From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia
Reserch Senter(*)
OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #216
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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).
Our Home Page:
The Undeniable Evidence:
Even More Uneniable Evidence:
US Centcom News Releases:
Iraqi Body Count: [11,132 as at 05 Jul 2004].
UN Mailing List:
Some Of The News, Some Of The Time:
This Stuff Blogged:
Also Kindly Archived:
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Selecting latest news stories and other data for you...
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The Fed Govt displayed all the restraint of Meat Loaf at McDonald's.
-- Access Economics report, 05 Jul 2002.
Goose sauce. In a week when the Howard govt supported research from
Access against the opp'n, another report was issued critical of
govt spending.
Say whatever you like about me... but leave them [my family]
out of it please.
-- Opp'n leader Mark Latham, 05 Jul 2004.
In the lead-up to the federal election, Mr Latham has called
on the govt to disband the "dirt units".
No by me... not by anyone in the govt.
-- Tony Abbott, 05 Jul 2004.
The govt has issued qualified denials they are directly involved
in regurgitating dirt on the opp'n leader.
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Sat, 03 Jul 2004.
HEADLINES:
US charges soldiers over Iraqi's death
UK soldier charged with shooting boy in Iraq
Iraqi tribunal wants defendants split up
2 Turkish hostages freed in Iraq
2 US Marines killed nr Fallujah
4 dead after Kansas shooting spree
AUS joins US, UK in spam fight
AUS, Indonesia fight religious mistrust
Aged care phone-in to pressure Govt
Bahrain terror threat prompts US pullout
CSIRO gives wattles a boost in salinity fight
Darfur crisis talks to begin Jul 15
Fourth stevedore plans concern P&O
Greens pre-empt election campaign
Heat wave kills 39 as China awaits typhoon
Israel thwarts would-be suicide bomber
Israeli pair tried to obtain NZ passport
Journalist tight-lipped on missing days
Kurdish rebels deny responsibility for Turkey car bomb
Labor rejects criticism of workplace plans
Land council takes control of rock art site
Marlon Brando dies at 80
Militants kill alleged Palestinian spy for Israel
N Korea, US agree trust issues thwarting progress
NT goannas suffer in cane toad expansion
Nauru Govt staff evicted from MEL offices
New disease threatens Qld citrus crops
Police continue stand-off negotiations
Powell says assume Saddam is innocent
Russians rally against welfare changes
Rwanda to re-open border with DR Congo
Shooting suspect gives police the slip
Soft jobs data renews Wall Street jitters
Spain to hold terror suspect indefinitely
Sudan toll could hit 10,000, officials warn
Time zones no barrier to film collaboration
UN regrets US decision to cut peacekeepers
US jobs growth slows
US raises spectre of Sudan sanctions
Zimbabwean Opp'n leader escapes attack
US jobs growth slows
Washington (Reuters). Employment growth in America appears to have
stagnated with employers hiring less than half the expected number of
new workers last m. US economists forecast a gain of 250,000 jobs in
Jun but the actual figure was just over 110,000. The result has
called into question the strength of the US labour market only days
after the US Fed Reserve raised short-term interest rates for the 1st
time in 4 y.
Soft jobs data renews Wall Street jitters
NY/Sydney (AFP/ABC). US stocks have churned lower overnight as a
softer-than-expected jobs report and a round of warnings in the
technology sector prompted renewed investor caution going into a
holiday weekend.
The DJIA fell 51 points, or 0.5%, to 10,283 and the technology-laden
Nasdaq composite index retreated 9 pt, or 0.4%, to 2,007.
The broad-market Standard and Poor's 500 index shed nearly 4 points to
close at 1,125.
The market moved lower after Jun payrolls data showed a slowdown in
the labour market, with the US economy creating half as many jobs as expected.
US employers hired 112,000 additional workers, a far more sluggish
pace than expected.
Avery Shenfeld at CIBC World Markets said: "Half a loaf is better than
none but when job gains are that fraction of expectations, financial
markets are going to jump to conclusions about the health of the US economy."
David Rosenberg, chief N American economist at Merrill Lynch, added:
"It's not just the employment number itself, but the hours and real
income growth were negative last m and there is little, if any,
momentum on the wage or production front as we enter the third quarter."
Apprehension about possible terrorism over the Jul 4 holiday weekend
also factored into the action.
"With rumours that the domestic terror threat was going to be raised
ahead of the holiday weekend, investors had plenty of excuses to
sell," said Alfred Goldman at AG Edwards.
European shares drifted lower, as investors also worried that the US
jobs data may mean the world's largest economy may not be as steady on
its feet as hoped.
In London, the FT100 index lost 0.4% to close at 4,407.
On Wall Street, the technology sector was in focus as a profit warning
from disk drive maker Maxtor weighed on hardware stocks.
Maxtor shares fell 11 cents to $US6.36.
Internet software provider WebMethods plunged $US2.71, or 32%, to
$US5.63 after it said a failure to close certain contracts would hurt
its latest quarterly results.
Apple shares slid $US1.22 to $US31.08 after it said it would delay the
introduction of its new iMac computers, missing the key back-to-school season.
Intel, the world's biggest chip maker, fell 69 cents to $US26.33 after
the Semiconductor Industry Association said worldwide industry sales
were up an expected 36% y over y in May.
Disney dropped to $US25.27, losing early gains after Sanders Morris
Harris upgraded Disney to "buy" from "hold," citing an expected strong
performance at the company's theme park division.
Verizon closed up 2 cents to $US36.07 after it reached a deal to buy
the wireless operations of telecom rival Qwest, which rose to $US3.66.
Bonds leapt higher as the weak economic news suggested interest rates
could stay low for a longer period.
The yield on the 10-y US Treasury bond fell to 4.458% from 4.564% on
Thu and that on the 30 y bond dropped to 5.207% from 5.291%.
Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.
The gold price has risen to $US398.70/oz and Aug oil is worth $US38.93/bbl.
The AUD has risen overnight. About 7.45 am it was worth 71.27 US
cents, 57.80 euro cents, 38.90 pence Sterling and 77.15 yen.
Sudan toll could hit 10,000, officials warn
London (BBC/ABC). The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a
new warning about the number of lives being put at risk by the
conflict in Darfur in western Sudan. A snr WHO official says 10,000
people could die in the region in Jul alone if illnesses such as
cholera, dysentery and malaria break out among the 1 mn people living
in refugee camps. Toby Porter, of the Brit charity Save the Children,
says the Sudanese Govt should allow relief agencies access to
distribute aid. "The key message at the moment is that there is no
more time to wait, it has to happen now," he said. "Let's define what
we mean by access, it's not just allowing aid agencies access to
specific populations, access should best be understood as the
population's access to humanitarian assistance."
Darfur crisis talks to begin Jul 15
Addis (AFP). Negotiations between the warring parties in Sudan's W
region of Darfur are to begin on Jul 15 in Addis Ababa, according to
the African Union's president, Alpha Oumar Konare.
"The problem with Darfur is political, its solution is political,
hence the necessity for the parties to quickly begin political
negotiations ... on Jul 15 in Addis Ababa," the Ethiopian capital, Mr
Konare said in Ndjamena, where a commission charged with monitoring a
Darfur cease-fire has been set up.
"We hope that all the parties are properly represented, that those who
come on behalf of their parties are high-level representatives and are
duly authorised to do so," he said.
At least 10,000 people have been killed in Darfur since fighting broke
out in the W Sudanese region in Feb last y, when African rebel groups
rose up against the Arab Govt in Khartoum.
The UN has labelled the Darfur situation as the world's worst ongoing
humanitarian crisis.
This wk, UN Sec-Gen Kofi Annan visited Darfur and refugee camps in
neighbouring Chad.
On Thu, he urged the internat'l community to work closely with Chad to
try to quickly find a political solution to the war.
"We must find a political solution as soon as possible or we could
experience a regional tragedy," Mr Annan told reporters in Ndjamena
after holding talks with Pres Idriss Deby of Chad, which has hosted
talks between Darfur rebels and the Sudanese Govt.
"We, the internat'l community, will do everything to work with the
Sudanese Govt and Pres Deby who has begun negotiations to find a
solution and appease the situation, because if not, the tragedy we are
witnessing now will be nothing compared to that which is looming," Mr
Annan warned.
Ndjamena has brokered talks between Darfur rebels and the Govt in
Khartoum which resulted in a cease-fire in Apr.
But both sides have accused the other of repeatedly violating the
cease-fire, with the most recent accusations coinciding with Mr
Annan's arrival in the region, as Darfur rebels accused the Sudanese
Air Force of bombing 3 villages in the W part of Sudan.
Khartoum counter-accused the rebels of attacking one of its army units
in Darfur.
Chad has taken in some 120,000 refugees from Darfur, leaving itself
open to cross-border attacks by marauding, pro-Khartoum militias.
US raises spectre of Sudan sanctions
Washington (Reuters). The US has raised the possibility of sanctions
against Sudan's Govt if it does not stop militia attacks in its Darfur
region, which is reeling from hunger and disease.
As the US said no option was off the table, United Nations Sec-Gen
Kofi Annan announced that Sudan had undertaken to disarm the Arab
militias which have driven more than 1 mn Africans from their homes in Darfur.
Mr Annan says Sudanese Pres Omar Hassan al-Bashir has promised to act
on what the UN says is the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
After talks in Khartoum, Mr Annan said Mr Bashir had made a commitment
"to ensure security for the civilian population by deploying civilian
police and by disarming militias".
Talks are continuing and a joint statement is due to be issued later
today on future action over the vast, isolated W region, which the UN
fears could be gripped by widespread famine.
Washington and rights groups say the militias, known as Janjaweed, are
carrying out an ethnic cleansing campaign in an area where tensions
run high between nomadic Arabs and African farmers.
Speaking about what action the US might take against Sudan, the acting
assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Charles Snyder,
said: "Nothing is off the table. It depends what happens."
Mr Snyder and Andrew Natsios, the administrator of the US Agency for
Internat'l Development, have briefed the UN Sec Council on Darfur,
calling it the world's worst crisis.
About 10,000 to 30,000 people are estimated to have died. One mn were
forced out of their villages and 2 mn are in desperate need of aid, UN
officials say.
* Draft resolution
The Bush Admin has circulated a draft resolution that would impose an
arms embargo and travel ban on the Govt-backed Janjaweed Arab militia,
blamed for killing, raping and uprooting black Africans.
The resolution says that within 30 days of adoption, the council would
determine whether sanctions should be imposed against others
responsible for atrocities in Darfur.
Mr Natsios says the US has specific Janjaweed generals in mind for the
travel ban.
"They are not all on horseback. They are snr cmdrs who have wealth and
power and are travelling out of the country," he said.
Some council members have been reluctant to consider any sanctions,
including those from Islamic nations as well as China.
But Mr Natsios, who just returned from a trip to Khartoum and Darfur
with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, said he "got the sense" the
council would be interested in the resolution if Khartoum reneged on
its promises.
"We will not be waiting for a long time because Secretary Powell made
clear to the Sudanese leaders we are not talking about months. We're
talking days or weeks," he said.
The demands include stopping attacks by the Janjaweed, access by
relief workers to the camps.
"If we do not have access, they are going to die," said Mr Natsios,
unsure whether it was too late to stop the spread of disease and
provide food and fresh water.
Mr Natsios said villagers were not able to cope because they are
imprisoned in "concentration camps".
If men left the camps, they would be killed. "If women go out to get
firewood for their meals, they rape them," he said.
Marlon Brando dies at 80
Washington [sic] (ABC, Lisa Millar and Reuters). Hollywood screen
legend Marlon Brandon, who has died in LA at the age of 80, will be
remembered as one of the most influential actors of his generation.
Brando began his career on Broadway but left his mark in Hollywood
with his roles in A Streetcar Named Desire, The Godfather and On the
Waterfront.
He won 2 Oscars for best actor but famously refused to accept the 2nd
in protest against the treatment of American Indians.
The actor's turbulent private life attracted almost as much attention
as his legendary performances on screen.
Brando -- who developed a reputation for being temperamental -- did
not relish stardom and became a recluse, spending y in Tahiti.
"Everybody calls you instantly Mr Brando instead of 'hey you'," he
once said. "Then people make up notions they want your autograph."
His private life was filled with tragedy and his son was jailed for
killing Brando's daughter's boyfriend. Brando's daughter later
committed suicide.
He became disillusioned with his career but he will be remembered as
one of the most influential performers of his generation.
* Naturalistic
Brando died of lung failure at the UCLA Medical Centre, according to a
hospital rep. His agents, citing Brando's long-held desire for
privacy, declined to give further details.
With his broken nose and maverick persona, Brando perfected a raw,
naturalistic style of acting that was at once menacing and tender.
He came to define a post-war American image of macho with such classic
performances as the swaggering brute Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar
Named Desire (1951), a biker gang leader in The Wild One (1953) and a
washed-up prize fighter in On the Waterfront (1954).
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Brando in 1979's Apocalypse Now,
said: "Marlon would hate the idea of people chiming in to give their
comments about his death. All I'll say is that it makes me sad he's gone."
To many, Brando remained the iconic rebel he played in The Wild One.
Asked in that film what he was rebelling against, Brando replied:
"Whaddya got?"
Brando won an Academy Award for On the Waterfront and another for his
brooding, at times mumbling, portrayal of the patriarch of a Mafia
family in The Godfather (1972).
His Godfather co-star, Robert Duvall, said: "He was like a godfather
to many young actors worldwide."
Indeed, Brando inspired a generation of screen rebels, including James Dean.
"There was a sense of excitement, of danger in his presence but
perhaps his special appeal was in a kind of simple conceit, the
conceit of tough kids," wrote critic Pauline Kael of the New Yorker.
"Brando represented a contemporary version of the free American."
* The universal actor
Brando was born on Apr 3, 1924, in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of a
travelling salesman and an actress who coached a local drama group. He
was sent to a Minnesota military academy but was soon expelled.
He headed to New York, where his 2 sisters were studying art and
drama. There he studied acting with famed teacher Stella Adler and the
Actors' Studio.
"Marlon never really had to learn how to act. He knew," Adler once
said. "Right from the start he was a universal actor. Nothing human
was foreign to him."
In 1946, critics voted Brando as Broadway's most promising actor for
his role as a returning World War II veteran in the flop Truckline Cafe.
Brando broke his nose in backstage horseplay and gained a reputation
for being moody. Auditioning for a Noel Coward comedy, Brando tossed
the script aside, saying: "Don't you know there are people in the
world starving?"
In 1947, playwright Tennessee Williams approved casting Brando for the
stage production of A Streetcar Named Desire. He reprised the role for
Elia Kazan's big-screen version 4 y later, earning the 1st of 8 Oscar
nominations.
His 1st Oscar win came for On the Waterfront in which Brando played a
one-time boxer, Terry Malloy, who turns against his friends and
brother in a corrupt union.
In one of the most memorable scenes in cinema, Malloy tells his
brother, played by Rod Steiger: "You don't understand. I could have
had class. I could have been a contender. I could have been somebody,
instead of a bum -- which is what I am."
* Improvised
Brando, who chafed at having to memorise dialogue, wrote in his 1994
autobiography that he improvised his lines in that famous scene and
later relied on cue-cards.
Brando was notorious for his out-sized appetites for both women and
food, once saying: "I've had far too many affairs to think of myself
as a normal, rational man." He consumed ice cream by the litre and in
later y his weight ballooned and he struggled with pneumonia.
In the 1960s, Brando became active in the civil rights movement,
especially for American Indians. He sent Indian actress Sacheen
Littlefeather to the Academy Award's platform in 1973 to describe the
plight of Indians.
Critics both hailed and panned his performances in Last Tango in Paris
(1972) and Apocalypse Now but Brando was also legendary for being one
of his own toughest critics.
"To this day, I can't say what Last Tango in Paris was about," he
said. He also claimed to have talked director Coppola into marginalising
his role as the enigmatic Col Kurtz in order to heighten the mystery.
"What I'd really wanted from the beginning was to find a way to make
my part smaller so that I wouldn't have to work as hard," he said.
In more recent years, Brando's brilliance as an actor was overshadowed
by his eccentric reclusiveness, the turmoil in his family life and
financial disputes.
* Legal disputes
Christian Brando, his son by his 1st wife, Welsh actress Anna Kashfi,
was sentenced to 10 y in prison for the 1990 murder of his half-sister
Cheyenne's boyfriend. Cheyenne later killed herself, in 1995, at the
age of 25.
Brando, who was paid a then-staggering $US14 mn for his walk-on performance
in 1978's Superman, remained enmeshed in legal disputes over money up
until the last wk of his life.
He poured mn into Tetiaroa, a S Seas atoll he bought in 1966 and where
he spent much of the 1980s living out a boyhood fascination with
Tahiti rekindled during the shooting of Mutiny on the Bounty.
Representatives of the French-owned island group have issued a
statement saluting Brando as "one of Tahiti's greatest icons".
He said he only made movies for the money. "Acting is an empty and
useless profession," he said.
In the 1990s, Brando emerged from a decade hiatus to take small roles
in minor films, often for large fees.
Just last month, Brando completed voice work for the character of an
old lady in an upcoming animated film titled Big Bug Man, his agent said.
Brando was married 3 times to Kashfi, Mexican actress Movita Castenada
and Tahitian Tarita Teriipia.
"He's full of deep hostilities, longings, feelings of distrust,"
director Kazan once said of him. "But his outer front is gentle and nice."
4 dead after Kansas shooting spree
Kansas City (Reuters). A man has opened fire in the canteen of a
Kansas meat-packing plant, killing 3 people before turning the gun on
himself. The shooting took place at a plant operated by agribusiness
company ConAgra and the gunman was not immediately identified. Police
say at least 2 other people were injured and taken to local hospitals.
"A male walked into the cafeteria with 2 handguns and opened fire,"
Kansas City police dispatcher Linda Hernandez said. She said there
was speculation the man had been a worker at the plant who had just
been sacked. ConAgra said it was cooperating with the police
investigation and the company expressed sympathy for the families of
the victims. Company rep Bob McKeon says the plant employs about 500
people processing meat products into deli meat slices. He says the
company cannot comment on whether the gunman was an employee. Earlier
reports had said 5 people were killed.
Heat wave kills 39 as China awaits typhoon
Beijing (Reuters/AFP). A heat wave in China's S metropolis is
responsible for the deaths of at least 39 people in the last 2 days,
with most of the casualties among the elderly or infirm. The mercury
has topped 39 degrees Celsius in recent days and is expected to hit 36
degrees today. Among the fatalities, 27 of the deaths are elderly
people, with the oldest being 97-yo, while the youngest is a 20-yo who
died of dehydration. The Govt is urging elderly people to stay at
home, remain inactive and try to stay cool. In SE China, residents
are bracing for the arrival of a typhoon that is moving across from
Taiwan. Typhoon Mindulle has dumped heavy rain over Taiwan,
triggering widespread flooding and killing at least 3 people. It has
weakened into a tropical storm but officials warn that persistent rain
could still cause landslides. The typhoon has already passed through
the Philippines, killing 23 people and forcing 1000s from their homes.
AUS, Indonesia fight religious mistrust
Alexander Downer ... understanding will aid fight against terrorism.
Jakarta (ABC, Peter Cave). Foreign Min Alexander Downer has announced
a joint initiative with Indonesia aimed at ending religious mistrust
in South-East Asia.
Mr Downer and his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirayuda, agreed on
the plan at the Association of S E Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional
forum in Jakarta.
"What the Indonesian For Min and I have decided to do is to set up a
regional inter-faith dialogue bringing together the religious leaders
from obviously the Muslim world but also Christian, Buddhist and Hindu
religious leaders," Mr Downer said.
The project will involve both govt and non-govt agencies and Mr Downer
says it could produce big benefits.
Mr Downer says a better understanding between faiths will contribute
to the fight against terrorism and extremism.
* Police cooperation
Meanwhile, a joint law enforcement project between Aussie and
Indonesia has opened in Jakarta.
Indonesian Pres Megawati Sukarnoputri has opened the Jakarta Centre
for Law Enforcement Cooperation.
The centre, announced last y, was prompted by the successful joint
investigations of the Bali bombings by Aussie Fed Police and the
Indonesian nat'l police.
AUS's $37 mn contribution to the centre will include expertise,
technical support and internat'l training courses.
Bahrain terror threat prompts US pullout
Washington (AFP). The US has authorised the temporary relocation of
military personnel's dependents and non-emergency defence personnel
from Bahrain. A Pentagon rep says the move is a response to reports
that Muslim extremists are planning attacks on US interests. "The
Secretary of Defence [Donald Rumsfeld] has approved the departure of
eligible family members and non-emergency personnel of the Dept of
Defence from Bahrain," Navy Capt Roxie Merritt said. The move would
involve about 650 family members and Defence Dept employees from
Bahrain, HQ of the US Fifth Fleet, a US defence official said. It
came a day after the State Dept issued a travel advisory urging US
nat'ls to defer travel to Bahrain and advising those in the country to
consider leaving because of reports of possible attacks on US and W interests.
UK soldier charged with shooting boy in Iraq
London (AFP). A Brit soldier is to stand trial over the non-fatal
shooting of a 13-yo boy in Iraq, UK A-G Peter Goldsmith said. The
soldier, Pte Alexander Johnston of the 1st Battalion of the King's Own
Scottish Borderers was to stand trial charged with unlawful wounding
following the shooting, which took place last Sep, Mr Goldsmith
announced in a written statement to Parliament. No date has been set
for a trial or preliminary hearing. Around 9,200 Brit soldiers are
currently deployed in S Iraq, while Brit military police have
investigated 75 complaints against the country's troops there. These
included shooting incidents, deaths or injuries caused by road
accidents and allegations connected to the alleged mistreatment of
Iraqi prisoners by Brit troops, armed forces minister Adam Ingram
announced last m. Thirty-7 of the cases have since been dismissed.
US charges soldiers over Iraqi's death
Washington (BBC). US military officials in Washington say 4 soldiers
have been charged after 2 Iraqis were forced to jump from a bridge
into the Tigris River. 3 soldiers from the US Army's Fourth Infantry
Division have been charged with manslaughter arising from the Jan
incident in Samara. It is alleged the soldiers forced an Iraqi who
they had detained to jump off a bridge over the Tigris. The man
subsequently drowned. One of the soldiers is a 1st lieutenant. He
and a sergeant are charged with assault, conspiracy, making false
statements and obstruction of justice. A 4th soldier has also been
charged with assault over a second Iraqi, who it is alleged was also
forced to jump off the bridge. He survived. The Pentagon is said to
be investigating more than 30 deaths involving detainees in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
Spain to hold terror suspect indefinitely
Madrid (AFP). A Spanish judge has ordered an Algerian man be remanded
in custody indefinitely as part of investigations into the Madrid
bombings in Mar which killed almost 200 people.
Nasreddine Bousbaa was arrested this wk and is suspected of being
involved in producing fake passports for the suspected perpetrators of
the Mar 11 train bombings.
Bousbaa has admitted knowing Jamal Ahmidam, one of the suspected
masterminds of the 4 coordinated attacks on packed commuter trains
heading for Madrid, in which 191 people were killed and 1,900 wounded.
Ahmidam was one of 7 suspects who blew themselves up on Apr 3 as
police closed in on a flat they were using in the Madrid suburb of Leganes.
Bousbaa, 39, admitted falsifying passports for profit but denied
producing any for the bombing suspects, the officials said.
However, investigators have linked him with passports and documents
found during investigations into the bombings, including documents
found in the Leganes apartment.
Questioned by Judge Juan del Olmo, Bousbaa was unable to explain
several telephone calls he made in the days before the bombings to
people suspected of involvement in the attacks, the officials said.
Bousbaa is the 14th person now in custody in connection with the
Madrid attacks.
Powell says assume Saddam is innocent
Jakarta. US Sec of State Colin Powell says former Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein should be assumed to be innocent in his trial.
"The people of the world should watch carefully, listen carefully," Mr
Powell said in his 1st comments on the judicial process against Saddam
and 11 former aides that began on Thu in Baghdad.
"Assume he's innocent if you will, and let's assume that, and let the
Iraqi people through their courts decide," Mr Powell said in an
interview with Indonesian television channel RCTI on the sidelines of
an Asian security meeting in Jakarta.
"You will see a new kind of justice in Iraq and I hope the people of
the world and all Indonesians will measure it that way," he said.
He contrasted the trial of Saddam with someone facing the justice
system during Saddam's rule.
"Can you imagine what it was like 2 y ago if he had arrested somebody?
Do you think that person would have been considered innocent?" he asked.
"That person would have been in a grave by now."
A still defiant Saddam was brought in chains before an Iraqi judge to
hear charges that could lead to a trial for war crimes and genocide.
Iraqi tribunal wants defendants split up
Baghdad (AFP). The head of the Iraqi Special Tribunal prosecuting
Saddam Hussein and 11 of his lieutenants wants the defendants
separated to stop them from colluding on their testimony and to make
plea bargains more likely.
Tribunal chief Salem Chalabi says Saddam is the only one of the 12
being held separately.
The other 11 include Saddam's presidential adviser and 1st cousin, Ali
Hassan al-Majid, and former VP Taha Yassin Ramadan.
