AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 15

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2001
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 15
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430

Terror (TORA BORA)

Al-Qaeda fighters cornered in the eastern Afghan highlands came under heavy attack
today from Afghan forces, US warplanes and US special forces hunting OSAMA BIN LADEN.

But the Afghan Islamic Press news agency, quoting unnamed sources, says BIN LADEN left
Tora Bora last month for an unknown destination.

The Pentagon's admitted it's unsure where he is.

London's Times newspaper reports Australian special forces troops are also hunting
BIN LADEN around Tora Bora.

But Defence Minister ROBERT HILL has rejected the report, with his spokeswoman saying
Australia doesn't have any forces there.

However, in southern Afghanistan, 200 US Marines, joined by Australian troops, took
Kandahar airport and cleared it of mines and booby traps.

And while many in the Muslim world were skeptical about the BIN LADEN videotape, the
US and its allies say it's powerful evidence of his guilt in the September 11 attacks.

President GEORGE W BUSH says it's preposterous for anybody to think the tape was doctored.



EU (BRUSSELS)

In Brussels, EU leaders have disagreed over whether the bloc should create a peacekeeping
force for Afghanistan.

Belgian Foreign Minister LOUIS MICHEL -- whose country holds the European Union's rotating
presidency -- announced triumphantly that the 15-nation bloc had decided to police Afghanistan
once US-led military action ends.

But other EU ministers lined up to contradict him.

They say the bloc was in no position to organise any military operation -- and that
only some individual member states would take part in a UN-authorised peace mission led
by Britain.



IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS ...




Australian police and Scotland Yard detectives are meeting their Indian counterparts
today to discuss the man held in Bombay who reportedly confessed to plans for terrorist
strikes in the three countries.



Britain's parliament has approved emergency anti-terror laws giving police tough new
powers to detain foreigners based only on suspicion they are involved in terrorism.



TO OTHER NEWS NOW AND ...


Child (BRISBANE)

Federal Opposition Leader SIMON CREAN says Governor-General PETER HOLLINGWORTH should
respond to allegations he was unsympathetic about sexual abuse at an Anglican church school
when he was Archbishop of Brisbane.

Dr HOLLINGWORTH is under pressure from child support groups to resign over the issue.

Mr CREAN says he doesn't support calls for Dr HOLLINGWORTH to stand aside, but says
he should explain the sex abuse matter.



Boat (PERTH)

Justice and Customs Minister CHRIS ELLISON says a fishing boat believed to be carrying
17 asylum seekers has been turned back to Indonesia by persuasion rather than force.

Senator ELLISON says naval officers boarded the vessel yesterday, 22 nautical miles
from the Ashmore Islands.

He says the boat was intercepted by HMAS Leeuwin and HMAS Wollongong after a Customs
Coastwatch aircraft spotted it 45 nautical miles from the Ashmore Islands on Tuesday.





Meanwhile, Australia's human rights watchdog wants urgent action to improve the living
conditions of asylum seekers on Christmas Island after a check found inadequate facilities.

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission says an inspection of Christmas Island's
Sports Hall and Phosphate Hill holding facility found detainees packed together in oppressively
humid conditions.



Ruddock BBC (SYDNEY)

Meanwhile, Immigration minister PHILIP RUDDOCK defended the federal government's approach
to asylum seekers on BBC television overnight.

Mr RUDDOCK faced the HARDtalk program, renown for putting the blowtorch to the belly
of world leaders in uncompromising interviews.



Mideast (NABLUS)

Israel's sent troops backed by tanks and helicopters on deadly raids into the West
Bank hunting for Palestinian militants.

In Ramallah, tanks remain just 200 meters from YASSER ARAFAT'S offices, where the army
killed several Palestinians, arrested scores and demolished homes in pre-dawn raids.

Palestinian security sources say six policemen were killed there in an Israeli raid,
and warned of a catastrophe if the escalation continues.

Hours later, the army clashed with Palestinians around the flashpoint West Bank town
of Hebron, killing at least one person.

But Hamas -- the radical Islamic group behind most of the anti-Israeli attacks -- announced
it will continue to strike Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel continues piling the pressure on YASSER ARAFAT, saying it's looking
for a new peace partner.



Mideast Bush (WASHINGTON)

And President George W Bush has demanded the Palestinian President use his security
forces to crack down on militants, saying now is his time to perform.

BUSH told reporters at the White House the world expects Chairman ARAFAT to lead and
bring to justice those who murder to keep peace from happening.

The Israeli Cabinet decided on Wednesday to break ties with the Palestinian leader,
saying he was no longer relevant.

But Bush said overnight he will continue to work with friends and allies to talk to
Mr ARAFAT in very blunt terms.





Later, Israeli F-16 warplanes launched strikes against the Gaza Strip for the third
consecutive night.



Funeral (SYDNEY)

A former Sydney funeral parlour director says the company kept a 16-week old foetus
in the vegetable drawer of a household fridge to save on storage costs.

It's also claimed the body of a young boy was prepared for viewing on the dining room
table in a private house used by the parlour, while a woman's body was dressed in a coffin
in the home's backyard.

New South Wales Health Services are investigating the allegations by the former director,
contained in a signed statement dated November 30 and obtained by AAP.



AND IN BRIEF:


Station (LARA)

A man lived for more than an hour after blowing himself up in the Victorian township
of Lara yesterday.

He lost several limbs and had his stomach ripped open after detonating home-made explosives
strapped to his chest.

But paramedics were unable to reach him amid fears he would set off another bomb.


Spa (BRISBANE)

A girl whose ponytail became caught in a spa filter at a Sunshine Coast resort on Monday
has died.

Police are preparing a report for the coroner into the death of the 13-year-old.

The girl was swimming in a spa pool at the Sea Haven resort in Noosa on Monday when
she was dragged underwater by her ponytail.


Downes (BRISBANE)

A legal tug-of-war continues today between rival TV stations in Queensland over a star
news reader who's swapped allegiances.

MELISSA DOWNES, who recently resigned from Channel Seven to join Channel Nine, is facing
claims she breached her contract.

Seven is seeking a court injunction to stop Ms DOWNES reading Nine's nightly news bulletin today.



AND IN SPORT:



Cricket Aust (ADELAIDE)

Australia will resume at six for 272 when play starts on the second day of the first
cricket Test against South Africa at Adelaide Oval.

DAMIEN MARTYN is on 36 and SHANE WARNE on seven.




Shield NSW (SYDNEY)

Western Australia will be chasing a big first innings lead over New South Wales when
play resumes in the Pura Cup cricket match at the SCG today.

Chasing the NSW total of 215, WA is 2-147 with MIKE HUSSEY on 55 and captain SIMON
KATICH on eight.



Shield Vic (MELBOURNE)

Victoria will take a 102 run lead into day three of the Pura Cup match against South
Australia at the MCG as it chases its first outright victory of the season.

The Vics secured their first points of the season yesterday after making 405 in reply
to South Australia's 229.

The Redbacks will resume today at 2-74 in their second innings with GREG BLEWETT not
out 23 and skipper DARREN LEHMANN due to bat next.



Cricket England (AHMEDABAD, India)

India need another 357 runs for victory on the final day of the second cricket Test
in Ahmedabad against England.



NBL Titans (MELBOURNE)

The Victoria Titans have defeated the West Sydney Razorbacks by 13 points -- 99-86
-- in their national basketball league match at Vodafone Arena in Melbourne.



NSL Kingz (AUCKLAND)

The Football Kingz and Newcastle United have drawn 2-2 in their national soccer league
match in Auckland.



Soccer Leeds Trial (HULL, England)

Leeds United footballer JONATHAN WOODGATE has been found guilty of affray after an
Asian student was battered unconscious in January last year, but he avoided a jail sentence.

The 21-year-old has been ordered to do 100 hours of community service.

Team mate LEE BOWYER, 24, walked free from court after being found not guilty of grievous
bodily harm with intent and affray.




ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP
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