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AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 22Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130
Bali (DENPASAR)
Another suspect in the Bali bombing has been named after eight suspects took part inreconstructions in Java of meetings they allegedly held to plan the attacks.
Chief investigator Inspector General I MADE MANGKU PASTIKA says the emergence of thename ZULKARNAEN is perhaps the most important thing to come from the reconstructions.
He says ZULKARNAEN was commander of a little-known militia linked to terrorist groupJemaah Islamiah.
The re-enactments in Solo were an effort to uncover more about the suspects' allegedroles in plotting the October 12 explosions, which killed more than 180 people.
Similar re-enactments will be held today in Lamongan in East Java, near where two mainsuspects -- brothers AMROZI and MUKHLAS -- lived.
Police will tomorrow take the suspects to a chemical shop in Surabaya, an East Javacity, where AMROZI allegedly bought materials used in the Bali bombings.
Iraq Amphibious (London)
The United States and Britain are reportedly planning a massive seaborne invasion ofIraq from the Gulf as the first stage in any ground war.
A British defence ministry source says discussions on future amphibious operationsare at an advanced stage.
In the 1991 Gulf War, US-led forces assembled a large amphibious task force in theGulf, but never mounted an assault by sea.
Instead, infantry poured into parts of Iraq and Kuwait from Saudi Arabia by land.
The British defence ministry source says planners are this time leaning towards anamphibious assault, in part because of the difficulties of protecting a large ground-basedarmy from chemical or biological attack.
Kuwait Exercise (SOUTH OF KUWAIT-IRAQ BORDER)
The US Army has launched its biggest manoeuvre in the Kuwaiti desert since the Gulf War.
it's thrown thousands of soldiers and hundreds of armoured vehicles into live-fireexercises to sharpen their skills ahead of a possible new war with Iraq.
The two-day war games come a day after a BUSH administration official said US presidentGEORGE W. BUSH had authorised a doubling of the 50,000 US troops now in the Gulf.
Poll Howard (SYDNEY)
Two new polls say most Australian voters want Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD to stay inThe Lodge beyond his 64th birthday.
They also suggest that the main contenders for Mr HOWARD'S job -- Treasurer PETER COSTELLOand Labor leader SIMON CREAN -- have failed to inspire voters.
A Newspoll survey published in the Sunday Telegraph shows 57 per cent of people polledwant Mr HOWARD to remain prime minister after his 64th birthday.
The Newspoll findings concur with those of The Sun-Herald-Taverner survey, which says70 per cent of voters want Mr HOWARD to serve out his current term as PM.
Toll National (Sydney)
Australia's Christmas/New Year holiday road toll has risen to eight, with one deathin New South Wales following a horror 24-hour stretch in Queensland.
Police say a pedestrian was hit by several cars while crossing the westbound lanesof the M4 at Prospect in western Sydney at about 4am (AEDT) today.
Meanwhile Queensland Premier PETER BEATTIE has promised to review traffic penaltiesafter five people died in a head-on collision on the Bruce Highway, about 20km south ofProserpine in north Queensland, early yesterday.
Police blame fatigue for the accident.
(Eds: National road toll figures are for the period 0001 December 20 to 2359 January5 AEDT. Some states and territories have different periods.)
Bushfires Vic House (Melbourne)
A house north of Victoria's Big Desert Wilderness Park has been destroyed by the state'sworst bushfire in 20 years.
Country Fire Authority spokesman JOHN TINDALL says the house was on a property southof Cowangie in the state's north-west.
He says a shed and 300 hectares of wheat stubble on the property were also destroyed.
The fire, sparked by lightning strikes last Tuesday, has now burned 180,000 hectaresof bush and farmland.
Authorities are hoping that forecast moderate conditions for the region will help crewsbring the blaze under control.
Obesity (MELBOURNE)
Australian doctors are to prescribe healthy lifestyle and eating patterns -- ratherthan prescription drugs -- in an effort to reduce rising levels of obesity.
According to a report in the Sunday Herald Sun newspaper, the initiative will be introducedin the new year.
It will see doctors prescribe low-fat food, exercise and responsible drinking.
