AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 26

AAP General News (Australia)
08-26-2009
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 26
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


US KENNEDY (HYANNISPORT)

US Democrat Senator EDWARD KENNEDY has died in the US aged 77 after battling a brain tumor.

For nearly a half-century in the Senate .. KENNEDY was a dominant voice on health care
.. civil rights and war and peace.

He was the last surviving KENNEDY brother .. following the assassinations of former
President JOHN F KENNEDY and Senator ROBERT F KENNEDY.

He passed away at his home in Hyannisport .. Massachusetts.



MILITARY (CANBERRA)

The federal government will move urgent legislation to reinstate the old military court
martial system after the High Court declared today the new Australian Military Court to
be unconstitutional.

The decision's thrown into question the outcome of 171 cases finalised since the AMC
came into existence in October 2007.

Defence Minister JOHN FAULKNER says the government will try to introduce legislation
to parliament as soon as possible to validate the court's decisions and to bring the court
martial system back as an interim measure.

He says the government will then move to create a military court system which complies
with the Constitution.



ACL (HOBART)

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries says the jobs of thousands of automotive
workers will be secured by making sure supplies from a Tasmanian parts maker placed under
administration aren't interrupted.

Receivers have taken over bearings and gaskets maker Automotive Components Limited
.. less than two months after the federal government announced a seven million dollar
bailout.

But .. it's feared millions of dollars worth of entitlements for 300 employees could
be lost .. following the collapse of the company.



GORGON WRAP (PERTH)

West Australian premier COLIN BARNETT has welcomed the federal government's approval
of the 50 billion dollar Gorgon liquefied natural gas project.

The green light from Environment Minister PETER GARRETT will allow the expansion of
LNG production off Western Australia's Pilbara coast .. and could create up to six thousand
jobs in the area.

The federal opposition has backed the government's decision .. but the Greens accuse
Mr GARRETT of signing off on the destruction of a unique environment.



PNG PLANE (BRISBANE)

The bodies of the two Queenslanders killed in the PNG plane crash have returned home
.. with planning now underway for their memorial services.

Doctor JUNE CANAVAN and KEITH GRACIE arrived at Brisbane Airport this afternoon ..

the bodies of seven Victorians were also on the flight and are being taken to Melbourne.

A memorial service for Mr GRACIE will be held at The Mooloolaba Surf Club on Friday
.. and Doctor CANAVAN will be farewelled next Monday at the Sunshine Coast University.



BRADFIELD WRAP (CANBERRA)

JOHN HOWARD's former chief of staff .. ARTHUR SINODINOS .. has pulled out of the race
for BRENDAN NELSON's safe Liberal seat of Bradfield.

Mr SINODINOS .. who's a managing-director at the National Australia Bank .. says his
reasons for not running are personal.

Preselection is expected to be conducted in late September with a by-election expected
in November after Dr NELSON announced he would quit politics next month.

Meanwhile .. KEVIN RUDD says Labor won't run a candidate.



INDIGENOUS UN (DARWIN)

Aborigines from central Australia are asking the United nations to give them refugee status.

They're claiming the federal intervention into remote Aboriginal communities in the
Northern Territory has deprived them off their basic human rights and violated ties to
country.

UN representative .. Professor JAMES ANAYA .. was handed a latter last week during
his tour of the Northern Territory .. by Aborigines claiming they're refugees in their
own country.



INDON BLASTS (JAKARTA)

Indonesian police have arrested a man they suspect of helping to arrange last month's
terrorist attacks in two Jakarta hotels.

Police arrested MOHAMAD JIBRIL .. also known as MUHAMAD RICKY ARDHAN .. just hours
after they announced they were hunting him.

They believe 29 year old JIBRIL helped channel foreign funds for the July 17 JW Marriott
and Ritz-Carlton hotel bombings that killed three Australians .. four other victims and
injured more than 50.



AFL STRIKE (MELBOURNE)

The AFL grand final could be postponed or even cancelled with MCG security guards planing
to strike for better pay.

The Liquor .. Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union was given the go-ahead for the industrial
action in the workplace tribunal .. Fair Work Australia .. today.

The union says guards with security company MSS are campaigning for a pay rise .. with
guards currently paid as little as 16-dollars-12 an hour.

The LHMU says the strike not only threatens the September 26 grand final .. it could
also wreak havoc at major office towers and bank branches across the state.



INGLIS (MELBOURNE)

A lawyer for GREG INGLIS says violence charges against the NRL star should never have
been laid and should be withdrawn immediately.

INGLIS is appearing in the Sunshine Magistrates' court today .. charged with unlawfully
assaulting and recklessly causing injury to his girlfriend SALLY ROBINSON.

His lawyer MICHAEL CROUCHER says the league star will plead not guilty.

He says INGLIS acted as any right-thinking member of the community would have done
and protected Ms ROBINSON from harm.

The hearing before magistrate NOREEN TOOHEY is continuing.



FLU ROXON (MELBOURNE)

Federal Health Minister NICOLA ROXON says the nation's swine flu pandemic has not yet
passed its peak.

She's says about 80 per cent of people tested with flu-like symptoms had been diagnosed
with the virus.

There are currently 440 people in hospital with the virus .. with 141 deaths recorded so far.



WEATHER QLD (BRISBANE)

Cooler weather's helping firefighters control blazes across southern Queensland ..

with fires burning near Gin Gin in central Queensland .. and at Tallebudgera in the Gold
Coast Hinterland.

Meanwhile .. ten fire crews and two water-bombing helicopters have been battling a
large grass fire west of Brisbane at Grantham.

And .. the Bureau of Meteorology says we're facing a warmer than usual spring this year.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



BUS (ADELAIDE)

Adelaide will trial the first commuter bus in Australia which will allow passengers
to surf the internet.



DINOSAUR (BRISBANE)

Dinosaur bones nearly 100 million years old have been found in southwest Queensland.



TOURISM TAX (CAIRNS)

Queensland Premier ANNA BLIGH says departure taxes between Australia and New Zealand
should be scrapped.



GAY (CANBERRA)

The ACT Assembly is being asked by the Greens .. who hold the balance of power .. for
a legally-recognised civil union ceremony for same-sex couples .. despite federal disapproval.



IN SPORT ..



CRICKET AUST (SYDNEY)

Australia's returning cricketers have launched a spirited defence of their captain
RICKY PONTING after arriving home from the unsuccessful Ashes campaign.

New South Wales Test stars STUART CLARK .. SIMON KATICH and BRAD HADDIN arrived back
in Sydney this morning following their 197-run loss to England at The Oval on Sunday.

And they immediately stepped in to defend PONTING's captaincy credentials .. after
he became the first Australian skipper to surrender the Ashes twice in England.



AFL WRAP (MELBOURNE)

Hawthorn says it will appeal star forward LANCE FRANKLIN'S controversial two-match
AFL suspension.

Meanwhile .. Fremantle coach MARK HARVEY has hit out at the AFL over what he believes
is a set of fixtures that disadvantages the Dockers.

And .. Geelong will de-list key defender MATTHEW EGAN .. but remains hopeful he will
play again in the AFL.



HOCKEY AUST (INVERCARGILL, NZ)

The Australian women's hockey team has capitalised on a great start to beat New Zealand
2-1 in their World Cup qualifier and Oceania Cup match in Invercargill.



TENNIS US (NEW HAVEN)

Australia's SAMANTHA STOSUR has continued her strong US Open preparations with a first
round victory over France's ALIZE CORNET at the Pilot Pen tennis tournament .. to take
the victory 6-7 (8-10) 6-2 6-4 and progress to the second round.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


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