Main stories in today's 0745 ABC news

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2009
Main stories in today's 0745 ABC news

SYDNEY, Aug 21 AAP - Main stories in today's 0745 ABC news:

- The Lockerbie bomber has been welcomed back to Libya after his release from a Scottish jail.

- Scotland's justice secretary says while the bomber did not show his victims any compassion,
that alone was not a reason to deny compassion for him.

- The move was fiercely opposed in the US.

- Afghanistan's president has praised his citizens for defying threats of violence
to vote in Thursday's elections.

- Insurgents trying to disrupt voters fired rockets at Australian and Afghan security forces.

- Iraq has arrested 11 senior security officers after admitting that negligence contributed
to the recent bombings in Baghdad that killed 95 people.

- The Future Fund is selling $2.4 billion worth of Telstra shares, off-loading one
third of its stake in the company.

- Jamaican Usain Bolt has set a new world record in winning the 200 metres sprint at
the world athletics championships.

- Australian Olympic gold medallist Steve Hooker has qualified for the men's pole vault
final at the world athletics championships, despite a thigh injury.

- The South African government is urging its citizens to rally behind Caster Semenya,
the athlete whose gender is being questioned.

- At the Ashes, England is 8 for 307 at stumps, in the fifth Test against the Australian
cricket team.

AAP bm/

KEYWORD: MONITOR 0745 ABC SYDNEY

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