AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 19

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 19
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Threat TWU (SYDNEY)

The Transport Workers Union claims six Sydney airport baggage handlers boarded a plane
suspected of containing a bomb on Thursday night .. because they feared they'd lose their
jobs if they didn't.

At the time 102 passengers were being removed from the Pacific Blue Boeing 737 .. out
of the radius of a potential blast.

TWU leader TONY SHELDON says the workers were being treated like canaries in a mineshaft.



Italy Plane (ROME)

A British airliner made an emergency landing in southern Italy overnight after a message
was found indicating a bomb was aboard .. but civil aviation authorities say no bomb was
found.

The Boeing 767 of low cost carrier Excel Airways was on a flight from London's Gatwick
airport to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada in Egypt.

The company says the message .. written on the back of a sick bag .. said there was
a bomb on the aircraft.

Passengers handed the bag to the cabin crew .. and the captain landed the plane at
Brindisi airport as a precautionary measure.



THOMAS (MELBOURNE)

The Director of Public Prosecutions is pushing for a retrial of 33-year-old JOSEPH
TERRENCE THOMAS .. dubbed JIHAD JACK .. after yesterday's Victorian Court of Appeal decision
to overturn his terrorism conviction.

The DPP wants THOMAS to be re-tried on the charges .. based on alleged admissions he's
made in an interview with the ABC.

In criticism of the original trial .. Australian Federal Police officers have been
accused of emotionally manipulating the first man jailed under Australia's new anti-terror
laws.



Terror UK Videos (LONDON)

British police have reportedly found so-called martyrdom videotapes .. apparently recorded
by some of the suspects held over an alleged plot to blow up US-bound airliners.

Officers have found at least half a dozen videos in which the suspects allegedly recorded
their last statements in preparation for suicide attacks.

BBC TV says the videos found on laptops appear to be recorded by some of the suspects
currently in custody.



Mideast Israel (METULLA)

With Israel's war in Lebanon over .. the gloves are off at home with Israeli soldiers
returning from the war blasting their government.

They say the army was poorly prepared .. slow to rescue injured comrades .. and suffered
from a lack of supplies so bad .. that soldiers had to drink water from the canteens of
dead Hizbollah foes.

A 22-year-old infantry man says he believes they fought for nothing .. clearing houses
that will be reoccupied by Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas in no time.



Poll Qld (BRISBANE)

The latest opinion poll indicates Queensland Premier PETER BEATTIE is set to keep his
job after the next state election.

At the end of the first week of campaigning .. the Galaxy Research Poll shows 53 percent
of respondents prefer the Labor government on a two-party preferred basis.

That's a turn-around from poll results released a week ago .. giving the government
49 per cent and the coalition 51 per cent.



Ajax (MELBOURNE)

Unions are optimistic that talks this weekend between carmakers and administrators
of car component company .. Ajax Engineered Fasteners .. will save the jobs of 200 Victorian
employees.

With mounting debts and more than 12-million dollars owed in employee entitlements
.. Ajax has been placed in the hands of administrators.

This week 200 workers were stood down after negotiations with the four major carmakers
for a multi-million dollar rescue package disintegrated.

The Australian Workers' Union's Victorian secretary .. CESAR MELHEM .. says talks have
progressed .. with both sides now agreeing to swap documents.



US JONBENET SCHOOLS (BANGKOK)

Thai authorities have called for tougher background checks for employees at international
schools .. after an American teacher was arrested over the killing of child beauty queen
JONBENET RAMSEY.

41-year-old JOHN MARK KARR was arrested on Wednesday over the killing of JONBENET ..

who was found beaten and strangled to death in the basement of her Colorado home in 1996.

Authorities say KARR had begun working on Tuesday as a second-grade teacher in an international
school in Bangkok.

Police say the American could be deported this weekend.



IN BRIEF:



Liberal MP JACKIE KELLY'S husband has allegedly assaulted a union official during a
safety inspection at the building site of the couple's new Sydney home.




Fire crews will spend the day cleaning up a diesel spill in Sydney's Gunnamatta Bay
after a marina fire at the Royal Motor Yacht Club destroyed six boats last night.




The New South Wales government is under fire over an alleged attempt to delay information
about an outbreak of of meningococcal disease.



IN SPORT:


Golf PGA (CHICAGO)

Australian GEOFF OGILVY is only one stroke from the lead after the second round at the
US Open in Chicago.

US Open champion OGILVY is in the running for a second major title in two months after
a creditable four-under 68 in light rain at Medinah.

He's tied with TIGER WOODS and DAVIS LOVE .. while Americans BILLY ANDRADE and TIM
HERRON .. Englishman LUKE DONALD and Swede HENRIK STENSON lead at eight-under 136.



Tennis ATP (CINCINNATI)

RAFAEL NADAL has been beaten 7-6 7-6 by JUAN CARLOS FERRERO in the quarter-finals of
the Cincinnati Masters.

Former French Open champion FERRERO had not won a set in his previous four meetings
with NADAL but outfought his fellow Spaniard to set up a clash with compatriot TOMMY ROBREDO
.. who knocked out fourth-seeded Croat IVAN LJUBICIC 7-6 6-2.



Tennis WTA (MONTREAL)

Australia's NICOLE PRATT has been slaughtered in straight sets by Russian ninth seed
DINARA SAFINA in the quarter-finals of the WTA tournament in Montreal.

PRATT won only one game, going down 6-1 6-0 to the 20-year-old sister of former world
No.1 MARAT SAFIN.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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