Radio And Television Midday Round Up

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-1999
Radio And Television Midday Round Up
MIDDAY ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130.

FLOODS QLD (BRISBANE)

A motorist is missing feared drowned and five other people are confirmed dead in the floods
which have swamped areas of south-east Queensland.

The city of Gympie, 150 km north of Brisbane, has suffered its worst flood this century
after the Mary River peaked at 22 metres above normal and swamped almost 150 businesses.

A number of houses have also been affected and rescue parties evacuated several elderly
people overnight.

Since Saturday, floodwaters have swept a young boy, a young girl and two men to their
deaths in separate incidents in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

And a 75-year-old man has drowned on the Gold Coast after falling into a swollen dam.

Police are also searching for a motorist feared swept away in the swollen Conondale River,
in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

CONDUCT (CANBERRA)

Deputy Prime Minister TIM FISCHER has described yesterday's changes to the ministerial code
of conduct as a practical improvement.

Under the new rules, ministers and parliamentary secretaries will be allowed to use blind
trusts or outside nominees to manage any investments associated with their portfolio areas.

But, Opposition Leader KIM BEAZLEY says the watered-down code of conduct will allow
federal ministers to make a personal profit from the decisions they make.

He says the revised code of conduct forms part of a pattern of arrogance, secrecy and lack
of accountability in the HOWARD government.

OSCARS AUST (SYDNEY)

Five Australians have been nominated for the 71st annual Academy Awards in the United
States.

Actress CATE BLANCHETT was nominated for best actress for her role in Elizabeth.

GEOFFREY RUSH is in the running for best supporting actor for his role in Shakespeare in
Love, while RACHEL GRIFFITHS has received a nomination in the best supporting actress category
for Hilary and Jackie.

Director PETER WEIR has earned a nomination for best director for the Truman Show and

Melbourne composer DAVID HIRSCHFELDER has been nominated for original dramatic score for his
work on Elizabeth.

CHILD (MELBOURNE)

Bloodstains in a car have prompted grave fears for the missing 15-month-old son of a woman
who's been charged over his disappearance.

JAMES DEAN SETTE (pron: SETTY) was allegedly taken by his natural mother, 31-year-old

JULIE JANE SETTE from near Daylesford in central Victoria on Sunday.

Police say she'd gone there for a meeting with a couple who were about to adopt the boy.

SETTE went before Echuca Magistrates Court yesterday charged with false imprisonment of the
child, and was remanded in custody to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court next Wednesday.

CBA (SYDNEY)

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has today posted a first half net profit of $713 million
-- a rise of 18 per cent on the previous first half.

The bank says trading conditions in the first half of the current financial year were
better than expected.

LAMB AUST (CANBERRA)

Opposition Leader KIM BEAZLEY says the International Trade Commission decision on lamb
imports is a reminder to Australia that there's no level playing field on international trade.

Mr BEAZLEY says Australia should use every possible mechanism to deal with the situation --
including tariffs and quotas on exports of Australian and New Zealand lamb to the United
States.

The US commission announced overnight that New Zealand and Australian lamb imports were
unfairly threatening domestic lamb producers.

That finding means tariffs or quotas could be placed on lamb imports.

The United States is Australia's largest lamb export market with the trade worth around $90
million a year.

US CLINTON DEBATE (WASHINGTON)

The US Senate has rejected an effort to open up its closed-door final deliberations in the
impeachment trial of President BILL CLINTON.

The motion to open final debates on the two articles of impeachment against CLINTON
required a two-thirds majority, or 67 votes, but fell eight votes short.

The Senate will move immediately to close its doors, turn off the cameras and begin up to
25 hours of debate that could stretch into Thursday.

EUROPE WEATHER (PARIS)

A cold snap and heavy snows across much of Europe have disrupted air, rail and road
traffic.

And four people have died and five are missing after an avalanche hit chalets in the French
Alps.

The tragedy in the ski resort region of Chamonix in the French Alps brought the death toll
in the past two days to nine.

OLY QUEEN HOWARD (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has dismissed English press suggestions that he's snubbed the
Queen in his bid to open the Sydney Olympic Games.

Senior minister ROBERT HILL said earlier this week that federal ministers unanimously
support Mr HOWARD's position that he, not the monarch, should open the Games in 2000.

England's most popular broadsheet, the Telegraph, has blasted cabinet for making its
feelings public before informing Queen ELIZABETH.

But a spokeswoman for Mr HOWARD says Buckingham Palace has been well aware of Mr HOWARD's
attitude on this matter for some time.

GRAFFITI (SYDNEY)

Full-time security guards could be posted at the Hyde Park War Memorial in Sydney's CBD
following an overnight graffiti attack.

New South Wales Premier BOB CARR says the government will appoint full-time guards if the
RSL isn't satisfied with a surveillance camera system due to be installed in April.

Police say the graffiti attack caused $20,000 worth of damage to the memorial.

A 16-year-old boy is due to appear in Bidura Children's Court on March 2 charged with
wilfully damaging a monument and being in custody of an offensive implement.

BRIEFLY:

Victoria's Longford Royal Commission into the fatal explosion and fire at Esso's gas plant
last year will be extended until the end of June.

South Australians have been invited to record their impressions of the life of former Premier
DON DUNSTAN in a series of Memorial Books.

The Campaign for an Independent East Timor lobby group says Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD is
opposing independence for East Timor because he wants Australia to keep its access to cheap
oil from the region.

A Melbourne lawyer is using the 35th anniversary of one of Australia's worst maritime
disasters to call on the federal government to settle all outstanding compensation claims.

IN FINANCE NEWS:

At 1120 AEDT, the all ordinaries index was down 33.0 points at 2857.7.

The Australian dollar is currently trading at 64.55 US cents, down from yesterday's close
of 64.70, and at 0.5700 euros, from 0.5715.

The euro itself is worth $US1.1321, from yesterday's close of $US1.1322.

Gold in Sydney is selling at $US287.25 an ounce, down from $US287.85 yesterday.

AND IN SPORTS NEWS:

TRI AUST (SYDNEY)

The first Tri series final cricket match between Australia and England at the SCG will
start at the scheduled time of 2.30pm (AEDT) subject to further rain.

Australian Cricket Board chief executive MAL SPEED says the decision to play was made after
a 9am (AEDT) inspection of the ground.

OLY BRIBES PROBE (SYDNEY)

New South Wales Olympics Minister MICHAEL KNIGHT says he hopes Sydney Olympics organisers
will embrace a proposed inquiry into the city's 2000 Games bid.

At today's meeting of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, Mr KNIGHT will
ask the board to approve a review of more than 3,000 files on the dealings of the private
company, Sydney Olympics 2000 Bid Limited.

Mr KNIGHT says the host city contract will be publicly released around 1pm (AEDT) provided
the SOCOG board accepts the proposal.

ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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