AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 9EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630
ROYALS MOTHER (LONDON)
The QUEEN MOTHER will be buried today with pomp and ceremony, after thousands of peoplestreamed past her coffin overnight to bid her farewell.
Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has paid Australia's respects to the QUEEN MOTHER, whosecoffin is lying in state at Westminster Hall, and has signed a book of condolence.
He's written in the book that Australians remember the QUEEN MOTHER's links with ourcountry and give thanks for her long life of steadfast service and commitment to duty.
Public viewing of the coffin was due to end yesterday, but because of the huge responsethe opening hours were extended overnight.
Officials estimate that around 200,000 people have braved the cold winds to shufflepast the body of the QUEEN MOTHER, who died ten days ago at the age of 101.
Meanwhile, a newspaper poll in Britain says the death of Britain's Queen Mother, affectionatelyknown by many as the nation's favourite grandmother, has sparked a surge of support forthe monarchy.
Here in Australia, a woman aged about 30 has disrupted a memorial service for the QueenMother at Sydney's St Andrew's cathedral, yelling comments directed at Governor-GeneralPETER HOLLINGWORTH.
And about 700 mourners attended a memorial service at Sydney's St Andrew's cathedralthis morning.
MIDEAST (NABLUS)
Israel has begun pulling out its troops and tanks from two West Bank towns, but moreIsraeli troops have invaded another town.
The withdrawals follow stern demands from US President GEORGE W BUSH for Israel toend its 12-day offensive in the West Bank.
But as its forces left Tulkarem and Qalqiliya, soldiers backed by tanks and helicoptershave invaded the small town of Dura in the southern West Bank.
Witnesses in the town say they've heard the sound of gunbattles.
Meanwhile, Arab nations are pushing for another UN Security Council resolution warningIsrael to pull its troops and tanks out of Palestinian cities.
UN Secretary-General KOFI ANNAN says the whole world is demanding that Israel withdraw.
BOAT STAY (CANBERRA)
The government says Australia is likely to agree to a United Nations request to allowAfghan asylum seekers to stay in the country until June.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has asked countries not to returnAfghans on an involuntary basis before June, at which time the UNHCR will review the situationin Afghanistan.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister PHILIP RUDDOCK says his department is dealingwith voluntary returns and it's unlikely it will consider involuntary returns before June.
The UNHCR yesterday handed down its decision on the refugee status of 529 asylum seekerson Nauru, 301 of whom were rescued at sea last year by the Norwegian container ship Tampa.
MCENALLAY (TAREE)
Blue ribbons adorned Taree today as the northern New South Wales town said farewellto murdered policeman GLENN MCENALLAY.
The ribbons were hanging from buildings, power poles, bridges, even pot plants, asa measure of the esteem in which the young officer was held.
At St John's Anglican Church, buses arrived carrying more than 130 police from CityEast and Mascot, the Sydney police station at which Senior Constable MCENALLAY was based.
The 26-year-old was shot and mortally wounded last month while following a suspectedstolen car through Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Meanwhile, the NSW government has reaffirmed its opposition to mandatory life sentencesfor people who murder police officers.
ECONOMY NAB (SYDNEY)
A new business survey shows the economy is still powering along, with the retail sectorleading the growth surge.
But the latest National Australia Bank business survey shows the construction sectoris slowing, with a fall in forward orders.
In London, the Economist magazine says Australia's economy has outperformed the restof the industrialised world because of reforms introduced over the past two decades.
But a survey by accounting firm KPMG shows fraud is on the rise in Australia and NewZealand, with unethical behaviour detected in four out of ten businesses.
SIEGE (SYDNEY)
A man is in police custody after reportedly holding children and a teacher hostagein a classroom at a northern New South Wales public school.
ABC Radio reports the man, armed with a knife, entered the classroom at the schoolin Kootingal, near Tamworth, and threatened to harm the students.
