abc newsmail newslistsyourabcnetau abc news friday august 8 2008 news visit abc news online httpabcnetaunews receive email html preferred topics log email address httpabcnetaunewsalertsdefaulthtm abc newsmail headlines glance rain haze threaten beijing opening ceremony 17 arrested worlds biggest ecstasy bust fed govt open buying murraydarling properties woman gets 3 years bondage death tasers still okay un torture convention ag anz keen reduce rates guarantees ferguson ordered stand trial georgian troops warplanes pound separatists nsw court grants injunction sonny bill scroll details rain haze threaten beijing opening ceremony thick haze looms beijing ahead opening olympic games organisers warn rain could also put dampener spectacular ceremony haze reduced visibility around olympic village north city several hundred metres casting pall iconic birds nest national stadium ceremony held controversy swirled around issue beijings air quality throughout buildup games international olympic committee ioc insisted pollution poses threat athletes weather forecast predicting showers afternoon organisers repeatedly said rain biggest worry ahead opening ceremony feature 10000 performers massive fireworks display temperatures expected range 25 32 degrees celsius day organising committee bocog said meanwhile prime minister kevin rudd arrived china yesterday met chinese premier wen jiabao beijings great hall people mr rudd says told mr wen australia continue raise concerns human rights country says china made substantial progress since opened world late 1970s well someone whos looked things last 30 years think history human rights china always two steps forward one step back important therefore look things long historical view mr rudd said world leaders continuing arrive us president george w bush also flying mr rudd among 100 world political figures tonights ceremony afpabc 17 arrested worlds biggest ecstasy bust australian federal police afp say smashed global drug syndicate following customs says worlds largest seizure drug ecstasy afp says 44 tonnes drug seized 17 people arrested victoria nsw south australia tasmania morning due appear court today pills street value 440 million found packed 3000 tomato tins shipping container arrived melbourne june 28 2007 july 24 year customs afp intercepted another shipping container melbourne found contain 150 kilograms white powder appeared cocaine testing drugs substituted inert substance shipping container monitored afp executed 45 search warrants morning part investigation international drug syndicate arrested alleged involved major drug trafficking australia afp says investigation also identified moneylaundering operation worth 49 million federal police commissioner mick keelty says syndicate major supplier illicit drugs australia estimation intelligence indicates syndicate alleged involved something order 60 per cent importations coming southeast australia said classic organised crime done best shut syndicate shows australian federal police taking action protect youth streets another success story long line recent achievements tackling domestic transnational crime federal attorneygeneral robert mcclelland says seizure shows australia seen soft target drug syndicates volume seizure indicates international syndicates saw australia potentially fertile market said hope impression well truly smashed one men arrested northeast tasmanian man appeared court morning federal prosecutors asking extradition order move 50yearold pipers brook man interstate riverina city griffith among centres police raided homes griffiths mayor dino zappacosta says bust major setback new south wales regional city worked hard distance past reputation drug crime unfortunately limelight back griffith said tried years clean good name griffith mayor ive always tried talk griffith wonderful place certainly going put dampener whole impact weve years fed govt open buying murraydarling properties staff member federal water minister penny wong says government open idea buying properties murraydarling system way returning water rivers australian conservation foundation acf says federal state governments use big water storages properties queensland new south wales help ailing lower regions murraydarling system acf identified six properties big water entitlements sale basin including toorale station darling farms new south wales cubbie station queensland dr arlene buchan acf says properties others market bought water used flush river system provide medium longterm benefits environment shortterm benefits said possible water could transferred right system meningee lakes offset water released meningee lakes would reach lower lakes coorong senator wong available personally comment acf plan spokeswoman minister says government plans spend 3 billion next decade buying water entitlements return murray says government open idea talking willing sellers murraydarling basin commission says buying properties along darling river release water would enough save lower lakes murray commission acting chief executive les roberts says much water would lost could reach stricken lower lakes south australia darling river flowing little 20 per cent water would release storages would eventually make end system significant system losses said south australian premier mike rann also says doubts purchase six properties along darling river would help lower lakes murray mouth woman gets 3 years bondage death sunshine coast woman