AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Feb 10

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2011
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Feb 10
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


FLOODS/YASI WRAP (BRISBANE)

Queensland Opposition Leader JOHN-PAUL LANGBROEK says it's disgraceful that four weeks
after the state's floods crisis .. less than one per cent of the money donated to the
premier's relief appeal has been distributed.

He says people who were barely in need of help received government disaster payments
quickly .. but those most in need of help are still waiting for payments from the donation
fund.

Treasurer ANDREW FRASER says applications need to be thoroughly checked to guard against
fraud .. while Premier ANNA BLIGH says flood victims will see disaster relief payments
sooner rather than later.

The attack comes as the head of the Queensland Floods Commission .. Justice CATHERINE
HOLMES .. outlined the vast task ahead of her .. saying the devastation in the Lockyer
Valley alone has left an indelible impression on her.

At least 35 people lost their lives in the wide-spread floods in the state's south.

Earlier today .. Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD has introduced laws to federal parliament
to bring in a flood reconstruction levy .. describing it as an expression of goodwill
between Australians.

Meanwhile .. temporary homes are now arriving in Grantham as the Queensland town picks
up the pieces after flash flooding .. and army trucks and teams of SES workers are rolling
into the small townships of Silkwood and Kurrimine Beach .. near Cairns in the north ..

in the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi.

And .. in Victoria .. forecasters say the farming industry could take months and even
years to recover from the floodwaters which have ravaged the state.

Elsewhere .. South Australians have been urged to watch out for scammers trying to
sell flood-damaged cars from Queensland .. New South Wales and Victoria.



JOBS PARLY (CANBERRA)

Treasurer WAYNE SWAN says the latest job figures show the strength of the economy ..

despite the Queensland floods.

Official figures show the number of people employed was up by 24-thousand in January
.. while the jobless rate remained at five per cent .. the lowest level in two years.

Mr SWAN says more than 360-thousand jobs were created over one year .. a record number
.. and Australia gained about 740-thousand jobs over three years .. while the world lost
30 million jobs.

And .. Queensland Treasurer ANDREW FRASER says a statewide growth in jobs despite the
state's flooding crisis is a remarkable result .. with the state's unemployment dropping
from six per cent in December to 5.6 per cent.

But HSBC chief economist PAUL BLOXHAM says the Reserve Bank may have to raise interest
rates by the end of the year .. if the unemployment rate drops below five per cent.



YOUTH (CANBERRA)

The federal government has suffered a second parliamentary defeat today .. after the
Senate passed an opposition bill that aims to increase financial support for regional
students.

Labor branded the legislation economically irresponsible and an act of constitutional vandalism.

Nationals senator FIONA NASH .. who introduced the legislation aimed at extending Youth
Allowance eligibility criteria for some regional students .. says the increased cost is
no excuse in treating them fairly.

Earlier today .. the lower house passed another opposition bill that would force the
government to approve the relocation of a colony of flying foxes on the New South Wales
north coast.



INDON BASHIR (JAKARTA)

The Indonesian terror trial of radical Muslim cleric ABU BAKAR BASHIR has been adjourned
until next week .. after a brief but chaotic appearance today.

The trial will resume on Monday .. when BASHIR will again face court on seven terrorism
charges .. the most serious of which carries the death penalty.

As the suspected mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings was driven away under heavy security
.. his supporters continued to chant .. god is great.



LIU (SYDNEY)

A judge has been told that a person with enormous animosity towards businesswoman HELEN
LIU .. wanted 120 thousand dollars from news organisation Fairfax for a story on her and
former defence minister JOEL FITZGIBBON.

Journalist RICHARD BAKER has told the New South Wales Supreme Court no money was ever
paid to the source .. and despite claims to the contrary by Ms LIU .. he believes the
documents used for the story weren't faked.

Ms LIU'S taken legal action against The Age newspaper and Fairfax journalists Mr BAKER
.. PHILLIP DORLING and NICK MCKENZIE.

She's asked Justice LUCY MCCALLUM to make orders which would effectively compel the
journalists to reveal their sources for the story .. but the journalists say they're bound
by undertakings of confidentiality.



MILK (CANBERRA)

Milk discounting by supermarkets will be investigated by a Senate inquiry .. looking
at the effects it'll have on the dairy industry.

Earlier today a group of coalition MPs and dairy industry leaders warned the dollar-per-litre
price being paid by consumers will kill off farmers.

Independent Senator NICK XENOPHON's won the support of the coalition and the Australian
Greens for the inquiry .. which he says will be an opportunity to ask the supermarket
chains whether the price cuts are sustainable.



ELECTRICITY (SYDNEY)

The New South Wales government denies it has gone back on a promise to halt further
sales of state electricity assets .. as it prepares to offload a power station development
site.

The opposition has accused the government of lying over the issue .. after media reports
highlighted its plan to sell the Bamarang development site south-west of Nowra.

But a spokesman for Treasurer ERIC ROOZENDAAL says the sale of the Bamarang site was
part of the first tranche of the reforms.



TODD (BRISBANE)

A New South Wales teenager accused of a series of car jackings and impersonating police
in Queensland has been remanded in custody .. after facing court today.

Police arrested 18-year-old ZACHARY TODD from Tweed Heads yesterday.

It's alleged he fitted his car with flashing lights .. pretended to be a police officer
and pulled over motorists on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane.



WARNE (MELBOURNE)

SHANE WARNE and LIZ HURLEY have headed to an exclusive Melbourne golf club owned by
former Crown Casino boss LLOYD WILLIAMS.

The PETER THOMSON-designed course in Melbourne's southeast is a luxurious destination
.. which has hosted celebrities in the past including TIGER WOODS.

The club's website says the highly-secure club features a sumptuous clubhouse with
views of the meticulous grounds and curious birdlife.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



US GIFFORDS (LOS ANGELES)

US politician GABRIELLE GIFFORDS is speaking again less than a month after being shot.



WOOD (BRISBANE)

A former Brisbane lawyer has been sentenced to ten years in jail .. for frauds which
could amount to as much as eight million dollars.



IN SPORT ..



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


TENNIS WOMEN (PARIS)

KIM CLIJSTERS has moved to within one win of taking the number one ranking by rallying
to beat KRISTINA BARROIS of Germany 4-6 6-2 6-0 in the second round of the Open Gaz de
France.

The Australian Open champion just needs to win her quarter-final match tomorrow to
snatch the top spot from CAROLINE WOZNIACKI of Denmark.



AFL TIGERS (MELBOURNE)

Richmond coach DAMIEN HARDWICK says the Tigers' ambitious new fundraising campaign
will fuel an aggressive recruiting strategy when the AFL's free agency policy takes effect
at the end of next year.

The club aims to raise $6 million within a year.



MOTOR PRIX AUST (MELBOURNE)

Formula One boss BERNIE ECCLESTONE says he doesn't need the Australian Grand Prix on
the F1 calendar.

With debate about the value of the race once again rekindled .. ECCLESTONE has strongly
hinted Australia would be one of the first races to be axed as he eyes new .. more lucrative
markets.



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