National Newslist for Thursday, February 19, 2009

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2009
National Newslist for Thursday, February 19, 2009
AAP's National Newslist for today (not for publication). This is a guide only and stories
are subject to change. AAP's news editors Joanne Williamson and Nalita Ferraz can be contacted
on 02 93228611/8610.

NATIONAL

BUSHFIRES VIC
- Firefighters continue battle to contain large blaze in inaccessible country in Wilsons
Promontory National Park; one of five blazes firefighters are still trying to get on top
of ahead of warmer and windy conditions forecast for Monday
- Vic Premier John Brumby to announce sports club bushfire recovery fund
- NSW police arrive to relieve exhausted Vic police
- Canadian fire experts arrive in Melbourne
- Daily emergency services presser
- Princess Anne to travel to Australia to attend Sunday's national day of mourning
- Qld to hold service in Brisbane as part of day of mourning

FLOODS
NSW
- Mopping up begins in flood-ravaged parts of northern NSW, with a forecast reduction
in rain for the first time in a week
QLD
- Flood damage in Qld has had a far greater impact on the agriculture industry than fires
in Victoria, federal govt says
- Residents in isolated town of Karumba get more supplies but some say the response is
"too little too late". More to come, with pix and video of Karumba and Normanton
WA
- Monitoring floods situation in Pilbara region

OTHERS
- Conference on the future of Australia-Indonesia relationship begins in Sydney; joint
media conference with foreign ministers 1230; trade ministers presser 1615; Kevin Rudd
to speak at dinner tonight opening the Aust-Indon conference (time and venue TBA)
- Joel Fitzgibbon says Australian troops likely to remain in Afghanistan for years
- Chasing reports Harmer review has recommended $35 a week increase to single aged pension
- Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull at jobs community forum in Melbourne
- Simon Crean says Australia's steel exports should not be affected by "Buy America" campaign
- Brendan Nelson warns fellow Liberals against dumping their federal president
- Coalition says govt looking for alternatives to its emissions trading scheme; not so, says Wong
- Govt says job losses in local automotive sector will be relatively minor
- Wayne Swan and Joe Hockey face off on ABC TV's Q&A
- Senate committee holds final public hearing on Fair Work Bill.

INTERNATIONAL
LONDON - Two men accused of raping and attempting to murder an Australian woman during
a seven-hour ordeal in Scotland face court
BEVERLY HILLS - If Heath Ledger wins an Oscar his three-year-old daughter will become
the owner of the Oscar statuette, but it won't really be hers until her 18th birthday
- and even then, only if she signs a contract
LOS ANGELES - Oscars preview focused on Hugh Jackman
BUENOS AIRES - More than 70 passengers and crew from Australia, the US, Britain, Canada
and several other countries being rescued from a cruise ship that ran aground off Antarctica

MEDICAL
- New Australian study looks at rising rates of peanut allergy in children

ENTERTAINMENT
- Embargoed story on the nominees for the 2009 MTV Australia Awards, with pics to come
- Embargoed story on the winner of the BigPond Animation Award - Great Moments in History
competition

COURTS
BALLINA, NSW
- Man to face court on six counts of manslaughter over fatal boat crash on Sydney Harbour last year
SYDNEY
- Inquiry into Phuong Ngo's conviction for murder of MP John Newman continues
- Daniela Beltrame clingwrap murder trial continues
- Judgments in cases of Betfair versus Racing NSW and Sportsbet versus State of NSW (re
fees for access to race fields and ban on advertising)
MELBOURNE
- Committal continues for a 60-year-old Leigh Robinson accused of shooting dead a young
Melbourne mother in her street
- Pre-sentence hearing for five men accused of a fire attack on an elderly defenceless man
BRISBANE
- Jayant Patel committal hearing continues
- Milmerran doctor Clem Bonney to face child porn charges
- Court mention for driver accused over death of Chinese tourist (Gold Coast)
PERTH
- Lloyd Rayney in District Court on two charges of tapping his murdered wife's phone.

(EDS: details suppressed until further order by court)

CANBERRA
- PETA protest outside Canadian High Commission

SYDNEY
- NSW ambulance officers ordered to drop planned industrial action considering their next step
- Premier Nathan Rees and Planning Minister Kristina Keneally to make announcement about
Carlton United Breweries site in Sydney (1130)
- NSW opposition criticises minister John Robertson's costly parliamentary office renovation,
but spokesman taken to task about his own office revamp more than a decade ago
- Body of a teenager found in Armidale house, man charged with manslaughter

MELBOURNE
- Former prime minister John Howard delivers inaugural John Howard lecture - "Australian
Liberalism in the 21st century" (1800)
- Melbourne Zoo to parade pregnant elephant - second-only pregnant pacaderm in zoo's history
- Man beaten up outside a Melbourne supermarket is fighting for his life
- Police in Melbourne advise Indian students not to talk loudly in their own language
or display expensive items like MP3 players, in the hope of curbing robberies in the city's
west