spend year jail death de facto bondage session geoffrey braunack 47 died asphyxiation 2004 sunshine coast home shared 58yearold jean margaret meiers tied concrete post dog chain around neck packing tape mouth nose justice ann lyons sentenced meiers three years imprisonment suspended 12 months justice lyons said announcing sentence taken account meiers acted husbands request gratification done many times last occasion appreciate husband could escape previously tasers still okay un torture convention ag federal attorneygeneral says australia ratifies optional protocol un convention torture would stop australian police using tasers robert mcclelland says consulting state territory governments whether ratified expects release opinion next months concerns raised ratification optional protocol would effectively bar australian police using tasers mr mcclelland says would case would depend tasers used clearly taser used alternative shooting someone dead one thing hand taser used repeatedly fire someone purpose eliciting information obviously thats different situation said anz keen reduce rates guarantees anz says might reduce interest rates even reserve bank australia rba cuts official cash rate rba kept rates hold month many economists tipping cut rates reserve bank board meets next month federal inquiry banking competitiveness sitting melbourne today anz managing director mortgages michael rowland asked bank would rates cut said bank would keen reduce rates said guarantees want able quickly balance successful profitable organisation thats long term said big banks criticised recent months raising rates step rba ferguson ordered stand trial warrant issued arrest convicted queensland paedophile dennis ferguson given next tuesday surrender police 60yearold stand trial new child sex charge ferguson freed earlier year district court judge hugh botting ruled would get fair trial adverse publicity jury might dispassionate judge botting also said guilty verdict reasonably open jury queenslands court appeal morning allowed appeal brought attorneygeneral ruling judge botting wrong speculate issues state attorneygeneral kerry shine says expects ferguson present district court within four days required today court appeal confirmed queensland accused person receive fair trial properly directed jury juries arrive intelligent decisions evidence put evidence put said welcome decision today course places confidence justice system queensland expect everyone abide decision child welfare advocate hetty johnston todays hearing says right decision always worst decision possible say cant get fair trial therefore youre free said convicted prisoner opportunity indefinite sentencing legislation kick justice take course thats weve ever asked ferguson living secret location queensland fergusons lawyer nick dore says talk client whether apply bail returned custody human rights lawyer greg barns described court appeals judgement conservative mr barns says media coverage surrounding ferguson appalling would doubt mr ferguson could get fair trial said hes got two courses open either go high court get queensland court appeal judgment overturned wouldve thought might chance succeeding secondly make application given amount appalling prejudicial publicity thats given mr ferguson since original decision georgian troops warplanes pound separatists georgian troops backed warplanes pounded separatist forces outskirts south ossetian capital hours launching assault breakaway region following shortlived truce georgian big guns shelled tskhinvali government separatists envoys due meet russiamediated peace talks later friday many houses ablaze russia main backer separatists controlled region since war early 1990s accused georgia treachery urged world community avert massive bloodshed crisis fuelled fears fullblown war region emerging vital energy transit route russia west vying influence new york members un security council meet emergency session russias request discuss crisis georgia said operation launched week clashes separatists troops nearly 20 people killed aimed ending south ossetias effective independence 199192 war forced restore constitutional order whole region commander georgian peacekeepers south ossetia mamuka kurashvili told georgian television tskhinvali thousands people took refuge shelling makeshift shelters cellars homes russian television showed pictures houses fire sitting two days already elderly woman surrounded members family told russias vesti24 television scary dont know whether georgians advancing added even time take radios vesti24 correspondent tskhinvali andrei chistyakov said least 15 civilians killed town people whose bodies seen yards streets said reuters nsw court grants injunction sonny bill new south wales supreme court granted injunction canterbury bulldogs star sonny bill williams playing french rugby union club toulon bulldogs sought injunction stop williams playing first game club tomorrow morning australian time williams unrepresented todays hearing court heard documents handed williams training field delivered number addresses australia new zealand international quit bulldogs sign multimillion dollar deal cashed french club coached former black tana umaga news visit abc news online httpabcnetaunews unsubscribe please go httpabcnetaunewsalertsunsubscribehtm receive email html preferred topics log email address httpabcnetaunewsalertsdefaulthtm fri 08 aug 2008 160000 1000 abc newsmail afternoon edition text