AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2007
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 14
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430
Iraq Blast Claim (DUBAI)
An alliance of Sunni groups .. headed by al-Qaeda .. has claimed responsibility for
a deadly suicide bomb attack inside the Iraqi parliament building.
Through an internet statement .. the self-styled Islamic Nation of Iraq says the bomber
infiltrated parliament wearing an explosive belt.
The group also threatened more violent attacks in the future.
The US military says yesterday's bombing killed one parliamentarian and wounded 22
other people .. revising the initial toll down from eight dead and 23 wounded.
However .. confusion remains over the exact figure .. with an Iraqi security official
putting the death toll at three .. one deputy and two unidentified bodies".
Ogier (NARROGIN)
A Perth man has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years jail for repeatedly assaulting
his defenceless three-year-old son.
The attacks included deliberately burning the boy's finger with a lighter and pulling
his nail out with pliers.
Magistrate ELIZABETH HAMILTON said the man .. a father of nine .. had little empathy
for his children .. and the offences were part of an ongoing and entrenched form of behaviour.
JASON DAVID OGIER .. from the Perth suburb of Welshpool .. pleaded guilty in February
to three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm .. and other offences and one count
of breach of protective bail conditions between October 2004 and December 2006.
He had also admitted to stealing and possessing stolen property.
OGIER'S wife .. 43-year-old BELINDA OGIER was given a six month suspended sentence
for failing to protect her son from his father .. and warn the authorities or seek medical
help for the boy's injuries.
Russia Berezovsky (MOSCOW)
Russia has called for the extradition of BORIS BEREZOVSKY from Britain .. after he
said he was planning to overthrow the Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN.
Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal case against the multi-millionaire .. after
he was quoted by the Guardian newspaper as saying he was fomenting a revolution.
London had repeatedly rejected requests from Moscow to have the former BORIS YELTSIN
ally extradited .. after he was given asylum in 2003.
COAG Diabetes (CANBERRA)
The federal government is making 100 million dollars available to deal with diabetes
.. and the states and territories will match the funding.
Health and welfare lobby groups have welcomed the funding .. while South Australian
Premier MIKE RANN says the money will help fight the epidemic of diabetes.
Agreement on the funding was reached at yesterday's Council of Australian Governments
meeting in Canberra.
Northern Territory Chief Minister CLARE MARTIN says the funding is particularly welcome
in her territory .. where many indigenous people have diabetes.
Swaiti (SYDNEY)
The most senior Muslim cleric in Canberra praises Islamic jihadists in Iraq and Afghanistan
in his Friday sermons .. according to reports in The Australian newspaper.
MOHAMMED SWAITI is alleged to have called out in Arabic .. for God to grant victory
to mujaheddin (Muslim holy warriors) worldwide .. at a mosque in Yarralumla yesterday.
He then translated his sermon into English for non-Arabic-speaking members .. but omitted
the praise for Islamic jihadists in the English version.
After the sermon .. SHEIK SWAITI denied he was referring to Muslim holy fighters ..
saying jihad referred to self-discipline as well as fighting.
Tristar (SYDNEY)
Labor says a Federal Court decision against workers at a Sydney car parts manufacturer
is disappointing .. but not unexpected.
Opposition industrial relations spokeswoman JULIA GILLARD says under the government's
new IR laws .. workers have nowhere to go when they are being treated unfairly.
The Federal Court's ruled yesterday New South Wales's industrial watchdog has no power
to hear the case involving employees of Tristar.
Teachers (DARWIN)
Schools across Australia will adopt a standard national curriculum in core subjects
.. but state and territory ministers have refused to sign up to a performance-based pay
system for teachers.
Federal Education Minister JULIE BISHOP has endorsed a uniform teaching system in English
.. maths and science .. after a two-day meeting in Darwin with her state counterparts.
