AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Feb 11

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Feb 11
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


COAG DRS (MELBOURNE)

The health reform package announced by federal and state governments has been slammed
by a doctors group .. which says it pays lip service to solving problems without providing
any real funding.

The Doctors Reform Society says the one-point-one billion dollar commitment announced
yesterday .. looks tiny compared to the 10 billion dollars spent by the federal government
to prop up the private health industry.

And it says the plan to provide more places for full fee paying medical students at
universities .. will produce doctors who aren't good enough to qualify for HECS funded
places.





The government package also includes extra funding for mental health .. with experts
being asked to develop a blueprint for reforming the system.

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has blamed a policy of closing mental hospitals .. for Australia's
mental health crisis.

And he says the use of marijuana is also a factor.



Troops (SYDNEY)

Australian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are being put at risk by faults in their uniforms.

The Australian newspaper says Defence department documents show the safety of the troops
.. including the elite SAS force .. has been compromised by defective jackets and body
armour.

The documents .. obtained under Freedom of Information laws .. say faults include combat
jackets that glow in the dark .. giving enemies an easy target .. and body armour that
cracks easily.



AWB Monopoly (SYDNEY)

The Prime Minister is planning to strip AWB of its monopoly to export Australia's wheat
.. according to a news report.

AWB is currently being investigated for paying kickbacks to SADDAM HUSSEIN's regime
.. by inflating the price of wheat sold to Iraq under the UN's oil-for-food program.

Fairfax newspapers say JOHN HOWARD flagged his intention to end the AWB's monopoly
on wheat exports .. at yesterday's meeting of the Council of Australian Governments.



Lennon (HOBART)

Tasmanian Premier PAUL LENNON has denied claims of a conflict of interest over a company
run by his brother .. which was awarded government contracts worth up to 100 thousand
dollars.

Mr LENNON's been accused of breaching the ministerial code of conduct .. after news
that the contracts were awarded to a company part-owned by his brother JOHN.

The premier didn't declare the company on the Tasmanian parliament's disclosure-of-interests
register.

But Mr LENNON says his brother's interest in the company was public knowledge.



Oly06 Ceremony (TURIN)

Former Italian cross country skier STEFANIA BELMONDO .. who recently gave up competitive
sport to have a family .. has lit the Olympic flame that will burn over the Turin Winter
Games.

At the end of a two-hour opening ceremony .. celebrating Italy's history and welcoming
athletes from around the world .. BELMONDO lit an arc of fireworks which wound its way
to the Olympic cauldron.

Italian gold-medal gymnast YURI CHECHI opened the ceremony by swinging a mighty hammer
onto a bronze anvil.

And operatic legend LUCIANO PAVAROTTI was the closing act.



Cartoons (ANKARA)

Tens of thousands of Muslims around the world have vented their anger .. in a wave
of protests over satirical images of the prophet MOHAMMED.

From Egypt .. Turkey and Kenya .. to Malaysia and Pakistan .. protesters have taken
to the streets after traditional Friday prayers.

The furious reaction follows publication .. at first in Denmark and later in other
Western countries .. of 12 cartoons depicting MOHAMMED .. one of which shows him with
a bomb in his turban.



Japan Whales (LONDON)

A marine conservation organisation says Japan's stock of whale meat is so large ..

it's now being sold as dog food.

British-based charity .. the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society .. says Japan's
whale meat stocks have doubled over the past 10 years .. because it increases the number
of animals it kills every year.



US Mother (PONTIAC)

A 16-year-old American boy is facing 34 years in jail .. after he pleaded guilty to
murdering his mother.

CHRISTOPHER DANKOVICH .. from Michigan .. admits he stabbed 50-year-old DIANE MICHELE
111 times last year .. after she discovered he was learning how to make a bomb.



US Skull (FORT LAUDERDALE)

A woman from Haiti could be jailed in the United States .. after trying to smuggle
in a human skull .. used in voodoo.

Customs officials searching the luggage of 30-year-old MYRLENE SEVERE .. found a human
head .. with teeth .. hair .. and bits of skin still attached.





IN SPORT:


TRI AUST (ADELAIDE)

Sri Lanka has scored its first ever win over Australia in Adelaide .. to take a 1-0
lead in the Tri-Series cricket finals.

The upset was engineered by ace fielder TILLAKARATNE DILSHAN who was responsible for
four out of five key run-outs, including the dismissal of captain RICKY PONTING before
he'd even faced a ball.

Sri Lanka won the match last night by 22 runs.



Oly06 Aust (TURIN)

Moguls skier MANUELA BERCHTOLD and biathlete CAMERON MORTON will begin Australia's
Winter Olympics campaign later today.

BERCHTOLD .. whose best-ever result is eighth in the world championships .. will be
aiming to go through to the 20-woman moguls final.

And MORTON .. from the Victorian resort of Mt Hotham .. will compete in the 20-kilometre
individual biathlon .. a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.



Tennis Davis (GENEVA)

Australia and Switzerland are locked at one-all after the first day of their Davis
Cup tie in Geneva.

PETER LUCZAK gave Australia the advantage with a win over MICHAEL LAMMER on the clay
court .. but STANISLAS WAWRINKA equalised for Switzerland with victory over CHRIS GUCCIONE.

Australia is favourite to win tomorrow's doubles rubber .. with the experienced pairing
of WAYNE ARTHURS and PAUL HANLEY taking on the makeshift Swiss team of GEORGE BASTL and
YVES ALLEGRO.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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