AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 29

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AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 29Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130

Stemcell Split (CANBERRA)

Federal MPs are debating a proposal to split a controversial bill clearing the wayfor stem cell research on excess IVF embryos.

The bill also outlaws human cloning.

It was introduced by Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD and MPs from both sides of politicsare allowed a conscience vote.

But Victorian Liberal backbencher BRUCE BILLSON has proposed splitting the bill toallow separate votes on the cloning ban and stem cell research.

Speaker NEIL ANDREW says if successful, it would be the first time a proposed law hasbeen divided in the lower house in recent Australian political history.

He's told parliament a single vote for or against the bill will not truly reflect theconscience of all members.

Opposition health spokesman STEPHEN SMITH says Labor is against the push to split the bill.

Stemcell Entsch (CANBERRA)

A federal MP says opponents to the bill allowing embryonic stem cell research havebecome threatening toward supporters of the plan.

Liberal parliamentary secretary WARREN ENTSCH says those opposed to the bill have constantlybeen aggressive and in at least two cases have been threatening.

But Mr ENTSCH told ABC radio he hasn't been swayed to change his stance to supportthe proposed law.

Meanwhile, leading biotechnology researcher ALAN TROUNSON has apologised for a misunderstandingabout embryonic stem cells used to cure a crippled rat.

But he maintains he was correct in stating embryonic, and not adult, stem cells wereused to enable the rat to walk again.

The rat had been part of a video shown to federal parliamentarians as a demonstrationof the uses of embryonic stem cell research.

Controllers (MELBOURNE)

Air traffic controllers have called off Friday's nationwide strike, which would haveaffected the travel plans of more than 50,000 people.

President of the controllers' union Civil Air, TED LANG, says the union's nationalexecutive has agreed to abandon tomorrow's planned strike.

The air traffic controllers had planned to strike for five hours from 5pm (AEST) tomorrowover a long-running enterprise bargaining dispute.

But last night the Australian Industrial Relations Commission ruled the action illegalunder the federal Workplace Relations Act because the bargaining period has expired.

Mr LANG won't not rule out future industrial action, saying the union has applied toextend the bargaining period in the commission.

Redundancy (SYDNEY)

Australia's peak union body has announced plans for a test case on redundancies.

The case by the ACTU would aim to increase minimum severance pay and extend redundancyentitlements to long term casuals.

ACTU president SHARAN BURROW says corporate failures and job cuts have prompted thelatest case, with 600,000 people made redundant in the last few years.

Ms BURROW says under the test case, to go before the federal industrial commissionlater this year, the minimum severance pay would increase from eight to 16 weeks pay forworkers with over six years' service.

Le Downer (CANBERRA)

Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER says the federal government has no sympathy for drugtraffickers, but is firm in its opposition on the death penalty.

Sydney woman LE MY LINH was arrested in Vietnam last November on charges of possessingclose to a kilogram of heroin and other drugs.

The 43-year-old was yesterday sentenced to death by a Vietnamese court.

Mr DOWNER has written to his Vietnamese counterpart expressing Australia's oppositionto the death penalty.

However he says the government has no sympathy for drug traffickers, but he hopes thedeath penalty can be changed into a custodial sentence.

LE is expected to appeal against the conviction and the sentence.

Earth Tuvalu Aust (CANBERRA)

Environment Minister DAVID KEMP says there's no basis for Tuvalu to blame Australiafor global warming that could sink the Pacific island nation beneath the waves.

Tuvalu is a chain of nine coral atolls whose highest point is just four metres above sea level.

It wants to enlist Caribbean and Indian Ocean nations in a planned lawsuit blamingAustralia and the United States for global warming.

Tuvalu's finance minister says the nation is expected to be ready to launch formallegal action against both nations within a year.

But Dr KEMP says there's no basis, because Australia contributes only about one percent of global greenhouse gases.

Both Australia and the United States -- the biggest world polluter -- have rejectedthe Kyoto pact aimed at restricting emissions of greenhouse gases.

Democrats Cherry (CANBERRA)

Australian Democrats Senator JOHN CHERRY has ruled out running for the party's deputy leadership.

