AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 28Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630
Korea Aust Rudd (CANBERRA)
The federal opposition says Australia should call an urgent meeting of APEC foreignministers to devise a regional strategy for the escalating North Korea crisis.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman KEVIN RUDD says the Australian government mustbe more active in helping defuse the situation.
The crisis worsened overnight as a defiant North Korea said it would expel United Nationsnuclear inspectors and reactivate a power plant that could be used to extract weapons-gradeplutonium.
North Korea's declaration came days after North Koreans removed UN seals and disabledsurveillance cameras -- which means the United Nations can no longer monitor nuclear facilitiesin the communist country.
Mr RUDD says Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER should call a meeting of foreign ministersfrom Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries to come up with a regional solution tothe crisis.
Sci Clone (HOLLYWOOD)
A freelance science journalist is to carry out DNA tests to prove a controversial cult'sclaim that it's produced the first cloned human.
The Raelian movement -- which believes mankind was created by extra-terrestrials --says the baby girl, nicknamed Eve, was born yesterday and weighs 3.1 kilograms.
The announcement was made by BRIGITTE BOISSELIER, the head of the Clonaid company fundedby the Raelian movement.
BOISSELIER says the baby was cloned from her 31-year-old American mother.
But BOISSELIER gave no proof of the birth.
Taxi (BRISBANE)
Two boys have been charged with murdering a Brisbane taxi driver, who was found semi-consciouson the side of a suburban road last week.
The boys, aged 15 and 16, were charged during a special hearing of Brisbane Children'sCourt today following the death of SAMI CHAMOUN, aged 40, at the Princess Alexandra Hospitalat 1.30am (AEST) yesterday.
Mr CHAMOUN sustained serious head injuries after being attacked and left semi-consciouson the side of Elgar Street at Holland Park, on Brisbane's southside, on December 20.
He was found by another taxi driver who noticed his parked car with the lights on.
The two boys fronted Brisbane Children's court on Monday charged with attempted murder,grievous bodily harm and robbery with violence in company.
Stab (BRISBANE)
A 26-year-old woman's faced court at her hospital bedside after the stabbing deathof her three-year-old nephew in central Queensland on Thursday.
A police spokeswoman says a post mortem examination yesterday found the boy died fromseveral wounds to his lower chest.
Police were called to the Joiner Street house in north Rockhampton at about 4.20pm(AEST), finding the boy and his aunt with severe stab wounds.
The boy died soon after arriving at Rockhampton Hospital, despite efforts by his fatherand paramedics.
The woman underwent surgery for her wounds and was officially charged with murder yesterday.
Toll National (SYDNEY)
The death of an elderly man on the New South Wales mid-north coast today has pushedthe national holiday road toll up to 32.
A police spokesman says a 75-year-old Laurieton man was killed after his Mazda sedancollided with a Camry at the intersection of Bago Road and the Pacific Highway at HeronsCreek at about 10.15am (AEDT).
The man was trapped in the wreckage of his car for 90 minutes but died on the way toPort Macquarie Hospital.
The New South Wales holiday road toll now stands at six.
Victoria is leading the fatalities list with 12 people dead.
Nine people have been reported dead in Queensland, four in South Australia, and onein Western Australia.
Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory have remained fatality-free.
Russia Chechnya (MOSCOW)
Rescuers are searching through rubble for survivors of a suicide bombing in Chechnyathat killed at least 46 people and injured dozens more.
In the early afternoon, attackers stormed security gates in two trucks and roared upto the headquarters of the Kremlin-backed administration in Grozny, where they denotedbombs.
Forty-six people have been confirmed dead and more than 70 others wounded.
But the death toll is expected to rise, as about 200 rescuers continue to scrabblethrough the heaps of concrete and shattered glass in search of survivors.
Russian officials have blamed the attack on Chechnya's rebel president ASLAN MASKHADOVand warlord SHAMIL BASAYEV.
Mideast (JERUSALEM)
A booby-trapped car has exploded in the heart of west Jerusalem, injuring the would-besuicide bomber.
Police say no-one was hurt in the Jerusalem attack -- except the apparent bomber, whowas arrested.
The explosion occurred hours after two Palestinian gunmen killed four Israelis, beforebeing shot dead in an attack on a West Bank settlement.
The attack was claimed by Islamic Jihad as revenge for the killing of nine Palestiniansthe previous day.
At least eight more Israelis were wounded, two of them seriously, inside the Otnielsettlement close to the flashpoint city of Hebron.
Iraq (BAGHDAD)
The US government has reportedly ordered two more aircraft carrier groups and a hospitalship to prepare for deployment to the Gulf.
Several US television stations say the USS George Washington and another carrier group,as well as the 1,000-bed hospital ship USS Comfort, have been ordered to prepare to leavefor the Gulf within four days.
The Pentagon has declined to confirm or deny the reports.
Meanwhile, in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, an interview between an Iraqi scientist andUN weapons inspectors has been broadcast live on a television station controlled by PresidentSADDAM HUSSEIN's eldest son UDAI.
The scientist's denied his work was in any way linked to the development of a nuclearweapons program that's been banned by the United Nations.
China Sect (BEIJING)
Eight Falun Gong members have been sentenced to up to 13 years in prison for hijackinglocal television and radio signals in eastern China's Anhui province to promote the bannedspiritual movement.
The official Xinhua News Agency says the Hefei Intermediate Court recently upheld alower court's decision to give the followers sentences of between five to 13 years.
Xinhua says at least 3,900 households were affected during a 30-minute blackout on May 31.
During that time, pirate transmissions touting the benefits of the group were played.
BRIEFLY..........
More than 60,000 homes on the New South Wales north coast were without power last nightbecause of debris left on transmission lines by birds.
Steel salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Centre is on its way to a Mississippishipyard to be used to build the Navy's USS New York.
The warship's named in honour of those who perished in New York in the September 11,2001, terrorists attacks.
A complex medieval toilet system has been found during a dig at a shopping centre redevelopmentsite in Britain.
AND IN SPORT..........
Cricket Aust (MELBOURNE)
England has started its second innings after tea on day three of the fourth Ashes Testat the MCG.
Opener MARCUS TRESCOTHICK and MICHAEL VAUGHAN are yet to score.
England was forced to follow on after making 270 in reply to Australia's six declared for 551.
Sail SydHob (HOBART)
Super maxi Alfa Romeo is maintaining a comfortable lead in the Sydney to Hobart, butGRUNDIG has moved into second place.
GRUNDIG has overtaken CANON and is 18 nautical miles behind Alfa Romeo.
CANON is a further five miles astern, followed by Australian Skandia Wild Thing and Nicorette.
Alfa Romeo is expected to finish between 5 and 7pm.
ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP
AAP RTV jas/rk
KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP
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