HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, Feb 19

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2004
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, Feb 19

CANBERRA - The banking watchdog raised concerns about National Australia Bank's risk
management early last year, more than six months before the rogue trading scandal that
cost the bank's two top jobs. (NAB, NIGHTLEAD to come)

SYDNEY - A memorial service at The Block in inner-Sydney Redfern today for the teenager
whose death sparked violent clashes between Aboriginal protesters and police this week.

(IMPALED NIGHTLEAD to come)

CANBERRA - Labor Leader Mark Latham today criticised the parents of young children
involved in Sydney's Redfern riot. (Impaled Latham)

CANBERRA - Filipino bananas, New Zealand apples and pigmeat from a series of nations
were today given the green light for import by the nation's biosecurity watchdog. (Imports)

CANBERRA - Australia's science based quarantine system could not be compromised by
making unfair decisions on agricultural imports, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

(Bananas Howard)

BRISBANE - Angry banana growers believe their industry will be on the skids over moves
to allow imports from the Philippines. (IMPORTS BANANAS QLD to come)

To come: IMPORTS NIGHTLEAD, IMPORTS BANANAS NIGHTLEAD

SYDNEY - Australia's flagship carrier Qantas Airways Ltd today booked a 1.5 per cent
rise in half year net profit, driven by a strong performance by the airline's domestic
operations. (Qantas. To come: NIGHTLEAD, FRONTER)

CANBERRA - Opposition Leader Mark Latham today demanded an independent inquiry into
Australia's pre-war intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. (Iraq WMD Latham)

CANBERRA - Australia's intelligence community was in crisis after a top defence intelligence
officer admitted he was one source of a newspaper report on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction,
Labor said today. (Iraq WMD Rudd Lead)

DARWIN - Defence Minister Robert Hill today said he would rather his senior intelligence
officials did not give university lectures. (Iraq WMD Hill)

IRAQ WMD AUST NIGHTLEAD to come

CANBERRA - Labor today softened its stance on Australia's free trade agreement with
the United States, saying it was not in a position to say if it would support or oppose
the deal. (Trade US Latham)

SYDNEY - Support for Australia's trade agreement with the United States dropped sharply
after the deal was announced, a poll revealed today. (Trade US Poll)

TRADE US NIGHTLEAD to come

CANBERRA - Opposition Leader Mark Latham promised today a Labor government would make
a major financial commitment to a mentoring program for boys. (Boys Latham)

CANBERRA - Australia's schools needed more male teachers, federal Education Minister
Brendan Nelson said today. (Boys Nelson)

CANBERRA - Men were losing their sense of identity in a changing world and were experiencing
loneliness and depression, Opposition Leader Mark Latham said today. (Latham Daylead)

BOYS NIGHTLEAD to come

MELBOURNE - Former businessman John Elliott today lost a court bid to stave off bankruptcy.

(Elliott)

SYDNEY - Newspaper publisher John Fairfax Holdings Ltd today said, barring unforeseen
circumstances, it expected earnings growth to continue for the balance of 2004. (Fairfax)

CANBERRA - A Labor government would maintain the majority stake in Telstra and use
its public ownership leverage to get better services, Opposition Leader Mark Latham said
today. (Fairfax Latham Lead)

SYDNEY - John Fairfax Holdings Ltd chief executive Fred Hilmer today said his company
never seriously considered a proposal for a joint venture company with Telstra Corp. (Fairfax
Telstra)

FAIRFAX NIGHTLEAD to come

CANBERRA - Although the rising Australia dollar was a challenge for exporters, it caused
fewer problems than the drought, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said today. (Dollar Vaile)

CANBERRA - The higher Aussie dollar would have an impact on the wider economy, Treasurer
Peter Costello said today, through its effect on exporters. (Dollar Costello)

SYDNEY - The Australian dollar turned around abruptly against the US dollar overnight,
cascading one US cent lower after earlier breaking through 80 US cents. (Dollar Daylead)

DOLLAR NIGHTLEAD to come

SYDNEY - Diversified mining giant BHP Billiton today booked a 47 per cent rise in half
year net profit, driven by rising commodity prices and increased sales volumes. (BHP Billiton,
BHP NIGHTLEAD to come)

SYDNEY - Layne Beachley today confirmed she'll become the first female surfer to compete
in a four-star men's world tour event at the $100,000 EnergyAustralia Open in Newcastle
next month. (Surfing Beachley)

MELBOURNE - A last-gasp goal from Venezuela's Juan Arango grabbed his side a 1-1 draw
against an unlucky Socceroos side in their friendly international at the Stadio Olimpico
in Caracas today. (Soccer Aust Lead, NIGHTLEAD to come)

COLOMBO - Preview first one-dayer Aust v Sri Lanka. (CRICKET AUST NIGHTLEAD to come)

AAP mo

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL

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