AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 14

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 14
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


NZ Climbers (MOUNT COOK)

An Australian climber says he thought he was going to perish too .. after he watched
his brother plunge hundreds of metres to his death on New Zealand's highest mountain.

42-year-old MILES VINAR says he expected to die on Mount Cook that same night .. stranded
in a snow cave after his brother MARK'S death fall .. on their descent on Thursday.

But he survived a second night of isolation .. before the weather cleared early yesterday
morning and he was able to signal to a group of other climbers by flashing his headlamp.

Sporting just a few cuts to his face and a sunburnt nose after being rescued by helicopter
.. the systems engineer from Perth says he and his doctor brother had enough equipment
and supplies with them .. but crucially .. had not signed a log book before heading off.

He says his generous and courageous brother is now part of the mountains he loved so much.





Mount Cook's chief ranger says the two men had all the right equipment with them ..

but it's an unforgiving environment .. and there are no second chances.

RICHARD MCNAMARA says an emergency beacon's useful .. but cloud cover would have prevented
the rescue chopper reaching the area any earlier anyway.



Bullies (SYDNEY)

There are calls for stronger anti-bullying policies in schools today .. after a survey
found bullying in Australian primary schools is among the worst in the world.

Of the year four students in 36 countries surveyed in The Trends In International Mathematics
And Science Study .. only those in Kuwait .. Qatar .. Taiwan and New Zealand fared worse.

Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations of NSW president DIANNE GIBLIN says
the findings are of huge concern and demand more action.



SHOT MOTHER (MELBOURNE)

The mother of a 15-year-old boy shot dead by police in Melbourne says her son was fragile
and needed protection .. and was not a violent person at all.

TYLER CASSIDY was shot and killed by three officers in a skate park on Thursday night
after allegedly threatening them with knives.

He's believed to have been upset over the second anniversary of his father's death from cancer.

Workplace Abbott (CANBERRA)

The federal opposition will wait for a senate report in February .. before finalising
its position on the government's new industrial relations laws.

Opposition leader MALCOLM TURNBULL has been quoted as saying the coalition won't oppose
the new IR legislation .. but will take issue with some aspects of it.

Senior Liberal MP TONY ABBOTT says they'll reluctantly support changes to unfair dismissal
.. because it'd be a bad look politically to be appearing to make it easier for bosses
to sack workers in a time of looming recession.

But he's told the Nine Network the coalition's unlikely to go along with things that
go far beyond what Labor took to the election .. like pattern bargaining and arbitration.



Weather Vic (MELBOURNE)

Melbourne Water says it'll be a few days before we know if the torrential rain of the
last two days has boosted the city's water supply.

A spokesman says the major catchments have received an average of 40mm .. and there
should be some good run-off into reservoirs.

But he says it doesn't change the need to keep saving water .. as Melbourne starts
summer with about 100 billion litres less water in storage than last year.



Greece Boy Police (ATHENS)

More violence in Greece .. where hooded youths have firebombed a police station in
central Athens .. following a vigil to mark a week since the police killing of a teenager.

The fatal shooting sparked riots across the country.

A government building and two banks have also been damaged overnight.

Police fired tear gas as they chased a group of about 100 youths in the Exarchia district.

A similar number vandalised a gymnasium in Thessaloniki.



India Gunman (MUMBAI)

It's now known the sole gunman captured in last month's Mumbai attacks originally intended
to seize hostages and outline demands in a series of dramatic calls to the media.

In a seven-page confession to police .. MOHAMMED AJMAL KASAB says he and his partner
had planned a rooftop standoff .. but couldn't find a suitable building.

Instead they massacred dozens of people at the main train station in India's largest
city .. during a three-day rampage that left 164 people plus nine of the 10 gunmen dead.

21-year-old KASAB also describes his conversion from a lowly street crim in Pakistan
to a loyal soldier for Lashkar-e-Taiba .. the banned terrorist group blamed by India in
the attacks.



Med Hormones (SAN ANTONIO)

New research has revealed the most dramatic evidence yet .. of the dangers of taking
menopause hormones.

The new analysis of a US federal study shows taking estrogen and progestin pills for
five years doubles the risk of breast cancer.

And even those on treatment for as little as a couple of years have a greater chance
of getting cancer.

The good news is that when women stop taking the hormones their odds quickly improve
.. returning to a normal risk level roughly two years after quitting.

Briefly in other news ..

British prime minister GORDON BROWN says the UK could send extra troops to Afghanistan
under a US-led military surge aimed at stemming terrorism and supporting upcoming Afghan
elections.

Three more Canadian soldiers have been killed in a blast in southern Afghanistan ..

as about a thousand people gather in Ontario for a military funeral for one of three others
killed last week.

More than 40 people have been injured when two bottles of hydrochloric acid were thrown
from a high-rise building into a crowded shopping area in Hong Kong.




And Russian science student KSENYA SUKHINOVA has been crowned Miss World 2008.

In Sport ..

Golf Aust (SYDNEY)

New Zealand's DAVID SMAIL holds a one-shot lead heading into today's final round of
the $1.5 million Australia Open at Royal Sydney.

SMAIL, who will tee off in the final pair at lunch-time, is 11-under par and leads
Australia's ANDRE STOLZ at 10-under.

Third round leader STEPHEN DARTNALL and EWAN PORTER are equal third on eight-under.

Two-time winner ROBERT ALLENBY is the biggest name in contention, sitting in a group
of four players four shots off the pace on seven-under par.

Play is already underway with no one making any real move on the leaders in blustery conditions.



Soccer English Aust (LONDON)

TIM CAHILL has scored a last-gasp winning goal for his English Premier League club
Everton in their 1-0 victory against Manchester City.

The Australian found the net deep into injury time after switching from his usual midfield
position to play as an emergency striker.

The goal is Cahill's third after 10 matches with this season.

Elsewhere, `keeper MARK SCHWARZER helped Fulham secure a 0-0 draw with Stoke City at
Britannia Stadium.

Midfielder VINCE GRELLA made a return to the substitute's bench for Blackburn after
suffering a hamstring injury in mid November but did not feature in his side's 3-0 loss
to Wigan.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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