AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 22

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2011
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, April 22
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Abrahams (SYDNEY)

A woman and a man have been charged with the murder of a six-year-old girl who went
missing in Sydney's west almost nine months ago.

The matter was briefly mentioned today in Parramatta Bail Court after the pair were
arrested in the early hours of the morning.

They were formally refused bail.

Lawyer .. ALEXANDER REETOV .. representing 28-year-old KRISTI ANNE ABRAHAMS and 31-year-old
ROBERT TERRY SMITH has told the court neither wanted to appear on screen in the court
via video-link.

They didn't request bail and will remain in custody.

According to court documents .. the pair were arrested just after 1 (AEST) this morning
in Shalvey .. in Sydney's west.

They were taken to Mount Druitt police station and charged with the murder of the child
.. who can't be named.

Meanwhile .. police can't confirm reports a shallow grave had been found during a search
of bushland at Shalvey.

The girl, who would have turned seven years old today was reported missing from her
bed at her Mount Druitt home on the morning of August 1 last year.

The case will be heard again on April 29 at Penrith Local Court.



Detainees (SYDNEY)

Twenty-two detainees at Sydney's Villawood Detention Centre have been removed and are
being questioned by police .. over the riot that caused extensive damage and chaos to
the facility.

An Immigration spokeswoman says no-one has been arrested or charged at this stage.

The centre erupted in a riot involving up to 100 detainees on Wednesday night .. leaving
nine buildings gutted by fire.

The spokeswoman says while a small number of detainees remain on a rooftop at the centre
.. there were no further reports of disturbances last night.



TOLL NATIONAL (Sydney)

The Easter Holiday long weekend road toll has reached six after Western Australia claimed
its first fatality.

A 59-year-old man was killed when his car veered into the path of an oncoming road
train in the WA Wheatbelt town of Meckering last night.

The female passenger suffered severe injuries and has been air lifted to Royal Perth
Hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

Meanwhile .. New South Wales and Victorian roads have claimed two lives each.

And in Queensland a man in his late 20s has died in a single vehicle crash on the Brisbane
Valley Highway at Coominya yesterday afternoon.



Libya (MISRATA)

Libyan rebels have overrun a post on the Tunisian border .. marking their first advance
in weeks against MUAMMAR GADDAFI'S forces.

The capture this morning of Wazin border post was cheered by several hundred rebels
who raised the flag of the Libyan monarchy .. after up to 200 pro-GADDAFI soldiers abandoned
their weapons and fled into Tunisia.

Meanwhile .. a Turkish ferry carrying hundreds of civilians evacuated from Misrata
docked safely today in the rebel-held port of Benghazi.



US Baby (MIAMI)

A toddler has survived a fall from a fourth-floor balcony at a Florida hotel after
landing in the arms of a British tourist.

Police say 44-year-old HELEN BEAR was in a hotel pool when she saw the one-year-old
girl dangling from a balcony.

The British traveller ran to catch the baby which hit the third-floor railing .. before
falling through BEAR's arms.

JAH-NEA has been taken to hospital .. but medical staff say she has no injuries and
is in good health.



Drivers (BRISBANE)

Police in Queensland snared 79 drink drivers last night .. the first day of their Easter
road safety campaign.

The state has recorded one fatality since the campaign began after a 29-year-old man
from the Brisbane suburb of Camira died near Coominya in southeast Queensland.

But .. driver behaviour has generally improved .. in the same period in 2010 88 drivers
were charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.



Briefly in other news ..



Dog (PERTH)

Police say an elderly West Australian man has shot a man in the arm when an argument
over an injured dog turned violent.


Anzac Vic (MELBOURNE)

The Easter holidays are expected to thin the crowd commemorating Anzac Day at Melbourne's
Shrine of Remembrance.



Thai Cambodia (BANGKOK)

Officials say Thai and Cambodian troops are exchanging fire on their disputed border.



in Sport ..



Sur World (BELLS BEACH)

World champion KELLY SLATER has led a procession of big names into the fourth round
of the Rip Curl Pro surfing event in Victoria this morning.

Australians JOEL PARKINSON .. BEDE DURBRIDGE and OWEN WRIGHT have also won their third
round heats at Bells Beach to advance.

SLATER saw off northern New South Wales surfer STU KENNEDY in their heat to move into
the round of 16.

Organisers hope to complete at least the men's and women's third rounds today in the
excellent conditions .. and perhaps start the men's round of 16.



Ten WTA (STUTTGART, Germany)

SAM STOSUR is into the semi-finals of the WTA event in Stuttgart after playing beating
second-seeded Russian VERA ZVONAREVA 2-6 6-3 7-6.

STOSUR next plays unseeded German JULIA GOERGES.

The other semi-final features World No.1 CAROLINE WOZNIACKI against Poland's AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA.



RL Wrap (SYDNEY)

Wests Tiges will face Brisbane at the Sydney Football Stadium this evening and Manly
will clash with Penrith at Brookvale Oval.



RUGBY UNION (SYDNEY)

The Blues will take on the Melbourne Rebels at North Harbour Stadium tonight.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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