"Right now only number one [Saddam] is isolated from the rest," Mr
Chalabi said. "One bad thing for the investigation is when they start
coordinating their statements."
Mr Chalabi says he is also pushing for the defendants to be separated
because isolating them will make it easier to cut plea bargains with
them in the event that becomes an option.
"From my meetings with them, they each want to do different deals, one
individual in particular is desperate for a deal," Mr Chalabi said.
He cautioned, however, that it was too early to speak about deals
while many other former members of the regime remain uncharged.
"What if we work out a deal with someone and it turns out later that
he, in fact, committed crimes," Mr Chalabi said.
Although legal custody of the detainees passed to Iraqis this wk and
they were hauled before a judge the next day, Saddam and his aides
remain guarded by US forces at an undisclosed location.
* Contacting family
Mr Chalabi says his immediate tasks over the next few wk include
appointing more judges to the tribunal, finalising its procedures and
meeting with each of the defendants separately.
"Each one had different requests about contacting family and so
forth," he said. "One of them gave us a telephone number."
Mr Chalabi says that all hearings by the special tribunal will take
place without the media frenzy that characterised Thu's procedures.
"We wanted to demonstrate that the process is starting," he said.
Mr Chalabi refused to be specific about how soon Saddam and the other
defendants would be allowed to meet their lawyers.
He says a group of Jordanian lawyers, headed by Mohammed Rashdan, who
have expressed a desire to defend Saddam contacted him about a month ago.
Mr Chalabi says that after earlier snubbing his requests that they
furnish proof of their identities, they are now "calling back and
willing to cooperate".
Ultimately, Mr Chalabi says it will be up to Saddam to decide whether
he wants the Jordanian lawyers, who have been appointed by his wife
and 3 daughters.
"It is his decision to say whether he wants them and I will be
speaking to him about that," he said.
On Thu, Saddam told the special tribunal judge: "I imagine that you
were made aware of the fact that I have lawyers." Most of the other 11
defendants also insisted on having Jordanian or Arab lawyers represent them.
Saddam and the others, if convicted of their crimes, could face the
death penalty, according to Iraq's criminal code dating back to 1971.
Mr Chalabi says Iraq is in the process of re-instating the death
penalty after it was scrapped by the US-led coalition after the Apr
2003 invasion.
"I spoke with the Pres [Ghazi al-Yawar] and the decision has been made
to lift it but it has not been signed by everybody yet," he said.
Saddam's defence lawyers, Mr Rashdan and Ziad Khassawneh, lambasted
the court proceedings in Amman on Fri.
The pair called the 1st court appearance of the ousted president a
farce and challenged the legitimacy of Iraq's judicial system, which
they said was preventing them from going to Baghdad.
Kurdish rebels deny responsibility for Turkey car bomb
N Iraq. Kurdish rebels have denied accusations they were behind a
deadly car bomb attack against a provincial governor in eastern
Turkey, the pro-Kurdish Mesopotamia news agency reported. "Acts of
this kind have no place in our understanding of legitimate defence and
we have nothing to do with the attack," Zubeyir Aydar, the head of
Kongra-Gel, told the Europe-based agency from N Iraq. A Turkish
police rep had earlier said they suspected rebels from Kongra-Gel to
be behind Fri's attack in which a car bomb exploded in the city centre
of Van as governor Hikmet Tan's convoy was driving by. Mt Tan and his
police escort escaped unhurt, but 6 people were killed and 23 injured
-- all of them passers-by -- in the blast. Kongra-Gel -- the
successor of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party (PKK) which led a
15-y armed campaign for self-rule in SE Turkey -- last m called off a
5-yo truce, accusing Turkish forces of trying to wipe them out.
2 US Marines killed nr Fallujah
Fallujah (AFP). The US military says 2 US marines have died in Iraq,
reporting that one was killed in action and the other died from wounds
received the previous day nr the restive city of Fallujah. "A marine
assigned to First Marine Expeditionary Force was killed in action
today (Fri) in the al-Anbar province while conducting security and
stability operations," the military said in a statement. The 2nd
marine died of injuries sustained in action the previous day in the
same province, home to the rebel Sunni Muslim bastion of Fallujah, 50
km W of Baghdad.
2 Turkish hostages freed in Iraq
Baghdad. 2 Turkish hostages being held by insurgents in Iraq have
been freed after they promised to stop working for US forces. Video
footage showed the 2 Turks kneeling in a room and vowing not to work
with American forces, as masked gunmen stood above them. The
militants then read a statement saying the men were being released.
The hostages were told to leave Iraq and not return. The company they
worked for announced earlier it would stop doing business with US
forces in Iraq. Earlier this week, 3 other Turkish hostages were
freed by militants who had threatened to behead them.
Journalist tight-lipped on missing days
Kabul (AFP). SBS journalist Carmela Baranowska, who was feared
kidnapped by the Taliban in S Afghanistan this wk, says she is safe
but has refused to reveal how she spent her missing days.
"I am fine. It is too early to talk about what happened," she said
when reached on her mobile phone.
Ms Baranowska refused to say where she was.
Mobile phone signals in Afghanistan only work in the capital Kabul or
the main S city of Kandahar, where she had last been seen on Jun 27.
The Aussie High Commission in Islamabad made telephone contact with Ms
Baranowska on Thu night and concluded she was safe but it was also
unclear about her exact whereabouts.
"We were most concerned about her welfare but we have now spoken to
her," an embassy official said.
"She has told us that she is well and does not require any consular
assistance from the Aussie Govt."
The Aussie officials were assisted by the Canadian embassy in Kabul
and the UN authorities in making contact with the journalist.
Ms Baranowska, 35, was working for SBS in Afghanistan's insurgency-hit
south when her employer lost contact with her for several days.
N Korea, US agree trust issues thwarting progress
Jakarta. US Sec of State Colin Powell has held talks with North
Korean For Min Paek Nam Sun at the ASEAN conference in Jakarta.
A US State Dept rep said they had discussed the deadlock over
America's desire for N Korea to dismantle its nuclear program.
Mr Powell said there was an opportunity for concrete progress and Mr
Paek said his country would now not regard the US as a permanent enemy.
A N Korean statement also said progress depended on Washington
changing its policy towards Pyongyang.
N Korean delegation rep Jong Song IL said both men agreed that trust
must be built between the 2 nations.
"The most important concern is that there's no trust between the 2
countries," he said.
"So Foreign Min Paek and Secretary Powell talked to each other and
said that both countries must combine their efforts to build up trust
between the 2 countries and then resolve the nuclear issue peacefully
and diplomatically."
AUS's Foreign Min Alexander Downer who also met with Mr Paek said he
was optimistic.
"I'm a bit encouraged really from my discussions with the Americans,
the Chinese and the N Koreans and the Japanese For Min that the
6-party talk process is really starting to gain traction," he said.
Militants kill alleged Palestinian spy for Israel
Jenin (AFP). A Palestinian who reportedly spied for Israel was shot
dead in public by militants nr the N W Bank town of Jenin, Palestinian
security sources and witnesses said.
Mohammed Tawfiq Daraghmeh, 45, was shot in Qabatya by 5 militants from
the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, an armed group loosely linked to
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.
The sources said the militants were not masked.
In a statement sent to AFP, the group said Daraghmeh had been spying
for Israel for the past 15 y and had provided info that led to the
killings of Palestinian militants wanted by Israel.
Daraghmeh, from Tubas, also in the N W Bank, was seized by Al-Aqsa
militants 4 days ago.
The group said it decided to kill him after Daraghmeh reportedly
confessed to spying for Israel.
Dozens of Palestinians have been speedily tried by military trials or
liquidated by Palestinian armed groups since the beginning of the
Palestinian uprising, almost 4 y ago.
2 of those tried and sentenced to death by the Palestinian Authority
have been executed.
Israeli pair tried to obtain NZ passport
Wellington. 2 Israeli men have admitted to trying to obtain a false
NZ passport. There is been speculation the pair has links with
Israel's Secret Service. Eli Cara and Urie Kelman were arrested in
Auckland in Apr. They originally faced 3 charges but 2 of those
charges were dropped and today both pleaded guilty to the charge of
participating in a criminal group to obtain a NZ passport. The NZ
Govt says it will not comment on the case until after the men are
sentenced in 2 wk.
Israel thwarts would-be suicide bomber
Jerusalem (ABC, Mark Willacy). Israeli soldiers have arrested a
would-be Palestinian suicide bomber and safely detonated his
explosives belt. The Palestinian teenager was on his way to carry out
a bombing in Jerusalem. Acting on info, Israeli troops moved into the
W Bank city of Ramallah and arrested 4 Palestinians belonging to the
militant Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. The Israeli army says one of those
arrested was a 16-yo boy who was about to carry out a suicide bombing
in Jerusalem. Troops also seized a 12-kg bomb belt during the raid.
Meanwhile, at least 2 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in
the Gaza Strip. A 55-yo farmer was shot dead as he walked nr a Jewish
settlement, while a 25-yo Palestinian was hit by Israeli tank fire as
he sorted through rubble looking for scrap metal.
Nauru Govt staff evicted from MEL offices
Melbourne. Nauru Govt staff have been evicted from their central MEL
offices at Nauru House. Once the jewel in the crown of Nauru's MEL
property investments, Nauru House is now in the hands of security
staff. Level 49 of the building has been sealed off and Nauruan
officials have been ordered out. Administrators PPB say they may
allow Air Nauru to stay on, but want all other Nauru govt entities to
leave. That includes the Nauru Corporation which supplies food to the
island. Nauru owes US giant General Electric over $US160 mn. The
country's new govt had pleaded with General Electric to grant it a
reprieve and promised to refinance the debt.
Rwanda to re-open border with DR Congo
Kinshasa (AFP). Rwanda will re-open its border with the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) which it closed one m ago after fighting in
the E DRC once again pushed the neighbouring states to the brink of war.
Rwanda "will re-open its border with the DRC tomorrow following the
meeting in Nigeria between Pres Paul Kagame and his Congolese
counterpart Joseph Kabila", the country's Foreign Ministry said in a
statement read on nat'l radio.
The decision was taken "in the interests of the population in both
countries", the statement said.
The DRC and Rwandan leaders re-committed themselves following crisis
talks held in Nigeria on Jun 25 to the Pretoria agreement signed in
Jul 2002 designed to end their four-y war.
The pledge came at the end of a m which saw the vast DRC and its E neighbour
trade accusations of war-mongering and cross-border interference.
Recent clashes between the regular army and dissident troops in
eastern DRC have triggered fears for the DRC's yo peace process and
for peace between the central African neighbours.
Russians rally against welfare changes
Moscow (ABC, Emma Griffiths). 1000s of Russians have rallied against
plans to end free welfare services for pensioners and war veterans.
2 activists managed to get inside the Russian Parliament and throw
leaflets at politicians as they debated the new laws.
The 2 protesters told security at the Duma they were journalists.
From their vantage point in the press gallery, they threw leaflets at
the politicians below, calling on them to vote against the changes.
Outside and around the country, the same message has been delivered in
coordinated street protests.
The Russian Govt wants to replace free health care and public
transport with increased cash payments.
The changes will affect mn of people, including pensioners, war
veterans and victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
The protesters are worried that the extra money will not be enough and
warn it will lead to decreased living standards and even deaths.
Russian Pres Vladimir Putin has repeatedly declared he wants to fight
poverty in Russia, where more than a 5th of the population lives below
the poverty line.
He has given a guarantee that no-one will be worse off under the new
arrangements.
UN regrets US decision to cut peacekeepers
UN (Reuters). The UN has expressed regret at the US Govt's decision
to begin withdrawing peacekeepers from some UN missions because of the
Sec Council's refusal to approve blanket immunity from the Internat'l
Criminal Court (ICC).
The Pentagon has said 7 personnel will be removed from the UN mission
in Eritrea and Ethiopia and 2 liaison officers will be withdrawn from
the Kosovo mission.
But 2,000 US troops will stay in Kosovo because they are covered under
a separate immunity agreement.
"Our Dept of Peacekeeping confirmed it has been informed it [the US]
would withdraw some personnel from some UN peacekeeping operations,"
UN rep Stephane Dujarric said.
"We have taken note of that decision with regret."
The Bush Admin is bitterly opposed to the new court and rescinded former
president Bill Clinton's signature to the tribunal's statutes, arguing
that it would expose US soldiers and officials to frivolous law suits.
"In these 2 particular cases it was determined ... that the risk was
not appropriate to our forces, and so they were withdrawn," Pentagon
rep Lawrence Di Rita said.
Mr Di Rita said that all UN peacekeeping missions with a US presence
are under review.
On Jun 23, the US withdrew a UN resolution to renew the blanket
exemption, which expired on Jul 1, after it became clear it lacked the
votes to pass it.
UN Sec-Gen Kofi Annan said the resolution violated internat'l law.
Richard Dicker, counsel for Human Rights Watch, said: "US service
members were not at risk This move provides no additional protection.
It is driven by ideology."
Nations ratifying the treaty can turn their own citizens, as well as citizens
from other states, over to the court for a crime committed on their soil.
Neither Ethiopia nor Eritrea has ratified the treaty and Kosovo is
under UN jurisdiction.
Zimbabwean Opp'n leader escapes attack
Harare (ABC, Sally Sara). Zimbabwean Opp'n leader Morgan Tsvangirai
has escaped an attack by armed youths. Opp'n officials say ruling
party supporters stormed a meeting in the country's north. The Opp'n
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says the attack was an attempt to
assassinate its leader, Mr Tsvangirai. The MDC says ruling party
supporters armed with axes, clubs and stones broke up the meeting. Mr
Tsvangirai was unharmed but 11 MDC youths were injured and Zimbabwean
police are yet to confirm the incident. In Feb, Mr Tsvangirai and his
wife escaped an attack S of the capital, Harare. The MDC leader has
been an outspoken critic of Pres Robert Mugabe and the party's officials
fear violence will increase ahead of parliamentary elections next y.
New disease threatens Qld citrus crops
Brisbane. The Qld Dept of Primary Industries has imposed quarantine
zones in 3 shires after the discovery of a citrus disease never before
seen in AUS.
Dept rep Chris Adriaansen says there is a total lock-down on the
movement of citrus products on a property at Emerald where the disease
was spotted.
He says strict hygiene protocols are being applied to all people and
vehicles leaving the farm.
Mr Adriaansen says the dept is yet to identify the disease.
"The disease that we're dealing with is actually a bacterial disease
that we've found on citrus," he said.
"We're completing diagnostic tests at the moment to define what
disease it is but based on the symptoms it's obviously serious and one
that we haven't seen in AUS before.
"It is an exotic disease that we're dealing with and we're responding
accordingly."
Mr Adriaansen says the disease's origins remain a mystery.
"We haven't started our trace back -- we're obviously concentrating
very heavily on containing and eradicating the disease," he said.
"Part of our normal process is obviously to trace back and trace forward.
"In this case because of the trade issues we're concentrating 1st on
trace forward and also on surveillance of other farms to be able to
demonstrate that the disease has not gone onto those properties."
The dept has declared a quarantine area in the shires of Bauhinia,
Emerald and Peak Downs, meaning that citrus plants cannot be
transported out of those shires, nor between farms in the area.
Emerald Mayor Peter Maguire says citrus is worth mn to the local
economy and the disease could have dire consequences.
"It's a great concern and added to that is the impact on those
businesses that are affected, plus several hundred employees," Mr
Maguire said.
"I'm aware of one place that has put off a few hundred people."
Mr Maguire says he has been told the disease has already spread beyond
the one property where it was 1st found.
"I think all the properties who grow citrus in our shire are
certainly involved in it now," he said.
"They've indicated that not just the property concerned but others are
affected and there's a restriction on the movement of fruit and people
inside the whole area so it's of great concern to the economy of our shire."
Fourth stevedore plans concern P&O
Melbourne. A prominent stevedoring company is concerned plans for a
$multi-mn cargo shipping terminal at Vic dock will erode its viability
in MEL. The developer will build a rail link from the water's edge,
labelling and packing facilities and undercover storage. The new
terminal will include an additional stevedoring company within 4 y.
But P&O managing director Tim Blood says a new stevedoring company is
bad news for the existing players. "Our own plans have now become
very uncertain as to how can we justify continuing investment at
Appleton Dock, for example," he said. "With the uncertainty of how
the market's going to unfold after the implementation of these new facilities."
Land council takes control of rock art site
Hobart. Tas's Aboriginal Land Council has taken over the management
of a site in the state's W that features Aboriginal rock carvings.
A Hobart doctor found the site more than 18 m ago.
He went public with the discovery in Apr this y, after the state's
Heritage Dept did not act on the find.
Land council manager Glenn Shaw says the site will be under its control.
"The 1st thing we'll be doing is we're going in to see the condition
the site is in," he said.
"We'll also undertake a process to talk to community members about
taking some community members in to have a look as well.
"From there the cave will be named, we will look at any protection regimes."
Mr Shaw says he is disappointed but not surprised that it took so long
for the dept to act.
"Quite often when these things get into Govt, they tend to be held
in-house," he said.
"For reasons known only to those within Govt they have undertaken a
process of going and looking at the cave, which is not the correct
process that should be taken."
CSIRO gives wattles a boost in salinity fight
Salinity affects nearly 5 mn hectares of Aussie agricultural land.
Darwin. The CSIRO has developed a micro-flora inoculant called Wattle
Grow that will help Aussie land managers reverse dry land salinity.
Salinity affects nearly 5 mn hectares of Aussie agricultural land and
is expected to affect 17 mn hectares within 50 y.
Wattle Grow gives a 5-fold increase in the successful germination and
establishment of the plants.
Wattles are used because they increase soil fertility by fixing
nitrogen, which acts as a fertiliser.
CSIRO rep Peter Thrall says the product was developed for southern
wattle species but the breakthrough could be applied in the NT.
"The principle is the same basically, that by using these really
important soil symbiotic organisms in revegetation we can really
significantly increase the cost-effectiveness of revegetation," he said.
"The same principle would apply up N as well as it does down here.
"It would probably require doing a bit of work to identify strains
that work well with those species but that's a fairly straightforward
thing to do."
NT goannas suffer in cane toad expansion
Kakadu, NT. There is fresh evidence that cane toads are destroying
native wildlife populations in the N Territory. The toads arrived in
Kakadu Nat'l Park in early 2001and have already led to the local
extinction of the N quoll. Dan Holland from the Key Centre for
Tropical Wildlife Management has been studying 2 species of goannas in
Kakadu and says the cane toad is having a devastating impact. "We've
seen somewhere between a 55 and 75% decline in the population of
yellow spotted goannas, Varanus panoptes, and somewhere around a 50%
decline in the population of Gould's goannas, or Varanus gouldii."
Labor rejects criticism of workplace plans
Labor under fire for its workplace policies.
Canberra. Labor has hit back at a report which claims the party's
workplace policies would undermine AUS's economic growth.
The Access Economics report was commissioned by the Business Council
of AUS and says that re-centralising and re-regulating the workplace
would impinge on productivity and jobs growth.
But Labor's workplace relations rep, Craig Emerson, says the report is
based on the false assertion that a Labor govt would re-centralise the
industrial relations system.
Mr Emerson says Labor simply wants to bring fairness back into the system.
"We support flexibility in workplaces but by flexibility often the
Govt means downward flexibility for vulnerable Aussies," he said.
"By flexibility, the Govt means reducing the wages of vulnerable Aussies."
But PM John Howard says with 9 Labor govts across AUS, a fed Labor
govt would not be hindered in the re-regulation of the labour market.
"This report draws attention to the devastating economic consequences
to this country if the labour market were re-regulated," he said.
"The abolition of workplace agreements, the scrapping of the secondary
boycott laws and greater powers of entry to unions, all of those
things that would turn back the clock."
Michael Chaney from the Business Council of AUS says he fears Labor's
workplace platform would undermine other economic reforms already implemented.
"The outcomes would be more seriously negative than you might imagine
from what may appear to be relatively minor changes," he said.
"In combination, those changes, we think, have the potential to be
quite damaging in the area of productivity growth."
Greens pre-empt election campaign
The Greens are not waiting for the Fed Govt to call this year's
election, launching their own campaign.
Canberra. PM John Howard could call an election for Aug 7 if he
visits the G-G by tomorrow. Greens Sen Bob Brown says his party is
ready to take on both the Liberal and Labor parties. He says the
Greens are focusing on marginal seats and are campaigning on the
basis of more money for public services, saving Tas's forests and
freeing refugees from detention. Sen Brown is criticising the PM for
not making his intentions clear. "I think the PM is a bit of a narc,"
Sen Brown said. "If he's not going on Aug the 7th he should have said
so by now. "He'd save a lot of people booking spaces in newspapers
and going to the printer "I don't think he should play with the electorate."
Aged care phone-in to pressure Govt
On call: Nurses want to know what the public thinks about aged care.
Sydney. The Aussie Nursing Federation hoping a nat'l phone-in today
will pressure the Fed Govt to improve the aged care system.
People are being asked to call and talk about their experiences with
the system.
Judith Kiejda, from the NSW Nurses Association, says one of the major
problems is a shortage of nurses.
She says the association, which represents nurses across the country,
wants to hear from as many people as possible so it can get a better
picture of the aged care sector.
"We need the community to let us know how they're really feeling about
this so that we can get it back on the agenda and get decent policy
for aged care," she said.
The secretary of the Qld Nurses Union, Gay Hawkesworth, says callers
will be asked a series of questions.
"Whether they believe the funding is appropriate, whether they can see
deficits in the particular facilities they either work in or have
relatives in, whether the staffing is appropriate... whether they're
getting the appropriate care," she said.
Ms Kiejda says the association is already aware of a number of serious
problems in the aged care system.
"We don't have enough registered nurses, the carers we do have haven't
enough time to spend with the residents," she said.
"There is a huge wage disparity between the public sector nurses and
the aged care sector nurses that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency."
Nerolli Ellis, from the Tasn branch of the federation, says a similar
phone-in conducted more than 2 y ago was very successful.
"We had a tremendous response, particularly from Tas, with many of the
major concerns being raised," she said.
"When we collate the results they will certainly be developing our
framework as to how we can continue to improve aged care based on the
concerns that are coming through."
Police continue stand-off negotiations
[Later reports say suspect suicided].
Sydney. Police are still trying to negotiate with a man who has held
them at bay for almost 12 hr in the S SYD suburb of Banksia. It is
believed the man in his 20s is wanted for questioning over the murder
of his girlfriend yesterday. Police investigating the death of a
woman in Kogarah yesterday arrived at her boyfriend's house in Banksia
Avenue just after 10.00 am. Neighbours say they heard up to a dozen
shots being fired shortly afterwards. Police tried all day to speak
with the man inside the house and they only established contact with
him 4 hr ago. Negotiations are continuing and police say they hope
the incident will end peacefully. Residents in the street were
evacuated early this morning and Banksia Avenue and roads leading into
it have been blocked off. It is still not known if anyone else is in
the house with the man.
Shooting suspect gives police the slip
Adelaide. A man wanted over a shooting in the early hours of this
morning at Modbury in SA, has given police the slip. Police staked
out a house on Crozier Avenue for several hours, only to find the
suspect has disappeared. People in nearby Reservoir Road reported
shots fired about 3.00 am but a search of the area by patrols turned up
nothing. About one hour later a 28-yo man admitted himself to the
Modbury Hospital suffering a gun shot wound to the stomach. He has
been transferred to the Royal Adel Hospital, where he has undergone
surgery. Star Group officers then surrounded a house in Crozier
Avenue, where it was thought the gunman may have been hiding. Police
eventually forced their way inside several hours later only to find
the building empty. The hunt for that man continues.
AUS joins US, UK in spam fight
3-way deal signed to can spam.
Canberra (AFP). AUS has signed a cooperation agreement with the US
and Brit to fight the plague of spam.
The Aussie Competition and Consumer Commission and Aussie
Communications Authority signed the deal with authorities in the US
and Brit.
The agreement allows agencies in the 3 countries to share info, exchange
evidence and coordinate enforcement against cross-border spam violations.
The acting chairman of the Aussie Communications Authority, Bob
Horton, says the agreement "provides a framework for cooperation in
fighting cross-border spam affecting all 3 countries".
The chairman of the US Fed Trade Commission (FTC), Timothy Muris,
said: "Illegal spam does not respect nat'l boundaries.
"This agreement is an important next step to help law enforcers on 3
continents leverage resources to combat illegal spam."
Brit Communications Min Stephen Timms said: "It's not going to solve
spam overnight but it reinforces our determination to tackle it with a
combination of industry initiatives, technical solutions and user awareness."
The FTC says the document builds on earlier cooperation agreements
between it and consumer protection agencies in the other 2 countries.
One survey last m said spam represented as much as 76% of all email
traffic, despite laws in several countries seeking to curb the
unsolicited advertising.
Time zones no barrier to film collaboration
High-speed success: The transfers mean Aussie firms can win
prestigious post-production contracts.
Adelaide. Advances in technology are turning time zone differences
into a competitive advantage for SA production studios, which are
gaining work on Hollywood blockbusters.
Adel-based Rising Sun Pictures says the development of an advanced
broadband Internet network means post-production work done in Adel can
be back in Hollywood faster than if it was done locally.
