AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 28

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2011
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 28
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

Unit (BRISBANE)

A man is believed to have died and a woman is suffering serious injuries after a fire
in a unit on Brisbane's south side.

Police say the fire broke out in the unit on Persse Road, Runcorn about 9.50 (AEST) last night.

The 43-year-old woman is in Royal Brisbane Hospital with serious but not life-threatening
injuries.

A man remains unaccounted for, and emergency services have been unable to enter the
unit because it's structurally unsound.



Spending (ADELAIDE)

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD has dismissed reports that her government has spent 15
billion dollars to keep the Greens and the independents happy.

The report in News Limited newspapers says the government's spent 650 dollars for every
Australian to essentially keep her minority government in office.

Ms GILLARD says the report is wrong, and included many of Labor's election promises.



Grant (DARWIN)

Northern Territory Chief Minister PAUL HENDERSON says the flooded Stuart Highway will
remain closed until engineers are able to assess damage done to bridges north of Katherine.

Heavy rains from ex-tropical Cyclone Grant have swollen the Cullen and Edith rivers
to dangerous levels, leaving motorists in the Top End stranded between Darwin and Katherine.

The Adelaide to Darwin railway is also cut off, after a freight train with 20 carriages
was washed off the tracks north of Edith Falls yesterday.

Mr HENDERSON, who's due to fly over the flood-ravaged areas this afternoon, has told
the ABC that it's still too early to say when the Stuart Highway will reopen.

The Bureau of Meteorology expects ex-tropical Cyclone Grant to move into the Gulf of
Carpentaria later tonight, saying it could redevelop into a tropical cyclone tomorrow.



Korea Kim (SEOUL)

There will likely be a 24-gun salute and military bands marching through the streets
of Pyongyang today, as North Korea officially farewells its late leader, KIM JONG-IL.

The funeral's expected to start around 1200 (AEDT), and analysts say there will be
a limousine carrying KIM'S coffin, and another carrying a giant photo.

The funeral line-up will also be scoured for clues about the likely powers behind the
throne, as the young KIM JONG-UN takes control of a nuclear-armed nation with the world's
fourth-largest military.

The elder KIM died suddenly of a heart attack on December 17 aged 69.



Youth (SYDNEY)

The AMA says health services for poorer children are inadequate and need to be improved.

AMA president STEVE HAMBLETON has called on the federal government to place a greater
emphasis on youth health in 2012, pointing out that one in 10 Australian children live
in poverty.

Dr HAMBLETON says pregnancy rates among poorer teenagers are also higher, as are rates
of obesity, drug use and depression.



Storms Vic Insurance (CANBERRA)

The Insurance Council of Australia says at least half the damage sustained in the ferocious
Christmas Day storms that hit Melbourne and northwest Victoria was to vehicles.

Within days of the wild weather that brought huge hailstones and flash flooding to
the state, about five thousand claims have already been lodged with insurance companies,
with thousands more expected as people return from holidays.

The Insurance Council's ROB WHELAN says those lodging claims are unlikely to experience
the same sort of controversy flood victims in Victoria and Queensland did earlier this
year, when some received payouts while their neighbours didn't.



Crocodile (SYDNEY)

A massive saltwater crocodile has charged at two workers at a reptile park north of
Sydney and stolen their lawnmower.

The five-metre croc named ELVIS attacked the staff at the Australian Reptile Park at
Gosford after they went into his enclosure about 9am (AEST).

The men used their landmowers as a barrier when the hulking beast lunged at them but
they managed to escape unharmed.

The 50-year-old croc lost two teeth in the encounter and is now guarding one of the lawnmowers.

Staff will try and extract the lawnmower later in the day.



F3 (SYDNEY)

A dozen men who were injured in a minibus crash on the F3 were Sudanese soccer players
travelling from Brisbane to Sydney.

One southbound lane of the freeway remains closed following the minibus rollover at
Wyong about 4.20am (AEDT).

The men are understood to have varying injuries, with one believed to have serious head injuries.

Motorists have been urged to delay their journey or join the F3 on the Wyong Road entrance,
following the accident near Alison Road.



UK Stab (LONDON)

British police have arrested 11 people after the fatal stabbing of a teenager during
post-Christmas sales on one of the world's busiest shopping streets reignited fears about
gang violence.

Scotland Yard says 18-year-old SEYDOU DIARRASSOUBA died of a single knife wound to
the heart in the incident on Oxford Street in central London on Boxing Day.

The killing happened in front of thousands of horrified shoppers, many of them tourists,
after a fight broke out between two groups of youths at a Foot Locker store.

A second man aged 21 was stabbed in the leg in another incident a few hundred metres
away a few hours later.

Police say the 11 people arrested over the Oxford Street stabbing were all young: one
was aged 16, three aged 17, five aged 19 and two aged 22.



Briefly in other news ..



Oval (ADELAIDE)

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD says the federal government will provide 30 million dollars
towards the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval.



Bushfires WA (PERTH)

Residents in Western Australia's northwest have been warned a severe fire danger alert
is in place for the state's Gascoyne region, which covers almost 140 thousand square kilometres.



Britain Royals Health (LONDON)

Prince PHILIP is back home with the Queen and other family members for a late Christmas
four days after having heart surgery.



in Finance ..



At 1122 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was DOWN 35.8 points at 4,104.6, while the
broader All Ordinaries Index was 35 points LOWER at 4,157.

The Australian dollar was at 101.57 US cents, UP from Friday's local close of 101.60 cents.

It was at 77.71 euro cents, SLIGHTLY DOWN from 77.75 euro cents at Friday's close.

The price of spot gold in Sydney is $US1,590.20 per fine ounce, DOWN from Friday's
local close of $US1609.95 per ounce.



in Sport ..



Sai Sydhob (HOBART)

One of the closest finishes in Sydney to Hobart race history is on the cards for later
this afternoon.

WILD OATS ELEVEN is clinging to a slender lead of less than two nautical miles over
INVESTEC LOYAL in the battle for line honours.

The pair are around 75 nautical miles from the finish.

Another supermaxi, LAHANA, is third, and also leads on handicap.



Soc EPL (LONDON)

GARETH BALE scored both goals as Tottenham tightened their hold on third place in the
Premier League with a 2-0 win away to Norwich.

Spurs moved four points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea and five in front of Arsenal,
who could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Wolves earlier in the day.

Tottenham also closed to within seven points of the top two of Manchester City and
Manchester United, while they also have a game in hand on the leaders.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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