Compiled for Reuters by Media Monitors. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW (www.afr.com)
The Rudd Government is facing pressure from business and the Opposition to decouple the 20 percent renewable energy target from its emissions trading scheme (ETS) proposal. The Clean Energy Council, the Australian Aluminium Council and the Business Council of Australia are calling for the two bills to be split and more assistance to be provided for heavy industry.
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt yesterday accused the government of taking a 'cynical and unacceptable? stance towards the ETS. Page 1.
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A report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) casts doubt on the Rudd Government?s projections for a return to budget surplus by 2015-16. In its latest country report on Australia, the IMF endorses the federal government?s response to the global financial crisis but says the budget will not return to surplus until 2017-18. Although the Government predicts net government debt to fall to four percent of gross domestic product by 2019-20, the IMF says it will still be at 10 percent. Page 1.
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The chief executive of the Australian Football League (AFL), Andrew Demetriou, will meet with media executives this week to negotiate television broadcasting rights for the next five years.
Mr Demetriou, who wants A$1 billion for the broadcasting rights, will meet with executives from channels Seven, Nine and Network Ten to restart negotiations after a failed pre-emptive strike by Seven three months ago. The AFL?s existing TV rights contract with Seven and Ten does not expire until late 2011. Page 1.
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David Thodey, the new chief executive of Telstra, is expected to drop or delay some of the financial targets set by former CEO Sol Trujillo when he unveils his maiden full-year results on Thursday. Mr Thodey looks likely to maintain his predecessor?s key target for the company to generate free cash flow of between A$6 billion and A$7 billion in the year to June 2010. However, Mr Trujillo?s margin target of 46 to 48 percent is likely to be reviewed due to a tougher economic environment.
Page 1.
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THE AUSTRALIAN (www.theaustralian.news.com.au)
The Chinese State Secrets Bureau yesterday said it had evidence showing that detained Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu had been spying on Chinese steel mills for the past six years.
Mr Hu, Rio?s main iron ore price negotiator in China, was arrested with three of his colleagues on July 5 for bribery and stealing state secrets. 'Plenty of Chinese steel industry information was found in the computers confiscated from Rio Tinto,? States Secrets Bureau official Jiang Ruqin said yesterday. Page 1.
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Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull?s personal approval rating has dropped to just 26 percent, a position as bad as former leader Brendan Nelson when he was replaced by Turnbull last September. The Newspoll survey, conducted at the weekend, says that dissatisfaction with Mr Turnull rose seven percentage points to 57 percent. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd maintained a huge lead over Mr Turnbull as preferred prime minister, 65 to 17 percent.
Page 1.
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Soaring demand for residential real estate in the middle to lower end of the market has prompted real estate agencies to expand into mortgage belt areas in Sydney?s and Melbourne?s west.
Many property buyers are paying tens of thousands of dollars more than the advertised price, and turnover in the lower end of the market has doubled for many agencies in recent weeks. Ray White chairman Brian White said about 20 percent of its branches had reported one of their best years. Page 1.
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New statistics show that Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders account for almost one in 10 deaths and hospitalisations from the swine flu virus. Despite the rollout of a national pandemic plan, Indigenous Australians accounted for 10.4 percent of hospitalisations, federal health department data shows. The nation?s first confirmed swine flu death last month was of a 25-year-old indigenous man from a remote West Australian town. Page 2.
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THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (www.smh.com.au)
A record entry of 75,000 people participated in Sydney?s annual City2Surf fun run yesterday. The men?s winner, Gold-Coast student Michael Shelley, finished in 41 minutes 2 seconds (41.02), while the women?s winner, deaf runner Melinda Vernon, finished in 47.46. The race, which ends on the shores of Bondi Beach, is expected to raise about A$1.9 million for charity.
Veteran runner Steve Moneghetti said he expected that Mr Shelley would soon beat his race record of 40.03, set in 1991. Page 1.
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New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees will use a cabinet reshuffle to dump Ministers he suspects of plotting against his leadership. The reshuffle, due before Parliament resumes next month, could see the Minister for Police, Tony Kelly and Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, demoted or dumped. Mr Kelly is believed to be the main figure canvassing support for Health Minister John Della Bosca?s push for a challenge. Mr Della Bosca is not expected to be demoted due to his strong performance in the health portfolio. Page 1.
