From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia Reserch Senter(*) OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #15 =============================== In the Run-Up to World War III, Reliably Reporting the News Relevant to Extreme Right-Wing Democratic Socialists Everywhere (validated for RiteThink(tm) by the Office of Our Man in Can-berra). Visit Our Home Page At: http://www.chickenhead.com/loserscopes/0103.asp See the Undeniable Evidence At: http://www.evil-doers.org/evidence Kindly Archived At: http://www.kymhorsell.com/BOZO/archives/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Selecting latest news stories and other data for you... ------------------------------------------------------------ The dire prospect that opens ... is that America is going to become a mega-banana republic where the army will have more and more importance in our lives. -- Norman Mailer, Feb 2003. ---------------------------------------- Circles these dates on your fridge calendars: 02 Mar. Dr Seuss born, 1904. Later famous for "Cat Dog" cartoon series. Texas Independence day. Ya-hoo! Peasants Day in Burma. 03 Mar. Girl's Day in Japan. Throne Day in Morocco. 04 Mar. Antonio Vivaldi born, 1678. First meeting of US Congress, NYc, 1789. Regime-change in Canada immediately on the drawing boards. First Cray-1 shipped to Los Alamos for peace research. 05 Mar. Mother-in-Law Day. 06 Mar. Michelangelo Buonarroti born, 1475. Hindenburg explodes and burns, Lakehurst, NJ, 1939. Was it something he ate? Lantern Day, Beijing. 07 Mar. Aristotle dies aged 62, 322 BC. The LAPD says the case is still under investigation. Sir John Frederick William Herschel born, 1792. Last Gilbert & Sullivan opera produced, 1896. 08 Mar. First Annual Internat'l Women's Day, 1909. Syrian National Day in Libyan Arab Republic. ---------------------------------------- Fri, 28 Feb 2003. Canberra. A FRIENDLY REMINDER FROM THE AUS TAX OFFICE! GET THOSE QUARTERLY RETURNS IN OR WE WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND EAT YOUR CHILDREN! Melbourne (The Age). ONLINE OPINION! Is there enough evidence to support war? 70% of 3,500 respondents say "no", 27% vote "yes", while 4% can't tell. Do you support anti-war protests? 81% of 5,300 respondents say "yes", with 18% saying "no". Do you support John Howard's [Iraqi war] stance? Of the 7,000-odd respondents, 77% said "no". Only 21% supported the PM, while 2% didn't know whether they supported him or not. Is our military and equipment battle ready? 59% of 1,400 respondents say "no", with 24% voting "yes", and 17% saying they didn't know. If AUS goes to war, who would you prefer as leader? 31% of 2,700 respondents elect John Howard, but bad news for the ALP, 24% say Bob Brown. Even worse news for Mr Crean, 21% say "other", with the Opp'n leader in 4th place at 16%. 4% of respondents, trying to be funny, say Peter Costello, while 3% vote for Jenny Macklin. Should AUS join America's 'Star Wars' missile defence? 79% of the 1,300+ respondents to the online poll say "no", while 18% agreed. Where would you rather see your taxes spent? 34% of 500 respondents voted for Education, 31% for Health, 30% for Tax Cuts, while only 5% said Defence. Who's the greater threat to world peace? 57% of almost 5,000 respondents nominated the USA, with Al Qaeda and N Korea coming far behind at 13% and 11%, resp. 6% voted for Israel, 1% for China, and 1% for "other". There's one way to protect democracy -- send in the fascists Conservative America is at risk, and this war is a way to enforce the values the Bush camp clings to. Norman Mailer. There is a subtext to what the "Bushites" are doing as they prepare for war in Iraq. My hypothesis is that George Bush and many conservatives have come to the conclusion that the only way they can save the US and get it off its down slope is to become a regime with a greater military presence and drive toward empire. My fear is that we might lose our democracy in the process. By down slope I'm referring not only to the corporate scandals, the church scandals and the FBI scandals. The country has gone kind of crazy in the Bushites' eyes. Also, kids can't read any more. Especially for conservatives, the culture has become too sexual. Iraq is the excuse for moving in this direction. War with Iraq, as they originally conceived it, would be a quick, dramatic step that would enable them to control the Near E as a powerful base -- not least because of the oil there as well as the water supplies from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers -- to build a world empire. They also expect to bring democracy to the region and believe that in itself will help to diminish terrorism. I expect the opposite will happen: terrorists are not impressed by democracy. They loathe it. They are fundamentalists of the most basic kind. The more successful democracy is in the Near E (not likely in my view), the more terrorism it will generate. It will only make the terrorists more desperate to defeat it. The only outstanding obstacle to the drive toward empire in the Bushite minds is China. Indeed, one of the great fears in the Bush Admin about America's down slope is that the "stem studies" such as science, technology and engineering are all faring poorly in our universities. The number of US PhDs is going down, but the number of Asians obtaining doctorates in those same stem studies is increasing at a great rate. Looking 20 y ahead, the Admin perceives that there will come a time when China will have technology superior to ours. When that time comes, the US might well say to China that "we can work together", we will be as the Romans to you Greeks. You will be our extraordinary, well-cultivated slaves. But don't try to dominate us. That would be your disaster. This is the scenario that some of the brightest neo-conservatives are thinking about. (I use Rome as a metaphor, because metaphors are usually much closer to the truth than facts.) What has happened, of course, is that the Bushites have run into much more opposition than they thought they would from other countries and among the home population. It may end up that we won't have a war, but a new strategy to contain Iraq and wear Saddam down. If that occurs, Bush is in terrible trouble. My guess, though, is that, like it or not or want it or not, we are going to go to war because that is the only solution Bush and his people can see. The dire prospect that opens, therefore, is that America is going to become a mega-banana republic where the army will have more and more importance in our lives. It will be an ever greater and greater overlay on the American system. And before it is all over democracy, noble and delicate as it is, may give way. My long experience with human nature -- I'm 80 y old now -- suggests that it is possible that fascism, not democracy, is the natural state. Indeed, democracy is the special condition -- a condition we will be called upon to defend in the coming y. That will be enormously difficult because the combination of the corporation, the military and the complete investiture of the flag with mass spectator sports has set up a pre-fascist atmosphere in America already. N Iraq. KURDISH IRAQ! Plans are still proceeding, despite the foot-dragging of the Turkish Parliament, for US troops to open a 2nd front into N Iraq. But in a controversial move, the US has reportedly promised Turkey it can oversee the disarmament of Kurds in N Iraq. Kurdish rep Zebari has called to see the memorandum of understanding between the US and Turkey, hoping the deal to support the US wouldn't be at the cost of Kurds. Kurds form a 20 mn-strong stateless minority across 4 Middle E countries. They've always been the victims in y of civil strife. There are 5 mn Kurds in N Iraq, who were bombed and gassed by Saddam after they tried unsuccessfully to break away from Baghdad. The UN estimates 180,000 Kurds were killed by Saddam in the 1988/91 genocide. For y the Iraqi Kurds have called for the Iraqi regime to be overthrown. Now they're not sure if they will be better off under a US admin. Kurdish officials have given up calling for an indep state, something that's always made Ankara edgy. The call now is just for civil and human rights in Iraq. NY. IRAQ AGREES "IN PRINCIPLE"! Baghdad has agreed in principle to destroy its Al-Samoud 2 missiles and their components. But UN arms inspectors say Iraq must clarify the offer with UN officials in Baghdad. Chief inspector Hans Blix ordered Iraq to start destroying the missiles by Sat, saying their range had been found to exceed the UN limit of 150 km. The US has said the offer will not change its mind about attacking Iraq. Canberra. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT! PM John Howard says the world is moving closer to war against Iraq. Switching on the tape recording, Mr Howard said the only way Iraq could avoid war was for Saddam Insane to become "fair dinkum" about disarming. Of course, that wouldn't do it, either! The PM down-played Iraq's offer to destroy some banned missiles. He told 2GB that the offer didn't represent "total co-operation" with the UN Sec Council as defined by the Bush Whitehouse. Baghdad. MISSILE KILLERS! A team of UN inspectors has arrived in Iraq to oversee the destruction of banned missiles. Meanwhile, US Sec of State Colin Powell said the missiles should have been destroyed "long ago". Pres Bush was also dismissive, saying the missiles were the "tip of the iceberg". Elsewhere, today's UN Sec Council debate over a 2nd res authorising force against Iraq was described as "unusually hostile". Russia said it would use its veto to maintain world peace. France also said its could use its veto. The 2nd res is "premature", said the French amb to the UN. He said a new res was envisioned in case of an impasse, and that was not the case yet. [?!] In Spain, Brit PM Tony Blair warned of a "devastating tragedy that at the moment we can't even contemplate or guess at" if the res was not passed. Mr Blair was asked why he wasn't taking yes for an answer. In Iraq, officials have laid out numbered bomb parts to prove bio weapons were destroyed in 1991. In the W, reports have surfaced that secret intel from the US agrees that Iraq destroyed all chem and bio weapons at the time. Elsewhere, B2 stealth bombers have been moved to within 6 hr of Iraq. In Baghdad, Iraqis are building backyard wells in event of US attacks targeting electricity or water supplies. The locals are also hoarding food, preparing 4 or 5 m ahead. Outside the city tanks and AAA in trenches have been deployed. The "A" units of the Iraqi military have also taken up defensive positions outside Baghdad, esp to the S. Fuel prices tipped to jump further Sydney. There is further speculation petrol prices could reach $1.10 a litre in AUS, following new post-Gulf War highs for crude oil overnight. The benchmark price in NY went just shy of $US40 a barrel overnight. West Texas crude for Apr delivery touched $US39.99 a barrel, a level not seen since Oct 1990, just after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Severe cold weather in the NE of the US is helping run down American stocks of fuel, while looming conflict in Iraq puts question marks over continuity of global supplies. Commonwealth Bank commodity strategist David Thurtell expects crude prices to head into the mid-40s a barrel on the outbreak of hostilities. In the meantime, pump prices for petrol could head higher, despite the cushioning effect of a firmer AUD. At about 9.00 am W Texas had dropped back on profit-taking to just below $US37 a barrel. NZ. BUGGER! "Bugger" said a quayside sign. The Kiwis were not too sympathetic when the Aussie boat broke in 1/2 a few y back during an America's Cup race. But now they know how it feels. NZ is now down 4 zip to Switzerland. The Kiwi boat has only managed to finish 2 of the 4 races to date. Today's excuse was the poor delicate craft hit 2 waves and snapped its mast. But the ever-optimistic Team NZ think they can salvage some gear off another geriatric boat and have something with positive buoyancy and capable of horizontal motion working by the next race. Still, they might be able to win 5 straight to keep the mug. It must be SOOOO galling to lose to a country with no coastline! NY. UN TALKS INCONCLUSIVE! The UN Sec Council has held more than 3 hrs of inconclusive talks on a US-Brit draft res which seeks UN authorisation to disarm Iraq by force. The French amb to the UN, Jean-Marc De La Sabliere, emerged saying the majority of council members don't think it is time to go to war and it's possible to disarm Iraq by peaceful means. France, Russia and Germany are co-authors of an alternative proposal to expand the weapons inspections which began 3 m ago. NY. RUSSIA THREATENS NYET! Contrary to reports from US officials that Russia was being "talked around", Igor Ivanov said Russia would not hesitate to veto anything in the UN Sec Council that could lead even indirectly to armed conflict in Iraq. London. BRIT CLOSES ANOTHER EMBASSY! Brit is closing its Yemen embassy to the public, and will withdraw all but "essential" staff because of the worsening security sit'n in the country. The FO says the embassy in Sanaa and the consulate general in Aden will stop providing services to the public starting on Sat. It also repeated warnings to Brits to avoid travelling to Yemem, and for those citizens there to consider getting out. It says only limited consular assistance would be given to anyone that remains in the country. Jerusalem. SHARON POWERS UP! Israel's new hawkish govt has won a vote of approval from the Knesset, giving PM Sharon's 4-party coal'n a comfortable majority. The new govt has taken office after Sharon told the parliament his new team will work for peace in the Middle E, but will require a Cabinet vote before starting to consider the creation of a Palestinian state. Some elements of his coal'n have called for expelling all Palestinians to Jordan and re-naming it "Palestine". Iraq key to Arab peace, says Bush Washington. US Pres George Bush yesterday linked his campaign to topple Saddam with a broad American strategy to restart the stalled Middle E peace process and spread democracy to Arab states. "A liberated Iraq can show the power of freedom to transform that vital region, by bringing hope and progress into the lives of millions," he said. Successfully toppling the Iraqi leader could begin "a new stage for Middle Eastern peace and set in motion progress towards a truly democratic Palestinian state. America will seize every opportunity in pursuit of peace. And the end of the present regime in Iraq would create such an opportunity". Mr Bush's nat'l televised comments echoed those by his father when he was Pres during the war to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. Yesterday, Mr Bush also gave a commitment to support the current Middle E peace process after 8 m of silence on the crisis. Mr Bush's speech was the purest expression of the neo-conservative, pro-Israel lobby in Washington that has long linked the overthrow of Mr Saddam to a birth of democracy in the Middle E. But there was little detail as to how this would be achieved or how the peace process would be revived. Mr Bush restated US support for the development of a Palestinian state but urged that it "abandons forever the use of terror". In exchange, he said, Israel should end its support for its settlements in the occupied territories. The US has been criticised in Britain, Europe and the Arab states over its failure to intervene in violence in the occupied territories. But Mr Bush's speech is unlikely to appease his critics, such as French Pres Jacques Chirac, who believe a war in Iraq will only harden the resistance of militant groups among the Palestinians and encourage terrorism. As well, US and foreign critics argue that internal ethnic and religious divisions in Iraq will made political reform in that country extremely problematic. Mr Bush acknowledged for the 1st time that a US occupation of Iraq after the war would not be easy. Even America's staunch allies, AUS and Britain, have expressed concerns about US plans for a prolonged military occupation of Iraq by US forces. Pentagon officials have said they expect as many as 200,000 troops to occupy Iraq for up to 2 y. Many US allies were hoping that Mr Bush's vision for postwar Iraq would include a multinat'l transitional govt headed by a European or Arab administrator. Saudis, US in attack deal Washington (Telegraph). The White House and the House of Saud have struck a deal to allow allied air ops against Iraq to be launched from Saudi territory, in return for the phased withdrawal of US troops once hostilities are over. Under the agreement the command centre at Prince Sultan Air Base will be made available and US aircraft will fly from Saudi airfields. A Bush Admin official told The Washington Post: "We've reached agreements that affect facilities inside Saudi Arabia and a broad array of military operations that could happen in the event of hostilities with Iraq." There are 5,000 US military personnel in Saudi Arabia as part of the UN requirement to police the no-fly zone over S Iraq. The Saudi royal family has been under domestic pressure to end the arrangement. US officials said this would be acceptable because the zones would not be needed once Saddam Hussein was overthrown. US keeps Korea military option alive Tokyo. The US has warned it still has the option of a military strike against North Korea, after the communist state restarted a nuclear reactor, further developing its nuclear arms program. "I think this is another example of the regime of North Korea taking escalatory actions in order to gain concessions," US National Security Council rep Sean McCormack said yesterday. "We seek a peaceful diplomatic solution, but all options remain on the table." "All options" is the Bush Admin's code for a possible military strike against North Korea, which admitted to Washington last Oct it had a clandestine nuclear arms program. This broke a 1994 deal that gave North Korea energy aid in return for abandoning its nuclear ambitions. North Korea indicated in Jan that it would restart the Yongbyon reactor, but the delay encouraged the US to think it had decided against it. The restarting of the reactor appears to be another attempt by North Korea to force the US into direct negotiations over the crisis and gain big economic aid in return for dismantling its arms program. Restarting the reactor is also seen as an attempt to test new South Korean Pres Roh Moo-hyun. There are differences between Mr Roh and the US on how to handle the North Korean nuclear crisis, and the new Pres wants to avoid military conflict at all costs. South Korea said yesterday that if the restarting of the reactor was confirmed, "this will be another step along the road of confrontation". The Yongbyon nuclear complex would produce waste that could be reprocessed into plutonium for nuclear arms, and the small reactor restarted has only a limited capacity. But North Korea already has a large stockpile of spent fuel rods at the complex ready for reprocessing. South Korea's Unification Ministry rep Kim Jong-ro said that if North Korea started reprocessing the rods into plutonium, "then we can really say they have crossed the red line". China and Russia, 2 key players in the nuclear crisis, yesterday called on Washington to hold direct talks with North Korea. Opp'n fears post-war wheat claim from US Canberra. The Fed Opp'n is accusing the US of waiting in the wings to steal AUS's $800 mn wheat contract with Iraq, if it wins a war against the Middle E nation. Labor's trade rep, Craig Emerson, says the Fed Govt must urgently seek reassurance from the US that it won't take the contract, which operates under the UN Food for Oil program. Mr Emerson is responding to comments from the head of the AUS wheat board, Andrew Lindberg, who told a grower meeting that "the US could go in with aid and take our market". Mr Emerson says the Fed govt must reign in the US, or risk the contract. "We want the govt to seek assurances from the US that AUS will