Dir Tony Clark says his company works mainly in the digital effects
market, which involves the transfer of huge amounts of data.
"Every frame is 12 megabytes and so to move that down existing
technologies just doesn't work," he said.
"What this network does for us is let us move the huge data sets that
we work with in times that are much quicker than their clients or that
our competition can get their files across town.
"It's immensely important to us being able to grow our business and do
more interesting work."
Mr Clark says the rapid transfers have opened a commercial window to
the world of big-budget special effects films.
"It's stopped people being so concerned about the distance between us
and the market because they're in LA and they're used to driving to
facilities and doing work," he said.
"This has enabled them to work with us remotely in ways that are
quicker than they can with their local facilities so it's given them
great confidence and led to greater amounts of work coming our way."
The company has already used the super-fast network to win
post-production work for the last Lord of the Rings film and The Last Samurai.
{{
Midnight.
Medical authorities in Nigeria have issued a warning about the safety
of bottled water. Nigerian authorities have warned of contamination
in imported water used to make up injections. Of 150 brands it
tested, only 2 were found to be sterile -- 1 Swiss brand, and 1 from
the UAE. Officials say they were "shocked" at findings. The testing
had started after local doctors had complained so-called sterile
water had appeared cloudy, and some patients had developed
unexplained fevers after injections.
Jakarta. Gen SBY is out-polling all other presid'l candidates. He's
receiving about 40% support, compared with a close 3-way race for 2nd
place involving Gen Wiranto, Pres Megawati and Amin Rais at between 11
and 14%. Observers say Megawati has been trying to "get close to the
people" lately, and even improved her performance in presid'l debates.
For a change, she arrived on time, and appeared organised at the last
one. But observers say she's loosing an estimated 2 mn supporters
each time she appears in public.
Warsaw. The Polish military says it has thwarted efforts by
terrorists in Iraq to try to buy chem warfare warheads and a launcher
last m. They say they had info the weapons were for sale, and had
stepped up efforts to find them. The Soviet era rocket system has a
range of 20 km. It's reportedly on the black market for $5000 each,
said a Polish cmdr.
The Poles also released more details about the 17 shells recovered
last m. US experts have found they contained blistering and nerve
agents, say the Poles. But they were found to be from old Iraqi
stocks dating from the 1980s.
This is very far from being the "smoking gun". While the shells
should have been declared and destroyed by Iraq under Un supervision,
experts say small numbers are likely to turn up from time-to-time.
Iraq was always vague about how many shells it had fille with chem
agents. That was believed to be mostly due to Iraq's chaotic
internal accounting for the weapons.
The details of the chem weapons has appeared on exactly the same day
as Saddam appeared in court in Baghdad. Co-incidence? Experts say --
probably not.
The Coal'n is trying to remind the world that back in the 1980s
Saddam's weapons were real enough -- and used on the Kurds in the N.
Rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has called again for an end to the
continual occupation by US forces in Iraq.
1 am
In another worrying development for GW research, scientists have
discovered rice yields decrease 10% for each 1 deg increase in
night-time temps. The Internat'l Rice Research Inst in the
Philippines says there's been an increase of avg temp of .7 C over the
past 25 y. 3/4 of the effect occurs at night, putting rice production
on the upper limit of sustainability.
1.30 am
The Brit High Court has ruled the Humberside chief of police must stand
down while the Blunkett decides whether he should be sacked.
In news just in: Marlon Brando has just died in an LA hospital, aged 80.
3 people have been injured in 2 hotels in Baghdad that were hit by rockets.
2 am
The family of a Pak hostage say he's been freed. The militants had
threatened to behead the man unless Pak closed its embassy in Baghdad.
The hostage was released despite the demands not being met.
Former Iraqi Gov Bremer says Zaqarwi has set up a dangerous
professional operation in Iraq than will be operating long after other
insurgent forces are defeated.
Dick Cheney says Saddam facing a court of justice in Iraq is a sign of
a successful American foreign policy.
3.30 pm
3 people have died in head-on crash between a 4wd head and a truck in
Riverland, a few km from the R Murray town of Morgan.
AUS and Indonesia have agreed on a program to reduce mistrust between
religions. FM Downer says there could be major benefits to the
region from the program. We don't want Aussies to look on Muslims as
potential terrorists, said Mr downer.
A US soldier in the Philippines has been found dead in Manila. The 38
yo soldier had been teaching Philippines troops to hunt down
insurgents. There is no sign of injury or foul play.
4 pm
Kansas city. 3 people, plus the gunman, have been killed in a
workplace shooting. 3 others were injured. The afternoon shooting
happened at a meat-packing plant. The shooter reportedly walked into
company a cafeteria and started firing at selected targets.
8 people have been killed and 3 injured in clashes between 2 rival
gangs in the E India state of Bihar. One group raided a village and
shot indiscriminantly at people sitting outside their homes.
The US says it's relocating families from Bahrein because of info
Muslim extremists are planning attacks. There are 650 family and
dependents of seamen in the US 5th fleet in Bahrain. The announcement
has come 1 day after the State Dept announced the threat of attack was
very real.
The RAN's newest ship has sailed into SYD. The HMAS Ballarat was
commissioned in MEL last week. It's the 6th of 8 new ANZAC frigates.
Fruit-growers say they've not been taken care of under a voluntary code
of conduct with supermarkets. They want a mandatory code. Reps say
apples in supermarkets sell for $7/kg, and growers should get $3, but
they actually get $1.50.
4.30 pm
Legal petitions have been filed in Washington calling on the US govt
to justify the detention of 9 people in Guatmo. Lawyers say the case
is the first of many. Some of the accused were not arrested on a
known battlefield, say reps, but in Africa or Europe.
An al-Qaeda linked group on an Arab news web site has warned Europeans
to get out of Iraq. It's threatened to attack European countries
unless its demands aren't met. It's given 2 wks for foreigners to
pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq, or face attacks like the Madrid train
bombings. During a summit in Paris Italian PM Berlusconi said
security in Europe was already high and he was taking the threat
seriously. French Pres Chirac said he could do little to improve
security across France. The same group has made threats before, and
they've come to nothing.
5.30 pm
US and Afghan forces have killed 12 suspected Taliban fighters in SE
Zabul prov after the rebels opened fire on soldiers. The soldiers are
now tracking down the remnants of Taliban in the area.
The world ballooning championships concluded today in Mildura.
Germany took 1 and 2, with AUS No 3.
Wall St ended sharply lower today. Apple computer fell after it
announced it was delaying its imax. Apple shares ended down 5%. The
Dow closed down 1/2%. The hi-tech Nasdaq ended down 9 pts. In
London, the FTSE lost 17 pts to a 6-wk low. Oil is down on profit
taking. NYMEX is down 1% -- 35 c -- to $US38.39/bbl. NY gold is up
$US2.30 to $US398.70/oz as traders move out of greenbacks.
6 pm
US soldiers have arrested 51 people in S Baghdad and seized 4 cars,
and IEDs. The cars were being turned into car bombs. The group is
believed to be responsible for the deaths of 2 US soldiers.
6.30 pm
There have been rallies for and against Saddam in Baghdad and t'out
Iraq. In Sadr City, Shia called for his execution. Nr Tikrit there
was a show of support for the man who inspires hatred elsewhere.
Putting him on trial might not unite the country as the US and interim
govt had hoped.
SBS says warheads found by Polish troops have tested negative for
nerve agents.
Israeli says it will not accept next wk's ruling from the ICJ on the
security barrier. The Court has been asked by Pals to rule on the
legality of the wall. Israeli has also called on the US to prevent a
Pal-backed motion moving to the UNSC.
In the W Bank the Pal Authority has condemned the public execution of a
42 yo father of 2. He had confessed to sexual molestation of his
daughters and collaborating with Israel. The crowd had called on
al-Aqsa gunmen to execute the man, and members of the militant group
then opened fire. There have been 30 similar executions in the past 5 y.
NY. "The rebuilding continues" says the sign. The first corner stone
of Freedom Tower will be laid tomorrow at Ground Zero in NYC.
The Shoshone Indians of Nevada are about to receive a $multi mn payout
for land seized in the C19. The treaty with the white-eyes guaranteed
$11,000 for each member of the tribe in return for the land. But
after decades of fighting for the money, some of the tribe now say
they just want the land back. The US govt accuses 2 women of abusing
their livestock and the land. Many others are due to see their money
within ms. Maybe.
7 pm
A new poll shows Labor could win the Qld marginal of Dixon and remains
within striking distance of taking 2 other seats from the Coal'n.
Scientists have found a new voracious predator in the Indian Ocean.
It's been dubbed "The Beast of the Deep" -- awaiting a better name.
It's only 1.5 mm long, but it could potentially be a problem. It's
"like a spider", say biologists, and wraps up its prey to digest it.
It was accidently caught off WA at a depth of 5 km. It's main prey
seem to be plankton.
7.30 pm
A siege in S SYD is entering its 33rd hr. The siege was triggered
when police arrived to talk to the man after the death of his
girlfriend. Loud noises were heard from the unit this afternoon, but
police say it wasn't gun shots. [Turns out -- they were wrong!]
10 pm
An oil pipeline in S Iraq has been breached. It reduced pumping from
84 to 40,000 bbl/hr. The cause is unknown. It was prev thought to be
an attack by insurgents. [Later news seems to support that notion].
The Iraqi govt has announced a "Nat'l Salvation Law". Reps say it's
less repressive than martial law, but imposes severe punishment on
anyone carrying out acts of terrorism. Some observers prev said the
Iraq interim govt doesn't have the power under the interim Const'n to
impose martial law.
11 pm
Police have stormed a house in SYD to find a suspect has shot himself dead.
}}
----------------------------------------
Sun, 04 Jul 2004.
HEADLINES:
Yemen fighting leaves 118 dead
Iraqi Govt to make emergency laws
Iraq oil exports ruptured
Cheney cautions against Iraq pullout
12 Taliban fighters killed
ALP denies bad blood with big business
AQIS gives E Timor chickens "all clear"
AUS, Indonesia open regional anti-terror school
Alleged abalone poachers face stiff penalties
Bahrain rejects US terrorism warning
Body of siege gunman found
Call for tighter child protection laws
Cassini pictures shatter Titan theories
Caves hold clues to the mystery of the 3 hares
Children killed in Mid E violence
Congested Bangkok opens subway
Darfur rebels boycott talks
Disobedient NSW jurors may face jail
Ethiopian wins Gold Coast Marathon
Few see the blues as a real problem
Heat wave kills 39 in China
Kashmir explosions kill 2, wound 53
Kenyan police struggle to control protests
Labor lashes Govt "smear campaign"
Man killed while kayaking
Militants claim US soldier beheaded
Mitsubishi celebrates strong sales
Musos unearthed at jazz festival
NSW abattoir closes, 150 jobs go
Nurses hear aged care gripes
Palestinian killed in refugee camp clash
Police investigate new claims over Azaria mystery
Powell gets down at ASEAN forum
Russian officers arrive at Yukos HQ
Russian police raid Yukos HQ
Scientists release election wish list
Siege continues in SYD
Tas urged to lead way on smoking bans
Thousands expected at Gay Pride
Iraq oil exports ruptured
Basra (AFP). Iraqi oil exports were hit on Sat by a rupture to a main
pipeline in the south.
An official at the oil terminal in Basra, Iraq's main pumping site,
said exports had fallen from 84,000 barrels per hour to 40,000 after
the pipeline was breached.
It was not immediately clear if the pipeline had been sabotaged or had
sprung a leak.
The rupture was at the site of one of 2 sabotage attacks last m which
effectively halted Iraqi exports for almost a week.
"I can confirm the pipeline was breached. The cause was unknown," a
Brit military rep said.
Repairs and investigations were continuing, he said.
World oil prices soared last m when the 2 pipelines pumping crude to 2
terminals in the Gulf were both shut down by attacks.
* Violence
Meanwhile there are reports that 5 Iraqi nat'l guards have been killed
and 5 wounded in an attack on a checkpoint S of Baghdad.
Hospital officials say the dead include one officer and 4 soldiers.
They also say that 3 of the wounded have been seriously hurt.
Russian officers arrive at Yukos HQ
Moscow (Reuters). Russian special police forces are reported to have
arrived at the Moscow HQ of the oil company Yukos to take over the
building. The move comes 2 days after a court froze the company's
assets and gave it 5 days to pay a tax bill of $bns. A Yukos rep says
company employees will not try to resist the police takeover. Yukos
has warned it faces bankruptcy because of the immediate tax demand and
says that with its accounts frozen it cannot even sell off assets to
keep operating.
Russian police raid Yukos HQ
Russian special police outside Yukos HQ in Moscow.
Moscow (ABC, Emma Griffiths). Russian police have raided the HQ of
the country's largest oil-producing company, Yukos, as part of
investigations into tax evasion worth $bns.
Riot police lined up outside the Yukos HQ while dozens of Interior
Ministry police searched the building.
They have reportedly seized documents and computer servers and a
company rep says without the servers Yukos's operations are likely to
come to a standstill.
The oil giant has been battling tax evasion claims worth $5 bn and has
been given until Wed to pay up.
Yukos has warned it is on the brink of bankruptcy.
Russian Pres Vladimir Putin has said the Govt does not want Yukos to
go under but some foreign investors fear the moves have been driven by
the Kremlin in a bid to gain greater control over the oil industry.
The company's former chief and Russia's richest man, Mikhail
Khodorkovsky, is in jail facing charges of fraud and tax evasion.
Militants claim US soldier beheaded
A militant group claims it has killed US Marine Wassef Ali Hassoun.
Baghdad (Reuters). A militant group claims it has beheaded US Marine
Cpl Wassef Ali Hassoun, the 2nd reported killing of a kidnapped
American soldier in Iraq this wk.
"We beheaded the marine of Lebanese origin, Hassoun, and you will see
the film with your own eyes soon," the Army of Ansar al-Sunna said in
a statement carried on at least 2 Internet sites.
The US military has said Cpl Hassoun has been absent from his unit
since Jun 21 but says as far as it is concerned he is still alive,
despite the latest claims.
"Right now he's captured. No one should be speculating" about his
fate, US marine Lt Col TV Johnson said.
It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the
Arabic-language statement, which was addressed to US Pres George W
Bush and advised him to withdraw his troops from Iraq.
The Ansar al-Sunna statement also said the group was holding another
"infidel" hostage.
Last Sun, Arabic television station Al Jazeera aired a video tape of
militants holding a blindfolded, 24-yo Cpl Hassoun with a sword poised
over his head.
They demanded the release of prisoners in Iraq.
* God's law
"We will soon issue a new tape showing a new infidel hostage," Ansar
al-Sunna said in its statement, without giving the nat'lity of the hostage.
The militants said in a previous statement they would carry on attacking
Iraqi officials and US-led foreign forces, despite Washington's hand over
to an interim Iraqi Govt last Mon, until "God's law" prevailed in Iraq.
Hours after the hand over, Al Jazeera broadcast a video tape showing
what militants said was the killing of US Private Keith Matthew Maupin, 20.
In the video a gunman could be seen firing one shot at the soldier,
wearing greenish overalls and seen only from the back, in a dark setting.
Ansar al-Sunna's statement said Cpl Hassoun was kidnapped when he had
"romantic relations with an Arab girl and ... was lured away from his base".
Cpl Hassoun's Lebanese father had urged his son's captors to have
mercy on him as a Muslim and Arab.
Ali Mohammed Hassoun told reporters in Lebanon's N port city of Tripoli
on Mon he had learned of the beheading threat to his son through the media.
He said it had been about 2 m since he last heard from his son, who
obtained US citizenship after emigrating to the US 4 ya and joining
the military.
The US military says Ansar al-Sunna could be one of a handful of
groups carrying out attacks in Iraq.
The group claimed responsibility for suicide bombings last Feb in the
N Iraqi city of Arbil that killed more than 100 people.
Yemen fighting leaves 118 dead
Sana (AFP). More than 2 wk of heavy clashes between supporters of an
extremist preacher and the Yemeni army in the country's N have killed
118 people on both sides, the Yemeni Interior Min says.
Rashad al-Alimi told Parliament that 86 supporters of cleric Hussein
Badr Eddin al-Huthi had been killed, as well as 32 soldiers and
policemen, since the fighting erupted on Jun 18 in Saada province,
near the border with Saudi Arabia.
Another 185 extremists have been captured while the wounded include
120 army and police members, and 21 Mr Huthi supporters, Mr Alimi added.
But fighting continued in the area as the minister spoke, with Nashoor
residents, in Saada, telling AFP that 7 soldiers were reportedly
killed on Sat.
A witness in Malaheet, also in the province, also said 4 more of Mr
Huthi's supporters had been killed, while 6 were wounded.
It was not clear if the reported deaths were included in the minister's toll.
Yemen's army has stepped up its offensive against Mr Huthi and his men
holed up in his N mountain stronghold of Maran.
Mediation efforts led by MPs, including Mr Huthi's brother, Yahia,
reached deadlock when the self-styled "Emir al-Mumineen", or prince of
believers, refused to negotiate.
One of the mediating lawmakers accused elements of the army of
undermining efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully.
Mr Huthi is a preacher from the Zaidi community, a moderate Shiite Muslim
sect dominant in NW Yemen but in the minority in the mainly Sunni country.
Yemeni authorities accuse him of stirring trouble by organising anti-US demos.
Since the Sep 11, 2001 attacks in the US, Yemen has launched a major
crackdown against Al Qaeda sympathisers among the country's Sunni
majority, but the Zaidi minority had been relatively calm.
Children killed in Mid E violence
Jerusalem (ABC, Mark Willacy and Reuters). Palestinian medics say
Israeli troops have shot and killed 2 Palestinian children in the Gaza
Strip town of Beit Hanoun.
Both were reported to be throwing stones at soldiers when they were
killed. A 24-yo was also wounded in the clash.
Ehab Shattat, 10, was hit in the chest when Israeli soldiers opened
fire on stone-throwing Palestinians. His father said the boy had gone
to buy ice cream when he was killed.
"I went outside and found my son lying on the ground," about 20 metres
from his home, Abdel-Karim Shattat told reporters.
In the same area a few hours later, a Palestinian teenager was killed
after being shot in the back and stomach by Israeli troops.
Military sources said soldiers fired warning shots into the air when
protesters threw cement blocks and stones at them in Beit Hanoun.
The Israeli Army said it was checking the report of Ehab's death and
had no immediate comment on the teenager's killing.
Shortly beforehand, several hundred mourners had gathered in Beit
Hanoun to bury a 22-yo Palestinian who was killed during clashes with
soldiers in the town on Fri.
Israeli forces have besieged Beit Hanoun, a town of 30,000, since Mon,
when a 3-yo Israeli boy and a man died in a rocket attack launched by
militants from the N Gaza area.
An Israeli military source has said that the soldiers could remain in
the Beit Hanoun area for m to prevent further rocket attacks.
Heat wave kills 39 in China
HK (Reuters). Hot weather killed 39 people in 2 days last wk in the
muggy southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, nr HK. The Beijing Youth
Daily reported that temperatures during a 6-day heat wave last wk
peaked at 39.1 Celsius. Most of the 39 victims who died on Jul 1 and
2 were elderly people with chronic diseases, the paper said. Many
others were rushed to hospital and some hospitals reported receiving
about 1,000 patients a day.
Cheney cautions against Iraq pullout
Dick Cheney says AUS has played an important role in Iraq.
Sydney. US Vice Pres Dick Cheney has warned the Aussie Labor Party
against withdrawing AUS's troops from Iraq by Christmas.
Mr Cheney says AUS has played a significant role in Iraq and it would
be unfortunate if the troops were withdrawn.
Labor leader Mark Latham says he wants the Aussie forces home by the
end of the year, if he is elected PM.
Mr Cheney says AUS's role is vital.
"It would be unfortunate if AUS were to withdraw from the coalition,"
Mr Cheney told Channel Nine. "It's achieved such great results up till now.
"From the perspective of what we are trying to accomplish, in terms of
establishing democracy there, the Aussie contribution has been very
significant."
US Pres George W Bush last m said it would be "disastrous" if AUS
withdrew its troops, sparking allegations that he was interfering in
Aussie politics.
* Hicks, Habib
Mr Cheney has also given an assurance that Aussie terrorism suspects
David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib -- who the US military is holding at
Guantanamo Bay in Cuba -- will be treated fairly.
"I believe in the case of Mr Hicks there has already been scheduled a
proceeding for him, a trial for him before a military tribunal and I
don't think the matter in respect to the other gentleman has yet been
resolved," Mr Cheney said.
"But Mr Hicks will be given a fair trial and that's as it should be."
Hicks has been charged with conspiracy to commit war crimes, attempted
murder by an unprivileged belligerent and aiding the enemy.
The charges will be heard by a US military commission.
12 Taliban fighters killed
Kabul (AFP). At least 12 suspected Taliban militants, including a man
thought to be a top cmdr of the militia, have been killed in
Afghanistan. They were targeted in a joint operation by Afghan and
United States-led coalition forces. The operation was launched after
insurgents fired rockets on an army post in SE Zabul Province. A
search operation is still going on to track down the remnants of
Taliban fighters in the area. Zabul, S Kandahar Province and central
Uruzgan are believed to be Taliban strong-holds. Regular attacks on
coalition and Afghan troops, aid workers and reconstruction companies
have been taking place in all 3 provinces.
AUS, Indonesia open regional anti-terror school
Megawati Sukarnoputri opened the centre.
Semarang (ABC/AFP/Reuters). Indonesia's Pres Megawati Sukarnopurtri
has opened an anti-terror training centre funded by AUS in the central
Java city of Semarang.
The training centre -- boasting a forensic laboratory, a Boeing 737-200
airplane and building facades -- is set up inside the Nat'l Police Academy.
Aussie Justice Min Chris Ellison says the Jakarta Centre for Law
Enforcement Cooperation demonstrates a commitment to shut down
terrorism in the region, specifically Jemaah Islamiah (JI).
"This signifies our commitment from both Indonesia and AUS in the
fight against terrorism and, of course, involves other countries in
the region in relation to that fight," he said.
Opened with the backing of nearly $40 mn from AUS, the centre builds
on cooperation established between the Indonesian police and Aussie
Fed Police (AFP) who conducted a joint investigation into the Oct 2002
Bali bombings.
The centre has already hosted 14 Aussie police to instruct local
officers on the forensics of bomb explosions.
The centre is open to police and other officials in the Asia-Pacific
region and the curriculum is structured in 2 wk courses, ranging from
examining victims of bombings to handling a hijacking.
Counter-terrorism experts from regional countries have been invited to
teach at the centre, Mr Bachtiar said.
* Demonstrations
After Pres Megawati opened the centre, Indonesian specialist
anti-terror units ran through a series of mock responses to terror attacks.
AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty and Sen Ellison watched the demos with interest.
After watching the displays, they said the arrest this wk of 6 members
of the JI organisation in nearby Solo underlined the success of
Aussie, Indonesian police cooperation since the Bali attacks.
Indonesia has also opened an internat'l school for intel studies in
the industrial island of Batam, an hour by boat from Singapore
Bahrain rejects US terrorism warning
Bahrain (AFP). Bahrain's Parliament has dismissed a US warning that
Muslim extremists are planning attacks on US interests in the Gulf
state, saying there is "no direct terrorist threat" there.
"The security situation is very stable in Bahrain, due to the
democratic climate in the kingdom," the Parliament said in a statement.
The assembly "refused to consider this warning as [a sign] of a direct
terrorist threat for the [foreign] citizens or residents" of Bahrain.
It described the US warning is a "normal measure that any state takes
faced with hostile terrorist actions".
On Fri, a Bahraini official played down the warning to Americans,
saying: "Bahrain does not expect terrorist acts."
On Fri, Pentagon officials said credible reports of a possible
terrorist attack in the Gulf state had prompted Washington to order
dependents of military personnel and non-emergency defence officials
to leave the country.
Bahrain is the home port of the US Fifth Fleet and hosts some 5,000
Americans, most of them military personnel.
The US bills Bahrain as a "major non-NATO ally".
Darfur rebels boycott talks
Darfur (AFP). One of 2 rebel groups in Sudan's W Darfur region has
said it will not join political negotiations in the Ethiopian capital
this month aimed at ending the crisis there.
A rep for the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Abdallah Abdel
Kerim, says the group will boycott the talks "as we [were] not
involved in choosing the date or the place for the political negotiations".
"These negotiations are coming too quickly, since several of the points
in the cease-fire accord of Apr 8 have not been respected, like the creation
of a humanitarian corridor and the disarming of the Janjaweed," he said.
The Janjaweed are Arab militias who have been targeting rebels in the
region and which have forced more than 1 mn people from their homes.
African Union president Alpha Oumar Konare announced on Fri that
political negotiations between the warring parties to try to end the
crisis would begin in Addis Ababa on Jul 15.
At least 10,000 people have been killed in Darfur since fighting broke
out in Feb last year, when black African rebel groups rose up against
the Arab Govt in Khartoum.
Iraqi Govt to make emergency laws
Baghdad. Iraq's new Interim Govt is set to introduce emergency laws
that can be applied to specific areas for set periods of time. The
legislation has been dubbed the "nat'l salvation law". Vice president
for nat'l security Barham Saleh says the law would be announced soon
in an attempt to counter insurgents and terrorists planning attacks in
Iraq. He says the law would be less repressive than emergency laws,
but would impose severe penalties for people carrying out terrorist acts.