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The New South Wales (NSW) Liberal Party is offering business leaders the opportunity to hold 'private meetings? with state or federal shadow ministers at their state convention next month.
State director Mark Neeham has written to corporate leaders inviting them to take up the offer at A$4000 a head. The price includes an invitation to a cocktail party hosted by NSW Opposition Leader Barry O?Farrell and federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull. Page 2.
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Australia and Indonesia will make a joint submission to the United Nations climate negotiations in Germany, detailing the Rudd Government?s plans to use forests in the Asia-Pacific to offset carbon emissions. The deal will occur through the REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) program, which allows developed countries to buy carbon credits based on carbon stored in forests. The climate talks begin in Germany today. Page 5.
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THE AGE (www.theage.com.au)
A not-for-profit health organisation has won the right to use the so-called 'abortion pill? RU486 in its clinics across Australia. In a move that will see medical abortions become more widely available, the sexual health organisation Marie Stopes International will offer the drug in each of its nine centres in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. Marie Stopes said the pill, also known as mifepristone, will only be used at less than nine weeks? gestation. Page 1.
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Victorian Premier John Brumby has announced a state crackdown on knife attacks and violent assaults, granting police sweeping stop-and-search powers. Mr Brumby and police chief Simon Overland said it was necessary to prevent a knife culture taking hold in Melbourne. However, civil liberties groups and the Greens yesterday criticised the plan, which gives police the ability to stop and search anyone in a designated area, as an intrusion on individual rights. Page 1.
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If climate change continues unchecked at its current pace the Great Barrier Reef could suffer coral bleaching that would cost Australia almost A$38 billion in lost tourism revenue, a report has found. The report, commissioned by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, estimates a 50 percent drop in visitors to the reef if projections of permanent bleaching prove correct. Foundation chairman John Schubert described the report as a 'wake up call,? adding that the country was 'at a crossroads? and needed to do all it could to secure the reef?s future. Page 3.
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Keywords: DIGEST AUSTRALIA GENERAL (Sydney Newsroom +61-2 9373 1800; sydney.newsroom@reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW (www.afr.com)
The Rudd Government is facing pressure from business and the Opposition to decouple the 20 percent renewable energy target from its emissions trading scheme (ETS) proposal. The Clean Energy Council, the Australian Aluminium Council and the Business Council of Australia are calling for the two bills to be split and more assistance to be provided for heavy industry.
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt yesterday accused the government of taking a 'cynical and unacceptable? stance towards the ETS. Page 1.
- - - -
A report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) casts doubt on the Rudd Government?s projections for a return to budget surplus by 2015-16. In its latest country report on Australia, the IMF endorses the federal government?s response to the global financial crisis but says the budget will not return to surplus until 2017-18. Although the Government predicts net government debt to fall to four percent of gross domestic product by 2019-20, the IMF says it will still be at 10 percent. Page 1.
- - - -
The chief executive of the Australian Football League (AFL), Andrew Demetriou, will meet with media executives this week to negotiate television broadcasting rights for the next five years.
Mr Demetriou, who wants A$1 billion for the broadcasting rights, will meet with executives from channels Seven, Nine and Network Ten to restart negotiations after a failed pre-emptive strike by Seven three months ago. The AFL?s existing TV rights contract with Seven and Ten does not expire until late 2011. Page 1.
- - - -
David Thodey, the new chief executive of Telstra, is expected to drop or delay some of the financial targets set by former CEO Sol Trujillo when he unveils his maiden full-year results on Thursday. Mr Thodey looks likely to maintain his predecessor?s key target for the company to generate free cash flow of between A$6 billion and A$7 billion in the year to June 2010. However, Mr Trujillo?s margin target of 46 to 48 percent is likely to be reviewed due to a tougher economic environment.
Page 1.
- - - -
THE AUSTRALIAN (www.theaustralian.news.com.au)
The Chinese State Secrets Bureau yesterday said it had evidence showing that detained Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu had been spying on Chinese steel mills for the past six years.
Mr Hu, Rio?s main iron ore price negotiator in China, was arrested with three of his colleagues on July 5 for bribery and stealing state secrets. 'Plenty of Chinese steel industry information was found in the computers confiscated from Rio Tinto,? States Secrets Bureau official Jiang Ruqin said yesterday. Page 1.
