AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 4

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2009
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 4
BREAKFAST ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


RAIN NSW/WIND QLD (SYDNEY/BRISBANE)

More rain is forecast for flood-affected areas of the New South Wales mid north coast
this weekend .. as SES volunteers continue the clean up from this week's deluge.

The weather bureau's forecast increasing showers for the Coffs Harbour area today and
possible rain tomorrow.

About 15-hundred residents are still isolated upstream from Bellingen .. in the towns
of Thora and Darkwood .. and in communities in the Kalang Valley.

The SES says floodwaters receded yesterday but people will be isolated until sections
of main roads .. washed away in the storms .. are repaired.

Meanwhile .. more rain's expected on Queensland's Sunshine Coast over the weekend ..

after falls of almost biblical proportions.

A few places are still cut off .. including the town of Kin Kin.

Official records at Black Pinch Road .. half way between Noosa and Gympie .. recorded
464mm by early yesterday .. and some unofficial readings reports up to 700mm falling in
five hours.

The weather bureau says a few showers are expected today .. and more rain tomorrow (Sunday).

But there's some good news .. dams in southeast Queensland continue to creep towards
50 per cent capacity after the heavy rains.



US HOSTAGES (NEW YORK)

At least four have been killed in a rampage by a gunman believed to be holding dozens
of hostages at a civic centre in the upstate New York town of Binghamton.

But at a local radio station a news director says a dozen or more may have died in
the last two hours.

Reports say the gunman may have also taken up to 40 hostages in the civic centre in
the small city 200 kilometres northwest of New York city near the border with Pennsylvania.

Police armed with automatic rifles surrounded the building as officers carried out
several stretchers.



US GM WASHINGTON)

The ailing US carmaker General Motors has informed the the US Treasury Department it's
prepared for bankruptcy proceedings .. if it can't restructure out of court.

GM says out-of-court restructuring would give its customers and this country the highest
value outcome over the longer term.

The White House's car task force announced harsh conditions for additional government
loans for GM and another ailing auto giant .. Chrysler .. earlier this week.

The news comes as Holden .. GM's subsidiary in Australia .. announced plans to axe
its afternoon shift and slash penalties for its workers in Adelaide from May 4 because
of reduced demand for car components.



NATO OBAMA (STRASSBOURG)

US President BARACK OBAMA says he'll push for a nuclear-free world .. and has cautioned
North Korea against firing a long-range rocket.

The US leader told several thousand young people at a town hall meeting at Strasbourg
in France that even with the Cold War over .. the spread of nuclear weapons or the theft
of nuclear material could lead to the extermination of any city on the planet.

The US President has also urged NATO allies to boost their own military strengths ..

and has warned that Europe is more likely to fall victim to a terror attack than the United
States.



BUDGET RUDD (SYDNEY)

KEVIN RUDD will begin framing a budget next week .. based on the prospect of a world
recovery next year after the successful conclusion of the G20 summit in London.

World sharemarkets rallied yesterday after the G20 meeting of the world's major economies
agreed to pour an extra trillion US dollars into the world economy .. and to reform the
world financial system.

The Weekend Australian says the PM and Treasurer WAYNE SWAN are now more confident
.. although still cautious .. that confidence in the world banking and financial systems
will lift .. and that this will help Australia to cushion itself against the global recession.

As they fly back to finalise the May budget .. Mr RUDD and Mr SWAN are keen to maintain
the momentum and are considering domestic short-term stimulus measures in the budget to
continue to boost spending.



OCONNOR CHARGE (SYDNEY)

A 27 year old man's due to face Parramatta Bail Court today after being charged with
murder following the shooting death of former Nomads bikie and Kings Cross identity.

The accused man was arrested at Marrickville yesterday.

TODD O'CONNOR was gunned down in Sydney last October .. with police rushing to the
scene after passers-by saw him staggering along South Street in Tempe.

Meanwhile .. a bikie with links to the Hells Angels has been arrested in Sydney's inner west.

Strikeforce Raptor made the arrest yesterday afternoon in Alexandria.



BABY (SYDNEY)

There's been another tragic incident involving a pregnant woman at a NSW public hospital
with a baby boy being delivered in a toilet .. before dying a short time later.

The baby's 21-year-old mother went to Bankstown Hospital's emergency department last
night complaining of abdominal pain.

The Seven Network says the woman wasn't aware she was pregnant and told doctors she'd
been diagnosed with constipation by two general practitioners.

Hospital staff arranged for her to have X-rays without testing to see if she was pregnant
.. examinations which are dangerous to unborn babies.

But shadow health minister JILLIAN SKINNER says a radiologist realised she was pregnant
and told her to go back to the emergency department .. without telling the patient why.



FITZGIBBON (MELBOURNE)

The Age newspaper says wealthy Chinese-born businesswoman HELEN LIU has given Defence
Minister JOEL FITZGIBBON at least 40-thousand dollars in direct political donations.

The paper says Mr FITZGIBBON'S office confirmed yesterday that Ms LIU'S former property
development company .. Wincopy .. contributed 20-thousand dollars to his campaign to retain
the New South Wales seat of Hunter in 1998.

It says two years earlier .. another of her companies .. Diamond Hill International
.. gave 20-thousand dollars to Mr Fitzgibbon's campaign fund for his first election ..

and reports the businesswoman gave at least another 50-thousand dollars to the New South
Wales ALP between 2001 and 2007.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



AIRPORT ASIO (SYDNEY)

The Weekend Australian reports ASIO has failed to undertake a complete security overhaul
of Australia's main airports .. leaving them as susceptible as ever to terrorism assaults.



FORTESCUE (PERTH)

Fortescue Metals Group chief ANDREW FORREST faces a fine of up to four-point-four million
dollars and being banned from acting as a company director if court action by the corporate
watchdog is successful.



LIGHTNING (MELBOURNE)

Passengers on a Virgin Blue jet hit by lightning have revealed they were scared as
the plane returned to Melbourne Airport after aborting a flight to Launceston.



IN SPORT ..



LEAGUE WRAP (SYDNEY)

St George Illawarra upset the Broncos 25-12 in Brisbane last night leaving both teams
equal top of the NRL ladder with three wins from four games.

The Sydney Roosters caused an equally impressive upset, 24-6 over Parramatta.

In today's action the Wests Tigers travel to Penrith while Melbourne host the Gold
Coast at Olympic Park.

Meanwhile .. the Bulldogs have officially been stripped of two competition points for
fielding 14 players during their round two win over Penrith but will now take the matter
the NRL Appeals Committee.



AFL CROWS (ADELAIDE)

St Kilda downed the Crows by 32 points in the AFL match in Adelaide last night after
only five points separated them at three quarter time.

JUSTIN KOSCHITZKE kicked four goals as the Saints won 15.11 (101) to 10.9 (69).

Today Geelong are red hot favourites to beat Richmond with Collingwood the same against
Melbourne at the MCG while tonight Carlton takes on Brisbane at Etihad Stadium and Sydney
host premiers Hawthorn.



SUPER WRAP (PERTH)

Western Force kept their Super 14 rugby finals hopes alive last night with a 39-7 bonus-point
win over Queensland at Subiaco Oval.

Tonight, NSW Waratahs host SOuth Africa's Stormers while the Brumbies play South Africa's
Cheetahs at Bloemfontein.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP


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