AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 4

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 4
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Thorpe (SYDNEY)

IAN THORPE has decided to pursue defamation proceedings against a French newspaper
and journalist .. over suggestions that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

A report published by L'Equipe in March last year said the swimming champion gave a
sample in 2006 .. which showed abnormal levels of testosterone and a luteinising hormone.

The NSW Supreme Court has set September 22 as the date for lawyers on both sides to
meet and decide on proceedings.

Lawyer TONY O'REILLY says THORPE wants to repair the damage done to his reputation.



Oly Aust Tickets Visa (SYDNEY)

Visa International says cardholders who are victims of an olympic ticketing scam should
be able to recoup their money.

Spokesman ANDREW WOODWARD says the bank which granted merchant facilities to the website
will be liable for the fraud.

He says clients of other credit card companies .. including Mastercard and American
Express .. should contact their banks.



Qantas Wrap (SYDNEY)

Qantas says an investigation by the aviation watchdog will allow the airline to re-establish
its safety credentials.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority's looking into the airline's safety and maintenance
operations .. following three mid-air emergencies on its jets in less than 10 days.

Qantas head of engineering .. DAVID COX .. says the investigation will prove the incidents
were part of the normal run of business activities.

And CASA says it has no evidence to suggest safety standards have slipped.

The authority's PETER GIBSON says there are no reasons for the public NOT to have confidence
in the airline.



Teachers (CANBERRA)

A new report suggests teachers should be paid according to their performance .. and
the best should receive more than 100-thousand dollars a year.

The study .. commissioned by the Australian Education Union .. adds weight to the push
for higher salaries started earlier this year by the Business Council of Australia.

Conducted by the University of New South Wales .. it suggests a set of national standards
to assess teachers who want to be classified.

AEU federal president ANGELO GAVRIELATOS says rewarding salary and career structures
are needed .. to tackle the teacher shortage and attract and retain quality teachers.



Savannah (BRISBANE)

A Gold Coast couple say they'll seek up to two million dollars' compensation .. following
the federal government's decision to ban savannah cats.

GLENN and KAREN PARKER .. from Benowa .. planned to import 14 savannah cats later this year.

The say they have written approval from the federal government and Australian Customs.

Environment Minister PETER GARRETT banned the breed from Australia yesterday .. because
they pose an extreme risk to native animals and the environment.



Antigua Honeymooners (LONDON)

Hospital officials in Wales have revealed a newlywed shot on the last day of his Caribbean
honeymoon has died.

BENJAMIN MULLANY had been on life support since he was shot in the head in Antigua last week.

His bride .. CATHERINE .. was killed instantly when she was shot in the same attack.



Russia Solzhenitsyn (MOSCOW)

ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN .. the author whose books chronicled the horrors of the Soviet
gulag system .. has died at age 89.

His son .. STEPAN .. says the Nobel prize winner died of heart failure.

SOLZHENITSYN's unflinching accounts of torment and survival in the Soviet Union's slave
labour camps riveted his countrymen.

They also earned him 20 years of bitter exile .. and international renown.



Briefly in other news ..



Climbers from France, Ireland, Pakistan and Austria are missing .. feared dead .. after
a huge chunk of ice sheared off the world's second highest mountain .. K2 in the Himalayas.



Residents of an Ipswich suburb .. where houses have suffered subsidence .. will take legal
action against the Queensland government.



The latest Ford Falcon is the first Australian-built car to win a world-best five-star
rating for its crash safety .. putting it alongside top luxury cars like the Mercedes
C-Class.



South Australian teachers are taking the first of a series of half-day strikes today ..

in support of their pay and conditions claim.



Crammed student housing is prompting Brisbane City Council to reduce the number of people
allowed to live in a single dwelling .. to prevent situations where up to 15 students
have shared a single house.



An Australian is reportedly being investigated for having links with the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group.



in Finance ..




At 1114 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was DOWN 15.7 points to 4,888.3, while the
All Ordinaries Index was DOWN 16.5 points at 4961.5.

The Australian dollar was at 93.02 US cents, DOWN from Friday's local close at 93.65 US cents.

It was at 59.71 euro cents, DOWN from 60.17 euro cents on Friday.

In Sydney, the spot price of gold was $US910.70 per fine ounce, UP $US0.60 from Friday's
close of $US910.10.



in Sport ..



League Wrap (SYDNEY)

Eight sides are in the hunt for the remaining three places in the NRL finals.

Wests Tigers .. Canberra .. Gold Coast and the New Zealand Warriors are in a tie for
eighth spot on 22 points.

Newcastle host Parramatta tonight with the loser facing an uphill battle to make the finals.



League Williams (MARSEILLE)

Run-away NRL star SONNY BILL WILLIAMS will be in Toulon today or tomorrow .. to finalise
his contract with the French rugby union club.

The club president MOURAD BOUDJELLAL says the 22-year-old could make his debut in a
friendly on Friday.



AFL Magpies (MELBOURNE)

Collingwood star HEATH SHAW has been charged with drink driving following a car crash last night.

The club says SHAW was in "a minor car accident" but didn't say where or what time
the incident took place.

SHAW ran into a stationary car and was uninjured.



Golf Senior (COLORADO SPRINGS)

GREG NORMAN has finished fourth at the 29th US Senior Open .. carding a even par-70
in his final round.

EDUARDO ROMERO won the tournament with a final round three-over 73 and become the second
Argentine golfer to win the trophy.



Golf WGC (AKRON)

Australian STUART APPLEBY has made a late charge before finishing one stroke behind
winner VIJAY SINGH at the Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.

SINGH made a one-metre par at the last to shoot 68 and finish at 10-under 270 .. with
England's LEE WESTWOOD joining APPLEBY on nine-under.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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