AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 10

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2011
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 10
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Egypt (CAIRO)

More than one-thousand protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square have vowed to stay overnight
in defiance of the military after a protester was killed the night before when soldiers
dispersed a similar sit-in.

At least one person was killed earlier .. when troops and police stormed the square
to break up a protest demanding the trial of former regime officials.

The health ministry says apart from the one death .. 71 people have been hurt .. some
from bullet wounds and others suffering breathing difficulties or having been beaten during
clashes.



ICoast (ABIDJAN)

Forces supporting Ivory Coast's entrenched strongman have broken through the security
perimeter imposed around the presidential compound.

Residents in the Cocody district of Abidjan have reported explosions and heavy arms
fire .. while French forces say that helicopters attempting to evacuate diplomats from
a residence near the presidential compound were hit by machine gun fire.

Meanwhile the UN evacuated 17 British citizens from the British High Commissioner's
residence .. only steps from GBAGBO'S compound.



Budget Wong (CANBERRA)

Finance Minister PENNY WONG says a drop in commonwealth revenue because of the summer
floods justifies the need for a tough budget next month.

The federal government has signalled spending cuts will be made when the budget is
unveiled on May 10.

Senator WONG told ABC TV this morning that key revenue forecasts had changed since
Treasury released its mid-year economic and fiscal outlook in November .. with company
tax revenue falling by $3 billion .. while personal income tax receipts have dropped by
$1 billion.



China Aust (CANBERRA)

Foreign Minister KEVIN RUDD has raised the delicate topic of human rights in Tibet
and Xinjiang with one of China's most powerful leaders.

Mr RUDD met with JIA QINGLIN .. Beijing's fourth-ranked Community Party leader .. in
Brisbane yesterday and a spokesperson for Mr RUDD has now confirmed he raised the situations
in Tibet and Xinjiang.

The spokesman says they discussed Australian consular cases in China and agreed that
these should be the subject of further discussions.



Pacific (CANBERRA)

The federal opposition says KEVIN RUDD is doing a very good job as foreign minister

.. but says he's taken his eye off the Pacific.

Coalition foreign affairs spokeswoman JULIE BISHOP says Mr RUDD has been impressive
.. but says she's seriously concerned that he's taken his focus away from the Pacific
.. PNG .. East Timor and Fiji.

Ms BISHOP says Australia's aid program too needs to focus more on Australia's neighbourhood.



Iceland Vote (REYKJAVIK)

Voters in Iceland have rejected a renegotiated deal to compensate Britain and The Netherlands
over the 2008 collapse of the Icesave Bank.

Some 230,000 voters were asked to decide on the proposal to pay Britain and the Netherlands
more than $5-billion for compensation payments to 340,000 people who lost money when Icesave
.. an online bank .. went under at the height of the global financial crisis.



Libya NATO (ROME)

NATO says it has destroyed key ammunition stockpiles and several armoured vehicles
in air strikes across Libya in the last 24 hours.

NATO says it's aircraft have hit the ammunition stockpiles east of Tripoli that were
being used to resupply MUAMMAR GADDAFI'S forces who were involved in shelling innocent
civilians in Misrata.

General CHARLES BOUCHARD says NATO aircraft have been hitting loyalist supplies and
have also succeeded in destroying a good percentage of the Libyan government's armoured
forces.



Floods Inquiry Qld (BRISBANE)

The weather bureau has hit back at amateur weather watchers claims that is was behind
ball in warning about flash flooding in Queensland's Lockyer Valley.

A deadly wall of water hit Grantham .. Toowoomba and Murphys Creek .. on January 10
killing 20 people.

A week later there were media reports that amateur storm chasers blogged about flash
flooding at around one p.m. .. more than two hours before Grantham was devastated and
well before an official alert was issued.

But now the Bureau's state director JAMES DAVIDSON has told the Queensland Floods Commission
that the bureau updated its severe weather warning at 11.05am on January 10 predicting
heavy rainfall leading to localised flash flooding in the district.



Unsafe (MELBOURNE)

Victoria's top mechanics say one in three cars on the state's roads are unsafe.

A study by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce has found that tyres are the
car part most likely to cause problems .. ahead of brakes and lights.

The VACC checked the brakes .. tyres .. lights .. steering and seatbelts on 774 vehicles
between January and March this year and found 35 per cent of them were unsafe.



Assaults (BRISBANE)

An accused date rapist who allegedly assaulted three female international students
has been charged with a further rape offence.

Police say a 37-year-old Murarrie man faced Brisbane Magistrates court yesterday on
two rape charges and three charges of stupefying.

They say the alleged attacks happened over three nights in the Brisbane suburb of Mount
Coot-tha .. the victims were all Asian students who are in Australia to study English.



UK Hacking (LONDON)

Prominent Britons who have accused a tabloid newspaper of hacking into their phone
messages say they're not satisfied with the paper's apology and offer of compensation.

The News of the World has acknowledged eavesdropping on the voicemails of public figures
and says it will pay compensation for an unspecified number of justifiable claims.

But the admission has done little to end a scandal that has rattled Britain's political
establishment and RUPERT MURDOCH'S media empire.

A lawyer for SIENNA MILLER .. one of several celebrities suing the paper .. says the
actress has not dropped her lawsuit against the News of the World.



Briefly in other news ..

Abbott (SYDNEY)

Federal Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT is about to cross the finishing line in the 14th
annual Pollie Pedal after cycling from the Gold Coast to Sydney.


Ofarrell (SYDNEY)

New South Wales premier BARRY O'FARRELL says Opposition leader JOHN ROBERTSON is a
"boof head" who needs to stop playing politics and focus on the real issues.



France Veils (PARIS)

French police have arrested 61 people .. including 19 women .. for trying to hold an
outlawed Paris protest against France's pending ban on face-covering Islamic veils.



in Sport ..



Gol Masters (AUGUSTA, Georgia)

Australian JASON DAY slipped four strokes behind leader RORY McILROY after the third
round at the 75th Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

DAY is in a four-way tie for second place after a respectable even-par 72 at Augusta National.

But the man to beat is Northern Irishman McILROY, who has carded 70 to pull clear at
12-under 204 with one round left.

DAY is joined on eight-under by ANGEL CABRERA, K.J. CHOI and CHARL SCHWARTZEL, while
Australian ADAM SCOTT is also within striking distance, five shots behind after a 67.

TIGER WOODS and GEOFF OGILVY have bogeyed the last to fall seven behind.



Ten Women (CHARLESTON)

World number one CAROLINE WOZNIACKI has reached the final of the WTA clay court tournament
in Charleston with a 6-4 6-4 victory over JELENA JANKOVIC.

She'll face either China's PENG SHUAI or Russian ELENA VESNINA in the final tomorrow.



Mot Indy (BIRMINGHAM)

Australia's WILL POWER has earned pole position for the IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama,
nabbing his second pole in as many races so far this season.

POWER turned a fast lap of 1minute 11.46seconds in the Fast Six final section of qualifying.

Penske teammate and fellow Australian RYAN BRISCOE will start alongside him on the
front row after notching the second-fastest time.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

Broadcast Desk inquiries 24 hours: 02 9322 8714

AAP RTV ar

KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.