AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 25

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 25
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Anzac Dawn (CANBERRA)

Australians have been urged to draw on the Anzac spirit in today's fight against the
evil of terrorism .. at dawn services across the country.

More than 20 thousand people gathered at the Australian War Memorial in CANBERRA ..

where Air Force chaplain .. ROYCE THOMPSON .. told the crowd the Anzac spirit is as vital
today as it was during World War One.



In MELBOURNE .. the first Australian soldier to die in Iraq was honoured by almost
30 thousand people at the Shrine of Remembrance.

Private JAKE KOVCO .. who accidentally shot himself while cleaning a pistol last Friday
.. was mentioned in a service that remembered the gallantry of Australian service men
and women .. past and present.



In SYDNEY .. a huge crowd stretching over three blocks .. listened to Air Vice-Marshall
JOHN QUAIFE recall the sacrifices made in 1915 and subsequently .. by servicemen and women
including Private KOVCO.



Australians and New Zealanders also held informal services in the SOLOMON ISLANDS capital
Honiara .. where troops from both countries are working to restore order.



And in PAPUA NEW GUINEA .. the sacrifice of Australians and New Zealanders in World
War Two was marked with a service at the end of the Kokoda Track.



Anzac Gallipoli (GALLIPOLI)

More than seven thousand visitors have made the pilgrimage to Gallipoli for the 91st
anniversary of the Anzac landing.

Australians .. New Zealanders .. and Turks .. are at Anzac Cove .. waiting for the
dawn service which starts about 12.30 pm (AEST).

Governor-General MICHAEL JEFFERY and Veteran Affairs Minister BRUCE BILLSON are Australia's
official representative at Gallipoli.



Anzac prize (ADELAIDE)

Five South Australian high school students will travel to Gallipoli next year as part
of a new annual award to mark Anzac Day.

Premier MIKE RANN says the new government-sponsored prize will allow the successful
students to experience the Anzac legend first-hand.

He says details of the competition will be developed by the education department ..

in consultation with the RSL.



Monica Winds (BRISBANE)

Cyclone Monica's losing intensity as it approaches Darwin .. but residents are being
warned against becoming too complacent.

Monica was downgraded early this morning from a category five cyclone .. to a category
two .. with winds at its core dropping from 350 to 125 kilometres an hour.

The weather bureau's ANDREW TUPPER says the severe cyclone threat has eased .. but
a warning is still present.

Commander BERT HOFER .. from the Northern Territory Emergency Operations Centre ..

says Darwin can still expect strong winds .. and residents should remain alert until they
receive word the cyclone's moved on.



Egypt Resort Reax (LAS VEGAS)

World leaders have condemned the deadly triple bomb attack in the Egyptian Red Sea
resort of Dahab.

US President GEORGE W BUSH has branded it a heinous act .. and warned those responsible
they'll be brought to justice.

Egyptian President HOSNI MUBARAK .. whose country has been a target of Islamist militant
attacks on foreigners since the early 1990s .. has vowed the perpetrators will be punished.

At least 23 people were killed in the attacks in a market and busy restaurant area.



Iraq (BAGHDAD)

The bodies of 32 security force recruits have been found in Baghdad .. after a wave
of car bombs attacks hit the city.

Interior Ministry sources say the victims were from the rebel stronghold of Ramadi.

Two car bombs near Baghdad's Mustansiriya University killed at least five people and
wounded 25 .. while a car bomb near the Health Ministry killed three people and wounded
25.

Four other bombings in the city wounded at least 27 people.



Terror binLaden US (WASHINGTON)

America's intelligence chief says al-Qaeda is a weakened organisation .. that serves
mainly as an inspiration to other Islamic terrorist groups.

JOHN NEGROPONTE's comments come a day after the airing of an audiotape attributed to
al-Qaeda leader OSAMA BIN LADEN .. urging Muslims to wage war in Sudan against nations
out to steal its oil.

NEGROPONTE says al-Qaeda and its affiliates remain the top threat to the US .. but
says BIN LADEN's group has suffered a lot of losses in it high command.



Nepal (KATHMANDU)

Buckling after 19 days of violent protests in Kathmandu .. Nepal's King GYANENDRA has
agreed to reinstate the parliament dissolved in 2002.

His televised announcement has been greeted with jubilation by a seven-party opposition
alliance .. which says a protest planned for today will turn into a victory rally.

King GYANENDRA took absolute power after sacking the government in February last year
.. saying it was corrupt and had failed to tackle a bloody 10-year Maoist insurgency.



BRIEFLY:

Stab (ADELAIDE)

A 27-year-old man's been charged with attempted murder .. after a knife attack on two
men in the centre of Adelaide.



Arson (BRISBANE)

Police are questioning five teenagers about a spate of arson attacks in Brisbane overnight.



Bat (MELBOURNE)

A Melbourne teenager's in hospital with a suspected fractured skull after being attacked
by up to 20 youths .. some with baseball bats.



Siege (SYDNEY)

An armed man has surrendered to police .. after two nights barricaded inside a house
on the New South Wales Central Coast.



AND IN SPORT:

Squash (SAO PAOLO)

Australian TONY JAMES has moved into the quarter-finals of the Companion Challenge
squash tournament with victory over Brazil's MANOEL PEREIRA.

The fifth seed won 10-11 (0-2) .. 11-5 .. 11-7 .. 11-6.

JAMES faces third seed SABIR BUTT in the next round following the Canadian's win over
another Brazilian .. EDILSON NUNES .. in the opening round.



Surfing World (TAVARUA ISLAND)

A lay day has been called for the second event of the women's world surfing championship in Fiji.

Waves of a metre-plus are providing contestants with practice at Cloudbreak reef ..

but organisers of the Roxy Pro decided to wait for a larger swell to resume the third
round.

Those already qualified for the quarter-finals include Australians MELANIE REDMAN-CARR
and REBECCA WOODS.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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