not be done in the eye in terms of our wheat exports to Iraq by the displacement of those exports through a US food program, such that US grain displaces AUS exports of wheat to Iraq. Those assurances must be obtained by the AUS Govt from the US Admin." AWB Limited is taking a softer line on the subject, saying it has been reassured by the UN [sic!] that regardless of any change in Iraq's Admin, the wheat contract with AUS is secure. US wheat marketers are making no secret of the fact that they'll compete strongly for the contract with Iraq, in the wake of a war. Barbara Spangler, exec director of the marketer Wheat Tec, said the industry would be pushing the US Govt to open every path it could to get in there and regain market share. Canberra. TRADE REPORT UNEARTHED! The Fed Govt has been accused of burying an indep report, that questions the benefit of a free trade agreement with the US. The report, prepared by ACIL Consulting, was commissioned by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation 18 m ago, but has not been made public. The Fed Opp'n says it suggests local farmers won't get anything out of a free trade deal with the US. Labor's Trade rep Craig Emerson says he's seen a leaked version of the ACIL report and it says the US won't give any ground on agriculture. He says it also warns a free trade deal with the US could anger Asian trading partners. And he says that's why the govt is keeping the report secret. The report is still in the hands of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corp. Corporation head Simon Hearn denies there's been any political pressure to delay its release. "We're looking at it in terms of the quality of the analysis, that's what we want to look at and we've been working with ACIL." Meanwhile AUS Democrats trade rep Sen Aden Ridgeway say the controversy over the ACIL report makes next m's Senate Inquiry into a US free trade deal all the more important. "It's meant to draw out the information but most of all make some assessment about whether a free trade agreement is in AUS's national interest." A rep for Fed Trade Min Mark Vaile has rejected the accusations of secrecy. She says the govt hasn't seen the report and any problems are between ACIL and the RIRDC. Darwin. YELLOW ANTS! Said to be the biggest pest AUS has faced since Mosley Jones, scientists say a killer ant that can blind people could march its way across AUS. The African Yellow Crazy Ant -- AKA anoplolepis gracilipes -- is wanted for questioning in connection with the deaths of 20 mn red crabs on Christmas Is since 1989, along with a raft of other native birds, animals and plants. 100s of mn of the ants have invaded NE Arnhem land in the NT, and could easily spread further in a huge environmental and economic threat to N AUS. The ants have been found in at least 60 locations in the NT. It's thought they were accidentally intro'd by servicemen during WWII. The Crazy Ant is described as one of the world's craziest ant species. Sydney (Ch 7). ANT VICTORY! An early victory against the crazy yellow ant is being predicted. The illegal immigrant from W Africa is described as yellow, spitting formic acid, and capable of forming super colonies. Experts warn if you disturb a colony it will boil up over your body. They claim there slow progress in an aerial baiting campaign on Xmas Is that has knocked out 98% of the pests. While the crazy insects have been spotted in the NT, OTHER reports say they've also been seen in Bris, Perth and Townsville. Sydney (ABC). $4 MN ANT DEATH PLAN! The CSIRO says a $4 mn eradication program for the yellow crazy ant is a small price to pay compared to the environmental disaster it would cause in AUS. The organisation's Ben Hoffman says the crazy ant has been discovered in at least 63 locations in E Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory. Dr Hoffman says the ant has devastated the population of red land crabs on Christmas Island. He says a granulated poison will be used in the proposed eradication program. "In terms of the cost, the potential cost of this ant to AUS, it's absolutely miniscule and also pales into insignificance compared to the $150 mn fire ant program currently in progress in Qld," he said. "This really is cheap as chips." Washington. YELLOW ALERT! Top counterterrorism officials have lowered the US alert from orange to yellow, suggesting the threat of an imminent attack on US soil has eased. The conclusion of the Muslim hajj played a role in the decision to lower the threat level. A-G John (your OK if your white) Ashcroft and Homeland Sec Sec Tom Ridge made the announcement in a press statement. Terrorists may know how to make nukes from low-grade U NY (AFP). Rogue countries and terrorists have learned that it is possible to make atomic bombs using low-enriched uranium, a common fuel for nuclear reactors, USA Today reported yesterday. Citing classified nuclear threat reports, the paper said US officials had also concluded that it would be easier than previously believed for enemies of the US to make such weapons using spent nuclear fuel. Neither of those substances is listed as "weapons usable" under US or internat'l security protocols, the report said. As a result, they get little protection from theft at civilian nuclear reactors worldwide. That includes reactors in former Soviet states and nations such as Indonesia, where public sympathy for Iraq and the al-Qaeda terror network runs high. According to USA Today, 5 y ago, scientists at LANL secretly designed an atomic bomb with low-enriched U. The bomb, which could have fit easily in a small pickup, was weak in nuclear terms but strong enough to destroy a square mile of a city, the report pointed out. The scientists also have proven that it is possible to create nuclear weapons using several elements that could be extracted from spent fuel by a rogue state or perhaps even a well-organised terrorist organisation, the paper said. Gunmen Kill Two Shi'ite Muslims in Pakistan Karachi (Reuters). Gunmen shot dead 2 Shi'ite Muslims in the restive port city of Karachi, just days after a hit-and-run attack outside a Shi'ite mosque that killed 9 people, police and doctors said. In the latest attack, at least 2 unidentified gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons as the victims sat in a bakery in central Karachi's Arambagh neighbourhood, police said. "One of the victims was around 45 y old, while the other was in his mid-twenties," Zahoor Ahmed, a doctor at the state-run Civil Hospital told Reuters. Both men died on the spot, he said. No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, which appeared to be part of a new spate of religiously motivated violence in the city of 14 mn people. The latest incidents came after a relative lull in sectarian attacks in the past several m. Hundreds of mourners went on the rampage after a funeral on Sun for victims of the earlier attack, targeting 2 American fast food restaurants and smashing vehicles. Hundreds of people have been killed in the bitter rivalry between militant Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim groups in recent y. Most of the victims have been Shi'ites, who comprise about 15% of Pakistan's 140 mn population, in which Sunnis are a majority. As well as Muslim sectarian violence, Karachi has seen attacks on Christian and W targets in the past y, violence blamed on militants angered by Pres Pervez Musharraf's decision to back the US-led war on terror. Karachi. POLICE SHOT! A lone gunman has shot dead 2 police and injured 7 others guarding the US consulate in the S Pakistani port of Karachi. Police Chief Tariq Jamil says 2 officers were killed, revising down the initial claim of 3. The gunman, described as an Afghani nat'l, was captured after a short chase. Police say the assailant, carrying a pistol, grabbed a machine-gun from one of the guards and sprayed the rest indiscriminately. The police post is 1 of 3 set up under tends around the consulate building to provide special protection. Perth. BOMB ALERT! There was an explosive alert outside a Perth govt office today after a box of explosives was discovered. Police and firefighters donned protective suits to investigate the cardboard box that was found outside a vehicle licensing centre. A centre worker called in the alert at 7 am when he discovered the box with the words "danger do not touch" written on the outside. Police blocked off streets and the bomb squad and 4 fire brigade units moved in. Experts discovered 3 diff types of explosive inside, incl sticks of sweating gelignite. Police are now investigating who and why the box was dumped. They say almost anyone could have planted it. It could be a disgruntled driver that couldn't get license, they said. Houston. ISS CREW REDUCED FURTHER! NASA says the next crew of the ISS will be 2 instead of the usual 3. And it was 3 instead of the planned 20 because of they were using a Soyuz cap for the escape system! They say the new crew, one Russian and one American, will launch from Russia on a Soyuz because the shuttle is grounded indefinitely following the Columbia disaster. The ISS crew will go into LEO in late Apr or early May and also deliver a fresh Soyuz "lifeboat" to the stn. Elsewhere, a Congressional committee has roasted at least 1 top NASA official about prophetic emails sent between engineering staff in the days before the Columbia accident. The emails, expressing concern the left wing would burn up on re-entry, were never brought to the attention of flight managers and other snr staff. NASA engineers foretold shuttle disaster Houston (ABC). NASA has acknowledged its top engineers expressed fears in the days before the shuttle Columbia's scheduled return to earth that it would be destroyed. It has released emails between engineers that set out various scenarios [some of them specifically mentioning the left wing] the day before Columbia disintegrated on re-entry, killing all 7 crew and spraying debris across several states. Many of the exchanges were about fears the shuttle's tile thermal heat shield could suffer