AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, May 7

AAP General News (Australia)
05-07-2011
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, May 7
BREAKFAST ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


DETENTION (CANBERRA)

Papua New Guinea has confirmed Canberra's request for it to host a regional asylum
seeker processing centre.

The country's Foreign Minister DON POLYE says the Australian plan was discussed at
a special cabinet meeting yesterday.

Mr POLYE has told the ABC that Manus Island is just one of several sites being considered
.. but says his government would like to see a centre in Papua New Guinea.

The news came after a day of intense speculation over JULIA GILLARD detention centre
plans .. with the PM refusing to confirm any plans .. after revelations of talks between
Canberra an Port Moresby.

Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT says any move to reopen the Manus Island Detention Centre
in Papua New Guinea would be a massive backflip by the government.

Meanwhile .. the West Australian Goldfields town of Leonora says it's willing to house
more asylum seekers .. after the government said it wants to send 200 people there.



BINLADEN ALQAEDA (DUBAI)

Al-Qaeda has vowed to avenge the death of OSAMA BIN LADEN and urged Muslims to rise
up against the United States .. as rallies against the killing of the Nine-Eleven mastermind
in a US raid flare in the Islamic world.

Confirming BIN LADEN's death for the first time .. al-Qaeda has urged Pakistani Muslims
to cleanse their country from .. what it calls .. the filth of the Americans who spread
corruption.

In the statement posted on jihadist Internet forums .. the Islamist group proclaims
its Saudi-born founder a martyr .. who it says has terrified non-Islamic nations.

The White House says it's on alert for security threats .. and has promised to release
an audio tape made by BIN LADEN just a week before he was shot dead by US commandos in
Pakistan.

On the traditional day of prayers .. hundreds of Islamists have rallied in Pakistan
.. Egypt and Turkey to call for revenge for the death of BIN LADEN .. and more than one-hundred
people have protested in London.



SYRIA UNREST (BEIRUT)

There are claims Syrian security forces have shot dead at least 30 people .. as thousands
rally on a Day Of Defiance against the regime of President BASHAR AL-ASSAD .. and tanks
converged on protest centres.

The government says one officer and four policemen have been killed by what it calls
armed criminal gangs.

The European Union .. meanwhile .. has agreed to impose sanctions on 13 Syrian officials
involved in the regime's crackdown on protests .. and will meet on Monday to discuss whether
to target ASSAD as well.



LIBYA (TRIPOLI)

MUAMMAR GADDAFI's regime has reacted angrily to a NATO-led decision to provide funding
to the three-month-old rebellion against his rule in Libya.

The fund .. set up at a meeting of the International Contact Group on Libya in Rome
.. is intended to provide an emergency lifeline to the rebels .. whose provisional administration
has no source of financing.

Meanwhile .. rebels are bracing for a ground assault by GADDAFI forces on the besieged
western port city of Misrata as NATO warplanes strike regime targets further to the west.



GREECE EURO (ATHENS)

Greece is denying a report by a German magazine website that it is considering leaving
the euro currency.

A government official denies the report .. carried by the Spiegel Online .. which says
Athens is considering withdrawing from the European Union's joint currency.



UK VOTE (LONDON)

British voters have overwhelmingly rejected changing the electoral system .. with 69
per cent opposing a switch to a new system in a national referendum.

And .. the Scottish National Party has won a majority in Scotland's parliamentary election
and its leader has promised to hold a vote on independence from the United Kingdom ..

while in Britain .. the Liberal Democrats have suffered a massive defeat.

Voters in Scotland .. Wales and Northern Ireland elected members of regional legislatures
on Thursday and hundreds of local council seats were at stake around Britain.



JAPAN NUCLEAR (TOKYO)

Japan's prime minister says he's instructed the operator of a nuclear power plant in
the coastal city of Shizuoka .. west of Tokyo .. to halt all three reactors because of
safety concerns in the event of a major earthquake and tsunami.

Prime Minister NAOTO KAN says experts believe there is a 90 per cent probability of
a major quake striking the central region within 30 years.

The action follows a safety review of all Japan's nuclear plants after the radiation
crisis at the Fukushima plant .. crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.



BROWSE (PERTH)

The outgoing head of the Kimberley Land Council says an unprecedented deal struck between
traditional land owners .. Woodside and the West Australian government over a gas hub
near Broome will change Aboriginal lives.

The Goolarabooloo Jabbir Jabbir native title claim group has agreed to support Woodside's
30 billion dollar liquefied natural gas hub to be built at James Price Point.

Outgoing head of the KLC WAYNE BERGMANN says the deal is more than just money .. it
gives environmental assurances in the chance the project causes any significant damage
during its operations.



POLICE VIC (MELBOURNE)

Victoria's police union has slammed Commissioner SIMON OVERLAND .. after he ordered
his deputy Sir KEN JONES to leave office immediately.

Union secretary GREG DAVIES says Mr OVERLAND'S move is deplorable .. and he'll be asking
Police Minister PETER RYAN to take some action.



BUDGET11 (Melbourne)

Charities will get a 500 million dollar boost through moves to cut red tape .. but
the federal budget will also close a tax loophole for those that run non-charitable businesses.

The news has come from News Limited and Fairfax.

They say the changes won't affect op shops or small-scale fundraisers such as lamington drives.



BARANGAROO (SYDNEY)

Sydney Lord Mayor CLOVER MOORE has defended her record in protecting and achieving
new open space after former prime minister PAUL KEATING resigned as chairman of a key
panel set up to oversee the design of the controversial Barangaroo development.

Mr KEATING announced his resignation yesterday.

Earlier this week he let fly at Ms MOORE over her staunch opposition to existing plans
for the redevelopment of Barangaroo .. in the city's East Darling Harbour area.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



JUMPS (MELBOURNE)

The Victorian government will continue to support jumps racing .. despite protester
warnings that any blood spilled on race tracks will be on the racing minister's hands.



SPAIN BALLESTEROS (MADRID)

Spanish golf legend SEVERIANO BALLESTEROS .. who underwent surgery for a brain tumour
three years ago .. has suffered a severe deterioration of his condition.



US MCCARTNEY (NEW YORK)

Rock royalty PAUL MCCARTNEY is reportedly engaged to his longtime girlfriend .. Long
Island socialite NANCY SHEVELL.



IN SPORT ..



RL AUST (GOLD COAST)

South Sydney could be the biggest loser following Australia's rugby league Test win
over New Zealand last night.

Rabbitohs star GREG INGLIS suffered a recurrence of the hip injury he had repaired
in the off-season as the Kangaroos won 20-10 on the Gold Coast.

BILLY SLATER scored two tries and debutants JAMAL IDRIS and JHARAL YOW YEH one each.

The only Saturday night NRL game will be heavily affected by the Test as the Broncos
host Melbourne.



RL NSW (ALBURY, NSW)

New South Wales rugby league coach RICKY STUART is mulling over the performances of
his potential Blues after Country last night downed City 18-12 in Albury.



AFL (ADELAIDE)

Port Adelaide's AFL misery continued last night with a 32-point loss to Hawthorn and
another knee injury to prime mover DAVID RODAN.

Hawthorn kicked eight of the last nine goals of the game to win 15.14 (104) to 10.12 (72).

The round continues today with the Western Bulldogs meeting Sydney .. Geelong hosting
North Melbourne .. Richmond playing Fremantle and the Gold Coast clashing with Brisbane
for the first time.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP


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