AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 24

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2004
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 24
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430

Lies (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has issued a 12 page rebuttal of claims by Labor that he's
a serial liar.

Mr HOWARD has rejected every one of 27 alleged lies.

It follows Labor's release of a document entitled Truth Overboard, which outlines 27
cases in which Mr HOWARD allegedly lied to the Australian public.

Labor alleges the lies range from Mr HOWARD'S position on Medicare and the impact of
the GST, to the size of the Tax Act and foreign debt.

But Mr HOWARD says the document is false and misleading.



Terror Aust (CANBERRA)

Foreign Affairs Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER has justified the government's decision to
go to war in Iraq as being much better than giving deposed dictator SADDAM HUSSEIN a symbolic
victory.

Mr DOWNER has rejected claims the government received intelligence advice that going
into the war would make Australia more of a terrorist target.

He's said the government faced a fundamental strategic choice -- to overthrow SADDAM
HUSSEIN'S regime which had manufactured and used weapons of mass destruction, or to withdraw
in ignominy, granting SADDAM a massive strategic victory.

The government is again under fire over its reasons for entering the war and the warnings
it had about the consequences of the decision.

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD said at the time that going to war would make it much less
likely that a terrorist attack would be made against Australia.



Butler (HOBART)

RICHARD BUTLER's dramatic vice-regal demise will be in the spotlight today when Tasmanian
parliament resumes after a nine-week break.

The state's opposition parties have pledged to ramp up pressure on Premier PAUL LENNON
to reveal the circumstances surrounding the former governor's resignation.

Sixty-two-year-old Mr BUTLER is still awaiting a $650,000 termination payout after
handing in his notice on Mr LENNON's advice a fortnight ago.

The payment has been frozen pending an auditor-general's report on its propriety, which
is due to be tabled in parliament today.



Dump (MELBOURNE)

Three Victorian locations have emerged as potential sites for a national nuclear waste dump.

The news comes after the federal government abandoned plans to establish a site in
outback South Australia.

The Puckapunyal army base near Seymour, the former base at Bandiana near Wodonga, and
the popular summer holiday destination of Mulwala on the Murray River are all reportedly
being looked at.

Consideration of sites in Victoria comes after the government was forced to abandon
plans to build a nuclear waste repository near Woomera in the South Australian desert.

The federal government dropped the plans after an adverse Federal Court ruling and
strong opposition from the South Australian government.



Crimefighters (MELBOURNE)

Crime fighters from overseas and around Australia will gather in Melbourne today in
a bid to crack organised crime in Victoria.

More than 100 international crime experts and state and federal agency representatives
will take part in a workshop to help the Victorian police force fight serious and organised
crime.

Speakers at the two-day event include Victoria Police chief CHRISTINE NIXON, Premier
STEVE BRACKS, FBI acting assistant director of transnational criminal enterprises BELINDA
JOHNS and Police Service of Northern Ireland director of analytical services MARK EVANS.

The latest crime trends, intelligent policing methods and maximising the role of the
community in the fight against organised crime will be up for discussion.



Caux (SYDNEY)

Flags will fly at half mast on Friday when a state funeral is held for one of Australia's
longest-surviving World War One veterans, MARCEL CAUX.

Mr CAUX died on Sunday after spending his final hours with his son at his Chatswood
nursing home in Sydney's north.

His family say he'll be remembered as a gentleman and hero.

Born on March the 1st, 1899, 16-year-old CAUX lied about his age to enlist in the army
in Sydney in September 1915.

He eventually fought with the 17th and 20th battalions on the Somme.



Iraq Prisoners Plea (HAGERSTOWN)

One of the United States Army reservists charged with abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu
Ghraib prison says he will plead guilty to some offences.

Staff Sergeant IVAN "CHIP" FREDERICK, a member of the Maryland-based 372nd Military
Police Company, says in a statement that he accepts responsibility for his actions and
that he broke the law.

FREDERICK does not specify the charges to which he will plead guilty.

He is charged with maltreating detainees, conspiracy to maltreat detainees, dereliction
of duty and wrongfully committing an indecent act.

He has a pretrial hearing scheduled for today in Mannheim, Germany.



Rail (BRISBANE)

Queensland Rail will meet union leaders today to begin negotiations over the company's
proposal to shed more than 700 jobs throughout the state.

The job shedding, by means of voluntary redundancy, comes after Queensland's largest
freight customer, QRX, announced it would switch services to rival company Pacific National
from next year.

The decision will cost Queensland Rail about $32 million in lost revenue.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary OWEN DOOGAN, whose union represents up to
70 per cent of the state's railworkers, says he has been expecting some job losses.



IN OLYMPIC SPORT:


Oly Cyc Aust Pursuit (ATHENS)

Australia has won track cycling's 4000m team pursuit Olympic gold medal.

GRAEME BROWN, BRETT LANCASTER, BRAD MCGEE and LUKE ROBERTS won the gold, beating Great
Britain by over three seconds in the final at the Olympic Velodrome.

It was Australia's third cycling gold medal of the Games, following SARA CARRIGAN in
the road race and ANNA MEARES in the 500m time trial.



Oly Cyc Sprint Men (ATHENS)

Australian gold medal hope RYAN BAYLEY is through to the semi-finals of cycling's men's
sprint at the Olympic Velodrome.

BAYLEY beat BARRY FORDE from Barbados in the first two races of their best-of-three
quarter-final to move into the semi-finals.



Oly Cyc Sprint Women (ATHENS)

ANNA MEARES' bid for a second Olympic gold medal has stayed on course, when she qualified
for the semi-finals of the women's sprint.

MEARES beat Germany's KATRIN MEINKE 2-0 in the best of three quarter-final races to
reach the semi-finals at the Olympic Velodrome.



Oly Sof Aust (ATHENS)

Australia's softball team has won a silver medal at the Olympic Games, beaten 5-1 by
the United States in the gold medal match.

Two giant home runs to US third base CRYSTL BUSTOS highlighted an awesome display by
the red-hot favourite.

For Australia, its silver medal is an improvement on the team's two previous Olympic
efforts -- bronze medals in Atlanta and Sydney.

Japan won the bronze medal after Australia beat it in yesterday's sudden-death final.



Oly Vol Aust Women (ATHENS)

Australian women's pair NATALIE COOK and NICOLE SANDERSON will be aiming to win a bronze
medal in the beach volleyball after losing their Olympic Games semi-final.

COOK and SANDERSON were outclassed by Brazilian pair ADRIANA BEHAR and SHELDA BEDE
21-17 21-16 in 42 minutes.

The Brazilians, beaten for gold at the Sydney Olympics by COOK and her former partner
KERRI POTTHARST, have extracted some revenge as they move to the final.

COOK, who's been carrying a shoulder injury all tournament, started well and the Australians
held a mini-break in the first set before the skilful, big-serving Brazilians took control.



ENDS BULLETIN

AAP RTV psm/
Q

KEYWORD: BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.