AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 18

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2007
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 18
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


APEC Climate (CANBERRA)

Labor and Greenpeace have slammed an environment declaration to be signed at next month's
APEC'S meeting in Sydney .. saying it shows the HOWARD government's not serious about
climate change.

A copy of the declaration .. prepared for the world leaders at the meeting .. has been
leaked to Greenpeace.

It calls for all major polluters to cut greenhouse gas emissions .. but sets no firm targets.

Shadow Environment Minister PETER GARRETT says the document makes a mockery of JOHN
HOWARD'S claims .. that APEC will be the most important climate change summit in 15 years.

And BEN PEARSON from Greenpeace .. says it shows JOHN HOWARD is trying to use APEC
to undermine the Kyoto Protocol .. which he's refused to sign.



Refugees (SYDNEY)

Immigration Minister KEVIN ANDREWS is expected to announce changes to refugee and humanitarian
programs today .. to bring hundreds more Iraqis Down Under.

News Limited newspapers say last year's annual refugee intake of 13-thousand will remain
the same.

But there'll be fewer African refugees and more from Asia and the Middle East.

Most Iraqi refugees are expected to be Christians fleeing persecution by the country's
Muslim majority.



Iraq Hussein (BAGHDAD)

Less than a year after her father was sent to the gallows .. SADDAM HUSSEIN'S daughter
is facing charges that could lead to her execution.

38-year-old RAGHAD HUSSEIN has been charged with financing some of the insurgents who've
bedeviled Iraq since shortly after her father's regime was toppled in 2003.

An Interior Ministry spokesman says HUSSEIN is believed to be living in Amman in Jordan
.. as a guest of King ABDULLAH.




Markets World (NEW YORK)

US and European stocks have rebounded after the US Federal Reserve slashed the lending
rate it charges commercial banks .. in the most dramatic twist since fears of a credit
crunch gripped world markets last week.

The action by the US central bank was aimed at boosting the liquidity of banks.

It helped share prices to recover from losses over the past week .. caused by fears
of a financial crisis linked to the ailing US housing market.



Toll Qld (BRISBANE)

A 10-year-old boy's been killed by the family car rolling down the drive in Brisbane.

Police say children were playing in the family's four-wheel drive .. which rolled
over the boy on the steep driveway of their Toowoomba home about 3.45 pm yesterday.




Stab (MELBOURNE)

Two young men are in hospital .. one fighting for his life .. after being stabbed by
gatecrashers at a party in Melbourne's south-east last night.

Police say four men who were denied entry to the party in Clyde North got into a fight
with a 20 and a 21-year-old .. and stabbed them.

The gatecrashers then fled the scene.

Partygoers rushed the wounded men to the Casey Hospital .. and they're now in the Alfred
Hospital.



Park (SYDNEY)

A 12-year-old girl's been abducted and sexually assaulted by a man while walking alone
in a western Sydney park.

Police say the girl was walking alone in Elizabeth Macarthur Park at Telopea about
5.30 yesterday afternoon .. when she was grabbed and dragged off toward a creek.

The man sexually assaulted the girl before she was able to struggle free and run to
her near-by home.



Med Breast (WASHINGTON)

US researchers say a vaccine designed to treat breast cancer appears to be safe in
women with advanced disease .. and shows small signs of slowing down tumours.

Dendreon Corporation .. maker of the Provenge prostate cancer vaccine .. calls the
new vaccine it's developing .. Neuvenge.

It targets a type of breast cancer which affects between 20 per cent and 30 per cent
of breast cancer patients.



Briefly in other news ..



Plante (SYDNEY)

Cannabis worth almost 300 thousand dollars has been seized in a raid on a house in
Sydney's south-west.



US Segal (LOS ANGELES)

Actor STEVEN SEAGAL is demanding an apology from the FBI .. whose allegations he claims
have ruined his career.

in Finance ..



in Sport ..



AFL Saints (MELBOURNE)

St Kilda and Fremantle play a virtual elimination final today in their vital round
20 AFL game at Telstra Dome.

The ninth-placed Saints and 12th-placed Dockers need to win their remaining three games
to be assured of reaching the finals.

In today's other match .. Essendon must beat old foes Carlton at the MCG to keep
their remote playoff hopes alive.

In tonight's games .. reigning premiers West Coast host bottom side Richmond at Subiaco
Oval .. while the Brisbane Lions must beat Sydney at the Gabba to be any chance of reaching
the finals.



League (SYDNEY)

Round 23 of the NRL continues tonight with Cronulla hosting a Wests Tigers side looking
to cement their top eight spot.

And top-four positions will be up for grabs when fourth-placed North Queensland host
St George Illawarra and the fifth-placed New Zealand Warriors travel to Canberra.



Tennis Masters (CINCINNATI)

LLEYTON HEWITT has crushed CARLOS MOYA to set up a semi-final showdown with world number
one ROGER FEDERER at the Cincinnati Masters.

In a further boost to his US Open chances .. HEWITT outclassed MOYA 6-2 6-4 in just
77 minutes .. his seventh hardcourt win in less than two weeks.



Golf PGA (GREENSBORO, North Carolina)

Australian NATHAN GREEN has continued his recent good form to pull within two strokes
of the second round lead at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro .. North Carolina.

GREEN has carded a six-under 66.

Americans JOHN HUSTON .. STEVE MARINO and JEFF OVERTON head a tightly-bunched field
at 12-under 132 .. with JOHN SENDEN and MARK HENSBY best of the other Australians .. five
shots behind.



Motor V8 (SYDNEY) Morning radio

Round eight of the V8 Supercar Championship continues at Sydney's Oran Park today with
qualifying and the first 46-lap race.

Holden's defending series champion RICK KELLY was quickest in yesterday's practice
session and his brother TODD KELLY was second fastest.



Netball Trophy (SYDNEY)

Perennial grand finalists Sydney Swifts and Melbourne Phoenix will contest the last-ever
national netball league title decider in Sydney tomorrow.

It will be the fourth time in the last five seasons that the two sides have contested
the grand final.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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