AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 16

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 16
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


Iraq Aust Contractor (MELBOURNE)

The family of a Melbourne security guard who suffered fatal injuries in a roadside
bomb attack in Iraq hopes to learn today when his body will be released for repatriation
to Australia.

JON HADAWAY suffered critical injuries when the armoured car he was travelling in drove
over a phosphorous dirty bomb in Baghdad on August 3.

The 34-year-old was airlifted to a hospital in Germany for emergency treatment .. but
succumbed to his injuries on Monday night.

Meanwhile .. the Australian Defence Force has named the soldier injured in a rocket
attack in Baghdad as Townsville-based Corporal SARAH WEBSTER.

Defence says Corporal WEBSTER is expected to be transferred to a United States military
hospital in Germany before being returned to Australia.

It says she's in a stable condition in a hospital in Baghdad after receiving head and
lower limb injuries in the attack.



Stemcell (CANBERRA)

JOHN HOWARD has performed his second political about face in as many days.

By promising his MPs a conscience vote .. should any stem cell research laws make it
to parliament .. the prime minister is trying to head off a second damaging backbench
revolt.

On Monday Mr HOWARD decided to abandon tough asylum seeker laws rather than face the
humiliation of seeing them voted down in the Senate.

Yesterday .. Mr HOWARD made a similar pragmatic decision .. when he bowed to backbench
pressure to let MPs have their say on therapeutic cloning.

But there's still no guarantee that there will be a vote in parliament on the issue.



Poll Qld Betting (BRISBANE)

Pollsters and punters believe Labor should achieve a fourth successive victory in the
Queensland election .. despite a slight dip in support.

Premier PETER BEATTIE has announced a September 9 state poll .. calling the election
six months early .. due to the retirement of sick Bundaberg MP NITA CUNNINGHAM.

Although Mr BEATTIE has warned it'll be a tough fight for Labor .. Centrebet lists
the ALP with its 16 seat majority .. as $1.05 favourite to retain office.

The Nationals-Liberals coalition are rank outsiders at $8.

Sportingbet Australia offers $1.06 on a Labor win .. and $7.50 on a Coalition upset.

Mr BEATTIE and Opposition Leader LAWRENCE SPRINGBORG both hit the campaign trail today
in regional Queensland.



Terror UK Arrest (LONDON)

British police have arrested another person in connection with the plot to blow up
planes flying from the UK to the US.

25 people have now been arrested since the plot was uncovered .. and only one has been released.

The arrest was made in the Thames Valley area .. northwest of London.

46 searches have been carried out at business and residential premises .. and Scotland
Yard says 22 of them are ongoing.



Indigenous UN (CANBERRA)

A United Nations housing expert says indigenous Australians face an humanitarian crisis
and are living in some of the worst conditions in the world.

UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing .. MILOON KOTHARI .. has spent the last two
weeks touring the country .. including Aboriginal communities.

He was invited by the federal government to assess Australia's housing needs.

But he's delivered a damning preliminary assessment of the state of Aboriginal housing
.. saying some of the conditions he's seen are amongst the worst in the world.



Thai Thompson (BANGKOK)

An Australian man not allowed to leave his country because he's on a list of child-sex
offenders .. has been caught in Thailand and will be deported.

Thai police say 57-year-old PAUL THOMPSON has committed dozens of sexual offences on
Australian children over several decades.

Immigration police say he was arrested on Friday while leaving for Cambodia to renew
his Thai visa.

He's on the Australian National Child Offender Register and required to regularly report
to police.



Transit (SYDNEY)

A teenager has been charged after making a prank threat to a Sydney transit system.

The 17-year-old male was arrested at a house at St Andrews yesterday morning following
a police search.

The teenager's been granted conditional bail to appear at Campbelltown Children's Court
at a later date.



Royals Harry (LONDON)

Britain's royal family is demanding a British newspaper corrects a story printed alongside
a picture of Prince HARRY apparently groping a woman's breast.

The palace says the photograph is three years out of date.

The picture showed Prince HARRY apparently kissing a woman on the cheek and grabbing
her breast at a summer party in London.

The Sun .. Britain's best-selling newspaper .. suggested HARRY was cheating on his
girlfriend .. 20 year old South African CHELSY DAVY .. who was overseas while he enjoyed
his evening at Boujis .. a nightclub in London's fashionable South Kensington neighbourhood.

But royal officials have claimed the picture is three years old .. and taken well before
HARRY began dating Ms DAVY.



Israel Sharon (JERUSALEM)

Israel's former prime minister ARIEL SHARON .. comatose for more than seven months
following a massive stroke .. has developed pneumonia.

The hospital treating him says he's being given massive antibiotics. The Tel Hashomer
hospital in Tel Aviv says there's no change in the functioning of the brain tissue and
no significant fall in vital signs.

Israel's largest daily YEDIOT AHARONOT quotes unnamed doctors as saying that his days
are numbered.



IN SPORT:



Soccer Aust (SYDNEY)

The Socceroos will open the post-GUUS HIDDINK era in Sydney tonight looking to secure
qualification for the 2007 Asian Cup with victory against Kuwait.

Australia's team of A-League stars will book a place at the elite tournament in South
East Asia next July with victory over the Kuwaitis, who are ranked 100 in the world.

Socceroos interim coach GRAHAM ARNOLD says he will issue his side a license to thrill
an expected capacity crowd at Aussie Stadium.

It will be Australia's first game since the Socceroos' stunning surge to the second
round of the World Cup finals in June.



League (SYDNEY)

Newcastle's season goes on the line tonight when captain ANDREW JOHNS contests the
severity of his contrary conduct charge at the NRL judiciary.

JOHNS has pleaded guilty to the alleged verbal abuse of touch judge MATT CECCHIN last
Friday night, but his defence team of ALLAN SULLIVAN QC and barrister JAMES MCLEOD will
attempt to have the grade three charge downgraded.

JOHNS would have received a three-match ban with an early guilty plea, but risks being
sidelined for four games if he is unsuccessful tonight.



Tri Aust (CANBERRA)

The Wallabies fly out for Auckland today seeking to end the All Blacks' 20-Test, three-year
winning streak in New Zealand on Saturday night at Eden Park.

Australia hasn't beaten New Zealand at the ground since 1986 but must win this time
to have any hope of lifting the Tri Nations trophy for the first time in five years.

Coach JOHN CONNOLLY yesterday made three changes to the Wallabies' starting side, bringing
in winger CLYDE RATHBONE, flanker PHIL WAUGH and hooker JEREMY PAUL.



Basket Aust (Kunshan, China)

The Boomers have lost their playoff for fifth spot in the Stankovic Cup in China, going
down to the host nation 63-61 last night.

ANDREW BOGUT was impressive with 20 points and was well supported by SAM MACKINNON
with 12 and JASON SMITH with 10.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

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