AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 27

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 27
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Stannies (SYDNEY)

The principal of St Stanislaus College in central western New South Wales has confirmed
a police probe into claims of sexual abuse includes a number of former staff.

JOHN EDWARDS has told Fairfax Radio he was served with a search warrant last month
.. which listed the names of three former staff members.

A 65-year-old former priest at the private school in Bathurst is now facing 33 charges
.. following allegations of a paedophile ring comprising priests and teachers at the private
school during the 1980s.

Mr EDWARDS says he first became aware of the allegations several years ago when the
college received internet material .. which he referred to police.



Sharwood (BRISBANE)

The Anglican Church has defrocked a Brisbane priest convicted of child sex abuse.

The church says it's deposed ROBERT FRANCIS SHARWOOD from his holy orders.

The 62 year old was jailed for 12 months in November 2006 .. after being found guilty
of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in Brisbane more than 30 years ago.

He was released from jail in November last year.



Unidrive (MELBOURNE)

Melbourne car axle component supplier Unidrive has announced it will sack 40 workers
.. due to the downturn experienced by major car manufacturers.

Ford announced last week it's making 350 redundancies and reducing plant operation hours.

And Mitsubishi's announced it's closing its Adelaide plant.

AMWU secretary STEVE DARGAVEL says the ramifications of those closures are now being
felt by suppliers.



Rudd MPs (CANBERRA)

Opposition Treasury spokesman MALCOLM TURNBULL says KEVIN RUDD's likely to avoid the
real economic issues .. in his address to the nation today.

The Prime Minister will lay out the government's agenda through to the next election
during his speech to the National Press Club in Canberra.

Mr TURNBULL says Mr RUDD's likely to announce some sort of distraction to avoid tackling
the real economic issues facing the country.



Grocery Katter (CANBERRA)

Independent MP BOB KATTER's called for the head of the ACCC to be sacked .. for failing
to address the hold Woolworths and Coles have over grocery retailing.

Yesterday Woolworths announced a 25.7 per cent lift in its annual profit .. to more
than 1.6 billion dollars.

Mr KATTER says the profits of the two supermarket giants have been achieved over the
broken backs of farmers.

And he says he'll be formally calling for the resignation of commission chairman GRAEME
SAMUEL .. for failing to address the issue in his inquiry into grocery prices.



Education (CANBERRA)

A report by the Australian Education Union says the federal government needs to invest
at least one and a half billion dollars in public education .. just to restore the sector's
commonwealth funding share to 1996 levels.

The study says government schools' share of commonwealth funding declined from 43 per
cent to 35 per cent during the HOWARD years .. and will continue to drop further to 33.8
per cent by 2011-12.

The RUDD government's promised to maintain the existing schools funding formula until 2012.

But University of Sydney academic JIM MCMORROW says Labor's inherited funding arrangements
for schools that are riddled with anomalies and flaws.



Welfare (CANBERRA)

The Rudd government has introduced legislation to parliament which aims to suspend
welfare payments .. as a last resort .. from parents whose children wag school.

Education Minister JULIA GILLARD has told the House of Representatives .. it's estimated
up to 20 thousand Australian school age children may not be enrolled.

Ms GILLARD says suspending welfare payments to parents would be a last resort .. and
only a small group of people would be affected.



Toddler (SYDNEY)

A two-year-old's died in a house blaze on the mid-north coast of New South Wales ..

despite the valiant efforts of her grandmother to save her.

The toddler was one of five children staying in the woman's two-storey cottage in Nelson
Bay .. when fire crews were called out about 1.30 (AEST) this morning.

Emergency workers say the grandmother made valiant efforts in getting the other children
out .. and suffered burns and smoke inhalation.

Despite the risk of collapsing ceilings .. fire crews wore protection gear to enter
the home where they found the toddler's body.



Cartwheel Welford (BRISBANE)

Queensland education department officials will today talk to a school that's banned
cartwheels and handstands.

Belgian Gardens State School in Townsville has banned all gymnastic activities during
breaks to protect students from injury.

Education Minister ROD WELFORD says regional education officers will talk to the school
about the policy today.

Mr WELFORD's told ABC radio teachers fear parents could sue schools for student accidents
.. and may well have prompted the principal's decision.



Electricity Stoner (SYDNEY)

New South Wales Nationals leader ANDREW STONER has dismissed claims by Premier MORRIS
IEMMA .. that the state will suffer blackouts if the planned electricity privatisation
doesn't go ahead.

Mr IEMMA's taken out full-page advertisements in newspapers today .. addressing the
state on the controversial sell-off .. warning of black-outs if there's no new investment
now.

But Mr STONER says while Victoria moved down the privatisation path about a decade
ago .. that state actually faces shortages of baseload power earlier than NSW will.



US Vote Threat (DENVER)

US justice authorities say there's insufficient evidence that three men arrested ahead
of the Democratic convention had been planning to assassinate presidential candidate BARACK
OBAMA.

US Attorney TROY EID says while investigators are keeping an open mind .. an intensive
investigation has found no evidence of a credible plan to kill OBAMA.

He's described the men as meth heads .. who weren't capable of such an attack.



Briefly in other news ..



A 72-year-old Sydney woman's been thrown to the ground while her Mercedes was being carjacked
in the city's north overnight.



Broadcaster ALAN JONES says he'll return to the airwaves next month .. following surgery
to remove prostate cancer.



in Finance ..



At 1114 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was DOWN 26.8 points to 4,980.7, while the
All Ordinaries Index was DOWN 21.3 points at 5,061.0.

The Australian dollar was at 85.82 US cents, UP from Tuesday's local close at 85.61 US cents.

It was at 58.36 euro cents, UP from 58.30 euro cents on Tuesday.

In Sydney, the spot price of gold was $US827.20 per fine ounce, UP $US7.75 from Tuesday's
close of $US819.45.



in Sport ..



Tennis Open Aust (NEW YORK)

Eighteen-year-old JESSICA MOORE has ensured an Australian presence in the second round
of the US Open .. after defeating fellow wildcard entrant MELANIE OUDIN in straight sets.

Australia's best hope at Flushing Meadows .. CASEY DELLACQUA .. has crashed out in
the first round after a shock 7-6 7-6 defeat against qualifier JULIE COIN.

MOORE will now meet German qualifier ANNA-LENA GRONEFELD in the second round.



Soccer Champions (PARIS)

Former champions Juventus and Barcelona have reached the lucrative Champions League
group stage after safely negotiating away second legs in their final qualifiers.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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