Today's Headlines
Sunday 17th March 1996
International:
Well a little story closer to home and it doesn't involve either politics or sport! The adult son of a prominent Ipswich eye
surgeon visited his family in Ipswich last month. The boy is a member of the Moonies cult based in New York. It appears that dad,
Dr Graham Isbell, was so concerned that his boy had been brain washed that he organised a de-programming session with three
ex-cult members. The team, one from Sweden and another from the US, waited in a remote farm house in the district for the boy to
be delivered by the father. When the boy arrived he was abducted and for 5 days went through intensive de-programming - all to no avail.
To escape the boy said that he would leave the church, but instead he promptly told the local press and is going back to the
Moonies in the US!
Political:
Kim Beazley will be elected unopposed to lead what is left of the Australian Labor party. The caucus meeting will take place next
Tuesday in Canberra and the small caterers bill will reflect a shadow of the party from what it was before the election.
Business:
Unions are now making a big grab for a slice of the Aussie home loan market with cut-rate loans. The Au$140,000 million home loan
market is traditionally a big and safe money spinner for the banks. The cut-rate loans will, however, only be open to Union members
in the Community and Public Sector Union. The fee-free loan rate, starting tomorrow, is set at 8.95%.
Sport:
Six Australian bowlers, including Shane Warne, have been put on standby to open the bowling in the World Cup final being held today against
Sri Lanka. Australia's greatest concern is to stunt the flying start that has epitomised the Sri Lankan's success during this series (if we
discount the 4 points they gained by default when Australia and the West Indies refused to play in Sri Lanka).
Mark Waugh believes that a bowler with reduced pace could slow the run blitz by the top Sri Lankan hell-raisers. Sanath Jayasuriya and
Romesh Kaluwitharana who have belted the leather off the ball will be the men to watch.
Social:
A new survey put the number of Australians having affairs at 40%. On radio the claim is that women are now doing it more than men
and that at least 15-20% of the population are serial adulterers! The chief Australian censor, John Dickie, (aptly named!)
topped it all off by saying that the vresults were due to the population watching too many wicked movies! (I guess he should know!)
The final juicy statistic in this complex little web is the comment that 70% of people who admitted to having had an affair said that they
would never do it again.
Personal trivia:
Went into the big smoke yesterday for a meeting with clients. The weather is absolutely splendid again today. A perfect day for
entertaining both friends and clients at our little lunch time bar-b-que to be held on our deck overlooking the Brisbane river.
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