Palestinian killed in refugee camp clash
Nablus (AFP). Israeli troops have shot dead a man who Palestinian
sources say was throwing stones at troops but the Israeli Army says
was an "armed gunman".
The shooting happened in the Balata refugee camp in the W Bank town of Nablus.
Palestinian medical and security sources say Mahmud Lehawani, 18, died
after being hit by a bullet in the chest when soldiers opened fire
towards a group of young stone throwers.
They say 2 other Palestinian youths also sustained gunshot wounds in
the incident, one of whom was said to be in a serious condition.
An Israeli Army rep says troops shot and killed "an armed gunman who
fired at the force".
Mr Lehawani's death comes about 3 wk after his brother Salah, also in
his teens, was shot dead by troops while throwing stones, Palestinian
security sources said.
The Army rep said that in a 2nd incident in the camp, troops shot and
injured a person who "tried to activate 3 explosive devices against
soldiers patrolling the area".
It was not clear what became of the injured man, he said.
Kashmir explosions kill 2, wound 53
Srinagar (Reuters). 2 people were killed and more than 50 wounded in
2 attacks on Sat in disputed Kashmir, where a new peace momentum
between India and Pakistan has failed to stop the violence. Police
said a bomb hidden in a hand cart exploded in the heart of Kashmir's
main city, Srinagar, killing 2 people and wounding 29. The explosion
came days after the nuclear-armed neighbours vowed to hold sustained
dialogue to resolve the dispute over Kashmir. Hours after the blast
-- nr Srinagar's main tourist attraction, the Dal Lake -- separatist
guerrillas threw a grenade at an army patrol, wounding 24 people. No
rebel group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Kashmir, a
beautiful Himalayan region that has been torn by a bloody separatist
struggle for about 15 y. The thaw in relations between India and
Pakistan has attracted 1000s of tourists to Srinagar despite a sudden
rise in violence. Police said tourists were not hurt in the blast.
Thousands expected at Gay Pride
London (BBC). This y London's Gay Pride march will enjoy official
status. Up until now authorities have treated it as a demo by
protesters. But this y it will be a parade, which is expected to
attract 1000s of spectators. Gay Pride rep Jason Pollock says it is
hoped the event will become similar to SYD's Gay and Lesbian Mardi
Gras. "This y we've become an official parade, which means we can
double in size," he said. "We're going to be working with City Hall
and the mayor to make this into SYD Mardi Gras or the equivalent for
London next y. "It also means we can have this massive party in
Finsbury Park and basically the whole event just gets bigger."
Powell gets down at ASEAN forum
Colin Powell goes disco at ASEAN forum.
Jakarta (ABC/BBC). US Secretary of State Colin Powell has wowed ASEAN
foreign ministers in Jakarta with a rousing rendition of a disco
classic. Mr Powell donned a hard hat and stuffed a hammer in his belt
for the Village People's disco hit YMCA. The words were changed to
fit the formal title of the event -- Regional Post Min'ial Conference
or RPMC. The performance also showcased Mr Powell's dancing talents.
He was backed by 5 US officials, all imitating the gaily flamboyant
outfits of the original band. Mins regularly give their own take on
classic tunes at the after dinner show, a highlight of the annual forum.
Caves hold clues to the mystery of the 3 hares
The 3 hares riddle has puzzled archaeologists and scientists for many ys.
London (AFP). Brit researchers are heading to a remote part of W
China to try and unravel one of archaeology's most puzzling mysteries.
They plan to find out why the same sacred symbol has been found in
apparently unconnected ancient sites around the world.
Depictions of 3 hares joined by the ears can be seen in Brit medieval
churches, 13th century Mongol metalwork and temples from China's Sui
dynasty of the 6th and 7th century, the Daily Telegraph reported on Sat.
Academics have long been baffled as to why the circular motif became
prominent in Christian, Islamic and Buddhist cultures separated by
such great distances and times.
In each place the depiction of the hares, chasing each other in a
circle with the ears touching each other's heads, is virtually identical.
A Brit research team, led by an archaeologist, will travel to the town
of Dunhuang in the W Chinese province of Gansu next m to examine caves
which might shed light on the mystery, the report said.
More than 1,000 y ago, Dunhuang was a key staging point on the Silk
Road -- the famous network of trading routes which linked China with
Central Asia and Iran with branches into Tibet and S Asia.
As well as commodities, the Silk Road saw religions and ideas spread
great distances.
The researchers say this could be the key to the hare motif.
"We don't know for sure how the symbol travelled to the W but the most
likely explanation is that they were on the valuable oriental silks
brought to W medieval churches to wrap holy relics, as altar cloths
and in vestments," art historian Sue Andrew told the Daily Telegraph.
The earliest know example of the symbol is in textile canopies painted
on the ceilings of caves in Dunhuang, which the researchers will examine.
The town in famous for a network of caves containing 1000s of documents
and fabrics from the Silk Road, which were sealed in about 1000 AD.
The caves and their contents -- preserved astonishingly well by the
dry local climate -- were rediscovered by Hungarian born, Brit-based
explorer Marc Aurel Stein, who trekked along the Silk Road a series of
times between 1900 and 1930.
"It is a very beautiful and stirring image which has an intrinsic
power which is quite lovely," archaeologist Tom Green -- who is
leading the research team -- told the newspaper.
"If we can open a window on something that in the past had relevance
and meaning to people separated by 1000s of miles and 100s of years,
it could benefit our present day understanding of the things we share
with different cultures and religions," he said.
Congested Bangkok opens subway
Bangkok (BBC). A new underground railway system has opened in
Bangkok, one of the world's most traffic congested cities. Thailand's
capital already has an above ground rail system -- the Sky Train. But
the new subway, built at a cost of $7.5 bn, goes further into the
city's sprawling suburbs. For many it is not just a question of
convenience. Govt figures suggest that one in 6 people living in the
capital suffer from breathing problems linked to traffic pollution.
Kenyan police struggle to control protests
Nairobi. Police have fired tear gas and water cannons at 100s of
student demonstrators in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The protesters
have called for the resignation of Pres Mwai Kibaki. Demonstrators
defied a Govt ban and took to the streets and several main roads were
sealed off as they tried to make their way to Uhuru Park on the edge
of the city. Students threw stones at police who responded with tear
gas and mounted police struggled to control the crowd. The protest
was organised by opp'n activists who are calling on Mr Kibaki to
introduce constitutional reform. Mr Kibaki came to power in Dec 2002
and has failed to change the constitution despite several promises to
reform it within 100 days.
Ethiopian wins Gold Coast Marathon
Brisbane. The ACT's Gemochu Woyecha has taken out this year's Gold
Coast Marathon. The Ethiopian-born runner took the 42 km race from
Japan's Yasuhiro Karasu and Tanzania's Dickson Marwa. The women's
division was won by Vic Anna Thompson.
Musos unearthed at jazz festival
Brisbane. Jazz and blues enthusiasts are making the most of a day out
in Bris today. The 6th annual Bris Jazz and Blues Festival is
underway in the Roma Street Parklands. Festival coordinator Carney
Nir says people can enjoy 7 hr of music, including Joe Camilleri and
the Brown Brothers. She says there is also a great variety of younger
artists. "There's a really strong jazz and blues scene here at the
moment," she said. "It's great to see that, alongside the established
performers, there's some really talented and diverse up and coming
artists as well. "That's something that we've tried to include in the
festival this year, basically there's something for everyone."
AQIS gives E Timor chickens "all clear"
Darwin. The Aussie Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) says
there is no obvious sign of bird flu in E Timor.
For the last 18 months, AQIS has been supporting the E Timorese with
quarantine issues including regular animal health surveys.
Darwin-based AQIS veterinarian Emma Watkins has just returned from
assisting a poultry survey in E Timor.
Earlier this y E Timor announced a ban on imports of fresh poultry
products from countries affected by the virus.
Dr Watkins says the survey focused on the country's border area and
farms with chickens imported from Indonesia but there was no obvious
signs of the virus.
"People were ready for us and in some cases the owners were appearing
from everywhere with their chickens, so we had great cooperation," she said.
Dr Watkins says the poultry blood samples are being tested at the
Aussie Animal Health Laboratory in Vic for a range of diseases
including bird flu.
"The E Timorese quarantine service has put measures in place to
prevent the importation of any risk materials from Indonesia, so
they're sort of doing their part," she said.
"These surveys complement that by producing evidence that the disease
hasn't come into E Timor."
NSW abattoir closes, 150 jobs go
Harden, NSW. The NSW meat processing sector continues to shrink, with
another abattoir closing and 150 jobs lost. A 3rd y of drought has
forced the closure of the Harden abattoir in the state's S west. In
the past 18 m, meatworks have also closed at Orange, Mudgee, Forbes
and Woy Woy. The state's Stock and Station Agents president, Dick
Cameron, says cost pressures are forcing out smaller processors.
"Occupational health and safety [and] workers compensation premiums
are sky-rocketing, payroll taxes and iniquitous tax for a small- to
medium-size business that has to compete with bigger companies, all
these sorts of pressures really take their toll," he said.
Nurses hear aged care gripes
A nat'l phone-in to identify key issues about aged care has been
inundated with calls.
Sydney. The Aussie Nursing Federation is hoping the phone-in will
pressure the Fed Govt to improve the aged care system.
People were asked to call and talk about their experiences with the system.
Gay Hawksworth from the Qld Nurses Union says the level of care and
support for dementia patients was a hot topic on the phone lines.
"People, both nurses and relatives, believe that there's not enough
education for those who are involved with caring for patients with
dementia," she said.
"They believe their work would be made a lot easier if they had better
skills."
Judith Kiejda, from the NSW Nurses Association, says one of the major
problems is a shortage of nurses.
She says the association, which represents nurses across the country,
wanted to hear from as many people as possible so it could get a
better picture of the aged care sector.
"We need the community to let us know how they're really feeling about
this so that we can get it back on the agenda and get decent policy
for aged care," she said.
Ms Kiejda says the association is already aware of a number of serious
problems in the aged care system.
"We don't have enough registered nurses, the carers we do have haven't
enough time to spend with the residents," she said.
"There is a huge wage disparity between the public sector nurses and
the aged care sector nurses that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency."
Nerolli Ellis, from the Tasn branch of the federation, says a similar
phone-in conducted more than 2 y ago was very successful.
"We had a tremendous response, particularly from Tas, with many of the
major concerns being raised," she said.
The Aussie Nursing Federation says the confidential info will now be
collated to form their election strategy.
Few see the blues as a real problem
Less than 5% of Aussies believe depression is a major health problem.
Melbourne. A nat'l study on depression suggests less than 5% of
Aussies believe the illness is a major health problem.
The study finds many are unaware of the symptoms of depression.
Depression campaign group Beyond Blue questioned nearly 3,000 people
in the study.
Just 3% of those who took part think depression is a major health problem.
Beyond Blue says depression and anxiety account for most of the
economic, social and personal costs of mental disorders in AUS.
But researcher Nicole Highet says most still view the illness as a weakness.
"When they come forward and say they are suffering or experiencing
depression, a lot of the time people have this thing that it's an
attitude problem, get over it, pull your socks up, that sort of
attitude," she said.
Dr Highet says many people still do not know how to deal with
depression sufferers and 45% of respondents believe keeping out of
someone's way is helpful.
A further 34% of people surveyed thought sharing their own problems
helps but Dr Highet says both approaches make depression worse.
Beyond Blue has used the study to formulate a new nat'l community
awareness campaign, Blue Skies, which it launches today.
Tas urged to lead way on smoking bans
Health professionals have renewed calls for a total and immediate ban
on smoking in public places in Tas.
Hobart. The cancer specialist who watched former premier Jim Bacon
die of lung cancer has called for a total ban to be enforced
immediately. The State Govt plans to extend smoking restrictions to
include gaming areas and nightclubs from Jan but the head of oncology
at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Prof Ray Lowenthal, says nothing short
of a total ban is acceptable. "It's a very shameful situation that
govts allow themselves to be influenced by these peddlers of death,"
he said. Aussie Medical Association president Bill Glasson says Tas
could be the 1st to act. "It would really be the message for all
other states to provide similar legislation to ensure that smoking was
banned from all public places across AUS," he said. A private
member's Bill which would enforce total smoking bans is due to be
debated in the next session of Tasn Parliament.
Labor lashes Govt "smear campaign"
2 fed Labor front-benchers have accused the Liberal Party of running a
smear campaign against Labor leader Mark Latham.
Canberra. Mr Latham's character has come under scrutiny in a TV
profile and newspaper stories, including claims about a physical
altercation with a constituent 15 y ago when he was a councillor at
Liverpool in SYD.
Labor front-bencher Wayne Swan has accused the Govt of lowering the
tone of debate and of "dirty tricks".
"All we've got here is second-hand and third-hand gossip," Mr Swan
told Channel Ten.
"What people want is a debate about ideas, not innuendo. I don't
believe that the Aussie people are remotely interested in this sort of gossip."
Deputy Labor leader Jenny Macklin levelled similar accusations at the Govt.
"The PM might be trying to avoid it but I suspect he's got a few other
people running around behind closed doors trying to feed these
stories," Ms Macklin said.
But Workplace Relations Min Kevin Andrews has rejected claims the
Liberals are digging around in Mr Latham's past.
"I have no info that the Govt is collecting any dirt on Latham," Mr
Andrews told ABC TV's Insiders program.
"What we are doing is looking at his policies and what the Business
Council report about jobs shows is that Mark Latham does not
understand the detail of his own policies."
A rep for PM John Howard says Labor's allegations of a smear campaign
are ludicrous.
* King hit
The debate comes after Liverpool resident Don Nelson said Mr Latham
tried to "king hit" him late one Sat night 15 y ago.
"Mark Latham was on my right and out the corner of my eye I saw the
fist coming in my direction," Mr Nelson said.
Mr Nelson says he avoided Mr Latham's punch and then "sat him on his backside".
In a bid to head off the allegations, Mr Latham told his side of the
story on radio last wk, playing down the incident as ancient history
and rejecting claims he hit Mr Nelson.
"I grabbed hold of him," Mr Latham said. "He was ... not in any state
to do anyone any real harm but we just got hold of him and got him out
of the campaign rooms, a bit of crowd control, and that was the end of that."
But a 3rd man who says he was at the scene of the fracas has told
Channel Nine's Sun program, speaking on condition of anonymity, that
Mr Latham "threw the 1st blow".
Mr Latham last wk blamed the Liberal Party for trying to stir up
things from his past on the eve of the election and he called for a
clean and positive campaign.
"It's ancient history that's being recycled under the banner of
investigative journalism," he said.
* Latham responds
In a statement released earlier today, Mr Latham says claims he king
hit a man while he was a Liverpool councillor 15 y ago are ridiculous,
untrue and unbelievable.
Mr Latham also says newspaper reports about his 1st marriage,
including allegations of intimidation and infidelity, are not new.
He says it is the same old rumours and gossip he has been hearing for ys.
ALP denies bad blood with big business
Labor is under attack for its workplace relations policies.
Canberra. The Labor Party has rejected suggestions it has a bad
relationship with big business.
An Access Economics report released last wk claimed Labor's workplace
policies would be detrimental to AUS's economic growth.
It found that re-centralising and re-regulating the workplace system
would have a negative effect on productivity and jobs growth.
The Opp'n's workplace relations rep, Craig Emerson, has told Channel 9
his party is in constant contact with the private sector and relations
are good.
"We believe in productivity, we believe in making profits because if
businesses make profits they then hire people and that's very
important to AUS's economic future," he said.
"It's the Labor philosophy -- the Labor philosophy is the creation and
maintenance of an open, competitive economy."
But the Workplace Relations Min, Kevin Andrews, says Labor is turning
its back on economic changes it implemented in the Keating years and
the result would be devastating.
"What they're doing now is walking away from the trends and from what they
put in place in the 1st place," Mr Andrews told ABC TV's Insiders program.
"They want to abolish the individual Aussie workplace agreements, they
want to abolish the secondary boycott provisions in the Trade Practices Act."
Mr Andrews says the Access Economics report is damning.
[In another report from Access Economics, the Howard govt's spending
is criticised for blowing the budget into deficit for the next 2 y :)].
"You have something like an 80-page report which condemns Labor Party
industrial relations policy as one that will lead to the loss of jobs
for Aussies and what we're concerned about is more jobs and higher
wages, not destroying jobs," he said.
"What I think it shows is that Mark Latham doesn't actually understand
the detail of his own industrial relations policy."
Scientists release election wish list
Scientists want more funds poured into research and development.
Canberra. Scientists are calling for whichever party wins this y's
fed election to inject more money into research and development (R&D).
The Federation of Aussie Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS)
has issued a wish list it wants politicians to adopt ahead of the election.
The priorities include increased funding for research and greater
efforts to attract science and maths teachers.
Fed'n president Snow Barlow says AUS is in danger of falling behind
other countries.
"It's clear now that the world has taken the turn towards investing in
science and innovation, which leads to these knowledge economies which
deliver the standard of living we are all looking for," he said.
"We've got to invest in that and it's not an instant return -- it's a
long-term investment."
Prof Barlow says AUS's investment in R&D is projected to fall to 0.62%
of GDP in 2004/05, down from 0.66% in 2002-03.
"FASTS are particularly looking for decisive action to inject more
scientists and technologists into all levels of Aussie industry," he
added in a statement.
"Even a modest program that places 100 post-doctorates into industry
per y will significantly change business culture over time."
Mitsubishi celebrates strong sales
Mitsubishi sales climb.
[The car marker is the only one losing global sales].
Adelaide. Mitsubishi Motors AUS has some rare cause for celebration
today, after reporting strong sales to the end of the financial year.
The Lancer sedan led the good news for the troubled car maker, setting
a new sales record in Jun, which proved the model's 2nd best month
ever. Mitsubishi's light commercial and four-wheel-drive ranges also
put in strong results. Meanwhile, the company is taking delivery of
new sheet metal stamping equipment to build the replacement for the
existing Magna, in a 1,000 tonne shipment at Port Adel today.
Police investigate new claims over Azaria mystery
Lindy and Azaria Chamberlain ... mystery solved?
Darwin. NT police are investigating an elderly MEL man's claims that
he shot the dingo that took Azaria Chamberlain from a Uluru campsite in 1980.
Frank Cole has told the Sun Herald Sun he can solve the mystery of
baby Azaria's death.
Azaria's disappearance from the Uluru campsite in 1980 has captured
the nat'l attention ever since. Her mother, Lindy Chamberlain,
famously told police and the media that "a dingo took my baby".
Lindy Chamberlain was later sentenced to life in prison for murdering
Azaria, only to be released 3 y later after the discovery of new
evidence. Her conviction was subsequently quashed.
Mr Cole told the newspaper he found a baby in a dingo's mouth near
Uluru but he did not report it to police at the time because he feared
he would get in trouble for using a firearm in a nat'l park.
Mr Cole's son, Don, has told the ABC his father 1st told him of the
story about a y ago.
NT police say they are aware of the man's claims and the appropriate
investigations will take place. They plan to contact Vic Police about
the claims.
The Chamberlain case was made famous around the world, partially
thanks to a movie based on the story, Evil Angels starring Meryl Streep.
Lindy Chamberlain is currently involved with the production of a new
mini-series about the saga for Channel Seven, titled Through My Eyes.
The ABC has learnt that Lindy Chamberlain is aware of Mr Cole's claims
but has never spoken to him.
Sources also say Mr Cole made contact with the producers of Through My
Eyes with the same claims but the documentary makers have declined to
interview him for their program.
Siege continues in SYD
[Later reports say the suspect committed suicide].
Sydney. A stand off between police and a man in the S SYD suburb of
Banksia is continuing. The siege began just after 10.00 am
yesterday when police arrived at the Banksia home to question a man
over the death of a 21-yo woman believed to be his girlfriend.
Neighbours say they heard up to a dozen shots fired. Police then
cordoned off the area and evacuated nearby houses. The 20-yo man
refused to speak to police until last night when contact was made.
Today police have been speaking to the man on a loud speaker. So far
there has been no breakthrough, but police remain hopeful the
situation can be resolved peacefully.
Body of siege gunman found
Sydney. A 33-hr siege in SYD's S has ended after a 23-yo man shot
himself. The man had held police at bay at his Banksia home since
10.00 am on Fri. Police stormed the man's home just before 8.00 pm
and discovered the man's body. Police took a gun from the scene
for examination. The stand off began when police investigating the
murder of the man's 21-yo girlfriend arrived at his house. Witnesses
say shots were fired at police. Police then cordoned off the area and
evacuated nearby houses.
Man killed while kayaking
Sydney. A man has died while kayaking at Jervis Bay on the NSW south
coast. Rescue workers launched an extensive search when the man
failed to return from a kayaking trip about 3.00 pm on Sat. The
man's upturned kayak was recovered shortly after, off Hyam's Beach. A
volunteer coast guard boat discovered the man's body in Jervis Bay.
Alleged abalone poachers face stiff penalties
Melbourne. Police have charged 4 MEL residents for allegedly poaching
abalone from Port Phillip Bay. The 3 men and one woman from Delahey
in MEL's NW were arrested off Point Cook early yesterday morning after
a tip-off from professional fishermen. Fisheries officers seized
almost 1,200 abalone and also took possession of 2 cars, 2 boats and
diving equipment. Acting regional fisheries manager Scott Falconer
says the 4 are facing stiff penalties under news laws aiming to
prevent trafficking in commercial quantities of fish. "The maximum
penalties for that offence is 10 y' imprisonment and fines of up to
$250,000," he said.
Disobedient NSW jurors may face jail
Sydney. NSW jurors who disregard instructions from judges could be
sent to jail under new laws. The move comes after a retrial was
ordered in a high-profile gang rape case. Under the new laws, it will
be an offence for jurors to conduct their own investigations as part
of a trial or disregard instructions from a judge. The sheriff's
office will be given powers to investigate any breaches and interview
jurors. A-G Bob Debus says the penalty has not been decided yet but
it is likely to include a jail term. "The jury system is one of the
most important institutions of our democracy," he said. "[It] is one
of the most ancient institutions of our law and democracy and we must
protect it." The move comes after 2 alleged gang rapists had their
convictions overturned and a re-trial ordered after 2 jurors visited
the scene of one of the alleged crimes themselves. Any changes will
not apply to that matter.
Call for tighter child protection laws
Adelaide. The SA Liberals want higher standards of child protection
for SA school children Shadow Ed Min Vickie Chapman supports the
decision to hold a judicial inquiry into sex abuse of wards of the
state, but says children in state schools are being neglected. She
says action is needed, the child protection curriculum needs to be
looked at and there needs to be better processing of teachers and
staff so offenders can be readily identified. "Where a teacher, for
example, is disciplined in a school or resigns before the discipline
in relation to improper conduct -- the teacher's registration board
often do not know about it and therefore can't deregister them," she
said. "The consequence of that is that teachers can hop from one
school to another."
Cassini pictures shatter Titan theories
Pasadena (Reuters). NASA's Cassini spacecraft has pierced the haze
enveloping Saturn's largest moon to reveal surface details that have
already shattered theories about its composition.
On its 1st trip past Titan on Thu, the robotic probe snapped infrared
images that left scientists puzzled.
"This is the best view of the surface yet and we don't know what to
make of it," scientist Elizabeth Turtle said at the JPL in Pasadena.
Black and white photos taken 340,000 km above Titan's surface show a
murky landscape that Dr Turtle likened to a "melting ice cream sundae"
with some fuzzy linear structures that could be mountains, rivers or
fault lines.
Dr Turtle says that because features other than circular impact
craters were visible suggests Titan has geologic activity similar to
that of earth.
"It's dangerous to interpret a surface we've never seen, especially on
so little sleep," she said. "But we can't resist."
Scientists will get a better shot at Titan in Oct, when Cassini
descends to 1,200 km to snap close-ups of the moon, whose atmosphere
and soil resemble those of primordial earth and may contain the
building blocks of life.
Scientists had believed bright patches on Titan's surface seen in
earlier observations were pure water ice.
But the 1st infrared images taken by Cassini revealed water ice as
dark patches because it is mixed with "flotsam and jetsam" that may be
organic material that rained onto the surface, scientist Kevin Baines said.
Dr Baines says the infrared mapping of about 2% of Titan's surface did
not reveal bright flashes denoting liquid on Titan's otherwise frozen
surface, which is what scientists hope to see during the 4-y principal mission.
The infrared map did show a mass of clouds the size of the US state of
Arizona in Titan's S hemisphere that may rain down liquid methane and
could be linked to storms or an upthrust on the moon's surface, Dr
Baines said.
Dr Turtle says the team thinks liquid methane may play the same role
on Titan that water plays on earth.
For the 1st time, Cassini also mapped the interaction between the
magnetosphere, the huge magnetic bubble that surrounds the Saturn
system, and Titan's dynamic atmosphere.
The 80,000 km-wide gas cloud follows Titan in its orbit around Saturn
and is evidence that the moon's upper atmosphere is breaking down,
scientist Stamatios Krimigis said.
