AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 11EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630
MIDEAST INCURSION (HEBRON)
Israeli tanks have mounted a large-scale incursion into the West Bank area of Daharyeh,near Hebron.
Dozens of tanks and armoured cars have been seen entering the area, and there've beenexchanges of fire, although there are no reports of casualties.
Israeli troops have carried out house-to-house searches and arrested several people,including the mayor and members of his family.
Elsewhere more Israeli tanks have rumbled into the town of Bir Zeit, near Ramallah-- encircling one of the biggest Palestinian universities and occupying police and securityoffices.
The new Israeli military incursions come just hours before the scheduled arrival ofUS Secretary of State COLIN POWELL, who's seeking to negotiate an Israeli withdrawal fromthe West Bank.
POWELL is insisting his mission is not in jeopardy -- saying he'll meet Israeli leadersand besieged Palestinian President YASSER ARAFAT is crucial.
The UN Security Council has endorsed calls by the United States, the European Union,the United Nations and Russia for Israel's immediate withdrawal from Palestinian cities.
MIDEAST AUST (CANBERRA)
The Australian Democrats want the federal government to take a tougher stand over continuingIsraeli military strikes on Palestinian cities in the West Bank.
Before leaving for London at the weekend, Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD said Israel isguilty of an overreaction although its stance is understandable.
Democrats' foreign affairs spokeswoman VICKI BOURNE says the time has now come forMr HOWARD to review his understanding and condemn Israel.
She says the military response is achieving nothing more than terrible suffering forPalestinians.
DETENTION RUDDOCK (SYDNEY)
Woomera immigration detention centre will be scaled down, the Curtin centre mothballedand a new facility opened in South Australia following a federal government review.
Immigration Minister PHILIP RUDDOCK says the troubled South Australian Woomera Centre-- recently the focus of protests and escapes -- will be cut down from a capacity of 2000to just 800.
He says the new Baxter centre, near Port Augusta in South Australia, will offer accommodationin a more friendly environment for asylum seekers.
It will house up to 1200 people and is expected to open in June.
Mr RUDDOCK says there's less demand for detention centres with the people smugglingbusiness in Indonesia in disarray.
ECONOMY (CANBERRA)
The news has got better for jobseekers, but homebuyers could be in for higher repaymentson their mortgages as a result.
Official figures out today show the number of people in work growing for the sixthmonth in a row.
Adjusting for seasonal influences, the Australian Bureau of Statistics says 36,500new full-time jobs were created last month, more than offsetting a 15,300 fall in part-timejobs.
The unemployment rate dropped from 6.6 per cent to 6.3 per cent -- the lowest levelsince January last year.
Treasurer PETER COSTELLO says the figures show there's continuing strength in the job market.
Analysts say the result adds weight to the case for a hike in interest rates.
Meanwhile, Australia's peak welfare group has applauded a proposal to introduce vouchersto help disadvantaged job seekers with the costs of finding work.
LONG (BRISBANE)
Childers hostel arsonist ROBERT PAUL LONG has appealed his conviction after being jailedfor 20 year jail term over the fire which killed 15 backpackers.
LONG, 38, was ordered last month to serve a mandatory life term - which is a maximum20 years under Queensland law - after a Brisbane Supreme Court jury convicted him of startingthe Palace Backpacker Hostel fire.
Legal aid defence lawyer PETER DELIBALTAS has filed seven grounds for appeal on behalfof LONG after Queensland Attorney-General ROD WELFORD lodged his own appeal on March 21on the grounds the sentence was grossly inadequate.
The appeal also argues media coverage of the case before the trial led to a miscarriageof justice.
PAP PATTERSON (CANBERRA)
Federal Health Minister KAY PATTERSON says women don't not need to be concerned aboutthe standard of their pap smears.
Senator PATTERSON's moved to reassure women about their pap smears after a laboratoryunder fire over suspect tests raised the prospect that up to more 500,000 smears couldbe under question.
