澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-04-19（在线收听）

The Federal Government has agreed to guarantee future funding in the health system but only at the states signed on to its health plan. The Prime Minister offered the sweetener as state and territory leaders met ahead of formal COAG (Council of Australian Government) talks.

European airlines and airports are questioning a blanket ban on air travel which has been enforced because of ash from an Icelandic volcano. Airlines say they are losing 1.7 million dollars an hour and say there may be no need. Test flights from France, Germany and Holland have returned unscathed, so airlines are urging regulators to rethink the restrictions.

The leaders of Thailand's Yellow Shirt movement have threatened to hold their own demonstrations if the government fails to end mass protests by their red-shirted rivals. The Yellow Shirts have given the government a week to act before they take to the streets.

And the Zimbabwean president has called for an end to politically and racially motivated violence. The country's celebrating 30 years of independence and Robert Mugabe used the occasion to call for greater tolerance and respect. Human rights groups claim President Mugabe is responsible for the torture and murder of thousands of Zimbabweans over the past 30 years.

And there’ll be more news later.