AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 26

AAP General News (Australia)
12-26-2009
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 26
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Tsunami Anniversary (BANDA ACEH)

People across Asia will pause today to remember the day five years ago when an undersea
earthquake unleashed a devastating wave that killed more than 220 thousand people.

A solemn day of prayers and remembrance to mark one of the world's worst natural disasters
is to be held in Indonesia's Aceh province .. which lost almost 170 thousand people in
the Asian Tsunami of December 26 2004.

Similar scenes will play out in countries such as India .. Sri Lanka and Thailand ..

where more than 50 thousand people were killed as the wall of water smashed into coastal
communities from KALUTARA to PHUKET.

But as the survivors remember the dead .. experts warn that many countries in the region
remain ill-prepared to face another killer wave.



US Plane (WASHINGTON)

A man who tried to light an explosive aboard a passenger plane as it landed in Detroit
on a flight from Amsterdam .. has told investigators he's affiliated with al-Qaeda.

CNN says the man told investigators he acquired the explosive in Yemen .. along with
instructions on its use.

President BARACK OBAMA has immediately ordered increased security for air travel.

Delta said earlier the man had tried to light what appeared to be firecrackers .. but
was quickly subdued.



Weather NSW (SYDNEY)

Forecasters have cancelled a severe weather warning for flooding in New South Wales
.. despite heavy rainfalls across much of the state .. however hundreds of volunteers
remain on standby.

Official figures are yet to be updated .. but there are initial reports that some areas
in central areas may already have received up to 200 millimetres of rain in the past
24 to 36 hours.

The rain's a result of Tropical Cyclone Laurence .. which affected northern West Australia
in recent weeks .. and the system's moving across inland Queensland and central New South
Wales over the next few days.



US Storms (CHICAGO)

At least 24 deaths have been blamed on a massive storm system blanketing the central
United States .. stranding thousands of motorists in whiteout conditions .. and coating
roads with ice during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled over Christmas at airports from Minneapolis to Dallas.

It's the second major storm system to sweep the country this week .. after a record-breaking
snowstorm slammed the eastern seaboard on the final busy shopping weekend before Christmas.



Sales (MELBOURNE)

The kids might get excited waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve .. but it's the
parents' turn today with the post-Christmas sales.

Eager shoppers waited outside major retailers from as early as midnight .. before the
doors started opening at dawn on Boxing Day.

Cricketing WAGs LARA BINGLE and RIANNA PONTING rang the bell to mark the opening of
the David Jones Melbourne store at 6am.

And former and current swimming stars IAN THORPE and STEPHANIE RICE did the honours in Sydney.

Access Economics predicts Australians will part with 14.7 billion dollars during the
post Christmas sales.



Rookie (MELBOURNE)

Rookie Carlton footballer LEVI CASBOULT has been involved in a fatal car crash .. just
days after the club's boozy boat cruise sparked fines and an arrest.

19-year-old CASBOULT wasn't hurt .. but a 21-year-old man died in the head-on collision
at Dandenong .. in Melbourne's southeast on Christmas Eve.

The crash occurred on the same day as a report appeared that CASBOULT was bound to
a team-mate as part of a drinking game during last Saturday's notorious river cruise.

The death took Victoria's holiday road toll to 10 .. and the annual toll to 288 ..

10 fewer than at the same time last year.



Pope Facebook (ROME)

A Facebook fan page created for the woman accused of attacking Pope BENEDICT has outrage
MPs in Italy.

The page has been set up in honour of SUSANNA MAIOLO .. the 25-year-old Italian-Swiss
woman accused has of leaping over security barriers at a Christmas Eve service at the
Vatican and knocking over the Pope.

Most of the comments on the page are sarcastic .. one saying she should get the Olympic
hurdles gold medal.

The woman has reportedly told doctors she didn't want to harm the pontiff .. just to
greet him personally.

Meanwhile .. the 87-year-old French cardinal who broke his leg in the melee will need
an operation.



US Sheen (ASPEN)

CHARLIE SHEEN has been arrested in the Colorado resort town of Aspen .. on charges
related to an alleged case of domestic violence.

Police say the 44-year-old actor's being held on charges of second-degree assault ..

menacing and criminal mischief.

They haven't released the name of CHARLIE SHEEN's alleged victim.

The court's closed for Christmas.



Briefly in other news ..



Iraq (BAGHDAD)

Eighteen people .. including six Shi'ite worshippers .. have been killed in a spate
of attacks across Iraq .. despite increased security for Christmas Day and Shi'ite Ashura
rituals.



Lake (SYDNEY)

A search is underway for a man who disappeared after a boat capsized on Lake Hume in
southern New South Wales last night.



Balloon (BRISBANE)

A hot air balloon with 17 people on board has crashed to the ground after clipping
powerlines near Beaudesert in southeast Queensland .. leaving four passengers slightly
injured.



in Sport ..



Sail SydHob (SYDNEY)

The Sydney to Hobart is set to become a great tactical battle following the final pre-race
forecast ... the skippers have been told to expect some patches of light air during the
628 nautical mile race.

The fleet can expect a rainy start with winds of 10 to 15 knots from a southerly direction.

WILD OATS ELEVEN is favourite to take line honours, with New Zealand's ALFA ROMEO and
Britain's ICAP LEOPARD the main challengers in the fleet of 100.

But OATS' 2005 race record isn't expected to come under threat.

Victorian maxi ETIHAD STADIUM will take her place after racing the clock to install
her replacement mast.



Motor Sprintcar (SYDNEY)

Sydney's inclement weather has forced the postponement of tonight's Australian Sprintcar
grand prix at Parramatta City Raceway.

The event, featuring NASCAR great TONY STEWART, four-time World of Outlaws Champion
DONNY SCHATZ and All Stars Champion TIM SHAFFER, has now been scheduled for tomorrow night.



Boxing Pacquiao (LAS VEGAS)

MANNY PACQUIAO is ready to fight FLOYD MAYWEATHER after all, but the venue looks to
be a courtroom rather than a boxing ring.

In a statement from the Philippines PACQUIAO issued his first comments on the subject
of his proposed March 13 fight with MAYWEATHER being wiped out over blood test issues.

The Filipino superstar dared MAYWEATHER to climb in the ring and face him at Las Vegas
as planned and revealed plans to file a defamation lawsuit against the US fighter in a
few days over insinuations he is a dope cheat.



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