AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 28

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2011
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 28
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


GRANT FREIGHT (SYDNEY)

The company that operates a train which derailed in Northern Territory floodwaters
is investigating the damage, as environmental authorities focus on a possible chemical
spill.

The freight train came off the rails near the Edith River bridge about 40km north
of Katherine early yesterday when floods caused by Cyclone Grant washed away part of the
bridge.

The accident has raised on concerns that hazardous chemicals contained in the train
have leaked in the rain-swollen river.

Genesee and Wyoming Australia have confirmed today that two of the 33 wagons contained
copper concentrate, and they're doing an aerial assessment to have a look at any damage.



KOREA KIM (SEOUL)

A funeral for late North Korean leader KIM JONG-IL is underway in Pyongyang.

State TV has aired footage of the event, starting with musicians in military garb playing
a mournful tune inside the palace where his body is lying in state.

It's also shown footage of mourners wailing as they circle KIM'S body, which is surrounded
with his namesake red so-called kimjongilia begonia flowers, and black-and-white footage
of a young KIM, who died on December 17 at age 69.

He'll be succeeded by his young son KIM JONG-UN, already being hailed as North Korea's
supreme leader.



ASBESTOS (SYDNEY)

The building union's criticised WorkCover for saying it has no objections to renovations
continuing at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, despite asbestos being found in
the building.

And the CFMEU's BRIAN PARKER says construction company Watpac is trying to pass the
buck because they haven't investigated the issue fully.

Carcinogenic material has been found in the mortar of the sandstone building at Sydney
Harbour, which is currently undergoing a 50 million dollar makeover.

But Mr PARKER says workers only became aware of the health hazard after they received
letters in the lead up to Christmas saying they may have been exposed.



STORMS GILLARD (ADELAIDE)

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD says all Australians will be thinking of people across
the country doing it tough over Christmas because of floods, fires and car crashes.

Ms GILLARD says reports of Australians caught up in natural disasters and other difficulties
were becoming all too regular over holiday period.

The PM's comments follow widespread flooding across Melbourne and northwest Victoria,
flooding in the Northern Territory from tropical cyclone Grant and the death of 22 people
across the country in road crashes so far over the holiday period.

The nation's also been shocked by the fire at the Sunshine Coast house of TV chef MATT
GOLINSKI, which claimed the lives of his wife and three daughters.



FIRE (BRISBANE)

A union says Queensland ambulance officer numbers need to bulked up by about 250 a
year, in the wake of a badly burnt TV chef's 30-minute wait for treatment.

Just one paramedic was available to attend a Sunshine Coast house fire which left chef
MATT GOLINSKI severely burnt, and claimed the lives of his wife and three daughters.

The Ready, Steady Cook star remains in a critical but stable condition in Royal Brisbane
Hospital with burns to more than 40 per cent of his body.

United Voice spokeswoman JEANETTE TEMPERLEY says the government is under-delivering
on its promised staffing numbers by several hundred.



UNIT (BRISBANE)

A body's been found at the scene of a Brisbane unit fire.

Police are yet to identify it, but it's reportedly the partner of a woman aged in her
40s, who jumped from a second-level window to escape the fire at Runcorn, in the city's
south, around 9.50pm (AEST) yesterday.

She remains in Royal Brisbane Hospital with serious burns to her legs, arms and hands.

Police say a post-mortem will establish the identity of the body, and investigations
into the cause of the fire are continuing.



PROCLAMATION (ADELAIDE)

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD has helped mark the 175th anniversary of white men arriving
in South Australia, saying we should also celebrate the women who arrived with them.

The nation's first female PM says the 78 women who came on the first nine ships to
arrive in the new colony regarded themselves as a worthy sisterhood.

On December 28, 1836, JOHN HINDMARSH, who became South Australia's first governor,
read the proclamation that declared South Australia a British colony, apparently under
a large gum tree at what is now suburban Glenelg.



LEGAL: PEARCE (SYDNEY)

A Victorian truck driver who caused a fatal head-on collision after falling asleep
at the wheel has walked free from a Sydney court.

52-year-old ROBERT ALAN PEARCE was diagnosed as suffering from severe obstructive sleep
apnoea after the crash in February 2010 near Ulmarra on the Pacific Highway in northern
NSW.

PEARCE pleaded guilty in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court to negligent driving causing
the death of a good behaviour bond for that period.



LEGAL: CAMUS (PERTH)

West Australian police have charged a French national over the stabbing death of a
man on Christmas Day in Broome.

32-year-old KRISTOPHER DIXON died after he was stabbed in the chest during a fight
outside the Bungalow Bar in the early hours of Christmas morning.

Parisian man THOMAS CAMUS appeared in the Broome Magistrates Court today, charged with
causing grievous bodily harm.

The 22-year-old was remanded in custody to reappear in court on January 3.

Police say the charge may be upgraded depending on the results of a post-mortem examination.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



SINGING (BRISBANE)

A cranky driver stopped a train and called police after his plea for Brisbane soccer
fans to stop singing fell on deaf ears.



EBENEZER (BRISBANE)

The Queensland government has denied it's given approval for large scale commercial
mining in koala habitat west of Brisbane.



REVIEW (PERTH)

The West Australian government will record an estimated 209 million dollar surplus,
making it the nation's highest surplus for 2011-12.



DUCKS (MELBOURNE)

The RSPCA says allowing the 2012 duck shooting season to go ahead is irresponsible,
naive and outdated.



IN SPORT ..



SAI SYDHOB (HOBART)

INVESTEC LOYAL has hit the front again in the battle for line honours in the Sydney
to Hobart yacht race.

LOYAL and rival supermaxi WILD OATS ELEVEN are engaged in a thrilling duel off the
coast of Tasmania with around 55 nautical miles still to race.

LOYAL'S lead is less than a nautical mile.

The pair are expected to arrive in Hobart this evening.



TEN OPEN HEWITT (SYDNEY)

Tennis warrior LLEYTON HEWITT is ready to fight through the pain barrier once more
at next month's Australian Open.



TEN QLD (BRISBANE)

German star ANDREA PETKOVIC is tipping SERENA WILLIAMS to quickly bounce back to her
best ahead of next month's Australian Open after a disappointing finish to 2011.

After a three-month absence, WILLIAMS will make her return to the WTA tour next week
at the Brisbane International, where she'll be seeded fourth behind SAM STOSUR, PETKOVIC
and Italy's FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE.



SOC AL SYDFC (SYDNEY)

Sydney FC coach VITEZSLAV LAVICKA has ruled out moving stand-in captain BRETT EMERTON
into the centre of midfield for his side's crucial A-League clash with Melbourne Heart
at the Sydney Football Stadium.

EMERTON will wear the captain's armband in the absence of regular skipper TERRY MCFLYNN,
who is serving a one-match suspension.

Meanwhile, Sydney FC's experienced defender PASCAL BOSSCHAART has signed a two-year
extension to his deal which will tie him to the club until April 2014.



SOC EPL (LONDON)

GARETH BALE scored both goals as Tottenham tightened their hold on third place in the
English Premier League with a 2-0 win away to Norwich.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


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