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

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 29
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


US VOTE OBAMA (DENVER)

BARACK OBAMA has accepted his nomination as the Democrat presidential candidate ..

sending a capacity crowd of 75 thousand supporters wild.

After shouts of his campaign mantra finally died down .. OBAMA told his faithful he
accepted the nomination with profound gratitude and great humility.

Evoking MARTIN LUTHER KING's 1963 march on Washington .. OBAMA said what people of
every creed and colour .. from every walk of life heard .. is that together our dreams
can be one.

He vowed to turn back the turmoil of the past eight years and the failed presidency
of GEORGE W BUSH .. and tore into his Republican rival JOHN McCAIN .. saying he doesn't
understand the struggles of normal Americans.

And OBAMA didn't flinch from the president's role as commander in chief .. saying if
JOHN McCAIN wants to have a debate about who has the temperament and judgment to serve
as the next commander in chief .. that's a debate he's ready to have.

During his 44-minute speech .. OBAMA promised to end the war in Iraq .. and to break
America's dependence on Middle East oil within a decade.



QANTAS (CANBERRA)

Air safety investigators have yet to find out why an oxygen cylinder exploded mid-air
on a Qantas international flight last month .. blasting a hole in the fuselage and causing
mayhem on board.

A preliminary report into the incident .. released today .. says it's extraordinary
that nobody on the Hong Kong-Melbourne flight was killed or injured by the cylinder when
it burst into the cabin.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau report has blamed the gas bottle for the 1.74-square-metre
rupture in the Boeing 747-400 .. which led to an emergency landing in Manila.



FAIRFAX PICKET (SYDNEY)

The Sydney Morning Herald has sacked its columnist .. broadcaster MIKE CARLTON .. after
he refused to write his weekly column during strike action against staff cuts .. but CARLTON's
job at Fairfax-owned Radio 2UE is not affected.

The journalists union says the Workplace Ombudsman is investigating Fairfax' action.

Striking journalists and photographers have been picketing the Fairfax offices in Sydney
.. and protest rally got underway outside the offices of The Age newspaper in Melbourne.

Meanwhile .. Fairfax Media chief executive DAVID KIRK says the majority of editorial
jobs to go at the company will be from advertising and lifestyle supplements.

Mr KIRK says some reporters' jobs might go .. but he'll first call for volunteers before
forcing anyone out.



ELECTRICITY NELSON (SYDNEY)

Federal Opposition Leader BRENDAN NELSON has entered the New South Wales power sale
battle .. backing his state colleagues for blocking Premier MORRIS IEMMA'S privatisation
plans.

Dr NELSON says state Labor government can't be trusted.

The state government's reeling from yesterday's failed attempt to get its controversial
electricity sell-off plan through parliament .. and Mr IEMMA will now push ahead with
an alternate plan to sell the retailers .. which doesn't require a vote from parliament.

Meanwhile .. New South Wales Opposition Leader BARRY O'FARRELL denies his refusal to
support electricity privatisation has put New South Wales on credit watch .. after a warning
the state's triple-A credit rating could be downgraded unless the government re-prioritises
its capital works program.



ALCOPOPS NELSON (SYDNEY)

The federal opposition says it'll move to quarantine up to 300 million dollars collected
from the government's increased tax on alcopops .. so it doesn't end up in the hands of
distillers.

Opposition Leader BRENDAN NELSON's defended the coalition's move to block legislation
for the tax .. which must be passed within a year or the funds returned to distillers.

Dr NELSON says the coalition will introduce a bill to protect the funds that have been
collected since the tax was increased in April.



RATES SURVEY (SYDNEY)

Economists say the combination of a slowing economy .. deteriorating business conditions
and tight credit markets will ensure the Reserve Bank cuts interest rates next week.

The bank's stated on three occasions this month that domestic economic conditions have
changed to such an extent .. there's scope to move towards less restrictive monetary policy.



JUNK AMA (CANBERRA)

Doctors say they'll be applying to Australia's media regulator .. asking it to reverse
a decision not to impose tougher restrictions on junk food advertising which targets children.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority says it's found little evidence of
an association between the TV advertising of junk food and obesity levels in children.

AMA president ROSANNA CAPOLINGUA says two-thirds of advertising during high-rating
children's programs promotes junk food.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..




The Defence Department has admitted a major mistake made in a tender for big trucks
will cost it at least 20 million dollars.




A defence inquiry has found no evidence Australian troops beat and humiliated four
Afghan detainees.




West Australian Labor and the Greens are promising more train services ahead of the
September 6 state election.




New figures show the bulk billing of Medicare services has reached a record high.



IN SPORT ..



AFL WRAP (MELBOURNE)

Hawthorn coach ALASTAIR CLARKSON says he hasn't even spoken to LANCE FRANKLIN about
his chance to kick the ton against Carlton tomorrow night and sees it as a distraction
to his side's build-up to the AFL finals.

A big crowd is expected at the Telstra Dome with FRANKLIN poised to become the first
indigenous player and the first player since Tony LOCKETT in 1998 .. to kick 100 goals
in a home and away season.

And .. Sydney coach PAUL ROOS has challenged his Swans players to back up their words
and prove they are still a team to fear in the finals series starting next week.

The Swans have dropped to eighth on the AFL ladder.



LEAGUE WRAP (SYDNEY)

Sydney Roosters coach BRAD FITTLER looks set to start with four front rowers in tonight's
vital NRL match against arch rivals South Sydney at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Looking for a spark after three straight losses .. FITTLER is believed to be toying
with the idea of starting MICKEY PAEA in place of Test backrower ANTHONY TUPOU.

The Roosters need a win to remain in the top four while a loss could see them drop
to as low as seventh.

Meanwhile .. Wests Tigers skipper BRETT HODGSON has been having a fitness test at Leichhardt
Oval this afternoon in a last-ditch bid to play in tonight's NRL match against Cronulla.



TRI AUST (DURBAN)

Wallabies coach ROBBIE DEANS says TIMANA TAHU'S big-game experience will help him succeed
in one of rugby's toughest arenas when he makes his run-on debut for Australia against
South Africa in Johannesburg tomorrow.



CRICKET AUST (DARWIN)

Acting captain MICHAEL CLARKE has guaranteed Australia won't take Bangladesh lightly
in Saturday's first of three one-day cricket internationals in Darwin .. after Australia
famously lost to the cricket minnows in Cardiff in 2005.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


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