Highlights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, Dec 5

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2003
Highlights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, Dec 5

SYDNEY - Three of Australia's major banks today announced increases to home loan lending
rates after the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to hike official rates earlier this
week. (RATES BANKS. ECONOMY NIGHTLEAD to come)

CANBERRA - The Senate has officially signed off on the government's contentious higher
education package. (UNIVERSITIES SENATE. See also UNIVERSITIES STATES, AVCC, NELSON, MACKLIN.

N/L and ANALYSIS to come)

ABUJA - Prime Minister John Howard has arrived in Nigeria for the Commonwealth Heads
of Government Meeting (CHOGM) determined to stand firm over the suspension of Zimbabwe.

(CHOGM D/L)

ABUJA - Prime Minister John Howard has warned Mark Latham that he is in "big school"

now as he accused the new opposition leader of immaturity and inept tokenism in his first
three days at Labor's helm. (HOWARD LATHAM)

CANBERRA - Prime Minister John Howard today warned Health Minister Tony Abbott to stop
his personal attacks on new Labor leader Mark Latham. (HOWARD LATHAM LEAD)

CHOGM N/L to come

CANBERRA - Federal Children and Youth Affairs Minister Larry Anthony today signalled
funding for thousands more child daycare places. (CHILD. See also Child ACTU. N/L to come)

SYDNEY - The only way is up for the Australian dollar after it powered to fresh six-year
highs day after day this week, with economists tipping a top of 75 US cents in the first
quarter of next year. (DOLLAR WEEK)

MELBOURNE - The loading of more than 70,000 sheep at the centre of a live export protest
has begun at a Victorian port this morning. (SHEEP. N/L to come)

CANBERRA - Australian troops in the field could be targeted by long range missiles,
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer warned today.(MISSILE DOWNER. See also MISSILE INQUIRY)

CANBERRA - Geoff Clark returned to Canberra today to reclaim his chairmanship of ATSIC
after he lost his appeal against a conviction for obstructing police. (CLARK ATSIC)

HOBART - Aboriginal rock art believed to date back some 11,000 years has been discovered
in a cave in Tasmania's south-west. (CAVE)

CANBERRA - World trade talks were on a knife-edge and could be set back years if there
was not a breakthrough soon, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said today. (WTO - Note embargo.

See also TRADE US, also embargoed. Seeking Australian reaction to US Steel tariff decision)

BRISBANE - Australia lost three wickets in a mad flurry just before lunch as India
raced back into the first cricket Test at the Gabba today. (CRICKET AUST. N/L, sidebars
and CRICKET AUST VIEW to come)

MELBOURNE - Former US PGA champion Steve Elkington has been absent from the Australasian
golf tour for five years, but he quickly made his presence felt at Huntingdale today.

(GOLF AUST. N/L, sidebars to come)

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KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL

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