AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 7

AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2010
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 7
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


POLL10 GILLARD (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD says she and her predecessor KEVIN RUDD won't be campaigning
alongside each other ahead of the federal election.

Ms GILLARD says she spoke with Mr RUDD about his involvement in the campaign during
talks in Brisbane today .. their first meeting since Mr RUDD was toppled as prime minister
less than two months ago.

She says to maximise spread they won't be hitting the hustings together .. but she
didn't discuss Mr RUDD's future role in a re-elected Labor government.

Ms GILLARD has dodged a question about whether she apologised to Mr RUDD for deposing him.

She's also defended the carefully media controlled meeting.

Meanwhile .. another former Labor leader appears to have stolen the spotlight from
the PM .. with MARK LATHAM joining the press pack following the PM today.

Mr LATHAM has signed on as a guest reporter for the Nine Network's 60 Minutes.



POLL10 GILLARD (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD has announced fresh policies aimed at senior citizens.

She says pensioners will be able to earn an extra six-thousand-500 dollars a year through
part-time work.

And .. she says .. mature-age workers will also be helped with up to four-thousand
dollars in upgrading their employment skills.

Ms GILLARD has also committed to the creation of an age discrimination commissioner.



POLL10 ABBOTT (CANBERRA)

Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT says Nauru is ready .. willing and able to reopen its
asylum seeker processing centre .. if asked.

Mr ABBOTT sat down with Nauru's president MARCUS STEPHEN in Brisbane today .. and promises
to reopen the centre if the Liberals win the election.

Mr Abbott says it is crystal clear from the discussions .. that Nauru is ready .. willing
and able to reopen its existing processing centre at short notice.

Mr ABBOTT has also criticised Labor for its internal dramas .. saying the public don't
want drama from their politicians .. but expect good government.



AFL POLICE (MELBOURNE)

Victoria Police say privacy laws would prevent it from sharing sensitive information
about players .. coaches and officials with the AFL .. despite an agreement which says
data can be handed over to the league.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the league and police obtained by AAP under freedom
of information legislation .. states police law enforcement data can be handed over to
the AFL.

The seven-page document says the data can range from text, images, audio and video.

But police say they're bound by privacy laws and the MoU was only established to smooth
the way for any police investigations into AFL identities.



PAKISTAN FLOODS (CANBERRA)

The federal government has pledged another five million dollars to help Pakistan recover
from the worst floods in the country's history.

Massive flooding .. which began in late June .. has devastated the country .. washing
away entire villages and killing at least 16-hundred people.

The country is on red alert .. as fresh floods threaten hundreds of communities in
its farming heartland with 12 million people already affected by the catastrophe.

Authorities are busy evacuating the densely populated southern province of Sindh ..

warning that a major deluge in the fertile basin along the swollen Indus river is expected.

Meanwhile .. rescuers in neighbouring India have resumed the search for survivors after
huge floods caused by freak rains killed at least 100 people in a part of Indian Kashmir
.. famed for high-altitude adventure tourism.



IRAN STONING (LONDON)

A woman sentenced to death by stoning in Iran for adultery is accusing authorities
of lying about the charges against her .. so they can execute her in secret.

The 43-year-old woman has spoken through an intermediary with the Guardian newspaper
in London .. and accused the Iranian government of believing it can do anything it wants
to women.

The case of the mother of two has sparked an international outcry .. with Brazilian
President President LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA last week offering her asylum in his country.



FIRE (SYDNEY)

The body of a five-year-old girl has been found following a house fire in the New South
Wales Hunter region.

Police and fire crews were called to a house at Woodberry near Maitland following reports
the home was on fire at 10 o'clock this morning.

A woman managed to escape the house but her five-year-old granddaughter was trapped inside.

Firefighters worked for well over an hour to extinguish the blaze and once inside crews
located the body of the girl.



SCOUT (CANBERRA)

More than a dozen teenagers have been arrested after a police officer was repeatedly
kicked while on the ground .. after a alcohol-fuelled 16th birthday party got out of control
in suburban Canberra.

Police surged on the dangerously overcrowded party in Gunghalin and it soon became
obvious some partygoers wanted to hurt officers.

At one point a group of up to 30 teenagers from the two-hundred strong crowd charged
police .. forcing officers to defend themselves and their vehicles.



SUPERCARS (PERTH)

The V8 Supercars Championship Series will return to Perth next year thanks to a 10.5
million dollar boost from the West Australian government.

Premier COLIN BARNETT has announced the revival of the event in Perth today.

He says it's great news for motor sports enthusiasts in WA who were disappointed it
had to be cancelled last year.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



CHINA MINES TOLL (BEIJING)

Rescue workers are rushing to free seven workers trapped in a goldmine in eastern China
.. after an underground fire killed at least 16.



MEXICO BABY (MEXICO CITY)

Authorities in central Mexico say a newborn baby girl who was declared dead but later
revived inside her coffin .. has died.



IN SPORT ..



AFL (MELBOURNE)

Carlton coach BRETT RATTEN coached from the interchange area for the first time in
his career last night to watch his players fight for their AFL season.

It worked as the Blues thrashed Essendon by 76 points.

Bombers coach MATTHEW KNIGHTS says he's unfazed by any criticism that could be headed
his way from angry fans.



LEAGUE COWBOYS (TOWNSVILLE, Qld)

Preliminary scans have cleared North Queensland captain JOHNATHAN THURSTON of a break
in his ankle but ligament damage has most likely ended his NRL season.

The Queensland and Test halfback was injured in last night's 34-26 loss to Brisbane.



SOCCER AL (PERTH)

Perth Glory coach DAVE MITCHELL concedes his team failed to make full use of star recruit
ROBBIE FOWLER in last night's 3-3 A-League draw with North Queensland.



GOLF WGC (AKRON, Ohio)

ADAM SCOTT is three strokes from the lead after the second round at the World Golf
Championship event in Ohio where South African RETIEF GOOSEN leads on seven-under, one
stroke ahead of Americans PHIL MICKELSON and JUSTIN LEONARD.

GEOFF OGILVY is best of the other Australians, five strokes behind.



TENNIS WTA (SAN DIEGO, California)

French Open runner-up SAMANTHA STOSUR has been ousted from the WTA San Diego Open,
losing a quarter-final 6-4 6-3 to Italian fifth seed FLAVIA PENNETTA.

The second-seeded Australian joined Serbian top seed JELENA JANKOVIC and Russian third
seed VERA ZVONAREVA on the scrapheap at the hardcourt tuneup for the US Open later this
month.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


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