AAP General News (Australia)
02-02-2007
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Feb 2
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630
CLIMATE (CANBERRA)
Pressure is mounting on the Australian government to take immediate action to combat
climate change .. with the release at 7.30 (AEDT) tonight of a United Nations report predicting
potentially catastrophic temperature rises.
The report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change combines the findings of
about 800 climate change scientists.
Australian of the Year .. scientist TIM FLANNERY .. says the predictions of a rise
in global temperatures will be a disaster for all life on earth.
Professor FLANNERY says it will result in the widespread extinction of many species
.. and he warns the UN's prediction of a three degree Celsius temperature rise is conservative.
He says he fears it will in fact be double that figure .. and we must act now.
The federal opposition is also urging immediate action on climate change .. and accuses
the government of a decade of inaction on the issue.
KEVIN RUDD and environment spokesman PETER GARRETT say the report is a call to action.
However .. the reports' findings won't go undisputed.
A right-wing American thinktank which receives funding from oil giant ExxonMobil ..
is offering scientists and economists almost 13-thousand dollars to dispute it.
EXXON NRMA (MELBOURNE)
The NRMA claims Australian motorists are being ripped off on petrol prices to feed
an enormous .. 50 billion dollar .. profit for the likes of international oil giant ExxonMobil.
Exxon Mobil Corp .. which is the parent of Esso .. has reported a record annual profit
for a US company of more than 51 billion Aussie dollars for 2006.
That's an earning of 5.82 million dollars an hour.
WORKPLACE (SYDNEY)
Federal Opposition Leader KEVIN RUDD has restated that a Labor government will throw
existing industrial relations laws in the bin.
Mr RUDD's comment comes amid claims he's softening the party's workplace policy.
But in his statement .. the Labor leader shied away from language used by his predecessor
KIM BEAZLEY .. who pledged to rip up the government's Work Choices laws if Labor won this
year's election.
JOHN HOWARD has suggested Mr RUDD'S had to be pulled into line by deputy and IR spokeswoman
JULIA GILLARD on workplace policy.
Meanwhile .. Sir ROD EDDINGTON is refusing to confirm he's now a Labor supporter ..
despite being appointed to ALP's new advisory panel.
The former British Airways chief will lead the party's business advisory council ..
which leader KEVIN RUDD hopes will build a bridge with corporate Australia.
TRADE (CANBERRA)
Australia's trade deficit has blown out to more than one billion dollars in December
.. with the country's worst drought in more than 100 years hitting rural exports.
The December trade balance of goods and services deficit was 1.336 billion dollars
.. compared with an upwardly revised 897 million dollar shortfall in November.
Economists were forecasting a billion dollar trade gap.
POLLNSW HABIB (SYDNEY)
Former Guantanamo Bay detainee and New South Wales election candidate MAMDOUH HABIB
says .. there are no terrorists in Australia.
Mr HABIB has launched his campaign for next month's state election on a human rights
platform .. on which he opposes the country's anti-terrorism laws.
Mr HABIB .. who's running for the safe Sydney Labor seat of Auburn .. says it doesn't
matter what chance he has of victory .. it's important to speak for the community.
KHAZAL (SYDNEY)
Accused terrorist BILAL KHAZAL has pleaded NOT guilty to inciting violence and producing
a book on how to wage a jihad.
The 35-year-old former Qantas baggage handler will contest allegations he produced
the book and incited terrorism at a New South Wales Supreme Court trial in November.
It's alleged KHAZAL made the book titled .. "Provisions on the rule of Jihad - short
judicial rulings and organisational instructions for fighters and mujahideen against infidels"
.. in September 2003.
US CLINTON MIDEAST (NEW YORK)
US presidential contender HILLARY CLINTON says the US should talk with Iran .. Syria
.. Hamas and Hezbollah.
CLINTON .. who aims to become the first woman US president in 2008 .. has outlined
her plan for the Middle East .. which leaves open the possibility of military action against
Tehran.
Meanwhile .. Authorities in Iraq have declared a total curfew in the Shi'ite holy city
of Najaf to ward off attacks by armed groups.
The announcement comes as the US Senate has edges closer to a showdown debate over
President GEORGE W BUSH'S decision to send 21 thousand-500 more troops to war.
WOTTON (BRISBANE)
Two separate trials have been ordered for men accused of rioting on Palm Island.
In Brisbane .. District Court Judge MILTON GRIFFIN has ordered 38-year-old LEX WOTTON
should have a separate trial from 21-year-old TERRENCE KIDNER.
WOTTON will stand trial with four other co-accused .. 36-year-old WILLIAM NEVILLE BLACKMAN
.. 26-year-old DWAYNE DANIEL BLANKET .. 40-year-old JOHN MAJOR CLUMPOINT .. and 34-year-old
LANCE GABRIEL POYNTER .. on March 5.
FLOODS TRAINS (BRISBANE)
Heavy rain and flooding have forced rail authorities to cancel some train services
in north Queensland.
Floodwaters have cut roads and rail lines in several places between Cairns and Mackay
.. causing damage to some tracks.
But it's not all bad news .. with reports that torrential rain in the region is boosting
water supplies and dam levels lifting dramatically.
GUN (MELBOURNE)
The ex-wife of a psychiatrist .. who's accused of trying to enter a Melbourne court
with a gun .. has denied allegations she had a contract out to kill him.
Psychiatrist JEROME GELB .. his wife KERRIE and former union official-turned pastor
DAVID SCHMACK .. have appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates Court over the incident.
All three are facing multiple charges over firearms offences .. perverting the course
of justice and conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
DEPORTED (CANBERRA)
It's official .. New Zealanders are the worst behaved visitors to Australia.
Department of Immigration statistics show more New Zealanders have been deported or
forcibly removed from Australia in recent years than guests from any other nation.
BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..
British book retailer Waterstone's is hoping to set up a helpline for distressed fans
of the popular Harry Potter series .. with two characters being killed off in the final
instalment.
Celebrity ITA BUTTROSE says a lack of sustained government support for the survivors
of child abuse is crippling the lives of thousands of Australians.
IN SPORT ..
SOCCER AUST (MELBOURNE)
The Socceroos will play two-time world champion Argentina in Melbourne in one of their
final tune-ups for July's Asian Cup finals.
Australia's match against Argentina has been scheduled for June 6 at the M-C-G.
It will be the Socceroos' last hitout on home soil ahead of their opening Asian Cup
finals match against Oman in Thailand on July 8.
SHIELD SA (ADELAIDE)
DANIEL CULLEN'S grooming as Australia's long-term successor to SHANE WARNE has been
brought to an abrupt halt by his removal from the South Australian Pura Cup squad.
SA selectors dropped CULLEN from the 13 to travel to Brisbane for a meeting with Queensland
later this month, instead preferring mature-aged off spinner and batsman NATHAN ADCOCK.
LEAGUE BRONCOS (GOLD COAST)
Brisbane coach WAYNE BENNETT has named six players from his NRL premiership-winning
team for the Broncos' opening pre-season trial against Central Comets in Rockhampton next
week.
ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP
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