heavy damage on re-entry. But NASA officials decided against relaying the fears to the agency's top brass because they were seen as alarmist. London. CONCORDE CHECK! All Concordes are being rigorously checked after a flight from Paris to NY lost part of its rudder over the Atlantic. The Air France flight, with about 50 passengers aboard, landed safely and on time in NY after the incident. It's the 6th Concorde to suffer rudder problems and comes at a time when speculation is mounting about the supersonic aircraft's future. BA, which presently operates 7 of the jets, says losing part of the rudder doesn't interfere with flying the aircraft. Canberra. DEFENCE BLOWOUT! The fed Budget has been running a $5 bn cash deficit for the first 7 m of the FY, new figures show. The Dept of Finance and Admin says the underlying cash balance for the 7 m to Jan 31 was $4.986 bn, with the fiscal balance at $1.746 bn in the red. The net operating result for the FY was a deficit of $1.559 bn. The Budget is still projected to bring in a $2.1 bn surplus for 2002-03, given no troop deployments, no anti-terrorism measures, and no offshore detention centres. Budget running at $5 bn deficit for 7 m Canberra. The fed Budget was running a cash deficit of almost $5 bn for the first 7 m of the FY, new figures show today. The Dept of Fin and Admin said the high cash balance deficit was due to lower taxation receipts, but in line with expectations. There had also been high payments made for university and school multi-y grants, high seasonal demand for the 1st 6 m of the y on the PBS, defence suppliers and the costs of paying AUS Defence Force troops on overseas postings. Treasurer Peter Costello said today that spending in key areas other than defence would be put on hold as AUS's troops in the Gulf region take priority in the May Budget. Just over 2,000 AUS troops are stationed in the Gulf ready for a possible war on Iraq. They are supported by aircraft and ships and other equipment. "We will have to be very careful in other areas of govt expenditures because nobody's going to allow our troops to go off to the Middle E without proper and adequate support and funding and that is the 1st priority of the govt," Mr Costello told Southern Cross Radio. "So what it means is that other things which we might have done, we won't do. We just have to be more careful and the soldiers will take priority." Sydney. NAVY EXERCISE ENDS WITH PR EXERCISE! Joint naval exercises between AUS and NZ have finished. More than 2,000 AUS and NZ seamen are celebrating the completion of the joint op near Jervis Bay. Code-named Tasmanex 03 [that is SOME code the Navy has there!], the 12-day exercise involved Navy choppers, Hawk aircraft, Lear jets and several warships from the 2 countries. 5 AUS and NZ ships marked the end of the op by staging a dramatic formation entry into SYD Harbour this morning. Canberra. PM TALKS UP TELSTRA! PM John Howard says Telstra share are still a good investment. After all, they handed over $1 bn in dividends to the Aussie public! Telstra just reported a 44% slump in H2 profit to $1.18 bn -- its worst performance since listing in 1997. Mr Howard told 2GC radio that Telstra is still a good investment in the long run, because it's a soundly-based and soundly-run company. Of course the price may take a LITTLE hit when the other 50% of the company is floated at fire-sale prices sometime next y! Mr Howard described as "unsustainable" the idea of maintaining Telstra as a 1/2-public and 1/2-private company. Telstra shares finished the day at a new low. Canberra. TELSTRA SALE DELAYED 2 Y! Any further sale of Telstra is off the agenda for at least 2 y, chief exec Ziggy Switkowski has warned. Despite a disappointing profit result, Telstra's 1.8 mn shareholders, including the fed Govt, received some good news yesterday when the nat'l telecommunications company handed out a $1.9 bn sweetener, raising divs by 4 c a share. But Dr Switkowski said the current stock market conditions, combined with delays on getting Telstra sale legislation through parliament, meant a 3rd Telstra share sale, or T3, was unlikely in the next 2 y. Sharemarket reaction to Telstra's $1.2 bn profit -- its worst 1/2-y result since listing in 1997 -- was negative, with the stock tumbling 10 c during the day to $4.08. The continuing weakness of the shares, which are trading just above 6-y lows, make it tough for the Govt to justify a sale, having linked T3 to the company's share price. Dr Switkowski said the prediction that the sale would be delayed was at least part of the reason behind Telstra's decision to return some of its growing cash resources to shareholders in the form of the extra div. He said the T3 sale was dependent on the company's share price, a response to the recommendation of the Estens report on regional telecom services and the passage of the Telstra sale legislation through the Senate. So far none of these measures has been met. Comm Min Richard Alston has failed twice to get his package in response to the Estens inquiry through cabinet, and Telstra's share price continues to tumble. Shareholders who bought stock in the 2nd tranche of Telstra, T2, have now lost $3.32 a share, or 45%, on their investment. Dr Switkowski said the outlook for Telstra over the next 12 m was flat. The company is losing market share to its competitors in key sectors, and will not match industry growth of 3 to 4%. Telstra will continue to shed staff over the next y, Dr Switkowski warned. Telstra's staff numbers were cut by more than 4,000 during 2003. Canberra. GOVT BOOSTS CELL COVERAGE! Lucky we still own Telstra! Mobile phone coverage on stretches of highway around the country have been boosted by the govt's $25 mn Boosting Mobile Phone Coverage on Stretches of Highway program. Com Min Richard (call me dick) Alston has travelled to Albury on the NSW/Vic border to prove that Vodaphone has extended coverage in the area. Unlike last time, there were no embarrassing drop-out incidents when the Minister made the announcement today. The routes and highways covered under the initiative incl Port Douglas to Adel via Captain Cook, Bruce, Pacific and Prices Highways and MEL to Bris via the Hume, Newell and Cunninghman Highways. Brisbane. HUMAN RIGHTS EMBASSY! Anti-war protesters are setting up a tent embassy in Brisbane's King George Sq. Peace activist Ross Daniels, a lecturer in human rights at Qld Uni of Tech, says the embassy will remain in the city's C square for the next few wks. The embassy hopes to gather up 60,000 signatures on a petition to be presented to PM John Howard. Organisers are holding a lunchtime rally, and calling for Mr Howard to withdraw AUS troops from the Middle E. Sydney. AUS FOOD SUPPLY SAFE! Despite the increasing concern with food poisoning, a new study finds AUS has one of the safest food supplies in the world. The 20th AUS Total Diet Survey has examined 65 different foods to ensure consumers are protected against heavy metals, ag chems, contaminants, aflatoxins and antibiotics. Parl Sec on Health Trish Worth says the survey shows the intake of pesticide residues and contaminants are well within health standards. So all we have to do is worry the standards aren't adequate! Jailed mosque arsonist loses bid for freedom Brisbane. The Qld Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction of a man found guilty of setting fire to a Bris mosque. Terrence George Hanlon is serving 6 y in jail for burning down the Kuraby mosque in Sep 2001. When Hanlon was sentenced late last y the judge described the arson as a racially motivated attack and handed out a longer than normal sentence. Hanlon's lawyers appealed the conviction because they said the crucial testimony of his girlfriend of the time, Natalie Evans, was unreliable. Ms Evans testified that on the night of the fire Hanlon showed her the smoke coming from the mosque and told her he did it. She also admitted she had consumed alcohol and drugs the same night and could not remember it clearly. The Qld Court of Appeal said Ms Evans's testimony was supported by other physical evidence and Hanlon's animosity towards Muslim people. Canberra. FRIENDLY LASERS AND MISSILES! Mr Howard yesterday raised the prospect of American missiles and laser weapons being deployed on AUS soil if the nation joins the US's anti-missile program. However, he has ruled out the use of nuclear weapons. The PM didn't use his famous phrase "never, never, never". Mr Howard says a missile defence system would defend AUS against possible missile attacks from countries such as North Korea. He even provided an outline of how the anti-missile program would work to protect AUS's 35,000 km of coastline: "The whole system is built upon the interception of offensive material heading toward a particular country through the use of missiles or lasers or a combination". Last y the UN unveiled a prototype laser weapon mounted on a 747. The weapon has a range of several km and is designed to attack aircraft and missiles. Its main app is blinding enemy pilots, but at close enough ranges it can knock out the electronics of in-coming missiles. The PM says the Fed Govt will discuss with the US what options are available to protect AUS, although he has not discussed the issue with US Pres George W Bush. Mr Howard has denied Labor's claim that the US missile defence system will be designed to only protect the American coastline. The US Ambassador, Tom Schieffer, has indicated he would like AUS to join the anti-missile program. He says countries need protection against "rogue states" which could launch nuclear strikes. "That's kind of the defence that we want to construct and I think that we would welcome the support of allies around the world in bringing that about," he said. Perth. TALK AND NOT MISSILES, SAYS BEAZO! Former Labor Def Min Kim Beazley says diplomacy is the way to handle North Korea, not building defence shields. Mr Beazley told the ABC's Lateline program MAD was a strong enough deterrent for North Korea, as it proved with the Soviet Union. "[North] Korea will be