AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Feb 14

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2009
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Feb 14
Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


Bushfires Vic Wrap (MELBOURNE/BUXTON)

Emergency services have welcomed forecasts of milder weather for Victoria .. and say
it will help them continue in their battle to contain several ongoing bushfires.

Around five thousand firefighters are battling 12 ongoing blazes in Victoria this afternoon
.. including 600 from interstate and overseas.

CFA deputy chief officer GEOFF CONWAY says the weather forecast for the next week will
allow them to continue work in consolidating control lines and backburning over the next
few days.

Meanwhile .. Marysville residents have piled onto buses to be taken for a visit to
their town for the first time since it was destroyed in last Saturday's hellfire.

Nearly all of the town's residents have lost their homes and it's feared as many as
100 people might have been killed in Marysville .. one fifth of the town's residents.

Residents were told they had to show ID papers .. stay on the bus and not take photos
of the town.

Plans are already underway for the future .. with a detailed proposal on what to do
next in the bushfire ravaged towns to be presented to the state government next week.

Major General JOHN CANTWELL .. acting head of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction
and Recovery Authority .. says builders and other tradesmen will start work in the next
week.

But he says the first step is making sure survivors are safe .. informed .. given immediate
shelter .. family assistance and counselling.

And .. the fire fighter who gave an injured koala a drink during a tender moment in
a burnt out forest will be recognised by an animal rights group.

Victorian volunteer firefighter DAVID TREE gave "Sam" the koala a gulp of his water
bottle .. when he noticed her moving around on scorched paws in Mirboo North .. about
150km east of Melbourne.

The image has been broadcast on the internet and in newspapers .. capturing hearts
the world over .. and now his efforts have earned Mr TREE recognition from PETA.



Floods GG (INGHAM)

Cane growers in the Herbert River region expect to be hit hard by serious flooding
in the past two weeks .. possibly losing up to 20 million dollars in earnings .. with
this year's crop cut by up to 25 per cent.

Governor-general QUENTIN BRYCE has been briefed on the situation today .. as she visited
a farm just outside of Ingham in far north Queensland.

Hinchinbrook Shire mayor PINO GIANDOMENICO says at least 24 thousand hectares .. nearly
half of the cane growing area .. has been underwater for at least a day or two .. with
90 per cent of the community dependent on cane to keep the local economy going.



Rain NSW (SYDNEY)

A record 200 millilitres of rain has fallen in Bourke in northern NSW .. as the top
end of the state braces itself for flood conditions to continue over the weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology says heavy falls are expected to continue over the central
north today .. followed by a deluge over the mid-north coast.

The bureau's monitoring the developing weather system .. and has issued a flood watch
and a severe weather warning for the area.



Bishop Wrap (CANBERRA)

Opposition leader MALCOLM TURNBULL has expressed confidence in his deputy and treasury
spokeswoman JULIE BISHOP .. saying she's doing a great job.

It follows a Sydney Morning Herald report saying fellow Liberals are unhappy with her
performance and want her to stand aside .. with Finance spokesman JOE HOCKEY or Infrastructure
spokesman ANDREW ROBB tipped as possible replacements.

But Mr TURNBULL's standing by his deputy .. saying she's taking the fight to Labor
and exposing WAYNE SWAN and KEVIN RUDD for their GOUGH WHITLAM-like exercise in taking
Australia deeper into debt.

Treasurer WAYNE SWAN's accused the Liberals of making the shadow treasurer a scapegoat
for Mr TURNBULL's reckless decision to oppose the government's stimulus package.



Fall (SYDNEY)

A five-year-old girl is in hospital with critical head injuries after falling from
a third floor unit window in Sydney's south.

Emergency services were called to the Caringbah property just before two this afternoon
.. after the girl fell through the flyscreen attached to the unit window.

NRMA Careflight's IAN BADHAM says the girl was unconscious when emergency services
arrived .. and it's feared she may have also suffered spinal injuries.



Howard (GOLD COAST)

Former prime minister JOHN HOWARD's been awarded an honorary doctorate for his services
to Australia .. and particularly his support of privately owned universities.

Mr HOWARD's joined hundreds of fellow graduates at the Gold Coast's Bond University
.. where he's been awarded the degree of Doctor of the University.



US Stimulus Pass (WASHINGTON)

The US Senate's passed a 790 billion dollar stimulus package .. that President BARACK
OBAMA's called only the beginning of his efforts to rescue the crippled economy.

Democratic Senator SHERROD BROWN cast the decisive vote in the 60 to 38 decision after
returning from his homestate of Ohio .. where he'd been attending a memorial service for
his late mother.



UK Medicine (LONDON)

Multinational drug company GlaxoSmithKline will slash prices in developing countries
and share knowledge about patented treatments.

Chief executive ANDREW WITTY says he believes pharmaceutical companies have an obligation
to help the poor receive treatment .. and has challenged rivals to follow GSK's example.



Briefly in other news ..



Cars (SYDNEY)

Twelve cars worth a total of half a million dollars have been swiped from a car yard
in Sydney's south west by 13 men who walked through the main gates of the Liverpool dealership

about six this morning and approached three employees .. assaulting them and taking car
keys.



Valentines NSW (SYDNEY)

Love's been up in the air this Valentine's Day .. with the world's most famous romance
.. Romeo and Juliet .. playing out on the top of Sydney's Harbour Bridge.



US Obama Wonder (WASHINGTON)

US President BARACK OBAMA will honour Motown legend and high profile supporter STEVIE
WONDER later this month .. in what will likely be the first major cultural event since
he moved into the White House.



in Sport ..



Shield SA (ADELAIDE)

South Australia has taken advantage of an injury-hit Queensland attack to reach 6-489
declared on day two of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval.

Lacking both ANDREW SYMONDS and RYAN HARRIS the Bulls failed to restrict the Redbacks
with MARK COSGROVE and GRAHAM MANOU both making centuries today.



Golf PGA (PEBBLE BEACH)

South Africa's RETIEF GOOSEN has fired a blistering eight-under-par 64 to charge to
the top of the leader board at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

An eagle on his par-five second hole kickstarted GOOSEN on his superb round .. which
gave him a 12-under total of 132 and a two-shot lead over DUSTIN JOHNSON at halfway stage.

Australia's ARON PRICE shot a second round 69 to be 7-under 137 and in a tie for fourth.



Soccer Beckham (CARSON)

DAVID BECKHAM is set to return to Los Angeles Galaxy after his loan agreement with
AC Milan expires.

AEG executive TIM LEIWEKE says the Italian club didn't make a second offer to the Galaxy
to keep BECKHAM so the team will adhere to MLS commissioner DON GARBER'S Friday deadline
to resolve the situation.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP

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