AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 16
Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630
Shark (ALSTONVILLE)
The young friend who tried to save PETER EDMONDS' life says he never pictured himself
speaking at his best mate's funeral.
About 300 mourners have gathered today at a church in the northern NSW town of Alstonville
.. to farewell the 16-year-old who died after being attacked by a shark last week.
PETER died from massive blood loss despite the efforts of BROCK CURTIS-MATHEW .. who
brought his friend ashore.
BROCK and another close friend .. JAMIE HANNAH .. have likened PETER to JESUS .. saying
he wanted to be a carpenter .. and often walked on water .. but usually with a surfboard
under his feet.
NZ River Instructor (TURANGI)
It's been revealed the instructor .. tasked with leading the group of students involved
in New Zealand's canyoning tragedy .. has been in the job for only three months.
Six students .. all aged 16 .. and one teacher died yesterday when they were caught
in a flash flood in a national park on New Zealand's North Island.
The instructor survived the disaster and is being shielded from the media.
Her employer says she's shaken .. disturbed and grief-stricken .. and is being provided
support and counselling.
Climate Coal (CANBERRA)
Environmentalists and the coal industry have controversially joined forces .. calling
for a 2020 target for low-emissions coal-fired electricity.
They want 10-thousand gigawatt/hours .. the equivalent of three power stations' worth
of energy .. to kick-start the commercialisation of carbon capture and storage.
WWF Australia .. the Climate Institute .. and the Australian Coal Association are calling
on the federal government to set up a carbon capture task force .. to develop and implement
a nationally-coordinated plan to introduce the technology.
Children (SYDNEY)
Changes to the advertising code of conduct mean ads for childrens' products must not
include sexual imagery .. or imply children are sexual beings.
The Australian Association of National Advertisers has announced the changes after
26 submissions from parental groups and health and government bodies.
The code includes regulations which rule out the sexualisation of anyone 14 or younger
.. in any form of advertising.
Ads must also not state or imply that owning a product will enhance a child's sexuality.
Oly08 Flame Rights (CANBERRA)
Civil libertarians are criticising the ACT government .. for using laws enacted for
the Sydney Olympics .. to bolster police powers for next week's Beijing torch relay in
Canberra.
The special powers will allow Australian Federal Police to search protesters along
the relay route .. and ban them from carrying items which could be used as weapons.
But the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties says it's unacceptable the powers
remain on the statute books .. when the original reason for them being used is well and
truly gone.
Sydney Memorial (PERTH)
Relatives of crewmen who perished aboard the HMAS Sydney have taken part in a wreath-laying
ceremony .. over the recently discovered warship's wreck.
Retired Commodore RORY BURNETT .. the son of the vessel's commanding officer .. joined
dignitaries and four other relatives of crewmen for the service aboard HMAS Anzac.
The half-hour service was followed by another over the site of the wreck of the German
raider Kormoran .. which sank nearby after a fierce battle on November 19 .. 1941.
Indon Volcano (KUPANG)
Hundreds of Indonesians have fled their homes after a volcano erupted .. spewing ash
and smoke thousands of metres into the air.
Breathing masks and clean water have been rushed to the eastern island of Flores ..
where the 17-hundred-metre high Mount Egon erupted late yesterday.
Authorities say 600 people have been evacuated .. no deaths have been reported.
BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS:
The Queensland government wants plastic bags to be outlawed within five years .. but will
not support a levy on shoppers who fail to use an environmentally-friendly option.
South Australian teachers have rejected a pay increase from the state government .. saying
the offer falls well short of what's required.
The first wave of reforms to the political donations system in New South Wales will be
introduced when state parliament sits in May and June.
A Victorian miner has been freed from an underground gold mine at Stawell .. after being
crushed by machinery.
An Indonesian navy sailing ship is preparing to sail home .. eight months after it ran
aground off Queensland on its way to the APEC summit in Sydney.
SHANNON NOLL has apologised for his drunken performance at a New South Wales music festival
last month .. but says it's hardly the worst thing a rock star could do.
IN SPORT:
AFL Eagles (PERTH)
West Coast coach JOHN WORSFOLD is happy with the way the AFL tribunal handled the BARRY
HALL case.
HALL has been banned for seven weeks for striking BRENT STAKER .. who's still battling
to play this weekend.
WORSFOLD says STAKER will train tonight and then be assessed for possible inclusion
in the Eagles side to play Port Adelaide.
League Sharks (SYDNEY)
Cronulla's LANCE THOMPSON will play his last game of rugby league this weekend.
The veteran backrower is hanging up his boots because of persistent troubles with his knee.
Sharks medical officials have told him he has only one more NRL game left in his body.
Super Waratahs (PERTH)
Western Force coach JOHN MITCHELL and Rugby WA chairman GEOFF STOOKE have both given
their backing to Force assistant JOHN MULVIHILL to become the next coach of Super 14 rivals
.. the New South Wales Waratahs.
MULVIHILL has applied for the position .. which will be vacated by EWEN McKENZIE at
the end of the 2008 season.
ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP
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