Today's Headlines

an Aussie's viewpoint

Search news archive

Friday 19th July 1996

International:

The states are starting to step down from their lofty perches in the face of threats by Prime Minister John Howard to call for a national referendum on guns. It now appears highly likely that all the states will accept uniform gun laws making Australia a far safer place for the community to live in.

The Northern Territory has bowed to pressure, Queensland is following suit and it appears that the bluster from Western Australian politicians might be running out of steam as well.

The uniform gun laws would ban private ownership of all automatic and semi-automatic guns in Australia.

Political:

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday criticised the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for its narrow minded approach on issues. Howard said that he supported an independent ABC but didn't want a national broadcaster which "actually runs an agenda of its own".

He said that he would not negotiate with ABC staff who ended a 24 hour strike in protest over the Government's decision to cut the broadcaster's funding by Au$65 million (about 10%).

Business:

Has Rupert Murdoch outplayed himself? This has got to be the big question.

It has now come to light that yesterday's announcement that News Corp is to acquire New World Communications Group has a few strings attached that investors in the company's preferential shares will not appreciate.

The funding for the over Au$3 billion acquisition will come straight out of the company's preferential shares - which have no say in the running of the company or vote at meetings.

Holders of the pref shares don't like this at all and yesterday the shares plummeted from Au$6.30 to about Au$5.30 and it appears that that is not the bottom of the fall either.

Sport:

Poor old Dean Capobianco. Australia's star 200 metre sprinter had no sooner been found not-guilty of the positive drug-use charge than he finds the next level of legal mayhem exploding around his ears.

Last night he appeared on all the national television channels current affairs programmes saying how delighted he was that his name had been cleared when the news broke. Two weeks from the day of his big event, the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) has advised that it will launch its own investigation into the tribunal which ruled in Dean's favour...

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Lovely day yesterday with the launch of the new global office attended by some clients and associates of the company.

This morning we had our first frost of the winter - on the banks opposite. It was cold overnight, but it looks like a warm day ahead.

Return to Australian National News of the Day

#
Web development, design, and storage by Global Web Builders - Email: global@gwb.com.au

See GLOBE International for other world news.