BRISBANE
- Qld Labor party names candidates for state parliament seats to be vacated by senior politicians
- Qld farmers say they've obeyed a ban on broadscale tree clearing and warn further restrictions
will hamper efforts to produce food
- More on controversy over Brisbane parish priest

ADELAIDE
- SA government expected to announce the group to build Adelaide's new desalination plant

PERTH
- Man aged in 80s shoots intruder at his rural property

DARWIN
- Commemorations of WWII air raids on Darwin

FINANCE
ECONOMICS NEWS:
Sydney - RBA monthly bulletin released
Sydney - ABS new motor vehicles sales data for January
Sydney - National Australia Bank Ltd small and medium enterprise survey for December quarter

EQUITIES NEWS:
Sydney - AMP Ltd has posted a 41 per cent fall in annual net profit, cut its dividend
and is continuing to manage its costs amid ongoing volatility in financial markets.

Melbourne - Santos Ltd, Australia's third biggest oil and gas producer, has delivered
a significant increase in profit and says the company is well placed amid the global economic
crisis.

Sydney - Brewer Lion Nathan Ltd has reaffirmed its guidance for fiscal 2009 and said the
performance from its core beer business was "very encouraging" in the first quarter.

Melbourne - Iluka Resources Ltd, the world's biggest zircon producer, has delivered a
significant increase in full year profit but will not pay a dividend to conserve cash
for growth projects.

Sydney - Private hospitals operator Healthscope Ltd has delivered a 145 per cent rise
in first half profit, and says it expects its "strong" performance to continue for the
full year.

Sydney - Cement supplier Adelaide Brighton Ltd has posted a 6.1 per cent rise in net profit
for calendar 2008, but predicts weakening demand in 2009.

Sydney - Lihir Gold Ltd has reported an annual profit and expects a further improvement
in 2009, when it will see a full year's contribution from mines acquired under its takeover
of Equigold NL.

Sydney - Cabcharge Australia Ltd has lifted its first half profit by 7.2 per cent amid
difficult market conditions and says it's cautiously optimistic about the rest of the
year.

Sydney - Sims Metal Management Ltd first half results
Melbourne - PaperLinx Ltd first half result
Melbourne - Country Road Ltd half year results

See also: Stocks, Dollar, Credit, Finance Week, Finance Month

SPORT
CRICKET
POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa - Australian team news and preview opening three-day tour
match starting Friday
POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa - Australia coach Tim Nielsen has strongly defended his side
against accusations they are no longer "cocksure" and merely "timid".

POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa - Michael Clarke's latest back injury has left the Australia
vice-captain in doubt for Friday's opening tour match but he's expected to be fit for
next week's first Test, says coach Tim Nielsen.

ST JOHN'S, Antigua - England were eyeing a series-levelling victory after setting West
Indies 503 to win the third Test and at stumps on day four needing seven wickets to secure
the win.

GOLF
PERTH - Greg Norman, Camillo Villegas, Anthony Kim and a host of European tour stars tee
off in Johnnie Walker Classic, The Vines, 1st round

AFL
MELBOURNE - Preview NAB Cup Carlton v North Melbourne; media conference with North coach
Dean Laidley, 1100, Arden St
MELBOURNE - Teams named for Hawthorn-Melbourne and Geelong-Port Adelaide NAB Cup matches

LEAGUE
SYDNEY/BRISBANE - NRL news ahead of first weekend of official trial matches

RUGBY
Super 14
WELLINGTON - The Brumbies' task against Super 14 rugby champions the Crusaders on Saturday
has become less daunting with key All Blacks Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn and Leon MacDonald
ruled out.

PERTH - Preview Western Force v Cheetahs match on Friday
SYDNEY - Preview NSW Waratahs v Chiefs match on Friday
SYDNEY/BRISBANE - Match by match Super 14 preview panel.

SOCCER
MELBOURNE - Media conference with Victory coach Ernie Merrick, 1115, Gosch's Paddock
LONDON - Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer had a night to forget in Fulham's 3-0 loss
to Premier league leaders Manchester United.

BRUSSELS - UEFA chief Michel Platini has called for world football to add two more referees
to reduce officiating mistakes rather than backing the use of video replays.

JOHANNESBURG - Applications for three million FIFA 2010 World Cup tickets will open on
Friday with 120,000 reserved for locals at a reduced price to attend the world's top soccer
event, the organising body said.

TENNIS
MEMPHIS - Lleyton Hewitt plays James Blake in first round match at ATP Tour event in Memphis.

BASKETBALL
AUCKLAND - NBL q-final: NZ Breakers v Adelaide 36ers, 1730AEST

RACING
MELBOURNE - Looking at Saturday's Group One Blue Diamond Stakes and Group One Oakleigh
Plate at Caulfield.

SYDNEY - Looking ahead to Apollo Stakes day at Rosehill on Saturday.

BRISBANE - Preview Saturday's Doomben races.

AAP mn

KEYWORD: NATIONAL NEWSLIST

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