AAP National News Wire Round Up for Evening, April 1

AAP General News (Australia)
04-01-2001
AAP National News Wire Round Up for Evening, April 1
Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630

YUGO MILOSEVIC (BELGRADE)

Former Yugoslav president SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC is behind bars after being arrested by
police at his Belgrade villa.

The pre-dawn arrest ended a tense, 26-hour armed standoff.

Government sources say MILOSEVIC has been handed over to an investigative judge to
face charges of corruption and abuse of power stemming from a decade of repressive rule.

BK TV filmed the car carrying MILOSEVIC entering Belgrade's Central Prison and the
iron gates closing behind it.

Four to five pistol shots were heard from inside the villa before the announcement of the arrest.



BRADMAN COIN (CANBERRA)

The late Sir DONALD BRADMAN is to appear on the 20-cent coin for a limited period only.

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says the new coin will be in circulation simultaneously
with the existing 20-cent coin featuring the platypus.

Australian Republican Movement chairman GREG BARNES said yesterday the government should
be deleting the queen, retaining the platypus and adding the Don.

Mr HOWARD says the new coin will be an enduring symbol of the great affection the Australian
people hold for the memory of Sir DONALD.

He says that Sir DONALD, through his sporting achievements and the example he set,
gave the country a sense of hope and inspiration in difficult times.



GAMBLING (CANBERRA)

Communications Minister RICHARD ALSTON has attacked a Canberra bookmaking firm for
hypocrisy after its operator threatened to move offshore over an Internet gambling ban.

Laws expected to be introduced to parliament this week would ban Australian bookies
and gaming companies from taking bets from local customers, but allow them to operate
overseas.

CanBet chairman RICHARD FARMER, who reportedly received $500,000 government export
grants to set up the business, has threatened to move to Vanuatu or the UK if the ban
is passed.

Senator ALSTON says there's no reason for CanBet to go offshore when the vast majority
of its business is from overseas customers, and therefore not affected by the ban.

He's told Channel 10 he can only conclude that Mr FARMER probably thinks it's about
time he had an overseas trip.



SHIPBUILDING (CANBERRA)

Defence Minister PETER REITH has denied knowledge of an alleged secret report recommending
closure of some shipyards.

Mr REITH says he's unaware of a report by JOHN PRESCOTT, the chairman of the Australian
Submarine Corporation, addressing rationalisation of defence industries, including shipyards.

He's also denied knowledge of an alleged payment of $116,000 to Mr PRESCOTT for the
report during an interview on Channel Nine.

He says Mr PRESCOTT may have made a submission to a department inquiry, but he hasn't
seen any report from Mr PRESCOTT.

Mr REITH declined to directly answer a question on whether Australian shipyards, which
rely heavily on defence contracts, will be closed.



DEFENCE (CANBERRA)

Defence Minister PETER REITH has released a paper on the differences between the government
and Labor on defence.

Eager to make defence an issue in the next election, Mr REITH says the central difference
is about the structure of Australia's forces and how much should be spent on them.

He's called on the opposition to say how it would fund the defence forces and what
new equipment it would invest in if it won office.

He's told the Nine Network that Opposition leader KIM BEAZLEY should come clean on
his plans for two extra submarines and how he would fund them.

Defence signed a contract earlier this year to buy four airborne early warning aircraft
from Boeing for $A2.65 billion, instead of the six for $A2.85 billion originally flagged.



SRILANKA BLAST (COLOMBO)

At least five people have been killed and scores injured in a blast that ripped through
a packed stadium in Sri Lanka.

Police say the blast occurred in the northwestern city of Kurunegala where more than
100,000 fans had gathered for a concert by two popular singers from neighbouring India.

A police officer in Kurunegala, about 80km north of the capital Colombo, says it looks
like a hand-grenade attack that may have also been linked to a gas container.

An official of Sri FM, the radio station that organised the concert, put the death
toll at six with more than 150 hurt.

The news editor, KULASRI KARIYAWASAM, says a fight broke out between two local gangs
just before the blast.



BANGLADESH STRIKE (DHAKA)

Bangladesh police say about 150 people have been hurt in widespread clashes between
opposition and government supporters ahead of the start of a three-day general strike.

And authorities have deployed hundreds of police in Dhaka to beef up security after
dozens of crude home-made bombs exploded in the capital last night ahead of the opposition-led
strike.

Police say opposition activists set off the bombs to panic residents, but there were
no reports of injuries in Dhaka.

Opposition leader BEGUM KHALEDA ZIA has urged Bangladeshis to support the strike, which
she says will be the final blow to Prime Minister SHEIKH HASINA'S government.

The strike follows HASINA's refusal to heed the opposition's demands to resign in March
and call elections before the end of May.



PREGNANCY (SYDNEY)

New guidelines covering pregnancy in the workplace rule out constantly touching a pregnant
woman's stomach or commenting on her changing shape.

Under The Workplace Pregnancy Guidelines, badgering a pregnant worker about whether
she will return to work after giving birth, constantly touching her stomach or commenting
about the change in her size are all forms of harassment.

The guidelines bring together state, federal, industrial relations and occupational
health and safety laws to give employers an overview of the minimum standards for dealing
with pregnant workers.



DOLLAR (MELBOURNE)

It's feared the beleaguered Australian dollar could drop below 44 US cents later this week.

After the Aussie hit a record low of 48.50 US cents in New York on Friday, one trader
with an Australian bank in London said 48.90 US cents had been a crucial technical barrier.

He said the next major figure for sparking further selling is 47.50, after which the
currency could free-fall as low as 43.80.

Even a probable interest rate cut of at least 0.25 percent this week seems unlikely
to shore the dollar up.

Federal Treasurer PETER COSTELLO has leapt to the defence of the currency, telling
reporters the level of the dollar does not reflect the true state of the Australian economy.



IN BRIEF

Westpac Banking Corp is tipping a 5 per cent drop in interest rates when the Reserve
Bank of Australia meets on Tuesday.

FIJI VOTE (SUVA)

Fiji coup plotter GEORGE SPEIGHT and his cohorts are emerging as prospects in the Pacific
nation's August elections, despite the fact they're awaiting trial on treason charges.



SPORTS NEWS

TENNIS MASTERS MEN (MIAMI)

ANDRE AGASSI has beaten Australia's PATRICK RAFTER 6-0 6-7 (7-2) 6-2 in their semi-final
of the ATP Tennis Masters Series event in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Third seed and three-time champion AGASSI will face fellow American JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL
in tomorrow's final.

GAMBILL beat RAFTER'S Davis Cup teammate LLEYTON HEWITT 7-5, 6-4 in yesterday's first semi-final.



LEAGUE HOPOATE (SYDNEY)

Controversial rugby league winger JOHN HOPOATE has announced his resignation from the
West Tigers club.

HOPOATE has issued a statement through his manager WAYNE BEAVIS, saying he believes
his decision is in the best interests of the club, its sponsors and its supporters.

His announcement came after Tigers' chairman JOHN CHALK met with BEAVIS late yesterday.

It followed widespread publicity given to his appearance before the National Rugby
League judiciary last week when he received a 12 match suspension for unsportsmanlike
conduct in jabbing his fingers into North Queensland players' anuses.

BEAVIS says no decision has been made yet on whether it's the end of HOPOATE'S rugby
league career.

AAP RTV klw

KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP

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