AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 12Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130
Terror tourism (CANBERRA)
The tourism and airline industries have urged the federal government to meet the $180million cost of upgrading screening of airline passengers' baggage.
Tourism Task Force chief executive CHRISTOPHER BROWN says tourism has already contributeda massive amount to government coffers over many years.
He's told ABC radio the government should now return some of that money.
Mr BROWN says the cost of upgrading baggage screening will be charged to airports,who'll apply it to airlines, who'll pass it on to passengers.
DAVID HUTTNER from Virgin Blue says Australia should follow the lead of the UnitedStates government, which is providing half the nation's $5 billion cost of aviation securitythis year.
But Deputy Prime Minister JOHN ANDERSON says the screening of airline baggage is morelikely to attract passengers than drive them away through increased costs.
He's told the Nine Network the additional cost for the greater peace of mind that peoplewill have is not terribly significant.
Terror Insurance (CANBERRA)
Federal Treasurer PETER COSTELLO has introduced legislation to guarantee terrorisminsurance coverage.
The Terrorism Insurance Bill deems all eligible insurance contracts to include terrorismrisk cover.
There'd also be a new government body -- the Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation-- to provide reinsurance cover for losses arising from a declared terrorist incident.
Other than a $2 million establishment cost for the Corporation, the bill is uncosted.
Mr COSTELLO's told parliament there's been a worldwide withdrawal of commercial insurancecover for terrorist attacks since the September 11 attacks in 2001.
And he says the lack of information to price terrorism risks has resulted in a marketfailure, requiring government intervention.
Welfare (CANBERRA)
The federal government says it will consider introducing one single welfare paymentfor all working age Australians.
Family and Community Services Minister AMANDA VANSTONE's told ABC Radio the proposalis designed to discourage people from choosing to stay on welfare benefits rather thanmoving into the paid workforce.
She was speaking ahead of the launch of a consultation paper on the proposed reformof the welfare system for working age people.
Under such a scheme, all working age people on welfare benefits would receive the samebase amount and would apply for top-ups according to their circumstances.
Labor says the government is talking up the proposal for a common welfare payment toshift the focus off paid maternity leave.
Maternity (CANBERRA)
Sex discrimination commissioner PRU GOWARD has denied stay-at-home mums will miss outif the government goes ahead with her paid maternity leave scheme.
Ms GOWARD says non-working mothers are currently receiving $2.6 billion in family taxbenefits and $500 million in the baby bonus.
She's told the Nine Network that's a lot more than the $213 million estimated for theproposed paid maternity scheme.
Under her scheme, announced yesterday, mothers would receive the federal minimum wageof $431 a week for up to 14 weeks.
It's attracted a generally positive response, although the government was no more than lukewarm.
Meanwhile, ACTU secretary GREG COMBET is tipping industrial action if the governmentdoesn't agree to a safety net scheme for paid maternity leave.
Yorta Dismissed (CANBERRA)
The High Court has dismissed an appeal against a native title decision by eight membersof the Yorta Yorta people.
The court, by a majority of five to two, upheld an earlier federal court decision thatthe forebears of the Yorta Yorta claimants had ceased to occupy their land in accordancewith traditional laws and customs.
The court found that the claimants had not established that they had continued to acknowledgeand observe those laws and customs.
The Yorta Yorta native title application was lodged in February, 1994, and covers about2,000 square kilometres around the Murray River in New South Wales and Victoria.
Davies (MELBOURNE)
A serial sex offender with a record for stalking and attacking children in Victoriahas been sentenced to an indefinite jail term.
County Court judge BILL WHITE has decided that 34-year-old ANDREW TIMOTHY DAVIES willbe the fourth Victorian to receive an indefinite maximum jail term since the law was enactedin 1983.
In the past 10 years, DAVIES has raped three girls aged seven or under, assaulted orcommitted sex acts on another two girls and was twice caught loitering in school grounds.
Korea missiles US (WASHINGTON)
The United States is discussing with Yemen whether to hand over Scud missiles seizedafter they were found hidden aboard a North Korean ship.
The 15 Scud missiles -- along with other warheads -- were seized yesterday by the UnitedStates and Spain.
They were found hidden under bags of cement on the unflagged North Korean ship in theArabian sea.
The US fears the Scuds could be mounted with warheads filled with chemical, biologicalor nuclear materials.
A US defence official says the ship is now under US control and is standing by in thenorthern Indian Ocean.
But Yemen says the US has released the ship and that it's sailing to the Arab state.
And Yemen has demanded the Scud missiles back.
Bali UK (LONDON)
Britain says its security services made a serious misjudgment in failing to issue ahigh threat warning for travel in Indonesia before the Bali bombings.
British Foreign Secretary JACK STRAW's told the House of Commons that an intelligencereport into the Bali attack's found there was no action that Britain could have takento prevent it.
But the report by a parliamentary committee DID say that developments earlier thisyear should have led Britain's intelligence services to reassess the security threat inIndonesia.
STRAW says security services made a serious misjudgment in not upgrading the threatassessment for Indonesia from significant to high.
UK Foster (LONDON)
British Prime Minister TONY BLAIR has leapt to his wife's defence, dismissing callsfor an inquiry into her links with an Australian fraudster.
During angry exchanges in parliament, BLAIR says he doesn't believe there is anythingto warrant an inquiry.
CHERIE BLAIR made an emotional statement late yesterday about her dealings with convictedAustralian conman PETER FOSTER.
Her statement tried to stem a deluge of media attacks after it became clear she hadpeddled half-truths.
The opposition Conservatives say important questions remain unanswered and have calledfor an inquiry.
FOSTER helped Mrs BLAIR, a high-profile lawyer, buy two apartments in south-west Englandwhere her son is at college.
BRIEFLY.............
US President GEORGE W BUSH says he's decided to make the smallpox vaccine availableto Americans on a voluntary basis to guard against a possible biological warfare attack.
A newly reinforced corps of UN weapons monitors is continuing its surprise inspectionsin Iraq and has made return visits to a large complex where Iraq once worked on a nuclearbomb.
Four people, including a cameraman working with CNN, have been killed in a light airplanecrash in a remote part of Peru.
Two major accidents on Victorian roads overnight have claimed the lives of five people.
In a major setback for the European space programme, an Ariane-5 rocket has explodedsoon after taking off from French Guiana, sending two satellites plunging into the AtlanticOcean.
FINANCE.............
At 1124 AEST the all ordinaries index ADDED 9.1 points to 2948.6 while the Standard& Poor's ASX/200 index GAINED 9.6 pointS to 2979.3.
The Australian dollar DROPPED to 56.04 US cents compared to its close here yesterdayof 56.06 US cents.
The local currency was also WEAKER at 55.59 euro cents compared to its close here yesterdayat 55.60 euro cents.
Gold in Sydney was trading 55 US cents STRONGER at $US324.30 an ounce.
AND IN SPORT.............
WPolo Aust (PERTH)
Australia has suffered a disappointing defeat in the women's water polo World Cup,losing 7-3 to Hungary at Challenge Stadium in Perth last night.
Despite heroics from home town goalkeeper EMMA KNOX, Australia was outgunned by theworld's number two side.
Soccer World Oceania (LONDON)
Australian captain PAUL OKON says if soccer's world governing body, FIFA, truly believesin its ethos of fair play, it should give Oceania direct passage into the 2006 World Cup.
FIFA's meeting in Madrid next week will decide whether Oceania gets an automatic berthinto the 32-team tournament in Germany.
OKON says it's unfair the Oceania winner has to beat an Asian or South American teamto qualify for the World Cup finals.
ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP
AAP RTV rp
KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP
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