UK Stem Cell (LONDON)
An Australian woman paralysed in a car accident .. says she is walking again .. after
undergoing controversial embryonic stem cell treatment in India.
45-year-old SONYA SMITH went from Brisbane to New Delhi for treatment by GEETA SHROFF
.. a doctor who runs a private hospital treating more than 300 patients with embryonic
stem cells.
Mrs SMITH was run over by her own car as she tried to stop it rolling down a hill with
her three young daughters inside.
After two months of injections .. she says she has regained bladder and bowel control
.. sensation in her thighs and feet .. and leg muscle growth.
Timor Flaws (DILI)
Fraud claims have gained weight in East Timor's presidential poll .. with a final check
finding that up to 30 per cent of invalid votes in some places .. are in fact valid.
National electoral commissioner FAUSTINO GOMES CARDOSO says the number of these votes
could influence the final count.
Another official says results of 81 ballot boxes from three districts are also doubtful.
Dollar High (SYDNEY)
The Australian dollar continues to soar .. and has risen above 83 US cents for the
first time in almost seventeen years.
The local currency was trading above 83 US cents yesterday afternoon .. its best levels
since October 1990.
Traders say the currency is rising .. because local interest rates are expected to
increase next month.
Cosmetic Breasts (MELBOURNE)
Breast implants laced with metal will be implanted in thousands of Australian women
.. in a world-first trial aimed at reducing cases of breast job hardening and deformity.
Cosmetic surgeons have started to recruit three thousand Australian women .. to test
out a European-made titanium implant they believe will have lower rates of hardening.
Study leader DANIEL FLEMING has told the national conference of cosmetic medicine in
Melbourne initial results from the first 80 patients implanted since November are very
positive .. with only one case of the complication reported.
Briefly in other news ..
The search for a bushwalker who went missing a week ago in a New South Wales park will
resume at first light this morning.
in Sport ..
A number of disgruntled current and former shareholders of AWB Limited are suing the
wheat exporter for 25 million dollars over its role in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal.
The man tipped to replace disgraced senator SANTO SANTORO isn't talking up his chances
.. ahead of today's preselection for the vacant Senate seat.
Steel and coal from the Titanic have been transformed into a new line of luxury wristwatches
that claim to capture the essence of the legendary oceanliner which sank in 1912.
IN SPORT ..
SportsBriefs
WC07 AUST (BRIDGETOWN, Barbados)
Australia have scored a thumping nine-wicket win over Ireland .. after GLENN MCGRATH
and SHAUN TAIT bowled the World Cup minnows out for 91 in their Super Eights match in
Barbados.
Man-of-the-match MCGRATH and TAIT both claimed three wickets each .. to restrict Ireland
to the ninth-lowest total in World Cup history.
Australia reached 1-92 from 12.2 overs.
LEAGUE WRAP (SYDNEY)
The Gold Coast Titans are celebrating a massive coup .. after shocking reigning NRL
premiers Brisbane .. with a 28-16 NRL win at Suncorp Stadium last night.
It was the biggest win in the club's five-week history and moves them into the NRL's
top eight .. although there are still six matches to complete the round.
Parramatta moved into the top eight last night with a solid 27-14 win over Penrith
at CUA Stadium.
Ladder leaders Manly travel to Telstra Stadium to meet the rampant Bulldogs tonight
.. and Melbourne face St George Illawarra at Oki Jubilee Stadium in the earlier game.
AFL WRAP (MELBOURNE)
Collingwood have notched their second win of the AFL season .. with a comeback 25-point
victory over Richmond at the MCG last night.
The Magpies .. missing a string of experienced players through injury .. came back
from a 22-point halftime deficit to win 17.13 (115) to 13.12 (90).
Today .. Carlton play Essendon at the MCG and Adelaide meet Port Adelaide in the showdown
at AAMI Stadium.
Tonight .. Fremantle and West Coast clash in the derby at Subiaco and St Kilda meets
the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome.
ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP
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