AAP National News Wire Round Up for Midday, April 25

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2001
AAP National News Wire Round Up for Midday, April 25
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

ANZAC (SYDNEY)

Anzac Day marches are under way across Australia.

And a new wave of young marchers and supporters are promising to keep the flame burning
as the original Anzacs fade away.

Near record numbers of people gathered in the dark for Dawn Services to remember those
who've served for Australia in wartime.

And crowds then gathered for marches in cities and towns in Australia, New Zealand,
East Timor and other places around the world where Australians have fallen.

Victoria Cross winners TED KENNA and KEITH PAYNE and World War One veteran CHARLIE
MANCE have been afforded places of honour in one of the largest Anzac Day parades ever
held in the national capital, Canberra.

And Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD and the administrator of the commonwealth of Australia,
Sir GUY GREEN, chatted with the veterans.

The Rats of Tobruk, marking 60 years since their historic siege in North Africa, have
also been given pride of place.

And New Zealanders have joined forces with Australians again -- 86 years after the
original disaster at Galipoli in Turkey that gave them the name Anzacs.







The largest crowd in recent memory gathered under clear skies in Adelaide this morning
for the traditional Anzac Day dawn service.

And for the first time, representatives of the Turkish community took part, laying
a wreath alongside those from government, military and community representatives.

Federal Veterans Affairs Minister BRUCE SCOTT, who's attending Anzac day ceremonies
in Brisbane, has vowed to champion a compensation scheme for former prisoners of war.

Large crowds have lined the streets of Sydney for today's march, where army cadets
are handing out sprigs of rosemary to members of the crowd, and free Australian flags
are being distributed by Australia Post workers.

New South Wales Governor MARIE BASHIR has led 20,000 veterans and their descendants
out of Martin Place for the march from Sydney's Hyde Park.

And about 12,000 veterans, their descendants and serving troops are marching in Melbourne,
where skies have cleared after four days of rain.

Meanwhile, Governor General Sir WILLIAM DEANE has attended a dawn service amid tight
security at the Australian military headquarters IN East Timor.

Six wreaths were laid at a makeshift sandbag and stone memorial in memory of the six
Australian and New Zealand service members who've died over the past two years in East
Timor.



ANZAC Day (BRISBANE)

Australia's oldest World War 1 veterans ERIC ABRAHAM and TED SMOUT have made an emotional
plea for Anzac Day to remain unchanged.

The old Diggers say moves to combine ANZAC Day and Australia Day should be strongly resisted.

Mr ABRAHAM, who turned 103 last week says Anzac Day is the point when Australia shed
its boyhood mantle and became a proud nation.

Mr SMOUT, 102, says it'd be be like trying to mix St Patrick's Day and St George's Day.

He says if it had to be amalgamated in the future it might be better to consider Federation Day.



Immigration (CANBERRA)

Immigration Minister PHILIP RUDDOCK says increasing numbers of illegal immigrants are
forcing Australia to cut its intake of refugees.

Mr RUDDOCK says Australia's offshore refugee intake will be halved if the number of
illegal entrants arriving by boat continues at the current rate.

Speaking to ABC Radio say if refugees are amongst illegal immigrants then they're included
in the program leaving less spaces for those in more vulnerable situation overseas.

As a result Australia will no longer be able to meet its obligation of accepting 12,000
refugees each year under a United Nations treaty.



Grant Westpac (CANBERRA)

A Liberal MP has said a move by Westpac not to allow country people to use the $14,000
first home builders' grant as a deposit will backfire on them.

Westpac is the only major lender to allow first home buyers to count the government
grant towards a home loan deposit.

However, the bank has excluded people from rural and regional areas from the deal on
the basis its mortgage insurer won't allow them.



Qantas safety (SYDNEY)

The Sydney Morning Herald reports Qantas failed to teach its pilots to land on wet
runways, a problem which contributed to one of its planes sliding off a Bangkok runway
in September 1999.

In a report leaked to the paper, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is also criticised
for significant failures, including regulations covering wet-weather landings and emergency
procedures and training.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau report id due out tomorrow.



Budget Diabetics (CANBERRA)

A key youth diabetes organisation says alleged plans to increase the cost of needles
and blood test strips will result in more young diabetics dying.

