AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 10EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630
MENINGOCOCCAL (CANBERRA)
The federal government is moving to approve mass vaccinations for the deadly meningococcaldisease but faces a shortage of vaccine.
Federal Health Minister KAY PATTERSON says there are only about 200,000 doses of thevaccine for Type-C meningococcal meningitis, which accounts for two-thirds of meningococcaldeaths.
Senator PATTERSON says there's a worldwide shortage of the vaccine, prompted by immunisationcampaign overseas and by one batch having to be destroyed because it was too weak.
She also says the high cost of mass vaccination means the issue will have to go beforecabinet for a final decision.
IRAQ US (WASHINGTON)
US Defence Secretary DONALD RUMSFELD says a longstanding US strategy of using economicand political sanctions and no-fly zones to contain Iraqi leader SADDAM HUSSEIN is notworking.
And he says SADDAM continues his program to produce weapons of mass destruction.
His comments mark the most direct US repudiation yet of the containment strategy thatevery US government since the 1991 Gulf War has pursued to keep SADDAM in check.
IRAQ WHEAT CREAN (MELBOURNE)
Federal Opposition Leader SIMON CREAN has blamed Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNERfor the potential loss of wheat sales to Iraq.
The Weekend Australian newspaper says Iraq has warned it will cancel further wheatorders if Australia continues its strong support for any US action against Iraq.
Mr CREAN says Mr DOWNER has handled the Iraq situation very badly by talking up theproblem rather than talking about a solution.
Meanwhile, a Sydney rally commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasakihas been told Australia should not take part in any US-led military action against Iraq.
ALP CREAN (MELBOURNE)
Opposition leader SIMON CREAN says he's delighted with the initial response to theproposed overhaul of the Labor Party.
The ALP yesterday launched the National Committee of Review Report, authored by partyelders NEVILLE WRAN and BOB HAWKE.
Their report recommends measures to stop branch stacking, to boost female, rural andregional representation and to give rank-and-file members more say in the party's operation.
It also recommends dumping the 60:40 rule in favour of union delegates and introducing50:50 representation.
PNG SOMARE CREAN (MELBOURNE)
Opposition leader SIMON CREAN says Papua New Guinea's refusal to take more asylum seekersforwarded on by Australia shows the Pacific solution is unravelling.
PNG's new Prime Minister Sir MICHAEL SOMARE says the country will not detain any moreasylum seekers for Australia once the deal made with the previous PNG government expiresin October.
More than 300 asylum seekers at Manus Island have been processed since Australia madethe deal last year - 89 have been denied refugee status.
US CHILDPORN (WASHINGTON)
US Customs Service officials say a group of parents have been sexually molesting andphotographing their own children and swapping pictures over the internet.
The officials today announced charges against 10 Americans and 10 Europeans and say45 children have been victimised by the parents' internet club.
Customs Commissioner ROBERT BONNER says the crimes are despicable and repugnant andall suspects are men except for BENTE JENSEN of Denmark, who is charged with her husbandEGGERT JENSEN.
A Texan man has already pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Six residents of Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands have been indicted in California,including the JENSENS, and the Justice Department is seeking their extradition.
PAKISTAN HOSPITAL (ISLAMABAD)
Pakistani police say the militants who carried out a deadly attack on a Christian hospitalchapel near Islamabad belonged to a banned religious outfit.
MARWAT SHAH, police chief of the Rawalpindi district, says police have identified thebody of one of the assailants who died after the grenade attack.
He says KAMRAN MIR was a member of a banned religious faction but police prefer notto reveal the name of the group because investigations are continuing.
CRIME DRUGS (CANBERRA)
A drug law reform group says the formation of a new national crime fighting body toreplace the National Crime Authority is a victory of political malice over national interest.
Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform says it has deprived the parliament and peopleof an independent voice which would report uncomfortable facts and fight crime withoutfear or favour.
Group vice-president BILL BUSH says claims that the new body will be more streamlinedare not credible.