deterred in the way in which other nuclear powers have been deterred in the past and that's good news for AUS," he said. "The bad news for AUS is that as work begins on this - what it will encourage is an arms race in our region. The Chinese will regard it as aimed at them and a consequence of that is they'll massively upgrade their own program." Canberra. ANTI-BUSHISM STILL NOT A PROBLEM! Mr Schieffer has conceded he was worried the Fed Opp'n might be withdrawing support for the bilateral alliance. Labor leader Simon Crean summoned Tom Schieffer to his CBR office last night to discuss a row over the ALP's Iraq policy. Labor MPs had strongly criticised the US and its Pres George W Bush, and Mr Schieffer was quoted as saying Labor had make a rank appeal to anti-Americanism. Mr Crean says he is now satisfied he has seen the last of any interference by the Ambassador in domestic politics. Mr Schieffer says he regrets that his comments were interpreted that way. "Our concern was the historical support of the Labor Party for the alliance and was that in danger and Simon Crean assures me that it's not," he said. Canberra. CREAN AND US AMB MAKE UP OVER CUP OF TEA! After all sides denied it was a problem we're still hearing about it wks later. The row between the US embassy and the Labor Party has now reportedly been patched up following a meeting last night between Simon Crean and amb Tom Schieffer. After the 90-min meeting, Mr Crean said he was satisfied there would now be no more meddling in domestic politics by the US amb. He said it had been a cordial meeting over a cup of tea and that they had agreed to regular talks to ensure both parties were briefed on their respective positions. Mr Crean said Labor supported AUS's obligations to the US under the alliance. The row was prompted by Mr Schieffer accusing Labor of "rank anti-Americanism" after frontbencher Mark Latham described George Bush as the "most incompetent and dangerous Pres in living memory". Criticise Bush and you criticise the US-of-A, buddy! Mr Crean was furious that Mr Schieffer was intervening in Labor Party politics. But now, Mr Schieffer and Mr Crean said, their differences had been explained. The US amb said he had been reassured by Mr Crean that Labor supported the alliance with the US. "I think the leader has a better understanding of what we're talking about, and I certainly have a better understanding of what they're talking about," Mr Schieffer said. The embassy had no interest in interfering in domestic or Labor politics, he said. But he was adamant that it was his right to defend Mr Bush Jr. While people were free to say what they wanted, "I just don't think that I would be a very good mate to George Bush if I didn't defend him from time to time". Mr Schieffer said it was up to Mr Crean to decide whether to censure Mr Latham. The rapprochement came as the Nine Network's Laurie Oakes reported that Mr Latham had raised the possibility of Labor having a policy of withholding shared intelligence from the US in the case of an US-led strike against Iraq. However, those at the Labor frontbenchers meeting said Mr Latham was seeking clarification more than suggesting a change in policy. Mr Crean said he had made it clear within the party that Labor would not be changing its obligations under the alliance with the US. Broken Hill to protest against nuclear waste plan Broken Hill (ABC). A protest against planned transportation of nuclear waste through Broken Hill will be held in Sturt Park tomorrow. The Member for Murray-Darling, Peter Black, says everyone is welcome to attend. "Broken Hill has a long tradition of democracy, and democracy in action means and includes our mass rallies in the tradition of Broken Hill," he said. "I'm hoping for a good attendance to come and speak their minds about the threat of 130 plus trucks going through Broken Hill next y carrying low level nuclear waste." Canberra. GLOBAL APPROACH TO KYOTO, URGES GOVT! The Fed Govt is continuing its push for what it terms a truly global approach to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. In an address in MEL today, the Fed Env Min, Dr David Kemp, said alternative approaches were needed to the Kyoto Protocol. The Govt is continuing its resistance to the protocol, claiming it will have only a modest impact on controlling greenhouse gas emissions and ignores the issue in developing countries. Dr Kemp says it was time to look beyond the Kyoto Protocol. "If the world's nations are to address the greenhouse effect and human society's contribution to global warming, then only a global response can be effective," he said. "Unless the world's major emitters of greenhouse gases are part of the solution, then the future, potentially, is grim." Translation: we've tried nothing, and it hasn't worked! NY. ONLINE GAMING GOES IBM! A supercomputer design favoured by cancer and nuclear weapons researchers will now be directed toward a more frivolous pastime -- playing games online. Sony will lease IBM equipment and networks to build online gaming environments using a "grid" platform built by a WV-based game technology developer, the companies say. Sony will use the distributed computing technology to make current and future PlayStation games more compatible with online play, a budding pastime in North America that has already caught on among teens in S Korea and Japan. The companies are to demonstrate the technology next wk at the annual Game Developer's Conference in San Jose, Calif. The grid structure uses an array of powerful servers -- linked together to form a supercomputer -- that supply computing cycles to meet game players' demands. Running the games on a computer grid will ensure Sony's power-hungry gaming environments run smoothly during peak operating hours, said Scott Penberthy, a VP with IBM Global Services. The grid servers are scattered in IBM data centres around the US, and can support millions of simultaneous users, Penberthy said. London. HAIRY ANGLICAN! 70 mn Anglicans are celebrating the appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury. Rowan Williams describes himself as a "hairy lefty". Bad news for the wowsers in the Church, he controversially supports gay rights. Bad news for Tony Blair, Williams is also one of the most strident critics of the PM's war plans. Sydney. MARKETS! Coming off 3 y lows yesterday, the All Ords was up 4 pts to close at 2,778. Wall St was up 1% to 7,884 o'night after alert levels were downgraded to non-specific paranoia levels. The AUD was steady at 60.50 US cents. Gold was down slightly to $US347/oz. Oil was at a new high at $US37.90/bbl, up $US1.84. With US oil inventories at 27 y lows experts say it could easily break the $US40/bbl, which it's touched briefly already. Oil reached $US41.15/bbl in Oct 1990. Telstra shares fell below $4 during the day, but finished at $4 even. Meanwhile, in Bagdad, the stock ex trades 3 days a wk and is up 50% over the past 3 m. Hotel stocks are the big caps, with expectations high of American soldiers spending up big when they get there. ---------------------------------------- Sat, 01 Mar 2003. Boston. CLUB FIRE TOLL RISES! The RI nightclub fire has claimed another victim when a women who had been pulled alive from the inferno last wk died from her injuries in a Mass hosp overnight. Her death brings the death toll to 97. Nearly 200 people were hurt when a rock band's giant sparklers ignited soundproofing in the ceiling of the 1-story wooden building, engulfing the club in flames within 3 mins. A RI radio stn says the group's lead singer has called for immunity in return for info he could provide. Earlier, a finger-pointing exercise between the band and tearful club owners failed to settle who was responsible for permission to use pyrotechnics in the club, which fire officials say didn't have sprinklers and was not licensed for such an act. Dili. WAR CRIMINALS! Prosecutors in E Timor have issued an in indictment against the territory's former police chief and 3 ex-militia leaders for crimes against humanity during the bloody break-away from Indonesia in 1999. Former police chief Timbul Silaen has been charged over attacks on Bishop Belo's residence and the Dili diocese in early Sep 1999, in which at least 17 people died. Also charged was Eurico Guterres, commander of the Aitarak militia, Egidio Manek, dep cmdr of the Laksaur militia, and Cancio Lopes de Carvalho, head of the Mahidi militia. A joyful Guterres has already been cleared by an Indonesian court of his incitement of revenge attacks on pro-indep Timorese after the country overwhelmingly voted the "wrong way" in the 1999 referendum. Today, a short-haired Guterres looked MUCH less confident of aquittal. Rome. SANCTUARY! Desperate to avoid war in the Gulf, a small Italian town is offering Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein and his family sanctuary. Mario Caligiuri, mayor of Soveria Mannelli in the S region of Calabria, says the 3,500 residents of the town would be happy to have Saddam as a neighbour -- even though the US accuses him of developing WMD. Caligiuri says the town will contact the Iraqi embassy in Rome to make a formal offer, and in the meantime they've arranged protection for Saddam's family in the event the proposal is accepted. Baghdad. MISSILE DESTRUCTION! Iraq says it will start destroying banned Al-Samoud 2 missiles from tomorrow, following another session of technical talks with UN experts. Officials say a meeting between Iraqi and UN technical experts will take place tomorrow to agree on details and start the process of the missiles' destruction. Iraq told chief UN insp Hans Blix yesterday it agreed in principle to the destruction. Washington (ABC, 7 pm). Iraq's decision to destroy its banned missiles has made divisions around the world even deeper. While Dr Hans Blix says the decision is "very significant", Iraq's announcement has been praised by those opposing war, and ridiculed by those planning the attack. The Al-Samoud 2 missiles will be dismantled outside Baghdad, overseen by UN officials starting in a few