"Titan is gradually losing material from the top of its atmosphere and
that material is being dragged around Saturn," Dr Krimigis said.
"We think ... reactions from the surface percolate up and fuel the
[upper atmosphere] reaction."
The spacecraft also returned data that showed it has survived some
100,000 impacts with space dust particles the size of smoke as it flew
through Saturn's ring planes during the orbit insertion manoeuvre,
scientist Don Gurnett said.
The $US3 bn Cassini mission, a joint project of NASA, and the European
and Italian space agencies, is hailed as a model of internat'l
cooperation, with scientists from 17 countries participating.
Cassini was launched nearly 7 y ago by an internat'l team of
scientists and became the 1st spacecraft to orbit Saturn, its rings
and moons during an "orbit insertion" manoeuvre on Wed.
The space probe performed so flawlessly during its 3.5 bn km journey
that scientists scrapped an orbit correction planned for Sat.
{{
Midnight.
Yukos says officials have arrived at the company HQ in Moscow. They
were not wearing uniforms, say observers, and their purpose was not clear.
The king of Bahrain says he's willing to send a naval force to secure
Iraqi waters and also train the Iraqi navy.
1 am
UN Sec Gen Annan and the Sudan govt have agreed that Arab militants
in Darfur will be disarmed. Annan is on a fact-finding mission to the
region. The govt will allow human rights monitors into the Darfur
region. Observers say it's a major step forward, if implemented.
A dozens special police have come to take control of the 20-storey
Yukos building in Moscow. They've also begun a search for documents.
The Moscow prosecutor's office says it's investigating "structures
controlled by Yukos". Reporters have been cleared away from the
building. There are reports offices in the building are being sealed
off by police.
[After a 9 hr search the police left, and no-one was much the wiser as
to what they were looking for].
The Saudi Int Min says 2 militants shot by police in Apr had died
later. The Min says other militants took the 2 wounded men away, and
they had died later because they didn't receive medical care. One man
had a limb amputated by a chain saw, he added.
London. For the first time the City Council will recognise the Gay
Pride Parade. Previously, it had treated it as a demonstration.
Organisers hope 20,000 will attend.
2 am
The Yemeni govt says its killed 118 insurgents in clashes between
police and supporters of a rebel Shia cleric in the N of the country.
200 rebels were also captured. The fighting began last m, after
mediation failed. The govt accuse the cleric of "forming an
underground army that's staged protests against the US".
3 am
6 Iraqi nat'l guards have been killed, S of Baghdad. A checkpoint
guarding an oil depot was attacked with some kind of homemade bomb.
4 am
At least 16 people were injured in battles between demonstrators and
Kenyan police in the capital, Nairobi. The govt's 18 m honeymoon
period is over. It had promised a new Const'n by the 30th of Jun.
100s of protesters called on the govt to carry out its promise. The
govt said it was "working on it". Protesters say the Const'n would
take power away from the President. They begged police to allow their
protest to continue, but police used tear gas to break the demo up.
The new Kenyan govt had been elected on promises it would be
everything the regime of Arap Moi had not. The Kenyan opp'n has vowed
to continue with protests in coming wks.
9 am
Insurgents in Iraq claim to have beheaded another American hostage.
An Arabic-language website claims the group killed the hostage, who
has been MIA for 2 wks. The family of the Lebanese-born US soldier
had called on guerrillas to spare his life because he was a Muslim.
An elderly MEL man says he shot a dingo that had baby Azaria
Chamberlain in its mouth. He says the body of the child was buried
in a MEL back yard after a trip to C Australia with mates in 1980.
The Labor Party says a "secret dept of the Howard govt" had begun a
smear campaign against Opp'n leader Mark Latham in an effort to win
the up-coming election. With opinion polls mostly giving the ALP a
narrow lead over the Coal'n, TV and newspaper articles have appeared
over the weekend and today examining Mr Latham's personal life. A TV
program alleged the ALP leader assaulted a man when Mr Latham was a
SYD councillor 15 y ago. A newspaper article alleges he mistreated his
first wife.
French police have found 2 bodies in the grounds of a chateaux nr
Paris. They were investigating claims of a suspect who admitted to
killing 9 people, incl 7 young girls. Police say they were searching
for the remains of a 12 yo French girl and a 22 yo Belgian woman. By
the end of the day, police had uncovered 2 sets of remains in the
grounds of the property the suspect had once owned. The suspect was
connected with a series of murders over a 15 y period after his wife
gave evidence to Belgian police. She is now under arrest, too.
2 Pal boys aged 9 and 10 have been shot dead by Israeli soldiers in
protests in the Gaza Strip. Both were reported to be throwing stones
at soldiers in the N Gaza. The boy's father says the 9 yo in Beit
Hanun had gone to buy ice cream when he was shot. Doctors said he died
from a single bullet to the chest, probably fired from a tank-mounted
machine gun. Earlier, a 20 yo had been shot by soldiers. The
Israelis say he was planting a bomb. Pal witnesses say he was
throwing stones.
10 am
VP Dick Cheney has warned the ALP opp'n of withdrawing troops from
Iraq by Xmas. He's told Channel 9 Australia's role is "vital" to the
success of the US regime change operation and his re-election chances.
A study by the "Beyond Blue" group has found only 5% of Aussies
believe depression is a health problem. Most view it as a weakness.
45% believed keeping out of someone's way was helpful. Others believe
sharing their own problems was helpful. Psychiatrists warn both make
depression worse.
The Italian govt is in crisis again after PM Berlusconi forced the
resignation of the Economy Min and close ally.
10.30 am
Malcolm Mackerras says the election is still close to call. With a
1.7% swing needed for a change of govt, he rates the most likely
outcome is Kerry+Howard, then Kerry+Latham, 3rd Bush+Howard, and least
likely Bush+Latham.
Midday.
FM Alex Downer has announced a joint initiative with Indonesia aimed
at ending religious mistrust in South-East Asia.
2.30 pm
Israeli soldiers say they shot dead a man who was trying to infiltrate
a Jewish settlement in N Gaza. He was later found with an Kalashnikov rifle.
Police are investigating claims of an elderly MEL man who claimed he
shot the dingo that took baby Azaria. The man said he didn't report
it at the time because he was afraid he'd be prosecuted for shooting
in a nat'l park.
3.30 pm
Vancouver is thinking of turning out "neighbourhood pace cars" to
control speeding in sub'n streets. The volunteers are to have an
appropriate sticker, and drive down sub'n streets sticking to the
speed limit.
US military sources say 1 US soldier, 6 Iraqi police and a member of
the Iraqi civil def forces have been killed in attacks in the past 24 hrs.
6.30 pm
Insurgents are stepping up attacks in Iraq. A Marine has been killed W
of Baghdad. In Basra, a Brit convoy came under fire -- 1 soldier was
injured. In Balad, insurgents have clashed with the Iraqi military.
2 Iraqi civilians were caught in the cross-fire and killed. In
Ramadi, 4 people who died in fighting there were buried. This is the
blood of children, said one mourner. Another 6 Iraqis died guarding a
pipeline sabotaged by insurgents. PM Allawi says he's held ceasefire
talks with al-Sadr. He's looking for amnesty and looking to be part
of political process, said PM Allawi. [Later, al-Sadr seemed to
repudiate the PM's claims].
India says its tested a short-range nuclear-capable missile. It was
launched from a mobile launcher on an island off E Orissa state.
7 pm
Adel lawyer Kenny says Saddam will receive a fairer trial than Hicks
under the US military commission system. The comments come after VP
Dick Cheney assured Aussie TV viewers the terrorist suspect would
receive a fair trial under the commission process, which the Bush
Admin revived from the 1940s.
AUS has boosted its police presence in Indonesia with an AFP office
in Bali and an anti-terrorism training centre in Java. The Howard
govt has forked out $A40 mn for the training centre. Pres Megawati
opened it today. If she was hoping to boost her Mon election chances,
the effort back-fired. As usual, she was 1 hr late. 6 members of JI
were arrested not far from the Solo centre last wk.
9 pm
Israel has denied allegations by Gen Karpinski -- the disgraced former
cmdr of Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad -- that Israel is operating
prisoner interrogations in Iraq. Karpinski said she met an Israeli
officer in Baghdad who was involved in POW interrogation. The Israeli
govt says the claims have no basis in reality. It's also denied
earlier claims it was training Kurdish fighters in N Iraq.
10 pm
An Iran FM rep says Tehran has drawn up its own charges against
Saddam Hussein, incl the invasion of Iran territory in 1980 and the
use of chem weapons against Iranians. The rep has asked the Iraqi
Court why those charges didn't figure in its list, and called on it to
act "with transparency and in a public manner".
The Israeli army says a Pal man has ambushed an Israeli couple in the
N of the W Bank, nr Jenin. A witness says he saw 2 gunmen open fire
on a car. A man was killed and a woman wounded in the attack. The
Al-Aqsa Brigades has claimed responsibility.
The PM of Thailand has arrived in AUS this evening, to put the seal on
an FTA with AUS. He will be given a ceremonial greeting, incl a 19
gun salute, tomorrow morning on the Parliament forecourt.
Jurors in NSW who disregard orders from judges could be sent to jail.
It will be an offence to do own their investigations or disregard
instructions. The NSW A-G says the penalty has not been decided yet,
but is likely to incl a jail term.
}}
----------------------------------------
Mon, 05 Jul 2004.
HEADLINES:
WMD evidence wrong: Greenstock
Mystery shrouds Iraq WMD claim
US troops discover car bomb production site in Iraq
Turkey withdraws military monitors from N Iraq
No confirmation US hostage killed in Iraq
Longest-serving US units in Iraq headed home
Legality of Iraq occupation "flawed"
Iraq's new PM demands militants disarm
Iraq weapons probe to censure Brit spy-masters
Iraq to announce amnesty for insurgents
Iraq says it has evidence of aid to insurgents
Iraq oil pipeline hit, exports reeling
Iraq oil infrastructure remains under threat
Former Abu Ghraib cmdr says she met Israeli interrogator in Iraq
Defence chief outlines coalition achievements in Iraq
Bush defends Iraqi war
6 hurt as bomb factory discovered in Afghan capital
AMA blasts Govt over foreign doctors
Aust, Thailand to sign free trade deal
Costello bonanza could mean Budget bust: report
Darfur bloodshed tests African Union's peace plans
Doctors on temporary visa bypass board exams
Ed Min heckled at teachers' conference
Former mayors criticise Latham's management skills
Guantanamo detainees returned in US-Saudi deal: report
Hollywood stars unite in anti-Bush ads
Howard seals Thai free trade deal
Indonesia begins historic ballot
Indonesians head home for first-ever direct presidential elections
Iran prepares complaint against Saddam Hussein
Israel denies Abu Ghraib interrogation claims
Israel strikes Gaza workshops in day of violence
Israeli strikes target metal workshops
Latham seeks to quash rumours
Lebanon ministry confirms US Marine hostage dead
Long service leave win for MCG casual worker
Militants deny beheading US hostage
Most workplaces negative: study
Mugabe rules out MDC talks
NSW minister says ban won't stop school visits
Neighbour backs Azaria mystery claims
Neighbouring countries' troops could protect UN missions
Officials interview Turkish men found in bushland
Palestinian man shot while attempting to ferry workers into Israel
Polish troops find illegal warheads
Qantas, Air NZ take tie-up case to court
Rwandans reflect on genocide
Saudis freed Britons in a secret swap of prisoners
Service sector contracts: report
Shi'ite cleric vows resistance
Soccer may affect Indonesian poll: officials
Solid jobs growth forecast
Sudan plans for refugee return
Teachers ban minister from schools, TAFE
US job figures help Aussie dollar gains
Vic police probe Azaria claim
Witnesses claim Volkers case mishandled
Iraq oil pipeline hit, exports reeling
Baghdad (Reuters). Saboteurs attacked a strategic oil pipeline
linking Iraq's N and S fields on Sun, further cutting exports that
were halved by a hole blown in another pipeline a day before,
officials and witnesses said.
The attacks on oil -- Iraq's economic lifeblood -- undermine the new
Iraqi govt's attempt to bring about economic recovery and improve the
poor living conditions that feed insurgency and political unrest.
An internat'l oil company executive said the attackers had good intel.
"They seem to have access to maps and inside info about pumping. They do
not want any body to do business in Iraq, and they are succeeding," he said.
"This will only help oil prices stay high. We must not forget that
there are regional powers that prefer seeing Iraqi supplies disrupted."
Smoke rising 100s of meters into the air from the pipeline hit on Sun
in the Hawijat al-Fallujah area could be seen from Baghdad some 50
miles to the NE.
PM Iyad Allawi has vowed to defeat saboteurs who have stopped Iraqi
oil exports several times this y.
Industry insiders say N crude was being secretly pumped through the strategic
pipeline from Kirkuk fields for export through 2 offshore S terminals.
Northern crude is usually pumped through a pipeline to Turkey, but
sabotage has forced Iraq to divert flows south.
Oil prices are hovering around $36/bbl for Brent crude and $2 higher
for US light crude -- a level seen as taking into account the risk of
further cuts in Iraqi supplies.
Iraq's exports from the S terminals fell to 960,000 barrels per day on
Sat after saboteurs blew a hole in one of 2 pipelines feeding them.
Iraq used to export around 2 mn bpd of crude -- all through the south
-- before the latest attacks.
The Sat attack on the smaller of 2 pipelines feeding the offshore
terminals stopped operations at the Khor al-Amya terminal and restricted
flows to the Basra terminal, from where most Iraqi oil is exported.
Flows to tankers at the Basra terminal platforms, formerly known as
Mina al-Bakr, were running at 41,000 barrels per hour on Sun.
Senior Iraqi security official Ahmad al-Khafaji told Reuters last week
that sabotage against oil facilities would continue unless countries
bordering Iraq stop the infiltration of the foreign militants alleged
to be behind the attacks.
Iraq oil infrastructure remains under threat
Baghdad. Iraq's desperately needed oil earnings remain under threat
after 3 reports of damage to the country's oil infrastructure emerged
over the weekend. Several men suspected of involvement in oil
infrastructure sabotage were arrested in Karbala yesterday, after an
oil duct which serves Iraq's domestic oil market was attacked. Near
the troubled city of Fallujah, there was a more serious attack on the
oil pipeline which links Iraq's N and S oil fields. Witnesses said
the columns of smoke were rising 100s of meters into the air about 80
km SW of Baghdad. A rupture in a main S oil pipeline on Sat caused a
significant fall in oil exports. It is not clear whether the damage
in that incident was caused by an act of sabotage.
Aust, Thailand to sign free trade deal
The treaty is expected to come into force in Jan.
Bangkok (ABC, Peter Lloyd). PM of Thailand Thaksin Sinawatra will
witness the signing of a bilateral free trade treaty today with AUS in CBR.
Dr Thaksin was welcomed to the forecourt of Fed Parliament, with a 19
gun salute and a guard of honour, by PM John Howard and together they
will oversee the signing.
The official visit and signing has dampened speculation that Mr Howard
would notify the G-G today of an Aug 7 election.
Analysts now expect a poll after the Olympics in Aug but before US
voters decide on their president in Nov.
The trade treaty between the 2 countries should come into force in Jan.
When the treaty takes effect, AUS will scrap 83% of its tariffs while
Thailand will do away with nearly half of its tariffs.
By 2010, 98% of trade between the 2 countries will be tariff-free.
A CBR official says it is an historic breakthrough for AUS because
Thailand is the fastest growing economy in S E Asia and has the
highest protection levels.
Thai opp'n The agreement has been criticised by farmers in Thailand.
Thailand's dairy farmers want their Dr Thaksin to cancel or
renegotiate the terms of the free trade agreement that sets aside a
special quota for Aussie milk imports.
They argue the quota will lead to job losses in the Thai dairy industry.
Opponents say the deal was negotiated in secrecy, without
parliamentary scrutiny and with Dr Thaksin ignoring wider public
concern about making trade deals with larger, developed countries.
After the free trade signing ceremony, ministers from both countries
are scheduled to discuss a number of additional proposals, including a
Thai request to buy up to one mn head of cattle and for AUS to supply
koalas for a new safari park in N Thailand.
Dr Thaksin will hold talks with Mr Howard and Opp'n leader Mark Latham
and visit the Governor-Governor at Yarralumla.
He will then fly to MEL this afternoon for an official dinner with Vic
Prem Steve Bracks and open a trade fair tomorrow before flying on to NZ.
US job figures help Aussie dollar gains
Sydney. Disappointing employment figures in the US on Fri night have
left the Aussie dollar riding high this morning. Official data
published in Washington ahead of the weekend showed job numbers in the
US increased by 112,000 in Jun. That is less than half the 250,000
generally expected and has reinforced the view that American interest
rates will be raised at a measured pace, rather than aggressively.
The figures triggered a slide in the value of the USD against the
euro, pound Sterling and Aussie dollar on Fri night. The Aussie
currency jumped more than one cent to a one-m high of 71.40 US cents.
It has opened this morning just fractionally below that level and at
about 8.30 am was quoted at 71.27. Dealers expect a quiet day
ahead with the US markets closed for the Independence Day long weekend.
Lebanon ministry confirms US Marine hostage dead
Baghdad (Reuters). Al Jazeera TV broadcast of images a blindfolded
man. A group calling itself the Islamic Retaliation Movement claim he
is missing US Marine Wassef Ali Hassoun.
The head of the Lebanese diplomatic mission in Baghdad has confirmed
that militants in Iraq who kidnapped US Marine Corporal Wassef Ali
Hassoun have killed him.
The sources said Lebanese Consul Hassan Hijazi told the FM that Cpl
Hassoun, an American of Lebanese origin, had been killed by his
captors but he did not know when.
A militant group, the Army of Ansar al-Sunna, said in statements in
Arabic posted on 2 Internet sites that it had beheaded Cpl Hassoun.
"We beheaded the marine of Lebanese origin, Hassoun, and you will see
the film with your own eyes soon," the statement said.
However, US military says there was no credible evidence that a
militant group has beheaded a US marine in Iraq and believes Cpl
Hassoun is still alive.
"There is no info to corroborate the claim," a US military official in
Baghdad said.
"They [the US Marines] are following up on anything that resembles
credible evidence," he told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"They are quite optimistic and stand by the notion that he is still
alive," the official said, noting that there was no photographic
evidence or additional info other than the text on the websites.
Arabic TV Al Jazeera had previously aired a video tape of militants
holding a blindfolded 24-yo Cpl Hassoun with a sword poised over his head.
The militants had warned they would carry on attacking Iraqi officials
and US-led foreign forces, despite Washington's hand-over to an interim
Iraqi govt last Mon, until "God's law" prevailed in Iraq.
The US military has said Cpl Hassoun had been absent from his unit
since Jun 21.
His Lebanese father had urged his son's captors to have mercy on him
as a Muslim and an Arab.
The US military says Ansar al-Sunna could be one of a handful of
groups carrying out attacks in Iraq.
The group claimed responsibility for suicide bombings last Feb in the
N Iraqi city of Arbil that killed more than 100 people.
A spate of kidnappings of foreigners has hit Iraq and a militant group
led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, accused by Washington of links
to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for
beheading an American and a S Korean.
No confirmation US hostage killed in Iraq
Baghdad (Reuters). Kidnappers in Iraq have said they had killed a
Lebanese-born United States Marine but neither the US military, his
family nor Beirut's FM were able to confirm the report.
An Islamist militant group said it had beheaded 24-yo Wassef Ali
Hassoun, in the 2nd reported killing of an abducted US soldier in Iraq
in a week.
But Lebanese For Min Jean Obeid said he had no confirmation,
apparently contradicting a source in his ministry who had earlier said
Cpl Hassoun was dead.
"All we have so far is the statement from the group involved. If it is
confirmed, then it's against any religion," he told Arabic television
station Al Jazeera.
The Marine's brother said his family was in the dark.
"Until now, there is no confirmation," Sami Ali Hassoun told Reuters
by telephone from the N Lebanese city of Tripoli.
"We are trying to find out the truth."
In Baghdad, a US military rep said: "We don't have anything and the
Marines don't have anything."
The Army of Ansar al-Sunna had said in a statement posted on 2
Internet sites: "We beheaded the Marine of Lebanese origin Hassoun and
you will see the film with your own eyes soon."
The group, demanding that US troops leave Iraq, said it also held an
"infidel" hostage, who was not identified.
Al Jazeera aired a video tape a wk ago of militants holding a sword
over a blindfolded Cpl Hassoun.
The US military says he has been absent from his unit since Jun 21.
His Lebanese father had urged his son's captors to have mercy on him
as a Muslim and an Arab.
The kidnap group vowed to go on attacking Iraqi officials and US-led
foreign forces, despite last week's hand-over to an interim Iraqi Govt,
until "God's law" prevails in Iraq.
Hours after the hand-over, Al Jazeera broadcast a video tape showing
what militants said was the killing of US Pte Keith Matthew Maupin, 20.
His death has not been confirmed.
* Love trap
The Army of Ansar al-Sunna, which claimed responsibility for suicide
bombings that killed about 100 people in the Iraqi Kurdish city of
Arbil in Feb, said Cpl Hassoun had been kidnapped after a love affair
with an Arab woman lured him from his base.
Kidnappers have seized dozens of foreigners in Iraq since Apr and at
least 4 hostages have been killed.
A militant group led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, accused by
Washington of links to Al Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for
beheading an American and a S Korean.
Militants deny beheading US hostage
Baghdad (AFP). Fresh hope has emerged for a US marine held hostage in
Iraq after earlier reports he had been beheaded.
The Al Qaeda-linked Ansar al-Sunna group has denied issuing a
statement late on Sat announcing it had carried out its threat to
decapitate Lebanese-born marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun.
Cpl Hassoun has been missing since Jun 21 and his fate remained a
mystery as the group failed to confirm he was still alive.
Despite the mixed signals, the US military said it was "delighted" by
the latest development.
"We were suspicious about the initial announcement [of the beheading].
We were not convinced about the credibility of the info," a snr US
military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"We are absolutely delighted to hear that the group decided not to
kill him and we strongly advise the group to return him safely and securely."
Cpl Hassoun's death was announced late on Sat in a statement posted on
Islamist websites.
It would have been the 3rd such beheading in 2 m in Iraq, plagued by
hostage-taking since Apr when US forces launched an assault on the
city of Fallujah, W of Baghdad.
Meanwhile, top govt rep Gurgis Sada said the cabinet had approved an
amnesty for some Iraqis who had played only minor roles in the insurgency.
The measure would be announced on Mon, he said.
"The govt has concluded that many Iraqis simply joined the so-called
resistance [against the US-led coalition] because they had no means of
living, had lost their job or were unemployed members of Iraq's old
army," he said.
"As a result, the cabinet has decided to give these people a new chance."
The amnesty is aimed at curbing the daily round of violence which
continued on Sun, almost a wk after Iraq regained sovereignty from the
US-led coalition.
Iraq weapons probe to censure Brit spy-masters
London (AFP). An inquiry into flawed Brit intel on Iraq ahead of last
y's war was set to criticise 2 of Brit's top spy-masters and the govt's
chief legal officer.
John Scarlett, head of the joint intel committee (JIC), Sir Richard
Dearlove, head of M16 -- Brit's foreign intel agency -- and A-G Peter
Goldsmith have been singled out for censure in the inquiry's draft
report, according to a report in The Sun Times.
The draft, put together by inquiry chief Lord Robin Butler, criticises
M16 after it admitted its intel on Iraq's alleged WMD had been
wrong, the paper said, citing govt sources.
The JIC, which co-ordinates the work of Brit's intel services, is
censured for excluding important caveats in MI6 intel from the govt's
infamous dossier on Iraq published in Sep 2002, the sources said.
JIC chief Scarlett was appointed in May to replace Dearlove as MI6
head later this y.
Goldsmith, meanwhile, who advised the govt that an invasion of Iraq
was legal, faces censure after the Butler inquiry was told the A-G
subsequently cast doubt over his own advice.
"Butler's conclusion will be that the intel was wrong and the system
for checking it didn't work," The Sun Times quoted one govt source as saying.
Responding to the report, Sir Menzies Campbell, foreign affairs rep
for Brit's 3rd main party the Liberal Democrats said:
"If this leak is accurate then Lord Butler's report will contain
nothing that is not already known or might have been inferred from
what is already in the public domain.
"The fundamental issue remains what did ministers know and when? The
public is entitled to scrutiny of ministerial judgements and decision
making," he said.
PM Tony Blair set up the probe into intel on Iraq's alleged WMD in Feb
after the US established a similar investigation.
Butler's probe was ordered to look into the "structures, systems and
processes" which led Brit's govt to believe that Iraq possessed WMD,
none of which have since been found.
The final version of Butler's report was set to be published on Jul
14, Blair's office has announced.
In Jan, a Brit judicial inquiry into the suicide of govt weapons
expert David Kelly cleared Blair and his inner circle of allegations
that they had distorted the threat of Iraqi chemical, biological and
nuclear weapons in their controversial pre-war dossier on Iraq.
WMD evidence wrong: Greenstock
London (PAAIN). The "compelling" evidence that Saddam Hussein had WMD
was wrong, the UK's former special envoy to Iraq conceded.
Sir Jeremy Greenstock said the feared stockpiles of WMD "are not
there" but insisted that the military action had nevertheless been
fully justified.
