AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 29

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2005
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 29
Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


Brogden Quit (SYDNEY)

JOHN BROGDEN has quit as New South Wales opposition leader after apologising for calling
former premier BOB CARR's wife a mail-order bride.

Mr BROGDEN says he acted dishonourably at a recent Australian Hotels Association function,
where he made the comment about Malaysian-born HELENA CARR and also behaved inappropriately
towards two female journalists.

He says he had six beers on the night of the function, but this was no excuse for his actions.

Mr BROGDEN's deputy, BARRY O'FARRELL, appears set to take over as state opposition
leader, but Mr BROGDEN wants to stay on as member for the Sydney seat of Pittwater.

New South Wales opposition transport spokesman PETER DEBNAM is also considering running
for the leadership.

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says New South Wales Opposition Leader JOHN BROGDEN has
done the right thing in resigning.



Katrina (NEW ORLEANS)

Hurricane KATRINA has begun whipping the US Gulf coast, where about one million people
have fled from low-lying areas around New Orleans.

The hurricane, with winds of 265 kilometres per hour, is expected to crash ashore in
Louisiana about 9pm tonight (AEST).

It's weakened slightly from this morning, but it's still a Category five storm.

New Orleans officials have warned that seawater storm surges of up to 8.5 metres could
overrun the levees protecting the city, much of which lies below sea-level.

An estimated one million of the area's 1.3 million people are on the move today, seeking
higher ground.



Scarf Qld (BRISBANE)

Queensland Premier PETER BEATTIE has accused federal Liberal backbencher BRONWYN BISHOP
of playing the race card in her push to ban Muslim women from wearing headscarves in public
schools.

Ms BISHOP has backed Liberal MP SOPHIE PANOPOULOS who has called for the ban.

She's described the wearing of the hijab in non-Islamic schools as an act of defiance
and more than just a piece of cloth.

Today, Mr BEATTIE has joined school groups, Muslim leaders and Prime Minister JOHN
HOWARD in denouncing the comments.

He says people in Australia have the right to religious freedom and it's not up to
Ms BISHOP to make judgments about women's dress.



Badraie (SYDNEY)

The New South Wales Supreme Court has been told a boy traumatised by his time in immigration
detention developed a psychological disorder because the federal government failed to
protect him properly.

Iranian-born SHAYAN BADRAIE, who's 10 years old, has begun legal proceedings against
the federal government and detention centre operator Australasian Correctional Services.

SHAYAN's counsel, ANDREW MORRISON, SC, alleges he developed traumatic stress disorder
while in the Woomera and Villawood detention centres.

He's told the court SHAYAN was exposed to a number of traumatic incidents at Woomera
and consequently suffered from anxiety, nightmares, and the inability to eat.

He says SHAYAN had limited access to medical treatment or education while in Woomera.



Terror Indon (JAKARTA)

President SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO has warned that terrorists are likely to launch
an attack in Indonesia in the next two months.

He's made the comment at the 6th Asian-European Editors Forum in Jakarta.

YUDHOYONO has urged the country's minister of defence, the head of the Intelligence
Agency and the chief of Indonesian police to be on alert.

He says they need to detect and prevent the terror attack he predicts will take place
in September or October.

YUDHOYONO says the nation's security forces are actively looking for two dangerous
Malaysian bomb makers who are believed to be in Indonesia.



Phil Ferry (MANILA)

Authorities in the Philippines say a bomb that exploded on board a passenger ferry,
injuring 30 people, was a low level explosiive designed to cause a fire.

Police in Lamitan on Basilan island in the country's south, say the bomb was probably
set off to cause panic, not to kill.

The fire gutted the passenger ferry as it was preparing to depart for nearby Zamboanga
city, carrying 300 people.

The southern Philippines is home to the country's Muslim minority and a decades-old
Islamic separatist insurgency.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf
is a prime suspect.



Tax Howard Costello (SYDNEY)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has denied there's any conflict with Treasurer PETER COSTELLO
over the tax debate.

Mr HOWARD has restated that he'd like to deliver more personal tax cuts, saying there's
room for more relief because the top tax rate of 47 cents in the dollar is too high.

But his comments are at odds with Mr COSTELLO's view that lifting the tax-free threshold
would be fairer than cutting tax rates.

Mr HOWARD has told reporters that both he and Mr Costello favour lower tax.



Housing (SYDNEY)

Australian new home sales fell modestly in July, with increased demand in smaller states
not enough to offset weakness in New South Wales and Victoria.

Today's Housing Industry Association report shows sales of new detached houses across
the nation declined 0.6 per cent in July.

In New South Wales sales are down 12.3 per cent and in Victoria they've fallen five per cent.

Association chief economist SIMON TENNENT says the national result is still in line
with the current orderly slowdown.



IN BRIEF...............




An inquiry has begun in Western Australia after three young children were left locked
in a school bus for six hours when the driver forgot to take them to kindergarten.




A 43-year-old woman from Sydney's southwest has been remanded in custody for sentencing
after pleading guilty to murdering her parents.




The Independent Commission Against Corruption has been told a senior law clerk at a
Sydney court took bribes from defendants who wanted to avoid fines and convictions.




The South Australian government says it has reached an in-principle agreement with
the Australian Education Union to end a long-running pay dispute with teachers.




Protesters have been warned that police won't hesitate to act if they try to disrupt
the fifth annual Forbes global conference in Sydney this week.




A prisoner who escaped from a Queensland correctional facility on the weekend is still
on the run after stealing a car from a Brisbane home.



AND IN SPORT..............



CRICKET AUST (NOTTINGHAM, England)

Australian captain RICKY PONTING and batsman SIMON KATICH have been fined for showing
dissent when given out during the fourth Test, which was won by England overnight.

PONTING was fined just over $8,000 and KATICH $6,000.

England won by three wickets with more than a day to spare and goes 2-1 up in the five-Test
series.

Australia has a week and a half to get fast bowler GLENN MCGRATH recovered from an
elbow injury, after losing two matches without him.



AFL TRIBUNAL (MELBOURNE)

Adelaide captain MARK RICCIUTO has been offered a one-match AFL suspension for his
hit on West Coast youngster ADAM SELWOOD which left the Eagle with a suspected broken
jaw.

RICCIUTO'S good record means he will miss just the qualifying final against St Kilda
if he makes an early guilty plea.



LEAGUE JUDICIARY (SYDNEY)

North Queensland prop CARL WEBB will escape punishment if he enters an early guilty
plea to the NRL judiciary on a grade one dangerous throw charge.

If WEBB opts to fight the charge and loses, he'll be forced to sit out North Queensland's
clash with Melbourne in Townsville on Saturday night.



AAP RTV jv/wjf

KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP

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