hrs. In Washington, professional mouth Ari Fleischer said it was "propaganda wrapped in a lie inside a falsehood". Brit's Tony Blair appeared to be bamboozled, saying "either we meant what we said... or we didn't". Seoul. WAR OF WORDS! North Korea has accused the US of triggering a nuclear crisis by failing to honour commitments to provide energy and plotting war against the North. At the same time, the N has re-iterated that the only way to resolve the standoff on the peninsula is through direct talks with the US. Washington says ties can only improve if NK 1st abandons its nuclear ambitions. Canberra. AUS TO LOBBY UN FOR US! AUS will lobby key members of the UN Sec Council next wk ahead of the crucial vote on Iraq. With the prospect of war against Iraq looming, For Min Alex Downers says he will speak to several foreign ministers to lobby support for a strong resolution. Meanwhile, PM Howard yesterday said the world was moving closer to war. Denpasar. BALI BOMB AFTERMATH! Hindu priests have held ceremonies to ritually cleanse Bali's Sanglah Hospital as authorities prepare fro the removal of the remaining un-ID'ed victims of the Bali bombing for cremation. Community leaders from Denpasar gathered at a temple nr the hosp to purify water which will be sprinkled on the hosp grounds once the remains are removed. Govt officials plan to cremate 130 body parts, contained in a number of small coffins, at a non-Hindu crematorium at Sanur tomorrow. Nicosia. CYPRUS DEAL! UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan says Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed to a new deadline of Mar 10 to sign a peace deal to unite the island. The deal will see Turks give up some control, allowing about 50,000 Greek Cypriots to return to parts of the island, but preventing an equal number from re-occupying their former homes in now-Turkish areas. The plan has officials on both sides unhappy, but 1000s of sign-carrying demonstrators flagged their approval yesterday. Annan says the 2 sides will arrive in The Hague on Mar 10 to tell him whether they will sign a commitment to submit the foundation agreement to approval at separate referenda on Mar 30. Feb 28 was the deadline Annan had hoped could be met to allow a united Cyprus -- instead of just a larger Greek Cypriot part -- to sign an accession treaty to join the EU on Apr 16. Manila. CLEAN-UP DEADLINE! Phil Pres Gloria Arroyo has set a 90-day deadline for the military to crush the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group in the S. The deadline comes as opp'n grows to the deployment of US troops in the region. The Pres says if the military have the "proper allocation of resources", it will be able to finish off the Abu Sayyaf in 90 days. Lt Gen Narciso Abaya, head of the military in the S, says his troops are on-target to crush the rebels. NY. MORE OIL! With oil nudging the $US40/bbl mark OPEC has announced oil producers will increase production. The group announced it would increase output further an an attempt to keep oil prices down when war breaks out in Iraq. Last m the group upped production by 1/2 mn bbl, but it had little impact on reducing oil prices. That's markets and self-organised criticality for you! Sydney. DON'T MESS WITH OIL! Caltex says fuel prices will continue to rise in tandem with the surge in world prices for crude, and the fed govt should not try to intervene in the market. Oil prices jumped to nearly $US40/bbl overnight, their highest level since 1990, and motorists are now paying more than $1/L at the bowser across AUS. Caltex AUS MD Jeet Bindra wouldn't comment on speculation that retail petrol prices are set to jump as high as $1.25/L if war breaks out against oil-rich Iraq. Melbourne. LESS OIL! Beach patrols have begun on Phillip Is, SE of MEL, where 12 fairy penguins are being treated after an oil spill. Police say officers found oil yesterday afternoon along a 5 km stretch of the island's shoreline between Forrest Caves and Cp Woolamai, on the opp side of the Is from the famous penguin colonies. The EPA says investigations into the source of the spill will begin at first light. Officials are tracking ships that have been in the area recently. Jerusalem. TOUGH CONDS! PM Ariel Sharon has laid out tough conditions for negotiations with the Palestinians as his new govt took office. With the PM says his new team will work for peace in the Middle E, he says it will require a Cabinet vote before even considering a Palestinian state in the W Bank and Gaza. As part of the deal to bring the right-wing NRP into coal'n, Sharon promised it the Housing portfolio, which is responsible for the expansion of Jewish settlements in the territories. The NRP is vehemently opposed to a Palestinian state. Palestinian officials say Sharon's stance leaves little hope for an end to 29 m of fighting that has claimed nearly 3,000 lives. Sydney. DAMS FILL! SYD's water reserves have risen for the 1st time in a y, but householders are still being urged to keep taps wound back to a trickle. Rainfall this wk has increased dam levels across SYD, the Illawarra and the Blue Mtns by 0.9 pts to 59% and consumption fell 26% as a result of the downpour. NSW Prem Bob Carr says families should continue to conserve water because a short heat wave could dry up the gains. Melbourne. VIC WATER RESTR TO CONTINUE! Much of Vic can expect continued water restrictions in autumn and through to next summer despite an expected easing of drought conditions. The weather bureau is predicting showers for the S parts of the state over the weekend [prediction confirmed, with extreme prejudice!], with indications rainfall in autumn will return to normal levels. However, storage levels remain at low levels and are not expected to return to normal capacity until spring at the earliest. MEL Water managing director Brian Bayley says there is hope the drought producing El Nino effect may be coming to an end, but there is no chance of an easing of water restrictions just yet. "When you've been through this for 6 or 7 y, you tend to hear different sorts of predictions, so I guess we'll just wait and see and hope for the best," he said. Perth. STORMS BATTER WA! Heavy rains and winds gusting over 100 kph are battering WA as Cyclone Graham moves S through the state. The cat 1 cyclone crossed the coastline at Eighty Mile Beach early today. It's been moving steadily S at 8 kph. The Bur of Met says Graham was 210 km SSW of Broome and 80 km E of Wallal at 6 am WST. In case you want to visit him! Canberra. EARLY FED ELECTION? PM John Howard has played down speculation of an early election, and says he doesn't know whether he will dead the Liberal Party into the next poll. The govt has been looking at the option of a double-dissolution election for late this y. The move might enable it to push through reforms such as its unfair dismissal laws and Budget changes for disability pensions and subsidised medicines. Govt MP's complain much of its program is being stymied by the Senate, which is presently dominated by the ALP, Greens and Democrats. Mr Howard says he will not go to the polls early without a good reason. Do you think he has a good reason? Canberra. PAID MATERNITY LEAVE? PM Howard has denied he has vetoed the idea of govt-funded paid maternity leave. Mr Howard said a story in a weekend newspaper was wrong to suggest he's thwarted the proposal. He said the issue was still under consideration by his cash-strapped govt. Mr Howard said the headline in the Weekend AUS was wrong. But he didn't mention the story! He said the headline was even contradicted by a quote in the body of the story. Now that's proof! Canberra. GANGING UP ON COSTELLO! SA, NSW, Qld and the ACT have ganged up to force fed Treas Peter Costello to ditch Graeme Samuel as the new head of the AUS consumer watchdog. Mr Costello had backed Vic's choice of Mr Samuel, who head the NCC, to replace outgoing ACCC chair Allan Fels. But NSW gained support from the others to back its own Tom Parry, who heads the Indep Pricing and Regul'y Tribunal, for the job. Hobart (ABC). GREEN BOOM! The Greens party is booming on the back of anti-war sentiment around AUS. A meeting of the nat'l council in Hobart was told party membership has trebled in the past 3 y. Just 10 y after the nat'l part was formed it has more than 5,000 paid-up members. The surge is partly in response to talk of war. Fed leader Sen Bob Brown said the party wasn't exploiting the int'l turmoil. He said the challenge now was to retain the party's grass-roots essence, but make a professional machine capable of working at the fed level. 