (SYDNEY)

Victoria and Queensland have reportedly been the worst hit by the collapse of bulk-billing
over the past three years.

The Australian newspaper says Health Department figures show the two states have lost
the highest portion of free GP visits -- at 52 per cent.

The bulk-billing system -- where patients pay only the set Medicare rate for a consultation
-- has gradually declined since doctors began complaining it wasn't financially sustainable.



NZ embassy (WELLINGTON)

Staff have returned to work at the United States embassy in central Wellington after
an early morning bomb threat.

The threat was received at about 6am (AEDT) while many staff at the embassy in Thorndon
were still travelling to work.

They were stopped at police placed cordons and road blocks around the area, while specialist
teams entered the embassy and checked the evacuated building.



Dutch Letter (FRANKFURT)

The heads of the European Union's top institutions and its criminal investigation body
have received suspected letter bombs in the past three days.

There are few clues as to who is sending the potentially lethal packages.

Authorities in Frankfurt say European Central Bank President JEAN-CLAUDE TRICHET was
today sent a suspected letter bomb.

It arrived two days after a parcel exploded in the hands of European Commission President
ROMANO PRODI at his home in the Italian city of Bologna.

Another suspect letter bomb surfaced later today at the headquarters of the EU's police
agency, Europol, in the Netherlands.



AND IN BRIEF. . .




The Vatican's top representative in the African country of Burundi, Archbishop MICHAEL
COURTNEY, has died after he was ambushed in an attack the army's blamed on rebels.




The New South Wales government has warned backyard fireworks' displays are illegal
at any time of the year, even New Years Eve, and those breaking the ban face fines of
up to $11,000.




Victorian police have offered a $100,000 reward to help break a wall of silence around
the murder of underworld standover man and drug dealer, DINO DIBRA.




Witnesses in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh say a bomb has exploded in a security officer's
car parked in front of his house, but no-one has been hurt.



AND IN FINANCE. . .



Finance Markers (SYDNEY)

The all ordinaries index was 18.1 points higher at 3304.5 at 1110 AEDT while the benchmark
S&P/ASX 200 index was up 18.0 points at 3299.8.

The Australian dollar was LOWER at 74.27, from 74.28 Wednesday.

Against the euro, the local dollar is buying 59.58 euro cents, DOWN from 59.64 yesterday.

In Sydney, gold was $US1.075 HIGHER at $US414.50 an ounce.



NatFoods Parmalat (SYDNEY)

Australian dairy company National Foods Ltd is tipped to buy the bulk of the domestic
assets of Parmalat after the Italian company declared bankruptcy over the weekend.

The Sydney Morning Herald says National Foods shares have climbed eight per cent since
it first expressed an interest in the Australian operations.



AND IN SPORT. . .




CRICKET AUST (MELBOURNE)

Australia has started its chase for 95 to beat India in the third cricket Test at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground.

RICKY PONTING and MATTHEW HAYDEN are at the crease and Australia is one for nine.




SAIL SYDHOB (HOBART)

New South Wales yacht First National is in the box seat to take out overall handicap
honours in the Sydney to Hobart race after crossing the finish line this morning.

Skippered by MICHAEL SPIES and PETER JOHNSON, the 40 footer crossed the line in Hobart
at 5.32am AEDT in a time of three days, 16 hours, 13 minutes and 29 seconds.

Next in line for overall honours is JOHN WALKER'S Impeccable, which is expected to
finish early this afternoon.



ENDS MIDDAY BULLETIN

AAP RTV swe/

KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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