AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 9

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-2003
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 9
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430

CHOGM (ABUJA)

President ROBERT MUGABE has made good his threat to withdraw Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth
just hours after Australian Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD convinced the body to extend the
African nation's suspension.

Mr HOWARD -- speaking at the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in
the Nigerian capital Abuja -- says he's not surprised by anything President MUGABE says
or does.

Mr HOWARD had been a lone voice pushing a six-nation committee to continue Zimbabwe's
suspension, and had just managed to sway the Commonwealth into maintaining its stand.

Hours later, President MUGABE withdrew Zimbabwe from the 54-nation organisation, which
the African leader earlier claimed had been hijacked by racists.

Mr HOWARD has rejected the racism claim and says the Commonwealth will still push for
reconciliation between Mr MUGABE and the opposition parties in Zimbabwe.

Zambian President LEVY MWANAWASA has accused western Commonwealth members of forcing
Zimbabwe's exclusion through a split summit.

And MWANAWASA says leaders have left the Abuja gathering more divided than when they arrived.

The southern African leader says western countries bulldozed the suspension of Zimbabwe
partly because of their economic muscle.

He says he's very disappointed by their decision and also disappointed by Zimbabwe's
subsequent decision to pull out.



Bartlett (CANBERRA)

Australian Democrats members may find out today if they will be voting in another leadership
ballot as leader ANDREW BARTLETT considers his future.

Senator BARTLETT has taken leave while his party gauges the fallout from his drunken
manhandling and verbal abuse of government whip JEANNIE FERRIS in the Senate last week.

He has been considering his options at home in Brisbane ahead of a telephone hook-up
with his Senate colleagues which is expected to take place today or tomorrow.

The hook-up will be the third since media reports of his behaviour sparked a leadership
crisis at the weekend.

A spokeswoman for Senator BARTLETT says it's impossible to put a timeframe on how long
it will take him to sort out his personal issues.

Meanwhile, Australian Democrats founder DON CHIPP thinks Senator BARTLETT should quit
the leadership of the party he established nearly 30 years ago.

Mr CHIPP's warned that last week's drunken incident could have fatal electoral consequences
for the party.

Mr CHIPP's told ABC television he thinks Senator BARTLETT should quit the leadership
and return to the backbench.



Newspoll Latham (SYDNEY)

MARK LATHAM's elevation to federal Opposition leader has had an instant impact on voters
with the latest Newspoll showing a surge of support for the Labor Party.

According to the Newspoll published in today's Australian newspaper, the ALP is now
in its strongest primary vote position for more than a year -- up four points to 39 per
cent.

The poll still has the ALP trailing the Coalition by six points -- but Mr LATHAM's
appointment has narrowed the gap.

Mr LATHAM took over the leadership of the Labor Party a week ago after SIMON CREAN
stood down because he had lost support in the caucus.

The Newspoll -- carried out last weekend -- shows Mr LATHAM has a higher satisfaction
rating than Mr CREAN.



AMP (SYDNEY)

AMP's shareholders are expected to vote overwhelmingly in favour of the financial services
group's demerger plan when they meet in Sydney today.

The proposed split of AMP's Australasian businesses from its troubled operations in
Britain has been approved by local and UK regulators but still needs support from shareholders.

If shareholders vote in favour of the plan, AMP's British businesses will be spun off
and listed under a different name on the London and Australian stock markets later this
month.

Hundreds of investors are expected to pack Sydney's Hordern Pavilion to hear details
of the plan and vote on the proposal.

The Australian Shareholders Association intends to vote in favour of the demerger at the meeting.



Budget (CANBERRA)

Treasurer PETER COSTELLO has challenged Labor leader MARK LATHAM to stick to his word
on tax breaks for higher income earners, increasing speculation of pre-election tax cuts.

The government has unveiled a larger-than-forecast Budget surplus, estimated at $4.6
million for 2003/04, up by $2.5 billion since the May Budget.

