AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 11

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2001
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 11
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

Nurses Vic (MELBOURNE)

Victoria's nursing union leadership is prepared to go to jail over its dispute about
nurse-patient ratios with the state government.

Australian Nursing Federation state secretary BELINDA MORIESON this morning has defied
an Australian Industrial Relations Commission order to stop closing public hospital beds
by 8am (AEST).

This sets the union on a legal collision course with the state government, which has
said it will take the union to the Federal Court to enforce the commission's order.

On Thursday, a 2,000-strong mass meeting of nurses voted to launch their most widespread
industrial action in 15 years by closing one third of beds in most wards, and cancelling
one-third of elective surgery.

When asked about the likelihood of facing hefty fines for disobeying the commission's
orders, Ms MORIESON said jail is the preferred option for her union leadership.



NZ Extradite (ROTORUA)

A man who allegedly sold cocaine for nearly $A83,000 to undercover police in Melbourne,
then fled to New Zealand four years ago, is to be extradited to Australia.

Judge PHILIP COOPER made the extradition order in the Rotorua District Court yesterday
and remanded DERYN CHVASTEK, 45, in custody, giving him 15 days to appeal.

CHVASTEK, also known as CHARLIE DICKSON, was arrested in Australia in 1997 after he
allegedly sold 21 ounces of cocaine to an undercover police officer for $A80,950.



Coles Breakup (MELBOURNE)

Coles Myer chairman STAN WALLIS says the company may be broken up unless it turns a profit.

Melbourne's icon retailing company has been navigating troubled waters for the last
year, recording a 30 per cent profit drop.

Mr WALLIS has told Radio National's Business Report the 1984 merger of GJ Coles Supermarkets
and the Myer emporium may be dissolved in order to add shareholder value.

The $24 billion-a-year food and merchandise retailer last month issued its third profit
warning in six months.



Afghan (ISLAMABAD)

Western diplomats will be allowed to visit eight foreign aid workers, including two
Australians, jailed for propagating Christianity in Afghanistan.

The Taliban's ambassador to Pakistan, ABDUL SALAM ZAEEF says the visas will be issued,
but it is up to Kabul to decide when.

The diplomats have been trying to get to Kabul to visit eight foreign aid workers jailed
for allegedly propagating Christianity in Afghanistan.

Under Afghanistan's hardline Muslim Taliban spreading other religions is a crime punishable
by death.



Mideast US (WASHINGTON)

Washington has condemned Israel's seizure of the unofficial PLO headquarters in Jerusalem
and a West Bank raid as a serious political escalation of the conflict with the Palestinians.

Urging both sides to refrain from incitement and provocations, a State Department official
has criticised Israel's retaliatory tactics.

The action follows a suicide bombing in Jerusalem on Thursday which killed 15 people
and the Palestinian bomber.

Meanwhile, two Palestinians shot and wounded by Israeli troops during stone-throwing
clashes yesterday near the Karni commercial crossing with Israel have died.



Fossett (SANTIAGO)

Solo balloonist STEVE FOSSETT is aiming for speed today on his round-the-world attempt,
but ground control has warned that falling debris from the Discovery space shuttle might
pose a danger.

By satellite e-mail as he sailed toward Chile's Easter Island, FOSSETT has told his
mission control at St Louis in Missouri that it's been a fine tour so far.

The millionaire has travelled about 9,700km since leaving Western Australia last Sunday
in his attempt to be the first to circumnavigate the globe solo.

Debris from Discovery, which launched earlier today, could hinder the former stockbroker.

The balloon voyage website says pieces of an external fuel tank jettisoned by the shuttle
after its launch might fall in the area where FOSSETT is flying.

But the chances of FOSSETT being hit, however, are remote.



UK Hamilton (LONDON)

Disgraced former British Conservative minister NEIL Hamilton and his wife, CHRISTINE,
have been arrested and released on bail today in connection with an alleged sexual assault.

The couple's lawyer, MICHAEL COLEMAN, says they were questioned over accusations that
they had carried out indecent acts while a rape was being committed at Ilford, east London,
last May.

No charges were made and the couple were released on bail. They strongly deny the allegations.



US Shuttle launch (CAPE CANAVERAL)

The space shuttle Discovery has blasted off from the Kennedy Space Centre, carrying
a replacement crew to the International Space Station.

Piloted by commander SCOTT HOROWITZ, Discovery will take to the station a three-member
crew to relieve YURY USACHEV, SUSAN HELMS and JIM VOSS, who have been in orbit for 154
days.

The new ISS crew is being led by American FRANK CULBERTSON, 52, a retired Navy captain
and former test pilot making his third flight into space.

It also includes two Russians: VLADIMIR DEZHUROV, aged 39, a Russian Air Force pilot
who led a 115-day mission aboard the now defunct space station Mir in 1995, and MIKHAIL
TYURIN, on his first space mission, who will serve as a researcher and flight engineer.



US twins (SAN DIEGO)

A British surrogate mother for a California couple has filed two lawsuits against them
for allegedly backing out of the deal because she is carrying twins.

HELEN BEASLEY, who is 26, claims the couple demanded she abort one of the foetuses
because they only want to have one child.

BEASLEY, who is six months pregnant has filed the lawsuits claiming breach of contract
and misrepresentation.

She wishes to put the twins up for adoption but has found that legally she has no right to do so.

Under California law, parental rights in a surrogate-birth agreement go to the intended
parents, not the surrogate mother.



AND IN BRIEF:



Bosnian Serb colonel VIDOJE BLAGOJEVIC, who led a brigade during the 1995 Srebrenica
massacres in Bosnia's bloody war, has been handed over to UN prosecutors in The Hague
to face trial for war crimes.



A roller coaster accident in Iran has reportedly killed eight people and injured several others.



Concerns are held for the safety of BENJAMIN IRWIN, a 15-year-old boy who has been
missing in Sydney's west for eight days.



MICHAEL CAINE is set to star in a remake of the ORSON WELLES radio classic War of the
Worlds which is set for release in November next year, according to Internet movie site
IMDB.com.



The International Monetary Fund has issued a bleak outlook for the Japanese economy,
forecasting a recession this year that could worsen the economic downturn gripping the
global economy.



A helicopter carrying tourists on a sight-seeing trip of the Grand Canyon has crashed,
killing six and injuring one.



AND IN SPORT:

Cricket Aust Waugh (HOVE, England)

ADAM GILCHRIST is refusing to rule out the possibility of STEVE WAUGH making a miracle
recovery from a calf injury in time for the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval.

WAUGH has walked laps of the County Ground and underwent further physiotherapy, massage,
pool and bike work as Australia swept to an eight-wicket victory over Sussex yesterday.

WAUGH told GILCHRIST his torn calf is recovering well after being asked whether his
around-the-clock treatment was going to be worthwhile.

The Oval is most definitely on WAUGH's mind as it could be his last Test appearance
on English soil and the substitute Ashes trophy will be presented to the Australians after
the match.

Meanwhile, RICKY PONTING will lead Australia in an international for the first time
against Ireland on Sunday.



Tennis Masters (CINCINNATI, US)

Australian PAT RAFTER has advanced to the semi-finals of the ATP Masters Series tournament
in Cincinnati with a hard-fought win over Great Britain's GREG RUSEDSKI.

RAFTER, the eighth seed, lost the first set but battled his way back to take the win
5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

He'll face fellow Aussie LLEYTON HEWITT or Croatian IVAN LJUBICIC, who are meeting
in a later quarter final.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP
AAP RTV pc/mjm

KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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