AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 19

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2010
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 19
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

Nightclub (SYDNEY)

Former rugby league star JOHN HOPOATE has reportedly been charged with assault .. following
an incident while he was working as a security guard in Sydney's Kings Cross last night.

Police say three men were refused entry into the Trademark Hotel on Bayswater Road
at about 11pm (AEDT) .. and one of the trio allegedly made threats toward a security guard
.. sparking a chase through nearby streets and a subsequent altercation.

As a result .. a 33-year-old man suffered head injuries and was rushed to St Vincents
Hospital where he underwent surgery .. and remains in a serious condition.

Media's named the bouncer as HOPOATE .. and he's due to face Downing Centre Local Court
on January 11.



Boat Capsize (CANBERRA)

Asylum seekers who died when their boat was wrecked off Christmas Island last week
will be remembered in a private memorial service today.

Thirty people .. including 13 men .. nine women and eight children .. perished when
their wooden boat broke apart in heavy seas early on Wednesday morning.

A private memorial service for asylum seekers detained on Christmas Island will be
held later today .. while another's expected to take place on Monday.



Post (CANBERRA)

A union says Australia Post must fight to keep the doors of its local post offices open.

The communications union says Australia Post promised it would do everything possible
to boost the performance of its outlets.

But there are reports this morning that 27 post offices around the country are facing
closure from December 31 .. after Australia Post lost money on letters for the first time
last financial year.



Toll National (SYDNEY)

The number of people killed on Australian roads this holiday season has risen to four
.. with the latest death reported near Wollongong on the NEW SOUTH WALES south coast.

It's the state's first fatality this season.

Police say a 20-year-old man was hit late last night by a station wagon while crossing
an intersection at Bellambi .. north of Wollongong and critically injured.

He was pronounced dead at Wollongong Hospital.

Earlier last night .. a man in his 20s died when his ute crashed into a tree at Sarsfield
in VICTORIA.



Weather Europe (ZURICH)

Three people have died .. as blizzards and freezing temperatures shut down runways
.. train tracks and highways across Europe.

Hundreds of flights out of Britain .. Germany .. France .. Spain .. the Netherlands
and Denmark have been cancelled or delayed .. as fresh snow blocked runways.

Meanwhile .. the three deaths occurred in Italy .. including a driver whose truck overturned
in a highway mass pile-up .. a man who suffered a heart-attack shovelling snow and a homeless
man who froze to death.



US Gay (WASHINGTON)

US President BARACK OBAMA'S expected to sign a bill this week .. which will allow gay
people to serve openly in the military for the first time.

It comes after the US Senate voted 65-31 to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" compromise
of 1993 .. requiring gay soldiers to keep quiet about their sexual orientation or face
dismissal.

During the debate .. Senator CARL LEVIN said the first casualty in the war in Iraq
was a gay soldier .. and the mine that took off his right leg didn't care whether he was
gay or straight.



Mine (CANBERRA)

Foreign Minister KEVIN RUDD says Australia and Chile will help each other handle mine disasters.

Mr Rudd and Chilean government ministers have decided to extend an existing agreement
on mining co-operation between the two nations .. to include mine rescue management and
safety regulations.

The deal follows the August collapse of the San Jose mine in Chile .. which trapped
33 miners underground for 67 days.



WikiLeaks Bank (BECCLES)

WikiLeaks founder JULIAN ASSANGE has denounced what he calls business McCarthyism in
the US after the Bank of America halted all transactions to the website.

The Australian .. who is spending his second full day on bail .. has vowed the whistle-blowing
website will carry on releasing controversial leaked documents as he insists his life
is under threat.

Bank of America .. the largest US bank .. has halted all transactions for WikiLeaks
.. joining other institutions that refuse to process payments for the website.

The 39-year-old .. who had been held in a London jail before being granted bail ..

is wanted for questioning in Sweden over allegations that he sexually assaulted two women
.. which he denies.



Briefly in other news ..



Italy Knox (PERUGIA)

An Italian court has ruled that it will allow an independent review of crucial DNA
evidence in AMANDA KNOX's appeals trial on her murder conviction.



Unite (MELBOURNE)

NSW police commissioner ANDREW SCIPIONE says an acceptance of excessive drinking is
partly to blame for alcohol-related violence.



UK Middleton (LONDON)

KATE MIDDLETON'S made her first public appearance since announcing her engagement to
Prince WILLIAM .. joining him at a cancer charity fundraising event.



in Sport ..



Soccer Europe Aust (LONDON)

Australian strikers SCOTT MCDONALD and NIKITA RUKAVYTSYA have done their best to lock
up spots in HOLGER OSIECK'S squad for next month's Asian Cup by netting for their respective
clubs this morning.

MCDONALD continued his return to form by scoring his third goal in six matches for
Middlesbrough in their 2-1 loss at Doncaster, while RUKAVYTSYA scored from the centre
of the box for Hertha Berlin in their 1-1 draw at FC Augsburg in the German second division.

Australia's Asian Cup squad is due to be trimmed to 23 players on December 28 before
a January 5 friendly against the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on tournament eve.



Swim World (DUBAI)

Olympic champion LEISEL JONES has won Australia's sixth silver medal and eighth overall
on the fourth night of the FINA World Short Course Championships in Dubai.

American REBECCA SONI beat JONES in the 100m breaststroke.

SONI and JONES split the 100 and 200 titles at the Beijing Olympics, but SONI beat
JONES over both distances at the Pan Pacific championships in August as the Australian
returned from a post-Olympic break.

Spain's MIREIA BELMONTE GARCIA matched American star RYAN LOCHTE with her third gold
medal at the meet, winning the 200m individual medley.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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