Main stories in ABC's World Today

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2006
Main stories in ABC's World Today

SYDNEY, April 18 AAP - Main stories in ABC's World Today:

* Prime Minister John Howard speaks out in an attempt to soothe tensions with Indonesia,
but says his government has nothing to apologise for. He also refused to engage in verbal
warfare, after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono publicly said the relationship
between the two countries needs work.

* Labor accuses the federal government of serving the rich, calling for changes to
the family tax benefit which is available without means testing. Ahead of next month's
budget, Prime Minister John Howard has defended the scheme as part of the tax budget,
not the welfare budget.

* The Israeli military has retaliated with a missile attack on a metal factory on the
Gaza strip. An earlier suicide bombing killed nine and injured 40 in Tel Aviv, with Islamic
group Jihad claiming responsibility. The Israeli prime minister says he is holding the
Hamas-led Palestinian government to account.

AAP cj/tam/

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