The 4,000 members of Reality Check say they are appalled at reports the federal government
plans to push up the cost of syringes and other essential items for people with diabetes.

Leaked cabinet documents show the government plans to increase the co-payment for diabetes
equipment including needles and urine test strips to save more than $10 million over four
years.



Chile Pinochet (SANTIAGO)

Chilean prosecutors say they're seeking to restore charges that former dictator AUGUSTO
PINOCHET planned murders and kidnappings during his 1973-90 rule.

This is instead of pursing lesser allegations that he orchestrated a cover-up of the crimes.

The lawyers seeking to bring the 85-year-old retired general to trial for the first
time in Chile say they've petitioned a judge to overrule the March decision by a Santiago
appeals court which watered down the original charges.



Mideast CIA (PHILADELPHIA)

A top CIA official acknowledges that the US intelligence agency is presiding over security
talks between Israelis and Palestinians aimed at stemming the recent tide of Middle East
violence.

Initially, the new Bush administration suspended the peace-brokering role established
for the CIA by former President BILL CLINTON, as part of a reassessment of US policy toward
the volatile region.

Deputy CIA director JOHN MCLAUGHLIN says the agency's role is to mediate not negotiate.



US McVeigh Amnesty (LONDON)

Amnesty International says the high-profile execution of Oklahoma City bomber TIMOTHY
MCVEIGH next month will send a counterproductive message to Americans and may even provoke
violence.

Its report says the US federal government is risking making MCVEIGH a martyr for individuals
who share his radical beliefs.

It also argues that the death penalty itself may be inspiring murders instead of discouraging
them.

MCVEIGH is scheduled to die on May 16 by lethal injection for the 1995 bombing of the
Alfred P Murrah Federal Building.




The freeway between Melbourne and Victoria's second city of Geelong remains closed
in one direction after flooding due to four days of rain.




A Melbourne man who nearly drowned this morning after jumping into a creek to escape
from police has thanked them for saving his life.




American actor ROBERT DOWNEY Jr, in another brush with the law over drug use, has been
arrested and booked for investigation of being under the influence of a controlled substance.




Struggling telecommunications equipment maker LM Ericsson and Japanese electronics
giant Sony Corp plan to link their cell phone businesses.




Former Australian Democrats leader MEG LEES says she is considering resigning from
politics within a year, saying her political future is uncertain beyond the next South
Australian election, due by May next year.



and in sport.....................



League Violence (CANBERRA)

Police and rugby league officials have ruled out security measures such as segregating
crowds and closing hills to control hooligans at games.

NRL chief executive DAVID MOFFETT says a meeting of clubs and league officials overnight
has resolved such strong measures aren't needed at this stage.

Instead the summit decided on extra security and surveillance at future matches.

The meeting was designed to discuss preventative measures after fans went on a rampage
following Friday night's 20-all draw between the Bulldogs and Eels at Parramatta Stadium.



AFL Bombers (Melbourne)

Ground staff at the MCG are working overtime to make the sodden surface ready for today's
traditional Anzac Day match between Essendon and Collingwood.

Carparks will be closed as a result of four straight days of rain in Melbourne, raising
fears about whether the crowd will break the expected 80,000 barrier.



Super Qld (Brisbane)

Wallaby captain JOHN EALES has been named to make his long-awaited return for Queensland
in the Super 12 match against the Cats at Ballymore on Saturday night.

EALES will make his first appearance since round one of the Super 12 after an Achilles
tendon injury.



NBL Awards (Melbourne)

Townsville swingman ROBERT ROSE and Wollongong coach BRENDAN JOYCE have won the National
Basketball League's top individual awards for the season.

ROSE was named the League's Most Valuable Player, while JOYCE was named Coach of the
Year at the league's awards function in Melbourne.

The NBL's All-Star Five was also named, with Victoria Titans guard JASON SMITH and
Adelaide's DARNELL MEE making the team for the first time, joining ROSE, Perth point guard
RICKY GRACE and Melbourne centre MARK BRADTKE in the Aside.



Motorcycle Manx (London)

The TT motorcycle race on Britain's Isle of Man has been called off this year because
of foot and mouth disease.




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KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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