10 party working groups are addressing the need for a new structure. A conference in Canberra during Oct will decide the way forward. Rio. RIO CARNIVAL! The Brazilian govt has ordered 3,000 troops onto the streets of Rio to try to quell a wave of shootings and fire-bombings ahead of the city's world-famous Carnival. Drug gangs have burned city buses, attacked police posts and supermarkets, and tossed home-made bombs at appt buildings. The attacks are apparently in retaliation for the transfer of Brazil's most notorious drug lord from Rio to another prison 800 km away. Sydney (ABC). SYD CARNIVAL! Back from bankruptcy and ready to party! Seen as either a glam civil rights protest or a very tacky festival, the 25th gay and les Mardi Grass will go ahead tonight, after a close shave with the receivers. It's toned down the push to be an internat'l carnival and gone back to a community celebration of civil rights. Seeing in the 1/4 C, organisers predict they'll be there at the 50th. Vets from the first march will lead tonight's parade. As usual, major political leaders will be in attendance, at least in paper mache. Madame Saddam and her Weapons of Mass Seduction will be a feature. Adelaide. SAFE AT LOWER SPEED! The speed limit for built-up areas in SA will be reduced from 60 to 50 kph, from today. Police won't charge speeding motorists for breaking the new law for the 1st 3 m. They say drivers found to be travelling at speeds up to 69 kph in newly-created 50 zones will be cautioned. Hey! 20% more generous than Hans Blix! The 50 kph limit has been imposed in all SA cities and towns, with the exception of major arterial rds which remain at 60. ---------------------------------------- Sun, 02 Mar 2003. Seoul. NUCLEAR WAR! N Korea says nuclear war could break out on the Korean Peninsula at any moment. This comes after South Korean Pres Roh Moo-hyun warned of a "calamity" unless the stand-off over P'yongyang's nuclear program is resolved peacefully and quickly. The communist N's official news agency, KCNA, accuses Washington of planning massive war games to prepare for an invasion. It also says the country is ready to repel the US military attack. Later, a pro-American demo saw 10s of 1000s of mostly older S Koreans turn out to praise US troops and criticised the North. Veterans of the 50s "police action" donned old uniforms and called on their old ally to ignore the anti-US voices from the younger generation. Taipei. TRAIN WRECK! A small tourist train has derailed while travelling down a mtn nr a popular resort in C Taiwan, killing 17 and injuring another 132. Authorities say a chopper also crash-landed trying to airlift some victims to hosp, but no one was killed in that accident. The 4-car train carrying about 150 passengers was coming down Ali Mountain when it slid off the tracks shortly after the locomotive crossed a small concrete bridge. Dhaka. BOMBING! A policeman has been killed and several other people injured in a bomb attack at an internat'l trade fair in the S Bangladesh city of Khulna. A 2nd officer is being treated for serious injuries in hosp. Police say 3 bombs were thrown by un-ID'ed people from a house opposite the trade fair. They have detained a couple from the house for questioning, but have no immediate explanation for the attack. Ahmedabad. CRICKET WARS! Violence has broken out between Hindus and Muslims after India defeated its arch-rival and neighbour Pakistan in the World Cup cricket in Africa. The violence has left shops and vehicles burned and at least 1 person is dead, with 3 others injured. The violence erupted in India's W state of Gujarat, where the country's worst religious clashes in a decade left more than 1,000 dead last y. Tension has simmered ever since, and divisions between religious groups remain sharp. Islamabad. #3 TERRORIST CAUGHT! Proving the US has not forgotten Al Qaeda, a suspected mastermind of the 9/11 attacks in the US has been arrested in Pakistan. Officials say Khalid Shaikh Mohammad was 1 of 3 people arrested in Rawalpindi, nr the Pakistan capital of Islamabad, early today. He's the #3 in Al Qaeda, and the chief military and technical organiser. Kuwait-born Khalid was arrested by about 25 police and US FBI agents around 3 am local time. US officials regard him as a key Al Qaeda Lt and organiser of the terror mission that sent hijacked passenger jets into the WTC and Pentagon, killing more than 3,000 people. The FBI had posted a $US25 mn reward for Khalid's capture. American officials expect the mastermind will reveal important information about the terror network. Elsewhere, Pres Bush said the arrests were "fantastic" and AUS PM Howard said the FBI had landed "a big catch". Baghdad. FIRST MISSILE SMASHED! Iraq has destroyed the first of its banned Al-Samoud 2 missiles and an operation is underway to scrap another 3. Snr UN official Dimitri Perricos says the 1st missile was crushed by a bulldozer and 3 others are set to be broken up. An initial attempt failed because the equipment supplied by Iraq wasn't up to the task. "They build [their missiles] tough", said a UN official. Perricos, who is dep exec char of the UN inspection team, says they hope all 4 weapons will be destroyed today. Later reports said all 4 missiles have been destroyed. Weapons inspectors will now move on to scrap about 120 other missiles and associated parts, a task expected to take months. Baghdad. IRAQ TO PROVE IT DESTROYED ANTHRAX! In another move intended to head off the US's threat of military action, Iraq has called for talks with UN weapons inspectors to prove it destroyed stockpiles of anthrax and VX nerve gas in the 1990s. The move has been labelled by US officials as "a deception". Canberra. DOWNER SPEAKS! In an attempt to prove to reporters his memory is still OK, For Min Alex Downer says Iraq has destroyed 4 al-Samoud 2 missiles to ensure the UN Sec Council remains divided on whether to take military action. Mr Downer says Iraqi Pres Saddam Insane is an evil genius, playing the game he's always played to avoid war, by meeting selected aspects of the UN deadline. The For Min says that every time Saddam comes up against a deadline he does a little bit more in order to ensure the Sec Council remains divided and that keeps the pressure off him. Remember: it's not about WMD, it's about regime-change! Ankara. TURKEY AGREES TO TROOPS! Turkey's parliament has voted to allow 62,000 US combat troops to open a N front against Iraq, ending wks of delay. The vote was extremely close at 264-251, reflecting the deep divisions over whether to back Washington in a war that is strongly opposed by the Turkish public. There were 19 abstentions. The motion empowers the govt to authorise the basing of up to 62,000 troops, 255 warplanes and 65 helicopters. It also allows the govt to send 1000s of Turkish troops into N Iraq. The vote also shows 50 govt members have defied their PM to vote down the measure. The PM has spent wks negotiating a $US15 bn (NBC says $US30 bn) deal with the US. While Parliament met, up to 50,000 demonstrators outside called on the govt not to get involved in the war on Iraq. Polls say up to 9/10 Turks oppose the US military action. Ankara. NO, AS YOU WERE! The Turkish parliament has cancelled a vote that approved the deployment of US forces in the country. After the Opposition challenged the vote, the Parliament was cleared. It was then decided the result was too close, and didn't express a clear majority of the govt as required by the Turkish Constitution. The decision returns the US plan to open a new front on Baghdad to limbo. The Parl said it would take another poll on the question on Tue. It's reported the biggest demo in Turkish history is about to get underway following the latest announcement. Gaza. ARMY TOURS GAZA! Witnesses say Israeli armour backed by helicopter gunships have rolled into Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. They say troops have destroyed 4 homes and wounded at least 6 people during clashes with gunmen. The army mounted the incursion hrs after discovering and safely detonating a roadside bomb in the area. 2 wks ago a bomb planted by Hamas militants killed 4 Israeli tank crewmen in the Gaza Strip. Sharm el-Shiekh. ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT! A summit of the Arab League has completely rejected any strike on Iraq or the participation in a US-led war of any Arab state. The resolution of the summit also blasted the attempts to impose changes in the region -- a reference to US demands that Pres Saddam Hussein be removed from power. The summit held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh also stated the Arab states' refusal to participate in military action. They have also pleaded for more time to be given to UN weapons inspectors to achieve a peaceful disarmament of Iraq. During the meeting the UAE tried to get a motion up to ask Saddam to leave Iraq, but it didn't even get to the floor. Later, Emirate officials said it was the last chance for an Arab solution to the Iraq problem. Live TV coverage treated mns in the region to the rare sight of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi disparaging the Saudis for their links with the US. He said the SAR had made "an alliance with the Devil". Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah then called Gaddafi a liar. Live coverage ended shortly afterward. Sydney. MARDIS GRAS! After a y of uncertainty, SYD's Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras continued to shine with around 1/4 mn onlookers coming out to watch a parade laced with strong political undercurrents. While anti-war slogans were popular amongst the parade's 140 glitzy floats, a push on the state's political powers to reform controversial laws relating to gays and lesbians were the most prominent. New Mardi Gras co-chair Michael Woodhouse says the 1/4 mn crowd and the 6,000 marchers proves the celebration is back on track. Rio. CARNIVAL! 1000s of masked revellers took to the streets to celebrate the first Carnival watched over by the kindly Brazilian military. The E military command declined to say exactly how many troops are patrolling the streets, days after a wave of violence by drug gangs. Pres Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva last wk gave the green light to send in 3,000 army troops to back up 38,000 police protecting the expected crowd of 400,000 party-goers. It's the biggest show of force seen in Rio since the Earth Summit of 1992. Sanur. ASHES SCATTERED! An AFP chaplain has prayed at the shores of Sunrise Beach on Bali as officials scattered the ashes of un-ID'ed bomb victims out to sea. Chaplain David Cockram waited until Hindu priests had conducted their blessing before reciting the 23rd Psalm and the Lord's Prayer. A green and gold flower wreath was sent with the ashes on a traditional fishing boat to be set afloat on the calm waters off the SE tip of the holiday island. Sao Paulo. FOREST FIRE! A wk-long fire has destroyed 300,000 ha of Amazon forest. Authorities say the fire in the Barcelos region is closing in on the village of Santa Rita, where 100 families live. The government's $A2.3 mn state-of-the-art fire radar system, launched in Jul last y, shows the fire is burning on at least 10 fronts. Firefighters are being backed up by military choppers and planes equipped to fight forest fires. Canberra. DEMONSTRATIONS! Anti-war demonstrators will protest outside the US embassy and PM John Howard's official residence in CBR today. ACT Greens MP Kerrie Tucker says demonstrators will gather