"The decisions taken, from the intel at the time, were very
understandable.
"The reason for doing this, through the UN resolutions and from intel
assessment, were actually quite compelling.
"We were wrong on the stockpiles, we were right about the intention,"
he told the BBC.
His comments came as the security services were bracing themselves for
serious criticism from Lord Butler's inquiry into the intel used to
justify the war.
The mounting speculation that snr figures would face censure when the
peer publishes his findings on Jul 14 led one cabinet minister to warn
against a witch hunt.
Commons leader Peter Hain said he accepted mistakes may have been made
and lessons would have to be learned but said the services' record was
generally very good.
"I think the secret intel service MI6 and the domestic security
service MI5 do a fantastic job for us," he told GMTV.
"That is not to say that they do not make mistakes from time to time
any more than govt ministers like me or like the PM.
"But overall they do a fantastic job so I am saying in advance that
this govt will not be party to any kind of witch hunt against anybody."
The Liberal Democrats, who boycotted the inquiry because of its
concentration on spies not politicians, said the expected conclusions
would not be a surprise.
Foreign Affairs rep Sir Menzies Campbell said: "The fundamental issue
remains what did ministers know and when? The public is entitled to
scrutiny of ministerial judgements and decision making."
Mr Hain, who called for speculation over the contents of the report to
be ended, also hailed progress towards democracy in Iraq.
He said the position would have been hailed "regarded as a miracle"
just one or 2 y ago.
Polish troops find illegal warheads
Baghdad (LA Times/NH Sun). 16 rocket warheads found last wk in
south-central Iraq by Polish troops did not contain deadly chemicals,
a coalition rep said Fri, but US and Polish officials agreed that
insurgents loyal to former Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein and foreign
terrorist fighters are trying to buy such old weapons or purchase the
services of Iraqi scientists who know how to make them.
The Coalition Press Info Center in Baghdad, Iraq, said in a statement
Fri that the 122-mm rocket rounds, which initially showed
traces of sarin, "were all empty and tested negative for any type of
chemicals." The statement came just hours after 2 snr Polish defence
officials told reporters in Warsaw, based on preliminary reports, that
the rocket rounds had contained deadly sarin nerve gas and actions by
the Polish unit in Iraq had kept them from being purchased by
militants fighting coalition forces.
Fri's coalition release also said that 2 other 122-mm rounds,
found Jun 16 by the Poles with help from an Iraqi informer, had tested
positive for small quantities of sarin but were "so deteriorated
... [as] to have limited to no impact if used by insurgents against
coalition forces."
The Poles' discoveries had generated renewed talk that prewar claims
about Saddam's stock of unconventional weapons might yet prove
true. Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld, for example, on Wed told an interviewer
that Polish Defense Min Jerzy Szmajdzinski had told him about the
weapons at last weekend's NATO summit in Turkey. Though Rumsfeld made
clear he had no personal knowledge of test results, he said the Poles
"believe that they are correct that these, in fact, were undeclared
chemical weapons -- sarin and mustard gas."
Szmajdzinski told Polish radio that the rockets and mortars likely had
been hidden from UN inspectors. "Our predictions and reports that
Saddam Hussein did not come clean with a large sum of weapons,
artillery shells and of weapons of mass destruction were proven true,"
he said. "Some of those warheads were old, but it could not be ruled
out some could still be used."
Charles Duelfer, the chief US weapons inspector in Iraq, has said that
some old sarin and mustard rounds have been discovered in scattered
places but said he couldn't say whether military capable stockpiles
remained concealed.
Fri in Warsaw, Marek Dukaczewski, Poland's chief of army intel, told
reporters: "We were mortified by the info that terrorists were looking
for these warheads.
... An attack with such weapons would be hard to imagine."
Dukaczewski said the Polish unit in Iraq had paid an undisclosed sum
of money to buy the rockets last m after an informer there told the
Poles that militant groups had been seeking to buy such weapons for up
to $5,000 apiece. "We bought all the shells available," Dukaczewski said.
In Washington Fri, a snr intel official said he was unaware that the
Poles had purchased rather than found the weapons. He said the US had
been told they were discovered at several sites, mixed in with
conventional 122-mm rockets and without any distinctive markings.
In Jan 2003, UN inspectors discovered a dozen old 122-mm rockets that
Chief Inspector Hans Blix then described as "designed to carry
chemical weapons." Iraq later turned up several more, and all were
destroyed. Blix later said he was unsure whether Iraq had mentioned
them in the 12,000-page weapons declaration it submitted in Dec 2002.
Mystery shrouds Iraq WMD claim
Baghdad (Al-Jazeera). Doubts persist over Polish claims of
discovering chemical weapons in Iraq as other multinat'l forces in
Baghdad are disputing the claim.
Political and military officials in Poland on Sat insisted their
troops in Iraq have found poison gas in newly unearthed warheads, a
day after multinat'l forces said no chemical agents were found.
"In each of the missiles found, the presence of a chemical substance
was found. It was cyclosarin," a rep for the Polish contingent in
Iraq, Col Robert Strzelecki, said.
"They were missiles that were made 15 y ago, which should have been
destroyed and were not. They would certainly have been very dangerous
had they fallen into the hands of terrorists," said deputy Defence Min
Janusz Zemke.
Another snr Polish intel official went to the extent of saying that
"terrorist" groups were seeking to acquire the weapons.
* Hotly disputed
But the strident Polish claims have come under scrutiny following
strong denials from the multinat'l forces in Baghdad.
In a statement, multinat'l forces pointed out that the 122mm warheads
had tested negative for chemical agents.
"Those 16 rounds were all empty and tested negative for any type of
chemicals," it said.
Finding WMD in Iraq is immensely important for the US and its
allies. Iraq's invasion and occupation last y had been under the
pretext of finding Iraq's WMD arsenal, but none has been found so far,
with several US experts saying US intel had been misled.
Though disputed, Washington on Thu announced that Polish troops have
discovered more than a dozen warheads containing mustard or sarin gas.
Polish occupation forces patrol large areas of the country S of Baghdad,
heading a 6500-strong multinat'l force including 2500 Polish troops.
Legality of Iraq occupation "flawed"
London (Independent). The snr FO lawyer who resigned after ministers
ignored her advice that the war in Iraq was illegal has issued a
damning legal critique of the occupation, claiming that the alleged
abuse of prisoners "could amount to war crimes".
In her 1st newspaper interview since her resignation, Elizabeth
Wilmshurst, the former deputy legal adviser to the FO, said that the
basis for going to war should always be based on "facts" rather than
an "assertion" about an "imminent threat". Ms Wilmshurst said "it
could be alleged that the use of force in Iraq was aggression" while
"the kinds of abusive treatment of Iraqi prisoners that have been
alleged could amount to war crimes".
Her comments came as Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Brit's former envoy to
Iraq, made the clearest admission yet that intel that Saddam Hussein
had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons was wrong. He said:
"We were wrong on the stockpiles, we were right about the intention."
Ms Wilmshurst expressed concern about the size of the US civilian
presence in Iraq. She also said she was worried about the lack of
legal protection for Iraqis if they were harmed by allied troops or
civilian contractors, including private security guards. She said it
was "worrying" that the occupying powers had given immunity to US and
Brit civilians which was "very, very wide" and "not what you would
expect". They would be protected from prosecution even if they
seriously injured Iraqi women and children.
She said the Bush Admin's "war on terror" was legal "nonsense" --
conferring no more powers on the US to detain prisoners than "the war
against obesity" -- and Pres Bush's policy of pre-emptive self-defence
was illegal under internat'l law.
Ms Wilmshurst, who is now head of the internat'l law programme at the
think-tank Chatham House, also raised questions about the powers of
detention the Americans have in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. She said it
violated the Geneva Conventions to deny inmates in Guantanamo Bay a
formal assessment of their status.
Although she said she would not discuss the advice she gave to ministers,
she is understood to have told them that Brit participation in the
invasion of Iraq would flout internat'l law. She said there were deep
concerns among internat'l lawyers about the implications of the war on
terror, which may be used as an excuse to hold prisoners indefinitely.
"This rather extraordinary war against terror, which is a phrase that
all lawyers hate ... is not really a 'war', a conflict against terror,
any more than the war against obesity means that you can detain
people," she said.
In a further side-swipe at American foreign policy she said Pres
Bush's policy of pre-emptive self-defence, which would allow the US to
invade any country it thought was a threat, was illegal under
internat'l law. "What people are worried about is just assertions that
there is an imminent threat," she said.
The Butler inquiry report into intel on Iraq is to be published on 14
Jul, and reports suggest it will be critical of the intel services.
Sir Jeremy said on BBC's Breakfast with Frost: "There is no doubt that
the stockpiles that we feared might be there are not there. We didn't
know they were there, but we thought that there was a considerable
danger that they were there, because the intel, not just in the
American and Brit systems but in the French, German and Russian
systems, also was quite compelling at the time." He said Washington
was influenced by the Iraqi exile Ahmed Chalabi and underestimated the
potential problems of post-war security.
Longest-serving US units in Iraq headed home
Baghdad (TheIndyChannel). The 20,000 soldiers of the Army's 1AD and
the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment marked the end of a tour Sun that
lasted longer than that of any other US military unit in Iraq.
The division and its companion units held a Fourth of Jul ceremony to
mark the occasion. All of the division's troops should be out of Iraq
by Jul 15.
The cmdr of the 1AD told CNN the real emotion Sun was "one of great
pride." Maj Gen Martin Dempsey said the division's work in Baghdad and
Shiite Muslim cities to the S helped guide the country through a rough
y of occupation and into independence.
The Germany-based heavy division rolled into Baghdad in May 2003, just
after Pres George W Bush declared an end to major combat.
* New PM: Iraq Making Progress
Iraq's new PM says the Iraqis are now in charge of their police and
other security forces.
Iyad Allawi told ABC's "This Week" that the chain of command is quite
clear, and that they've seen a drop in insurgency activities so far.
Allawi also talked about a possible amnesty for insurgents, "This is a
new Iraq," Allawi said. "It's for every Iraqi citizen to be part of
the new democratic Iraq."
But he says militiamen would have to take certain actions before being
welcomed; foremost would be surrendering their weapons.
Iraq says it has evidence of aid to insurgents
Baghdad (TheIndyChannel). Iraq's interim govt plans to reveal
evidence that shows the Iraqi insurgency is receiving help from
neighbouring countries.
Iraqi FM Hoshyar Zebari told the Sun Telegraph newspaper in London
that Iraq has info that indicates neighbouring countries have provided
financial support, logistical assistance and training to terrorists
plaguing the country.
Although Zebari declined to name the specific countries, the newspaper
said Iraqi officials have been pointing to Syria and Iran. Zebari said
the govt plans to release the info this wk and promises it will have
"a substantial impact."
A Syrian political analyst said the accusation is not a good way to
start a relationship.
Turkey withdraws military monitors from N Iraq
[As long as Australia doesn't!]
Ankara (AFP/AP). Turkey is withdrawing a small number of military
monitors from N Iraq, where they have been stationed since 1997 to
monitor a ceasefire between Kurdish groups, according to reports from
AFP and AP. The news agencies cited an anonymous Turkish diplomat as
the source of the info. The unit was deployed as part of a cease-fire
agreement between the 2 main Kurdish factions controlling the region,
the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK). The deal was brokered by Brit, Turkey and the US.
Turkey keeps several thousand other troops in N Iraq against perceived
threats from separatist Turkish Kurd rebels. Those soldiers are
expected to remain in place.
Bush defends Iraqi war
Washington (AP). Defending the war in Iraq, Pres George W Bush said
on Independence Day he believes America is safer because Saddam
Hussein is in a prison cell.
"Our immediate task in battle fronts like Iraq and Afghanistan and
elsewhere is to capture or kill the terrorists... so we do not have to
face them here at home," Bush told a cheering crowd outside the W
Virginia Capitol. An enthusiastic audience, estimated by police at
6,500, waved American flags and chanted, "4 more years."
Regarding Saddam, the deposed Iraqi president, Bush said, "Because we
acted, the dictator, the brutal tyrant, is sitting in a prison cell."
2 Bush opponents, taken out of the crowd by police, said they had been
told they couldn't be there because they were wearing shirts that said
they opposed the president.
West Virginia, which voted for Bush in 2000, is considered a pivotal
state in the 2004 race.
Making a pitch for votes in a state where 200,000 veterans comprise
15% of the population, Bush praised veterans for "setting a good
example for those who have followed... in Afghanistan and Iraq".
The Bush Admin has come under increasing criticism after a staff
report from the commission investigating the Sep 11, 2001, attacks
found little evidence of collaboration between the ousted Iraqi leader
and Osama bin Laden's terror organisation, al-Qaeda. Such a link was
one of the Admin's justifications for invading Iraq.
The report said contacts between al-Qaeda and Saddam aides over the y
had produced no evidence of actual assistance from Iraq.
VP Dick Cheney, who also visited W Virginia at the weekend, reaffirmed
the Admin's position in a speech last wk in New Orleans that stood by
his long-held assertions of connections between al-Qaeda and Saddam.
Cheney said Saddam sent a brigadier general in the Iraqi intel service
to Sudan to train al-Qaeda in bomb-making and document forgery.
With the public apprehensive about the violence in Iraq, the Admin has
pointed to last week's transfer of political power to an interim Iraqi
govt and the 1st steps in the legal process for Saddam's trial as
signs of progress.
The economy, too, is an important election-y issue for W Virginians,
and Bush declared, "Our economy is healthy and growing, and that's
good news because more people are finding work every single
day. That's what we want."
West Virginia's unemployment rate was 5.2% in May, down from 6.4% last Jul.
Hollywood stars unite in anti-Bush ads
LA (AFP). Big name Hollywood stars, writers and directors including
Woody Harrelson, Scarlet Johansson and W Wing creator Aaron Sorkin
have banded together for liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org to campaign
against Pres George W Bush.
Actors including Danny Glover, Kevin Bacon and Alicia Silverstone are
due to appear on the small screen in a series of advertisements
opposing Bush's presidency, according to Time magazine and The LA Times.
Musician Moby has also reportedly been recruited to the effort to
drive Bush from office.
MoveOn.org, which has already run ads criticising Bush, is expected
soon to announce its list of all-star support.
One ad spot is directed by Rob Reiner, the producer of When Harry met
Sally and A Few Good Men, and written by Sorkin.
A separate animated spot features the voices of Johansson, the recent
star of Lost In Translation, Bacon and Ed Asner.
The political ads will be tested on focus groups before MoveOn.org
decides where and when to run them on television.
The liberal group is backed by billionaire investor George Soros among
others and has just over 2 mn members, according to The Times.
Indonesians head home for first-ever direct presidential elections
Jakarta (AFP). Tens of 1000s of people have crowded the airport, bus
terminals and train stations in the Indonesian capital to make their
way home to vote in the country's first-ever direct presidential
elections. 5 candidates, including incumbent Pres Megawati
Sukarnoputri, are vying for the nation's top post. More than 153 mn
voters are expected to vote in tomorrow's Mon election. Officials say
the preparations have so far been free of the logistical problems that
plagued the legislative elections in Apr. A survey last wk gave
former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono 43% support -- more than his 4
rivals combined.
Indonesia begins historic ballot
Megawati is expected to be ousted.
Jakarta (Reuters). Indonesian voters have begun casting ballots and
are expected to ditch incumbent Pres Megawati Sukarnoputri in favour
of a former general in the country's 1st direct presidential election.
Opinion polls show Megawati trailing well behind her former chief
security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in the race to take over
a troubled country in the front line of the war on terror.
If no candidate gets an outright majority, a run-off will take place
in Sep.
The 1st of 150 mn registered voters to cast ballots were those on the
eastern side of the sprawling archipelago, including Ambon, capital of
the Moluccas islands province, where deadly Muslim-Christian clashes
erupted recently.
Polls will close at 2.00 pm Jakarta time.
The election follows a messy transition to democracy in the world's
most populous Muslim nation since dictator Suharto quit office in 1998.
That marked a 6-y period marred by political chaos, economic crisis
and bomb attacks by Islamic militants linked to Al Qaeda.
Soccer may affect Indonesian poll: officials
Jakarta. Voting is well underway in Indonesia's 1st direct
presidential election, with former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
leading all the polls but there are concerns that the soccer's Euro
2004 cup might affect the vote. Thousands of foreign observers are
spread across the archipelago's 580,000 polling stations. After a
remarkably peaceful campaign there are no expectations of violence or
widespread vote-rigging. One of the main worries for the electoral
commission is that the election has coincided with the final of the
cup. There are fears that many voters who stayed out most of the
night to watch the result in this football-mad country may not be able
to drag themselves out of bed to vote before the polls close at
1.00 pm. The official results will not be in for 2 or 3 wk but the
results of a quick count are expected sometime this evening.
Costello bonanza could mean Budget bust: report
Access has criticised Treasurer Peter Costello's Budget.
Canberra. A prominent economic forecasting firm says the stimulus
from the Fed Budget could turn out to be too much, too soon, and push
the next Budget into deficit.
Access Economics has published the commentary in its latest 5-year
Business Outlook report and describes the Govt as "pouring money in
punters' pockets".
The report says Treasurer Peter Costello's Budget was a "bonanza" of
$4 bn in the last days of the financial y that has just ended, with $8
bn to come in the y ahead.
The forecasting firm says the Govt might not be able to afford it over
the longer term and that the Treasury reserves were "distressingly bare".
"The Fed Govt displayed all the restraint of Meat Loaf at McDonald's,"
the report said.
It also suggests such largesse might end up being the only reason the
Reserve Bank would still be tempted to raise interest rates again,
even when house prices plateau or turn down.
Mr Costello's office would not comment on the report.
Access Economics associate director David Rumbens says future spending
cuts or tax increases might be required to keep the Budget in the black.
He says the govt's projections of modest surpluses ahead were based on
very strong revenue growth particularly from company profits.
"Company profits do tend to go in a bit of a cycle and are at a high
point at the moment," he said.
"The risk is that if that cycle continues and we move to a low point
then the govt really won't be getting the company revenues that it
expects and that may put the Budget surpluses at risk."
He says the timing of a consumer spending spree might see a retailing
feast through 2004 turn to famine after Christmas.
"The risk is that the Budget is pump-priming now and that'll run out
in 2005 when we may need it more," he said.
The report has also warned any slump in housing prices would present a
significant risk for the Aussie economy.
"Housing prices and construction are starting to sputter" is the
assessment contained in the Access Economics' report and says the main
risk to the domestic economy remains the issue of housing prices.
Mr Rumbens says: "there's still an upward bias in interest rates and
house prices are a key factor".
"So if they are levelling out or going down then that may see that
upward bias disappear."
The forecasting firm says the situation is more likely to resolve
itself by way of a halt to price gains for 4 y or so, rather than in a
big bust.
Accordingly, it should only be a background negative for the nation's
retailers but it would still be a key factor in limiting further
interest rate increases.
Rwandans reflect on genocide
Kigali (AP). Thousands of genocide survivors, soldiers, former rebels
and farmers gathered at the nat'l stadium for a sombre ceremony
marking the 10th anniversary since the fall of the extremist govt
which led Rwanda's 1994 genocide.
Through poems and speeches, Rwandans recalled deep wounds but also took
stock of how far the country had come since the dark days of the slaughter.
"Our past was shaped by bad leadership that promoted
discrimination. That is over," Pres Paul Kagame told the assembled
crowd in the Amahoro Stadium, where 1000s of Tutsis had sought refuge
during the genocide.
More than 500,000 minority Tutsis and political moderates from the
Hutu majority were killed in the 100-day slaughter organised by the
extremist Hutu govt then in power.
Govt troops, Hutu militia and ordinary villagers spurred on by hate
messages broadcast over the radio went from village to village,
butchering men, women and children.
The genocide ended when then-rebels led by Kagame captured the Rwandan
capital, Kigali, and ousted the extremist govt on Jul 4, 1994.
"We have in the last 10 y decided to build a new Rwanda. We have
achieved a satisfactory stage which should be the basis for further
achievements," Kagame said, citing the introduction of multi-party
politics and the prevailing peace and security in the small central
African nation.
However, Kagame also criticised Rwandan insurgents based in
neighbouring Congo and their political leaders, who are mainly in
Europe. The rebels include members of the former army and Interahamwe
Hutu militia who played a central role in the genocide -- and fled to
Congo when Kagame ousted the extremist govt.
"We shall not compromise the security of our country. We shall resist
any group that attempts to destabilise our country like we have done
in the past," Kagame said.
"We shall fight it like any other war we fought and won."
The ceremony was also attended by former rebel cmdrs who were
integrated into the Rwanda Defence Forces and awarded snr ranks on Fri.
The ranks were awarded in a 1st step toward giving the former rebels
snr positions in the military.
Darfur bloodshed tests African Union's peace plans
Addis (Reuters). War and looming famine in Sudan's Darfur region have
given fresh urgency to an African summit this wk that seeks to promote
home-grown efforts to end the continent's many conflicts.
The 2-yo African Union (AU), which vowed at its founding to abandon
member nations' long aversion to intervening in each others' wars,
finds itself on the spot at its annual summit as a result of violence
involving attacks on black African civilians in Darfur.
"We cannot close our eyes to catastrophes," Ethiopian For Min Seyoum
Mesfin said of Darfur, which the UN calls the world's worst
humanitarian crisis.
"Without peace Africa cannot pursue health, education and investment."
The AU wants heads of state of its 53 members at the Jul 6 -- 8
gathering to agree to innovative ways of keeping the peace on the
continent but at the same time to kick the habit of taking far-reaching
decisions without paying for their implementation, a failing of the
AU's ineffectual predecessor, the Organisation of Africa Unity.
There is doubt about whether member govts struggling to pull
themselves out of poverty can pay the steep bills peace efforts could
entail -- not only in Darfur, but also potentially in other troubled
countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Central
African Republic and Somalia.
"We have to dig deep in our pockets, according to capacity," Leonardo
Simao, FM of Mozambique, one of the world's poorest countries, told Reuters.
"The will is there, but not necessarily the ability."
War is a preoccupation of the cash-strapped AU because its ambitious
plans for the continent's economic rebirth are dependent on
stabilising a continent that has seen 186 coups d'etat and 26 major
wars in the past half century.
Tongue in cheek, veteran AU-watcher Tajudeen Abdul Raheem asked how it
is that African leaders who do not seem to have a problem finding the
money to go to war ask foreign aid agencies to help feed and educate
their people.
"I can neither believe nor accept a situation where our govts can
fight unjust wars without going to donors or the IMF/World Bank, but
cannot find the resources when it comes to building a peaceful and
united Africa," the Uganda-based Nigerian said.
Fully implemented, the AU's proposed programs, including an elaborate
network of peace-making institutions, could eventually cost up to
$US600 mn a year, officials say, way above its current annual spending
of about $US40 mn.
The UN estimates Africa would have to double its average annual growth
rate to 7% to halve extreme poverty on the continent by the y 2015,
one of the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Darfur will loom large in an address UN Sec-Gen Kofi Annan will make
at the meeting after visiting Sudan and neighbouring Chad last wk to
assess the situation.
Sudan earlier pledged to disarm Arab militias, known as Janjaweed, who
have driven more than one mn Africans from their homes in west Sudan's
Darfur region and to accept human rights monitors in the area.
The United Nations says 1000s could die of disease and hunger during
the coming rainy season unless a massive aid operation is set up.
Long conflict between nomadic Arab tribes and African farmers over
scarce resources in Darfur intensified when a revolt broke out last y.
Rebels accuse Khartoum of arming the Arab Janjaweed, a charge the Govt denies.
The AU is deploying unarmed observers and says that if all parties agree
it is necessary, it will send armed peacekeepers to protect the monitors.
Sudan plans for refugee return
Khartoum (ABC, Sally Sara). The Sudanese Govt says it has drawn up
plans to return more than 1 mn people displaced in the W Darfur
region. Militia group raids have forced the people to flee their
houses in Sudan's Darfur region. Up to one 3rd of villages in the
worst affected areas have been destroyed. Sudanese Govt officials say
displaced families will receive food, shelter and basic services if
they are prepared to go home and has denied accusations that it is
supporting the militias. The United Nations World Health Organisation
is warning that up to 10,000 people will die of malnutrition and
disease within the next month, unless assistance arrives in Darfur.
Former Abu Ghraib cmdr says she met Israeli interrogator in Iraq
London (Khaleej Times/AP). The American general formerly in charge of
Abu Ghraib prison says she has evidence Israelis were involved in
interrogating Iraqi detainees at another facility.
Brig Gen Janis Karpinski, who was suspended in May over allegations of
prisoner abuse, said she met a man claiming to be Israeli during a
visit to a Baghdad intel centre with a snr coalition general.
"I saw an individual there that I hadn't had the opportunity to meet
before, and I asked him what did he do there, was he an interpreter --
he was clearly from the Middle East," Karpinski told Brit Broadcasting
Corp radio in an interview broadcast on Sat. "He said, 'Well I do some
of the interrogation here. I speak Arabic but I'm not an Arab; I'm
from Israel.'
"I was really kind of surprised by that ... He didn't elaborate any
more than to say he was working with them and there were people from
lots of different places that were involved in the operation,"
Karpinski added.
