AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 3

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2004
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, April 3
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430

Spain Train (MOCEJON)

Spain's sending in the army to guard its railways after finding a bomb on a high-speed
track that may contain the same explosives used in last month's Madrid train bombings.

Interior Minister ANGEL ACEBES says police will check the 350 kph Madrid-Seville line
on which the bomb was found kilometre by kilometre.

They'll then use helicopters and army vehicles to guard key tracks.

The 12-kilograms of dynamite packed in a bag was found near the central city of Toledo
and defused safely.

But the scare disrupted travel as millions of Spaniards prepared to leave cities for
the Easter week holidays and came as a new session of parliament opened after last month's
elections.

There's a possibility the explosives, although not uncommon, could be of the same type
used in the pre-election bombings of four Madrid commuter trains which killed 191 people
on March 11.



Spain Release (MADRID)

A Spanish judge, meanwhile, has freed three men arrested over the Madrid train bombings.

After overnight consultations, Judge JUAN DEL OLMO ordered the release of Syrian detainees
WALID ALTARAKI and MOHAMAD BADR DDIN AKKAD; and Moroccan FOUAD ALMORABIT.

Sixteen people are in custody in connection with the March 11 attacks, 15 of whom have
been charged.



Terror alQaeda (WASHINGTON)

A televised report says an alleged al-Qaeda planning memo lists specific nationalities
and occupations to be targeted, including Australians, Americans and British citizens.

The document, shown on NBC's Today program in the US, was described as a planning memo
from al-Qaeda that lists who terrorists should target.

The report says it ranks nationalities to target by importance, starting with Americans
and British, followed by Spanish, Australians, Canadians and Italians.



Budget (SYDNEY)

A pre-Budget spending splurge by the Federal Government will start next week with a
$100 million early childhood package.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the splurge will be followed soon after by research
and innovation measures costing $1 billion a year.

And there's also a major program to upgrade the Pacific and Hume highways to be announced.

New funding for extra nursing home places, additional child-care places, income tax
cuts and maternity payments are expected in the May 11 budget, which is seen as the beginning
of an election campaign.



Tax (SYDNEY)

Meanwhile, The Weekend Australian reports a plan for several years of big tax cuts
will spearhead the Howard Government's election campaign.

The cuts would start with a downpayment using an estimated $7 billion budget surplus next year.

The report says the tax cuts will be unveiled in the budget next month and will be a priority.

The paper says quotes senior ministers as saying the campaign will be presented as
a choice between the government's tax cuts and Labor's extra spending on services.

They say Labor's plan will be funded on higher taxes.



Indon Bashir (JAKARTA)

Indonesian police will bring suspected Jemaah Islamiah spiritual leader ABU BAKAR BASHIR
in for questioning next week.

The move comes as officials continue to look at mounting a fresh terrorism trial against him.

Police tried to question BASHIR at Salemba prison last night and asked for him to be
shifted to police headquarters in central Jakarta.

But the cleric refused and will now be moved on Wednesday morning.

The fiery Islamic cleric is due to be released from his Jakarta jail on April the 30th
after an appeal to Indonesia's highest court last month.



Iraq (FALLUJA)

Iraqis in Falluja have condemned the mutilation of four Americans by people in their
town, but warned today more bloodshed will follow if US forces respond too harshly.

A jubilant crowd in Falluja, known for its hardline resistance to the US-led occupation,
burned and kicked the corpses of the contractors, dragging them through the streets.

Two Iraqis have meanwhile been killed after a suicide bomber blew himself up in the
municipal council building in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.



Terror Guantanamo (WASHINGTON)

The Pentagon says fifteen more people have been transferred from a detention centre
for suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters at a US naval base in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

It says they've been freed in their home countries.

The Pentagon says the detainees were from Afghanistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Sudan, Iraq,
Jordan and Yemen.



Mideast (JERUSALEM)

Israeli Prime Minister ARIEL SHARON has turned up the heat on arch-foe YASSER ARAFAT,
warning the Palestinian leader's not immune from assassination.

But SHARON's comment has earned a strong rebuff from Washington.

At least 20 Palestinians have meanwhile been wounded in clashes with Israeli police,
who stormed one of Islam's holiest sites to tackle stone-throwing demonstrators.



Cyprus (ATHENS)

Greece says the fate of Cyprus now rests squarely with the island's two ethnic communities,
but suggests it sees little to recommend a UN-backed reunification plan they'll vote on
this month.

Greek Prime Minister COSTAS KARAMANLIS says he'd tried hard to forge a compromise at
talks this week with Turkey and Turkish Cypriots.

But the UN blueprint that's emerged has differed little from drafts rejected by Greek
Cyprus and Athens.

Greece's main objections focus on the plan's provisions for Turkish and Greek troops
to remain on the island at least until 2018.



AND BRIEFLY IN NEWS . . . . .




Former Ansett staff could get a further $85 million from the sale of the airline's assets.




Shell says a fire which broke out at its refinery in Sydney's west last night isn't
expected to affect production and is being investigated.




Taiwan's High Court has deferred ruling on an opposition demand to annul President
CHEN SHUI-BIAN'S narrow election victory and hold fresh polls.




A Singapore man has been sentenced to 42 years in prison after pleading guilty to cheating
four banks out of $A91 million to fund his high-stakes gambling habit.




The adult entertainment industry has rejected a bid by Australia's strippers' union
to create an award for striptease artists, exotic dancers and topless bar staff.




New York City public schools will allow students to wear clothes with political slogans
after settling a lawsuit with a girl who was suspended for wearing a Barbie-is-a-Lesbian
T-shirt.




HERMAN -- the world's first genetically modified bull -- has been put down in the Netherlands
aged 13, due to arthritis.



AND IN SPORT . . . . .



SWIM AUST (SYDNEY)

LINDA MACKENZIE has become the first Australian woman in 20 years to win the 200 metres,
400 metres and 800 metres freestyle at the one national swimming championships.

The Mackay marvel completed the treble with victory in the 800 metres in Sydney last
night after MICHAEL KLIM failed in his quest to gain an individual berth at the Athens
Olympics.

The dual Olympic gold medallist was seventh in the final of the 50 metres freestyle
tonight with BRETT HAWKE and ASHLEY CALLUS finishing one-two.

GEOFF HUEGILL and ADAM PINE locked up Olympic spots in the 100 metres butterfly final
while South Aussies MELISSA MORGAN and FRANCES ADCOCK will fly to Greece for the 200 metres
backstroke.



MOTOR V8 (EASTERN CREEK, SYDNEY)

Ford driver RUSSELL INGALL has held off a rejuvenated MARK SKAIFE to set the fastest
time in practice for round two of the V8 Supercar series at Eastern Creek.

INGALL'S one minute, 32.5459 seconds was nearly four-tenths of a second quicker than
SKAIFE'S Holden.



SOCCER ENGLISH RANIERI (LONDON)

Chelsea's under-fire coach CLAUDIO RANIERI has been named the English Premier League's
manager of the month for March.

Despite being under pressure to retain his job at Stamford Bridge, RANIERI has presided
over a run of three Premiership wins which have put the club into second place in the
league behind Arsenal as well as a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.


ENDS BULLETIN

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