AAP Rolling News Bulletin Jul 15, 1000

Rolling News Bulletin 1000 AAP Rolling News Bulletin for Jul 15 at 1000

Sydney Airport (SYDNEY) Sydney Airport has rejected a $22.3 billion takeover offer because it undervalues the business, which runs the nation's biggest aviation hub. The airport was earlier this month approached by a consortium of infrastructure investors with an offer of $8.25 per stapled security. "The boards have concluded that the indicative proposal undervalues Sydney Airport and is not in the best interests of security holders," it said in a statement on Thursday. It concluded the timing of the offer, coming in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and ahead of Australia opening its borders at some future point, was "opportunistic". "The indicative price is below where Sydney Airport's security price traded before the pandemic," it said. Sydney Airport is Australia's major gateway to international travel and the country's busiest domestic hub.

Virus Vic (MELBOURNE) Victoria has recorded no additional locally acquired coronavirus cases after 10 new infections linked to the NSW outbreak were revealed on Wednesday. The health department confirmed there were 10 local cases in the 24 hours to Thursday morning, all of which were previously reported. Some 27,061 tests resulted were processed and 15,161 vaccine doses were administered during the same period. Most of the new cases have been linked to the Ariele Apartments in Maribyrnong, where removalists from NSW, who have since tested positive to COVID-19, were working on July 8. Some 200 residents of the complex have been told they will need to restart their 14-day quarantine after the cases emerged. Another case of community transmission occurred at Craigieburn Coles on Saturday, when a man contracted the virus from a member of a family that recently returned from NSW.

Virus (CANBERRA) Scott Morrison continues to blame Australia's expert medical advisors for the country's troubled vaccine rollout. The prime minister also argues he did not want to rush approval of vaccines while case numbers were low. "We have had a cautious approach in Australia on medical advice," he told ABC radio on Thursday. "We wanted to follow all the usual steps and processes to ensure the vaccines were appropriately qualified before they were used in the community." Mr Morrison said the initial plan was to rely on AstraZeneca vaccines that could be manufactured in Australia. He continued to shift blame to the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation for the slow rollout. In April, it recommended imported Pfizer vaccines be reserved for people aged under 50 because of the low risk of rare but potentially fatal blood clots linked to AstraZeneca.

Virus NSW (SYDNEY) Five million NSW residents are facing at least another fortnight of lockdown after sustained high daily coronavirus numbers forced the state government to extend stay-at-home measures. The state is on tenterhooks and waiting for the daily infection rates to drop to show the lockdown is finally working, after 97 new cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday. The 31 cases that were circulating in the community while infectious is disturbing authorities, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian saying that number needs to be close to zero before the lockdown can end. Numbers continue to rise in southwest Sydney and a new 24-hour COVID testing clinic has opened at Fairfield after people were forced to wait up to six hours in long queues at another venue.

NZ Virus NZ (AUCKLAND) New Zealand's leaders are dragging their feet on a reconnection plan with the rest of the world, promising details in a month's time. Like Australia, New Zealand has followed an elimination strategy to fight COVID-19, which requires hard borders and a rigorous quarantine system. But unlike Australia, Jacinda Ardern is yet to spell out even a top-line strategy on relaxing those restrictions. Earlier this month, Scott Morrison unveiled a high-level four-stage approach to returning Australia to somewhere near pre-COVID normalities. New Zealand has a goal of vaccinating every consenting adult Kiwi this year, an ambition that outstrips Australia, but is a long way from home. With 17 per cent of Kiwis with at least one jab, the rollout - using only Pfizer vaccine - depends on a big surge hitting arms from this month.

Brazil Bolsonaro (RIO DE JANEIRO) After 10 straight days of hiccups, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been admitted to a hospital with what doctors say is an intestinal obstruction that could require emergency surgery. Bolsonaro, 66, was admitted to the Armed Forces Hospital in the capital of Brasilia early on Wednesday and was "feeling well," according to an initial statement that said doctors were examining his persistent hiccups. But hours later, the president's office said the surgeon who operated on Bolsonaro after he was stabbed in the abdomen during the 2018 presidential campaign decided to transfer him to Sao Paulo, where he will undergo additional tests to evaluate the need for an emergency surgery. Bolsonaro, who is both Catholic and evangelical, posted on his official Twitter account a photo of himself lying on a hospital bed, eyes closed, several monitoring sensors stuck to his bare torso.

Haiti (PORT-AU-PRINCE) Sporadic protests have broken out in Haiti's capital as petrol shortages added to concerns over insecurity a week after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise pitched the Caribbean nation into uncertainty. Nearly all the petrol stations in Port-au-Prince were closed on Wednesday and long lines formed outside the few that were still operating. Residents are blaming both the criminal gangs that control key supply routes as well as opportunistic black market fuel sellers paralysing distribution into Haiti's biggest city. Some protesters set tyres ablaze in the middle of gritty city streets, which remain quieter than usual in the aftermath of Moise's killing early last Wednesday. Moise was shot dead at his home by what Haitian authorities describe as a unit of assassins, including 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans.

Virus Disability (CANBERRA) Disabled Australians living in group homes may need to wait for aged care residents to be fully vaccinated before receiving their first dose. Several large disability service providers are concerned many of their clients have not received a coronavirus vaccine, despite being included in the highest priority group of the national rollout. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the vaccine rollout in disability care was being completed as quickly as possible. "We're about halfway through those residential groups and will be having in- reach services, particularly once we've been able to get two doses to every aged care facility across the country," he told ABC radio. "They're a highly disparate group amongst the community. They're in a lot of different places and are largely in small groups in these facilities."

US Bust (LAS VEGAS) US law enforcement officials say they have dismantled a global cocaine and money-laundering hub involving more than 30 other countries including Australia, Canada and the UK. The investigation began six years ago in Las Vegas but did not arise from a casino-related probe. The top federal prosecutor and the FBI chief in Las Vegas told reporters on Wednesday the probe became public after the recent arrests of six people in Nevada, Arizona, California and Washington state on conspiracy, drug and money- laundering charges. Acting US Attorney Christopher Chiou and Aaron Rouse, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas office, were flanked by representatives of law enforcement agencies in Australia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Israel, Romania and the UK. The FBI chief said millions of dollars were involved, but he wouldn't specify an amount.

Legal: US Spears (LOS ANGELES) Britney Spears has told a court in Los Angeles s