AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 5

AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 5
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


FISHING WRAP (Canberra)

Australia and Indonesia are beefing up their presence .. in waters between the two countries.

The federal government says warning shots were fired at suspected poachers off the
Northern Territory coast .. in an operation which netted almost 200 fishermen on 23 boats.

Justice and Customs Minister CHRIS ELLISON says illegal fisherman are getting more
aggressive in their tactics .. although he warning shots were not fired directly at any
crew members.

And Defence Minister BRENDAN NELSON has foreshadowed a significant new push to police
Australia's northern waters.

Dr NELSON says while cooperation from Indonesia is helpful in the fight against illegal
fishing .. Australia needs to be self-reliant.

The announcement also follows a report of more Papuan asylum seekers arriving in the
Torres Strait .. this time a boatload of six people.

Meanwhile .. Indonesia has increased naval patrols between Australia and Papua .. amid
the row over Canberra's decision to grant temporary visas to 42 Papuan asylum seekers.



MENTAL (CANBERRA)

The Prime Minister's one-point-eight billion dollar boost to mental health services
.. has received mixed reaction.

JOHN HOWARD says the additional money will be available over five years .. but already
the AMA says it's not enough .. and won't resolve Australia's mental health crisis.

Labor's health spokesman JULIA GILLARD says the package is disappointing and inadequate
.. while Opposition treasury spokesman WAYNE SWAN says it's better late than never.

New South Wales has welcomed the package .. although it says it must see the detail first.

And leading psychiatrist IAN HICKIE from the University of Sydney backs the announcement
.. but says the states must now match the commitment.



GANG (SYDNEY)

A gang rape victim .. who was 14 when she was assaulted at knifepoint .. says she's
still disappointed at the sentences handed down to her attackers.

The New South Wales Supreme Court has increased the jail terms for the 27-year-old
.. identified only as MSK .. and his 26-year-old brother MAK.

MSK will now serve 28 years with a non-parole period of 22 years .. while MAK has now
been jailed for at least 14 years .. with a maximum of 19 years.

The two men and their younger brothers .. 19-year-old MMK and 21-year-old MRK .. were
serving between 10 and 22 years for the rapes.



SHOTS MORGAN (SYDNEY)

Homicide detectives investigating a Sydney double murder .. say they've identified
a third person of interest.

Police say the person was NOT at the scene of the shooting murders of 26-year-old boxer
BASSAM CHAMI and his 27-year-old friend IBRAHIM ASSAD in the western Sydney suburb of
Granville last week.

But they believe the person has information of value to the investigation.



TONGEREN (PERTH)

White supremacist JACK VAN TONGEREN has appeared briefly in a Perth court .. charged
with breaching bail.

VAN TONGEREN .. the leader of the Australian Nationalist Movement .. and his co-accused
MATTHEW BILLING were remanded in custody until June 20.



RESCUE (MELBOURNE)

Police and surf lifesavers have rescued 20 kayakers at Torquay .. on Victoria's surf coast.

Details are sketchy but police say the kayakers were caught in choppy .. windy conditions
off Torquay .. a seaside town about 100km south-west of Melbourne early this afternoon.



GILLESPIE LEAD (MELBOURNE)

The woman at the centre of one of Australia's most notorious custody battles .. says
it's a joy to be reunited with the daughter taken from her 14 years ago.

JACQUELINE GILLESPIE'S two children .. SHAHIRAH and IDDIN .. were snatched away by
their father .. Malaysian prince RAJA BAHRIN .. in 1992.

But SHAHIRAH .. now 21 .. has returned to Melbourne to join her mother at the Hawthorn
home she shares with her new husband.



ASBESTOS POLICE (SYDNEY) reissuing

The union representing New South Wales police has called for the closure of Sydney's
Villawood detention centre .. and told officers not to step foot on the site .. after
asbestos was found there.

The immigration department's confirmed asbestos was discovered when a housing developer
was assessing the site for a residential development.



SURF COURT (SYDNEY)

A Sydney man charged over the Cronulla race riot has been released on bail after lodging
an appeal against his jail sentence.

19-year-old DANNY GLEN SHANAHAN was today sentenced to at least 10 weeks in prison
for attacking Safi Merhi during racially motivated violence at Cronulla on December 11
last year.

Immediately the sentence was handed down in Sutherland Local Court, SHANAHAN'S lawyer
.. LIONEL RATTENBURY .. lodged an appeal that led to his client being released on bail.

Meanwhile .. Sydney detectives investigating the Cronulla riot concede the case against
six men accused of involvement in revenge attacks is in danger of collapse.



AND BRIEFLY . . .



One person is believed dead after a light plane crashed at Bankstown Airport in Sydney's
south-west this afternoon.




An influential economist says the risk of an interest rate increase appears to be building
.. despite the central bank today leaving rates unchanged for the 13th month in a row.




The federal government's blocked a wind farm proposal on Victoria's south-east coast
.. after a report found the project would threaten an already endangered parrot species.



AND IN SPORTS . . .


CRICKET AUST (SYDNEY)

Veteran fast bowler JASON GILLESPIE has been recalled into the Australian Test squad
for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh, along with NSW batsman PHIL JAQUES and Queensland
paceman MITCHELL JOHNSON.

The trio replace injured players JUSTIN LANGER, SHAUN TAIT and MICHAEL KASPROWICZ,
who will all return home due to injuries sustained during the Test series in South Africa
which concluded Tuesday.



SUPER WARATAHS (SYDNEY)

PHIL WAUGH returns to the starting openside flanker role in the NSW Waratahs team named
Wednesday for Friday night's top of the table Super 14 rugby clash with the Crusaders
in Christchurch.



SOCCER ENGLISH (LONDON)

A 36th minute goal from JIRI JAROSIK has given Birmingham a vital 1-0 win over Bolton
and moved them out of the relegation zone in the English Premier League.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


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