AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 18Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430
Wilton (CANBERRA)
The Prime Minister is now likely to make an early announcement about his own politicalfuture following the decision by his most trusted adviser MAX MOORE-WILTON to quit.
Mr MOORE-WILTON will finish as Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabineton Friday, ahead of taking a up a board position with an unspecified private company.
The decision has sparked media speculation that Mr HOWARD will decide whether or notto quit well ahead of his 64th birthday next July -- the deadline he's announced for declaringhis plans.
Mr MOORE-WILTON'S resignation means Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has lost his secondkey adviser in two months, following that of party national director LYNTON CROSBY.
Meanwhile the Australian Democrats have urged Mr MOORE-WILTON to steer clear of sensitiveappointments in the private sector.
Bali (NUSA DUA)
Leadership of the Australian Federal Police investigation into the Bali bombings willchange this weekend.
The news comes as Indonesian authorities announced the three chief suspects of theBali bombings will face trial in February.
Assistant Commissioner GRAHAM ASHTON will return to his position as head of the southerncommand of the AFP, handing control of the Bali investigation to Superintendent SCOTTLEE.
The baton change comes as the initial stage of the investigation slows down and Indonesianpolice prepare a brief of evidence for 17 detained suspects connected to the October 12attack, which killed more than 180 people.
Chief investigator I MADE MANGKU PASTIKA says the trials will be held in Bali.
PASTIKA says they must be held in Bali because the Balinese people would be angry andriot if they weren't.
Iraq Aust (SYDNEY)
Senior Australian defence commanders have reportedly been told to prepare for a waragainst Iraq in March.
The Daily Telegraph says senior military officers expect US President GEORGE W BUSHto signal final preparations to begin next month in readiness for the attack.
The paper says troops from the Special Air Service will head Australia's involvementbut US and British forces will lead the major air and ground assaults.
It says Australia will send three warships, a flight of RAAF F/A-18 Hornet fighters,Orion patrol aircraft and Boeing 707 tanker aircraft.
About 20 Australian officers are already attached to the US Gulf headquarters in Qatarto oversee Australia's war plans and one squadron of SAS troopers has spent months trainingfor operations in Iraq.
Iraq (LONDON)
A British defence source says US troops are being put on short notice to move on a war in Iraq.
In Baghdad, Iraqi officials say nuclear, biological and chemical experts, part of aUN inspection team, have fanned out across Iraq to search for banned weapons after Washingtonraised the volume in the trans-Atlantic war of words.
Gold has jumped to its highest level in more than 5-1/2 years and the dollar has slidto a three-year low against the euro -- both indicators the market views the sides asmoving closer to war.
The US and Britain have signalled they are ready for war if Iraq breaches a tough UNSecurity Council resolution aimed at ensuring it has no weapons of mass destruction.
Terror Malaysia (KUALA LUMPUR)
Malaysian police have detained two people under a tough security law for allegedlysending e-mails to the Australian High Commission warning of bomb attacks on major shoppingcomplexes in Kuala Lumpur.
The two -- a man in his 40s and a 22-year-old woman -- were arrested under the InternalSecurity Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial.
Terror Marshals (NUSA DUA)
Armed air marshals will soon patrol Qantas flights to and from Singapore and a similardeal with Indonesia is under negotiation.
Justice Minister CHRIS ELLISON says Australia has reached agreement with Singaporeon the arrangements in talks yesterday.
He says marshals will operate on Qantas flights and Singaporean security officerswill be on Singapore Airlines flights into Australia.
Meanwhile, Sydney residents have been put on alert that police will conduct a simulatedterrorist threat tomorrow.
NSW Premier BOB CARR says the simulation will test government and police responsesto a real-life attack.
Ethanol (SYDNEY)
The federal government has drawn fire from car makers and motoring bodies for its decisionnot to cap the ethanol content of petrol at 10 per cent.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive PETER STURROCK and the NRMAchief ROB CARTER joined minor political parties in the criticism.
The NRMA says the federal government has dodged its duty to protect motorists.
Mr STURROCK says a failure to specify a maximum content of 10 per cent will leave motoristsuncertain about the impact of ethanol on the performance and operability of engines.
