PRIME MINISTER TUESDAY 20 NOVEMBER 1979
From the Press Office SUMMARY OF ABC'S 12.30 NEWS
Rupert Murdoch is making a takeover offer worth $ 125 million for
the Melbourne media ' group, the Herald and* Weekly Times. Mr.
Murdoch said he wanted to-get control of just over 50 per cent-of
the group..
Another ten hostages have been brought of the American Embassy
in Teheran and are expected to be released and put on an aircraft
out of Iran in the next few hours.-So far 13 hostages will have
been released. The ten hostages about to be released appeared
at a new conference in the compound of the American Embassy.
Newsmen said they appeared well and in good condition. About
Americans and some 20 foreigners are believed to be still held
captive and the Iranians have said some of them may be put on
trial on charges of spying.
Britain is going ahead with preparations for bringing Zimbabwe-
Rhodesia to legal independence. A Royal Hercules Transport
aircraft has landed in Salisbury with an official Daimler car for
the proposed British Governor who will supervise arrangements
running up to new elections. A British spokesman in Salisbury
said the car and equipment were intended to ensure if the London
settlement talks succeeded, preparations for the arrival of the
Governor would be well underway. Meanwhile in London Patriotic
Front Leaders are demanding what they call a substantial
Commonwealth Force to keep the peace in Zimbabwe-Rhodesia.
Unemployment showed another seasonal fall last month according
to the second set of unemployment figures for October. The number
of people registered with the Commonwealth Employment Service
as seeking full-time work fell by just over 6,000 during the month
to 383,000 or 5.9 per cent of the total workforce. This was
almost the same as the unemployment rate for October last year
as calculated by the C. E. S. The service reported a continuing
tight labour market with the number of unfilled vacancies falling
particularly for juniors. However the latest labour force survey
by the Bureau of Statistics indicated that in September the
full-time labour force increased by 76,000 or 1.3 per cent.
the former Soviet spy, Anthony Blunt, is reported to have been
traced to an address in West London. Mr. Blunt is due to hold a
news conference in London about the same time as a special
debate on the spy scandal begins in the House of Commons
tomorrow. Mr. Blunt's whereabouts were traced by the BBC.
Turkey's Prime Minister has announced an extension of martial
law and the creation of special courts as part of the fight
against terrorism. He gave notice of the moves when he outlined
his new government's program to ajoint sitting of both Houses
of the Turkish Parliament. Political violence and inflation
were the central issues in the new government's program.
The first competitors in the Parmelia yacht race from
Plymouth in England are now expected to reach Fremanlte in
Western Australia late tomorrow. At last report, a West
Autralian entry, Independent Endeavour, was about 450 miles
from Fremantle. / 2
-2
A Melbourne research team says Austr-alia is heading for a
crisis over the disposal of the potentially cancerous
manmade chemical PCB. In a report to the State Government,
the team says that PCB could seriously contaminate the
human food chain if effective disposal facilities are not
found. Microbiologists, Mr. Bruce-Richardson and.
Professor John W. ade were commissidned by the Victorian
Conservation Ministry to investigate the effects of PCB
wastes in the environment, particularly in the Port Phillip
region. Petroleum company has discovered gas in the onshore
basin north of Port Campbell in Victoria's western district.
The company's chief executive, Mr. John Hinkins, says the
discovery shows gas flowing at an estimated 200,000 cubic
metres a day. He says it is too early to determine whether
the find is of commercial significance. There are no indications
that there is oil as well as gas.
The trial in Bangkok of three Australians, Paul Hayward,
Warren Fellows and William Sinclair, on drug smuggling charges
have been deferred again, this time until January.
Police at Kalgoorlie in Western Australia investigating the
deaths of two Aborigines, say a 2 litre tin of duplicating
fluid was stolen from school at Aboriginal mission yesterday.
Two Aborigines died at the mission yesterday and ten others
are being treated in hospital after drinking the fluid.
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