at the US embassy, beside Parliament House, at 11.30 am and then move over to The Lodge. Ms Tucker says it's important for people opposed to war in Iraq to keep hammering home their message to both the AUS govt and the US. Canberra. PM 7 Y IN THE JOB! PM John Howard says that in his 7 y in the top job AUS has "re-balanced" its foreign affairs and defence relationships throughout the world. He says AUS is no longer viewed as a nation focused on Asia. Mr Howard told the Nine Network he's proud of the education and child care choices he's offered Aussie families. Yesterday Mr Howard denied he had vetoed paid maternity leave. It's been revealed he forgot to add "or equivalent". Cabinet is reviewing plans that would see mothers receive payments while on leave that were deduced from their pay before giving birth. They would also be "encouraged" to quickly return to work. Canberra. MATERNITY LEAVE ON THE TABLE! PM John Howard says the idea of paid maternity leave is still on the table. However he says from the mail he's getting if there's to be paid maternity leave there should be more assistance to women who want to return to work part-time as well as those who opt to remain at home. He says the govt will continue to look at the issues through the y. Canberra. NO RETIREMENT YET! On his 7th anniversary as PM, John Howard has again threatened he'll stay on in the job until the Iraqi situation is resolved. Mr Howard says he hasn't made up his mind on when he'll retire. During the 2001 election campaign he said he would consider retiring after his 64th birthday in Jul this y. He says that to lead the Liberal Party as long as he has is quite a "humbling experience". Mr Howard says that right at the moment he is energetic and focused. He went on to say the Aussie economy was arguably at its strongest since WWII. Forgetting the actual dates for WWII, the PM said during his 7 y as PM AUS has enjoyed its most sustained period of economic growth since the 1960s. Melbourne. FUTURE OF THE BAYS! More than 500 jobs could be created in Vic under a radical plan to turn tracts of Port Phillip Bay and Western Port into commercial sea farms. Vic Ag Min Bob Cameron has announced plans for 9 new marine aquaculture zones covering a total of 2,400 ha. They incl reserves at Flinders, Mt Martha, Grassy Pt, Bates Pt, Kirk Pt, Werribee, Beaumaris, Dromana and Pinnacle Channel. The zones, to be allocated by the end of the y, will initially farm mussels and scallops. Canberra. CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA! Organisers are hoping for a huge turnout for the annual Clean Up Australia day. Organising chair Ian Kiernan says it's a chance for everyone to help improve the national health while at the same time cultivating community spirit. The operation started 14 ya and has so far seen 6 mn Aussies turn out to do a bit of tidying at the end of summer. The idea has been so successful, it's been exported to 128 other countries. Later reports said 600,000 people turned out to collect 1,200 skips full of rubbish. There were the usual rusting car-bodied pulled from the bush. In MEL, there was a safe and sawn-off shotgun discarded in a river -- police are looking at that. The most common items, as usual, were tonnes of carelessly-discarded cigarette butts and plastic straws. NZ. SWITZERLAND WINS! The Kiwis have gone down 5 nil to Switzerland in the America's Cup. The only consolation is the Swiss boat was skippered by a Kiwi. It's the first time a European country has won the old mug. ---------------------------------------- Mon, 03 Mar 2003. Caracas. BOMB! A car bomb has exploded just blocks away from a Chevron office in NW Maracaibo oil field in Venezuela. Local firefighter chief Ali Gil says 9 people, incl a local strike leader, were injured in the blast. The car was parked outside the home of Antonio Melian, who participated in the crippling oil workers strike designed to oust Pres Hugo Chavez. The 2-m strike ended in Feb after slowing oil production and exports to a trickle. Tokyo. QUAKE! A mag 5.9 earthquake has shaken N Japan. There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Met Agency says the quake struck at 7.45 am local time. Its epicentre was off the coast of Fukushima, 300 km NE of Tokyo. Seoul. J'ACCUSE! North Korea has accused US intelligence of practising for a surprise attack on its nuclear facility, and waned that such an attack would trigger horrifying nuclear disasters. Rodong Sinmun, the N's ruling Workers Party newspaper, says the US is pushing ahead with military actions in a war scenario of aggression. The paper says that if the US imperialists ignite a war on the Korean peninsula it would quickly turn into a nuclear war. Meanwhile, US troops in the S have been drilling to deal with what they expect to be chem and bio weapons used by the North. SK TV has shown US troops hosing down vehicles and learning to quickly don and remove protective battle gear. The North is estimated to have 5,000 tonnes of chemical weapons, including mustard, Sarin, choking agents, VX nerve agents and various non-lethal agents. The North is suspected also of having large amounts of anthrax, cholera and plague. Baghdad. FIRST 10 MISSILES SCRAPPED! Iraq has begun scrapping a 2nd batch of banned missiles to try to halt the US march to war. Bulldozes have destroyed another 6 Al-Samoud 2 missiles N of Baghdad under the watchful eyes of UN inspectors. The first 4 missiles were scrapped yesterday apart from the warheads, which will be handled later. The destruction of the whole stock of an estimated 100 missiles is expected to tale 2 wks. Elsewhere, 100,000 Pakistanis parade through the streets of Karachi yesterday, shouting anti-American slogans and calling on their govt not to co-operate in any war on Iraq. Gaza City. The Israeli army has staged a fresh incursion into the Gaza Strip, killing 2 people and wounding 40 as PM Sharon's far-right govt took office. The Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for an explosion and several other overnight attacks on the Israeli army in the area. Israel's new Cabinet incl members of the extreme right opposed to a Palestinian state, who could also slow down international peace efforts. London. WOMEN ARE BORN WORRIERS! Married men have always suspected it, but now scientists say saying the same -- women are born worriers. Researchers have found women have lower levels of a chemical in the brain that influences anxiety. Lower levels of the chemical, an enzyme called COMT, appear to make a person more highly strung and prone to anxiety. According to the latest findings women with a certain version of a gene linked with the enzyme worry are more prone to worry than other people. Tallin. Estonia's leftist Centre Party has won a general election by a thin margin over a right-wing newcomer. Election commission officials say that with 25.4% of the vote and just one polling stn to go, the CP is 1 point ahead of Res Publica. The small ex-SU Baltic state has been invited to join NATO and the EU in 2004, capping more than a decade of reforms after it broke from Moscow in 1991. However, many feel left out and hark back to the good old days of stability in the past. Canberra. NEW RECORD DEFICIT! AUS's current account deficit has hit a record $12 bn as the impact of drought, weak world demand and expensive aircraft imports take their toll. I'm glad we have the best economic management since WWII! The ABS says the current account -- a snapshot of all AUS's dealing with the rest of the world -- was $11.6 bn in the red for the Q4 of 2002. AUS imported goods and services worth $5.5 bn more than it exported in the 3 m, up $3.7 bn on the prev Q. Despite being the world's number 5 exporter of goods and services, Aussie shoppers keep dragging the country down! Canberra. PARLIAMENT! War in Iraq and a possible double-dissolution election trigger will be on the minds of federal politicians when they return to CBR. With the timetable for a possible war in the Middle E narrowing, the govt is coming under increasing pressure over its strong support of the US. PM John Howard says he knows there's majority public opinion against war with Iraq without UN support. Canberra. RAISE HEALTH CHARGES! Under pressure, Fed Health Min Kay Patterson has urged the Opp'n to pass laws increasing patient co-payments to the PBS. If the Opp'n blocks the legislation in the Senate a 2nd time the govt will have another trigger for a double-dissolution election. However Sen Patterson says Labor and the minor parties should reconsider blocking the PBS charges to avoid other aspects of the health budget suffering. Sydney. GREEN DRUGS! The NSW Greens have come under fire from all sides after asking Police Min Michael Costa if he has ever used hard drugs. Mr Costa declined to answer. The Green have also been criticised for proposing that a raft of hard drugs be freely prescribed. The state party announced a plan to legalise heroin and legally distribute ecstacy and speed. The policy has seen the ALP and Coal'n lock them out of preference deals in the up-coming state election. Brisbane. SPIDER! An expert says recent rain in SE Qld has flushed out poisonous spiders such as redbacks and funnel webs. Robert Raven, from the Qld Museum, says they've already been notified of 3 redback bits in the past wk. Dr Raven warned people to be careful if they leave clothes out on the line overnight. He says care should also be taken to ensure spiders can't climb into cots or beds. Sydney (morning). MARKETS! Markets are steady, but oil and gold are trading down slightly. AMP's share price has dived another 5% to new all-time lows. ======================================== (*) Who is responcible for W.A.R.S? A small group of dedicated sandgrubbers, bannana-lickers and 5th columnists on the run from support payments and sundry legalese in their home countries. Mention us at any Uncle Harry's Suburban Bunker and get a 10% discount on cop-killers! All speling macroizated for correctitood by Mcrosotf Speelchek. *** Please stand by for further orders from The Leader ***