UK LEGIONNAIRES (LONDON)
The Cumbrian hospital at the centre of Britain's biggest outbreak of legionnaire'sdisease in more than a decade continues to take in new cases but says they are reducingin number.
A spokesman for Morecambe Bay Hospitals says seven more people have tested positivefor the legionnella infection in Barrow-in-Furness taking the total number of people infectedto 117.
Two people have so far died after contracting the bacteria, which is a form of pneumonia,and a total of 160 confirmed or suspected cases of the bug have been treated in hospital.
NZ FOSSETT (OMARAMA)
American adventurer STEVE FOSSETT has taken off from a mountain village in New Zealandon his first serious attempt to break the world's gliding altitude record.
His support crew is now monitoring his ascent into the stratosphere.
The 58-year-old's latest adventure is above the South Island village of Omarama, famedfor strong winds which will prove critical to the record attempt.
FOSSETT and 70-year-old retired NASA test pilot EINAR ENEVOLDSON are clad in spacesuitsand want to soar to a height of 19,000 metres.
US TWINS (LOS ANGELES)
Doctors have begun intravenous feeding for twin Guatemalan girls who were separated this week.
MARIA DE JESUS QUIEJ ALVAREZ and her sister MARIA TERESA were in critical conditiontoday but progressing exactly as doctors hoped.
Dr ANDY MADIKIANS of UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital says both twins are moving theirhands and feet and opening their eyes.
CONGO UNREST (KIGALI)
Military sources say at least 85 people have been killed in fierce fighting betweenrebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo town of Bunia near the Ugandan border.
The fighting has left a rebel faction in control and forced the local governor to takerefuge with a United Nations observer mission.
PNG VOLCANO (PORT MORESBY)
A rumbling volcano on Papua New Guinea's New Britain island is spewing ash and smokeinto the air and making small pools of lava.
Vulcanologist STEVE SAUNDERS says the Mount Pago volcano began erupting on Monday,covering surrounding fields and palm oil plantations in toxic ash.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 people have been evacuated.
MALAYSIA ILLEGALS (KUALA LUMPUR)
Malaysia has sentenced seven illegal immigrants to jail and caning under tough newimmigration laws.
Two Bangladeshis have been sentenced to two years in jail and one stroke of the cane,while four Indonesians have been sentenced to six months in jail and two strokes of thecane.
AND BRIEFLY . . .
An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale has destroyed homes in southwest Chinanear Tibet while landslides and floods have killed 70 people in the southern Chinese provinceof Hunan.
South Korea has mobilised 32,000 troops to help cope with further downpours after aweek of rains claimed 14 lives and caused widespread damage.
Thousands of people take part tomorrow in Sydney's 32nd City to Surf fun run.
AND IN SPORTS . . .
TENNIS MASTERS (CINCINNATI)
LLEYTON HEWITT is through to the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters beating ANDREAGASSI in straight sets.
HEWITT overcame AGASSI 7-5 6-3 and will now play FERNANDO GONZALEZ.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO and CARLOS MOYA will contest the other, all-Spanish, semi-final,after FERRERO beat big serving Australian WAYNE ARTHURS 6-4 7-6.
TENNIS WOMEN (LOS ANGELES)
Top seeds SERENA WILLIAMS and JENNIFER CAPRIATI have crashed out in the quarterfinalsof the WTA Los Angeles Open.
WILLIAMS lost to fellow American CHANDA RUBIN 6-2 4-6 7-5, while Japan's AI SUGIYAMAcruised past No.2 seed Capriati 6-3 6-3.
GOLF PGA (GRAND BLANC)
World number one TIGER WOODS has fired a nine-under-par 63 to open up a four-strokehalfway lead at the Buick Open in Michigan.
At 14-under-par WOODS is well clear of fellow Ryder Cup team mate SCOTT VERPLANK and J.J. HENRY.
ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP
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KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP
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