Highlights of the AAP National wire at 15:30 Aug 1, 1999

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-1999
Highlights of the AAP National wire at 15:30 Aug 1, 1999



MELBOURNE - Senior federal minister and high-profile republican Peter Reith today urged a
"no" vote in this year's republic referendum, saying he favours direct election of a
president. (REPUBLIC NIGHTLEAD to come. See REPUBLIC REITH, REPUBLIC TURNBULL to come.)



CANBERRA - Foreign Minister Alexander Downer today warned of serious consequences if
Australians were hurt in East Timor in the lead-up to the August 30 UN run independence
ballot. (TIMOR DOWNER. See also TIMOR BRERETON. N/L to come.)



BRISBANE - Queensland Treasurer David Hamill has announced he will step down until an
Auditor-General's report into the "net bet" affair is finalised. (NET CASINO HAMILL. See also
NET CASINO BEATTIE, NET CASINO LIBERALS, NET CASINO STATEMENT, NET CASINO BORBIDGE, NET CASINO
BEATTIE, HAMILL NEWSFEATURE. N/L to come.)



INTERLAKEN - The deep sound of didgeridoos rang out across a Swiss canyon tonight as
families, friends, backpackers and townspeople paid tribute to the 21 young people swept to
their deaths last week by the Saxeten River. (SWISS RIVER CEREMONY. See also SWISS RIVER)



CANBERRA - Being prime minister was worth marriage failure, a malicious gossip campaign and
continuing controversy over his piggery interests, Paul Keating said. (KEATING)



CANBERRA - The public stoush over the attempted sacking of Defence Department
secretary Paul Barratt made Australia the laughing stock of the world, the federal opposition
said today. (SECRETARY BRERETON)



BRISBANE - Suicide rates for males aged up to 34 have almost doubled in the past thirty
years, according to a new study. (SUICIDE.)



CANBERRA - The new government of Sir Mekere Morauta was capable of pulling Papua New Guinea
out of economic crisis, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today. (PNG DOWNER. See also
PNG BRERETON. N/L to come.)



CANBERRA - A senior federal government minister said today the Coalition was
unlikely to support a referendum to reintroduce the death penalty. (CAPITAL DOWNER)



HONG KONG - Australian travel agency group Flight Centre Ltd announced today it would enter
the $US100 billion United States market, opening at least 30 stores within three years at a
set-up cost in the first year of $2 million. (FLIGHT CENTRE)



LOS ANGELES - Tennis rivals Pete Sampras and Pat Rafter have patched up their
differences, Sampras said today, the day he reclaimed the world No.1 ranking from the
Australian. (TENNIS US RIVALRY)



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