AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 23

AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 23
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


Oly08 Flame Aust (CANBERRA)

The Beijing Olympic torch arrives in Australia this morning ahead of the Canberra leg
of the global relay tomorrow.

Barricades have been put in place on many of the city's arterial roads after protests
against China's human rights and Tibet policies dogged the torch through Europe and North
America.

China's ambassador ZHANG JUNSAI last night said Chinese guards would use their bodies
to protect the flame .. but later claimed his statement was misrepresented.

The ACT's top cop MICHAEL PHELAN says the Chinese torch attendants' role is purely
ceremonial and practical .. and they won't have any security role.



Anzac TV (SYDNEY)

The ABC is demanding all channels delay their broadcast of the Anzac Day Gallipoli
Dawn Service by half an hour .. to fit in with their television schedule.

The move is reminiscent of the furore caused by Network Seven's attempt last year to
delay the Vietnamese Long Tan dawn service to fit in with their Sunrise program.

Now the ABC says it won't stream images of the dawn service to other broadcasters unless
they promise not to air them before one o'clock (AEST) in the afternoon on Anzac Day.

News Limited reports that the ABC has arranged for images to be beamed to their newsroom
by the Department of Veteran's Affairs.

But because their broadcast of the Sydney march will not finish until 1pm .. 30 minutes
after the service begins in Turkey .. the ABC's warned other networks against going live.



Catchpole Release (SYDNEY)

MARK CATCHPOLE has been released from Sydney's Silverwater jail on bail.

The 40-year-old former club rugby player appeared before Sydney's Central Local Court
via audio-visual link yesterday on a string of drug and firearms charges.

CATCHPOLE did not speak to the waiting media and covered his face with a blue hooded
jacket as he passed the prison gates last night.

He was was met by his father .. Wallabies legend KEN CATCHPOLE .. before being driven away.



Economy (CANBERRA)

The government is bracing itself for the release of today's CPI figures .. which economists
have tipped to be another whopper.

The reserve bank has repeatedly said in recent weeks that it expects the annual CPI
to jump to around 4.0 per cent in the March quarter .. from 3.0 per cent as of the December
quarter.

The figures will worry home owners .. who have faced a steady stream of interest rate
rises as the central bank battles to curtail inflation.



IVF (SYDNEY)

Children born through in-vitro fertilisation to lesbian mothers will be granted the
same rights as those born to heterosexual couples under law changes announced by the New
South Wales government.

Attorney-General JOHN HATZISTERGOS says he's accepted New South Wales Law Reform recommendations
which extend parental presumption provisions to cover gay mums.

The minister says the current law discriminates against these children .. because their
relationship with the birth mother's partner is not recognised by law.



CDMA (CANBERRA)

Telstra is urging its mobile phone customers across Australia to check their phones
are not on the CDMA networks .. before it's closed next week.

The CDMA network will be switched off at midnight on Monday in favour of the Next G
platform .. despite complaints that the new system could leave some people without coverage.

The telco says it's concerned some customers may not even realise they are on the CDMA
network .. and risk inadvertently losing coverage.



Teachers (MELBOURNE)

Victoria could soon have Australia's best paid teachers under a deal being brokered
between the teachers' union and the state government.

Fairfax newspapers report that the Australian Education Union is on the verge of completing
a deal that would give its members better pay than NSW teachers.

NSW teachers currently earn almost 10 thousand dollars more a year on the top pay scale.



Asbestos (MELBOURNE)

British researchers say one-in-10 Australian carpenters born before 1950 will die of
mesothelioma.

The result of the British study was released last night in Melbourne .. and says they
will be among 30 thousand Australians who will die from mesothelioma between 2000 and
2050.

Cancer research specialist Professor JULIAN PETO made the findings during research
into the lifetime occupations of 600 mesothelioma patients and an analysis of international
trends in related deaths.



Carrick (SYDNEY)

A painting of a Parisian market by an Australian artist has sold for over one million
dollars at auction.

The Australian Financial Review reports ETHEL CARRICK FOX'S "Market, Under Trees" was
estimated to sell for between 400 and 600 thousand dollars .. but well surpassed expectations
at a Sotheby's auction in Sydney overnight.



Briefly in other news ..




The New South Wales Ombudsman will review the state's freedom of information laws ..

after the government failed to initiate an examination.




Angry staff and investors yesterday trashed the office of Geelong stockbroking firm
Chartwell Enterprises .. which has collapsed owing up to 70 million dollars to clients.




Another report has pointed at the gap between Aboriginal people's lives and non-indigenous
people in New South Wales .. saying Aboriginal people die 16 years earlier than others.




PETER COSTELLO will publish his memoirs by year's end .. renewing speculation he may
soon leave politics despite a new poll showing voters want him to take over the Liberal
leadership.




Australia and Papua New Guinea are expected to unveil a broad agreement today to protect
the historic Kokoda Track .. two days out from Anzac Day.



in Finance ..



Oil Prices (NEW YORK)

Crude oil futures popped to a fresh record today .. as supply threats gathered and
the US dollar tumbled against the euro.

Light, sweet crude for May delivery was up $US1.87 .. or 1.6 per cent .. at $US119.35
a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange .. after climbing to a new record $US119.74.

The May contract expires today.

More active June Nymex crude was trading at $US118.50 a barrel, up $US1.87.



in Sport ..



LEAGUE EAGLES (SYDNEY)

Manly chief executive GRANT MAYER has ignited a war of words with the Bulldogs by insisting
their intimidating aura is now just "a myth" before Saturday night's NRL clash at Brookvale
Oval.

A former staffer at Belmore, MAYER has fuelled the bitter rivalry between the two clubs
by saying the Bulldogs' reputation as the powerhouse forward pack of the NRL is no longer
warranted.

But rival chief executive TODD GREENBERG has fired back at MAYER's thoughts and challenged
his friend and former colleague to don a maroon and white jersey to test his own courage
against the Bulldogs pack.



LEAGUE BRONCOS (BRISBANE)

Brisbane say DARREN LOCKYER's Anzac Day return against South Sydney won't necessarily
mean he'll be right to play for Australia in next month's Test against New Zealand.

National selectors will pick the champion five-eighth for the May 9 Centenary battle
with the Kiwis even if he misses Friday night's NRL game.

But Brisbane's high performance director JEREMY HICKMANS says LOCKYER's recovery is
still a "work in progress".



AFL TRIBUNAL (MELBOURNE)

North Melbourne defender DANIEL PRATT will miss Sunday's AFL game against Sydney after
being found guilty of rough conduct at the AFL tribunal.

PRATT had nothing to lose by challenging the match review panel's verdict for a rough
conduct charge against Collingwood's JOSH FRASER last Saturday, as he would have been
outed for one game with an early guilty plea.



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