AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 16

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2004
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 16
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

Iraq (BAGHDAD)

An Australian aid worker and three Japanese hostages have been freed by insurgents in Iraq.

But the murder of an Iranian diplomat and an Italian captive are chilling reminders
of the risks foreigners face as rebels battle the US-led occupation.

About 40 foreign hostages are believed to have been seized in Iraq since last week.

America's top general, RICHARD MYERS, says talks are under way to try to bring peace
to the besieged Sunni Muslim city of Fallujah and to avoid a bloodbath in the Shi'ite
shrine city of Najaf.

However US Deputy Secretary of State RICHARD ARMITAGE has told a Czech news agency
the US is willing to conduct a military operation to try to free hostages.



Iraq Aust (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says more hostages will be taken and murdered if the US-led
forces in Iraq weaken their position.

In an interview broadcast in the United States, Mr HOWARD's told Fox News the nations
fighting the war against terror in Iraq must to stand together.

However, an Australian aid worker taken hostage for 24 hours in the Iraqi town of Fallujah
says the Australia government's policies in Iraq increased the danger she was in.

DONNA MULHEARN says she was placed in great danger because of inflammatory comments
by Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD.

Ms MULHEARN says his comments have been given wide airplay on Iraqi and Arab television
in the preceding days, had placed her in danger.



Iraq Troops (WASHINGTON)

About 20,000 US troops who were due to return home have been ordered to remain in Iraq.

But despite the decision, Defence Secretary DONALD RUMSFELD says says the commander
of the US forces in Iraq, General JOHN ABIZAID, believes US forces are reining in the
bloody insurgency that has claimed hundreds of lives in the last two weeks.



Terror binLaden Tape (WASHINGTON)

The CIA says a tape of a man identifying himself as OSAMA BIN LADEN probably is an
authentic and recent recording of the al-Qaeda leader.

In the tape, the speaker vows revenge against the United States for killing Hamas founder
Sheik AHMED YASSIN.

And he offers a truce to European countries that do not attack Muslims.



Terror Aust Downer (CANBERRA)

Police are checking whether a Sydney student accused of training with terrorists is
linked to deported French terrorist suspect WILLIE BRIGITTE.

IZHAR-UL-HAQUE, a 21-year-old medical student from Sydney's west, was charged yesterday
with training with the Pakistan-based terror group, Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER says UL-HAQUE may have known BRIGITTE, who's being
held by French authorities on suspicion of terrorism.



Hicks (SYDNEY)

The US-appointed defence lawyer for Australian terror suspect DAVID HICKS says the
fact that no charges had been laid against him leaves hope he may be sent home.

US Marine lawyer MICHAEL MORI's made the comments after a US official who interrogated
HICKS told America's 60 Minutes II program he hadn't been involved in combat against the
US.



ATSIC (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says the peak indigenous body ATSIC was plagued by a culture
of favouritism and nepotism.

Mr HOWARD told the John Laws radio program that ATSIC, which is to be abolished, was
more intent on symbolism than delivering services to Aboriginal people.

Indigenous Affairs Minister AMANDA VANSTONE says working directly with states and local
communities is a better way to deliver services than funding ATSIC.

But an Aboriginal community leader has told the Nine Network the government's decision
to scrap ATSIC has racist connotations.

Tribal Warrior Association spokesman SHANE PHILLIPS says that with problems in many
government departments, the government's picked on ATSIC -- using it as a political football
to win votes.



Telstra Howard (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says former communications minister RICHARD ALSTON could
be considered a candidate to become Telstra's new chairman.

Telstra's appointed an executive search team to hunt for a new chairman after BOB MANSFIELD's
unexpected resignation this week.

Asked if he believed Mr ALSTON, a former senator, might be good in the job, Mr HOWARD
told Sydney's Radio 2UE that he'd be considered.



Meanwhile, Telstra Corp will reportedly hike monthly line rentals by six per cent from
July the 1st, increasing the price customers pay to about $330 a year for basic services.



Bushfires Vic (MELBOURNE)

Firefighters are still battling two large fires in Victoria's east after fighting 10
fires across the state yesterday.

State fire coordinator JOHN LLOYD says fires at Blue Rock Dam, near Moe and Tonimbuk,
in the Bunyip State Park, haven't yet been brought under control.



SAfrica Vote (PRETORIA)

South Africa's ruling African National Congress has forged towards its biggest election
victory since the fall of apartheid more than ten years ago.

In a statement, the ANC says it will use a sweeping mandate to cure chronic national
ills, recognising the electorate is likely to demand action on AIDS, unemployment and
crime.



Net Netsky (LONDON)

Home computer users have been warned about a new virus which launches an automatic attack.

Most viruses rely on the user double-clicking on an attachment sent with an e-mail
to infect the computer.

But a new virus, called Netsky-V, is rare in that it starts to infect the computer
after the user clicks on the subject line of the e-mail.



briefly in other news......




Fifty-five people are dead and thousands are injured after ferocious winds tore through
parts of northern Bangladesh last night.



A Beverly Hills judge has ruled that rocker COURTNEY LOVE must stand trial on two drug
possession charges.




in sport...................



Swim Stevens Joske (SYDNEY)

Contrary to Australian Olympic Committee indications, swimmer CRAIG STEVENS hasn't
yet decided to surrender his 400m freestyle Olympic berth to gold medal winner IAN THORPE.

But his manager ROBERT JOSKE says he'll consider selling the announcement -- which
is expected next week -- to a media outlet.

AOC president JOHN COATES said yesterday the fact that STEVENS was trying to sell his
story indicated he'd decided to give his spot to THORPE, who was disqualified for toppling
off his starting block.

But JOSKE says STEVENS is still looking at all options after qualifying for the Olympic
team in his pet event - the 1,500m.



Golf PGA (HILTON HEAD ISLAND)

Australian golfer ROD PAMPLING is one shot off the pace after the opening round of
the MCI Heritage tournament at Hilton Head in South Carolina.

PAMPLING mastered windy conditions to card a three-under 68 to tie with Americans JONATHAN
BYRD, BEN CURTIS, JAY HAAS and HEATH SLOCUM.

CAMERON BECKMAN set the pace on 67.



AFL HIRD (MELBOURNE)

Essendon captain JAMES HIRD has been fined $20,000 by the AFL and ordered to assist
in umpiring programs for three years as punishment for his verbal attack on umpire SCOTT
MCLAREN.

Essendon has also been fined $5,000.

MCLAREN will officiate in tonight's clash between Essendon and Carlton at the MCG.



Tennis WTA (CHARLESTON)

A knee injury forced SERENA WILLIAMS to withdraw from the WTA tennis event in South
Carolina -- but older sister VENUS kept the family flag flying with a third-round victory.

The injury rules WILLIAMS out of next week's Fed Cup match at Slovenia.




ENDS BULLETIN

AAP RTV rt

KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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