AAP National News Wire Round Up for Midday, April 3

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2001
AAP National News Wire Round Up for Midday, April 3
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

ECONOMY (SYDNEY)

The Reserve Bank of Australia meets today to decide whether to cut interest rates and
by how much, while the Australian dollar has reached another record low.

The currency tore through 48 US cents overnight, reaching 47.75 US cents in New York
early this morning.

By 11.10am (AEST) the currency was at 48.15 US cents compared with yesterday's local
close of 48.51 US cents.

Any news of a cut to Australian official interest rates is expected to be announced
to the financial markets at 9.30am (AEST) tomorrow.

Analysts are expecting a cut of between one quarter and half a percentage point.

The size of the cut will depend on the board's view on the underlying strength of the
economy, and reports from the United States.

Australian Democrats leader MEG LEES says the Reserve Bank must take on board the rate
of unemployment when considering an interest rate cut.





In other financial market news, at 11.10am (AEST) the all ordinaries index was down
0.6 points to 3140.5 and the Standard & Poor's ASX 200 index was down 0.9 points at 3193.7.

The Australian dollar was trading at 54.61 euro cents, down from 55.44 at yesterday's close.

And gold was trading $US2.10 weaker at $US255.40 an ounce.



BURN RUDDOCK (CANBERRA)

Immigration Minister PHILIP RUDDOCK says the son of a man who set himself on fire at
Parliament House yesterday has a costly handicap that could prevent him from being granted
an Australian visa.

Mr RUDDOCK says the immigration program requires taking into account health issues
such as handicaps, which could cost the community hundreds of thousands of dollars.

He says if there are places within the split-family refugee program, consideration
will still have to be given to the potential cost for the community for the child.

Yesterday 48-year-old SHUHARYAR KIYANI doused himself in petrol and set himself alight
in front of a group of school children and tourists outside Parliament House.

Mr KIYANI has been in Australia since 1996 and is trying to bring his wife and child
into the country.

Their application had been refused on health cost grounds, but after an inquiry it
was decided to proceed with a new application, which is still being processed.





The Australian Democrats have slammed Australia's treatment of asylum seekers as appalling.

Democrats leader MEG LEES says the way in which people are being treated when they
come to Australia for asylum, having already suffered trauma, often torture in their own
countries, is disgraceful.



YACHT (SYDNEY)

A British family is seething that they had to hear about their daughter's death in
a capsized yacht in Australia through the media.

British newspapers have identified LINDA YARR, aged 35, of Airdrie in Scotland, as
one of two women lost when trapped inside an overturned yacht off the New South Wales
coast early on Sunday.

JOHN YARR, says he learned of his daughter's death after hearing about the sinking on television.

Mr YARR has told the Daily Record newspaper his family is seething about how the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office handled the tragedy.



CHINA PLANE AUST (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says he has sympathy with the United States wanting its
surveillance plane and 24 crew back from a Chinese airport without interference.

Mr HOWARD says the incident in which the US plane and a Chinese fighter collided in
mid-air was clearly an accident and that the US plane had not been acting offensively.

He says it's not unreasonable for the Americans to ask for their personnel be returned.

In the latest development in the diplomatic flashpoint, President GEORGE W BUSH is
demanding immediate access to the 24 crew members, held on Hainan Island.



US KYOTO BROWN (CANBERRA)

Greens Senator BOB BROWN says the federal government's attitude to the Kyoto Protocol
shows it is not a serious issue for Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD.

The Tasmanian senator says although the people want change, the issue is on hold for
the government.

Cabinet yesterday decided to continue with its program of greenhouse reductions after
the United States announced it was opposed to ratifying the Kyoto Protocol world climate
change treaty.

The government, however, remains wary of the protocol, under which developing nations
are not bound to cut greenhouse gas emissions in line with those of developed nations,
such as the US and Australia.

Senator BROWN doubts the government will encourage the US to reach agreement on the protocol.

He says the only reason it will be given some consideration is because public feeling
is so strongly in favour of doing something about global warming.



SMOKING (MELBOURNE)

Victoria and Queensland are set to toughen their stance on smoking this week.

In Queensland today, new legislation will be introduced to state parliament which widens
bans on smoking in the dining areas of bars and in restaurants and cafes.

There will also be tough new restrictions in the advertising and sale of tobacco products.

The Victorian Government is set to toughen its anti-smoking laws yet again by banning
smoking in all enclosed shopping centres.

Other changes set to be introduced into state parliament this week include bans on
gifts with cigarettes and mobile cigarette sellers.



BROOMETIME (PERTH)

Publishers have recalled a sell-out book about life in Broome, planning to reprint
it minus a few paragraphs.

Titled Broometime, the book has created a storm of protest and threats of legal action
from people mentioned between its covers since it was launched last month.

Publishers say the non-fiction account of life in the mid-north West Australian coastal
town will be reprinted and reappear in bookshops next week.

DPP ROBERT COCK says he asked police to investigate whether the book had breached the
evidence and juries acts in sections which discussed, and potentially identified, a child
and juror involved in a child abuse case.



Shark (SYDNEY)

A New South Wales north coast surfer who underwent surgery yesterday after being mauled
by a shark is said to be doing well.

RICHARD ELLIS, aged 40, was attacked yesterday morning while surfing off Nambucca Heads
in an area known as the V Wall.

He underwent surgery for severe lacerations in his right calf, and is this morning
recovering in Coffs Harbour Base Hospital.



RYAN (CANBERRA)

New Ryan MP LEONIE SHORT has arrived at Parliament House today armed with a picnic
basket full of goodies, planning to throw a family bash to celebrate her swearing in.

The first Labor MP to hold the affluent Brisbane seat, held until recently by former
Defence Minister JOHN MOORE, says she's really looking forward to her swearing in this
afternoon.



BRIEFLY:

A photo of disgraced Sydney rugby league player JOHN HOPOATE sticking his finger up an
opponent's backside is being used in a New Zealand Cancer Society advertisement for prostate
cancer checks.


An army official says a Palestinian sniper has shot dead an Israeli soldier in the West
Bank town of Bethlehem, hours after an Islamic militant was killed in an Israeli missile
attack on his car in Gaza.


The federal government has announced an extra $40 million in funding for the Bruce Highway
at Caboolture in Queensland.


Animal activists from the Humane Society for Animal Welfare are vowing to wrestle to the
ground anyone attempting to shoot grey-headed flying foxes in Melbourne's Royal Botanic
Gardens.


AND IN SPORTS NEWS:


US HINGIS (MIAMI)

Tennis star MARTINA HINGIS has come face to face in court with the Australian man who
allegedly stalked her.

The world No.1-ranked woman in tennis, told the court she had felt nervous that his
declared obsession for her might turn into hate and aggression.

The 20-year-old Swiss player was testifying in a Miami-Dade County court where Croatian-born
Australian DUBRAVKO RAJCEVIC is on trial on charges of stalking and trespassing.

RAJCEVIC, a 46-year-old engineer who's been detained since his arrest, faces four misdemeanour
charges: three of trespassing and one of stalking, each of which could carry a maximum
sentence of one year in prison.



LEAGUE ANDERSON (SYDNEY)

Melbourne Storm coach CHRIS ANDERSON has quit the National Rugby League club.

ANDERSON is expected to replace JOHN LANG as the Sharks' coach next season, although
the Cronulla-based club won't confirm it's signed the Australian Test mentor.

Former Queensland State of Origin coach MARK MURRAY will replace ANDERSON at Melbourne.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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