AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2011
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 2
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630
CLIMATE (CANBERRA)
Federal Treasurer WAYNE SWAN has accused the opposition of deliberately misleading
the public over the impact the governments planned carbon tax would have on household
bills .. as anti- and pro- carbon tax rallies were held in Sydney.
The minister's accusation comes after Treasury modelling figures .. released under
an opposition freedom of information request .. suggest living costs would rise by more
than 850 dollars a year under a 30-dollar-a-tonne carbon price.
Mr SWAN says a final carbon price or design of the scheme has not been decided on yet
.. and the statements coming from the federal opposition are a dishonest scare campaign.
And Federal Climate Change Minister GREG COMBET says the figures now debated are out
of date because they relate to the now dumped emissions trading scheme proposed by the
former Rudd government in 2009.
Meanwhile .. a 25-thousand signature petition has been presented to Senator ERIC ABETZ
at a large anti-carbon tax rally in Hyde Park in Sydney's CBD.
Senator ABETZ has told the crowd the planned carbon tax would make no difference to the climate.
And .. not far away .. in Belmore Park .. a large crowd gathered to call for a price
on pollution and investing in renewable energy.
POLLNSW BALMAIN (SYDNEY)
New South Wales Greens candidate JAMIE PARKER has claimed victory in Sydney's inner-west
seat of Balmain .. but has warned other candidates could still call for a recount.
Mr PARKER .. who is also the mayor of Leichhardt .. says people are hungry to see change
.. since the two party system has not served them well .. and now have a real alternative
to support the Greens.
He says the win reflects the positivity of the Greens' campaign .. and that he now
wants to concentrate on representing the people of Balmain.
Australian Greens leader BOB BROWN has described the news as a historic moment for the party.
The seat was held by outgoing Labor education minister VERITY FIRTH.
LNP (GOLD COAST)
Queensland LNP leader-in-waiting CAMPBELL NEWMAN may have wiped the party's policy
slate clean earlier this week .. but he's wasting no time starting to fill it up again.
Mr NEWMAN .. who is on the Gold Coast today to support federal opposition leader TONY
ABBOTT's Pollie Pedal charity bike ride and local LNP MPs and candidates .. has told reporters
water reform will be one of his first priorities.
He says the LNP wants to combine the five state water entities into one entity .. to
save money .. and to write off infrastructure that's not performing .. and to quarantine
the debt so it can be properly managed.
Meanwhile .. the Queensland government has attacked Brisbane Lord Mayor NEWMAN's use
of council resources for his tilt at state parliament.
OFARRELL (SYDNEY)
New South Wales Premier BARRY O'FARRELL has promised to improve housing affordability
in Sydney by boosting the number of new housing blocks.
Ten thousand new blocks will be released over the next four years by Landcom .. a government
developer .. as part of the initiative which Mr O'FARRELL says will help young families
buy a home.
CYCLONE (PERTH)
A tropical cyclone is expected to form off north Western Australia late today .. bringing
heavy rain and flooding to the north Kimberley region.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a cyclone warning for coastal and island areas
from Cape Leveque on the Dampier Peninsula to Wyndham.
A cyclone watch between Wyndham and the WA/Northern Territory border has been cancelled.
US AIRCRAFT (WASHINGTON)
A Southwest Airlines flight has made an emergency landing in the United States after
a hole blew in the top of the aircraft.
The airline says the plane declared an emergency after the loss of pressurisation in
the cabin and landed safely in Yuma .. Arizona .. about 40 minutes after takeoff.
None of the 118 passengers were hurt but one flight attendant received a minor injury
upon descent.
AFGHAN NATO (UNITED NATIONS)
United Nations leaders and governments have paid tribute to the seven staff killed
in an attack on a UN compound in Afghanistan .. described by Secretary-General BAN KI-MOON
as outrageous and cowardly.
Protesters .. some armed .. broke away from a big demonstration being held against
the burning of Koran by a US pastor and stormed the UN building in the northern city of
Mazar-i-Sharif .
The UN Security Council has now called on the Afghan government to increase protection
for its workers and bring those responsible to justice.
Meanwhile .. two armed men have attacked a NATO camp in Kabul with assault rifles and
rocket-propelled grenades .. slightly wounding three troops before they were killed.
JAPAN RADIATION (RIKUZENTAKATA)
Japanese Prime Minister NAOTO KAN has for the first time set foot in the tsunami-ravaged
disaster zone .. arriving in a town where more than two-thousand are listed as dead or
missing.
Rikuzentakata .. about 400 kilometres northeast of Tokyo .. had its picturesque forest
and golden beaches destroyed by the deadly earthquake and tsunami .. and thousands of
locals are still holed up in evacuation centres.
KAN will also stop over in nearby Fukushima prefecture .. in a show of support for
emergency crews risking their lives to prevent a meltdown at the areas stricken nuclear
plant.
LIBYA AIRSTRIKES (TRIPOLI)
Coalition forces have heavily bombarded positions held by troops loyal to Libyan leader
MUAMMAR GADDAFI east and southwest of Tripoli .. amid reports seven civilians were killed
in earlier NATO airstrikes.
Libyan state television reports military and civilian areas in the Al Khums and Al
Rojban regions were targeted in raids by the Western assailants .. while a resident of
Al Khums .. about 120 kilometres east of the capital .. says he heard explosions at the
local naval base.
Al Rojban is southwest of Tripoli and several towns in the mountainous area are controlled
by rebel forces.
BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..
BALLOON (PERTH)
Four people have been injured in a hot-air balloon crash in Western Australia.
CONSTABLE (SYDNEY)
A police officer has been charged with drink driving after being pulled over in Sydney's west.
Nuclear UK FRANCE (LONDON)
A British junior defence minister is calling for London and Paris to develop and build
a joint nuclear deterrent
IN SPORT ..
SLIPPER (SYDNEY)
Favourite Sepoy has produced a dominant performance to win the three-point-five million
dollar Golden Slipper at Rosehill.
The easy win in the 1200-metre feature was in contrast to the pre-race drama that resulted
in two horses .. Fast And Sexy and second favourite Smart Missile .. being scratched behind
the barriers on veterinarian advice.
Sepoy .. ridden by KERRIN MCEVOY .. had the race in his keeping after getting to leader
Karuta Queen shortly after hitting the home straight.
AFL WRAP (MELBOURNE)
St Kilda star midfielder LENNY HAYES' AFL season is almost certainly over after scans
confirmed a serious knee injury.
And .. Hawthorn are confident captain LUKE HODGE will be back to full fitness soon
after being dogged by an achilles problem.
Meanwhile .. Wests Tigers could be bolstered by the return of prop BRYCE GIBBS for
tomorrow's clash with Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium.
RL BRONCOS (BRISBANE)
Exciting winger JHARAL YOW YEH is firming as a potential State of Origin replacement
for ISRAEL FOLAU after another strong display in Brisbane's 18-10 win over Penrith last
night.
Queensland coach MAL MENINGA has to replace AFL-convert FOLAU in his backline for this
year's series and the multi-talented YOW YEH has been showing good form in the Broncos'
three straight wins.
MOT MGP (JEREZ, Spain)
Australia's CASEY STONER has clocked the fastest time at free practice for this weekend's
Spanish MotoGP.
ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP
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