HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, Dec 6

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2006
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, Dec 6

SYDNEY - Fairfax Media is to swallow rival newspaper publisher Rural Press Ltd to create
a $9 billion media group, kicking off an expected round of media takeovers. (Rural Press
Lead (with pics, factbox. Nightlead to come.)

CANBERRA - A mentally ill man from East Timor was wrongly detained by the Immigration
Department for six weeks, despite having held a valid visa for eight years. (Detention.

N/L to come.)

SUVA - Senior Fiji police and civil servants have been detained and the Senate shut
down as the country's military commander today began his post-coup clean-up campaign.

(Fiji Cleanup. Fiji N/L to come)

CANBERRA - The takeover of power in Fiji by the nation's military commander is disgraceful
and reprehensible, says Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. (Fiji Downer. Fiji Aust N/L
to come.)

SYDNEY - Lawyers for Australian terrorist suspect David Hicks have been granted an
urgent hearing in the Federal Court amid hopes he can be brought home before Christmas.

(Hicks. N/L to come.)

BRISBANE - Opposition treasury spokesman Wayne Swan says new Labor leader Kevin Rudd
has not given him any indication of his chances of retaining the portfolio. (Labor Swan.

N/L to come.)

CANBERRA - Politicians debated whether overturning the ban on therapeutic cloning would
lead down a slippery slope to more controversial research, as debate resumed in the House
of Representatives today. (Stemcell Members. N/L to come)

MELBOURNE - The Westpac Bank has won a $3 million lawsuit against the former bookkeeper
of businessman Steve Vizard. (Hilliard. N/L to come.)

PERTH - Disgraced one-time West Australian premier Brian Burke threatened to oust a
Labor backbencher from her seat because she would not help him promote a controversial
beachside development in the state's south-west. (BURKE to come, N/L on merit)

BRISBANE - Diseased Africans must be stopped entering Australia, says former One Nation
leader Pauline Hanson, who is considering another political comeback. (HANSON to come)

ADELAIDE - Toyota's new locally-built Aurion V6 has been named Australia's best large
car by the nation's combined motoring clubs. (Bestcars. N/L to come.)

CANBERRA - The central bank has left interest rates unchanged, providing relief to
homebuyers carrying the burden of three rate hikes this year. (RATES. Economy N/L to come.)

ADELAIDE - Duncan Fletcher senses the knives sharpening but says the proverbial blades
shouldn't be pointed solely in his direction. (Ashes England Nightlead)

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