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

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AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 22Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

WMD (CANBERRA)

A former defence analyst says the federal government deliberately skewed the truthand misled the public over Iraq's weapons capabilities.

ANDREW WILKIE, who was an intelligence analyst with the Office of National Assessments,has launched a scathing attack on the government and Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD over Australia'spre-war intelligence.

Mr WILKIE, who quit the ONA before the war, has told a parliamentary inquiry the governmentfabricated the truth.

He says the government deliberately exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq to keep instep with its American allies.

Mr WILKIE also says Mr HOWARD and Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER were the chiefcheerleaders of the invasion campaign.

Earlier, former United Nations weapons inspector RICHARD BUTLER told the inquiry hedidn't see any reports used by the United States, Britain or Australia on the existenceof weapons of mass destruction that justified attacking Iraq.

Mr HOWARD has told Melbourne Radio 3AW he still believes the intelligence justified going to war.

Hanson (BRISBANE)

A prison spokesman says PAULINE HANSON spent the night under observation in the BrisbaneWomen's Correctional Centre's medical wing.

The Department of Corrective Services spokesman says the placement isn't unusual fora prisoner who is yet to complete their mental and physical assessments.

The spokesman says it could take several days for HANSON to be assessed.

HANSON and former One Nation co-founder DAVID ETTRIDGE were jailed for three yearsafter a Brisbane District Court jury convicted them of fraudulently registering One Nationin Queensland in 1997.

The jury also convicted HANSON of dishonestly obtaining almost $500,000 in electoralreimbursements after One Nation's 11-seat sweep at the 1998 state election.

HANSON has filed 12 grounds for appeal against the verdicts.

Iraq (BAGHDAD)

More bodies have been pulled from the rubble of the bombed UN headquarters in Baghdad,and the United Nations has announced plans to withdraw one-third of its staff.

Meanwhile, the US military says it's captured one of SADDAM HUSSEIN'S top generals,ALI HASSAN AL-MAJID -- nicknamed "Chemical Ali" for his savage campaign against the Kurdsin north-east Iraq.

Officials have given no immediate details of how AL-MAJID came into US custody.

A previously unknown group has claimed responsibility for the unprecedented suicideattack against the United Nations.

The group, calling itself the "Armed Vanguards of a Second Mohammed Army", has pledgedto continue fighting every foreigner in Iraq and to carry out similar attacks.

General JOHN ABIZAID, the head of US Central Command, says terrorism is emerging asthe number one security threat in Iraq.

Two UN employees are still unaccounted for and an unknown number of people are stillburied in the rubble.

The UN's official death toll stands at 20, including the UN's chief envoy to Iraq,SERGIO VIEIRA DE MELLO.

Mideast (JERUSALEM)

Palestinian militants have called off a tattered two-month-old truce after Israel killeda Hamas leader with a volley of missiles.

And tens of thousands of Hamas supporters have marched in protest through the streetsof Gaza City, vowing revenge.

Palestinian Prime Minister MAHMOUD ABBAS had ordered a major crackdown and drawn uplists of militants to be arrested.

But he's scrapped the plans after the assassination.

Israel said it couldn't wait any longer for the Palestinians to act after a Hamas busbombing in Jerusalem on Tuesday that killed 20 people -- including six children.

Quake NZ (WELLINGTON)

New Zealand's lower South Island was rocked overnight by a major earthquake that wasfelt as far away as Sydney.

New Zealand's Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences says the quake, which measured7.1 on the Richter scale, was centred 70 km west of TE ANAU, at a depth of 20 km.

Geoscience Australia put the strength of the quake at 7.5.

There have been no reports of injury.

Bash (MELBOURNE)

Hundreds of disadvantaged children are expected to benefit from a 4,000 km car adventurewhich kicks off in Melbourne.

The Konica Variety Vic Bash involves 120 cars and 405 participants driving from Melbourneto Mission Beach in Northern Queensland over 10 days.

Victorian cricketer MERV HUGHES and Federal Treasurer PETER COSTELLO will attend thestart of the bush bash at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit tomorrow morning.

All funds raised from the event will go directly towards the provision of goods andservices to special needs children in Victoria.

