AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2010
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 24
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130
Flu (CANBERRA)
The Australian Medical Association has moved to quell concerns about the seasonal flu
vaccine .. reassuring adults and the elderly that it remains safe for use.
Doctors have been told to immediately stop immunising children under five after a spike
in the number of West Australian kids experiencing fever and convulsions.
Health authorities are urgently investigating a possible cause.
AMA president ANDREW PESCE has told Sky News it's not possible to say what has happened
in WA but the public can be reassured vaccines are adequately clinically trialled when
they're developed.
He says it's possible this was simply just a bad batch and is urging those aged over
five to get vaccinated.
Housing (SYDNEY)
The federal government will again require temporary residents to sell their houses
when they leave the country .. following mounting complaints about foreigners driving
up prices.
Travel details and ownership data will be matched to catch cheats .. and the public
will have a new hotline to dob in foreigners they suspect of breaches.
Those leaving Australia must sell their properties .. and the government will claw
back any capital gains made by foreign investors who breach the arrangements.
Real estate agents will face new penalties under civil law that are being developed.
Assistant Treasurer NICK SHERRY issued a statement last night .. saying he would reinstate
restrictions on foreign property investment scrapped in 2008 and impose new measures and
tougher penalties to further tighten the system and improve compliance.
Jet Ski (BRISBANE)
Police say a man who was killed when his jet ski slammed into a boat on Brisbane's
northside this morning may have been intoxicated.
26 year-old KEITH WHALLEY died when the jet ski hit a Noosa Cat near Scarborough Harbour
at 3.30am.
His passenger .. 22 year-old SCOTT STRETTON .. is in a critical condition at Redcliff Hospital.
The two men were found floating in the harbour by the crew of the Noosa Cat who immediately
returned them to shore to get medical assistance.
Police Inspector MARK JONES says three men looking for their mates contacted police
shortly after the accident and indicated there was some liquor taken.
Toll NSW (SYDNEY)
Two people have been killed in a head-on collision near the New South Wales/Queensland border.
Police say the truck and car were travelling on the Newell Highway seven kilometers
south of Boggabilla when they crashed .. at about ten to eight last night.
A man and a woman in the Queensland-registered car were killed .. the driver of the
semi-trailer was pulled from the wreckage .. and treated by paramedics at the scene.
He was later taken to Goondiwindi Hospital for blood and urine testing.
Trauma (MELBOURNE)
Homicide detectives will spend Anzac Day trying to find anyone who saw a 41-year-old
man hours before he died under suspicious circumstances.
FILIP MIKOLAJEWSKI died at the Monash Medical Centre early on Monday morning earlier
this week as a result of abdominal trauma .. but it's not known how he was injured.
Investigators says he walked to the Safeway store in Moorabbin just before three o'clock
on Sunday afternoon .. but it's not known what happened from then until he got into a
taxi at the intersection of Central Avenue and Healey Street at four o'clock the next
morning.
Senior Constable ANTHOULA MOUTIS says Mr MIKOLAJEWSKI'S injuries could have been caused
by a fall or perhaps an assault.
An information caravan will be set up near the Safeway tomorrow between 2pm and 5pm (AEST).
Afghan NATO (TALLINN)
Nearly nine years after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan .. NATO foreign ministers
have sealed a plan for the US and other powers to begin handing over security and governing
duties to Afghans later this year.
The alliance has endorsed guidelines for passing control to provincial authorities
as foreign forces step up efforts to drive a resurgent Taliban and Al-Qaeda from the provinces.
NATO's Secretary General ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN says they've agreed to start the transition
process in November.
MARK SEDWILL .. NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan .. says he expects
local leaders to start assuming control in the more stable provinces .. and that allied
forces would pull back from frontline combat and play only a supporting role in preparation
for an eventual pullout.
It's now hoped the plan will be endorsed by the Afghan government at a conference in
Kabul in mid-July.
Briefly in other news ..
Lit (SYDNEY)
Police say a fire which has destroyed a house in Sydney's northwest may have been deliberately
lit.
Royals Philip (LONDON)
Prince Philip has suffered a minor ankle injury in an accident involving a pony-pulled
carriage on the Windsor estate.
in Sport ..
League (SYDNEY)
In today's NRL action .. Penrith host the Wests Tigers in the early match before Cronulla
take on Newcastle at Toyota Stadium.
Last night .. Canterbury and Parramatta both posted back-to-back wins for the first
time this season.
JAMAL IDRIS starred as the Bulldogs convincingly beat Brisbane 36-18 at ANZ Stadium
.. while TIMANA TAHU scored twice as the Eels won a thriller in Townsville 24-18.
AFL Magpies (MELBOURNE)
Essendon are hoping history repeats tomorrow and an Anzac Day victory over Collingwood
can give impetus to their AFL season after an unconvincing start.
The Bombers .. finalists last year .. enter Sunday's big MCG clash with their season
already in delicate territory .. on a 1-3 record and coming off a poor performance against
West Coast.
Collingwood are strongly placed after last round's dominant victory over Hawthorn.
But Bombers midfielder RICKY DYSON says his side was also under pressure approaching
last year's Anzac Day clash .. before boosting their confidence with a stunning comeback
win over the Magpies.
In tomorrow's other clash .. Fremantle will tap into the Anzac Day spirit to eliminate
any complacency when they take on the struggling Richmond at Subiaco Oval.
Today .. the Sydney Swans take on West Coast.. Melbourne play Brisbane and Port Adelaide
are up against St Kilda.
Adelaide remain winless this season .. beaten by the Western Bulldogs by 49 points
at Etihad last night .
Cycling Aust (PARIS)
Australia's world cycling champion CADEL EVANS will aim to make it two Spring Classics
wins in a row when he sets off in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race in the Belgian city on
Sunday.
The head of the American BMC team and runner-up in the Tour de France to Spain's Alberto
Contador in 2007 and 2008, produced a tremendous late surge to win the Fleche-Wallonne
for the first time on Wednesday.
The victory has catapulted EVANS into the position of favourite for Sunday's race,
a role he doesn't entirely relish.
ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP
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