He told reporters he didn't think it would be appropriate in the current circumstancesto nominate for the position.

ANDREW BARTLETT yesterday joined BRIAN GREIG in the contest for the leadership butso far the field for a deputy is bereft of candidates.

Both leadership aspirants have encouraged LYN ALLISON, a member of the so-called Gangof Four, to nominate as deputy leader.

The Gang of Four -- which also includes Senator CHERRY, ANDREW MURRAY and ADEN RIDGEWAY-- have been blamed for the resignation of former leader NATASHA STOTT DESPOJA.

Nuns Carnley (SYDNEY)

Anglican Primate, Archbishop PETER CARNLEY says churches have to get their act togetherto stop child abuse.

His comments follow acknowledgement of deep regret by the Catholic Church for the distressfelt by former residents of a Brisbane orphanage.

The residents claim to be victims of rape and abuse at the hands of nuns in the .

Dr CARNLEY says he thinks these kind of problems are fairly isolated and a royal commissionis probably not necessary.

He's told the Nine Network it's not a matter for governments to do more, but churchesthemselves need to get their acts together.

US WorldCom (NEW YORK)

The former chief financial officer of US telecommunications giant WorldCom has beenindicted on securities fraud and other charges after an apparent breakdown in plea negotiations.

SCOTT SULLIVAN is accused of overseeing a scheme to conceal almost $A7 billion in companyexpenses.

Door (MELBOURNE)

A plane door has fallen from the sky somewhere over Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

The door is an emergency exit hatch about one metre high and 50 centimetres wide.

It dislodged from a light aircraft yesterday afternoon and the Air Transport SafetyBureau hasn't been able to find it so far.

The plane it fell from was a Piper Chieftain, which landed without incident at Essendon Airport.

BRIEFLY..........

A union says it's outrageous that more than 300 employees of the Rail InfrastructureCorporation have found out their jobs are on the line by reading about from the media.

Telstra shares have regained some of yesterday's losses, which came on the back ofits $3.7 billion profit announcement which disappointed investors.

The South Australian government's pleaded for nurses to return to the public hospitalsystem, after the closure of a number of beds at the Royal Adelaide Hospital due to anursing shortage.

Four Palestinians, including a mother and two of her sons, have been killed when Israelitank shells landed near Gaza City.

FINANCE..........

At 1116 AEST the all ordinaries index had DROPPED 18 points to 3072.4 while the Standard& Poor's ASX/200 index LOST 18.5 points to 3119.2.

The Australian dollar DIPPED to 55.04 US cents after closing at 55.46 US cents here yesterday.

The local currency was also WEAKER at 56.19 euro cents from 56.51 euro cents yesterday.

Gold in Sydney was $US2.10 LOWER at $US309.90 an ounce.

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

Tennis Open Aust (NEW YORK)

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS has been cleared of serious injury but will miss at least two monthsof tennis after suffering a bone bruise on his left knee during a fall at the US Open.

An MRI scan has confirmed that PHILIPPOUSSIS hyper-extended his knee when he landedawkwardly during his first round match yesterday.

But fears that the injury - the fourth to his left knee - could end his career haveproved unfounded.

At the Open, British players TIM HENMAN and GREG RUSEDSKI have won their first roundmatches, as has four-time champion PETE SAMPRAS.

But fifth seed JELENA DOKIC has been knocked out in the second round, losing in straightsets to Russia's ELENA BOVINA.

Swim Panpacs (YOKOHAMA, JAPAN)

IAN THORPE took out the 100 metres freestyle final at the Pan Pacific Championshipsat Yokohama but the United States have strengthened their hold on the meet by winningfour of the five finals on offer.

THORPE won the 100m ahead of compatriot ASHLEY CALLUS to help boost Australia's goldmedal tally to nine with one day to go.

The USA has 16 golds.

Hockey Women Aust (PERTH)

The Hockeyroos are within sight of making the Champions Trophy final this Sunday afterrecording a 2-0 victory over England in Macau.

Australia must defeat tournament favourites Argentina on Friday night (10pm AEST) inits last round robin match to ensure a berth in the final for the first time since 1999.

ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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