AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 30

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 30
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


Newspoll Nuclear (SYDNEY)

Support for a nuclear power industry in Australia is declining .. with nearly 40 per
cent of voters strongly opposed to the idea.

The Newspoll of 12-hundred people .. published in The Weekend Australian .. shows support
for nuclear power stations has dropped from 38 per cent to 35 per cent since May.

Support is strongest among male Coalition voters aged 50 and over .. while the strongest
opponents are Labor-voting women aged between 35 and 49.



Toll National (SYDNEY)

The national road toll for the Christmas-New Year period stands at 35.

Thirteen people have been killed on New South Wales roads during the holiday road toll
period .. and eight people have died in both Victoria and Queensland.

Two people have died in Western Australia .. Tasmania .. and South Australia.



Storms ACT (CANBERRA)

The National Museum in Canberra will be closed today after being damaged in a freak hailstorm.

A ceiling collapsed .. causing damage to the administration block at the popular tourist
attraction.

Staff and experts will be working out the cost of repairs today.



Bugs (SYDNEY)

Authorities will randomly test fresh food and vegetables for drug-resistant bugs from next year.

Fairfax newspapers report the national testing is a response to growing concerns that
bacteria are developing an immunity to antibiotics .. and could become a health problem.

The testing .. to be coordinated by the federal Health Department .. was recommended
by the Joint Technical Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance.



Iraq Handover (DUBAI)

SADDAM HUSSEIN's chief defence lawyer .. KHALIL AL-DULAIMI .. says US officials have
transferred the former president to Iraqi custody.

Senior Iraqi officials have dismissed mounting speculation that they could hang SADDAM
within hours .. and some Cabinet members are said to be pushing for the execution to be
delayed for a month or more.

But a defence lawyer says he thinks SADDAM may be executed today .. after lawyers were
told to collect his belongings.



Somalia (MOGADISHU)

Somalia's Prime Minister ALI MOHAMED GEDI has driven triumphantly into Mogadishu ..

after his Ethiopian allies forced out Islamist fighters who ruled the capital for six
months.

GEDI travelled into the city in a convoy .. protected by about 100 Ethiopian soldiers.

His weak government .. which has relied on the Ethiopian military to secure its victory
in nine days of heavy fighting .. has announced plans to impose three months of martial
law to restore order.



UK Rwanda (LONDON)

Four men .. arrested in Britain after being accused of involvement in the 1994 Rwandan
genocide of the Tutsi ethnic group .. have been remanded in custody.

They'll face a London court again on January 26.

The four were arrested after the Rwandan government requested their extradition.

A new memorandum of understanding between Britain and Rwanda stipulates they won't
face the death penalty if convicted.



Brazil Crime (RIO DE JANEIRO)

More police are patrolling the streets .. and bus services have been cut back .. as
Rio de Janeiro reels from a day of gang violence that killed 19 people.

Tourism officials are concerned Brazil's image .. and revenue .. could suffer from
yesterday's wave of attacks .. in which drug gangs burnt buses and shot at police stations.

Seven people were burnt to death in one of six torched buses .. and three policemen
also were killed.

A bus has been set on fire today in the neighbouring city of Niteroi .. and sporadic
shooting has been reported on two major highways.



India Children (NEW DELHI)

A domestic servant has been arrested on the outskirts of New Delhi .. in connection
with the kidnapping and killing of several children in the area.

The arrest led police to recover skulls .. bones and clothes of small children buried
in the backyard of a house where the man worked.

Police say they're yet to determine how many children were killed .. but TV news channels
report more than two dozen skulls have been found.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS:

Bus (BRISBANE)

Gold Coast bus drivers are due to meet today to decide whether to take strike action tomorrow.



Water Map (SYDNEY)

Satellite mapping shows Australia has lost the equivalent of 92 Sydney Harbours in
fresh water .. in the past three years.



McGuire (MELBOURNE)

Industry sources say Nine Network chief EDDIE McGUIRE will return to hosting a network
quiz show .. 1 vs 100.



AND IN SPORT:

Tennis Hopman (PERTH)

Australia's ALICIA MOLIK and MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS will open this year's Hopman Cup in
Perth today .. facing a stiff test against a talented Russian outfit.

MOLIK and PHILIPPOUSSIS are looking to put injury and form woes behind them with a
solid performance in the 19th staging of the mixed event .. which has been hit by a series
of high-profile withdrawals.

Both USA team members TAYLOR DENT and VENUS WILLIAMS pulled out .. while the German
team also scratched last week after NICOLAS KIEFER failed to overcome a wrist injury.



Ashes (MELBOURNE)

Australia wants a more competitive England team in 2007 after regaining the Ashes with
ease this summer.

Not satisfied with inflicting four commanding wins over the past five weeks .. Australia
wants a better contest from England in the fifth Test .. which starts on Tuesday in Sydney.

Both sides have another rest day today after the fourth Test at the MCG was over inside
three days.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

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