AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 17

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 17
Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


Skaf Father (SYDNEY)

The father of a teenage girl raped by a gang says it's unbelievable two of her attackers
have had their sentences reduced.

BILAL SKAF and his younger brother MOHAMMED today failed in their bid to overturn their
convictions over the August 2000 pack rape at Gosling Park .. in Sydney's west.

But the pair have won reductions in their sentences .. with BILAL'S parole date brought
forward by two years .. and MOHAMMED'S by 18 months.

During the appeal .. the SKAFS' lawyers argued there was no long-term physical injury
suffered by the victim.

On Macquarie Radio .. the victim's father DARREN said the SKAFS' defence lawyers are cowards.



Shine (BRISBANE)

Queensland Premier ANNA BLIGH's joined a chorus of criticism over comments by her Attorney-General
that some rapes have only a minor effect on women.

While the premier stood by KERRY SHINE .. she's described his comments as insensitive.

Mr SHINE told ABC Radio today that figures for 2007-08 showing one in eight people
sentenced over rape avoided jail partly reflect the fact that some rape victims aren't
as traumatised as others.

He later called the station back to apologise after talkback callers expressed their outrage.

Ms BLIGH says Mr SHINE's been a tireless champion for victims and has appealed lenient
sentences on a regular basis.



Mining (BRISBANE)

Federal treasurer WAYNE SWAN says mining companies should weather the hard times as
long as possible before shedding jobs.

Three mining companies .. Xstrata .. OzMinerals and Macarthur Coal .. all announced
yesterday they're sacking more than 500 workers at Queensland mines .. because of the
global financial crisis.

Mr SWAN says the government recognises international factors are having a dramatic
impact on the sector but is asking companies to exercise caution when making such decisions.

Meanwhile Mr SWAN says a bookmaker's offer of $1.12 odds on Australia plunging into
recession is "utterly irresponsible."

Centrebet will pay out punters if Australia slips into recession in the next 12 months.



Station Greens (SYDNEY)

The Australian Greens are calling for reforms to gun laws after a murder-suicide in
Sydney yesterday.

New South Wales Greens MP LEE RHIANNON says the man who shot dead his estranged wife
had an Apprehended Violence Order against him and shouldn't have had access to a gun under
state law.

Ms RHIANNON says NSW has weak gun laws and hopes Premier NATHAN REES tightens them
following his meeting with the National Coalition for Gun Control today.

She says it shouldn't take a serious incident for Australian governments to reform gun laws.



Climate Aust (MELBOURNE)

A leading climate change expert says the climate can be stabilised if every nation
on earth adopts Australia's five per cent carbon emissions reduction target.

But a failure to act .. causing a three degrees celsius rise in global temperatures
.. would almost certainly mean the loss of natural icons like the Great Barrier Reef.

Global Carbon Project chairman MICHAEL RAUPACH has made the warning after the World
Meteorological Organisation released its annual statement on the global climate.

Dr RAUPACH says the five per cent target is challenging given Australians emissions
have been growing about two per cent per year from 2000.



India Aust Anstee (SYDNEY)

A young Sydney woman shot during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai is recovering well
and is expected to begin her career as a lawyer next year.

A bullet ripped through 24-year-old KATE ANSTEE's leg .. breaking her femur while in
Cafe Leopold .. her boyfriend DAVID COKER suffered flesh wounds from bullets in the attack.

Her mother CANDY says Ms ANSTEE's doing daily physical therapy and intends to start
a job at a Sydney law firm in February.

Mrs ANSTEE says emotional assistance has been offered to the duo by the Federal and
New South Wales governments .. but at the moment the couple is doing fine.



Boat (MELBOURNE)

The federal government denies Australia's becoming a bigger target for illegal boat
people .. despite six boats making it into the country's water in recent months.

A boat carrying 37 asylum seekers of unknown nationality was intercepted by the navy
yesterday about 110 nautical miles north-east of Darwin.

Immigration Minister CHRIS EVANS says the number of arrivals are about the same as last year.



Indigenous Drift (DARWIN)

A new study's discredited claims the federal intervention into Northern Territory indigenous
communities is causing Aborigines to drift into urban centres.

The measures to combat child sex abuse have been repeatedly blamed for an increase
in the numbers of Aboriginal people squatting on the borders of towns like Darwin and
Katherine.

But a study by researchers from Charles Darwin University refutes the claims saying
aborigines are on the move regardless of the intervention.



Briefly in other news ..



Mokbel (MELBOURNE)

The younger brother of accused gangland murderer TONY MOKBEL has been jailed for 11
years for drug trafficking.



Zimbabwe Smith (PERTH)

Foreign minister STEPHEN SMITH says Australia has tightened sanctions against the brutal
Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.



Universities UA (CANBERRA)

Universities are urging the federal government to run a budget deficit .. if that's
what's required to pump an additional six and a half billion dollars into the higher education
sector.



Saltie (DARWIN)

A saltwater crocodile's been sighted in a suburban drain in Darwin.



in Sport ..



Cricket Aust (PERTH)

Australia have moved to 3-74 at lunch on day one of the first Test at the WACA after
South African pace duo MAKHAYA NTINI and DALE STEYN ripped through the home side's top
order.

NTINI gave South Africa a dream start when he snared the key wickets of MATTHEW HAYDEN
and RICKY PONTING with consecutive deliveries in the third over of the day.

Australia slumped to three for 15 when MICHAEL HUSSEY edged STEYN to slip but SIMON
KATICH and MICHAEL CLARKE have since combined for an unbeaten 59-run stand to steady the
ship.



AFL Cousins (MELBOURNE)

BEN COUSINS says he's clean of drugs .. and confident he can make a successful comeback
to football with the club which resurrected his AFL career.

COUSINS trained with Richmond for the first time today in front of a crowd of around
2,000 fans at Punt Road Oval .. where his every move was cheered by supporters during
a 45-minute hitout.

The 30-year-old then told a packed media conference that he was currently clean of
drugs and was putting a lot of effort into his rehabilitation.



Soccer Aust Kewell (SYDNEY)

Socceroo HARRY KEWELL is resting in Sydney after a minor hernia operation earlier this week.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP

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