AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 3

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2010
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 3
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


MCMAHON (CANBERRA)

Australia's leader have praised the life and work of Lady SONIA MCMAHON .. who died
in Sydney last night.

The wife of former prime minister Sir WILLIAM MCMAHON and mother of actor JULIAN MCMAHON
.. died at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital with her family by her side aged 77.

The Prime Minister KEVIN RUDD has offered his condolences to the family of Lady SONIA
MCMAHON .. describing her as a distinguished representative of Australia.

Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT says Lady SONIA MCMAHAN added grace and colour to Australian
life .. was a great contributor to the arts and charity .. and will be missed by all.

Lady SONIA made a splash in 1971 during an official a visit to the White House .. when
she wore a revealing white dress split up to the armpits on both sides and held together
by rhinestones.

Funeral details have not yet been announced by the MCMAHON family.



POPULATION (CANBERRA)

The federal government is to draw up a national population strategy .. after growing
concerns the number of Australians will rise to unsustainable levels.

Prime Minister KEVIN RUDD says TONY BURKE will be Australia's first population minister.

Mr RUDD says many Australians have legitimate concerns about the sustainability of
the population levels in different parts of the country.

He says an early priority in developing the strategy will be identifying how regional
areas could be developed .. the social and economic infrastructure Australia will need
in the future .. and examine the challenges for the environment .. water and urban congestion.



TOLL VIC (MELBOURNE)

The death of a 22-year-old motorcyclist in Victoria this morning has taken the Easter
National Road toll to six.

The man .. who's the third motorcyclist to die in Victoria this long weekend was killed
when his motorcycle hit a tree and a parked car at Wantirna in Melbourne's East.

On Good Friday .. two bike riders died when their machines collided head-on near Shepparton
in central Victoria.

The latest fatality takes Victoria's holiday road toll to three.

In addition to the three deaths in Victoria .. there's been one death each in New South
Wales .. South Australia and the ACT.



US ABUSE (WASHINGTON)

It's been revealed the future Pope BENEDICT XVI took over the abuse case of an Arizona
priest .. then let it languish at the Vatican for years despite repeated pleas from a
bishop for the man to be removed from the priesthood.

Documents from 1990 .. show members of a church tribunal in Arizona found that the
Reverend MICHAEL TETA had molested children as far back as the late 1970's.

Meanwhile .. a CBS News poll says Americans are losing faith in the Pope amid a flood
of sexual abuse cases linked to priests in Europe and the United States.



BOAT (CANBERRA)

The Prime Minister says Australia's immigration facility on Christmas Island still
has room for more asylum seekers.

KEVIN RUDD says his advice from the Department of Immigration is that there was still
room on the island .. despite reports it has exceeded its official capacity of 2040 people.

He says migration levels are about the same under his government as they were under
the previous Howard government .. but asylum seeker numbers vary depending on global circumstances.

Mr RUDD says when he was elected Prime Minister Australia's migration flow was about
180-thousand people a year and it's been kept that level.



NKOREA CHINA (SEOUL)

One of the special trains used to transport North Korea's leader KIM JONG-IL has crossed
the border into China .. an indication the reclusive leader's expected visit to his main
ally may have started.

A South Korean government source says the train crossed the border into China but it
remains unclear if the train carries Chairman KIM or an advance party.

North Korea has not commented on the sighting or the speculation and China has not confirmed
reports that Chairman KIM is about to make a visit.



US APPLE (NEW YORK)

Gadget-seekers determined to be among the first to get their hands on an iPad have
started queuing outside Apple's flagship shop in New York a day ahead of the tablet computer's
debut.

About 15 aspiring iPad owners heartened by sunshine and spring temperatures had taken
up positions outside the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue early this morning to wait for sales
to start tomorrow .. they had not pre-ordered iPads.

The Apple iPad launches in the US tomorrow (Australian time) with an apparent deluge
of early online orders indicating that the touchscreen slate-style computers will be another
big hit for the company.

Apple says both the Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available in Australia in late April.



FISHERMEN (DARWIN)

Norther Territory police and rescue teams have found four fishermen .. missing since
Wednesday .. in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Senior Sergeant STEPHEN MARTIN says local professional fishermen in the area offered
their assistance along with the Police Air Wing .. local Police .. and the Rescue Coordination
Centre in Canberra.

The fishermen were found about 15 kilometers from their boats where were spotted about
one-thousand kilometers from Darwin.



US OCTOPUS (TARPON SPRINGS)

Whatever you want to call it .. the nine-legged octopus probably had a leg up on all
the other creatures in the Gulf of Mexico .. until it found its way to greek bakery and
restaurant in Florida.

Head Chef EMMANUEL PSOMAS says he was steaming the octopus in the lead up to Easter
when he discovered that one of his catch was leggier than normal.

He says he counted the legs three times in disbelief then decided to keep his odd catch
on ice for a bit.

But he says there's no long term future for the nine-legged cephalopod .. it will be
eaten dressed in vinegar .. lemon juice .. olive oil and herbs.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS . . .



REMAINS (HOBART)

Police in Tasmania are investigating if human remains found on state's east coast could
belong to a New Zealand fisherman missing in the area since January.



US DOG (RIVERSIDE)

Animal rights activists yelled .. puppy killer .. and obscenities at a retired Los
Angeles County assistant fire chief after he was sentenced to 90 days in jail for beating
a dog so severely with a rock it had to be euthanised.



PERU MUDSLIDE (LIMA)

Landslides caused by heavy rains have hit two towns in northeastern Peru .. killing
at least 28 people and leaving 25 others missing.



IN SPORT ..



LEAGUE RAIDERS (SYDNEY)

Wests Tigers coach TIM SHEENS will be looking for another mature game from five-eighth
BENJI MARSHALL as the Kiwi superstar prepares for tomorrow's NRL battle with Canberra
linchpin TERRY CAMPESE.

MARSHALL exercised as much control as brilliance behind a dominant pack in engineering
last week's win over Parramatta and SHEENS is after more of the same at Canberra Stadium.



GOLF LPGA (RANCHO MIRAGE)

Veteran KARRIE WEBB is just two shots off the lead after the second round of Kraft
Nabisco Championship.

The Australian, a two time winner of this major, is tied for fifth with STACY LEWIS
after shooting a second round two-under 70.



TENNIS US MEN (MIAMI)

Czech TOMAS BERDYCH will meet ANDY RODDICK in the final of the Miami Open after defeating
Sweden's ROBIN SODERLING 6-2 6-2 in today's semi-final.

RODDICK earlier booked his place with an upset win over Spain's RAFAEL NADAL in three
sets in the first men's semi-final.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


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