AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 19

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2005
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 19
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


Surf (SYDNEY)

Violence sparked from last weekend's race riots in Sydney's southern beach areas has
not eventuated in other Australian cities .. despite text messages inciting unrest.

Police in Perth say residents have ignored text messages urging them to attend racist
rallies at local beaches .. while officers on Queensland's Gold Coast say a text message
urging people to start cracking skulls failed to trigger violence.



Meanwhile, two teenagers .. allegedly caught with petrol bombs .. are among three people
to face court today .. following a police crackdown on racial violence in Sydney.

The 19-year-old .. from Carlingford in Sydney's north .. and 18-year-old from Dandenong
in Victoria .. were arrested yesterday on a public bus bound for Bondi .. following a
tip-off from the driver.



And a 21-year-old man who's been charged in relation to violent incidents at southern
Sydney's North Cronulla beach last weekend also appears in court today.

The Narwee man was charged at Mascot Police station with two counts each of riot and
affray .. and will front Waverly Local Court.



Their arrest came as more than two thousand police monitored flashpoint suburbs in
Bondi, Coogee, Maroubra and Cronulla yesterday.



Five suspected white supremacists were arrested .. prompting police to lock down the
southern suburb of Brighton-le-Sands until as late as 7am (AEDT) this morning.

Police allege they were caught .. during a vehicle search .. with a 25-litre drum of
petrol and condoms .. they suspect were intended for molotov cocktails.



More than 2,000 police will continue to patrol at-risk areas in the near term and about
800 will monitor the beaches until the end of January.



Meanwhile, Premier MORRIS IEMMA has told ABC radio he is open to the idea of compensating
Sydney businesses hit by the recent violence for their trading losses.



Workplace Costello (SYDNEY)

It's been revealed that Treasury secretly told PETER COSTELLO the government's workplace
changes will deliver smaller wage rises for up to 1.6 million low-income earners.

The briefing also says the changes will cut productivity in the short term as employers
hire less efficient workers in greater numbers.

Confidential documents obtained by The Australian newspaper under Freedom of Information
laws .. show the government's key economic advisers also told the Treasurer the changes
will only moderately improve employment.

The paper says the documents .. dated in October .. show wages of people who rely on
minimum pay rates will fall in real terms because of smaller increases granted by the
new Fair Pay Commission.



Iraq Downer (SAMAWA)

Australian Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER has visited Australian troops based in
southern Iraq.

An official says Mr DOWNER also met local Iraqi authorities and the governor of Muthana
province .. MOHAMMED ALI AL-HASSANI .. who thanked Australia for contributing towards
security and reconstruction efforts in the country.

Mr DOWNER inspected troops who are providing security for a small contingent of Japanese
troops based outside the southern town of Samawa.



WTO (HONG KONG)

WTO negotiators have approved a trade agreement that eliminates farm export subsidies
by 2013 .. bringing a binding global trade treaty one step closer.

The World Trade Organisation also has made modest cuts in other trade barriers .. while
leaving many contentious issues for later.

All 149 member nations and territories of the organization endorsed the agreement after
six days of talks that sometimes appeared on the verge of collapse.



Kidney (SYDNEY)

Up to seven Australians have reportedly received kidney transplants from death row
prisoners executed in China.

The Daily Telegraph says at least two people from NSW have received kidney transplants
in China in recent years that are believed to have come from executed prisoners.

The paper says three Victorians and one patient from South Australia and Queensland
are also understood to also have undergone the procedure.

The recipients are among dozens of Australians who have travelled overseas and paid
up to 50 thousand dollars for organ transplants.



TAC (MELBOURNE)

Workers from the Transport Accident Commission will strike for 24 hours today .. after
a Victorian government decision to scrap 70 jobs.

Members of the Community and Public Sector Union from the TAC will picket outside the
company's offices in Melbourne to protest over the government's decision to move the TAC
to Geelong and axe 70 jobs.



BRIEFLY:

The richest man in the world .. BILL GATES .. his wife MELINDA .. and Irish rocker
BONO .. are Time magazine's "Persons of the Year" .. for being good Samaritans who made
a difference in different ways.



A Swiss hospital will allow terminally ill patients to commit suicide within its walls
.. becoming the first in the country to allow the practice.



AND IN SPORT:

CRICKET AUST (PERTH)

Australia's in commanding position after three days of the first Test against South
Africa but may have to soldier on for the rest of the series without injured opening batsman
JUSTIN LANGER.

Australia is 4-310, an overall lead of 272, with two days play remaining at the WACA Ground.



TENNIS AUST (MELBOURNE)

JELENA DOKIC is only one match away from earning a place in next month's Australian
Open on merit.

The world No.349 has powered into the final of the wildcard playoff at Melbourne Park
with a 6-1 6-3 demolition of left-hander TRUDI MUSGRAVE.



SWIM NSW (SYDNEY)

Queenslander ALICE MILLS has excelled at the New South Wales Swimming Championships,
winning four individual titles.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP.

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