AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 12

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2004
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 12
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430

Iraq Japan Safe (TOKYO)

A person negotiating for the release of three Japanese hostages held in Iraq has reportedly
told the Japanese government they are unharmed.

According to news agency Kyodo News -- which was citing unidentified government sources
-- the negotiator says the three civilians are currently near Fallujah in Iraq.



Iraq (FALLUJAH)

Gunmen have shot down a US attack helicopter during fighting in western Baghdad, killing
its two crew members.

Insurgents and marines have called a ceasefire in the besieged city of Fallujah, but
the fragile peace has been shaken by a gunbattle that wounded two Americans.

A military spokesman says the AH-64 Apache helicopter was downed by ground fire in
the morning and US troops have closed off the main highway.

Insurgents also kidnapped an American civilian and killed a US soldier in the area on Friday.



Iraq Baquba (BAQUBA)

Police say one civilian was killed and another six were wounded when US soldiers and
Iraqi paramilitary opened fire by mistake on a minibus in the town of Baquba, north of
Baghdad.

Lieutenant MOHAMMED ABDEL KARIM says the police had been given information a minibus
was believed to be carrying insurgents in Baquba.



Iraq Aust (CANBERRA)

The federal government has given its clearest signal yet that Australia will keep troops
in Iraq at least for another year.

Defence Minister ROBERT HILL says it's now unlikely RAAF air traffic controllers, who'd
been expected to return home next month, will be removed.

Soldiers being used to protect Australian diplomats will also be needed for longer than expected.

Labor has promised to bring the troops home by Christmas, and has demanded the government
set out an exit strategy.



Iraq Kidnap UK (LONDON)

British citizen GARY TEELEY -- who was kidnapped in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah
-- has been released.

A British Foreign Office spokesman says TEELEY is safe and well and with coalition
forces, although he could not give an exact location.

Meanwhile,

Eight foreign hostages held in Iraq have reportedly been released.

In a videotape aired by an Arabic television station a masked man says the hostages
had been released in response to a call from the Muslim Clerics Association.

Those freed include three from Pakistan, two Turks, an Indian, a Nepali and one from
the Philippines.



Toll NSW (SYDNEY)

(EDS: AAP's Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 8 to 2359 April
12. Some states and territories may have different periods.)

A 31-year-old man is dead after an accident in far northern New South Wales last night.

Police say the man's death brings the State's Easter road toll to four and the national
toll to seven.

A police spokesman says the accident happened at about 7.10pm (AEST) on Summerland
Way, Wiangaree, 11 kilometres west of Kyogle.

The spokesman says the man's Toyota Landcruiser left the road and skidded 25 metres
along the grass shoulder before crashing through a barbed wire fence into a paddock and
rolling.

A 16-year-old Wiangaree boy travelling in the four wheel drive managed to free himself
from the wreckage and raise the alarm at a nearby farm house.



Housefire (TULLY)

An Easter Sunday tragedy has claimed the lives of a family of four, with an explosion
and fire tearing through their farmhouse in far north Queensland.

Police say the badly-burned bodies of a couple and their two daughters have been recovered
from the charred ruins of a farmhouse near Tully in north Queensland.

They say the man and woman were aged in their early 50s, and their daughters were aged
18 and nine.

Emergency workers say fire ripped through the fibro cottage on a cane farm near Feluga,
8 kms north of Tully, about 5.25am (AEST) yesterday.

Detective Inspector JOHN HARRIS says investigations have revealed that a substantial
explosion occurred inside the home, and there are no suspicious circumstances.



Cliff (SYDNEY)

A Melbourne man has died after falling 15 metres from a cliff on the famous Bondi to
Bronte walk yesterday.

A hospital spokeswoman says the man, aged in his early 20s, died yesterday evening
in the Prince of Wales Hospital.

The man and another tourist were walking along the scenic clifftop route when he fell
at Mackenzie Point at about 5pm (AEST) yesterday.



Telstra (CANBERRA)

Labor says Telstra shouldn't have a shareholding in pay TV giant Foxtel due to competitive
and public ownership concerns.

Telstra owns half of Foxtel, while News Corp and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd each
hold 25 per cent.

Opposition communications spokesman LINDSAY TANNER says Telstra's share in Foxtel is
bad for telecommunications competition.



Easter World (VATICAN CITY)

Christians around the world have celebrated Easter amid increasing fears for world
peace stoked by conflicts in Iraq and the Middle East.

The holiest period in the Christian calendar has been clouded by warnings of terror
attacks in Europe and chilling images from Iraq.

POPE JOHN PAUL II has urged humanity to oppose the inhuman, growing phenomenon of terrorism.



BRIEFLY:



A 36-year-old man faces court today charged with murder following the bashing of a
man in Atherton in far north Queensland.




Police say there is no indication a shooting in Melbourne's west last night was gang-related.

They're investigating the shooting of a 47-year-old man as he was lining up to attend
an Albanian Easter festival.




Australia has reclaimed the world tractor ploughing record from Ireland after thousands
of farmers yesterday broke the record on a farm outside the New South Wales country town
of Cootamundra.




Perth woman SARAH MARBECK says soccer star DAVID BECKHAM kissed her breasts and made
passionate love to her in a two-year affair that changed her life.




A man has been caught breaking the speed limit by almost 100 kilometres an hour in
inner western Sydney.

Police say a 25-year-old Blacktown man was arrested at about 7.30am (AEST) yesterday
on Parramatta Road at Five Dock after travelling at 158kmh in a 60km zone.



AND IN SPORT:


AFL WRAP (MELBOURNE)

St Kilda is favoured to continue its unbeaten start to the AFL season by beating Richmond
in the Easter Monday clash at Telstra Dome.

A victory would take St Kilda back to the top of the table alongside Port Adelaide,
the Kangaroos and Brisbane.

Last night, Fremantle beat Adelaide 10.13 (73) to 8.16 (64), leaving the Crows winless
after three games.



LEAGUE WRAP (SYDNEY)

Parramatta hosts South Sydney today to complete the Easter round of the National Rugby League.

Reigning premier Penrith is perched at the top of the ladder after holding on to beat
Melbourne 30-26 yesterday.

The Bulldogs also held on to shade Manly 28-26 and St George Illawarra trounced Wests
Tigers 39-10 in the double-header at Telstra Stadium.



CYCLING CUP (MANCHESTER, England)

Australia has won the third round of the track cycling World Cup after collecting gold,
silver and bronze medals on the final day of the meet at Manchester.



ENDS BULLETIN

AAP RTV psm/

KEYWORD: BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

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