- - - -
Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull?s personal approval rating has dropped to just 26 percent, a position as bad as former leader Brendan Nelson when he was replaced by Turnbull last September. The Newspoll survey, conducted at the weekend, says that dissatisfaction with Mr Turnull rose seven percentage points to 57 percent. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd maintained a huge lead over Mr Turnbull as preferred prime minister, 65 to 17 percent.
Page 1.
- - - -
Soaring demand for residential real estate in the middle to lower end of the market has prompted real estate agencies to expand into mortgage belt areas in Sydney?s and Melbourne?s west.
Many property buyers are paying tens of thousands of dollars more than the advertised price, and turnover in the lower end of the market has doubled for many agencies in recent weeks. Ray White chairman Brian White said about 20 percent of its branches had reported one of their best years. Page 1.
- - - -
New statistics show that Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders account for almost one in 10 deaths and hospitalisations from the swine flu virus. Despite the rollout of a national pandemic plan, Indigenous Australians accounted for 10.4 percent of hospitalisations, federal health department data shows. The nation?s first confirmed swine flu death last month was of a 25-year-old indigenous man from a remote West Australian town. Page 2.
- - - -
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (www.smh.com.au)
A record entry of 75,000 people participated in Sydney?s annual City2Surf fun run yesterday. The men?s winner, Gold-Coast student Michael Shelley, finished in 41 minutes 2 seconds (41.02), while the women?s winner, deaf runner Melinda Vernon, finished in 47.46. The race, which ends on the shores of Bondi Beach, is expected to raise about A$1.9 million for charity.
Veteran runner Steve Moneghetti said he expected that Mr Shelley would soon beat his race record of 40.03, set in 1991. Page 1.
- - - -
New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees will use a cabinet reshuffle to dump Ministers he suspects of plotting against his leadership. The reshuffle, due before Parliament resumes next month, could see the Minister for Police, Tony Kelly and Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, demoted or dumped. Mr Kelly is believed to be the main figure canvassing support for Health Minister John Della Bosca?s push for a challenge. Mr Della Bosca is not expected to be demoted due to his strong performance in the health portfolio. Page 1.
- - - -
The New South Wales (NSW) Liberal Party is offering business leaders the opportunity to hold 'private meetings? with state or federal shadow ministers at their state convention next month.
State director Mark Neeham has written to corporate leaders inviting them to take up the offer at A$4000 a head. The price includes an invitation to a cocktail party hosted by NSW Opposition Leader Barry O?Farrell and federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull. Page 2.
- - - -
Australia and Indonesia will make a joint submission to the United Nations climate negotiations in Germany, detailing the Rudd Government?s plans to use forests in the Asia-Pacific to offset carbon emissions. The deal will occur through the REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) program, which allows developed countries to buy carbon credits based on carbon stored in forests. The climate talks begin in Germany today. Page 5.
- - - -
THE AGE (www.theage.com.au)
A not-for-profit health organisation has won the right to use the so-called 'abortion pill? RU486 in its clinics across Australia. In a move that will see medical abortions become more widely available, the sexual health organisation Marie Stopes International will offer the drug in each of its nine centres in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. Marie Stopes said the pill, also known as mifepristone, will only be used at less than nine weeks? gestation. Page 1.
- - - -
Victorian Premier John Brumby has announced a state crackdown on knife attacks and violent assaults, granting police sweeping stop-and-search powers. Mr Brumby and police chief Simon Overland said it was necessary to prevent a knife culture taking hold in Melbourne. However, civil liberties groups and the Greens yesterday criticised the plan, which gives police the ability to stop and search anyone in a designated area, as an intrusion on individual rights. Page 1.
- - - -
If climate change continues unchecked at its current pace the Great Barrier Reef could suffer coral bleaching that would cost Australia almost A$38 billion in lost tourism revenue, a report has found. The report, commissioned by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, estimates a 50 percent drop in visitors to the reef if projections of permanent bleaching prove correct. Foundation chairman John Schubert described the report as a 'wake up call,? adding that the country was 'at a crossroads? and needed to do all it could to secure the reef?s future. Page 3.
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Keywords: DIGEST AUSTRALIA GENERAL (Sydney Newsroom +61-2 9373 1800; sydney.newsroom@reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.