Highlights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, Dec 20

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2004
Highlights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, Dec 20

CANBERRA - Treasurer Peter Costello today handed a $140 million early Christmas present
to families and warned childcare operators against ratcheting up fees. (Childcare Nightlead)

JAKARTA - Fresh security concerns swept Jakarta today when a hand grenade was found hidden
in a tin can beside the Hilton Hotel just days after Australia warned of a possible terror
attack on the complex. (Indon Grenade Nightlead)

CANBERRA - John Howard has made a virtue of his ordinariness but will reach an extraordinary
milestone tomorrow when he becomes Australia's second longest serving prime minister.

(Howard Nightlead. See also Downer Daylead, Downer Newsfeature.)
SYDNEY - The Howard years represent a triumph of conservatism. (Howard Years, AAP Newsfeature.)

CANBERRA - Australia's biggest state today bucked the trend in an otherwise wholesale
rejection of the federal government's proposal to take control of the country's universities
from the states. (Universities Nightlead)

CANBERRA - Steamrolling tax revenue from the business sector is expected to deliver the
government a better than expected Budget surplus when the mid-year economic review is
released tomorrow. (Economy Nightlead. See also finance story MYEFO Economists, with factbox.)

MELBOURNE - The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games is set to unveil two new sponsors in
the next few days as it confronts threats of a television blackout in Asia and a rift
with Victoria's union movement regarding jobs. (Games Nightlead)

SYDNEY - Australian households are saving more than ever, and the extra money in the pocket
is now being used to repay debt, according to a new report. (Savings. EMBARGOED)

SYDNEY - James Hardie Industries NV today said it was closer to signing off on a compensation
agreement for future asbestos victims. (James Hardie)

SYDNEY - The NSW government will launch a second appeal to try to prevent a teacher who
had a relationship with a student from keeping a workers compensation payout. (Sinclair
Nightlead)

CANBERRA - Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone today lashed out at Australian Democrats
senator Andrew Bartlett, calling him silly and foolish for joining a hunger strike in
support of asylum seekers. (Baxter Nightlead)

GOLD COAST - Living with the name Christmas isn't always a sure-fire recipe for festive
cheer. (Christmas)

SYDNEY - Centro Properties Group has entered a joint venture to acquire a shopping centre
manager in the United States for $US610 million ($A799.69 million). (Centro)

SYDNEY - Rugby League players have asked for off-field behaviour guidelines to be spelt
out in black and white. (League Women Nightlead)

PERTH - Australia's cricket team insists its job is to stay ahead of the rest despite
giving Pakistan a first Test hiding which has cricket buffs worried about the gulf between
the best and rest. (Cricket Aust Nightlead)

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KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL UPDATED

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