NSW; Main stories in today s Sydney newspapers

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-1999
NSW; Main stories in today s Sydney newspapers

SYDNEY, Dec 27 AAP - The main stories in today's Sydney newspapers are:



THE AUSTRALIAN

Page 1: Universities will increase their dependence on student fees and charges under
the federal government's new higher education program, which confirms eventual cuts to
direct grants of close to $1 billion under the Howard government; The Sydney to Hobart
yacht race is expected to finish in record breaking time tomorrow, despite starting with
trepidation; The prospect of the Boxing Day test being relocated to the new Melbourne
Colonial Stadium was rekindled yesterday as cricket suffered another financial blow; Accumulated
debt under the subsidised student loan system will rise more than $2 billion in the next
four years as repayments fall to keep pace with new loans; The fate of Australian hostage
Peter Ward and 158 fellow passengers aboard a hijacked plane in Afghanistan appeared last
night to be in the hands of Indian authorities and UN representatives negotiating with
a group of Islamic terrorists.

Page 2: Weatherwatch director Don White said yesterday the present complex weather
patterns with potential for rapid change made nationwide forecasts for New Year's Eve
unreliable.

Page 3: Hundreds of thousands of consumers turn out in search of post-Christmas bargains
at the sales; Two young children drowned in separate accidents on Christmas day, and four
people died on the nation's roads over the holiday period.

Page 5: The NSW Opposition is floundering and its leader Kerry Chikarovski will be
under extreme pressure early next year after the latest Newspoll showed her rating as
preferred premier has fallen to a record low; Survivors of the Newcastle earthquake remember
10 years on.

WORLD: Russian commandos were last night fighting hand-to-hand in the streets of Grozny
after Christmas Day became a bloody springboard for the decisive ground battle for the
besieged Chechen capital.

BUSINESS: New Year's Eve will be anything but a party for the nation's top executives
who will spend it chained to their desktops and mobile phones in preparation for the millenium
changeover.

SPORT: As the Sydney to Hobart yacht race kicked off yesterday, crews remembered last
year's tragedy; A terrified India have become the second test match country in as many
seasons to threaten the future and foundation of the game by robbing paying spectators
with a refusal to continue playing under lights.

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KEYWORD: FRONTERS NSW

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