AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 29

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2001
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 29
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

Boat (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says Australian doctors will be able to fly to a Norwegian
freighter north of Christmas Island later today to provide emergency medical assistance
to the 438 boat people aboard.

Mr HOWARD has told ABC Radio Australia remains willing to provide humanitarian aid
but the government won't relent in its refusal to allow the boat people ashore.

Overnight, the ship issued an urgent call for medical help with Captain ARNE RINNAN
telling radio 2BL there are at least six very sick people on deck but no medical personnel
on board.

Mr HOWARD says the problem of boat people could be solved by ensuring those who arrive
in Indonesia don't start their voyage to Australia.

Opposition Leader KIM BEAZLEY says the fate of the asylum-seekers is a test of Australia's
relationship with Indonesia and the government should ensure the boat people are returned
to Indonesia.

Immigration Minister PHILIP RUDDOCK says Australia will ensure the freighter Tampa
has enough supplies to sail if needed.



Mideast (JERUSALEM)

Bullets and mortar bombs hit a Jewish settlement on the edge of Jerusalem overnight
despite Israeli army efforts to silence such shooting.

Israeli troops reoccupied parts of the West Bank town of Beit Jala early yesterday
to try to end months of firing on the Gilo settlement, which Israel terms a neighbourhood
of Jerusalem.

The United States, Israel's staunchest ally, has called for Israel to withdraw from
the town, near Bethlehem.

At least 540 Palestinians and 155 Israelis have been killed since a Palestinian revolt
against Israeli occupation flared last September after peace talks became deadlocked.



Telstra

A $4 billion profit from Telstra may be even sweeter if the telecommunications giant
announces a special dividend today.

Some analysts say Telstra could declare the special dividend as it cuts back on its
capital spending in Asia, freeing up funds.

However, other analysts believe Telstra will hold onto its capital and won't deliver
a special dividend, as it will eventually need to spend the money on expansion.

This afternoon Telstra is expected to report a full year net profit above $4 billion,
with analysts watching for any writedowns or sales of the company's tech investments.



RBA Profit

The Reserve Bank of Australia has reported a net profit for 2000/01 of $3.149 billion
-- compared to $2.292 billion the previous year.

It says it made payments to the Australian government of $2.834 billion -- a sum equal
to the entire earnings available for distribution in the financial year.

Overall, the RBA says it intervened in the foreign exchange market to a total of $2.5 billion.



US Gateway (SAN DIEGO)

Computer giant Gateway has announced it will close its operations in Australia, New
Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.

It also says it will cut a quarter of its 24,600-strong global staff.

In a statement Gateway chairman and chief executive TED WAITT said they'll also decide
within 30 days whether to exit their European operations.

The restructure aims to allow Gateway to focus on the American market.



Tax Beazley (CANBERRA)

Federal Opposition Leader KIM BEAZLEY says he'll continue to pursue Small Business
Minister IAN MACFARLANE over his role in a scheme to wrongly claim GST refunds.

The government faces a sixth day of questions today about Mr MACFARLANE'S knowledge
of the accounting practices by the Federal Electorate Council in his seat of Groom.

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD is standing by Mr MACFARLANE but Mr BEAZLEY says Labor won't give up.

LABOR says Mr MACFARLANE has changed his story on the issue five times since last week.



Girl (MELBOURNE)

Police say the body of six-year-old girl found inside a Melbourne house last night
may have been there for several days.

The homicide squad has spent the night door knocking homes at Frankston, in Melbourne's
south-east, after finding the body.

Family members raised the alarm last night after the child's school called and said
she hadn't been in class for a number of days.



Toll Qld (BRISBANE)

Police say three members of one family died and a fourth was seriously injured in a
road accident in north Queensland early this morning.

Police say a car ran off the Bruce Highway and ploughed into a concrete culvert about
15 kilometres north of Proserpine just after midnight.

A teenage girl is fighting for her life in Mackay Hospital following the accident that
killed her parents and brother.



Fraser

Former prime minister MALCOLM FRASER has refused to confirm speculation he's thinking
of quitting the Liberal Party over unflattering references to his government in a book
about the party.

He's taken offence to a chapter in the Liberal Party-commissioned book, Liberalism
and Australian Federation, scheduled to be launched by Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD on Friday.

Mr FRASER says he's angry the book has been commissioned and sanctioned by the Liberal
party but he's refused to say what he took offence to in the book.

The 71-year-old former prime minister has also refused to confirm an ABC radio report
that he's thinking of quitting the Liberal Party, but he says he'll comment after the
book is launched.




BoPs

The Australian Bureau of Statistics says Australia has reported a seasonally adjusted
current account deficit of $3.487 billion in the June quarter, from a revised $4.291 billion
in the March quarter.

The ABS says Australia's net foreign debt was at $310.952 billion in the June quarter
from an upwardly revised $324.928 billion in the March quarter and $272.071 billion a
year ago.



IN FINANCE...




At 1116 AEST the all ordinaries index was DOWN 17.6 points at 3292.5.

The Standard & Poor's ASX 200 index was DOWN 18.0 points at 3354.1.

Shares in QBE INSURANCE were UP 33 cents to $10.40 after the insurance group reported
a net profit for the first half of 2001 of $122 million, a rise of 56 per cent.

The Australian dollar was buying 53.03 US cents, UP from 52.65 at yesterday's close.

The Australian dollar was also trading at 58.14 euro cents, UP from 58.11 at the close yesterday.

Gold in Sydney is trading 65 US cents HIGHER at $US272.20 an ounce.




IN BRIEF...



United States defence officials say warplanes have struck at two air defence targets
in southern Iraq in a bid to cut down Iraq's ability to shoot down US and British planes.



Police will continue their search for suspects today after two men were wounded in
a drive-by shooting north of Brisbane yesterday.



Nurses at Wollongong Hospital have walked off the job this morning to rally outside
their workplace in support of an ongoing state-wide campaign for better pay and conditions.




AND IN SPORT...



Good

The Goodwill Games have kicked off in Brisbane with beach volleyball, swimming and
gymnastics on show today.

The first event is the beach volleyball at South Bank Piazza.

Australia's Olympic gold medallists NATALIE COOK and KERRI POTTHARST will play their
opening match against Japan's RYOKO TOKUNO and CHIAKI KUSUHARA.

Swimming starts at 12.30pm when Australia faces the World All Stars in the first of
the women's round robin matches at Chandler Aquatic Centre.

Australia's male swimmers will be in action tonight when they take on arch rivals the
United States.



Tennis Open Hewitt

LLEYTON HEWITT has scored a straight sets win over Sweden's MAGNUS GUSTAFSSON in the
first round match of US Open tennis tournament in New York.

In hot conditions, fourth seed HEWITT took the match 6-3 6-2 7-5 to join fellow Aussies
PAT RAFTER and ANDREW ILIE in the second round.

Earlier, ALICIA MOLIK moved into the second round with a 4-6 6-2 6-4 win over teenage
wildcard BETHANIE MATTEK.




ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP
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