Bash spokeswoman SIOBHAN BROWNE says participants enthusiastically embraced the missionof the event, with some raising more than $30,000 to take part.

Rail (SYDNEY)

New South Wales Transport Minister MICHAEL COSTA has shelved plans for a new rail linkbetween Parramatta in Sydney's west and Epping in the city's north-west.

The rail link had been promised at three state elections, but Mr COSTA says the $1.2billion price tag is unjustifiable.

Opposition transport spokesman MIKE GALLACHER says the government never had any intentionof fulfilling the commitment.

Greens transport spokeswoman LEE RHIANNON has labelled the shelving a betrayal of western Sydney.

Mr COSTA says the government will put the funds saved into a 10-year program to separateCityRail's 14 lines into five lines to reduce complexity and late-running.

US Sniper (CHARLESTON)

US investigators say ballistic tests show all three victims in a series of sniper-styleslayings at convenience stores in West Virginia were killed by the same weapon.

Charleston Police Chief JERRY PAULEY says the victims, who all were shot in the heador neck last week, were killed by a 22-calibre rifle.

PAULEY says the tests positively link the three bullets and they all came from the same weapon.

GARY CARRIER was killed on August the 10th outside a convenience store in Charleston.

Four days later, JEANIE PATTON and OKEY MEADOWS were killed within 90 minutes of eachother at rural convenience stores.

Mexico Actor (MEXICO CITY)

A Mexican actor has apparently been handed a gun with real bullets rather than blanks,causing him to shoot and kill another actor.

The attorney-general's office of Morelos state, just south of Mexico City, says FLAVIOPENICHE was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, then released on bail.

According to a police report, the scene called for PENICHE to shoot six people.

After firing what were supposed to be two blanks, he realised that actor ANTONIO VELASCOhad been wounded and the crew ran for help.

Police say they are still seeking the film's producer, EDUARDO MARTINEZ SANCHEZ, anda props manager known only as The Brush, who disappeared after the incident.

BRIEFLY..........

An Australian is among seven Greenpeace activists arrested in New Zealand as a groupof 20 tried to stop a cargo of coal being unloaded at the Port of Tauranga.

All Blacks rugby star JONAH LOMU is understood to have married for the second timein a secret ceremony at a luxury Auckland lodge. The New Zealand Herald says LOMU marriedhis 30-year-old fiancee, FIONA TAYLOR.

French President JACQUES CHIRAC has vowed to fix shortcomings in the country's healthsystem after a heatwave that may have killed 10,000 people.

IN FINANCE..........

At 11.12am (AEST) the Australian benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index ROSE 5.6 points at 3,180.5.

The all ordinaries index was UP 6.7 points to 3,176.6.

The Australian dollar was WEAKER at 65.44 US cents, compared to the close of localtrade yesterday.

The local currency was FIRMER at 59.84 against the euro compared to yesterday's close.

In Sydney, gold was $US2.475 WEAKER at $US361.90 per fine ounce compared to yesterday's close.

AND IN SPORT..........

Cricket Warne (SYDNEY)

Cricket Australia starts a two-day board meeting today and must consider the federalgovernment's hard line on SHANE WARNE'S doping penalty.

At risk is a million dollars in funding from the Australian Sports Commission whichsays it's unacceptable for WARNE to train with any team while he's serving his 12-monthdoping ban.

GOLF PGA (AKRON, Ohio)

BEN CURTIS shares the lead, TIGER WOODS is one shot behind, while the Australians area long way back after the opening round at the NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

British Open champion CURTIS, playing near his home, has carded a six-under-par 64matched only by SERGIO GARCIA at Firestone.

WOODS and DARREN CLARKE are on 65, while ROBERT ALLENBY and CRAIG PARRY head the Australianson 69, one shot better than STUART APPLEBY and STEPHEN LEANEY.

Tennis Women (NEW HAVEN)

JENNIFER CAPRIATI has ended the 12-match winning streak of Israeli ANNA PISTOLESI toreach the semi-finals of the Pilot Pen tennis event in Connecticut.

The third seeded American won 6-4 5-7 6-1 and will next face AMELIE MAURESMO of Franceafter the number two seed beat Japan's AI SUGIYAMA 6-4 6-4.

ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP