AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 1Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130
PollVic Howard (CANBERRA)
Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says the scale of Labor's victory in yesterday's Victorianelection is impressive -- and predictably very bad for the Liberal Party.
The ALP last night scored its greatest ever victory in the state.
Premier STEVE BRACKS' Labor government has secured at least 60 of the 88 seats in thelower house -- and probably the Upper House -- after an eight per cent swing across thestate.
Mr HOWARD says Victoria's new Liberal leader ROBERT DOYLE was right when he said theparty couldn't do nothing for three years, then expect to turn it around in a few weeks.
PollVic Doyle (Melbourne)
Victorian Liberal leader ROBERT DOYLE is to throw himself on the mercy of his parliamentaryparty tomorrow by declaring his position open.
A subdued but resolute Opposition leader has faced the media after last night's devastatingelectoral result in which the Liberal Party lost at least 20 seats across Victoria.
Mr DOYLE says a party room meeting tomorrow will start the party's rebuilding processand he'll be renominating as leader.
He says it's a serious result for the Liberals, and they need to go back to basicsand rebuild from the ground up.
Terror Training (CANBERRA)
Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says reports that terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah is runningtraining camps in Australia are exaggerated.
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that would-be terrorists linked to JI are saidto have conducted training in the New South Wales Blue Mountains and Western Australia-- targeting university students as prime recruits.
Mr HOWARD has told the Nine Network he hasn't had any information to justify what's been said.
Iraq Howard (Canberra)
Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says that if the government decides to send troops to Iraq,there'll be a speedy parliamentary debate on the issue.
Mr HOWARD says parliament could be recalled at any time to debate whether Australiashould join any United States attack on Iraq.
He's told Channel Nine the power to send Australian troops into battle belongs to thegovernment, but if a decision's taken then a parliamentary debate will quickly follow.
Iraq Protest (Melbourne)
Anti-war protesters are gathering around Australia today as part of a weekend of marchesto highlight concerns over any armed conflict with Iraq.
Today's rallies in Darwin, Melbourne, Brisbane and Lismore in northern New South Walesfollow yesterday's gatherings in Sydney, Canberra, Hobart and Adelaide.
Victorian Peace Network spokesman DAMIEN LAWSON says the protests coincide with similarrallies this weekend in the United States, attended by more than 100,000 people.
Storms (BRISBANE)
Thunderstorms which hit Queensland's Gold and Sunshine Coasts last night blacked outwide areas and caused some minor injuries.
On the Sunshine Coast, two people were taken to the Nambour hospital with minor injuriesafter their vehicle struck a tree blown across the road.
And two Gold Coast women were treated for minor scratches after being hit by flying debris.
The storm brought large hail stones and caused play to be abandoned at the AustralianPGA golf championship at Coolum.
Pension (SYDNEY)
A Sydney newspaper says the finance department has made a submission to the federalgovernment, suggesting the qualifying age for pensions should be raised to 70.
The Sunday Telegraph says the finance department's submission is aimed at reducingthe financial burden posed by Australia's aging population.
Terror Buses (SYDNEY)
New South Wales Transport Minister CARL SCULLY says an Olympic-style bonus for busdrivers to cope with the threat of terrorism during next year's rugby World Cup is unjustified.
The push by the Transport Workers Union would see bus and coach drivers receive upto $4 an hour extra during the Cup, which begins next October.
The TWU says the increase is to compensate drivers for the pressure and stress associatedwith the terrorist threat.
Food SA (Adelaide)
Seven years after an Adelaide girl died from eating poisoned mettwurst, South Australiahas enacted new food safety laws.
Health Minister LEA STEVENS says the Garibaldi food poisoning incident in 1995 waslike a line in the sand, and the tough new laws are overdue.
The laws include increasing fines for handling food in an unsafe manner from $2500to $500,000, and stricter requirements on display foods and temperature controls.
Water Carr (Sydney)
New South Wales Premier BOB CARR says compulsory water restrictions could be introducedbefore Christmas, despite the rain over the past 48 hours.
Mr CARR says the state isn't going to come through this baking hot bushfire-prone weatherwithout everyone cooperating.
Meanwhile authorities are being mobilised to enforce compulsory water restrictions,should they become necessary.
Mideast (JERUSALEM)
A 16-year-old Palestinian has been shot and killed in the Gaza Strip on the way home from school.
Witnesses say a group of schoolchildren was walking about 700 metres near an Israeliarmy outpost at the Karni Crossing east of Gaza City when soldiers fired at them.
Hospital officials say a 16-year-old boy was fatally hit in the abdomen and leg, whilea second boy was hit in the back and is recovering in hospital.
Meanwhile about 30 Israeli tanks and armored vehicles backed by two Apache helicoptershave moved into the Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, firing machine guns and tank shells thatknocked out the town's power transformer.
Terror US (WASHINGTON)
The United States says it's received information that terrorist attacks similar tothis week's anti-Israeli strikes in Kenya could be repeated in Djibouti and Yemen.
They're urging US citizens to boost their security precautions.
Iraq inspectors (BAGHDAD)
The spokesman for UN arms inspectors in Baghdad has admitted the head of a suspectedweapons site had prior knowledge of a visit by the experts to his facility.
HIRO UEKI says the head of the Mother of All Battles complex was informed the day beforeinspection that the team was coming to remove an air sampler and install a new one.
The complex in question, 15km south of Baghdad, was one of the sites inspected on thethird day of what are meant to be surprise inspections under UN Security Council Resolution1441.
Briefly in other news...
Australian church leaders have declared today a national day of prayer for the drought-strickenfarmers.
Australian pop star DANNII MINOGUE has attacked the British National Party after commentsshe made were used by the far right group as evidence that she supported their anti-immigrationpolicies.
A Canadian pig farmer will face court after the remains of 15 of 67 women who vanishedfrom Vancouver's red-light district were found on his farm.
British firemen campaigning for better pay have rejected an appeal by the governmentto suspend a planned eight-day strike beginning next Wednesday.
In sport...
GOLF AUST (COOLUM QLD)
West Australian JARROD MOSELEY will adopt "catch me if you can tactics" in the finalround of the $1 million Australian PGA Championship at the Hyatt resort, north of Brisbanetoday.
The 30-year-old completed his rain-delayed third round of 67 this morning and startsthis afternoon's final round with a five-shot lead over NSW professional PETER LONARD.
Victorian AARON BADDELEY, who was two behind MOSELEY this morning, dropped three shotswhen he came back today and is six behind.
Cup NSW (SYDNEY)
New South Wales paceman STUART CLARK has struck to claim the early wicket of Victorianopener NICK JEWELL in the ING Cup cricket match at the SCG.
CLARK had JEWELL caught behind by BRAD HADDIN for six in the fifth over of the match.
After 12 overs, the Bushrangers are one for 34 with JASON ARNBERGER not out 11 andBRAD HODGE on 13.
Gym Cup (STUTTGART)
Australian gymnasts JACQUI DUNN and ALLANA SLATER have collected two medals at theWorld Cup final in Stuttgart.
DUNN picked up a silver medal for her performance in the asymmetric bars, while SLATERwon bronze in the vault.
Swim German Record (GOSLAR, Germany)
German swimmer THOMAS RUPPRATH has set a new world record in the 50 metres backstrokeof 23.23sec at the German shortcourse swimming championships.
RUPPRATH, who set the record by swimming the first leg of the medley relay, smashedthe previous mark of 23.31sec, set by MATT WELSH of Australia in Melbourne in September.
Cricket Aust (PERTH)
Australia is a near certainty to retain the Ashes today with England needing to produceone of the most remarkable comebacks in cricket history to get back into the third Testat the WACA Ground.
The tourists will resume at one for 33, still trailing by 238 runs with MICHAEL VAUGHANand nightwatchman RICHARD DAWSON both unbeaten on eight.
Australia dominated day two scoring a massive 456 in reply to England's first inningstotal of 185.
AAP RTV /jmt
KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP
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