Meningococcal Vic (Melbourne)
Mass vaccinations are continuing in the Victorian coastal town of Portland followingan outbreak of meningococcal disease.
Three 19-year-old men and a 30-year-old woman in the town have contracted the diseaseover the past week.
Staff from the Department of Human Services and the Glenelg Shire Council began administeringmeningococcal C vaccinations to people aged between 15 and 30 yesterday.
The source of the outbreak is yet to isolated.
Manly (SYDNEY)
A Canberra man's died of head injuries after being found on a footpath near a hotelat Sydney's Manly beach.
Police say the man, believed to be in his mid-20s, was found on the footpath near theNorth Steyn Hotel just before 2am (AEDT) and died in Manly Hospital.
Suspicious (SYDNEY)
A 38-year-old man assaulted by a group of men at Dapto, near Wollongong, early thismorning has died of his injuries.
Police say the Berkley man was sleeping near a kebab shop on the Bong Bong Road whenhe was awoken by a number of men about 3.30am (AEDT).
They say a fight broke out and the man was fatally injured.
A 19-year-old man is assisting police with their inquiries.
Assault (SYDNEY)
A 45-year-old man has died in hospital after being assaulted at Fairy Meadow near Wollongongduring an apparent street robbery.
Police say the man died in Wollongong Hospital's intensive care unit overnight afterbeing admitted with head injuries following the assault on Friday night.
An 18-year-old Bellambi man is due to appear in Wollongong Local Court today chargedwith assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.
Taxi (BRISBANE)
Two teenagers have been charged over an attack on a taxi driver in Brisbane early Friday morning.
The 40-year-old taxi driver, SAMI CHAMOUN from Morningside, remains in a critical conditionin hospital.
Another taxi driver found him semi-conscious on the side of Elgar Street at HollandPark about 2.30am(AEST) on Friday.
Police say two teenagers, aged 15 and 16, will face the children's court charged withattempted murder, grievous bodily harm and robbery with violence.
In other overseas news...
Afghan crash (KABUL/BERLIN)
Seven German servicemen have been killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan, andtwo Afghan girls are missing.
Germany's defence minister PETER STRUCK has told reporters in Berlin that the helicoptercrashed into an empty house in Kabul, killing all seven crew members on board.
He says two Afghan girls are missing, while witnesses claim to have seen the bodiesof two children at the crash site.
The cause of the crash isn't yet known, but officials say they believe it may havebeen caused by engine trouble rather than a missile attack or other foul play.
Briefly in other news...
A natural gas explosion has destroyed part of an apartment building in Russia's southernUral Mountains, killing three people.
North Korea has disabled United Nations surveillance equipment installed at one ofits nuclear reactors, prompting the United Nations' nuclear agency to issue a new callfor restraint.
Philippines President GLORIA ARROYO has ordered a ceasefire with communist rebels forChristmas Eve and Christmas Day, as well as New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
The European Union has reached a deal that reforms the continent's fishing industry,temporarily cutting cod quotas by 45 per cent.
In sport...
Cricket Aust (Sydney)
STUART MACGILL has replaced the injured SHANE WARNE in the Australian team for thefourth Ashes cricket Test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting onBoxing Day.
If MACGILL plays it will be his first Test since taking match figures of seven for174 against South Africa in Sydney in January.
The NSW 31-year-old has an outstanding Test record with 82 wickets from 17 matchesat an average of 25.
His record against England is equally impressive with 27 wickets in four Tests in thecorresponding series four years ago.
Cricket India Lunch (Hamilton)
Leftarm seamer ASHISH NEHRA has grabbed three quick wickets to leave New Zealand fightingto win the second cricket Test against India in Hamilton.
New Zealand is five for 119 at lunch, needing another 41 runs to win.
SCOTT STYRIS is nine not out and Jacob Oram is six not out.
Tennis Aust Haas (Hamburg)
German tennis ace TOMMY HAAS has pulled out of next month's Australian Open followinga recent operation on an injured shoulder.
The 24-year-old German number one, who made last year's Australian Open semi-finals,injured a tendon in his shoulder during training and went under the knife on Thursdayin New York.
AAP RTV /jmt
KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP
