AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 25Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630
Shot (SYDNEY)
A 65-year-old man has been charged with the Christmas Eve murder of a Sydney shop owneras the hunt continues for his co-accused.
PATRICK HUDD, in a brief appearance before Parramatta Local Court, was refused bailand remanded in custody.
It's alleged that HUDD shot Retravision manager JIM RAWAS, aged 58, twice in the stomachat close range following a bungled armed robbery at his Matraville store yesterday.
JIMMY, as Mr RAWAS was known to his clients and friends, was well known in Matraville,having run a store there for the best part of three decades.
The second offender, aged in his 20s, fled and today remains at large with police pleadingfor public help to locate him.
Siege (MELBOURNE)
An armed siege in a Hobart suburb has ended after a man surrendered himself after a17-hour standoff with police.
Police negotiators worked through the night to defuse the situation, but the man didnot surrender until early this afternoon.
Tasmania Police Sergeant PHIL CURTIS says the man surrendered himself around 1.30pm(AEDT) and investigations are continuing.
Officers were called to a house in Belle Vue Parade, New Town, about 8.30pm (AEDT)yesterday following reports of a man armed with a handgun.
Xmas Pope (VATICAN CITY)
A visibly tired Pope JOHN PAUL II has made a plea for peace in his traditional Christmasmidnight mass, urging assembled pilgrims to reflect on the Christian message of hope andmercy.
Celebrating his 25th midnight mass as pontiff, broadcast live to millions around theworld, the frail 82-year-old pope accompanied by 30 cardinals addressed thousands of RomanCatholics gathered in Saint Peter's Basilica and the square outside.
Stooping, and coughing from time to time during his homily, the pope still spoke clearlyas he prayed for the leaders of nations and international organisations to strive forpeace, especially in the tormented land of the Middle East.
Xmas Lunch (SYDNEY)
Thousands of homeless, the disadvantaged and the lonely have turned out at charitycentres across Sydney to enjoy a Christmas lunch, some pudding and open a present or two.
The Exodus Foundation's Reverend BILL CREWS says 3,000 people have turned up to indulgein the festive treats that were donated to his Uniting Church parish in Ashfield overthe last month.
Reverend CREWS says the lunch is the biggest and the best he's ever hosted.
He says finding the people to staff the mass event has been no problem, with 400 willingworkers turning up to prepare and serve the Christmas delights.
Xmas Defence (SYDNEY)
Australian troops serving on naval ships have donned Santa hats to sit down to a festivemeal, while others have had a quick bite with the locals before returning to checkpoints.
The Australian Federal Police also has dozens of officers abroad with 20 still workingon the Bali bomb blast investigation, and police in 22 countries including East Timorand Cyprus.
In East Timor -- where the nation's largest military contingent is serving -- soldierscame bearing gifts to children in orphanages, distributing thousands of toys, books, crayonsand pencils donated by people from across Australia.
The AFP's also hosted a Christmas party for East Timorese orphans.
Storms (SYDNEY)
Thousands of families are spending Christmas Day without power after a severe stormlashed two states, damaging homes and uprooting trees.
The storm struck as many sat down to Christmas Eve dinner, leaving 25,000 familiesin New South Wales and Queensland with no electricity at the height of the storm.
A house in the Brisbane Valley was engulfed by flames and in Lismore in northern NewSouth Wales, 28 homes and an aged care facility were damaged, with 5,000 homes withoutpower at the height of the storm.
Just a few hundred remain without electricity late today but clouds are rolling inover Lismore, with another storm predicted tonight.
Mideast Bethlehem (BETHLEHEM)
For the second straight year, Israel has barred YASSER ARAFAT from travelling to Bethlehem-- the town of Jesus's birth.
Israel accuses the Palestinian leader of fomenting violence in the uprising for statehoodthat began more than two years ago.
ARAFAT denies the allegation.
Christmas was a washout in dark and rainswept Bethlehem, where even an Israeli armypullback to its outskirts yesterday failed to bring comfort or joy to residents of whatused to be a prosperous place of pilgrimage packed with Christian tourists.
ARAFAT's front-row seat in the Roman Catholic Saint Catherine's Church -- adjoiningthe Church of the Nativity -- was as last year, draped with a chequered Arab headdress,a symbol of his struggle for a homeland.
Korea Nuclear (WASHINGTON)
A US government official says North Korea could churn out enough plutonium to buildup to 50 to 55 nuclear weapons a year if all three of its frozen nuclear reactors enteredoperation in coming years.
The issue could be critical to world security, partly because North Korea has beendeveloping long-range missiles possibly capable of delivering nuclear warheads.
Washington has accused Pyongyang of being the world's biggest peddler of missiles andmissile production technology.
North Korea says US hard-liners are pushing the divided Korean peninsula to the brinkof nuclear war, adding its armed forces are up to the task of defeating any enemy.
Venezuela (CARACAS)
Several thousand critics of Venezuela's President HUGO CHAVEZ have prayed for peaceduring an open-air Christmas Eve Mass in Caracas, as an opposition strike kept a chokeholdon the nation's vital oil industry.
Waving pictures of the Virgin Mary, protesters have packed an avenue in the capitalto demand the resignation of the leftist president and to support a shutdown that hasslashed oil output and throttled exports in the world's number five exporter.
In a brief pre-recorded televised Christmas message, CHAVEZ, has wished all Venezuelansa happy Christmas of infinite tenderness and love.
BRIEFLY..........
The United States has imposed a temporary flight ban over the Statue of Liberty andmidtown Manhattan on New Year's Eve due to possible security risks ahead of high-profilefestivities.
A chief surgeon says four-month-old Siamese twins -- born with conjoined hearts andlivers -- are smiling after a team of 30 doctors and nurses in Bangkok separated themin a 10-hour operation.
Released Chinese dissident XU WENLI has arrived in the United States for an emotionalreunion with his daughter, who voiced concern over his deteriorating health.
AND IN SPORT..........
Cricket Aust (MELBOURNE)
Queensland batsman MARTIN LOVE will replace DARREN LEHMANN in the Australian side forthe Boxing Day Test against England at the MCG.
LEHMANN has been ruled out after being admitted to hospital with an acute infectionin his right leg.
LOVE has scored 781 runs at an average of 130.16 this summer, including 250 and 201not out against the Poms for Queensland and Australia A respectively.
The 28-year-old will also field at first slip in place of WARNE.
Sail Sydhob (SYDNEY)
The preparations of Sydney to Hobart yacht Ichi Ban have been stalled by the late arrivalof its replacement rudder from Malaysia.
The new rudder, which will replace one that was damaged last weekend, was scheduledto arrive in Sydney early this morning, but failed to make its flight because of securityissues.
Ichi Ban's sailing master ROGER HICKMAN says the rudder has made a later flight andwill arrive around 5pm.
He says his crew will work until midnight on the boat to have it ready for tomorrow's start.
Cricket India (AUCKLAND)
Indian batting superstar SACHIN TENDULKAR is a doubtful starter for the opening limited-overscricket match against New Zealand in Auckland on Thursday.
An Indian team spokesman says TENDULKAR sprained his right ankle during a practice session.
Soccer Bosnich (LONDON)
English premier league club Chelsea has given MARK BOSNICH a week by to explain howhe tested positive to cocaine or face the sack.
The Australian goalkeeper is expected to plead his innocence and claim he has no ideahow the drug entered his system.
ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP
AAP RTV jas
KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP
No comments:
Post a Comment