The higher surplus was based on an extra $3.7 billion in tax revenue, largely due to
stronger than expected company profits.

Mr COSTELLO has signalled that he now expects Mr LATHAM to back changes to the top
marginal tax rate.

He says Labor blocked the government's proposal to lift the top marginal tax rate threshold
to $75,000 during the GST debate.



Wanjina (PERTH)

An Aboriginal people in remote Western Australia have been granted native title over
a tract of the state's Kimberley region.

Deputy Premier ERIC RIPPER says the claim by WANJINA WUNGGURR WILINGGIN was determined
in the Federal Court yesterday.

The WANJINA WUNGGURR WILINGGIN people have been asserting their rights over the area
for about twelve years.



Iraq Loyalists (BAGHDAD)

Pro-Saddam guerrillas have claimed responsibility for devastating car-bombings of the
United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross offices in Baghdad.

The blasts have forced the two bodies out of most of Iraq.

ABU MOHAMMAD, a rebel tribal chief loyal to the ousted president says the attack against
the UN headquarters was carried out by Baathists.

He was referring to members of the former ruling party, saying SADDAM HUSSEIN gives
instructions, and those who must carry them out find the means to do so.

The August 19th blast killed 22 people including UN special envoy SERGIO VIERA DI MELLO.

Meanwhile, on the website www.al-moharer.net SADDAM'S men claim responsibility for
the October 27th Red Cross bombing which killed 12 people.



Bali Pastika (JAKARTA)

The policeman who led the hunt for the Bali bombers says executing three of the ringleaders
won't deter future terrorists.

I MADE MANGKU PASTIKA has also warned of trouble if the death sentences already passed
on MUKHLAS, AMROZI and IMAM SAMUDRA are carried out.

The three have been convicted over their roles in the October 12th attack in 2002 that
killed 202 people.

PASTIKA also says the convicted Bali bombers were very happy with the death sentence
and it did not give the desired deterrent effect.



AND IN SPORT:


Cricket Aust (Brisbane)

Australian captain STEVE WAUGH is furious at the way he was portrayed as a "criminal"

for his involvement in the run-out of DAMIEN MARTYN during the first cricket Test against
India at the Gabba which ended in a draw yesterday.

WAUGH has slammed his critics for "personal attacks" but also admitted he was rushed
in his preparation for an innings which turned into disaster for Australia.

Apart from being blamed for MARTYN'S run-out, WAUGH was criticised for taking some
of the limelight away from JUSTIN LANGER as he raced out to bat when LANGER fell for 121.

He said "too much" was made of the run-out mix-up with MARTYN and he was made to feel
like he'd committed a criminal offence.



Cricket Aust Hohns (Brisbane)

SHANE WARNE is in the running for an almost immediate recall to the Australian cricket
after his drug ban finishes on February the 10th.

It simply depends on his performance, according to national selection panel convener
TREVOR HOHNS.

WARNE'S ban ends less than a month before Australia's scheduled first Test on the tour
of Sri Lanka.



Soccer Aust Oceania (Sydney)

Australian Soccer Association chairman FRANK LOWY says he won't rule out withdrawing
Australia from the Oceania Football Confederation to prompt FIFA to conduct an inquiry
into the embattled regional body.

LOWY has told told a Sydney press conference that the OFC has problems and possesses
no real influence with soccer's governing body FIFA, as was shown by the governing body's
backflip on a decision to grant the region directly entry to the 2006 World Cup.

The OFC has been plagued by internal strife in recent years with a growing division
between the stronger soccer nations of Australia and New Zealand and the nine other island
countries that make up the confederation.



Rugby England (London)

London has staged the biggest sporting celebration in British history as up to half
a million people poured into the capital to see England's rugby union heroes parade the
World Cup through the city centre.

Fans, many draped in the red and white flag of Saint George, braved bitter cold to
catch a glimpse of the players as they rode through the heart of the city in two open-topped
buses.



ENDS BULLETIN

AAP RTV psm/

KEYWORD: BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

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