AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 18

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 18
BREAKFAST ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


PRIVATE HEALTH (CANBERRA)

We could be paying more for private health insurance soon .. because of the global
financial crisis.

The Private Health Insurance Administration Council says investment losses of large
funds and the general decline in investment revenue mean insurers will have to find more
money .. and we .. the customers .. could be hit with the bill.

Applications to Health Minister NICOLA ROXON for premium increases closed this week
.. and she's expected to announce her response early next year.



OPEC OUTPUT (ORAN)

OPEC said overnight it's cutting crude oil output by a record two-point-two million
barrels a day .. with non-member producers .. like Russia .. also ready to slash 600-thousand
barrels.

The decision by OPEC producers and others means a seven per cent cut to the output.

But fears that this would send oil prices sky-rocketing .. and our petrol prices too
.. have so far not been realised .. with international oil prices sliding even more ..

as expectations for demand are down due to an ailing world economy.



MIGRATION (CANBERRA)

The federal government is revamping its skilled immigration intake .. saying it may
even cut back the intake in the next six months .. if it has to.

Immigration Minister CHRIS EVANS says while the government is sticking to this year's
permanent skilled migration intake of 133-thousand .. it will monitor the situation.

And .. the government is fast-tracking visas for migrants with critically needed skills
in medical and key IT areas and engineering and construction trades .. to boost Australia's
economy against recession.

Senator EVANS says there's concern that the program has not delivered the right skills
to the right areas.

Meanwhile .. up to 60 international players from the Homeless World Cup remain in Australia
as the deadline for their departure approaches.



SHOT (MELBOURNE)

Victoria Police have been warned the fatal shooting of a teenage boy last week has
sent relations with the community to a dangerous low .. as the funeral of the boy takes
place today.

Crime expert JULIAN BONDY says the force faces a long summer .. dealing with young
people angry over the death of 15-year-old TYLER CASSIDY.

He was shot by three officers in a Melbourne park last week.

TYLER'S funeral will be held today at St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Clifton Hill.

The Herald Sun newspaper says TYLER'S family has asked for an open casket funeral ..

but denies the gesture is intended as a message to the police that killed him.



THAI AUST (BANGKOK)

Thai customs have charged an Australian man with smuggling drugs after arresting him
at a Bangkok airport with packs of heroin allegedly strapped to his body.

Officials have named him as 36-year-old ANDREW HOODS .. and say he was arrested in
the international airport's departure hall yesterday afternoon .. allegedly in possession
of three kilograms of heroin in 12 packets.

Another Australian .. believed to be a friend .. escaped.

Drugs trafficking carries the death penalty in Thailand.



INDIGENOUS DODSON (DARWIN)

Aborigines from Arnhem Land have thrown their support behind PATRICK DODSON .. inflaming
already tense relations between indigenous leaders over the federal intervention.

Mr DODSON launched an attack last week on Aboriginal academic MARCIA LANGTON and her
allies .. Cape York leader NOEL PEARSON and former Labor national president WARREN MUNDINE.

At a meeting in northeast Arnhem Land over the future of outstations .. he said the
trio don't recognise those people and their culture.

He accused them of negatively influencing the federal government in their bid for reforms
to combat passive welfarism.



US AUST (CANBERRA)

Outgoing United States ambassador ROBERT MCCALLUM is confident the new OBAMA administration
will continue its active engagement with Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

Mr MCCALLUM .. who arrived in Australia in August 2006 .. will resign his diplomatic
commission with the inauguration of BARACK OBAMA next month.

But he's certain the transition to a new administration holds no dangers for one of
America's strongest allies .. saying relations between the two countries transcends politics.



FLAVELL CMC (BRISBANE)

Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission will hand down its report and recommendations
today .. on whether former director-general SCOTT FLAVELL should face criminal charges
after its investigation.

The CMC inquiry began in July to investigate possible official misconduct by the former
Department of Employment and Training director-general.

The inquiry was told Mr FLAVELL began discussions with private investors about the
establishment of Careers Australia .. a Brisbane training centre for international students
.. more than a year before he resigned as director-general in September 2006.



IRAQ UK FORCES (BASRA)

Britain's prime minister GORDON BROWN says his country's forces will wrap up their
mission in Iraq within months.

He made his announcement during a surprise trip to Iraq .. saying by the end of May
.. or earlier .. the mission will be completed.

BROWN spoke at a joint press conference with his Iraqi opposite number NURI AL-MALIKI.

Meanwhile .. nine people were killed when a car bomb exploded in Baghdad.



EU HOURS (STRASBOURG)

The European Parliament has rejected plans by EU member states to allow employees to
work more than 48 hours a week.

The decision means that the controversial working time measures .. held up for around
three years .. will now have to be thrashed out between the assembly and the 27 EU nations.

Meanwhile .. the European Parliament has approved the EU's climate change package ..

aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..




All Woolworths stores in Britain are to shut permanently over the next few weeks ..

with the loss of 27-thousand jobs.




An Iraqi doctor found guilty of trying to murder hundreds of people in failed car bombings
in London and Glasgow has been jailed for at least 32 years.




A new report shows Sydneysiders can look forward to a great summer of swimming .. with
the city's beaches 98 per cent cleaner than they were in the early 1990s.



America's TIME magazine has named US president-elect BARACK OBAMA its 2008 Person of the
Year.



And .. German officials say they've rescued .. one-thousand-500 .. parakeets from a
two-room apartment in Berlin.



IN SPORT ..



SOCCER RANKINGS (SYDNEY)

The Socceroos have broken into the world's top 30 teams for the first time in the latest
FIFA rankings.

Australia climbed nine places to be 28th in the world, their highest-ever FIFA ranking
.. following the 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Bahrain in Manama last month.



CRICKET AUST (PERTH)

SIMON KATICH says Australia's bowlers must be on their game when South Africa have
their chance to bat on day two of the first Test at the WACA Ground.

Australia resume on 9-341 .. trying to add some runs to their first innings total before
having a crack at the Proteas with the ball.



SOCCER (LONDON)

Former Bolton and Newcastle boss SAM ALLARDYCE has been appointed the manager of Blackburn
Rovers on a three-year contract - a day after they had sacked PAUL INCE.

And .. Ecuador's Liga de Quito have stormed into the final of the Club World Cup with
a 2-0 defeat of Mexico's Pachuca .. setting up a potential clash with Manchester United.



MOTOR V8 BARGWANNA (SYDNEY)

Former Bathurst winner JASON BARGWANNA will return to the V8 Supercars next year after
joining Holden's Sprint Gas Racing Team.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP


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