AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 19

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-2003
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 19
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Iraq demo (BAGHDAD)

Thousands of Iraqis have staged anti-American demonstrations and clerics have delivered
ringing anti-US sermons on the first full Friday prayers held in Baghdad since the fall
of SADDAM HUSSEIN.

About 10,000 to 12,000 protesters have marched through central Baghdad to voice their
resentment at the occupation by US forces.

No violence was reported.

The protests came as US forces announced the capture of another most wanted member
of SADDAM HUSSEIN's toppled regime -- the regional Baath party command chairman for east
Baghdad, SAMIR AL-AZIZ AL-NAJIM.

Meanwhile, SADDAM HUSSEIN has resurfaced in image and in voice, waving to crowds in
video reportedly shot on April 9 as American forces overran Baghdad.

The recordings were aired by Abu Dhabi television.



Iraq neighbours (RIYADH)

The foreign ministers of countries bordering Iraq have called for US and British forces
to pull out of Iraq and a representative government to be formed in Baghdad.

The declaration follows a meeting of the chief diplomats of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Jordan,
Kuwait, Turkey and Syria -- all neighbours of Iraq -- as well as Egypt and Bahrain.



Iraq Aust Aid (CANBERRA)

Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER says Australia will immediately hand over $30 million
in aid to the United Nations Flash Appeal for Iraq and associated activities.

The aid is the lion's share of Australia's promised $38 million contribution and has
a strong focus on meeting critical needs in water, sanitation and health.



Iraq Aust SAS (CANBERRA)

Australian special forces have uncovered a vast trove of weapons including much of
the surviving Iraqi air force on an Iraqi airbase west of Baghdad.

The find also includes munitions and nuclear, biological and chemical protective equipment.

Meanwhile, the Weekend Australian newspaper's reported that US President GEORGE W BUSH
told Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD during a phone call last week that Australians were the
first into action in the war.

The Australian Defence Force contingent in the Middle East has now sent advance teams
to Baghdad to look at possible locations for a forward headquarters.



Baxter (ADELAIDE)

Protesters are again gathering near the Baxter detention centre in South Australia
to voice their concerns over Australia's immigration policy.

Some 300 police officers are at the centre near Port Augusta this weekend, and have
established a roadblock to cut access to the centre.

Yesterday about 500 demonstrators tried to establish a camp outside the centre's main
gates, and three people were arrested in clashes with police.

More protesters were expected today.



Easter Pope (ROME)

Pope JOHN PAUL II has wearily presided at the traditional Good Friday Colosseum procession.

The ailing, 82-year-old pontiff, speaking slowly, recalled the victims of hate, war
and terrorism and prayed for justice and peace in the world.

JOHN PAUL used to carry a tall wooden cross for the entire one-kilometre procession,
but he began this year's ceremony by reading remarks while sitting in a chair.


Toll National (SYDNEY)

The national holiday road toll stands at nine, after a fatal accident involving a teenager
in Western Australia.

Police say the 17-year-old boy was thrown from his car onto a gravel road near Wongan
Hills, about 200km north-east of Perth, yesterday afternoon and died from head injuries.

His death takes Western Australia's holiday road toll to five.

Three people have died on Victorian roads, but Queensland's toll has been revised down
to one after police determined a woman found dead yesterday died of exposure, not from
injuries suffered in a road accident.

Police say the 80-year-old woman's car overturned on Old Rosemont Rd at Peranga, about
230km west of Brisbane, about 7pm (AEST) on Thursday.

There was no sign of her when police were called to the scene two hours later and her
body was found in a dam about 6am yesterday.

There have been no road deaths anywhere in Australia today, and none on any day of
the holiday so far in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory
and the ACT.



Heroin (BRISBANE)

Two Malaysian men have been remanded in custody over the seizure of more than $2 million
worth of heroin at Brisbane International Airport.

Twenty-three-year-old KUAN HUI CHIA and 34-year-old KHOON TAN appeared in Brisbane
Magistrates Court today.

They arrived with a tour group on a flight from Malaysia on Thursday.

Customs officers allegedly found four packages, weighing around three and a half kilograms,
taped to their bodies.

Heroin was allegedly detected in the packages.



Chase (BRISBANE)

Six people have been arrested after a high-speed chase on the Sunshine Coast.

Police say the chase began when a stolen Toyota Tarago van failed to stop for police
at Sunland Shopping Centre at Caloundra about 1.20am (AEST).

The van was chased south along the Bruce Highway at speeds up to 170 kilometres per hour.

The chase ended just before 2am when police placed spikes on the Burpengary weighbridge
and the van's tyres blew out.



Korea nuclear US (WASHINGTON)

The United States says it doesn't believe North Korea has begun reprocessing spent
fuel rods from its Yongbyon nuclear plant.

The Korean Central News Agency has quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying North
Korea is successfully reprocessing more than 8,000 spent fuel rods to the final phase.

But US officials say this is an incorrect translation into English and the reprocessing
hasn't yet begun.



BRIEFLY...




A 33-year-old man has been stabbed to death on a bulk carrier off the Sunshine Coast.

A rescue helicopter was sent to the ship but the man had died by the time it arrived.




A German team has won the World Marbles Cup in England, with a spokeswoman for the
competition saying the British teams drank too much beer.




and Algerian authorities have reportedly found the 31 European tourists missing for
weeks in the Sahara desert, but haven't yet intervened to rescue them from their kidnappers.



AND IN SPORT...



SUPER ACT (CANBERRA)

The ACT Brumbies have almost certainly ended the Waratahs' Super 12 rugby season with
a bruising but emphatic 41-15 win at Canberra Stadium last night.



LEAGUE ROOSTERS (SYDNEY)

BRAD FITTLER has taken advantage of a poor second half from Brisbane to lead the Sydney
Roosters to a 27-20 win over the Broncos in their National Rugby League game at Aussie
Stadium.



Motor Rally Bourne (SYDNEY)

Seven time Australian rally champion POSSUM BOURNE remains in a critical but stable
condition with head injuries in Dunedin Hospital after yesterday's car crash near Queenstown,
on New Zealand's south island.

BOURNE was checking out the course of this weekend's Silverstone Race to the Sky when
the accident occurred.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP.



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