AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 29

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2008
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 29
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Leaflet (SYDNEY)

The husband of former federal minister JACKIE KELLY has pleaded NOT guilty .. over
his alleged role in distributing bogus leaflets in her seat of Lindsay during last year's
federal election campaign.

GARY JAMES CLARK has appeared briefly in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court today
over the leaflet scandal .. which erupted days before last November's election.

CLARK's one of five men charged under the Commonwealth Electoral Act .. for distributing
pamphlets which portrayed the Labor party as being aligned with a radical Islamic element
in the key western Sydney seat.

BRUCE LEVET .. the barrister for NSW Liberals right faction powerbroker JEFF EGAN ..

has also entered a not guilty plea for his client.



Water Hunt (CANBERRA)

The federal opposition says money previously allocated for "re-plumbing" rural Australia
.. may now disappear into buying back water licences.

Water Minister PENNY WONG is set to announce today a three billion dollar program to
buy back water from irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin over the next decade.

The water will be managed by a new authority .. the Commonwealth Environment Water
Holder .. and used to replenish levels in basin waterways.

Opposition environment spokesman GREG HUNT says the plan matches the former HOWARD
government's policy.

But he's told ABC radio the buyback won't work if almost two billion dollars that was
going to farmers to fund water efficiencies .. is diverted to other areas.



Greenbury (MELBOURNE)

The father of a Melbourne woman shot dead on her neighbour's doorstep yesterday ..

says the suspected gunman has done time for murder and rape.

MAX GREENBURY says his 33-year-old daughter TRACEY tried to end the relationship a
week ago .. when she found out he'd been convicted of rape after believing he'd been rehabilitated
for murder.

Mr GREENBURY says the man allegedly held TRACEY captive for two hours in a caravan
and put a gun to her head .. but she was too frightened to report the incident to police.

He's told Fairfax radio TRACEY feared for her life right up to when she was gunned
down in Frankston on the city's south-eastern outskirts yesterday.



Agius (PERTH)

High-rollers are expected to be arrested .. as Australian Federal Police continue to
investigate a 100 million dollar money laundering scheme involving up to 400 people.

Raids were carried out yesterday in Australia .. New Zealand and Vanuatu .. resulting
in 58-year-old former Sydney accountant ROBERT FRANCIS AGIUS .. ordered extradited from
Perth to Sydney.

He'll face charges of conspiring to defraud the commonwealth .. conspiracy to cause
a loss .. and laundering more than one million dollars.

The AFP says further arrests are expected from the high end of town .. with up to 20
people being investigated and another 400 identified as participants in the scheme.



Austria Abuse (AMSTETTEN)

Austrian police are trying to find out how a father managed to imprison his daughter
in a windowless cellar for 24 years .. and have seven children by her .. without authorities
and neighbours knowing.

Police say 73-year-old electrical engineer JOSEF FRITZL has confessed to holding his
daughter captive .. in what Austrian media have branded "The House Of Horrors".

The daughter and three of the children were imprisoned in a 60 square metre cellar
in Fritzl's nondescript two-storey home .. in the small industrial town of Amstetten.

A 19 year old girl .. and boys aged 18 and 5 .. were locked up in the cellar with her
since birth and had never seen sunlight.

Questions are being asked as to how this went on unnoticed .. as the house is in a
busy street with shops .. and particularly as FRITZL built extensions to the cellar.



Israel Jeffery (BEERSHEBA)

Governor-General MICHAEL JEFFERY and Israeli president SHIMON PERES have dedicated
a park commemorating the World War One charge by Australia's Light Horse Brigade against
Turkish forces in Beersheba.

The Park of the Australian Soldier celebrates the contribution of Australian soldiers
to events that led to Israel's creation 60 years ago.

Major General JEFFERY is the first Australian governor-general to visit Israel.



Metabolism (SYDNEY)

Australian scientists who've discovered a way to speed up the metabolism of mice ..

say it could be the first step to a new treatment for obesity and diabetes.

A team of Melbourne researchers have found they can manipulate the fat cells of mice
so they metabolise fat faster .. and carry up to 60 per cent less body fat.

Dr MICHAEL MATHAI from the Howard Florey Institute .. says it would be the first drug
to do what so far only exercise can do .. speed up your metabolism.



Briefly in other news ..



The Defence Department has been cleared of allegations it failed to act on a warning that
could have prevented a 1998 fire on HMAS Westralia that killed four sailors.



A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out today on the body of Sydney prosecutor
ALEX CLOUT .. found in bushland north of Newcastle at the weekend.



An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 .. has rocked the Loyalty Islands region in the
French territory of New Caledonia.



Child welfare officials in Texas say 31 of the 53 teenage girls taken into state custody
from a polygamist sect's ranch .. already have children or are pregnant.



New research from Germany suggests having a dog in the house can reduce the risk of young
children developing allergies.



in Finance ..



At 1124 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was DOWN 14.7 points at 5588.0, while the
All Ordinaries Index FELL 14.3 points to 5656.0.

The Australian dollar was at 93.76 US cents, UP from Monday's close at 93.70 US cents.

It was at 59.90 euro cents, DOWN from Monday's close at 59.91 euro cents.

In Sydney, the spot price of gold was $US891.30 per fine ounce, DOWN $US1.00 from $US892.30
on Monday.



in Sport ..



AFL Rising (MELBOURNE)

Exciting Hawthorn forward CYRIL RIOLI has earned the round-six nomination for the AFL
Rising Star Award .. on the back of another thrilling display against Richmond.

The nephew of VFL/AFL greats MAURICE RIOLI and MICHAEL LONG .. RIOLI gathered 19 possessions
and booted two goals in the 12-point win against the Tigers.



AFL Port (ADELAIDE)

Port Adelaide utility CHAD CORNES will be sidelined until at least round nine of the
AFL season because of a broken finger.

CORNES had surgery on Sunday to repair the ring finger on his right hand which was
broken during Port's win over St Kilda on Saturday night.

The earliest he can return is the team's home fixture against Sydney on May 24.



Soccer English (DERBY)

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR has come off the bench to score a second half hat-trick .. as Arsenal
thrashed already-relegated English Premier League basement side Derby County 6-2 at Pride
Park.

The result leaves the Gunners in third place .. four points behind the top two of Manchester
United and Chelsea with two games left this season.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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