Today's Headlines
Sunday 9th June 1996
International:
A curious security guard has foiled an attempt to bring Au$10 million worth of cocaine off a bulk coal carrier into Australia. The attempt
was made at Hay Point near Mackay in northern Queensland.
Apparently the guard used tactics that he had learnt from a special Customs course that he recently attended. He stalled the
alleged smugglers as they left the ship then called a 24 hour hotline alert to Customs officers. The guard told the officers,
"I am a bit suspicious about these guys, they are carrying large bags and they have just asked me to get them a cab into town. It
looks a bit out of the normal."
The guard, who works for Hay Point Services, was commended by the Custome authority for delaying the smugglers who have been arrested.
The bulk carrier came from Brazil - the world's largest producer of cocaine.
Political:
Rebel National Federal member of parliament, Bob Katter, said that he was ready to surrender his seat to stop the proposed
gun reforms going ahead. "If I was to lose my seat because of the stand I have taken, I will have sacrificed my political life in a good cause,"
he told a gun rally near Brisbane. The rally which attracted over 5,000 people attracted a number of speakers who condemned
both the state and federal leadership.
Business:
The launch of the Commonwealth Bank float is the talk of the financial town at the moment. The shares, to be floated at Au$6 each, are
currently trading at over Au$10. Guess there will be another one of those massive oversubscriptions!
Sport:
It was clean up time at Ballymore last night with Australia taking Wales to the cleaners. The Aussies were just too good. Even the
front row players seemed to run past a stunned Welch team.
Social:
Car costs are rocketing in Australia. Workers today need 16 weeks more of wages in buying a new car compared to 10 years ago.
A new Ford Fairmont today costs Au$41,759, more than double the price of its predecessor, the 1986 XF model which was priced at
Au$19,201 in 1986.
In the same time, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, weekly wages have risen from Au$429.50 in 1986 to Au$706.60 today.
The blow out in payments is from 44.5 weeks in 1986 to 59 weeks today.
Plain Weird:
Debra Gelleskey talks to Jesus every day, or so she says. The self-professed prophet has a growing following in a strange religious
cult called the Magnificat Meal Movement (or MMM). She has upset the Catholic church at the city of Toowoomba (on the great
divide in Queensland) so much that they have ordered her to pack up shop and go.
But she isn't.
Her followers meet at the village of Helidon near Toowoomba. Here she talks to Jesus at services attended by her followers.
Her latest prophecy is that Australia is going to be taken over by militia already situated in Australia and battle ready with tanks, guns..
the lot. Only prayer and lots of it will save the day. Mrs Gelleskey said that there were thousands of followers of her MMM movement around
the world today.
Oh, and the last word, it appears that contact with Jesus is not just vocal, it is also physical... I wonder what her husband thinks about that!
Beautiful day today. Sun once again shining, warm and absolutely still. I will be spending the day in the big smoke installing a new
ISDN link for one of our clients. Watch this space for details on a service which is going to have Rupert shaking at his knees.
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