Radio And Television Midday Round Up

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-1999
Radio And Television Midday Round Up
MIDDAY ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130.

REPUBLIC (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has agreed to take the word MATESHIP out of the constitutional
preamble to be put to the republic referendum in November.

Mr HOWARD has told journalists in Canberra he has agreed to the Australian Democrats
request to remove mateship.

That's to ensure that the legislation passes parliament this week so the referendum can go
ahead on November 6 as planned.

The Joint Select Committee on the Republic Referendum's advisory report states that for a
referendum on November 6, the legislation needs to be finalised by August 20 at the latest.



GRANTS MINISTERS (CANBERRA)

Two senior federal ministers have denied any wrongdoing in their personal intervention over
a number of projects to be funded under a major heritage program.

The federal opposition has accused the government of pork barrelling the $70 million
Federation Cultural and Heritage Program.

A Sydney Morning Herald report today says Environment Minister ROBERT HILL and
Communications Minister RICHARD ALSTON ignored independent advice and gave funding to 16
projects which did not meet minimum criteria.

But a spokesman for Senator HILL says there's nothing wrong with the way the projects were
assessed and a spokesman for Senator ALSTON has also denied any wrongdoing.



NEWMAN (SYDNEY)

Supreme Court judge Justice JAMES WOOD has heard one of the two men facing trial over the
murder of New South Wales MP JOHN NEWMAN has been granted in-principle indemnity from
prosecution.

Crown Prosecutor MARK TEDESCHI (Pron: Ted-ES-ki), QC, told the NSW Supreme Court the NSW
Attorney-General has agreed, in principle, to grant indemnity to TUAN VAN TRAN (Pron: TWARN
VAN TRAN).

Last week the trial of 29-year-old TRAN and 39-year-old PHUONG NGO was aborted following a
legal issue.

This morning, 27-year-old DAVID DINH, of Cabramatta, appeared in Fairfield Local Court
charged with the murder of Mr NEWMAN.

He's made no application for bail and has been remanded in custody to appear in Central
Local Court on August 18.

NGO and TRAN have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr NEWMAN on September 5, 1994 outside
his Cabramatta home in Sydney's south west.

Justice WOOD has stood the matter over to a date to be fixed.



SNOWBOARDERS (SYDNEY)

The blizzard conditions hampering the search for four missing snowboarders in Kosciuszko
National Park have given way to clear blue skies, raising hopes for an imminent rescue.

Police say the search has resumed in perfect conditions for locating the four men.

The search was suspended yesterday afternoon after low cloud, high winds and snow reduced
visibility.

Police say the men appear to be experienced alpine campers.



UK PATERSON OBIT (LONDON)

TV cook JENNIFER PATERSON, one of the Two Fat Ladies who joyfully salted their recipes with
political incorrectness, has died of lung cancer at the age of 71.

The British Broadcasting Corporation says PATERSON had been diagnosed with lung cancer and
died in London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

The Two Fat Ladies cooking show was televised on the ABC and late last year PATERSON and
co-star CLARISSA DICKSON WRIGHT toured Australia on a promotional visit.



US SHOOTING (LOS ANGELES)

A man with a submachine gun has opened fire in a suburban Jewish community centre in Los
Angeles hitting five people before escaping and unleashing a massive manhunt.

Police won't speculate on the motive behind the latest mass shooting in the United States,
but one Jewish leader says the attack brings together the twin evils of anti-Semitism and gun
violence.

Panicked parents have converged on the North Valley Jewish Community Centre in Granada
Hills as police with rifles and bullet proof vests comb the area for the gunman.



KASHMIR (LAKHPAT, India)

An Indian MiG jet fighter has shot down a Pakistani naval reconnaissance plane near the
border of the two hostile countries.

India says the surveillance aircraft was shot down after it veered 10 kilometres into
Indian air space and failed to respond to warnings.

Pakistan says the aircraft was within its territory, and 16 servicemen have died in the
attack.

A senior Pakistani army spokesman says forces have been put on alert following the
incident, but there's no threat of full-scale war with India.



VETERANS VIAGRA (CANBERRA)

The federal government has announced it will subsidise the cost the impotence drug Viagra
for all Australian veterans suffering war-related sexual difficulties.

Under a $4 million a year program, veterans will be able to buy Viagra at a cost of $3.20
for four tablets, compared with the usual cost of about $80.

Veterans Affairs Minister BRUCE SCOTT says the Viagra subsidy is not for recreational use.

The minister says Viagra will only be prescribed to veterans on therapeutic grounds on the
recommendation of a psychiatrist or urologist.



HEROIN NALTREXONE (SYDNEY)

A new trial trial shows 60 per cent of heroin addicts using the heroin-fighting drug
naltrexone could beat their addiction after six months.

The one-year clinical trial conducted by Westmead Hospital has also found up to 98 per cent
of users could successfully get onto naltrexone after a one to two-day rapid detoxification
program.

The hospital's drug services director, JON CURRIE, says naltrexone is not a cure for opiate
addiction, but an opportunity for addicts to rapidly experience an opiate-free life to decide
if they like it.



BRIEFLY:

NERINE SHATNER, the forty-year-old wife of Star Trek actor WILLIAM SHATNER has been found dead
in the swimming pool of their home, in an apparent drowning.


Acting Russian Prime Minister VLADIMIR PUTIN has his first meeting with regional leaders today
since his shock appointment this week as premier.


More than 100,000 people are expected to pour into the Brisbane Exhibition grounds today for
People's Day.


Unions say water leaking into a tunnel has delayed the opening of a section of Melbourne's
long-awaited new tollway system until next year.



IN FINANCE NEWS:

At 1120 AEST, the all ordinaries index was down 19.0 points at 2939.7.

Shares in the Commonwealth Bank were 4.5 cents lower at 1120 AEST after it unveiled a
record full year net profit in line with market forecasts of $1.42 billion, up 30 per cent on
the previous year's result.

The Australian dollar is currently worth 65.25 US cents, down from 65.36 at yesterday's
local close.

It was also at 0.6102 euro, up from 0.6098.

Gold in Sydney is trading at $US257.45 an ounce, up from $US257.25 here last.

IN SPORTS NEWS:

AFL LOCKETT (SYDNEY)

AFL great TONY LOCKETT is expected to announce his retirement at a press conference in
Sydney this afternoon.

The Sydney Swans have called a 4pm press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground and it's
believed LOCKETT will announce he will not continue playing after this season.

The 33-year-old full forward recently became the kicker of the most goals in AFL history
when he passed Gordon Coventry's long-standing mark of 1299.

LOCKETT currently has 1335 goals from 274 games with Sydney and St Kilda in a career which
started back in 1983.



BOXING TSZYU (MIAMI)

The much delayed WBC super-lightweight title fight between Australia's KOSTYA TSZYU and
Mexico's MIGUEL ANGEL GONZALEZ has been moved to South Florida after negotiations stalled in
Las Vegas.

The bout will be held at Miccosukee Indian Gaming, just outside Miami, on August 21.



BRIEFLY IN SPORT:

Australian ANDREW ILIE has bowed out in the first round of the $US2.45 million ($A3.76
million) ATP Championships in Cincinnati Ohio, losing to Spaniard ALBERT COSTA.

In sweltering conditions the 14th seed overcame ILIE 6-4 3-6 6-2.


The Australian women's hockey team has crushed Scotland 8-2 in the first of two Tests in
Largs, south-west Scotland.


ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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