Federal cabinet yesterday declined to cap ethanol levels because of evidence whichsuggested the environmentally friendly fuel could damage engines was inconclusive.
HIH (SYDNEY)
The wait will soon be over for those associated with HIH Insurance's $5.3 billion demiseas they are set to hear the first indication of who might face criminal charges.
The official findings of the 15-month HIH royal commission won't come down until theend of February next year, when commissioner Justice NEVILLE OWEN hands his report tothe federal government.
But today there'll be a preview of the direction Justice OWEN's likely to take, asvarious counsel assisting the commission make their submissions on findings to be drawnfrom the evidence.
RODNEY ADLER, a former director of HIH, has already been charged with manipulatingand misleading the stock market.
Court Heydon (CANBERRA)
Major political parties have welcomed the appointment of Australia's newest High Courtjudge -- Justice JOHN DYSON HEYDON.
Justice HEYDON'S appointment to replace the retiring Justice MARY GAUDRON was announcedlast night by Attorney-General DARYL WILLIAMS.
The only initial disappointment for some is that the new appointment leaves the HighCourt without a female member.
Boat Islands (SYDNEY)
The federal government has attempted to temporarily cut four islands out of Australia'smigration zone to thwart suspected asylum seekers.
However it later turned out the boat only had a fishing crew onboard.
Immigration Minister PHILIP RUDDOCK says the suspension of the islands near Carnarvonoff the West Australian coast was a precautionary measure after sightings of a boat sailingtowards the mainland over the weekend.
The move would have allowed any arrivals to be taken to Christmas Island, Nauru orManus Island under the Pacific Solution without the right of appeal to Australian courts.
UK Yoko (LONDON)
JOHN LENNON'S widow, YOKO ONO, is considering legal action to stop PAUL MCCARTNEY fromaltering songwriting credits on Beatle songs.
Lawyers for ONO is reportedly annoyed that Sir PAUL'S new live album puts his own namefirst, instead of the traditional LENNON/MCCARTNEY.
MCCARTNEY has long complained that the credits for Yesterday, the most recorded songin the world, are inaccurate, as he says LENNON made no input.
A lawyer for ONO says he's looking into ways of blocking the reversal.
Briefly .....
Construction workers employed by building industry giant, Grocon, will vote today ona groundbreaking ballot the company has set up to break union power over its workforce.
Police say there's still some hope of finding two-year-old JOEDAN ANDREWS whose beenmissing in south-western New South Wales since Sunday.
East Timor's parliament has today ratified the Timor Sea Treaty, paving the way forjoint oil and gas developments with Australia.
New research has found more than one million Australian women are at risk of bone fractureor early death from osteoporosis.
Thirty-four men have been arrested in London by British police following a US-led operationtargeting Internet users who pay to access child pornography websites.
Pope JOHN PAUL has used his peace message for 2003 to call on world leaders to defusethe explosive situation in the Middle East, saying they'll be held accountable for theiractions.
AND IN SPORT:
Soccer World (MADRID)
Australia has been handed virtual automatic qualification for the 2006 soccer WorldCup with Oceania given direct entry into the finals.
Barring a major upset by New Zealand during the Oceania qualifiers, the decision byFIFA has presented the Socceroos a place in sport's biggest event for the first time since1974.
The big loser is South America dropping from 4.5 places to four.
Asia's fifth team will play off for the last place against the fourth team from Northand Central America and the Caribbean.
Tri England (BRISBANE)
England captain NASSER HUSSAIN says his players can't go over the top with their celebrationsdespite recording the first win of their Australian tour last night.
England beat Sri Lanka by 43 runs in the tri series match in Brisbane, scoring 292from 50 overs before restricting Sri Lanka to six for 249.
Cricket Aust (MELBOURNE)
National selectors have delayed the announcement of the Test team to meet England inMelbourne on Boxing Day, indicating STUART MACGILL will not be an automatic replacementfor SHANE WARNE.
Selectors are waiting until Sunday to watch the full round of first-class matches beginningThursday.
Despite his shoulder injury WARNE is set to be named in Australia's final squad forthe World Cup but won't play unless completely fit.
THIS ENDS THE BREAKFAST ROUND-UP
AAP RTV nd
KEYWORD: BREAKFAST ROUND-UP
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