AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 21

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2009
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 21
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


UK Lockerbie (WASHINGTON)

US President BARACK OBAMA says he objects to the release of Lockerbie bomber .. ABDEL
BASET AL-MEGRAHI.

The terminally-ill MEGRAHI has arrived home to Libya overnight to a hero's welcome
after being released on compassionate grounds from a Scottish jail.

He's expected to die within months from prostate cancer.

MEGRAHI was found guilty in 2001 of blowing up a US Boeing 747 airliner over Lockerbie
in 1988 .. killing 270 people .. including 189 Americans.

OBAMA says he's contacted the Scottish government to voice his disapproval over MEGRAHI'S
release.



Hendra (BRISBANE)

Rockhampton vet ALISTER RODGERS remains on life support in a Brisbane hospital with Hendra virus.

A spokesman for Princess Alexandra Hospital says Mr ROGERS is in a critical .. but
stable condition.

He fell ill after treating two infected horses at the J4S Equine Nursery in Cawarral
.. northeast of Rockhampton .. two weeks ago.

Biosecurity Queensland says three horses exposed to the virus at the stud have high
temperatures .. and it will be known today if they have the virus.

Meantime .. a Queensland conservationist says governments must resist the calls to
cull flying foxes despite the latest outbreak of the Hendra virus because the animal is
vital to native flora.

Many want the animal .. which is known to carry the potentially deadly virus .. culled
where they are in large numbers such as Rockhampton.



World Oceans (WASHINGTON)

New figures show the ocean's temperature is warming .. with July recording the hottest
month in almost 130 years of record-keeping.

The National Climatic Data Centre says the average water temperature worldwide was
17 degrees celsius .. with the El Nino weather pattern and global warming pushing up the
mercury.

WALEED ABDALATI from the Earth Science and Observation Centre says temperatures rose
about 5.5 degrees celsius above average in the Arctic .. and the warm water could help
melt sea ice from below and even cause thawing of ice sheets in Greenland.



Housing (BRISBANE)

The Prime Minister's wife .. THERESE REIN .. will launch a new housing and homelessness
organisation in Brisbane today.

The Australian Common Ground Alliance seeks to end long-term homelessness.

Organisers from the Alliance say on any night in inner Brisbane .. 2070 people are homeless.

Ms REIN will be joined by federal Housing Minster TANYA PLIBERSEK and Queensland's
Minister for Communities KAREN STRUTHERS at the launch.



Abortion (BRISBANE)

Doctors at Queensland public hospitals have stopped performing medical abortions and
are directing women interstate for the service because of legal concerns.

Health Minister PAUL LUCAS says they're now speaking with a number of obstetricians
and gynaecologists to clarify their concerns after public hospitals suspended medical
abortions on Wednesday.

However .. Mr LUCAS says he isn't aware of any investigation or prosecution against
Queensland Health doctors in relation to a case against a 19 year-old woman charged with
procuring her own miscarriage after using a smuggled pill to abort her foetus.

She's due to face a Cairns court in September.



Briefly in other news ..



Afghan Vote (WASHINGTON)

US President BARACK OBAMA has hailed landmark elections in Afghanistan as a victory
for democracy.



Wages QLD (BRISBANE)

The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission has delivered a 16-dollar a week wage
rise to the state's lowest paid workers.



Blaze (SYDNEY)

A man has died after a house fire in Goulburn in southern New South Wales overnight.



Indigenous Dodson (CANBERRA)

A research unit has been launched at the University of New South Wales today in an
effort to improve communication between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.



in Finance ..




At 11.09am (AEST) .. the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was DOWN 25 points at 4353 while
the broader All Ordinaries FELL 24 points to 4368.

The Australian dollar was at 82.86 US cents.. DOWN from Thursday's local close.

It was at 58.16 euro cents.



in Sport ..



Cricket Aust (LONDON)

Persistent paceman PETER SIDDLE has willed his way through the English batting lineup
to keep the Ashes decider on level terms at The Oval.

SIDDLE produced 4-63 as the home side slipped to 8-307 at stumps on day one of the final Test.



Aths World 200M (BERLIN)

USAIN BOLT has repeated his Olympic sprint double at the World Athletics Championships
.. setting a new world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200m.

The new mark bettered his own previous record of 19.30sec set in the 200m final of
the Beijing Games last summer.

Also at the championships .. Australian long jumpers MITCHELL WATT and FABRICE LAPIERRE
put themselves right in the medal hunt .. cruising through the qualifying round with a
minimum of fuss.



League Tigers (SYDNEY)

More than 30 thousand fans are expected for tonight's NRL blockbuster between the Wests
Tigers' and Parramatta at the Sydney Football Stadium tonight.

The fifth-placed Tigers carry a six-game winning streak into the clash .. while the
Eels have won their last five games to sit just outside the top eight.



Soccer AL Victory (MELBOURNE)

A-League premiers Melbourne Victory have re-signed their former defender ADRIAN LEIJER
from English club Fulham, and he may be rushed into action this weekend.

The Victory has confirmed the 23 year-old has agreed to a three-year deal with the club.

The Socceroo was part of Melbourne's 2006-07 grand final win before joining English
Premier League side Fulham .. where he has barely had a look-in.



Netball NZ (WELLINGTON)

Wiley defender CASEY WILLIAMS has been named as the new captain of the Silver Ferns
squad unveiled today for a netball Test series against a World Seven side.

Her appointment follows the retirement of veteran midcourter JULIE SEYMOUR.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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