The office of Israeli PM Ariel Sharon refuted the allegations.
"The PM's office declares this evening that there is no basis and no
foundation to the reports regarding supposed involvement of Israeli
interrogators in investigating Iraqi hostages or prisoners," it said
in a statement. "These reports are vehemently denied."
The presence of Israeli forces in Iraq would inflame opinion in the
Muslim world, where many compare the abuse of prisoners by US forces
to Israel's treatment of Palestinian detainees.
Until a 1999 ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court, Israeli secret
service interrogators were allowed to use "moderate physical pressure"
-- a euphemism, critics said, for torture.
Among the practices allowed prior to 1999 were sleep deprivation,
keeping prisoners in uncomfortable positions for long periods and
covering their heads with filthy sacks. Former prisoners say those
techniques also were used by US forces in Iraq.
Karpinski was suspended from command of the 800th Military Police Brigade
after the publication in Apr of photos showing soldiers abusing and
humiliating naked Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib. She has said she did
not know about the abuse and is being made a scapegoat in the scandal.
Israel denies Abu Ghraib interrogation claims
Jerusalem (AFP). Israel has dismissed claims by US Brig Gen Janis
Karpinski that any of its interrogators had been in Iraq.
Gen Karpinski used to run the notorious Abu Ghraib prison but was
suspended in May over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the facility.
She has told BBC radio she met a man who said he was an Israeli
interrogator at another US-run detention centre.
"I saw an individual there that I hadn't had the opportunity to meet
before, and I asked him what did he do there, was he an interpreter?
He was clearly from the Middle East," Gen Karpinski said, according to
the BBC web site.
"He said, 'Well, I do some of the interrogation here. I speak Arabic
but I'm not an Arab -- I'm from Israel."
However, Israel has dismissed the allegations.
"There is no basis whatsoever to the reports regarding the alleged
participation of Israeli investigators in the interrogation of
prisoners and/or detainees in Iraq," a statement from PM Ariel
Sharon's bureau said.
"These reports are emphatically denied," it added.
FM Silvan Shalom also dismissed Gen Karpinski's claims as "completely
baseless".
"We are not involved in any way in Iraq. We are not involved in
training or in interrogations, or in anything else. The whole claim is
preposterous," he told army radio.
Gen Karpinski has been outspoken in defending her performance in Iraq,
charging she was being made a scapegoat for abuses carried out in an
Abu Ghraib wing under military intel control.
While Israel was a firm supporter of the US-led invasion of Iraq, the
Govt is aware its presence there would be highly inflammatory.
A report by US Maj Gen Antonio Taguba into the Abu Ghraib abuse
referred to the activities of 2 private American contractors at the
prison, interrogator Steven Stefanowicz of CACI Internat'l and
translator John Israel of Titan.
In his report, Gen Taguba said he suspected that Mr Stephanowicz and
Israel were among those who were "either directly or indirectly
responsible for the abuses at Abu Ghraib".
On Sun The WashPost quoted a top US military official as saying he
believed Gen Karpinski's claim of possible involvement by Israeli
interrogators at Abu Ghraib was an "urban legend" derived in part by
the fact that a contractor had the surname Israel.
"Nothing I have seen indicates we had anyone but govt contractors and
uniformed soldiers there," the unidentified official told the newspaper.
Guantanamo detainees returned in US-Saudi deal: report
NY (Reuters). US officials agreed to return 5 terrorism suspects to
Saudi Arabia from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, last y as part of a deal
involving Brit terrorists in the Arab kingdom, The NY Times has reported.
Citing snr American and Brit officials, all who spoke on condition of
anonymity, the newspaper reported the arrangement called for Saudi
officials to release 5 Britons and 2 others convicted of guerrilla
attacks in Saudi Arabia.
The Britons' Saudi lawyer told Reuters he had suggested an exchange of
prisoners.
"I presented this proposal but until now I was under the impression
that my proposal was not accepted," lawyer Salah al-Hejailan said.
"I said some of the Saudi detainees [in Guantanamo] could be released."
In Mar, Brit honoured Mr Hejailan for helping win royal clemency and
release for the Britons, who have said they were tortured into making
false confessions.
Saudi officials deny they were tortured.
Mr Hejailan said he originally believed his clients were freed in part
because the wave of attacks blamed on them continued after their
arrests and because of "an increased recognition that Al Qaeda
influence was behind this pattern of explosions".
There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.
Officials involved in the plan told The NY Times the transfer of the
Saudis from Guantanamo was initially resisted by the Pentagon, the CIA
and the Justice Dept.
The agencies questioned whether some detainees were too dangerous to
send back and whether Saudi promises to keep the men imprisoned could
be trusted.
Saying that moving detainees "who posed a threat was a new endeavour,"
one snr US official who backed the plan maintained it was done cautiously.
"It was the 1st time we were doing this, and people did not want to do
it," the newspaper quoted the official as saying.
The Saudi prisoners were transferred to Riyadh in May 2003 and the 5
Britons and 2 others were freed in Aug.
While there was no indication that the releases were related at the
time, the newspaper quoted a US official with knowledge of the
negotiations as saying, "There is a link," adding, "This was 2 courses
that converged and had a mutual attractiveness to them".
On Fri, a rep for the US Nat'l Sec Council denied the Saudi detainees
were transferred in exchange for the Brit prisoners, the newspaper reported.
"There is no recollection here of any linkage between these 2 actions,"
said Sean McCormick, who described the return of the Saudis as "part
of the normal policy of transferring detainees from Guantanamo for
prosecution or continued detention".
US officials involved in the case said it was highly unusual and that
the detainees' backgrounds raised greater concerns than those of others.
Some officials said the case showed how factors beyond security and
intel could influence prisoner releases.
The report said Saudi officials had given contradictory accounts of
the current whereabouts of the 5 men, saying at 1st that one or 2 had
been released, then denying any had been freed.
The officials also gave contradictory accounts of their legal status,
first saying they had been tried and convicted but later saying
prosecutions were pending.
Officials would not identify the 5 or describe in detail the evidence
on which they had been held at Guantanamo.
One US official said 2 of the detainees had attended Al Qaeda training
camps in Afghanistan.
Saudis freed Britons in a secret swap of prisoners
London (Independent). 6 Britons convicted on terrorism charges in
Saudi Arabia were released last y as part of a secret 3-way deal in
which the US set free a number of Saudi prisoners being held at
Guantanamo Bay. The deal was brokered to obtain Saudi support for the
invasion of Iraq.
Diplomatic and intel sources have confirmed to The Independent that
the Britons, convicted of a fatal car-bombing, were released last Aug
after the US returned 5 Saudi prisoners, at least 2 of whom were
believed to have trained in al-Qaeda camps.
At the time, the release of the Saudis was opposed by the Pentagon and
the CIA. But the joint releases were subsequently presented as
diplomatic triumphs by both the Brit and Saudi govts.
A snr Brit source said yesterday: "Of course there were govt-to-govt
talks. We were all anxious to solve the problem.
But one must bear in mind that it was the Americans who held the aces
with the Saudi detainees, the Brit govt did not have that kind of
leverage. So the term 'negotiations' should really be applied to the
American-Saudi dialogue. But it was a particularly difficult time with
Iraq, and a solution was in everyone's interest."
The Britons -- Sandy Mitchell, James Cottle, Les Walker, James Lee,
Glenn Ballard and Peter Brandon, and a Canadian, William Sampson --
said they were subjected to beating while incarcerated for 2 y. They
had been convicted of a car-bombing in which another Briton,
Christopher Rodway, was killed. Many have subsequently said their
confessions were forced and are suing the Saudi authorities.
Mr Mitchell, 48, originally from Kirkintilloch, nr Glasgow, said last
night: "We were definitely pawns in a game. I was sentenced to
crucifixion and beheading for a crime the Saudis knew I did not commit.
"They had to tell us during the torture sessions what to confess
to. It was a set-up from the very beginning."
The initiative to release the 5 Saudis from Guantanamo Bay began in
Jul 2002 when Saudi officials visited the camp. According to a report
in The NY Times, the proposal was discussed at the highest levels of
the US and Brit govts, both eager to keep the support of the Saudi
authorities for the invasion of Iraq. One US official said: "This was
something that the Saudis desperately wanted, as a way to show their
people that they could get something from the Americans and that it
was not just a one-way street."
The following month, a recommendation by the US ambassador to Saudi
Arabia, Robert Johnson, outlined a "swap" as a way to keep the Saudis'
support. While the Saudi authorities were technically opposed to the
invasion of Iraq they allowed the US to use air bases in the kingdom.
The deal that was negotiated deliberately ensured there was a time gap
between the release of the Saudis and the subsequent release of the
Westerners in order to allow officials to deny there had been a "swap".
"We did not want to make it a clear quid pro quo," said a US official.
"We did obviously say that we expected [the release of the Westerners]
to be resolved."
In Mar 2003, just days before the American-led coalition invaded Iraq,
King Fahd granted clemency to the W prisoners, though they were not
released immediately. On 14 May, the 5 Saudis were flown to Riyadh.
There are contradictory reports as to whether these men have been
released by the Saudi authorities or charged with any crime.
Finally, in early Aug, the Westerners were flown home.
Informed of the secret deal Mr Rodway's widow, Jane, said last night
she was shocked by the news and had not been informed of any such
swap. "I didn't even know they were coming home until they were on the
plane," she said.
A FO rep refused to confirm or deny that a deal was done.
Iraq's new PM demands militants disarm
Washington (Reuters). Iraqi militias, including those loyal to the
firebrand Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr must lay down their weapons,
Iraq's interim PM Iyad Allawi demanded on US television on Sun.
"The position of the govt is very clear. There is no room for any
militias to operate in Iraq," Allawi said on ABC's "This Week" program.
"Everybody should follow the bounds of the law, whether it's Moqtada
al-Sadr or anybody else."
Allawi said he met on Sat with a delegation trying to mediate between
the govt and Sadr, who has urged Iraqis to oppose the continued
presence of around 160,000 mainly US foreign troops in Iraq.
Sadr has indicated his militia would disarm if they were offered
amnesty and that was possible, Allawi said.
Sadr also wants "to be part of the political process," he said. "Anybody who
respects the rule of law and the human rights is welcome to be part of Iraq."
Allawi listed internal security as the top goal of the caretaker Iraqi
govt, but said other priorities were restoring public services, reducing
unemployment and holding elections for a permanent govt by Jan 2005.
Shi'ite cleric vows resistance
Najaff (AP). The militant Shi'ite cleric whose uprising last Apr left
100s dead throughout the Shi'ite heartland pledged to resist
"oppression and occupation", saying the interim Iraqi govt is
"illegitimate".
Moqtada al-Sadr made the declaration in a statement distributed by his
office in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaff, where his al-Mahdi militia
battled American troops until a ceasefire last month.
"We pledge to the Iraqi people and the world to continue resisting
oppression and occupation to our last drop of blood," Sadr said.
"Resistance is a legitimate right and not a crime to be punished."
Sadr had made conciliatory statements to the new govt of PM Iyad
Allawi, a fellow Shi'ite, and members of his movement had suggested
they might transform the al-Mahdi Army into a political party.
Al-Mahdi fighters accepted cease-fires in most Shi'ite areas including
the Baghdad district of Sadr City after suffering huge losses at the
hands of the Americans.
However, in his latest declaration, the youthful cleric said: "There
is no truce with the occupier and those who cooperate with it."
"We announce that the current govt is illegitimate and illegal," Sadr said.
"It's generally following the occupation. We demand complete
sovereignty and independence by holding honest elections."
It was unclear what prompted the statement.
Earlier, Allawi told US network ABC's This Week that he had met with a
Sadr delegation "who want to try and mediate".
"The position of the govt is very clear," Allawi said.
"There is no room for any militias to operate inside Iraq. Anything
outside law and order is not tolerated, cannot be tolerated. The rule
of law should prevail. Everyone of us, every individual, starting from
the president downward should be answerable to the law."
Sadr launched his rebellion after the now-disbanded US-led coalition
Admin closed his newspaper, arrested a top aide and announced a
warrant charging the cleric in the Apr 2003 murder of a rival
religious leader.
After nearly 8 wk of fighting, the Americans announced that they would
leave it to the Iraqi govt to deal with Sadr, including serving the
arrest warrant.
The harsh statement suggested the govt may be taking a hard line with
Sadr, insisting that he abolish his militia and submit to the warrant.
Iran prepares complaint against Saddam Hussein
Tehran (AFP). Tehran has prepared a complaint against Saddam Hussein
for his 1980 attack on Iran and use of chemical weapons, and will soon
file the dossier with the Iraqi tribunal putting the former president
on trial. "One of the crimes of Saddam Hussein is the attack against
Iran, the deaths of Iranians, the use of chemical weapons. We have
prepared a complaint which will be filed to the tribunal," FM rep
Hamid Reza Asefi said. Urging the Iraqi court to "act with
transparency and in a public manner," Mr Asefi also complained that
Saddam's 1980 land grab, which sparked the catastrophic 1980 -- 88
Iran-Iraq war, did not figure on the original list of charges. "We
have asked the Iraqis to explain why the attack on Iran did not
feature among the charges against him, even though the judge said the
question would be addressed at a later date," Mr Asefi said.
US troops discover car bomb production site in Iraq
Baghdad (NZ News/Reuters). US soldiers discovered a car bomb
production site and detained 51 people for questioning during a 2-day
search for illegal weapons in Baghdad, the military said on Sat.
Soldiers found 4 vehicles, which were apparently being modified for
use in bomb attacks, at one site, while searches elsewhere netted RPG
launchers, explosives and bombs designed to be used in roadside attacks.
"Denying the enemy of the Iraqi people the weapons he uses to kill
Iraqi civilians is always a remarkable success," Lt Col James Hutton,
the 1st Cavalry Division's public affairs officer said in a
statement. "These discoveries deal a blow to anti-Iraqi forces."
Soldiers also found more than 12 mn Iraqi dinars [US$8,275] in 3 safes
at the car-bomb production site, along with AK-47 rifles, ammunition,
timers and computer boards. 3 people were detained.
At other locations, US troops detained 48 suspects and found weapons
including bombs, RPG launchers, explosives and detonators.
The army said it believed suspects detained during the raids belonged
to a cell responsible for killing 2 US soldiers with roadside bombs.
"The soldiers believe they have captured the financier, the explosive
device manufacturer, the spotter, and the trigger man," the statement said.
The army did not give dates for the search, saying only that it took
place recently.
Guerrillas fighting US forces in Iraq frequently use car bombs or
bombs hidden by the roadside to attack American troops and the
fledgling security forces of Iraq's interim govt.
Neighbouring countries' troops could protect UN missions
Baghdad (AFP). Neighbouring countries who wish to send peacekeeping
troops to Iraq could guard UN missions and personnel, FM Hoshyar
Zebari said yesterday, in an apparent change of heart.
Iraq has repeatedly refused to accept neighbouring countries' troops on
its soil, fearing their presence might exacerbate ethnic
tensions. "These countries can support the work of the UN in Iraq
... by protecting their teams and installations," Zebari said.
"We are still considering and examining this question," he told a
joint press conference with his Rumanian counterpart, Mircea
Geoana. But he reiterated Iraq's opp'n to neighbours joining the
multinat'l force patrolling the country.
"As a general policy we're opposed to such participation," said
Zebari, adding that other Arab and Muslim countries could take
part. "In principle, we welcome the participation of Arab and Islamic
forces coming from non-neighbouring countries."
The office of PM Iyad Allawi, who had previously said Iraq did not
want peace-keeping soldiers from neighbouring countries, thanked Egypt,
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their offers to train
security forces.
"Dr Allawi expresses gratitude to Egypt's Pres Hosni Mubarak, Jordan's
King Abdallah and the UAE's Sheikh Zayed for their immediate and
brotherly offer to help Iraqi armed and security forces with
equipment, training and technical assistance during this dangerous
moment in the country's history," his office said in a statement.
Jordan was among the 1st Arab countries to offer to contribute troops
and assistance to Iraq. There was no immediate word on Egypt's and the
UAE's apparent offers.
Bahrain's King Hamad said yesterday his country was ready to
participate in a naval force to secure Iraq's territorial waters
should Baghdad request its help, while Yemen said its earlier offer to
contribute to a stabilisation force was conditional on a prior
withdrawal by the US-led military forces.
Deputy For Min Hamid Al-Bayati indicated Fri the country would most
probably turn down a fresh offer of troops from neighbouring Jordan.
King Abdallah told the BBC on Thu: "If the Iraqis ask us for help
directly it will be very difficult for us to say no."
Jordanian For Min Marwan Moasher downplayed the remarks on Fri, saying
they were a gesture of support to Iraq after it regained its
sovereignty on Mon. Jordan has helped train 100s of officers for
Iraq's new army and 1000s of police recruits for the new Iraqi police.
Iraq to announce amnesty for insurgents
Baghdad. Iraq's new Govt is planning to announce an amnesty for those
Iraqis who are involved in the country's insurgency but have not
committed violent crimes. The new law is expected to be announced
tomorrow. To be eligible for the amnesty, insurgents will have to
have not been involved in acts of murder and be prepared to surrender
their weapons and info. A rep for Iraq's new interim Govt said that
the Govt has concluded that many Iraqis simply joined the resistance
because they had no means of living and had lost their jobs, or were
unemployed members of Iraq's old army. Such people will be given a
new chance, the rep said. Earlier reports that Beirut had confirmed
the death of missing US marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun have now
been contradicted by Lebanon's For Min Joan Obeid. The group known as
the Army of Ansar al-Sunna claimed to have decapitated the captured
man in statement posted on a Internet site.
6 hurt as bomb factory discovered in Afghan capital
Kabul (AFP). 6 people have been injured after a device exploded
unexpectedly in a bomb-making factory in the Afghan capital.
Afghan police arrested 3 men after they went to investigate the blast
in the W end of Kabul and discovered a large amount of bomb-making materials.
3 children, 2 women and one man were injured but rep for NATO-led
peacekeepers Cmdr Chris Henderson said he had no info on the extent of
their wounds.
"It was discovered that the compound was being used to store and
manufacture explosive devices," Cmdr Henderson said.
"It is believed that the explosion occurred as the 3 men were
assembling bombs."
It is not known which group or individual might be behind the bombs
but W embassies have warned foreigners in recent wk to avoid crowded
places for fear of attacks.
Members of the peacekeeping Internat'l Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) sent to destroy the large amount of materials found 20 kgs of
explosives, 250 kgs of ammonium nitrate, 45 kg of magnesium bars as
well as electrical switches, Cmdr Henderson said.
It was up to the public to inform authorities of anything which
threatened the security of the city, he added.
"There's little doubt that the neighbours on that street knew what was
going on in that compound," he said.
The last bombings in Kabul were in late Jan when suicide bombers targeted
ISAF convoys in 2 consecutive days and killed 2 soldiers and one civilian.
Israel strikes Gaza workshops in day of violence
Gaza (Reuters). Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles into metal
foundries in the Gaza Strip late on Sun after a day of renewed
violence in which 3 Palestinians and an Israeli settler were killed.
A Palestinian militant was killed trying to infiltrate a Jewish
settlement, another Palestinian was shot dead after a car-chase
involving Jerusalem police and a youth was killed in a Gaza town.
Earlier, Palestinian gunmen shot dead a 49-yo settler in an ambush on
a W Bank road claimed by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed group
in Palestinian Pres Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction.
Late on Sun, 6 people were wounded when Israeli helicopters fired
missiles at the 2 metal foundries in Gaza. Israel has stepped up such
attacks against workshops it says are used to manufacture rockets
fired into its territory from Gaza.
The missiles tore through a foundry in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp,
sending glass and debris flying and causing panic among residents
living in the upper-floors of the apartment building.
Missiles also hit a metal workshop in Gaza's Zeitoun neighbourhood.
The Israeli army said both workshops were used to manufacture Qassam
rockets fired by Palestinian militants in recent days toward the
nearby Israeli town of Sderot.
Violence has surged since Israeli PM Ariel Sharon said he planned to
evacuate settlers and soldiers by the end of next y, as Palestinian
militants and the army vie for supremacy in Gaza before a withdrawal.
* NORTHERN GAZA TENSE
Israeli troops have been operating around the Gaza border town of Beit
Hanoun since a rocket militants fired from the area killed a 3-yo
Israeli boy and a man aged 49 in the Israeli town of Sderot on Jun 27.
Military sources said the soldiers could remain in N Gaza for months
to prevent further rocket attacks. Despite the military operation,
militants fired several makeshift rockets toward S Israel on Sun,
causing no casualties.
In Jerusalem, Israeli paramilitary border police in civilian clothes
killed a Palestinian after chasing his vehicle on suspicion that it
was carrying Palestinians without entry permits, a police rep said.
A police rep said the van pursued tried to "run down one of the
policemen ... and then pulled over and stopped. The driver got out and
fled on foot.
"Police fired in the air, and when he didn't stop, shot toward him.
He was fatally wounded," he said. Israel Radio said police had
launched an internal investigation into the incident.
Several hours earlier soldiers killed a Palestinian gunman the army
said was trying to slip into Har Bracha settlement nr Nablus to carry
out an attack. Residents of his village said he belonged to the
militant Islamic Jihad group.
In Gaza, a 17-yo boy was killed by Israeli gunfire at the entrance to
Beit Hanoun, Palestinian medical sources said. Doctors said 2 other
youths were hit in the legs by bullets.
Military sources said troops opened fire to disperse a riot at the
entrance to the town, hitting the ring-leader.
A Palestinian opinion poll released on Sun showed almost half of
Palestinians oppose Egypt's offer of a security role in Gaza if Israel
pulls out, under-scoring deep-seated concern that it would serve only
Israeli interests.
It also found surging popularity for Islamic militants who fear an
Egyptian presence could tie their hands in conflict with Israel if the
Jewish state carries out its plan to keep Gaza sealed off and annex
parts of the W Bank after a pullout.
Israeli strikes target metal workshops
Israeli helicopter gunships have carried out a series of late-night
raids on metal workshops in Gaza.
Gaza. The 1st Israeli strike badly damaged a metal workshop in
northern Gaza City. Palestinian medics say at least 3 people sustained
light injuries in the missile attack.
Just moments later a 2nd alleged weapons factory was hit nearby and
Palestinians are reporting a 3rd strike against another workshop, this
time S of Gaza City.
An Israeli army rep said the air force had targeted weapons workshops
in Zeitoun and in the Jabalya refugee camp just N of the city, but he
had no info about the strike on Nusseirat camp.
"The 2 workshops were used by the Hamas terrorist organisation and
other terrorist organisations to produce a variety of weapons, notably
Qassam rockets," he said.
Last wk 2 Israelis were killed by Palestinian rockets launched from Gaza.
The Israeli attacks comes after a W Bank incident where Palestinian
gunmen killed a Jewish settler and wounded his wife.
The Israeli man and his wife were travelling between 2 Jewish
settlements in the N W Bank when gunmen from the militant al-Aqsa
Martyrs Brigades fired more than half a dozen rounds into their car.
The 49-yo man was hit in the head and he died as his wife telephoned
for help.
She was later treated for shock.
The security officer from the settlement where the couple lived says
they failed to follow procedure and travel with a military escort.
The Brigades said the shooting avenged Israel's killing of its West
Bank cmdr in a raid into Nablus on Jun 26.
Meanwhile, Israeli border police have shot and killed a Palestinian
man who refused to stop at a Jerusalem checkpoint.
Police say the man was transporting illegal workers through the city.
"Police fired in the air, and when he didn't stop, shot towards him.
He was fatally wounded," he said.
Israel Radio said police had launched an internal investigation of the
incident.
Palestinian man shot while attempting to ferry workers into Israel
Jerusalem (AFP). Israeli border guards say they have shot dead a
Palestinian man attempting to illegally ferry workers into Israel in a
suburb of west Jerusalem. They say the 22-yo man was driving a stolen
vehicle carrying about a 12 illegal workers when plain clothed border
guards ordered him to stop. A police statement says the man refused
and lightly injured one of the guards with his car before losing
control of the vehicle. It says he got out and tried to escape on
foot, but was shot and fatally wounded as the border guards fired in
his direction. The driver died in hospital.
Mugabe rules out MDC talks
Harare (ABC, Sally Sara). Zimbabwean Pres Robert Mugabe has ruled out
holding talks with the Opp'n Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Mr
Mugabe has accused the Opp'n of being puppets of the Brit Govt and
says the only discussions should be between Zimbabwe and Brit. South
African Pres Thabo Mbeki has expressed concern at the slow pace of
political reform in Zimbabwe. Opp'n activists fear that violence will
increase in the lead up to next y's parliamentary elections. Last
week, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai claimed he survived an
assassination attempt N of the capital Harare.
Howard seals Thai free trade deal
Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra thanked John Howard for his warm welcome to AUS.
Canberra. PM John Howard and his Thai counterpart, Thaksin Sinawatra,
have witnessed the signing of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA)
in CBR.
It is the 1st FTA Thailand has concluded with a developed country and
the 1st AUS has with a developing country.
The trade treaty between the 2 countries should come into force in Jan.
"The FTA is a good outcome for both countries, it's good for AUS and
it's good for Thailand," Mr Howard said.
