HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, Dec 27

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2001
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, Dec 27

MAJOR STORIES MOVED SINCE THE 14:45 NATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

SYDNEY - Australia's biggest city remained ringed by bushfires as the NSW government
announced a crackdown on arsonists believed to be behind the devastation. (Bushfires NSW
Nightlead, see also sidebars, factboxes, Quotes)

SYDNEY - Michael Brennan has been ringing and ringing his home phone. (Bushfires NSW Families)

SYDNEY - Donations are flooding in for NSW bushfire victims as Prime Minister John
Howard pledged $1 million and the banking sector's Big Four announced disaster relief
programs. (Bushfires NSW Relief)

BUSHFIRES SECOND NIGHTLEAD to come

MELBOURNE - About 80 per cent of Ansett workers offered a job with the revamped airline
today are expected to take up the offer, giving those who missed out a second chance,
Ansett administrators said today. (Ansett Nightlead)

BRISBANE - Virgin Blue's $5 flights are expected to be sold out by early tomorrow.

(Virgin Second nightlead)

CANBERRA - East Timorese asylum seekers might find it hard to settle back in their
homeland even though it was technically safe to return, the United Nations refugee agency
said today. (Timor Aust Nightlead)

SYDNEY - United Airlines passengers deserved an explanation after police raided their
Australia-bound flight and removed three people, delaying it by more than four hours,
an Australian on the plane said today. (FLIGHT NIGHTLEAD to come)

HOBART - Three rafters missing on the Franklin River in Tasmania have been found. (Raft
Found, see also Raft Nightlead, SECOND NIGHTLEAD to come)

MELBOURNE - The first instalment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy has smashed Australian
box office records, grossing more than $4.1 million in its first day. (Rings)

SYDNEY - The Christmas holiday national road toll rose to 27 today with the death of
a woman in south western Queensland. (Toll National Nightlead)

MELBOURNE - South African miner AngloGold hopes a sweetened deal and possible tie-up
with Canadian giant Barrick Gold Corp will be an unbeatable combination in the hotly-contested
race to acquire Normandy Mining. (AngloGold Normandy)

HOBART - The Volvo 60 round-the-world racers were dominating the Sydney to Hobart yacht
race this evening, but one of them had been disqualified from the blue water classic.

(Yacht SydHob Nightlead, SECOND NIGHTLEAD to come)

MELBOURNE - A year to the day since his career-best performance, Andy Bichel again
rose to the challenge of a rare cricket Test appearance. (Cricket Aust Nightlead, see
also sidebars factboxes)

AAP mo

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL UPDATED

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