AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 26

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 26
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Solomons resign (HONIARA)

SNYDER RINI has resigned as prime minister of the Solomon Islands ..just as MPs were
due to vote on a motion of no confidence against him.

His election by the parliament last week sparked riots and looting that destroyed Honiara's
Chinatown.

Some protesters claimed he was in the pockets of Chinese business.

RINI has told parliament he had no choice but to quit .. after learning members of
his government coalition had crossed the floor to join the opposition.

MPs must now vote in a secret ballot on a replacement for RINI.



Mine (LAUNCESTON)

Grave fears are held for three miners .. after a small earthquake triggered a rockfall
at a Tasmanian gold mine .. trapping them almost a kilometre underground.

Rescue workers at the Beaconsfield Gold Mine .. near Launceston .. have failed to make
contact with the men since the rockfall last night .. and while they can't send men in
yet they're rigging up a machine with a camera to try to see if it can spot anything.

Eleven other miners who were underground at the time managed to scramble to safety.

One of the trapped miners .. believed to be TODD RUSSELL .. is a local father of three
.. while the other two are believed to be from Launceston.



Smartcard Abbott (CANBERRA)

The health minister says a smart card for health services would provide basic medical
information to help in an emergency.

TONY ABBOTT's told the Nine Network the card would not contain people's entire medical
history .. just basic details such as blood type .. allergies and recent medical history.

He says while no final decisions have been made .. a smart card could mean that if
you're in trouble a doctor .. ambulance officer .. or hospital emergency department ..

would be able to access basic health information about you.

Federal cabinet is today considering a smart card which would cover Medicare and welfare
payments.



Tierney (MELBOURNE)

A former senior executive of Victoria University has been jailed over his involvement
in an elaborate conspiracy to defraud the institution.

The County Court has sentenced 64-year-old PETER TIERNEY to three years and three months
jail .. with a minimum term of two years.

TIERNEY previously pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to defraud .. and one
of obtaining financial advantage by deception between 1995 and 2001.



Linear (ADELAIDE)

Adelaide's linear park .. which runs either side of a 35 kilometre section of the Torrens
River .. is to be protected from sale or development.

Urban Development Minister PAUL HOLLOWAY says the linear park is a fantastic asset
for Adelaide .. allowing cyclists .. walkers and runners to travel from the city's north-eastern
suburbs to the sea without having to confront city traffic.

He says the park's the first of its kind to be developed in Australia .. and he wants
it to remain in public hands.



Egypt Resort (DAHAB)

Egyptian police have detained at least 10 people for questioning .. over a triple bombing
that's killed at least 18 people and wounded scores of others .. including two Australian
women.

Four foreigners have been confirmed dead in the Red Sea tourist resort of Dahab ..

a Russian .. a Swiss man .. a German child and a Lebanese national.

The death toll's been revised down from an earlier report of 23 dead.



Iraq (BAGHDAD)

ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI .. the Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq .. has appeared in a rare video
to denounce the country's new government.

In the 35-minute video posted on the internet .. America's most wanted man in Iraq
warns of new and more damaging attacks.

The video comes two days after an audio message from OSAMA BIN LADEN was aired .. and
a day after a bombing in Egypt.

The ZARQAWI video first came on air in Iraq about the same time Prime Minister-designate
JAWAD AL-MALIKI appeared on state television .. to say he was talking with all political
parties to form a government of national unity.



BRIEFLY:

Canada Crime (OTTAWA)

A 12-year-old Canadian girl has been charged with murdering her father .. mother and
younger brother .. in a quiet community in the country's west.

The bodies were found at the family's home in Medicine Hat .. Alberta .. 300 kilometres
south-east of Calgary.



Chernobyl (CHERNOBYL)

Night-time vigils have marked the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster .. the
world's worst nuclear accident.

Clutching candles and carnations .. hundreds of people have silently poured into the
centre of the Ukrainian town of Slavutich .. to honour 30 people who died in the first
year after the accident.



UK Ghost (LONDON)

Police responding to a call about a possible break-in at a pub in northern England
.. have found a shaken landlord convinced he encountered a ghost in the ladies' washroom.

The bobbies didn't actually see the spirit .. but did find the toilets flushing themselves.



IN FINANCE:

AGL (MELBOURNE)

Energy companies Alinta and the Australian Gas Light Company .. have signed a binding
agreement to merge their respective infrastructure businesses.

The two companies have announced a deal that will see AGL's energy business remain
wholly owned by AGL shareholders.



Finance Markers (SYDNEY)

At 1124 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was UP 51.4 points at 5321.2.

The all ordinaries index ROSE 47.2 points to 5264.9.

The Australian dollar was trading at 74.52 US cents DOWN from 74.67 at Monday's close.

It was at 59.97 euro cents DOWN from 60.30 Monday.

In Sydney, gold bullion was trading at $US630.20 an ounce, UP $US4.05 from Monday's close.



AND IN SPORT:

Cricket Aust (DHAKA)

Australia has the chance to wrap up its one-day series against Bangladesh today with
a victory in the second match of the three-game series at Dhaka's Fatullah Stadium.

The decision to name an unchanged side means young South Australian MARK COSGROVE must
continue to wait for his one-day debut.

Bangladesh has wielded the axe following its loss in Chittagong .. with MOHAMMAD ASHRAFUL
replaced by ALOK KAPALI .. and SHAHADAT HOSSAIN replacing SYED RASEL.



Surfing World (TAVARUA ISLAND)

Despite a solid swell .. Roxy Pro organisers have opted to call another lay day of
competition at Fiji to wait for an expected increase of wave size tomorrow.

Eleven women remain in contention for the Roxy Pro crown .. including reigning world
champion CHELSEA GEORGESON and current tour leader MELANIE REDMAN-CARR.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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