"The Thai economy is strong. We continue to enjoy growing and
improving relations with our 2 nations, we are of course the most
favoured destination for Thai students going overseas to study.
"We are partners in the rebuilding of Iraq, we discussed Iraq and both
look forward to continued improvement."
When the treaty takes effect, AUS will scrap 83% of its tariffs while
Thailand will do away with nearly half of its tariffs.
By 2010, 98% of trade between the 2 countries will be tariff-free.
Thailand is AUS's 12th largest market and 13th largest source of
imports. The 2-way trade is worth nearly $6 bn annually.
* Warm welcome
Dr Thaksin thanked Mr Howard for his warm welcome to AUS.
"I think the meeting we just had was another milestone of our
relationship," he said. "I see AUS as a strategic part of our
neighbourhood, our bilateral relations have never been better.
"I hope that the FTA will lead the way to other FTAs with other ASEAN
members as well."
Mr Howard says the 2 countries also signed an agreement on working
holidays which he said was "a wonderful expression of the close
personal links".
Dr Thaksin was earlier welcomed to the forecourt of Fed Parliament
with a 19-gun salute and a guard of honour.
The Thai PM will also hold talks Opp'n leader Mark Latham and visit
the G-G at Yarralumla.
He will then fly to MEL this afternoon for an official dinner with Vic
Prem Steve Bracks and open a trade fair tomorrow before flying on to NZ.
The official visit and signing dampened speculation that Mr Howard
would notify the G-G today of an Aug 7 election.
Analysts now expect a poll after the Olympics in Aug but before US
voters choose their president in Nov.
* Trade dealings
The pact will dismantle bilateral tariff barriers covering 6,000
items, including agriculture and industrial goods, with exceptions
only for some sectors sensitive to both countries.
Thailand will put products such as oranges, asparagus, milk, beef and
lamb on its sensitive list, for which tariffs will be cut to zero over
a longer period of 10 to 20 y to allow Thai producers to improve their
competitiveness.
With the FTA, Thailand expects to boost textile and plastic exports
while allowing Aussie investors in Thailand to hold majority stakes of
up to 60% in business such as consultancies, construction firms,
hotels and mines.
It also expects to boost car and truck exports to AUS by 30%,
according to the Thai Commerce Ministry.
AUS already has free trade pacts with NZ and Singapore and has signed an
agreement with the US which needs to be ratified by each country's parliament.
Thailand has signed a free trade pact with Bahrain and has reached
some trade liberalisation in some sectors with China and India.
Thailand has also entered formal FTA negotiations with China, India and Japan.
Service sector contracts: report
Canberra. The Aussie services sector looks to have suffered a setback
with a monthly activity survey registering the 1st contraction in a
year-and-a-half. The Performance of Services Index compiled by the
Aussie Industry Group (AIG) and the Commonwealth Bank is down more
than 4 points in Jun, to 49.5. That is below the 50 point mark which
indicates growth and is the first contraction in the survey's 17-m
history. The decline follows a sustained period of exceptionally
strong growth. Activity has contracted in 4 out of 9 sectors, with
finance and insurance suffering the sharpest downturn. AIG says the
stimulus from tax cuts and family payments should boost overall growth
in the m ahead.
Most workplaces negative: study
Sydney (AAP). 90% of Aussies work in a negative culture of blame,
indecision and conformity, according to a study of 900 major
organisations.
The study, released by internat'l organisational development firm
Human Synergistics, involved more than 130,000 employees.
It found management styles and bosses' actions were out of touch with
the espoused values of most organisations.
Human Synergistics rep Quentin Jones said the study, titled
Organisational Culture Inventory, found most managers worked under
misguided assumptions about human behaviour.
"Managers who demand perfection will often find such stringent demands
result in staff feeling nervous about failure, experiencing stress,
making mistakes and hiding them for fear of being singled out," he
said in a statement.
"Similarly, many organisations talk empowerment but then structure
jobs and roles in ways that allow for minimal influence."
He said many bosses were learning that their management style created
the workplace culture and, in many cases, needed to change.
The study will be a featured topic of the 6th Aussie Conference on
Culture and Leadership to be held in SYD and MEL later this m.
Long service leave win for MCG casual worker
Melbourne. An elderly casual worker at the MEL Cricket Ground (MCG)
has won his fight for long service leave. Frank Clohesy, 70, took
civil action against the MEL Cricket Club over long service leave
entitlements which are not paid to casual workers at the MCG. The MEL
Magistrates Court heard the staff supervisor had worked at every major
AFL and cricket game over the past 20 y, except 2 weekends when he was
sick. The club's lawyers told the court Mr Clohesy's attendance had
been honourable but casuals were not obliged to work their shifts.
But Magistrate Michael Smith has found Mr Clohesy's service was continuous
under long service leave laws and he is entitled to the benefits.
Solid jobs growth forecast
Canberra. Continuing solid job creation is being tipped after the
latest survey of employment advertising. The ANZ job advertisement
series shows a 1.5% rise in newspaper "positions vacant" notices in
Jun. With Internet employment notices also climbing to their highest
level in 5 years, the ANZ says jobs growth could total 15,000 to
18,000 a month in the period ahead, especially with the recent fed
Budget's boost to consumer spending likely to ensure the moderation in
the economy is a mild one.
Officials interview Turkish men found in bushland
Darwin. 2 Turkish nat'ls who jumped ship in Nhulunbuy on the Northern
Territory's Gulf coast last wk are now being interviewed by
immigration officials in Darwin. The men could be placed in
immigration detention. The pair failed to re-board their vessel on Tue
night when their visas expired. They were found by police on the
weekend at a camp in bushland on the outskirts of Nhulunbuy. The pair
has since been flown to Darwin where they are now being dealt with by
immigration officials. An Immigration Dept rep says as unlawful
non-citizens they could be subject to immigration detention while
arrangements are made for them to return home.
Defence chief outlines coalition achievements in Iraq
Canberra. AUS's Defence Force chief says cooperation between the
US-lead coalition and Iraqi civilians has produced many good outcomes
in Iraq. Gen Peter Cosgrove today addressed a Bris forum of
academics, public servants and military experts. The conference is
discussing civil-military cooperation and the so-called 'war on
terror'. Gen Cosgrove says while most of the focus has been on
military operations, the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime has seen many
benefits for Iraq. "The coalition has rehabilitated over 2,200
schools and 2,40 hospitals," he said. "Health care spending has
increased 3-fold over pre-war levels and during the last y over 3 mn
children under 5 were vaccinated against diseases."
Doctors on temporary visa bypass board exams
3,000 doctors are working in AUS on temporary visas.
Canberra. New figures show the number of un-accredited doctors trained
overseas but working in AUS has doubled in the last 4 y. A Monash
University study says there are more than 3,000 doctors working in AUS
on temporary visas who are not required to sit the Aussie Medical
Council exam. The report found those doctors are increasingly being
used to fill shortages in rural and regional AUS, while resident
doctors trained overseas must complete an arduous accreditation
process and struggle to find work. The report's co-author Dr Bob
Birrell says the system is creating 2 classes of doctors. "The
medical establishment commitments to [a] domestically trained
workforce trained at higher standards is being abridged because we are
appointing 1000s of people, none of whom have been formally assessed
to see whether they meet Aussie standards," he said.
AMA blasts Govt over foreign doctors
AMA is angry over doctor shortages.
Melbourne. The Aussie Medical Association (AMA) says health services
would be decimated without the help of doctors trained overseas and
attacked the Fed and State Govts for ignoring the problem of doctor shortages.
A Monash University study revealed the number of foreign trained
doctors working in AUS who have not been locally assessed has doubled
in the last 4 y.
The study says there are more than 3,000 doctors on temporary visas
working in AUS who are not required to sit the Aussie Medical Council exam.
AMA president Bill Glasson says allowing overseas trained doctors to
work in AUS is necessary because govts have only developed short-term
solutions to the doctor shortage problem.
He says the current govt policy of using these doctors to fill the
shortages was not sustainable.
"It's the Aussie Govt's fault, it's the state govt's as well for
getting this wrong," Dr Glasson said.
"We've indicated to the govts -- both state and fed level -- over the
last 5 years, we have a huge workforce shortage.
"The Govt's sat on their hands and done nothing and now there's this
knee-jerk reaction to flood AUS with overseas trained doctors."
AMA W Aussie president Brent Donovan says the unfortunate reality is
that the health system relies on overseas trained doctors.
"In W AUS alone we're 600 doctors short," he said.
"That's on top of the fact we already employ about 450 overseas
trained doctors in this state.
"So if we took out those 450 overseas trained doctors we'd be about a
thousand doctors short. We have to use these doctors."
* Doctors angry
The Aussie Doctors Trained Overseas Association president, Assad
Razaghi, has criticised the Fed Govt, saying there are more than 1,000
overseas trained doctors living in AUS who are seeking jobs and accreditation.
"This opportunity should be given 1st to those doctors who are here,"
he said.
"This is outrageous, the Govt has taken these measures to absorb
foreign guest workers without any assessments while they leave out the
migrants and refugees that are already here."
A snr Tasn medical practitioner believes low salaries compared with other
states has led to a reliance on overseas-trained doctors in public hospitals.
Dr Bryan Walpole works with overseas trained doctors and believes they
make up most medical staff in the N and NW hospitals.
He says 2/3 of doctors working in Tas but trained overseas were not
yet fully accredited for Aussie practice.
They are allowed to work in Tas and Health Min David Llewellyn has
said that without them the state would be worse off.
Dr Walpole says it reflects the inability of Tas's health service to
retain local doctors.
"Tas hasn't been able to retain its own graduates or attract graduates
from interstate, because its pay rates aren't competitive," he said.
"So people maximise their opportunities and move offshore, and we're
looking to address that problem."
Teachers ban minister from schools, TAFE
Sydney. The NSW Teachers Federation has passed a vote of no
confidence in state Education Min Andrew Refshauge and banned him from
visiting public schools and TAFE campuses.
The 600 teachers attending the federation's annual conference say Dr
Refshauge has made their working conditions worse.
Federation president Maree O'Halloran says Dr Refshauge is no longer
welcome at the schools he is supposed to oversee.
Ms O'Halloran says if Dr Refshauge visits public schools, teachers
will walk off the job.
"What we do is we send out to all colleges, TAFE colleges and public
schools and we say what the conference of the Teachers Federation has
determined, and how to implement that," she said.
"So that when Dr Refshauge visits schools, the staff at each school will
determine how they would react. In most cases the staff will walk out."
The move comes just days after Dr Refshauge enacted new performance-based
contracts for principals and changes to the transfer rights of teachers.
The teachers are angry he has changed their working conditions and
feel that the Industrial Relations Commission did not give them the
pay rise they believe they deserved.
NSW minister says ban won't stop school visits
Sydney. NSW Education Min Andrew Refshauge says a ban by the Teachers
Federation will not stop him visiting public schools or TAFE facilities.
Yesterday, the state's Teachers Federation passed a vote of no
confidence in the minister, who they say has made their working
conditions worse.
It decided that if Dr Refshauge visited a school, teachers there
should walk off the job.
The federation also voted to extend industrial action by refusing to
take school excursions, or run afternoon school activities.
Dr Refshauge says he will not be prevented from going to schools "I
think schools and TAFEs do want to talk to the minister about their
interests -- how to progress them and how to make sure we get the best
for our students," he said.
Dr Refshauge does not believe many teachers will support industrial
action to restrict work practices and says the resolution will only
impact on children and families.
"It's not very helpful for students, it's not very helpful for parents
either and I don't think it is very helpful for the students trying to
get a good result," he said.
"I don't think it is a very productive thing to do."
Ed Min heckled at teachers' conference
Sydney. Fed Education Min Brendan Nelson has been heckled by
delegates at the NSW Teachers Federation's annual conference. The
federation has criticised the Govt for funding private schools at the
expense of public schools. Dr Nelson says there needs to be nat'l
consistency in school starting ages and told the conference of a need
for the profession to be better regarded in the community. "Our 1st
priority needs to be how do we raise the respect society has for
teaching as a profession, how do we support your profession in getting
much more control of its destiny, of excluding people, that you feel,
and only you feel do not meet high standards?" he said. Shadow
Education Min Jenny Macklin addressed delegates but did not announce
how much money the Opp'n would commit to public schools if it is elected.
Former mayors criticise Latham's management skills
Focus remains on Latham's past.
Sydney. 5 former mayors from SYD's Liverpool Council have written a
letter criticising Labor leader Mark Latham's performance as a
financial manager while serving as Liverpool mayor in the early 1990s.
The letter is signed by 3 former Labor mayors, as well as a Liberal
and Independent.
It claims Mr Latham went on a reckless spending spree and left the
council nearly $16 mn in debt.
Former Labor mayor Joe Durrant says: "I think it was a big disgrace
and the worst thing to ever happen to Liverpool".
Mr Latham's performance has been strongly defended by the council's
former general manager, John Walker, who is now a Liberal councillor
for Woollahra.
"I think he's strategically brilliant," Mr Walker said.
Mr Latham has rejected the criticism, saying he ran a well-managed
council which he left in surplus
Mr Latham has already dismissed other allegations of violence and
infidelity, as a smear campaign by the Howard Govt.
Latham seeks to quash rumours
Canberra. Fed Opp'n leader Mark Latham has fought back tears while
denying rumours circulating about his past.
Mr Latham says no raunchy video exists of him at his buck's night and
he says he has not sexually harassed anyone.
He took the extraordinary step of holding a press conference to "clear
the air" about his past.
"Nothing happened [at my buck's night] that would cause me any embarrassment
today, looking back on it 13 y later, even if there was a video to
look at," he said.
An emotional Mr Latham says he has heard rumours recently that have
hurt him and has asked people to "lay off" his family.
He says he has never been on sexual harassment charges, never broken a
campaign worker's collarbone and has never hit anyone off the football field.
"Things have been put to me about my sisters, my mother, my father
that are not true and they don't deserve it," he said.
"Say whatever you like about me but leave them out of it please." He
believes the rumours are coming from his 1st wife, a group of former
Liverpool councillors and the Coalition.
"I had a snr journalist in the press gallery ring me after the 1998
election and say the real reason you're not running for the front-bench,
the real reason you're going for the backbench is because you're on
sexual harassment charges," he said.
"That's what he said to me and that was the rumour that was circulating at
the time and the rumour repeated to me in recent times, by another journalist.
"It's not true. It wasn't true then, not true now, never true at any stage."
He called for PM John Howard to disband what he calls the Govt's "dirt unit".
But Mr Howard denies the Govt is spreading rumours about Mr Latham.
The PM says he is happy to fight the election on policy issues.
"I am not interested in Mr Latham's personal life," he said. "I am
interested though in his public policies and I will pursue him in
relation to disclosures in relation to his public policies.
"I have no desire to depart from the long-standing view, or
convention, in Aussie politics that private lives are off limits."
Qantas, Air NZ take tie-up case to court
Wellington. Air New Zealand and Qantas have taken their case to form
an alliance to NZ's High Court. The airlines are arguing they need
the deal to remain competitive. Although competition watch dogs on
both sides of the Tasman Sea have rejected any alliance, the airlines
now have appeals underway in both AUS and NZ. Air New Zealand's
lawyer Jim Farmer has told the High Court the arrival of new
competitors into NZ has weakened the major airlines. "The merger is
necessary to restore a competitive position that will otherwise be
rapidly eroded by Virgin Blue and by Emirates," he said. Qantas is
asking for a 22.5% stake in its rival.
Neighbour backs Azaria mystery claims
Melbourne. The neighbour of an elderly MEL man who claims to know
what happened to the body of Azaria Chamberlain believes his neighbour
is telling the truth. Bert Frazer says Frank Cole told him what
happened a few wk ago. In a newspaper article published yesterday, Mr
Cole, 78, said he was shooting for dog meat at Uluru in Aug 1980 when
he shot a dingo which had the baby in its mouth. The baby's body has
never been found and her mother Lindy served 3 y in jail for murder,
before being pardoned. Mr Fraser says his neighbour has no reason to
make up the story. "I believe him but without a body it makes it look
a bit funny," he said. "But why would a 78-yo man just all of a
sudden come up with a story like that. "If the other chaps hadn't
died, I think the 2 of them may have come forward because it has
haunted him he said since it happened, I believe him." NT police are
expected to contact Vic police this morning over Mr Cole's claims.
Vic police probe Azaria claim
Melbourne. Vic police are trying to establish whether there is any
substance to an elderly MEL man's claim that he knows the truth about
Azaria Chamberlain's fate.
Pascoe Vale man, Frank Cole, says he shot a dingo that was holding
Azaria nr an Uluru camping ground 24 y ago.
Mr Cole has told relatives and friends that his companions at the time
recovered the body and may have buried Azaria in a MEL backyard.
He says fear of prosecution over shooting in a nat'l park prevented
him from making the disclosure sooner.
Vic's chief commissioner of police, Christine Nixon, says the force
has a duty to investigate.
"This is a case that has both stunned, I think, and fascinated AUS and
many of us who've grown up and listened to the stories for some time,"
she said.
"In this case we'll have some contact with the NT police but I think
we really should go and make some inquiries, it's one of those things
that can't be let go of."
Former NT chief minister Paul Everingham has expressed scepticism
about the fresh claims.
Mr Everingham was the chief minister when the murder case against
Lindy Chamberlain case was re-opened in the early 1980s.
Mr Everingham says the matter is over and believes the timing is
convenient with a new telemovie being made.
"I think people are seeking publicity, Channel 7 or who ever, I just
think you and I are helping them, actually," he said.
Witnesses claim Volkers case mishandled
Brisbane. Several women have alleged that both the Qld and New South
Wales Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) office mishandled the
Scott Volkers case.
On ABC program 4 Corners to air tonight, the women say swimming coach
Scott Volkers sexually abused them as teenagers, but lawyers conferring
behind the scenes twice prevented the case from going to trial.
Mr Volkers was committed for trial in Qld in Jul 2002 but the case was
dropped.
The Qld Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) said the prosecution's
handling of the case was "unsatisfactory".
The DPP was given a new police brief in Jan and sought advice from its
NSW counterpart, only to drop the case a 2nd time.
On both occasions, the DPP offices found there were problems with the
witnesses' credibility.
Among other things, 4 Corners reveals that the Qld DPP decided on one
witness's credibility without even meeting her.
It also reveals the New S Wales DPP thought a jury might not believe
the witness's claim that she experienced an orgasm during a sexual
assault at the age of 13.
One of the witnesses is now seeking permission to carry out a private
prosecution.
{{
3 am
The Iraqi FM has blamed Iran and Syria for allowing foreign fighters
to cross into Iraq and launch terrorist attacks. Zebari said Iraqi
had tried to arrange security measures with the 2 countries but the
talks had come to nothing. Foreign jihadists had been flooding into
Iraq to settle scores with the infidels according to their twisted
logic, said the FM.
There's confusion over whether or not a US Marine held hostage by an
Iraqi terrorist group has been killed. A rep for Ansar al Sunna said
an announcement that he'd been beheaded appeared on a web site not used
by the group.
London. The Min for Transport is expected to unveil an American idea
to encourage people to use cars more efficiently. The govt has been
extolling the virtues of special "car sharing lanes" in LA and NY, in
which motorists get faster transit to cities if they carry passengers.
But the RAC doubts the idea will work in Brit, where roads don't often
connect residential suburbs with city centres. There is also a
question over how the idea could be enforced. In the US drivers have
sometimes used inflatable dummies to use the car-sharing lanes.
4.30 am
10s of 1000s of Ukrainians have rallied in support of opp'n leader
Ushenko after he lodged papers to run in the up-coming presid'l
elections against Kuchma. The increasingly unpopular Kuchma earlier
this y managed to annul his first term, allowing him to run again.
8 am
In a major upset, 150 to 1 outsiders Greece has won the Euro 2004
soccer championship, defeating host Portugal 1 nil. Understandably,
Greeks around the world have gone temporarily insane.
Midday.
Elections have begun in Indonesia. 150 mn voters will choose from 5
Presid'l candidates. It's only 9 am in Jakarta, and already 1/2 the
voters appear to have registered their vote. Pres Megawati is
expected to be defeated. Opinion polls show Gen SBY will clearly win,
but possibly not in the first round of polling.
Access Economics predicts pre-election govt spending will leave the
cupboard bare. They say projections show the post-election govt will
have to cut spending and.or raise taxes. The group says the revenue
estimates in the current budget are too optimistic, and predicts
budget deficits within 2 y unless something is done.
AUS and Thailand have signed a FTA. It will take effect in Jan.
Internet job ads in AUS are at their highest level since the series began.
Mitsubishi Adel have taken delivery of a $40 mn press line. Company
reps say it's a great confidence booster for the troubled factory, and
hail the purchase as the dawn of a new era.
Following a drop on Wall St Fri, the All Ords is lower, down 6 pts at
3,525. The AUD is travelling at 71.21 US c on greenback weakness.
The Nikkei is down 148. The Hang Seng is down 40. Gold is higher at
$US397.95/oz. Oil is lower but still above $38 at 38.39/bbl.
1 pm
King Abdullah of Jordan has called on Iraq to assert itself. He says
he's worried that 100s of people cross into Iraq unchecked each day.
If allowed to continue, it could lead to a civil war in Iraq and
destabilise whole region.
Rebel cleric Al-Sadr says he'll continue to oppose the US occupation.
The interim govt has no legitimacy, he added. The statement
contradicts earlier, conciliatory statements. Al-Sadr said he would
continue to attack anyone co-operating with the occupation forces.
10 am
2 Fed Labor front-benchers have accused the Liberal Party of running a
smear campaign against Labor leader Mark Latham.
5 former mayors from SYD's Liverpool Council have written a letter
criticising Labor leader Mark Latham's performance as a financial
manager while serving as Liverpool mayor in the early 1990s.
Midday.
Israeli choppers have attacked targets in the Gaza Strip. At least 1
missile was fired. The army said it's targeting metal working
shops in Gaza City and a refugee camp.
The Hague. Today, war criminal and former Pres Milosevic has 4 hrs to
make his opening statement at his trial. It's likely he'll see his
defence case as chance to re-kindle his dwindling popularity in
Serbia. Observers say he'll probably concentrate on making political
speeches rather than a legal case.
6.30 pm
The first democratic presid'l vote in Indonesia is proceeding
smoothly. All 5 candidates chose to vote close to homes. SBY -- with
43% in opinion polls -- admits he probably won't get 50%, and will
need the 2nd round in Sep to win the election. Gen Wiranto -- the
candidate for Suharto former ruling Golkar Party and running at 12% in
the polls -- said he would accept the results gracefully. On TV
yesterday a choked-up Megawati virtually conceded defeat. Her
handlers said she just had a cold.
Attacks are continuing in Iraq. In Baquba 3 people were killed in a
car bomb attack outside a CDF recruit centre. In Ramadi 6 killed
were killed when gunmen opened fire on a political HQ from the
minaret of a nearby mosque. PM Allawi appeared on US TV, offering
amnesty to followers of al-Sadr. Elsewhere, al-Sadr refused, saying
he'd continue to oppose the occupiers and anyone collaborating with
them. On UV TV, terrorists have show they've been carefully
documenting their attacks. One camera was so close to a suicide
bombing, the windscreen of the car was cracked. Such dramatic
pictures are used in recruitment films.
MEL. Sheep prices are up 50% over 3 y. The drought has cut numbers
back 10% this y. There has been some rain this y, but key some dams
in the country are only at 10%. Farmers say haven't seen prices like
this for 40 y. Beef is also up 30%. But domestic and o/s demand for
lamb has pushed prices higher. Prices are likely to remain high until spring.
In the first day of an inquest today, SYD Police have again said they
were not pursuing a 17 yo boy when he was killed.
11 pm
Yukos borrowed $1 bn last Oct. Now the company says the foreign
bankers have declared the company in default of that loan. The
company also says it may not be able to pay its pipeline fees meaning
its oil production could be closed down within days.
11.30 pm
The trial of Milosevic has been adjourned because of on-going concerns
over his health. He was due to start his defence today. The judge
has said the trial process will now be "radically reviewed" because of
the on-going problems. The former Pres's reportedly been suffering
high blood pressure.
The War Crimes Trib'l has opened in Sierra Leone. The civil war
lasted a decade and saw the killings of 10s of 1000s. 3 members of
the RUF are on trial. They're indicted on 17 counts, incl hacking off
the limbs of victims. They've refused to recognise the court's authority.
Votes are being counted in Indonesia. Pres Megawati faces a strong
challenge from her former Security Min. [Ch 10 says there's been a
hang-up in the vote-counting].
The Pres of Austria has suffered a heart attack, 2 days before he was
due to leave office. Doctors say his life is "in severe danger"
after a heat attack.
The PM of Portugal is expected to resign in 2 hrs, to become Pres of
the EU.
S Africa. Former politician and wife of Mr Mandela, Winnie, has been
partly upheld in a court of appeal. She had been accused of theft
and fraud. The charges have been suspended.
A new Coca-Cola bottling plant has opened in Mogadishu. The old plant
was destroyed in the Somali war.
Midnight.
Syria. 100s of intellectuals have written a public letter calling
for the release of jailed member of the banned Communist Labour Party.
He was sentenced to 22 y in 1992.
}}
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