AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 10

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2009
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 10
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


Iraq Contractors (BAGHDAD)

An Australian man has been identified as one of two murder victims in Iraq.

A spokesman for ArmorGroup Iraq has confirmed two employees of the group .. identified
as DARREN HOARE of Australia .. and PAUL MCGUIGAN of Britain .. were killed yesterday
in a firearms incident.

Iraqi authorities have charged a British contractor with murder over the shooting deaths
in Baghdad's protected Green Zone.



China Rio Tinto (BEIJING)

China says mining giant Rio Tinto has committed economic espionage for six years ..

forcing Chinese steel companies to pay 121 billion dollars more for imported iron ore
than they otherwise would have.

The State Secrets Bureau says data obtained from Rio Tinto's computers show the company
used all possible means to obtain secret information .. including bribery.

The report comes amid investigations by China into an industrial spying case against
employees of Rio Tinto .. four of whom were detained on July 5 on espionage charges.

Rio Tinto has declined to comment.



Indon Shooting Aust (MELBOURNE)

Doubts are emerging about whether a man killed in Indonesia over the weekend is South-East
Asia's most wanted terror suspect .. NOORDIN MOHAMMED TOP.

It's believed NOORDIN was killed during a police raid at a suspected militant hide-out
in Central Java on Saturday .. but a police spokesman says DNA results could take up to
two weeks.



McCann (LONDON)

The widow and daughter of Australian property tycoon BILL WYLLIE have rejected suggestions
they're involved in the disappearance of British toddler MADELEINE MCCANN.

Private detectives searching for the youngster want to interview Perth socialite RHONDA
WYLLIE and her 31-year-old daughter MELISSA KARLSON.

British newspapers report their family's luxury yacht could be linked to MADELEINE'S
disappearance from a holiday resort in Portugal in May 2007.

About three days after MADELEINE disappeared .. a woman aged in her 30s with an Australian
or New Zealand accent reportedly asked a British businessman at the marina if he was there
to deliver her new daughter.



Newspoll (SYDNEY)

Dissatisfaction with the way Opposition Leader MALCOLM TURNBULL is doing his job has
risen significantly .. after he admitted being fooled by a fake document at the centre
of the OzCar scandal.

The latest Newspoll .. published in The Australian newspaper .. shows Mr TURNBULL'S
dissatisfaction rating has risen seven percentage points to 57 points.

And a week after Treasury official GODWIN GRECH admitted he faked an email .. which
Mr TURNBULL used as evidence to call for the prime minister's resignation .. the opposition
leader's satisfaction rating fell to just 26 per cent.

The Australian says the slump in Mr TURNBULL'S personal standing has wiped out all
the gains he's made in the past six weeks .. and will add pressure to his leadership as
he faces a Coalition partyroom meeting when parliament resumes tomorrow.



Parly Preview (CANBERRA)

Debate on an Emissions Trading Scheme will heat up in Parliament this week .. with
debate on the legislation starting tomorrow in the Senate.

The legislation is almost certain to be voted down by all non-government senators during
a vote on Thursday.

The Australian Greens say the scheme is too timid .. the coalition says any decision
should wait until after global talks in Copenhagen at the end of the year .. and Family
First's STEVE FIELDING is yet to be convinced that climate change is being caused by human
activity.



Drivers (SYDNEY)

A study into Australian driving etiquette and behaviour shows drivers from New South
Wales are the worst in the country .. while those from Western Australian are the best.

The survey of more than 13-hundred Australians .. commissioned by car insurer 1Cover
.. found South Australian drivers were the second worst drivers in the country .. followed
by Queensland drivers.

Confirming what many women have always suspected .. men were universally found to be
more reckless drivers than women .. and have more accidents.

However .. a quarter of drivers surveyed believed driver behaviour was better during
school holidays .. when mums were not on the road dropping their kids to and from school.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS:


Anderson (DARWIN)

The Northern Territory government is expected to be kicked out this week .. with the
opposition planning to introduce a no confidence motion today.



RU486 (MELBOURNE)

The abortion pill RU486 will become more widely available in Australia .. after a not-for-profit
sexual health group was approved to use the drug in its clinics.



Spain Bomb (PALMA DE MAJORCA)

Bombs have exploded in two restaurants on the Spanish island of Majorca .. hours after
the armed Basque separatist group ETA claimed earlier deadly attacks.



Jackson Kids (LONDON)

Former child acting star MARK LESTER says he believes he's the biological father of
MICHAEL JACKSON'S daughter .. telling News of the World .. he gave JACKSON his sperm so
that he could have kids.



IN FINANCE:


Economy Preview (CANBERRA)

The nerves of homeowners are sure to be tested today .. with new data on mortgages
being released.

Official housing finance figures for June are expected to show a 1.8 per cent rise
.. with home mortgage numbers already having risen for the past eight months.

This could be bad news for home owners .. possibly signaling future interest rate rises.

The Reserve Bank of Australia indicated twice last week that rates were more likely
to go up than down .. as the chances of a recession diminish.



Markets Preview (SYDNEY)

The Australian share market is expected to open higher today .. boosted by a US report
that shows the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell .. adding to signs the world's largest
economy is pulling out of recession.

CMC Markets analyst DAVID TAYLOR says after a strong opening today .. the stock market
is likely to become a bit subdued .. ahead of earnings reports on Wednesday from the country's
two biggest companies by market value .. BHP Billiton and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

On the Sydney Futures Exchange on Friday .. the September share price index contract
closed 41 points higher at 4303.

On Friday .. the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index fell 26.9 points .. or 0.62 per cent ..

to 4,299.4 and the broader All Ordinaries index declined 27.9 points .. or 0.64 per cent
.. to 4,303.1.



AND IN SPORT:


CRICKET AUST (LEEDS)

Australian captain RICKY PONTING says he must temper his players' excitement levels
following last night's thumping Ashes win over England at Headingley.

The tourists levelled the series at 1-1 with their innings and 80-run victory before
the fifth and final Test at The Oval starting on Thursday week.

PONTING says the players need to keep a lid on what they've done and focus on a practice
game against the England Lions at Canterbury later this week.



AFL DOCKERS (PERTH)

The race for eighth spot in the AFL remains wide open with Port Adelaide suffering
an insipid 42-point loss to Fremantle at Subiaco Oval.

The Dockers booted 11 goals to four in a blitzing first half to set up a 17.14 (116)
to 11.8 (74) triumph.

Dockers youngster GREG BROUGHTON led the way with 37 possessions, while CHRIS MAYNE
booted four goals.

Port's 10th loss of the season leaves them just half a game clear of ninth-placed Essendon,
with Hawthorn and Sydney also hovering in the wings.



LEAGUE WRAP (SYDNEY)

Wests Tigers stepped into the top eight for the first time in three months yesterday
with a 17-10 victory over the Sydney Roosters as the fight for the NRL finals became even
tighter.

Parramatta upset Newcastle 40-8 to drop the Knights out off the top eight for the first
time since round three while also yesterday the Gold Coast virtually secured a finals
debut with a 30-10 win over the Warriors.



SOCCER ENGLISH (LONDON)

Chelsea have beaten Manchester United 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out to win the Community
Shield - the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season at Wembley Stadium
- after the two sides were level at two-all after 90 minutes.



SWIM AUST (HOBART)

Veteran New South Welshman ADAM PINE has carried his good form into the final of the
100m butterfly at the Australian short-course swimming titles in Hobart, winning in a
new Commonwealth record time of 49.71 seconds.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

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