AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 21

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AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Aug 21Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430

UK Girls Charge (LONDON)

Police in England say high school caretaker 28-year-old IAN HUNTLEY has been formallycharged with the murder of 10-year-olds HOLLY WELLS and JESSICA CHAPMAN.

His 25-year-old girlfriend, MAXINE CARR, remains in police custody for questioning,and a decision on whether to charge her will likely be made later today.

HUNTLEY is being held under the Mental Health Act at a secure unit on the recommendationof a psychiatrist.

His case is to go before the magistrate's court in Peterborough city today -- but it'snot known if he'll appear in person.

HUNTLEY and CARR were arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday a few hours beforethe bodies of HOLLY and JESSICA were discovered in woods near their hometown of Soham,in Cambridgeshire, 13 days after they disappeared.

Democrats Despoja (SYDNEY)

NATASHA STOTT DESPOJA is reportedly considering quitting the Australian Democrats'leadership after falling victim to an ambush by her Senate colleagues.

The Australian reports Senator STOTT DESPOJA is to be told at a crisis meeting thismorning she has no option but to support a 10-point reform package aimed at reining inher leadership style.

Quoting a well-placed source, the paper also says Senator STOTT DESPOJA is to be askedto support offering an olive branch to former leader MEG LEES.

Deputy leader ADEN RIDGEWAY is understood to be ready to take over control of the partyif Senator STOTT DESPOJA stands down after today's showdown.

Pell (SYDNEY)

Retired Victorian Supreme Court judge ALEC SOUTHWELL QC will head an investigationinto allegations Catholic Archbishop GEORGE PELL sexually molested a boy 40 years ago.

Dr PELL denies he abused a 12-year-old boy when he was a trainee priest in Victoria-- but he's stepped aside pending the inquiry.

The National Committee for Professional Standards, established to deal with sex abuseallegations within the Catholic Church, instigated the investigation.

The committee has urged the person making the allegation, who must remain anonymous,to report the matter to police, but he's not done so.

Meanwhile, Broken Rites, a support group for victims of sexual abuse by clergy, isagain calling for a royal commission into church sex abuse scandals.

Newspaper reports today describe the alleged victim as having had a troubled life involvinga criminal history of about 40 convictions.

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has thrown his support behind Dr PELL.

Mr HOWARD says he believes Dr PELL and has telephoned him to offer his support.

Iraq Germany (BERLIN)

Police have raided the Iraqi embassy building in Berlin, freeing a number of hostages,two of whom were slightly hurt, and arresting five of their Iraqi dissident abductors.

Suspected members of a little-known Iraqi opposition group earlier occupied the embassy.

Around 150 officers were on the scene.

Responsibility for the incident has been claimed by a group calling itself the DemocraticIraqi Opposition of Germany, which said in a statement that the occupation will be a peacefuland temporary action.

Clark (MELBOURNE)

ATSIC chairman GEOFF CLARK is reportedly going to be sued for damages by two womenwho claim they suffered mental and physical injuries when he raped them in 1971 and 1981.

Melbourne's AGE newspaper reports Mr CLARK'S first cousin, JOANNE McGUINNESS, lodgeda statement of claim at Warrnambool County Court yesterday.

A second woman, CAROL STINGEL, told the Age she intends to follow suit with a statementof claim within a week.

Mr CLARK denied the rape claims and the subsequent charges brought against him in courttwo years ago which were dismissed for lack of evidence.

Russia Copter (MOSCOW)

Investigators have confirmed that Chechen rebels shot down a Russian military helicopterkilling 114 soldiers.

Russia's Defence Minister says 147 people were on board the helicopter when it crashed-- 33 survived.

SERGEI IVANOV has suspended Colonel General VITALY PAVLOV, a Soviet-era war hero whowas in charge of the army's air force, for failing to follow proper security procedures.

And he's also ordered a halt to all flights of the jumbo Mi-26 helicopter over Chechnya.

UK Stunt (LONDON)

An 88-year-old World War II hero with an artificial leg has become the oldest personto wingwalk atop a biplane at speeds of 160kph over England.

LES "DIZZY" SEALES, from southern England, clinched the world record -- previouslyheld by 87-year-old South African woman -- as he stood for a total of 75 minutes atopa 1940s-era Boeing Stearman.

AND IN BRIEF:

Qantas is expected to announce one of its biggest ever annual profits today.

Analysts are predicting a net profit of around $423 million, on the back of strongdomestic sales and a turnaround in the international travel market.

Federal Workplace Relations Minister TONY ABBOTT has appointed a task force to investigatecorruption in the building industry.

Mr ABBOTT says it will operate as an interim measure until Royal Commissioner TERENCECOLE has handed down the final report of his inquiry into the industry.

MPs will continue debating a controversial bill to allow embryonic stem cell researchtoday as the focus shifts to hiving off the part of the legislation which bans human cloning.

Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister TARIQ AZIZ has confirmed that Palestinian guerrilla commanderABU NIDAL had died in Baghdad, saying he committed suicide.

AND IN SPORT:

LEAGUE CAP HAGAN (SYDNEY)

Former Bulldogs chief executive BOB HAGAN says in resigning he accepts responsibilityfor one of the darkest periods in the history of the club, as it awaits the National RugbyLeague's penalty for rorting the salary cap by $1 million.

Despite admitting the club breached the rules HAGAN denies the Bulldogs are cheats.

The competition-leading Bulldogs are prepared to receive by week's end their penalty,which could involve expulsion from the finals series.

Meanwhile, the NRL has absolved Bulldogs star BRAITH ANASTA of any blame in salary cap scandal.

ANASTA, the highest paid player at the Bulldogs, was alleged to be the major recipientof the $400,000 the club outlayed on players this year outside the salary cap.

And the Australian Rugby Union has ruled out a cross-code swoop for ANASTA.

AFL TRIBUNAL (MELBOURNE)

Adelaide Crows veteran MARK BICKLEY says he'll delay a decision on whether he'll playagain next year after the AFL Tribunal wiped out his 2002 season on Tuesday night.

BICKLEY received a five-match ban for landing an elbow to the face of Port Adelaide'sDARRYL WAKELIN on Sunday, which left the Power fullback with multiple facial fractures.

In other tribunal news, Port Adelaide's BRETT MONTGOMERY and Kangaroos' midfielderDAVID KING both received one-match bans for striking and Melbourne defender PAUL WHEATLEYwas cleared of charging.

AFL BLUES (MELBOURNE)

JOHN ELLIOTT'S position as president of AFL club Carlton is safe for now after he receiveda show of support at Tuesday night's board meeting.

But his fate will be left to a vote of members in October, when Carlton holds an extraordinarygeneral meeting and declares all positions open, including that of the president.

KEN HUNTER was the casualty of the meeting, resigning from the board after ELLIOTTcalled for a show of support.

CRICKET CRONJE (GEORGE)

A friend of HANSIE CRONJE says the wreck of the plane in which the disgraced formerSouth African cricket skipper died will be salvaged and used as part of a memorial.

CRONJE died in June when a plane he was travelling in smashed into a mountain in remotesoutheastern South Africa.

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