Good evening, Deborah Bishop with a news update.
More than 100 people were arrested in Perth and Fremantle during New Year's celebrations
last night.
Most of the arrests were at Fremantle where a number of people were injured, including
three police officers.
And without the America's Cup, thousands of West Australians thought Fremantle was once
again the place to be to bring in the New Year.
Police were kept busy containing the drunken New Year revelers who lined the streets as
they attempted to repeat the wild scenes of an America's Cup New Year.
The celebrations got slightly out of hand with police underestimating the number they'd
need to control the crowd.
More than 80 people were arrested, mostly for disorderly conduct, and police reinforcements
from Perth had to be called in through the early hours of 88.
Although there was no official countdown in Fremantle to start the New Year, it was clear
when the celebrations really kicked off.
Yesterday Chief Superintendent Cluse said the police and the Fremantle Council would
be having a rethink about New Year's celebrations in the Port City.
Well, we would hope we change the rules a bit perhaps and an option is for more police.
We don't want to have a very high presence of police, but if it's necessary we'll just
have to do that.
Council workers were out early restoring Fremantle to her former glory.
By mid-morning there were few reminders of the New Year revelry, apart from a number
of smash shop windows and the odd bodies nursing sore heads.
The 16th World Scout Jamboree became the first official event of Australia's bicentennial
celebrations when opened by the Governor-General and Chief Scout, Senninian Stephen.
Scouts and leaders from 96 countries had been moving onto the site since Wednesday, but
the official opening did not come until one minute past midnight.
You've managed by a bit of what's politely called gamesmanship by beginning a few hours
before the very end of 1987 to make this great world jamboree the very first event of Australia's
bicentenary celebrations.
Let's then make this the friendliest jamboree of all in the friendly land of Australia.
The two hours of entertainment for the 25,000 included some well-known personalities, members
of Australia's multicultural communities and representatives from all the Scout contingents.
For the next nine days the Scouts are camped at the jamboree which provides all the facilities
of a small city, including a hospital, doctors, a shopping centre, churches and security and
fire services.
The Night Stalker, that's what Iran's Revolutionary Guards call the American Sea Bat Helicopter
– it's the Americans' closely guarded weapon for preventing Iranian mine laying,
and it's been much more successful than American efforts at mine detection.
The Sea Bat is America's most secret helicopter of all, never before filmed in the war zone
and now only by an amateur cameraman.
The motto of the helicopter task force is Death Stalks in the Dark, and that's exactly
what happened last September when Sea Bats caught an Iranian vessel red-handed laying
mines.
Fitted with infrared vision, they intercepted their target at such speed the Iranians had
only ten seconds warning before the helicopters attacked.
The fear of mines still remains the biggest problem for the US Navy ships escorting convoys
in the Gulf, and the Night Stalking Sea Bat has now proved an invaluable ally.
But so the Sea Stallion mine-hunting helicopters – they've left millions of dollars of
sonar scanning equipment to rust below.
There's no record of what the Revolutionary Guards call the Sea Stallion, but they're
certainly not as highly regarded as the Night Stalker.
Much responsibility now falls on two tugboats converted into makeshift minesweepers.
The tiny tugs sail ahead, towing behind the mine detection gear which can hardly be described
as sophisticated.
Now to the $300,000 Perth Cup, and what a finish.
The favourite Link the Leopard took the money in a photo finish.
On the turn, 4.50 to go, Senedran's Pride by one, Rouge Bijoux coming off the rails,
Royal Scribe going to third, followed by Call Me Kiwi, then came Ark and Ladd, wide, Link
the Leopard into the home straight, and Senedran's Pride in front, 2.50 to go, a link to the
quarter, Rouge Bijoux and Royal Scribe, Ark and Ladd followed by Call Me Kiwi and Link
the Leopard, it's still Senedran's Pride, a hundred I go, a link to the half, from Royal
Scribe, here comes Link the Leopard and Ark and Ladd, Link the Leopard, Ark and Ladd and
Link the Leopard, Link the Leopard's got it, Buckshot Bandit split them, Link the Leopard
from Buckshot Bandit, Ark and Ladd.
So a four-way photo finish, but Link the Leopard getting the money from Buckshot Bandit and
Ark and Ladd.
In the Sheffield Shield, Western Australia has dismissed South Australia for 158 in Adelaide,
Chris Matthews taking 4 for 41, at Stump's WA 26 without loss.
In Brisbane, Queensland rallied to be 7 for 278 at Stump's in the match against New South
Wales.
Now to the weather and isolated thunderstorms in the Kimberley, but fine elsewhere.
Perth can expect a hot day with a maximum of 32.
We'll have a full news bulletin for you around half past eight, right after Australia Live.