The roads around the school were blocked off with an exclusion zone of 100 metres,but police say the incident is now over and a man is in custody.
GUIDER (SYDNEY)
A court's been told the man accused of murdering Sydney schoolgirl SAMANTHA KNIGHTsaid he knew of places where a person could disappear and never be found.
MICHAEL ANTHONY GUIDER, aged 51, is accused of murdering the nine-year-old who disappearedfrom a Bondi street in Sydney on August 19, 1986.
On the second day of the committal hearing at Central Local court, WENDY WATT saidGUIDER introduced himself as a babysitter for SAMANTHA and a friend of her mother TESS.
MOBILES (CANBERRA)
Telstra is blocking lost and stolen mobile phones from its network from August 15.
It's part of an industry response to the theft or loss of 100,000 mobile phones inAustralia every year.
Telstra Mobile managing director DAVID THODEY says the move will make mobile phonesmuch less attractive to thieves.
TERROR AUST (CANBERRA)
Australia's second contingent of SAS commandos has arrived in Afghanistan and is preparingfor action.
Defence Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel DAVID TYLER says the Special Air ServicesRegiment soldiers will be engaged in similar types of operations as their predecessorswho returned to Perth last week.
Meanwhile, a five-and-a-half month deployment to the Middle East has ended for membersof the 16th Air Defence Regiment, with an official welcome home in the Adelaide Hills.
GALLOPS WATERHOUSE (SYDNEY)
The ROBBIE WATERHOUSE inflated bets inquiry is set to resume next Monday.
Thoroughbred Racing Board stewards say Mr WATERHOUSE was told yesterday they intendto resume the inquiry on April 15.
Mr WATERHOUSE is charged with 16 breaches of rules.
BRIEFLY . . .
An autistic toddler who spent the night wandering farmland west of Melbourne has beenfound after he was attracted to the sound of a tractor.
A leading construction firm has admitted paying the building union $62,000 for industrialpeace in Perth, saying nothing could be done to stop the union's control of the industry.
State Transit bus drivers in Sydney and Newcastle have rejected a pay offer and areset to continue an industrial campaign which could include more strikes.
More than 300 truck drivers have protested outside a Brisbane transport depot, callingfor better safety in the long distance trucking industry.
Maintenance workers at Brisbane's Caltex Oil Refinery have begun a 24-hour strike afternegotiations over a new enterprise bargaining agreement broke down.
The US Government says it plans to give Qantas a record $107,000 fine to send a messagethat America doesn't want illegal immigrants after Qantas allegedly flew 17 undocumentedChinese nationals to Los Angeles.
AND IN SPORT . . .
AFL TRIBUNAL (MELBOURNE)
West Coast forward PHILLIP MATERA has been reported by AFL investigations officer RICKLEWIS and will front the tribunal tonight.
MATERA was booked for striking Collingwood's TARKYN LOCKYER during Saturday's match at the MCG.
The other case at the tribunal tonight involves Richmond defender TY ZANTUCK, who wasreported for engaging in rough play against Essendon's BLAKE CARACELLA.
AFL TIGERS (MELBOURNE)
Star Richmond forward BRAD OTTENS has signed a two-year deal to remain with the Tigersuntil at least the end of the 2004 AFL season.
AFL SAINTS (MELBOURNE)
St Kilda captain ROBERT HARVEY says it's 50-50 whether he plays in this weekend's AFLmatch against Port Adelaide at Colonial Stadium.
HARVEY is wearing a surgical stocking on his right calf after suffering serious crampingin the loss to Fremantle two days ago.
AFL BROWN (MELBOURNE)
The AFL has fined Western Bulldogs midfielder NATHAN BROWN $5,000 for making insultinggestures to the crowd.
AFL operations manager ANDREW DEMETRIOU met with BROWN and Dogs football manager PAULARMSTRONG this afternoon, following incidents in Saturday night's loss to the Kangaroosat Colonial Stadium.
ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP
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KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP
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