AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 22

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 22
Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


Indon Bashir (SYDNEY/JAKARTA)

The former president of the Coogee Beach Dolphins rugby league team has criticised
Indonesia's decision to overturn Muslim cleric ABU BAKAR BASHIR'S conspiracy conviction.

ALBERT TALARICO says he finds the decision unbelievable.

The Indonesian Supreme Court has ruled BASHIR didn't give his blessing to the October
2002 bomb attack .. overturning his conviction on conspiracy charges.

Mr TALARICO says the court's ruling is all the more devastating for the victims' families
.. because it's been delivered three days before Christmas.

And DAVID "SPIKE" STEWART .. who lost his 29-year-old son ANTHONY in the 2002 bombings
.. says the ruling is difficult to comprehend.

Mr STEWART says the whole world knows BASHIR is guilty except Indonesia .. and the
damage he's done is incomprehensible.

But BASHIR says the court ruling .. clearing him of any part in the bombings .. is
a blow to the West .. and serves as a warning that Western attempts to subjugate Indonesia
will fail.



Indon Bali (DENPASAR)

The case of three Bali bombers .. on death row for their roles in the 2002 attacks
.. will return to court next month after a preliminary hearing for their last-ditch appeal
was adjourned.

The so-called smiling assassin AMROZI .. his brother ALI GHUFRON .. alias MUKHLAS ..

and IMAM SAMUDRA are ultimately seeking a retrial .. in the hope it may deliver them lesser
sentences.

Their lawyers are arguing the three were convicted on the basis of an anti-terror law
enacted after the 2002 bombings.



Terror Indon Downer (ADELAIDE)

Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER says the Australian government has information about
potential terrorist attacks in Indonesia over the festive season.

Mr DOWNER warns terrorists could attack churches in Indonesia over Christmas.

He says Foreign Affairs renewed its travel warning for Indonesia yesterday.



Rockets ASIO (CANBERRA)

Defence Minister BRENDAN NELSON has called in ASIO to check that all the army's anti-tank
rocket launchers are accounted for .. with fears some may have been stolen .. and sold
to criminal gangs or even terrorists.

The defence department is investigating claims rogue soldiers may have stolen some
weapons .. and sold them.

Counter-terrorism police are also working with the Middle Eastern Crime Squad .. looking
for eight of nine anti-tank weapons it suspects may have been stolen for use within Australia.

Dr NELSON says the department will conduct an audit of its rocket launcher stocks ..

and introduce radical measures to secure existing weapons.



Bushfires Tas (MELBOURNE)

Tasmanian fire crews should be home in time for Christmas after weather changes helped
damp down the fires that have destroyed 17 dwellings.

JEFF KNIGHT .. a district officer with the Tasmanian Fire Service .. says up to 20
millimetres of rain fell on the fires overnight .. and humid conditions today have helped
firefighting efforts.

He says .. while the St Mary's-Scamander fires are still not under control .. properties
thought to be have been in danger are now considered safe.

He's told tourists who've planned holidays on Tasmania's east coast not to be deterred
by the fires.



AWB Joyce (CANBERRA)

Nationals senator BARNABY JOYCE says cabinet's pressured Agriculture Minister PETER
MCGAURAN to make a decision he doesn't support .. in approving two applications for bulk
wheat exports.

Mr MCGAURAN's announced today he's given the nod for Wheat Australia and CBH to export
wheat to Iraq and Indonesia.

They're the only two permits approved out of 46 applications .. after Mr MCGAURAN temporarily
acquired AWB's former veto power over wheat exports.

Senator JOYCE has condemned the decision .. saying it'll disadvantage Australian farmers.



Solomons Moti Keelty (CANBERRA)

Australian Federal Police commissioner MICK KEELTY says he hopes fugitive lawyer JULIAN
MOTI will soon be brought before the courts.

The Australian lawyer .. who was appointed but later suspended as the Solomon Islands
attorney-general .. is wanted by the AFP for alleged child sex offences dismissed by a
court in Vanuatu in 1997.

Canberra has consistently rejected offers from the Solomons to return MOTI to Australia
.. as the proposals have had conditions attached.



Mulrunji Shine (BRISBANE)

Queensland's Attorney-General KERRY SHINE will commission a review of the decision
by the state's top prosecutor not to charge a policeman over the death of a man in custody
on Palm Island.

Director of Public Prosecutions LEANNE CLARE has stood by her decision not to pursue
Senior Sergeant CHRIS HURLEY over the 2004 watchhouse death of MULRUNJI DOOMADGEE.

But Mr SHINE says she's agreed to provide him with her file on the case .. allowing
the attorney to commission an independent review.

The family of MULRUNJI DOOMADGEE wants the review to be conducted outside Queensland
by a retired High Court judge .. to ensure it's fully independent.



Ajax (MELBOURNE)

Former workers at a controversial car parts maker in Melbourne have voted unanimously
to accept a proposed take-over deal .. that will save some of their jobs.

Under the deal .. Ajax Fasteners' Melbourne factory will re-open on January 1 .. after
the takeover by Specifix Fasteners.

The workers have received a total of 5.86 million dollars in redundancy payments today.



Jordan Dad (MELBOURNE)

The father of a Victorian woman .. injured during a terrorist incident in Amman ..

says he takes no pleasure in the death sentence handed down to the gunman.

KEITH BLAIR describes the man .. who shot and wounded his 22-year-old daughter ASHLEA
.. as a twisted person .. but he says he's not a supporter of the death penalty.

ASHLEA was shot in the hip while her British accountant friend .. CHRISTOPHER STOKES

.. was shot dead when a lone gunman opened fire at Amman's famed Roman amphitheatre in
September.

BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS:



Two teenage women .. charged with wilful murder over the discovery of a body in a wheelie
bin .. have been remanded in custody after appearing in court in Perth.




South Korea says it's started killing tens of thousands of poultry .. after a fourth
bird flu case broke out in less than a month.




Snowfalls have stranded thousands of travellers at Denver airport for a second day
.. and forced the cancellation of more than two thousand flights.




And .. Google has overtaken Yahoo as the second most popular internet destination
for web surfers worldwide .. while Microsoft has held onto the top spot.



IN SPORT:


Shield Tasmania (HOBART)

Western Australia has beaten Tasmania by three wickets on the final day of their Pura
Cup match at Bellerive Oval.

The win .. their first outright victory of the season .. gives WA 12 points on the
ladder, equal third with Victoria and NSW and six points away from table leaders Queensland.

Tasmania remains on 14 points.


Ashes Urn (MELBOURNE)

The historic Ashes urn is in Melbourne for the first time.

The tiny burgundy flask .. which is believed to have once been a perfume dispenser
.. is the highlight of The Ashes Exhibition which will be on display at the Melbourne
Museum until January 7.

Meanwhile .. Cricket diehards .. who run onto the Melbourne Cricket Ground if SHANE
WARNE claims his 700th Test wicket on Boxing Day .. could cop a six thousand dollar fine.

Police have issued the message to fans .. ahead of the fourth Test at the MCG on Tuesday
.. where WARNE will farewell his home crowd .. before his final Test match in Sydney.

WARNE's expected to take his 700th Test wicket at the MCG.



NBL Heal (SYDNEY)

The NBL has decided SHANE HEAL has no case to answer over a claim that he deliberately
elbowed Brisbane's STEPHEN BLACK in the groin.

The Bullets filed a formal complaint with the elbowing allegation against the Souths
Dragons captain-coach in the wake of Wednesday night's match at Melbourne's Vodafone Arena.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP

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