AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 30

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 30
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Lapthorne (MELBOURNE)

A second post mortem on the body of backpacker BRITT LAPTHORNE has failed to show what
caused her death.

The 21-year-old Melbourne woman went missing from a nightclub in the Croatian town
of Dubrovnik on September 18.

Victorian state coroner Judge JENNIFER COATE has handed her report to the LAPTHORNE
family .. it will also be given to prosecutors working on the case in Dubrovnik.

An autopsy conducted in Croatia was also inconclusive.



Mideast Gaza Wrap (SYDNEY)

Israeli warplanes have carried out dozens of air strikes on the Gaza Strip this morning
.. targeting ministry buildings and security service installations.

The director of Gaza's emergency services MOAWIYA ABU HASSANEIN says at least 10 Palestinians
have been killed and 40 wounded in the attacks.

The air strikes .. centred mostly on Gaza City .. targeting the buildings housing the
offices of the prime minister .. the defence ministry .. foreign ministry .. finance ministry
and the Islamic University.

Meanwhile .. the United States has given its blessing to Israel's war on Hamas in the
Gaza Strip but says it's working to forge a durable ceasefire.

President GEORGE W BUSH's spokesman .. GORDON JOHNDROE .. says the US understands Israel
needs to take actions to defend itself and deal with the terrorist threat.

He says in order for the violence to stop .. Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel
and agree to respect a sustainable and durable ceasefire.

Four civilians have been killed in southern Israel by rockets fired by Palestinian militants.

And medics say Israel has killed 360 Palestinians and wounded more than 15 hundred
during an air blitz of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile .. UN Secretary General BAN KI-MOON has urged Arab and world leaders to do
more to immediately end what he says is the unacceptable violence.

BAN says a ceasefire must be declared immediately .. with both Israel and Hamas halting
their acts of violence and take all necessary measures to avoid civilian casualties.



Tourism (SYDNEY)

A new report shows Australia could be short on overseas visitors for at least the next
two years .. sparking job losses.

Tourism Australia predicts the value of inbound tourism for 2009 will drop by four
per cent .. or 500 million dollars .. to 24 billion .. the worst year since 1989.

Tourism and Transport Forum boss OLIVIA WIRTH has told the ABC .. unless there's a
huge pick-up in the global economy in the later half of next year .. then 2010 could be
looking just as bleak.

She says with destinations such as Cairns and Uluru predominantly visited by international
guests .. some people might lose their jobs and businesses might close.



Storms (BRISBANE)

For the seventh time in as many weeks south-east Queensland has been hit by severe
storms overnight.

At around 8pm (AEST) an average of more than 90 lightning strikes a minute were being
recorded in the corridor from the Gold Coast to Brisbane .. and more than 18 thousand
were recorded overall.

The worst affected areas were the Gold Coast and its hinterland .. the Scenic Rim and
Logan City council areas south of Brisbane.

By the time the storm passed through .. around 30 thousand homes and businesses were
affected by power interruptions.

Meanwhile .. the storm lashed a small town in northern New South Wales before it moved
north to Queensland.

The SES says 11 homes and the local pub in Boggabilla bore the brunt of the storm yesterday
afternoon .. with trees coming down in its main street.

Spokeswoman ERIN POGOREIT says no one was injured in the storm.



Topless (SYDNEY)

The New South Wales government and opposition have slammed a proposal to ban topless
sunbathing on the state's beaches.

Independent MP FRED NILE says he'll introduce a private member's bill in parliament
to outlaw topless women on beaches.

Reverend NILE says high community standards need to be observed in public places.

Assistant Health Minister JODI MCKAY has told The Daily Telegraph .. banning topless
sunbaking is going too far.

Meanwhile .. the opposition says the proposal is too trivial for the state's parliament
to consider.

Leader BARRY O'FARRELL says it's a debate for local councils .. and state parliament
should be focusing on roads .. public transport .. hospitals and education.



Briefly in other news ..




The Awami League party of former Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA WAJED leads in Bangladesh
elections by a landslide margin.




There's been no deaths on the nation's roads so far today .. with the holiday road
toll remaining at 41.



in Finance ..

At 11.03am (AEDT) .. the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was DOWN 1.2 points at 3619.9 ..

while the All Ordinaries Index was DOWN 0.3 points at 3553.9.

The Australian dollar was at 69.02 US cents .. UP from Monday's local close of 68.66 cents.

It was at 49.16 euro cents .. UP from 48.45 euro cents on Monday.

The spot price of gold in Sydney was 879.45 US dollars .. DOWN 5.90 from 885.35 US
dollars per fine ounce yesterday.



in Sport ..



Cricket Aust Watson (MELBOURNE)

Australian allrounder SHANE WATSON will be out of action for six weeks and will not
bowl for six months because of stress fractures in his back.

In a further blow to Australia .. who today are poised to lose the second Test and
the series to South Africa .. WATSON says he will not play again during the international
summer.

His latest injury complicates Australia's selection for the third Test in Sydney given
WATSON had been touted as a replacement allrounder for the struggling ANDREW SYMONDS ..

who is also battling knee soreness.



SOCCER ENGLISH GERRARD (LONDON)

Liverpool Premier League soccer captain STEVEN GERRARD has been arrested in connection
with an alleged an assault outside a nightspot.

Reuters reports the England midfielder was detained by police at 2:30am Monday in Southport
along with five other men.

A 34-year-old man was taken to hospital with facial injuries that are not believed
to be life threatening.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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