AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 4

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2011
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 4
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Labor Uranium (SYDNEY)

Labor frontbencher ANTHONY ALBANESE has called for the party's ban on the sale of uranium
to India to be maintained.

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD wants the ALP national conference to change its platform
and allow exports of Australian uranium to India.

Mr ALBANESE told the conference in Sydney today the policy change was "absurd", given
the recent disaster in Japan.

He says the fact that India has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT)
and that nuclear waste was difficult to deal with were "two unresolved issues".

Ms GILLARD is due to speak to her motion later today.



Labor Indigenous (SYDNEY Dec 4)

The Labor party will consider letting indigenous Australians access superannuation
early because of their lower life expectancy.

The ALP National Conference today voted in support of a motion for Labor to work with
indigenous communities on moving towards retirement strategies, including access to superannuation.

NSW Labor deputy opposition leader LINDA BURNEY says the measure would help disadvantaged
families.



Afghan Aust (CANBERRA)

Defence Minister STEPHEN SMITH says Australian troops could withdraw earlier from Afghanistan
than the original deadline of December 2014.

Mr SMITH says the Australian Defence Force was making progress in its primary tasks
of mentoring and training members of the Afghan National Army's 4th brigade in the southern
province of Oruzgan.

He's told Sky News some Australian troops would remain in Afghanistan as part of an
international effort after the imposed 2014 transition to the ANA.



Murray (ADELAIDE)

Irrigators, environmentalists, scientists and state government ministers will meet
in Adelaide tomorrow in a bid to find common ground on the plan to save the Murray.

South Australian Premier JAY WEATHERILL has called the talks, hoping to present a united
front from the state on changes to the Murray-Darling Basin draft plan.

The Wilderness Society has called on SA's state and federal politicians to stand united
to ensure enough water is returned to the Murray to ensure its long-term health and keep
the mouth open.



Labelling Qld (BRISBANE)

Queensland fast food outlets will be required to display the energy content of foods
and drinks on their menu boards.

Health Minister GEOFF WILSON says the reforms will try to make people think twice before
making unhealthy eating choices.

Legislation similar to laws already in place in NSW and the ACT will be introduced next year.



Fund (SYDNEY)

New South Wales Treasurer MIKE BAIRD says a special fund used by the former state government
to help bring OPRAH WINFREY to Sydney will be slashed.

Mr BAIRD says he's halved the amount allocated to the Treasurer's Advance, which he's
described as a slush fund that helped pay for visits by footballer DAVID BECKHAM and the
US talk show queen.

He says the fund was used by the former Labor government as an multi-million dollar
overdraft instead of an essential cash supply for unseen expenditure.



Sperm (MELBOURNE)

Australian researchers have discovered that the sperm of overweight fathers appears
to carry a molecular signal that causes their offspring to inherit obesity.

The preliminary study of mice indicates that obesity in the offspring is more evident
and severe in females than males.

To date, the work by the Robinson Institute Research Centre for Reproductive Health
at the University of Adelaide, has focussed on microRNA expression on the sperm of laboratory
mice.

Researcher MARIA OHLSSON TEAGUE says the sperm microRNAs identified are molecular regulators
of gene expression in several biological processes including embryonic development.



Orica (SYDNEY)

The New South Wales environment authority says final improvements are being made at
the Orica plant at Newcastle before it reopens.

The chemical giant's ammonia plant at Kooragang Island, north of Newcastle, has been
out of action since August, when fumes of hexavalent chromium drifted towards homes at
nearby Stockton.

Chairman of the EPA Orica Start Up Committee GREG SULLIVAN says it is important that
this testing is carried out and completed successfully.



Syria (DAMASCUS)

An Arab League ministerial committee has slapped 19 Syrian officials with a ban on
travel to Arab states and gave Damascus until today to accept observers to monitor the
country's unrest.

The new deadline came as 23 people were reportedly killed in fresh violence across
Syria, a day after the UN Human Rights Council urged tougher action against Damascus and
condemned its "gross violation" of human rights.



Burma Protest (RANGOON)

BBC News says Burma's President THEIN SEIN has signed a law that will, for the first
time, allow citizens of Burma to request permission to stage peaceful protests.

Under the law, anyone planning a protest must request approval five days before the
protest from the police, who can deny permission but must offer a reason for doing so.



US Driving (BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP)

A suburban Detroit man says letting his 9-year-old daughter drive him around after
he had been drinking was a bad idea that grew out of good memories from his youth.

SHAWN WEIMER, who faces trial on a felony child abuse charge, says he made a mistake
in asking his daughter to drive in the early morning of October 8.

Police arrested WEIMER after pulling over the van and finding his daughter behind the
wheel near their home.

The girl testified last month that her father had consumed half a bottle of whiskey
the night they were pulled over and that she agreed to drive but felt a little scared.



Briefly in other news ..



DSK (PARIS)

France's interior minister says disgraced former IMF chief DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN was
reportedly stopped by police five years ago in a Paris park notorious as a night-time
haunt for prostitutes.



in Sport ..



Cri Aust (BRISBANE)

Test debutant JAMES PATTINSON has taken three wickets in four balls to have New Zealand
reeling at four for 17 early on day four of the first Test at the Gabba.

With the Blackcaps starting the day at one for ten, still 122 from making the home
side bat again, PATTINSON ripped through their top order in just the second over of the
day.

The Victorian dismissed opener MARTIN GUPTILL for 12, and then KANE WILLIAMSON and
captain ROSS TAYLOR for ducks to be on a hat-trick.

JESSE RYDER survived the hat-trick ball.



Cup NSW (CANBERRA)

Tasmania have won the toss and elected to bat in their domestic one-dayer against NSW
at Canberra's Manuka Oval.

RHETT LOCKYEAR and MARK COSGROVE are opening for the Tigers, who are seeking to solidify
second spot on the one-day ladder with a win.



Mot V8 (SYDNEY)

Qualifying is underway for today's season-ending 250 kilometre V8 Supercar race at
the Sydney Olympic Park street circuit.

Holden pair JAMIE WHINCUP and CRAIG LOWNDES will be desperate to secure a top qualifying
spot in the 20-minute session with just 83 points separating the pair going into this
afternoon's race.

The pair are currently second and third on the timesheets early in the 20-minute session
with Holden's GREG MURPHY having crashed to cause a red flag.



Hoc Men (AUCKLAND)

Heavy rain has forced the postponement of the Champions Trophy hockey pool match between
defending champions Australia and Great Britain in Auckland.

The match was to have started just after 10am AEDT today, but pools of water on the
pitch led officials to reschedule it for 6.05pm AEDT.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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