And next week I'll be bringing you the 7.30 summer edition.
And first up the story of how some highly promising research funded by the Australian
taxpayer could end up in foreign hands.
We made the breakthrough but now the Swiss want it.
I'll see you Monday.
This Christmas give the gift of music to your family and friends.
ABC Concert Music has three terrific ideas for you.
A 1988 subscription ticket to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Choose from a ten right down to a four concert series.
A youth textbook for only $25.
Books of five vouchers may be redeemed by the 25s and under on concert nights for the
best remaining seats in the house.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra book by Christopher Simons.
A marvellous coffee table book for $25.
For prices and purchase details for these great gifts phone 640 3339 now.
Hi I'm Alan Hogan in Washington and on behalf of my colleagues in ABC bureaus around the
world, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy Christmas and all the best
for the new year.
There's been another report that Terry Waite, the archbishop of Canterbury's envoy to the
Middle East may be alive.
Britain's mail on Sunday says Waite is being held in a school in Muslim West Beirut.
They cite sources in Paris, Beirut and Washington in the report saying he's in a cell in a school
occupied by supporters of the Islamic Jihad.
Waite disappeared almost 12 months ago.
The Soviet Union is the latest international voice to condemn Israel's handling of Arab
unrest in its occupied territories.
Palestinian groups claim almost 50 people have died and hundreds have been detained
during almost two weeks of rioting.
Jerusalem has seen its worst violence for years.
Hundreds of Palestinian youths protesting against the Israeli occupation were met by
riot-ready troops in the latest clash.
In the Gaza Strip the scene is the same.
The Soviet Union says Israel should heed the voice of reason and agree to a UN-sponsored
peace conference.
The Americans still aren't having much luck with their space program.
The latest test firing of a shuttle booster rocket in Utah had to be aborted.
We are aborting the motor.
Officials said later that the fault was not in the rocket motor itself but in what they
termed ground support.
On Macquarie Island everything is set for a midnight operation to finally refloat the
Neludan.
Rod Wallace reports.
In the past week a salvage team has patched the ruptured hull of the Neludan and today
it was still pumping water out for tonight's high tide.
But they've been hampered by bad weather.
This morning the weather's been pretty bad.
There's squalls up to about 45 knots and snow and sleet and so on so it's very uncomfortable
outside.
What they've done is this morning they've fixed the towing line to Neludan and the intention
is that at midnight tonight on the high tide they will attempt to swing the ship off the
rocks.
Australia's leading pawpaw grower has had a third of his crop poisoned in what appears
to be an act of sabotage.
The central Queensland grower fears others might become targets in a war between producers.
It won't be a Merry Christmas for the Wilson family at Yawan near Gladstone.
The area is Australia's major pawpaw producing region and Roy Wilson is the number one grower.
It's just been revealed that 11 days ago someone poisoned 4,000 of his best trees.
They began to die immediately.
Police and forensic officers from Brisbane have been called in but so far no leads.
The Wilsons are mystified as to why they should be the target of such a malicious act.
Whoever has been sick enough to do this sort of tremendous damage can happen a lot more.
The Wilsons say the chemical used was sprayed on the trees and on the ground.
Forensic tests have shown that the poison is not harmful to humans but the damage bill
to the Wilson's crop could be as high as $80,000.
Russ Hins, former Queensland police and racing minister, wants a fair go.
The big man of Queensland politics who was kicked off the front bench because he was
named in the Fitzgerald inquiry, issued an emotional plea to members of the racing fraternity
in Brisbane today.
I'm mentioned in the same way as Judge Broad.
I'm mentioned in the same way as Pratt.
I'm mentioned in the same way as one or two other ministers.
I'm mentioned.
Now they are all at work.
They're all still in their office and I've been sacked.
Mr Hins says he's now going home to spend a quiet month with his wife and to await the
next development in what has been a personal tragedy.
My daughter's phone up and say can we come to Christmas.
Well I said children there's no Christmas at my home.
Sydney today got a look at the new train that will carry the city's rail travellers in the
1990s.
The Tangara trains will be brought into service at a cost of half a billion dollars.
The first is to begin running early next year.
Australia has unearthed a new marathon swimming star.
He's 17 year old Evan Barry of Brisbane who today broke the world record for a 24 hour
swim.
According to the Guinness Book of Records the record stands at 86 kilometres in one
day.
Evan passed that mark after a mere 21 hours.
Fouling his way up and down the Valley Pool he maintained a strong pace.
Under the rules stopping for a five minute break each hour.
And another marathon has ended in Spain with Gary Kasparov retaining his world chess title.
After weeks of battling over the board against former title holder Anatoly Karpov the intrepid
Kasparov swept to a 64 move win in the 24th game in Seville.
That levelled the series at 12 all meaning that he kept his title.
The crowd gave Kasparov a matador's ovation.
And before we go to the weather we thought you might like to know that Mother Teresa
is no longer the world's most admired woman according to one poll.
She's been toppled by none other than Britain's guardian angel Margaret Thatcher with the
Queen voted third and Princess Anne fourth.
Mind you the poll was conducted by Britain's ultra conservative newspaper The Sunday Telegraph.
Now that weather outlook.
Most capitals should have fine weather tomorrow except Darwin and Hobart where showers are
expected.
That's all for tonight.
More news tomorrow at seven.
I'm Geoff Hiscock.
Good night.
I will be followed across the continent by the world.
VOS the world premiere recording of this unique Australian opera is now available on double
album compact disc and cassette all handsomely boxed with a 64 page libretto.
Based on Patrick White's powerful novel.
Boss was composed by Richard Meale with libretto by David Maloof.
The opera features Jeffrey Chard and Marilyn Richardson with the Australian Opera Chorus
and the Symphony Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stuart Challender.
For VOS by phoning double eight oh two double three double three and ABC shops and record
stores everywhere.
Join us for a spectacular concert season in 1988.
The Symphony Orchestra's of Australia will celebrate with the very best Australia's finest
talent is coming home.
There's Barry Tuckwell John Williams Roger Woodward.
Jeffrey Parsons Yvonne Kenny and many more.
Subscribe now call ABC concert line for a brochure.
The number to call is double oh eight oh two three two nine two double oh eight oh two
three two nine two.
The 1988 concert season.
One to remember.
ABC concerts as close as your phone.
Catch the Christmas spirit with the mirth and mayhem of great Christmas comedy.
A bird.
It's a bird.
At eight o'clock Monday it's the fun of fresh fields.
A little bird.
A sparrow.
A red.
A catfish.
A church.
Eight o'clock Tuesday there's the joy and delight of to the man abhor.
Oh it's a catfish.
Oh it's Richard.
You know perfectly well he likes us to use his Christian name.
The nearest he gets to Christian is stirring his coffee with an apostle spoon.
Wednesday at eight sees the hilarious ethics of outgarned in sickness and in health.
You're an imposter.
What are you talking about imposter.
There's no such thing as father Christmas you bloody silly cow.
Thursday the louts keep coming in porridge.
Very seasonal is it.
Oh it is for George he's only allowed once a year.
From the tinsel to the turkey it's great Christmas comedy starting Monday on ABC.
From his stunning four part series David Attenborough presents this beautiful book.
The First Eden.
The Mediterranean World and Man.
Nowhere has mankind had a greater effect on his environment.
Nowhere has the human race left more abundant evidence of its activities.
The Mediterranean is the place where man's exploitation of the land began and where it
has run its full cycle.
David Attenborough's The First Eden.
This beautiful book is available now from all ABC shops and good bookstores.