The minister says Australian has one of the best pap smear testing programs in the world.
An estimated 20,000 Victorian women will be told to be retested for cervical cancerafter new concerns emerged about pap smears conducted by General Diagnostic Laboratoriesover the past two years.
CHILD (CANBERRA)
The High Court has upheld the validity of Australia's child support scheme.
It's unanimously dismissed a man's claim that that collecting money from non-custodialparents is a tax.
The challenge to the operation of the Child Support Agency arose from a couple's wrangleover maintenance.
KHAWAR (CANBERRA)
Women suffering domestic violence in their home countries may have a greater claimto refugee status in Australia following a High Court ruling today.
The court found in favour of a Pakistani woman abused by her husband and family, whohad sought asylum in Australia with her children.
Four of five High Court judges rejected the appeal by Immigration Minister PHILIP RUDDOCKafter the government argued that the ill-treatment of NAIMA KHAWAR was not motivated byher membership of any particular social group.
ROSE (PERTH)
Socialite ROSE PORTEOUS has rejected claims she failed to give to a charity most ofthe money she collected at a recent Perth fundraiser she organised.
West Australian MP JOHN HYDE has told state parliament that Ms PORTEOUS held a fashionparade at her Perth riverside mansion Prix D'Amour in December last year.
But Ms PORTEUS says after literature was printed for the event she fell out with PrincessMargaret Hospital for Children and proceeds have gone to Fremantle Hospital.
A spokesman for Fremantle Hospital says it received a cheque for $22,000 on March 12and is very grateful for it.
RYAN CARR (SYDNEY)
New South Wales Premier BOB CARR says Police Commissioner PETER RYAN's successor willbe Australian, serve a shorter term and receive around half his $455,000 salary.
The premier unveiled the new contract terms in state parliament today.
Meanwhile, Police Minister MICHAEL COSTA's been grilled in parliament over the goldenhandshake for Mr RYAN.
BRIEFLY . . .
State Transit bus drivers in Newcastle and Sydney have opted to postpone further industrialaction to allow for more talks over a pay increase.
US President GEORGE W BUSH has urged the Senate to vote for a ban on all human cloning,saying the practice has moved from science fiction into science.
At least 18 people have caught dengue fever in the popular north Queensland touristtown of Kuranda.
An Australian student has been jailed for 16 years in Thailand for the murder of ayoung woman he threw from a sixth-storey window in a drunken rage.
A ferry carrying more than 240 passengers has caught fire in the central Philippines,killing at least 23 people and injuring more than 70.
Northern Land Council chairman GALARRWUY YUNUPINGU's son has pleaded not guilty tomurdering a close relative.
Queensland's Bond University is under attack for scheduling exams on Anzac Day.
AND IN SPORT . . .
CRICKET AUST (PERTH)
Australian one-day cricket captain RICKY PONTING says the search for a genuine allrounderis continuing despite his team's five-one series win in South Africa.
He says the position still needs to be filled before next year's World Cup in SouthAfrica after quiet series from SHANE WATSON and IAN HARVEY.
AFL PLAYERS (MELBOURNE)
Collingwood president EDDIE MCGUIRE has launched an attack on the AFL Players' Associationwillingness to sacrifice two current clubs to boost player wages.
Players' Association president BRENDON GALE has said the players do not strongly supporthaving ten clubs in Melbourne, with the Kangaroos and Western Bulldogs seen as being mostat risk of going.
LEAGUE KNIGHTS (SYDNEY)
Newcastle winger ADAM MACDOUGALL has been cleared to make his return from a groin injuryin tomorrow night's National Rugby League game against the Sydney Roosters at Aussie Stadium.
SOCCER CHAMPIONS (MANCHESTER, England)
Manchester United is into European football's Champions Cup semifinals with a 3-2 victoryagainst Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna.
SOCCER ENGLISH (LONDON)
Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea have battled out a goalless draw in their English PremierLeague soccer clash.
ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP
AAP RTV wz/rp
KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP
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